Berlin consumer electronics fair kicks off

Berlin's IFA is a magnet for the masses: 1,500 exhibitors are expecting almost a quarter of a million visitors. This years overaching theme: constant interconnection. Following the still vibrant smartphone boom, the next big thing might be so-called wearables, such as computer watches. With them, access to an information-rich world is meant to be made even easier.

Smartphone market leader Samsung hopes to be big in the wearables sector, too, with its "Galaxy Gear" watch. It weighs just under 74 grams and can hook up to some Samsung smartphone models. The watch understands voice commands and tells you when you've received a message or phone call, and can also take pictures and make phone calls.

Carmaker Ford's Sync Applink enables you to access the Internet while driving. Without taking their hands off the steering wheel, drivers can book a hotel room, play music or surf the web. With this, Ford appears to be metamorphosing from a carmaker into a technology company.

Struggling high-end TV set maker Loewe is trying to become a software company. In the future, Loewe intends to sell models below 1,000 euros ($1,300). Those sets will be multi-function entertainment platforms - it's no longer enough for viewers to sit in front of their televisions doing nothing. Users will decide for themselves exactly what to watch and when.

Because of declining TV set sales, IFA exhibitors are advertizing high-resolution and smart TV models. Samsung says it has the biggest model, which measures 110 inches diagonally. Ultra HD makes for a sensational viewing experience.

The Sonic Chair from the eponymous company is slightly smaller and more isolated. Sonic Chair and its partner Zeiss call their invention "the world's smallest 3D cinema." The sound is defined by the shape of the chair, and special membranes make for a genuine movie feeling. You have to wear special glasses to enjoy the 3D effect.

There are also novelties in the computer segment at the IFA show - not only are tablets merging with smart phones, but tablets and notebooks are also unifying. The Acer Aspire P3, for instance, is a combination tablet and notebook.

A case in point is Sony's Xperia Z1 Ultra, a so-called phablet. Attaching an extension allows its smaller version, the Xperia Z1, to be transformed into a camera. Such attachments improve the quality of the pictures taken, and have been reported to work well with mobile phones made by other producers, as well.

If you want to have a go at 3D painting, the 3Doodler may just be your thing. The crowd-funded pen melts plastic material and dries it up again instantly to prevent the paint from contracting. Pearl, for its part, presented a 3D printer.