Meet Twine, a Magic Box That Can Control Your Home

This little programmable device will tweet messages, send text messages or email when the toast has popped up, when the laundry is done, when the basement gets flooded -- whatever you tell it to do.

Eventually everything we own will have the ability to communicate with us. But until then, we're left going on vacation wondering if a burner on the stove is still turned on, or if the washing machine may have sprung a leak while we're out at the movies. Heck, it would be nice if we received a text message stating that the clothes finished drying or if a meal finally heated up in the microwave.

Now it's a possibility thanks to Twine. In short, this block-shaped wireless gadget will connect any device to the cloud and allow the end-user to quickly set parameters for messaging. For instance, a user could attach it to a beam in the basement and program it to send a warning via Twitter or SMS if water begins to flood the area. It can even be attached to a washing machine and programmed to alert the user when the washing cycle is complete.

According to KickStarter which is currently hosting the Twine project, the device measures a mere 2.5-inches squared and contains Wi-Fi connectivity, internal and external sensors, and two AAA batteries that "keeps it running for months." An integrated browser-based web app called Spool, seen below, allows the user to program the device with "human-friendly rules" without the need for programming knowledge. It's even customizable, allowing users to attach additional sensors for customized apps.

"The Spool web app makes it simple to set up and monitor your Twines from a browser anywhere." reads the product blog. "You set rules to trigger messages — no programming needed. The rules are put together with a palette of available conditions and actions, and read like English: WHEN moisture sensor gets wet THEN tweet 'The basement is flooding!' We'll get you started with a bunch of rule sets, and you can share rules you create with other Twine owners."

The specs indicate that Twine consists of an internal temperature sensor, an internal accelerometer for vibration, impact and motion detection, a magnetic switch for detecting moving objects like closing doors, a moisture sensor for detecting the presence of water, and a breakout board providing analog or digital input, power and ground.

Twine was developed by John Kestner and David Carr, two MIT Media Lab graduates. The duo launched its KickStarter campaign with a $35,000 goal, but managed to thus far receive well over $400,000 via around 3,190 financial backers. They are currently taking pledges until January 3. For more information about Twine, head here.