Reading the fine print: buried hurdles in the EULA

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Until just recently, the End User License Agreement for the Macromedia Flash Player prohibited its use on kiosks - which meant that most of the world's kiosks…

This kiosk is a work of art

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Los Angeles-based SeePoint recently launched an elaborate and artistic kiosk program that helps visitors make the most out of a trip to the J. Paul Getty…

Self-service city hall: the benefits of e-gov kiosks

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Many interactions between citizens and their local government are routine and repetitive - in other words, ripe for a self-service solution. A well-designed…

No moving parts: the rise of solid-state storage

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

For a designer trying to make kiosks as small, quiet and efficient as possible, the hard drive often represents the biggest stumbling block. Solid-state memory…

Giving `pay-by-phone' new meaning

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Contactless payment systems are gaining ground, which has some operators looking to put payment information in a device we all have in our pockets at any given…

Shelf-front kiosks combat information overload

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Ultra-compact kiosks and displays allow retailers to dispense product information and collect loyalty data on shelves. Electronic pricing labels shrink the…

Taking a custom approach to kiosk design

Does designing a kiosk from scratch amount to reinventing the wheel? Some say so, while others extol the virtues of a custom design in a world of ready-to-go…

Now hiring: the kiosk as HR professional

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Good help is harder to find than ever, especially in certain industries where human resource departments are strained to the breaking point. Kiosks can help…

Digital signage company makes strong NASDAQ debut

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

China's Focus Media Holdings recently went public, raising US$170 million and watching its per-share price rise 19 percent on day one. It was a strong showing…

Reaching the masses: making self-service devices accessible

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Hardware and software designers constantly fine-tune their work to build a kiosk that is usable by as many people as possible. Satisfying government…

Can't-miss retail

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

With traditional advertising waning in effectiveness, retailers are turning to "event retailing" to drive sales and generate excitement - and kiosks are often…

Automating the survey process

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Intelligent businesses rely on customer feedback to drive decision-making. Paper ballots and face-to-face polls remain useful, but survey kiosks are becoming…

Cold, hard cash

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Credit and debit transactions might be on the rise, but cash isn't going anywhere - in order for most kiosks to reach their potential, they still need to…

Cash action settlement

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America's largest-ever class-action lawsuit ruling could put cash in the pockets of every business that accepted Visa and MasterCard from 1992 to 2003.

Uniquely identified

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Several new commercial offerings take fingerprint data and use it to drive everything from personal identification to retail payment. But how much education…

Making fast food even faster

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Kiosks are beginning to pop up in quick-service restaurants, helping speed the ordering process and improve the customer experience ... and among their…

Vending comes of age

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Can a marriage between the kiosk and the tried-and-true vending machine produce a better shopping experience for the consumer, while putting more money in the…

Checks and balances

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

While direct deposit and online banks have changed the way many people handle their money, there are still countless paychecks generated and distributed every…

Blue-ribbon kiosks, part I

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

In the first of a series of stories looking at award-winning kiosk designs, the spotlight is focused on Burn A Song and WinesandRecipes.com.

What price loyalty?

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

A new study shows that many loyalty programs are focusing too heavily on pricing, which might be having the opposite of its intended effect. What is the right…