CeBIT 2006: Action at the Extremes

The last notable gadget we saw was the Samsung SCH-B600, the world’s first 10 megapixel camera phone. Features include 3x optical zoom, 5x digital zoom, flash, 1/2000 shutter speed, 2.2" QVGA TFT screen, and DMB satellite TV reception. The collateral on this product is quick to point out that the target audience is professional photographers and it is unlikely that this model phone will be in widespread use by consumers in the near future. These handsets will be available in Korea from SK Telecom in Q2 2006.

Larger than life
Important announcements at CeBIT weren’t limited to the small and portable. It would be difficult to leave the show without noticing the large number of displays exceeding the 82-inch/209-cm threshold seen in the past. Mammoth displays appeared prominently in most of the large consumer electronics vendors’ booths. This year, LG.Philips introduced the largest LCD on record, measuring a handsome 100 inches/254 cm. The previous record holder, Samsung, was itself showing off an 82-inch TV with LED backlighting, supposedly marking the record for TV sets.

Two frequently asked questions which remained unanswered by the booth staff were "where will this fit in my cozy apartment?" and "do you know how much electricity this requires to operate?" Apparently if you need to ask either of these questions, you don’t fit the target customer profile.

While a few customers will certainly be interested in purchasing these larger-than-life screens, attendees were also attracted by another category of products that combine mobility and humanoid dimensions: robots and an assortment of robotic devices, especially the domestic assistant variety, remain a big hit for visitors to CeBIT. This year the robots are speaking (in English) and mimic human gestures, though researchers in the Human-Technology Interfaces area of the Futures Hall said facial expressions and emotions are not even on the drawing boards.