Latest news with #YogaSolarPC
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Tech leader unveils groundbreaking laptop concept that runs on sunlight and folds flat like a book: 'Worth keeping an eye on'
Lenovo has been known to push the boundaries of laptop design, and its latest concept devices continue to deliver fresh innovations that include solar power. At Mobile World Congress 2025, the laptop maker revealed both the Lenovo ThinkBook Flip AI PC and Yoga Solar PC concepts, which could inform the next generation of consumer laptops. CNBC said that given the company's track record of bringing these innovative designs to market, "it's worth keeping an eye on what the Chinese technology giant is up to." The ThinkBook "codename Flip" AI PC, as the company called it, showed off an outward folding OLED display that can provide 18 inches of visual workspace or be folded over for a tablet-style interface. Workflows powered by artificial intelligence, split-screen multitasking, and smart workspace adaptation are being tested in this unique design. Sustainable power is also on the mind of Lenovo engineers, who worked up the Yoga Solar PC proof of concept to help capture the power of the sun to extend the device's runtime. This model includes a photovoltaic cell with 24% energy conversion efficiency, which is one of the best ratings available on the market, the company said. It's achieved through its Back Contact Cell technology, which places brackets and gridlines behind the solar cell for maximum absorption. Its Dynamic Solar Tracking system monitors the panel's current and voltage, working alongside the Solar-First Energy system for prioritizing the sun's rays for energy savings and stability. It can even generate power in low-light conditions while the PC is idle. The Yoga Solar PC can convert enough direct sunlight in 20 minutes to power up to one hour of video playback, according to the company. Measuring just 15 millimeters thin and weighing approximately 2.7 pounds, it's being called the world's first ultra-slim solar-powered PC. This improves upon Samsung's NC215S, which was reportedly the first laptop to include an integrated solar panel in 2011 and needed two hours of sunlight to run for one hour. Engineers and designers are realizing the potential of harnessing the sun's rays to power devices big and small across a variety of applications. What kind of solar tech would you be the most willing to use? Rooftop panels Community solar A portable solar generator None of the above Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. By leveraging renewable energy sources at every opportunity, we can more rapidly eliminate the use of dirty fuels and promote a cleaner, safer environment. Aptera's battery-powered electric vehicle includes solar panels on much of its exterior that help extend its runtime, while other companies have designed portable solar cells to help charge electric vehicles while parked. Lenovo has a track record of sustainable endeavors, championing repairs when possible to reduce waste, and offering cash for trade-ins so they can handle old devices more responsibly. Mary Jacques, Lenovo's executive director of Global ESG and Regulatory Compliance, told The Cool Down last year: "Our customers are really hungry for more and more information about not just the products that they're buying, but the impact that we can have on their sustainability journey." Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Yahoo
Lenovo's solar-powered Yoga concept laptop is such a good idea, I'm frankly shocked nobody's done it already
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. What if your laptop could get a full hour's worth of charge simply by leaving it in sunlight for 20 minutes? That's the promise of Lenovo's latest concept laptop, a Yoga model featuring a photovoltaic solar panel on the rear of the screen, converting light into charge for the laptop's battery. I've seen a lot of great concept devices from Lenovo and other laptop makers at events like MWC 2025, and I'm usually pretty excited about them. So let me be absolutely, unequivocally clear about this one: THIS RULES. I'm serious. To be honest, I can't believe it took this long for a tech company to strap a solar panel to the back of an ultrabook. We need more of this. It feels like such a straightforward idea; naturally, the Yoga Solar PC can be charged conventionally via a cable, but just being able to close the lid and let it soak in the solar rays is brilliant - and basically ensures that you'll never be stranded without any charge again (unless it's the middle of the night, I suppose). I can't be the only one who's gone on a trip or even just off to work, only to find that I've forgotten my laptop charger. Thus begins that stressful game of watching the battery life tick down, turning on efficiency mode, lowering the brightness, and praying. But with Lenovo's Solar Yoga? I could just leave it on a windowsill for an hour while I have lunch, and come back to a freshly-charged battery. It's also just a general triumph of eco-friendly engineering. The solar panel on the rear of the display (which, incidentally, doesn't appear to make the laptop noticeably thicker than Lenovo's other Yoga ultrabooks) offers an energy conversion rate of more than 24%, which is among the very best you'll see in any type of photovoltaic solar cells. Lenovo also designed a 'Dynamic Solar Tracking system', which continually monitors the influx of electricity and adjusts the laptop's battery consumption to prioritize the solar energy to better preserve your battery life. Solar-powered devices aren't a new thing, of course - fellow laptop manufacturer Acer sells a foldable 200W solar panel that you can hook up to a power bank, ideal for charging your devices when you're out in nature (or in a Mad Max-style apocalypse). But the Yoga Solar PC is the first ultrabook in the world with a fully-integrated solar power solution - and even though it's just a concept right now, it's one that I seriously hope makes it beyond the prototyping phase. Having handled the device in person at MWC, it certainly looks and feels like it could be retail-ready. I can practically picture myself taking this bad boy camping, or even just down to the cafe. Alright, okay, as much as I love this, I will admit that there are some potential stumbling blocks to this sort of tech being widely implemented in our laptops. For starters, solar panels aren't exactly the most durable things in the world - and I have to imagine that replacing an integrated panel like this would be a costly and difficult affair. Having a laptop with glass on the outside does feel a little bit like a recipe for disaster. Drop it once, and it might be game over. Heat buildup also feels like a natural problem here. After all, you generally don't want your laptop to be too hot. But surprisingly, Lenovo had the Yoga Solar PC sitting under a bright lamp on their stand at the expo (presumably for hours at a time), and while the back panel itself was a bit warm to the touch, the rest of the laptop didn't feel hot at all. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that a metal exterior lid would probably cook your laptop more if you left it out in the sun. Lastly, I suspect that if it were to make it to general production, the Yoga Solar PC would be very expensive. I've looked into getting solar panels installed on my house - and sure, this is just one solar panel, and it's a lot smaller, but it's also part of the laptop chassis rather than a standalone item - oh, and these Yoga laptops aren't exactly bargain-basement hardware to begin with. Still, as someone who enjoys a good foray into the great outdoors, I think this proof-of-concept is a fantastic idea and I'd gladly throw money at Lenovo to own one. A laptop that's more eco-friendly and can save my bacon if I forget my charger? Sign me up. The best laptop 2025: top portable picks for all budgets I love Lenovo's audacious design with the ThinkBook Flip laptop, but I dread how fragile it will be IRL Lenovo summons spirit of Microsoft Bob with Tiko, its 'compact AI emotional interaction companion'
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Yahoo
The Lenovo Solar PC Concept feels like a device whose time has come
You might be surprised to learn that the first laptop with built-in solar panels is nearly 15 years old. But to me, the bigger shock is that with all the recent advancements in photovoltaic cells, manufacturers haven't revisited this idea more often. But at MWC 2025, Lenovo is changing that with its Yoga Solar PC Concept. Weighing 2.6 pounds and measuring less than 0.6 inches thick, the Yoga Solar PC Concept is essentially the same size as a standard 14-inch clamshell. And because its underlying design isn't all that different from Lenovo's standard Yoga family, it doesn't skimp on specs either. It features an OLED display, up to 32GB of RAM, a decent-sized 50.2 WHr battery and even a 2MP IR webcam for use with Windows Hello. However, all those components aren't nearly as important as the solar cells embedded in its lid. Lenovo says the panels use Back Contact Cell technology so that its mounting brackets and gridlines can be placed on the rear of the cells. This allows the panels to offer up to 24 percent solar energy conversion, which is pretty good as that matches the efficiency you get from many high-end home solar systems. Furthermore, the PC also supports Dynamic Solar Tracking to automatically adjust the cells' settings to maximize the amount of energy they can gather. Lenovo says this means the Yoga Solar PC can generate enough juice to play an hour of videos after only 20 minutes in the sun. But what might be more impressive is that even when the laptop is indoors, it can still harvest power from as little as 0.3 watts of light to help top off its battery. Finally, to help you understand how much power it's gathering, Lenovo created a bespoke app to track how much light the panels absorb. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unfortunately, Lenovo doesn't have any plans to turn this concept into a full commercial device. But after playing around with it, I was pleasantly surprised to see how solid and sturdy its chassis felt. Unlike a lot of prototype devices, the Yoga Solar PC Concept doesn't feel like that much of a stretch technologically compared to other notebooks on sale today. Its PV cells sit safely behind a sheet of glass (or possibly plastic, Lenovo wouldn't confirm which one) while also adding a bit of distinctive visual flair. However, the biggest hurdle (and possibly a big reason why we haven't seen more laptops like this) is that for people who want to use solar panels to charge their devices, it's probably easier and more versatile to rely on a standalone solar array instead of something built-in to the gadget itself. Regardless, Lenovo's Yoga Solar PC is a surprisingly polished concept that I'd love to see get more attention in the future. Engadget will be reporting all the latest mobile and smartphone news from MWC 2025 as it happens the week of March 2.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Yahoo
The Lenovo Solar PC Concept feels like a device whose time has come
You might be surprised to learn that the first laptop with built-in solar panels is nearly 15 years old. But to me, the bigger shock is that with all the recent advancements in photovoltaic cells, manufacturers haven't revisited this idea more often. But at MWC 2025, Lenovo is changing that with its Yoga Solar PC Concept. Weighing 2.6 pounds and measuring less than 0.6 inches thick, the Yoga Solar PC Concept is essentially the same size as a standard 14-inch clamshell. And because its underlying design isn't all that different from Lenovo's standard Yoga family, it doesn't skimp on specs either. It features an OLED display, up to 32GB of RAM, a decent-sized 50.2 WHr battery and even a 2MP IR webcam for use with Windows Hello. However, all those components aren't nearly as important as the solar cells embedded in its lid. Lenovo says the panels use Back Contact Cell technology so that its mounting brackets and gridlines can be placed on the rear of the cells. This allows the panels to offer up to 24 percent solar energy conversion, which is pretty good as that matches the efficiency you get from many high-end home solar systems. Furthermore, the PC also supports Dynamic Solar Tracking to automatically adjust the cells' settings to maximize the amount of energy they can gather. Lenovo Yoga Solar PC Concept hands-on photo Lenovo says this means the Yoga Solar PC can generate enough juice to play an hour of videos after only 20 minutes in the sun. But what might be more impressive is that even when the laptop is indoors, it can still harvest power from as little as 0.3 watts of light to help top off its battery. Finally, to help you understand how much power it's gathering, Lenovo created a bespoke app to track how much light the panels absorb. Unfortunately, Lenovo doesn't have any plans to turn this concept into a full commercial device. But after playing around with it, I was pleasantly surprised to see how solid and sturdy its chassis felt. Unlike a lot of prototype devices, the Yoga Solar PC Concept doesn't feel like that much of a stretch technologically compared to other notebooks on sale today. Its PV cells sit safely behind a sheet of glass (or possibly plastic, Lenovo wouldn't confirm which one) while also adding a bit of distinctive visual flair. However, the biggest hurdle (and possibly a big reason why we haven't seen more laptops like this) is that for people who want to use solar panels to charge their devices, it's probably easier and more versatile to rely on a standalone solar array instead of something built-in to the gadget itself. Regardless, Lenovo's Yoga Solar PC is a surprisingly polished concept that I'd love to see get more attention in the future.
