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Top 10 best gadgets at IFA 2011

It's been a great year for gadgets at this year's Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) in Berlin with all kinds of surprises - from internet-connected TVs to super-sized smartphones - in the exhibition halls. Here are just 10 of the best in show...

1. Sony Android tablets

Sony's long-rumoured rivals to the Apple iPad 2 finally made their debut at IFA 2011 - and they confounded as much as they surprised. The Sony Tablet P (£499) and Tablet S (£399), both include Nvidia Tegra 2 mobile processors running Android Honeycomb OS, front- and rear-facing cameras, a USB 2.0 port and an SD card slot.

Just like the iPad 2, both tablets are available in Wi-Fi only and 3G models, but it's the clamshell Tablet P that really piques our interest. For the Sony Tablet P sports not one, but two 13.9cm (5.5-inch) touchscreens - one in the base and one in the lid.

This certainly makes it easier to stick in your pocket than most tablets and it obviously has advantages with certain applications - e.g. using the virtual keyboard or playing games where the Tablet P apes the split-screen controls of the Nintendo 3DS to a certain extent.

What's harder to get around is whether Sony will have any success persuading developers to create applications that take advantage of the split-screen. And, of course, for movie viewing it's rubbish.

2. Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone

Apple's iPhone 5 maybe imminent, but it's going to face some stiff competition from Samsung's latest smartphone, the Galaxy Note.

Sporting a massive 13.5cm (5.3-inch) display - the biggest of any smartphone so far - with a WXGA resolution of 1,200 x 800 pixels. Other crowd-pleasing goodies include a 1.5GHz dual-core processor running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, front- and rear-facing cameras, the second of which has a resolution of 8MP and can be used to record 1080p high definition video. Wow.

Weirdly, it seems that styli (styluses?) are back in vogue, with the Samsung Galaxy Note sporting an S Pen, which is ideal for accurate, pressure sensitive handwritten notes and sketches. What's wrong with the good old finger, eh?

3. Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 tablet

Sharing the Top 10 gadget honours with the Galaxy Note is Samsung's new Galaxy Tab 7.7 tablet, complete with a 19.6cm (7.7-inch) 1,280 x 800 WXGA resolution AMOLED display, a dual-core 1.4GHz processor and a choice of 8GB, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB of storage.

Throw in a microSD card slot and you'll be able to increase that to a phenomenal 96GB, which is probably just as well as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 offers 1080p high definition movie playback too. The Tab 7.7 also features the Android 3.2 OS with Samsung's TouchWiz user interface laid over the top.

4. HTC Titan smartphone

Continuing the trend for super-sized smartphones at IFA 2011 is the HTC Titan, a showcase for the latest version of Windows Phone 7 'Mango'.

The HTC Titan comes with an 11.4cm (4.5-inch) display. Its wide, but slim form factor enables it to sit comfortably in your hand, although it may not slip as easily into your shirt pocket. Sadly, the Titan's display resolution doesn't quite match up to its big screen billing offering just 800 x 480 pixels of resolution, although it's bright with impressive colours and good black levels.

Windows Phone 7 Mango also runs smoothly on the HTC Titan's 1.5GHz single-core processor. The best thing about the Titan is what HTC has managed to with it - adding dedicated applications and an improved camera, which enables you to shoot panoramas and includes a handy burst mode.

5. Lenovo IdeaPad U300 / U400 ultrabooks

Undoubtedly one of the biggest surprises at IFA was the arrival of the first ultrabooks - ultra-thin PC alternatives to Apple's Macbook Air that meet or exceed specs set out by Intel. Available in luxurious U300 and U400 models, Lenovo's IdeaPads are milled from a solid block of aluminium - sound familiar? - and offer a choice of 33.8cm (13.3-inch) and 35.6cm (14-inch) displays, Intel Core i7 ultra-low voltage (ULV) processors and AMD Radeon HD5470M graphics.

The Lenovo IdeaPad U300 includes 256GB of SSD storage, while the U400 offers a choice of a 256GB SSD drive or a 1TB hard disk. Battery life is pegged up to eight hours of 'productive use' and up to 30 days of standby time. The U300 and U400 are both available in a choice of Graphite Grey and eye-watering Clementine Orange colours. UK prices have yet to be confirmed.

6. Toshiba AT200 Excite tablet

If HP's recent TouchPad fire sale told us anything, it's that competing with the Apple iPad 2 isn't easy - especially when you have rivals like Samsung and Sony all trying to do the same thing.

That hasn't deterred Toshiba, which wowed IFA 2011 with its own take: the AT200 Excite - a 25.6cm (10.1-inch) tablet that also happens to be the world's thinnest, measuring just 0.3-inches (7.7mm) front to back.

Inside the Toshiba AT200 Excite, you'll find a 1.2GHz processor running Android Honeycomb, 1GB of RAM and up to 64GB of storage, which is pretty respectable.

Battery power is pegged at up to eight hours and the display has a maximum resolution of 1,200 x 800 pixels.

7. Samsung MV800 Multi-View compact camera

One of the undoubted highlights of IFA 2011 has been the launch of three new compact cameras from Samsung including the 18x superzoom WB750 and the 20MP NX200. Our pick though is the MV800 - the first compact camera to include a flip-up screen.

Flip-up screens have been a big deal on digital SLRs for a while because they're great for use in situations where a conventional viewfinder or display won't do - such as trying to get a clear view of the action which you're in the middle of a crowd, for example.

The MV800's 7.62cm (3-inch) touchscreen can be angled at up to 180-degrees to help you get the shot - the view even flips around if you turn the camera upside-down. Other goodies include a Live Panorama, which enables you to create wide-angle shots by stitching images together. Specs include a 16.1MP sensor, 5x optical zoom and a 26mm wide-angle lens. UK price? Around £249.

8. Sony SMP-N200 Network Media Player

One of the tech trends of this year's IFA 2011 has been the rise and rise of internet-connected Smart TVs, but what happens if you want to join the party and want to hang on to your existing non-Smart set?

Enter Sony's SMP-N200 Network Media Player, which enables you to do exactly that. The SMP-N200 Network Media Player includes Bravia Internet Video, which enables you to watch streaming content from BBC iPlayer, movies from Lovefilm as well as high definition and even 3D content. Naturally enough, the Network Media Player is compatible with the new Tablet P and Tablet S, erm, tablets, that Sony also launched at IFA.

9. LG PenTouch TV

As any parent will tell you, pens and TVs normally go together like small fingers and electrical sockets, so the launch of LG's PenTouch range of plasma TVs is both surprising and a little alarming.

LG's PenTouch TVs, of course, use a special light-sensitive pen that enables you to write and sketch on screen or edit and organise photos stored on your PC. But it's surely only a matter of time before Junior mistakes the 'special pen' for a ballpoint and you end up with a more permanent version of his scribbles etched onto the display.

Perhaps you can keep him or her distracted by the other things the PZ8590T can do: like enable you to watch 2D or 3D content. Or watch 2D content in 3D using a 2D to 3D conversion engine. The PenTouch TVs are available in 140cm (55-inch) and 152cm (60-inch) display sizes. There's no news yet on UK pricing.

10. Philips Cinema 21:9 TVs

These super-sized, super-expensive TVs have been a staple of IFA 2011 for a few years now but, dang it, they just keep getting better and better - which is why we have no qualms about adding them to our top 10.

Now available in Platinum and Gold versions, Philips new Cinema TVs boast an astonishingly cinema-like 21:9 aspect ratio (hence the name) 3D viewing with 2D to 3D conversion and Smart TV features that gives you access to a compelling portal of online content. Heck, you can even watch internet TV and regular TV at the same time using the split-screen viewer.

Other goodies include LED backlighting and Philips' Ambilight technology, plus a 0.5-second refresh time and a 1,200MHz refresh rate. No UK prices as yet, but we can't wait to get on our hands on them.

What are your favourite gadgets from IFA 2011? Let us know in the comments below.

Tablets, tellies and toys at IFA 2011

IFA - Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin - is the world's largest consumer electronics show, and this year's gadget frenzy has been particularly interesting.

From tablets to TVs, really weird-looking smartphones to bizarre 3D headsets, if it beeps, lights up, connects to the net or fires laser beams from its eyes, it was unveiled at IFA 2011.

TV was a big deal at this year's show, especially connected TV. Samsung announced an update for its Smart TV system that will bring YouTube 3D content to its compatible models, while Philips announced a host of model updates and a new range of Cinema 21:9 TVs, which promise "smarter and smoother 3D plus the next generation of Internet TV".

Philips hopes to address the relative lack of 3D content by providing 2D to 3D upsampling, although as our Gareth Beavis points out, "we've never seen any auto-converted 2D content that looks any good at all, but with a 3D depth adjuster we're prepared to reserve judgement."

Philips also unveiled the world's fastest TV, which sadly didn't turn out to be a robot/TV hybrid with cybernetic legs: it's created TVs with an extraordinary 1200Hh refresh rate and a response time of 0.5ms. "Wheeeeeeee!" we'd like to imagine Philips' CEO said, before unveiling another clever feature: two-player, full-screen gaming. Using reversed 3D glasses, two people will be able to watch the same screen and see entirely different things.

LG's been making new TVs too, with a new range of 3D SmartTVs. We particularly like the PenTouch models, which enable you to draw and sketch and organise photos. Sadly drawing a moustache on Fiona Bruce doesn't seem to be an option.

Toshiba showed off the UK's first ever glasses-free 3D TV, a high-end 55-inch TV that promises nine different viewing positions and face tracking to keep the 3D view perfect. Exciting? Perhaps not: when we got our chance to look at the 55ZL2, we "struggled to work out whether what we were watching was 3D or not".

Sony at IFA

Away from TVs, Sony had a whole bunch of things to show us at IFA. There was the SMP-N200 Network Media Player, designed to turn any TV into a connected TV, and there was a faintly ridiculous-looking wearable 3D viewer that streams content from Blu-Ray players, PS3s and other 3D-capable kit directly into your eyes.

There was a new ereader and a new all-in-one Vaio PC, but what really got our attention was the long-awaited pair of Sony tablets.

There will be two Sony tablets, both Android powered. The Tablet S is a swoopy take on the traditional tablet form factor, while the Tablet P is a twin-screen clamshell affair.

Stars of the show

Toshiba showed off the AT200, which promises to be the thinnest, lightest ten-inch Android tablet around - it's just 7.7mm thick - but the star of the tablet show was Samsung.

There was the Galaxy Tab 7.7, a welcome update to the familiar seven-inch device, and the PC Series-7 tablet is a Windows 7, Core-powered tablet that easily docks to become a proper Windows laptop.

We're not sure about Windows 7 on tablets, but we'd love to see this model running Windows 8.

The most interesting Samsung tablet, though, wasn't really a tablet: it was the Samsung Galaxy Note.

Although technically a smartphone, the Galaxy Note's 5.3-inch SuperAMOLED display is massive in mobile terms and well worth a look if you're considering a compact tablet. Just don't buy one if you're little: Samsung's CEO is, and when he held the Note to his head during Samsung's IFA presentation he looked like he'd borrowed the phone from Gulliver.

IFA, the world's largest consumer electronics and home appliance show, will open its doors for the 51st time on 1 September 2011.

For five hectic days, this annual extravaganza of all things electronic will redefine the consumer electronics landscape for the next 12 months.

So are we excited? You bet! Read on to learn IFA 2011 could be the most significant in years.

IFA firsts

IFA is not just another gadget show. It's a technology event on an enormous scale. Last year, the Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin attracted over 230,000 visitors. And yes, it is open to the public.

Indeed, the IFA site is so huge it has its own transport system to help get folks around. With more attendees and exhibition space than CES, it can legitimately claim to be the world's biggest tech expo.

Amazingly, the show first opened its doors way back in 1924. Since then it's seen numerous tech milestones.

In 1930 Albert Einstein gave a keynote speech about the future of radio; five years later the event introduced the first magnetic recording tape. In 1967 PAL colour televisions made their debut, and then in 1981 CD players were unveiled before a curious public. It was at IFA, in 1995, that European broadcasters began to demonstrate digital TV for the first time.

So what will IFA 2011 will be remembered for?

Big buzzwords

Naturally, the big brands are keeping product announcements and developments close to their chests, as they prepare for the big IFA reveal on 1 September. Until then rumour and speculation is the name of the game. That said, it's not too difficult to predict the direction that tech winds will be blowing.

The big buzzwords bouncing around the halls of IFA 2011 will be (in no particular order) 4K2K, Smart TV, autostereocopic 3D and tablets. Feel free to combine any and all of these to produce your imaginary device of choice.

Those who have been hoping that the 3D bandwagon would at least develop a slow puncture (yes, amazingly there are a few naysayers still out there) are likely to be disappointed. The big 3D TV makers will all be hawking better-than-ever third generation displays.

One highlight you can expect to see in the Panasonic hall is the brand's astonishing new 152inch 3D plasma. We've already had a preview of this monster and can confirm it is quite simply the most jaw-dropping flat-panel on the planet.

Panasonic has long enjoyed producing impractically large plasmas (just because it can), and this is its most ambitious screen yet. The 4K Active Shutter panel has a resolution of 8 million pixels; at a recent demo we watched in slack-jawed amazement as it upscaled Avatar from a standard Panasonic 3D Blu-ray player.

2011 has already been deemed the year of the smart TV by the likes of Samsung and LG, and this message is only likely to be reinforced at IFA 2011. While Ethernet is now de rigueur on all types of CE gear, Wi-Fi has been an awkward add-on. However, come IFA, the dongle will go the way of the Dodo, as building-in becomes the new going out.

Back to the future

IFA has a habit of repeating itself. So expect those uber-cool products unveiled at IFA 2010, but still conspicuous by their absence in the real world, to return refreshed. We'll bet dollars to doughnuts that you'll witness the second coming of LG's fabled Nano-LED TVs, only this time with Cinema 3D passive tech replacing the Active Shutter 3D system they were originally shown with.

BACK AGAIN: First shown last year, but still not on sale, LG's Nano LED screens will get a Passive 3D makeover at IFA

Of course, LG will still be shilling gear unlikely to ship anytime soon. We predict the highlight of the LG hall will be its first large screen 4K2K 3D display. This will use the brand's proprietary FPR (Film Pattern Retarder) filter and, thanks to the higher resolution of the 4K panel, will be able to produce the first ever Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080) Passive 3D picture.

LG's rival Samsung does not traditionally use IFA to launch swathes of new kit, reserving that privilege for January's CES event. However, the company does like to steal a headline or two. One way it could do this is by taking the wraps off its own radical new 3D TV technology.

The brand is known to have done a deal with 3D pioneer Real D to create a new generation of displays which deliver Full HD 3D using passive polarising glasses. No specifics have been announced, but by shifting shuttering LCD tech to the panel and away from high-tech eyeware, the brand will free itself from the expensive handcuffs that are Active Shutter spectacles.

Over in Toshiba's hall, there's certain to be a massive push on autostereoscopic (no glasses needed) 3D. We predict Toshiba will show a groundbreaking 55inch Auto-3D screen. The company has already touted prototypes and seems firmly committed to making autostereocopic TV happen. Of course, you won't be able to buy one until at least 2012.

The evolution of the tablet

Naturally, tablets will be everywhere at IFA 2011, with dozens of cookie-cutter slates on hand. What will be new, however, is how they'll be positioned. Many of these handhelds will be promoted as your next second TV screen.

We know that Panasonic's first tablets will allow you to access its Viera Connect IPTV and apps store directly, as well as act as a turbo-charged remote control for a tethered screen.

TABLET FRENZY: A new wave of tablet devices will launch, aimed at enhancing the TV viewing experience

IFA 2011 won't just be about hardware, though. Reflecting the rise of Smart devices, there will be a new emphasis on apps and content.

Samsung UK's AV marketing chief Russell Owens says that IFA 2011 will be about more than just kit. "You can be certain apps and services will be a big story at this year's event," he told us.

Sony spokesperson Lucie Speciale agrees, saying that for Sony IFA 2011 will be about "discovering new services and most importantly experiencing digital content in ways that haven't been seen before." She adds "key themes will be connectivity, mobility, entertainment and the next stages of 3D."

We can't wait.

Every September, Berlin plays host to Europe's biggest gadget show, the Internationale Funkausstellung (aka IFA).

The gargantuan halls of the Messe Berlin are transformed into an Aladdin's cave of gadgetry you can look at, but rarely buy – 3D TVs, tablet computers, laptops, more 3D TVs, portable media players, Blu-ray players and even more 3D TVs.

No prizes for guessing what the dominant trend this year is...

All hail 3D TV!

Back in 2009, the big tech companies were desperate to convince us that 3D TV was more than just a techno-fad. It was a difficult sell, especially when 3D content was thin on the ground – no 3D telly channels available, no 3D gaming, no 3D Blu-ray.

A year on, the flag-waving for 3D TV is just as vigorous. Sky is inching towards the launch of its first 3D channel, while Eurosport has announced that a dedicated 3D sports channel is on the way. The PlayStation 3 will finally get its Blu-ray 3D update by Christmas, while Blu-ray 3D players and HDMI 1.4-compliant cables are becoming readily available.

Every HD TV-builder worth its salt now has a premium 3D ready range with a premium price tag to match. But only a few stand truly out from the crowd. Philips, for example, has upgraded its 9000-series HD TVs to make them 3D friendly. But it's the company's unique Cinema 21:9 model that catches the eye.

Similarly, while LED backlighting is becoming the norm, LG's LEX8 'Nano LED' 3D TV uses a thin film punctured with tiny holes to more evenly diffuse the light from the LED array. Meanwhile, Sharp has evolved its quad-pixel Quattron model to include 3D compatibility.

There's also more of an interest in 'glasses-free' 3D TV this year. Philips has long championed the lenticular technology and has another impressive demo at IFA this year. Toshiba is also reportedly taking an interest in the glasses-free approach. Nintendo is using similar lenticular lenses in the forthcoming 3DS handheld, while engineering firm Rockchip has incorporated the technology into a 3D tablet PC prototype.

Internet TV cometh

Not only will your next TV be 3D ready, it will also be able to access the Internet, play YouTube videos, display your Twitter account and stream content from the BBC iPlayer. You can already buy HD TVs with this technology built-in. However, the web widgets are often sluggish, rudimentary and hardly comparable with the internet experience you can get on a computer or smartphone.

That's going to change. Web-connectivity has the potential to change the way we watch television in the future. Google, for example, is attempting to integrate its own Google TV solution into TVs, while Apple's relaunch of its Apple TV product takes a different technology tack. Both, however, have the same aim in mind: to enable users to search, browse and stream content, on demand to their living rooms.

Content is key. Apple is well positioned with iTunes; Panasonic is ambitiously expanding its Viera Cast system; while Sony's forthcoming Qriocity portal will offer music and movie streaming. Google TV has the potential to be as successful as Google Docs or as forgettable as Google Wave. The fact that it runs the Android OS opens up a whole range of dizzying possibilities as apps can be the gateway to video and audio content, games and utilities.

Tablet PCs and iPad-jostlers

The Apple iPad has set the benchmark for every tablet PC, slate computer and smartpad to follow. It's not perfect, but the announcement of iOS4.2 will add new features and, while the current iPad might not feature a built-in camera for 'FaceTime', Apple will undoubtedly include it in version 2. Steve Jobs is the undisputed master of leaving his audience wanting more.

So rival tablet PC builders like Samsung, ViewSonic, Toshiba, Acer, LG and others don't have very long to design, test and launch their own keyboard-less devices. Samsung has taken the lead with The Galaxy Tab. Compared to the iPad, it has a smaller, lower resolution screen, but the good-looking tablet offers several advantages, including a memory card slot, two integrated cameras and Flash 10.1 support.

ViewSonic unveiled its ViewPad 7 and ViewPad 100 models at IFA, with the latter offering a dual boot feature for Android and Windows 7 Home Premium. Toshiba also revealed a tablet, dubbed the Folio 100, while Sony launched an updated version of its Reader device with a touch-sensitive display. There are more iPad wannabes to come.

Gadgets, gadgets, gadgets

Last year, IFA was much more fragmented and there were many more identifiable tech trends: wireless HD streaming; improved screen technologies like OLED and LED backlighting; web-connected TVs; 3D TVs; eco-friendliness and the end of the megapixel wars.

It's obvious from our coverage this year that 3D TVs and 3D Blu-ray players have dominated the show, with web connectivity and a new breed of tablet devices close behind. As for other gadgetry, several of the tech giants have launched new mini camcorders – Sony outed the Bloggie Touch, Samsung debuted the HMX-T10 and Toshiba has been showing off the Camileo S30 and P20.