Pivot! Pivot!
You can always count on tech shows like next week’s IFA to supply the world with some of the oddest gadgets known to man, even if they’re technically just glorified concept art. Lenovo appears to be keeping that tradition alive, this time delivering a new concept laptop with a rotating display, switching between horizontal and portrait orientations on the fly. It’s known internally as Project Pivo.
At least, that’s according to reliable leaker Evan Blass (@evleaks), who even shared an image of the device ahead of IFA in a post on X. Unfortunately, there’s not much more to say on the subject. Aside from the funky display that’ll get more than a few weird stares when scrolling through Shorts in public, it’ll be a laptop like any other, probably sporting some halfway decent internals.
While interesting, all eyes will be on the company’s upcoming Lenovo Legion Go 2, where it will bring back the Joy-Con-like detachable controllers, a massive 8.8in 144Hz-capable OLED display, and up to an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme chipset under the hood. Expect more news on both (plus a whole bunch of other tech) at IFA 2025.
Yup, that’s an AI-powered fish tank
The words ‘AI’ and ‘fish tank’ were not ones we ever thought we’d hear in conjunction, but considering the state of the world since ChatGPT launched, perhaps that was naive. Either way, a company by the name of Dangbei is smashing those two ideas together to create the Fish Tank 1 Ultra, set to be revealed fully at IFA 2025.
“Where AI Meets Aquatic Elegance” are just some of the words Dangei used to describe the Fish Tank 1 Ultra. “A first-of-its-kind smart aquarium with AI-powered feeding, real-time water monitoring, and studio-grade lighting for a self-sustaining ecosystem,” throws a few more in there for the fun of it.
If you’ve reached the point where you’d rather leave the life of your pets in the cold, unloving hands of AI instead of looking after them yourself, maybe pet ownership isn’t for you. Dangbei’s solution does at least go the extra mile to make itself pretty, looking more like a full-blown aquarium than a simple fish tank. The kit is expected to feature a dual air pump and dual circulation filtration systems.
Is TikTok a messaging app now?
Direct messages on TikTok just got a whole lot more complicated. The video-sharing platform that holds most of the world’s attention hostage confirmed to TechCrunch that it’s giving users more ways to connect. Specifically through voice notes, images, and videos — features already present on every other dedicated messenger.
Set to arrive on the platform in the coming weeks, users will be able to share up to nine images and videos in the same chat — both one-on-one and group chats included. This isn’t limited to videos shared on TikTok, either, which users have been able to send one another for years, but rather videos taken from your device’s storage. Users can also edit these images and videos inside TikTok before sending.
As for those recording voice messages, the social media app will employ a 60-second cap to keep things moving on the platform. A major concern here is safety, and TikTok has implemented a somewhat elegant solution to combat it. First-time chatters can only send other users content already on TikTok, and will be denied from sending text, images, or videos taken from their device until the initial request is accepted.
Hollow Knight: Silksong may just be the best gaming deal, ever
The long, long wait will finally be over as soon as this week. Hollow Knight: Silksong has officially broken cover after nearly six years of silence, and will hit PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 1 & 2 on Thursday, 4 September, at 16h00 SAST — but who’s counting?
Better yet, publisher and developer Team Cherry isn’t cashing in on all the hype surrounding the long-awaited metroidvania sequel to 2017’s Hollow Knight — or at least not in that way. While many would gladly fork over the typical AAA $60-70 for what promises to be chock-full of content, Silksong is headed in a different direction.
$20 — or around R350 is what you can expect to pay for Hollow Knight: Silksong when it turns up on Thursday. We’re still awaiting local prices — Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo may muddy the waters a bit — but it’ll still generally be considered a mightily affordable package for what could end up as 2025’s GOTY. Also… no pre-orders.
