6 top trends at Berlin's IFA tech fair

BERLIN -- Europe's biggest tech fair, Berlin's IFA, opens its doors Friday with a flood of new product launches. Here are some of the top trends making waves along the aisles:

1. Future TV: higher resolution, bigger screens

With four times as many pixels as today's 4K ultra-high-definition (UHD) screens, the latest 8K TV sets have the potential to wow -- but the first compatible content will only reach viewers in 2020 with the Japan Winter Olympics.

In the meantime, Europeans are buying bigger and bigger TVs, hitting an average of 50 inches last year.

And wireless or wifi connectivity is moving from the "nice-to-have" to the "must-have" column, with many sets offering on-demand video that users can launch via voice command.

2. Earphones get cuddly

Many of the bulky headphones that dominated audio over the past decade have shed wires in favor of Bluetooth connections in the past two years.

And as listeners increasingly opt for smaller earbuds for everyday use, headsets are evolving to fit new niches -- like integration in soft neckbands that won't bother users as they drift off to sleep while bingeing on podcasts.

For shared sounds, TV-connected sound bars or multi-room speaker set-ups sport fewer and fewer buttons as voice commands become the control scheme of choice.

3. Laptop or tablet? Why choose?

While ever-lighter and thinner laptops are a constant feature of tech shows, the real action at IFA is elsewhere.

High dynamic range (HDR) monitors increasingly offer gamers and other power users more true-to-life images on their desktop computers, while "convertible" PCs -- useable as either laptop or tablet -- are increasingly popular for travel.

As for "classic" tablets, sales fell some 18 percent last year according to IFA organizers.

4. Wearables quit the gym

After a 2017 that saw wearable gadgets for monitoring fitness take off, this year they're increasingly present elsewhere, for example as trackers on the wrists of children or the elderly.

But authorities in some countries are leery of such developments.
Last November, Germany banned a smartwatch aimed at children that allowed parents to remotely activate a microphone to listen in on the playground.

5. Smog alert

White goods buyers are increasingly convinced that "big is beautiful," according to Norbert Herzog of consumer research firm GfK, opting for roomier fridges and ovens and higher-capacity washing machines.

Elsewhere in the home, cordless vacuum cleaners are gaining ground, making up some 40 percent of global sales of small home appliances.

Devices from dishwashers to lightbulbs can be networked and controlled remotely by voice commands.

And global demand for air purifiers is rising, stoked by health-conscious Chinese consumers worried about pollution in the country's smog-choked cities.

6. Virtual reality mirage?

Virtual reality -- whether the low-end headsets that use the wearer's phone as a screen, or ultra-powerful dedicated rigs for gamers -- faces a "chicken and egg problem," said IFA executive director Jens Heithecker.

"Consumers will rush to buy once there's great content to enjoy, while content production is slow as long as consumers are not buying in large numbers," he lamented.

That hasn't discouraged Taiwan's Acer from launching a standalone gaming headset in Berlin this year.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

From talking fridge to robot vacuum: Samsung unveils 'smarter' appliances

SINGAPORE – Tech giant Samsung unveiled its latest vision for the connected family home at its recent regional forum.

Talking refrigerators and robot vacuum cleaners, among others, starred at the Samsung Forum held last February 16 at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Center.

“At Samsung, we remain committed to developing thoughtful innovations that not only address the ever-changing needs of our customers, but are also aimed at making a meaningful impact in their lives,” said Yong Sung Jeon, president and CEO of Samsung Electronics Southeast Asia and Oceania.

“Despite some challenges, we’ve made big strides in 2016 and we continue to look forward as we engineer a smarter future together with our consumers.”

During the forum, Samsung introduced its new range of televisions powered by Quantum dot technology, with the promise of improving brightness levels and color volume at any distance.

A specific line of monitors was designed with gamers in mind, offering calibration options to optimize picture presentation for different genres.

Also launched at the forum is the FlexWash, which integrates two washers and a dryer into one appliance and promises to cut laundry time in half.

The Family Hub 2.0, the latest edition of Samsung’s refrigerator line, features improved app integration. With its built-in cameras and web access, users can determine which food items need to be replenished as well as get recommendations on what dish to prepare and where to buy groceries.

The talking refrigerator also has a 21.5-inch LED touch screen which can serve as a digital bulletin board. Here, users can share anything – from photos to doodles – with those who have the Family Hub app on their smartphone.

Another scene-stealer is Samsung’s newest line of Powerbot vacuum cleaners, which ensures thorough cleaning with its intelligent features.

The robot vacuum can map and remember contours of a room to provide thorough cleaning, and automatically adjust the level of suction power according to surface type

source: news.abs-cbn.com

How to get the best deal on a refrigerator

Well, it was bound to happen some time, and now we’re left looking for the best deal on a refrigerator.
We bought our current fridge about 2.5 years ago, used from a co-worker, for $50. At the time, we were downsizing from a one-bedroom apartment to a shack—or guesthouse in someone’s backyard. We were broke newlyweds, and barely had any money left after we put in the deposit. $50 was pretty much all we could afford to spend on a fridge.

The fridge was great for us. It had a bottom freezer, and was the perfect size for us. About two weeks ago, it started making noises and we knew that it wasn’t a good sign. So we weren’t too surprised when we woke up and found most of our freezer food half-defrosted.

I quickly bagged up as much as I could, and took it to my parents’ house. I placed the rest of refrigerated food in the freezer with a huge bag of ice and hope it will stay cold enough until we can get a replacement.

In researching the purchase of a refrigerator, I came across several tips to help us make a better decision and land us a good deal on a refrigerator.

• Online research: Doing online research allows us to look at different kinds of fridges, and not just what’s available in the store.
• Price compare: You can also price compare online. However, several apps, such as RedLaser and ShopSavvy allow you to scan the barcode of an item and see where you can get it for cheaper.
• Price match: Several stores offer price match, and some stores, like Lowe’s, will even give you a competitor discount—meaning they’ll offer 10% off if you find your appliance for cheaper somewhere else. Check your local store’s guide for complete details.
• Rebates: Many manufacturers, and even utility companies, like electric companies, will offer rebates for purchasing a certain refrigerator. I know our local electric company offers a rebate for the purchase of an energy-efficient model, and there is usually a wide range to choose from.
• Know what you really need: Some people automatically purchase the nicest model just because it looks the best. But there are several features that aren’t really necessary. For us, it was the built in water and ice dispenser. I never put ice in any of my drinks, or even my water. And the only time we really use ice is for smoothies. For that reason, it didn’t make sense to pay an extra three to five hundred dollars (in some cases, even more!) just for the sake of the fancy looking water dispenser.
• Space: Do you really need the biggest fridge available? Going for a smaller sized fridge will not only be cheaper, it will also save you money on electricity bills.
• Sign up for the discount card: It may be worth it to sign up for a company’s credit card in order to get the 5-10% discount.

source: everythingfinanceblog.com

Appliances Last Decades With Care

MANILA, Philippines — The home I grew up in had one electric appliance: a radio-cum-turntable that played vinyl records in three speeds and sizes. Our stove was three stones fueled with wood scraps from Lolo’s bus-and-jeepney building shop. Clothes were washed in the neighborhood artesian well half a kilometer away and brought home to dry on clotheslines in the backyard.

Such a minimal lifestyle would be unthinkable these days, when even squatter areas have cable TV, washing machines and refrigerators, each of which represents a substantial investment. Here are some tips to keep these, and other, home appliances humming for many years.

WASHING MACHINE – Friends cannot believe that we’re still using a National twin-tub with 5-kilo capacity bought from a Makati appliance store that has since been torn down. Thanks to my late husband Victor, our family learned strict washing machine guidelines that have kept maintenance men away.

The first rule is: keep electric cables and outlets up and away from floors and other surfaces that could get wet or damp. Next, do not overload the washing machine. Keep in mind that even when the machine indicates a capacity of 5 kilos, this should not always be strictly adhered to as there are laundry items that need room to churn: bed sheets, towels, blankets, denim jeans and jackets, for example.

Observe the machine as it starts to wash a load; watch to ensure that the items move freely inside the tub. It may be necessary to help things along by lifting and untangling the items during the cycle. Listen to the sound of the machine as it runs; stop the machine and reduce the load or re-arrange the items before re-starting the machine.

To spin dry, it is more efficient to fold, twist and arrange wet items, and arrange them along the sides of the spin-dry tub, leaving an empty space down the middle. As the tub works like a centrifuge, it works more efficiently when heavier items are loaded at the bottom.

RICE COOKER – Keep and use the plastic cup that comes with the rice cooker and do not attempt to cook more rice than is indicated in the pot or it will boil over the pot and into the heating element at the bottom of the cooker.

Keep the cover on until the rice is cooked; uncovering the pot to peep while cooking affects cooking time. When the red light turns off and the orange light is on, it does not immediately mean that the rice is ready; wait 5 minutes before taking cooked rice from the pot unto a plate or serving bowl.

For the heating element to last, it is best to take the pot out of the rice cooker when scooping out the cooked rice.

Do not keep the rice for long periods in the rice cooker while it is in “warm” mode. This practice wastes electricity and eats up the lifespan of the heating element. In some models, the rice continues to cook even while on a “warm” mode, resulting in thick brown crust (tutong) that often is left uneaten and wasted.

While it is convenient to use the rice cooker as an all-around cooking appliance, its thin aluminum pot is ultra-sensitive to salt, acid and other chemicals. Many of my friends have ended up with rice cookers that still work but cannot be used because their aluminum pots have developed holes from vinegar in paksiw, salt from pinangat, sampaloc from sinigang, and tomato sauce in menudo.

If forced by circumstances to use rice cookers for other than rice, avoid stews and other recipes that call for long simmering. Transfer the cooked food to bowls or other containers as soon as possible and wash the aluminum pot with soap and water (avoid abrasives), drying with a kitchen towel or clean rag immediately.

MICROWAVE OVEN – My first microwave oven, sent from Osaka by a younger brother in 1980, was a combination microwave-convection oven which could microwave a whole chicken in 10 minutes, then shift to convection mode and crisp the skin with conventional heat. Since we always had a real oven for roasting and baking, the microwave was used mainly for reheating Vic’s 7 mugs of brewed coffee daily. Once in a while, I steamed leftover steamed rice in a covered pyrex bowl.

Ten years later, I won a microwave oven at a Christmas raffle. We installed it in the kitchen and gave son Albert our old unit. He’s still using it, and I’m still using the raffle prize. How have our microwaves lasted so long?

We’re meticulous about containers, never using plates and bowls that have even the tiniest trace of metal, such as gold or silver painted decorations. Another must is cleaning the interior with a damp cloth daily.

Except for mugs of coffee and water (for tea), all items to be microwaved are loosely covered. It is important that the cover is not tight; any moisture expands into steam, which causes containers to burst or explode inside the microwave.

Microwave popcorn became a no-no in our household, not just because of the high sodium and fat content, but also because several of our friends ended up with unrepairable melted plastic microwave oven doors when overheated popcorn bags exploded, splashing boiling butter all over the appliance’s interior. This could have been avoided had they tested the popcorn at shorter cooking time and by standing in front of the microwave all the time that the popcorn was popping, turning off the oven when the bag bulges to its maximum.size.

Next week: Caring for toaster ovens, TV sets, home desktop computers, electric fans.

source: mb.com.ph