In Fraunhofer’s demo, a computer running SHORE was able to identify and classify multiple people walking in and out of frame, with the results of the analysis floated over each person on a wall display. The measurements happen almost instantaneously – the research institute says SHORE can identify a face at 107.5fps if it’s directly facing the camera, while full analysis including facial expression detection is at 45.5fps – and the system can handle head tilts of +/- 60-degrees and head rotation of +/- 90-degrees.

So far so good, but it’s the measurements not the identification which is what makes SHORE so impressive. Fraunhofer claims a 91.5-percent accuracy rate on face detection and a 94.3-percent accuracy rate on gender detection: by identifying the face, the eyes, nose, and mouth, and the rest of the facial shape, it can decide how happy or sad, angry or surprised they are. The extent of those criteria are displayed on red bars: when we smiled, it accurately picked up on that, while widening our eyes boosted our “surprised” rating.

More patchy was the age detection, which gives an estimate with a degree of confidence (so, for instance, SHORE could decide you’re 38, with a range of +/- 8-years). That proved susceptible to being confused by the ambient lighting: with strong ceiling lights, for instance, those wearing glasses were often confused for someone much older, because the shadows of the glasses frames on their cheeks were mistaken for evidence of old age.

Nonetheless, it’s a mighty impressive system in all, not least because of the incredibly low minimum specifications. Fraunhofer says SHORE will run on a single core of an Intel Core 2 Duo 6420 processor, under Windows XP, and with facial detection from anything down to an 8 x 8 pixel image (though you won’t get the more complex analysis). It’ll also run on mobile devices, such as smartphones, and can either be a standalone system or integrated into another, more complex monitoring package.

That flexibility – and the fact that Fraunhofer is licensing out the technology together with the offer of customizing it depending on client need – means the possibilities for implementation are far greater than, say, Intel’s proposed advertising tailoring on the Web TV box. Market research is an obvious one, for instance a camera above a store window display to track reactions of those glancing in, as well as customizing advertising playlists depending on the demographics of those watching. Car dashboards could monitor drivers and ensure they were alert and calm, as well as better track which person was giving which spoken command.

In hospitals, the degree of pain to which patients are suffering could be monitored autonomously, helping the more efficient use of painkillers (and avoiding unnecessary suffering). Augmented reality games are another possibility, but Fraunhofer is also keen on the idea of using the SHORE technology to enhance “virtual actors” and “intelligent agents” for customer services and entertainment, reacting to those they are talking to, behaving appropriately for their mood, and even mimicking that mood themselves. In fact, Fraunhofer had a robotic head which, using a camera in the forehead, could replicate the viewer’s expressions with animated eyes, mouth, and other elements.

Behind the scenes, the magic is in the huge amount of education Fraunhofer has given the system, teaching it to recognize common schema of mood and reaction from thousands of images of expressions. Called the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) it allows the computer to quickly calculate what each viewer is showing in a matter of milliseconds. That’s even if there are dozens of people in the frame, too; Fraunhofer showed the camera a print out covered in face thumbnails – over a hundred of them, packed tightly together – and SHORE spotted them all and ran its mood analysis. The system has short-term memory, too; Fraunhofer tells us that faces aren’t stored long-term, but there is a shorter-term caching system which can spot if a face was in-frame very recently, and collate all the data from each sighting. Each gets a temporary ID code, and a timer to show how long they were attentive for.

Perhaps most alarming is the fact that this isn’t a simple piece of prescient, Minority Report-style research: SHORE is already out in the wild. Fraunhofer couldn’t tell us all of its clients, but did confirm that market research firm GFK is using SHORE for its consumer surveys. There, participants simply allow the standard webcam on their computer to feed their expressions back to the server, as they watch a series of commercials or other content. Meanwhile, there are SHORE installations already watching passers-by from within store display windows, though Fraunhofer wouldn’t be pressed on which retailers exactly are using it.

Meanwhile, you can try it for yourself. Fraunhofer offers a free trial version of SHORE to download, as a proof of concept, which you can find here. Those particularly paranoid might prefer to spend their time knitting balaclavas, however, as the possibility that you’re being watched, analyzed, and generally figured out by a machine running something like SHORE is growing every day.

Whereas Glass has a full Android-powered computer integrated into the headset, GlassUp is merely a wireless display, using Bluetooth to link to your Android, iOS, or – eventually – Windows Phone handset. That keeps power consumption down; a standby time of around 150hrs is promised for the first-gen model, or a full day of periodic use such as, say, when emails or Tweets come in. An updated model will use Bluetooth 4.0, making it more power-efficient.

What differentiates GlassUp is the display technology itself. Whereas Google has opted for a transparent prismic display embedded in a glass block positioned at the corner of your eye, GlassUp’s patented system uses a micro-projector fixed on the inside of the glasses arm. That focuses a yellow monochromatic image on the inner surface of the right lens, at 320 x 240 resolution. Not enough to replace your phone or tablet for multimedia duties, true, but certainly sufficient for text updates and basic graphics.

Like Glass, there are a fair few sensors and controls integrated into the arm of the glasses: GlassUp has a touch-surface which recognizes tap and double-tap, long-press, and swipe, in addition to a power/control button. There’s also an accelerometer, digital compass, ambient light sensor, and altimeter.

Unfortunately, the prototype GlassUp brought along to CeBIT wasn’t market-ready. More striking in its design than the concept – which manages to look reasonably discrete, in a chunky retro way – the silver headset required a USB link to a computer for its display signal and power, and the projection itself is onto a noticeably orange-tinted pane in the right lens. Meanwhile, even when the battery-powered version is ready, if you want to have the display active all the time – such as when navigating, for instance – the runtimes will be “a few hours” rather than the all-day longevity promised with more sporadic use.

GlassUp argues that, whereas Google’s wearable requires users to glance up and to the side to see the display, their system is far more discrete: the information floats directly in your eyeline. Another advantage is availability and price, though neither Glass nor GlassUp are quite ready for the mass-market. GlassUp is accepting preorders for the headset, at €299/$399, with deliveries of the first units expected in September 2013.

This isn’t the first huge multitouch screen we’ve seen – 3M had an 84-incher at CES, for instance – but it’s one of the first with a price tag attached. MyMultitouch tells us the display will retail for around €33,000, making this a $43k plaything.

If you simply have to have a vast screen that’s finger-friendly, though, the Alvaro GIANT certainly delivers. We first navigated through Windows 8, tapping, swiping and pinching through the usual Metro-style interface as we would on a far smaller tablet; since the display can run off of any HDMI input (as well as DVI, RGB, AV, and DisplayPort; MyMultitouch also offers an optional integrated PC for standalone use) you could hook up basically any Windows 8 PC to it and suddenly have a vast worksurface to operate from.

That showed its merit when we flipped over to Android, running off a simple “thumbdrive” sized stick computer. The 4K resolution was downscaled to suit Android’s display limitations, but Angry Birds and the regular Android UI looked great spread across 84-inches.

It probably comes as little surprise, but home users wanting more room to throw birds at pigs isn’t MyMultitouch’s target audience. Instead, the Alvaro GIANT is positioned as a tool for retail, display, and industrial implementation: the top glass layer is toughened, and the system recognizes up to 32-points of contact simultaneously. It’s also capable of differentiating between different hand positions, such as whether a fist is in contact or a hand with spread fingers. It’ll track users even if they’re wearing gloves, too.

$43k might be a whole lot of money on the face of it, but the Alvaro GIANT finds itself in good Ultra HD company. Samsung’s 85-inch Ultra HD TV announced at CES back in January is a cool $38,000 after all, and if you try touching that all you’ll get are greasy finger-smudges.

That’s because there’s a smaller, internal battery inside the Toughbook’s compact footprint, which tides the CF-AX2 over while you drop out the first pack and slot in a second one. It’s a factor that will make the Toughbook particularly appealing to Panasonic’s target audience: mobile professionals who’ll also appreciate the drop and bump resilience.

Inside, there’s a Core i5 3427U processor and Intel HD 4000 graphics, and Panasonic has managed to accommodate no small number of ports despite the size. You get VGA, HDMI, two USB 3.0, ethernet, audio in/out, and an SD card reader, as well as the usual WiFi and Bluetooth (with a discrete switch to turn the wireless off).

The touchscreen is bright and responsive, and has a welcome matte finish for anti-glare purposes. It was certainly capable of holding up to the CeBIT show floor lights, which bodes well for outdoor use. Next to the webcam is a physical Windows button for use when you fold the CF-AX2 back into tablet mode (though it’s worth noting that it leaves the keyboard and trackpad exposed on the opposite side, the same issue as with the Yoga. The chassis is also somewhat plasticky, at odds with the ruggedized finish.

Panasonic is already offering the Toughbook CF-AX2 in Japan, with European sales kicking off this quarter.

The deal was made between smartphone security firm Secusmart and the Procurement Office of the Ministry of the Interior and the Federal Office for Information Security for all smartphones for the German government just this week, and confirmed by SlashGear at CeBIT 2013. Of course, BlackBerry has been known to be a trusted platform for security, so it doesn’t surprise that companies and organizations still believe in it.

German government users will also be using BlackBerry Balance on their Z10 devices. This will allow users to have the freedom they deserve when using their phones, such as browsing Facebook, Twitter, and RSS feeds, but the IT department will still have full control when it comes to top secret information on the mobile devices.

While independent reports this week have suggested that half of the staff are currently using Samsung Android devices, most likely the Galaxy S III or the Galaxy Note series, it’s been confirmed that 5,000 more government employees will be receiving the BlackBerry Z10. And since BlackBerry Balance will provide a personal life and work life balance on the devices, the intrigue should be up there for prospective users.

EDIT [via Chris Burns] : Again, we’ve had confirmation of this straight from the source at CeBIT 2013, where we’re also seeing the security technology therein being applied straight through the device’s microSD card slot. Wild stuff! Stay tuned for more information on how this is all being made possible in the very near future!

The first presenter, the MC of the keynote, began speaking about the reason CeBIT exists – it exists as essentially “a job exchange”, made to connect companies with one another as well as with creators and developers in attendance at the conference. As Prof. Dieter Kempf stepped on stage, the chat became aimed at the market as it’s aimed in the near future.

One of Kempf’s key points was the transfer from the consumer to the “pro-sumer”. This is the type of person who, when driving a car, for example, is “a user of the car but also is a developer of the car”, working with the creators of the car (and it’s software, in the future), to make it better as they use it. Another point he made was in the arena of telecommunications – making it clear that he believed that the global economy would not move forward without it.

As Dr. Angela Merkel stepped on stage, the CeBIT Innovation Awards were revealed – the first prize was revealed, in fact: AILA, a “female robot” made to help with our human exploration of space. This innovation comes from the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence and the University of Bremen.

We’ll see more of AILA soon – and she’ll be in space in the future as well, we must expect!

Speaking about the future once again, Dr Thomas Enders (again, of the European Defense and Space Company), spoke about how upgrades and changes in the airline industry are slow. Very, very slow – and too slow, in most cases. The difference between an upgrade cycle in a new aircraft and the technology inside of it is very, very different, and reinforced the idea that pushing for speed and innovation here with a quote from Bill Gates on Airport Transport – he called it “the original world-wide-web.”

A musical interlude was shown featuring two musicians creating images on the big screen with their musical machines. This absolutely awesome interactive display showed games like PONG, flashed multi-colored digital rainbow streams, and displayed statistics about the Polish-influenced electronics industry. A lovely barrage of tunes were heard while it all went wild.

Finally up on stage was the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland, mister H.E. Donald Tusk. He made it clear that opening CeBIT 2013 with Germany was an honor, and that this event was certainly the world’s most important meeting place for the IT and Telecommunication industries.

He spoke about 20,000 IT and Telecommunications students graduating in Poland every year, of their potential and how both Germany and Poland will have the most IT specialists being produced than anywhere else in Europe. Of replacements for silicon for processors, Polish video game development, and the value of Polish innovators in these lowered economic times. And he made it clear that “We have to continue towards a knowledge-based economy.” Tusk spoke: “We have to spend more on training, education, science, and research.” Simple and clear.

Stay tuned to SlashGear for CeBIT 2013 coverage from start to finish. Hear of anything popping up at CeBIT you’d like to see with SlashGear’s eyes? Let us know! We’ll be ushering in the hands-on and up to the minute news action for the next set of days – straight from Hannover!

If you’ve seen a recent MSI all-in-one, the AG2712 shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. It’s a symphony of plastics, stacking various colors, shades, and finishes – clear, black, grey; matte and gloss – into a blunt-edged monolith with an adjustable stand (angle, not height).

It’s not going to win any design awards, nor any for quality feel; still, it does what it promises to. Down the left edge there are power/control buttons, indicator lights, a pair of USB 3.0 ports, and a memory card reader. On a recessed panel on the back, you get two more USB 3.0, along with a pair of USB 2.0, audio in/out, an ethernet port, and VGA output. You also get a pair of HDMI ports, one outputting for a second display, and the second accepting an input so that you could use the AG2712 as a standalone display for a PS3 or Xbox 360, for instance.

Finally, on the right edge there’s a tray-loading optical drive. MSI throws WiFi in the box too, though if you want the 10-point multitouch display you’ll have to pay extra; as standard, it’s a regular Full HD screen. Either way, you get a welcome anti-glare finish which we found did a decent job of avoiding the show-floor lighting.

It’s the pure specifications that MSI is most proud of, though, and so you get a choice of Core i5 or Core i7 processors, paired with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670X graphics. Audio is courtesy of THX TruStudio Pro processing, though we’d be tempted to plug in some external speakers since, while the AG2712 goes loud, it lacks thump at the low end.

MSI isn’t saying how much the AG2712 will cost, at this stage, and given the all-in-one is competitive with a laptop on specs, but not a regular desktop, we’d hope the company bears that in mind when it slaps on the stickers.

Founder and CEO/Chairman Anthony Kory spoke this week about the two services saying “we are all used to looking at videos, marketing information and more on a computer screen. It works, but we have lost the satisfying feeling of holding something in your hand.” He continued, noting “we wanted to bring back that satisfaction by using technology in a very personal way.” According to Kory, the reaction most often shown by users that open a card or brochure with their video technology inside is a mix of surprise and wonderment. They often exclaim that they didn’t know such technology existed in the first place!

Above you’ll see a presentation video made by PIM to show the options available with their service – high quality video and sound onboard. It’s also clear that PIM is able to work with interactive buttons and implement their display solution on most any product – even inside a gift box! Below you’ll find Spreengs, the sister-company of PIM, in business to offer up traditional greeting cards and invitations with this innovative thin screen solution.

Spreengs are “the first customizable video cards ever”, so say the creators of this solution for your next-level invite or greeting. You’ve only to import video into your computer from your camera to your computer then transfer the video to the card you buy from Spreengs. This card can be re-charged and changed as many times as you want. You’ll be getting a simpler card than you’d be able to get if you were a massive company working with PIM, but there it is – a lovely simple solution that’s both easy and rather nice to work with!

This next-generation video solution will be shown at CeBIT here in 2013, and we’ll be there too! Stay tuned for the March 5th through 9th set of CeBIT events to see the whole trade show straight from SlashGear in our lovely CeBit 2013 tag portal!