GE Appliances wants to put a big-ass touchscreen above your stove
Mounted above your stove, the hub lets you access the internet, video chat and organize your calendar.
GE AppliancesGE Appliances has its eye on that space above your stove for its latest contribution to the smart home movement. The manufacturer has created a smart home hub designed to act as the control center of your kitchen, the company announced on Monday at the CES tech show here in Las Vegas. GE didn't say how much the hub will cost, but it should be available in the second half of 2018. (It's unlikely to go on sale in the UK or Australia.)
The main goal of the hub is to act as the control center of your kitchen. It contains a 27-inch touchscreen that runs on an operating system called Haier U+ Smart Life Platform (Haier bought GE Appliances in 2016), so you can search for recipes, access your calendar and receive system updates automatically. The hub also contains two cameras: a forward-facing camera that lets you video chat and a cooktop-facing camera so you can capture and post pictures of your meals in progress.
You have to go all-in and outfit your home with GE's appliances so you can get take full advantage of the hub by sticking with an in-house operating system (similar to Samsung's strategy with its Tizen OS on its Family Hub Refrigerator). The hub will connect to other GE connected appliances in and out of the kitchen, including ranges, wall ovens, refrigerators, dishwashers, washers and dryers. In theory, that means you could reach up to the hub while you cook on the stovetop and schedule a load of laundry.
GE Appliances has asked you to take a substantial leap of faith if you decide to buy this hub. It isn't a microwave, but it will take up the space that an over-the-range microwave or ventilation hood typically occupies. That means you'll have to make some significant kitchen design and functionality choices: Do you get a new microwave if you have an over-the-range model but want the hub? Fortunately, the hub has built-in exhaust hood ventilation and task lighting for your cooktop.
I also question the feasibility of an over-the-range product that GE Appliances wants you to use as much as a tablet or phone. I'm 5 foot 3 inches tall, so I imagine I'd have reach up and crane my neck to operate it. And how well will a touchscreen hold up under constant exposure to steam, smoke and grease? At 27 inches, the hub will take up a substantial amount of space in your kitchen, so you should be able to rely on it to be a feature with some staying power.
What to expect from the smart home at CES 2018: We take a look at the smart home and appliance trends we expect to see this year.
CES 2018: CNET's complete coverage of tech's biggest show.