The Internet Enabled Fridge - Bogus or Brilliant

[a_unique_person]

THE fridge, always the fridge, everyone asked about the fridge.

LG Electronics has not sold one in Australia yet, but everyone who saw it knew about the LG Internet Refrigerator - the keystone of LG's Digital Home Network.
I spent a weekend living in a networked apartment, LG Electronics set up near the Sydney Opera House and a ton of people dropped in to check it out -- the lure of a view over Circular Quay may have helped.

Everyone ooh-ed and aah-ed at the colossus of an appliance with a 15.1in (37cm) touchscreen LCD monitor in the door.

Some wanted the sticker-shock straight away - $17,000 - some wanted to see it run the other appliances: an internet-enabled microwave on a shelf nearby and an internet-enabled front-loading washing machine. LG also has an internet-enabled air-conditioner, but that was not set up.

The novelty of having an inbuilt camera take their picture was too much for many to resist.

Some went a bit further and emailed those pictures.

Requests to run the washing machine from the fridge resulted in wide-eyed astonishment.

The most common question was: "But why?"




http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,6094406%5e16681%5e%5enbv%5e,00.html

As they ask in the article, "But Why".

They have been advertising it on the TV, and haven't sold one.

[espritch]

The novelty would wear out after about 2 days tops. Then you'd be sitting there slapping your head saying: "I can't believe I spent that much money on a fridgerator!"

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Keep in mind that 20 years ago people were asking "Why would you want to spend $1000 just to tape a TV show? It would be a lot cheaper to stay home and watch it".

[spoonhandler]

As I'm already considering having a lap top in my kitchen for recipes, shopping lists and doing the shopping (we do the groceries online), as a phone/address book, checking email, etc, etc, I can see some use for the fridge. I can't see myself paying for it though. Right now, a fridge that size without the computer would probably cost no more than AUD$2000-$3000. I have a fridge of sufficient capacity now and only a few months old - the lap top I can get for less than AUD$2000. That's still a long way ahead of LG's price.

I also don't need my fridge to take pictures of me or turn my washing machine on, particularly as I can't imagine the fridge hopping into the laundry to load it for me and hang out the washing too. I would also be able to take the lap top elsewhere, whilst the fridge is pretty much stuck in the kitchen.

The ad for it makes me think that an internet enabled fridge is designed for people who need their whitegoods to make them seem interesting when in fact they are horribly, terribly dull.

[The Fool]

yea, an Internet fridge, just what I need. Does it take 5 minutes for the door to open?

[arcticpenguin]

Originally posted by The Central Scrutinizer
Keep in mind that 20 years ago people were asking "Why would you want to spend $1000 just to tape a TV show? It would be a lot cheaper to stay home and watch it".
You're right. people will be saying "why should I go home to eat, the 'frig can take care of that for me." And then the first time your appliances get hacked, you will reconsider.

[Occasional Chemist]

Originally posted by The Central Scrutinizer
Keep in mind that 20 years ago people were asking "Why would you want to spend $1000 just to tape a TV show? It would be a lot cheaper to stay home and watch it".

And most people didn't spend $1000 to tape a TV show. But they did agree that taping a TV show was something that it'd be nice to do someday - when it gets cheaper.

How many folks are there waiting for a fridge that can take their picture? How does that make their lives easier?

[Soapy Sam]

Does it have shielding for the fridge magnets? I wouldn't want to wipe the hard drive.

[MRC_Hans]

Mmmm, reminds me of a very old Donald Duck strip:

Granny Duck (is that her name in English?) is visiting, and she offers to do the dishes. "Well, its easy, I just got a dishwasher!" Donald answers and shows her how to start it. Then he leaves on an errand.

Later, he returns and is greeted by a now rather irritated Granny: "I dont know what you paid for that thingy, but if you ask me, you were cheated: I turned it on half an hour ago, and it hasn't even cleared the table yet!"

:D

Hans

[Psi Baba]

The only useful feature of such a device that I could imagine doesn't seem to be part of it: that would be that it should keep track of its inventory and automatically place an order with the nearest supermarket when supplies are running low on things like milk, butter, soda, ketchup, etc. You should be able set user preferences for such things as "low supply" thresholds, which brands to order, quantities to be ordered, etc.

[Captain_Snort]

wow, I could look at porn and download MP3's while making a sandwich.

All we ned now is an internet enabled toilet and I'm set