It’s that time of year again, where Channel 5’s massively successful Gadget Show takes to the stage for the Gadget Show Live 2014. Now we were lucky enough to visit the shows press day at the Birmingham NEC and to get a feel for all of the cool things on display at the event, and in-between your usual showings of high end tech and nifty home Gadgets, there is always a few hidden Cool things that you should check out.
Here is our top 5 cool things:
BIG FLAPPY BIRDS!
Just when you think the Flappy Birds moment had passed, here it comes back, rearing its massive head in the form of a giant Flappy bird competition game. Test your tapping skills out on a super screen in front of the crowd and see just how good you compare.
The already tough and pressure filled game is added too as you have to perform your flaps on a giant screen with dozens of people watching on. One wrong tap and it’s all over! We witnessed a young lady hit the high score of 28 easily, then calmly walk off. We expect by the time the week is over, that score will have been obliterated though.
Microsoft in full force
Microsoft’s Windows Phone and Windows 8 resurgence was showing full force at the gadget Show, with a he stand smack bang in the middle of the Exhibition hall. You can get your mitt’s on the latest Microsoft Surface 2 tablets, Microsoft Laptops, Windows 8.1 software and a whole host of Windows Phone 8 sporting devices.
We even had the chance to have a pay with Nokia’s newly announced Lumia 630 smartphone in a prototype form and get to see the new Windows Phone 8.1 running device in the flesh.
If you have been toying with the idea of upgrading your Laptop or PC in recent months, then the Microsoft Stand will surely tempt you to upgrade to one of its many Tablets or Laptops.
Digilegs…
Bit of an odd one here, but with most things Gadget, there is always a hint of fantasy attached, so at the GSL 2014 you should swing by the DigiLegs stand to see some ultra-cool stilts that will turn your legs into the hind quarters of a digitigrade animal.
It’s odd yes, but when you see some of the performers in full makeup it can be terrifying and intriguing all in one go. What’s more the firm has a few test units of the legs to trial out, so watching some haplessly willing soul try to navigate in the stilts for the first time is hilarious.
Additionally, the GSL is invigorated throughout the day with super tall cat like performers popping up around the show!
Samsung’s UHD and Curved Screen revolution
If you want to see the future of TV, pop into the Samsung trailer to have your mind blown with a selection of Samsung gorgeous UHD, Curved Screen and 4K televisions… and prepare to shout “Shut up and take my money” only to be disappointed.
Samsung have a selection of its 65 and 85inch 4K UHD display TV’s on show all of which blow your mind with its quality, but the real show stoppers are the HD Curved screens and the combination of the two in the UHD Curved Screen TV.
All of which are prototypes, so questions like “How Much” and “When can I get one” are met with mysterious responses, but it’s an amazing display of what technology has in store for us.
The Curved Screens show off the TV’s improved viewing angle, anti-glare and immersive details as you feel closer to the action. And the UHD version is even better with UHD Up scaling for non 4K recordings and Samsung PurColour makes the images vivid and more natural.
Sony gets its new handset wet!
Along with the Nokia Lumia 630 and the full range of Nokia Lumia devices you can try out and test the new Sony Xperia Z2 and its smartwatch features too. The Z2 is on display on the Sony stand when you can play with the latest Android device with a host of its new accessories.
Sony also have a cool underwater display where they are keen to show off the Z2’s waterproof prowess and if you catch the eye of the underwater assistant, they might even capture a sneaky pic of you and show you what they captured.
…The best of the rest
The GSL 2014 was a bit were fitness tracker/app crazy this year with brands like Fitbit, Fitbug (with 2 creepy morph suit guys to boot) Garmin, Sony and iHealth all showing off some form of Fitness accessory/wearable etch. There is so much competition; you would thing you are at a men’s health event for buff bods.
There was also a good showing for audio based products too, with Orig Audio showcasing some noise cancelling headphones, Cowin debuting a range of very load resonator speakers and iT7 Audio showing off some very crisp and gorgeous wireless headsets.