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
Discovering Hard Disk Physical Geometry Through Microbenchmarking (2019)
The 2019 study by Henry Wong demonstrates how microbenchmarks can uncover the physical geometry of modern hard‑disk drives, from rotation speed and sector angles to track boundaries and surface count. By timing precise read sequences, the author measured RPM, seek profiles, track skew, and defect locations across 17 drives ranging from 45 MB to 5 TB. The findings reveal that full‑stroke seeks consume 1.3‑3.6 revolutions, short‑stroking offers limited performance gains, and contemporary drives exhibit diverse track layouts, variable skew, and acoustic management effects. These insights challenge older assumptions about HDD geometry and highlight the complexity of today’s storage devices.
SNDK Highlights Predictable, Less Cyclical Business Model
$SNDK prepared remarks. "More predictable and less cyclical business." True for memory names as well. https://t.co/7oBUPr0Itp
IPhone Revenue Hits Target Despite Mixed Forecasts
Did the iPhone miss? Depends on what number you're looking at. They reported $56.99B, up 22% y/y vs 23%. Factset was at $56.66B Whisper was $57.5B My take: They made the iPhone number. $AAPL
Buoyed by OpenAI Deal, AWS Prepares for Agentic Future
Amazon Web Services reported $37.6 billion in Q1 FY2026 revenue, a 28% year‑over‑year increase, while reaffirming a $200 billion capital‑expenditure plan for chips, data centers and related infrastructure. The company expanded its OpenAI partnership, launching a limited‑preview of Amazon Bedrock Managed Agents...
Abbott Secures FDA Clearance for Ultreon 3.0 AI‑Powered OCT Platform
Abbott announced FDA approval and CE Mark for its Ultreon 3.0 AI‑powered optical coherence tomography platform, enabling real‑time, high‑resolution coronary imaging during PCI procedures. The clearance removes a key regulatory barrier and positions Abbott at the forefront of AI‑driven cardiac...
Memory and Storage Firms Enjoy Soaring Gross Margins
The continued era of margin expansion for memory and storage players. $SNDK gross margin 78.4% $WDC gross margin 50.2%
Motorola Launches $1,500 Razr Ultra 2026, Taking on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold Line
Motorola unveiled its Razr Ultra 2026 flagship flip phone at a Hollywood Hills event, pricing it at $1,500 and equipping it with a 5,000‑nit Extreme AMOLED display, Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and a silicon‑carbon 5,000 mAh battery. The launch pits the...
AI Server Power Density Triggers Global Data Center Power and Cooling Overhaul
Rising AI server power density is compelling data‑center operators worldwide to adopt centralized, higher‑voltage (400V‑800V DC) power distribution and upgraded cooling architectures. The shift promises greater energy efficiency but creates new challenges for suppliers, investors, and carbon‑reduction goals.
Beijing Enforces Citywide Drone Ban, Halting Sales and Flights From May 1
Beijing’s municipal government has ordered a citywide prohibition on drone sales and flights effective May 1, with fines of 500 yuan ($73) for violations. The move forces retailers, including DJI, to remove drones from inventory and requires police permission for any university...
Qualcomm Beats Q2 2026 Forecast, CFO Highlights R&D Spend and Automotive Surge
Qualcomm reported Q2 2026 revenue of $10.6 billion and non‑GAAP EPS of $2.65, surpassing analyst expectations. CFO Akash Palkhiwala emphasized a bottoming of handset shipments in China and outlined a $2.6 billion operating expense target, while the company returned $3.7 billion to shareholders...
SuperCluster
SuperCluster 36 up and running. 4 Galaxy all to all in a torus. 9 Quads all to all connected. Looks like one computer to software. More silicon, faster computer https://t.co/lqwutU9JXO
True Anomaly Lands $650 Million Series D, Valuation Hits $2.2 Billion
True Anomaly announced a $650 million Series D round led by Eclipse and Riot Ventures, pushing its valuation to $2.2 billion. The capital will fund production of its Jackal maneuverable satellites and a four‑year expansion of manufacturing capacity.
DIY Raspberry Pi Hack Enables Cheap Wireless DualSense PC
This Raspberry Pi mod is a cheap and effective way to get Sony's DualSense controller working properly on a PC with a wireless connection. https://t.co/fBS2g1P5Mj
Dell XPS Embraces Linux with Omarchy, Ending Kernel Wait
"Year of the Linux Laptop: Omarchy on XPS. The Linux laptop moment has arrived. Inside Dell XPS, Omarchy, and the end of “wait for kernel support.”" Dell is leaning in! https://t.co/BFroXXVylP https://t.co/PPXeMN7jbl
Electrochemistry Foundry Launches Innovation Hub to Bridge Battery Manufacturing Gap
Electrochemistry Foundry (ECF), a California nonprofit backed by a $28 million California Energy Commission grant, will launch a 20,000‑square‑foot open‑access pilot manufacturing hub for battery and electrochemical technologies by the end of 2026. The facility, slated to produce at least 10,000...
Gamers, Don’t Pass on a Mac for Your Next Computer
Apple’s 2023‑2025 hardware and software upgrades—M3‑based Macs with hardware‑accelerated ray tracing and macOS Tahoe’s MetalFX Denoising and Frame Interpolation—have revived the platform for AAA gaming. The article lists any M3 or later Mac with at least 16 GB RAM (preferably 24 GB) as...
Milwaukee® New Product Announcements
Milwaukee Tool unveiled three new rechargeable personal lights aimed at professional trades. The Clip Light supplies up to 300 lumens, features a 165-degree swivel head, magnetic base and versatile clip. The Pivoting Task Light delivers 600 lumens with selectable spot...
ASML: The World's Most Crucial Semiconductor Machine
legit useful video on ASML in its role in semiconductor manufacturing. Lots of history and diagrams. Worth bookmarking The World's Most Important Machine https://t.co/FSmuVRMNg2
The Future of Samsung's Galaxy Books Might Look More Like Android
Samsung is reportedly developing a new Galaxy Book lineup that will replace Chrome OS with an Android‑based platform called AluminumOS. The series is expected to span low‑cost, mid‑range, and flagship models, targeting a broader PC audience. AluminumOS will run on...
32TB Encrypted Drive Offloads Security, Cuts Software Attacks
Apricorn’s 32TB encrypted drive removes the host computer from security processes, reducing software-based attack exposure while introducing new physical access considerations. https://t.co/Gst9CCmTTk
The Battery Mistake That's Making Your Ryobi Tools Run Down Quickly
Ryobi’s 18V ONE+ battery line powers over 300 tools, but users often pair low‑capacity packs with high‑draw equipment, causing rapid drain and overheating. The key is the Amp‑Hour (Ah) rating: 2 Ah‑4 Ah batteries suit light tasks, while 8 Ah‑12 Ah units deliver the runtime...
ASUS TUF Gaming F16 Drops to $899.99 — A Solid Upgrade for Gamers Who Want Performance Without Paying Premium Prices
ASUS has slashed the price of its TUF Gaming F16 laptop to $899.99, a 31% drop from the original $1,299.99. The 16‑inch model packs an Intel Core i5‑13450HX processor, an RTX 5050 GPU, 16 GB DDR5 RAM, and a 512 GB PCIe Gen4 SSD....
Google to Sell TPU Chips as Gemini Shows Returns
Alphabet announced it will begin selling its custom Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) to a limited set of customers who will install the chips in their own data centers, shifting from its previous model of renting TPU capacity. The change was...
Liebherr Grading Assistance Systems for G8 Dozers
Liebherr’s Generation 8 crawler dozers now come equipped with three integrated operator assistance systems—Free Grade, Definition Grade, and 3D Grade—designed to automate blade control for fine, 2‑D and 3‑D grading tasks. Free Grade provides active blade stabilization, while Definition Grade adds automatic blade hold for two‑dimensional...
The Rural Data Center Boom Comes Into Focus: Challenges and Opportunities
The U.S. data‑center build‑out is rapidly shifting to rural locations, with 67% of planned facilities now slated for non‑urban sites. Power availability and inexpensive land are eclipsing traditional latency‑centric siting, positioning regions like Texas to outpace historic hubs such as...
From Toddlers to Teens: The Hidden Complexities of Bringing Pediatric Wearables to Market
Pediatric wearables face unique challenges beyond miniaturization, requiring designs that adapt to rapidly changing physiological, cognitive, and behavioral traits from infancy to adolescence. Companies must address divergent safety, usability, data reliability, and algorithm performance needs across developmental stages, while managing...
Moto’s LA Week Reveals Decisions Behind New Phone Specs
It is easy to cover a phone launch and stop at the specs. The more interesting story is the decision-making that produced them. @Moto had a good week in Los Angeles, and the context behind it is worth understanding.
Rapid Storage Integration with PyTorch Keeps GPUs Busy
"By integrating Rapid Storage, powered by Google’s Colossus storage architecture, directly with PyTorch via the industry-standard fsspec interface, we are enabling researchers and developers to keep their GPUs busier than ever before." https://t.co/T0oMWbNKkc https://t.co/xS9wXRcmyi
How Access Control Systems Integrate with Industrial IoT for Real-Time Security Automation
Industrial IoT (IIoT) is set to exceed 152 million connected devices by 2025, expanding the market from $194.4 billion in 2024 to $286.3 billion by 2029. As device counts rise, more than half of these assets contain critical vulnerabilities, prompting a shift from...
FCC Filing Hints Suunto Core 2 with Replaceable Battery
A new FCC filing suggests that we're about to see the launch of the Suunto Core 2, with a replaceable battery. https://t.co/LLFO5dZUZy
Enforcing Trust and Transparency: Open-Sourcing the Azure Integrated HSM
Microsoft announced that its Azure Integrated Hardware Security Module (HSM) will be open‑sourced through the Open Compute Project. The HSM, built into every new Azure server, meets FIPS 140‑3 Level 3 and provides tamper‑resistant, server‑local key protection. Firmware, drivers and software stacks...
Yozma IN 10 Electric Mini Dirt Bike at Exclusive New $999 Low, EcoFlow Sale Drops DELTA 3 Plus to $599,...
Green Deals highlighted an exclusive $999 price for the Yozma IN 10 off‑road electric mini dirt bike, slashing the $1,799 MSRP by $800. EcoFlow’s outdoor power sale cut the DELTA 3 Plus portable power station to $599, a 25% discount, while Anker offered...
Silicon Ranch Debuts Cattle-Friendly Solar Tracker Technology in Tennessee
Silicon Ranch launched its patented CattleTracker agrivoltaics platform at the Christiana Solar Ranch in Tennessee, creating the first commercial solar farm that safely accommodates beef cattle grazing. The system features solar trackers that shift into a grazing mode, allowing livestock...
China Tests Truck‑mounted Nuclear Power for AI Data Centers
Truck-mounted nuclear ‘power bank’ enters testing as China explores portable reactors capable of running AI data centers. https://t.co/rFt1tElfKe
Creality Hi Combo: 3D Printing Under $330
At under $330, the beginner-friendly Creality Hi combo offers an affordable way to get started with 3D printing. https://t.co/kR8vdAg8PG
Quantum Computing's Next Dark Horse Emerges From a Frozen Surface, Where Almost Nothing Behaves as Expected
Researchers at DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory have refined an electron‑on‑neon qubit that traps single electrons above a solid neon surface. The new study, published in Nature Electronics, shows the platform’s noise is 10‑10,000× lower than typical semiconductor qubits and its...
After Testing This Linux Laptop, I Understand Why MacBooks Are the Superior Choice
The InfinityBook Max 15 from Tuxedo Computers, starting at $1,801, offers a solid aluminum build, a 15.5‑inch 500‑nit 300 Hz display, and optional RTX 5060 or RTX 5070 graphics. Reviewers find its keyboard and screen comparable to a MacBook Pro, and it even outperforms...
Digi XBee Wi-SUN Modules and Routers, Now at Mouser, Deliver Scalable and Interoperable Mesh Networking
Digital XBee Wi‑SUN modules and Hive border routers are now stocked by Mouser Electronics, expanding access to Digi’s end‑to‑end Wi‑SUN IoT solution. The modules, built on Silicon Labs EFR32FG2x SoCs with Secure Vault, offer sub‑GHz long‑range, low‑latency mesh networking for smart‑city,...
Galaxy Ring Has Dropped to $299 Again, but You Can Save Even More
Samsung has reduced the price of its Galaxy Ring health tracker to $299, a $100 discount from the regular $399 list price. The ring is available in all colors and sizes on Samsung.com, and the discount applies without any subscription...
A Materials Scientist’s Playground
MIT.nano has installed a custom 200‑mm wafer molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system, the largest single‑deposition chamber sold in the United States. The six‑chamber tool enables in‑vacuum growth, oxidation, storage and X‑ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for real‑time analysis of superconducting and...
I Never Thought I'd See a $199 Phone Ever Again, yet the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro Is Better than Phones...
TCL launched the NXTPAPER 70 Pro in North America at a $199 price tag, positioning it as the cheapest phone with a premium‑grade display. The device pairs a 6.9‑inch 120 Hz NXTPAPER LCD—eye‑friendly, matte, and less reflective—with a MediaTek Dimensity 7300, 8 GB RAM, and...
Google Updates Nest Wifi Despite FCC's Non‑US Router Ban
Google is giving the Nest Wifi router another round of updates even though the FCC has banned non-US routers. https://t.co/Qrfn861zxW
Continuous Lamination Unlocks Stable Production of Large-Area Flexible Circuit Boards
Researchers at Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials have unveiled a roll‑to‑roll (R2R) direct lamination process that enables continuous, large‑area production of flexible printed circuit boards (FPCBs). By systematically mapping how semi‑cured adhesive films fill circuit gaps under varying speed...
Surgeon Wears Apple Vision Pro to Fix Cataract in Medical First
In October 2025, Dr. Eric Rosenberg performed the world’s first cataract surgery using Apple’s Vision Pro mixed‑reality headset paired with a custom ScopeXR app. The system streams 3D microscope feeds to the headset, allowing the surgeon to see a stereoscopic...
Apple Share of the Smartphone SoC Market Grew From 15% to 19% in Q1
Global smartphone system‑on‑chip shipments fell 8% YoY in Q1 2026, yet Apple’s share rose from 15% to 19%, reflecting strong demand for its premium devices. Counterpoint Research notes the premium segment stayed resilient while entry‑level makers shifted to cheaper chips....
Athos Scraps Multi-Vendor Roadmap, Plans Chiplet Tape-Out
Athos Silicon, the functional‑safety chiplet startup spun out of Mercedes‑Benz, has abandoned its original multi‑vendor chiplet roadmap after Arm’s acquisition of DreamBig. The company will now tape‑out a single, purpose‑built chiplet that integrates third‑party CPU, GPU and NPU IP while...
Intel Expands Into Three Quantum Computing Modalities
This is significant news. Intel now has their toes in three types of quantum computing modalities, to varying degrees: - Silicon spin - Neutral atoms - Photonics
Samsung Teases ‘AI Glasses’ as It Warns of the RAM Crisis Getting Even Worse in 2027
Samsung used its latest earnings call to tease a new line of AI glasses that promise immersive multimodal experiences, while warning that the global RAM shortage will worsen through 2027. Executives said current inventory is extremely tight, pushing the demand‑fulfillment...
Nexteer Puts Steer-by-Wire Into Series Production
Nexteer Automotive has launched series production of its steer‑by‑wire (SbW) system, debuting it on a Chinese new‑energy vehicle that will become the world’s first passenger car with a full drive‑by‑wire chassis. The system, certified to ASIL‑D functional safety by Germany’s...
The Galaxy A37 Is Samsung's Latest Midrange Masterpiece — and It's Already FREE with New T-Mobile Deal
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy A37 5G, a mid‑range phone with flagship‑grade specs, and T‑Mobile is offering it for free to customers who add a new line on most of its plans. The promotion requires only a $35 activation fee and...