Eye-catching gizmos at IFA fair

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 three-in-one machine would be ready to hit stores in 2019. In the run up, the company is developing a robot called “Laundroid”, which would be trained to fold laundry.

ODOUR REMOVAL
Last night’s meal at the restaurant may have been delicious but it is far less alluring to have to put on the jacket that still smells like it a day later. German appliance giant Siemens has a solution for that: simply toss it into a washing machine, which without running a wash cycle eliminates the odour through a so-called sensoFresh function.

PA IN YOUR EAR
Want to send an SMS without taking out your phone, or have someone whisper the weather forecast in your ear? Sony has developed “Xperia Ear” — a small Bluetooth earphone that can tell your smartphone to send texts or recite information into your ear.
“It’s not just a Bluetooth earphone, but a personal assistant who works with the smartphone without having to touch it,” said Jean-Raoul de Gelis, director-general of Sony Mobile France.

VROOM VROOM GPS
After helping to popularise the use of GPS in cars, TomTom has finally decided to take a crack at the scooter market, with a colourful round satellite navigator that looks like a rear-view mirror.
Fitted on the handlebar, the gadget is controlled through an app on the smartphone. To plot a route, simply enter the destination. The link to the smartphone also allows the GPS device to alert the rider when a call is coming in.

WATCH THE KIDS
Smartwatches are not only for adult geeks. Elari has one called Fixitime that is designed for children, with a GPS system linked to a smartphone app that tells parents exactly where their child is. It also comes with an SOS button and another that allows the child to make calls to up to 60 pre-set numbers.
Pet-owners who want to make sure that their furry darlings do not run astray meanwhile have the option of attaching a “Smartrack” into their collars. The Elari device is controlled through a smartphone app, and locates the wearer on a map.