Right after that post about robots in space rattled me, I saw this.

I pretty much read Alone Together with disbelief. Now comes word from Fast Company that Japan has sent a robot into space as a companion for astronauts. Time to look into Turkle's book again.

Fast Company reports on a fully automated coffee service that will take orders by smartphone and help you send out word of your purchase. Although you'll be able to customize your order, I didn't see whether whether you'll be able to specify what time your drink should be ready. This appreciative comment on Yelp—I LOVE this place. They just upgraded and it's now fully automatic. It opens up officially next week, but I was able to try it out today and it is amazing.—seems to indicate that Briggo is already available in some places. I'm just thinking that getting your latte from a robot, as useful as that might be, can not possibly be as interesting and enjoyable as having a barista to talk to while your drink is made.