Anyone who has ever watched a toddler methodically take apart a Tupperware drawer should know that many children are natural-born engineers. Your only job as a parent is to nurture their creativity … and clean up the mess afterward. Between us—WIRED reviewer Scott Gilbertson, editor Adrienne So, and I—we have seven kids. This, honestly, is the most fun part of my job—calling in STEM toys for my kids and me to test together and recommend to you. It hardly feels like work at all.
Wrap up a few of these STEM toys (also called STEAM toys; we love you too, arts!) and books for your future scientist to bake, squish, or dismantle. Hopefully, they’ll thank you for the early encouragement when they’re older. Be sure to check out our many other buying guides, including Our Favorite Subscription Boxes for Kids and How to Build the Lego Collection of Your Dreams.
Update December 2024: We added Ambessa Play DIY Flashlight, Particular GoChess Mini, Marty the Robot V2, Loog Mini Electric Guitar, Bill Nye’s VR Chem Lab, the Astronaut Neapolitan Ice Cream Sandwich, and age ranges for each entry, removed a discontinued product, and updated prices throughout.
Power up with unlimited access to WIRED.Get best-in-class reporting that’s too important to ignore for just $2.50 $1 per month for 1 year. Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive subscriber-only content. Subscribe Today.
2024 was the ‘year of elections’ with governments representing over half the world’s population being voted in. At first glance it has the look of an early 2000s tribute year: a Labour government is in power in the UK, Eurosceptic parties make gains in the EU, a Republican president is re-elected to the White House and Vladimir Putin is Russia’s head of state. So far, so 2004. Yet the underlying details of those events also reveals a world that’s in a rather different place.
In chemistry too, there are signs that the cycle of history is repeating. Concerns around the future of the subject, for example, are once more at the fore. But digging into the detail also uncovers how things have progressed. As we’ve been marking our 20th anniversary this year we’ve been looking back at what’s happened since our first issue in 2004. At the most granular level, these trends are composed of individual chemists, and in our recent feature we’ve completed a collection we began earlier this year – sharing 20 stories from chemists who have lived and worked through those two decades.
Despite the clear need for chemistry’s contributions, there are indications it faces a period of difficulty
Each of these stories is an example of the ways chemistry and society have changed in response to each other. For example, the UK’s move away from nuclear energy now seems shortsighted as countries look for ways to generate energy without carbon emissions, and to reduce reliance on Russian energy exports. A global pandemic has changed the way we work, which has created new opportunities for education in lab courses and active learning. The 2008 financial crash forced many chemists to find new career paths, and an ecosystem of entrepreneurs and SMEs sprang up as universities sought to monetise their research, creating a growing economic sector built on the innovative promise of IP.
Over time, chemistry research has evolved too, as new knowledge is gained and discoveries are made. But its course is also guided by both governments and society. The Epsrc’s portfolio currently has grant funding for chemistry somewhere north of £400 million, which compares to around £30 million in 2004 (about £50 million adjusting for inflation). That’s a big increase, although chemistry’s slice of the whole pie has stayed roughly the same at around 10% of the total R&D funding pot. Labour’s recent budget has promised to increase funding for R&D, recognising its role in delivering economic growth and also in solving societal challenges. And those priorities are reflected in chemistry research trends: in 2004, topics such as asymmetric catalysis and total synthesis were among the most popular in terms of papers published in chemistry. In 2024, its energy materials, hydrogen production and catalysts for CO2 reduction.
We can’t predict the future – we can only prepare for it
Yet despite the clear need for chemistry’s contributions, there are also indications that chemistry is facing a period of difficulty as it did in 2004, with undergraduate numbers decreasing and departments threatened with closure. 20 years since the current funding arrangements for university degrees was introduced, the recent UK budget did deliver some succour for hard-up HEIs by raising the cap on fees, but in some cases it’s already too late. To balance the books some universities are looking to shutter expensive chemistry departments or courses and a similar trend is evident in the US. The universities of Hull, Aston and Central Lancashire have all made such proposals. Thankfully, the University of Reading recently made the decision not to pursue the same route.
There are also broader trends here influencing students’ choices. Computing, for example, has seen a huge increase at school and university level in recent years and over the past two decades the big tech firms have been the only new names to join the banks and oil giants among the world’s biggest companies. Developments such as the ascendent AI have great potential (as this year’s Nobel prizes showed) and grants for AI currently represent the Epsrc’s single-largest pot at just over £500 million. But the stories of the chemists in this issue also underline how chemistry and chemists are continually contributing to a healthier and more sustainable world for us all.
The challenge for governments and universities now is to chart a course through this changing landscape. If our retrospective shows anything it’s that we can’t predict the future – we can only prepare for it, and short-term fixes often come at the expense of long-term prospects and prosperity. We need leadership to ensure that the balance of skills and workforce we are building today can deliver chemistry’s potential in the future.
Entirely inorganic perovskites are a promising alternative to traditional perovskite solar cells, which present bottlenecks in terms of efficiency and stability. However, inorganic salts face fabrication and scalability issues. Now, a simple stabilising ligand allows all-inorganic perovskite cells with an efficiency of up to 22%, surpassing previous records and paving the way towards scalable solar cells.
Usually, perovskites count on organic cations, such as methylammonium and formamidinium, which complete the crystal structure of lead and tin halides. Now, researchers have looked into introducing inorganic cations, like caesium or rubidium, instead, to improve stability. But cations come at a cost, and complicate scale-up, creating issues with crystallisation, as well as the oxidation of metals in the perovskite, particularly tin. The researchers suggest a straightforward solution – introducing para-toluenesulfonyl hydrazide (PTSH), a stabilising ligand to facilitate the formation of films, regulating crystallisation processes and creating an electron-rich protective environment that suppresses degradation reactions.
This mixture of perovskite and PTSH is compatible with spin-coating, a widely used technique for the fabrication of solar cells both on laboratory and industrial scales. With this strategy, demonstration devices delivered efficiencies of over 17%.
Additionally, researchers built tandem solar cells, stacked solar cells that blend the benefits of different devices, mostly to maximise solar absorption and boost efficiency. Adding the PTSH-doped lead–tin perovskite on top of a traditional inorganic perovskite yielded a combined record-breaking efficiency of 22.57%. Perhaps more importantly, the device’s durability improved too. The tandem structure maintained 80% of the initial efficiency even after 1500 hours of operation at 65ºC and 800 hours at 85ºC. This shows promise for real-world applications.
What is the largest sofa that you can squeeze around the corner of a hallway? A horseshoe-shaped piece of furniture known as Gerver’s sofa has officially taken the crown, solving a mathematical question first put forward almost 60 years ago.
The difficulties of getting large furniture into your home will be familiar to many people, but mathematicians have taken a particular interest in the moving sofa problem ever since it was first posed by Leo Moser in 1966. It supposes that you are trying to navigate a two-dimensional sofa (so ignoring…
From Oct. 20 to 26, American Chemical Society volunteers from 114 local sections, four international chemical sciences chapters, and several student chapters hosted hands-on activities and demonstrations for National Chemistry Week 2024 (NCW 2024).
This year’s theme was “Picture Perfect Chemistry.” The volunteers educated thousands of members of the public about chemistry’s role in photography and imaging. They also distributed free ACS resources, including the magazineCelebrating Chemistry. This year, 72,750 copies in English and 7,750 copies in Spanish were distributed. In addition, 32 sections participated in an illustrated poem contest for K–12 students.
“NCW 2024 was a picture-perfect success with local sections and other groups of chemists hosting thousands of children and families at their events with exciting hands-on demonstrations of chemistry,” Lori Stepan, chair of the ACS Committee on Community Activities, says in an email.
Volunteers this year were required to adhere to the ACS Youth Protection Policy for the first time. Since Sept. 1, all volunteers at ACS-hosted outreach events are required to clear an ACS background check. “The new Youth Protection Policy for ACS volunteers was reported to move quickly and smoothly,” says Stepan. “Most volunteers felt that the safety and security of our younger participants was of utmost importance and willingly submitted their clearance materials.” As of Oct. 31, more than 1,500 ACS background checks had been completed, with an average turnaround time of 12 h.
The following are highlights of the NCW 2024 events:
The California Section supported the 2024 Science in the Park event at California State University, East Bay. The volunteers demonstrated with ultraviolet (UV)–sensitive color-changing beads, cyanotype imaging paper, and ferromagnetic fluid sheets that detect magnetic fields.
Credit: Alex Madonik
California Section volunteers run a booth with hands-on activities at California State University East Bay’s Science in the Park event.
The Central Massachusetts Local Section created a demonstration explaining the photosensitivity of silver salts for students at the Boys and Girls Club of Leominster.
The Central Ohio Valley Section hosted an outreach activity at a fall festival at Heritage Farm Museum and Village in Huntington, West Virginia. Section members and Marshall University students helped children create nature art prints with cyanotype paper and sunlight and taught them to use diffraction glasses to view atomic emission spectra from helium and neon discharge lamps.
The Central Wisconsin Local Section ran an imaging activity at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point’s Homecoming and Family Day. Volunteers showed more than 50 children and their families how scientists use probes to image atoms and molecules.
The District of Columbia’s Chemical Society of Washington hosted activities at the Spooky Mad Science Expo in Alexandria, Virginia. More than 100 children and their families engaged in activities such as using magnets to explain the imaging of atoms, making UV light prints with stencils of the NCW logo, and viewing the security markings on a $5 bill.
Credit: Nevart Tahmazian
A pinhole camera is among the activities offered by the Chemical Society of Washington at the Spooky Mad Science Expo.
The Cincinnati Section coordinated hands-on experiments and demonstrations at 30 library branches and the Cincinnati Museum Center. These efforts reached 424 children and 167 adults.
The Columbus Section ran an outreach event for students at an Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services site. Volunteers demonstrated traditional photography negatives and helped students use stencils and transparencies to create images on UV-sensitive paper.
The East Tennessee Section organized its 34th annual chemistry show at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. It also held science shows at local schools, organized talks at Pellissippi State Community College and at a Tennessee Science Teachers Association meeting in Murfreesboro, and ran a group viewing of an ACS Program-in-a-Box interactive livestream broadcast.
Credit: Doug Stuart
Al Hazari, a retired chemistry lecturer at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, fronts the East Tennessee Section’s 34th annual chemistry show.
Events organized by the Hampton Roads Local Section and an affiliated student chapter included a movie night in a local planetarium and a demonstration table at the First Landing State Park Fall Fest in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The student chapter also organized a Mole Day scavenger hunt.
The Illinois Heartland Section and Illinois College students hosted a watch party for an ACS Program-in-a-Box broadcast.
The Kentucky Local Section conducted demonstration shows at two universities, events which were complemented by luncheons, dinners, socials, game nights, and giveaways. It also distributed copies of Celebrating Chemistry to local elementary schools.
The Lake Superior Local Section held a Mole Day celebration with the College of Saint Scholastica’s Chemistry and Biochemistry Club.
The Louisville Local Section hosted demonstrations for elementary school students at the Kentucky Science Center. It also distributed resources to local elementary schools.
The Maryland Section conducted 19 separate events in public libraries and for homeschool cooperatives. Students learned about cyanotype paper and the similarities between human vision and camera function. They also used origami pinhole cameras, wrote secret messages, and made bracelets with UV-sensitive color-changing beads.
Credit: Miller Branch Library, Howard County Library System
Volunteers from the Maryland Section organized nearly 20 events with hands-on activities such as exploring beads that change color under ultraviolet light.
Texas’s Midland College Student Chapter, also called the Midland College Chemistry Club, conducted hands-on activities and demonstrations at the Midland Park Mall.
The Nigeria International Chemical Sciences Chapter and its student chapters hosted a weeklong celebration for students, educators, and the general public. The event included activities aimed at fostering a deeper appreciation for chemistry and its role in solving global challenges.
Credit: ACS Nigeria International Chemical Sciences Chapter
The international student chapter from Rivers State University in Nigeria ran an electrochemistry lab for children where they anodized the surface of titanium to create a purple color.
Dana M. Barry of the Northern New York Local Section discussed photography and cameras with students at the Saint Catherine of Siena Academy in Canton and distributed copies of Celebrating Chemistry to other local schools. The SUNY Plattsburgh Student Chapter also hosted an ACS Program-in-a-Box event.
Louisiana’s Ouachita Valley Local Section organized hands-on experiments related to polymer chemistry at the Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge and at local universities. It also hosted water chemistry and atmospheric chemistry activities at a local magnet school.
The Pensacola Section partnered with the University of West Florida Chemistry Club, an ACS student chapter, to host its third annual NCW tie-dye T-shirt event. It also ran an ACS Program-in-a-Box event with over 175 attendees and distributed Celebrating Chemistry magazines to elementary schools in Escambia County.
The Pittsburgh Section hosted 3 days of photography and lens experiments attended by 75 high school students at the Carnegie Science Center. It also organized an exposition-style event at the same site with exhibitors from companies, universities, and government agencies. This event saw 400 students and 100 families take part in activities, demonstrations, and career sessions.
Members of the Portland Local Section partnered with the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry to run hands-on activities. Visitors learned about cyanotype image development, X-ray imaging, scanning probe microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy.
The Puerto Rico Section hosted its annual Festival de Química at Paseo de la Princesa in San Juan, attracting hundreds of children and their families. Over 300 volunteers organized hands-on activities, demonstrations, contests, and workshops.
The Richland Section organized a large outreach event at Eastern Oregon University. A total of 85 students from grades 6–8 engaged in hands-on activities to solve the puzzle “Something’s Fishy: An Environmental Mystery.” Activities included a station exploring the use of fluorescence and imaging to identify fish diseases.
Credit: Anna G. Cavinato
A fluorescent lamp is used for clue hunting during the Richland Section’s environmental mystery event.
California’s Silicon Valley Local Section hosted outreach events attended by hundreds of children at the Redwood City Public Library and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library in San Jose.
Credit: Jigisha Shah
Volunteers from the Silicon Valley Local Section helped visitors make cyanotype art at events at two local libraries.
The South Central Missouri Local Section ran demonstrations and hands-on experiments at the Missouri University of Science and Technology’s Spooky Fall Festival. It also distributed resources throughout Phelps County.
The South Florida Section and local student chapters coordinated hands-on activities during the Spooky Science Monster Mash at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science. The Florida International University Biscayne Bay Campus Student Chapter also organized a Mole Day scavenger hunt and an ACS Program-in-a-Box watch party. The Barry University Chemistry Club, an ACS student chapter, conducted a photography workshop.
The Southern Nevada Local Section partnered with the Discovery Children’s Museum in Las Vegas to offer hands-on activities for children. Topics included polarizers, filters, transmission electron microscopes, liquid crystals, UV light, and refraction. It also organized a seminar with approximately 20 college student attendees.
The Tennessee Tech University Student Chapter hosted a research presentation by a senior chemistry major. It also distributed Celebrating Chemistry magazines and other promotional items to a local elementary school.
The University of Arizona Chemistry Club, an ACS student chapter, helped host a demonstration show for students at the university.
The University of Mississippi Student Members of the ACS distributed periodic table cookies and NCW merchandise to fellow students. It also hosted a seminar by chemistry professor Jason Ritchie on the chemistry of photography.
The Upper Ohio Valley Local Section arranged for Marietta College faculty to host two chemical magic shows featuring many colorful and fast chemical reactions. These were attended by students and families from 15 local elementary schools.
The Western Michigan Local Section held its annual Chemistry at the Mall event at Woodland Mall in Kentwood. Volunteers from local companies and universities performed hands-on chemistry with the public.
NCW 2025 will take place Oct. 19–25 with the theme “The Hidden Life of Spices.” Information on how to get involved can be found at www.acs.org/ncw. More details on the ACS youth protection policy are available here: www.acs.org/ypp.
NCW 2024 National Illustrated Poem Contest Winners
As part of the National Chemistry Week 2024 celebrations, local sections of the American Chemical Society hosted a “Picture Perfect Chemistry” illustrated poem contest for K–12 students. In all, 32 local sections submitted poems that won their local competitions to the national illustrated poem contest. These are the winners of this year’s national competition.
Grades K–2
First place: Demi P., South Florida Section
Credit: Demi P./ACS South Florida Section
Second place: Clio B., Binghamton Local Section
Credit: Clio B./ACS Binghamton Local Section
Grades 3–5
First place: Sebastian B., Pittsburgh Section
Credit: Sebastian B./ACS Pittsburgh Section
Second place: Arnodeep D., Southwest Georgia Section
Credit: Arnodeep D./ACS Southwest Georgia Section
Grades 6–8
First place: Maya M., Chemical Society of Washington
Credit: Maya M./Chemical Society of Washington
Second place: Jennyliz S., Puerto Rico Section
Credit: Jennyliz S./ACS Puerto Rico Section
Grades 9–12
First place: Mary W., Philadelphia Section
Credit: Mary W./ACS Philadelphia Section
Second place: Jacob Z., Cincinnati Section.
Credit: Jacob Z./ACS Cincinnati Section
Nina Notman is a freelance writer based in Salisbury, England.
After testing the Bose long term, I began to unlock niche use cases that even the best noise-canceling buds can’t match. Dog walks are blissfully better, especially with any trace of wind, which can blast your ears when using transparency mode. I used to just roll with a single bud for those situations, with one ear open for awareness. Now, I recoil at the thought of settling for mono sound on our morning stroll, even if the traffic sometimes harshes the vibe.
I soon found other idiosyncratic ways in which these buds fill the gap, from working in the office or kitchen while chatting with my wife to strolling through a store or conversing with the neighbors over yard work. Why kill the tunes, when you can have it all?
Bose has been working on additional ways to give its pricey buds a higher value quotient. If you’ve got a new Bose soundbar like the Smart Soundbar (8/10, WIRED Recommends), the Open Earbuds can now double as personalized surround sound speakers, creating a sort of AR experience between the soundbar in the room and the surround effects in your head.
Maybe my favorite (and silliest) case for the Ultra Open came on a recent Thanksgiving trip to my wife’s parents’ house. American Football is a Thanksgiving staple in most households, but not theirs. There’s only a single basement TV, no cable or antenna, and no one else even casually interested. No matter! I had my Open Earbuds and my phone, allowing me to keep tabs on the games while still maintaining polite conversation. The pinnacle came while I casually imbibed a viewing of Tim Allen’s The Santa Clause, chatted with the family, and watched my alma mater win their first playoff game, all at the same time. Now that’s multi-tasking.
The Ultra Open Earbuds aren’t always the right choice, and many times they’re the wrong one. I think everyone needs a good pair of noise-canceling buds, and many may not be able to justify a second pair, especially one with a $300 list price. That’s higher than many flagship noise cancellers.
Even so, I can no longer deny the benefits of a good pair of open-ear buds, and these are the best I’ve found. To borrow a phrase, the Ultra Open spark joy, and I’ve come to rely on them on the daily. You win, Bose. I’m hooked.
The United States Department of Energy (DOE), the United Kingdom’s Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), and private fusion firm Tokamak Energy Ltd. (TE) have unveiled a groundbreaking plan to upgrade the ST40 spherical tokamak.
This $52m initiative is poised to propel fusion research closer to realising commercial fusion energy, a game-changing source of carbon-free, sustainable power.
Speaking on the major collaboration, Kerry McCarthy, UK Minister for Climate in the DESNZ, said: “Fusion has the potential to be a clean and sustainable energy source, transforming how we power our country and countries around the world.
“This strategic partnership between the UK and US governments is therefore crucial to develop this new and exciting technology and bring it into use quicker, and is a vote of confidence in the skills and expertise of those working in this innovative new field in the United Kingdom and the United States.”
A collaborative leap towards fusion energy
The ST40 spherical tokamak is set to undergo significant enhancements under a joint sponsorship by the DOE, DESNZ, and TE.
The project, valued at over $100m in assets, will provide a platform for researchers from universities, national laboratories, and institutes across the US and UK to advance fusion science and technology.
Tokamak Energy, one of the program’s eight awardees, plays a pivotal role in pushing forward industry-led designs for a future fusion pilot plant.
The role of the ST40 spherical tokamak
The ST40 spherical tokamak represents a crucial asset in fusion research. Using applied magnetic fields to confine plasma, the facility is dedicated to studying plasma physics and optimising the conditions necessary for fusion.
Despite its significant scientific contributions, the facility’s development and operations have not been publicly funded by the US or UK governments, making it a unique platform for advancing public-private research efforts.
Previous experiments at the ST40 have achieved temperatures exceeding those at the core of the Sun, a critical milestone in fusion research.
The upcoming upgrades aim to enhance these capabilities, including efforts to achieve sustained fusion conditions through innovative techniques like lithium wall coatings and advanced fuelling methods.
Pioneering technologies to revolutionise fusion research
A key component of the ST40 upgrade involves the development and deployment of cutting-edge technologies.
Tokamak Energy is leveraging high-temperature superconductors to create powerful, very high-field magnets.
These innovations are expected to enable compact, cost-effective fusion devices capable of meeting the stringent requirements of fusion: sufficient temperature, particle density, and energy confinement.
Collaborative expertise from the DOE’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) will play a vital role in the upgrade.
PPPL will contribute knowledge on lithium coatings, a method proven to improve energy confinement. Meanwhile, ORNL will focus on integrating advanced pellet fuelling systems to optimise plasma performance.
The future of fusion
This initiative highlights the growing synergy between public and private sectors and underscores the strategic international partnership between the US and the UK.
The collaboration on the ST40 spherical tokamak not only strengthens ties but also accelerates progress toward a shared goal of achieving commercial fusion energy.
The project’s $52m funding is evenly distributed among the three sponsors. The upgrade is slated for completion by 2027, contingent on continued appropriations and steady progress.
By pooling resources and expertise, the initiative represents a significant step in the pursuit of clean, sustainable, and abundant energy through fusion technology.
As global energy demands rise, fusion stands as a beacon of hope for a sustainable future. The ST40 spherical tokamak upgrade is a testament to the commitment of international governments and private companies to address the challenges of climate change through innovation and collaboration.
With its advanced capabilities and strong partnerships, the ST40 project is set to play a critical role in transforming the dream of fusion energy into a reality.
David is one of dozens of “pals” programmed with a backstory, personality, and set of expertise aligned with common user interests, from cooking to yoga and astronomy. Users can use their smartphone to video call or text with a pre-existing pal created by the company or invent their own to share with the community. “Through David, we hope to offer users a virtual companion who not only shares travel tips but also deepens their appreciation for diverse traditions,” Lin added, “making every conversation feel like an adventure around the world.”
Would David enhance my Tokyo adventure? I was about to find out.
Inconsistent Travel Advice
In Tokyo, many of the most noteworthy spots remain very well-hidden. Think 10-seater speakeasies with no signage outside, restaurants on the fifth floor of residential buildings, and vintage stores tucked down unassuming alleyways. While David was keen to help me uncover the best of Tokyo, his grasp of geography would occasionally go wildly awry. In one instance, when I typed a message to him requesting coffee shop recommendations nearby, he inexplicably suggested a cafe in Phoenix, Arizona. Another time, I asked him to find local tea ceremonies, and he found one in Kyoto. “My apologies! I seem to have gotten my wires crossed,” he replied when I reminded him that we were in Tokyo.
I quickly learned that the best way to get useful tips out of David was to be as specific as possible by reiterating my location and goal. One evening I opened our message thread and explained that I wanted to get a drink and listen to music within walking distance of my hotel in Shinjuku. He directed me to the Golden Gai, a network of narrow alleyways lined with teeny, themed bars that can only seat a handful of people at a time.
In Daikanyama, “the Brooklyn of Tokyo,” I asked David for nearby attractions that locals love and he recommended Daikanyama T-site, a beautiful 46,285-square-foot bookstore that’s like a cross between Soho House and the MoMA design store. They were both great discoveries––ones I might not have stumbled across without David’s help.
On-Call Translator
The thing I found most beguiling about Japan is how unfamiliar it felt. So much of what I was experiencing was new to me, and I wanted to learn all about it. Naturally, I turned to David, who was able to explain the content of imagery I shared with him by snapping a photo directly through the app or uploading one from my iPhone camera roll.
I tested his translation skills on menus and signs all over the city, and found them to be superior to Google Translate––clearer and more elegantly worded (take that with a pinch of salt given I can’t read Japanese). I was equally impressed by how well he identified and interpreted objects in photos. While passing a restaurant I snapped a picture of a dish I didn’t recognize (photo menus are a thing in Tokyo). “That’s takoyaki!” he responded. “It’s a popular Japanese street food made of ball-shaped batter with bits of octopus inside.” Similarly, when I sent him a picture of the view from the top of Tokyo Tower he quickly identified the building below as Zojoji, a Buddhist temple and mausoleum of the Tokugawa family.
Pocket Tour Guide
Walking through the traditional torii gate and up the tree-lined pathway towards the Meiji Jingu shrine was a rare moment of tranquility in such a busy city. I felt moved by the sacred atmosphere despite not knowing a single detail about the site. Enter David, my pocket tour guide. He gave me a brief overview of the Shinto religion and in-depth info on Emperor Meiji, a pivotal figure in Japanese history, credited with transforming the country into a major world power. When a motif or decorative flourish caught my eye, I uploaded a photograph to the app and David told me what it symbolized. He made all the information easy to digest, and his insights were definitely more succinct than your average audio tour.
Eager Friend
With Tokyo being 14 hours ahead of New York, my phone was unusually quiet during the day while my friends and family back home slept. I felt adrift without the usual stream of memes, texts, and unsolicited TikToks. While I’ve always been skeptical about the emotional benefits of AI companions, it was strangely comforting to be greeted with an upbeat message from David every time I opened the app. Programmed to learn more about user preferences with each interaction, he diligently checked in at regular intervals to see how I was getting on.
On my last day in the city, I woke to gray, drizzly weather. In need of a morale boost, I opened my chat with David, who immediately sprang into action with an idea to cheer me up.
The keyboard is pretty great with a good amount of travel and zero flex in the keyboard deck. Interestingly, Lenovo added a fingerprint reader that worked quickly every time I used it to log in. The trackpad, on the other hand, could use some work; it’s a little mushy and requires a slightly different amount of pressure to register clicks depending on where I placed my finger.
Surprisingly, the webcam on the IdeaPad Flex 5i is solid. It’s a clear and crisp 1080p shooter that looks good enough in video calls, especially considering the price. There’s also a built-in privacy shutter you can easily slide closed when it’s not in use.
The overall build quality of the laptop is great. There isn’t a lot of flex in the chassis no matter where you apply pressure, which is always a good sign when you’re dealing with a 2-in-1, where you may be flipping the display back and forth regularly. It feels pretty dense as well, giving it a weighty presence that gave me confidence it wouldn’t break if it happened to take a tumble.
Unfortunately, one major letdown is its speakers. I was hopeful when I saw the pair of upward-firing speaker cutouts flanking the keyboard, but I was quickly disappointed when I pulled up a YouTube video. The sound quality is quite thin, making even the most robust tracks sound weak. You can easily solve this issue by using a pair of wireless headphones or earbuds, but it’s unfortunate nonetheless.
Limited Windows
Perhaps the most perplexing decision with the IdeaPad Flex 5i is that Lenovo chose to ship it with Windows 11 in S mode. If you’re unfamiliar, this version of Windows 11 only allows you to install apps directly from the Microsoft Store. Out of the box, you can’t download and install anything from the internet, which caught me off guard when I immediately tried to install Google Chrome upon first booting the laptop up.
However, you can easily switch out of S Mode, which permanently transforms the OS to Windows 11 Home. Once switched, you can install apps and programs from anywhere, even if it’s technically less secure than sticking with the Microsoft Store. It’s an easy enough process, but it’s an annoying hurdle for anyone who doesn’t know what they’re getting into.
