From camera phones to wireless computer connections, the freshest crop of gadgets in years are being unveiled to mainstream buyers at this week's CeBIT trade fair, but few may be in a spending mood.
Global economic malaise and the threat of war in Iraq have cast a pall over the technology sector and its traditional sales pitch -- spend money on technology to save money through productivity gains -- is wearing thin.
But vendors converging on the world's biggest showcase of new hardware and software in Hanover, Germany, are expected to pull out the stops to generate some demand.
"We're going to see camera phones from every manufacturer and many other weird and wonderful mobile devices as manufacturers struggle to drive the replacement market," saidanalyst Ben Wood at market research group Gartner Dataquest. Many potential customers will be looking for clear-cut financial benefits from the new gadgets.
"[IT] products and services that shave costs through efficiency gains, help retain customers, or solve the burgeoning integration dilemma in corporate IT have the best chance at success this year," said Tom Pohlmann, a director at Forrester Research. The CeBIT fair grounds will feature fast wireless Internet access over short-range radio networks. These so-called Wi-Fi connections are due to receive their biggest boost ever next week as chipmaker Intel Corp. formally unveils chips that will allow most notebook computers manufactured by year-end to reach the Internet without wires.
Such wireless Internet access networks on laptop computers and other devices promise to become commonplace in cafes, hotels, airports, schools, offices and public places -- pretty much wherever computer users congregate -- in the coming year.
While the latest network gear and entertainment gadgets from Silicon Valley, Japan and China will feature prominently, another featured theme at this year's CeBIT is the battle to define and dominate the "Connected Home," the industry's phrase for the growing links between home computers, home entertainment and other appliances over the Internet. "What is emerging is a once in a decade battle for a new market that could have a dramatic impact on the consumer electronics, PC, telecom and media businesses," Gottfried Dutine, a board member at Philips of the Netherlands.
"Software companies will tell you the PC will be the 'server' of the connected home," Dutine said. "Other electronics companies will argue that the TV will be the center of it. Others will even make a case for the mobile phone."
Taiwanese Olympic badminton men’s doubles gold medalist Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) and his new partner, Chiu Hsiang-chieh (邱相榤), clinched the men’s doubles title at the Yonex Taipei Open yesterday, becoming the second Taiwanese team to win a title in the tournament. Ranked 19th in the world, the Taiwanese duo defeated Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju of South Korea 21-18, 21-15 in a pulsating 43-minute final to clinch their first doubles title after teaming up last year. Wang, the men’s doubles gold medalist at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, partnered with Chiu in August last year after the retirement of his teammate Lee Yang
FALSE DOCUMENTS? Actor William Liao said he was ‘voluntarily cooperating’ with police after a suspect was accused of helping to produce false medical certificates Police yesterday questioned at least six entertainers amid allegations of evasion of compulsory military service, with Lee Chuan (李銓), a member of boy band Choc7 (超克7), and actor Daniel Chen (陳大天) among those summoned. The New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office in January launched an investigation into a group that was allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified medical documents. Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) has been accused of being one of the group’s clients. As the investigation expanded, investigators at New Taipei City’s Yonghe Precinct said that other entertainers commissioned the group to obtain false documents. The main suspect, a man surnamed
US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer began talks with high-ranking Chinese officials in Switzerland yesterday aiming to de-escalate a dispute that threatens to cut off trade between the world’s two biggest economies and damage the global economy. The US delegation has begun meetings in Geneva with a Chinese delegation led by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng (何立峰), Xinhua News Agency said. Diplomats from both sides also confirmed that the talks have begun, but spoke anonymously and the exact location of the talks was not made public. Prospects for a major breakthrough appear dim, but there is
The number of births in Taiwan fell to an all-time monthly low last month, while the population declined for the 16th consecutive month, Ministry of the Interior data released on Friday showed. The number of newborns totaled 8,684, which is 704 births fewer than in March and the lowest monthly figure on record, the ministry said. That is equivalent to roughly one baby born every five minutes and an annual crude birthrate of 4.52 per 1,000 people, the ministry added. Meanwhile, 17,205 deaths were recorded, resulting in a natural population decrease of 8,521, the data showed. More people are also leaving Taiwan, with net
RSS