JBL Announces a Fleet of New Audio Tech at IFA
The summer might be winding down, but JBL and Harman are just heating up with a few announcements this week at IFA 2018 that everyone should be interested in.
IFA
Samsung Gives Us 8K Resolution Televisions with the New Q900FN!
We have more and more ways to enjoy cinematic experiences right at home. Streaming services are offering better and better content, soundbars and other speaker system enhancements bring the audio to life, and televisions just keep improving. Samsung is intent on taking this to the next level with their new Q900FN TV with an absolutely futuristic 8K resolution.
BlackBerry Key2 LE: More Affordable Access to BlackBerry’s Iconic Design and Security
If thoughts of QWERTY keyboards give you a little thrill, you’ll like that BlackBerry is giving us more options. In addition to the BlackBerry Key2, you can also consider the new Key2 LE. The BlackBerry Key2 LE has slightly fewer premium features than the Key2, but at $399 for the 32GB and $449 for the 64GB, it’s an attractive alternative.
Casio Blazes a New Trail with Their Updated Pro-Trek WSD-F30
There are a lot of fitness trackers/smartwatches out there that claim to fit any scenario, but if there’s any niche that needs special attention, it’s the outdoors. You need to be conscious of battery life, feature availability without internet, and of course, ruggedness. Casio has been nailing it with their Pro-Trek WSD line, and the newest WSD-F30 looks eye-poppingly good.
Dell Releases a Slew of Updated Computers at IFA 2018
Dell has been busy pumping out gaming computers lately, they haven’t forgotten those of us who think Super Mario 2 was the height of gaming technology. They’re at IFA this week, and they have a full suite of Inspiron, XPS, and other software and hardware improvements to make it faster and easier to get things done!
An Interview with Philips’ Liat Ben-Zur About Her Job and Favorite Technology
Philips has set the goal to improve the lives of 3 billion people per year by 2025, and part of the way that they hope to achieve this goal is by bridging the gap between consumer and professional health. To that end, at the IFA GPC, Philips’s Liat Ben-Zur talked about the importance of healthy sleep.
Can Buerer’s Snore Stopper and SleepQuiet App Really Stop Snoring?
Buerer is a European company that’s been around for almost 100 years; their focus is health and well-being. At the IFA GPC, their Managing Director, Georg Walkenbach, mentioned that they currently have 12 apps and 60 connected devices. Georg mentioned several of their health-focused device and app combos, but the one I really took note of was their SleepQuiet app.
Sharp’s 8K TV Makes Your New 4K TV Seem Dated
At the IFA Global Press Conference in Rome, Sascha Lange, Vice President Marketing and Sales at Sharp, was present to announce that their AQUOS 8K LV-70X500E television will be available in Europe at the end of April. This television offers an insane 7680×4320 pixels, and it was previously only available in Asia.
Netatmo Integrates Homekit into Their Cameras
Apple is getting very serious about competing in the smart home business, and more and more companies are joining in with Homekit compatibility. Netatmo is making sure their cameras stay competitive with new firmware updates for their outdoor and indoor cameras. Homekit compatibility means that in between mangling dictated text message and giving you oddball links for simple questions, Siri can also give you a peak at parts of your home using your watch, iPhone or iPad. If you’re not familiar with Netatmo, they offer a number of devices, but their main security cameras are Presence and Welcome. Presence is…
Jabra Elite 25e Headphones Have an Amazing Battery for up to 18 Hours of Music and Talk
If I told you there was a new in-ear, wind protected, stereo headphone set that could get up to 18 hours battery life during the day for music and talk, you’d figure they had an astronomical price, right? Well, you’d be wrong. The Jabra Elite 25e Headphones even have a dedicated Siri or Google Now button, and they’re just $79.
JBL Boombox Makes Portable Sound Epic
If you love the idea of a portable speaker, but the little bottle-sized ones just aren’t giving you enough oomph, you’ll want to check out the new JBL Boombox. Available this fall for $449.95, it is practically begging to be the center of your next party.
HARMAN Introduces Voice-Activated Intelligent Speakers for Alexa and Google Assistant
If you’ve got an Amazon Alexa or Google Home device, then you’ve already found out that while intelligent speakers are okay, they usually aren’t that great to look at nor do they sound as amazing as one might hope.
LG V30: A Small-ish Phablet with Huge Features
There are so many interesting Android phones available now that choosing a new one can be daunting. Have you considered the new LG V30? It has a beautiful screen, an exceptional camera, and lovely thin bezels. But what more does the V30 have going for it?
Acer Unleashes a Huge Lineup at IFA 2017!
Acer has been very, very busy at IFA 2017. They announced quite the lineup of products, so if you use anything remotely electronic there’s probably something there for you. (And if you don’t use anything electronic, please let me know in the comments how and why you’re reading this!)
Pixie Technology’s Augmented Reality Will Literally Point to Your Lost Keys
Admit it, you’ve lost your keys before. We all have. Recently we found a set of keys my wife lost two years ago! There are Bluetooth trackers that will beep when initiated, but Pixie has a better plan; they use augmented reality to float a visual in front of you that guides you to your lost item.
Samsung Rolls Out New Fitness Products: Gear Sport, Gear Fit2 Pro, and Gear IconX
If you’ve been waiting to see what Samsung would do to follow up their suite of fitness devices, you’ll be glad to know that today they have announced two new watches and a smarter pair of workout ready in-ear headphones. Say hello to the Gear Sport, Gear Fit2 Pro, and the Gear Icon X.
Sennheiser AMBEO Technology Available for All with the AMBEO Smart Headset
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.
2017 IFA Global Press Conference: The Sign of What’s to Come
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.
SensePeanut: Smart, Inexpensive Life Automation, Starting with the ThermoPeanut
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…
Withings Steel HR May Be the Best Looking and Longest Lasting Connected Watch Yet!
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.
Sony Announces the New Xperia XZ and Xperia X Compact
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.