Slovenian kitchen appliances maker Gorenje has signed a license agreement with Apple that will incorporate the iPod's technology in future Gorenje appliances.

The first of these is the "Made for iPod" refrigerator, which Gorenje unveiled at the IFA 2008 in Berlin. But lest you think it's just sticking an iPod dock and speakers on a glossy black fridge, this new innovation does more than play music and charge your iPod.

Paired with a new application Gorenje developed, suitably named iGorenje, that enables Internet connectivity via your home WiFi network. This means you can download your favourite iTunes and movies into your iPod for some entertainment or browse new recipes as you cook.

More significantly, the iGorenje will enable the wireless remote control of household appliances via a home server on a single device such as your PDA or iPhone. In addition to the fridge, Gorenje is currently testing this application on an oven and washing machine, but is lining up other electrical appliances to be added in future.

In the case of the oven, for example, iGorenje simplifies the cooking procedures through a selection of preset programs displayed on an easy-to-use graphical user interface.

All the user has to do is place the food in an oven, select the type of food, approximate weight and recipe, press the 'Start' icon, and the application does the rest. The same goes for the washing machine.

Gorenje's Qube concept

After the huge success of its Ora-Ïto Collection, Gorenje introduces a white version to its sleek black minimalist predecessor at this year's IFA 2008, along with two new kitchen lines – Pure and Allure.

While the new lines exemplify the typical high standards we have come to expect of the Slovenian kitchen appliances maker, both of which boast several patent protected technological innovations, it's their futuristic kitchen concepts that offer an exciting sneak peek into Gorenje's product roadmap.

Gorenje also introduced another interesting concept – freestanding kitchen range aptly named Qube – that seemingly does away with unsightly plumbing and power circuitry hubs.

The sleek black glass core of the cubic shaped appliances outlined in metal-white composites and colour-adjustable lighting handles do not give away much as to the function of the appliance.

Take the foldable cooking hub for example, it is wall-mounted like a LCD TV and opens up like a laptop to reveal a cooking hob with a kitchen hood.

These appliances highlight the increasing emphasis on aesthetics and design in furnishing one's living space, and challenge the notion of having designated areas for specific functions.

With the Qube, having a fridge in the hall or a cooking hob in your bedroom may not sound like a ludicrous idea after all.

This article is published in association with www.luxury-insider.com.