Showing 1 - 10 of 13
Microsoft's quantum conundrum
Life, James Hein, Published on 12/03/2025
» If you've been keeping up with quantum computer news, you will have seen the Microsoft Marketing announcement on topological q-bits and a potential quantum computer in a few years. I was planning to write about this in some detail, but it turns out the reality may not meet the marketing. Surprising, I know, but the announcement implying Microsoft has q-bit technology ready to go and scale is speculative. They don't have any physical models, just some tests and a theory that has already been challenged by the physics community. It will take a while to go through all the published data, but the Microsoft quantum computer could be decades, not years, in the future, if ever.
Taiwan uses AI to predict typhoon paths, as storm approaches
Reuters, Published on 13/09/2024
» TAIPEI - As tropical storm Bebinca barrels towards waters off northern Taiwan gathering strength into a possible typhoon, weather forecasters in Taipei are using a new and so far successful method to help track its path - artificial intelligence (AI).
China's ByteDance working with America's Broadcom on advanced AI chip
Reuters, Published on 24/06/2024
» BEIJING - China's ByteDance is working with US chip designer Broadcom on developing an advanced AI processor, two sources familiar with the matter said, a move that would help TikTok's owner secure sufficient supply of high-end chips amid US-Sino tensions.
IT pioneer Gordon Moore dies at 94
Reuters, Published on 25/03/2023
» SAN FRANCISCO: Intel Corp co-founder Gordon Moore, a pioneer in the semiconductor industry whose “Moore’s Law” predicted a steady rise in computing power for decades, died on Friday at the age of 94, the company announced.
Scams on the rise as inflation bites
Life, James Hein, Published on 06/07/2022
» We start this week with a webserver with extras in a single file that runs on any x86-64 operation system. Enter redbean 2.0. Created by Justine Tunney, it uses the "Actually Portable Executable" that you can read about here, justine.lol/ape.html. When you compile a program to its native binary, in this case x86-64 code, and don't call any external code, then the only difference between a Windows and a Linux would be the file format. If you can solve this, then it could run on any platform. To do that you need Cosmopoliton libc because any real program needs to make some calls, in this case the standard C ones. So, with Cosmo and the APE format, you can write a C program and compile it to a single file that will load and run on six very different operating systems and the same binary can also be booted directly from the PC BIOS. It's not perfect, but any programmer would be scratching their heads by now. Pause for techie amazement.
Flash chip output disrupted, warning over smartphone price hike
AFP, Published on 10/02/2022
» Operations at two Japanese factories producing flash memory chips have been disrupted by the contamination of industrial materials, chipmaker Kioxia said Thursday, as analysts warned of potential price hikes for the key smartphone components.
US and EU “CHIPS Acts”: Wrong Solution to Phantom China Tech Threat
Robert Lewis, Published on 30/12/2021
» US and EU authorities have called the current semiconductor supply chain crisis a major national and economic security risk, citing a “dangerous” over-dependence on Asian foundries to source state-of-the-art chips.
Alternatives sought as chip shortages disrupt production
Life, James Hein, Published on 31/03/2021
» - There is a silicon shortage, which is another way of saying that getting your next computer will either be difficult with long wait times or that prices may rise soon, so you'd better get in earlier rather than later. A couple of fires, a cold snap in Texas and Covid-19 restrictions are some of the causes of the shortages which shows that it doesn't take a lot to disrupt supply chains.
Intel to spend $20bn on new US chip plants
AFP, Published on 24/03/2021
» SAN FRANCISCO: US chip titan Intel said Tuesday it will invest $20 billion in building two new plants in Arizona as part of a plan to ramp up production in the United States and Europe.
Phones, consoles, gadgets to cost more as chip crisis bites
AFP, Published on 18/02/2021
» KUALA LUMPUR: Prices of popular gadgets such as PlayStations and iPhones could rise because of microchip shortages caused by a "perfect storm" of coronavirus-driven demand, supply chain disruptions and trade war stockpiling, experts warn.