Mayor wavers over funding for Nelson Provincial Museum's new storage facility
Both Nelson and Tasman's councils have committed $3 million to a proposal to rebuild the archive storage facility, with Nelson to decide this week whether to continue that commitment. 
© 2025 RadioNZ 10:45pm Windows 11 25H2: Meet the exciting features coming to your PC soon
Windows 11 version 25H2 will be officially available in Fall 2025 and marks the next major feature update for Microsoft’s current operating system. The new features are already available for Insiders and can be tested in the current Windows 11 25H2 Insider Preview. Despite being categorized as an “enablement update”, the scope of the changes is considerable. The basic architecture remains identical to version 24H2, which means there are no new hardware requirements.
If you don’t already have Windows 11, or just need a new license, you can grab it for 50 percent off on the PCWorld Software store right now.
For all systems that are already running on 24H2, the upgrade requires minimal effort. A small enablement package activates the new functions without the need for a complete reinstallation or in-place upgrade.
This procedure not only saves time, but also significantly reduces downtime, both in private households and in corporate environments. For Home and Pro editions, support is extended with the release by a further 24 months until 2027, for Enterprise and Education versions it’s even extended by 36 months until 2028. Devices with older versions such as 23H2 or Windows 10, on the other hand, must go through the classic, more extensive upgrade process.
Windows Latest
Thanks to the “Shared Servicing Branch”, many new features are already distributed in 24H2, but are deactivated until the Enablement Package activates them. Users benefit from around 40 percent smaller update packages thanks to the combination of servicing stack updates and other cumulative updates, which further shortens the installation time.
New start menu with extended control options
The revised start menu is one of the most visible changes in 25H2. It shows the pinned apps at the top, a section with recommended content such as recently used documents or programs in the middle and the complete app list below. The latter can be displayed in three modes, as a category view, as a compact grid, or as a classic list. Users can control the scope dynamically using buttons such as “Show all” or “Show less”.
New personalization settings allow more pinned apps to be displayed by default or recommendations to be hidden completely. Frequently used and recently installed apps can also be displayed or hidden as desired. Companies benefit from the largely retained basic structure, as adjustments to documentation and training material are minimal.
Restrictions still exist. Categories cannot yet be renamed or created, drag & drop currently only works from “All” to “Pinned”, and touch navigation currently lacks support for swipe up gestures. The start menu is supplemented by the option to display system folders such as “Settings” or “Explorer” as fixed icons in the bottom bar, which enables quick access to frequently used functions.
Direct integration of smartphones via Phone Link
With the new start menu integration of “Phone Link”, the connection between PC and smartphone takes center stage even more. Users can exchange files between PC and mobile devices via drag & drop, send images from Explorer directly “to my phone” or retrieve messages and content from the Start menu. The setup requires a Microsoft account for the app, but not for the Windows login.
In private households, this simplifies the management of media and documents; in companies, it enables uncomplicated connection of service devices. Content can be synchronized via local networks or even mobile data connections. The implementation is considered to be more stable than in previous pre-release versions, in which Phone Link was often prone to errors.
Windows
Customizable widgets on the lock screen
The lock screen display can be expanded with widgets, including weather, stock market prices, countdown counters or customized information sources. These elements can be customized to keep important data directly in view without unlocking the desktop. A new feature is the “Discover widgets” function, which displays suggestions for other available widgets and simplifies the selection process.
For companies, this can be a way of providing employees with status information or appointments, while private users can keep an eye on birthdays or deadlines, for example. Currently, changes only take effect after a restart, which is likely to be optimized in the final version.
Optimized energy management and performance diagnostics
A new mechanism for throttling the CPU during idle phases reduces power consumption and extends battery life, which particularly affects mobile work devices and notebooks. In addition, Windows automatically records diagnostic data when the system reacts slowly. These logs can be sent to Microsoft via the feedback hub in order to identify the causes of performance problems more quickly. For the user, these are stored locally in the system under “%systemRoot%\Temp\DiagOutputDir\Whesvc” and are only transmitted when feedback is active.
Extensions in the file explorer and in the search
The File Explorer displays person icons in the “Recommended” area under the “Activity” column to make it easier to recognise who has recently worked on a file, but only when using a business or school account. In the search options, the direct link to the Bing search history has been removed; instead, access is centralised via the data protection dashboard. This change reduces redundant menu items and bundles data protection controls in one place.
Higher quality system drivers through CodeQL analysis
Higher quality standards will apply to driver signing in the future. Every kernel-mode driver (except graphics drivers) must pass a CodeQL scan before WHCP certification. This analysis uncovers potential errors or security gaps at an early stage and forces manufacturers to rectify them before the driver is released for Windows. This means more stable systems for OEM manufacturers and companies and a lower crash and incompatibility rate for private users.
AI-supported functions and Copilot optimizations
New functions are activated on devices with NPU, the so-called Copilot PCs. These include image descriptions for screen readers, live subtitles with translation options (currently still with crash problems), and intelligent text actions in “Click to Do”. The latter enables context-dependent processing of text content, such as recognizing and automatically processing certain entries. In addition, the search field in the top bar of “Click to Do” has been removed to simplify the interface.
Users report long waiting times when using the app for the first time after model or build updates, which must be taken into account in corporate environments during rollouts. A new addition is the option to enter your own words in the Windows dictionary, which offers clear benefits for both private writers and companies with industry-specific vocabulary.
Quick Machine Recovery and gamepad control of the on-screen keyboard
With version 25H2, Windows 11 will receive an extended self-repair function, which will be introduced under the name “Quick Machine Recovery”. It builds on the Windows Recovery Environment, but extends it with the ability to automatically obtain updates or repair scripts from the Internet to resolve boot problems. If the system recognizes repeated boot errors, it automatically switches to the recovery environment, establishes a network connection and searches for suitable corrections via Windows Update.
Administrators can specify whether this process should take place completely without user intervention. Activation is possible both locally, for example via configuration using Reagentc and XML files, and centrally via Intune policies. Parameters for waiting time, restart intervals and even WLAN login data can be predefined so that devices without a LAN connection can also be integrated.
In Home editions, cloud-supported repair will be active by default in the future; in Pro and Enterprise environments, it must be specifically enabled. After a successful repair, Windows restarts automatically; if the repair is unsuccessful, the cycle is repeated according to the defined specifications. Thanks to this automation, Quick Machine Recovery reduces the administration effort and significantly shortens downtimes in both company networks and private installations.
Thomas Joos
New data protection dialogues and administrator protection
25H2 comes with revised data protection dialogues that offer more transparency when applications access data and system functions. An additional protection mechanism has been introduced for administrators, which makes unauthorized changes to the system more difficult and provides greater protection for security-critical actions. This gives companies an additional layer of security without having to resort to third-party solutions.
Thomas Joos
Further functional improvements and known problems
Taskbar scaling adapts better to different display sizes and DPI settings. Context menus in Explorer have been optimized, new sharing options have been added, and Voice Access has been further developed. Support for Chinese and Japanese has been expanded, and in the settings under “Privacy and security” you can now see which applications are accessing Windows generative AI models. In current builds, this display is already visible in the user interface, but the full functionality will only be activated in a later update. Further adjustments relate to the toolbox, which has been improved in terms of its operation and integration.
Microsoft has also fixed several bugs, such as truncated content in the notification center when the clock display is activated or a problem with dbgcore.dll, which could cause explorer.exe and other applications to crash. Known problems still exist, however: the Xbox controller can trigger a bug check on some systems when connected via Bluetooth.
The Microsoft Changjie input method currently works incorrectly, which can be avoided by resetting to the previous IME version. In addition, Windows 11 25H2 supports touch keyboard control with a gamepad for the first time. This function, originally planned for 24H2, allows the on-screen keyboard to be operated without a mouse or touchscreen, which can be relevant in special application scenarios, such as on console-based workstations or for accessibility adaptations.
Update strategy, insider options and rollback
Microsoft emphasizes stability in 25H2. Many functions are already included in 24H2 and are only activated with the Enablement Package. For private users, this means a smooth upgrade without long installation times; for companies, it means the option to test only the new functions instead of recertifying the entire system environment. The update follows the shared servicing branch approach, which has also been used for previous upgrades, for example from 22H2 to 23H2.
Mark Hachman
After the official release, Microsoft offers a time window to leave the Windows Insider program and receive regular updates again. It’s also possible to completely reset 25H2 to 24H2 by uninstalling the Enablement Package without reinstalling the operating system; all 25H2 functions will then be deactivated immediately.
© 2025 PC World 10:45pm  
|
|
|
|
|
Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 review: Greatness at every turn
At a glanceExpert's Rating
Pros
Absolutely stunning display
Ripping CPU performance
RTX 5050 has huge advantage over iGPU
Potent, six-speaker audio system
Largely silent operation
Cons
Mics need noise cancelling
Front edge of laptop can dig into wrists
Our Verdict
If you want a laptop that exudes greatness everywhere you look, the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition is it. From brilliant performance in its class and respectable battery life to a brilliant display and solid design, this machine makes the price tag seem reasonable.
Price When Reviewed
This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined
Best Pricing Today
Best Prices Today: Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition
Retailer
Price
Check
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Product
Price
Price comparison from Backmarket
Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices
Usually, when I think of a high-end laptop, I think of one that has pulled out all of the stops, going far too exotic on build materials, cramming too much hardware in too thin a machine, and winding up with an exorbitant price tag that perfectly illustrates the concept of diminishing returns. At first glance, the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition looks like it might just be that kind of machine.
With a high-power CPU, a discrete GPU, and two display options that both are geared up to dazzle, the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition certainly has the hardware, but it’s packed into a modest aluminum frame that’s not overly ambitious in its thinness. And with a $1,949 price tag for the potent configuration tested here, it feels like Lenovo struck the right balance, delivering solid quality everywhere it counts to make for a very respectable machine for folks who need a machine that can do a bit of everything and do it well.
Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition: Specs and features
Model number: 83L00009US
CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 285H
Memory: 32GB LPDDR5x-8400
Graphics/GPU: Nvidia RTX 5050 8GB (100-watt TGP)
Display: 16-inch 2.8K OLED, 120Hz, DisplayHDR True Black 1000, Touch
Storage: 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD
Webcam: 5MP + IR
Connectivity: 2x Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 with 65-100W Power Delivery and DisplayPort 2.1, 2x USB-A 5Gbps, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x SDcard reader, 1x 3.5mm combo audio
Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Biometrics: Windows Hello fingerprint, facial recognition
Battery capacity: 84 watt-hours
Dimensions: 14.28 x 9.99 x 0.75 inches
Weight: 4.52 pounds
MSRP: $1,949 as-tested ($1,869 base)
At the time of testing, the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition was available in just a few configurations. All of them shared the same Intel Core Ultra 9 285H CPU, 32GB of memory, and 1TB of storage. The type of display and GPU were the only different points.
Lenovo provides the option between a 2880×1800 OLED display paired with an RTX 5050 for $1,999 and a 3200×2000 Tandem OLED paired with an RTX 5060 for $2,299, though at the time of writing, those prices were discounted to $1,899 and $1,949 respectively. Best Buy also had the former configuration available for $1,949.
In addition to its preconfigured models, Lenovo offers a custom configuration tool. This starts at $1,869 for the same configuration as the base model above. But you can upgrade to 64GB of memory, an RTX 5070, and the 3.2K Tandem OLED display for $560 more. Or you can stick with the base specs and just upgrade to the Tandem OLED for $150 extra.
Lenovo’s full technical specifications for the product suggest quite a few more configurations to come, including touch and non-touch display options and an Intel Core Ultra 7 255H.
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition is a great machine. It comes at a price, but the premium isn’t so unreasonable when factoring in all that it brings to the table.
Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition: Design and build quality
IDG / Mark Knapp
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition is simple and elegant, but a little bland as a result. Lenovo has done a nice job rounding corners all over the place for a smoother look and feel, though the edges of the keyboard deck could still be a little more rounded for comfort. That said, it’s still a big gray slab, and nothing about it being an “Aura Edition” gives it anything more than an aura of plainness.
The construction is good. Just about everywhere you look — aside from the keycaps — is smooth aluminum or glass, including the display and its bezels. There’s some flex here and there, but it’s very slight. The display hinge moves smoothly, and is easy to open with one hand thanks to the weight of the base and a little lip at the top of the screen for this purpose and to give more space to the webcam and IR sensor. The hinge does wiggle for a second or two after moving the display or shifting the laptop around, but it holds firm while I’m typing.
The base sits on three rubber feet, a long one at the back and two small ones at the front. These are taller than is typical on productivity laptops, and this helps create an extra large channel underneath the laptop for airflow into the large grille underneath. Most of this grille is filled in, with sections at either side actually serving as intakes for the two fans.
Lenovo has squeezed in six speakers in total with two tweeters and four woofers. You’ll find speakers on either side of the keyboard and on the edges underneath the laptop.
Ports are all packed reasonably close together on either side of the laptop, including a dedicated power plug. The right edge also includes a privacy shutter switch that deactivates the camera — nice to see and easier to avoid accidentally swiping every time I open the laptop, though a little less reassuring than a shutter that actually covers up the camera sensor.
The Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition’s power button is also on the right edge of the laptop, where it’s a little too easy to accidentally press any time I shift the laptop around on a desk or table.
With all the Lenovo has jammed into this 16-inch laptop, it’s little surprise that it’s over four pounds, but at just 4.52 pounds, it’s not unreasonably heavy. The laptop has a tapered design, seeing it sit at about 0.7 inches thick near the front and 0.75 inches thick near the back, though the rubber feet add almost 0.2 inches to that. At 14.28 inches wide and 9.99 inches long, it’s still fairly modest in size for a 16-inch laptop.
Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition: Keyboard, trackpad
IDG / Mark Knapp
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition has a pretty good keyboard on it. It’s a little bland to look at with its drab gray keycaps, but that doesn’t hurt its usability. Thanks to the slight dish to each keycap, good stabilization, and a short, poppy travel, I was able to quickly get up to a 118-word-per-minute typing speed with 98 percent accuracy in Monkeytype.
Comfort while typing is an issue though. The laptop’s depth makes the keyboard quite a reach up the keyboard deck even for me (I’m 6’3”), and this leaves my wrists pressing into the front lip of the laptop, which isn’t very comfortable. It also can take some adjusting, as the keyboard is off-center to make room for a full number pad, albeit with keys slightly narrower than standard.
The keyboard has bright backlighting that can even be seen in the daytime with ambient lighting. It effectively illuminates the keycap legends. It has two levels, and a third option lets it turn on automatically. It’s a bit too aggressive, though, turning on even in a room plenty bright for seeing the keys.
The trackpad here is substantial. It’s both wide and tall, providing a huge surface to mouse around on and perform multi-finger gestures. Its glass surface is also wonderfully smooth. It has a shallow travel to perform physical clicks with a nice soft feel.
Like the keyboard, it’s off-center, shifted to the left slightly to be centered under the keyboard alphanumerics. For left-handed users, this may be ideal. But for righties, it might not be. I often find this alignment has me largely using the right side of the trackpad, so when I go for a physical click, it ends up being a right click instead of the left click. If you tap to click, it won’t be a problem though.
Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition: Display, audio
IDG / Mark Knapp
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition has an absolutely excellent display, and this configuration of the system has the lower-end display option. The upper-tier’s tandem OLED display should only improve on its quality. The only quality to knock is that the screen is glossy, which leaves it subject to glare when set to low brightness levels. Beyond that, it’s brilliant.
It’s perfectly sharp for a display its size, and its variable refresh rate keeps visuals smooth at up to 120Hz while also providing energy savings by dropping as low as 30Hz. The display offers 100 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 color space and provides a reasonable degree of accuracy, hitting an average dE1976 of 0.95 and a max of 2.4 — a bit of calibration would likely have it ready for professional color work. In SDR, the display was able to reach a peak brightness of 486.1 nits for a full white screen, and with its OLED panel, it can achieve perfect blacks for infinite contrast.
Turning on HDR, the display’s capabilities leap up even higher. I measured the fullscreen white peak brightness at 606 nits, and when displaying a 10 percent window of white, it achieved 1040 nits. The display is even a responsive touchscreen.
With its set of two tweeters and four woofers, the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition puts out impressive sound for a laptop. Most impressive is the clean, low-end it provides, giving musical bass lines a nice heft. Meanwhile, the upper registers get a clean presentation, albeit a little bit lacking in brilliance. There’s even some surprising stereo imaging.
When listening to music with the laptop at a comfortable distance for typing, I was caught off guard by how sounds actually seemed to be coming from my sides and not just from the laptop right in front of me. At full volume, the speakers can distort a little, but they sound reasonably loud even at 50 percent volume.
Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition: Webcam, microphone, biometrics
IDG / Mark Knapp
The webcam on the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition is excellent. It can exhibit a little noise in the video, but otherwise has a very sharp image with natural lighting that looks great. Though Lenovo doesn’t have a physical shutter to cover the lens, it does provide a hardware switch on the side of the laptop to disable the camera. The webcam also provides Windows Hello facial recognition, which has worked quickly throughout my testing. You won’t find fingerprint scanning though.
The mics aren’t quite as impressive. On one hand, they pick up my voice clearly without any weird compression artifacts. But on the other hand, they’re not doing much to eliminate background noise, picking up things like a nearby fan and my hands clapping — noises I’ve seen some laptops completely eliminate while still picking up my voice well.
Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition: Connectivity
IDG / Mark Knapp
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition provides respectable connectivity, both wired and wireless. You’ll find two USB-C ports on the left edge offering Thunderbolt 4/USB4 capabilities and up to 100W power delivery to charge the laptop if you forget the standard charger (a 170W unit with Lenovo’s charging plug). The ports also support DisplayPort 2.1, but you can rely on the HDMI 2.1 port for video output as well. The left side is rounded out by a 3.5mm audio jack.
On the right side, you’ll find a pair of 5Gbps USB-A ports and a full-size SD card reader. It would have been nice to see 10Gbps ports or at least to get the USB-C ports split between the two sides.
For wireless connections, the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition offers Wi-Fi 7, and it’s proven both fast and reliable in my testing, never showing signs of lag or being slow to re-establish a connection when booting up the machine. Bluetooth 5.4 is also supported, and it has worked consistently while listening to audio on Bluetooth headphones.
Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition: Performance
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition is built like many other productivity laptops in the 16-inch class. This sees it face off against models like the Acer Swift 16 AI, the HP OmniBook X Flip 16, the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus, and the Dell 16 Plus, which all offered as-tested prices hundreds of dollars below the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition.
But, even as the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition competes on size and weight with these other systems (save for the particularly thin and light Acer Swift 16 AI), it goes a little heavier in performance with a more robust CPU selection and a discrete GPU, an inclusion only the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus made at its as-tested price.
The Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition offers excellent performance thanks to its combination of a high-end CPU in the Core Ultra 9 285H — a 16-core beast — with plenty of memory, fast storage, and its discrete GPU. The RTX 5050 inside gives it a strong edge in content creation, where it outpaced all of these other systems, including the RTX 4060-powered Dell Inspiron 16 Plus.
Cinebench helps us see just how much of an edge Lenovo’s choice of CPU gives the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition. In Cinebench R23, the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition simply obliterates the performance offered by the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V and Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, more than doubling their results. It even cruises ahead of the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus.
This is a level of performance that can put the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition in league with heavy-duty gaming laptops, like the Lenovo Legion 5i 15IRX10 running on an Intel Core i7-14700HX. The CPU’s single-core performance is also exceptional, giving it all the performance it needs to feel responsive and power through heavy workloads.
That performance is showcased well in our Handbrake encoding test. This is effectively an extension of our CPU test, as it tasks the system with a long multi-core workload encoding a large video file. This not only requires a powerful CPU to perform well but also solid cooling to prevent heat from building up and slowing the system down as the test stretches on.
Here, we see the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition do a great job, keeping its encoding time at under 11 minutes. That’s not only well underneath the encoding times of these other machines, some of which almost ran for 30 minutes, but it even slips underneath the encoding time of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370-powered Razer Blade 16 (2025).
Though the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition might have already successfully set itself apart from its competition on CPU performance alone, its discrete GPU helps take it to another level still. Intel Arc graphics work wonders for lightweight productivity machines, but even lower-tier discrete GPUs provide a world of difference. That’s true of the RTX 4060 in the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus and even more so for the RTX 5050 in the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition.
That discrete GPU soared ahead of the competition in 3DMark’s Time Spy benchmark, a rather demanding graphical test. Despite its thinner design and largely quiet operation, the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition actually managed to offer performance that lines up with many RTX 4060-powered gaming laptops.
Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition: Battery life
With as much performance as the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition was happy to put down, it’s unsurprising that it falls a bit behind its rivals where battery life is concerned. The Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition still managed a commendable runtime of almost 14 hours, but most of the other machines pushed closer to 17 or 18 hours, except the Dell 16 Plus, which also had a small 63Wh battery.
While that’s not as impressive as these other machines, it’s not a bad showing, particularly for a machine with a discrete GPU and higher-power CPU. It’s striking a nice balance with performance that borders on gaming laptop while maintaining battery life more in line with productivity machines. Its offline video playback performance also carried over well into real-world use, where I was easily able to get through a full workday on battery power (albeit without tapping into the dGPU).
Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition: Conclusion
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition is a great machine. It comes at a price, but the premium isn’t so unreasonable when factoring in all that it brings to the table. Not only do you get exceptional performance from the internals, but you get them in a well-built package with plenty of extras to get excited about. The speakers and display combine for a great entertainment experience. The chassis is elegant and feels solid. And even with such high-power hardware, the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition is happy to run on battery power for an entire workday. If you need a machine that largely excels in every respect, you’ve just found it.
© 2025 PC World 10:45pm 
|
|
|
