The Microsoft March 2022 security updates have been released and consist of 71 CVEs

3 are rated Important
68 Moderate in severity

Currently, three are listed as publicly known but none are listed as under active exploit. Please refer to this page for more information:
https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/releaseNote/2022-Mar
For an analysis/review see: https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/blog/2022/3/8/the-march-2022-security-update-review

 

The other day while I was scrolling through Lenovo Community, the doorbell rang. When I opened the door there stood a UPS delivery person. He handed me a Lenovo box and said, “I have a surprise for you.” He certainly did.  The first thing that came into my mind was to say, “That was quick!” He looked puzzled, but it was as if a Yoga jumped off the website and into the hands of the UPS driver standing in front of me. Obviously, I was not expecting it; however I am always excited to review products that are sent to Lenovo Insiders and Lenovo Advocates.  This device was sent as part of the Lenovo Insiders program and did not provide additional compensation. All opinions are my own.

Trying to be neat in opening a box that makes us feel like a kid on Christmas Morning is always a challenge.  Fortunately, I managed to open and unpack this one pretty well so that I could get a photo of it.

My first impression was that this unit, introduced by Lenovo in October 2021, was designed for ease of mobility and with style in mind. Its Slate Gray metal case is light, sleek, and comfortable to handle.  Considering that it is a Yoga it features a 360-degree hinge allowing laptop/tent/tablet modes.

If you are interested in ordering a Yoga 7i, depending on how you “build” your model. Your specs may be different from this review unit. These specs are what I found on the unit that I received:

* Processor 11th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-1165G7 Processor (2.80 GHz, up to 4.70 GHz with Turbo        Boost, 4 Cores, 8 Threads, 12 MB Cache)

* Operating System   Windows 11 Home 64

* Graphics Integrated Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics

* Memory 16 GB DDR4 3200MHz (Soldered)

* Storage 1 TB PCIe SSD

*  Display 15.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS, glossy, touchscreen, 300 nits

*  Camera 720p HD

*  Security Fingerprint Reader  and Webcam Shutter

*  WLAN 802.11AX (2 x 2) & Bluetooth® 5.0 

*  Keyboard Backlit – US English

Notes:  *According to Lenovo the battery will produce 15 hrs. of power. Of course, that will depend on your activities. * There is a pen available.  Is not included and must be ordered separately.

Ports and Slots

Usage Impressions

Now that I have installed my favorite everyday apps, I can say that this is a very comfortable device to use. However, I prefer to have at least one USB port on the left where I can use a hub if needed, because occasionally I use an external mouse along with thumb drives for graphics work. On a Yoga, I miss the ThinkPad Trackpoint that I am used to but I try to be flexible for testing purposes. Having the number keypad on the right is a different Yoga experience for me as well. One thing that I really enjoy as an artist is the glossy display and vibrant colors.  Whenever I receive a new computer, one of the first things I do as an administrator is to configure a few settings using Group Policy.  The Home version of Windows 11 does not offer that.  For that reason, at some point I will be upgrading to Windows Pro for extra security and flexibility, but for now the Windows 11 Home version can suffice.

In conclusion I feel that the Yoga 7i is a good machine for anyone on the go. The audio is clear which is evidence of good speakers and the display’s colors are outstanding. I love the glossy screen with its thin bezel. The color, size, and thinness produce a feel of premium quality. The Yoga 7i has run all my applications flawlessly.  From my experience with this unit, I feel that anyone who purchases the 7i will not be disappointed.

Read more: https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/laptops/yoga/yoga-2-in-1-series/yoga-7-14itl5/88ygc701456

Bugbatter
Lenovo Advocate/Lenovo Insider

 

 

 

 

The Microsoft February 2022 security updates have been released and consist of 51 CVEs. 

The ThinkPad Helix is 9 years old. I received the Helix from the LenovoINsider’s Program in 2013. When Lenovo sent me a newer product to review, Helix was donated to another user who did not own a computer. I have received no compensation for my reviews, other than the enjoyment of taking ThinkPads through their paces and recording my experiences with the hardware and versions of Windows over the years.

One of the wonderful things about ThinkPads is that we can pass them down to multiple users. Today Helix is servicing its third owner who is using it as a component of his ham radio studio. Other than my upgrading it from Windows 8 to the most recent version of Windows 10 there have been no other changes, except for an occasional new app or two in order to keep up with security and Windows over the years.

The nine-year-old Helix won’t qualify for a Windows 11 upgrade. However, when Windows 10 reaches end of support in 2025, Helix can proudly look for some offline projects. I wouldn’t say that ThinkPads never die, but they certainly hang around long enough to handle whatever jobs that they are given. 

Bugbatter

Lenovo INsider / Lenovo Advocate / Windows Insider MVP

 

 

 

How cool is this not only for healthcare professionals but for the home user to deal with crumbs and dust? Very cool!
Lenovo Quick Clean application allows healthcare professionals to lock keyboard and mouse input so the laptop keyboard can be wiped down to sanitize the device. The user can use the default 2-minute timer or specify an amount of time to lock out input.
If the user finishes cleaning before the timer expires, pressing FN key plus Right Shift will exit the cleaning mode.

https://support.lenovo.com/gb/en/downloads/ds540666-lenovo-quick-clean-for-windows-10-thinkpad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxE3lBpR2Es

 

The Microsoft December 2021 security updates have been released and consist of 67 CVEs:
  7 are rated Critical
 60 are rated Important severity.
Currently, five are listed as publicly known and one is listed as under active exploit.

More information:
https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/releaseNote/2021-Dec

Details on all the CVE’s as well as information on Adobe Updates and more can be found here:
https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/blog/2021/12/14/the-december-2021-security-update-review

 

In mid-December Lenovo sent me a Mineral Grey ThinkBook Yoga 14S to review.  I was looking forward to trying the ThinkBook, because as an artist, I prefer the glossy display that this product offers.  This device was received as part of the Lenovo Insiders program. No additional compensation was involved. All opinions are my own.

Photo After Installing Windows 11 and My Preferred Apps:

Processor

11th Generation Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7 Processor

 (2.40 GHz, up to 4.20 GHz with Turbo Boost, 4 Cores, 8 Threads, 8 MB Cache)

Operating System

Windows 10 Pro 64 (Note: I upgraded to Windows 11 for my testing to see how ThinkBook performed with 11.)

Graphics

Integrated Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics

Memory

8GB DDR4 RAM

16 GB DDR4 3200MHz (8 GB Soldered + 8 GB DIMM)

Storage

512 GB PCIe SSD

Display

14.0” FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS, glossy, touchscreen, 300 nits

Camera

720p HD

Pen

Active Garaged Pen

Security

Fingerprint Reader

Keyboard

Backlit – US English

WLAN

802.11AX (2 x 2) & Bluetooth® 5.1

First look and Hands-On

The ThinkBook sports a 1,920-by-1,080-pixel display with thin top and side bezels. Lenovo’s manual sliding ThinkShutter on the top edge disables the webcam when it is not needed. Two hinges simply fold the screen back to convert the unit into Tablet Mode, Presentation Mode, or Tent Mode.

A view of the right side shows the power button/ fingerprint reader, a USB 3.2 Type-A port, a microSD card slot, a security lock slot, and a “garage” for the (included) stylus pen.  (Note: The security slot takes a slim type lock. Be sure to research compatible locks for this specific device. I ordered a Slim Nano lock based on Kensington’s ThinkBook Yoga 14S compatibility information but had to return it because it did not work – so save your receipt from wherever you order.)

On the left, you’ll find another USB-A 3.2 port, a USB-C 3.2 port (used by the AC adapter), a Thunderbolt r4/USB4 port, an HDMI connector for an external monitor, and an audio jack.

 

Camera

I was not overly impressed with the camera. It is fine for attending online meetings, but for photo work, the camera images were less than I expected. In all fairness, I may be spoiled by the quality and LED displays on higher end ThinkPads that I use regularly.

Audio

The speakers on the unit that received produced a thin, hollow sound. Dolby Audio software lets the owner choose among music, movie, game, and voice presets and play with an equalizer. Again, this is my first experience with ThinkBook; therefore I had a tendency to compare it with the ThinkPad line of laptops that I use every day. 

Keyboard

Typing on the ThinkBook’s backlit keyboard features quiet, low travel, quick key performance.  Some users my have a concern with the keyboard layout, however. The user will need to combine the Fn key and cursor arrows to experience functions for Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down keys because those are not dedicated keys. A plus, however, is the handy top-row shortcut keys, including two to place and hang up on conference calls. I just needed to remember that the conference call keys are there so I could use them.  Another unique keyboard feature is that pressing the F9 key opens an online support window for troubleshooting and upgrades. I miss the red ThinkPad signature trackpoint that I am used to on laptops, but that would not be expected on this convertible ThinkBook. The buttonless touchpad is responsive and easy to use. It takes only a light tap to click.

Display

 The display is acceptable, with rich colors and good contrast. I appreciate ThinkBook’s glossy Gorilla Glass display that gives clarity to my images when running my graphics applications. One negative of glossy screens is that they don’t work well outdoors because of the glare. Fortunately, my setup at home and when traveling around town to coffee shops etc. is indoors, so no problem there.

Battery

ThinkBook had no problem running for 8 hours on one charge. (Note: This was run in power-save mode rather than using balanced or high-performance mode .) The bottom line is that the battery is adequate, but I would not consider it great.

Productivity 

While the ThinkBook could handle my graphics applications adequately, I felt that the i5 processor did not have as much power as an i7 would have when it comes to running graphics apps and playing music or video at the same time. The i5 unit that I received is definitely not for gamers. For fun I tested it next to an X-series ThinkPad with an i7 processor that was running the same OS, same settings and same applications. There was a definite lag on the ThinkBook. I realize that the two systems are different, but I feel that if I were going to make a purchase I would spend more to have an X1 Yoga with an i7 rather than the ThinkBook with i5.

Weight

About 3-1/2 lbs.

Conclusion

The ThinkBook seems to be solidly built. I consider it perfect for daily productivity at home or in a small office and for streaming entertainment rather than for any serious gaming. I feel that it is a perfect device to use for travel and casual business purposes.  Additional Details:  ThinkBook 14s Yoga (14″) – Mineral Grey | Lenovo US

Bugbatter
LenovoINsider/Lenovo Advocate
Windows Insider MVP

Microsoft has released patches for 55 new CVEs in Microsoft products.
Severity Rating:
6 are rated Critical 
49 are rated Important

More information on these updates can be found here:
https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/releaseNote/2021-Nov

and here (also includes details and link to Adobe Update information):
https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/blog/2021/11/9/the-november-2021-security-update-review