Samsung’s new smart fridge lets you see if you have milk from your cell phone

Say goodbye to sticking your kid’s art (paper versions of it, at least) up on the fridge, as Samsung has announced the latest advance in food-chilling-and-freezing technology, the Family Hub Refrigerator.

Announced at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the fridge comes complete with a 21.5 inch HD LCD screen and built-in speakers, promising to function as the family’s “digital command centre.”
“Samsung has reinvigorated the home appliance space,” says Samsung Canada’s Vice President, Home Appliances Sales and Marketing, Warner Doell, “transforming the communal kitchen experience for Canadian families in ways that will redefine how they view and use their refrigerator.”

Indeed, the possibilities seem endless. The new fridge can display Junior’s digital artwork but also tell him of his chores for the week, it can notify you about Sally’s piano recital and upload as many photos of aunt Martha’s cats in sweaters as you can stomach. Plus, forget waiting until the commercial break, as you can now watch the game on your fridge while grabbing those refreshments.

Most fun of all are the three cameras positioned inside the unit, allowing users to call up their fridge from the grocery store to see whether or not they’re out of ketchup or milk. Also, we’ll finally be able to know what happens to the fridge light when you close the door.

Strictly food related advances on the fridge include its Triple Metal Cooling system and the Samsung exclusive FlexZoneTM which gives owners the option of changing the fridge part into the freezer part and back again.

Continuing to advance us along the Internet of Things roadway, Samsung also unveiled its new line of smart ovens which can be turned on at a distance by computer or smartphone.

The development of wearable technologies and other consumer and industrial goods fitted with sensors and transmitters has begun to alter the look and function of products brought to market, but it has also seemingly changed the habits of consumers. According to market research company Colloquy, 27 per cent of Americans surveyed said that they “used to hate shopping but with my wearable I love it,” a piece of good news for retailers everywhere. At the same time, 35 per cent of those surveyed also said that wearable technology is nerdy but “cool nerdy” while another 58 per cent said that they’d like to use a wearable device but feel they’re “too old.”

According to Colloquy Research Director Jeff Berry, retailers can better court the ever-attractive millenials by staying dynamic. “Retailers should consider sending one-to-one, targeted offers to shoppers’ wearable devices, including on-the-fly pricing adjustments based on inventory and even time of day,” says Berry.

But regardless of whether we’re millenials or feeling “too old”, sources say that consumers need to start preparing for the inevitable, and by that we mean the deluge of pics of your friends’ three year-old salsa jars and liquefied lettuces no longer hidden in the dark recesses of their fridges.

The Family Hub Refrigerator will be available this summer, with a price tag of about $5,000.