AI PCs have quickly become the hottest trend in the tech industry, and Asus doesn’t want to be left behind. As the tradition goes in Computex, the Taiwanese company announced a massive lineup of new AI-powered devices, including creator laptops, consumer notebooks, desktops, all-in-one PCs, and even a brand-new tablet. Here’s everything you need to know about them.

New RTX Spark Laptops

Leading the announcement are the new ProArt P16 and ProArt P14 creator laptops. These are the first ASUS laptops powered by NVIDIA’s new RTX Spark platform, which combines NVIDIA’s Blackwell GPU architecture with the Grace CPU platform for AI-focused workloads.

ASUS says these machines are designed for creators, developers, and anyone working with AI-heavy workflows. The company is also bundling AI tools like MuseTree, StoryCube, and ProArt Creator Hub to help users manage creative projects and optimize system performance.

The laptops also come with ASUS’s latest Lumina Pro OLED displays that can hit up to 1,600 nits of HDR brightness and feature a 120Hz refresh rate. Interestingly, ASUS is introducing two new color options called Nano Black and Neo White, marking the first major design refresh for the ProArt lineup.

Zenbook and Vivobook Get the AI Treatment

For everyday users, ASUS refreshed the Zenbook 14 with a clear focus on portability. The laptop weighs just 1.1kg and uses ASUS’ Ceraluminum construction, which combines aluminum with ceramic-like durability. ASUS claims the laptop can deliver over 21 hours of battery life, making it one of the longest-lasting devices in the company’s lineup. Buyers can choose among Intel, AMD, and Snapdragon variants, with AI performance up to 50 TOPS, depending on the configuration. ASUS has also added new Arctic Blue and Komodo Coral color options to make the laptop feel less corporate than previous Zenbook generations.

Other highlights include a 1.7mm travel keyboard, an ASUS OLED display, Windows Hello support, Microsoft Pluton security, and adaptive privacy features that automatically dim or lock the screen when users step away.

Meanwhile, ASUS is also betting heavily on Snapdragon-powered Windows laptops with the new Vivobook S14 and Vivobook S16. Unlike previous Vivobook generations, these models exclusively use Snapdragon X processors and deliver up to 45 TOPS of AI performance. The laptops are clearly aimed at students and young professionals. ASUS says battery life can exceed 25 hours, while fast charging can take the battery from 0 to 60 percent in under 50 minutes.

The larger S16 model offers a 16-inch OLED display with an 89% screen-to-body ratio, while the S14 opts for a more compact 14-inch design. Both feature 100% DCI-P3 color coverage, TÜV-certified low-blue-light technology, and military-grade durability certification.

ASUS Is Back in the Tablet Business

One of the more surprising announcements from the event was the ASUS Pad, marking the company’s return to the tablet category. The tablet features a 12.2-inch 2.8K OLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate and runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 chipset.

ASUS has equipped the tablet with a 9,000mAh battery, Dolby Atmos-powered quad speakers, Google Circle to Search, and GlideX integration for easier cross-device workflows. At just 6.5mm thick and weighing 523g, the company is positioning it as both an entertainment device and a productivity companion.

New Desktops and AiOs Join the Lineup

Beyond laptops, ASUS also announced the new V700 Mini Tower desktop and V200/V400 all-in-one PCs. The V700 desktop stands out for its unusual home-inspired design, featuring wood-grain finishes and softer aesthetics rather than the aggressive styling usually seen in desktop PCs. It can be configured with up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor and NVIDIA RTX 50-series graphics. The V400 AiO, meanwhile, uses Snapdragon-powered hardware and AI capabilities in a larger 27-inch all-in-one form factor aimed at family and home users.

Rounding out the announcements was ASUS Zenni Claw, a new AI assistant designed to simplify access to AI-powered workflows across work, travel, and everyday tasks. ASUS hasn’t revealed extensive details yet, but it appears to be the company’s attempt at creating a more unified AI experience across its devices.

Greenvolt Next also plans to allocate funding for the development of its Waterford headquarters.

Greenvolt Next Ireland – which is part of Greenvolt Group, a specialist in renewable energy solutions for the commercial and industrial sector – has today (3 June) announced the creation of 90 new jobs. 50 are to be made available at its Waterford headquarters and the remaining 40 will be based in the UK. 

Over the next 12 months, the company will be recruiting mid-level to senior managers for roles including project engineers, senior project engineers, project managers and site managers. In expanding the team, the organisation aims to work on additional large-scale projects to support developers and landowners in advancing renewable assets and meet the UK and Irish demand for green energy solutions. 

Greenvolt Next is also allocating funding for the further development of its Waterford headquarters, which is being increased by 2,176 sq ft and will be equipped with new technologies.

Commenting on the announcement, Owen Power, the CEO of Greenvolt Next Ireland & UK, said: “Our success to date has been driven by our ability to deliver the most reliable and cost-effective energy solutions to customers, underpinned by unmatched resources and expertise. Looking to the future, which will only see greater demand for such projects, we want to continue making a tangible impact for businesses and the environment.

“That means investing in operations, growing the team and innovating for customers. As well as marking the next stage in our own journey, this will allow us to make renewable energy easy for more organisations across Ireland and the UK. In turn, they will not only be more sustainable but also more successful.”

In 2024, Greenvolt Group announced a partnership with Enerpower, with both organisations agreeing to a joint commitment to install up to 500MW of renewable energy between 2024 and 2029 and create 100 new jobs. The strategy was designed to impact the Irish and wider European markets.

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Springboard+ research found that adults often face financial difficulties when attempting to upskill or change the direction of their careers.

Educational platform Springboard+ has released the results of a survey exploring some of the challenges learners face as they aim to progress personally and professionally. The organisation commissioned an independent national survey collecting data from 1,000 Ireland-based adults across a wide range of ages, genders, regions and social backgrounds.

What was discovered is that almost half (46pc) of surveyed adults in Ireland struggle to afford learning and study opportunities to upskill and change the trajectory of their careers. The survey, which was part of Springboard’s ‘2026 Year of Me’ campaign, also identified which groups of people are typically more affected than others. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, women were found to be disproportionately impacted, as 53pc of women surveyed who were under the age of 45 agreed that they have very little time to invest in career growth. Half of parents also responded that time is a limited resource, while 54pc of women said that financially speaking, it is difficult to engage with upskilling opportunities. 

Decision time

More than 40pc of people surveyed said that they are afraid of making the wrong decision when choosing a new career direction. This sentiment was particularly prominent among younger cohorts, with 32pc of adults aged between 18 and 24 responding that they would struggle with the stress associated with learning new skills.

The report found, however, that despite the barriers, Ireland’s professionals still value learning and self-development, as 93pc of respondents believe learning new skills as an adult can change  the trajectory of one’s life; 93pc also agree that learning new skills opens doors that otherwise would remain closed. 

Commenting on the findings of the report, Dr Vivienne Patterson, the head of skills, engagement and statistics at the Higher Education Authority, said, “The findings highlight that many adults across Ireland want to invest in their future and develop new skills, but are often held back by practical pressures such as time, affordability and uncertainty about returning to learning.

“Flexible and affordable learning opportunities can play an important role in helping people overcome some of these barriers. Many Springboard+ courses are delivered on a part-time or online basis, allowing people to balance learning with work, family and other commitments, while the significant financial support available through the programme helps make higher education more accessible.

“The strong demand we are already seeing for Springboard+ 2026 courses reflects the growing demand for flexible learning opportunities that can help people build confidence, develop new skills and explore new career opportunities.”

So far in 2026, a number of organisations and institutions have engaged in offering opportunities to boost skills among the Irish workforce. 

In May, South East Technological University  announced it is getting a new €11.5m computer system. The IBM z17 mainframe will support students and researchers in developing their skills. In April, the Government launched AIReady.ie, a national AI skilling platform designed to provide people across Ireland with the means to learn essential AI skills.

Similarly, in March of this year, Technological University of the Shannon launched its Regional Skills Horizon and Pathways to Employment (ReSHAPE) initiative, an AI-powered digital platform developed to support professionals based in Ireland’s midlands region, supporting economic development in counties such as Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath. 

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If there’s one group that knows how to move fast, it’s runners — and that’s exactly what you’ll need to do to take advantage of this deal. Strava members can earn a free two-week Runna Premium subscription by running a 5K on Wednesday, which marks Global Running Day. 

Strava is a popular fitness app that records and logs your runs, rides, hikes and other activities, including strength training. Last April, Strava acquired Runna, an AI-personalized running app, to customize training plans for different race distances and coaching for its subscribers. Strava doesn’t provide training plans, but it can log your runs, let you create your own routes, view your running stats after each run and share them with your app followers.

You can use Strava for free, but to access additional features, you would need to upgrade your membership to an individual ($80 annually), family ($140 annually for a family of four) or student subscription ($40 annually) if you’re willing to pay for the Strava and Runna combination plan, which costs $150 a year. You can also experience Runna for free, but to access it fully, you’ll need a subscription for $120 annually. 

However, if you run, walk, trail run or use a wheelchair and log a 5K on Global Running Day on your Strava app, you can experience Runna free for two weeks to decide for yourself if it’s worth the investment. Strava is counting GPS, virtual and manual activities toward the challenge goal.

Apple is also participating in Global Running Day and giving Apple Watch owners the chance to earn a digital badge by logging a 5K run indoors or outdoors. This also applies if you have other third-party fitness apps that log runs and connect to your Apple Health account.

For months the fight in India’s App Store antitrust case was not really about app stores. It was about a spreadsheet. The Competition Commission of India wanted Apple’s financial records; Apple did not want to give them up, least of all the global ones. On 3 June, Apple agreed to submit the financials, removing the obstacle that had stalled the long-pending case.

The reason the data mattered so much is the reason Apple resisted it. Under India’s competition law as updated in 2024, penalties can be calculated against a company’s global turnover rather than its revenue inside the country. For most companies that distinction is academic.

For Apple, whose Indian revenue is a sliver of a business that turns over hundreds of billions of dollars worldwide, it is the difference between a manageable fine and an existential one. Apple has said it fears a penalty of up to $38bn, a figure it has invoked as evidence the regulator is overreaching.

That fear is what drove the months of manoeuvring. Apple had refused to fully comply with the CCI’s demand for detailed financial disclosures, argued that global figures should be out of scope, and escalated the dispute to the Delhi High Court, seeking to pause the proceedings before they reached a final hearing.

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The regulator declined to slow down. The result was a standoff in which the substance of the case, whether Apple abused its market position, was held up by a procedural fight over what the regulator was allowed to see.

The underlying allegation is not new. A 2024 CCI investigation found that Apple had abused its dominant position in the iPhone apps market by requiring developers to use its proprietary in-app purchase system, the same conduct that has drawn regulatory fire in the European Union, the United States and elsewhere. India’s case has moved more slowly, but its penalty framework, anchored to global turnover, gives it unusual teeth.

TNW readers have followed the procedural thread. The Delhi High Court recently brokered a compromise in which it told Apple to cooperate while ordering the CCI not to issue its ruling before 15 July, granting Apple a roughly two-month reprieve while requiring it to produce the data. Wednesday’s agreement is Apple acting on that, handing over the records it had fought to keep back rather than continuing a fight the courts had signalled it would lose.

What the concession does is unblock the case rather than decide it. With the financials in hand, the CCI can move toward the part that actually matters: whether to penalise Apple and, if so, how much.

The global-turnover framework means that calculation is where the real stakes sit, and it is the calculation Apple’s resistance was designed to forestall. Handing over the data does not concede the underlying conduct; it concedes the regulator’s right to the information it needs to act.

The case is now one of several fronts on which Apple’s in-app payment rules are under pressure at once, and India’s is among the more dangerous because of how the fine could be sized. Apple has bought itself a deadline of mid-July and lost the argument over disclosure. The ruling that follows, and the number attached to it, is the part still to come, and the part Apple spent months trying to delay.