appliance

Consumer electronics retailers may be in store for some early Christmas cheer this year.

Sales of consumer electronics and appliances are expected to total $10.1 billion this November, a 4 percent rise over the same month last year, according to a forecast out today from IBM. Consumer electronics alone could ring in about $8.6 billion in sales for the month.

Looking ahead to December, overall sales from both categories should reach $13.8 billion, a 4 percent rise from December 2009, with $12.1 billion of that spent on consumer electronics. In another twist, the sales momentum going … Read more

Google's enterprise push continues with plans to link two of its more business-oriented products: Google Search Appliance and Google Apps.

Seems simple--and long overdue--but Google is announcing plans for a new version of the Google Search Appliance that allows business users to find results within Google Apps and Google Sites, should you work for a company that uses Google's office-productivity software and corporate search appliance. The new edition, called "Cloud Connect," also lets users search Twitter and other Web sites from within their organization.

Google Search Appliance is not a product we hear an awful lot … Read more

Certain ideas lurk largely at the boundaries of the IT industry, periodically making a push for a more central role. One such is the appliance or integrated stack--an assembly of hardware and multiple layers of software from a single vendor.

The argument for this concept revolves around simplifying the acquisition of technology and optimizing its operation.

Of course, vertical stacks were once simply the-way-systems-were-built. This model largely gave way to horizontal layers such as microprocessors, operating systems, and databases developed by different specialist vendors and brought together at the end user. (Former Intel CEO Andy Grove describes this shift in … Read more

A thermostat technology that's intended to significantly reduce energy bills is about to become available for use in actual homes.

EcoFactor, the developer of a software platform for a two-way "smart" thermostat, announced Thursday its dynamic system for regulating home heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems will be offered through a pilot project in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, metro area.

In addition to turning heat or air conditioning on and off at set times or specified temperatures, the system monitors the thermal behavior of the home, as well as daily outdoor temperatures and weather forecasts. It … Read more

Maybe an empty stomach doth place a halo around this waffle maker. But boy, does this look scrumptious. Even better dripping with golden maple syrup. But back to the machine. What makes this interesting is that creator Triangular Concept has taken a novel approach to waffle making.

Rather than opt for the familiar squares and circles, this one turns out 9-inch-long waffle lollies in less than two minutes each. Not only does this mean less cutlery to wash up (hurray), it makes for convenient party food on a stick.

About the only unappetizing fare here is the pricey 715 euros ($… Read more

Ten years ago, the next big thing in tech was supposed to be the Internet appliance: a device that offered tech newbies a simpler and cheaper way to get onto the Internet.

Within the span of only a few months a host of such devices hit the market--products such as 3Com's Audrey, Netpliance's I-opener along with machines from Sony, Gateway, and Compaq. They were all aimed at trying to offer the Web without the cost and complexity of a full-fledged computer.

Around the same time, makers of other products like the Kerbango Internet radio saw an opportunity for products that tapped the power of the Internet for a single purpose. Some predicted that the industry was poised for rapid and dramatic growth.

Unfortunately, the products ended up being either too limited or far slower than a PC and nearly as costly, and the category disappeared as quickly as it had emerged.

Still, it was a nice idea. And, the funny thing is, now people are actually buying these things.

Devices like the iPad and the Kindle, along with game consoles and Net-connected televisions have shown that there is a market for both devices that are simpler than a PC as well as for products that connect to the Internet for a single purpose.

The notion that prompted the Internet appliance category--that the Web is a powerful tool and there should be many types of on-ramps--was a good one. Unfortunately for the Audrey and her sisters, the timing was all wrong.

First of all, the devices arrived while most people still used dial-up to get on the Internet and few people had a home network. That meant that such devices needed to replace, rather than augment a Web-connected PC. Also, computers were coming down in price thanks to aggressive cost-cutting by Intel and rapidly falling component prices, while the economics of trying to start a new category meant that Net appliances couldn't be sold for less than several hundred dollars.

Today, meanwhile, the Internet flourishes, connectivity abounds, and the cost of building Wi-Fi into a device means that it is possible to sell Net-connected devices for well under $200.

Although born of a completely different heritage, one of the devices that best represents the completion of the Internet appliance vision is Apple's iPad. Press a button and the device is instantly on and with one more push of a finger one is on the Web in seconds.

The Kindle, meanwhile, shows how the Internet can be used, almost invisibly, for a single purpose, such as buying and reading books.

Other devices that one might not think of as Internet appliances nonetheless can also trace their lineage to those clunky devices of old.

Game consoles like the Wii, Xbox 360, and Sony PlayStation all can take advantage of the Internet to a greater or lesser degree to allow for things like Netflix and online gaming. Net-connected televisions using widgets from Yahoo or Google's upcoming Google TV are also borrowing some of the same notions that powered early devices, including WebTV. … Read more

Every year, Electrolux holds a worldwide competition it calls the Design Lab, and every year the competition reveals some far-out designs. With the 2010 competition currently ongoing, Electrolux has announced the 25 semi-finalists, proving once again that there is no lack of imagination for what the future may hold. Judgment is based on "intuitive design, innovation, and consumer insight," and the current crop of semi-finalists were chosen for their designs that "offer the most interesting solutions for future living and best consider efficient use of domestic space."

Some highlights:

• The Kitchen Hideaway, designed by Daniel Dobrogorsky of Australia, consists of a virtual-reality headset that communicates with physical robotic chefs. Envisioned for use in multi-dwelling buildings, hungry participants would select a recipe from a database that would then be prepared in a communal "Food Factory." The robotic chefs would pass along the finished meal to be delivered directly to the user.

• Yuriy Dmitriev of Russia dreamed up the Bio Robot Refrigerator, a food storage concept that replaces familiar shelves found in today's refrigerators with a biopolymer gel that would suspend food items wherever they happen to be placed. With food items visible at all times, users would simply reach in through the non-sticky, odorless gel and select what they wanted.

• The Qumi is a "flexible cooking unit" designed by Ilia Vostrov, also of Russia. The versatile induction cooker is egg-shaped and able to fry, steam, or heat ingredients in a manner similar to today's multicookers. However, unlike anything on the market today, the concept appliance has absolutely no control or display panel, and instead would be operated entirely by a mobile device. … Read more

Overachieving kitchen appliances can be good for consumers. Having one appliance that can handle only one task at a time can waste time, space and money. Add another feature however, and suddenly you have a combination appliance, quite often with enough multitasking abilities to prevent us from purchasing a second, similar appliance.

With one 500-watt motor, the Cuisinart PowerBlend Duet Blender/Food Processor supplies the power and usability of two popular kitchen appliances. Featuring interchangeable work vessels, the machine is capable of a variety of tasks. In food processor mode, the appliance allows users the ability to slice, shred or … Read more

There are two things that matter most during busy mornings: coffee and food. And the second one is a bit of a stretch. However, as they say, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so it is usually a good idea to have something along with the morning cup of joe. For many of us, this means something that requires little or no thought to make. Something like toast.

The Toastmaster Cool Touch Toaster Coffee Maker Combo simplifies the morning routine by boiling it down to where just the essentials are taken care of. Combining a toaster and … Read more