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September 8
- TSMC increases Arizona internships to feed its Phoenix fabs — CHIPS-fueled supply chain begins to take shape
➀ TSMC doubled its Arizona internship program to over 200 students, targeting talent for its advanced 4nm and future 2nm fabs;
➀ The U.S. government's $6.6B CHIPS Act supports TSMC’s third Arizona fab, aiming to create 6,000 jobs and onshore advanced chip production;
➂ Partnerships with ASU, Amkor’s $2B packaging facility, and state-funded apprenticeships strengthen the U.S. semiconductor ecosystem.
- New and simple detection method for nanoplastics: The 'optical sieve' works like a test strip
➀ A joint team from the University of Stuttgart and the University of Melbourne developed a cost-effective method using an "optical sieve" to detect nanoplastics (0.2–1 µm) in environmental samples, requiring only a standard optical microscope;
➁ The technique utilizes semiconductor substrates etched with "Mie voids" that produce color changes when particles are trapped, enabling rapid size and quantity analysis without complex equipment;
➂ The method has potential applications in on-site environmental monitoring and health research, with plans to adapt it for irregular particles and real-world water samples.
September 7
- New report blames Phison's pre-release firmware for SSD failures — not Microsoft’s August patch for Windows
➀ A Chinese Facebook group PCDIY! identified pre-release Phison firmware as the root cause of recent SSD failures, contradicting initial blame on Microsoft's Windows 11 update;
➀ Affected drives used unreleased engineering firmware, while consumer SSDs with official firmware remain stable;
➁ Phison and Microsoft previously denied responsibility, but new findings suggest overlapping complexities in firmware, hardware, and OS updates.
- Multiple undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea, hampering internet performance — international cables connecting Europe, Asia, and the Middle East are compromised
➀ Two major submarine cables (SEA-ME-WE 4 and IMEWE) in the Red Sea were severed, causing latency spikes for Microsoft Azure users in South Asia and the Gulf;
➁ Microsoft rerouted traffic via longer paths, while repairs may take weeks due to geopolitical risks and scarce repair resources;
➂ This marks the second major cable disruption in the Red Sea since 2024, highlighting vulnerabilities in global Internet infrastructure.
- Eight-year-old gaming PC with Nvidia GTX 1080 found in the trash room gets a second life — offered a substantial upgrade to the finder despite age
➀ A vintage 2017 gaming PC with Intel i7-7700 and GTX 1080 GPU was rescued from dumpster;
➁ Found fully functional except storage, offering substantial upgrade over a 12-year-old system;
➂ Upgrades like SATA SSD expansion and RAM boost highlight ongoing value of legacy hardware
September 6
- AMD launches Ryzen 5 9500F, claiming up to 24% faster than Ryzen 5 7500F in gaming — Zen 5 chip launches as a China-exclusive for now
➀ AMD launches Ryzen 5 9500F as a China-exclusive Zen 5 CPU with 6 cores and 5 GHz boost clock.
➁ Claims up to 24% gaming gains over Ryzen 5 7500F, averaging 15% better performance in benchmarks.
➂ Priced at ~$180 (1,299 Yuan), but current pricing strategy may limit competitiveness vs AMD's other Zen 5 chips.
- Top Wi-Fi 7 Router Deals: Save Up To 38% On TP-Link, Netgear & More
➀ If your wireless router is struggling to maintain a connection, investing in Wi-Fi 7 now is more cost-effective as prices have stabilized.
➁ TP-Link's Tri-Band BE19000 Archer GE800 Wi-Fi 7 gaming router is on sale for $369.99 at Amazon, marking a 38% discount.
➂ The router offers multi-link operation support, allowing devices to connect to multiple bands simultaneously, and boasts speeds up to 11,528Mbps on the 6GHz band.
- Seagate Exos M 30TB HDD review: laser-powered HAMR recording tech revitalizes the enterprise HDD market
➀ Seagate's Exos M 30TB introduces HAMR technology, achieving a breakthrough 30TB capacity with 275MB/s sustained write speeds.
➁ The drive uses laser-heated media and Mozaic 3+ platform for higher storage density while maintaining power efficiency at 9.5W.
➂ Priced at $20/TB, it targets enterprise users but faces competition from smaller drives, with SMR variants reaching up to 36TB.
- SAMA P1200 Platinum power supply review
➀ The SAMA P1200 Platinum power supply exceeds 80 Plus Platinum efficiency standards, achieving 93.2% efficiency at 230V input, ideal for high-performance systems;
➁ Compact 150mm form factor with premium Japanese capacitors ensures reliability and thermal stability, backed by a 10-year warranty;
➂ Priced competitively at $190, it challenges established brands despite limited PCIe connectors for modern graphics cards.
- Amazon Echo is reportedly an internet vampire that uses gigabytes of data per day despite being unused, says owner
➀ An Amazon Echo user reports two Echo Show devices consumed over 4GB/day despite minimal usage;
➁ Experts suggest potential causes including software updates, cached video content, or Amazon Sidewalk sharing;
➂ Users advised to monitor network logs or unplug devices to eliminate privacy/data risks.
September 5
- DIYer creates the PC gaming handheld of your widest dreams – 32:9 AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme device showcased in driving games
➀ A Chinese DIY enthusiast showcased a custom 32:9 ultra-wide PC gaming handheld powered by AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, demonstrating smooth 60fps gameplay in racing titles like Asphalt Legends and SnowRunner;
➁ The device uses a rare 32:9 Asus ProArt portable display (1,920 x 550 pixels) capped at 60Hz, with estimated high costs due to premium components;
➂ While innovative, commercial alternatives like OneXPlayer X1 Air with 11-inch 16:10 screen and Intel Ultra 200V chips gain attention for balancing portability and performance.
- Portable 3D-printed device can produce enough drinking water from thin air for a family of four every day - Water from Air project can capture 1.6 gallons of drinking water per day
➀ A 3D-printed device by graduates uses atmospheric water generation (AWG) to produce up to 6 liters (1.6 gallons) of drinking water daily.
➁ The modular design leverages metal-organic frameworks and solar-powered condensation cycles, targeting affordability and global scalability.
➂ While still a prototype, the project highlights 3D printing’s potential in solving water scarcity amid global sanitation challenges.
- ‘Wonder Material’ for Future Electronics with New Potential
➀ Researchers observed Floquet states in graphene using femtosecond-pulse microscopy, confirming Floquet engineering's applicability in metallic/semi-metallic materials;
➁ This breakthrough enables precise control of electronic states in quantum materials, advancing potential technologies like robust quantum computers and sensors;
➂ Funded by the German Research Foundation, the study opens pathways for tailoring material properties to shape future electronics and high-performance computing.
- Lenovo's IFA launches include 4K 240 Hz OLED gaming monitors — Legion Pro 7 laptops features Ryzen 9 9955HX3D with an RTX 5080
➀ Lenovo unveiled three OLED gaming monitors at IFA 2025, including 4K 240Hz Legion Pro 32UD-10/27UD-10 and QHD 280Hz 27Q-10;
➁ The flagship Legion Pro 7 gaming laptop features AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D CPU, NVIDIA RTX 5080 GPU, and a 16" 240Hz OLED display;
➂ Priced from $699 (monitors) to $2,399 (laptop), products will launch between October-November 2025.
- Lenovo’s Legion Go 2 packs Ryzen Z2 Extreme and an OLED display — thick gaming handheld starts at $1,049
➀ Lenovo Legion Go 2 features AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, OLED display (1920x1200, 144Hz), up to 32GB RAM, and Hall effect joysticks.
➁ The handheld is thicker (1.66” with controllers) but includes a larger 74WHr battery and 2TB storage, priced from $1,049.
➂ Lenovo also announced the LOQ Tower desktop with AMD Ryzen 7 8745HX and NVIDIA RTX 50-series GPUs, starting at $999.99.
- Lenovo shows off ThinkBook VertiFlex laptop and Smart Motion dock concepts at IFA – rotating displays and AI-powered docks that follow your every move
➀ Lenovo unveiled the ThinkBook VertiFlex Concept, featuring a 14-inch display that manually rotates between landscape and portrait modes without keyboard adjustment;
➁ The Smart Motion Concept dock integrates AI-driven motorized gimbals to track user movements and voice, optimizing ergonomic positioning;
➂ Both concepts emphasize Lenovo's experimental approach, potentially influencing future commercial products despite uncertain release timelines.
- Quantum Computing – Challenge and Opportunity for Scientific High-Performance Computing
➀ The ZKI Autumn Conference 2025 at the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre (LRZ) explores the future of data processing, focusing on quantum computing, AI hardware, and photonic computing paradigms;
➀ IBM's Dr. Heike Riel highlights efforts to advance quantum technologies, AI physics, and novel computing frameworks;
➀ The LRZ pioneers energy-efficient photonic AI computing using Q.ANT's analog photonic server, positioning Germany as a leader in post-CMOS technologies.
September 4
- ERC Starting Grant for Junior Professor Stefan Mönch – Towards Almost Lossless Electrical Energy Conversion
➀ Junior Professor Stefan Mönch at the University of Stuttgart has been awarded an ERC Starting Grant of €1.5 million to research highly efficient electrical energy conversion technologies;
➁ The project focuses on partial power processing (PPP) converters and multilevel converters to minimize energy losses in applications like electromobility and solid-state heat pumps, achieving efficiencies over 99%;
➂ Research explores cascading topologies and optimal voltage levels to extend applications to smart materials, soft robotics, and energy harvesting, supported by collaborations in projects like GaN4EmoBiL and COOLPOL.
- ERC Starting Grant for Junior Professor Stefan Mönch – Towards Nearly Lossless Electrical Energy Conversion
➀ Dr. Stefan Mönch received a €1.5 million ERC Starting Grant to advance research on near-lossless electrical energy conversion using Partial-Power Processing (PPP) and multilevel converters, aiming to minimize energy losses in voltage transformations.
➁ The research targets applications like electromobility and solid-state heat pumps (using eco-friendly electrocaloric materials) and explores optimizing voltage stages and cascading topologies to maximize efficiency, building on GaN semiconductor expertise from prior projects.
➂ The project also investigates energy harvesting and smart materials for soft robotics, with potential to significantly enhance sustainable energy systems and reduce environmental impact.
- Sony's Rumored PS5 Revision Would Be A Slap In The Face To Gamers
➀ A new leak suggests Sony is preparing to release another PlayStation 5 model, but the upcoming revision may not be exciting. It is rumored that the new model will reduce the internal storage while keeping the price the same.
➁ Sony has recently increased the MSRPs across its PS5 lineup, with the regular PS5 now priced at $549.99 in the U.S.
➂ According to Dealabs, Sony is preparing to release a revised PS5 Digital Edition in Europe and Japan with a lower storage capacity.
- Samsung's massive 49-inch ultrawide OLED gaming monitor is back down to its lowest ever price at Amazon
➀ Samsung's Odyssey OLED G9 (G93SC) 49-inch curved gaming monitor drops to its historical low price of $899, a 44% discount from its original $1,599.
➁ Features include a 240Hz refresh rate, 5120×1440 OLED display with VESA HDR True Black 400 certification, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, and multi-device connectivity via HDMI 2.1/DisplayPort.
➂ Focused on core gaming performance, it omits smart TV features but offers Picture-by-Picture mode for dual-input multitasking.
- Maingear, Clevo Partner On A Potent Super 16 Gaming Laptop With RTX 5070 Ti & Wi-Fi 7
➀ Maingear和Clevo合作推出了一款名为Super 16的高端游戏笔记本电脑；
➁ 该笔记本电脑具有16英寸显示屏，分辨率为2560x1660，刷新率为300Hz，亮度为500尼特，并支持NVIDIA G-SYNC；
➂ 配备了Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX处理器和GeForce RTX 5070 Ti显卡，支持高达96GB的DDR5-4800内存和三个M.2插槽；
➃ 提供Killer Wi-Fi 7和2.5Gbps LAN端口，以及Thunderbolt 4/USB-C端口等I/O接口。
- Seagate IronWolf Pro 30TB HDD Review: Seagate Drops the HAMR with the Biggest NAS Drive on the Market
➀ Seagate's IronWolf Pro 30TB HDD utilizes HAMR (Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording) to achieve 30TB capacity with 7,200 RPM and 275 MB/s speeds;
➁ While excelling in NAS environments with optimized idle performance and data recovery services, its high base price ($549.99) targets enterprise/data hoarder users;
➂ The drive shares hardware with enterprise-grade Exos M series but offers better consumer-friendly pricing and compatibility with NAS systems like QNAP.
- Fraunhofer ISE Develops Test Procedure for Grid-Forming Inverters
➀ Fraunhofer ISE developed a standardized test procedure for grid-forming inverters in collaboration with German transmission system operators to assess their role in stabilizing power grids during renewable energy integration;
➁ The tests evaluated seven manufacturers' inverters (ranging from kW to MW scale), revealing significant behavioral variations under simulated grid stress scenarios and providing optimization insights;
➂ Project outcomes informed European standardization efforts, including the VDE FNN guidelines, and support future certification for grid-forming technologies ahead of 2026 market incentives.
- Paul Motzki receives one of Europe's most prestigious research grants to develop innovative cooling systems
➀ Professor Paul Motzki at Saarland University secured an ERC Starting Grant (€1.5 million) to advance elastocaloric cooling technology, combining shape memory alloys and dielectric elastomer actuators;
➁ The eco-friendly elastocaloric method uses nickel-titanium alloys for heating/cooling without harmful refrigerants, achieving 20°C temperature differentials, with potential for multi-stage systems;
➂ Motzki’s team also leads EU projects like the EIC Pathfinder (prototype air conditioning) and SmiLE (smart medical implants), leveraging AI for sensor-free actuator control and innovative cooling applications.
- 'Doomer science fiction': Nvidia criticizes proposed US bill that would force it to give American buyers 'first option' in AI GPU purchases before selling chips to other countries, including allies — GAIN AI Act debuts in defense spending bill
① U.S. Senate proposes GAIN AI Act to prioritize domestic sales of advanced AI GPUs, potentially banning exports of high-end chips;
② NVIDIA criticizes the bill as 'self-defeating' and warns it could undermine U.S. global AI leadership;
③ The act sets strict technical thresholds (e.g., 2,400 TPP score) that would restrict even mid-tier GPUs like H20 from being exported.
- Paul Motzki Receives One of Europe's Most Prestigious Research Awards for Innovative Cooling Systems
➀ Prof. Paul Motzki was awarded the ERC Starting Grant to develop elastocaloric cooling systems using shape memory alloys and dielectric elastomer films, aiming for compact, eco-friendly solutions;
➁ The technology, with potential applications in residential and automotive cooling, achieves temperature differentials of 20°C and is part of EU-funded projects like EIC Pathfinder;
➂ Motzki’s team is integrating silicone film actuators and AI-driven controls to advance energy-efficient, sensor-free cooling and heating prototypes.
- Even Smarter: Fraunhofer IWU and Fraunhofer IIS Introduce New Generation of smartTOOL Tool Holder
➀ The new-generation smartTOOL features enhanced sensors and electronics for monitoring process forces and vibrations in all directions, with sampling rates up to 10 kHz for high-frequency detection;
➁ Its compact, robust design reduces space by 25%, supports multiple spindle geometries, and uses wireless energy harvesting for autonomous operation without external power;
➂ Integrated with the AI-driven ECC4P Edge Cloud system, it enables real-time production monitoring and automation, debuting at EMO Hannover 2025.
September 3
- NVIDIA's Discrete GPU Market Share Surges To 94% As Panic And Confusion Set In
➀ Overall GPU shipments increased by 8.4% to 74.7 million units in the second quarter, indicating pre-tariff panic buying.
➁ NVIDIA's discrete GPU market share surged to 94%, up from 92% in the previous quarter and 88% a year ago.
➂ AMD accounts for the remaining 6% of the market, with Intel's Arc Alchemist and Battlemage GPUs not making a significant impact.
- GeForce RTX 5070 Ti & 5070 Deals Drop NVIDIA's Midrange GPUs To Below MSRP
➀ NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 series graphics cards are seeing deals, with some models going below MSRP.
➁ ASUS Prime GeForce RTX 5070 is currently the best deal at $523.79, $86.20 below MSRP.
➂ The card comes with a factory overclock and features like dual BIOS toggle and dual-ball bearing fans.