LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Whirlpool brand
pushes existing technology and the vision for what's to come to new
heights at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, imagining the
future of a fully connected home ecosystem. From smart products
like the first connected, donation-enabled laundry pair, to a
kitchen environment concept with smarter surfaces, Whirlpool brings
to life technology and innovations with a human touch.
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The Socially Networked Kitchen
Expanding on the
popular digital cooktop concept at last year's show, the brand is
predicting the future of the kitchen with the debut of the
Interactive Kitchen of the Future 2.0 – a concept cooking
environment and fully connected, social media hub that syncs
devices and all your kitchen appliances so everything and everyone
you communicate with is within reach using existing surfaces.
In a conceptual demonstration at the show, Whirlpool brand
illustrates what it would be like to create an interactive
backsplash and cooktop that connects you to your social networks,
favorite websites, and recipes for customized meal and guest
planning, without added devices or books.
The interactive backsplash with personalized touch screens also
enables live "chats" with mom for her secret tips and tricks, an
oven which will turn on just in time to ensure dinner is ready, and
a refrigerator that sends an alert notification when food is at its
freshest.
"We're using technology's biggest stage to showcase what our
design team does best – visualizing the future of appliance
technology that has yet to be invented and its influence on the
home," said Brett Dibkey, vice
president and general manager of Integrated Business Units for
Whirlpool Corporation. "We take special care to merge our designs
with cultural observations. A lot of people are connecting a lot of
"things," but very few are creating true consumer value. Whirlpool
brand's purposeful use of technology does not get in the way, it
points the way."
The demonstration envisions the whole suite of appliances
predicting and adjusting needs and actions based on the task. Using
information from other devices and connected appliances to assist,
the system auto-adapts to any cooking curveballs, such as using
ingredients already inventoried in your fridge, accommodating
last-minute guests tracked via GPS, even making wine
recommendations based on the selected meal – all displayed vividly
on the backsplash.
Innovation and Connectivity with a Conscience
In
addition to this unique future concept, Whirlpool brand's
thoughtful use of technology is on display in its next-generation
Smart Top Load Washer and Dryer that puts "smart" to use in a whole
new way, reflecting how modern families give and get care on a
daily basis. The Smart Top Load extends the award-winning 'Works
with Nest' collaboration in laundry. In addition to home and away
controls that help prevent wrinkles and delay cycles when energy
costs are high, the new top load triggers a quiet mode within the
Whirlpool® Mobile app while at home for a little extra peace when
you really need it. Consumers can also access custom wash cycles
direct from Whirlpool Corporation engineers. These anticipated
cycles include high performance athletic wear, comforters, baby
clothes, hand-wash fabrics and more.
What's most exciting is how this pair turns a seemingly mundane
chore, laundry, into an act of love that benefits Habitat for
Humanity through the new Connect to care™ program on the Whirlpool®
Mobile app. This connected pair enables families to automate
donations to Habitat for Humanity (a longstanding Whirlpool
partner) where every load of laundry triggers a donation based on
the families' preferences. By doing what most families do daily,
Whirlpool consumers can help other families thrive, which
exemplifies that the best technology should make us more human.
"Whirlpool has thrived for more than a century because our
innovations come straight from the heart of consumers," said
Jon Hall, senior brand manager,
Whirlpool brand. "We're committed to bringing to life technology
with a true human touch. We study how individuals give and get care
and never use technology in a product that does not provide a
useful, real benefit to the person using it."
Prior to the show, Whirlpool brand appliances won top honors
with six CES Innovation Awards, including the Whirlpool® Smart Top
Load Washer and Dryer.
CES attendees can get a first-hand look at these award-winning
connected appliances and other CES award-winning innovations at
Whirlpool brand's booth #73937 in the Family Tech Zone at the Sands
Expo Center, January 6-9. The
Whirlpool® Smart Top Load Washer and Dryer will be available to
consumers in Spring 2015.
For more information, to join the conversation and see the
company's care-centric product innovations and conceptual
inspirations come to life, visit ces.whirlpool.com and follow
#EveryDayCare.
About Whirlpool Brand
For more than one hundred years,
Whirlpool brand has been inspired by how people care for their
families. Whirlpool brand is designing home appliances that are
focused on improving how families give and get the care they need
with the latest technologies and innovations – whether that means
most flexible refrigerator storage for all types of family needs,
induction technology for efficient cooking and easier cleaning, or
laundry pairs that sense and adapt to clothes with the latest in
connected technologies. Whirlpool brand is part of Whirlpool
Corporation, the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major
home appliances. Whirlpool Corporation is also one of Habitat for
Humanity's largest corporate partners for over 15 dedicated years,
donating a refrigerator and range to every new Habitat for Humanity
home built in North America. For
more information on Whirlpool, please visit
whirlpool.com/everydaycare or find us on Facebook at
facebook.com/whirlpoolusa or Twitter at @WhirlpoolUSA. Additional
information about the company can be found at
whirlpoolcorp.com.
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SOURCE Whirlpool Brand