Apple EPCOT Showpieces

Apple EPCOT Showpieces — David Goad <[email protected]> writes:

I was visiting the Disney EPCOT Center in Orlando, Florida, the other day and saw a new exhibit called "Innovations!" Two displays really caught my eye. The first was a kitchen display, and connected to the underside of a cabinet was a 14-inch color matrix display labeled "Power Assist." This little beauty sported an Apple logo and was displaying the morning’s weather forecast feed from the Weather Channel. It was also billed as having a comprehensive menu database that could calculate food requirements for however many people the meal was for, and could also print out a shopping list based on your menu selections. The second Apple prototype display was of a home office, featuring another 14-inch color matrix display mounted on a pedestal (with rosewood accents). On the bottom of the display panel was an on/off button flanked by standard printer indicator lights, and an infrared mouse sitting next to a desktop version of a Newton (also with wood accents. The Newton was running a Web browser that seemed to be "hooked" at the OS level. Obviously, some folks at Apple have been busy looking at consumer applications of its technology; one would think Apple would be trumpeting its own advantages and not letting Mr. Bill get all the good press.

[I hope kitchen unit has voice recognition: It’d have to respond to "Tea, Earl Grey, hot!" before I’d buy it. -Geoff]