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Leaks indicate Intel's upcoming Nova Lake-S desktop CPUs, expected to enter mass production in Q4 2026 and launch in Q1 2027, will require a new LGA 1954 socket rather than the current LGA 1851. Reports point to an initial unlocked 28-core mainstream chip followed later by flagship models using two compute tiles with up to 52 cores, alongside new motherboard chipsets including Z990, Z970 and B960.
A reviewer at Android Authority tested seven widely used Android launchers—including Nova Launcher, Action Launcher, Lawnchair, Hyperion Launcher, Microsoft Launcher, Smart Launcher, and Niagara Launcher—and ranked them from worst to best. The ranking was based on design, performance smoothness, feature sets, customization options, and how actively each app's developer pushes updates. Nova Launcher, once considered a top choice, was placed last in this particular ranking.
Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan confirmed on the Q3 2026 earnings call that Nova Lake desktop CPUs will be the first client chips built on the enhanced 18A-P process, with design wins expected to double those of Panther Lake at launch. Tan said more details will be shared at CES in January, while the company's CFO noted Intel is shifting some Panther Lake manufacturing capacity to produce more Granite Rapids data center chips instead.
A PassMark benchmark listing labeled 'Intel 0000' shows a 28-core processor, believed to be an early Nova Lake-S sample, scoring up to 5,210 points in single-thread testing, surpassing the Core Ultra 9 285K, Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Core i9-14900KF. However, its overall CPU Mark and Memory Mark scores trail current flagship chips, and separate eight-core entries show widely varying results.
Amazon has made Alexa+, its generative AI-powered upgrade to Alexa, free for all Prime members. The assistant, built using Anthropic's large language models and Amazon's Nova AI suite, is accessible through Alexa-enabled devices, Amazon's new tablets, a mobile app, and the alexa.com website. Non-Prime users can subscribe separately to Alexa+ or try a limited free version via the app or website.
A leaked product table from LC Tech Leaks outlines seven upcoming Nova Lake-S desktop processors, topped by the Core Ultra 9 4970K BFC, with 'BFC' apparently denoting models that use Intel's large last-level cache technology across three product tiers. The list also shows a shift to four-digit model numbers and includes a 65W cache-heavy chip, the Core Ultra 9 4900 BFC, alongside standard non-BFC variants like the 4950K and 4850K.
Developer Carlos Antelo released LDraw Nova, an open-source tool that lets AI models like GPT-6 Astra and Claude Opus 5.5 design LEGO models from text prompts, outputting LDraw-format CAD files viewable in programs like LDView and LeoCAD. One example, the Sakura Garden, contains 2,175 pieces, but Antelo says none of the AI-generated designs have actually been built with physical bricks yet.
WIRED's review of Meta's third-generation Nova smart glasses finds a smaller, less noticeable camera housing but otherwise similar functionality to the Gen 2 model. Features like Conversation Focus and Muse AI integration are not yet available on these frames, and the built-in AI assistant still struggles to answer basic questions about the glasses themselves.
An unconfirmed SKU table for Intel's upcoming Nova Lake desktop CPUs lists seven models, three carrying a 'BFC' tag believed to denote a big last-level cache feature. The flagship Core Ultra 9 4970K BFC reportedly has 28 cores (8 P-cores, 16 E-cores, 4 LPE-cores), a 125W TDP, and a 32-EU integrated GPU, with most other models sharing that same iGPU except the Core Ultra 5 4650KF, which has none. The table omits the rumored 52-core model, which other reports suggest will launch later for high-end desktop users.
Intel's upcoming Core Ultra 400-series 'Nova Lake' chips have begun appearing on official compliance lists required before launch. The USB Implementers Forum's Integrators List now includes a Nova Lake-H mobile processor certified for USB4 80Gbps, while a desktop Nova Lake-S chipset appears on both that list (certified for USB 3.2 Gen2 at 20Gbps) and PCI-SIG's PCIe Integrators List.
A survey by academic mentoring platform Nova Learning found that the share of middle and high school students naming Computer Science and AI as their top academic interest dropped from 42.3% in 2025 to 27.9% in 2026, while Engineering's share nearly doubled, rising from 11.9% to 23%, led largely by Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Separately, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reported an 8.1% drop in undergraduate Computer and Information Science enrollment at four-year institutions, to about 606,000 students, even as Engineering enrollment grew.
A growing cluster of leaks—including a partner slide detailing launch timing and platform specs, ASRock Z990 motherboards appearing in a shipping database, and SiSoftware listings for an HP EliteBook X with an unnamed Intel chip—point to Intel's next-generation Nova Lake processors nearing release. Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan has said the lineup will arrive in the second half of 2026, and executive Robert Hallock has called it one of the company's most important launches ever.