Going out for coffee is so pre-recession, right? Either way, what you see above is a purported rendering of Philips' next-generation Senseo coffee system, which actually looks to be taking a step backwards in the design department. Not that we have anything against non-futuristic styling -- just an observation, is all. We know, at least a handful of you are already champing at the bit to yell "FAKE1one!," but really, who spends time creating a mockup of a java machine? And besides, aren't all the good designers working up those derisory iPhone nano images?

[Thanks, GPFransen]

Maybe it's the ambiguity and possible masking of truth that just adds to the allure here, but whether it really lived or not, you now know what an Optimus Maximus looks like after an impromptu greeting with lukewarm java. Sir tema clearly states that the keyboard "survived" its first recorded coffee spill "thanks to the construction of the upper tray," but judging by the looks of this thing... um, we're not so sure. Oh, and he also mentions that spilling liquids on the 'board is not only "stupid," but it obviously voids any applicable warranties. Thanks for the memo.

Remember that WiFi pact brewed up between AT&T and Starbucks earlier this year? How could you forget, right? As if it wasn't official enough already, the two have announced that the rollout has begun at company-operated Starbucks locations, and the nationwide effort will continue throughout 2008. Effective May 1st, qualifying AT&T high-speed internet / WiFi customers -- that's those who subscribe to one of the three higher-speed residential broadband packages, a small business broadband package or a U-verse offering with high-speed internet -- will have free WiFi access at over 7,000 coffeehouses across the US. Unfortunately, we're not given any real insight into what kinds of potential deals are in the works for AT&T wireless customers (if any at all), but here's to hoping you all can get a little love, too.

If you're both a coffee- and gadget-freak, this project by DIY'er Tim Hirzel will probably be a notably inspiring hack. By combining a fancy-pants Rancilio Silvia espresso machine, the multi-purpose Arduino micro-controller, a Wii nunchuk, and some seriously high-level hacking, Tim has created a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. The typically straight-up espresso maker is now controlled electronically, allowing integration of a calendar, sleep timer, wake-up alarm, and temperature regulation. The system also allows a user to time its functions (to get that perfect cup of espresso), and the nunchuk can be used to alter settings on the unit. Be sure and take a look at the video after the break to see this mod in action.

[Thanks, Russ]

If you've covered your entire house in gold and diamonds and are left with little else to pimp out, you can always move on to the kitchen. The Nespresso Crystal Edition coffee machine is covered with 3100 Swarovski crystals and will only run you about £1,995 (or about $4,000). But does it make coffee? Does it ever - it comes with a removable grill for macciato lattes, sports an illuminated collecting pan for your used coffee capsules, and does it all with the single press of a pretty, shiny, blingy button.

[Via Red Ferret]

Announced today, Starbucks is gearing up to transition its WiFi relationship from T-Mobile to AT&T in over 7,000 of its locations in the US. For T-Mobile HotSpot customers feelin' a bit like day old espresso right about now, fret not, as the coffee giant has assured us all that you folks "will be able to continue to access WiFi services at no additional cost through an agreement between AT&T and T-Mobile." Starting "sometime this Spring," Starbucks card holders will be treated to two hours of free WiFi access per day, while more than 12 million "qualifying AT&T broadband and U-verse internet customers will have unlimited free access." For whatever it's worth, the press release also notes that the carrier will "soon extend the benefits of WiFi at Starbucks to its wireless customers," but it (sadly) fails to elaborate. For those of you out there without any ties to AT&T, expect to pony up $3.99 for a two hour session or $19.99 for monthly access.

[Via mocoNews]

Read - Starbucks to expand technology relationship with AT&T
Read - More than 12 million AT&T, Starbucks customers to get free WiFi access

Sure, internet-connected coffee makers are hot stuff, but they don't do you much good once you grab your parka and dart out for the long morning commute, now do they? Enter the Yuno PC, designed by California State University Long Beach senior Jason Farsai, which quite literally wraps your latest e-mails, the weather forecast, traffic information, stocks, comics and the time around your coffee mug. Granted, it's still a concept at the moment, but it's pretty safe to say that this is one container you wouldn't likely leave unattended -- you know, kind of like that red stapler.

[Via YankoDesign]

Actually, that headline is a bit misleading, since we'd never actually subscribe to a method of coffee production that required any sort of effort before the coffee is actually in our body -- clearly defeating the purpose -- but this Handpresso thing is still quite the little gizmo in its own right. It works pretty much exactly like you'd expect: pump the handle to the right pressure level, add an espresso pod and hot water, flip the switch and blammo, you've got a few waking hours in a cup. Apparently the box is all fancy too, which is always nice.

Today's "Adventure in Laziness" is brought to you by Whirlpool, which has just -- rather cleverly, we must admit -- announced an upcoming refrigerator with built-in espresso maker, saving you several precious steps during your rushed morning routine. No longer will you flutter between fridge and coffee machine like a caffeine-addicted idiot; instead, your milk, creamers, and sweeteners are just inches away from a freshly-brewed cup. Coming in January of next year for what will likely be significantly more than your standard icebox, the "20RI D4 Espresso" bodes well for future fridge-tech, and makes us yearn for the day when our Whirlpool sends us off to work with a warm cup of joe and welcomes us home at night with a frosty, self-brewed lager.

[Via The Appliancist]

Finally you can get your coffee served up just the way you like it... via the internet. Thanks to some caffeine-loving DIY'ers, you can now whip up (or at least serve) a cup of steaming-hot espresso from across the room, or across the Atlantic (though, why would you make a cup of coffee if you won't be able to drink it while it's hot?). Regardless, inspired by Larry Masinter's circa-1998 Hyper Text Coffee Pot Control Protocol, and utilizing the O2M8 WebBrick (a controller designed for automation in houses), the gang was able to put together a solution for coffee making that has been heretofore unseen, though (we suspect) desperately needed. Check the link to see all the percolating action unfold.

[Via Hacked Gadgets]

Stopping by your favorite java shop on the way to work each day can get relatively pricey (and frustrating if you simultaneously roll in with the other half of the city), and while the Nespresso Lattissima can't exactly read your mind, it apparently does one mean latte with just a single button press and a moment of your time. According to SingleServeCoffee, the stunning machine sports a "one touch fresh milk froth function" and also boasts an auto clean mode, detachable milk and water reservoirs, adjustable cup platform, and a twin pump heating system. Moreover, the device can reportedly crank out a cappuccino in "less than one minute," while a latte macchiato takes just 80 seconds. Slated to hit stores this fall, the mostly automated coffeemaker will come in a satin chrome flavor with integrated cup warmer for $799, while the less pricey red and black versions will save you a Benjamin at the expense of that built-in warming feature. Be sure to click through for a video that's so good, you can almost smell it.

[Via SingleServeCoffee, thanks Jay]

Getting updates on the weather and current time is no problem for modern day coffee machines, but Benjamin Brown's project aims to blend the hottest worldwide news into a multicultural cup of joe. Rather than taking time to find out what's going on in the world around you with your eyes, the News Brews hopes to shovel the latest RSS feeds into your brain via your taste buds. The steampunk-inspired device "connects to internet news feeds and parses them to determine the relative frequency at which different coffee growing regions are mentioned," which means that your brew will differ each day depending on how frequently a given country is mentioned. Of course, not everyone will be down with an unexpected coffee suicide of sorts to wake them in the AM, but trying to figure out what your mouth is reading on the drive to work certainly beats running others off the road or illegally texting at stop lights.

[Via TechDigest]

Although a coffee machine that slowly but surely learns your daily preferences in regard to cups of java may sound outlandish, the already-created RFID-enabled refrigerator certainly brings things back into focus. A "provisional patent exploration into coffee machines that learn and react to their users" is underway in Lafayette, Indiana, as James Pappas is hoping to take ubiquitous computing to the next level on coffee makers of the future. While internet-connected and weather-displaying renditions are already on store shelves, Pappas is hoping to utilize some form of GPS / RFID technology to create a machine that learns and adapts to your coffee drinking ways so it can automatically have a white chocolate cappuccino ready and waiting each weekday (except Monday, which is your straight-up black coffee day, right?) without you having to touch a thing. Furthermore, he's hoping to take the idea to the mobile front, as he refers to a cellphone interface to dial-in your next request so that it's ready to go by the time you hit the kitchen. Still, it sounds like the invention is a few years off at best, but serious drinkers better hope this thing automatically alerts you when the beans are running low, too.

[Image courtesy of CoffeeToThePeople]

Lasers have found their way into the hearts of modders everywhere, and while this latest case doesn't guide missiles or remove hair, it does make a mean cup of joe. All you'll need is a sturdy mug, coffee grinds (or a tea bag, whichever you prefer), a bit of water, and a spare two-kilowatt laser to get things a steamin'. Sure, there's most certainly a few alternatives to accomplish this same task with a lot less hassle, but there's just no substitute to making your office a round of java with a commercial-grade laser. Now, how about we give this a go with a 67-kilowatt version? Click on through for the vid.

[Via Hack-A-Day]