Today's Hardware Pulse
Nvidia and SK Hynix ink multi-year AI memory chip pact
Nvidia and SK Hynix have signed a multi‑year agreement to co‑develop next‑generation memory chips optimized for artificial‑intelligence workloads. The collaboration will focus on memory for Nvidia’s Vera Rubin accelerator and broader AI infrastructure, pairing Nvidia’s AI expertise with SK Hynix’s high‑performance memory capabilities.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Rapidus raises $943M in funding
ECARX and TPK Partner to Co‑Develop ORCA LiDAR, Production Set for 2028 in Thailand
ECARX Holdings and TPK Holding have signed a binding memorandum to co‑develop the ORCA LiDAR platform, with mass production scheduled for 2028 at TPK’s advanced facility in Thailand. The partnership blends ECARX’s system‑integration expertise with TPK’s optical‑manufacturing strength, aiming to supply next‑generation autonomous‑driving sensors to vehicle OEMs and robotaxi operators worldwide.
Valve Hikes Steam Deck OLED Price by up to 46% Amid Memory and Storage Shortages
Valve announced a 40%‑46% price increase for its Steam Deck OLED handhelds, pushing the 512 GB model to $789 and the 1 TB version to $949. The company blamed soaring memory and storage component costs and broader logistical challenges, sparking concern among...
Nvidia Expands GPU AI Infrastructure Push, Partners with Marvell and Eyes Massive Enterprise Market
Nvidia announced a deeper partnership with Marvell Technology to integrate NVLink, optics and AI‑RAN solutions, while CEO Jensen Huang used a recent interview to stress the company’s ambition to dominate a massive AI compute market for data‑center and enterprise customers.
Marvell Beats Estimates, Barclays Lifts Target to $275 on Record Q1 Revenue
Marvell Technology reported record Q1 FY2027 revenue of $2.42 billion, beating estimates and prompting Barclays to lift its price target from $150 to $275, an 83% increase. The boost reflects strong data‑center growth and aggressive guidance for FY2027‑2028.
FormFactor Deploys 4‑K Cryogenic Probe Station to Accelerate Quantum Chip Yield
FormFactor introduced its HPD IQ3000 4‑kelvin cryogenic probe station, enabling rapid wafer‑level testing of superconducting qubits and other quantum structures. The move leverages the company's semiconductor probe‑card heritage and positions it as a critical infrastructure supplier as quantum chip packaging...
Lenovo's Yoga Slim 7x Packs Unbelievable Snapdragon Power in an Affordable Thin-and-Light Package
Lenovo unveiled the Yoga Slim 7x, a thin‑and‑light Windows laptop powered by the Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E‑88‑100 processor. The top configuration pairs a 2.8K 120 Hz OLED screen, 32 GB LPDDR5X RAM and 1 TB SSD for under $2,000. Benchmarks show the ARM chip...
Real-Time LLM Inference on Standard GPUs: 3k Tokens/S per Request
Kog AI unveiled a tech preview of its Kog Inference Engine, delivering 3,000 output tokens per second per request on an 8‑GPU AMD MI300X node and 2,100 tokens/s on an 8‑GPU NVIDIA H200 system. The engine runs a 2‑billion‑parameter model and focuses...
Linux 7.2 To Bring Graphics Driver Fix For Old Integrated Graphics On Intel Sandy Bridge
Linux is set to release kernel version 7.2, which includes a targeted fix for an engine‑reset hang affecting Intel’s 15‑year‑old Sandy Bridge integrated graphics. The problem, first reported in February 2025, stemmed from fence‑error handling in the i915 DRM driver...
Odisha Signs Pact with Intel, 3DGS to Bring Substrate Manufacturing Tech to India
India's semiconductor ecosystem got a boost as Odisha, Intel and 3DGS signed an MoU to establish substrate manufacturing in the state. The partnership adds a critical back‑end step—substrate production—to India's chip supply chain, complementing recent approvals for a Mini/Micro‑LED plant...
From AI Silicon Observability to Governed Evidence
AI silicon performance now hinges on internal data movement managed by network‑on‑chip (NoC) architectures, but NoC activity alone cannot establish root‑cause of system symptoms. SEGA‑AI introduces a governance layer that qualifies observability data into admissible evidence before any corrective decision...
Foundries, Sector-Specific OSATs to Boost Domestic Semiconductor Industry: Cyient
India’s semiconductor ecosystem is gaining momentum as Cyient executive PNSV Narasimham calls for dedicated chip foundries and sector‑specific OSATs. The government’s India Semiconductor Mission 1.0 allocated roughly $9.2 billion, while the upcoming ISM 2.0 earmarks about $120 million for equipment, IP and supply‑chain...
U-Blox ALMA-B2 Bluetooth 6.0 and 802.15.4 Module Features Nordic nRF54LM20 Edge AI Wireless MCU
u‑blox unveiled the ALMA‑B2 family, a line of standalone Bluetooth 6.0 and IEEE 802.15.4 modules built around Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF54LM20 MCU. Four variants—B201, B206, B211 and B216—support BLE 6.0, Thread, Zigbee, Matter and Nordic’s proprietary 2.4 GHz protocol, with the B211/B216 models adding an...
Apple to Renew Its On-Device AI Push, Leaning on Custom Silicon and a Distilled Version of Google’s Gemini to Avoid...
Apple is reviving its on‑device AI push, using its custom silicon expertise to run AI models locally on iPhones, Watches and Macs. The company will employ a distilled version of Google’s Gemini model, trained via an existing partnership, while routing...
EnGenius to Showcase AI-Ready Unified Networking and Surveillance Platform at Interop Tokyo 2026
EnGenius Networks Japan will unveil its AI‑ready unified networking and surveillance platform at Interop Tokyo 2026. The showcase highlights the upgraded EnGenius Cloud Intelligence suite, featuring Resolve AI for automated fault diagnosis and Craft AI for natural‑language dashboard creation. The...
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold Set to Clash in 2026 Foldable Showdown
Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Z Fold 8 in London on July 22, keeping its base price at $1,999, while Google plans an August rollout of the Pixel 11 Pro Fold starting at $1,799. Both phones retain 8‑inch inner displays, Snapdragon‑based performance, and...
What's The Average Lifespan Of A Robot Vacuum?
Robot vacuums typically last four to six years, with longevity tied to brand quality, usage frequency, and upkeep. As units age, battery capacity and mechanical components wear, prompting owners to consider repairs or replacements. Consistent maintenance—cleaning brushes, updating software, and...
GoPro Unveils $700 Mission 1 Pro, Merging Action Durability with Cinema‑Grade Specs
GoPro released the Mission 1 Pro on May 28, pricing it at $699.99 (or $599.99 for subscribers). The camera combines a 1‑inch sensor, GP3 processor, 8K open‑gate recording and 960 fps slow‑motion, positioning GoPro in the cinema‑camera segment while retaining its signature...
Silicon Motion’s SM2524XT Is a New PCIe Gen5 DRAM-Less SSD Controller for AI PCs
Silicon Motion unveiled the SM2524XT, a PCIe Gen5 DRAM‑less SSD controller aimed at AI‑focused PCs and edge devices. Built on TSMC’s 6 nm process with a quad‑core ARM Cortex‑R8, it promises up to 14 GB/s sequential reads, 12 GB/s writes, and 2.5 million random IOPS...
ASML Holding N.V. (ASML) Sets Sights on India’s Foundry Opportunities Amid Tata Electronics Pact
ASML announced a strategic partnership with Tata Electronics to build India’s first front‑end 300 mm semiconductor fab in Dholera, Gujarat. The Dutch lithography leader will supply its EUV machines and related solutions, while jointly developing workforce training, supply‑chain capabilities, and research...
Beyond a Single Quantum Chip: Why the Future of Quantum Computing Is Modular
The quantum computing industry is pivoting from single‑chip qubit scaling to modular architectures that link multiple smaller processors. Early demonstrations, such as Xanadu’s Aurora photonic system and IBM’s chip‑to‑chip couplers, prove the concept can scale beyond a few dozen qubits....
Emtar Technologies Receives “Semiconductor Achievement Award: Startup of the Year” At CHIPS NORTH Executive Summit
Emtar Technologies, a Canadian semiconductor firm focused on wireless SoCs and RF front‑end solutions for satellite communications, won the Semiconductor Achievement Award: Startup of the Year at the CHIPS NORTH Executive Summit. The award, presented by AMD’s Chris Smith, highlights...
Ōura to Add Blood Pressure Feature Following FDA Policy Change
Ōura introduced the Ring 5 smart ring and announced a suite of new health features to roll out in June. The updates include nighttime blood‑pressure trend monitoring, which reports pressure patterns without systolic/diastolic numbers, and a 30‑day view of breathing regularity....
Neocloud Vendor CoreWeave Builds Up Software Stack
CoreWeave, a leading independent AI infrastructure provider, launched a unified agentic AI suite that lets enterprises deploy and continuously improve autonomous AI agents. The new capabilities build on CoreWeave’s 2025 $1.7 billion acquisition of Weights & Biases, integrating serverless reinforcement learning, inference...
Nikon to Take on ASML with Low-Priced Chipmaking Equipment: CEO
Nikon announced a strategic push to re‑enter the semiconductor photolithography market by offering equipment at prices lower than those of ASML, which currently controls over 80% of the segment. The move is driven by new President and CEO Yasuhiro Ohmura’s...
Huawei's HiSilicon Unveils "Tau's Scaling Law" To Bridge China‑West Chip Gap
Huawei's chip‑design arm HiSilicon introduced a new architecture called Tau's Scaling Law, promising performance equivalent to a 1.4‑nanometer process by 2031 and a prototype before winter 2026. The move targets the five‑year gap with TSMC‑backed Western chips and tests the...
Snowflake Locks in $6 B Multi‑Year Deal with AWS for Graviton AI Compute
Snowflake announced a five‑year $6 billion commitment to Amazon Web Services for Graviton ARM‑based CPUs and GPU‑accelerated AI infrastructure. The deal, the largest cloud‑spend commitment in Snowflake’s history, aims to accelerate enterprise AI adoption and lower data‑movement costs.
Best Rugged DC‑DC Converters for Industrial and Military Applications
The article reviews the top rugged DC‑DC converters for industrial and military use, emphasizing the need for power solutions that meet strict MIL‑STD requirements and survive harsh environments. It outlines key selection criteria such as shock resistance, temperature range, EMI...
Purdue and Taiwan’s GCCS Partner to Scale Silicon Carbide Substrates to 8- and 12-Inches
Purdue University and Taiwan’s GeChi Compound Semiconductor Co (GCCS) have signed a five‑year MoU to scale silicon‑carbide (SiC) substrates to 8‑inch and 12‑inch diameters. The partnership blends GCCS’s crystal‑growth expertise with Purdue’s nanofabrication facilities to accelerate defect‑free wafer production. Joint...
Aetina Launches Compact Mini Series Edge AI Systems for Industrial Vision AI and Generative AI Deployment
Aetina announced its Mini Series edge AI systems, built on NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano and Orin NX modules, delivering up to 157 TOPS in fan‑less, sub‑100 mm enclosures. The four models support dual PoE or MIPI cameras, operate from 12‑24 V DC, and survive...
The $6 Billion Chinese Startup Trying to Build Hands for Every Robot
A Chinese robotics startup valued at roughly $6 billion is racing to mass‑produce affordable, dexterous robotic hands that could be installed on any humanoid platform. The company claims its modular grippers can be manufactured for less than the price of a...
Valve's Steam Deck Sells Out Again, Even After 40% Price Increase
Valve’s handheld PC, the Steam Deck, sold out again within 24 hours despite a 40%‑plus price increase. The 1TB OLED model now costs $949, up $300 from its original price, while the 512GB OLED version rose to $789, a 43%...
Best of Show: Dielectric RingMaster Antenna System
Dielectric’s RingMaster antenna system captured the Radio World Best of Show award at the 2026 NAB Show, recognized for its innovative, cost‑efficient design. The high‑efficiency master antenna consolidates up to ten FM stations onto a single side‑mount antenna, cutting system...
Compal and GMI Cloud Announce Collaboration on AI Infrastructure Development
Compal Electronics announced a partnership with Silicon Valley AI infrastructure provider GMI Cloud to deliver high‑density GPU server platforms for large‑scale inference and emerging agentic AI workloads. The collaboration will deploy Compal’s SGX30‑2 system, built around NVIDIA’s HGX B300, to...
NXP Semiconductors' i.MX RT1180 Microcontrollers, Now at Mouser, Offer Advanced Security for Ethernet and Industry 4.0/5.0 Applications
NXP Semiconductors has launched its i.MX RT1180 crossover microcontrollers, now stocked by Mouser. The dual‑core devices combine an 800 MHz Cortex‑M7 with a 300 MHz Cortex‑M33 and target industrial, automation and IoT workloads. They embed advanced security (EdgeLock enclave, PUF, AES OTFAD,...
Caspia’s AI Makes You a Security Verification Expert
Caspia Technologies unveiled AI‑driven enhancements to its CODAx RTL static security tool, adding Asset Assist and Report Assist features. The new capabilities automatically identify security‑relevant design attributes and prioritize remediation, shrinking verification cycles from weeks or months to minutes or...
AI Surge Triggers Optical Supply Crunch and Huawei's Chip Comeback in Telecom
The AI boom is tightening the telecom supply chain, with Nvidia's $150 billion annual spend on Taiwan's AI infrastructure spurring a tenfold expansion of Corning's U.S. fiber capacity and exposing shortages in lasers and indium phosphide substrates. At the same time,...
Taiwanese Tech Firms Secure Record $14.5 Billion Debt to Power AI Chip and Server Build‑out
Taiwanese semiconductor component makers and server manufacturers have closed $14.5 billion of debt deals in 2026, the largest borrowing wave for the island’s AI‑hardware sector. The financing surge reflects soaring demand for AI chips and servers and mirrors a global tech‑debt...
Vertu Launches $6,880 AI Foldable Phone for CEOs to Manage Enterprise Workflows
Vertu introduced the Alphafold, a luxury foldable smartphone starting at $6,880, equipped with an AI agent that links to enterprise systems. The device aims to give CEOs and senior managers a mobile command center for approvals, scheduling and reporting, while...
OCP Rack Market Set to Double by 2030 as Hyperscale Demand Soars
The Open Compute Project (OCP) rack market is projected to expand from $2.02 bn in 2026 to $4.32 bn by 2030, a 21% compound annual growth rate. Growth is powered by hyperscale data‑center operators, especially neocloud providers, and by AI‑intensive workloads that...
Low Noise Amplifier, PEC-30-10M20-SFF
Planar Monolithics (PMI) introduced the PEC‑30‑10M20‑SFF, an ultra‑low noise amplifier covering 0.01 to 20 GHz. It delivers a typical gain of +27.6 dB with ±2 dB flatness at 18 GHz and a 3 dB noise figure. Output power reaches a minimum 13 dBm at 1 dB compression and a...
Digital Phase Shifter, PS-100M20G-8B-SFF-MIL-SM
Planar Monolithics introduced the PS-100M20G-8B-SFF-MIL-SM, a digitally controlled phase shifter operating from 0.1 GHz to 20 GHz. The device delivers continuous 0°‑360° phase adjustment with 13 dB insertion loss and ±5° phase‑shift error. It switches in 500 ns, offers ±1 dB amplitude error, and meets...
Select the Right Die to Retain in Chiplet Designs
Multi-die assemblies give chip architects the option to change some dies while keeping the rest of the system intact, but which is best to keep? https://t.co/yhlpdcgoZH #chiplets #multidieassemblies #3DICs #interconnects #semiconductor
Intel Arc Pro B70 BMG-G31 Linux Gaming Performance
Phoronix benchmarked Intel's Arc Pro B70 GPU on Linux, comparing it against a wide range of Intel, AMD and NVIDIA cards using Ubuntu 26.04, Mesa 26.0.3 and the NVIDIA R595 driver. The tests covered Vulkan and OpenCL titles, revealing that the B70 holds its...
CFrame60: Rewriting the Rules of Frame Compression
Chips&Media unveiled CFrame60, a next‑generation frame‑compression IP that handles both raster‑scan and block‑based pixel ordering, eliminating large line buffers in 4K YUV422 pipelines. The family—CFrame60C, CFrame60V, and CFrame60R—offers lossless and lossy modes, random‑access decoding, and partial‑update capabilities, delivering compression ratios...
Google Launches a Tiny Board that Runs Gemma 3 Locally
Google unveiled the Coral Board at I/O, a compact single‑board computer that brings on‑device AI to tiny form factors. Powered by a Synaptics Astra SL2619 processor, 2 GB RAM and a 1 TOPS Coral NPU, it can run the open‑source Gemma 3 270M language...
Cloud Run GPU Cold Start Under 20 Seconds
From 0 to first token in 20s, @shirmeir86 breaks down the Cloud Run GPU cold start: https://t.co/UJ2iF9gaMq https://t.co/Cj65ZUXTnJ
Sandisk Stock Soars Over 4,000% as AI Drives NAND Flash Boom
Sandisk's shares have climbed from $36 to $1,590 in a year, a rise of more than 4,000%, as AI‑driven data‑center demand lifts Q3 revenue 251% YoY to $5.95 billion. The company attributes the surge to multi‑year “New Business Models” contracts that...
I Hope Intel's Arc G3 Chips for Windows Gaming Handhelds Deliver on Performance and Battery Life
Intel’s upcoming Arc G3 and G3 Extreme processors, built on the latest Core Ultra architecture, will power the first Windows handhelds designed specifically for integrated graphics. The chips feature Arc B370 and B390 GPUs, promising stronger ray‑tracing and better battery efficiency than AMD’s Ryzen Z2...
Finding Success in Industry as a Chip Designer
The ASIC market is set to expand from $23.4 billion today to $38.8 billion by 2033, driven by automotive, AI and other specialized applications. Roughly 80% of a modern chip’s die is occupied by pre‑designed silicon IP from firms such as Arm,...
Why a Bluetooth Upgrade for AirPods Excites Me More than Cameras or AI
Apple is poised to enable LE Audio on its AirPods lineup through a firmware update, leveraging existing hardware across AirPods Max 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4. The upgrade would replace the power‑hungry AAC codec with the low‑energy LC3 codec, delivering longer battery...