Internet of things

[zuben el genub]

Why Copyrighted Coffee May Cripple the Internet of Things | Wired Business | Wired.com

The part about the smart fridge is not nice. I don't think I'd want one ordering anything for me. I change my mind about what I want weekly in most cases and would have to redo a check list almost every week.
The fridge would be more about services, than the box itself.

One year I got on a soup kick. Soup comes in a can. You refrigerate the leftovers in tupperware or something like it. No RFID tag. Is the fridge going to reject it? I also buy a lot of generic. What happens if you stick everything in plastic containers? Fridge not work?

When the kids were here, we had "science experiments" in containers that they didn't toss for months. No RFID tags on those, either.
If the fridge can check on ingredients, a sourdough starter would not make it happy.

For those who have relatives that click on every popup on a computer, I'd bet those relatives would be calling every week since they can't figure out how to tell the fridge NOT to order.

Besides basics like milk, some would rather cook their own food. There are recommendations to double the recipe and freeze. This would have no RFID tags. (We did cook like this)

You would still have to go to the store for cleaners, TP, and other extras.
Not everyone keeps that stock in one spot.

Those that drive from store to store for specials would not be happy. To some, that is a social hour. You see older couples with the sale inserts from the paper. The Vulcan likes his Dr. Pepper. That isn't refrigerated so he'd still have to go to the store. Neither are OTC drugs like cough syrup, aspirin, etc.

I use Hungry for a shopping list. I don't need weights and measures and the other info in most lists - just the products (you can add brand names). You just check what you need from a master list and it appears in the shopping cart section. If the "smart" fridge does it this way, it might be workable. Then you could order the non-perishable stuff, too.

What happens with a merger? Kroger is trying to buy Safeway. Everything has to be reprogrammed? What about those who prefer a chain like Whole Foods or Trader Joes? Or want to buy produce from a farmer's market in season? We still have people who can and preserve veggies and fruit.

Will the unlocking argument apply to smart appliances?

 

[SiempreTuna]

I struggle to see how the fridge is going to gather the required data without inconveniencing me quite a bit.

My big problem, though is with ordering groceries on-line. The majority of our shopping (by volume if not value) is fruit and veg and frankly, I don't want a shop picker - paid to get rid of the older, grottier stock first - selecting what I get.

 

[lunatic59]

I could see this working but the fridge wouldn't be the smart device ... the trashcan would be (or a waste scanner to be more specific so you can separate recyclables).

It would be really a simple purchasing paradigm that most companies already use, just on a personal scale. You define those items with which you wish to maintain a minimum stocking level. Then you set your reorder min/max threshold. When you dispose of the package, it removes the item from inventory. If you drop below the minimum on-hand quantity, it will add it to the re-order queue.

Then you can set it to automatically order or require approval before the order is placed so you can adjust it. For staple foods like bread, milk, eggs, etc. and household supplies like soap and paper goods it could work, but seasonal or special items, not so much.

The thing is that you'd need to stick with brands and you'd have to have special parameters set for sale items and coupons.

If you are stocking a warehouse, it's efficient. If you are stocking a pantry, it's a gimmick.

 

[Unforgiven]

ERP for the home:afraid:

 

[lunatic59]

ERP for the home:afraid:

yup.

 

[zuben el genub]

I struggle to see how the fridge is going to gather the required data without inconveniencing me quite a bit.

My big problem, though is with ordering groceries on-line. The majority of our shopping (by volume if not value) is fruit and veg and frankly, I don't want a shop picker - paid to get rid of the older, grottier stock first - selecting what I get.

You've got it. I've caught Safeway deaconing.

The practice of putting the best-looking food on top, as putting the most attractive berries on the top of the basket. (from WordCraft)

 

[psionandy]

I struggle to see how the fridge is going to gather the required data without inconveniencing me quite a bit.

The 'smart fridge' is one of those ideas that keeps coming round every couple of years. With Keypads, barcodes, and other means being used to track its contents so it can then place orders on your behalf. They've all been impracticable at this point., and up til now no consumer has ever shown the slightest bit of interest.

However... with RFID chips in everything, the overhead is getting smaller. Increasing volumes of groceries are being ordered online and then delivered. So its only a matter of time before some supermarket (be it Walmart/Safeway/Tesco/Woolworths*) gets hold of the idea, and links it to their internet shopping portals. At first It will simply 'preload' the service you're already using with items your running low on. Then it will do the amazon 'suggest thing' and ultimately, when there are less stores it will end up telling us what to eat.

The interesting point from the original post is an interesting one. Will the fridge compare all the supermarkets to get me the best deal on milk? or will it only go to whichever one its partnered with.

At the moment retail is still heavily driven by consumer choice.. and competition between stores. But without interoperability rules its no longer a free market out there, as the stores we're not tied into will simply vanish from our minds.





*depending on where you are in the world

 

[mikedt]

Think the smart-fridge idea can only really work and keep inventory, if one is just eating boxed ready-meals(not healthy IMO), where you can assume they might have a bar-code or RFID. Hotel mini-bars are smart-fridges in a way, because they keep track of what's been taken.

 

[03bluecoupe]

Don't see it working for me. We do make a list but what sizes and sometimes even brands vary depending on what's on sale. And if it's a really good sale, I may go into "stock up" mode and buy a bunch of 'xyz'

For you older folks: "I'd rather do it myself"

 

[Codegerm]

I don't see the need to fuss with a smart fridge. First off I wouldn't let it be connected to to my internet connection anyway. I don't even let my TV satellite receiver connect to the internet (let them get their show ratings data from someone else). What I stock my fridge with varies depending on what I feel like having that week, and which items may be on sale.

As for Keurig coffee makers, They are worthless to me. I grind my own beans, and none of the k-cup coffee I have tried, has tasted all that great to me. I wouldn't let my coffee maker dictate what coffee I use in it either.

 

[zuben el genub]

I don't see the need to fuss with a smart fridge. First off I wouldn't let it be connected to to my internet connection anyway. I don't even let my TV satellite receiver connect to the internet (let them get their show ratings data from someone else). What I stock my fridge with varies depending on what I feel like having that week, and which items may be on sale.

As for Keurig coffee makers, They are worthless to me. I grind my own beans, and none of the k-cup coffee I have tried, has tasted all that great to me. I wouldn't let my coffee maker dictate what coffee I use in it wither.

I wouldn't hook up TV either. Would never be asked for ratings as we don't watch normal TV except for sports.

How much coffee does one Keurig cup make, anyway? I have a Kohl's coffee maker and a cup to that machine is 5 oz. Since we use 20oz thermal mugs, any way of getting 20oz at one shot would be a pain. I can make up to 12 cups at one go.