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Archives for May 2008

Pioneer’s High Definition TV

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Pioneer Electronics announces a new line of KURO plasma displays featuring black levels five times deeper than the previous award-winning KURO.

“The introduction of this year’s KURO televisions is another step toward our ultimate goal of pure, absolute black that will fulfill the true potential and all the promise of high-definition entertainment,” said Paul Meyhoefer, vice president of display marketing and product planning, home entertainment business solutions group, Pioneer Electronics. This year, Pioneer pushes ever closer to their goal of absolute black by further reducing the idle luminance and improving black levels five times over the previous 2007 KURO models. This has enabled Pioneer to accurately reproduce deeper colors within the high-definition color spectrum.

Pioneer has incorporated six unique sound settings associated with each of the KURO video settings – standard, movie, sports, performance, game, dynamic – to ensure a customized listening experience that is specifically in tune with the type of programming on-screen.

The television employs an auto volume stabilization feature that further controls the television’s volume level when switching between different types of programming; including network shows and commercials, broadcast channels or different input types to insure each experience remains true and distinct from one another.

Pioneer has included the most advanced SRS WOW HD technology in the new KURO models by incorporating SRS Definition, a high frequency enhancement that provides finer control and adjustment to manage low, mid and high audio frequencies. The result adds to the virtual surround sound effect and produces clearer, more precise audio in mid to high frequency levels.

The KURO employs a unique automatic adjustment feature called Optimum Mode that simultaneously monitors video and room light conditions. The KURO then adjusts the picture and sound settings to provide an experience specially tailored to each type of programming.

While many consumers will rely on this unique feature, the 2008 KURO models still have the ability to switch between six finely tuned pre-set modes including: standard, movie, sports, performance, game, dynamic for consumers who prefer the ability to manually adjust their KURO television according to their particular taste.

Retail price starts at $4000.

Wood-Burning Oven

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This may not fall perfectly into the realm of appliances, but it is so cool, it has to be shared. The wonderful bread baking site thefreshloaf.com has a post about a wood burning oven built buy the homeowner for about $3000. The oven heats up to 1000 degrees to bake pizza followed by loaves of bread and then roasted meats. Not only that, it looks great:

wood burning oven

Recall: Shindaiwa Corp. Backpack Blowers Due to Laceration and Impact Hazards

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Name of Product: Shindaiwa Backpack Blowers

Units: About 23,000

Importer: Shindaiwa Corp., of Tualatin, Ore

Manufacturer: Shindaiwa Kogyo Co. Ltd, of Hiroshima, Japan

Hazard: The blower’s impeller (fan) can separate from the base and break apart, causing plastic pieces to be blown out of the machine, and pose a laceration and impact hazard to consumers. The flying pieces also can cause property damage and injury to bystanders. Note: These backpack blowers were previously recalled due to a fire hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: Shindaiwa is aware of 13 incidents involving broken impellers. One incident involved a minor head injury and minor property damage to a nearby automobile.

Description: This recall involves Shindaiwa Models EB8510 and EB8510RT. All models up to serial # 7014728 are included. The backpack blowers weigh approximately 24 pounds and include Serial Numbers through February 2007 production (S/N 702XXXX) which are located on the side label. These machines are black and blue with a red and black label that reads, “EB8510, Shindaiwa.”

Sold by: Shindaiwa dealers nationwide from September 2005 through January 2007 for about $600.

Manufactured in: Japan

Remedy: Consumers should stop using the backpack blowers immediately and contact Shindaiwa for the closest dealer location to schedule a free inspection and impeller replacement. Consumers who have registered their equipment should have already received correspondence from Shindaiwa about this recall.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Shindaiwa at (800) 521-7733 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.shindaiwa.com

backpack blower

Recall: Maple Chase Co. Carbon Monoxide and Carbon Monoxide/Smoke Combo Alarms Due to Alarm Malfunction

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Name of Product: FireX Branded 10000 Series Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms and 12000 Series CO/Smoke Combo Alarms

Units: About 280,000

Manufacturer: Maple Chase Company, of Plain City, Ohio

Hazard: The recalled alarms can sound a “double chirp”/fault alarm in the presence of CO, prior to going into full alarm. Upon hearing a double chirp, the Owner’s Manual instructions recommend a consumer take the alarm out of service, which could expose consumers to hazardous levels of CO and suffer injury or death.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: The recall includes FireX branded 10000 and 12000 series alarms with item numbers: 10000, 12000, 12000C, 12000-6, 12200, 12220, 12400, 12400C manufactured between June 1, 2007 and February 1, 2008. The date code appears on the back of the unit with a four digit year, three digit month followed by the day (ex: 2007JUN1 for June 1, 2007). Units with a manufacture date code prior to June 1, 2007 are not included in this recall.

Sold: Commercial electrical distributors and electrical contractors and builders for installation into new home construction. A limited number of units were sold at Menard’s nationwide from June 2007 through February 2008 for about $20 (10000 series) and $30 (12000 series).

Manufactured in: Mexico

Remedy: Consumers should contact Maple Chase immediately to receive a free comparable replacement alarm and make arrangements to return their recalled alarms. Consumers should not take the alarms out of service until they receive the replacement alarm.

Consumer Contact: For more information, contact Maple Chase toll-free at (888) 879-3906 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or go to the firm’s Web site at www.firexsafety.com

10000 Front and Back

smake detector

12000 Front and Back

Newly Expanded GE Café Series of Appliances

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The newest additions to the GE Café series include two counter-depth refrigerators, and a new electric range.

Refrigerators:

The counter-depth styling allows the appliances to blend seamlessly with the surrounding cabinetry, achieving a built-in look without the added expense of a built-in model.
The new counter-depth 25-cubic-foot side-by-side refrigerator is available with ClimateKeeper2™ technology, featuring a dual-evaporator system to create two zones of air circulation that help foods stay fresh. Because air is no longer circulated between the fresh-food and freezer compartments, the freezer’s cold, dry air won’t prematurely dry out foods, and odors won’t transfer between the compartments. Suggested retail price for this refrigerator is $3,249.

For home chefs who prefer the convenience of keeping produce and meats at eye level, GE will launch the 21-cubic-foot GE Café counter-depth bottom freezer with French doors. Now available with an internal water dispenser. Suggested retail price is $2,899.

Offered as a free-standing, slide-in range, the new GE Café Electric Range offers consumers without a gas line the ability to have a restaurant-inspired range. The range includes a fifth center burner and cast-iron griddle on the cooktop, a PreciseAir™ convection oven, and a double-oven configuration with a drawer that heats up to 450 degrees for added cooking flexibility. An optional stainless steel backsplash is available (model JXS80SS). The GE Café electric free-standing range (model CS980SNSS) will be available November 2008 with an estimated retail price of $2799.

GE Brings Good Things to an End – Exits the Appliance Business

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Its all about gross margins. General Electric confirmed today that they are leaving the appliance business and will sell their appliance division to the highest bidder, as part of the “most active portfolio change in the history of the company.” GE, which entered the appliance business in 1907, is closing one of its signature divisions and strongest links to its past.

The industrial division that includes appliance manufacturing has stayed steady at around 17.7 billion dollars per year, a bit over 10 percent of the company’s 172 billion dollars in annual revenue. The company continues to produce well received, high quality innovative products.

But in the face of a 6 percent drop in profit, and heavy pressure from Wall Street, the suits in the executive suite at GE Corporate have spent the last year shedding almost 60 billion dollars in divisions that represent stability rather than growth. GE decided that appliances weren’t sexy enough anymore.

Chief Executive Jeff Immelt has been under pressure to restructure the industrial and financial conglomerate, particularly since last month’s surprising report that profit fell in the first quarter.At the time, Immelt brushed off questions about GE spinning off businesses. But with an 11 billion dollar sale of its plastics division, and a 5 to 8 billion dollar sale of its appliance division, GE is quickly liquidating those core industrial divisions that might face slower growth in today’s economic environment.

Don’t be surprised if the GE nameplate soon has mandarin subtitles.

Basic Appliance Care and Safety

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If you are lucky, you rarely need to pay much attention to the appliances that run, some of them 24 hours a day, in your home. But to keep everything trouble free, it’s good to follow some basic guidelines for care and safety when using or installing appliances in your home. Handymanclub.com offers some simples steps for use with your washer, dryer, refrigerator, ranges, cooktops, even your water heater.

Ventilation and combustion (dryers, water heaters, ranges and cooktops)
• Clean the clothes dryer’s lint filter before or after each load. Check behind the dryer for trapped lint. Clear lint from the exterior vent often. Lint buildup results in inefficiency and excessive wear and can even pose a fire hazard. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), an estimated 15,500 fires each year are associated with clothes dryers.
• Use only metal ducting for gas dryers because they run hotter than electric machines. Rigid rather than accordion-pleated ducting is best for airflow.
• Never vent clothes dryers or water heaters into the house to supplement heating.

Plumbing (washers, refrigerators and water heaters)
• To prevent leaky or bursting waterlines, check washing machine hoses for signs of wear. Consider replacing rubber hoses with newer braided stainless steel hoses.
• Check the screens at either end of the water hoses and remove sediment that may have collected there. This is especially important after road construction or water-main work has been done in your area.
• Periodically check that the washing machine is soundly footed and level so the hoses and the drain hose do not come loose.
• If a dishwasher’s tub doesn’t empty after operation, detach the drain line from the household drain and clean any debris from the line.

Gas (dryers, ranges and water heaters)
• Never use an oven as a room heater — combustion pollutants resulting from fuel-burning appliances can cause illness or death. Have gas appliances serviced periodically to ensure they burn with the proper mix of air and fuel.
• Be sure all vented appliances are checked for backdrafting. (This is one reason that it’s important for a city building official to inspect newly installed vented appliances.)

Electric
• Diehard DIYers may bristle at this warning from the CPSC — nonetheless, it’s a lifesaver. Never attempt to repair a microwave oven — because they use high-voltage power, they can pose a risk of electrical shock even after they are disconnected from the power source.
• Use dedicated circuits for large appliances such as washers and dryers.
• Keep appliance cords away from hot surfaces.

Maytag’s New SteamClean Dishwasher

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Maytag has released a new tall tub dishwasher with a steam cleaning option to help loosen dirt and clean glassware to a shine. The tall tub has an oversize capacity and nylon coated racks to protect fragile stemware. A stainless steel interior helps hold heat so dishes dry faster. Options include sanitizing, delay settings and high temperature. It also has the jet clean II power module and is Energy Star qualified. It retails for around $600.

Recall: Baby Bottle and Food Warmers by Munchkin Due to Fire Hazard

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Name of Product: Deluxe Bottle and Food Warmers

Units: About 5,000

Manufacturer: Munchkin Inc., of North Hills, Calif.

Hazard: The bottle and food warmers can overheat, posing a fire hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: Munchkin has received nine reports of units overheating, several of which ignited, causing damage to countertops. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves the Munchkin Deluxe Bottle and Food Warmer with Pacifier Cleaning Basket 2-in-1 Design, model #13301 and lot number TP-1487. The product is used to warm food and bottles of various sizes. The set includes a main basket, a lift-out basket, an adapter ring, and a measuring cup. “Munchkin” is located on the front of the warmer and “TP-1487” is located on the bottom. Only warmers bearing lot number “TP-1487” are included in this recall.

Sold at: Various retailers nationwide and company’s catalog from June 2007 through April 2008 for about $20.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should stop using bottle and food warmers with lot number TP-1487 immediately and contact Munchkin to receive a free replacement.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact customer service toll-free at (866) 619-8673 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.munchkin.com

munchkin bottle warmer

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Samsung’s Flexible Fridge

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Samsung has a creative refrigerator idea. The Quatro Cooling Convertible Refrigerator allows the consumer to switch the refrigeration and freezing compartments as needed. If you plan to cook and freeze food in preparation for a big event just switch use to make room. The same applies to needing more room to cool drinks for a party. The unit has to bottom drawer that can switch modes at the push of a button.

The refrigerator is a french door style with each compartment controlled and cooled separately with its own evaporator and fan. The bottom two drawers adapt to become refrigerators as needed.

Here are some basic specifications:

Capacity Net Total 24.8cu.ft.

Dimensions
Net Width 35.7″
Net Case height w/ hinge 69.7″
Net Depth w/ door handle 33.1″

Cooling Features Cooling System Quatro Cooling

Freezer Features Icemaker

Exterior Features Display & Control Digital LCD

Color Stainless Steel