Technology

This 90-minute, three-part generative AI series helped me learn how to use artificial intelligence for work and everyday life. Here's what I learned.

• Lenovo announces plans to establish its new MEA HQ in Saudi Arabia
• It will manufacture “millions” of PCs and servers in a new plant
• Financial performance is strong with Lenovo revenues rising

Lenovo and Saudi Public Investment Fund company Alat have confirmed the completion of their $2 billion investment to “accelerate [Lenovo’s] ongoing transformation” by “[enhancing] its global presence.”

More specifically, Lenovo will invest across supply chain, technology and manufacturing in Saudi Arabia with the hope of generating 1,000 new jobs in the region.

As part of the deal, the Hong Kong computing giant is set to build a new Middle East and Africa (MEA) headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Lenovo bets big on Saudi Arabia

Part of increasing its presence in the Middle East and Africa will include building a new manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia to build PCs and servers. The company hopes to build millions of devices a year, with production beginning by 2026.

In its commitment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Lenovo will also use local R&D teams to build “fully end-to-end ‘Saudi Made’ products.”

Lenovo CEO Yuanqing Yang commented: “Through this powerful strategic collaboration and investment, Lenovo will have significant resources and financial flexibility to further accelerate our transformation and grow our business by capitalizing on the incredible growth momentum in KSA and the wider MEA region.”

Alat’s CEO, Amit Midha, added: “With the establishment of a regional headquarters in Riyadh and a world class manufacturing hub, powered by clean energy, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we expect the Lenovo team to further their potential across the MEA region.”

In its most recent financial report, Lenovo confirmed that its Intelligent Devices Group (IDG), which comprises PCs and tablets among other devices, saw revenues rise 15%, exceeding expectations. Its Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) revenue saw an even bigger 65% year-over-year increase thanks to continued support for AI.

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• Nintendo has finally commented on the latest Nintendo Switch 2 leaks
• It described the mockup shown off by Genki at CES 2025 as "unofficial"
• The company has also backtracked on its claim that the mockup was based on an actual unit

Unless you’ve been living under a particularly resilient rock for the last few weeks, you’re going to have inevitably seen at least a couple of the recent Nintendo Switch 2 leaks.

It seems like we know almost everything about the console in advance of its official reveal, including its alleged overall design, name, and even some of its potential features.

It’s an unusual situation and I certainly can’t remember the last time that there was this much information out in the wild about an upcoming hardware release. If all that wasn’t enough, third-party accessory manufacturers have been brazenly posting their own Nintendo Switch 2 renders.

Case maker Genki was even showing off a mockup of the system on the CES 2025 show floor which, if accurate, gives us a good idea of the dimensions to expect. It seems like this is what it finally took for Nintendo to issue a statement though, but its words have honestly just left me with even more questions.

In a comment provided to CNET Japan which we have machine translated, a Nintendo representative stated that “the gaming hardware that Genki claims to be Nintendo hardware at CES 2025 is unofficial and not provided to the company by Nintendo”.

On the face of it, this is a pretty unremarkable answer. It was already very obvious that the mockup was unofficial, though Genki did claim that it was based on an actual Nintendo Switch 2 unit. According to IGN, the company has now backtracked by admitting that it was created with rumors and leaked information rather than anything more concrete.

Still, this statement doesn’t touch on the abundance of other information out there today. It also doesn’t suggest that Genki’s mockup was in any way inaccurate, which could be quite revealing. Either way, we’re going to have to wait for the console’s official reveal, or at least some more reliable leaks, in order to find out.

The company has previously confirmed that it will unveil the system before the end of its fiscal year (that's March 31), so there might not be that long to wait.

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• Nvidia's RTX 5090 laptop GPU shows inconsistent Geekbench 6 performance scores
• Fails to score higher than the RTX 4080 or 4090 laptop GPUs in Vulkan
• It hasn't launched yet, and there aren't any official drivers available

CES 2025 finally gave us a look at Nvidia's new RTX 5000 series of graphics cards, and the flagship RTX 5090 GPU's performance capabilities compared to the last generation's RTX 4090 - but early benchmarks for its laptop GPU don't look very promising.

This comes from BenchLeaks on X, which claims to have leaked Geekbench 6 results of Nvidia's RTX 5090 laptop GPU using Vulkan (graphics API used in plenty of games), with its highest score of 114,821. Tom's Hardware highlighted this as the fourth benchmark among five different tests, with the lowest score sitting at 51,831 and the final test scoring 77,989.

Each benchmark score points towards wildly inconsistent performance for Team Green's flagship laptop GPU, which failed to score higher than the RTX 4080's 145,067 and the RTX 4090’s 167,655 Geekbench scores in Vulkan (both of which are for the laptop versions of those GPUs). While these results might be cause for concern, it's far too early to draw any conclusions.

(Image credit: Nvidia) Should we be worried about these early benchmarks?

While these tests are almost certainly not great to see, it's absolutely not a reason to panic. Aside from the fact that these benchmarks are not official, but are claimed to be leaked, the RTX 5000 series hasn't even officially launched yet (the RTX 5090 will be available at the end of the month), which means the necessary drivers and optimizations have not been made yet.

It's also important to note that in-game benchmarks are what matter most - while Geekbench 6 can be accurate for measuring the performance capabilities of a GPU, scores are never going to be the same as each test will often vary drastically or closely. Despite the inconsistent scores here, we should wait to see how the RTX 5090 laptop GPU fares across multiple games once Nvidia makes the necessary adjustments and official drivers have been released.

We should be getting both the desktop RTX 5090, alongside gaming laptops with the mobile version, in for review, so make sure you check out our full reviews when they are live for reliable and independent verdicts on just how good (or not) these new GPUs from Nvidia really are.

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• Model Y receives many of the updates seen on recent Model 3
• Faster acceleration and improved range among the upgrades
• Exterior styling is cleaner, with a full-width light bar at the front and rear

Tesla has responded to leaked images of the updated Model Y surfacing on Chinese social media recently by revealing full details of the refreshed EV, which has long been codenamed ‘Juniper’.

As with the Model 3 last year, the new Model Y receives a fairly major exterior overhaul, complete with front and rear full-width light bars, as well as a subtle but easily spotted refresh to the front and rear bumpers.

The sleeker exterior has improved the vehicle’s drag co-efficiency that, alongside improved sound-proofing, new acoustic glass, greater insulation and the latest casting methods, has reduced the number of body gaps and will lead to a quieter cabin. It will also have a positive effect on battery range.

Inside, Tesla has introduced ventilated seats and myriad ambient interior lighting extras to the refreshed Model Y, while the turn signals are now activated via a traditional stalk on Asia-Pacific models, rather than buttons on the steering wheel.

However, it is yet to be seen whether the controversial button controls will remain on vehicles that make their way to other markets.

There is also a new eight-inch touchscreen in the rear, in addition to the 15.4in touchscreen on the dash, which allows occupants to play games and binge their favorite movies and television while on the move.

(Image credit: Tesla China)

Currently, only the Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) and Long Range All Wheel Drive (LR AWD) models have received the ‘Juniper’ updates and, as a result, have also received reworked estimated range and acceleration specification.

But bear in mind that the WLTP cycle tests are typically more generous in their range estimations than the EPA figures used in North America.

The 2025 Long Range AWD model is said to be capable of 551km / 342 miles on a single charge, while 0.7 seconds has been shaved off the 0-60mph sprint time, so it can now manage it in just 4.3 seconds. Tesla claims it also charges slightly faster.

A cheaper Rear Wheel Drive model (RWD) is also on offer, which can manage 466km / 289 miles on a single charge and a 0-60mph acceleration time of 5.9 seconds. Customers will likely have to wait for a Long Range RWD model, as well as the top spec Performance versions to arrive.

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(Image credit: Tesla China)

Currently, customers in China can order a Launch Series Model Y in either a RWD or Long Range AWD variant, with the former costing ¥263,500 – or around $36,000 / £29,000 / AU$58,000. The more expensive AWD model costs ¥303,500, which converts to around $41,300 / £33,600 / AU$66,900 at the current exchange rates.

There has been no word on European and North America specification and pricing, but with the outgoing Model Y starting at $31,490 in the US and £46,990 in the UK, it is likely to be more expensive than the aging model. Electrek claims the figures equate to a 5% increase on the previous Chinese pricing, for example.

It is highly likely that Australia will be the next market to receive the refreshed Model Y, with key European markets likely following soon thereafter. However, current uncertainty around tariffs on Chinese-made vehicles in the US will impact the speed at which the North American market receives refreshed cars.

Arguably, the updated model can’t be rolled out fast enough for Tesla, seeing as the company posted its first sales drop since 2011 at its recent Q4 2024 earnings call, according to CNBC. Musk predicted earlier in the year that this would likely happen, citing ageing models as one of the key reasons for slowing sales.

The recent refresh of Model 3 has highlighted just how staid Model X and Model Y now look, while the range offered by their respective battery packs, which was once the talk of the EV industry, now lags behind rivals from the Volkswagen Group, Hyundai, Kia and Peugeot.

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• The Galaxy S25 Slim has leaked again
• A Snapdragon 8 Elite CPU and 12GB of RAM are expected
• The phone could launch later in 2025

Among the many Samsung Galaxy S25 leaks we've heard over the past few months, there have been consistent rumors of a fourth 'Slim' model that's joining the range – and benchmark scores for said phone have just appeared online.

As spotted by well-known tipster @Jukanlosreve, the phone is listed as having a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and 12GB of RAM. The stated operating system is Android 15 – which will be Samsung's One UI 7.

The single-core and multi-core scores for the handset are somewhat underwhelming, but that's to be expected: work on software and hardware optimization is likely still ongoing, so the phone's actual performance will be several levels above what's shown here.

There's no doubt the Snapdragon 8 Elite is an impressive piece of silicon, and will be powering numerous flagship Android phones this year – head to our OnePlus 13 review to read about the first of them.

How slim is slim?

S25 Slim Geekbnech (US version)SD 8 Elite12GB RAM pic.twitter.com/X47mAIHSAnJanuary 9, 2025

As the name suggests, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim is expected to be slimmer than the other models in the range. Previous leaks have suggested we're looking at something between 6-7mm in thickness, front to back.

That's significantly thinner than the 7.6mm thickness of the Samsung Galaxy S24, though of course we don't know the dimensions of the standard Galaxy S25, the Galaxy S25 Plus, or the Galaxy S25 Ultra just yet.

Despite the thinness, the phone could well pack some high-end specs: we've heard that the phone could have a better rear camera setup than the standard Galaxy S25, while this benchmark leak hints at a very decent processor and RAM combination.

Samsung has confirmed its next Unpacked event will be happening on Wednesday, January 22, and the invite shows four phones – though there have been rumors that the Slim model will go on sale later than the others.

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• The Linux Foundation launches new initiative to look after Chromium browsers
• It’s meant to give a “neutral space” for developers to contribute without barriers
• Google, Meta, Microsoft and Opera have already joined

The Linux Foundation has declared its support for open-source Chromium-based browsers with the launch of a new initiative.

The ‘Supporters of Chromium-Based Bowsers’ program is designed to help support open source contributions and improve the sustainability of Chromium projects to “drive technological advancement.”

Its goal is to create a “neutral space” where industry leaders, academia, developers, and the broader open source community can come together to contribute to open-source browsers without barriers.

Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers

“This project will provide much-needed funding and development support for open development of projects within the Chromium ecosystem," Linux Foundation Executive Director Jim Zemlin commented.

Google, Meta, Microsoft and Opera have already committed to supporting the initiative, which is hoped to foster collaboration and distribute resources across Chromium projects.

Like other Foundation initiatives, the Chromium program will focus on transparency, inclusivity and community-driven development to “[meet] the needs of the wider Chromium community.”

The Foundation, which of course supports the Linux operating system, has been spreading its support and positive messaging across the entire tech industry since its inception as a nonprofit in 2000.

In late 2022, it launched the Overture Maps Foundation to create an interoperable mapping data set for the likes of autonomous driving and data visualization, with founding partners including AWS, Meta, Microsoft and TomTom.

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Speaking about the Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers initiative, Chrome VP Parisa Tabriz commented: “We believe the Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers is an important opportunity to create a sustainable platform to support industry leaders, academia, developers, and the broader open source community in the continued development and innovation of the Chromium ecosystem.”

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• ESR has launched an Apple Pencil alternative that costs $30
• The Geo Digital Pencil can fast charge and has Find My support
• It lacks many Apple Pencil features, but costs less than half the price

The Apple Pencil is a superb accessory for all the best iPads, but it doesn’t come cheap thanks to its $79 / £79 / AU$139 starting price (which stretches up to $129 / £129 / AU$219 if you want the Apple Pencil Pro). If you’re looking for an alternative pen for your iPad that won’t break the bank, ESR has just introduced a much more wallet-friendly option.

The ESR Geo Digital Pencil is a $30 pen for the iPad that can replicate many of the Apple Pencil’s features. For instance, it comes with tilt sensitivity that lets you easily adjust the thickness of your output by adjusting the pencil’s angle.

As well as that, you can tap the Geo Digital Pencil to quickly interact with your iPad and see the pen’s battery level. That’s similar to the Apple Pencil Pro’s ability to change tools when you tap it and is something that isn’t available on the entry-level Apple Pencil.

ESR says the Geo Digital Pencil is compatible with a range of iPads, including the iPad Air with M2 chip, the M4 iPad Pro, the 10th-generation iPad, and the iPad mini with A17 Pro chip.

What's missing?

(Image credit: ESR)

One of the Geo Digital Pencil’s most useful features is its Find My integration. This will allow you to connect it to you iPhone and locate it using the Find My app. Find My is an incredibly useful tool for Apple devices, so it’s encouraging to see ESR built it into its iPad pencil.

To charge the pen, you can connect it to a power outlet using a USB-C cable. This enables fast charging, which will get it to full battery power within 30 minutes. You can also magnetically snap the pencil to your iPad, but doing so will not charge it, which is something you can do with the Apple Pencil Pro (but not the regular Apple Pencil).

At $30, it’s unsurprising that ESR’s device lacks some of the Apple Pencil’s features, and it also goes without the hover feature that lets you preview a pen mark before you make it with Apple’s device. You also don’t get the barrel roll, haptic feedback or squeeze functionality of the Apple Pencil Pro, although that pen does cost over four times the price of the ESR Geo Digital Pencil.

Still, at less than half the price of the standard Apple Pencil, you might decide that it’s worth taking a punt on ESR’s alternative – we've certainly had some joy previously with more affordable rivals.

We don’t yet know how it compares to the Apple Pencil in terms of precision and latency, but if it turns out to be a solid device, it could take its place among the best Apple Pencil alternatives.

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