by CRAIG LLOYD, How To Geek, APRIL 5, 2018
Why Smart Fridges Are the Future
Most smart fridges have a super wide-angle camera mounted inside the fridge so that you can see what your have right from your smartphone—an wonderful tool when you’re at the grocery store.
“But why couldn’t you just open up the fridge and take a picture with your phone,” you ask? In an ideal scenario, this is exactly what you would do, but too many times you’re already out and about when decide to stop by the grocery store to pick up a few things. Or you decide last minute that you’ll stop by on your way home from work.
Of course, these touch screens may not be anywhere close to being as good as an iPad, but they can still be useful for basic kitchen stuff, like searching for recipes, browsing the family calendar, or listening to music.
With Alexa (or other voice assistant), you can set timers, get measurement conversions, add stuff to your grocery list, and even learn how to make certain dishes by calling up recipes.
Some smart fridges have Alexa built in, and it’s only a matter of time before it’s a standard feature in all smart fridges and other major appliances. As much as I hate it, voice control is getting integrated into everything, and it’s going to keep heading in that direction as time goes on.
Analysis: While I can see the benefits of smart technology in the kitchen, I don’t think it really addresses big-picture issues like food waste. It may help with food waste in the fact that you can check your fridge inventory outside, the home, but it doesn’t teach people how to be wiser about their food. The more we rely on technology, the less knowledge we inherently carry.
