Finally, lazy consumers can simply text their washing machine to start the laundry or peek on their smartphone to see if there is any more milk in the refrigerator.
LG has launched its new line of smart appliances equipped with HomeChat, which lets people communicate with their appliances through a mobile messaging app. The technology was originally unveiled in January at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
No, the above is not dialogue from a lost Samuel Beckett play. It’s a sample of the stimulating conversation possible with a LG Smart Refrigerator. It’s like having a college roommate, but in appliance form! HomeChat can also be used with LG’s new SmartLightwaveOven and Smart Washing Machine.
Even more exciting is the “industry’s first built-in internal refrigerator camera.” No longer will shoppers stand paralyzed in the mustard aisle, wondering if they ran out of Dijon. Instead, they will just pull up the HomeChat app on their smartphone and look at their condiments in real time.
No pricing information was revealed, but chances are a refrigerator capable of conversation will not come cheap. LG plans to introduce its line of smart appliances in the United States "after its successful launch in Korea."