Technology

Shrinking kitchens in modern homes mean appliances are working harder than ever to earn a place on your counter. It's not unreasonable to expect your blender to double as a food processor, or your microwaves that moonlight as air fryers are now commonplace. Panasonic, however, has combined two gadgets I never thought I’d see wed: a bread machine and an ice cream maker.

I traveled to Sauce, a cooking school at the Langham Hotel in London, to get hands-on with the new Panasonic Mini Bread and Ice Cream Maker, plus a selection of other multi-talented appliances. I tied on my apron alongside a mix of journalists, influencers, and (unusually for this sort of event) their family members — including several young kids.

All the dishes on the menu combined to make a meal for a family to enjoy together without having to adapt elements, or cook separate things for children — and the recipes were so straightforward even the little ones could help out (with the assistance of a step stool).

First, we saw a demonstration of the intriguing bread and ice cream machine, then got to grips with it ourselves. When I first received details of the event, I assumed these were separate appliances and that the invitation contained a typo, but no, this compact device can indeed do both. It makes some sense when you think about it — bread requires kneading, and ice cream needs churning, which are very similar mechanically — so why not?

Making ice cream is simple — just freeze the bowl and insert it into the machine, pour in your mixed ingredients, and let it get to work (Image credit: Future)

As with most bread makers, preparing a loaf is a simple matter of pouring your ingredients into the machine, selecting a program, and then leaving it to handle the requisite kneading, proving, and baking.

The particular loaf we made was enriched with butter (thereby increasing the proof time), and studded with mixed seeds. Since we only had a few hours, we didn’t get to see our own loaves through to completion, but there were several finished examples available to try, and they were delicious spread with a little butter — crusts crisp and centers springy.

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(Image credit: Future)

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We then saw a demo of the ice cream making process, which starts with chilling the two-in-one machine’s churning bowl in the freezer for at least eight hours. When the bowl is frozen, remove the bread tin from the machine, slot in an adapter, and then simply place the ice cream bowl on top. Pour in your prepared ingredients, hit the button on the control panel, then close the lid and let the machine handle the rest.

The result was light and flavorful (and we were advised that if you’re not vegetarian, adding a little gelatin to your ice cream mix will give an even creamier texture). The frozen yogurt was a particular winner, and a welcome treat on a hot summer day, and one you can prepare in a couple of minutes provided the bowl is frozen ahead of time. Want something fruity? You can make your own compote to swirl into the mix, or just add a spoonful of jam.

Pour the blended ingredients into a mold, add berries, pop in the combi microwave, and a few minutes later you'll have a delicious baked mini cheesecake (Image credit: Future)

Next, we got stuck into some hands-on cooking with a Panasonic 4-in-1 Air Fryer Combi Microwave Oven. Despite looking no larger than a standard microwave, this appliance also serves as a convection oven and air fryer, and is packed with preset programs that combine these different cooking methods.

It’s a bit of a cliché to say that a multi-purpose appliance could replace your conventional oven, but with its tiered trays and large capacity, I think this one genuinely might for smaller families.

Of the two recipes we tried in the Combi Microwave, my personal favorite was a miniature baked cheesecake — just the right size for a snack or small dessert. You could even devour it during your morning commute if you didn’t have time for breakfast, and make yourself the envy of your fellow travelers.

The basic ingredients had already been blended together before we arrived (using a Panasonic blender, naturally), but I was very pleased to realize that they included banana. If you’re anything like me, you have a frankly ridiculous stash of overripe bananas in your freezer, and cheesecake is a very welcome change from banana bread.

Cornflake baked chicken is a quick and easy meal for kids and adults (Image credit: Future)

All we had to do was pour the mix into the molds, add a scattering of fresh berries, and pop them in the combi microwave for a few minutes. The finished cheesecakes were delicious — perfectly set, finished much faster than you could manage in a regular fan oven, and with a lightly caramelized top that you couldn’t achieve in a standard microwave.

I will definitely try them again — I don’t have bar-shaped molds, but I do have a set of silicone muffin cases that could serve the same purpose.

Katsu-style cornflake baked fried chicken was next on the menu, made using fresh chicken breast coated in well-seasoned buttermilk and egg, then covered in a mixture of crushed cornflakes and flour (again, with plenty of seasoning). We arranged the coated chicken pieces on the microwave’s crisper plate, and within a few minutes they were cooked through without being dry in the center, and deliciously crisp outside, all with no added fat.

They were perfect alongside a freshly-cut salad, and rice prepared using Panasonic’s new multi-cooker. Rice cookers have been quietly finding their way into more and more kitchens over the last couple of years (and we’ve started reviewing more of them here on TechRadar), so it makes sense that Panasonic is launching a new model in the UK soon as well — with Fuzzy Logic Technology that adjusts cooking on the fly.

(Image credit: Future)

It’s hard to choose a favorite, but ultimately I think the bread and ice cream machine was my top pick of the appliances we tested. It’s just such an unusual combination — and better yet, I learned it includes a mochi paddle so you can make your own chewy and delicious treats filled with ice cream or red bean paste. All that, plus freshly made, crusty bread? I’m sure I can find a little extra space on my kitchen counter…

The security suite’s new Student Protection Program covers three devices for eligible students at US universities.

• GMKTec combines AMD's fastest mobile processor with desktop RTX 5070 graphics hardware
• Compact 14.6L desktop packs liquid cooling and sustained 160W processor performance capability
• GMKTec Neo-X1 Pro pairs Ryzen 9 9955HX3D with GeForce RTX 5070 graphics

GMKTec has introduced the NEO-X1 series, a compact MoDT gaming desktop that squeezes serious desktop-class hardware into a 14.6-liter chassis.

The company pairs an AMD Ryzen 9000HX series mobile processor with a full desktop-class NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 series graphics card.

With this configuration, this device is somewhere between a traditional laptop and a full-sized desktop tower system.

Chassis and power delivery for sustained performance

The chassis integrates a built-in liquid cooling loop alongside an 850-watt fully modular power supply with an 80 Plus Gold rating.

Built-in liquid cooling becomes especially relevant given the processor's ability to sustain such elevated power draw continuously inside a relatively compact 14.6-liter enclosure.

Its motherboard uses a 13-phase power design and allows the processor to draw up to 160 watts under sustained load.

The HX3D designation typically refers to AMD's 3D V-Cache technology, which stacks extra cache to boost gaming performance in demanding, cache-sensitive workloads.

For storage, this device is equipped with two PCIe Gen5 SSD slots, while networking covers 2.5GbE wired LAN plus Wi-Fi 7 wireless connectivity.

Standard and Pro models

According to GMKTec, the NEO-X1 is available in two separate configurations, each built around a distinct balance of performance, cooling, and overall cost.

The standard model combines a Ryzen 9 9955HX processor with an 8GB GeForce RTX 5060 Ti, starting at 11,999 yuan (about $1,773).

The Pro variant steps up to a Ryzen 9 9955HX3D chip and a 12GB GeForce RTX 5070, priced from 16,499 yuan (about $2,438).

AMD's Ryzen 9000HX series, codenamed "Fire Range," underpins the claim that this is the fastest laptop-class CPU so far.

The workstation clears the PassMark CPU Mark laptop and portable CPU performance benchmark, with 62,616 points.

Pairing a top-tier mobile processor with a genuine desktop GPU suggests GMKtec is chasing enthusiasts who want console-sized workstation power.

Reports suggest the device will officially launch in China via JD.com, although no official confirmation exists as of press time.

No matching listings currently appear on the platform, leaving its actual availability status entirely unconfirmed at this point.

Memory capacity for either configuration also remains unconfirmed, leaving buyers without full specifications ahead of any rollout date.

GMKTec has not disclosed international release plans or additional regional pricing details.

Therefore, buyers weighing the NEO-X1 may want to wait for confirmed memory specifications and verified global pricing (if any) before committing outright

Via ITHome (originally in Chinese)

The 37,000 affected customers can file a claim from now until the Sept. 1 deadline.

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 Monday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Monday, August 3 (game #1652).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 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 #1653) — hint #1 — VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* 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 #1653) — hint #2 — repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1653) — hint #3 — uncommon lettersDo 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 #1653) — 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 0.

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 #1653) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• G

• T

• H

• C

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

Quordle today (game #1653) — the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1653, are…

• GOOEY
• TARDY
• HUMAN
• CHALK

Two words here took me a long time and a lot of head scratching to get — GOOEY and CHALK.

For GOOEY I also spent ages testing out all the letters I had left, before my eureka moment; when the letters bounced, it felt good.

Daily Sequence today (game #1653) — the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1653, are…

• PLANE
• BULKY
• NOTCH
• SUGAR

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1652, Monday, 3 August: FUNGI, MUDDY, DEBUT, MANIA
• Quordle #1651, Sunday, 2 August: BOOTH, EASEL, REACH, MAKER
• Quordle #1650, Saturday, 1 August: OMEGA, BIRCH, SMOCK, EERIE
• Quordle #1649, Friday, 31 July: MANIA, SINGE, STOOL, LOFTY
• Quordle #1648, Thursday, 30 July: MODAL, IDLER, CHUMP, LUMPY
• Quordle #1647, Wednesday, 29 July: GAWKY, ALLOY, AUDIT, LATCH
• Quordle #1646, Tuesday, 28 July: SMITE, ROACH, RUDDY, GLOBE
• Quordle #1645, Monday, 27 July: TAFFY, FIGHT, GUILD, WAGER
• Quordle #1644, Sunday, 26 July: STOMP, LIMIT, FUNKY, STEAD
• Quordle #1643, Saturday, 25 July: SALON, SHEEN, BURST, GOURD
• Quordle #1642, Friday, 24 July: DOLLY, EDIFY, LAGER, PRANK
• Quordle #1641, Thursday, 23 July: LADEN, EVICT, WOVEN, SHIRE
• Quordle #1640, Wednesday, 22 July: COYLY, SINGE, AWASH, AWOKE
• Quordle #1639, Tuesday, 21 July: TRUSS, AXIAL, SWINE, THING
• Quordle #1638, Monday, 20 July: ICING, SLICK, GAILY, RISEN
• Quordle #1637, Sunday, 19 July: SPURT, ACRID, THRUM, BLEEP
• Quordle #1636, Saturday, 18 July: KNAVE, TIGHT, BLEAT, CHAOS
• Quordle #1635, Friday, 17 July: CUMIN, PALER, GRASS, INBOX
• Quordle #1634, Thursday, 16 July: IGLOO, PLAIT, YEAST, AROMA
• Quordle #1633, Wednesday, 15 July: PROXY, BRICK, BROTH, SURGE

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 Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, August 3 (game #1149).

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 #1150) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• CIGARETTE
• PEACE SIGN
• PIANO
• TAXI CAB
• CHEVRON
• UNICYCLE
• PIGEON
• POOL NOODLE
• SEWING MACHINE
• ANGLE BRACKET
• PRETZEL ROD
• BODEGA
• SUBWAY STATION
• FOAM ROLLER
• SWAN BOAT
• GOOSE
• FORMATION

NYT Connections today (game #1150) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Tubular
• GREEN: As seen in the Big Apple
• BLUE: They go round and round
• PURPLE: A letter between U and W

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 #1150) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: LONG CYLINDRICAL THINGS
• GREEN: ICONIC NYC SIGHTS
• BLUE: THINGS WITH PEDALS
• PURPLE: V-SHAPED THINGS

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

NYT Connections today (game #1150) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1150, are…

• YELLOW: LONG CYLINDRICAL THINGS: CIGARETTE, FOAM ROLLER, POOL NOODLE, PRETZEL ROD
• GREEN: ICONIC NYC SIGHTS: BODEGA, PIGEON, SUBWAY STATION, TAXI CAB
• BLUE: THINGS WITH PEDALS: PIANO, SEWING MACHINE, SWAN BOAT, UNICYCLE
• PURPLE: V-SHAPED THINGS: ANGLE BRACKET, CHEVRON, GOOSE FORMATION, PEACE SIGN

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

With a bit more patience I could have got three Purple Firsts in a row. Instead, I rushed in and connected the first four tiles that made sense.

Having said that, I still made a mistake before successfully putting together LONG CYLINDRICAL THINGS: I own a FOAM ROLLER, have used a POOL NOODLE, and once partook in the occasional CIGARETTE, so I was pretty sure shape was the link. However, having never owned a PRETZEL ROD I assumed they were shaped like a pretzel, so in a panic selected BODEGA thinking this might be slang for something long and foamy. Of course it isn’t.

This foolishness put aside I was able to see V-SHAPED THINGS, which duly triggered the annoying realization that I had rushed in when the glory of a purple hat-trick was within grasp.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, August 3, 2026, game #1149)

• YELLOW: ROAD LESS TRAVELED: ALLEY, BACKSTREET, BYWAY, LANE
• GREEN: SHADES OF GREEN: FOREST, HUNTER, MINT, SAGE
• BLUE: "Y" IS THE ONLY VOWEL: FLY BY, MYRRH, NSYNC, RHYTHM
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR "PESTER": BUG FIX, NAG CHAMPA, NEEDLESS, TEA SET

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 Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, August 3 (game #883).

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 #884) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Staying healthy

NYT Strands today (game #884) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• THIN
• LINE
• ZINC
• CORE
• FORMAT
• CRAM
• FILLER

NYT Strands today (game #884) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 8 letters

NYT Strands today (game #884) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First side: top, 3rd column

• Last side: bottom, 4th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #884) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #884, are…

• REFILL
• CONSULT
• IMMUNIZATION
• MEDICINE
• COUNTER
• SPANGRAM: PHARMACY

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

Struggling to find anything but non-game words, I took a hint and was given REFILL — a word that, rather than help me understand the theme of “staying healthy”, confused me.

Looking for clarity, I took another hint with CONSULT — and that just sent me deeper into bafflement.

Taking a completely different approach I focused on the letter Z and was able to unfurl IMMUNIZATION, which finally got me to today’s medical theme and the spangram of PHARMACY.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, August 3, game #883)

• ONLY
• UNIQUE
• SPECIAL
• EXCLUSIVE
• SINGULAR
• SOLE
• SPANGRAM: ONEOFAKIND

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which 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.

• Nvidia reprotedly weighing up $250 billion in financing for OpenAI's giant Ohio AI data center
• Total project costs could surpass $500 billion after infrastructure and hardware investments
• OpenAI seeks greater control over computing infrastructure through dedicated Ohio facilities

Nvidia is reportedly negotiating financing guarantees worth roughly $250 billion for a massive OpenAI data center project.

Reporting from The Wall Street Journal claims the financing would help OpenAI secure a lease for the proposed 10-gigawatt facility in southern Ohio.

The site is being developed by SB Energy, a subsidiary of SoftBank, under a separate infrastructure arrangement.

Financing plan could support one of the world's biggest AI facilities

The guarantee would cover the data center lease and debt financing, though it would exclude the Nvidia chips housed inside the facility.

Nvidia is separately discussing financing arrangements for OpenAI's chip purchases, which could total up to $350 billion.

The combined costs for the entire project, including chips, are expected to exceed $500 billion once construction concludes.

The first phase alone is expected to finish by 2028, delivering around 800 megawatts of the planned 10 gigawatts.

The project's power supply will be controlled by the U.S. government and funded separately through a trade arrangement with Japan. That arrangement ties into Tokyo's pledge to invest $33 billion in a natural gas plant.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick reportedly plays a role in deciding which companies gain access to that power.

OpenAI's financial position complicates the infrastructure push

OpenAI is currently valued at $852 billion, ranking among the most valuable private companies globally despite remaining unprofitable.

According to shareholder documents, the company posted a net loss of roughly $21.3 billion in the first quarter of 2026 alone.

Stripping out a non-cash charge tied to revaluing investor warrants leaves an operating loss near $9.3 billion for that quarter.

Internal projections reportedly show OpenAI expects to lose around $14 billion across 2026, with cumulative losses reaching $44 billion by 2028.

That lack of profitability raises questions about how the company intends to fund its numerous multi-billion-dollar infrastructure commitments going forward.

Nvidia's backing would reportedly help reassure lenders that the financing vehicles underpinning the project carry sufficient institutional support.

For OpenAI, securing the deal would mark a shift toward owning infrastructure rather than renting capacity from Microsoft, Amazon and Oracle.

On Nvidia’s part, the deal would help guarantee sustained chip demand well into the coming years.

OpenAI has reportedly held talks for weeks about leasing the Ohio site directly, while Anthropic, Microsoft and Google have also shown interest.

The proposed facility would rank among the largest AI data center developments planned anywhere in the world, but its financing structure combines private investment, government-backed infrastructure and long-term computing demand across multiple funding sources.

At the moment, commercial agreements between the companies involved have not been finalized.

We now have a better idea of what the Chromebook successor might look like.

With Spider-Man: Brand New Day in theaters and bringing a new chapter of Peter Parker’s story to the big screen, I got an early look at the wave of toys, collectibles, apparel, and gear arriving alongside the film during a special preview event near Silvercup Studios in Queens.

Arriving at the venue, we quickly saw Spider-Man leave his mark on the studio's iconic exterior, thanks to a projection show in which the hero saved the day and then magically appeared, as if he'd dropped off some of the new products associated with the next chapter.

And there’s a lot to choose from. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your own Marvel collection, searching for a gift for the Spider-Man fan in your life, or simply want to bring a little more web-slinging action home, the latest lineup has something for nearly every kind of fan.

From Lego sets that let you recreate the iconic Daily Bugle and detailed masks that bring the hero’s look to life to mystery figures, collectible trading cards, and apparel inspired by the film, the Spider-Man: Brand New Day merch collection covers plenty of ground.

Here are some of the best Spider-Man: Brand New Day toys, collectibles, and gifts worth checking out.

Spider-Man Brand New Day must-haves

Lego Marvel Spider-Man Vs Hulk Epic Clash set

Lego Marvel Spider-Man Prison Transport Chase set

Lego Marvel Spider-Man Hero Figure

Lego Marvel Spider-Man vs. Mysterio: The Daily Bugle

Hot Wheels Spider-Man & Hulk Smash Down Playset

Marvel Spider-Man: Brand New Day Wisecrackin’ Glow Mask

Marvel Hulk Gamma Smash Fists

Marvel Spider-Man: Brand New Day Titan Series Action Figure

Marvel Spider-Man Vintage Spider T-Shirt

Loungefly Marvel Spider-Man Classic Bag

Marvel Spider-Man: Brand New Day Nerf Web Strike Blaster

Marvel Spider-Man: Brand New Day Savage Hulk Talk’n Electronic Mask

Magic The Gathering Marvel Spider-Man

Marvel Spider-Man: Miles Morales for PS5

FunkoPop! Spider-Man Brand New Day

Spirit Jersey Marvel Spider-Man a Brand New Day Mineral Wash

Sony Marvel's Spider-Man 2 for PS5

The rise of generative AI has undoubtedly lowered the barrier to entry for creating film, with individuals as well as massive production companies leveraging the technology in different ways. But many, including Academy Award-winning filmmaker James Cameron, have insisted that generative AI is no substitute for human actors.

Lights, camera, action

Speaking to CBS ahead of the official release of 'Avatar: Fire and Ash', Cameron described his horror at encountering AI acting.

Quote of the day

This article is part of TechRadar Pro's QOTD project to provide an insight into the minds of the brightest and most recognized figures in the technology industry today and in years gone by. Read the full series here.

Having enjoyed a long and successful career in Hollywood, the filmmaker has dedicated the latter period of his career to the Avatar franchise.

This is primarily a means to explore innovation and the introduction of technology in cinema, with Avatar a torchbearer for 3D and its sequel extending it with new camera and performance-capture innovations.

One area that he's categorically unenthused about, however, is AI — and the use of generative AI as a substitute for human creative input, in particular.

Bad robot

After praising the motion-capture innovations in his film during the interview, he then opined on the "other end of the spectrum", expressing his disdain for the way that generative AI threatens to supplant creative input.

He described the notion of generating actors and performances simply using a text prompt as "horrifying" and said it's the opposite of what he was hoping to achieve with the technology being developed for the 'Avatar' film series.

Cameron is also the director of Stability AI, a company that delivers professional-grade generative AI tools for content creators. However, Cameron has insisted that generative AI can never create something completely original, based on the underlying transformer-based architecture that powers these systems.

Mild spoilers for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe episode 2 ahead.

Even with episode 2 of The Big Bang Theory spinoff bringing back Penny (Kaley Cuoco) and film and TV's Christine Baranski in cameo roles, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe has had a rough week of press.

With the title card for the new HBO Max show uploaded to X/Twitter last week, fans wasted no time branding the cartoonish explosion as "AI slop."

AI slop aside, this is the worst attempt I’ve seen at a show trying to be meta. https://t.co/UzZJkpAWKSJuly 27, 2026

"Has everyone just forgotten things are supposed to be pleasant to look at?" one fan replied, with a second adding, "Crazy to build the entire intro around saying 'Don’t skip! Appreciate the work we put into this!' when it’s so clearly AI slop."

As of writing, there has currently been no comment on whether AI was used to help make the title sequence, but now that episode 2 has been released, they will change with each episode.

Regardless, I can't help wondering if the AI-look (real or not) is distracting us from what's really going on in the titles: the fact that there will be a hidden message somewhere along the way.

'The point of the titles was to entertain'

"Yeah, there was," Chuck Lorre tells me when I tell him that I've been psyching myself out over a potential hidden message in the changing Stuart Fails to Save the Universe titles.

"The point of the titles was to entertain and cause more laughter... not to dazzle anyone with our extraordinary ability to do special effects. They had to be worth viewing."

"The only way to not skip the titles was to make each title have a different comic premise. Danny Elfman even went ahead and changed the theme song every week."

"It's great that you had that reaction... that's what we want," Zak Penn adds.

Does Lorre's remark mean that AI definitely wasn't used? It's difficult to say. But the title card script is slowly gaslighting us into believing we're missing something — and without giving too much away, that's going to become more obvious as the weeks go by.

Is there more than meets the eye to the titles that even I haven't spotted? The answer is probably yes. But only Lorre, Penn and Bill Prady know for definite, and I'm not entirely sure if their responses were simply trying to catch me out again.

The cameras would reportedly assist Siri, rather than be used to take photos, but questions remain.

For some, peak simulation is slipping their Wii remote into a plastic steering wheel; for others, it's outfitting their controllers, chair, and body with haptics to feel the action; and for the most avid enthusiasts, it involves creating a perfectly accurate setup to mimic the real controls of a train, plane, or automobile they’re virtually piloting.

That’s the camp Christopher Mitchell falls into. On his blog, he details the painstaking efforts he has gone to create his dream UK Class 80x passenger train simulator — which includes a real dashboard and components used by the vehicle he’s reconstructing, and custom-made parts that as closely as possible match what you’d expect to see in one of these UK trains’ cabins.

I’m not the biggest simulator nerd — it’s an area of gaming I’ve dabbled with but never been enraptured by — but after a colleague shared Mitchell’s blog with us where he details the over three-year-long journey he has been on to construct this simulator, I can’t help but be impressed by the dedication and beauty of his creation.

I mean, c’mon, look at this side-by-side comparison of a Class 80x cabin and what Mitchell has produced.

(Image credit: Christopher Mitchell / DCA Design)

There’s a delightfully analog nature to this simulator which supplements its charm — juxtaposing the racing sims I’ll sometimes see in my feed with half a dozen giant monitors wrapping around the user’s head and pristine cockpits which make you feel every trick and turn your simulated flight takes.

Ready to build your own?

If you’ve ridden on an Avanti West Coast, Great Western Railway, or London North Eastern Railway service (plus a few other operators) in the last couple of years, it has likely been on a UK Class 80x passenger train.

Clearly Mitchell has a passion for this class — evidenced by his efforts to replicate them as accurately as possible — but some online despise their very existence, ranting about their narrow carriages, terrible suspension, and thin seats.

Once Mitchell has completed the dashboard, perhaps his next job should be to mount it and his chair on a platform that will mimic the Class 80X’s much-hated shaking.

If you’re keen to mimic Mitchell’s setup, you’ll, of course, need to also copy his dedication, as this isn’t a train simulator you can just buy. Though with his blog as your guide, you may find you can build your very own hyper-realistic UK Class 80x passenger train simulator in no time.

The eclipse is technically a partial lunar eclipse, but at 93% coverage, it’s close enough.

Liene PixCut S1 : 30-second review

The Liene PixCut S1 is a 4x6 photo printer and sticker creator in one, at a size that will sit perfectly on your desk or shelf. The printer itself works solely through an app connection from your mobile device, so there’s no need to plug it into a machine, with all files transferring via Bluetooth.

What marks the S1 out is that it utilises a dye sublimation print process, laying a yellow, Magenta and cyan layer with a protective laminate over the top that gives a professional clarity. The printer is designed as a dual-use machine, enabling photo prints but also producing stickers, again with that dye-sub process and lamination that gives the stickers a look and quality that matches those that have been professionally produced.

Unlike most printers, there's a built-in cutter that then cuts out the stickers once printed, ready for use. Depending on the complexity of the sticker shape, it takes around 2-3 minutes per 4x7 sheet.

Different paper stocks are used for the two different processes, but aside from the material, the same hardware and carrier are used. The system has also been designed to be easily packable, so if this is an occasional-use item, it will pack away easily, while if you’re using it every day for your business, the design and quality are simple, stylish, and incredibly well made. It's not the best photo printer we've tested, but for a compact, easy-to-use option, it ticks a lot of boxes.

The only real issue is the software and the free templates that ship with it. Everything runs through the Liene app on iOS or Android, and there's no desktop option at all, which, if you’re used to designing on a computer, does feel like a real sticking point.

While there is plenty you can do within the app, it does feel a little limited; however, you can work around this by laying out stickers at the correct print size in Photoshop or InDesign, especially to ensure it cuts a straight edge on some designs. The app also ships with what feels like hundreds of sticker templates, but those templates are craft-themed rather than more business-focused, although there are a few.

The materials are all proprietary; however, packs of paper and the ink cartridges are well priced with 4 x 7in sticker and 4 x 6in photo sizes. If you’re looking to create short runs of stickers, especially for gifts, labels, and event stock or postage, this is a genuinely excellent machine. For volume production or larger formats, you’ll need to take a step up to something bigger.

Liene PixCut S1 : Price and availability

• How much does it cost? From $299.99 / £349.99
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Directly from Liene, Amazon, and other online retailers

The PixCut S1 starter kit is $299.99 and is available directly from Liene and Amazon.com, with a larger Inspire Kit including 36 photo and 144 sticker sheets available for $346.99 on Amazon US. UK pricing is £350 from Amazon.co.uk. I'm also seeing available from other online retailers including Best Buy.

Paper, Ink and occasionally cutting blades are another cost to factor in, with 72 sticker sheets and two cartridges at $42.99. The Photo paper is also reasonable at $24.99 for 40 sheets with an ink cartridge and $36.99 for 80 sheets and two ink cartridges. Each cartridge enables around 36 prints.

• Value: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Liene PixCut S1: Specs

Printing: four-layer D2T2 thermal dye sublimation with laminate pass
Resolution: 300 x 300dpi, 256 shades per colour
Sticker media: 4 x 7in (printable 3.9 x 6.7in)
Photo media: 4 x 6in (printable 3.94 x 5.83in)
Supported files: JPEG, PNG, HEIC
Print speed: 59 seconds quoted; approx. 2 minutes print, laminate and cut
Cutting: kiss cut, up to 2in/sec single axis, 45-degree carbide blade
Blade life: approx. 800 sticker sheets (Liene figure)
Capacity: 36 sheets
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, up to three paired devices
Control: Liene app (iOS and Android only; no desktop support)
Power: up to 60W printing, 1.2W sleep
Size / weight: 281 x 196 x 104.5mm / 2.9kg

Liene PixCut S1: Design

The PixCut S1 is a relatively compact white rectangular box with a black printing and cutting bay across the front, and measures 281 x 196 x 104.5 mm. Hence, it's smaller than a normal photo printer or craft cutter, which is the usual approach. The small footprint of the machine means that it can essentially sit on your desk or anywhere it will fit, and there’s a power point to it.

Unlike most printer and cutter machines, the PixCut S1 only operates through the iOS or Android app, which also means that if you want to take it out on site, then you can, as long as you have AC power to plug it into.

When it comes to the weight, at 6.4lb / 2.9kg, it doesn’t weigh much, so carrying it between rooms or out to an event, as long as there's mains power, or you have a small power station, isn’t an issue. In this review, I matched it with the DJI Power 1000 V2, which worked perfectly when no mains power was available.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

When the printer arrives, there is a small setup procedure with the loading of the ink cartridge on the side and paper into the loadable carrier. What I liked here was that the paper tray, which takes either the sticker paper or the photo paper, can be stored neatly in the machine. Then when it’s needed, you pull it out from its storage slot at the back top, and load it into the back lower slot.

When the printer arrives, the cutting head is already pre-installed at the front of the machine with a neat magnetic cover that covers the mechanism. When the print or print and cut process is started, the paper is drawn through the system with each colour layer applied, then laminated before the cutter is put into action; it’s a relatively fast process.

Through the process, the prints tended to go through the system in around a minute and a half, while stickers would take anything from 2 minutes to 3.5 minutes depending on the complexity.

• Design: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Liene PixCut S1: Features

Unlike many inkjet or laser colour printers, the S1 utilises another technology that uses a four-pass dye-sublimation process that gives the output its photo processing lab quality.

Essentially, three colour layers are laid down onto the paper, one after the other, followed by a protective laminate pass. This lamination protects the photos, but also highlights why the finished stickers feel commercial rather than homemade, as they do if you use specialist paper in an inkjet.

Alongside the printing ability is the cutter, which, after the printing process, goes into action with what is known as a kiss cut, going through the sticker material but leaving the backing sheet intact. This means that the sheet stays flat and the stickers peel off individually, just as you would expect from a set of commercial stickers. The only difference between the two uses is the paper you put into the caddy and insert into the machine. With the slightly different size of the photo compared with the sticker paper, the machine automatically switches modes based on the paper installed.

Printing photos of stickers is all handled by the Liene Photo App, which is available for iOS and Android devices; however, unusually, there is no desktop version for Mac or PC.

In the app you can use the free sticker templates, most of which are gimmicks and more aimed at the craft market than business, although if you spend some time going through there are a few that are worth a look. In this test, I generally opted to use designs that I already owned, or downloaded additional sticker or logo examples from a stock website.

Once those images are downloaded and laid out onto the correct document size, they can then be loaded into the App, as this is all through the mobile device; you need to make sure these are uploaded to your photo app. Once in place, there are quick edit features such as automatic image recognition and background removal, and the cutting path around the subjects is automatically assigned; the process of getting the stickers correctly sized and positioned is actually extremely easy and once you note a few quirks which I’ll highlight in the performance section, everything from there on in is easy enough.

Once the print is complete, the border the cutter runs around each of the stickers and the size of that border is adjustable; by default, this is 1.4mm, and you can reduce that down to zero or below for a borderless cut, which also has a direct bearing on how tightly you can lay designs out on a sheet.

The app then does the rest, and if you want to add more to the designs, then there are additional templates, text tools, shape cutting, puzzles, labels and passport-photo layouts.

The connection method to the machine is through Bluetooth 5.0, and this enables you to connect up to three devices, which is something else that should appeal if you’re using this at events.

The paper cartridge will take up to 36 sheets, the ink cartridges last for 36, and Liene rates the blade at around 800 sticker sheets depending on how complex your cuts are.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

• Features: 4 / 5

Liene PixCut S1: Performance

Getting started with the printer and cutter is fast enough, and once the ink cartridge is slotted into the side, the paper of choice, either sticker or photo, is loaded into the cartridge and slotted into the base of the machine; you’re set to connect to the app.

The power button on the side needs to be held down for a few seconds to start up, then you can run through the connection option in the App interface. The in-app connection didn’t work; however, there's a direct link button to your Bluetooth settings from within the app that takes you through to the phone's settings, where the printer appears so you can connect. Once connected, pop back to the app and you can get started.

The app interface is quite busy with AI generative options for photos and craft stickers, and trying these out, they're frankly a bit run of the mill and gimmicky. Really, this machine is a superb piece of hardware that is equally suited to craft and business, but the craft side seems to win out with tacky template images and AI photos.

As ever, an issue with the interactive, as with so many others, is the fact that it’s busy; however, at the bottom of the screen there are the Sticker, Label, Photo, Project and Me options. The Sticker section enables you to choose from all sorts of sticker templates, or click the Canvas button at the top, and you can import your own, which for the most part is what I chose to do through this review.

The next option along ‘Labels’ is a little more useful and may appeal to the artisan business owner, but again the designs are a little simplistic and childlike without the refined style you’d want for a serious business. Likewise, the photo option gives you the generative AI options, but again loading your own is definitely the best approach.

When you create your own sticker, for example, you can import your designs or use the generative AI options, including AI Image or Text to Image, which is actually quite useful, although again the AI model does appear to have been trained on the light cartoony rather than serious business.

That aside and falling back to your designs and images that you have created, the workflow once you’ve run through it a few times is straightforward, and the resulting prints for both Photo and stickers are excellent.

It is worth highlighting that the papers used for the two different types are different, and there is only a single caddy, and it doesn’t look like you can buy an additional caddy, which is a shame. This essentially means that you have to remove the photo paper and then install the sticker paper. I would have loved the design to have featured two caddies so that you only ever have to switch the caddies. It would also mean that the paper of either type would stay protected.

The print quality for both stickers and photos is excellent, with the colours looking great, being rich and well saturated, although a little over-sharpened, and I couldn’t work out a way to reduce the option. The other point about the photos is the laminate finish, which just gives a high-quality look. Likewise for the stickers, these are essentially commercial quality and ones that you could put on a product and charge for. Against shop-bought stickers, I genuinely couldn't tell which was which, and I ran some of the template sticker images through the machine, and these would be great for small production runs to attach to product.

In the app, there are a few processing quirks that are worth knowing about. As mentioned somewhere in the software, there's a little over-sharpening applied, which you notice on images with fine detail or soft edges. It isn't too bad, and for graphic artwork and logos it's invisible or even flattering, but for photographic stickers it's worth softening your source image slightly before importing to compensate.

This software is where I found myself experimenting with settings at first, but ultimately I found it easy to navigate. While the app does a lot, its logic isn't always where you'd expect. My working method went as follows: lay the whole design out in Photoshop, export it, then import into the app and let the machine handle print, laminate and cut. That skips most of the app's editing tools.

The most useful thing I learned in this test was about labels with white in the design. When making warning labels, I wanted clean, straight edges. Still, the cutter follows the colour rather than the sheet, so wherever white met the outer edge, the white background wandered, weaving in and out around the coloured areas instead of cutting the straight border I'd designed.

The app lets you set the border distance the cutter leaves around a sticker. Still, not the shape of the path itself, and the shape is the problem. What worked instead was adding a background colour behind the design, giving the software a defined edge to detect, at which point it cut the straight border perfectly. It's a simple workaround once you know it, but it's the difference between usable labels and wasted sheets.

Layout spacing is the other thing to get right before you print. By default, the cutter leaves a 1.4mm border around each sticker, so when you're laying several out on a sheet, they need room; otherwise they'll connect through the cut. I found 4mm between stickers is the minimum that works reliably, and 5mm is more comfortable. Any closer and the borders start to interfere with each other.

That border distance, however, is adjustable, though, and it's worth knowing you can take it all the way down to zero, which cuts right up against the edge of the sticker itself. Set it that tight, and you can pack the designs much closer together on the sheet, maximising the value you get from each sheet, especially when you're trying to get as many stickers out of it as possible.

Through the test, photos generally took a minute and a half to print with 36 prints per ink cartridge and a 100% success rate. When it came to stickers, again it’s 36 sheets per cartridge, but print times take between one and a half minutes to three and a half minutes depending on the complexity.

• Performance: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Liene PixCut S1: Final verdict

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The Liene PixCut S1 is a surprising piece of kit and over the last month has been especially useful in the studio. At first, the photo printing that was reminiscent of the process sizes that we used to get with 35mm film really appealed, and once I worked out that a little softening was required for the image, the results of the pictures were outstanding.

The colours are bright and vibrant, and this is a crowd-pleasing photo printer that’s perfect for the home and workplace. It’s also smaller and cheaper than dedicated photo printers, which are hugely expensive to keep running.

But then the stickers started, and this is where this machine really comes into its own. It started with TechRadar Pro stickers and quickly progressed. Due to the laminate quality, I was able to start labelling all my kit, something I’ve been meaning to do for a long time, with my logo and QR details.

I then showed a friend who runs a local 3D print business, and a week later they have one running at shows and events creating custom stickers, and all postage product now gets a set of stickers in the box.

The stocker quality is excellent, and for small businesses this is a superb short run option and a great way to personalise your products or to give out freebies.

Initially I was a little disappointed that this was a mobile app-only product, but once I worked out a few workarounds the workflow was fine, the only real issue being the time it takes for Apple Photos to update so I could pull down the next design.

If you want to make stickers or print out high-quality 4 x 6 prints, then the Liene PixCut S1 is a superb option.

Should I buy the Liene PixCut S1?

Value

The price reflects the quality, but it is expensive, and then you have the consumables on top

4

Design

Compact and will easily sit on a shelf if needed, also small enough to take to events if there’s mains power

4.5

Features

Decent 4 x 6 photo prints and sticker sets; would be good if there was an additional paper carrier as standard

4.5

Performance

Commercial-quality stickers and excellent colour; slight oversharpening and some workarounds are needed for cutting paths

4.5

Overall

A clever piece of kit that blends photo and sticker printing into one neat machine. 

4.5

Buy it if...

You sell small batches of stickers.

For events, as an online retailer, in the classroom or for personalised gifts, the S1 produces commercial-looking stickers without needing separate printing and cutting machines. 

You want the process handled for you.

Automatic background removal and cut-path generation mean no blade pressure settings, no alignment marks and no desktop cutting software to learn, which makes things so much easier.

Don't buy it if...

You design on a computer.

There's no desktop application at all, so everything goes through the phone or tablet app; this is the biggest issue that I found. 

You need volume

The 4 x 7 in maximum sheet size and there’s no option for third-party media.

For more printing picks, we've tested the best home printers you can get.

• Amazon links multiple software supply chain attacks to one North Korean hacking group
• Generative AI enables convincing malware hidden inside trusted software packages at scale
• Attackers manipulated trusted maintainers before distributing compromised software updates to developers

Amazon has linked a North Korean threat actor to several recent compromises of popular NPM software libraries.

A report from Amazon Threat Intelligence connected recent breaches of the axios, debug, chalk, and typo-crypto packages to a single group.

That group is tracked across the security community under names including SAPPHIRE SLEET, STARDUST CHOLLIMA, BlueNoroff, CageyChameleon, and Alluring Pisces.

Attackers exploit trust to compromise widely used packages

In March 2025, the threat actor compromised the typo-crypto package through a trojanized file disguised as a legitimate dependency.

The same group later compromised debug and chalk in September 2025, then axios in March 2026.

Axios alone carries more than 100 million weekly downloads, making it one of the most widely used JavaScript libraries in existence today.

In each case, attackers socially engineered a trusted maintainer before publishing a malicious software update.

Any organization that automatically pulled the latest version of these packages received the compromised code without warning.

Wiz Research reported that roughly 1 in 10 cloud environments were affected within a two-hour window during the debug and chalk incident.

Amazon assesses the pattern as financially motivated, since compromising a small number of popular packages grants access to thousands of downstream environments simultaneously, far more efficient than targeting organizations individually.

Attackers have also shifted from single malicious packages toward fragmenting workflows across several ordinary-looking dependencies published separately over time.

Generative AI introduces new risks for automated code review

Generative AI now allows attackers to produce coherent, well-commented code alongside convincing documentation and fabricated maintainer identities.

Because each malicious variant can be mutated, renamed, and re-encrypted, no single stable signature remains available for an antivirus or other detection tools to match.

Attackers have also begun exploiting slopsquatting, registering package names that AI coding assistants hallucinate during ordinary development work.

When a hallucinated package gets recommended by a coding assistant, an attacker who registered that name in advance can deliver malware directly.

Amazon warns that malicious packages are increasingly built to fool automated AI reviewers rather than only human analysts scanning code manually.

Hidden instructions embedded in comments, README files, or docstrings could manipulate AI scanners into approving dangerous code as safe.

Amazon Threat Intelligence and Amazon Inspector have observed that attackers split malicious workflows across multiple packages that each appear harmless individually.

Their malicious behaviour only emerges once separate components combine in the intended sequence during execution.

Amazon has invested in Amazon Inspector and its broader threat intelligence programs to help detect these evolving supply chain risks.

The company also joined the Linux Foundation's Akrites initiative and contributed $12.5 million toward defending open-source software from AI-driven attacks.

The shift toward AI-generated malware suggests traditional pattern matching alone may become less effective against evolving threats, including future ransomware campaigns using similar techniques.

Back-to-school shopping doesn't have to mean spending hundreds of dollars on a new laptop. Sometimes it's the smaller accessories that make the biggest difference to how comfortably and efficiently you work every day.

A few well-chosen gadgets can improve ergonomics, expand connectivity, keep your devices charged, and make online meetings less frustrating.

From laptop stands and docking stations to webcams, wireless mice, foldable keyboards, and magnetic power banks, my top 6 affordable upgrades offer excellent value without putting a serious dent in your back-to-school budget.

My top 6 back-to-school essentials

The Logitech Brio 101 webcam captures Full HD 1080p video with automatic light correction, features a built-in microphone, integrated privacy shutter, USB-A connectivity, and broad compatibility with Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Zoom, and other video conferencing tools.View Deal

This Magnetic Power Bank packs a 10,000mAh battery into a compact design with magnetic wireless charging, up to 30W fast charging via USB-C, a durable skin-friendly finish, and broad compatibility for convenient charging anywhere.View Deal

This foldable keyboard and mouse combo supports Bluetooth 5.0 and 2.4GHz wireless connectivity and pairs with three devices. It features a full-size folding keyboard, rechargeable battery, and compatibility with Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.View Deal

This mouse pairs with up to three devices via Bluetooth or the included USB-A receiver. It features six customizable buttons, Logitech Flow support, a full-size ergonomic design, and long battery life.View Deal

This 10-in-1 USB-C dock adds dual HDMI outputs with support for single 8K displays, 100W Power Delivery, Gigabit Ethernet, four 5Gbps USB ports, SD and microSD card readers, and a durable aluminum housing for compatible USB-C laptops.View Deal

This stand supports laptops from 10 to 17 inches with a sturdy full aluminum construction rated for 22 lb. It offers height adjustment, a pull-out dual-fold design, vented cooling panel, and folds flat for compact storage when not in use.View Deal

• Shop all PC accessories at Amazon

• Lenovo's Googlebook 15 has been leaked
• A deck of press images has given us a good look at the laptop
• It seems like a pretty smart device, but there's confusion around the point of the Googlebook for some people, and worries remain about the price

The first Googlebook has been spotted with a bunch of leaked press images that show us what these laptops are going to look like — and for some, they'll serve as a reminder that Googlebooks are still coming.

In case you forgot they're inbound, because I more or less did — and I'll return to that point — but first, the actual leak itself, in which Digital Citizen shared what's purportedly a deck of press photos of the Lenovo Googlebook 15.

As ever, we must take this with some seasoning, but as you can see from the shots reproduced here, this Googlebook looks rather nifty.

The Lenovo Googlebook 15 is a premium-looking device with slim bezels and a webcam in a notch atop the screen, complete with a privacy shutter. There's a pair of substantial speakers on either side of the keyboard deck with Dolby Atmos support.

The laptop offers a very spacious trackpad, and a keyboard which has a Gemini key — the Googlebook equivalent of Microsoft's Copilot button — and a Caps Lock key which also has the launcher function. Presumably the latter will be the default, and the former will be activated in conjunction with the Alt key.

The Googlebook logo is notably on the keyboard deck, below the Left Ctrl key, suggesting Google is exercising quite some control over the implementation of these laptops.

There's a whole load of function keys (14) at the top of the keyboard, and a solid selection of ports including HDMI, two USB-C ports, a USB-A connector, a card reader slot, and a 3.5mm jack. The notebook hinge opens to nearly 160 degrees, apparently, meaning the Lenovo device can be laid almost flat on a surface.

There are no specs in this leak – just the images, but we do also get to see the desktop layout of the operating system on the Googlebook 15. This shows phone-style status icons at the top, and a traditional taskbar at the foot of the screen including a 'G' button (Start button).

Notably, Adobe Premiere Pro is present among the icons in the launcher bar in these press shots, clearly signaling that the Googlebook is about running more heavyweight apps than the Chromebook.

Android Authority, which spotted the Digital Citizen leak, further points out that there's a 2-in-1 Googlebook tablet coming from Lenovo, which looks very Surface-like with a detachable keyboard and a kickstand on the back of the tablet portion and a magnetic stylus.

According to Digital Citizen, we can expect Lenovo to unveil these Googlebook models at IFA in September officially, and presumably other vendors will have products too.

Analysis: a shrugging of shoulders

(Image credit: Digital Citizen)

It's all been a bit odd with Googlebooks. After the big announcement of these fresh laptops at Google I/O 2026, which are a premium offering compared to Chromebooks, running both Android and ChromeOS apps and sporting a heavy focus on AI (Gemini), we've heard nothing.

I genuinely forgot about these devices for a while, and we didn't hear anything about them at Computex (aside from very fleeting mentions scattered here and there, which I missed at the time). It's been pretty much a case of tumbleweeds ever since Google's revelation of its new product back in May.

Maybe that's because there was quite a negative reception around some aspects – the AI-leaning of these products in particular – and Google has been taking stock and perhaps working out how best to deal with that.

Whatever the case, it feels like Googlebooks have been hovering in a void for quite some time, and nobody has noticed, or has simply forgotten about them. The reaction to this new leak is positive in some quarters, but there's still a lot of scratching of heads about the strangeness of the name, and worries that the Googlebook will be very pricey (as well as anti-AI sentiment, which is no surprise).

Perhaps most worrying of all for Google, though, is that some people still haven't got a clue what these devices are. One Redditor asks: "What's a Googlebook? High-powered Chromebook?".

Aside from the ignorance and the apathy or indifference of some online commenters, the price likely remains the biggest concern. Of course, that's true of all laptops and PC hardware more broadly, thanks to the RAM crisis which seems to be intensifying by the week as we trundle further into the second half of 2026. And, if a growing number of insiders are right, it's going to get worse still in 2027.

At any rate, it seems Googlebooks are being readied for an official debut next month, and the reception to the full launch of devices is going to be interesting to watch. Hopefully, seeing these laptops in action will start to change some of the skeptical opinions out there, and cure some of the shrugging of shoulders that's still very much evident.

Years of pressure from SpaceX’s Starlink have pushed the legacy satellite provider into a Chapter 11 filing. Here’s what it means for customers.