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March, 2003
by Ken Pyle
If Silicon Valley is the Mecca of the technology crowd, then Fry’s is certainly the shrine that all techies have to visit at least once. Fry’s has the electronic gadgets of today and tomorrow. So, I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised to see an Internet-enabled refrigerator the other day. This is somewhat ironic, as the Fry’s family had earlier made their mark in the grocery business.
It has been said about Fry’s that you can get chips (potato) and chips (integrated circuits) all in the same store. This new refrigerator is a clear marriage of all the things for which Fry’s is famous. And, Telcos’ may scoff at this seemingly frivolous, 21st century icebox, but it could point to new interactive television applications we can’t even dream of today. More importantly, it probably points to even greater bandwidth demands that will be placed on tomorrow’s local loop.
At first glance, one would wonder why someone would want to pay over $6,000 for a refrigerator that is about the same size and provides the same fundamental functions as the standard two-door model that can be purchased at any appliance store. On closer examination, one sees that this is really interactive appliance that, by the way, keeps food cold. Some of its features include:
- A touch-screen, LCD screen that is comparable in size to a lap-top
- A built-in camera, microphone and speakers
- Audio and Video inputs
- Ethernet connection
- USB Connections
The software to go along with the above hardware is incredible. It seems to do all of the things that any internet-connected PC would do, as it has Internet Explorer for web browsing. Additionally, it has a touch-screen key board that can be used to leave notes for family members, update inventory, etc. Speaking of inventory, it apparently has sensors in the various compartments, such that it depicts the contents of the refrigerator on its LCD screen (gee, no more searching through the freezer for that quart of ice cream that your spouse ate without telling you).
And the software will enable applications that will probably make this or its descendents common place in tomorrow’s kitchen. Some of these cool applications could include:
- Recipe downloads– imagine a video of your favorite chef explaining the nuances of a gourmet meal
- Targeted on-line coupons – just what people want; a refrigerator that not only talks, but is trying to sell them something. Seriously, this could be something that coupon clippers, like my wife, could really love.
- Use the built-in camera to ask family members what they want for dinner (or, identify late-night fridge raiders).
- On-line orders from the refrigerator directly to the grocery store – groceries ready, no checkout necessary.
- Fridges in corporations – how about an online message board to notify employees that their food is spoilded.
The common theme, and this is where Telcos need to take this appliance seriously, is that all these applications could potentially drive greater network bandwidth requirements. The Ethernet connection points to the ever increasing home networks. Now, I am not saying that people are going to sit around the refrigerator surfing the net or watching television programs, but if the content is targeted and, probably short-form, it may draw eyeballs.
I really haven’t done this refrigerator justice, so click here to get more information on this 21st century appliance.
Copyright 2003 Viodi, LLC. All Rights Reserved
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