According to some urban explorers, the restaurant is the plane above these lines, the second 747 ever made and the first to fly commercially. It did it for Pan Am until it was decommissioned and most of its fuselage was sent to South Korea, where it sits now, serving as a restaurant building.

[Dark Roasted Blend]

As we already knew, everything in this restaurant in Nuremberg is completely automated, from the ordering process—using a touchscreen which also allows you to surf the web or email while waiting for our order—to the delivery of the food to your color-coded seat. Only the cooking is manual, which is done by some Elzar apprentices, 70% human-30% iron chefs, somewhere in the building.

The creator of the technology behind 's Baggers thinks there's a big market for these kinds of restaurant, which are convenient, fun, and save costs to the owners and the clients. The BBC seems to agree. Their verdict: fun, delicious, fast, and no tips. Makes a good case to eradicate that awful, ingrate job of waitressing all throughout the planet. Sad, I know. But don't despair, my friends: there's always blogging.

Go to the BBC page to get their full impressions. ['s Baggers via BBC News]

The system works using a pen that collects barcode data when swiped over a selection in a menu. That data is then transferred wirelessly to a printer, where the kitchen staff takes the order. At that point, an automated voice will alert both parties that an order has been placed. At only 45,000 Yen (or $418) for a one-month rental on 30 pens, a server, and printer, the Deli-Touch represents a far more economical solution to conventional wait staff and other automated systems. Plus, I won't have to deal with any waiters who screw up my order because they are stoned. [Teraoka via Trends in Japan]

The device allows diners to select from up to eight different FM audio channels and it is compatible with most regular or high-definition cable or satellite receivers. Naturally, the product is directed toward business owners, not private individuals —but I can definitely see how a simple device like this could make a trip to the local sports bar a lot more enjoyable. [Product Page]

You select your meal from touchscreens that are installed on every table, and it arrives via a spiral slide a few minutes later. Is it more convenient? Perhaps. But it's only a matter of time before we just arrive at a restaurant and have a drip installed, or pop a food pill. I'll stick with tradition here, I think, and fight the growing trend for ever faster food. However, if bipedal robots were to swagger around a restaurant, wearing little bow-ties and talking in ludicrously stereotyped French accents, that would be another matter. [Sci Fi Tech]

So what would the Jobs restaurant be like? I'm seeing calamari, finger bowls...and a Meizu knockoff next door. [flickr via crunchgear]