Electronics manufacturers, industry analysts and gadget pundits have gathered in Germany for the annual CeBIT conference, where a range of new products and technology has been unleashed on the public.
CeBit, also known as the Centre of Office and Information Technology, is the world’s largest computer-based exhibition and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the world.
While attendance has shrunk in the past few years, the industry is on a high in anticipation of improvement, after a disastrous performance in 2009 due to the financial crisis. With all eyes in the industry watching the event, companies large and small are using the opportunity to showcase some groundbreaking, and bizarre, technology.
Here are 10 of the most interesting gadgets currently being shown at the CeBIT conference.
Asus Keyboard PC: The name says it all. This is a keyboard with a PC, complete with a small 5-inch touch-screen for completing tasks when on the move.
Asus says the keyboard will come in a wired and unwired version, with a 1.6GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 16/32GB of memory, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, along with HDMI, USB and VGA ports. After a number of delays, Asus says the keyboard should be hitting shelves this year.
Android home phone: The growth of the mobile phone has seen the use of the home land line connection decline, especially with ISPs now introducing a range of Naked DSL deals designed to dismiss home connections altogether. But this handset from DSP Group is designed to put life back into the home phone.
The phone features a 3.5-inch touchscreen, built in Wi-Fi and all the features included in the Android OS. The company says users can email, listen to radio, download widgets and even use it as a remote control for other gadgets, in a move it is calling the “next evolution in home phones”.
Asus eReader: With all the talk surrounding the Apple iPad, other manufacturers are quick to have their eReaders put on the market. The Asus model, the DR-900, features a 9-inch touch screen with a 1024×768 resolution and is 9mm thick.
The device comes with Wi-Fi and optional 3G, with support for ePUB, PDF and TXT file formats along with MP3 files. It comes with 4GB of internal memory which can be expandable with an SD slot, and a 3.55mm headphone jack.
Samsung Photo Frame: Digital photo frames have been around for years, but Samsung is attempting to take the design a little further. The new 7-inch model the company has announced includes Wi-Fi with the ability to display images via RSS feeds.
The frame is designed to be paired with Windows Media Player 11, which can display photos stored in folders, with the model to hit shelves later this year.
USB LCD screen: Samsung also released a 19-inch TFT LCD monitor, the SyncMaster 940UX, designed to connect to a PC using USB ports, eliminating any need for a graphics card. The company says this will enable users with low-end computers to connect to monitors, along with users who want to control multiple monitors on one computer.
Hydra Software: Developer Christian Prause unveiled the unfinished Hydra Software, which allows users to control household electronics through mobile handsets.
Users can control washing machines, curtains, televisions, refrigerators and a number of other devices using the software. Prause said the technology would save users “time, energy and hassle”, but admitted there is still a lot to do before the software is commercially viable.
Aiptek PocketCinema: Manufacturer Aiptek showed off its PocketCinema at the conference, which is a pocket-sized media projector designed to connect with PCs and can display HD video. But the device is also a camcorder, which can record in HD at 720p and can take stills with an 8-megapixel resolution.
Internet refrigerator: Samsung dominated the conference with the announcement of a refrigerator with internet access which can display pictures and documents on a screen. The fridge comes with a 10-inch touchscreen with Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing users to monitor news and weather. However, it is unlikely it will be sold outside of South Korea.
TVBLOB: The Italian TVBLOB, operates as a media player and video recorder connected to television sets, and contains a 160GB hard drive, a DTT receiver, can operate through the internet and has its own customer browser.
Users can stream media from a PC on a wireless network, and view videos and pictures on YouTube and Picasa using in-built widgets. The device also comes with a software developer’s kit, with engineers encouraged to create widgets and apps of their own.
Brain-controlled Computer: Ever wanted to use a computer without your hands? New technology developed by Astria-based Guger Technologies allows users to take control of an online-avatar using nothing but their minds.
The Brain-Computer interface requires the use of a cap which measures electrical signals, transmitting them through the computer’s interface. Impressive, but the company says this technology won’t be commercially ready for a long, long time.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
