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GNU/Linux and Enlightenment Running On a Fridge
k-s writes "Linux, the GNU userland and Enlightenment and its foundation libraries (EFL) are known for their resource efficiency and flexibility, key components for embedded products. Today it was announced that such features led them to be used in a fridge that runs Linux and X11 with EFL. The Freescale i.MX25 based fridge by Electrolux (Frigidaire) provides the expected bits such as temperature controls and pre-set modes (vacation, party) as well as a special purpose drawer that cools your drinks and food with a beautiful UI. It also ships with handful applications for contacts, calendar, reminder, digital picture frame and even an illustrated recipe book from a famous Brazilian magazine."
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sudo make me a sandwich
.... really , this is just crazy technology for its own sake. All I want from a fridge is to keep stuff cool. Thats it. I don't need a multitasking operating system to do that or any operating system at all in fact and nor do I need a fridge to tell me when I'm running out of milk - I can usually see that for myself thanks - or re-order stuff for me since I might not want the same things again the following week thanks.
A fridge IMO is one of the white goods in which the KISS principal definately should apply.
*ring ring*
"Yes hello?"
"Excuse me, is your fridge running?"
"Yes, it has an uptime of over 3 months now."
"..."
*click*
I think I'm doing something wrong here..
How does price/performance compare to a toaster running NetBSD?
A) Many modern fridges do have software, they just don't have much of a GUI. It's cheaper, more durable, and more energy efficient to build real controls instead of thermo-electro-mechanical systems.
B) You have to control the fridge with something. If you don't use software you need to use some equivalent piece of hardware that can break in new and exciting ways and is subject to the same sorts of design flaws. Plus it's really hard to apply a patch to your mechanical thermostat if it does turn out of to be flawed.
Apart from the first couple of days of owning the fridge to set the temperature to something sensible, in the last 6 years, the controls I've wanted to use are "defrost" (once). I can also see the use for the "just got home from supermarket, chill a bit more please" button, but it's not something I need as I'm close enough to the supermarket that my food is still cold when I get it gome.
Just wait until they start putting RFID or something similar on food packages - then it'll be easy to patch in a "take inventory" mode, and have it tell you what you're out of.
Or for some of us, maybe a "time in fridge" monitor to warn us when something has passed "somewhat stale" and is heading towards "biohazard"...
Don't tell me to get a life. I had one once. It sucked.
And it seems their beta-testers have been using the calendar function to plan interesting things:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54577173@N04/5054479509/in/photostream/
(See top left)
Nice pic of the GUI on Flickr
Looks like this appliance can do more than cool your food (see top left of image)
"Sex" is the three-letter abbreviation of "Sexta-feira", Portuguese for Friday. Yeah, I love to ruin everyone's party.
Stupidity is an equal opportunity striker.
Fellow slashdotter Bill Dog