Posts in Home Appliances

Virtually waterless washing machine coming soon

Mats Lewan | Jun 19, 2009

Nathan Wrench, program manager at Cambridge Consultants, holds the nylon beads used in Xeros' washing process. (Credit: Xeros)

Just a cup of water and a bit of detergent. That's all that needs to be added to a virtually waterless washing machine from British company Xeros that's poised to hit the North American market.

The dirty job is done by small nylon beads that pull stains off garments and lock them into the nylon's molecular structure. The beads don't even seem to suffocate easily--they can continue to absorb dirt over hundreds of washes.

The technology builds on research out of the UK's University of Leeds and has been applied in a concept washing machine with the help of Cambridge Consultants.

Now, after three years of testing, Xeros, a University of Leeds spinout (forgive the pun), has struck a deal with Kansas City-based GreenEarth Cleaning. It aims to start reselling Xeros washing machines throughout North America next year. (The concept device is being demonstrated Thursday at the Clean Show in New Orleans.)
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Heinz's USB-powered microwave

John Chan | Jun 09, 2009

Whoever said the MacBook Air was useless probably hates beans.
(Credit: Daily Mail)

This product is evidence that the potential of the USB port knows no bounds. Heinz, famous for its baked beans, has come up with a microwave oven called the Beanzawave powered by a computer's USB port. This is large enough to heat up a small cup of beans such as the Hoops Snap Pots product from the company.

The Beanzawave has the safety features found in a regular microwave oven. It takes under a minute to heat up a small amount of food, perfect for single-serve snacks. Though currently powered by USB, there's a possibility the same effect can be achieved using lithium-ion batteries, which would make it perfect for campers or fishermen.

The Beanzawave costs too much to make, about 100 pounds (US$161), and so is currently just a prototype. The company says it will assess public feedback before considering this mini-microwave for mass production.

Via Boing Boing

Filed under: Gadgets, Home Appliances
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