Whirlpool and CEIVA: The CentralPark Connection

My refrigerator door is covered with tiny picture frames, magnets, magazine articles, coupons, recipes, and more tiny picture frames. I wasn’t going to be one of those women with ’stuff’ on the refrigerator door, oh no. My refrigerator was always going to be clean, uncluttered, and classic.

Then I had kids.

The thing is, I want to be able to LOOK AT my kids, and my cats, and my summer vacations, and my parents all the time, without clutter. Before the invention of the wireless digital picture frame, this just wasn’t possible. Now, it is.

The Whirlpool centralpark ™ is here to grant my every wish. I love this and I want one. Desperately.

Say and think what you will, and politically correct or not, most families spend a LOT of time in the kitchen. You know, where the refrigerator is? How appropriate would it be to make the refrigerator door the focal point of the kitchen WITHOUT covering it with clutter? Why not slideshow those pictures across the screen of a wireless digital picture frame, attached to the ’fridge door?

Thanks to this unusual yet amazingly practical marriage of Whirlpool and CEIVA, we can have the best of both worlds.

According to Lisa Smith, vice president of appliances for Best Buy, "Our customers are looking for innovative and meaningful ways to utilize technology in the kitchen. The centralpark ™ connection is a great example of form and function coming together to solve a real need for the consumer."

The Ceiva frame provides functionality, including the ability to automatically receive pictures wirelessly. The centralpark ™connection also allows consumers to update almost any electronic ’gadget’ at any time; multiple devices can be used interchangeably! The plug and play platform on the refrigerator adds functionality for today’s digital consumer.

Mark Hamilton, director of centralpark’s ™ new business development, says that "With the CEIVA Digital Photo Frame, consumers can have fresh pictures AND food each day, while keeping the refrigerator door free of clutter. The new centralpark ™ connection plug and play platform is the ultimate choice for consumers who want devices integrated with appliances and the flexibility to use the refrigerator with or without them."

Dean Schiller, CEO of CEIVA Logic, says, "Partnering with Whirlpool allows CEIVA to expand beyond the office and living room, and into the most popular family meeting place, the kitchen. We feel privileged to help families share their keepsake moments."

The Whirlpool Refrigerator with centralpark ™ connection is a monochromatic stainless steel side-by-side refrigerator with Fast Fill water filtration and In-Door Ice system. The centralpark ™ port is built right into the refrigerator door. The port can handle satellite radio, a Web tablet with interactive message board and family calendar, a wireless/digital picture frame, a DVD/Cd player, and more. The port can also charge up your Mp3 player, your cell phone, your iPod, and almost any other electronic trinket.

With the centralpark ™ port right in your refrigerator door, think of all that nice clean space on your countertops!

David Swift, president of Whirlpool North America, says that "The centralpark ™ port is an innovative idea that will be most welcome in the multi-functional kitchens of modern homes."

I agree. The kitchen has always been, and is supposed to be, the heart of the home. Why not make it the hub of the home as well?

The CEIVA wireless digital photo frame and the Whirlpool refrigerator are sold separately. The wireless frame is available at Best Buy for $249.00, and the side-by-side ’fridge can be had for $1999.00.

Digital Photo Frames: The Perfect Gift For A Mother Who Doesn’t Want To Blow Up The World

Years ago, Jay Leno had a stand-up routine about how his mother was suspicious of any newfangled thing her son brought into her house.

One of the first things he bought, after he hit it big, was a new television, complete with wireless remote, for his parents. It disturbed him to see his parents have to get up and manually change the channel, adjust the sound, etc, and he wanted them to have the very best that he could manage. He showed his folks how to use the remote, and went on his way.

The next time he visited his parents, he noticed that they were still getting up, walking across the room, and manually changing the channel, adjusting the sound, etc.

“Mom,” he said, “where’s the remote?”

“It’s right here, son, in this drawer,” replied Mrs. Leno, indicating a small drawer in the table by her chair.

“Why is it in the drawer? Why aren’t you using it? Why are you and Dad still getting up and walking across the room to change the channel manually? Don’t you like your new TV?”

“Oh, son, we love the new TV - it’s wonderful.”

“Then why are you still getting up and walking across the room to change the channel? Why do you keep the remote shut up in the drawer?”

“To tell you the truth, son, I’m afraid that if I aim the remote at that tiny little sensor and miss, I’ll blow up the vase of flowers I keep on top of the tv. I keep the remote in this drawer so it won’t harm anyone.”

Ever since I heard Jay Leno tell this story, MANY years ago, I use the phrase “Jay Leno’s Mom Syndrome” to describe anyone with an electronic gadget phobia. My own mother has it, big time.

That is why, for her birthday, I bought her a digital photo frame, already loaded full of pictures. All she has to do is look at it. Whether she is in the room or not, it’s hanging there on her wall, slide-showing picture after picture of the grandkids, her family, everyone she’s ever known, and every place she’s ever been. We took her ancient photo albums and had digital copies made of all of her old snapshots, and loaded them into the frame, so there are some really ancient pictures in that slideshow. She panicked at the thought of having to program anything, so we told her never to touch it. Whenever one of her kids drops by, he/she checks out the digital frame, puts a few more pictures in it, and reminds her that all she has to do is look. No hassle, no blowing up the planet, just watch it.

I was over there tonight and she was sitting in her chair, just watching her digital picture frame. There may have been traces of tears, but we both pretended we weren’t sentimental, and ignored them.

We loaded the frame with old 1940’s and 1950’s mp3’s, too. I think she watches her digital photo frame more than her television.

Does your mother have Jay Leno’s Mom Syndrome, too? I know what you can get her for her birthday, or Mother’s Day, or Christmas, or just because you love her. I think you know, too.