Tons of modern day gizmos and gadgets can claim to be powered by an embedded Intel Core i7 processor these days, but the latest device to carry one should raise a few eyebrows.

I mean, seriously, an Intel chip in a coke vending machine?

Apparently, that is the case, as Intel proudly showed off its new, interactive coke vending machine at the Intel Developer Forum last week.

But why on earth does it need Intel’s most powerful microprocessor built into it? Surely, the machine doesn’t need that much computing power to dispense with a few soft drinks?

Well, the answer is that this is much more than just an ordinary coke vending machine. Developed by SIA Interactive, this next-generation contraption looks more like something that’s come straight out of a sci-fi flick than any normal drinks dispenser, equipped with a high-definition camera, digital touchscreen display, and Wi-Fi capability. Obviously, anyone who’s unfortunate enough to lose their money without the machine coughing up their beverage will have to think twice before pummeling the crap out of it in revenge…

Ostensibly, the built-in camera represents Coca Cola’s attempt to ‘get with the times’ and embrace social networking. Not only can Facebook freaks upload images of every single meal they’ve ever eaten, they can now do the same with drinks – customers can choose whether or not to have their photo taken when they buy a coke, before emailing said image to whoever they’d like. Surely, Facebook and Twitter integration can’t be too far away…

Not that everyone will appreciate this new ‘feature’. The worry of course, is what do Coke intend to do with all of those images they collect? The camera could, presuming there are enough ‘saddos’ to use it, provide Coca Cola or the vending machine’s supplier with a lot of information about their customers, including age, gender and ethnicity, so naturally there will be plenty of people screaming about the invasion of their privacy once again. Whether or not we’ll one day have to resort to wearing a balaclava before we grab our liquid refreshments remains to be seen.

But at least the touchscreen seems nice. Pushing physical buttons or turning handles will soon be a thing of the past – now, all you need to do is tap the image to be served your desired drink. You won’t need to worry about having some spare change either, as the machine also comes equipped with a QR reader that’s able to scan vouchers and coupons instead.

Coca Cola said that a number of these Intel Core i7 machines are already up and running in South America, so we probably won’t have to wait too long until these futuristic drinks machines start popping up elsewhere in the world.