<p>CHICAGO -- By day, Tyler DeAngelo is the creative director of an ad agency, plotting strategy for some of America's best-known consumer products. Off hours, he's an inveterate tinkerer. A few years ago he sparked a small Internet and videogame sensation by taking the classic Frogger arcade piece and incorporating images of real cars into the graphics in a game he called Fifth Ave Frogger. DeAngelo now has turned his attention to bulk vending, merging a classic gumball machine with Foursquare.</p><p>To appreciate DeAngelo's vision, it's important to understand how Foursquare works. The location check-in mobile app was founded in 2009 by Dennis Crowley and Naveen Selvadurai, and it has since raised more than $70 million. It prompts its 20 million worldwide smartphone users to "check in" when they are out and about at participating venues. The check-in is immediately sent to their Facebook pages, as well as Foursquare, and saved. The posts can later be used to make recommendations for other spots. Venues like the app because it provides free advertising via Facebook; consumers like it because where you go can say as much about you as what you wear, eat or drive.</p><p>So how has DeAngelo incorporated Foursquare into a bulk vending machine? He enlisted the help of two New York University students, Ben Light and Matt Richardson. They gutted a vending machine, crafted a new gear mechanism (laser cut from high-grade plastic) and internal mounts, and installed a small stepper motor, along with the electronics that enable the wireless interface. The project took about three and a half months to complete.</p><p>By standing in proximity to the vender, which automatically sends a signal to a smartphone, and then checking in, the patron is given a free gumball. The proof of concept is seen in a vender that electronically dispenses the gumball within a second or two after the check-in. The reward is immediate.</p><p><a href="http://www.vendingtimes.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=EB79A487112B48A296B38C81345C8C7F&nm=Vending+Features&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=34BC4050D43A493ABCBEEDBA30C67BC2">Keep reading...</a></p>