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Samsung's biggest challenge at IFA is keeping up appearances
Samsung has a huge presence at IFA. Its booth takes up an entire floor in City Cube, the newest and shiniest exhibition hall at the Messe Berlin. The company's show area is so big, it's in its own separate building. Samsung also held not one but two press conferences here in Berlin; one just for the Gear S3 and another that centered around the company's home appliances and television displays. In both, Samsung was like a proud parent showing off the many accomplishments of its progeny, touting the many advances it's made in the consumer electronic space.
The best 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' toy gets even better
Sphero's BB-8 quickly became the most sought-after Star Wars toy when it was revealed last year. Now, the company is introducing a "Battle-worn" edition of the droid at IFA 2016, featuring a murky appearance that makes it further resemble the character from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. But that's not it. Along with this new rolling ball, Sphero introduced the final version of its Force Band, which lets you control BB-8 by simply waving your hand. The wearable device is also compatible with two other members of Sphero's robot family, the SPRK+ and Ollie.
IFA 2016 day zero: Selfie-phones and barista robots
We're edging ever closer to the official start of IFA 2016 (that's today as you read this), but the pre-show events continue. Huawei, ZTE and others brought new phones, and Sony showed its hand -- even if some of that was familiar. There was also a surprise visit from the future. If that future is the 1950's version of robots. We're live all week from Berlin, Germany, for IFA 2016. Click here to catch up on all the news from the show.
Audeze's iSine buds will upgrade your Oculus Rift audio
When I first saw Audeze's new planar magnetic in-ear headphones my eye was drawn to the slightly goofy design. But, any self respecting audio lover will probably overlook that if the sound is right. And, on first listen, it looks promising. Audeze has been making planar magnetic headphones for a while, but this is the first time it's squeezed the technology into an in-ear headset (it claims, it's the first time by anyone, ever). Why should you care about that? Well, depending who you ask, some will claim that planar drivers are a good mid-ground between regular dynamic drivers, and pricey electrostatic ones. An unexpected bonus, is that Audeze worked with Oculus so they play nice with Rift, if you're looking for a dedicated set for your VR headset.
LG's 29-inch Windows 10 tablet comes stuck to a smart fridge
If you didn't know already, Samsung and LG are the two biggest companies in Korea which leads to plenty of corporate pissing contests. For instance, if LG were to release a 100-inch 4K TV, you can be damn sure Samsung will follow up with a 101-incher a few weeks later. It should come as no surprise to anyone, then, to see that a few months after Samsung launched a fridge with a built-in tablet, LG's got a version of its very own.
Sony's run out of ideas for its smartphones
If the definition of madness is doing the same thing and expecting different results, then someone needs to check in on Sony. Every six months, the company announces a handset in the hope of making some tiny level of impact on the mobile industry. And every six months, those same devices are rated as being generally fine, but not as compelling or cheap as alternatives from rival companies. You'd think that, after a couple of years of this crushingly predictable cycle, someone would have suggested a change. Well, you'd have hoped so, because the Xperia XZ just feels like more of the same.
Sony's gold-plated Walkman needs deep, strong pockets
How much do you love music? Do you love it enough to spend $3,200 on a fancy pants Walkman? That's the proposition on the table with Sony's new gold-plated NW-WM1Z music player. Essentially, Sony continues to position its immortal Walkman brand as a true audiophile experience aimed at fans of High Resolution Audio files (don't worry, it'll play your plain old MP3s too). The basic concept might seem contradictory: a portable media player that pairs with a (non-portable) amp and custom designed headphones. But this isn't a product that's meant to make sense to most people. Audiophiles will know. Or at least, that's what Sony hopes.
A closer look at Sony's Xperia Ear voice assistant
Sony has been teasing its Xperia Ear voice assistant since last year, but now we know the concept will be an actual consumer product later this year. At IFA 2016, the tech giant announced that the tiny Bluetooth- and NFC-powered device is set to arrive in November, though it still hasn't said how much it's going to cost. Still, unlike at MWC 2015, Sony's now letting people try the device here in Berlin, as opposed to only showcasing it behind a glass box.
Audeze crammed audiophile tech inside its in-ear headphones
Audeze knows a thing or two about planar magnetic headphones and the company is taking on a new form factor with its latest release. The iSine 10 and iSine 20 are the company's first in-ear headphones that employ the aforementioned audio technology. In fact, Audeze says that these audiophile earbuds are the first to offer planar magnetic tech in this style.
Sony's new e-paper watch actually looks like a timepiece
Earlier this week, Sony introduced its FES Watch U, an e-paper timepiece that it is crowdfunding in Japan. And today, at IFA 2016, we had the chance to see it in person for the first time. As we pointed out before, the FES Watch U is a much more polished version of Sony's original e-ink watch, which was revealed in 2014. The new wearable features a steel frame, instantly giving it that premium look and feel, as well as sapphire glass on the higher-end model.
IFA 2016 warm-up: Pet treats, smartwatches and more
The IFA 2016 show floor doesn't officially open until tomorrow, but companies didn't wait to show off their new products in Berlin. Yesterday, ASUS, Acer, Lenovo and Samsung announced a myriad of devices, including phones, smartwatches and hybrid laptops. There will be a lot more to see in the coming days, we're sure of that. For now, here are some highlights from the event's kick-off keynotes -- and yes, of course we talked about the "Pawbo" pet accessories. Because why wouldn't we? We're live all week from Berlin, Germany, for IFA 2016. Click here to catch up on all the news from the show.
Qualcomm has a plan to make VR headsets a whole lot cheaper
At a quiet, barely-attended press conference on the far side of Berlin, Qualcomm revealed its plan to get the cost of VR headsets to plummet. The company has been working on a series of reference designs that encompass plenty of smart home gadgets, and now it's added a VR headset to its ranks. Much as it did in the smartphone industry, these reference designs can then be used by white label designers to cut costs on developing sophisticated headsets. The end result is likely to be a whole new generation of fully-featured VR devices that'll cost a whole lot less than they do now.
Netatmo's radiator valves take cues from its smart thermostat
It seems like it was only yesterday that most smart thermostat makers were content with their simple solutions, leaving the more complicated heating zone control systems to those with prior experience. Actually... that was only yesterday. Just a few short hours after Tado announced the addition of smart radiator valves to its product range, Netatmo has revealed it's doing exactly the same thing. You probably know the score by now: Replacing existing, dumb radiator valves with internet-connected ones allows you to remotely control the temperature of individual rooms.
Jabra's truly wireless earbuds track your heart rate during workouts
Jabra just announced a two revised sports headphone models last month, but the company is already back with more portable audio news. This time around, the in-ear headphones are truly wireless without a short cord to connect the two buds. Following on the heels of the Bragi Dash and Samsung Gear IconX, Jabra's Elite Sport is two separate wireless earbuds that offer heart rate tracking.
Withings launches its first watch with heart rate monitoring
Much like it was mandatory to wear Loom Bands in 2014, if a fitness wearable can't track your heart rate then it's dead... dead, ya hear? Withings doesn't make fitness wearables so much as timepieces that just happen to track your activity, which justifies its decision to drag its feet on the heart rate sensor issue until now. That's now set to change with the Withings Steel HR, a follow-on to the Activité analog watch that gains an optical HR sensor and a new digital sub-display for smartphone notifications.
TP-Link's latest Neffos smartphones are its most ambitious yet
Though TP-Link is a pretty well-known maker of networking equipment in other parts of the world, the brand hasn't made much of a dent in the US. Recently, however, it's been working on a rebranding in an effort to do so. It's pivoting more toward the smart home market and has also released a couple of smartphones earlier this year under the Neffos name. At IFA today, the company is continuing that consumer trend with the announcement of the Neffos X Series of smartphones, which consists of the Neffos X1 and the Neffos X1 Max.
Sony sold me on Xperia Agent in one cup of coffee
I like coffee. I like robots. So, when Sony's cutesy Xperia Agent offered to serve me up a cup of Arabica at IFA, how could I refuse? Of course I didn't, and it was probably the best cup of show-floor joe that I had this week. We first saw the Xperia Agent at MWC, but we've barely heard anything from the bot since, so free coffee or not, it was good to check in with the little guy and see it doing its connected thing.
Sony's Xperia Ear voice assistant arrives in November
When Sony announced its Xperia X family of smartphones earlier this year, it also snuck in a quick mention of a curious device called the Xperia Ear. When paired with a smartphone via Bluetooth, the wireless earpiece is said to let you tackle all manner of tasks by issuing verbal commands. We're talking dictating messages, searching the web, getting directions, checking your schedule, the weather, the news -- all that stuff. Sony hasn't really talked about the thing since, but today at IFA it revealed the accessory will launch this November "starting in select markets," though its price is still a mystery.
Neato's latest robot vacuums are much more affordable
If you like the concept of Neato's WiFi-linked robot vacuum but feel that $699 is too rich for your blood, you're in luck. Neato is unveiling two more affordable Botvac models, the $399/£399 D3 Connected (above) and $599/£549 D5 Connected, that promise WiFi and the core cleaning features at better prices. The D3 still has mobile app access and laser-guided navigation, but trims costs through a lower-capacity battery, a basic filter and fewer features -- you won't get the high-end model's boundary markers, eco/turbo modes, manual drive, spiral and side brushes or on-robot scheduling. Move up to the D5 and you'll get the battery, brush and filter upgrades as well as boundary markers. Also, only the D5 has in-app cleaning stats and a Find Me locator right now. Those are coming to the Botvac Connected flagship later, but won't be available at all for the D3.
Your vote will make ZTE's crowdsourced device ideas a reality
ZTE isn't wowing anyone with its new Axon 7 Mini phone, but it does have a far more intriguing device up its sleeve. The Chinese company shared some updates on its Project CSX campaign, which is an effort to crowdsource ideas for a groundbreaking mobile device. Starting today, you can start voting for one of the top 20 ideas in the company's forum.
