Technologies

Lenovo’s New Loq Laptops Offer Better Gaming on a Budget

Pronounced «lock,» the 15- and 16-inch laptops borrow from the higher-end Legion line while keeping the starting price under $1,000.

Although it’s the high-end gaming laptops most people crave, many of us don’t have the cash to quench that thirst. The good news is that PC makers, including Dell, HP, Acer and Asus, stepped up the designs and features of their more budget-friendly gaming laptops. And now Lenovo is doing the same with its new Loq line.

Available in 15- and 16-inch sizes, the Loq (pronounced «lock») models follow the design touches of Lenovo’s premium Legion gaming laptops. They also don’t look too different from Lenovo’s IdeaPad Gaming 3, its current sub-$1,000 gaming laptop.

The rear input and output connections on the Lenovo Loq 15-inch gaming laptop. — Lori Grunin/CNET

Both sizes are available with AMD and Intel processors and up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics chip. Other specs include:

Up to a 13th-gen Intel Core i7-13700H or AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS
Up to 16GB dual-channel 5,600Mhz DDR5 memory
512 or 1TB Gen4 PCIe NVMeSSD
Up to a 165Hz 2,560×1,440-resolution display (15-inch)
Up to a 165Hz 2,560×1,600-resolution display (16-inch)

Also, if you decide you need more RAM or storage later on, both can be upgraded; there are two PCIe slots and two memory slots. Up to 32GB of memory is supported.

The Lenovo Loq 15-inch gaming laptop from the right side closed showing one of its USB-A ports and a switch to turn on a privacy shutter for its webcam. The laptop is sitting on a rose-colored tufted sofa. — Lori Grunin/CNET

There is a lot of overlap between the two sizes. In fact, it looks like the main difference between the two is the display, and it’s less about the size and more about ratio; the 15-inch is a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, while the 16-inch is a taller 16:10 panel. The larger laptop also gets a bigger battery — 80 watt-hour to the 15’s 60Whr.

Other premium touches include their keyboard with 100% anti-ghosting, 1.5mm key travel and an optional four-zone RGB backlight (white is standard); a MUX switch to change from power-efficient integrated graphics to full-time discrete graphics for peak performance; and a 1080p webcam with an electronic privacy shutter.

Lori Grunin/CNET

The 15-inch Lenovo Loq with Intel or AMD processors starts at $900, which converts to approximately £730 and AU$1,340. The AMD-powered 16-inch Loq starts at $960, while the Intel version starts at $1,150. Models start arriving in April and continue to roll out through June.

Lenovo also announced a Loq Tower desktop. It’s expected to start at $980 this fall, and can be configured with up to a 13th-gen Intel Core i7-13700 processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 40-series desktop graphics, up to 32GB 3,200MHz DDR4 RAM and up to a 2TB 7,200rpm hard drive and a 1TB PCIe NVMe solid-state drive.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Sept. 20 #566

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Sept. 20, No. 566.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle might be a puzzler. Some of the answers are long and a bit tough to unscramble. If you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Dire straits.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Oh no! Get me out of here!

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

PICK, PIED, DIRT, DIRE, MANE, MILE, MAIL, MALE, DAME, FRET, MACE, RENT

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

PICKLE, MESS, MUDDLE, DILEMMA, QUANDRY, PREDICAMENT

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is INAFIX. To find it, look for the I that’s four letters down on the far left, and wind up.

Technologies

Microsoft Is Hiking Xbox Series Console Prices Again. Here’s What You’ll Pay This Fall

Gaming is getting more and more expensive due to tariffs.

Microsoft will increase the prices of its Xbox Series consoles once again in October. This latest increase comes just five months after it raised prices due to tariffs.

An Xbox support page notes the upcoming price increase happening on Oct. 3, as first reported by Windows Central on Friday. Console costs will jump $20 to $70, depending on the version.

The new prices are:

Xbox Series S 512GB: $380 to $400
Xbox Series S 1TB: $430 to $450
Xbox Series X Digital: $550 to $600
Xbox Series X: $600 to $650
Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition: $730 to $800

To provide some context on the pricing, the Xbox Series S 512GB was $300 at launch, and the Xbox Series X was $500. In December 2023, the Xbox Series X went for as low as $350.

Microsoft says the price changes are «due to the changes in the macroeconomic environment.» This likely refers to the tariffs instituted by President Donald Trump, which have also caused prices to increase for other video game hardware from Nintendo and Sony.

«We are navigating an incredibly dynamic environment right now,» a company source told Windows Central. «We’ve assessed the changing macroeconomic environment and addressed the applicable impacts.»

When asked for further comment, a Microsoft spokesperson pointed CNET to the Xbox support page.

Where to get an Xbox Series X at its original price

The Xbox price hike won’t take effect until Oct. 3. Until then, you can pick up the Xbox Series consoles for the current pricing at retailers including Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart.

Technologies

The New Meta Ray-Bans Might Be Your Next Disneyland Tour Guide

Disney’s Imagineers are prototyping a virtual assistant to guide you through its theme parks via your own smart glasses.

Walt Disney Imagineering is in the early stages of prototyping a new augmented reality experience at its theme parks. This week, the team released a video showing Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses used as a personal virtual assistant inside Disneyland.

Meta is just one of the companies Disney Imagineering R&D is working with on AR. The Ray-Ban smart glasses allow Disney guests to ask questions out loud and receive real-time responses with information about rides, attractions, merchandise, food and directions.

Disney Imagineering’s R&D team has been working on early prototypes for how our AI glasses can help bring easy to access tips while in the parks, using our new Device Access Toolkit pic.twitter.com/japyanoSEh

— Jake Steinerman (@jasteinerman) September 18, 2025

The video shows a Disney cast member walking through Disneyland wearing Meta Ray-Bans. As she approaches the paddleboat attraction, she asks, «What’s that, and how can I ride it?»

«That’s the Mark Twain River Boat,» the AI-powered glasses respond instantly. «It’s nearby and you can board for a relaxing 14-minute cruise.»

She proceeds to ask, «Where can I get a gluten-free snack?» The answer is, at a snack stand nearby, with the glasses offering to check the full menu for her. She also asks whether a certain ride is appropriate for her 4-year-old, and focuses on a guest’s Porg keychain to inquire, «Where can I get one of those?» It responds by telling her it’s from a store in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge.

Another part shows the glasses suggesting activities. «Pirates of the Caribbean currently has a short wait time. Want directions?» And «Winnie the Pooh is nearby, want to meet him?»

Meta’s latest Ray-Bans were unveiled on Wednesday. The second-generation Meta smart glasses have received AI upgrades, a better battery life and an improved camera. They are available now for $379.

Augmented reality experiences have become a way for theme parks to distinguish themselves from the competition. Earlier this year, Universal opened its brand new theme park, Epic Universe, featuring a blend of immersive technology.

Disney doesn’t shy away from using the latest technology in its parks and experiences. There are wearables for park and hotel room entry, new Haunted Mansion illusions and apps for checking ride wait times or voting for that evening’s nighttime entertainment. Let’s not forget the latest Walt Disney animatronics or Disney’s groundbreaking holotile floor, either.