OATs is a small add-on device that gives everyday objects expressive characters based on sensor readings. On the researchers' project page, an office refrigerator gets bored when unused, while a space heater becomes frustrated when it heats an empty or overly warm room.

Users describe the object and select sensors such as temperature, motion and light to set up its character and behaviors. The project comes from researchers at Carnegie Mellon University.

Some Samsung Bespoke AI four-door refrigerators in South Korea reportedly stopped working after a firmware update delivered through the SmartThings app. The affected units did not merely lose their network connection; their refrigeration function also stopped.

Samsung's online forum received dozens of complaints, including reports from users who had to discard spoiled food. The timing coincided with a major holiday period in South Korea, making the disruption more serious.