LG's SmartThinQ Sensor Can Make Any Regular Appliance Chatty
LG seems to have a thing about appliances that like to talk to their owners. While this latest products aren't exactly the LINE-powered smart appliances that LG has been showing off the past two years, they definitely still have the ability to have at least a one-way conversation with you. In addition to its new Smart Lightwave Oven and Smart Air Conditioner, LG is also revealing the SmartThinQ Sensor that you can attach to almost any old, conventional appliance to make them just a little bit smarter to some extent.
The SmartThinQ Sensor, which is almost like a puck-shaped contraption, doesn't exactly give those appliances some brains. It houses sensors of its own, like motion or temperature, that can be used to interpret certain actions into usable information. For example, attaching it to a washing machine door can let owners know when a cycle is done. On a refrigerator, it can tell how many times the door has been opened or if a product is near expiration. All of these can be conveyed to the SmartThinQ app on your smartphone.
The LG Smart Lightwave Oven and Smart Air Conditioner are more formally smart appliances. The former can not only be controlled using a smartphone, it can even download and share recipes with your family and friends. The smart air conditioner, on the other hand, functions as you would expect, with the addition of a reminder when it's time to replace the air filter.
These two smart appliances are with the AllJoyn smart home framework that the Allseen Alliance is trying to spread. This industry consortium was formed back in late 2013 to mostly rally manufacturer's around Qualcomm's AllJoyn platform, particularly companies like LG, Sharp, Haier, Panasonic, HTC, Ciso, and more. Of course, these days, there are a lot more players in the field and a lot more platforms competing for attention, like Apple's HomeKit and Google's Brillo.
LG has not yet revealed availability or pricing details for any of the above smart home products but they will be on display at IFA 2015 starting September 4.