Mobile World Congress ran throughout last week, giving us another glimpse of what’s on the way for consumer tech. Lenovo unveiled a solar powered concept PC and a concept laptop with an 18.1-inch foldable display.
We also saw devices that will actually hit store shelves, such as the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition.
Outside of Mobile World Congress, Microsoft blocked its Copilot AI assistant from helping people pirate Windows 11. Copilot also got a non-pirate related update on Windows 11 and macOS.
Microsoft blocks (some) Windows 11 pirates
Pirating Windows 11 just got incrementally more difficult. Earlier this month, it was discovered that Microsoft Copilot would share advice on how to activate Windows 11 without a license.
Now, if you ask the AI assistant about activating Windows, Copilot will ask if you would like to talk about something else.
“Want to talk about something else? I’m not able to discuss that topic, but I’m always happy to chat about other things! What else is on your mind?” said Copilot to me when I asked about activating Windows 11.
When pushed on the topic, Copilot said the following:
“Unfortunately, I can’t assist with bypassing licensing requirements for Windows 11. Using unlicensed software can have significant risks, including security vulnerabilities and lack of support from Microsoft.
However, there are legitimate ways to acquire a Windows 11 license. Sometimes there are discounts or programs that can help, especially for seniors, students, or through certain promotions. If budget is a concern, there are also free operating systems like Linux that could be an alternative. If you’d like, I can help you explore some of these options!”
Pirating Windows has never been difficult. Copilot helping people pirate Windows 11 was only newsworthy due to irony.
Lenovo concept PCs
Lenovo is the torchbearer when it comes to innovative devices these days. Plenty of PC makers try new things, but Lenovo is likely the boldest when it comes to new form factors.
On that note, Lenovo unveiled the ThinkBook “codename Flip” at Mobile World Congress (MWC). That device has an 18.1-inch foldable display. That screen can flip around for sharing or stand tall.
The resulting vertical screen makes the ThinkBook Flip rather top heavy. It is a concept device, so Lenovo will have to play around with the exact shape and weight distribution before shipping a device with a similar display.
Another concept device, the Lenovo Yoga Solar PC, has solar panels in its lid. Those panels use back contact cell technology that improves efficiency.
Lenovo claims the Yoga Solar PC can get one hour of playback after 20 minutes of charging in the sun.
I also think the solar panels look pretty cool, but I suppose that’s subjective.
Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition
Lenovo announced more than concept devices at Mobile World Congress. The PC maker also unveiled its Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition (Gen 10).
That laptop is powered by up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H and up to an NVIDIA RTX 5070 laptop GPU.
Those specs should be enough for heavy duty creative work. The Aura Edition branding indicates the PC meets standards for software, hardware, and AI features.
The latest Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition has a 16-inch screen that reaches up to 1,600 nits. That screen has a double layer of OLED pixels and is possibly the brightest laptop screen available.
Our Cale Hunt stays on top of the best laptops with bright screens and has not found a brighter laptop display than that of the Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition.
Copilot app update
Microsoft previewed a new Copilot app this week on Windows 11. The app is built using Microsoft’s native app UI framework, which is great news.
When Microsoft launched its new dedicated Copilot app for Windows last year, many were disappointed to find out it was just the Copilot web view in a wrapper.
The new new Copilot app that is in preview is a native app with a better interface. It also launches quicker and performs better than its predecessor.
Microsoft launched its new Copilot app for Mac slightly before the Windows version entered preview.
Windows Central Podcast
Our Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden talk tech each week during the Windows Central Podcast. In the most recent episode, they discuss the death of Skype, Lenovo’s intriguing devices from Mobile World Congress, and updates to Microsoft’s Copilot apps.
You can tune into the Windows Central Podcast each week on YouTube or catch up through your favorite podcast platform.
Reviews
We here at Windows Central love going hands-on with the latest tech. This week, our team looked at the lightest and longest lasting AI PC, a 4K Thunderbolt hub monitor, and a practically flawless monitor arm.
Deals of the Week
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