We got a look at this on one of the Gizmodo sites this week and, it would appear, that Google may well be appearing on an otherwise dumb kitchen appliance near you soon. Obviously, as usual, these will probably see the light of day (if they ever do) in the USA long before they reach these shores.
This is the NIM1000, a capacitive, touch-sensitive, Android-based module that is designed to control all kinds of appliances.
It has the necessary connections to plug into almost anything, from kitchen appliances to printers and even desktop phones. Basically the modules are designed for a plethora of different applications and can be adapted to suit each requirement.
Above is the microwave version which double as a “control hub” for your kitchen. Which is really neat but, does anyone really want to control the kitchen from just one appliance? What happens if it breaks?
Experience has taught that, until there is some sort compelling reason to have appliances that talk to each other and, indeed the outside world, there’s not really a lot of point or, for that matter, people that are prepared to pay the extra for them.