News

Intel Unveils Next-Generation Thunderbolt Prototype

Intel has demonstrated an early iteration of its next-generation Thunderbolt technology, based on new USB4 v2 and DisplayPort 2.1 specs.

Published

4 years ago

October 20, 2022

Nour Nasir

Intel

Intel has just released details of an early prototype of the next generation of its Thunderbolt technology. The next implementation of the port will deliver 80 Gbps of throughput, along with 120 Gbps of bandwidth, when hooked up to a display. These figures represent a massive leap in performance over the (already fast) current generation, and will be welcomed by both content creators and gamers alike.

“Thunderbolt is now the mainstream port on mobile PCs and integrated into three generations of Intel mobile CPUs. We’re very excited to lead the industry forward with the next generation of Thunderbolt built on the USB4 v2 specification,” says Jason Ziller, Client Connectivity Division, Intel.

intel next generation of thunderbolt

In addition to supporting the latest USB4 standard, the next generation of Thunderbolt will feature a variety of improvements, including:

Twice the total bandwidth of Thunderbolt 4, with triple the bandwidth for video-intensive applications.
Support for DisplayPort 2.1.
Twice the PCI Express data throughput for faster transfers and external GPUs.
Ability to use existing passive cables up to 1m.
Compatibility with previous versions of Thunderbolt, USB, and DisplayPort.
Supported by Intel certification programs.

Also Read: Intel And Broadcom Show Off Super-Fast Wi-Fi 7 Technology

So when will gamers and content creators benefit from this new generation of Thunderbolt? Details are currently sparse, and Intel is well known for its stringent testing and certification programs, so it will be a fair while before we see major manufacturers adding updated ports to docks, laptops, and other hardware.

We’ll be sure to keep enthusiasts updated as the technology develops, but we doubt there will be further news until well into 2023.

News

Microsoft Plans $10 Billion-Plus Gulf Expansion Despite Iran Conflict

Security is shaping Microsoft’s approach, from resilience work with governments to what it will say about how the money splits by country.

Published

4 days ago

September 24, 2026

Nour Nasir

Microsoft

Microsoft is planning more than $10 billion of investment across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait through 2030, Vice Chair and President Brad Smith told Reuters, calling the spending schedule aggressive. The Iranian conflict that began on February 28 has not persuaded the company to scale back.

“We’re sustaining all the investments we planned to make before this conflict started, and we are in fact adding to them,” Smith said. The $10 billion-plus total does not, however, show how large those additions are.

The investment, which Smith described as part of Microsoft’s continued infrastructure expansion, is aimed at cloud and AI infrastructure and at the company’s growing regional operations. Microsoft also intends to put more than $400 million into subsea and terrestrial connectivity across the Middle East by 2030.

The spending fits the region’s own ambitions too. Gulf governments have been investing heavily in AI infrastructure as part of a push to diversify their economies beyond oil and gas and turn themselves into global technology hubs. Major cloud and AI providers have been drawn in part by the land and relatively low-cost energy on offer.

Microsoft is widening its partnerships with regional AI companies, though not on identical terms. In 2024, it invested $1.5 billion in Abu Dhabi-based G42 for a minority stake, and Smith currently sits on G42’s board. Saudi Arabia’s Humain and Qatar’s Qai are working with Microsoft on selected priority areas, but Smith said the company does not plan to make capital investments in either.

Also Read: Egypt’s Mobile Wallets Are Booming, But Cash Still Has Power

The conflict has added another strand to Microsoft’s work in the region. Since it began, Smith said, the company has supported regional partners with digital resilience assessments, and it is now working with Gulf countries through a digital resilience initiative focused on preparedness and the protection of critical data.

So far, the company has given no country-by-country breakdown of the investment, citing security among other factors. So while the headline figure is public, how Microsoft divides the spending among the four countries is not.