Today's Hardware Pulse

Nvidia driver hints at progress on next‑gen DLSS 5
Nvidia’s latest GeForce Game Ready driver (610.47) adds three new DLSS profile options, indicating continued work on DLSS 5 neural‑rendering technology. The earlier DLSS 5 reveal sparked debate over AI‑driven image alteration, and this driver update provides the first concrete sign of advancement.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Cyient Semiconductors raises $30M Series funding

This New Chip Could Slash Data Center Energy Waste
Engineers at UC San Diego have unveiled a hybrid DC‑DC converter that blends a piezoelectric resonator with conventional capacitors, achieving 96.2% efficiency when stepping 48 V down to 4.8 V—levels typical for data‑center GPUs. The prototype delivers roughly four times the output current of earlier piezo‑based designs, promising smaller, more energy‑dense power modules. Published in Nature Communications, the work highlights a potential path beyond the efficiency ceiling of traditional inductive converters. While still early‑stage, the technology could markedly reduce the electricity waste that powers modern cloud infrastructure.

New Apple Rumor: IPhone Air 2 Leak Suggests Major Upgrades After First-Gen Criticism
Apple is reportedly forging ahead with a second‑generation iPhone Air despite the first model’s lackluster sales. A Weibo leaker, Fixed Focus Digital, says the Air 2 will follow the normal product cycle, even if demand remains weak. The upcoming device is...
AITX's RAD Expands Data Center Security Footprint to 30 Units at Single Site
Artificial Intelligence Technology Solutions' subsidiary RAD secured an order for ten additional RIO Mini autonomous security towers, bringing the total deployment at a Midwest data‑center construction site to thirty units. The expanded footprint is projected to generate more than $500,000 in...
TSMC Posts 35% Jump in Q1 Revenue
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. reported first‑quarter revenue of $35.6 billion, a 35% year‑over‑year rise and roughly $36 billion when converted from 1.13 trillion New Taiwan dollars. March alone saw a 45.2% YoY jump to about $13.3 billion in NTD terms. The surge was driven...

Samsung Starts Selling Galaxy A57 5G and A37 5G in Poland with Launch Promotion
Samsung has begun selling its mid‑range Galaxy A57 5G and Galaxy A37 5G smartphones across Poland’s physical stores, online shop, and mobile app. Buyers receive a launch‑time discount of up to PLN 250 (about $65) on the handsets and up to PLN 100 (about...

South Korean Chipmaker Partners with SKT, Arm for Sovereign AI
South Korean chipmaker Rebellions has teamed with SK Telecom and UK‑based Arm to build next‑generation AI inference systems that pair Arm’s newly designed data‑center CPU with Rebellions’ energy‑efficient AI chips. The joint solution will be tested in SK Telecom’s AI...
AI Chips Are A Looming Battlefield In U.S.-China Trade. What Investors Should Know.
The United States and China are intensifying a battle over AI‑chip supremacy as trade talks loom, with both sides racing to secure advanced semiconductor capacity. Washington is tightening export controls on Dutch‑maker ASML’s lithography tools, while China pushes 7 nm production...
This Pixel Is Two Years Old and I'd Still Recommend It over Most New Android Phones
Google has launched a certified refurbished program for the Pixel 8a, now priced at $339—roughly half its 2024 launch price of $500. The mid‑range phone retains its 6.1‑inch 120 Hz OLED display, Tensor G3 processor, and a camera system praised for value. Google...
Snap and Qualcomm Expand Strategic Collaboration to Advance Intelligent Computing Experiences on Specs
Snap subsidiary Specs Inc. announced a multi‑year strategic agreement with Qualcomm Technologies to power the upcoming Specs AR glasses with Snapdragon XR system‑on‑a‑chip solutions. The partnership will integrate on‑device AI, high‑performance graphics and multi‑user capabilities, creating a scalable platform for...

Albedo Ratchets Up the Power for Its Second VLEO Flight
Albedo unveiled Vicinity, a very‑low‑Earth‑orbit (VLEO) satellite bus slated for a second flight in 2027. The bus boosts peak power to 3 kW and average power to 400 W while supporting up to one ton of payload and a five‑year lifespan at...

Snap Gets Closer to Releasing New AI Glasses After Years-Long Hiatus
Snap’s AR‑glasses subsidiary Specs has sealed a multi‑year partnership with Qualcomm, bringing Snapdragon XR chips to power its next Spectacles model. The collaboration focuses on on‑device AI, advanced graphics and multi‑user digital experiences, aiming for a consumer launch later in...

Moog’s “Tip to Tail” Contributions to the Artemis II Flight
Moog Inc. supplied more than 100 actuation and control components for NASA’s Artemis II mission, ranging from thrust‑vector control on the Space Launch System to hatch‑opening actuators on Orion. The company’s actuator business has doubled in the past five years, prompting...

Supermicro Launches Pre-Configured Gold Series Servers
Supermicro introduced its Gold Series, a portfolio of more than 25 pre‑configured enterprise servers designed for compute, AI, storage, and edge workloads. Each system ships fully assembled with CPUs, GPUs, memory and storage, typically within three business days from U.S....

Global Cellular IoT Antenna Shipments to Record 8% CAGR Through End-2030 - Berg Insight
Berg Insight forecasts global cellular IoT antenna shipments to reach 1.1 billion units by 2030, reflecting a 7.9% compound annual growth rate. Shipments already climbed to 757 million units in fiscal year 2025, up 23% from the prior year. The research spans...
Sodium-Ion Battery Study Claims Zero Thermal Runaway Breakthrough
Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have demonstrated a polymerizable non‑flammable electrolyte that eliminates thermal runaway in ampere‑hour‑scale sodium‑ion batteries. Published in Nature Energy, the study reports the first zero‑thermal‑runaway performance for sodium‑ion cells using the new PNE material....
Hydrogen Generators
Hydrogen fuel‑cell generators are beginning to replace diesel backup units at telecom sites, offering silent, heat‑free, zero‑emission power. Diesel generators, common at data centers and remote cabinets, generate loud noise—up to 110 decibels—and oily smoke, especially in cold weather. Early...

SKT Develops Its Own AI Inference Tech
SK Telecom has teamed with UK chip designer Arm and Korean AI‑chip startup Rebellions to build AI inference server solutions that pair Arm’s newly announced AGI‑class CPU with Rebellions’ RebelCard accelerator. The joint offering targets inference workloads, promising higher performance...

Q-CTRL Proposes Heterogeneous Architecture to Optimize Fault-Tolerant Resource Requirements
Q‑CTRL unveiled Q‑NEXUS, a heterogeneous quantum‑computing architecture that separates logic, memory and state‑generation into specialized modules. By offloading idle qubits to high‑density storage, the design cuts physical‑qubit requirements for fault‑tolerant tasks by up to 138× and reduces logical error rates...

Amazon’s Andy Jassy Says the Company May Sell Trainium Chips to Outside Customers, Putting the Business at $50B in Annual...
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced the company may begin selling its proprietary Trainium AI chips to external customers. A full market rollout could lift the chip business from a $20 billion run rate to roughly $50 billion annually. Trainium, alongside Graviton and...

The Best Car GPS Trackers, Tested
The article reviews five leading car GPS trackers, detailing each device’s installation method, subscription price, and feature set. Bouncie leads on value with OBD‑II plug‑in real‑time data at $9.65 / month, while Tracki offers a tiny, battery‑powered unit for $19.95 / month but requires...

Array to Supply OmniTrack Solar Trackers for Pekintas’ 260MW Solar Project
Array Technologies will install its OmniTrack terrain‑following solar trackers on Pekintas’ 260 MW photovoltaic plant in Karaman, Turkey. The project, a joint venture between Turkish developer Pekintas and Germany’s Schmid Group under the YEKA programme, will also use TOPCon+ solar cells...
SKT Forges Alliance with Arm and Rebellions to Develop AI Servers for Data Centers
SK Telecom (SKT) has signed a strategic MoU with chip designer Arm and AI‑accelerator startup Rebellions to build AI inference servers for next‑generation data centers. The collaboration will fuse Arm’s new AGI CPU with Rebellions’ RebelCard accelerator, targeting higher power‑efficiency...

Google Cloud and Intel Expand Their Multiyear Partnership to Co-Develop Custom Chips for AI Infrastructure
Google Cloud and Intel have deepened their multiyear alliance, extending the use of Intel’s Xeon 6 processors for AI, cloud and inference workloads while expanding joint development of custom ASIC‑based infrastructure processing units (IPUs). The IPU effort, launched in 2021, targets...
TSMC Tops Q1 Sales Target On Strong AI Chip Demand
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) reported first‑quarter 2026 sales that topped analyst expectations, propelled by surging demand for artificial‑intelligence (AI) chips. The company’s revenue beat forecasts for both March and the full quarter, prompting a modest rise in its stock...
Framework Computer To Announce Their Next-Gen Hardware Later This Month
Linux‑friendly vendor Framework Computer announced that it will reveal its 2026 generation of modular hardware at a San Francisco event on April 21 at 10:30 AM PT. The company has not disclosed specifications, but speculation points to AMD Ryzen AI 400, Intel Panther Lake,...

OpenMind Eases 5G Standalone Messaging Upgrades with Launch of 5G SMS Module
OpenMind Networks announced the general availability of its 5G SMS Function (SMSF) module, a software component that streamlines upgrades to 5G Standalone (SA) signaling protocols. The SMSF integrates directly with OpenMind’s OpenCore Short Message Service Centre (SMSC), which runs on...

Telefonica Launches 5G Drone Service in Spain
Telefonica Spain has launched an end‑to‑end 5G drone service that combines remote piloting, a “drone‑in‑a‑box” hardware platform, and edge‑enabled software for industrial and public‑sector clients. The offering is managed from the T_Space facility in Madrid and leverages 5G network slicing,...

Memory Crunch Hammers Down Smartphone Shipments
A severe DRAM and NAND memory crunch, driven by AI data‑center construction, has squeezed the smartphone supply chain, pushing component prices up about 90% QoQ in Q1 2024. Apple emerged as the sole market‑share leader, posting a 21% share and...

Smart Buildings IoT: Energy Efficiency, Automation and Occupant Experience
Smart Buildings are leveraging IoT sensors, edge computing, and AI-driven analytics to transform static structures into responsive, energy‑efficient environments. By integrating real‑time data from lighting, HVAC, security and occupancy systems, enterprises can cut energy consumption by up to 30% while...
TUXEDO Laptops Will Enjoy More Features With The Upstream Linux 7.1 Kernel
TUXEDO Computers’ laptops are gaining additional functionality as the Uniwill x86 platform driver, first merged into the Linux 6.19 kernel, continues to evolve in the upcoming Linux 7.1 release. The driver now exposes a USB‑C power‑priority setting via sysfs, lets...

Claro Peru 5G Network Reaches 110 Districts
Claro Peru, part of América Móvil, announced its 5G network now covers 110 districts nationwide after a year‑long activation. The rollout brings ultra‑fast mobile connectivity to major hubs such as Lima, Callao, Arequipa and secondary markets like Puno and Abancay. By...
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Irrigreen Smart Irrigation System 3.0 (2026) Review: Smart Watering, Less Hassle
Irrigreen’s 2026 Smart Irrigation System 3.0 adds pressure‑sensing, self‑cleaning sprinkler heads and a separate Smart Drip valve, extending its patented “water‑printing” technology to drip irrigation. The kit requires a full underground retrofit of plumbing and wiring, and the price remains premium,...

Toshiba Adds Xerox PrimeLink Production Printers
Toshiba America Business Solutions is adding Xerox PrimeLink color and monochrome light‑production printers to its high‑output portfolio, reinforcing a multi‑vendor approach. The PrimeLink C9200 series reaches up to 81 pages per minute with 2400 × 2400 dpi color output, while the B9100 series...

Epomaker HE68 Lite Gaming Keyboard Review: A Properly Cheap Mechanical Board with Premium Tricks
The Epomaker HE68 Lite is a $50 65% mechanical keyboard that packs premium features such as Hall‑Effect magnetic switches, rapid‑trigger support, and an 8K polling rate, despite its lightweight plastic chassis. Reviewers note smooth linear switches, solid PBT keycaps, and...
Amazon's AWS AI Revenue Hits $15 B Run Rate as $200 B Capex Push Fuels B2B Growth
Amazon announced that its cloud division, AWS, now generates a $15 billion annualized AI revenue run rate. The company also unveiled a $200 billion capital‑expenditure plan through 2026 focused on AI infrastructure, signaling a decisive bet on enterprise AI growth.

Van Rysel’s 500-Gram Wearable Airbag Wants to Make Season-Ending Crashes History
Van Rysel unveiled Project AIRBAG, a fully integrated air‑bag skinsuit aimed at WorldTour cyclists. The garment weighs 500 g for the airbag and 700 g total, inflates in under 60 ms, and relies on crash‑detection algorithms trained on more than 450 million kilometres of data....
Meta Expands CoreWeave AI Compute Deal to $21 Billion, Total Commitment Hits $35 B
Meta announced on April 9 a $21 billion expansion of its AI cloud agreement with CoreWeave, bringing total spend to $35 billion through 2032. The deal, focused on inference workloads and early access to Nvidia’s Vera Rubin chips, lifts CoreWeave’s share price and diversifies...

Asus ROG Cetra Open Wireless Earbuds Review: Open Gaming Buds?
Asus’s ROG Cetra Open Wireless earbuds aim at mobile gamers with a low‑latency USB‑C dongle that supports PC, consoles and smartphones. The open‑ear design delivers clear, punchy game audio while keeping the wearer aware of surrounding sounds, though it falls...

Control AI Inference Costs: Build Your Own Infrastructure
Reuters reported this week that @AnthropicAI is exploring building its own AI chips. The plans are early. No design, no dedicated team. May not happen at all. That is not the story. The story is why a company at $30 billion in annualized...

TenneT Signs Contract with Developer for ‘First Controllable Congestion Mitigator’ BESS Project in Netherlands
Dutch transmission system operator TenneT has signed a contract with Green Energy Storage to build the 200 MW/800 MWh Sequoia battery energy storage system in North Brabant. The deal uses a time‑bound transmission right and a capacity‑control contract, making it the first...

Bold, Colorful Moto Edge 70 Pro Renders Surface, as We Await Its Eventual Debut
Motorola’s Edge 70 Pro is surfacing in a series of leaked renders that showcase four distinct colorways—light‑green satin‑luxe, maroon, deep‑blue fabric and a walnut‑wood finish. The prototype also appears to adopt a quad‑curved display, a departure from the flat screen of the...
Arqiva Helps United Utilities Roll Out 200,000 Smart Water Meters
United Utilities, the North‑West England water provider, has installed more than 200,000 smart water meters in the past year, a rollout enabled by Arqiva and its Network Plus platform. The initial phase covered households in Greater Manchester, Cumbria and Merseyside. United...

Silex, Edge Impulse Team on Edge AI Development
Silex Technology and Edge Impulse have teamed up to integrate Edge Impulse’s end‑to‑end AI development platform with Silex’s EP‑200Q system‑on‑module, which runs on Qualcomm’s Dragonwing QCS6490 processor. The joint solution bundles a Wi‑Fi 7 driver and AI acceleration to simplify the...
Canon Named a Leader in Latest IDC MarketScape: Worldwide High-Speed Inkjet 2025 Vendor Assessment
Canon has been named a leader in IDC's Worldwide High‑Speed Inkjet 2025 Vendor Assessment, confirming its strong market presence and growth in installations and page volume. The report highlights Canon’s expanded high‑speed inkjet portfolio, including a new 1,200 dpi piezo printhead...
IC Logistix Introduces Fujikura 99S Fusion Splicer
IC Logistix has launched the Fujikura 99S Fusion Splicer, a next‑generation fiber‑optic splicing tool that combines advanced core alignment, high‑speed splicing, intelligent automation, rugged construction, and extended battery life. The device is engineered for Africa’s rapidly expanding fiber networks, promising...
New Cancer Radiotherapy Machines Arrive at Mpilo Hospital
AT MPILO HOSPITAL, Old Radiotherapy Machines are being decommissioned & the newly procured machines are being installed. These are the “Cancer Machines” Zimbabweans have been talking about. President @edmnangagwa DELIVERED. ED2030🔥🔥🔥🔥 https://t.co/uoDZihr6L6

Tesla Reportedly Adds Sunwoda as Additional Battery Cell Supplier
Tesla has added Chinese battery maker Sunwoda as its fifth supplier of traction‑battery cells, joining CATL, Panasonic, LG Energy Solution and BYD. Sunwoda’s third‑generation LFP cells, capable of 3C charging, are already being used in vehicles built at Tesla’s Shanghai...

BYD Details Global 1,500 kW Flash Charging Network – 6,000 Stations Outside China by 2027, BESS Support
BYD announced its 1,500 kW Flash Charging network will expand beyond China with 6,000 stations slated for deployment over the next 12 months, including 3,000 in Europe. The ultra‑fast chargers can replenish a compatible BYD or Denza EV from 10% to...

Smartphones as Micro Data Centers: A Creative Edge Solution?
Researchers propose linking ordinary smartphones into a pooled cluster that functions as a miniature data center, aggregating CPU, memory and storage. The concept targets edge workloads, especially AI inference, by leveraging the locational flexibility and low cost of repurposed devices....

Secure Your IoT Devices with Proven Cyber Defenses
How to Protect #IoT Devices from #CyberSecurity Threats by @antgrasso #InternetOfThings #Infosec #IT #Technology https://t.co/bHVcGm4rmX