Week 13 Tech Roundup – Slate 7 Travel Router, Thunderbolt 5 LTO, Netgear WiFi 7, and More!

1. GL.iNet Launches Slate 7 – Wi-Fi 7 Travel Router with Touchscreen and Dual 2.5GbE

   GL.iNet’s Slate 7 is more than just a compact router—it’s a travel-ready networking tool built for modern users who require performance and security on the go. Supporting over 120 devices, the Slate 7 caters to teams, families, and digital nomads who frequently rely on fast, encrypted internet in unfamiliar environments. With its Qualcomm SoC and 1GB DDR4 RAM, it handles simultaneous device connections and VPN encryption with ease. The router runs on OpenWrt, making it highly customizable for advanced users who want granular control over traffic, DNS, firewalls, and more.

What sets the Slate 7 apart is its interactive 2.4-inch touchscreen, which lets users quickly toggle VPNs, monitor bandwidth, and get connection diagnostics without needing to log into a web portal. Its PD-compatible USB-C input supports various voltages for international use, and the included plug adapters ensure global compatibility. The router’s USB 3.0 port further enables file sharing, tethering, and external modem support, transforming it into a full-featured network hub in your travel bag.

2. MagStor Unveils First Thunderbolt 5 LTO Drive, Aimed at Media Professionals

   MagStor’s new Thunderbolt 5-enabled LTO drive ushers in the next era of backup and archival tech. Designed with creators and IT departments in mind, it capitalizes on Thunderbolt 5’s bandwidth capabilities to accelerate data transfers to and from high-capacity LTO-8 or LTO-9 tape cartridges. The drive is fully compatible with macOS and Windows systems, offering plug-and-play usability for professionals working with 4K/8K video workflows, scientific datasets, or enterprise backups.

One of the key advantages of LTO is its longevity and cost efficiency per terabyte, making it ideal for long-term cold storage. With the TB5 interface, the previously slow tape format gets a needed speed boost, significantly improving usability for active archival. MagStor hasn’t released full specs yet, but the company emphasizes certification from Intel and Apple is in progress, signaling confidence in widespread platform support before launch.

3. Cervoz T455 NVMe SSD Offers High Endurance for Industrial Workloads

   The Cervoz T455 NVMe SSD is engineered for scenarios where reliability and consistent write performance are non-negotiable. With support for high operating temperatures and features like LDPC error correction, Dynamic SLC caching, and thermal management, it is designed for deployment in automation, surveillance, and edge devices operating 24/7. The SSD’s compact single-sided design allows it to be installed in tight spaces often found in industrial control panels or embedded systems.

Cervoz emphasizes longevity with their over-provisioning technology, reserving additional NAND space to distribute write loads evenly and prevent cell degradation. This enables the T455 to deliver not just high speed, but sustained throughput over time—critical for environments like CNC machines, SCADA systems, and medical imaging where interruptions could compromise operations. The SSD also supports S.M.A.R.T. monitoring and TRIM, giving IT admins tools to proactively manage and maintain storage health.

4. QNAP QXG-10G2SF-NXE Adds Affordable Dual-Port 10GbE SFP+ Expansion

   For users looking to step into high-speed networking without breaking the bank, QNAP’s QXG-10G2SF-NXE delivers. This PCIe expansion card supports two 10GbE SFP+ ports and is compatible with multiple operating systems including QTS, Windows, and Ubuntu. It allows home labs and SMBs to experiment with 10GbE infrastructure and is ideal for video editors, content creators, or teams sharing large files via NAS.

Its support for SR-IOV and iSER makes it attractive for virtualization, enabling VMs to tap into high-speed networking with minimal CPU overhead. Users can also aggregate both ports using SMB Multichannel or Port Trunking to create a 20Gbps backbone for their NAS or workstation. QNAP has bundled the card with multiple brackets for low-profile and full-height setups, increasing installation flexibility.

5. Windows 11 Setup Quietly Adds Support for ReFS During Installation

   The ReFS file system has long been available on Windows Server, but its recent appearance during Windows 11 Insider installations suggests a shift in Microsoft’s direction. While it still can’t serve as a boot volume, ReFS is now available for formatting partitions during setup, potentially replacing NTFS for data drives in future mainstream builds.

ReFS introduces significant advantages, including built-in checksumming, larger volume limits (up to 35PB), and better protection against data corruption. These features make it appealing for prosumers and small business users who deal with sensitive or large datasets. Although NTFS remains dominant, ReFS’s emergence in client OS installation is an early signal of broader adoption down the line.

6. TEAMGROUP Unveils 1TB ULTRA MicroSDXC A2 V30 Memory Card

   TEAMGROUP has announced the launch of its latest 1TB ULTRA MicroSDXC card featuring A2 and V30 certifications. The card achieves up to 200MB/s read and 170MB/s write speeds, supporting smooth 4K video recording and rapid app launches on smartphones and tablets. With UHS-I interface compatibility, it delivers fast and reliable data handling for both consumer and professional use cases.

Durability is a key focus—TEAMGROUP has built this card to be waterproof, shockproof, X-ray proof, and heat-resistant. Beyond performance, the product reflects a sustainability ethos, utilizing eco-friendly ink and packaging materials. It’s especially suitable for drones, action cameras, and mobile gaming systems that demand fast sequential writes and rugged reliability in various environments.

7. Synology Patches Moderate Vulnerability in Mail Server App (SA-25:05)

   Synology has issued a moderate-severity security patch (CVE-2025-2848) for its Mail Server app on DSM 7.1 and 7.2. The flaw allowed authenticated users to read and write to non-sensitive settings and disable non-critical features. While not considered critical, such access could allow unwanted configuration changes in managed environments.

The issue was patched in version 1.7.6-20676 for DSM 7.2 and 1.7.6-10676 for DSM 7.1. No workaround was provided beyond applying the updates. Admins are encouraged to update immediately and audit their mail server configurations to ensure no changes occurred prior to the patch.

8. QNAP Launches QAI-M100 and QAI-U100 Edge AI Accelerators

   QNAP is pushing further into edge AI by introducing the QAI-M100 and QAI-U100 accelerators. The M100 is an M.2-based NPU module with a 3 TOPS rating, while the U100 connects via USB 3.2 Gen 1. Both are plug-and-play compatible with supported QNAP NAS systems and enhance AI workloads such as facial and object recognition through apps like QuMagie.

In QNAP’s internal testing, object recognition speed increased by 36% and face recognition by 22%. Each module includes 1GB RAM and passive cooling. These accessories offer an affordable way to boost AI computing on NAS platforms without investing in full discrete GPUs or edge AI servers.

9. Zettlab AI NAS Now Open for Pre-Kickstarter Reservations

   Zettlab is taking early $20 reservations for its upcoming AI NAS units before their official Kickstarter launch in Q2 2025. Models include the D4, D6, D6 Ultra, and D8 Ultra, which will receive discounts of $30–$100 for early backers. The NAS units aim to deliver integrated AI capabilities with a consumer-friendly form factor and accessible pricing.

Buyers will receive a refund of their deposit after the Kickstarter campaign ends, and final units are expected to ship by July 2025. These devices are aimed at prosumers, content creators, and AI hobbyists looking for AI-powered storage with features like media tagging, real-time image analysis, and edge inference support.

10. Netgear Launches Entry-Level WiFi 7 Router – Nighthawk RS100

    Netgear’s new Nighthawk RS100 is bringing WiFi 7 to the masses with a launch price of £129.99 (~$165 USD). Designed for mid-sized homes, it features speeds up to 3.6 Gbps, a 2.5GbE WAN port, and four 1GbE LAN ports. The router can handle up to 50 devices simultaneously, offering reliable connectivity for smart homes and gamers alike.

The RS100 also supports Netgear Armor for built-in Bitdefender-powered security. While it lacks the 6GHz band found on premium WiFi 7 routers, it still benefits from the new standard’s lower latency, improved spectrum efficiency, and advanced QoS—making it a strong entry-level choice for future-proofing home networks.

11. Welinq Debuts Commercial Quantum Memory for Quantum Data Centers

    Welinq has officially unveiled its commercial quantum memory system, the first designed for scalable deployment in quantum data centers. Unlike previous academic implementations, this memory operates at room temperature and fits into a standard 19-inch rack. It achieves over 90% storage/retrieval efficiency and storage times up to 200 microseconds.

This breakthrough enables more practical entanglement distribution and quantum processor interconnects, laying the foundation for a quantum internet. Welinq is already working with partners across Europe to deploy the technology. The company also announced its araQne quantum compiler earlier this year, showing its full-stack ambitions in quantum networking.

12. Ubiquiti Introduces Gen 6 Protect Cameras with AI-Powered Analytics

    Ubiquiti has rolled out three new Gen 6 cameras for its UniFi Protect ecosystem: the G6 Bullet, G6 Turret, and G6 Instant. All models feature 1/1.8″ 8MP 4K sensors, IP66-rated weatherproofing, and aluminum alloy construction. Powered by a Multi-TOPS AI engine, they support advanced analytics like face recognition, license plate capture, and motion detection.

The G6 Bullet and Turret offer PoE connectivity and long-range IR, while the G6 Instant supports Wi-Fi Auto-Link and two-way audio for easy deployment. Designed for indoor/outdoor use, they represent a major upgrade for UniFi Protect users seeking next-gen video quality and smart surveillance features.

13. QNAP Refreshes ES1686dc R2 and TDS-h2489FU R2 NAS Models

    QNAP has launched refreshed R2 versions of its high-end enterprise NAS models. The ES1686dc R2 series now includes options with dual Intel Xeon processors and up to 128GB RAM. The TDS-h2489FU R2 line is updated with AMD EPYC CPUs and supports configurations with up to 1TB DDR4 ECC memory, built for mission-critical virtualized and all-flash environments.

Both models support high-speed 25GbE networking, SSD caching, and NVMe acceleration. These refreshes aim to serve large enterprises needing top-tier storage reliability, scalability, and performance for virtualization, container workloads, and real-time analytics.

14. PCIe 7.0 Nears Final Draft, Promising Over 50GB/s SSD Speeds

    PCI-SIG has announced that PCIe 7.0 has reached version 0.9 of its spec, marking it nearly final. While PCIe 5.0 is just becoming mainstream and PCIe 6.0 still hasn’t gained traction, PCIe 7.0 promises up to 128GT/s per lane and theoretical SSD speeds beyond 50GB/s. It also enhances power efficiency and backward compatibility.

While consumers won’t see PCIe 7.0 SSDs anytime soon, data center and AI workloads will benefit significantly from its bandwidth and latency improvements. It’s another sign that the storage and component industry is preparing for exascale computing, high-throughput networking, and real-time AI inference.

15. Seagate Explores NVMe Hard Drives for AI Storage

    Seagate is working to bring NVMe interfaces to traditional hard drives to meet the storage demands of modern AI workflows. By removing the need for HBAs and relying on standard NVMe drivers, Seagate’s approach aims to simplify infrastructure and improve latency while lowering cost per TB.

Initial proof-of-concept demos combined NVMe HDDs, SSDs, and NVIDIA BlueField DPUs running AIStore. The result was more efficient caching, reduced energy use, and simplified storage tiering. These NVMe HDDs could form the backbone of energy-efficient exabyte-scale AI systems.

16. Kioxia Showcases 122.8TB Enterprise SSD at NVIDIA GTC

    Kioxia has displayed its LC9 Series 122.88TB SSD at NVIDIA GTC 2025, a milestone in ultra-dense enterprise storage. Built on BiCS FLASH Gen 8 QLC NAND, it offers PCIe 5.0 speeds up to 15GB/s. The drive is optimized for AI workloads with support for vector database acceleration via AiSAQ, Kioxia’s custom interface layer.

With endurance rated at 67PBW and a DWPD of 0.3, it is suited for high-volume read-centric applications. Its density enables entire enterprise datasets to reside on a single drive, reducing rack space and simplifying data lake architectures for AI, analytics, and archival use cases.

Where to Buy a Product
			VISIT RETAILER ➤
			VISIT RETAILER ➤
			VISIT RETAILER ➤
			VISIT RETAILER ➤
			VISIT RETAILER ➤

☕ WE LOVE COFFEE ☕

Or support us by using our affiliate links on Amazon UK and Amazon US