Compelling content is the key to ensuring that 3D smartphones are more than a just a flash in the pan, and right now, there just isn’t much of it floating around. LG, maker of the Optimus 3D handset, aims to address that content issue with the recent announcement of their new 3D Game Converter software.

Due for its first demo at IFA 2011 in Berlin, LG’s new 3D Game Converter does exactly what the name implies. After firing up the converter on the Optimus 3D, about 50 compatible 2D games will receive a 3D facelift, while unsupported OpenGL games can be manually tweaked to achieve the desired effect.

The games will get a pretty comprehensive work-over, or so LG’s 3D Evangelist Dr. Henry Nho would have us believe: “LG’s 3D Game Converter automatically recognizes the depth information based on the location of each object and separates the 2D graphic images for each eye. Using the existing depth information, the 3D Game Converter generates two different images — one for the foreground and one for the background.”

LG has pledged that another 50 titles will get 3D support by the end of the year, a significant addition to the existing library of 3D content. It’s something of a win-win for game developers and their customers: devs get a no-hassle way to offer 3D functionality, and customers can expand their 3D content library at no extra cost. The converter will come as part of the Optimus 3D’s new maintenance release, currently scheduled for an October release.

To their credit, LG seems to realize that for all their gimmicky fun, 3D smartphones will live or die depending on the quality of the experience they deliver. Some users will be more that happy to shoot stereoscopic video until they’re blue in the face, but that novelty will usually only last for so long. The announcement adds a bit of value to the 3D experience by making more content available, but the inevitable question is “will it be enough?”

Games are one thing, but in order to transcend their gimmick status, 3D smartphones need more applications that designed from the ground up with 3D in mind instead of just as an afterthought.

Samsung’s pre-IFA Unpacked app is usually pretty dry as far as contents are concerned: there are event schedules and press releases aplenty, but some curious Android fans have discovered some juicy new tidbits deep within the app’s innards.

This is my next reports that after a bit of poking around in the app’s contents, logos for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, Samsung Galaxy Note, and the Samsung Wave 3 have all been spotted. The Galaxy Tab is probably the most straightforward of the bunch: it’s the closest that Samsung has come to revisiting the original GalTab’s pocketable dimensions, but it hopefully runs Honeycomb like its bigger brothers.

The Wave 3 is presumably a Bada-powered handset, and may well be the one spotted in a leaked roadmap from a few weeks back. The Wave series have been Samsung’s flagship devices for the Bada OS, so the leaked specifications (4″ Super AMOLED display, Bada 2.0, 5 MP camera, 3 GB of onboard storage) may hold true come September.

Most intriguing is the new Galaxy Note; the name would seem to imply (at least to me) a pen-driven tablet a la the HTC Flyer/View 4G, but it may well be another smartphone Samsung will be adding to its inventory.

Samsung has recommended for Unpacked users to update the app come September 1st, most likely to flesh out these and other upcoming devices with some official details. Here’s hoping that another update comes even sooner than that — who knows what surprises may lay hidden inside?

Samsung has something big in store for IFA 2011 — but don’t they always. The company just unveiled two videos for its latest marketing campaign that, per the rules of Viral 101, do not show anything of interest. Still, IFA is Europe’s CES and they company is bound to have something newsworthy like a Galaxy II successor or a Galaxy Tab of the 7-inch variety.

The second video after the jump has most of the action and shows peeps walking around with glowing handsets, which likely forecasts a new smartphone. Whatever it will be, we’ll be onsite next week, drunk on gadgets and German beer.

If recent reports hold true, Microsoft may be preparing to release their long-awaited Windows Phone Mango update sooner than expected. Based on information from “trusted sources,” Pocket-lint reports that Mango’s official rollout will begin on September 1, ahead of the generic “Fall” launch window Microsoft had previously announced.

Aside from providing the date, Pocket-lint’s sources were unable to confirm much else. Although Microsoft has stated that all current WP7 devices will receive the Mango update, the particulars of the release schedule are still up in the air. It’s entirely possible that users of some devices will get immediate access, while others may be relegated to the wait-list.

Still, even just the date seems to speak volumes. Microsoft’s timing here is no coincidence: Europe’s largest consumer electronics show will begin the very next day. The Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (or IFA for short) will be playing host to tons of new gadgets, and new Mango-powered devices may well be among them. The software update was finalized back in July, and given Windows Phone’s European popularity, it wouldn’t be a shock for new Mango devices to come out of the woodwork at IFA. With manufacturers like HTC and LG having committed to making new Mango handsets, there may be a few surprises on the show floor yet.

You could almost feel the excitement at CES 2010 back in January. It felt like the whole CE market was on the verge of something big. Tablets and 3D TVs were the buzzwords but only the big players where showing off prototypes and first-gen models. All the mid-level consumer electronics makers had ereaders instead of tablets. But IFA should be a bit different now that the Chinese OEM factories are already pumping out slates and 3D TVs are commonplace. But you might not wanna get too attached to any of the products announced in the coming days; they might not be for you.

LG kicked off the their IFA releases with a slender, 2.9mm 31-inch OLED 3D TV. It’s supposed to be the “world’s thinnest” or something along those lines. The rest of LG’s news is predictable with 3D Blu-ray players and a full array of 3D TVs. While LG didn’t announce pricing or availability just yet, chances are they’re only for the Euroland market and not the States. Instead, we’ll get similar models with different pricing schemes.

Tablets are going to have similar story as well, but where most of the 3D TVs will have a US counterpart, many of the tablets won’t find their way over here. Instead, they’ll be sold in markets where they have a chance against the iPad with lower prices and open architecture. Of course some familiar brands will have their own tablets as well. ViewSonic announced the UK availability of its ViewPad 7 today, but failed to mention anything about a US release.

That’s going to be the trend over the next week. CE companies are staying away from the US tablet market. The iPad is simply too dominate and it honestly doesn’t make much sense for many companies to directly compete against the market leader when they can’t offer any real hardware or user experience advantages — yet.

But 3D TVs are different. Technically, 3D isn’t that big of a feature for companies to add to their models. It’s simply a different hertz mode combined with the proper firmware. It’s easy enough that 3D will be a standard feature over the coming years and the capability can already be found in most company’s high-to-mid-level sets. No doubt the vast majority of the TVs announced at IFA will be 3D. Now if there was something to watch…

Chances are there won’t be any blockbuster products announced at this year’s IFA. The iPad started the tablet revolution a few months back, but the real competitors probably aren’t ready just yet. Wait for CES 2011 for those. IFA instead should feature a more tablets than we can report, along with the standard assortment of random gadgets, HDTVs, and clock radios. Sigh.

In just a few short hours I will be in a jet plane over the Atlantic Ocean con destino a Berlin. Yes: I’m going to IFA. And truth be told, one of the biggest things to come out of the show will be the Samsung tablet, the Galaxy Tab. Here’s what we know so far.

I feel like this tablet has been rumored for months now, so a quick refresher won’t hurt.

The Galaxy Tab, according to Samsung’s latest official teaser video, will indeed, debut at the IFA show this week in Berlin. (IFA is sorta like a European version of CES.) The tablet will support video calls, full Web browsing, “augmented reality” (?), and Android 2.2.

There haven’t been very many pictures of the device, just the “Gabbo, Gabbo, Gabbo!” flashes from the teaser video, and these rubbish ones that have been floating around for a bit.

It’s a tablet. You know, you keep it on the couch and use it for light Web browsing, maybe watch a video or two.

It’s biggest problem: it’s not the iPad.

When the iPod first hit it big a few years ago, how many people would refer to a generic MP3 player as “an iPod”? Plenty, correct. Same thing here. “Oh, that thing is sorta lika an iPad, right? Why wouldn’t I just get an iPad?”

I guess that’s what Samsung has to explain later this week.

Knowing nothing else, I’d say that this year’s IFA show in Germany (think CES, but European) will be all about tablets and e-readers. All the tablets I’ve seen thus far have been sorta “meh,” but I’m reasonably bullish on e-readers, if only because I actually find them useful. Will I see these new Pocketbook e-readers on the show floor? Looks like.

There’s four models: the Pocketbook Pro 602 and 902, and the Pocketbook Pro 603 and 903. That one up there is the Pro 902.

All four will come with the usual features—Wi-Fi, 3G modem, snf a decent bit of built-in storage (2GB)—but they’ll all also have a touchscreen interface (sorta like that Sony Reader that’s moving about the ol’ rumor mill right now).

The only difference between the models will be screen size: 6 inches and 9.7 inches.

There will also be a tablet, the Pocketbook IQ, that will run on Android 2.0.

Large, international tradeshows can showcase the absolute bleeding edge of technology. Sometimes though, said tech was developed with the unknown help of another company, so obviously, this can come to a breaking point at these tradeshows. According to The Register, German Custom agents have been busy this year at IFA. 

A spokesman for German Customs told us: “We’ve raided 69 companies today. We have seized equipment including flat-screen TVs, CD players, set-top boxes and MP3 players.”

Above, these agents are investigating claims that MSI infringement from patent firm Sisvel. And, yes, pics show that these ladies and gents are in fact armed because we all know, us nerds can get a little territorial over our gadgets.

via Reg

From the standard fare of receivers to gaming headsets, Dolby has invaded IFA this year. Harman Kardon is going to launch the first receiver with Dolby’s touted Volume technology that ensures constant volume across all content media. Then there is the Plantronics GameCom 777 headset aimed at gamers with surround sound. PCs are getting a sound upgrade as well with Dolby Home Theater and Dolby Sound Round. Finally, thank goodness, Dolby is taking their experience on the go with Dolby Mobile. Apparently, they feel that they can make that tiny speaker sound so much better. 

Dolby has been around for a while and the label is on just about everything AV, but does it really sway your purchasing decision on outside devices. If product A has Dolby certs on the front bezel that product B doesn’t, which one are you more likely to buy? I totally buy Dolby supported receivers but I really don’t know if seeing their logo on my cell phone will move me to buy one verse another. 

PR

Indiana Jones or Superman prop; classy or just plain tacky? I can’t decide but I’ve to give the boys over at Harman Kardon for suck a clever name: GLA-55. ‘Cause it’s made out of glass. Get it? 

Anyway, getting down to the details. Only two to three thousand are going to be made and priced at £500. Within the crystal speakers lay a 56 watt per speaker digital amplifier, DSP equalization all traveling out to a 3.5mm output. So yes, sadly, these bookshelves will be found on your desk, tied down to your computer or iPod. H/K announced these speakers at IFA, so naturally, there isn’t any mention of a US launch just yet. What does it matter, you’re not going to get ‘em anyways ’cause they would clash with your drinking bird so badly. 

via ShinyShiny

Delta Electronics took the IFA global stage and announced the companies first LED-powered DLP projector. The initial specs sound good – expect one, keep reading – 1080p, large color gamut, and 20,000 hours on the LED unit. The company didn’t announce pricing yet, but it will be at CEDIA next week so I’ll hit ‘em up with some questions then.

Before I ask about price though, I want to know the brightness in terms of lumens. It curiously wasn’t announced and that one spec is the reason major projector players haven’t produced LED models yet. LED units tend to last longer than metal halide bulbs, but they also tend to not be as bright. Hear me right though, I’m not dogging the projector just yet, as I would love to see a demonstration and receive a full white paper on the unit before I do.

Delta via i4u

Blu-ray player launches are getting kind of commonplace. Really, the only spec I am looking for right now is BD-Live and yes, both the Panasonic DMP-BD35 and BD55 are equipped with it. Of course, both players also have HDMI, proprietary video processing, and a sleek, modern design. As far as pricing, European high-fi guys can pick up the BD35 for €399 and the BD55 for €499. Chances are that when these players launch next week at CEDIA though, we here in the States will see a similar figure just with a dollar sign in front. You just wait and see.

via Akihabaranews

Green is still a buzzword worth marketing and Toshiba is showing off its environment friendly products at this years IFA. The companies LCD power consumption is being slashed by 20% over ’06 model levels and are more of the flat panel displays are LED backlit. By 2010, Toshiba will no longer be manufacturing incandescent lamps and thus cutting CO₂ emissions even more. The Portégé R500 series of notebook PCs even receive some ‘green’ upgrades too and are now producing 69g less CO₂ than the 2650 Dynabook model. Lastly, Toshiba’s amazing 90-recharged-in-less-than-five-minutes-SCiB battery rounds up the tree hugging coverage. 

 I am all for so-called Green technology as long as it doesn’t hinder other breakthroughs. Agreed?

PR

High-end HDTVs have featured internal upscalling tech for a while now, generally garnishing higher prices because of it, but now Toshiba is bringing the goods to the masses. The companies latest LCD lineup, called ZF, sports Tosbiba’s homegrown Cell processor and some proprietary picture enhancing tech labeled Resolution+. When the two of them combine forces, they should produce a sharper and clearer image.

Both the 40-inch (40ZF575D) and 45-inch (46ZF575D) models are destined for a European release shortly. They both spec out with 1080p screens, 30,000:1 contrast ratio, 6ms response, and four HDMI inputs. In good ‘ol IFA fashion today, no word on price just yet.

via PR & Engadget

It’s just a matter of time before Blu-ray all-in-one systems hit the street. Sony’s BDV-IT1000 seems like a killer system even though AV guys will scoff due to the all-in-one moniker. I believe the two HDMI inputs, wireless rear channels, 1080p24 along with Dolby Digital Plus, TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio support rounds out this system nicely. We all know the proprietary pitfalls that come with these systems, but they work out to be great deals for many consumers. No word on a US price or availability but you can bet your Target card that this system will find its way over here.

PR

IFA is quickly coming up and in standard trade show fashion, some gadgets leak out early. The iriver P20 first made headlines during CES ’08 and that was only a prototype. We’re hoping for some real hands-on action once the PMP launches in Germany. Thankfully, iriver has kept the 4.1-inch touchscreen and is still capable of doing the whole music, DMB TV, Flash games, and video thing via the sexy Spinn OS. Pricing is of course absent but is sure to pop up within the coming days.

iriverFans via Engadget

If TomTom fills in the blanks later on – availability, U.S. cost, stuff like that — we’ll let you know.

HandTac via GPSLodge

During IFA, Daewoo, maker of all things cheap and imported, announced it would be dipping its feet into the waters of the Blu-ray market with its first player, the DBP-1000. Sleek blue looks aside, the player is slim and supports full BD-R specifications. It can access live content, output in 1080p via HDMI, upscale DVDs and photos to full-rez, and can playback DivX files.

The DBP-1000 can also playback any burned CD or DVD, as well as burned BD-R and BD-RE discs in case you have friends with a lot of data (or burned movies). All inputs you’d expect are available, including digital sound, and a USB port is included on the front for flash drives. Sounds like an awesome player. As much as I’d love to get my hands on it, Daewoo failed to mention anything about price or availability.

Daewoo demos ‘Blu-ray Disc 2.0′ player [Reg Hardware]

We’ve seen our share of wearable technology, but the Lumalive from Philips is a first. This new technology integrates the LEDs directly into the material. The new process leaves no visible trace of the LEDs, but the design performs exactly the same as it would with traditional LEDs.

Aside from all the obvious fanciful applications of the Lumalive, I can see this as actually being useful for a lot of practical applications. It could foreseeably be integrated into runner and cyclist vests to alert drivers to their presence, amongst other things. A production ready model will be demonstrated at IFA 2006.

Philips illuminates IFA 2006 with production-ready Lumalive textile garments [via Popgadget]