Hardware Tech News

Valve has released the complete CAD files for the Steam Controller under a Creative Commons license. This move empowers the modding community to freely design, customize, and share hardware modifications for the gaming peripheral.

The StarFighter 16-inch is a new high-performance Linux laptop designed with a strong emphasis on user security and privacy. It is powered by either Intel Core Ultra or AMD Ryzen processors and features a 4K 120Hz display option. To further protect user data, the device utilizes coreboot firmware alongside hardware-backed disk encryption and physical privacy controls.

CARA 2.0 is a cost-effective robot dog project that leverages repurposed drone motors and 3D printed components to achieve a 12-motor build for under $1000. While standing still causes the motors to stall and generate problematic heat, makers are mitigating these thermal issues through custom motor windings, mechanical backstops, and temperature monitoring.

Micron has begun shipping its massive 245TB 6600 ION data center SSD, underscoring the semiconductor industry's intense focus on enterprise AI infrastructure. This enterprise push coincides with rising consumer SSD prices, as manufacturers navigate constrained supply chains and prioritize profit margins by slow-walking production increases. While some fear an eventual overcapacity bust reminiscent of the dot-com era, others argue that the underlying demand for AI-driven silicon is a sustainable, long-term trend.

A new technical walkthrough details the installation of a Sun Ray server on a fresh OpenIndiana Hipster 2025.10 environment. The project specifically tests the functionality and stability of the newly updated Sun Ray support from a completely clean slate.

Researchers have developed battery-free smart home sensors using simple metal tags that emit unique ultrasonic fingerprints to detect physical movements. These passive tags can reliably monitor events like door openings without requiring any electrical power or ongoing maintenance.

Anthropic has raised the usage limits for its AI model, Claude, and secured a new compute partnership with SpaceX. This collaboration will substantially increase the company's processing capacity in the near term.

MIT researchers have developed a computational violin that accurately captures the detailed physics of the instrument to produce realistic sounds when its strings are plucked. This first-of-its-kind simulation allows violin makers to digitally test how altering specific dimensions or material properties will impact the acoustics before physical construction.

A developer successfully ported Wolfenstein 3D to the Game Boy Color using a custom cartridge, demonstrating an impressive technical execution that pushes the classic console's hardware limits. Community discussions highlight the project's innovation while delving into the complex programming techniques, such as mid-frame tile switching and directly driving the LCD, required to overcome the system's original constraints. Fans also reminisced about early handheld first-person shooters like Faceball 2000 while debating the intricate memory and rendering optimizations necessary for such advanced ports.

EEVblog released a tribute video celebrating the 55th anniversary of the iconic 555 timer integrated circuit and honoring its inventor, Hans Caminzind. The video was strategically published on May 5th at 5:55 pm to coincide with International 555 Timer Day.

Apple is adding a new Create a Pass button to Apple Wallet in iOS 27, allowing users to easily generate passes from any QR code without needing a developer account or certificates. This built-in feature includes three basic templates and could significantly impact the market for third-party pass creation tools.

A veteran AI developer with extensive experience in language models and their underlying mathematics expresses growing apprehension regarding biological computing. Drawing on their deep background in the AI space since the launch of ChatGPT, the author contrasts their foundational understanding of traditional artificial intelligence with their fears about the future of biological systems in technology.

A Sacramento auto shop owner spent two years and roughly $40,000 converting a classic 1966 Ford Mustang into an electric vehicle using Tesla components. The custom build not only retains the vintage exterior but also features fully functional Tesla Full Self-Driving capabilities.

Early in PC history, IBM actively resisted Microsoft's proposal to use the Tab key for moving between dialog fields in shared operating systems. The disagreement became so contentious that it required escalation to senior management to finally resolve the user interface standard. This historical clash highlights how modern interface conveniences were hard-won through intense corporate negotiations.

A discussion on discovering hard disk physical geometry through microbenchmarking highlights how probing storage hardware helps identify undisclosed defects and tune I/O scheduler performance. Although modern drives utilize extensive internal remapping that complicates traditional mapping, these techniques remain crucial for characterizing storage behavior and preventing hardware anomalies from being misattributed to software failures.

Beginning in 2027, a new European Union regulation will require all smartphones sold in the region to feature removable batteries. This mandate represents a major shift in modern device design for manufacturers. For users, the change means they will once again easily be able to swap out their own power cells to extend the life of their devices.

Mercedes-Benz is set to reintroduce physical buttons in its vehicles, a move readers suspect is driven by upcoming Chinese regulatory mandates rather than a genuine leap in user experience. This decision underscores ongoing criticisms of German automakers and their historical struggles with in-house software development and consumer-facing interface design.

The newly announced BYOMesh is an ultra-compact LoRa development kit that combines sub-1GHz and high-speed 2.4GHz radios on a single board. By integrating both the SX1276 and SX1281 chips, the versatile device offers 100 times the bandwidth for mesh networking enthusiasts using protocols like Meshtastic and Reticulum.

A behind-the-scenes tour of Southwest Airlines headquarters explores the company's daily operational hubs, ranging from crew training facilities to the social media department. The visit highlights the carrier's critical technological infrastructure with an in-depth look at the Network Operations Center and TechOps Hangar.

The joint US-Indian NISAR satellite has mapped severe ground subsidence in Mexico City using one of the most powerful radar systems ever launched into space. This achievement highlights the advanced technology's ability to reliably track real-time surface changes from orbit without interference from clouds or vegetation.

The open-source repository Text-to-CAD provides a specialized collection of AI agent skills designed for computer-aided design, robotics, and hardware engineering. By leveraging these tools, users can automate complex tasks and streamline physical design workflows. This integration of agentic capabilities aims to significantly accelerate the development cycle for next-generation hardware and robotic systems.

A new web playground allows users to generate 3D Gaussian Splats directly in their browser using Apple's SHARP model. The project runs the machine learning model entirely client-side by leveraging the ONNX runtime web. This enables developers to experience advanced rendering techniques without requiring powerful local hardware.

After eight months of development, a creator has successfully recreated a fully functional Apple Lisa computer inside an FPGA. A newly released video showcases the completed build, demonstrating the impressive capability of modern programmable hardware in accurately emulating vintage computing systems.

Intel and SoftBank subsidiary SAIMEMORY are collaborating to commercialize Z-Angle Memory, an advanced DRAM technology that vertically stacks memory modules. Although the chips are at least three years away from release, ZAM could eventually replace the high-bandwidth memory that is currently in such high demand.

The source code for the PlayStation Vita port of the Metal Gear Solid 2 HD remaster has been leaked on the imageboard 4chan. This unexpected disclosure exposes the underlying architecture of the classic game years after its initial release.

A maker has built a DIY hair electrolysis machine featuring voltage regulation and shared their build details and results with the community. The accompanying discussion explored technical questions about the device's hardware costs, pain levels, and procedural speed compared to professional treatments. Additionally, the thread highlighted the active trans community within the hacker scene, sparking humorous tangents about DIY hormone extraction.

An energy-efficient underwater glider robot is tracking sperm whale conversations in real time, using buoyancy adjustments instead of propellers to withstand extreme deep-ocean pressures for extended periods. This continuous acoustic monitoring aims to gather long-term data that could yield unprecedented insights into complex marine communication and biological information processing.

Recent benchmark tests evaluate the performance and minimum hardware requirements for running a macOS virtual machine. The analysis measures exactly how few CPU cores and RAM are needed to operate the system effectively. These findings determine whether a low-end device like the MacBook Neo could serve as a viable host for a macOS VM.

Driven by surging global demand and a projected spike in end-of-life electric vehicle batteries, inventions for battery reuse and recycling have increased seven-fold over the past decade. Asia currently leads the development of these circularity technologies, while Europe is also experiencing significant innovation growth in the sector.

Black versions of advanced cooling fans experience delayed releases because dark coloring additives alter the molding process of their advanced polymers. Consequently, manufacturers must develop entirely new tooling and conduct months of rigorous testing before bringing chromax.black models to market.