Synology to require branded hard drives for future NAS models
NAS maker pushes proprietary strategy with HDD certification
Electronics
The latest consumer electronics, from smart home devices to cool gadgets that are bound to be industry-changing.
LG launches 45" and 39" OLED gaming monitors with smart TV features
Best of both worlds or a compromise that satisfies neither?
Humanoid robots struggle in first humans vs. robots half-marathon
Humanoid robots of all shapes and sizes were on display
What just happened? It appears that one thing humanoid robots still can't do better than their human counterparts is long-distance running. This fact was illustrated during a half-marathon in Beijing, China, over the weekend, when most of the competing robots fell over, fell apart, or failed to finsih.
New graphene-based flash memory writes data in 400 picoseconds, shattering all speed records
"PoX" can execute 25 billion operations every second
Nintendo finally sets Switch 2 pre-orders for April 24, but sales restrictions might be over the top
Casual Switch gamers need not apply
Amazon smart TVs could soon replace Fire OS with Linux-based Vega OS
New Fire OS devices are still in the pipeline, though
The world's first foldable e-reader is here: Readmoo's mooInk V
Smaller than a paperback and can survive 200,000 bends
Rising power density and heat threaten the future of advanced semiconductors
The end of Dennard scaling is fueling a thermal crisis in next-gen chips
A real-life Severance keyboard is here, complete with built-in trackball
Praise Kier for this keyboard
Intel wants more modular laptops, but the focus is on OEMs, not consumers
Interchangeable parts would allow makers to offer more customization during orders
Study finds CT scans could be responsible for 103,000 new cancer cases in the US each year
The cancer risks associated with CT scans are comparable to those from alcohol consumption and excess body weight
A hot potato: A new study from UC San Francisco is raising alarms about the widespread use of computed tomography (CT) scans in the United States, warning that the technology may be responsible for as much as 5 percent of all cancers diagnosed each year. The research, published in JAMA Internal Medicine and funded by the National Institutes of Health, suggests that the risks associated with CT scans – particularly the exposure to ionizing radiation – are far greater than previously believed.
The world's first personal 3D texturing UV printer paints on almost any surface
Kickstarter begins this month, with shipments starting in June
China halts rare earth exports, sparking fears of shortages in critical industries
"Based on everything we are seeing, the critical inputs for our future supply chain are shut down"
Trump plans new tariffs on semiconductors, promises flexibility for some companies
Trump administration is looking at the whole electronics supply chain as part of its tariff investigations
Trump administration exempts phones, computers, CPUs, memory, and chipmaking tools from sweeping tariffs
The exemptions cover $390 billion in yearly US imports
Why it matters: The Trump administration has granted a reprieve to global technology manufacturers by exempting smartphones, laptops, CPUs, memory chips, and electronics to make semiconductors from its sweeping tariffs on imports – a move that could ease pressure on companies like Apple and Nvidia while offering relief to consumers.
Survey reveals most people panic when their phone battery drops to 38%
Older generations are more lax regarding battery life
Sony stops making 8K TVs, but ultra high-def cameras remain key to future
TV sets designed for 8K content are few and far between now
What just happened? Once positioned as the successor to Ultra HD, the 8K TV format has struggled to gain traction. Sony has been one of the tech's most prominent backers, but is now stepping away from the market. A long-term return remains possible, but only if broader industry conditions shift.
Startup wants to use lasers to cool chips in a weirdly precise way
Using a wonder material that cools down instead of heating up when fired with lasers
Teens and tech: Almost 90% own iPhones, most use Instagram and Spotify
The iPhone is a must-have for most teens
Trump pauses global tariffs but raises China tariffs to 125%, potentially impacting laptops, monitors, and consoles
Back and Forth: President Trump has announced a 90-day pause on new tariffs against all countries except China, just a week after what experts called a "nuclear bomb" on global trade. Global reciprocal tariffs have been reduced to 10%, while anti-China taxes have surged to a historic 125%.
Kioxia new optical PCIe 5.0 SSDs can do 40-meter cable lengths with no performance loss
Collaboration with AIOCore and Kyocera targets AI infrastructure
The 286,000-volt "Bear Blaster" fires fierce 5-inch sparks to scare off bears
Bear sprays weren't cool enough for this electrical wizard
Saddle up: Kawasaki shows off hydrogen-powered robot horse
We checked, it's not an April Fool's joke
China unveils GPMI, an HDMI and DisplayPort rival with 192 Gbps bandwidth and 480W power delivery
It's USB-C compatible and supports 8K video, networking, and high-wattage power delivery