Simplicity was considered bland and ordinary in a time when only outlandish designs and brand-new technology were the pinnacles of innovation. But when it comes to home appliance design, subtle might not be such a bad thing after all. Samsung Electronics found Flat Style as the perfect way to understand and interpret the essence of a product in terms of simplicity rather than complexity. Flat Style, the design on which possibilities of diverse experiences for users are finely stacked up, is now redefined beyond the dictionary definition of ‘pedestrian’.

Lines and Surfaces, Creating Harmony with the Surrounding Space

Flat Style first begins with minimalism, which is about seeking completion in simplicity. The flat, handle-less refrigerator door reminds us of the beauty inspired by simple lines and clear-cut surfaces. This is the result of relentless contemplation on the essence of kitchen appliances as a visual component that brings completion to the kitchen space.

Indeed, Flat Style pursues harmony with space. The straight lines of the wall, floor, and kitchen counter become one with the flat frontal surface of the refrigerator. The refrigerator’s size has been designed with the depth of the kitchen counter in mind, so that the fridge fits in perfectly without any protrusions when it is placed in the kitchen’s fridge cabinet. Furthermore, the refrigerator is designed with convenience in mind, allowing users to comfortably open and close the fridge door even when it’s placed inside the cabinet.

Sturdiness and Geometric Beauty Put All Together

Look at the stainless-steel finish that has been applied over the exterior of the refrigerator. The use of Flat Style here adds credibility to the kitchen with its sturdiness. The metal helps maintain exceptional durability and elevates the classiness of the space it occupies with its exquisite and delicate glow. The handle and internal shelves of the fridge have also been designed to continue the metallic look and feel, altogether establishing a consistently solid impression of the refrigerator overall.

Flat Style adds an aesthetic taste to a kitchen appliance as if it were a piece of sculpture. The exterior of the refrigerator has been instilled with the aesthetic beauty that is derived from simple forms so that its design blends well with modern interiors. The placement of the door and handles that resemble the majestic skyline of high-rise buildings creates an image of two pillars vertically stretching down to form a Column design. With just the bare minimal combination of such simple lines, you can feel a sense exquisite class.

‘Maintaining the Straight Lines’ – Beauty Inside and Out

There’s a seamless flow that comes with designing kitchen appliances with Flat Style. It’s a sense of cohesion that is evident from the insides to the outer edges of the exterior. The Flat Style strives for simplicity, and this notion is reflected in the fine details of the internal design. The corners of the internal space are shaped closely to a perpendicular angle to form a spatial form composed of straight lines, which maintains the aesthetic simplicity of the exterior body. Simply put, Flat Style makes the final touch on the consistent aesthetic appeal that penetrates the product from the inside-out.

Usability Enhanced with Thoughtful Functions and Design

As stunning as the refrigerator is, it’s important that everyday usability is always considered from the outset. The little things can make a big difference.

Controls that aren’t frequently used have been relocated to the inside of the refrigerator to remain out of sight. The water dispenser is also simplified to only feature buttons for frequently used functions such as choosing between water or selections of ice, while the rest of the functions are combined with the internal display.

The RB8000’s Kitchen Fit design minimizes the thickness of the refrigerator door while securing 100L more in max capacity compared to other refrigerators of the same size. In addition, the RS8000’s slanted shelf handles are applied with oblique strokes for users to comfortably pull the shelves without hurting their wrists.

In a world filled with unconventional, unique ideas and over-to-top expressions, the power of simplicity becomes more prominent. Samsung Electronics strives for functional designs that express beauty in the essence of things and simplicity conveyed through perfect form that prioritizes the fundamentals. Samsung’s definition of Flat Style is a kitchen appliance that organically communicates and harmonizes with its space through pure and timeless simplicity that is free of all complications.

Why Does the Family Hub Evolve to be Personalized?

The refrigerator is the most frequently used appliance in many households. However, as the refrigerator evolves into a smart device, each family member may also want different functions and information that suit their individual tastes. So the 2018 Family Hub uses AI to offer ‘personalized’ services.

The new Family Hub that will be introduced this year has a new feature called Meal Planner. It suggests optimal recipes for the user based on their food ingredient preferences and the expiry date of the ingredients in the fridge. Previous models of the Family Hub had a voice recognition feature. The 2018 Family Hub builds on that with a new VOICE ID feature that can identify a user by his or her voice. No other refrigerator on the market today supports these functions.

Catering to the Needs of Every Member in the Family

VOICE ID does more than just recognize what the user says. Previously, you had to manually enter information into the Family Hub to call up your personalized calendar or weather. Now, because it can determine who is actually speaking, it can call up user-specific information with just your voice.

After registering the sound of each family member’s voice, Family Hub analyzes the voice data to distinguish the speaker’s voice from other family members who have registered their voices. When you say, “Hi Bixby,” the Family Hub determines whose voice it is based on information stored in the cloud. ”Hi Bixby” is a trigger phrase that gets the fridge ready to recognize the user’s voice and reverts to the custom settings and features for that person.

Family Hub has three functions that can be personalized: Morning Brief, Calendar, and To-do List. If you say, “What’s new today?” after saying “Hi Bixby” to make the fridge recognize you, the Family Hub shows a personalized schedule.

Meal Planner’s Smart Algorithm Suggests the Optimal Diet

Not everyone in the family has the same eating habits or preferences. The 2018 Family Hub combines data from individual food preferences and shelf life for ingredients in the fridge to provide each family member with a personalized diet.

The 2018 Family Hub can hold information about the food preferences of each family member, and keep track of the expiry date of your ingredients based on the average shelf life. You can add the expiry date by entering the type of ingredients into your Family Hub or smartphone app, or just by saying out loud, “I’m going to put in an apple.”

Family Hub features a sophisticated algorithm that automatically suggests appropriate menus from a variety of recipes.

Personalized Recipe Recommendations Based on Data Analysis

The 2018 Family Hub employs AI-based technologies so that it can analyze data on each family member and selectively utilize the information. The refrigerator offers recipes that meet the needs of all family members, or provides family member A and B, or B and C, with personalized recipes. The fridge can provide a user with enough number of recipes so that the user can plan a whole week of meals. The user can select a recipe and register it to the calendar to arrange a healthy and optimized meal plan.

Let’s say the mother likes beef and hates carrots, and kids don’t enjoy salmon. This information is entered into the Family Hub and the Meal Planner function proposes menu options to keep everyone happy, while minimizing food waste. The Family Hub finds ingredients close to their expiry dates first. And it rules out carrots and salmon as ingredients and offers recipes for food that includes beef.

The 2018 Family Hub, which will be sequentially released in the first half of this year, will support VOICE ID. Meal Planner will be added in the second half of this year, and it will also be available on the 2017 Family Hub via software update. Samsung plans to expand the use of AI technology in other home appliances in the future, further tailoring services to fit users’ lifestyles.

The 2018 Family Hub helps family members stay connected with each other and serves as a personalized device that makes our lives more convenient. The Family Hub will make a difference in the kitchen and in our daily lives thanks to AI-based technologies that help the fridge deeply understand and relate to users. Stay tuned to see how Family Hub continues to evolve.

Family Hub in 2018 offers a wide range of smart features that allow consumers to do what they could not do before. These include syncing up food storage with meal preparation, keeping family members better connected and organized, and providing enhanced entertainment. Family Hub is also more intuitive and intelligent with the addition of Bixby voice control and its integration with Samsung’s SmartThings IoT ecosystem.

“Since Family Hub’s introduction in 2016, consumers have embraced it as their home’s digital command center to help manage food, family and fun. We’ve been listening closely to current users and created a new Family Hub that’s even smarter and more advanced than before,” said John Herrington, Senior Vice President, General Manager of Home Appliances, Samsung Electronics America. “The integration of Bixby and SmartThings into the Family Hub is bringing a new level of intelligent connectivity into the room where people spend the most time:  the kitchen.”

Simplifying Life with Connected Home Control

The new Family Hub works with the SmartThings ecosystem, allowing users to control and monitor their connected home from the Family Hub screen. The SmartThings app seamlessly connects the Family Hub with hundreds of Samsung and third party compatible connected devices. So now, in addition to seeing what’s inside their fridge from the grocery store or leaving a note on the White Board to remind the kids to clean their rooms after school, users can do countless other things without ever leaving the kitchen. These include seeing who is at the front door with the ring doorbell, adjusting the thermostat, checking on a sleeping baby in the next room, and more, right from the refrigerator screen.

Enhancing Food Management

Family Hub helps consumers manage food, with the View Inside app that enables users to see inside the fridge from anywhere. New for 2018, Meal Planner takes food management to a more personalized level by providing recipes for the family based on food preferences, dietary restrictions and food expirations dates. Family Hub also saves time and money with a new Deals app that gives users the ability to find great bargains and save them directly to the Shopping List or loyalty card.

Strengthening Family Connections

The new Family Hub keeps the family more closely connected and organized, with the customized ability to share calendars, photos and notes. With Bixby, Family Hub can also recognize individual voices and provide personalized information based on preferences. Ask “Hi Bixby, what’s new today?” and it will provide a read out of the news, weather and calendar updates specifically tailored to the user.

Creating New Ways to Have Fun at Home

With innovative TV and music options, the original Family Hub transformed the kitchen into an area for socializing with family and friends. Users can access millions of songs through various music streaming platforms and live radio apps, and mirror their Samsung Smart TV¹. The new Family Hub also features AKG Premium Quality Sound Speaker for sound that is deep in bass and rich in mid-range². Additionally, users can now stream content from their smartphone to the Family Hub refrigerator.

Samsung is expanding the Family Hub’s range of content with new collaborations with leading companies like HomeAdvisor, Pinterest, The Weather Company and Buzzfeed’s Tasty. Samsung also continues to collaborate with key partners including allrecipes, ring, and Grubhub to further refine and enhance the kitchen experience and promote smart lifestyle choices.

Samsung will expand the platform to four new 4D FDR models, bringing the total to 14. This will ensure that there is a Family Hub configuration to meet the needs of all consumers.

The new Family Hub will be available this spring. For more information about Samsung Home Appliances, please visit http://www.samsung.com.

¹ Available with the 6400 series or 2015 TV models and above

² Available with the premium 4-door Flex model

Samsung Electronics announced today that it will expand the voice recognition function of the Family Hub refrigerator to European countries in the second half of this year. It will also introduce the “Samsung Connect” smart home feature for the first time at IFA 2017.

Samsung has already applied cloud-based voice features to the Family Hub in Korea and the U.S., and will add European languages on a phased basis this year, starting with British English, German, French, and Italian.

“Samsung has continuously enhanced the Family Hub since its first introduction at CES 2016, focusing on improving consumer lifestyles,” said JS Park, Executive Vice President of the Digital Appliances Business at Samsung Electronics. “Our endeavor to advance the smart features of home appliances has always been closely tied to our mission to make a meaningful difference in the lives of individual consumers and families with innovations that matter.”

In addition to touch command, the Family Hub’s voice capabilities provide a new way to interact with the refrigerator. Users can ask for the time and weather updates, search the internet, read news articles, play music and radio, add items to their shopping list, and even view inside of the refrigerator without opening the door.

Standing at the center of the home, Family Hub is now ready to help households take control of their various Samsung smart devices. Samsung Connect enhances this as a platform capable of connecting and controlling IoT devices regardless of their operating system, such as Android or iOS. Samsung Connect is now integrated into the Family Hub.

Users will be able to turn on and monitor their AddWash^TM washing machine, or tell their POWERbot^TM vacuum cleaner to begin cleaning up the living room from Family Hub’s interactive screen while cooking or entertaining in the kitchen.

Furthermore, Samsung continues to grow Family Hub’s partner ecosystem with innovative new services and content. More than 100 partner companies collaborate with Samsung’s Family Hub platform across North America, Europe, and Asia/Pacific. As an example, Instacart, Shoprite and FreshDirect provide consumers in the U.S. with seamless e-Commerce shopping experiences. European versions of the Samsung Family Hub feature European retailers like Supermercato24 and Eataly to provide grocery shopping.

For news and entertainment, consumers around the world can enjoy their favorite music on various music streaming services like Spotify, or stay up-to-date with the latest news via NPR or upday. Lastly, cooking enthusiasts can find daily inspiration from recipe apps like Allrecipes, Whisk!, and Samsung Club des Chefs.

Visitors to Samsung’s exhibition booth at IFA 2017 in Berlin, beginning on September 1, can experience the Family Hub’s new voice recognition feature as well as Samsung’s smart home and IoT services implementing with Samsung Connect.

Samsung’s Family Hub refrigerator was designed to do more than just store food; it was created to simplify daily life. The refrigerator harnesses the power of the Internet of Things (IoT) to offer a kitchen command center that’s interactive, multifunctional, and customizable for every family.

Family Hub’s large display and intuitive suite of apps not only streamline meals and food management, they offer entertainment and communication options as well. The refrigerator’s latest generation spans a total of 10 three- and four-door models in the U.S. that are designed to cater to consumers’ needs in the kitchen – the center of the home.

John Herrington, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Home Appliances at Samsung Electronics America, hosted the Samsung Family Hub 2017 Event and Smart Kitchen Summit at Samsung 837 in New York City on June 20, 2017.

The Smart Kitchen Summit noted that we use our kitchens as much for connecting with friends and family as we do for preparing and sharing meals. The refrigerator is an important part of that story. With the new Family Hub, Samsung has made it possible for households to enjoy an entirely new level of connection at the heart of their home.

Transforming Life in the Kitchen

The new Family Hub’s advanced features remove the usual guesswork from food management. The refrigerator’s built-in View Inside cameras, for instance, allow users to digitally label their food with expiration dates, and use a mobile device to peek inside their fridge from wherever they may be.

Family Hub’s new voice-recognition technology makes it even easier to take advantage of the refrigerator’s convenient features. When family members are busy preparing food or entertaining in the kitchen, simple voice commands provide a means to request a recipe or weather report, add an item to the grocery list, start playing music, or see what’s inside the fridge.

This advanced technology has been integrated across several Family Hub apps, and leverages contextual awareness to offer users a personalized experience that allows them to utilize familiar, colloquial commands.

Partnerships with grocery-delivery service Instacart and Groceries by MasterCard add additional convenience to users’ food management. Currently available in the U.S., the easy-to-use apps allow users to replenish their fridge with ease by ordering groceries directly from their Family Hub fridge. Other region and country specific apps are available and make the Family Hub more geographically relevant.

The new Family Hub refrigerator.

Enhanced for Family Communications       

One aspect that has proven particularly popular with users since launch is the fridge’s ability to foster meaningful expression.

The refrigerators’ Whiteboard, Memo and Photo Album functions transform the touchscreen display into a digital bulletin board where family members can share photos, update calendars, hand-write notes to one another, and even send posts remotely with their phone.*

The new Family Hub’s updated interface streamlines those tasks, and will now allow each member of the family to create their own, unique profile. These profiles may be customized with avatars or, beginning later this year, users’ personal photos.

Family Hub’s latest entertainment partnerships with Spotify and TuneIn – two of the world’s leading media-streaming services – provide more options for users to bring their favorite music and programming into the kitchen.

An attendee at Samsung Family Hub 2017 event gets an up-close look at Samsung’s Family Hub Refrigerator.

A New Level of Connection

Later this year, Family Hub will also feature support for Samsung Connect, an app that made its debut with the release of the Galaxy S8 and offers users streamlined control over their connected homes.

With the app’s integration, Family Hub users will be able to seamlessly control selected Samsung smart devices – including smart lights, door locks, security cameras, speakers and other household products – with a few taps of their refrigerator’s display. This additional level of ‘smart’ connection will further cement the refrigerators’ position as a central hub for IoT-connected homes.

Owners of first-generation Family Hub models will also receive a software upgrade that will provide many of these new functions and apps.

Samsung’s latest enhancements to the Family Hub lineup demonstrate its commitment to utilizing innovative connections to deliver new levels of convenience to consumers’ homes.

*Utilizing this function requires Family Hub’s Smart Home smartphone app.

A selection of Samsung’s digital inverter compressors.

Samsung Electronics has produced a total of over 200 million compressors, which are the heart of any refrigerator.

The compressor is the most important component of a refrigerator, as it regulates the compression and circulation of refrigerant to generate cold air. This is the combination of various advanced technologies, including a motor, refrigerant compression and super-precision processing.

Having produced its first compressor in 1976, Samsung has exceeded the 200 million mark after just 40 years of production. This amounts to the highest production capacity in the global market, effectively producing one compressor every three seconds.

Over the years, Samsung has significantly reduced the size of its compressors while maintaining efficiency and reliability. Such progression allowed Samsung to develop ‘dual compressor’ technology, which places two compressors in one refrigerator. This in turn allowed Samsung to create, in 1995, a cooling system that cools the refrigerator and freezer compartments independently.

Samsung has also taken a 52-percent share of the market for digital inverter compressors, which are key components in the latest inverter refrigerators. In essence, half of inverter refrigerators around the globe feature Samsung’s compressors. Digital inverter compressors precisely control the amount of electricity consumed according to the frequency of refrigerator use. This makes digital inverter compressors capable of providing up to 35 percent greater efficiency compared to other compressors.

Samsung is now implementing digital inverter compressors in its entire lineup of premium refrigerators, which includes the Chef Collection and T9000. These digital inverter compressors’ outstanding functionalities have provided the foundation for Samsung’s rise to the number-one refrigerator manufacturer in major markets around the world.

“A compressor runs for 24 hours, and it determines the electricity use, noise and vibration of a refrigerator. That is why it is a core element of a refrigerator that we must develop carefully,“ said Seongwoo Park, a Leader of Compressor & Motor Quality Group of Digital Appliance Business at Samsung Electronics. “We will continue to devote our utmost efforts to making sure that compressor technology develops to sustain the innovation of Samsung’s refrigerators. This will allow customers to experience better smart life.”

Skilled workers carefully assemble Samsung’s digital inverter compressors on production lines like this.

At CES 2017, Samsung showcased its latest devices designed to deliver a peerless smart home experience, including its upgraded Family Hub refrigerators. Here, Lee discusses the development process that’s yielded Family Hub 2.0.

Q: First, how do you identify specific aspects of consumers’ lives to design new products and services around?

Yoon Lee: If you can identify a pain point and create a meaningful solution, then that’s a very good start.

Pain points come in two flavors: obvious and latent. Latent pain points come as a pleasant surprise – that feeling of, ‘Oh, I never knew I had this pain point until I used this product.’ Because consumers don’t know what they don’t know, it’s up to us, through mountains of data and behavioral research, to come up with hypotheses that will lead to insight.

A good example is backup cameras in cars. When they first came out, many saw them as a solution that few would care about. But now, the technology is in such a mature state and so integral, that if it were suddenly taken away, you’d feel extremely uncomfortable. With latent needs, you don’t really know they’re there until you have a solution, but once you have one, you don’t really want to go back.

Q: What are some of the key insights you gained when exploring modern consumers’ latent kitchen needs?

Yoon Lee: The role of the kitchen has changed dramatically over the last decade or two. In the past, it was a space where people prepared meals. Now, it’s where families congregate, manage their schedules, enjoy entertainment, socialize and eat. The kitchen has moved away from a food-centric role to more of a family command center.

You therefore don’t want to create a food product; you want to create a ‘kitchen product’. If you think about what a kitchen product is, there are three pillars: in the kitchen, people have food, family-related activities and fun. These are the areas Samsung wants to cater to for consumers and create meaningful solutions around.

Q: How does Family Hub’s design cater to food, family and fun?

Yoon Lee: In the past, if you looked at food, family and fun in the kitchen, there were lots of ad-hoc solutions. ‘Family’ could be magnets and Post-its on your refrigerator, a tablet, or a computer in your kitchen, while ‘fun’ could be a kitchen TV.

Samsung was looking for a seamless platform to shape the kitchen’s role in a meaningful way, and the refrigerator was a natural choice. After all, if there’s one device in your home where if it gets turned off, you’re devastated, it’s the refrigerator. There isn’t a better platform for managing your lifestyle in the kitchen.

To best manage your ‘connected’ lifestyle, you also need an interface that can handle physical and virtual activities, and a touch-based screen easily accommodates that. So these were key insights that helped Samsung develop a refrigerator that could serve as a modern ‘kitchen device’.

Q: How has Family Hub 2.0 been enhanced to create a better kitchen experience?

Yoon Lee: One important aspect of Family Hub 2.0 is that it’s changed from a hardware platform to a software platform, which means it’s expandable, adaptable, and caters to evolution.

This means the solutions Samsung is offering around food, family and fun can get better over time; the product can become more relevant to your lifestyle; Samsung will be able to incorporate more partnerships; and the solutions can become more elegant.

Family Hub 2.0 offers more flexibility and functionality to help consumers better manage their lives and their household products. And for an even more convenient kitchen experience, Samsung’s advanced voice technology has also been integrated across Family Hub 2.0’s apps.

Q: What are some applications you could see in Family Hub’s future that could further streamline users’ ‘connected’ lifestyles?

Yoon Lee: I’d like to see smart homes become part of the Family Hub solution, so users can control appliances, smart things and IoT solutions throughout their home from their Family Hub refrigerator.

For instance, now, if you’re in the kitchen and the doorbell rings, with a ‘connected’ doorbell, you have to pull out your phone to see who’s there. Instead of that, let’s say while you’re cooking the image shows up on your refrigerator.

If you have a baby monitor and your baby starts crying, the current solution is, again, to pull out your phone or a separate baby monitor. If the image popped up on your Family Hub refrigerator, that would be another elegant solution. So there are many meaningful use cases where this kind of connected technology could play a big role in the future.

When Samsung introduced its Family Hub refrigerators at last year’s CES, it did so with the goal of bringing new standards of convenience and innovation to consumers’ kitchens.

Family Hub 2.0 features key enhancements designed to take user experiences in the kitchen to a new level, including advanced voice functionality, user profiles, a streamlined interface and an expanded catalogue of built-in contents.

Samsung’s Vice President of Smart Appliances and Home IoT, Sunggy Koo, elaborated on Family Hub’s role, and explained how Samsung will build on the industry-leading IoT technology in the future.

The Next Step for the Smart Home

Samsung designed the Family Hub refrigerator to bring new levels of functionality to the appliance and ultimately transform its role in the kitchen.

Featuring a large touchscreen display and innovative features for food management, family communication and entertainment, Family Hub offers families a fun command center at the center of the home.

Koo explained Samsung’s commitment to building an ecosystem of connected, smart appliances centered around the kitchen-enriching refrigerator line.

“Family Hub is the center of Samsung’s smart home/IoT initiative,” Koo explained. “Samsung continues to innovate in these areas, and we expect to deliver more smart capabilities across all of our appliances and smart home infrastructure.”

Connecting More Kitchens

The first step in delivering more value to users’ kitchens is creating a wide selection of options to suit a variety of households. “Our users are all different, and have different needs, wants and tastes,” said Koo.

“To meet a variety of customer needs, Family Hub 2.0 takes flexibility and functionality to new levels, offering food management, family communication, entertainment features and voice capability to help consumers manage and enjoy their lives,” Koo continued.

Accordingly, Family Hub 2.0 will soon be available in more markets across the globe, and also see an expansion in its selection of available models. Family Hub 2.0 will encompass a full range of Samsung’s three- and four-door French Door refrigerator models, as well as its existing 4-Door Flex lineup, bringing the total number of available models from four to ten.

‘Easier and More Fun’

Going forward, Family Hub 2.0 and the line’s future generations will, as Koo put it, “continue to make consumers’ lives easier and more fun.”

Family Hub 2.0’s ‘fun’ aspects stem not only from its innovative entertainment functions, but from enhancements to its usability and app integration as well. Its advanced voice functionality, for example, allows users to easily control many built-in apps. Additionally, the expansion of the app catalogue itself reveals further cool new functions.

“We have so many great apps,” said Koo. “These apps make our customers’ lives more convenient, and have content localized to each market. For example, Eataly provides European customers the ability to order premium Italian groceries through Family Hub, while Groceries by MasterCard offers further convenience, allowing consumers to use their voice to handle e-commerce grocery shopping with Family Hub.

“Samsung is also closely collaborating with partners like GrubHub, Nomiku, Glympse, LidL, e-mart, Upday, Kakao, Ring, Spotify and iHeartRadio to provide more options for grocery shopping, cooking, home security and entertainment now and in the years to come.”

Powered by Allrecipes.com, Family Hub’s Recipe app offers users instant access to delicious dishes from around the world. As Allrecipes President Stan Pavlovsky pointed out, Family Hub’s philosophy of championing kitchen innovation is well in line with that of the world’s largest digital food brand.

“Allrecipes has always been at the forefront of leveraging new technologies to make home cooking easier and more rewarding,” said Pavlovsky. “It’s widely recognized that the kitchen is the center of the home for families. Family Hub’s location on the front of the refrigerator, along with its large touch screen, voice capability and wealth of other features that support busy families’ everyday needs make it an ideal solution.”

“Internet of Things technologies are driving the next big wave of consumer technology transformation,” he continued. “Working in partnership with Samsung is allowing us to be at the forefront of this shift, to pave the way for what the future of food and cooking will look like.”

Dacor, a luxury kitchen appliance manufacturer acquired by Samsung Electronics in August 2016, today announces plans to unveil a new full lineup of premium household appliances at The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show 2017 in Orlando, Florida.

KBIS hosts over 2,500 exhibitors annually from various home appliance brands, while attracting more than 120,000 attendees across diverse industries. Dacor will showcase its new full-package Heritage Lineup which reflects the powerful combination of Dacor’s 50-year expertise in the built-ins segment with Samsung’s industry leading technologies and design.

The new luxury lineup, upgraded from its popular and traditional originals, will feature completely reimagined premium Built-In Column and French Door refrigerators, Range, and Wall Oven. The Range and Wall Oven are Wi-Fi-enabled, allowing users to control the appliances with their smartphone using the iQ^TM feature, and will include Dacor’s Four-Part Pure Convection^TM technology which heats and cooks food quickly and evenly, inside and out.

Award Winning Energy Efficient Refrigerators

Additionally, nine Dacor refrigerators received the EPA’s Energy Star 2016 Emerging Technology Award and were recognized for their innovative refrigerant systems developed by Samsung. All nine including the Built-In Column refrigerator come in various sizes and were the first Dacor refrigerators to be awarded.

To qualify for the EPA award, the refrigerant system must have a Global Warming Potential (GWP) rating below 15 and produce an energy efficiency gain of 5 percent or higher. Dacor refrigerators have a negligible GWP rating and utilize the eco-friendly R-600a hydrocarbon refrigerant, which can reduce energy usage by 6.5 percent.

“Our most recent luxury packages are built using Dacor’s top-tier technologies and decades of industry knowledge, paired with the strength of Samsung’s pioneering innovation,” said David Nichols, vice president of products at Dacor. “We are honored to receive recognition from the US EPA, and we will continue to invest in new luxury kitchen appliances utilizing green technology in cooperation with Samsung.”

Founded in 1965 in California, Dacor was acquired by Samsung Electronics in August 2016. The brand is well known for its luxury home appliances and has been a prominent player in the housing and real estate markets in the US and Canada.

The Dacor booth will be open at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando from January 10 through 12 for KBIS 2017.

About Dacor

Founded in 1965, Dacor is a leading manufacturer of ultra-premium kitchen appliances. Designed and built in Southern California, Dacor’s cooking appliances integrate function, technology and design to create high-performing, intuitive products that reflect the lifestyle and needs of the passionate cook. Dacor’s full suite of award-winning appliances includes ranges, cooktops, wall ovens, refrigeration, ventilation and wine preservation. Family-owned for three generations, the company is responsible for many of the innovations that have improved the way people cook in the modern kitchen. www.dacor.com. For additional information, please visit LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter @dacorkitchen.

Continuing to drive innovation in the connected kitchen, Samsung Electronics introduced its latest edition Family Hub 2.0 refrigerator at CES 2017 in Las Vegas. The next generation refrigerator, building upon Family Hub 1.0 which was introduced to wide acclaim last year, features expansion from four to 10 refrigerator models as well as enhanced usability with improved app integration and diverse new app partners. Additionally, signaling its expansion into new categories, Samsung also introduced its new line of smart built-in cooking appliances.

Successful Family Hub Expanded Across Models

Driven by the success of Family Hub, Family Hub 2.0 will be available across a full range of Samsung’s popular 3-Door and 4-Door French Door models as well as the existing 4-Door Flex lineup, allowing consumers to choose the refrigerator that best matches their household needs.

“After just one year of availability, the Family Hub has transformed the concept of the connected kitchen by enabling users to order and manage grocery shopping, connect with family and friends, and access entertainment right from the comfort of their kitchen,” said Byung-Sam Seo, President of Home Appliances at Samsung Electronics. “Taking flexibility and functionality to a whole new level, the Family Hub 2.0 is entirely about helping consumers better manage as well as enjoy their lives.”

Key Enhancements in Usability with Improved App Integration and Voice Technology

With the Family Hub 2.0, usability, as well as food management, has been significantly enhanced through expanded and intuitive app integration. For example, users can determine which food items need to be replenished through the internal View Inside cameras. Images of those items can then be added to the shopping list feature, and conveniently ordered through the Groceries by MasterCard app. In addition, the Recipe app, powered by AllRecipes, features recipe readout and enlarged text to make it easier for users to multi-task in the kitchen as well as access recipe content from diverse countries around the world.

The Family Hub 2.0 has also been significantly enhanced when it comes to family communication. An entirely new and easy-to-use interface has been developed to enable family members to create their own profiles using avatars or their own personal pictures. With the 21.5-inch LED touchscreen serving as an interactive digital bulletin board, family members can then, through their profiles and the Family Hub app on their smartphone¹, share photos, access updated calendars, handwrite memos in real time, and post memos from wherever they may be.

For a more convenient kitchen experience, Samsung’s advanced voice technology has also been integrated across many of Family Hub 2.0’s apps. For example, users can issue voice commands to learn the weather and time, add products to shopping lists and order groceries online, manage to-do-lists as well as calendar schedules, in addition to controlling various other apps.

To provide further upcoming choices for food delivery and cooking, location-based safety and home security services, and entertainment offerings, Samsung is also collaborating closely with partners including Grubhub, Nomiku, Glympse, Ring, Spotify, and iHeartRadio. With the addition of new local partners, Family Hub is also winning adoption among consumers globally. For example, E-Commerce grocery shopping capabilities from grocers like EATALY and LiDL are bringing more convenience to European consumers, and Morning Brief news content provides relevant news from upday for users in Europe, NPR for users in the US, and Kakao for those in Korea.

The Family Hub is a two time CES Innovation Award honoree; first with Family Hub 1.0 in 2016 and again this year in the home appliances and software/UI categories.

Samsung Brings Innovation to the Built-in Appliance Category

Signaling the company’s commitment to investing in categories in which its expertise and innovation can enrich and empower the lives of consumers, Samsung also introduced its new smart built-in cooking line at CES 2017. The new product line includes various models of Built-in Double and Single Wall Ovens, Built-in Gas Cooktops, Built-in Induction Cooktops, Built-in Electric Cooktops, and Built-in Range Hoods, all of which seamlessly merge into any new kitchen design or remodel.

The Built-in Double Wall Oven incorporates Samsung’s popular Flex Duo technology, enabling three distinct oven spaces that can be individually controlled with the Samsung Smart Divider. The Built-in Ovens also utilize SteamBake and SteamRoast functions for better control of taste and texture, and the new Built-in Cooktops feature some of the most powerful burners and customizable configurations on the market. The Built-in Cooktops’ new Magnetic Knob feature and Virtual Flame Technology also deliver precise cooking control and simplicity when it comes to cleaning. All a user needs to do is remove the knob and wipe down the surface – overcoming the tedious, and time-consuming painpoint of having to scrub away to remove grime on cooktops.

All of Samsung’s built-in appliances are smart and equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity², so users can remotely start, control and turn off their ovens, as well as monitor their cooktop and range hood from their smartphone. Finally, Bluetooth connectivity syncs the cooktop with Samsung’s range hood to automatically start the hood’s fans or lights when using the cooktop.

For more, please visit Samsung’s CES booth #15006, on Level 1 of the Central Hall in the Las Vegas Convention Center from January 5-8, 2017.

¹Compatible with Android and iOS devices.

²Internet or carrier connection required.

All 20 Samsung refrigerator models, set to be released in 2017, are recognized for the innovative R-600a refrigerant system which meets the EPA’s demanding performance criteria to reduce energy use and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Samsung Electronics is the first manufacturer to receive EPA approval to market full-sized, residential Top Mount Freezer and French Door models using this new technology.

The EPA first awarded the ENERGY STAR Emerging Technology Award in 2011, and focuses on a different product category or eco-conscious theme each year. Samsung is a two-time winner – in addition to recognition for 2017 refrigerators, the brand received the award in 2013 for its eco-friendly DV457 clothes dryer.

The Road to Energy Savings

Samsung’s new R-600a refrigerant is naturally occurring and climate-friendly, with no ozone depletion potential and very low Global Warming Potential (GWP) rating. R-600a requires less work to be done by the unit’s compressor, which not only reduces energy usage by 6.5% but also makes the refrigerator quieter than previous models.

Samsung developed the technology ahead of planned changes to refrigerant qualifications that EPA looks to influence by 2021. Equipped with the advanced technology, the 2017 award-winning refrigerators met the EPA’s new qualifications of a GWP rating below 15 while producing an energy efficiency gain of 5 percent or higher. Additionally, the R-600a refrigerant has been approved for use in the US market by the EPA’s Significant New Alternative Policy (SNAP) Program.

“Samsung strives to meet the highest environmental standards, and we are proud to be honored by the EPA for our innovative and eco-friendly refrigerator product development,” said Byung-Sam Seo, President of Home Appliances at Samsung Electronics.  “The R-600a refrigerant is a game-changer in terms of reducing energy usage, and we are proud of the advancements we’ve made to create more environmentally responsible home appliance products.”

In addition to being energy efficient, Samsung’s 2017 refrigeration line delivers more choice, flexibility and connectivity for consumers today.  New internal features such as enhanced precision cooling, flexible storage options and upgraded interior lighting are matched by updates to exterior details like redesigned handles and premium finishes, as well as seamless designs to fit well in any kitchen.

For more, please visit Samsung’s CES booth #15006, on Level 1 of the Central Hall in the Las Vegas Convention Center from January 5-8, 2017.

From the primitive ice buckets of yesteryear to the modern day refrigerator, the technology we use to keep our food cool has evolved. Yet, even though the methods have changed over the years, the basic principles of cooling have been the same for centuries and we have always used a cooling substance and some form of insulation.

Whereas early systems might have used ice as the cooling substance, today we use chemical refrigerants. Refrigerants work by moving through the refrigeration cycle changing from gas to liquid and back again. Early refrigerants posed risks but the R-134a and R-600a refrigerants used today are non-corrosive, non-toxic, low cost, and environmentally friendly.

Insulation is another important element of a fridge as it keeps the warm air outside from penetrating the cool atmosphere of the fridge. In times past, the insulation was simply the ice bucket itself, or the stone wall of an archaic ice house. Now, a more sophisticated type of insulation is used whereby a urethane foam and VIP (Vacuum Insulation Panel) maintain the temperature of a refrigerator.

At its most basic, a refrigerator consists of four main parts that together work their magic to produce refrigeration.

Refrigerant in the form of liquid or gas circulates in the refrigeration cycle successively for cooling action

• Compressor: The compressor circulates the refrigerant by converting it between a low-temperature, low-pressure gas to a high-temperature, high pressure gas

• Condenser: The condenser transforms the high-temperature, high-pressure gas to a room-temperature high pressure liquid by discharging radiation heat

• Capillary tube: The capillary tube drops refrigerant’s pressure for next cooling action by passing it through a narrow tube with high resistance – the room-temperature, high-pressure liquid becomes a low-pressure, low-temperature two-phase fluid

• Evaporator: The refrigerant which is decompressed by the capillary tube evaporates at low temperature when entering the evaporator. The evaporator cools the fridge and freezer by absorbing heat from the food, which turns liquid into gas

New Wave of Fridge Tech: Twin Cooling Plus^TM

Samsung is reinventing the fridge by developing Twin Cooling Plus^TM technology, first introduced in 1995. The Samsung Twin Cooling Plus^TM adds new levels of convenience and innovation with its two evaporators that manage the fridge and freezer space separately to minimize temperature fluctuation. This makes it possible to control optimal humidity and temperature because moisture in the fridge can remain separate from freezer. A higher humidity up to 70% preserves food for longer so this is a welcome addition that minimizes food wastage.

Additionally, in conventional – single evaporator – systems, odors from the fridge can be permeated to foods in the freezer because air from the two compartments is interconnected. Twin Cooling Plus^TM fridges, however, prevent mixed odors that taint the ice you store in the freezer because twin cooling systems prevent air transition between the two compartments.

The comparison between mono cooling with single evaporator (left) and Twin Cooling Plus TM with two evaporators (right)

Fridge flexibility is another bonus that users can make use of with Twin Cooling Plus^TM . It offers a range of options that enable users to customize their fridge in a way that best suits them. They can even switch off portions of their fridges to save energy. This is done through the separate cooling evaporators for the fridge and freezer that enables users to choose from five modes of operation: regular mode, energy saving mode, vacation mode, fridge max mode, and mini fridge mode.

A Growing Range

With Twin Cooling Plus^TM technology now an established feature in Samsung fridges, the range of available products has grown to accommodate the different consumer needs. There’s the side by side refrigerators, the bottom mount fridges and top mount fridges – all with their unique benefits and features.

Then there’s the T-type refrigerator – a world first Samsung. It’s the only Triple Cooling and dual compressor fridge in the world. Each zone can be controlled independently and maintain optimal high humidity levels.

The fridge has come a long way from the early days of inefficient appliance with limited capabilities. Samsung is now at the forefront of rethinking the fridge. As a result, it will get more efficient, offer better insulation, more space and it will get smarter. The fridge no longer needs to be forgotten about – it can be embraced and interacted with in new ways.

The latest edition of the Samsung Family Hub refrigerator allows families to take control of their kitchen, with tools that not only streamline cooking but also facilitates food management, enables communication and even provides multiple options for entertainment. As an example, with the many Online Shopping Apps, Family Hub owners can order food to be delivered directly to their home, straight from the appliance’s large touch-screen display.

To create the best user experience possible, Samsung partnered with the top online grocery shopping services across Europe, including EATALY, the world’s leading provider of premium Italian foods.

At IFA 2016, Andrea Casalini, CEO of EATALY.net; provided his insights on the value he hopes the collaboration with Samsung will bring to users.

Q. What’s the concept of EATALY and how to do you strive to deliver that concept?

EATALY is a very interesting concept that goes back to the traditional and cultural roots of Italian food and wine. We aim to not only to deliver a product, but to combine a little bit of everything into a single location where people can learn and understand the traditions and history of Italian food, all the while having a good time with loved ones.

At EATALY, you can taste excellent cuisine, sample good wine sourced from artisanal producers or take a cooking class. Our objective is to deliver this consistently all over the world.

Q. EATALY currently delivers to over 25 countries around the globe, and is continuously growing. What do you think has made the company so successful?

Personally, I think it’s our authenticity. With EATALY, people can have a real Italian experience. But it isn’t just about Italian products. It’s more about the culture of cuisine and the passion for food. People seem to be really happy to experience this in our stores all around the world.

Another reason behind the success of the company is the products that we offer. The items that we sell at EATALY can’t easily be found at other stores. So it’s very special in that sense.

Q. Now people can purchase products from EATALY directly from the Family Hub refrigerator. What made you want to partner with Samsung on this device?

Technology is changing how we live, including how we shop for groceries. EATALY recognizes this, and, as a result, has been working to build our e-commerce platform for the past few years. We are always looking for new ways to make the experience more convenient and seamless for our customers.

I truly believe that the refrigerator is the core of the family at home. The Family Hub refrigerator, which allows people to purchase groceries right from their kitchen, is a perfect example of this. So, collaborating with Samsung to give users more convenient access to EATALY products was a no-brainer for us.

 Q. As someone well acquainted with high quality food, what Family Hub features do you find most useful?

In my home, it’s all about delivering the best quality food. If you want to serve really good food, then it has to be sourced properly and maintained in the very best way. I personally like the Family Hub’s Chef Zone, which is ideal for managing temperature-sensitive proteins. The refrigerator’s three inner-view cameras also help to ensure that ingredients are fresh, another important factor of high quality food.

Q. The Family Hub refrigerator is one that aims to better connect families. In your opinion, what is it about food that brings people—especially families—together?

First of all, food is something that is a natural and necessary part of life. It all goes back to our primary needs. But, it also has the ability to create a memorable experience. Nowadays, especially, our lives are incredibly hectic. So, the moment that family comes together to enjoy a meal and connect with one another is really special. This isn’t just an Italian tradition, it rings true in all parts of the world.

Just as its name implies, Samsung’s Family Hub refrigerator was designed to serve as a communal center for the home. Its large touchscreen display and intuitive suite of apps were crafted to streamline not only food management, but also family communication and kitchen entertainment.

In conjunction with Family Hub’s introduction to the European market, Samsung’s Vice President of Refrigerator Product Marketing, Ik-su Choi, explains how the company’s latest refrigerators have been optimized for European families’ use.

Q. This year, Samsung created a Family Hub refrigerator with a design that reflects a more European style. What have Europeans’ pre-launch reactions to Family Hub been like?

There has been great interest in seeing the launch of a BMF (bottom-mount freezer) model for the European market. We’ve received a lot of questions regarding their introduction there since they were first released in the US and Korea, but because we needed time to cultivate suitable partner companies and properly localize the product for each country, we decided to launch Family Hub at IFA.

In terms of content, Family Hub’s food management and smart home functions were very popular. There were also a lot of questions regarding the mobile sync function.

Q. Family Hub is clearly designed for family use. Nevertheless, there are some cultural differences in terms of family life between Korea and Europe. Do you think European consumers may utilize Family Hub differently in their daily lives?

Family Hub is equipped with content that is communicable worldwide, as one thing that is universal and unchanging is the value of family.

As a center of family interaction, Family Hub can be a platform that allows families to communicate better and more conveniently, through digital handwritten notes as well as apps like Sticki. If Family Hub plays this small role in helping people have conversations, I believe that is a meaningful start.

Q. You are an expert in the field of home appliances and are well-versed in the history of refrigerators. What do you think their future will be?

Previously, capacity and storage efficiency were the main competitive factors with regard to refrigerators. Our company has historically excelled in these aspects, regularly achieving a number-one market ranking through extreme innovation.

Under the new paradigm—centered on IoT—consumers’ needs for new categories of products like the Family Hub refrigerator will grow. Refrigerators will no longer remain merely storage devices for food, but will become devices that families use together. They will become a central kitchen appliance, allowing people to communicate, and not only store food, but even purchase and manage it.

Consumers’ need for not just simple refrigerators but smart refrigerators will continue to increase, and we will respond to this trend by further evolving Family Hub in ways that are customized to various markets—utilizing their environments—and continuing to expand our lineup.

Q. Design has traditionally been the key factor driving consumers’ BMF refrigerator purchases. How did the European Family Hub’s design come about, and how are the refrigerators built to remain durable, reliable and innovative for years to come?

The BMF-style refrigerator—refrigerator above, freezer below—is the most common design in Europe. That is why we released this style of refrigerator, fit for the European market and enhanced with Family Hub’s premium functions and usability. To build it, we loaded a large interactive LCD screen onto a previous BMF framework, resulting in a Chef Collection design of peerless technology that fits beautifully in the kitchen.

In terms of reliability, Family Hub’s hardware and software have been designed to be continuously upgraded, and in the case of the LCD screen, a product that guarantees 10 years of durability was used. By attaching it using a modular method, in which replacement and repairs are easy, we allow continuous technological upgrades, as well as changes to reflect trends.

Q. What are some of the apps and inner features that will help consumers bring their cooking skills up to par with, say, the Michelin-starred chefs of Samsung’s Club des Chefs?

We are planning to load Family Hub with apps like Allrecipes, Whisk, ChefKoch—a local recipe app—and the Club des Chefs app, which all offer delicious recipes. We are also planning to provide insight into different ways to cook using Family Hub.

Q. Which Family Hub app do you believe is a game changer?

Family Hub’s applications constantly evolve. It is composed of apps that consumers need based on the four pillars that fit consumer trends, and it will constantly be updated to reflect those needs. Thus, Family Hub itself will surely play the game-changer role that changes the market’s dynamics.

Q. Family Hub is further proof that Samsung is setting a standard in IoT. Why do you believe Samsung has managed to achieve such success in this relatively new field, and how is that experience reflected in the Family Hub refrigerator?

In this IoT era, consumers have grown used to conveniently connecting with devices, based on their smartphone experience, and they want to connect with even more devices in ways that further benefit them in daily life.

Samsung applied technical expertise gained from smartphone and Smart TV experience, along with advanced abundant-usage scenarios based on our accumulated knowhow of household appliances, to create Family Hub and deliver seamless usability to consumers. Drawing from such expertise, we will be able to deliver differentiated user experiences that could not be provided in the past, and bring about big change in consumers’ lifestyles through Family Hub.

Q. The Family Hub refrigerator offers incredible insight into the freshness of our food. What are some of the ways it allows us to store goods efficiently while saving energy?

Family Hub features a large LCD screen that is efficiently managed with an adjoining sensor. By using the inner-view camera, which allows users to see the inside of the refrigerator without opening the door, users can prevent unnecessary energy consumption. This is one of the reasons why Family Hub has a high-energy consumption efficiency rating of A++.

Family Hub also helps minimize food waste by keeping track of the location of fresh foods and their expiration dates and allowing users to prevent unnecessary purchases by giving them the ability to look inside their refrigerator via mobile device anytime, anywhere.

Featuring a large touchscreen display and a comprehensive suite of intuitive apps, Samsung’s Family Hub refrigerator brings the timeless art of cooking well and truly into the twenty-first century.

The latest edition, designed for European consumers, allows more people to take control of their kitchen, with tools to streamline not only cooking but also food management, communication and even entertainment. Transforming how European families use their most important appliance, and helping them eat, and live, smarter.

More Flavors

Cooking a delicious meal doesn’t have to be a chore. Apps like Allrecipes, as well as localized apps like Whisk and CHEFKOCH.DE, offer users the blueprints to craft some of the world’s tastiest foods from the comfort of their kitchen.

Some of the world’s greatest dishes are staples of European cuisine, and some of its greatest chefs are members of Samsung’s Club des Chefs. Family Hub’s Club des Chefs app offers users unbridled access to the masters’ wealth of culinary expertise, with recipes, detailed “How to” articles and accompanying video walkthroughs. So users can watch and learn, and enjoy great food.

More Insight

Family Hub was designed to not only help families prepare delicious meals, but to also give them more insight into the freshness of their food.

With Family Hub’s three inner-view cameras, users can peek into the inside of their refrigerator without opening the door, and even when they’re not in the kitchen. That camera functionality, along with Family Hub’s dedicated smartphone app, allows users to shop smarter by staying on top of their refrigerator’s contents when they’re at the store. Providing the intel to help them stop forgetting the milk once and for all.

More Communication

East to west, Austria to Zanzibar, one thing that’s truly universal is the value of family. Family Hub’s collaborative notetaking, photo and calendar functions allow it to serve as a touchpoint for families to share and keep in touch conveniently. Got an event? Add it to the family calendar. Got something to say? That’s what the Whiteboard and Sticki app are for.

More Fun

Family Hub’s suite of entertainment functions offers users the ability to add a soundtrack to their sautéing. With Tune-in, they can listen to their favorite radio station, enjoy personal playlists and access a catalog of over 10,000 music, sport and talk channels from around the world.

When it comes to football, Europe is in a league of its own. And with Family Hub’s TV mirroring function, users can quickly and easily keep an eye on the big match, or their favorite TV programs, while they cook.

Founded in the United States in 1968, J.D. Power is the world’s leading authority on customer satisfaction in automobiles, laundry and kitchen appliances, health care, and numerous other industries. The company surveys thousands of recent appliance purchasers every year, measuring satisfaction across six factors: performance and reliability, ease of use, features, styling/appearance, price, and warranty.

On July 19^th, J.D. Power announced its 2016 study results, with Samsung ranking highest in customer satisfaction across six segments, including front-load washers, top-load washers, clothes dryers, dishwashers, freestanding ranges, and side-by-side refrigerators. It is the third consecutive year for Samsung to win the highest number of segment awards among the surveyed companies, beating last year’s highest ranking in 4 segments.

Samsung is also the first in the industry to receive the highest scores for two years in a row in the laundry segments, which include front-load washers, top-load washers, and dryers, clearly demonstrating the world-class performance of its products.

Samsung earned a score of 857 for its front-load washers, which is well above the segment average of 829, enabling it to maintain its top position for the third consecutive year while outperforming all other manufacturers in both top-load washer and dryer segments by over 30 points for the second consecutive year.

Additionally, Samsung ranked highest among 14 brands in the dishwasher segment for the first time, with a score of 837, which is 30 points higher than the segment average of 807.

These strong outcomes demonstrate Samsung’s positioning and reputation for satisfaction and reliability in the eyes of American consumers. J.D. Power specifically mentioned Samsung’s strong performance in terms of both styling/appearance and features and performance.

“Continued recognition from J.D. Power’s annual studies is made possible due to our customer-first approach and our commitment to exceptional customer satisfaction through continuous innovation,” said Jae-soon Park, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Digital Appliances Business. “We will continue to deliver outstanding customer experiences through innovative products that deliver meaningful innovation.”

The opening line of Banana Yoshimoto’s emotional novel Kitchen says it best: “The place I like best in this world is the kitchen.” Indeed, the average family visits the kitchen some 40 times a day, so it’s no exaggeration that the kitchen is the hub of the family.

As the largest digital appliance in any home—and one that is turned on 24/7—the refrigerator is hard to ignore. It’s central to our lives. It keeps our food fresh, and it’s a hub for families, who often use it to post things like daily reminders, children’s artwork and family photos. That was the thinking behind Samsung’s new Family Hub refrigerator. Our designers were looking for something completely different. They wanted to give our refrigerator a whole new face and enhance the connection between families, their food, and each other.

That’s how the Family Hub’s Design Team came up with the idea of attaching a 21.5-inch interactive touchscreen directly onto the door. But that was the easy part. They then had to figure out what the interface should look like, how to implement it, and how it would work with all our devices. Before turning a great idea into action, the team engaged in extensive research and consumer observation to come up with the most ergonomic options. Through these studies, four major consumer insights were realized.

4 major insights:

1. Communication with other devices must be easy
2. Interactive touchscreen has to be intuitive
3. Screen must have “glanceability”
4. Interface has to be easy for all ages

With these valuable insights in mind, the team worked to create a refrigerator that would form three specific connections: between the consumer and their food regardless of location, between recipes and enthusiastic chefs at home, and, most of all, between families with each other.

1. Connecting In and Out

Scenario: Grocery Shopping
I’ve written this long list of things I need, but I still can’t remember if I need eggs.

Three internal cameras take a picture inside the refrigerator every time the doors close. You can use your smartphone to access the photos anytime, anywhere. With the View Inside feature, you don’t have to worry about doubling up on groceries. You can even keep track of expiration dates to conveniently manage your food. The touch and drag feature and the memo feature that lets you leave notes next to the food items are highly intuitive and easy to understand. And if you are running out of something, you can add that food items to the My Shopping List.

2. Connecting Recipes and Chefs at Home

Scenario: House warming party
I really want to show off my cooking skills with something different, but I never have enough time.

Club des Chefs contains recipes from world-renowned chefs and restaurants. In addition to assisting consumers in finding recipes, Family Hub also works as a platform that connects families to their most commonly used food services. When necessary, it can read the recipes aloud with Text to Speech (TTS) and can understand verbal instructions such as next or previous, so consumers don’t have to flip through their smartphones or physically touch the Family Hub screen when they’re elbow deep in pancake batter. Recipes are listed in order of difficulty and can be selected by inputting the ingredients available in the refrigerator. Once you select a recipe, a link allows you to directly purchase the ingredients you don’t currently have. Family Hub will soon connect to a variety of shopping portals: Emart in Korea and Groceries, developed by Samsung and Mastercard, in the United States.

3. Connecting Families

Scenario: No one is home at the same time anymore
I really want to spend more time with my family. But when I’m heading to work, my son is coming home. And my wife works at completely different hours.

Family Hub’s digital family bulletin board brings families together with seamless communication. Family Hub can even help families get on the same page. They can share notes with a digital app called Sticki, and put photos directly onto Family Hub’s interactive touchscreen so conversations can be even more meaningful. It’s just like an old fashioned bulletin board, except so much better. You can see your Sticki board, and even change it, from wherever you are via a mobile device. Now the kitchen really is a hub.

Not Just a Fridge

Family Hub doesn’t just transform the kitchen, it can re-create traditional family dynamics. The touchscreen’s UX design improves consumers’ lives by connecting them to their refrigerators from outside, to thousands of recipes and recommendations from famous chefs, and to their families. In the age of the Internet of Things (IoT), Family Hub is the centerpiece of any Smart Home.

To see the original article http://design.samsung.com/global/contents/family_hub/.

To find out more about the Family Hub Refrigerator,

please visit http://www.samsung.com/us/explore/family-hub-refrigerator/

Samsung Electronics America, a leader in home appliance innovations, today announced the availability of the Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator, a revolutionary advancement that changes the refrigerator category in meaningful ways. With the kitchen already being the heart of the home, the Family Hub becomes a focal point for family members, enhancing their lives with family connections, food management and entertainment experiences like never before.

Enhanced by a 21.5 inch LCD touchscreen which serves as the refrigerator’s digital command center, and seamlessly connects to your smartphone, the Family Hub is a significant advancement in home appliance functionality and design. Whether sharing family calendars, photos and notes; viewing the inside of the fridge with your smartphone while grocery shopping; or accessing your favorite music or television content, Family Hub enriches family life in practical and empowering ways.

“The refrigerator was once viewed simply as a place to cool and store food. In time, it became the center of the home and the family bulletin board, where families shared notes, photos, and artwork, and kept shopping lists. We saw an opportunity to introduce a refrigerator that redefines the category – a refrigerator that goes beyond storage and one that brought the center of your kitchen into the digital age,” said John Herrington, Senior Vice President, General Manager of Home Appliance, Samsung Electronics America. “We’re excited to debut the Family Hub refrigerator and the great new possibilities it brings as part of Samsung’s commitment to deliver meaningful innovations to the home.”

Grocery Management and Organization Made Easier than Ever

Ask the average person what’s going on inside their fridge, and chances are they won’t really know for sure. The Family Hub features a series of smart and intuitive features that make food management and organization easier and more efficient. Most impressive are three tiny, high quality cameras positioned inside the refrigerator that capture an image each time the doors close. Now, if you are at the store and trying to remember which food items to buy, you can view inside the refrigerator through a smartphone app. Other food management features in the Family Hub include:

• Instacart – The leading national online grocery delivery service, delivering groceries from your favorite stores straight to your door in as little as one hour.
• Groceries by MasterCard – Order groceries online from leading retailers like Fresh Direct and ShopRite and pay for them through a simple, single check-out with any U.S.-issued credit or debit cards.
• Allrecipes – Access recipes rated and reviewed by millions of cooks, as well as cooking advice tips and how-to videos.
• Shopping List – Compile and keep track of your grocery lists, which seamlessly sync between fridge and smartphone.
• Food Reminders – Use the Family Hub screen or your smartphone to drag and drop expiration dates to the image of items inside to know what needs to be used, and by when.
• Fridge Manager – Easily control the refrigerator and freezer temperatures, and check the status of the water filter.

New and Smarter Ways to Connect with Family

The Family Hub screen packs a powerful, highly interactive digital punch. Within its 21.5 inch screen, you can easily access and store all important aspects of family life such as schedules, photos, and artwork; tap into the Internet; and check news, weather and more. Apps and features to help better connect families include:

• StickiBoard – Keep in touch with family members by sharing multiple calendars, posting photos and writing notes directly on the screen [or with] your mobile device.
• WhiteBoard – Write notes and draw pictures on the Family Hub and through your mobile device to leave messages for your family.
• Photo Album – Display daily photos and iconic family images for all to see.
• AccuWeather – Get weather updates with Superior Accuracy while multi-tasking in the kitchen.
• Web Browser – Surf the Internet using a full browser for all your family needs.

Entertainment Right in the Kitchen

With today’s open home floor plans, people are moving freely between rooms and demanding a seamless flow of entertainment into the kitchen as they cook and socialize. The Family Hub enables favorite television shows to be mirrored from Samsung Smart TVs¹ onto the refrigerator’s digital screen. Music lovers can stream their favorite songs and talk radio programs through apps such as Pandora using the built-in speakers. The refrigerator also connects to external Bluetooth wireless speakers like Samsung’s own Radiant 360 line for sound that stretches beyond the kitchen.

The Refrigeration Performance You’ve Come to Expect

The Family Hub also excels in food storage and preservation. It’s innovative and exclusive FlexZone, located in the bottom right quadrant of the refrigerator, transforms from fridge to freezer by toggling between five customizable temperature settings. The 28-cu. ft. Family Hub also places a premium on keeping food fresh with its Triple Cooling system. With three evaporators and a network of sensors, Triple Cooling maintains even humidity levels throughout the refrigerator to provide a more precise temperature calibration.

The Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator (model RF28K9580SR) is now available in a stunning new Black Stainless Steel design in a Counter Depth size ($5,999.99) and Full Depth size ($5,799.99) at major appliance retailers nationwide and online. It is also available in a Stainless Steel finish. To see Samsung’s latest home appliances and other products, visit http://www.samsung.com/us/.

¹6400 series and above

*All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.

[Gallery] Family Hub Refrigerator

Source: Samsung Newsroom US

“Samsung is recognized for breaking barriers, pushing boundaries and shaping the future through the convergence of great technology, content and services. Our ambition in 2016 is to continue paving the way for meaningful innovation and raising the bar when it comes to delivering pioneering products to the MENA region,” said Mr. Choong Ro Lee, President of Samsung Middle East and North Africa.

Mr. Choong Ro Lee, President of Samsung Middle East and North Africa, speaks about the company’s vision at Samsung MENA Forum 2016.

Samsung is delivering innovation that matters to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region by bringing likeminded players in terms of the developer community, major companies, and regional content providers together to bring a smarter, more connected future to the Middle East.

As Samsung continues to deliver meaningful innovation to its customers in the region, the company is also committed to using its technological innovation to contribute to the benefit of society at large.

Speaking of his company’s view on Corporate Social Responsibility, Mr. Lee said, “We believe it’s our responsibility to contribute to the social wellbeing of the MENA community. We have been using our technologies to help enhance the lives of others across the region for almost a decade.”

In line with its growing role in the region, Samsung MENA was the recipient of five prestigious Cannes Lions Awards for community inspired initiatives – Samsung Tunisia’s Back up Memory mobile app campaign for Alzheimer’s patients, as well as Samsung Turkey’s Hearing Hands call center project. Moreover, Samsung has joined hands with NGOs, Ministries of Education and Universities to help provide an improved learning experience through its Smart Schools and Tech Vocational Training Centre initiatives.

Shaping the Future of Home Entertainment

Samsung is setting the standards for a superior viewing experience by bringing the next generation of consumer inspired innovation to its 2016 home entertainment lineup.

Samsung unveiled its spectacular new line-up of SUHD TVs that feature unparalleled picture quality with Quantum dot display, the world’s first bezel-less curved design which is beautiful from every angle and the smartest user experience that makes it easy for consumers to access all their entertainment content in one place.

Built on the Tizen operating system (OS), Samsung’s 2016 Smart TVs make it easier for consumers to discover and access all their favorite content and services, from TV and movies to games and program information, all in one place.

Mustafa Sadick, Senior Manager of Samsung Middle East and North Africa, introduces about Samsung’s 2016 TV business.

The new Samsung Smart TV eliminates the need to juggle multiple remote controls. The Samsung Smart TV will automatically recognize the type of, game console, OTT box or home theater system that is connected to the TV. This allows users to control such devices with the Smart Control remote — with no setup required.

Samsung is bringing the #1 Premium VOD Player in the MENA region, with its vast array of entertainment content to its Smart TV customers through our partnership with MBC SHAHID PLUS. This collaboration offers viewers a choice of on-demand exclusive Arabic series, shows and the latest Arabic movies.

Samsung also unveiled the latest additions to its audio product lineup, including the new soundbar lineup with the wireless rear speaker kit  that creates a “True” surround sound system without any wire, and Samsung’s Wireless Audio 360 Speakers that deliver the ‘sweet spot’ everywhere in the home with proprietary ‘Ring Radiator’ technology for a rich and vibrant audio experience.

Groundbreaking Technologies for Smarter Living in the Home

Samsung has introduced first-of-its-kind technologies to bring real innovation to the home. Transforming the home category from nice to have, to can’t live without, Samsung Digital Appliances pave the way for a smarter living with simple, thoughtful innovations that offer improved flexibility, convenience and functionality.

The pioneering Samsung RT7000 refrigerator with Twin Cooling Plus technology is the new and only Top Mounted Fridge with two independent cooling systems for each the fridge and freezer, which offers consumers flexibility with cooling and storage depending on their needs. With five (5) conversion modes, it is adaptable and saves energy depending on the user requirements.

Georges Barakat, Senior Manager of Samsung Middle East and North Africa, explains about the new Samsung Add Wash front-load washer.

Samsung technologies are also redefining freshness when it comes to frozen food. The groundbreaking Precise Chef Cooling technology has now been applied to the freezer of the new T9000 4-Door Flex Refrigerator so consumers can experience ‘first day fresh’ food every day, even with frozen produce.

The new range of Samsung washing machines now come with the much needed practical solutions for an easier laundry experience. The new Samsung Add Wash front-load washer enables consumers to add items or additional fabric softener during wash cycle using the additional Add Door located on the upper part of the main washer door.

Breaking Barriers for Progress in Mobility

At the MENA forum, Samsung stressed the importance of expanding the Samsung ecosystem of connected devices and reiterated its commitment to developing products and services that can support users’ different lifestyle needs and work seamlessly together to make their lives easier.

Breaking new ground in productivity and innovation, Samsung announced a brand new mobile product category with the introduction of its Galaxy TabPro S, which integrates the most popular features of laptops and tablets. In less than a year, Samsung has also taken its virtual reality platform from concept to widespread adoption by expanding the compatibility of the Gear VR to a wide range of Samsung devices making virtual reality accessible to millions.

Maintaining the heritage of functional design through its wearables and mobile products, Samsung introduced the Gear S2 Classic with two new unique color variants—Rose Gold and Platinum, reflecting its commitment to bringing more choice with new material varieties to its consumers. Samsung also unveiled the Samsung Galaxy A (2016), a stylish mobile device that combines a large screen and a narrow 2.7 mm bezel for a superior viewing experience, perfect for customers who are not only practical, but want to express their personal style.

Committed to expanding its partner ecosystem to enhance regional consumers’ viewing experiences, Samsung also revealed that its customers will receive limited subscriptions to premium regional content with every purchase of the Samsung Galaxy View. The 18.4” Full HD screen offers an unprecedented mobile entertainment experience, further enhanced by a one year free subscription to beIN sports, as well as three month free trials to Shahid Plus, Telly, Starz Play and icflix.

During the keynote address, Samsung also presented its vision for the Internet of Things, and how its strategies translate into products, platforms and forging novel connections across a variety of industries.

Samsung introduced innovative components, such as the bio-processor, an all-in-one chip which can process several different biometric signals specifically designed for health orientated wearable devices.

The Samsung Latin America Forum is an annual event that provides exciting opportunities to experience the latest innovations in the industry, exchange information, as well as meet the leaders who are the driving force behind Samsung Electronics’ progress in 19 countries – from Mexico in Central America all the South to Chile and Argentina.

At the event, the company reinforced its focus on smart and connected lifestyles, while also revealing a premium set of new products that are coming to the region this year, which includes the bezel-less curved SUHD TVs with Quantum dot display; the flexible – next generation of smart kitchen appliances with a range of refrigerators with Twin Cooling technology; besides the cleverly designed and industry-first front load washing machine using AddWash, among other unique products and services.

“We are confident that our exciting range of premium connected products and services will be very well received in the Latin American market, where consumers trust and recognize the superior value of the Samsung brand”, affirms Pedro Kim, president & CEO for Samsung in the region. He added, “Samsung will continue to enhance and revolutionise the everyday lives of its consumers by listening closely and anticipating their needs, and delivering state-of-the-art products and services that fulfil and exceed expectations.”

Samsung established the Latin American Research & Development Centres, Lifestyle Research Labs, and Product Innovation teams to operate as in-house incubators, to learn more about behavioural patterns in Latin America and tune-in to their needs, and developing technologies and innovation that are driven and inspired the market.

Setting a New Standard for Home Entertainment

Samsung unveiled its spectacular new line of SUHD TVs, which offers unparalleled picture quality with Quantum dot display and HDR technologies, together with state-of-the-art design – the world’s first bezel-less curved TV, which is beautiful from every angle; and the smartest user experience that makes it easy for consumers to access all their entertainment content in one place.

Samsung’s 2016 SUHD TVs feature the world’s only cadmium-free, 10-bit Quantum dot display, offering the most true-to-life picture quality with stunning brightness, exceptional contrast and the most lifelike colours ever offered by Samsung. The future of display technology, Quantum dot display converts light into nearly any colour in the visible spectrum without distortion or compromising the brightness level, delivering the optimum viewing experience for consumers, regardless of the lighting environment.

This year, all of the Samsung SUHD TVs will feature the ability to provide a premium high dynamic range (HDR) experience, with 1,000 nit HDR minimum for a higher level of contrast between light and dark images. New Ultra Black technology also significantly reduces light reflection, further enhancing picture quality with minimal glare.

Built on the Tizen operating system (OS), Samsung’s 2016 Smart TVs make it easier for consumers to discover and access all their favourite content and services, from TV shows and movies, to games and programme information, all in one place. The new Samsung Smart TV eliminates the need to juggle multiple remote controls. The Samsung Smart TV will automatically recognise the type of game console, OTT box or home theatre system that is connected to the TV. This allows users to control such external devices with the Smart Control remote — with no setup required.

Samsung also unveiled the latest additions to its audio product lineup, including the new soundbar lineup with the wireless rear speaker kit  that creates a “True” surround sound system without any wire, and Samsung’s Wireless Audio 360 Speakers that deliver the ‘sweet spot’ everywhere in the home with proprietary ‘Ring Radiator’ technology for a rich and vibrant audio experience.

New Generation of Digital Appliances Transforms the Home and Makes Life More Pleasant

The revolutionary Samsung Smart Convertible 5-in-1 Refrigerator is powered by Twin Cooling technology that enables consumers to be flexible with cooling storage, depending on their needs. First in the refrigerator category, the fridge and freezer compartment has its own cooling system allowing the refrigerator to be flexible depending on the necessity, offering five different modes: Daily, Economy, Vacation, Party and MiniBar. The five (5) conversion modes deliver the required flexibility, while also saving energy according to the chosen setting.

Many consumers have dreamed of owning a spacious refrigerator that keeps food fresher, so their weekly grocery shop lasts longer. But it is a common disappointment to reach into the refrigerator to find that the fruits or vegetables have lost their natural moisture, even when kept in the vegetable drawer. That is the reason why Samsung’s teams have developed the innovative Twin Cooling Plus technology, which with a truly independent cooling system, prevents unpleasant smells from food moving between the fridge and freezer, ensuring the original flavour of ingredients stored in the freezer is perfectly preserved and odourless.

The air does not move between the compartments, and the freezer stays completely frost-free, prolonging the shelf life and the flavour of its contents. It also prevents the build-up of ice, removing the need to defrost the freezer.

Moving from the kitchen to the laundry area, Samsung’s new washing machines come with the much needed, practical solutions for easier and more efficient daily experiences. The Samsung Add Wash front-load washer allows consumers to add items – such as an overlooked sock or t-shirt – or either, add fabric softener, during wash cycle, through its world’s first additional “Add Door” located on the upper part of the main door.

It also comes with an array of smart functions, which work with both Android and iOS smartphones. That not only makes it easy to monitor the progress of the laundry program, but also offers the option to alert users on their smartphone just before the start of a new washing cycle, for example if they want to add a few delicate or hand-wash items towards the end of the wash cycle. An embodiment of Samsung’s innovation in delivering time savings and washing performance, the AddWash Washing Machine comes with a SuperSpeed feature that makes it possible to complete a normal wash in less than an hour without compromising washing performance.

In terms of top loaders, the 9kg & 11kg ActivWash+ with built-in sink and dedicated Water Jet for convenient pre-treatment of laundry, incorporates a magic dispenser that lets you wash with less worry about residual detergent. It is specially designed to create a powerful water vortex that dissolves both liquid and powder detergent and spreads it evenly before you start washing.

Breaking Barriers in Mobile Productivity and Wearable Technology

In the 2016 Forum, Samsung also showcased the news of its wearables for Latin America. The brand announced the increase in its portfolio of products and services that work seamlessly together, also breaking new grounds and introducing new categories. This is the case of Gear VR – Virtual reality goggles with high definition that allow people 2D and 3D experiences. Beyond creating immersive situations in a very comfortable way, it also counts with a large amount of contents.

On the other side, Gear S2 classic 18k rose gold and platinum will also come to Latin America, offering a more personal and customizable experience. Therefore, Samsung is expanding its line of watch straps and watch face options. Samsung has partnered with exclusive designers, such as Alessandro Mendini, on premium watch straps for the Gear S2, and has introduced fun and creative watch faces including Peanuts characters and artworks.

Mobile Payment Service in Devices

On top of all the high quality smart devices already available in Latin America, Samsung is also developing new services to guarantee, full convenience and connectivity, proving its commitment with meaningful technology.

Samsung Pay is about to be launched in Brazil, in the coming months. With the widest acceptance of any mobile payment service, Samsung Pay is also very safe and simple, bringing us closer to a world without wallets. When it is time to pay, just launch Samsung Pay, scan your fingerprint and hold your Samsung device close to credit card reader in the payment machine. Done! In short seconds, the operation is concluded.

Even fast, it does not lack anything in terms of security. The system also has security layers composed of KNOX that constantly monitors any malicious activity. Each transaction uses a digital token to replace the actual card number. The mobile authorizes payment only with the consent (authentication through fingerprint) of the user.

Samsung Pay works with most existing card terminals in Latin America. That means this is the first and only payment solution that will make a transaction in almost any place where you can tap a credit or debit card (Samsung Pay is compatible to supports both NFC and MST systems)

Corporate Citizenship at the Heart of Business Strategy

Pedro Kim, president and CEO of Samsung Electronics Latin America, speaks about company’s vision and business strategy during a press conference at Samsung Latin America Forum 2016

For the first time at Samsung Forum, the company detailed in depth its Corporate Citizenship initiatives all around Latin America.

“Our strategy in Corporate Social Responsibility is based in using Samsung’s global network and innovations to create positive change for people across the world. Specifically, in Latin America, we have chosen education as our main cause”, explains Helvio Kanamaru, senior manager of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Latin America Office.

In this context, Samsung works with three major programs in the region. They are:

• Solve for Tomorrow is a program that challenges young students in Latin America (since 2014) to show creative ideas of how Math and Science can improve their local communities. Goal: stimulate youth’s engagement into thinking about practical solutions to issues encountered in daily lives (society).
• Tech Institute is the program in which Samsung contributes to personal and technical professional training for young people in order to promote inclusion according to labor demand in the industry. Samsung is even starting to provide the 1^st IoT Tech Institute of Latin America, in partnership with USP University in Brasil (in São Paulo).
• Samsung Smart Schools are aimed at providing students and teachers of under-served areas with quality environment for education. Goal: enhance the learning process of students enrolled in public schools by providing new technologies and equipment, making the educational environment more intuitive, interactive and efficient.

“Innovation brings us not only inspiration to create new products and to deliver growth for our business, but also, great ability to help us on addressing some of the major social challenges of the world”, concludes Pedro Kim, CEO and President of Samsung Latin America.

Samsung Electronics, a global leader and innovator in consumer electronics, semiconductors and telecommunications, announced that it won more than 100 awards in key categories including Home Entertainment, Home Appliances, Mobile, and Internet of Things at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The show is the global gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. Organizations and publications at CES continue to recognize Samsung as the leader in the consumer electronics space spanning the home entertainment, mobile and home appliance categories.

Among Samsung’s CES 2016 award wins are 38 CES 2016 Innovation Awards, including a Best of Innovations Award in TV.  Further building on a momentous year, Samsung was also named the recipient of a number of media and industry awards, selected by organizations in attendance at the event out of more than 3,600 exhibiting companies.

“Samsung continuously strives to provide consumers with innovations that matter to help them connect their busy lives with their friends, family, co-workers and even their appliances in meaningful ways,” said Gregory Lee, president and CEO of Samsung Electronics North America. “It’s an honor to receive recognition both from CTA and the industry and we can’t wait for the products showcased here to be part of a consumer’s everyday life.”

Samsung’s award winning products for 2016 include:

• Samsung’s KS9500 Series Curved SUHD TV, the World’s First Bezel-Less Curved TV, earned Reviewed.com’s 2016 Editors’ Choice award, HD Guru’s CES Top Picks award and TechRadar’s Best of CES award

• Samsung’s 4-Dour Flex Refrigerator with Family Hub received more than eight awards, including Reviewed.com’s 2016 Editors’ Choice award, Men’s Health Best of CES, Tom’s Guide Best of CES for Best Smart Home Device and Mashable’s Best Tech of CES award

• Samsung’s Front Load Washer with AddWash collected the Reviewed.com Editors’ Choice award

• Samsung’s Galaxy TabPro S garnered more than 10 wins, including Digital Trends Top Tech of CES, TechRadar’s Best of CES award, Engadget’s Best of CES finalist, PCMag’s Best of CES in the Tablet category and TechnoBuffalo’s Best of CES award

• Samsung’s new ultra-lightweight Notebook 9 was named to TechnoBuffalo’s Best of CES and Pocket-Lint’s Best Laptops and Tablets of CES lists
• Samsung’s palm-sized Portable SSD T3 received the Techlicious Best of CES award

Related stories:

Samsung Electronics, a global leader in home appliance innovations, introduced a brand new refrigeration category to the market that cements the refrigerator’s position as the center of the kitchen. With practical innovations infused throughout, Samsung’s latest kitchen appliances will be unveiled this week, alongside its other home appliance introductions, at the CES 2016 from Jan. 6-9, 2016.

“Samsung has strongly reinvigorated the home appliance space with fresh thinking and functionality that have taken appliances from a ‘need’” to a ‘want’. With the new and innovative Family Hub Refrigerator, we are transforming the communal kitchen experience for consumers in ways that will re-define how they view and use their refrigerator,” said John Herrington, Senior Vice President, General Manager of Home Appliances, Samsung Electronics America. “Now more than ever, we are delivering in a big way on the promise of the Internet of Things, not only in refrigeration but in cooking, with a new Wi-Fi-connected range that takes cooking convenience to a new level.”

Family Hub Refrigerator Makes Its Debut

The Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator is a sophisticated multi-tasker that reconnects families, organizes groceries and home tasks, and provides entertainment.

The Family Hub is just that – a hub of household connections, but with a thoroughly digital twist. All communications are housed and displayed on a 21.5 inch full HD LCD resolution screen located on the upper right exterior door. As the refrigerator’s digital family command center, the screen allows you to post, share and update calendars, pin photos, share treasured kids’ works of art, and leave notes – all with the ease and convenience of your smartphone.

From more efficiently managing your groceries, to identifying foods you have or need, to tracking product expiration dates to cut down on waste, the Family Hub is your go-to resource to keep your kitchen fully stocked. In a revolutionary advancement in refrigerator technology, three high quality cameras inside the fridge capture an image every time the door closes. You can then access those images anytime using your smartphone and take a peek inside your fridge. Even if you’re at the store and forget to check on what you need for dinner that night, you can easily pull up the Samsung Smart Home app and have a look right into your Family Hub fridge. There’s no more forgetting what you have at home, and you can even use the refrigerator to do online grocery shopping with the aid of a major credit card partner, as well as manage recipes and compile and share shopping lists.

With the kitchen serving as the center of the home and a common gathering spot, the Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator is perfectly suited to entertain friends and family. It offers options for music streaming to play through its built-in speaker or connect to your Bluetooth wireless speakers, like Samsung’s own Radiant 360 line, to enjoy music throughout the home. You can even enjoy your favorite television programs right on the Family Hub screen using Screen mirroring with your Samsung Smart TV, a huge benefit if you have to prepare food for the football game and don’t want to miss any important play.

The Family Hub is as impressively designed on the inside as it is on the outside. From the Samsung-exclusive FlexZone that transforms from fridge to freezer to meet your food storage needs, to keeping food fresher, longer with its Triple and Metal Cooling system, to its flexibility and energy-saving features, this refrigerator places a premium on superior performance and unmatched innovation and design.

Family Hub Refrigerator (model RF28K95800SR) will be available in Spring 2016. It will be available in Counter Depth, Full Depth, Stainless and a new and stunning Black Stainless design.

Convenience and Connectivity in the Kitchen

Samsung’s Wi-Fi Slide-in Range with Soft Close Dual Door combines advanced technology with the ultimate in flexible functionality to make meal preparation easier and more enjoyable for home cooks.

This range also features Samsung’s award-winning Flex Duo technology with Soft Close Dual Door which provides ultimate cooking flexibility in oven configurations. Consumers can easily switch between one of the industry’s largest single oven compartments at 5.8 cu. ft. or separate into two-compartments (2.4 cu. ft. on top and 3.3 cu. ft. on bottom) by simply inserting or removing a simple but inventive Smart Divider. Maximizing the efficiency of Flex Duo even more is the Soft Close Dual Door, which is engineered with a hinge in the middle to open just the top compartment or both and can close softly and quietly to prevent door slams.

Now available with Wi-Fi connectivity, this range leverages Internet of Things (IoT) in a practical innovation that lets you monitor your cooktop and oven remotely. You can preheat and adjust oven cooking temperatures all from your smart phone as well as monitor the cooktop elements to make sure you’ve turned them off. Easy-grip metallic knobs that are illuminated with ice blue LED lights make it easy to see from across the room that a burner is on – a simple yet meaningful innovation that makes consumers’ lives simpler and more efficient.

Samsung’s Wi-Fi Slide-in Range with Soft Close Dual Door will be available in Spring 2016 in both electric and gas versions.

Samsung will also showcase a full line of other kitchen innovations at the CES 2016, including:

• Samsung Chef Collection Slide-in Dual Fuel Range: This versatile range serves up what home cooks need by merging a gas cooktop and an electric oven into one unit ideal for cooking precision and control, while for the first time incorporating Samsung’s Flex Duo technology.
• Samsung 4-Door Flex Food Showcase Refrigerator: The convenient external Food Showcase door opens to a shallow case that provides easy access to frequently used items, while an InnerCase compartment in the same space is used for longer-term storage for larger, fresh food items. Samsung’s exclusive FlexZone, located in the bottom right quadrant, easily transforms from fridge to freezer by selecting from four customizable temperature settings. And its Triple Cooling System keeps food fresh, longer by maintaining even humidity levels throughout the fridge and providing precise temperature calibration.

For more information about CES 2016, please visit our exclusive page #SAMSUNGxCES2016

Summer is the season for the fine art of barbecue. The best grill master knows that preparing your meats before a big cookout is the key to satisfied dinner guests. Whether you are firing up the grill to cook meat, poultry or fish/seafood, it’s important to carefully consider the marinade you prepare ahead of time. A good marinade will both tenderize the meat and give it a great flavor. So while you are considering the cut of meat and the type of fire (charcoal? gas?), you should also carefully consider the ingredients in your marinade.

However, it’s important to remember that meat may not need a marinade at all. If you’ve decided to spend money on the finest cut of beef with perfect marbling, then you don’t need to infuse it with other flavors. Just a little salt and pepper will provide all the seasoning that is needed. However, tougher cuts of steak like flank, sirloin or skirt will benefit from soaking in a marinade before cooking.

The first ingredient in your marinade should be something acidic – vinegar, wine, or something citrusy like lemon juice will help to tenderize the meat. A tough piece of meat will benefit from a marinating for about 24 hours, however a delicate piece of fish might need no more than an hour. Adding oil will give the meat moisture, as well as flavor, especially if it’s particularly strong-tasting, like olive oil.

The other key component is salt, which can be used for seasoning but can also be used to draw water out of the meat. Finally, it’s time to add your herbs and spices, such as garlic, oregano, thyme, cumin and red pepper. Other options to consider including in your arsenal are hot sauces, sweet steak sauces or soy sauce. Sweet ingredients can give your marinade a caramelized texture when the meat is cooked.

When you are designing your own marinade, you will only perfect it by trial and error. So it’s worth checking out some recipes online to get ideas and see what marinade ingredients tend to go together well. For example, a typical Middle Eastern preparation might include ingredients such as yogurt, olive oil, garlic and onion, whereas an Asian-style chicken or beef marinade may typically include ingredients such as rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, chili sauce and scallions.

Whether it is meat, poultry or fish, you must refrigerate the dish while it is marinating, even if it is only for a short time. Bacteria can start to grow when food is left on the countertop. Samsung’s Chef Collection is equipped with the Chef Pantry, a section of the fridge that is designed for keeping meat and fish chilled at optimal temperatures. So once you’ve prepared your marinade, take the stainless steel Chef Pan out of the fridge, apply the marinade to meat, poultry or fish, be sure to cover it and pop it back into your Chef Collection refrigerator’s Chef Pantry.

It’s important to note that you should not marinade a dish in any metal container unless it is stainless steel. After you have started cooking, the marinade should be discarded. Don’t baste the food with the leftover marinade as this can lead to cross contamination.

Once the meat is on the grill you can slide the Chef Pan directly into your dishwasher. That’s one of the great things about the Chef Collection refrigerator: it was designed to make things easy for home chefs who are serious about preparing great meals that taste great.

The new Chef Collection refrigerator, the RF9900H, was created with the growing trend towards fine food in mind. In contemporary foodie culture, people have a passion for great food made with great ingredients more than ever before. With this comes a desire to entertain others at home with fine food and drink, to cook from scratch using the freshest, top-quality meats, fish and produce, and to learn how to cook great tasting dishes using modern techniques.

The Chef Collection refrigerator was designed for the home chef, with a high-powered yet effective cooling system, a more efficient layout, great features and a stylish exterior. It also has a capacity of up to 1,000 liters (34 cubic feet), making it the largest interior on the market.

When Samsung designers created the interior, they did so with input from the world-famous culinary masters of the Club des Chefs. The results can be seen with features like the hygienic, stainless steel Chef Pantry, which keeps meat and fish chilled at optimal temperatures so that food stays fresher longer without losing its flavor. The Chef Basket is for keeping fruit and vegetables fresh at optimal temperatures and humidity levels.

The great internal layout has full extension drawers in the freezer that were modeled after those found in professional restaurant kitchens. The drawers are not only strong enough to hold heavy items, they also open all the way and close smoothly. Tilting door bins help to store food products of all sizes in the door guard of the freezer. The tilting system allows items to be put in and taken out more easily. The whole refrigerator is lit by pillar lighting, four LED tracks that ensure each corner of the interior is well-lit. Bins and shelves are made from clear crystalline material, and are both durable and stylish. The design makes organizing and accessing food easier than ever before.

But one of the best advantages of the RF9900H is its versatility. The premium Triple Cooling System with Precise Chef Cooling provides precise temperature control in all three zones, using two digital inverter compressors and three evaporators, an industry first. Digital inverter compressors are quieter and more energy efficient than standard compressors. The bottom left compartment of the refrigerator is the freezer, while the bottom right compartment, called the Fridge-in-Freezer, can be converted to either a freezer or fridge depending on your food storage needs. You can also choose from four temperature settings: fridge, chilled, soft-freeze and frozen.

One of the major insights from the Club des Chefs, which was obtained from the results of numerous workshops held in Korea and France during the concept and development phase, was that precise temperature control with a minimal deviation is a major key to keeping ingredients fresher for longer. A proper humidity level should also be controlled.

The powerful cooling system, combined with Triple Metal Cooling at the back of each compartment, and the vacuum insulation panel ensure a steady, constant temperature in each zone for optimal cooling. The cooling is also evenly distributed throughout the compartment.

Any chef knows that great tasting dishes begin with fresh ingredients. By combining the knowledge and expertise of Samsung’s designers and engineers with the input of some of the world’s greatest culinary minds, the result is an industry leading refrigerator that would well serve any home chef.

*All functionality features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.

For decades, refrigerators had single-speed compressors that were always either off or on. A compressor is the engine that powers the refrigeration cycle, moving refrigerant through the inner and outer heat exchange pipes. With a single-speed compressor, when the temperature inside the fridge reaches above a certain temperature, the compressor suddenly switches on – a noise almost everyone is familiar with. The single-speed compressor operates at full power, producing enough cool air until the temperature has sufficiently decreased before abruptly shutting off.

Enter the digital inverter compressor (a compressor that can operate at variable speeds because it is operated with a digital inverter). Unlike the standard single-speed compressor, which is either off or operating at full speed (typically about 3,600rpm), the digital inverter compressor is almost always on, but can operate at different speeds – from 1,100 to 4,300rpm. This ensures high efficiency and consistent temperature inside the refrigerator. It also results in significant cost savings, a reduced carbon footprint, less noise and a longer lifespan for the compressor. The digital inverter compressor is one of the most important innovations in the history of refrigerators and food preservation and Samsung has led the way.

Today, digital inverter compressors are the main technology used in Samsung’s signature refrigerators, including those that are part of the Chef Collection, the T9000, as well as food showcases and large-capacity premium refrigerators. This has played no small role in Samsung’s ascent to become the world’s top refrigerator manufacturer.

In addition, Samsung has become a technical leader, as one of the world’s top manufacturers of this game-changing technology. Samsung produced more than 40% of the world’s digital inverter compressors in 2014 as other major manufacturers now use Samsung’s superior compressors in their refrigerators.

Samsung really began its rise in this area in 1999 when the company pushed investment in BLDC (brushless direct current) inverter compressors. Since then, Samsung has continued to expand its investment in research and development, hiring a highly skilled team of researchers, which has enabled the company to remain on the cutting edge of technology. From 2000 to 2014, Samsung sold a total of 27.5 million BLDC inverter compressors, which are highly efficient and less noisy compared to a single-speed induction motor compressor. BLDC motors are also better in terms of reliability and longevity. The current Chef Collection refrigerator employs a fifth generation technology of BLDC inverter compressor.

The benefits are obvious. A refrigerator with a Samsung digital inverter compressor consumes up to 46.9% less energy than a single-speed induction motor compressor, and thus contributes far less in the way of greenhouse gases. Because the digital inverter compressor gradually speeds up and slows down, it does not have to work as hard to manage the temperature. This means that refrigerators with digital inverter compressors suffer less wear and tear on components and are therefore far more durable than fridges with conventional compressors. This has allowed Samsung to offer a 10-year warranty on its digital inverter compressors.

The lack of abrupt starts and stops means no sudden, potentially startling disruptive noises interrupting you dinner. Digital inverter compressors are also far less noisy overall: up to 3 decibels quieter. And the consistent, uniform cooling that maintains the desired temperature means food lasts longer because changes in temperature can lead produce, meat, fish and dairy to spoil more quickly. It all means that consumers will save money on both their electric bills and food costs.

When Samsung sought input from its highly influential group of culinary experts, also known as the Club des Chefs, they emphasized that temperature uniformity is a crucial component of any fridge that may be used in a Michelin-starred kitchen. Chef Collection refrigerators boast “Chef Mode,” which ensures that the temperature fluctuates no more than plus or minus 0.5 degrees celsius. The Chef Collection refrigerator is equipped with three evaporators and two compressors to control humidity. It is also made of stainless steel panels, which help to keep the temperature consistent.