By Erwin Oliva
INQUIRER.net
SINGAPORE–I took a 30-minute break on the first day of this year’s CommunicAsia 2008 summit to look around. I quickly noticed old and new names dotting the spacious venue here in Singapore Expo, a large exhibition and meeting area close to the airport.
Spanning 47,000 square meter of space, the exhibition area alone is overwhelming. There are also a host of talks on different topics. I found familiar and new brands among the 1,500 exhibitors from overseas. According to the organizers, there are 22 countries, including the Philippines, participating in this year’s exhibit and conference. And just to complete the experience, queues during lunch time are long. Finding a seat proved a challenge everyday.
Here’s a video I took to give you a walkthrough.
And here’s a bird’s eye view.
This year, I found more Asian brands outnumbering known brands in mobile handsets. Sony Ericsson, for one, is not part of this year’s CommunicAsia. Nokia, on the other hand, has not been a participant of this biggest telecommunications show in Asia for years. Samsung and LG, both Korean companies, launched separately their new handsets. Meanwhile, newer players include Garmin Corp., which showcased a mobile phone and GPS (global positioning system) device that can work on a third-generation mobile phone network.
Frequent visitors to CommunicAsia observed that the number of attendees this year has seemingly gone down. Day 2 proved a bit disappointing for some exhibitors who were expecting more people by this time. In my brief tour, I saw some interesting technologies. A small French company called Alioscopy had a 3D display that literally caught my eye. You won’t need special glasses to see animated 3D images popping from a flat screen display in this French company’s booth. According to the company’s flyer, video content can be rendered in 3D using software. To put it simply, it was a wonderful sight to see. Imagine playing computer games or watching “Kung Fu Panda” in 3D right in your living room.
In another booth of Panasonic, I was instantly lured when I saw a big sign that said “Toughbook.” Apparently, there remains a market for rugged notebooks. One unit was placed behind a glass box as it was drenched with water.
Down in SingTel’s booth, I found a mock setup of a F1, which gave people a taste of what it’s like to be behind the wheels. (There will be an F1 race in Singapore this year). What made this display interesting is that people can actually ride it, and drive it — that is using a virtual game and some force feedback. I was too shy to try it, so I moved on.
On my way back to the Ericsson media lounge, I saw a walking Blackberry Curve mascot. I just can’t stop but look at it, and take a snapshot. He was literally mobile.
Editor’s note: Photos and videos taken by INQUIRER.net technology reporter Erwin Oliva.
