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Tech News
Security researchers demonstrated that an AI-driven system could take control of a robotic arm connected to operational technology (OT) infrastructure in just 16 minutes. The demonstration highlights how legacy industrial equipment, much of it deployed over a decade ago, remains vulnerable to fast, automated attacks.
Tom's Hardware reviewed Microsoft's new Surface Laptop Ultra, which uses Nvidia's RTX Spark mobile SoC instead of a Qualcomm chip, making it one of the first non-Qualcomm Windows on Arm laptops. The reviewer praises its design, display, and port selection, but notes the device is heavy, costly, and offers little extra benefit to users who don't run AI workloads.
Microsoft has released the Surface Laptop Ultra, a premium Windows-on-Arm laptop built with Nvidia to showcase its new RTX Spark chips, which are designed to run AI models locally alongside demanding games and creative software. The top-spec model costs $5,900 and features a 15-inch 3:2 MicroLED touchscreen reaching 2,000 nits, an all-aluminum design, and a new Magnetic Connect charging port built into a USB-C port.
NVIDIA's RTX Spark platform pairs a Blackwell GPU with large unified RAM, targeting AI developers who want to run large local models like a 125B-parameter Qwen3.8-Flash-Next variant. NVIDIA says the chips deliver RTX 50-series gaming features including DLSS 5, with performance comparable to an RTX 5070 at 1440p, and a new DLSS Frame Generation mode that pushed Cyberpunk 2077 to 280fps. Being Arm-based, RTX Spark relies on Microsoft's Prism emulator for x86 compatibility, with NVIDIA naming supported titles like Gears of War: E-Day, NBA 2K27 and World of Warcraft: Forever, and says it is working with anti-cheat vendors on multiplayer support.
Tom's Hardware obtained an early unit of Microsoft's Surface Laptop Ultra equipped with Nvidia's new RTX Spark Superchip, featuring 20 CPU cores, 6144 CUDA cores, and 128GB of LPDDR5X-9400 RAM. The outlet compared its performance against a 14-inch MacBook Pro with Apple's M5 Max chip, though launch embargoes restricted disclosure of battery life, build quality, and display details until full reviews arrive later.
Nvidia is launching RTX Spark laptops on October 16th, its first major push into Arm-powered Windows PCs since the ill-fated Surface RT. The company says these machines will run existing Windows software including Adobe, Office, Blender, and games with kernel-level anti-cheat, alongside local AI workstation capabilities with up to 128GB of RAM.
Nvidia and Microsoft launched the RTX Spark line of laptops, which pair an Arm-based CPU with a Blackwell GPU and unified memory to run AI models locally. Microsoft built a new 'Get Started' flow in Windows that lets users find, install and launch an AI agent in two clicks, with agents distributed and updated through the Windows Store. Hermes, Perplexity, and OpenClaw are the first supported agents, with more expected to follow.
At the Microelectronics 26 forum in Sochi, Russian chip designers demonstrated homegrown processors by running classic video games on them. Baikal Electronics showed its BE-U1000 RISC-V microcontroller powering a business-card-sized console and an NES-styled device called Ushka, while Elvis displayed its Hypercom-U Arm-based SoC and MCST showed Elbrus-powered gaming PCs.
SK hynix has unveiled an in-house processing core called the Hynix Transaction Processing Unit (H-TPU), designed to handle routine I/O tasks in SSD controllers alongside traditional Arm CPU cores. Presented by VP Koo In-jae at ISOCC 2026, the chip reportedly uses about 2.5% of a general-purpose CPU core's power and 4% of its area, and SK hynix plans to roll it out across its NAND product lineup, including upcoming enterprise SSD controllers.
A federal jury in Delaware ruled that Arm breached its Architecture License Agreement with Qualcomm and intentionally interfered with Qualcomm's business relationship with Meta, but awarded only $2 in nominal damages after a five-day trial. The jury rejected several other claims Qualcomm had brought against Arm. Both companies claimed victory in the ruling, which follows Qualcomm's earlier win in the related Nuvia licensing dispute.
A Delaware jury ruled that Arm breached its Architectural License Agreement with Qualcomm by withholding software patches and tools, and found it intentionally interfered with Qualcomm's business dealings with Meta. Despite siding with Qualcomm on these two claims, the jury awarded just $1 in damages for each, totaling $2, while ruling in Arm's favor on four other claims. Both companies issued statements claiming satisfaction with the verdict.
Microsoft announced the upcoming release of its Surface Laptop Ultra, set for October 18, with a base price of $2,599. The device features a 15-inch HDR display, Nvidia RTX Spark processor, up to 128GB of memory, and a sleek aluminum design, emphasizing its focus on AI and creative workflows. The launch was highlighted at a San Francisco event attended by top executives from Microsoft and Nvidia.