News Light waves and
News Light waves and direct drives power LG home LG has unveiled “The world’s first motorised dust compression system that compresses dust into compact dust wedges”. At its IFA press conference the company also presented robot vacuum cleaners, the Solar Combi convention oven that uses heated charcoal filaments as its cooking engine, and the quiet piston-like compressor that efficiently cools LG fridges. The company is also promoting a cylinder washing machine good for 78 litres and delivering a 20% reduction in energy costs. LG Home Appliances President & CEO Young-ha Lee said of the new line of products: “They are as astonishing and practical The LG line of robotoic vacuums as they are eco-friendly.” Electrolux heats up AEG Robert Jan Galema, Senior Vice-President of Product and Brand at Electrolux, presented a refreshed and revised version of the AEG brand, which dates back to 1887. “As consumers change, brands also have to adapt,” he said. “We felt that the AEG brand and its customer base were moving apart,” so we created a new logo and have formulated a compelling story around it.” Ultimately, however, brands and stories are not what really matters, Galema stressed: “Brand perception is based on the products. They are the only thing that counts in the end. We have invested a lot time, effort and money in producing AEG’s 2011 range of products.” The new line-up includes the MaxiSense induction hob and the Pro Combi Steam Oven, which Galema claimed is the biggest on the market. “The brand story I mentioned earlier is all about a superior aesthetic combined with AEG’s engineering traditions,” he added. Siemens CEO Roland Hagenbucher AEG’s MaxiSense induction hob Dr Reinhard Zinkann, Co-Proprietor and Managing Director of Miele Miele takes it to the grid Smart Grid connected appliances poised to make debut In its 111th year of existence, Miele continues to be true to the company motto ‘immer besser’ or always better: “Four years ago we introduced Liquid Wash which was widely copied by our competitors,” says Dr Reinhard Zinkann, Co- Proprietor and Managing Director of Miele. “Now we are taking that idea one stage further with AutoDos, which analyses the water and determines whether to use powder or liquid in the washing machine. I think it’s fair to say that with vacuum cleaners, the battle for the most watts is over. Pure motor power does not equal cleaning efficiency and it certainly does not equal ecological efficiency. Real efficiency is about air circuit streamlining and a good motor, and the S6 Compact delivers amazing results with a mere 1200-watt motor.” The company is once again delivering innovative products in the form of the Smart Grid connected fridge: “Our machines will save consumer’s money and also make a contribution the better use of electricity,” he says. Bosch in green product drive Consumer-electronics giant Bosch has unveiled the first Logixx washing machine to feature the intelligent i-Dos dosing system, which independently measures and adds detergent more accurately than the human hand, as part its drive to provide consumers with more efficient devices. Volker Klodwig, CEO of Bosch, said appliances such as Logixx reflect the company’s drive to “improve sustainability” across its product range. He also cited Bosch’s Green Technology Inside initiative, which explains the specific potential savings of eco-friendly appliances, as evidence of a conscious effort by Bosch to set itself apart from the “environmental mainstream”. Klodwig also underlined Bosch’s commitment to delivering “maximum efficiency” with the ActiveWater Eco, a dishwasher that requires just seven litres of water to clean 13 standard place settings. The Munich-based manufacturer also presented visitors with its first energy efficiency class A+++ refrigerator, compliant with the new EU energy efficiency label, which comes into effect in 2011. Logixx washing machine with i-Dos dosing system Siemens drives home eco-message Siemens has underlined its commitment to manufacturing eco-friendly products at IFA 2010, unveiling a flurry of product offerings that are both technologically innovative and energy efficient. The Munich-based engineering giant unveiled i-Dos, the world’s first integrated dosing system, which Siemens estimates will reduce water consumption by up to 7,062 litres per year. It also adjusts the amount of detergent used in each wash according to how soiled the garments. Siemens also launched the world’s first washer/dryer to use air instead of water for condensation, along with the new iQ 500 washers — equipped with a waterPerfect system that ensures optimum water consumption — and the ecoStar2 dishwasher, which runs on just seven litres of water and 0.73 kWh of power per wash. Meanwhile, German celebrity chief Tim Raue was on hand to give a live demonstration of the newly designed Siemens Kocharena!, which has a 20x40cm cook top and a steam cooker. EISA acknowledges Europe's finest consumer technology products 2010-2011 at IFA. The European Imaging & Sound Association will this evening announce details of its 2010-2011 European Awards. Jorge Gonçalves, President of EISA comments, “Every consumer electronics product boasts a wealth of features to attract consumer attention these days. At EISA we attempt to help consumers make decisions based on quality rather than quantity and to discern the difference between entry-level and cheap as well as between high price and high quality.” This will be also the launching point of the latest edition of SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES (SDI) - spotlighting the green products awarded by EISA, and taking a close-up look at some of the main movers and shakers in the field of sustainable development. 14
Keynote Preview ESPN leads the field in 3D sports Burns considers the risks and rewards of early market entry By Joanna Stephens Bryan Burns, Vice- President of Strategic Business Planning and Development at ESPN, is delivering today’s 3D Sports keynote, Turning The Corner From SD To HD To 3D (3pm; IFA International Keynote Area, Hall 6.3). Here, he tells IFA International how ESPN, an acknowledged industry leader in HD, is intending to replicate its success in 3D… ESPN has a long history of embracing technological innovation before the business models have become clear. It’s to our advantage that sports fans are much more savvy technologically than the general population, which allows us to experiment with a built-in focus group of our own fans and viewers. When we step up with new products, it is often in collaboration with our distribution clients and/or advertising and sponsorship customers. But while there are certainly advantages, there are disadvantages as well. Early entry often comes with a higher price tag, and business and technological advances change quickly. But on balance, ESPN likes being the leader. In Europe, HD has been a long time coming. Initially, sporting events could not afford the extra cash needed to produce in HD, although this is changing now HD production costs are coming down. So who will be able to afford to produce in 3D? That's the biggest issue with 3D. With SD/HD, at least we knew that we could pull 4x3 SD from 16x9 HD with centrecut protection. With 3D, it's a separate production process. We'll all dabble with some joint productions but our view is that, for most productions, the directing premise is so different that it will be difficult, at least for a while, to even consider a large number of productions in both HD and 3D. As with HD, there’s a chicken-and-egg situation at the moment, with a lot of producers saying, “We’ll wait until there are enough people with 3D TVs before going to 3D”; and consumers saying, “There’s not enough 3D content to justify buying a 3D TV”. How can we short-circuit this? And what kinds of alliances will need to be formed in order to drive further consumer interest? I think you have to look at the entire 3D food chain to answer these questions. The main thing that needs to be considered is who benefits and that entities that do need to step up. Our friends at Sony, from [chairman, CEO and president] Howard Stringer down, have been very supportive of ESPN 3D. Indeed, without Sony’s assistance in sponsorship, technology and equipment, it would have been a much more difficult launch. And on the distribution side, AT&T, Comcast and DIRECTV have been right with us. Going forward, we will all need support to grow the amount of 3D content that is produced. This needs to be real team effort between all of us. Quality still rules in king content’s court ‘Superb’ programming will continue to drive media consumption By Joanna Stephens Bernhard Burgener, CEO of Constantin Medien will examine how new technology is revolutionising media consumption in his 3D Cinema keynote this afternoon. So how does he believe King Content and his new princess — technology — will combine to transform the screen experience? That’s an issue that we at Constantin Medien, as an integrated media group, are heavily focused on. New technologies like HD and 3D awake new needs in consumers and in this way create new markets. With every advance in t e c h n o l o g y, n e w a n d previously unaddressed target groups also come to the fore. Take Avatar, f o r e x a m p l e — e v e n lovers of dialogue cinema watched the film, because it’s currently the ultimate screen experience. But while rapidly evolving technology is constantly creating new incentives Bernhard Burgener for upgrading the media equipment in our living rooms, King Content will continue to reign. Superb content will always be the predominant reason for media consumption. The 3D label alone will not be sufficient to entice viewers into the cinema or into purchasing 3D-capable h o m e - e n t e r t a i n m e n t equipment. What are the market sweet spots? The greatest potential, in my view, lies in 3D. Take, for instance, cinema — as I said, Avatar was a quantum leap for the whole entertainment industry. People are also willing to pay more for the added value of such innovation, with mark-ups of sometimes more than half of the normal price of a cinema ticket. We are completely behind this format. Constantin Film will shortly kick off with several promising S3D titles: Step Up 3D, Resident Evil: Afterlife and the CGI production Animals United. But we’re not just thinking of cinema —3D TV is equally important. In time, 3D will become mainstream and make the leap on to our home TVs. We have already given viewers a glimpse into this future with the opening game of the 2010 Ice Hockey World Championship in May. The match between Germany and the US was broadcast exclusively in 3D on our IPTV channel LIGA total!. From a technical point of view, the next major goal is to allow consumers to enjoy 3D content without glasses — so-called autostereoscopic 3D. www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Friday, 3 rd September 2010 15
