The smart fridge seems to be the first of the usual assortment of slightly questionable home appliance technology to come out of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this year. Although the show doesn’t fully start in Las Vegas until tomorrow, manufacturers are already taking the wraps off some of their products.
Trusted Reviews reports Samsung’s ‘Family Hub Refrigerator’ has already made an appearance on advertising banners around the venue of CES. The company uploaded some photos of the Internet of Things appliance to its Flickr account today though, exposing the fridge to the world.
The computer monitor-sized 21.5-inch touchscreen display sits rather obviously on the right door of the fridge. It is Full HD (1920×1080) resolution and can be paired with a smartphone app, letting you check whether you need more milk from anywhere with a mobile signal.
As it happens, Samsung has made it so you won’t even need to check. The fridge will automatically notify you when you’re running low on supplies and tell you where they’re currently cheapest to restock from. You can place an order for your next delivery of chilled produce directly from your fridge door.
The Family Hub can also operate as a control centre for other Internet of Things devices. It can coordinate all the smart objects in a household, integrating with Samsung’s own SmartThings products and the work of third parties.
Despite the convenience that the intelligent functionality provides, smart appliances have yet to really gain a foothold as many consumers remain sceptical of the benefits manufacturers promise. The situation isn’t helped by the security concerns that surround the Internet of Things.
Earlier this year, hackers successfully managed to steal Gmail credentials from one of Samsung’s other smart fridges by exploiting a serious vulnerability in its software. In the future, appliances could become a key target for hardware hijackers looking to wreak chaos in a home by forcing a thermostat to its highest setting or bulk-buying groceries from an exploited fridge.
It’s unclear whether Samsung’s Family Hub will ever actually make it to sale outside of Korea. The company hasn’t revealed any availability or pricing details but could be planning to do so during CES this week as tech companies gather in Las Vegas to unveil what they’ve been working on in the past few months.
