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Weird and wonderful gadgets crank up Europe's craziest tech show

Here are some of the most interesting, unusual and outlandish gadgets from this week's IFA 2016 in Berlin.

Richard Trenholm
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
Richard Trenholm
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1 of 30 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Weird tech of IFA 2106

The annual IFA tech trade show sees the industry descend on Berlin, bringing their coolest kit. One way to stand out from the crowd is to do something unusual, innovative or downright weird. Here are some of the more novel gadgets that caught our eye.

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2 of 30 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Acer Predator 21

You'd better have a sturdy lap for the Acer Predator 21. This gargantuan gaming laptop weighs 8 kilograms, or 17 pounds, and boasts a whopping 21-inch screen.

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3 of 30 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Acer Predator 21

It's a beast of a machine, with wacky features including a trackpad that you can remove and flip over -- there's a numberpad on the other side.

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4 of 30 Acer

Acer Predator 21

The Predator 21 will cost at least $5,000.

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Alcatel Vision

Unlike, for instance, Samsung's Gear VR, the Alcatel Vision headset doesn't need a phone to provide virtual reality visuals. It's a standalone device with two OLED displays inside, one for each eye.

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6 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

Hasselblad True Zoom Moto Mod

A compact snapper from high-end camera mavens Hasselblad? Not so fast...

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7 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

This is a Moto Mod, one of the range of accessories that clip on the Motorola Moto Z modular smartphone.

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8 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

Hasselblad provides the camera smarts, including this 10x zoom.

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9 of 30 Pawbo

Pawbo+

Treat your pet even when you're out of the house with the Acer Pawbo+, which lets you video chat with your pets and even dispense a nibble by tapping a button on your phone.

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Sony NW-WM1Z Walkman

You think having a smartphone that plays music put an end to the humble MP3 player? Sony doesn't think so. In fact, Sony thinks you'll pay $3,200 (roughly £2,400 or AU$4,200) for the NW-WM1Z Walkman.

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Sony NW-WM1Z Walkman

Who wouldn't pay a few grand for a device that only does one thing? It's a gold-plated bargain (literally -- the copper body is encased in gold).

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HP Slice

With the HP Slice, you don't need to know anything about RAMs or ROMs to build your own PC.

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HP Slice

The Slice has different modules that you stack up to build the PC you want.

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HP Slice

Modules include an optical disc drive, an audio module or a speakerphone lid with touch controls for Skype video and audio calls. A wireless charging cover will also allow you to plonk your phone on top of the Slice and juice it up without a cable.

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AEG Electrolux ComfortLift

This may look like a regular dishwasher, but it has one unusual and welcome feature: The bottom drawer is on a lever so it rises to waist height as you pull it out. Tall people of the world just felt their backs give a sigh of relief.

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16 of 30 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Catalyst waterproof case for Pokemon Go

Gotta catch 'em all! This waterproof case protects your phone while you're out seeking Snorlaxes.

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HP Omen X Desktop

The HP Omen X Desktop puts a new angle on cube-shaped PCs.

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18 of 30 Sarah Tew/CNET

HP Omen X Desktop

The Omen X sits perched on one edge to keep it cool because air can flow around more of the surface area.

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HP Omen X VR PC Pack

And if that's not weird enough, here's the Omen X virtual reality backpack. It's a full-featured gaming desktop you wear on your back so you can play around in virtual reality without tripping over any cables. Sounds like a good Omen to us.

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Samsung VR

Samsung employed bungee cords and a big drop to inject a bit of reality into this virtual reality simulator, in which you feel like you're jumping into a volcano.

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Sanbot

Helper robot Sanbot is covered in sensors and boasts three cameras and a projector.

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Bosch 360 Indoor Camera

This smart home camera monitors your home when you're out. And when you're home, it pops its little head back in its shell like a turtle. A watchful, security-minded turtle.

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LG Smart Instaview Door-in-Door Refrigerator

LG and Sharp have both introduced fridges with tablet-like screens in the doors. But that's not all...

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24 of 30 Chris Monroe/CNET

LG Smart Instaview Door-in-Door Refrigerator

Knock on the glass of the LG Smart Instaview fridge and the screen tuns translucent so you can see what's in there without opening the door and letting out any precious chilliness.

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LG Smart Instaview Door-in-Door Refrigerator

The touchscreen is still a touchscreen when it is see-through so you can call up these markers, like digital Post-It notes, and place them over the items in the fridge. So for example, you could mark the ice-cold brews with a digital sticker that says "Dad."

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Sphero BB-8

Well hello there, little fella! The cute BB-8 droid from "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is yours to take home, and now you can control it using the Force.

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Sphero BB-8

Or rather, the Force Band, a wearable that translates your gestures into movement by BB-8. Wave your hand to send BB-8 off with secret plans, or wave again to bring it back.

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Windowmate

You've seen the Roomba, the robot vacuum cleaner that beetles about your carpet taking care of dirt. Now raise a glass to Roomba's horizontal cousin: Windowmate.

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Windowmate

This robot window cleaner defies both dirt and gravity as it clamps on to both sides of a window, saving you from the pane.

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And finally, this garbage-collecting robot was wheeling around outside the show. It's basically a trash can on wheels. It's a candroid.

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