➀ A research team led by Professor Kyu-Young Park from POSTECH has developed technology to significantly increase the lifespan and energy density of electric vehicle (EV) batteries;

➁ The technology involves a 'nano-spring coating' technique that improves battery stability and performance;

➂ The research is published in ACS Nano and has the potential to revolutionize EV battery technology.

Kioxia LC9 is a new 122.88TB SSD from Kioxia designed for high-capacity and high-density AI clusters. It supports PCIe Gen5 and offers a 0.3DWPD endurance, making it suitable for large-scale data storage needs.

The LC9 uses Kioxia's 2Tb QLC BiCS FLASH generation 8 3D flash memory and is targeted at reducing power, footprint, and TCO compared to traditional hard drives.

The high capacity and advanced interface of the LC9 make it a compelling option for AI storage arrays.

➀ A new type of miniaturized pumps and valves using ultra-thin silicon films is presented at the Hannover Messe, developed by researchers at Saarland University. These pumps and valves operate without air pressure, motors, and lubricants, and can be operated in clean rooms. The team demonstrates a prototype of a new vacuum pump that can draw a vacuum up to 300 millibars.

➁ The technology is cost-effective, lightweight, and energy-efficient compared to current methods, with a 400 times lower energy consumption compared to conventional air-driven valves.

➂ The researchers have developed a novel actuator and pump technology that can be used in various applications, including robotic grippers, speakers, smart textiles, and haptic feedback.

➀ Neil Druckmann discussed the evolving role of storytelling in video games with screenwriter Alex Garland, reflecting on the challenges and inspirations around narratives in games.

➁ Games like BioShock and The Last of Us demonstrated the full capability of narrative in gaming, challenging the industry's skepticism.

➂ Druckmann shared his early inspirations for narrative-driven games, including Monkey Island 2 and Half-Life 2.

➀ A team from Saarland University's Faculty of Engineering and Medicine is developing smart implants at the university and university hospital to monitor and promote healing in body bone fractures.

➁ The robotic implants can stiffen and soften through shape-memory technology, allowing for permanent monitoring of fracture healing.

➂ The research team is miniaturizing the technology for use in market screws as part of an EU project.

➀ Micron and Astera Labs demonstrate the world's first PCIe 6.0 SSDs at DesignCon 2025;

➁ The SSD achieves read speeds of 27.14 GB/s with Astera's Scorpio PCIe 6.0 switch;

➂ PCIe 6.x promises to be the next horizon for enterprise and consumer products.

➀ Reputable leaker Billbil-Kun reports that Death Stranding 2 pre-orders are expected to start in March, with a release date likely announced at SXSW 2025.

➁ The game will have a Standard Edition at $69.99 and a Collector's Edition at $229.

➂ The leak also confirms that Death Stranding 2 will launch with a physical Standard Edition, priced at $69.99 USD / 69.99 EUR, along with a Collector's Edition planned for North America and Europe, retailing at $229 USD.

➀ Dr. Prady Gupta is the Founder and Chief Scientist at Infinita Lab and Infinita Materials, focusing on materials testing and specialized chemicals for high-tech industries.

➁ Infinita Lab offers a network of over 2,000 accredited labs for comprehensive materials testing services.

➂ Infinita Materials specializes in custom inorganic chemicals for sectors like semiconductors and batteries.

➀ Lois Rossmann, a renowned RepairTuber, expresses disappointment with Brother's shift towards becoming an 'anti-consumer printer company';

➁ Brother's recent firmware updates have disabled third-party toner and prevented color registration functionality on color devices;

➂ Older firmware versions are being removed from support portals, making it difficult for users to roll back updates.

➀ Mini-PC manufacturer Minisforum has launched a new gaming motherboard, the BD790i X3D, featuring a mobile X3D chip.

➁ The board supports DDR5-5200 RAM up to 96GB and two M.2 2280 PCIe 5.0 x4 NVMe SSD for up to 4TB of storage.

➂ The BD790i X3D includes a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for powerful desktop graphics cards and has an integrated Radeon 610M GPU for basic gaming needs.

➀ This paper discusses the post-silicon validation of the IBM POWER9 processor, highlighting its significance in the context of increasing multi-core processor adoption by hyperscalers.

➁ IBM's Threadmill, a tool for processor verification, has been enhanced since the POWER7, including optimized template allocation and debugging strategies for multi-core write drops.

➂ The validation methodology for POWER9 has significantly improved bug detection rates compared to POWER8, with new techniques like AI prioritization and hardware irritators to induce bugs.

➀ Lexar has launched the ARMOR 700 Portable SSD in India, designed for durability and performance.

➁ The SSD offers fast data transfer speeds up to 2000MB/s and supports Apple ProRes recording.

➂ It includes features such as IP66 water and dust resistance, 256-bit AES encryption, and a thermal control system to maintain performance.

➀ We found some great discounts on portable SSDs from brands like Crucial, Lexar, and Samsung, offering fast data transfer speeds.

➁ A 2TB Samsung T7 Portable SSD is on sale for $136.99 at Amazon, saving $133.

➂ The 4TB Lexar SL500 portable SSD is available for $279.99 at Amazon, saving $65.30.

➀ Traditional RF board design strategies are insufficient for high frequencies and dense layouts;

➁ Keysight and Modelithics collaborate on an advanced RF board simulation workflow;

➂ The use of 3D passive component models enhances simulation accuracy and reduces the risk of board re-spins.

➀ Micron has released its first Gen5 client SSD, targeting OEM system builders;

➁ The 4600 PCIe 5.0 SSD offers up to 14.5GB/s sequential speeds;

➂ Micron emphasizes the use of its 9th generation TLC NAND flash memory for performance.

➀ Micron is sampling its first Gen5 client SSD based on its G9 TLC NAND;

➁ The PCIe 4600 SSD offers sequential read speeds of 14.5 GB/s and write speeds of 12.0 GB/s;

➂ The SSD reduces load times by up to 62% compared to Gen4, enhancing energy efficiency by 107%.

Micron has launched its new 4600 series PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSD, designed for speed and capacity. The drive is targeted at OEM systems and offers impressive performance improvements over Gen4 NVMe SSDs. It features high-speed read and write speeds, and is available in capacities ranging from 512GB to 4TB.

With the 512GB model offering 10.3GB/s read and 5.8GB/s write speeds, and the 2TB model reaching 12GB/s write speeds, the 4600 series SSD is a significant leap in performance for client SSDs. It also demonstrates the capabilities of PCIe Gen5 in consumer-grade storage solutions.

Micron's move to release this series not through Crucial, but directly under its own brand, signifies its commitment to high-performance storage solutions for the OEM market.

➀ The Q1 NAND market remains over-supplied, leading to sustained price declines and financial strain for suppliers.

➁ Supply and demand are expected to be closer to balance in Q2, driven by production cuts, inventory reductions, and growing demand from AI and DeepSeek applications.

➂ China's trade-in subsidy policies have stimulated smartphone sales and accelerated depletion of NAND Flash inventory.

➀ SanDisk discusses its roadmap for upcoming UltraQLC-based 1PB SSDs.

➁ The UltraQLC platform uses Sandisk's BICS 8 QLC 3D NAND, a proprietary controller, and firmware to enable high-capacity SSDs.

➂ Sandisk addresses the AI memory crunch with potential solutions including 3D DRAM, but challenges remain.