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
Redwire Pursues Opportunities in Landers and Power Systems for NASA’s Moon Base Plans
Redwire is refocusing on lunar landers and power systems after NASA signaled a steady cadence of moon‑base landings. The company, a CLPS contract holder through its Deep Space Systems acquisition, has yet to win a task order but sees a larger addressable market. It recently signed an MOU with ispace U.S. to collaborate on lunar missions and is promoting its Roll‑Out Solar Array (ROSA) and Extensible Low‑Profile Solar Array (ELSA) for a lunar power grid. Redwire also highlighted its selection for the Space Force’s $6.2 billion Andromeda GEO program, while reporting $12.6 million R&D spend and a $9.2 million adjusted EBITDA loss for Q1 2026.
Steam Controller Will Be Restocked Soon And Valve Has A Plan To Stop Resellers From Buying Everything Up
Valve announced that the newly launched Steam Controller, priced at $100, sold out within 30 minutes and will be restocked starting May 8. To curb scalpers, the company is introducing a reservation queue that limits each buyer to a single unit...
Fake Onn, Fire TV, and Xiaomi Streaming Devices Are Becoming More Common and Harder to Spot
Counterfeit streaming sticks and boxes—most notably fake Onn 4K Plus, Fire TV, and 3rd‑gen Xiaomi TV Box S—are now indistinguishable from genuine units and are appearing on major U.S. retailers like Amazon and Walmart. The fakes replicate hardware design, packaging, and even the modern Google TV interface,...
Your Laptop's USB Port Is Probably Slower than Advertised — Here's How to Verify It
Modern laptops often bundle fast and slow USB ports under the same USB‑C connector, leaving users unsure which port will deliver advertised speeds. Confusing naming conventions—from USB 2.0 to USB4 Version 2.0 and Thunderbolt 5—mask real‑world performance, which can vary dramatically based on controller,...
Apple's Camera‑Equipped AirPods Near Final Design
NEW: Apple’s AirPods with cameras reach an advanced testing stage where the design and features have been nearly finalized ahead of production. They’re on track to be Apple’s first AI wearable. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-05-07/apple-s-camera-equipped-airpods-reach-advanced-testing-stage-in-ai-device-push?
Mac Studio, Mac Mini Buyers Are Losing Options Amid AI Demand
Apple has quietly removed several high‑memory configurations from its Mac Studio and Mac mini lines as AI‑driven demand and global DRAM shortages tighten supply. The top‑tier M3 Ultra Studio can no longer be ordered with 256 GB of unified memory, and...
As Battery Lifespans Approach 25 Years, Leasing Will Become the Dominant Financial Model, Says Unigrid CEO
Unigrid has unveiled a sodium‑chromium oxide battery chemistry that retains up to 95% of its capacity after 5,000 charge cycles, translating to a 20‑25‑year service life. CEO Darren Tan says this durability will enable a zero‑down, long‑term leasing model that...
Optus and Ericsson Achieve 180MHz Across 2.3GHz and 3.5GHz Bands Using Carrier Aggregation on a Live 5G SA Network
Optus, together with Ericsson, demonstrated a world‑first 180 MHz carrier aggregation across the 2.3 GHz (n40) and 3.5 GHz (n78) mid‑band spectrum on a live 5G standalone network. The four‑component carrier aggregation (4CC CA) combined 900 MHz, 2.1 GHz, 2.3 GHz and 3.5 GHz bands, delivering up...
Your Android Phone Might Have 12GB of RAM but Run Slower because of It — This One Setting Is Why
Android manufacturers bundle a feature called RAM Plus (or Memory Extension) that turns part of internal storage into virtual RAM. While it can help budget phones with 4‑6 GB of RAM, on flagship devices with 8 GB or more it often slows app...
Ready or Not, AI-Assisted Quantum Computing Is Here
Recent papers from Google’s Quantum AI team and Caltech startup Oratomic show that AI can cut the qubit count needed to break RSA‑2048 encryption from hundreds of thousands to roughly 10,000. This accelerates the timeline for practical quantum attacks, prompting...
2026 North American Profinet Plugfest Takes Place in Minnesota
Emerson hosted PI North America’s fourth North American Profinet Plugfest in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, on April 15‑16, 2026. The two‑day event drew 36 engineers from 13 companies, who tested seven controllers and 15 devices ranging from drives to virtual PLCs. Participants...
Arista Rides AI Scale Out Networks, Moves Into Scale Across, And Awaits Scale Up
Arista Networks lifted its 2026 revenue outlook to $11.5 billion, with AI‑related networking now projected at $3.5 billion. The company posted a record $2.71 billion total revenue in Q1, driven by a 36.6% year‑over‑year jump in product sales and a 27.3% rise in...
Godox Has Some New High-Intensity Lights With Built-In Battery Power and Serious Brightness
Godox has launched two new portable LED fixtures, the RS100Bi bi‑color and RS100R single‑color lights, aimed at run‑and‑gun filmmakers and live‑event crews. Both units deliver a peak output of 28,600 lux at one metre and include a built‑in USB‑C rechargeable battery...
SDSC: Using NSF ACCESS Supercomputers to Improve Tuberculosis Treatment Options
A University of Michigan research team, led by Denise Kirschner, used NSF ACCESS allocations on the Expanse and Anvil supercomputers to simulate 219 tuberculosis drug combinations. By pairing a small set of virtual experiments with a machine‑learning surrogate, they rapidly...
Samsung Is Pulling TVs and Appliances From China After Losing $138 Million to Local Competition
Samsung announced it will cease selling televisions and home appliances in China, a market where it has struggled against aggressive local competitors. The decision follows a $138.4 million loss in those divisions last year. Samsung will continue offering smartphones and tablets...
New Logitech Rugged Combo 4c Keyboard Cases Deliver Drop-Tested Durability and New USB-C Connectivity to Maximize Classroom Time
Logitech unveiled the Rugged Combo 4c and Rugged Combo 4c Touch, new keyboard cases for the iPad (10th gen) and iPad (A16). The cases add a USB‑C pass‑through port that lets students charge the iPad while using a wired headset, and they feature a magnetic Apple...
Rackspace and AMD Sign MOU to Establish New Category of Governed Enterprise AI Infrastructure
Rackspace Technology and AMD have signed a multiyear MOU to launch a governed Enterprise AI Cloud that combines AMD Instinct GPUs and EPYC CPUs with Rackspace’s managed operating model. The partnership aims to invert the current pay‑per‑hour GPU rental model...
Inkjet-Printed OLEDs Promise 35% Cost Cut, Yet Hurdles Persist
Inkjet-printed OLED panels could reduce manufacturing costs by as much as 35%, according to a new report. But there are still challenges to overcome https://t.co/9gXdYrqZ5r
Thursday May 7, 2026 — Field Note
Johnson & Johnson presented first clinical data for its Ottava robotic surgery system at the ASMBS meeting, reporting that all 30 gastric‑bypass cases were completed robotically without conversion and met 30‑day safety endpoints. The FORTE feasibility study, conducted across six...
Hundreds of Readers Bought This E Ink Tablet - and I Highly Recommend It
ZDNet reports that its readers have made the Boox Note Air5 C the second‑most‑purchased tablet of 2026, trailing only the base iPad. The Android‑powered E Ink device combines a 4,096‑level Pen3 stylus with ultra‑low latency, delivering a paper‑like writing feel....
Elon Musk’s Texas Chip Plant Could Cost $119B, Filings Show
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has filed plans for a massive semiconductor complex in East Texas dubbed “Terafab,” with projected costs soaring to $119 billion. The facility, which would serve Tesla, xAI and SpaceX, includes a $3 billion research fab in Austin and an...
Google's Annual TPU Cycle Accelerates Enterprise AI Efficiency
Speed of innovation matters. Google’s move to an annual silicon cycle with the TPU 8t (training) and TPU 8i (inference) is a game-changer for enterprise AI performance and cost-efficiency. https://t.co/LRR1wOtC6I #CIO #AI #Cloud #Semiconductors #Innovation
RISC-V: From Niche Architecture to Strategic Foundation
At the RISC‑V Now by Andes conference, Aion Silicon’s CEO Oliver Jones declared that RISC‑V has moved from a niche alternative to a strategic foundation for modern silicon. The company’s experience delivering dozens of 7 nm and smaller designs shows the...
Motherboard Sales 'Collapse' By More Than 25%
Motherboard sales have collapsed by more than 25% as AI‑driven shortages and price spikes for memory, storage and CPUs force price‑sensitive consumers to postpone upgrades. Asus, which sold 15 million units in 2025, shipped just over 5 million in the first half...
Integrated Voltage Regulators Help Pull Heat Out of Processors
AI accelerators in data centers are moving power conversion beneath the processor to cut parasitic losses and improve transient response. Empower Semiconductor’s Crescendo integrated voltage regulator (IVR) packs the converter, inductors and capacitors into an ultra‑thin chip, offering up to...
This New Tech Completely Changes How The Brake Pedal Works
Brembo unveiled Sensify, a brake‑by‑wire system that eliminates hydraulic fluid and uses individual electric actuators at each wheel. The brake pedal now acts as an electronic input, letting software modulate braking force in real time. This architecture promises smoother, more...
2026 in IoT Attacks: The Biggest Threats so Far and What Businesses Can Do
IoT devices are expanding enterprise attack surfaces, with 2026 seeing a surge in botnet activity. Notable incidents include the RondoDox botnet exploiting a critical HPE OneView flaw in January, the Kimwolf Android variant reaching over two million hosts, and KadNap...
UK Quantum Startup Secures $160M Boost for Silicon Chips
UK quantum outfit @Quantum_Motion run on silicon chips raises $160M https://t.co/u7pwod4ub3 >> Congratss. Good to see the investment - and more competition. Good for all. #NextGenApps #QuantumComputing https://t.co/vUuC4NlycE
Roborock Qrevo QV 35A Robot Vacuum Review: Great for Maintenance, But Not a Full Replacement
Roborock’s QV 35A robot vacuum and mop combo excels at daily floor maintenance, delivering 8,000 Pa suction and an auto‑empty dock. Mapping a 900‑sq‑ft apartment takes about 30 minutes, after which the unit tailors cleaning modes per room via a responsive app. Vacuuming...
Data Centers in the Land of Coal and Cowboys
Wyoming is rapidly attracting hyperscale investors as Microsoft, Meta, Crusoe and Related Digital announce multi‑billion‑dollar AI‑focused data‑center projects in Cheyenne and surrounding counties. The state produces 46 TWh of electricity annually—about twelve times its own consumption—providing a surplus that appeals to...
Rabbit Air MinusA3 Ultra-Quiet Air Purifier Review: The Air in My Apartment Has Never Smelled Better
Popular Mechanics reviewer Xavier Piedra tested the Rabbit Air MinusA3 Ultra‑Quiet air purifier in a 750‑sq ft apartment lacking ventilation. The unit’s activated carbon and optional custom odor‑remover filters eliminated cooking smells and smoke within a few hours, while its HEPA...
The Neocloud Supplement
The May 2026 DDC supplement outlines the emergence of “Neocloud” providers built expressly for massive GPU workloads that power AI training, inference, and high‑performance compute. These specialists differentiate themselves with liquid‑cooling systems, ultra‑high‑bandwidth networking, and energy‑efficient designs that enable faster deployment...
This Lenovo Laptop Might Be Its Most Competitive Dell XPS Rival yet - My Test Results Prove It
Lenovo’s Pro 9i Aura Edition enters the high‑end creator‑laptop segment as a direct rival to the Dell XPS 16 and Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra. Powered by an Intel Core Ultra 9 386H, 32 GB RAM and an Nvidia RTX 5060, it delivers workstation‑class performance while staying...
Sherpas Advance Toward South Col as Nepal Reverses Drone Ban Amid Geopolitical Tension
Sherpas are moving toward the South Col on Mount Everest as Nepal lifts a sudden ban on cargo drones following an avalanche that injured two climbers. The reversal comes amid a high‑profile U.S. drone demonstration, new photo‑restriction rules, and growing...
Zero Latency Launches Zerogrid Closed Beta, a Distributed AI Inference Grid
Zero Latency has opened a closed beta for Zerogrid, a distributed AI inference grid that routes inference requests to edge compute nodes meeting latency, data‑gravity and burst constraints. The program targets Fortune 1000 enterprises, tier‑1 telecoms and leading DevOps platforms, offering...
Nvidia Launches Spectrum‑X Ethernet Fabric and Opens MRC Protocol for Gigascale AI Clusters
Nvidia announced the Spectrum‑X AI‑native Ethernet fabric and released the Multipath Reliable Connection (MRC) transport protocol as an open specification. The move targets the massive bandwidth and resilience requirements of today’s frontier AI models, and is already deployed in leading...
Nuro Secures California Driverless Permit for Uber‑Backed Lucid Robotaxi Service
Nuro has been granted a California DMV driverless testing permit for its Lucid Gravity robotaxis, paving the way for Uber’s premium robotaxi rollout. The approval allows testing without a safety driver at speeds up to 45 mph, bringing the companies closer...
Johnson & Johnson’s Ottava System Completes First Robotic Gastric Bypass
Johnson & Johnson reported that its Ottava robotic platform successfully performed its first fully robotic gastric bypass, with no cases converted to open surgery. The milestone supports the pending FDA De Novo filing and positions Ottava against established systems from...
AMD Beats Q1 2026 Estimates as Data Center Revenue Jumps 57% to $5.8B
Advanced Micro Devices posted a Q1 2026 earnings beat, driven by a 57% year‑over‑year rise in data‑center revenue to $5.8 billion and more than 50% growth in server CPU sales. The company forecast server‑CPU revenue to surge over 70% in the...
Culpan: Apple Goes All in on MacBook Neo Production ↦
Apple is ramping up MacBook Neo output to 10 million units, double its original forecast, after the laptop’s sales outpaced expectations and strained A18 Pro chip supplies. The company has asked TSMC for a hot‑lot of the N3E‑based chips used in...
Linux 7.2 To Support Realtek RTL8159 10GbE USB Ethernet
The Realtek RTL8159 10 Gbps USB Ethernet chipset, currently supported only by Realtek’s out‑of‑tree driver, will be merged into the mainline Linux kernel with the upcoming 7.2 release. Open‑source contributor Birger Koblitz ported the code to the r8152 driver and added...
FANUC Launches Ultra‑Light CRX‑3iA Cobot, Weighing Just 11 Kg
FANUC America introduced the CRX‑3iA, an ultra‑light 11 kg collaborative robot that can be moved and set up in minutes. The cobot’s 3 kg payload and 692 mm reach target tight‑space, high‑mix manufacturing, signaling a shift toward portable automation.
Vibe Launches Dot, a Wearable AI Device for Capturing Real-World Workplace Conversations
Vibe Inc. unveiled the Vibe Dot, a thin, lapel‑mounted wearable that records workplace conversations in real time and syncs them to the company’s AI‑driven knowledge platform. The device features five microphones, a 30‑hour battery life and a 16‑foot listening radius, allowing...
Anthropic Raises Claude Code Usage Limits, Credits New Deal With SpaceX
Anthropic announced a partnership with SpaceX to tap the full compute capacity of SpaceX’s Memphis data center, adding over 300 MW of processing power. At the Code with Claude conference the company doubled the five‑hour usage window for Claude Code and...
Grok’s Usage Is so Low that Elon Musk Can Sell Compute to Anthropic
xAI’s Grok models are so under‑utilized that SpaceX can lease the entire Colossus 1 data center to Anthropic. The Memphis facility provides over 300 megawatts of power, roughly 220,000 NVIDIA GPUs, for Anthropic’s Claude Pro and Claude Max services. Elon Musk publicly approved the...
Brazil's Ascenty Launches Operations at Its SPO05 Data Center in São Paulo
Brazilian data‑center operator Ascenty has started operations at its new SPO05 facility in Greater São Paulo, a project funded with a 300 million‑real ($55 million) investment. The launch coincides with the commencement of construction on SPO06, slated for a May 2027 opening, together adding...
Can a New Police Device Put an End to High-Speed Chases?
Law‑enforcement agencies are testing the Grappler, a $5,000 net‑launch device that snags a fleeing car's rear tires, aiming to end high‑speed pursuits more safely. Riverside County deputies used it in March to stop a suspect on the 60 Freeway, joining...
Canon Teases Versatile New Camera, Launching May 13
Canon shared a teaser on its socials of its next camera with the tagline 'One camera, many stories', plus a May 13 launch date. Here's what it could be https://t.co/ObVQ5JnKpL
I Wasn't Expecting a Lenovo Legion Go 2 Price Cut, but You Can Save over $500 with This Deal
Lenovo has slashed the price of its Legion Go 2 handheld from $1,599.99 to $1,071.99, a discount of over $500. The base model features an AMD Ryzen Z2 CPU, 16 GB RAM, and 1 TB storage, positioning it as a high‑performance alternative to...
AMD RadeonSI Code Reorganized To Support Multimedia-Only Driver Builds
Mesa 26.2‑devel now includes a reorganization of AMD’s RadeonSI Gallium3D driver, separating graphics code into a new "gfx" subfolder and multimedia code into an "mm" folder. This structural change enables builds that provide video acceleration via VA‑API without requiring OpenGL...