LAS VEGAS—It's not even day one of the show, and I've already seen plenty of surveillance cameras at CES, but I've only seen one for your refrigerator. And I don't mean on the refrigerator, so you can get eyes on who's walking around the kitchen. I mean inside the refrigerator, so you can keep tabs on whether you're running low on milk. Smarter, the company that manufactures attractive Wi-Fi coffee pots and tea kettles across the pond, is bringing some cool new devices to smarten up your old kitchen appliances to the U.S. later this year.
We should start with the Fridge Cam because, well, it's a Wi-Fi-connected refrigerator camera. And it might sound a bit silly at first, but it's actually sort of brilliant. Think about it: How many times do you buy too many eggs or too much milk because you forget that you already have plenty at home? The Fridge Cam doesn't send a live video feed to your phone, like security cameras like the Piper nvSee it at Amazon UK. Instead, it sits on the inside of your refrigerator and takes a photo every time the fridge door opens, capturing its most recent contents. You can then pull this up on your phone whenever you're shopping, and avoid buying that extra bushel of kale when you've already got one sitting at home. For an estimated $100, it could probably save you a good amount of money in redundant purchases.
The Smarter Mat is also pretty neat. It's an attractive rubber mat you can store on a counter, in the refrigerator, or in a cupboard. Once you put something on top of the mat, you can use an app to track its weight to see how much is left. There will be custom profiles for certain items, but even without one, you should be able to know that when there's only an ounce of olive oil left, it's time to buy some more. It sort of reminds me of the Quirky RefuelSee it at Amazon UK, which uses weight to keep tabs on your gas tank, only more precise, since you're getting an exact measurement. The Mat will come in different sizes and sell for up to $100.
Finally, there's the Smarter Detect. It's basically a microphone-equipped sensor that listens for the sound of your choice—like the ding of a microwave or the ring of a timer—and send a notification to your smartphone to let you know your food is done. In this case I'm reminded of the the culinary equivalent to the Leeo Smart Alert Nightlight, which listens for the sound of a smoke detector or carbon monoxide alarm, only the circumstances here are much less dire. The Detect should sell for around $100.
Still, I like the idea of adding connectivity to old appliances for a reasonable amount of money, rather than just dropping $3,000+ on a smart refrigerator. Each of these devices run on rechargeable batteries that should be good for around one month of use, which isn't too shabby. Plus, I really like the look of all three devices. They're sleek and minimal, and look like something you might actually want in your home (and should match with a wide variety of styles). Better yet, unlike Smarter's U.K.-only Wi-Fi tea kettle (which I'm dying to try out), the Fridge Cam, Mat, and Detect should all be available in the U.S. this summer. Check back for full reviews.