The coming of IoT (Internet of Things) has seen the smart city become a key field for IoT development. Many developed cities around the world, including Taipei, have responded to the requirements of a fast-changing society by making "smart city" a key objective in their development plans. Several wireless communications technologies have emerged as a result of rapid developments in IoT. The favored technology is LPWAN (Low-Power Wide-Area Network), due to its long range, low power consumption, and low cost. LoRaWAN, operated on the unlicensed radio spectrum, is among the LPWAN communications technologies considered to be one of the most potential.The LoRa Alliance has acquired more than 460 members since it was founded in March 2015, and is one of the fastest-developing alliances in the technology industry. Members are working closely to promote the LoRaWAN protocol. The LoRaWAN protocol offers unique advantages in terms of bi-directionality, security, mobility, and positioning accuracy. The technology mainly operates in free global radio spectrum, including 433, 868, and 915 MHz. The four main components are the terminal, base station, server, and cloud. Bi-directional transfer of application data is supported to provide a simple communications system with long-range, long-battery life, high capacity, and low cost. The main applications for LoRaWAN are smart power/water meters, smart agriculture, smart factories, and air-quality monitoring where small amounts of data are collected. Transmission range is between 3~5km in urban areas and up to 20km in open areas. China, for example, has in one instance integrated IoT technology into manhole covers for subsidence or hazard detection.TUV Rheinland is the first independent third-party laboratory accredited by the LoRa Alliance, and one its founding members as well. Its laboratories in Pleasanton (US), Leek (Netherlands), Yokohama (Japan), Seoul (Korea), and Taipei (Taiwan) can all provide EU/US Class A testing services for LoRaWAN. International buyers can therefore apply for certification at the laboratory closest to their location. LoRaWAN testing is relatively simple, covering a mere 10+ items. In addition to compliance with regional spectrum, most of the testing is focused on product interoperability and LoRa Alliance product compliance.The maturing of IoT wireless connectivity and a mobile-technology application environment has led to IDC and Gartner forecasting that the total number of IoT smart-connected devices will grow to 25 billion by 2020. Many ICT vendors are now squeezed into unlicensed radio spectra, and they have placed their bets on different technology alliances and are waiting to see which technology will prevail in the mainstream. TUV Rheinland currently has a presence in mainstream wired and wireless sensing network standards such as Bluetooth, zigbee, Qi, LoRaWAN, Sigfox, MirrorLink, DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface), and KNX (building automation technology), and thus can provide vendors with the full range of testing and certification services.TUV Rheinland's Taiwan telecom laboratories have garnered many "first and only" achievements in Taiwan on Bluetooth, zigbee, DALI, and KNX communications technology certifications: first to be approved by the Bluetooth Alliance; only Bluetooth laboratory capable of conducting Bluetooth IC testing; first and only zigbee and KNX approved laboratory; only DALI laboratory in Taiwan (only 4 in the world), and authorized to perform testing for the new DALI 2 standard. Wireless laboratories in the Greater China region are located in Taipei, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. These laboratories are approved by the relevant accreditation bodies in the EU, US, Canada, Japan, Taiwan, Egypt, and Sudan. Please contact local laboratories for the latest communications technology certifications.

Business Insider estimates 94 million connected cars to ship in 2021, which represents approximately 82% of all cars shipped that year alone. There are currently two types of ways cars are connected. Embedded cars utilize a built-in radio and antenna connecting to local cellular networks. Tethered cars use a wireless connected device, typically a cell phone to provide the data connectivity. These vehicles achieve this via Bluetooth or a USB cable.In addition to data connectivity, cars have GPS for navigation and emergency services, satellite radio (Sirius), hands-free calling, sensor and data gathering (tire-pressure monitors), and key-less entry/start. Some of these systems (tire-pressure monitoring) can utilize an embedded or board level antenna; however, other critical (emergency services) or data intensive systems (navigation, satellite radio) require an external application specific antenna. I-PEX Connectors offers a robust and diverse product offering to suit RF interconnectivity needs within all of these systems utilizing I-PEX's patented iFit MHF Series.The MHF family of connectors provides automotive OEM module manufacturers a right-sized solution for their RF needs. While the frequency ranges from DC to 15GHz (MHF5L), the majority of the frequencies used in automotive, DC to 6 GHz, can be realized with the MHF I family. In addition to a mated board height maximum of 2.5 mm (1.8mm OD wire) to 3mm (2.0mm OD wire), the MHF I Micro RF Coaxial Connector offers the most versatility in choosing the right cable for your application. Please consult with your I-PEX Connector representative to confirm compatibility.Repeatability and consistency are critical to ensuring device operation. The MHF Series consistently has a 1.3 VSWR max from DC-3 GHz and a 1.5 VSWR max from 3GHz-6GHz. To assist with durability, I-PEX offers a 4-pad layout in addition to the 3-pad configuration.I-PEX Connectors understands that automotive applications present unique problems that stationary RF systems do not encounter, particularly shock and vibration. Cars are in motion, roads are uneven, and this generates mechanical harmonics that could cause connectors to disengage over time. Coming soon in 2017 is the MHF LK system. This innovative solution will be available in cable sizes (1.13 mm OD & 1.37 mm OD) to suit various insertion loss and cable length needs. Additionally, the initial mating disengagement force of 28.3 N outperforms the standard MHF I Series of 17.2 N. Even at 30 cycles, the MHF LK, at 15.1 N, performs better than the MHF 1, at 6.4 N.I-PEX MHF LK

As the applications of connected cars surge rapidly, Lite-On Technology, which has been deeply rooting in the automotive OE (original equipment) market for almost 40 years, aggressively leverages its existing technology advantages and group synergies to move into the development of key products, including ADAS, T-Box, sensor fusion, and DSRC (dedicated short-range communications). With the early results have been achieved, Lite-On is very optimistic about its future growth driven by the brand new opportunities.A Long-Time Player in the OE MarketAutomotive Electronics and Smart Vehicle Applications are the two business units (BUs) that Lite-On has for the car electronics market. Their main products are LED lighting module, camera module, vehicle motor electrical control module, and head-up display, in-car entertainment product, respectively.According to Michael Wang, GM of Automotive Electronics SBU at Lite-On, the BU was formerly known as Dun Young Technology, which was founded in 1979 and is the first automotive electronics company in Taiwan. Dun Young started its business from manufacturing cruise control system and ECU (electronic control unit) for Chrysler. Unlike most of the Taiwan companies that target at the AM (aftermarket) market, Dun Young has been a long-time player in the OE market ever since its establishment. The long-stand relationship with major car makers and the higher technical barriers have set it apart from the rest of Taiwan's electronics industry.Take its LED lighting module as an example, the first case that Lite-on won was the adoption by Toyota in 2001. Before that, it took as long as four years for Lite-On to get its products approved. But, the effort bears fruit. With zero DPPM during the four-year product lifetime at Toyota, Lite-On successfully gained reputation in the market and started to expand its business to other car makers. Because of early deployment and widespread adoption, Lite-On now has won 15% shares of worldwide car lighting market, with customers from Europe, the US, Japan, and China. Additionally, it also accounts for 25% shares of the motor control market in China. With its strong competence, the BU has achieved exceptional annual revenue growth over the past five years.Allen Liao, GM of Smart Vehicle Applications BU at Lite-On also indicated that the predecessor of the BU was PLDS (Philips & Lite-On Digital Solutions Corp.), which specialized in optical disc drive (ODD) products. Because of absorbing the automotive design and manufacturing capabilities from Philips' team in Europe, it has moved into the in-car entertainment market from consumer ODD for a long time, and is the first company that provides wireless charging products for mobile phones in the automotive OE market.Recently, the BU has expanded its product lines to head-up displays. The new product was delivered to European car makers three years ago, and will be shipped to Japanese and Korean car makers from this year. Similar to Automotive Electronics BU, Smart Vehicle Applications BU also only targets at the OE market.Exploring New Opportunities with ADAS, T-Box, and moreRegarding the emerging connected car market, Liao said that a smart car is just like a smartphone with four wheels. With this concept in mind, the integration of new technologies into automotive is aimed to address consumers' increasing requirements for entertainment, convenience, and safety. Wang also stressed that the two BUs will work together to develop T-Box, ADAS, sensor fusion, and DSRC products by leveraging Lite-On's strengths in camera module, wireless communications, and optical fields.T-Box is the first product that Lite-On makes inroads into connected cars. "As many car makers are moving towards this direction, T-Box has great growth potentials because it can provide rich and real-time information as well as services with relative simple designs," Wang pointed out. "It is expected that many new business models and services such as fleet management will be created by deploying T-Box in the future."Lite-On has already shipped T-Box to a China-Japan joint venture, with around 300,000 units in the early stage. It is estimated that the amount will be increased to 1 million units for the customer's whole product lines. Meanwhile, Lite-On is now in talk with major car makers in Germany and Taiwan.In the V2V (vehicle to vehicle) communication field, Lite-On has teamed up with Taiwan's ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute) to jointly develop DSRC products. According to Tony An, GM of New Business Development & Marketing, DSRC is a wireless communication standard featured with low latency. It is mainly driven by the US and the regulations will be finalized by 2019. Lite-On and ITRI already completes the sample development, and will start testing in the US from next month. As for the China market, which favors to use LTE-based communication technology to enable V2V applications, Lite-On has signed cooperation agreement with China Automotive Technology & Research Center to have early deployment for this.Regarding ADAS, one of the most promising products in smart cars, Wang said that Automotive Electronics BU is aggressively expanding the business of camera modules, and will work with Smart Vehicle Applications BU to co-develop radar/lidar and sensor fusion technologies, in a bid to build comprehensive ADAS solutions.Finally, Tony added that the automotive OE market requires longer cycle time for product development. Eyeing on the strong growth potentials in the future, Lite-On has to invest earlier and expand its scale. Therefore, Lite-On announced last year that it will invert over NT$ 10 billion to establish an operation center in Nan-Tze Export Processing Zone. The expansion of production capacity for LED lighting, body control and camera modules will be included in its first-phase plan, as well as the cultivation of RD talents. Moreover, Lite-On actively enhances its global deployment by setting up a RD center in Singapore in the third quarter this year, in an effort to accommodate global talents and extend the opportunities to work with local institutes.Lite-On, GM of Automotive Electronics SBU, Michael WangLite-On, GM of Smart Vehicle Applications BU, Allen LiaoLite-On and ITRI jointly develop DSRC products for V2V applications

Trigence Semiconductor is a global leader that develops advanced digital audio technology. At Computex Taipei 2017, Trigence Semiconductor will be showcasing product applications of its "Pure Digital" Dnote audio solution. Pete Birch, Chief Executive Officer of Trigence Semiconductor, talked about the prospects of Dnote technology and product highlights during this exclusive interview.Dnote is an entirely new leading-edge audio delivery system developed specifically for today’s digital products. Pete further noted, "Dnote was originally developed in Japan, and relies on a combination of our unique driving technology with a multi-coil loudspeaker. This combination allows us to drive the loudspeaker using only digital signals, and unlike traditional Class A/B or Class D amplifiers, to implement the core technology on standard CMOS processes. With Dnote, the high resolution digital signals generated within the processing chains of today's consumer audio products, are carried faithfully direct to the loudspeaker electro-mechanics, and the multiple voice-coils of the speaker are then driven digitally. The result is a clear and precise audio output signal that typically consumes as little as one third of the power of legacy outputs."Trigence will also debut some of the latest implementations of Digital Speaker Modules (DSMs) which integrate the complete audio subsystem directly with a loudspeaker to produce and entirely digital speaker component. DSM's significantly simply audio design in portable and handheld consumer devices. They consist of a multi-coil speaker or micro-speaker, sophisticated sensing technology, significant DSP processing capability, Dnote digital speaker driving circuitry, and the latest SoundWire audio interface. The sensing circuitry is used to monitor the behavior of the speaker electro-mechanics, permitting the DSP to use proprietary algorithms to compensate the typical physical limitations of the loudspeaker. The result is improved audio clarity, reduced active power consumption, and simplified system architecture and power-rail management. DSMs provide consumer OEMs, ODMs, and systems integrators with a viable product blueprint to quickly develop superior audio output solutions without the need for design complexity of legacy disaggregated architectures. The Soundwire interface supplants the need for the traditional I2C and I2S control and data interfaces, providing a bi-directional control and data link to the Soundwire master controllers now being deployed in bridge codecs, and system SoCs such as Intel microprocessors. "As with any new technology, we have had to form partnerships to enable the volume mass production of DSMs in high quality," Pete explained. "DSMs make use of a highly advanced packaging technology (SESUB, or Semiconductor Embedded SUBstrate) developed by TDK Corporation, and also rely on multi-coil voice-coils produced on specialized and fully automated winding equipment from Nittoku Engineering Group - the market leaders in micro-speaker coil winding machines."In addition to DSMs, other Dnote-enabled products will be on display during Computex, including:- Bluetooth / USB Input Wireless Speaker: high efficiency and low power consumption- USB powered TV speaker systems and sound bars- Full digital headphone and earphone products which realize clear high sound qualityThrough dedicated and effective support efforts in Taiwan, Trigence is aiming for rapid deployment across multiple consumer product categoriesWith the growing market for portable devices, power consumption, miniaturization, and thermal dissipation are increasingly key concerns for product developers. Trigence's core Dnote technology features low voltage supply rails, active power consumption as low as 1/3 that of conventional solutions, and "Pure Digital" audio clarity which delivers true 24-bit digital signals direct to the loudspeaker without the degradation caused in other audio systems through the conversion between analog and digital circuits. The low transients inherent in the Dnote system ensure exceptional audio depth and clarity which are readily perceived particularly in close-ear applications such as headphones. Trigence vision is to replace the legacy audio technology in use today's consumer devices with Digital Speakers that combine a complete audio subsystem into a single, pre-certified, and digital component with the ability to significantly improve performance and simplify design over existing solutions.Taiwan's electronics industry is a principal component in today's consumer electronics market. Taiwan offer the bridge between new, leading edge technologies, and the manufacturing infrastructure of China. As arguably the center of the world's PC industry Taiwan is of tremendous importance to us. The concept of Digital Speakers and DSMs was born out of collaboration with Intel. As such, the first market DSMs are being deployed into are the desktop and portable PC sectors. For that reason, Trigence established its first Taiwan office in 2016 with the intent of expanding our product research and development teams and building our sales and support infrastructure to be closer to the developers and decision-makers in Taiwan. Being co-located with many of the top decision makers means that Trigence is able to quickly and effectively support our customers' needs and to easily work with them on customizations and improvements to our products. Pete highlighted, "We see Taiwan as a base from which to rapidly deploy our technologies across a broad spectrum of consumer products."IoT applications boosting integrated silicon solutions combining microphone and speaker for control and communicate purposes in the near futureIn 2017, Trigence plans to take the initial implementations of Digital Speaker Modules into volume production. Beyond that we envisage a range of more highly integrated digital audio components that incorporate not only the loudspeaker and driving electronics, but possibly also the microphone circuitry. There is a clear trend for the traditional keyboard, button, and mouse input and control interfaces to diminish in future IoT devices. We expect Voice In, and Speech Out to become the predominant methods of control and communication in the IoT space. This means there will also be a requirement for the integration of microphone arrays and other low-power speech processing technologies with the speakers to create a range of standardized audio interface or audio I/O modules. We believe there is a place for this common functionality in all IoT products from toasters to automobiles. The goal of the company is to continually develop self-contained audio solutions and modules that can meet the communication needs of all IoT devices. Trigence anticipates Digital Speakers, DSMs, and AiMs (audio interface modules) will become the norm in all future consumer and IoT products.Pete Birch, Chief Executive Officer, has over 29 years in consumer semiconductors and he was CEO of Auvitek International, a global semiconductor company ultimately acquired by Zoran Corporation. Birch has also held executive positions with Genesis Microchip, VM Labs, Spatializer Audio Labs and GEC Plessey Semiconductors.Request a Private Demonstration:Trigence DSMs and "Pure Digital" audio solutions, along with our IC - Dnote DU1213, DN30x2 ICs will be on display during Computex 2017 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel (2, SongShou Road, Taipei, Taiwan) May 31 to June 2. To request a private meeting and demonstration, please contact contact@trigence.com.About TrigenceTrigence Semiconductor, Inc. is a pioneering audio IC design and solution provider, offering revolutionary "pure digital" audio products for the consumer and IT markets. Founded in 2006 as a spin-off from Hosei University and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Trigence received its first investment in 2012 from Intel Capital based on the potential for its unique Dnote audio technology to transform the PC audio market. Other subsequent investors include INCJ (Innovation Network Corporation of Japan), NEG (Nittoku Engineering Group) and TDK Corporation. *Dnote is a trademark of Trigence Semiconductor in the United States and other countries.

WIME has been manufacturing unique and stylish smartwatches that are enthusiastically embraced by leading European brands since 2009. Following the launch of its own brand in 2013, WIME is introducing the new HT525 HRM smartwatch in 2017, which integrates heart rate monitor, pedometer and communication functions as well as ECG display.The HT520 and 525 smartwatches with rectangular displays feature stylish modern simplicity. Their medical-grade silicone straps are designed for those who need to wear them for long periods of time and have to constantly monitor health conditions as the non-allergenic material prevents irritation to the wrist resulting from long-term contact with the skin.The HT520/525 HRM watches keep track of users' heart rate and ECG anytime anywhere and therefore are ideal portable reference tools for users who need to manage their own health or who have cardiovascular conditions requiring constant monitoring. As people may not be able to timely attend to how environmental changes such as rapid weather changes affect their bodies, wearing a watch with heart rate and ECG monitoring can allow users to stay aware of the changes in their biophysical signs and therefore get some rest as needed or regularly take medicine.With the HRM watches' built-in heart rate monitor and pedometer, the user is aware of how effective his or her aerobic exercise is and is able to prevent excessive workout from overburdening the heart. The pedometer enables a precise calculation of the number of calories burned. The HRM watches allow the user to set a weekly exercise goal and remind him or her to keep exercising until the goal is reached.The HT520/525 HRM watches also provide smart functions including Bluetooth communication and alert messages in addition to compatibility with both iOS and Android, so users need not worry about what type of smartphones they use. The HT520 watch also supports a plug-in SIM card.WIME HT520/525 Heart Rate Monitor Watches

At Computex Taipei 2017, QNAP Systems, Inc. (at Booth J1217) demonstrated multiple highly-anticipated features that leverage the QNAP NAS private-cloud infrastructure, including the live-streaming platform "DJ2 Live" and the IoT development app "QIoT Suite Lite", along with a wide range of NAS solutions that help tackle business bottlenecks in storage performance, mission-critical backups, workflow efficiency, media collaboration, and operational management. QNAP also teamed up with ABBYY, Arduino, FIBARO, Mellanox, Micron, NAKIVO, Panasonic, Seagate, TOSHIBA, Ubuntu, WD, and, XSplit at Computex 2017 to showcase joint storage solutions with QNAP NAS."As IT environments become increasingly complex and rigorous, demands for security, efficiency, and reliability continue to grow. At Computex, we addressed our focus on these challenges with solid NAS solutions, and showcased exclusive innovations in networking, IoT, and NAS," said Meiji Chang, General Manager of QNAP.Powerful, highly-reliable business storageQNAP has been pushing advanced features, and now introduces RAID 50/60 to help strike a balance between capacity, protection and performance for high-capacity NAS with full HDD or SSD configurations. For businesses using NAS with over 10 disk bays, RAID 50/60 not only provides greater data protection and random write performance than a single RAID 5/6, but also maximizes usable storage compared to RAID 10.The intelligent Qtier, which empowers automated-tiering storage, now supports "On Demand Allocation Priority", providing customizable flexibility to arrange tiered storage suited for user's system environments and application demands.To tackle intensive VDI usage and demanding VMware virtualization, QNAP leverages Mellanox ConnectX-3 Pro network cards to support iSER (iSCSI Extensions for RDMA). iSER significantly boosts data transfer performance of QNAP NAS as VMware ESXi storage and increases random read/write speeds by up to 60%.QNAP ensures effective business continuity and data security with well-rounded backup and disaster recovery solutions, including RTRR, rsync and cloud storage backup. The block-based snapshot function is enhanced with greater management of dedicated snapshot space and snapshot replication, providing dependable methods for mitigating the growing threat of ransomware. The recently-published QNAP-based NAKIVO VM backup solution is high performance and affordable, supporting VMware, Hyper-V and AWS EC2 VM backup and replication with multiple advanced features including global data deduplication and compression, LAN-free data transfer, and more. Users that require uncompromising VM protection can combine the powerful, secure QNAP NAS storage with the easy-to-manage and comprehensive feature set of NAKIVO Backup & Replication.360-degree and 4K live streamingDJ2 Live is an exclusive live-streaming platform based on a private cloud that supports up to 4K broadcasts and stores all the videos on the private, secure, high-capacity QNAP NAS. It supports video integration and rich production effects from XSplit, and supports streaming to video services such as YouTube and Facebook. DJ2 Live can also live stream 360-degree footage from drones, surveillance cameras and other compatible 360-degree cameras.Total 10GbE solutionsQNAP provides a wide range of 10GbE-ready NAS to assist businesses and organizations of all levels upgrading their network infrastructure. QNAP now introduces a 10GbE switch ?V "QSW-1208-8C" - to complete its 10GbE product lineup and to provide a complete 10GbE solution for bandwidth-intensive tasks such as file sharing, backups, video editing and virtualization.There is a collaborative demo of IEI Computing Accelerator "CA-200". It is powered by the QNAP QTS-Lite OS and contains two 10GbE architecture computing nodes, delivering extra power to optimize media file conversion and streaming, video transcoding, large data analysis, content encryption, and more.Storage center with enterprise reliabilityThe integration of dual-controller Enterprise ZFS NAS (ES1640dc v2) and the dual OS (QES or QTS) TES-1885U deliver optimized mission-critical storage solutions for enterprises. While the Enterprise ZFS NAS provides High-Availability VM storage, the TES-1885U executes efficient online (with NAKIVO QPKG) and offline (QNAP SnapSync) VM backup with snapshot-based Remote Replica. QNAP have also partnered with Panasonic to demonstrate a Blu-ray Disc archive datacenter for longer-term archiving by integrating QNAP NAS with Panasonic's "freeze-ray" scalable Optical Data Archive System.Intelligent lifestyles with IoT, surveillance and automationQIoT Suite Lite enables system integrators to develop small & medium-sized IoT projects with a hands-on, affordable, and private-cloud-based IoT solution. It is suitable for individual developers and hobbyists to build their own IoT projects while also providing advanced IoT use cases such as Fog Computing. It can also work with QVR Pro, the next-generation QNAP video surveillance solution, for customized event-driven recordings. Visitors have the chance to see the joint QNAP and FIBARO solution that demonstrates QNAP NAS as a feature-packed hub for smart home systems."IFTTT Agent" capitalizes on Internet-powered workflow automation for QNAP NAS. Users can easily create NAS applets to connect various internet-connected devices/services to create simple-but-powerful cross-app workflows.Feature-rich productivity-boosting appsFrom data storage, management, collaboration, to backup and archiving, QNAP provides well-rounded features and hardware to fully back business workflows, including QRM+ for centralized management of networked Windows, Linux, and IPMI-compatible devices; Browser Station for secure and convenient access to private networks; Notes Station for online collaborative editing; Qsirch for full-text file search; Qfiling to automate file archiving; integrated virtualization and container applications, and more.Spotlight on new productsTS-x77 series: Advanced 6/8/12-bay business NAS powered by 8-core/16-thread AMD Ryzen 7 and 6-core/-12thread, 4-core/8-thread Ryzen™ 5 processors with up to 64GB RAM. It features dual M.2 SATA SSD slots, supports expandable 10GbE/40GbE connectivity, graphics card for QTS video & transcoding applications and virtual machine GPU passthrough, and is ideal for tiered storage, I/O intensive and virtualization applications.TVS-882BR: Powered by a 7th Generation Intel 14nm Core i5/i7 processor, with optical disc drive compatibility that provides an extra method for transferring data to the NAS. By installing a disc writer, users can also directly back up data to discs for an extra layer of data protection. Supported drives include Blu-ray Disc and BDXL/M-disc-compatible disc writers.TS-453BT3 Thunderbolt 3 NAS: A high-performance NAS powered by an Intel Celeron J3455 quad-core 1.5GHz processor, featuring two Thunderbolt 3 ports, 10GbE 10GBASE-T networking, and dual M.2 SATA SSD slots.TS-x31P2/TS-431X2: Affordable quad-core NAS designed for home users and workgroups, powered by a high-performance AnnapurnaLabs AL-314 processor with up to 8GB memory. The TS-431X2 also provides a 10GbE SFP+ port for budget-friendly 10GbE connectivity.QSW-1208-8C: An affordable 10GbE 12-port unmanaged switch with 4 SFP+ 10GbE ports and 8 combo ports (SFP+ or RJ45). Featuring a quiet design and a switching capacity up to 240Gbps, the QSW-1208-8C can be easily integrated into offices and home environments.AfoBot: A robot-like companion device allows for real-time voice and video calls between AfoBot, QNAP NAS, and smartphones. AfoBot supports auto recording, family calendars, multimedia streaming, education, and simple surveillance functions.AvailabilityThe availability of RAID 50/60 and the aforementioned new products will be announced separately. Learn more about QNAP NAS at www.qnap.com.

According to Digitimes Research, the global production capacity of 3D NAND flash in 2017 is expected to show a whopping 118% increase from 2016 and the yearly growth in 2018 is also likely to top 64%. Although memory vendors from Korea, Japan and the US are scrambling to join the game, due to slow improvement in production yield, the worldwide flash memory market is still experiencing a supply shortage and rising costs as the limited supply cannot keep up with the demand.Due to the promising development of 3D NAND flash, memory chips produced with the new fabrication process start from a high density of 128Gb and even 256Gb in 2017. Low density 64Gb flash chips are hard to find and even lower density 32Gb flash chips will soon to be discontinued. Bono Yuan, deputy manager, product marketing, Macronix, pointed out in an interview that the shortage of low density flash memory has the most significant impact on the embedded system market.Low density eMMC flash memory are needed in a wide range of embedded system applications, including smart TV, set-top boxes, networking equipment, surveillance systems, smart wearable devices, burgeoning smart IoT devices and Industry 4.0 IIoT applications.Flash memory for data storage is available in different standards, including CF, MMC, SM and SD. Among these, the eMMC standard (derived from MMC) is the most suitable for use as embedded memory - originally designed for smartphones and tablets. The simplified memory design integrates the NAND flash chip with the controller chip in a MCP package, which saves component footprint on the PCB, and improves system security and data integrity. As such, eMMC memory has gradually become a memory solution of choice in embedded systems.eMMC memory in embedded applications is mainly used for high capacity code storage, i.e. operating systems and application programs, which differs from that for smartphones and tablets. Memory vendors often overlook such requirement. To meet the embedded application demand, Macronix is introducing a series of low to medium density eMMC memory to fill the memory gap.Three major advantages and guaranteed five-year availability make Macronix eMMC memory the top choice for embedded systemsThe two key components in eMMC memory are the NAND flash and the controller chip, both of which Macronix developed with its own independent R&D. Macronix eMMC memory series has three major advantages. First of all, Macronix eMMC memory is available in 1GB, 2GB, 4GB and 8GB densities in a standard 153-ball BGA package, offering system architects better options for their embedded system designs, and potentially lowering their system cost.Furthermore, Macronix eMMC memory can save system architectures time needed to spend on product design, development and testing. This is particularly valuable to industrial control system manufacturers that have to deal with extreme and special requirements. For example, video surveillance systems often need to write a large amount of data in a short period of time so the firmware needs to be optimized. In fact, Macronix’s extensive experience in embedded systems can be leveraged to help system architects to easily deal with their special applications and use cases. Macronix’s expertise in engineering design and technical support for NAND flash, controller chips and firmware is what differentiates its eMMC memory from other memory vendors. Customers that choose Macronix eMMC memory will be able to take advantage of solid semiconductor fabrication and access to critical software and firmware support.Macronix eMMC memory is offered in a standard 11.5x13mm, 153-ball BGA package. However, the third advantage is that the 1GB and 2GB eMMC modules is also offered in an even smaller 9x9 mm, 153-ball BGA package, allowing use in space limited applications, such as wearable devices. Both 11.5x13mm and 9x0mm BGA packages are footprint compatible.To further meet embedded systems’ requirements in terms of product quality and reliability, Macronix eMMC memory has enhanced write endurance, data integrity,, and power failure protection features. Macronix also guarantees a minimum of five-year availability for its eMMC memory; considering that typical embedded systems such as smart appliances and IIoT devices usually have very long service life. Macronix ensures continuing supply of its semiconductor solutions so that manufacturers can benefit from the longer product lifecycle. This also paves the way for memory products targeting automotive applications, which Macronix is planning to begin next year in its second phase of development.Macronix effectively leverages its own fabrication capacity and technology to provide eMMC products with high quality, high reliability, long-term availability and support. In terms of the delivery timeline, 4GB eMMC memory will be available for sampling in the fourth quarter of 2017. 1GB and 2GB eMMC memories will begin sampling in the second quarter of 2018.Bono Yuan, deputy manager, product marketing, MXICMacronix's new eMMC solution for emerging embedded applications.

As a brand well recognized by the industry and consumers, DTS has been devoted to the development of high quality sound technologies for more than two decades. In December 2016, DTS was acquired by Xperi Corporation and joined FotoNation, Invensas and Tessera - leading companies mastering different technologies - in developing and delivering essential technology solutions in sound, imaging and beyond to billions of devices around the world to make product experiences smarter, faster, and more immersive than ever before.Xperi’s subsidiaries develop and provide a variety of licensed technology solutions, including top-notch audio technology, computer imaging, computer vision, mobile computation and communication, memory, data storage and 3D semiconductor interconnecting and packaging.Aaron Chen, general manager, business development, Taiwan and APAC at Xperi, indicated DTS exhibited four technologies - DTS Headphone:X, DTS Play-Fi, DTS:X and HD Radio - at COMPUTEX 2016, highlighting that applications of audio technologies could extend from televisions, home theaters, mobile devices, streaming services all the way to car infotainment systems to provide consumers with premium immersive sound experiences.This year at COMPUTEX, under Xperi, a wider range of solutions will be on display, expanding from the original sound technologies to include imaging technologies, including FotoNation’s R&D achievements in biometrics and depth sensing from dual cameras for mobile and other applications.Full-scale expansion into Asia with the new businessChen pointed out in the brands under Xperi, DTS specializes in audio processing and FotoNation is an pioneer in digital imaging and computer vision, while Invensas and Tessera have become global leaders and innovators in semiconductor packaging and IP licensing. Looking forward, Xperi will leverage each brand’s expertise to keep introducing new creative offerings for content, devices and application scenarios in consumers’ everyday lives and thereby improve the quality and quantity of its licensing services.More importantly, all Xperi solutions, whether for home, mobile, automobile or semiconductor applications, will be available in Asia in full scale. For example, Invensas, offering licensing services in semiconductor packaging technologies, is setting up its first branch office in the Asian Pacific region to strengthen local business promotion.In terms of products and licensed technologies for home use, key technologies include DTS:X and DTS Play-Fi. The next-generation surround sound technology DTS:X aims to boost users’ audio experiences by adding a height element to the traditional surround sound, marking a new milestone for home theaters. The majority of AVR brands on the market have integrated DTS:X technology to their products. DTS Play-Fi is a premium whole-home wireless audio technology, available from the largest ecosystem of brands in the world. Users can stream their favorite audio content in astounding quality from smartphones, tablets and PCs. All Play-Fi products are seamlessly interoperable, so users can find the perfect speaker for every room of their home.For mobile applications, Xperi is focused on DTS Headphone:X technology, which delivers incredibly immersive sound via headphones. Additionally, FotoNation’s expansive suite of imaging and vision solutions such as FacePower, DigitalApperture, FotoSavvy, biometrics solutions and its massive differentiator called IPU, which is a collection of IP-cores for low power and high performance capability on the mobile camera. For automobile applications, Xperi will feature HD Radio and Driver Monitoring System (DMS). For semiconductors, Xperi will highlight the licensing of its packaging technologies for DRAM and memory; and for image sensors and MEMS/RF applications, Xperi will offer licensing of ZiBond or DBI technologies.Developing innovative solutions for five major IoT applicationsChen commented Xperi’s innovative products and solutions can be categorized into five main areas of use: mobile, IoT, AR/VR, consumer electronics and automobiles. All of its subsidiary brands, DTS, FotoNation, Invensas and Tessera, will introduce their R&D achievements for their respective areas of use. For example, in terms of IoT applications, a well-known smart speaker product in the U.S. has integrated DTS Play-Fi technology so the user can give voice commands directly to the speaker to play the songs he or she likes.Furthermore, Xperi has identified IoT, IoV, robotics and AI as the critical technology drivers that will dictate how people live in the future. Therefore, Xperi’s product R&D efforts will closely follow the development trends of these technologies to create endless possibilities that can have consequential influences on people’s lives.A priority for Xperi centers around FotoNation’s digital imaging technology. Keeping abreast with smartphone developments, FotoNation’s digital imaging technology provides not only face recognition and iris identification solutions but also depth sensing. Xperi is fully committed to building identity verification mechanisms with a higher level of security and working with partners to accelerate the development of innovative financial services such as mobile payment. In addition, Xperi’s DMS solution will be based on FotoNation’s leading solutions in Facial Analytics which can continuously monitor the driver and his facial expressions and eye focus to thereby determine how tired the driver, fatigued or inattentive the driver may be. DMS can enable car makers to take timely actions to ensure safety on the road.Aaron Chen, general manager, business development Taiwan and APAC at Xperi, indicates the company will strengthen its solutions for biometrics (including face recognition and iris identification) and DoF sensing to match the trend of dual-camera smartphones.

Multiple research reports on the Network Attached Storage (NAS) market have indicated a similar trend that the NAS market will show continuing growth in the next five years driven by a wide range of uses by consumers, SOHO and enterprises. This is mainly because most users tend to prefer private cloud over free public cloud despite its popularity for data confidentiality and security considerations. As such, cost-effective and highly-integrated NAS remains in high demand.To meet the expectations by different customer bases including enterprises, SOHO and home users toward premium quality NAS, ASUSTOR is fully committed to the R&D and integration of NAS software, firmware and hardware and thereby continues to introduce new NAS products with higher performance, more add values and better user experiences. At COMPUTEX 2017, ASUSTOR is presenting AS6302T and AS6404T powered by Intel Apollo Lake Celeron processors as well as AS7004T-i5 and AS7010T-i5, new additions to its 70 series. ASUSTOR is also debuting its latest ADM 3.0 operating system at COMPUTEX 2017.High-performance new models support seamless playback of 4K videoQuote Lin, Chief Technology Officer, Technical Service Division, ASUSTOR pointed out AS6302T and AS6404T powered by processors of the latest Apollo Lake architecture not only provide exceptional overall performance but also more ideally support video output, such as smooth playback of H.265 4K video, compared to previous generation products. Furthermore, they are embedded with the new HDMI 2.0 interface to fully support 4K 60Hz standard, in addition to the popular USB Type-C interface.It should be noted that the two NAS models lead the market by featuring the Wake-on-WAN function. Users can easily switch on their NAS through the Internet from the office, home and other places. This feature allows users to save energy consumption and also protects the system from random invasions, safeguarding security of private cloud.ASUSTOR will also unveil its new AS7004T-i5 and AS7010T-i5 at COMPUTEX 2017. They feature quad-core Intel Core i5 processors which enable significant performance improvement over the previous generation models with Core i3 processors in terms of 4K video playback and transcoding, transmission of massive files and operations of virtual machines and Docker containers. In particular, AS7010T-i5 houses 10 hard drives and additionally supports a 10G network card expansion slot so it satisfies storage needs by media professionals dealing with massive multimedia files on a regular basis.ASUSTOR additionally introduces expansion enclosures, each supporting four drives, for use with all ASUSTOR NAS to provide users with more flexibility and convenience in capacity scalability.New OS ADM 3.0 provides network capabilitiesLin further said the operating system ADM 3.0 with a whole new look and extraordinary simplicity will make a debut at COMPUTEX 2017. ADM 3.0 includes new highlights that enable the administrator to group desktop app programs together, create shortcuts to frequently-accessed folders or files by dragging and dropping them, and monitor system resources, storage space, online users and important logs through built-in widgets. More importantly, ADM 3.0 supports EZ-Connect, the Internet connectivity function, so users not familiar with network equipment setting know-how can quickly access their NAS via a peer-to-peer connection from an environment outside of the local LAN, bypassing complicated settings on the router, such as port forwarding.ASUSTOR is also presenting the new Surveillance Center 2.7 beta version, a real-time cloud-based NAS video surveillance solution. It features full support of ADM 3.0's network connectivity and is added with professional surveillance capabilities, including scheduling camera power on/off, importing and exporting camera settings, exporting video recording files directly from the local terminal through HDMI interface, adding digital watermarks to video recording files and providing video forensic tools.Allen Yen, Director, Sales & Marketing Division, ASUSTOR commented as a subsidiary of ASUSTeK, ASUSTOR can tap into abundant corporate resources to accelerate product promotion and leverage network equipment from ASUSTeK to deliver premium user experiences. Building its R&D on top of the corporation's N+1 core strategy, which aims to provide consumers N+1 return for the cost of N. This is also the thinking behind ASUSTOR's launch of NAS that unshackles itself from the traditional file server concept to provide a platform full of added values. For example, the first ASUSTOR NAS not only had basic storage and backup functions but also beat the industry to support HDMI and embed a media player, with multiple software tools being added to meet the requirements by power users. ASUSTOR is making these efforts for the purpose of creating more potential applications for users.Lin added that looking into the future, ASUSTOR will hold onto its original design concept and keep developing additional software functions. Smart forward-looking applications including gateways for smart home applications, AI-based data analysis, sorting, and archiving, seamless integration with public cloud, automated and synchronized backup between cloud and local storage, and even tiered data management are all on ASUSTOR's roadmap.ASUSTOR plans to showcase multiple new high-performance NAS models at COMPUTEX 2017. New operating system ADM 3.0 will also debut at the exhibition, indicated Quote Lin (right), Quote Lin, Chief Technology Officer, Technical Service Division, ASUSTOR. On the left is Allen Yen, Director, Sales & Marketing Division, ASUSTOR.

Gigabyte, innovator in computing, alongside Aorus, leader in high-end gaming laptops and peripherals are making their marks on Computex 2017. Main activities are concentrated on the Taipei World Trade Center Hall 1, booth D0002, where the headlining act is the AERO series with the new AERO 15 being showcased alongside an updated AERO 14.Under the banner "Mobility, Productivity, Connectivity" the AERO series caters for the demanding professionals, and both models promise features such as a slim frame combined with low weight, up to 10h of battery life, high-end IPS screen panels calibrated to meet the X-Rite Pantone color space, as well as Thunderbolt 3 and USB Type-C connectivity. Both models are powered by 7th generation Intel Core processors and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti (AERO 14) as well as Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (AERO 15).The AERO 15 further stands out by incorporating a 15-inch panel into the chassis of a 14-inch laptop, through the use of screen bezels only 5mm thick.GIGABYTE AERO 15 comes in at 1.9cm thick and 2.1kg with a 94Wh battery, ensuring go-anywhere mobility.Elsewhere, in the Taipei 101, Gigabyte and Aorus host an invite-only VIP function, where the full 2017 lineup of Gigabyte gaming laptops are being exhibited, with the star of the show being the brand new P56XT, powered by Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 graphics, offering extreme performance in a 15.6-inch form factor."Aside from the AERO series, the biggest news in the Gigabyte lineup for Computex is the P56XT, an ultra-high performance gaming machine with Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 graphics and our Gigabyte Fusion RGB keyboard in a 15.6-inch form factor. At the Taipei 101 venue, we'll also exhibit our lineup in full, including models such as the Sabre 15 Pro, Sabre 15 and Sabre 17, which are more value-oriented machines, yet still engineered for serious gaming needs, with GPUs such as the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050, 1050Ti and the 1060," said Vincent Liu, associate vice president of Gigabyte Notebook.Aorus too is in the groove at TWTC with updated versions of the laptops X3, X5, X7 as well as the X9 set to be unveiled, flanked by a variety of gaming peripherals, such as mechanical keyboards and gaming mice."The main attraction is the new X5 gaming laptop with its raw power courtesy of Nvidia's GeForce GTX 1070 graphics card, and the highly overclockable Intel Core i7-7820HK CPU. During our rigorous internal testing, we've reached clock speeds of over 5GHz, which speaks volumes of not only the cooling system, but also the internal power design. The X5 still comes with all the gamer-centric features you'd expect, such as the RGB Fusion keyboard, quick and responsive display panels and software such as XSplit Gamecaster and TriDef Smartcam," commented Jonas Klar, Technical Marketing Representative at Aorus.Other Aorus products debuting during Computex are mechanical keyboards AK700 and AK710. The AK700 is equipped with the gamers' favorite switch - the Cherry MX Red, full individual 16.8M color backlighting and chunky adjustable rubber feet allowing the users to adjust the angle of the keyboard to their specific liking, as well as full N-key rollover capabilities and a built in 256k memory for macro profile storage.Setting the AK710 apart is its use of optical Flaretech switches, lowering response time, prolonging the lifetime of the switch, and perhaps most importantly, making the keyboard splashproof. Naturally, the AK710 comes with full individual RGB backlighting controlled through the Aorus Engine software.About GigabyteGigabyte Technology Co. Ltd., headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, is known as a leading brand in the IT industry with branch offices located in 24 countries around the world. Founded in 1986, Gigabyte started as a small research and development team and has since taken a position as one of the in the world's top motherboard manufacturers. In addition to motherboards and graphics cards, Gigabyte further expanded its product portfolio to include notebook and desktop PCs, datacenter servers, networking products, mobile handsets, and home entertainment devices to serve each facet of the digital life in the home and office. Everyday Gigabyte aims to "Upgrade Your Life" with innovative technology, exceptional quality, and unmatched customer service. Visit www.gigabyte.com for more information.