ifa2015
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I had to smile for my free cup of coffee at a trade show
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-601847{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-601847, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-601847{width:629px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-601847").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Coffee, pens, non-existent free WiFi, and USB sticks are the four spirit animals of any tech show. But what if a company wants you to be happy before you've got your cup of morning sunshine? That's DigitalSTROM's gambit, using its sensors and Intel's RealSense 3D camera to detect when you're smiling before delivering your daily caffeine hit. Sensing a grimace could prove more practical.
Jawbone's fitness trackers will track more of your fitness
"Basically, we're fixing all of the things that people hate," is how one Jawbone rep here at IFA 2015 describes this mid-lifecycle update to Jawbone's range of wrist-worn fitness trackers. When we reviewed the Up3 earlier this year, we described it as a feature-packed disappointment, since while the wearable had potential to be useful, the execution was bungled. That's why the company has spent the last few months working on a firmware upgrade that, it's hoped, will make the device much more attractive to new customers.
All the news you need to know from IFA 2015
The Engadget team has been in Berlin, Germany for over a week, but now it's time to go home. This year's IFA, Europe's biggest tech show, didn't leave many surprises behind. That said, we did come across some fancy new wearables (mostly smartwatches), 4K TVs and an avalanche of Windows 10 PCs. Not surprisingly, though, a few smartphones also made their debut here -- including Sony's Xperia Z5 family and Huawei's answer to the iPhone 6 Plus, the Mate S. Beyond these announcements, the IFA 2015 show floor was filled with high-tech home appliances, sub-par food and attendees from all over the world trying to get a glimpse at the latest technologies. Here are some of the things we saw during our time at the event.
Finally, a 4K TV worth watching
If curved screens and the apparent threat of 8K leave you cold towards 4K, maybe Philips' focus on the back of its UHD TVs will get you to open up your wallet. The company's brought its crazy, dreamy projection-backed prototype TV into mass-production in the form of a 65-inch UHDTV. Pico projectors dotted around the perimeter of the Ambilux TV transmit the image (which can be broadcast TV, media, games or apps) outwards behind the frame. The gif shows the result: a constantly changing glow of glorious multicolored light. It's like an optical smoothie for the eyes. The TVs will go on sale in Europe before the end of the year. Check out all the news from Berlin at our IFA 2015 hub!
This is the smartwatch that luxury brands should be making
A short walk from the sounds and screens of Sony's heaving IFA booth, a handful of the company's employees have a small stand of their very own. On it, they're showcasing the Wena Wrist, a smartwatch side-project the small team has successfully crowdfunded through Sony's First Flight platform for employee pitches. Smartwatch may not be the best definition of the lo-fi wearable, though, since the face itself is as dumb as they come.
Samsung's 360-degree wireless speakers take aim at Sonos
Samsung's biggest announcement at IFA 2015 was the Gear S2, its long-rumored round smartwatch. But, as expected, that's not the only thing the company is showing off in Berlin, Germany. The R1, R3 and R5 are new wireless, multi-room speakers designed to take on Sonos. What makes them different than most of the competition, though, is their 360-degree enclosure -- Samsung says the ring-radiator technology powering them helps fill any room with sound. Compared to the last-generation models, the speakers revealed here at IFA are not egg-shaped, but rather feature a more tubular look. (You could always go for the R7, if that's what you're looking for.)
Here are the best things from Europe's biggest tech show
Big tech shows. Sometimes they amaze. Other times they can leave you a little cold -- it just depends on what you're looking for. This year's IFA, held in Germany and blessed with a mix of torrential rain and sun, is a good example of exactly that. The show has a reputation for filling halls with refrigerators and washing machines (which can sometimes be interesting), but here's the finely-honed highlights. If you somehow missed our IFA reportage all this week, start here.
4K is boring and other musings on the failures of innovation
The cardinal rule of technology is simple: It must never, ever, under any circumstances, be boring. The engine that motivates consumers to spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on a device that's not essential to furthering our lives is all down to the excitement it gives us. That's why IFA 2015, Europe's buttoned-down equivalent to Las Vegas' Consumer Electronics Show, has proved to be a disappointment. The event has been marked by risk-averse and conservative product showcases -- a sentiment that may sound whiny and entitled coming from a member of the tech press, but it's not meant to be. If companies can't create compelling, must-have products, then they simply won't survive. The existential threat these tech companies face is two-fold: consumer apathy and content with the status quo. For most consumers, innovation takes a back seat to products that are merely "good enough."
Here's the world's first Ultra HD Blu-ray player
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-519620{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-519620, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-519620{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-519620").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Samsung has announced the first (consumer ready) Ultra HD Blu-ray player, alongside word that movie studio Fox is already getting its releases ready for the new format. That means 4K movies, yes, but also compatibility for HDR video. Here's a closer look at the curved UBD-K8500 player -- perfect for that new curved Ultra HDTV, right?
The 5 best wearables from IFA 2015
Wearables playing a big role at major trade shows isn't a surprise, and neither is the fact that most of the ones we've seen at IFA 2015 are smartwatches. Samsung, Motorola and TomTom all introduced new timepieces this week, while Huawei finally revealed pricing details for the Watch it announced earlier this year in Barcelona. Aside from TomTom's Spark and Samsung's Gear S2, the other smartwatches on this list are powered by Android Wear, with prices ranging from $299 to $799 -- although Motorola and Samsung have kept some info to themselves. Either way, join us as we recap the wearables that stood out here in Berlin, Germany.Check out all the news from Berlin at our IFA 2015 hub.
IFA Day 3: TVs, TVs and more TVs
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-6020{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-6020, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-6020{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-6020").style.display="none";}catch(e){} At long last, today is the day that the general public is allowed into the hallowed halls of Berlin's Messe to bask in the glory that is IFA. Unfortunately, much of that glory is old and we've seen a big chunk of it before. Still, you should take a peek in the clip above to see what was on the show floor. Check out all the news from Berlin at our IFA 2015 hub!
Toshiba's convertible 4K laptop is somehow light, stylish and thin
Yes, 4K devices (that aren't TVs) are everywhere at IFA 2015. If it's not a Sony smartphone packing a ridiculous high-resolution display, then it's Samsung's Ultra HD Blu-ray player -- the first of its kind. Toshiba's getting involved too, with a convertible 4K 12.5-inch laptop. As is the case with most of the PCs and laptops spotted this year at Europe's biggest tech show, the Satellite Radius 12 has Intel's latest sixth-generation Core processor to power it, but still only measures 0.6 inch thick and weighs 2.9 pounds -- quite a feat for a convertible with a 4K display. (Especially since we can still remember Panasonic's hulking 4K tablet from a few years ago.)
Here's how to watch Microsoft's IFA keynote
Unlike Sony, Samsung, Huawei and others, Microsoft isn't putting on a flashy press conference at this year's IFA. That said, Nick Parker, Corporate VP of the company's OEM division, will be taking to the stage to deliver a keynote speech entitled "Windows 10 lights up new devices" roughly 30 minutes from now. Given Parker's position and the brief keynote summary, we imagine he'll be touching on the broad range of devices powered by Microsoft's latest OS -- including some of those announced over the last few days from the likes of Acer, ASUS, Lenovo and others. While we don't expect any surprise announcements from Microsoft itself, never say never. We'll be there, of course, and if you'd like to join us, jump on the livestream and settle in.
IFA Day 2: Samsung's product showcase
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-542431{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-542431, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-542431{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-542431").style.display="none";}catch(e){} IFA 2015 is turning out to be a trade show where the only company announcing anything of interest is Samsung. That's why our wrap-up of day two covers the company's new SmartThings Home Hub, its SleepSense monitor and the Ultra HD Blu-ray player that's coming in 2016. We'd tell you more down here, but if we're honest — that'd spoil the clip. So, waste no more time in hitting that play button and watching all the fun unfold. Check out all the news from Berlin at our IFA 2015 hub!
IFA Day 1: 4K Smartphones and water-cooled laptops
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-124847{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-124847, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-124847{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-124847").style.display="none";}catch(e){} IFA started with a bang as Sony whipped out the Xperia Z5 Premium, a smartphone that comes with the "world's first" 5.5-inch 4K display. That was swiftly followed by the launch of Huawei's Mate S, a phone that's designed to kill the iPhone 6 Plus by basically copying its every design feature. Then there was ASUS' new gaming laptop that's so powerful it needs its own water pump to keep it cool. We took some time to bring you the most exciting announcements from the show floor, so don't hesitate before hitting that play button. Check out all the news from Berlin at our IFA 2015 hub!
Samsung teases Galaxy View tablet at the end of IFA event
Samsung is making a habit of teasing its next announcement at the end of launch events. After today's Gear S2 official reveal, the company teased a new tablet: the Galaxy View. Of course, details are quite scarce right now, but we do know that the slate sports a Surface-esque kickstand that's either built in or added by a case. The device maker only offered the hints of "think bigger" and "a new dimension of entertainment" alongside the promise that we'll get more info next month. And when those specs emerge, you can bet we'll bring you the latest. Check out all the news from Berlin at our IFA 2015 hub.
Bang and Olufsen's BeoPlay A6 is a $1,000 wireless speaker
Luxury audiovisual brand Bang & Olufsen (B&O) has just announced a pricey wireless speaker, the $999 BeoPlay A6. The style evokes the back of a chair, gently curving and covered in designer fabric from Danish studio Kvadrat. Apparently, this isn't all about looks, though. B&O says its unique shape "enables sound to fill an entire room whilst creating ambience in multiple areas of a house." The interface for the A6 is pretty interesting too. It's all based around swiping and tapping the top of the speaker. A swipe right, for example, turns the volume up. Holding the center mutes, and a quick tap skips the track. Perhaps not the most intuitive control scheme ever, but a cool talking point nonetheless.
Samsung finally has an elegant smartwatch in the Gear S2
Few companies have churned out as many different smartwatches as Samsung, so it's little surprise the company is showing off a new one -- the Gear S2 -- at IFA. What is a surprise, though, is how much more elegant, more polished the S2 feels compared to just about all of Samsung's previous attempts. After years of seemingly blind iteration (and just a little bit of hands-on time), Samsung finally seems to have a stylish, if somewhat controversial smartwatch on its hands.
LG's new G Pad II really isn't anything new
LG's never been scared of trying new things when it comes to smartphones, even pioneering the strange-yet-convenient back-button placement other manufacturers have copied since. By comparison, the company has played it safe with its G Pad tablet range, none of which have had any particularly standout features. And after briefly playing the LG's new G Pad II 10.1 here at IFA, it seems like the company is quite happy sticking to its rather unexciting formula. Last year, LG opted to release three sizes of tablet, but for now at least, the G Pad II only comes in the one form factor, with a 10.1-inch 1,920 x 1,200 display.
Withings unveils a sleep-savvy clock and more Android support
Like the idea of Withings' Aura improving your sleep cycles, but don't need a $300 gadget tracking every last nuance of your slumber? You're in luck. Withings is rolling out a lower-cost device, the $190 Connected Alarm Clock, that keeps the sleep-regulating light and sound patterns while ditching the biometric sensor. And speaking of audio, both the clock and the Sleep System are getting a Spotify tie-in -- you can now use the streaming service's music catalog to fall asleep or wake up, complete with suggested playlists based on both their effectiveness and your genre tastes.
