The IFA GPC 2018 may not be the actual showcase, but you can always expect to see something interesting on display.
Sharp pushes for 8K
Sharp has been on about 8K for a while and even made a pseudo-8K TV back in 2015. But the question remains: what would be the point of an 8K TV? According to Sharp, a ‘wall of screen’. Its first 8K TV – which has a resolution of 7680 x 4320 pixels and on a display as ‘small’ as 70 inches – will go on sale in Europe this April after previously having launched in China, Japan and Taiwan. Sharp claims that quadrupling the pixel count of 4K creates a lifelike effect and makes it easier for large panel TVs to look more impressive – perhaps large enough and sharp enough to fill a wall? YouTube supports 8K video, and Sharp already produces an 8K camera (8C-B60A) and is in partnership with NHK Japan and France-TV to produce 8K content, but realistically it will be mostly upscaled content and bragging rights.
From €11,999 (70-inch)
www.sharp-world.com
Paolo Novelli’s Radionovelli: 4G radio
Paolo Novelli’s Radionovelli was arguably the most outlandish and outrageous device on show – a perfect match for its flamboyant CEO. Never mind that it’s a pretty hard sell with a price tag of €1,000; you have to admire the cheek and earnestness of this glorified radio that has been updated to satisfy the modern listener. Heavy on romanticism as well as features, the Radionovelli 4G radio sports a now-archaic CD/DVD player along with decidedly modern appointments like a 7-inch touchscreen and a webcam. The radio is built on the Android platform and gives you access to FM, DAB and internet radio with the support of a 4G network. Supposedly, the 4G radio is able to consolidate a chosen artist’s work across sources if you choose the Continuous Artist mode.
€1,000
www.radionovelli.it
Philips SmartSleep
As good as sleep trackers are in helping you figure out if you have been sleeping well, sometimes – and especially in serious cases – it doesn’t take a genius to figure these things out, especially when one is exhausted throughout the day from sleeping less than seven hours the night before. The Philips SmartSleep is the next evolution in sleep tech – the headband works in conjunction with the app to actively promote sound sleep, thanks to two sensors that will detect if you are in deep sleep or slow wave sleep and will trigger the headband to emit quiet audio tones to boost these slow waves to facilitate better quality sleep. SmartSleep constantly monitors your sleep state and will adapt itself to suit your sleep behaviour.
US$399
www.philips.com
