Pretty dodo

Sometimes someone'll release a brilliant product that you know is going to be dead in the market by the time you blink yet the idea is so cool that you can't help but marvel.

Well Siemens has just gone and done that. they've brought out a home automation control unit. Huh? See here. Allegedly (according to Gizmodo and http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com/)
the unit in question is supposed to enable you to roam the house, telling it (the house) what to do. The device recognizes some 300 voice commands out of the box (no training required). the problem is that the device will be relegated to the most advanced of X10 users. X10? That's what I mean.

(Once a very long time ago in a galaxy... well actually here on this planet, a company called x10 made 'home automation' devices. The idea was that you could switch your lamps and appliances on vai a browser or even via WAP. They would and should have gone bust had they not come up with the idea that people might want to install wireless cameras as a security measure. Well, from what I understand the cameras have been used in a wide number of cases, most frequently to watch people without their knowledge. Que .avi of you neighbour’s wife)

Bottom line, great idea. Utility value: 0.