New oven can ‘talk’ via SMS and web

May 29th, 2012

Appliance News Ovens Ovens & Cooking

A UK company has developed an oven in conjunction with the nation’s biggest telco, Orange, to create an appliance people can ‘talk’ to via text messages.

The AGA iTotal Control oven uses a SIM card so that its users can control the oven’s actions remotely. Say, for example, sending a text for the oven to start pre-heating while one drives home from work.

Simple commands such as “baking oven on” and “all oven off” can be sent by message. A reply is then sent in confirmation.

Remote access to the oven’s actions doesn’t stop there: smartphone or tablet owners can download apps from Google Play or the Apple App Store for a visualization of the oven, which can then be controlled by the touchscreen. PC and laptop users will have access to a web portal.

Marc Overton, vice president of Wholesale and M2M at Everything Everywhere, the company that runs Orange, said: “This latest innovation from AGA makes use of mobile technology to allow customers to control their oven when they are out and about, using their mobile devices or PCs.  Working with an iconic British brand such as AGA to create the iTotal Control oven, has proved just how relevant M2M and connectivity is to everyone, even if they never imagined having a conversation with their ovens before!”

“Technology is making people’s lives easier every day.”

There is no indication that this smart oven will be heading to Australia any day soon. For the meantime, the iTotal Control AGA is set to hit UK shelves only on 1 June for £10,090 – that’s AU$16,078.  So far the company will start with 250 SIM cards from Orange, with a view to purchasing more over the next year and expanding the business through Europe.

Richard Fozard, marketing director, AGA Rangemaster said: “Integrating a new technology like M2M with a well-known traditional cooker like an AGA has been an incredibly exciting project for us. Working with the Everything Everywhere team to be at the forefront of innovation, and taking advantage of new technologies on the market such as M2M, is something we’re very proud of.”

This oven is smart allright, but is it as clever as the Samsung Zipel revealed earlier this year, which uses a smartphone app and WiFi connectivity to order the oven to cook, clean and count calories?