Unlike those of ordinary PCs, industrial PCs' functions and features vary depending on the operating environments and requirements, such as for high performance, 24/7 operation , wide-range working temperatures or voltages, dust-proof and noiselessness. A specialist in industrial computing devices, Advantech offers various ARK models of high-performance, low-power-consuming, fanless, industrial Box PCs and extensible Box PCs whose performance is comparable to desktop PCs. These extensible models can be mounted on walls or the backs of display screens, and are designed to meet the various environmental requirements for industrial, commercial and IoT needs.Intelligent Systems Drive Diverse Industrial ApplicationsIn a discussion on how industrial, fanless, intelligent systems enable high-efficiency management through seamless integration, Advantech senior manager Sandy Chen introduced the company's ARK fanless intelligent systems and related solutions. The current trend shows that different industries require different embedded industrial intelligent systems to serve specific purposes, such as for high stability, low power-consumption, noiselessness, extensibility, wide-range working temperatures or voltages, high computing performance and dust and shock resistance.Fan cooled systems used in conventional PCs result in dust accumulation, which eventually reduces fan speeds, heat dissipation, and system stability. In addition, fans are noisy and prone to incurring unexpected additional maintenance costs. So to meet all these requirements, Advantech developed a complete lineup of fanless solutions.Highly Reliable Fanless Systems Run SilentlyAdvantech's ARK fanless intelligent system series offers a range of unibody Box PCs. The series is designed to work under a wide voltage range from 9 ~ 36V. Its advanced, fanless design is dustproof and noiseless and its heat-dissipation structure and chassis efficiently conduct heat to the external environment. With industrial grade or wide-temperature grade components, the series can stably operate within -20 to 60 degrees Celsius.The ARK series features a ruggedized chassis which is IP40 dustproof, 5G shockproof, 50G fall-proof, and with prolonged MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures). The series has garnered various safety certifications, including CE, FCC, CCC, UL, BSMI and CB, and can therefore be marketed in countries that observe strict safety standards.Five Types of Fanless Intelligent Systems Meet Specific Industrial Needs Advantech's ARK series consists of five types of systems that meet specific industrial purposes: palm size models, screen-integrated wall-mounted models, highly extensible I/O models, high-performance models, and surveillance/in-vehicle models.The ARK-1100 palm-size (133.8 x 43.1 x 94.2 mm) mini models run on power consumption of only 5 ~ 10W, support up to quad-core processors, work within -20 to 60 degrees Celsius, and support 2.5-inch Hard Disk Drives (HDD)/SSDs or mSATA storage devices. The ARK-1100, with 12V DC power input, VESA/DIN-Rail sliding and wall mounting specifications, as well as support for miniPCIe + SIM, wireless modules and integrated antennas, is particularly suitable for IoT applications or for tiny spaces requiring extremely low-power consumption.The ARK-1500 series are slim (231 x 46.3 x 133 mm) screen-integrated wall-mounted models supporting multiple screens (HDMI/VGA/LVDS ports) and their VESA/DIN-Rail and wall-mount specifications allow them to be directly hung on the back of the screens. They have a wide range of working temperatures from -20 to 55 degrees Celsius. The series supports 12V DC power input, miniPCIe + SIM, and removable or fixed 2.5-inch hard disk drives/SSDs. In addition, the ARK-1500 has a fixed, lockable DC/VGA/COM/DIO/HDMI/LVDS port structure. The series is suitable for use in combination with a panel for panel PCs, and in dashboards and digital signage.The ARK-2000 series consists of highly extensible I/O systems in a 265 x 69 x 133 mm form factor. They support Intel® processors (from AtomTM to CoreTM i7), working temperatures from -20 to 60 degrees Celsius, a wide voltage range (12V DC or 12 - 24V DC), 2.5-inch HDDs/SSDs or mSATA or CFast storage devices, extensible MIOe modules for easier customized design, and miniPCIe + SIM module extension. The ARK-2000 is ideal for applications that require a lot of flexible extensions.The ARK-35 series high-performance models come in a 250 x 110/90 x 230 mm form factor and support high-performance CPUs (CoreTM i series with a maximum of four cores), and extension solutions (two PCI, PCIe x1, PCIe x4, MIOe module, two sets of miniPCIe). They work from -10 to 60 degrees Celsius with SSDs, and from -10 to 50 degrees Celsius with HDDs. They offer a wide range of operable voltages (12V DC or 9 - 34V DC), and two sets of 2.5-inch removable HDDs/SSDs or two sets of mSATA or CFast storage devices. The ARK-35 series is suitable for applications requiring high computing performance and card extension capability.The ARK-V in-vehicle series models and ARK-S surveillance models, both available in dimensions of 265 x 75 x 133 mm, support various processors (from AtomTM to CoreTM i), a wide working temperature range from -20 to 60 degrees Celsius, 2.5-inch HDDs/SSDs, and mSATA and CFast storage devices. The ARK-V supports ignition power, isolated serial ports and isolated DIO, on-board GPS and G-sensor functions, while the ARK-S features PoE and VMS (Power View).High Performance Leads the CompetitionIn terms of CPU performance, while competitors' products may support only 1.33GHz - 1.86GHz AtomTM dual-core processors, Advantech's ARK-112x series supports quad-core processors whose performance is 3.1 - 3.6 times the competitors' as measured in SiSoftware Sandra Aggregate Arithmetic Performance testing, with an extra 1.25 times with Turbo Boost enabled.In terms of graphics performance, new quad-core, low power processors are superior to the previous AtomTM series by 4.8 ~ 7 times, as measured by 3DMark 2006, 1280 x 1024 resolution testing. To survive the harsh environments where industrial PCs usually operate, Advantech products are designed to achieve higher performance and stable, fanless, heat dissipation.Seamless IntegrationIn addition to the H/W or mechanical design on ARK fanless intelligent systems, Advantech offers "360-degree" intelligent embedded designs (solutions seamlessly integrating hardware, firmware, and software), where "360" refers to triple security, six times more than common energy-saving levels, and zero-distance management.The triple security refers to white-list protection, backup/recovery, and sentinel hardware key. White-list protection makes use of built-in McAfee security software to designate permitted executable software applications, with all unauthorized applications disabled, which prevents viruses or Trojan horses. Using Acronis-developed software tools that also come with all Advantech systems, the time for automatic backup/recovery can be set without affecting regular operations. The sentinel hardware key allows execution of specific software functions through precisely designated passwords.The capability of 6 x energy saving is enabled by energy-saving management, highly-efficient time management, and total cost reductions. Energy-saving management saves power through setting upper or lower load levels or on/off times to let systems run in energy-saving modes when there is little or no other work. Highly-efficient time management updates content by remote control without the manager having to travel to the work site. Total cost reductions are achieved through smart power management and stable data transfer during information exchange (for example, when a public bus passes by a stop, it needs stable data transfer). This reduces total equipment cost.Zero-distance management means remote monitoring, notification, and control. When a traffic light system, for example, breaks down, the maintenance staff - under conventional management - is always dispatched and asked to repair the system as soon as possible, without first ascertaining the cause of the problem (such as software or component failure, vandalism, or weather conditions). Although the repair will be finished eventually, a lot of social resources may be wasted during the repair process, and harm will be done to the product image. It is a different story with remote monitoring. The firmware provides real-time information on system conditions (such as CPU voltage, frequency, temperature), allowing management personnel to monitor the conditions of systems in different locations. The remote notification function can be set to issue warnings whenever there are abnormal conditions, or directly inform the maintenance staff through text messages, and remote control also allows for real-time diagnosis and operation.Advantech's ARK fanless industrial Box PCs are quality products created through excellent design and comprehensive testing. Therefore they can be totally relied on for their stability and high performance. They are comprehensive embedded intelligent systems integrating hardware, firmware, and software. Their high efficiency, power savings, easy management, and stable performance translate into low maintenance costs. Each of the ARK devices takes into consideration extensibility through integration of wireless modules, and they are ideal IoT solutions. These fanless, intelligent systems offer high management efficiency and accelerate time-to-value to meet various industrial or computing requirements.Sandy Chen, Senior Manager of Advantech

With the fast expanding reach of the Internet and the approaching of the era of cloud computing, the HTML5 open platform enables quick development of cross-platform applications, easing concerns that there may be different user experience on different connected devices. Mozilla, known for its Firefox web browser, is also eyeing the mobile operation system (OS) market. It has launched Firefox OS, which is based on HTML5 and Open Web resources. It is a truly open source platform that frees software and hardware designers from the restrictions that would otherwise be imposed on them by closed and semi-closed platforms.The advantages of open platformDuring a recent forum, Mozilla Taiwan Marketing Director Michael Hung explained why Firefox OS is necessary and where its advantages lie.In terms of mobile computing, iOS and Android combine for an overwhelming share of more than 90% of the smartphone market. Not much room has been left for others, not even for the software giant Microsoft, whose Windows Phone can only be fighting for third place and a small fraction of the market. Why, then, a small organization like Mozilla is eager to have a share of the "Red Ocean" by launching its Firefox OS? Hung noted that it has something to do with the nature of Mozilla. Historically speaking, Netscape had more than 80% of the browser market in the early days of the Internet, until Microsoft launched its Internet Explorer (IE) in 1996 and the tables were beginning to turn. In 2002, Microsoft's IE had over 80% of the market.With a drastically shrunk market share, Netscape was taken over by AOL. It then released its browser source codes. It was at this time that the Mozilla Foundation was first conceived. The formal establishment of the foundation in 2003 came with a goal to return to the browser market, and the Firefox 1.0 was officially unveiled towards the end of 2004. The foundation's volunteers even used their own money to run an advertising campaign in New York Times to announce to the world that there was now an alternative to IE.Many users thought at the time that IE's dominance might not be a bad thing; after all it was a mature product. But its dominance meant there was no pressure from competitions, and its upgrades came very slowly, hindering the development of the Internet. For example, there was a gap of five years between IE6 and IE7.Mozilla on the other hand did not aim at profits, and its Firefox underwent constant revisions (currently it is updated every six weeks) to meet fresh needs with new functions and components. Firefox's market share then grew gradually, and by 2009 it had obtained more than 30% share. Mozilla has succeeded in turning the browser market into an open market where no single standard can dominate it.Fighting the giantsSomething similar is happening in the mobile platform market: iOS and Android have more than 90% of the market. That's why Mozilla decided to jump in to offer a truly open platform.Hung pointed out that iOs is a closed platform, while all those in the Android camp must follow Google's specifications. The availability of incompatible platforms means developers have to create different apps for different OSs.The iOS platform requires apps to be written in Objective C, and all SDK (software development kits) must be developed specifically for Apple's hardware platform. The same is true for the Android camp, whose engineers use Java or some languages to develop the apps. We can see that program developers must learn all necessary languages and hardware system specifications when developing new apps. Although some third-party software tools in the market claim that they can enable cross-platform transplant, developers must pay for the programs, as well as access to the libraries. And they have to do debugging and performance tuning on their own. They have to spend a lot of time and resources, which means extra costs of app development.At present, the standards of mobile platforms are set by the OS providers themselves. This means an app could be made useless overnight if the OS provider changes the standards. But the Open Web Platform is one where no individual has the absolute authority. Everything must be collectively discussed and decided. The W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) makes the standards for everyone to follow. The open-source technology gives the industries room to improve.The Firefox OS architectureWhile the desktop OS segment has been steered towards Open Web designs, the mobile OS segment has remained in a world of closed platforms. Mozilla, in a bid to pry open this closed world, devised the Boot to Gecko (B2G) project in 2011, and rebranded it Firefox OS in 2012. Open Web standards and architecture are incorporated into Firefox OS, allowing developers to use HTML5 to develop various cross-platform native apps. They do not have to rewrite their apps to fit different hardware architecture, and this accelerates their products' time to market.Despite being a latecomer to the OS market, the Mozilla open source model has received much approval from vendors. The initial version of Firefox OS was released in April 2013. It consists of a Linux (Gonk) kernel, with Gecko as its rendering engine. The next layers are: HTML5-compatible Web APIs and Web Activities; GAIA user interfaces (based on HTML5, CSS and JavaScript); and HTML5 applications.The booting up of Firefox OS starts with the bootloader, through the Linux kernel init, to the Gecko process and finally to GAIA system apps. Since the OS is based on HTML5 and Open Web resources, developers only have to learn HTML, JavaScript and CSS; no other languages are necessary.It is worth noting that the Firefox OS marketplace is also open. Vendors can not only leverage the app resources readily available in the Firefox marketplace, but also set up their own marketplaces (they set their prices and maintain their own software) for use by Firefox handsets. This is quite attractive, compared to the other two OS platforms.Currently, Firefox OS's major R&D work is handled by Mozilla Taiwan, which was set up two years ago and currently has a team of more than 100 people. A comprehensive list of HTML5 APIs and Web APIs is available on the Mozilla Foundation's website, and the current development status for each API is shown. For example, "D" refers to desktops, "A" refers to Android (Firefox also supports the Andriod platform), and "B" refers to B2G (i.e. the Firefox OS platform). Different colors are used to indicate the progress.Furthermore, handset platforms are very different from desktop ones (e.g. handsets offer calling, vibration, screen rotation, power management, and location functions). New APIs developed for handsets must be approved by the W3C committee before becoming new standards. The W3C decision-making process is transparent, with all of the committee's meeting minutes being made public weekly. Developers can freely obtain the source codes, and if there are bugs, they can find solutions through discussions within the Mozilla community.The future of Firefox OSFirefox OS was demonstrated at Mobile World Congress in February 2013, and picked up momentum fast. The first Firefox OS handset was introduced into the market in Spain in July. Other commercialization projects have also been picking momentum.So far, Firefox OS already has all necessary app support, and it allows customized software to meet specific market demands, such as those for YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. As of 2013, Firefox OS-based devices were available in 14 countries in Europe and Central and South Americas. They initially targeted entry-level smartphone segments, or emerging markets where there was a transition from feature phones to smartphones, avoiding markets already dominated by iOS and Android.Alcatel, LG, ZTE and Foxconn have already announced moves to become hardware partners of Firefox OS. They will launch Firefox handsets and tablets. At CES 2014, Panasonic also announced plans to introduce Firefox OS-based smart TVs. VIA's APC now also supports Firefox OS.Although Firefox OS is still a young product with fewer apps than its two major competitors, it has very strong prospects as its APIs, software and hardware ecosystems improve. The focus for 2014 is to raise the performance of Firefox OS, enhance its functions and expand its popularity among vendors.Mozilla Taiwan Marketing Director Michael Hung

The prospects of smart applications, which are needed to serve the purposes of cloud-based networks of sensing devices, IoT (Internet of Things) and terminal devices, have triggered strong interests in Big Data and inspired imaginations of next-generation cognitive computing and artificial intelligence. The Foxconn Group has teamed up with US-based Mozilla to build cross-platform smart applications using HTML5 Web-based Firefox OS. The smart applications allow clients to build highly optimized devices integrating support for eight screens, the Internet and the cloud."Embedded sensing and IoT smart devices, plus HTML5 cross-platform Web-based OS technology, help industry players optimize hardware and software resources for integrated applications," said Foxconn iDSBG (Innovation Digital System Business Group) senior director William Liang at the Embedded Technologies and Applications Forum that took place in Taipei on January 22, 2014.Embedded smart systems and high-speed wireless networks bring about innovative applicationsSmart devices are made up of embedded systems in combination with sensors and Internet-based communication capability, Liang indicated. Smart applications cover three main areas. (1) IoT and sensing devices that cover physiological sensing, smart home, surveillance, automotive electronics, transportation, smart grids and atmospheric detection. (2) Smart terminal devices that provide information, daily-life assistance, home care, smart assistance, interactive operation, decision-making management and dashboard applications. (3) Cloud computing: Big Data collecting and intelligent analysis. IoT, the Internet and high-speed wireless networks are the backbone of daily smart applications, and 4G LTE is crucial to further development of such smart applications.According to Liang, smart devices come in two broad categories. (1) Embedded smart devices: environmental sensing/control devices, and wearable devices, such as smart bracelets, smart watches, smart glasses, smart toys, smart cars, smart home appliances, robots and surveillance devices. (2) Smart terminal devices: smart access and control platforms (the eight screens). The first and second of the eight screens are the handset and tablet respectively, while the third and fourth are the notebook and desktop PC. The fifth is the connected TV, the sixth the connected and smart TV, the seventh the electronic white board and the eighth the outdoor digital signage.According to forecasts by IDC, EmbeddedWorld and BusinessInsider, the global M2M market value will come close to US$7 billion in 2014, while global smart device shipments reached 1.738 billion units in 2013 and accumulated shipments will reach nine billion units by 2018.Smart applications: Integration of 8 screens, Internet, cloudBig Data is formed by tracing, gathering, tabulating and analyzing Small Data from sensor networks and IoT through the cloud. Cloud computing-based Big Data and smart applications can provide more accurate information on user behavior than conventional statistical methods, and such information can facilitate the development of customized services and new business opportunities, Liang said. Coming after cloud computing will be cognitive computing and artificial intelligence (AI). Cognitive computing can be applied to environmental estimation and prediction, and it can be used to remind users of routine work and offer recommendations. While cognitive computing is expected to be widely in use in the next three to five years, AI will eventually become the most important application following cloud and cognitive computing. Along with increasing 4G LTE bandwidth, cloud computing-based AI data processing will be increasingly feasible.Judging from the industry's development from the pre-2000 PC era, through the age of the Internet to the present stage of cloud computing, it is definitely trending towards AI applications. The future of Big Data, cognitive computing and AI will be materialized through the integration of the eight screens. And eight major segments of applications accompanying the trend are identified as follows: work, education, entertainment, home/social networking, security, health care, property transactions, and eco-friendly vehicles.For microprocessors and MCUs (microcontroller units) used in smart devices, entry-level models (for sensing nodes) include ARM Cortex-Mo, 8051; mid-range models (such as those for wearable devices) include ARM Cortex-R, Intel Quark and MIPS; and high-end models include ARM Cortex-A, x86/64 and NIPS for terminal devices and IA64, PowerPC, x86/64, ARMv8 and GP/GPU for cloud computing. Software platforms for smart applications include TinyOS, other RTOS, Linux for sensing devices, Android, iOS, Web-based OS, Windows for terminal devices and Linux for cloud computing.In terms of complexity of smart devices' computing work, there are three levels. (1) Low-level complexity: collecting sensing data, data pre-processing and communication among devices. (2) Medium-level complexity - voice recognition, facial detection, multimedia and UI (user interface) processing. (3) High-level complexity (cloud-based intelligent analysis) - semantic analysis, image recognition, sensing data analysis and prediction, user behavior prediction, commercial demand analysis, scientific computing and advanced AI application.The high performance of smart terminal devices' integrated computing relies on optimization through tight integration of hardware and software. Such integration includes: optimization of graphics and UI functions based on GPU; HSA of CPU and GP/GPU; and collaborative data processing where low-power sensing devices and high-performance smart terminal devices screen and pre-process data prior to cloud-based Big Data processing, computing and analysis.Development of operating systems for smart devicesWith abundant software support, Android is currently the most competitive operating system for high-end embedded smart devices. Its ecosystem is expanding fast, facilitated by a myriad of Android apps, Liang indicated. Of those "eight screens" currently handsets and tablets are mostly touch controlled in a single-person multi-tasking mode, with their applications focusing on communication, information sharing and personalized work. Notebooks and desktop PCs mostly work on keyboard input in a multi-person multi-tasking mode and they are mostly for work purposes. Connected TVs, portable TVs, electronic white boards and digital signage work through remote control or body movement sensing. They support single- or multi-tasking by multiple persons and they are chiefly meant for sharing, multimedia and entertainment purposes. Obviously, different OS are developed for different types of terminal devices. But Foxconn, eyeing a cross-platform for all "eight screens," has adopted HTML5 standardized by W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) to facilitate cloud-based Big Data services. HTML5 technology is expected to be used to develop next-generation operating systems and applications.Of the smart device operating systems, Linux and Windows belong to OS1.0 with emphasis on hardware resource management, while iOS and Android are the key players in the OS2.0 era focusing on software resource management. The Web-based Firefox OS running on HTML5 technology can be considered OS3.0 with emphasis on cloud resource management. There are more than four billion web pages around the world, which can be seen as a large volume of potential Web apps.HTML5 is gifted with the capability of cloud integration, Liang pointed out. HTML5 API specifications cover MultiTouch, WebTelephony, WebSMS, WebBluetooth, WebGL, Camera, GeoLocation, BatteryAPI, WebVibration, WebNFC, WebUSB, WebContact, FullScreen AP, and Setting AP. While HTML5 technology already provides sufficient support for smart terminal devices and applications, additional related Web API service technologies are still being developed.Foxconn, Mozilla team up to promote Firefox OSThe advantages of Android OS come mainly from its hierarchical design that facilitates collaboration among related industries, and its abundant software support that allows for easy development and replaceability of applications. However, Android has a disadvantage in inefficient execution of applications. Firefox OS is a completely open Web-based OS jointly developed by many experts around the world borrowing from Linux's open-source concept. HTML5 is expected to facilitate tight integration of Firefox OS and hardware to optimize functionality.Having signed a cooperation agreement on June 3, 2013, Foxconn and Mozilla on January 7, 2014 jointly announced Firefox OS Contribution Program to provide software resources and trial tablets for developers of Firefox OS-based applications in a bid to accelerate Firefox OS' penetration in the tablet market and the establishment of an ecosystem.Foxconn thinks that HTML5 is a technology for developing a next-generation OS for the integration of the "eight screens, the Internet and cloud." The cooperation with Mozilla has allowed Foxconn to obtain Firefox OS core technology to produce optimized system products with highly integrated hardware and software. Foxconn is establishing the world's largest HTML5 and cloud-based application R&D center in the Kaohsiung Software Park in southern Taiwan. It is looking to attract developers of HTML5-based cross-platform applications and create related business opportunities.Foxconn iDSBG (Innovation Digital System Business Group) senior director William Liang

Vecow Co., Ltd., a front-runner in the application fields of embedded system, image processing, and intelligent automation, announced the latest ABP-2000 series Fanless Advanced Box PC series. ABP-2000 series are equipped with Intel Quad-Core Atom E3800 (formerly codenamed Bay Trail) processor family (1.91GHz) and DDR3L single channel 8GB ram, 2 HDMI display, 2 RS-232, 2 RS-232/422/485, 2 isolated RS-232/422/485, 2 GbE LANs, one 2.5" SATA 3Gp/s SSD/HDD tray, 3 USB 3.0 ports, 2 USB 2.0, and 2 miniPCI-express.ABP-2000 series is in fanless smart form factor and capable of operating under wide temperatures from -25 degrees C to +70 degrees C for harsh environments.Ultimate Computing Performance and Energy EfficiencyThe first system-on-chip (SoC) for intelligent systems, Intel Atom E3800 product family pushes computing, graphical and thermal performances. Utilizing 22nm Silvermont microarchitecture and 3-D Tri-Gate transistors, E3800 product family shows ultimate energy efficiency / performance ratio. E3800 product family processors with -40 to +110 degrees C Tjunction and the thermal design power (TDP) add reliability at industrial grade environment. Integrated error correcting code (ECC) and built-in security engine, E3800 product family provides superior reliability for 24/7 operation industrial systems.Powerful Graphics and Various I/OABP-2000 series come with dual display (VGA and Two HDMI) outputs and Intel Gen 7 graphics, up to 792MHz in turbo for enhancing visual experiences and media processing. Dual HDMI support Consumer Electronics Control (CEC), enable to carry IR/remote and/or control commands between HDMI devices that are interconnected. ABP-2000 series is designed with 6 COM ports two of which are Isolated RS-232/422/485 ports, 3 super-speed USB 3.0 ports, 2 USB 2.0 ports, two Gigabit Ethernet ports with Intel WG82574L Gigabit Ethernet controllers, SATA 2 port. Offering flexible machine-to-machine connection and the two mini PCIe sockets are useful for 3G/4G, GPS/GPRS, Wifi network connections. Moreover, one full-size mini PCIe socket supported SIM card socket. Additional one mSATA interface to provide an additional storage option.With cutting-edge graphics and computing technologies, ABP-2000 series enable to present high quality resolution 3D display as low power consumption. Design with 6 COM to satisfy various applications' control and connection requirements, ABP-2000 series still keep fanless and wide operation temperature plus with EN50155 standard and cable-less arrangement for industrial harsh environment. ABP-2000 series is ideal for information display in harsh environment, automation networking communication, IOT (Internet of Things), In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) systems, and M2M (Machine to Machine) applications.More information about Vecow ABP-2000 series Advanced Box PC may be found on the company's website at http://www.vecow.com/.About Vecow Co., Ltd.Vecow has been devoted to designing and developing high quality products with innovative technology since it was founded. Our application fields of Machine Vision and Imaging, Video Analytics, Surveillance, Intelligent Industrial Automation, and GigE Vision are credited to Vecow high-efficient design service.Vecow ABP-2000 series Slim Box PC with Intel Quad-Core Atom E3800 Processors

MSI, world leader in motherboards, announced two new models to be added to its lineup of highly-acclaimed GAMING motherboards, the A88X-G45 GAMING and A88XM GAMING. As a token of appreciation for gamers' support, the A88X-G45 GAMING exclusively bundles a copy of Assassin's Creed Liberation HD for free. By popular demand MSI developed AMD GAMING models inheriting the famous GAMING DNA to provide gamers with a wide variety of gaming choices.Powered by Killer LAN and Audio Boost technologyCarrying the innovation DNA of MSI GAMING series, the all-new FM2+ GAMING motherboards deliver remarkable performance in Speed, Sound and Stability through Killer Gaming Network, Audio Boost sound technology and a whole new array of gamer-specific hardware and software designs. All features are meant to ensure the best in-game performance. Moreover, to deliver crystal clear sound, the onboard audio circuitry is purposely isolated to avoid electromagnetic interference among components. Plus, when external DACs are connected, MSI USB Audio Power continues to independently power each USB port, improving overall stability and audio quality to its highest level.MSI GAMING motherboards maximizing gamers' choiceRespectively available in ATX and Micro-ATX form factors, the A88X-G45 GAMING and A88XM GAMING feature AMD's latest FM2+ platform and A88X chipset. MSI GAMING series have now been expanded to AMD gamers and enthusiasts with the introduction of these AMD FM2+ GAMING motherboards. Catering to virtually every gamer from gaming enthusiasts to ordinary gamers, MSI GAMING motherboards come in ATX, Micro-ATX and ITX form factors and are specifically designed to house the best specs and features that gamers wish for. In addition, MSI continuously innovates the GAMING series by keeping a close ear to the gaming community, through professional advice and suggestions from eSports teams, hardcore gamers and video game developers, going all out to tailor the best motherboards for gamers.Ultimate stability through Military Class 4 componentsMSI uses award-winning Military Class 4 components. Military Class 4 is the next step in high quality components. Hi-C CAPs, Solid CAPs, Dark CAPs, together with SFC and Dark Chokes, ensure the system runs stable under extreme conditions. These key components have all passed extreme testing ensuring stable operation in the harshest environments. The core of Military Class 4 is based on the essential elements which increase your stability in the worst conditions, featuring humidity protection, high temperature protection, EMI protection and ESD protection. Military Class 4 components ensure years of worry free gaming with MSI GAMING series.For more information, please visit: http://www.msi.com/index.phphttps://www.facebook.com/MSIHQFANCLUBMSI GAMING series motherboards

Taipei, Taiwan - Clientron Corp., a world-leading supplier of POS, thin client and embedded systems, will proudly present its latest product innovations including all-in-one POS terminal, POS PC, POS peripherals with the benefits of reliability, efficiency, green, and flexibility at Euroshop 2014, the world's leading retail trade fair, which will take place February 16-20, 2014 in Dusseldorf, Germany.Clientron is excited to share its leading POS innovations and abundant product portfolio including the brand new 17" all-in-one POS terminal Evo770, 15" all-in-one POS terminal Mia550. There are also new products of PT6000 series: including PT6100, which is designed with the next generation Intel Celeron J1900 SoC quad-core 2.0GHz processor, as well as the powerful POS Terminal PT6500, which is based on the new Intel Core i3-4330 3.5GHz processor. Moreover, many of the extended portfolios of integrated POS peripherals will also be exhibited in the Euroshop 2014 show. We kindly invite you to learn more about our new vision for the future of retail and hospitality.Clientron booth is located at EuroCIS sector, Hall 7a/ booth no. B19. We look forward to meeting with you from 2014 Feb.16 to Feb.20 in Dusseldorf!Media Contact:Joan Chuang TEL: 886-2-26987068E-mail: joan_chuang@clientron.comClientron All-in-One POS Terminal - Mia550 features flat panel and robust aluminum chassis design

Brewer Science launched its groundbreaking inks that will change the way carbon nanotube (CNT) users manufacture microelectronic devices. The company introduced the first aqueous, surfactant-free, ready-to-use semiconducting CNT inks for microelectronics and printed electronics applications. Brewer Science, a leading supplier of specialty materials and integrated solutions for microelectronics device fabrication, is once again delivering a game-changing product that will provide its customers with an advantage in their industry."Until now, users of semiconducting CNTs had to use surfactant-containing ink from material suppliers or produce surfactant-based inks themselves from raw semiconductor CNT sources. In either case, the deposited surfactant had to be washed from the film, which generated CNT-contaminated waste and could redistribute the deposited films, leading to performance variation," said Jim Lamb, Director of Business Development, Carbon Electronics Center. "This point-of-use tinkering was very process intensive and inconsistent, even for laboratory usage of CNTs, and commercial applications could not be targeted with such products. These ready-to-use formulations will give our customers a stable and consistent product for use in large-scale manufacturing of semiconducting devices and many other products."The CNTRENE 4010 series of semiconducting inks are stable, water-based materials prepared using a proprietary method developed by Brewer Science. Due to their unique formulation, the inks do not contain additives such as surfactants that require damaging and waste-producing post-deposition treatment (wash) steps. These inks can be deposited easily onto a variety of rigid and flexible substrates with standard coating techniques including spray-coating and Aerosol Jet printing. At Brewer Science's Carbon Electronics Center, arrays of TFT devices have been prepared which have average ON/OFF ratios of >4000 and mobilities of >0.2 cm2/V·s.Learn more about Brewer Science's CNT products and services by visiting the Brewer Science Carbon Electronics Center web page (http://www.brewerscience.com/markets/carbon-electronics), or see the Brewer Science technology experts at Booth 212 during FLEX Printed & Flexible Electronics Conference and Exhibition (http://www.brewerscience.com/news/508/370/2014-FLEX?PR).About Brewer ScienceBrewer Science is a global technology leader in developing and manufacturing innovative materials, processes, and equipment for the reliable fabrication of cutting-edge microdevices used in electronics such as tablet computers, smartphones, digital cameras, televisions, and LED lighting. Since 1981, when its ARC materials revolutionized lithography processes, Brewer Science has expanded its technology to include products used in advanced lithography, thin wafer handling, 3-D integration, and chemical and mechanical device protection and products based on carbon nanotubes and nanotechnology. With its headquarters in Rolla, Missouri, Brewer Science supports its worldwide customers through a service and distribution network in North America, Europe, and Asia.

With Apple announcing that its new devices will utilize six-face strengthened glass OGS panels, market demand has warmed up for Fortrend OGS products. Chairman Wu of Fortrend has said that before the product phase for Touch Panel manufacturing, companies need to evaluate technologies around the world and they will find the semiconductor process of small glass touch panels has the cost effective, advanced quality and best price qualities.Hence, the company has invested capital starting from the ground up on 2007, developed a unique technology, materials, facilities and related patents. It's been four years since the company has six-face strengthen in mass production, and the products have been implemented in automotive, aerospace, industrial and IT devices. Starting from two years ago, Fortrend authorized that the technology, material, facilities and patent could be used by partners for production, spreading around the world, including in Europe and Asia.It is believed that the wisdom of Apple to use the six-face strengthen glass OGS touch panels is because both the cost and quality are superior to conventional TP; not to mention the In-cell or On-cell benefits. Six-face strengthen OGS uses the glass plate pre-cut, grounded and then chemical strengthening, prior to the capacitive sensor process; so there is no need to cut it into small pieces after the sensor engineering. The glass plate also maintains the strength from all six dimensions, much stronger than the large piece technology which works in three. Currently, most of the processor applications put touch sensors onto a large glass piece, and then cut into small pieces, which can damage the original glass structure. It then uses the Hydrofluoric acid to etch the broken glass edge as the secondary strengthen. Actually, it cannot add strength to glass, and will even have hydrofluoric fluid residue fluid in the crack, which can cause user injury.Recently, visitors have come from around the world to Fortrend and inquire about the authorization of unique Fortrend OGS technology. Especially when Fortrend debuted its Liquid Diamond film technology several months ago, which has the antimicrobial function up to 99%, can absorb UV, blue-ray and electrical wave, and is self-cleaning. What has attracted many of the visitors from all over the world is that they are looking for the six-face strength as well as the liquid diamond technology, which has been identified as the main stream of touch panel. Fortrend has been exporting liquid diamond plated touch panels and authorized manufacturing sites in Korea, China and India will join the team within this year.

ASMedia Technologies., a fabless semiconductor company that develops and markets high-speed IO solutions, demonstrated SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps (USB 3.1) data transfer on its hardware development platform at the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) annual members meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii. This demonstration marks the first public showing of a working SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps PHY. ASMedia also constructed a hardware prototyping platform consisting of a PCI Express add-in card with ASMedia's own PHY and implementing ASMedia's SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps Host and Device Controllers with SSD under RAID."ASMedia aimed to demonstrate the real user scenario. As SSD adaption rate is growing, we believe that SSD with RAID will be the ideal product that can leverage USB 3.1 (10Gbps) bandwidth. With ASMedia's solution, user can enjoy the performance enhancement through USB 3.1. Just as with USB 3.0, we look forward to working closely with the USB ecosystem to enable the successful deployment of the USB 3.1 products into the market," said Chewei Lin CEO of ASMedia Technologies. "This demonstration represents our commitment to being a key player of USB technology and to helping our customers deliver first-to-market solutions with leading edge product performance.""The USB-IF is excited to see a live demonstration showing the first SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps PHY from ASMedia," said Jeff Ravencraft, USB-IF President & COO. "There is a growing demand for higher through-put capabilities and by adopting USB 3.1 companies can better meet the needs of their customers while still maintaining backwards compatibility with existing USB 3.0 software stacks and device class protocols, existing 5 Gbps hubs and devices, and USB 2.0 products."USB technology is one of the most successful specifications in the history of computing, and in its newest revision, USB 3.1, the data transfer rate jumps to 10 Gbps/s on a bi-directional link, more than double the effective bandwidth of the already fast SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.0) standard. The USB 3.1 specification primarily extends existing USB 3.0 protocol and hub operation for speed scaling along with defining the next higher physical layer speed as 10 Gbps.About ASMediaASMedia (www.asmedia.com.tw) is a fabless design house founded in 2004. ASMedia provides high speed IO solutions that deliver highly-efficient connectivity, such as USB3.0, SATA6G and PCIe.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, announced the launch of its latest addition to the GIGABYTE BRIX series of ultra compact PC kits, the GIGABYTE BRIX Gaming. Packing an AMD A8-5557M APU together with an AMD Radeon R9 M275X discrete graphics processor, the GIGABYTE BRIX Gaming has gaming performance that belies its compact size."The BRIX Gaming offers a real desktop PC experience in a compact form factor that end users now expect from a GIGABYTE BRIX device," commented Henry Kao, Vice President of GIGABYTE Motherboard Business Unit. "We're very excited about the continuing evolution of the desktop PC, challenging the notion that smaller PC design means abandoning performance."GIGABYTE BRIX Gaming: Desktop performance in miniatureThe BRIX Gaming compact PC kit is literally small enough to sit in the palm of your hand (measuring a mere 59.6mm x 128mm x 115.4mm) and features a high-performance AMD A8-5557M APU plus a dedicated AMD Radeon R9 M275X graphics processor. The BRIX Gaming includes support for both mSATA SSD and standard 2.5" SATA hard drive installation - ideal for storing the latest 3D gaming titles while enjoying a fast and responsive OS install on SSD. The GIGABYTE BRIX Gaming features both Mini DisplayPort and HDMI ports on the rear panel, enabling support for simultaneous dual display connectivity.The BRIX Gaming takes the performance you would expect of a full tower gaming PC, in a compact form factor that is much more suited for the living room. Gaming enthusiasts traveling to LAN events, parties and contests and will also enjoy having a gaming rig with incredible portability.AMD Radeon R9 M275XAccompanied by 2GB of GDDR5 memory, the AMD Radeon R9 M275X is a discrete graphics processor that offers superb 3D gaming and GPU-accelerated application performance. The AMD R9 M275X supports the latest graphics acceleration technologies including Microsoft DX11.1, Shader Model 5.0, OpenGL 4.1. The AMD R9 M275X also supports the latest OpenCL 1.1 standard providing GPU-accelerated performance in general purpose applications.By employing a discrete, fully programmable GPU, the BRIX Gaming is ideal for tackling processor-intensive media editing and encoding applications. Today's GPU accelerated applications leverage the multi-core design of the GPU to greatly improve overall processing performance - this makes the BRIX Gaming well suited to creative professionals using media editing and encoding applications.A flexible, compact DIY PC kitThe BRIX Gaming is sold as a DIY PC kit, shipping with a Wi-Fi Mini PCIe module pre-installed, requiring only SO-DIMM system memory and a choice of either, or both mSATA SSD or standard 2.5" hard drives. The BRIX Gaming maintains the DIY PC ethos, giving users the flexibility to independently choose preferred operating system, integrated storage and system memory configurations.USB 3.0 and network connectivityThe GIGABYTE BRIX Gaming integrates four USB 3.0 ports (two front, two rear), ensuring ample connectivity for peripherals, storage devices and more. In addition to including a Gigabit Ethernet port, the GIGABYTE BRIX Gaming also includes a Mini PCIe module offering IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi and the latest Bluetooth 4.0, providing connectivity for low power Bluetooth devices and peripherals, as well as allowing users to easily connect their mobile devices.VESA supportBundled with a VESA bracket, the BRIX Gaming can easily be mounted behind a monitor or HDTV making it discreetly hidden from view. This offers a simple and elegant way to turn any VESA-compliant display or TV into a full-featured PC or digital signage unit.For more information about the GIGABYTE BRIX Gaming please go to: http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4930#ovGIGABYTE BRIX