irst, the toothbrush was replaced by a sonic laser. Then the coffee cup became obsolete, unexpectedly, because of a device that made it possible for coffee to remain warm while suspended in midair in a liquid state. The pencil was phased out of production, as most consumers found their word-processors more convenient. The coffee table, after many many centuries of being an acceptable piece of furniture, was no longer considered useful. After all, nobody any longer needed someplace to put their coffee cup down.