Technology

• Desktop CPU shipments dropped over 20% amid rising memory and GPU costs
• AMD now holds nearly 35% of the entire desktop processor market
• Mobile CPU shipments jumped as Intel finally closed its capacity gap

Global processor shipments fell in the second quarter of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, new figures have claimed.

Mercury Research found, the decline stemmed mainly from weaker system-on-chip and embedded volumes tied to AMD's shrinking games console business, along with a steep drop in desktop CPU volumes.

Even as the overall market contracted, AMD continued to take share away from Intel across nearly every product category tracked by the research firm.

Desktop demand buckles under higher prices

Desktop CPU shipments fell by more than 20% year on year, a decline Mercury links to weaker demand for high-end gaming PCs rather than typical seasonal softness.

Rising memory prices, driven by chipmakers prioritizing more profitable high-bandwidth memory for AI servers, have pushed up the cost of finished PCs.

A shortage of consumer GPUs appears to stem from similar supply pressures within the broader chip industry.

"Higher PC prices and limited GPU supplies are having a significant impact," Mercury Research said in its report.

AMD's decline in desktop shipments was smaller than Intel's, allowing it to grow its desktop share to nearly 35%, up from about 32% a year earlier.

AMD extends its lead in mobile and server chips

Mobile processor shipments told a different story, climbing strongly compared with the previous quarter after Intel expanded output during two heavily supply-constrained quarters.

Intel added millions of units of mobile CPU capacity in the second quarter, narrowing the earlier gap between supply and available demand.

Despite that expansion, AMD's share of the mobile segment rose to nearly 29%, up from 20.6% during the same quarter last year.

Server processor shipments increased by 20% year on year, with Mercury citing stronger demand for both datacenter—class chips and processors built for networking and storage.

AMD's share of server processors climbed to 34.5%, compared with 27.3% a year earlier, and would reach 46.4% if the comparison were limited only to Intel's Xeon SP and AMD's EPYC lines.

Mercury also tracks the smaller Arm-based CPU market for PCs and servers, cautioning that its estimates carry more uncertainty due to the absence of centralized revenue reporting for Arm chips.

The firm recorded strong growth in Apple's Mac lineup, including its newer lower-cost Neo models, alongside solid gains for Arm-based Chromebooks.

Arm-based systems reached 15.3% of the client market during the quarter, a record high and an increase of 0.9 percentage points.

In servers, Arm's share also hit a record of 13.6%, up 0.5 percentage points from the prior period.

Taken together, the figures suggest a processor market driven less by shifting consumer taste than by supply-chain pressure from the AI boom.

Memory and GPU scarcity appear to be squeezing traditional desktop buyers even as data-center and mobile demand hold up, leaving AMD well placed to keep benefiting from Intel's uneven recovery.

Via The Register

Some critics say it’s not a good look for Apple.

• China has tested an airborne blimp called the S4000
• It generates electricity from wind power at an altitude of 4,000 meters
• The airship can move to wherever it is needed most

If you thought the age of blimps was over, think again. China has just launched a successful test of a helium-filled airship that is used to generate electricity from the sky, and it could mean a return to the air of the skyfaring vehicles that went out of fashion almost 100 years ago.

According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV (via South China Morning Post), the apparent world-first feat involved the airship ascending to 4,000 meters, generating power and returning to the ground. Measuring roughly the length of a Boeing 747 airplane, the craft is reportedly not far from being deployed on a wider scale.

The goal of the vehicle — named the S4000 after the height it climbs to — is to harness the strong winds that can be found high above the earth, which it does using turbines strapped to each side of its body. The winds at altitude are stronger and steadier than those closer to ground level, and any electricity generated is sent back to base using a long tether.

Returning to the skies

(Image credit: CCTV)

By operating in the sky, the S4000 has a few advantages over traditional static wind turbines. For one thing, it can move to windier areas as required, allowing it to adapt to changing conditions or transfer to where it is needed most. For another, it means less real estate is taken up on the ground, freeing up space for other uses and potentially reducing the complaints that are often directed at wind farms.

The S4000 was developed by Chinese firm Sawes Energy Technology alongside Tsinghua University and the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Previous models included the S1500 and the S2000, which drew a combined total of 500 million yuan (US$74.3 million) in orders, according to the SCMP.

The S4000 is far from the only recent effort to harness wind power. As we reported earlier this week, the Ventyra R1 portable wind turbine can be folded up into a backpack yet provides 50W of power output, taking around 35 minutes to fully charge a connected smartphone.

Combined with the S4000 — and the many other developments in the wind power industry — it’s clear that a lot is being done in the world of renewable energy. So don’t be surprised to one day see blimps make a return to the skies, this time in the service of generating electricity.

• Iveda’s GX10-F100 claims more than 150 minutes of airborne endurance
• The gasoline-powered aircraft carries up to 19 pounds of cargo during missions
• Semi-symmetrical carbon-fiber frame targets coastal and remote operating environments

Iveda has introduced a rotary-wing unmanned aircraft aimed at military logistics, reconnaissance, communications support, and other operations requiring longer airborne endurance.

The Arizona-based company says its GX10-F100 can remain airborne for more than 150 minutes, which it claims is five times the endurance of comparable electric quadcopters.

The aircraft uses gasoline propulsion, carries up to 19 pounds (9 kilograms) of cargo, and features a semi-symmetrical carbon-fiber airframe for operations along coastlines, in remote terrain, and in high winds.

A longer-endurance aircraft

The GX10-F100 measures 72 inches in length and has a rotor span of 72 inches, giving it dimensions comparable to compact helicopters.

A 1.43-gallon fuel tank supplies the engine, while the aircraft reaches speeds of 68 mph and has an advertised operational range of 19 miles.

Those figures give the aircraft a different operating profile from smaller electric systems, although actual endurance can vary with payload and conditions.

Iveda says its onboard autonomy software supports live video, route guidance, and object tracking without requiring continuous manual flight control.

The company also lists coastal patrols, emergency services, infrastructure inspection, public safety, and architectural work among possible applications for the platform.

“Mission-critical operators have been forced to work within the limitations of drone systems that were never designed for the environments they operate in. This new helicopter line was built to solve that problem,” said David Ly, CEO and founder of Iveda.

Procurement and future plans

Beyond the military and security operations, this aircraft is also designed for emergency response and infrastructure work.

Therefore, approved emergency response agencies, infrastructure companies, and military pilots can purchase the aircraft for disaster management, inspection, and other operations.

The company says governments can obtain the aircraft through GlobalMed under a federal logistics arrangement, while qualified pilots may purchase units directly.

The GX10-F100 complies with federal procurement requirements for defense acquisitions and with agreements governing eligible commercial suppliers.

This means that not all governments will be eligible to purchase this device, as some are blacklisted for national security.

The GX10-F100 therefore enters a market where endurance, payload capacity, and procurement eligibility can matter alongside autonomy and sensor capabilities.

On the flip side, the gasoline engine introduces logistical considerations which are absent in many battery systems.

Iveda has not provided independent endurance testing showing whether the stated 150-minute figure remains achievable under maximum payload conditions.

This distinction matters because aircraft performance can change substantially when carrying heavier equipment, operating against strong winds, or conducting repeated autonomous missions.

Iveda also disclosed plans to convert retired full-size helicopters into autonomous aircraft, though such a project would represent a larger class of unmanned aviation than the GX10-F100.

For now, the GX10-F100 provides Iveda with an entry into military and government drone operations centered on longer flight duration.

Whether that endurance translates into a major battlefield advantage will depend on reliability, payload performance, autonomy, and actual operating conditions encountered.

Via The DroneFront

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Google launches Gemini Enterprise for Legal, giving law firms AI agents for contract review, legal research, compliance monitoring and other workflows.

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OpenAI restored a five-hour Codex usage window for ChatGPT Plus users, adding another limit developers must track alongside their weekly allowance.

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OpenAI banned Russian ChatGPT accounts tied to a covert influence campaign involving copied research, fake attribution and coordinated social posts.

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A working screen and SIM slot are not enough. Use these four checks to determine whether an older phone can still join a US carrier in 2026.

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Will Apple debut a foldable iPhone at its event? Here’s how to watch the event to find out in real time.

You can officially mark your calendars for September 9, 2026, as Apple has just made its annual September event official by sending out invitations with the tagline "Surprise and shine," announcing the Special Event.

In true Apple time, the September 9 event kicks off at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST (3am September 10 AEST) and will be livestreamed at Apple Park, specifically in the Steve Jobs Theater. We’re fully expecting the Cupertino-based tech giant to stick with a virtual format, though, for the keynote itself, and if you didn’t score an invite, fear not, as it’ll be livestreamed to the world, and our expert team here at TechRadar will be breaking it all down in real time.

“Surprise and shine” doesn’t just stand as the annual event where we expect Apple to unveil its next generation of iPhones, Apple Watches, and a few other devices, but it arrives eight days after John Ternus steps into the role of CEO. Our bet is that he still kicks off the show with a ‘Good Morning,’ and who knows, Tim Cook might still make an appearance.

Surprise and shine! It’s almost time for the #AppleEvent, on Wednesday, September 9! pic.twitter.com/SLkIcNmLwPAugust 26, 2026

The rumored hardware list is long for September 9, and all eyes are pointing to Apple entering the folding phone market with what will likely be called the iPhone Ultra. A device that’s purported to be similar in overall size and shape to the most recent Galaxy Z Fold 8, and that might make the foldable phone category a bit more mainstream with some Apple touches.

That won’t be the only iPhone, though, as the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are expected, but don’t hold out hope for a standard iPhone 18 or second-generation iPhone Air. According to the rumor mill, the focus will be on the Pros, with the follow-up to the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air arriving later. You can expect a next-gen Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch Series 12, and we might see a new HomePod Mini and a long-awaited update to the Apple TV.

What does the ‘Surprise and shine” invite tell us?

(Image credit: Apple)

After months of rumors, our eyes now turn to examining every part of the invite for 'Surprise and shine." For one, it's on a bright blue background that somewhat resembles the skies over Apple Park, but the center features an Apple logo with colorful flare and blur around it.

There also appears to be a circle flowing from it, which might hint at the venue, the Steve Jobs Theater, the circular Apple Park Ring, or how the new Siri AI ebbs and flows.

Potentially, the middle of the Apple logo shows a vertical line, which could hint at the folding iPhone. Though your guess is as good as ours at the moment.

The best news? Apple is promising us a surprise, and that's something we can all get excited about.

What can we expect at the event?

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

For starters, it will be John Ternus' first special event as Apple's CEO, and it arrives at an interesting time, with a ton of hardware expected. And just weeks before the event, Apple unveiled its next-generation M6 and M5 Ultra chips and refreshed both the Mac mini and Mac Studio. Might it have been to get some of the devices out of the way for a packed September event?

It could very well be, as we're expecting the iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, the foldable iPhone – likely named iPhone Ultra –, the Apple Watch Series 12, and Apple Watch Ultra 4. There are also chances for new AirPods, though it'll likely be the next-generation entry-level — AirPods 5 and AirPods 5 with ANC, replacing the duo of AirPods 4 — and not the recently leaked AirPods Pro with Cameras, as recent reporting suggests those won't be due out until 2027.

Then there's also a rumored refresh of the HomePod mini and the Apple TV 4K — the streaming box that connects to the TV, not the Apple TV streaming service, though it does run on this device — that's been rumored for quite some time, and was theoretically waiting on Siri AI to be released to power some new features.

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Considering that Siri AI will release this Fall, likely in the back half of September, as a beta for consumers with a waitlist at first as part of the generally available iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27 Tahoe, watchOS 27, and tvOS 27, there is a good chance that Apple will debut these next-generation home products. It's also likely a necessary stepping stone before we get the reported Home Screen device with a robotic arm. Still, even more importantly, Siri AI needs a spot in the home rather than just on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac.

Both the next-gen HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K are reportedly on Apple's roadmap for 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman; alongside that AirPods Pro leak, several other products were mentioned, including a new Siri Remote for the Apple TV.

It's likely, though, that the iPhone Ultra will be the big reveal — and potentially the first one more thing in the Ternus era at Apple — alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max.

The only other question mark as we roll into September is the next Beats product: over-ear headphones likely to be named Beats 360, according to recent leaks. Considering product pages were up, and Beats has coyly seeded some units to superstar athletes, it feels like a reveal could be coming in the next few weeks. It's unlikely we'd see these at Apple's September event, as Beats rarely gets time during the keynotes, but anything is possible. These might be released around the same time these new products formally debut.

(Image credit: Apple)

The good news on all fronts is that we don't have much longer to wait — with Apple invites out for the 'Surprise and Shine' September 9, 2026 event and even some visual teasers out and about, we're just 14 days away from the next special event.

TechRadar will be on the ground, myself included, as well as our Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff, and our team of experts will be working around the clock to break it all down come September 9 and in the days after, but most importantly, come back that day to join in the festivities for our live blog featuring real-time reporting. And before then, vote in the poll below to let us know what you're most excited for Apple to reveal.

That rumored foldable iPhone didn’t come from nowhere. Experts from CNET, PCMag, Mashable, Popular Science, ZDNET and Lifehacker examine Apple’s most important tech reveals.

The event, rumored to launch the foldable iPhone, will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 9.

• Chinese data centers could use more electricity than the entirety of South Korea by 2030
• Data centers are being relocated in cheaper regions when latency isn't crucial
• Flexible grid consumption could also play a role for less important work

All the data centers in China are expected to consume a combined 774 TWh of electricity annually by the end of the decade, marking around a 4x increase over their current consumption, as the country continues to drive major AI investments, new reports have claimed.

Wood Mackenzie researchers anticipate China's data centers to represent around 6% of China's total electricity consumption by 2030, a figure that's expected to continue climbing to as much as 17% by 2060.

Data centers aside, a 6% share by 2030 puts the country's total estimated annual electricity consumption at a staggering 12,900 TWh by the end of the decade, highlighting immense pressure on grids to expand.

Data centers could account for 6% of China's consumption by 2030, 17% by 2060

Energy consumption is set to come from two key areas when it comes to artificial intelligence. Firstly, the predictable inference-related consumption that comes from running models for users and businesses. But secondly, unpredictable and high spikes will come from training as models become increasingly sophisticated.

The country is also seeing a split in where data centers are being located, in a bid to cope with surging power demand. Large facilities near cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen offer low-latency connections for immediate performance, but tasks that can accept slightly poorer latency such as training, backup and storage are being moved out of town.

Western and northern regions of China, for example, promise cheaper land, cooler climates and greater access to renewable energy.

"As AI drives sustained growth in computing demand, access to reliable, cost-competitive and lower-carbon electricity will play a growing role in determining where and how new data-centre capacity is developed," research analyst Wanting Zhao wrote.

Energy is a major data center constraint

Although analysts predict that data center-related energy consumption will continue to rise for decades, Wood Mackenzie expects data center emissions to peak around 2035, implying that renewable sources could be slightly delayed.

Analysts also project that data centers could become more flexible in terms of how they put pressure on the grid, in a similar way to how latency-tolerant workloads could be moving away from the city. For example, non-urgent workloads could be scheduled for periods when renewable production is cheaper or other grid demand is lower.

"This flexibility could allow data centres to move beyond their traditional role as passive base loads and become a more active component of China’s evolving power system," the company wrote.

As for the 774 TWh figure, that puts China's data centers markedly ahead of South Korea's total energy consumption across domestic and industrial measurements. The country as a whole generated around 596 TWh in 2025, per utility statistics.

That 774 TWh figure could also be set to change as we close in on the end of the decade – just a year ago, Wood Mackenzie had predicted that China's data centers would consume 479 TWh annually by 2030, making this year's projection around 60% higher.

The brand-new Mac mini is available to preorder at the official Apple Store, and as expected, the brand's education store has a great discount for students and teachers.

Right now, you can get a $100 / £100 discount on all variants, with options starting at just $799 (was $899) or £799 (was £899) for the baseline M6 chipset model. That's easily the best discount on the device currently - and likely to be the best deal we'll see for a while, too.

At $799, the Mac mini looks like a great value for students or anyone who wants a decent desktop computer for the dorm room. While some may prefer a MacBook, the Mini is a really affordable option for hooking up external monitors and peripherals.

With the new M6 or M5 Pro chipset, the Mac mini should handle all your studying, browsing, or even more demanding applications. While Apple has touted the new chipset's AI capabilities, it will still be amazing for design work, music production, or video work.

Apple Education discount on the new Mac mini

Apple Mac mini: get $100 off at Apple Education Store
The latest Mac mini has just arrived at the official Apple Education Store, and those eligible for a discount can already save $100 on a preorder. With your choice of either the new M6 or M5 Pro chipset, the Mac mini is perfect for powering through College-adjacent tasks like design work or studying. Despite its size, the combination of power and the excellent macOS makes it a fantastic choice for any student (or teacher). Preorders are now officially open for a September 22nd release date.

In the UK: get £100 off with Unidays discountView Deal

What's new with the new Apple Mac Mini?

(Image credit: Apple )

• The new M6 processor is Apple's first 2nm chip
• N1 chip supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6

The new Mac Mini isn't a complete re-invention of the formula - it's essentially just a refresh of the existing model. Outwardly, the design is unchanged, but you're getting a host of internal upgrades that make it more competitive for 2026.

The biggest addition is the option to spec the new M6 chipset, which actually debuts on this generation of Macs. Apple will almost certainly update its MacBooks with the chipset soon, but for now, the 2026 Mac Mini is the only model to feature it. With this latest Mac Mini, you can choose the M6 chipset or the M5 Pro from the current MacBook Pro.

Apple has made a few claims about the performance of its new chipset, namely up to 40% faster CPU performance and up to four times faster AI performance. We've yet to verify those claims, but we can assume that there will be a decent bump in performance based on the specs alone. For most people, we expect the M6 chipset should be more than enough for most tasks, although the M5 Pro remains an option for those who really need that power and Thunderbolt 5 ports.

Regardless of whether you go for the M6 or M5 Pro, all models get the latest N1 chip for connectivity, which specifically supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. You'll also get a 2.5GB Ethernet port as standard, with the option to upgrade to 10GB if needed.

Life360's new QR pet tag costs $7.99 once, while Pet GPS adds live tracking and escape alerts with a paid membership. Here's where each fits.

The post Life360’s $8 Pet Tag vs Pet GPS: What Each One Does appeared first on TechRepublic.