User interfaces for harried supermarket shoppers need to summarise information into small easily consumed packages that make sense quickly. But once you’ve got your chilled products home, perhaps you have time to find out more about their ethical and environmental impact? Hacked fridge to the rescue:
Did you small-talk, chat or SMS with your fridge today? Is the milk past its sell-by date? Am I out of butter? By now, we have written several lengthy and long-winded articles about it – this, the intelligent refrigerator; and now we’re at it again. Why? Simply because the fridge talking to its owners and to the foodstuffs in its care has now become a reality. And we made it ourselves – well, almost… The fridge has now become aware of its contents; and it is capable of establishing direct contact between you and their producers. Like you, the fridge is on the Internet and thus able to get hold of you – even on your mobile. It will let you know what you need to buy if you want to prepare a simmering beef stroganoff; also, it will alert you if you are out of chocolate-and-fruit flavoured ice cream. But this is as much about security! In case a food producer detects a potential health hazard in a shipment, he can – via the fridge – send out a warning and withdraw the product in question.