Lenovo has added a video looping capability that allows users to briefly duck out of calls.
Revealed at CES 2024, it functions by a user recording a three-second video of themselves. The video is then looped in forward and reverse until the user is back and ready to re-engage with the call.
The function is accessed via a sidebar in Windows called AI Now, which brings up Lenovo’s new AI-powered personal assistant to launch services or change system settings.
Users can use natural language to type into a search bar, “I’m leaving”, before selecting a confirmation button. After confirmation, the AI Now sidebar presents another button to end the loop.
However, the feature is currently exclusive to China, and it’s presently unclear whether it will expand globally to other markets.
Lenovo and Its AI Personal Assistant
As with the video looping feature being restricted to China for now, Lenovo’s AI Now Personal Assistant will begin rolling out only in China over the first half of 2024.
Integral to Lenovo’s “AI for All” vision, in which users can achieve traditionally complex tasks with new AI-powered simplicity through AI Now, Lenovo is advancing the development of a personalized AI solution to facilitate end-user interaction, both on the keyboard and through natural language.
“The provisionally named Lenovo AI Now Personal Assistant delivers personalized interactive experiences based on a user’s own on-device knowledge base,” Lenovo’s official blog described it. “The AI Assistant will streamline workflows and enhance collaboration in a more personal and immersive manner.”
Leveraging natural language, users can check and modify common settings like display or performance, search and summarize emails and documents, create meeting invitations, and seamlessly integrate live camera feeds with avatars during video conferencing within Lenovo’s AI service.
At CES 2024, Lenovo illustrated how AI Now could change myriad system settings, including Dark Mode, with commands processed through the PC rather than the cloud.
What Did Lenovo Get Up To in 2023?
In June, Lenovo launched a standalone collaboration device for Microsoft Teams hybrid work environments.
Including a 27-inch multi-touch display, premium video and audio capabilities, and built-in compute power, the ThinkSmart View Plus was an all-in-one device intended to boost productivity and collaboration. Providing a tailored Microsoft Teams Display experience with extra security features, this device granted users access to Teams chat, calendar, and files while enabling them to join meetings directly from the device.
Lenovo also engaged in several noteworthy partnerships late in 2023.
In November, Lenovo and EPOS partnered to deliver “future hardware, software and services” to support excellent audio experiences in the hybrid work era.
The partnership entailed EPOS becoming Lenovo’s global audio partner for PC audio accessories. The mutual ambition was to jointly develop hardware, software and services that provide professional audio solutions and create PC and audio ecosystems for improved engagement and productivity.
Q-SYS and Lenovo partnered to deliver the Microsoft Teams-certified Q-SYS UC Compute Bundle in December.
The Q-SYS UC Compute Bundle for Microsoft Teams Rooms streamlined the design, procurement and deployment of AV and UC products for high-impact environments. Q-SYS’s capabilities included room automation, automatic multi-camera switching, HDMI video distribution, and myriad other features, boosting enhanced collaboration experiences tailored to the specific requirements of each space, rendering the platform a perfect partner for Lenovo.
