The Ambient Orb and personal spambots from hell
The Ambient Orb and the rest of the line of wireless "ambient information" devices: cool but pricey.
I'd like to see a cheap variant on idea this intended to be dressed up in different ways, so numerous knickknacks around one's house or office could glow different colors with different information channels. My classy crystal paperweight might tell me how my portfolio is doing (hah!), the eyes of the Godzilla action figure in my bathroom could glow with the weather, and a Power Puff Girl in my daughter's room could remind us whether she's done her homework.
The biggest problem with this model is trying to think of information channels usefully reduced to one or two analog parameters; so much information is too complicated to be expressed in a color. Would this idea be more attractive if it were expanded to include graphics (icons or small bits of text) or audio? Hmm. More useful might not be more attractive -- even if I'm in control, do I want the objects around my house nagging me with audio or video messages like little spambots from hell? (Via Heavybit.)