appliances

There are a lot of toasters out there. For every personal aesthetic, there seems to be a corresponding toaster. Toasters range from the bright and shiny to gimmicky multitaskers made out of plastic. Machines are available for those that prefer design, and there are toasters out there that tout convenience. Combination appliances are great fun, and at times actually do save time and money (consider the toaster oven, for example). But sometimes you just want a toaster that toasts.

That is, toasts and looks cool too. The Bodum Bistro Toaster combines classic and modern design into one impressive design. All … Read more

The Maui Electric Company and General Electric are joining up to test a unique smart-grid technology on the Hawaiian island's electrical grid.

The Maui, Hawaii, project includes the usual smart-grid tech: developing a substation with battery storage capability to remove and store excess electricity generated from connected wind and solar energy sources. The electricity supply is then released from the substation to the main power grid when it's needed during peak usage times.

Many companies are interested in smart-grid energy technology. Google wants users to confront their home energy use appliance by appliance. IBM is jockeying to be a key supplier for smart-grid tech … Read more

When I was first venturing into the kitchen, one appliance in particular scared me: the pressure cooker. Even the name--while being an accurate descriptor--conjured up images of tortured carrots and screaming potatoes. I was afraid to go near the thing, let alone use it for some innocent task like boiling water. Eventually however, I recovered from my appliance paranoia and now can operate all manner of kitchen appliance and gadget with no hesitation. Still, I get the occasional shiver when pulling out the trusty pressure cooker. While the older pressure cookers resemble medieval torture devices, this shiny new Electric Pressure Cooker from Cuisinart … Read more

Google has begun experimenting with a new cross-language ability for its Search Appliance, a server customers can use to power their in-house search service.

"Many of our enterprise search customers have dozens of offices all over the world with tens of millions documents indexed in a host of different languages," said Cyrus Mistry, Google's enterprise product manager, in a blog post Thursday. "Cross-Language Enterprise Search instantly translates your Google Search Appliance query from one language to one or more other languages using Google's best-in-class translation engine."

Existing customers can try the feature by downloading it … Read more

There are some places an LCD screen makes no sense, like on a vent hood. But there are other places where the inclusion of an LCD screen is so natural that it practically seems obvious once you see it. Like on the fridge.

Samsung isn't the only one to come up with this idea, but it is a nice addition to the company's new French door fridge, announced on November 3. The RFG299 has a 7-inch LCD screen just above the ice and water dispenser. The screen offers one-touch access to calendars, schedules, showcase photos, nutrition facts, and … Read more

Did you know there's some leeway on when a refrigerator must run its automatic defrost cycle?

Well, apparently, there is, and it could help ease the stress on local energy grids during peak hours, according to GE Consumer & Industrial.

Currently, GE refrigerators' automatic defrost modes are prompted by factors like door openings. But, the company says, it could build refrigerators that delay that cycle until a local electrical grid signals it's a good off-peak time to suck down more electricity.

Refrigerators are not the only appliances that could be programmed to wait for convenient times to run. … Read more

Our struggling economy has put just about everyone in the country back in touch with the part of their judgment that decides when it's a good time to splurge and a good time to save. In the wake of rising oil prices, a planet that's heating up, and falling stocks, the emphasis on energy-efficient home technology is higher than ever.

GE has responded by planning a release of a line of green appliances in early 2009. The line is part of GE's "ecomagination" initiative, and will include an array of ''smart" refrigerators, ranges, washers … Read more

Six Apart announced this week that it is partnering with virtual-appliance vendor JumpBox to deliver a virtualized instance of Movable Type, its open-source blogging platform. No more configuration problems as your organization strives to get up and blogging.

Ed Anuff, executive vice president and general manager of the Movable Type division of Six Apart, declared:

You can get up and running immediately, while reducing the cost of configuration and maintenance. And it's a snap for anyone who wants to evaluate the platform to get started, whether that's on a desktop, running VMWare or Parallels, a large-scale deployment on … Read more

Whatever designer NoJae Park was thinking, he may just have hit the jackpot with this portable kitchen for cubicle rats permanently tethered to their PCs, thanks to deadlines. How many times have we wished we could pack a mini microwave/fridge/pantry right on our desk?

Park's appliance packs the four essentials of a kitchen: a stainless plate for warming meals; an electric stove; a dish drawer; and a mini-fridge. The design cleverly works on energy-saving power and safety features to avoid accidents. Now all that remains is for Electrolux--which organized the contest--to buy into Park's idea, get … Read more