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AMD just turned 55 years old: from making CPUs for Intel, to Ryzen and EPYC beating Intel
Can you believe AMD has just turned 55 years old? AMD was founded on May 1, 1969, starting as a microprocessor company, turning into an everything giant now with Ryzen, EPYC, Radeon, AI GPUs, and so much more.
AMD started out with its own Athlon CPUs back in the day, moving onto acquire ATi and bringing the Radeon brand in-house. From there, the company has had ups and downs with its Radeon GPUs, but the Ryzen and EPYC CPUs have been powerhouse successes for the company over the last 10 years.
Turning 55, the future is bright for AMD with the rise of AI PCs this year and its NPU inside of its APUs and CPUs with Ryzen AI. AMD is inside of the Microsoft Xbox Series X/S and Sony PlayStation 5 consoles, and countless gaming handhelds, desktop PCs, laptops, and more.
NVIDIA ChatRTX updated: new models, voice recognition, media search, and more with AI
NVIDIA has just updated its ChatRTX AI chatbot with support for new LLMs, new media search abilities, and speech recognition technology. Check it out:
The latest version of ChatRTX supports more LLMs including Gemma, the latest open, local LLM trained by Google. Gemma was developed by the same research and technology that Google used to create Gemini models, and is built for responsible AI development.
ChatRTX now supports ChatGLM3, an open, bilingual (English and Chinese) LLM based on the general language model framework. The updated version of ChatRTX now lets users interact with image data through Contrastive Language-Image Pre-training from OpenAI. CLIP is a neural network that, as NVIDIA explains, through training and refinement will learn visual concepts from natural lanage supervsion -- a model that recognizes what the AI is "seeing" in image collections.
NVIDIA says RTX is the 'premium' AI PC platform, NPUs are for 'basic' AI PCs
NVIDIA isn't going to be left out with the coming AI PC revolution, with AMD and Intel already releasing NPU-powered processors for AI workloads, NVIDIA has just announced the "Premium AI PC" with RTX hardware, compared to the "Basic AI PC" with an NPU on the CPU.
NVIDIA compares that a Premium AI PC with an RTX GPU for AI workloads can provide gigantic performance uplifts for AI TOPS of between 100 and a whopping 1300+ TOPS (int8 + FP8 workloads) compared to just 10-45 TOPS on current, and next-gen CPUs with beefed-up NPUs.
Intel and AMD will combine the TOPS performance of the CPU + GPU + NPU, because if they used the NPU alone, the AI power is nowhere near as great. The more the NPU is used, the more resources that are taken away from other key parts of the chip: ya know, like the CPU and GPU.
Intel Core Ultra CPU flexes its NPU muscle: AI runs over 500 models optimized
Intel has just announced that it has surpassed 500 AI models running optimized on its Core Ultra "Meteor Lake" CPUs.
The company issued a press release today, saying that the industry's leading AI PC processor is available right now enabling new AI experiences, immersive graphics and optimal battery life. This significant milestone is a result of the investments by Intel in client AI, the AI PC transformation, framework optimizations and AI tools including OpenVINO toolkit.
Intel said that the 500 AI models that were trained can be deployed across the CPU, GPU, or NPU, with models drawing from categories of local AI inferencing, including large language, diffusion, super resolution, object detection, image classification/segmentation, computer vision, and more.
Intel Arrow Lake-S CPU details: Core Ultra 9 285K is the successor to the Core i9-14900K
Intel's next-generation Core Ultra 200 "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processors will launch later this year, with 6 different SKUs and a flagship 24-core CPU based on next-gen P-Core and E-Core architectures.
Now we've got some new information regarding upcoming SKUs in the Arrow Lake-S desktop CPU family, with the Core Ultra 9 285K, Core Ultra 7 265K, and Core Ultra 5 245K. The new Core Ultra 9 285K will be the successor to the Core i9-14900K, the Core Ultra 7 265K is the successor to the Core i7-14700K, and finally, the Core Ultra 5 245K is the successor to the Core i5-14600K.
We'll also see non-K variants of these processors, with the Core Ultra 9 275, Core Ultra 7 255, and Core Ultra 5 240 processors. The leaks are coming from "OneRaichi" on X, who said that "the rules of names look like a little change".
AMD's next-gen Strix Halo LP teased: 6-8 cores, 20 CUs, perfect for next-gen gaming handhelds
AMD is preparing a huge wave of next-gen Zen 5 processors in the coming months, with its Strix Halo APUs shaping up to be beasts.
In a new video from Moore's Law is Dead, we're hearing whispers of AMD's new Strix Halo-LP APU, which would be a low-power version of Strix Halo with 6 to 8 cores, and 20 CUs of GPU power that would provide RTX 3050 performance-per-watt-style power.
MLID says that AMD's new Zen 5-powered Strix Halo APUs will come in four different SKUs: Best, Better, Good, and the new LP model we're talking about today. The Strix Halo "Best" APU will feature 8, 12, or 16 cores based on the new Zen 5 architecture, with 40 CUs of RDNA 3.5-based GPU power that provides RTX 4070-class performance. We'll see a 256-bit memory bus on the Strix Halo "Best" APU with around 270GB/sec of memory bandwidth.
Apple TV Plus confirms June 29 premiere date for animated adventure show WondLa
Apple TV Plus, the Apple-owned streaming service best known for shows like Severance and Ted Lasso, has announced the first season premiere date for something entirely different - an epic animated adventure called WondLa. The season is the first of a trilogy and is based on the New York Times bestselling book series "The Search for WondLa" by Tony DiTerlizzi.
Apple TV Plus confirmed that the seven-episode first season of WondLa will premiere globally on the streaming service on Friday, June 28, although there is no confirmation on when the rest of the trilogy will land on our screens.
The press page for the WondLa show on Apple's website says that the adventure centers around Eva, a character voiced by Jeanine Mason, a character who's described as being curious, enthusiastic, and a spirited teenager. She's being raised in a state-of-the-art underground bunker by Muthr, a robot caretaker, voiced by Emmy Award nominee Teri Hatcher. But on her 16th birthday, an attack on the bunker forced her onto the Earth's surface which just so happens to now be inhabited by aliens and otherworldly fauna.
Apple TV Plus thriller Presumed Innocent with Jake Gyllenhaal gets its first trailer
If you're an Apple TV Plus subscriber you're no stranger to having some top-notch TV show content to watch, and it would appear that there's something new for you to start to get excited about. Presumed Innocent is an eight-part limited series starring and executive produced by Jake Gyllenhaal and Apple TV Plus just made the first teaser trailer available online. And it looks very good indeed.
The show also includes a star-studded ensemble cast including Ruth Negga, Bill Camp, O-T Fagbenle, Chase Infiniti, Elizabeth Marvel, Nana Mensah, Renate Reinsve, Peter Sarsgaard and Kingston Rumi Southwick
The new show will premiere on Apple TV Plus with the first two episodes on Wednesday, June 12 before a new episode arrives every Wednesday until the season's completion on July 24. The show, like many of Apple TV Plus' best, is based on a New York Times bestselling novel of the same name by Scott Turow.
Apple is offering the MLS Season Pass subscription with a massive 25% discount
If you're a soccer fan who hasn't yet signed up for the MLS Season Pass offering on Apple TV, now is the time to do just that. Apple is offering a full 25% discount off the usual asking price for a year's subscription, giving you the chance to take all of the soccer in at a discounted price. However, as great as that is, there's a catch.
That catch? You're getting a 25% discount because this isn't a full season - the subscription will give you access to the rest of the season's content but you've obviously already missed a chunk after the MLS season began in February. Still, if you want to jump in now it's great that you aren't paying for content that you've already missed.
This offer means that you can take out an MLS Season Pass subscription for just $69 for the remainder of the season, down from the usual $99 asking price that was being offered previously. Those who are already Apple TV Plus subscribers can also benefit from an additional discount, making the MLS Season Pass offering just $59 for the remainder of the season. The MLS Season comes to a close on October 19 and the pass also includes the end-of-season playoffs that are expected to kick off around that time too.
Is the iPhone 15 getting a (PRODUCT)RED version? This social media post suggests so
When Apple announced the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus back in September of last year, there were tons of different colors for people to choose from. However, the lack of a (PRODUCT)RED version was a surprise, especially given the fact the (PRODUCT)RED version of previous iPhones had proven so popular among customers. There was a suggestion at the time that perhaps Apple was holding the (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 15 back for a mid-season refresh, and that's something that's popped up once again.
That's after (RED)'s X social network account posted a photo of a (PRODUCT)RED iPhone atop some donuts. The caption simply suggested that people should have an Apple before their donuts, but it's as-yet unclear what the iPhone in question actually is. It's possible that it's just an old iPhone 14 of course, but that would be a surprise given the fact that the device is no longer the latest and greatest that Apple has to offer.
With that in mind, this could actually be an iPhone 15 although there's one possible complication here. The iPhone 15 has a color-infused back glass which is matte and has a very distinctive look. This iPhone, shown in the X post embedded above, doesn't appear to have that feature which does make us think this isn't an iPhone 15 after all.
iOS 18 tipped to bring big changes to the iPhone's task and time management apps
There has been a lot of talk about the upcoming iOS 18 software update for the iPhone of late, much of it revolving around an expectation that Apple is going to bring some new AI capabilities to bear. While we haven't yet had confirmation as to what those new features will be, there's a lot of excitement about what they could offer iPhone users around the globe. However, not all of the new iOS 18 upgrades will be related to AI, and some of them will be good old-fashioned feature improvements. And a new report suggests that there will be improvements to the way people manage tasks and their time on their devices.
According to a new AppleInsider report, Apple plans to make changes to the Calendar app in iOS 18 and macOS 15 software updates to allow people to add reminders via that app for the first time. Currently, reminders must be added via the dedicated Reminders app, but that now looks set to change.
Citing unnamed sources who are reportedly familiar with the iOS 18 and macOS 15 software updates in their current pre-beta state, AppleInsider says that people will be able to right-click on a date in the Calendar app and then choose to create a new Reminder for that day. Creating a new reminder via this method will offer people the chance to choose a title, add a note, or assign a tag as a way of making it easier to find again at a later date.
Microsoft seems to be losing the battle to persuade Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11
It's a new month, and we have another set of Windows adoption stats to look at - figures that Microsoft won't enjoy perusing.
The latest from analyst outfit Statcounter is that Windows 11 is again going backwards with its market share among Windows versions - and Windows 10 is ticking up.
In April 2024, Statcounter observes (via Neowin) that Windows 11 dropped the best part of a percentage point to end up on 25.65%, while Windows 10 put on a percent (almost) to go over 70%.
Don't expect any big Apple Watch Ultra upgrades in 2024, analyst says
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has been on sale since September of last year and that came a year after the original Apple Watch Ulta went on sale. With that in mind, it doesn't take too much figuring out to assume that Apple will also update the Apple Watch Ultra 2 to something new this coming September, although it remains to be seen whether it winds up being called the Apple Watch Ultra 3. Whatever title Apple gives it, we've been told not to expect too much from the refreshed wearable.
That's because supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that Apple isn't going to bring any big new hardware upgrades to the Apple Watch Ultra 3, meaning anyone who already has the Apple Watch Ultra 2 might not want to upgrade this year. However, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 wasn't a huge upgrade over the Apple Watch Ultra either, so it's unclear what kind of differentiation Apple will offer this time out.
This bombshell comes via a MacRumors report which cites Kuo having received a direct message from the analyst. Kuo says that while the Apple Watch Ultra will indeed be updated to receive a new model this fall, he believes that almost no hardware upgrades will be offered compared to the Apple Watch Ultra 2 model. However, he did not reveal any specific plans for the Apple Watch Ultra 3, so it's unclear which changes he expects to be part of the new model's unveiling.
Continue reading: Don't expect any big Apple Watch Ultra upgrades in 2024, analyst says (full post)
The Japanese could be buying their new Apple Vision Pro very soon indeed
The Apple Vision Pro spatial computer has now been on sale in the United States for three months after it originally debuted in Apple Stores on February 2. Since then interest in the headset has definitely died down from the fever-pitch we experienced then, but it's still being hampered by two things. The first is the high $3,499 asking price. The second is the fact that the headset can still only be bought in the United States. The former doesn't seem likely to change any time soon. The latter? Well, that might be a different story entirely.
Apple has been saying for some time now that it intends to launch the Apple Vision Pro globally before the end of 2024, but it hasn't said when that would happen specifically. It also hasn't yet said which countries will be the first to receive the Apple Vision Pro outside of its home country, leaving everyone in something of a state of limbo. That might be changing soon, however, with the news that Japan has popped up as a potential, and imminent, destination for the hottest mixed reality headset on the market.
Apple hasn't confirmed the news itself, obviously, but the Japanese website Macotakara notes that Apple Vision Pro accessories are now mentioned on the website of a local reseller called Line Shopping. That reseller says that it's running a promotion that includes accessories for a number of devices, including the Apple Vision Pro. The sale isn't available for international customers, but it's running right now and will come to an end on May 6.
Copilot for OneDrive gets delayed - AI won't arrive for another four months potentially
Copilot was supposed to have debuted in the OneDrive cloud storage service by now, but it has apparently been delayed - not that Microsoft has admitted this.
Neowin had the sharp eyes with this one, having noticed that in a new blog post, Microsoft updated its launch timeframe to the "summer" of 2024 for the AI landing in OneDrive. That means Copilot could still be the best part of four months away (if it arrives in late August, that is, which is technically possible).
The odd thing here is that Microsoft first announced Copilot for OneDrive back in February 2024, stating it'd arrive in April. Of course, April is now in the rearview mirror (how this year is flying by), and the AI hasn't turned up.
Hate Chrome or Edge? Streamlined Chromium-based Mac browser, Arc, is now out for Windows 11
Arc, a Chromium-based browser previously on the Mac (and iOS), is now available to download for Windows 11.
So, those Windows 11 users who've been searching for a streamlined web browser - one of the bits of ad blurb for Arc is that it's a "clean and calm" app - can now give this Chromium client a whirl, rather than Chrome or Edge. (There are other alternatives, of course - but those are the big two for Chromium).
As Neowin, which spotted this, points out, the Arc browser was in beta previously (since December 2023), but this represents its first public launch for Microsoft's OS.
ChatGPT AI now has a memory - for subscribers at least - but the more paranoid can turn it off
OpenAI introduced the 'memory' feature for its ChatGPT AI back in February 2024, but now that functionality is available to all users - well, paying subscribers, anyway.
To recap, what this feature does is to give ChatGPT the ability to remember elements of your previous chats with the AI.
It can then refer back to those memories to make things easier or more convenient in future queries, while making chats with the AI seem a more human-like experience.
Early benchmarks show Intel's next-gen Battlemage GPU could deliver 2X performance increase
Intel Battlemage is the codename for the second-generation Intel Arc graphics, which is on track for release later this year. Since first launching Arc, Intel has spent the majority of its time updating drivers, improving legacy game performance, optimizing software, and even improving its AI-based XeSS upscaling. Thus, the company is in a great position to release a real mid-range competitor.
It has also added the first generation of Arc graphics to its mobile Meteor Lake processors, boosting the company's integrated graphics capabilities. In this realm of new tile-based chips, we're getting one of our first tastes of what Battlemage could bring to the table. And it's good news for handheld makers.
Intel's upcoming Lunar Lake CPU architecture for mobile will include Battlemage graphics or Xe2-LPG. And so far, the second generation of Arc sees the 17W Battlemage GPU outperforming the 35W integrated Radeon 780M found in the Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip in handhelds like the ROG Ally from ASUS.
Razer to pay out $1 million in refunds because its RGB face mask wasn't actually N95 rated
In 2021, when the global pandemic was raging and social distancing was in full effect, gaming peripheral and hardware company Razer decided to release its own RGB-lit facemask called the Razer Zephyr. The mask would feature an interchangeable filter system, a see-through front piece, UV light sterilization, RGB lighting, Razer style, and N95-grade filters - except the last bit wasn't real.
The one thing many expected the mask would do is to filter out at least 95% of airborne particles (between .1 and .3 micrometers in size), but it couldn't. Or, at least Razer never submitted the Zephyr mask to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to receive N95 certification.
Priced at $100 USD, reviewers called out Razer for the Zephyr not meeting the N95 standards for what was an expensive face mask. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) stepped in around the time Razer removed mentions of N95 from the product page. But it was too little too late.
Microsoft will now let you download and install apps directly from the Microsoft Store website
Microsoft has made installing apps from the Microsoft Store easier by implementing a new feature - the ability to download and run executables/installers directly from apps.microsoft.com. Microsoft's Rudy Huyn took to X to outline the update and its reasoning in great detail.
The website for Microsoft apps has been around for a while. To install an app using the site, you click on a link, confirm that you'll need to switch to the dedicated store app, and then select and go through the install process on the app. Rudy Huyn said, "Feedback indicated that the install flow involved too many clicks."
The reason installation directly from the site wasn't available was security, which is beneficial to users and partners releasing apps through the Microsoft Store. That said, switching to a two-click system for a select group of developers "led to a 12% increase in installations and a 54% increase in the number of applications launched after installation."






















