With the rise of Seamless and self-checkout lanes at supermarkets and pharmacies, it seems there is an upward trend in the elimination of human interaction in everyday purchases. The Seattle-based startup Zipwhip takes this a step further by introducing a coffee maker that accepts orders via text message, taking away the need to even be at the coffee shop less the need to wait in line and communicate with the barista.
The Textspresso machine demonstrates the power of cloud texting by accepting orders remotely through SMS. Ideally, the machine will probably be used at home or in offices rather than a commercial setting, so one can hypothetically ask Textspresso to have a piping hot cup waiting for them minutes before they arrive home or when they’re in an elevator on the way up to the office. Textspresso understands simple commands, such as the type of coffee you want between espresso, latte, or just plain coffee, but you will likely have to add your own milk and sugar.
Another feature to Textspresso is an edible ink printer that will type words on your drink’s top layer of cream to signify whatever message you want. In the above picture, the coffee features a name so we assume this would be helpful if Textspresso is used in a common area where multiple people are sending orders to the machine at the same time. But please, don’t get any ideas about start having marriage proposals on a cup of coffee.
Textspresso originally began as an experiment to illustrate cloud texting between computer and Android devices. In Zipwhip’s latest blog post, the company clarified that unfortunately, they will not be making Textspresso for the public market as the startup is a cloud texting company. In an interview with Geekwire, Zipwhip CEO John Lauer said Textspresso took 20 days to build so commercial mass production seems to be unlikely.
However, if you are a computer whiz who want to learn to program your own gadgets in the same manner, visit the Zipwhip site to download the free service to set up your own Textspresso or similar-type machines. Free is definitely better than whatever Textspresso would have cost, and a little programming lesson along the way isn’t a bad benefit.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a cool gizmo to create espresso on the go, check out Handpresso Auto. It might not read text messages, but it can make you a hot cup right in your car so you don’t actually have to be home or in a kitchen to enjoy some serious caffeination.
Image Credit: Gizmag
