Even though we’re in the midst of the dog days of summer, this week was one of the liveliest for technology news we’ve seen all year. That’s because the huge consumer electronics get-together in Berlin called IFA has dominated the week, with tons of tech rollouts of a variety of ground-breaking devices.
We’ve spotted two major trends from that trade show, and combine that exciting news with a hot new gaming laptop, a boombox from the future, a sporty Volkswagen that gets 235 miles per gallon, a lighting device that would look right at home on the set of Star Trek and a whole lot more.
So strap yourselves in, fellow techno-buffs, and behold the cream of the crop for this lively late-summer week, right here on Top 10 Tech.
1. Samsung Galaxy Camera Phone
Is this a camera or smartphone? Yes to both. Looking at the Samsung Galaxy Camera from this angle, it looks like a point-and-shoot with a rather large lens, a 21x optical zoom.
Flip over the device, and on the other side you have a smartphone packing Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) that lets you bark out orders to it such as "zoom in" and "shoot," giving you completely hands-free voice-controlled operation.
Aimed at photo enthusiasts whose smartphones are used more as cameras than anything else, Samsung created this 3G- and 4G-connected Galaxy Camera for those who don't mind taking up the extra space to have a smartphone camera whose size is roughly equal to that of a point-and-shoot.
On the other hand, Galaxy Camera users would be actually saving space compared with carrying both a smartphone and a point-and-shoot camera at the same time.
If you're looking for a thin smartphone, look elsewhere, because Samsung's as-yet-unpriced camera phone is not exactly svelte.
When you zoom the lens all the way, it's quite a bit thicker than a smartphone. But I like that swooping, clean design.
Check out this relatively large 4.8-inch HD LCD display, giving you a wide canvas on which to compose your photographic masterpieces.
The device makes it super-easy to upload pictures to social networks such as Facebook and Instagram, just like Nikon's Android-powered camera announced in early August.
If Samsung wants to compete with that model, it's going to need to price its Galaxy Camera at around US$349. Samsung is sweetening the pot with an offer of an additional 50GB of Dropbox storage space for two years for those purchasing this Galaxy Camera or the Samsung Galaxy Note II.
Will Samsung's Android-powered phone resonate with users? We'll have to wait until it's available in October to find out.
2. Razer Blade Gaming Laptop
You remember the Razer Blade, that gaming laptop with an additional screen right next to the keyboard? The main complaint early adopters had about that unique laptop, released almost exactly a year ago, was that it wasn't powerful enough.
It's not underpowered anymore. Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan told me his company worked closely with Intel, and will be rocking an as-yet-unnamed third-generation quad-core i7 processor in the Razer Blade. Min said, "The chip is so new, it hasn't even been officially announced. It's the fastest Ivy Bridge processor available. I can't say the model number due to an Intel embargo."
Razer wanted to make this thin-and-light laptop (0.88 inches thick, 6.6 lb. all-aluminium chassis) as powerful as its "luggable" competitors from Asus, Dell and others - all much thicker than the aptly named Razer Blade.
Min says his designers took the old Razer Blade into an acoustic chamber and tuned its fans to be super-quiet. "We redesigned the internal thermal solution, using custom fans and innovative heat pipes," said Min. Good idea, because a noisy, whining fan is a showstopper for me.
Most important to gamers, the graphics have been upgraded from Nvidia GT to Nvidia GTX class (GTX 660M, a newer version of the GTX 650M in Apple's MacBook Pro with Retina Display), which Min says will be twice as fast as that Nvidia GT predecessor from last year's model. The company's also used a hybrid drive for this laptop, consisting of a 64GB solid-state drive as well as a 500GB spinning hard disk. The benefit? You get two times the storage space, yet three times the speed of a traditional drive.
Best of all, there's no price hit for that added mojo. This Razer Blade will cost less than its predecessor - even with its enhanced performance, it's priced at US$2,499, compared with the US$2,799 of the older, slower forebear. It'll be available for pre-order starting September 2 (hey, that's today!), and ships 30 days later.
3. Logitech | UE Boombox
Logitech rolled out some gorgeous boomboxes and headphones this week, and my favourite is this Logitech|UE Boombox. It's so lusciously rounded and tastefully designed that I was tempted to prop it up on my shoulder and carry it around all day, old-school.
The US$249 Boombox will rock you for eight hours on a single battery charge, and you and seven of your closest friends can wirelessly pair up your Bluetooth devices with it at the same time.
You expect a lot of sound for US$250, and the Boombox delivers. It's not super-loud, but you can tell Ultimate Ears (UE) - the precision audio company bought by Logitech and whose legacy is demonstrated in this product - had a lot to do with its stellar sound quality. Pairing it up with a variety of devices, I was impressed with its rich and well-balanced sound, with plenty of bass punching out the front and the back, complemented by pleasant-sounding midrange and tightly focused high frequencies.
On one side of the Boombox is the on-off switch with a small battery indicator light underneath, a Bluetooth pairing button, an auxiliary input and a 3.5mm auxiliary audio jack.
Taking up the entire other side is a huge volume control, which I wished could crank the sound up a bit louder, at least to 11.
At the same time, Logitech introduced its Mobile Boombox, available in a variety of colours for US$99. Its tough, rubberized construction makes it feel like a high-quality device in the hand.
I got a Mobile Boombox from Logitech, and it has similarly clean audio quality in the midrange and highs. Of course, because of its small size, it loses an octave or two on the low end. Still, it cranks out a surprising amount of sound for its diminutive size, and sounds better than any other speaker of its size I've heard.
4. VW XL1 Prototype
It's hard to believe that a 235-miles-per-gallon car is actually getting close to production, and might be available in limited numbers starting next year. Although its exact release date is unknown, Volkswagen's XL1 is currently undergoing warm-weather testing, and these spy shots tell the tale.
This is one unusual car. From the front perspective, it seems like we could also be looking at its back. The good news is, many of the weird/cool features of the concept car have made it into this prototype. Under that hood will be a 27hp electric motor alongside a two-cylinder diesel engine. That hybrid power plant will be hooked up to a seven-speed transmission, hopefully resulting in those unheard-of mileage numbers.
Check out those rear wheels, which are closer together than the front ones. This is all done in the name of aerodynamics, along with special full rear wheel covers and cameras instead of side mirrors. Volkswagen says its wind-cheating design results in a drag coefficient of 0.186, certainly contributing to its alleged 235mpg efficiency.
I thought gullwing doors were only used on concept cars and DeLoreans. Who knows, maybe they'll make it into the final production model of the Volkswagen XL1. My question: If it's possible to build a 235mpg car, what's taken so long to build a similar car with even a fraction of this fuel efficiency?
5. Flat Pack Mouse Concept
At first glance, it's a wireless mouse that looks like a stealth fighter, and has a wireless USB receiver...
...but then when it's time to hit the road, this design concept can unfold into an object the size of a typical optical disc, slipping right into a DVD drawer for easy toting. When you fold it - as if you are engaging in a pleasant session of origami - this flat CD mouse morphs into its useful configuration, automatically powering up.
Here are more details about the mouse, which designer Taewon Hwang has equipped with a "thin, flexible and practical organic radical battery." It's too bad optical drives are on their way out, because this is a practical and elegant idea.
6. Energizer Folding Lantern
Take a trip into the future of portable lighting with this Energizer folding lantern. Here are two of them sitting on a table, ready for action. Energizer sent us a prototype, one of the only ones in existence.
The power button in the back lets you choose two different levels of intensity.
Underneath that Energizer logo are 6 LEDs that crank out 300 lumens (that's a lot of light!) and can run for 100 hours on eight AA batteries.
Flip up the front to direct even more light where you need it, while the kickstand in the back adds stability.
The unusual feature of this portable emergency light is its "light fusion technology," a plastic panel with laser-etched raised areas that evenly distribute the LED light.
Here you can see the six LEDs, working in a way that's similar to an LCD TV with LED backlighting. This is a sharp-looking lamp, and while I was using and testing it, it felt like I was playing with a flashlight from the future.
The Energizer Folding Lantern will be available next spring for US$39.99.
7. Super-High-Def 4K TVs
Super-High-Def 4K TVs: LG
At the big IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, one of the major trends was the rollout of 4K TV, those super-high resolution displays that offer four times the resolution of ordinary HDTV. A variety of companies were getting into the act, such as LG, with its 84-inch 3D TV (model 84LM9600) that's already shipping in Korea.
Super-High-Def 4K TVs: Sony
Sony jumped into the fray with its 84-inch XBR84X900, the largest display ever offered by the company. It's also Sony's first passive 3D TV (if there's still anyone left who even cares about 3D). Sony says it will ship this beast by the end of the year, and the price? It's not announced yet, but the European version of the TV will allegedly be selling for around US$31,000.
[via HD Guru]
Super-High-Def 4K TVs: Toshiba
Toshiba showed off an 840inch 4K TV, too, also sporting an exceptionally sharp 3840x2160-pixel screen. Toshiba says its entry into the 4K Derby will roll out early next year.
I think this is a spectacular technology exercise, but content needs to catch up. In fact, the only native content for sale for 4K TVs is the lovely "Timescape," a 50-minute film featuring spectacular time-lapse photography of the night sky.
That's not going to be enough to sell a lot of TVs, but the rollout of these new supersets gives us a peek into the future, and if they sell well, they might even be a lifesaver for beleaguered TV set manufacturers.
8. Paper-Thin Lens
Why do point-and-shoot and digital SLR cameras deliver better quality pics than smartphone cameras? One reason is the size of the imager, but another important factor is the size of the lens. Now, researchers at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have figured out a way to revolutionize lenses, making them as thin as a sheet of paper.
The 60-nanometre-thin lens is built around a gold-plated silicon wafer, and by chipping away part of that wafer to create rows of V-shaped structures, somehow (insert miracle here) that lens can capture wide-angle images with virtually no distortion. Someday, this technology might enable super-thin smartphone cameras to shoot photos that are just as good as those shot with today's bulky digital SLRs.
9. Hybrid Windows 8 Tablet-Laptop Transformers
Hybrid Windows 8 Tablet-Laptop Transformers: Samsung
Another big trend at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin was Windows 8 tablets that can also transform into a device quite similar to a laptop. Perhaps manufacturers are figuring if they can't beat the iPad, might as well shimmy into a niche somewhere between laptops and tablets. That's what Samsung did with its 11.6-inch Ativ Smart PC, whose laptop-like keyboard can be easily removed with a simple push of a button.
Hybrid Windows 8 Tablet-Laptop Transformers: Sony
Sony rolled out its hybrid transformer Duo 11, whose keyboard isn't detachable. It's about twice as thick as an iPad at 17.85mm, but that puts it close to the MacBook Air.
Hybrid Windows 8 Tablet-Laptop Transformers: Asus
Here's Asus's horse in this race, an 11.6-inch tablet with an optional docking station to make it feel like a laptop. It's running on an Intel Atom processor for Windows 8, which might be faster than it seems, because the chip will be the new dual-core "Clover Trail" Atom processor.
Said to pack the power of a midrange laptop, this baby is just 8.7mm thin.
Hybrid Windows 8 Tablet-Laptop Transformers: HP
HP introduced its Envy x2, which looks like a detachable version of that Envy 14 Spectre laptop I tested (and liked) back in March. Like many of the hybrids it also has an 11.6-inch screen, runs Windows 8 and will be available by the end of the year.
There's no pricing details on any of these hybrid tablets, with manufacturers playing coy at this point, merely wanting to introduce the products at a major trade show, and leaving the pricing decisions for later. I'm eagerly anticipating their decisions, because pricing will be a crucial factor for the success of these hybrid tablets, which I think must roll out at rock-bottom prices to compete with the iPad.
Hybrid iPad: ZAGGkeys Pro Plus
We wouldn't want the iPad to feel left out, so here's US$129 ZAGGkeys Pro Plus, a new iPad keyboard from Zagg that turns Apple's tablet into a hybrid, too. This one's a lot like the Zagg keyboard I reviewed last year - and liked a lot - but it goes one step better: Its keyboard is backlit, with eight different colours at your disposal.
But won't that backlit keyboard use lots of battery power? Zagg told Gizmag that the keyboard will hold a charge for "a few weeks," even if you leave it on all day. By contrast, the non-backlit US$99 ZAGGkeys Pro can run for 4 to 6 months on a charge.
Just like its predecessor, the keyboard also functions as a case, snapping into place using magnetic closures, and there's a well-placed slot that props up your iPad when you want to start typing.
The ZAGGkeys Pro and ZAGGkeys Pro Plus will be available later in September.
10. iPhone 5 Comparison
Now there are even more iPhone 5 spy shots, this time comparing the new iPhone to its predecessors. Here you can see a taller iPhone compared with the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3. Look at how old-fashioned the iPhone 3 was, looking like some sort of toaster from the '90s.
Will the new iPhone be too tall for pockets? Who cares - it's about time Apple adopted the 16x9 aspect ratio and a larger screen, whose size has been unchanged since its debut in 2007.
Is that Liquid Metal on the back of the new iPhone?
And here's the iPhone 5 compared with that ancient rounded plastic-backed iPhone 3.
There have been so many alleged pictures and evidence of the imminent iPhone, I'm wondering if Apple hasn't deliberately planted a dummy version of the upcoming handset, just to throw all of us off. What do you think? Is this the real iPhone?
