NDM story

LG's texting washing machine? Tech firms are asking the wrong questions

The annual vapourware games – otherwise known as the International Consumer Electronics Show – took place last week in Las Vegas. As ever, it brought fascinating glimpses inside the fevered imaginations ofmarketing and engineering executives.

One of the most hilarious was LG of South Korea, which promised that we would be able to text our washing machine or dryer to ask how it's doing.

Pause a moment to let that sink in, and then ask yourself: when was the last time you actually cared how far through its wash/spin/dry cycle your washer and/or dryer was? Personally, if that does happen, then I get up and go and look at it. It's not as if my home is so large that it requires a special expedition.

The nonsensical belief that people will text their appliances is typical of what emerges from a technology industry that simply tries to answer "What can we…?" As in, "What can we add to this toothbrush?" To which the answer, apparently, is "Bluetooth", plus a smartphone app so that your toothbrush can tell your smartphone how well you're brushing your teeth. (Depending on the definition of "well".)