Hardware · Top stories
Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 Series Debuts With Enhanced Designs and Features
Leaks reveal Samsung's latest devices, including the Galaxy Z Flip 8 and Z Fold 8 series with minimal design changes from previous models, and significant battery and display upgrades. New colors and a shift to Qualcomm chips for Galaxy smartwatches mark smaller-scale updates ahead of the July 22 launch.
Lenovo and Asus Googlebook Devices Leak, Revealing Hardware and "Aluminium OS"
Images of upcoming Googlebook devices from Lenovo and Asus have leaked, showcasing two Lenovo laptop sizes, a 2-in-1 tablet, and an Asus laptop. These leaks provide the first look at hardware for Google's new Android-based platform, which is expected to replace ChromeOS and integrate Gemini AI, with one leak identifying the operating system as "Aluminium OS."
Apple Aims for Late 2027 Smart Glasses Launch, Prioritizing Privacy and Developer Tools
Apple is reportedly planning to unveil its first smart glasses at WWDC in June 2027, with a public release by the end of that year. The company is focusing on privacy features, including on-device processing and the absence of facial recognition, and will likely provide developers with tools to create third-party applications for the device.
Katalyst Space's LINK Satellite Experiences Failures, Jeopardizing NASA Swift Observatory Reboost
The Katalyst Space LINK satellite, launched on July 3 to reboost NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, is tumbling out of control due to the failure of two of its three reaction wheels and partial loss of its cold gas thruster system. This incident jeopardizes NASA's first mission to contract a private company for orbital reboosting services, which aimed to extend the Swift Observatory's operational lifespan.
HP OmniBook Ultra 14 Review: Powerful Snapdragon Performance at a High Price
The HP OmniBook Ultra 14 laptop leverages the Snapdragon X2 Elite processor, providing strong performance and battery life but with some drawbacks. Despite its premium build and innovative design, the $2,900 price, bloatware, and lack of certain ports may deter potential buyers.
TSMC to Invest Additional $100 Billion for 2nm Chip Fabs in Arizona
TSMC is set to expand its U.S. operations by investing an additional $100 billion in building at least four new advanced chip fabs in Arizona. This move aims to increase domestic production capacity amid rising U.S. demand and government support. However, challenges remain regarding the production of advanced chips and the economic impact on TSMC's margins.
SpaceX Launches Starlink V5 Dish with Smaller, Lighter Design
SpaceX unveiled its Starlink V5 residential dish, featuring a reduced size and improved energy efficiency, available in select regions. It allows for maximum speeds of up to 375 Mbps, slightly lower than the V4's 400 Mbps, making it suitable for home internet use. The dish is not for in-motion usage, unlike the upcoming Starlink Mini. This release may lower user costs due to its energy efficiency.
Apple iPad Mini's October Release Promises OLED Upgrade Amid Price Concerns
Apple plans to launch an OLED iPad mini by October, featuring a fixed 60Hz refresh rate. Despite missing ProMotion, the upgrade emphasizes display quality and follows recent price increases, influenced by supply chain issues.
EU Exempts Smartwatches from User-Replaceable Battery Rule
The European Commission has exempted smartwatches, fitness trackers, and certain other wearables from the EU regulation requiring user-replaceable batteries. This decision responds to safety and design concerns, particularly for devices with compact, sealed designs. The exemption must be reviewed by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU.
Pixel Watch 5 Renders Leak Showing New Colors and Price Details
Leaked renders of the Pixel Watch 5 reveal new colors and potential price details ahead of its expected announcement on August 12. The colors include Dark Anthracite, Natural Silver, Pyrite, and Warm Gold. The Warm Gold is exclusive to the 41mm model, which will reportedly start at $399, marking a $50 price increase.
Fi Ultra Pet Tracker Introduces Starlink Satellite Connectivity for Wider Coverage
Fi has launched the Fi Ultra pet tracker featuring T-Mobile's Starlink satellite service for expanded coverage beyond cellular towers, providing continuous GPS tracking across the US. Despite its enhanced connectivity, the device has a reduced battery life of two days and costs $199 plus an annual fee. This advancement is significant for pet owners needing reliable location tracking in remote or cellular-dead zones.
Intel's Disappointing Outlook Triggers $1 Trillion Semiconductor Market Cap Drop
Intel's shares plunged 30%, losing nearly $150 billion in market capitalization, after the company issued a disappointing financial outlook, primarily due to an anticipated 20% sales drop in its client computing group. This decline led to a broader selloff across the semiconductor industry, resulting in an estimated $1 trillion loss in market capitalization for the sector. The PHLX Semiconductor Sector Index (SOX) fell 9.14%, indicating widespread impact beyond Intel.
Trump Administration Considers Expanding Chip Tariffs to Laptops, Consoles, and Servers
The Trump administration is reportedly considering expanding semiconductor tariffs to include finished products like laptops, gaming consoles, and data center servers. This potential expansion could also remove exemptions previously granted for data centers, R&D, and startups under the January 25% tariff on advanced accelerators, significantly broadening the scope of affected technology.
New 15% Tariff Imposed on Polysilicon Imports, Affecting Microchip and Solar Industries
A new 15% tariff on imported polysilicon products, primarily from China, will take effect on December 4, impacting microchip and solar panel manufacturing. This measure aims to bolster US supply chains for chips and solar panels, supporting domestic competition in AI and energy sectors.
Lumentum CEO warns of critical indium phosphide shortage for AI data centers
Lumentum CEO Michael Hurlston stated that indium phosphide, a material essential for lasers in AI data centers, faces a severe supply shortage, with current production 30% below customer demand. This bottleneck is driven by the skyrocketing demand for co-packaged optics from companies like Nvidia, which has invested in Lumentum and Coherent to secure future capacity.
Adata chairman predicts 10-year DRAM shortage, dismisses imminent AI bubble fears
Adata chairman Simon Chen forecasts that the global DRAM shortage will persist for another decade, citing strong future demand driven by AI applications across various sectors. He also suggested that concerns about an AI bubble are premature and investors should reconsider these issues only after 2030.
Wistron Opens Fort Worth Plant for NVIDIA AI Systems Manufacturing
Wistron inaugurated its first U.S. manufacturing plant in Fort Worth, Texas, for producing NVIDIA AI superchips. This $700 million facility is expected to create 1,000 jobs and support a growing domestic AI manufacturing base.
NVIDIA cools data center hardware with 113-degree water, reducing costs and water use
NVIDIA utilizes 45-degree Celsius coolant for its AI servers, replacing traditional cooling methods. This innovation reduces energy costs significantly and nearly eliminates water consumption, challenging long-standing data center cooling assumptions.
Nvidia RTX 50 Super GPUs delayed due to high GDDR7 memory prices
Nvidia's RTX 50 Super GPUs are reportedly on hold due to the exorbitant cost of 3GB GDDR7 memory, which is three times pricier than its 2GB alternative. This situation may force Nvidia to either raise retail prices above target MSRP or limit production, impacting their competitive positioning.
Tower Semiconductor to invest $3B in Japan photonics with METI support
Tower Semiconductor announced a $3 billion expansion for its photonics operations in Japan, including reviving a former Panasonic fab. This initiative aims for $3.6 billion in revenue by 2028, benefiting the semiconductor supply chain significantly amid rising global demand.
Xona Space Systems' Pulsar satellites to launch for enhanced navigation by 2026
Xona Space Systems is set to launch six production satellites in October 2026, offering stronger navigation signals than traditional GPS. Their low-Earth orbit constellation is expected to improve location accuracy significantly, especially in challenging environments like urban areas and indoors, while also countering GPS jamming.
105,000 nano-oscillators synchronized in 45 nanoseconds, advancing computing methods
Researchers have synchronized 105,000 nano-oscillators in 45 nanoseconds using minimal energy, significantly scaling oscillator-based computation. This development may lead to faster, energy-efficient alternatives to transistors for various applications, including real-time data analytics and AI.
NVIDIA Launches Jetson Thor Computers for Robotics and Edge AI
NVIDIA has announced the T3000 and T2000 modules based on the Thor architecture, designed for robotics and edge AI applications. These new modules provide enhanced AI computing capabilities in compact form factors, supporting the growing demand for autonomous machines in various industries.
Intel ships high-volume logic chips using ASML's High NA EUV technology
Intel has begun high-volume manufacturing of logic chips using ASML's High NA EUV lithography for its Panther Lake processors. This milestone marks the first commercial application of High NA EUV, promising advancements in semiconductor scaling and performance for future processors.
Nanya Technology to Quadruple 2027 Capital Spending to $6.2 Billion Amid Dramatic Revenue Surge
Nanya Technology plans to increase its capital spending to $6.2 billion in 2027, up from $1.55 billion in 2023, as second-quarter revenue skyrockets by 684% to T$82.55 billion. The surge is primarily driven by a more than 70% increase in average selling prices for DRAM, pushing gross margins to 79.5%.
Longsys forecasts profit surge to $1.5B driven by AI demand for memory chips
Shenzhen Longsys Electronics expects a profit of $1.36 to $1.62 billion for 1H26, a dramatic rise from $2.2 million last year. This surge is attributed to heightened demand for memory chips due to global AI infrastructure expansion and limited wafer capacity.
Quantum Systems breaks electric drone speed record at 434 mph
Quantum Systems Group has reportedly set a new world record for electric drones, achieving a top speed of 434 mph with its Apex Recordhunter during internal tests. This significantly surpasses the previous record of 409 mph and underscores advancements in drone technology for potential military applications.
China's Startups Push to Create Dextrous Robotic Hands
Chinese startups aim to develop fully dextrous robotic hands, marking a critical advancement in humanoid robotics. This development is vital as it could facilitate the broader use of humanoid robots in various industries amid China's push for innovation and economic growth.
DARPA develops 30-year nuclear waste batteries for military drones
DARPA's SYMPHONEE project plans to create batteries powered by Strontium-90, potentially lasting 30 years. This initiative aims to enhance power systems for next-gen drones operating in extreme environments.
SK hynix announces $712.5 billion investment in South Korean semiconductor operations
SK hynix revealed plans to invest KRW 1.1 trillion ($712.5 billion) in its South Korean operations, primarily for semiconductor production. This includes KRW 100 trillion ($64 billion) for its Cheongju campus for NAND and HBM production, and KRW 400 trillion ($259.5 billion) for a new Southwestern semiconductor cluster.
Firefly Aerospace Operates NVIDIA Jetson in Lunar Orbit for the First Time
Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission 2 will use NVIDIA Jetson for AI processing in lunar orbit, enabling real-time data insights. This marks a significant advancement in space technology, reducing the delay of data transmission and processing from space.
AI Develops Innovative Radio Chips to Accelerate Wireless Technologies
Princeton researchers utilized AI to design radio-frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), overcoming traditional design limitations. This AI-driven methodology can significantly enhance the performance and reduce the design time for RFICs, which are critical for advancing 5G, autonomous vehicles, and satellite technologies.
NVIDIA Powers Over 400 of the World's 500 Fastest Supercomputers
NVIDIA technology powers 81% of the TOP500 supercomputers, with significant growth in new deployments. The adoption of NVIDIA CPUs and GPUs indicates a strong focus on AI and high-performance computing across various systems.
NASA Announces X-70 Fractal Experimental Aircraft with Reconfigurable Flight Control
NASA announced the X-70 Fractal, a new experimental aircraft featuring reconfigurable flight-control technology and a modular design for interchangeable payloads. The aircraft is crewed, designed for Mach 0.75 cruise, and could fly within two years, marking a step in testing advanced flight technologies.
Linux Kernel Module Unlocks Nvidia 3000 Series FP/BF16 Performance
A new Linux kernel module allows Nvidia 3000 series GPUs to achieve the FP/BF16 instruction issue rates of their professional equivalents. This module doubles the instruction issuing speed of FP/BF16 FMA into FP32 operations on GA102, GA103, GA104, and GA106 cards, significantly improving performance for matrix-heavy workloads like LLM prefill and diffusion.
Fujifilm to Increase Magnetic Tape Production Fivefold to Meet AI Data Storage Demand
Fujifilm plans to invest 10 billion yen ($63.3 million) to boost its magnetic tape production capacity by up to five times at its Odawara plant by fiscal year 2028. This expansion, the largest in 20 years, is driven by the increasing demand for long-term data storage in AI data centers, enabling the production of 100TB tapes. Magnetic tape offers a cost-effective and durable solution for storing large volumes of infrequently accessed data compared to SSDs and HDDs.
SK Hynix Seeks US Approval for China Chip Equipment in Exchange for US Fab
SK Hynix's Solidigm unit is reportedly seeking US government approval to export American chipmaking equipment to its Dalian, China factory. This approval is a condition for Solidigm to proceed with plans to build a NAND flash memory chip factory in the US, potentially in upstate New York. The Dalian facility produces 192-layer floating gate 3D NAND for data center SSDs.
Intel Seeks FCC Waiver for Foreign-Made Robots in Chip Fabs
Intel has requested a waiver from the FCC to continue using foreign-made automated guided vehicles (AGVs) in its semiconductor manufacturing facilities. The company states that a ban on these AGVs, which are critical for transporting materials in fabs, would severely impact U.S. chipmaking efforts due to a lack of domestic alternatives.
Intel Installs First Truss at Ohio Fab, Begins Tool Installation in Arizona
Intel announced the installation of the first major structural truss at its New Albany, Ohio chip fabrication plant, a project now expected to finish by 2030, five years later than initially planned. Concurrently, Intel began installing production tools at its Fab 62 in Arizona, aiming for mass production by late 2028, and confirmed the integration of High-NA EUV lithography into high-volume manufacturing. These developments are part of Intel's broader strategy to expand U.S. semiconductor manufacturing capacity and advance its process technology roadmap.
Blue Origin Expands Florida Launch Facilities for New Glenn Rocket, Aims for 150 Launches/Year
Blue Origin announced a significant expansion of its Florida launch facilities, including two new launch pads and a manufacturing facility for New Glenn rocket upper stages. The company plans to add two landing ships and a customer integration facility to support an eventual goal of 150 launches per year.