Ice cream in the fast lane

From electric cars to iPhones, the future is upon us, and ice cream is no exception.

Ice cream technology has taken off, and left us with several ways to enjoy dessert, Jetsons' style.

Dippin' Dots, aka The Ice cream of the Future, is perhaps the most well-known futuristic ice cream. Created in 1988 by microbiologist Curt Jones, this frozen treat is made from tiny, super-frozen beads of ice cream.

The balls, frozen using liquid nitrogen, are at first tingly and slightly crunchy, but eventually melt into a smooth cream in your mouth. They're easy to scoop, easy to clean up and even easier to enjoy.

But it doesn't stop there. According to Switched, a "digital stuff" Web site, Austrian inventor Demitrios Kargotis recently released an ice cream machine that measures your mood by your voice, and uses that information to determine what size you need.

The sadder you are, the bigger the bowl.

Apparently there is an up side to being down.

And with today's demand for everything instant, few have time to make anything at home that doesn't involve plastic packaging and a microwave. But ice cream won't be left behind.

Ice cream making machines are now being sold that can freeze the dessert in less than 20 minutes, according to Newsweek.

That's less time than you'll spend in line at Coldstone (but no one will sing if you put a dollar in the tip jar).

Priced between $30 and $70, these machines should be at the top of any ice cream-lover's wish list (my birthday is October 5).

Ice cream has also kept up with the diet fad. With the creation of sugar-free flavors, using artificial sweetners, there's no reason not to indulge. They even taste good sometimes.

And with any luck, some day ice cream will be healthy for you, too.

But don't hold your breath.