Gadget Voize Awards: Best of Computex 2018

Reporting from Taipei, Taiwan: Computex Taipei 2018 comes to a close today, after five blockbuster days of gadget overdose. We scoured through the entire show floor at both TICC and Nangang Exhibition Centre for the past couple of days for the best of the best to come out of one of the world’s largest IT exhibitions.

Here then, are the winners of the Gadget Voize Best of Computex 2018 Awards:

Microsoft Azure Sphere
Azure Sphere helps you securely connect your products at a price point that enables IoT at scale. This three-part solution brings together the best of Microsoft’s expertise in cloud, software, and hardware-resulting in a unique approach to security that starts in the silicon and extends to the cloud.

Asus ZenBook Pro 15
The Zenbook Pro 15 UX580 is a 15-inch laptop that comes packed with a touchscreen display in place of a trackpad. The 5.5-inch secondary display still operates as a regular trackpad for moving the cursor and clicking but can be brought to life and interacted with more like a smartphone. Called the ScreenPad, the smaller display has a Full HD resolution and is brought to life by pressing the F6 key. Then, the user can access a range of custom apps, like a calculator, music player and numeric keyboard.

Acer Predator Orion 5000
The Acer Predator Orion 5000 (P05-100) gaming desktop is powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X processor and is paired with the latest AMD B450 chipset. It can be outfitted with up to a GTX 1080 GPU and features a transparent side panel which is easy to open to access the components if and when you need to upgrade. Acer is cooling the PC with the IceTunnel 2.0 airflow management design, and each thermal zone has its own airflow tunnel to get heat out of the case.

MSI GS65 Stealth Thin
This one from MSI hits NVIDIA’s Max-Q design philosophy. By aiming precisely for the inflection point that maximizes both performance and efficiency, laptops with Max-Q GPUs are both “thin-and-light” as well as packing in gaming power. The MSI GS65 Stealth Thin comes packed with an Intel Core i7-8750H processor, is powered by an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q 8GB, 16GB DDR4-2400MHz RAM and 512GB of SSD storage.

Robelf
Robelf is a robot made by a startup. This robot responds to voice commands, monitor homes, act as a house assistant, and help parents tutor their kids. Robelf is currently seeking crowdfunding via Indiegogo and the company says that the first batch of units will cost just $349 and will ship in July 2018.

Asus ROG Phone
Asus’ first ROG gaming smartphone is touted to be the world’s first smartphone with a 3D vapour-chamber cooling system. The ROG Phone features ultrasonic AirTrigger touch sensors, a gamer-centric design with side-mounted ports optimised for landscape-mode, an AMOLED display with HDR visuals, a 90Hz refresh rate, and a 1ms response time.

VAIO S13 Laptop
VAIO is back and the company announced its comeback at Computex Taipei 2018. The company launched two new laptops – the S13 and the S11.The VAIO S13 features an 8th Gen Intel Core Processor, a 13-inch FHD IPS display up to 16GB of LPDDR3 RAM, up to 512GB of SSD storage. It comes in a little heavier by comparison at 1.07kg. The VAIO S11 meanwhile features an 8th Gen Intel Core processor, 11.3-inch FHD IPS display, up to 16GB of LPDDR3 RAM and up to 512GB of SSD storage. At 0.85kg, it’s extraordinarily lightweight but surprisingly beefy.

ECS Liva Q2 Mini PC
ECS announced the new generation of its LIVA Q mini PC with the launch of the Q2. This one is designed to be pocket-sized. With stunning 4K visuals, it allows you to connect to networks anywhere with LAN/Wifi. LIVA Q2 also features a micro SD slot to fit your storage expansion needs.

ZOTAC VR GO 2.0 VR Backpack
ZOTAC’s new VR GO 2.0 is, like its predecessor, a fairly powerful mini PC connected to some hefty backpack straps and a pair of batteries. The spec list this time around includes up to a six-core, 2.4GHz eighth-generation Core i7-8700T paired with 16GB RAM. Visuals are provided by NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1070 with 8GB RAM while a 240GB SSD and a whole host of connectivity options round out the spec sheet.

MAGNUS Gaming Mini PC
ZOTAC says that the MAGNUS Gaming Mini PC is one of its biggest breakthroughs. This one is the first ZBOX tapping into the advanced Killer Wireless and Killer Ethernet technology, prioritizing game or video stream to ensure fast access and lower latency while gaming and or streaming. And with a discrete ZOTAC GeForce GTX desktop graphics and an 8th Gen Intel processor, MAGNUS gives you an unparalleled gaming and multimedia experience in the smallest of form factors.

ZOTAC MEK ULTRA
ZOTAC seems to have upped its gaming prowess by launching a big lineup of gaming products at Computex 2018. The MEK Ultra PC is a classical tower based on an ATX motherboard and featuring all the perks that modern desktops have to offer: a tempered glass window, multiple fans, vertical installation of graphics cards, RGB lighting, multiple bays for HDDs/SSDs, and so on.

Cougar Gaming Gemini X
Cougar has unveiled its new and insane PC case – the Gemini X. This one has two separate compartments and can fit a main ATX configuration and a secondary mini-ITX. Built like a tank, it is equipped with a 5mm thick aluminium frame and comes with tempered glass windows which are 4mm thick.

Kicobox
KicoBox is a new piece of hardware designed to provide an educational tool for an “easy journey into the world of programming”. Designed by a team based in California KicoBox provides a way to learn to code by playing learning and interacting. The educational kit comes supplied with eight lesson cards to help you get started straight from out-of-the-box, together with a companion application which can be loaded onto your Android or iOS tablet or smartphone to provide an interactive way to control your KicoBox hardware.

Orii Voice-Powered Ring
ORII is the world’s first voice assistant ring that transforms your hand into a powerful communication hub that can be used for private calls, messaging, text readout, and voice query functions. Combining bone conduction and voice assistance, we are creating a new category of communication wearable that is completely screen-free and without the discomfort of earbuds.

D-Link DCS-1820LM 4G LTE Camera
D-Link’s DCS-1820LM 4G LTE Outdoor Camera has features that are unique, new, and better fulfill the needs of users. The DCS-1820LM is superior compared to its competitors, because it allows for the freedom to be installed in various types of locations, and it lasts longer than other battery cameras. The DCS-1820LM is the first and only camera in the market with an AI component that ensures the camera is only triggered to record and send notifications when humans are seen. The camera is also equipped with the newest video coding standard H.265 Codec, which uses less memory space to produce high-quality 1080p resolution imaging.

Synology Mesh Router MR2200ac
The Synology MR2200ac mesh router comes with a Qualcomm IPQ4019 quad-core CPU and tri-band Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing users to expand Wi-Fi coverage through flexible deployment. The mesh setup supports networks with ten routers total and Synology says that the software powering the experience works out the most efficient path for traffic.