I’m Ron Burgundy.
If you asked the IoT what it was, it would respond with a modified Ron Burgundy quote: “I don’t know how to put this, but I’m kind of a big deal. People know me. I’m very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany.”
Except replace leather-bound books with WiFi connections. And replace smells of rich mahogany with smells of smartphone apps and cookies.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the name of the sum-total of products that use WiFi to collect, store, and share information with each other. There are millions of these products. And here are five of the strangest.
- Quirky Egg Minder
- FlossTime
- The Toasteroid
- Furbo
- HAPIfork
Have you ever needed breakfast RIGHT NOW, only to discover you’ve run out of eggs? Or maybe you can’t remember if you bought those eggs four days or four weeks ago? We get it.
Now you can solve both of those problems with the Quirky Egg Minder. A smart egg tray, the Egg Minder sends notifications when you’re about to run out of eggs and has LED lights on the tray to let you know which eggs are expired or about to expire. Just think about how many fresh frittatas you can serve up!
Haven’t flossed in the last decade? Don’t worry. FlossTime is here to help.
The FlossTime dispenser mounts to your bathroom mirror and, with a simple tap, it’ll spit out 18 inches of gum-massaging goodness for you to play a toothy game of tug-of-war. And it’s easier to build a healthy, lifelong flossing habit with FlossTime’s indicator lights that remind you when you’ve forgotten to floss. And their subscription model delivers floss to your door when you need it – pretty convenient, huh?
Haters gonna hate on this one, but it just may be the greatest invention since sliced bread (… we had to).
Introducing the smart toaster that lets you draw pictures on your toast. Connected by smartphone, Toasteroid allows you to doodle anything you’d like on your morning square of gluten paper (or gluten-free paper, if you’re about that life).
But wait … there’s more! You can also send Toastages, or surprise toast messages, to that special toast lover in your life. Know someone with a Toasteroid? Just doodle a picture or write a note and the Toasteriod will handle the rest. It’s a great way to add some spice (and toast) to your relationships.
The Furbo dog camera lets you see, talk, and toss treats to your furry pal – even when you’re not home. Just hit a button and boom: you’re talking to your dog and congratulating him on what a perfect little boy he’s been.
And you can reward his stellar behavior with treats. Furbo was designed to help train, comfort, and reward dogs when they’re home alone. So while you’re watching him slobber over his treat in real-time, know that you’re an awesome pet parent.
Contrary to popular belief, the HAPIfork vibrating smart fork is actually a spoon that doesn’t vibrate at all.
We’re joking (but that would be pretty funny).
HAPIfork uses indicator lights and gentle vibrations when it detects you’re eating too quickly and it connects to a fitness app. It’s perfect for people looking to change their eating habits or for those who want a little more technology in their mouth.
Want a quick massage? Try to kill an entire bowl of mac and cheese without breathing using the HAPIfork. When it senses you’ve successfully made the transition from workplace professional to human vacuum, it’ll vibrate, letting you know you’ve gone rogue. When this happens, quickly whip HAPIfork to the area where you’re experiencing tightness. It’ll be the best two-second massage you’ll ever have.
It’s Only Weird If It Doesn’t Work
Whether making your furry family members happier or your family members laugh at a piece of toast, IoT devices can be both a little strange – and strangely useful. And at Hook’d, we’re proud to power every floss-filled, breakfast-eating, puppy-training day.
