NPR

High-Tech 'Bodega' Falls Short Of The Real Thing

Two entrepreneurs attracted criticism after they unveiled a ritzy vending machine they named Bodega. NPR's Scott Simon muses on the value of the brick and mortar stores that predate the machine.
Jesus Martinez (L) works at his bodega grocery store in the Queens borough of New York City in 2007. Tech entrepreneurs got pushback for calling their startup "Bodega." / Spencer Platt / Getty Images

A couple of high-tech entrepreneurs thought they'd put a personable name on an impersonal product.

Paul McDonald and Ashwath Rajan, formerly of Google, unveiled a box this week with glass doors, stocked with nonperishable items, that people can unlock with their cellphones while

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