:00:01. > :00:11.ahead sooner rather than later. A dark clouds gathering over
:00:11. > :00:15.
:00:15. > :00:22.A dark clouds gathering over A dark clouds gathering over
:00:22. > :00:31.Germany's economy? -- A.re -- are. The economic engine of Europe could
:00:31. > :00:41.be running out of steam. Germany? Latest growth figures.
:00:41. > :00:42.
:00:42. > :00:52.Timothy Geithner goes to China. When two screens are better than
:00:52. > :00:53.
:00:53. > :00:57.one. The latest from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
:00:57. > :01:05.Despite the challenges posed by eurozone debt crisis, you have's
:01:05. > :01:10.largest economy, Germany, had a successful 2011. -- the EU's
:01:10. > :01:16.largest economy. But the next couple of years could be different.
:01:16. > :01:21.One consultancy group is forecasting a recession in Germany
:01:21. > :01:27.in 2012 and 2013. Last here, many German exporters
:01:27. > :01:32.enjoyed the open road of success as some companies achieved a 14% rise
:01:32. > :01:38.in sales. Record numbers of vehicles were sold. But over the
:01:39. > :01:44.last few months, less than goods have been leaving German factories.
:01:44. > :01:51.Global demand is decreasing. One pessimistic forecast suggests that
:01:51. > :02:00.in 2012, the German economy is likely to contract by 0.5%. Things
:02:00. > :02:05.get worse in 2013, with a possible contraction of 1.5%. The eurozone
:02:05. > :02:13.debt crisis is likely to continue and get worse. And we will see the
:02:13. > :02:16.eurozone break up later this year, holding serious ramifications for
:02:16. > :02:22.Germany. Despite sales to emerging markets
:02:22. > :02:29.in North America, Germany remains vulnerable to a downturn in Europe.
:02:29. > :02:34.60% of its exports go there. 50% going to the eurozone. Other
:02:34. > :02:44.analysts are less pessimistic about Germany, but many do accept that a
:02:44. > :02:54.slowdown in growth can be expected. China and the US have promised to
:02:54. > :02:57.
:02:57. > :03:03.co-operate on boosting the global economic recovery.
:03:03. > :03:09.Timothy Geithner said that his first priority on his trip to the
:03:09. > :03:14.Chinese mainland was to improve development of relations between
:03:14. > :03:21.the two countries. He says that will be conducive to the recovery
:03:21. > :03:27.of the US and world economy. His Chinese counterpart called the
:03:27. > :03:31.visit significant for the stability and development of economic
:03:31. > :03:36.relations and the development of bilateral ties between the two
:03:36. > :03:41.countries in 2012. However, the currency issue was sidestepped in
:03:41. > :03:46.their meeting. Voices from critics in the US are growing ever louder,
:03:46. > :03:55.putting pressure on China, saying that currency controls undervalue
:03:55. > :04:03.the Chinese yuan, giving its exporters and unfair advantage.
:04:03. > :04:10.China's trade surplus with the US expanding by more than 24% to $17
:04:10. > :04:14.billion American by December. This could expand even further in 2012.
:04:14. > :04:23.Your morning glass of orange juice could soon become more expensive,
:04:23. > :04:31.with the price surging 11% on Tuesday. Pride -- traces of fungus
:04:31. > :04:38.side have been found in orange juice exported from Brazil.
:04:38. > :04:47.Electric vehicles were hailed as the New Dawn of driving but last
:04:47. > :04:52.year, they sold under 18,000 models in the US. Despite this, the
:04:52. > :04:57.industry still maintains that Electric is the way forward.
:04:57. > :05:03.This is the Nissan Leaf, the only purely electric vehicles from a
:05:03. > :05:07.major auto maker on the American market today but last year, it sold
:05:07. > :05:11.less than 20,000 models worldwide. That has left many people wondering
:05:12. > :05:17.when the technology in sight this vehicles might go mainstream.
:05:17. > :05:21.General Motors has suffered similarly negative sales with its
:05:22. > :05:27.own electric car. Consumers are cautious about the price tag and
:05:27. > :05:33.the technology but General Motors remains committed. This is brand
:05:33. > :05:39.new technology, and people are understandably nervous. We did not
:05:39. > :05:46.accept -- expects it to take off. We ended up selling more than we
:05:46. > :05:56.thought we would. The industry has the support of the government as a
:05:56. > :05:57.
:05:57. > :06:03.result of a $22 billion programme of loans for advanced technology.
:06:03. > :06:07.The costs will drop as a result. And that it will also have to be
:06:07. > :06:12.part of the line up for carmakers as the US moves to a new fuel
:06:12. > :06:20.economy standard in 2025. Hence end of the issues like this one, which
:06:20. > :06:27.puts electric power into existing utility vehicles -- pens
:06:27. > :06:32.innovations. It is being championed by the man who pioneered General
:06:32. > :06:37.Motors' electric car. It is going to happen no matter what. It makes
:06:37. > :06:43.all the sense in the world to start with the vehicles that are most
:06:43. > :06:48.popular with the American public. Gas prices are the main driving
:06:48. > :06:57.force. Pushing for pioneering technology in electric car, even if
:06:57. > :07:01.the combustion engine still dominates.
:07:01. > :07:11.What will be the most interesting devices of this year? What about a
:07:11. > :07:12.
:07:12. > :07:22.tablet computer for the kitchen? The Consumer Electronics Show is on
:07:22. > :07:22.
:07:22. > :07:25.in Las Vegas. Come to Las Vegas for a glimpse of
:07:25. > :07:31.the future. The Consumer Electronics Show is where many of
:07:31. > :07:37.the devices we now take for granted made their first debut. This tablet
:07:37. > :07:43.computer has two screens. Soon television screens with incredibly
:07:43. > :07:48.sharp pictures. New ways of interacting with technology. This
:07:48. > :07:53.is a three-dimensional printer, which are all the rage at the
:07:53. > :08:00.moment. This printer will take your creation and print it for you layer
:08:00. > :08:10.by layer. Anything you imagine, we can create.
:08:10. > :08:12.
:08:12. > :08:16.This is an interesting idea - get a new device and put a smartphone
:08:16. > :08:24.over it and receive a three- dimensional guide on Wed to plug in
:08:24. > :08:30.the cables. You turn the heat up in the morning and then when you leave.
:08:30. > :08:37.It will remember your settings and repeat them the next day. What is
:08:37. > :08:42.different about this one? It is designed for the kitchen. You can
:08:42. > :08:52.throw anything on it and it will keep working.
:08:52. > :08:57.How about some red wine? Not a problem. 0 Dio, look at that.
:08:57. > :09:04.still working. Most of the products on display may look irrelevant by
:09:04. > :09:12.next year but some could change our lives. Remote controls, microwave
:09:12. > :09:21.ovens, personal video controls, high-definition television - we do
:09:21. > :09:29.not need any of these but where would we be today without them?
:09:29. > :09:36.Visitors to the show include global retailers scouting out the next hit