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Japanese Firms Create Home (Appliance) Network
JOstrow writes "The Japanese companies Toshiba, Mitsubishi, Sharp, and Sanyo are teaming up to create a standard for home appliances communicating over a network. Usage examples cited are ovens that download recipes and heating systems that can be adjusted remotely with a cell phone. The first products adhering to the standard, called iReady, are expected to be available by next year. The iReady adapter will be ready for use '...not only with commercialized Bluetooth and low powered wireless appliances but also wireless LAN and future transmission media.'"
I have difficulty imagining the usefulness of this, but I'm really glad they're working together to develop a common standard instead of each company doing their own thing. I suspect someone will find something really cool to do with this technology that nobody's thought of yet, now that the framework exists.
$x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
$x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;
Oh, I understand the i-thing now. It shows the generation of neat, but possibly mostly useless or very successfull new personal technology.
e-mail, emac, ecommernce, etc etc... for 1990's technology.
imac, iRiver, iTones, iReady etc for 2000's technology.
So next we have
oMac, oMan, oRobit, oBeowolf/playstation3/cluster etc etc... for 2010,
then
uMac, uBrain, uBenevolentRobotMasters, uMars,
for 2020's technology.
The only question I have is what about "y" and sometimes even "w"?????
Anybody know when they'll be releasing the iWife module?
Buy Steampunk Clothing Online!
Westinghouse has a new line of connected apliances available. They do such interesting things as, your alarm clock tells you if the coffee maker is not filled with water and coffee, when you go to bed. Or you can use the barcode wand on the microwave to scan your tv dinner, and the microwave will look up how to cook it on the internet. They are already available to purchase at Amazon. The appliances are about average for luxury appliances, but the "home hub" (an alarm clock + windows CE pda, the one require piece) is a bit pricy at $500 if you ask me.
The future, as supplied by mega-corporations: More and more of what you need less and less.
Do you really want your toaster to be twice as expensive, half as reliable, licenced instead of owned, and subject to planned obsolescence?
Another use I've heard/read about is a "smart" refrigerator that can tell you, for example, when you need milk. Of course, most homes have solved this complicated problem with the extremely advanced pen/paper system (some VERY rich people substitute a dry erase system, but I've only read about homes so equipped in magazines) combined with opening the refrigerator door.
I really wish manufacturers would come up with something truly useful and unique to do with these appliance-connectivity solutions. I love spending money on mostly unnecessary gadgets, but I need a LITTLE justification.
"Honey, the toaster's been hacked again." *sound of sirens in the background, getting louder* ... Can anyone else think of some appliances that could potentially be broken into and cause damage to someone's home? Hell, no system is perfectly secure. There's always a way in, and always someone willing to find it. So what if some happy-go-lucky hacker finds his way on to the net.appliances with a modified >appliance-of-choice and a laptop? Suddenly your oven's on while you're away being a Salaryman and the little ninjas leave their homework on deadly types of blowfish on the oven, and poof, someone's house goes up. Or an apartment complex.
But maybe I'm just pessimistic.
Jake
Dating: while( 1 ){ call_girl(); get_rejected(); drink_40(); } return 0;
BEFORE:
RIAA or similar: You are hereby charged for downloading copyrighted content from this internet account.
YOU: No no! The Virus did it!
AFTER:
RIAA or similar: You are hereby charged for downloading copyrighted content from this internet account.
YOU: No no! The Oven did it!
RIAA: Did you realize that the recipe for those cinnamon rolls was copyrighted?
YOU: WTF! You can copyright a cinnamon roll recipe?
etc etc etc.. ad infinitum.
(and other possible encounters... too)
Let's see now, my garbage disposal locks up, causing a buffer overflow in my toilet. Meanwhile, my Smart Car fails to map my driveway and crashes.
Welcome to the brave new world.
Scruting the inscrutable for over 50 years.
"Hacker burns down womans house with cell phone" "Malicious user ruins families turkey" "Woman not amused by recipe for 'Cooked lart'" "Top 10 ways to keep your refrigerator from BSODing"
Setec Astronomy