Retail Observer

NOVEMBER 2016 RETAILOBSERVER.COM 13 BSH CEO Dr. Karsten Ottenberg introduced Mykie, the kitchen elf. A cute robot that could soon be standing on the kitchen table to share useful tips. Over the coming years he should make it out of the current laboratory environment and into real-life kitchens, so he can become better acquainted with other connected devices in the home and get to know his new family. With 'me connect Concierge Service', 'motion seating', 'community-based parking', and 'smart ready to drop', Dr. Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, presented the car as a 'quality time machine' at this year's IFA Keynotes. He said these functions make it possible to get work done in the time spent in the car. To Mark Papermaster, CTO of AMD, virtual reality is the logical advancement of a development that has already taken us from radio, to televisions, to computers and digital connectivity. We are now standing before "the path to true virtual presence". The internet of things (IoT) is already revolutionizing everyday life. This was also confirmed by IBM Watson IoT Manager Harriet Green with numerous examples presented during her keynote at IFA 2016. Green brought Olli with her onto the stage at CityCube Berlin. Olli is a driverless twelve-seater minibus with an electric drive. NEW HALL SEGMENT SMART HOME SUCCESSFULLY ESTABLISHED The new Smart Home exhibition area in Hall 6.2 was very popular with visitors and the media. On these 3,000 square meters, more than 40 exhibitors from 15 countries exhibited their latest products and services covering various aspects of intelligent home automation, including lighting, room temperature, and heating, to energy management, security systems, wireless transmission technologies, access management, and integrated robots for different purposes, such as vacuum cleaners and lawnmowers. More than 150 companies showcased the latest smart home solutions on their stands. IFA TECWATCH AN INCREDIBLE SUCCESS On six days of the trade show, IFA TecWatch, IFA's future lab, revealed what is currently being developed inside research labs, think tanks within young companies, universities, industry organizations, and innovative companies. The TecWatch Forum complemented the exhibits on five days of the trade show with presentations, gatherings, and panel discussions, as well as idea competitions for young entrepreneurs. Top trends such as smart living, virtual reality, UHD, and startups were powerful crowd pullers. IFA is the world's leading trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances. It will take place from September 1st to 6th, 2017 at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds (ExpoCenter City). For the second time in 2017, IFA will be extended with IFA Global Markets, to be held at STATION Berlin from September 3rd to 6th, 2017. This additional exhibition space enhances the IFA experience for trade visitors and experts. BUILDING ON ITS SUCCESS IN 2016 RO

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