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Samsung Launches Zipel Grande Style 8000 Premium Refrigerator

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Samsung Electronics announced the launch of the company’s latest premium range of refrigerator, the Samsung Zipel Grande Style 8000.

The new double door refrigerator has been designed for a high performance, that comes with a better insulation and power efficiency. The Grand Style 8000 comes with a large capacity of 800 liters which features the latest cooling technology and is equipped with anti-bacterial ion purifier to keep all your food stuff fresh. 

The Samsung Zipel Grande Style refrigerator will be available in two variants - 800 ℓ and 802 ℓ, with a price ranging from 2.05 to 2.2 million won (US $1,820 to US $1,950).


LG launches Korea’s largest Fully Automatic Washing machine

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LG Electronics, one of the world’s leading company for electronic appliances, today unveiled Korea’s largest capacity fully automatic drum washing machine.

The new washing machine comes with a 19kg capacity and is powered by Direct Drive (DD) motor that provides a high-precision motion control technology. The product also features built-in heater for temperatures up to 60℃, 6 motion technology, Power spray that reduces water usage to 22.4%, and is 12.4% more energy efficient than the regular washing machines, consuming just 10wh/kg.

The LG fully automatic washing machine (Model: T4927V0Z) is now available for a price of 1,239,000 won (US $1,100).

Philips launches AirFryer with Rapid Air Technology in India

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Philips has launched AirFryer in Inida which reduces the need for oil for cooking and makes it possible to cook using just air. The AirFryer is equipped with Philips’ patented Rapid Air Technology that uses fast-circulating hot air to create great-tasting fried food containing up to 80% less fat and is a healthy alternative to traditional frying.

Features of Philips AirFryer

  • Adjustable temperature control for the perfect result
  • Recipe booklet full of inspiring recipes and tips and tricks
  • Food separator to fry different dishes at the same time
  • Rapid Air technology fries the tastiest food without the oil
  • Timer with ready signal and auto shutoff
  • Integrated air filter keeps your kitchen fresh and clean
  • Dishwasher-safe parts for easy cleaning

The Philips AirFryer comes complete with a recipe book containing 25 delicious recipes keeping in mind the Indian palate and is priced at Rs. 14,995. It is available at leading premium retail chains across Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Indore.

Benq Joybook GP2 projector review

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The Benq GP2 is a part of the new breed of miniature LED projectors which provides portability and has multimedia features built into it.

The projector comes with multiple inputs including those for iPods and iPhones, making this the perfect way to view your photos and videos on a large screen.

Box Contents

The GP2 projector ships with a carrying case. Cables and power supply unit can all fit into the carrying case.

Contents:

  1. Joybook GP2 projector
  2. Connector cable
  3. Power adaptor
  4. Quick start guide
  5. Carrying case

The total weight is just under 600gms making for a very lightweight and portable package.

Hardware

The front of the projector has the lamp opening with a grille on the side to allow for ventilation.

Over at the back we have an SD card slot alongside the ventilation grille and speaker. The projector has about 2GB of storage available internally and takes full size SD cards.

The right side houses a range of ports including USB, mini USB , mini HDMI, audio in and a headphone jack. A major concern for us is that the projector uses a proprietary connector for VGA and composite input.

You do get a cable bundled in but given how the projector would be used in a lot of business settings and pre-wired offices, this is a major hurdle.

You can find the focus ring on the left side of the projector while the top of the projector has an iPod / iPhone dock which can charge as well as display content from supported apps. Worth noting is that you won’t be able to use the iPhone 5 or latest generation iPods with it unless you get a lightening connector adaptor.

Above the iPod dock are the controls for the projector arranged in a circle. The capacitive buttons offer no feedback and end up causing a lot of frustration when trying to set up the projector in the dark.

Projection

We mentioned the issues with proprietary connectors and capacitive buttons earlier but all that can be ignored to an extent if the projector does its main job well. With a resolution of 1280x800and a maximum brightness of 200 lumens, we weren’t expecting much from the GP2 but we were in for a surprise.

The LED DLP GP2 is a versatile little projector which definitely suffices to watch movies and give presentations. The low brightness means that you will have to dim the room as it just isn’t sufficient to provide a usable image in a bright room.


It is possible to correct the white balance according to the color of the wall and this definitely improves the image quality. Colors are generally bold but not necessarily accurate. We doubt anyone will be using this projector to accurately judge photos and for its target market, this shouldn’t be a problem.

Text is sharp and easy to read. The projector does suffer from a bit of inconsistent focus in parts of the screen. Movie watching is a fairly enjoyable experience though the non HD resolution does mean that you won’t be blown away by the image quality.

The projector itself supports playing back MPEG4, MJPEG, H.263, XVID, MKV, OGG, FLAC, MP3 and WMA content which is a very exhaustive list to say the least.

Conclusion

The Benq Joybook GP2 is a versatile projector which offers a good balance between image quality and portability. The iPhone dock and wide range of connectors are a boon mildly let down by the use of the proprietary jack. We were fairly satisfied with the image quality of the projector as well as the resolution which is higher than some of its competitors in the pico projector category.

Pros

  1. Good image quality
  2. Codec support
  3. Battery option

Cons

  1. Proprietary connector
  2. Controls and UI could be better

 

 

LG HOM-BOT Square Robotic Vacuum Cleaner announced

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LG HOM-BOT Square

LG has announced their new HOM-BOT Square robotic vacuum cleaner. The new HOM-BOT Square vacuum cleaner would offer improved cleaning that the previous generation vacuum cleaner, with the new Corner Master feature that has improved sensors and two longer brushes to reach hard-to-get-to places effortlessly. It has Ultrasonic and infrared sensors to detect objects within a 180 degree field and Dual Eye 2.0 cameras that can map the room even in dark. It operates at a very low noise of 60 dBA and is just 89 mm tall.

The Corner Detecting Sensors enable the smart cleaner to find its exact location in the home, telling it when to turn or if it has reached the edge of a room. The Dual Eye 2.0 cameras takes several images per second to map the room, offering faster and more efficient cleaning route.

The HOM-BOT Square also has learning function which enables it to recognize areas it has previously cleaned. The upgraded HEPA 11 filter enables it to separate dust particles from the air more thoroughly and removes unpleasant odors. It has Turbo Mode to manually adjust the settings based on the room, while the Smart Turbo Mode automatically detects the type of the room and the floor.

Other features include, Voice Guidance with over 90 voice alerts, Smart Diagnosis to troubleshoot problems and an improved battery for s longer operation time. LG would showcase the HOM-BOT Square robotic vacuum cleaner at CES 2013 in Las Vegas from 8th to 11th January.

LG announces CES 2013 Smart Home Appliances line-up with Smart Control using Wi-Fi, NFC

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LG Smart Appliances 2013

LG has announced range of Smart Home Appliances that would be showcased at Consumer Electronics Show 2013 in Las Vegas, next week. These appliances include, Smart Refrigerator, Smart Washing Machine and Dryer and Smart Oven to remotely control them using simple voice commands via smartphone and monitor the appliances using smart suite application. The Smartphone can connect easily just by scanning NFC Tag-on symbol on these LG smart appliances.

These devices include LG’s Smart Technologies such as Smart Manager, Smart Diagnosis, Smart Access, Smart Adapt and Smart Grid. LG announced HOM-BOT robotic vacuum cleaner earlier this week that also comes with remote scheduling, on-screen and voice controls using smartphones.

LG Smart Refrigerator

The LG Smart Refrigerator has Smart Manager to mange food, input various foods and check their expiration dates using LCD panel or the Smartphone app. It also recommends meals to cook based on the ingredients in the refrigerator. LG Smart Diagnosis for the smart products has been upgraded to self-assess problems and inform the user about it. The Smart Grid features automatically adjusts temperature and settings providing a energy-saving solution.

LG Smart Washer Dryer

The LG Smart Washing Machine has Wi-Fi / NFC Tag Smart Diagnosis for troubleshooting. Smart Adapt lets you download new washing cycle programs via smartphone or directly from the washing machine’s LCD panel. The Smartphone app enables users to monitor the overall status of the washer and dryer, control them, get popup alerts when wash or dry cycle has been completed.

LG Smart Oven

The LG Smart Oven has Smart Access, Smart Adapt and Smart Diagnosis to monitor the status of their ovens, search for recipes, set cooking modes and diagnose problems. LG would showcase all these home appliances at CES 2013 in Las Vegas, next week.

Westinghouse to show off 110-inch LED Ultra-High Definition TV at CES

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Westinghouse TV

Westinghouse Digital has announced that they would showcase a 110-inch 4K Ultra-High Definition LED TV at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week. Westinghouse Digital was one of the first companies to release 1080p TVs few years back.  The company also plans to showcase 50-inch, 55-inch and 65-inch 4K LED models with native 120 Hz refresh rates.

The Westinghouse 4K TVs offer 3840 x 2160 pixels of resolution, two times more than the resolution in 1080p TVs that has 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. The 50, 55 and 65-inch 4K TVs would be available in the U.S in Q1 2013. The 110-inch 4K LED TV would be available as a custom order in Q1 2013. No details about the pricing yet.

Westinghouse would showcase all the LED TV models at CES from January 8th to 11th, 2013. We will bring you images and more details about the TVs from the CES next week.

via: TV Predictions

Hands-on with LG’s new Smart Refrigerator and Smart Washing machine/Dryer

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lg-washing-machine-9

LG just finished its CES press conference a while back and let us go hands on with three smart home appliances that were launched along with the 55 inch OLED TV, the UHD 4K TV range and the Hecto laser 100 inch projector TV. Smart appliances have been a work in progress for the past two years but they never have worked as well as they are now. These new home appliances can talk with your smartphone or your tablet through various innovative methods, including the involvement of NFC and Bluetooth for what LG calls “Smart sharing”.

smart-appliances

What’s nice about these smart appliances is that they can interact with your smartphone or your tablet and keep you updated with respective information. Using NFC, it is made much simpler because instant bluetooth connectivity will just help in sharing information between them faster and easier.

This is the smart fridge that can run small apps like memo, Google calendar, Accuweather etc -

lg-refrigerator-1

 

lg-fridge-2

Here’s the smart washing machine that has a touch screen input for various tasks -

lg-washing-machine-10

And like the smart washing machine, there’s also the smart dryer -

lg-washing-machine-2

Are these going to make our lives smarter? To an extent yes, but with non standard protocols and methods being spread across different manufacturers, it would need some discipline and harder integration with standards based technology to make appliances really smart and open. Take a look at the entire gallery below -

lg-washing-machine-5 lg-washing-machine-10 lg-washing-machine-2 lg-washing-machine-1 lg-washing-machine-4 lg-washing-machine-3 lg-refrigerator-1 lg-washing-machine-9 lg-washing-machine-6 lg-fridge-2 lg-washing-machine-7 lg-washing-machine-8

Bharadwaj contributed to this report. With inputs from Varun and Parth


LG HOM-BOT Square Robotic Vacuum Cleaner Photo Gallery

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LG HOM-BOT Square-5

LG unveiled the HOM-BOT Square Robotic Vacuum Cleaner last week, and we got to check it out at the CES 2013. It offers improved cleaning that the previous generation vacuum cleaner, with the new Corner Master feature and two longer brushes to reach hard-to-get-to places effortlessly.

LG HOM-BOT Square-2

It has Ultrasonic, infrared sensors and the Dual Eye 2.0 cameras maps more efficient cleaning route. It operates at a very low noise of 60 dBA.

LG HOM-BOT Square-4

The device comes with a remote control to control it manually, change the modes, run diagnosis and the lithium battery in the vacuum cleaner offers longer life time. It also has WiFi and the Smart Control app enables users to remotely schedule the HOM-BOT to clean the home. It can also be  operated from an LG Smart TV.

LG HOM-BOT Square-3

It has automatically charges the battery with the wall socket when the battery runs out, and starts once again starts cleaning the house from where it has stopped. The Ultrasonic sensors detects obstacles to avoid collisions.

LG HOM-BOT Square-8

The upgraded HEPA 11 filter separates dust particles from the air more thoroughly and removes unpleasant odors.  It can also clean mats and microfiber cloths, apart from the floor.

Here is the entire gallery

LG HOM-BOT Square-11 LG HOM-BOT Square-10 LG HOM-BOT Square-9 LG HOM-BOT Square-8 LG HOM-BOT Square-7 LG HOM-BOT Square-6 LG HOM-BOT Square-5 LG HOM-BOT Square-4 LG HOM-BOT Square-3 LG HOM-BOT Square-2 LG HOM-BOT Square-1 LG HOM-BOT Square

Srivatsan also contributed to this report along with inputs from Varun and Parth.

Phillips Hue personal wireless lighting system gets an API

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philipshue

The Phillips Hue is a personal wireless lighting system. It has three bulbs and a router and you control the mood and the ambience of all the three bulbs using an app on your iPhone or the iPad. In case you are wondering how this works, watch the video below -

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVlPM3FajuA[/youtube]

Awesome, right? Phillips, apart from doing their own app, have now opened up their APIs and released some references and libraries for the iOS SDK so that developers can take advantage of the lighting system in their apps. Phillips lighting claims that the Hue is a lighting revolution, in which personal lighting is increasingly personal. And the most interesting thing is that these bulbs are promoted by Apple in their own stores. The bulbs look really slick and offer great light manipulation, as they are made of LEDs.

Now with the new APIs, one can create apps that take advantage of the bulbs and the whole ambience. For example, we can have music apps with whole immersive experiences, games that can indulge you with the ambience etc.  Sound really exciting, as the prospects of home lighting have really improved. The bulbs are available for 199$ for a set of 3 and a wireless router. Additional bulbs will cost 59$.

Diving into the technical bits of the Hue, it is based of the Zigbee LightLink standard which is open and can communicate with each other as well as with other devices like the router and other Zigbee based devices. Zigbee is preferred over WiFi because of low standby power, broader range and versatility. The already provided Hue app has in built preset modes that supports various modes of ambient lighting.

Talking of the developer response -

“The response Philips Hue has received from the development community has been incredibly positive and we aim to continue redefining the possibilities of light by enabling developers to create apps that customers want and need,” said Kevin Toms, SDK Designer and Developer Advocate of Hue’s software developers’ platform. “Already Hue is sparking a digital revolution in home lighting, as well as becoming an important step towards automated, connected homes, allowing it to further integrate with our world and simplify our lives.”

So, what do you think? Will you buy one if it is available here? Do let us know in the comments section below.

Also, if you are an iOS developer looking at developing apps with integration of the Hue, look here.

 

Samsung introduces new Premium Side-by-Side Refrigerators in India

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Samsung RS554NRUA and RS21HSTWA

Samsung Electronics (India), today launched two new premium Side by Side (SBS) refrigerator models as RS554NRUA and RS21HSTWA to its lineup in India. Samsung’s proprietary Twin Cooling technology has been used in both models that keeps freshness of food for longer period. The Digital Inverter Compressor used in both models, significantly reduces energy consumption.

Regarding the launch, Mahesh Krishnan, Sr. Vice President, Consumer Electronics, Samsung India said,

With their refined curves, premium finish and contemporary styling, the RS554NRUA and RS21HSTWA fit right into every home, whatever the surroundings. They deliver on the promise of superior performance coupled with energy efficient operations

Both the SBS refrigerators designed to complement any modern decor with their recessed handles, beverage stations and trim-less glass designs. The RS554NRUA comes with a White Shiny River pattern glass exterior, while RS21HSTWA boasts of a sophisticated Camellia White Floral pattern design.

The speciality Twin Cooling System that is part of both the SBS refrigerators, operates two independent fans and evaporators for refrigerator and freezer compartment. Twin Cooling System can work to maintain higher humidity of up to 43%, as well as prevent mixing of odors. There is also the Multi Flow feature which works with small vents over each shelf, so it can maintain the same temperature throughout the refrigerator which helps food to stay fresh for much longer periods.

Then there is Digital Inverter Compressor (DIC) from Samsung which utilizes a Smart Sensor System and five convenient RPM speeds to deliver up to 24% more energy efficiency while significantly reducing noise. The company claims that this high tech compressor adjusts cooling as the consumer’s usage pattern and also adjusts temperature levels to maximize the freshness of food. To reduce noise significantly, DIC makes adjustments to its RPM speed. Samsung is giving ten years of warranty on this high tech compressor from the date of purchase of any mentioned refrigerators.

Other prominent features of both the SBS refrigerators are

  • Bigger vegetable drawers, three tier boxes with humidity control for extra storage space for vegetables, fruits and desserts.
  • Dairy Guard with a transparent lid, ideal for easy view of stored dairy products.
  • Gallon Guards can store extra gallon-sized bottles and containers.
  • Brightly illuminated Dual Tower LEDs which covers every corner of the refrigerator so it’s easier to find items. It doesn’t emit any heat and uses less energy than conventional bulbs, both of which help to lower the electricity bill.

The Samsung  Side by Side (SBS) refrigerator RS554NRUA1JN with a capacity of 591L is priced at Rs. 88,500, while the RS21HSTWA with a capacity of 600L and is priced at Rs. 77,500.

Samsung to showcase 25kg fully automatic washing machine and drier at CES 2014

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Samsung Washing Machine WF56H9100A

Samsung has announced that they would show off the company’s largest capacity premium drum, fully automatic washing machine and drier at the CES 2014 next month. It boast the largest capacity of 5.6 Cu.ft or 25kg. The washer cuts down on the frequency of laundry by 20% per year.

The Samsung washing machine (WF56H9100A) would was cloths large cloths effectively with its large drum and the detergent would penetrate the cloths properly to give an effective wash. It can wash and rinse from top to bottom, giving a powerful stream of water through the cloths. The laundry-balanced low-vibration technology (VRT Plus) offers a fleet of 30-minute rapid wash for a quick wash. The Aqua Jet washing capacity with low-vibration technology doesn’t make much noise.

Samsung Drier DV56H9100

The Samsung drum washing machine and dryer sets (DV56H9100), pumps air rapidly to dry the cloth and a small amount of steam generated, eliminates the static and odor, making the cloths fresh. The high-capacity dryer (DV56H9000) dries the small amount of laundry in 5 minutes. These products are mainly aimed for North American markets.

 

LG to show off new 4-Door, 3-Door and Side-by-Side refrigerators with Door-in-Door feature at CES 2014

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LG REFRIGERATOR LMX30995

LG Electronics has announced that they would show off new French-door and side-by-side refrigerators with innovative Door-in-Door feature at 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas next week. These new energy efficient model would keep your food fresher for longer and the user-friendly Door-in-Door feature would  maximize convenience, says LG.LGS REFRIGERATOR_LMX30995

Highlights of LG 2014 Refrigerators

  • Door-in-Door and More Convenience – Lets you reach frequently sought after food and beverage items and also helps reduce cold air loss from escaping the main refrigerator compartment. Helps to keep food fresh longer.
  • Inverter Linear Compressor and More Freshness –  LG’s proprietary Inverter Linear Compressor enables the refrigerators to provide industry-leading energy efficiency andfreshness, reduced noise levels and superior durability.
  • Slim SpacePlus Ice System – Provides more shelf space and enough room for handy door bins without increasing the outer dimensions of the refrigerator.
  • Smart Diagnosis - Allows call center representatives to quickly diagnose the issue over the phone. Smartphone app allows homeowners to record and analyze signals from the refrigerator for immediate advice on repair options.
  • Fresh Air Filter – Uses forced air circulation and a dedicated fan to make sure the air inside is kept fresh and odor-free.
  • Smart Pull Handle – Makes it possible to open the freezer door with a minimal amount of effort.

LG would showcase 4-Door French-door Refrigerator (Model LMX30995), 3-Door French-door Refrigerator (Model LFX32945), 3-Door Refrigerator (Model LFX29945) and Side-by-Side Refrigerator (Model LSC22991) at the CES 2014 from Tuesday, January 7 through Friday, January 10.

LG to unveil Smart Hom-Bot Vacuum Cleaner in CES 2014

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Among the many devices that LG is set to announce at CES 2014, an interesting device is the new Smart Hom-Bot Vacuum cleaner. The smart vacuum cleaner is called Smart Hom-Bot Square and model number is VR6370VMNC and it will improve the cleaning performance when compared to normal vacuum cleaners. The unique features of Smart Hom-Bot Square are Smart Control, Cleaning History, Smart Diagnosis™, Software Update and can be controlled via Smartphones.

LG SMART HOM-BOT SQUARE

Smart Hom-Bot Square comes with Corner Master technology that has two long brushes, corner detecting sensors and an unique shape. The new angular form and redesigned brushes that are more than a centimeter longer than on the previous HOM-BOT, the Smart HOM-BOT SQUARE helps to remove dust and dirt from tight corners much more effectively. In addition to long brushes, corner detecting sensors helps the vacuum to know its exact location in the home and directs it to change its direction when it has reached the edge of a room.

LG Smart HOM-BOT Square Smart Control

While most smart vacuum cleaners are equipped with a single camera, the LG Smart Hom-Bot Square comes with a couple of Smart Cameras for faster and better cleaning performance. Based on the images captured, it creates a smart map and combined with its sensors, it provides a collision free path for the vacuum cleaner. The LG Smart Hom-Bot Square can be controlled via smartphones so that the users wont have to be around they need to switch it on and off.

LG WebOS Smart TV First Look

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LG webOS TV

Sometime during the starting of 2013, LG had purchased WebOS from HP. Speculating on this acquisition, the tech industry hoped for a WebOS based smartphone from LG, but there was no information about any WebOS devices until the end of the year. Towards the end of 2013, there were leaks and rumors suggesting that LG is working on a Web OS based TV. At CES 2014, LG went ahead and announced their Web OS based smart TVs. We went hands on with their webOS powered smart TV and you can check out the video right below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyT5P0FvBIE

The new refined Web OS for smart TVs keeps the familiar card based UI. The past smart TVs weren’t really getting anywhere and hence LG sought out a solution through WebOS. Developing apps for the platform is relatively easy and we should be seeing a range of apps in the near future. The card based UI has important items and apps listed in the bottom bar on the home screen. Interaction takes place through the use of IR based magic remote and a cursor on the OS.

LG webOS TV

WebOS featured multi-tasking and so LG has kept that feature as well. Thanks to WebOS’s multi-tasking, the users can switch between Smart TV content and Live TV in a snip and also run both of them simultaneously. At LG’s press conference, Netflix app for WebOS Smart TV was demonstrated and it worked smoothly and had native UI. LG promises that WebOS will be the smartTV OS in almost 70% of smart TV that it ships during 2014.

Image and Video credits to Sandeep and Varun


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