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By Allan Lengel

Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, February 23, 2008; Page F01

ORLANDO

Faster. Better. Easier.

It's a mantra of the American consumer.

With that in mind, many builders at the International Builders' Show in Orlando last week wandered the jammed convention center in search of products that pamper people or simplify life, hoping to get a competitive edge in one of the worst housing markets in years.

The 1,900 exhibitors presented plenty of options, many of them far beyond basic.

Feet cold in the morning? Heat the shower floor.

Need a meal cooked 15 times as quickly as in a conventional oven? Not sure how long to bake that lake trout or roast that standing rib?

Try a retro-looking, speed-cooking oven that comes with time-and-temperature programs for 500 dishes.

Gardening out back when someone knocks at the front door?

No problem. Stay put. Pull out your handheld wireless intercom control, find out who's there and unlock the front door with the push of the button.

"I think people are always intrigued by the technology," said Stephen Treffinger, contributing editor for technology and design at the trendy Domino magazine.

"Many people are renovating," he said. "New construction is down. These kinds of things make people feel like they're doing something super-special. It's almost as good as building a new room."