Greetings, fellow geeks! We’re getting so many tech goodies this fall, you’ll need a March Madness bracket board to keep track. The usual suspects — Apple, Google, Microsoft, more — promise big updates to hardware, software, and services.
Key highlights:
Sept 4-9:
IFA Trade Show 2015: Berlin, Germany. Along with the USA’s Consumer Electronics Show, IFA is one of the largest CE trade shows in the world. Unlike CES, IFA serves as a prescient barometer for holiday season hotness. Expect to see:
• New smartphones from Sony, Asus, Motorola, and more.
• OLED TV competition for LG from Panasonic.
• PCs sporting Intel’s 6th-gen Skylake processor.
• Tons of wearables: smartwatches, headphones, fitness.
• Samsung Ultra HD Blu-ray player.
• Futuristic home appliances.
Sept 9:
Apple Launch Event: San Francisco, California. Apple commandeers its biggest venue ever — the massive 7000-seat Bill Graham Auditorium — so attendees anticipate big things. While no announcements have been made by Apple, expect to see:
Sept 22:
Microsoft Office 2016: Redmond, Washington. The latest update to the software giant’s flagship productivity suite. Expect to see:
Sept 29:
Google Launch Event: San Francisco, California. According to CNET, Google will replace its popular Nexus 6 smartphone with two models. Expect to see:
Oct 14-17:
CEDIA Expo Trade Show: Dallas, Texas. This sprawling Custom Installation show launches later than ever this year, giving us less time to catch our breath before CES. Expect to see:
Nov 27:
Black Friday
Lord help us all.