] AMSTERDAM/PARIS (Reuters) - From camera phones to
] wireless computer connections, the freshest crop of
] gadgets in years are being unveiled to mainstream buyers
] at this week's CeBIT trade fair, but few may be in a
] spending mood.

] Global economic malaise and the threat of war in Iraq
] (news - web sites) have cast a pall over the technology
] sector and its traditional sales pitch -- spend money on
] technology to save money through productivity gains -- is
] wearing thin.
]
] But vendors converging on the world's biggest showcase of
] new hardware and software in Hanover, Germany, are
] expected to pull out the stops to generate some demand.
]
] "We're going to see camera phones from every manufacturer
] and many other weird and wonderful mobile devices as
] manufacturers struggle to drive the replacement market,"
] said analyst Ben Wood at market research group Gartner
] Dataquest.
]
] Starting next Tuesday and running into the following
] week, CeBIT will welcome some 6,500 exhibitors -- down
] from 8,000 two years ago -- and attract more than
] half-a-million visitors to a sprawling high-tech
] metropolis made up of more than 24 aircraft-hangar-sized
] halls.