Help needed!

[refused]

Hello, im new to the forum here and i was wondering if you could help me with a problem. I'm a design student studying in Cardiff and my current project is to design an electronic cooking aide. I'm currently thinking along the lines of a simple device that allows you to download movies and recipes from a website that i am hoping to design. This will then playback the movies of recipes via a screen or a projector.
Recipes are already availible to watch streaming from the internet at the moment, but not many people would want to use their laptop in the kitchen!

I was just wondering if anyone could offer any help or advice on what they think they would like to be included in such a product. And whether or not they thought it would be a good idea!

Thanks for your time.
Jim.

[bluedogz]

How about an easy method to convert recipes to a Powerpoint slide, so they can be projected on the kitchen wall, and be visible from anywhere in the kitchen?

Just a thought.....

[refused]

Yeah i was thinking about that, would solve the problems of getting electrical equipment wet- which isnt good!
That's basically the type of approach i was hoping to take, a simple way to communicate a recipe i.e. PowerPoint. I think it could be very useful to people such as myself who are currently learning to cook and find it a bit of a struggle to keep up with cookery programs on tv!

Cheers for the reply!

[bluedogz]

Oops........

[bluedogz]

Cieling-mounted projector and/or a Tuffbook (sp?) base unit, perhaps?

Deep inside me is a turbo-geek fighting to get out.....

[Culprit]

I'm not clear whether you're thinking of a display for moving images or static images (e.g. text) or both. Just about every kitchen could use a display fof static images but unless the user needs to look at technique the moving images, besides requiring more file space, really aren't as important in the kitchen. I'm also not clear on whether you're creating only the electronics or the electronics and the software.
I'd suggest an under-cabinet drop down LCD display screen into which you could insert a memory chip (or floppy for those who may still use then) to bring up a menu of the files from which you could select a recipe and use up/down arrow buttons to scroll through it as needed. The supporting software could include a method for adding audio "hints".

[panini]

My 15 yr old computer whiz says it's really easy. Hidden PC, flat screen, everything else remote with kitchen overlays. He said he is also available for 65. hr and you shoud only attempt this with a mac.

[Culprit]

Originally Posted by panini

My 15 yr old computer whiz says it's really easy. Hidden PC, flat screen, everything else remote with kitchen overlays. He said he is also available for $65. hr and you shoud only attempt this with a mac.

Sometimes those of us who use a PC feel like orphans.....

[phatch]

A simple windows media pc can already stream such content direct off the web to a standard under cabinet LCD Monitor. Off the shelf parts including PC and LCD monitor, probably $1200

Not cheap.

Now, if you're a linux guy, you can probably do it for around $700. But you're going to have to muck around with it more.

You'll also need either a Wi-Fi or a strung cable to the kitchen...

The real problem is you have no kitchen interface. Either you've got to add a touch screen TV/Remote for Windows Media, or you have to queue everything up before hand. That's a pain or opens the system up to destruction from the kitchen environment.

Phil

[refused]

Hey, cheers for the feedback so far people, much appreciated.
I like the idea of having a screen that drops down somewhere in your kitchen that displays the recipes and videos of recipes. But that has already been done really, as a few of you have said.
I was thinking along the lines of perhaps a small PDA unit (similar to a palmtop pc), but it would be very durable and have the feature of being able to project the recipes (whether they be in text or video from) onto a wall in the kitchen, or if you didnt have a smooth plain wall in your kitchen then they would be displayed via a basic screen. It would be like watching a cookery program on tv, but you would have the ability to pause it and have chance to find ingredients or have a break etc...
The good thing about this project is that i can take a 'blue-sky' approach to it. This means that the technology used in this product doesn't have to exist yet, but it must be feasible in the future. So im open to any ideas that you have, whether you think they may be too futuristic or not!!!

Many thanks again,
Jim

[phatch]

Except for the projection, I can do that with my Dell Axim X51v. And have.

Phil

[Culprit]

Originally Posted by refused

The good thing about this project is that i can take a 'blue-sky' approach to it. This means that the technology used in this product doesn't have to exist yet, but it must be feasible in the future. So im open to any ideas that you have, whether you think they may be too futuristic or not!!!

Many thanks again,
Jim

Well, let's think outside the box. How about a Holographic 3D Image Projection device that simply floats along the counter top and follows you around the kitchen as you're preparing the recipe. No matter where you are, or what you're doing, you just glance up and there it is in front of you. No need to look behind you or lean sideways in front of the counter to re-check the ingredients.