Hardware
Nvidia seeks to make humanoid AI robots safer around humans
People stand near humanoid robots on display at the Nvidia booth during the China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing, China June 22, 2026. Nvidia Corp. is working to make humanoid robots safer around people, arguing that they'll need to handle split-second decisions before they can be trusted to work closely with humans. The chipmaker is offering software and semiconductors that will allow humanoids to enter the workplace and truly interact with people -- even making physical contact if necessary. Nvidia's Halos software, developed from systems used for self-driving vehicles, will be the basis of computers that give robots a much better awareness of what's happening around them, the company said in a statement Monday. Nvidia and its Silicon Valley peers are racing to develop technology for robotics, billing it as the next big market for artificial intelligence. The machines will evolve into a market with billions of devices, tech executives predict.
LithoSim: ALarge, Holistic Lithography Simulation Benchmark for AI-Driven Semiconductor Manufacturing
Lithography orchestrates a symphony of light, mask and photochemicals to transfer the integrated circuit patterns onto the wafer. Lithography simulation serves as the critical nexus between circuit design and manufacturing, where its speed and accuracy fundamentally govern the optimization quality of downstream resolution enhancement techniques (RETs). While machine learning promises to circumvent computational limitations of lithography process through data-driven or physics-informed approximations of computational lithography, existing simulators suffer from inadequate lithographic awareness due to insufficient training data capturing essential process variations and mask correction rules.
Unveiling the Uncertainty in Embodied and Operational Carbon of Large AIModels through a Probabilistic Carbon Accounting Model
The rapid growth of large AI models has raised significant environmental concerns due to their substantial carbon footprint. Existing carbon accounting methods for AI models are fundamentally deterministic and fail to account for inherent uncertainties in embodied and operational carbon emissions. Our work aims to investigate the effect of these uncertainties on embodied and operational carbon footprint estimates for large AI models. We propose a Probabilistic Carbon Accounting Model (PCAM), which quantifies uncertainties in the carbon accounting of large AI models. We develop parameter models to quantify key components (processors, memory, storage) in the carbon footprint of AI models. To characterize the distribution of the parameters, we develop a carbon dataset by aggregating related data from various sources. Then, we generate the probabilistic distribution of the parameters from the collected dataset. We compare the performance of PCAM with LLMCarbon, the state-of-the-art carbon accounting method for large AI models.
Apple to raise prices as AI boom pushes up chip costs
Apple plans to raise the prices of its products as the cost of the memory chips it uses has surged, the technology giant's boss has said. Tim Cook, Apple's outgoing chief executive, told The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that price increases are unavoidable as the situation around memory chips has become unsustainable. He did not say when prices will rise or which products will be affected. It is also unclear whether the price hikes will affect the iPhone 18, which is expected to be launched in September. Memory chips are essential components in smart devices like mobile phones, but the boom in artificial intelligence (AI) has driven up their prices in recent months.
Nvidia's AI squadmate is finally dropping into PUBG
Nvidia ACE, a new AI technology for creating realistic gaming NPCs, is now available in PUBG's special Ally Duo Mode until June 30th. PCWorld reports that ACE uses small language models to enable dynamic NPC interactions and real-time speech synthesis without pre-recorded dialogue. The technology requires an Nvidia graphics card with 8GB+ memory and could revolutionize gaming by making NPCs more lifelike and interactive. One of the frustrating things about the proliferation of "AI", in the large language model sense, is how it muddles previously serviceable terms. It's neither artificial intelligence, in the sci-fi robot sense, nor artificial intelligence in the video game sense -- i.e., deliberate programmed behavior not controlled by the player.
AMD revives 7-year-old chip designs for budget laptops
PCWorld reports AMD is reintroducing three mobile processors from 2019-2020, including Ryzen 3 3100U, Ryzen 5 3501U, and Ryzen 4700LE for budget laptops. This strategy addresses rising PC prices by offering significantly cheaper alternatives to current Ryzen AI 400 series chips through select OEMs in limited volumes. Intel is also rumored to pursue similar re-releases, highlighting industry-wide efforts to provide affordable computing solutions for cost-conscious consumers. AMD has resuscitated three mobile chips from 2019 and 2020 to ship to PC makers asking for cheaper processors for budget PCs, the company confirmed. AMD is now offering the AMD Ryzen 3 3100U and the the Ryzen 5 3501U, based on the Zen+ (Ryzen 3000 Mobile / Picasso) architecture it launched in 2019.
Intel wants cheap Windows laptops to stop feeling cheap
PCWorld reports on Intel's Project Firefly initiative, which aims to bring premium laptop features like all-metal construction and fanless design to budget-friendly devices. The project centers on Intel's new Core Series 3 'Wildcat Lake' processor, engineered with cost-reduction technologies and simplified motherboard designs to make laptops more affordable. Major manufacturers including Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer, and Asus will ship these reimagined mainstream laptops targeting students and small businesses. People everywhere are talking about Apple's cheaper MacBook Neo laptop. Now Windows is preparing to retake the mainstream laptop market with Project Firefly, inspired by smartphone design.
UK sets out AI infrastructure push at London Tech Week – how does it stack up?
The issue of AI sovereignty was in focus at London Tech Week. The issue of AI sovereignty was in focus at London Tech Week. UK sets out AI infrastructure push at London Tech Week - how does it stack up? Ownership of the commanding heights of the AI economy is a political talking point around the world, as countries seek to assert some control of a technology dominated by the US and China. London Tech Week, the showcase event for the UK tech industry, focused heavily on that theme this week.
GeForce Now's best tier just got a 70 price cut, but the clock is ticking
Nvidia GeForce Now is offering significant discounts on yearly subscriptions, with the Ultimate tier reduced to $130 annually, saving $70. PCWorld highlights this limited-time promotion runs until July 8th, making cloud gaming more accessible for budget-conscious users. The service enables streaming PC games from existing libraries on various devices without requiring powerful hardware. Nvidia's GeForce Now streaming service is a great way to make use of a big Steam library without needing a beefy gaming PC. That's becoming a much more appealing option, as prices for RAM and storage become untenable ( thanks, in no small part, to Nvidia). If you're thinking about signing up, Nvidia is offering up to $70 off a yearly subscription, but only for the next month or so. The "Summer Sale" brings the price of the Ultimate tier down to $130 for a year, and the Performance tier down to $65.
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x review: A no-nonsense Snapdragon X2 laptop
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Touchpad isn't centered and click action feels cheap The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x isn't the most exciting laptop, but it's a well-rounded machine powered by a Snapdragon X2 Plus chip with good CPU performance for the price. Lenovo's IdeaPad Slim 5 lineup has never been the sort to get your pulse racing. Instead, they're practical machines sold at a reasonable price, and as such they succeed or fail based on the overall value-per-dollar they provide. The IdeaPad Slim 5x does well on that account, providing good CPU performance and battery life for under $1,000. The headliner here is no doubt the Snapdragon X2 Plus chip.