Hardware Tech News

Guitoro is a free web app that allows users to play a virtual guitar using their keyboard or touchscreen. It supports multiple instrument types and features practice tools that let users slow down songs while visually tracking every chord and strum.

Ledger has confirmed that unauthorized hardware spy chips were implanted in some of its devices distributed by Southeast Asian reseller CryptoBilis. These malicious modifications allowed attackers to drain the cryptocurrency wallets of affected users.

Apple's new HomeView is a smart display featuring a Liquid Retina screen and high-fidelity audio. The device integrates Siri AI for seamless smart home controls and FaceTime capabilities, all while prioritizing built-in user privacy.

Pulse Local is a new Mac budgeting app that runs its AI models locally to maximize user privacy and maintain strict accuracy over financial calculations. While it currently relies on manual CSV imports for non-US users and Plaid for the US, the developer plans to add more automated API integrations following community feedback. Users appreciate the local-first approach but suggest expanding third-party connections to make multi-bank data syncing less cumbersome.

AlphaNIST introduces a novel method for teaching robotic dexterity and coordination entirely within simulated environments. The system leverages large-scale training, cached starting states, and binary task rewards to learn complex manipulation skills without relying on predefined procedural stages. This streamlined approach could significantly accelerate the development of highly adaptable and capable robotic systems.

Apple has officially announced the next generation of the Apple TV 4K streaming device. The newly unveiled model promises to deliver the most immersive home theater experience the company has offered to date, marking a significant upgrade for home entertainment setups.

Encora Therapeutics has secured FDA clearance for a wrist-based device that treats essential tremors, which originally began as a student project in a renowned MIT product design course. This successful transition from academic coursework to an approved medical treatment demonstrates the tangible real-world impact of university engineering programs.

Physical Intelligence has launched a beta API providing developers with access to frontier AI models designed specifically for robotics. This new platform aims to bring general-purpose artificial intelligence into the physical world, enabling a wide variety of robots to perform complex, real-world tasks.

To address the limitations of centralized GPU infrastructures for machine learning inference, a dynamic virtual GPU cloud has been developed that harnesses idle Apple Silicon devices. This decentralized approach pools the processing power of these devices to provide a scalable and cost-effective alternative for GPU-accelerated computing.

Intel's D270 is an inference-optimized data center GPU accelerator equipped with up to 480 GB of LPDDR5X memory. The hardware is specifically designed to support agentic AI, long context processing, and high-concurrency serving. It aims to deliver these advanced capabilities while maintaining practical power consumption and cost efficiency.

The Intel Software Development Manual documents vfmaddrnd231pd as a unique FMA instruction that provides specialized rounding control. Unlike standard FMA mnemonics, the rnd suffix utilizes an immediate byte to manage rounding, DAZ, FTZ, and exception suppression for packed double-precision floating-point operations.

A new project called Janas allows users to run large language models that exceed their system memory by streaming expert weights directly from an SSD. The pure C tool supports both CPU and GPU acceleration and significantly outperforms llama.cpp in benchmark tests. Notably, it achieved 37 tokens per second on an 80-billion parameter model using a standard 32GB laptop.

A new open-source GitHub project allows users to repurpose a WiFi 7 router into a software-defined radio receiver with a 320 Msps sampling rate. The repository, named w1700k-sdr, provides the necessary tools and invites community contributions for further development. This innovative hack offers tech enthusiasts a cost-effective way to achieve high-end radio frequency capabilities using standard networking hardware.

A developer has fulfilled a decades-long childhood dream by creating a hand-coded retro demoscene intro for the stock 128Kb ZX Spectrum. Originally inspired by Amiga crack intros in the late 1980s, the author successfully built the nostalgic project using Sinclair BASIC and assembler routines.

Citroen is reviving its iconic 2CV model as a modern electric vehicle to remain competitive in the global market. This strategic reinvention comes as traditional European automakers face mounting pressure from rapidly expanding Chinese electric vehicle rivals.

California has passed new legislation to simplify the installation of plug-in balcony solar panels that connect directly to standard wall outlets. Renewable energy experts predict this highly accessible technology is poised for rapid mainstream adoption.

Despite early promises of high-density data storage and immersive 3D experiences, holographic technology has struggled to achieve mainstream consumer adoption. While researchers continue to advance 3D volumetric displays, scaling these innovations for everyday commercial use remains a distant engineering challenge. Meanwhile, the hobbyist holography community is navigating supply chain disruptions and high equipment costs as they transition to alternative photopolymer materials.

Total Annihilation has been rebuilt for modern computers using Nanolathe, an open-source 2.5D real-time strategy engine. Players can experience the original demo directly in their web browser or install the native beta for online multiplayer. The open-source nature of the project also allows the community to explore the underlying code and create new modifications.

Researchers have developed multicolored tattoo inks that can be toggled on and off using specific wavelengths of light. This innovation allows individuals to easily conceal their body art in various professional or social situations.

A developer has created a novel vectorizable polyfill for the CTZ instruction by leveraging floating-point arithmetic tricks originally developed for an FPU emulator. This technique, which also includes a CLZ implementation for completeness, provides a faster alternative to native CPU instructions that can sometimes suffer from high latency.

Researchers have developed photochromic nanoparticle inks that enable the creation of programmable, rewritable tattoos. By utilizing UV lasers, these dynamic pigments can be precisely applied, potentially allowing for 3D-printed, changeable skin displays. Tech enthusiasts speculate this breakthrough could eventually lead to futuristic applications like implanted, forehead-mounted lie detectors.

FlowCE is a new free computer algebra system designed specifically for the TI-84 Plus CE calculator to assist students with Calculus 1 and 2 coursework. The application provides natural math input, exact textbook-style answers, graphing capabilities, and customizable light and dark themes.

BetterWispr is a free, open-source dictation tool for Mac that allows users to seamlessly convert speech into clean text across any application using a simple shortcut. The app leverages local speech models to provide app-specific formatting styles and meeting insights without requiring an account.

The PSPi Version 6 project enables makers to build a custom handheld gaming console by housing a Raspberry Pi inside a modified PlayStation Portable shell. Enthusiasts and developers can now contribute to the open-source hardware design and its ongoing improvements via the project's official GitHub repository.

A newly developed lightbulb-shaped computer combines a projector and computer vision to project digital information directly into the physical world. This innovative device represents a novel approach to augmented reality by seamlessly blending computing with our everyday environment.

OpenSCAD is highly regarded for allowing programmers to create parametric 3D models using plain, version-controllable text, but its code-based workflow makes iterative design and complex operations like filleting frustrating. While it remains an excellent niche tool for highly parametric tasks and AI code generation, users caution against using it for general-purpose modeling and instead recommend interactive, kernel-based alternatives like FreeCAD for broader CAD workflows.

A tech enthusiast has shared a guide detailing how to run classic Macromedia Director games on modern computer hardware. By successfully bypassing outdated copy-protection mechanisms, the author managed to revive numerous nostalgic childhood titles for contemporary systems.

Nvidia is in talks to acquire US open model startup Reflection AI in a move supported by the Trump administration. The potential acquisition aims to strengthen domestic AI development and provide a robust competitor to cheap Chinese models like DeepSeek.

A recent research paper titled Eye of Sauron introduces a method for detecting long-range hidden spy cameras, though it acknowledges limitations against completely passive surveillance devices. The findings spark broader discussions on the enduring challenges of electromagnetic eavesdropping and side-channel attacks. Ultimately, the conversation illustrates how modern shielded display technologies have made remote signal interception techniques like Van Eck phreaking significantly more difficult than in the past.

A new Hacker News project called Carrier-Explode decodes and compares hidden carrier settings across iPhone, Pixel, and Galaxy firmware. The tool breaks down configurations for APNs, VoLTE, 5G, and Wi-Fi Calling to reveal exactly what each carrier and software build changes.