SK hynix was the initial exclusive supplier of HBM3 to NVIDIA, Samsung and Micron catching up

Anthony Garreffa | Artificial Intelligence | Mar 14, 2024 6:30 PM CDT

NVIDIA and AMD's best AI GPUs use HBM3 memory, but with the introduction of the H200 AI GPU, NVIDIA will be the first to market with an HBM3E-based AI GPU.

SK hynix was the initial exclusive supplier of HBM3 to NVIDIA, Samsung and Micron catching up

HBM3E will be found inside of NVIDIA's upcoming H200 and next-gen B100 AI GPUs, with TrendForce noting that the supply bottleneck through advanced CoWoS packaging technology and the long production cycle of HBM extend the timeline from wafer initiation to the final production past 6 months.

NVIDIA's current H100 AI GPU uses HBM3 memory primarily supplied by SK hynix, which has caused stock worldwide issues due to the crazy-high demand for AI GPUs. Samsung's entry into NVIDIA's supply chain with its new HBM3 memory in late 2023, were "initially minor, signifies its breakthrough in this segment," reports TrendForce.

Continue reading: SK hynix was the initial exclusive supplier of HBM3 to NVIDIA, Samsung and Micron catching up (full post)

Intel shipped 50 million CPUs in Q4 2023 alone, 6x as much as AMD

Anthony Garreffa | CPU, APU & Chipsets | Mar 14, 2024 5:40 PM CDT

Intel reportedly shipped an insane 50 million CPUs in Q4 2023 alone, leaving its competitor AMD in its proverbial dust.

Intel shipped 50 million CPUs in Q4 2023 alone, 6x as much as AMD

In a new report from Canalys dubbed "Q4 2023 Global PC (Notebook & Desktop) CPU market" we can see that Intel utterly dominates the competition. Intel shipped over 50 million desktop and laptop processors in the quarter, leaving AMD with just 8 million processors shipped and Apple with only 6 million in Q4 2023.

The desktop PC market is the strongest in APAC (Asia Pacific) and EMEA (Europe and the Middle East, Africa) while the PC notebook market is doing well in China and Latin America regions, while the US customers are jumping towards the tablet market, it seems.

Continue reading: Intel shipped 50 million CPUs in Q4 2023 alone, 6x as much as AMD (full post)

TCL's next-gen X11H Max home cinema TV is a monster 163-inch TV that costs $110,000+

Anthony Garreffa | Displays & Projectors | Mar 14, 2024 5:04 PM CDT

TCL has just unveiled its next-generation mini-LED TVs with the introduction of the new X11H and the monster X11H Max which is a gigantic 163-inch home cinema TV. Check them out:

TCL's next-gen X11H Max home cinema TV is a monster 163-inch TV that costs $110,000+

The new TCL X11H will launch with 14,112 dimming zones and a peak brightness of up to 6500 nits, making the TV the most advanced model in TCL's lineup so far, which is still under development and will launch in China first. TCL claims its new X11H TVs are based on a 4K VA LCD panel with a super-smooth 144Hz refresh rate in 98-inch and 85-inch, coming in very thin... just a little thicker than a standard tablet.

But it's the new 163-inch home cinema TV that has my attention... an absolute monster of a set. TCL's new X11H Max features a 163-inch micro-LED panel with XDR brightness of 10,000 nits, support for the 22-bit color gamut, and support for HDR format up to 12 bits.

Continue reading: TCL's next-gen X11H Max home cinema TV is a monster 163-inch TV that costs $110,000+ (full post)

Apple just bought a Canadian AI startup as it plans for iOS 18 and beyond

Oliver Haslam | Mobile Devices, Tablets & Phones | Mar 14, 2024 1:45 PM CDT

Apple continues to be widely rumored to have plans to make a big push into the world of AI with its upcoming software updates including the iOS 18 release for the iPhone, macOS 15 for the Mac, and others. Now, a new report suggests that Apple has taken a step further in its quest to do just that by buying a new company in the form of Canadian AI startup DarwinAI.

Apple just bought a Canadian AI startup as it plans for iOS 18 and beyond

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple actually bought the company earlier this year and that dozens of DarwinAI employees have already joined Apple's artificial intelligence division. Gurman doesn't cite his sources by name because the deal has not been officially announced.

DarwinAI has previously developed AI technology for visually inspecting components during the manufacturing process and already works with other companies in a variety of industries, Gurman says. However, a core technology offered by the company is its ability to make artificial intelligence smaller and faster. That's a good fit for Apple for obvious reasons with the company preferring to offer its AI functionality as an on-device function rather than relying on sending data to its servers in the cloud. Such an approach is not only faster for the user, but also offers improved privacy as well.

Continue reading: Apple just bought a Canadian AI startup as it plans for iOS 18 and beyond (full post)

Apple's M3 iMac has just landed in its Canadian refurbished store

Oliver Haslam | Computer Systems | Mar 14, 2024 1:30 PM CDT

Buying a new M3 iMac just got a bit cheaper if you happen to be in Canada, with Apple adding its popular all-in-one computer to its refurbished store in the country for the first time. The news means that buyers can choose between a brand-new model or one that has been refurbished, giving them an extra option and a way to save money as well.

Apple's M3 iMac has just landed in its Canadian refurbished store

Refurbished M3 iMacs are currently offered on the Canadian Apple Store website and are available in a whole host of colors and configurations with prices starting at $1.439 Canadian. That model would normally sell for $1,699 which means buyers save $260. The model in question is the M3 chip with 8 CPU cores and an 8-core GPU and Green, Blue, and Pink colors are currently available. 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD round out the main specifications.

Those looking to really save some cash might want to look at the upgraded M3 iMac with an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU as well as a 512GB SSD and 8GB of RAM. That model would normally sell for $2,199 but if you choose to go the refurbished route you'll pay just $1,869, saving $330 in the process. At the time of writing there is only one color available in that configuration, however.

Continue reading: Apple's M3 iMac has just landed in its Canadian refurbished store (full post)

The Apple Vision Pro is little more than an expensive devkit, one former Oculus chief claims

The Apple Vision Pro has been on sale for a few weeks now which means that it isn't quite the huge story that it was not that long ago. But it's still a big product for Apple and the mixed reality headset market as a whole and now one person who knows a thing or two about that market has weighed in on Apple's so-called spatial computer.

The Apple Vision Pro is little more than an expensive devkit, one former Oculus chief claims

Hugo Barra is the former VP of Android at Google but most recently he was the head of Meta's Oculus headset brand. Now, he's published a post on his blog that looks at Apple's headset and where it currently fits in a market that has so far been mostly Meta's for the taking.

Notably, Barra has once again ignited the complaint that the Apple Vision Pro is nothing more than a devkit, or a device that Apple needed to make and sell in order to give developers something to work with while they fill the visionOS App Store with apps. Barra backs that claim up, saying that the heavy weight and other factors are a reason that the headset is a "high-quality devkit" that is designed to capture the attention of everyone. It's certainly done that, with YouTube and other platforms full of influencers and reviewers and legitimate owners sharing clips of themselves using the headset in various different settings.

Continue reading: The Apple Vision Pro is little more than an expensive devkit, one former Oculus chief claims (full post)

Intel APO tech speeds up 12 more games including World of Warcraft, and benefits 12th-gen CPUs

Darren Allan | Gaming | Mar 14, 2024 1:00 PM CDT

Intel's APO (Application Performance Optimization) feature is now supported by a lot more games, boosting frame rates nicely for newer Intel CPUs.

Intel APO tech speeds up 12 more games including World of Warcraft, and benefits 12th-gen CPUs

By newer we mean Alder Lake (12-gen) and onwards, but there's a bit of a catch there which we'll come back to.

APO, which offers fps boosts in the order of 10%, or perhaps more - the mileage will vary depending on the game and exact Intel CPU - only originally arrived with support for two games (Metro Exodus and Rainbow 6 Siege).

Continue reading: Intel APO tech speeds up 12 more games including World of Warcraft, and benefits 12th-gen CPUs (full post)

A future iPhone could have displays on its sides if this patent is any indication

Oliver Haslam | Mobile Devices, Tablets & Phones | Mar 14, 2024 12:30 PM CDT

The current lineup of iPhones has some of the best displays we've ever seen on a smartphone, but Apple still refuses to offer a foldable iPhone in a market where other companies are leaning into such handsets with increasing regularity. That doesn't mean that Apple isn't working on something new or trying to innovate however, and a new display patent appears to drive that point home well.

A future iPhone could have displays on its sides if this patent is any indication

Spotted by AppleInsider, the patent appears to show a phone-like device that has displays on the outer edges - where you would normally find the volume buttons, power button, and on the iPhone 15 Pro, the Action button.

Putting displays on the side of phones isn't entirely new, however. Motorola and Samsung have both tried the idea of a display that wraps around the side of the display to offer a new way to interact with buttons and controls. But they've largely been moved away from because those buttons are easily accidentally pressed yet oddly difficult to interact with when you want to. However, Apple's implementation seems to be slightly different than what Samsung and Motorola have tried so far.

Continue reading: A future iPhone could have displays on its sides if this patent is any indication (full post)

Intel's Core i9-14900KS is here - and this 6.2GHz CPU isn't as expensive as some feared

Darren Allan | CPU, APU & Chipsets | Mar 14, 2024 11:53 AM CDT

Intel has released its Core i9-14900KS processor on the day the rumor mill expected, and the good news is that it's not as pricey as some had feared.

Intel's Core i9-14900KS is here - and this 6.2GHz CPU isn't as expensive as some feared

We recently heard some buzz about the limited edition spin on the Raptor Lake Refresh flagship perhaps costing $749 (a leak from Micro Center, in fact), but fortunately Intel hasn't made the Core i9-14900KS that costly.

In fact, Team Blue has stuck with the same asking price as the 13900KS, namely $699 in the US ($689 when buying in volume - although there might not be that much quantity of stock for the 14900KS, if some other rumors are correct).

Continue reading: Intel's Core i9-14900KS is here - and this 6.2GHz CPU isn't as expensive as some feared (full post)

Almost 60% of new Mac buyers are switchers, new study shows

Oliver Haslam | Computer Systems | Mar 14, 2024 8:45 AM CDT

Apple's Mac lineup has improved greatly in recent years, thanks in no small part to the arrival of Apple silicon and M-series chips, and the ditching of Intel's offering. We already know that the M-series MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops are among the best portables on the market in terms of power and battery life, while the desktop iMac and Mac Studio machines are also great buys. Then, of course, there's the Mac Pro. Now, new research has looked into who is buying Macs today and, importantly, what computer they had previously.

Almost 60% of new Mac buyers are switchers, new study shows

According to the research, just 43% of those buying a new Mac in the year ending in December 2023 said that their previous computer was a Mac. That figure means that almost 60% of those buying a Mac had previously used a PC of some description, suggesting that a ton of people are switching right now.

The figures, put together by CIRP, show that 35% of Mac buyers had a PC as their previous computer while 16% came from Chromebook. The remaining 6% was made up of people who were either buying their first computer or were categorized as "other," perhaps suggesting they had a tablet of some sort.

Continue reading: Almost 60% of new Mac buyers are switchers, new study shows (full post)