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Google Search starts connecting you directly to plumbers, locksmiths
Amazon launched a home services directory in 41 cities a few months ago, and now Google is dipping its toe in the water. According to the Wall Street Journal, for those "in and around" San Francisco, searching for terms like lock repair or clogged toilet will bring you a list of prescreened professionals in the area prepared to take care of those problems. As you can see in the screenshot (after the break), we gave it a try with "clean house" and got not only the list with contact info, but a way to send a few interesting parties a request quickly. The key here, is that you never have to leave Google.com for any of that, and the people listed pay for the privilege (plus screening for licenses and background checks) through Google's AdWords Express.
Smart microwave suggests meals based on your cooking habits
It's not hard to find microwave-friendly recipes, but it's another matter to both find the right recipes and cook them properly. However, SectorQube may just take care of all of those challenges at once if its crowdfunded MAID (Make All Incredible Dishes) smart microwave takes off. The 1.3 cubic foot oven gives you access to a crowdsourced recipe store and will automatically prepare many dishes at the right time and temperature, but its real highlight is a recommendation feature that suggests meals and activities based on your cooking habits and fitness. It may offer a dinner that complements your diet, or suggest a run if you've been indulging in a lot of calorie-rich food. There will be gesture and voice commands if you'd rather not touch the 6-inch screen with sticky fingers, and a smartphone app will let you know when the cooking is done.
Maid PC handles everyday computing, shuns housework
We're not quite sure what type of individual would actually enjoy having that thing pictured above sitting prominently in any room of their domicile, but for those too lazy to come up with their own case mod, this pre-fabricated alternative ain't half bad. The M4125 Maid PC would admittedly be much more of a woman if she actually came with a top half, but all aesthetics aside, users looking at this PC purely for shock value will find a mini-ITX motherboard, room for a trio of 3.5-inch HDDs, a single optical drive, DVI out, a number of USB ports, audio in / out and what appears to be a set of PS/2 connectors for a mouse and keyboard. Sadly, we've no idea what type of CPU or graphics set this fair lady comes bundled with, but let's be honest, you'll be plunking down the ¥35,800 ($304) regardless of what's inside if you're digging the exterior.[Via Hobby Blog]
NEC's domesticated R100 robot welcomes you home, flips channels
NEC has a new home-roaming robot on the loose, which doesn't deviate too terribly much from its PaPeRo sibling visually, but sports a much more domesticated allure in its feature set. Weighing about 17.5 pounds, the R100 sports two CCD cameras as "eyes," three built-in microphones to hear commands from any direction, a bevy of sensors which detects your "tap, stroke, or press" to prevent it from cruising into tables or chairs (or children), and even environmental sensors to measure temperature and ambient light. It motors around at a blistering 1.34 miles per hour, and boasts a moveable head, a pair of integrated speakers, and facially-implanted LEDs for flashing communications. The bot is notorious for sparking conversation with its family, greets users by name, asks what it can do to help out, and even reads your email to you via its built-in WiFi capability. Moreover, it can beam commands to switch television channels, dim your lights, or activate a variety of appliances around the house. While there's no set release date for the prototype, we certainly wouldn't mind pairing this fellow up with our own robotic butler for the ultimate life of luxury, and you catch a more in-depth glimpse by sneaking a peek of the R100 in action.[Via Ubergizmo]
