How smart does my fridge need to be?
In an age of cyberattacks and malfunctioning technology, dumb appliances are starting to look like the clever choice.
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Empty refrigerators at a supermarket in Névez, western France, on Oct 12, after a cyberattack targeted refrigeration systems at French supermarket chains.
PHOTO: AFP
Robert Shrimsley
I’m not sure it is entirely down to the recent cyberattack that ruined the food in the smart fridges of around 700 French supermarkets by raising their temperature until the contents started to cook. But suddenly there seems a lot to be said for dumb devices.
In general, I am all for embracing new technology. But even before the hack, I felt a certain cynicism about so-called smart devices, especially when it comes to household appliances.