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The Thomson Reuters decision has big implications for the battle between generative AI companies and rights holders.

The directors of supervision and enforcement at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau stepped down, citing the stop work orders issued by Russell Vought, the agency's new acting director.

(Image credit: Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

• A hacker has allegedly listed 20 million OpenAI logins for sale
• However the origins of these credentials are disputed
• OpenAI says its investigation has found no evidence of a compromise

A hacker claims to be selling the login credentials of 20 million OpenAI users accounts - but the company says its own investigation has found no evidence of a hack.

A report from Malwarebytes Labs discovered a cybercriminal who goes by the name ‘emirking’ had listed a dataset for sale on a cybercrime forum claiming to contain, ‘20 million access codes to OpenAI accounts’.

OpenAI responded, stating, “We take these claims seriously. We have not seen any evidence that this is connected to a compromise of OpenAI systems to date.” Breaches like these can have catastrophic consequences for both the company and the users, but there are a few red flags that point to this incident being less than genuine, here’s what we know.

An unlikely story?

In Malwarebytes Lab’s initial report, there was some doubt cast over the origins of the information, with the report outlining

“It seems unlikely that such a large amount of credentials could be harvested in phishing operations against users, so if the claim is true, emirking may have found a way to compromise the auth0.openai.com subdomain by exploiting a vulnerability or by obtaining administrator credentials.”

The report also pointed out that the cybercriminal allegedly responsible for the leak was a relatively new user of the forums - which wouldn’t mean much on its own, but KELA cybersecurity also assessed the available data, and concluded the credentials were obtained via infostealer malware.

The analyzed sample by KELA showed the compromised logins related to OpenAI services, and contained authentication details to ‘auth0.openai.com’.

The security researchers then cross-referenced these details with its own data lake of "compromised accounts obtained from infostealer malware, which contains more than a billion records, including over 4 million bots collected in 2024."

“All credentials from the sample shared by the actor ‘emirking’ were found to originate in these compromised accounts, likely hinting at the source of the full 20 million OpenAI accounts that the actor intends to sell,” the security company confirmed.

Ultimately, the investigation concluded, "the majority of compromised credentials of OpenAI services offered for sale on BreachForums by emirking are not related to a breach of OpenaAI systems."

The credentials were deemed to be a part of a larger dataset "scraped from a mix of private and public sources that sell and share infostealer logs" - not from an unreported compromise.

Staying safe

No matter how the leaked credentials were acquired, anyone who has had their details leaked is at risk. The primary danger with this incident is social engineering attacks and identity theft.

Because many users of AI chatbots will (sometimes unwittingly) hand over personal information, anyone with access to their accounts could use the compromised email address to engineer personal and specific phishing attacks designed to steal even more information.

Just asking a chatbot for restaurant recommendations in your city, advice on budgeting, or work-specific questions or summaries can give attackers all the information they need to craft a convincing way to reach out pretending to be a colleague, trusted company, friend, or family member.

Being vigilant is the most effective way to combat this. Don’t give out any information to an unknown person or unexpected contact that you haven’t thoroughly vetted first, and make sure not to click any links you don’t 100% trust.

Make sure to also create a strong and secure password, and it's important that you do not reuse passwords from one site to another - this helps by quarantining any account that has been breached.

It’s a similar process when mitigating the risk of identity theft. Keeping an eye on your accounts, statements, and bills to make sure there’s nothing you don’t recognize, and let your bank know immediately if there is anything suspicious.

We’ve also listed some software which can essentially do the work for you, monitoring your credit files, warning about suspicious activity, and alerting you if any personal information is used (such as new bank accounts being opened in your name). Some even offer identity recovery and insurance policies up to $1 million, so check out our picks for best identity theft protection for families if you’re concerned about your information.

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• Check out our list of the best firewall software around today
• Top US health provider tells 882,000 patients they were hit in August 2023 breach
• We've also rounded up the best malware removal software on offer right now

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, February 11 (game #1114).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1115) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1115) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #1115) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1115) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1115) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• S

• G

• P

• S

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1115) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1115, are…

• SHOOK
• GRADE
• POLAR
• SEEDY

A mixed bag for me. I got extremely lucky with one common word combination (there are 143 words that begin with S and end in Y, according to Merriam-Webster) and unlucky with another, guessing Scoop and Swoon before I finally got SHOOK.

For GRADE, I guessed that the word ended RADE and with T already used there was only one option left.

Too close for comfort, but still an enjoyable victory.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1115) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1115, are…

• DOZEN
• PIXEL
• GLEAN
• EATER

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1114, Tuesday 11 February: HEAVY, CIRCA, PESKY, SCION
• Quordle #1113, Monday 10 February: TWIXT, FRESH, GUISE, TABBY
• Quordle #1112, Sunday 9 February: TAPIR, SHAKE, TOKEN, SEVEN
• Quordle #1111, Saturday 8 February: AFOOT, ALIKE, HUMUS, TOWEL
• Quordle #1110, Friday 7 February: PETAL, ABASE, AMONG, CORER
• Quordle #1109, Thursday 6 February: MADAM, SCAMP, FAUNA, TRACK
• Quordle #1108, Wednesday 5 February: SIXTH, VERVE, BLURB, CACTI
• Quordle #1107, Tuesday 4 February: BIRTH, DRAWN, MILKY, JOIST
• Quordle #1106, Monday 3 February: SLEET, TENSE, SEIZE, SCAMP
• Quordle #1105, Sunday 2 February: LOUSY, PENNE, CHUMP, SALVE
• Quordle #1104, Saturday 1 February: FACET, BLISS, FLUFF, FRANK
• Quordle #1103, Friday 31 January: PARER, SYNOD, BRAWN, BANJO
• Quordle #1102, Thursday 30 January: WEEDY, CHIRP, STALE, SUGAR
• Quordle #1101, Wednesday 29 January: CROWN, SCENE, AGILE, CRANK
• Quordle #1100, Tuesday 28 January: TOKEN, DAISY, INANE, PLIED
• Quordle #1099, Monday 27 January: ANGEL, GLOBE, MAYOR, BRAVE
• Quordle #1098, Sunday 26 January: WATER, ORBIT, BRIDE, TOUCH
• Quordle #1097, Saturday 25 January: GIVER, GROOM, GUSTO, MAKER
• Quordle #1096, Friday 24 January: GRIND, STOCK, SERVE, TOUCH
• Quordle #1095, Thursday 23 January: RUGBY, SASSY, WORRY, BANAL

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, February 11 (game #611).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #612) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• SHAKESPEARE 
• RATTLESNAKE
• ANDROID
• ROLLERBLADE
• SONG
• TITLE
• SKATEBOARD
• SKETCH
• DONUT
• DANCE
• DEED
• SAXOPHONE
• CERTIFICATE
• MONOLOGUE
• PACIFIER
• RECEIPT

NYT Connections today (game #612) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Official paperwork
• GREEN: Types of performance 
• BLUE: Homer, Bart, Lisa and Maggie
• PURPLE: Start of words make a rock song

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #612) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: DOCUMENTS OF OWNERSHIP 
• GREEN: BITS IN A VARIETY SHOW 
• BLUE: PROPS FOR CHARACTERS ON "THE SIMPSONS" 
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH "SHAKE, RATTLE AND ROLL" 

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #612) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #612, are…

• YELLOW: DOCUMENTS OF OWNERSHIP CERTIFICATE, DEED, RECEIPT, TITLE
• GREEN: BITS IN A VARIETY SHOW DANCE, MONOLOGUE, SKETCH, SONG
• BLUE: PROPS FOR CHARACTERS ON "THE SIMPSONS" DONUT, PACIFIER, SAXOPHONE, SKATEBOARD
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH "SHAKE, RATTLE AND ROLL" ANDROID, RATTLESNAKE, ROLLERBLADE, SHAKESPEARE

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

The appearance of the words SKATEBOARD and ROLLERBLADE took me on a mental detour, thinking that four of the words were describing skating tricks. DONUT must be a trick, I thought, and RATTLESNAKE sounds like it could be too, and well SAXOPHONE could be riding through a pipe or something. You may be able to tell, my skating knowledge is zero.

Meditating on the word DONUT finally got me to the last two groups. Think of donuts for long enough and it It’s hard not to think of Homer Simpson and his love of a pink glazed ring. The other three PROPS all appear in the still-brilliant opening titles.

Meanwhile, STARTING WITH “SHAKE, RATTLE AND ROLL” was a lovely piece of word trickery. Well done, Connections, and to all who got that one in the top three tiers.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, 11 February, game #611)

• YELLOW: WREST JERK, TUG, WRENCH, YANK
• GREEN: BUSTER BUB, BUD, JACK, MAN
• BLUE: YOGA ACCESSORIES BLOCK, BOLSTER, MAT, STRAP
• PURPLE: _ CAP HUB, KNEE, MAD, NIGHT

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, February 11 (game #345).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #346) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Don't stop believin'

NYT Strands today (game #346) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• TALL
• LOSE
• HIND
• ROLL
• DINE
• LION

NYT Strands today (game #346) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Well-traveled rock group

NYT Strands today (game #346) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: right, 4th row

Last side: left, 7th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #346) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #346, are…

• TRAIN
• TOOK
• GIRL
• TOWN
• SMALL
• LONELY
• WORLD
• MIDNIGHT
• SPANGRAM: JOURNEY

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 hint

Today’s Strands included keywords from the Journey classic Don’t Stop Believin.

“Just a SMALL TOWN GIRL/ Livin' in a LONELY WORLD/ She TOOK the MIDNIGHT TRAIN going anywhere”.

It’s one of those songs that has had multiple lives beyond its original release in 1981 – used by Chicago White Sox during the 2005 World Series, as the closing music to the final episode of The Sopranos, sung by the cast of Glee, Peter Griffin’s karaoke song in Family Guy, as the title of Olivia Newton-John’s biography…

The song has become a motivational anthem, but aside from the chorus many questions remain – such as what small town was this small town girl catching a midnight train from exactly? If it had a midnight train, it’s more likely it was a city. And presumably having bought a ticket she would surely know where it was going.

Meanwhile, as for the city boy from South Detroit also getting the train to anywhere – there is no area called South Detroit, so no wonder he’s confused and just climbing on random trains. Journey, we need answers.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, 11 February, game #345)

• GARDEN
• BEAUTY
• HOME
• BATH
• KITCHEN
• TOYS
• ELECTRONICS
• SPANGRAM: BIG BOX

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

You don't need to overspend to get a capable gaming laptop. Check out our five favorite budget-friendly gaming laptops, most of which cost less than $1,000.

A researcher affiliated with Elon Musk’s xAI startup is researching a method to alter the politics of Grok and better align the chatbot with conservatives.

National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said Fogel was released in what he called "an exchange" with Russia and was on his way back to the United States. Terms of the exchange were unclear.

(Image credit: Stephanie Scarbrough)

• The Jura J10 is a new coffee machine with 42 hot and cold drink options
• Its cold extraction process pulses water slowly through fresh ground coffee
• It can also infuse your coffee drinks with flavored syrups

Jura has launched a new bean-to-cup coffee machine, the Jura J10, which can brew 42 different hot or cold drinks and can even add flavored syrup to recreate your most complicated coffee shop orders.

This isn't Jura's first cold brew coffee maker – the Jura Z10, which we reviewed back in 2023, also offered a choice of chilled options – but the J10 does things a little differently. The new machine has an updated cold extraction process that pulses water slowly through freshly ground beans under high pressure for a more rounded flavor.

If you want even more flavor, the J10's Sweet Foam system can infuse milk foam with your preferred type and quantity of syrup. The iced vanilla latte of your dreams is only a few touchscreen taps away.

The J10's grinder has a feature called Aroma Control, which actively monitors the size of the grind for consistency and can be adjusted manually at any time to tweak the speed at which water permeates the coffee. Like the KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine K8, the J10 also has a chute for ground coffee, meaning you can try a different bean or blend without emptying the hopper.

(Image credit: Jura) Your home barista

The J10 also offers a new feature called Coffee Eye, which detects whether you've placed your cup under the central coffee spout or the cappuccino spout and helps you position it correctly to avoid accidental spillage (something that's all too easy with even the best coffee makers).

There's a one-touch milk cleaning function to keep the lines clean and hygienic, and on-screen instructions guide you through every step of the coffee-making and maintenance process.

The Jura J10 has a list price of £1,795 (about $2,200 / AU$3,500), which puts it firmly in at the premium end of the spectrum when it comes to bean-to-cup coffee machines but is far less than the Jura Z10, which sold for $3,999 / £2,450 / AU$4,650 when it launched. We'll be testing the J10 soon, so stick with TechRadar to see how well it recreates the coffee shop experience at home.

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OpenAI’s CEO claims the company has yet to receive an official offer from Elon Musk’s team, sources say.

The voluntary recall covers 13 products sold at major grocery stores in 26 states and the District of Columbia. It was triggered by defective packaging that poses the risk of food poisoning.

(Image credit: urguplu)

There's a country under here somewhere: A satellite image from early Tuesday shows a thick glaze of white clouds covering much of the continental U.S., with another storm system looming off the Pacific Coast.'/>

Break out those shovels, because storms are about to dump a mess of snow and ice on a large part of the U.S. As of noon Tuesday, at least 20 states were under winter warnings or advisories.

• Compact and powerful, Planck SSD offers 1,050 MB/s transfer speeds
• USB-C hub enables dual SSD use and external monitor support
• Direct-to-SSD recording eliminates dropped frames in 4K ProRes footage

ShiftCam has announced the Planck SSD, a mini external storage solution for business smartphones and business laptops, connecting via USB-C and offering up to 2TB of storage.

The Planck SSD is powered by NVMe technology, enabling read and write speeds of up to 1,050 MB/s and a transfer speed of up to 10Gbps. This level of performance supports, for instance, direct-to-SSD recording for Apple’s 4K ProRes video at 60 or 120 frames per second without dropped frames.

Given such videos at 120fps consume around 264GB for just ten minutes of footage, this external storage solution is essential for those working with high-resolution content in video editing software.

Durable and reliable for any environment

The name "Planck" is inspired by the scientific term associated with incredibly small quantities in physics; the SSD's minimal form factor should mean that it can also accommodate a gimbal used for stabilized video records.

Despite its compact size, the company claims the Planck SSD will have IP65 dust/water resistance and be drop-proof up to three meters, making it ideal for outdoor shoots.

It also supports a USB-C hub that allows two Planck SSDs to be used simultaneously. This hub also includes an HDMI port, enabling users to connect an external monitor for direct media playback.

Per Shiftcam, the suggested retail prices for the Planck are expected to be $129 for 1TB and $199 for 2TB, with the launch expected in Spring 2025.

ShiftCam’s CEO Benson Chiu said in a press statement, “[its] mission with Planck is to eliminate the barriers of traditional storage and empower creators to focus on their craft. We’ve designed a tool that’s so portable and powerful, it becomes an invisible yet essential part of any creators workflow.”

You may also like

• Check out the best portable SSDs you can get today
• These are the best NAS devices around
• We've also rounded up the best cloud storage platforms on offer

The remaining employees at the General Services Administration are being warned that their work will be heavily monitored, from their swipes into the office to what they type on their computers.

(Image credit: Saul Loeb)

• Figures show Google’s search dominance remains largely unchallenged, 24 times bigger than its closest rival
• Microsoft's AI-powered search gains traction, but global market shifts remain minimal
• Elsewhere, Perplexity.ai continues to play catchup to ChatGPT

Google has dominated search for years, generating the vast majority of organic traffic worldwide - but while its grip remains firm, new data suggests that cracks are beginning to form.

A new Seranking report crowning 2024's top search engine claims Google saw a 0.91% decrease in its global market share - however, it still drives nearly 95% of all organic search traffic, and no other platform comes close.

Bing, the second-largest search engine, also saw a 0.17% increase, bringing its total share to just 3.51% while DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, and other search tools remain below 1%.

AI integration threat?

The report further reveals AI-driven platforms such as ChatGPT and Perplexity sparked interest in 2024, particularly in the latter half of the year. ChatGPT’s referral traffic rose from negligible levels to 0.09% by December, while Perplexity experienced steady but slower growth, reaching 0.02%.

These numbers suggest AI-driven search platforms are gaining ground, but at nowhere near the scale of Google. Even if AI search adoption accelerates, it would take years before it could significantly challenge the traditional model.

Microsoft's Bing has also integrated AI tools into its search experience, hoping to draw users away from Google. However, its incremental growth shows that AI alone is not enough to disrupt established habits.

While other brands are integrating AI to fight against Google, the tech giant is not folding its arms. It has rolled out AI-driven features like AI Overviews and Gemini 2.0, which have helped it maintain its edge.

These advancements, coupled with its vast infrastructure and user trust, ensure that Google remains the go-to search engine for the foreseeable future.

Although AI-generated responses provide a new way to access information, they do not fully replace traditional search. For now, Google remains unshaken at 24 times the size of its nearest rival.

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• Google is 'reimagining' Android to be all-in on AI
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Sony looks set to launch new headphones (likely the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones) according to two recent product filings with the US' FCC and Singapore's IMDA.

While the device isn't called the XM6 explicitly in either filing – instead, both filings label it the equally easy-to-remember YY2984 – the device looks an awful lot like an updated Sony WH-1000XM5, and the few details the filings share suggest it is indeed a new entry in Sony's flagship headphones line.

We say few details because short-term confidentiality agreements prevent these regulatory agencies from sharing all but the most basic specs info and a few diagrams of the upcoming products. That means we’re still in the dark on many specifics and won’t have a clearer picture until Sony shows it off officially.

Saying that, from what little info we do have, we can start to paint a picture of what the XM6s could be capable of and when we might get to try them out for ourselves.

What do we know about Sony's new headphones? 1. The release date could be close

While none of the filings tease a precise release date for the new Sony headphones, they do at least suggest we won’t be waiting much longer to try these cans out for ourselves. That’s because the confidentiality of the FCC’s filing is set to expire in July this year, at which point more precise specifics on the device would be revealed to the public and spoil any surprise Sony has in store.

As such, we expect the new headphones will land sometime before then in the first half of 2025. Previous headphones from Sony have launched months ahead of this expiration date, so we could be on track for an April or May release. However, your guess is as good as ours when it comes to nailing things down further.

How much of an upgrade will the new cans be over the XM5s? (Image credit: Future) 2. Fast charging and Bluetooth 5.3

Because of confidentiality, many specs are still a secret, but we have gleaned a few details from the filings. First is support for fast charging, as we’ve seen from Sony headphones before with a reference to 9V charging alongside 5V, though there’s no word on what capacity the battery has to help clue us into its runtime.

We have, however, seen the new headphones are set to get Bluetooth 5.3, a step up for from the 5.2 used in the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones, which should deliver a more stable and energy-efficient connection. While it might initially seem disappointing that the headphones don’t support the latest Bluetooth 5.4 standard, they are more aimed at commercial and smart home Internet of Things products. The advantages it offers wouldn’t do much for the XM6s, sonically speaking.

3. Possibly no driver change

This one is tough to judge, but as The Walkman Blog also suggests, the diagrams of the WH-1000XM6 appear to show a driver size unchanged from its predecessor—30mm. Compared to the 40mm drivers in the XM4s, the smaller hardware in the XM5s led to a more detailed and tighter sound, so while it’s likely not much will change audio-wise between the XM6 and what came before, that’s not necessarily going to be a bad thing.

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The Tricky Trees travel to Devon for the final tie of the fourth round.

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid: Two-minute review

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

I don’t know that I’ve ever been as confused by a laptop as I have by the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid. It takes the 2-in-1 concept to a whole new level – one that not many have probably asked for. It’s a powerful laptop, by Ultrabook standards, with a screen that can be pulled off and used as a tablet. To make things even more interesting (see also: confusing), you can press a button to use the Android OS without removing the tablet, essentially interacting with the Android tablet portion as if it was an Android laptop. AND, there’s a few hybrid functions that work across both devices in a way that a separately purchased laptop and tablet just couldn’t.

Confused yet? Hopefully, you won’t be by the end of this review. But, to be fair, while the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 has the bona fides to compare favorably to both the best 2-in-1 laptops and the best Android tablets, it’s not a product that’s right for everyone.

Its unique form factor is most ideal for those that like working specifically in the Windows and Android ecosystems. So, if your tablet needs are met by something made by Apple, this is not going to be for you unless you want to transition over to Android.

That said, it’s a cool concept for those that work in both those operating systems. And, as long as Lenovo keeps the price “discounted,” it’s worth it. Even if it’s not perfectly implemented – there’s no headphone jack on the tablet (the ports are somewhat sparse in general) and the mechanism to dock the tablet back on the hybrid base station is a bit tricky. It’s unique, as both the Windows and Android portions of the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid equation are powerful, and it has a vibrant, sharp 14-inch screen. Plus, it comes with a stylus and it’s kind of cool to type something up (say, maybe this article) on the hybrid station with a monitor while keeping YouTube open for some distraction and procrastination on the tablet.

Confused still?

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• How much does it cost? Starting at $2,040.44 / £1,399.99 (about AU$2,710.00)
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US and UK

Considering how unusual the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid is and the fact that it not only offers two separate devices that can be used together or separately but two different operating systems, its listed price of $2,040.44 / £1,399.99 is not that bad. It’s what Lenovo advertised when we first covered this device.

What’s so frustrating is that, for a time, especially when I first looked at the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus gen 5 Hybrid, it was listed at a much higher price, specifically $3,518.00 / £2,199.98 (about AU$4,260). Those prices are still listed as the “estimated value,” which is, frankly, insane.

First, you can get a quality Android tablet and computer for that original $2,000 price. Second, the fact that it’s shown as a discounted price means that Lenovo could potentially remove the discount from time to time to sell at the higher price tag.

Now, at the current, “discounted” price, it’s still plenty pricey, but it’s not a hard sell. If you were to get a Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage – the same as the one that the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid comes with – you would spend $1199.99, not to mention you would have a smaller 12.4-inch screen. Of course, bigger isn’t always better with tablets as too big can be unwieldy.

Getting something equivalent to the Windows side of the Lenovo in a laptop with an Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU, 32GB of RAM, and an 1TB SSD, not to mention that the screen (which is also the tablet) is an OLED panel with a 2.8K resolution, is going to cost at least $1,000 if not more.

Assuming that Lenovo really keeps the price at around its current discounted price, it’s worth it if you rely on Android tablets and Windows PCs and want something capable on both fronts for work.

It’s worth noting that it also comes with the Lenovo Tab Pen Plus and an easel stand for the tablet. Unfortunately, it’s not currently available in Australia.

• Value: 4 / 5

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid: Specs

The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid only comes in one configuration. The base, which houses the Windows-related components, comes with a powerful Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU and Intel Arc integrated graphics. While there are no RAM and SSD customizations, at least Lenovo offers up a good amount with 32GB and 1TB, respectively.

The tablet is also suitably souped up with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ mobile CPU, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. That’s on par with the most powerful Android tablets on the market right now.

Likewise, there are no customizations on the exterior either. At least you get a sharp 14-inch OLED panel with a 2.8K (2880 x 1800) resolution and 100% DCI-P3 color coverage, though at 60Hz. It’s also available just in the one standard aluminum gray that most sleek laptops come in.

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid: Design

• Limited ports including no headphone jack on tablet
• Screen can be removed to use separately as a tablet, while base still works as a Windows machine
• Comes with an accurate and sensitive stylus

When the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid is in its standard laptop mode with the screen attached, it’s surprisingly normal looking. In fact, it’s a bit thick when closed as the hybrid station is a little over a third of an inch thick and the screen is just under a third. It almost looks a little dated if you’re not looking closely.

If you do look closely however, you’ll start to see the differences. For one, the keyboard has its own button to switch between Windows and Android operating systems – something you won’t find anywhere else. In fact, there’s a whole hybrid system that I’ll discuss in performance.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

You’ll see the large vents on the sides of the hybrid station as well as the single USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports on each side, not to mention a mic/headphone jack on the left side. The tablet itself just has a USB-C port that’s hidden when attached to the hybrid station – there’s unfortunately no headphone jack on it, even if you can connect a pair via Bluetooth.

You’ll probably notice, like I did, that the display is quite stiff. It’s so stiff, in fact, that I thought I was going to break it the first time I tried to close it (I didn’t). This is in stark contrast to many 2-in-1 laptops, where the hinge is a little too loose so the screen sometimes sags, all in the name of making it easy to fold into one of the other modes.

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(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

Where it really sets itself apart is when you pull the display off the base. When removed, the hybrid station can still be used as a Windows machine – you just need to plug it into a monitor via one of the USB-C ports.

The keyboard is fine enough to use and the trackpad is accurate enough that no matter how you’re using this computer, you won’t feel the need to grab an external anything. I won’t say that they’re the best I’ve used on a laptop, but they do the job and don't seem to have any noticeable shortcomings.

The tablet itself is a bit bulky as you’re still holding what’s basically a 14-inch screen, though it is a sharp one with a 2.8k resolution and a 100% DCI-P3. That’s good enough for some editing work. Plus, as a touch-screen, it’s very accurate.

Besides its large size, which can be a boon for some and cumbersome for others, the only other issue is the fact that it has just one USB-C port and no input jack for headphones, even if you can connect to it via Bluetooth. At least it has four 1-watt speakers (the hybrid station has an additional two 2-watt ones for a total of six speakers in regular laptop mode).

This package does come with an easel stand and stylus to make it a bit easier to use. A quick note on the stylus, which is the Lenovo Tab Pen Plus. It’s very accurate as well as sensitive, since it has “4,096 levels of pressure and tilt detection,” not to mention the fact that it has very palm rejection. Lastly, the stylus can magnetically clip onto the back or side of this device.

• Design: 4 / 5

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid: Performance

• Both devices are powerful in their own right
• Cross-integration between devices is unique
• Can be used as an Android laptop

Whether you use it as a laptop, tablet, or some kind of in-between cross-pollinated system, the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid is fairly powerful.

The hybrid station houses all the internal components related to the Windows portion of the experience, with an Intel Core Ultra 155H CPU, 32GB of RAM and 1 TB of solid state storage. Some discrete graphics would have taken this even further, but as it is, it can handle everything this side of video games and video editing. I was able to open 15 tabs, including four streaming videos on YouTube, without any slowdown in loading or even switching between tabs. I was even able to do some light gaming, but nothing all that taxing. It is powerful enough to do some photo editing.

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid: Benchmarks

3DMark: Fire Strike: 7798; Time Spy: NA; Port Royal: 1584

GeekBench 6.3 1702 (single-core); 10693 (multi-core)

PCMark10: 6826

Handbrake 1.8.1: 3:52

CrossMark: Overall: 1629 Productivity: 1559 Creativity: 1822 Responsiveness: 1328

PC Mark 10 Battery Test (Office): 9:55

PC Mark 10 Battery Test (Video): 5:43

The tablet with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ mobile CPU, 12GB RAM, and 256 SSD of storage is pretty powerful for an Android tablet. It has no problem playing demanding games like Real Racing. Opening a bunch of tabs in Chrome (I stopped at ten) is speedy. Really, it can handle anything you could ask of an Android tablet. It even has a 1080p front-facing and 13MP back-facing camera. The front facing camera can be used with Windows for video conferencing and the like. It also has a physical shutter – always a nice touch.

Being able to use the hybrid base station and Android tablet as two devices is pretty cool, but what truly elevates the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid past just owning a Windows and Android device purchased separately – beyond the fact that they combine like a Transformer – is how the two devices still integrate on a software level.

The main way that they interact is through the Hybrid Folder that they share. You can put files of all sorts in there and they will sync to the other device, whether they’re physically attached or not.

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(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

There’s also Hybrid Stream, which requires the tablet to be used as the only monitor, that lets you open a window to interact with the Android OS, while still using the Windows OS. It does run at a very slight delay, but is a cool way to access some Android-specific features without having to grab a second monitor to keep toiling away in the land of Bill Gates and Paul Allen.

Freestyle is an app that takes this cross-platform integration in a different direction, allowing you to mirror or extend your display, if you’re using an external one, to the tablet, basically turning into a second monitor. It’s pretty cool, though extending the display is a bit laggy. The app also allows you to share files directly between the two devices if you don't want to go the Hybrid folder route, as well as stream apps from one device to the other. Of course, the screen mirroring and extension is probably the most important functionality with this app.

Another way to use the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid is by pressing the Insert button, which also functions as a way to switch between the two operating systems without pulling out the screen, meaning that you can essentially use this device as an Android laptop. And it works fairly seamlessly for navigating as long as you’re not launching apps that need you to hold the tablet in your hand, such as a video game where you’re tilting the screen.

As mentioned before, there are a lot of speakers built into this device so that the hybrid station and the tablet can both emit sound. On their own, they do the job but are fairly thin. When used as a laptop, the Lenovo will use all six speakers. It’s not an audiophile experience by any means, but it’s much louder and fuller than you generally get with laptops. There’s still a small amount of hollowness, probably due to the fact that all the speakers are pretty small.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid: Battery life

• Up to ten hours of battery life in hybrid station
• Tablet has about eight hours of battery life

The battery life on the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid is not going to wow anyone. But considering the unique form factor on display here, getting ten hours of use is pretty good, not to mention that the tablet itself can go eight. That said, it only got about ten hours in the PC Mark10 Office Battery test. In the PC Mark 10 Battery Test focusing on video, the results were five hours and 43 minutes. Depending on how you use it, you might not get a full day’s worth of battery without charging back up.

Since it can be charged via USB-C, it can charge back up relatively quickly. It’s worth noting that the tablet will keep itself charged up when docked to the hybrid station.

• Battery life: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid?  Buy it if…

You use both Windows and Android devices

This was tailor-made for those that use Windows laptops and Android tablets. While that might not be a lot of people, the execution here is good enough that it’s worth considering.

You want something different

Even if your computing life doesn’t revolve around Android and Windows, if you’re looking for a different computing experience, this is about as unique as it gets.

You want a sharp, vibrant display

The OLED touchscreen here, even without considering the fact that it’s a tablet, looks very good and is certainly a pro for the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid.

Don't buy it if...

You’re on any kind of a budget

At its lowest price, it might be cheaper than getting a top-of-the-line Ultrabook and Android tablet, but it’s still out of reach for many. When it’s not discounted, it’s not worth it to anyone.

You don’t use Android

If you’re not big into tablets or use iPads, this product is not worth it. If you’re looking for something unique, you’re better off considering the dual-screen Lenovo Yoga Book 9i.

Also Consider

If our Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid review has you considering other options, here are two laptops to consider...

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i

If you want a different computing experience, but don’t care about the tablet portion of the device reviewed here, consider the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i instead. It’s a similar price, but comes with two OLED panels that can be used in portrait or landscape mode, giving you the ability to double your screen real estate in laptop form.

Read our full Lenovo Yoga Book 9i review

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3)

Sometimes a more classic form factor is the right way to go. The Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) has excellent performance with a long battery life, is a great looking laptop that’s incredibly lightweight, and doesn’t come with a learning curve to make the most of it.

Read our full Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) review

How I tested the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid

• Tested for four weeks
• Used it for work, gaming, and streaming
• Tested the hybrid features

I used the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid for four weeks, doing some light gaming, watching some online content, and working on it. I used it in its various forms, whether as a laptop, tablet, Android laptop, or attached to an external monitor. I spent some time with its features as well, most notably the hybrid ones that are unique to this device.

The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid is an interesting machine as it’s for a very select group of people who use Windows laptops and Android tablets and are looking for a way to invest in one machine that can cover both needs.

I’ve spent the last few years reviewing tech gear for gaming and otherwise, where I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation.

• First reviewed February 2025

For more Lenovo devices, we've reviewed and rounded up the best Lenovo ThinkPad laptops.

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