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Haier future-fridge mixes drinks, gives us chills

BERLIN--Fast forward 10 years and we'll all own fridges like the one shown above. Fast forward another 10 years and we'll all be working for the fridge shown above, slaving away in the ice mines to appease our chilly overlord.

Haier's semi-transparent concept fridge is one of the more exotic things on show at the IFA tech trade show here in Berlin. I've been hands-on with the "Minority Report"-esque technology, so read on for everything you need to know.

The first thing you'll notice is that front of the fridge has a large, dark screen through which you can -- if you squint -- make out your food. That's because this fridge has a semi-transparent display, meaning you can both see what's onscreen, and make out objects behind it. … Read more

How the PC market is being reborn

BERLIN -- The personal computer industry has torn up the rulebook.

Intellectually, I knew it was happening, but it was only after three days of intensive technology immersion at the IFA consumer electronics show that the magnitude of today's changes in personal computing really hit me. Here's some of the evidence that jumped out at me while at the conference:

Risky new designs are commonplace as new ideas about portability and multitouch percolate through hardware engineering circles. PC makers are betting on novelties including detachable keyboards, touch screens, and laptop-tablet hybrids. Microsoft has transformed from a complacent laggard … Read more

Samsung apologizes for tech bloggers' 'undue hardship'

Samsung says the events leading up to the mistreatment of a pair of tech bloggers at IFA 2012 was a "misunderstanding" and apologized for the "undue hardship."

The electronics giant contacted some mobile-tech bloggers in India and offered to fly them to the tech conference, now under way in Berlin. After agreeing to attend the conference as a reporter, one of the bloggers -- Clinton Jeff of New Dehli -- says he was told he would be expected to wear a company uniform and man a booth, showing off Samsung products to members of the media. … Read more

Samsung to bloggers: Promote our products at IFA or walk home

Memo to bloggers: If Samsung offers to fly you to an event, make sure you have your own return-trip ticket.

According to a detailed story in The Next Web, some time back Samsung reportedly reached out to some mobile-tech bloggers in India and offered to fly them to the IFA 2012 conference now under way in Berlin. One of the bloggers -- Clinton Jeff of New Delhi -- said he made clear that he would only attend the conference as a reporter, and that he would not be doing any promotional work for the company. Samsung reportedly had no issues … Read more

iPhone 5 mockup drawing attention at IFA 2012

The iPhone 5 has materialized at the IFA trade show in Berlin. In mockup form, at least.

The tech-news site GSMIsrael was apparently the first to report on the iPhone 5 mockup, which it claims to have seen courtesy of the CEO of a major cover and case manufacturer. Like just about all the iPhone 5 rumors floating around out there, the mockup is taller than existing iPhones, has a headphone jack on the bottom edge of the phone and features a two-toned backplate.

GSMIsrael didn't identify the case maker that presumably produced the mockup. (Here's a Google-translated version … Read more

Donate organs? No, grow them from scratch

BERLIN -- Medical science, boosted by manufacturing and information technology, is on the cusp of being able to grow human tissue.

So believes Nina Tandon, a senior fellow at Columbia University's Lab for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, who for her Ph.D. thesis grew cardiac cells that beat like tiny hearts.

A third age of medicine is beginning, she said in a speech here at the TEDx Berlin conference held in conjunction with IFA consumer-electronics show. The first age, most of human history, had only a primitive understanding of the body. The second age ran from the first … Read more

Koubachi's $99 Wi-Fi plant monitor outsmarts the garden gnome

BERLIN -- If you're the kind of person who worries about Frank the Fern and Gertrude the Geranium while you're on vacation, a $99 cloud-connected plant monitor could be just the thing for you.

That's what start-up Koubachi started selling in May and was showing off here at the IFA consumer-electronics show here. The white, waterproof devices monitor soil moisture, light, and temperature, said David Kurmann, head of marketing and sales.

The white, waterproof device has an ellipsoidal bulb perched atop a spike to poke into the plant's soil. A built-in Wi-Fi module uploads the data, … Read more

Lenovo plays it safe with new IdeaCentre all-in-ones

Lenovo kept its Windows 8 desktop offerings simple during its announcement today, expanding on existing product lines, and introducing no significant new features to its IdeaCentre all-in-ones.

IdeaCentre A520 Consider this unit, pictured above, the smaller, more affordable version of the 27-inch IdeaCentre A720 Lenovo released earlier this year. This model comes in with a 23-inch, 1,920x1,080-pixel display, and the same high-end Intel Core i7 CPUs and other PC components as the big-screen version, but real focus is on the sleek design, the display adjustability, and the 10-point touch interface.

In a review at the beginning of the … Read more

Lenovo updates laptops for Windows 8

In addition to the previously announced IdeaPad S series updates, Lenovo is now showing off several other new and updated laptop models at the tail end of the IFA show.

Clearly targeting prospective Windows 8 shoppers, these new systems include ultrabooks and powerful multimedia laptops.… Read more