14 DAY TRIAL // The toaster is typically a small electric kitchen appliance designed to toast multiple types of bread products. That's the definition we all accepted so far for the little product that made our mornings toasty and cozy.
However, Italian product designer Simone Rebaudengo has created an innovative version of the appliance that loves to be used, knows if it is neglected and retaliates. The designer made a connected toaster, called Brad, that becomes unhappy when it goes unused.
Brad the toaster, created as part of the Addicted Toasters project, is apparently capable of emotions. If you use it only occasionally, it will definitely get upset. If the machine notices you don't make toast any more, it will probably send a message to a courier to come pick it up and transport it to someone else who makes more toast.
According to Gizmag, the product is able to connect to the Internet via a built-in Ethernet, it can Tweet and do a whole lot of other weird stuff. If it is dissatisfied, Brad the toaster will start making unpleasant noises or even denounce its host (because they don't really have owners) via a toaster network.
Addicted Toasters were developed by Rebaudengo during an internship, from October 2011 until May 2012, as part of his MSc in Design for Interaction at TU Delft University in the Netherlands.
The new and innovative product marks the transition from industrial product consumption to a product service system economy. It conveys the idea that household appliances are not just decorative items. So, do not just own them, use them!