NEWS DELL BOOSTS
NEWS DELL BOOSTS INSPIRON, XPS AND VOSTRO OFFERING Hands-on: the Yamaha stand at IFA Yamaha stand comes alive with the sound of music IFA delegates and visitors could experience the Yamaha brand, from source to speaker It was all about the music for Yamaha at IFA this year. The firm’s impressive new AV kit shared stand space with pianos, guitars and violins. We asked Michael Geise, Yamaha’s European AV products manager, about the decision to combine audio and real instruments: We were not really talking about technology on this stand, we simply wanted to show how good music can sound and it was the first time that our musical instrument colleagues joined us. So we have enlarged the brand experience for all our visitors here. You went for a deliberately hands-on approach, why is that? Our booth concept really is to be customer-centric so we want our customers to experience Yamaha products, and fool around with them. So on our AV section we had five different demonstrations, 14 from casual audio streaming to high-end HiFi and everything could be touched and listened to so customers could experience what it means to listen to beautiful music and how easy streaming can be. Next to that we were offering drum workshops, guitar lessons etcetera. So whatever instrument the customer wanted to try, they immediately got a short, inspiring lesson. No matter if you were a beginner or professional, the instruments were ready and tuned, because we wanted to show our way of thinking about how music should be made and listened to. Do you think the stand helped to get Yamaha’s message across? In the past we have always been telling people at IFA that we are the largest manufacturer of musical instruments in the world and now we can prove it. We want to show that by using our audio components or even using our instruments, there is nothing coming between the artist and the customer. Our target is to reproduce music as realistically as possible. There’s nothing better than the original of course, but we want to be as close to the original as possible. By showing our musical instruments as well, I think the customer can understand that Yamaha is the only brand in the world that can cover music from beginning to the end WE SIMPLY WANTED TO SHOW HOW GOOD MUSIC CAN SOUND Dell Inspiron Chromebook Dell came to IFA with new products aimed at everyday consumers, mobile professionals and small business owners who appreciate good design, performance and exceptional functionality. The enhanced Inspiron, XPS and Vostro ranges included the first Inspiron Chromebook 14- inch 2-in-1 which combined upscale design and top features with the simplicity of Chrome OS. Every Dell consumer and small business PC now comes equipped with Dell Mobile Connect, which gives users wireless access to their smartphones on their Dell PCs. More than 10 million phone calls and text messages have been made using Dell Mobile Connect since the beginning of the year and, starting this autumn, the software will bring a new level of iPhone-to-PC integration beyond text and calls. Dell is also expanding its monitor leadership with a new Dell 27 USB-C Ultrathin Monitor built with design and performance in mind. “We are excited to be at IFA again this year to showcase our technology innovations that continue to enhance the computing experience,” said Ray Wah, senior vicepresident and general manager, Consumer and Small Business at Dell. “We’ve invested in redesigning our portfolio of mainstream laptops and 2-in-1s with beautiful designs, premium materials and thoughtful features, illustrating our ongoing dedication to deliver quality devices every user is proud to carry”
NEWS The driverless car is at least a decade away. In the very near future, vehicles will start to become more connected to the users lifestyle all with the aim saving them time. There are also going to be changes in how we use our cars, or even if we choose to own one at all. “Time is the new luxury,” says Daniel Deparis, the Head of Smart Lab, Daimler AG. “We truly believe that through connected services we can give time back to people. It maybe just one hour per week of unstructured time, This means you have no “to do” list, nothing, where you decide what to do. This is in our opinion the real luxury.” Ownership is one area that is already changing, as car sharing becomes more commonplace. In many cities it's already possible to find some sort of sharing scheme, that allows people to use a car as and when they need. This is only going to grow, and it makes sense when you understand that the average car is only used for 6% of the time. The rest, it's just sitting around. This an unused asset, so by sharing the vehicle, this could improve congestion on the roads. There is a problem though, if you ask people if they will share their car, then the answer is often no, and certainly not with just anyone. However Daniel Deparis has been looking into “peer to peer sharing” where the user, through an app, creates a small group of trusted users. This way they know who is going to use the vehicle. Here Daimler have also been looking into how the vehicle is insured, so that the user, not the owner is covered. This could be anything from 15 minutes to a day, or whatever their needs require. Cars will have “remote access through the peer to peer sharing. That means that that the users don't need to meet, it means you get a virtual key”. All of this will offer convenience to the users. THE FUTURE OF CONNECTIVITY IS NOT ONLY ABOUT TAKING DATA FROM THE CAR. THE FUTURE IS TO INTEGRATE PARTNERS, THE FUTURE IS THAT YOU HAVE A TRANSACTION. Likewise if the car isn't being left in one place for hours at a time, it could free up parking spaces. In a city, statistics show that the average time drivers spend looking for a parking space is 15 minutes. In future, through an app, the user will be able to see how busy an area is through predictive parking, and reserve a space at their destination. Then there are other ways of integrating the car into people’s lives. Deparis states “22.5bn is the number of parcels shipped in 2017 and this figure is set to double in the next few years.” Already being trialled by some companies is a direct parcel service that allows deliveries directly to the trunk of your car. “The future of connectivity is not only about taking data from the car. The future is to integrate partners, the future is that you have a transaction. That means not just looking at an app, and closing it, but giving an interaction. We believe that this is the future and we need to work with partners.” Daimler are already experimenting with Panasonic on connectivity and services within Berlin. Deparis believes that “now is the right time for peer to peer sharing, it’s the right time to talk about in car parcel delivery, it's the right time to find solutions for parking, all to give the people more convenience, all to help make people’s lives easier.” This is technology that is happening now, solving current driving issues with technology. Hopefully creating solutions in the ever-growing interconnected world Daniel Deparis Head of Smart Lab, Daimler AG Automotive technology heading your way soon The first ever Shift AUTOMOTIVE Convention explored how cars in the very near future will have an increased levels of technology and connectivity © Messe Berlin GmbH © Messe Berlin GmbH www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Friday 14 th September 2018 15
