A company called AGA is about to deal a real blow to the frozen dinner industry. Its new iTotal Control stove can be remotely operated from a phone or computer with an internet connection, letting users remotely turn on their oven and ensuring a hot meal awaits them when they get home.
The iTotal Control stove comes with an active SIM card, so users can turn on the oven, the burners, and even specify a specific cooking mode all with a simple text message. When the command is received, the stove will respond with a confirmation SMS so the user knows the appliance has come to life.
Since the stove stays connected to the internet all day, users also have the option of logging into a website after registering their appliance, or downloading an iOS or Android app, which all provide a streamlined graphical interface for operating the iTotal Control.
It all sounds quite convenient and a dream come true for people who live alone — until you consider how dangerous this could actually be if someone swiped your phone and decided to ‘prank’ you. Nothing’s funnier than remote arson. And then there’s the stove’s $US15,700+ price tag and $US9 monthly service fee for its GSM connection. Then you realise that frozen dinners aren’t so bad after all. [AGA via PSFK]