Business Articles

ASUS is now selling NUC-branded mini-PCs, starting with the NUC 13 Pro and NUC 13 Extreme. The company has also committed to supporting existing Intel-branded NUC mini-PCs from 10th Gen Intel Core processors onwards.

TCL has announced that it is bringing its line of energy storage and management solutions to the home to the global market. Its Energy Storage System is based on "high-security, long-life" LiFePO4 battery technology in order to better manage a home energy supply in a potentially bill-cutting, emergency-solving manner. There is also a One-Stop Smart Energy Solution rated to connect TCL solar panels to the OEM's new Heat Pump for a "self-sufficient" hot water supply.

ENGWE has put its latest "Super" X-series electric bikes up for sale in the US and Europe for a new simultaneous Labor Day/Autumn event. The deals include US$200 or €300 discounts on the OEM's flagship all-terrain, up-to-1,200W motor X26 model. There are also more deals on older e-bikes such as the foldable EP-2 Pro and cruiser-style M20.

Volkswagen has announced an electric GTI concept based on the front-wheel drive ID. 2all expected to launch in around 2027. The German marque will face stiff competition from the likes of Fiat, Mini, Renault, and perhaps even Tesla. Volkswagen appears to be leaning more heavily on legacy nameplates than previous comments indicated.

TCL's IFA 2023 booth is replete with unusual and cutting-edge display technology, including the latest CSOT prototypes hinting at a future with devices such as 17-inch foldable laptops. The first-gen NXTPAPER display smartphones, on the other hand, are market-ready, touted to deliver the most eye health-friendly, non-glossy experience in a sub-7-inch form-factor for the first time.

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has addressed a technology conference claiming that the company will regain the lead chip fabrication node technology in 2025. He also said that Intel has managed to snare a “large customer” for its 18A node, which is on track for 2025

Ulefone has come to demonstrate how rugged its Android devices really are at IFA 2023 by even inviting attendees to come and stand on some of them on the show floor. The OEM has also taken the opportunity to unveil new products such as its latest Armor Pad-series tablet - not to mention the Armor 23 Ultra, its maker's inaugural "two-way satellite communication" smartphone.

AGM has come to IFA 2023 to reveal that it has broken out of its normal rugged, feature-rich smartphone mold into tablets for the first time. The Pad P1 still has IP68 and IP69K ratings for potentially advanced water-resistance, as well as a "powerful" enough MediaTek chipset for independent connectivity in its 4G/LTE variant. The new "all-in-one" slate launches today (September 1, 2023) on the European market.

Earlier this week, Huawei introduced the Mate 60 and Mate 60 Pro, its two latest flagship smartphones. While Huawei tends to offer at least one Mate series model globally, this will not be true with the Mate 60 series.

Introduced as office-oriented minimalist cases or as RGB-illuminated versions aimed at gamers that also feature a tempered glass transparent side panel, the two new midi ATX tower cases from Sharkoon are already available as VS8/VS9 (black) and VS8 RGB/VS9 RGB (white or black). The suggested prices are 49.90 Euros (US$54) and 59.90 Euros (US$65).

Polestar aims to launch the Polestar 4 EV with Mobileye's SuperVision Level 2+ ADAS capabilities throughout 2023 and 2024. Polestar aims to have the Intel subsidiary's Chauffeur Level 4 ADAS in its vehicles in the future. Curiously, the upcoming Polestar 3 has been overlooked for the Mobileye treatment.

AGM has unveiled its latest mobile phone as the M8 Flip, a device that, unlike most of the OEM's devices with its 'threefold' rugged attributes, is capable of folding along a hinge. It has the edge on the average traditional clamshells with what might be the loudest speaker of its class, integrated into a round cover display.

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), Sony's arm that manages PlayStation, has acquired California-based headphone maker Audeze. With Audeze under its belt, SIE hopes to bring "Audeze’s expertise into the PlayStation ecosystem". Aside from announcing that Audeze will "operate independently", Sony has not revealed any other details, for instance the acquisition amount, regarding the deal.

Faced with increasing Starlink satellite Internet bandwidth demand, SpaceX is reportedly looking to expand its network of data centers. To do so, it may have partnered with Cloudflare to increase network speeds.

Tesla's Elon Musk flaunts the production-ready Cybertruck in an online appearance ahead of the electric pickup truck's official announcement. Meanwhile, Tesla takes the wraps off the Cybertruck Delivery Event Invite referral program that seems awfully difficult to take advantage of.

The mobile workstation has already done all the hard work to pave the way for a potential XPS 16. Its design and AC adapter would translate perfectly into a 16-inch XPS model if we are to ever see more options in the XPS series.

Panasonic plans to flesh out its line-up of S series L-mount lenses, with at least four new lenses confirmed on the latest roadmap. Of the four lenses in question, perhaps the most tantalising is a 100-500 mm super telephoto lens — a niche not currently served by the Lumix line-up.

SK Hynix has announced that it is ready to sample its latest form of high bandwidth memory (or HBM), pitched at advanced applications such as research or AI, to its customers. HBM3E is rated to keep up to 10% cooler thanks to the new production technique used to make it. It is also compatible with systems already set up to use the preceding HBM3.

With speeds of up to 2,600 MB/s, the 7.68 TB SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE PRO STUDIO enterprise-class desktop external SSD has an impressive endurance of 11,000 TBW and features dual Thunderbolt 3 ports that allow for easy daisy-chaining. Thanks to a 43% discount, it goes for US$999.99 instead of US$1,749.99.

Lavoie, McLaren Applied's e-scooter brand, is rumored to be negotiating to acquire e-bike brand VanMoof. It appears that they are one of two parties currently in the running, with the final decision date unclear. Lavoie revealed its first product, the Series 1 e-scooter, earlier this year, with deliveries expected in November.

The old ThinkPad E14 G4 was the last ThinkPad with a 1.8 mm keyboard, which is no longer available in the G5 model. In return, the modern case now offers a better display. The performance of the Ryzen processor, on the other hand, is at a standstill, even if the name suggests otherwise.

Expected to launch next year, the highly-anticipated MS11 is Xiaomi's first electric car and has been recently spotted undergoing testing in Xinjiang. Based on the social media posts of Lei Jun and Lu Weibing, it is very likely that they're testing the upcoming vehicle together.

ESR's latest Kickstarter campaign combines its line of charging stations with wireless charging docks specifically intended for iPhones, AirPods and Apple Watches with up-to-100 watt (W) wired charging for the first time. Accordingly, the OEM asserts that a user can charge up to 6 devices at the same time at their respective maximal rates thanks to "advanced" gallium nitride (GaN) technology.

Linus Media Group (LMG), the parent company of YouTube channel Linus Tech Tips, has found itself on the receiving end of heavy criticism regarding repeated factual errors in videos and toxic workplace environment. The bulk of LMG drama unfolded after Gamers Nexus, a YouTube channel focused on PC hardware, uploaded a lengthy video lambasting LMG for factual inaccuracies and questionable ethical practices.

A recent internal Tesla memo has surfaced, threatening workers and contractors with disciplinary action if they are caught taking photos of the upcoming Cybertruck for the remainder of the development process. The timing of the clamp-down is curious, given how close Tesla is to the expected delivery date for the electric pickup.

Elon Musk, the former CEO of X/Twitter, said he wants to change how the block function works on the platform by restricting it to direct messages. A proposed solution is a stronger version of the mute function that disallows users from interacting with someone who has muted them.

Samsung has reportedly augmented its ISOCELL series of mobile device image sensors with new variants of up to 440MP in size. The unprecedentedly high-res new camera component is slated to enter mass production in 2024 along with its new siblings. They are believed to include a new 50MP model with specs to rival the cutting-edge 1-inch Sony IMX989.

Former Tesla factory workers have spoken out against the company's working conditions, with allegations including everything from an extremely high-stress culture to violations of employee safety, and employee harassment.

An industry insider and a report from a Taiwanese news outlet suggest Qualcomm plans to use TSMC's N3E node for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. This refutes an earlier rumour which said Samsung Foundry would manufacture the flagship SoC.

Apple has reportedly begun to manufacture units of its iPhone 15, not to mention its Plus, Pro and Pro Max siblings, in certain regions. However, they may be mass-produced in smaller volumes compared to earlier projections. Meanwhile, one of the series' members has allegedly popped up on an official regulator's database ahead of its launch.

HP's EliteBook 845 G10 is a fantastic business laptop with extensive security features, a fast Zen4 processor, great keyboard and very bright 120 Hz display.

With a list price of only US$1 shy of US$10,000, the 144 TB SanDisk Professional G-RAID Shuttle 8 enterprise-class 8-bay external hard drive is now down by 38% and can be acquired for US$6,199.99. Its highlights include hardware RAID, Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C connectivity, as well as up to 1,900 MB/s sequential read speed.

According to new AMD-commissioned research, nearly 80% of the 2,000+ "IT leaders" surveyed believed that AI will boost their productivity, while 70% of them believe that it will result in an improved work-life balance. Despite this, just under 50% report that their companies are not ready to adopt the technology necessary to integrate it into their businesses, while 67% believe that doing so poses a new kind of security threat.

The performance-oriented European hardware brand Schenker has launched its premier Summer 2023 sales event via its web-store Bestware, with up to 15% off its latest laptops. They include the up-to-RTX 4090 XMG Neo 16 and 17 E23 models, not to mention the Core i7-13700H-powered Vision 16 Pro M23. Bestware also offers up to 45% on select peripherals and VR hardware during the event.

Apple's reputation for software-locked hardware components has reportedly spread to the MacBook Pro. A device-restoration vlogger claims that swapping these parts between 2 identical units of the same 14-inch SKU results in specific screen defects, as well as missing functions and settings in some cases. These findings suggest that the OEM is indeed trying to "kill" third-party display replacements in even more of its hardware.

Nvidia stock has exploded in 2023 with the rise of generative AI technology. The company is looking to double down its momentum in the server market with the launch of its latest Grace Hopper super chip, which is the first in the world to feature the latest HBM3e memory.

The Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 4 AMD is an example for many recent laptops with AMD CPUs that targets a cheaper price range: Instead of the newest CPUs, customers get served old technology with a new name. This technological stagnation is annoying us and confusing for customers.

OnePlus' community channels have been inundated with user complaints of the dreaded "green line" screen defect that has plagued AMOLED panels over the last few years. Now, the company has announced a new official service program that may result in a new display for free, in the case of devices that still have an active product life-cycle. For those that do not, the OEM is offering hefty discounts on new replacement smartphones instead.

The ESCALADE IQ is the latest all-electric SUV from Cadillac, and is touted to be one of the most premium vehicles of its class on its 2024 release. Qualcomm has announced that it has equipped the ~US$130,000 car with smarts to match its potential for power, by outfitting it with the latest Snapdragon Digital Chassis solutions that include the latest Ride Platform SoC and Snapdragon Auto 5G Modem-RF platform.

SK Hynix touted LPDDR5T as the fastest ever DRAM for mobile devices on its early 2023 launch. Now, the OEM claims to have verified these claims using MediaTek's next flagship Dimensity-series SoC, slated to launch as the 9300 later this year. Accordingly, smartphones that rock both this processor and the new class-leading RAM are slated to emerge in 2024.

The BenQ LH820ST Golf Simulator Projector has arrived. The model has a Golf mode to enhance the colors for an immersive experience and can be ceiling mounted to optimize space. The otherwise typical laser short throw projector has a native 1080p resolution and up to 3,600 lumens brightness.

The Steam Deck remains one of the most popular handheld consoles out there - meaning that there are never many of its SKUs to buy out there, either. Then again, Valve has announced a new line of supply for the AMD APU-powered device, in the form of its new Certified Refurbished program. It offers a more sustainable alternative to a new retail unit of the Steam Deck at a discount of up to 20%.

The compact office laptop by Lenovo scores points with low emissions, long battery life numbers and a 16 inch screen in the work-friendly 16:10 format (1,920 x 1,200, IPS, low power). It also includes Thunderbolt 4 and WWAN options.

The NOMVDIC P1000 4K projector is now on sale in the US. The new model has an LED light source, delivering up to 2,300 ANSI lumens brightness. Designed with gaming in mind, the P1000 has a 4.2 ms input lag at 1080p@240Hz resolution. Other features include auto-focus and 1.2X optical zoom.

Industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Qualcomm has stopped developing test chips on Intel's 20A node. It will instead look at TSMC's N3E and Samsung Foundry's 3GAP nodes for future products.

Robert Hallock left AMD in September 2022, after spending over a decade with the company and being involved in marketing processors and GPUs. Now, he is returning to the tech industry by joining Intel, where he will focus on AI for consumer processors as the company's Senior Director of Technical Marketing.