Illustration: Edwin Fotheringham

Two things really irritate me. One is the miles of wire that you can see strung behind and between all the electronic devices in my home. The other is plastic--specifically, the 300 shiny plastic CDs stacked under my desk, waiting to be ripped into MP3s. And don't get me started about all the DVDs under there.

I want an easy, affordable, wireless way to move audio and video around my home. For years, the consumer electronics industry has promised us exactly this technological advance--in fact, the "wireless HD streaming demo" has become a Consumer Electronics Show cliche. But the show fades from memory, and we remain tangled in a wired/plastic world. Frankly, I'm tired of it.

21st-Century Sneakernet

Right now I move my music around my house by taking my Zune Mini and plugging it into the auxiliary jack of whatever stereo system happens to be nearby. Sure, wireless alternatives for audio exist, but they're hardly ideal.