MWC: Androids, Putting Greens, Weird Architecture Abound

BARCELONA, Spain—The annual circus of everything mobile, Mobile World Congress, is wrapping up another hectic week of smartphones, tablets and mobile technologies spread out across eight halls in the seaside city of Barcelona. In addition to the crushing load of hardware on display, the often carnival-like spectacle of vendor booths vying for attendee attention produced some strange sights. This year there were more connected cars at the conference than ever before, with Ford, General Motors and others integrating mobile technology into dashboards and entertainment systems. The annual attendance is generally between 50,000 and 60,000 people, with about 1,500 exhibitors filling the halls. This year the conference moved from its longstanding home to a new venue at Fira Gran Via, the second major business district of Barcelona. Spread out over eight connected halls, the convention always offers some strange and spectacular sights. Here’s what this year’s show offered visitors.