Why is there Android in my rice cooker?

Would you buy a rice cooker with the Android operating system built into it? What about a dryer or refrigerator? Would you ever consider installing a microwave oven that was partially operated by Android? You might soon get the option, according to a recent story by BusinessWeek. According to that story, Google is installing its Android operating system in many of the stranger places you can imagine. But here’s what’s especially interesting: This move actually makes financial sense for Google.


Android’s reach

Google’s Android operating system is a rather amazing success, at least when it comes to running the smartphone world. The BusinessWeek story quoted numbers by research firm Gartner showing that Android powered 72 percent of the smartphone market during the third quarter of 2012. That’s particularly remarkable considering that rival Apple could only claim 14 percent of that market share during the same three months.

Why appliances?

But Google, understandably, wants to see Android’s reach extend further. That’s why the company’s researchers have developed a host of uses for Android in everything from your home refrigerator, to your dishwasher, to your dryer. This move could pay off for Google in other ways, too. For instance, it could actually help them collect details on consumer preferences. Google may then utilize this to tailor its money-making search feature. After all, Google makes lots of money through search, an industry that it still dominates. Anything that may help Google cement its grip in the world of online search, then, must be considered a sensible economic move.

Is it useful?

The second big question? Is it beneficial to people to have Android in the refrigerator? The unexpected response is “yes”. Here’s one example offered by the BusinessWeek story: Say you’re watching your favorite TV show. And you also plan to go out later that night, and you’d prefer to wear your favorite jeans. As you’re watching TV, a message pops on your screen telling you that your jeans need 10 more minutes in your dryer downstairs. Then, rather than walking down the stairs to manually start your dryer, you merely press a button on your TV remote control to get the dryer humming again. To paraphrase, Android inside your household appliances might be more useful than you’d think.