Now, an oven that downloads recipes!

Just one week after several major technology companies pushed the concept of the connected home at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Sharp Electronics announced it has build a $1,000 microwave oven that is connected to a special Web site on the Internet from which recipes can be downloaded and from which stet-by-step cooking instruction are issued. The online site even automatically sets the oven’s timer and adjusts the power for roasting, baking, broiling or grilling.

Meanwhile, Samsung said it is developing a $500 microwave oven that reads directions on pre-packaged food when the package's bar code is swiped across a special sensor. The oven will then contact the manufacturers' Internet site, read the directions and cook the meal. Connecting ovens to the Internet will simplify people's lives by reducing the amount of time they must spend preparing meals, said Sharp product development manager Joy Weis Daniel, demonstrating the new oven at a Houseware trade show in Chicago.

While consumer could simply read the instructions on theback of a food package, Daniel said that because each microwave oven operated differently, the results if 3 minutes of microwaving can vary dramatically. "If the directions are not right for the oven you're using, you end up with food that has poor consistency and bad taste," she said. One drawback of the Sharp microwave is that it requires a connection to a separate PC with Internet connectivity.

The connected ovens are one of many kitchen and other household appliances that are likely to become hooked up to home networks or connect directly to the Internet. While such connectivity would enable a home owner to remotely control various appliances, manufacturers hope to increase sales by adding value with such services as dedicated Web sites to help copnsumers get the most out of their equipment. And being able to perform remote diagnostics will help compaies offer better service for their consumer appliances.