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other appliances
This page considers other net-enabled domestic appliances
such as the internet washing machine and toaster.
Lack of consumer demand and system integration problems
mean that using the fridge as a hub has been tacitly abandoned
by many manufacturers. Their peers have promoted standalone
devices such as the i-pot, a wireless-equipped electric
kettle capable of alerting a server whenever it's used.
Recipients of the i-pot service in Japan can choose to
receive a daily email with the three most recent uses
of the pot, supposedly acting as an "early warning
system" about the health of the elderly ... or merely
signalling their demise. We can't help thinking that a
phone call or even - horreur - a visit would serve just
as well (and would be somewhat warmer than promo claims
that "seniors who use the i-pot report feeling less
alone, knowing that somebody else is able to monitor them
via the data sent by the kettle".
The device's promoter Zojirushi leases out a pot for a
US$50 deposit and charges US$30 per month for connectivity.
In the US the New York Times embraced the vision
in an article that claimed
The technology behind cleaning clothes has spun through
more than a few cycles over the last century, from clunky
hand-cranked machines to today's gleaming appliances
that can detect a load's size and even how much grime
is ground into the fabric.
Soon, those who delight in living the clean life could
be awash in an even newer twist.
Washers and dryers that link wirelessly to internet-connected
home networks are being tested by consumers who are
receiving updates on their dirty laundry via mobile
phones, computers and TV sets.
Messages not only indicate when a wash is complete but
also can warn that a lint filter is clogged or a load
is too large. Users can remotely command the machines
to fluff dry clothes or start a load from a distance
after being told - oops - they forgot to start the wash.
The
trial involves Whirlpool, Panasonic and Microsoft. It
relies on a wireless network, two TV tuners and Microsoft
Media Server software to send the details to devices across
the home network and beyond.
The
Times reported that
Peggy
Spencer, a 57-year-old teacher whose family is involved
in a trial of the system launched by the Internet Home
Alliance, hopes to use it to monitor the wash from the
comfort of a lounge chair - at her neighbourhood pool.
The technology test, dubbed Laundry Time, recently began
evaluating how three Atlanta families use the devices
over six weeks ...
It could be at least a year from the marketplace, depending
on how the pilot and other studies iron out. And company
executives said they haven't yet discussed how they'd
price such appliances if they actually release them.
Whirlpool says modifying its latest models won't be
tough if the company decides to offer the technology
to the masses.
An
Internet Home Alliance vice president burbled that
When you think about it, it's just laundry. It's not
exciting. But this isn't about technology. It's about
the emotional impact of the technology.
The shape of that impact is unclear. Will consumers be
wowed by control? Status?
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