What To Expect From Computex 2014

Computex 2014 kicks off today in Taipei starting with a press conference, followed by an official start tomorrow when over 1,700 companies will showcase their new designs to 130,000 attendees. Asia’s largest technology show is an opportunity for some of the big name and less-known vendors to launch their smart innovations and give us a glimpse of cool technology that is not yet available; here is what to expect from this year’s show.

1. SmarTech

This year sees a new area named the SmarTech Area, where everything from smart wearables and 3D printing, to intelligent vehicle systems and security can be displayed. This addition is a sign of just how important smart technology has become and we can expect to see more interesting applications that will reach every area of our everyday lives. It will be here that Acer will launch its first wearable, the Liquid Leap Smartband.

2. Google Glass Alternatives

There are some companies keen to produce fierce competition for Google Glass, developing smart glasses that not only have more features but that cost less too. One such company is ChipSip, which has created the SiMEye Smart Glass. ChipSip actually revealed its smart glasses last year but this time it returns with a more refined device that is almost ready for production. SiMEye can now run any Android app and conduct real-time video chats, two things that are currently beyond Google Glass.

3. Mini PCs

Since last year’s Computex there have been a number of mini computers unveiled that measure just 4-inches by 4-inches, yet they run Windows on 4th generation Core Series motherboards. When Computex kicks off, it is likely that we will see more of these super tiny, super powerful PCs.

4. Intel’s Offerings

Intel is usually one of the biggest names at Computex, along with Microsoft and Asus and this year we’re looking out for Moorefield and the Broadwell Processor. Intel’s Moorefield is a quad-core processor that can run at up to 2.3-GHz. It is manufactured using the same process as the Haswell desktop series and can support up to 4-GB of RAM and 256-GB of storage. Hopefully we will see a working phone that sports Moorefield.

Broadwell is set to be the first Intel chip that is based on the 14nm production process, promising huge power savings when compared to the Haswell chips.

5. The Weird And Wonderful

The great thing about Computex is that it’s not all about the big name tech companies, the lesser-known brands get a chance too and it’s here that we often see the most innovative, if not just downright strange things. Most of the technology that falls in to this category is unlikely to be commercially available for a long time if ever but it’s fun to see the crazy ideas of those willing to get their ideas out there, who knows – they could be the next big thing!

Tell us what you will be looking out for at this year’s Computex.

[Images via Kitguru & ChipSip]