Appliance Design - December 2007 - (Page 10) NEwS watch those who own or will own wood burning, gas, pellet or corn stoves (76 percent), and a similar percentage of those who own high-efficiency wood burning fireplaces (79 percent), indicated the use of these products will be an important part of their plans to heat their homes. The study found that the types of home hearth products preferred by consumers differ by region. The poll found that 92 percent of consumers in the South and 94 percent in the Midwest said that highefficiency wood burning stoves would be important parts of their plans for home heating, while 90 percent of consumers in the Northeast and 93 percent in the West said that a combination of wood burning, gas, pellet or corn burning stoves would be their choice. mobile phones, and 3M Touch Systems for gaming systems. pilot program was created to assist lowincome families by providing them with energy-efficient units at half the normal price. The older, less efficient units were removed and scrapped. The company says that the program will cut greenhouse gas emissions from the inefficient refrigerators by more than 95,000 kilograms a year. VEStEL VENturE. Turkish electronic goods producer Vestel and Whirlpool Europe are engaged in talks to start an appliance joint venture. Each firm would hold an equal stake and Vestel would transfer all its shares in its Vestel White Goods to the new company. Vestel, which reportedly had considered selling its appliance company, said the purpose of the joint venture was to strengthen commercial activities in foreign and home appliance’s markets. According to published reports, Vestel and other Turkish manufacturers are facing growing foreign competition in Turkey’s fastgrowing consumer market. cSN-7040 navigation device. maBE BuYS atLaS. Mexico-based Mabe has made a bid for Atlas Electrica, a Costa Rican manufacturer of kitchen appliances that are sold in Central America and the Dominican Republic under the Atlas and Centron brands. Mabe, an appliance manufacturer, operates 15 plants and exports to the U.S. through a partnership with GE Appliances. rGoN sculpted radiator. haND-ScuLPtED raDIatorS. The a tactILE SENSE. Immersion Corp., a San Jose, Calif.-based developer of touch feedback technology, has licensed its product to CTT-Net of Korea. CTTNet is launching what it calls the world’s first personal navigation devices (PNDs) and uses Immersion’s TouchSense technology to provide tactile feedback for touch screen interactions. CTT-Net's TouchSense-enabled products for the Korean market include the CSN-7040, a handheld PND, and the CIN-7000, a built-in car navigation device. Both models feature a 7-inch touch screen as the primary input/output mechanism and include a direct multimedia broadcast (DMB) receiver for accepting satellite downloads. When users touch the onscreen controls, the TouchSense system provides tactile confirmation of the selection. Other licensees of Immersion’s tactile touch screen technology include LG Electronics, Nokia, and Samsung for 10 applianceDESIGN December 2007 EuroPEaN EXPaNSIoN. Fisher & Paykel has formed a strategic partnership with Arcelik, a Turkey-based appliance manufacturer and distributor, to sell F&P’s branded appliances. The products will be sold through Arcelik’s network in Eastern Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent states, which are made up of former Soviet Union member countries, and the Middle East. The deal also gives F&P access to some of Arcelik’s products such as front-loading washing machines, which F&P does not make. These products would carry the Fisher & Paykel brand name. Europe is the fastest growing market for F&P. new radiant heat ‘RGON’ (pronounced air-gone) decorative radiators are handsculpted by Catherine Lamps, an artistsculptor. Eight available models cover cultural and civilization themes and color options are available in shades such as Provencal yellow, blue, green, terra cotta, Carrara white, or metals such as copper and aluminum. Custom designs based on an original design or by reproducing a photo are possible. The radiators come in an electronic version comprising electrical resistances (1,000 W) and a central heating version that uses copper tubing (1,500 W). All RGON radiators comply with CE standards. The radiators are made of recyclable minerals that evenly diffuse heat both internally and on the surface. F&P maKES aSSISt. F&P’s FridgeAssist Program has supplied more than 100 new refrigerators to households in the Central Coast region of Australia. The SEarS JoINS raD. Sears Home Services has joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s voluntary Responsible Appliance Disposal Program. Each year, Americans dispose of roughly 10 million refrigerators and freezers that contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) or hydrofluorocarbons www.applianceDESIGN.com http://www.appliancedesign.com
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