FOR many years gadget hounds have been wondering just when humble home appliances will finally get “smarter”. Internet-enabled domestic equipment has been around for a while now; washing-machines that can download new guidelines on settings for delicate fabrics, for example, or ovens that go online to find the perfect temperature for the tasty chicken tandoori you prepared earlier; iRobot's Roomba has already vacuumed many a floor.



But now household devices are getting cleverer still. South Korean electronics giant LG has just launched the first in a series of products that form the suitably futuristically misspelled "Thinq" range. What is different now is that companies such as LG are building smart networks around smartphones and other wireless equipment that give a person freedom to roam while remotely controlling their refrigerator, washing machine, oven, etc. LG's robotic vacuum-cleaner, the HOM-BOT, can be commanded to clean your home while you are away, via your smartphone. The energy consumption of all the devices in LG's network is collectively monitored, and wash cycles, for instance, can be scheduled to coincide with off-peak times.



LG first unveiled the Thinq range earlier this year at the consumer-electronics show in Las Vegas. The first product to be launched commercially is its smart fridge, which went on sale this week. As well as modifying its power consumption to minimise energy bills, it can also automatically diagnose faults, and inform the service centre what the problem is. Those fastidious enough to want to manually key in the contents of their fridge along with expiry dates can be told via their phones to pick up a fresh box of eggs (or a carton of beer) on the way home. Presumably barcode scanners that can do this automatically cannot be too far away.