This year’s CeBIT America show was held in late May at the Javits Convention Center in New York City, amidst the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple. CeBIT America is important information and communications technology events. CeBIT America’s exhibition floor and conference programs are designed to provide participants with up to date information on ICT technology.
CeBIT
Although there wasn’t much in the way of Window Mobile products at the show, I did manage to find a few interesting things.
WideRay’s beaming station: A monolith of show knowledge
If you’ve attended a computer show lately, you’ve probably seen these “beaming stations” scattered around the show floor. Step in front of one, make sure your Pocket PC is set to “Receive all incoming beams,” and the station downloads information about the show to your Pocket PC, including company names and booth numbers. I found it extremely useful, especially for locating obscure companies whose booths were hidden in the rear of the exhibition hall.
Jack Service Point beaming station provided show information for CeBIT attendees.
The beaming stations at CeBIT America, and other shows I’ve attended recently, are called Jack Service Points. They were developed by and are available from WideRay (http://www.wideray.com).
NetOP: Control your computer remotely with a Pocket PC
At the CrossTec booth (http://www.http://crossteccorp.com) I learned more about NetOP, a remote control suite that allows enterprise and home user to remotely control a desktop PC from anywhere using Pocket Internet Explorer and an Internet connection. I was impressed with this solution because it works directly between the host and client; no outside service is involved, which means there isn’t a monthly subscription fee. They also told me that if your computer has a “Wake-On-LAN” feature (most new computer do) you can remotely turn-on/off your computer. If that isn’t enough, you can also control one Pocket PC using another Pocket PC!
NetOP allows you to control your desktop PC using a Pocket PC
APC uses Pocket PCs for a handheld audio tour of their product line
Near Pocket PC magazine’s booth I discovered a booth with a row of Dell Axim Pocket PCs on their front table. It turned out to be the APC booth (http://www.apc.com), a company that specializes in network products and services. They were using the Axim and a custom software application to present a “guided tour” of their product line-up. Walk up to their table and they handed you an Axim and a headset. Then, as you pass each station at their booth; you tapped on the appropriate icon to get information about the product. I thought this was a novel way to put the Pocket PC to work. They also told me that they kept a pretty close eye on people using the Axims so that they didn’t walk away with the demo!
APC used the Dell Axim Pocket PC to present a guided audio tour of their products.
MSN Direct: The one to watch!
Strolling down an aisle at CeBIT, I discovered Microsoft’s MSN Direct Watch booth. I own one of these watches, and although it doesn’t replace my Pocket PC or Smartphone, I find it handy for receiving one-way MSN Instant messages and to remind me about daily appointments.
MSN Direct: It’s all in the wrist.
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