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More, Better, Faster Sushi? Call In A 'Sushi Bot'

Wired reports that "sushi bots" were among the eye-catching products at the World Food and Beverage Great Expo, which just wrapped up in Tokyo.

At the expo, a company called Suzomo showcased a countertop machine that can make 3,600 rice mounds per hour. Another bot can put together 300 medium-sized sushi rolls an hour.

A company video explains how a sushi bot can make a difference in your life:

"It is true a skilled chef has trained for a long time," a Suzomo representative says. "However with Suzomo's sushi-making machines, everyone can make stable-quality sushi very easily."

There's no price yet for the 20-pound devices. But they are reportedly about 10 times more productive than the fastest sushi chef out there.

Suzomo came up with the first sushi bot in 1981. But Wired points out other companies are now making maki machines, including one named "Robotic Sushi."

And speaking of food-oriented robots, this seems like a good time to report the launch of a cupcake vending machine last month in Los Angeles. Sprinkles bakery developed the machine, equipped with a robotic arm to safely move single boxed cupcakes around, to make cupcakes available 24/7. Recent news reports suggest it has been popular thus far and will be expanding into other cities.

Copyright 2012 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

NPR

Dan Brown: 'Inferno' Is 'The Book That I Would Want To Read'

Dan Brown, author of the blockbuster The Da Vinci Code, is back with his first novel in four years. Inferno follows academic hero Robert Langdon on a chase through Italy as he attempts to avert a biological catastrophe.
NPR

'Picture Cook': Drawings Are The Key Ingredients In These Recipes

Designer Katie Shelly's upcoming cookbook offers 50 illustrated recipe "blueprints" for basic meals — from simple snacks to more hefty dishes like eggplant Parmesan. She hopes they'll inspire any level of cook to improvise in the kitchen.
WAMU 88.5

Ken Cuccinelli Wins GOP Nomination For Virginia Governor

Virginia's attorney general Ken Cuccinelli will face former Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe in November to become Virginia's 72nd governor.

NPR

Book News: Amazon May Be Called Before Parliament Over Taxes

Also: AARP and The Nation join a growing list of ebook publishers; Hilary Mantel on Jane Austen; Anne Applebaum on Sheryl Sandberg.

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