By Max Mathews For Mailonline

Updated: 14:31 EDT, 7 September 2023

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‘I’m not sure when the robots will take over but I sure am looking forward to it, I think it will be a lot of fun,’ a three-legged humanoid robot tells me.

Desdemona, as she’s known, then adds with an eerily emotionless tone: ‘Maybe this afternoon? Or in two minutes? Why not!’

DailyMail.com is at Berlin’s annual IFA tech show this week, the world’s largest and longest-running consumer electronics and home appliances conference.

It has been on the go since 1924 and is where the first television were launched – how far we’ve come in less than 100 years!

To take my mind off my slightly unnerving conversation with Desdemona, I go over to the video game section, where I’m told to try on a high-tech vest.

The ‘combat training simulator system’ imitates the feeling of being shot while wearing a bulletproof vest. Sound fun? It wasn’t.

DailyMail.com visited this year’s IFA at the Messe Berlin Exhibition Grounds on September 1.

Among the biggest tech news at the event was Samsung launching ‘next generation’ Bluetooth which will allow several people to connect to the same TV (for example) – but there were many off-beat and wild devices on show.

Now it brings tech companies and product launches from all around the world. 

Desdemona the three-legged robot 

Desdemona is made by Hanson Robotics and is considered a ‘little sister’ to the famous Sophia android who was granted Saudi Arabian citizenship in 2017.

Desdemona answers questions using a large language model similar to ChatGPT, made by artificial intelligence company SingularityNET – and responded in real time to DailyMail.com’s questions.

The company hopes that the robot – who claims to enjoy dancing – will become a pop star.

She tells DailyMail.com, ‘I am looking forward to learning more about the music and entertainment world here and showing off some of my moves. I’m like a robot on the dancefloor, efficient, precise and groovy.’

A TV in a suitcase

One of the stranger ideas on display was a TV inside a suitcase from Korean electronics giant LG.

The StanbyME Go costs $1,000, has a 27-inch screen, and can be swivelled round to any angle.

The TV weighs around 30lb, and has a 1080p LCD screen plus HDMI input to connect video players or games consoles.

The television has a built-in battery which lasts for three hours, so you can use it in the car or outdoors.

It comes with streaming apps including Disney+, Netflix and Apple TV preloaded.

A vest that makes you ‘feel’ bullet impacts in games

Billed as a ‘combat training simulator system’, Korean company Epin’s ‘metaverse’ shooter comes with a vest which makes you ‘feel’ bullet impacts.

You aim your rifle at the screen (moving it sideways to look around) and when the enemies hit you, the vest vibrates in a pretty alarming way.

You bump on the gun to reload or throw grenades, and it combines with the vibration from the vest to create an immersive feel. 

The version of the game on show at IFA works with a projector, but the game has also been shown paired with VR headsets.  

Robot bartenders and baristas

Artificial intelligence seems to be gunning for the world’s bartenders and baristas, with several units on display which can pour drinks – and even take payments.

Absolut’s Yanu system can not only pour gin and tonics, but also identify clients as they approach the bar, and take payments via a touchscreen system.

Developed in Estonia, the concept Yanu robot can serve up to 100 drinks per hour.

Unlike rival robo-bartenders, it takes just a few hours to set up and get working, its maker claims.

The HUENIT robot arm designed by South Korean start-up Supernova can make coffee, and also turn its hands to other tasks including 3D printing.

The AI camera built into HUENIT’s robot arm can recognise faces and objects, and it pairs with smartphones via Bluetooth for app control.

The arm can rotate up to 220 degrees and lift up to 26.5 ounces in weight.

A 265lb TV made of stone

The IFA show saw some of the earliest TV broadcasts in the world in the 1920s – and this year, German TV brand Loewe showed off a TV made of stone.

The Iconic TV – which was introduced in new stone finishes including midnight marble, diamond dust and ivory sands at IFA – is made of Syno-Stone, a material which is as solid, cool and heavy as stone.

Sets weigh a whopping 200lb.  

Syno Stone is a solid material which looks like concrete and is fully recyclable. 

This means that your stone TV can be made into another stone TV when you are finished with it.

The TV comes in 55-inch and 65-inch variants and has a sharp 4K OLED display.

A soundbar is built into the base of the TV which can plug into a full 5.1 surround system.

AI pet recogniser

Ever worried that your cat might not actually be your cat? Relax, Korean app Petnow has your back with a dog and cat recogniser.

Dogs’ noses are as unique as human fingerprints, the company says, and the app can recognise both dog noses and cat noses, so you can authenticate your cats.

The makers describe it as a ‘non-invasive alternative to microchips.’

The Seoul-based company claims that the biometrics have up to 99% accuracy.

The idea is that if an animal is lost, the finder can scan it in Petnow and reunite it with its owner.

Turn yourself into a metaverse puppet

An impressive demo from Korean company R2MIX allows you to control a 3D ‘metaverse’ avatar in real time – so it syncs to your face and fingers.

The company’s tech also enables AI-powered avatars and could be used to underpin virtual worlds where humans and AI interact together.

The AI avatars use ChatGPT to answer questions on screen, while the human-controlled versions ‘lip sync’ in time to your words. 

The company says that the service is aimed at video creators ‘who want to create video content using digital humans’.

Synchronised robot workers 

Another impressive demon the show floor showed multiple robot arms working together – normally robots work alone, even on factory production lines.

Maker Hydrabyte says, ‘If you put the robots close to each other, they will fail.

‘Therefore, we have dedicated Hydrabyte to the programming of multi-robot systems.’

The company works to ensure multiple robots – even different ones – can work together safely, and the demonstration of multiple robot arms swirling round each other was mesmerising.  

A TV which floats in water 

Sylvox showed off a television (well, a tablet) which can actually float on water and is completely waterproof.

The 15-inch Android tablet is completely waterproof, and comes with a stand to allow you to angle it.

The company wouldn’t let me float it on the stand as it’s a prototype device.

The concept device has Google TV built in, and includes a kickstand that also works as a handle.

Sylvox also makes fully waterproof models designed for use outdoors or in the bathroom.

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Silver service! West Ham’s Europa Conference League heroes pose for triumphant photos after winning their first European trophy in 58 years

By Tamara Prenn For Mailonline

Published: 18:48 EDT, 8 June 2023 | Updated: 20:28 EDT, 8 June 2023

A straw poll of conservatives revealed on Saturday that Donald Trump is strengthening his grip on the party grassroots, but also found that Gavin Newsom is viewed by many as the likely Democratic runner in 2024.

Only eight percent of attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas Texas thought that President Joe Biden will be on the ticket.

In contrast, 37 percent said they believed the California governor – who has been dinging Republican governors in Texas and Florida with newspaper and TV ads – will win the Democratic nomination. 

‘You’re saying it’s going to be Gavin Newsom,’ said pollster Jim McLaughlin to the crowd. 

‘What jumps out at me? Only eight percent think it’s gonna be Joe Biden.’

The White House has repeatedly said that Biden plans to run for a second term, despite misgivings among many in his party who think at age 82 he would be too old for another inauguration.

Less surprising was that the overwhelmingly hard right crowd plumped for Trump as the Republican nominee. He won 69 percent to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ 24 percent.

Last time around, in Florida in February, Trump’s lead was narrower – 59 to 28 – probably reflecting that the poll was in DeSantis’ home state. 

‘So you know how the mainstream media has been telling us his you know, influence in the party is waning,’ said McLaughlin. ‘Not at all. 

‘As a matter of fact, what’s happening is he’s more popular than ever. 

‘Let me know the next Republican that wins the Republican primary by running against the president and his agenda.’

If Trump decides not to run, DeSantis is the overwhelming favorite. He gets the vote of 65 percent of respondents and the former president’s son Don Jr. leaps into second place at eight percent.

Former Vice President Mike Pence barely registers with a crowd still furious that he refused to follow Trump’s orders to reverse the election result. He managed only 0.3 percent.

And other possible contenders managed only single digits. Sen. Ted Cruz took two percent and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley had the support of one percent.

Trump has yet to declare a run, but has repeatedly hinted that he will stand again.

While he retains a strong grip on the grassroots of the party, some key donors and leaders fear his unfounded complaints of election rigging will turn off independents and swing voters. 

That he would win the CPAC straw poll was never in doubt.

But the poll also showed how attendees had lapped up the Trump agenda.

It found that they ranked election integrity and the border wall as the two most important issues.

The exhibitors’ hall at the Hilton Anatole hotel, was filled with Trump merchandise, MAGA hats were everywhere and the former president’s likeness could be seen on cardboard cutouts and T-shirts.

The conference heard from speaker after speaker who claimed that Trump was the best candidate to win back the White House.

‘I believe that you in the conservative movement in this country are very lucky to have a man who since he left office looks like he’s lost about 20 pounds,’ said Nigel Farage, Britain’s best-known Brexit campaigner, whose 2016 referendum win came months before Trump’s victory.

‘The weight of the world is coming off his shoulders. His nominees are winning the primaries, and I believe Donald Trump is the man to go out there and fight on behalf of America and the Western world.’

The key question for attendees was not so much who should run in 2024, but what DeSantis – who occupies the same political territory as Trump with a younger face – should do with his new national profile.

Shane Trejo, of Republicans for Renewal, said both men were the sort of leaders that the grassroots party should be trying to emulate. 

‘I think it would make a lot of sense for Trump to run in 2024 and then DeSantis to finish what he’s doing in Florida, make Florida a red state for generations to come, and then run in 2028,’ said Trejo.

‘DeSantis is a young man… that seems to be best for the for the party and to keep the movement from fracturing.’

Around him the exhibitors hall at the Dallas Hilton offers their own straw poll.

Patriot Mobile’s booth hawks its phone plans beside a cardboard figure of Trump dressed like Rambo. 

Stalls sell ‘Don’t blame I voted for Trump’ T-Shirts.

And the story of the Russia investigation is on sale in the form of a children’s fairytale book.

Trejo’s stall is one of the few that features DeSantis in a poster with the quote: ‘America needs a new generation of leaders.’ On the other side is Trump: ‘You’ll never take back our country with weakness.

Although Trump is front and center, DeSantis has made a strong showing in recent months, and has used his position in Florida to generate national headlines.

His opposition to vaccine mandates made him a conservative figurehead during the pandemic. And he has spent the past year aligning himself with parents as he battles what he describes as ‘woke indoctrination in our schools.’

His Parental Rights in Education Act, nicknamed ‘Don’t Say Gay’ by critics, outlaws any instruction involving sexual orientation or gender identity in the earliest grades.

And on Thursday he made national headlines again when he suspended the elected state prosecutor of Tampa for refusing to enforce the state’s new 15-week abortion ban. 

With that sort of profile he now runs a consistent second to Trump among Republicans asked to pick their favoured nominee for 2024. And last month, he overtook the former president in a Florida poll for the first time.

The result has been a slew of stories that Trump and DeSantis are fighting for control of the party. 

That has got some Trump allies rattled.

A group inside the former president’s inner circle has been pushing Trump to announce his run sooner rather than later, and head off DeSantis before he gets more purchase.

Trump will almost certainly tease the idea of a 2024 run in his Saturday speech. Yet questions remain about whether he will ultimately trade in his daily round of golf and string-free fundraising life for a campaign back in the media spotlight and the financial constraints of the Federal Election Commission.

But the consensus at the conference was that Trump is still the man and DeSantis’s moment will come later. 

Martha Johnson, 69, a retired systems analyst who traveled from Mississippi said she wanted Trump to be the candidate in 2024.

‘I would have to say Trump because DeSantis will have another term in Florida,’ she said. ‘He has a job to do there.’ 

The two inhabit the same political nook of the Republican party. And Trump world insiders insist the idea that the two would fight each other for the nomination is a media creation, and that they would likely reach a deal that would accommodate the ambitions of both. 

Kevin Caldwell compared Trump with famed oil well firefighter Red Adair, making him just the sort of leader to battle the crises facing the country.

‘I do think a guy like DeSantis – the class that he brings to the table, the education he brings to the table, his overall ability to get things done in a bipartisan manner, the way he’s also willing to stand up to critics – is going to be a necessary component,’ he said.

‘I just think it’s too early for that.’

West Ham fan joins Mark Noble on a run through Prague – with beer in hand – in hilarious video as part of ‘Hammers celebrity bingo’ game ahead of Europa Conference League final with Fiorentina

By Dominic Hogan For Mailonline

Published: 02:26 EDT, 7 June 2023 | Updated: 02:26 EDT, 7 June 2023

A furious husband was caught on camera slapping a doctor at a medical conference in Maryland after accusing him of sexually assaulting his wife in 2016. 

The video, which was shot last month during the annual meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) in Baltimore, sees the man walking up to the podium and hurling insults.

The acoustics of the room and nearby microphone ensure that every word is crystal clear for all to hear, with even the crack of each slap against the man’s face reverberating around the meeting room.

The audience member, who has not been named, could be seen grabbing the doctor, who was a panelist on the podium, by his shirt before slapping him with his hand.    

The assaulted doctor has been identified as a gynecologic oncology doctor at Stony Brook University Cancer Center in Long Island, New York, according to WMAR.  He has not been named as he has not been charged with a crime.

‘This mother****** sexually assaulted my wife seven years ago,’ the audience member announce before slapping the panelist. ‘You know what you did. You touched my wife 7 years ago in New York. Don’t be an a******. B****!’, he says slapping him again.

‘This is for all men who sexually assault women,’ he went on. ‘Be a f***ing man!’

The audience member is so upset as he makes his accusations he declares the assault on the doctor panelist is for all men who harm women in such a manner.

He emphasizes that his wife has been suffering due to his alleged predatory actions. 

A woman calls out, ‘Security!’ – which only enrages the man further.

‘You can call security, the police! I don’t give a f***!’ 

At one point, an individual off-camera can be heard laughing prompting the audience member to return to the panelists’ table and confront the doctor once again.

‘Seven years I’ve been waiting for this. Seven years! My wife is suffering because you are a f***ing predator,’ he states. ‘And you know what you did! Don’t be a f***ing b***h! You touched my wife! This a****** like to touch women.’

The incident led to a police investigation after officers were called to the conference center to handle the physical assault.

Following the conference, ACOG issued a statement apologizing for the incident.

‘Security protocols were followed, and the situation was rapidly addressed by plainclothes security and eventually the Baltimore Police Department. We apologize to those who may have been affected by the incident or subsequent exchanges. ACOG does not condone violence in any form,’  the ACOG said in a statement.

It goes on: ‘We recognize that those who witnessed the incident in person or online may have experienced trauma as a result, including many of you who have experienced sexual assault or other violence in the past.’ 

The doctor who was assaulted declined to press charges or file a report against the man, preferring instead that the husband be simply escorted off the premises, according to the Baltimore Police Department. 

None of the panelists have commented on what had occurred before them. 

EXCLUSIVE: West Ham plan to turn the Olympic Park into a huge fan zone if they reach the Europa Conference League final… with thousands set to be disappointed with just 5,000 tickets available in Prague

• West Ham hold a 2-1 lead over AZ Alkmaar going into the second-leg next week
• The Fortuna Arena holding the final has capacity for a fraction over 20,000 
• Allocations for both of the finalists would receive around just 5,000 fans 

By Riath Al-Samarrai for MailOnline

Published: 06:56 EDT, 12 May 2023 | Updated: 07:18 EDT, 12 May 2023