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Dear Valued Reader,
Keep appliance DESIGN E-News coming!
To make sure you continue to receive our newsletter, please add appliancedesign@enews.bnpmedia.com to your address book or approved sender list.
Welcome to appliance DESIGN E-News -- the electronic newsletter for subscribers of appliance DESIGN magazine. The newsletter is in a fast-scan format so you can quickly keep up on all the latest happenings in the design industry.
Please let us know what you think by sending your comments to Larry Adams, E-News Editor, at adamsl@bnpmedia.com. |
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Parties Agree on Efficiency Standards (05/01)
The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) along with a nationwide coalition of energy and water efficiency supporters announced an historic agreement that will establish new mandatory federal energy and water efficiency standards, new EnergyStar levels and manufacturer tax credits for the production of super-efficient clothes washers, dishwashers, refrigerators and dehumidifiers that increase the efficiency of these products by 11% to 48%.
The agreement, which seeks legislation to implement the appliance efficiency standards and tax credits, represents significant energy and water savings for U.S. consumers. According to analysis conducted for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), which supported the negotiations, the new energy standards and tax incentives in the agreement will result in a savings of up to 3.3 Quads of energy and nearly 11 million acre feet of water over 30 years. Read more...
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Air Conditioning Industry Says Energy Efficiency Proposal Will Not Meet Objectives (5/03)
A new legislative proposal to promote energy efficiency improvements to residential and commercial appliances and equipment, such as central air conditioning, will have the adverse effect of hindering the development and use of energy efficient technology, warned Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute President Stephen R. Yurek in testimony submitted to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Read more... |
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Excellence in Design Winners Announced (4/12)
Appliance Design magazine has announced the winners of its 20th Annual Excellence in Design competition.
Entrants were evaluated by an independent panel of three experts in the field of design. The products were judged by four criteria: aesthetics, human factors, innovation, and technical merits. Read more...
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New Refrigeration Certification Program Launched (4/27)
The Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) today announced the launch of its newest certification program for commercial refrigerated display merchandisers and storage cabinets.
The new program joins 25 other ARI-administered certification programs in utilizing the globally-recognized and trusted ARI Performance Certified mark that provides consumer assurance of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) product performance. ARI’s certification programs are voluntary and open to domestic and international manufacturers of this equipment. Read more...
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CEA Finds Americans Spend $1,200 Annually (4/30)
The average U.S. household owns 25 consumer electronics (CE) products and the average adult spends $1,200 annually on these products according to a study released today by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).
The 9th Annual Household and Teen CE Ownership and Market Potential Study also reveals the most owned CE products and tracks the growth rates of popular product categories. Read more ...
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U.S. Lags Behind in Use of Contactless Payment Cards (5/07)
The U.S. lags behind in the use of banking and smart cards, according to a new a report.
Approximately 582 million banking and payment smart cards are in circulation worldwide, but only 27 million contactless payment cards were in circulation in the United States in 2006, according to Smart Cards in the U.S.: Contactless Payment Cards, a new Packaged Facts report. Read more ...
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MAY 2007 ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS
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QUALITY & STANDARDS
Integrating Biometrics
These days, there are only a few people left who haven’t heard of biometrics. This technology is becoming popular for a variety of applications where personal identity verification is needed.  Typically, this is based on improvements in security, convenience, or both.
Biometric devices are now being embedded into many platforms, including laptops, PDAs, cell phones, memory sticks, automobiles, and personal verification devices. They have even been integrated into smartcards. Over the last few years, the size, cost, and power consumption have decreased, and OEM sensor modules are available for several biometrics. Some are able to leverage existing components, such as miniaturized cameras or microphones, while others require special purpose components, such as fingerprint sensors. The latter remains the most widely used, as exemplified by manufacturer Authentec, Melbourne, Fla., which has shipped over 15 million of its fingerprint sensors. Read more ...
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DISPLAYS
Adding the Right Touch
Glass-front appliances are known to perform better than non-glass-front units in vending m  achine applications, and also promise greater performance and functionality in commercial and home appliances. A touchscreen technology that is compatible with the glass-front panel will extend the reach of these types of machines and enable further improvements in appearance and styling.
Glass-front vending machines are well-proven merchandisers. As long ago as 2001, the facilities management services company Sodexho demonstrated a six-fold increase in revenue from glass-front vending machines, which allow customers to see items on offer before buying, compared to non-glass-front units. Appliance designers are now seeking the functional advantages of a glass-front design in a wider range of equipment and environments, and are also looking to improve on the appearance of more traditional appliances. Read more ... |
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