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
Hyundai Mobis Unveils New 160-kW Electric Drive System for BEVs
Hyundai Mobis unveiled a new 160‑kW (215 hp) Power Electric drive system for battery‑electric vehicles, marking its first fully in‑house developed drivetrain. The system combines a motor, inverter and reduction gear in a modular architecture that can be shared with its existing 250‑kW high‑performance unit. Mobis also announced a smaller 120‑kW version expected by mid‑2026, completing a three‑tier product lineup. The move signals the supplier’s shift toward broader OEM partnerships and deeper involvement in the global EV supply chain.
Rolls-Royce Wants to Cut Mining's Biggest Fuel Bill by 30%
Rolls‑Royce Power Systems is developing a hybrid drive system for open‑pit mining haul trucks that could cut fuel consumption by roughly 30%. The company plans to start field testing the technology at an active mine site in autumn 2026. If...
From Apple Watch to Fitbit Air: Top Smartwatches and Fitness Bands of 2026
The 2026 roundup spotlights a diverse lineup of smartwatches and fitness bands, ranging from ultra‑affordable models like the Fastrack Reflex Vox at roughly $30 to premium devices such as the Apple Watch Series 11 at $565. All devices emphasize health...
3DPM: Can We Fix It? Yes We Can!
The 3DPM synthetic benchmark, originally posted by Ian Cutress, has drawn criticism for false cache‑line sharing and heavy sin/cos overhead that penalize AMD CPUs. Community members dissected the disclosed code and identified inefficiencies, prompting a Java‑based rewrite called 3DPMRedux that...
Nintendo Is Raising Switch 2 Prices
Nintendo announced a global price increase for its Switch 2 console, raising the U.S. price to $499.99 effective September 1, up $50 from the current $449.99. The hike also adds roughly $497 to the Canadian price, €40 to the European price (about...
Taiwan, Paraguay Sign MOU on Sovereign AI Computing Center Investment
Taiwan and Paraguay signed a memorandum of understanding to co‑invest in a sovereign AI computing centre located in Paraguay, pairing Taiwan's advanced AI capabilities with the country's abundant green‑energy resources. The deal was part of a broader package that also...
ANALYSIS: PS5 Sales Drift Behind PS4, While Sony Says It’s Undecided on PS6 Release Date and Price
Sony sold about 1.5 million PS5 units in Q1 2026, bringing total shipments to 93.7 million, slightly below the PS4’s quarterly pace. The company expects flat year‑on‑year income as it ramps up investment for the next‑generation console amid component shortages and a recent...
AI Electricity Gap Fuels Weichai Power, GE Vernova Shares as Generator Demand Surges
AI‑driven data centre expansion is straining electricity supplies in the U.S. and China, sparking a surge in demand for backup generators and large‑bore engines. Companies traditionally seen as old‑economy players, such as China’s Weichai Power and U.S.‑based GE Vernova, have...
Our ±20 Μm Spec Is Worst Case, Not Reality
Pulled 5 years of @prusament QC data because "±20μm tolerance" is the spec everyone claims without blinking these days 😏 Turns out ±20μm is our worst case scenario, not our spec. 98.7% within ±10μm. 30.7% within ±1μm 😎 More stats...
AWS Outage Halts Coinbase Trades
AWS experienced a thermal event in its US‑EAST‑1 data centre on May 8, causing overheating of server racks and forcing EC2 instances, EBS volumes and other services offline. The outage prompted AWS to add cooling capacity and shift traffic away...
At NAB Show, Kokusai Denki Showcases 4K and Remote Production
Kokusai Denki Electric America, the former Hitachi unit, unveiled two 4K‑ready products at the 2026 NAB Show. The Z‑HD6500‑S1 camera features a 2/3‑inch UHD sensor and global‑shutter technology to eliminate flicker and banding. The RU‑2500JY remote‑control panel, a slim 3.5‑inch...
GCT Taps Satellite Partner to Speed 5G Rollout
GCT Semiconductor has signed a reference platform agreement with a major satellite communications provider to speed the creation of 5G user equipment that works across satellite and terrestrial networks. The deal builds on an earlier chipset licensing pact and delivers...
ITC Affirms Initial Determination that Innoscience Infringed Infineon GaN Patent
The U.S. International Trade Commission affirmed its December 2025 finding that China‑based Innoscience infringed Infineon Technologies' gallium‑nitride (GaN) patent, ordering bans on imports and sales of the company's 8‑inch GaN‑on‑silicon chips. The decision is subject to a 60‑day presidential review...
Delft-Based FrostByte Secures a Cool €1.3 Million to Scale Cryogenic Electronics for Quantum Computing
Delft‑based FrostByte, a spin‑off from TU Delft and QuTech, announced a €1.3 million (≈$1.4 million) funding round led by InnovationQuarter Capital, Graduate Ventures, Paeonia Group, UNIIQ and an angel investor. The capital will fund team expansion, scale production of cryogenic switches, and...
Nintendo Hikes Switch 2 Prices, Revises Console Costs in Japan, US, Canada, and Europe
Sony announced full‑year FY25 results, showing a modest 13.4% rise in operating income to ¥1.4 trillion ($8.9 billion) while Games & Network Services sales were essentially flat. A $765 million impairment tied to Bungie’s under‑performing titles was recorded, adding to a prior $204 million...
Aixtron Supplies Planetary G5+C MOCVD Systems to Renesas
Aixtron SE has delivered multiple Planetary G5+C metal‑organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) systems to Renesas Electronics, expanding the Japanese firm’s gallium nitride (GaN) production capacity for high‑volume manufacturing. The equipment, already operational, supports Renesas’ push into power‑dense applications such as...
Leica Swaps Japan for China: A Bold New Sensor Era
Leica announced a strategic pivot from Japanese sensor suppliers, chiefly Sony, to a deep‑tech partnership with Chinese semiconductor specialist Gpixel. The collaboration goes beyond simple procurement, encompassing joint chip design, image‑quality tuning, and shared production preparation for upcoming M‑series models....
How BSC Contributes to Europe’s Hybrid Quantum Strategy
Global quantum spending has topped $66 billion, and Europe is answering with a €808 million (~$875 million) public pledge and up to €1.5 billion (~$1.62 billion) overall for its 2025‑2030 Quantum Technologies Strategy. At the core is Spain’s Barcelona Supercomputing Center, where the MareNostrum 5 exascale...
Ride1Up Rolls Out Suspension Version of Popular Low-Cost Commuter E-Bike
Ride1Up has launched a suspension version of its Roadster V3 commuter e‑bike, adding a 35 mm air‑fork while preserving the original’s lightweight 40‑lb frame. The new model ships at $1,445, just $50 more than the rigid‑fork version, and retains the 500 W...
Rich Sound for a Small Price - Nothing Headphone (a) Review
Nothing’s Headphones (a) enters the affordable over‑ear market with a design‑forward look, solid build quality and physical button controls that outshine many touch‑based rivals. The sound is lively and balanced, though it falls short of the premium Headphones (1) in depth and...
Chip Industry Week In Review
The chip industry is seeing massive new investments, from ASE and WUS’s $1.1 billion advanced‑packaging hub in Taiwan to SpaceX’s proposed "Terafab" semiconductor complex in Texas that could total up to $119 billion. Apple is quietly discussing U.S. production of its main...
SiTime Posts 88% Revenue Growth on AI Infrastructure Demand
SiTime reported first‑quarter 2026 revenue of $113.6 million, an 88.3% year‑over‑year increase driven by soaring demand for precision timing in AI data‑center and high‑performance computing systems. While the company posted a GAAP net loss of $5.2 million, non‑GAAP earnings surged to $38.9 million,...
Switch 2, Switch, and Nintendo Switch Online Price Increases Announced
Nintendo announced price hikes for its upcoming Switch 2 console and existing Switch hardware across major markets, as well as increased fees for Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions in Japan. In the U.S., the Switch 2 will rise from $449.99 to $499.99 effective...
Solar Backup Power Supports Ukrainian Intensive Care Units During Grid Outages and Cyberattacks
At the SolarPower Summit in Brussels, Ukrainian representatives highlighted how solar‑plus‑storage systems are keeping hospitals and schools operational amid grid outages and cyberattacks. Energy Act for Ukraine, led by Yuliana Onishchuk, has installed nearly 1.5 MW of photovoltaic capacity and 2 MWh...
Switch 2 Worldwide Sales Top 19.86 Million, Switch Tops 155.92 Million
Nintendo reported that its Switch 2 console has sold 19.86 million units worldwide as of March 31 2026, while the original Switch’s cumulative sales now stand at 155.92 million units. In the most recent quarter, Nintendo shipped 2.49 million Switch 2 hardware units and 10.78 million Switch 2 software...
Nintendo Confirms Switch 2 Price Rises, Consoles Now $500 in the US
Nintendo announced that the Switch 2 will cost $499.99 in the United States starting September 1, 2026, a $50 increase from the current MSRP. Parallel hikes will see the console priced at €499.99 (about $545) in Europe and $679.99 CAD (≈$503) in Canada, while...
US Said to Suspect Nvidia Chips Smuggled to Alibaba Via Thailand
U.S. prosecutors allege that Thailand‑based OBON Corp helped smuggle Super Micro servers equipped with advanced Nvidia AI chips to China, with Alibaba listed among the end buyers. The scheme reportedly involved Super Micro’s co‑founder, a rotating network of brokers, and...
ASUS Launches 1.1kg ExpertBook Ultra 14 with Dual-Layer OLED Display at $3599
ASUS has launched the ExpertBook Ultra 14, a 14‑inch business ultrabook that weighs 1.1 kg and measures just 10.9 mm thick. The notebook features a dual‑layer OLED touchscreen with 100 % DCI‑P3 and sRGB coverage, up to 1 400 nits HDR brightness, and a variable 30‑120 Hz...
ANELLO Photonics Secures $25M to Scale GPS-Denied Navigation & Autonomy Solutions
Anello Photonics raised $25 million in a Series B-2 round led by MESH, with participation from Washington Harbour Partners and existing investors including Lockheed Martin Ventures. The funding will accelerate production of its silicon‑photonic inertial navigation systems that deliver fiber‑gyro...
Bose Ends SoundTouch Cloud Support but Keeps Core Features Operational
Bose has terminated cloud support for its legacy SoundTouch speakers and soundbars, ending backend services on May 6. The company released an updated SoundTouch app that keeps core streaming functions alive via local network control, preserving AirPlay, Spotify Connect and multi‑room...
Rogue Cortex and UAS Nexus Partnerto Launch Modular FPV Developer Kit
Rogue Cortex and UAS Nexus have announced a modular FPV developer kit that pairs the Platform One drone with Rogue Cortex’s SDK and developer program. The out‑of‑the‑box solution provides a production‑grade airframe, swappable components and a full software stack, enabling...
AMI to Showcase Advanced Laser Electronics at XPONENTIAL 2026 Detroit
Analog Modules, Inc. (AMI) will showcase its laser‑electronics portfolio at XPONENTIAL 2026/MDEX in Detroit, occupying Booth 8007 from May 12‑14. The centerpiece is the new Model 744DP Laser Spot Tracker Module, built on 55 years of photonics expertise. The tracker...
Infrared LEDs Support In-Cabin Sensing for Vehicle Safety
ams OSRAM introduced its OSLON Black IR:6 C‑Series infrared LEDs, a 940 nm high‑power solution designed for camera‑based in‑cabin driver and occupant monitoring. The LEDs suppress the visible red‑glow effect, delivering low‑visibility illumination that works across changing lighting conditions. By targeting...
Infineon Rad-Hard Chips Performed Flawlessly on Artemis II
NASA’s Artemis II mission completed a 10‑day crewed flight that set a new record for distance from Earth, while simultaneously proving the reliability of Infineon Technologies’ radiation‑hardened semiconductor portfolio. Infineon’s IR HiRel rad‑hard devices powered critical Orion systems, including power supply, control...
5 Small EDC Tech Gadgets Earning Their Slot This Week
A roundup of five ultra‑compact EDC tech gadgets highlights how each device trims everyday bulk. The Xteink X4 e‑reader packs a passport‑size screen for $69, while the Planck 2 TB iPhone SSD moves massive video files at 1050 MB/s for $349. The...
Delta Electronics Showcases Advance Semiconductor Packaging Solutions at SEMICON SEA 2026
Delta Electronics used SEMICON Southeast Asia 2026 to unveil a suite of AI‑enabled smart manufacturing solutions aimed at accelerating advanced semiconductor packaging. The showcase highlighted precision motion hardware such as the ASDA‑W3 multi‑axis servo and sub‑micron Linear Positioning Link, as...
The 100-Second Bottleneck Behind NVIDIA CPO: 7 Companies That Own the 4-Stage Test Stack
The testing stage of coherent photonic‑on‑chip (CPO) production has become the primary bottleneck, with a full optical inspection of each photonic integrated circuit taking over 100 seconds. TrendForce data and recent earnings show that seven specialist equipment firms—FormFactor, Teradyne, Keysight,...
Titan Batteries Establishes Multi-Continental Production & Launches European Hub
Titan Batteries has opened a flagship European production facility on Bosch’s Energy Conversion Campus in Tilburg, the Netherlands, marking the first UAV‑battery supplier to run full‑scale plants on multiple continents. The new hub mirrors the company’s Idaho operation and will...
Tunnel Vision
Nuctech unveiled CTitan, the first CT‑based inspection system built for air cargo containers, enabling full‑volume, non‑intrusive scanning of ULDs and pallets. At Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport the solution slashed a Boeing 747‑F cargo screening cycle from four hours to just...
James River Equipment Named Newest Trimble Technology Outlet, Serving Customers in Mid-Atlantic
Trimble announced James River Equipment as its newest Trimble Technology Outlet, extending the company’s civil‑construction distribution network across the Mid‑Atlantic. The partnership enables James River to sell Trimble grade‑control, site‑positioning and correction‑service solutions for John Deere earth‑moving machines and Level Best attachments....
Landholder-Led 4-Hour Big Battery Gets Federal Environmental All-Clear in Just over Four Weeks
The 500 MW, four‑hour Murchs Corner battery energy storage system in western Victoria secured federal environmental clearance after just over four weeks in the EPBC queue. Led by local farming landowners and developer Alternate Path, the project will sit on cleared...
AMD Powers Zyphra Cloud
Zyphra has partnered with AMD to power its Zyphra Cloud full‑stack AI platform using AMD Instinct MI355X GPUs on TensorWave’s purpose‑built infrastructure. The service launches with Zyphra Inference, a serverless offering that supports frontier open‑weight models such as DeepSeek V3.2,...
Sponsored: In-Rack CDU V. Floor-Mounted CDU: Which Option Is Better for Your Data Center?
Data centers powering high‑density AI workloads are turning to liquid‑cooling systems, making the placement of coolant distribution units (CDUs) a critical design decision. In‑rack CDUs sit inside each server rack and are ideal for single‑rack deployments handling 100‑300 kW, while floor‑mounted...
Huawei Expands Consumer Device Portfolio with New Tablets, Wearables and Smartphones
Huawei announced a new suite of consumer electronics at a Bangkok event, adding a MatePad Pro Max tablet, several smartwatch models, a children’s wearable, and the nova 15 Max smartphone. The lineup expands the company’s connected‑device ecosystem and signals a...
Intel Arc Celestial at Idle: Leak No Longer Sees Dedicated Xe3P Gaming GPUs
Recent leaks indicate Intel has scrapped plans for a dedicated Xe3P “Celestial” Arc gaming GPU line. While the Xe3P architecture remains alive in integrated graphics, mobile platforms, workstations and the Crescent Island datacenter accelerator, no discrete desktop gaming cards are...
AMDGPU Gets a Power Module: AMD Continues to Bring Radeon Under Linux Closer to Windows
AMD is adding a new DC Power Module to the AMDGPU driver for Linux 7.2, targeting display‑related power‑saving functions such as back‑light control and Panel Self Refresh. The module mirrors mechanisms already used in Windows, aiming to bring Linux’s Radeon power...
SEMIFIVE and ICY Tech Announce 8 Nm eMRAM SoC Tape-Out at Samsung Foundry
SEMIFIVE and ICY Tech announced the successful tape‑out of an 8‑nm eMRAM‑based edge AI system‑on‑chip (SoC) using Samsung Foundry’s 8LPU‑eMRAM process. The design integrates non‑volatile magnetoresistive RAM directly on the chip, targeting low‑power, latency‑critical applications such as industrial controllers, automotive...
Sony's FY26 PS5 Sales Hinge on Memory Pricing
1) Sony just released its 2025 earnings report - link in next tweet. In it, they say: "We plan to base our PS5 hardware sales in FY26 on the volume of memory we can procure at reasonable prices and we expect...
Nintendo Hikes Switch 2 Price by $50 Globally
It's happening: Nintendo to raise Switch 2 prices worldwide. From September 1, the device will i.e. cost US$50 more (new price then US$499.99) in the US. https://t.co/g2gwiF7yTA
Sony's PS5 Sales Drop to 1.5 M This Quarter
Random, but Sony sold 1.5m PS5s this quarter. Way down YoY. Per their earnings call: https://t.co/Qc944AJAxD https://t.co/Rhhk1n6ECz