In recent years, the world has been adjusting to the concept that is IoT, short for the Internet of Things. IoT is pretty much self-explanatory being the shared network of different kinds of objects. However, this doesn’t just extend to the devices we normally use in our everyday lives such as smartphones and computers. Nowadays, more and more everyday objects are being infused with smart capabilities, upgraded with features that go above and beyond their original purpose. However, one might ask – how far is too far? While we’ve grown accustomed to having AIs like Alexa in our homes and having OS present in our watches, would we really need them in anything else?
Companies in the tech world may answer the latter question with a resounding “yes” while they’re buried neck deep in trying to find the answer to the former. Regardless of when they figure it out in the next two, ten or twenty years, it can’t be denied that the road of IoT has been paved with not just good intentions but odd inventions, too.
HIDRATESPARK
More than just an ordinary water bottle, Apple’s HidrateSpark has a glowing puck underneath it that would remind you when it’s time to drink your water. Said puck has a color scheme reminiscent of RGB keyboards, and you can connect your bottle to an app that’ll help track your drinking habits. While Apple has made our lives easier with the likes of the iPhone and Mac, the HidrateSpark seems to be more bothersome to keep around and it could just be easier to track your water intake manually instead.
EGG MINDER
Much like Quirky, the company that made this device, for this contraption is certainly a quirky product. The Quirky Egg Minder can let you know when you’re out of eggs by sending a notification on your phone. Much like the HidrateSpark, the Egg Minder will also glow an LED light. It will do so to remind you if your eggs are near their expiry date. This device might not mean much to the average Joe, but to those use eggs often for recipes and meals, this could be a lifesaver they never knew they needed.
KUVEE
If you’ve always been interested in reading the back of the box of whatever you ate for its nutritional content and ingredients, now you could do so for wine as well. The Kuvee is a smart wine sleeve that tells you information of the wine you’re drinking. It’s also touch screen-enabled and can give you suggestions based on your acquired tastes.
HAPIFORK
Most smart devices are priced really high due to the way they’re constructed. With things like online connectivity and app integration in mind, these devices can more than triple in price when compared to their “dumb” counterparts. However, the HapiFork is roughly thirty times higher than a regular stainless steel fork. While it can inform you if you’re eating too fast, it doesn’t seem wise to spend that much money on a single fork – especially with no “HapiSpoon” to come alongside it.
JUICERO
Sad to say, the Juicero is a smart juicer that is a lot more trouble than it’s worth. Oddly enough, the astronomically high price tag of $700 isn’t the worst thing about it. Feel free to pick your poison between being able to function only if the Wi-Fi is on, or only being able to use specific Juicero-branded fruit packets. Juicero is not only strange in this regard but also, unfortunately, inefficient
