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A Kitchen Computer That's Actually Useful?
twilightzero writes: "I was at the Rochester Area Builders' Home Show (Rochester, MN) today and ran across what looks to be first actually useful and practical computer appliance I've ever seen. Called the iCEBOX, it mounts under your cupboard or sits on your countertop, but I found the under the cupboard model much more attractive. It includes an LCD display on a tilt/swivel mount that locks up out of the way to protect the screen, a DVD drive and with DVD software so you can watch movies or listen to cd's while cooking, cable ready 125 channel tv receiver, and the ability to act as a remote monitor for a camera (as in a baby's room or the front door), useful for all you X-10 owners. But the best touch, IMHO, is the spillproof, shockproof, greaseproof, and washable wireless keyboard that comes with it, an absolute necessity for the kitchen. It also includes a modem and NIC and says it's compatible with any dialup or broadband service that doesn't require the downloading of software (i.e. prodigy yes, AOL no). There's no mention on the website about the hardware or software that it's running but with its name I might assume it's running Windows CE or Pocket PC...not sure though, since it also says it's not compatible with MSN. I'm thinking about redoing my kitchen sometime soon, I might have to put one of these on the list for installation ..."
The flipdown one is $2995.00. OUCH. Still it is a neat device, but missing a few key features I think. Where is the touch screen? Recipie program? Wireless? I couldn't find if it would play streaming audio from my server. Since it doesn't look to allow loading of software, no AOL or MSN, how does it get updated for new software? I really would like to have a LCD panel WITH touch screen in my kitchen that I could view recipies and play streaming audio with. Oh well, back to coming up with something myself I guess.
Your dishwasher can (1) do the dishes. The computer can (2) watch your shopping list and have whatever you need delivered, and then, (3) have takeout delivered.
Of course (1) doesn't involve the computer, and (2) and (3) don't really involving *using* the kitchen, but hey, at least you get to be lazy.
This has been out for a while. I saw the Icebox at the Atlanta Builders show last february. At the time my company was considering partnering with them.
The booth lackey clearly liked demoing throwing the keyboard into the sink in the booth. IMHO, this was it's best feature.
My single biggest complaint is that the entire machine is done in firmware. There is no disk, and no OS per se.
At the time (last year) the Icebox shipped with it's own custom browser. It didn't have Adobe or flash plugins, and because the software was done in firmware, there was no ability to install these plugins.
This machine is entirely rigid in it's application. This makes no sense in the world of Internet where standards seem to change monthly.
The people behind the Icebox clearly come from a consumer electronics background. These machines have more in common with a DVD player then a PC.
As I mentioned, the waterproof keyboard is the only "feature" of this machine that actually has value. I'd like to see more "Internet Appliances" pick up on this.
_Am
Okay, I'm dreaming now but I don't think it's so far-fetched. It would need a way to input what foods you just bought and the amounts (bar code scanner?) and then what food you just used and the amounts. Combine that with a recipe database and you can input that you just made pancakes and it will automatically deduct milk, eggs, flour....
Of course, then the kid will sneak some chocolate cake in the middle of the night and the data will get all messed up. But a girl can dream :).
I wish I had some sort of computer terminal in the kitchen that was somehow attached to a recipe database. This product would work except for two problems. First, it looks really hard to program -- I'm guessing that you'd need special drivers for it. Second of all, it doesn't appear to have a touch screen on it. I don't think I'd want to leave a keyboard sitting around the kitchen. It would get dirty quickly, and it would get in the way.
I want a simple X-terminal with a flat-panel touch screen that mounts under the cabinets like this one does. I could then write a graphical application that interfaced with the recipe database and control it by touching the buttons on the screen. This is close, but probably not what I want. Grrr....
For tracking groceries? How can one in this high-tech time we live in even CONSIDER attempting a task so complex as grocery organization without keeping very careful and accurate inventory via computer. With a barcode scanner to ease the entry and removal of items from the system. I mean, *I* have a grocery inventory system in my kitchen (although I've yet to figure out WHY).
Oh well. Maybe the next version.
-Restil
Play with my webcams and lights here
The price tag apears to be $3,000. I ask why pay this?
If I have the extra cupboard space (and many people have it), I can easily build a similar system. Take an empty kitchen cupboasrd of mine. It is 11.5 inches deep, 16 inches wide, and 19 inches tall. Using this available space, I can fit a LCD monitor into the front facing (15 inch). I could also add say a DVD drive and mount it underneath. To protect everything could be encased in plexi.
The total cost would be under around 1200.
Wile this is a good all in one solution, I beleive that the more savvy users could easily build a much cheaper solution.
Heh. It looks nearly *identical* to my Color Classic.
I'm not sure why anyone would want the freestander, given the premium counterspace is getting to be (appliances, anyone?) but the cupboard-hugger doesn't look too bad. As long as it's got a decent browser for recipes, and (ideally) could talk to my TiVo/whatsisname box to show me the Iron Chef shows I recorded...
A hero is someone who knows when to run away. I am a hero. -Trent the Uncatchable
It actually looks more like a Mac Classic or one of the variants thereof (Color Classic, Classic II)
In my kitchen?
People need to take a lesson from the success of the Palm. The Palm is a device that fills a niche well and does little else. The result is a well-tuned machine that doesn't cost too much. There are some things that I want to do in my kitchen. Optimize a device for them.
I'll consider wiring my kitchen when I can get a machine for a few hundred bucks that can serve me up recipies, access the Webtender, and check my email. If it does more, great, but form and price are key here.
Here are the specs that I'd like to see in a kitchen machine:
- No more than 8"x6"x1" deep so that it will attatch under my cabinet and not get in the way. Counter space is a premium.
- A small screen. Maybe 6" diagonal. I don't want the thing to get in the way too much even when I'm using it.
- No keyboard. No mouse. Make it a touch screen. Counter space, remember?
- Integrated 802.11. I don't want to have to recable anything.
- Less than $500.
I don't see why this isn't doable now. Start with a palm, use a bigger screen, and integrate a wireless card. Voila!Follow similar logic to create my wireless tablet, my bedside-table computer, my waterproof shower computer.
Lather. Rinse. Repeat.