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Pocono Raceway’s ‘jet drier’ credited with keeping I-95’s reopening on time
A rainy weekend threatened to delay the reopening of a collapsed section of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia. But officials called in reinforcements: a giant jet dryer from a nearby race track, according to BillyPenn. The dryer is expected to ensure the highway opens this weekend as promised by PA Governor Josh Shapiro.
LG appliances now respond to both Alexa and Google Assistant
LG has officially joined the ranks of appliance makers that support more than one voice assistant. The electronics giant has announced that its current collection of ThinQ-branded appliances now takes commands from both Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant. The amount of control you'll have will vary, of course, but there are common elements: you can make ice in your fridge door, turn off the oven or cool down with your air conditioner.
Whirlpool plugs Alexa and Google Assistant into its appliances
Whirlpool's smart appliances have already had some voice assistant control, but they're about become particularly AI-savvy. The company has unveiled a 2018 lineup where many appliances support both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, letting you control most of your home using the smart speaker (or mobile app) you prefer. You can check the time left on the washing machine, start the dishwasher or change the temperature of your fridge without lifting a finger.
GE's $99 'Talking Laundry' box was built for the blind
Doing laundry might be dead simple for most people, but the visually impaired don't have it so easy. To make that easier, GE Appliance's skunkworks division FirstBuild -- along with the help of a 14 year-old -- has designed a system called Talking Laundry. With a name like that, the invention is pretty self-explanatory: it's a metal box (below) that audibly tells you how much time is left in a given wash cycle, and simplifies controls to one knob each for a washer and dryer.
Google Assistant helps with chores on LG appliances
Google Home's voice platform will soon be supported by some LG smart appliances. Today, as part of the company's I/O 2017 developers conference, LG revealed that its Signature-branded washing machines, dryers, fridges, ovens and air purifiers are getting a Google Assistant update later this month in the US. This means you'll be able to use voice commands to do things like tell your fridge to make more ice, or get real-time air quality updates from your air purifier. LG says these kind of features are also coming to its connected air conditioners and robotic vacuums, such as the Hom-Bot Turbo+, adding that the goal is to make even more appliances compatible with Google Assistant down the road.
Samsung goes overboard to make you care about laundry
Let's be honest: it's hard to get excited about laundry machines. Even when they have neat party tricks like Amazon refills and smartphone apps, it really boils down to one question: does it clean your clothes properly? Samsung thinks it can do enough to make you sit up and take notice, though. It's unveiling a FlexWash + FlexDry laundry machine combo that includes both dual washers (which we've seen before) and dual dryers. You can completely clean your delicates without having to disrupt your main load, for instance, or run up to four loads at once if it's particularly busy.
Electrolux is testing Uber-like laundry machine sharing
You can already get rides from strangers and rent their rooms, but what if you could use their washers and dryers? Electrolux thinks it's worth a shot. CEO Jonas Samuelson tells the Financial Times that the appliance giant is testing a "laundry Uber" where you could pay to clean your clothes at someone else's home. This would require an abundance of connected machines to be viable, but it would help you recoup some of the cost of expensive equipment that stays idle most of the week.
Whirlpool washer and dryer can order refills with Amazon Dash
If you hate having to swing by the store to get washing detergent and dryer sheets, Whirlpool has you covered. The appliance maker's Smart Top Load Washer and Dryer can now use the Amazon Dash Replenishment Service to automatically re-order supplies. Once you've synced your Amazon account, you don't have to lift a finger -- the machines will estimate when you're running low and ship accordingly. This is just one part of a smarter design (they already talk to your smartphone and Nest thermostat), but it could make the biggest difference.
GE's smart appliances let you take control with your phone
It's now fairly easy to get at least a few connected appliances, but it's still rare to see a full range of them. What if you want to outfit your whole home with smart equipment? GE thinks it has an answer with its new Profile line. The series' dishwasher, fridge, laundry combo, ovens and water heater all give you control from a smartphone. You can preheat your oven before you get home, or tell your water heater that you're going on vacation. Your washer will let you know when your clothes are done, and your fridge will warn you if someone left the door open. Only the ovens are available today, though, so don't start planning a home technology revamp just yet. While the water heater arrives in February, you'll have to wait until the spring to get either the fridge or the laundry pair -- and the dishwasher won't arrive until 2015 is almost over.
Samsung WiFi Washer and Dryer hands-on (video)
We've all needed to keep the laundry going while we're out and about. Samsung is looking to help with that and let us in on their plans at yesterday's presser. The WF457 washer and dryer set houses an 8-inch touchscreen, is WiFi-enabled and can be controlled from inside or outside of the home via a mobile app. With your smartphone or tablet, you can choose the cycle, duration and set-up notifications on your mobile device once the job is done. Neither are available as of yet, but rest assured, this will be a neat piece of tech you should consider. Want a demo? Head on to the gallery below and video. After spending some time controlling a few eight second demo cycles, we were pretty impressed with the system as a whole. Amazingly enough, our load of towels was completely dry. The app worked well and stayed connected for the most part -- granted, we were in the midst of the CES WiFi crossfire. We did encounter some issues when controlling the dryer with a smartphone and then interacting with the appliance's touchscreen. The SmartHome tech seemed to only like to take orders from one source at a time. Other than that, everything went off without a hitch and the phone notification feature is quite a nice touch. Either way, not having to get up to fluff those 400-thread-count sheets is a luxury we can all enjoy in some capacity.
LG's Thinq automated oven, refrigerator, and washer / dryer are the future now (hands-on)
Ah, the connected home... the ultimate Jetsonian fantasy that refuses to come true. LG's doing its best to change that with its Thinq lineup of connected appliances announced and demonstrated for the first time here in Las Vegas. The details of connectivity and interoperability are scarce but we do know that the appliances support both WiFi and ZigBee connectivity in order to communicate with each other, your in-home smart meter, and with smartphones when outside of the home. So far, LG has announced four Thinq devices including a vacuum, fridge, oven, and washer and dryer pair. That's a pretty strong foundation to build from especially if your home is already equipped with ZigBee devices like automated light switches, window controllers, and locks. Each LG appliance brings a rather lengthy list of features many of which are accessible remotely on a smartphone app (Android was demonstrated). It's just hard to fathom how useful they are without a humanoid robot capable of moving the finished wash into the dryer or putting the porkroast in the oven. And while being able to look up the contents of your fridge as you enter the supermarket sounds compelling, knowing that the owner has to manage the list manually (there's no UPC code scanner and RFID is still just a dream) tarnishes our enthusiasm quite a bit. Still, Thinq is definitely a step in the right direction. Watch LG make its pitch after the break. %Gallery-113469%
LG Thinq linqs your smart appliances with WiFi and smartphone apps
LG just exhausted 1,000 words to announce its new range of smart appliances built around Thinq technology. Unfortunately, for all the hyperbole there's not much detail about the appliances themselves. We do know that Thinq features smart grid, access, diagnosis, adapt, and food management capabilities. At the center of Thinq is the concept of an intelligent WiFi grid built around a smart meter enabling home owners to schedule the oven cook time, washing machine cycle, and refrigerator defrost at the most cost-effective or convenient times. Smart Access allows homeowners to control and monitor appliances from outside of the home and, better yet, control LG's HOM-BOT robotic vacuum cleaner to clean or remotely view the house and even feed the dog. LG's smart refrigerators can count and display the number of times the door is opened and alert home owners when the door is ajar. Alerts can also be scheduled when the ice-maker is switched off or the washing machine is off balance or a load is finished. LCD displays on LG's Thinq appliances show daily, weekly, or monthly reports detailing each appliance's energy consumption. Naturally, you can access daily totals from your smartphone or tablet as well. New Smart Diagnosis features include downloadable diagnostic information and the ability to hit a few buttons on the appliance to emit a series of tones to assist LG technicians troubleshooting problems over the phone. The food management feature works by dragging and dropping food icons around the LCD display or by using built-in voice recognition. Unfortunately, the inventory must be managed manually making this feature pretty useless for all but the most obsessive of home owners. All the appliances are software upgradeable with the ability to download new features like pre-programmed recipes and advanced wash cycles. It all sounds very intriguing but we'll have to see it demonstrated live before we're convinced of its usefulness. Until then we've got a few pics of the user interface and one of washer and dryer pair in the gallery below. %Gallery-112418%
Dryer Box hits Japan, promises to dry out soaked cellphones for $12
Chances are you've probably heard of the rice method for drying out water-logged gadgets -- and possibly been in the unfortunate position of having to try it -- but it looks like folks in Japan now have a considerably more high-tech option at their disposal: the Dryer Box. That's reportedly already found its way into some Yodobashi Camera shops in Tokyo, and promises to dry out your soaked cellphone (or other gadget, presumably) in about 30 minutes for ¥1,000 (or $12). Exactly how it does that isn't clear, but there's apparently no charge if it fails to revive your device.
LG debuts washer and dryer that play 'tunes' for problem diagnosis
LG's just outed an updated washer-dryer combo that might get us interested in learning how to do our own laundry yet. Equipped with a new tech called SmartDiagnosis, the appliance (when not functioning properly) prompts the user to punch in a specific combination sequence on the device. The washer or dryer then plays aloud a series of tones, which a technician can use over the phone to determine what the problem is. This method, it would seem, trumps having to describe what's going on to someone over the phone, and can help troubleshoot any issues that might be solvable sans housecall. They're not the cheapest laundry machines we've ever seen -- about $2,000 each -- but we'll take two, please.
Panasonic's Quick Power Dry hand dryer promises 2-3 second escapes from public toilets
Unless you're a member of the US Senate or a British pop star, most people aren't looking to linger about the dank confines of public toilets. Enter Panasonic and its new Quick Power Dry hand dryer that promises dry hands in just 2-3 seconds with the help of its 280MPH blower. That's an "industry fastest" dry-time according to Panasonic and a crushing blow (har!) to Dyson's Airblade that dries hands in 12 seconds despite 400MPH blasts of air. The wall-mountable Panny FJ-T13V1-W dryer is available now for ¥214,200 -- that's $2,280 in US monies which means you can forget about seeing 'em installed in the New York subway. [Via Impress]
Samsung's CES household appliance lineup: everything but the kitchen sink
If you thought Samsung would stop at the home theater at CES 2009, you've got another thing coming... from the kitchen. The RFG299 French Door refrigerator not only includes an eco-friendly design, high-rate urethane insulation, LED interior lighting, an EZ-Open handle and 28.5 cubic feet of storage, but it also boasts a 7-inch LCD on the outside. As we make our way down to the laundry room, we find the WF448 front loading washer, which features the firm's VRT technology to reduce noise and vibrations; better still, the included Steam Refresh and Odor Removal settings are perfect for neutralizing those absolutely rotten tees that grow increasingly rank with every passing deathmatch. No prices are mentioned, but they should fit just fine on your wedding registry.%Gallery-40654%
Hydromatic debuts "revolutionary" Dryer Miser clothes dryer technology
It's far from an out-of-the-box solution that some green(er) dryers are, but the folks at Hydromatic Technologies think their new "Dryer Miser" technology is the cure for all your clothes drying woes, and the most energy efficient solution short of hanging 'em out to dry. The key to that, it seems, is the system's reliance on hydronic technology, which consists of a specially-engineered fluid that gets heated up in a self-contained system to dry the clothes. That apparently not only cuts the energy consumption of the dryer by up to 50 percent, but actually cuts the drying time by up to 41 percent as well. As you can see above, however, it's not exactly the most elegant solution, and according to the company, it'll initially only be available as an after-market kit that'll need to be installed by a qualified technician. No word on what it'll cost though, but the company is shooting for it to be available in the fall of this year.[Via I4U News, image courtesy of Gizmag]
Invisible appliances on display
Well, not completely invisible -- that'd be downright dangerous. The stylish dryer pictured above was just one of the appliances proudly displaying its innards at the National Electronics' Innovation Station exhibit in Japan recently, apparently making use of "natural dry air" to conserve energy (we're hoping that's not a roundabout way of saying it's a glorified plastic box). Also not shy to show off its contents was a transparent fridge (pictured after the break), which looks even more suspiciously non-functional but does provide plenty of space for your various beverages. No word on price or availability, naturally, although given the chances that they'll ever find their way over here, we wouldn't suggest that you hold off on any refrigerator / dryer purchases you've been planning. [Via Engadget Chinese]
Laundry alert by TV works better than computer pop-up, SMS
Back in July, we told you about a trio of Atlanta-area families that would take a set of internet-connected washer and dryers, erm, for a spin. For eight weeks, the families lived with Laundry Time, the Internet Home Alliance's trial of washer and driers, which notified families their whites are brighter via television, PC, or cellphone. As much as we'd love to be alerted as to when our spin cycle is done by text message, it turns out that the non-gadget-on-the-brain folks don't really take to it; of the three methods, only alert-by-television seemed to work well, and most found the cellphone messages too confusing. However, one participant, Lisa Gunning of Roswell, Georgia, pretty much summed up what we long for in such a system: "I love the pop-up notifications as I tend to forget everything when I am working . . . even when I'm not watching TV, one of the kids will come and remind me." The trial basically would seem to be pretty much a bust for Whirlpool, HP, Microsoft, Panasonic, Procter & Gamble, who funded the whole operation.
Atlanta families test washers and dryers of the future
Next week, three Atlanta families will begin an eight-week trial put on by the Internet Home Alliance in which they face off against Internet connected washers and dryers in a battle of laziness and sanity. The technology in question comes courtesy of Microsoft, HP, Panasonic, Proctor & Gamble and Whirlpool, whose combined efforts have resulted in appliances that can contact you via your TV, PC, or cellphone -- letting you know when a load is finished, if there's a problem, or if you forgot to turn them on in the first place. Unfortunately, the Alliance seems to have overlooked the much-needed robotic component, which is vital for picking up your dirty laundry and hauling it down to the basement; so, as is often the case around here: no robots, no sale.[Via Slashdot]
