The red banners lining the main street of Sydney make it difficult to ignore the fact that the CeBIT technology bandwagon has rumbled into town.

Kicking off on Tuesday, 30,000 visitors are expected to attend Australia's biggest technology show, with hundreds of exhibitors demonstrating their computing wares during the three days.

While the focus may be on enterprise computing, this year's show will also play host to a slinky line up of new gadgets and a debate on the future of online music.

But for those seeking the sporting limelight, a virtual air hockey demonstration from the CSIRO should be the first stop.

Using high end video and audio links, the demo allows two players in completely different locations (and even different countries) to play a real-time, full speed game hitting the ball using an actual puck and bat.

Although the air hockey game wont be available in the shops either now or anytime in the future, the CSIRO says the point of the demo is give CeBIT visitors an "engaging demonstration of its capabilities in high-speed networking and computer-mediated human-to-human interaction".

For those sitting on the cutting-edge of the digital music revolution, the future of online music will also be a hot topic of debate on the opening day of the show.

With the online music market estimated to be worth $52 million by 2009, a panel of experts will explore how the music industry is learning to work with electronic products and traditional retail outlets to create a new business model. Copyright protection and digital rights management (DRM) will be key topics.

For gadget fanciers, absences at CeBIT from some big names like Microsoft will be filled by the likes of Research in Motion (RIM), who will be showing off the latest Blackberry wireless handheld devices. The devices have found strong traction among executives who like to be in email contact around the clock and the RIM team will be showcasing its latest 8700 series along with a number of product demos and user workshops.

For those watching out for their wallet, a USB storage device that fit neatly inside one will celebrate its Australian launch at the show. Walletex is slim credit-card sized device that offers a waterproof and wallet-friendly alternative to bulkier portable storage devices according to local distributor G-innovations.