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LG's new minimalistic appliances have upgradeable features and fewer controls
LG’s latest upgraded appliances, including washing machines, refrigerators, ovens and a dishwasher, feature, well, less. It’s taking a more minimalist approach in 2023 with less showy profiles, colors and, seemingly, control glut.
LG halts all shipments to Russia
LG has halted all shipments to Russia, joining Samsung and others in responding to the invasion of Ukraine.
Official Xbox Series X mini fridges are coming
Microsoft is honoring a promise to make Xbox Series X mini fridges after winning a Twitter battle.
Watch Samsung's CES event in under 9 minutes
Want to know what Samsung unveiled at CES 2021? We've produced a video that shows everything you need to know in less than 9 minutes.
Samsung's smart home vision includes more intelligent fridges and vacuums
CES wouldn't be CES if Samsung didn't have a slew of new appliances to announce, and the longer the company invests in its vision of a connected home, the more we at Engadget wind up writing about refrigerators and vacuums. Samsung's smart Family Hub fridge, for instance, packs all of the same nifty storage options found in the company's Bespoke refrigerators, and once again lets you peek inside the fridge with a camera. There are also new tools here for the novice cook or nutritionist -- you can plot out a week's worth of family meal on a calendar for all to see, and a tie-in with a Samsung cooking app provides meal inspiration, automated ingredient ordering, and guided cooking instructions piped through the refrigerator's 25W speaker.
You can open LG's new refrigerators with your voice
LG has unveiled a new line of InstaView fridges where voice recognition can open the door for you.
Samsung’s Galaxy Home Mini is finally landing in early 2020
Samsung says it will release its first Bixby-powered smartspeaker sometime later this year. Hyunsuk Kim, CEO of the company's consumer electronics division, told Bloomberg the Galaxy Home Mini will be available to buy in "early 2020."
LG's smart home app adds voice control through Google Assistant
Many smart appliance makers' apps still require that you tap buttons to control your home, but not LG's. It's introducing Google Assistant-powered voice control to its ThinQ app (previously SmartThinQ) to steer all its connected appliances, whether it's an oven, fridge or washing machine. Yes, you can already use Assistant outside of the app, but this gives you more flexibility -- you have both voice and manual control in a central place. You could check the exact time left on the washer while telling the AC to set a new temperature.
Instant Pot joins the air fryer craze with the Vortex Plus
Now that Instant Pot is virtually synonymous with pressure cooking for some people, the company behind it is turning to another kitchen trend: air fryers. The recently acquired Instant Brands has introduced the Instant Vortex Plus, a seven-in-one air fryer that promises the company's usual versatility for more cooking modes. On top of its namesake feature, it can also bake, broil, dehydrate, reheat, roast and rotate an included rotisserie spit. You might not need to change devices if you want to make chicken and french fries, and the 10-quart capacity should be enough for many meals.
Samsung's customizable refrigerator comes in nine colors and eight sizes
Samsung wants to capitalize on consumers who value personal tastes and experiences, and they plan to do so with refrigerators. Yesterday, Samsung revealed Project PRISM, or what it's calling a "new era of customized home appliances." The first product in its lineup is BESPOKE, a refrigerator for which users can choose the material, color and size, as well as other features.
LG still bullish on mobile even though it keeps losing money
If its mobile division didn't exist at all, LG would certainly be having a better year. It managed to rack up a $748.8 billion KRW ($667.7 million) operating profit and had its best quarter this year for revenue, despite losing KRW 146.3 billion ($130.5 million) selling smartphones. While it has lost over $400 million so far this year on mobile, LG is far from giving up hope on the division, though. It expects the five-camera V40 ThinQ smartphone will lift it next quarter, hopefully to some kind of profit.
The best deep fryer
By Michael Sullivan This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full deep fryer guide here.
GE's Alexa microwave cooks when you scan a barcode (updated)
Want to know just how connected even a relatively ordinary microwave has become? Just ask GE Appliances. The brand has unveiled the Smart Countertop Microwave with Scan-to-Cook, which touts both Alexa voice control compatibility and its namesake scanning feature to speed up your culinary duties. The Alexa support is fairly self explanatory (you can use an Alexa device to add time or stop cooking), but Scan-to-Cook could be particularly helpful if you hate interpreting instructions on food boxes. You just have to scan a barcode on the packaging with a mobile app and it'll choose the appropriate time and power levels. In other words, you shouldn't risk ruining your macaroni the first time you nuke it.
LG appliances now respond to both Alexa and Google Assistant
LG has officially joined the ranks of appliance makers that support more than one voice assistant. The electronics giant has announced that its current collection of ThinQ-branded appliances now takes commands from both Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant. The amount of control you'll have will vary, of course, but there are common elements: you can make ice in your fridge door, turn off the oven or cool down with your air conditioner.
Google Assistant now gives you more control over connected devices
Google Assistant has already had control over appliances and other not-so-typical connected devices for a while, but it's been clunky and limited. You could turn your oven on with a simple command, but setting the temperature required that you launch an app first. That won't be a problem from now on: Google has enabled Custom Device Actions, or commands that let you perform hardware-specific tasks. LG's appliances, for example, no longer require that you start with "talk to LG" -- you can set your fridge temperature with a single, simple phrase like "set the refrigerator temperature to 35 degrees."
Samsung brings Knox security to smart fridges and TVs
Samsung's Knox security is no longer limited to running on phones and tablets. The company has announced that it's integrating Knox across its connected devices, including TVs, appliances and even digital signs. As on mobile gear, it combines hardware and firmware updates to catch attempts to compromise a device.
Samsung adds Bixby voice control to its Family Hub smart fridge
Samsung is fulfilling its promise of spreading Bixby beyond mobile devices -- it just unveiled a Family Hub 3.0 refrigerator whose star attraction is (you guessed it) Bixby voice control. The company hasn't said exactly what its in-house voice assistant allows, but it will personalize responses to individual voices: you can ask what's new and get your personal calendar and news updates.
LG's Alexa-powered fridge sends recipes to your oven
Now that LG's Alexa-equipped refrigerator is no longer a novelty, the company is moving on to the next step: appliances that work in harmony. This week at CES, it's introducing a range of smart appliances that thrive on sharing information to help you get things done. The centerpiece is LG's next Alexa-capable fridge, the InstaView ThinQ. While its 29-inch transparent touchscreen, webOS platform and voice control aren't all that new, its integration with your oven is. When you choose a recipe (including those suggested by the fridge, which detects what you have on hand), you can send it to an oven with Alexa support to get spoken cooking instructions. This is ultimately a luxury -- your fridge likely isn't that far from your oven -- but it's good to have your recipes right where you'll use them.
Samsung's 'AI-powered' washer is just trying to save you time
IFA 2017 isn't all about smartphones, smartwatches and cute droids. The event is also a chance for companies to showcase their latest innovations for home appliances. Samsung did its part this year with the WW8800M washer, which sports technology called QuickDrive that promises to complete a full load of laundry in just 39 minutes --typically, it's about 70. The company says it's able to do this without compromising washing performance, energy efficiency and fabric care, something that will matter deeply to people who are extra conscious of how they do their laundry. Oh, and it says AI is involved.
Google Assistant is coming to more speakers and appliances
Last May, Google opened up its AI Assistant's software development kit to the wider world of third-party smart devices, including blenders, smart locks and web cameras. At the IFA in Berlin, Google has just announced that even more gadgets will be able to integrate Google Assistant. You'll soon see the digital helper in more speakers, various appliances and home automation systems.
