'Smart' Barcode-Scanning Oven Knows How To Cook

Samsung has announced a small, $525 oven that knows the proper times and temperatures for a variety of foods.

Developed in a partnership with the Birds Eye frozen foods company, the oven reads special "Smart Codes," which are special 2D barcodes.

Users scan the barcodes on frozen food packaging, just as checkout clerks do at a grocery store, and the oven properly cooks the food. Birds Eye says the oven not only improves convenience, but also the quality of food preparation because it eliminates user guesswork and error.

Research commissioned by the companies has reportedly showed that 17 percent of those surveyed say that a barcode-controlled oven is the kitchen innovation they want the most.