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Crucial T710 2TB PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSD Review
Crucial T710 2TB

Today, Crucial has sent over their brand new T710 2TB Gen5 NVMe SSD for review. This is the successor to the very fast Crucial T705 that I previously reviewed. Like that drive, the T710 is making a play for the high-end Gen5 SSD market and intends to push the limit of the Gen5 interface, and Crucial is claiming some big performance uplifts from the T705. The high-end market space now has ample competition, so I am interested to see how the T710 holds up. Let us get to the review!

Crucial T710 2TB PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSD

The Crucial T710 2TB comes in a single-sided M.2 2280 (80mm) form factor.

Crucial T710 2TB Front

The T710 is available both with and without a heatsink, and as you can see my test drive is the bare drive. The controller is a key difference compared to the T705. The T710 includes a Silicon Motion SM2508 controller, whereas the T705 was based on a Phison chip. This controller is paired with Micron TLC and a 2GB DRAM cache.

Crucial T710 2TB Back

The backside of the Crucial T710 2TB contains nothing but labels.

Crucial T710 2TB SSD Specs

The Crucial T710 2TB is available between 1TB and 4TB capacity points.

Crucial T710 2TB Specs

This 2TB model is rated for 14500 MB/s sequential reads and 13800 MB/s writes. These numbers put the T710 at the top-end of claimed Gen5 performance and outpace both the T705 and the Samsung 9100 PRO, at least on paper. Endurance sits at 600TBW per 1TB of capacity, or 1200TBW for my 2TB drive which is perfectly in line with my expectations. And the warranty is the industry standard 5-years for a top-end drive. All of the specs position the T710 at the very top-end of Gen5 drives, and Crucial is also a very long-lived and respected brand.

Crucial is claiming 42% higher random writes, 28% higher random reads, and 9% higher sequential write performance compared to the T705. They are also claiming a 24% reduction in average power use. When we get to testing we will see how the two stack up.

Crucial T710 2TB CrystalDiskInfo

CrystalDiskInfo can give us some basic information about the SSD and confirms we are operating at PCIe 5.0 x4 speeds using NVMe 2.0.

Test System Configuration

We are using the following configuration for this test:
- Motherboard: MSI MAG X670E Tomahawk
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (12C/24T)
- RAM: 2x 16GB DDR5-6000 UDIMMs
Our testing uses the Crucial T710 2TB as the boot drive for the system, installed in the M.2_1 slot on the motherboard. This slot supports up to PCIe Gen 5 x4. The drive is filled to 85% capacity with data, and then some is deleted, leaving around 60% used space on the volume.

Next, we are going to get into our performance testing.
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July 1, 2025
Free Photo Manager digiKam Gets Major New Update With AI Tools

The digiKam team has announced the official release of digiKam 8.7.0. The major update for the free open-source digital photo manager promises significant improvements to face management capabilities, GPU processing, AI-driven tools, and overall system performance.

PetaPixel has followed digiKam’s journey from inital release and rise, to recent updates. The software is a completely free option for photographers in a space where big software names with high-cost subscriptions and cancellation fees begin to wear on users. Additionally, as a free software available in 16 languages, digiKam offers photo management with little to no barrier to entry, whether through price, language, or skill level.

What Exactly Is digiKam?

digiKam is a powerful open-source digital photo management software designed for photographers and photo enthusiasts. It provides a comprehensive suite of tools for organizing, editing, and sharing photos. With new 8.7.0 features like face recognition, metadata editing, and support for a wide range of image formats, digiKam makes it easy to manage large photo collections. Additionally, it offers advanced capabilities for RAW image processing, batch editing, and integration with external plug-ins. Whether organizing a personal photo library or managing a professional archive, digiKam promises users an intuitive and customizable solution for photo management needs.

After four months of maintenance and bug fixes, digiKam 8.7.0 is now available, offering an improved user experience for both hobbyist photographers and professionals alike.

Key New Features and Improvements

Enhanced Face Management

digiKam 8.7.0 introduces several upgrades to its Face Management feature, which utilizes artificial intelligence to automatically detect and tag faces in images. A new setting enables the automatic start of face recognition whenever a new face is confirmed or tagged, streamlining the tagging process for users. Additionally, improvements to the face recognition workflow now allow for better match suggestions and an overall more reliable tagging experience.

digiKam Face Management tool settings panel

AI Auto-Rotation Tool

One of the most notable additions is the AI Auto-Rotation Tool, which utilizes deep learning to automatically correct the orientation of images in batches. This feature significantly enhances the efficiency of processing large sets of photos, saving users time and effort compared to manual rotation methods.

Batch Queue Manager, with new AI plug-in to automate orientation detection

OpenCL and CUDA GPU Support

For users with compatible hardware, digiKam 8.7.0 now supports OpenCL and CUDA acceleration, allowing the software to take full advantage of the GPU for faster processing. By utilizing GPU resources for tasks such as resizing and color format conversion, this new functionality boosts performance, especially when working with large image libraries.

digiKam OpenCL management panel

Internal Updates and Bug Fixes

DigiKam 8.7.0 also includes updates to several key internal components. The RAW decoder has been updated to the latest Libraw snapshot, supporting over 1260 camera models. The ExifTool has been updated to the latest 13.29 release for better metadata management, and the Qt framework has been updated to versions 6.8.3 (Linux and Windows) and 6.9.0 (macOS).

Additionally, the update includes various bug fixes aimed at improving the software’s stability, including fixes for issues related to face management workflows, database functions, and application crashes. Over 240 bugs were resolved in this release, further enhancing the user experience.

Future Plans and Upcoming Releases

Looking ahead, the digiKam team is already planning for future improvements. The next maintenance update, targeted for October 2025, will focus on additional bug fixes and feature enhancements. The team also aims to explore the use of deep neural networks for tasks such as noise reduction and color adjustments. Another exciting development is the potential integration of a Large Language Model (LLM) engine, which would enable natural language queries for searching image collections.

Major Step in Free, Open Source Solutions For Photographers

digiKam 8.7.0 represents a major step forward for the open-source photo management software, bringing cutting-edge AI and GPU support to the forefront of its feature set. The improvements in face recognition, batch editing, and hardware acceleration are sure to enhance the workflow for both casual users and professional photographers. The update is available for Linux, Windows, and macOS and can be downloaded from the official digiKam repository.

Image credits: digiKam

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July 1, 2025
Clásicos against Real Madrid in the 2025/26 league revealed

The dates for the Clásicos in La Liga for 2025/26 have been revealed after the league calendar was revealed on Tuesday 1 July. The games in the league will take place on 25/26 October and 9/10 May as part of the 38 game La Liga season and are always the most eagerly awaited clashes of the campaign.

The first game between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid will take place at the Santiago Bernabéu on the weekend 25/26 October, following a fixture against Girona in week 9 of the league campaign and before a clash with newly promoted Elche in week 11.

The return fixture will take place on the weekend of the 9/10 May.

4 Clásico wins last season

Barça took victories in all four Clásicos last season on their way to the domestic treble. The first win came 4-0 away at the Santiago Bernabéu in the league, the second a 5-2 victory in the Spanish Super Cup, the third a famous 3-2 extra time win in the Copa del Rey final and the quarter was rounded off by a vital 3-2 at Montjuïc in La Liga.

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July 1, 2025
Experimental Propulsion Tech Could Reach Mysterious Planet Beyond Pluto in 10 Years

On November 14, 2003, astronomers spotted what was at the time the most distant known object orbiting the Sun. They called it Sedna after the Inuit goddess of the ocean. It’s a cold, reddish dwarf planet that drifts billions of miles away from the Sun during its 10,000-year orbit before coming in for a relatively close approach to our star. Its next perihelion is happening in July 2076, and astronomers want to take advantage of this rare encounter by flying a mission to the mysterious object.

A team of researchers from Italy suggests mission concepts that could reach Sedna in seven to 10 years using cutting-edge technology. In a paper available on the pre-print website arXiv, they illustrate two experimental propulsion concepts that involve a nuclear fusion rocket engine and a new take on solar sailing technology. The propulsion technologies could cut down travel time to Sedna by more than 50% compared to traditional methods of space travel, allowing scientists a unique opportunity to gather clues about the early formation of the solar system and probe the theoretical Oort Cloud.

When it was discovered, Sedna was around 8 billion miles (13 billion kilometers) from the Sun. (Pluto, the most famous dwarf planet, has an average distance of 3.7 billion miles from the Sun.) Sedna is known as a Trans-Neptunian object, a group of objects that orbit the Sun farther out than Neptune. It has an extremely eccentric orbit: at its farthest distance, Sedna is 84 billion miles away from the Sun, or 900 times the distance between Earth and our star. During its closest approach, Sedna will be around 7 billion miles away from the Sun, nearly three times farther than Neptune. That’s still far, but it’s close enough for a spacecraft to reach the celestial object before it fades back into ultra-distant darkness.

Spacecraft have traveled farther distances before. Voyager 1 and 2 started their interstellar journey in 1977 and have traveled 15 billion miles and 12.7 billion miles thus far. It took Voyager 2 around 12 years to reach Neptune. Based on current technology, scientists estimate it would take around 20-30 years to reach Sedna during its closest approach, while using Venus, Earth, Jupiter, and Neptune as gravity assists. That would mean the launch window to reach Sedna is fast approaching, with no clear plans yet in place.

Instead, the researchers behind the new study suggest alternative methods to get us there faster. The first is the Direct Fusion Drive (DFD) rocket engine, which is currently under development at Princeton University’s Plasma Physics Laboratory. The fusion-powered rocket engine would produce both thrust and electrical power from a controlled nuclear fusion reaction, providing more power than chemical rockets.

“The DFD presents a promising alternative to conventional propulsion, offering high thrust-to-weight ratio and continuous acceleration,” the researchers write in the paper. “However, its feasibility remains subject to key engineering challenges, including plasma stability, heat dissipation, and operational longevity under deep-space radiation.” They add that, while advances are being made for fusion-based propulsion, it’s still unclear whether it can support long-duration missions and provide power for onboard instruments.

The second concept builds on existing solar sail technology, which is still experimental in its own right. Solar sails are powered by photons from the Sun, harnessing energy produced by light and using it to propel spacecraft forward. The researchers suggest coating the solar sails with material that, when heated, releases molecules or atoms and provides propulsion in a process known as thermal desorption.

The solar sail, assisted by Jupiter’s gravity, could reach Sedna in seven years due to its ability to continuously accelerate without the need to carry heavy fuel, according to the paper. The idea does come with its own set of challenges. “While solar sailing has been extensively studied for deep-space applications, its feasibility for a Sedna mission requires assessment in terms of long-duration structural integrity, propulsion efficiency, and power availability for science operations,” the paper reads.

Despite a slight time advantage, the solar sail mission would only allow for a flyby of Sedna, while the DFD engine could insert a spacecraft into the dwarf planet’s orbit for a longer mission. Either mission would provide us with the first direct observations of the previously unexplored region and help scientists better understand the larger boundary that houses the solar system.

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July 1, 2025
The Devil Wears Prada Sequel: Adrian Grenier Not Returning

The sequel to the beloved film The Devil Wears Prada is advancing, but one of the characters from the 2006 original movie won’t be in the follow-up.

Monday, it was announced on social media that the movie begins production this week. Filming takes place in New York and Italy. Stars returning from the first film include Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci. Meanwhile, Kenneth Branagh has joined the cast for the sequel. However, Adrian Grenier, who played Hathaway’s character’s boyfriend, Nate, in the first movie, will not be in the second film, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

The 2006 movie is based on the book of the same name and follows Andy Sachs (Hathaway) a recent college graduate, working as an assistant for Miranda Priestly, the editor-in-chief of fashion magazine, Runway. Nate (Grenier), complains about her demanding schedule and is often critical of her working in fashion. That leads them to break up.

At the end of the movie, Andy leaves fashion journalism behind to work at a newspaper as viewers see Andy and Nate reconciling and on good terms, again. So, when it came to casting, fans were wondering if the Entourage star was coming back, too.

However, what’s previously been reported is that the upcoming film will see Priestly deal with print magazines struggling. Her other former assistant, Emily (Blunt) is now a powerful advertising executive that works with Runway. Branagh will portray Priestly’s husband, while Tucci will reprise his role of Nigel, Runway‘s art director.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 will hit theaters May 1, 2026. Below, see the announcement about production beginning.

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July 1, 2025
How to Watch Once Human’s Annual Version 2.0: Dreamveil Special Program

Postapocalyptic open-world survival game Once Human is launching its Annual Version 2.0: Dreamveil, and developer Starry Studio is hosting a special program to mark the occasion. There will be a celebration of all the game has achieved so far, as well as news and updates about what’s coming in the future. IGN will carry a livestream of the full program, so here’s all the details for how you can watch and what to expect as part of the show.

Once Human Special Program Date, Time, and How to Watch

If you’re in the United States, the program will be streaming at night. It’ll begin on Wednesday, July 2 at 9 p.m. Pacific, which means it’ll be at midnight that night in the Eastern time zone. You can watch it live on any of these IGN channels:

IGN.com (our homepage)

IGN’s Facebook

IGN’s Twitter

IGN’s Twitch

IGN’s YouTube

If you can’t stay up late to watch it live, don’t worry. We’ll save the show in its entirety on our YouTube page, so it’ll be waiting for you the next morning.

What to Expect from the Once Human Special Program

This being the game’s annual version, there’s sure to be a look back at the past year and what’s happened in the Once Human universe since release. That includes the game’s four scenarios so far: the PVE-focused Manibus and The Way of Winter, and the PVP-focused Evolution’s Call and Prismverse’s Clash. It also includes the game’s mobile version that was released in April. There have been rumblings of a console version also being in the works, but nothing official has been confirmed so far. Could that be part of this show?

There have been trailers and dev logs that have given some sense of new content that’s on the horizon, but the special program will go into more detail. We know a nightmare-themed scenario called Endless Dream is already in Early Access, but if you haven’t played it for yourself, expect a deep dive into the new story and deviants you’ll face and new content and locations being added.

We also know a new class system is being introduced with three classes available: Chef, Gardener, and Beastmaster. Expect a breakdown of each of the classes and what makes them unique. There also will be announcements of new events, in-game rewards, and other updates to celebrate the new annual version. Plus, the developers are likely to reveal a roadmap of future content. If you haven’t played Once Human yet and want to give it a try before seeing the updates, you can play it for free right now on PC and mobile.

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July 1, 2025
K&L Gates Advises Terramont Infrastructure Partners on US$160 Million Investment in Dispatch Energy | News & Events

Global law firm K&L Gates LLP advised Terramont Infrastructure Partners, a North American-focused infrastructure investment firm, on its US$160 million capital commitment to Dispatch Energy LLC, a leading provider of distributed energy solutions. Terramont is focused on companies that are critical to the economy and which seek to make a positive, measurable sustainability impact. Dispatch’s investments will focus on generating cost savings, enhancing resiliency, and providing grid services designed to meet the growing demand for on-site power generation.

K&L Gates served as corporate counsel and fund counsel on this deal. The team was led by New York partners Ed Dartley and Adam Tejeda and included Charleston partners Andrew Lloyd and Lauren Garenne, Kansas City partner Jim Goettsch, New York partner Chris Carson, Boston associate Christopher Phillips-Hart, Charleston associate David Caughran, and New York associates Benjamin Augugliaro and Jamie Robinson.

Dartley commented: “We’re very pleased to have advised Terramont as deal counsel on their latest transaction and as fund counsel. The strength of our platform allowed us to assemble a cross-practice team that leveraged capabilities across several offices and disciplines. We very much forward to continuing to advise Terramont on future transactions.”

“We were extremely pleased to work again with the K&L Gates team on this important investment for our Fund,” said Terramont co-founder Vikram Singh. “K&L Gates has been a partner with us since our launch of Terramont Infrastructure, and a trusted advisor as fund counsel and as corporate counsel. Their knowledge and experience across multiple industries is unparalleled and we look forward to working with them on future deals as we continue to invest in the infrastructure space.”

Based in New York and San Francisco, Terramont invests in best-in-class businesses alongside top-quality management teams. Investment sectors include renewable power, sustainable energy, transportation, digital, environmental, and other infrastructure businesses.

K&L Gates is a fully integrated global law firm with lawyers located across five continents. The firm represents leading multinational corporations, growth and middle-market companies, capital markets participants and entrepreneurs in every major industry group as well as public sector entities, educational institutions, philanthropic organizations and individuals.

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July 1, 2025
Gaza: Families deprived of the means for survival, humanitarians warn

“As humanitarian assistance and basic services dwindle, people in Gaza have been increasingly deprived of the means for their survival,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York.

It has been 17 weeks since any fuel has entered Gaza, according to Mr. Dujarric – a critical shortage that forced the Al-Shifa Medical Complex to suspend its kidney dialysis services and restrict its intensive care unit services to just a few hours per day.

Other hospitals, including Al-Aqsa in Deir al-Balah, have also come under attack, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting a strike on a tent sheltering displaced civilians in its courtyard.

Over the past 48 hours, five school buildings sheltering displaced families were also hit, reportedly causing deaths and injuries, while a new evacuation order issued on Sudan displaced 1,500 families from northern Gaza.

Living in terror

Olga Cherevko, an official at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), described conditions for families in Gaza as “living in terror.”

“The only thing that is on their minds right now is a ceasefire and peace at last,” she said.

Ms. Cherevko called for Israel to open all border crossings and allow a steady and sufficient flow humanitarian aid.

“The thing that needs to happen for us…to address the emergency on the ground, is to reopen additional crossings, to allow supplies to enter through multiple corridors and remove the constraints that are in place for us to deliver supplies to people in need,” she said.

She warned that unless conditions change quickly, essential services will continue to shut down — and the broader humanitarian response could stall entirely.

“If the situation doesn’t change very, very urgently, more such services will continue shutting down,” Ms. Cherevko said.

“And if the situation doesn’t change going forward, the entire humanitarian operation could grind to a halt.”

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July 1, 2025
Meet the meteorite hunters chasing space rocks that can fetch US$400 a gram

It only took Ed Albin a few steps on June 29 to spot it as he wandered onto an empty construction site about 45 minutes southeast of Atlanta, in the US state of Georgia.

“Oh my God,” he said, crouching down to take a look at his find. “Oh my God.”

Perched on the dirt, like it just fell from the sky, was not just any old rock. It was a chunk of the Georgia fireball that had blazed across the sky on June 26 and disintegrated 43km (27 miles) above West Forest, in Covington, on its way southeast.

In a floppy sun hat and pink shirt, Albin tested the meteorite with a rare earth magnet attached to a metal pole. It gave a faint hint of magnetic attraction, its nickel iron flecks pulling it toward the magnet – proof of its descent from outer space.

Another hunter, Sonny Clary, ran over to take a look.

“Millions of years flying in outer space,” he said in awe. “How cool is that?”

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July 1, 2025
Wabtec Finalizes Acquisition of Evident’s Inspection Technologies Division

PITTSBURGH, July 1, 2025 – Wabtec Corporation (NYSE: WAB) announced today that it completed the acquisition of Evident’s Inspection Technologies division (Inspection Technologies), formerly part of the Scientific Solutions Division of Olympus Corporation, a global leader in Non-Destructive Testing, Remote Visual Inspection and Analytical Instruments solutions for mission critical assets. This acquisition strengthens Wabtec’s Digital Intelligence business with industry-leading inspection technologies that enhance customer productivity, reliability, and safety, while also positioning the company for accelerated, profitable growth.

“Today, we are a stronger company with the addition of Inspection Technologies,” said Rafael Santana, President and CEO of Wabtec. “The acquisition expands and strengthens our Digital Intelligence business, with advanced products and services for the Company’s rail, mining, and industrial sectors, while broadening our reach into other high-growth, high-margin end-markets. It enhances Wabtec’s existing portfolio, is accretive to key financial metrics, and aligns with the company’s long-term vision to lead the industry in innovation for our customers.”

The strategic acquisition helps accelerate Wabtec’s growth trajectory and meets the increasing demand for advanced diagnostic technologies. It also aligns with Wabtec’s stated growth drivers, including accelerating the innovation of scalable technologies, increasing the installed base, expanding high-margin recurring revenues, and driving continuous operational improvements. Additionally, acquiring Inspection Technologies expands Wabtec’s Digital Intelligence business growth opportunities and recurring revenue, effectively doubling the size of its total addressable market (TAM) from approximately $8 billion to $16 billion, while enhancing its ability to deliver innovative solutions to a broader range of customers.

“Inspection Technologies’ product portfolio strongly complements our existing digital technologies, while adding advanced automated inspection capabilities in a space where data acquisition, analytics, and automation are critical,” said Nalin Jain, President of Wabtec’s Digital Intelligence Group. “It will accelerate the development of scalable technologies by integrating advanced analytics, sensors, and AI technology to deliver enhanced predictive maintenance capabilities to our customers. Evident Inspection Technology employees have done a fantastic job in delivering these innovative technologies and I am looking forward to welcoming them to the Wabtec family.”

TRANSACTION DETAILS

Wabtec acquired Evident’s Inspection Technologies division for $1.78 billion (~$1.68 billion after tax benefits). The transaction was financed through a combination of cash on hand, newly issued term notes, plus term loans and short-term borrowing under the Company’s credit agreement. The transaction is anticipated to provide immediate shareholder value with a high single-digit revenue growth outlook, accretive Adjusted EBIT margins and accretive return on invested capital (ROIC) over time. Additionally, the acquisition is projected to be slightly accretive to Adjusted EPS in the second half of 2025. The purchase price reflects an estimated multiple of 12.0x projected 2025 EBITDA adjusted for transaction and separation costs, anticipated tax benefits, and projected run-rate cost synergies of $25 million. The Company intends to incorporate the revenue and EPS impact of this acquisition into its Full Year Financial Guidance during its Q2 Earnings call.

About Wabtec Corporation
Wabtec Corporation is revolutionizing the way the world moves for future generations. The Company is a leading global provider of equipment, systems, digital solutions and value-added services for the freight and transit rail industries, as well as the mining, marine and industrial markets. Wabtec has been a leader in the rail industry for 155 years and has a vision to achieve a sustainable rail system in the U.S. and worldwide. Visit Wabtec’s website at http://www.wabteccorp.com.

About Evident Inspection Technologies Division
Evident’s Inspection Technologies and Microscopy divisions were established in 2022 when Olympus Corporation spun off its Scientific Solutions Division to form a new company. Evident’s Inspection Technologies division delivers solutions that solve complex challenges, inspecting mission-critical assets and infrastructure with nondestructive testing, remote visual inspection, and analytical instruments for maintenance, manufacturing, and environmental applications. Visit Evident’s website at ims.evidentscientific.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. securities laws, including statements regarding the expected benefits of the Inspection Technologies acquisition, the anticipated synergies of the transaction, the expected impact on Wabtec’s operational and financial performance, (including business growth opportunities and TAM), and certain projected financial results of Inspection Technologies. These statements and all statements other than historical facts constitute forward-looking statements concerning future circumstances and results and are sometimes identified by the words “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “outlook,” “position,” “project,” “recur,” “strategy,” and “will” or other similar words or expressions. Forward-looking statements are based upon current plans, assumptions, estimates and expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. For more information on these risks, please refer to Wabtec’s filings with the SEC. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such plans, estimates or expectations include, among others, (1) unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting from the transaction; (2) uncertainty of the expected financial performance of Inspection Technologies and the combined company following completion of the transaction; (3) risks associated with the integration of Inspection Technologies and the potential for failure to realize the anticipated benefits and synergies of the transaction; (4) the ability of the combined company to implement its business strategy; (5) inability to retain key personnel; (6) changes in general economic and/or industry specific conditions; and (7) other risk factors as detailed from time to time in Wabtec’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The foregoing list of important factors is not exclusive.

This press release also contains certain non-GAAP measures. Non-GAAP measures should not be considered as a substitute for items calculated in accordance with GAAP, as they are subject to inherent material limitations.

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July 1, 2025