kitchens
Latest
Control4, Sub-Zero get in on the home automation game
While brands like LG, Samsung, and Kenmore all showed off their own special brand of Jetsonian appliances at CES this year, Sub-Zero was close by touting a stable of 30 automation-ready products and a partnership with Control4 that could make them a contender for home automation domination. Sub-Zero's ZigBee-based system uses preexisting serial ports (initially installed for diagnostic purposes) to connect users to appliances via touchscreens, smart phones, and other enabled devices. The system lacks full control of potentially dangerous appliances like the oven, instead acting as an alert system when, say, your turkey is done roasting, but it does grant complete access to things like your refrigerator or freezer. Other systems might sport increased functionality, like LG's Thinq, which allows users to set oven temperatures remotely, and Samsung's fridge, which lets you tweet from a built-in touchscreen, but Sub-Zero is hoping a second-quarter release will put them at the head of the pack. We'll see if a head start makes a difference in the glacial appliance market, when Samsung rolls out its smart refrigerator this May and Kenmore's system comes to fruition in 2012.
Electrolux Design Lab 2010 competition finalists: the future's so bright...
You're looking at the eight finalists (culled from the submissions of over 1,300) of the Electrolux Design Lab 2010 competition. If like us, you're really into kitchen tech, you're in luck: there's plenty to be had here, including the BioRobot refrigerator, the Elements Modular kitchen and the Dismount washer. It's enough to get us seriously excited for the future. Up next, the eight finalists will be narrowed down to just one winner, who will get a six-month long, paid interneship at Electrolux's global design center, plus a €5,000 prize (nearly $6,000). Below you can check out a video for the BioRobot refrigerator. Hit up the source link for videos of the other finalists.
Corian Z. Island: taking kitchens to the year 3000
Corian is known for producing all types of wacky materials for your countertop, but the company has dashed straight into the 23rd century with its new "Z" kitchen island (and assorted accessories). The Zaha Hadid designed centerpiece boasts LED touch panels embedded in the table's surface, a mounted Mac for multimedia functions, and three very bizarre looking aroma "devices" which protrude from the island, and can be tweaked to produce various scents. The unit also controls a wall of abstract lighting fixtures, allowing you to alter their color and intensity. Basically, it's the perfect thing to own if James T. Kirk stops by wants you to heat up his coffee and make the room smell like rose petals.[Via chipchick]
