Comments on: 2008 Gift Giving Guide: What we want, but can’t yet have

By: WilliamB

WilliamB — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:39:07 +0000

Amy Sisson, there are a bunch on online & disk programs that are in the direction that you want. All have shortcomings. For example, Fitday.com doesn’t let you build a custom food, so you have to enter the ingredients for your favorite sandwich each time instead of saying “half an Amy Special.”

Lois McMaster Bujold wrote an SF short story that involved a special on/off remote. It worked on people. The protagonist used the “off button” on her kids and the “on button” on her unemployed slacker husband. By god I want one of those.

By: The perfect laptop bag for business travel « Later On

The perfect laptop bag for business travel « Later On — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 17:55:16 +0000

[...] (and detailed) endorsement of Bihn’s top-of-the-line laptop bag. It begins: In the post What we want but can’t yet have, I bemoaned how I had yet to find a decent laptop bag for business travel: The perfect laptop bag [...]

By: Caytlin

Caytlin — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:20:37 +0000

A friend’s boyfriend is converting a tablet PC to EXACTLY WHAT YOU DESCRIBE in the last bit. The way she described it was crazy. D:

By: Alexis

Alexis — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 18:09:35 +0000

A teleporter.

By: Melissa (oddharmonic)

Melissa (oddharmonic) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:46:09 +0000

The Intelliscanner Kitchen Companion comes close for being able to scan barcodes and matching what you have to recipes, but I haven't played with one yet to get an accurate grasp of its usefulness in my household. I found it when ThinkGeek added the Intelliscanner Mini (the same handheld unit, but with a different mix of software for groceries, media, and other things) but the $300 price tag for the Mini package puts trying it a good way into my future.

By: jenG

jenG — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:23:41 +0000

I would like a Brushba…a hands-free toothbrush that gets all the nooks and crannies better than I can do manually.

I expect it will take nanotechnology. If it could floss while it’s in there, so much the better.

I would also like a teleporter. I will never trust the idea of flying cars because we’re already careless drivers when we have a road to cling to, but I think a teleporter would do nicely. (As charmed as I was by the broomless travel methods in the Harry Potter series, they’re all a bit messy…or dangerous.)

I would like a single digital conversion tool that will create electronic versions of all cassette tapes, VHS movies, and old photographs.

On behalf of my boyfriend, I will put in the perennial request for the Food Pill.

Of all of these, I would most prefer the teleporter.

By: Kathryn

Kathryn — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 19:49:47 +0000

I want a dishba. A mobile robotic dishwasher that scurries about the house gathering up all the dirty dishes and eventually returns returns them, spic and span, to the kitchen.

By: Tracy

Tracy — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:45:29 +0000

How about a self-filling gas tank for the car?
Seems like I always notice that I’m almost out when I’m in a hurry to get somewhere.

By: Annie

Annie — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:44:20 +0000

I would just be happy to be able to watch TV or play a DVD without needing 3 remote controls!!

By: Michele

Michele — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 05:06:42 +0000

I agree with enigma: wireless everything! No more fussing with outlets or cords, no rewiring hassle for upgrades or home renovations. Of course, we’d all have brain tumors galore.

By: eryka

eryka — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 02:49:34 +0000

How about shrink wrap that actually makes the things you wrap, well, SHRINK? Just think of the storage advantages – your boat in the wintertime, shrinkwrap it and put it in your pocket, no need to pay expensive storage fees. Or on a smaller scale, off-season clothing, your college textbooks, the possibilities are endless.

By: julia1060

julia1060 — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 06:35:56 +0000

I have the iGo and it’s great – it comes with various conversion tips, but for smaller electronics, you have to buy additional adaptors. Still, great for the car and the house. Wraps nicely into a convenient pouch and is great for travel!

By: Cynthia Friedlob, The Thoughtful Consumer

Cynthia Friedlob, The Thoughtful Consumer — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 06:12:23 +0000

I want all of these things plus a Jetsons-like device that would (1) pull me away from my computer after I’ve been staring at it for too long, then, depending on the time, either (2) push me out the door for some exercise or (3) toss me into bed so I could get some sleep!

By: Kayla

Kayla — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:34:25 +0000

Awesome ideas! The food tracker would be a dream come true, as I somehow never use all the food before its best before date. Re: cloths that do not get mildewy after one use, I use microfiber cloths and towels for dishes as well as general cleaning. They have a nice texture, clean really well, and I have not yet had any get mildewy on me even after a week or so.

By: Jenn

Jenn — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 22:16:44 +0000

There's a company called iGo that makes an almost-universal power cord. One cord, with various tips to fit all your different electronic devices. I don't have one, but it looks pretty neat, especially for travel.