Key Takeaways
- Ki stovetops use a new wireless power transfer standard for cordless kitchen appliances.
- The Dreame stair-climbing robot vacuum will make cleaning easier.
- LG showed off an cute AI robot and an air purifier with a built-in cat bed and scale.
IFA Berlin is still open for a few more days, with September 10 the last chance to check things out in person. Many fantastic products were on display during the week, covering every type of device and technology imaginable, from flying cars to robot vacuums. It was truly remarkable how much there was to see. On top of some of our favorite products, which we covered separately, some wild and downright goofy things were also on show. There are certainly plenty of things I missed, but here are some of my favorite entertaining finds from the week.
Ki stovetops for wireless kitchen appliances
Get rid of all the cords in your kitchen
One of my favorite finds at IFA was the Midea wireless kitchen appliances and stovetops. The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), the same group behind Qi wireless phone charging technology, just recently announced its finalized wireless power transfer standard, called Ki. Midea is one of the first brands to use the new tech, releasing its Celestial Flex Series of cordless kitchen appliances at IFA.
With a Midea induction stovetop, you simply place the compatible appliance on the induction plate, and it will run without needing to plug it in.
The principle is essentially the same as Qi wireless charging, though it involves much more power. With a Midea induction stovetop, you simply place the compatible appliance (which for now includes a blender, steamer, and kettle) on the induction plate, and it will run without needing to plug it in. Finding enough plugs in a kitchen and dealing with the resulting cord clutter is a common frustration, and this would do away with it. I saw the blender in action, and it was just as powerful as a corded blender, with plenty of different modes and settings.
Midea hasn’t shared details about the Celestial Flex Series’ availability or pricing, but it did say it won’t be available in the US for some time. Since Ki isn’t specific to Midea, other brands are also working on Ki appliances, so hopefully, we don’t have to wait too long in the US to see the tech make its way to us.
A stair-climbing robot vacuum cleaner
Fewer obstacles means easier cleaning
Stairs are one of the biggest issues with using robot vacuums. If your home has steps, you either need multiple vacuums or you need to move one to each level. This year at IFA, a few companies showed off vacuums that aim to ease that obstacle. I took a look at the Dreame (pronounced dreamy) prototype, which features a leg that sticks up to get it up and over stairs. It also features shock absorbers to help it on the way down so your floors don’t get damaged. It was pretty entertaining to watch it climb its way up and then launch back down the steps.
Unfortunately, the Dreame prototype can only handle stairs of 1.5 or 2 inches right now, which isn’t very much. But Dreame wasn’t the only one showing off an obstacle-tackling robot. Roborock also announced the Qrevo Curv, which can detect rugs and other slight steps and use its front wheel to lift over them. There’s a ways to go before these devices are able to handle true stairs, but it’s still exciting to see. When a company makes a robot vacuum that actually vacuums and mops stairs, though, I’ll really be happy.
Kodak’s instant camera offerings
A film canister and a massive box
As a photographer, I always like scoping out what photography offerings are on display. Kodak had a pretty large booth at IFA, so I swung by to check out what they had. Unsurprisingly, there were various point-and-shoot cameras and larger bridge cameras. Kodak also makes quite a few instant camera-type devices and on-the-go photo printers, but two specifically stood out.
One, the Kodak Memo Shot Era (released in March of this year), was designed to look like a film canister. It features a camera lens at one end, controls at the other, and the printed photo coming from where the film would be. The quality of the prints is quite low (it’s also meant as a label printer, which tells you something), and it only prints monochrome, but the product’s design is fun.
The other that caught my eye, though not necessarily for a good reason, was the Kodak Mini Shot 4 Era. Don’t let the Mini in the name fool you; this instant camera and photo printer is anything but small. It prints four-by-four-inch photos, larger than other instant cameras, but is comically large and quite awkward to hold. Unlike other instant cameras, it uses an ink cartridge, which I could see being a pain. Plus, the print quality was very underwhelming, especially compared to the likes of Polaroid and Fujifilm Instax cameras.
Kodak Memo Shot Era Instant Camera and Photo Printer
LG’s take on artificial intelligence in the home
A cute robot friend for your kids
Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere, but LG opted to dub its use of the technology as Affectionate Intelligence. Included in the lineup of devices fitting for that term was the LG Self-Driving AI Home Hub, a two-wheeled robot with cameras inside and big emoji eyes. The product name doesn’t do it much justice, though; LG definitely dropped the ball on a cutesy name to match the friendly little AI robot.
This little bot serves many purposes, including the ability to read your kids a bedtime story, control your smart lights, and simply patrol your home. The giant display eyes change expressions, and it can rock back and forth to show excitement, so plenty of personality is built in. It uses LG’s Furon tech, which allows it to dodge obstacles, respond to its name, and create stories based on your child’s artwork. It has fun aspects, but it’s still a bit creepy to think about a little robot camera patrolling your home and handling parental duties for you. LG didn’t announce a timeline for availability, and it surely will be a pricey device if it does come to fruition.
LG’s air purifier also weighs your cat
A cozy, multipurpose place for your kitty
I’m all for multipurpose products. With so many pieces of tech in our lives that only serve one purpose, it’s ideal to have things pulling double duty (or more) to cut down on the items filling my home. However, LG’s unique cat bed air filter is a unique take on that for homes with cats. Somehow, this device has a much cuter name than the adorable robot above, dubbed the LG Puricare.
The Puricare is an air purifier with a rounded bed on the top. It is heated, which most cats love, and can detect when your cat jumps up, turning the fan level down to prevent disturbing your feline friend. If that’s not enough, it also weighs your cat and alerts you to any changes in case it could be a sign of health issues. Again, LG didn’t have availability or pricing information, but it said it is a real product coming out at some point soon.
An ear-cleaning device with a camera
Get up close and personal with your ear canal
Bebird
I didn’t get a chance to see this one firsthand, but I talked to a few fellow journalists who did, and I received all the promo materials ahead of time. Made by Bebird, the EarVision Complete and EarVision Pro are essentially high-tech Q-tips with a camera so you can see inside your ear. The company says both are the world’s first over-the-counter ear cleaners with a camera. They offer a serpentine bendable lens so you can see deep into your ear.
The EarVision Complete comes with a range of accessories for administering meds and cleaning various types of debris out of your ear. The EarVision Pro offers better controls and a more precise gyroscope, though fewer accessories. This product could be excellent for homes with children or pets or those who like to keep their ears squeaky clean, though the thought of sticking a camera into my ear isn’t all that pleasant.
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