At Computex 2019, Intel revealed more details around its laptop innovation program, code name "Project Athena," including new "key experience indicators" (KEI) aligned with real-world conditions and the 1.0 target specification for the first wave of advanced laptops coming to market this year across Windows and Chrome operating systems.Project Athena is a multi-year program that charts a course for the PC ecosystem to raise the bar on laptop innovation. Its goal is to deliver advanced laptops that help people focus, to be always ready and to adapt to different roles throughout the day - from work and education to family interests, passion projects, entertainment and more.More than 80% of people expect the PC to still be one of the most important technologies 50 years from now, and with Project Athena, Intel is aligning innovation to address people's needs, challenges and expectations of their devices to deliver better experiences on the laptop for years to come. The innovation program includes:- New experience targets, called KEIs, defined by real-world usage models- An annual spec outlining platform requirements Extensive co-engineering support and innovation pathfinding - Ecosystem collaboration to accelerate component development, optimization and availability - A comprehensive verification process for laptops that are a part of Project AthenaKey experience indicatorsIn 2019, Intel is laying the technical foundation to drive more consistent experiences on the laptop. Derived from day-in-the life research of laptop users under real-world conditions, Intel developed a new framework of engineering metrics called KEIs as an experience-focused tool designed to supplement industry-standard benchmarking tools. Intel plans to evolve and introduce new KEI targets year over year.To better reflect an out-of-the-box laptop experience for consumers, the KEIs are evaluated on OEM devices with representative default settings while standard background tasks and programs are running. Systems are also evaluated both on battery and while plugged in. The first wave of KEI targets are foundational to common laptop workloads and include:- Consistent responsiveness on battery- 16 or more hours of battery life in local video playback mode and 9 or more hours of battery life under real-world performance conditions- Instant resume, including system wake from sleep in less than 1 secondIntel will verify device candidates for alignment with the KEI targets using an assessment suite runing a minimum set of tasks. Workloads in the assessment suite measure the consistency of responsiveness and performance, as well as battery life achievements, for common tasks such as web browsing or streaming while using productivity and companion apps. KEI targets must be met during the program's verification process.1.0 target specificationThe 1.0 target specification is foundational to the innovation expected from Project Athena for years to come and incorporates six key areas of innovation. Highlights include:1. Instant action: Modern Connected Standby and Lucid Sleep features implement fast wake with a simple lid-lift, push of a button or quick fingerprint recognition. 2. Performance and responsiveness: Systems based on Intel Core i5 or i7 processors with Intel Dynamic Tuning Technology, ≥8GB DRAM dual channel mde and ≥265GB NVMe SSD including Intel Optane memory H10 options.3. Intelligence: Including features such as far-field voice services and support for OpenVINO and WinML. Upcoming designs based on 10th Gen Intel Core processors bring broad scale intelligent performance to the laptop with Intel Deep Learning Boost for approx. 2.5X AI performance.4. Battery life: Including fast-charging capabilities over USB Type C, integration and optimization of low-power components and co-engineering support for power efficiency.5. Connectivity: A fast and persistent connection with Intel Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) and optional Gigabit LTE. Connect to billions of USB Type C devices with Thunderbolt 3, the fastest and most versatile port available.6. Form factor: Touch display, precision touchpads and more in sleek, thin-and-light and 2 in 1 designs with narrow bezels for a more immersive experience.Onstage at Computex 2019, Gregory Bryant, senior vice president and general manager of the Client Computing Group, previewed some of the first designs expected from partners based on the upcoming 10th Gen Intel Core mobile processors and aligned with the 1.0 specification, including:- Acer Swift 5 is an ultralight magnesium alloy design for mobile professionals offering powerful performance and long battery life with fast charging for maximum productivity on the go.- Dell XPS 13" 2 in 1 delivers more performance in an 8% thinner form than previous gen with 10th Gen Intel Core processors. It has a modern and beautiful design with premium materials, a refined InfinityEdge display and a 2.5mm top-mounted webcam. - HP Envy 13" Wood Series includes features like Amazon Alexa, wake on voice and fingerprint reader, along with privacy and peace-of-mind with HP Sure View and the HP Webcam Kill Switch solution.- Lenovo Yoga S940 is Lenovo's flagship ultra-slim consumer laptop packed with Lenovo Smart Assist features that can detect presence and recognize voice commands for greater security and convenience. Contour Glass wraps around its bezels for a more streamlined design.Laptops qualifying under the 1.0 target specification span both consumer and commercial categories and are expected to include designs based Intel Core i5 and i7 processors from the 8th Gen Intel Core vPro, 8th Gen Intel Core and 10th Gen Intel Core families. More than a dozen designs from Intel's OEM partners are expected this year.Key experience indicators1.0 target specification for Project Athena

MSI is showcasing a range of products at Computex 2019, including notebooks and desktops powered by Nvidia GeForce RTX GPUs, and its newest selection of Prestige series, gaming graphics cards, gaming motherboards, gaming monitors, gaming gear, as well as servers, rugged tablets and more.Furthermore, the Mystic Light zone brings visitors immersive gaming with Ambient Link synchronized game lighting."We look forward to bringing Computex 2019 the best-in-class hardware lineup for gamers, creators and all," says Sam Chern, MSI Marketing VP. "Whether it's the Best Choice Golden Award winner GT76 Titan gaming laptop, the Best Choice Category Award winner Prestige P100 Series desktop, the cutting-edge TRI-FROZR Thermal Design of MSI graphics cards, or Ambient Link interactive lighting, MSI is showcasing not only innovation across various fields, but also team achievements made possible."MSI GT76 TitanThe MSI GT76 Titan is the first gaming laptop to ever feature a full desktop Intel Core i9 processor with 8-core 16-thread configuration for 5.0GHz overclocking capabilities. The new MSI Cooler Boost Titan cooling design, now armed with four fans and 11 heat pipes, is able to generate 2.25 times the airflow for extreme gaming performance. Coupled with GeForce RTX 2080 graphics, the GT76 Titan once again exceeds the laptop performance boundaries.The GT76 Titan is built with high quality aluminum chassis, carbon fiber themed ventilation grilles and thin bezel design for minimized dimension. It is designed with Mystic Light not only on the keyboard but also with underglow.MSI GE65 RaiderThe latest GE65 Raider continues the core of powerful performance from its predecessor. Forged with the latest RTX graphics and 9th Gen Intel Core i9 processor, the GE65 Raider can handle AAA games titles. In addition, the 240Hz IPS-level thin bezel display ensures sharp, clear images in a compact form factor. The new two-toned mesh design at the bottom provides better ventilation and prevents hot air recirculation. The GE65 Raider also features the latest Killer Wi-Fi 6 for next-gen network experience.MSI Trident X PlusMSI Trident X Plus is the world's smallest gaming desktop to incorporate 9th Gen Intel Core i9 CPU which improves the performance by up to 50% with boosted gameplay and faster rendering. Also, the Trident X Plus is the first compact desktop to incorporate an SFX power supply and the latest MSI GeForce RTX graphics card into a 10 liter case. The Trident X Plus delivers the cooling and stable performance with MSI's Silent Storm Cooling 3 technology separating the CPU, VGA and PSU into independent chambers for optimized airflow. Furthermore, the door-like tempered glass side panel helps users upgrade their components with ease.Optix MPG341CQRMSI Optix MPG341CQR provides both the best visual experience and convenient user experience for gamers. With its UWQHD (3440x1440) high resolution and 21:9 screen ratio, gamers are able to enjoy their games with a chatting or streaming software together on the screen. MPG341CQR has a curved panel with 1800R curvature. For those who enjoy vibrant, dynamic and detailed images of AAA games, MPG341CQR also offers 3000:1 high contrast rate and HDR 400. Additionally, MPG341CQR can perform with 144Hz refresh rates and 1ms response time. Furthermore, the integrated mouse bungee helps sort gamers' mouse cable and the built-in camera holder helps streaming enthusiasts install cameras on MPG341CQR.MSI MEG Z390 GODLIKE gaming motherboardMSI MEG Z390 GODLIKE, as the most premium flagship motherboard, is built for hardcore gaming and extreme overclocking. With 18 digital power phases and Core Boost Technology, this motherboard is ready for high-end CPU. Dynamic Dashboard is an OLED display for hardware information and customized profiles. The Killer xTend makes farther networks, extending LAN and Wi-Fi connection. Xtreme Audio DAC includes dedicated Hi-Fi audio processors, an ESS AUDIO DAC with dedicated ESS Amplifier, WIMA audio capacitors and a 6.3mm headphone out jack for immersive audio experiences. The brand-new Dragon Center not only provides new user interface for more intuitiveness and user-friendliness but updates Mystic Light with MSI Ambient Link function to work with NANOLEAF light panels, a modular LED panel lighting system to decorate with creativity. Game modes allow gamers to display various LED effects with MSI products synchronizing with NANOLEAF panels while facing different situations in the game.MAG Z390 TOMAHAWK motherboardMSI TOMAHAWK family shines in iF Award again with MAG Z390 TOMAHAWK, a military design continuing to demonstrate stronger, tougher and heavier sense. To make sure the installation become more convenient for gamers and offer better protection on I/O panel, MAG Z390 TOMAHAWK generates a holistic design integrating I/O cover and MSI iconic design, the Extended heatsink design to keep the temperature in check, plus Core Boost, a highly optimized design and premium layout to ensure faster and undistorted power delivery to the CPU at pinpoint precision. MAG Z390 TOMAHAWK also allows further customization such as a sticker area that allows gamers to apply their favorite stickers on the heatsink cover and Mystic Light to personalize RGB effects with millions of colors and 17 preset LED effects. For a faster gaming experience, M.2 slot with a new M.2 SHIELD FROZR on board provides faster transfer speeds for SSD and prevention from throttling. In addition, MAG Z390 TOMAHAWK is equipped with Dual Intel LAN and 1x M.2 socket for Intel CNVi wireless module.

Clientron Corp, a global leading provider of thin client, POS , automotive electronics and embedded systems, is demonstrating its new product innovations at Computex 2019. The highlights of products include the latest POS terminals and self-service kiosk for the retail and hospitality industries and Industrial panel PC with IP69K protection to against high temperature, dust and water.In addition, Clientron debuts the brand new IoV intelligent in-vehicle driving solution, which refers to the intelligent driving center console as the core system, and functionality is fully integrated with the in-vehicle infotainment system, the digital driving instrument display, the digital console control, the advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), augmented reality display (ARD) and IoV interactive functions. It shows the innovative technology and system integration capabilities of the tier-1 professional automotives electronics supplier. The complete product series of Clientron are on exhibition at booth R0827 in TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall 2.Smart retail solution: Self-ordering kiosk and multi-function POS terminalAt the show, Clientron introduces its entire POS product portfolio, including multi-function all-in-one POS terminal PSL540, which integrates thermal printer and peripherals with a compact and low-profile enclosure for small stores and price checking machines. Another tower-type all-in-one POS terminal PST650 and high-performance PST750 feature flexible mechanism design, supporting a number of well-known printer brands, such as Seiko and Epson. The PST series features printer foot stand with lightweight design, saving counter space, especially suitable for catering services and more smart retail applications. Another focus on the show is PT2000 series POS terminal, offering from entry-level to high-end Intel Core i platform with fanless design, aiming at mainstream product segment with valuable cost-effective benefits and multiple peripheral solutions to enhance user experience. Different from previous exhibitions, Clientron displays the self-service kiosk, featuring a 32-inch multi-touch display and supporting a variety of payment mechanisms, and peripherals including NFC, barcode scanner and receipt printer for self-ordering kiosk applications. Designed with flexible I/O expansion, it can provide customized services according to demands.Intelligent in-vehicle driving platform: Yulon LUXGEN Think+ in-vehicle center console solutionClientron is a professional tier-1 supplier of automotive electronics and has been deeply involved in the Great China market for many years. In addition to providing intelligent in-vehicle infotainment system in the commercial vehicle market in China, its solution also covers the passenger vehicle market with original equipments of automotive electronics. Based on years of design know-how and integrated resources in automotive electronic industry, it creates the opportunity to work with the Hua-chuang Automobile Information Technical Center (HAITEC) and design the brand new Think+ in-vehicle center console solution for Yulon Motor (LUXGEN), the leading Taiwanese automobile. It tells that Clientron is the core-player in automotive electronics design, manufacture and system integration. The automotive electronics product line includes the latest LUXGEN Think+ in-vehicle center console solution, the new technology leveraged and close integration with the in-vehicle infotainment, digital driving instrument display, digital control system, ADAS, ARD and Internet-of-Vehicle functions, enhance driving experience with the new generation of IoV intelligent driving platform.Industrial embedded computing - IP65/IP69K all-in-one panel PCFor industrial embedded computing product line, Clientron's solutions include single board computer (SBC), embedded system and industrial panel PC to accommodate different customers and vertical market demands. At the show, Clientron's Pike-AL-1500SP, built with 304 stainless steel casing and supporting IP65/IP69K to enable protection against heat and corrosion, guarantee safe and sanitary operation in a food & beverage processing plant as well as hot and humid kitchen environment.Moreover, thin client is the main product line of Clientron, and its product segments range from entry-level, high-end, standalone, all-in-one to industry thin client for selections. For more product information on POS system, self- ordering kiosk, industrial panel PC, thin client and IoV intelligent driving platform solution, please visit Clientron at Booth R0827, TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall 2, Computex Taipei 2019. Clientron website: www.clientron.comClientron at Computex

With the era of 5G just around the corner, digital content is sure to bloom. In response to the trend, on the first day of Computex 2019, Gigabyte released the New AERO series - the company's newest high performance notebooks that feature powerful performance, precise color, brilliant 4K OLED displays, and user-friendliness. Targeting content creators who are always racing against time, the devices offer to be mobile studios that provide everything they need in whatever creation scenarios.The New AERO 15 OLED comes with the industry's only PANTONE-calibrated AMOLED HDR display while the New AERO 17 comes with 4K HDR display; both deliver high color contrast. Each device is equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce RTXTM 20/GTX 16 graphics card and a super powerful 9th-generation eight-core Intel CoreTM i9-9980HK/six-core i7-9750H processor for ultimate performance, while the two turbine fans dissipate heat more effectively than notebooks of the same class or even higher-end models, running professional video editing software Premiere Pro 20%-40% faster. The OLED panel of the New AERO 15 OLED is capable of outputting 100% of the DCI-P3 gamut and a contrast ratio of 100,000:1. Gigabyte is the only one in the industry to ensure that the display of every single notebook is factory-calibrated to X-Rite Pantone certified procedure for color accuracy. Always committed to innovation and quality, Gigabyte takes an All Intel Inside approach - using key components supplied by Intel - and has included Microsoft Azure AI in its machines to intelligently control CPU and GPU resources according to computer programs' needs. At a portable weight of 2.1 KG and with an ultra-thin 3mm bezel, this series is a perfect balance of ultra-thin, efficient, and precuse color. JC Lin, a professional content creator and an experienced Hollywood Effect Technical Director who participated in the production of the famous drama series Game of Thrones, had first-hand experience with visual effects production on the New AERO. He was impressed with the best-in-class, efficient computing and smooth user experience, running the commonly-used VFX solver Eddy with performance 2 to 3 times better than other devices popular with content creators.Gigabyte joins hands with Intel and Microsoft on the way toward the 5G era, making it possible for content creators to achieve greatness on AERO notebooksFrom CES to MWC, 5G technologies have shone in recent international technology events and are highly relevant to critical applications of high-profile technologies such as AR/VR and AI. As the era of 5G arrives, the industry of high-resolution content will see even more exponential growth. Supported by extremely-high-speed connection, content creators will be able to increase their productivity through real-time collaboration and cloud-terminal integration of resources. Meanwhile, increasingly refined digital content of higher resolution requires computing power for the more complex renderings of light and shadow as well as dynamic images of high frame rates. That is to say, for editing, rendering, and file conversion, content creators will need a more powerful device to produce works of higher specifications and larger file sizes in order to meet their audience's demand.As Chairman of Gigabyte Technology,Dandy Yeh said, "The drive for innovation in our products and services has always been human-centered: bringing the best experience to people while attending to practical needs that constantly evolve with time. In the 5G era, with the emergence of self-media, social media and the renovation of Internet infrastructure, content creators face great opportunities and whole new challenges. With AERO 15 OLED, Gigabyte redefines the future notebook market by creating notebooks that best fit into creators' useage scenarios and supports our users in becoming Brilliant Creators with the assistance of powerful and high-quality devices. By doing so, we bring more possibilities to individual achievements as well as rapid growth for the content industry in general. We will expand the AERO line to provide content creators with even more unique and excellent user experience powered by top-notch Intel Core i9 processors. Meanwhile, our gaming notebooks AORUS will uphold its commitment to better gaming grunt, offering optimum performance, fast-ever visuals, and superb keyboard experience. "Gigabyte's dedication to high quality is also evident in its work with powerhouses in the notebook ecosystem, such as Intel and Microsoft. "Gigabyte's ability to innovate in the area of ultra-thin notebooks is well-recognized. It's among the first to respond to Intel's idea of All Intel Inside by incorporating it in the AERO series. It has fitted high-quality Intel key components and powerful SSD into in the New AERO 15 OLED's light and ultra-thin frame while ensuring compatibility and durability, "said Fredrik Hamberger, Head of Intel System Product Marketing.Alvaro Celis, Vice President of World Wide Device Sales at Microsoft, said, "We appreciate that Gigabyte continues to deliver innovative AERO PCs for gamers and now creators. Including Azure AI services in the PCs offer great user experiences by ensuring optimum device performance and energy efficiency."Ultra-thin, efficient, and precise, a PANTONE-calibrated OLED display is the only choice for professional creators to carry out zero off-shade content productionWith user scenarios of content creation in mind, the New AERO has four major advantages that highlight its ingenious hardware specifications, design and build, and software integration. The robust CNC-fabricated chassis underpins a more solid build. Even the 15-inch model includes a number pad, which is not often found in ultra-thin notebooks of the same size, while the wide array of ports and the superfast 300MB/S UHS-II SD card reader allow users to transfer and immediately show their large-sized digital works on the AERO 15 OLED screen of great color depth.Powerful Performance: The New AERO is the only notebook in the industry using All Intel Inside - a powerful combination of Intel components including an Intel Core i9-9980HK/i7-9750H processor - complemented with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 20/Nvidia GeForce GTX 16 graphics card that is capable of real-time ray tracing. Microsoft Azure AIAI is designed to automatically tune GPU and CPU resource allocation according to computing needs under different circumstances. The professional video editing software Premiere Pro runs 20%-40% faster on AERO than on its peers. Recognizing that cooling is key to performance stability, the machine comes with 2 fans, 5 pipes, and 11 air inlets/outlets to back its powerful performance and ensures users' comfort and efficiency, producing noises lower than 40dB and temperature lower than 36oC under heavy workloads.Precise Color: AERO covers 100% gamut of the DCI-P3, a wide color space defined by the film industry and used by image creators. Unlike other manufacturers, who test samples or merely use software color calibration, Gigabyte takes profession creators' need for precise color as its priority, making sure that the OLED display of every single AERO notebook is factory-calibrated to meet X-Rite Pantone standards and a Delta E < 1 value (while the average standard in the industry is a value of 3 or more). The unique, high-standard test procedure is an effective solution to color difference, a common issue with OLED displays, and a way to output precise, real, and vivid colors for professional creators.Brilliant 4K OLED Display: The New AERO is available in 15-inch and 17-inch models. The 15-inch model has a 3mm-thin bezel 4K OLED display of gorgeous colors and high resolution, and the 17-inch model also sports a color-calibrated 4K HDR display with ultra-thin borders to maximize the space for the screen and create superb, immersive visual experience.User Friendliness: The device supports Windows Hello fingerprint and facial recognition for a hassle-free bootup. It has high-level security features that protect the safety of creators' intellectual property stored on the device and offers a wide array of ports and a super-fast SD reader for reading images, transferring data, and connecting external monitors.Hollywood Visual Effects professional JC Lin tried out the New AERO: A solid offer with insights into creators' pain points and nearly 3X better performanceJC Lin, a Taiwanese expatriate and an experienced Effect Technical Director who created visual effects for well-known TV and film productions including the Emmy Award-winning drama series Game of Thrones, is a typical content creator. Because of his job, which often involves building 3D visual effects for epic movie scenes, a high-performing notebook is something he greatly needs. As Lin explained, "When the rendering of the scenes was more complex, sometimes we needed to connect 8 GPUs and have them work at the same time for better performance and shorter computing time so that we could meet the deadline." In the TV and film sector, where the industry dynamics and customer needs are evolving all the time, it is pivotal to have a device that works in all scenarios of content creation.When Lin simulated vast and detailed fluid effects using Eddy on AERO, the rendering was completed almost real-time. While trying out the New Aero to create the piece of visual effects, Lin said he "deeply felt a sense of smoothness and flow completely different from experience with other notebooks. Performance is many content creators' major concern. In addition to AERO's computing power brought by the high-end graphics card and the newest processors, the incorporation of AI also allows users to focus on their creation rather than wasting time on manual configuration of computing resources. Take Eddy, a commonly-used VFX tool, for example, the performance was 2 to 3 times better on AERO than on other notebooks that are popular among creators, with the simulated smoke showing up almost in real time. Also, it was impressive how Gigabyte AERO 15 OLED was able to deliver exquisite details of rich colors in the case of lighting created using 4K rendering and environmental mapping."Gigabyte is keenly aware of content creators' pursuit for perfection in their works. As JC Lin said, "Any seemly insignificant color differences or representation of details such as hair or woven fabrics will hugely affect the overall atmosphere and quality of a scene, so no sloppy work should be allowed. And it is also in these details that the NEW AERO's meticulous work shines through - such as its attention to color calibration and visual experience optimization. These are difficult for devices of the same class to surpass."Gigabyte values the needs of content creators, and it takes actions to support emerging local creative. The Design Department of the National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) will be sponsored by the company to create works on AERO devices. At the launch of the New AERO, there was also a display of NTNU students' multimedia works across categories: integrated brand identity design like CLAM LAB, Tomono and Ing Hand, audio-visual creation like xiang xiang, Gun Tau and Pray, and product design like the rust of time and Toooot. From graphic, packaging, product, audio-visual to even space design, the wide variety of pieces showcase AERO 15 OLED's cross-disciplinary performance. On the opening day of Computex Taipei, the launch is a perfect illustration of how technology and content creation work hand in hand.AI-embracing Gigabyte organized an Azure AI session with MicrosoftGigabyte, who takes great interest in AI development in consumer electronics, has not just introduced the world's first Microsoft Azure AI-powered notebook that gives consumers powerful computing since boot up. By organizing an Azure AI session with Microsoft during Computex, the company is doing its bit for AI development in Taiwan and the rest of the world, where channel partners and AI developers had been given in-depth presentations about Azure Service, focusing on R&D and outlook.

There is increasing demand for more local, edge-based processing in systems to complement cloud based functions. And we are in the early days of 5G Network deployment. A variety of applications including media streaming devices, surveillance cameras, smart sensor hubs and the solutions can benefit from a combination of edge, cloud processing leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) technology.The embedded systems and industrial PC industries are looking at various vertical solutions and technologies with different kinds of CPU, APU or SoC from primarily being designed for machine control applications to very broader range of fields such as smart healthcare or industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) systems. These smart edge technologies make the embedded systems transforming themselves into really complex systems, thus creating newer opportunities and challenges to develop more powerful, energy efficient systems and other AI enabled micro servers.Founded in 1979, SECO is an Italy based embedded system and leading industrial solution provider with dedicated focus on designing standard solutions up to custom embedded systems fulfilling the needs of customers. The product portfolio is ranging from board-level controllers with firmware, software stacks to a complete system. Now the coming smart edge systems, SECO is releasing an entire product roadmap in Computex 2019.Marty Chen, vice president of SECO Asia Pacific, talks about how the trends of smart edge technology boosting SECO product offerings to develop Asian market to expand the further growth of embedded system sectors.Flexible hardware platforms shortening time-to-market for system integratorsThe computer on module (COM) is one of the most popular product series of SECO. It equips the cross-platform philosophy with the modular design aiming to provide flexibility to switch different CPUs between X86, ARM and FPGA-based architectures with the same form factor standards. Customers could change the CPU chips from x86 to Arm-cored processor or FPGA solutions, or changing different grade of CPU cored chips. The unique benefits are giving the freedom to switch CPUs to satisfy the versatile applications with intensive computing requirements in various embedded systems, which gaining both extreme flexibility and vast scalability as well. And the most of all, solution providers save the hardware development efforts and have a major focus on tackling the major technical challenges of AI software integration the solving issues of time-to-market considerations.The processor support is the key to a successful business for SECO. To strengthen its leadership strategy in AI enabled embedded solutions based on Arm-based architectures, SECO is releasing an entire product roadmap on standard and custom form factors leveraging NXP i.MX 8 Family, which ranges from the ultra-low-power (i.MX 8M Mini) to the best in class models, such as i.MX 8 Quad Max APU chip. The full line COM products provide high performance, low power, high reliability product features to fulfill the needs of critical applications such as automotive and industrial automation. In recent business development of European market, SECO has successfully introduced various medical solutions covering the computation modules of ultrasound equipment to complete healthcare tablets.Adapting COM-HPC new standards for supporting high-end server class CPUsTraditionally SECO develops the entire Intel, AMD, NXP roadmaps in all standard modular form factors including Qseven, COM Express and SMARC standards. But there is new demand for high computing performance at the edge. Today, the unstoppable data growth generated from sensors of edge devices is a megatrend. The high data transfer rates of the upcoming 5G standard and the data hunger of the AI algorithm need a new generation of embedded systems with the latest high-end server class CPUs and support 100 Gigabit Ethernet, PCI express Gen 4/5, USB 3.2 etc. The existing COM Express Type 7 is no longer sufficient to manage those high speed data busses also due to the physical limits of the connectors, for this reason SECO is promoting a new initiative in the PICMG for the foundation of a new modular standard, named COM-HPC. This new modular standard will be available in two different form factors both adopting two new high-speed connectors with a total of 800 pins, to guarantee the signal integrity of those high speed busses as PCI express Gen 4/5 up to 64 lanes.With new initiated COM-HPC specification, SECO is kicking off the new projects for a new series of smart gateway systems based on NXP Layerscape processors. This new standard will target, for example, the industrial automation use cases as the factory floor where it is necessary a proximity rugged server that has to work in harsh environmental conditions and in general in the critical infrastructures where the classic IT servers cannot be considered reliable, Chen highlighted.The trends of AI, IIoT and Edge Computing technologies will continue bringing the smart solutions to improve the quality of human life. With the advent of IIoT and Smart Edge technologies, system integrators need to be prepared for the prospects which will be opened by these new edge systems as well as the big business opportunities such as retail, industrial automation, medical, communication etc. Chen added, "SECO is ready, and we will help customers to be ready for the success in the rapid growth market."Meanwhile, during Computex Taipei 2019, SECO will showcase a full range of products at Nangang Exhibition Hall, booth No K01015. The product demonstration will include a full range of products of Qseven, COM Express and SMARC product lines to allow visitors to have a good chance to see the advanced solutions provided by a leading European embedded solution vendor.For entering Asia, Chen added, the current development will continue towards smart medical solutions. Over the past few years, SECO taking time to build the partnership with targeted first-tier customers in Japan and South Korea; it will gain the benefits of sales performance in next few months. And it is further expanding its operations to China at a rapid pace, Chen noted.Marty Chen, vice president of SECO Asia Pacific

StorArt Technology, a leading NAND flash controller solution provider, announced the launch of its NVMe-1.3 SSD controller, SA3811, with PCIe3.0x4 lanes providing 4GB/s interface, high-bandwidth, IOPS and low-latency performance.The SA3811 is the best solution for client SSD applications, like PC/ultra-book, consumer electronics, IPC, hyperscale datacenter and other markets. It also adopts StorArt's new LDPC technology for reliability enhancement, and endurance boost. By leveraging StorArt flash management technology, excellent sequential/random read/write performance and good lifetime extension for SSD applications.SA3801 is a popular G3x2 PCIe SSD controller in mass production providing an excellent and extremely competitive total BOM cost to our customers. Good value doesn't lower its performance for either external or embedded applications which the users can enjoy the best cost versus performance value with SA3801.StorArt Technology SA3811

Phison Electronics is showcasing its full range of NAND storage solutions at Computex 2019, from the flagship PCIe 4.0 PS5016-E16 (E16) SSD controller for gaming, to storage solutions for AIoT, automotive, and edge computing applications. Phison's flagship PS5016-E16 is the first PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe SSD controller in the consumer market today and one of the biggest highlights of Computex this year. Combining the latest 96-layer 3D flash memory and the fourth-generation LDPC ECC engine, E16 controller can reach maximum performance of 5000/4400 MB/s in sequential read/write respectively. Equipped with the patented hardware accelerator, E16 provides gamers with ultimate performance like never before. In addition, with the exclusive design of intelligent temperature control mechanism and a hidden IC heat sink, E16 has excellent thermal control even under extreme gaming operation. E16 SSD will be available in M.2 2280 form factor and will enter mass production in the third quarter of 2019."This is a big year for Phison at Computex. In furthering the leadership in consumer-market, Phison has also shifted its focus on storage solutions for embedded and enterprise markets," said KS Pua, CEO of Phison Electronics. "The high-end application storage segment has high barriers of entry but allows better gross margins for the business. Phison will continue to invest resources to transform business strategy and strive for operating efficiency and improved profit." In addition to the flagship product E16, Phison is also displaying PS5013-E13T and PS3113-S13T SSD controllers supporting the latest generation of QLC NAND flash; the SD 7.1 PS5017 controller; high-end USB controller PS2251-17 that supports the latest USB 3.2 Gen2x2 specification; and UFS 3.0 controller PS8317 that is designed for flagship mobile market. Phison is well-positioned for addressing the needs of high-end NAND storage application markets.Phison targets high-end NAND storage markets at Computex 2019

At Computex 2019, Intel showcased how it is working with the ecosystem to bring the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology to new PCs and home routers and gateways. Wi-Fi 6 delivers ultra-fast, reliable and responsive connections, even in environments with many devices connected simultaneously, which is important since it is estimated that each person in North America will have 13 or more connected devices by 2022.Intel Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) solutionsNot all Wi-Fi 6 is created equal. Intel Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) solutions for PCs and home routers and gateways are Gig+ capable, meaning they use 160 MHz channel bandwidth to get true gigabit speeds. This enables best-in-class performance for browsing, working, gaming and streaming, with gigabit speeds that are two times faster than mainstream Wi-Fi 6 solutions and nearly three times faster versus standard 802.11 AC solutions. Intel's Wi-Fi 6 solutions for PCs and home infrastructure are also performance optimized with the user experience in mind.New Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) routers and gateways powered by Intel technologyIntel Home Wi-Fi Chipset WAV600 Series is Gig+ capable and was the industry's first Wi-Fi 6 solution for dual-band 4-stream (2+2) routers and gateways, making it possible to start experiencing the benefits of Wi-Fi 6 in an affordable way. Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) routers and gateways powered by Intel's Wi-Fi 6 technology are designed to use 160MHz channel bandwidth to deliver true gigabit speeds on capable PCs, including today's PCs with integrated 802.11ac Gigabit Wi-Fi and new PCs with Intel Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+).The following companies are introducing new Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) routers and gateways powered by Intel technology in 2019:- AVM will introduce the industry's first dual-band 2x2 stream DOCSIS 3.1 cable gateway with Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), offering an affordable way for cable operators to deploy Wi-Fi 6. - Edimax will be the first to offer a "whitebox" dual-band 4-stream Wi-Fi 6 router to OEMs worldwide to help expand the global reach of Wi-Fi 6, and will also introduce the BR-6473AX, a dual-band 4-stream Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) router. - Elecom will deliver the WRC-X3000GS, which is expected to be one of the first dual-band 4-stream Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) routers in Japan. - Netgear recently introduced the Nighthawk AX4 router, the industry's first mainstream dual-band 4-stream Wi-Fi 6 router. It is Gig+ capable so that users can enjoy smoother streaming, faster downloads, and improved gaming and video conferencing. - TP-Link will offer the Archer AX50, a new dual-band Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) router that will increase the speed and efficiency of the home network.New PCs with Intel Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+)In 2019, more than 100 new PCs are expected with Intel Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) as a configuration option, including OEM systems based on:- 8th Gen Intel Core vPro - Commercial laptops configured with Intel Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) solutions will be some of the first available in the marketplace to enable faster Wi-Fi 6 - 9th Gen Intel Core mobile processors with Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (Gig+) offer almost three times faster throughput and up to 75% latency reduction to unleash a great gaming experience. - New 10th Gen Intel Core processors, code name "Ice Lake," have integrated Intel Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) for incredibly fast and responsive connectivity on thin and light PCs.Intel's innovation program, code name "Project Athena," is defining the next era of advanced laptops by driving new experiences. Advancements in connectivity, including Wi-Fi 6, will help make those experiences possible. On stage at Computex 2019, OEMs previewed upcoming designs based on 10th Gen Intel Core processors and co-engineered as part of the Project Athena innovation program, including Acer Swift 5, Dell XPS 13" 2 in 1, HP Envy 13 and Lenovo Yoga S940.In addition, Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP and MSI have announced new PCs with Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (Gig+).For more on Intel Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) visit https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/architecture-and-technology/wireless/80211ax.htmlIntel Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) solutions

With one of the strongest processor ecosystems in the industry, Arm's role to accelerate the adoption of machine learning (ML) at the edge can't be overemphasized, and its effort to enhance its CPU performance and software support for ML workloads is now in full swing. According to Jem Davies, Arm fellow, VP and GM, Machine Learning Group, the market outlook, challenges, and Arm's overall strategy to address the huge opportunity are clearly disclosed.ML in edge devices is just beginning"We see ML as one of the most exciting advancements in computers and processors in modern times," Davies said. "As machine learning is exploding across edge devices, we're now to the point where we are seeing huge amounts of activities and some really interesting use cases across all markets Arm technology services."From his point of view, some of the most interesting use cases and active communities for ML are coming out of the IoT sector using traditionally very small processors like the Arm Cortex-M microcontroller family.For example, the use cases come from the embedded and IoT spaces, such as life improving medical devices like smart asthma inhalers, through to industrial sorting and robotics to voice assistants, more intelligent home security and even things like DTVs where there is a lot of activity in super scaling, scene recognition and picture quality enhancement and gesture recognition.Of course, there are some of the more interesting ones, including the well covered autonomous vehicle and driver assistance; in smartphone a huge range of applications are implementing ML improvements like smarter games engines, richer social media applications, and even utility applications built directly into the OS like predictive text and voice assistants."From an Arm perspective, the thirst for ML in edge devices is just beginning and we expect it to continue growing substantially for several years yet," he said. "The use cases are still growing rapidly and we expect an explosion of creativity over the next couple years as the algorithms become more understood and smaller and the developer community really engages with what ML can bring."But, the challenges are...However, opportunities always come with challenges. The challenge for Arm is to ensure people have the improved CPU and other processors along with associated software and tools to support their needs today while also ensuring it is working on the products for tomorrow with even more capability, such as ML dedicated processors.But at the customers' side, Davies saw lots of confusion as ML is too new and too complicated for them to adopt. "A lot of what we're working on now is just trying to help demystify and clarify things in the technology space as there's a lot of confusion and misinformation out there.""Two years ago or even a year ago, it wasn't uncommon for people to think that if you wanted to do any ML on a device, you needed to have an ML dedicated processor - a view fuelled by people with dedicated processors to sell - and so we would get asked which processor was best for ML a lot. It depends on what is important to you. So we've spent a lot of time explaining when a small CPU, large CPU, multi-processor CPU, GPU or ML processor would best meet people's needs."On the other hand, one of the biggest challenges for software developers is the same one they always have: which hardware platform/processor should I target to give my software the widest compatibility with devices?Aside from that, models have introduced a new and critical component to the technology stack when you are doing ML. A lot of work has gone on in the industry the last few years to make these better understood and more friendly and accessible.ML are affecting nearly all Arm's productsAccording to Davies, ML is driving a change in software, and Arm's processors and products are all about running software. As such, his view is that ML is affecting nearly all Arm's products."You can see this in the CPUs we have been releasing the last couple years which have had major performance improvements specifically targeted at ML workloads. Often these are 4x or even 10x on generation improvements. This also extends to our latest GPUs and even our efficient Cortex-M family where we recently released our Helium extensions specifically supporting 15 times improved ML performance in microcontrollers.""So Arm is focused on offering a huge range of 'processors' that can give customers a vast range of price, performance and power trade-offs. We will be extending that further through 2019 with a range of complementary ML processors for all markets given the market options where heavy ML workloads are needed or ML power efficiency is critical."He explained that Arm's strategy has been to add capabilities to its CPU and GPU architectures to support ML for some years now. And the company has launched a range of scalable and extensible NPUs (neural processing units) to provide more efficient ML processing in a range of market segments with performance requirements such as in automotive, right down to the tiniest low-power embedded microcontrollers.As he mentioned, there is no one-size-fits-all approach when choosing processors for ML. "We predict that ML will continue to be run across a range of processors, not just NPUs," he said.In addition to this, Arm has been investing heavily in ensuring the software is there to get the best performance out of current and future Arm hardware as well as ensuring software portability.Arm's advantages in the new ML eraIt is fair to say that Arm provides the architectures at the heart of modern computing and Arm-based devices are everywhere around us. With this advantage, when disruptions like ML come along, developers will use Arm's architectures first to innovate on, Davies indicated."We recently launched a survey to measure where ML processing is being performed, and the most popular was the Arm Cortex CPU architecture, followed by the Arm Mali GPU architecture," he said. "That's a huge advantage for us - it gives us great connections to developers who can then tell us what they need us to develop in terms of software libraries, compilers, development tools etc and what they will want to do themselves.""This major shift in the industry is something we started some years ago and we could see it spreading across various areas of the company. That's when Arm's Project Trillium was brought to life to help ensure we were taking a broad, holistic and comprehensive view of ML in the business."He explained that Project Trillium, which covers all of Arm's ML activities, is Arm's and third-party hardware IP and software running ML workloads and applications. Within it are CPU and GPU improvements started many years ago in research, a broad range of complementary current and future ML processors software to enable ML on Arm, tools, ecosystem and a ramping amount of educational material.As ML is fundamentally a software problem, Arm is also investing hugely to support ML developers on Arm. Arm NN provides a framework to allow ML workloads to be easily run across a variety of processors: CPUs, GPUs, NPUs and other IP blocks."We developed Arm NN, investing over 120 engineering years of effort before donating it to Linaro, and now, with Open Source and Open Governance, our partners are contributing their own efforts to Arm NN, in the confidence that it will become an open standard across multiple industries, not controlled by any one company."With these big investments in tooling and ecosystem support and development, Arm aims to provide the broadest and most comprehensive range of ML solutions for all ranges of edge devices, and hope to bear fruit in the years to come.Jem Davies, Arm fellow, VP and GM, Machine Learning GroupArm is enabling ML on edge devices

IoT is already sweeping across industries and geographies and is starting to further combine with AI in recent years to enable AIoT, which will serve as the basis supporting business operations in many industries. AIoT applications are characterized by massive data, cross-sector management, prompt response and cloud integration, which impose big challenges on data centers. Enterprise-class storage system provider QSAN joins forces with Seagate to incorporate Seagate IronWolf Health Management and self-encrypting drives (SED) in QSAN products to gain visibility on storage health through an intelligent approach and ensure data integrity through a rigorous encryption mechanism.QSAN leverages IronWolf Health Management to guarantee data integrityAccording to Neal Chen, senior product manager, NAS product management, QSAN, data storage is the fundamental element supporting business operations today. In the case of any storage failure, companies will have to pay the price whether for RAID rebuild, data recovery or even hardware equipment upgrade. As such, the market now sees increasing demand for data accuracy, data safety, and uninterrupted services. To address data accuracy and data safety, aside from adopting active-active controllers, storage providers today also include Cache-to-Flash memory protection in their storage area network (SAN) design, which safely transfers cache memory data to a non-volatile flash device in the event of unexpected power loss. In addition to Cache-to-Flash memory protection, QSAN products are also built with snapshot, local replication and even RAID EE, which significantly shortens rebuild time to help companies quickly recover from the disaster of data loss.QSAN's network attached storage (NAS) product XCubeNAS, running its QSAN Storage Manager (QSM), supports up to 3PB capacity and comes with built-in deduplication and inline compression. Furthermore, XCubeNAS also operates on enterprise-level file system ZFS, which enables real-time monitoring of data health by calculating a checksum on incoming data at the smallest block-level, so it can restore the data based on the checksum in the case of drive failure. There are more robust protection mechanisms to ensure usability, including Write Once Read Many (WORM), multi-node synchronization XMirror and Snapshot, guaranteed to wow users. To further enhance NAS reliability, XCubeNAS uses Seagate IronWolf drives with the top capacities on the market. All XCubeNAS tower and rack models are protected by Seagate IronWolf Health Management, which enables disaster prevention, lowers potential risks and thereby warrant uninterrupted availability and data integrity.Enterprise-class Seagate SED safeguards data securityFor data security, all QSAN products integrate SED technologies (TCG Enterprise, TCG OPAL and Instant Secure Erase) and adopt Seagate's FIPS140-2 certified enterprise-performance Exos drives. They offer total security solutions and significantly lower digital risks without comprising storage performance. Chen notes Seagate SEDs are designed with authentication and encryption mechanisms to prevent data breach due to drive maintenance, replacement or migration. SEDs are protected with the authentication key when in normal use. In the event of power loss, the encryption key will be locked and must be authenticated before data access is granted when power is restored so as to safeguard the data on the SEDs that are lost or stolen by insiders or outsiders.In addition, data written to the SED are encrypted and data read from the SED are decrypted. When an SED is to be replaced or re-used, the user only needs to issue an Instant Secure Erase (ISE) command and the data in the SED are safely erased with no way of decrypting and recovering the data, simplifying the drive retirement process and greatly reducing IT cots.XCubeFAS + Seagate Nytro SAS SSD combines performance and safetyQSAN's flash array storage XCubeFAS comes with Seagate Nytro SAS SSD. According to Chen, external storage arrays become a must as enterprises demand higher and higher server performance and server storage space is running out. To increase performance while avoiding latency, small and medium businesses, academic institutions and government agencies are beginning to incorporate all-flash arrays. QSAN's all-flash array XCubeFAS offers health monitoring, performance analytics and optimization for all flash drives as well as quick and easy storage management. Seagate Nytro SSDs integrate several data protection methods including full internal and external data path protection, ECC algorithms, media lifecycle management and other techniques for extending flash memory life.With AIoT applications clicking into place, businesses now have to deal with unprecedentedly large amounts of data, comments Chen. Under such circumstances, data safety and security is increasingly important as well so intelligent data storage management has become a fundamental element supporting business operations. The partnership between QSAN and Seagate not only strengthens health management of storage devices but also ensures data security, effectively safeguarding enterprise data and delivering top-of-the-line storage performance in the smart IoT era.Neal Chen, senior product manager, NAS Product Management, QSANData form the basis of business operation today. Seagate SSDs come with unique authentication and encryption designs to prevent any potential data breachData accuracy, safety and uninterrupted availability are the basic requirements on enterprise-class storageSeagate IronWolf Health Management (IHM)QSAN XCubeFAS