Unlikely Items That Are Now WI-FI Enabled
Have you noticed that just about everything these days has become "smart" or "connected"? While recently shopping for home appliances I began to get nervous when I noticed that I had become inundated with advertisements for smart refrigerators. What made a fridge "smart"? Did I need one? What could a "smart" fridge do for me? After doing a little research, I ultimately decided the old fashioned one that simply kept my food and drink cool or frozen. You know, the one that does not need to scan my milk jug and ping me on my iPhone when I need to add a gallon of skim to my grocery list. Having to decide between "smart" and not "smart" caused me to think about what other products had become connected or WIFI enabled over the years that perhaps did not need to be.
Here are my favorite unlikely items that now can be found in the Internet of Things (Iot) category:
1) Smart Toaster
Regular toasting of bread products needed an overhaul. Gone are the days where I'll step away from my toaster leaving myself to wonder when my 9-grain toast will pop up. Smart toasters hit the scene to offer users personalized settings based on type of product you were toasting and your desired doneness along with push notifications to your phone to make sure you knew that toaster strudel had finished and is ready for you to retrieve. Not once have I ever desired such features, nor thought my $9 toaster from BigLots was not cutting it. This gadget becoming Wi-Fi enabled seems a bit much.
2) Connected Hairbrush
The makers of this brush have identified a gap in hair care- people need more data and to have more personalized recommendations with key insights to help them keep their hair looking flawless. As someone with short hair, it is hard to imagine the need for a device that's packed with a microphone, 3-axis load cells, an accelerometer, gyroscope, and more to figure out whether or not my hair is healthy. Can't I just look in the mirror? Nevertheless, this product actually won a CES innovation award.
3) Smart Decanter
I have a hard time discerning the difference between most $20 and $200 bottles of wine. If you are someone who loves wine and has a need for a digital sommelier to help you find ideal pairings and can only wait just a few seconds or minutes for decanting, perhaps you should consider this product. The touch button display helps you decant, filter, and enjoy your wine. Through its mobile app you can also connect to find tips and tricks for getting the most out of your wine and spirits.
Final Thoughts...
It is hard to remember the time where having Wi-Fi was not an expectation. In a few years it may be an expectation that everything can connect to WiFi. But, it makes me question how many of these things are truly necessary and which ones happened just because they simply could be done. For now, I'll stick to the old fashioned way of toasting my bread, brushing my hair, and enjoying a glass of wine; all without the help of an app or WiFi connectivity.









