Android Microwave Oven spotted at CES

One of the weirder things spotted at CES in Las Vegas this year was a remarkable implementation of Google's Android that the shanzhai themselves would be proud of, an Android-based microwave! Are Google's actively seeking to break into the kitchen appliance segment? Is this a literally hot cupcake application?

When Google Kicked off the Android operating system project a few years ago, the idea was to create an open software platform that would be used to power smartphones. Sure, Google knew that it could also be ported to other devices (we've seen netbooks and smartbooks), but I bet Google hadn't considered Android-based microwave ovens. Oh and did I mention the washer dryer?





But why not. I mean, the idea of creating an open software platform is that certain creative people, the hackers, the coders and mashers of this world, will go and create useful stuff like apps around it. What we are seeing here is simply that whole idea brought to a segment beyond phones. It's solid proof that Google's Android is totally capable of doing way more than just smartphones, and even though it's largely just a gag for this year's CES, Android could in fact be in a lot of unexpected places by the end of this decade.

Imagine you're a small scale, Shenzhen-based refrigerator manufacturer and you want to add an attractive looking interactive programmable display. Would you fork out for someone to create a wholly new and customized operating system, or would you simply get your cousin who owns a smartphone factory round the corner to compile an Android stack, for almost nothing? Software is just software after all. And if it's open and free, why not use it? You know, the Android-based microwave doesn't sound all that dumb after all.

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