Five More Technologies I'd Love to See

I previously suggested Five Technologies I'd Love to See. But, on reflection, there are yet more potential technologies we all desperately need. As before, some are more fanciful (and serious) than others. 1. Adaptive Floor Surfaces. Carpets are very nice when it's cold, but they have a tendency to be irrevocably stained. So, let's compromise. We invent a material which is trained to become fluffy in the winter, but it becomes hard in the Summer (or right before you spill something on it). 2. Register Babel Fish. In The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the Babel Fish is a magical animal which, when placed in one's ear, can instantaneously translate between any two languages. This would be really cool, but it's almost here. Several computer programs offer nearly real - time translation, and I bet we'll get a real Babel Fish within my lifetime. But, I want something that can instantly translate between registers or idiolects. If a politician particularly annoys me, I want him to sound…