As technology and daily living continue to intertwine, two major players in the home appliance sphere are making headlines with their latest initiatives—each aiming to reshape how we experience and think about life at home. On September 3, 2025, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. unveiled its new campaign, “SmartThings Meets AI Home,” a move that underscores the company’s vision for the future of smart living. Meanwhile, At Home’s home appliance brand Minix announced the launch of a thought-provoking essay collection, “Ums, Oops,” which delves into the complexities of food waste and our emotional relationships with the food we prepare, share, and discard.
Samsung’s campaign, released just ahead of the IFA 2025 technology showcase, isn’t just another promotional splash. According to Samsung, the new campaign demonstrates how its AI Home delivers innovative, everyday artificial intelligence experiences that enrich consumers’ lives. The core of this initiative is the SmartThings platform, which, as highlighted in the campaign video, connects a variety of Samsung and third-party devices to create a truly personalized AI experience within the home.
What does this look like in practice? The campaign video offers glimpses into a world where the AI Home understands users’ preferences and adapts to their needs, automating mundane household tasks so that residents can reclaim their time for what matters most. Picture this: your home, quietly and efficiently managing chores in the background—adjusting the thermostat, dimming the lights, prepping your smart oven, or even alerting you when your groceries are about to expire—all without you lifting a finger. Samsung’s message is clear: by doing less, users can enjoy more quality time and focus on the moments that truly count.
This approach to smart living isn’t just about convenience; it’s about meaning. Samsung’s campaign asserts that its AI Home is designed to bring comfort and a sense of purpose to daily routines, seamlessly integrating technology to support well-being rather than disrupt it. As the IFA 2025 event draws near, industry watchers are keen to see how these promises translate into tangible products and user experiences.
Yet, while Samsung is championing the cause of technological ease, Minix—a brand under the At Home umbrella—is inviting us to pause and reflect on a different, but equally pressing, aspect of domestic life: food waste. Also announced on September 3, Minix’s new book, “Ums, Oops,” brings together five distinct voices to explore the emotional landscape surrounding food waste. The title, derived from the word “Ums,” hints at the underlying theme of reducing waste, but the essays go much deeper.
Contributors to the collection include cartoonist Migang, writer Son Hyun, photographer Lim Soo-min, marketer Jung Doo-hyun, and editor Lee Min-kyung. Each brings their unique perspective to the table—quite literally—reflecting on the daily rituals of making, sharing, and ultimately discarding food. Through their essays, readers are invited to consider the feelings that linger in the wake of a meal: satisfaction, guilt, nostalgia, and sometimes regret.
Minix describes the publication as an “experimental attempt to propose a new sense of ‘leave’ and ‘empty’ surrounding food waste.” The brand, which claims the top spot in food waste appliances, sees the book as more than just a literary project. It’s a call to action, aiming to spark a social dialogue that can lead to meaningful changes in attitudes and behaviors around food consumption and disposal. “We wanted to think about problems in life together and start a social dialogue that leads to changes in attitudes in daily life,” Minix explained in its announcement.
“Ums, Oops” is now available at Kyobo Bookstore and major online retailers, including Aladdin and Yes24, making it accessible to a wide audience eager to engage with the topic. To deepen the conversation, Minix is hosting a book talk event on September 10, 2025, where contributors and readers will gather to discuss the themes raised in the essays and share their own stories about food and waste.
These two initiatives—Samsung’s high-tech campaign and Minix’s introspective essay collection—may seem worlds apart at first glance, but they share a common thread: both are fundamentally about reimagining the home as a space where technology and consciousness can coexist to improve quality of life. Samsung’s vision is rooted in the seamless integration of AI to make daily living more comfortable and meaningful, while Minix’s project calls for a heightened awareness of the choices we make, particularly those that impact the environment and our own sense of fulfillment.
It’s worth noting that the convergence of smart technology and social responsibility is not accidental. As consumers become more attuned to the environmental and emotional costs of their lifestyles, brands are responding with products and campaigns that address these concerns head-on. Samsung’s SmartThings platform, for example, isn’t just about connecting gadgets for the sake of novelty; it’s about creating a home ecosystem that anticipates needs, reduces waste (including energy and time), and supports sustainable living. Meanwhile, Minix’s focus on food waste taps into a growing movement to minimize environmental impact, reduce landfill contributions, and foster a more mindful approach to consumption.
The timing of these announcements is telling, too. With IFA 2025 set to spotlight the latest in consumer electronics, Samsung’s campaign positions the company at the forefront of the smart home revolution, signaling to both consumers and competitors that the future of domestic technology lies in personalization and adaptability. At the same time, Minix’s release of “Ums, Oops” and the upcoming book talk event mark a deliberate effort to steer the conversation toward the social and ethical dimensions of home life.
For consumers, the takeaway is clear: the home of the future is not just smarter, but also more thoughtful. Whether it’s an AI-powered system that quietly manages your daily routines or a collection of essays that prompts you to reconsider your relationship with food, the goal is the same—to enrich life at home, making it a place of comfort, connection, and conscious choice.
As these stories unfold, they invite all of us to reflect on what we want from our homes and how we can be active participants in shaping that future—one smart device, and perhaps one thoughtful meal, at a time.
