Vending machines have come along way in the past 2,000 years. According to the National Automated Machines Association, the first "vending machine" was put into use in 215 B.C., a device to dispense holy water used in the temples of Egypt. Uh, huh. Some other fun vending machine facts:

- The vending industry is a $30 billion a year industry, employing 700,000 people who work at an estimated 13,500 companies.

- 100 million Americans will use on of 7 million vending machines each day.

- 16.3% of all vending machines are located in schools and colleges. Most vending machines are located in manufacturing settings (30.2%)

NAMA will be set up in Navy Pier over the next two days, with dozens of vendors set up to show off their latest creations. Among the machines we caught - a cotton candy machine that whips up the sugary snack in seconds. The sticky will set you back $2.

Another is a futuristic, iPhone like machine called the Digi-Touch. This one was on display by Kraft Foods, who demonstrated how the flat-screen, Samsung created front allowed customers to touch their choice. If you insert a $20 bill, you'll get paper money in return. The machine also accepts credit cards. And in between orders, the flat screen turns into a large animated advertisement for the various products inside.

Kraft's Mike Miller told us about the various challenges the creative team had when designing the machine - which houses plenty of chocolate products.

"The heat from the screen was beginning to make the chocolate soft and melt a little bit," Mike told us. " What we've done, is we actually have two fans. One at the bottom to push the air out over the screen. One at the top to suck that air out of the top, so we don't have any issues anymore with soft or slightly melted chocolate."

Other machines include the Akoona Ice Machine, a behemoth of a product that pumps out bags of fresh ice for just 75 cents. It's a big improvement from gas station ice, which, according to Akoona Reps, often comes trucked in from large factories that use chemicals during the production process. Akoona's ice is chemical free and never touches a human hand. Pull your cooler up, and with three gushes, it's full to the brim.

The NAMA convention runs through Friday, but it's only open to vendors. Check out my video above to feel what it was like to be there. Plus, you'll get to keep some change in your pocket.

About a year ago, I caught up with local folk group The Giving Tree Band as they recorded their first ever green album, "Great Possessions." By green, I don't mean recycled packaging. The band went all out and traveled to the Aldo Leopold Center in Baraboo, Wisconsin - a facility that celebrates the finest in eco-friendly living. Here's a quick rundown of what the band went through to ensure their earthy cred:

- Used energy generated by Leopold Center to power any instruments and electronics needed for mixing.
- CD's produced using renewable wind power.
- Packaging created using 100% biodegradable materials.
- Guitars made from naturally fallen or reclaimed woods, with a non-toxic finish.
- The band camped each night and biked 10 miles to and from the Leopold Center each day.

The band will put on a free CD release show in Lincoln Park on Tuesday, September 15th at 6 p.m. in Lincoln Park at Clark & Armitage, in conjunction with the first annual Carbon Day. I profiled the band on "metromix" as they were finishing the album last October.....
Continue reading Music Tuesday: The Giving Tree Band releases Green Album »

If you tuned into tonight's WGN Evening News at 5:30 p.m., you heard us talk about all kinds of fun new gadgets hitting store shelves soon. But one story really peaked my interest. Whenever science finds a way to preserve history, it's always worth a mention.

The Codex Sinaiticus

Better known as the oldest Bible in existence, this hand written work has survived since the 4th century, around the time of Constantine the Great.

For the past four years, scientists and scholars have painstakingly restored and digitized what's left of this great work. On the website you can look up specific chapters and zoom in and out. You can even change the light value for each page. More from the AP story....

As it survives today, Codex Sinaiticus comprises just over 400 large leaves of prepared animal skin, each of which measures 15 inches by 13.5 inches (380 millimeters by 345 millimeters). It is the oldest book that contains a complete New Testament and is only missing parts of the Old Testament and the Apocrypha.



You can see the work for yourself here. They're experiencing heavy traffic right now so the site is pretty slow, but give it some time. It's worth the wait.

As for the rest of this week's Tech Talk.....
Continue reading Tech Talk: The oldest bible, the thinnest TV's, and a new iPhone Twitter app! »