CONTROL AND PROTECTION
Tech that makes life easy – and safe
it’s time for tea (though you still have to fill it up and pour the tea yourself). Smarter makes a coffee machine too, for £180, which benefits more from the high-tech approach as the Smarter app can store personalised settings for your family and friends, with details of what type of coffee they like, as well as different strengths and brewing times.
A job for super-fridge!
One area that’s seen interesting developments recently is the humble fridge. Samsung really made the headlines last year with its gloriously over-the-top Wi-Fi-connected ‘super-fridge’ – also known as the Family Hub. The original two-door Family Hub cost a whopping £4,500 when it first arrived in the UK last year, although that has come down to a still hefty £2,900 now. Samsung has also released a smaller, single-door fridge-freezer model costing about £2,000.
Both models include Wi-Fi connectivity, with an LCD screen on the front of the unit that lets you browse the web, write down notes or calendar events, or play music while you’re cooking up a storm. The Family Hub also includes a number of cameras inside the refrigerator so that you can quickly check on your iPhone to see whether you need to pick up anything on the way home.
But you don’t have to spend thousands to get a smart fridge. Smarter crops up again here, with its FridgeCam (£99). This sits inside your fridge so you can view its contents on your iPhone. Its app can also scan barcodes to check expiry dates and warn you when your mouldy cheese is about to evolve into a sentient being. We also like the look of the GeniCan ($149), a smart sensor that attaches to your kitchen bin and scans the barcode on items as you throw them away and then automatically creates a shopping list. Sadly, its maker warns that its product This Smarter FridgeCam scans barcodes so that its app can let you know if food is nearing its expiry date. Whirlpool’s 6th Sense app allows you to operate your appliances from your phone, so you can wash and go! database consists of US products, so items that aren’t sold there may not be recognised – though you can add others manually.
All washed up
Washing machines, even the non-smart type, have been one of the great labour-saving devices of the last century, and while you still have to load them up and do the ironing, there are now several smart washers that provide remote control from your iPhone. This means you can load up in the morning and then turn the washing machine on just before you get home in the evening, or perhaps schedule the wash for times when energy rates are lower.
Whirlpool is the main company in this field, with its 6th Sense range of washers and driers, and its FCSR 12441 washer has received some great reviews. It’s pricey (around £800 to £1,000), but that’s not too expensive for a top-of-the-range washing machine, and the Whirlpool app lets you control the machine when you’re out, as well as selecting the right program for different items.
Samsung has been getting in on the act as well, although models such as its touchscreen WW900 weigh in at over £1,200. And LG is working on its SmartThinq Hub, expected to be around £120. This little speaker is essentially a variation on the Amazon Echo voice assistant, but it can also be paired with a series of small sensors that you can attach to devices such as a washing machine or cooker. Your existing washing machine can then become ‘semismart’, telling you when it’s finished, while your fridge can check barcodes for expiration dates.
You can add a product like Smarter’s FridgeCam to your kitchen, rather than spend thousands on a smart fridge