CES’ lesser-known European cousin IFA is going on now in Berlin, and we’ve rounded up the tech and gadgets that have been making the most buzz on the show floor.
Putting a twist on laptops. Lenovo showed off a concept that uses AI to open itself and even turn its screen to face you based on movement tracking and voice commands. Other stand-out ideas include Acer’s laptop with a pop-out game controller.
- Why it matters: Laptop demos at trade shows tend to blend together, boiling down to simple spec bumps or chip-makers scuffling over who has a slight performance edge. These laptops pop because they are trying something new with the actual form of the computer, instead of what’s under the hood.
Robo-vacuums take on their biggest enemy: small ledges. SharkNinja, Dreame, and Roborock debuted automated vacuums that can all lift themselves up by roughly an inch to climb over rugs and ledges that would otherwise stop them in their tracks.
- Why it matters: Robo-vacuums are popular, expected to become a US$17.08 billion market by 2028. But adoption has been tempered by maneuverability issues. Options that can actually move between rooms might be what’s needed to reach those heights.
Acer gets into handheld gaming. The Nitro Blaze 7 boasts performance specs and a processor that, on paper, seems to compete with Valve’s Steam Deck or the ASUS Rog Ally, the current leaders in the handheld gaming boom.
- Why it matters: Handhelds are a growth market for PC makers, letting them reach customers who lack the know-how to build an at-home gaming PC, or sell something new to die-hards looking to play on the go. But not every attempt to cash in has gone well, like the disastrous MSI Claw.
Smart lights get smarter. Among lights that sync to what’s on your TV to modular wall art, Nanoleaf introduced its first permanent outdoor smart lights, which can be changed and automated to set an outdoor mood or match whatever holiday season it might be.
- Why it matters: Honestly, it just seems nice to not have to climb a ladder to change the decorations every few months.