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Wackiest sights of IFA 2009

Every year we go to the IFA tech trade show in Berlin, and every year we see bigger demonstrations of corporate wealth and visitor stupidity. We thought we'd share some of the more interesting sights from this year's visit, concluding with a photo of one Crave writer eating an enormous sausage. Be prepared: it was twice the size of his head.

(Source: Crave UK)

Photos: LG's 15-inch OLED TV

BERLIN--Spotted in LG's enormous booth here at IFA: a razor thin OLED TV with a 15-inch screen.

That's still about half the size of the average person's LCD or plasma TV, but it's progress. Currently Sony is the only company that sells an OLED and its measures just 11 inches diagonally. LG will officially one up its rival when this hits the market in Korea first next year.

Called "The Object," this display is 0.1 inches thin and weighs in at just over 11 ounces.

See more after the jump.… Read more

IFA 2009: Gadget-fest in Berlin

Like American counterpart CES, the IFA show in Berlin is a big stage for consumer electronics companies and their latest gizmos.

Wackiest sights of IFA 2009 Every year we go to IFA, and every year we spot bigger demonstrations of corporate wealth and visitor stupidity. See for yourself. (Posted in Crave by Nate Lanxon) September 7, 2009 5:43 PM PDT

Photos: LG's 15-inch OLED TV LG shows off its OLED TV at IFA, which at 15 inches is larger than Sony's XEL-1. (Posted in Crave by Erica Ogg) September 6, 2009 9:19 AM PDT

Sony's 3D PlayStation 3: Hands-on photos … Read more

Sony's 3D PlayStation 3: Hands-on photos

BERLIN--We heard Sony was showing off a 3D PlayStation 3 here at IFA. Curious, we headed to the enormous Sony stand where we discovered a young boy--DualShock controller in-hand, 3D glasses mounted on his visibly excited face--playing the PS3's Wipeout racing game on a massive 3D television.

Naturally, we had to kick him off so we could have a play. For the next five minutes we blazed through the game's futuristic raceways with a perception of depth we've never experienced before, all presented in 1080p high-definition and vivid color. And in just more than a year, Sony … Read more

Wireless high-def battle goes overseas

BERLIN--Though still struggling to find homes in the hearts of consumers in North America, the two competing standards for wireless high-definition home video have taken their battle on the road.

Here at IFA, several companies showed products using either WirelessHD, which uses the 60GHz band to send signals, or WHDI, which operates in the 5GHz band.

Philips, which has shown wireless HD kits at the Computer Electronics Show for several years, is giving it a go in Europe too. The new kit comes with a transmitter and receiver pair that can send up to 1080p signals at 30 frames per … Read more

What we Craved this week: Cute bots, MMS, tablets, and T-Pain

It's been a busy week here at Crave with a whole lot of gadget news coming out of IFA 2009 in Berlin, including Toshiba announcing a touch-screen tablet called the JournE. This is, perhaps, Toshiba's effort to take on Apple's mythical machine before it's even official. Begun, the tablet wars have.

• We also saw some new photo and video gear from Panasonic. The company's betting quite a bit on the future of cinema being in 3D, and we think that's a good bet to make.

• Nokia's World Conference, also in Germany, was the … Read more

Philips unleashes wireless HDMI solution

Philips is taking another shot at the wireless HDMI market with its stylish Wireless HDTV Link kit (PDF). Announced at IFA 2009 in Berlin, the 599 euros ($854) package includes a transmitter and receiver pair capable of processing up to 1080p signals at 30 frames per second (fps) within a 20m range. Connectivity-wise, the Wireless HDTV Link offers two HDMI inputs and dual component-video sockets for all your HD needs.

There may be a potential bottleneck, though. While the above frame rate is sufficient for 24fps Blu-ray Discs, other programs such as console games are encoded at a much higher … Read more

TV makers pushing 3D at home

BERLIN--Without a doubt, 3D has garnered the most buzz here at IFA this year.

Many of the biggest names in consumer technology are pushing not only 3D cinema, but watching 3D movies and playing 3D games at home.

Earlier this week, Sony CEO Howard Stringer promised Blu-ray players, PlayStation 3, and laptops that will be "3D compatible" next year. Panasonic used the upcoming James Cameron flick "Avatar" to push its "Full HD 3D" idea, and Nvidia and JVC are also showing off monitors and TVs that will make even PC video game playing three-dimensional.

Despite their obvious enthusiasm for the idea, so far there isn't much evidence that consumers actually want 3D in their homes. Most people are still getting used to paying extra to watch it in the theaters while sporting a pair of plastic spectacles, and some still complain that it's hard on the eyes to watch anything in 3D longer than 10 minutes. So why are gadget makers so excited about it?

Because of two factors: First, people are watching 3D films. The box office totals of recent hits like "Up," "Monsters vs. Aliens," and "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs," show that there is indeed interest in the format.

But most of all, the companies that make consumer electronics see it as something else to sell that will distinguish their brand from the rest of the pack and from what they currently have at home. Blu-ray prices are coming down and the format is now solidly successful. And HDTVs, which became a must-have item, are becoming a commodity as well. Manufacturers are always on the lookout for some new twist that will compel users to upgrade, and for now, that appears to be 3D in the home.

Some trepidations And while there is a race to be first to have a hit product for 3D at home, not everyone is onboard. Both Philips and Toshiba say they have tested the waters of 3D at home, but say it doesn't feel very inviting just yet.

In their massive booth here at IFA, Philips is showing prototypes of their 21:9 ultrawidescreen TV and a Blu-ray player, both of which are 3D-capable. Yet, interestingly, they have "no immediate plans to launch any commercial 3D TV products in the short term," the company said during their press conference Thursday. The technology, they are freely admitting, "isn't quite there."

Toshiba executives are voicing the same concern.… Read more

Up close with the ultrathin Sony Vaio X

Giving the MacBook Air and the Dell Adamo a run for their money in the thin/coffee-shop sexy department, the Sony Vaio X Series notebook previewed at IFA Berlin definitely has the looks to rise to the top. At less than half an inch thick and weighing 1.5 pounds, it certainly could be one of the thinnest thin-and-lights out there, and a carbon fiber exterior should help with durability. Internal 3G and an "all day and into the night" battery also sound nice.

As to price and specs beyond an 11.1-inch screen, we're as curious … Read more