TLDR Hardware 2026-10-23

Dwarkesh Patel toured Intel's fabs and interviewed its leaders. CTO Pushkar Ranade said that there are enough tools to roughly double leading-edge output, not 10x. Backside power lets Intel's 14A print with a single High-NA pass, where TSMC would still need double-patterned EUV. Other topics discussed included ruthenium wiring below roughly 20nm pitch, CFET aspect-ratio and heat challenges, hybrid bonding pitches shrinking toward 0.45 microns, and the Terafab partnership.

Agility Robotics will use Nvidia's IGX Thor modules as the exclusive onboard computer for the general-sale version of Digit 5, with early access starting in the first half of 2027. The robot also adopts parts of Nvidia's Halos safety platform, whose inspection lab will check Digit's safety software before outside certification. Agility reports more than $300 million in multi-year Digit 5 orders, four new customers, and a new Pittsburgh site, as it prepares to list on Nasdaq via a merger with Churchill Capital Corp XI.

Brookhaven National Laboratory debuted a superconducting chip built with other US Department of Energy facilities and AI hardware startup Great Sky to monitor fusion plasma in real time. The chip runs a neuromorphic neural network meant to spot signs that superhot plasma is about to become unstable. Its backers hope the hardware is fast enough to help control plasma before disruptions form, a prerequisite for practical fusion power.

Regent's Viceroy Seaglider, the largest electric wing-in-ground-effect craft to fly with people aboard, made its maiden flight on September 2, covering 596 meters over 30 seconds at about 10 meters above the water. The 16.8-meter craft carries 12 passengers at up to 290 kph with a 290-kilometer range, and is classified as a maritime vessel under US law, sidestepping the FAA certification limbo facing eVTOLs. Regent has raised more than $340 million, claims a $10 billion order backlog, and plans commercial production at the end of 2027.

The Commerce Department plans four awards: up to $175 million for Helion's high-voltage power semiconductors and modules for fusion, $85 million for Commonwealth Fusion Systems' plasma-heating and radiation-hardened electronics, and $73 million for Vertical Semiconductor's vertical gallium nitride devices for AI racks. Sibelco gets $56 million for ultra-high-purity quartz purification.

NVIDIA's Cosmos 3 enables real-time, interactive world simulations through models like Cosmos3-Nano-Sim-Bimanual, -Transfer, and -Auto. These models support action-conditioned dynamics, spatial control for high-quality visual outputs, and synchronized multi-view video for tasks like autonomous driving. Leveraging advanced spatial and language controls, the models surpass performance benchmarks in depth, edge, and video quality metrics.

The $1,999 iPhone Duo has reached its first customers in Australia and New Zealand, with rollout moving through Asia, the Middle East, Europe, then North America. Early owners praise the matte 7.6-inch inner display and a nearly invisible crease, and note the under-screen camera is occasionally visible, with Touch ID in place of Face ID. Apple expects stock to sell out on launch day, and online shipping estimates have slipped to January 25.

SpaceX recorded a $561 million non-cash gain in Q3 from its minority stake in The Boring Co., more than half of its "other income," lifting net income to just over $4 billion. The mark-up follows Boring Co.'s $3 billion raise last month at a $23 billion valuation, backed by UAE investors. Boring Co. started inside SpaceX in 2017 and was spun out a year later.

SpaceX's $40 billion raise, led by Apollo and Goldman Sachs, is pricing at about 8.3% on the lowest-rated tranche, while a safer piece backed by some of its chips is expected near 7.75%.

Oura sued Ultrahuman again, alleging the redesigned Ring Pro infringes two patents on the ring's design and internals, including a curved battery, circuit board, magnets, and sensors.

KAIST researchers developed a method to predict blue OLED lifetimes by measuring tiny brightness changes under magnetic fields.