CeBIT 2014
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Farewell, CeBIT 2014
CeBIT 2014 is done, and it's high time that we say goodbye to the Hannover Messe. Of course, much of CeBIT's thunder has been stolen by Mobile World Congress and IFA, but given the interesting products that we've stumbled upon here, there's clearly still some life in the show. We hope that you enjoyed our efforts, and if you missed any of the news or hands-ons, grab a champagne-flavored ice cream (yes, really) and check out the unabridged list below.
Power strips don't have to be ugly, just ask Powerdrobe
Yes, power strips aren't the sort of thing we usually discuss on this august periodical but sometimes we spot something at a trade show that simply demands attention. Normally, it's the sort of gear that you tuck behind or under your desk, but Korean designer Sangki Kim wanted to make something a little more stylish. That's why he built the Powerdrobe: a box that sits beneath your display (or all-in-one) to keep everything nice and tidy. Kim, who also designed the Desk Phone Dock we reviewed a few years ago, gave the box a classy rounded look and chrome toggle switches, so turning on your computer makes you feel like you work at NASA, circa 1965. On one side of the unit, there's a pair of USB ports for charging mobile devices, while on the other side you'll find either a US or European mains socket, depending on which version you buy. The back offers up either four or six further mains sockets to satisfy your lust for power, with all the mess hidden behind a solid plastic screen. The four-socket model will arrive in April and set you back $40, with the bigger unit coming later and costing a few dollars more.
An e-reader that makes calls: InkPhone promises two weeks on a charge
When we reviewed the dual-screen YotaPhone, some of you thought it'd have been better if the device simply skipped the LCD and relied on a single E Ink display instead. Well, that's exactly the approach taken by Onyx (via its Polish distributor, Arta Tech) which is showing off a prototype of the MIDIA InkPhone here at CeBIT. Packing a 4.3-inch front-lit E Ink display (no LCD here), the device is designed as a back-to-basics device for people who need really long battery life or simply those who are looking for an e-reader that can also make calls. Part of the appeal, of course, is that E Ink displays sip power, and the company promises that the InkPhone will last for more than two weeks on a single charge of its 1,800mAh battery.
Fujitsu's latest all-in-ones don't need to be turned off
With all of the talk surrounding smartphones and tablets, it's sometimes easy to forget that desktops still occupy most of our working days. Fujitsu hasn't forgotten them, however, and is wheeling out a pair of all-in-one units that'll accompany you on the 9-to-5. The Esprimo X923 comes with a 23-inch 1,920 x 1,080 IPS LCD and a wide variety of build-to-order options, including a choice of Core i3 - i7 CPUs, HDD or SSD and up to 16GB RAM. It's so far, so Fujitsu, but the company is also trumping low power active mode, a sleep state that'll keep the hardware on and connected to your network, but drawing so little power that you don't actually need to turn it off. The other model that's been outed today is the X923-T, which, as you can guess, is exactly the same as the 923, but with a touchscreen. Both are available from today, so it's high time that you started sending flattering emails to your company's purchasing manager.
Fujitsu's palm-scanning laptops won't be fooled by severed limbs
For all the popularity of fingerprint scanners, Fujitsu believes that it can go one better. The Japanese company has been working on palm-based systems for the last few years, and we've already seen turnstiles, wallets and tablets that are accessed from your hand. Fujitsu believes that palm vein sensing is around a thousand times more secure than conventional biometric methods and it's implementing the technology in its next range of business-focused laptops due out this week. We've been shown around some of these models, which have the new sensor fitted into an area that is roughly the same size and position as the company's existing fingerprint scanners, just below the bottom right corner of the keyboard. Using it is simple: Hold your hand a few inches above the sensor and the hardware will quickly scan the unique arrangement of your veins. If it judges you to be the real deal, it'll open up its secrets for your enjoyment.
We're here at CeBIT 2014!
If you don't count IFA, and for this week at least, we don't, then CeBIT is our favorite German tech show. It may be aimed squarely at business and infrastructure types, but we live in hope that there's some gems lurking between the server racks and point of sale units. Hannover's Deutsche Messe is currently full of burly scene-movers and covered by a hazy cloud of sawdust and smoke, but by Monday, it'll become one of the world's biggest trade shows. Naturally, we'll be cherry-picking the most interesting of what's on show and delivering it straight to your eyeballs via this wonderful thing called the internet.
Samsung's thing for (faux) leather continues with the ATIV Book 9 Style
Samsung's clearly been listening to Venus in Furs a lot recently, which explains why it's gone a bit crazy on the faux-leather all of a sudden. After covering both the Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Tab Pro and Chromebook 2 in the stuff, the company has now sought to do the same to a member of its Windows notebook family. Having taken the recently refreshed ATIV Book 9 that we found at CES, this new model gains the fetish-friendly backing and, erm, not much else. We spent a few seconds with an engineering sample of this unit, and felt compelled to share our impressions with you.
