http://www.freep.com/article/20110106/NEWS09/101060531/1319/Smart-home-appliances?-For-many-consumers-theyre-genius
The article linked above talks about some of the biggest hits at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show - smart appliances. Internet-connected telephones, ovens, refrigerators, everything.
I can see a lot of benefits to this. How many times have I wanted to run the dishwasher but wanted to wait until the end of the day...and then wake up to dirty dishes? Set it up and there's no way I can forget. The laundry's loaded but you're not in a big hurry? Set it up and the washer will wait until a more energy efficient time to run the load.
However, putting aside the huge issue of who is controlling my oven, I worry about what we worry about. What will it be like when we depend on the internet for EVERYTHING?
Your milk is about to expire? You'll get a text message on your phone telling you to pick up more milk. How hard is it to figure out when your milk is about to expire?
What do you need to shop for? Your fridge will tell you, and probably at which store can you get everything for the cheapest.
I'm okay with not having to worry about mundane things like expired milk. (I'm definitely not crying over it. Ha!) Rich people have been doing it for years. I just worry about what we as humankind will do instead of worrying about expired milk: I just have a feeling it will have a lot to do with the Kardashians or something else that won't be a contribution to society. Too bad it probably won't be about serving others, conversing as a family, pursuing education, or reading the scriptures.
What do I do on my spare time now, however?
