Appliance Design - November 2007 - (Page 10)

NEWS WATCH SALTON MERGER REVIVED. Salton, Inc., Lake Forest, Ill., has entered into a definitive merger agreement with APN Holding Co., the parent company of Applica, Inc., Miramar, Fla., in which Applica will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Salton. APN Holding Co. is owned by two Harbinger Capital Partners investment funds that will end up with 92 percent of Salton’s common stock. The merger will require shareholder approval and is expected to close by the end of January 2008. The two companies had initial discussions about a merger earlier this year, but talks were broken off after a disagreement on the merger completion date. When completed, the merger will create one of the largest U.S. public companies focused on small house- hold appliances, boasting a portfolio of brand names such as Salton, George Foreman, Black & Decker, Toastmaster, Melitta, Russell Hobbs, Windmere, and Farberware. GUI JUST RIGHT Not too hot… not too cold. When you need the temperature to be “just right,” we’re ready. Fenwal’s System ONE combines temperature control with gas ignition in matched components with communication for added functionality. The three digit LED displays setpoint and temperatures as well as system status and ignition diagnostics. So relax – no matter how tough your application, Fenwal has a solution that’s just right. FOR ATMEL ARM. Amulet Technologies, a Santa Clara, Calif.based fabless semiconductor firm that designs and markets integrated circuits and firmware, has released its Graphic User Interface (GUI) IP technology as a licensable IP block for Atmel Corp.’s CAP ARM-based customizable microcontroller. Until now, Amulet’s GUI solutions have only been available in the company’s standard IC products. The new availability means that users can now custombuild a system-on-a-chip (SoC). Amulet designed its GUI IP block and firmware so that full speed GUI execution can run concurrently with the customer’s ARM7 application code. PHILIPS’ NEW VISION. As part of its Vision 2010 plan, Royal Philips Electronics NV plans to simplify its business structure by reorganizing into three core sectors with a “single-headed” management. The divisions are Philips Healthcare, Philips Lighting, and Philips Consumer Lifestyle. The restructuring is part of a plan that the Netherlands-based company hopes will more than double profits by 2010. It expects the earnings before interest, taxes and amortization margins of its current businesses to exceed 10 percent. In addition, the company has set a target to double sales of green products to 30 percent of total revenues within five years. Want to dip into our products and capabilities? Visit www.fenwalcontrols.com or call 508.881.2000 ext. 2104 to learn more. FOR-PROFIT UL DIVISION. Underwriters Laboratories of Northbrook, Ill., plans to create a for-profit testing and certification subsidiary. The new entity will become a subsidiary of UL’s existing not-for-profit parent company. A timetable has not been released. SABIC BUYS GE PLASTIC. Saudi Basic For more Information Enter 101 10 applianceDESIGN November 2007 Industries Corp. (SABIC) has purchased GE Plastics from General Electric for a www.applianceDESIGN.com http://www.fenwalcontrols.com http://www.fenwalcontrols.com http://www.appliancedesign.com

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Appliance Design - November 2007 Contents Editorial Shipments/Forecasts News Watch Today’s LEDs are Brighter and More Colorful than Previous Versions, Allowing Designers More Opportunities to Improve and Differentiate Their Products. When Converting from CCFL to LED Backlights in LCD Panels, New Driving Methods are Needed. Electrowetting Technology Allows Displays to be Designed in an Extensive Range of Colors. Noise Problems are Not Always Easy to Find or Fix, but Acoustic Labs Can Help Designers Ferret Out the “Good” Noise from the “Bad.” A New Sanitization Protocol for Clothes Washers Combines the Best of Three Well-Established Provisions to Ensure Efficiency, Quality and Safety. Stricter EMC Requirements Raise the Bar for Appliances with Electronic Controls and Require Testing to New Levels. Despite Added Cost and Complexity, Gas-Modulating Systems have Migrated from Large-Scale Boiler Applications to Smaller Residential and Commercial Furnaces and Appliances. A New Treatment Technology Hardens the Surface of Light Alloys such as Aluminum and Magnesium and Expands Their Potential Applications. DesignMart Advertiser’s Index Association Report: AHAM

Appliance Design - November 2007

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