hardware
The Nvidia Shield TV Is 7 Years Old. It Just Got a 100 Price Hike
The Nvidia Shield TV Is 7 Years Old. The price of anything with memory is skyrocketing thanks to AI. Aging streaming devices are no exception. The era of generative AI has upended technology supply chains, and there is one ironclad rule in 2026: If it has memory or storage, it's getting more expensive. Even devices with years-old tech inside are still apparently subject to that unwritten rule. Nvidia has just announced that the Shield TV Pro is getting $100 more expensive, effective immediately.
California man's smuggling scheme sent 300 million in AI hardware to China, feds say
Things to Do in L.A. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. California man's smuggling scheme sent $300 million in AI hardware to China, feds say This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search. The owner of a San Gabriel Valley technology company was arrested Thursday after federal prosecutors charged him with smuggling more than $300 million of restricted computer hardware to China.
Your used CPU might come with someone else's Valorant ban
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Your used CPU might come with someone else's Valorant ban Anti-cheat systems for online multiplayer games can flag individual PC parts, which can be a problem if you're trying to find a deal on secondhand hardware. With PC hardware more expensive than it's ever been, doubly so for gamers, you might be tempted to hunt for used parts. In addition to the usual problems of used goods with no warranty, you might just find yourself banned from your favorite online multiplayer game after you boot up with that new upgrade installed. Yes, this is a real thing that happens to people.
What to expect at Microsoft's Windows, Surface and AI event on October 7
NVIDIA is once again claiming it will redefine PCs with its RTX Spark, the company's first major Arm-powered chip built for massive AI models on Windows laptops and desktops. The Surface Laptop Ultra, which was announced in June, is one of the first devices powered by RTX Spark, and from the brief glimpse we got earlier this year, it appears to be a direct competitor to Apple's powerful MacBook Pro. It sports a 15-inch mini-LED screen with up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness, a massive trackpad and all the ports you want. But we still don't know how much the Surface Laptop Ultra will actually cost, and there's no concrete release date yet. I'd bet the company is saving up those crucial details for next week's event.
Exclusive: Neurable's First Brain-Scanning Headphones Want to Fine-Tune Your Focus
The company claims that its new device, the Neurable One, can keep you in the zone, calculate the best time to take a break, and tell you when your "brain battery" needs a recharge. Neurable unveiled its very own pair of brain-scanning headphones on Thursday, the Neurable One . The company claims that wearing them helps you concentrate on whatever you're doing--working, studying, or playing a video game. When I spoke to Neurable earlier this year, the company said it planned to license its brain-scanning technology to power a flood of gadgets that were ready to enter the market. But it decided to launch its own hardware first.
Rabbit Is Back, This Time With an AI Agent App
Two years after trying to sidestep mobile apps with dedicated AI hardware, Rabbit is launching OS3, a cross-platform agent that lives on the screens you already use. Jesse Lyu doesn't think the Rabbit R1 was a flop. Lyu's gadget was among the first in the gold rush to create dedicated AI hardware that acted as a virtual assistant. You could speak into the R1 and ask it to complete tasks for you--book an Uber; order food on DoorDash. After a buzzy launch at CES 2024, it earned scathing reviews.
Firefox 156 opens PDFs 45% faster, plus a few annoying bug fixes
PCWorld reports that Mozilla Firefox 156 delivers a notable 45 percent speed improvement when opening PDFs, making the browser more efficient for everyday users. The update also brings better CPU and memory handling for large JPEG files, benefiting those on lower-powered hardware. Additional fixes address VPN connectivity stability and DNS over HTTPS issues, ensuring smoother and more reliable browsing overall. Today, Mozilla released Firefox 156 to the Release channel, which is basically all users in the general public. It's a pretty limp update by all accounts, without any standout new features and just a handful of minor bug fixes spread out across components. The built-in PDF reader launches about 45 percent faster than before, which is great if Firefox is your PDF reader of choice.
When will GTA 6 hit PC? Let's look at Rockstar's release history
PCWorld analyzes Rockstar's release history to predict when GTA 6 might arrive on PC, noting that GTA V launched 19 months after consoles and Red Dead Redemption 2 took 13 months. The game is expected to debut on Xbox and PlayStation first, with a PC version potentially arriving in late 2027 or 2028. Rising GPU and RAM prices, plus the game's extreme technical complexity, could further delay or complicate the PC launch.
6 products we expect at Apples event
Look Up Back to School Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Mashable Selects Say More Trending Now Good Connection: Uplifting stories for a digital age Creator Playbook Switch Off Mashable Voices Safety Net Versus All Series Chance Townsend is the General Assignments Editor at Mashable, covering tech, video games, dating apps, digital culture, and whatever else comes his way. He has a Master's in Journalism from the University of North Texas and is a proud orange cat father. His writing has also appeared in PC Mag and . Apple's Sept. 9 keynote is almost here, and it's shaping up to be one of the more consequential events on the company's calendar in recent memory. Beyond the hardware itself, this will be the first major product launch under new CEO John Ternus, who has taken over for Tim Cook .
Nvidia's RTX Spark could be the future of laptops. That's exactly why I'd wait
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Nvidia's RTX Spark could be the future of laptops. That's exactly why I'd wait Nvidia's new Arm chips powering premium laptops are the biggest hardware news of the year...but I've got good reasons to be wary of both the tech and the company behind it. Nvidia is making CPUs now. Specifically, it's making Arm-based processors with RTX branding, destined for at least some consumer-focused, high-performance laptops and mini PCs .