Electrolux joins IoT focused AllSeen Alliance

Electrolux have joined the AllSeen Alliance. The AllSeen Alliance is an open-source project with focus on the innovation of IoT technology.

IoT stands for the Internet of Things and is a network of physical objects accessed through the internet. These objects will have technology such as micro chips embedded in them which will enable them to react to the external environment or internal states. Objects can therefore sense and communicate via the internet.

Electrolux own brands such as Frigidare, Zanussi, Molteni, Eureka and Westinghouse and are best known for products such as vacuum cleaners, refrigerators and dishwashers. 

  

Electrolux have joined competitors Haier, along with Microsoft, Panasonic, Qualcomm Connected Experiences, Sharp, Silicon Image, Technicolor and TP-Link, on AllSeen's Premier Member list. Members range from consumer electronics and chipset manufacturers to retailers and service providers with the intention to use the open-source framework as a platform for objects and devices to interact.  

The Chairman of AllSeen Alliance,  Lait Ben-Zur said in a statement:

“We've said from the beginning that only a pan-industry effort using open source and collaboration can advance the technology required to build a truly connected world. The decision by Electrolux to join with the other signature companies is an important step forward for the AllSeen Alliance and we look forward to Electrolux AllJoyn-enabled products being commercially available.”

This can provide for all kinds of opportunities such as refrigerators that can not only alert you when they are running low but also order the relevant groceries online for you. It may also provide for the opportunity to control your vacuum cleaner from home, enabling you to send instructions as to where in the house you would like to be vacuumed. The possibilities are endless.

Jan Brockmann, Chief Technology Officer at Electrolux said:

“Electrolux strongly believes that this technology, where appliances communicate with each other, with consumers and with other devices, offers a great potential to develop products and services that improve how we cook our food and clean our homes. For instance, we are working on solutions for smarter cooking, which will leverage our professional capabilities to help people achieve great tasting food with minimum effort.”

On the down side, this type of technology may carry a security risk. Providing new channels by which firmware can be hacked. The last thing you want is to have your router hacked into because the security on your refrigerator is not up to date. Problems, I’m sure, are being worked on and are constantly being improved by such groups as the AllSeen Alliance.

Background AllSeen Alliance

The AllSeen Alliance is a nonprofit open source consortium dedicated to driving the widespread adoption of products, systems and services that support the Internet of Everything with an open, universal development framework that is supported by a vibrant ecosystem and thriving technical community.

The Alliance hosts and advances an industry-supported open software connectivity and services framework based on AllJoyn technology accepting contributions from premier members, community members and the open source community.

This secure and programmable software connectivity and services framework enables companies and individuals to create interoperable products that can discover, connect and interact directly with other nearby devices, systems and services regardless of transport layer, device type, platform, operating system or brand.

#TechTuesday- GE's Vision of Future Appliances

As a follow on to last Tuesday's blog about the future of domestic appliances, I would like to share a video by General Electrics which gives an interesting and more in depth insight in to some of the concepts discussed in the blog. It provides for an exciting and realistic look in to what will be possible in the near future and how the home of 2025 will differ to the present day home.

   
Thanks for watching, for more industry news or information about us please subscribe or follow us on one of our many social media platform listed under the "Handy Links" section.

#TechTuesday- The future of kitchen and home appliances

Good morning and welcome to the blog

Today, in honor of Tech Tuesday, we will be exploring the future of kitchen and home appliances. We will take a look at the weird and wonderful ideas of the top appliance brands as well as their innovative new products and prototypes.

First off a personal favorite of mine. We were all blown away (quite literally) when we first experienced the Dyson Airblade hand dryers in a public toilet. Prior to the Dyson Airblade, drying your hands after a trip to the toilet was like being sneezed on by a mouse and often resulted in finishing the job by wiping your hands on you jeans or jacket. Well now Dyson have released the Airblade Tap which features an automatic water outlet as well as an automatic hand dryer. 

 

The Dyson Airblade Tap is currently being adopted in places such as bars, hotels and stadiums but due to its high price tag (around £1000-£1600) it is yet to be a regular feature in the everyday household.

Next a look at some ideas by Electrolux. I will begin by taking a look at the Ribbon Heater and Cooler. The Ribbon is a multi-purpose heater and cooler for portable use. Essentially it is a flexible ribbon which is used to wrap around a food or drink container for chilling or heating.

The black side provides heat and the white cools. It can be curled up and is easily portable. Controls placed on the side facilitate easy use. The chargeable thermoelectric cell battery can also reverse the charging process– whilst not in use the cells convert excess heat back into electricity. Sounds like the perfect device to take to the match to keep you pie hot and your pint cold.  

Another idea from Electrolux is the Onda Portable Microwave. It will work by sliding the device onto the end of specialy designed packages containing pre-prepared meals. The aluminum contained within the interior of the handheld device creates a circuit connection when the seal of the packaging is broken. Paper batteries are used to produce energy, making the Onda both smart and eco-friendly.

Now for a look at Electrlux's Smart Phone Operated Mobile Cooker. The heat plate can be paired and controlled by a smart phone and can be placed anywhere you wish. The smart-phone app is designed to be  used with NFC tags within the food packaging which provides cooking instructions. 

General Electrics have envisioned what the home of 2025 may look like providing an insight into what they think are real possibilities for the future of home appliances. One of the most exciting concepts, in my opinion, is the idea of a social cooking experience. "Imagine virtual experts who can help you learn to cook from the convenience of your own home or prepare great meals with friends around the country virtually. In GE's home of the future, improvements to voice recognition, motion plus facial recognition and deep-thinking technology will create "human" simulations of experts in fields like cooking. Sensors in kitchen appliances, as well as virtual cooking tutors will give instructions tailored to your skill level and interests, so meals come out perfect every time. Friends and family can even share a celebrity chef experience with a replica of a famous maestro giving instructions to make it more of a party than lesson."

Another exciting concept is the idea of a virtual closet. The idea that your washing machine can display a virtual closet from which you can choose what to wear. It could even make suggestions based on weather or what will match. You could potentially plan your whole weeks wardrobe. So no more excuses for the wife or girlfriend taking a millennia to get ready for fancy night out.  

Other futuristic ideas that GE envisage include in-sink dishwashers; induction cooking modules with interchangeable and integrated induction accessories allowing for unlimited and exciting culinary exploration, as well as more cabinet space when stored in the integrated storage drawer below; and the Smart Faucet with Hydration Sensor which dispenses filtered water, ice and carbonated water, vitamins and various beverages. Just by placing your finger on the faucet and the built-in hydration sensor lets you instantly see your hydration level.

Smart appliances seem to be a big part of the future of appliances. This involves being able to connect to your fridge or washing machine through your smart phone via Wi-Fi and controlling the appliance from anywhere in the world. You could tell you machine to run a dark wash from your office by simply touching the screen of you smart phone. You could also sync the contents of your fridge with your smart phone so you know what to buy when you go out shopping or know if your flat mate has been stealing your chicken nuggets again.

 

The possibilities are endless, and we will be with you all the way ensuring that if anything does go wrong with your appliances fresh out of The Jetsons we will have the spare part to fix it.

Thanks for reading, please feel free to leave a comment and join in the discussion. 

Why fixing appliances yourself is a great idea

Hello and welcome to the blog.

Today we will be looking at reasons why fixing broken appliances yourself is a great idea and the advantages of doing so.

Do you own an appliance that is no loner working to its full potential or has possibly given up all together? Like many of us you may be putting off getting a repair due to a number of different reasons, be it the financial cost, not having the time to wait around at home for an engineer to call or just that you haven't got round to it yet. Well..... we may just have the perfect answer. Below are some reasons why buying parts from www.sparepartsonline.co.uk and carrying out a repair yourself may be the best option for you.

1. The website is well set out and simple to use making it "a piece of cake" finding the part or parts that you require. The website allows you to search by model number, part number, appliance or brand name as well as manually via product categories and sub categories.

2. Once an order has been made we offer a wide range of delivery options including next day delivery in order to make life as easy as possible for you, the customer. Orders not selected for next day delivery will be dispatched using Royal Mail. In some instances where items are bulky and/or fragile, your order will be shipped via a courier or special delivery. Orders not received within two weeks of the date of dispatch can be declared as "lost in transit" and we will arrange for a replacement or a refund. We operate our next day delivery via one of our courier companies depending on the area of the country in which the delivery is being made. The couriers which we currently use are UKmail, APC and UPS. Any items dispatched on a next day delivery service will be traceable through the relevant couriers online tracking portal. 

3. Buying spare parts and fixing an appliance yourself can save a lot of money compared to the cost of buying a new appliance altogether or paying for an engineer to make a repair. This also means no missed days off work due to having to sit in at home and wait for an engineer to call or a new appliance to be delivered.

4. It is good for the environment. This is a fantastic reason for all the hippies out there. Fixing your old appliances instead of throwing them out helps reduce waste and minimises the amount of waste going to landfill. A repair may also help an appliance run more efficiently and thus reduce energy waste. So fix an appliance yourself and you are essentially giving the earth a hi-five.

5. It may be a lot easier than you think. The majority of minor repairs are relatively straight forward and are easy to do with a small amount of guidance. Also carrying out repairs yourself can help give you a greater understanding of how you appliance actually works which may help with any future problems.

6. Fixing things makes you look and feel like some kind of awesome superhero. There is a great sense of achievement in knowing that you have fixed something with your own hands and other people will look at you and think "wow, that guy/girl has just brought life to a machine, they must be some sort of super human".

Spare Parts Online- Advice to Landlords and Tenants

Hello and welcome to the blog 

Today we will be looking at responsibilities of landlords and tenants with regards to safety and maintenance of appliances and how Spare Parts Online can help make life easier and cheaper.

As stated in the guidelines for private renting on GOV.UK landlords have certain set of responsibilities regarding safety that they must adhere to. The landlord must keep the  property safe and free from health hazards.

Gas safety

Landlords must:

• make sure gas equipment they supply is safely installed and maintained by a Gas Safe registered engineer
• have a registered engineer do an annual gas safety on each appliance and flue
• give you a copy of the gas safety check record before you move in, or within 28 days of the check

Electrical safety

   Landlords must make sure:

• the electrical system (eg sockets and light fittings) is safe
• all appliances they supply (eg cookers, kettles) are safe

Fire safety

Landlords must:

• follow fire safety regulations - eg by checking you have access to escape routes at all times
• make sure furniture and furnishings they supply are fire safe
• provide fire alarms and extinguishers (if the property is a large House in Multiple Occupation (HMO)

These guidelines have a direct impact upon the manner in which repairs must be carried out and help establish rules for landlords and tenants.

Landlord's are always responsible for repairs to:

• the property’s structure and exterior
• basins, sinks, baths and other sanitary fittings including pipes and drains
• heating and hot water
• gas appliances, pipes, flues and ventilation
• electrical wiring
• any damage they cause through attempting repairs

Whereas it is the tenants responsibility to ensure certain aspects of the property such as equipment supplied by the landlord:

• are kept clean
• are not damaged by themselves or anyone else
• are looked after and general maintenance is carried out such as changing fuses, light bulbs and unblocking sinks if required

How Spare Parts Online Can Help

Landlords

Replacing broken appliances can not only be very costly, but is also damaging to the environment. And for a alternative to paying for a repair by an engineer, landlords may find it cheaper and easier to buy spare parts direct from sparepartsonline.co.uk and repairing an appliance themselves. This can help save a considerable amount of money and means no longer having to take time off work or wait around for engineers to attend, the repair can be carried out as and when the landlord likes. 

Tenants

Usually the accidental damage of an appliance owned by the landlord will result in loss of a deposit or a hefty repair bill. Buying parts direct from sparepartsonline.co.uk and repairing the appliance yourself can help save a lot of money and avoid losing any deposits. 

Thank you for reading, feel free to comment and let us know your thoughts.

Win a Sony Smart 3D Blu-Ray Player with Spare Parts Online

Competition Time

We are happy to announce an exciting opportunity for Facebook users. We are currently running a LIKE and SHARE competition in which one lucky winner will bag themselves a great prize.

The prize is a Sony BDP-S5200 Smart 3D Blu-ray Player with Super Wi-Fi worth over £100.

About the Sony BDP-S5200

Take your movie viewing to new heights with the Sony BDP-S5200 Smart 3D Blu-ray Player. This super quick loading 3D Blu-ray player not only delivers Sony′s best ever picture and sound quality, it′s also extremely versatile too. Enjoy your favourite Blu-rays or DVDs in stunning HD or 3D. Stay connected with the Sony BDP-S5200 Smart 3D Blu-ray disc player - Stream an unprecedented amount of internet content and services via built-in Wi-Fi and enjoy sites such as YouTube, Facebook and BBC iPlayer. Share your favourite music, video and pictures directly from a USB device or over a DLNA network and appreciate them on your HD TV. And if that wasn′t enough, you′ll be able to use your smartphone as a TV remote control or mirror content.

BDP-S5200 Features

■3D Blu-ray player

■Sony Entertainment Network
■TRILUMINOS Display technology
■Quartz design
■2D to 3D conversion
■USB playback
■Smartphone control
■DVD upscaling
■Quickstart and loading
■Built-in Wi-Fi
■DLNA support
■Miracast technology
■Dolby TrueHD and dts-HD
■High Definition audio codecs
■Colour Black

Connections
■1 x USB
■1 x HDMI
■1 x Coaxial Audio Out
■1 x Ethernet

Dimensions
■W x H x D: 265 x 43 x 199mm

■Weight: 0.9Kg

How to enter

To enter the competition simply LIKE the Spare Parts Online Facebook Page. And SHARE our Competition Post. Once the Facebook page reaches 500 likes, everyone who has liked the page AND shares the competition post will be put into a draw to win the Blu-Ray Player. The lucky winner will then be announced on Facebook. 

Links

To visit our Facebook page click here.

To see the competition post click here.

Links are also available to down the right had side of the page under the heading "Handy Links"

Thank you for reading and GOOD LUCK!

White Knight spare parts now available

Good morning all and welcome to the blog.

I am please to announce that all of our White Knight Tumble Dryer spare parts are now on the website and available for purchase. To be redirected to the site please click here.

A little about White Knight

White Knight is a branded range from Crosslee Plc. "Crosslee plc is established as Europe's largest independent tumble dryer manufacturer. As the tumble dryer specialists, the company has the experience and resources to produce over 600,000 units per year. Sold throughout 75 countries across the globe, every unit is produced utilising Crosslee's manufacturing excellence, to ensure that every client receives the highest quality dryers time and time again".

Thank you for reading and please keep an eye on the blog for exciting new updates.

Spare Parts Online - The Who, What, Where, When and Why!

Welcome

Good morning and welcome to the Spare Parts Online blog.

The aim of this blog is to provide an insight into the company and the industry in which we operate, as well as provide quality consumer advice and a source of light entertainment.

First off a little about ourselves, we are an online retailer of spare parts providing spares for a wide range of kitchen, laundry and sound & vision appliances. 

Our head office is currently based in Chester-Le-Street, County Durham and we are in the process of acquiring a warehouse in Washington, Tyne & Wear. We are a trading division of 0800Repair who are a national repair network repairing all levels of domestic appliances. 

We provide spare parts for a large range of major brands within the appliance market such as AEG, Baumatic, BEKO, Belling, Electrolux, Indest, LG, Smeg, Frigidaire, General Electrical, Fridgemaster, Vestfrost, Sony, Teka, Kuppersbusch, Hisense, Vestel, Finlux, Gorenje, Bush, Bosch, NEFF, Hoover and Miele.

We provide spares to repair engineers throughout the whole of UK and Europe to complete repairs that are both in and out of warranty. 

We also provide spare parts direct to the customer in order for them to carry out their own repairs, using instructional videos and materials which we hope to have up and running in the near future. To the customer this provides a cheaper option to replacing an old/broken appliance or paying for a repair. 

Our products include over one million spare parts and accessories from over 500 top brands and own leading brands. We provide spare parts for a wide range of appliances such as tumble dryers, washing machines, hobs, freestanding cookers, range cookers, built in cookers, cooker hoods, chest freezers, upright freezers, fridge freezers, undercounter fridges, undercounter freezers, dishwashers, TV's and microwaves.

We are currently in the process of launching the Website and carrying out promotional activities on social media platforms such as Facebook, Google+, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Please feel free to comment and ask any questions you may have.

Thanks for reading!