Samsung Electronics saw net profit rise sixfold in Q2, surging 46 percent — to $7.11 billion — compared to Q1. The buoyant results for the South Korean electronics manufacturer were driven by its semiconductor business and the demand for advanced chips needed to fuel the global boom in artificial intelligence. Although the company is the world’s top smartphone manufacturer, more than half of the quarter’s operating profit came from chip-making for the latest reporting period. Revenue for the April through June quarter resulted in a 23.42 percent increase year-over-year, while profit soared 1,458 percent. Continue reading Demand for Advanced Semiconductors Drives Samsung Profits

Canon is gearing up to begin shipping its new nanoimprint lithography chipmaking machines, possibly this year. The equipment — which uses a stamping process Canon says will be cheaper and more energy-efficient than ASML’s light-based extreme ultraviolet (EUV) technology — could be a disruptor in a market dominated by the Dutch company. Such machines, essential in manufacturing semiconductors, imprint circuitry onto silicon wafers in patterns that can be thousands of times thinner than the width of a human hair. Foundries TSMC, Samsung Semiconductor and Intel rely on ASML’s EUV machines in the manufacture of high-end chips. Continue reading Canon Could Begin Shipping Chip Stamping Machine in 2024

Ahead of next month’s CES, Lenovo has unveiled new ThinkPad and IdeaPad laptops powered by Intel’s latest Core Ultra chipsets. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, ThinkPad X1 2-in-1, and IdeaPad Pro 5i are Intel Evo model laptops, each leveraging the Core Ultra’s three compute engines — a CPU, a GPU and, for good measure, a neural processing unit. Lenovo says that while the three generally work together for optimal efficiency, some tasks wind up offloaded to the GPU or NPU to achieve greater performance and power management. Since both form factors use the Windows 11 OS, the new models support Microsoft’s AI Copilot features. Continue reading Lenovo Unveils Laptops for AI-Enabled Business Computing

During yesterday’s “Scary Fast” new product event, Apple unveiled its next generation of bespoke processors — the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Pro Max — and some new computers to go with them. Built to the 3-nanometer spec that supports artificial intelligence and advanced graphics, the M3 line has 2.5x the speed of 2020’s M1 series, per Apple, which says the core processing performance is as much as 50 percent faster. New MacBook Pro laptops in 14-inch and 16-inch versions will feature M3 Pro and M3 Pro Max chips. An M3 powered 24-inch iMac series is also debuting. Continue reading Apple’s New M3 Chips Make the MacBook, iMac ‘Scary Fast’

Sony announced it is introducing a new PS5 shipping in November, timed for the holiday shopping season. The slimmer form factor, which features a detachable Blu-ray Disc drive and 1TB SSD for internal storage, has been reduced in volume by more than 30 percent and is 18- 24 percent lighter, depending on the choice of two models. The PS5 Digital Edition will run $449.99, while the PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive will cost an additional $50. For those who purchase the base PS5 Digital Edition, a $79.99 Blu-ray disc drive can be added later. The new PS5 includes a horizontal stand; a new $29.99 vertical stand is compatible with all PS5 models. Continue reading New PS5 Model Adds Option for Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive

Day one of Apple’s WWDC 2023 conference from the company’s headquarters in Cupertino was about much more than the anticipated Vision Pro mixed reality headset. The company introduced a powerhouse Mac Pro with Ultra M2, starting at $6,999, and upgraded Mac Studio desktops with M2 Max or M2 Ultra chips. The macOS Sonoma desktop operating system was among the reveals, along with the new 15-inch MacBook Air. Apple took the wraps off iOS 17 and announced that FaceTime and videoconferencing are coming to Apple TV in 4K with tvOS 17. The company’s watchOS 10 rounded out the new product and software highlights. Continue reading WWDC: Apple Surprises with Product and Software Reveals

LG is injecting some glitz into its flagship laptops with the introduction of its Gram Style line of glass case iridescent portables. The LG Gram Style comes in 14- and 16-inch configurations, and like the featherweight gray units that came before them are slim and lightweight. The main distinction is the luminous, color-changing finish that LG says will “shine and shift dynamically, moving and changing depending on the light and angle,” with more exotic color variations in the pipeline. LG was displaying various patterned Gram Style lids at its CES booth in purples, pinks, polka dots and more, asking visitors to vote their favorites, with the winner said to be coming to market. Continue reading CES: 2023 LG Laptops Include Gram Style in Iridescent Glass

In advance of CES 2021, Texas-based computer tech company Dell unveiled the latest in its PC and laptop products. Notable are the Latitude 9420 and 9520 laptops with SafeShutter, which Dell says is the first webcam shutter that automatically opens and closes by synching with videoconferencing applications. These laptops, which are upgraded with 11th Gen Intel Core vPro processors, also have secure mic and mute keys. Additionally, Dell reported that the 9420 will have additional enhancements specific to remote working. Continue reading Dell Debuts Features for PCs and Laptops Ahead of CES 2021

Following a series of leaks, Microsoft has now confirmed the existence of another new game console, the Xbox Series S, which it dubs the smallest Xbox ever (60 percent smaller than the Series X). The company said the “slim, white console” will debut “soon,” provide “next-gen performance” and be priced at $299. Reports suggest that Series S and Series X will be available for purchase on November 10 and hint that many Series S features are similar to those of Series X, but with less disc drive and less powerful CPU and GPU. Microsoft stated that the Xbox Series X “will be four times more powerful than its predecessor, the Xbox One X.” Continue reading Microsoft Confirms the Debut of $299 Xbox Series S Console

Sony debuted two versions of its PlayStation 5 game console as well as new games, in advance of the holiday season. The PS5 Digital Edition, the second version, omits the Blu-ray Disc drive, and its download-only feature could eventually impact Amazon, GameStop, Walmart and other retailers. The Digital Edition also sports a sleeker design and, potentially, a lower price. New games include the latest “Spider-Man” and “Gran Turismo” titles and an enhanced version of Take-Two Interactive Software’s “Grand Theft Auto V.” Continue reading Sony Reveals Details on PlayStation 5 Consoles, New Games

Sony previously stated that the upcoming PlayStation 5 will support 8K resolution gaming and features a custom AMD Ryzen chip and ray tracing. Now, lead systems architect Mark Cerny shared more details about the PS5’s solid-state drive, 3D audio capabilities and backward compatibility. The PS5 processor will support 3D audio and requires no external hardware. PS5 also offers an environmentally friendly feature by allowing players to “suspend gameplay with much lower power consumption than PS4.” Continue reading Sony Reveals More Specifications on Upcoming PlayStation 5

Sony Interactive Entertainment has so far said little about its PlayStation 5, set to debut during the 2020 holiday season. The company was even a no-show at E3, where Microsoft introduced its Xbox One successor, Project Scarlett. Sony had stated that PS5 would support ray tracing, just revealed to be via a GPU hardware acceleration, rather than a software tweak. The console will also feature a solid-state drive, which will dramatically speed up loading time, by avoiding the need to duplicate game assets, also saving space. Continue reading Details Emerge About Sony Interactive’s 2020 PlayStation 5

Sony’s next gaming console, dubbed the PlayStation 5, will not debut in 2019 — although Sony has stepped up deploying software development kits to video game creators. Still, it’s set to become the console that’s “more revolution than evolution,” featuring an eight-core CPU based on the third generation of AMD’s Ryzen line’s new 7nm Zen 2 microarchitecture. Sony’s PS5 will also be the first game console to offer ray tracing. Microsoft, meanwhile, will debut a console that completely eschews physical media. Continue reading Sony, Microsoft Planning Advanced Digital Game Consoles

At CES 2019, Alienware debuted its Area-51m 17-inch gaming laptop, touting its power and swappable hardware. Co-founder Frank Azor said the Area-51m counters the current trend of less powerful, more portable gaming laptops with built-in obsolescence. Instead, the Area-51m is basically a desktop PC with built-in battery, screen and keyboard and swappable hard drive, RAM, battery, CPU and GPU. Alienware aids the user in taking it apart with labeled guides in the laptop framework and easily removable screws. Continue reading Alienware’s Powerful Gaming Laptop Allows Swappable Parts

At CES 2019 next month, Innovation Award honoree zSpace will show a portable Windows PC laptop that is focused on “spatial content,” allowing users to interact with augmented reality and virtual reality content. Based in Sunnyvale, zSpace’s creators claim it is the first portable Windows PC that “breaks the screen barrier” between users and AR/VR, and tout its ability to foster creativity and collaboration in a flexible, immersive environment. It features patented 3D screen technology and lightweight glasses. Continue reading zSpace to Show Windows Laptop for AR/VR Viewing at CES