CES 2012: LG "Smart" Refrigerator Takes Guesswork Out of Dieting

The new smart appliances, which use LG's Smart ThinQ technology, are equipped with device-to-device features that allow them to be managed through mobile devices and computers and the LG Home Energy Management System.

"Device-to-device connectivity with smartphones and among LG appliances is a new and exciting way for us to realize this goal, helping consumers handle housework in a smarter way by saving time, money and energy", said Moon-bum Shin, CEO of LG Electronics Home Appliance Company.

As more people use smartphones and tablets, LG's advanced line of appliances likely will catch the attention of people who need to be away from home, but who want to keep constant contact with their devices. Further, the appliances may help people organize their increasingly busy lifestyles.

For example, the smart French-door refrigerator is equipped with several technologies, such as Smart Manager, which allows owners to use the appliance's LCD panel or their smartphones to check the food stored inside, as well as their expiration dates. In addition, the refrigerator recommends recipes that can be made with the ingredients inside.

The refrigerator also features Smart Shopping technology, which offers online grocery shopping directly from the LCD panel or from the owner's smartphone. Consumers can create a shopping list by selecting food items from the refrigerator's inventory, and then buy them either online or use the list to go shopping.

The appliance's Health Manager feature also recommends recipes and menus based on personal profiles, taking into account an individual's age, gender, weight and Body Mass Index, to decide options suitable for a person's physical condition. This feature will likely be particularly useful for people who have health conditions requiring special diets.

The smart refrigerator's food management program can also send information to LG's Smart Oven, which adjusts proper oven settings.

The refrigerator is also Smart Grid ready, so when utility companies offer Smart Grid time slots, the refrigerator can automatically re-adjust its temperature to take advantage of energy rates. It can also go into "night mode", to help save electricity costs.

LG's smart refrigerator joins a growing number of smart home appliances and systems being offered by companies and retailers, for taking the work out of housework. Home-improvement retailer Lowe's, for example, unveiled a smart home management system that lets users adjust controls for thermostats and other home devices via app or website.

Other smart home appliances are also being displayed by LG this week at CES, including a smart washing machine that allows people to control their laundry remotely; a vacuum cleaner that can be started remotely and clean the house even when nobody is home, and the afore-mentioned Smart Oven, which allows people to monitor cooking settings through their mobile devices and cook their food even when they're not home.