Ahead of the 2024 Optical Fiber Communication Conference (OFC), MediaTek (last week) announced it is launching a next-generation custom ASIC design platform that includes the heterogeneous integration of both high-speed electrical and optical I/Os in the same ASIC implementation. MediaTek will be demonstrating a serviceable socketed implementation that combines 8x800G electrical links and 8x800G optical links for a more flexible deployment. It integrates both MediaTek's in-house SerDes for electrical I/O as well as co-packaged Odin optical engines from Ranovus for optical I/O. Leveraging the heterogeneous solution that includes both 112G LR SerDes and optical modules, this CPO demonstration delivers reduced board space and device costs, boosts bandwidth density, and lowers system power by up to 50% compared to existing solutions.

Additionally, Ranovus' Odin optical engine has the option to provide either internal or external laser optical modules to better align with practical usage scenarios. MediaTek's ASIC experience and capabilities in the 3 nm advanced process, 2.5D and 3D advanced packaging, thermal management, and reliability, combined with optical experience, makes it possible for customers to access the latest technology for high-performance computing (HPC), AI/ML and data center networking.

CTL, a global cloud computing solution leader for education and enterprise, will demonstrate the world's first Chromebook supporting 5G RedCap connectivity powered by, which was the world's first announced commercial release 17 5G RedCap modem RF system. CTL is preparing its Chromebook product lines for the future, where 5G will replace LTE connectivity. With more schools and enterprises standing up private cellular networks for anytime, anywhere connectivity, CTL is at the forefront of bringing built-in 5G connectivity to Chromebook devices.

Erik Stromquist, CTL's CEO, said, "CTL is committed to developing and introducing affordable solutions for the education and enterprise markets. We believe there is a big opportunity to address the digital divide by providing more advanced and affordable private network solutions to extend internet access to every user regardless of location. We are thrilled to collaborate with Qualcomm Technologies in demonstrating 5G next-gen possibilities at this year's Mobile World Congress."

Fibocom, a global leading provider of IoT (Internet of Things) wireless solutions and wireless communication modules, launches a new series of 5G RedCap module integrated with MediaTek's T300 5G modem, which is the world's first 6 nm radio frequency system-on-chip (RFSOC) single die solution for 5G RedCap. By integrating a single-core Arm Cortex-A3 processor in a significantly compact PCB area, the FM330 series are optimal solutions that offer extended coverage, increased network efficiency and device battery life for industry customers.

Compliant with 3GPP R17 standards, the FM330 series supports mainstream 5G frequency bands worldwide and is capable of reaching a maximum bandwidth of 20 MHz, thus ensuring the peak data rate of up to 227 Mbps downlink and 122 Mbps uplink, sufficient to meet the demand for 5G applications with less data throughput while balancing the power efficiency. In hardware design, it adopts the M.2form factor measured at 30x42mm benefiting from the unique RFSOC solution integrated with T300, in addition to the optimized antenna design in 1T2R, which significantly saves the PCB area. Moreover, FM330 series is pin-compatible with Fibocom LTE Cat 6 module FM101, easing the concerns for customers' migration from 4G to 5G. Furthermore, the module provides 64QAM/256QAM (optional) modulation scheme to greatly optimize the cost and size.

Launching today, our latest wireless headset, Pulse Elite, brings crisp, immersive audio to the gaming experience on the PS5 console; to PlayStation Link supported devices including PS5, PC, Mac, and PlayStation Portal remote player; and to Bluetooth compatible devices such as smartphones and tablets. Pulse Elite follows the launch of our first wireless earbuds, Pulse Explore, with both audio devices featuring planar magnetic drivers to further enhance the PS5 console's Tempest 3D AudioTech. When combined with PlayStation Link, the planar drivers precisely deliver the output of the 3D audio algorithms directly to the player's ear without loss, and nearly no distortion or delay. Here's our quick-start guide on setting up and using the Pulse Elite wireless headset, along with Pulse Explore wireless earbuds.

Set up and use sidetone and 3D audio features on PS5
A tour of the headset appears when you first connect the Pulse Elite wireless headset or Pulse Explore wireless earbuds to your PS5 console via the included PlayStation Link USB adapter. Before diving into a game, I recommend personalizing 3D audio settings and adjusting sidetone volume (changing this adjusts how loudly you hear your own voice in your ear when you talk). It's also possible to create a custom name for the headset, with standard letters, symbols, and even emoji. After the tour, you can change settings at any time while the headset is connected by navigating to the Settings menu and selecting Accessories, followed by Pulse Elite wireless headset.

Logitech has announced that all video collaboration devices that run on the CollabOS operating system will now be manufactured with next-life plastics, helping enterprise customers support their sustainability objectives. Existing products- Rally Bar, Rally Bar Mini, Tap IP, Tap Scheduler, and Scribe- are being refreshed with materials that lower the carbon impact of each product. This provides organizations with a partner that in turn helps position them to better manage their carbon footprint. "By transitioning our portfolio of conference room devices to a lower product carbon footprint, we are helping other companies navigate their sustainability challenges," said Prakash Arunkundrum, Chief Operating Officer at Logitech. "We're not only designing and manufacturing new products with recycled plastic and other lower carbon materials, but refreshing existing products to provide IT leaders with a new way to evaluate their workplace technology investment in conference room systems—one that includes people and planet. We do this without increasing prices or compromising the highest quality and performance companies expect from Logitech."

"By transitioning our portfolio of conference room devices to a lower product carbon footprint, we are helping other companies navigate their sustainability challenges," said Prakash Arunkundrum, Chief Operating Officer at Logitech. "We're not only designing and manufacturing new products with recycled plastic and other lower carbon materials, but refreshing existing products to provide IT leaders with a new way to evaluate their workplace technology investment in conference room systems - one that includes people and planet. We do this without increasing prices or compromising the highest quality and performance companies expect from Logitech." Efforts to reduce negative environmental impact have rapidly become a business imperative. In a recent survey of IT professionals by analyst firm Frost & Sullivan, 65% say that becoming a leader in environmental, social, governance and sustainability practices is a critical or very important business objective in the coming year.

The Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26040 was made available via the Canary Channel last Friday—Microsoft's introductory blog explores a wide range of improvements and fixes—including a new Task Manager icon, support for USB 80 Gbps (AKA USB 4 Version 2), Colemak and Hebrew keyboard layouts and many more. The most significant change arrives with a wider deployment of Voice Clarity—this change has received plenty of press attention over the past weekend. The AI-powered feature was first released publicly back in 2022, but its rollout was product limited to compatible Surface devices. Microsoft's January 26 Insider Blog entry has an extensive escape plan—support is extending to "x64 and Arm64 CPUs" without any need for "extra hardware."

The relevant section stated: "We are expanding Voice Clarity which has been available on Surface devices and making it available to more people. Voice Clarity is a feature that enhances your audio experience on Windows with state-of-the-art AI technology. Powered by low complexity AI models, Voice Clarity cancels echo, suppresses background noise, and reduces reverberation in real-time. This feature is enabled by default and can be utilized by applications using Communications Signal Processing Mode, such as Phone Link and WhatsApp." Previously, this feature was only available on Surface devices that sported a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), so it is interesting to see Voice Clarity becoming less reliant on AI-tailored hardware.

Sony has announced INZONE Buds - new truly wireless gaming earbuds packed with Sony's renowned audio technology designed to help you win. INZONE Buds offer both PC and console gamers an immersive gaming experience thanks to personalised sound, unrivalled 12 hours of battery lifeii and low latency. Accompanying this innovation is the INZONE H5 wireless headset, which offers an astonishing 28 hours of uninterrupted gameplay, ensuring comfort during extended gaming sessions.

Both of these products were born through a collaboration with the renowned esports team, Fnatic, who will celebrate 20 years of operation in 2024 and secured back to back international titles in the VALORANT Champions Tour this year. Furthermore, the sleek new black version of the highly acclaimed INZONE H9 wireless noise cancelling headset will be launched. INZONE continues to elevate your PC and PlayStation gaming experience with enhanced audio realism.

Today, NuCurrent, the global authority in wireless power technology, announced that it enables the new Poly Voyager Surround 85 UC Bluetooth headset with NuCurrent's NuSync technology, the world's highest power Near-Field Communication (NFC) transfer system. NuCurrent continues to partner with Poly, an HP Inc. company, to deliver optimal tech setups and wireless charging solutions to expedite device charging and meet the demands of today's hybrid workers so they have a more seamless, connected experience wherever they work.

Earlier this year, Poly announced the Voyager Free 60 Series, which has the fastest wireless charging Qi-certified case available on the market, certified to the latest Qi standards. The Poly Voyager Surround 85 UC Bluetooth headset is the next in the Voyager Series to feature NuCurrent's wireless charging capabilities. It is the ultimate over-the-ear solution for hybrid work, ensuring seamless connectivity with people and devices across diverse locations - from home, to office, and beyond. Delivering crystal clear and immersive audio with up to 21 hours of talk-time, adaptive ANC, and a high-quality boomless microphone, this innovative solution comes with an NFC wireless charging stand for effortless charging - simply place the headphones on the stand.

Avicena, a privately held company headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, is demonstrating its LightBundle multi-Tbps chip-to-chip interconnect technology at the European Conference for Optical Communications (ECOC) 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland (https://www.ecocexhibition.com/). Avicena's microLED-based LightBundle architecture breaks new ground by unlocking the performance of processors, memory and sensors, removing key bandwidth and proximity constraints while simultaneously offering class leading energy efficiency.

"As generative AI continues to evolve, the role of high bandwidth-density, low-power and low latency interconnects between xPUs and HBM modules cannot be overstated", says Chris Pfistner, VP Sales & Marketing of Avicena. "Avicena's innovative LightBundle interconnects have the potential to fundamentally change the way processors connect to each other and to memory because their inherent parallelism is well-matched to the internal wide and slow bus architecture within ICs. With a roadmap to multi-terabit per second capacity and sub-pJ/bit efficiency these interconnects are poised to enable the next era of AI innovation, paving the way for even more capable models and a wide range of AI applications that will shape the future."

From the makers of Arctis, the most awarded audio line in gaming, SteelSeries, the original esports brand that fuses gaming and culture, today introduces the special-edition Arctis Nova 7 white collection. Through four years of innovative and meticulous engineering, SteelSeries set out to push boundaries, solve problems for those living a multi-faceted "gaming lifestyle" and reinvent the world's #1 premium gaming headphones. Whether it's gaming on the go, listening to Spotify or watching Netflix while commuting on the train or bus, taking a Zoom call and needing to tune out the noise in a shared apartment, workspace, or coffee shop, at the home office with furry kids running around, in the gym or basketball court, playing some Call of Duty Modern Warfare II or Mario at home, and so much more... Welcome to the future of audio for a gaming lifestyle.

Elite performance comes standard. The Arctis Nova 7X & 7P are equipped with the Nova Acoustic System, which fuses hardware and software to raise the bar over the competition and provide those living a "gaming lifestyle" with a new superpower known as "Almighty Audio." The combination of custom-designed High Fidelity speaker drivers that offer unparalleled sound purity, plus immersive 360° Spatial Audio for an immersive soundscape, along with the Sonar Audio Software Suite, which features the first pro-grade parametric EQ for gamers and allows them to adjust every individual frequency, provides unparalleled sound customization.

IBM has formally introduced watsonx, the company's next generation enterprise-focused artificial intelligence and data platform. Global business leaders remain unclear about the real, transformative power of AI and how to leverage it. The campaign is designed to define and differentiate watsonx as a force multiplier that can accelerate impact for global business leaders as they look to apply AI solutions in new and innovative ways.

The two distinct spots feature a fast-paced, multi-media technique that aims to provide inspiration and guidance around the value proposition of watsonx, while underscoring the need to identify the right AI that will empower businesses to advance objectives and accelerate workloads. These concepts come to life through potential use cases that spotlight the importance of applying AI that is trusted, targeted, and built on the best open technology available.

Momento Note, a leading innovator in the field of digital communication, is thrilled to announce the launch of its groundbreaking product, the Momento Note. This cutting-edge smart note revolutionizes the way we interact with reminders and tasks, taking a timeless tool into the digital era. The yellow sticky note was invented by Dr. Spencer Silver and Art Fry of the esteemed 3M Company in 1980. However, despite advancements in technology, the iconic Post-it Note remained unchanged—until now.

The Momento Note represents a quantum leap in note-taking technology. Leveraging the power of NFC (Near Field Communication), this innovative device transcends the limitations of traditional paper. With the Momento Note, users can store voice recordings, photos, and videos in their reminders, enhancing their organizational capabilities like never before.

Today, U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger, Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Jessica Rosenworcel, and Laurie Locascio, Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) unveiled the U.S. national IoT security label at the White House.

Infineon Technologies AG supports this action to address the growing need for IoT security. The new label supports the IoT security requirements under NISTIR 8425, which resulted from an Executive Order to improve the nation's cybersecurity. This label will recognize products that meet these requirements by permitting them to display a U.S. government label and be listed in a registry indicating that these products meet U.S. cybersecurity standards.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has certified 802.11bb as a standard for light-based wireless communications—this development was announced yesterday, and warmly received by numerous Li-Fi businesses operating around the world, including pureLiFi and Fraunhofer HHI. These organizations hope that the (currently niche market) technology will get adopted at a greater rate thanks to the IEEE's approval. Proponents of the standard proclaim that it is "faster, more reliable wireless communications with unparalleled security compared to conventional technologies such as Wi-Fi and 5G (radio frequency networks)."

pureLiFi boasts that their Light Antenna ONE module is on the cusp of being ready for mass production: "This innovative device is the result of groundbreaking work by world-renowned LiFi engineers and marks a significant milestone in the development of LiFi technology. With Light Antenna ONE, millions of people can now be connected through light, opening up a new world of possibilities for high-speed, secure, and reliable communication. The design of this cutting-edge module enables mass integration of LiFi technology for the first time, paving the way for a future where LiFi plays a crucial role in our daily lives." Sample units can be sent to OEMs for evaluation purposes—the baseband agnostic (802.11 and G.hn) EVK consists of a solderable castellated module and motherboard.

Global LiFi technology firms pureLiFi and Fraunhofer HHI welcome the release of IEEE 802.11bb as the latest global light communications standard alongside IEEE 802.11 WiFi standards. The bb standard marks a significant milestone for the LiFi market, as it provides a globally recognised framework for deployment of LiFi technology.

LiFi is a wireless technology that uses light rather than radio frequencies to transmit data. By harnessing the light spectrum, LiFi can unleash faster, more reliable wireless communications with unparalleled security compared to conventional technologies such as WiFi and 5G. The Light Communications 802.11bb Task Group was formed in 2018 chaired by pureLiFi and supported by Fraunhofer HHI, two firms which have been at the forefront of LiFi development efforts. Both organisations aim to see accelerated adoption and interoperability not only between LiFi vendors but also with WiFi technologies as a result of these standardisation efforts.

Sony has announced that Zoom Video Communications, Inc. will be coming to Sony's BRAVIA TVs that are compatible with BRAVIA CAM. This partnership will allow users to easily connect with friends, family, and colleagues for video calls and meetings from the comfort of their living room. Sony's BRAVIA is the first TV brand to support the Zoom for TV app on Google Play Store.

With Zoom on BRAVIA TVs, users will be able to take advantage of all the features that make Zoom one of the leading video communication platform. This includes video communication on a TV screen, screen sharing, and collaboration tools. Users will also be able to use BRAVIA CAM's advanced features - it recognizes where you are in the room and how far you are from the TV, then adjusts sound and picture settings so they're just right. All of that is possible with a very simple setup - when using a compatible TV with a BRAVIA CAM, it only takes downloading the Zoom app from Google Play and launching it with the TV's remote.

According to news agencies residing within Russian territories, it has been widely reported that Cisco has destroyed an inventory of unsold equipment with a total worth of $23.5 million. TASS, a Kremlin-controlled news organization, has made reference to account statements provided by Cisco Systems (the remaining legal entity of the Cisco Group based within the Federation) - it reports that the equipment was "physically destroyed" in January 2023, post a termination of sales in Russia and Belarus. The financial statements outline the liquidation of "primarily spare parts," but the agency claims that Cisco engaged in the destruction of network hardware, demo units and office furniture.

Cisco was one of the first tech companies to withdraw from Russian territories, following the full-scale invasion of the Ukraine. Soon after the beginning of the conflict, Cisco Systems announced the cessation of its business dealings, starting with a stoppage of sales in March 2022. A June deadline was specified for a complete shutdown of operations. The company made a decision by August 2022 to dispose of unsold inventories located within affected territories - the necessary permits for re-export of goods had not been obtained. It is not clear whether U.S. sanctions (against Russia) played a part in influencing the North American tech company's decision to engage in a scorched earth policy and obliterate the physical remnants of stock plus premises in Russia and Belarus.

Whether it's generating a shiny new avatar or putting into words something you couldn't quite figure out on your own, new experiences using generative artificial intelligence are popping up every day. However, "tons of people use AI on Discord" might not be news to you: more than 30 million people already use AI apps on Discord every month. Midjourney's server is the biggest on Discord, with more than 13 million members bringing their imaginations to pixels. Overall, our users have created more than 1 billion unique images through AI apps on Discord. And this is just the start.
Almost 3 million Discord servers include an AI experience, ranging from generating gaming assets to groups writing novels with AI, to AI companions, AI companies and AI-based learning communities. More than 10 percent of new Discord users are joining specifically to access AI interest based communities on our platform.

Ayar Labs, a leader in the use of silicon photonics for chip-to-chip optical connectivity, today announced public demonstration of the industry's first 4 terabit-per-second (Tbps) bidirectional Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) optical solution at the upcoming Optical Fiber Communication Conference (OFC) in San Diego on March 5-9, 2023. The company achieves this latest milestone as it works with leading high-volume manufacturing and supply partners including GlobalFoundries, Lumentum, Macom, Sivers Photonics and others to deliver the optical interconnects needed for data-intensive applications. Separately, the company was featured in an announcement with partner Quantifi Photonics on a CW-WDM-compliant test platform for its SuperNova light source, also at OFC.

In-package optical I/O uniquely changes the power and performance trajectories of system design by enabling compute, memory and network silicon to communicate with a fraction of the power and dramatically improved performance, latency and reach versus existing electrical I/O solutions. Delivered in a compact, co-packaged CMOS chiplet, optical I/O becomes foundational to next-generation AI, disaggregated data centers, dense 6G telecommunications systems, phased array sensory systems and more.

Today, the Open Compute Project Foundation (OCP), the nonprofit organization bringing hyperscale innovations to all, and JEDEC Solid State Technology Association, the global leader in the development of standards for the microelectronics industry, announce a new collaboration to establish a framework for the transfer of technology captured in an OCP-approved specification to JEDEC for inclusion in one of its standards. This alliance brings together members from both the OCP and JEDEC communities to share efforts in developing and maintaining global standards needed to advance the electronics industry.

Under this new alliance, the current effort will be to provide a mechanism to standardize Chiplet part descriptions leveraging OCP Chiplet Data Extensible Markup Language (CDXML) specification to become part of JEDEC JEP30: Part Model Guidelines for use with today's EDA tools. With this updated JEDEC standard, expected to be published in 2023, Chiplet builders will be able to provide electronically a standardized Chiplet part description to their customers paving the way for automating System in Package (SiP) design and build using Chiplets. The description will include information needed by SiP builders such as Chiplet thermal properties, physical and mechanical requirements, behavior specifications, power and signal integrity properties, testing the Chiplet in package, and security parameters.

NEXCOM, a leading supplier of network appliances, launched a new platform based on the 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processor - the NSA 7160. This high-performance 2U rackmount is a long-awaited enhancement of NEXCOM's well-established cyber security product line. NSA 7160 is equipped with the latest Intel technologies, featuring eight PCIe Gen5 extension slots for LAN modules, built-in accelerators, CXL1.1 and supports installation of RunBMC module & full-height full-length (FHFL) card.

NEXCOM's NSA 7160 is intended for network security and 5G network applications, with cutting-edge features like multi-core computing performance, high memory capacity, high-speed I/O interface, and improved Intel QuickAssist Technology (Intel QAT) hardware acceleration for both enterprise and telecommunication applications. By leveraging 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors, NSA 7160 accelerates performance across the fastest-growing workloads and delivers value across multiple applications.

In response to rising demand for increased bandwidth of network traffic, NEXCOM, a leading supplier of network appliances, has released a compact single-port 200GbE network interface card (NIC). NL 110FM-OS leverages the award-winning NVIDIA ConnectX -6 Dx SmartNIC silicon and a PCIe Gen4 interface that doubles the speed of data transfer, compared with the previous generation PCIe standard. The network connection is enabled through one QSFP56 port to utilize double-bit PAM4 data transmission, and the NIC card is compatible with NEXCOM's latest rackmount network appliances.

The sheer volume of data traveling over the IT network leaves service providers no other choice but to adjust to the new reality. One of the ways to solve the problem is to increase the number of servers and another is to migrate to more compact solutions based on the latest technologies. The first method will require purchasing additional servers, leading to maintenance personnel expansion and energy consumption growth, whereas the second method is simply to increase the bandwidth of existing network nodes. This latter option provides a greener solution and should be preferable for all CSPs whether or not they have environmental concerns in reducing their carbon footprint.

Alphabet has announced that its prototype implementation of a laser-based communications system, Project Taara, successfully managed to transmit over 700 Terabytes of data over a 5 km distance. The system successfully transmitted the information across the Congo river in the African continent, connecting the towns of Brazzaville (Republic of Congo) and Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo). The system aims to deliver fiber-optic-level communications speed in locations where infrastructure investment cost for a fiber optics solution is economically unfeasible. In this case, Project Taara delivered the high-speed connection where 250 miles of fiber network cabling would need to be laid out to achieve the same effect. It should also allow for cheaper infrastructure development in well-developed cities.

The project has taken the Free Space Optical Communications technology developed for Project Loon, one of Alphabet's explorations on delivering high-speed internet connections to rural areas whilst using stratospheric helium balloons. Alphabet said that its Project Taara link was operational for 20 days during the test period, where it achieved a signal availability level of 99.9% - meaning that it was practically uninterrupted. The laser system features self-adjustment capabilities that aim to circumvent weather and wildlife elements, which allow the lasers to not only boost the laser strength if required, but also to adjust the output and input laser dishes by up to +/- 5 degrees. The system's current development stage should allows for "a light beam the width of a chopstick accurately enough to hit a 5-centimeter target that's 10 kilometers away."

The global supply of semiconductor processors has been at risk lately. Starting from GPUs to CPUs, the demand for both has been much greater than the available supply. Manufacturing companies, such as TSMC, have been expanding capacities, however, they have not yet been able to satisfy the demand. We have seen the results of that demand in a form of the scarcity of the latest generation of graphics cards, covering NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 3000 series Ampere, and AMD' Radeon RX 6000 series Big Navi graphics cards. Consumers have had a difficult time sourcing them and they have seen artificial price increase that is much higher than their original MSRP.

However, it doesn't seem like the situation will improve. According to the latest reporting from Bloomberg, the next victim of global chip shortage is... you guessed it, your home internet router. The cited sources have noted that the waiting list to get a batch of ordered routers has doubled the waiting time, from the regular 30 weeks to 60-week waiting time. This represents a waiting list that is more than a year long. With the global COVID-19 pandemic still going strong, there is an increased need for better home router equipment, and delays can only hurt broadband providers that supply routers. Taiwan-based router manufacturer Zyxel Communications, notes that the company has seen massive demand for their equipment. Such a massive demand could lead to insufficient supply, which could increase prices of routers well above their MSRP and bring scarcity of them as well.

Celeno Communications, a leading provider of high-performance Wi-Fi chips and software for HD multimedia and data home networking applications, and Edimax, a leading manufacturer of networking solutions, today unveiled the first 802.11ac video bridge powered by Celeno's CLR2200 802.11ac chips. The high-performance video bridge extends the capabilities of the wireless network and enables the uninterrupted streaming of HD IPTV as well as data to multiple screens within subscriber homes while ensuring incomparable Quality of Service and Experience (QoS and QoE).

The video bridge supports 802.11ac with peak radio throughput of 866 Mbps, Transmit Beam Forming and Celeno's field-deployed OptimizAIR video-grade technology suite allows for a superior throughput/range and quality of service for video distribution in the home.