CeBIT in Hanover (Germany), it is still the largest computer trade fair worldwide, even with having shrunk in the past years — this year again with fewer exhibitors and fewer visitors. Some companies though have a CeBIT booth for the first time, like the Web gigant Google. Google has built a booth — and now have a guess what they are showcasing there: The search engine? Their online services? Google Earth? Not at all. They show something completely different — and you would be really surprised.
Google Streetview
Now it is not black limousines anymore rolling through the cities, but multicolor painted ones — let’s call them artworks. Much more elegant, true? Will this convince Google Streetview’s adversaries? Hardly, I’d say. A really strange booth, the Google one. Instead of showing products and telling people about the services, Google only does PR. Really surprising.
3D television
To make 3D television possible, everything has to be recorded differently. In 3D, that is. And the devices have to be 3D-ready as well, even computers that should show games in 3D. Well, honestly spoken, I don’t think this trend will succeed.
Subtleties of the Fraunhofer Institute
It is more interesting what the Fraunhofer Institute is playing around with. Namely, they are working on threedimensional objects literally hovering in the air – and that can be moved and directed by hand gestures. Kind of a hologram, somewhat like in the Minority Report movie. So that is what researchers are currently working on — very impressive.
Not much of news for normal computer users
For normal computer users, there are not really that many news on the trade fair. Microsoft presents the new Office 2010, that is, Word, Excel and Co. The main news with the new Office version: Soon we will be able to use the applications for free, as trimmed-down program versions on the Web. You will even be able to use Office with your mobile phone.
More information
- CeBIT 2010 – website (www.cebit.com)