The top 5 tech that caught our eye at Computex in Taiwan
The Computex tech fair in Taiwan's capital closes its doors on Friday after a week filled with weird and wonderful product announcements.
Euronews Next spent the week trawling the exhibition to find the most practical, beautiful, and frankly, the oddest tech announcements.
Here is what caught our eye on the showfloor.
Gaming is a massive part of Computex, so as you would expect, there was plenty on display.
One bit of tech generating a lot of buzz was MSI's upgraded Windows PC handheld device, the Claw A8 with AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme.
It comes in a variety of bright colours and has a built-in front-facing camera and mic, allowing gamers the freedom not to have to use a headset.
It also has a massive 80Wh battery and has a roomy screen. It also looks to be the first handheld to use the high-end chip Z2 Extreme, and it boasts plenty of RAM.
No release date has been set for its launch, but it comes as the Nintendo Switch 2 is about to be released.
Though split keyboards are not exactly new, one designed specifically for gamers is.
Asus displayed its ROG Falcata, a wireless keyboard that connects or disconnects magnetically, at the show in Taipei.
The exact point of the design is so that gamers can have more space for the mouse. The right side of the keyboard is less interesting for gamers, as the keys that are mainly used are W, A, S, and D.
Or, if not used for gaming, you can just detach the two sides for a more ergonomic keyboard.
A release date has been set for the summer, but the price is so far unknown.
While smart rings can be on the pricey side (think Samsung's Galaxy ring, which retails around €449, or Ultrahuman's luxury 18-carat gold ring, at around €2,000), Acer has a more humble offering.
The company showed off a titanium smart ring, which has a $199 (€175) price point. It also, unlike many other companies, has no subscription.
The ring comes in black or rose gold, has four days of battery life. It shows health data such as heart rate, sleep quality, and blood oxygen levels.
It will be available for purchase this summer.
Tech giant MSI showed off a beautiful laptop lid that looks like it had been hand-painted.
MSI partnered with Japanese art studio Okadayo to create a limited edition lacquered print laptop.
The art can also be placed on a computer mouse.
The first design is Hokusai's iconic The Great Wave off Kanagawa. MSI will only produce a few hundred per month for the moment, as applying the art requires extra steps in manufacturing.
One of the main highlights at Computex was the level of creativity on show - and the number of beautiful and strange PC cases was certainly one of the focal points.
Many of them were colourful and themed; others also had a beer and wine tap built in. It all comes down to personal preference.
EU Industry Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné has asked member states to agree among themselves on whether to support the Commission's intention to ditch a proposal on standard essential patents (SEP).
The French commissioner for the internal market has said he wants to hear back from governments in the next three weeks.
Member states are divided about the way forward after the Commission said in February it intended to withdraw a plan on SEPs which it presented in 2023, arguing that it couldn't see an agreement being reached.
SEPs are patents that protect the technology deemed essential in a technical standard or specification and are used in the automotive, smart energy, and payment industry. Which means that if a company wants to make a product that complies with technical standards (such as 5G or wifi), it needs to use the technology covered by SEPs. Disputes over the value of SEPs licenses are proliferating as their use increases.
The Commission proposal intended to make the process of licensing SEPs more transparent, which was welcomed by patent lobby organisations who called for modernisation of the rules to make the bloc more competitive.
A group of eight countries – Czechia, France, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Latvia, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain – called for other EU member states to support continued work on the file during a meeting of industry ministers in Brussels on Thursday, arguing that the rules are crucial for industry. The Spanish representative said that SEPs will be beneficial for Europe's automotive industry. Italy added that: 'We need to ensure the value chains are resilient in the current geopolitical situation.'
Ireland, Finland and Sweden, by contrast, backed the Commission's assessment that since no deal is within reach it should be dropped. The Swedish representative said that the proposal had created 'major divisions in the business community', adding that 'any initiative in this field needs to encourage innovation and not create undue regulatory burden.'
Finland added that the decision to withdraw is in line with the Commission's simplification plan. 'We think there are fundamental problems in the proposal, they cannot be amended with this draft.'
Séjourné told lawmakers of the European Parliament's Legal Affairs (JURI) in April that the Commission scrapped the SEP proposal in a bid to reach a broader agreement on the topic.
Some argue however, that the incoming US administration and the EU Commission's current strategy for deregulation killed the proposal.
While the majority of the member states do not see the need to continue with the topic, lawmakers want it kept on the table.
The proposed rules on SEPs were agreed by the Parliament in February 2024 - with 454 votes for, 83 against and 78 abstentions - before the Commission announced its intention to withdraw the file.
German MEP Bernd Lange (EPP), who chairs the heads of the Parliamentary committees, is expected to discuss the issue with Parliament President Roberta Metsola in June.
A letter signed by Lange and seen by Euronews, said that the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) – which is leading on the file – 'objects, by a large majority, to the proposed withdrawal.'
'The proposal remains highly relevant due to its impact on competitiveness, transparency, and innovation, particularly for SMEs,' the letter said.
The Commission has until August to decide whether to go ahead with its intention to withdraw the plan.
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The top 5 tech that caught our eye at Computex in Taiwan
The Computex tech fair in Taiwan's capital closes its doors on Friday after a week filled with weird and wonderful product announcements. Euronews Next spent the week trawling the exhibition to find the most practical, beautiful, and frankly, the oddest tech announcements. Here is what caught our eye on the showfloor. Gaming is a massive part of Computex, so as you would expect, there was plenty on display. One bit of tech generating a lot of buzz was MSI's upgraded Windows PC handheld device, the Claw A8 with AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme. It comes in a variety of bright colours and has a built-in front-facing camera and mic, allowing gamers the freedom not to have to use a headset. It also has a massive 80Wh battery and has a roomy screen. It also looks to be the first handheld to use the high-end chip Z2 Extreme, and it boasts plenty of RAM. No release date has been set for its launch, but it comes as the Nintendo Switch 2 is about to be released. Though split keyboards are not exactly new, one designed specifically for gamers is. Asus displayed its ROG Falcata, a wireless keyboard that connects or disconnects magnetically, at the show in Taipei. The exact point of the design is so that gamers can have more space for the mouse. The right side of the keyboard is less interesting for gamers, as the keys that are mainly used are W, A, S, and D. Or, if not used for gaming, you can just detach the two sides for a more ergonomic keyboard. A release date has been set for the summer, but the price is so far unknown. While smart rings can be on the pricey side (think Samsung's Galaxy ring, which retails around €449, or Ultrahuman's luxury 18-carat gold ring, at around €2,000), Acer has a more humble offering. The company showed off a titanium smart ring, which has a $199 (€175) price point. It also, unlike many other companies, has no subscription. The ring comes in black or rose gold, has four days of battery life. It shows health data such as heart rate, sleep quality, and blood oxygen levels. It will be available for purchase this summer. Tech giant MSI showed off a beautiful laptop lid that looks like it had been hand-painted. MSI partnered with Japanese art studio Okadayo to create a limited edition lacquered print laptop. The art can also be placed on a computer mouse. The first design is Hokusai's iconic The Great Wave off Kanagawa. MSI will only produce a few hundred per month for the moment, as applying the art requires extra steps in manufacturing. One of the main highlights at Computex was the level of creativity on show - and the number of beautiful and strange PC cases was certainly one of the focal points. Many of them were colourful and themed; others also had a beer and wine tap built in. It all comes down to personal preference. EU Industry Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné has asked member states to agree among themselves on whether to support the Commission's intention to ditch a proposal on standard essential patents (SEP). The French commissioner for the internal market has said he wants to hear back from governments in the next three weeks. Member states are divided about the way forward after the Commission said in February it intended to withdraw a plan on SEPs which it presented in 2023, arguing that it couldn't see an agreement being reached. SEPs are patents that protect the technology deemed essential in a technical standard or specification and are used in the automotive, smart energy, and payment industry. Which means that if a company wants to make a product that complies with technical standards (such as 5G or wifi), it needs to use the technology covered by SEPs. Disputes over the value of SEPs licenses are proliferating as their use increases. The Commission proposal intended to make the process of licensing SEPs more transparent, which was welcomed by patent lobby organisations who called for modernisation of the rules to make the bloc more competitive. A group of eight countries – Czechia, France, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Latvia, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain – called for other EU member states to support continued work on the file during a meeting of industry ministers in Brussels on Thursday, arguing that the rules are crucial for industry. The Spanish representative said that SEPs will be beneficial for Europe's automotive industry. Italy added that: 'We need to ensure the value chains are resilient in the current geopolitical situation.' Ireland, Finland and Sweden, by contrast, backed the Commission's assessment that since no deal is within reach it should be dropped. The Swedish representative said that the proposal had created 'major divisions in the business community', adding that 'any initiative in this field needs to encourage innovation and not create undue regulatory burden.' Finland added that the decision to withdraw is in line with the Commission's simplification plan. 'We think there are fundamental problems in the proposal, they cannot be amended with this draft.' Séjourné told lawmakers of the European Parliament's Legal Affairs (JURI) in April that the Commission scrapped the SEP proposal in a bid to reach a broader agreement on the topic. Some argue however, that the incoming US administration and the EU Commission's current strategy for deregulation killed the proposal. While the majority of the member states do not see the need to continue with the topic, lawmakers want it kept on the table. The proposed rules on SEPs were agreed by the Parliament in February 2024 - with 454 votes for, 83 against and 78 abstentions - before the Commission announced its intention to withdraw the file. German MEP Bernd Lange (EPP), who chairs the heads of the Parliamentary committees, is expected to discuss the issue with Parliament President Roberta Metsola in June. A letter signed by Lange and seen by Euronews, said that the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) – which is leading on the file – 'objects, by a large majority, to the proposed withdrawal.' 'The proposal remains highly relevant due to its impact on competitiveness, transparency, and innovation, particularly for SMEs,' the letter said. The Commission has until August to decide whether to go ahead with its intention to withdraw the plan.
