<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">The refrigerator has been the hub central of homes for baby boomer mothers and grandmothers for quite some time. Inside is much of what’s needed for food preparation. On the outside are good grade reports, reminders about upcoming appointments and favorite photos.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">The grandparents of baby boomers had the icebox and ice delivery – if they could afford it.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">The next generation may have a completely different memory of that place where milk stays chilled and leftovers get pushed to the back until they become unrecognizable.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Samsung’s new Family Hub fridge incorporates a 21.5-inch touchscreen tablet to the right upper front door of its Flex Four Door model. It’s WiFi enabled and has 4 GB of memory. The price tag is around $5,000, according to Tad Robbins of C &amp; C Audio Video and Appliance. He said he expects the Lake Charles market to have it stocked around September or October this year.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“All that stuff that’s stuck on the refrigerator with a magnet…that stuff will be available with the tablet,” he said. “This isn’t Samsung’s first attempt.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Robbins thinks this second</span> <span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">attempt was timed better because of the availability of new tablet technology and a generation of consumers prepared to pay for such technology.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">This seemingly handy-dandy device debuted at the January 5, 2016, Las Vegas Consumer Electronics show and comes loaded with apps.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Imagine it. After grabbing the half and half to spike the morning coffee, touching the refrigerator’s computer screen will display the day’s high and low temperatures, the schedule for the day, a traffic report and important reminder notes while filling the kitchen with music from a personalized internet radio station. For those interested in added volume, Bluetooth speakers are not included.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">One of the apps will enable users of this what-would-have-once-seemed-like-science-fiction fridge to order groceries with a few swipes and keystrokes. Purchases would be charged to a special credit card.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“In some markets, people can order fresh foods from Amazon and have them delivered to their doorstep,” Robbins said. “Of course, you had the same kind of thing everywhere 30 or 40 years ago by phone. Everything old is new again.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">A MasterCard press release said “ key integration partners” include 250 stores in the Northeast and additional grocers will be added later in the year.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Families who have this fancy fridge will be able to load an app to their mobile devices to allow them to add to the grocery list when they’re not home. The person who gets the last Popsicle can use the app to scan the barcode before throwing the box away.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Family members can sync calendars and share photos between mobile devices and the fridge’s screen.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Using the computer for recipes and ordering groceries will allow the digital system to learn the family’s habits and make suggestions, the news release states.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">When the door of the fridge closes, an interior camera takes a photo. Those photos can be accessed from a smartphone. That’s supposed to help at the grocery store, a pretty good idea since some folks have a habit of making a list then forgetting it.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">The Samsung Family Hub refrigerator is being touted as a device that keeps family members connected, helps manage food and provides entertainment.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Nobody liked HAL too much at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey, a science fiction movie that came out in the late ‘60s.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Nevertheless, in 2016, technology that once seemed like science fiction is quickly becoming commonplace in homes. It only makes sense that the kitchen, the congregating point in most homes, has its fair share of gadgets.</span>