Ever since it kicked off a renewed interest in handheld PC gaming in 2022, the Steam Deck has been my go-to recommendation for anyone with even a passing interest in taking their PC games on the go. It now has plenty of competition, some with better chips and some with better screens, but none have matched the convenience of Valves SteamOS operating systemuntil now.The Lenovo Legion Go S runs SteamOSWhile most Steam Deck competitors use Windows, Lenovo announced during this years CES that its new Lenovo Legion Go S will be the first PC handheld not from Valve to offer SteamOS at launch. That means itll have a dedicated Steam button, easy access to Steams store and your Steam Library (although it can still play games from other stores), immediate remote play functionality, and, perhaps my favorite feature, Valves unmatched quick menu support (for adjusting everything from brightness to power consumption).SteamOS is also a bit more lightweight than Windows, so games could theoretically run better. Although, since it is based on Linux, some games will face limited compatibility.Still, the tradeoff is well worth it to me. The Proton tech SteamOS uses to help Windows games run on Linux has been generally reliable across my library, even with games that are supposed to have issues, and SteamOS is much easier to navigate with a controller than Windows.That said, the Legion Go S will have a Windows version as well, which will accommodate anyone who needs to play a game with anti-cheat, since those have difficulties running on SteamOS.Sadly, it's limited to white, while the SteamOS version comes in what looks like black to me, but Lenovo assures me it's a type of purple. Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt Legion Go S vs. Steam DeckSo, why get the Legion Go S over a Steam Deck?Primarily, the chip and the screen.The Steam Deck is still an impressive bit of kit for its starting price point of $400 (or cheaper when buying refurbished), but its getting a little long in the tooth when it comes to performance and visuals. The more expensive OLED upgrade can help a little bit with the latter, but the Legion Go S is generally more modern, and more akin to other competitors like the Asus ROG Ally.While Ive previously been skeptical about these competitors due to their lack of SteamOS, the Legion Go S promises the best of both worldsmodern hardware and Valves convenient software. Lets start with the chip: over the base Steam Deck, it has either the existing AMD Z1 Extreme processor or the new, exclusive AMD Z2 Go processor.The Z1 Extreme has already proven itself in devices like the aforementioned Asus ROG Ally, putting out a dozen or so extra frames over the Steam Deck in the latest AAA games, while the as-yet-unreleased Z2 Go seems to be a more modest improvement over the custom AMD Steam Deck chip. According to AMDs CES press conference yesterday, you can expect the Z2 Go to have roughly the same compute core count as the Steam Decks chip, but with a higher clock speed, the ability to use up to 30W of power, and four extra graphics cores. Both should perform better than the Steam Deck, although the latter will certainly be a little cheaper.That extra performance plays into the other reason to upgrade: the improved screen. While the Steam Deck tops out at an 800p OLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate, the Legion Go S has a higher resolution 1920 x 1200 panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. It is LCD, so youll lose out on the crisp OLED color contrast, but if youre like me and still running a Steam Deck LCD rather than the newer Steam Deck OLED, itll be a definitive upgrade. If you do have the OLED, itll largely be a matter of whether you prefer fidelity or speed. The Legion Go S will be able to show a higher frame per second count (hence the need for extra performance), but the Steam Deck OLED will probably have better colors, even if it has a slightly lower resolution. Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt You can configure the RAM to be twice as high as any Steam Deck, which should help make the handheld smoother to use. The remaining factors, then, are a matter of comfort and looks.The Legion Go S is a little thinner and lighter than the Steam Deck, and also marks an overhaul on the first Legion Go design, ditching the detachable controllers for a singular body. The right-hand touchpad from the first Legion Go is also still there, albeit smaller, although it doesn't have the dual touchpad setup that the Steam Deck has. On the plus side, it does have an extra USB-C port that the Steam Deck doesnt, as well as a slightly larger battery and optional trigger stops for a shorter pull.All of that makes for a compelling combo for me: the first device to really tempt me away from the Steam Deck since I got it. Youll want to wait for reviews to make a final decision, but Lenovo has put itself in a comfortable position here, especially with the Legion Go S price.PricingThe Legion Go S Powered by Steam, which is the model that runs SteamOS, will launch in May starting for $500. That will get you a Z2 Go processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. Meanwhile, a 512GB Steam Deck OLED is $50 more expensive, at $550. Upgrades to storage and RAM will also be available, which also brings me to the Windows version of the device.The Windows Legion Go S is actually getting a head start out the door, launching this month for $730. It comes with the Z2 Go processor, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. Thats a lot to pay for some extra memory and storage, so it should put you at ease to know a Windows model thats otherwise identical to the SteamOS version will also drop in May for $600, alongside additional upgrade options for both models. Those upgrades will include models with the Z1 Extreme chip, although specs for those configurations aren't fully available yet. Credit: Lenovo Note that Lenovo isnt considering the Legion Go S a full-on next-generation version of its existing Legion handheld. That would be the Legion Go 2, which is also at this years CES, but in a prototype stage. The latter is set to ship with the new Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor, an OLED screen, a new finish, and a fingerprint reader. Theres still no word on pricing or whether it'll include SteamOS, but Lenovo did tell me that it's aiming to ship within 2025. Fans of the first version can also rest easy knowing that the detachable controllers are still there, too.

This summer, I tested most of the smart grills on the market, but one rose above the rest: the Brisk It Origin. It turned me from a very occasional griller into a barbecue enthusiast by removing every pain of outdoor cooking. Somehow, Brisk It has topped itself at CES this year, introducing a new grill, the Zelos, which brings the same hardware to the market at a more affordable price. Moreover, the Zelos carries the second generation of the AI engine that makes Brisk It great: Vera 2.0.Brisk It grills are powered by wood pellets, so they have the ability to smoke your food with exceptional precision, but also cook your food at higher temperatures if youre looking for more of a true grill experience without as much smoke. You load the grill hopper with pellets, which is a lot like like any other smoker on the market, and an auger inside the hopper feeds the grill. You can operate the grill two ways: manually, from the display on the grill itself, or from the app. Youll likely end up doing a mixture of both as you get more comfortable with the grill, but Ill say this: Regardless of which method I used, the Origin has lit every single time Ive pushed the button this year, easily 50-60 times. I expect the same from the Zelos. There is also a certain amount of giddiness one gets while being able to light a grill from the couch via the app.While most AI-powered cooking devices have apps with recipe generation and cook-time suggestions, youll actually use the advice that the Brisk It app gives you. It offers an impressively deep recipe bank, so youre likely to get a hit on any barbecue recipe youre looking for, and then it tells you precisely how to prep it, and regardless of whether you took that advice or not, will perfectly cook it for you. You choose the recipe, and send it to the grill. The grill will tell you when to put the food on, you insert a temperature probe, and walk away. The grill will execute the perfect smoke or grilling program, raising temperatures when appropriate, injecting higher smoke, and telling you when to flip the food or when to take it off. It will even turn itself off.So, how could Brisk It get better? Vera 2.0 allows you to take snapshots of your ingredients on the phone and Vera will identify the ingredients and then suggest recipes, and, of course, the perfect way to cook them. Snap a picture of the contents of your fridge, grocery cart, or pantry. It even claims you can take a picture of cooked food you enjoy, and Vera will try to give you a recipe for it (Id need to test this to believe it; it feels like the sort of AI promise that often fails).Perhaps more importantly, the Zelos is made to be more affordable than the Origin, which, though currently are on sale, are regularly priced at $849 and $1,099. The Zelos promises to be $399, which is dramatically cheaper, but from the looks of it, doesnt sacrifice much on the build of the grill itself. It still looks solid, and I actually might prefer the placement of the display on the Zelos than on the Origin (it looks to be placed much lower on the hopper).I called my Brisk It one of my favorite pieces of smart tech this yearit's one of those unique pieces of hardware technology that lives up to the hype. Whether you are a confident cook or easily intimidated, great tech like the Brisk It can make you more competent at babecuing.The Zelos will be available for purchase in the next few months online at Amazon, Home Depot, Walmart, Lowes, and BriskItGrills.com

Lenovo came to CES 2025 to prove that theres still room in its ThinkPad family for fresh designs. It may seem sacrilegious to ditch the carbon fiber frames and Trackpoint nubs found in classic ThinkPads, but thats exactly what the new ThinkPad X9 line does.Lenovo may not admit it outright, but the goal with these new models is to entice younger buyers who might not have a ton of nostalgia for the companys 30-year-old laptop line. That said, the X9 line (which will be available in both 14- and 15-inch variants) still delivers the same military-grade durability (MIL-SPEC 810H) youd expect from a typical ThinkPad while boasting an even sleeker and more minimalist appearance.The lid of the X9 line is made from a smooth sheet of aluminum with the only defining characteristic (aside from the ThinkPad logo) being the long communication bar that houses the laptop's microphones and cameras. On the inside, Lenovos streamlined aesthetic reveals the complete absence of a Trackpoint nub, a redesigned keyboard with new keycaps and an even larger haptic touchpad than what youd get from the X9s siblings.Photo by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetSo even though Im an elder millennial who has some fondness for old-school ThinkPads, I must admit that I find Lenovos break from tradition rather appealing. I never understood the Trackpoint nub, especially on modern notebooks with super responsive touchpads. Getting rid of it not only reduces distractions, but makes the keyboard easier to use. And even with its tweaked keycaps, theres still plenty of travel to deliver a very comfortable typing experience.On its bottom, Lenovo is using what it calls an Engine Hub to deliver great connectivity for its size including a Thunderbolt 4 port on each side, a full HDMI 2.1 jack, 3.5mm audio and USB-A, while still providing plenty of room for thermal management. The X9 lines D-cover (the bottom panel) can also be removed by loosening just four captured screws, which gives you easy access to the laptop's user-replaceable SSD and battery. Unfortunately, because the system is powered by up to Intel Core Ultra 7 processors, RAM is soldered on so you cant upgrade its memory on your own.Both the 14- and 15-inch versions of the X9 feature bright OLED displays with 2.8K resolutions and 400 nits of brightness (or 500 nits on the X9 15) and all models come with 80Whr batteries, Wi-Fi 7, 8-megapixel high-def webcams and dual noise-canceling microphones. I also appreciate a lot of the smaller design touches like the physical shutter for the webcam and what might be one of the smallest 65-watt power adapters Ive seen from any major laptop manufacturer to date.Finally, Lenovos Aura Edition branding is there to remind you that the X9 line includes a handful of AI-powered tools including Smart Share, dynamic power modes, enhanced security and more. And in case anything ever goes wrong, youll also have access to 24/7 live support thats meant to deliver more of a white-glove experience compared to less premium machines.The internals of the Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 and 15 can be accessed just by removing four screws. Unfortunately, while the SSD is upgradable, its RAM is soldered on. Photo by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetAll told, the new X9 line really does seem like a more modern approach to laptop design. Now, that doesnt mean Lenovo needs to kill the classic ThinkPad (I still love those carbon fiber frames), but especially for younger customers, I feel like theres plenty of room for both of these lines to live together happily.Both models are expected to go on sale in February, with the ThinkPad X9 Aura Edition starting at $1,399 or $1,549 for the 15-inch version.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/lenovos-new-thinkpad-x9-is-the-least-thinkpad-ever-160019926.html?src=rss

Audio-Technica typically produces excellent sound quality on its headphones and earbuds even though it may not always build a complete package. The company has also been ahead of the competition on battery life at times, and at CES 2025, it's making some bold claims about its latest set of active noise canceling (ANC) earbuds. On the ATH-CKS50TW2, Audio-Technica says you can expect up to 25 hours of battery life on a charge when ANC is disabled, or 15 hours when you're trying to block distractions. There's another 40 hours in the charging case (25 with ANC on), but the other big feature on the ATH-CKS50TW2 is... magnets. Audio-Technica calls it Magnetic Switch Technology, and the tool snaps the earbuds together to turn them off before you toss them in a pocket without returning them to the case. If you're ready to use them again, they'll turn on when you pull them apart. Hybrid active noise cancellation is also on the spec sheet and 9mm drivers power the sound profile. Multipoint pairing is here too, as is Qi wireless charging and an IP55 rating for dust and water. There are touch controls on the earbuds as well, offering access to playback, volume, calls, voice assistant and noise control settings. The ATH-CKS50TW2 is available now in black for $149 and a beige color option appears to be on the way. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/audio-technica-debuts-earbuds-with-a-whopping-25-hours-of-battery-life-at-ces-2025-175430830.html?src=rss

Lenovos Legion gaming laptops are getting a big refresh thanks to CES 2025. The new series of notebooks includes whats probably the star of the show, the 10th-generation Legion Pro 7i. It supports up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU thanks in part to a cooling system that enables up to 250W thermal design power (TDP). It also uses an AI engine to dynamically adjust CPU and GPU wattage for optimal performance.Itll also support up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor to pair with that high-powered NVIDIA graphics card. Lenovos Legion Coldfront Vapor cooling helps it support that high-end hardware. On top of that, youll get up to 64GB of 6400Mhz DDR5 (2 X 32GB) RAM and a built-in LA1+LA3 AI chip. All of that is a recipe for souped-up gaming on the go or really just about anything you need to do, anywhere at any time.The laptop has up to a 16-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600, 16:10) OLED display. The screen supports up to a 240Hz frame rate and has a 1ms response time. It can reach 500 nits of brightness. The Legion Pro 7i has two USB-C ports (one of which is Thunderbolt 4), three USB-A ports and HDMI 2.1. With all that high-end hardware inside, its quite the beefy machine, with a starting weight of around 6 lbs.It launches in March. But all that horsepower doesnt come cheap: Lenovo says the Legion Pro 7i has an expected starting price of $2,399 and you can safely bet that RTX 5090 variants will fetch a premium on top of that.Lenovo Legion Pro 5iLenovoMeanwhile, the 10th-gen Legion Pro 5i (Intel) and Legion Pro 5 (AMD) offer up to an Intel Ultra 9 275HX (the same as the Pro 7i) or AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX, respectively. Their thermal power supports up to 200W, which enables up to an RTX 5070 Ti Laptop for graphics. You can order configurations with up to 32GB (2 X 16GB) of 6400Mhz DDR5 RAM.It also has up to a 16-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600, 16:10) OLED screen at up to 500 nits with a 1ms response time. But at 165Hz, its maximum frame rates dont go quite as high as the Pro 7i.Like the Pro 7i, the Pro 5 series uses Lenovos AI Engine+ with a Scenario Detection feature that dynamically tweaks the CPU and GPU wattage based on the moments needs. It has the same port setup as the Pro 7i, but at least it weighs a bit less (a minimum of 5.58 lbs).Unfortunately, youll have to wait longer for the more affordable Pro 5 series. The Legion Pro 5i launches in May (starting at $1,499), while the Legion Pro 5 arrives in June (starting at $1,399).Lenovo Legion 7iLenovoLenovo also has a 10th-gen version of the (non-Pro) Legion 7i, which the companys oddly specific PR copy says is for gamers actively studying in STEM programs and fields. It also supports up to an Intel Ultra 9 275HX and RTX 5070 GPU and has up to a 16-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) OLED with up to 240Hz and 1ms. However, its Coldfront Hyper cooling maxes out at a lower 145W TDP, so you wont get the same top-level performance as the more expensive Pro models.Starting at 4.4 lbs., its notably thinner and lighter than the Pro models. (The fact that its more portable but still decently powerful likely explains Lenovos strange STEM student framing.) It has an all-metal chassis. It will be available in June for $1,599.Finally, theres also a 10th-gen Legion 5i. Sticking with the oddly specific PR framing, Lenovo says this model is for university gamers in non-STEM programs. (Gotta nail down every niche!) It has up to a 15.1-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600, 16:10, 165Hz, 1ms) OLED and supports up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and RTX 5070 Laptop GPU. (Theres also an AMD variant with up to a Ryzen AI 7 350 CPU.)The Legion 5i is slated for a May launch, starting at $1,299.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/ces-2025-lenovos-10th-gen-legion-pro-7i-gaming-laptop-supports-up-to-rtx-5090-graphics-160004613.html?src=rss

CES 2025 is continuing in Las Vegas, and the TechRadar team is busy picking out the highlights of the show.

Microsoft once again tries to push users towards Windows 11 as Windows 10 EOL looms.

It's a huge day: Technics' update to the excellent EAH-AZ80 earbuds is here behold, the EAH-AZ100!

Bitcoin slumped on Tuesday as a spike in Treasury yields weighed on risk assets broadly.

ARM, directed by Jithin Laal, is a visual feast that blends the art of storytelling with visual effects that are truly path-breaking. Kishal Sukumaran, VFX concept artist, played a key role in creating the films breathtaking visuals, in collaboration with VFX supervisors Jithin Laal, Aniruddha Mukherjee, and Saalim Lahir. The incredible VFX was handled by leading studios Envision VFX, Visual Birds Studio, and Mindstein Studios, while Tiltlabs delivered exceptional previsualization. Jomon T. John ISCs cinematography has captured all the visuals; the music score of Dhibu Ninan Thomas is the heartthrob, adding layers to the film.ARM is a magic creation of Listin Stephen and Dr Zachariah Thomas under the Magic Frames banner. The meticulous editing done by Shameer Muhammed and Gokuldass intricate production design made the film itself very creative. Bycreative direction from Dipil Dev, the story unfolds visually. This talented association of producers and studios redefines the new standards of Indian films of creative filmmakers.The post ARM Concept Art and VFX Breakdown appeared first on Vfxexpress.