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A Redditor comparing two AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Dual Edition CPUs purchased from Amazon found the second one had identical labeling but a completely different pin/contact layout underneath. Commenters concluded a scammer likely delidded a genuine Ryzen chip, attached its heat spreader to an old Intel processor, and possibly reprinted the markings, then returned the fake unit to Amazon for a refund while keeping the real CPU.
Amazon has released two new Bee-branded AI gadgets, the $75 wrist-worn Bee Frontier and the $100 Bee Eclipse that attaches magnetically to a smartphone. Both devices continuously listen to conversations, transcribe them, and use a companion app to generate summaries and to-do lists, with encrypted transcripts accessible only to the user. This marks the first product update since Amazon's July 2025 acquisition of startup Bee, whose original wristband sold for $50.
Ledger has confirmed that some of its hardware crypto wallets were tampered with before reaching customers, using a hidden hardware implant that captured seed phrases and transmitted them to attackers via an eSIM. Ledger traced the compromised devices to a Malaysian reseller, CryptoBilis, and has asked it to halt all sales and shipments while it investigates, saying its own systems and infrastructure appear uncompromised.
MediaMarkt Saturn removed Ledger hardware wallets from its European stores and website on October 13 after a German customer discovered an unauthorized implant inside a device, with no funds lost in that case. Ledger confirmed the retailer pulled the affected products and said the two firms remain in contact. The incident follows an earlier Ledger disclosure on October 10 that devices sold by reseller CryptoBilis in Southeast Asia contained a similar hidden component.
Asus's ROG Xbox Ally X20, the higher-end handheld built with an OLED screen and Xbox-branded software, has been reviewed as the most visually appealing and comfortable device in its category. The review notes that despite its premium build and display, the device's raw performance does not match its design quality.
In a TIME interview alongside CEO John Ternus, Apple SVP of Worldwide Marketing Greg Joswiak said the company does not feel threatened by OpenAI's hardware ambitions, citing Apple's integration of hardware, software and services as a key advantage. He also said Apple's AI products are aimed at everyday users rather than AI enthusiasts chasing superintelligence.
Ledger has introduced the Atom, a device running both Android OS and its own Ledger OS on a secure chip, intended to be used alongside a regular phone rather than replace one. Its eSIM supports data only, not calls or texts, and it includes a partnership with OpenClaw letting AI agents handle financial tasks while requiring physical approval for transactions. Two Atom devices can also exchange encrypted messages decrypted inside Ledger OS.
A developer has released c64-hw-sim, a program that models the Commodore 64's ASSY 250407 motherboard at the level of individual chip pins and the board's netlist. Users can simulate faults such as lifting a chip leg or shorting it to ground or power, then observe the resulting effect on screen output, keyboard behavior, and board signals. The simulator derives these outcomes from circuit behavior rather than pre-programmed fault scenarios, and runs at 31-48% of real C64 speed depending on the host processor.
Tom's Hardware has released a free mobile app for Android and iOS devices, giving readers access to its articles, breaking news alerts, and its Bench benchmark comparison tool. The app includes smart search, personalized feeds, bookmarking, and limited free access to Bench, with full access reserved for Tom's Hardware Premium subscribers.
Ledger has directed resellers and distributors in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong to stop selling its hardware wallets and pull them from shelves while it investigates implanted chips found in devices sold by reseller CryptoBilis. The company's Donjon security team found a hidden microcontroller that reads recovery phrases and transmits them over LTE via an embedded eSIM, bypassing Ledger's normal integrity checks. Similar tampered units have also been reported from other sellers in Asia and Europe, including a Singapore airport retailer and MediaMarkt in Europe, which has already removed the product.
Organizers of Hack the North, Canada's largest hackathon, replaced the traditional cardstock name tag with a custom hardware badge featuring an LED display, buttons, audio and wireless radio that attendees could fully program. The project, pitched eight months earlier, went through four hardware iterations before reaching a final production run of 1,750 units, with the design, firmware and an emulator all released as open source.
Square has released a new hardware product called the Square Kiosk, a large pill-shaped touchscreen device that lets customers place orders by speaking with an AI agent. The company says the system understands a merchant's full menu and can respond to spoken requests for modifications or substitutions in real time. The 21.5-inch kiosk also includes presence detection, contactless payment and a card slot, and costs $1,999 plus a $99 monthly software fee for Square Plus or Premium subscribers.