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There is no shortage of Alexa-powered smart speakers at this point. Even though the first third-party Google Assistant smart speakers were the stars of IFA in Berlin this past week (at least as far as audio products go), Amazon hasn't been resting on its laurels. A few more Alexa speakers were revealed at the event, including ones from big-name companies like DTS and Harman (parent company of JBL).
Chromebooks are mostly clustered toward the bottom of the market, and that often means the materials are unimpressive, features are lacking, and the build quality is mediocre. Acer has announced an updated version of its 15-inch Chromebook at IFA 2017 and it's none of that. This device has been slimmed down compared to the last Acer CB15, it has better battery life (up to 12 hours), and it's gained an aluminum frame. You're still not going to get the best hardware out there, but this Chromebook could be just what some people want.
Sony doesn't have much of a presence in the US, but it's still working hard to make appealing Android phones in other parts of the world. Case in point, the new Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact have been unveiled at IFA 2017. Despite looking and feeling a lot like other recent Sony handsets, there's something notable—they're launching with Android 8.0 Oreo, which is still just rolling out to Google devices. As for the rest of the phones, well, it's pretty much what you'd expect from Sony.
The madness of IFA 2017 may have settled down, but that hasn't stopped Huawei from unveiling its new SoC, the Kirin 970. Under its in-house HiSilicon brand, the Chinese giant seeks to push the boundaries of what is possible with mobile AI. And yes, there are the typical SoC improvements here, too.
It seems like every single tech company has made at least one announcement at IFA in Berlin, and JBL is no exception. The company announced a ton of new products at IFA, including Google Assistant-powered speakers, fully wireless earbuds, a boombox that lasts for 24 hours, and more.
360-degree cameras are all the rage these days, and Ricoh's new Theta V has an impressive set of features that might just make it worth your attention. Not only is it able to capture content in 4K, but it can also record "surround-sound" audio, each of which can add an extra layer of realism and immersion to your content. The product was just announced ahead of IFA, and although it's currently set for a September release, it's already up for pre-order.Ricoh is actually an old name in the young market of 360-degree cameras. The original Ricoh Theta was one of the first cameras of the type on the market in 2013. And, as the popularity of VR content has grown, so has demand for the Theta line of products.
Either as part of the ongoing IFA festivities or in prep for Force Friday II, Lenovo has just announced a product together with Disney. Called Star Wars: Jedi Challenges, it's an augmented reality Star Wars game that will have you flapping about a lightsaber replica as you fight villains like Darth Vader and Kylo Ren. Let's hope there's a wrist strap.
After plenty of leaks, Motorola has finally announced the resurrection of the Moto X, which should be a happy day for those who have fond memories of the last device in the series back in 2015. However, under Lenovo's stewardship things are a little bit different. Well, maybe a lot different. The Moto X4, announced here at IFA 2017 in Berlin, is a distinctly mid-range device and there's very little (if any) of the DNA that made the Moto X of old so special.
The Moto X was the beginning of the Google-fueled turnaround for the company, earning it plenty of fans and positive reviews. The Moto X refresh each year became something Android fans looked forward to, but the Google era didn't last long. Under Lenovo's leadership, the Moto X went away in favor of the Moto Z family of devices with their ecosystem of modular accessories. The last Moto X launched in 2015 as the "Moto X Pure," but now it's coming back. After months of leaks, the Moto X4 is official. It's not the same phone we remember, but it might be interesting in its own way.
We've seen more and more Bluetooth headphones as OEMs continue to drop headphone jacks, and today Sony has added three more to its lineup. The WF-1000X, WI-1000X, and WH-1000XM2 don't have especially distinct or poignant names, but together they represent a broad selection. Whatever one's needs are in a pair of noise canceling headphones, at least one of these should meet them.
Do you need a massive high-powered home audio system? How about one that can create disco lights or act like a Chromecast speaker? Then Sony's behemoth MHC-V90W Home Audio System may be for you, for the low cost of $1,299.99.
Just a few days ago, Fitbit announced its first true smartwatch, alongside Bluetooth earbuds and a smart scale. But if you prefer Garmin's products, you'll be happy to know that the company just unveiled three new wearables, and a payment platform called Garmin Pay.
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- Sony has just announced its new LF-S50G, another wireless speaker with the Google Assistant.
When the Google Assitant SDK was announced back in April, we knew it would only be a matter of time before we saw third party speakers with the Assistant built in. Google has announced the first three of those speakers at IFA 2017 in Berlin, and we can expect to learn more about them over the next few days.
The abundance of storage capacity is perhaps the most visible indicator of how far along technology has come. Just a decade ago, the highest capacity microSD card was 8GB. If you've been looking to store an insane amount of data on your phone, tablet, or other microSD-compatible device, SanDisk revealed a 400GB microSD card at IFA in Berlin.The card, which currently costs $250 on Amazon (frankly, I expected it to be higher), is A1-rated. This is the highest speed rating possible for microSD cards, higher than the UHS-1/V30 rating that is commonplace these days. SanDisk is promising up to 100MB/s read speeds, but the write speed is likely quite a bit lower (it's not explicitly stated).I honestly can't think of a single practical use for this card at the moment, unless you shoot a lot of 4K video and never offload them from your phone. You can buy the card from Amazon at the source link below, and SanDisk says the card will be available at more locations soon.Source: Amazon
At its IFA press conference, Sony announced several new devices and importantly, it also let us know which existing phones will be updated to Android Oreo 8.0. For the past few years, Sony has been one of the best (if not the absolute fastest) companies at updating its existing portfolio of devices to the new versions of Android, even keeping relatively old phones on top of the update cycle in relatively fast manner.
Robots are cool and, when designed and executed properly, robots can be quite endearing and awesome. But at $2800 a pop with very little added benefits, this one is definitely straddling the line to absurd territory.
Today at IFA 2017 in Berlin, LG announced the V30, its latest flagship phone. In the looks department, it follows closely in the footsteps of the G6, the company’s other premium offering from earlier in the year, and very much adheres to the current trend for minimal bezels and a large screen. Gone is the niche secondary display of its predecessor. This is a phone that clearly wants to be taken more seriously by mainstream consumers.
I'll cut to the chase: if your primary concern with the LG G6 was that it simply didn't seem like a proper flagship phone, I can safely assure you that the new V30 is. Its 6" QHD+ OLED display finally brings LG smartphones into the OLED era, though I do have my concerns with this screen even having only used the phone for under a day. The Snapdragon 835 processor is the best chipset Qualcomm has on offer, so that's an easy sell, and LG's included its Quad DAC in all models of the V30 for maximum audiophile authority (I, for one, am pleased the V30 has a headphone jack at all). The all metal and glass construction combined with a surprisingly low weight make the V30 feel premium and modern - I'd go so far as to say this is a significant visual refinement even upon what LG achieved with the already-handsome G6.
Smart appliances are pretty neat, when they're not being used as a botnet to take down the internet. To make matters worse, you usually have to use another app to control everything. But starting later this year, LG's smart home appliances will start working with Google Assistant and Alexa.
Samsung is still steering well clear of Android Wear at IFA 2017 with both of its new wearables. The larger of the two is the Samsung Gear Sport, a follow-up to last year's Gear S3. It's not intended to replace that watch, but it's a smaller and you might say more fun wearable with an assortment of band options and many of the features that have made Samsung's wearables notable. The most important thing here; the Gear Sport fits wonderfully, and that makes me happy.