IFA - News, Features, and Slideshows

News

• Lenovo ups features in low-cost Android tablets with $199 Tab S8

  Lenovo wants to pack better features in low-cost Android tablets with the Tab S8 tablet, which will start selling this month for US$199.

• Show spotlight will be on smartwatches with better looks and connectivity

  Smartwatches will be in the spotlight at the IFA trade show in Berlin, with LG, Motorola, Samsung and Sony all keen to demonstrate their new products are what consumers want.

• As smartphone screen sizes max out, stylish designs expected at IFA

  New smartphones expected to bow at the IFA show in Berlin next week will likely show that makers are taking a step back from larger screen sizes and emphasizing better design.

• Sony, Panasonic show consumer 4K camcorders

  Sony is set to become the first company to offer a consumer-grade camcorder that shoots at four times the detail of today's best high-definition images.

• IFA security stops man accused of stealing from trade show

  With millions of dollars of gadgets on display, the temptation to steal from some of the world's largest electronics trade show can prove too strong for some.

• 3Doodler gadget makes handheld 3D modelling possible

  The 3Doodler, a sort of handheld 3D modeller, made its public debut at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin this week after racking up thousands of preorders as part of a Kickstarter program.

• TVs and smartphones steal the spotlight at IFA

  This year's IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin offered smartphones, tablets, 4K TVs, a much-anticipated smartwatch and new spins on the camera.

• Breaking the 4K bottleneck, getting content to the home at IFA

  There's no doubt that TV makers are excited about 4K television. The sets, which offer four times the detail of today's high-definition sets, are appearing in increasing numbers and consumers too seem convinced by the technology, which must be a relief to the industry after the cool reception that 3D TV got a few years ago.

• Chip makers seize opportunities in hot wearable-computer market

  Chip makers are responding to the hot wearable-computer trend with new processor designs as they also seize the opportunity to breathe life into existing chip technologies that previously failed to catch hold.

• Samsung readies 4K satellite broadcasts, promises to upgrade TVs

  Samsung Electronics will upgrade its 4K TVs when broadcast standards have been set and is also partnering with Eutelsat in Europe to offer commercial broadcasts via satellite in the 3840 x 2560 pixel resolution.

• Philips shows wireless cooker, coffee maker concepts

  The connected fridge was for a long time seen as a joke, but companies like Philips are, with the help of smartphones and tablets, looking to resurrect the concept of connected kitchen appliances in various ways.

• Panasonic's $5,900 4K tablet looks great but will only have two hours of battery life

  Panasonic's Toughpad 4K UT-MB5 is mostly for professional users, but the tablet's 20-inch, 3840 x 2560 pixel screen may attract some consumers, as long as they are willing to part with €4,500 (US$5,900).

• Lenovo gets deeper into smartphones with Vibe handset

  Lenovo sells most of its smartphones in China but it hopes to break out internationally with a new line of handsets called the Vibe.

• Lenovo's new Yoga hybrids strike a lighter, sleeker pose

  Lenovo introduced a new wave of Yoga hybrids, shaving off size and weight so the devices are lighter when used as tablets, and faster in laptop mode.

• Toshiba shows prototype 50-inch 4K TV

  In the world of 4K television -- that's TV with four times the resolution of today's high-def sets -- size is king, because you really need a big screen to benefit from all those extra pixels. But at this year's IFA consumer electronics show Toshiba is displaying one of the smallest 4K prototypes yet seen.