A look at smart appliances and how they can be integrated in a
high-tech home.         SMART APPLIANCES: Your home, connected
HIGH-TECH: What is a smart appliance, anyway?   The flashiest
models are prohibitively expensive. The Samsung RF4289HARS
touch-screen fridge costs $3,699 (and based on our lab tests,
the performance doesn't match the price).          RELATED: The
business of smart appliances  A LOOK BACK: There were smart
appliances in the 1950s?       GUIDE: How to buy a smart
appliance right now     If you decide to shop for a smart
appliance, you'll run into a handful of seemingly advanced
features and options — some worth considering, some not so much.
Here's what to look out for:  1. Diagnostics — Many appliances
can self-diagnose broken parts. But only a few of them can let
their owners know what's wrong through a smartphone app. If it's
a serious malfunction, the app can even call customer service
and schedule a repair. This is a useful feature, and is even
available on some affordable models.