Latest Tech News

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• Researchers set new wireless data record over 4.6km with infrared
• Data beams allow many parallel high-speed connections without interference
• Researchers believe this can bridge future 5G and 6G network connectivity gaps

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Researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) have transmitted data between the TU/e campus and the High Tech Campus over a 4.6km distance using infrared light.

This feat happened at the astonishing rate of 5.7 terabits per second, the equivalent of streaming 1.9 million Netflix shows in HD simultaneously, making it the fastest wireless data transmission ever demonstrated over this big a distance in an urban setting.

The record-breaking connection was established using advanced optical antennas from Aircision, a spin-off of TNO based at the High Tech Campus. These antennas transmit data through invisible infrared beams instead of cables or radio signals. This technique, known as free-space optical (FSO) communication, enables ultra-fast, interference-free data transmission.

Paving the way for its future applications

“We need new ways to meet the increasing demand for fast and reliable connectivity,” said Vincent van Vliet, a TU/e PhD researcher involved in the project. “Infrared wireless communication combines the high data speeds known from optical fibers with the flexibility of wireless communication systems.”

The team used the Reid Photonloop testbed to achieve the breakthrough. This permanent set-up allows experiments with high-speed wireless communication and uses cutting-edge technology to combine multiple wavelengths in a single transmission.

“Because the transmitted infrared light is highly focused, an almost unlimited number of communication links can exist side-by-side without interference, allowing wireless network capacity growth at an unprecedented scale,” Van Vliet explained.

The Reid Photonloop testbed, named after the late John Reid, a driving force behind the project who passed away before its realization, stretches between the Flux building at TU/e and Building 37 at the High Tech Campus, a distance of 4.6km across Eindhoven.

"This facility will allow us to refine high-speed wireless communication and optimize its reliability and availability in all weather conditions,” said Chigo Okonkwo, Associate Professor and head of TU/e’s High-Capacity Optical Transmission Lab.

Aircision sees future applications for this technology in connecting 5G and 6G antennas where laying fiber is impractical.

“We are redefining how data is transmitted over the air. This record-breaking achievement proves that our technology is ready to make high-speed internet accessible to millions of people faster than ever before,” said Luis Oliveira, co-founder of Aircision.

The findings were presented at the Optical Fiber Communications (OFC) Conference 2025 in San Francisco.

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Latest Tech News

Last week, news broke that the Amazon-backed Slate Auto project would begin production of its cut-price electric pick-up next year, but the company isn’t alone.

While pricing is still to be determined, Isuzu – arguably one of the most iconic names in commercial vehicles – has said that it will release an electric version of its D-Max pick-up truck in 2026.

Although its range is startlingly sparse in some markets (only the D-Max is now sold in the UK, for example), the company enjoys success in Asia, including its domestic market of Japan, Thailand and others, where solid, reliable trucks are essential to daily life.

The D-Max EV joins the likes of KGM’s (formerly SsangYong) electrified Musso, the Maxus eTerron 9, the upcoming BYD Shark and a raft of cheap electrified pick-up trucks that could soon make their way from China.

While the likes of Ford and Chevrolet experienced relatively slow sales of electric pick-ups, the market could soon become the next hotly-contested EV battleground for global manufacturers.

Towing, hauling and off-road performance have typically proven barriers to entry for this body style, but Isuzu claims its EV is on a par with the diesel option it also offers: it can carry more than 1,000kg in the bed, tow 3,500kg and accelerate from 0-62mph in 10.1 seconds.

The 66.9kWh battery pack is located under the floor and the EV version uses the same ladder chassis as the existing truck. Although here, Isuzu adds permanent four-wheel drive with a motor at the front and rear axles.

According to the marque, off-road performance isn’t affected by the electrified powertrain, with a hefty 210mm of ground clearance and a wading depth of up to 600mm. There are also steep approach and departure angles for when the terrain gets tough.

Pick up a bargain

(Image credit: Slate Auto)

Isuzu hasn’t revealed an official price for the D-Max EV, but we would expect it to be substantially more than the circa $53,000 / £40,000 / AU$84,000 it currently charges for a diesel-powered version.

This puts it in the firing line of the Ford F-150 Lightning, which offers an EV range of 230 miles in the most basic variants. Isuzu, on the other hand, says its truck manages around 163 miles on a single charge.

As we have seen with various electric pick-ups, including the Tesla Cybertruck, hauling or towing loads has a big impact on electric range which, for many, is already too tight for daily use cases.

Slate Auto has been honest about battery range and the very basic nature of its upcoming model, but the upshot is that it looks set to be truly affordable. Those trucks offered by Ford, Chevrolet, Rivian, Tesla and now Isuzu are still likely too expensive for many, given the compromises.

But electric commercial vehicles are rapidly growing in popularity, as the technology is improving and many governments continue to incentivize their use for environmental reasons.

According to one report, the global electric truck market is set to reach a valuation of $78 billion by the end of 2033, up from a $19.5 billion valuation in 2023.

With a host of cheaper, electric models due to arrive from China in the coming years, as well as those from more established Western brands, the electric pick-up market could well be the next hotly-contested battleground for sales.

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Latest Tech News

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• FAVM unveils its FA-EX9 mini PC with AMD Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 chip
• 96GB GPU memory and 128GB total RAM makes it ideal for creative professionals
• Compact AI-focused mini PC is a challenger for Nvidia DGX Spark

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Chinese hardware manufacturer FAVM has announced the FA-EX9, a compact AI-focused mini PC powered by AMD’s latest Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 processor. Based on the Strix Halo platform, the chip features 16 Zen 5 CPU cores and 40 RDNA 3.5 Compute Units (Radeon 8060S).

The diminutive device measures just 192 x 190 x 55mm and with a total chassis volume of just 2 liters, FAVM claims the system is among the smallest of its kind.

The FA-EX9 is squarely aimed at AI professionals and is positioned as a challenger to platforms like Nvidia’s DGX Spark. It supports the MAX+ 395 processor at a sustained 120W power draw, which the company says offers performance comparable to a Ryzen 9 9955HX paired with a GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU.

OCuLink connector

The system uses LPDDR5 memory across a 256-bit bus, offering 128GB of total memory. Up to 96GB can be allocated as GPU memory, so it can handle large language model workloads without requiring discrete GPUs.

FAVM claims that the integrated GPU and NPU architecture in the FA-EX9 delivers 2.2 times the AI performance of an RTX 4090 in LM Studio when running locally. The system uses dual turbine fans and phase-change thermal materials to manage heat while keeping noise levels low during high-load tasks.

FA-EX9’s connectivity includes HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1, and two USB4 ports, with support for up to four 8K displays. It also features an OCuLink connector with a bundled adapter for high-performance external GPU expansion.

Although no release date or pricing has been confirmed, VideoCardz reports teaser campaigns are currently underway in China.

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Latest Tech News

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• Beats is launching its Pill speaker in Blush Pink and Navy Blue
• It's also announced that the Pill is Beats best-selling speaker ever
• You'll still get bold sound and all-day battery life from the Pill

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Last summer, Beats brought back its Pill speaker, and after testing it, we found it to be an impressive offering with robust sound and excellent bass. Further, in typical Beats fashion, it launched in a few different shades: Champagne Gold, Matte Black, and Statement Red.

Now, ahead of summer travel in 2025, Beats is expanding the selection of colors for the Pill, and both are stunners. Introducing the Beats Pill in ‘Blush Pink’ and ‘Navy Blue.’ Better yet, these don’t come with a price increase either.

You will need to track down each shade at a specific retailer, though. In the United States, fans of pink will need to visit Target, while those looking for blue will need to head to Walmart. Easier than heading out the door, though, is locking in an order online – both are priced at $149.95 and are shipping now.

(Image credit: Beats)

If you’re in the United Kingdom, you can get ‘Blush Pink’ from John Lewis for £149.99. Those in Canada can head to Walmart, with pricing to be confirmed at a later date.

Now, both of these shades look great, though the Blush Pink is a bit more fun in our opinion, offering a more summer-y shade in a very light shade of the color. Depending on how the light hits it, the speaker might pop even a bit more.

It’s also a full-color job on the rear and front, as well as the attached lanyard and buttons. The Navy Blue is a proper representation of the name, offering a deeper shade of the color.

Either route, ‘Navy Blue’ and ‘Blush Pink’ expand the color options, offering two fun shades alongside the original trio of Champagne Gold, Matte Black, and Statement Red.

Regardless of the color you get the Beats Pill in, you’re scoring what Beats is now confirming is “its bestselling speaker" ever, in that it's sold more of the new Beats Pill in the nine months it’s been out for compared to all past Pill launches.

(Image credit: Beats)

That's quite an accomplishment and speaks to why TechRadar gave it a full four out of five stars.

The excellent audio from the Pill is produced by a new racecourse drive that sits front and center, angled upward. You can also pair two of these speakers together for a stereo and more room-filling experience. You’ll also get up to 24 hours of battery life, and the Pill is quite durable, thanks to its IP67 rating.

Lastly, while you’ll recharge it using the USB-C port on the back, the Pill supports passthrough, allowing you to recharge another device by simply plugging it in.

Now, if you’re sold on Blush Pink or Navy Blue, you can get Pill for $149.99 from Target or Walmart right now. More importantly, though, if you’re okay with black, gold, or red, you can score it for just $129.95 (was $ 149.95) at Walmart right now.

You can get the Beats Pill in black, gold, or red at Walmart for just $129.95.View Deal

If you’re curious as to what else Beats has been up too, check out our first look at Beats Cables – yes USB-C to USB-C cables – here.

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Latest Tech News

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• A massive DDoS attack was recently detected during a major NHL event
• Attack grew from 67Gbps to nearly 1Tbps in twenty minutes
• Multivector strike used UDP, SYN, IP, and TCP flood techniques

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Cybersecurity firm Qrator Labs has claimed it successfully mitigated the largest DDoS attack so far recorded in 2025.

The April 3 attack targeted an unnamed online betting organization, lasting around 90 minutes, starting at 11:15 with a surge of 67Gbps, before escalating sharply to 217Gbps by 11:23, and peaked just short of 1Tbps at 965Gbps by 11:36.

Activity then slowly decreased to 549Gbps by 12:41, with the attack ending shortly afterwards. The DDoS attack was multivector in nature, featuring a peak of 965Gbps in UDP flood, 229Gbps in SYN flood, 214Gbps in IP flood, and 169Gbps in TCP flood.

Sporting events are major targets

Qrator notes that the attack happened on the same day that NHL star Alexander Ovechkin scored his 892nd goal, tying Wayne Gretzky's long-standing record. Ovechkin’s achievement was likely the trigger for the attack as the online betting sector is especially vulnerable during major sporting events.

A similar attack pattern was spotted during the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship, held in Germany, where spikes in DDoS activity also targeted online betting sites.

“This new incident is a clear reminder that major industry-specific events can be exploited by malicious actors. Companies that work with them, such as online betting platforms, must prepare in advance to defend their digital infrastructure when attention is at its peak,” said Andrey Leskin, Chief Technology Officer at Qrator Labs.

With major sporting moments drawing massive audiences online, betting platforms continue to be a prime target for coordinated attacks such as this one.

Other noteworthy sporting events set to take place this year, which could prove to be a target for similar DDoS strikes, include the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States and the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

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Latest Tech News

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• Adata Premier Extreme SD 8.0 Express memory card needs a special reader for full performance
• 1,600MB/s speeds push this SD card beyond UHS and Express 7.0
• ECC error correction and durability features protect data in harsh conditions

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Adata has introduced the world’s first SD 8.0 Express memory card, alongside a high-speed USB flash drive and a tool-free M.2 SSD enclosure, targeting mobile professionals and content creators who demand top-tier portable performance.

The Premier Extreme SD 8.0 Express memory card features a PCIe Gen3 x2 interface and adopts the NVMe protocol. It offers 512GB of storage and delivers read speeds of up to 1,600MB/s and write speeds of up to 1,200MB/s.

Those numbers aren’t just high for an SD card - they put it in direct competition with many of the best portable SSDs on the market. It also easily outpaces high-performance microSD cards.

Designed for 4K, RAW, multitasking

Adata says the card doubles the speed of the SD Express 7.0 standard and leaves UHS-I and UHS-II cards far behind.

The Premier Extreme SD 8.0 Express card is designed for durability, offering resistance to shock, water, static, and extreme temperatures. It also features LDPC ECC error correction to safeguard data integrity.

With support for the U3 and V30 video speed classes and a 512GB capacity, the card is aimed at creators who need speed and reliability in a compact form - particularly for 4K video, RAW photography, and mobile editing workflows.

One key limitation is that the SD 8.0 Express format requires a compatible reader to unlock its full performance. Standard SD card readers won’t support its maximum throughput.

In addition to the SD card, Adata also unveiled the UE720, a USB 3.2 Gen2 flash drive delivering read and write speeds of 550MB/s and 450MB/s, respectively. It is available in capacities up to 256GB and features a compact, mobile-friendly design.

Rounding out the trio is the EC680 M.2 SSD enclosure, which offers tool-free installation and transfer rates of up to 1,050MB/s via a Type-C interface. It is compatible with Windows, macOS, Android, and modern gaming consoles.

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