Kitchen Technology

I found this article and I think it's awesome. We've never so much as had a TV in our kitchen, but (and this is sad, I guess), I think that this would be the way to go. When I have my own house, I would definitely want something like this computer in the kitchen. It seems as though it can provide a whole new level of connection, whether by the fact that it can bring people to the kitchen (and out of their respective rooms) but also because it keeps everything organized. It is, admittedly, a little extraneous, but at the same time, I feel as though it would be about as cool to have as a Kitchen Aid mixer and a lot more useful.

"Finger-painting" Music Makers

Yamaha has developed a small, hand-held digital instrument for those interested in creating techno music. It's called the Tenori-on and it is a handheld keyboard that allows the user to create songs with the touch screen. In terms of digital sound recording, it's really very advanced--you can "visualize" the music as you're creating it with the LED lights in the display, and you can hook up a digital MIDI keyboard to it to add to the 253 different sounds built in. Although it's not coming out in the US yet (it's from Japan), the UK version is going on sale soon and if it does well, Yamaha will release the $1200 product on this side of the pond, too.

New iPods

From the story, I learned that there is yet another generation of iPods slated to be released. This generation's golden child is the iPod Touch, which is only a SIM card away from being like the iPhone on steroids, if you will. They are cutting a deal with Starbucks, which involves a connection to the Wi-Fi, and eventually, the song playing at the coffee shop will broadcast over your headphones when you enter the store. Apple CEO Steve Jobs called it "one of the seven wonders of the world," and from what I read, I have to agree with him.

Text messaging

http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/stories/2007/09/04/att0904.html
I found this story on AJC. It deals with cell phone text messaging charges and offers parents a way to keep tabs on what features their kids are using on their cell phones. I'm actually surprised that this hasn't come about sooner, but I think it's a useful piece of technology for both parents and kids who lose track of the minutes and texts that they have used and don't want to be punished. I just wish that Verizon would get on board, too.