Would you pay $2,700 for a mirror?
Jonathan Yuan is banking that at least 500 people will fork out the money. Yuan is the founder of FRED Technologies as well as the creator of Mirror (yes, it’s just called that), a luxury smart mirror that keeps you constantly updated while you’re in the bathroom (or any other room that you decide to hang the mirror at). While it’s not the first smart mirror in the world, Mirror is arguably the most advanced.
It presents the news that’s important to you, plugs you in to all your social media feeds, plays your favourite music and more. The mirror is also equipped with air purifying technology to keep your bathroom smelling fresh and clean. Yuan calls Mirror “your butler in the digital era”.
While we’re questioning whether it’s healthy to be constantly connected especially in a place of sanctum like the toilet, there’s no denying that Mirror looks beautiful, even without the digital connectivity.
We chat with Yuan (below) to find out more about the smart mirror and discover what FRED actually stands for.
How did the idea for Mirror come about?
Mirror was conceived from interacting with my clients in the ceramic tiles business. I observed that one of the pet peeves of luxury homeowners was mirror spots – the black spots on a mirror due to oxidation of the reflective mercury layer. This is caused by excess moisture seeping into the mirror foundation in humid bathrooms.
Thoughts of created a well-engineered and well-designed mirror that would be free from black spots due to oxidation, married with smart functionality of an advanced tablet, and even an air purifying technology to remove bathroom odour came to mind. That was when I set out to create Mirror.
As for FRED, it means Future Ready, Everything Digital.
But why build a smart mirror?
Mirrors are one of the first things we look at in the morning. It is also a common habit for many of us to check our smartphones the first thing in morning. So it’s natural to want to bring intelligence into a mirror. Having a high-quality mirror coupled with an intelligent terminal with many of the functions from a smartphone that is discreet and readily accessible to people, providing real-time information and other functionalities, made sense in my mind.
How does the mirror work? Battery operated? Or does it require a power plug?
The mirror is electrically operated. It runs on Android OS, is touch-screen and supports voice commands.
– Informative & Internet connected: The mirror presents the latest news, weather information, schedule of the day, social media updates and more.
– Entertaining: With two crystal-clear speakers, users can enjoy their favourite music through the state-of-the-art sound system.
– Energy-friendly: Through a motion sensor, Mirror’s smart display only turns on when a user steps towards it, and dims into a regular mirror when the user walks away.
– Keeps the environment fresh: With advanced air purifying technology embedded in the mirror, every bathroom visit will be a pleasant experience.
– Smart platform: Mirror is a smart platform for third-party lifestyle devices and easily connects with health monitoring solutions for measuring fitness and sleeping patterns, skin and hair conditions, etc. It can teach children how to brush their teeth with gamified applications, and even prepare your morning cup of coffee when you are in the bathroom.
Technology moves at a rapid pace. How will you ensure that Mirror doesn’t become obsolete in the next two years?
Mirror taps on Android OS, is compatible with limitless applications, and can be connected to any smart appliances that are compatible with the OS. That allows Mirror to be connected regardless, so long as the applications continue to support backward compatibility.
Mirror is a limited edition first-gen signature, but we will work to create more products in the future.
What’s next after Mirror?
We are dreamers, inventors, innovators, and technology and smart home believers. There are definitely plans down the pipeline. We know the future is IoT (Internet of Things) and AI (artificial intelligence) and we intend to ride this wave of smart luxury appliances.
Check out Mirror and purchase one here.
