During 2013, award-winning composer Hans Zimmer first used the new DTS Headphone:X surround sound technology to produce the "Man of Steel" motion picture soundtrack. This advanced technology, developed by the audio experts at DTS, allows mobile devices to accurately reproduce the acoustics of a studio soundstage through an ordinary pair of headphones.Not long ago, it was believed that to enjoy a premium surround sound experience, one would have to own high-end home theater equipment. But, DTS, a leader in high-definition audio solutions and audio enhancement technologies, has shaken up this common perception with its Headphone:X technology, which is capable of recreating up to an 11.1 channel home theater surround sound environment on mobile devices.Aaron Chen, GM, Business Development Taiwan, APAC said, "Although people are used to listening to music and watching videos over mobile networks, two-channel stereo headphones that normally come with mobile devices simply cannot offer the same kind of listening experience as found in a high-quality audio production studio. But, thanks to the advanced technology behind Headphone:X, listeners are now free from their hardware's limitations and able to turn their mobile devices into powerful pocket-sized home theaters."Headphone:X: Home Theater in Your PocketIn early 2014, DTS introduced the Headphone:X Tuning Program that offers headphone makers access to tools and support designed to optimize their products to deliver an excellent Headphone:X experience. Leading headphone manufacturers, including Panasonic, Skullcandy and Turtle Beach, have joined the program. Meanwhile, DTS has been working with mobile brands to build the Headphone:X interface, a control center for the technology that contains options for consumers to select their specific headphones from a list, personalize the overall experience to their taste and save the settings as a unique profile, into their mobile products.It is also worth noting that the Hi-Fi smartphone XPlay 3S debuted by Chinese manufacturer Vivo, is fitted with Headphone:X, offering users access to not only the Headphone:X app, but to content mixed for the technology - allowing them to enjoy immersive mobile content with DTS surround sound anywhere, anytime.Headphone:X continues to expand its footprint beyond hardware to content owners. After the successful launch of the "Man of Steel" app on Hans Zimmer's Z+ platform, many other original motion picture soundtracks and music albums have been produced in the format.Play-Fi Certified ODM Program Garners Wide SupportThe other state-of-the-art audio solution from DTS is Play-Fi, a wireless audio streaming technology that connects all the music on your mobile devices to one or more speakers in the home for friends and families to share, all over a standard WiFi connection.According to Chen, "Play-Fi is an advanced open audio platform capable of streaming lossless, high-quality audio from Android, iOS and Windows devices to multiple rooms from multiple users simultaneously using a standard WiFi network. Consumers only need to download and launch the free Play-Fi app, which automatically finds and connects speakers to the WiFi network via any standard wireless router (no need for a costly exclusive receiver), with only five to 10 minutes taken to get the system set up."To expand the Play-Fi ecosystem, DTS announced earlier this year a Play-Fi Certified ODM Program. The program currently includes several leading audio manufacturers, including: Lite-On Technology, Meiloon Industrial, AmTRAN Technology, Wistron, Zylux Acoustic, Eastech Electronics, Fenda Technology, Hansong Technology and Tymphany. Leading audio brands, such as Polk and Definitive Technology will also soon be rolling out their own Play-Fi speaker solutions, and the technology continues to expand to include personal devices such as mobile phones and laptops.At Computex Taipei 2014, Asustek will showcase new products to feature Play-Fi, while G-Star will unveil headphones with Headphone:X processing built-in. Additionally, Acer is expected to debut four new smartphones incorporating DTS audio enhancement technology. At this year's Computex, visitors can get a glimpse of DTS' advanced audio technologies, not only at the DTS booth, but at several of its partners' booths as well.The V5 Wi-Fi speaker of Wren Sound Systems that supports the Play-Fi standardPhoto: Company
According to a Gartner report on the HDD enclosure IC market, JMicron has been the top vendor since 2010. As the leading vendor of storage controllers, JMicron will launch various innovative and optimized storage controllers at Computex 2014.JMicron is going to launch storage controllers based on the latest USB3.1 10Gbps technology, and will give live demonstrations in a private suite at Grand Hyatt Hotel, Taipei. In addition, there will be the dual-port SATA RAID/CLONE JMS561/562/561U SATAIII storage controllers, with solid reliability and compatibility with hardware RAID engines. JMicron will launch various applications fulfilling the requirements of port multipliers supporting JBOD, RAID0/1 and CLONE.There will also be optimized controllers supporting single/multiple-port SATA III storage solutions. The JMicron JMS567/577/575 series enable less power consumption, better performance, cost efficiency, and more connectivity with SSD, SSHD, Blue Ray optical drives, SMART TVs, and STB.As for SSD (solid state drive) controllers, JMicron will demo new SATA3 SSD controllers, JMF670/JM670H, which support Micron L95B NAND flash and SSD capacity up to 512GB. JMicron will also showcase PCIe SSD controller solutions: JMF810, which is a PCIe Gen 2 x 2 Lane and SATA3 combo SSD controller; JMF811, which is a PCIe Gen 2 x 4 Lane SSD controller. These two PCIe SSD controllers feature sequential read/write performance of over 1500MB/s. Furthermore, these two controllers implement JMicron new Data Management Engine to improve performance and total byte write to the NAND.JMicron Technology Corporation is a fabless IC company dedicated to producing innovative solutions and offering the most competitive solutions to the market. It shipped over four million SSD controllers in 2013. In 2014, JMicron will continue to provide most competitive SATA3 and PCIe interface SSD controllers to the market.USB 3.1 FPGA platform with new 10Gbps USB3.1 technologyPhoto: CompanyJMS577 USB3.0 to SATA III enhanced controllerPhoto: Company
AORUS, an emerging force of gaming hardware, has launched the lightest - 1.87kg - and most powerful 13-inch gaming laptop in the world - X3. Delivering excellence and pushing performance to the extreme, AORUS has yet again pushed the envelope by fitting a GTX870M 6GB GDDR5 VRAM in a slim chassis (22.9mm) at the same time ensuring optimum mobility.Available in a stunning 3200x1800 resolution, the QHD+ panel delivers unmatched color and image quality. The X3 has two display options: the X3 with a 13-inch display and the X3 Plus that has a 13.9-inch display. Maximum mobility with maximum performance: the X3 from AORUS is perfected to deliver the most mobile experience - gaming on the go, without compromising on performance.Lean, Mean, Machine: Less than an inch, 1.89kg (4.16lbs), GeForce GTX870M 6GB GDDR5True to its mantra of "Exceed with Less," the X3 weighs in at 1.87kg, while less than an inch in height with a footprint of only 330cm, making it by far the lightest and most mobile gaming laptop known today. Perfect for those who love to travel light, the X3 is the only machine capable of delivering a powerful performance in such a small form factor. With 1080p gaming at ultra-detail settings from Nvidia GeForce GTX870M 6GB GDDR5 VRAM scoring an impressive P7104 in 3D Mark 11, the X3 will play all your games the way they were meant to be played. Experience all the GeForce GTX gaming experience in the most portable package available today.3K Display for Ultra Accuracy & Stunning DetailsX3 comes standard with a 13-inch 2560x1440 resolution display while the X3 Plus has options of 13.9-inch QHD 2560x1440 or QHD+ 3200 x 1800 resolution display. The anti-glare QHD+ display offers unprecedented sharpness for a revolutionary gaming experience. A feature formerly exclusive to hi-end TV and PC monitors, QHD+ is now an X3 Plus standard. The ultra-high 3200x1800 resolution offers breathtaking details rarely available on such mobile devices. 72% NTSC color gamut produces crystal clear images with stunning color accuracy. The extraordinary high luminance, 400 cd/m2, produces unmatched clarity and readability even outdoors or in brightly lit rooms.Streamline Design, Superb Cooling, Next Generation StorageCarrying the signature theme of the stunning AORUS chassis, a style that blends futuristic concepts of minimalism and fluidic sculpture, the metallic silver falcon rests on the center with sculpted lines and three molded ridges surrounding the full aluminum matte black chassis. The chassis beautifully incorporates dual vents, dual thermal pipes and dual fans achieving excellent stability even after hours of demanding operation. A pair of 512GB Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF) m.2 SATA solid state drives in lightning RAID 0 push performance to the forefront. Two memory slots allow maximum capacity at 16GB DDR3L 1600hz SDRAM eliminating all obstacles between gamers and the most engaging gaming experience.Macro Engine and Cinematic Gameplay at 4KCustomizable Macro Engine is exclusive to AORUS and is available on the X3. Macro keys rarely available on gaming laptops are now an AORUS gaming laptop standard. Simplify and record your killer combos into one-click execution keys. The scissor-switch key structure guarantees lightning response and great tactile feedback ensuring pure dominance during gameplay. Hardcore gamers who demand minimal distraction will find the backlit keyboard with adjustable lighting a handy supply during intense gaming in dimly lit rooms.Enjoy gaming on an external 4K display at 60Hz. Experience engaging gaming moments on the largest and best display with incredible detail. This is possible through a mini-display port standard on the X3.Relentless Innovation; Endless EvolutionPacked with the renowned Killer LAN chip and Intel 802.11ac, the X3 guarantees gamers unprecedented online gaming experiences for either on-site or on the move. Killer LAN chip optimizes network connection quality while allowing users to prioritize gaming sessions for seamless online gaming without latency. Intel 802.11ac solution brings extended coverage and stronger throughput, which greatly improves signal stability for gaming wireless by Wi-Fi. Signals to be transmitted achieve excellent packet transmission even under busy network traffic while generic LAN chips manage an average of 14.9% packet loss rate.Contact: Hanif@aorus.comAORUS X3Photo: Company
Gigabyte Technology, a leading IT products manufacturer, will showcase this week its newest product lineup of server and embedded solutions at Computex 2014.At the core of this updated lineup, Gigabyte will present its server motherboards supporting the brand new processors from the Intel Xeon processors E3-1200 v3 product family. These Intel C220 chipset-based motherboards will deliver higher computing performance and lower power consumption to answer today's ever increasing computing standards, according to the vendor. In addition, Gigabyte will reveal its SoC solutions for the embedded industry, including two innovative Intel Atom motherboards (formerly Avoton and Bay Trail) and the GA-FSD0C1, a Freescale platform."We are very excited about the upcoming Computex where we have the chance to introduce our products to users and interact with them personally," commented Etay Lee, general manager of Gigabyte. "Users can obtain detailed product information, understand applications for business and home environments, and acquire good product experience from Gigabyte at Computex." Etay added.Gigabyte cordially invites you to visit us at Computex 2014, booth D0002 in TWTC Hall 1. To learn more about Gigabyte's server and embedded products, please visit: b2b.gigabyte.com
Promise Technology, a global leading storage solution provider, has again won the Computex Best Choice Golden Award presented to the show's top storage solution. The Golden Award winner, the Pegasus2 R8, is the world's first hardware RAID 5/6 storage solution with Thunderbolt 2 technology, which boasts staggering speeds of 20Gb/s.The impressive speed of the Pegasus2 R8 fully satisfies the high-performance demands of the rich media industry and data-intensive 3D and 4K video workflow environments. The Best Choice Award, held by the Taipei Computer Association and the Taiwan External Trade Development Council, is the major event every year at Computex Taipei. Promise came out on top again in this fierce competition and won the Golden Award as the top storage solution for the second year in a row, proving the strength of Promise in the storage industry and that the company's solutions meets the most rigorous of standards."Promise has always used the needs of our customers as the core foundation to create solutions that will add value to how they work," said James Lee, CEO, Promise Technology. "This year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of Promise, and having our Pegasus2 R8 win the Computex Best Choice Golden Award as the top storage solution during this historic year is extremely meaningful. We will continue to strengthen our storage solutions in the future to repay the affirmation of the judges and the support of our customers."This year, the Computex Best Choice Awards were divided into 15 major categories, which saw close to 500 products competing for the prestigious honors. At the end of the competition, only one product in each category was presented with a Golden Award. The judges confirmed that the Pegasus2 R8 not only represents an outstanding technological innovation, but its performance enables it to be used as an integral part of a high-performance 4K video editing workflow. It is also certified by powerful partners, including Intel and Apple, which led the judges to award the Pegasus2 R8 with the highest honor, the Golden Award.Offering high speed, security and capacity: Pegasus2 R8 is a deserving winnerThe Pegasus2 R8 is equipped with Thunderbolt 2 technology which provides 20Gb/s bi-directional transfer speeds. With enterprise-class RAID technology that Promise took many years to develop, users can not only efficiently create masterpieces but they can rest assured knowing their digital assets are protected, no matter whether they are advertisers, large post production companies, music producers and many more.The Pegasus2 Series offers 4-bay, 6-bay and 8-bay models, including the new small form-factor M4, which are able to satisfy the diverse work needs of creative professionals. To meet the demands for handling massive files in 4K video production, Pegasus2 is equipped with dual Thunderbolt 2 ports that can be daisy-chained to connect up to a maximum of 6 Pegasus units, making it the best choice for massive data storage.Pegasus2 Features- Maximum throughput of Thunderbolt 2 (20Gb/s) accelerated when attached to new Mac Pro- Supports simultaneous streaming, editing, and backup of 4K video- Dual Thunderbolt ports for daisy chaining Pegasus enclosure units, Apple Thunderbolt displays, or Mini DisplayPort devices- Removable drive bays for effortless drive access and serviceability- Mobile, enterprise-class hardware RAID protection for offsite shoots- Massive storage capacity for backing up creative projects and digital librariesPromise will be displaying its Golden Award winner, the Pegasus2 R8, at the Best Choice Award exhibition section of Computex Taipei 2014, and will also be exhibiting solutions for the cloud/IT, video surveillance and rich media markets at booth No. J0418 of the NanGang Exhibition Hall. We welcome you to join us to see exciting demos of the latest storage solutions from PROMISE.About Promise TechnologyPromise Technology is a recognized global leader with 25 years of experience in the storage industry. Promise has developed its own enterprise-class hardware and software storage architecture, in addition to complete SAN, NAS and Unified storage platform product lines. Promise is also committed to providing dynamic software defined storage solutions for vertical markets, including cloud and IT storage solutions, video surveillance storage solutions, rich media storage solutions and much more. With industry leading technology and research and development capabilities, combined with highly experienced global sales and after sales service teams, Promise is at the forefront of the industry with the highest levels of customer satisfaction. Promise Technology is an ISO-9001:2008 and ISO-14001:2004 certified manufacturer with operations and sales and support teams throughout the Americas, EMEA, and APAC regions providing unparalleled service and support to customers around the globe. For more information, visit: www.promise.com.
U-Reach has officially launched the first-ever largest automated embedded system that can accommodate up to 2304 targets simultaneously and support high-speed data copy and quality inspection.In the past, hundreds of computers have been needed to perform data copy and quality inspection, but computers are not reliable for this type of task and can cause frequent crashes. Furthermore, intensive multitasking can bring the system to a grinding halt. Thus, U-Reach's core strength of leading-edge technology in hardware and software designed specifically for Flash manufacturers can replace hundreds of computers. They can increase the productivity of a computer by eightfold and yet reduce more than 80% of daily maintenance and management costs, according to the vendor.Hardware/software customization equipmentU-Reach provides customized software and hardware systems that will not affect the client's original automated system. They allow manufacturers to custom-select test standards to meet different requirements, such as those of flash drives, SDs, micro SDs, eMMCs and NAND flash. They can do duplication and quality inspection with ease, and work in accordance with the manufacturers' guidelines by offering U-Reach's exclusive unique functions: high-speed read/write tests, bad block detection, serial tests and capacity tests.High performance to meet customer demandsU-Reach's automatic Flash copy and inspection system will dramatically increase client's productivity by eight times. It is compatible with all brands of flash memory controller chips. It eliminates the need for maintaining dozens of computers, significantly reducing the costs of manpower, equipment and computers. It improves efficiency and productivity without the need to purchase new automated equipment.U-Reach's related technologies and products are on display at Computex 2014 booth K1027, Nangang Exhibition Hall, 1st floor. They will also be showcased at SEMICON Taiwan in September.U-Reach's automatic Flash copy and inspection system increases productivityPhoto: Company
Since 1998 when it delivered the 1st Direct IDE-IDE RAID 1 disk array subsystem in the world, Accordance Systems has continued providing different disk array products for over 16 years. Its disk array series "ARAID" is not only available in Japan, the US, Europe, Australia and Taiwan; it has also been selected by various customers as their standard disk array products. Accordance is leading the market again this year by launching native SATA III RAID 1 disk arrays which support 6Gbps SATA III 3.5-inch hard drives and 2.5-inch HDD / SSDs. ARAID 5000 and ARAID M500 series offer faster data read/write speeds.ARAID 5000 and ARAID M500 series can be operated without any drivers. Once installation is completed, the BIOS will detect this unit as a single hard drive and then it can start operation immediately. The conditions and accessing of the hard drives are indicated by LED indicators and on LCD monitors. When any of the hard drives fail, the buzzer will automatically sound an alarm. When a new hard drive is installed, the automatic rebuilding progress will be displayed on the LCD monitor. The computer or equipment can continue to work without shutting down.ARAID 5000 and ARAID M500 series include high-speed ASICs, CPUs, RAM and ROM, and will not occupy any system sources. Their performance efficiency is better than other software-based disk array modules. Meeting the high standards of multi-tasking and nearly 24/7 requirements, they guarantee all the data are completely written into two hard drives. With Accordance's specially-designed fast switch button, users can simply set the hard drives into a single disk access or turn on two hard drives backup functions simultaneously. Hence, the hard drives can be accessed by flexible configurations, which can avoid the hard drives from getting the virus and causing data loss.ARAID 5000 and ARAID M500 series not only continue to feature Accordance's unique "SNMP management" technology; ARAID series products also include ARAID SMART monitoring and management utility to meet customers' needs. Users can use ARAID SMART utility to monitor the hard drive and check the disk array status. When the hard drive SMART warning occurs, it will use sound, e-mail or SNMP to inform users that the hard drive is starting to produce bad sectors. Thus, the user can have an early warning and exchange it as soon as possible, instead of waiting until the hard drive completely fails. This ensures data security.Accordance Systems has also introduced the innovative HDD accelerator, "GF-HDD Turbo," which is able to improve work efficiency, save power on/off time, and decrease data read/write time. GF-HDD Turbo does not need to install any cards and drivers. It supports various SSD brands, and easy Plug and Play. It allows users to reduce wait time, accelerating computer operations. The use of GF-HDD Turbo can not only save about 30-50% of the time at the computer on/off stage, but also improve by about 50- 200% in terms of effectiveness at the data access stage. Users who use older computer models will enjoy great improvements to their computer performance by using GF-HDD Turbo.Accordance Systems has been committed to enhancing computer data security and data access performance. It has been at the forefront of the market. The future trends at Accordance Systems will be to use the Internet to enable automatic management of equipment. Thus, the company has launched the new solution, "RCVM" (Remote Control Video Management), which can provide users with real-time video monitoring and remote troubleshooting systems for their PCs at the production lines.RCVM is an integration of video capture network modules, and the maintenance staff will be able to view split-screen images with real-time display on the RCVM system. When there is a problem, the maintenance personnel can click on the computer screen directly to get remote connection immediately for troubleshooting, which makes it unnecessary for the maintenance personnel to strive to reach the scenes in the shortest time possible. This can reduce loss of production. It can also integrate with AOR recording systems to record what is displayed on the computer screens. Recordings of the images on the computer screen can be played back later to enhance review of the management.Accordance is at Computex booth at J0330, 1st floor of TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall.Email: salesworld@accordance.com.twPhone: +886-2-2726-3239.Website: http://www.accordance.com.twAccordance ARAID 5000 & ARID M500 disk array productsPhoto: Company
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' StarE21 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
