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For fans of handheld gaming PCs, 2023 just keeps getting better. Following the release of ASUS’ ROG Ally earlier this year, Lenovo is entering the category with the Legion Go. And, after getting the chance to go hands-on with it, I think some of Lenovo’s twists may end up making a big difference.

Before we get in too deep, it’s important to mention that the units I tried are very much pre-production samples. You can see evidence of this on components like the shoulder buttons, where one side of the device features metallic paint (which is what you’ll get on retail devices) while the other side is plain black plastic. Lenovo also says that alongside a stock install of Windows 11, it’s planning to equip the Legion Go with a custom app launcher similar to ASUS’ Amoury Crate. But, that wasn’t present on the demo units I used. The Legion’s Go’s body also felt a bit rough in places, so if you spot labels or parts of its shell that don’t look quite right, Lenovo is likely looking to polish those up before its official launch sometime in October.

OK, now that we got that out the way, let’s talk about some of the Legion Go’s highlight features, the most notable of which is its screen. It’s an 8.8-inch 2,560 x 1,600 IPS panel with a 144Hz refresh rate and listed at 500 nits of brightness. So not only is the Legion Go’s panel as fast as what you get from the ROG Ally, it’s also the biggest screen on pretty much any device in this category. On top of that, colors absolutely pop, which makes the device even more appealing than many of its rivals.

The obvious downside to this is that between that big display and a somewhat boxy body, the Legion Go is rather bulky. Measuring 11.8 x 5.15 x 1.61 inches, the Legion Go is much closer in size to the Steam Deck than sleeker rivals like the ROG Ally. As for the rest of its design, you get a familiar Xbox-style button layout in front, with an interesting asymmetrical rear paddle layout in back, with a total of four rear buttons along with a scroll wheel, though I’m not sure what’s the intended purpose for that last component. That said, I’m not going to turn my nose up at additional input methods.

Interestingly, Lenovo is also drawing inspiration from the Nintendo Switch as evidenced by the folding kickstand in back and the ability to detach the Legion Go’s controllers from its main body. However, I did notice that removing the controllers isn’t quite as smooth or easy as it is on a Switch. First, you have to press the button in the back and then kind of tilt and slide at the same time. Granted, I mostly got the hang of it after a few minutes, but it definitely takes some practice.

This kickstand does make it easy to prop the display up on a table while using the controllers remotely, though. And thanks to the two USB 4 ports, you can even connect peripherals like a mouse and keyboard if you want to turn the Legion Go into a tiny desktop. Alternatively, you can use the single touchpad on the right control to mouse around in Windows, which is a nice nod towards general usability, because unlike the ROG Ally, you can’t use the Legion Go’s joysticks to move your cursor.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Another clever feature on the Legion Go is that on the bottom of the right controller, there’s what Lenovo is calling an FPS Switch. If you toggle that and then drop the right controller into an included cradle, suddenly you get what is essentially a vertical mouse that you can drag across a table while playing shooters. That said, I’m not sure I’ll ever prefer this setup over a traditional horizontal mouse or even a joystick.

Finally, with specs including an AMD Z1 Extreme chip, 16GB of RAM, up to 1TB of storage and a 49.2 WHr battery, the Legion Go looks to be just as powerful as the ROG Ally. But what makes this so impressive is that in addition to coming with an included case (which you don’t get from ASUS), Lenovo is being very aggressive with pricing, as the Legion Go will start at $699. That’s the same as the Ally, despite the Legion Go’s bigger screen, bigger battery and more sophisticated controllers.

So while Lenovo still has some polishing to do before the Legion Go officially goes on sale sometime in October, with another big name joining the battle, it’s clear the fight for handheld gaming PC supremacy is just beginning.

Lenovo has introduced its new flagship gaming laptop at IFA 2023, and it's the first 16-inch model under the company's Legion brand. Called the Lenovo Legion 9i, it's powered by the 13th-gen Intel Core i9 processor and can be equipped with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTXTM 4090 Laptop GPU, as well as a 64GB Overclocked 5600Mhz Dual Channel DDR5 RAM or a 32GB Overclocked 6400Mhz DDR5 Dual Channel RAM. Lenovo VP Jun Ouyang said the Legion 9i is the first Legion laptop with an integrated liquid-cooling system and hardware AI chip tuning.

The company describes its liquid cooling system as the first of its kind for a 16-inch laptop. It's positioned so that it runs over the GPU VRAM, allowing it to manage heat under extreme gaming sessions, and it switches on when the GPU hits a temperature of 183 degrees Fahrenheit (84 degrees Celsius). This works in tandem with an AI-tuned triple-fan air-cooling system. Speaking of AI, Lenovo's LA-2 AI chip syncs the RGB strips around the keyboard and on other parts of the laptop. As for the device's screen, it uses Lenovo's PureSight 3.2K Mini-LED with a 16:10 aspect ratio and a 165Hz variable refresh rate. The laptop can also accommodate up to a 2TB SSD for storage. 

One interesting thing to note is that the company didn't launch separate Pro and Slim variants like it does for lower-tier gaming laptops, because it says this model fulfills the purpose of both varieties. The Legion laptop will ship with Windows 11 and a 3-month free subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. It will be available in October with prices starting at $4,399. 

Lenovo

In addition to the new flagship laptop, Lenovo has also announced a new version of its Legion Glasses, which are a wearable virtual monitor. They use the company's micro-OLED display technology and can deliver full HD resolution with a 60Hz refresh rate for each eye. These glasses provide a portable, large-screen viewing experience for users with Legion Go and other compatible devices, which include most newer Android phones, iPhones, Windows and Mac computers. They will also be available next month and will set buyers back at least $329. 

The New York Police department has been using drones in a limited capacity for years — deploying unmanned aircraft systems for search and rescue missions, to document crime scenes, or to monitor large public events like New Years Eve in Times Square. Soon, you might see one in your backyard as well: NYPD officials have announced plans to use drones to follow up on noise complaints during the long Labor Day weekend.

"If a caller states there is a large crowd, a large party in a backyard, we're going to be utilizing our assets to go up and check on the party," Assistant NYPD Commissioner Kaz Daughtry said during a press conference Thursday. Privacy advocates have been quick to respond, with a representative from the New York Civil Liberties Union telling the Associated Press that the announcement "flies in the face of the POST Act" that requires police to publish its use policies for surveillance technology.

And indeed, the plan could represent a stark departure from those policies. When the Department first announced its new drone program, it promised that the technology wouldn't be used for "warrantless surveillance." That pledge is reflected in the NYPD's POST Act Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Impact and Use Policy, which specifically states that (absent exigent circumstances), drones are not to be used "in areas where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy without NYPD personnel first obtaining a search warrant that explicitly authorizes the use of UAS."

It's unclear if the department plans to obtain a warrant for noise complaints at private events over Labor Day weekend, or if such a complaint falls under "exigent circumstances." Even so, the NYPD has been increasing drone use in recent years, and has deployed unmanned aerial systems 124 times in 2023.

A new G.I. Joe beat 'em up is on its way. Hasbro, developer Maple Powered Games and publisher Freedom Games announced G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra today. The upcoming retro game will let you play as series stalwarts Duke, Scarlett, Snake Eyes, Roadblock and other classic characters. It joins TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge and Double Dragon reboot as the latest evidence that 2D side-scrolling punch-fests are enjoying an unexpected 2020s renaissance.

The game’s developers promise a variety of locales to bash and kick your way through as you try to defeat Cobra. “Navigate land, air, sea, and even space through iconic locations like Cobra Island, the Pit, Cobra’s top-secret underwater base, and more as you thwart the devious Cobra Commander’s latest scheme to take over the world,” the game’s announcement reads. It promises an arsenal of weapons, explosives and more.

Hasbro / Maple Powered Games / Freedom Games

G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra has story and arcade modes, each supporting up to four co-op players (online or locally). It includes “lovingly hand-drawn pixel art” and “classic style cartoon cutscenes.” The soundtrack, crafted by Tee Lopes (composer of its spiritual sibling, TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge), appears to include a modern take on the animated series’ classic theme song. (No word yet on whether it will take timeouts for “Knowing is half the battle” PSAs.)

“G.I. Joe is one the most iconic brands from the 80s and it was the golden era of arcade games. To celebrate the growing popularity of retro themed games we’re thrilled to partner with Maple Powered Games and Freedom Games to bring G.I. Joe fans our first ever Hasbro Retro Arcade experience in this exciting interpretation of a classic 2D beat ‘em up,” said Eugene Evans, Hasbro’s SVP of Digital Strategy and Licensing.

G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra will launch on Switch, Windows, macOS and Linux in Q1 2024. You can wish-list the game today on Steam and Epic.

Google has just made it easier than ever to capture video stills while using its Chrome web browser. The company highlighted the struggle faced by users when attempting to capture video frames — noting that screenshots often produced lower-quality images with the video’s progress bar shown across it. If you’re using Chrome (or another Chromium-based browser, like Microsoft’s own Edge), that’s now a thing of the past. Starting today, users can hit pause at any time during a video, right-click, and select the new "Copy Video Frame" option from the pop-up menu.

We went ahead and tried the feature but noticed it didn't work as intended. On YouTube, evoking the new option required two right clicks instead of one. The first right-click brought up the native YouTube menu but after a second try, the menu with the new feature was available. When you click the "Copy Video Frame," Chrome will capture what's currently being shown and you'll have the option to paste your image in supported text fields within the browser, like Google Docs. We were also able to paste the image into the Apple Notes app; from there, you can save the actual file.

As of right now, there is no option to save the copied video image directly to your desktop as a file. The feature is also limited when it comes to streaming services, with many of them restricting the ability to capture content. In fact, so far we've only gotten it to work on YouTube. So, while this feature may technically be helpful in a pinch, it may need some fine-tuning to be more useful. Chrome's new "Copy Video Frame" is being rolled out today for Windows, Mac, Linux and ChromeOS.

New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced today that it’s disabling the “feature” on its website that made it possible to track people’s movements by entering their credit card info. The MTA says it’s turning off the seven-day history feature for OMNY as part of its commitment to privacy.

“This feature was meant to help our customers who want access to their tap-and-go trip histories, both paid and free, without having to create an OMNY account,” MTA spokesperson Eugene Resnick wrote in a statement to Engadget. “As part of the MTA’s ongoing commitment to customer privacy, we have disabled this feature while we evaluate other ways to serve these customers.”

MTA

The OMNY website included a page (screenshotted above) where passengers could enter their credit card number and expiration date to view their seven-day point-of-entry history across NYC’s subways. Although intended to provide convenience for users, it was also “a gift for abusers,” as Eva Galperin, the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s director of cybersecurity, described it to Engadget. Joseph Cox of 404 Media, which originally reported on the security hole, successfully tracked someone’s entry points (with consent) using their card info. “If I had kept monitoring this person, I would have figured out the subway station they often start a journey at, which is near where they live,” Cox wrote. “I would also know what specific time this person may go to the subway each day.”

The feature opened the door to stalkers, abusive exes or anyone who got a person’s credit card to find out where and when they entered the subway. The feature didn’t require a PIN or password; although a separate section allowed travelers to create a more secure account, it was buried farther down the page.

Nintendo has just announced the latest Switch special edition, one that’s steeped in nostalgia. The new colorway has been dubbed the Mario Red Edition and pays tribute to one of Nintendo's most popular video game characters. The system will feature a console, dock and Joy-Con controllers all in Mario’s iconic red. On the back of the dock, there's a tiny silhouette of Mario as he leaps into action. There's also a touch of gold thanks to a set of coins hidden inside.

The new design will only be available on the OLED model, which was expected. The OLED version of the Switch is the company's flagship model, and we've already seen similar special editions recently. Nintendo has been known to release custom consoles as tie-ins with upcoming games – and with the official release of Super Mario Bros. Wonder set for October, it's not surprising to see the company creating a little buzz with this Mario-themed colorway.

Additionally, we saw the release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie back in April. So, it's been a pretty big year for Mario and the gang. The Mario Red Edition will be available for purchase from the official Nintendo store and Best Buy. It's currently available for pre-order and will cost $350, the same as the standard OLED model. Shipping is expected to start in October.

In an unprecedented decision, Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee announced on Thursday that he will allow not only a press pool, cameras and laptops to be present in the courtroom during the election interference trial of former President Donald Trump, but that the entire proceedings will be livestreamed on YouTube as well. That stream will be operated by the court.

Trump and 18 co-defendants are slated their trial on October 23rd. Tsplhey're facing multiple racketeering charges surrounding their efforts in the state of Georgia to subvert and overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, what Fulton County DA Fanni Harris describes as "a criminal enterprise" to unconstitutionally keep the disgraced politician in power. Trump has pled not guilty to all charges. 

While recording court proceedings can be an uncommon occurrence in some jurisdictions, the state of Georgia takes a far more lax approach in allowing the practice. 

“Georgia courts traditionally have allowed the media and the public in so that everyone can scrutinize how our process actually works,” Atlanta-based attorney Josh Schiffer, told Atlanta First News. “Unlike a lot of states with very strict rules, courts in Georgia are going to basically leave it up to the judges.”

For example, when Trump was arraigned in New York on alleged financial crimes, only still photography was allowed. For his Miami charges, photography wasn't allowed at all. This means that the public will not be privy to the in-court proceedings of Trump's federal election interference case, only the Georgia state prosecution.

In what can only bode poorly for our species' survival during the inevitable robot uprisings, an AI system has once again outperformed the people who trained it. This time, researchers at the University of Zurich in partnership with Intel, pitted their "Swift" AI piloting system against a trio of world champion drone racers — none of whom could best its top time.

Swift is the culmination of years of AI and machine learning research by the University of Zurich. In 2021, the team set an earlier iteration of the flight control algorithm that used a series of external cameras to validate its position in space in real-time, against amateur human pilots, all of whom were easily overmatched in every lap of every race during the test. That result was a milestone in its own right as, previously, self-guided drones relied on simplified physics models to continually calculate their optimum trajectory, which severely lowered their top speed. 

This week's result is another milestone, not just because the AI bested people whose job is to fly drones fast, but because it did so without the cumbersome external camera arrays= of its predecessor. The Swift system "reacts in real time to the data collected by an onboard camera, like the one used by human racers," an UZH Zurich release reads. It uses an integrated inertial measurement unit to track acceleration and speed while an onboard neural network localizes its position in space using data from the front-facing cameras. All of that data is fed into a central control unit — itself a deep neural network — which crunches through the numbers and devises a shortest/fastest path around the track. 

“Physical sports are more challenging for AI because they are less predictable than board or video games. We don’t have a perfect knowledge of the drone and environment models, so the AI needs to learn them by interacting with the physical world,” Davide Scaramuzza, head of the Robotics and Perception Group at the University of Zurich, said in a statement.

Rather than let a quadcopter smash its way around the track for the month that its controller AI would need to slowly learned the various weaves and bobs of the circuit, the research team instead simulated that learning session virtually. It took all of an hour. And then the drone went to work against 2019 Drone Racing League champion Alex Vanover, 2019 MultiGP Drone Racing champion Thomas Bitmatta, and three-time Swiss champion, Marvin Schaepper. 

Swift notched the fastest lap overall, beating the humans by a half second, though the meatsack pilots proved more adaptable to changing conditions during the course of a race. “Drones have a limited battery capacity; they need most of their energy just to stay airborne. Thus, by flying faster we increase their utility,” Scaramuzza said. As such, the research team hopes to continue developing the algorithm for eventual use in Search and Rescue operations, as well as forest monitoring, space exploration, and in film production.