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A Kitchen Computer That's Actually Useful?

Posted by timothy on from the mac-tv-meets-the-cooking-channel dept.

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 ..."

7 of 166 comments (clear)

  1. It'll be useful... by kabir · · Score: 5, Funny

    when it can do the dishes, get the shopping done, and have dinner waiting for me when I get home.

    Until then it's a waste of space.

    --
    Behold the Power of Cheese!
  2. knives + movies = match made in heaven by Mr.+Quick · · Score: 5, Funny

    "I don't know what happened, I was watching 'Jingle All The Way'
    and I must have been engrossed by the performances of Sinbad and Arnold,
    but the next thing I knew I had lost two fingers and there was blood everywhere."

  3. Something even more space efficient... by Magus311X · · Score: 5, Interesting

    1U essentially. would take up less room. has a DVI and DVD too. Exhaust is side mounted too so air can escape pretty easily. Mounts under the cupboard without a problem.

    Sleekline 1260

    These guys make absolutely bulletproof power supplies too. But take this, throw in a wireless/RF keyboard/mouse combo, and put in a 15" flat panel ($200 now?) and you have something for the kitchen or wherever.

    -----

  4. Missing some key features by yzf750 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

  5. What I'd rather have by Enry · · Score: 4, Interesting

    If I want to listen to a CD, I'll turn up my amp, or tune into Digitally Imported on my PC and be done with it. What I'd rather have in the kitchen is a recipe server. Something with...say...the Joy of Cooking built in, along with plugins for other recipe books, and the ability to input my own recipes.

    So lessee, I'm in the mood for a chicken dish. What recipes have chicken in them?

  6. Saw it last year, didn't like it. by AndyMan! · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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

  7. What would be really useful in the kitchen by selan · · Score: 4, Insightful
    ...is a food inventory system, something that would keep track of how much milk, eggs, etc. I have in the fridge. It would automatically print me out a shopping list before I go to the store and alert me when I'm running low on essentials. Or if I think I'm out of carrots I can call up the inventory and see that they're just buried in the second shelf of the pantry and, oh, they're about a month old, better use them quick.

    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 :).