GlobalFoundries (GF) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) today announced a new master research agreement to jointly pursue advancements and innovations for enhancing the performance and efficiency of critical semiconductor technologies. The collaboration will be led by MIT's Microsystems Technology Laboratories (MTL) and GF's research and development team, GF Labs.

With an initial research focus on AI and other applications, the first projects are expected to leverage GF's differentiated silicon photonics technology, which monolithically integrates RF SOI, CMOS and optical features on a single chip to realize power efficiencies for datacenters, and GF's 22FDX platform, which delivers ultra-low power consumption for intelligent devices at the edge.

PowerColor, a trusted name in high-performance gaming hardware, is proud to introduce the ALPHYN AM10 Wireless Gaming Mouse, the latest addition to the ALPHYN series. Designed for gamers and content creators seeking the perfect balance of comfort and high-end specifications, the ALPHYN AM10 delivers cutting-edge technology in an ergonomic, lightweight form. With a powerful 26,000 DPI sensor, an 8,000 Hz polling rate in wired mode, Omron optical switches, and hybrid wireless connectivity, the AM10 is built to provide an exceptional user experience without compromise.

Designed for Performance & Comfort
The ALPHYN AM10 is built to offer precision tracking and responsive control, making every task—from intense gaming sessions to detailed creative work—effortless and fluid. Equipped with a PAW3395 sensor, it provides a DPI range from 100 to 26,000, allowing users to fine-tune sensitivity to their exact needs. With an 8,000 Hz polling rate in wired mode and 1,000 Hz in wireless mode, every movement is accurately registered, ensuring smooth and natural cursor motion. The Omron optical switches (rated for 70 million clicks) provide instant actuation and long-lasting durability, making every click crisp and reliable while reducing fatigue during extended use.

Last month, Sony Japan announced an upcoming retirement of Blu-ray Disc media and other physical media formats. On January 23, the company's Recording Media department addressed its "valued customers" via a short press release. At some point in February (2025), production of "Blu-ray Disc media, MiniDiscs for recording, MD data for recording, and MiniDV cassettes" will cease. Reports from late January suggest that the Recording Media division's last factory will face closure in the coming weeks, signalling the end of commercial supplies. Additionally, Sony disclosed that no "successor models" will be released. Naturally, fans of optical media formats did not welcome Sony's announcement regarding the retirement of these products.

Rival manufacturers have taken the opportunity to offer their fares—fresh news reports have pointed to an interesting Verbatim Japan office-issued press release. The Taiwanese storage specialist and I-O Data pushed out a joint statement, assuring that they: "will live up to the trust of customers through stable supply and continued sales of optical discs in the Japanese market." The two companies appear to be seizing the moment, but their announcement did not name or shame Sony: "the domestic optical disc market is currently at a major turning point, with some manufacturers withdrawing from manufacturing and sales businesses and other trends that are shrinking the supply system. Under these circumstances, Verbatim Japan is working closely with I-O DATA to continue to provide high-quality optical discs to the Japanese market, with stable supply as its top priority."

Pwnage, a leader in premium gaming peripherals, proudly announces the launch of the Trinity CF gaming mouse. This groundbreaking device sets new standards in performance, durability, and versatility, catering to gamers seeking the best lightweight gaming mouse on the market. The Trinity CF is now available for purchase at Pwnage.

Engineered for Precision and Comfort
The Trinity CF features a symmetrical shape that accommodates all grip styles and hand sizes, ensuring ergonomic comfort and precision for every gamer. Weighing just 37-39 grams, it stands as one of the lightest gaming mice available, providing swift and effortless movement during intense gaming sessions.

Pimax, a global leader in high-performance VR technology, debuted its Crystal Super headset on the world stage at CES2025, letting global media get their first taste with the 29 million pixel VR headset.

The world meets the Crystal Super
The Crystal Super is Pimax's latest flagship headset, featuring a resolution of 3840x3840 per eye, meaning it's the first VR headset reaching retina levels of clarity. Glass aspheric lenses provide 57 PPD at over 120° horizontal field of view, with an incredible brightness of 280 nits.

HAVIT's booth at CES 2025 gained attention not only for its minimalist yet futuristic design but also for its product lineup, which ranged from headset series equipped with spatial audio technology and wireless gaming headsets to a variety of mechanical keyboards and gaming mice. The FUXI-H8 Gaming Headset features an open-ear design with dynamic RGB lighting, six-mode connectivity, and spatial audio with head tracking. Next to it, we found the FUXI-H7 over-ear headset offering spatial audio, five-mode connectivity, and a noise-canceling microphone.

The HAVIT KB896L is a 70% (362 mm x 132 mm x 32 mm) compact wired keyboard with a gasket structure and CNC aluminium body. It features RGB backlighting, hot-swappable design, and full N-Key rollover support. HAVIT also displayed the KB904L (348 mm x 140 mm x 45 mm, 85 keys) magnetic switch mechanical keyboard, featuring an 8 kHz polling rate, rapid 0.08 mm trigger, and RGB lighting. The HAVIT MS979WB is a lightweight 59 g tri-mode optical gaming mouse with an RGB charging dock and up to 26,000 DPI.

Brelyon, an MIT spin-off innovating in the computational display space, today announced Ultra Reality Extend, an immersive display line that renders virtual images in multiple depths. As the first commercial multi-focal monitor, the Extend model offers multi-depth programmability for information overlay, allowing users to see images from 0.7 meters to as far as 2.5 meters of depth virtually rendered behind the monitor; organizing various data streams at different depth layers, or triggering focal cues to induce an ultra immersive experience akin to looking out through a window.

"Building on the success of our Ultra Reality product, we're taking advantage of new GPU capabilities to process light and video signals inside our display platforms," said Barmak Heshmat, CEO of Brelyon. "We are thinking beyond headsets and glasses, where we can leverage GPU capabilities to do real-time driving of higher-bandwidth display interfaces. Maturing the industry from the age of photorealism to the age of photon realism, and designed for high-performance applications such as simulation and training, control centers, and teleoperations, Ultra Reality Extend is a new platform for AI and light to impact enterprise visualization, navigation, and computer interaction."

IBM Research has unveiled a significant advancement in optical interconnect technology for advanced data center communications. The breakthrough centers on a novel co-packaged optics (CPO) system featuring a sophisticated Polymer Optical Waveguide (PWG) design, marking a potential shift from traditional copper-based interconnects. The innovation introduces a Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) measuring 8x10mm, mounted on a 17x17mm substrate, capable of converting electrical signals to optical ones and vice versa. The system's waveguide, spanning 12 mm in width, efficiently channels light waves through precisely engineered pathways, with channels converging from 250 to 50 micrometers.

While current copper-based solutions like NVIDIA's NVLink offer impressive 1.8 TB/s bandwidth rates, and Intel's Optical Compute Interconnect achieves 4 TBit/s bidirectional throughput, IBM's technology focuses on scalability and efficiency. The company plans to implement 12 carrier waves initially, with the potential to accommodate up to 32 waves by reducing spacing to 18 micrometers. Furthermore, the design allows for vertical stacking of up to four PWGs, potentially enabling 128 transmission channels. The technology has undergone rigorous JEDEC-standard testing, including 1,000 cycles of thermal stress between -40°C and 125°C, and extended exposure to extreme conditions including 85% humidity at 85°C. The components have also proven reliable during thousand-hour storage tests at various temperature extremes. The bandwidth of the CPO is currently unknown, but we expect it to surpass current solutions.

Ayar Labs, the leader in optical interconnect solutions for large-scale AI workloads, today announced it has secured $155 million in financing led by Advent Global Opportunities and Light Street Capital to break down the AI bottleneck of data movement with its optical I/O technology. This brings the company's total funding to $370 million and raises the company's valuation to above $1 billion.

The strength of the round and caliber of investors, including participation from AMD Ventures, Intel Capital, and NVIDIA, marks another key milestone as Ayar Labs prepares its optical solution for high volume manufacturing strategically aligned to customer roadmaps. Other new strategic and financial investors participating in the round include 3M Ventures and Autopilot. They join existing investors such as Applied Ventures LLC, Axial Partners, Boardman Bay Capital Management, GlobalFoundries, IAG Capital Partners, Lockheed Martin Ventures, Playground Global, and VentureTech Alliance.

Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (DNP) has successfully achieved the fine pattern resolution required for photomasks for logic semiconductors of the beyond 2 nm (nm: 10-9 meter) generation that support Extreme Ultra-Violet (EUV) lithography, a cutting-edge process in semiconductor manufacturing.

DNP has also completed the criteria evaluation for photomasks compatible with High-Numerical Aperture, the application being considered for next-generation semiconductors beyond the 2 nm generation, and has commenced the supply of evaluation photomasks. High-NA EUV lithography makes it possible to form fine patterns on silicon wafers with a higher resolution than previously possible, and is expected to lead to the realization of high-performance, low-power semiconductors.

Marvell Technology, Inc., a leader in data infrastructure semiconductor solutions, today introduced Marvell Ara, the industry's first 3 nm 1.6 Tbps PAM4 interconnects platform featuring 200 Gbps electrical and optical interfaces. Building on the success of the Nova 2 DSP, the industry's first 5 nm 1.6 Tbps PAM4 DSP with 200 Gbps electrical and optical interfaces, Ara leverages the comprehensive Marvell 3 nm platform with industry-leading 200 Gbps SerDes and integrated optical modulator drivers, to reduce 1.6 Tbps optical module power by over 20%. The energy efficiency improvement reduces operational costs and enables new AI server and networking architectures to address the need for higher bandwidth and performance for AI workloads, within the significant power constraints of the data center.

Ara, the industry's first 3 nm PAM4 optical DSP, builds on six generations of Marvell leadership in PAM4 optical DSP technology. It integrates eight 200 Gbps electrical lanes to the host and eight 200 Gbps optical lanes, enabling 1.6 Tbps in a compact, standardized module form factor. Leveraging 3 nm technology and laser driver integration, Ara reduces module design complexity, power consumption and cost, setting a new benchmark for next-generation AI and cloud infrastructure.

Nikon Corporation (Nikon) is developing a digital lithography system with resolution of one micron (L/S) and high productivity for advanced semiconductor packaging applications. This product is scheduled to be released in Nikon's fiscal year 2026.

The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technology is driving demand for integrated circuits (ICs) for data centers. In the field of advanced packaging, including chiplets, the size of packages is increasing with the miniaturization of wiring patterns. This will lead to heightened demand for panel level packages that use glass and other materials suitable for larger packages, requiring exposure equipment that combines high resolution with a large exposure area. To meet these demands, Nikon is developing digital exposure equipment that combines the high-resolution technology of its semiconductor lithography systems, which has been cultivated over many decades, along with the excellent productivity made possible with the multi-lens technology of its FPD lithography systems.

Creative Technology today announced the release of the Sound Blaster GS5, a sleek and compact soundbar designed to elevate the audio experience while taking up minimal space. With versatile connectivity and exceptional audio performance powered by SuperWide technology, the Sound Blaster GS5 creates a wider, more immersive soundstage—perfect for intimate gaming sessions or cozy movie nights with family and friends.

Despite its compact size, this soundbar packs a punch with deep bass and crystal-clear sound. It is powered by advanced full-range racetrack drivers and a built-in port tube with a peak power output of up to 60 W, making every sound—from subtle whispers to dramatic explosions—come alive.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the availability of the ROG Harpe Ace Extreme, an ultralight 47-gram gaming mouse featuring an eye-catching carbon fiber shell that offers extreme maneuverability and outstanding durability. The shape of Harpe Ace Extreme was co-developed with esports professionals to ensure exceptional stability and control when flicking and tracking—especially for players accustomed to playing with a claw grip. Built-in cutting-edge technologies such as the ROG AimPoint Pro optical sensor and ROG Optical Micro Switches ensure absolute pinpoint accuracy and reliability. Additionally, the Harpe Ace Extreme is bundled with a host of premium accessories including a set of Corning Gorilla Glass mouse feet, a hard-shell carrying case, and the ROG Polling Rate Booster.

The ROG Polling Rate Booster, when combined with ROG SpeedNova wireless technology, delivers fast and precise data input at a true 8000 Hz polling rate in both wireless and wired modes. Its plug-and-play design allows users to directly attach the receivers or cables of compatible ROG peripherals.

CORSAIR today launched the new M55 series of gaming mice: M55 and M55 WIRELESS. The versatile M55 line suits a wide variety of users, from up-and-coming competitive MVPs to casual gamers who appreciate a wide range of genres. No matter the game, M55 and M55 WIRELESS take every challenge hands-on. The M55 series sports a symmetrical shape that suits any playstyle, alongside a compact size that slots into all hand grips, from claw, fingertip, palm, to anything in between. Textured side grips give users a firm grasp for impressive mouse flicks and pivots.

At 55 grams, the lightweight M55 soars across any mousepad, enabling agile mouse movements like quick-scope shots or rapid 360s. M55 WIRELESS weighs 85 grams with its battery, forgoing wires for an even greater range of motion. Both mice glide on 100% PTFE low-friction skates to smooth mouse strokes on virtually any surface. With their slim and lightweight stature, M55 mice travel effortlessly for seamless on-the-go setups. M55 WIRELESS boasts up to 185 hours on a single AA battery, with a long-lasting, low-latency connectivity via SLIPSTREAM WIRELESS v1.5 that excels in extended gaming sessions and travel.

Sharkoon SHARK Force 3 is the ultimate mouse for both work and gaming thanks to its eight mouse buttons, an optical sensor with up to 12,800 DPI, and an ergonomic shape that is ideal for all types of grip.

High-Resolution Sensor and Optimal Shape for All Types of Grip
The SHARK Force 3 is equipped with a precise A825 sensor that achieves a fantastic mouse sensitivity of up to 12,800 DPI. Six DPI levels are available for selection. The SHARK Force 3 has been specially designed for ergonomic use and is suitable for all hand sizes and grip types.

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.

Responding to gamer demands for an enhanced Switch controller experience and inspired by the Gamecube style, NYXI Wizard Series Joy-pad has taken the gaming community by storm. This idea was a brainchild of Michael, CEO of NYXI, who is tech-savvy, as well as being a nostalgia and gaming enthusiast. The success of the Wizard Series exemplifies NYXI unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional performance tailored to the gaming community's preferences.

A Technological Leap Forward for NYXI
Fueled by the cutting-edge technology, NYXI is thrilled to unveil the latest innovation, the NYXI Warrior, which redefines NGC controllers with multi-platform compatibility and ultimate performance.

Corsair proudly announced the launch of two attention-grabbing additions to the M75 gaming mouse lineup: M75 and M75 WIRELESS. Blazing onto the scene with the same award-winning shape and match-winning performance established by the M75 AIR, these new mice deliver utmost comfort and control, while also infusing a streak of RGB into their lightweight designs. For the most competitive matches, M75 and M75 WIRELESS put you in fantastic shape to win, and look great doing it.

The meticulously sculpted M75 mouse design glides into the spotlight once again, with an unwavering focus on precision and ergonomics. M75 series mice are uniquely shaped from the ground up to comprise some of the most thoughtfully crafted gaming mice available. At 74 g and 89 g respectively, M75 and M75 WIRELESS are lightweight and agile enough to make deft flicks and microadjustments.

The University of Shanghai for Science and Technology (USST), Peking University and the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics (SIOM) are collaborating on new Optical Data Storage (ODS) technologies—a recently published paper reveals that scientists are attempting to create 3D nanoscale optical disk memory that breaks into petabit capacities. Society (as a whole) has an ever-growing data demand—this requires the development of improved high-capacity storage technologies—the R&D teams believe that ODS presents a viable alternative route to traditional present day solutions: "data centers based on major storage technologies such as semiconductor flash devices and hard disk drives have high energy burdens, high operation costs and short lifespans."

The proposed ODS format could be a "promising solution for cost-effective long-term archival data storage." The researchers note that current (e.g Blu-ray) and previous generation ODS technologies have been: "limited by low capacities and the challenge of increasing areal density." In order to get ODS up to petabit capacity levels, several innovations are required—the Nature.com abstract stated: "extending the planar recording architecture to three dimensions with hundreds of layers, meanwhile breaking the optical diffraction limit barrier of the recorded spots. We develop an optical recording medium based on a photoresist film doped with aggregation-induced emission dye, which can be optically stimulated by femtosecond laser beams. This film is highly transparent and uniform, and the aggregation-induced emission phenomenon provides the storage mechanism. It can also be inhibited by another deactivating beam, resulting in a recording spot with a super-resolution scale." The novel optical storage medium relies on dye-doped photoresist (DDPR) with aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIE-DDPR)—a 515 nm femtosecond Gaussian laser beam takes care of optical writing tasks, while a doughnut-shaped 639 nm continuous wave laser beam is tasked with retrieval. A 480 nm pulsed laser and a 592 nm continuous wave laser work in tandem to read data.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced an arsenal of gaming peripherals and gear at CES 2024. ROG strives to transcend the limits of what's currently possible and its latest offerings are designed to empower gamers with the tools to dominate gaming worlds. These offerings include the ROG Keris II Ace ultralight gaming mouse, ROG Falchion RX Low Profile 65% gaming keyboard, ROG Cetra True Wireless SpeedNova gaming headphones, ROG Carnyx USB condenser microphone, and the ROG Archer ErgoAir Gaming Backpack.

ROG Keris II Ace
The ROG Keris II Ace is an ultralight gaming mouse made for competitive gamers and esports athletes. Designed with input and feedback from esports professionals, the Keris II Ace's sleek, minimalist aesthetic offers the perfect balance of functionality and form. Its environmentally friendly, bio-based nylon shell is derived from renewable castor oil, giving it an overall weight of just 54 grams to significantly reduce wrist fatigue during marathon gaming sessions. The optical micro switches used in the Keris II Ace offer consistent actuation and are extremely durable with a 100-million-click lifespan.

Ayar Labs, a leader in silicon photonics for chip-to-chip connectivity, will showcase its in-package optical I/O solution integrated with Intel's industry-leading Agilex Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology. In demonstrating 5x current industry bandwidth at 5x lower power and 20x lower latency, the optical FPGA - packaged in a common PCIe card form factor - has the potential to transform the high performance computing (HPC) landscape for data-intensive workloads such as generative artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and support novel new disaggregated compute and memory architectures and more.

"We're on the cusp of a new era in high performance computing as optical I/O becomes a 'must have' building block for meeting the exponentially growing, data-intensive demands of emerging technologies like generative AI," said Charles Wuischpard, CEO of Ayar Labs. "Showcasing the integration of Ayar Labs' silicon photonics and Intel's cutting-edge FPGA technology at Supercomputing is a concrete demonstration that optical I/O has the maturity and manufacturability needed to meet these critical demands."

CORSAIR, a world leader in high-performance gear for gamers and content creators, announced the launch of their definitive ultra-lightweight wireless mouse for top FPS play, M75 AIR WIRELESS. Sporting a modern and sleek mouse shape for maximum comfort and control, M75 AIR puts players in position for victory, every match.

With its symmetrical shape meticulously crafted from the ground up, M75 AIR ascends to the pinnacle of competitive mouse design. Through a rigorous process, every contour, outline, and button placement was diligently reworked until the optimal shape took form.

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."

THX Ltd., a world-class high-fidelity audio and video tuning, certification, and technology company, today announced it is launching THX Interconnect, designed in partnership with Pixelgen. THX Interconnect are a family of Ultra High Speed HDMI 2.1 cables capable of delivering 100% uncompressed 48 Gbps signaling to optimize the fidelity and reliability of nearly any sized or configured home theater system. THX is also relaunching its popular home theater installer THX Certified Training series. Both will be highlighted in early September in Denver, Colorado at the CEDIA Expo.

"The THX mission is to empower high-fidelity entertainment, regardless of where and how consumers want to enjoy movies, music and games," said Jason Fiber, chief executive officer, THX Ltd. "The THX Interconnect cables ensure all home theater components work in harmony at the highest resolutions, regardless of the length. We are pleased to bring home theater enthusiasts around the globe this cost-effective and incredibly reliable new solution. We also look forward to reintroducing the THX Certified Training program which has been dormant for a few years but is back due to overwhelming demand from the home theater installation industry."