This is a fantastic idea: Technology in a teapot keeps watch on elderly:

His electric kettle, an “i-pot” (for information pot), not only boils water for his instant miso soup and green tea, but it also records the times he pushes a button and dispenses the water. A wireless communication device at the bottom of the i-pot sends a signal to a server. Members of the service can see recent records of i-pot usage on a Web site. In addition, twice a day the server e-mails the most recent three usage times to a designated recipient.

Presumably also works for people who make tea a lot, like most of my relatives.

I suggest a product line extension, the i-Spod. The software could automatically send an alert to relatives of geeks when they touch the keyboard for the first time each day, to reassure the family that their nerdy loved one hasn’t expired in a pile of takeout menus in front of a downloaded episode of Lost, or been strangled by a rogue USB cable while reaching for a miniature screwdriver.