GE started its FirstBuild community to create new and innovative ideas, meaning it wants to think more like a startup, and less like a giant, international conglomerate. The result of this online and in-person collaborative effort is not only creative, but cool too. Because it’s a refrigerator. It’s not just any old fridge either, because like many home appliances, it’s a smart refrigerator.
Dubbed the ChillHub, it’s more like a PC than a fridge. Or a PC WITHIN a fridge. Got it? No? Exactly.
Where do we start? FirstBuild crammed two USB hubs for a total of eight USB ports into this thing, and it features built in Wi-Fi, enabling it to be run with an open source, iOS-compatible app. Using your smartphone this way provides complete control over the fridge’s components and even reports back on data collected from its sensors.
Why does something designed to keep things cold need USB ports? The FirstBuild team hopes that the ChillHub will encourage developers and engineers to come up with new ideas for what happens in the cooled interior of your fridge, beyond just storing your Brussels sprouts and last night’s meatloaf. For example, GE envisages everything from auto-fill water pitchers, scales, deodorizers, sensors to detect bacteria, and even external speakers being built in the future.
The first accessory FirstBuild will use to test the functionality of those internal USB hubs is a plugin called Milky Weigh. It’s a simple platform on which you can place a carton or jug of milk, which then keeps track of the weight of the milk and gives you a heads up when you’re running low. Smart, right? Next up (we hope) is Beer Bank, which lets you track consumption of beer and maybe keep you stocked with suds.
“There was a lot of interest in new refrigerator features that require power, Internet connectivity and the ability to communicate by sending commands and receiving information,” explained Myles Caley, FirstBuild Software Community Manager, in a press release announcing the new appliance. “ChillHub is the answer to these requests, designed by the community, for the community.”
This 27.7-cubic foot, French door style refrigerator-that-thinks-it’s-a-computer retails for a wallet-frightening $3,000 through the FirstBuild website. It’s available in black, white, slate, or stainless steel.
Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.
Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.
With AI progressing so fast, it's only a matter of time before we start getting AI companions like the ones we used to see in movies like R2-D2, Wall-E, or Baymax. Now, Singapore-based OKA Technology has unveiled Mori, a cute little AI companion that looks less like a conventional home robot and more like someone turned the Pokémon Foongus into a table lamp.
Mori isn't meant to clean your house or control your smart home, but to serve as what OKA calls a "Nature Companion." It uses subtle movements, warm lighting, nature-inspired sounds, and small reactions to make its presence around the house feel calming rather than distracting. Mori can sit quietly while you read, sway along to music, welcome you when you enter a room, or encourage you to slow down for a moment without requiring a screen or a conversation.