Now How Much Would You Pay?

Larry Magid Scans The Frontier Of Wild New Gadgets

(CBS)  Would you spend $5,000 for a "digital toilet" that raises the seat automatically, cleans your "undercarriage" and cleans itself. I don't think so. But I might spend $150 a for a cell phone headset that cancels out noise and I'd definitely spend $200 for a device that would let me watch content from my home TiVO, satellite dish, cable box or satellite radio on my laptop, personal digital assistant or cell phone from any corner of the world.

These and other gadgets made their debut Tuesday in Carlsbad, Calif., at the Wall Street Journal's Executive Conference hosted by Wall Street Journal columnists Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher.

The Neorest 600 electronic toilet from Toto (www.totousa) comes with a wireless remote control to implement its many functions. The device cleans itself and also cleans the "undercarriage” of the person using it with temperature controlled water, followed by warm air for drying.

It uses less water than traditional toilets, according to the manufacturer and it has odor canceling technology designed to eliminate smells without covering them up. One feature my wife might appreciate - the toilet seat automatically raises and lowers itself depending on the user. No more complaints about men failing to put the seat down after use.

At $5,000 I wouldn't expect brisk sales here in the U.S. but toilets like these are extremely popular in Japan with a higher market penetration than microwave ovens, according to a Toto spokesperson.

Have you ever been on the receiving end of a cell phone call unable to hear the person calling because of too much background noise? It's certainly a common problem when people are calling from noisy street corners, airports or even some vehicles.

Jawbone, from Brisbane-based Aliph (www.jawbone.com) can solve that problem. This telephone headset, which is expected to cost about $150 when it becomes available this fall, has very sophisticated noise-canceling technology that virtually eliminates the background noise.

The headset has two microphones. One picks up the caller's voice and the other listens for background noise. There is also a vibration sensor that rests on your cheek simply to determine whether the person is talking. If so, the noise canceling technology is turned on.

Attendees at the conference saw a demonstration where Aliph VP Didler Diaz was standing in front of a weedwacker. When the headset was turned off, you could barely hear the caller. When it was switched on, the noisy weedwacker was just a whisper and the caller's voice was loud and clear. The first version of the Jawbone will work with Motorola, Sony Ericsson and Nokia phones only. Other versions are forthcoming.

An increasing number of people have TiVo personal video recorders as well as satellite dishes and cable boxes, which are a great way to watch programming at home. But what if you're away from home and want to watch that episode of the Sopranos that you recorded Monday night?

It will soon be possible thanks to Sling Media, a San Mateo start-up that's about to launch a personal broadcasting machine that takes the signal from any audio video device and broadcasts it via the Internet to a PC, PocketPC or even a cell phone.

The product, which is expected to cost about $200 when it comes out later this year, isn't designed to let you pirate media, but to watch your own media from your own home when you're away from home or in another room in the house.

The system requires you have broadband at both ends. At the conference, Sling Media CEO Blake Krikorian showed how he could view a TV program on a PDA from his brother's TiVO in San Mateo. He then used his PC to log onto a TV signal from a TV in India and finally did the same on a cell phone.

The picture and sound quality was surprisingly good and he was possible to remotely change channels from the PC, PDA or cell phone. The receiving device can be connected to any remote broadband hookup including a wireless network or hotel broadband network. It can also be used at home via a local area or wireless network to allow you to use your laptop as a remote screen to watch the programming of your choice.

Judging from the reaction at the Executive Conference, I have no doubt that this device will be popular, at least among the techie crowd. The big question is whether the TV, cable and satellite networks and movie studios are going to let them get to market.

They argue that they're just allowing you to view your own content from your own TV system that you have the right to watch wherever you are. The TV and movie industries, and their lawyers, might not see it the same way.

---

A syndicated technology columnist for nearly two decades, Larry Magid serves as on air Technology Analyst for CBS Radio News. His technology reports can be heard several times a week on the CBS Radio Network. Magid is the author of several books including "The Little PC Book."