With the rapid advancement in mobile app development mobile devices are becoming very smart doing many of the same things as humans like controlling the oven and other home appliances, for instance. This just might be the next best thing since sliced bread. In fact, many companies have embraced this advanced technology where their products can receive instructions from mobile apps to work efficiently without user intervention.
We’re in the middle of a smart home revolution. While the consumer is away from home they can use a mobile app to communicate with their home appliances via the Internet. GE, a global leader in home appliances recently unveiled a full suite of kitchen appliances that can be controlled remotely using a mobile app. When you’re ready to leave work simply tap the app to turn on the oven and set the desired cooking temperature and duration. It will even send a tweet when dinner’s ready. “We think this is the beginning of a new way for consumers to interact with their home appliances,” says Logan Garrett at GE Appliances. And in the near future, connected home appliances may even communicate with each other. I wonder what the refrigerator will say to the clothes dryer.
The future of the connected home will likely make it possible to control any appliance or device that is connected to a Wi-Fi network using a computer, smart phone or tablet. Aside from containing microprocessors, home appliances now sport a graphical user interface, which makes them more user-friendly. Unlike a decade ago, when many consumers were frustrated with the difficulty of the complex functions of their home appliances, today, companies are designing a framework which allows consumers to interact with their appliances through a familiar device. “People want a free choice of different brands. But they want one simple app to control everything,” said Dr. Claudia Happ, product manager, Home Connect.
Alexander Graham Bell wouldn’t recognise his invention today. The telephone has evolved from a form of communication into a conduit for the connected lifestyle. Consumers who are using mobile apps to control home appliances have praised their effectiveness. They have reported the technology has helped them save more time and made their lives easier. Research shows that consumers spend more than two hours on their phones daily, not just making calls but using mobile apps.
It may be hard to imagine, but mobile app development is still in its infancy. And there is no telling what someone may envision for a mobile app in the future.
