Too connected

I love technology, but is anybody really this obsessed with laundry?

Washers and dryers that link wirelessly to Internet-connected home networks are being tested by consumers who are receiving updates on their dirty laundry via cell phones, computers and TV sets.

Messages not only indicate when a wash is complete but also can warn that a lint filter is clogged or a load is too large. Users can remotely command the machines to fluff dry clothes or start a load from a distance after being told — oops — they forgot to start the wash.

Laundry is something to forget about while you do other things. Stick it in the washer, go back to reading your book. Move it from the washer to the dryer -- in an hour or two or three, whenever you remember, it doesn't really matter -- then do something else till you remember to put it back in the hamper and take it to the bedroom. Since it is all wrinkle-free (my house has a no-ironing rule), that makes it good to go until all the dirty clothes are collected from the closet floor and the process is repeated in exactly one week.

Next thing you know, they'll have wireless connections to let us know when the toilet quits flushing.