We’re in the midst of a smart gadget revolution. Anything that can be given wireless connectivity is getting it, from refrigerators and home lighting to smoke detectors and doorbells. While many smart gadgets have broad usage and many more solve specific, niche problems, there are a lot of weird devices out there that leave us scratching our heads. Today we’re running down some of the weirdest smart devices that you can buy right this minute, so settle in for some tech oddities.
Before diving in, keep in mind that while these gadgets may appear weird, they still have the potential to be useful. We’re not saying these devices aren’t worth the money or that they’re entirely without utility. Instead, the gadgets on this list may fill a niche that we didn’t know needed filling or take an interesting approach to solving a common problem. Remember: strange products can still be practical.
Over the past decade or so, we’ve seen a lot of kitchen appliances become internet-connected smart home gadgets. The kitchen has gone through an internet-of-things revolution, undoubtedly prompting companies to explore the appliances and tools they can outfit with displays and WiFi radios next. If you figured we’d eventually see toasters donning touchscreen displays, pat yourself on the back because your prediction was right on the money.
The InstaGLO R180 smart toaster from Revolution is quite possibly the most high-end toaster we’ve ever laid eyes on. While it doesn’t connect to the internet or sync with any mobile apps, it does come with a large touchscreen display on its front and uses a “smart toasting algorithm” to perfectly brown your toastables. In addition, it offers five different food settings – breads, bagels, English muffins, toaster pastries, and yes, even waffles – along with fresh, frozen, and reheat toasting modes.
There are even seven different toasting levels you can pick for each food, ranging from a very light toast to what appears to be completely burnt. While the whole thing seems a little excessive, we’ve certainly charred enough pieces of bread beyond recognition using cheap, $20 toasters to wonder if it’s worth upgrading to the precision toasting of the R180. However, with a price tag of $300, the R180 is no mere impulse buy and one that’s probably best left to only the wealthiest of toast lovers.
Getting people out of bed on time is one of the biggest challenges we humans collectively face. All but the chirpiest of the morning birds know what it’s like to hit the snooze button one too many times and the chaotic mornings such indulgence can cause. The Ruggie Alarm Clock claims to have worked out a solution, and it might just be weird enough to work.
As the name suggests, the Ruggie is part rug, part alarm clock. When it goes off in the morning, you’ll need to stand on it for at least three seconds (up to 30) before the alarm will turn off. The idea is that by the time the alarm has shut off, you’re already upright and out of bed, thereby reducing the chances of you going back to sleep.
On its website, Ruggie’s manufacturers say that it’s outfitted with a loud alarm clock that can wake even the deepest of sleepers. The Ruggie can even give you a daily affirmation or motivational message after the alarm shuts off, so at least it’ll have something nice to say after it forces you out of sweet slumber
Anyone who has ever attempted to lose weight via calorie counting will tell you that it isn’t exactly fun and can often be confusing. It can be difficult to make sure everything is accurately measured, and while apps like MyFitnessPal can help when used in tandem with food scales, SmartPlate is attempting to unify the process.
Shark Tank fans will probably remember SmartPlate as one of the pitches that crashed and burned, with the presenter asking for far too high a valuation for a product that hadn’t even made it out of the prototyping phase at the time of the pitch. While SmartPlate was originally envisioned as an all-in-one product that could weigh and scan food through embedded scales and cameras, these days it’s three products: a plate, a separate scale, and a mobile app.
As we said at the outset, “weird” does not necessarily mean “bad,” and the Bartesian Cocktail Maker might be the best example of that rule on our list. Bartesian positions itself as the solution for those who want to make cocktails and mixed drinks at home but don’t have the mixology know-how. It’s almost like a Keurig for adult beverages, and it looks cool to boot.
