Modern Life: Appliances That Really Can Talk

Last month Anna, a baker, and her chef-husband, Michael, heard a beep as they were pulling out of the driveway of their home. rang.

"My app told me I didn't close the freezer door all the way," says Olson. "It could have been a disaster."

Olson, her brand ambassador for LG Electronics Canada Home, says smart in the kitchen, her technology is what we use elsewhere. described as a natural extension of the method.

"We're using technology to play music with voice commands and check the weather," says Olson. “When people are at home, they shouldn't plug in appliances and tell them to make more ice, or tell them when they need to change the water filter or run the dish cycle. Let me know if there's one."

In addition to the InstaView Refrigerator that Olson warned from the driveway, LG has released a range of smart home appliances that can be controlled with an app. ProBake Convection slide-in range with Air Sue Bide and Air Fly. And the WashTower washer-dryer set.

According to a survey commissioned by LG, 60% of Canadians agree that housework is a burden and they don't have enough time to get it all done. I'm here. For her 20% of Canadians, the burden of household chores is so high that it impacts their overall mood, stress and anxiety levels.

If sprinting away from conversation to oven crostini at a dinner party is adding to that strain, then there's LG's ProBake Oven, flicking it with voice commands.

Other brands are also joining the action. Samsung and LG both have steam closets (AirDresser and Styler) that hold dry-clean-only clothes, stinky sneakers, and anything else you want to throw in there. The appliance is Wi-Fi enabled and allows remote control.

Steam cupboards like this one are common in Melissa Maker's house. The creator of Clean My Space, a well-known cleaning company, Maker throws in everything that needs to be sanitized, including his daughter's stuffing.

Maker is a fan of smart home appliances. “[I] can manage my appliances without being physically in the room where they are. I often remotely start a washing machine that I forgot to turn on.”

Meanwhile, Samsung's line of Bespoke appliances connects to Samsung's app, allowing users to set cooking temperatures and times, as well as run cooking cycles remotely. You may also yell when using a voice assistant such as Samsung's Bixby or Amazon's Alexa. A voice command to 'turn off the oven' that can be confirmed in the app benefits neurotic patients wherever they are.

Meanwhile, Delta, his VoiceIQ pairing with connected voice-enabled home devices such as Alexa I created Faucets. You can request to dispense a precise amount of water: 1 cup or 6 ounces, or a dog bowl. Also, features like water warm-up and voice activation on/off can be helpful if contaminated with raw chicken.

Bosch is another appliance brand investing in smart technology. Their proprietary system, Home Connect, is open source and constantly being upgraded. “Other developers can create apps that work with it. Tesla, for example,” says Steve Prener, head of marketing for Bosch's brand.

"The whole idea of ​​a connected appliance is great because it provides two functions: monitoring and control. You can wait in line for a frozen pizza at the grocery store, and by the time you get home If you want to preheat the oven so it's ready, you can do it from your phone as a practical scenario," he says. That's the control part.

"Dishwashers may be monitored," he says. If you're outdoors with guests, smart models eliminate the need to get up and physically check to see if clean glasses are ready.

"The same goes for the laundry." It does," he says Preiner. "When you live in a four-story townhouse, you don't have to run to the washing machine or hear the buzzer. You can also play your favorite song and be notified when it's ready."

However, high-tech equipment has many systems that can fail. But as Preiner sees them, they're like fiber optic TVs. “If you ever need service, registering the product will allow you to connect and perform remote diagnostics,” Preiner said. "And if it's something very simple that causes an error code, like a dishwasher filter that needs to be rinsed, probably avoid a service call."

Still, Nathan Liu, owner of Toronto repair company Appliance Heroes, cautions against jumping on the smart appliance wagon without doing some research. “They are very unreliable, complicated and difficult to repair,” said Liu, adding that he was asked to fix smart appliances that were only a little over a year old after the warranty expired. .

That said, most of the types of appliances Liu sees aren't smart home appliances, but that's "because they're not that prevalent yet," he says. thinking about.

``You've heard that modern appliances are unreliable and built to become obsolete. Frustrated by the environmental impact, says Liu.

"The electronics I always recommend buying are analog and simple mechanical," says Liu. "No fancy features. There are (less) things that go wrong. They just last."