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DAY 4 Edition - IFA International 2017

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  • September

NEWS Microsoft unveils

NEWS Microsoft unveils its vision for the future Mixed reality and gaming on software giant’s roadmap Taking Giant Strides Fitbit marks 10 years and 79 trillion steps It’s 10 years since Fitbit appeared on the health and wellness scene and in that time it has become a key player in the sector and can claim a number of firsts. Fitbit’s achievements in just 10 years are impressive. It is one of the world’s top three wearable brands along with Xiaomi and Apple; to date it has sold over 67 million devices, is available in 55,000 stores and 65 countries; and it is the number one fitness app on iOS and Android. “Most importantly we have made it fun and rewarding,” Fitbit co-founder and CEO James Park told an IFA audience at the Fitbit keynote presentation. The Fitbit Ionic smartwatch has become the company’s bestknown product and something of a symbol of its success – “it’s the best performing product we have launched to date”, Park said. Recent innovative additions to the Ionic include a sensor that can measure oxygen in the blood, music storage and playback, and contactless payment facility Fitbit Pay. The company has made inroads into the health and wellness sector in other ways, notably with its social network where users share information via the Fitbit.com dashboard or the Fitbit app. “We hear a lot about the negative aspects of social networks, but most contributions to ours are positive,” Park said. “And social support is a really important component of getting people healthy.” In its first 10 years the company has built a vast health and fitness database, which currently holds 82 million hours of heartrate data, has tracked five billion nights of sleep and 160 billion hours of exercise, and recorded 79 trillion steps – “enough to get to Pluto”, Park said Hall 4.2 Stand 213 James Park Co-founder and CEO, Fitbit The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update was among the new announcements made at the Microsoft Keynote on Friday. The Mixed Reality software is now fully encompassed in Windows 10, which will be available on October 17. Microsoft began investing in Mixed Reality in 2009. The software will now enable users to “escape into an amazing experience,” said Terry Myerson, Executive Vice President of the Windows and Devices Group “Instead of reading National Geographic, you’ll now be able to experience it in your family room, with full-sized sharks floating by,” he said. “For the first time we’re talking about a Mixed Reality system that fully immerses. Just put your headset on and experience the mixed world. At the same time it leaves your hands free to interact with that mixed world.” Myerson said the Mixed Reality system will be available from a number of partners at various price points, starting at €252. Terry Myerson Executive Vice President of the Windows and Devices Group, Microsoft He traced the development of mixed reality, from the HoloLens technology developed in Microsoft labs, which he said had since been used in industry – specifically by Japan Airlines to train its engineers. “There are very exciting commercial applications for HoloLens,” he said. “But in the context of today the most exciting thing about HoloLens is how it helped us understand what we needed to do to enable our partners to build Mixed Reality Headsets at scale and do it at these incredibly low price points.” Nick Parker, Corporate Vice President OEM Sales and Marketing said “Microsoft is adding huge value with work, home and school,” he said. “Every day, one billion people wake up and use Windows. This is a responsibility that we take incredibly seriously. And it turns us full circle to Microsoft’s mission: to empower every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more” Hall 13 Stand 101 www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Monday 4 st September 2017 9

IFA International