Wireless kitchen blender

[rlz]

I saw an segment on Headline News this morning about new technology at a tradeshow. It showed a kitchen blender that is cordless. It gets its power inductively from a specific location on the countertop. If you move the blender away from the location, the blender doesn't work.

I laughed at it because I can just imagine how this would go in my house. My wife would want this new blender. I would have to replace the countertop with this new type of countertop. I would have to run AC power to the underside of the countertop. Of course, this would require replacing the kitchen sink and faucet, as well. Due to replacing the countertop, the walls would have to be painted because I'm sure there would be a noticable difference. With new painted walls, the cabinets would need to be cleaned or replaced. Now that the cabinets, walls and countertop are looking like new, the floor would definitely need to be replaced. Maybe even have to get all new appliances as well.

All for a freaking $100 blender.....

Robin

[trader4]

What makes you think it only costs $100? A Vitamix is like $400 and that's nothing exotic. They do come up with some real whacky ideas though.

[hrhofmann]

What would happen if you left a knife, for example, on the countertop over the subsurface gizmo? Would the knife start twirling around on the countertop? Could be hazardous to the body of anyone nearby, not just the wallet for initial installation (or the resulting kitchen makeover)..

[rlz]

Yea, I probably low-balled the price. I can see the convenience of being cordless, but now they are adding another point of failure into the equation. If all of the appliances go to this new technology and your countertop fails, thats a much larger problem than just replacing the appliance.

[rlz]

Here's the link to the story:

[trader4]

Yeah, it's pretty lame. There are already cordless blenders that use rechargable batteries for those that don't want a cord. I don't need one of those either. This new thing is like us hearing for years about how your refrigerator is going to be connected to the internet. Another solution in search of a problem.

[Jon Danniken]

What's lame about it? Seems to be a pretty innovative application of inductive power transfer that is already in use with electric toothbrushes and cellphones.

If you have no need for the new technology then this doesn't affect you, unless you just like complaining because it is new.

Jon

[chaniarts]

toothbrushes and cells are pretty low power, and that's used for charging. seems to me that a blender will require a much higher power transfer, unless the blender is also just being charged and has internal batteries. in that case, it won't be as powerful for as long as a corded blender.

[HeyBub]

See my earlier post on a wireless table lamp.

[krw]

Right. Many are there just to get Gee Wiz points in the news (free advertising). They're projects that are done because they can be done, not because they have any use. OTOH, often the need comes after the invention. It pays for manufacturers to shotgun ideas.

[krw]

How about some dehydrated water?

[mike]

A blender that worked on an induction cooktop would have a much larger target demographic. Where'd I put that stack of patent application forms??

[trader4]

What's lame about it? Let's start with that fact that you would need to install the other half of the blender under the counter. That enough for me. Then look around at kitchen counters. I don't know about your house, but here every counter has a drawer under it. Even if you have some locations that don't have drawers, it's going to severly limit where you could install this thing. Then, if you do install it, you have to keep that spot free for the blender. Oh, and did I mention price? What do you think that piece of junk is gonna sell for? And what exactly is the big problem here that it solves?

Not only is it lame, but so is the company showing it. "Wireless blender? According to all the other product terminology out there, it's should be called a "Cordless blender". Routers and modems are wireless. Chainsaws, vacuums, and blenders are cordless. There are even cordless blenders out there already, so there really ain't much new about this. But glad it impressed you....

[trader4]

I did a little googling and it is indeed a cordless blender with batteries. That means it just gets charged, as you say. In addition it has the feature that you get to stand on your head to try to figure out how to mount the charging half under the counter. Assuming there is room there to do so. And then figure out how to power it from under the counter. Gee, you have spare outlets under your cabinets waiting for this marvel? I have plenty of outlets above the counter and I don't see the big problem with plugging in a blender.....

Now a cordless immersion blender, that you can hold in your hand and use to blend up sauce in a pot while it's on the stove, THAT is innovation that actually does something useful. I have one of those.

[trader4]

It's not really an induction appliance like say an induction range. It just uses induction to charge the batteries, so it's more like a cordless touthbrush, with far less power than what it would take to actually run the blender.

[rlz]

On the video clip that was on TV, if the blender was on the induction spot of the countertop, the blender would work. They moved the blender about 2 feet away from the spot, the blender wouldn't turn on. It doesn't appear to have batteries in the blender.

[trader4]

That must be a different video clip than the link you provided. That one doesn't even show it working. I based my comments on the PCWorld article about the blender at CES:

"LAS VEGAS=97The Chinese company Haier demonstrated at CES on Tuesday a wireless blender powered by an electric transmitter that hides beneath your kitchen countertop. The wireless coupling technology is similar to the tech used in conductive charging mats for laptops. Just set the blender on top of the counter for a while then pick it up and blend your ingredients into liquid. "

It makes sense to me because to charge it, there is cheap consumer electronics out there already that does that, eg cordless tooth brush. The other half of the blender can be small, powered off a wall wart, etc. Still dumb in my world, because even installing that underneath a counter isn;t something I'd do to solve a non-existent problem. And then what do you plug it in to under the counter?

If the induction had to actually power the blender when it's running, it would require a far more powerful, expensive solution needing AC power, etc.

[ps56k]

we used to read our son a book -

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.....

[Stormin Mormon]

And????

I've not read that one.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.....

[Doug]

God I hate to say this but I actually agree with you 100% above. Now I need to go put soap in my mouth.