Abstract: A vending-machine has one or more displays that inform the customer regarding available vendable selections and that facilitate the purchase of a selected item. By one approach this display can comprise a touchscreen display. Such an approach can support a highly intuitive interaction between the purchasing context and the customer. A display of dynamic content serves to attract a potential customer, provide the customer with a wealth of information regarding available selections, offer the customer a variety of ways to consider and assess available vendable items, support the building of a customer relationship between the customer and one or more marketing brands, and effect the successful conclusion of a vending transaction.

Abstract: A game board apparatus (10) includes a channel (12) that contains and guides a game position marker (11) to a game position marker station as selected by a game player. An access channel (28) serves to provide convenient access to both the marker (11) and the channel (12) to facilitate such selected movement and positioning. Pressure exerted on the apparatus in the vicinity of the game position marker (11) will cause the game position marker (11) to close an electric circuit that includes two opposing electrodes (13 and 15). Completion of this circuit in turn can serve to energize a corresponding alert (such as a visual cue, an auditory cue, and the like). In a preferred embodiment, two such game boards are coupled one to the other to facilitate game play.