Sometimes AI just feels overwhelming, like it’s another thing to manage. Google, however, is announcing a couple of features within Gmail that will use AI to actually simplify your life. At PCWorld, we’ve written numerous articles on ways to clean out your Gmail inbox. There’s nothing worse than seeing a notification that your cloud storage is out of space, and trying to decide whether to take the time to clean it out (and risk losing something!) or pay more for additional space. And cleaning it out is no fun at all, either. What email should stay? What should go? Trying to decide what’s important or not is a headache, but then trying to navigate through the Gmail interface is a pain. That’s why I’m honestly excited that Google plans to apply Gemini to the job. In a blog post by Yulie Kwon Kim, vice-president of product at Google Workspace, Google said at its Google I/O conference that Gemini is being added to Gmail to help clean up your inbox. “Simply tell Gemini what you want to do (e.g., ‘Delete all of my unread emails from the Groomed Paw from last year’) and watch as it helps you manage and declutter your inbox with a single click.” I don’t think it will be as easy as all that; you’ll still have to decide what stays and what goes. But Google uses a good example here, and you can simply apply tips from our previous stories about looking for and deleting emails with large attachments, and so on. Gemini should work on your Android phone (you do have an Android phone, right?) and Gmail, so that you can probably clean up your inbox while chilling out on the couch. Gmail’s also expanding its predictive capabilities, adding personalized smart replies that use your tone, phrasing, and knowledge of your inbox. Google’s demonstration of the technology offered responses of several sentences, which is always a bit risky. You’ll want to monitor these. On the other hand, Google is also trying to make it easier to coordinate your schedule, offering suggestions for open times and sharing a booking page, if you have one. (Honestly, that’s a lot of why we exchange emails these days, it seems.) All of these features will be available next quarter — sometime in the fall, in other words. It’s one of the few times I can say that I honestly can’t wait. Read...

Let’s say you end the month with an extra $250 in your pocket. What do you do with it? You might spend it on a nice dinner out, perhaps with friends. A day trip. A spa treatment. Or maybe… AI? Google’s AI Ultra subscription—a recurring charge, mind you—is the newest way to flaunt your wealth. Announced at Google I/O today, Google says you can have all the best of what Google has on offer, from AI to storage, for “only” $249.99 per month. Google is also renaming its current $19.99-per-month AI Premium plan to “AI Pro” and adding additional features, like access to Flow. “[The AI Ultra plan is] for people who want to be on the absolute cutting edge of AI, from Google,” said Josh Woodward, the vice president of Google Labs and Gemini. Although it’s only available to customers in the United States as of today, Google promises that it will be available to a total of 70 countries soon. Here’s what the AI subscription buys you: Gemini: The AI Ultra subscription will deliver the best of the Gemini app, with the “highest” usage limits for Deep Research, Veo 2 text-to-video access, and early access to Veo 3, which adds audio generation that’s synced with the video. You’ll also get access to the “Deep Think” option within Gemini 2.5 Pro. Gemini is also integrated into Gmail, Docs, Vids, and more. Flow: Google is launching a new AI filmmaking tool that combines Veo, Imagen image generation, and Gemini. It’s designed for creating AI films, with editing capabilities built right in. Whisk: Another experimental technology, Whisk allows for quick image generation but also remixing. NotebookLM: Google is promising that you’ll again receive the highest usage limits and the most advanced models to use in your projects. Gemini in Chrome: Chrome is integrating Gemini and allowing it to use the context of the current page for queries. Project Mariner: Google’s agentic AI, which can be used to manage up to 10 tasks from a common dashboard. Google Drive: A massive 30TB of cloud storage. YouTube Premium Unfortunately, the sky-high price doesn’t come with a new Pixel phone. Read...

Do you want allegedly useful “artificial intelligence” features in your face in every single service and tool you use, constantly, unceasingly, and demanding you pay more for it? No? Too freakin’ bad, it’s coming anyway. The latest perpetrator is Adobe, who’s now raising the price of its priciest Creative Cloud plans next month and justifying it by bundling in a bunch of generative AI tools. The Creative Cloud All Apps plan is being renamed Creative Cloud Pro, because apparently tools that cost hundreds of dollars a year and aren’t available as full purchases aren’t for “professionals” unless they’re paying the maximum amount. If you’re in the US, Canada, or Mexico, and if you’re currently subscribed to All Apps, you’ll be moved over to the Pro plan starting on June 17th… with a price bump from $60 per month to $70 per month for standard, yearly-subscribed users in the US. Month-to-month prices will jump from the already-sky-high $90 per month to $105 per month. You can save a small amount on this by paying for a full year of access up front—that’s a whopping $780, which is a $120 increase over the previous yearly price for access to all Adobe apps. As usual, students and teachers qualify for discounts, using Aristotle’s “get ’em hooked while young” approach. Users will have the option to continue with their existing level of access, renamed from Creative Cloud All Apps to Creative Cloud Standard, for $55 per month on a yearly contract (or $82.49 month-to-month, $600 per year prepaid). Those rates are actually slightly cheaper than the existing prices for the same level of access… but the new plan won’t be available to new users starting in June. I repeat: in order to get the Standard plan, you’ll need to be an existing subscriber. New users won’t have access to those lower prices, and you’ll need to manually change over to get the cheaper Standard plan. How can it be a “Standard” plan if Adobe doesn’t make it available to everyone? I don’t know. Third base. Adobe For the higher Pro prices, Adobe is offering “full access” to the premium online versions of Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator, Acrobat, and Fresco—even at $55 a month, you’ll be stuck with the free web versions of everything except Acrobat. Pro also offers 4,000 credits a month for “up to 40 5-second [AI-generated] videos” or 14 minutes of translated video and audio, plus unlimited generative image and vector tools. Standard users get only 25 credits a month for Generative Fill, etc. As The Verge notes, initial reactions from Adobe customers are scathing. Microsoft, Google, and Canva all got similar rebukes as they’ve tried to force expensive and allegedly useful AI upgrades on their users. More than one poster on the After Effects subreddit has implied that they’ll continue using Adobe’s programs without paying for them. Ahem-hem. Adobe offers several plans below the All Apps/Pro level that don’t include access to dozens of programs, and they don’t appear to be changing at the moment. There’s also no indication that the new plans will be spreading beyond North America, at least for the time being. But speaking as someone who’s pass the two-decade mark as a Photoshop user, if you’re looking for less pricey, less exploitative options, you might want to look right here. Read...

Right now, for just $20, you can turn any dumb TV into a streaming-capable TV. Grab the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD on sale and use it to stream directly on your TV—or take it with you to hotels, Airbnbs, cruise ships, or your relatives’ houses. It’s perfectly portable for vacations, and this is a great time to get one now that it’s 43% off. All you have to do is plug this into any TV’s HDMI port and you’re good to go. You’ll stay logged into your Amazon account on the device itself, and you can move it from TV to TV and pick up right where you left off. It’ll also keep your installed apps, settings, etc. You just have to make sure it’s connected to the local Wi-Fi network when you move it. The Fire TV Stick HD comes with an Alexa Voice Remote, so you can use voice commands to change the channel, swap what you’re watching, control the volume, etc. Of course, you can also use the voice remote for other Alexa features, like asking it for the weather, managing your routines, and controlling other Alexa-compatible smart home devices. Note that this is the basic HD version of the Fire TV Stick. If you want to stream in 4K quality and/or want a device that’s faster and feels more responsive, you’ll want either the Fire TV Stick 4K or Fire TV Stick 4K Max instead. Incidentally, both of those are also on sale! But if you just want the cheapest option, it doesn’t get cheaper than the Fire TV Stick HD for just $20 right now. This “limited-time deal” won’t last! Get the Fire TV Stick HD for $20 (was $35)Buy now at Amazon Get the Fire TV Stick 4K for $30 (was $50)Buy now at Amazon Get the Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $40 (was $60)Buy now at Amazon Read...

Gigabyte came out swinging at Computex 2025 with a whole lineup of laptops. They’ve got smart AI features, slick designs, cooler thermals, and serious power. The vibe this year? AI smarts, top-tier performance, and easy portability. Aorus Master 18 and 16 Gigabyte At the top of the lineup are the Aorus Master 18 and Master 16, designed for serious gamers and creators. The Master 18 features a massive 18-inch mini-LED display running at 240Hz, which is ideal for gaming or editing. Inside, it’s configurable with up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 GPU, and up to 128GB of RAM. If you want something a little smaller (but still premium!), the Aorus Master 16 swaps the mini-LED for a beautiful OLED screen, which offers amazing color and contrast for creative work. Bottom line: both are stacked with the latest tech for anything you throw at them. Gigabyte Gaming A16 and A18 Gigabyte The Gaming A16 is all about balance. It’s slim (19.45mm thick), light, and still give you up to 12 hours of battery life. It’s great for everyday use, gaming, or school. It’s powered by up to an Intel Core i7 and NVIDIA RTX 5070, with a sharp 16-inch display that’s smooth and fast at 165Hz. If you like a little more screen space, the Gaming A18 is a larger version. It’s basically the A16’s bigger sibling with an 18-inch display, up to an Intel Core 7 240H CPU, and the same RTX 5070 GPU option. Bigger screen, same thin design. Gigabyte Gaming A16 Pro The A16 Pro takes things up a notch by adding Windforce Infinity EX cooling–something that used to be exclusive to the Aorus models. That means better performance and less heat when things get intense. It’s a solid pick for students in graphic design, engineering, or anyone running demanding software who still want a thin, long-lasting laptop. Gigabyte Aero X16 Gigabyte For creators and professionals, the Aero X16 is a real standout. It’s part of Microsoft’s new Copilot+ PC category, which means it’s got AI baked in from the start. It’s super thin at just 16.75mm, lasts up to 12 hours, and comes with GiMATE, which is Gigabyte’s built-in AI assistant that lets users control the laptop with natural voice commands. It also features a 16-inch 165Hz display with slim bezels and a 92 percent screen-to-body ratio for a clean and modern look. Read...

The MSI Claw series of Steam Deck-style handheld gaming PCs is the only one from a major manufacturer that goes with Intel chips instead of the much more popular (at least in this segment) AMD APUs. Well, it looks like MSI decided to go with the flow. There’s a new version of the Claw 8, and it’s using an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme. That’s the same chip that’s allegedly inside that new Asus ROG Ally 2, a more powerful version than the first generation, and not to be confused with the disappointing Ryzen Z2 Go. This new AMD flavor is christened the Claw A8 BZ2EM, which is only slightly less terrible than the top-end Claw 8 AI+ with Intel chips. The new model is notably more angular, with a two-tone paint job that doesn’t stretch onto the main panel and what looks like larger speaker grilles built into the grips. This new AMD-powered Claw comes with an 8-inch, 1200P LCD screen with 120Hz refresh, “up to 24GB” of DDR5x-8000 RAM, one M.2 slot for storage (no capacity given currently), and double USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports. You also get a MicroSD card reader for expansion, a beefy 80-watt hour battery, and a weight of 765 grams 1.6 pounds), which is still slightly lighter than the Intel version. Speaking of which, there’s a refreshed model of the Claw 8 AI+ as well. It’s using the same hardware as the existing model, topping out at an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, 32GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage. This “Polar Tempest Edition” gets a “glittering UV coating,” according to the press release. Strangely, the press release states that both devices will be available in “a range of color options,” but it does not provide specific prices or release dates. The Claw A AI+ has been very difficult to find in the US since launch but is currently listed at $1000 on Best Buy and B&H Photo, with neither actually shipping the hardware. Other announcements from MSI at Computex showcase new OLED monitors, with the MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 being the most intriguing. If that alphabet soup doesn’t perk up your ears, try this: 500Hz eSports OLED monitor for $850. It has all the other usual gaming bells and whistles, like QHD (2560×1440) resolution at 27 inches, .03ms response time, variable refresh rate support for consoles, and some fancy stuff like support for resizing and custom aspect ratios. It’s using a Samsung panel, probably the same one as this monitor, for quite a bit less. MSI But that price at that refresh rate is really something. As my editor, Brad Chacos, said, you’d expect to pay somewhere in that ballpark for a conventional LCD panel at 500Hz. Upgrading to an OLED, while also offering fantastic speeds for gaming, is really something. Connection options aren’t fully spelled out in the PR material, but it has a USB-C port, hopefully with enough wattage output for a gaming laptop. The MPG 271QR QD-OLED X50 (oh my god MSI, you are just begging for returns here) has that same 500Hz 27-inch panel, but builds in some more advanced features. The headliner is the new AI Care Sensor and its accompanying panel protection features. It only needs a mandatory OLED care refresh cycle once every 24 hours instead of 16, thanks to a local “AI” chip presence detection and automatic dimming. Surprisingly, all these extra features only raise the price a little, up to $899 USD. The cheaper MAG monitor is scheduled to go on sale starting July 5th, and the more advanced MPG on July 17th. Precise location availability was not shared. Editor’s note: This article first published on May 19, but was updated to include our hands-on video. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Over 24 hours of battery life (in our standard test) Solid build quality Snappy desktop performance 2-in-1 experience with pen Cons On the expensive side Lunar Lake’s low multithreaded performance is an issue for some workflows Our Verdict The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10 Aura Edition is a business laptop that combines long battery life and good desktop performance with a convenient 2-in-1 experience. If you’re looking for this type of machine, the only real downside is the price. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10 Aura Edition is a 14-inch business laptop that combines Intel’s Lunar Lake CPUs with a proven ThinkPad convertible design. This is a high-quality business laptop for people who want a snappy desktop experience in a 2-in-1 form factor with a pen. It’s optimized for getting things done. While it may be a bit pricey, it’s typical of business laptops. If this machine fits your budget and you prize battery life and portability, it’s difficult to argue with what Lenovo has put together here. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10: Specs Lenovo offers the 14-inch ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10 in various configurations, and all of them are branded “Aura Edition.” The base model starts at $2,125 and includes an Intel Core Ultra 5 226V processor, 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB of SSD storage, and Intel Arc graphics. At the time of writing, the model we reviewed costs $2,336 and features an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor, 32GB of RAM, a 1 TB SSD, and faster Intel Arc 140V graphics, along with an upgrade to Windows 11 Pro. (The model I got my hands on only had 512 GB of storage but was otherwise equivalent to that version — Lenovo offers a “Build Your PC” tool so you can customize the hardware when you order.) These machines come with various Intel Lunar Lake processors, and we know what to expect from Lunar Lake by now: The Intel laptop boasts an incredibly long battery life, an NPU for AI tasks capable of running Copilot+ PC features, and a surprisingly strong graphics performance for integrated graphics. However, the big downside with Lunar Lake is the low multithreaded computing performance due to the fewer cores. They deliver snappy desktop performance, but these chips are better for office work and portability than they are for heavy compute workloads, as we always see in our standard benchmarks. But the laptop is a portable, productivity-focused machine — not a blazing-fast workstation with maximum battery-draining CPU power. Model: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10 Aura Edition CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 258V Memory: 32GB LPDDR5X Graphics/GPU: Intel Arc 140V NPU: Intel AI Boost Display: 14-inch 1920×1200 IPS display with 60Hz refresh rate and 500 nits of brightness Storage: 512 GB PCIe Gen4 SSD Webcam: 1080p webcam Connectivity: 2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C), 2x USB Type-A (USB 5Gbps), combo audio jack, HDMI 2.1 out Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 Biometrics: Fingerprint reader, IR camera for facial recognition Battery capacity: 57 Watt-hours Dimensions: 12.31 x 8.57 x 0.64 inches Weight: 2.97 pounds MSRP: $2,336 as tested The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10 is a solid business machine. You’re getting great build quality, extreme battery life, a 2-in-1 experience with a pen, and a “future-proof” machine that supports everything from Wi-Fi 7 to Windows 11’s Copilot+ PC AI features. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10: Design and build quality IDG / Chris Hoffman The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10 Aura Edition is a solid 14-inch laptop made of metal. As it’s a convertible 2-in-1 machine, you can rotate the laptop’s hinge 360 degrees to lay it flat. The hinge feels great, as it has on previous convertible ThinkPads I’ve used. Lenovo includes a pen to complement the touchscreen experience. Last year, I reviewed the the previous version of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1, and this model closely resembles that machine from the exterior. It’s a gray metal design with the classic red ThinkPad nub in the middle and a bar at the top of the screen where the webcam sits. At just under three pounds, it’s fairly light but isn’t the absolute lightest laptop—2-in-1 machines tend to be a bit heavier than the absolute lightest options out there. The weight is actually rather nice — it feels like a solid-but-not-too-heavy piece of metal. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10: Keyboard, trackpad, and pen IDG / Chris Hoffman The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 has a high-quality keyboard — ThinkPads are known for that. It may not be quite as snappy as more expensive high-end ThinkPads like the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, but it feels great to type on. There’s no “mushy” feeling as you press the keys. The layout works well, and you can activate multiple levels of white keyboard backlighting. The trackpad feels great to slide your finger over, and you’ll feel a pleasing “thunk” when you press down on it to click. The surface is nice and smooth, and the physical buttons are nice to see — most laptops don’t come with a physical right-click button on the trackpad! I do prefer haptic touchpads, but the action on this still feels satisfying. If I had to nitpick, I would point out that the inclusion of the physical buttons reduces the size of the trackpad’s surface compared to what it could be — therefore, individuals who desire a larger trackpad and do not intend to use the physical buttons may prefer the trackpad on a different machine. As a 2-in-1 machine, this device includes a Lenovo Yoga Pen. It’s an active pen with a customizable shortcut button, and it works well for sketching on the screen. You can input text with handwriting, draw, sketch, sign documents, or whatever else you might want to do. The classic red ThinkPad TrackPoint “nub” is here in the middle, too, and you can use it to control the mouse cursor. That’s good to see considering Lenovo has started removing the TrackPoint from certain ThinkPad-branded laptops. People like me might be one reason why — I was never a big TrackPoint user, so I don’t find myself using it on these machines. But the TrackPoint has a devoted audience of people who love it — and, if nothing else, it gives the ThinkPad’s keyboard a unique aesthetic that I do love. So yes, I do want to see the TrackPoint stay on ThinkPad keyboards — even if I don’t personally use it much. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10: Display and speakers IDG / Chris Hoffman The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Aura Edition has a 14-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS display with a 60Hz refresh rate, 500 nits of brightness, and a touch screen. Lenovo calls this a “low power” display in its specs list, and that low power usage isn’t just a marketing promise — it absolutely shows in the machine’s long battery life, as we’ll see in the results of our battery life benchmark below. (You can also get this machine with a 2880×1800 display with HDR and a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz. That sounds nice, but the higher-end display will eat into the machine’s battery life.) The display looks great. Lenovo says it has an antireflective coating, and I can tell — it works really well. You don’t see the kind of extreme reflections you often do on a laptop with a glossy display when it’s in bright lighting. It’s a good-looking display with a decent amount of brightness, but it’s focused on real-world usage and long battery life. There are no issues with this choice — it’s an appropriate choice for this device. The ThinkPad X1’s speakers are a lot better than you might expect from a 2-in-1 14-inch laptop focused on portability. They can get surprisingly loud while maintaining clear audio quality, and the sound is “fuller” than I might expect — they even have more bass than I would have expected. (That said, a machine like this one can never deliver the kind of bass you’d get from a pair of headphones or external speakers.) Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10: Webcam, microphone, biometrics IDG / Chris Hoffman The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10 has a 1080p webcam with a physical privacy shutter at the top of the machine, which is always nice to see. The image quality is quite good — the quality you’re more likely to find in a business machine than the average consumer laptop, as it should be on a productivity-focused business machine where the webcam might be used in quite a few video calls. The microphone setup delivers solid audio quality and noise cancellation. Although it is not a studio-quality external microphone, this laptop’s microphone significantly outperforms the average laptop microphone for voice and video calls. This ThinkPad has a fingerprint reader to the left of the arrow keys on the keyboard, and you can rest your finger on it to authenticate with Windows Hello and sign in. It also has an IR camera for facial recognition, and they both work well. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10: Connectivity IDG / Chris Hoffman The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Aura Edition includes a solid selection of ports. On the left side, you’ve got two Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C ports) and a USB Type-A port. On the right side, this machine has a second USB Type-A port, an HDMI 2.1 out port, and a combo audio jack for headphones. That’s about what you’d want from this laptop — although people who want a built-in SD card reader won’t find it here. As always, you could get a dongle. My biggest nitpick: This machine charges over USB Type-C. It would be nice to see a USB Type-C port on each side of the laptop so you can plug in either side to charge it. Thanks to Lunar Lake, this machine also supports the latest wireless standards: Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 both come standard on this machine. As usual, Intel’s wireless hardware works well. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10: Performance The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 delivers snappy desktop performance. With a Lunar Lake CPU (specifically the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V in our review unit), this machine performs well in day-to-day desktop apps like web browsers and office applications. As always, we ran the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10 through our standard benchmarks to see how it performs. IDG / Chris Hoffman First, we run PCMark 10 to get an idea of overall system performance. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 delivered an overall PCMark score of 7,626, which is a respectable score for this hardware. IDG / Chris Hoffman Next, we run Cinebench R20. This is a heavily multithreaded benchmark that focuses on overall CPU performance. It’s a quick benchmark, so cooling under extended workloads isn’t a factor. But, since it’s heavily multithreaded, CPUs with more cores have a huge advantage. There are no surprises here — with a Cinebench R20 multithreaded score of 3,913, this machine struggles along with other Lunar Lake-powered systems on this type of benchmark. When it comes to multithreaded compute tasks, Intel’s Lunar Lake CPUs have fewer cores and come in well behind other systems with more cores, like the AMD Ryzen AI 300 series. IDG / Chris Hoffman We also ran an encoder with Handbrake. This is another heavily multithreaded benchmark, but it runs over an extended period. This test demands the laptop’s cooling kick in, and many laptops will throttle and slow down under load. The ThinkPad X1 completed the encode process in 1,589 seconds, which is a bit over 26 minutes. Benchmarks like this aren’t representative of normal desktop performance, which doesn’t demand this level of sustained multithreaded compute performance, but it may be an issue for some professional workflows that require this sort of thing. IDG / Chris Hoffman Next, we run a graphical benchmark. This isn’t a gaming laptop, but it’s still good to check how the GPU performs — especially since the Intel Arc graphics in Lunar Lake are surprisingly good for integrated graphics. We run 3DMark Time Spy, a graphical benchmark that focuses on GPU performance. With a 3DMark Time Spy score of 4,386, this machine delivers the surprisingly good graphical performance we’d expect to see from Lunar Lake hardware — but is still far behind gaming PCs and workstations with more power-hungry GPUs. Overall, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 delivers good Lunar Lake performance: The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 offers a swift desktop experience, impressive graphics performance, and albeit subpar multithreaded performance. However, the complete picture becomes clear when considering the battery life. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10: Battery life The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10 includes a 57 watt-hour battery, which is a little on the small side in terms of hardware. That’s one reason why I was absolutely floored by the battery life in our benchmark. IDG / Chris Hoffman To benchmark the battery life, we play a 4K copy of Tears of Steel on repeat on Windows 11 with airplane mode enabled until the laptop suspends itself. We set the screen to 250 nits of brightness for our battery benchmark. This amount of time is a best-case scenario for any laptop since local video playback is so efficient, and real battery life in day-to-day use is always going to be less than this. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 lasted for an average of 1,478 minutes before suspending itself. That’s over 24 hours of battery life—and closer to 25 hours than 24 hours. That shocked me a little bit considering the size of the battery, but obviously Lenovo has made some smart decisions here — aside from the efficient Lunar Lake hardware, I bet that low-power display is helping a lot, too. And, although real-world battery life will be substantially shorter if you’re actually using the machine rather than just looping a video in airplane mode, this is still extremely impressive. (For context, last year’s ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 machine lasted 1,055 minutes — or 17 and a half hours—in our benchmark. This represents a significant improvement compared to the previous year.) Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10: Conclusion The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10 is a solid business machine. You’re getting great build quality, extreme battery life, a 2-in-1 experience with a pen, and a “future-proof” machine that supports everything from Wi-Fi 7 to Windows 11’s Copilot+ PC AI features. It’s a little expensive, but business machines tend to have higher-end pricing. And I like this machine more than I expected to, honestly: even the selection of the low-power display and its nice anti-reflective coating are decisions you’ll really appreciate if you’re looking for this kind of PC. Yes, a glossy 4K display is more impressive at first glance. But battery life and readability in direct sunlight and brighter rooms are more important for getting work done. If that all sounds good, this may be the machine for you. But I really do wish Lunar Lake had better multithreaded CPU performance — if you need that for your workflow, that will be one reason you might look for a more power-hungry laptop. Still: You won’t get this kind of battery life if you do go looking for a beefier CPU. Read...

You likely already know EZVIZ for its innovative smart home security solutions. It has become one of the leading brands in the space, offering quality solutions to suit every home. However, you might not have heard about its sustainability efforts. The brand is committed to making its products as green as possible, both in the immediate term and in the future. What is EZVIZ doing to improve sustainability? EZVIZ has a long-term initiative dedicated to sustainability called EZVIZ Green. It’s a two-pronged approach that includes both product design and collaborative campaigns to further offset emissions. Starting with the products themselves, EZVIZ incorporates a number of eco-friendly measures that are both convenient for users and help to reduce the impact on the environment. For instance, EZVIZ has reduced plastic usage throughout the entire product cycle, from the packaging materials to the products themselves. Many EZVIZ cameras are compatible with solar panels to reduce the reliance on conventional power sources, and you can even take things a step further, opting to power your entire smart home with solar energy. The products also use highly efficient components to reduce power consumption, and are designed to be durable and updatable. EZVIZ pushes over-the-air updates to all of its products. So even if they’ve been on the market for a while, products continue to receive the latest features and security updates. Effectively, it means customers can keep using the same cameras for longer, both saving them money and reducing e-waste. EZVIZ In addition, EZVIZ has a partnership with an organisation called Treedom. Funded by the sales of EZVIZ Green products, they grow an average of two trees per day as part of a global forest plan. The trees are carefully selected by working with local experts and farmers to bring as many benefits as possible to the local ecosystem, and the progress is tracked online, so you can watch the impact of the campaign in real time. EZVIZ encourages customers to participate in its sustainability efforts by promoting its #GreenerWithEZVIZ campaign. When choosing an EZVIZ green-labelled product, customers are invited to join the tree-planting efforts to make a real impact across the globe. How can battery-powered cameras be better for the environment? The EZVIZ Green initiative starts with product design, and battery-powered EZVIZ cameras are a key part of this plan. EZVIZ battery cameras incorporate a technology called AOV (Always-On Video) which uses battery power more intelligently. It allows the camera to record 24/7 while reducing energy waste and extending battery life. It’s both better for the environment and also makes the products more convenient for the user. EZVIZ incorporates plenty of other eco-friendly technologies to further its sustainable goals, too. For instance, ColorFULL tech allows for high-quality color night vision, without disturbing the local environment with additional light pollution. In addition, the energy-efficient components used in EZVIZ products help to cut down on power usage. The batteries are designed to last as long as possible. Not only in terms of endurance, wherein they don’t need to be charged as frequently, but also in terms of lifecycle. When buying an EZVIZ product, you can rest assured that it’s designed to keep working in the long term. Frequent OTA updates also keep EZVIZ battery cameras feeling fresh, with all the latest features, so users can go for longer without needing to upgrade to a newer model. It’s easier on the wallet, it’s less hassle, and it’s better for the environment. As mentioned earlier, many EZVIZ cameras are compatible with solar panels, which means they can be charged using the power of the sun, rather than charging from the mains, which can contribute to carbon emissions. If you’re interested in picking up an eco-friendly EZVIZ smart camera, here are a few that we’d recommend checking out: EZVIZ CB8 Lite Outdoor PT Battery Camera EZVIZ The CB8 Lite is the perfect solution for users who want a budget-friendly camera that doesn’t sacrifice features. It has pan and tilt functionality, all-day AOV recording and color night vision. Of course, it’s also compatible with solar panels, so you can achieve your security goals and your sustainability goals in one go. Learn more about the EZVIZ CB8 Lite. EZVIZ CB5 Battery Camera EZVIZ The EZVIZ CB5 has a built-in solar panel, so it’s one of the easiest ways to get started with a green approach to home security. It also has an incredibly clear 4K resolution, making it one of the highest-resolution security cameras on the market. Combine that with AOV technology, which can record all day without sacrificing so much battery life, and you’ve got a very tempting camera. Learn more about the EZVIZ CB5. EZVIZ CB90x Dual 4G Battery Camera with Solar Panel Kit EZVIZ The CB90x Dual is an ingenious solution that incorporates dual pan-and-tilt cameras to cover a massive area using a single product. It also boasts 4G wireless connectivity, so you can install it anywhere, and you won’t need to worry about wires or Wi-Fi range. It’s the first camera of its kind to offer seamless switching between Wi-Fi and 4G connectivity, ensuring reliable video capture in all conditions. What’s more, ColorFULL tech means that it can see in the dark without creating any light pollution. The EZVIZ CB90x Dual 4G Kit will debut in June 2025. Stay tuned for more details on this amazing all-rounder. Read...

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