0:00:04 > 0:00:14be paid out, what will happen if it starts running into trouble?
0:00:14 > 0:00:14
0:00:14 > 0:00:24Now on BBC News it is time for Click.
0:00:24 > 0:00:35
0:00:35 > 0:00:39Do not change channel. Do not change channel. This week on The
0:00:39 > 0:00:45Thick Of It, we are back at the IFA technology show to witness the
0:00:45 > 0:00:50future. From thought power would a TV remote, too smart house lights.
0:00:50 > 0:00:56We will meet the smart -- the smaller companies try to get a big
0:00:56 > 0:01:06ideas noticed. And we will talk to two audio visionaries, the inventor
0:01:06 > 0:01:10
0:01:10 > 0:01:16of the MP3. Welcome to Click. Well come back to
0:01:16 > 0:01:20Berlin. Last week, we saw a time of new devices been launched at the
0:01:20 > 0:01:25IFA technology expo which was taking place just down the road.
0:01:25 > 0:01:30They are or hitting a shop near you very soon. But while the product
0:01:30 > 0:01:35managers were busy pushing their toys, some other organisations were
0:01:35 > 0:01:42showing off staff which is a few years ahead of its time.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46Some ideas are further off than others. For many years, there has
0:01:46 > 0:01:50been a bubbling interest in brainwaves. We have seen a number
0:01:50 > 0:01:56of companies attempting to detect electrical brain activity and use
0:01:56 > 0:02:02it to control simple devices. Hit- out, Chinese technology out bit
0:02:02 > 0:02:07Haier were showing a simple video game where the play at tries to
0:02:07 > 0:02:11blow up barrels by thought alone. The eventual idea is to change TV
0:02:11 > 0:02:17channels simply by thinking about it. The problem at the moment is
0:02:17 > 0:02:21that only two brain states can be detected with any accuracy. It
0:02:21 > 0:02:25would translate to change channel and do not change channel. There
0:02:25 > 0:02:30was no allowance for whether you want to go up and down a programme
0:02:30 > 0:02:34guide. But sometimes were changing research it takes decades to come
0:02:34 > 0:02:40to a fruition. It is something that this man knows all too well. After
0:02:40 > 0:02:46more than 20 years of research, he finally complete changed the world
0:02:46 > 0:02:50of music with his innovation, the MP3. Once upon a time in the late
0:02:50 > 0:02:5570s, there was a professor in Germany who thought it should be
0:02:55 > 0:03:02possible to transmit audio over ISDN lines. A couple of years later,
0:03:02 > 0:03:12he got a PhD student interested in this, that was myself. A number of
0:03:12 > 0:03:16
0:03:16 > 0:03:23years, it did not really go forward. There was a meeting in London in
0:03:23 > 0:03:291992. Depending on whom you ask, it was five-ten years and will the
0:03:29 > 0:03:33rest -- the rest of the one noticed. At this year's IFA, they were
0:03:33 > 0:03:37demonstrating ideas that were much closer to being ready, if anyone
0:03:37 > 0:03:42buys into them. This is an interactive shop window, allowing
0:03:42 > 0:03:48shoppers to browse and buy, even when the shop is closed. The giant
0:03:48 > 0:03:513D infrared sensor catches gestures in the same way as the Xbox Kinect,
0:03:51 > 0:03:55although this one can already trapped subtle movements in
0:03:55 > 0:04:00individual fingers, something that Microsoft is also -- is still
0:04:00 > 0:04:05working on. How do you stream high- definition video to a portable
0:04:05 > 0:04:09device that refuses to keep still? Traditional wi-fi is not fast
0:04:09 > 0:04:17enough to cope with all the data, so how about using visible light
0:04:17 > 0:04:24instead? By flickering over head LEDs on and off, it may be possible
0:04:24 > 0:04:31to transfer those all important ones and zero is at speeds of 800
0:04:31 > 0:04:36mbps, it is a tin ear being dumped as hi-fi. -- it is a technique.
0:04:36 > 0:04:41This is leaked way version. They are receiving their own Datastream
0:04:41 > 0:04:45and sending their own Datastream back up using a light transmitter.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49Although these two computers have Web cameras attached, the output
0:04:49 > 0:04:57for one is being steamed up to another, and the output form one is
0:04:57 > 0:05:02being streamed back to that laptop screen. In the future, data can be
0:05:02 > 0:05:06streamed due whereby you had a light source. Traffic lights can
0:05:06 > 0:05:09been traffic information to your car as it passes by. The
0:05:09 > 0:05:15researchers say that visible light communication is visible when
0:05:15 > 0:05:19normal radio wi-fi is undesirable, in example, in hospitals. It is
0:05:19 > 0:05:23also more secure because it does not leave the room. It is not the
0:05:24 > 0:05:27case that researchers can always go off and explore any area they feel
0:05:27 > 0:05:33like. There were cost money, and that often comes from large
0:05:33 > 0:05:43technology companies in the whores in IFA. It can mean that you become
0:05:43 > 0:05:45
0:05:45 > 0:05:50a slave to fashion. -- in the halls. In Germany and all over the world,
0:05:50 > 0:05:57conserving the environment, e- mobility, better cars, all that is
0:05:57 > 0:06:02in fashion. That is good. On the other hand, a lot of other things
0:06:02 > 0:06:06that I think should be more in fashion, such as laying the
0:06:06 > 0:06:16groundwork, my true it -- Micro Electronics is out of fashion in
0:06:16 > 0:06:16
0:06:16 > 0:06:26Europe. If you are talking about the shrinking computer? That is
0:06:26 > 0:06:26
0:06:27 > 0:06:31part of it. The basis for tomorrow's equipment. Tomorrow's
0:06:31 > 0:06:36equipment may not be made of rigid silicone chips installed -- at all,
0:06:36 > 0:06:40but instead flexible electronics, printed on to bendable polymers. 1
0:06:40 > 0:06:45Y are doing that is to use a printer such as this one, which is
0:06:45 > 0:06:48being developed by a Japanese researcher. It is capable of
0:06:48 > 0:06:55producing darts and lines more than ten times denied them traditional
0:06:55 > 0:07:02printers. -- ten times thinner. With the global economy still
0:07:02 > 0:07:05reeling from the crash of 2008, is R&D Investment suffering, were the
0:07:05 > 0:07:15crowds at future technology shows been treated to anything new at
0:07:15 > 0:07:20all? I have not seen any group of companies that have a lot of money
0:07:20 > 0:07:25to spend. Everybody looks after the bottom line. Does that mean that
0:07:25 > 0:07:32R&D is suffering at the moment? is always suffering, that is
0:07:32 > 0:07:36nothing new. It is a bit disappointing if you know that you
0:07:36 > 0:07:41talk about development of some technology costing half a million
0:07:41 > 0:07:50in total, and then they have five more million dollars to do the
0:07:50 > 0:07:54marketing. One of the options open to the larger tech companies is to
0:07:54 > 0:08:00let the smaller guys come up with the idea, go through the pain of
0:08:00 > 0:08:05development, and then just to buy take a look at how the smaller
0:08:05 > 0:08:10innovators are weathering the financial storm. Now it is time for
0:08:10 > 0:08:16this week's tech news. Microsoft has been showing off more of its
0:08:16 > 0:08:23next operating system, Windows 8. This version is designed to work
0:08:23 > 0:08:28with PCs and tablets, in a bid to challenge Apple's IOS and Google's
0:08:28 > 0:08:32Android operating systems. It will feature a large, easy to hit a
0:08:32 > 0:08:39patch green tiles and controls, which should improve on the fiddle
0:08:39 > 0:08:45the ones that made Windows 7 such a woeful experience. It is due to
0:08:45 > 0:08:52launch in 2012. As Windows moves to arm, Android is moving to Intel.
0:08:52 > 0:09:02The next generation of its smartphone OS will be operating on
0:09:02 > 0:09:03
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Intel's atom protesters. -- processors. It looks like
0:09:06 > 0:09:12Hollywood's Scarlett Johansson could be the latest victim of
0:09:12 > 0:09:22computer hackers. Naked photos were leaked online. The FBI says it has
0:09:22 > 0:09:25launched an investigation. They went on to say that dozens of stars
0:09:25 > 0:09:32have had personal information stolen from e-mail and other
0:09:32 > 0:09:36accounts. Last week we heard from Richard
0:09:36 > 0:09:41Taylor, Dan Simmons and Mark Cieslak on developments in their
0:09:41 > 0:09:47chosen fields of tech. While there were making their reports, a few
0:09:47 > 0:09:52other Brandon James caught their collective attentions.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56The big boys at IFA is pushing 3D on the consumer at every single
0:09:57 > 0:10:00angle, including laptops. This machine has glasses with 3D
0:10:00 > 0:10:05technology, which is basically a lenticular screen with a little bit
0:10:06 > 0:10:10of software which is connected to the web camera. It looks for your
0:10:11 > 0:10:15face, and then very subtly, it shifts or where the focus of the
0:10:15 > 0:10:18image is, it needs to do this to try and create a 3D switch box. So
0:10:18 > 0:10:28the image has always looked like they are falling behind the actual
0:10:28 > 0:10:36screen. If I move around a little bit, it subtly shifts. If you get
0:10:36 > 0:10:42bored of watching 3D, you can simply flip off the screen, and
0:10:42 > 0:10:46then get back to plain altar 2D. We are used to our smartphone as
0:10:46 > 0:10:49being able to do absolutely anything, but this new one from
0:10:50 > 0:10:55Korea Telecom wants to be part of everything you carry around with
0:10:55 > 0:11:00you. For example, take this tablet. It does not have any processes or
0:11:00 > 0:11:04storage inside, the guts of the machine is provided by your phone,
0:11:04 > 0:11:10and it is waiting to be connected so that when you pop it in the back,
0:11:10 > 0:11:15the Android a 2.3 operating system under a smartphone ditch you this
0:11:15 > 0:11:20rather nice 10 inch screen on which to play. You can take it a stage
0:11:20 > 0:11:25further as well. We have seen the occasional phone that slots into
0:11:25 > 0:11:30the tablets, but Katie's Spider Phone, due out in November in South
0:11:30 > 0:11:37Korea, is designed with several add-ons in mind. It is the first
0:11:37 > 0:11:45with a jaw called 1.5GHz processor, making it most part -- more
0:11:46 > 0:11:50powerful than most Netbooks. Each part has its own battery, and all
0:11:50 > 0:11:55can share the phone's 3G data connection. With this set-up, you
0:11:55 > 0:12:00are stuck with a smartphone version of Android, rather than one
0:12:00 > 0:12:06designed for a larger screen. A lot of phones have an HDMI cable
0:12:06 > 0:12:13slot, so you can put the big game on the big screen. You can get is
0:12:13 > 0:12:22fine talks to the Controller of via Bluetooth. When you start playing,
0:12:22 > 0:12:28it is also -- it is almost like you are not playing a phone game at all.
0:12:28 > 0:12:37MP3 docks are a hallmark of trade shows, but this is one of that is
0:12:38 > 0:12:45scaling new heights. It is the brainchild of Jean-Michel Jarre. He
0:12:45 > 0:12:55took some time out to explain what I was witnessing. It is delivering
0:12:55 > 0:12:56
0:12:56 > 0:13:0610,000 watts. For public spaces, hotels, and for smaller venues, for
0:13:06 > 0:13:13concerts, if your ceiling is high enough up. It is sort of an audio
0:13:13 > 0:13:21totem for the industry, saying that we are ready and to get back with
0:13:21 > 0:13:27Every time we two to a trade show there's one stand in the corner.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32Not run by a huge corporate, but a smaller company with a big idea.
0:13:32 > 0:13:38What inspires these people. Do they really have the next big thing? LJ
0:13:38 > 0:13:43Rich has been tracking the tech entrepreneurs trying to get noticed.
0:13:43 > 0:13:50The age-old problem in a crowded marketplace - making your product
0:13:50 > 0:13:59stand out. This year 1400 Exhibitors plyed their wears,
0:13:59 > 0:14:06hoping to induce buyers. These video recording sunglasses, 720P,
0:14:06 > 0:14:12HD among the few. It shows style is as important as function,
0:14:12 > 0:14:17reflecting the direction. Consumer electronic industry. Big business
0:14:17 > 0:14:22can make products faster, cheaper and better quality. An advantage of
0:14:22 > 0:14:29smaller outfits is they can move quickly. To get a wider audience,
0:14:29 > 0:14:36they need help. Here is a phone with no internal power, turning any
0:14:36 > 0:14:42object into a 1 wt speaker. Public transport could be a nightmare with
0:14:42 > 0:14:48it. Along with 27, Taiwan's Raytech is looking for a distributor in the
0:14:48 > 0:14:52EU. The first one was 3,000 units. All the boxes on display show
0:14:52 > 0:14:59different packaging options. Judging by the interest of passers-
0:14:59 > 0:15:03by, he should have made a few more units to sell and a side business
0:15:03 > 0:15:09in earplugs. The opportunities of south-east Asian companies to
0:15:09 > 0:15:16attract European buyers does not come cheap. You look at $3,000 for
0:15:16 > 0:15:21a stall in the back of beyond. This one-handed tablet holder might take
0:15:21 > 0:15:26on a usual fare. What's wrong with using a finger. Imagine making
0:15:26 > 0:15:30detailed drawings or arranging fe. In character based languages like
0:15:30 > 0:15:36Chinese and Japanese, there's the gap in the market. Whether it's big
0:15:36 > 0:15:45enough to make a profit is another matter. Like the others. Robotics
0:15:45 > 0:15:53master has come to IFA looking for European rengs. Jack the Ripper's
0:15:53 > 0:15:57latest product is a $50 -- Jin Sato's latest product is a ladybird.
0:15:57 > 0:16:06Powered by two electric toothbrush motors, it recognised black and
0:16:06 > 0:16:16white squares, turning them into one of 64 commands. It's a unit in
0:16:16 > 0:16:19
0:16:19 > 0:16:27Japan exported to India, Korea. They cannot afford so I believe my
0:16:28 > 0:16:33smaller one will help many people. Don't we all. After tracing the
0:16:33 > 0:16:37shofer, I'm not the only one that could do with a back rub. These
0:16:37 > 0:16:43vests look clumsy. The patient sticks in their hands for pressure
0:16:43 > 0:16:51on the shoulder, it's pleasant. So it should. The good feeling coming
0:16:51 > 0:16:56a at a barg ain $100, Darth Vader would have less stressed if he
0:16:56 > 0:17:00swapped his helmet for a face mask. I felt the force under here. They
0:17:00 > 0:17:05shib 60,000 a month. As an entrepreneur knows, shipping means
0:17:05 > 0:17:11the product is delivered to someone else's warehouse. Ending up in our
0:17:11 > 0:17:16house makes a difference to the bottom line. LJ Rich, loving the
0:17:17 > 0:17:22head mass anger, I'm having a bit of that -- massager, I'm having a
0:17:22 > 0:17:28bit of that later. Hands up who stares at a computer model most
0:17:28 > 0:17:33days. Pretty much our crew. And who spends a good part of every evening
0:17:33 > 0:17:39doing the same. If you find that the bright monitor is causing arm
0:17:39 > 0:17:44strain as darkness falls, what you need is a bit of Flux in your life.
0:17:44 > 0:17:49Kate Russell explains more. Computer monitors are set up to
0:17:49 > 0:17:54look good in the daytime, when the LCD competes with sunlight
0:17:54 > 0:18:01streaming through the window. You may not realise the strain on your
0:18:01 > 0:18:10eyes at night, so says Flux, a widget that dims the screen to
0:18:10 > 0:18:15something more intimate in the evening. I don't know if there's an
0:18:15 > 0:18:19official medical evidence to support the eye strain theory,
0:18:19 > 0:18:25after installing Flux I didn't notice the gentle warming of my
0:18:25 > 0:18:30screen, until I turned to my second PC, killed the screen saver and was
0:18:30 > 0:18:35almost blinded by the glare. Once installed you set the location and
0:18:35 > 0:18:40specify how warm you want the screen to be in the evening and
0:18:40 > 0:18:45leave the software to transition from day to night, giving your eyes
0:18:45 > 0:18:52the most comfortable ride possible. There are free downloads for
0:18:52 > 0:18:59Windows, Mac and Linux. There's an overright button when you work on
0:18:59 > 0:19:06colour sensitive products late into the night. Launching a successful
0:19:06 > 0:19:11networking site is no mean feat on today's socially saturated web.
0:19:11 > 0:19:16This presents itself as a Twitter model with a twist. Giving you 2
0:19:16 > 0:19:22minutes of simple to record audio rather than 140 characters, calling
0:19:22 > 0:19:27itself a vocal social network. Like any social networking start-up it
0:19:27 > 0:19:32needs a critical mass of users to make it a success. They are not
0:19:32 > 0:19:37there yet. If you feel like a gossip and don't want to type into
0:19:37 > 0:19:40a internet text box, this could be a good place to hook up.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45# I don't want to # Talk about it. This is Kate
0:19:45 > 0:19:50Russell. Bear in mind all posts are public. Be careful what you choose
0:19:50 > 0:19:56to gossip about. You can follow people, recording reply messages,
0:19:56 > 0:20:06creating a string like what a text network is. My only gripe is lack
0:20:06 > 0:20:08
0:20:08 > 0:20:14of control when listening. Roll back options would be nice. If you
0:20:14 > 0:20:20are looking for something cool to do with your windows phone 7, take
0:20:20 > 0:20:27a look at Timedancer an episodic sci-fi series fuseing video and
0:20:27 > 0:20:31gaming to create an engaging experience. It is well-known that
0:20:31 > 0:20:36the Timedancer corporation used time travel tech for years with no
0:20:36 > 0:20:40supervision from... You make choices along the way to unlock
0:20:41 > 0:20:48Click, carving is class through a narrative a bit like the fighting
0:20:48 > 0:20:53fantasy games you used to get when you make a choice and turn to a
0:20:53 > 0:20:58particular page. This has great- quality video. The downside is you
0:20:58 > 0:21:02have to watch the video through a cloud of greasy finger marks on the
0:21:02 > 0:21:08screen. The first episode is free to give you a taste and after that
0:21:08 > 0:21:13you'll have to pay for downloads. It's a well produced app with a
0:21:13 > 0:21:18great story. You can enjoy it more than once, which is probably just
0:21:18 > 0:21:24as well, considering how little content there is out there for the
0:21:24 > 0:21:29windows phone. If you are a rugby fan, you might have noticed a big
0:21:29 > 0:21:34event is going on right now. The Rugby World Cup 2011 reaching a
0:21:34 > 0:21:44climax towards the end of October. Keep up with the latest fixtures
0:21:44 > 0:21:45
0:21:45 > 0:21:49and news at the official website. They have free apps for the major
0:21:49 > 0:21:54mobile form at, as well as keeping you up to date with matches and
0:21:54 > 0:22:02results, includes information about the players and teams, and a
0:22:02 > 0:22:07regular dose of video highlight. If you happen to own an iPhone or iPad,
0:22:07 > 0:22:11there's another app you can download. Rugby World Cup calendar
0:22:11 > 0:22:142011. It's free with supporting banners. There's no video, it's
0:22:14 > 0:22:19been really well put together with loads of information on the players
0:22:19 > 0:22:24and an indepth run down of the rules. So if your other half is not
0:22:24 > 0:22:34a rugby fan and bothers you with questions during the match, hand
0:22:34 > 0:22:36
0:22:36 > 0:22:42them the iPhone and crack open more beers. Finally, I wanted to give a
0:22:42 > 0:22:46quick shout out to Posterous who implementeded a well overdue revamp
0:22:46 > 0:22:53of their blogging platform, the overhaul positions the site to
0:22:53 > 0:22:59compete with People Plus and Facebook. Focusing on sharing
0:22:59 > 0:23:02retaining core values. Worth another look if you have left your
0:23:02 > 0:23:08poor Posterous to gather kust in your hard drive over the last
0:23:08 > 0:23:13couple of years. The mobile apps had a makeover, I had to download
0:23:13 > 0:23:19it again, it didn't update automatically. That was Kate
0:23:19 > 0:23:26Russell and Webscape. That's it from Click in Berlin, I hope you
0:23:26 > 0:23:35enjoyed our jaunt around IFA. Get in touch on our website or tweet us.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39Don't forget everything at IFA is on the website. On this week's
0:23:39 > 0:23:43podcast we'll talk to broadcaster and author who delved into the