Refrigerators with apps and internet connections are nothing new, but they haven't exactly become a common sight in homes around the globe. That hasn't stopped big tech manufacturers from running with the idea though.
Samsung, for example, already sells a giant refrigerator with a 21.5-inch touchscreen embedded in the door, which it refers to as the 'Family Hub'. Not to be outdone, LG has now shown off its own competing product at the IFA industry expo in Berlin.
With its doors wide open, it looks like many other (very large) refrigerators. But like the Samsung model, LG's Smart Instaview Door-in-Door Fridge features an even larger 29-inch touchscreen on the outside. As you can see, unlike the Samsung, the LG fridge runs Windows 10.
LG's product goes one further than that of Samsung. While its display appears much like any other, the Instaview panel has a rather nifty trick up its sleeve. With a knock on the glass, the screen turns translucent, allowing you to see the contents of your fridge without opening the door.
That 'window' into the refrigerator is a full touchscreen panel on which users can interact with Windows 10, along with dedicated LG apps accessible from the Start menu. You can drag and drop icons in line with the food stored inside, perhaps to leave your family a reminder that the leftover lasagne need to be eaten tonight, or to issue a warning to a sibling that they'll get a slap if they even think about eating your cake.
And of course, given that it's a Windows 10 device, it runs Windows Store apps, so you can browse the web on Edge - if standing in front of the fridge while reading the news is your thing - or just play some tunes in Groove Music while you're cooking or loading up the dishwasher. It even includes support for Cortana voice controls.
According to CNET - which also has a video of the LG Smart Instaview Door-in-Door Refrigerator in action - it won't be available in the US until later this year or early next year. So far, no pricing information is available.
Still, if you want to run Windows 10 in an unconventional form factor, and you just can't wait for LG's new fridge to come to market, you can always spend $5,500 on this Windows 10 coffee table.
Source and images: CNET
Editor's note: An earlier version of this article stated that the LG refrigerator has a 21.5-inch display, based upon the information available from the source. In fact, it has a 29-inch display; the article was updated after publishing to correct that error.
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