Old Europe's New Economy Expo

Three years after the Nasdaq bubble popped, the technology trade show is still a much-hyped phenomenon, with industry biggies perennially pegging hopes of economic recovery to the rollout of new lines of gadgets and software. This week, Europe's biggest tech expo, CeBIT, kicks off in Hannover, Germany. CeBIT focuses on the latest telecom, hardware and software gadgets and is expected to draw about 6,500 exhibitors this year. "Since 1990, CeBIT has become the world's most important IT show displaying the newest technologies in the field. Over the years products on display have evolved from servers, computer terminals and peripheral devices into communications, information software, multimedia and Internet technologies," The China Post explains. The expo will feature 655 exhibitors from Taiwan. Mobile phone technologies are among the show's most anticipated items. Two vast halls will be given over to heavy-duty printers, a strength of Europe's largest economy. 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," according to Reuters, which said Philips will highlight Wi-Fi for the home as well as its flat-screen TVs at CeBit.