"technology" news and stories

Kitchen trends come and go, but there are certain aspects of both design and technology that seem like they're here to stay. One trend is for professional-quality appliances, particularly stoves and ovens, as many home cooks want to be able to prepare four star cuisine in their own kitchens, not just approximations of it. In a similar vein, kitchen islands are still popular, as they create a useful workspace for more complex cooking. In other words, we're seeing a preference to technique over technology.

But technology is really growing quickly and for those who prefer streamlined stovetops to gas or electric pro stoves with huge flames, induction heating is supposed to be making a splash in the market. At Yanko Design, designer Terence Woon conceived this wall unit as a way to further streamline the kitchen, incorporating a variety of appliances into one small space. His vision includes (from left to right) a juicer, blender, toaster, multimedia interface, scale and water dispenser. Personally, I think I might still prefer individual appliances, but we can't say with certainty what we'll end up with.

What would you like to see in the kitchens of the (near or distant) future?

We've mentioned the new Netscape here on Slashfood before. In case you haven't heard, what used to be an alternative web browser to Internet Explorer, netscape.com, got an extreme makeover in mid-June and has become a social bookmarking site, similar to del.icio.us, digg (technology) or flickr (photos), but for news. In case you're not familiar with social bookmarking, it is the concept of users collecting bookmarks of their favorite websites, and sharing them with the community. Users can collect, categorize, and "tag" bookmarks, which makes it easier for other users to find similar bookmarks. On sites like digg and newsvine, users can "vote" on each others' stories.

Over on Netscape, it's mostly about news, but users can also submit stories in a number of "channels," or categories - from Art & Design to Careers & Jobs to Health & Fitness to Popular Videos. It goes without saying that Slashfood's favorite channel is Food & Travel, but we'll get into more detail about that shortly.

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According to Chuck McMinn of Vineyard 29, his winery in Napa Valley, high tech wine is better.

Chuck is one of many "Silicon Valley refugees," who, after success in technology, leave Silicon Valley and pursue a second career in making wine. However, rather than technology behind, this new breed of winemakers is taking the technology right along with them. They use all kinds of high-tech gadgetry in the wine-making process - everything from moisture probes monitoring water use to weather stations to sap-flow sensors to Tanknet, a system that manages software at 80 vineyards. Tanknet links thermostats on the tanks to Web-based software to regulate fermentation and aging.

The question is, how does this high-tech wine match up against, say, French wines, which have been made for hundreds of years without so much as irrigation? Some experts believe that high tech is the future of wine, but you be the judge. Here are three they recommend you try: Clos De La Tech (www.closdelatech.com), Clos LaChance (www.closlachance.com), and the aforementioned Vineyard 29 (www.vineyard29.com).

I am still getting used to my cell phone. In fact, I don't think I quite know how to view picture messages, though I'm sure that I do have a picture and video phone.

So all this new cell phone technology is pretty crazy to me, and it seems like much of it has to do with watching what you eat. Sprint has MyFoodPhone, a service that allows dieters to use their cameraphones to photograph meals and snacks before they eat, then instantly upload the pictures to an online account. Every two weeks a "nutritional advisor" checks the account and delivers feedback via the Web about portion sizes, nutritional content and general eating habits in the form of a video clip or notes.

It's kind of like your nagging significant other calling you to check where you are and what you're eating. "You're at Fatburger eating a Double Kingburger with fries?!?! Get home this instant and eat a salad!!" Something like that.

It looks like a tongue depressor and when it is stirred into a cup of regular coffee, will remove up to 70% of the caffeine in it. It could potentially revolutionize the coffee industry. The DeCaf Co., a startup based in San Francisco, has been able to apply molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) onto the sticks. As the stick is swirled in the cup, it "grabs" the caffeine molecules and when the stick is removed, so too is the caffeine - all with no change in the aroma or flavor of the coffee.

The company hopes to make the sticks available to restaurants and cafes, which would be able to dispense them with drinks or put them out with the other condiments. They also hope to be able to sell them in-stores, so consumers will always have a decaf option wherever they go.

The sticks will aIso work with other caffeinated drinks, such as teas and sodas. If paired with the caffeine litmus strips that we have seen before, those with sensitivities to caffeine wouldn't have to worry about finding caffeine in an unexpected place, since they could simply stir it out of the drink.

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