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TSMC's top 3 customers in 2023: Apple with 25%, NVIDIA with 11%, and AMD with 7%
TSMC's list of its biggest customers has been teased. The top seven customers are Apple, NVIDIA, AMD, Qualcomm, MediaTek, Broadcom, and Intel, in that order.
In a new media report from Ctee citing unnamed investors, TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) has 7 main customers with their chips being fabbed in Taiwan: Apple with 25% of revenue for TSMC in 2023, NVIDIA is second with 11% and AMD third with 7% revenue generation for TSMC.
These companies -- Apple, NVIDIA, AMD, Qualcomm, MediaTek, Broadcom, and Intel -- all use TSMC's newer advanced processes. The report says that 5nm market share sits at around 70-80% while 3nm market share over 90%, which is thanks to the insatiable demand of high-performance computing (HPC) which includes AI chips like NVIDIA's A100 and H100 AI GPUs, AMD's new Instinct MI250 and MI300 series AI GPUs.
Microsoft announces $2.9 billion investment in AI and cloud infrastructure for Japan
Microsoft has just announced it will invest $2.9 billion over the next two years in Japan, increasing its hyperscale cloud computing and AI infrastructure in the country.
The company will also boost its digital skilling program, aiming at providing AI skilling to over 3 million people in the next three years, to open its first Microsoft Research Asia lab in Japan, and increase its cybersecurity collaboration with the Japanese government.
Microsoft's various investments will support Japan's "key pillar to tackle deflation and simulate the economy by expanding the infrastructure, skilled talent, and security required to accelerate Japan's digital transformation and adoption of AI". This new $2.9 billion investment will be Microsoft's single largest investment in its 46-year history in Japan, which is also the site of Microsoft's first international office.
Hands-on with Samsung's glorious 2024 Neo QLED 8K TV powered by AI
Samsung invited a bunch of press to check out its new 2024 line-up of TVs and one of the biggest focusses for the company was the new Neo QLED 8K, which we were lucky enough to go hands-on with.
The Neo QLED 8K is Samsung's latest flagship TV, with much of the focus being on the new AI-powered features thanks to the company's NQ8 AI Gen3 processor, which Samsung says marks a "significant leap in AI TV technology". Notably, this new processor delivers twice as much performance than its predecessor, which can be found in the 4K line - the Neo QLED 4K. So, what's inside the Neo QLED 8K? The gorgeous TV packs many AI-powered features such as upscaling capabilities that Samsung says will take any source video and bump it up to as close to 8K as possible.
During the event we asked what source video was playing during the demo, and Samsung said it was 4K footage. Looking up close at the Neo QLED 8K it was clear to see a significant bump in quality when compared to a 4K TV. However, we didn't get to see any 1080p, or 720p video content upscaled to 8K, which is the large majority of what people consume. As for other AI features, Samsung has implemented AI sound technology called Active Voice Amplifier Pro, a feature that's designed to extract dialogue in content from background noise and make it easier to hear.
Continue reading: Hands-on with Samsung's glorious 2024 Neo QLED 8K TV powered by AI (full post)
Check out these self-heating, fingertip-less compression gaming gloves for pro gamers
GamerTech announced its new Magma Glove gaming gloves at PAX East 2024 last month, featuring active heating that optimizes hand performance in cold environments while gaming. Alright, now I've seen it all. Check out the new Magma Glove below:
The new Magma Glove features active thin film heating that GamerTech designed for cold gaming sessions, with the new esports gloves utilizing a reflective layer that keeps heat inside the glove, with thin layers of graphene carbon heaters in particular parts of the hand and wrist, keeping your hands at optimal temperatures. The gloves feature a timed heating cycle, which wearers can tweak with three different heat settings.
It might not seem like much, but with esports gaining more and more respect throughout the world -- especially with the International Olympics Committee agreeing that esports is a legitimate sporting activity -- competitive gamers are winning huge prize pools at tournaments and online. Just like regular sports, the temperatures of gamers have a negative effect on reaction times, with hand agility decreasing across all activities in cold temperatures... even a tiny fraction of a delay can result in a loss.
Ubisoft chooses Intel as CPU partner for Star Wars Outlaws, includes optimizations for 14th Gen
Ubisoft has just announced it has partnered with Intel as its exclusive CPU launch partner for Star Wars Outlaws, which will see optimizations for 14th Gen Core CPUs and game bundles for select 14th Gen Core CPUs and laptops. Check it out:
The partnership between Ubisoft and Intel will see performance optimizations for Intel's current-gen 14th Gen Core "Raptor Lake Refresh" CPUs that will ensure Raptor Lake-S and Raptor Lake-HX processors will have the very best experience possible when playing Star Wars Outlaws.
Star Wars Outlaws will feature optimizations that will improve CPU scheduling on Intel's 14th Gen Core CPUs and their hybrid CPU architectures, optimizing workload scheduling that will unleash the full performance headroom on these processors. Intel has two different core architectures at play with P-Core and E-Cores, with the P-Cores optimized for performance and the E-Cores optimized for efficiency.
Samsung and SK hynix are slowing down investments in South Korea after huge pledges to the USA
Samsung and SK hynix are reportedly reconsidering the construction of domestic semiconductor plants in South Korea after promising tens of billions of dollars into their operations in the United States.
The US government has been shoveling billions of dollars to semiconductor companies, including TSMC, Samsung, SK hynix, Intel, NVIDIA, and others through its CHIPS Act. Now, South Korean companies are slowing down with domestic semiconductor operations.
Korea JoongAng Daily reports that Samsung is "reorganizing its investment plan from last year" and that "speed control should be inevitable".
Upgrade your PC with Microsoft Office 2021 and Windows 11 from $10 at GoDeal24's April Sale
If you notice your computer lagging or running a little slower than usual, take note! While you may initially think that a new computer will do the trick, there may be cheaper and easier fixes. Upgrading your operating system and software can breathe new life into an otherwise powerful laptop or computer without breaking the bank. You can get lifetime access to Microsoft's top productivity suites and OS at discounted prices in the GoDeal24 April Sale. Microsoft Office Professional 2021 is available as a one-time purchase at the low price of $25.25 (originally $299). MS Office 2021 offers a multitude of features for greater functionality. Users can create, edit, and organize spreadsheets, documents, presentations, databases, email, and more.
You can also get an older and cheaper version of the Office suite, Microsoft Office Professional 2019, for just $19.99 (originally $199). Once you complete your purchase, your license keys and download links will be emailed to you immediately. Therefore, you will be able to install these programs and start using them immediately. Whether you're a busy professional or a student, this is a proven way to be more productive!
If you'd like Microsoft's most advanced OS with even more features, you should get Windows 11 Professional. Normally, it is $199, but you can get it for only $13.25 during the GoDeal24 April Sale! Tailored to boost productivity, Windows 11 Pro delivers an unparalleled computing experience enriched with the latest tools and applications. Incorporating new AI-driven features, such as the Windows Copilot, which aids in managing various tasks. For the gamer, DirectStorage technology accelerates game load times by harnessing the power of cutting-edge storage technologies, while Auto HDR automatically enhances graphics for compatible games, delivering vivid and lifelike visuals that elevate the gaming experience.
Intel announces Gaudi 3 AI accelerator: 128GB HBM2e at up to 3.7TB/sec, up to 900W power
Intel has just unveiled its next-gen Gaudi 3 AI accelerator, which features two 5nm dies made by TSMC, featuring 64 Tensor Cores (5th Generation), 128GB of HBM2e memory, and up to 900W of power on air or water-cooling.
Intel has 32 Tensor Cores on each chip, for a total of 64 Tensor Cores. Each chip features 48MB of SRAM, for a total of 96MB of SRAM per full package. The SRAM on the Intel Gaudi 3 AI accelerator features 12.8TB/sec of bandwidth, supported by the HBM memory on the Gaudi 3. The 128GB of HBM2e memory features up to 3.7TB/sec of memory bandwidth.
The previous-gen Intel Gaudi 2 AI accelerator featured 96GB of HBM, so the new Gaudi 3 has a bigger 128GB HBM2e capacity with up to 3.7TB/sec of memory bandwidth compared to just 2.45TB/sec of memory bandwidth on Gaudi 2.
Intel says its next-gen Lunar Lake CPU will have 100+ TOPs of AI performance
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger showed off the company's next-gen Lunar Lake CPU, ready for a new wave of laptops later this year, promising 100+ TOPS of AI workload performance, with 45 TOPS coming from the upgraded NPU alone.
The current-gen Intel Core Ultra 100 series "Meteor Lake" CPUs have an NPU with 34 TOPS of AI performance, 5 TOPS from the CPU, 18 TOPS from the GPU, and 11 TOPS from the NPU. Lunar Lake is a big upgrade: 100 TOPS of AI performance in total, with around 5 TOPS from the CPU, around 50 TOPS from the upgraded GPU, and a huge upgrade from the NPU alone with 45 TOPS of AI performance. Impressive stuff.
Lunar Lake will be powered by Lion Cove and Skymont CPU architectures and aimed at the low-power laptop market. It features the same Lion Cove and Skymont CPU architectures as Arrow Lake (Intel's next-gen desktop Core Ultra 200 series CPUs) but a less powerful GPU.
The Apple Vision Pro has a new software update out and you can download it now
The Apple Vision Pro has only been on sale since February this year, which means that it's now only a couple of months old. But that hasn't stopped Apple from forging ahead with new software updates and the company has today released another update to the public in the form of visionOS 1.1.2.
This visionOS 1.1.2 update arrives just a month after Apple released the visionOS 1.1 software to the public, although this release isn't one that appears to bring with it any big new features. Instead, Apple's release notes simply say that the update brings with it bug fixes and that it is recommended for all Apple Vision Pro owners.
This update comes as Apple continues to test the visionOS 1.2 software with developers. They can install the update if they are signed into their Apple ID although the headset will need to be restarted and taken off in order for the update to be completed. The headset will also display the current progress on the external EyeSight display so users will know when it's finished.
Apple's iPhone 16 battery stats might have just leaked with a big surprise
If Apple follows the usual release schedule we can expect the company to announce the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro this coming September, and that means that won't have to wait all that much longer before Apple shares all of the details we're waiting for. But before that happens there will no doubt be plenty of leaks, with the latest being a post on the Weibo social network which claims to have information on the iPhone's battery statistics - including a bit of a shock.
The new statistics were shared by leaker OvO Baby Sauce OvO who has started to share details of this ilk of late. They don't yet have a track record for us to use as a basis for how reliable they are, but right now we can take the information on face value until told otherwise. And if the report is accurate, we can apparently expect all of the new iPhones' batteries to grow slightly in terms of battery capacity except one. According to the report, the iPhone 16 Plus will actually see its battery shrink.
According to the leak, the iPhone 16 will have a battery with a 3,561mAh capacity while the iPhone 16 Plus will have a capacity of 4,000mAh. The iPhone 16 Pro will have a capacity of 2,255mAh while the larger iPhone 16 Pro Max will have a capacity of 4,676mAh.
The next Apple Watch could be getting an upgraded OLED display
If you're planning to pick up a new Apple Watch this year it might be worth your while waiting for the new model this September after a new report claimed that Apple intends to bring a new OLED display upgrade to bear.
The report, courtesy of The Elec, claims that Apple will use a new low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) thin-film transistor (TFT) technology for the upcoming Apple Watch. The wearable has previously been tipped to be called the Apple Watch X, with Apple celebrating the wearable's 10th birthday as it did with the iPhone and the iPhone X.
According to the report, the new display technology uses a method of applying oxide on the driving TFT and switching transistors behind each pixel. Those switching transistors control the voltage that is applied to each cell, giving Apple more control over the amount of light that passes through each of the Apple Watch display's pixels. Current Apple Watches only use LPTO TFT on a few switching transistors.
Continue reading: The next Apple Watch could be getting an upgraded OLED display (full post)
PC sales have turned around with shipments up in Q1 2024, now almost at pre-pandemic levels
After being in a prolonged slump for some time now, it appears that the PC market is in recovery, with a small - but nonetheless notable - amount of growth recorded in the latest figures from a big analyst firm.
IDC's latest report on global PC sales shows that in Q1 2024 there were 59.8 million devices shipped, which represents growth of 1.5% year-on-year.
Indeed, this is almost a return to pre-pandemic sales, as if we look back five years to Q1 2019, there were 60.5 million sales - so in 2024 we are nearly back at that level of shipments.
Don't expect a flashy event to announce new iPad Pro and iPad Air tablets, report warns
The rumors suggesting that Apple intends to announce a new OLED iPad Pro and refreshed iPad Air lineup soon have been circling for months now, and it looks increasingly likely that next month will be the big launch timeframe. But anyone expecting Apple to invite members of the press to Cupertino for a swanky unveiling could well be left disappointed, according to a new report.
The new tablets will not get a special event, DigiTimes warns, something that means that Apple will very likely choose to announce the new tablets via a series of press releases instead. It is an approach that Apple has taken in previous instances when there have not been big new features or notable redesigns of products, and that seems to be the case this time out. Apple announced the M3 MacBook Air via a press release earlier this year, for example.
The report hints that Apple has chosen to go the press release route this time out after the tablets had been delayed repeatedly in recent months. They're now expected to be announced in May, but there was originally a plan to have them ready for market in March before the delays started to creep in.
Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest detailed in fun new CT scans
The Apple Vision Pro is the hottest ticket in town right now, but it isn't the only headset that people are talking about. The Meta Quest Pro is a solid mixed reality headset while the Meta Quest 3 is more about that VR experience. All three are impressive in their own rights, and it's always interesting to know what they look like on the inside. What makes them tick. And now we know after Lumafield put all three headsets through a CT scanner to get a non-intrusive look at their innards.
The video that you can see below shows off all of the headsets in their various glories and most attention will no doubt be on the Apple Vision Pro. The headset is a minimalist design on the outside, but things definitely get serious on the inside.
The Apple Vision Pro makes the most of its internal space by using a flexible PCB ribbon and moving all of the various electronics around so that they are positioned at various angles so every last inch of space is used to its fullest. Notably, the Meta headsets chose to stack the elements instead, an approach that is more akin to phones, tablets, and laptops.
Continue reading: Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest detailed in fun new CT scans (full post)
AMD's RX 7900 XTX is again below $900 - so is it the right time to buy this flagship GPU?
AMD's RX 7900 XTX is now down to below the $900 mark, in the latest price fall we've witnessed with RDNA 3 graphics cards.
The model in question is the ASRock Phantom Gaming RX 7900 XTX, which has been reduced to $890 at Newegg. The price is listed at $920, but you can use a discount code at checkout to knock off a further $30.
This graphics card comes with 24GB of VRAM and a base clock speed of 2455MHz with a boost clock of 2615MHz.
Intel Battlemage rumor is good news for a change - GPUs could arrive in time for Black Friday
Intel's next-gen graphics cards could be with us in November 2024, or maybe even before that, if a new rumor pans out.
VideoCardz noticed a report from ComputerBase about the incoming Battlemage GPUs, flagged up by the editor of Hardwareluxx, Andreas Schilling, on X (formerly Twitter).
We're told that there were whispers at Embedded World 2024 in Germany, coming from Intel's partners who believe that Team Blue is aiming to get Arc Battlemage GPUs out before Black Friday of this year, to hit that peak sales period.
Microsoft's moving like a speeding slug in fixing Windows 10 patch that still fails to install
If you run Windows 10, you may have been unlucky enough to hit trouble installing the KB5034441 patch released back in January 2024 - and the sad news is this problem still isn't resolved.
Windows Latest points out that some folks are still unable to install KB5034441 which resolves security issues related to the recovery partition, so is a pretty important safeguard for your Windows 10 PC.
Now, there are fudges available that can work to get the patch installed - Windows Latest has provided some feedback on this itself - but Microsoft hasn't yet piped through an official cure.
Lenovo confirms that it's already planning the sequel to the Legion Go handheld
Lenovo's Legion Go hasn't been out that long - the Steam Deck rival launched back in October 2023 - and already the PC maker is planning its successor.
This news emerged from the Lenovo Innovate 24 conference that just took place in Bangkok, Thailand, where tech journalist Chris Stead spoke to Clifford Chong, gaming category manager at Lenovo Asia Pacific.
You can watch the interview in the above YouTube clip, and Chong makes it clear that Lenovo is already mulling over a Lenovo Legion Go 2, and what features that device could run with to improve the gaming portable.
Elon Musk says AGI will be smarter than the smartest humans by 2025, 2026 at the latest
Elon Musk has predicted that the development of artificial intelligence will get to the stage of being smarter than the smartest humans by 2025, and if not, by 2026.
In an explosive interview on X Spaces, the Tesla and SpaceX boss told Norway wealth fund CEO Nicolai Tangen that IA was constrained by electricity supply and that the next-gen version of Grok, the AI chatbot from Musk's xAI startup, was expected to finish training by May, next month.
When discussing the timeline of developing AGI, or artificial general intelligence, Musk said: "If you define AGI (artificial general intelligence) as smarter than the smartest human, I think it's probably next year, within two years". A monumental amount of AI GPU power will be pumped into training Musk's next-gen Grok 3, with 100,000 x NVIDIA H100 AI GPUs required for training.






















