[geeks] Seagate vendor-unique data?

[Sheldon T. Hall]

Quoth Lex Landa ...

> Perhaps I should take my washing-machine apart and see 
> whether it has anything useful on its motherboard?

It's probably very useful for the operation of the washing machine, but not
in the general computing sense.  That sort of stuff is really built doen to
a price, generally, although I noticed some surplus ports on my dryer's
motherboard when the guy replaced the front panel six months back.

> A friend 
> of mine has a very high-tech fridge with a glowing blue OLED 
> front panel.  He demonstrated its functions - how it could 
> produce crushed ice on demand, or cubed (couldn't do a square 
> root though.. terrible joke) but when I asked him what 
> expansion options it had, he said 'none' - you can't even 
> talk to it via RS232.  Methinks something's got to be done 
> about that (it didn't even have Bluetooth!).

It all depends on how much you want to spend.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_refrigerator
http://www.gizmag.com/go/1132/
http://www.pcworld.com/article/141085/the_internet_refrigerator_back_from_th
e_dead.html

Given the current state of the tablet market, I would expect that any "I'm
bored with it" tablet, the right app, and roll of double-sided sticky-tape
could turn an average refrigerator into an "internet" one.

-Shel