IFA 2009: Takeoff for us on Wednesday, 02. September

IFA 2009: Launch of the IFA 2009 in Berlin

The IFA is one of the worldwide biggest exhibitions for "consumer electronics" and addresses expertise visitors and retailers, as well as curious final customers, who are looking for information about the newest trends in entertainment electronics, IT and communications technologies or even household appliances.

The IFA in Berlin is and will remain to be the climax of the exhibition year for many. At least, for everyone who doesn’t want to look at the newest products of entertainment electronics, IT and communications technologies or even household appliances in flyers, but would rather see and experience them live. The so typical mix of innovations, stars, entertainment and information for the IFA, fascinates the audience every year again and again and attracts real crowds to the humongous exhibition grounds.

"He who travels, has a tale to tell" – as a German saying goes… The IFA 2009 already began "loaded with action" on the trip to Berlin. Our train connection to Berlin meant changing the train 3 times. Principally no problem, but with three heavy trolley suitcases and short connecting times between 7 and 10 minutes meant hurrying up.

Between Hof and Reichenbach it then happened: A fallen tree blocked the rails. Impassable. A one hour break, including a detour over Chemnitz. The way the regional train leaned into the changing left and right curves, it could compete with any roller coaster, subjectively. My colleague immediately got sick. Barf bags, please! But the swaying seemed to make a few other fellow travelers feel queasy, too. The optical toilet signal showed "continuous red".

Then in Leipzig it continued on to Berlin via ICE. Notebooks out quick and search for WLAN, or rather a hotspot. Far off! "It is not yet available on this track", the polite train conductor in our compartment told us. For that, the connection via T-Mobile's Web'n'Walk stick Fusion worked virtually for the entire route. Occasional, short connectivity interruptions and the switching into the slower EDGE had to be accepted, though. Then finally, we arrived in Berlin! We chased through the huge train station to the exit and jogged quickly to the nearby hotel and checked in.

A short time later, we had completed the validation. That worked perfectly; really friendly people and a great service there! And that despite the massive mob – well-organized. Then, around 4:30 p.m. we were already at the Sony hall entrance. There, the big press conference with Sony's top managers was supposed to be held.

Wow! After entering we were a bit surprised. Surprised about what Sony had "come up with". A really giant hall, an incomprehensible number of accessories, displays, cameras, notebooks and video cams. Then, additionally, a stage with a giant cinema wide screen – including the full dose of volume for the ears. The run of the international press is overwhelming. At the very back are many TV cameras, the seats have already been almost completely occupied half an hour before the start of the press conference.

It starts on time and it quickly becomes obvious that Sony really has to say something imperative to the numerous press that had turned up. Sony’s top manager, in person, Fujio Nishida, President of Sony Europe and Sir Howard Stringer, CEO and President of the Sony Corporation, announce the future orientation and the most important products of the Sony company in a multimedia firework.

Everyone is talking about 3D: Naturally, the multimedia expert Sony presents 3D-televisions and 3D-BluRay players in the frame of the IFA press conference. Sony sets on the "Real ID"-technology, for instance, and wants to secure the complete compatibility of its 3D devices with each other, such as BluRay-players, PS3, Vaio computers and Sony TVs.

Sony shows the expert audience then the 3D animated movie "Cloudy with a chance of Meat Balls" right away – real 3D. And we have to admit that the three dimensional picture impression is, with the previously distributed 3D glasses, awesome and ingenious. A real 3D-feeling to touch is conjured up. Especially the spacial graduation of objects is impressive.