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Samsung's Gear S3 watches are more elegant (and rugged) than ever
Samsung's Gear S2 was far from perfect, but it was still a big step forward for the company's smartwatch ambitions. At last: a Tizen-powered wearable with a decent selection of apps and a control scheme focused on a rotating bezel that bordered on brilliant. Samsung couldn't let that progress go untouched, so it just pulled back the curtain on two new neat-looking wearables: the Gear S3 Classic and the Gear S3 Frontier.
Live from Samsung's IFA 2016 press conference!
Samsung's already announced the Note 7, so there's clearly nothing else for the company to reveal, right? Nope, since the Korean conglomerate is here at IFA with a glitzy pre-show press conference that's got something to do with time. Given that it was around this period last year that the firm unveiled the Gear S2, it's reasonable to assume a follow-up is coming. If you're curious for what's ahead, join us here live at 12:00pm ET and we'll take you by the hand and lead you through the quagmire. We're live all week from Berlin, Germany, for IFA 2016. Click here to catch up on all the news from the show.
ASUS' Zenwatch 3 is fast and round
Following Motorola, Huawei and a bunch of other smartwatch manufacturers, ASUS has built a round Android Wear device. The Zenwatch 3 has a 1.39-inch AMOLED display with a 400x400 resolution, which works out at 287 pixels per inch (ppi). That's almost identical to the Huawei Watch and a smidge sharper than the larger second-gen Moto 360. The casing is made from stainless steel and will be available in a few different styles: gunmetal (black), silver and rose gold. All three have a gold inlay, which ASUS claims is like "the corona of an annular solar eclipse." Whatever you say, ASUS.
Garmin debuts action camera with voice control and 4K video
If you've been looking to buy an action camera, Garmin's latest one might be worth considering. The Virb Ultra 30 is feature-packed, with things like an LCD touchscreen, 4K video at up to 30 fps, 3-axis image stabilization and livestreaming to YouTube. Most notably though, this new shooter supports voice commands, letting you control it via phrases such as, "Okay Garmin, start recording." Similar to the Virb and Virb XE action cams, the Virb Ultra 30 also comes with GPS and other sensors that show you how far, fast and high your movements are. When you combine all of that, you get a strong alternative to products including GoPro's Hero4. Like what you see? It's available today for $500/£450.
Bang and Olufsen's new BeoSound speakers project music 360 degrees
Bang and Olufsen typically unveils new audio gear at IFA and this year is no exception. Following last year's $1,000 BeoPlay A6, the company has two new speakers that project sound 360 degrees. The new devices are called BeoSound 1 and BeoSound 2, both sporting a conical design that looks like a base of a lamp more than a speaker. That's not a criticism though, it will actually blend in better on a shelf or side table than a boxy cube typically would. B&O is known for its high-end aesthetics and these new speakers continue the lineage with aluminum shells that project bass out from bottom and are open up top for acoustics.
Acer reveals 'Pawbo' pet accessories
Acer is branching into pet accessories with a recent acquisition called Pawbo, and has revealed at IFA 2016 that it'll soon release a bunch of dog- and cat-centric products. The first one, the Pawbo+ interactive pet camera, lets you keep an eye on or even chat with with Fluffy or Bowser, in case they're traumatized by your absence. Equipped with a microphone and speaker, it lets you see them and carry on a two-way "conversation."
Acer's latest PCs include the first curved screen laptop
You no longer have to stick to your desk to enjoy a flashy curved display. Acer is unveiling flood of new laptops at Germany's IFA show, and the highlight by far is the Predator 21 X -- according to Acer, the world's first curved screen laptop. As the name suggests, opening up this gigantic gaming portable reveals a 21-inch curved, ultra-wide display that promises more immersion than you're used to with portable gaming. It 'only' touts a 2,560 x 1,080 resolution, but NVIDIA G-Sync support should give you smoother, game-friendly output.
LG delivers three new super-sized ultrawide monitors
LG has continued to push the limits of 21:9 aspect ratio monitors over the years and its latest three additions are something to behold. Ready to debut at IFA and coming to the US this fall, they include the "world's largest" 38-inch curved 38UC99 model that goes on sale in September for $1,500, a 34-inch curved 34UC79G due in October for $700, and the flat 34-inch 34UM79M coming in November for $600.
What to expect at this year's IFA
IFA, one of the world's largest consumer electronics trade shows, starts this week in Berlin. It's not quite as big as CES, but it can offer good insights into what lies ahead in the holiday shopping season. IFA is often the place where companies announce washing machines and kitchen appliances, but there's usually plenty of phones, wearables, PCs and TVs too. Here's what we expect to see at IFA this year:
Moto Z's Hasselblad camera add-on surfaces in fresh photos
When Motorola and Lenovo unveiled the Moto Z, they unveiled a host of MotoMods... except for one. Where was that camera add-on we'd seen in leaks? Apparently, it's still coming -- and it might be more than you were expecting. Moto G3 has come across community photos showing that the camera module is not only Hasselblad-branded as anticipated, but packs a 10X optical zoom lens. There aren't any clues as to the sensor, alas, but we suspect that this is more likely to be a point-and-shoot quality (maybe mirrorless) sensor given the size, rather than Hasselblad's signature medium format. You'll be taking better photos than you would with the stock camera, then, but we wouldn't count on magazine-quality Instagram shots.
