The consumer electronics may be the most interesting sector for both the general public and industry people, thanks to its short product cycle and breakneck breakthroughs both in technology and applications. The truth is, you never quite know what`s just around the corner. At least not until you visit the Hong Kong Electronics Fair

Asia`s largest consumer electronics show, the Hong Kong Electronics Fair kicked off its five-day Autumn Edition this year on October 13. Head-turning new products and innovations showed that the industry hasn`t lost its flair for dreaming up new ideas and improving on old ones.

HKEIA Award Winners

The Hong Kong Electronic Industries Association Ltd. (HKEIA) Award for Outstanding Innovation and Technology Products is one of the highlight events of the annual fair. It is also a fair barometer of where consumer electronics are heading as judges look for the most groundbreaking and trend-setting products to emerge from company labs.



The prestigious annual competition, now in its eighth year, is open to all fair participants. It is organized by the HKEIA and supported by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), Hong Kong Productivity Council, and Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corp.

The judging panel, led by Joshua Wong, winnowed about 100 entries down to 20 finalists, from which the winners were chosen during the last contest round at the fairground.

Video Surveillance

HKEIA Award`s greatest winner this year is the TeleEye Video Recording Transmitter RX Series from TeleEye Holdings Limited, which won both the Grand Prize of the contest and the Gold Award in the Security Category. The RX-series security/surveillance system, according to Wallace Ma, chief marketing officer of TeleEye, incorporates the company`s SMAC-M multi-rate video coding technology that allows many users to conduct simultaneous recording and remote access to live video with no loss in quality.

With the SMAC-M compression technology, the RX-series is the first multi-rate video coder in the world. It can handle five independent video streams to give optimal performance in recording and surveillance in various communication channels.

Users can connect with the RX by mobile phone and view live video feeds via 3G or GPRS connections. The device has a 60% large storage capacity than an MPEG-4 digital video recorder (DVR) with same size hard drive. The RX records four times longer than MJPEG or JPEG2000 DVR format and delivers excellent video quality in all media. The unit also incorporates professional alarm technology and complies with the British BS 8418 standard.

According to Ma, TeleEye`s R&D team spent more than two years to develop the revolutionary SMAC-M coder.

One-touch Can Opener



Another innovative item that wins the Gold Award of the Personal Electronics Category and let judges hard to decide the Grand Prize (though finally goes to TeleEye), is the One Touch can opener from Daka Development Ltd., the world`s first cordless `hands free` can opener, a simple-to-use kitchen tool that will be a boon to homeowners and kitchen workers of all kinds.

A world-first design claimed by Daka, the One Touch can opener carves out a brand-new category in the small appliance market. The opener "walks around" the can unaided. You don`t have to hold the can and it stops automatically when the job is done. Daka`s chairman Pat Mah says, "In the past, there have been attempts to develop a `better` can opener, but no one has ever made a completely hands-free device like the One Touch. Its patented technology uniquely designed to cut through the can without having to apply any hand pressure."

In the Consumer Electronics Category, prize winners included Vtech Telecommunications` gold-winning 5.8G cordless phone (i5871); Zoltrix International`s Zling Studio, a portable MPEG4 media player that took the Silver Award; and Energy Sistem Soyntec`s Inngenio 3000 Duo HDP, a high-definition portable MP3 player with a TFT-LCD screen and front speaker, winner of the bronze.



Among the other notable entries were Soft Lines International`s the Emjoi Colorjol, which makes home hair coloring easy and clean with its special electronic brush. Holland Electro showed an interactive microwave oven, which is being distributed under the Binatone brand by Euro Suisse International Limited. The oven displays cooking instructions on a door-mounted screen, plays DVDs and connects to the Internet.

World`s First Commercialized FED

Futaba Corp. of Japan, a world leader in the manufacturing of flat panel Vacuum Fluorescent Displays (VFD), VFD modules, field emission displays (FED) and industrial and hobby radio control systems, showcased the world`s first commercialized FED modules.



According to Eric Ng, assistant sales manager of Futaba (Hong Kong), the FED is a full-color flat panel display that out-performs same-class products. The panel has a high-speed response due to its CRT-like operating method, high luminance, a wide viewing angle (170 degrees). It is also highly reliable, thin, lightweight, a power miser, eco-friendly, and has an operating temperature range of -20 to 70 degrees centigrade. Potential applications include automobiles, consumer goods, and home appliances.

Power-free Display



Varitronix, one of the world`s leading manufacturers of small-to-medium-sized liquid crystal displays (LCDs), displays all its comprehensive-range display solutions at the show, including the most advanced bistable displays, which can retain the displayed image without any power (energy is only needed to change the image).

Steve Yeung, chief technology officer (CTO) of Varitronix, points out that his company`s bistable display allows for substantial energy savings in applications that do not require frequent change in display images, making it ideal for certain portable applications, including such as price tags on display racks etc.



Varitronix is uniquely offering two types of bistable displays--bistable cholesteric displays (BCD) and zenithal bistable displays (ZBD). Both of them are readable in sunlight without backlighting, reducing energy consumption to a minimum. Standard BCD and ZBD modules are already available for customer applications. Bistable cholesteric displays are already in mass production, while ZBD units are in the prototyping and sample stages, Yeung says.

Yeung says the BCD and ZBD have unique properties, making them individually suited for particular applications: BCDs for larger-size displays and wider operating temperature; and ZBDs for black and white displays as well as telecom applications.

All in the Packaging

Otio France, a French company that follows the so-called "Ikea approach," showed a range of consumer electronics sold "design-oriented" gadgets with a premium price tag.

Benoit Faure, director of development international of Otio, says that after intensive market surveys in Europe, his company found that only about 25% of consumers use timers, either because they do not know where to buy them of because they don`t want to put poorly designed timers in their home.

Otio`s strategy is successful, the company`s weather station (over 10 models), timers, digital clocks are better-designed, more reliable, and earning higher margins for the company.

Combined for Accuracy

Rossmax International Ltd. of Taiwan, the world`s No. 2 maker of blood-pressure monitors, showed an automatic upper-arm blood-pressure monitor equipped with the most-advanced Digital Korotkoff Sound (DK) technology, beating No. 1 brand Omron of Japan to the market.

According to Allen Tsai, Rossmax`s international sales and marketing specialist, the DK technology is a combination of the oscillometric and Korotkoff sound methods. Supported by an advanced dual-sensor cuff system (built-in pressure sensor plus sound sensor), the Rossmax DK technology offers accurate analysis of the oscillation and K-sound, which perfectly integrates the convenience of oscillometric method and the expertise of the clinically trusted Korotkoff sound method. With the DK inside, he says, blood pressure monitors offer enhanced convenience, comfort and speed ensuring that blood pressure measurement and monitoring a pleasant and satisfying experience.

Mobile Player With Exchangeable DVD/DVB-T Cartridges

Another new and innovative item on display at the event was a 7-inch portable TFT-LCD multimedia player with exchangeable DVB-T tuner and DVD player cartridges developed by Hamg Shing Technology Corp. of Taiwan, a leading automotive-electronic manufacturer.



The innovative modularized (slot-in)-cartridge design makes the portable monitor more versatile, expandable, and customizable. The portable device is globally marketed under Hamg Shing`s Altrasonic brand.

Hamg Shing has developed a DVD-player, two DVB-T (single- and dual-channel) cartridges, and, according to a senior official of the company, it is also working on GPS navigation and other possible application cartridges to improve the functions of the portable device, which weighs only 660g and can operate within a temperature range between -5 to 50 degrees Celsius.

World`s First LMD Steam Iron

Goodway Electrical Co., Ltd., a major maker of electric irons, showed that it hasn`t slowed in its ongoing development of sophisticated new home appliances.



In addition to a patented food steamer with three steaming bowls and uniquely designed water reservoir for quick steaming, the company also touted the world`s first steam-iron model with LED module display (LMD) for various fabric settings.

According to Andrew Chong, Goodway`s senior manager, the G966TJ-E LMD steam iron model is the most advanced steam iron on the market with an electronic temperature-control button at the front section of the handle and a big round LED light circle to indicate the iron on/off mode.

Micro-frame LCD TVs

Scanner giant Microtek of Taiwan showed the fruits of its diversification into new product lines with feature-packed LCD TVs.

The company showed three large-sized LCD TVs, including two 42-inch models and a 47-inch model, all with 1,080p high resolution. Jack Lin, manage of Microtek`s global marketing and sales center says the TVs have advanced pixelwork software that can divide the screen into 13 images--enough for even the most ADD-stricken TV junkie.

Microtek also uses advanced technology to smooth out the TVs images and lower power consumption, making them the perfect answer for high-definition viewing.

Touchscreen Clock

Timestar Industry Corp. of Taiwan, showcased what it claims the world`s first multifunctional touchscreen clock. Company sales manager Jack Uang says the clock has four display modes: time, temperature, date, and timer, all set by one-touch action.



Crank the Power

Among the hottest products at this year`s fair were hand-crank powered devices.

Nicco Industries Co., Ltd.`s MT-033C-13 exemplified the latest crop of such products. With one minute of cranking, the device can recharge your mobile phone enough for about 7 minutes of talk time, power four LED bulbs for about one hour, and keep a red-LED light flashing for about 25 minutes. It can also be used for stand-by lighting up to 60 days between cranking.

(by Quincy Liang)