The hottest Hardware Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Brass Tacks

davidj.substack • 47 implied HN points • 14 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. Using a split ortholinear keyboard can really help with wrist and finger positioning while typing. This might reduce discomfort or issues like repetitive strain injuries.
  2. Switching to AI tools like LLMs can sometimes be faster and more energy-efficient than traditional web searches. This is surprising since many people assume web searches are the quickest.
  3. In the future, AI could streamline our search for information by reducing the number of web searches needed. Instead of multiple searches, we might get answers in a single go using AI systems.

Under the microscope: The Crow: City of Angels

Rings of Saturn • 29 implied HN points • 20 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. The game 'The Crow: City of Angels' has some major bugs that let players exploit the game for unlimited lives. Entering certain passwords can give you an excessive number of lives.
  2. The Saturn version of the game lacks unique special cheats, unlike the PlayStation version, which has various interesting cheat codes and effects.
  3. There are hidden staff messages and a possibility of enabling a debug mode in the PlayStation version, which isn't present in the Saturn version.

Citing Danger of “Ink Spills” Epson Programs End of Life for Some Printers

Fight to Repair • 157 implied HN points • 27 Jul 22
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. Epson printers have a pre-determined 'end of life' programmed into their software without clear disclosure at purchase, pushing customers to replace or service their printers.
  2. Users encountering the 'end of life' message can temporarily reset it using an Epson utility for Windows, but Mac users must seek service or replace the printer.
  3. Epson designed their printers to stop working to prevent potential property damage from ink spills or safety issues, leading to concerns about electronic waste and right-to-repair practices.

BIWEEKLY BRIEFLY NOTED: For 2024-12-05 Th

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 107 implied HN points • 05 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. Intel has faced a lot of trouble due to poor decisions made years ago. The issues they are now trying to fix are rooted in choices that stretch back more than a decade.
  2. Spending on AI is growing, but it's still far below what many companies expected. Big tech firms are investing heavily in AI to protect themselves from competition, even though they don't see immediate profits.
  3. China is now the main driver of global warming, and other countries have significantly cut their CO2 emissions. Tackling climate change is increasingly seen as a challenge that China needs to address.

The Era of the Cloud Czars

Dana Blankenhorn: Facing the Future • 39 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. The era of the Cloud Czars is defined by five key companies: Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Meta.
  2. Building clouds and investing in the Cloud game was a key risk that many companies failed to take on, leading to their decline.
  3. In the tech industry, failure to take risks can be fatal, as highlighted by the success of the Cloud Czars who embraced the challenge.
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Under the microscope: Sky Target (Saturn)

Rings of Saturn • 29 implied HN points • 30 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. In the game Sky Target, you can pilot a super jet fighter called the XF/A-49, known as the 'White Sword'. This plane has advanced technology that makes it better than any other fighter.
  2. You can play as the White Sword by completing a ranking mode or using a specific cheat code to unlock it right away.
  3. Unlocking hidden features in games can be tricky, and it's fun to share and discover cheat codes that help players access them faster.

What is Hard Tech?

Nathan’s Substack • 39 implied HN points • 03 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. Hardware companies are seeing a resurgence in interest due to their sticky products with deep moats against competition.
  2. Investors and founders in hard tech should understand that there is market risk along with technical risk.
  3. Hard tech companies face longer go-to-market cycles but enjoy stickier product market fit, with the ability to focus on growing margins through economies of scale.

Of Mice and Graphics Tablets

Better After a Nap • 39 implied HN points • 22 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. Tech optimism can be addictive, always seeking the next best thing.
  2. The search for the perfect graphics tablet is a long and frustrating journey.
  3. Combining existing peripherals to create a better graphics tablet poses challenges and limitations.

A Tale of a Close Partnership

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 39 implied HN points • 20 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. AMD has partnered with Lamini to help startups create and run generative AI products using AMD GPUs. This collaboration started in September and aims to address the GPU shortage in the AI industry.
  2. Lamini disclosed that they have been exclusively using AMD GPUs for the past year, showcasing their commitment to this partnership. They even highlighted their continuous use of AMD hardware at an AI event.
  3. Together, AMD and Lamini have developed the LLM Superstation, a powerful supercomputer equipped with 128 AMD Instinct GPUs. This setup allows businesses to train large AI models more effectively.

Taxonomy of Red Teams

Locks and Leaks • 39 implied HN points • 19 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. Red Teams exist to test and improve important systems, often related to cybersecurity, physical security, and decision-making.
  2. Red Teaming can be categorized into Critical Systems Testing (CST) and Applied Critical Thinking (ACT), with multiple types of red teams within each category.
  3. Collaboration among red teams is crucial, with various ways to work together such as conducting joint trainings, attending conferences, and sharing knowledge.

💾 E14: The Real AI Bottleneck: High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) 💾

Let Us Face the Future • 158 implied HN points • 08 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) is crucial for datacenter AI accelerators and large language models due to its high bandwidth, low latency, and low power consumption.
  2. HBM is commercially viable, but cost and complexity remain restraints, making it more suitable for high-performance computing and AI rather than mainstream applications.
  3. The future growth of HBM depends on reducing costs, advancing technology like through-silicon vias, and addressing challenges like thermal management for wider adoption beyond datacenter and HPC.

What I'm preparing for in 2025

next big thing • 76 implied HN points • 08 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. AI is becoming a big part of software development, allowing small teams to create successful products quickly and efficiently. By 2025, we will see a lot more companies thriving because of this.
  2. We are moving towards using AI not just as helpers but as real team members. In 2025, AI will be more about collaboration rather than just assistance.
  3. There will be breakthroughs in other technologies like healthcare or energy that could surprise us, just as AI did in the past. These advancements will create new opportunities for startups.

The Mythical Non-Roboticist

General Robots • 199 HN points • 14 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. Programming robots is inherently complex due to dealing with the real world and imperfect conditions.
  2. Design APIs and frameworks for users as smart as you are, but less tolerant of unnecessary complexity.
  3. Robotics development is challenging due to both intrinsic complexity and incidental 'stupid bullshit' complexity that must be navigated.

The Sequence Chat: Small Specialists vs. Large Generalist Models and What if NVIDIA Becomes Sun Microsystems

TheSequence • 98 implied HN points • 13 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. Large AI models have been popular because they show amazing capabilities, but they are expensive to run. Many businesses are now looking at smaller, specialized models that can work well without the high costs.
  2. Smaller models can definitely operate on basic hardware, unlike large models that often need high-end GPUs like those from NVIDIA. This could change how companies use AI technology.
  3. There's an ongoing discussion about the future of AI models. It will be interesting to see how the market evolves with smaller, efficient models versus the larger ones that have been leading the way.

Want to play AAA Games in Your Car?

More Than Moore • 233 implied HN points • 04 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. At CES, AMD announced new automotive APUs for in-car entertainment, driver safety, and autonomous driving.
  2. The new AMD chips support a gaming experience in cars, with potential for multiple displays and better graphics performance.
  3. AMD's acquisition of Xilinx enhances their presence in automotive technology, particularly in ADAS with their Versal AI Edge processors.

Micro-Benchmarking a RISC-V SBC (CanMV K230)

Fprox’s Substack • 20 implied HN points • 23 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. Micro-benchmarks help you measure how fast different instructions run on the RISC-V K230 chip. This is important for understanding the chip's performance.
  2. Data values can change how fast instructions execute, especially for operations like division. It's crucial to consider these variations in performance measurements.
  3. The RISE development image is a stable and feature-rich option for developers working with the CanMV K230. It makes connecting and running programs easier compared to earlier images.

The Future of P4: One Perspective

Systems Approach • 353 implied HN points • 15 May 23
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. P4 language is more than just Tofino chips, it has many backend targets like SmartNICs and IPUs.
  2. The distinction between 'open' and 'closed' forwarding pipelines is crucial, even fixed pipelines can be flexible.
  3. P4's value lies not just in quantifiable metrics, but also in its ability to abstract packet forwarding pipelines effectively.

🔮 E05: The Future of Edge AI: "Brain-inspired" Neuromorphic Computing

Let Us Face the Future • 178 implied HN points • 23 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. Neuromorphic computing is inspired by the biological brain and integrates memory and processing, leading to more efficient computing systems.
  2. Neuromorphic chip designs are expected to win 20% of the edge AI hardware market by 2030.
  3. RRAM development is crucial for viable neuromorphic chip production, enabling cost-effective fabrication and addressing memory technology requirements.

Our Picks For The Top Repair Stories of 2022

Fight to Repair • 59 implied HN points • 15 Jan 23
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. State-wide laws are crucial for the right to repair movement to succeed, as seen in 2022 with wins in New York and Colorado.
  2. Companies like Apple's self-repair program may offer solutions, but without clear legislation, it can fall short in truly empowering consumers.
  3. Governments are taking steps towards standardization, like the EU mandating USB-C, to reduce electronic waste and increase sustainability.

Run Large Language Model On Your Own Computer

The Beep • 19 implied HN points • 10 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. You can run large language models, like Llama2, on your own computer using a tool called Ollama. This allows you to use powerful AI without needing super high-tech hardware.
  2. Setting up Ollama is simple. You just need to download it and run a couple of commands in your terminal to get started.
  3. Once it's running, you can interact with the model like you would with any chatbot. This means you can type prompts and get responses directly from your own machine.

Phoenix Puts UAE On Bitcoin Mining Map

Miner Weekly • 39 implied HN points • 23 Nov 23
🔮 Crypto Hardware
  1. Phoenix, a UAE-based bitcoin mining company, raised $370 million in an IPO on the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange, highlighting growing interest in bitcoin mining in the region.
  2. Phoenix appears to focus more on hardware distribution rather than proprietary mining, indicating potential plans for diversification in the future.
  3. Key highlights of Phoenix's business include a sizeable team, impressive hashrate capacity, and a revenue stream primarily reliant on hardware sales.

Under the microscope: Omakase! Savers (Saturn)

Rings of Saturn • 29 implied HN points • 21 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. Omakase! Savers is a fun adventure game for the Sega Saturn released in 1996. It involves three girls who gain special powers to battle ghosts.
  2. The game allows players to use special names to unlock benefits like boosting character stats or accessing different episodes.
  3. There is also a hidden debug mode in the game that lets players change settings and access cutscenes, which can be useful for anyone interested in translating or modifying the game.

Expansion hack: Power Stone, Power Stone 2 (Dreamcast)

Rings of Saturn • 58 implied HN points • 05 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. Power Stone for Dreamcast has a hidden debug menu for testing different features like sound and animations.
  2. Power Stone 2 also includes a debug menu that offers similar testing capabilities and extra features to explore character moves.
  3. Patches are available to access these hidden menus, enhancing the gaming experience for players who want to dive deeper into the games.

Faster NTT with RISC-V Vector

Fprox’s Substack • 62 implied HN points • 11 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. The Number Theoretic Transform (NTT) can speed up polynomial multiplications, which are important for modern cryptography. Optimizing how this process works leads to significant performance improvements.
  2. Using assembly language can help tailor code for specific hardware, allowing more direct control over how instructions are executed, which can greatly enhance speed.
  3. Combining multiple steps of the NTT process into fewer loops and minimizing unnecessary calculations can lead to much lower execution times, achieving targets that seemed difficult at first.

The Sequence Chat: Why Transformers are the Best Thing that Ever Happened to NVIDIA

TheSequence • 84 implied HN points • 21 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. Transformers are special because they can learn from a lot of data without hitting a limit. This helps improve AI performance.
  2. NVIDIA has been able to fine-tune its hardware thanks to the widespread use of transformers in AI. This gives them a market edge.
  3. Most advanced transformer models rely on NVIDIA GPUs for their computing needs. This creates a strong connection between transformers and NVIDIA's success.

Now you're thinking with relays

lcamtuf’s thing • 209 HN points • 01 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. Building a one-bit computer with an ALU is possible and can simplify circuitry.
  2. Relays are well-suited for building digital logic due to their binary operation and signal amplification.
  3. Implementing arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division using relays is feasible but requires thoughtful circuit design.

Amstrad E-mailer (2000)

Mule Britannia! • 43 HN points • 02 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. The Amstrad E-mailer was an attempt by Alan Sugar to innovate in the technology market but failed due to three main flaws.
  2. Alan Sugar started Amstrad by focusing on affordable and innovative electronics products.
  3. Despite initial success with innovations like the Amstrad CPC 464, Amstrad faced challenges, including a major setback with the faulty PC2000 models.

The Copper Chains Holding Cerebras Back

Irrational Analysis • 39 implied HN points • 27 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. Cerebras, a unique AI-hardware startup, faces challenges in scaling due to copper chains and thermal density issues.
  2. They have developed proprietary technology to print wires across scribe lines, a unique capability in the semiconductor industry.
  3. Cerebras is selling systems for non-AI workloads like drug discovery and scientific research, but they need significant upgrades to compete with Nvidia.

3D Gaming Before VR

Ironic Sans • 248 implied HN points • 18 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. 3D gaming was possible before VR with LCD shutter glasses that created the illusion of 3D by alternating between two views for each eye.
  2. LCD shutter glasses allowed playing existing games in 3D without special design, like Tomb Raider and Thief 2.
  3. While VR is now more common, there are efforts to bring classic games into VR, although converting them is challenging due to control and graphical limitations.

Has the time come to take Mortal Computing seriously?

State of the Future • 32 implied HN points • 30 Apr 25
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. Mortal Computing is about embracing variability and imperfections in technology, moving away from the current trend of making every chip identical and perfect.
  2. Weakly Mortal designs could lead to huge gains in performance and efficiency by using smart systems that adapt to different conditions, instead of relying on perfect chips.
  3. Strongly Mortal computing could potentially unlock amazing new technologies, like self-repairing machines and entirely new types of computing that could change how we interact with technology.

Local LLMs, some facts some fiction

Democratizing Automation • 160 implied HN points • 24 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. Local models can solve latency issues with large language models (LLMs).
  2. Personalization may not be the main driver for the adoption of local LLamas by users.
  3. Local models offer practical benefits like power efficiency, low upfront cost, and less restrictive moderation compared to API endpoints.

Through the Ages: Apple CPU Architecture

Jacob’s Tech Tavern • 194 HN points • 30 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. Apple has undergone multiple CPU architecture migrations throughout its history, showcasing a unique ability to adapt and innovate.
  2. Intel's x86 architecture dominance was driven by innovations like CPU caches, branch prediction, and superscalar architecture.
  3. The M1 chip from Apple Silicon stands out due to its specialized heterogeneous computing approach, unified memory architecture, out-of-order execution, and physical proximity of components for efficient performance.

Intel Thunderbolt 5: Up to 120 Gbps with PAM3

More Than Moore • 210 implied HN points • 12 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. The new Intel Thunderbolt 5 specification offers up to 120 Gbps bandwidth with PAM3 signaling.
  2. Thunderbolt 5 is backward compatible with Thunderbolt 4, providing faster charging, networking, and PCIe speed.
  3. PAM3 signaling in Thunderbolt 5 enables increased speed and efficiency by transmitting three bits per two transfers.

Huawei to Transform Chip Game

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 39 implied HN points • 11 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. Huawei is entering the chip market and competing directly with NVIDIA. Their Ascend 910 AI processor has similar power to NVIDIA's A100.
  2. The Ascend 910 offers strong performance with 256 TeraFLOPs while using less power than the A100. It shows that Huawei's technology can be efficient and effective.
  3. More companies, like iFlytek, are choosing Huawei's chips for AI development, indicating a shift in the industry. This could change the landscape of chip manufacturing.

The Concurrency Ambition

Money in Transit • 39 implied HN points • 21 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. Software now needs to handle multiple tasks at once due to hardware limitations
  2. Old programming languages may not be efficient for handling concurrency
  3. Async programming allows tasks to take turns, making it easier to handle concurrency

Maker News - July 2025 Update

Maker News • 15 implied HN points • 31 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. Using hotkeys in KiCad can make designing faster and more efficient. Small changes can save a lot of time when working on circuits.
  2. Crowdfunding hardware projects involves a lot of hidden costs and calculations. It's important to understand these details to avoid losing money.
  3. New technologies like AI and ESP-NOW are changing how we build hardware. They help make projects easier and more connected without traditional setups.

AMD Goes Hybrid: Zen 4c in Mobile

More Than Moore • 163 implied HN points • 02 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Hardware
  1. AMD introduces hybrid design with Zen 4 and Zen 4c cores in mobile processors.
  2. AMD's decision to launch hybrid chips mid-cycle may indicate a trial run for future generations.
  3. Efficient scheduling of workloads on different cores remains a challenge for hybrid CPUs.