British technology goes on show in Hong Kong

Samples of cutting-edge UK technology went on display in Hong Kong recently as part of a British Council exhibition aimed at changing local perceptions of the UK as a technological laggard.

The event, sponsored by the Department of Trade and Industry, came hot on the heels of Tony Blair's visit to China, and was designed to generate consumer interest in British IT products.

Orange's prototype portable GSM videophone - designed to deliver two-way video communications over standard mobile phone networks - was one of the exhibition's highlights. Orange displayed two versions of the phone - the smallest is the size of a paperback and designed for mobile business users. A larger unit comes complete with a touch-sensitive active matrix screen. The videophones are unlikely to be available in the market before 1999.

Saatchi and Saatchi Vision used the event to showcase its Intellicam (V-mouse) Intelligent Tracking System, which allows users to operate a computer without actually having to touch it. Like a remote mouse, a video camera on the computer translates human gestures into cursor commands on the screen.

The exhibition featured some 80 products from the UK based around four technology themes: living, learning, leisure and creativity.