I remember, years ago, hearing things about how, soon, our homes will all be a massive collection of internet-connected stuff, all talking to the net, easily connected and whatnot. It’s not here yet, I can tell you that much. Despite WiFi being as common on sugar, the only things that can use it in my house still are computers and a printer.
My buddy Carlo Longino at MobHappy has put himself out there to say that the new Cameo semi-connected photo frame is definitely on the right track, and I have to say, I agree. How cool (and easy) would it be to be able to send my parents a $50-100 picture frame for Christmas, to which I could upload, from my computer, photos that would automatically begin to display?
The Cameo comes close, though it’s $100 with a $10/month contract from T-Mobile. You send your photos in via MMS. The concept is spot-on, but the pricing is a bit outrageous. It still makes me wonder why nothing else in my house is connected to the internet. How come my refrigerator doesn’t have a barcode scanner that keeps track of what I buy and how long it sits in my fridge? How come I can’t email my coffee maker to tell it to start brewing?
Am I the only one who’s still living in a ‘dumb’ house, and slightly bothered by it? I realize the technology likely exists, but it’s either 1. too expensive or 2. not really ‘consumer-ready’ yet. Neither of those are really valid excuses, in my opinion, especially considering that I can buy a full desktop computer with all kinds of power and technology for under $500 easily.
Ricky Cadden 