 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
CeBIT 2008 – Hannover, 4-9 March
People who experience irregularities and pauses in their breathing patterns while asleep suffer from a condition known as sleep apnea. In order for this condition to be diagnosed, patients normally have to spend a number of nights in a sleep laboratory. Throughout this process, they are wired up to a large range of measuring instruments. However, there is now a solution that could prove to be much simpler and considerably more comfortable for patients. The Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems will be presenting its wireless sleep laboratory at CeBIT 2008 in Hannover.
Thanks to this new system, patients whose sleep needs to be monitored will no longer have to spend time in a lab. Instead, they simply have to slip on a special vest before going to bed in the comfort of their own home. The vest contains a total of five sensors that are attached to the patient’s body. The sensors collect data and transmit it to a base station using Bluetooth. The station then encrypts the data before sending it online to the patient’s doctor for analysis.
Fraunhofer-Institut für photonische Mikrosysteme (IPMS)
• •
At CeBIT 2008, InoTec will demonstrate just how sustainable and economical scanners can be using the “SCAMAX 4x2”. The outstanding feature of this new innovation is its energy-saving lighting system. Due to clever use of a deflecting mirror, the scanner maximizes light efficiency and can therefore operate with only one lamp.
The “green” scanner is equally modest in its consumption levels in standby mode, remaining well under the strict EU Energy Star directive of five watts. The design quality of the scanner is a further boon to the environment. Its core assemblies can be repaired or replaced if required and the scanner components are also recyclable.
InoTec GmbH Organisationssysteme
More and more people are opting for VoIP – telephoning via the Internet – over traditional telephony. It’s certainly a low-cost option, but it’s not always user-friendly. Now, telephone manufacturers are really getting to grips with the idea and are developing models featuring convenient functions derived from ISDN telephony.
Tiptel will be unveiling its “Tiptel 83 VoIP” SIP telephone at CeBIT 2008 in Hannover. This brand new innovation can be integrated into a VoIP-enabled telephone system – this works particularly well with the Tiptel.com 410 to 811 systems. With this product, users can receive and forward calls and use the call waiting functionality, just as they would with a conventional telephone. The extensions signal when they are engaged and calls can be answered from any phone using the pick-up function. Three-way calls are also available.
Using VoIP has never been easier. As well as relieving the pressure on your bank balance, it also gives the telephone system a break by processing VoIP calls directly in the local computer network.
Tiptel.com GmbH
• •
The organizers of international conferences will be glad to hear that they will soon be able to do away with the expensive technology used to provide simultaneous interpreting. In the future, conference participants will be able to listen to the presentation or lecture in their own language simply using their cell phones. Researchers from Chemnitz University will be demonstrating their Bluetooth conference system at CeBIT 2008.
The prototypes on display at the stand are based on a conventional PC. It uses WLAN to transmit the audio data created by the interpreter into the conference room. Conference participants with WLAN-enabled cell phones simply run a specific software application on their phones. This allows the phone to pick up the relevant data and they can then listen to the translation via their Bluetooth headsets.
Even people whose cell phone doesn’t have the necessary functions can still use the Bluetooth conference system. The conference organizer simply has to ensure Bluetooth headsets are available to guests. These headsets receive the audio data directly from a WLAN router that converts the incoming audio signal immediately and transfers it to the headsets via an attached Bluetooth adapter.
Technische Universität Chemnitz
We’re used to receiving music and news on our car radios – but how about phone calls as well? That’s now a reality thanks to a new innovation from Blaupunkt. The company’s new “Hamburg MP68” model is equipped with Bluetooth wireless technology and will be on display at CeBIT 2008. This technology connects the radio with your cell phone, providing your phone is also Bluetooth-enabled. You don’t even have to take your cell phone out of your pocket as it can be operated via an integrated microphone and a convenient cell phone keypad on the “Hamburg MP68”. An extra-large color display shows the information stored in the phone.
It’s easy just to flick through your phone book and identify callers. If you use your cell phone as an MP3 player, you can use Bluetooth to transmit your stored music to the car radio. The 3-band equalizer and maximum power of 4 x 50 watts means you can enjoy the experience to the full! If you opt for the automatic volume control function, the volume will adjust automatically according to the speed of the car. There is also a USB port for connecting iPods and similar devices.
Blaupunkt GmbH
• •
The products on display at CeBIT 2008 will include “BiZZ”, a Bluetooth headset that really packs a punch. The device may weigh in at a mere 10 grams, but it is a real heavyweight in terms of power, delivering up to six hours of talk time and 10 days standby.
However, “BiZZ” keeps its most stunning feature cleverly concealed under the speaker cover. Once removed, the headset is transformed into a USB stick with a storage capacity of 8 GB. Data is transferred via USB 2.0. If connected to a computer, an interactive manual gives step-by-step instructions on how to set up “BiZZ”.
And, as an added bonus, you don’t even need to bother with a charger. If “BiZZ” is getting low on power, simply charge it up using the USB slot of your PC or notebook.
• •
You’ve finally put the finishing touches to the last five pages of that important draft contract and your finger is poised to hit the ‘Save’ button – just as your son decides to hook up his new electric guitar, blowing the fuse. That would mean losing all your hard work, were it not for your UPS guaranteeing you an uninterruptible power supply. However, despite these benefits, a UPS is not without its downside – as it consumes a great deal of power, it can make receiving the electricity bill a rather nerve-wracking experience.
Now, Green Power technology from Cyber Power Systems Inc. aims to change all this and help make a significant contribution to protecting the environment. This innovative technology lowers the power consumption of a Green Power UPS by up to 75 percent compared with conventional UPS systems. At CeBIT 2008 in Hannover, the company is presenting three product ranges that utilize the new Green Power technology. The “Value” series of standard UPS systems, for example, is ideal for use at home or in small offices.
Cyber Power Systems B. V.
There’s nothing quite like pedaling through the countryside, feasting your eyes on an alpine landscape and breathing in the invigorating mountain air. Visitors to CeBIT 2008 can now enjoy this stunning experience thanks to a new fitness system developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Architecture and Software Technology.
This alpine adventure is based on an exercise bike and innovative technology that projects crystal-clear images onto any shape of surface. Special software calibrates the necessary projectors automatically and fits the images together absolutely perfectly – not a single pixel is out of place. You really do feel as though you are cycling through the mountains. What really sets the system apart is the fact that the exercise bike is also integrated into the system. No matter fast or slow you pedal, the projected images match your speed precisely.
However, this system doesn’t just provide a feast for the eyes – it also delivers an olfactory treat. Users can wear a mask that delivers the correct oxygen concentration for this particular training session. If you wish, you can also add special scents to give you a real breath of mountain air.
Fraunhofer-Institut für Rechnerarchitektur und Softwaretechnik
