The best gadgets on display at the IFA show

The first week of September is when the great and the good of the technology world descend on Berlin for the annual IFA expo.

It is here that top manufacturers and many more popular brands - big and small - show off their latest and greatest wares, ready for the big Christmas rush.

Below we round-up some of the best technology and gadgets from the IFA showfloor. You better start saving those pounds now.

Perfectly Portable

When is a PC not a PC? When it's the Samsung Slate. This £999 device runs on Windows 7 just like your desktop computer and is powered by a fast Intel i5 processor. But instead of a big tower and monitor, it instead has a 11.6 touch screen tablet. This can turn on in just 15 seconds and is used traditionally with the included wireless Bluetooth keyboard and mouse or with fingers and a digital pen. Front and rear cameras, a proper USB port and also seven hours of battery life, make this ideal for life on the move.

No need for four eyes

There's one rubbish thing about watching 3D telly and that's having to wear those silly glasses. Toshiba obviously agree because the company has revealed the world's first glasses-free 3D TV - a massive 55 inch ZL2 model that even tracks the movement of your face to ensure the picture is crystal clear, bringing movies and shows to life in three dimensions right before your spec-free eyes.

Twist and shoot

Digital cameras haven't changed much over the years but Samsung have been at the forefront of any clever bits of innovation. They once released a snapper with a screen on the front so you could see yourself in self-portraits and now they've changed camera design again with the Samsung Multiview MV800.

It has a flip-out display screen to tilt up and down, allowing you to frame professional-looking shots from all angles. With 16.1 megapixels, a 5x optical zoom and a 26mm wide-angle lens, this camera will deliver picture perfect images every time.

Shut out and drive

The idea of Knight Rider's K.I.T.T. supercar becoming reality is now a step closer, with the launch of Ford Mykey. Thanks to a special key, the vehicle's top speed and even audio volume can be restricted meaning parents can lend out the motor to their offspring safe in the knowledge they can't take it over any speed they choose. Ford is also working on technology to allow its cars to take full advantage of wireless internet and all the cloud has to offer such as downloadable apps, software and voice control.

A double strength tablet

Sony are hoping to challenge Apple's iPad 2 with the launch of two Android tablet models, including the Sony Tablet P with its quirky folding design that makes it look like a book. Along with the Tablet S, both are the first tabs to be PlayStation certified to work with the original PlayStation titles that are on the way for Google's operating system.

A USB port and card reader make them very connectable for plugging in digital cameras and camcorders. Out in September, they're available for pre-order now, priced from £399.

Get the heads up on twitter

This £69.99 Bluetooth headset from Plantronics isn't simply for making calls from your car. The M1100 uses a special voice-recognition service called Vocalyst to connect up to your favourite social networks. Allowing you to tweet and update your Facebook status directly from your mouth, you can also send emails, listen to text messages and create reminders. The M1100 will use your mobile's internet connection and the Vocalyst app and works with iPhone, Android and BlackBerry smartphones.

IT phone home

With such cutting-edge mobile technology on offer, it's a wonder anyone even bothers with a dedicated telephone indoors. But this Archos 35 Smart Home Phone is a nice way of combining both. It runs on the Android operating system offering apps and smartphone-style software to bring the latest news, views and games straight to your hallway. It also has a webcam that can make video calls and for baby monitoring. Out later this month, it costs £129.

Time to see the future

It looks like a gadget out of Star Trek but this visor-style gizmo is actually the Personal 3D Viewer from Sony. Plug it into a Blu-ray drive, PlayStation 3 or mobile device and you can watch content appear in front of your eyes in high definition. You even get 5.1 virtual surround sound through the headphones.

Sony's James Forrester says: "The clarity of sound and picture that the Personal 3D Viewer is able to deliver makes it just like a mini-cinema that’s just for you." That should stop arguments over who controls the remote control.