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Seeing Apple pull out of Macworld and hearing talk of poor turnout at CES make us speculate on the future of trade shows—like automakers and newspapers, are they another institution on the endangered-species list?
That avalanche of TVs, fridges, iPod docks, and iPod dock fridges that some people like to call IFA 2008 but I call Satan's Hell on Earth, agonised to its end this week. About bloody time. To me, the star of this fair wasn't the Sony ZX1, the Samsung X360 or even Addy's bags, but one now-ancient gadget that saved my life not one, but two times at the show: my good old trusty iPhone.
Remember the video above, with our very own and beloved Addy Dugdale cursing and tearing apart Sharp's IFA 2007 sharp-as-knives gigantic swag bags? Well, I'm happy to report that Addy changed the world that day, once and forever. I witnessed the consequences of her actions at IFA 2008:
We snuck in (or casually moseyed in, actually) to CEDIA's main show floor, which is still being set up for tomorrow's opening, and we've learned a few things in advance of any announcements.
We covered the Gorenje Made for iPod fridge and the iGorenje home appliance program at IFA last Sunday. I've spent some time with both and I like what I see, although I have some doubts about how practical this can be.
I don't know if these fridges are the norm in the US, but it seems to me like Miele's latest giganormous fridge from their Master Cool line--shown here at IFA 2008--has to be the biggest fridge ever available to megalomaniac consumers and potential serial killers. They should christen it The Walk-In Fridge, because this thing is so big that you can fit a cow inside. So huge in fact that I won't be able to put it in my apartment's living room. Actually, I think can put my entire living room and bedroom inside during the summer months. [More IFA 2008 Coverage]
The Home Appliances halls at IFA 2008 have some of the best stuff in the fair, like this Gorenje fridge table, which seems to be a brand obsessed about doing really Star Trekish stuff for the kitchen. The table--with a central fridge that smoothly raises to give access to food and beverages, and a security system to avoid having your arm trapped in it--is not a concept but a real product made to order. The price: US$15,000 to US$20,000, depending on the material you choose. I'll keep using my picnic fridge and raising it to the table while making a hmmmmm noise with my mouth, thank you very much. [More IFA 2008 Coverage]
The Fraunhofer Institute--the guys who invented MP3 and screwed the music labels as a result, which is why we like them so much--have a booth at IFA with their latest inventions. The best one is this stunning magic mirror, an augmented reality display that gets any piece of clothing and transforms its fabric in real time. Live, the effect was absolutely amazing, indistinguishable from a real mirror. I just couldn't tell the difference. I think she's a witch. [More IFA 2008 Coverage]
The Siemens HB 78P570 oven looks like any other oven until you notice that it has no door, which is precisely when it starts to open automatically from its bottom: The glossy black food platform slides down mechanically until it is at the same level as your kitchen top. Sounds a bit crazy, but it's extremely convenient to put your suckling pig stuffed with chicken wings, then easily paint it with BBQ honey sauce until it's done. [More IFA 2008 Coverage]
This is the Gorenje Foldable Qube prototype, a hob and hood system that can be hung on the wall of a small kitchen to save some serious space. It's also a kitchen-to-go: "You can take it with you anywhere--just like a laptop", told me the IFA booth laeedee. You know, for those very special times in which you need to cook anywhere else in the house but the kitchen:
Remember the video above, with our very own and beloved Addy Dugdale cursing and tearing apart Sharp's IFA 2007 sharp-as-knives gigantic swag bags? Well, I'm happy to report that Addy changed the world that day, once and forever. I witnessed the consequences of her actions at IFA 2008:
We covered the 
I don't know if these fridges are the norm in the US, but it seems to me like Miele's latest giganormous fridge from their Master Cool line--shown here at IFA 2008--has to be the biggest fridge ever available to megalomaniac consumers and potential serial killers. They should christen it The Walk-In Fridge, because this thing is so big that you can fit a cow inside. So huge in fact that I won't be able to put it in my apartment's living room. Actually, I think can put my entire living room and bedroom inside during the summer months. [
The Home Appliances halls at IFA 2008 have some of the best stuff in the fair, like this Gorenje fridge table, which seems to be a brand obsessed about doing 
The Fraunhofer Institute--the guys who invented MP3 and screwed the music labels as a result, which is why we like them so much--have a booth at IFA with their latest inventions. The best one is this stunning magic mirror, an augmented reality display that gets any piece of clothing and transforms its fabric in real time. Live, the effect was absolutely amazing, indistinguishable from a real mirror. I just couldn't tell the difference. I think she's a witch. [
The Siemens HB 78P570 oven looks like any other oven until you notice that it has no door, which is precisely when it starts to open automatically from its bottom: The glossy black food platform slides down mechanically until it is at the same level as your kitchen top. Sounds a bit crazy, but it's extremely convenient to put your suckling pig stuffed with chicken wings, then easily paint it with BBQ honey sauce until it's done. [
This is the Gorenje Foldable Qube prototype, a hob and hood system that can be hung on the wall of a small kitchen to save some serious space. It's also a kitchen-to-go: "You can take it with you anywhere--just like a laptop", told me the IFA booth laeedee. You know, for those very special times in which you need to cook anywhere else in the house but the kitchen: