ovens
Latest
LG patents RFID-labelled cookbook, attempts to offer more than just another place to spill sauce
LG is no stranger to mixing together patents and white goods and this time it's trying to bridge the gap between recipes and those all-too-often underwhelming results. One of its patents, granted today, outlines the idea of two RF tags that would offer food information and appliance specs, with a reader located on a terminal (say, an oven) that would attempt to bridge the gap between the two. This (likely wireless) device would then connect to a server, which would return operating details for cooking that specified "food information" on your appliance of choice. LG also hints at the ability of expanding the remit of a book when enough info can't be given due to the space limitations of the printed word, hopefully offering up some added value to any compatible future cookbooks. Well, you've got to try and explain those connected fridge and oven costs somehow, right?
Control4, Sub-Zero get in on the home automation game
While brands like LG, Samsung, and Kenmore all showed off their own special brand of Jetsonian appliances at CES this year, Sub-Zero was close by touting a stable of 30 automation-ready products and a partnership with Control4 that could make them a contender for home automation domination. Sub-Zero's ZigBee-based system uses preexisting serial ports (initially installed for diagnostic purposes) to connect users to appliances via touchscreens, smart phones, and other enabled devices. The system lacks full control of potentially dangerous appliances like the oven, instead acting as an alert system when, say, your turkey is done roasting, but it does grant complete access to things like your refrigerator or freezer. Other systems might sport increased functionality, like LG's Thinq, which allows users to set oven temperatures remotely, and Samsung's fridge, which lets you tweet from a built-in touchscreen, but Sub-Zero is hoping a second-quarter release will put them at the head of the pack. We'll see if a head start makes a difference in the glacial appliance market, when Samsung rolls out its smart refrigerator this May and Kenmore's system comes to fruition in 2012.
