Technology

  Berlin / AFP Always wanted to know what it would be like to watch a TV talkshow in the studio? Or zoom in on a particular player in a Bundesliga game rather than see a wideshot of the field? The technology is there for such “live” 3D television experiences from the comfort of your home, according to the Fraunhofer ...

  AFP From curved televisions and futuristic virtual reality headsets to intelligent kitchens, Berlin’s mega consumer electronics show offers a mind-boggling array of the latest in high-tech gizmos. Here are a few of the most eye-catching gadgets at IFA: IT NOT ONLY WASHES AND DRIES This Panasonic washing machine also folds your laundry. The Japanese white goods maker said the ...

  AFP Microsoft is putting its machine brains into a Liebherr refrigerator. The US technology giant and Liebherr are collaborating on a new “SmartDeviceBox” that take the kitchen appliance beyond cooling comestibles to reminding people what they need at the market, Microsoft principal data scientist TJ Hazen said in a blog post. The box is an internet-connected module that fits ...

  Bloomberg Apple Inc. may bring at least $5 billion of its offshore cash back to the U.S. next year, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook suggested in an interview on Irish radio. “We provisioned several billion dollars for the U.S. for payment as soon as we repatriate it, and right now I would forecast that repatriation to occur next year,” ...

  Bloomberg G-Shock creator Kikuo Ibe sits in a makeshift showroom, surrounded by dozens of G-Shock watches that include a prototype model from 1982. It still works, his translator proudly proclaims. Durability is what people love about these watches, after all. Soft-spoken but with a lively sense of humor, the bespectacled Japanese engineer then goes through the history of G-Shock ...

  Bloomberg Your fridge is getting so smart, security-software maker Kaspersky Lab thinks you probably shouldn’t trust it. As makers of household appliances fill their machines with computer chips to make them smarter, consumers and privacy watchdogs should beware the data collected by these objects and how it’s used, Marco Preuss, a director on Kaspersky’s global research and analysis team ...

  Bloomberg It’s September, and that means it’s time for the next iPhone. Earlier this week, Apple sent out invitations to a Sept. 7 event, drumming up excitement with the tagline “See you on the 7th.” Some industry watchers think that’s a play on words for the expected name of the new iPhone, the “iPhone 7.” Apple has reported two ...

  Bloomberg Consumers have only so much patience — and that’s why Samsung has given itself a two-week deadline to start replacing Galaxy Note 7 phones with faulty batteries that can catch fire and even explode. As Apple prepares to unveil its latest iPhone in less than a week, the South Korean electronics giant needs to reassure customers its premium ...

  Bloomberg Samsung Electronics Co. unveiled its new wristwatch device in Berlin, which includes support for contactless payments, as the company pushes to catch up to Apple Inc. in a still nascent market of wearable products. At the IFA technology tradeshow, the world’s biggest smartphone maker introduced the Gear S3 Classic and Gear S3 Frontier — two variations of the ...

  Bloomberg Twitter Inc. jumped as much as 5.8 percent, the most in two weeks, after co-founder Ev Williams said in an interview with Bloomberg TV that the company has to weigh all options amid ongoing speculation it’s a takeover target. Williams initially declined to comment when asked by Bloomberg’s Emily Chang whether Twitter can remain an independent company. He ...