You pop in one euro ($1.50) and the thing goes to work, dropping down a little paper cup and choose from a menu including single or double espressos, cappucinos, and up to five sugars. Then you wait about sixty seconds. Then you pull out your little paper cup, and it has your espresso ... even with foam on top. With the milk sitting correctly. It's a wonder to behold. And what's more, you are then actually supposed to take your espresso onto the subway with you. So civilized.

This is an evolutionary technology, but it is to those old coffee-in-a-paper-cup vending machines what a Falcon Northwest PC is to a Commodore Pet. I want to wrap one up and take it home.