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
Haptics Adds Touch to Augmented Reality
Wearable haptics are emerging as the missing sensory layer for augmented‑reality (AR) experiences. At CES 2026, Weart unveiled the TouchDiver glove, co‑developed with TDK, that delivers pressure, texture and temperature feedback through piezo‑electric PowerHap actuators. The glove can generate forces up to 5 N with 0.02 N resolution and operates across a 1‑1,000 Hz bandwidth, enabling realistic interaction with digital objects. Targeted at training, simulation and virtual prototyping, the device aims to make AR interactions feel as tangible as the physical world.
Why Indie Semiconductor (INDI) Just Made A Move Beyond Automotive
Indie Semiconductor announced on March 23 its first 399 nm ultraviolet‑visible distributed feedback (DFB) laser diode, a single‑frequency device tailored for quantum‑computing systems that use cooled ytterbium atoms. The UV laser adds to the company’s existing LXM‑U and narrow‑linewidth visible DFB lines,...
CentrePort Realises First Operational Benefits of Private 5G Network
CentrePort has rolled out its private 5G network across key equipment, installing Peplink modems on reach stackers, empty container handlers and fully electric internal movement vehicles. The upgrade replaces unreliable public 4G connections that created dead zones, delivering uninterrupted connectivity...
Beats X Nike Launches Volt Powerbeats Pro 2
The NEW @beatsbydre X @nike Powerbeats Pro 2 - Volt collab is 🔥🔥🔥 #beats #nike #earbuds #fitness #getfit
Framework's CEO on the RAM Crisis and Creating a "MacBook Pro for Linux Users"
Framework unveiled an updated Laptop 13 Pro featuring Intel’s Core Ultra 3 processor and a new motherboard that slots into the existing 13 chassis. The model is the first pre‑built Framework laptop to ship with Linux, earning official Ubuntu certification and positioning...
Retevis Unveils UHF Radio System to Eradicate Dead Zones on Construction Sites
Retevis has rolled out a new UHF two‑way radio and repeater solution designed to remove communication blind spots on multi‑story and underground construction projects. The RT97L repeater paired with the RT29 radio promises stronger signal penetration through concrete, steel and...
Apple Targets September Launch of Smart Glasses to Undercut Meta’s AR Push
Apple is slated to introduce its first-generation Apple Glasses in September or October 2024, a move designed to pre‑empt Meta’s holiday‑season sales and steal momentum from Google, Warby Parker and Samsung. The launch will lean on tight iPhone integration, premium...
Arm Unveils First Data‑Center CPU, the AGI Chip, to Power Agentic AI
Arm introduced the Arm AGI CPU, its inaugural data‑center processor, built with Meta as lead partner. The move expands Arm’s licensing model into production silicon, aiming to meet the power, space and coordination challenges of next‑generation agentic AI systems.
Bank of America Boosts Apple to $325 Target Ahead of Q2 Earnings
Bank of America reaffirmed its Buy rating on Apple, maintaining a $325 price target that implies a 23.4% upside from the current $263.40 share price. The note highlights the M5 chip family as a catalyst and projects revenue of $465.6 billion...
Trends in Semiconductor Manufacturing: Wafer-Level and Panel-Level Packaging
The semiconductor packaging landscape is shifting from pure wafer‑level packaging (WLP) to a process‑centric model that emphasizes wet processing, electrochemical plating (ECP) and plasma‑enhanced CVD (PECVD). Heterogeneous integration and chiplet designs are pushing both WLP and emerging panel‑level packaging (PLP)...
UWB Chips Stop Key‑fob Spoofing, Secure Cars
Car thieves don't just pick locks to break in. They've also found ways to spoof your key fob's "unlock" signal. No glass broken, no button pressed. But new UWB car security chips fight back with new tech that's tougher to...
Quinas Advances ULTRARAM Development with Atomic-Scale Processing at KAUST Core Labs
Quinas Technology announced that it has successfully employed atomic‑layer etching (ALE) at KAUST Core Labs to fabricate its ULTRARAM quantum‑engineered memory structures. The process, supplied by Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology, delivers sub‑nanometre precision with ultra‑low damage, essential for the III‑V...
From 1907 Gyroplane to 2010 Parrot: Quadcopter Era Begins
The very first quadcopter prototype was the Breguet-Richet Gyroplane No. 1, created in 1907 by Breguet Aviation in France. The first consumer quadcopter drone was the Parrot AR.Drone, released in 2010 by French company Parrot SA. It was also the first...
Thin GeekBook X14 Pro Delivers Powerful Performance
Sick of your boat anchor? I put a shockingly thin and light GEEKOM GeekBook X14 Pro Windows 11 Pro Laptop through its paces, and I'm not going to lie, I was impressed. Did I mention 32GB of RAM and 2TB...
Power Electronics Market to Exceed US$65 Billion by 2036
The IDTechEx report projects the global power‑electronics market to climb from $25.5 billion in 2026 to $65.2 billion by 2036, a 10% compound annual growth rate. Wide‑bandgap semiconductors—silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN)—are gaining traction, with SiC set to dominate electric‑vehicle...
Race Communications Breaks Ground on Bakersfield Fiber Network
Race Communications announced the start of construction on a new fiber‑optic network in Bakersfield, aiming to bring high‑speed, future‑proof internet to more than 50,000 homes and businesses. The rollout will offer symmetrical speeds up to 10 gigabits per second, with the...
India, Taiwan Get Time Till October to Settle ICT Tariff Dispute
India and Taiwan asked the WTO dispute settlement body to postpone the adoption of a ruling on India’s ICT import duties until October 27. The dispute, launched in 2019, concerns India’s tariff that rose from 7.5% to 20% to spur domestic...
Framework Has a Better, More Take-Apartable Laptop
Framework unveiled the Laptop 13 Pro, a 13.5‑inch, Intel Core Ultra 3‑powered machine that adds a 3K touchscreen, haptic touchpad, Dolby Atmos audio and a battery capable of more than 20 hours of 4K streaming. The device retains the company’s modular architecture, allowing users...
Intel Handheld Gaming Chip Core G3: Can It Challenge AMD in 2026?
Intel unveiled its Core G3 handheld gaming chip, built on Panther Lake silicon, aiming to break AMD's long‑standing dominance in low‑power, high‑performance portable PCs. The chip targets a 15‑20 W power envelope, a sweet spot for extended gaming sessions, and leverages recent...
Syenta Gets $26M Series A for Advanced Chip Packaging
Australian semiconductor startup Syenta announced a $26 million Series A round led by Playground Global and the National Reconstruction Fund, bringing its total capital to over $36 million. The funding will accelerate commercialization of its Localized Electrochemical Manufacturing (LEM) process, which promises 40%...
The $900 AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Dual Edition For Those Rich With DDR5
AMD unveiled the Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Dual Edition, a $900 processor that adds a second 3D V‑Cache die to its architecture. Benchmarks show roughly a 10% performance uplift over the $480 Ryzen 7 9800X3D in productivity suites, while gaming gains are negligible. The chip’s...
Netris Knows There’s More to AI Networking than Hardware
Netris introduces its NAAM platform to treat AI‑center networking as a cloud‑like resource, automating switch lifecycle and multi‑tenant fabric management. By leveraging digital twins, operators can simulate entire GPU‑cluster topologies before any cable is plugged in, catching mis‑wirings early. Zero‑touch...
How Edge Controllers Balance Closed Core for Deterministic Control with an Open Environment for Containerized Applications
Yokogawa’s edge controllers combine a hardened, closed‑core for deterministic control with an open Linux environment for modern applications. The devices employ TPM 2.0, TLS/SSL, secure boot and role‑based access to protect communications and certificate keys. Thermal limits, industrial certifications and long‑term...
Galaxy S27 Could Debut Samsung’s Biggest Battery Upgrade in Years
Samsung’s engineering team is testing silicon‑carbon batteries that could deliver between 12,000 mAh and 20,000 mAh, potentially debuting in the 2027 Galaxy S27. The technology promises higher capacity without enlarging the phone, but current prototypes survive only about 960 charge cycles, below Samsung’s...
From Software to Hardware: Where AI Goes Next
Tony Fadell, founder of Build Collective and co‑creator of the iPod, iPhone and Nest, warned that most AI failures go untracked and that true ROI is being generated in back‑office automation rather than consumer‑facing chatbots. At ScaleUp:AI ’25 he argued...
Framework’s First eGPUs Turn Its Laptop Into a Desktop PC
Framework unveiled an OCuLink eGPU Dev Kit that lets Laptop 16 users externalize its GPU modules or attach full‑size desktop graphics cards via an eight‑lane PCIe link. The kit includes an add‑in card and two adapters, but users must provide their...
Framework Is Building a Better Couch Keyboard because Everyone Hates the Logitech One
Framework CEO Nirav Patel announced a new couch‑style wireless keyboard that aims to replace the long‑standing Logitech K400, which many users find uncomfortable. The device borrows the mechanical switches from the Framework Laptop 12 and incorporates a power‑efficient Nordic nRF54 radio...
Oppo Find X9 Ultra Sets New Standard in Mobile Photography
‘The best I've ever tested’ — the Oppo Find X9 Ultra takes smartphone photography to new heights https://www.techradar.com/phones/oppo-phones/oppo-find-x9-ultra-review
Camera-Equipped AI Earbuds Tell You What You're Looking At
University of Washington researchers unveiled VueBuds, earbuds with built‑in tiny cameras and an on‑device vision‑language model that can answer spoken queries about what the wearer is looking at. In trials with 90 participants across 17 visual Q&A tasks, the prototype...
Self-Propelled Worx Mower $360, Greenworks Pro Pressure Washer $350, $500 Off Jackery 1,536Wh Power Station, More
Today's 9to5Toys Green Deals highlight three major discounts on battery‑powered outdoor gear: the Worx Nitro 21‑inch cordless self‑propelled mower is now $360 (down $70), Greenworks’ Pro 2,700 PSI electric pressure washer falls to $350 (down $50), and Jackery’s Explorer 1500 v2 portable...
Apple May Drop iOS 27 Support for Four iPhones, Leaving Millions Behind
Apple is rumored to drop iOS 27 support for the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max and the 2020 iPhone SE, leaving those devices on iOS 26. The leak comes from Momentary Digital ahead of WWDC 2026, where Apple will unveil the new operating system. Users of...
Anchor Audio Launches Beacon 3
Anchor Audio unveiled the Beacon 3, the latest portable sound system in its Beacon line, aimed at schools, sports venues, events, and public‑safety applications. The new model offers enhanced sound clarity, a rugged build, Bluetooth streaming and up to four wireless...
The AirPods Are Tim Cook’s Most Underrated Achievement
Apple’s AirPods, launched in 2016, transformed the true‑wireless earbud market and cemented Apple as a leading audio brand. The first‑generation model sold 14‑16 million units in 2017, with sales climbing each year, while later versions added noise‑cancelling, health sensors and spatial...
Huawei Just Beat Apple and Samsung to a New Foldable Format in China
Huawei unveiled the Pura X Max, a book‑style wide‑foldable smartphone now available for preorder in China. The device features a 5.4‑inch outer OLED screen and a 7.7‑inch inner OLED panel, both with adaptive 1‑120 Hz refresh rates, and is powered by...
Sobeys Invests $51M in Digital Price Tag Tech
Canadian grocery chain Sobeys is committing $51 million to install electronic shelf‑label (ESL) technology across roughly 300‑350 stores. The rollout, partnered with JRTech Solutions and Pricer AB, will feature multicolor labels and related infrastructure, with an 18‑month deployment slated to start in...
The Story of NASA’s Troubled Spacesuits…
NASA’s April 2026 OIG audit confirms the International Space Station still depends on the 1970s‑era Extravehicular Mobility Unit, with 203 spacewalks logged through March 2026. After years of in‑house development, NASA moved to the Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services (xEVAS) model,...
Not Hype, the Compute Shortage Is Real
Chinese A‑share computing‑power leasing stocks surged in mid‑April, with several firms hitting daily limit‑up as AI demand outpaces chip supply. Token consumption on platforms like OpenRouter jumped 7‑8× year‑over‑year, pushing daily usage past 140 trillion, while high‑end GPU rentals rose 40%...
The Mac Is in Good Hands in Apple’s Post-Cook Era
Apple’s Mac line, once hampered by butterfly keyboards, USB‑C transitions, and underwhelming Intel chips, entered a renaissance with the 2020 shift to Apple Silicon. The new chips delivered dramatic gains in performance, efficiency and battery life, repositioning the Mac as...
Apple Watch Set Wearable Blueprint, Health as Apple’s Legacy
I'm biased, but the Apple Watch was the first new Apple gizmo in the post-Jobs era and as I argued in Optimizer a few weeks ago, it's set the blueprint for modern wearables... Also, Cook himself said health will be Apple's...
Dali Sonik 1: Small Speakers, Big Sound, High Price
The Dali Sonik 1 entry-level passive bookshelf speakers sound at least twice their diminutive size with stunning vocal articulation, but are a little pricey. https://t.co/SAlpvbqtQ3
Is Intel About to Take Flight?
Intel announced a strategic partnership with Elon Musk to supply custom AI inference chips for Tesla, SpaceX and other ventures, leveraging its under‑utilized Hillsboro fab that already houses ASML EUV equipment. The deal offers Musk a queue‑free production line while...
Tenstorrent Demo Shows Ultra‑fast Video Generation on 256 BlackHole Chips
.@tenstorrent will launch its new gen cluster-scale systems next week, but in the mean time, Jim Keller @jimkxa and Jasmina Vasiljevic @JasminaVas gave me a sneak preview of their video generation demo running on 256 BlackHole chips (spoiler - it's...
ASRock's DDR5 RAM Promises Intel Support—Catch Revealed
ASRock's new RAM is about 'ensuring Intel users have access to the benefits of DDR5 memory in the years ahead' — but there's a catch. https://t.co/uzRNy7sFf9
China AI Circuit Board Firm Raises $2bn in Year’s Top HK Listing
Victory Giant Technology Huizhou, a Chinese maker of high‑end printed circuit boards for AI servers, raised HK$17.3 billion (about $2.2 billion) in Hong Kong, the largest IPO in the market this year. The stock jumped 59.6% to HK$335 ($43) on debut, reflecting...
Wearable Robot Boosts Natural Walking and Running
Real-Time #Wearable #Robot Enhances Walking and Running Naturally via @ZappyZappy7 #Robotics #Engineering #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/Gj04PjXDpr
Companies Overprovision AI, Wasting GPUs and Money
Most companies massively overprovision AI infrastructure, leaving GPUs and CPUs underutilized, while rising costs expose inefficiencies driven by fear and poor automation. https://t.co/OPJ5LmJbqN
Intel Foundry Event Showcases Early Foundations Laid
This was from an Intel Foundry event we were at this time last year. Ground work was being laid. https://t.co/gHzErpfhB4
Kinetic Screen Adds Motion and Texture to Visuals
This Kinetic Screen Brings Visuals to Life with Motion and Texture by @IntEngineering #TechForGood #Innovation #Tech #Technology https://t.co/lQfxoT0rom
Color Lidar Marks Fundamental Leap for Autonomous Vehicles
A new color-capable Lidar system has been hailed as a “fundamental innovation” for self-driving car technology. https://t.co/vQ2iRJ7ITo
AirPods: Apple’s Hidden Gem Poised for AI Era
You may not it like, but the AirPods are the most non-obvious and magical product Apple ever shipped. They will only become more important as AI moves to the fore. https://t.co/mhUIGZJj6n