Category: 4. Technology

I attended the IEEE Hot Chips Conference at Stanford and I wanted to share some of the interesting developments related to digital storage and memory technologies and other interesting developments. These include several talks that showed UCIe chiplet interconnect implementations, SRAM and DRAM improvements from Marvell and Rapidus’s success with their 2nm semiconductor fab.

The open chiplet interconnect standard, UCIe was implemented on several chips that were showing at Hot Chips. Here are a few examples. The image below is a slide from a AyarLabs optical I/O chiplet.

At a Korean-based AI company, Rebellions’ exhibit at Hot Chips they were showing a UCIe-based AI chiplet as shown below.

Lightmatter spoke about a 3D interposer which enables an ASIC built with UCIe IP and laser communication as shown in the image below.

Celestial AI was showing an SoC combining in-die optical I/O with electrical interconnects, including UCIe as shown below.

UC Berkeley has been training students on taping out class chips using Chipyard as part of their education, resulting in real chip results. Students report that this is one of their most intense and fun classes at the University and it attracts more than just engineering students. As the slide below shows UCIe and other open source technologies are used in making these chips.

Mark Kuemerle, VP of Technology at Marvell gave a talk on what they called a revolution in memory architecture for the data center. In particular the Marvell talk focused on a method for increasing the capacity and bandwidth of static random-access memory, SRAM. Marvell has a 2nm SRAM platform manufactured at TSMC.

The company has made innovations in write assist, stability assist, pioneering high-sigma design modeling to capture tail bits and row plus column redundancy to enable low voltages and high overall yields. As a consequence Marvell’s custom SRAM achieves significant advantages over HBM and other embedded IP memory as shown below.

Marvell said they achieve this by running faster and with more ports. The company also discussed its custom HBM architectures using IO chiplets with the companies D2D chiplet interconnect. The company announced at Hot Chips a 65 Gbps/wire Bi-Directional Die-to-Die interface IP in 2nm for the next generation of XPUs. They also showed their Structura A and X high capacity memories for near memory accelerators and memory expansion.

Rapidus had a keynote talk on the last day where Rapidus CEO Atsuyoshi Kolke spoke about the building and initial operation of the company’s 2nm semiconductor fab on the Island of Hokkaido in Japan. In April the company had their first EUV test, shown below.

Hot Chips showed UCIe chiplet interconnects, Marvell’s custom SRAM and HBM developments and Rapidus details on their 2nm semiconductor fab.

The new Instagram for iPad opens with Reels, the app’s short video format, because people use bigger screens like the iPad’s for “lean back entertainment,” the company said in a Wednesday (Sept. 3) blog post.

The app also makes it easy for users to access Stories and messaging, according to the post.

Instagram for iPad also features a “Following” tab that gives users a choice of ways to prioritize and see content from the accounts they follow, a layout that displays the tabs for messages and notifications, and the ability to expand comment while watching Reels, while keeping the Reel at its full size, per the post.

“It’s the Instagram you love, now with more space to play,” the post said.

Instagram for iPad is now rolling out globally and available on the App Store. A tablet design for Android devices is coming soon, according to the post.

Reuters reported Wednesday that this is Instagram’s first dedicated iPad application and that the app’s iPad experience previously used a scaled-up iPhone version, which has long caused complaints about blurry visuals and missing features.

The report added that Instagram’s focus on Reels in the new version of the app came at a time when it is increasingly competing with TikTok.

Parent company Meta said in July that its family of apps — Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Messenger — draws 3.48 billion people daily, up 6% year over year.

The company also said in a July 31 earnings report that its new recommendation models lifted ad conversions 5% on Instagram, its better ranking system added 6% more time spent on Instagram, and its early “business AIs” on Instagram are finding product-market fit, especially for small merchants.

In June, Meta said it was testing artificial intelligence-generated 3D photos on Instagram within the Meta Quest augmented reality/virtual reality headset as part of its long-term effort to make immersive computing mainstream.

“Reality Labs is teaming up with Instagram to make the moments you share a little more magical,” the company said when announcing this testing.

Thanks to new Windows 10 and 11 software for PlayStation 5 audio devices like the Pulse Elite headset and Pulse Explore earbuds, you can now get their full range of functionality when using them on PC. This is particularly handy for those who game on both the PS5 and PC, as these first-party are some of the best PS5 headsets around and are now essentially cross-platform devices through the PlayStation Link PC driver.

While these devices worked on PC before, they didn’t have proper software support which limited their versatility. Per the official PlayStation support page, the driver will automatically install when you connect the PS Link USB adapter. The new PS Link driver isn’t as robust as apps you’ll see for new Razer headsets or SteelSeries earbuds, for example, but it’s an upgrade from previously having no PC software support. With the PS Link PC driver, you can manually adjust volume on the OS, toggle your microphone and adjust the sidetone mic feedback volume, switch EQ presets, and update the device’s firmware if needed. You can also monitor battery life through the driver.

The biggest addition here is being able to swap audio profiles through the EQ presets, so you can customize your sound experience and get more out of the headset and/or earbuds. The standard setting offers a balanced and flat sound experience, but you can adjust frequencies to boost bass and/or lower treble, for example.

If you’re considering getting new audio gear in light of this update, be sure to check out our reviews of the Pulse Elite headset and Pulse Explore earbuds, or check out our roundup of the best PS5 headsets we’ve tested. And in case you missed it, catch up on the latest State of Play stream that centered around the upcoming James Bond game 007: First Light.

On Wednesday, Garmin announced its new flagship smartwatch, the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro, which arrives with some groundbreaking features, including a first-of-its-kind microLED display. Conveniently announced just days before Apple’s launch event, Garmin’s latest wearable is designed for hardcore outdoor athletes, and it comes with a hardcore price tag. 

The Fenix 8 Pro comes in two models. The first features an AMOLED display and comes in 47mm and 51mm sizes, priced at $1,199.99 and $1,299.99, respectively. Opt for the model with the microLED display (which comes in 51mm only) and the price goes up to $1,999.99.

The Fenix 8 Pro comes with features designed for serious outdoor athletes.
Credit: Garmin

Garmin makes some of the most rugged smartwatches on the market, including some of our favorite fitness trackers, and the Fenix 8 Pro seems ready-made to compete with the soon-to-be-released Apple Watch Ultra 3. (Apple’s new Ultra wearable is also rumored to have a microLED display.)

The Garmin’s microLED display is pretty impressive. It’s comprised of more than 400,000 LEDs, which gives it a maximum brightness of 4,500 nits. That makes it the brightest smartwatch display on the market by a fairly wide margin. For reference, the Apple Watch Series 10 features a 2,000 nit display, and the Galaxy Watch 8 sports a 3,000 nit display. Like other Garmin smartwatches, it also sports an LED flashlight, also handy for hikers and outdoor athletes.

The Garmin Fenix 8 Pro has an on-board flashlight.
Credit: Garmin

Among other things, the biggest draw for the Fenix 8 Pro is its connectivity. Per Garmin, the smartwatches will feature a mix of satellite and cellular connectivity. That, combined with Garmin’s inReach technology, will allow watch owners to summon emergency services, communicate via Garmin’s Messenger app, and even send their location to other Garmin inReach users. Voice calls are also possible, although the other person has to be using a Garmin inReach-compatible device as well. 

This brings smartwatch owners another step closer to being able to leave the smartphone at home while hiking. The cellular connectivity isn’t quite as good as the latest offerings from Samsung and Apple, but the inclusion of satellite connection definitely helps when out in the wilderness, where cell towers are much less abundant. 

The sensors on the Fenix 8 Pro.
Credit: Garmin

The Fenix 8 Pro has satellite and cellular connectivity.
Credit: Garmin

For emergencies, the watch sends a signal to Garmin’s Response Center, which will then assist in rescue efforts. The inReach system is a subscription service that starts at $7.99 per month. The new Fenix 8 Pro watches are available on Garmin’s website and will be available starting Sept. 8, just one day before Apple’s launch event. 

SAVE $20: As of Sept. 3, get the Google TV Streamer 4K for $79.99 at Amazon. That’s down from its usual price of $99.99.

If you’re planning on spending some quality time in front of the TV this fall, you should make sure you’ve got all the tools you need to make it a fun and cozy experience. That includes ensuring you have a simple and easy way to stream all your favorite shows and movies, and that includes a streaming device that can help you do that. One great option is the Google TV Streamer 4K, on sale for a great price right now at Amazon.

As of Sept. 3, get the Google TV Streamer 4K for $79.99, down from its usual price of $99.99 at Amazon. That’s $20 off and a discount of 20% on list price.

This is one of Google’s most attractive streaming devices, with a sleek design that can fit into any decor situation. It also works well alongside the rest of the Google ecosystem, if you have any of the company’s other smart devices like smart home hubs and speakers.

It has 32GB of storage and is 22% faster than the previous Google streaming devices, and comes with a voice remote so you can simply speak aloud what you’d like to do or watch, including altering your TV’s volume or changing channels. Beyond that, it can essentially turn any TV into a streaming hub, where you can choose from a variety of built-in apps, watch live TV, and check out over 800 free streaming channels.

With Dolby Atmos compatibility, great sound, and ease of use that only devices like Google or Roku streamers can provide, this streaming device is well worth the price, especially on sale. Grab it while it’s still down to this discounted price.

Newswise — At a nondescript laboratory in Idaho Falls, Idaho, Wei Tang, Wenjuan Bian and Dong Ding make highly sophisticated advanced energy materials literally from scratch.

The researchers and their colleagues at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) are manufacturing an electrochemical energy conversion device called a protonic ceramic fuel cell/protonic ceramic electrolysis cell (PCFC/PCEC). These devices could soon help hydrogen play a big role in the nation’s energy future. The researchers start with powders containing elements and compounds needed for critical materials synthesis, mix them together, and manufacture them into thinner-than-wafer-thin, multilayered sandwiches that form the structure of the ceramic electrochemical devices.

PCFC/PCECs are essentially the same device, just operating in opposite directions. In the fuel cell (PCFC) mode, the device consumes hydrogen in the anode and takes oxygen from air in the cathode to form water and generate electricity. In the electrolysis cell (PCEC) mode, the device converts water and electricity into hydrogen and oxygen.

Those two different modes could provide utilities with significant flexibility. When electricity is abundant and its prices are low on the grid, the device can turn steam and electricity into hydrogen, which can be stored or used for industrial chemical production. When electricity is scarce and its prices are high, the cell can operate in reverse and convert stored hydrogen back into electricity.

These devices have another valuable benefit for numerous industrial processes: In contrast to oxygen ion-conducting cells that, in fuel cell mode, generate water molecules on the H2 side or, in electrolysis mode, feed steam on the hydrogen side, PCFC/PCEC devices generate or feed water on the air side. This avoids costly fuel circulation or hydrogen purification steps.

Overcoming key challenges

The researchers have devised a way to manufacture these cells that overcomes several key challenges. The results are published in the highly respected journal Nature Synthesis.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office funded the project through the protonic ceramic electrochemical cells program.

To convert inexpensive heat (in the form of steam from power plants, including nuclear plants) and electricity into high-value hydrogen via high temperature steam electrolysis, researchers must make these cells efficient, durable and cost-effective.

While past versions of cells have worked well in the fuel cell direction, (i.e. converting hydrogen into electricity) they’ve become unstable in hydrogen production mode due to the high concentration of steam needed for efficient hydrogen production.

To increase the technology’s stability, the researchers tinkered with the multilayer ceramic sandwich and came up with a solution.

Perovskites: Ceramics with useful, customizable properties

The basic material used to build the PCEC device is a ceramic called perovskite. This family of compounds has a crystalline structure with a high tolerance for composition modifications, allowing for corresponding changes in their physical and chemical properties. Perovskites and their ilk have uses across a wide range of energy technologies, including fuel cells and solar panels.

Researchers have tried to build PCECs using two ceramic layers that are sintered (joined together) together with high temperature heat. However, depending on the type of ceramic used, either the hydrogen production efficiency or long-term durability would suffer.

The state-of-the-art ceramic proton-conducting electrolytes include BaCeO3, BaZrO3 doped with earth elements (i.e. Yttrium, Ytterbium), and their solid-solutions BaZrxCe1-xO3. Cerium-rich perovskite electrolytes generally exhibit higher conductivity, but suffer from poor chemical stability in acidic atmospheres, such as steam. The solution to high-steam-pressure corrosion is using a Ce-free perovskite electrolyte, such as BaZr0.8Y0.2O3−δ (BZY), which is much more stable under high steam conditions during water electrolysis.

Despite being the best candidate for PCEC operation, BZY is difficult to sinter into a dense form. This flaw increases processing costs and negatively impacts the performance of electrochemical cells.

To overcome these challenges, the researchers made a novel structural engineering design. They redesigned the half-cell multilayer structure: they blended high-sinterability electrolyte BaCe0.7Zr0.1Y0.2O3−δ (BCZY) with nickel oxide (BCZY+NiO) for the support layer and used a buffer layer (BZY+NiO) to reduce sintering mismatches between support layer and electrolyte.

These modifications create four layers of the device consisting of: a porous air/steam electrode; a thin perovskite oxide electrolyte made of barium, zirconium and yttrium (BZY); a functional layer made of BZY electrolyte and nickel-oxide (BZY + NiO); and a support layer of barium, cerium, zirconium, yttrium and nickel-oxide (BCZY + NiO).

The high-sintering active support layer assists the densification of the electrolyte at a much lower temperature. The additional functional layer also improves performance by preventing the diffusion of cerium into the electrolyte, which would cause instability during the high steam condition.

Further, the functional layer reduces shrinkage stress of the high sintering active support layer relative to the electrolyte, which also improves the cell’s structural stability at higher temperatures.

Better performance and stability

The resulting electrochemical cell shows better performance in the efficiency with which the electricity provided to the electrolysis cell converts steam into hydrogen (called Faradaic efficiency). In other words, the new cell has a higher hydrogen production rate.

“The material can conduct more ions and results in less electronic leakage for the hydrogen production under a high-steam atmosphere, which is a harsh condition for ceramic electrolyzers” Bian said. “The higher conductivity and longer lifespan here means better performance. Our device shows the best hydrogen production performance. Achieving both excellent performance and long lifespan is typically difficult, but we succeeded through structural design and engineering.”

This material allows more water in the form of steam to be added into the system. “The Faradic efficiency is way higher,” Tang said. “With this high current density, it’s more efficient to generate hydrogen. There is less energy waste, a higher hydrogen production rate and higher energy efficiency.”

Baking the energy future from scratch

Making these highly sophisticated cells is not entirely different from baking in a kitchen. First the ingredients — the precursors of barium, cerium, zirconium, and yttrium — are poured into a mixer. In this case, the mixer is a planetary ball milling machine that mixes the powders and breaks down the particle size for better homogeneity. The mixture is calcinated for ceramic electrolyte material synthesis.

The electrolyte mixed with nickel oxide, and organic solvent and functional additives, are then cast onto a film and baked. The result is a pleasing shade of green film on a semi-transparent sheet of plastic — not too dissimilar from a fruit roll-up snack. The different ceramic films are then placed on top of one another and heated again at 1,450 C — the sintering process that joins the materials together.

The team has successfully scaled up to 25 cm² cells using this technology, a crucial step in bridging the gap between small button cells and a stack of cells that would be used in a full-scale, industrial device. The researchers are now focused on advancing the technology to higher readiness levels.

If their efforts are successful, the device could play an important role in the nation’s energy future where hydrogen is an important chemical precursor, energy storage and transportation medium, and fuel.

“PCEC is definitely a game changer at intermediate temperatures,” said Ding, an INL program manager and Directorate Fellow who has advocated establishing the PCEC program since 2016. “Operating within this temperature range enables the use of cost-efficient materials and can mitigate the rapid degradation typically seen at higher temperatures. This is key to driving costs down and making the technology viable for commercialization. Advanced manufacturing techniques are critical to overcoming the scale-up challenges of PCEC technology, and we are making strong progress at INL”

In addition to producing hydrogen, PCEC can serve as a platform for a wide range of applications for process-intensified chemical and fuel production, such as natural gas upgrading, carbon monoxide conversion and ammonia synthesis by changing the feedstocks and tailoring the catalysts. “We are closely collaborating with the industrial partners at different scales, ” Ding said.

About Idaho National Laboratory

Battelle Energy Alliance manages INL for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy. INL is the nation’s center for nuclear energy research and development, and also performs research in each of DOE’s strategic goal areas: energy, national security, science and the environment. For more information, visit www.inl.gov.

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TL;DR: Unlock over 1,200 hidden Mac features with a lifetime subscription to MacPilot, on sale for $29.97 with code MAC10 until Sept. 7.

Are you tired of having to purchase the latest MacBook to enjoy new features? What if there was a way to tap into a world of untapped Mac power? MacPilot can unlock over 1,200 features and customization options all in one simple app. No coding or Reddit research required. For a limited time, you can grab a lifetime license to MacPilot for only $29.97 with code MAC10. 

With MacPilot, advanced customization options are only one app away. Utilizing Apple’s familiar Macintosh user interface, you can display hidden files, mute that loud startup chime, change screenshot file formats, and add spacers or stacks to the Dock. 

Whatever you dream up, MacPilot can turn it into reality — within reason, of course. This software makes customizing your laptop accessible. No command line tools, complicated file operations, or computer science degrees necessary. 

If you’re interested in more of that tech jargon, use this software to run deep system maintenance tools and receive a thorough system profile that tells you everything you need to know about your Mac, from RAM speed to your serial number. 

With a lifetime subscription, you’ll receive all future updates on up to three Mac devices, so you can continue to enjoy modern features without the hefty price tag. You can save your latest MacBook from trade-in just a little longer.

If you’re ready to tailor your digital workspace into something that’s designed for you, now’s the time to make a move.

This MacPilot Lifetime Subscription is on sale for a limited time for only $29.97 (reg. $99) with code MAC10 until Sept. 7 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Close your eyes and visualize the following: a decadent piece of chocolate cake, a bouquet of fully bloomed red roses, a juicy peach. Hopefully, these mental images produced some form of positive feeling.  

But is it possible that, despite the feel-good emotions associated with all of them, our brains react differently to food-specific items?  

The answer: yes! And knowing the difference may be more important than you previously thought.    

“Our brains are wired to react to the environment around us, but different stimuli produce different responses,” said College of Public Health nutrition professor Martin Binks. 

Measuring our brain’s response toenvironment is critical for nutrition-related behavioral health and weight management interventions. Food Cue Reactivity (FCR) image banks allow nutrition scientists to determine how exposure to food-related environmental stimuli may impact the brain and, ultimately, eating behavior.  

FCR research, participants are shown a large set of image pairs— half of which are non-food items such as combs, car keys, or baskets of flowers. The other half are food images, like bowls of strawberries, vegetables, hamburgers, or cake. Researchers measure how reactive an individual’s brain is to food images compared to how their brain reacts to non-food images. For this to be reliable, the non-food and food images must be visually comparable (color, size, shape), and researchers also need to understand the relative appeal of both the objects and the food items; factors ignored in past image banks. 

“For the research to be accurate, we need the non-food to be paired with food items that are visually similar, and we must also have pictures that represent a range of appeal ratings (both food and non-food objects). Pizza, for example, may be a high appeal food and a Lamborghini a high appeal object, while broccoli and a set of keys are low appeal. Together, this gives us much more confidence that the brain responses we are seeing are about food,” Binks said.

Binks co-developed and tested a novel image bank that offers more precision when measuring the brain’s reactions to food. This new image bank corrects a deficiency in existing FCR image banks—they lack visual consistency and, therefore, are limited in their ability to produce scientifically accurate results. 

“We want to measure reactions purely to the food item and minimize responses to irrelevant stimuli as much as possible. The Food Cue Reactivity image bank we have made available makes it so that we can see how the brain ‘lights up’ at the sight of food, without the risk of being influenced by visual distractions that can compromise results,” The image bank developed by Binks is openly accessible for use by scholars across all disciplines seeking to study the food-related brain responses. 

The new image bank, developed alongside fellow researcher William R. Quarles, Ph.D., ensures appeal ratings and visual characteristics of images are accounted for. This refined method will improve research to better understand people’s the relationship with food. Binks’ work will inform future nutrition research and interventions.  

“This image bank will ultimately make the research more accurate and consistent and save other researchers a lot of time spent developing their own image banks,” said Binks.  

The development and testing of the TTU food cue reactivity image bank was published in July 2025 in the International Journal of Obesity. 

Martin Binks is an internationally renowned obesity and metabolic disease scientist and clinician with over 20 years of experience guiding patients through behavioral, pharmacologic, and surgical weight loss, health and wellness, and quality of life improvement. Binks specializes in behavioral medicine, neuropsychology, and obesity and metabolic disease He started his image bank research while he was a professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Texas Tech University. He has produced many research publications and authored several book chapters on topics including nutrition, brain health and cognition, 3-D food printing, behavioral pharmacologic and surgical treatment for obesity and metabolic diseases, motivating health behavior change and health coaching. 

Razer, founded and run by Min-Liang Tan for two decades, is prepping to release cutting-edge AI tools to help game developers produce games faster and cheaper and to coach players to sharpen their skills.

This story is part of Forbes’ coverage of Singapore’s Richest 2025. See the full list here.

Across four floors of office and studio space at Razer’s $75 million regional headquarters in Singapore—a mirrored black building recognizable by a towering, fluorescent green neon logo of a triple-headed snake—the gaming hardware giant has been doubling down on its latest play: AI software tools.