Online laundry
A new shared laundry room technology lets you keep on top of your loads via e-mail, text, and pager.
My freshman year of college, I lived on the third floor of my dorm. The laundry room, of course, was in the basement. I definitely got a lot of exercise running up and down the stairs, checking for empty machines, checking if my machine was done, or checking if my clothes were still there.
Kids these days just don't know how good they have it, especially if they have eSuds, a new technology that is changing the entire experience of public laundry facilities. When a facility installs eSuds, users can then use any Internet-connected computer to check real-time machine availability, get notifications when their laundry is ready or when a specific machine is available, and even pay via PIN code or credit card in some cases.
Universities are an obvious place for eSuds to take hold, but upscale apartment complexes are also getting in on the action. Imagine if ordinary laundromats put the system in place--you could easily find a place to wash your clothes on vacation and spend more time enjoying yourself.
Live in a building with shared laundry facilities? Might want to pass the link on to your landlord. The system provides operators with online, real-time cash and card reporting and generates detailed diagnostic reports when machines are in need of service, so technicians can proactively address issues.