Towel-Matic - Automatic Paper Towel Dispenser

It's maddening to reach for a paper towel one-handed, try to tear off a single sheet and then watch as the whole roll unravels. Apparently, I don't have the precision skills necessary to properly yank off a paper towel, so I found a better high-tech solution, the Towel-Matic - Automatic Sensor Paper Towel Dispenser ($56).

The Towel-Matic looks just like an ordinary paper towel holder, except this one is super smart. Simply wave your hand in front of the infared sensor and it will automatically dispense either one sheet, two sheets or the new half sheets based on your preference. Once you signal for a sheet, it advances the paper towel roll forward, optically scans for perforations in the paper and when it finds the edge of the sheet, it locks down the roll and you tear it away without unravelling twenty sheets with it. Not only does this keep my stress down a bit, it also saves paper and prevents cross-contamination of the unused sheets. Next up, I want them to invent a paper towel holder that is no-handed and just cleans up after me automatically. - ( 18)