SemiVoice

July 30

• NVIDIA's new game-changing AI tech could shape the future of game visuals and rendering
  1. NVIDIA introduces Real-Time Neural Appearance Models to enhance game visuals and performance. 2. The technology aims to provide film-like quality in real-time with significant shading performance improvements. 3. The new AI model can render complex materials faster and more efficiently than traditional methods.
  AI TechnologyGame GraphicsRendering
• Apple did NOT use any NVIDIA AI GPUs to train its AI models, used Google TPU chips
  1. Apple uses Google TPUv4 and TPUv5p clusters for AI model training instead of NVIDIA GPUs. 2. Apple utilized 2048 TPUv5p chips for iPhone-related AI models and 8192 TPUv4 chips for server AI models. 3. Apple's research paper suggests the possibility of creating larger, more sophisticated AI models with Google TPUs.
  AI TrainingAppleGoogle TPU
• Researchers tease CRAM tech: over 1000x reduction in AI processing energy requirements
  1. Researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities have developed CRAM technology, which reduces AI processing energy consumption by at least 1000x. 2. CRAM uses a high-density, reconfigurable spintronic in-memory compute substrate to process data within memory cells, eliminating the need for data transfer. 3. This technology significantly improves energy efficiency in AI computing, addressing the high power demands of AI workloads.
  CRAM Technology
• AMD Fluid Motion Frames 2 is here, a 'major advancement' for frame generation technology
  1. AMD Fluid Motion Frames 2 introduces significant latency reduction and image quality improvement. 2. The technology is available on Radeon RX 6000 and 7000 Series graphics cards and Ryzen Processors with integrated Radeon Graphics. 3. AFMF 2 supports borderless fullscreen and works with Vulkan and OpenGL games.
  AMDgamingtechnology
• GDDR6X memory shortage to make this popular GeForce RTX 40 Series GPU hard to find
  1. GeForce RTX 4070 expected to be in short supply due to GDDR6X memory issues; 2. The shortage also affects RTX 4070 SUPER, RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, RTX 4080 SUPER, and GeForce RTX 4090; 3. GeForce RTX 4060 and RTX 4060 Ti unaffected as they use standard GDDR6 memory.
  GPUGeForce RTX 40 SeriesMemory Shortage
• AMD's new RDNA 3.5-based Radeon 890M, 880M integrated GPU inside Strix Point APUs tested
  1. AMD's new Ryzen AI 300 series 'Strix Point' APUs feature a new RDNA 3.5 GPU, the Radeon 890M and 880M. 2. The Radeon 890M and 880M offer up to 41% more performance than previous-gen RDNA 3 GPUs. 3. The new APUs include Zen 5 CPU cores, RDNA 3.5 GPU cores, and a new XDNA 2 NPU for AI workloads.
  AMDGPUPerformance

July 29

• ASUS launches AMD Ryzen AI 300 series 'Strix Point' APU laptops which start at $1399
  1. ASUS launches new AMD Ryzen AI 300 series 'Strix Point' APU-powered laptops starting at $1399. 2. The laptops include ProArt P16, ProArt PX13, and ZenBook S16 models. 3. Features include Zen 5 CPU cores, RDNA 3.5 GPU cores, and XDNA 2 NPU for AI workloads.
  AI TechnologyContent CreationGaming Laptops
• TSMC will use ASML's next-gen High-NA EUV machines for next-gen A14 process node in Q3 2027
  1. TSMC plans to use ASML's High-NA EUV lithography machines for its A14 process node in Q3 2027 and A14P in 2028; 2. TSMC is ASML's largest customer and a key driver for its future growth; 3. The first wave of orders for High-NA EUV machines is estimated to be around 70 units, worth $26.6 billion.
  ManufacturingSEMICONDUCTORtechnology
• NVIDIA's high-end RTX 40 series GPU production slashed by 50% preparing for RTX 50 series GPUs
  1. NVIDIA has reduced the production of high-end RTX 40 series GPUs by up to 50% in preparation for the launch of the RTX 50 series. 2. Supply shortages and price hikes are expected for the RTX 40 series, especially for models like the RTX 4070 and above. 3. AIB manufacturers like ASUS, GIGABYTE, MSI, and ASRock may benefit from the price increases due to the AI server boom.
  GPUNVIDIAtechnology
• OpenAI is in talks with a chip maker that is bigger than AMD and Intel combined
  1. OpenAI is in discussions with Broadcom to develop AI hardware to rival NVIDIA. 2. Broadcom, with a market cap of $705.8 billion, is significantly larger than Intel and AMD combined. 3. The collaboration aims to challenge NVIDIA's dominance in the AI hardware market.
  AI Hardware
• Elon Musk and X's Grok AI now scrapes every post from every user unless they opt out
  1. Elon Musk's Grok AI now accesses all user posts on X unless users opt out. 2. The AI is trained using massive amounts of data from social media platforms. 3. Users can opt out of data scraping by adjusting settings on a desktop computer.
  AIPrivacysocial media
• Activision ran a secret experiment with 50% of Call of Duty's players
  1. Activision conducted a secret test on 50% of North American Call of Duty players, removing skill-based matchmaking. 2. The test resulted in a 90% decrease in returning player rates outside the top 10% of players. 3. Activision believes that complete removal of skill-based matchmaking could lead to rapid erosion of the player population.
  ExperimentMatchmakinggaming
• Apple Intelligence features won't all release with the iPhone 16
  1. Apple's AI features under iOS 18 are delayed and will not be released with the iPhone 16. 2. The features will be available to software developers in the first betas for iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 next week. 3. The delay is due to additional time needed for bug fixes, and the features will be rolled out incrementally throughout the year.
  AppleArtificial Intelligencetechnology
• AMD Ryzen 9 9700X spotted, Zen 5 CPU delays could've been because of a typo
  1. AMD's Zen 5-based Ryzen 9000 series CPU launch delayed due to a potential typo. 2. A batch of Ryzen 7 9700X processors shipped with the label 'Ryzen 9 9700X'. 3. AMD is working with channel partners to replace the mislabeled units.
  AMDCPUtechnology
• MSI issues statement on Intel CPU issue will release BIOS update 'as soon as possible'
  1. MSI confirms working with Intel to address the instability issues with 13th and 14th Gen Intel Core desktop processors. 2. The company plans to release a BIOS update as soon as the new microcode is available in mid-August. 3. Intel has not halted sales of affected CPUs and will offer replacements for damaged ones.
  BIOS updateCPUMSI
• Samsung's wild new rollable display revolutionizes interacting with devices
  1. Samsung has filed a patent for a revolutionary foldable display. 2. The display can be expanded horizontally and resized based on usage. 3. The technology could change how we interact with devices.
  InnovationSamsungtechnology
• NASA rover discovers 'Trinity' of signs ancient life existed on Mars
  1. NASA's Mars rover discovered a rock with potential signs of ancient life. 2. The rock shows calcium sulfate veins, organic compounds, and 'leopard' spots, all indicative of microbial life. 3. This is the first time all three signs have been found together on Mars.
  AstrobiologyMarsSpace Exploration
• Meta's huge 16,384 NVIDIA H100 AI GPU cluster: HBM3 memory crashed half of Llama 3 training
  1. Meta's Llama 3 405B model training on 16,384 NVIDIA H100 GPUs experienced half of its failures due to HBM3 memory issues. 2. The 54-day training run encountered 419 unexpected component failures, averaging one every 3 hours. 3. Meta's team improved efficiency with proprietary diagnostic tools and managed 90% effective training time despite disruptions.
  AI TrainingGPU ClusterHBM3 Memory
• Lenovo's new YOGA Portal Ultra Compact PC: up to Core i7-14700, up to RTX 4070
  1. Lenovo launches new YOGA Portal Mini-PC with up to Intel Core i7-14700 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060. 2. The Chinese version features a less powerful CPU but a more powerful GPU compared to the global market version. 3. The system allows for upgrades including CPU, RAM, SSD, and potentially GPU.
  LenovoNVIDIAPC
• GIGABYTE releases BIOS update for Ryzen 9000 Series, its motherboards are now Zen 5 ready
  1. GIGABYTE releases BIOS updates for X670, B650, and A620 Motherboards to support AMD's new Ryzen 9000 Series CPUs. 2. AGESA 1.1.7.0 Patch A and AGESA 1.2.0.0a Patch A are critical for compatibility and optimized performance. 3. The updates enable full support for AMD's new memory overclocking features and the Curve Shaper tool.
  HardwareUpdatestechnology
• AMD Amuse is a new AI image generation tool that runs locally on Ryzen and Radeon PCs
  1. AMD introduces Amuse 2.0, an AI image generation tool running locally on Ryzen and Radeon PCs. 2. The tool features AMD XDNA Super Resolution integration for image upscaling. 3. Amuse uses Stable Diffusion models and offers a user-friendly interface developed with TensorStack.
  AMDRyzen
• AMD Ryzen AI 300 series 'Strix Point' APU laptops launch: Zen 5 CPU, RDNA 3.5 GPU, XDNA 2 NPU
  1. AMD launches Ryzen AI 300 series 'Strix Point' APU laptops with Zen 5 CPU, RDNA 3.5 GPU, and XDNA 2 NPU. 2. The new APUs offer flexible TDP settings ranging from 15W to 54W. 3. AMD's XDNA 2 NPU provides 50 TOPS, outperforming competitors in the AI PC market.
  AI ComputingLaptop TechnologyProcessor Innovation

July 28

• US DOE wants to make Discovery: world's fastest supercomputer, 3-5x faster than Frontier
  1. The US Department of Energy plans to build a supercomputer named Discovery, which will be 3-5 times faster than the current fastest, Frontier. 2. Proposals for the Discovery project are due by August 30, 2024, with delivery expected to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory by early 2028. 3. Discovery will be used for advanced scientific research including climate change prediction, drug discovery, cancer treatment, high-energy physics, and green energy development.
  ResearchSupercomputertechnology
• MSI unveils fleet of new high-end AMD Ryzen AI 300 'Strix Point' APU-powered laptops
  1. MSI unveiled a series of high-end AMD Ryzen AI 300 series 'Strix Point' APU-powered laptops. 2. Models include TITAN 18 Pro, Alpha 17, Stealth 16 AI+, Creator 16 AI+, and Summit 16 AI+ 2024. 3. Features include advanced APUs, high-performance GPUs, and large displays.
  AI TechnologyAMDLaptops
• GEEKOM Mega Mini G1: water-cooled Mini-PC with Core i9-13900H, RTX 4060 for $1000
  1. GEEKOM introduces the Mega Mini G1, a water-cooled Mini-PC with a futuristic design. 2. Features up to Intel Core i9-13900H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU. 3. Includes OCulink and Thunderbolt 4 support, priced around $1000.
  High PerformanceMini-PCWater-Cooled
• TSMC receives 'super rush orders' from China customers willing to pay 40% premium on chips
  1. TSMC has received numerous 'super rush orders' from Chinese customers willing to pay a 40% premium for faster chip delivery. 2. The urgency is driven by concerns over potential negative impacts from the upcoming US presidential election on China's access to advanced chips. 3. Major Chinese customers of TSMC include Bitmain, Alibaba T-Head, and ZTE.
  EconomicsPoliticstechnology

July 27

• From bad to worse: Intel's 13th-gen and 14th-gen CPUs reportedly have astonishing return rates
  1. Intel's 13th-gen and 14th-gen CPUs have significantly higher return rates due to instability issues. 2. A European retailer reports four times more returns for 13th-gen Raptor Lake processors compared to 12th-gen Alder Lake. 3. The return rate for these CPUs is around 5%, significantly higher than the normal 1%.
  CPUIntelProduct Returns

July 26

• SK hynix board approves Yongin Semiconductor Cluster: the 'world's largest mega fab complex'
  1. SK hynix board approves a 9.4 trillion won investment for the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster. 2. The cluster will house 4 state-of-the-art fabs and a cooperation complex with over 50 local companies. 3. The project aims to establish a global AI semiconductor production base by 2027.
  AI TechnologyInvestmentSemiconductor Industry
• SpaceX announces Falcon 9 will return to the skies after its critical failure flight
  1. SpaceX investigated a critical failure in a Falcon 9 rocket leading to a Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly (RUD).; 2. The failure was caused by a liquid oxygen leak due to a cracked sense line.; 3. SpaceX has implemented changes including removing the failed sense line and sensor, and has worked with the FAA to ensure safety.
  AerospaceRocket TechnologySpace Exploration
• NASA releases images of the coldest exoplanet ever photographed
  1. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope captured images of Epsilon Indi Ab, the coldest exoplanet observed to date. 2. The exoplanet is located 12 light-years away and is more massive than Jupiter. 3. The discovery provides insights into the properties of this Jupiter-like planet.
  ExoplanetsSpace Explorationastronomy