This Voice- And Text-Activated Grill Is The Future Of Outdoor Cooking

The simple backyard grill has stayed pretty constant for the last few decades, so why not kick it into the 21st century? The new SmartGrill by Lynx is part robot, part lean meat-grilling machine. The SmartGrill easily monitors and maintains surface temperatures (assuring nasty flare-ups don't ruin your steaks), learns how grillers like their meat cooked via a learning algorithm, and has a built-in database of more than 200 recipes. But most importantly, you can give the SmartGrill orders via voice commands or texts.

Now you can impress your family with a simple "Jeeves, three sirloin steaks please! You know how I like them." (If you're into naming your grill Jeeves, that is.)

If you think that half the fun of grilling is having control over the cooking temperature and speed, then simply set the grill on manual mode, which will make it act like a regular gas grill.

"Imagine a world where the grill works for you instead of the other way around," said Jim Buch, CEO of Lynx Grills. "In the same way that quality sound, video, or processing power in other CE categories, consumers understand the value of smarts and connectivity and are beginning to expect smart technologies in more areas of their homes, including their backyards."