computex2017
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Computex was a reminder that the age of the eSIM is upon us
Nestled inside your cellphone is a teensy sliver of plastic you almost certainly never think about. That's your SIM card -- the bit that basically stores your phone's identity and passes it along to whatever wireless carrier network you pay for. It's absolutely crucial to the way your phone operates, but wireless carriers and network companies have been plotting its demise for years. As far as they're all concerned, the future belongs to what's called an eSIM -- short for "embedded SIM" -- woven directly into the silicon fabric of a device's modem. Now, thanks to some crucial announcements made at Computex, we're getting a better sense of just how pervasive these things are going to be.
Overclocking to 7GHz takes more than just liquid nitrogen
Over the years, I've been fascinated by two kinds of events at Computex: esports and extreme-PC-overclocking competitions. I doubt I'd ever make it as a professional gamer (I'm more of a Counter Fight kind of guy than a Counter-Strike man these days), but I'd jump at any opportunity to pour liquid nitrogen onto a PC motherboard, because even if I screw something up, chances are I'd still look cool doing so. It just so happened that at this year's Computex, gaming-accessory maker G.SKILL invited me to its extreme-overclocking workshop behind its contest stage. As a total newbie with absolutely zero knowledge of overclocking, I quickly took up this offer.
Computex gave us a glimpse at how computing will evolve
One thing was very clear at Computex: It's going to be a transformational year for computing. We're seeing several trends from the past few years -- like the move toward thinner and lighter laptops, and the rise of mobile computing -- evolve in new and intriguing ways. It was a surprising revelation for a trade show that's sometimes regarded as irrelevant. But, in some ways, it makes plenty of sense. Computex has always been the place to see the groundwork being laid for technology industry's next steps. It just so happens that this year was particularly ripe with innovation.
Here's updated mapping vehicle paves way for self-driving cars
It may have been a while since we last we came across a Here 3D mapping vehicle, but that's not to say the company hasn't been using its cars lately. In fact, the Here True collection vehicle is now in its third revision, and I got to hop on one -- based on a Volkswagen Golf Variant 280 TSI Highline -- during Computex. The ride features much faster D-GPS tracking that no longer requires a half-hour calibration (to reach an accuracy of under one meter), along with a Velodyne LiDAR with an accuracy of better than 2cm (within a range of up to 70 meters) and four 16.2-megapixel MARS panoramic cameras. This set of gear is almost identical to what we've seen before, so the real highlight this time is the updated backend to support high-definition mapping.
Microsoft’s vision for connected PCs gives me hope for Windows
I wasn't expecting a major news announcement from Microsoft's Computex keynote this year -- not on the heels of events in New York, Seattle and Shanghai. What else could there possibly be to unveil after the Surface Laptop, Surface Pro and new Windows versions and updates? Turns out, Microsoft was saving the best for Taiwan. It showed off plans for its vision of "always-connected PCs", teaming up with Qualcomm and Intel to make future devices work the same way whether you are at home or on the go. These computers will combine the best features of smartphones, like constant connectivity, all-day battery life and portable designs, to deliver a reliable, powerful and always-accessible Windows 10 experience.
The Eve V came from nowhere to challenge the Surface Pro
The Eve V convertible has become something of a media darling lately, mostly because it claims to be the first PC to be developed by consumers, not a massive corporation. The idea of the populist PC was intriguing enough that Microsoft and Intel both worked with Eve to make the V happen, but c'mon -- we've seen countless, less ambitious projects fail after building loads of hype. (Especially on Indiegogo, where Eve raised over $1.4 million last year.) After spending a little time with the V at Computex, though, the hype is starting to seem warranted.
Intel’s Compute Card could transform the world of smart devices
It doesn't take too long before your typical "smart" gadget becomes dumb. After a few years, the hardware inside your TV or connected refrigerator will be hopelessly out of date. And if you want to upgrade, your only choice right now is to buy a whole new device. Intel is hoping to change that with the Compute Card, a credit card-size device that packs in all of the hardware -- a processor, memory, storage and networking capabilities -- needed to make any device smart.
VR arcades need to be social to succeed
Viveland, HTC's VR arcade, opened in Taipei eight months ago, with the Taiwanese company calling it the "world's first premium VR arcade." It has three jobs: make money, sell people on VR and serve as a testbed for future arcades that HTC plans to build around the globe. Since Engadget was in Taipei for Computex, it made sense to take the short cab ride across town to sample its charms. Now that I've seen Viveland and experienced what it has to offer, it's clear what these facilities need in order to succeed. High-end PCs and VR headsets are important, sure, but it's the social experience that will determine Viveland's success.
Acer’s Nitro 5 is a flashy but forgettable gaming laptop
Acer's Nitro 5 is the company's attempt to reach out to those folks who don't game often but still want to have fun once in a while. The result is a laptop with a variety of middle-of-the-road configurations that you can take all the way up to a Core i7 CPU and NVIDIA's GeForce 1050 Ti. In addition, you can throw in as much as 32GB of RAM. Prices start at $799 when it launches in July.
These subtle smart gloves turn sign language into text
A startup spun out of the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology is working on gloves that can translate sign-language gestures into text. Such a concept isn't new, by any means, but the elegance of Yingmi Tech's hardware deserves some special attention.
Here's our first look at Harman Kardon's Cortana speaker
We first heard about Harman Kardon's smart speaker earlier this month, but haven't had a chance to try it out or even see what it looks like in person. That is, until now. The Cortana-powered Echo rival made an oh-so-brief appearance here at Microsoft's Computex 2017 keynote. Even though we still couldn't physically touch it, we were at least able to take some close-up pictures of the device. We also caught a fleeting look at an upcoming HP Cortana speaker that looked sort of like a white Echo Dot, but that was only a picture on a slideshow -- the device itself was nowhere to be found at the event. We'll surely hear more about it soon enough, though. Meanwhile, feast your eyes on Harman Kardon's elegant cylindrical gadget with a tapering metal body -- and hang tight while we try our hardest to get you more impressions before it arrives this fall.
Microsoft shows off Windows VR headsets from ASUS and Dell
We've already seen Windows 10 VR headsets from HP, Acer and Dell, and now we can add ASUS to the mix. During its Computex keynote today, Microsoft revealed ASUS's headset for the first time, along with a new look for Dell's entry. They share similar-looking forehead-strap designs, but Dell's goes for minimalism, whereas ASUS aims for a bit of polygonal bling.
Intel adopts eSIM to support Microsoft's connected PC vision
PCs are making a comeback, if the news out of Computex 2017 is any indication, and Microsoft wants to make sure they're all constantly connected. To support that vision, Intel is making its current and future modems compatible with eSIMs, so future laptops can connect to LTE networks without physical SIM-card trays. That's because the technology you'd typically find in a SIM card will be embedded into its modems, so you can connect your machine just by entering a phone number and avoid having to fiddle with a tiny tray.
Windows on Snapdragon is key to making PCs more connected
Looks like Microsoft isn't done with its world tour. After a series of events in New York, Seattle and Shanghai, the company has yet another big announcement to make in Taiwan here at Computex 2017. And in keeping with the theme of bringing Windows everywhere, Microsoft is working with Qualcomm and Intel to deliver "Always Connected PCs" that are constantly online, have long-lasting batteries and portable designs.
Fashion and tech collide in this VR-friendly connected shirt
Virtual reality is inescapable here at Computex: You're either stumbling into another Vive demo area or bumping into the occasional VR backpack. What's often missing is a sense of true immersion, and a startup called Machina is trying to fix that. Co-founder Antonio Perdigon was nice enough to let me don one of his unreleased "OBE" connected shirts here at the show, and after a little playtime, I think the team might be on to something.
NVIDIA aims to build better robots with the Isaac Initiative
NVIDIA wants robots everywhere. On the heels of its Jetson TX2 hardware for robots and drones, NVIDIA announced the Isaac Initiative at Computex today, a platform focused on accelerating development for a wide variety of mechanical devices. Named after author Isaac Asimov, it brings together the Jetson TX2 with the company's APIs for perceiving and moving around environments (the Astro AV Stack); the "Isaac Training Lab" for teaching machines in photorealistic, simulated environments; and a collection of open-source platforms for things like rolling robots and drones.
Samsung's Notebook 9 Pro harbors a stowaway S Pen
Whether it's your shirt pocket, the zippered compartment in your backpack or a pencil case, existing spots to stow your stylus just aren't as convenient as an on-device dock. And few laptops these days have built-in slots for a digital pen, which is why Samsung's latest convertible laptop is unique. The Notebook 9 Pro comes with a helpful S Pen that conveniently slides under the keyboard for storage. It will be available with either a 13.3- or 15-inch screen.
Zika test needs just a drop of blood
At this point, the idea that you could use a drop of blood, taken from your finger, to test for disease is pretty played out. After all, a certain company has spent the last year or so burning up any remaining goodwill for the technology. Despite this, a Danish-Taiwanese company called BluSense Diagnostics claims that it has developed a tiny box that can test for both dengue fever and the Zika virus with a single drop of finger blood.
ASUS made an even bigger curved monitor especially for gamers
Yeah, ASUS, we get it: You're really into games these days. About halfway through the company's Republic of Gamers press conference here at Computex in Taipei, the company previewed its latest gamer-friendly monitor: a curved 35-inch Quantum Dot LCD panel with a max resolution of 3,440 x 1,440, plus HDR support and a maximum 200MHz refresh rate.
ASUS crams a GTX 1080 GPU into a 16.9mm-thick laptop
For most people, Zephyrus is the Greek god of the west wind, gently bringing spring, and fruit, to the peoples of the world. For gamers, you can be damn sure that definition is going to be quickly supplanted by the one created by ASUS's Republic of Gamers today. Now, Zephyrus means a pretty damn powerful gaming laptop in a surprisingly slender body, measuring just 16.9mm thick when closed, making it the "world's slimmest," according to ASUS. By way of comparison, Razer's latest Blade Pro, a high-water mark for such laptops, stands at 22.5mm.
