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Beaten and restrained by Taitra security guards, I'm hauled back to the MSI booth from whence I came, the laptop I'd tried to spirit away handed back to MSI while members of the North American PR team look at me in stony silence. I lift up my head and meet their eyes, one by one.

"It belongs in a museum!" I yell over the clamor and din of the Computex 2025 showfloor.

One of the reps that I've known for years shouts to be heard: "John, what the hell, man? Have you lost your mind?"

"It belongs in a museum!"

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

OK, so that scene didn't play out anything like that yesterday when I first set eyes on the MSI Prestige 13+ AI Ukiyo-e Edition laptop, but it damn well could have. All that I needed was a means of escape through the packed crowd at the MSI booth, all of whom gawked along with me at what is undoubtedly the most beautiful laptop any of us has ever seen.

The MSI Prestige 13+ AI is already one of the best laptops MSI's put out in recent years, but the one on display at Computex was something entirely different. Splashed across the lid is a hand-laquered reproduction of The Great Wave off Kanagawa by the Japanese artist and printmaker Hokusai, a master of the ukiyo-e art style that dominated Japan from the 17th to 19th centuries.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

I'm not as into Japanese art and culture as many of my friends are, a few of whom speak varying degrees of Japanese as a second language and all of whom own pretty much every Manga that has been released in the United States (as well as many that they've had to pay extra to order directly from Japanese shops), but I do love ukiyo-e..

I grew up in New York City and spent a lot of time going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art throughout my childhood, and the Met has a rather impressive collection of ukiyo-e prints, including an original print of The Great Wave, first produced in 1831.

Something about the bourgeois market scenes, manor intrigues, and quaint personal moments between friends and lovers that defined the ukiyo-e style resonates with me to this day.

But it was always the depictions of vulnerable humanity in the presence of unassailable natural forces that spoke most strongly to me. And no work of art captures that as well as The Great Wave, with its unstoppable water cresting over a pair of fishing boats, the owners of which are nowhere to be seen. The only proof of their existence is the boats left behind, pilotless and at the mercy of nature.

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(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

The Prestige 13+ AI Ukiyo-e Edition reproduces this masterful scene thanks to the work of OKADAYA, a Japanese company renowned for its lacquerwork on fine chinaware and pottery.

Similar to how ukiyo-e prints were made in steps and layers back in the day, OKADAYA's process for creating The Great Wave on the Prestige 13+ AI lid involves applying eight thin layers of lacquer by hand, incrementally building up the coloring and texture of the scene before polishing it to a smooth, resilient finish.

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The process isn't limited to just the lid, either. The keys of the keyboard have also been stepped up to a polished, piano-key-like finish with gold-colored key labels to match the MSI logo on the inside of the device and on the lid, as well as the labels for the device's ports.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

While the artwork on the device steals the show (and by show, I mean Computex, as the Prestige 13+ AI Ukiyo-e Edition won Computex's Best Choice Award this year), the underlying laptop is still impressive as well, with up to an Intel Lunar Lake SoC, up to 32GB LPDDR5x memory, 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD storage, and a 13.3-inch 2.8K OLED display.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

As an Artisan Collection product, the new laptop will have a limited run of 1,000 units, with each getting its production number laser-etched onto the bottom of the device. Given the handscrafting that's gone into these laptops, you can imagine that they won't be cheap, and I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of them have already been purchased before they even made their debut at this year's show.

Still, even if it's not possible to own one yourself (unless you get very lucky), maybe one of the buyers could do their good deed for the year and donate one of these masterpieces to a museum somewhere so we can all enjoy the artistry that's gone into this device.

Having seen it up close and held it myself, I can tell you it wouldn't be out of place among the finest ukiyo-e prints on display at the Met, and it's something I'd happily take the time to go see whenever I'm there.

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Commentary: I used AI to see how different outfits would look on me, and the results were revealing.

Headphone maker Skullcandy holds a soft spot in my heart. It was my go-to brand for wired earbuds when I was a teenager (this was long before the best wireless earbuds dominated the audio market) because they were affordable, available in a range of funky colors and, at the time at least, I thought they sounded great.

When I entered the world of tech journalism in my early 20s, I was exposed to a plethora of new brands and I started earning adult money. This meant I found myself drifting away from the company that I’d long considered ‘budget’ and ‘the headphones to get if you don’t mind them getting damaged’ – instead investing in more premium offerings from the likes of Sennheiser and Bose.

So when Skullcandy came back onto my radar with the announcement of the Method 360 ANC earbuds, proudly stating they’d been designed and tuned in collaboration with none other than Bose, I was hit with a wave of nostalgia – a 20-year gap can count as nostalgic, right?

Not only that, but I also wondered if the maker of my first go-to headphones could reclaim its title and knock my current favorite LG ToneFree T90S – which themselves replaced the Apple AirPods Pro 2 – out of my ears.

The quick answer? They’ve come awfully close, but their large charging case has made my final decision much trickier than I expected.

Sounding sweet

From a sound quality and ANC perspective, Skullcandy’s collaboration with Bose is an absolute hit. Bose has long been a front runner when it comes to audio performance, but is arguably best known for making some of the best noise-cancelling headphones in recent memory.

I’m inclined to believe that Bose has had free reign with the audio and ANC smarts for the Method 360 ANC because from the moment I put the buds into my ears in the office, everything around me was silenced. Colleagues talking to each other near my desk, the office speaker blaring out questionable songs, it all disappeared.

(Image credit: Future)

My trusted LG earbuds perform similarly, but they require the volume to be increased a little further for similar noise-cancelling effects. And when nothing is playing, the Skullcandy earbuds do a better job of keeping external sounds to a minimum.

It took me a little longer to formulate a definitive opinion on the sound quality, partly because of the design (more on that later) and partly because I’d become so accustomed to the sound of the LG ToneFree T90S.

After inserting and removing both pairs from my ears more times than I can remember, I settled on the notion that Skullcandy’s latest effort sounds more engaging, a little clearer on the vocals and just simply fun.

The increasing intensity of the violins at the start of Massive Attack’s Unfinished Sympathy reveal them to be dynamically adept, and they show off their rhythmic talents when playing the deliciously upbeat Bread by Sofi Tukker.

Plus, despite not supporting spatial audio (I have to agree with my colleague Matt Bolton when he says the company “blew the perfectly good name it could've given the next-gen version where it did add this feature”), the earbuds do give songs some sense of space. I was able to confidently place the hi-hat sounds, hums and drum beats in the opening of Hayley Williams’ Simmer around my head, for example.

Overall, I’m very impressed with the sound performance of the Skullcandy buds, especially considering their $129.99 / £99 / AU$189.99 price tag, which places them firmly in affordable territory.

It’s not unjust to expect limitations where sound or features are concerned at certain price points, but I think the Method 360 ANC delivers a sound that belies their price tag.

You'll be able to read our full thoughts on the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC in our full review, which is on its way.

The peculiar case of the peculiar case

“If you like how they sound, how come the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC aren’t your new daily pair of earbuds?” I hear you ask. Well, it’s predominantly because of their case, but also a little to do with a design choice inherited from Bose.

When I first saw images of the case following their announcement, I was a little perplexed. All of the wireless earbuds I’m aware of come with a case that can easily be slipped into a pocket – apart from the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 that is – yet the one supplied by Skullcandy looked enormous.

(Image credit: Future)

Now I’ve unboxed my own pair, I can confirm the case is pretty damn big. Not heavy, just big.

It’s an interesting choice, especially since the earbuds themselves don’t take up that much space. I’m also not sold on the fact you have to slide the internal section of the case out to access the buds.

What’s more, I feel the most logical way to hold the case is horizontally when sliding the earbuds out, with the carabiner clip on the right as it feels more weighted and natural in my right hand.

Doing so reveals the earbud for the right ear, with the left earbud on the other side. That means I have to pick out the right earbud with my left hand, then flip the case over and do the opposite for the left bud.

And what’s even more confusing is the earbuds appear to fit into their charging spots upside down. So not only do I have to pass each bud from the ‘wrong’ hand to the right one, but I also have to flip them around the right way. There are just too many steps involved for what has always been a seamless and convenient process with other earbuds.

What’s also interesting is that, since the Method’s launch, I’ve noticed a second, more affordable pair of earbuds appear on Skullcandy’s website called the Dime Evo. They employ a similar sliding-case design, but both earbuds are on the same side, which I can only assume will make the removal process that little bit easier.

(Image credit: Future)

Based on Skullcandy’s imagery for the Method 360 ANC, it’s targeting a young, cool demographic who walk around with sling bags over their shoulder, upon which they can attach the earbuds via the integrated carabiner clip.

As much as I would love to say I fall into that group, the fact is I don’t – well, not anymore. And because I’m not someone who wants to clip their headphones onto even the belt loop of my pants, the case design is completely lost on me.

I would further argue that the target audience is a little niche, too, which is a shame considering how good I think the earbuds sound. I’m saddened for Skullcandy that not enough pairs of ears are going to get to hear them.

Hey, I did say it was predominantly the case I had issues with.

(Image credit: Future)

As for the aforementioned inherited design trait – that would be the Stability Bands found on the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds and QuietComfort Earbuds II.

Despite their intention to provide a more stable and secure fit, I initially had a lack of confidence in their ability. I often found myself wanting to readjust them in my ears to make sure they were locked in, which also meant I pressed the on-ear controls at the same time and paused my music.

It’s not just me who’s had an issue with them – my colleague and self-confessed Bose fangirl, Sharmishta Sarkar, has previously written about her shortcomings with the design too.

I eventually settled on the largest size of Stability Band (which I could only determine by sight, as there’s no indication of which size is which on the included book of spares) and so far, so good. They definitely feel more secure in my ears compared to when I tried other sizes and passive noise cancelation has also been improved.

However, the design choice has confirmed I get along best with earbud designs that insert further into my ear canal.

Awarding cool points

(Image credit: Future)

I like the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds. I can’t say I like the design of the case, nor do I like their mouthful of a name (Skullcandy Method would have been just fine in my opinion), but considering the biggest selling point for a pair of earbuds is how they sound, I can find little to fault.

I will most likely use them whenever I’m in the office, as I can leave the case on the desk with the skull logo facing me directly. While I might not feel cool enough to clip the case to my person, that logo alone takes me back to my teenage years. For me, that’s cool enough.

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• Chuwi GameBook promises elite performance at a price lower than premium gaming laptops
• Ryzen 9 9955HX with 32 threads powers this gaming and creator machine
• RTX 5070 Ti with 12GB GDDR7 makes this a serious contender for 4K gaming

Chuwi, a company better known for budget devices than flagship powerhouses, has unveiled its latest effort to break into the high-performance segment: the GameBook 9955HX.

Promoted as a laptop for coders, gamers, and professional creators, this new model is powered by the AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX processor, a Zen 5-based chip featuring 16 cores and 32 threads, with a boost frequency of up to 5.4GHz. It also includes a large 64MB L3 cache and a configurable TDP that can peak around 55W.

As of the time of writing, the device's price remains undisclosed - however, given Chuwi’s history of undercutting bigger brands, it’s reasonable to expect this model to be priced lower than similar offerings from MSI or Asus.

Chuwi GameBook 9955HX

For graphics, the GameBook 9955HX integrates the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU, based on the latest Blackwell RTX architecture, making it well-suited for video editing and graphics-intensive tasks.

The GPU offers 12GB of GDDR7 VRAM, a 140W TGP, and supports features such as full ray tracing, DLSS 4, and Multi Frame Generation.

Chuwi says this setup can deliver up to 191 FPS in 1440p gaming with ray tracing enabled, and 149 FPS at 4K, placing it firmly in the performance laptop category.

For creators working with AI-accelerated tools, advanced 3D rendering, or video post-production, this could prove to be a top contender, provided its cooling system and thermal management are up to the task.

The display is a 16-inch 2.5K IPS panel with a 300Hz refresh rate, 100% sRGB color coverage, and a 16:10 aspect ratio. Peak brightness reaches 500 nits, though claims regarding color accuracy have yet to be verified through independent calibration tests.

Internally, the GameBook comes equipped with 32GB of DDR5 RAM at 5600MHz, upgradeable to 64GB, and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD. Storage expansion is supported via two M.2 slots, one of which supports PCIe 5.0, offering a level of future-proofing not typically seen in Chuwi’s lineup.

Connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, a 2.5Gb Ethernet port, two USB-C ports (supporting 100W and 140W power delivery), three USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, HDMI 2.1, and Mini DisplayPort 2.1a. There's also a 3.5mm audio jack, DC-in, and a Kensington lock slot.

Other features include a full-sized RGB-backlit keyboard, a 2MP IR webcam with a privacy shutter, a 77.77Wh battery, and stereo speakers. The laptop measures just over 21mm thick and weighs 2.3kg.

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The CEO of Dell Technologies has told TechRadar Pro that AI offers a great opportunity for organizations to re-evaluate themselves to positive effect

Speaking at a media Q&A session at Dell Technologies World 2025, Michael Dell looked to reassure us that AI will never fully replace human workers, and in fact may offer them a whole new outlook.

In a wide-ranging discussion, Dell also laid out his views on political instability affecting the technology industry, and some of his key leadership principles.

"Always some change"

“The way I think about this is that if you look at every progress, that’s for any technology, you always have some change that goes on,” Dell said in response to our question about AI affecting or even replacing human workers.

“My way of thinking is there’s probably a 10 percent effect for that - but I think 90 percent of that is actually growth and expansion and opportunity, and ultimately what I think you’re going to see is more opportunities, more economic growth.”

“There are a lot of things that we don’t do, that we used to do, because we have the tools, and we’re more effective as a species because of that - (using AI) is just another example of that.”

“One of the keys beyond productivity and efficiency I think for organizations, is to reimagine themselves, and say, alright, what is the trajectory of these capabilities, where is it going, and what should our activity look like in three years, five years time, given this capability.”

“You know, a lot of roles today just didn’t exist 10, 20, 30 years ago - and no-one was forecasting that.”

(Image credit: Future / Mike Moore)

Having spoken with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in his opening keynote, Dell was also asked if the two shared any overarching leadership principles.

“I think anytime there’s a new technology, you have to leap ahead (and think), what is the likely impact of this, and how do we need to change? And if we don’t have a passion around that, or there isn’t a crisis in your organization - make one! We think it can make us a better company.”

Dell was also asked about how changing global economic and political situations might affect the company’s future outlook

“We agree that those are issues and challenges,” he said, “in my general view, the importance of this technology is greater than all those problems - and I heard somebody say recently, tokens are bigger than tariffs - and that would sort of summarize our view of it.”

“Are all those things helpful to our business? No, they’re not - but there’s a limit of what we can do about that, right? We can certainly do the things we’re supposed to do, and focus on the things we can control - we’re seeing plenty of companies that are dealing with all those challenges just as we are, and powering ahead in any case.”

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Immigration attorneys have asked a Massachusetts federal judge to block a Trump administration move to deport migrants — including nationals from Myanmar and Vietnam — to South Sudan or other third countries.

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The experience launches in beta to a subset of US Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers.

The plan includes a vast array of space-based sensors and interceptors.

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Google is bringing "frontier capabilities" from the gen AI realm to a search page near you.

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Making ends meet isn't just tough for student loan borrowers. Groceries cost a lot more now than they did in 2020. Tariff disputes make it difficult to plan future purchases and they can make it harder to find everyday items at affordable prices.

Housing — whether it's your mortgage or rent — remains expensive.

And the job market — well that's tough, too.

Unpredictable inflation, added expenses, a volatile stock market – the health of the U.S. economy is anything but certain right now. How can you manage?

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(Image credit: Brandon Bell)