IKEA knows the value of an unplugged family dinner. Which is why they’ve invented what might be their most genius product yet: a hot plate that will only heat with the aid of surrendered smartphones. (You probably have to assemble it yourself, though.)
As you can see from the video above, diners in Taiwan got a chance to test out the fancy new gadget at an in-store dinner. The more phones that were added, the hotter the plate got, which in turn heated the meal. Innovative, right? (No smartphones were harmed in the making of this meal. It’s not actually hot underneath the plate.)
The real question now is, how would the device go over here in America? We don’t tend to cook things over hot plates directly at our dining tables, so it would have to be adapted for our own mealtime rituals. Maybe retractable plate slots that only appear once a smartphone is placed underneath? Sirens that go off if you touch your phone during a meal?
Okay, so those aren’t the best ideas in the world. But maybe the brains at IKEA can think of something for us over on this side of the world. Whatever the case, the planet now has a hot plate that knows when it’s got smartphones under it. We are officially living in the future.
