CeBIT 2010, 2 to 6 March Trendspots - No. 2

The energy market is complex - Fraunhofer helps with IT

We are using more solar and wind energy - when the sun is shining or the wind blowing, electricity gets cheaper. During CeBIT 2010, customers of energy producers can find out how they can benefit from price fluctuations.

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute IESE have developed "smart meters", intelligent devices that measure consumption and help, for example, turn an electric heating system into an energy storage system. "Smart meters" warn about impending price hikes and initiate a type of heating storage process that makes the most efficient use of the remaining availability of cheaper power.

Bye-bye to trip hazards - luminescent cable conduits improve safety

Almost everyone has experienced it at some time or another: A cable has been strewn across the floor, you don't see it, catch your foot on it, and down you go. An innovative new product that is being unveiled at CeBIT 2010 could help.

H. Hiendl GmbH & Co. KG is coming to Hannover to exhibit a cable bridge that can be installed and removed in next to no time. The key feature of this ingenious invention from the plastics manufacturer in Lower Bavaria is that it glows in the dark. Although it doesn't have to be connected to a power supply, it certainly makes its presence known and thus helps prevent accidents.

Web 3.0 in sight - digital goods flow gets integrated

Software AG is using CeBIT 2010 to present the "Business Process Excellence" program. It is none other than the announcement of Web 3.0.

According to Software AG, process innovations will be just as important as product innovations. This development, so the theory goes, will call for flexible IT infrastructures that have been constructed in cooperation with users. Indeed, in addition to the interaction that is characteristic of Web 2.0, the new "connected worlds" will also integrate digital goods flows. This represents an extra dimension in networking that Software AG equates with the start of Web 3.0.

Making music at CeBIT

IT and music are coming together in 2010 to turn CeBIT into a showcase for the music industry. The exhibitors at "CeBIT Sounds" (Hall 22) will include MySpace, Musicload, Sony Ericsson and Roland Instruments.

"CeBIT Sounds" is aimed at record companies and labels, artists, the media, manufacturers of branded goods, producers of software and hardware, and digital start-ups and Internet companies in the music industry. Visitors can look forward to a music business festival with live performances every day. Henning Wehland, member of the band Söhne Mannheims and front man of H-Blockx, is sitting on the advisory committee of this new leading trade fair.

The new netbooks - deceptively small

The new generation of netbooks on show at CeBIT 2010 may be small - but they're also extremely powerful. That's because these new mini-computers operate using second-generation Atom processors with just a single chip for the graphics and main processor.

What's really special about these machines is that they save loads of energy, keep going for longer and, above all, run faster. Asus is kitting out its new netbook with an Atom N330 processor from Intel, while Sony is launching the Vaio Z on the market with Core i7 and Core i5 mobile processors from Intel. The Wind U135 netbook from MSI features an N450 processor.

3D is on-trend: Monitors & Gaming 3.0

With 2010 set to be the year of the 3D game, the entertainment industry is gearing up for a new revolution. Companies will be taking a trip into this new dimension at CeBIT 2010.

James Cameron's spectacular 3D blockbuster "Avatar" has already been filling the coffers of the entertainment industry, raking in one billion dollars in just two weeks. The hype surrounding 3D is now set to spread into people's homes with the launch of a new generation of PC games. As part of this, MySN Schenker will be presenting a brand new gaming notebook MySN MB8 at CeBIT 2010.

Cinema - to go!

Home cinema is being transformed into cinema "to go". At CeBIT 2010, Aiptek will be presenting the MobileCinema D25, which combines a projector with DVB-T receiver, DVD player and radio in a portable casing.

The mobile projector will be able to project on an area with a maximum diagonal measurement of 190 centimeters. It can show DVD, TV, photo and slide show images stored on USB sticks and memory cards. The D25 has a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels in 4:3 format - and when it's not being used as a portable cinema, it can play music CDs and MP3 files.

"Connected business" - bringing colleagues, customers and suppliers together

At CeBIT 2010, Estos will be making a key contribution to the fair's motto of "Connected Living". The unified communication specialist will be showing how companies can set up the best possible networks, both internally and with customers and suppliers.

At Estos, "connected business" comes in the form of Federation, a new type of technology based on standards that ensures the safe exchange of face-to-face information and instant messages. At CeBIT, Estos will reveal how Federation is bringing lasting change to the unified communications landscape and how companies are set to enjoy considerable benefits as a result.

Show your ID - over the phone

ID cards that can be read digitally will be unveiled for the first time at CeBIT 2010. With that in mind, researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute will be presenting complementary technical systems focusing on the usage and security of this new ID card.

These include applications that allow holders to use the card to authenticate their identity during a phone call made via a VoIP connection. According to the Fraunhofer Institute, it should also be possible to provide proof of identity via a cellphone in the near future. For this to work, the cellphone simply has to access the RFID chip in the ID card.

High-speed data straight from the socket

A networked home may be the in thing, but laying all the cables can be a bit of a slog. One solution is to use the existing power network to transfer data. With that in mind, Devolo will be displaying the latest generation of powerline adapters at CeBIT 2010.

Based on the forthcoming powerline standard IEEE P1901, these adapters should make it possible to achieve transfer speeds of up to 500 Mbit/s. This would mean, for example, that four HDTV channels could be transferred in parallel via the home network without causing any capacity issues.

"ProActiv" protection module pounces on suspicious viruses

Anti-virus software from Avira is installed on many computers. At CeBIT 2010, the security experts from Lake Constance will be introducing version 10, the next product generation of their successful protection program.

In addition to a new user interface and improved child protection, version 10 features the behavior-based "ProActiv" protection that checks unknown files for typical malware behavior, thus enhancing conventional standard detection. The free version AntiVir Personal - Free Antivirus will not however feature "ProActiv".

First it was surfing, now you can dive straight in - Internet in 3D

In future parc at CeBIT 2010, the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) and Saarland University will be introducing XML3D, a technology that enhances the Internet format HTML with 3D capabilities.

XML3D gives Internet users the chance to immerse themselves in virtual 3D worlds. A visit to an online shop, for example, is transformed into an experience that allows customers to test products in realistic 3D environments. This will also bring benefits for industry, as the XML3D technology allows networked teams to develop products together online, thus saving time and money.


- Andrea Staude-