Categories: M2MNetworks

Ubuntu Reaches Into IoT With Chillhub Smart Fridge

Ubuntu has taken the wraps off the first Linux-powered connected device, the Chillhub fridge, which it hopes will kickstart its push into the Internet of Things (IoT).

The Chillhub is designed by FirstBuild.com, a division of American industrial giant General Electric, and is powered by Snappy Ubuntu Core, Ubuntu’s lightweight platform for the IoT, costing $999.

Chilled

The 18 foot smart fridge has two USB ports and Wi-Fi connectivity, but it the open-source software which should allow it to stand out from the competition.

This will allow users to tinker around and create their own functions, services, and alerts, say for example if a certain product runs out, or if the temperatures reaches a certain level.

These can then share these across the Linux community so others can benefit, and there’s even an iOS-compatible app for users to control their fridge directly from their smartphone.

“ChillHub is the infrastructure to be able to connect devices inside your refrigerator to be visualised on your smartphone and the internet,” says Natarajan Venkatakrishnan, director of GE FirstBuild. “FirstBuild’s approach to open innovation makes it possible for the online community to help us conceive and design products that people want, and speed them to market.”

Chillhub is being shown off at IoT World in San Francisco this week, and Canonical hopes it is the start of using Snappy as a central IoT platform.

“As visitors to IoT World will see, Snappy is an amazing platform for the new generation of cloud and device developers,” said Maarten Ectors, Canonical vice president of IoT.

“With FirstBuild we’re bringing one of the most innovative IoT projects to market, developed on Snappy Ubuntu Core. We’re excited to see what the response to Chillhub will be and are looking forward to collaborating on future projects.”

The IoT potential of Snappy was revealed at the release of the Ubuntu 15.04 Linux operating system a few weeks ago. First unveiled back in December 2014, Canonical, the lead commercial sponsor behind Ubuntu, has been talking about Snappy 14 as an optimised operating system of IoT devices. Snappy also provides a transactional model for software updating, offering the promise of easier patching and improved security for IoT devices and services.

What do you know about Linux? Take our quiz!

Mike Moore

Michael Moore joined TechWeek Europe in January 2014 as a trainee before graduating to Reporter later that year. He covers a wide range of topics, including but not limited to mobile devices, wearable tech, the Internet of Things, and financial technology.

Recent Posts

Apple Developing ‘LLM Siri’ AI For 2026

iPhone maker reportedly developing next-generation AI large language model for Siri for spring 2026 as…

8 mins ago

Hong Kong Research Group Trains AI Model With Huawei Chips

Hong Kong-based AI research institute uses Huawei Ascend 910B chips to train latest model, as…

38 mins ago

Investors Shocked As Temu Parent Misses Estimates

Temu and Pinduoduo parent company PDD Holdings misses analysts' estimates as economic slowdown in China…

1 hour ago

Apple, Google Mobile Ecosystems Should Be Investigated, CMA Told

CMA receives 'provisional recommendation' from independent inquiry that Apple,Google mobile ecosystem needs investigation

3 days ago

Australia Rejects Elon Musk Claim About Social Media Ban For Under-16s

Government minister flatly rejects Elon Musk's “unsurprising” allegation that Australian government seeks control of Internet…

3 days ago

Northvolt Files For Bankruptcy Protection In US

Northvolt files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States, and CEO and co-founder…

3 days ago