From virtual reality to a new Samsung smartwatch, a wide range of new tech was unveiled at IFA 2016 in Berlin, Europe’s largest tech trade show.
Companies like Samsung, Lenovo, and Sony are on hand during the expo to show their latest tech wares. Samsung’s new smartwatch
Samsung’s
next smartwatch will come with GPS capabilities and the ability to call
or text for help by triple-tapping a side button.
The new Gear S3
retains the circular design of the current S2 model, but is slightly
larger. Samsung will still sell last year’s S2 to those who consider the
S3 too big on their wrist. As with the S2, the outer ring of the watch
face rotates to let you scroll through notifications and apps. Interface
improvements include the ability to accept or reject calls with the
ring rather than a swipe of the screen.
The S3 will come in three
flavors. One has LTE cellular capabilities, allowing people to make
calls, receive notifications and check weather without a companion phone
nearby. A data plan costs extra. The other two models lack LTE and
differ primarily in style. Samsung said prices will be announced closer
to the devices’ availability later in the year.
Samsung announced the new watch lineup Wednesday at the IFA tech show in Berlin. The Gear smartwatches
have had impressive designs and battery life, but have been hampered
largely by a dearth of apps, as many developers write for Apple Watch
and Android Wear devices instead.
A
G3 smartwatch and a mobile phone of the electronic company Samsung are
displayed after a press conference at the company’s stand at the IFA
2016 tech fair in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016.
Michael Sohn, AP
All
three S3 models will have GPS, making them more accurate for workouts.
In the S2, GPS was limited to a pricier model with cellular capabilities
(on the slower 3G network). GPS, so far, isn’t common in smartwatches,
allowing Samsung to stand out with the S3. Although GPS tends to drain
battery quickly, Samsung expects at least three days of battery life in
the S3.
Meanwhile, the emergency-calling feature echoes the “SOS” feature coming to the Apple Watch
this fall. Where the Apple Watch will call 911 or the relevant
emergency service elsewhere directly, though, the S3 will call or text
emergency contacts, such as friends or relatives. These will be
pre-recorded or pre-written messages. For an extra recurring fee, which
has yet to be announced, S3 users will also be able to make a live call
to ADT’s security dispatchers, who would then be able to call 911 or
offer other help.
The S3 also comes with expanded ability to make
payments at stores through Samsung Pay. And the watch’s always-on
feature improves with a display of millions of colors, rather than just
16 before. Something missing in a laptop
Also at the IFA tech show, Lenovo unveiled a twist on the laptop: Its new Yoga Book won’t have a physical keyboard.
It’s an odd choice, given that Apple, Samsung and other tablet makers are pushing professional tablet
models with keyboard accessories. Those companies are hoping to appeal
to businesses and individuals looking to replace their laptops.
In
Lenovo’s case, the 10-inch Yoga Book retains the clamshell design of
the laptop, but puts a second touch screen where the keyboard normally
goes. People can type on a touch-screen keyboard there, or just write or
draw on that second screen with an included stylus. You can even use a
regular pen or pencil, though you’d want to put a sheet of paper over
the screen to avoid damage.
The Yoga book.
Lenovo
Although
Lenovo calls Yoga Book a tablet, the keyboard part isn’t detachable,
making the device a laptop. The keyboard, though, can fold all the way
to the back to make the device feel more like a tablet.
Jeff
Meredith, a Lenovo vice president, said the Yoga Book might not be
appropriate for extensive typing, but should be suitable for people -
especially younger people - who now use the phone’s touch screen to
respond to email at night or even take notes in classrooms.
He added that when BlackBerrys were still popular, people couldn’t imagine getting rid of physical keyboards on their phones, either.
The Yoga Book will start shipping in the coming weeks. An Android version will cost $500, and Windows will be $600.
The
unveiling came hours after rival computer maker Acer unveiled what it
calls the world’s first laptop to measure less than a centimeter. The
Swift 7 is 9.98 millimeters (0.39 inch) to be exact. But Lenovo says the Yoga Book is thinner, at 9.6 millimeters, or slightly more than the thickest iPad at 7.5 millimeters.
Acer,
meanwhile, unveiled a laptop with a curved screen, something
traditionally limited to computer monitors for desktops. The Predator 21
X is designed for video games and comes with eye-tracking technology
that promises to let players aim, identify enemies and take cover by
gazing at the screen. LG welcomes Alexa
SmartThinQHub
LG
LG’s
upcoming smart home helper – the LG SmartThinQ Hub, which seen as a
competitor of the Amazon Echo – will surprisingly accommodate Alexa,
Amazon’s digital assistant, CNET reports.
How
will the two work together? If you press a button on the SmartThinQHub,
you’ll be able to activate Alexa and tell it to play music or check
something on your calendar. If you are in a different room, you can also
send requests to Alexa through a remote. This isn’t that different from
using a bluetooth remote to link Alexa with your Echo.
What are
you missing out on by not using Amazon’s hub? Well, this is a limited
version of Alexa. You won’t be able to have the assistant control
compatible smart home devices, for instance. If you want to use the
personal assistant to its full advantage, you’ll have to purchase
Amazon’s competing product. Bringing back the Walkman
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
Sony is going a little retro by debuting a high-end version of the Walkman. The new NW-WM1Z Walkman is pricey – it retails at $3,200, CNET reports.
The device is expensive but could appeal to music die-hards, and is easy on the eyes.
It is made of oxygen-free copper, which is said to improve the device’s sound quality.
Looking for a less-expensive version? The cheaper model, the NW-WM1A is still a major investment, given that it costs $1,200. A VR headset you won’t be able to own
Qualcomm was on hand with a fancy new VR headset that CNET’s Roger Cheng describes as the “Goldilocks version of a virtual-reality headset.”
The headset aims to provide an immersive experience that isn’t very different from that of the HTC Vive.
The headset doesn’t require wires, has a battery that lasts about two hours, and lets you “walk around” and “duck underneath” virtual reality objects.
Roger Cheng/CNET
But unfortunately, this isn’t something you’ll be able to purchase at any store. While it might appeal to VR
fans, the headset at the trade show was just a “reference design” from
Qualcomm. It is a working prototype that provides a design and
technology that other companies could ultimately build upon for a more
desirable virtual reality experience.
“We couldn’t just build a
board,” Hugo Swart, head of the company’s home entertainment
business, said of simple Snapdragon VR820 chip used by the headset. “We
needed to show a real device.”
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