Confession time - I have a favorite appliance in my kitchen. I know you shouldn’t show favoritism, but it's my Tassimo single-cup coffeemaker. I know it’s an extravagance, but I love coffee and I always hated throwing coffee away when I made too much. So now I make a single cup and I can even make lattes and specialty coffees if I have them on hand. Other than that, my kitchen is ordinary. We are not really high tech in other areas of the house either. If it works, why replace it?
I do have dreams. When I began researching this article, those dreams expanded. Yes, I would like this television set and that beautiful modern lighting. If you watch HGTV, you see so many new and innovative additions to kitchens and bathrooms it’s difficult to keep up. But writers must stay up with the new gadgets if our writing is going to be modern for the next couple of years.
For your convenience, I have inserted links in this article. Just click on the item to see the original article and/or photo.
Appliances & Gadgets - Among my favorites, advanced lighting, a self-cleaning, restocking refrigerator, a “green” glass, robot security and what I like to call the “super” bed. Just imagine a bed that does everything for you. But there are many more gadgets out there, designed to make our lives easier. However, some of them are costly and are not energy efficient right now, like the Kohler Numi toilet.
We already have music that follows us everywhere, electronic books, ipods, ipads, iphones, and laptops. These are constantly evolving to keep up with the ever-changing technology. Even our automobiles are evolving into highly technical machines with touchscreens that allow us to route our journey, raise and lower the heat and sound and even talk on the telephone.
& Televisions - Our present-day television boasts high-density picture quality that is at times unsettling, if the screen is a large one. You almost feel you’re there. Anyone remember the old color TV’s? Those first ones to hit the market? We’ve come a long way. The screens of the future look a little different. There are holographic TVs in the works and the solid glass screens are already out there. You think you’re looking at a mirror or a glass panel until you touch the remote and turn it on. Cool.
These new gadgets will be powered by solar, wind, biodiesel and nuclear energy, according to several articles I found, especially one from National Geographic. But that’s another subject for another day.
There is a wealth of information out there to help you populate your futuristic novel with cool gadgets and appliances. If you have deep pockets, you can even invest in a few to add that touch of realism to your story. If your work in progress is set in the present, just be aware that your cutting-edge technology will be out of date by the time your book is published.
Thank you for reading our posts this month on Common Household Items. I hope we have helped fuel your imaginations. Please join our blog or follow our facebook page to keep up with future posts on interesting writer-inspiring subjects. And take a few minutes to finish one of our story prompts. Enter the monthly contest to win a $10 Amazon gift card and be featured in our last post of the month. Hey, it’s free advertising.
This week’s prompt: Lucy was awakened by a trilling alarm. Bimbo, her security robot, had detected something. She pushed a button in the headboard to activate the security channel on the TV. Her heart nearly stopped as the screen revealed the intruder...
Research
http://www.designyourway.net/blog/inspiration/30-cool-high-tech-gadgets-to-give-your-home-a-futuristic-look/
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0508/feature1/index.html
Great article! I checked out all the links. I want the "frig." I couldn't resist your prompt...
ReplyDeleteLucy was awakened by a trilling alarm. Bimbo, her security robot, had detected something. She pushed a button in the headboard to activate the security channel on the TV. Her heart nearly stopped as the screen revealed the intruder...
was a pecan-coated caramel apple on a small plate placed right inside her front door. She scanned the rest of the house and saw nothing. The door sensor hadn't sounded. How had her favorite delectable desert ended up on her foyer floor???
Ha ha! Thanks for the comment, Jennifer. I'd be afraid to eat that caramel apple. Maybe a wicked witch dressed as a crone left it there. Could result in a long sleep, but might be worth it to be awakened by Charming's kiss!
DeleteHi, there....enjoy your site. This is my short story for the prompt about Janie and the Crock Pot. By the way, for some reason I can't publish this with my www.colleenshinephillips.wordpress.com address, and it is insisting on anonymous, which I'm not! So, just in case...my name is Colleen Shine Phillips, and Jennifer has my email address. Here goes:
ReplyDeleteJanie stared at the particles of food which coated her once-clean kitchen. Could a Crock Pot explode? She glanced at the stew-splattered counter and then stared at the floor’s soupy swirl of ceramic and glass shards mixed with beef and vegetable chunks. Yeah, a Crock Pot can explode— when you hurl it against a wall.
The sound of approaching footsteps meant her husband had heard. Now, to explain this.
“Janie?” Tom’s eyes swept over her, panned the room, and then settled on the floor. After grabbing a bowl and a ladle, he crouched down and began to scoop.
The more he cleaned, the worse she felt. “Can you stop?”
He stabbed the ladle into the mess and scraped the tile as he filled the bowl. “It’s got to be done.”
“Aren’t you going to ask what happened, Tom?”
“It fell. No big deal. We’ll order pizza.”
“I’m not hungry. And it didn’t fall. I smashed it.”
Still squatting, he pivoted toward her. “Really, Janie? Did it do something to you that demanded retaliation?”
“You’re defending a small appliance?”
He released a long sigh. “Otherwise, it makes no sense. Otherwise, you’d have to be—”
“Crazy? This incident should pretty well nail down that theory.”
“Don’t put words in my mouth.”
“Somebody’s got to, because clearly you have no intention of doing so.” Tears dammed her throat. “Talk to me. Because if you don’t, I can’t guarantee we’ll have even a teapot to boil water in.”
With his back to Janie, Tom dumped their dinner down the garbage disposal and then anchored his hands on the sink.“I’m afraid.”
“Of what? We’ve already weathered the worst.”
“That you’re going to abandon me, too.”
Janie’s arms ached for her husband, but she waited, praying this would be the moment of healing she’d longed for. “Abandonment requires choice. Katie didn’t abandon us, Tom.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “She just couldn’t hold on anymore.”
Tom whirled and jabbed his finger at her. “You told her she could go.”
“And I’d do it again.”
His head hung as he shook it. “The doctors gave us hope when they found a match for the bone marrow transplant. It’s been months, but it still makes no sense that we buried our only child.”
“It doesn’t have to.”
“How can you be so blasted calm?”
She snorted. “You call launching stew against the wall calm? The pain is more than I can bear at times. We both miss her. But we know heaven exists, and we’ll see her again.” Janie stroked his arm with her fingertips. “For now, let’s stick together.”
Grabbing her hand, Tom pulled Janie close.“Don’t you leave me, too.”
“Never on purpose. But I am crazy, you know.” She locked her eyes on his.“About you. I don’t want to argue.”
“Me, either.”
Janie draped her arms around his neck. “There is one thing, however.”
Tom’s eyebrows shot upward. “I’m listening.”
She twisted her mouth to one side. “I’ll need a new Crock Pot.”
Touching story, Colleen! Thanks for your entry...
ReplyDeleteThank you. It was great to discover this site!
DeleteI love this! Thanks for entering, Colleen.
DeleteSorry I hadn't seen this before, Betty. I'm glad you liked it!
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