What’s necessary to create a 360º video with true 3D sound? At the IFA Global Press conference, Dr. Andreas Sennheiser was there to explain the case for immersive sound when filming content (360º and regular) and to us and tell us about their new AMBEO Smart Headset.
For the past few years, I’ve been one of a select group of international journalists invited to the IFA Global Press Conference. A warm-up, if you will, for the yearly IFA convention held in Berlin, the press conference is a great time to check up on the current and future status of the global electronics market.
Sen.se is announcing their new ThermoPeanut today, the first in its series of smart sensors called SensePeanut. For those of us who are wondering what a SensePeanut might be, the short answer is that each $29 SensePeanut has its “own set function, task or habit it can monitor.” SensePeanuts are designed to bring people the benefits of smart life automation without the need for costly or complicated solutions. We are thrilled to launch ThermoPeanut as the first in the line. Whether you are monitoring room temperatures, making sure your refrigerator is cooling properly or keeping a server room at an…
Two of the things that smartwatches keep failing at are thickness and size; well, okay, battery life has been an issue, too. Withings, part of the Nokia family and makers of the great looking Activité health-tracking watch line, has just announced their new Steel HR; it’s a health tracker, and it’s a gorgeous, connected watch with 25-days of battery life.
Judie and I have been fans of the Sony Xperia line of smartphones and tablets. Now Sony has introduced two new additions to the Xperia line — the flagship Sony Xperia XZ and the premium Xperia X Compact. They are the first Xperia phones to feature triple image sensing. Both look great and arrive this fall.
IFA has started, and Lenovo is introducing three new Yoga devices: the Yoga Book (a 2-in-1 tablet in Android and Windows versions), the Yoga 910 (a 2-in-1 laptop), the Yoga Tab 3 Plus (a 10” Android tablet), and the Miix 510 (a Windows detachable).
Samsung’s newest watches, the Gear S3 smartwatches have just been announced; they are the natural successors to the Gear S2 line that was announced at IFA last year. There will be two S3 models available, the frontier and classic; the frontier is available in an LTE or Bluetooth model, and the classic comes in a Bluetooth version only.
If you have more than one mobile device, and let’s face it — these days we all do — charging them all at the same time can be a bit of a challenge. Udoq is a unique new way to charge your Kindle, iPad, Android phone, iPhone and other devices at the same time with a row of built-in chargers.
As part of the 10th annual IFA Global Press Conference, along with 300 other members of the press from over 50 countries, I was on hand in Shenzhen to witness Messe Berlin’s expansion into China for the first ever CE China global event. It was something to see.
While much of their IFA press conference centered on growth of the brands covered by the Harman parent company (JBL, Harman-Kardon, AKG, Infinity, etc.), there was one announced product that I want to focus on, because I think it may ultimately be the most intriguing — the Everest headphone collection with TruNote Sound Calibration.
Remember how Steve Jobs used to always have “one more thing” that he would mention when presenting a keynote? That’s how the IFA Huawei press conference seemed to go as they introduced their new Mate S and solidified details and pricing on the Huawei Watch.
Acer CEO Jason Chen started their IFA 2015 press conference with a bang; not only did he announce a new Chromebook and a new 2-in-1, he also announced new additions to the Predator gaming line. Are you interested in bigger, faster, and stronger? That’s what Acer seems to be aiming for.
I was part of a group of approximately 300 journalists attending the IFA 2015 Global Press Conference in Malta last week. Being my first time to attend, I had no idea what to expect, but I soon learned that it was all about showcasing upcoming consumer electronics, health tech, and home appliance trends by some of the companies responsible.
I’ve just returned from Berlin and a hectic week at IFA; it was my first time to attend. Perhaps because I went in with zero expectations, I left thinking the show was larger than expected, and I feel pretty comfortable saying that it was a great consumer electronics expo, and I’m glad that I was there.
One of the many things that Dan and I both agree upon is that the Sony Xperia Z2 is the best phone out now. It has an excellent camera, it’s lightning fast, it has expandable memory, and it is a factory unlocked world phone. IFA saw the introduction of the Xperia Z3, Z3 Compact, and the Z3 Tablet Compact.
This afternoon at IFA, Intel has just announced their new Core M processor. The M might as well stand for Mobile, as this processor enables “razor-thin, fanless designs with the optimal blend of beauty, performance and battery life”. Intel Core M will be available as early as October on systems from Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Toshiba.
This morning at IFA, Microsoft unveiled their new flagship model, the Lumia 830. Running Windows Phone 8.1, with the Lumia Denim update, the 830 has built-in Qi wireless charging, a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, a 10 megapixel PureView camera, and a really sleek aluminum body with a colored polycarbonate peel-off back. Best of all? User removable battery and expandable memory.
I got the chance to try on the just announced Samsung Gear S today, and while I love its brilliant 2″ curved Super AMOLED screen, I can’t help but wonder if it’s just a bit too big for me. Bear in mind that I usually wear a men’s full size watch, and yet I think this one swallows my wrist.
It’s not often that I attend a tech event and leave knowing that I’ve seen something that’s going to change the way I expect to use a device that I already own, but that’s what happened after the Samsung event today. The introduction of the Galaxy Note Edge was by far the highlight of my day, and I’m still wowed.
We’ve seen all the different smartwatches that tell their wearers when calls and emails come though, but most of them are bulky and pretty obvious. If you want smart, discreet notifications without giving up your favorite vintage wristwatch, then the MOTA SmartRing may work for you. Once paired, it notifies wearers of incoming calls, texts, calendar notifications, and emails.
Judie is headed to Berlin next week as Intel’s guest for IFA; while there, I’m sure she’s going to see a ton of great new kit. I for one am looking forward to reading her posts. Of all of the new products that will be announced, I think we’re both looking forward to the new Sony Xperia devices the most.
