Intel is moving some manufacturing capacity away from consumer chips to keep up with demand for its Xeon server processors. During its Q3 2026 earnings call, the company said it will convert some Intel 18A resources at its Oregon facilities to Intel 3, the node behind Xeon 6 "Granite Rapids." According to CFO Dave Zinsner, those 18A wafers "are generally going to build Panther Lake products." Zinsner also indicated that weaker PC demand gives Intel room to make the switch, as the company expects the PC slowdown to last at least through the first half of next year. CEO Lip-Bu Tan said the added Intel 3 capacity should be in production in the second half of 2027.

Intel CEO Lip-Bu TanThe industry continues to navigate one of the most significant supply shortages in the history, driven by the unprecedented demand for Super Intelligence. Against this backdrop, I am pleased by the progress we made growing our server supply in Q3. I'm mindful about the ongoing challenges we face in the future quarters to keep pace with the server demand.

JGINYUE has put AMD's B650 chipset on a PCIe add-in card called the Xscale.io, and it costs just 388 yuan in China, VideoCardz reports. That works out to roughly $58, although some conversions put it closer to $54. The card uses the "Promontory 21" chip to add four M.2 slots, a 2.5 GbE port, two 10 Gbps USB Type-A ports, and one 10 Gbps USB Type-C port to any system with a spare PCIe slot. There are also two internal USB 2.0 headers. The four M.2 slots are not equal, however. The two on the front are PCIe 4.0 x4, while the two on the back are limited to PCIe 3.0 x2 and PCIe 3.0 x1, so the rear slots are probably best left for slower bulk storage.

The card takes a 6-pin PCIe power connector, and it has a 4-pin fan header for an optional 40 mm fan. Apparently, that header runs at a fixed speed, and the fan is not included. This isn't the first card of its kind, since Lekuo launched a B650 add-in card in August with four M.2 slots and four SATA ports, and WisdPi sells a $199 option with OCuLink. JGINYUE's version undercuts both by a wide margin. The company reportedly plans variants with 20 Gbps USB Type-C, 10 GbE, and a half-height design, though there's no word on availability outside China.

ESS Technology, Inc., a leading provider of high-performance audio semiconductors, today announced the ES9292PRO, a fully integrated audio SMART CODEC designed for applications that demand the highest levels of signal fidelity.

The SABRE ES9292PRO builds on the Hyperstream IV architecture pioneered in the flagship PRO stereo ADCs/DACs and combines them to deliver an astounding True DNR of +128dB/+130dB and a THD+N of -118/-118dB for ADC/DAC respectively. An integrated Clock Upsampler and patented Analog PLL work together to recover audio clocks, minimizing jitter and preserving signal integrity throughout the conversion chain while maintaining the ADC and DAC performance.

Upgrade the standard 9.5 mm Ultra-Slim ODD bay into a removable U.2/U.3 NVMe SSD bay that delivers enterprise-class speed and reliability in limited space. Ideal for Dell, HP, and Lenovo business desktops, compact workstations, and industrial or government systems, the MB411V4PO-2B enables quick drive maintenance, secure data access, and flexible storage expansion for environments where uptime and serviceability matter. This conversion adapter enables quick drive maintenance, secure data access, and flexible storage expansion where uptime and serviceability are essential.

OCuLink 4i PCIe Gen 4 x4 - Native U.2/U.3 NVMe Performance
Equipped with a native OCuLink 4i (SFF-8612) interface, the MB411V4PO-2B connects directly to NVMe hosts for PCIe Gen 4 x4 performance, delivering up to 64 Gbps transfer bandwidth - over 10× faster than traditional SATA ODD interfaces (6 Gbps). This dramatic increase in throughput enables faster data migration, real-time backups, and improved workflow efficiency for business and industrial applications.

TDK Corporation announces that it has developed the world's first "Spin Photo Detector," a photo-spintronic conversion element combining optical, electronic, and magnetic elements that can respond at an ultra-high speed of 20 picoseconds (20 × 10⁻¹² s) using light with a wavelength of 800 nm - more than 10X faster than conventional semiconductor-based photo detectors. This new device is expected to be a key driver for implementing photoelectric conversion technology that boosts data transmission and data processing speed, particularly in AI applications, while simultaneously reducing power consumption.

Transferring mass amounts of data at higher speeds and with lower power consumption is an inevitable need as AI evolves. To process data and make calculations, data is currently transferred between CPU/GPU chips as well as from and to memory by electrical signals. Therefore, there is an increasing need for optical communication and optical interconnects, which offer high speeds that do not decrease with interconnect distance. Photoelectronic conversion technology is also gaining global interest as a very compact fusion of both optical and electronic elements.

In developing the OPX1000, a controller fit for the ever-growing quantum processors counting 1,000 qubits and beyond, we had to think deeply about every detail that impairs scalability. Our recently unveiled OPX1000 module for microwave generation (MW-FEM) generates pulses up to 10.5 GHz directly, without analog oscillators or mixers. The choice of technology to reach microwave frequencies is not trivial. We choose cutting-edge direct digital synthesis (DDS) for very specific reasons, and we believe it will enable scalability and performance to an even greater degree. In this blog, we dive deeper into the considerations for going this route and existing alternatives. So stick around, whether you like mixers or hate them, this will be an interesting ride.

Summary of Technologies for Microwave Operation
The control signals for qubit drive and readout often fall in the microwave range, which is outside the range of baseband controllers. Many qubit labs have solved the issue with solutions based on mixing, including single sideband mixers, IQ-mixers, or more complicated schemes such as double super-heterodyne (DSH) conversion. Mixer-based solutions make use of analog local oscillators (LOs) that are multiplied by the signal of a controller or an AWG. IQ-mixers naturally suffer from two main spurs (affectionate name for unwanted signals), the LO leakage and the mixer image, which require non-trivial calibration to be removed. Other schemes, such as double super-heterodyne, offer a zero-calibration solution but use many more components. Additionally, mixing schemes require having an LO source per mixer if different drive frequencies are used. Having a low phase source per mixer is very expensive, and in order to cut prices, will probably include a phase-lock loops (PLL), leading to phase differences between channels, which is detrimental for multi-qubit systems. In other words, while mixers can be useful, we need to be aware of the pros and cons involved.

Last year, it was revealed that the masters of remasters at Nightdive Studios have taken on the task of bringing the beloved 90s classic Star Wars: Dark Forces to modern audiences. The remaster is set to release February 28 on PS5 and PS4, nearly 30 years after the release of the original game from LucasArts in 1995. Similar to Nightdive's previous endeavors with titles like Quake II and Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion Remastered, Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster honors the strong foundation of the original while updating it for modern consoles through the studio's proprietary KEX engine, allowing the game to run at up to 4K resolution at 120 FPS on PlayStation 5. With this, fans of the original as well as a whole new generation of gamers, will be able to experience Star Wars: Dark Forces and appreciate what made it such an essential title within LucasArts' (now Lucasfilm Games) impressive catalog. Further honoring the work that went into its initial development, it's been revealed that Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster will feature a special Vault jam-packed with never-before-seen content from the making of the 1995 original!

With improved spritework and remastered cutscenes, those looking to dig deeper into a truly unique story within the Star Wars galaxy will be able to enjoy a visually pleasing narrative experience as they join protagonist Kyle Katarn, a defector turned mercenary for hire working for the Rebel Alliance, in foiling the Galactic Empire and its secret Dark Troopers Project. As much as we'd love to continue gushing over why this has been such an exciting project for Nightdive and must-play title for fans and newcomers alike, let's dive deeper into the fascinating history and behind-the-scenes work of breathing new life into Star Wars: Dark Forces with Nightdive's Project Lead and Producer, Max Waine.

Jim Ryan, the current President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, has once again confirmed his company's committal to staggering the launch of PlayStation ports onto the PC platform. Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu published an interview last week, and western news outlets have spent time over the past weekend translating and analyzing this article. The contents/discussion focuses mostly on Sony Corporation's strategies for its PlayStation 5 console in their native market. Ryan addresses the interviewer's question about the growing popularity of gaming on PCs in Japan (the nation has historically favored home console platforms): "I think that's a very good thing. When considering the multifaceted development of game IP, PCs are indispensable for allowing more people to enjoy games in a variety of ways. I think (that) more is better."

Ryan was asked about the possibility of simultaneous first-party game launches on PS5 and PC platforms in the future - his answer points to the company not deviating from its normal operating strategy: "We also fully understand the importance of PS5 exclusive titles. As I mentioned earlier, PlayStation Studios' main responsibility is to make games for the latest PlayStation hardware that players will enjoy. We are increasing the number of PS5 exclusive games, and staggering the release of the PC versions." Ryan claims to have received positive feedback from gamers about this matter: "I often have the opportunity to ask game fans for their opinions, and when I ask them how they feel about the time lag, they often say they feel the release of a PC version two or three years after the release of the PlayStation version is acceptable. It's a community that we should cherish the most. We will continue to listen to the voices of game fans and develop various titles in a multifaceted manner."

The PC port of The Last of Us Part I has gained a lot of attention for its shoddy technical performance at launch, with a flurry of patches issued by developer Naughty Dog to calm down matters following barbed community feedback. An unofficial modification project has been ticking along behind the scenes, with team members and contributors content to tinker with the game, rather than engage in arguments about poor optimization and crashes to desktop. The Voyagers Revenge project has this week revealed footage of a first person perspective mode implemented into the Windows version of The Last of Us Part I.

The mod is still a work in progress, so demonstrations have been captured in the form of gameplay footage and uploaded to YouTube - actual playable code is not available to the public. The modders have implemented a feature that Naughty Dog had previously abandoned, with vice president Neil Druckmann confirming that the development team had experimented with a first person perspective mode in the early days of production, but they ultimately decided to drop it in favor of sticking to an over-the-shoulder viewpoint.