Lenovo's Innovative Tap-to-Transfer Feature Bridges the Gap Between iPhones and Windows PCs

I tapped this Lenovo laptop with an iPhone, and it instantly paired for file transferring

Lenovo's new Aura Edition laptops come with an array of Smart Modes, including some interesting security features and more. Lenovo just unveiled its new line of Aura Edition laptops in partnership with Intel, and they're full of features that, if nothing else, are attention-grabbing. One of the most noteworthy is the new auto-rotating laptops that open and close on their own, something I tried out first-hand at a recent demo. Also: 5 most interesting Copilot+ laptops revealed at IFA 2024 (including one for gaming) On the software side, Lenovo's Aura Edition laptops also come with a host of AI-infused "smart modes." The ability to set your laptop in different modes isn't anything new, but Lenovo's smart modes use AI to go beyond "battery saver" or "performance mode" for some pretty clever features. So, how do these work? Essentially, each "mode" houses a handful of features you can toggle on or off. If you turn the mode on, those features will work in the background and prompt an alert if its needs are met. For example, if Wellness Mode is active, and you have posture alerts enabled, the device uses the camera to alert you if it senses you're slouching. Here are some of the most interesting features I saw during my hands-on briefing with two new Lenovo Aura Edition laptops: the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 and the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i. One of the more immediately useful features I saw is the new Smart Share function. Simply giving your laptop a good whack with your phone activates a window that brings up a handful of your most recent photos that you can simply drag and drop onto your computer. It's... funny and kind of strange, but useful. Being able to drag-and-drop a photo you just snapped -- no AirDrop needed -- is sweet. And yes, it works with both iPhones and Android phones: all you need to do is download the Intel Unison app on your phone and then pair it with your laptop. Also: Your next laptop may be powered by this Intel AI chip, and the benefits are mind-blowing During a demo of this feature, I found there might still be some kinks to work out with the sensor, as sometimes it worked better than other times. I'm assuming that the Elliptic Labs AI virtual sensor detects proximity to the paired device with a good bonk. Besides the Smart Share features, there are four different "modes" that activate various features. You can toggle each feature on or off individually, to avoid being bombarded with different prompts. Here are the most impactful ones I saw during my time trying the new laptops. All in all, the different modes each have features that are useful, and I will say that it's nice to be able to toggle them on or off individually. I can see the usefulness of having your laptop give you a posture check or smart privacy alerts, but these features also come with some pretty obvious security concerns. Also: I demoed Lenovo's auto-swiveling ThinkBook at IFA 2024, and it's as bizarre as it sounds I'd be wary of having my laptop's camera sensors on me at all times, watching my activity to detect whether I'm slouching or whether my eyes look tired, regardless of the fact that everything is supposed to be local to the device. We'll definitely be doing some additional testing of the smart modes when we get our hands on some of the new Aura Edition laptops to see how they fare in practice.

I whacked this Lenovo laptop with an iPhone, and it instantly paired for file transferring

Lenovo's new Aura Edition laptops come with an array of Smart Modes, including some interesting security features and more. Lenovo just unveiled its new line of Aura Edition laptops in partnership with Intel, and they're full of features that, if nothing else, are attention-grabbing. One of the most noteworthy is the new auto-rotating laptops that open and close on their own, something I tried out first-hand at a recent demo. Also: 5 most interesting Copilot+ laptops revealed at IFA 2024 (including one for gaming) On the software side, Lenovo's Aura Edition laptops also come with a host of AI-infused "smart modes." The ability to set your laptop in different modes isn't anything new, but Lenovo's smart modes use AI to go beyond "battery saver" or "performance mode" for some pretty clever features. So, how do these work? Essentially, each "mode" houses a handful of features you can toggle on or off. If you turn the mode on, those features will work in the background and prompt an alert if its needs are met. For example, if Wellness Mode is active, and you have posture alerts enabled, the device uses the camera to alert you if it senses you're slouching. Here are some of the most interesting features I saw during my hands-on briefing with two new Lenovo Aura Edition laptops: the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 and the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i. One of the more immediately useful features I saw is the new Smart Share function. Simply giving your laptop a good whack with your phone activates a window that brings up a handful of your most recent photos that you can simply drag and drop onto your computer. It's... funny and kind of strange, but useful. Being able to drag-and-drop a photo you just snapped -- no AirDrop needed -- is sweet. And yes, it works with both iPhones and Android phones: all you need to do is download the Intel Unison app on your phone and then pair it with your laptop. Also: Your next laptop may be powered by this Intel AI chip, and the benefits are mind-blowing During a demo of this feature, I found there might still be some kinks to work out with the sensor, as sometimes it worked better than other times. I'm assuming that the Elliptic Labs AI virtual sensor detects proximity to the paired device with a good bonk. Besides the Smart Share features, there are four different "modes" that activate various features. You can toggle each feature on or off individually, to avoid being bombarded with different prompts. Here are the most impactful ones I saw during my time trying the new laptops. All in all, the different modes each have features that are useful, and I will say that it's nice to be able to toggle them on or off individually. I can see the usefulness of having your laptop give you a posture check or smart privacy alerts, but these features also come with some pretty obvious security concerns. Also: I demoed Lenovo's auto-swiveling ThinkBook at IFA 2024, and it's as bizarre as it sounds I'd be wary of having my laptop's camera sensors on me at all times, watching my activity to detect whether I'm slouching or whether my eyes look tired, regardless of the fact that everything is supposed to be local to the device. We'll definitely be doing some additional testing of the smart modes when we get our hands on some of the new Aura Edition laptops to see how they fare in practice.

Lenovo's newest laptops have a clever solution for iPhone file transferring that you have to see for yourself

Lenovo's latest laptops at IFA 2024 come with an array of Smart Modes, including some interesting security features and more. Lenovo just unveiled its new line of Aura Edition laptops in partnership with Intel, and they're full of features that, if nothing else, are attention-grabbing. One of the most noteworthy is the new auto-rotating laptops that open and close on their own, something I tried out first-hand at a recent demo. Also: 5 most interesting Copilot+ laptops revealed at IFA 2024 (including one for gaming) On the software side, Lenovo's Aura Edition laptops also come with a host of AI-infused "smart modes." The ability to set your laptop in different modes isn't anything new, but Lenovo's smart modes use AI to go beyond "battery saver" or "performance mode" for some pretty clever features. So, how do these work? Essentially, each "mode" houses a handful of features you can toggle on or off. If you turn the mode on, those features will work in the background and prompt an alert if its needs are met. For example, if Wellness Mode is active, and you have posture alerts enabled, the device uses the camera to alert you if it senses you're slouching. Here are some of the most interesting features I saw during my hands-on briefing with two new Lenovo Aura Edition laptops: the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 and the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i. One of the more immediately useful features I saw is the new Smart Share function. Simply giving your laptop a good whack with your phone activates a window that brings up a handful of your most recent photos that you can simply drag and drop onto your computer. It's... funny and kind of strange, but useful. Being able to drag-and-drop a photo you just snapped -- no AirDrop needed -- is sweet. And yes, it works with both iPhones and Android phones: all you need to do is download the Intel Unison app on your phone and then pair it with your laptop. Also: Your next laptop may be powered by this Intel AI chip, and the benefits are mind-blowing During a demo of this feature, I found there might still be some kinks to work out with the sensor, as sometimes it worked better than other times. I'm assuming that the Elliptic Labs AI virtual sensor detects proximity to the paired device with a good bonk. Besides the Smart Share features, there are four different "modes" that activate various features. You can toggle each feature on or off individually, to avoid being bombarded with different prompts. Here are the most impactful ones I saw during my time trying the new laptops. All in all, the different modes each have features that are useful, and I will say that it's nice to be able to toggle them on or off individually. I can see the usefulness of having your laptop give you a posture check or smart privacy alerts, but these features also come with some pretty obvious security concerns. Also: I demoed Lenovo's auto-swiveling ThinkBook at IFA 2024, and it's as bizarre as it sounds I'd be wary of having my laptop's camera sensors on me at all times, watching my activity to detect whether I'm slouching or whether my eyes look tired, regardless of the fact that everything is supposed to be local to the device. We'll definitely be doing some additional testing of the smart modes when we get our hands on some of the new Aura Edition laptops to see how they fare in practice.