DALLAS, August 18 /PRNewswire/ --

Parks Associates announced today CONNECTIONS(TM) Europe Summit will feature an exclusive tour of the Fraunhofer HHI Institute's exhibits at IFA 2008 in Berlin.

CONNECTIONS(TM) Europe Summit, August 29, at the Kempinski Hotel Bristol Berlin, is an event featuring panels and discussions on advanced television services, new media and digital content, and value-added services. The summit will conclude with a tour of the Fraunhofer HHI Institute's exhibits at IFA.

The tour will feature networking opportunities and exclusive access to Fraunhofer's current projects. Highlights include the Virtual Mirror, which can visualize the appearance of customized consumer articles; 3D television displays and advanced video applications; and the iPoint Presenter, the mouse of the future, which offers contact-free "multipointing" human-computer interaction by detecting and tracking a user's fingers.

"The Fraunhofer HHI Institute is developing forward-thinking technologies that will revolutionize the way consumers interact with everyday devices," said Kurt Scherf, vice president, principal analyst, Parks Associates. "The IFA tour will be a great way to end CONNECTIONS(TM) Europe, and I am looking forward to seeing the iPoint Presenter technology that was used in the movie Minority Report."

CONNECTIONS(TM) Europe Summit will also feature the special presentation "HDTV and Beyond -- Technologies for Tomorrow's Entertainment," from Dr. Ralf Schafer, head of the Image Procession Department at Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institute. Dr. Schafer will discuss current and future video formats, compression technologies for HDTV, and 3D and immersive video.

"We are excited to host the CONNECTIONS Europe tour of our exhibits at IFA," said Michael Witte, Business Development Manager for Fraunhofer Institut for Telecommunications, Heinrich-Hertz-Institut (HHI). "Attendees will benefit from seeing the current projects we are working on and the advanced technologies being developed for the future."

The Tour, hosted by Fraunhofer HHI Institute, is available to CONNECTIONS(TM) Europe attendees. CONNECTIONS(TM) Europe features panels on visual networking and TV 2.0, video devices, smart home applications, and customer support for digital-lifestyle solutions. The WirelessHD Consortium will host a pre-show workshop on August 28, followed by a reception for CONNECTIONS(TM) Europe attendees. For information, visit http://www.connectionseurope.com or contact +1-972-490-1113, sales@parksassociates.com.

About CONNECTIONS(TM) Europe Summit Series

CONNECTIONS(TM) Europe Summits, produced by Parks Associates, provide attendees with high-level analysis and consumer research from Parks Associates, networking opportunities, and information on emerging residential and mobile technologies and services. http://www.connectionseurope.com

Elizabeth Parks Parks Associates +1-972-490-1113 eparks@parksassociates.com Web site: http://www.parksassociates.com http://www.connectionseurope.com

Elizabeth Parks of Parks Associates, +1-972-490-1113, eparks@parksassociates.com