The Port of Antwerp in Belgium, Europe's second-largest seaport, handles massive cargo turnover and manages heavy shipping traffic to and from the port. The team of professional harbor pilots from BRABO plays an essential role navigating large vessels safely from lock to berth or vice versa. Pilotage is a venerable profession and is indispensable to the safe operation of international ports around the world.ChallengeBrabo specializes in maritime services and employs 300 employees among which 70 professional harbor pilots within the Brabo Pilotage & Mooring division. Brabo's team of harbor pilots provides around-the-clock service to guide ships safely into port regardless of weather conditions. Especially when strong winds and shallow waters make it difficult to keep the ship on course, harbor pilots must be careful to keep themselves and the equipment safe. In maneuvering ships safely into port, they rely on high-tech navigation tools to help them cope with unpredictable weather conditions and carry out highly specialized and critical tasks. They also need to communicate professionally with the lock and bridge operators, tug masters and captains of inland vessels to be able to deliver professional and efficient services.A harbor pilot is the first person to greet a ship coming into the docks. He has to ensure smooth and safe mooring and unmooring of ships. Situational awareness is important for the pilot. Ships traffic, weather and depth are monitored constantly. He also needs to be able to look up all digital information of a ship from arrival at port to berthing and timely report information to the online port registration system, which can be achieved through a portable rugged tablet computer. The captain of the ship navigates at sea, but maneuvering is different in each port, so the captain relies on the harbor pilot's knowledge of the local situation to successfully complete the first and last legs of their journeys.The environment at a port is generally humid, foggy, and the air is corrosive due to the salt. Computers operating on board a ship must be able to operate in an environment that could be exposed to combustible gases or chemicals and subject to impact, drop and drastic difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures, especially in winter. These conditions put a computer's durability and reliability to the test. If they fail to perform, it could cause disruption to work, damage to company reputation, and in worst case scenarios, accidents resulting in property loss, injury, or death.SolutionBrabo began implementing a full-scale digital transformation in 2017. On system integrator Nextel's recommendation, Brabo now equips its team of professionals with Getac's third-generation F110-Ex fully rugged tablets, which combine mobility, performance and safety to meet the needs by high-end industrial applications. F110-Ex was the ideal choice because it is a Windows-based, ATEX-certified tablet with a large and clear sunlight-readable display.Featuring 11.6" display, 1.39kg lightweight, 2.5cm slimness, MIL-STD810G (including salt fog corrosion test) and IP65 water and dust resistance certifications, a wide operating temperature range between -21 degree C and 60 degree C, and a storage temperature range between -51 degree C and 71 degree C, F110-Ex is built to withstand harsh environments.Equipped with the 7th generation Intel Kaby Lake Core processors and multi-factor security mechanisms, F110-Ex provides exceptional computational power and secure authentication. It is particularly noteworthy that the intrinsically safe F110-Ex is certified to ATEX & IECEx Zone 2/22 standards.Intrinsic safety is a protection technique for safe operation of electrical equipment in high-risk environments with combustible gases and dust, by limiting the available energy to a level that is too low to cause ignition. Built on top of Getac's safety expertise, F110-Ex is designed with explosion protection compliant with ATEX standards and outstanding ruggedness so that harbor pilots can carry out their duties to perfection.BenefitsF110-Ex's 11.6" display guarantees clarity under direct sunlight and uncompromised touch sensitivity to fingers in heavy-duty gloves, allowing harbor pilots to work without a hitch. Brabo pilots carry the F110-EX to register real time data and consult harbor specific data to guide the ships safely from lock to berth. They are responsible for the ship's security and safety as they enter the harbor.Furthermore, harbor pilots can count on ATEX-certified F110-Ex to maintain reliable operation under the challenging environmental conditions at a seaport. Designed to be field-ready straight out of the box, F110-Ex needs no extra protective casing and lasts 8-12 hours on a single charge, fully supporting a harbor pilot's work for an entire shift. It's utterly important that a harbor pilot's tablet computer packs a powerful battery capable of lasting a full shift so he can complete the mission. Getac made flexible adjustments to F110-Ex to accommodate the needs of pilotage work, thereby boosting productivity and efficiency. By fine-tuning the display brightness as well as GPS and Wi-Fi modules, Nextel and Getac optimized the solution to meet Brabo's productivity requirements.Running Windows 10, F110-Ex supports glitch-free execution of Brabo's software systems, allowing Brabo to maximize ROI of its digital transformation. Fast wireless connectivity also enables F110-Ex to upload/download data to/from backend systems in a snap, achieving a seamless integration with Brabo's software systems.Getac F110-Ex provides a total solution fully supporting harbor pilots as they guide ships from lock to berth or vice versa at the Port of Antwerp.Customer quote:"The Pilots and Boatmen of Brabo are working under all type of weather conditions and different environmental situations including the presence of explosive goods. To support the digital transformation of Brabo, the Pilots and Boatmen must rely on tools to support their daily work. After rigorous evaluation, Brabo chose the Getac F110 fully rugged Atex certified touchscreen tablet that supports a full day shift and can be used in all weather situations and environments."Brabo's team of professional harbor pilots uses Getac F110-EX to guide ships in the Port of Antwerp in Belgium, Europe's second-largest seaport.

Internet of Things (IoT) applications are beginning to take shape in recent years. Especially starting from 2016, with advancing artificial intelligence (AI) developments, AIoT platforms combining AI and IoT technologies are rapidly gaining attention in the information technology (IT) sector. AIoT applications are also emerging in some sectors. ThroughTek chairman Patrick Kuo points out, "smartization" is a fundamental element to IoT design and with the incorporation of AI, the market will see growing AIoT applications across vertical applications.Today 80% of the applications on the market have something to do with image processing, which will also be the major area of AIoT applications onwards.Contrary to the popular belief that IoT emerged only in recent years, the industry has been making use of sensors and communication networks to allow systems to collect data and turn the data into applications through transmission, storage and analytical processes long time ago, indicates Kuo. However, the practice did not become popular because there were seldom of product types and communication protocols, making interconnections across machines and systems difficult.The term IoT popped up about a decade ago with growing market acceptance and industry-wide engagement. However, only with AI it became popular again in 2016; the synergy of the two started to bring IoT applications into reality. From an application perspective, AI is the last piece of the puzzle that enables IoT devices with intelligent computation capabilities, allowing them to make prompt and precise responses to be put in practical use.The three fundamental technologies supporting AIoT video analysis developmentCommenting on current AIoT technology trends, Kuo believes edge computing, cloud platforms and video analysis are the three major forces in driving AIoT advancement. They enable the development of complete AIoT systems with specific functions and target applications.Kuo explains that AI-based connected video analysis implement different types of computation at both the edge and back-end. Edge computing at the edge deals with data that require simple processing and instant responses while tasks that require more powerful computation capabilities such as machine learning or deep learning are carried out by upper-level cloud platforms at the back-end. Whether through edge computing or cloud computing, video analysis process video generally for recognition purposes so they can be used in a wide range of smart applications.Video analysis systems are already being used in a myriad of applications, including surveillance systems for smart cities, healthcare, elderly care, retail and logistics. Due to the nature of the use scenarios, video analysis systems come with very different functions and specifications and system integrators across different sectors base their product design on their own specialty and expertise. For example, face recognition or production volume, to meet specific industry requirements and accommodate different operating environments.Video transmission is instrumental to how well imaging systems can leverage the full potential of upper-level cloud computing. It ensures complete and seamless transmission of video captured on front-end cameras to back-end platforms to provide more precise cloud computing results. Transmitting video data over cloud may not be a big deal with today's technologies. However, the actual process entails highly-specialized know-how. Take ThroughTek for example, the company has more than 40 million cameras connected worldwide. As reliability and scalability are critical to video analysis, having built up such a massive network of cameras with proven data transmission quality, ThroughTek has established itself as a professional provider of cloud-based image processing solutions that are enthusiastically embraced by the market.Rapidly advancing technologies spur widespread applicationsKuo believes rapid developments and already widespread deployment of video technologies are the two key factors behind the applications of AIoT developments in imaging systems leading other areas. Since MPEG-1 first released in 1990, video standards have progressed to H.264 (MPEG-4 Part 10) published in 2014. The availability of H.264 makes video streaming an important feature of IT systems, spurring a new wave of developments for the industry and leaping advances of image recognition technologies. With these technological breakthroughs come burgeoning applications. For example, retailers can find consumer faces and determine their age and gender from image data. Traffic systems can monitor traffic flow and detect the make, model and color of vehicles violating traffic rules. With the integration of edge computing and cloud computing, the market can definitely expect more full-featured applications to become available in the future.Video surveillance has become part of people's daily life with cameras everywhere. For AIoT applications, these surveillance cameras provide ample data for analytical processing, enabling them to deliver immediate and substantial results, such as the applications in retail and traffic mentioned above. Being able to see the results, governments and businesses are therefore more willing to invest in and deploy AIoT applications.Judging from current developments, AIoT architectures used in surveillance systems have grown mature as solutions providers actively engage in edge computing and/or cloud computing research. Video data captured by front-end cameras is sent to back-end cloud platforms for storage and analysis. However, neither Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) suppliers nor camera manufacturers can provide the intermediary functions between the frond-end and back-end to meet the needs by specific applications. This is where Software as a Service (SaaS) comes into play.Managing cloud-based imaging systems using VSaaSTake ThroughTek's Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS) for example. Designed with two-way communication, real-time data transmission and video surveillance, event and full-time recordings on cloud as well as support for multiple browsers, ThroughTek's Kalay platform allows system integrators to make flexible selections based on customer needs. For example, if video is recorded around the clock and the data is stored on cloud, the customer may run up a huge tab for cloud storage. In this case, system integrators can choose ThroughTek's event and full-time recording on cloud solution, which first keeps the recordings locally at the frond-end cameras and transmits the data to cloud for storage when an event is detected. Furthermore, ThroughTek's VSaaS also supports multiple browsers and devices and allows users to check video data in real-time using mobile devices including phones and computers.As opposed to FTP-based video data transmission to cloud, ThroughTek's VSaaS sends video data using Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), enabling more flexibility to support functions including event video upload mentioned above and live streaming while accommodating wide-ranging brands and types of devices. For instance, conventional DVR and IP cameras mostly use Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) and can be integrated with ThroughTek's VSaaS to deliver all the benefits. In addition to supporting deployment over large-scale cloud infrastructure platforms such as AWS, ThroughTek's VSaaS also allows businesses with information security concerns, such as telecom operators, smart factory owners and large enterprises, to efficiently deploy image management systems on top of their own IT infrastructure. Moreover, businesses already using RTSP-based devices are able to integrate them with ThroughTek's VSaaS without having to purchase new equipment and thus save on costs.ThroughTek will showcase a 4G LTE-M IP camera launched by its partner at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show (CES Las Vegas) taking place in January 2019. The product is the world's first LTE-M-based surveillance camera with an optimal cost-performance ratio. It enables reliable and seamless video data transmission at low costs and with low power consumption. Eliminating the need for Wi-Fi connection, the product will widen the applications of smart surveillance to dashboard cameras, outdoor and farm surveillance and police cameras.Going forward into 2019, ThroughTek will make continuing efforts to secure its current market position while endeavoring toward the enterprise segment. According to Kuo, ThroughTek supports integration with cloud services including telecom Independent Data Center, Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services and Aliyun and works with all types of system integrators to provide reliable, easy-to-use, high-performance cloud-based streaming video management platform.As an interlocking piece between the front-end and back-end of AIoT, SaaS is instrumental to cloud-based video management, says ThroughTek chairman Patrick Kuo (center).

Chilisin Electronics Corporation, which has been growing rapidly by strengthening R&D capacity and taking acquisition strategies to build complete passive components solutions in recent years, participated in the Electronica 2018 with its subsidiaries ASJ and Ferroxcube for the first time. Together, the three companies showcased comprehensive portfolios of inductors, resistors, and ferrite materials, aiming to provide high quality and high performance products for the automotive and industrial applications.Dedicated to providing complete solutions for global customersAccording to Jerry Kuo, COO of Chilisin Group, Chilisin was established in 1972 and has been deeply involved in the inductor market for 46 years, accumulated abundant R&D and marketing experience. Passive components are the key components of all electronic products, and material is crucial for the characteristics performance. Over the past decade, Chilisin has invested massive resources in developing in-house powder technology. With the material capability, Chilisin is also one of the very few inductor manufacturers with in-house core self-supply. Moreover, to enhance efficiency by developing own automated production process, Chilisin has built significant competitive advantages in the industry.With the vertical integration capability from powder, cores, to production process and the complete passive components portfolio extended from inductors, Chilisin is committed to meeting customers' one-stop-shopping needs and becoming a valuable partner for customers. Meanwhile, eyeing that various applications such as IoT, 5G, cloud, and automotive electronics will drive the demands for high-quality passive components and materials, Chilisin will continue to invest and fortify its competitive advantages, in a bid to provide complete solutions for automotive and industrial applications and to strengthen partnerships with the leading customers in each market segment.At Electronica 2018, Chilisin fully demonstrated its innovation capabilities with the products. In terms of inductors, the complete inductor solutions were showcased for power, RF, and EMI applications, made by four major process technologies, including Wire-winding Technology, Multi-layer Technology, Thin Film Technology, and Molding Technology. Resistor products cover a wide range of applications such as various arrays & network, high precision, anti-sulfurated, and current sensing. Ferrite materials focus on the EMI material and power material required by automotive, solar, and industrial customers, with high-end characteristics such as high impedance, high frequency, and low loss in wide temperature range.Eyeing the global marketAlex Hsu, Head of Product Development Unit at Chilisin, pointed out that automotive and industrial applications have higher requirements for components, which must be sustained for harsh environments. For example, Chilisin's molding inductor is specially designed for automotive electronics. In-vehicle infotainment systems have been digitalized, which require compact, high-quality inductive components, and molding inductor is one of the best fit for this application.In fact, with excellent product quality and supply capability, Chilisin's products have been certified and adopted by leading electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers, which is an important affirmation of Chilisin's products.Alex Hsu emphasized that in addition to commodity products, Chilisin also actively cooperates with customers to develop products that meet their specific specifications. For example, automotive electronics and industrial robots have special design and performance requirements, and efficient time to market is key to success. With its global deployment, Chilisin's R&D team can quickly respond to customer needs, provide samples for testing, solve technical problems, and meet customer requirements, so as to become a long-term, trustworthy partner for customers.With years of putting effort in the passive components market, Chilisin has been recognized by many global players in the data center, mobile device, consumer electronics, and communication system markets. By participating in the Electronica 2018, Chilisin aims to further expand the European and global markets, seek more new business opportunities, strengthen overseas deployment, and strive to be the best strategic partner for customers.Chilisin strengthens overseas deployment and strives to be the best strategic partner for customers

The industry-leading digital modulator chip manufacture VATek unveiled its 3rd generation platform in 4th quarter 2018. Including the VATek GEN 3 ENMODER and Pure-Modulator Platforms. The new technology including world's first commercial ASIC DVB-T2 modulation engine and high profile AVC encoder are available in the latest GEN 3 Platform, which provides exactly features that mainstream broadcasting equipment needs.What makes VATek chips unique is that they bring together key innovations required to build a modulator device. The multimode, highly integrated capabilities of the VATek chips have the advantages of low power consumption and small footprint, giving manufactures the ability to design and deploy smaller modulator devices that work worldwide on virtually any digital TV network. With the new platform introduced to the industry, the company now has the most comprehensive product range, that helps manufactures more on building competitive & cost-effective products.The most common video framerate in the digital TV broadcasting is 25fps or 30fps (frame-per-second). The VATek GEN 3 ENMODER has the industry-leading capability to render maximum 60fps progressive high profile AVC video, resulting in smoother video displayed on TV. This is also the maximum framerate displayable by regular digital TVs or monitors, suitable for the broadcasting of sports & movie channels, and it brings superior visual enjoyment to TV household. This powerful encoder has put together with multi-standard modulator in a tiny and energy-efficient chipset that will help to make the broadcasting equipment much more powerful, economical.VATek platforms are purpose-built to meet the variety digital TV standards worldwide, which are the only solution that can seamlessly switch from different modulation modes. To control and work on the platform is not as complex as you think, VATek offers an engineer-friendly developing environment - the new VATek SDK-II which is software-compatible with the company's all prior solutions and allows the developer to reduce the software investments to develop new module solutions. That is why VATek can help manufactures build the cutting-edge commercial level broadcasting equipment in a short period, keep products in a reasonable price range and still distinguish from others.The VATek ENMODER and Pure-Modulator platforms have built on the commercial success and count multiple design-wins to the date. The new GEN 3 chips are currently sampling to customers and products based on GEN-3 chips are expected to be commercially available in the first-half of 2019. VATek powers the next generation of digital TV broadcasting device and leads the industry into a new decade.VATek all series platform makeing things easier for manufacturers to develop TV headends

Cognitive Systems Corp., Plume and Qualcomm Technologies announced their partnership with Stanley Black & Decker in the creation of its ground-breaking Omni security product. Omni's unique capabilities are enabled by Cognitive Systems' Aura WiFi Motion technology, Plume's cognitive service curation platform, OpenSync device software stack, and Qualcomm's advanced Qualcomm Mesh Networking Platform. The result is a self-install security and motion detection system that alert send users to motion in and around their homes and businesses without the privacy risks, set-up hassles or high costs that come with security cameras and sensors. The collaboration between the four organizations is an unprecedented step towards creating a truly cognitive, smart home or business."We are very pleased to be working closely with these great companies and integrating our Aura WiFi Motion software with their solutions. With more than 35 patents granted, we are very well positioned to disrupt the smart home industry by providing motion detection for security applications and elder care, and most notably, the vital context needed to make a truly smart home," said Taj Manku, Co-Founder and CEO at Cognitive Systems. "Our WiFi Motion software stack allows Stanley Black & Decker's Omni to provide motion detection coverage across an entire home or business, without cameras, so that users know their locations and loved ones are safe and secure."Cognitive Systems' Aura WiFi Motion technology uses unique radio frequency (RF) sensing technology that can "see" and interpret WiFi signals. On top of this RF sensing, Cognitive Systems uses predictive analytics for reliable and accurate detection and localization of motion.Cognitive's solution integrates with OpenSync, an open source embedded software that allows partners like Cognitive to launch applications to a ready-made audience across millions of homes. OpenSync intelligently processes data collected by Omni in the Plume Cloud and enables new services to be deployed, managed and supported."As the IoT landscape changes with more devices and use-cases, customers are increasingly looking for new service providers to enter the home and bring new solutions over-the-top," said Tyson Marian, Chief Commercial Officer at Plume. "Omni is a great example of how we enable partners to provide new WiFi applications and monetize their services leveraging our existing service portfolio to deliver performance and insightful data at scale."Omni by Stanley Black & Decker will be available for purchase in the summer of 2019. "Our goal is to provide our customers with a security product that provides true peace of mind," said Spencer Maid, Vice President, Breakthrough Innovation at Stanley Black & Decker. "Cognitive Systems' Aura WiFi Motion technology, combined with Adaptive WiFi delivered through Plume's cognitive service curation platform, allows true interoperability between IoT devices to ensure motion is monitored and interpreted effectively, enabling customers to not only protect their homes and businesses, but also keep their privacy intact.""As evidenced by the rapid proliferation of connected devices in the home over the last few years, consumers are on the precipice of a new era in smart home technology," said Gopi Sirineni, Vice President, Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "We are excited to be working alongside Cognitive Systems, Plume and Stanley Black & Decker as they adopt emerging wireless technologies like RF sensing and mesh networking to deliver these innovative new applications to established industries like home and business security."For more information on Omni by Stanley Black & Decker, visit Booth 44610 at CES in January 2019. For more details on Cognitive Systems' Aura WiFi Motion, visit https://www.cognitivesystems.com/.

FIDO2 specification has been adopted by many of the world's leading companies. For example, Microsoft, Google and Facebook have used the FIDO keys as their authentication mechanisms when deploying IoT and cloud services. In addition, ITU (International Telecommunication Union) recently approved to recognize FIDO2 as a part of international standards. With these ongoing trends, it is expected to accelerate the advent of the new era of online authentication.According to a market research report, the overall biometrics market will reach US$30 billion by 2021, and the main drivers are from the consumer electronics and FinTech applications. These facts have brought new issues to the Taiwanese industry and government departments, since they are currently lagging behind in the global trend. In order to promote the new authentication technology, FIDO Alliance introduced the latest solutions and use cases around the world at the 2018 FIDO Taipei Seminar held recently.Replacing risky passwords with biometric authentication"With the rampant data breaches, phishing attacks, and other cybersecurity incidents, the traditional way to authenticate with password has created many problems. The industry is in urgent need of a more secure alternative solution," Brett McDowell, Executive Director of FIDO Alliance, said. FIDO Alliance uses the technologies such as security modules and biometrics to eliminate the need for passwords, and the FIDO certification programs are now supported by many leading companies from the consumer electronics, finance, and security industries. Currently, its board members in China and Taiwan include Lenovo, Feitian, Egis Technology, and Alibaba.There are many FIDO UAF and U2F certified products in the market. Also, earlier this year, FIDO Alliance cooperated with W3C to combine the FIDO Client-to-Authenticator Protocol (CTAP) with W3C's Web Authentication (WebAuthn) specification in the FIDO2 standard. This has paved the way for using biometrics such as fingerprints, irises or face recognition to log into various browsers on the desktops and mobile devices, including Chrome, Edge and Firefox. In addition, FIDO's security protocol is now backed by several widely adopted hardware security modules TPM (Trusted Platform Module), SE, TEE, as well as Android and Windows 10 operating systems.Brett McDowell also disclosed at the event that ITU has made an announcement on November 28 that it has recognized FIDO UAF and FIDO2 CTAP2/U2F as its official standard, which will definitely boost the broad deployments of FIDO2 applications. He emphasized that FIDO is committed to providing open and interoperable standards for various websites and mobile services, and its ecosystem is continuing to thrive. It is hoped that Taiwan industry can keep abreast of the latest trend and take actions. FIDO Alliance will be more than happy to provide the necessary supports.FIDO Standard deployed in banking services, telecommunications and consumer electronics around the worldRegarding the deployments of FIDO standard around the world, it is seen that the widespread applications in Korea are contributed by the strong government support, and the applications in Japan are driven by the enterprises, while in the United States and India, banking services are the main focus, with some FIDO2 use cases being implemented for better security.Ming Chen, Lead Research of EWS, said that EWS, which is a joint venture of several US banks, aims to provide identity, authentication, and payment solutions for banks and financial service organizations. Currently, FIDO has been used to replace login password or as second login factor for transaction authentication. As FIDO2 is ready, it will be expanded to online banking on PCs. In addition, the company is now considering to connect the FIDO-enabled mobile phone with ATM through NFC or BLE for the logging operation, in a bid to expand the FIDO use cases.Anthony Nadalin, Partner Architect of Microsoft, explained that the use cases enabled by FIDO standard include: 2nd factor authentication, which requires both password and biometrics as the second-factor authentication, re-authentication, which requires either password or biometrics, and 1st authentication, which only uses biometrics. By reducing the reliance on passwords, a better user experience can be achieved. FIDO2 standard is already implemented on Windows 10 and Edge browsers. In addition, Microsoft accounts including Xbox, Skype, Outlook and other services can also support FIDO2. It is expected that passwordless login will become more popular in the future.Dongpyo Hong, Vice Chairman of FIDO Korea WG, said that there are 31 companies joining the FIDO Alliance in Korea. Thanks to the active promotion by the government and mobile operators, Korea is the largest country who has lots of FIDO-certified products, followed by the United States, China and Japan. Since 2013, it has been deployed in finance, communications, education, business, and government departments. There are many use cases, including mobile payment for Samsung mobile phones, local credit card company BC card, e-commerce SK Planet, and telecom operator KT. Next, an integrated authentication platform based on FIDO combined with various security technologies will be developed in Korea. Moreover, eyeing on the future trend of decentralization, the applications for blockchain-based DID (decentralized identification code) and FIDO-based authentication will also be developed.According to Koichi Moriyama, Chairman of FIDO Japan WG and Senior Director of Product Innovation at NTT DOCOMO, Yahoo Japan has taken the lead in deploying FIDO2 standard in October this year, while NTT DOCOMO was the first mobile operator in Japan to support FIDO UAF standard in 2015. NTT DOCOMO provides users with the ability to log into their accounts with biometric technologies such as iris or fingerprint recognition and further expands to its Dmarket services. Next, it will implement the FIDO UAF applications on Android 8.0 or later devices without any OS customizations.Soranun Jiwasurat, Deputy CEO of ETDA , introduced the Digital ID program promoted by the Thai government and the new Digital Economy Law. ETDA is responsible for setting Digital ID standards and defining different IAL (identity assurance level) and AAL (authentication assurance level). Currently, ETDA is developing a mobile app prototype based on FIDO UAF with the highest AAL level (AAL3), which will work with "ETDA Connect", an OpenID Connect Platform, to complete the picture of digital identity authentication platform in Thailand.Vijay Kumar, CTO of India-based eMudhra, said that the FIDO Alliance has teamed up with Indian PKI Forum to drive strong authentication and security standards. eMudhra is the largest e-signature solution provider in India. Its emAS identity system has been widely used by Internet banking platforms and government platforms, supporting UAF and U2F standards, and FIDO2 solutions are ready for the future.How should Taiwan promote FIDO applications: Developing convenient e-servicesThe panel discussion of 2018 FIDO Taipei Seminar was hosted by IC Liu, CEO of Next Bank Preparation Office and the panel guests included Wei-Bin Lee, Director, Department of Information Technology, Taipei City Government, Sheng-Lin Chou, Secretary General of TAICS, Brett McDowell, Executive Director of FIDO Alliance, Soranun Jiwasurat, Representative of APKIC, and Jason Hsu, Legislator, exploring how Taiwan should use the experience of other countries to accelerate the implementation of the new passwordless authentication applications.First, Brett McDowell pointed out that the FIDO standard has proven to have significant benefits in reducing online fraud and increasing service transaction volumes. Currently, in addition to the leading players in various industries, several countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, and Germany, have also joined the FIDO Alliance's government program, showing that FIDO standard has gained strong traction in both the public and private sectors. For Taiwan, with its strength in the ICT industry, Taiwanese manufacturers will be able to establish unique advantages by combining IoT and FIDO key management. As for the public sector, FIDO can be used as an alternative to e-signature/PKI. By gradually supporting biometric authentication technology, Taiwan government should be able to build its own use cases.IC Liu also echoed that biometrics is crucial for e-commerce and financial services. If Next Bank obtains the online banking license in the future, it will adopt FIDO standard and make use of the successful experiences in other countries, in bid to make Taiwan catch up with the latest trend.According to Wei-Bin Lee, every local government has legacy information systems and solutions to provide different services, making it difficult to integrate and introduce new technologies. This is the main bottleneck for the implementation of new standards. Therefore, the comprehensive specifications and proposals are required, and the deployment must be done step by step without affecting the use of existing Citizen Digital Certificate and e-signature systems.Sheng-Lin Chou said that the government should play a leading role in promoting the implementation of this new concept. In addition to improving the experience and security of the current Citizen Digital Certificate for the public, it is believed that FIDO standard can also be a good solution for credit card, mobile payment and other applications. Therefore, the important issue will be how to unite local players and to establish the consensus.Finally, Brett McDowell suggested that FIDO is one of many authentication standards. Local government should first consider it as one of the options, allowing the public to enjoy more convenient e-services first, and then move toward passwordless approach. There are already many successful use cases around the world, so Taiwan should be more actively involved in the discussions to understand the deployments in other countries and to formulate appropriate policies. In terms of participating in international organizations, Egis, a board member of FIDO Alliance, has fully demonstrated its leadership in setting standards. It is hoped that more Taiwanese companies join together to form the critical mass, so as to expand the applications of FIDO standard in Taiwan.Brett McDowell, Executive Director of FIDO AllianceTodd Lin, COO of EgisMing Chen, Lead Researcher of EWSAnthony Nadalin, Partner Architect of MicrosoftDongpyo Hong, Vice Chairman of FIDO Korea WG & Chief Alliance officer in RaonSecureKoichi Moriyama, Chairman of FIDO Japan WG & Senior Director of Product Innovation at NTT DOCOMOSoranun Jiwasurat, Deputy CEO of ETDAVijay Kumar, CTO of eMudhra2018 FIDO Taipei Seminar

While looking back at the past year, there's several big things hit in media and entertainment world. They are HDR (short for high dynamic range), 4K resolution and immersive sound technology. Consumers expect bolder, brighter colors, improved image sharpness and clarity, and a re-mastered soundtrack. When those features are properly implemented, the contrast between the whitest whites and darkest blacks is accentuated, colors are more realistic and the entire image becomes more vibrant and sees more details.It's the first time the IMAX brand has launched a big move on the living room to bring its big-screen experience to the home. IMAX is teaming up with DTS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Xperi Corporation, to launch the IMAX Enhanced program. IMAX Enhanced is the latest premium home cinema program.Announced in September 2018, the program includes the highest-end TVs, projectors, sound bars, and A/V receivers that must meet stringent performance standards established by IMAX, DTS and Hollywood's leading colorists in order to create a consistent and higher bar for image and sound performance on premium devices. IMAX digitally re-mastered content for the home environment is created to provide the sharpest 4K HDR images and powerful sound as the filmmaker intended.According to the recent interview in Taipei with Mr. Geir Skadden, Xperi's Chief Products and Services Officer, he promotes this program and provides the support to help Taiwan partners to join this program.Multitude consumer device development triggering growth in home marketThe partnership between IMAX and DTS is offering consumers a new level of quality in sight and sound experiences for the home users. There are three key elements of this standard, Skadden highlights. One is the unique IMAX movie contents. Lots of big IMAX movies never been seen at home with the same level of quality in immersive sight and sound experience. IMAX provides an "IMAX Mode" for the enhanced devices that will be optimized to play digitally re-mastered content as the filmmaker intended in the home.The second is the playback by IMAX Mode allowing the equipment at home to render both audio and video to be optimized for IMAX titles. This will consistent to the movie director for the original idea of the movie. And the third is the best-in-class consumer electronics including 4K HDR TV, AVR and sound bars that are certified for this program to give users an easy way to enjoy IMAX content in the home.More IMAX enhanced movie titles coming in 2019One of the best benefits for the program is to simplify the process for consumers to purchase the high-end audio and video devices. IMAX Enhanced is really helping users by providing access to high quality content via UHD Blu-ray and partner streaming services. The program is intended to make it easier for consumers to know that they are getting the highest-possible picture and sound.Skadden talks optimistically about the IMAX Enhanced content. It is going to see more IMAX enhanced movie titles to be released in 2019. With new technologies like 4K HDR TV and immersive sound system, it is providing a way to tell a story maintaining the integrity of IMAX enhanced movies to be represented and fulfilling the desire of Hollywood community to extend the cinema experience on more platforms.The ecosystems playing big role in helping shape the futureRegarding the hardware needed to be certified by the new standard, DTS has a rich history in delivering premium entertainment experiences to the theater and at home. By partnering with IMAX, DTS is leveraging its well-established global licensing platform to promote IMAX Enhanced program. Many leading sound bar and global TV makers, as well as China-based TV brands, have a long-term strategic partnership with DTS.Taiwan electronic industry has a very unique marketing position for IMAX Enhanced program. Global TV brands are selecting OEM/ODM orders to Taiwan electronics manufacturers. Part of Taiwan TV brands have been acquired European and Japanese brands. This all makes Taiwan electronics industry and supply chain a leading place for global market. That's why DTS invested dedicated engineering support teams in Taiwan to work with local consumer electronics manufacturing partners and chipset design vendors.DTS will manage local licensee and technical support teams for supporting the certification program. To be accepted into the program, leading consumer electronics manufacturers will design higher end 4K HDR TVs, AVRs, sound systems and other home theatre equipment to meet a carefully prescribed set of the IMAX Enhanced audio and video performance standards. DTS teams will help Taiwan supply chain and ecosystem partners with an efficient, thorough process for the certification of IMAX Enhanced products.With the joint efforts of ecosystem partners that participate in the IMAX Enhanced program, this will also support the continued penetration of DTS decoders integrated in home audio equipment to deliver an IMAX signature sound experience to consumers' devices. The IMAX Enhanced program is a good opportunity to stay at the forefront of home entertainment, Skadden notes. Through the combined engineering and licensing efforts, as well as support from a number of the world's leading device and content partners, the IMAX Enhanced program will bring a completely new business for high-end home market sectors for Taiwan partners. DTS is looking forward to working with Taiwan partners.For the end customers of Asia to enjoy an immersive, powerful IMAX Enhanced experience from IMAX and DTS at home, it will start from the second quarter of 2019 to buy the new certified IMAX Enhanced products in retail stores.Geir Skaaden, Chief Products & Services Officer at XPERI

As automotive electronics come with increasing levels of integration and complexity, the upcoming second edition of ISO 26262 will include a new section, Part 11, laying out guidelines for semiconductor development. Taiwan-based semiconductor suppliers looking to expand into the automotive sector should watch this important trend and take preemptive actions to capture market opportunities.According to Gerhard Rieger, Vice President Functional Safety, TUV NORD, ISO 26262, first published in 2011, defines functional safety for automotive electronic and/or electrical (E/E) systems applicable throughout their lifecycle, ranging from the design concept to system, hardware and software development, production, operation and support. It has become a generally accepted and adopted standard worldwide. The second edition of ISO 26262 has included guidelines on the development of semiconductors to further address functional safety for their use in automotive electronics.Ensuring functional safety and network security for automobilesRieger takes the automotive industry's self-driving car initiatives for example. In the future, people will be able to use their smartphone to control their vehicle to automatically come from the parking lot to pick them up. After they get into the vehicle, voice assistants can help them search for information while advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) help them get to their destination safely. The vehicle can also communicate with the road infrastructure via V2X networks and thereby steer clear of areas with heavy traffic or congestion caused by traffic accidents. After reaching their destination, they can use their smartphone to tell the vehicle to park itself, saving lots of time and effort.Such a use scenario requires large-scale electronics systems with intricate software design. Among them, Internet of Vehicle (IoV) comprises in-vehicle communication, Internet connection and V2X communication with road infrastructure, other vehicles on the road and pedestrians. While IoV brings conveniences, it also consists of many communication nodes which may be vulnerable to cyber attacks. IoV systems must be protected against intrusions to ensure vehicle safety.As the automotive industry continuingly goes digital, a growing number of electronic control units (ECU) and software applications are being used in an automobile with cloud computing increasingly being leveraged as well. These technological advances have significantly enhanced vehicle performance and user experience but connected cars also pose more security challenges. It is imperative that software, data and functions are safeguarded against unauthorized access and manipulation. Only through collaborative safety and security efforts by the entire automotive supply chain, including system integrators, IP developers and IP providers, can the automotive industry take advantage of opportunities arising from digitization and IoV developments.According to Rieger, to protect ECU from unauthorized access, security implementations, such as using secure firmware to ensure secure boot for ECU, secure in-vehicle communication, ECU device protection and secure firmware burn-in, all play crucial roles. Furthermore, as more than 70% of automotive recalls are due to software-related issues, the ability to perform secure over-the-air (OTA) software updates will effectively resolve the problem.For the automotive industry to go digital, it will have to overcome challenges in ECU protection and IoV network security. As such, it is essential to have an end-to-end solution that performs effective and secure OTA updates for ECU, including secure OTA software management with key control and protection, identity authentication and integrity guarantee on telematics system software.Comprehensive services helping suppliers obtain certificationsRieger emphasizes that functional safety and network security are instrumental to making self-driving cars a reality and a total solution is the key to minimizing risks for automotive electronics systems.As automotive E/E systems increasingly integrate software functionality and communication capability, network security is becoming an important part of functional safety. Aside from the ISO26262 functional safety standard, ISO is also drafting ISO 21434 on cybersecurity engineering for road vehicles and plans to release it in 2019. ISO 21434 specifies requirements for cybersecurity risk management of cyber-physical systems and provides a framework and guideline for cybersecurity process to help suppliers check and assess cybersecurity risks and integrate cybersecurity designs in automotive systems.Rieger advises that suppliers consider four different approaches when designing components conforming to the new ISO26262 requirements on semiconductors. For new components under development, suppliers can apply the Safety Element out of Context (SEooC) concept based on assumptions of target applications the element will be used for and safety objectives the element should reach. In the case of clear tier-1 supplier specifications, the "in context" approach can be followed. For existing components, suppliers should provide qualification of hardware components or proven in use argument pursuant to the requirements in Part 8.To help suppliers establish a safety design process, TUV NORD offers comprehensive risk management concept and practice under the banner of "Security4Safety," which takes functional safety and network security requirements into consideration from the beginning stage of the development cycle.TUV NORD provides a host of services for automotive qualifications, including personnel, process, product, trusted tool, trusted production and SEooC certifications. In addition, it offers analytical tools, such as the S4S risk analysis tool, failure modes, effects, and diagnostic analysis (FMEDA) tool, gap analysis and assessment tool. Leveraging these tools, TUV NORD helps customers analyze the gap between their existing process and ISO 26262 standard and then come up with a detailed implementation plan to eliminate the gap. Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Lite-On and Quanta Computer are among those TUV NORD has helped obtain automotive certifications.Take personal certification for example. TUV NORD implements a three-stage certification program for individuals - FSCAE (Functional Safety Certified Automotive Engineer), FSCAC (Functional Safety Certified Automotive Coordinator/Consultant) and FSCAM (Functional Safety Certified Automotive Manager). More than 500 individuals have received FSCAE certification in Taiwan. TUV NORD plans to offer similar certification programs with respect to automotive network security in the future.Rieger thinks that more automotive standards will be established to keep up with advances in automotive development toward higher levels of autonomous driving to ensure safety in every aspect. It is no doubt functional safety and network security will become growingly challenging to suppliers across the automotive industry as future vehicles incorporate more artificial intelligence features. Suppliers will have to devote tremendous resources and costs to obtain certifications so as to embrace bigger opportunities. TUV NORD will continue to provide comprehensive consultation services to help suppliers cope with the latest automotive standards.Gerhard Rieger, Vice President Functional Safety, TUV NORD

Clientron is actually benefiting from rising US-China trade tensions. Its orders from the US market are bucking the trend, enjoying growth rather than suffering loss. Clientron's brand customers based in Europe have been exerting efforts toward the US market over recent years and are reaping positive results. Clientron, as their supply chain partner, ships the products from its Taiwan factories. Therefore the products are not subject to the US tariff hike and Clientron's customers can keep costs at bay and gain ground in the US market. "As their competitors suffer rising costs due to the tariff hike, Clientron's customers are ramping up their US operations and thus increasing their orders to Clientron," says Kelly Wu, President & CEO, Clientron.As a result, Clientron experienced a large increase in orders in the third quarter, which is traditionally a slow season. The company expects the prosperity to continue through the fourth quarter and amount of orders in January 2019 will set a new record in the company's history.Making big moves toward the automotive electronics sectorClientron will be making leaping advances toward the automotive electronics sector in 2019. Wu comments, "Clientron is able to speed up expansion into the automotive electronics market through strategic planning and direct communication between Clientron's and automotive customers' high-level executives." Clientron's revenue from automotive electronics in 2019 will double from its 2018 level. Revenue from this sector accounts for about 10% of Clientron's total revenue.It is noteworthy that Clientron's operation in the automotive electronics sector has been focusing on multimedia navigation systems and in-vehicle infotainment systems used mostly in commercial vehicles. However, the company has recently received orders for digital driver instrument cluster systems for private vehicles. Its client base has also expanded from makers of fossil fuel vehicles to include makers of new energy electric vehicles.Furthermore, Clientron also engages in a development project of an in-vehicle infotainment system that combines a central control console system with digital multi-touch display. "This is a product combo with a high-end price and a high technological barrier. We have devoted tremendous R&D resources and are thrilled to have achieved great success. Volume production and shipment are expected for the first quarter of 2019," indicates Wu. "After overcoming the high barrier and beginning to supply the high-end product, Clientron will follow up by providing mid- and low-end versions with more market demand. We will also make active efforts toward the automotive electronics market in China. Going forward, by strengthening collaborations with industry partners, government agencies, research organizations and academic institutions and engaging in product R&D centered on multi-display interactive smart driving solutions, Clientron strives for total customer satisfaction and co-works with customers to transition into the IoV era."Interactive 'three-displays, one-instrument' solutions to be unveiledAs part of its endeavors toward the automotive electronics sector, Clientron has successfully developed interactive "three-display, one-instrument + ADAS " software-hardware-integrated solutions through joint efforts with customers. The "three displays" here refer to the in-vehicle infotainment system, driver instrument cluster and digital console cluster. The "one instrument" refers to the vehicle travelling data recorder. They enable multi-display interactions as well as smart interconnections via CAN communication and work in conjunction with the advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) in the vehicle to create a diverse and safe intelligent driving experience. Sampling and full-scale demonstration will be available in the second half of 2019. These achievements will enhance Clientron's ability to satisfy high-level requirements by makers of commercial vehicles. "Clientron will be able to extend our lead and break free from price-cutting competitions," Wu emphasizes.Having dedicated time and efforts in the automotive electronics sector for many years, Clientron actually obtained IATF ISO/ TS16949 certification as early as 2004. It completed the renewal process in 2018 and was awarded the IATF 16949 certificate for quality management systems in the automotive industry. Clientron has established itself as one of Taiwan's few tier-1 suppliers of factory-installed automotive electronics. Furthermore, with experiences working with world-leading automakers including General Motors and Ford, Clientron's Xiamen factory is GM-certified and compliant with multiple automotive standards. To prepare itself for future increases in orders for automotive electronics, Clientron is not only recruiting talent specializing in R&D, manufacturing and testing but also upgrading its factory equipment in an attempt to capture growth opportunities in the coming year.Going forward, Wu is confident that Clientron will be able to ride the growing trend of electric vehicles in China and make significant advances in the automotive electronics sector. Calling on Taiwan-based automotive electronics makers, Wu says, "We welcome any collaboration opportunity, through which Clientron and partners can expand into the electric vehicle market together with enormous growth potential."Products are designed with customer needs in mindAs the year 2018 comes to a close, Wu checks on Clientron's achievements and comments, "Clientron's net profit has far exceeded previous forecast. This is because we are able to more precisely plan our R&D projects and fully grasp customers' needs and preferences on product spec, function and design." For example, Clientron's new thin client is developed based on the Raspberry Pi3 B+ platform with suitable I/O interfaces to accommodate more developers' needs and enable low-cost options for wide-ranging industrial applications. Moreover, with a lightweight casing design, the new thin client S-Cube Pi 3 B+ received positive reviews and big orders were coming in soon after samples were made available.Among Clientron's embedded computing line, the IT900 multi-functional fanless embedded system, combining innovative development, flexible design and premium quality control, again received the Taiwan Excellence Award for 2019. Clientron also has good news for it point-of-sale (POS) systems in 2018. "On top of securing market presence and enjoying brisk sales in Europe, Clientron is able to make breakthroughs in its operations in the US market. We expect to penetrate into the American hospitality industry as well as retail market," indicates Wu. Clientron's strategies for product R&D, market expansion and customer services will converge to become more centered on thin clients and embedded systems including POS, IPC and automotive electronics that it specializes in. Aside from making efforts to secure its current market position, Clientron will also engage in collaborations with industry partners, government agencies, research organizations and academic institutions in an attempt to expand into new market segments. All these endeavors will contribute to revenue growth for Clientron in 2019.Kelly Wu, President & CEO, Clientron, expects 2019 to be a fruitful year for Clientron in the automotive electronics market

The city of Tainan on the southwest coast is the birthplace of modern Taiwan history. The local population looks upon Tainan - the capital for most of the island's days under imperial Chinese control - as the Japanese do upon ancient Kyoto and the Koreans upon antique Kyongju. The classic Tainan tour, a celebration of the proud legacy embodied in its compelling heritage sites, has in recent years been made that much more rewarding with renovation and/or significant augmentation of sites for the pleasure of both residents and tourists.The city, various government authorities at the national level, and private citizens are also hard at work comprehensively enhancing local quality of life - and the tourist experience - in other fields. One key area in this quest is the cultural-creative realm; one after another old, narrow shophouse street and neighborhood enclave has been magically transformed into a cultural-creative space teeming with boutique stores, small art galleries, and eclectic restaurants, cafes, and teahouses, with the original architecture and community history respected and celebrated.On another front, more and more of the coastal area's deep stock of saltwater-focused resources, from lagoons to mangrove swamps to canals leading to harbor and sea - long dedicated almost exclusively to marine-resource industries - are now being rededicated for tourist-drawing eco-learning activities.Heritage Sites & Tourist HotspotsTaiwan's modern history began in today's Anping District. And it all began in Anping at the spot today called Anping Fort, site of the ruins of a grand citadel built by the Dutch.The stronghold, originally called Fort Zeelandia, was built at the north-end head of a great sometimes sandbar/sometimes silt island (at high tide) that jutted out from the mainland. Along with other offshore silt islands, it formed the sea-side wall of a large "Inner Sea." The Dutch sought to rule Taiwan from 1624 to the time they were ousted by the celebrated Ming dynasty loyalist Koxinga in 1662. The Inner Sea eventually silted over, and the fort's ruins are today stranded far from the coast. Much of our theme-tour time in the pages to come is spent where the Inner Sea once rippled, and in the solid land/open water transition area between Anping Fort's position and today's Taiwan Strait coastline.Right beside Anping Fort are a number of narrow eatery-stuffed streets collectively called Anping Old Street, where seafood is bien sur the compelling draw. This was the site of the first Dutch settlement, "Taiwan's 1st Street" - the first-ever commercial street to form. There are many famed eateries here with long histories; shrimp rolls are an Anping Old Street compulsatory treat, Taiwan's answer to Japan's tempura, and Chou's Shrimp Rolls is one of the best restaurants serving the delicacy.Just north of Anping Fort is a heritage-architecture tandem only opened to the public in recent years, the Old Tait & Company Merchant House, and directly behind, the Anping Tree House, both built by a British trading firm after the Second Opium War forced China to open ports to Western trade in 1858. The facilities were later abandoned when the Japanese targeted the lucrative opium and camphor trades during their colonial rule of Taiwan. Inside the breezy, graceful arcaded colonial-style trading house are displays on the area's imperial-era history. The treehouse, originally conjoined warehouses, has been completely overrun by massive banyan trees, creating a fairytale maze.Just south of Anping Fort is the innermost section of Anping Harbor, awaiting tour-boat exploration. Overlooking its south side is a giant 16m-high hilltop statue of Lin Mo-Niang located in the breezy Lin Mo-Niang Park. Lin was the young mortal maiden who became the immortal Mazu, Goddess of the Sea, protector of seafarers.A few blocks south of the park is the Eternal Golden Castle, actually a fort, built by the Chinese in the 1870s as protection against grasping colonial powers. Designed by a Frenchman, massive bastions are found at the ends of the four high, thick walls, with a moat making enemy access even more difficult. On display inside are giant cannons and archeological digs.Also recommended are two newer historic attractions not far outside Anping District. The Tainan Judicial Museum complex, inaugurated as the Taiwan District Court in 1914, is considered one of Taiwan's three supreme Japanese-era works of architecture, the others Taipei's Presidential Office Building and National Taiwan Museum. The Japanese used Taiwan as an experimental station, and as with other designs this is an eclectic mix of Western architectural traditions. A dome is its most striking feature, once paired with a tower that soars no more but which is still "on view"- in a room of whimsy with a large replica seen in a deep well that is in fact a reflection of the real thing hanging upside-down from the ceiling.The Old Taiwan Magistrate Residence, built in 1900, was used as a residence by visiting Japanese royals, most notably the future Emperor Hirohito during his 1923 grand Taiwan inspection. Have your photo taken with him (a life-size cutout) in the history-display area.Cultural-Creative Youth Culture on Old StreetsOver the past decade or so, a number of historic streets and alleys in Tainan's old neighborhoods long down on their luck have undergone a renaissance, the prime movers young entrepreneurs simultaneously following two dreams: to preserve a chosen bit of the architectural history of the city they love, and to express their cultural-creativity in self-financed business ventures that can provide them a living wage. These long-quiescent enclaves are now alive with artsy-style cafés, teahouses, eateries, boutiques, artist studios, and other interests.Blueprint Culture and Creative Park (opened in 2015) is a narrow-lane complex of renovated simple, cement-walled dormitories originally built by the Japanese to house judicial-authority employees; the aforementioned Tainan Judicial Museum is nearby. The dorm buildings are today home to an attractive cluster of artisanal outlets and creative eateries. The "blueprint" refers to a mesmerizing entrance-point 3D artwork that transforms a solid wall into a glowing architectural blueprint.At the western end of old, exceedingly narrow Xinyi Street, which stretches just a few hundred meters, is the small, imperial-style Duiyue Gate. Built in 1836 by China's Qing imperial government, this is the only gate from the old walled city still in use today (note the white stone used for the base, Penghu stone originally used as ballast in ships sailing from the Penghu Islands). In recent years young entrepreneurs have been encamping in this still-bustling neighborhood, rich with traditional shophouse-style heritage residences and three venerable, well-maintained temples.Yuguang Island, today Tainan's sole offshore island, is a mere stone's throw-plus from the Eternal Golden Castle. It is reached by a short bridge just south of the fortress; the canal-tour boats pass underneath. A raised boardwalk takes visitors through the island's forest cover to along, crescent-shaped outer beach, where people picnic, small sailboats ply the gentle waters, and fishermen move about tending their open-water oyster-farm plots.A short distance from the coast in Annan District, right above Anping District, is the striking Taijiang National Park Visitor Center. Taijiang National Park is a watery world of estuaries, sandbars, tidal flats, old irrigation canals and small-craft shipping channels, mangrove swamps, wetlands, and aquaculture farms - much of these vestiges of the old Inner Sea. The white-walled buildings of the visitor complex, built on stilts above retired fish farms, resemble traditional fishermen dwellings and circle a faux "lagoon."North of this is coastal Qigu District, home to the Black-faced Spoonbill Reserve, a key site in the ongoing international campaign to help the magnificent, critically endangered black-faced spoonbill, a water bird that migrates between North Korea to Southeast Asia. North of the reserve is the sea-like Qigu Lagoon, festooned with a veritable Roman legion of aligned oyster racks.North of Qigu is coastal Beimen District. Just south of the fishing village of Beimen are the Jingzaijiao Tile-paved Salt Fields, Taiwan's oldest salt fields, created in 1818. This site is a showcase example of how the bottom of evaporation ponds were paved with pottery shards, producing cleaner salt and making harvesting easier.Just north of Beimen village is the grandiose Nankunshen Daitian Temple complex, visible from far off across the flatlands. This is the largest of Taiwan's many temples dedicated to what are called the "plague gods." In imperial times effigies of these gods would be placed on junk sat sickness-stricken places and sent off to sea; temples would often be built to appease them at places the boats drifted ashore. This spot, place name Nankunshen, is said to have been visited by such a craft in 1662.Vanaheim, a coast-side eco-theme resort, is not far north of the temple. You "camp" here - in simple, sturdy structures resembling yurts, big enough for two beds and a small toilet and shower. The accommodations sit on the edge of a large, busy mangrove forest; tectonic activity has caused some coastal land in this region to subside, and mangroves have been encouraged to once again take root where saltwater aqua farms long flourished.Included in a visitor's stay package is a guided mangrove-channel boat tour and an eco-tour along a long forest-wending raised boardwalk and the beach/tidal flat between forest and Taiwan Strait.Anping FortAnping CanalBlueprint Culture and Creative ParkNankunshen Daitian Temple