My Sprinklers Got This Smart Upgrade, and Yours Should Too
CNET’s Tyler Lacoma reviews the Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller Gen 3, priced at $141, highlighting its sleek design, Wi‑Fi‑enabled app, and advanced water‑management features such as weather‑based adjustments and heat‑wave boosting. Installation is a straightforward DIY swap for existing wired controllers, though wiring can require some trial‑and‑error. The controller supports up to eight zones and offers deep customization, but the app’s many options may overwhelm beginners. Lacoma notes that most homeowners recoup the upfront cost within one to two years thanks to reduced water usage.
Fujifilm South Africa Launches Instax Hybrid Instant Camera
Fujifilm South Africa has rolled out the Instax Mini Evo Cinema, a limited‑edition hybrid instant camera that merges an instant‑photo printer, a smartphone‑linked printing function, and a short‑form video recorder. The device captures 15‑second clips that can be stitched into...
Kaspersky Discovers Vulnerability in Qualcomm Snapdragon Chips
Kaspersky ICS CERT uncovered a hardware‑level flaw in Qualcomm Snapdragon BootROM firmware that spans several MDM, MSM and SDX50 chip families. The vulnerability, catalogued as CVE‑2026‑25262, lets an attacker with brief physical access bypass secure‑boot, seize sensor data, and install persistent malware....
Intel Soars on Signs AI Boom for CPUs Is Here
Intel's shares surged over 24% to $83 after Q1 results showed unprecedented demand for its Xeon CPUs from AI service providers, prompting the company to sell chips it had previously written off. The strong AI inference market lifted not only...
Infinix NOTE 60 Ultra Ushers in New Premium Era
Infinix unveiled its flagship NOTE 60 Ultra at Mobile World Congress 2026, partnering with Italian design house Pininfarina to deliver a supercar‑inspired aluminum unibody. The device packs a 200 MP Samsung ISOCELL camera, dual‑way satellite calling, and a 7000 mAh silicon‑carbon battery that self‑heals....
Radiation‐Based 3D Dual‐Mode Thermal Management Devices: Advances in Active/Passive Switching for Energy‐Saving Applications
Researchers are advancing 3D dual‑mode thermal management devices that can switch between solar heating and radiative cooling via structural deformations such as axial loading, flipping, and bending. Unlike traditional 2D films, these 3D systems enable reversible, active or passive control,...
After Call From Beijing, China's Auto Industry Races to Embed AI in Just About Everything
China’s auto sector is accelerating a new wave of disruption by embedding artificial intelligence into every facet of its electric vehicles. The government’s AI‑Plus five‑year plan pushes domestic chip and software development to reduce reliance on U.S. semiconductors. Leading makers...
STMicronelectronics Sends Industrial Chips Into Overdrive
STMicroelectronics reported a 23% year‑over‑year revenue jump to $3.1 billion in Q1, driven by double‑digit gains in analog, embedded processing and RF segments. While power and discrete fell 1.8%, the company’s balance sheet remains strong with nearly $2 billion in cash and...
SK Hynix to Deploy 2,000 Nvidia Blackwell GPUs at Cheongju Fab for AI Infrastructure
SK hynix is installing a dedicated AI system at its Cheongju fab, deploying 250 servers equipped with 2,000 Nvidia Blackwell GPUs. The infrastructure, costing tens of millions of dollars, will support digital‑twin simulations and proprietary AI agents that automate workflow...
Pentagon Wants Miniature Deep-Ocean Drones
DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office launched the Deep Thoughts program, a 24‑month solicitation for autonomous underwater vehicles that can reach full‑ocean depth. The hardware‑centric effort requires functional prototypes, not studies, with abstracts due May 21, 2026 and an estimated start in November...
Saudi Arabia Launches Qualification Process for 12 GWh of Battery Storage Projects
Saudi Power Procurement Company has opened the qualification stage for a second batch of battery energy storage projects, comprising six 500 MW/2 GWh facilities that together deliver 3 GW of power and 12 GWh of storage. The projects will be built, owned and operated...
Quectel Expands IoT Reach in Brazil with Vermont Partnership
Quectel Wireless Solutions has signed a partnership with Vermont Brasil to serve as its regional representative for the full range of wireless and antenna products in Brazil. The deal leverages Vermont's nationwide footprint and technical know‑how to provide design‑in assistance...
What Hormuz Exposed About Our Semiconductor Supply Chain
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz in early March has halted Qatar’s Ras Laffan helium plant, sending spot helium prices soaring and exposing a critical dependency in the semiconductor supply chain. South Korea and Taiwan source roughly two‑thirds of their...
Star Robotics Unveils New Security Robot with Improved Autonomy and Navigation
Star Robotics introduced Watchbot 2, an upgraded autonomous security robot designed for continuous surveillance in demanding environments. The new model offers up to 16 hours of operation daily, thanks to a battery that doubles the capacity of its predecessor, and can...
Samsung, SK Hynix Set for Close Race in Q1 Memory Operating Margins
Brokerages now expect Samsung Electronics' memory operating margin to reach the low‑70s percent range in Q1 2024, driven by a sharp rise in commodity DRAM and flash prices. SK hynix reported a record 72% margin last quarter, prompting analysts to...
M31 Achieves Successful Tapeout of eUSB2V2 on TSMC N2P Process
M31 Technology announced the tapeout of its eUSB2V2 interface IP on TSMC’s N2P 2nm‑class process. The IP delivers up to 4.8 Gbps high‑speed USB 2.0 performance while operating at low 1.2 V/0.9 V voltages and consuming roughly 50 mW. Co‑optimization of design, circuit, and...
3D Printed Battery Powers Predictive Maintenance in Steel Production
A consortium of IREC, UOC and steelmaker CELSA launched the 3Dstore project, deploying a 3D‑printed solid‑oxide battery to power a low‑consumption, cellular‑connected sensor on a rolling‑mill shaft. The self‑powered device continuously records vibration and temperature, enabling predictive maintenance that can...
Acemagic Kron Mini K1 Review: Sharp Looks, Little Substance, and Oddly Overpriced
Acemagic’s Kron Mini K1 is a compact mini PC that ships with a 12‑core Intel Core i5‑12600H, 16 GB DDR4 RAM and a 512 GB SSD, retailing at $559 (discounted to $359). Its sleek silver chassis mirrors the higher‑end Matrix Mini M1...
Autonomous Material Handling Stack Links Thoro and Orbbec
Thoro unveiled CoreFlex, a modular autonomy platform that pairs its software stack with Orbbec’s Gemini 336 3‑D cameras, enabling plug‑and‑play automation across pallet trucks, tuggers and other industrial vehicles. The infrastructure‑free system promises to cut integration cycles by using a...
Bolt Graphics Zeus GPU
Bolt Graphics announced the tape‑out of its Zeus GPU test chip, a compute‑focused accelerator built around an open‑source RISC‑V command processor. The company claims the quad‑silicon Zeus 4C can deliver up to 13× the ray‑tracing performance of Nvidia’s RTX 5090, while the...
Silicon Designs to Showcase MEMS DC Accelerometers at Sensors Converge 2026
Silicon Designs Inc. will showcase its MEMS DC accelerometers at Sensors Converge in Santa Clara on May 6‑7, 2026, from Booth 1029. The devices target low‑frequency, low‑noise performance for test‑and‑measurement, structural testing, and vibration analysis applications. Attendees can receive live...
Converting Dell D400P-01 Server Power Supply to Desktop Power Supply.
A forum user seeks to repurpose a Dell D400P‑01 400 W server power supply for a desktop project, asking how to activate the 20‑pin/4‑blade connector by jumping the PS_ON pin. The post includes photos of the PSU label, connector, and multimeter...
Turtle Beach Introduces Command Series Mice With 30K Sensor and 8kHz Polling
Turtle Beach launched three new Command Series gaming mice—MC7, MC5 and MC3—each built around the Owl‑Eye 30K optical sensor and Titan microswitches. The flagship MC7 adds a 2.25‑inch touchscreen, tri‑mode connectivity and an 8 kHz polling rate, priced at $159.99. The...
Hall Lidar Unveils Acoustic Sensing Drone Detection & Stealth Monitoring Technology
Hall Lidar Inc. has launched the UDL-64, a first‑generation acoustic drone detection system that creates 3‑D situational awareness using passive sound signatures. The rugged 24‑inch microphone array, paired with edge‑AI processing, can spot drones up to 200 m on its own...
Higher Bill Presented for 10 Spinning Machines Fast-Tracked to Protect “Heartbeat” Of Grid
Transgrid has lodged a $1.19 billion Australian‑dollar (about $0.79 bn USD) request to install ten synchronous condensers supplied by GE Vernova. The cost is more than double the 2020 estimate, reflecting global supply shortages as grids shift from coal to renewables. An NSW...
Weak Security Means Attackers Could Disable All of a City's Public EV Chargers
Researchers at Black Hat Asia demonstrated that rented IoT infrastructure—such as public EV chargers and shared e‑bikes—often sacrifices security for convenience. Hetian Shi of Tsinghua University uncovered shared authentication keys, exposed debug ports, and backend services that fail to verify users. Using his...
Most Home Batteries Were Never Designed for a Home, and That’s a Potential Problem
Australia leads global rooftop solar adoption, with one‑in‑three homes equipped. Rising energy costs and government incentives, such as the Cheaper Home Batteries Program, are spurring demand for residential battery storage. However, many available systems originate from commercial applications, overlooking space,...
Grid-Forming Inverters Feature in 74% of Australia’s 33.2GW NEM Battery Storage Pipeline
Around 74% of battery projects in Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM) now feature grid‑forming inverters, a technology that can independently control voltage and frequency. The NEM battery storage pipeline surged to 33.2 GW in Q1 2026, a 62% increase from the previous...
Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan: ‘This Is A Fundamentally Different Company Today’
Intel reported first‑quarter revenue of $13.6 billion, up 7 percent YoY, driven by a 22 percent surge in its data‑center business amid AI demand. CEO Lip‑Bu Tan credited organizational cuts, a refreshed leadership team, and a stronger balance sheet for the earnings beat...
Fox ESS Ranks No. 1 Globally in Residential Energy Storage
Fox ESS was ranked No. 1 worldwide for residential energy‑storage shipments in 2025, according to S&P Global’s Market Tracker. The company’s global market share jumped 50 % year‑over‑year, putting it ahead in Germany and the UK. Headcount doubled to over 5,000 employees, with...
Satellite Smartphone Messaging Is Changing Search and Rescue. But Can You Trust Your Life to It?
Smartphone manufacturers now embed satellite SOS messaging, letting hikers send emergency texts without cellular coverage. Apple iPhone 14 and newer tap Globalstar, while Google Pixel 9/10 use Skylo, and carriers such as Verizon and T‑Mobile support select Android models. Colorado...
Samsung Brings Ikea Smart Home Support to Its Platform, With One Important Caveat
Samsung announced that its SmartThings platform will now natively support Ikea’s line of Matter‑compatible smart‑home devices, eliminating the need for Ikea’s $110 Dirigera hub. Around 25 Ikea products—including plugs, sensors, and bulbs—can be managed through any compatible SmartThings hub. However,...
Carbon Nanotube Wiring Gets Closer to Competing with Copper
Researchers in Spain have doped bulk double‑walled carbon‑nanotube fibers with tetrachloroaluminate, boosting their electrical conductivity up to ten times the undoped baseline and reaching about 70% of aluminum’s conductivity, roughly half of copper’s. The doped fibers retain their lightweight nature,...
Intel’s Data Center Revenue Grows 22 Percent Amid Pent-Up AI Demand
Intel reported a 22% year‑over‑year jump in data‑center revenue, reaching $5.1 billion in Q1 2026, which helped lift total quarterly revenue to $13.6 billion—well above analysts' $12.4 billion forecast. The strong performance sparked a more than 14% surge in the stock during after‑hours...
Why the Real Quantum Race Is Shifting From Hardware to Software
The quantum computing narrative is moving from a hardware‑centric race to a software‑driven era, highlighted by IBM's recent investments in quantum software startups. While qubit counts and stability remain important, the industry is now focusing on real‑world applications that unlock...
Why Refurbished Garmin Watches Might Be the Best Option for Runners
Refurbished Garmin watches are emerging as a cost‑effective alternative for serious runners who value proven reliability over the latest bells and whistles. Major retailers like Amazon now sell certified‑refurbished Forerunner, Fenix and Instinct models that have been inspected for GPS...
Why Chip Sovereignty Is No Longer About Chips—But Systems
Governments are still spending tens of billions on semiconductor fabs, but AI is reshaping where value is created. Industry leaders say the competitive edge now lies in integrated systems that combine GPUs, CPUs, accelerators, memory, storage and software, not just...
Intel Showcases Wildcat Lake Reference Laptop with Aluminum Chassis and Fanless Design
Intel unveiled a reference laptop built on its new Core Series 3 "Wildcat Lake" silicon, featuring a six‑core 2P+4LPE CPU, integrated Xe graphics, a 17 TOPS NPU and 16 GB soldered RAM in an aluminum chassis. The design offers both a 17 W PL1/22 W...
Track Smarter, Not Harder: Save 25% on Samsung’s High-Performance Smartwatch
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 7 is now priced at $188.67, a 25% discount off its $249.99 list price. The device packs a 3 nm processor, a 3‑in‑1 BioActive sensor suite, and AI‑driven health insights, positioning it as a premium fitness wearable. Its durability...
1965 Zenith N514G: Banged Up, but Still Appealing
A 1965 Zenith N514G clock radio was rescued from a $5 clearance bin and restored to near‑original condition. The author documented the radio’s cosmetic flaws—peeling silver trim, cracked clock bezel, yellowed knobs—and the cramped interior that required custom wire extensions...
3D Bio-Hybrid Device Merges Neurons and Computing
Princeton researchers have built a three‑dimensional bio‑hybrid device that integrates living neurons with a flexible metal‑mesh electrode array. The scaffold lets tens of thousands of brain cells grow through the mesh, enabling chronic recording and stimulation for more than six...
Humble Emerges With $24M Seed Round
San Francisco‑based startup Humble has emerged from stealth with a fully autonomous, electric Class 8 hauler designed for cost‑efficient freight transport. The company announced a $24 million seed round, led by Eclipse and joined by Energy Impact Partners and other investors. Humble’s...
Supercar-Inspired Design Meets Satellite Connectivity in NOTE 60 Ultra. Launching in Nigeria This Week
Infinix is debuting the NOTE 60 Ultra in Nigeria, a premium smartphone co‑designed with Italian supercar studio Pininfarina. The device combines a unibody aluminium chassis, a 4nm‑class processor, 7,000 mAh battery and 200 MP Samsung camera with two‑way satellite calling. Its specs target...
How to Control Brushless Motors (Part 3): Commutation
The article explains how brushless DC (BLDC) motors achieve precise motion through electronic commutation, comparing three main techniques: trapezoidal (six‑step) commutation with Hall sensors, sinusoidal commutation using high‑resolution encoders, and sensorless commutation that extracts rotor angle from back‑EMF. It details...
GPU Renters Are Playing a Silicon Lottery
Researchers from William & Mary, Jefferson Lab, and Silicon Data analyzed 3,500 GPUs across 11 cloud providers and found substantial performance variability even among identical models. The study, using the SiliconMark benchmark, showed up to a 34.5% difference in 16‑bit...
An AI Agent Just Designed a Complete RISC-V CPU From Scratch in 12 Hours
Verkor.io’s agentic AI system, Design Conductor, generated a complete RISC‑V CPU core—named VerCore—in just 12 hours, moving from a 219‑word specification to a GDSII layout ready for fabrication. The five‑stage, in‑order design runs at 1.48 GHz and achieved a CoreMark score...
Data Centers Drive Record Surge in GE Vernova Power Equipment Orders as Turbine Slots Tighten Through 2030
Data centers generated $2.4 bn of GE Vernova electrification orders in Q1 2026, outpacing the entire 2025 year. Total electrification orders doubled year‑over‑year to $7.1 bn, while gas turbine contracts grew to 100 GW, with 20% linked to data‑center load. The company’s 2030 turbine...
YouTuber Has DIMM Idea, Builds Working DRAM in Backyard
AI‑driven demand has driven DRAM prices to record levels, prompting a YouTuber known as Dr. Semiconductor to turn his garden shed into a makeshift cleanroom and fabricate a 5 × 4 array of memory cells. The DIY chips store 12.3 pF per capacitor...
Northern Beltline Conflict Pressures $14.5bn Project Marvel Data Center Expansion Approval
The Bessemer City Council voted 5‑2 to rezone over 900 acres, clearing the way for Project Marvel’s expansion to roughly 1,600 acres. The $14.5 billion hyperscale data‑center campus will now host 18 buildings after developers shifted the site to avoid the...
Hiring for Precision: Why Thermal Stability Expertise Is the New Must-Have in Semiconductor Talent
A recent incident at an Arizona semiconductor fab saw a $2.3 million yield loss when aluminum handling arms warped 42 μm during thermal cycling, exposing the critical role of thermal stability. The root cause was a mismatch in coefficient of thermal expansion...