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Now you can rouse your kids to the smell of ‘Frozen’
Do your kids struggle to wake up, no matter how loudly you shout that if they're not quick, you'll steal their cereal? Perhaps you could try tempting them into wakefulness with the scents of either Olaf from Disney's Frozen or the armpit scent of Despicable Me's Minions. That's the idea behind the newest couple of devices from the makers of Sensorwake's perfume-based alarm clock.
Jabra's latest wireless earphones promise 18 hours of sound
Wireless earphones are great until they run out of battery, which always seems to happen at the worst possible moment (like when the person next to you on the train pulls an apple out of their bag). But now you can listen for longer thanks to Jabra's Elite 25e headphones, which boast an impressive 18-hour battery life. This means that in theory, a single charge could be enough to see you through a whole week.
Aftershokz unveils its skinny Trekz Air open-ear headphones
When Aftershokz released its Trekz Titanium bone-conduction headphones, there was a marked change from the Bluez 2 line before it. The design shifted from a stiff plastic headband to a ruggedly flexible and sportier design. Today at IFA in Berlin, the company is launching the next step in the series called Trekz Air with a retail price of $150 and pre-orders beginning September 1st (in the US). The overall style and concept remain the same, except for the 17-percent lighter weight and visibly slimmer silhouette. I've been using the Titanium model on my bike rides for the past year and have enjoyed the more casual fit, but this new model that I tested for two days really raises the bar in terms of comfort. It's worth noting, though, that in a side-by-side comparison, I found this slimmer package may have lost a tiny bit of oomph in terms audio output -- but that slight tradeoff might be worth it.
Marshall's updated speaker line packs Chromecast and multiroom audio
Marshall has been lending its signature guitar amp aesthetics to headphones and speakers for quite some time. However, there was one notable omission in the company's feature set: multiroom audio. Today, Marshall is announcing an update to its wireless speaker line that gives its existing Acton, Stanmore and Woburn models some current features.
BlackBerry KEYone Black Edition first look: More of the same
When the BlackBerry KEYone was officially unveiled at Mobile World Congress this year, we were excited for its marriage of modern Android software with an old-school keyboard. It appears lots of other people were eager for the phone, too. TCL, the company that bought the BlackBerry brand, says the KEYone "exceeded our expectations," and that it is "very happy now to expand" the line. The black edition of the phone, which has already launched in India, is coming to the rest of the world, starting with the UK, Germany, France, Canada, Japan and the Middle East. It's called the Black Edition and will cost €649 (£549 or about $700) when it arrives in mid-September. Yep, that's more expensive than the original KEYone ($549).
DJI Mavic Pro Platinum edition boasts longer battery life
DJI's Mavic Pro drone already has fantastic battery life, but it's still got nothing on its upgraded sibling. The dronemaker has revealed the Mavic Pro Platinum edition at this year's IFA convention in Berlin, and it boasts 11 percent more battery life than the original version. If the basic variant of DJI's foldable drone can last up to 27 minutes, this model can last up to around 30. Sure, the upgrade only adds a few minutes, but most drones, including known Mavic Pro rival GoPro Karma, only promise around 20 minutes of flight time. That's made even more impressive by the fact that drone's battery cell is tiny.
Lenovo’s first augmented-reality glasses are a 'Star Wars' exclusive
Compared to virtual reality, augmented reality has been slow to take off. Sure, phone-based augmented reality is getting a bit of a boost right now -- Apple and Google are certainly investing in it -- but there's still a dearth of commercially available headsets. Devices like HoloLens and the Meta 2 are too expensive, and while there are startups that promise more affordable models, they're still years away from being on store shelves. Lenovo, however, has come with a solution -- and it's partnered with Disney to bring it to the masses. The caveat? It works with only one game (at least for now) and that's Star Wars: Jedi Challenges.
B&O Play launches the E8, its first wireless earbuds
Bang & Olufsen never adopt a new technology until it can guarantee that the audio quality is up to its usual high standards. But the firm has moved fairly quickly, by its standards, to build its first pair of in-ear Bluetooth earbuds. The Beoplay E8 is a pair of Bragi and IconX-esque in-ears that come with their own charging case, just like its rivals.
Take your own Street View images with Ricoh’s latest camera
Ricoh Theta's newest 360-degree single-shot camera model comes with a bunch of cool new features, including 4K video capture, spatial audio recording and live streaming. The Theta V, which is the first Street View mobile-ready camera to be certified by Google, also uses high-spec photography technology originally developed for top-of-the-range Pentax DSLRs, which means you can expect eye-wateringly high-quality images. And you can get them where they need to be quickly, too, as the camera's new high-speed data transfer is 2.5 times faster than previous Theta models. The camera can be connected to and controlled by any Android or iOS-based device using the Theta S app.
Sony Xperia XZ1 hands-on: Pricey camera tricks
I blew my mind earlier this year when I watched my extremely slowed-down footage of a bird in mid-flight. I was testing the Sony Xperia XZ Premium's camera, which can record video at up to 960 fps -- four times as slow as the iPhone's 240 fps. I was mesmerized by the videos, but they still didn't justify the whopping $800 that Sony is charging for that handset. So when I heard that the company was bringing the same camera features to the more affordable Xperia XZ1, I was intrigued. Unfortunately, when Sony revealed the XZ1's price to be $700, most of that enthusiasm evaporated.
Sony's smart speaker harnesses the power of Google Assistant
Rather than build its own virtual assistant for a smart speaker, Sony is tapping into the power of Google Assistant. The company is debuting its entry into the category this week at IFA: the LF-S50G. Despite the lack of a catchy name, the device allows to you play and control music from a range of services with a simple "Ok Google" command. As you might expect, you can also ask for weather updates, traffic info and more. And yes, just like Google Home, the LF-S50G can be used to control other smart home devices like lights and thermostats. When you don't feel like chatting, you can just look over and see the time on the side of the speaker as well.
Sony's Xperia Ear Open Style is its most promising concept yet
After teasing its Xperia Ear Open Style Concept earlier this year at MWC 2017, Sony is now sharing more details about the wireless audio set. For starters, as we found out in Barcelona, the Xperia Ear has traditionally consisted of a single device, but now it's a pair built for both of your ears. Another big change is that they're now meant to be clipped around the bottom of your earlobes rather than sit without any support near your ear canal. That also means the earbuds are designed to let noise from the outside world in as you're wearing them, a feature that may be both good and bad.
Sony made its best headphones even better
I'm not exaggerating when I say that Sony's MDR-1000X headphones are probably the best wireless noise-cancelling option on sale right now. That model took me by complete surprise last year when it sounded better and offered stronger noise cancellation than the Bose QC35. Sony is taking the "if it ain't broke..." approach when it comes to the follow-up to the MDR-1000X, one of three new models the company is debuting at IFA.
Neato's newest Botvac integrates with your connected home
We're at a point where it's simply not enough for your robotic vacuum cleaner to tidy up your floors at set times each week. Now, it's vitally important that your smart home itself can summon and dismiss your vacuum cleaner at will. Which is why Neato is making such a big deal that its latest Botvac, the D7 Connected, can blend so seamlessly into your life.
Garmin's latest smartwatch can buy your post-run drink
Garmin's smartwatches are still largely focused on fitness, but they're learning a few new tricks -- and in one case, they don't need your phone to do it. The company has unveiled a trio of Vivo smartwatches headlined by the Vivoactive 3 (far left), which introduces Garmin Pay. As the name suggests, it lets you make tap-to-pay purchases without your phone, much in the same way you would with an Apple Watch. If you want to buy an energy drink as the reward for a long run, you don't have to carry anything in your pockets. The technology requires an eligible credit or debit card from MasterCard or Visa, so you'll want to check the support list before you leave your phone behind.
Sony's tiny RX0 is made for VR and multi-camera work
Sony is so on top of its camera game right now that it is ready to try crazy products to attack new markets. Take the new RX0, a $700 camera that is aimed at the virtual-reality and remote camera shooting markets. It's equipped with a 1-inch, 15.3-megapixel Exmor RS CMOS sensor and a fixed Zeiss 24mm F4 wide-angle lens, giving it the same kind of high image quality you'd see with a new RX100 Mark V, for instance. It can also shoot 4K video, full HD at 240 fps and 16 fps RAW still images.
Watch Samsung's IFA 2017 press showcase in six minutes
We heard you liked TVs, a bunch of wearables and... AI-linked washing machines. While Samsung's "new normal" nonsense fell flat, its IFA 2017 sales pitch was an interesting one. The company's understated Frame TV series is coming in a more sensible size, it believes its washing machines could half the time it takes to do your laundry, and it might have even got the fitness wearable right with two different riffs on the category. Watch on... if you're normal.
LG V30 hands-on: The phone the G6 should've been
Despite all its resources and technical know-how, LG has always felt like an also-ran in a race dominated by Apple and Samsung. The G4 is the subject of a class-action lawsuit. The modular G5 was an ambitious nonstarter. Last year's V20 and the G6 were welcome steps forward, but neither managed to generate that much excitement. The company's V30 smartphone just might be able to change that. Announced today at IFA, the V30 is meant to be as much a creative tool as it is a device for taking phone calls. This time, though, LG wisely excised some gimmicks, leading to a device that, after a week of living with a preproduction model, feels more polished and more focused than I dared expect. I'm trying to be cautious with my optimism, but it's honestly a little tough: I haven't enjoyed an LG phone this much in years.
TomTom watches push you to roll back your 'fitness age'
Instead of launching a fitness watch or two at the IFA conference, TomTom has announced three new features for existing devices that could provide that push you need to get fit. The first one is called Fitness Age, because it tells your age based on your fitness level. It computes for the result by comparing your VO2 max to other people's of the same age and gender. In athletic training, VO2 max means the maximum amount of oxygen you can consume per minute for your weight and is a key indicator of cardio fitness and endurance.
Watch ASUS' IFA 2017 event in under seven minutes
The first official day of IFA 2017 isn't until Friday, September 1st, but the pre-event festivities are already in full force. Like Acer and Samsung, ASUS had its big press conference today in Berlin, where it revealed a slew of new mainstream, multimedia and gaming laptops. It also shared more details about its upcoming Windows Mixed Reality headset, which promises to be a solid, premium device -- so don't expect it to be cheap. You can catch these and other announcements in this highlight reel we put together, just for you.
