Hardware Tech News

A maker with no prior hardware experience has successfully built a custom octocopter from scratch, utilizing a reinforcement learning controller that sustains flight even during motor failures. The creator has documented the entire project in a detailed build log for readers to follow.

LongCat-2.0 is a new large-scale Mixture of Experts model featuring 1.6 trillion total parameters and 48 billion active parameters. Notably, the entire training process for this massive artificial intelligence system was successfully completed using domestically produced chips.

The concept of open source low tech emphasizes appropriate technologies that allow communities to build and repair their own tools using locally available scrap materials. By focusing on self-sufficiency and practical manufacturing, this approach aims to empower developing regions rather than creating dependency through traditional imported aid. Ultimately, it advocates for teaching people how to fabricate their own solutions to foster long-term local independence and resilience.

As CERN initiates the third long shutdown of the Large Hadron Collider for major upgrades, visitors and former physicists are reflecting on the monumental scale of the engineering feat. The closure has also prompted candid discussions among former insiders regarding the current state of particle physics, with some criticizing the field for producing repetitive and low-impact research. Additionally, these insiders are debating the validity of prominent critics like Sabine Hossenfelder, who question the scientific return on massive public investments in the field.

A recent illustrated teardown explores the hidden mechanical engineering inside a standard pull-back toy car. The visual guide breaks down the internal spring and gear systems, demonstrating how basic physics is leveraged to store and release kinetic energy.

A developer has built a millimeter-wave radar system capable of classifying building materials, offering a potential non-destructive method for detecting hazardous substances like asbestos concealed within walls. By penetrating surfaces to identify hidden materials, the device eliminates the need for destructive physical testing. This innovation has sparked broader community interest in mmWave radar, highlighting its diverse applications ranging from DIY home presence detection to advanced imaging and airport security scanning.

The author reflects on the nostalgic habit of restarting a Mac on Saturday mornings to create a clean slate for the weekend. Even though modern computers rarely require frequent reboots, the author continues the practice simply for the refreshing feeling it provides.

Developers have created an open-source port of the Linux operating system for the classic 16-bit Sega MegaDrive console. The new project is called LinuxMD and brings modern open-source software to retro gaming hardware. Enthusiasts and programmers can contribute to its ongoing development by visiting the repository on GitHub.

The Old Computer Challenge encourages tech enthusiasts to use vintage hardware as their daily drivers, but participants report rising toxicity and transphobia in associated online chat groups. While many users successfully enjoy using legacy machines, some have dropped out due to the hostile environment. This has sparked broader discussions about intolerance and the changing culture within retro tech communities.

Henrico County, a major Virginia hub for data centers, anticipates a 25% surge in electricity costs next year. To offset the rising expenses, local officials are urging schools and workers to conserve power by closing blinds and turning off computers.

Discussions surrounding the web-based Hatari Atari ST emulator reveal a strong preference among musicians for original hardware due to its precise, jitter-free MIDI timing. While the online emulator provides accessible retro computing, users note its limitations for professional music production compared to highly reliable legacy setups. The conversation also highlights a broader cultural resurgence in deterministic retro computing, alongside mentions of alternative software emulators and desires for dedicated FPGA-based hardware solutions.

The Qwen 3.6 27B model is emerging as the ideal choice for local software development due to its strong coding capabilities. Developers can now run this highly capable AI efficiently on consumer hardware like MacBooks and NVIDIA RTX GPUs using tools such as llama.cpp and OpenCode.

Rocket Lab is acquiring Iridium to merge its launch and satellite manufacturing capabilities with Iridium's global network and spectrum. This acquisition aims to unlock critical space applications while significantly boosting Rocket Lab's revenue scale, cash flow generation, and profitability.

A new analysis tracks the historical and projected pricing trends for DRAM, HBM, and NAND flash memory from 1960 to 2026. The data highlights the dramatic cost reductions and market fluctuations across these essential semiconductor components over the past six decades. These insights provide valuable context for tech professionals looking to understand long-term hardware pricing cycles and forecast future budgets.

This article provides a deep dive into the execution pipeline of a CUDA kernel by tracing a simple vector-add operation. It details the code's journey from the initial nvcc compilation stage down to the hardware warps that ultimately execute the instructions.

A newly published arXiv paper provides an in-depth technical analysis of Apple's proprietary Neural Engine, detailing its underlying architecture, programming interfaces, and performance benchmarks. The study offers a comprehensive breakdown of the machine learning hardware found in Apple's custom silicon, providing valuable insights for developers and AI researchers.

Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron are facing a US lawsuit accusing the companies of colluding to fix memory prices. The plaintiffs allege that this anti-competitive behavior drove DRAM costs up by 700% over a four-year period. Consumers impacted by the inflated prices are now seeking class-action status to pursue damages.

Prompted by news of Sandia National Labs' SA3000 8085 CPU, a recent discussion explored the current landscape of radiation-hardened processors used in aerospace and space applications. Commentators noted that state-of-the-art rad-hard chips from companies like MOOG and BAE utilize IBM POWER architecture, while specialized system-on-chips from AMD are actively engineered for radiation tolerance. The conversation also clarified a common misconception, emphasizing that standard commercial desktop and server processors do not inherently possess the specific engineering required to withstand harsh space environments.

A DIY maker has documented the design and construction of Wallace, a custom 6-inch f/2.8 corrected Dobsonian telescope. Built with a focus on portability, the fast-optics telescope was specifically engineered to be carried on hiking trips for remote backcountry stargazing.

South Korea plans to invest $1 trillion to significantly expand its memory chip manufacturing and accelerate the development of commercial humanoid robots. This major financial commitment is part of a broader national strategy to establish global leadership in physical AI technologies by 2028.

Instagram is incorporating users' personal photos into targeted advertisements for Meta's smart glasses. This initiative highlights the growing era of ultra-personalized ads, as the tech giant increasingly leverages user-generated content to drive product marketing.

At WWDC 2025, Apple introduced a new virtual disk image format called ASIF for virtual machines in macOS 26 Tahoe. ASIF is a sparse format inspired by and functioning similarly to existing solutions like VMDK, VHDX, and QCOW2. This allows large virtual disks and files to be stored efficiently in a significantly smaller overall file size.

A recent analysis explores how Non-Uniform Memory Access topology impacts performance in Xen-based virtualization, revealing that the physical distance between processor cores and memory can cause identical virtual machines to perform up to 20% differently. This highlights the hidden computational costs and optimization challenges system administrators must navigate in modern server architectures.

The author reflects on the shift from dedicated physical computer rooms to the convenience of ubiquitous, always-on digital connectivity. To combat the constant intrusion of technology, they are now intentionally rebuilding physical boundaries to separate their digital habits from their everyday living spaces.

A new open-source GitHub project named Librepods aims to free Apple AirPods from Apple's closed ecosystem. By inviting community developer contributions, the initiative seeks to enhance the earbuds' compatibility and functionality for use with non-Apple devices. This effort provides users with greater control and customization over their audio hardware.

A recent technical article explores the challenges of running OpenBSD on the Lemote Yeeloong laptop and the creative workarounds used to bypass its hardware quirks. The piece highlights this achievement as a significant step toward realizing a completely free and unrestricted software environment.

For three decades, a persistent bug in a standard keyboard layout caused the accented Polish letter S to mysteriously disappear when typing. The historic glitch was finally identified and patched in 2015, correcting a character mapping oversight that had frustrated users for thirty years.

A new GitHub repository provides a setup guide for configuring an RDMA cluster using AMD's Strix Halo hardware to optimize vLLM toolboxes. Developers interested in high-performance AI inference are encouraged to visit the repository and contribute to its ongoing development.

A recent teardown examines the intricate circuit boards from the Input/Output Processor of the Space Shuttle's five general-purpose computers. These critical computing systems were responsible for essential flight operations, such as controlling the engines and monitoring thousands of onboard sensors. The detailed look at this vintage aerospace hardware highlights the robust engineering required to support historic space missions.

The latest TOP500 rankings unveiled at the International Supercomputing Conference 2026 have revealed a new world's fastest supercomputer. This newly installed system claims the top global spot, dethroning the previous record holder and highlighting the rapid pace of high-performance computing advancements.