Tech enthusiasts have converged on Berlin for the consumer electronics show, IFA, which kicked off with a glamorous gala opening on September 6.

Unofficially, companies begin to present their products and technology showcases a couple of days ahead of the event. As a result, the initial days are packed with gadgets and crowds to see them. Over 600 exclusively invited guests from the industry, political arena, as well as business and entertainment sectors attended the opening at the Palais am Funkturm.

Some of the topics that are expected to be prominent at the show are related to smart cities, the future of mobility, artificial intelligence, robotics and virtual reality.

The other topics include language assistants which are residing the way products of all kinds are interfaced with. The focus is on how communication in the home should feel like an everyday conversation.

What could tech enthusiasts look out for?

Amazon is, of course, prominent in this field. The company, LinkPlay Technology, is working on Alexa integration and speech capability with high-quality streaming modules and programs for trouble-free music listening. Gigaaa Innovation from Germany is working on offering an alternative to Alexa.

Mobility will feature not only 5G and connectivity technologies but also products that will make use of high-speed internet. New York based Casa Innovations is, for example, is working on instant real time translation for Bluetooth earphones. Digital health and fitness solutions are also in the spotlight.

This year, the products go beyond counting steps and heart beats. They focus on more serious aspects of fitness, such as using VR and special accessories to combine visualisation and muscle building.

An elastic sports band, equipped with sensors combined with continuous app management via smartphone, will also be displayed. The personalised advice of professionals can improve the user’s own training success.

The next generation of televisions will also be at the show with the 8K pixel count set up as the latest standard for high image sharpness. The latest colour representation will also be experienced live with more nuanced and realistic enhancement.

Meanwhile , smartphones and smart home electronics are already being showcased and will roll out for the next few days until the show ends on September 11.

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