Google to make `smart' household appliances

11 May 2011

Internet giant Google thinks it can make smarter refrigerators and other white goods. Come December, the web brand will start identifying itself with a whole lot of household appliance, including electric bulbs, fridges and dishwashers, as it pushes the Google brand deeper into households.

The Google range of "almost anything electrical" household devices, proposed to be launched by the end of this year, would integrate wireless operating system, called `Android@Home', which would help these devices to communicate with tablets, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Google is partnering `Lighting Science', which will launch wireless lighting products to support the Android@Home operating system.

"We want to think of every device in your home as a connection to Android apps," said Hugo Barra, product management director for Google.

Android@Home will use a new version of a wireless network developed by Google. It will eventually be open sourced.

Google announced plans to enter the household appliances business at a software developers' conference in San Fransisco.