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National Semiconductor to show Bluetooth at Cebit Hannover

New "concept" designs will be the stars of the wireless data announcements to be shown at CeBIT in Hannover this month, including new Bluetooth second generation products.

Wireless is a major theme for Nat Semi at the German exhibition. It has promised to show what it calls "Convergence Devices" - things which "are taking on more than one function and reducing the number of gadgets we have to buy and carry around."

For the first time in Europe, see the Geode Origami Mobile Communicator, a concept appliance from National that combines an online digital camera, email, video phone, MP3 player and more in the single device.

There will also be second generation Bluetooth "accessory modules" - details to be announced nearer the day.

National is a key hardware partner for Microsoft's newly announced Mira initiative, and visitors will be able to see the first demos of new devices for the connected home.

One major problem being tackled by wireless device designers is how to show moving pictures; the assumption being that they will have to be heavily compressed. National will show set-top Box and Thin Client demonstrations of streaming MPEG-4 video.