Nest Labs, Microsoft and LG Unveil Innovations at IFA

  • Wednesday, September 3rd, 2014
  • Author: Tim Maytom
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nokia lumia rangeGermanys IFA consumer electronic show has seen several products making their first appearance today, from improvements to Nest Labs smoke alarms to LGs round-faced smartwatches.

Nest Labs software update for its smoke detector aimed at solving an issue that caused complaints earlier this year, with steam from humidifiers and other sources triggering false alarms. According the Nest, its new Steam Check algorithm reduces nuisance alarms by over half.

Nest has made less progress on another issue that has dogged the Google acquired-company – a feature that lets users silence false alarms by waving their hands in front of the device. Users have found that the wave feature could potentially prevent an alarm from sounding in the event of a fire, prompting in recall of more than 400,000 devices in April.

The feature was disabled with a software update and the recalled devices went back on sale in May, but Nest is yet to solve the problem of reintroducing the wave to dismiss feature.

South Korea electronics firm LG revealed some of the details behind its distinctive round-faced smartwatch, the G Watch R, which will be available for purchase on 14 October.

While the price and initial sales markets have yet to be disclosed, the company did reveal that the watch would be more expensive their its LG G Watch, which arrived in stores earlier this year, at a price of $230 (£140).

Microsoft used the IFA show to unveil its latest Nokia Lumia smartphones, which are aimed a price-conscious consumers. With the Lumia 730 Dual SIM, Lumia 735 and Lumia 830, the company hopes to break out of the two per cent market share it has been trapped in.

With Microsofts Cortana digital assistant and its Windows 8 OS gaining critical acclaim, the company is aiming to crack the mid-range market. The Lumia 830, its flagship phone, will be shipped later this month with a price tag of only €330 £$260), making it one of the least expensive smartphones on the market. The Lumia 730 Dual SIM and Lumia 735 will sell at even cheaper prices, costing just €199 and €219 respectively.