Connecting consumer electronics, improving wireless capability and access to broadband networks, as well as the transition to digital broadcasting are some of the critical factors that drove the design of products and services on display at the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), say show organizers.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the CES, which ran Jan. 8-11, used some 1.8 million net square feet of exhibit space in several venues. More than 140,000 attendees, including international attendance of more than 26,000 from 130 countries, viewed the latest consumer technology products showcased by 2,700 exhibitors.

During the show, more than 20,000 products were launched and Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) pointed to a convergence of consumer electronic (CE) devices on the show floor, combining existing product categories with new digital content and services to create unique, multi-functional products.

Whirlpool's Centralpark Connection lets a refrigerator serve as a docking station for electronics.

For instance, Whirlpool Corp., Benton Harbor, Mich., unveiled the Centralpark Connection, an interchangeable interface that can be attached to a Whirlpool refrigerator. Designed in conjunction with electronics manufacturer Jabil Circuit, St. Petersburg, Fla., the detachable docking station allows customers to charge and play a variety of devices such as an MP3 player, a digital photo album or a DVD/CD player. Matt Nelson, innovation manager at Whirlpool said that idea is to give consumers the ability to hook almost any electronic device to the refrigerator docking station.

Keynote speaker Bill Gates said the industry is in the midst of the Digital Decade where consumer electronics are in use “everywhere we look” and pointed to the need to improve the connections to these devices. “Delivering on connected experiences, where people are being productive, doing new creative things, where they’re sharing with each other, where they’re mobile, where they’re just playing games, that is the key element that’s missing and something that we’ve all got to deliver on to take full advantage of that hardware, and deliver on the promise,” said Gates.

As part of this “connected experience,” Gates introduced Windows Vista, which Gates says will make it easier, safer and more fun to use the PC and will play a central role in the experience. Through Windows Vista, Microsoft Office and Windows Live, consumers will connect to multiple devices and access live services.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said that the increase in broadband access is pivotal for consumer electronics. “The goal is that everyone has access to broadband,” said Martin. “It impacts the way that we get entertainment, seek healthcare and receive education. Trying to put in place a regulatory environment that allows operators to invest in broadband technology is critical for consumers to be able to take advantage of the technologies we see on the show floor.”

Wireless capabilities were showcased by individual companies, as well as industry groups promoting standards such as Bluetooth and the ZigBee Alliance. Debuting at the show was eCoupled, a new technology that transmits power and data without cords and ports. Fulton Innovation, developers of the technology, as well as automotive component supplier Visteon, electronics giant Motorola, and furniture manufacturer Herman Miller, are jointly working to commercialize eCoupled and develop standards for the technology.

Visteon demonstrated eCoupled-powered wireless charging in an automobile environment. This in-vehicle technology eliminates the need to have dedicated power cords for each portable device in the vehicle. The user places an electronic device on Visteon’s wireless charger, and power is transferred by electromagnetic induction from the charging surface to the user’s portable device at a rate comparable to a plug-in power cord. The wireless charger contains intelligence that can determine if an object is in close proximity to the charger and whether the object can be charged. Other wireless technology on display including a wireless media player from China’s largest appliance maker, Haier Group, in conjunction with a subsidiary of AOL, that can stream or download content without hooking it up to a PC. The HP TouchSmart PC, which was named Yahoo! Tech’s “Last Gadget Standing” online winner, provides one-touch wireless access to information, communication and entertainment.

A multitude of display technologies, such as the TouchSmart, also debuted on the show floor, with sizes from large to small, and even greater resolution. Pioneer Electronics Inc. showcased a 1080 p plasma television, the Pioneer Elite PureVision PRO-FHD1, which the company says is the world’s first 50 in. 1080 p plasma display. Images burst off the display for a near 3-D effect, the company says. The challenge in creating a 50-in. plasma display that could display a 1080 p signal was to reduce the pixel size by half in order to fit more than 2 million pixels in the screen. Pioneer developed the world’s smallest pixels measuring .576 mm. The depth of picture, particularly when viewing original content in 1080 p, such as a movie on Blu-ray Disc, gives a truly 3-D effect.

Sony, LG Electronics and other display manufacturers showcased razor thin OLED displays. Sony showed a 27-in. OLED TV and announced plans to bring larger screen OLED displays to market by 2008. LG showed small area OLED displays. LG’s AM-OLED A220A screens, ready for use in mobile phones, are a 2.2-inch A220A screen that boasts QVGA resolution (240 x 320) and 262,000 colors.

With all of the new technology set to replace outdated technologies, recycling of consumer electronics was a key industry issue discussed and the 2007 International CES Environmental Awareness Day was the largest ever. With a focus on the key industry issues of consumer education, electronics recycling and energy efficiency of electronics, Green Wednesday featured the launch of myGreenElectronics.org, a resource guide from the CEA.

Parker Brugge, CEA’s senior director and environmental counsel, says that the myGreenElectronics.org, is intended to be a ‘one stop’ consumer resource for electronics recycling, information about electronics' energy consumption and eco-friendly purchasing opportunities.

APPLIANCE ROAD SHOW

The Appliance Design European Roadshow kicks off again this September with visits to appliance manufacturers across Europe in an exhibition vehicle. Sponsored by appliance DESIGN magazine, companies such as Whirlpool, Electrolux, Miele, Merloni, and Indesit are on the proposed tour list. The tour is designed for component manufacturers to present their products directly to the design engineers and decision makers across the European appliance industry. For more information, contact John Aldridge at john@dream-marketing.co.uk or phone +44 1189 886823.

MIRRORED GLASS

Researchers from Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) designed technology that can make windows seem to disappear by turning clear, transparent glass into mirrors. A switchable glass is glass with adjustable transparency or color, or in this case, reflective properties. In a sample, two glass sheets of 60 x 70 cm made up the window structure, and each had an interior coating of 40-nm-thick magnesium-titanium alloy, plus a 4-nm-thick layer of palladium.

NANO MEETS MICRO

An interdisciplinary team of engineers at the Yale Institute for Nanoscience and Quantum Engineering has developed a technique using wet-etch lithography to synthesize nanowires (NWs) and integrate them with microelectronic systems. The nanowires can detect concentrations of as few as 1,000 individual molecules in a cubic millimeter.

FOLDABLE LENS

Cross-section (above) and cut-out view (below) of an eight-fold imager. Blue lines illustrate the light path. Image: UC San Diego.

Engineers at the University of California, San Diego, built an ultra-thin digital camera by folding up the telephoto lens. This technology may yield lightweight, ultra-thin, high-resolution miniature cameras for unmanned surveillance aircraft, cell phones and infrared night-vision applications. Using a technique analogous to origami, the light path is repeatedly folded, increasing the effective focal length of the lens without increasing the distance from the front of the optic to the image sensor. The imager is about seven times more powerful than a conventional lens of the same depth, the researchers say.

ENODIS ACQUIRES FABRISTEEL

Enodis plc has acquired the Fabristeel group of companies. Fabristeel, headquartered in Singapore, manufactures hot and cold foodservice equipment. Enodis is a global foodservice and beverage equipment manufacturer with financial operations based in London, and other management and technical functions based in New Port Richey, Fla.

CONAIR ACQUIRES FRANZUS

New Jersey headquartered Conair Corp., a maker of personal hair care and small home appliances, acquired Franzus Co. LLC, a supplier of travel accessories, including personal care, security and convenience items such as power converters, adapters, and luggage carts and tags.

SMALL KITCHEN APPLIANCE BOOM

The boom in home remodeling as well as renewed interest in home coffee and tea brewing are just a few of the factors contributing to continuing growth in the U.S. market for small kitchen appliances. Based on the latest market research found in Small Kitchen Appliances in the U.S., a new report from SBI, sales are expected to reach a value of more than $2.7 billion in 2010. According to report findings, the market supply for small kitchen appliances was valued at almost $2.5 billion in 2005, and has remained relatively stable since 2001. Automatic drip coffee makers are the number one small kitchen appliances purchased annually by U.S. households, while toasters and slow cookers are also a top sales appliances.

HOOVER SALE COMPLETED

The sale of Hoover by Whirlpool Corp. of Benton Harbor, Mich., to Hong Kong-based Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd. has been completed. Techtronic will assume operational control of the Hoover business, including manufacturing operations in Ohio, Texas, and Mexico. The purchase adds Hoover vacuum cleaners to Techtronic’s portfolio that also includes power-tools and floor-care appliances sold under brand names such as Milwaukee, Ryobi, Royal, Dirt Devil and Regina.

HARBINGER COMPLETES APPLICA BUY

Alabama-based Harbinger Capital Partners has completed the takeover of Applica Inc., Miramar, Fla., which markets and distributes small appliances and personal care products. Harbinger, Applica’s largest shareholder, had been in a bidding war for Applica since July 2006, when Cleveland-based Nacco sought a way to spin off its Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex unit in a merger with Applica.

BERTAZZONI EXPANDS

Bertazzoni Pro Series 36-in. gas range.

Bertazzoni, an Italy-based manufacturer of lifestyle products, has expanded into North America with the launch of a line of professional and high-performance European cooking appliances. North American distribution channels will include a nationwide dealer network. The company already has dealer networks in more than 60 countries.

SHARPER IMAGE SETTLES

San Francisco-based Sharper Image Corp. has agreed to provide $60 million worth of discounts and make several other concessions to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging the retailer misled customers about the effectiveness of its air purifiers. Sharper Image will offer $19 merchandise-credits to each of the roughly 3.2 million consumers who have bought one of its Ionic Breeze purifiers since May 6, 1999. The credits can be applied toward the purchase of other Sharper Image-branded products for a year after they’re issued. The same group of consumers also will be able to buy a grill attachment designed for the Ionic Breeze for $7.

MATSUSHITA CLOSES PLANTS

Japan’s Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. plans to close three home appliance units in Japan next year to cut costs. Matsushita, the maker of Panasonic products, said it will close its Toyonaka white goods unit and its Yamato-Koriyama appliances research center both in Western Japan, as well as its Fujisawa refrigeration devices plant, south of Tokyo. Operations from the three units will be relocated to the company’s Kusatsu refrigeration devices unit in western Japan, which will headquarter the company’s home appliances business.

SANYO AND HAIER LAUNCH VENTURE

Sanyo Electric Co. of Japan and China’s Haier Group launched a joint venture to develop and sell refrigerators. Sanyo will own a 40 percent stake and Haier will hold 60 percent in the Tokyo-based joint venture, to be named Haier Sanyo Co. The new company will design and develop refrigerators to sell in Japan and Asia.

FOCUS ON THE BASICS

Back to Basics Egg & Muffin toaster.

Vernon Hills, Ill.-based Focus Products Group, which owns the West Bend brand of small kitchen appliances, has acquired Utah appliance manufacturing company Back to Basics. Back to Basics will be combined with Focus Products Group’s West Bend Housewares division and will operate under the name Focus Electrics Group.

BOILER EFFICIENCY ADVOCATES

The Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), an energy-efficiency advocacy group, have jointly asked Congress to pass legislation establishing new federal minimum efficiency standards for residential gas and oil boilers. GAMA and ACEEE submitted a similar proposal last summer to the Department of Energy (DOE), as an alternative to standards DOE has proposed to adopt in its ongoing review of boiler standards scheduled to conclude by September. The DOE said it could not accept the proposal on the basis that the agency lacks legal authority to adopt design requirements for these products. The DOE has proposed to mandate a minimum 84 percent Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) for gas hot water boilers. The proposed legislation supported by GAMA and ACEE calls for a minimum 82 percent AFUE for gas hot water boilers plus specific energy saving design features.

DRY-CLEANING CHEMICAL BAN

The California Air Resources Board has enacted a statewide ban on the most common chemical used by dry-cleaning operations. The Board will begin the phase out the use of perchloroethylene next year, banning dry cleaners from buying machines that rely on the solvent, and by 2023, dry-cleaning machines that use the solvent will not be permitted in the state. The state’s 3,400 dry cleaners who now use it must get rid of machines that are 15 years or older by July 2010. An estimated 70 percent of the state’s dry cleaners use the solvent. The regulation would give cleaners a $10,000 incentive to buy machines that use carbon dioxide as the cleaning fluid.

EFFICIENT A/C CONTROL

In independent testing, Provo, Utah-based Raser Technologies Inc.’s Symetron FlexMod controller technology, showed up to 10 percent system efficiency improvement for an air conditioning system. The controller is designed to reduce costs and improve efficiencies in heating ventilation and air-conditioning systems.

REFRIGERATION IS HOT

World demand for commercial refrigeration equipment is projected to rise 5.3 percent per year through 2008 to $25.8 billion, with developing nations expected to register the strongest gains, according to research from The Freedonia Group. The most promising opportunities are in Latin America and the Asia/Pacific region, where faster population growth and improved standards of living will stimulate demand for commercial refrigeration equipment in markets such as food and beverage distribution, retailing, and restaurants. China will record some of the strongest increases, with demand rising nearly 10 percent annually through 2008. India will also post strong gains, as the nation invests in improving the efficiency of its food distribution network. Latin America — in particular Mexico and Argentina — will benefit from economic recovery after the early recession of the 2000s.

COOKING BEHAVIOR STUDIED

A study of the cooking behaviors of 5,000 consumers across the U.S. and Europe finds that a majority of consumer still favor cooking meals from scratch. The report, “Changing Cooking Behaviors & Attitudes: Beyond Convenience,” by the market firm, Research and Markets, found that the desire for home cooking as a showpiece event is growing, even as the overall trend continues to be a move away from traditional forms of cooking towards convenience options.

HIGH-RESOLUTION DISPLAY

Toshiba Matsushita 16-level grayscale display.

Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology Co. Ltd. has developed and begun mass-producing a high-resolution, 16-level grayscale, and highly reflective 5-in. VGA display. The monochrome thin-film transistor LCD offers the combined features of high resolution and high reflectance, and is suited for applications such as electronic dictionaries, books or operating panels of multifunctional office automation equipment.

VOLUNTARY EFFICIENCY A SUCCESS

A new study from the Consumer Electronics Association finds that voluntary energy efficiency programs are effective. The study, “Energy Consumption by Consumer Electronics in U.S. Residences,” shows that consumer electronics consume 11 percent of residential electricity and 4 percent of total U.S. electricity. The 147-page study finds several key trends have impacted energy consumption. The number of consumer electronic products per household has doubled since 1997 and the power draw characteristics of some products have changed with an increase in product performance and features. Also, some equipment such as TVs and PCs are in a more active mode than before. Despite this growth in usage, the report says that standby power consumption has decreased in part because of voluntary programs such as Energy Star, as well as technological innovation.

FLAT-PANEL CONTROL

DOUBLE-SIDED LCD

Front and back of Samsung double-sided LCD.

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has created an LCD panel that can produce independent images on each side of a mobile LCD display. Samsung’s new double-sided LCD can show two entirely different pictures or sets of visual data simultaneously on the front and back of the same screen. The LCD makes use of Samsung’s new double-gate, TFT architecture. The LCD has two gates that operate each pixel instead of one, so the screen on the front can display different images than the one on the back. The double-sided display makes use of Samsung’s proprietary Amorphous Silicon Gate (ASG) technology, which accommodates the increased number of TFT gates without increasing the size of the driver integrated circuits. The display requires one backlight, while competitive double-screen LCDs require two. One side of the panel operates in a transmissive mode, while the other operates in a reflective mode. The LCD is 2.6 mm thick and 2.22 in. wide, with QVGA (240 x 320 pixel) resolution, and has brightness values of 250 nits for the front and 100 nits for the rear display.

DUAL-FORMAT DVD

LG Electronics plans to sell a DVD player that will play both the HD DVD format, which is backed by a consortium headed by Toshiba Corp., as well as the rival Blu-ray format, backed by a group led by Sony Corp. The DVD player was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

BPL SUPPORT IS BROAD

The number of U.S. households subscribing to broadband over power line (BPL) services will increase from 400,000 in 2007 to 2.5 million by 2011, according to a new report, “The FTTx and BPL: Analysis and Outlook.” The report from Parks Associates finds consumer and competitive demands will lead to a strong growth rate in residential subscribers for BPL, outpacing other access methods such as DSL and cable over the next five years.

Yurek Named ARI President

The Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI), Arlington, Va., named Stephen R. Yurek president. Yurek previously served as chief operating officer and general counsel. Yurek joined ARI in 2002 as general counsel. He was promoted in 2006 to the newly created position of chief operating officer.

“We are excited to have a person of Steve Yurek’s character, vision, and experience leading our association during a challenging time,” said ARI Chairman Robert Wilkins. “Steve’s knowledge of the industry and his state and federal policy and regulatory experience made him the obvious choice to communicate to policy makers our positive message of Improving Life and the Environment. I, and all members of ARI’s board of directors, look forward to working with Steve to keep ARI a forward-looking, dynamic association.”

The Executive Committee also named Mark Menzer executive vice president, reporting to the president. Formerly senior vice president, Menzer has been with ARI for 15 years, and currently oversees the engineering, research, and statistics departments of ARI.