You know that Desperate Housewives is on a minute from now and you can see the remote control right in front of you. But you are rustling up dinner with dough smattered all over your hands. That might rule out grabbing the remote - for most of us at least. Then what do you do? Shout for help? Press the remote with your elbows? Hobson’s choice?

What if you could just speak the words “Channel 4” and the television would light up at just the right time? You can do just that with the inVoca voice-operated remote control.

This remote has voice recognition that accepts more than 54 language and accent independent voice commands and can control upt o four devices - TV, VCR/DVD, Cable/DSS, AUX. It runs on 4 AA batteries and you can train it to store up to four different user profiles with favorites and channel scanning. What’s more, the setup information is stored within non-volatile memory, which means it is retained even if you take out the batteries. Though this remote is primarily designed for individuals with mobility disabilities, the potential applications of voice-enabled electronics are enormous.

Available for around $45 from SmartHomeUSA.com.