Today's Hardware Pulse
Nvidia driver hints at next‑gen DLSS 5 work
Nvidia’s GeForce Game Ready driver 610.47 adds three new profile options—Enable DLSS NR override, Enable DLSS NR SL override, and Override DLSS NR presets—suggesting continued development of DLSS 5 neural‑rendering technology. The earlier DLSS 5 reveal had sparked debate over AI‑driven image alteration, and the new driver hints at a quiet but ongoing effort.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Cyient Semiconductors raises $30M Series A
Chile's Entel Digital Launches Micro Edge Data Center Offering Alongside Zella DC
Chilean telecom operator Entel Digital has unveiled EdgeDC, a modular edge data‑center offering developed in partnership with micro‑data‑center specialist Zella DC. The all‑in‑one solution packs power, cooling, security and monitoring into a single rack‑sized unit, enabling data‑center capabilities at remote sites, branches and industrial locations. Zella DC, formerly known as Zellabox, supplies the self‑contained micro‑pods that form the core of EdgeDC. The launch reflects rising demand for decentralized infrastructure to support real‑time operations.
Google Pixel 10 Drops to $549, Its Lowest Price Yet
Google has slashed the price of its Pixel 10 flagship to $549, the lowest point since its debut. The device boasts magnetic Qi2 charging, a real‑zoom camera system that rivals iPhone’s optics, and AI‑driven software features, earning a 9.0 metascore and...
You Too Can Build a Nuclear Battery From Junk You Have Lying Around the House
YouTuber Double M Innovations demonstrated a DIY tritium‑based nuclear battery built from discarded calculator solar cells, tritium keychain vials, and tin foil. The beta‑decay of tritium excites a phosphor that powers the cells, producing a voltage in the nanowatt range and a...
Whistleblower Challenges Donut Lab’s Solid‑State Battery Claims
Lauri Peltola, chief commercial officer at Nordic Nano, filed a criminal complaint accusing Donut Lab of overstating its solid‑state battery’s energy density and lifespan. The allegation, backed by internal emails, questions the company’s readiness for mass production and puts its...
Schneider Electric Teams with Deloitte on AI‑Enabled Energy Management Solutions
Schneider Electric has partnered with Deloitte to roll out AI‑driven energy management solutions for industrial operations. The collaboration blends Schneider’s hardware and software platform with Deloitte’s consulting expertise, aiming to cut energy waste and boost sustainability for large manufacturers.
Helium Shortage Threatens Global Memory Chip Production
A cascade of helium supply shocks—from Qatar's Ras Laffan plant outage to heightened Middle East tensions—has left memory‑chip makers scrambling. With South Korea sourcing 65% of its helium from Qatar and TSMC holding limited inventories, a prolonged shortage could choke DRAM...
Congress Unveils MATCH Act to Tighten Export Controls on Chipmaking Gear
Representative Michael Baumgartner introduced the MATCH Act, a bipartisan bill to tighten U.S. export controls on semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The legislation seeks to close loopholes that allow China to acquire critical chipmaking tools, a move that could reshape enterprise supply...
Samsung Unveils Project Luna Robot with Swiveling Circular Screen at Milan Design Week
Samsung showcased its Project Luna concept—a desktop robot with a circular, rotating screen—at Milan Design Week 2026. The device blends smart‑speaker functions with a kinetic display, signaling Samsung’s renewed push into AI‑driven home hardware.
Ultra-Thin Thermal Memory Switches Heat Flow on and Off with Voltage
Researchers at CiQUS, the University of Barcelona and Zaragoza have demonstrated a thermal‑memory prototype that uses a few‑nanometer‑thick hafnium‑zirconium oxide ferroelectric film to toggle thermal conductivity on and off with modest electric voltages. The device exploits the coupling of ferroelectric...
Startups Push Orbital Data Centers as Launch Costs Fall Below $2,000/Kg
Startups are intensifying their push for space‑based data centers after launch prices dropped to under $2,000 per kilogram, making orbital computing more feasible. The trend leverages the cold vacuum of space, solar power, and emerging broadband satellite links to address...
Researchers Spot Anomalous Heat Flow in Gate‑Based Quantum Processors
Scientists from Bar‑Ilan University and BITS Pilani demonstrated that heat can flow against the temperature gradient inside gate‑based quantum processors. The discovery, made with mid‑circuit measurement techniques, questions long‑standing assumptions of quantum hardware thermodynamics.
Serial-to-IP Converter Flaws Expose OT and Healthcare Systems to Hacking
Researchers at Forescout Technologies uncovered 20 new vulnerabilities in serial-to-IP converters from Silex and Lantronix, devices that bridge legacy serial equipment to Ethernet networks. The flaws, dubbed BRIDGE:BREAK, allow unauthenticated command injection, firmware tampering, denial‑of‑service and full device takeover. Nearly...
Nanoengineered Wrist Sensor Detects Driver Fatigue Through Pulse Wave Analysis
Researchers at Xi’an Jiaotong‑Liverpool, Soochow and Liverpool universities unveiled a nanoengineered wrist‑worn triboelectric sensor that captures arterial pulse waves with high fidelity even under imperfect skin contact. Coupled with a one‑dimensional convolutional neural network, the device classifies driver fatigue with...
EnBW Advances Storage Strategy: Construction Begins on 100 MWh Large-Scale Battery in Marbach to Strengthen Grid Stability
EnBW Energie Baden‑Württemberg has begun building a 100 MWh lithium‑iron‑phosphate battery storage facility at its Marbach power plant, with commissioning targeted for the end of 2026. The system will connect to TransnetBW’s transmission grid to smooth short‑term fluctuations from wind and...
Verizon Powers Reality Show with Private 5G, Edge AI
Fox Entertainment partnered with Verizon to outfit the second season of the reality series *Extracted* with a portable private 5G network and edge‑AI analytics. The network covered four square miles of remote Canadian wilderness, linking 25 video sources and 20...
Beyond Qubits: A Systems View of Hybrid CV-DV Quantum Computing
At ASPLOS 2026 a tutorial introduced hybrid continuous‑discrete‑variable (CV‑DV) quantum computing, which treats qubits and oscillator modes as a unified computational resource. The session covered the physical foundations, new instruction set architectures, and the compilation stack that translates high‑level algorithms...
Here's Why RAM Prices Won't Be Dropping Anytime Soon
Nikkei Asia reports the global DRAM shortage will persist until around 2027, with U.S. and South Korean suppliers able to meet only about 60% of demand. Samsung’s fourth RAM fab won’t reach full‑scale output until at least 2027, and its...
Spanish Energy Firm Solaria in Talks to Join Telefónica-ACS Data Center Venture - Report
Spanish renewable power producer Solaria is negotiating a stake in a €4 billion ($4.71 bn) data‑center joint venture led by telecom giant Telefónica and construction group ACS. The partnership aims to launch a 150 MW facility in Spain with the option to expand...
Chainless Recumbent ICE Trike Scraps the Links for Pedal-by-Wire Tech
Inspired Cycle Engineering (ICE) has unveiled PERS Chainless, a pedal‑by‑wire electric drivetrain that removes the chain, gear shifter and other moving parts from its recumbent trikes. The system uses a pedal‑mounted generator to feed a 250‑W rear‑hub motor delivering 75 Nm of...
Self-Healing Sensor Feels Touch, Detects Pain, and Repairs Itself Underwater
Researchers unveiled a soft magnetoelectric sensor (SMES) that feels touch, detects its own damage, and autonomously heals underwater without external power. The device uses a fluoropolymer‑ionic‑liquid elastomer and liquid‑metal (EGaIn) conductors, achieving 92% elastic recovery and near‑100% healing after ten...
AOI Adding Manufacturing Capacity in Houston Area
Applied Optoelectronics Inc (AOI) announced a 388,000 ft² manufacturing expansion in Pearland, Texas, adding two adjacent buildings to its Houston‑area footprint. The new space will enable production of up to 700,000 800G and 1.6T transceivers per month and boost laser‑fabrication capacity...
AOI Receives New $71m Upsized Order for 800G Data-Center Transceivers
Applied Optoelectronics Inc (AOI) secured a $71 million upsized order for 800 G single‑mode data‑center transceivers from a major hyperscale customer, bringing total orders from that client to $124 million since mid‑March. The deal more than doubles AOI's backlog with the customer and...
3D Systems Launches SLA 825 Dual With Dual-Laser Technology
3D Systems unveiled the SLA 825 Dual, a large-format resin printer that incorporates two 4 W lasers to accelerate curing. The machine offers an 830 × 830 × 550 mm build volume, roughly 22% larger than the company’s prior SLA offerings. 3D Systems claims the dual‑laser architecture delivers...
OpenClaw AI Deployment on Dedicated Servers: A Practical Infrastructure Guide
OpenClaw AI agents require dedicated server infrastructure to meet their persistent, memory‑intensive workloads. Shared or virtual environments cause CPU throttling, I/O latency, and unreliable context handling, forcing costly migrations later. The guide outlines hardware baselines—32 GB RAM, NVMe storage, and dedicated...
Smiths Detection Achieves Certification for AI-Driven Baggage Screening Solution
Smiths Detection announced that its iCMORE APIDS AI‑driven cabin‑baggage screening solution has earned ECAC certification. The system, paired with the HI‑SCAN 6040 CTiX, now meets ECAC/EU APIDS Standard 1 performance criteria, enabling fully automated detection of prohibited items at checkpoints. The certification follows...
SoftBank Launches Brain's Natural AI Phone
SoftBank is rolling out Brain Technologies' Natural AI Phone in Japan, priced at about $589 and available through 5,000 retail outlets. The device runs Natural OS, an AI‑native operating system that replaces traditional app‑grid navigation with intention‑based interaction. Early units...
GaN Breaks the 250 W Barrier in Flyback Power Supplies
Power Integrations has launched the TOPSwitchGaN family, extending the single‑ended flyback converter’s practical power ceiling from the traditional 200‑250 W limit to 440 W. By replacing silicon MOSFETs with gallium‑nitride HEMTs, the new devices achieve lower on‑resistance, reduced gate charge and output...
Honda Considers an Analog Spin for Software-Defined Vehicles
Honda Motor Co. is teaming with Texas‑based semiconductor maker Mythic to co‑develop an analog compute‑in‑memory system‑on‑chip for its upcoming software‑defined vehicles. The partnership leverages Mythic’s memory‑centric architecture, which the company claims can deliver up to 100 times the energy efficiency of...
Saildrone Unveils New Spectre USV at Sea Air Space 2026
Saildrone unveiled the Spectre, a 52‑meter unmanned surface vessel capable of carrying up to 25,000 kg of payload, including two 40‑ft containers. Its hybrid diesel‑electric drive delivers ultra‑quiet cruising at 12 knots and a top speed of 27 knots with over 5,000 hp. The...
RS and Festo Make Smart Electric Motion Accessible
RS, a global industrial‑service provider, is now offering Festo’s Simplified Motion Series electromechanical actuators to small and mid‑sized manufacturers. The series bundles motor, drive and servo functions into a plug‑and‑work unit that can replace traditional pneumatic cylinders. While upfront costs...
Quantum Computing and Storage
OVHcloud has added Quantum Computing‑as‑a‑Service (QaaS) by offering Quandela’s 12‑qubit Belanos photonic quantum computer on a pay‑as‑you‑go basis. The quantum processor works alongside OVH’s traditional object storage, with data encoded into photonic states before each run and results post‑processed on...
$60 Billion Project Matador Stalls After CEO Exits the Trump-Branded AI Data Center Megaproject
Project Matador, a Trump‑branded AI data‑center campus in the Texas Panhandle, has stalled after CEO Toby Neugebauer resigned on April 17, 2026. The $60‑90 billion megaproject, envisioned to deliver up to 17 GW of AI compute and on‑site power generation, lacks a...
Leonardo DRS Integrates Counter-Drone M-MEP Kit on Naval Drone
Leonardo DRS has fitted its Maritime Mission Equipment Package (M‑MEP) onto Sea Machines’ STORMRUNNER autonomous unmanned surface vessel, delivering a ready‑to‑use counter‑drone system for naval fleets. The kit bundles maritime radar, electro‑optical/infrared sensors and AI‑driven SAGEcore software to detect, track...
Microsoft Unveils Vibrant Forza Horizon 6 Accessories
Microsoft went very colorful for the Forza Horizon 6 accessories. There's a controller, headset, and charging dock https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/04/20/forza-horizon-6-limited-edition-xbox-controller-and-headset/
72 Sticks of Server RAM Were Headed for the Trash. They're Now Worth $20,000
A server upgrade in 2024 left 72 registered DDR4 ECC memory sticks slated for disposal, but an employee rescued them and they now command over $20,000 on the secondary market. When pulled from service the modules were worth about $35...
US Army Tests TEWS-I System on GM-Built Squad Vehicle
The U.S. Army field‑tested the Tactical Electronic Warfare System‑Infantry (TEWS‑I) mounted on a GM‑built Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) during the 101st Airborne Division’s Joint Readiness Training Center rotation from April 7‑17, 2026. The integration creates a mobile “middleweight” electronic‑warfare capability that sits...
Google Cloud Pushes Agentic Cloud to Outpace AWS, Microsoft
.@GoogleCloud Next opens Wednesday in Las Vegas with an opening keynote titled “The agentic cloud.” Google Cloud exited Q4 2025 with the fastest growth of the Big Three. Now Thomas Kurian needs to prove Google can turn TPU and model...
Server CPUs Drive Volume and Revenue Growth
That is largely server CPU only so all agentic increase in volume and dollars and general purpose servers.
TDK Expands EMI Filter Portfolio with 1250 V DC Chokes
TDK Corporation has launched the B82722V6*B040 series of high‑voltage common‑mode chokes, rated for up to 1250 V DC (630 V AC). The compact 23 × 15.5 × 24 mm devices offer inductance values from 3.3 mH to 22 mH and currents up to 3 A, targeting power converters, motor drives...
AVGO Leads in SerDes; MRVL Eyes Google LPU
Agree with this from the JPM note on $AVGO. For at least the time being who has the best SerDes... On TPU / $MRVL it's not for TPU but possible LPU like product for $GOOG https://t.co/fZx7brNrka
Google Poised to Unveil Inference‑focused TPU at Next
Google likely to announce a TPU for AI inference at its Next conference this week. I look at Google's TPU customers (Meta, Citadel), how it tries to co-design TPUs with the AI model teams, and what's next for TPU: https://t.co/qxCQH8HpYH
The Great Data Center Delay: Why Your AI Chips Are Stuck in 2026
The semiconductor sector’s $1 trillion growth path is being throttled by severe physical and geopolitical constraints rather than a lack of innovation. AI‑focused data centers now demand 100–500 MW each, outpacing grid capacity, while LNG disruptions have cut 20% of global supply,...
Report Still Holds Up After TSMC Earnings
Yep, I detailed in depth in this report. Even going through it post-TSMC earnings, this report is holding up very well. https://t.co/C0GIvgrEll
MDA Space Secures Major Airbus Antenna Order for OneWeb Refresh
.@MDA_space, which supplied 2,000 antenas for @EutelsatGroup 650 Gen 1 OneWeb satellites, has won repeat order from @AirbusSpace for more than 880 Ka-band steerable antennas and 440 Ku-band user replacement antennas as part of 440-sat OneWeb Gen 1 refresh. https://t.co/Qm92DFyItN
How Prime And A Smarter Alexa Are Giving Amazon An AI Shopping Edge
Amazon launched Alexa+, an AI‑powered upgrade to its voice assistant, to all users in March 2025. The new assistant can handle complex conversations, place orders, manage smart‑home devices, and suggest recipes, all while leveraging Amazon’s 30‑year e‑commerce expertise. Early data show...
Chips Define Potential, Yet Power, Build, and Politics Lag
Chips shape what's possible. Electrical infrastructure and construction capacity determine when. And geopolitical dependencies shape the conditions under which any of it can actually be trusted. Right now, all three are moving at once.
Agentic CPUs Forecast Hits $100B by 2030, Consensus Forms
Morgan Stanley's report on agentic CPUs has a TAM expansion forecast in line with mine from a month ago. I thought I was crazy for saying it will reach ~$100B in 2030, and now that is becoming consensus. https://t.co/jjdrB3k1Bt
Identiv Broadens ID-Safe NFC Tags with Tamper Evidence and Encrypted Authentication for Connected Packaging
Identiv has expanded its ID‑Safe line of high‑frequency NFC tags to include tamper‑evident labels and tamper‑proof tags with destructible antennas. Select configurations also feature encrypted authentication, enabling secure product verification and lifecycle traceability via standard smartphones or readers. The new...
RECARO Unveils AI Voice-Controlled Lie‑Flat Seat
RECARO Aircraft Seating is so confident in its new 'AI-powered seat control by voice' feature for lie-flats that it allowed journalists to test it at Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg. VIDEO: RECARO reveals AI-powered seat control for R7 premium seat https://t.co/UZtj6Oe8vG https://t.co/AnG87SxjUu
Datacenter Boom Stalls: One‑third Built, Capex Cuts Thrill Hyperscalers
with moratoriums on datacenters + politicians using "affordability" (rising electricity costs) to get votes of ~240 GW of planned datacenter construction only ~1/3 getting built gap b/w announcement + construction widening+ hyperscalers are privately THRILLED to CUT CAPEX