Hardware Tech News

Google Chrome is officially adding native support for the JPEG XL image format to enhance web performance. This new format offers significant advantages over traditional JPEGs, including superior compression, built-in HDR support, and lossless JPEG transcoding.

Researchers in Vienna and Beijing have successfully activated the world's first thorium nuclear clocks, a breakthrough detailed in a new Nature journal article. Although thorium is one of the rarest elements in the galaxy, it is highly abundant in the Earth's crust and serves as a primary component of natural background radiation.

A developer has created a minimal, proof-of-concept kernel written in Swift that runs within the QEMU emulator, sparking community discussions about the potential of Embedded Swift for low-level development. Enthusiasts praise the language's seamless C/C++ interoperability and ability to handle fundamental system tasks, suggesting these techniques could eventually be used to write drivers for established embedded operating systems like Zephyr or U-Boot.

This interactive feature explores the historical engineering challenge of achieving machine precision without pre-existing accurate tools to copy. Through 3D figures, readers can examine the development of flat surfaces, screw-cutting lathes, and millionth-of-an-inch measurements that laid the groundwork for modern manufacturing.

Tech columnist Robert Cringely is facing intense backlash after failing to deliver a low-cost Minecraft server promised through a $35,500 Kickstarter campaign. While unconfirmed rumors about his death have sparked wild speculation among frustrated backers, critics suggest he simply lacked the follow-through to complete the hardware project, making the failed campaign a cautionary tale about the risks of crowdfunding.

A new tool called AnyPS5 allows users to automatically port PlayStation 5 executables to Linux and Windows without using emulation. By successfully mapping 87% of the console's system libraries, the project enables direct binary translation for PC platforms. This innovation provides a novel method for running native PS5 software on standard computer hardware.

Developers have created a Pi-hole-class DNS ad-blocker that runs entirely on a $2 ESP32-C3 microcontroller without requiring extra PSRAM. The project efficiently blocks ads by storing 537,000 domain hashes in flash memory and features a built-in web dashboard for easy management.

OpenTPU is a newly released open-source AI accelerator that was entirely developed by artificial intelligence, featuring a comprehensive repository that includes its RTL, ISA, simulator, compiler, and profiler. The accelerator has already demonstrated its capabilities by successfully running large language models such as Qwen3, LFM2.5, and Qwen3.5 on a Kintex-7 PCIe card.

A team of Claude Opus 5.5 AI agents has identified two room-temperature magnetic semiconductor candidates for next-generation computer memory. Both materials exhibit zero net magnetism while successfully sorting electrons by spin, featuring one newly designed compound and a material originally created in 1999. The team has released their complete calculations, code, and known caveats to support further research.

A recent review tests 12 budget-friendly Zigbee temperature and humidity sensors priced under $15 from brands including Aqara, Sonoff, and Tuya. The evaluation compares their accuracy and reliability to help smart home users determine which affordable models are actually worth buying.

A recent discussion on long-term data archival highlights the ongoing debate between using LTO tape drives and Blu-ray M-Disk optical media for cold storage. While LTO offers cost efficiency for large data volumes, users express concerns over its strict environmental requirements, high hardware costs, and maintenance needs. Consequently, many favor M-Disk as a more resilient and accessible backup of last resort for disaster recovery scenarios.

Simon Bradley reviews Will Millard's book Mapping Britain, which explores the extensive history of the Ordnance Survey archives. The article examines the evolution of traditional cartography and the meticulous creation of physical maps over the centuries. This retrospective highlights how these foundational mapping techniques laid the groundwork for the advanced geospatial and digital mapping technologies used today.

Qualcomm is licensing Huawei's LogicFolding chip technology, marking a significant shift as the Chinese company transitions from a technology buyer to a provider for Western firms. The innovative multi-layer wafer design reduces signal resistance and heat, effectively leveraging a 7nm manufacturing process to achieve 1.4nm scale performance. This agreement highlights Huawei's growing influence and rapid advancement in domestic semiconductor innovation.

The new Strata inference engine enables users to run the 125-billion parameter Qwen 3.8 Flash Next model on consumer hardware like the RTX 4090 at speeds reaching 100 tokens per second. Available for Windows and Linux with a one-click installation, the tool provides a local API compatible with OpenAI and Anthropic formats alongside optional multimodal image input.

A new browser port of Carol Shaw's classic Atari 2600 game River Raid has been released online. The project was meticulously rebuilt from the original ROM instruction by instruction and verified frame by frame against the physical cartridge. This ensures perfect authenticity for fans wanting to play the legendary title directly in their web browsers.

An improper redaction in a mandatory annual report has accidentally exposed the water and electricity usage of Google's data centers in Nebraska. While state statutes typically shield this resource consumption data from the public, the error provides a rare glimpse into the environmental footprint of the tech giant's facilities.

A new Show HN project features a 30-minute pendulum clock built from trash, but the accompanying community discussion largely pivoted to the upcoming 2035 abolition of the leap second. Developers debated the technical challenges of synchronizing civil and atomic time in distributed systems and proposed alternative solutions for handling astronomical time discrepancies.

An ASIC design puzzle aimed at fostering community in the secretive integrated circuit industry has sparked debate due to its funding by high-frequency trading firms. Some readers criticize high-frequency trading as a wasteful and morally questionable endeavor that extracts wealth without creating societal value. However, others defend the practice for improving overall market efficiency and significantly lowering trading costs for everyday investors.

Readers discussing a recent article on ceiling fans shared anecdotes about older models with interfering remote controls before pivoting to criticize modern fixtures featuring non-replaceable LEDs. This frustration sparked a broader debate about planned obsolescence, cheap manufacturing, and the engineering trade-offs inherent in today's LED lighting market. Ultimately, the conversation highlighted the difficult choices consumers face between low upfront costs, light quality, and long-term product longevity.

A new macOS tool called SCM enables deep AI-powered searches across every photo and video frame within any local folder. The application allows users to perform advanced visual queries directly on their devices without relying on cloud-based services.

A recent discussion on page table memory consumption debates the merits of traditional tree-based structures versus proposed PowerPC-style hashed page tables, with critics arguing that hashed alternatives fail to resolve existing memory bloat and may worsen bandwidth issues. Commenters also highlight that extreme memory overhead from page tables is increasingly driven by modern scaling demands, randomized virtual address allocations, and specific software bugs.

A tech enthusiast has shared a project detailing how they installed ultra-wideband radios on their household trash bins. The creator admits to massively over-engineering the trivial task of tracking garbage, driven purely by a passion for complex tech solutions. This humorous write-up highlights the extreme lengths makers will go to automate everyday chores.

Over the past year, Valve developer Timur Kristóf has implemented multiple improvements to the Linux AMDGPU kernel driver to better support decade-old GCN 1.0 and 1.1 graphics cards. These updates are specifically designed to enhance gaming performance and general task handling for users running older AMD hardware on Linux.

A maker recently detailed a DIY project where they equipped their household trash bins with ultra-wideband radios for precise tracking and automation. Although the creator admits to massively over-engineering a trivial problem, the build serves as an impressive showcase of advanced UWB technology in everyday smart home setups.

A 2016 feature highlights an abandoned railway electrical control room located in Woking, Surrey. Once a critical hub for regional transit infrastructure, the now-unused facility offers a rare glimpse into historical electrical control systems left behind by modern upgrades.

Apple's commitment to minimalist design has led to the concealment of fire extinguishers in its facilities to maintain a sleek aesthetic. However, this approach violates OSHA and NFPA regulations that mandate clear identification and easy access to emergency equipment. Ultimately, the controversy highlights the dangers of prioritizing polished design over basic safety compliance.

A former SR-71 engineer recently shared insights into NASA's initiative to restore the iconic Blackbird aircraft #844 to flightworthy status. The update detailed the extensive technical requirements needed for the revival and explored potential future high-speed research missions for the agency.

Discussions surrounding a recent piece on running Linux on Apple's M4 chips debate whether the company's powerful Apple Silicon could disrupt the enterprise server market. While some suggest Apple could generate massive revenue by selling Linux-based servers, fueled by rumors of a future M8 server, others remain skeptical. Critics point to the company's strict vertical integration and historical lack of business-to-business support as evidence that Apple will remain solely focused on its closed consumer ecosystem.

Muse introduces open-source, DIY gadgets that allow makers to build custom devices using standard ESP32 boards or a Raspberry Pi. Users can leverage the provided SDKs to easily connect these microcontrollers to various workbench components like sensors, displays, and actuators.

OKI Circuit Technology has developed a 124-layer printed circuit board technology designed for wafer inspection equipment. This technology will support the production of next-generation high bandwidth memory, such as HBM, which is critical for AI semiconductors.