Gadget show to reveal what you'll want for Xmas

Samsung's sleekest-ever mobile phone, the metal-framed Galaxy Alpha, was expected to be launched at IFA, too, but the company got excited and jumped the gun, announcing it in mid-August.

John Davidson

Gordon Moore, the co-founder of Intel, is famous in technology circles for his observation that the number of transistors on a processor chip of a given size doubles roughly every two years.

But Moore's Law, as the observation has become known, isn't just for technologists.

It has a useful, everyday corollary even for consumers with no interest in the physics of transistor density: when it comes to high-tech gadgets, the newer they are, the better.

Nowhere is that law of gadgets ­better on display than at IFA, the world's second-biggest consumer electronics tradeshow, which begins this week in Berlin.

While IFA might be overshadowed by the giant Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas every January, the little sister does have one, crucial advantage in the run-up to the Christmas sales period: its gadgets are eight months newer than CES gadgets, and all the better for it.

By the time Christmas comes around, many of the best devices on the market will be ones announced at (or, in the case of the South Korean manufacturer LG, in the run-up to) the Berlin gadget festival.

Sony is expected to announce an eight-inch version of its ultra-slim, waterproof Xperia Z2 Tablet, for instance, which, based on the tablet's pedigree, stands every chance of being the best mini tablet ever produced, at least until the application of Moore's Law inexorably grinds out a better one, that is.

Sony is also expected to launch a new phone, the Xperia Z3, that will have a faster processor and better camera than the Z2 launched ­mid-year.

Digital cameras, just like processors, are all about how many transistors you can squeeze into a given area, after all.

The best 'phablet' ever?

Meanwhile, Samsung, the world's biggest consumer electronics manufacturer, is expected to use IFA to launch what's almost certain to be regarded as the best 'phablet' ever. The part-phone, part-tablet Galaxy Note 4 is rumoured to have a fingerprint scanner, just like the Galaxy S4 phone launched in April, a 'selfie' camera, a better camera and a sharper screen than its predecessor.

Phone screens, just like processors and digital cameras, are all about how many components (in Samsung's case, Organic Light Emitting Diodes, rather than just transistors) you can squeeze into a given area, after all.

Samsung's sleekest-ever mobile phone, the metal-framed Galaxy Alpha, was expected to be launched at IFA, too, but the company got excited and jumped the gun, announcing it in mid-August.

It should get one of its first airings outside the UK in Berlin this week, though, as should the Gear S smartwatch, announced last week ahead of the show.

It's one of the first smartwatches from a big electronics company to have its own SIM, so wearers will be able to make and receive calls and send and receive messages without having to pair it with a phone.

Sony is widely expected to launch a smartwatch, too, which may or may not (depending on which rumour your listen to) run Google's Android Wear software, fast emerging as the standard operating system for wearable computers.

Similarly uncertain is whether Sony's watch will have a square face like Sony's previous efforts, or a round face like Motorola's Moto 360 Android Wear watch, slated to be formally unveiled this week, too, though in ­Chicago rather than Berlin.

However, there's no doubting that the smart watch LG will launch in Berlin will have a round face.

The company has already announced the details of its G Watch R, which will be water resistant, will run Android Wear and will have a 1.3-inch, 320 x 320 pixel display.

The smartwatch looks every bit as though it could be the best one on the market, too.

At least until next week, that is, when Apple is expected to launch a big-screened iPhone that should give the Note 4 a run for its money and a smartwatch that might just put Android Wear to shame, too.

In high tech, even a week is a long time. Moore's Law stops for no one.

The Gadgets and Gear We Couldn't Get Enough of This Month

Ariel Zambelich/WIRED

Ariel Zambelich/WIRED

Ariel Zambelich/WIRED

If you love your small FujiFilm X100S or Leica M but have big ol' Hobbit hands, get one of these grips from Really Right Stuff. The lightweight metal add-on makes your compact shooter much easier to handle. RRS's kits are modular: a body plate screws onto the bottom of the camera, and the grip screws onto the plate. Modules are sized to fit particular camera models, so choose your weapon. -Michael Calore

Ariel Zambelich/WIRED

There's no shortage of photo-enhancing tools for aspiring smartphone photographers. Few, however, are as thoughtful, well-designed, and downright useful as Moment's new line of external lenses. Slap a super-thin metal plate to the back of your iPhone, iPad, Galaxy, or Nexus device, and let the company's 18mm wide-angle and 60mm telephoto lenses ($99 each) do wonders from your portraits and landscapes. -Bryan Gardiner

Ariel Zambelich/WIRED

Elvis never crooned into one. And it's certainly not as recognizable as the iconic Model 55 (pdf). Still, for me, Shure's rugged 710a crystal mic is no less handsome. Following its 1949 debut, 'the Rex' (as it was known) was adopted by everyone from ham radio enthusiasts to high school principals. I snagged this crimson beauty at an online auction, and its silky smooth response only made me hate my voice a little. -Bryan Gardiner

Ariel Zambelich/WIRED

One of the best parts of our jobs here at WIRED is that we get to test all the new things as soon as they come out. But we often only get a few days to play with something before having to write about it. That can be difficult-getting a clear assessment of an object's worth when you have to crank out a written review in less than a week. Some products only show their true colors after several weeks, months, or years to experience them, live with them, play with them, and wear them. That's what we've gathered here-things we've been testing and love, or the stuff from our lives that we own and never want to let go. This is the gear we want to take everywhere. This is the stuff we want to cook breakfast for. These are the things we love.

The model of a gadget launch: Cultivate an atmosphere of mystery and ...

Thirty years later, the basic model of revelation hasn't changed much. But it's been refined a little bit. These days, when Apple and its competitors are ready to launch a new project on the world, they do their best to cultivate an atmosphere of mystery and excitement. The invitations for their next event, at the same venue where Jobs gave that big speech, are emblazoned with the date '9.9.2014' writ large, and then the tease: 'Wish we could say more.' We are supposed to feel titillated, intrigued, inspired.

To be honest, none of these is among my top three preliminary responses. My main thought was, wish you could say more? No you don't. No government agency has barred you from revealing the details of your next assault on the market. If you wanted to say more, you could just get on with it, and spare us two insufferable, orgiastic weeks of expectation and rumour.

Sadly, Apple's agenda is somewhat different from mine. And so the circus goes on. This time, it's supposed to be about the next iteration of the iPhone and a new iWatch, but it's always the same. Every time a tech company has a new idea that it firmly believes will rock our world - such as Google Wave, say, or Blackberry's PlayBook (What are they? Exactly) - it rolls out the red carpet, pours the drinks, and bangs the drums. As a matter of commerce this is probably sensible. But cumulatively, as a matter of public culture, it is an unedifying pageant of consumerism, and I wish it would stop.

Just as the US press starts speculating about candidates for the next presidency the day after the election of the current one, the cycle of product rumours starts early. First we get the wish lists, the artists' impressions of whatever imaginary gizmo has become desirable. (Google Glass, the putative iWatch, and the general trend for wearable technology makes me wonder when we'll be seeing the Microsoft Nosering.) We are told that the company in question is playing its cards close to its chest. Then, gradually, those who are interested in such matters start to build up a picture of what the new new thing might be.

Executives speak off the record, like spin-doctors with a policy to sell. Workers further down the food chain start sneaking photographs and descriptions of various components. If we're lucky, some hapless engineer will leave one of the treasured items in a coffee shop, and everyone will coo over it. And then the launch will happen, neither accelerated nor derailed by a cyclone of supposition.

Parents who choose to know the gender of their child early can do something with the information: buy the appropriate coloured booties, should they so regressively choose, or adjust their dreams of raising a millionaire footballer or supermodel as appropriate. But reading, as you do on the pre-eminent source of this sort of stuff, MacRumors, that new 'high-quality photos' of the next iPhone reveal a 'rear shell with colored bands', what possible application can such information have? Perhaps you have been considering the purchase of some coloured bands to apply to your own rear shell, and the possibility of a clash will give you pause. This aside, it is hard to see the point.

Last year, MacRumors' editor, Eric Slivka, told The Independent's Simon Usborne that his biggest scoop was news about the type of screen in prospect for the next iPad: 'With the display in hand, we were able to put some basic microscopy on it to confirm the pixel density,' he said. Well, it's worth a lot of clicks. But it's not exactly Watergate.

Why, then, are so many people so ravenous for information? Partly it's the canny code of secrecy, a version of the same thing that makes you fancy the person who doesn't text you back: when someone won't give you something, you immediately feel it must be worth more. But I suspect there's another grim layer to the psychology. In an era of gamified instant communication - the accumulation of 'retweets' and 'likes' from your followers and friends - information has become a more instantly tradable commodity: it is not dumped in large quantities by experts but circulated at high speed, so that anyone can take a share of the spoils by the simple means of passing it along, by building up their own stockpile of half-truths and recycled expertise. Information used to be power. Now it's a possession.

Anyway, the great day comes. Technology journalists descend on California, supplicants to an oracle, attracting vast readerships for play-by-play analysis of a pre-arranged event with no internal tension that might instead be explained in one easily digestible, considered account a couple of hours later. A spotlight settles on Bill Gates's nostril, and Nosering 1.0 is unveiled. The assembled enthusiasts dutifully applaud. The game is changed, we're told.

A couple of hours later, as overnight queues of whooping morons form at the hi-tech piercing centre, the first pundits start wondering what will come next. Should you be an early adopter? Well, it's a tough one, they explain. If you can wait six months, Nosering 1.1 will be available, and it's apparently going to be a lot more resistant to snot.

Perhaps, in nine days' time, we'll have one of the launches that really do amaze, if that's possible after so much prior warning. Even if that is so, I'm not sure the amazement is for the best. It's certainly true that smartphones have transformed our lives, but it's also true that a lot of this stuff doesn't, really. And while Steve Jobs was right when he said that 'a lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them', we should beware of misunderstanding his point.

Often, that line is understood as evidence of his prophetic status. But it's worth remembering who else makes that kind of observation a lot: advertisers. Sometimes technology is a miracle. But sometimes, as Mr Jobs understood, it's just another way of selling you stuff you hadn't realised you need.

The gadget conundrum: The difference between collecting and hoarding

Marcus Lim is the founder and CEO of local services marketplace Oneflare.com.au, connecting Australians with 40,000 businesses across Australia, like cleaners, removalists, electricians and more.

Technology plays an integral part in our day to day. At 12 years old, my Tamagotchi was as much a part of my everyday life as my iPhone is today.

The first thing I do every morning is reach for my iPhone, interact with my friends and family through my applications, sort through emails and conduct some business. I then turn the TV on for early morning headlines, before heading to my car with a bluetooth device plugged in. All this before I even get to the office.

While gadgets are important, and deeply integrated into our lives, at what point do you look around your house, car or office, and decide it's too much?

There's a fine line between 'keeping up with technology' and gadget hoarding. Here are three signs you're saving the unnecessary, and tips on how you can clean and simplify your technology.

1. 'It's not mess, it's organized chaos!'

The living and working environment of a gadget hoarder is easily visible: Clusters of cable knots, an abundant supply of keyboards and USBs from all walks of life.

Making the choice to organize your desk and cupboards will help you think clearer and distinguish your needs from your excess wants.

For more on how clutter affects your productivity, check out the guide to creating a better home office.

2. 'I'm an early adopter'

One month you're an iPhone fanatic and the next, you're shopping on Google Play. You tell your friends that you're only keeping up to date with cutting edge technology.

It's normal to switch gadgets occasionally but you've probably changed your phone more times in the last year than we've changed prime ministers and you most likely know what your next gadget will be.

Slow down the compulsive hoarding by setting up minimum two year contracts with each phone purchase. Instead of buying new pieces of technology, compromise by updating your current gadgets. You don't need every new piece of tech.

3. 'I like antiques'

Your current phone doesn't support applications and you're rocking the pixelated selfie look. You've kept all of your old mobiles just so you can re-read old messages. You're also hoping that in 10 years' time, your stored Nintendo Gameboys, Nokias and Sony Walkmans will be a coveted treasure that you're planning to sell to a gadget museum.

You can't avoid the tech bandwagon forever. Donate your old gadgets and introduce yourself to the wonderful world of emoji and only hold on to select items with pure value.

In today's tech clutter, gadget hoarding isn't easy to spot. But if you're feeling tech-clutter, it's time to let go. With these three tips, you'll slowly but most surely find your desk is cleaner, your wallet is happier and friends no longer question whether you live in a vintage warehouse or a home.

Read next: How clutter affects your productivity (and what you can do about it)

Images courtesy of Oneflare.

This $22 Gadget Could Get You Kicked Off a Flight

On Sunday, a tiny gadget caused a fight to break out on United Flight 1462, forcing the plane to make an unscheduled stop at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. No, it was not an iPod playing Justin Bieber on repeat. It was the Knee Defender, a pair of plastic wedges that lock a seat in position so that it can't be reclined. The Knee Defender has been around since 2003, sold by a company called Gadget Duck for $21.95. It works like this: Pull the tray table down, place the doo-dads on the legs of the tray table and watch as the person in front of you screams obscenities because his or her seat won't recline. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) doesn't ban the device, but every major airline has forbidden its use. So far, public opinion online seems split over whether it's more obnoxious to recline a seat on a flight or use the Knee Defender, which comes with a courtesy card to pass to the enraged passenger in front of you. As for United Flight 1462, both of the bickering passengers were removed from the plane, but, according to O'Hare spokesperson Gregg Cunningham, nobody was arrested.

IN-DEPTH SOCIAL - Keith Wagstaff

First published August 26 2014, 8:14 AM

Fights on flights: Knee defenders are causing rows on planes – but what is ...

Sales have skyrocketed this week (Picture: gadgetduck.com)

Knee defenders have been causing chaos at 30,000 feet this week - but what are they and where did they come from?

The device, which is clipped onto the lowered table of an aeroplane seat, was invented to make flying more pleasant for taller passengers fed up with 'being bashed in the knees over and over again', according to 6ft 4in inventor Ira Goldman.

But the gadget is now experiencing a boom in popularity after being appropriated by all kinds of people wanting more leg room, less disturbance and space to work - and Mr Goldman doesn't see that as an issue.

'Either your knees will be the stopping device or you use two bits of plastic to defend them,' he told The Telegraph.

Dozens of the devices are now en route to the UK after sales skyrocketed this week, with internet traffic so high that the website crashed.

The devices clip onto the lowered table (Picture: gadgetduck.com)

However, their increasing use is likely to spark even more angry disputes over leg room.

Last Sunday, a U. S. flight had to make an emergency landing after a fight involving a passenger using his laptop who clipped on one of the gadgets, prompting the woman in front threw a glass of water in his face.

On Wednesday evening, a Miami to Paris flight was forced to turn around after a heated argument over leg room became too much for staff to contain.

Many of the larger U. S. airlines have banned the knee defender, as have Australian company Qantas - and other major firms are being forced to review their policies.

Passengers are preventing other fliers from reclining (Picture: Getty Images)

It now appears the device now has an entirely different market to the one it was intended for (and has become one of the most passive-aggressive gadgets ever made.)

The knee defender does, however, come with a courtesy card:

'I realize that this may be an inconvenience,' it reads.

'If so, I hope you will complain to the airline. Thank you for your understanding.'

That'll help.

6 tricks to get the most of your gadget traveling

Komando6 tricks to get the most of your gadget travelingKomandoThe first step is making sure your gadget is connected wherever you go. Most apps and services won't do you much good if you don't have Wi-Fi or a data connection. There are plenty of services out there to help you find free Wi-Fi no matter where you are.

Knee Defender gadget gets man booted off flight

Knee Defender is a gadget that one can attach to the plane seat in front of you, preventing its occupant from reclining it. A man used it thus on United Flight 1462, from New Jersey to Denver, and refused to disengage it when instructed to by a flight attendant. The flight was rerouted to Chicago, and he was ejected, as was the passenger whose seat he locked, who subsequently threw a drink in his face.

A flight attendant asked him to remove the device and he refused. The woman then stood up, turned around and threw a cup of water at him, the official says. That's when United decided to land in Chicago. The two passengers were not allowed to continue to Denver.

Both passengers were sitting in United's Economy Plus section, the part of the plane that has four more inches of legroom than the rest of coach.

Tired of impolite seat-recliners? Dumb as bricks? Now you too can risk a $25,000 fine with KNEE DEFENDER.

I have always had a romanticized view of books. I surround myself with them. I decorate around them. Reading Linda Grant's Kindle single I Murdered My Library has caused me to rethink my relationship with the physical book.

You might call him The Sandman. Video link via Robert Popper, who has just enough of a backstory to weird you out even more.

Pierre-Antoine Moelo, a.k.a Péah (peahart): above, ' Crossing,' 2014. He's a French concept artist living in Canada. Below, a few more of his digital paintings, animated.

Gadget Ogling: Sapphire Phones, Waterproof Reads, Connected Hats and a ...

ManageEngine OpManager, a powerful NMS for monitoring your network, physical & virtual (VMware/ HyperV) servers & other IT devices. Deploy and start monitoring in less than an hour. Trusted by over a million admins world-wide. Try it for free.

Welcome to my Gadget Dreams and Nightmares, a look at just-announced gizmos that caught my eye. This week, we'll take a peek at the latest example of a smartphone trend, a noisy hat, a safer e-reader, and possibly the most useful piece of wearable fitness tech yet.

Please note that these are not reviews -- the ratings reflect my interest in using them.

Huawei Ascend P7 sapphire edition

The next new thing among smartphone makers will be to thrust a sapphire screen onto the face. Among the 17 million rumors regarding the next iPhone is that it will feature such a display -- the camera and Touch ID components already feature sapphire.

Until Apple reveals the truth about its next smartphone, other manufacturers, like Huawei, are jostling for sapphire-embossed market share. The new version of the Ascend P7 (pictured above) will give Huawei the first sapphire-screen smartphone, though it'll be more expensive than previous iterations.

Scratch-proof screens are all well and good, but they're far down on my list of smartphone priorities. I'd gladly take a set of keys to my phone's screen if it meant having a battery that could last all day no matter which features I was using.

The Ascend P7 by many accounts is a good mid-range phone, and the sapphire screen is a welcome addition. That said, I won't be rushing out to cancel my contract and switch over.

Rating: 3 Out of 5 Precious Gems

Archos Music Beany

As a boy of eight or nine, I received a much-cherished Christmas gift. It was a hat with a radio and earphones stitched into it. I loved that thing.

Archos is reinvigorating that form factor for the Internet of Things age with the Music Beany, an item of headgear that connects with smartphones via Bluetooth.

Details are somewhat scant as yet, though the promotional images Archos released show that the hats are likely to be woolen.

I was bullish at first sight on the value of having a piece of headwear pumping out music. The combination of the cozy material, sentimentality, and a solid $39 price point has me positively itching to try one on.

Rating: 4 Out of 5 Childhood Memories

Kobo Aura H2O

Relaxing in the tub with a glass of wine and a good book is the perfect antidote to a long day for millions. But what happens when those wet hands drop a paperback or e-reader into those frothy bubbles? You end up with a bath full of mulch or a useless hunk of plastic, metal and glass.

Kobo has the solution to those problems. The Aura H2O stays waterproof for up to 30 minutes in three feet of water if the port is closed. The rugged machine is dustproof and sandproof as well, making it an enticing alternative to a Kindle or tablet for reading on the beach.

There's little else in the specs to make it stand out, though for many the prospect of bathtime or beach reading without heavy, fragile books and with little worry of destroying the e-reader, the Aura H2O will likely be a viable option.

Rating: 3 Out of 5 Disintegrated Copies Of 'Moby Dick'

RunScribe

In the wake of the success of Fitbit, Nike Fuelband+, and Jawbone Up, a ton of tech companies with designs on wearables are muscling into the fitness market. A new Kickstarter project offers something a touch different, with a potentially huge impact on our long-term health.

Targeted toward runners, RunScribe is a sensor affixed to the shoe. It collects more detailed data than a wristband, with a focus on 3D mapping of how the runner's foot moves through strides.

A key aim of RunScribe is to reduce injury -- up to 65 percent of runners suffer injuries each year, with factors like previous ailments, shoe type, and running surface playing a role, according to the RunScribe team. The point, through crowdsourced data from many RunScribes, is to better understand the causes of running injuries in order to prevent them.

At a personal level, understanding their own data and making necessary adjustments could help runners not only steer clear of impairment, but also optimize their workouts, which would improve their health on both sides of the coin.

Running is a form of exercise I've found particularly difficult to warm up to, not least because of the concern of undue pressure on my joints. A tool such as this, which could go some way toward optimizing my style of running, is something I'm eager to adopt.

Rating: 5 Out of 5 Bum Ankles

Kris Holt is a writer and editor based in Montreal. He has written for the Daily Dot, The Daily Beast, and PolicyMic, among others. He's Scottish, so would prefer if no one used the word 'soccer' in his company. You can connect with Kris on Google+.

Report: Apple's new wearable gadget won't launch until 2015

At this point, everyone is reporting that Apple plans to announce some sort of new wearable device at its September 9 press event. But people who are interested in actually buying it have a while to wait, according to a report by Re/code's John Paczkowski, who has a reliable track record with Apple rumors.

According to sources familiar with the company's plans, the wearable will be introduced to the world at this year's event, but won't be available for purchase until 2015. That means people who were hoping to get it as a gift this holiday season will have to save their money until early next year.

The delay makes sense, considering that we haven't seen any leaks of the new device from Apple's supply chain overseas. It seems reasonable to expect (considering the silence about the wearable's features, dimensions, or anything else that would normally come out of a supply chain leak) that Apple hasn't yet begun manufacturing the device, in order to keep a lid on any leaks.

A delay of that length does mean that people who are convinced they need a smartwatch in their lives may be more immediately served by Google's Android Wear platform. Right now, there are watches from Samsung and LG on the market, and Motorola is expected to launch its Moto 360 smartwatch soon.

People who are keen on giving Apple their money will still have plenty of opportunities to do so this year. The company is still expected to launch new models of the iPhone and iPad in the latter half of the year, and it wouldn't surprise me if one or more Macintosh lines also got a refresh.

Apple, Motorola lead upcoming parade of shiny new gadgets

It's shaping up to be an especially interesting September for mobile gadgets, and for the companies that make them. Rumored new phones, tablets and smartwatches from Apple ( AAPL), Motorola ( GOOGL), Sony ( SNE) and others could shake up the market and offer consumers a wider range of choices, possibly with compelling new features.

The leading companies are aiming to prove wrong analysts who say there's not much excitement or innovation left in the smartphone arena as sales growth slows and competition from cheaper, Asian manufacturers intensifies.

Apple overhauls the iPhone's physical design every other year, making 2014 a potentially exciting year for the company's many devoted fans. Based on numerous media reports, Apple is expected to unveil two larger-screen models at a September 9 event. A smartwatch or other wrist-worn device is also a possibility, according to some reports. The company has not confirmed the rumors, however.

Upping the iPhone's screen size from 4 inches to 4.7 and 5.5 inches will give customers a lot more space to play their favorite games and watch Youtube videos. It should also help boost Apple's market share at the high end of the smartphone market, where larger-screen models have captured an increasing proportion of sales.

The new phones, and rumored wearables, will also be compatible with Apple's new HealthKit and HomeKit initiatives. HealthKit will store a user's biometric and exercise data while HomeKit will connect iPhones to home automation systems.

Will Apple sell on the news?

For investors, the question is whether Apple's shares will repeat their prior pattern of rallying ahead of an announcement and then selling off once the news is disclosed. Shares of Apple gained an average of 8% in the month ahead of the past two iPhone announcements, then lost an average of 4% for the following month. Apple shares have been strong of late, gaining 33% since the end of April and hitting a split-adjusted record of $101.98.

Five days before the Apple event, Google's Motorola division is expected to take the wraps off its newest phones, also including models with larger screen sizes. Moto has been steadily gaining critical acclaim - and sales - for new models it started rolling out last year, including the high-end Moto X and less expensive Moto G and E. But the once dominant mobile phone maker hasn't made any profits since Google bought the company in 2012. Lenovo agreed to buy the unit for $2.9 billion in January, but the deal hasn't closed yet.The rumored Moto X+1 is expected to arrive with a 5-inch screen, up from last year's 4.7 inches, while the Moto S is expected to compete among phablets with its almost 6-inch screen.

Most of the other announcements, including from Samsung and Sony, will happen around the annual German tech conference, Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin, known as IFA.

Samsung had been the hottest smartphone maker until this year. In the premium market, the Galaxy S5, introduced in February, has sold relatively well but not as well as the company hoped. And Samsung has been rapidly losing ground to Lenovo, Huawei and other Asian makers at the lower end of the Android market.

But expectations are muted for Samsung's scheduled September 3 press conference. Analysts don't think the expected new phablet, a 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 4, will help Samsung claw back much of the lost ground.

Sony has also struggled lately. In July, the company slashed its smartphone sales forecast to 43 million devices from 50 million for its fiscal year ending next March, representing only 10% growth.

On Facebook, Sony teased a new mid-range phone, the Xperia M2 Aqua, and a waterproof version of its Smartband fitness tracker. That won't be enough to reverse the company's fortunes but should give swimmers a new choice for activity tracking. It's also expected to make official its much-leaked new flagship phone, the Xperia Z3, and possibly new tablets and watches.

With rumors swirling about a possible smartwatch from Apple, LG and Asus are moving to pre-empt. Asus touted its September 3 event by tweeting a quote from Lebanese poet Khalil Gibran: 'Time has transformed and we have changed.'

Something #Incredible is going to happen at #IFA2014, see you there! http://ift.tt/1tjNmZE

- ASUS (@ASUS) August 19, 2014

LG, which introduced a square-shaped smartwatch earlier this year, is expected to go round at its event; a round watch with step counting and a compass is clearly visible in LG's promotional video.But smartwatches have garnered few sales so far this year, and analysts aren't much excited about the prospects of the upcoming debuts. Still, with all the announcements coming in September, gadget lovers will have a host of new options to consider.

Enter our Back to School 2014 sweepstakes for a gadget

If you haven't entered our Back to School 2014 sweepstakes yet, you've got some catching up to do. We're giving away 15 Timbuk2 Command messenger bags stuffed with a Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 13 laptop, an LG G3 smartphone from AT&T and much, much more. For a chance to make one of these prizes yours, simply enter the raffle here and on the 14 other eligible Back To School posts (you'll find the complete list at the giveaway page here). Good luck!

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The LG G Watch R is the most exciting gadget I've ever hated

Honestly, I don't like the looks of the LG G Watch R. But I'm really excited about it.

That's because what LG actually did last night was verify that round displays on smartwatches are real. They're 'a thing.' The Moto 360 isn't a one-trick pony, a one-off; the industry has officially figured out how to deliver round wearables, and it's going to do so on a measurable scale.

Smartwatches still just don't look that great

I can't overstate how important that is. Smartwatch adoption is held back primarily by two things: one, it's hard to convince people that they need notifications on their wrist, especially when a significant percentage of consumers have simply never worn a wristwatch and don't care to start now. That's an ongoing challenge, and the ball now lies in Apple's court to see if the industry is ready and able to turn that corner. But secondly, smartwatches still just don't look that great. It's a complaint I've been lodging since before the launch of Samsung's original Galaxy Gear last year. Even the best-looking ones are compromises: the Pebble Steel, which is the consensus best-looking smartwatch currently on sale, has a square, black-and-white display as its centerpiece.

That's not to say a wrist-worn device must have a round face to look good, of course, but it can't look like a physical manifestation of high technology - it has to put fashion first, because it's always visible. You can hide a smartphone in your pocket or purse when it's not in use, but wearables have to ascribe to the same rules of design as a shirt, shoe, or hat. (Imagine how many more Google Glass would be sold if they were indistinguishable from regular sunglasses or eyeglasses.) The round face, an iconic element of the classic wristwatch, is a huge leap in that direction.

Analog watch hands aren't dead

But it's only a leap, not the finish line. Multiple industry sources have indicated to me that manufacturers are aggressively pursuing display technologies that would make smartwatches virtually indistinguishable from a 30-year-old Timex or Tag Heuer without sacrificing functionality. Analog watch hands aren't dead: consider a round, full-color display with hands above, or a transparent OLED with hands underneath, for instance. The technology is close, and designers are fully aware that they need to get there.

And for smartwatches, that's the dream: once engineers figure out how to seamlessly walk us back to analog, they'll be able to replicate the full spectrum of designs found in traditional wristwatches. Obviously analog hands aren't for everyone, but then you'll be able to choose something more akin to a Moto 360 or G Watch R, or even a rectangular display if that's more your style. That variety is a wonderful thing. It's a celebration of form factor diversity that we've lost with smartphones in the age of the glass rectangle - but thankfully we won't have to lose it with the wearable.

So, no, I'm not buying a G Watch R; the faux timing bezel just doesn't do anything for me. Nor will I buy a Samsung Gear S, for that matter. I'm just awfully glad they exist.

Flight Grounded After 'Knee Defender' Gadget Leads To Inevitable Row

A flight has been grounded after a customer refused to remove a gadget designed to prevent the seat in front being reclined.

The 'Knee Defender' is a small, $21.95 piece of plastic which attaches to your tray table, and is intended to stop the passenger in front reclining their seat.

The idea is that by using the gadget, you can ensure that you can use your laptop without being disturbed.

It's not specifically banned - the Federal Aviation Administration lets airlines in the US decide whether to prohibit the device's use - but it's not hard to see how it causes problems.

Logically, in fact, we can see how this thing might almost always leads to an argument, because the only time the gadget would be tested is when the person in front tries to recline, and can't. At which point they realise you'd rather use a 'Knee Defender' than ask them politely not to recline their seat. Thus, argument.

The gadget's makers provide this advice on their website if such a thing should occur:

'If you are using Knee Defender™ to protect your knees from being banged by the person's seatback, then simply let the person know that there really is not enough room for him/her to recline the seat without knocking into and/or compressing part of your body. If you are using Knee Defender™ simply to provide you with a warning that the person in front of you wants to recline his/her seat - so that, for example, you can close your notebook computer to protect its screen - then ask the person for a moment, move your computer and remove your Knee Defender™, and then let the person know that it is OK to recline.'

But we think there might still be issues. And so it apparently proved on United Flight 1462 from Newark to Denver over the weekend, according to AP.

United said that a male passenger seated in Economy Plus - an area of the plane which boasts four inches of extra leg room - decided to use the gadget so he could work on his computer.

All was probably well, until the woman tried to decline her seat and couldn't. Presumably after words with his fellow Economy Plus traveller, he was asked to remove it by airline staff - and declined. The woman in front then threw water at him, at which point the plane was diverted to Chicago and the passengers - both 48 - were removed.

They then were able to enjoy all the legroom they wanted while they arranged alternative travel plans.

The FAA said that neither passenger was arrested, and are unlikely to be fined. And given the maximum fine for unruly passengers is $25,000 in the US, that's got to count as a win...

A Little Gadget Called the Knee Defender Caused a Flight to Make an ...

David McNew/Getty Images

On Sunday, a United Airlines fight had to make an emergency landing because two passengers got into a very heated argument. This situation is not out of the ordinary because let's face it, when you cram hundreds of people into a fart filled tube that serves booze, you're bound to get some fights.

What's weird about this particular confrontation is that the whole dispute was over a little device called the Knee Defender, which is not just a name for the lamest super hero ever.

The Knee Defender is a gadget invented in 2003 by Ira Goldman , a Washington D.C. man towering over six feet tall who was tired of people reclining into his lap and having no leg room during flights.

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This tiny device attaches to your tray table and prevents the person in front of you from reclining. Pretty ingenious, right? Until is causes two people to get so pissed off at each other a flight has to make an emergency landing, which is exactly what happened this past weekend.

It all started when one passenger on a flight from New Jersey to Denver used the Knee Defender to keep the woman in front of him from reclining back while he was on his laptop. According to ABC News, the woman complained and a flight attendant asked him to remove the Knee Defender. He refused, and that's when the woman turned around and threw a cup of water on him. After the altercation, the flight team decided to land the plane in Chicago and have the passengers, who were both sitting in the Economy Plus section, escorted off.

The Knee Defender has not been banned by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (yet) because it doesn't affect passenger safety (again, yet). But airlines have the right to ban it themselves, and most of them do, including United Airlines.

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According to the website for the Knee Defender, it is a crucial purchase for 'airline passengers with small children, 'road warriors' who need to work while flying, and any traveler who simply does not like being hit by a reclining airplane seat.'

On one hand, we do hate when people recline into our lap when we are on our computers trying to catch up on all the latest episode of Chopped, but on the other hand, it's not really fair to take away someone's right to recline back.

What do you guys think? Is the Knee Defender a terrible invention or should people be free to use it?

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'Knee defender' gadget sparks fight on United Airlines flight; plane forced down

NEW YORK (AP) -- Airline passengers have come to expect a tiny escape from the confined space of today's packed planes: the ability to recline their seat a few inches. When one passenger was denied that bit of personal space Sunday, it led to a heated argument and the unscheduled landing of their plane, just halfway to its destination.

The fight started on a United Airlines flight because one passenger was using the Knee Defender, a $21.95 gadget that attaches to a passenger's tray table and prevents the person in front of them from reclining.

The Federal Aviation Administration leaves it up to individual airlines to set rules about the device. United Airlines said it prohibits use of the device, like all major U.S. airlines. Spirit Airlines and Allegiant Air take the reclining mechanisms out of their seats, leaving them permanently upright.

The dispute on United Flight 1462 from Newark, New Jersey to Denver escalated to the point where the airline decided to divert to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, according to Transportation Security Administration spokesman Ross Feinstein.

Chicago Police and TSA officers met the flight, spoke to the passengers -- a man and a woman, both 48 -- and 'deemed it a customer service issue,' Feinstein said. The TSA would not name the passengers.

The plane then continued to Denver without them, arriving 1 hour and 38 minutes late, according to the airline's website.

The Federal Aviation Administration can impose a civil fine of up to $25,000 for passengers who are unruly. In this case, no arrest was made, according to airport spokesman Gregg Cunningham.

The fight started when the male passenger, seated in a middle seat of row 12, used the Knee Defender to stop the woman in front of him from reclining while he was on his laptop, according to a law enforcement official with knowledge of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak.

A flight attendant asked him to remove the device and he refused. The woman then stood up, turned around and threw a cup of water at him, the official says. That's when United decided to land in Chicago. The two passengers were not allowed to continue to Denver.

Both passengers were sitting in United's Economy Plus section, the part of the plane that has four more inches of legroom than the rest of coach.

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MIT Students Invent Gadget to Detect Concussions in Young Athletes

Jolt Sensor is a wearable teach sensor clip that can detect and alert parents and coaches to concussions and potential serious head injuries. (Jolt)

Two MIT graduates have invented a wearable sensor that instantly alerts parents and coaches when a child received a hard blow to the head that could cause a serious injury.

The Jolt Sensor, founded by Ben Harvatine and Seth Berg, was originally an engineering lab project at MIT that was inspired by a concussion suffered by Harvatine during wrestling practice.

The condition was not immediately detected by doctors and became worse as Harvatine's brain was exposed to additional impacts.

The duo realised this problem was prevalent among young athletes, who lack adequate sideline technology and medical personnel to identify and evaluate dangerous head impacts as soon as they happen.

'Through the ensuing hospital visits and months of recovery, the same thought kept crossing my mind - how could this have been prevented?' Harvatine said in his Kickstarter video.

'Many athletes like myself continue to play without realising they've been concussed, so there needs to be a way to alert parents, coaches and athletes of dangerous impacts as soon as they happen.'

The Jolt sensor. (Jolt)

The Jolt Sensor is a tiny 1.37in smart wearable clip that can be attached to any type of athletic headgear. The sensor vibrates to warn an athlete if it detects that the person's head is accelerating in a potentially dangerous way.

( A white Jolt sensor, embedded in a football helmet.)

The Jolt Sensor also makes use of Low-Energy Bluetooth technology to wirelessly send an alert to an accompanying iOS and Android smartphone app held by the parent or coach on the sidelines.

The technology enables information to be sent to devices that are up to 50m away, which means it is strong enough to be used on the pitch or court.

The sensor is waterproof and protected by soft silicone rubber. It comes with a micro-USB port and a battery that lasts several weeks on a single charge.

Jolt has just launched its Kickstarter campaign and has already had 132 backers pledge $11,840 (£7,129) within 24 hours, out of the $60,000 goal it hopes to achieve.

Backers will receive the Jolt Sensor if they pledge $75 or more and the startup hopes to ship the devices in April 2015.