appliances posts

12 Earth-Friendly Appliances for Your Home

by Chris Morris (RSS feed) — Sep 11th 2009 at 1:33PM

Home appliances generally haven't been at the forefront of the green movement. While the Energy Star rating on some household gadgets has helped eco-warriors reduce their carbon footprint (and saved homeowners some money), it doesn't hold a candle to the devices that are designed to be green from the get-go. Switched.com decided to dig a little deeper – and found a dozen products that are truly earth-friendly.

Next >>

Tags: appliances, eco, features, household, top

Dyson D22 'Motorhead' Vacuum: Does It Live Up to Its Heavy Metal Name?

by Evan Shamoon (RSS feed) — Aug 10th 2009 at 12:29PM

What it is: Those who still think a vacuum's a vacuum have yet to encounter Dyson. The funky-looking, English-engineered line of bag-less, suctioning masterpieces is a far cry from the clunkers lining the shelves of Bed, Bath & Beyond. (You'll even find several in modern art museums around the world.) The DC22 Motorhead is the newest addition to the line of Dyson canister models. It takes up a little over a square foot, weighs 18 pounds, and trails the user as he or she maneuvers the hose attachment of choice.

Why it's different: Canister-style vacuums are nothing new. But Dyson's DC22 is an attempt to match the power and performance of a much larger upright model. The company also added a new, small, lighter motor that boasts 88,000 spins per minute (way fast) while ditching standard carbon brushes (which release particles into the air).

Tags: appliances, design, dyson, features, household, hype, hypecheck, top, vacuum, vacuumcleaners

iPod

World's First Made-for-iPod Refrigerator Unveiled

by Donald Melanson (RSS feed) — Sep 2nd 2008 at 9:54AM

It may not be ensconced in Swarovski crystals like some of its other fridges, but Gorenje seems to think it has a winner on its hands with its new Made for iPod fridge, which it says will conquer contemporary kitchens just as "iPod has conquered the world." Apparently designed specifically for what Gorenje describes as the "the cult iPod touch," the fridge of course boasts the usual iPod dock, as well as pair of built-in speakers of unspecified kitchen-shaking ability.

Gorenje also takes things one step further with its iGorenje Web portal, which is, you guessed it, optimized for the iPhone or iPod touch. It'll not only give you the usual recipes and other information, but also control over other household appliances that are connected via Wi-Fi, although Gorenje is quick to point out that's still only in a test version. No word on a price or release date just, but given Gorenje's penchant for pricey appliances, you can be sure it won't come cheap. [From: Gorenje Group]

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Tags: apple, appliances, fridge, gorenje, household, made for ipod, MadeForIpod, refridgerator, wifi

Back to School

Starbucks Installing $11,000 'Clover' Coffee Machine in Select Shops

by Blake Besharian (RSS feed) — Jul 26th 2008 at 9:20AM

In an effort to ruin everything good about coffee, Starbucks has bought out what many consider to be the greatest evolution in coffee since espresso, The Clover. "What's a Clover?" you might ask. Well, it's an $11,000 coffee brewing machine that controls the precise time, temperature, and amount of beans that go into an individually brewed cup of Joe. This machine's unique ability to replicate the exact same conditions that produced that last perfect cup of coffee mean that coffee aficionados can finally unlock the true potential of a bean, bringing out its fruit-like flavors and other subtle characteristics.

This machine has elevated coffee drinking (and price, which usually starts around $3 a cup) to the level of a wine tasting, and, until recently, it was only available in independent coffee shops. Now, Starbucks has bought The Coffee Equipment Company, and begun installing The Clover in select stores while refusing to sell any more machines to independent shops. It has also shutdown CloverNet, which is an online service setup by the company that allowed fans to track their favorite brews and find shops with a Clover machine.

Sadly, not even an $11,000 machine can make bad coffee taste better, but clearly Starbucks is desperate. This summer, it is closing 5-percent of its stores (just over 600) and is making an effort to focus less on music and high calorie milkshakes and more on coffee. You can bet that the original fans of The Clover won't be lining up at Starbucks anytime soon. But Starbucks is betting that the same people that order a white chocolate mocha with half skim and half soy will soon be ordering 35 grams of ethiopian sidamo at 210 degrees for 45 seconds, and paying a dollar more for it. [Source: Wired]

Tags: appliances, btsnews, coffee, coffee machines, CoffeeMachines, food, food and drink, FoodAndDrink, shopping, starbucks

Green Tech

High Fuel Costs Spur Interest in Energy- and Water-Saving Appliances

by Will Safer (RSS feed) — Jul 7th 2008 at 3:44PM

Is the rising cost of fuel driving you to make changes in your lifestyle -- and we mean beyond just how far you drive your car? The new place to make changes in energy conservation is inside the home, where appliances like air conditioners, refrigerators and washing machines draw significant amounts of power.

Is the answer a return to washboards? Perhaps not, as manufacturers are designing increasingly eco-friendly products.

According to a recent survey by Forrester Research, so-called "green" consumers are more brand loyal than other consumers. This revelation isn't lost on appliance manufacturers, who are pushing more eco-friendly products.

Take LG and Whirlpool, for example, which have washing machines that use steam instead of hot water to save more than 70 percent on water and power compared to other units.

Korean customers at electronics stores are coming in asking for devices that save power – something they weren't doing this time last year.

Refrigerators can use up to 30 percent of all power in a home but new models with linear compressors use up to 40 percent less power and make less noise.

The initial higher price tag on these energy-efficient products is outweighed by the savings over the lifetime of the appliance, according to the manufacturers. But maybe the green consumers – who according to Forrester number about 25 million in the U.S. -- are a large enough market to make a difference to the manufacturers. [Source: Reuters]

Tags: appliances, eco-friendly, green, household, washing machine, WashingMachine

Advice, Editor's Picks, Reviews

Hype Check: Dyson DC24 Vacuum Cleaner

by Evan Shamoon (RSS feed) — Apr 12th 2008 at 3:11PM

Dyson D24 Vacuum Cleaner

What it is: Even those of you who wouldn't consider yourselves vacuum cleaner fetishists have heard of Dyson's line -- you know, the one you see advertised on TV, that promises to change your (vacuuming) life. Well, the ambitious designers at Dyson have released their latest, greatest, and, quite possibly, lightest -- the D24 -- and it's a significant improvement over past Dyson vacuums. This is the first time the innovative ball has been used in a Dyson model this light and compact. It's less than four feet tall and a foot wide, and weighs just under 12 pounds, which makes it easy to move and maneuver from room to room (or up a few flights of stairs).

Why it's different: Though generally rather awesome, past Dyson vacuum cleaners have suffered from being too heavy and bulky, with buttons hidden in very hard-to-reach (and unintuitive places). The new DC-24 is only 11.6 pounds -- much more powerful than a Dustbuster-style vac, yet far smaller and more maneuverable than a typical upright vacuum cleaner.

What we like: The DC24 uses Dyson's patented new Ball tech -- essentially, a big orange ball that serves as the rolling mechanism for the unit. It's rather revolutionary in terms of the mobility and turning radius: moving a vacuum around your floor has never been this fun. While traditional vacuum cleaners feel like they're stuck on invisible tracks, this one turns and pivots around any household with ease, effortlessly gliding across the floor. Like all Dyson vacs, the DC24 really does live up to the claims of controlled suction – it works on all surfaces with virtually the same suction power. We really noticed the difference when we moved from one surface to another –- the DC24 didn't struggle or even seem like it was adjusting. The canister is super easy to empty (though it fills up very fast, which probably says something about the cleanliness of our floors than anything else). The overall body is small and compact, so if you're not into displaying the well designed vacuum, you can easily store in small places.

What we don't like: The handheld wand -- while improved over previous Dyson iterations -- is still a bit of a struggle to use. The hose conveniently collapses back into its original form when you're not cleaning with it, but is just sorta painful to actually use -- it's not as flexible as we would have liked, and doesn't work symbiotically with the rest of the unit. This might be less of an issue if there was some sort of "lock mode" that prevented the vacuum from moving around, of if the wand were made of a more lightweight, flexible material.

What it costs: $399

Does it live up to the hype? Dyson's DC24 is an awesome vacuum cleaner. It makes cleaning your home something to look forward to (not even just for the anal-retentive among us), and improves significantly upon Dyson's already solid foundation. It's cheaper than other Dyson models by $100, but it's still comes in at a cool four bills -- a bit out of the average vacuum cleaner budget. But the thing comes with lifetime HEPA and washable filters (read: no bags to buy, ever), and a five-year warranty, looks great, feels great, and sucks real hard (in a good way). If you've got the cash, you won't be disappointed.

Tags: appliances, dyson, features, household, hype check, HypeCheck, vacuum cleaner, VacuumCleaner

How to Get Rid of Killer Bacteria in Food

by Evan Shamoon (RSS feed) — Oct 3rd 2007 at 12:25PM

Hype Check: CulinaryPrep

What it is: CulinaryPrep is a device built to prepare your food and eliminate food-borne bacteria, including in the process.

How it works: You put your food (non-ground meat, pork, poultry, veggies), eight cups of water, and an all-natural powder (citric acid, salt, etc) into the canister, screw on the top, and use the included tube (which stretches from the main unit) to remove all of the air from said canister, creating a vacuum-sealed environment inside. You then place this canister on its side, install it on the device, and let it to roll around automatically for about 20 minutes. Presto, you've got safe and succulent food that's ready to cook.

The idea is that exposing food to the vacuum environment and the solution will kill bacteria, including E. Coli, Listeria, and Salmonella -- the manufacturers even have the independent studies to back it up.

Why it's different: There really hasn't been anything quite like it, not for the consumer or pro markets.

What we like: First off, we didn't die of food poisoning, which is a miracle considering we used CulinaryPrep to secure some smelly frozen shrimp that had been left in a car to fester for a few hours. Post-treatment, the shrimp was not only non-threatening, it also tasted moist and delicious after we fried it up – even when we had some the next day. The CulinaryPrep is superb as a tenderizer for otherwise lackluster meats – the normally dry and bland chicken breast we prepared came out tender and flavorful, despite being in the oven for 30 minutes. Same goes for the meat we cooked up.

What we don't like: This thing is huge, which is helpful when you're trying to tenderize an entire chicken or 75 fingerling potatoes, but is only practical if you've got a big kitchen. Also, set-up can be complicated, thanks to the vague directions (where to put the random plastic pieces that come with the box – one clear set-up image would have done the trick, manual-making people!)

Does it live up to the hype? We're alive, and we're now four-for-four on tasty, zero-prep meals, so we're giving it the thumbs up. If at any point in the near future we die of food poisoning, though, you'll be the first to hear about it. If you take you're a serious cook who doesn't like to waste food, you may want to add this to your cooking arsenal.

Price: $399, at the CulinaryPrep Web site. The company also sells a bunch of custom-made marinades specifically designed to be used with the Culinary Prep, like Texas Mesquite and Lemon Pepper, as well as additional ProPrep packets for about $1.25 a pop).

Related Links:

Tags: appliances, cooking, Hype Check, HypeCheck, kitchen appliances, kitchen gadgets, KitchenAppliances, KitchenGadgets, summeradvice

Hair Dryer Shaped Like A Gun Dries Hair, Doesn't Shoot Bullets

by Evan Shamoon (RSS feed) — Sep 19th 2007 at 3:07PM

Since we all know there's nothing funnier than suicide in the morning, a Japanese company called Nodaya has come up with a source of endless laughs: the creatively-named "Western Dryer" -- a hair dryer shaped like a six-shooter. And yes, it blows real hot air.

This gives new meaning to the term "hair trigger".

*groan*

From SciFi.com

Related posts:

Tags: appliances, hair dryer, HairDryer, nodaya

Switched Video

Most Emailed Stories

Editors' Picks

Deals of the Day

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=758444&pid=758443&uts=1256672453

http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf

'Black Friday' Deals to Watch For

Getty Images

Black Friday' Deals to Watch For

Traditionalists might balk, but the holiday shopping season is already underway. Skeptical? Head to your local department store and you'll be inundated by Christmas trees and ornaments. Bargain hunters, though, know that the real deals are more than a month away.

Black Friday, traditionally, is when retailers truly slash prices. Early birds can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars off of their holiday bills. Switched.com checked with a few elves, who gave a sneak peek at what you can expect deal-wise this year.

Blu-ray Players and Movies: Blu-ray is shaping up to be the biggest door buster of this year's Black Friday. de Grandpre expects at least one retailer will offer a Blu-ray player for just $49. Look for bargains on Blu-ray films as well, with last year's hit titles (such as "Iron Man") to fall as low as $5.

Laptops: With the proliferation of Netbooks this year, it's never been easier to find affordable portable computing, but Dan de Grandpre, CEO of DealNews.com says it will get even cheaper on Black Friday. Look for well-equipped Netbooks to sell for $199 – and basic 15" laptops to go for as little as $249.

HDTVs (Pretty big): The holidays are typically the best time to buy a new TV – and Black Friday is the time to do it. If you're looking for a normal sized set, you're in luck. Piper Jaffrey analyst Mitch Kaiser says he expects to see 32-inch LCD sets for as low as $299. GottaDeal.com is estimating 37-inch plasma and LCD sets will fall to $399 or less.

HDTVs (Really big): Need something bigger? How about a 46-47 inch LCD set for $599 – a 25 percent savings? Or a 52-inch LCD for $999? Dealnews says you can expect both. Plasma deals will be a little harder to come by, but a 50-inch set should run roughly $899.

HD Camcorders: You've wanted to shoot your child's school play in HD for a while, but haven't been able to spring for the pricey camcorder. This might be the year. Low-end, flash-based 720p models could drop as low as $60 (though you won't be able to zoom with those). Expect a high quality 1080p HD camcorder for $349.

GPS: While navigation systems have dramatically expanded their reach this year – even making it onto the iPhone – there's still a market for car-based systems. Dealnews predicts you'll be able to find a no-name entry-level system for $49, while a Garmin or Tom-Tom brand will be as low as $69.

Digital Picture Frames: Showcasing your digital pictures consistently gets cheaper. This year, skip the 7-inch screens and focus on the 8- or 9-inch ones, which should be available on Black Friday for as little as $30.

Monitors: Computer monitors might not be the sexiest of gifts, but they're usually welcomed with open arms – and they'll be cheap this year. Name brand 22-inch LCD models may go for as low as $99, while 24-inch models will drop below $150.

Memory: Don't know anyone who needs a monitor? External hard drives are always popular, since they're an easy way to back-up data. Dealnews expects a 1TB drive to fall as low as $49 this year. Gottadeal is looking for 8GB flash drives to hit $15.

Latest Reviews from CNET.com

CNET provides the latest tech news, unbiased reviews, videos, podcasts, software, and downloads, making tech products easy to find, understand and use.

Top Product Reviews

Home Audio Reviews
9.0 out of 10
Definitive Technology BPX
Works great with Dolby Pro Logic and Dolby Digital. Full Review
9.0 out of 10
Denon AVR-4306 (black)
Incredibly well-featured 7.1-channel receiver; excellent sound quality; three HDMI inputs; converts analog video to HDMI output; upconverts analog video to 720p/1080i HD resolution; iPod and USB MP3 player connectivity; Internet radio and MP3/WMA streaming audio via built-in Ethernet port; XM Satellite Radio compatible; touch-screen remote; multizone, multisource operation; browser-based control via home network; accurate autocalibration routine. Full Review
8.8 out of 10
KEF KHT3005 (black)
The KEF KHT-3005 is one compact, beautifully designed speaker package with solid aluminum satellites that feature unique driver technology to produce incredible clarity. Meanwhile, the equally astounding dual 10-inch, 250-watt powered subwoofer delivers ultradeep bass. Full Review
Cell Phone Reviews

8.7 out of 10
SignalBoost Mobile Professional Amplifier Kit
The Mobile Professional Amplifier delivers a powerful signal boost to your cell phone. Also, it offers a compact design and easy setup. Full Review
8.6 out of 10
Wi-Ex zBoost YX510-PCS-CEL cell phone signal extender
The Wi-Ex zBoost YX510-PCS-CEL significantly boosts your cell phone reception and is easy to operate. Also, it uses a wireless connection to your phone. Full Review
8.3 out of 10
LG VX6000 (Verizon Wireless)
Compact and stylish; impressive battery life; solid audio quality; sharp color screen; built-in camera; USB ready; affordable. Full Review
Digital Camera Reviews

9.3 out of 10
Canon EOS 1D Mark III
Extremely fast, 10-megapixel continuous shooting; very low noise; highly customizable; well-designed body with weather sealing; 3-inch LCD; abundant optional accessories. Full Review
9.3 out of 10
Nikon D3 (body only)
Full-frame sensor; well designed, pro-level weather-sealed body; very low noise, even at extremely high ISOs; fast. Full Review
9.0 out of 10
Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III
Very low noise, high quality images; 21.1 megapixels; live view shooting; pro-level build-quality and performance. Full Review
Desktop Reviews

8.9 out of 10
Velocity Micro Edge Z30 (Intel Core i7)
Best value among midrange gaming PCs; Velocity Micro's consistently high build quality; compact case makes few sacrifices; second graphics card slot previously uncommon at this price. Full Review
8.5 out of 10
Apple iMac (24-inch, 2.8GHz)
A minor specification update results in some significant performance gains; graphics upgrade an option on this 24-inch model; sleek, polished design didn't receive an update, but we won't start clamoring for a new design until the current one is at least 12 months old. Full Review
8.4 out of 10
Velocity Raptor Signature Edition Gaming PC
One of the fastest PCs we've tested; a PCI Express RAID card helps media encoding performance; typically immaculate Velocity Micro assembly; strong, three-year warranty. Full Review