LEXINGTON, MA, March 22, 2006 – HANBiT Electronics Co., Ltd.; Pepper Computer, Inc.; and Salton®, Inc. today announced the signing of a joint agreement under which the three companies will cooperate to market and distribute a Salton branded version of Pepper’s innovative Pepper Pad. Under the terms of the agreement, the group will draw on the strengths of each partner: software and hardware development and design expertise and resources from Pepper; product development, design, marketing and distribution expertise and resources from Salton, a leading U.S. designer, marketer and distributor of a broad range of high quality small appliances under a range of well known brands; and design and manufacturing expertise and resources from HANBiT, an electronics hardware and technology company that creates designs, frameworks and assemblies. Pepper and HANBiT in late 2005 signed a licensing agreement allowing Suwon, South Korea-based HANBiT to produce the award-winning Pepper Pad handheld media computer.
“This agreement gives HANBiT powerful partners to help advance the state of the art in handheld computing as it assumes a larger and larger role in the home,” said Do-gyun Lee, CEO of HANBiT.
“Since the Pepper Pad is one of the first true Internet appliances, we are very excited to have Salton, one of the world's best consumer appliance companies, marketing and distributing the next-generation Pepper Pad," said Len Kawell, CEO of Pepper. "Salton's deep understanding of consumers' needs in the kitchen and the rest of the home will help make the Pepper Pad a pervasive part of every family's connected home."
“Salton understands the growing and changing needs of the consumer marketplace. Working closely with HANBiT and Pepper, we look forward to helping shape the consumer marketplace of the future with the Pepper Pad’s industry-leading technology,” said Stephen Edelen, Managing Director of Salton’s Beyond consumer electronics division.
The Pepper Pad is a lightweight, Wi-Fi-enabled device, with a large, high-resolution screen, 20-gigabyte hard disk, built-in speakers and a thumb keypad, providing a powerful, versatile platform for a much wider range of online and off-line activities than any other portable device. Its large display is ideal for
viewing fullwidth Web pages and watching full-screen videos. The Pepper Pad can store hours of music and videos, plus thousands of photos. And, with three forms of wireless communication – Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and infrared (IR) – the Pad can access and control a wide range of devices around the home, from Wi-Fi access points, to TVs, set-top boxes, music systems, home theaters and media servers. It’s an ideal way for consumers to have Internet and media access plus wireless remote control in every room of their home.
About HANBiT Electronics
HANBiT Electronics Co., Ltd. (
www.hbe.co.kr), founded 1999, is an electronics hardware and technology company that creates designs, frameworks and assemblies and guarantees quality assurance. HANBiT supplies memory application modules, home networks and navigation/DMB devices.
About Pepper Computer
Pepper Computer, Inc. (
www.pepper.com) is a digital home software and technology company that creates and markets a handheld media computer platform that includes software, hardware designs and services, which together deliver a total user experience combining the power of the Internet and the media capabilities of a PC into an easy to use handheld device. Founded in January 2002, the company's mission is to make consumer technology enjoyable to use and a pleasure to own. The company is privately held and headquartered in Lexington, MA.
About Salton, Inc.
Salton, Inc. is a leading designer, marketer and distributor of branded, high-quality small appliances, electronics, home decor and personal care products. Its product mix includes a broad range of small kitchen and home appliances, electronics for the home, time products, lighting products, picture frames and personal care and wellness products. The Company sells its products under a portfolio of well recognized brand names such as Salton(R), George Foreman(R), Westinghouse (TM), Toastmaster(R), Melitta(R), Russell Hobbs(R), Farberware(R), Ingraham(R) and Stiffel(R). It believes its strong market position results from its well-known brand names, high-quality and innovative products, strong relationships with its customer base and its focused outsourcing strategy.
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