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Computex d&i 2013 Awards Five Golds Among 90 Winners

2013/07/16 | By Ken Liu

The 7-category contest is in its 6th year

The Computex Taipei 2013 trade show hosted the sixth annual Computex d&i Competition, with the jury having selected five winners for the Gold Award out of 90 award winners.

President Ma Ying-jeou (third from right) and the five Gold Award winners.
President Ma Ying-jeou (third from right) and the five Gold Award winners.
The product design and innovation competition, co-hosted by the Taiwan Exteral Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and iF Design of Germany, as well as organized by the iF Branch Office Taiwan, received 254 products from seven countries, up 20% over a year ago. The contest consists of seven categories: Network Communications Products, Components + Parts, Computers + Systems, Data Storage Products, Displays + Digital Audio/Video Products, Peripherals + Accessories and Gaming + Entertainment Products.

The jury included Brad Zuege, Funai Electric Co., Tokyo/Japan; Daniel Koo, Daniel Koo & Associates, Beijing/China; Kazuo Tanaka, GK Design Group Inc.; Kevin Yu-Jui Chou, Kev Design; Kirti Trivedi, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai/India Taipei/Taiwan; and Terry Ko, Splashtop Inc., Taipei/Taiwan, Tokyo/Japan.

Gold Award Winners

1.

Entry ID: 266-123309

Product: the Air Penetrator AP123/Computer fan

Category: Components + Parts

Company: SilverStone Technology Co. Ltd., Taiwan

Design: SilverStone Technology Co. Ltd., Taiwan

SilverStone’s Air Penetrator AP123 computer fan.
SilverStone’s Air Penetrator AP123 computer fan.
The Air Penetrator AP123 has fan blades in three shapes and sizes, which may generate slightly louder noise when spinning individually but can cancel out 66% of noise when installed as a PC housing fan. Also, the unique fan blades are designed to generate high airflow and static pressure for better performance.

Jury's opinion: “Designed to move air quietly, the Air Penetrator is straightforward and simple but intriguing on second glance, with subtle and unique details in the fan blades and housing showing ample brainstorming.”

2.

Entry ID: 266-123544

Product: The NEW HTC ONE | Smartphone

Category: Network Communication Products

Company: HTC Corp., Taiwan

Design: HTC Corp., Taiwan

HTC’s New HTC One smartphone.
HTC’s New HTC One smartphone.
Using unconventional aluminum and plastic, New HTC One is the world's first mobile phone with full metallic back, whose curve enables truly erogonomic grip. Edge-to-edge 4.7-inch display and micro-drill speaker enable Full HD and BoomSound. Integrated IrDA and Power Key provide intuitive TV remote experience naturally. BlinkFeed brings users the latest news, RSS and friends' updates. Zoe and Ultrapixel camera takes vivid pictures even in dim light.

Jury's Opinion: “Extremely sophisticated detailing makes the new HTC One smart phone stand out from the myriad of smart phones in this very competitive segment. The new HTC One is as much a joy to hold as to use, being certainly the best of this year's entries.”

3.

Entry ID: 266-123564

Product: OAXIS LOOP | Android TV Box

Category: Network Communication Products

Company: OAXIS Holdings Pte. Ltd., Singapore

Design: Gajah International Pte. Ltd., Singapore

OAXIS’s OAXIS Loop Android TV box.
OAXIS’s OAXIS Loop Android TV box.
LOOP is an Android TV Box that brings content and Android apps from

handheld devices onto TV, delivering unified web and entertainment experience. Loop can be controlled via DLNA compatible Android devices or remote control, giving users seamless and intuitive experience.

Jury's Opinion: “The OAXIS LOOP android TV box is a great combination of form and function. With almost sculptural-like form, it is a great addition to your existing components. This TV box is stylish enough to sit right next to a high-definition TV in any living room.”

4.

Entry ID: 266-123577

Product: iPin Laser presenter| Mobile accessory

Category: Peripherals + Accessories

Company: CONARY ENTERPRISE CO., LTD., Taiwan

Design: CONARY ENTERPRISE CO., LTD., Taiwan

CONARY’s iPin Laser presenter.
CONARY’s iPin Laser presenter.
iPin is a mobile laser presenter for professionals, designed to fit in a 3.5mm headphone minijack. A simple 90-degree ON/OFF switch design allows iPin to stay plugged in without affecting phone speaker function. Supported by free iPin app and computer host program, iPin users can control presentation on PC via Wi Fi-enabled mobile phone. iPin's key features include laser pointer, ON/OFF switch, intuitive gesture control, low power consumption, page up/down, time alarm, mouse trackpad.

Jury's Opinion: “iPin achieves great design and engineering innovation by packing a laser pointer in an increasingly tiny dimension. The iPin laser presenter truly combines ultimate portability with huge visual impact. No wonder that every jury member wanted one, the perfect promotion for this product.”

5.

Entry ID: 266-123595

Product: TAICHI| Ultrabook with dual screens

Category: Computer + Systems

Company: ASUSTek Computer Inc.

Design: ASUSTek Computer Inc.

Asustek’s TAICHI Ultrabook.
Asustek’s TAICHI Ultrabook.
TAICHI is the world's first Ultrabook notebook and tablet combination, with an 11.6-inch convertible, full high-definition dual screen, running on Windows 8 Pro or other editions, and powered by third-generation Intel Core i7 -3517U processors. Promoinent function features include easy single-finger switch between notebook and tablet modes, as well as optional stylus for precision control and handwritten note

taking.

Jury's Opinion: “With the dual-screen ultrabook, Taichi achieves a technical feat by combining two display screens in a thin ultrabook lid, allowing it to be used even when closed. An interesting new approach to the dual use of ultrabook as a tablet – without having to detach the display.”

Judges' Impressions

Brad Zuege, Funai Electric Co., Tokyo/Japan:

Overall I was impressed by the number of quality products among the entries and the level of design consistency. The 3C/IT industry in Taiwan has substantially grown over the last decade – so has the level of technical innovation and design competence. Most of the entries confirm such improvement. During these economically unstable times, design and innovation become even more important to create value as well as market success. The award-winning products this year each set a new benchmark for design within the context of their specific categories.

Daniel Koo, Daniel Koo & Associates, Beijing/China:

I can see that – in comparison to previous years – the overall technologically-driven industries are getting more diverse and, meanwhile, more innovative. The time has come to step up to the front of the technology and bring (according to the blue-ocean strategy) true innovation from Taiwan into the future.

Kazuo Tanaka, GK Design Group Inc., Tokyo/Japan:

I think it was impressive that I found many features to attract users keen interest in many of the entries. I saw good potential in peripheral equipment and accessories changing users' lifestyles. Nevertheless, I couldn't help noticing that the design of holders, covers and the like were kept in comparatively low profile while staying conventional. Fun design was also a subject of discussion. Generally taken as “miscellaneous goods”, many of these entries still show some “should-be-examined” issues.

Kevin Yu-Jui Chou, Kev Design, Taipei/Taiwan:

I think this year's COMPUTEX d&i awards delivers a good message: Design is a power tool. We see the entries focus more on design than on specification, more on the users than on hardware, more on thoughtful detail than on pure decoration. The award-winning products prove that design should not just end up with putting a good look on the IT hardware. It is about intense brainstorming, the key to going from conceptualizing to new marketing strategy. It's good to see so many IT companies investing to tap their technology to create new products for different niches.

Kirti Trivedi, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai/India:

The COMPUTEX d&i awards exhibition at COMPUTEX is always a major attraction for all visitors, and nearly everyone spends time looking at the best in design and innovation in the ICT industry worldwide. The winning entries also reflect emerging directions and trend-setting products and new product categories. To select only a few from the entries submitted was a difficult but enjoyable task, with many new innovations, and innovative ideas converted into perfected products. The high level of workmanship and detailing, which was the norm in most entries, demonstrated without doubt the maturity of the level of design in Taiwan.

Terry Ko, Splashtop Inc., Taipei/Taiwan:

It was very exciting to see all the entries explore the possibilities design offers – trying to provide better value to users and demonstrate the new digital lifestyle. In the ever-changing, high-tech market, design innovation plays an important role in the success of a product. “Blurring“ the lines between product categories is still a strong trend, especially in the post PC era. I appreciate that more and more entries emphasize integrating hardware with software, a sophisticated design approach to improve user experience.

Juror Profiles

Brad Zuege studied industrial design at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie/USA, after which he continued working in the USA until 2000, when he moved to WeLL Design in Taipei. Zuege has also worked in Taiwan as Senior Design Consultant for Philips Design and Mitac International for more than ten years before becoming a design specialist at Funai, Osaka/Japan in 2011.

Daniel Koo earned a degree in product design at the Art Center College of Design, Pasadena/USA, after which he acquired experience in branding and product development in the USA and Asia. Koo has his own company in Beijing/China, Daniel Koo & Assoc., which specializes in strategic product design and product development, also giving speeches at business and political institutions globally.

Kazuo Tanaka, born in Tokyo, is the Senior Advisor of GK Design Group Inc., Tokyo/Japan. Founded in Japan in 1952, the company provides wide ranging design services – from industrial and architectural and environmental design to graphic design. In addition, Tanaka heads the Japan Institute of Design Promotion and is a board member of the Japan Industrial Designers' Association, also having graduated with a degree in industrial design in 1981 from the Tokyo University of the Arts.

Kevin Yu-Jui Chou attended the Cranbrook Academy of Art (Michigan/USA). After six years as a senior designer at Philips Design, he founded KEV Design, a design studio in Taipei/Taiwan, offering wide ranging design services from telecommunications products to interior furnishings. Chou often works with IT companies as well as artisans and craftspeople, also being lecturer at the Shih Chien University, Taipei/Taiwan.

Kirti Trivedi is a professor at the Industrial Design Center Bombay/India, having studied industrial design at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and Royal College of Art in London/Great Britain. As a UNESCO scholarship holder, he stays and works in Japan, also teaching, engages in design research and consulting in product, graphic design as well as exhibition and museum design.

Terry Ko was born in Taiwan and is the Senior Design Director at Splashtop Inc., a software development company in Taipei. Earning a degree from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena/USA in 2000, Ko began his career in the USA, where, at the Astro Studios und One & Co design agencies, he had clients as Nike, HP, Compaq and K2. In 2005, Ko moved back to Taiwan, where he has been an in-house designer at Splashtop, focuing on the development of branding strategies, for Dell Inc. and BenQ, among others.