So we're at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, hanging out with our son while he recovers from brain surgery yesterday. Not much has changed about the hospital experience in the 18 years since my last multi-night stay. It still reeks of antiseptic, it's still too bright to be comfortable, the monitors still beep endlessly signifying that everything is fine. It amazes me that the sheer amount of technological progress over the past 20 years hasn't substantively changed the experience of hospitalization (though outcomes have improved dramatically, for which we should all be thankful).
One thing that has changed, though, is vending machine tech. The coke machines and snack machines here at CHOP can be paid for with a debit card. It's really kinda cool, and they even got the real-world use case on it right. You swipe your card, then you buy however much stuff you want from that machine (several sodas, a few candy bars, etc.). When you're done selecting junk food you hit the 'Complete' button and it debits your account for everything in a single transaction.
Kinda nifty tech. I'm pleased to see this stuff spreading through our day-to-day lives.
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