There’s no better time to be a women who is interested in technology than today, as the world’s largest technology expo: IFA has been held in Berlin, Germany over the past week.

While IFA is still lagging behind in actually creating a specific marketing channel to women about these technologies, the Connectedwomen team has spent the past week sifting through the reports from the expo to bring you the latest and the best news.

In our Plugged In section, Dannielle Cesta explains why you need to know about 3D technology, which essentially enables you to see a multidimensional picture on a variety of mediums. But while most of the attention is being focussed on the digital technologies, many manufacturers are also rolling out some hi-tech products for the rest of the home.

Here are some of my favourites:

Induction cookers that tell you when the potatoes are done
In the future, global appliance giant Electrolux will sell induction cookers equipped with the MaxSight display. This is a touchscreen for fingertip adjustment of the hot plate settings, and the cooking time for each hotplate is also displayed, the heat intensity being indicated by changes in colour from pale to dark red. The display also informs the cook whether the pan is too small for a particular hotplate, and whether, for example, potatoes have been cooking for long enough. It is even possible that future generations could use such displays to send text messages.

Washers that take out all the nasties
Meanwhile, allergy sufferers can now breathe a sigh of relief, or perhaps just breathe, as one of the new Electrolux washing machines, according to the company eliminates “between 90 and 100 per cent of all allergens”. This involves keeping the water temperature at 60 degrees for a particularly long time, the clothes are rinsed one more time than is usual, and spun at a later stage in the cycle, so that solid pathogens are rinsed out. The AntiAllergy Association has tested these appliances and found them to be effective.

...and do away with mould
Chinese home appliance manufacturer Haier has obtained world patent rights to the blue seals for washing machine doors, and these are fitted to a new series of machines with a capacity of eight kilograms. They are made of a material which prevents the formation of mould.

Fridges that you can speak to
This AFT630IX refrigerator also from Haier comes with something extra besides its no-frost technology, automatic ice maker and a fresh food compartment. If you want to make up your shopping list, just press the “Message” key on the TFT display in the fridge door look into the camera and speak.

Wine coolers that are part of the furniture
Haier's built-in wine coolers are fitted with low-vibration compressors with a noise level of just 42 decibels. The company said that styling is an important aspect because it regards these appliances as part of the furniture.

Cappuccinos prepared under the milk spray
Melitta’s fully automated Caffeo Lattea coffee maker can also be used to make cappuccino even without milk, using the so-called milk spray. Milk powder, in the flavours of normal, caramel, vanilla, chocolate or spicy chai is placed in a dishwasher-proof, spoon-like container. The Caffeo Lattea then sprays hot water onto the powder, and a shower of foaming milk is sprayed out of the nozzle on the container and into the cup of glass. The company says its target group is frequent travellers, who don’t always have fresh milk in the house.

A very tiny cappuccino machine
German company, WMF AG debuted what is certainly the world’s smallest pad coffee maker. Smaller than a telephone directory, the one-button pad machine fits any desk and can prepare fresh coffee in less than one minute.

At the other extreme, WMF previewed the Prestolino speciality coffee machine that makes 70 cups in a day, and offers 12 programmable specialities, as well as the ability to heat milk and water, and has been designed with medium sized offices or the small business sector in mind. The touchscreen can be used to programme an extravagant macchiato break. Some of these machines are already equipped with a zero energy function. Even when a machine is turned off it is still consuming energy, something that this new function avoids. And if you forget to turn the machine off, an automatic cut-off device turns off the power supply.

I feel quite excited about all these products because they don’t just deliver a new technology, but can show how that innovation will improve our lives. Today, I can’t think of anything better than a tiny coffee machine that sits on my desk and brews a coffee in a minute.

Whoever brings this to the Australian market quickly will be a winner!