Exciting Fall 2015 Tech Toys

CEDIA Tradeshow Entrance

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:

  • Updates to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Same design, faster processor, better cameras, “3D Touch.”
  • iPad Pro. The 12.9-inch monster tablet will be aimed at business enterprise users.
  • iPad Mini 4. Thinner and faster; better cameras.
  • Beefed-up Apple TV with Siri voice command.

 

Sept 22:

Microsoft Office 2016: Redmond, Washington. The latest update to the software giant’s flagship productivity suite. Expect to see:

  • Little change to most desktop apps beyond enhanced online collaboration.
  • Less clutter — a nod to mobile devices.
  • “Tell Me” search feature tells Office to guide you to functions instead of you hunting for them.
  • Several key updates to Excel.
  • Smoother animations — within apps and with PowerPoint.

 

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:

  • An all-new version of the legendary mid-priced Nexus 5.
  • An update to the premium-priced Nexus 6 phablet.
  • The debut of Android 6.0, a.k.a. Marshmallow.

 

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:

  • Lots of connected home technology.
  • Home theaters the size of one of Jupiter’s moons.
  • The future.

 

Nov 27:

Black Friday

Lord help us all.