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Live from CES: Innovative furniture wins awards
Chairs offer booming sound, back massage
By Larry Thomas
LAS VEGAS — At last! I can use the words “furniture” and innovation” in the same sentence because two furniture companies were among the winners of the prestigious CES “Innovations Award” that are handed out at each show to spotlight cutting-edge products.
Repose, a company that distributes chairs for gaming enthusiasts, was honored for a new model called the Bonerattler that has built-in speakers and a subwoofer, and employs a wireless technology so the chair doesn’t have to be connected to the gamer’s monitor.
And Human Touch (formerly known as Interactive Health) won the award for its new zero-gravity massage chair. Judges were especially impressed with the chair’s Accupoint Detection System that scans the entire length of the user’s back and creates a map of key pressure points to target during the massage.
I tried out both award-winners — I know it’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it — and came away favorably impressed. Too bad I don’t have room for either one in my house.
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Although the 140,000 CES attendees (including more than 4,000 with press credentials) generate untold tons of garbage each day, the show is billing itself as a “green” event because 75% of the food containers and utensils used by the Las Vegas Convention Center are fully biodegradable. Plus, all of the surplus food is donated to the Las Vegas Rescue Mission.
In addition, literature for marketgoers is printed on post-consumer recycled paper with soy ink, and the Convention Center staff uses only non-hazardous cleaning solvents and soaps.
A group called Carbonfund.org has lauded the show’s efforts for making a significant reduction in its “carbon footprint.”
The green theme is found throughout the show floor itself, as well, with numerous exhibitors touting a variety of energy-saving products. Just one example is a new plasma TV from Panasonic that uses half the power of earlier Panasonic plasmas.
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As if consumers aren’t already confused by the competing flat-panel technologies — plasma, LCD (liquid crystal display) and DLP (digital light processing) — Sony has unveiled the first OLED television for the U.S. market.
For those of you who aren’t techno-geeks, that stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode. Don’t ask me to explain how OLED differs from the other three. I still haven’t figured out how to use my teen-age daughter’s iPod.
Undetermined commented:
Dear Editor, We have developed a RTA furniture design that has a reduction in weight ratio of 2.5:1 when compared to typical RTA designs on the market. I know this may sound a bit unreal but this would allow a 120 lb construction to be reduced to 48 pounds. We have a finished prototype that the lightweight design has no impact on safety or structural integrity. We incorporated and accomplished four concepts in our design: Originality, consumer safety, consumer assembly and lean manufacturing. We have attempted to contact manufacturers but fail to receive any serious responses. I ask for your expertise on how to reach interested parties. Our goals are to: seek a party of interest, protect our design, and transfer all rights. A design such as this would have a positive impact on the U.S. Market, that is keeping U.S. money in U.S. We felt that in order to create a new breed of furniture to market we had to solve the common complaints of typical RTA furniture (These complaints are generic and are not intended to reflect any one product or design): 1) Consumers, such as a single mom purchasing a 120lb (or more in weight) desk and having assistance at the store loading it but how will she transport it into the house? i) THE WEIGHT IS REDUCED by: 2.5:1 2) The assembly of RTA is difficult. Our concept on assembly has adapted to the fast paced life style and notices the consumers’ unwillingness to devote hours to construction. i) ASSEMBLY IS SIMPLE, NO COMPLICATED PARTS OR DIAGRAMS 3) When moving from one home to another, RTA furniture cannot be easily disassembled and the weight often cracks the anchoring points if not handled properly i) THE DISASSEMBLY IS EASY AS THE ASSEMBLY 4) While moving you might hit or dragging one corner and the laminate peels off i) THIS DESIGN WILL NOT PEEL OR FLAKE 5) Leave a glass of cold water without a coaster on some RTA furniture and it’s ruined and cannot be repaired. i) THE SURFACE IS UNAFFECTED BY WATER CONTACT We thank you for any help regarding this product. Sincerely, Patrick Henry Brumfield pbrumfield2008@gmail.com
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