Andrea Ragnetti, Philips Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Executive Officer of Philips Domestic Appliances and Personal Care commented: "These products are a clear demonstration that we are delivering on our vision of using simplicity to design and produce products that better fit with people's lives and provide meaningful benefits from technology. Across our product portfolio we are integrating design and innovation which are contributing to improvements in healthcare and lifestyle."
The new Simplicity-led design products being previewed are:
Ambient Experience for MR (Magnetic Resonance) - designed to reduce anxiety of patients undergoing MR examinations while improving the workflow of hospital staff. Focusing on the use of light, space, design and technology, Ambient Experience provides each patient with a personalized experience that is less intimidating to ease anxiety. Patients can customize their environment to fit their mood or personality rather than a one-size-fits-all healing environment. Since 2004, Philips has been installing Ambient Experience in the examination rooms of MR, CT and CathLab. Recently published results from the Department of Radiology at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, USA, which installed an Ambient Experience suite in 2005, indicate a reduction of 28% in sedation rates for children under four years of age. Initial results from Catharina Hospital in the Netherlands, suggest that physicians in their CathLab are performing more procedures due to the benefits obtained with Ambient Experience. Philips will be introducing the Ambient Experience across other areas within the hospital including PET/CT and hospital waiting rooms. To further reduce anxiety levels for children undergoing MR examinations, Philips is introducing the new educational KittenScanner inviting children to do their own scans before they go in for their own exam. The child selects a toy, places it on a miniature exam table and slides it into the KittenScanner to learn why the toy is sick. Learning how the process works eases the child's mind and induces curiosity about their own exam. The child's playful interest negates some fears and puts control in their hands making them an active participant. Philips is expecting to introduce the KittenScanner globally from May 2007.
Ambisound™ home theater system - simplifies the life of consumers by providing a stylish, clutter-free and immersive sound experience. The wall-mountable, integrated home theater system envelopes the listener with full, 5.1 multi-channel surround sound from just one bar of speakers and a single subwoofer. Without multiple speakers and wires, the integrated home theater system offers an elegant and functional design while delivering a deep, rich sound. Perfectly complementing the Philips Ambilight FlatTV range or any FlatTV display on a wall, the Ambisound™ home theater system immerses the listener in an incredible sound experience. The Ambisound™ home theater system will be available in the Asia Pacific region from May 2007, with a retail price of approximately US$999.
amBX™ immersive gaming experience - makes it easy for gamers to bring their gaming environment into the real world. Through a simple USB connection the game's special effects really come to life with light, color, and the rumblings of thunder and even wind, all natural elements from the game being played. It's a truly immersive experience that will transform gamers forever. amBX is a new licensing technology in a series of hardware devices for PC games that work alone or in combination with each other. They are also designed for game creators to embed the effects into the games themselves. Gaming is just a starting point. amBX takes entertainment beyond audio and visual to turn the entire room into an entertainment system. Philips will commercially launch its range of amBX products in Europe and North America in 2007 and is investigating opportunities for Asia.
Wake-up Light - a new, medically proven wake-up lamp, which emits light that gradually increases to the intensity you have selected, simulating the rising sun in your bedroom thus gently preparing your body to wake up. The light falls on your eyes and sends your brain a message to positively influence your biological clock by for example increasing the production of cortisol, the energy hormone. Over 30 minutes, the natural light gradually increases to reach the optimal intensity to wake you up at the set time, in a pleasant manner that leaves you feeling energized and ready to wake up. The light intensity can also be adjusted to your own personal preference. The Wake-up Light is available in France and Germany with a further rollout in other European countries later this year. Retail price is €89 for the basic model and €129 for the premium model, offering additional features. Philips is exploring the interest for the Wake-up Light in the Asian market and taking the opportunity of the Simplicity Event to gain feedback from key stakeholders.
My Colortones - an innovative new form of lighting for the home that uses LED lighting to allow you to select from an infinite range of colors. Now you can create whatever atmosphere you like in your room. Both the color and light intensity of My Colortones can be changed using a simple remote control. The colored lighting can be directed at a wall or corner of your room at any angle, or high or low target. Choosing a particular light effect can transform the atmosphere in your room, letting your interior follow your mood.
Woodstove - a smokeless, fuel efficient stove designed to reduce the indoor air pollution generated by traditional wood-burning stoves. The stove's innovative fan generates a clean burn, dramatically reducing smoke emissions that cause chronic respiratory disease chiefly amongst women and children. Compared with traditional stoves, the Woodstove uses significantly less wood, saving households up to 50 percent on fuel costs and lessening deforestation. A successful commercial pilot was launched in 2006 in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh in India. In addition to improved health, the Woodstove has reduced the time it takes to start fires, cook food and heat water. Philips is expecting to launch the woodstove in India later this year and is investigating opportunities for the Woodstove in Africa, Latin America and China.
SMILE: UDAY and SMILE: Kiran - two initial products developed as part of Philips SMILE (Sustainable Model in Lighting Everywhere), an initiative designed to provide affordable, high-quality, energy-efficient, clean lighting solutions primarily for rural areas in India. SMILE: UDAY is a rechargeable portable lantern for general illumination while SMILE: KIRAN is a hand-cranked LED flashlight. Following a successful 2006 commercial pilot held in three Indian states, Philips plans to expand SMILE into a further five Indian states in the next year.
Product launch dates are subject to change and would need to be confirmed by Philips closer to the estimated launch date. Each product was showcased at the Philips Simplicity Event, held at Hong Kong's AsiaWorld-Expo exhibition centre on 14 March.
For more information or photos, please visit: www.philips.com/newscenter
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