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
The Geekom Air12 2026 Edition Is a Solid Entry-Level Mini PC – if You Can Bag a Good Bargain on...
Geekom’s Air12 2026 Edition is an ultra‑compact mini PC targeting budget‑conscious users, featuring a 117 × 112 × 34.2 mm chassis and a five‑year‑old Intel Pentium Gold 7505 processor paired with 8 GB RAM and a 256 GB PCIe SSD. At roughly $380 (£299) it competes with the Beelink Mini S13 and Acemagic Vista Mini V1, offering slightly better single‑core performance and a generous port selection, including dual USB‑C, HDMI 2.0, and Wi‑Fi 6. Benchmarks show respectable single‑core scores but modest multi‑core and GPU results, limiting its suitability to everyday tasks rather than heavy graphics or compute workloads. The device’s thin profile, solid build quality, and Windows 11 Pro out‑of‑the‑box make it a viable entry‑level option for users who can secure a good discount.
Kernel Tuning for High-Load Systems: File Descriptors, TCP Buffers, and Ephemeral Ports
The post warns that high‑load Linux services often fail because the kernel silently runs out of resources such as file descriptors, TCP buffers, and ephemeral ports. Default limits—1,024 FDs per process, 87 KB receive buffers, and a 28 k‑port ephemeral range—are far...
Implementing OTA Firmware Updates on MCUs
Design engineers can add over‑the‑air (OTA) firmware updates to NXP’s RW612 MCU using a simple “staging + copy” flow. The method downloads a new image into a secondary flash partition, verifies it, then copies it to the active region on reboot via...
Geniatech APC888 NXP i.MX 95-Powered Edge AI Box PC Takes M.2 AI Accelerator From Hailo, MemryX, NXP, or DeepX
Geniatech has introduced the APC888 Edge AI Box PC, built around NXP’s i.MX 95 processor with up to six Cortex‑A55 cores, a Cortex‑M7 real‑time core, and a safety‑grade Cortex‑M33. The box features a versatile M.2 slot that can host AI accelerators...
Is Your iPhone Battery Draining After iOS 26.5 Update? Here’s Why You Don't Need to Panic Just Yet
Apple’s iOS 26.5 update has sparked a wave of complaints about rapid battery drain and noticeable heating on iPhones, with users reporting up to a 50% drop in charge by midday. The issue surfaced on Reddit and other tech forums, where...
The Shifting Cost Structure of Advanced Manufacturing
The recent closure of the Strait of Hormuz has triggered a cascade of supply‑chain shocks for the semiconductor industry, most notably a sharp rise in helium prices and a collapse in Gulf air‑cargo capacity. These disruptions expose the sector’s heavy...
45,000-Worker Samsung DRAM Strike Threatens Global Memory Supply
Samsung Electronics faces a walkout of roughly 45,000 workers at its memory‑chip factories, the largest labor action in the DRAM sector. The strike raises immediate concerns about shortages of high‑bandwidth memory needed for data‑center and artificial‑intelligence workloads worldwide.
TSMC Unveils A13 Process with 6% Area Cut, Targeting AI, HPC and Next‑Gen Mobile
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. introduced its A13 semiconductor node at the North America Technology Symposium in Santa Clara, promising a 6% reduction in chip area versus the upcoming A14 and a production start in 2029. The process is positioned for...
ASUS‑Xreal ROG Xreal R1 AR Glasses Set Summer Release in Europe, North America
ASUS and Xreal opened pre‑orders on May 17 for the ROG Xreal R1 AR glasses, slated for a summer launch across Europe and North America. The device boasts a 240 Hz Micro‑OLED panel, 0.01 ms response time and a virtual screen that can...
Nvidia’s Q1 Earnings Test AI Surge and Consumer Spending, Stakes on S&P 500
Nvidia will report fiscal Q1 2027 earnings on May 20, with analysts expecting $78.5 bn in revenue and $1.74 earnings per share. The report will serve as a litmus test for whether AI‑driven chip demand can sustain the broader market rally...
China's CAS Cold Atom Unveils Hanyuan-2, First Dual‑Core Neutral‑Atom Quantum Computer
CAS Cold Atom Technology of Wuhan introduced Hanyuan-2, the world’s first dual‑core neutral‑atom quantum computer with 200 qubits. The system runs at room temperature, consumes under 7 kW and fits in a standard closet, sidestepping the massive cryogenic infrastructure used by...
Dell Teams with Nutanix on PowerEdge XC Plus to Boost Enterprise Infrastructure
Dell Technologies unveiled the PowerEdge XC Plus hyperconverged server in partnership with Nutanix, expanding its private‑cloud portfolio. The move signals Dell’s shift toward a broader “big‑tent” strategy that emphasizes flexibility, resiliency and AI‑ready compute for B2B customers.
MARSOC Selects Upgraded Shark Marine Dive Navigation System
MARSOC has awarded a sole‑source contract for Shark Marine’s Dive Tablet 2, the second‑generation underwater navigation system, to equip its Raider units during combat diving training and missions. The purchase closes a four‑year capability gap by delivering sub‑surface positioning, sonar integration,...
China Deploys 1.54‑Exaflop ARM‑Based 'LineShine' Supercomputer, Skipping US GPU Bans
China’s National Supercomputing Center in Shenzhen launched the 1.54‑exaflop LineShine supercomputer, a CPU‑only machine built on custom Huawei‑designed Armv9 LX2 processors. The system, reported to contain roughly 2.4 million cores, demonstrates a strategic pivot away from US‑origin GPUs amid export bans.
OnePlus Launches Ace 6 Ultra in China with Record 8,600 mAh Silicon‑carbon Battery
OnePlus introduced the Ace 6 Ultra in China on April 28, 2026, branding it as a gaming‑focused flagship powered by an 8,600 mAh silicon‑carbon battery and a clip‑on mechanical trigger. The launch coincided with Oppo’s merger of OnePlus and Realme into...
Printed Devices Turn Neuromorphic
Researchers at USC have demonstrated artificial neurons built from printed molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanosheet networks. The printed devices exhibit multi‑order spiking dynamics that replicate the timing of biological neurons, operating on millisecond‑scale intervals relevant to human brain activity. This neuromorphic...
AI Framework CONSET Finds 7 Critical 5G Flaws in 542 Smartphone Models
University researchers deployed an AI‑driven testing system called CONSET to uncover seven new 5G vulnerabilities—three high‑severity—in 542 smartphone models. The findings, affecting 64 modem chipsets, triggered patches from MediaTek and a review by Qualcomm, highlighting a new AI‑enabled attack surface...
Moto Razr Fold Review, Googlebooks Are Coming, Google Fitbit Air, What to Expect at Google I/O 2026, Sony Xperia 1...
In this episode, host Miriam Joir and PCMag editor Florence Ion dissect the Moto Razr Fold, comparing it to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Chinese competitors, and praise its thin design, silicon‑carbon battery, and surprisingly strong camera system despite...
Vein-and-Bone ID Revolutionizes TSA Security Scans
My friend @BCFMO Robert Adams developed the multi-factor identification system that TSA is using in its new airport security scanners. His company https://t.co/Y6aNWdJDP2 looks at your veins in your arm and also your skeletal system to identify you in a...
⚙️ Applied Materials ($AMAT) Deep Dive
Applied Materials reported a strong quarter as AI‑driven demand for semiconductor equipment surged, lifting revenue 15% year‑over‑year to $6.2 billion. Orders for AI‑specific tools jumped 30% quarter‑over‑quarter, pushing gross margins to a 44% peak. Despite the earnings beat, the stock slipped...
Samsung 990 Pro Gets Discount of over $200 From Recent Highs — Grab the 2TB Model for $429.99
Samsung’s flagship 990 Pro SSD has seen a sharp price correction, with the 2 TB model now listed at $429.99 on Amazon—a $210 discount from its recent $639.99 peak. The 1 TB variant also fell to $249.99, down $90. Despite the price...
Cerebras Raises $5.55 Bn in Biggest US Tech IPO Since Snowflake
Cerebras Systems closed its debut on the Nasdaq with a $5.55 bn raise, valuing the wafer‑scale chip maker at roughly $95 bn. The offering marks the biggest US tech IPO since Snowflake in 2020 and signals fierce investor appetite for pure‑play AI...
Google Gemini AI Limited to Flagship Android Phones by Steep Hardware Bar
Google unveiled Gemini Intelligence, its most advanced on‑device AI suite, but said it will only run on Android phones that meet a 12 GB RAM threshold and the new Gemini Nano v3 architecture. The rollout excludes popular recent flagships such as the...
Nasdaq Hits Record 26,274 as Micron Soars and Intel Secures Apple Deal
The Nasdaq Composite closed at a fresh all‑time high of 26,274.13, propelled by a 6.5% jump in Micron Technology and a 5.7% rise in Intel after a Wall Street Journal report of a preliminary chip‑manufacturing deal with Apple. The rally...
Ubuntu Concept ISOs Published For CIX P1 AI CPU
Canonical has released Ubuntu Concept ISOs for the CIX P1 AI platform, built on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS with a Linux 7.0 kernel and out‑of‑tree patches from CIX Technology. The preview targets developers, offering early hardware support before upstream integration. The P1 SoC, based on...
Researchers Built a Switch 1,000 Times Faster than Today's AI Chips, and It Barely Generates Any Heat
Researchers at the University of Tokyo have created a magnetic spintronic switch that flips binary states in 40 picoseconds—about 1,000 times faster than today’s fastest AI accelerators. The device, built from a manganese‑tin antiferromagnet, consumes only a fraction of the energy and...
Elon Musk Pledges up to $119 B for Massive AI Chip Fab, Sparking Industry Debate
Elon Musk announced plans to pour up to $119 billion into a vertically integrated chip‑making operation, dubbed “Terafab,” to supply AI compute for Tesla, SpaceX and xAI. The proposal pits Musk’s ambition against entrenched players like TSMC and raises questions about...
Doosan to Acquire 100% of SK Siltron, Expanding Semiconductor Footprint
Doosan Group has been named the preferred bidder to acquire 100% of SK Siltron, the world’s third‑largest semiconductor wafer supplier. The deal, expected to close by early 2026, would give Doosan a direct foothold in wafer production, silicon carbide (SiC)...
Deep Care Launches Isa Desk Gadget to Boost Posture and Wellness for Remote Workers
German startup Deep Care introduced Isa, a desk‑mounted health‑tech gadget that tracks posture, hydration, light, sound and air quality without a camera. The device uses a Time‑of‑Flight sensor and a 5.5‑inch IPS screen to nudge remote workers toward better ergonomics,...
Nvidia Launches Open‑source Ising Toolkit to Boost Quantum Error Correction
Nvidia released the open‑source Ising toolkit, a suite of AI models that run on its GPUs to automate quantum processor calibration and accelerate error correction. The toolkit claims up to 2.5× faster correction and three‑fold accuracy gains, positioning Nvidia’s hardware...
I Turned a $80 RK3562 Android Tablet Into a Debian Linux Workstation
A community‑driven project called rkdebian now lets the $80 Doogee U10 Android tablet run a full Debian 12 Bookworm system from an SD card, without unlocking the bootloader or altering the internal eMMC. The pre‑release image, built on May 14 2026, supports most hardware features—including...
Valens Semiconductor Beats Q1 Guidance with $16.9M Revenue, Highlights AV and Auto Chip Momentum
Valens Semiconductor reported first‑quarter 2026 revenue of $16.9 million, topping the $16.7 million guidance ceiling, and reaffirmed its full‑year outlook. Executives highlighted strong adoption of its VS3000 and VS6320 audio/video chips and continued progress on the VA7000 automotive chipset.
Fujifilm’s X Half Is Even More Whimsical with a $300 Price Cut
Fujifilm has slashed the price of its X Half digital camera by roughly $300, lowering the MSRP to $649.99 and offering an additional $100 discount through June 28, bringing the effective price to about $549. The X Half is a whimsical,...
Jay Forrester Filed the First Practical Computer RAM Patent 75 Years Ago This Week — His Magnetic Core Memory Patent...
On May 11, 1951 MIT engineer Jay Forrester filed a patent for coincident‑current magnetic core memory, the first practical RAM technology. The invention, demonstrated in the Whirlwind computer in 1953, became the dominant form of random‑access storage for about twenty...
Mosaic Raises $3.8M to Launch Ultra‑Low‑Power Perception Chip for Smart Glasses
Swiss semiconductor startup Mosaic announced a new perception chip that provides real‑time object recognition and scene understanding for smart glasses while consuming a fraction of the power of traditional GPU‑based solutions. The company also closed a $3.8 million funding round to...
Phone Batteries Get Better, Yet 58% of Users Still Tether to Outlets
CNET’s latest consumer survey reveals that 58% of smartphone owners are dissatisfied with battery life, even as manufacturers roll out silicon‑carbon batteries that boost energy density. Industry executives say the technology is ready, but user habits keep phones plugged in.
Broadcom Becomes Core AI Chip Supplier for Google, Anthropic, OpenAI and Meta
Broadcom's custom AI chips now power the compute engines behind Google, Anthropic, OpenAI and Meta, driving a 106% year‑over‑year surge in AI sales and fueling a $100 billion revenue target for 2027. The move reshapes the hardware foundation of big‑data analytics...
Igor’sLAB Cooler Charts – The Best Air Coolers and All-in-One Compact Liquid Coolers (AIO)
Igor’sLAB released detailed charts comparing the top CPU air coolers and all‑in‑one (AiO) liquid coolers using an AMD Ryzen 9 7900X under 100 W, 150 W and 200 W loads. The methodology normalizes temperatures to a constant 40 dB(A) noise level and also records maximum‑speed (100 %...
Core I9-14900KF at 9.2 GHz: World Record with Built-In Reality Check
Intel’s Core i9‑14900KF hit a 9.206 GHz peak on HWBOT, using liquid‑helium cooling, a 1,600‑W power supply and an ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Apex board. Only seven cores were enabled, with a single performance core reaching the record frequency while the...
SMIC Q1 Revenue Hits $2.5B as AI-Driven Orders Flood Back to China
SMIC posted Q1 2026 revenue of $2.5 billion, up 8.1% year‑over‑year, and guided a 14‑16% quarter‑over‑quarter increase for Q2. CEO Zhao Haijun said AI‑related demand is pulling mature‑process orders from overseas fabs back to China, reshaping the global chip supply chain.
Nvidia Caps Earnings Season with 40% Rally and $6 Trillion Market Cap Outlook
Nvidia reported a beat‑and‑raise quarter, sending its stock up over 40% in the past six weeks and sparking analyst forecasts that the chipmaker could become the world’s first $6 trillion company. The surge reflects massive AI‑related spending by hyperscalers such as...
Nikkei 225 Slides 2% as Tech Sell‑Off Meets Fresh Taiwan Tensions
Japan's Nikkei 225 closed at 61,409.29, down 1.99%, as a technology‑driven correction and renewed Taiwan‑related geopolitical risk erased the week’s gains. The slide highlighted vulnerability in semiconductor stocks and revived concerns over Bank of Japan policy.
Xiaomi 17 Max Launching Soon: 200MP LEICA Camera, 8,000mAh Battery and LTPO AMOLED Display Confirmed
Xiaomi is set to unveil its flagship Xiaomi 17 Max in China this month, featuring an unprecedented 8,000 mAh battery, 100 W wired and 50 W wireless fast charging, and a 6.9‑inch 2K LTPO OLED display. The device packs a Leica‑tuned triple‑camera system...
Tata Electronics and ASML Partner on India’s First Semiconductor Fab
Tata Electronics and Dutch equipment maker ASML signed an agreement to build India’s first front‑end semiconductor fab in Gujarat. The $11 billion project will feature a 300‑millimetre wafer line and target chips for automotive, mobile and AI applications. The signing ceremony...
Nvidia to Raise RTX 5090 Price by $300 Amid GDDR7 Memory Cost Surge
Nvidia has told its add‑in‑board (AIB) partners that the flagship RTX 5090 and China‑only RTX 5090D V2 will see a $300 (about 2,000 RMB) price hike. The increase is attributed to soaring GDDR7 VRAM costs amid a broader DRAM shortage, and...
Apple Unveils MacBook Air with M5 Chip and On‑Device AI, Starting at $1,099
Apple introduced a redesigned 13‑inch MacBook Air powered by the new M5 system‑on‑chip, a 10‑core CPU and up to a 10‑core GPU, and bundled it with 512 GB of base storage at a $1,099 entry price. The laptop emphasizes on‑device AI,...
Nvidia Says Vera Rubin Design Hurdles Cleared, Targets Q3 2026 Production Ramp
Nvidia announced that the cooling‑architecture design issues that had delayed its next‑gen Vera Rubin AI platform are now resolved. The company has confirmed a mass‑production schedule with ODM partners and expects a supply ramp beginning in Q3 2026, a relief...
This Tiny ESP32 Board Became My Cheapest Home Network Upgrade
A DIY project called ESP32_AdBlocker turns a low‑cost ESP32 board into a network‑wide DNS sinkhole, mirroring Pi‑hole functionality. By flashing an Arduino sketch, users can point their router at the device and block ads and trackers for the entire home...
NASA's New AI Chip Promises 100‑Fold Boost for Deep‑Space Autonomy
NASA’s High Performance Spaceflight Computing project unveiled a radiation‑hardened AI chip that delivers up to 100 times the computing power of current spaceflight processors and shows performance roughly 500 times greater in tests. The breakthrough could let spacecraft analyze data...
Apple Starts Intel 18A‑P Test Runs for iPhone and Mac Chips, Marking Rare Supply‑Chain Shift
Apple has launched test runs of system‑on‑chip designs on Intel’s 18A‑P process for low‑end iPhone, iPad and Mac processors. The partnership, first hinted at earlier this month, signals a strategic diversification from TSMC and could revive U.S. advanced‑node manufacturing.