Here comes the synergy. Buying songs off the iTunes WiFi store while you're at Starbucks is great and all - but it turns out that most people don't go to Starbucks so they can freely surf iTunes' selections. Instead, Apple has figured out that people go to Starbucks to buy coffee and coffee-flavored beverages (let's face it, calling that mocha-double-frappa-whozit "coffee" is an insult to coffee and whozits). To that end, Apple has cagily filed a patent to allow you to order your coffee without having to actually talk to a human. Forbes describes it best:
Customers might tap a button to order their favorite drink, say a double-shot mocha, as they stroll up to the nearest coffee shop. When the drink is ready go to, the device--such as an iPhone--would chime or blink to let the thirsty one know it's time to scoop up the order at the counter.
...In other news, Forbes is now reporting on Apple patents like a common rumor site. It's almost like they have a guy on staff who's obsessed with Apple.
