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
Microsoft Calls 32 GB RAM the ‘No‑Worries’ Standard for Windows 11 Gaming, Raising Cost Concerns
Microsoft has officially recommended 32 GB of RAM as the “no‑worries” tier for Windows 11 gaming, a move that coincides with a sharp rise in memory prices driven by AI data‑center demand. The guidance, posted then quickly withdrawn from the Windows Learning Center, has ignited criticism from gamers who fear the recommendation will push them into a more expensive hardware bracket.
Samsung Shifts Focus to AI‑Driven Data‑Center Memory and Storage
Samsung Electronics announced it will prioritize memory and storage production for AI‑focused data centers, marking a strategic pivot from consumer devices. The move reflects soaring AI demand and positions Samsung as a key supplier for big‑data workloads.
Tokyo Researchers Build 25‑nm Memory Chip That Improves With Size
Professor Yutaka Majima’s team at Science Tokyo has demonstrated a 25‑nanometer ferroelectric memory device that performs better as it gets smaller, overturning a long‑standing scaling rule. The breakthrough could slash energy use and heat in smartphones, wearables and AI hardware,...
EMEET PIXY Delivers 4K Wireless Auto‑tracking Webcam
Imagine a 4K Webcam that can work completely wirelessly and track you when you move. That's the EMEET PIXY 4K Wireless Webcam, and it's pretty dang cool. Here's my demo and review: https://t.co/dvvy7O0H7A #webcam #emeet @emeet_official https://t.co/sD7SvsRdz5
OroraTech Launches Greece’s First National Wildfire‑Monitoring Satellite Constellation
OroraTech placed four dedicated wildfire‑monitoring satellites into a 590‑km sun‑synchronous orbit on May 3, 2026, creating Greece’s first sovereign constellation for real‑time fire intelligence. The system, built for the Greek Ministry of Digital Governance and the Hellenic Space Center with...
Atomera Inc (ATOM) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Atomera reported FY 2025 revenue of $65,000, GAAP loss $20.2 million and non‑GAAP loss $16.1 million, with operating expenses rising modestly. The company confirmed definitive silicon data showing its Mears Silicon Technology (MST) can be deposited in gate‑all‑around nanosheet structures and outperforms...
YMTC Expands NAND and DRAM Ambitions with New Fabs Despite U.S. Sanctions Pressure
Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp. (YMTC) is launching three new fabs, including Phase 3 in Wuhan slated for mass‑production of cutting‑edge NAND in late 2026, with two additional 100,000‑wafer‑per‑month lines planned for 2027. Over half of Phase 3’s equipment is sourced from Chinese...
Blaize and Winmate Forge Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Edge AI Integration in Ruggedized Systems
Blaize Holdings and Taiwan‑based Winmate have signed a strategic partnership to embed Blaize’s Graph Streaming Processor (GSP) AI accelerators into Winmate’s ruggedized hardware platforms. The deal targets roughly $15 million in revenue during the first year and includes a three‑year term...
You’ve Been Using a Mainframe All Week
"You Probably Don’t Realize You Used a Mainframe This Week", industry expert and practitioner Craig Mullins @craigmullins - another must read by this amazing professional who is hands on keyboard every day in this space. https://t.co/UUR230H4iB https://t.co/sXhQ5G78Yb
Atomera and Synopsys Expand Collaboration to Accelerate GaN Modeling in RF, Power Devices
Atomera Inc. has expanded its partnership with Synopsys Inc. to develop gallium nitride (GaN) device modeling for RF and power applications. The collaboration will leverage Synopsys’ Sentaurus TCAD tools and Atomera’s MSTcad to create a calibrated GaN workflow, marketing assets,...
Apple's Tim Cook Says AI-Fueled 'RAMmageddon' Will Make Your Next Laptop and Phone a Lot Pricier
Apple CEO Tim Cook warned that soaring AI‑driven demand for RAM is inflating component costs, a trend he called “RAMmageddon.” He said memory expenses rose sharply in the March quarter and will climb further in the June quarter, eroding gross...
Your Samsung TV Has a Secret Menu that Does 5 Things You Actually Need
Samsung TVs hide a service menu that can be accessed with model‑specific remote codes. The menu offers functions such as a full factory reset, toggling Hotel Mode, detailed color and white‑balance calibration, viewing panel usage hours, and advanced settings like...
Ottawa Plans to Spin Off Federal Semiconductor Facility Into “Commercial Entity”
The Canadian government announced it will spin off the National Research Council’s Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre (CPFC) into a commercial entity. The move, unveiled by Industry Minister Mélanie Joly at the CHIPS NORTH conference, aims to draw private capital and...
Smart Traffic Lights: The Next Digital Upgrade
#WhatsNext? How about a digital upgrade to our good old traffic lights? Your thoughts? (GiGadgets) https://t.co/k7xCQrMb4m
Remember: CO Detectors Monitor Carbon Monoxide, Not CO2
Happy May the 4th. And a reminder it's "CO" detector - not "CO2" detector. It's a carbon monoxide detector (CO). Not a CO2 detector (carbon dioxide). https://t.co/D22l5YcBbZ
Driving Sustainable Hotel Operations Through Connected Infrastructure
Hotels are turning to connected infrastructure—mirroring the real‑time data streams of modern cars—to unify property management, energy, and maintenance systems. By integrating PMS, EMS, AI and sensor networks, operators gain a single dashboard that reveals performance, occupancy and equipment health...
All Major Memory Chip Makers Acknowledge Severe RAM Crisis
Micron has warned on the gravity of the RAM crisis, meaning that every major memory chip maker has now done so. https://t.co/XSOFwlwhiA
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Moment Partners with SCAT Airlines to Deliver Wireless IFE Across Fleet
Moment announced a partnership with Kazakhstan‑based SCAT Airlines to install its wireless inflight entertainment (IFE) system across the carrier’s fleet. The deal, signed on March 4, makes SCAT the first Central Asian airline to adopt Moment’s Flymingo Box, a compact, autonomous...
MicroVision Expands Lidar Portfolio After Two Acquisitions
MicroVision announced the expansion of its lidar portfolio after acquiring Luminar Technologies' Halo and Iris sensors for $33 million and Germany‑based Scantinel Photonics, which brings ultra‑long‑range FMCW technology. The company aims to cut sensor prices to about $200 and apply the...
If only This Gasoline-Powered Laptop Were Real
A vintage Dell laptop equipped with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and Windows XP was listed on Springfield, Missouri’s Facebook Marketplace for $850. Uniquely, the machine is powered by a small 2‑stroke gasoline engine rather than a conventional battery. The seller...
A Cyberdeck to Help You Airlock the Alien
Jeff Merrick’s Typeframe PS-85 is a handcrafted cyberdeck that blends the aesthetic of 1970s Epson portable computers with the gritty sci‑fi design of the 1979 film Alien. The device features a rugged handle, a green‑text screen, and a custom keyboard,...
‘More Powerful and Versatile than Any Other Personal Fan I’ve Tested’ — I Reviewed Shark’s 3-in-1 Portable Fan and Have...
Shark’s new ChillPill combines a fan, a misting pod, and a cooling plate into a single portable device. It charges via USB‑C and delivers up to 11 hours of battery life, with 8 hours at a comfortable mid‑range fan speed. Priced...
The Pixel 11 Could Be the Next Victim of the RAM Shortage
Google’s upcoming Pixel 11 lineup is likely to feel the effects of the global DRAM shortage, prompting a reduction in RAM for the base model from 12 GB to 8 GB. Pro variants may gain a 12 GB option beneath the existing 16 GB tier,...
DAC 2026 Heads to Long Beach This July as AI Drives Growth Across Chip Design
The 63rd Design Automation Conference (DAC) will convene in Long Beach, California, July 26‑29, 2026, marking its first appearance at the venue in its 63‑year history. Organizers report record participation, with over 550 technical sessions and more than 120 exhibitors,...
Wearable Technology Impacts Hospice Staff Safety, Satisfaction
Wearable safety devices are gaining traction among home‑based hospice staff, who confront heightened physical and psychosocial risks. Silent Beacon, founded in 2016, offers a wearable with a panic button, location tracking, and instant communication to streamline emergency response. Research cited...
Valve's Steam Controller Instantly Sells Out
Valve launched a refreshed Steam Controller at $99, and the inventory vanished within an hour of going live. Despite a price premium over rivals such as the DualSense, die‑hard Valve fans snapped up every unit, prompting an immediate out‑of‑stock notice....
HLRS Interview with Steve Conway: Strength Through Cooperation
Veteran HPC analyst Steve Conway discusses how Europe’s high‑performance computing ecosystem has evolved from a science‑focused resource to a driver of economic competitiveness. He credits the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking, PRACE’s tiered model, and HLRS‑led initiatives such as EuroCC and CASTIEL...
Galaxy Z Flip 8 Rumors Suggest Lighter Design, Smaller Display Crease
Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 8 is rumored to be lighter and feature a refined hinge that reduces the visible crease. The new mechanism could shave about eight grams, bringing the weight down from 188 g to roughly 180 g, while keeping the...
Geekplus Posts 50% Americas Growth, Expands U.S. Warehouse Automation Footprint
Geekplus announced a 50% jump in Americas revenue as it leverages its MODEX 2026 debut to win new U.S. contracts. The company’s embodied‑intelligence platform and next‑generation RoboShuttle V5 are at the center of a broader push into North American manufacturing...
Lilbits: Pebble Time 2 Smartwatch Adds Touchscreen App Support, Entry-Level Pixel 11 Could Have Less RAM than Pixel 10
Core Devices revived the Pebble brand with the Pebble Time 2, now supporting touchscreen apps after a PebbleOS update introduced a touch API. The first apps—timer, calculator, Breakout, mini‑golf, and castle‑defense—demonstrate the watch’s new interactive capabilities while keeping hardware costs low....
IRobot’s Co-Founder Just Took His New Venture Out of Stealth Mode
Former iRobot CEO Colin Angle has emerged from stealth with Familiar Machines & Magic, unveiling the first “Familiars” robot—a bear‑dog hybrid designed to build lasting human relationships. The pet‑like AI robot features a touch‑sensitive coat, audio and vision sensors, and...
Microsoft to Double Datacenter Capacity Within Two Years
How – and why – Microsoft will double its datacenter capacity in two years. $MSFT https://t.co/nyRH20FjN9
DigitalOcean Launches AI‑Native Cloud, Promising Up to 40% Cost Savings for Inference Workloads
DigitalOcean introduced its AI‑Native Cloud at Deploy 2026, a five‑layer platform built for the inference and agentic era. Early pricing shows monthly costs of $67,727, 20‑40% cheaper than comparable AWS‑based stacks, and early adopters like Bright Data and ISMG report...
Xteink X3 Magnetic E‑reader Debuts at $80, Courting Niche DTC Shoppers
Xteink has launched the X3, a $80 magnetic e‑ink reader that snaps onto iPhone backs via MagSafe. The device, sold directly through the company’s website, targets gadget‑savvy consumers seeking a distraction‑free reading experience.
Diffusion-Style Decoding Triples LLM Speed on TPUs
Supercharging LLM inference on Google TPUs: Achieving 3X speedups with diffusion-style speculative decoding https://t.co/j1QPASxHKP < some pretty amazing increases in tokens per second
Verizon Will Give You a Free Samsung Galaxy S26, Watch, and Tablet Right Now - How to Qualify
Verizon is offering a free Samsung Galaxy S26 smartphone, Galaxy Watch 8, and Tab S10 FE tablet to customers who add new lines on an Unlimited Welcome, Plus, or Ultimate plan. The devices, priced at $900 each, are paid upfront and reimbursed through bill credits...
LimX Dynamics Debuts $25,000 Two‑Legged ‘Tron 1’ Robot at CES
LimX Dynamics introduced the $25,000 Tron 1 two‑legged robot at the Consumer Electronics Show, demonstrating its remote‑control operation and preprogrammed moves. The debut positions the robot as a low‑cost entry point for developers targeting commercial and research applications.
Top 7 Smart Locks for Every Door in 2026
7 Best Smart Locks (2026) for Front Doors, Side Doors, and Even Garages https://t.co/G8O8yWjbX4 https://t.co/QJ9o0BnNhe
The 6 Best Drones, Tested by Popular Mechanics
Popular Mechanics evaluated six drones ranging from entry‑level to professional, highlighting DJI’s Mini 4 and Mavic 4 Pro Creator Combo as top performers for consumer and creator markets, respectively. The Mini 4 delivers a 4K/60 fps camera, 31‑minute flight time and 3.7‑mile range, while the...
Olympus, EndoRobotics Forge Distribution Pact
Olympus announced an exclusive global distribution agreement with South Korea‑based EndoRobotics to sell its endoscopic robotic devices, starting in the United States and expanding the company’s EndoTherapy portfolio. The deal covers the Robopera console, articulated grippers, a scope‑mounted traction device,...
Valve's New Steam Controller Sells Out on Launch Day
Valve launched a new Steam Controller on May 4, 2026, pricing it at $99. The gamepad, which adapts the Steam Deck’s haptic trackpads and adds Grip Sense and gyro controls, sold out in roughly 30 minutes after going live at 1 p.m....
AI Is Turning Unified Storage Into A Strategic Decision
Unified storage, once viewed as a low‑cost, commodity solution, is being re‑examined as a strategic asset in the age of AI. Enterprise‑grade AI inference runs directly on live data, demanding storage that can deliver rapid, governed access without complex data...
Mitsubishi Electric Launches Next-Generation GOT3000 HMI
Mitsubishi Electric has globally launched the next‑generation GOT3000 Human‑Machine Interface, aimed at accelerating digital transformation in manufacturing. The device functions as both a touchscreen panel and a secure gateway, supporting OPC UA client/server, cloud connectivity, VPN, and a range of modern...
Hobbyist Xenomorphs Raspberry Pi Into Alien-Themed DIY Laptop
Jeff Merrick, a hobbyist maker, unveiled the Typeframe PS‑85, an Alien‑themed portable terminal built around a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W. The slate‑style device features a small LCD, a 40 % mechanical keyboard with hot‑swappable switches, and open‑source CAD files for DIY assembly. While limited...
Why Won’t Apple Become a Cloud Company?
Apple is unlikely to become a cloud provider, opting instead to push high‑performance AI computing onto its consumer devices. Leveraging Apple Silicon’s efficiency, the company can run matrix‑heavy workloads locally in products like the Mac mini, iPhone, and future desktops....
Committee‑driven Roadmaps Produce Bizarre, Useless iPhones
Sadly, this is the end result of a piecemeal roadmap. It's an iPhone by committee, with people deciding whether they prefer the fingerprint sensor to wireless charging. You end up with a bizarre, useless product.
Android Phones Have Been Forced Into Forgetting What ‘Upgrade’ Means, so Just Buy Last Year’s Best Instead
Smartphone makers are inflating prices in 2026 while delivering almost unchanged hardware, turning nominal upgrades into costly decisions for consumers. Flagship lines like Samsung’s Galaxy S26 and Motorola’s Razr series see $100‑$200 price jumps despite modest spec improvements, and budget...
Omer Adam's Data Center Secures Massive Deal with Crusoe
Billion-Dollar Baby: Omer Adam's Data Center Company Strikes Massive Deal With American Cloud Infrastructure Giant Crusoe - Forbes Israel https://t.co/HkhT9kTc7C
SwitchBot’s Rechargeable Button Pusher Is on Sale for over 20 Percent Off
SwitchBot is offering its Bot Rechargeable for $26.99 through May 10, a $7 discount that marks the device’s lowest price to date. The compact gadget attaches to any button and uses a USB‑C‑powered arm to press it, lasting up to six...
Budget Macs: Affordable Yet Surprisingly Powerful Machines
Refer to these as "budget Macs," but remember they are still very powerful machines. https://t.co/PV8POicAgn