No machine can make the plate as flat as it needs to be.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia | GizmoLand! | Man Beats Machine

They then shut down electricity in the flat - no more dishwasher, fridge or washing machine.

BBC: US family tries life without toilet paper

The Espresso Book Machine will turn a PDF file into a 300-page book in four minutes flat, at a cost of one penny per page including a full-color cover.

FORBES: Can The Espresso Book Machine Save Print?

The plastic must also be flat and smooth for the reading to be accurate, and the object must be brought to the machine (which is not very portable) for analysis, which takes yet more time.

ECONOMIST: Recycling

Grab a two-wheeled machine from any of the 250 docking stations and you will quickly discover that cycling suits this flat, balmy metropolis.

BBC: Seville goes green