Robot nanny
Chris Anderson wrote about the long tail. Now he writes about Roomba as robot nanny: "she" will vacuum the house, and play with the kids before bedtime.
I can already see the headlines in Time Magazine, 2010: "I was raised by a robot." And the social security workers paying visits and publicly decrying the amount of time that kids spend playing with their robots.
Truth be told, I also see an enormous potential for an enterprising startup focused on young professionals with toddlers that may need tiring before going to bed.
And since the robot is, by definition, stoopid, and its decisions completely unappealable, it is the perfect nanny: pick your toys, or gone. Stop crying, or I burn you.
Perfect gift for little, budding Torquemadas.