Oaxis, a Singapore-based company that created a buzz with its new concept in the form of it second-screen product "InkCase Lite" (now renamed as "InkCase+) at MWC 2014, will soon launch a smart band, the "Star•21 Band" combining fashion and functions at Computex 2014. Meanwhile, products that have won 2014 Computex d&i Awards will also be showcased.Weighing only 18g, and measuring 1.8mm at its slimmest part, the compact, lightweight and carefree Star•21 Band is made with anti-allergy material TPU, which promises comfort for long hours of wearing. Star•21 Band is also capable of monitoring exercise data and sleep quality around the clock and the data can be transmitted to the mobile phone via Bluetooth and other applications.In the fast expanding wearable device market, every product seems to be alike. G-Jay, the founder of Oaxis, indicated that there are many similar products, but few are really good. Therefore, striving to make a simple product perfect, and thinking and feeling from the customers' points of view are the basics to producing good products. Star•21 Band shows great consideration to customers in terms of both design and software development. Its screen is composed of 21 lights with a diamond-cut surface. It looks like a sky with shining stars when the lights are turned on.Moreover, the user interface (UI) is very user-friendly. It is concise, and every function block can be tuned to user's habits and needs. It provides powerful data analysis of the user's pace, mileage and calories consumption at different times, and it also encourages the users to completely their daily exercising goals.There is a symbolic meaning of the name "Star•21." In the Chinese language, the character "star" is made up of two other characters meaning the sun and life, respectively. So the Oaxis Star•21 Band is like the rising sun that brings users the vitality to life. Besides, research in behavioral psychology has shown that a period of 21 days is a cycle of habit formation, and that is why the product name carries the number "21." Using Star•21 Band for 21 days continuously will form a healthy habit. "We wish every user could persist in using this health band, forming a good exercising habit and a life that is full of vitality and energy," said G-Jay.At Computex this year, Oaxis will also showcase XpringBook T6LH, which has won 2014 Computex d&i Awards. XpringBook T6LH is not an e-book reader; it is a new concept reader with a unique look and substantial content. The front shell uses an anti-glare film in flat and narrow design while the back shell has an ergonomic design, which, when it is held in the hand, allows the index finger to fit right into a specially designed notch. The device offers visual comfort; it weighs just 173g, making it the lightest e-reader in the world at present. It comes with the popular social media software Zaker, which provides information that users would like to know, such as news, stock market developments, entertainment information and celebrity gossips. It is able to download e-books through WIFI connection. Users can have piles of e-books, plus unlimited free trials.InkCase has been getting attention since Computex Taipei 2013, and InkCase+ is its second generation. While the InkCase is designed for specific phone models, InkCase+ is compatible with Android 4.0 and upgraded versions of Android smartphones. It has an aluminum frame of only 5mm in thickness, and its functions are the same as those of InkCase, including InkCase Photo (for displaying images) EpiReader (supporting e-book reader functions) and InkCase Sports (for recording exercising data). It supports iReader free trials, and a new application has been added this year to enable vocabulary memorization. Other functions such as those serving as message reminders and allowing users to answer incoming calls will soon be added, and other new applications are also under development. In addition, there are many ways to use it: it can be like a phone case mounted onto a mobile phone, or detached from the phone and fixed on the desk to serve as a calendar or a daily planner. It can be put inside the pocket, just like an e-book reader. Oaxis' public relation manager said, "This product will presale on Kickstarter, welcome to join our presale if you are interested."Oaxis is a creative design-led company established in 2010 in Singapore, and has branch offices in China and Malaysia, providing users with functional yet stylish consumer electronics. Apart from its smart band, InkCase series, and e-book readers, it also has offers power banks, woofers and TV transmitters. Since its establishment, Oaxis has won 25 awards in China, Taiwan and Germany, including two gold awards. For more information, please visit Oaxis's Computex 2014 booth at World Trade Center, D0030, during June 3-7, 2014.Oaxis' Star�E21 Band smart bandPhoto: Company

As the world's second largest HD Audio CODEC provider for tablets and PCs, Conexant is gaining momentum in the market by ushering in unique audio solutions that enable a new level of user experience.The company is focused on driving "smarter" audio capabilities into PCs, tablets, TVs, smartphones, and even wearable devices or a completely voice-controlled home. Conexant's latest AudioSmart technology - a combination of DSP, analog, mixed signal, and software-based solutions - is what will make realizing this vision possible.Driving innovative audio applications"We have seen increasing demand for emerging audio applications in a wide range of markets," said Saleel Awsare, Conexant vice president and general manager.He explained that technologies such as Ultra HD have conditioned consumers to expect the highest quality picture when watching TV, and that this has fostered similar expectations for voice quality in audio. These heightened expectations, coupled with consumers' increasing need to use voice as a user interface in a wide range of applications, are driving industry imperatives for smarter audio solutions.What does Conexant mean by "smarter" audio?"We can think about scenarios like having a video chat on a tablet in a noisy cafe, or hands-free control of a smartphone's audio player functions while driving, despite surrounding wind and road noise," Awsare said. "With Conexant AudioSmart technology, you can also wake up your TV with a voice command, or make advanced device control and search activities more efficient by talking to your TV from up to five meters away."Most voice processing solutions in the market are designed for devices being held within a few centimeters of the user's mouth (i.e., near-field conditions); however, people communicate through and use speech to control a broader range of connected devices today in scenarios where the device is far from the user's mouth and the surrounding noise level is very high. In these situations, traditional near-field voice processing solutions fall apart: they are by definition unable to provide the clear voice communication and accurate speech control that users expect.Awsare emphasized that high quality, distant speaker (far-field) voice processing is important not only for current applications such as smartphones, tablets, PCs and TVs, it is also critical for emerging applications where the traditional touch interface does not apply.Conexant's AudioSmart solutions are presently available for TVs, PCs, and tablets. Wearable versions, with extremely low-power and a small motherboard footprint, will be forthcoming soon.Unique Smart Source Pickup technologyRecognizing that voice is a natural extension of the user interface, Conexant is the first to deliver a solution optimized for only two microphones with wide-ranging placement options for flexible industrial design. The company's AudioSmart software delivers a very high ASR hit rate and excellent voice clarity at distances of up to five meters - an industry first.It is very challenging to enable clear communication and robust speech recognition when the user is far from the intended microphones. The secret to achieving a high ASR hit rate under these conditions is Conexant's proprietary Smart Source Pickup (SSP) noise suppression algorithm, which is now embedded in the company's AudioSmart standalone software products.Awsare pointed out that beam-forming solutions from competitors cannot remove an interfering noise source that has the same direction of arrival to the microphone array as the desired voice source. Beam-formers also tend to be effective only when the user is relatively close in proximity to the target device. These limitations make beam-forming a poor solution for today's real-world challenges.SSP, on the other hand, is a blind source separation technology that uses spatial representation of target speech and noise sources to reduce interference. Unlike competing technologies, speech and noise can arrive at any angle relative to the microphones; SSP even removes noise when it comes from the same direction as desired speech, and when the speaker is up to five meters away from the target device. SSP is also extremely effective at reducing keystroke noise distractions during VoIP conference calls and other computer-based voice communications.Conexant's unique SSP technology provides clear voice quality for VoIP communication, intelligible voice calls and improved speech recognition.Photo: CompanyWorking with tier-one companiesConexant's smarter audio vision is backed by tier-one TV maker LG. Earlier this year, LG adopted Conexant's far-field voice input processors - part of the company's AudioSmart silicon lineup. LG has implemented the solution in its 2014 TV models.With the AudioSmart silicon and software solution, LG will be able to deploy televisions that are always listening for a wake-up voice command, and which allow users to talk to the TV from anywhere in the room, up to five meters away."Conexant is the only company in the world that provides a far-field voice processing solution with excellent features and performance," Awsare said. He believes that more and more TV and panel makers will see this important value proposition and will use Conexant AudioSmart solutions to set them apart from the competition. In fact, among the top 10 TV makers, seven of them are already Conexant's customers."This marks the third consecutive year that tier-one TV manufacturers have turned to us for our innovative far-field voice processing technology," said Awsare. "In the future, the concept of a smarter audio experience will apply to much more than TVs. Conexant's audio solutions with far-field technology will allow people to control everything from their tablets to home appliances using only their voice."In order to further enhance the value of its AudioSmart solutions, Conexant has teamed up with the leading voice and language solutions provider, Nuance, to integrate Nuance's Wake-Up-Word technology into its voice input processors.Conexant audio processors, combined with Nuance Wake-Up-Word technology, create context-aware, voice-enabled devices. Additionally, the solution meets worldwide energy conservation requirements with its low-power capabilities.Nuance Wake-Up-Word technology consists of speech recognition, natural language understanding, and a content ecosystem of Nuance Cloud Services that enable manufacturers, service providers, carriers and developers to create unique mobile experiences across devices and platforms, in more than 40 languages."It's important to understand that when we talk about far-field five-meter conditions, we mean that a person's voice becomes a natural extension of the user interface from across the room - not just at arm's length away," said Awsare.Announcements at Computex 2014To enable AudioSmart SSP voice and speech processing software for use with any hardware CODEC, Conexant unveiled its new stand-alone AudioSmart software for PCs and tablets at Computex."Our AudioSmart software solutions make it possible to harness the power of human speech for a dramatically improved user experience when making VoIP calls or using speech recognition to control a device," noted Awsare. "PCs and tablets are obvious targets for our software, but there are many other applications that can benefit from our audio processing, including handsets, automotive, wearable computing, headsets and more."Conexant's AudioSmart software has passed stringent testing, and has been proven to dramatically exceed performance requirements for Intel and Google ASR.In addition, the company also announced the CX20952, a new HD Audio CODEC that enables high quality audio on computers and tablets with low power consumption, two cap-free headphone amplifiers, and a fully-integrated AudioSmart Class-D amplifier that maximizes sound pressure level (SPL) by intelligently optimizing speaker output. The new SoC is designed to meet consumer demand for high quality audio that pushes the limits of sound in tablets and compact PCs.To get a first-hand look at the new software in action and to further understand the smarter audio applications that Conexant enables, Computex visitors are welcome to visit Conexant's suite at Pacific Business Center PBC Hotel, Meeting Room D during the show, from June 3-5, 2014.Saleel Awsare, Conexant vice president and general managerPhoto: Company

IBASE Technology Inc. (TASDAQ: 8050), a world-leading manufacturer of industrial motherboards and embedded systems, presents the latest SI-12 compact signage player measures only 1.95mm thick. This media player enables the retail, food and hospitality segments to deliver compelling and valuable content in dual high-definition HDMI displays to targeted audiences.The SI-12 digital signage player has been tested to pass extended operating temperatures (-30 degrees C to +60 degrees C) to meet extreme system reliability requirements that allow its deployment in a wide range of harsh indoor and outdoor environments. The unit offers a fanless design by using the lower-power, high-performance 1.91GHz Intel Atom E3845 quad-core processor that has a built-in Intel HD Graphics. It has two dual channel DDR3L-1333 sockets to provide up to 8GB memory and an optional 64GB mSATA solid state drive for faster system boot and low heat emission.The SI-12 has a super-slim chassis that can be fitted into the tightest spaces behind displays. An array of versatile connectivity options include a Gigabit Ethernet, audio, USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports, and two HDMI 1.4a interface to support high video resolutions beyond 1080p systems. Powered by a 60W adaptor, the SI-12 also has a Mini PCI-E slot to accommodate optional WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G and TV tuner func¬tions.SI-12 FEATURES:•iSMART - for EuP/ErP power saving, auto-scheduler and power resume•Intel Atom Processor E3845 SoC (22nm); 4 Cores 1.91 GHz•Intel HD Graphics (Gen 7-LP) 4EU•2x DDR3L-1333 SO-DIMM, Dual Channel, Max. 8GB•Supports 2x HDMI 1.4a•1x Mini PCI-E(x1) slots for WiFi + Bluetooth, 3G, and TV tuner board options•Fanless, super slim and compact design•Wide Operating Temperature support from -30 degrees C to 60 degrees CAbout IBASE TechnologyFounded in 2000, IBASE Technology (TASDAQ: 8050) is an ISO 9001, ISO 13485 and ISO 14001 certified company that specializes in the design and manufacturing of industrial PC products. IBASE provides OEM/ODM services tailoring products to customers' requirements. Current product offerings from IBASE include single board computers, Mini-ITX boards, Disk-Size SBC, COM Express CPU modules, embedded systems, panel computers and network appliance for various applications in the automation, digital signage, gaming, entertainment, medical, military and networking markets. IBASE is committed to delivering innovative, practical and dependable solutions for an ever-evolving industrial computing landscape. For more information, please visit http://www.ibase.com.tw/.SI-12 digital signage player

The time has come once again for excellent ICT products to stand out from the crowd. The COMPUTEX 2014 Best Choice Award hands out trophies to the best in ICT innovations. MSI, the leading motherboard brand, bags the Best Choice Award in IC & Components category for its Z97 XPOWER AC, a high-end motherboard designed to break overclocking records.Best Choice Award, one of the honors at COMPUTEX, focuses on Functionality, Innovation and Market Potential as the main judging guidelines and sifts through numerous entries to pinpoint the most outstanding ICT products for global buyers. This year's Best Choice Award forms a venue of fierce rivalry from 477 entries across 15 categories. As voted for by a professional jury panel of government representatives, academicians, research analysts, editor-in-chiefs and experts, MSI Z97 XPOWER AC is proudly one of the 40 winners to receive the honor. Ted Hung, MSI Vice President of Motherboard Sales Division, gladly responded, "For years MSI has been pushing the boundaries of technology, going all out to deliver tech products that meet the needs of global users. This time around, MSI's effort in developing overclocking technologies has received recognition from COMPUTEX. It's absolutely a great honor and an affirmation toward MSI's technical innovation and design capabilities."MSI Z97 XPOWER AC, an all-new model from MSI Overclocking series motherboards, has been named an honoree of COMPUTEX 2014 Best Choice Award. With a look and feel that stand out in the market, the striking design of the Z97 XPOWER AC is highlighted by water cooling heat sinks and an amazing set of features, catering to power users that just want to get the most speed out of their 24/7 systems or professional extreme overclockers as both can find features that help them get the best performance out of their systems.Breaking World RecordsThe new Z97 XPOWER AC is ready to support users in all their overclocking attempts with impressive VRM water cooling, exclusive use of Military Class 4 components and a socket design that is optimized to house any cooling solution. The Z97 XPOWER AC comes with the exclusive Delid Die Guard for overclockers that want to remove the heat spreader of the CPU to optimize its performance, an OC Pen Drive with native drivers and OC profiles and an OC fan stand to assist users with airflow generation during LN2 sessions.OC CertifiedOC Certified is a military class burn-in test for motherboards. Running Prime95 for over 24 hours with a highly overclocked CPU is already a stressing endeavor, but removing all airflow from the motherboard ensures that only the best motherboards survive. From the Enhanced PWM with a large amount of power phases and a Thermal Design that give users the best stability, to easy features that ensure users don't need any tricks to get great stability while overclocking.Water Cooling Heat SinkFeaturing a new unique heat sink design, MSI Z97 XPOWER AC ensures the best cooling performance. Saving water cooling enthusiasts the need to buy a waterblock, this motherboard features a built-in solution within the heat sink. Whether users choose a traditional air cooling or enthusiast water cooling solution, be sure to expect the lowest temperatures and maximum performance under the most extreme conditions.MSI Z97 XPOWER AC motherboard

AAEON, a major developer of industrial computing solutions, today released products based on the new Intel Celeron J1900, N2930, N2807 and Atom E3800 series processors.The AAEON GENE-BT05 is a 3.5" board that despite being based on the new Intel Celeron and AtomTM series platform still offers support for legacy LVDS panels in addition to the more common HDMI and VGA standards. In offers a highly competitive I/O interface, with four USB ports, one SATA port, four serial ports and two Ethernet ports. "The new Intel Celeron J1900, N2930, N2807 and AtomTM E3800 series platform offers support for Microsoft Windows 8, more efficient power usage and improved performance, but is not designed to support LVDS. We decided to support LVDS, so that customers can save on costs when upgrading their computing boards" said Wayne Chen, CTO of AAEON. The GENE-BT05 also offers optional support for CFast and mSATA, and a 4/5/8-wire resistive touch screen controller. With 3G/4G support (on MiniCard and SIM slot) and lower power consumption design, the GENE-BT05 is suitable for building automation, factory automation and medical equipment.The AAEON COM-BT is a new COM Express type 6 module with extensive display support with several SKUs based on the Intel Celeron and AtomTM series platform. There are two simultaneous display outputs with your choice of VGA, DVI, HDMI, DP and eDP. The board is engineered to handle future display and system upgrades simply by changing the computing module in the application. Easily adjusting the onboard switch, users can have either LVDS or eDP from the onboard connector. The COM-BT module comes with AAEON's Q Service, a service with a dedicated R&D team to review carrier board designs to help customers reduce the time spent on trouble shooting, and to help expedite the development process, thus shortening the new product's time-to-market. In addition to its comprehensive display support, the module also offers eight USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.0 port, two SATA ports, and three PCIex1 ports and two serial ports.The AAEON EMB-BT1 is a thin Mini-ITX embedded board supporting Intel Atom E3800 series processor. It comes with two SATA 2.0 ports, two SATA 3.0 ports, one PCIe x1, six COM ports, eight USB ports and two Gigabit Ethernet ports. With its rich I/O design and dual display support (VGA or HDMI or LVDS), the EMB-BT1 is ideal for digital signage, POS, Kiosk and networking applications, to name a few.Samples of the GENE-BT05, COM-BT and EMB-BT1 will be revealed to the public in AAEON's booth at Computex in Taipei from 3rd to 7th June, 2014 (AAEON booth K0315a).AAEON's 3.5" Board has leading role in rich I/O feature, supporting LVDS for 4th Genertion Intel Atom E3800 series

Wilocity, a leading developer of 60GHz multi-gigabit wireless chipsets, is showcasing our product and technology at Computex. WiGig is clearly emerging as the next major innovative technology in the wireless industry and Wilocity is the industry leader in providing 802.11ad solutions. The first commercial shipments of end user products integrating Wilocity chipsets with the ratified IEEE802.11ad 60GHz wireless standard began earlier 2013 and ABI Research predicts that 802.11ad IC shipments will exceed one billion units by 2017.Wilocity is at the forefront of bringing consumer and commercial products to market with our technology partners and customers. Wilocity is partnered with Qualcomm-Atheros to bring tri-band solutions to market and we have received numerous awards and industry recognition for our advances and innovation in the 802.11ad space.At Computex, Wilocity will show case the new generation WiGig chipsets and system in package solutions for mobile phone as well as be offering a hands on experience with commercially shipping WiGig solutions and providing an exclusive preview of exciting new capabilities and usages for WiGig. A wide variety of live applications over 60GHz will be showcased on integrated platforms – from IO and video to networking. These application demos will illustrate the unique value proposition 802.11ad/WiGig offers that differentiate it from other wireless technologies as well as the breadth of applications and devices that can benefit from the technology. We will show WiGig integration in a variety of platforms such as Ultrabooks and tablets/convertibles, and the world's first wigig integrated mobile phone, as well as the variety of peripheral devices which can be built with WiGig, for example, docking, storage, tri-band access points and displays. Customers will also be able to gain insight about our vision for the WiGig industry and how it can revolutionize their networking and computing solutions.In a world where device to device and cloud computing are becoming predominant usage models for mobile devices, a high performance wireless technology which can scale in a dense device environment is necessary. 802.11ad is a directional, multi-gigabit wireless technology which uniquely scales in multi-device environments without sacrificing performance and total capacity.Utilizing Wilocity's WiGig/802.11ad solutions, users will be able to change the way they interact with their computing devices, as tasks that used to take minutes or hours can now be done in seconds or minutes. The company's unique tri-band solution enables users to connect at whatever band offers the best available performance, delivering multi-gigabit data rates at 60GHz, while maintain compatibility with hundreds of existing Wi-Fi products in the 2.4GHz or 5GHz bands. Tri-band Wi-Fi also allows consumers to connect to 60GHz enabled devices, docks, displays and storage at multi-gigabit speeds, while maintaining enterprise-wide or whole home coverage with 2.4/5GHz Wi-Fi. Low latency, interactive and high bandwidth applications will see significant benefits using WiGig which cannot be achieved with any other wireless technology.Wilocity will be hosting private live demos, briefings and meetings at the Grand Hyatt Taipei, Room 1032 during Computex from June 3rd-6th. To schedule an appointment, send email to computex@wilocity.com.

Conexant Systems Inc. unveiled its new smart source pickup (SSP) voice and speech processing software for PCs and tablets. Designed to work with any hardware CODEC, Conexant's stand-alone AudioSmart software provides clear voice quality, eliminates noise from the microphone input signal during VoIP calls and dramatically improves Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) system performance.From conducting a call via Skype at a noisy cafe to giving verbal commands to your tablet in an airport terminal, Conexant's AudioSmart software enables a better user experience and makes challenges with background noise and competing sounds, like keystroke noise, a thing of the past.Conexant's AudioSmart software is based on its proprietary Smart Source Pickup (SSP) noise suppression algorithm. SSP is a blind source separation technology that uses spatial representation of target speech and noise sources to reduce interference. Unlike competing technologies, speech and noise can arrive at any angle relative to the microphones; SSP even removes noise when it comes from the same direction as desired speech, and when the speaker is up to five meters away from the target device. SSP is also extremely effective at reducing keystroke noise distractions during conference calls and other computer-based voice communications."Our AudioSmart software solutions make it possible to harness the power of human speech for a dramatically improved user experience when making VoIP calls or using Speech Recognition to control a device," noted Saleel Awsare, Conexant vice president and general manager. "PCs and tablets are obvious targets for our software, but there are many other applications that can benefit from our audio processing, including handsets, automotive, wearable computing, headsets and more."Conexant's lineup of AudioSmart software solutions for Windows and Android includes:• PRO: Designed for the modern corporate workforce; includes keystroke/tap noise elimination along with the most advanced far-field VoIP experience and noise-reduced Speech input available • MAX: Optimized for multimedia and gaming enthusiasts; features improved VoIP for gaming, advanced noise-reduced Speech input, and high performance speaker correction• Classic: Designed for cost-sensitive markets and near-field use cases; features clear quality for VoIP, noise-reduced Speech input, and basic speaker correction for playbackConexant's AudioSmart software has passed stringent testing with PRO and MAX packages both proven to dramatically exceed performance requirements for Intel and Google ASR. Additionally, all of Conexant's AudioSmart software solutions are optimized for only two-microphone elements (not three+), and each package offers:• Flexible microphone placement options for lower system cost and innovative industrial design• High hit-rate Speech Recognition in challenging scenarios• Excellent voice quality in noisy environments, independent of device orientation or the user's position (angle) relative to the deviceComputex attendees are encouraged to stop by Conexant's suite at Pacific Business Center PBC Hotel, Meeting Room D during the show to get a first-hand look at the new software in action. Please visit http://www.conexant.com/ for more details.

Apotop, a Carry Technology Co. Ltd. global consumer brand (TW.3054) of wireless storage devices, will showcase the latest innovative mobile accessories at COMPUTEX TAIPEI, the Asia's largest ICT trade show, during 3rd - 7th June 2014 at I0630 Nangang Exhibition Hall 1F.Founded in 2011, Apotop provides the most innovative product lines, encompassing MacBook accessories, wireless products, mobile accessories and so forth. To satisfy the consumers' practical need for smart handheld devices and to pursue a wireless smart life, Apotop mainly targets on the two product lines: APP-enabled products and mobile accessories, for both iOS and Android users. Moreover, Apotop also launches various accessories designed exclusively for iPhone consumers, with an optimistic outlook of smart handheld devices in the future.Apotop i-Selfie Wireless Snapshot for iOS"Selfie" was selected as the word of 2013 by Oxford Dictionaries, indicating that more and more consumers take snapshots by their smart phones and the trend is increasingly popular. However, phone cameras have their limitations. Examples include camera shake, caused by the pressing of the camera, or constraints on angle and distance in handheld mode. Travel photos need more than just the face in the picture. Composition and clarity matter as well. Accordingly, the Apotop launches i-Selfie wireless snapshot device for iOS users to experience an innovative way of taking snapshots.Apotop i-Selfie's simulated volume + button design does not require an APP download and can take photos directly with an iOS integrated camera via Bluetooth 4.0. It can also be used with all camera APPs that support volume up as a shutter button. Operation is very easy. When taking a selfie while holding the phone, press lightly on the remote to easily take a photo wirelessly and avoid blurry shots due to camera shake while pressing the button. Apart from selfies, special angles such as high- and low-angle shots are no longer limited by the placement of the shutter button. Using the remote enables more flexible shooting. i-Selfie's ingenuous design combines a mobile phone stand with a remote. The headphone jack decoration design means it can be carried wherever you go, so that you can enjoy the fun of wireless snapshots anytime and anywhere.Apotop Wi-Backup Wireless Smart DeviceAs smart handheld devices have now been a modern-day necessity, photo shooting and video recording gradually become part of our daily life. In order to satisfy consumers' need for multimedia data backup and sharing, Apotop launches "Wi-Backup", the 5th generation of wireless application product, combining six key functions: single-touch backup, mobile device backup, wireless streamer, two-way copy, power bank and wireless router. Through Wi-Backup, consumers no longer have to buy separate wireless hard disk. Instead, they can upgrade existing storage devices at home such as hard disk or USB flash drives with a wireless capability. A dedicated APP (support both iOS and Android system) can then be used easily to backup important data on the smart phone to existing storage devices wirelessly, making phone storage limits a thing of the past.After snapping and recording, the following file backup and sharing would be quite annoying. Once you have Wi-Backup, simply insert your SD card and USB storage device and then press the backup button, all data on the SD card will be backed up to the USB storage device. Moreover, you no longer have to wait until you get home to upload photos. Wi-Backup allows other people to browse the data in the USB device or SD card over a phone or tablet at any time. High-speed transfer means that even high-definition videos will not miss a beat.Regarding the need for travel or business, Wi-Backup can serve as a wireless router as well, turning a fixed network connection into a wireless hot spot for multiple devices. The internal 5200mAh high-capacity battery provides 14 hours of continuous use away from a power point. It can also be used as a mobile power bank. The 2A high current output keeps batteries topped up at all time, making phones and tablets charge faster.Apotop president Taron Chang said, "The increasing popularity of smart handheld devices means that smart, wireless living is now all the rage. Accordingly, our mission is to develop products that enable smart devices to offer even greater convenience and to highlight our leading position of complete functional concerns on Apotop product design. In other words, Apotop aims to differentiate market positioning from our competitors by combining practically designed hardware with easy-to-use APP software."Apotop launches i-Selfie for iOS usersApotop launches the 5th generation wireless smart device "Wi-Backup" (DW23)

Smart transportation has seen rapid development, and a variety of connected in-vehicle applications have also emerged. As an example of how complex transportation logistics could be, Van Lin, Director of In-Vehicle Computing Product Division at Advantech, explained how the Munich Airport in Germany must support a variety of modes of transportation, such as shuttle buses, luggage carriers, tank filling trucks, and forklifts. In addition, cities require vehicles used in emergency rescue operations and ports need smart transportation management. In-vehicle systems must be in place to provide real-time information management during the entire logistics process, from containers arriving at the port to goods distributed to warehouses and delivered to retail stores.Services will take up 60% of the smart vehicle market, while hardware and software licensing will take up the other 40%. While Taiwanese in-vehicle vendors have great opportunities to cut into the market, Van Lin reminded vendors they need to be aware of regional market differences. In Europe, the US, and Australia, demand for digital logistics and fleet management is similar, as these markets place a high priority on managing driver behavior and monitoring all vehicle information. Therefore, mid-range and high-end in-vehicle computers are becoming more popular. In the Asia-Pacific region, however, demand has focused on navigation and vehicle dispatch solutions, and in-vehicle computers are usually replaced by low cost black boxes. Therefore, vendors cannot introduce their solutions for the western market directly into the Asia-Pacific market.While some vendors have focused on logistics and some on fleet management, Van Lin said Advantech provides one-stop shopping solutions which cover delivery from ports to retail stores. The company provides in-vehicle computers for all kinds of transportation. Advantech's in-vehicle products fall into two series, one for on-road vehicles (such as bus, truck, logistics truck, and road rescue vehicle), and the other for off-road vehicles (such as mine carts, forklift trucks, and farm cultivators). Advantech also expects to provide complete in-vehicle computers or value-added services for fleet management vendors such as tire pressure management, in vehicle video analysis, and voice recognition systems. Real-time in vehicle video analysis can detect distance to the front car, handling blind spots, passengers, and lane departure, thereby enhancing driving safety.The use of GPS data should not be restricted to fleet management, positioning, or tracking, said Van Lin. Instead, the focus must be placed on driver behavior management. Take the US for example. Managing gas consumption, vehicle maintenance, and disaster cost control will only be effective when driver behavior management is applied. The computer must act as a driving instructor. When the driver drives in a strange way or shifts gears incorrectly, the computer will inform the driver that penalty points have been posted to his/her driving record. Instead of waiting for the data to arrive and then send it to backend servers for analysis, the fleet management system should remind the driver of any violations immediately to effectively regulate the driver's behavior. Through effective data collection and real-time management, the system can send maintenance warnings beforehand to prevent unexpected breakdowns, thereby achieving more efficient control of gas consumption and reduction of carbon emissions.Before smart logistics solutions are introduced to warehouse applications, staff must provide printed inventory records for forklift truck operators to check stock and shipments. The data will then be entered to the computer by office staff. Since the printed data is updated every two hours and must be entered into the system in the office, the process may cause shipment delays. What's worse, the front-end department has to wait for the data to be uploaded before they can find out whether the goods are ready for shipment or in shortage. After the introduction of smart logistics solutions, forklift truck operators can enter stock and shipment data directly to the in-vehicle computer, allowing the front-end department to send shipment notifications two hours ahead of time, making shipments more efficient.The automobile industry has placed a high emphasis on real-time logistics. By integration RFID systems with the LES (Logistics Execution System), the system can detect material consumption automatically and replenish the materials when they are running low. Computer-controlled unmanned vehicles will then ship the components to the assembly station via specific routes, enhancing work efficiency significantly.Van Lin used smart buses as another example. Among other public transportation options, smart bus systems can generate the highest return on investment and can enhance the quality of life of urban populations as soon as systems are implemented. Therefore, many cities have deemed smart bus systems as key projects. By introducing smart vehicle solutions to buses, the system can reduce gas consumption and prevent any corruption coming from bus drivers. The solutions can also create new revenues. For example, evaluating the effect of bus ads is much easier than ads in other places as the bus company can find out how many people have seen the ads from the bus camera. With the help of mobile apps, such as encouraging passengers to input a certain number in the ads to win a free ride, passengers will be more likely to pay attention to the ads.Smart systems can also be applied to police cars to help the police maintain public safety. Besidesvideo analysis solutions, the police also need data mobility. For example, the design of a tablet PC in the car must enable the police to retrieve the tablet with one hand in a split second since police may needs to carry the tablet outside of the vehicle at a moment's notice.Connected cars play a key role in the age of Internet of Things (IoT). A smart city must meet different demands such as smart buses; however, not only product offering but also business models can be challenging. For example, a smart bus requires the combination of various peripheral equipment and software (such as tire pressure detection sensors, cameras, and voice control software). It is impossible for Advantech to cover everything from development to manufacturing, says Van Lin. Therefore, Advantech hopes to form partnerships with more peripheral equipment vendors and share the market or customer base with its partners. Advantech will authenticate the quality of the peripheral equipment internally before providing it to global customers. By constructing an ecosystem with intelligent fleet management solutions in collaboration with its global partners, Advantech hopes to achieve win-win results.Van Lin, Director of In-Vehicle Computing Product Division at Advantech

As the cloud services and smart city concepts mature, the consumers' shopping behaviors have also gradually been transformed. For retailers, in addition to improving service performances through establishing point of sales (POS) systems, the POS systems have also been transformed from simple sales applications to those combined with more intelligent value-added applications as well as vertically integrated with various operators or services to provide better shopping experiences through the smart POS.As the smart city concept continues to mature, the POS applications that are meant to improve the sales process have also begun to undergo smart qualitative changes. CH Wu, Vice President, Intelligent Service Business Group, Advantech, indicated that the value of the POS equipment that previously focused on the retail end of e-support has continued to increase in lie with smartization. Smart function integration can serve as a tool to maintain consumer loyalty and combine cloud services to provide more value-added services to retailers.The Number of Embedded Devices has Exploded and Become the New Portal for Smart DevicesWu indicated that there will be an estimated 1.9 billion computer systems, 2.6 billion mobile phone devices, and 25 billion embedded devices worldwide by 2020. Compared to the global population, 2.6 billion mobile phones are far lower the number of people in the world, but those who own mobile phones almost have two per person. Some analysts even estimate that the number of embedded smart devices may even exceed 50 billion units.Under the smart city boom and the development of the corresponding Internet of Things (IoT) applications, smart devices are everywhere in our lives and embedded devices have become an unstoppable trend. So, how would they affect our lives? Wu indicated that a significant amount of smart devices are connected to an even bigger number of devices through the IoT, and the industry is provided with a foundation to develop innovative application services whereby the software and hardware are combined through the cloud services under the smart city boom. Against such a backdrop, it is most imperative for industry players to work out ways to combine their software and hardware into smart application services for the smart city.In the Future, Smart Devices Will Become Ubiquitous in Our LivesUnder the condition where a significant number of smart devices have penetrated our living environment, the coverage of smart devices has far exceeded that of the IT equipment or products in the past and has enabled more people to receive services from smart devices. No matter where they are - on a bus, in the hospital, or in a store - people in a smart city can obtain the required services through the smart devices and embedded computing equipment. This also illustrates the importance of the innovative value-added services created through the vertical integration of the different industries in a smart city.The key IoT network technology used to construct the smart city information network will also create more innovative value-added services from the interconnectivity between and integration of the devices. This will also force a significant amount of business models to shift towards smartization. In terms of the retail industry, how online-to-offline (O2O) operations are conducted or how sales can be combined with online services, will affect the consumers' shopping habits and behaviors. During the "iPlanet Paradigm Shift" for the next decade, the anticipated trend for the future of smart cities is that "services" will replace "products" as the mainstream needs. Under the smart city trend, various industrial solutions will also flourish in smart cities and the interconnection as well as integration of smart devices will produce innovative services that can dramatically change the existing modes of operation for various industries.Corresponding Qualitative Changes for the Retail Sector under the Smart City DevelopmentAccording to a 2014 report issued by the Retail Tech Sales on 4,100 different retailers' investments on IT equipment in 2014, 38% will invest in traditional POS, 48% in mobile POS, and 39% in non-POS hardware. It is estimated that the investments in non-POS will be used to create value-added integration for mobile applications. Analyzing the software investment data, the same research report indicates that POS software investments still account for the largest part at 44%, while 44% of the investments will be in mobile POS software. The results show that the retail sector has begun to increase their investments in mobile applications.The increase of consumers' mobility indicates that data flow for the consumer environment has become smoother. However, the increasing number of available information channels for the consumers also means reduced consumer loyalty. The more smart city applications are available, the more complicated for the retailers to conduct marketing and maintain consumer loyalty. Therefore, how to retain the customers and attract them to the store and do shopping has become critical issues for the retail industry.The Smart POS Investment: From Reducing Spending to Expanding ResourcesThe retail industry's paradigm shift under the smart city boom indicates that focus on investment in constructing POS has been gradually transitioning from how labor costs can be reduced to how more business opportunities can be created. For example, the retail sector has focused on how to reduce expenditure in the past, but the retail trend has begun to shift the focus to looking for more resources and conducting effective marketing operations to stimulate demand. The sudden changes in the retailers' investment ratios confirm the fact that the industry has started to pay attention to this future trend.In this wave of smartization, POS has also moved towards the direction of constant evolution to keep up with the smart retail trends. For example, the new generation of intelligent POS can already be integrated with the cloud services, transaction automation, promotions anytime, and MI collection; they can also support near field communication (NFC), multi-touch screens, multi-network connectivity, remote access, cloud services, etc., in terms of technical integration.Major POS Industries in Europe Invest Heavily to Change the Shopping ExperiencesWu has attended the largest exhibition (EuroShop) in Europe recently and found that the major manufacturers that provide corresponding smart retailer solutions have begun to shift their product concepts towards smartization and mobililty. Many industry players have shifted the focus of their products or solution R&D to enhancing the consumer experiences in virtual stores. How to give consumers better and more timely shopping experiences has become the focus of development for the retail solutions providers. As a smart retail solutions provider, Advantech has established a variety of smart retail service solutions that can satisfy the consumers' demands.For example, Advantech has introduced smart POS retail service solutions, digital signage systems, and a new generation of smart kiosk equipment that can integrate the membership system, smart monitoring system, cloud-based central monitoring, and remote data analysis, etc. Advantech's products and solutions are better than those created by others behind closed doors without knowing what customers need. Advantech knows that it must have a deep understand of what applications the customers want in order to satisfy their needs through a variety of smart technologies and hardware integrations.Wu indicated that Advantech has various product lines, such as the traditional POS, kiosks, and digital signage products that will satisfy the demand for system integration, as well as basic applications and cloud service support solutions with hardware-software integration. In addition to industrial computers, the company's other products include the queuing systems that are popular in China, and smart POS systems. For chain store solutions, there are integrated POS systems that can integrate the central management functions; they can even perform value-added remote management and analysis. In Taiwan, Advantech's solutions have been adopted by the management of Taipei 101, Far Eastern shopping malls, Din Tai Fung dumpling houses, and Giant bicycle stores.CH Wu, Vice President, Intelligent Service Business Group, Advantec