Door opens to high tech
Big Spender has given you an inside peek into the lifestyles of the rich and famous: a Rolls-Royce rental for $7,500 a day; truffle cheese for $65 a pound; and a pearl necklace for Fido for $2,325. This week, though, we visit 360 Tomorrowland Way, a 5,000-square-foot home inside Disneyland. The Innoventions Dream Home, which opens late this month, is stocked with the latest technology -- stuff that, in some cases, even that black American Express card can’t buy.
You’ve got the look
Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? You are, of course. And you look fabulous in that black dress; no, wait, the red one! At the Dream Home, the preprogrammed Magic Mirror is loaded with every piece of clothing and accessory in your closet. Just stand in front of the mirror, click on the clothes and see how you look. Price? Keep dreaming; it’s still being developed.
Smooth-flowing kitchen
The sleek kitchen sink has a Damixa Illusion faucet that, with the touch of a joystick, disappears into the counter. How’s that for cool design? (Now if only a touch of the button would make the dirty dishes disappear.) Too bad they’re not yet available from this Denmark-based company.
One cool desktop
These Microsoft Surface computers sense objects and touch. Pressing your finger to the screen sends water rippling through a virtual pond. Set down preprogrammed objects, like a bottle of pixie dust, and the computer turns the surface into Tinker Bell’s blank canvas. Imagine putting your digital camera on the table and watching the pictures flow straight into the computer. You’ll never have to track down another cord! Sorry, your money can’t buy this yet!
Serving up some help
Move over, Martha. Lillian is in the kitchen. The counter in the Dream Home senses that bag of flour and your mixer. And Lillian, your handy computerized cookbook helper, would be happy to scroll through your recipes -- as well as the radio frequency identification-coded items in your fridge and shelves -- to figure out what you can bake. Not only that, she’ll also read the recipe aloud. No more egg-spattered cookbook pages! Of course, only at the Happiest Place on Earth does Lillian really exist.
A personal touch
Here’s a remote control everyone will be fighting over. For about $30,000 to network a 5,000-square-foot house, this integrated Lifeware system will control your drapes, lights, security cameras, music and thermostat. Dad likes it chilly? No problem. Touch his icon on the touch-screen remote and his personal preferences kick in. Or hit the movie button and the drapes close, the lights dim and the digital surround sound turns on.
