Keychron, known for its often reasonably priced, customizable mechanical keyboards, has announced the second iteration of the K8 QMK. The new TKL (80%) keyboard sports updated internal materials for added sound dampening. The new K8 QMK is available with the usual selection of mechanical switch types and two different frame designs, catering to different market segments. Compared to the original K8 Wireless, the K8 Wireless V2 has updated Bluetooth connectivity, QMK support, and new, custom Keychron switches.

The new Keychron K8 QMK V2 shares many similarities with its predecessor, including the same $99 starting price, although there are some differences that are likely to make V2 an attractive option for mechanical keyboard enthusiasts. The biggest physical change is the move from shine-through OEM profile ABS keycaps to shine-through double-shot Cherry profile PBT keycaps, which are bound to be a mixed bag in enthusiast communities. On the one hand, many enthusiasts prefer the sound of ABS keycaps, but the Cherry profile is often highly regarded for comfort and ergonomics. While the external physical changes are mostly rather moderate, the internals have been significantly more impressive, with QMK firmware—and Keychron Launcher customization support—being the most important of the functional changes. That QMK support apparently comes at a cost, though, since the new Keychron K8 QMK V2 comes with the same battery capacity but significantly lower battery life when connected wirelessly, despite the move from Bluetooth 5.1 to Bluetooth 5.2. Keychron claims that the K8 QMK V2 can last up to 190 hours on Bluetooth without backlighting and up to 100 hours with the backlighting at its lowest brightness. Meanwhile, the original K8 is capable of up to 240 hours with the backlight off, with RGB backlighting coming in lower than the new K8 QMK V2, at up to 72 hours with the backlight enabled. The K8 QMK V2 also has new inner foam layers for sound dampening, which might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it helps provide more customization options.

Today Lenovo introduced the Lenovo Tab Plus, an entertainment tablet that delivers an outstanding sonar experience with Eight JBL speakers with Hi-fi matrix structure tuned by Dolby Atmos. Designed for music lovers, the 11.5-inch tablet complements its premium sound with a 2K display for vivid visuals and an adjustable stand for optimal enjoyment from every angle.

"Tablets have evolved to meet the needs of people transitioning between work, study and play, offering a balanced combination of mobility and performance," said Tony Chen, vice president of Tablets, Intelligent Devices Group, Lenovo. "As the tablet market recovers, customers can expect increased Lenovo product differentiation through features that address their specific demands. The Lenovo Tab Plus is a prime example of a well-rounded tablet that delivers premium sound for a truly immersive entertainment experience."

Today, Lenovo launched the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x and Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6, its first next generation Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Elite. As the PC industry enters a new phase of the artificial intelligence era, Lenovo is poised to offer new levels of personalization in personal computing across its PC portfolio. Intelligent software-powered local processing of tasks, and increased productivity, creativity, and security, these Copilot+ PC's combine to deliver a whole new experience in PC interaction. Lenovo is expanding its already comprehensive portfolio of AI-ready devices, software, and optimized services with two new laptops for consumers and business users—the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x and the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6.

Powered by Qualcomm Technologies' new Snapdragon X Elite processor featuring the 12-core Qualcomm Oryon CPU, Qualcomm Adreno GPU and a dedicated Qualcomm Hexagon NPU (neural processing unit), the new laptops deliver leading PC performance per watt with the fastest to date AI NPU processing up to 45 trillion operations per second (TOPS). With the latest enhancements from Microsoft and Copilot+, users can now access Large Language Model (LLM) capabilities even when offline, offering seamless productivity and creativity. The latest Lenovo laptops allow users to tap into the extensive Copilot+ knowledge base, empowering them to explore endless creative possibilities. By leveraging generative AI and machine learning, Copilot+ assists in composing compelling text, crafting engaging visuals, and streamlining common productivity tasks. With the ability to work offline with the same fluidity as online, the Yoga Slim 7x and the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 set new standards in AI PC innovation, promising a futuristic and streamlined user experience for end users.

Acer expanded its Swift family of thin and light laptops with new Intel Core Ultra processors featuring Intel's first neural processing unit (NPU) and integrated AI acceleration capabilities. Now even more performance-minded, capable, and intuitive for content creation, schoolwork, productivity, and play, the new Swift laptops' powerful processing and AI-supported features further the laptop's usability.

"After unveiling our first Intel Core Ultra laptops last month, we're debuting even more products in our Swift line to help a wider range of customers take advantage of premium laptop experiences and AI-supported technology for more exciting and effective PC use," said James Lin, General Manager, Notebooks, IT Products Business, Acer. "Plus, these laptops feature impressive updates that help customers do more - and do them even better."

Acer today announced new models of the AI-ready Acer Swift Go 14 (SFG14-72) powered by Intel Core Ultra processors that feature Intel Arc graphics processing unit (GPU) and Intel AI Boost, its new integrated neural processing unit (NPU), to deliver efficient computing performance of AI workloads and immersive experiences on the thin-and-light laptop. Students, professionals, and creators can leverage the Swift Go 14's array of AI features such as Acer PurifiedVoice and Acer PurifiedView for videoconferencing and customization tools on the OLED laptop. Accomplishing tasks and workflows are also made easier on the Swift laptop with Microsoft's Copilot in Windows 11.

"Our new Swift Go 14 goes beyond its stylish design and high-resolution display, delivering the latest suite of collaboration technology to support a wide variety of functions and lifestyles," said James Lin, General Manager, Notebooks, Acer Inc. "The Swift Go 14 is one of the first devices in the market to be outfitted with Intel Core Ultra processors, paving the way to enhance support of generative AI tasks on more Acer devices moving forward."

Valve has announced an updated version of the Steam Deck and the headline feature is the new 7.4-inch OLED display. That's a mere 0.4-inches bigger than the original Steam Deck LCD display and it retains the same 1280 x 800 resolution. However, everything else related to the display has been improved and the refresh rate is now 90 Hz rather than 60 Hz. The display is also a lot brighter, with an SDR rating of 600 nits and an HDR rating of 1000 nits. Valve also claims a 110 percent P3 colour gamut, a one million to one contrast ratio and a sub 0.1 ms response time. On top of that, Valve has added what the company calls "high performance touch" which is said to improve the responsiveness of the display.

It's not just the display that has been improved, as Valve has moved to a 6 nm AMD Zen 2 based SoC which seems to allow the GPU to run at 1.6 GHz at all times, as Valve no longer lists a frequency range for the GPU. The power envelope remains the same though, with a range of 4-15 Watts. Paired with the new SoC is faster LPDDR5 memory at 6400 MT/s, up from 5500 MT/s, which should provide a small boost in gaming performance. An improved cooling solution is also part of the package, which is also likely a reason for the more constant GPU clocks. Gone are the entry level storage SKUs and the OLED version of the Steam Deck only comes with 512 GB or 1 TB of internal storage. The WiFi and Bluetooth module has also been overhauled and now supports WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. The battery has also been boosted from a 40 Whr pack to a 50 Whr pack and Valve now claims three to 12 hours of battery life during gaming, as well as faster charging times. Finally the weight has dropped by 29 grams, which might not be much, but still impressive considering the larger battery pack. The downside you ask? That would be the price, as Valve is asking for US$549/€569 for the 512 GB version, with the 1 TB coming at US$649/€679 when it becomes available on the 16th of November.

Samsung Electronics today announced its new Galaxy Tab A9 series, delivering Samsung Galaxy's awesome tablet experiences at great value. Available in two sizes, the series combines immersive video and audio with hyper-fast connectivity—supporting everyday entertainment and productivity needs in a portable package. The Galaxy Tab A9 and Galaxy Tab A9+ exemplify the Galaxy connected ecosystem, offering a continuous experience across multiple devices, as well as innovative ways for users and their loved ones to safely navigate the digital realm.

"We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the latest innovations in tablet technology," said TM Roh, President and Head of Samsung Electronics' Mobile eXperience Business. "With the latest Galaxy Tab A series release, we're making it easier than ever for all to enjoy great entertainment and productive multitasking across the entire Galaxy ecosystem."

Samsung Electronics is announcing the latest FE series addition to the Samsung Galaxy ecosystem—the new Galaxy S23 FE, Galaxy Tab S9 FE and S9 FE+, and Galaxy Buds FE. Known for their iconic and durable designs, advanced performance, cutting-edge camera and audio capabilities, and so much more—these are the most epic FE devices yet. For those who want to experience Galaxy flagship devices for the first time, the new FE devices are the perfect entry point.

"At Samsung, we are committed to bringing world-class innovation to everyone through epic mobile experiences that fit their lifestyle," said TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. "Our new FE devices are packed with crowd-pleasing premium capabilities that, on their own or as part of a connected ecosystem, let Galaxy users maximize their creativity and productivity."

LG Electronics USA announced pricing and availability of its 2023 LG gram Style laptops at LG.com and select LG-authorized retailers. Created for those who love to express their unique style wherever they go, the LG gram Style laptops will be offered in 16- and 14-inch versions (models 16Z90RS and 14Z90RS). Exclusively available at LG.com from March 20, 2023 to April 16, 2023, customers can now get a 32 GB memory LG gram Style laptop for the price of a 16 GB model of the same screen size.

The LG gram Style features an elegant glass design that changes color when viewed from different angles. The focus on design continues inside the new laptop where a "hidden" haptic touch-pad with soft LED backlighting illuminates at the user's touch. Maintaining its reputation for its lightweight portability, the gram Style weighs under 3 pounds.

ASUS today announced Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (UP3404), the latest and most powerful 14-inch model in its premium thin-and-light convertible Zenbook Flip series. The elegant and versatile Zenbook 14 Flip OLED offers new levels of performance from its 13th Gen Intel Core processors, Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics, up to 1 TB PCIe SSD, 16 GB of RAM and a long-lasting 75 Wh battery. For easy I/O, there are two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB 3.2 Type-A port, and an HDMI 2.1 (TMDS) port. Fast and stable WiFi 6E (802.11ax) ensures reliable wireless connectivity.

Superb visuals are provided by the enlarged 14-inch 16:10 2.8K OLED touchscreen, which is PANTONE Validated and has a 100% DCI-P3 gamut. It's also TÜV-certified for eye care, and supports an optional ASUS Pen 2.0 MPP 2.0 stylus. The compact Zenbook 14 Flip OLED is just 15.9 mm thin and weighs only 1.5 kg, with a 360° any-position hinge. Thoughtful design features include an ambient light color sensor that automatically adjusts brightness and color temperature, and enables adaptive dimming to help maintain OLED display longevity. There's also an IR camera for fast face login.

Acer today debuts the first models in its new Acer Swift Go line, adding to the award-winning Swift family of notebooks designed for today's mobile professionals, creators, and students. In addition, the new Acer Swift X 14 and Acer Swift 14 were launched with new modern designs, the latest performance technologies, and all the tools to help users stay productive and connected on the go. The Swift Go, Swift X 14 and Swift 14 models highlight new ultraportable designs that are incredibly sleek and stylish. Incorporating well-considered features such as angular edges and structural lines result in a more refined look for these notebooks, appealing to highly mobile customers seeking a more confident look and feel.

The Acer Swift laptop line has also been a recipient of numerous accolades in recent years, with the Swift Edge being named a CES 2023 Innovation Awards honoree. "Our new Swift laptops kick off 2023 with all-new designs that are elevated, modern, and offer a striking visual appeal," said James Lin, General Manager, Notebooks, IT Products Business, Acer. "The new Swift laptops do not only look good but house an impressive array of the latest technologies and features including OLED and high-resolution displays, long-lasting batteries and new 13th Gen Intel Coreprocessors that deliver first-class performance."

PICO, a leading VR brand with independent innovation and R&D creation capabilities, has today announced the launch of the PICO 4, a next-generation, all-in-one VR headset that aims to make VR accessible to everyone by combining comfort and performance.

Equipped with the Snapdragon XR2 platform, the PICO 4 features a super lightweight body, Pancake Optics, 4K+ resolution display, and an intuitive user experience. Pioneering the next generation of VR hardware design, PICO's new headset makes the unreal real, with a more vivid, and immersive VR experience. The PICO 4 will be available on October 18th in thirteen European countries, with plans to launch in Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia this year.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today premieres Dare to be Ultimate: Building a World-Leading Gaming Phone, the design story video that reveals the genesis of the new ROG Phone 6D series of gaming smartphones. The ROG Phone 6D and ROG Phone 6D Ultimate are powered by the latest flagship MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ 5G chipset. Clocking up to 3.2 GHz CPU speeds, and boasting up to 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512 GB ROM of storage, the Dimensity 9000+ chipset provides flagship 5G experiences, perfect for mobile gamers.

"The pursuit of the ultimate performance and gaming experience has always been central for the ROG Phone. With each iteration, we consistently strive to surpass ourselves, achieving the spirit of For Those Who Dare," said S.Y. Hsu, Co-CEO, ASUS. "We are thrilled that this first collaboration with MediaTek has achieved such stunning performance, and we will continue to strive for continuous performance improvements."

ORIGIN PC, a leader in custom high-performance systems, today announced the availability of its latest thin and light laptops. With ORIGIN PC's newly upgraded flagship systems, the EVO17-S and NT-17, as well as the addition of two brand new laptops to its lineup of world-class systems - the EVO14-S and NT-14 - gamers can play with power and portability. The EVO17-S is a performance powerhouse, equipped with an Intel Core i9-12900H 14-core processor, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GPU, and support for up to 64 GB of DDR5 DRAM, while a 240 Hz QHD screen displays all your games in stunning detail. With this combination of hardware pushing laptop gaming to entirely new heights, ORIGIN PC reaffirms its dedication to exceptional mobile performance.

The EVO17-S, EVO15-S, NT-17, and NT-15 systems feature massive hardware upgrades to meet the growing demands of users. For those looking for an expanded display, Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI ports can connect up to two additional monitors. Weighing in at only 2.4 pounds, the new EVO14-S and NT-14 serve to provide users the incredible power of an ORIGIN PC system with the maximum portability benefits of a laptop. These 14" display systems can be further upgraded by adding an external GPU, connecting up to a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 or NVIDIA RTX A6000 for top-tier desktop graphics performance.

Facebook Reality Labs Vice President Andrew Bosworth has recently confirmed in a Q&A session that the Oculus Quest 2 is likely to receive 120 Hz refresh rate support via an upcoming software update. The original Oculus Quest shipped with a 72 Hz refresh rate and when the Quest 2 was released with a better screen this refresh rate was kept for compatibility reasons. Facebook has now made 90 Hz the default refresh rate on the Quest 2 after a period of testing and it seems that this could soon be increased to 120 Hz with the main concerns remaining being performance and battery life. Developers would have the option to target 72, 90, or 120 Hz for their games and applications to run at. The 120 Hz refresh rate would be most noticeable when playing desktop VR games via Oculus Link with a computer capable of high-fidelity VR.

While most laptops and notebooks now offer a 60 Hz refresh rate, Samsung Display announced today that it will mass produce the world's first 90 Hz OLED laptops in the first quarter of this year. Samsung Display Chief Executive Officer Joo Sun Choi said that the company will initially produce very large quantities of 14-inch, 90 Hz OLED displays destined for laptops and notebooks, beginning in March.

"OLED display panels can best satisfy the diverse consumer needs for laptops used in telework, online education, video streaming, and gaming," the company said. Samsung Display said it is helping to introduce a major shift in the market as it collaborates closely with global manufacturers to achieve a new level of excellence for refresh rates in laptops, beginning this year.