Retroid, a popular brand of retro gaming handhelds, has finally revealed the specifications for its upcoming product - the Retro Pocket Classic. As the name suggests, the product will boast a compact form factor that screams retro vibes. The company has revealed multiple teasers for the device in the past, and has now shed light on the detailed specifications of the same. As teased, the Pocket Classic will boast a 3.92-inch AMOLED display with a peak brightness of 500 nits and a resolution of 1,240 x 1080 allowing for an impressive pixel density of 419.

Internally, an undisclosed 4 nm Qualcomm SoC will sit at the heart of the device, paired with 4 GB of LPDDR4X memory and 64 GB of eMMC storage. The product will boast an active cooling solution, which should allow for longer play times without any severe throttling issues. Speaking of longer play times, the Pocket Classic will boast a 5,000-mAh battery with 27-watt charging support. At just 13.8 x 8.9 x 2.6 cm, the Pocket Classic weighs in at just 223 grams. As for connectivity, a USB-C port, a 3.5 mm audio jack, as well as a TF card slot. Wireless communications will be taken care of by Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 5. Pricing and availability details are under wraps for now, but when the time comes, the Pocket Classic will ship with Android 14 pre-installed.

We first announced Raspberry Pi 5 back in the autumn of 2023, with just two choices of memory density: 4 GB and 8 GB. Last summer, we released the 2 GB variant, aimed at cost-sensitive applications. And today we're launching its bigger sibling, the 16 GB variant, priced at $120.

Why 16 GB, and why now?
We're continually surprised by the uses that people find for our hardware. Many of these fit into 8 GB (or even 2 GB) of SDRAM, but the threefold step up in performance between Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi 5 opens up use cases like large language models and computational fluid dynamics, which benefit from having more storage per core. And while Raspberry Pi OS has been tuned to have low base memory requirements, heavyweight distributions like Ubuntu benefit from additional memory capacity for desktop use cases. The optimized D0 stepping of the Broadcom BCM2712 application processor includes support for memories larger than 8 GB. And our friends at Micron were able to offer us a single package containing eight of their 16Gbit LPDDR4X die, making a 16 GB product feasible for the first time.

TrendForce's latest investigations reveal that the DRAM market is expected to face downward pricing pressure in 1Q25 as seasonal weakness aligns with sluggish consumer demand for products like smartphones. Additionally, early stockpiling by notebook manufacturers—over potential import tariffs under the Trump administration—has further exacerbated the pricing decline.

Conventional DRAM prices are projected to drop by 8% to 13%. However, if HBM products are included, the anticipated price decline will range from 0% to 5%.

Just in time for Christmas, we're delighted to announce the release of two hotly anticipated products that we think will look great under the tree. One of them might even fit in a stocking if you push hard enough. Introducing Raspberry Pi 500, available now at $90, and the Raspberry Pi Monitor, on sale at $100: together, they're your complete Raspberry Pi desktop setup.

Integral calculus
Our original mission at Raspberry Pi was to put affordable, programmable personal computers in the hands of young people all over the world. And while we've taken some detours along the way - becoming one of the world's largest manufacturers of industrial and embedded computers - this mission remains at the heart of almost everything we do. It drives us to make lower-cost products like the $15 Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, and more powerful products, like our flagship Raspberry Pi 5 SBC. These products provide just the essential processing element of a computer, which can be combined with the family television, and second-hand peripherals, to build a complete and cost-effective system.

Today we're happy to announce the much-anticipated launch of Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5, the modular version of our flagship Raspberry Pi 5 single-board computer, priced from just $45.

An unexpected journey
We founded the Raspberry Pi Foundation back in 2008 with a mission to give today's young people access to the sort of approachable, programmable, affordable computing experience that I benefitted from back in the 1980s. The Raspberry Pi computer was, in our minds, a spiritual successor to the BBC Micro, itself the product of the BBC's Computer Literacy Project. But just as the initially education-focused BBC Micro quickly found a place in the wider commercial computing marketplace, so Raspberry Pi became a platform around which countless companies, from startups to multi-billion-dollar corporations, chose to innovate. Today, between seventy and eighty percent of Raspberry Pi units go into industrial and embedded applications.

TrendForce's latest findings reveal that weaker consumer demand has persisted through 3Q24, leaving AI servers as the primary driver of memory demand. This dynamic, combined with HBM production displacing conventional DRAM capacity, has led suppliers to maintain a firm stance on contract price hikes.

Smartphone brands continue to remain cautious despite some server OEMs continuing to show purchasing momentum. Consequently, TrendForce forecasts that Q4 memory prices will see a significant slowdown in growth, with conventional DRAM expected to increase by only 0-5%. However, benefiting from the rising share of HBM, the average price of overall DRAM is projected to rise 8-13%—a marked deceleration compared to the previous quarter.

Acer today introduced the new Iconia X12 (X12-11), an AMOLED-display tablet designed to boost productivity and entertainment experiences. Users can maximize the split-screen feature for work, high color contrast for content, and smooth frames when playing on its massive 12.6-inch AMOLED (2560X1600) panel with a fast 60 Hz refresh rate and 400 nits brightness. The Acer Iconia X12 is also equipped with quad stereo speakers for rich, immersive audio.

The tablet's usability is further enhanced with a series of accessories that boost productivity and creativity, including an option for an aluminium stylus pen, a portfolio case with a stylus slot and adjustable, multi-angle stand, plus a detachable Bluetooth keyboard with trackpad for added typing/scrolling options. The Iconia X12 also features a front 8 MP camera and a back 13 MP camera with flash and autofocus for great video calling and image capturing with true-to-life color reproduction. It runs on Android 14 and is powered by a MediaTek Helio G99 processor, built on a highly efficient 6 nm chip to enable fast display, smooth streaming, and reliable connectivity.

TrendForce reports that a recovery in demand for general servers—coupled with an increased production share of HBM by DRAM suppliers—has led suppliers to maintain their stance on hiking prices. As a result, the ASP of DRAM in the third quarter is expected to continue rising, with an anticipated increase of 8-13%. The price of conventional DRAM is expected to rise by 5-10%, showing a slight contraction compared to the increase in the second quarter.

TrendForce notes that buyers were more conservative about restocking in the second, and inventory levels on both the supplier and buyer sides did not show significant changes. Looking ahead to the third quarter, there is still room for inventory replenishment for smartphones and CSPs, and the peak season for production is soon to commence. Consequently, it is expected that smartphones and servers will drive an increase in memory shipments in the third quarter.

At COMPUTEX 2024, MediaTek will showcase new products and technology demonstrations, featuring highlights in AI, Smart TVs, Chromebooks, IoT and more, in addition to a keynote by Vice Chairman and CEO Dr. Rick Tsai about how MediaTek can enable ubiquitous AI.

At this year's show, MediaTek will debut two new chipsets with powerful performance and support for the latest AI enhancements across multiple verticals: the Kompanio 838 SoC for premium Chromebooks, and the Pentonic 800 SoC for 4K premium smart TVs and displays.

Acer today debuted two new premium Chromebook Plus laptops - the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 and Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE - that combine versatile designs with a 2x faster Intel Core processor and up to double the memory and storage, giving people the power to do even more all at once.

As Chromebook Plus devices, the two new models support enhanced generative AI features for connectivity, creativity, and collaboration, such as a "help me write" feature available with just a right click, Google Photos' Magic Editor, Gemini, and more. The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 is a slim convertible optimized for on-the-go productivity and connectivity with a 360-degree hinge that allows it to be used in myriad ways and places, and the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE is a next-generation cloud-gaming Chromebook with the latest gaming-centric hardware to stream and play AAA games with NVIDIA GeForce NOW, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Boosteroid, Amazon Luna and more.

ASUS today announced the ASUS Chromebook CZ series of laptops tailored for K12 students, which offer a portable and durable design for enduring value and empower engaged learning - anywhere. Featuring a 180° lay-flat or 360°-flippable design and an 11.6-inch (CZ1104C/F) or 12.2-inch (CZ1204C/F) 16:10 WUXGA display or touchscreen with TÜV-certified eye-care technology, the series not only enhances the visual experience but also prioritizes eye protection. ASUS Chromebook CZ series laptops are built for easy IT maintenance, with a modular design that minimizes downtime. The series boasts an extended battery life for uninterrupted use throughout an entire day of classes, empowering students to extend their learning beyond traditional limits.

A reliable study companion
For K12 students, an everyday-use laptop should be invincible. With lively and active users, scratches and knocks are an almost-inevitable part of their daily routine, so the ASUS Chromebook CZ series features an all-round rubber bumper for extra peace of mind. The laptops also feature a rugged design that's tested to meet or exceed the MIL-STD-810H US military-grade standard, and use tough Corning Gorilla Glass to protect the screen from scratches. Additionally, the spill-resistant keyboard can cope with minor water spills without harm, so minor splashes on the desk or at the dinner table can be easily drained, cleaned, and dried. Finally, the special fingerprint-resistant finish keeps the laptop cleaner for longer.

MeLE, designers of mini PCs, and industrial PCs, unveiled the Fanless Stick PC PCG02 Pro. Measuring 146 mm x 61 mm x 20 mm (LxWxH), this thing is about the size of two smartphones duct-taped together, but weighing as much as one (since there's no battery inside). Under the hood is an Intel N100 "Alder Lake-N" processor, which features one "Gracemont" E-core cluster for a 4-core/4-thread CPU, and an Intel Xe LP-based iGPU with 24 execution units. The N100 in the MeLE PCG02 Pro is wired to 8 GB or 16 GB of LPDDR4X-4266 memory. Storage is in the form of 128 GB or 256 GB of eMMC. The device comes with Windows 11 Home single language pre-installed.

The Fanless Stick PC PCG02 Pro comes with an impressive set of connectivity for its size. Networking options include Wi-Fi 5 ac + Bluetooth 5.1, and a 1 GbE wired Ethernet. Display outputs include two HDMI 2.1, which can power a pair of 4K Ultra HD displays at 60 Hz, each. USB connectivity includes two USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) type-A ports; and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) type-C. There is a second type-C port used for power input through any USB PD 3.0 source that can deliver 25 W. A power adapter is included. Depending on the memory- and storage size opted for, the Fanless Stick PC PCG02 Pro is priced between USD $270 to $290. It can power a range of applications between home-entertainment (it's completely fanless), through digital signage, or even most office applications.

Chinese company Sipeed has introduced the Lichee Pocket 4A, one of the first handheld gaming devices based on the RISC-V open-source instruction set architecture (ISA). Sipeed positions the device as a retro gaming platform capable of running simple titles via software rendering or GPU acceleration. At its core is Alibaba's T-Head TH1520 processor featuring four 2.50 GHz Xuantie C910 RISC-V general-purpose CPU cores and an unnamed Imagination GPU. The chip was originally aimed at laptop designs. Memory options include 8 GB or 16 GB LPDDR4X RAM and 32 GB or 128 GB of storage. The Lichee Pocket 4A has a 7-inch 1280x800 LCD touchscreen, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connectivity, and an array of wired ports like USB and Ethernet. It weighs under 500 grams. The device can run Android or Linux distributions like Debian, Ubuntu, and others.

As an early RISC-V gaming entrant, performance expectations should be modest—the focus is retro gaming and small indie titles, not modern AAA games. Specific gaming capabilities remain to be fully tested. However, the release helps showcase RISC-V's potential for consumer electronics and competitive positioning against proprietary ISAs like ARM. Pricing is still undefined, but another Sipeed handheld console retails for around $250 currently. Reception from enthusiasts and developers will demonstrate whether there's a viable market for RISC-V gaming devices. Success could encourage additional hardware experimentation efforts across emerging open architectures. With a 6000 mAh battery, battery life should be decent. Other specifications can be seen in the table below, and the pre-order link is here.

TrendForce reports indicate a universal price increase for both DRAM and NAND Flash starting in the fourth quarter. DRAM prices, for instance, are projected to see a quarterly surge of about 3-8%. Whether this upward momentum can be sustained will hinge on the suppliers' steadfastness in maintaining production cuts and the degree of resurgence in actual demand, with the general-purpose server market being a critical determinant.

PC DRAM: DDR5 prices, having already surged in the third quarter, are expected to maintain their upward trajectory, fueled by the stocking of new CPU models. This forthcoming price hike cycle for both DDR4 and DDR5 is incentivizing PC OEMs to proceed with purchases. Although manufacturers still have substantial inventory and there's no imminent shortage, Samsung has been nudged to further slash its production. However, facing negative gross margins on DRAM products, most manufacturers are resistant to further price reductions, instead pushing for aggressive increases. This stance sets the stage for an anticipated rise in DDR4 prices by 0-5% and DDR5 prices by around 3-8% in the fourth quarter. Overall, as DDR5 adoption accelerates, an approximate 3-8% quarterly increase is projected for PC DRAM contract prices during this period.

It has been over four years since the release of the Raspberry Pi 4, and in that time a lot has changed in the maker board and single-board computer landscape. For the Raspberry Pi Foundation there were struggles with worldwide demand and production capacity brought on by the global pandemic starting in 2020, and plenty of new competitors came to the scene to offer ready to order alternatives to the venerable RPi 4. Today however the production woes have been assuaged and a new generation of Raspberry Pi is here; the Raspberry Pi 5.

Raspberry Pi 5 is being announced in advance of availability unlike every prior RPi device launch. Pre-orders are open with many of the listed Approved Resellers on RPi's website starting today but unit shipments aren't expected until near the end of October 2023. As part of this pre-order scheme, RPi Foundation is withholding pre-orders from bulk customers and will be dealing in single-unit sales for individuals until at least the end of the year, as well as running some promotions with The MagPi and HackSpace magazines to give priority access to their subscribers. Genuinely nice to see, considering how hard it was to obtain a Pi 4 for the average Joe over the last couple years. The two announced prices for the RPi 5 are $60 USD for the 4 GB variant, and $80 USD for the 8 GB variant; or about $5 USD more than current reseller pricing on comparable configurations of the Raspberry Pi 4.

EdgeCortix Inc., the innovative Edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) Platform company, focused on delivering class-leading compute efficiency and ultra-low latency for AI inference; announced, it is shipping its industry leading, energy-efficient, turn-key, AI co-processor, branded as the EdgeCortix SAKURA-I, to its global Early Access Program members.

"We are very pleased to be announcing the fulfillment of our first-generation semiconductor solution, the EdgeCortix SAKURA-I AI co-processor. Designed and engineered in Japan, SAKURA-I features up to 40 trillion operations per second (TOPs) of dedicated AI performance at sub-10 watts of power consumption.", said Sakyasingha Dasgupta, CEO and Founder of EdgeCortix, "We are delivering a complete Edge AI platform to our Early Access Program members, comprising both software and hardware solutions, which includes our recently updated MERA software suite. Program members include numerous global industry leading enterprise customers across both the commercial and defense sectors. We developed the EdgeCortix Early Access Program (EAP) with a focus on offering customers the opportunity to assess EdgeCortix's products and services at scale, by deploying them within their own complex, heterogeneous environments. The goal of the EAP offering is three-fold: showcasing the ease of integration into customer's existing heterogeneous systems, enabling customers to prove-out the effectiveness and efficiency of EdgeCortix solutions versus competing products and facilitating a direct dialog with EdgeCortix product management, enabling tailor-made fit in certain cases."

Acer today debuts its first Chromebook optimized for Cloud gaming - the Acer Chromebook 516 GE. With it, customers can enjoy a top-tier gaming experience with instant access to full PC and console games powered by the cloud. The new Acer Chromebook 516 GE is powered by the latest technology and features that matter most to gamers - 12th Gen Intel Core processors, a fast 120 Hz display, an RGB keyboard with anti-ghosting technology, advanced DTS audio, and most importantly, support for leading cloud gaming platforms including the highest performance tier of NVIDIA's GeForce NOW, Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta), and Amazon Luna.

"The Acer Chromebook 516 GE sets the stage for a new era of Chromebooks with the focus squarely on gaming; it combines the ideal collection of gaming hardware, game-streaming support for NVIDIA GeForce NOW's top tier and easy access to popular game titles from the leading cloud gaming platforms," said James Lin, General Manager, Notebooks, IT Products Business, Acer Inc. "Chromebooks have secured their position as an indispensable tool for education, work, entertainment and personal productivity, so now it's time to have more fun."

LG's Intel based gram-series of notebooks have proven quite popular in the Ultrabook segment. However, its Ultra PC models are built around AMD hardware and although there have been a 13.3-inch model in the past, the company has announced its new 14- and 16-inch models. Both models are based around either a Ryzen 5 5625U or a Ryzen 7 5825U processor, which is built on AMD's Barcelo chips. This sadly means that features like USB4, DDR5/LPDDR5 and PCIe 4.0 support are out the window. This is because Barcelo is a refresh of Cezanne, which means both CPU families based on the Zen 3 architecture. On the plus side, this means the pricing will be quite competitive, but more on that in a second.

The 14-inch model measures 313.9 x 220.45 x 16.3 mm and weighs in at 1.29 kg, whereas the 16-inch model is slightly larger—for obvious reasons—and measures 356.3 x 248.6 x 16.3 mm, but remains fairly portable at 1.6 kg. The display on both the 14- and 16-inch models features 1920x1200 resolution, with the 14-inch model having a brighter display at 300 vs 250 nits for the 16-inch model. Neither display is what you'd call impressive though. Other features include up to 16 GB of dual-channel LPDDR4X memory, up to 1 TB of storage, HDMI out, a USB-C port with DP Alt mode and USB PD support, two USB-A ports, a microSD card slot, an audio jack and a power connector for the charger. WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1, as well as a fingerprint reader are also part of the package. Battery life is said to be up 21 and 20 hours respectively when it comes to video playback, with the 14-inch model managing 16.5 hours in MobileMark 2018, whereas the 16-inch model only manages 15 hours flat. LG will offer a range of SKUs that start at €1,199 for the 14-inchers and €1,399 for the 16-inchers, all of which should be available at some point this month.

According to TrendForce, DRAM market demand bit growth will only amount to 8.3% in 2023, sub-10% for the first time in history, and far lower than supply-side bit growth of approximately 14.1%. Data indicates the DRAM market to be severely oversupplied at least in 2023 and prices may continue to decline. NAND Flash is still in a state of oversupply and, although prices are expected to fall in the first half of next year, NAND Flash has built-in price elasticity compared to DRAM and average prices are expected to stimulate density growth in the enterprise SSD market after declining for several consecutive quarters. Demand bits are expected to grow by 28.9%, while supply bits will grow by approximately 32.1%.

From the perspective of various applications, rising inflation continues to impact demand in consumer markets, so the primary goal of memory brands has been to prioritize inventory correction. Especially in the past two years, a shortage of upstream components caused by the pandemic led memory brands to overbook purchase orders while sluggish sales on the distribution channel side have resulted in slow depletion of current notebook inventory, resulting in a further weakening of notebook demand in 2023. In terms of PC DRAM, the proportion of DDR4 and LPDDR4X in PC applications will fall further while the penetration rate of LPDDR5 and DDR5 continues to rise. However, the price premium of DDR5 will limit the growth of density in PCs. DRAM density in PCs is estimate to increase by approximately 7% annually in 2023. If manufactures cut DDR5 pricing more aggressively next year, installed capacity may be driven up to 9%, depending on whether DDR5 price concessions can be effectively reconciled with DDR4.

Winbond Electronics Corporation, a leading global supplier of semiconductor memory solutions, today announced that its new package 100BGA LPDDR4/4X had achieved the JEDEC JED209-4 standard to ensure energy conservation and carbon reduction. The LPDDR4/4X is now available in a space-saving 100BGA package measuring only 7.5X10mm2. The device is ideal for IoT applications requiring higher throughput in a small package to allow designers to reduce the PCB size for more compact IoT designs.

Winbond's LPDDR4/4X memory is available in density of 1Gb and 2Gb, supporting speeds of up to 4267 Mbps. It is available in both Single-Die-Package (SDP) with a 2Gb density and Dual-Die-Package (DDP) with a 4Gb density. The higher speed of LPDDR4 1CH x16 4267 Mbps offers improved performance over previous DDR4 x16 3200 Mbps devices, which is especially useful for consumer applications.

DeepComputing and Xcalibyte today opened pre-orders for the industry's first native RISC-V development laptop. The hotly anticipated ROMA development platform features an unannounced quad-core RISC-V processor with a companion NPU/GPU for the fastest, seamless RISC-V native software development available.

"Native RISC-V compile is a major milestone," said Mark Himelstein, Chief Technology Officer for RISC-V International. "The ROMA platform will benefit developers who want to test their software running natively on RISC-V. And it should be easy to transfer code developed on this platform to embedded systems."

MediaTek today announced its new Kompanio 1380 chip, which offers a new level of performance and best-in-class features for premium Chromebooks such as the new Acer Chromebook Spin 513. The Kompanio 1380 delivers incredible portable computing experiences with superb battery life, all in a compact form factor for slim and lightweight devices. "Kompanio 1380 continues MediaTek's legacy as the No. 1 chipmaker for Arm-based Chromebooks, elevating premium Chromebook experiences with next-level performance and extra-long battery life," said PC Tseng, general manager of Intelligent Multimedia Business Unit at MediaTek. "This chip stands out with its outstanding processing performance, best-in-class multimedia and AI features, and smooth cloud gaming capabilities, all integrated into an ultra-efficient 6 nm chip."

"Chromebook users have come to expect more from their Chromebooks, increasingly they are looking for their devices to strike a perfect balance of performance, weight and power efficiency," said John Solomon, VP of Chrome OS at Google. "The Kompanio 1380 is an integral part of delivering a great experience for users whether they're working from home, enjoying media on the go, or anything in between. We're excited to see its versatility come to life on the Acer Chromebook Spin 513, the first product to launch with this chip."

MiniBook X comes loaded with the latest generation Intel 11th Celeron N5100 processor, including 10 nm process technology, quad-core and four threads, new Tremont microarchitecture, and a 10 W thermal power consumption design that ups the power while lowering the consumption. MiniBook X handles document editing, basic video production, and modern gaming with increased efficiency, while next-gen Intel UHD Graphics makes it easy to decode 4K video and fluidly handle online games.

As an enhanced and upgraded version of MiniBook, MiniBook X introduces a 10.8-inch hole-punch display with 2K retina resolution, 90% screen-to-body ratio and a 16:10 aspect ratio for a shockingly immersive viewing experience. Chuwi has also added YOGA Mode to MiniBook X, giving it the 2 in 1 functionality of both a laptop and tablet and the ability to switch back and forth as needed quickly.

Intel is expected to announce their desktop Alder Lake processors later this month on October 28th and it would appear that laptop processors could enter production as early as November. These revelations come from a leaked roadmap published by Wccftech that lists the Alder Lake-P and Alder Lake-M processor families for launch in Q4 2021 and Q1 2022 respectively. The production window for Alder Lake-P opens November 8th and closes March 13th while for Alder Lake-M that period is from January 17th to April 17th.

The roadmap lists Alder Lake-P processors as featuring a TDP between 12 W to 45 W and Alder Lake-M covering 7 W to 15 W. The two platforms will both feature up to 96 Xe graphics Execution units along with Thunderbolt 4 and WiFi 6E connectivity. Alder Lake-P will include PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 support with no mention of DDR4 compatibility while Alder Lake-M will get PCIe 4.0 and LPDDR4X/LPDDR5. The mobile lineup is divided into 3 groups of which the flagship H55 was not mentioned in the roadmap indicating a post Q1 2022 release.

Driven by such factors as the continued development of autonomous driving technologies and the build-out of 5G infrastructure, the demand for automotive memories will undergo a rapid growth going forward, according to TrendForce's latest investigations. Take Tesla, which is the automotive industry leader in the application of autonomous vehicle technologies, as an example. Tesla has adopted GDDR5 DRAM products from the Model S and X onward because it has also adopted Nvidia's solutions for CPU and GPU. The GDDR5 series had the highest bandwidth at the time to complement these processors. The DRAM content has therefore reached at least 8 GB for vehicles across all model series under Tesla. The Model 3 is further equipped with 14 GB of DRAM, and the next-generation of Tesla vehicles will have 20 GB. If content per box is used as a reference for comparison, then Tesla far surpasses manufacturers of PCs and smartphones in DRAM consumption. TrendForce forecasts that the average DRAM content of cars will continue to grow in the next three years, with a CAGR of more than 30% for the period.