PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
The annual trade show is known for its big announcements of the latest flashy electronics, from tablets to 77-inch screens. Here’s PCR’s pick of the best tech unveiled in Berlin this year.
PHILIPS M1X-DJ
An app-powered DJ mixing deck with “really loud” speakers and on-board turntables, the M1X-DJ was developed in partnership with DJ Armin Van Buuren, who said the shoulder strap-equipped sound system was made to “take to the beach”. iOS devices can connect via a Lightning connector, or audio can be streamed over Bluetooth.
ASUS TRANSFORMER BOOK TRIO
An ultraportable 11.6-inch tablet complete with keyboard dock, the Trio can split into a tablet and standalone desktop PC, which work separately. The tablet can also switch between the Android and Windows 8 operating systems at the press of the ‘Trio’ button.
PANASONIC TOUGHPAD 4K UT-MB5
Billed as “the world’s first 20-inch 4K tablet”, the Toughpad is aimed at business users, with a specialist performance model designed for engineers and designers coming in 2014. The tablet supports Panasonic’s Electronic Touch Pen and earns its name from being able to withstand drops of up to 76cm and temperatures from five to 35 centigrade.
LG ULTRA HD CURVED TV
Shown as a concept, LG claims the 77-inch display is the world’s largest Ultra HD OLED TV. The curved screen is likened by LG to IMAX cinema screens, claiming that “it fills the viewer’s field of vision more than a flat-screen TV”.
The screen has “infinite contrast ratio” and quadruple the resolution of Full HD displays.
SAMSUNG GALAXY GEAR
The long-anticipated smartwatch connects to Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones to deliver notifications that, via ‘Smart Relay’, will automatically display the content on the phone when it’s picked up. The watch also includes a camera, speaker, a ‘Find My Device’ service, and of course, it tells the time.
HP ENVY RECLINE
The Recline is an All-in-One PC with a pivoting monitor designed to make using the 10-point Full HD touchscreen as comfortable as possible. The Recline is powered by the Intel i-series and NVIDIA graphics, and includes NFC technology. The Beats Edition features red and black design accents and built-in Beats Audio speakers.
SONY XPERIA Z1
The new Z1 smartphone features ‘Time Shift Burst’, which captures 61 photographs in two seconds, a 20.7-megapixel camera and ‘Clear’ image zoom, which magnifies up to three times with “zero loss in clarity”. The five-inch phone includes €100 worth of music and movie content, including the film Elysium.
ACER LIQUID S2
A six-inch phablet upgrade to the S1, the S2 packs in faster hardware with a 2.2Ghz quad-core Snapdragon processor and 2GB of RAM. The 13MP rear camera shoots in 4K video, which can then be watched on the 1920×1080 Full HD display. The phablet runs on Acer’s Float UI, backed by Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean).
TOSHIBA ENCORE
As a smaller Windows 8.1 tablet device, the eight-inch Encore is targeting the budget end of the market. A 1280×800 screen, Atom processor, 2GB of RAM and either 32 or 64GB of storage sit inside the device, while an 8MP camera, micro HDMI, micro SD and micro USB face outside.
