LATEST wonderful and strange rumour from my global internet village was that coffee company Lavazza have built an internet ready coffee machine which automatically lets the firm know when it needs servicing by emailing the firm when it's ready for the man with the spanner and the spare coffee filters.

I had a look on their website, and couldn't find any sign of it, but if you do want to have a look at some brew dispensers designed by Pininfarina. That's right, a coffee machine made by the people who design Ferrarris, Lambhorginis and the Jaguar XJS then give them a try.

And if, like me, your knowledge of Italian is limited to the names of different pasta shapes, try the English language version, which has several examples of the triumph of enthusiasm over expertise in Anglo-Italian idiomatic translation, which is always nice.

www.lavazza.com