4 ms·

I'm amazed Betty Crocker or Kraft haven't partnered with GE or Sharp to make a smart microwave. Who doesn't want one-button cooking, isn't that one of the inten

I'm amazed Betty Crocker or Kraft haven't partnered with GE or Sharp to make a smart microwave. Who doesn't want one-button cooking, isn't that one of the intended benefits of microwaves? Each brand could have their own app in the microwave app store. Put in a bowl of Easy Mac and press the Easy Mac button in the microwave app, microwave perfectly cooks the brand name meal. This is possible because Kraft would have their test kitchens using the same app and microwave. --- This is just like Roomba all over again. Sure, they made a vacuum robot, and stopped there. Where's the Roomba lawnmower, man? Where's the Roomba clothes-picker to put laundry on the floor into a basket? Where's the Roomba trash can that takes itself out? Does nobody dream?

mlvljr 10y ago
Everybody's got kids, mortgage and fear :) Fear prevents dreaming.
Retric 10y ago
Your going to run out of buttons fairly quickly unless the meal can talk to the microwave. And at that point it might as well just give cooking instructions. Honestly, this would be a great use for QR codes, but there is probably a patent out there.
- kps 10y ago
  Internet-connected, the microwave can just scan the barcode on the food package. You can only cook supported food, though; your food vendor needs to belong to the same consortium as your oven vendor.
  - stephengillie 10y ago
    Well, you could cook unsupported food the "old-fashioned" way, by poking a time into the microwave. 2 minutes should cook it, right?
  - Retric 10y ago
    Hot pockets don't have barcodes on the things you put in the microwave. So, your going to need to change the packaging. You could use wifi and a cell phone to take a picture of the package, but that's more effort than entering a time.
    - stephengillie 10y ago
      Or open up the search feature and search your microwave for "Hot Pockets". Or the microwave could have a camera viewing the inside somehow. Think of today's microwaves with a $50 tablet built in.
- stephengillie 10y ago
  You're right that there are implementation details to work out, but that shouldn't invalidate the entire concept.

mlvljr 10y ago

Everybody's got kids, mortgage and fear :) Fear prevents dreaming.

Retric 10y ago

Your going to run out of buttons fairly quickly unless the meal can talk to the microwave. And at that point it might as well just give cooking instructions. Honestly, this would be a great use for QR codes, but there is probably a patent out there.

kps 10y ago
Internet-connected, the microwave can just scan the barcode on the food package. You can only cook supported food, though; your food vendor needs to belong to the same consortium as your oven vendor.
- stephengillie 10y ago
  Well, you could cook unsupported food the "old-fashioned" way, by poking a time into the microwave. 2 minutes should cook it, right?
- Retric 10y ago
  Hot pockets don't have barcodes on the things you put in the microwave. So, your going to need to change the packaging. You could use wifi and a cell phone to take a picture of the package, but that's more effort than entering a time.
  - stephengillie 10y ago
    Or open up the search feature and search your microwave for "Hot Pockets". Or the microwave could have a camera viewing the inside somehow. Think of today's microwaves with a $50 tablet built in.
stephengillie 10y ago
You're right that there are implementation details to work out, but that shouldn't invalidate the entire concept.