Microsoft and Miele Team Collaborate To Cook Up an IoT Revolution

Mark Wilson writes When people talk about the Internet of Things, there are often semi-joking references to fridges that know when you've run out of milk and ovens that know how to cook whatever you put in them. Forget the jokes; this is now a reality. We've already seen a generation of smart appliances, and Microsoft wants to be part of what happens next. At Hannover Messe today, Miele — of oven, vacuum cleaner and washing machine fame — announces it is working on a new breed of appliances based on Microsoft Azure Internet of Things (IoT) services What does this mean? Ultimately it means you'll be able to find a recipe online, have the ingredient list and preparation instructions sent to your mobile device, and your smart oven will be automatically configured with the correct settings.

Comments

imagine sharing your dishwashing loads

[alen]

to facebook
AUTOMATICALLY

Is that the best sales pitch they can offer?

[93 Escort Wagon]

Ultimately it means you'll be able to find a recipe online, have the ingredient list and preparation instructions sent to your mobile device, and your smart oven will be automatically configured with the correct settings.

I fail to see where any of this is saving me much time or effort compared to what I can do today. We already keep our grocery list in a Dropbox file. One might argue that knowing you're out of something is an advantage; but in practice it's too late at that point - and "running low" is dependent on what you're planning to eat over the next several days.

Having a recipe displayed on my phone or iPad is certainly handy - but I can do that now, with no more effort than is described above ("find a recipe" is the only effort involved - and you have to do that either way).

Configuring the correct settings on my smart oven? That's like 5 seconds - tops - on my current oven. And my current oven is at least 25 years old! I have to turn a dial to set the temperature... oh, the humanity!

Seriously, as far as I can tell the only "advantage" this particular corner of the Internet of Things offers is either to 1) advertisers hoping to sell me stuff; or 2) other various parasites.