There’s been a lot of talk recently about the development of “The Internet of Things.” If that phrase doesn’t mean anything to you, just imagine everyday objects like your refrigerator, bathroom scale, or toilet connected to the internet. Why in the world would we want things like that connected to the net? Well, your fridge could notify you via e-mail when you get low on milk, and your bathroom scale could connect wirelessly to the internet to record your weight and send it to your doctor. The toilet? Well, the Japanese have been making toilets for a while that are able to check your vital signs like blood pressure and heart rate. It seems like it would be pretty easy to enable them to send that information out to the net. Perhaps they are doing it already. People tend to be divided on this issue, with some thinking it’s a great way to make our lives easier, while others fear that the invasive tentacles of Big Brother will be allowed more inroads to explore the intimate details of our lives. Either way, it’s hard to argue that some of this isn’t starting to get a bit weird. Here are some of the weirdest.

1. Trash Cans

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Trash cans have been connected to the net for at least a couple of reasons. In one case, a municipality is using trash cans that can report on how full they are. This sounds like it might be a good cost-saving measure since the city would not have to send trash collectors out to see if they need to be emptied. In another case, a camera was wired up to the trash containers in people’s homes, and was set to take a picture of the contents each time something was discarded. It was done as an experiment to see if it might influence recycling habits.