web in a spin

KULWINDER SINGH RAI wash 'n' goes online thanks to the first net- friendly washing machine

FOR all those who prefer peeling potatoes with a Ronco Peelo- matic, even if it's quicker with a peeler, Ariston has the ultimate added-value kitchen gizmo: the world's first Internet-enabled washing machine.

Unveiled in Paris last week, and due on sale here in May, the Aris- ton Margherita -2000.com looks like any normal washing machine. But there are fundamental differences. The first, of course, is the price: an estimated 800-950 (reasonably cheap for something with a dot com at the end).

In fact, within its unassuming body is new WRAP (Web Ready Appliances Protocol) technology, intended to link kitchen appliances to the web. By going online and logging into a dedicated website (www.margherita-2000.com), owners will be able to operate their machines remotely, thanks to built-in GSM modems, via their PCs. If going online is inconvenient, no worries: you can also operate your washing machine by calling it from a mobile phone.

But there's more. Strategically located sensors constantly monitor Margherita for signs of mechanical or electrical trouble. When a problem is detected, Margherita instantly telephones the doctor's surgery (in her case a 24-hour Ariston service centre) to ask for an engineer to call. She can also receive and display emails and SMS text messages from mobile phones.

Margherita owners had better be careful what they download, though. Like anything linked to the Internet, WRAP-enabled products will still potentially be vulnerable to virus attack.

Which may partially explain why no other major kitchen appliance manufacturers have yet licensed Ariston's WRAP technology. Or maybe it's simply that nobody else believes that the world needs a machine that tells you you've got mail before it spins your smalls.

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