KT, Sony, Toshiba unveil future-oriented wireless gadgets at world trade show


BERLIN ― This year’s IFA was highlighted with new and trendy gadgets ranging from a digital gadget that could inter-connect multiple gadgets to electronic devices that spread the use of 3-D.

KT Corp., the country’s top fixed-line service operator, came to Germany’s electronics and home appliance trade fair for the first time with its Spider phone wireless gadget that can be placed inside laptop computers, tablet PCs and gaming devices.

The gadget, running on Google’s Android mobile operating system, will enable the sharing of content stored inside the smartphone with the other electronic devices.

This is part of KT’s plan to expand its business portfolio from being only a mobile carrier to get going on content business.

“We don’t put importance on the fact that KT makes mobile phones and the kits, but what we value is the creation of an eco-system,” said Lee Kyeong-soo, executive vice president of the device integrated strategy department at KT. “The interface is the key. We will take responsibility to manage communications between the machines.”

He also said the other gadgets will not have the need to be equipped with a separate operating system since the smartphone will play the brain role.

The firm is currently in talks with mobile phone manufacturers and the new gadget is expected to be released in late November, Lee said.

“We hope that the new mobile phone that supports the infrastructure will trigger a boom by next year,” he said.

Sony also expanded 3-D into multiple project areas such as the personal 3-D viewer and the 3-D digital binoculars.

The personal 3-D viewer, which will be made available in the Japanese market in mid-November, allows people to play games and watch movies as well as the content being recorded on the handy camcorders by merely wearing the device.

The device that looks like a pair of 3-D glasses but is heavier and has a sound system that personalizes the experience for its owners.

“We believe this is a promising digital device for the gaming industry,” said a Sony official.

The digital binoculars, which are named DEV-3 and DEV-5, also convert 2-D contents into 3-D and the zoom function enables people to see the object 20 times bigger and closer.

“It has the same function of a camcorder, meaning it could record and take photos and it has the most Sony-like features,” said the official.

The binoculars will be released in the U.S. market on Aug. 15.

Japanese TV maker Toshiba also showcased its 55-inch glasses-free 3-D TV called ZL2, letting its visitor experience it in a dark room.

Although it was not well-received by industry experts, with many debating that the time was still ripe for the launch of a glasses-free 3-D TV with such a big display screen, it became one of the most talked-about items at the global electronics trade fair in Germany.

The IFA 2011, in general, was filled with trendy gadgets stressing interconnectivity and 3-D, as well as tablet PCs ― such as Sony’s first tablet PCs dubbed Tablet S and Tablet P ― which will be out in the market later this year.

Samsung Electronics also unveiled the Galaxy Tab 7.7 at its global press conference last Thursday, however, the firm then removed the device from its stands and covered up all promotional materials at the show.

A Samsung Europe spokesperson told media that Samsung has removed it from its stand but said that they cannot make any further comment because they have not received an official statement from the court.

The spokesperson elaborated that the action was a voluntary move and that it was not conducted upon the court’s request.

By Cho Ji-hyun, Korea Herald correspondent
(sharon@heraldcorp.com)