Machines Join Japanese Anti-Smoking Effort

And it's totally free

(NEWSER) - Want some WiFi with that soda? A Japanese soft drink company has unveiled new vending machines that offer a free wireless Internet signal, TechCrunch reports. Users needn't register or even shell out for a drink: They can simply connect to the public signal for 30 minutes, landing on a home screen with information on local attractions. Asahi will install 1,000 of the machines across Japan next year, with hopes of setting up another 9,000 over the next five years. More»

Drug czar blames Prop 19, medical marijuana for rise

(NEWSER) - Marijuana use is up again among teens, rising for the first time in nearly a decade—and President Obama’s drug czar blames California’s legalization measure Proposition 19 , among other things. A new government survey found that 21.4% of high school seniors said they smoked pot in the last 30 days, the Los Angeles Times reports. The good news? Only 19.2% said they smoked a cigarette in the same period—the first time marijuana use was higher than tobacco use in that age group since 1981. More»

Cosmetic surgery is nothing compared to the power of a few pounds

(NEWSER) - Forget Botox: If you want to look young as you grow older, just gain a few pounds, according to Heidi Klum. "The ultimate beauty secret for a woman getting older is, Don't be too thin!" she tells Self . "When you are just muscle, you end up being gaunt in the face, and that makes you look older by five or 10 years." She also recommends—especially for new moms—lots of sleep and perhaps a spray tan to stay looking fresh. For more, including how she feels about her own wrinkles, click here . More»

If it will cut down on teen smoking, why wouldn't we?

(NEWSER) - Between 2005 and 2009, tobacco use in top-grossing movies declined by almost half—and that same time period also showed a notable decline in the number of high school students trying cigarettes. Coincidence? Probably not—which is why the CDC is calling for all films with tobacco use to be rated R. The MPAA’s response to this request was to point out that, since May 2007, a full three-quarters of movies depicting smoking were rated R. More»

Forget chocolate: You can get gold, pizza, and raw eggs

(NEWSER) - When you need to find a bar—gold, not chocolate—the Gold to Go vending machine at the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi has you covered. It's one of a number of wacky vending options. Travel + Leisure lists 10 more weird things you can get from a machine:

1. Fresh pizza: Italy's Let's Pizza machines whip up an individual pie from freshly kneaded dough—with your choice of topping—in about 3 minutes.