While rivals HP and Dell have announced monitors at CES 2022 with built-in webcams and speakers designed for hybrid and remote work, Lenovo is taking a slightly different approach with its ThinkVision monitors.
Instead of building the video conferencing system permanently into the monitors, the new ThinkVision displays come with a modular solution that allows you to snap on either the webcam or the speaker, or both modules together, for a complete experience when collaborating with colleagues or connecting with friends over video.
The setup isn’t too dissimilar to connecting a wired webcam to the top of your monitor, for example, but the modular components lead to cleaner desk aesthetics. For one, you won’t have to deal with unsightly wires and you don’t need to connect a Bluetooth speaker or speakerphone on your desk.
Secondly, the ability to remove and stow away these components will be beneficial to minimalists who don’t want tech components always on display when they’re not using these products.
The VOIP stack hooks up to connectors on the rear of the display.
After you’re done with your video call, detach the modules and stow them discretely away. Also, for privacy-conscious homes, home offices, and offices, the detachable modules can give added peace of mind that the camera or microphones were not inadvertently activated without your knowledge.
The 1080p FHD ThinkVision MC60 Monitor Webcam module comes with a privacy shutter, Smart Traffic Light that warns people around you that you’re on a call for interruption-free meetings, digital zooms with various different fields of view, noise cancellation technology, and tilt control.
The ThinkVision MS30 Monitor Soundbar comes with dual 2W speakers. We would have loved to see Lenovo pushing the webcam to 4K resolution and equipping the soundbar with more powerful dual 5W speakers.
As for the display, Lenovo unveiled two new color-accurate 27-inch QHD monitors with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. Despite their unmemorable model numbers and names, both the ThinkVision P27h-30 and P27q-30 support 95% of the DCI-P3 color space and 99% of the sRGB color space.
Both panels come with a modern design with slim bezels, a gunmetal stand for ergonomic adjustments, an integrated USB hub, and HDR10 support. The biggest difference is that the P27q-30 supports only HDMI and DisplayPort connections, while the more premium P27h-30 also has a USB-C port.
With a single USB-C cable, you can connect a compatible PC or Mac to the monitor for both video and power, as the panel also supports 100W power delivery.
The Lenovo ThinkVision P27q-30 and P27h-30 monitors will both be available starting in July 2022, with an expected starting price of $499 and $599.
The ThinkVision VOIP Modular Stack solution, meanwhile, will also be available starting in June 2022, with an expected starting price of the soundbar for $39 and the webcam for $129.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Google DeepMind's AI world model Genie 4 can now build interactive worlds that you can explore and reshape as they run. It also generates ambient sounds, music, and dialogue that respond to your actions.
The new world model builds on Genie 3 with improved realism, more natural human movement, and better simulations of real-world physics. It could eventually help with everything from game development to training robots.
Apple has an incredible talent for making me admire its products while simultaneously questioning what on earth it's thinking with the pricing. This isn't even something as bizarre as a monitor stand, but the audacity for starting a new laptop lineup from $2,000 doesn't surprise me.
The newly announced 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 is just the latest to showcase this. The funny thing is, I already know that it's going to be a reliable workstation. You get a powerful new 2nm M6 processor, a gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR display, and up to 24 hours of battery life. We were impressed by the M5 MacBook Air, so the high-end M6 powered MacBook Pro definitely won't let us down.