Mirrors.
One of those everyday objects we have in our homes, but pay very little attention to. Most of us would balk at the idea of paying more than necessary for one, but these 5 Singaporeans have just released a $2,700 mirror.
This is Fred.
FRED
Future Ready, Everything Digital’s FRED is the world’s first smart luxury mirror. Jam-packed with perks from air-purification to stereo speakers, FRED is also Internet-ready.
Imagine having your smartphone in a mirror, and you’re able to read the news, check your schedule and social media, all while getting ready each morning.
“We intend the Mirror to become the hub for all connectable and compatible devices to link up with. It’ll become the convergence of IoT-ready appliances,” shared founder Jonathan Yuan.
But of course, perks like these come at a price. FRED retails for S$2700, but there are only 500 available worldwide.
Screening The Team
Frednology consists of 5 guys with ambitious plans to ride Singapore’s smart nation wave – Clement Chia, David Lee, Jaramie Tan, Jonathan Yuan and Adrian Ng.
Each of them brings a handy set of skills – Codigo’s Adrian develops the software for the Android system, while Offset’s Clement and David brings their extensive web development and video production experience.
Meanwhile, Jaramie takes on a business development role with commercial partners and Jonathan serves as CEO to manage the team.
As individuals, each one is skilled. But together, these 5 entrepreneurs make up a mean team.
In a previous interview, Jonathan also shared “the whole process of building this mirror was really fun, but I think I’m really lucky to have very good partners and strong support. We’re all friends but from different industries. I shared my vision they decided to come on board to build this thing together.”
“As a small player with big dreams, we designed FRED to be high quality and exuding luxury and this means that manufacturers must live up to our standards and demands. This was a challenge but by evaluating and discussing with so many suppliers, we are confident that we have an established manufacturing base.”
A Smart Nation
The mirror has always been one of those items everyone has, but never pays much attention to.
But with FRED, the team seeks to transform this everyday object into the core of a smart ecosystem.
“When Zuckerberg launched Facebook, it faced tremendous competition [but it’s] now the de-facto social media platform worldwide. Likewise, when Jobs relaunched Apple through the iMac and iBook […] and it is now an unstoppable force with a US$741 billion market.”
“We know the future is in IoT and A.I., and we are at that inflection point where our entry into this unique budding market gives us an enthusiasm we can only describe as heart-stopping,” Jonathan shares.
“We intend to ride this wave of smart luxury appliances, with the FRED Mirror being our signature cornerstone product.”
Reflecting on the potential that Singapore embodies, Jonathan shares his optimism for the smart nation initiative.
“Already, the island is broadband-ready, including a very fast mobile communications network, allowing our signature Mirror product, as well as any future plans, to leverage on these infrastructures easily.”
And on this optimism, Jonathan gushes that FRED is merely the start – “We are all dreamers, inventors, innovators, and technology and smart home believers. We intend to develop other products, and I can only say, stay tuned!”
Featured Image Credit: The Frednology Team
