High tech home of the future

Here's an interesting article on MSN that takes you on a tour of the Microsoft
Home on the Redmond campus:
http://tech.msn.com/products/article.aspx?cp-documentid=994057&GT1=8710

I like the security, environmental, and entertainment features, but I'm not so
sure about a talking house that reads a smart tag and tells the kids to pick up
a toy that's been left on the family room floor. And I don't think my teenagers
would like the idea of laser posters projected on the wall, either. Led Zepplin
album covers just wouldn't look right that way.

The idea of having everything tailored to our preferences, tech-wise, is common
these days (just look at the search links we're fed on amazon or google)...but
it also makes me wonder: What about the very human tendency to choose something
completely different? Are we programming ourselves into predictability? I like
to learn, try new things, explore new foods, music, etc. --and I wonder where
the "house of the future" allows for that.

I think the feature I would love the most in the house of the future would be a
kitchen computer that knows everything I have in the pantry and when I plan the
meals for the week, it compares the ingredients I've got with the ones I need
and orders the right quantity, at the lowest prices, for delivery from my local
market. Then, about 10am on Monday, the groceries I need for the week appear on
my doorstep, like clockwork.

That's the kind of tech improvement I would go for. (I realize some cities
already have something like this but it's generally a clunky, patchworked
process and costs an arm and a leg.) I can tell my own kids to pick up their
toys--I don't want my house to do it. 

What kind of technology do you want in your house in 2015?

I went thru the "home" a couple of years ago and some of this was 
present then, at least the kitchen counter/scan piece. I was 
involved in another "project" called mealtime which was a 
device/process from Sears, IBM, Whirlpool. basically it's the 
defrost, cook and program it all by wifi or change it via your WAP 
phone, etc. I thought it was cool at first, but I guess I like some 
randomness in my life. I don't necessarily know at 7am WHAT I want 
for dinner that night. So I guess I'm not a meal planner :-) 

In 2015, I don't want to have to pick up a vacuum or dustmop/dust 
cloth, I don't want to have to shovel snow, I don't want to do 
laundry :-) 


On Wed, 25 Oct 2006 13:44:59 +0000 (UTC), "Waggler"  wrote: 

>Here's an interesting article on MSN that takes you on a tour of the
Microsoft Home on the Redmond campus:
http://tech.msn.com/products/article.aspx?cp-documentid=994057&GT1=8710 
>
>I like the security, environmental, and entertainment features, but I'm not
so sure about a talking house that reads a smart tag and tells the kids to pick
up a toy that's been left on the family room floor. And I don't think my
teenagers would like the idea of laser posters projected on the wall, either.
Led Zepplin album covers just wouldn't look right that way. 
>
>The idea of having everything tailored to our preferences, tech-wise, is
common these days (just look at the search links we're fed on amazon or
google)...but it also makes me wonder: What about the very human tendency to
choose something completely different? Are we programming ourselves into
predictability? I like to learn, try new things, explore new foods, music, etc.
--and I wonder where the "house of the future" allows for that. 
>
>I think the feature I would love the most in the house of the future would
be a kitchen computer that knows everything I have in the pantry and when I plan
the meals for the week, it compares the ingredients I've got with the ones I
need and orders the right quantity, at the lowest prices, for delivery from my
local market. Then, about 10am on Monday, the groceries I need for the week
appear on my doorstep, like clockwork. 
>
>That's the kind of tech improvement I would go for. (I realize some cities
already have something like this but it's generally a clunky, patchworked
process and costs an arm and a leg.) I can tell my own kids to pick up their
toys--I don't want my house to do it. 
>
>What kind of technology do you want in your house in 2015?

barb:I went thru the "home" a couple of years ago and some of this was
present then, at least the kitchen counter/scan piece. I was involved in another
"project" called mealtime which was a device/process from Sears, IBM,
Whirlpool. basically it's the defrost, cook and program it all by wifi or change
it via your WAP phone, etc. I thought it was cool at first, but I guess I like
some randomness in my life. I don't necessarily know at 7am WHAT I want for
dinner that night. So I guess I'm not a meal planner :-) In 2015, I don't want
to have to pick up a vacuum or dustmop/dust cloth, I don't want to have to
shovel snow, I don't want to do laundry :-) On Wed, 25 Oct 2006 13:44:59 +0000
(UTC), "Waggler" <> wrote: >Here's an interesting article on
MSN that takes you on a tour of the Microsoft Home on the Redmond campus:
http://tech.msn.com/products/article.aspx?cp-documentid=994057>1=8710 >
>I like the security, environmental, and entertainment features, but I'm not
so sure about a talking house that reads a smart tag and tells the kids to pick
up a toy that's been left on the family room floor. And I don't think my
teenagers would like the idea of laser posters projected on the wall, either.
Led Zepplin album covers just wouldn't look right that way. > >The idea of
having everything tailored to our preferences, tech-wise, is common these days
(just look at the search links we're fed on amazon or google)...but it also
makes me wonder: What about the very human tendency to choose something
completely different? Are we programming ourselves into predictability? I like
to learn, try new things, explore new foods, music, etc. --and I wonder where
the "house of the future" allows for that. > >I think the
feature I would love the most in the house of the future would be a kitchen
computer that knows everything I have in the pantry and when I plan the meals
for the week, it compares the ingredients I've got with the ones I need and
orders the right quantity, at the lowest prices, for delivery from my local
market. Then, about 10am on Monday, the groceries I need for the week appear on
my doorstep, like clockwork. > >That's the kind of tech improvement I
would go for. (I realize some cities already have something like this but it's
generally a clunky, patchworked process and costs an arm and a leg.) I can tell
my own kids to pick up their toys--I don't want my house to do it. > >What
kind of technology do you want in your house in 2015?

 

Get a Roomba vac, it just won't shovel snow but if you mod it, who knows. May
just be comcastic

Or solar panels underneath (or alongside) a new kind of concrete that stays warm
to just above freezing, so snow never accumulates (with some kind of storage
capacity to keep the sidewalks and streets cleared overnight)...

I'm with you, Barb, on appreciating randomness. Predictability is great if
you're talking about a software program. But it can be boring if you're living a
life. :)

actually i went shopping today for a new vacuum. i'd need too any of 
those uh uh don't go here invisible wall things to use a roomba. i 
hae enough trouble with Toto (an Aibo) doing that. He is definitely 
not comcastic. 

On Wed, 25 Oct 2006 14:56:14 +0000 (UTC), "MichaelHWG"  wrote: 

>Get a Roomba vac, it just won't shovel snow but if you mod it, who knows.
May just be comcastic