Ever since tech firms started introducing wearable devices - such as the Google Glass, Samsung's and Sony's smart bands and smart watches, and Intel's smart clothing - wearable devices and applications have been identified as an important next-generation technological trend. The tech giants' strategies for the wearables market are also becoming clear.Digitimes and the Taipei Computer Association recently co-organized the "Wearable Technology Summit" to help Taiwan better understand this trend and to help its IT and textile firms seize the opportunities of a new market where they can demonstrate their creativity. Experts from HWTrek, Dialog, Immersion, Qualcomm, Imagination Technologies, Jorjin, Macronix, InteraXon and the Taiwan Textile Research Institute talked about core technologies concerning computing, power consumption, monitoring, wireless connectivity and embedded memory that are needed for wearable devices. There was also a talk on the development of conductive fabric in the textile industry.DTF 2014 Wearable Technology Summit

To give fans an excellent view of the month-long football festival, the host country of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Brazil, is making untiring efforts and arrangements by launching large-scale digital technology in the Arena Pantanal Stadium in Cuiaba. As part of the installation, CAYIN supplied a complete digital signage solution, including 222 digital signage players and 2 content management servers. Connecting more than 300 LED and LCD screens, CAYIN is proud to bring fans a whole new visual experience in the 2014 FIFA.There are 222 CAYIN media players installed in the Arena Pantanal Stadium. By taking advantage of the AV-in function, live games can be broadcasted through big LED and LCD screens to different areas, including the grandstand, VIP rooms, food courts, gift stores, and many more. Fans can instantly capture every moment of the games no matter where they are inside the stadium. The information and wayfinding kiosks are located at the entrances and ticket counters, which can further provide fans with complete information services. Moreover, the dynamic multimedia content can greatly serve as perfect vehicles for promotions or sponsors.In addition, through the installation of two content management servers, administrators can remotely manage up to 500 media players throughout the stadium. The intelligent scheduling management can also allow the users to update multiple players simultaneously to achieve high-efficiency information delivery and management.With the growth of digital technology, digital signage has become a new platform for interactive and diverse communication solutions. By adopting CAYIN digital signage solutions, the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil can provide diverse services, including game schedules, live game broadcasts, real-time advertisements, stadium information, and wayfinding.The Benefits of Stadium Digital Signage - Convey diverse and real-time multimedia messages- Energize the overall fan experience- Empower brands through timely advertising - Enhance management and service efficiencyArena Pantanal Stadium in BriefIn this year's host country, Brazil, a total of 64 matches are being played across its 12 cities. One of the venues in Cuiaba, the Arena Pantanal Stadium, was completed in April and served as a venue for many of the matches during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The stadium is also called "O Verdao" (the big green) stadium since recycled wood was used for its building. Soil and air quality were accurately monitored during the construction, allowing the stadium to achieve sustainability and environmental responsibility. This environment-friendly stadium can accommodate about 44,000 people, and it will also be able to meet different needs during the 2016 Olympics.CAYIN Technology in BriefCAYIN Technology offers a complete portfolio of appliance-based digital signage solutions, including media players, servers, and software, for various commercial applications, such as education, transportation, retail, hospitality, corporate use, and financial and public institutions. CAYIN is dedicated to being a reliable partner to its clients worldwide and has successfully set up various application references globally. In order to best facilitate the deployment of CAYIN products, the company also provides tailored services to satisfy the ever-growing market demand for almost limitless applications.There are 222 CAYIN media players installed in the Arena Pantanal Stadium.

People are now able to easily project their presentation slides, video streams, gaming scenes and other images from their smartphones/tablets onto a big-screen Ultra HD LCD TV and at the same have the mobile devices recharged. An IC design house mastering high frequency serial physical layer circuit design is making this possible with the emerging MHL 3.0 standard using the widely adopted micro USB connection cable in addition to the 60GHz WiHD transmission technology.Leader in audio-visual interface technology and devicesJim Chase, Chief Evangelist at Silicon Image Inc., started his talk by introducing his company, which was founded in 1995 in Sunnyvale, California, and publicly listed on NASDAQ with revenue of US$276.4 million in 2013. Silicon Image owns more than 1,000 patents related to video interface and is an important leader in audio/video interface technologies including HDMI, MHL, and WirelessHD (WiHD).Chase pointed out that many members of the audience may have already been enjoying technology developed by Silicon Image. It is estimated that by 2015, more than 1.3 billion mobile devices, 400 million consumer electronics, and over 500 million personal computers will have Silicon Image's technology and devices built into their systems.According to a report by ABI Research released in fourth-quarter 2013, 10 of the top 15 smartphone manufactures adopted the MHL interface technology, and nine of the top 10 digital TV suppliers used MHL chips. Customers of Silicon Image's MHL chips include well-known manufactures/suppliers of smartphones, tablets, LCD TVs, audio-visual devices, PC, and home electronics.Introducing MHL 3.0 for mobile applications of multi-screen cloud serviceChase explained that MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) is a mobile interface standard for HD display devices established jointly by Nokia, Samsung, Silicon Image, Sony, and Toshiba. An existing micro USB cable can be used to transmit 1920x1080 at 60Hz (1080p60) high definition video combined with 7.1 surround-sound audio, driven by TMDS signals from a mobile device to an LCD TV if they each embed an MHL chip. In the meantime, the mobile device, such as a smartphone, can be charged with the power from the LCD TV through the MHL connection. Over 500 million mobile devices including smartphones and tablets in the world to date have adopted the MHL interface standard.The MHL Consortium announced MHL 3.0 in August 2013, which offers plug-and-play feature in addition to transmission of UHD (3840x2160) signal output with no delay, support for HDCP 2.2 for content protection against piracy, and enhanced 7.1 surround-sound audio. MHL 3.0 also supports simultaneous data transmission and touch screen control. The power consumption is as low as 10W, and the data rate is also higher. With MHL 3.0, a user can connect a smartphone to an in-vehicle infotainment device for control and to output audio-visual content to the on-board display.Chase indicated Internet streaming media provider Netflix started offering UHD video streams in first-quarter 2014 and Sony will begin video streaming services in second-quarter 2014. YouTube and M-GO plan to kick off support for UHD mobile video streaming in 2014. Furthermore, Samsung's UHD TV S9, launched the day before 2014 CES, adopts MHL 3.0 technology from Silicon Image to deliver superior new audio-visual experience with UHD at 60fps. Sony Xperia Z2 smartphone, Xperia Z2 tablet, and XBR 950B series UHD TV are also to incorporate the MHL 3.0 specification.MHL 3.0 UHD solutions by Silicon ImageChase presented Silicon Image's MHL 3.0 connection solutions targeting the UHD ecosystem, including Sil8620 UHD/MHL 3.0 transmitter, featuring parallel operation of USB data transmission and HID control, along with HDCP 2.2 video output; Sil9394 bridge/dock IC, featuring a UHD/MHL 3.0 to HDMI 2.0 bridge, and parallel operation of USB data transmission and HID control, along with HDCP 2.2 video output; Sil6031 multimedia switch IC, supporting UHD video output and switching between an MHL 3.0 port and two USB ports.Chase commented MHL has become a major standard for mobile device connection interfaces. There have been more than 300 MHL-enabled products including TVs, audio-visual devices, desktop PCs, notebooks, smartphones, and tablets, totaling over 500 million units manufactured by 200 suppliers in 16 industries. It is estimated that in 2014, 26% of Android smartphones by 17 manufactures will incorporate MHL technology, and the most affordable MHL phone among those is priced at US$150. In addition, over 40% of digital TVs by 20 suppliers will support MHL in 2014.MHL specification supports connection to big screen TVs for purposes including enhancing home entertainment experience, boosting production through image projection for commercial use, connecting mobile devices to in-vehicle infotainment systems, and promoting development of devices for cloud applications. For example, the ROKU Streaming Stick delivering on-demand video, Dell's Project Ophelia, and Sony's Bravia all incorporate the MHL interface, transforming a digital TV into full-featured Android smart TV.Moreover, automobile electronics manufacturers including Pioneer, Kenwood, JVC, Clarion, Alpine, Sony, SoundMAX, Mitsubishi, Daein Tech, and Harman Kardon are also prepared to launch in-vehicle infotainment devices supporting MHL interface.60GHz WiHD mobile solutionsLG, Panasonic, NEC, Samsung, Sony, and Toshiba together with SiBeam, the only IC supplier in the group, were the founding members of the WirelessHD(WiHD) Consortium, established in October, 2006, with Intel and Broadcom joining later on. WiHD (IEEE 802.15c) is a specification for in-room transmission of uncompressed 1080p60 HD display (within a 10-meter distance) in the 60 GHz Extremely High Frequency band with data rates reaching 28Gbps. Eleven manufactures have adopted WiHD technology to develop related products/applications. The WiHD specification was finalized in 2008 with products entering the market in 2009.Chase indicated the 60GHz WirelessHD specification is a wireless transmission solution that prevents interference with 2.4/5GHz WiFi frequency band with minimum delay. It is limited to point-to-point in-room or indoor transmission. The WirelessHD specification also uses smart antenna with direction of arrival (DOA) estimation to enhance transmission performance. After acquiring SiBeam in May 2011, Silicon Image has become one of the few companies capable of providing 60GHz wireless transmission technology.Chase mentioned the third generation WiHD transceiver module, developed with Sil6310 WiHD chip, comes in a PCBA with only half the length of its previous generation, thereby offering lower costs, less power consumption, and compact design space. The UltraGig6400 chip, in a compact 10mm x 7mm SIP package, is even reduced in PCBA dimension by a further 50% from the third generation. UltraGig6400 integrates built-in Sil6400, antenna, and other RF transceiver devices. Sil6400, targeting mobile devices including tablets and smartphones, features a maximum power consumption as low as 500mW to deliver powerful wireless transmission of audio-visual signals with low cost and low energy consumption for mobile devices.Alienware's M14 gaming notebooks, Epson's EH projector, Sony's HMZ-T3W head mount display, and wireless A/V transmission boxes including DVDO Air3 and Gefen wireless adapter are among the products that currently adopt WiHD solutions from Silicon Image.Jim Chase, chief evangelist at Silicon Image

Walking into Computex 2014 at Nangang Exhibition Hall 1F, a constant crowd of attendees surround an eye-catching stage, featuring a massive leader board and a half dozen five-foot tall liquid nitrogen tanks. White clouds of nitrogen billow across the stage, timers count down on the overhead TV screens, and the audience buzzes in anticipation and excitement. This is G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd. hosting two spectacular and awe-inspiring global overclocking events during Computex week - the 1st Annual OC World Cup and the 3rd Annual OC World Record Stage.G.SKILL is a high-end PC memory module expert and manufacturer, focused on the high-end extreme-performance market segment of the PC industry, and has dominated the overclocking scene in recent years. G.SKILL memory is the most used memory brand in overclocking communities and has held a long-standing world record for the highest memory frequency at 4404MHz. During Computex 2014, the OC World Cup event brought together 6 international overclockers, not only to compete for a single US$10,000 grand cash prize, but also to strengthen the international overclocking community. Meanwhile, the OC World Record Stage brought together five major motherboard manufacturers (ASUS, ASRock, EVGA, GIGABYTE, and MSI) to show off the latest technology at the extreme performance-end of the PC industry by breaking various benchmarking world records, which stands at six new world records this year.Today, we sat down with Johnson Huang, CEO of G.SKILL, to learn more about G.SKILL products and market position, as well as valuable insights into the future of the computing industry, and most importantly, what drives them to fearlessly pursue high performance overclocking. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_E2zHLJQIM)G.SKILL Computex 2014 overclocking eventsUnderstanding the DRAM overclocking market segmentOverclocking (aka OC'ing) is the art of tweaking computer components to run at a specification higher than originally rated by the manufacturer. The DRAM module is one of the computer components that can increase computer performance when overclocked, which is highly sought after by computer enthusiasts and PC gamers, where each fraction of gained performance translates into victory and dominance over opponents.A decade ago, overclocking involved tweaking dozens of timing values and voltages in BIOS, making it a tedious, time-consuming process with little overall success. Today, overclocking DRAM has become a much simpler process, whereas overclocking CPUs and graphics cards remain the same, mainly due to the fact that overclocked memory kits have a guaranteed overclockable frequency when it leaves the factory. All users have to do is simply enable XMP (eXtreme Memory Profile) from within the motherboard BIOS and save – everything else is automatic.This is where G.SKILL excels – providing high performance memory kits that have high availability, high reliability, and high ease of use, while expanding the usage of XMP on the global market. Through close cooperation with major motherboard and CPU manufacturers, G.SKILL continues to raise the standard for memory compatibility on a wide variety of motherboards and processors, which result in memory kits that allows consumers to overclock up to 3000MHz (compared to the JEDEC standard of 1600MHz) by simply enabling XMP. At the time of writing, G.SKILL's own TridentX series is the only brand with 3000MHz memory kits that is XMP validated by Intel.It is a very rewarding market segment, as it leaves very little risk to the users, as well as providing a simple upgrade solution to the PC industry.G.SKILL extreme overclocking memoryContributions of extreme overclockingExtreme overclocking utilizes unconventional methods, such as liquid nitrogen for extreme low-temperature cooling below -196°C, to obtain and extract the highest performance out of a piece of hardware. By doing so, G.SKILL engineers are able to come up with groundbreaking methods to integrate higher performance into new PC memory products, making high performance systems possible for PC enthusiasts and gamers. During this process, it is vital to work closely with motherboard and CPU manufacturers to ensure new products provide an optimized performance experience out-of-the-box.In a computer system, performance comes from a combination of the processor, motherboard, and memory. When any one of these components outpaces the other two in performance, it drives the whole industry forward to innovate for improved products. G.SKILL intends to constantly integrate new innovations into new products, and consequently, to spur the PC industry to a whole new level. The result not only impacts PC enthusiasts and gamers, but also other growing sectors, such as the 2D and 3D graphic content creation industry, which require high system performance to render the ever-expanding resolution of pictures and videos with a multitude of effects.Liquid nitrogen used for extreme low-temperature cooling below -196°CBringing high performance to notebooks and small form factor PCsHigh performance systems used to be exclusive to the desktop market segment. But as newer technology allows more efficient use of silicon real estate, high efficiency and performance CPUs and graphics cards made their way into notebooks and small form factor PCs, while the DRAM being used in these systems remain at standard speeds of 1600MHz.Through close cooperation with notebook manufacturers, G.SKILL developed high-performance and high-capacity Ripjaws-series SO-DIMM memory kits for gaming laptops and high performance small form factor PCs at 1866MHz and 2133MHz. Thus far, G.SKILL is the only memory manufacturer to release 2133MHz memory kits at 1.35V and 32GB (8GBx4), available on July 1st. When installed in compatible gaming laptops, the memory kit automatically operates at its high frequency setting, no user adjustments necessary, providing gamers a one-stop solution to optimally tuned laptops.Gaming product linesG.SKILL's target market segment is and has always focused toward high end systems, PC enthusiasts and gamers. Their newest products reflect their continual dedication to bring the best and newest technology for high end performance systems – Phoenix Blade Series PCIe SSD and Carnage Series 7.1 Gaming Headsets. The Phoenix Blade Series PCIe SSD combines extreme speeds of up to 1900MB/s on PCIe 2.0 x8 lanes with a colossal capacity of 480GB and 960GB. When compared to a SATA3 SSD, this increases transfer speed by 300% and capacity by 400%. As PC games and datasets become larger, the Phoenix Blade Series aims to eliminate load time and limited capacity issues. As SSDs become the prevalent storage solution over traditional platter-based drives, G.SKILL is researching advanced methods to apply overclocking innovations to further maximize the performance of SSDs.The Carnage Series 7.1 Gaming Headsets aim to immerse gamers in their gaming environments and allow gamers to have an edge over their competitors with 360° directional and positional audio via 10 discrete drivers or Dolby Headphone technology, as well as clear communications with teammates with patented ENC (Environmental Noise Cancellation) technology in the headset microphone. G.SKILL's non-stop innovation seeks to bring system performance to the front lines of technology, while providing gamers a wide variety of product choices for the highest quality immersive gaming experience.Burning passion of G.SKILLSo why does G.SKILL devote so many resources into a small niche segment like extreme overclocking? This is a burning question in many people's minds.Mr. Johnson Huang gave us an apt analogy: Formula One cars test the highest extreme limits of vehicle technology, and then the innovations are integrated into high performance cars like Ferrari and the McLaren. G.SKILL does the same, by testing the extreme limits of memory through overclocking, then integrating the innovations into high end systems and drive the high performance systems market segment to new heights.G.SKILL, as a global brand, firmly and passionately believes that the only way to establish breakthroughs in performance standards is by fearlessly investing into extreme overclocking as part of R&D at all costs. Only then, will new technology be continually created and assimilated into the high-end PC industry as the main criteria of future computing performance. That, ladies and gentlemen, is G.SKILL's undying dedication and ambition.

Since Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007, the industry has clearly moved toward the direction of mobile Internet. Shipments of tablets have exceeded those of notebooks, but the tablet growth has already lost its momentum. Smartphones and emerging wearable devices are still the focus of the mobile market. Platform providers' operation strategies and business models will determine whether they can continue to play a key role in the mobile Internet and Internet of Things (IoT) industry.iPhone and iPad set mobile Internet in motionJoanne Chien, director and senior analyst at Digitimes Research, indicated that the development of mobile Internet device market and industry took off after Apple launched its iPhone in 2007. The iPhone competed with traditional mobile phones, as well as notebooks. The launch of the iPad in 2010 unleashed a second wave of competition between tablets and notebooks. From 3G to 4G LTE mobile communication amid the growing popularity of white-box tablets and smartphones, the entire industry has changed even more dramatically.Digitimes Research estimates that approximately 234 million tablet computers were shipped worldwide in 2014, which exceeded the global notebook shipment volume and accounted for 20% of the mobile device market. The volume of 1.24 billion smartphones shipped this year is a clear indication where the mainstream is. Notebooks will face competition from the Intel tablet/notebook combo devices as well as the 12-inch large-screen tablets. In the future, it is possible for a smartphone to become a mobile computing center with the tablet, notebook, and keyboard serving as smartphone accessories. However, smartphones will face competition from large-screen phablets, such as the Asus Fonepad, and white-box tablets with phone call functions from China.Samsung, Apple, Lenovo, and Sony are the big players among the world's top 20 brands of mobile devices. There are nine other Chinese brands among the top-20, with Huawei in sixth place. Taiwanese brands Asus, HTC and Acer are 11th, 14th, and 15th, respectively. Meanwhile, Taiwan brands are losing ground in the tablet and smartphone markets. The growing popularity of transformer tablets and large-screen tablets has created much pressure on Taiwan firms.Tablet and notebook markets turn sluggish; smartphone growth remain strong with China white-box vendors rising fastChien indicated that the combined quarterly shipment volume for notebooks and tablets increased from 7.364 million in first-quarter 2012 to 9,764 million in fourth-quarter 2013. Tablet shipments showed a slowing growth with an annual increase of only 12.1%. The ratio of notebooks in the combined shipment volume slipped quarter-by-quarter. Meanwhile, since the second half of 2013, notebook shipment growth has been driven mainly by low-cost models.She also pointed out that it remains to be seen whether shipments for detachable 2-in-1 tablets can break two major thresholds: 5 million units in 2014 and over 10 million units in 2015. The key is the price and size (whether 12-inch and larger models will be launched), and whether vendors other than Acer and Asus will actively invest in this area.In terms of brand-name tablet shipments worldwide from 2012-2014, the top vendor, Apple, has seen decreases, while second-place Samsung has seen increases. The shipment volumes for third- place Lenovo and fifth-place Asus have exceeded 10 million units. The shipment volumes for sixth- place Amazon and seventh-place Acer have been stable, while fourth-place Google, eighth-place Microsoft and ninth-place HP have all seen declines. The tablet market will be dominated by the top-3 hardware brands in 2014.Intel has stepped up its efforts, investing more in R&D, providing marketing subsidies, and reducing the prices of its processors. It is estimated that shipments for tablets that use the Intel Atom Z processors will reach 29.08 million units in 2014. Annual shipments for Windows 8/RT tablets will decline to 3.5 million units. If Microsoft cancels the Windows 8/RT licensing fees, the detachable models and the 7-inch low-cost models will gain more grounds. And Digitimes Research estimates that the shipment volume for white-box Windows tablets will exceed 9.9 million units in 2014.In terms of smartphones, China-based brands have been rising fast: Lenovo now ranks number three, while sixth-place Huawei may make it to the top-5. China-based vendors' combined shipments - both to the domestic and overseas markets - will increase to 405.1 million units in 2014 from 23 million units in 2010. Xiaomi Technology unique online marketing has made it the number-one domestic brand in China, which has prompted other foreign and domestic brands, such as Asus, Huawei, Coolpad and ZTE, to create sub-brands specifically for the online sales. However, their online efforts have been hampered by conflicts with their distribution operations, such as pricing schemes, in physical retail channels.The third wave of mobile Internet to be driven by wearable devices and IoTChien indicated that the wearable device industry and IoT will jointly lead the third wave of restructuring of the mobile Internet market in 2014. Wearable devices form a personal "Internet of You" for individual users, and its value lies on services such as the seamless, self-tracking, and environmentally integrated personal data analysis and prediction.The key to success for the wearable industry may be down to two factors. First, the business model: vendors must design services that appeal to consumers and may have to offer subsidies for both services and hardware. Second, the personal link: wearables are devices whose appeal is built on functions and appearances, brand value and image, as well as marketing gimmicks (which, for instance, separate them from conventional electronics outlets and move them into boutique-like stores). She believes that the Google Glass and Wear, the iWatch that is expected to be launched by Apple, and other vertical integrated applications can help the entire wearable industry go beyond the electronics market.US mobile platform operatorsChien indicated that the three major mobile platforms (Microsoft, Google, and Amazon) have their own focus: Microsoft's core business is software licensing; Google's revenues come mainly from advertising; and Amazon focuses on online retail and digital content.In terms of business strategy, Amazon works like a combination of Google, Apple and WalMart. It has launched its own "Googlized" online shopping Android platform (Amazon.com) and related devices (such as smart TVs and smartphones). They also support other mobile device platforms, allowing its own applications or digital content marketplace to spread out across different platforms.Google's strategy is to drive down the prices for segments that it cannot dominate, flexibly adjust the strategies for its own-brand devices at any time, and expand hardware brand vendors' involvement. It subsidizes hardware vendors or channel retailers so that prices can be driven down to boost unit sales volume. At present, Google has high market shares in the mobile phone and tablet markets, but its market shares are low in notebook, wearable device, home automation, and robot markets.After acquiring Nokia's mobile phone business, Microsoft has built a core operation surrounding its Devices and Studios unit with support from three other major engineering departments. But Nokia still offers Android-based Nokia X series smartphones, the search engine Bing and the Here map service are still licensed to other Android device makers and the Office Mobile is still licensed to the Apple iPhone and other iOS devices. This is creating conflicts for Microsoft's mobile device and service plans.Chien concluded that services and transformation of mobile devices have become Microsoft's new focus. Google and Amazon still focus on online advertising and online retail. On the hardware side, Microsoft remains the leader in terms of revenues generated by own-brand shipments, followed by Amazon, and then Google. Google is still leading the wearable device market; Amazon stays focused on the smartphone segment in the meantime; and Microsoft's mobile platform has lagged behind and its share remains low, which will affect its development in the wearable device market.Joanne Chien, director and senior analyst at Digitimes Research

MSI, leader in graphics card technology, is pleased to announce the availability of the new MSI GeForce GT 730 models. With a wide range of models from the low profile N730K-1GD5/LP to the N730-4GD3 with 4GB of VRAM, there are plenty of options for a first GPU upgrade. the new NVIDIA GeForce GT 730 GPU is supported by MSI Afterburner 3.0 for an additionaly wealth of features, such as 64-bit application support, screen and video capturing.Solid qualityAll MSI GeForce GT 730 Graphics cards are built using the ebst components, including an all solid capacitor design, this ensures a great lifetime of the card. Solid capacitors a very long life time of 10 years under full load, they have a very low resistance, lower operating temperature and are more efficient than older components.MSI Afterburner 3.0MSI has just released Afterburner 3.0 which is the world's first 64-bit overclocking software for Graphics Cards, Integrated Graphics and Notebooks. MSI Afterburner 3.0 can display all statistical information in 32 and 64 bit games and applications, comes with a multitiude of configuration options, like exclusive Triple Over-voltage, built in video capturing and DirectX 11 benchmark.Download MSI Afterburner from: http://event.msi.com/vga/afterburner/MSI GeForce GT 730

Samsung Electronics has unveiled the Samsung Gear Live, powered by Android Wear. The new Android Wear device features Samsung's Super AMOLED display. It also offers customization of the clock face and utilizes simple one-touch device wakeup for instant access.The Gear Live meets IP67, protecting the device against the effects of dust and water immersion, and comes with a standard 22mm band, allowing users to change the band as they wish. The watch also allows users to manage their health and fitness with a built-in heart rate monitor that works with multiple fitness apps.The Gear Live's compatibility with Android applications also allows users to receive the latest posts and updates from social apps, chats from messaging apps, and regular notifications from shopping, news or photography apps. The new device also offers intuitive voice commands; speaking "Ok Google" command to ask questions or use the available services, according to Samsung. The Gear Live can be paired with any Android device running Android 4.3 or higher for a connected and personal mobile experience.The Gear Live will be offered in black and red with interchangeable strap options. It will be available to order from June 25 through the Google Play Store. Samsung Gear Live specifications Item Detail Display 1.63-inch Super AMOLED (320 by 320) OS Android Wear Processor 1.2GHz processor Connectivity Bluetooth v4.0 LE Sensor Accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, heart rate Memory RAM: 512MB Storage: 4GB internal memory Dimension /Weight 37.9 x 56.4 x 8.9mm, 59g Battery Standard battery, Li-ion 300mAh Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, June 2014Samsung Gear Live smart watch with Android WearPhoto: Company

Apple has announced its 16GB iPod touch is now available in several colors and equipped with a 5-megapixel iSight camera for US$199.The entire iPod touch lineup features the 5-megapixel iSight camera with 1080p HD video recording, 4-inch Retina display, Apple's A5 chip and FaceTime camera.The iPod touch features an ultra-thin and light anodized aluminum design and is available in pink, yellow, blue, silver, gray and red.The iPod touch comes in a 16GB model for US$199, 32GB for US$249, and 64GB for US$299.The iPod touch comes with iOS 7, offering more than 200 features including Camera app filters that let users easily add real-time photo effects. Additionally, the Photos app offers ways to automatically organize users' photos based on time and location. This fall, iOS 8 will be supported on the entire iPod touch lineup, Apple said.Apple iPod touchPhoto: Company

USB 3.0 provides 5Gbps of data throughput, which is 10x faster than USB 2.0, and USB 3.0 provides additional power for charging mobile devices. It has been rapidly adopted into all mainstream PCs and many peripheral applications today. While USB 3.0 breaks new grounds and enables several new applications, there are still some areas where USB 3.0 does not provide enough performance, and that is when dealing with fast SSD and UHD video transmissions. With various other transmission interfaces, such as the MHL, HDMI, Display Port, Wi-Di/Wi-Gig, and Thunderbolt, facing challenges, the USB-IF has developed the next-generation USB 3.1 specification that provides a 10Gbp transmission speed and has also developed a new USB connector specification called Type-C that is optimized for mobile devices. The new connector is able to provide enhanced video and audio transmissions as well as increasing the charging current. With the combination of USB 3.1 and the new connector, mobile devices may become unified with a common interface.PC is transitioning towards personalized computingDavid Hsu, Associate VP of Product Marketing for VIA Labs, Inc. (VLI), indicated that VLI has positioned itself as a USB 3.0 market leader for the past five years. The USB Type-C connector has generated much buzz in the industry and was actually jointly proposed by Apple, Google, Intel, and Microsoft to the USB-IF Association based on the mobile device trends. And VLI was the only IC firm from Taiwan invited to discussions arranged by USB-IF.While there has been much speculation about the possibility of the personal computer (PC) market consolidating with only tablets and notebooks remaining, Hsu believes that the trend of the future should be observed in terms of personalized computing. All of the mobile devices are still actually based on the PC platform with CPUs, chipsets and peripheral support. But it's like buying a car: consumers' needs will give rise to various additional purchase choices.Pros and cons of various interfaces: An attempt to create the perfect peripheral connectionHsu mentioned that today's tablets already have four-core or even eight-core CPU computing capabilities. The only difference is that tablets do not have the powerful peripheral expansion capability as that of PCs or notebooks. If USB 3.0 hubs can be used to connect the related peripherals, tablets can do any work that any PC or notebook can do. Hsu showed a table comparing the applications and conveniences provided by the various peripherals. The widely known consumer interfaces currently on the market are HDMI, Display Port, MHL Wi-Di (Cast), Bluetooth, Wi-Gig, Dock Port, and Thunderbolt. The list provided compared these interfaces in terms of data transmission, audio transmission, video transmission, power charging, peripheral input, hardware cost, etc. The results indicated that each interface has its own strengths and application preferences, but they are still not perfect when compared to the USB 3.0 and USB Type-C connector.USB 3.0 performs better in terms of data transfer, audio, external power supply, and peripheral input; and its hardware cost is low. The only area where it has mediocre performance is in video transmission, where CPU compression is required. The new USB Type-C connector has made significant improvements on video transmission, and can synchronize data transmission and sound/video output without delay. It supports stronger charging functions, and is expected to become the unified and perfect peripheral interface choice that can satisfy all of the application needs.Current market conditions of USB 3.x and the new USB specificationsHsu indicated that the transmission speed of USB 3.1 will increase to 10Gbps and will adopt the 128b/132b encoding. The theoretical transfer rate is 1 GB/s, which is 2.4 times faster than the actual tested speed of 400MB/s provided by USB 3.0 with 5Gbps and 8b/10b encoding. The new USB Power Delivery (UPD 2.0) can provide 5/12/20V of voltage and 3/5A of current output, with the overall charging power at 35/65/100W.The newly designed USB Type-C connector can integrate the user experiences and offer "one connector for all mobile devices." Its interface size is 24-pin, 8.3 x 2.5 mm, supporting tens of thousands plug times and having waterproof and non-directional plug-and-play features. The type-C connector supports 5V/3A output (15W), and can provide an even higher power charge output when additional power delivery chips/circuits are used. It does not need OTG controller chips to perform USB primary/secondary control switching, can directly incorporate DisplayPort signals, and supports UHD (3840 x 2160) video output.VLI will launch USB 3.1-related products this year and is expected to launch Type-C connector products next year. Type-C will bring significant convenience in the future for mobile phone and tablet users. A single port that can transmit data, high-definition videos and audios to both mobile phones and tablets, as well as providing fast power charging.VLI's hub chips roadmapCurrently, in terms of USB 3.0/3.1 hub product planning, VLI has already begun mass producing the VL811+ chip for the USB 3.0 four-port hub that supports smart charging. Based on the same designs, the VL812 chip also contains built-in DC-to-DC transformer circuits. Before the USB 3.1 Type-C specification was finalized, VLI already proposed the VL210 chip to develop the fourth generation hub products. This product will have one USB 3.0 and three USB 2.0 ports. The target market segment is docking station devices for smartphones and tablets to provide excellent charging capabilities while integrating the human interface device (HID) controls. Users can have a universal docking station that is not restricted by an organization; provides USB 3.0 to VGA output as well as USB audio output; accepts touch panel/keyboard/mouse inputs; and supports OTG as well as the USB host ACA charging functions.It is anticipated that the VL818 chip launched by the end of 2014 will have a built-in 100/1000 Mbps Ethernet and provide a 5Gbps 4-Port hub, SD 3.0 card reader, smart charging functions, and intelligent control features. VL820 will be launched in the first quarter of 2015, which will support USB 3.1 4-port products.Hsu stressed that VLI has won the official Know Good Hub (KGH) certification by the USB-IF Association two years in a row as well as Microsoft's Windows 8.1 and Windows RT WHQL certifications. VLI has launched the WHQL-certified Microsoft USB Test Engineering Board (SuperMUTT Pack) for R&D on its official website for US$249.Finally, Hsu mentioned that there are currently SDP, CDP, DCP, and vendor-specific USB charging specifications. The main focus of the exclusive charging specification is charging modes that provide greater than 1.5A of current. The VP200 charging chips mass produced by VLI adopt the 16QFN (3x3mm) package design; have the Power Switch/Data Switch circuits, adjustable current limits, auto-detected D+/D- modes; support the BC 1.2 DCP/CDP/SDP protocol as well as Apple 2.4A and Samsung's fast charge models. They can be used as USB fast-charging ports in desktop and notebook PCs.In addition, the VP201 charging chips adopt the ESOP 8 package with automatic current limit adjustment and large current power drop compensation features. They support DCP models as well as Apple 2.4A and Samsung 1.2V models. They can be applied to car chargers, power chargers, mobile power banks, and charging stations. It is anticipated that VP202 samples unveiled the third quarter will adopt the SOT 23-6 package. They provide exclusive dual-port USB charging electrical control circuit, support DCP models, Apple 2.4A and Samsung 1.2V models. They can be applied to car chargers, power chargers, mobile power banks, and charging stations.David Hsu, Associate VP of Product Marketing for VIA Labs, Inc.

The video surveillance industry, which is closely tied to security in our everyday lives, is currently undergoing a transition from traditional analog CCTV to digital IP camera technologies. The surveillance industry is also showing a clear trend toward mobile applications, wireless applications, as well as home-oriented applications. The primary goal for the current video surveillance industry is to find a way to secure key components and software/hardware integration technologies, incorporate integrated software and cloud services, integrate tablets and mobile phones, and to penetrate into the average home, thereby making mobile applications even more widespread.During the first session in the Mobile Technology Forum, Kyle Chang, President of AverLogic Technologies Corp., gave a speech titled "The Next Step for the Security and Surveillance Industry." He first introduced AverLogic's history: It was established in Taiwan in 1998 and began listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange in December of 2012 (ticker number 6198). AverLogic has two R&D centers, one in the Taipei Neihu Technology Park and the other in Silicon Valley, the US. Its main products include video frame buffer memory (FIFO), video conversion ICs, LCD display controller ICs, and surveillance system controller ICs. Its current customers include Pelco, Philips, Sony, and so on. Many of the companies listed in ASMAG's 2013 Top Security 50 are loyal users of AverLogic's ICs.With many years of experience in the video surveillance market, Chang subsequently introduced the status and issues of surveillance industry in terms of the scale and product categories of the professional video and surveillance market, distribution in the 2014 professional video surveillance market, primary functions and applications of current video surveillance products, issues that remain to be solved in terms of network IP cameras, and issues that remain to be solved in the overall video surveillance industry.Digital surveillance products are mainstream in the marketAccording to data from IMS Research, the scale of the video surveillance product market will grow from more than US$10 billion in 2011 to over US$25 billion in 2016. Further estimations indicate that out of the video surveillance camera products of 2014, 41% will be traditional analog surveillance cameras, 47% digital network surveillance cameras, and 12% of other types; in 2016, digital network surveillance cameras will account for 55% of video surveillance cameras, while traditional analog surveillance cameras will drop to 35%.Regional analysis of the professional video surveillance market shows that the scale of the Asia-Pacific market is the largest, accounting for 30% of the global market. Western Europe accounts for 27%, North America 22%, and all other areas 21%. The top 50 suppliers account for 83% of total sales in the overall global market.Chang indicated that out of the main functions of current video surveillance products and applications, mainstream digital IP cameras primarily provide high resolution, multiple video streaming, as well as remote access and storage, while the primary functions of digital video recorders (DVRs) include high-capacity storage, the ability to connect to traditional CCTV analog cameras, and the ability to connect to and receive video from digital IP Cameras or even 720p/1080p HD cameras. DVRs are also capable of providing remote access and storage, and overall system integration of the surveillance environment, with primary applications found in public environments (such as apartment building communities) as well as in fixed installation locations.Of all professional surveillance products, IP cameras are closest to mobile devices. The problems with current IP cameras include difficult installation, high power consumption, occupying network bandwidth, complex software configurations, as well as backend storage equipment being extremely large and complex. The issues the entire video surveillance industry is facing are: (1) Fierce market competition, with products lacking segmentation and differentiation. (2) Lack of optimization for specific applications. (3) Requiring installation and operation by professional personnel. (4) Lack of suitable solutions for the average-home market. These are all issues that need to be addressed and overcome.He pointed out that judging from the trends in the current video surveillance market, there is extremely high demand for home-oriented applications. In addition, with the widespread penetration of mobile phones and tablets, the availability of wireline networking and 4G LTE mobile communications, as well as the gradual maturing of the technological environment, professional video surveillance vendors must think about their next move in terms of avoiding specification wars, creating a new innovative market, solving current problems, and advancing towards mobile, wireless, and home-oriented applications.Video surveillance becoming mobile and penetrating into the average homeChang pointed out that video surveillance solutions vendors have already developed technologies that take advantage of 3G UMTS/4G LTE mobile communications, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n wireless LAN, Bluetooth, and RF components, compressing real-time video, transmitting it to the Internet, and displaying images on users' the smartphones or tablets. With the rise of 4G high-speed mobile communications, cloud applications, and IoT, the bottleneck of insufficient network bandwidth will gradually be eliminated.With the earlier introduction of CIF (352x240) and Sony 960H CCD image sensor devices for IP cameras, there is now a race to support 720p HD, 1080p FHD, and UHD specifications. He pointed out that the next step for the video surveillance market will be to advance toward mobile device utilization, wirelss connection and home-oriented applications. . Video surveillance products will be required to include features that facilitate home caregiving, health management, the ability to connect with mobile devices, the ability to integrate with wearable devices, the ability to integrate with 3G and 4G networks, as well as support for IoT applications. New and innovative markets for vendors to develop include the smart home market, the outdoor recreation and entertainment market, the wearable devices market, and the personal healthcare information market.Securing key video surveillance technologiesAs Chang pointed out, key technologies required by the current video surveillance market include the ability to integrate transmission interfaces such as Bluetooth, ZigBee, Wi-Fi, RF component, as well as 3G and 4G mobile communications. Required technologies also include the ability to optimize power consumption and computing performance, microcontrollers that are just right for the job, as well as video codec processing technologies that support JPEG, MP4, H.264, H.265, 1080p FHD, and UHD. Finally, integrated software services need to be combined with integrated cloud services in order to meet market requirements. AverLogic's newly introduced AL582 video processing IC solution features rich video interface and video conversion, high-performance HD H.264 compression and decompression, environmentally-friendly and energy-saving, highly integrated SoCs, multifunctional control interface/network interface/storage interface, as well as comprehensive technical support and software development kits.In response to the video surveillance market trending towards mobile, wireless, and smart -home-oriented applications, AverLogic's newest AL582 video processing ICs can be used in IP cameras, dedicated mobile monitors, dome security cameras, DVRs, as well as professional infrared cameras, integrating with cloud services vendors to allow users to achieve video surveillance, home/child/pet monitoring, and remote control/home automation via their mobile phones, tablets, and cars. It also enables recording real-time video from wearable devices, such as smart glasses, and transmitting those videos wirelessly to the cloud as well as to mobile phones, thereby creating even more value for the customer.Kyle Chang, President of AverLogic Technologies