Western Digital has launched the world`s highest capacity HDDs, with the UltraSMR reaching 32TB and the ePMR CMR at 26TB, advancing data storage technology. Read...

As AI investment grows, the government is encourging its use across both private and public sectors - but the risks and costs of the technology remain under-investigated. Read...

In the ongoing war of words between Intel and Qualcomm in the low-power PC computing space, Qualcomm has fired a mammoth shot: The company is claiming that its second-generation Snapdragon Oryon CPU core is faster than Intel’s latest Core Ultra chip, Lunar Lake. To be more specific, Qualcomm believes that its second-generation Oryon core, in a smartphone, is faster than a Lunar Lake PC processor. Cristiano Amon, the chief executive of Qualcomm, said that the new Oryon core is 62 percent faster than the Core Ultra 7 Series 2 chip, if both chips are running at the same power. If the chips were to be run at the same power, the Core Ultra would require 190 percent of the power of Qualcomm’s chip. It’s an aggressive claim. And it’s slightly disingenuous, since no Core Ultra PC chip would be run at the same power of a smartphone. Viewed from Qualcomm’s perspective, however, that’s because no X86 PC processor could actually run at the power of a smartphone. Although Qualcomm didn’t actually say what that power level was, a graphic indicates it: somewhere under 10 watts. The key difference in the new Snapdragon 8 Elite is the addition of new, faster “prime” cores that Qualcomm added to the array of performance cores that it has used before. Qualcomm’s existing Snapdragon X Elite uses three clusters of four CPU cores, all running at 3.80GHz. The new second-generation Oryon CPU uses two prime cores, each running at 4.32GHz, with the remaining performance cores running at 3.53GHz. Qualcomm also revamped the GPU and NPU inside the chip, increasing the performance there, too. Qualcomm seemed to take Intel’s claims of Lunar Lake performance rather personally, with Amon promising a “battle of the benchmarks” at the Snapdragon Technology Summit, which kicked off today. In the constant back-and-forth between chipmakers, neither company will have the true last word. But Qualcomm’s statement was a true “mic drop” moment, and we’ll have to see how Intel responds. Read...

Chinese technology giant ByteDance denied reports that the incident caused more than $10m of damage. Read...

Wellington`s Effect appoints Pete Lister as CEO, effective 1st November, as the agency eyes expansion in digital solutions and technology capabilities. Read...

Hosting means influential people visiting, enabling New Zealand to showcase its industries, not least its cutting-edge design and technology, the former PM says. Read...

The R&D tax offset has served as a life raft for some of Australia’s most prominent technology start-ups, though in some cases it wasn’t enough. Read...

If your fancy PC case is basically going to be just a giant collection of tempered glass panels, I suppose you might as well fill it up with something worth looking at — like screens on your motherboard, screens on your water block, screens on your RAM… How about a screen on your power supply, too? Why the hell not, says Asus, with its latest ROG Thor PSU. To be fair, the “magnetic OLED display” on the massive ROG Thor 1600W Titanium III does serve a purpose. It’ll show you exactly how much power your system is drawing at any given time, which isn’t necessarily an easy thing to spot in software. (I guess if you’re spending multiple thousands of dollars on the latest components, that’s something you want to know.) Why is it “magnetic”? Because you can stick it on either side of the PSU, so it’s visible whether your fan faces up or down. That makes sense — and it’s something the previous model couldn’t do — though in order to actually make use of it, you’ll need to make sure you’re not using a case with a tidy shroud that covers up your power supply. Other highlights according to Asus’ press release include Gallium Nitride (GaN) components for efficiency, voltage-sensing technology for stability, and a “Turbo Mode” fan curve, sadly lacking a dedicated button. The fans have dual ball bearings and the fully modular cables have etched markings. Woo doggy! That’s a lot of bullet points for a steel box that merely converts power from AC to DC. How much do you have to pay for this fancy OLED-bedecked power box? That’s one thing Asus declined to share in its press release, along with a launch date. (If you’re budgeting out your next build, know that the last version of this 1600W model costs almost $700.) Read...

Most people in the US who have flagship phones with mainstream carriers are on 5G networks. And while 5G tech is noticeably faster than its predecessors, it’s still weak compared to Wi-Fi and fiber internet. That’s why we’re already looking forward to 6G, the next-gen wireless data standard that just set an incredible speed record. According to NewScientist, a recent test conducted by researchers at University College London showed that 6G wireless can transmit data at speeds up to 938 gigabits per second (Gbps). 6G speeds compared to 5G speeds The theoretical max download speed of 5G wireless is 20 Gbps. That means 6G is theoretically faster by more than 45 times. But the median 5G download speed across all mobile carriers around the world is around 70 megabits per second (Mbps), according to Speedcheck’s 5G Index. If 6G can practically deliver day-to-day speeds anywhere near its theoretical max, that would make 6G up to 13,400 times faster than average 5G. At 938Gbps, you could download around 20 entire movies per second. That would be absolutely insane to have carrying around in your pocket. (And you’d likely hit your data cap in less than a day.) Related: Data caps suck. Here’s how you can help get rid of them But it’s good to keep your expectations in check. 6G will certainly be much faster than 5G, but it’s unlikely to deliver actual speeds of 938Gbps once you factor in congestion, tower distance, interference, etc. How is 6G wireless so fast? To achieve such incredible speeds, the scientists working on 6G have incorporated a few tricks. But as the research report shows, the main factor was utilizing a much higher frequency range up to 150GHz. Normally, devices such as smartphones can only send and receive transmissions in the range between 5GHz and 39GHz. But the researchers made it possible by mixing different signal types, such as lasers and radio waves. The transmission was stable and able to bridge the small gaps between wavebands. When will 6G wireless get here? It will probably be some time before we can actually use 6G. Even though many tests already show promising results, a market launch is currently expected in 2030 at the earliest. (This is mainly due to the need for carriers to expand their networks and develop suitable towers.) There are also a few problems that 6G still has to overcome. Early versions of 6G had a shorter range than 5G transmissions, with the most recent record being 1,640 feet (500 meters). If that holds, 6G would only be practical in densely populated urban areas. In addition, any new technology involving radiation must ensure that it cannot have an impact on human health. Read...

TL;DR: Through October 27, you can get this 1TB Dual USB-C + USB-A High-Speed Flash Drive for $74.97 (reg. $109).  Looking for a storage solution that keeps up with your fast-paced life? The Dual USB-C + USB-A 3.2 High-Speed Flash Drive (1TB) is designed for professionals and content creators who need reliable, efficient file transfers. Whether handling large video files, high-resolution images, or hefty documents, this flash drive gives you lightning-fast read and write speeds (20-30MB/s), so you won’t waste time waiting for files to load. With 1TB of storage capacity, you can carry thousands of documents, images, or videos wherever you go. The dual-interface design—both USB 3.2 and USB-C—makes it universally compatible with most devices, from PCs and Macs to smartphones and tablets. No more struggling to find the right adapter—this flash drive works with almost any device. Designed with advanced chip technology, this flash drive ensures smooth, reliable performance. And thanks to its waterproof, dust-proof, and anti-drop construction, you won’t have to worry about accidental spills, drops, or dirt affecting your files. Get the 1TB Dual USB-C + USB-A High-Speed Flash Drive for $74.97 (reg. $109) through October 27.   Dual USB-C + USB-A 3.2 High-Speed Flash Drive (1TB) – $74.97 Get It Here! StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...