Behind the scenes of Europe's biggest tech show, IFA (pictures)
The IFA tech show in Berlin is now open to the public, so we headed to the show floor to capture the real goings on.
Andrew Lanxon
Andrew is CNET's go-to guy for product coverage and lead photographer for Europe. When not testing the latest phones, he can normally be found with his camera in hand, behind his drums or eating his stash of home-cooked food. Sometimes all at once.
BERLIN -- The doors of the IFA tech show in Berlin are open to the public, so I set out to see the weird and wonderful sights the show floor has to offer.
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Samsung's booth was, by far, the busiest place in the whole conference centre.
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A curious face looks over the Galaxy Gear smartwatch.
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That's not how you use a watch.
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This cell tower is sadly only decoration -- it didn't help me get any better 3G coverage.
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What do you do when you're finished looking at new gadgets? Play with Lego, of course!
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Sony-branded fedoras might be the most hipster form of advertising.
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Iron Man was on site to make sure things didn't get out of hand. We chatted -- he reckons the Sony QX100 Smart Lens was his favourite thing of the show.
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Frustrated? Take out your rage by pummeling a glove!
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Virtual reality headset Oculus Rift made a few appearances at the show.
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This Samsung washer doesn't wash your baby, but it does wash your baby's clothes.
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Tablet Man: the hero we deserve, but not the one we need right now.
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You can't spend the day checking out shiny tech without a bite to eat.
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Jason found a delightful Samsung smart fridge -- it has a shopping list function and the Epicurious recipe app.
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You can also fine-tune the temperature.
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Samsung's new app will let you control all manner of connected devices, including this whopping air conditioner.
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Jason is understandably taken aback by this enormous robotic vacuum from Samsung.
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A fridge with two doors; open the outer door to browse the contents without losing the cold temperature.
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This robotic arm checks every single Bosch washing machine before the machines are shipped out.
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A rainbow of fridges -- surely there's one to match your kitchen.
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Why not give your washing machine some headphones? Because it's ridiculous, that's why.
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The kitchen gadgets demo zone was a hot spot for free food samples.
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A lady intentionally making a mess. Nobody stopped her.
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One of these things is not like the others. Can you guess which?
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We're back with more fridges! This one also has a tablet embedded in it, to bring up recipes and shopping lists.
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All tech fans need coffee. Luckily, the IFA show has loads of new models to try out, including this EQ 8 Series 900 by Siemens.
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If this happens to your washing machine, call a technician.
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I'm not sure why this man has a chemistry set on his kitchen worktop, and I wasn't brave enough to find out why.
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Too lazy to mow your lawn? Let the robots do the work!
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Now what on earth could these bouncing, glowing dancers be promoting?
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Oh, it's a washing machine. Of course. The chap on the right looks like I felt: puzzled.
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You have to keep your Vitamin C up if you're going to make it the whole way around the show.
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Sun, gadgets, and live DJs. What more can a tech fan ask for?
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JBL had a few unusual ways to promote its presence at the show. Big hair and oversize headphones is always a winning combination.
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Sony's stand was enormous and well kitted out. Unsurprisingly, it was very busy, too.
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You, too, could be this happy if you dropped in to Berlin for the show.
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A stage was set up for live music. We should really get the CNET band back together.
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I'm not sure what this guy was advertising, but he was a welcome change from the constant playing of "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk.
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His friends got in on the act, too. I was still none the wiser about why they were there, though.
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Best way to get around a tech show? A Segway, of course!
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What better way to demonstrate a product's groundbreaking new abilities than by using your hair as a temporary moustache?
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Sony's virtual reality headset got some keen attention from visiting tech fans.
