Consumer Goods & Shopping

Midea's New Built-In Oven Hits 350°C for Pizzeria-Style Pizza at Home

Berlin – September 09, 2026 -- Midea has launched a built-in oven from its SpaceMaster series that reaches 350°C, a temperature rarely found in household appliances and typically reserved for professional pizzerias.

Most home ovens cap out at 250°C, too low for authentic pizza crust

Standard ovens max out around 250°C, sufficient for a casserole but not for the bubbled, leopard-spotted crust that defines great pizza. Achieving that texture has traditionally required a backyard brick oven or a delivery order.

The oven pairs 350°C heat with a built-in pizza stone

The SpaceMaster oven combines its high heat with an integrated pizza stone designed to absorb and transfer warmth directly to the dough, mimicking the baking surface of a traditional brick oven. Midea states the result is a pizza that goes from raw dough to pizzeria-quality in under three minutes, without becoming soggy or drying out.

Hisense Debuts AI Companion Suite for Kitchen, Laundry and Living Room at IFA 2026

Berlin – September 09, 2026 -- Hisense used IFA 2026 to unveil its AI Companion Suite, a ConnectLife-based lineup of connected appliances designed to automate cooking, laundry and climate control across the home.

A single question triggers the whole cooking process

Asking "What should I cook?" prompts the AI Companion Refrigerator to scan stored ingredients and suggest recipes based on personal preferences. Once a recipe is chosen, it syncs with the AI Companion Oven for automatic cooking, while the AI Companion Wine Cabinet recommends pairings and maintains storage conditions. After the meal, the AI-powered dishwasher reads the condition of dishes and adjusts its cycle accordingly.

Laundry gets automated sorting and washing decisions

The AI Companion Laundry Suite identifies fabric characteristics and automatically selects wash and dry programs, letting users load clothes and leave the rest to the machine.

Barcelona Legend Puyol Joins Midea at IFA 2026 to Showcase Smart Home Tech

Berlin – September 09, 2026 -- Former FC Barcelona captain Carles Puyol appeared at Midea's booth at IFA 2026 in Berlin, marking a public milestone in the five-year partnership between Midea and FC Barcelona.

Puyol joined Lewis Fu, president of Midea International, to present a personalized FC Barcelona jersey before touring the area dedicated to the Midea SMART MASTER and FC Barcelona collaboration.

Puyol recalls handing the captain's armband to Éric Abidal in 2011

During the appearance, Puyol recounted passing the captain's armband to Éric Abidal and inviting him to lift the UEFA Champions League trophy in 2011. He described leadership as valuing teammates, leading by example, and maintaining high standards until the final whistle.

LiberNovo Unveils Bigger, Sturdier Chairs at IFA 2026, Backs Special Olympics

Hong Kong – September 09, 2026 -- LiberNovo is showcasing its lineup of dynamic ergonomic chairs at IFA 2026 in Berlin, running September 4 through 8 at Messe Berlin, Hall 7, Stand 7.2a-105.

The centerpiece of the display is the new Maxis series, built specifically for taller, wider and heavier users rather than simply scaled up from a standard chair frame. The Omni Pro and Omni SE models round out the booth lineup.

VEVOR Lets Berlin Shoppers Test Bird Feeders, Vacuum Sealers at IFA 2026

Berlin – September 09, 2026 -- Home improvement brand VEVOR is letting IFA Berlin 2026 visitors handle 20 products in person at Hall 11.1, Stand 111, before the show closes on September 8.

Visitors watch heat presses and ultrasonic cleaners work in real time

At the heat press station, guests watch product-inspired graphics transfer onto tote bags. Nearby, an Ultrasonic Cleaner demonstration cleans a pair of glasses in three minutes.

A new Chamber Vacuum Sealer debuts globally ahead of its December launch

The unit offers Seal-Only, Jar Vacuum and Marinate modes for food preservation, marking its first public preview anywhere before a European rollout in December.

LiberNovo Debuts Bigger, Motorized Ergonomic Chairs at IFA 2026

Berlin – September 09, 2026 -- LiberNovo is showcasing its dynamic ergonomic seating lineup at IFA 2026, running September 4-8 at Messe Berlin, with a new Maxis series built for larger and taller users.

The company's stand sits in Hall 7, booth 7.2a-105, alongside the existing Omni Pro and Omni SE chairs. LiberNovo's Omni Pro has picked up two nominations at the IFA Innovation Awards, in the Best Design and Best Technology for Wellbeing and Accessibility categories.

Maxis chairs add nearly 21 inches of seat depth for bigger frames

Rather than scaling up a standard chair, LiberNovo designed Maxis specifically for taller, heavier and broader-framed users. The seat depth measures 52 cm (20.5 inches), paired with a wider cushion, reinforced frame, aluminum alloy base and four-way adjustable armrests meant to hold up through long work sessions, gaming or creative work.

Gorenje Signs Handball Star Mathias Gidsel as Brand Ambassador

Garching – September 09, 2026 -- Appliance maker Gorenje has announced a new partnership with handball player Mathias Gidsel, unveiled at IFA 2026. The deal ties the European home appliance brand to one of the sport's top current athletes.

Gidsel brings a trophy case built on Olympic and World titles

Gidsel is a three-time IHF World Handball Player of the Year, an Olympic champion, and a multiple World Championship winner. Gorenje frames the partnership around a shared belief that peak performance and personal success start at home, rather than focusing solely on his on-court achievements.

Gorenje's management links the deal to its brand mission

Janko Stern, a member of the Hisense Europe Management Board, said Gidsel represents discipline and authenticity, and that Gorenje aims to ease daily routines so people have the freedom to focus on what matters most.

IFA 2026: Global Tech Innovation Awards Spotlight AI Appliances, Robots, AR Glasses

Berlin – September 09, 2026 -- The Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (IFA), one of the world's largest consumer electronics trade shows, ran at Messe Berlin from September 4 to 8, 2026, and served as the stage for this year's Global Product Technology Innovation Awards (GPTIAwards).

The GPTIAwards, created in 2014 by the International Data Group (IDG) and the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), are held annually under IFA's support. Organizers screen thousands of international brands each year to identify standout innovations across the consumer electronics sector.

Hisense Unveils RGB MiniLED TVs and Eye-Comfort Certified Displays at IFA 2026

Berlin – September 09, 2026 -- Hisense used IFA 2026 to unveil a lineup of TVs, projectors and audio gear built around brighter colors and reduced eye strain, headlined by the European debut of its 116UXS Mini-LED television.

The Hisense Soundbar UX1 wins an IFA Innovation Award

The UX1 took top honors at the IFA Innovation Awards, while the 116UXS Mini-LED TV, the UR8 TV, the REGZA RGB-Mini-LED ZX-series TVs and the XR1 laser projector were named honorees.

The 116UXS reaches 110% of the BT.2020 color space

Built on Chromagic 2.0 technology, the 116UXS adds a dedicated cyan light source to its red, green and blue backlight, pushing color coverage to 110% of BT.2020. The set has earned both "Pantone Validated RGB MiniLED" and "Pantone Color" certification. It pairs peak brightness of 10,000 nits with the Hi-View AI Engine RGB and an Obsidian panel for what Hisense describes as improved color accuracy, contrast and depth.

ECOVACS Wins Two Gold Awards for Window Robot and Lawn Mower at IFA

Berlin – September 09, 2026 -- ECOVACS has picked up two Gold Awards at the 2026 IDG Global Product Technology Innovation Awards, presented during IFA Berlin, for robots that push automated cleaning beyond the living room floor.

The WINBOT W2S PRO OMNI wins for window-cleaning innovation

The window-cleaning robot took the Window Cleaning Robot Innovation Gold Award. Judges cited its intelligent frame detection, systematic deep-cleaning routine and enhanced safety mechanisms, features designed to handle hands-free window maintenance in households without user supervision.

The T1000 4WD Pro lawn mower earns edge-trimming recognition

ECOVACS' T1000 4WD Pro smart robotic lawn mower received the Smart Edge Trimming Technology Innovation Gold Award. The mower's four-wheel-drive mobility and intelligent path planning are built to navigate complex, uneven lawn layouts while trimming edges with high precision.