Prediction articles:
2020: A consumer electronics forecast for the year(s) ahead
AI Chips: What Will 2020 Bring?
CEO Outlook: 2020 Vision: 5G, China and AI are prominent, but big changes are coming everywhere
Top 10 Tech Failures From 2019 That Hint At 2020 Trends – Last year’s tech failures often turn into next year’s leading trends
Trends:
AMD’s 7nm Ryzen 4000 CPUs are here to take on Intel’s 10nm Ice Lake laptop chips
Top 9 challenges IT leaders will face in 2020: From skills shortages to privacy concerns
From the oil rig to the lake: a shift in perspective on data
In December 2020, the new IEC/EN 62368-1 will replace the existing safety standards EN 60950-1 and EN 60065-1
Use of technology money outside company IT department is the new normal
Tech to try:
12 Alternative Operating Systems You Can Use In 2020
CONTINUOUS INTEGRATION: WHAT IT IS AND WHY YOU NEED IT
Research:
Universal memory coming? New type of non-volatile general purpose memory on research, some call it UltraRAM.
1,318 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Frederic Lardinois / TechCrunch:
Low-code database service Airtable raises $185M Series D at $2.58B post-money valuation and launches Airtable Apps, a JavaScript-based no-code development tool — The spreadsheet-centric database and no-code platform Airtable today announced that it has raised a $185 million Series D funding round …
Airtable raises $185M and launches new low-code and automation features
https://techcrunch.com/2020/09/14/airtable-raises-185m-and-launches-new-low-code-and-automation-features/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Rent, Lease, or Buy Electronic Test Equipment? Here’s How to Decide
https://www.mwrf.com/technologies/test-measurement/article/21141292/rent-lease-or-buy-electronic-test-equipment-heres-how-to-decide?utm_source=RF+MWRF+Today&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS200910037&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.ident%5Bpull%5D=omeda%7C7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Evolving technology, certifications, and time are just some of the points to consider before renting, leasing, or buying that next piece of equipment.
Should you be renting/leasing or buying the test equipment?
What are the reasons and factors before deciding to rent or buy test equipment?
For every technology-driven business, it’s a major concern to strike a tradeoff between high cost, constant maintenance, and calibration of new equipment vs. the need to conserve cash by renting or leasing.
Should you rent, lease, or buy?
A single answer will certainly not fit every company’s needs. This article will give you clear, actionable points to decide which approach works best for you.
How T&M Miscues Could Be Costing You
https://www.mwrf.com/technologies/test-measurement/article/21140206/how-tm-miscues-could-be-costing-you
Results from a recent study expose how most businesses suffer from delays—leading to revenue loss—due to test equipment mishaps and failures.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft submits Linux kernel patches for a ‘complete virtualization stack’ with Linux and Hyper-V
Linux on Azure might no longer need Windows
https://www.theregister.com/2020/09/15/microsoft_submits_linux_kernel_patches/
Microsoft has submitted a series of patches to the Linux kernel with its aim being “to create a complete virtualization stack with Linux and Microsoft Hypervisor.”
The patches are designated “RFC” (Request for comments) and are a minimal implementation presented for discussion.
The key change is that with the patched kernel, Linux will run as the Hyper-V root partition. In the Hyper-V architecture, the root partition has direct access to hardware and creates child partitions for the VMs it hosts. “Just think of it like Xen’s Dom0,” said Microsoft principal software engineer Wei Liu.
Tomi Engdahl says:
China wants its semiconductor industry to catch up with the U.S. — but that won’t be easy
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/14/china-semiconductor-industry-tries-to-catch-up-with-us-chip-makers.html
China has been trying to ramp up its domestic semiconductor industry as the U.S. increases the pressure on the country’s technology giants.
China faces a situation where its companies’ access to important components, as well as its domestic chipmakers’ ability to procure technology to make those semiconductors, could be hampered by U.S. sanctions.
One factor potentially in China’s favor is that it has a very big market, in terms of both a large population and a vast number of devices.
Semiconductors are extremely important components of consumer electronics. As an increasing number of devices become “smart” and connected to the internet, they will become more and more crucial in new areas, such as automobiles. That’s why China wants to be a powerful player.
However, China is also facing a situation where its companies’ access to important chip components, as well as its domestic chipmakers’ ability to procure technology to make those semiconductors, might be hampered.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Challenges At 3/2nm
New structures, processes and yield/performance issues.
https://semiengineering.com/challenges-at-3-2nm/
David Fried, vice president of computational products at Lam Research, talks about issues at upcoming process nodes, the move to EUV lithography and nanosheet transistors, and how process variation can affect yield and device performance.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.eetimes.com/under-the-hood-vayyaars-4d-imaging-radar/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/11154-st-haluaa-ohjainpiirien-ykkoseksi
Tomi Engdahl says:
Applelta viiden mikronin A14-superpiiri
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2020/09/16/applelta-viiden-mikronin-a14-superpiiri/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Snowflake completes largest-ever software IPO
Raising of about $3.4bn leads to market value of more than $33bn
https://www.ft.com/content/eb8e37c9-b4a5-4b4c-a3cf-2eeac98a8f2b
Snowflake raised the largest initial public offering ever for a US software company, in the latest sign of Wall Street’s huge demand for cloud computing service businesses.
Investors agreed to purchase 28m shares of Snowflake stock valued at $120 apiece, said people briefed on the offering, raising about $3.4bn in proceeds for the cloud software company. That price would give the company a market capitalisation of more than $33bn, based on the number of shares outstanding.
Snowflake’s share price exceeded the company’s targeted range of $100 to $110
The company’s market value is more than two-and-a-half times the $12.4bn valuation achieved in its most recent fundraising round in February.
Tomi Engdahl says:
You won’t need .NET Standard… except when you do need it: Microsoft sets out latest in ever-changing story
The arrival of .NET 5.0 brings yet another twist
https://www.theregister.com/2020/09/16/no_more_net_standard_microsoft/
Microsoft .NET program manager Immo Landwerth has set out the latest summary of how to write code that targets more than one version of the platform.
The long-standing problem is that the multitude of different .NET runtimes and platforms causes problems for anyone writing code that targets more than one, such as developers wanting to share non-visual code, or creating libraries for wide use.
The issue came to a head when Microsoft acquired Xamarin in 2016, making official Xamarin’s flavour of .NET (based on the open-source Mono implementation) and its support for iOS and Android. At the time, Silverlight and Windows Phone were also still a thing. How could developers share code between all these platforms?
Microsoft came up with the idea of Portable Class Libraries (PCLs) in 2012. A PCL project created a DLL that specified which targets it supported, such as .NET Framework, Silverlight, and Windows Phone. After the Xamarin acquisition, the need for PCLs was even more pressing, and the PCL concept was expanded and refined.
It was not long before the company decided PCLs were not good enough. In September 2016, Landwerth introduced .NET Standard, explaining: “.NET Standard is a set of APIs that all .NET platforms have to implement. This unifies the .NET platforms and prevents future fragmentation.” PCLs were faulty, he said. “The set of available APIs is the result of the intersection between the selected platforms, which doesn’t always produce an API surface you can easily predict.”
There were still fudges.
Microsoft has now said it will not be updating .NET Standard. “.NET 5 improves code sharing and replaces .NET Standard,” Landwerth said in a new post.
In a document on GitHub Landwerth described the problem with Target Framework Names (TFMs) in .NET.
https://devblogs.microsoft.com/dotnet/the-future-of-net-standard/
Tomi Engdahl says:
At the very last Moment.js: Time-and-date JavaScript library fetched 12 million times a week ends development
Programmers put decade-old package out to pasture, advise devs to find alternatives
https://www.theregister.com/2020/09/15/moment_js_javascript_library_future/
The maintainers of Moment.js, a JavaScript time-and-date handling library downloaded 12 million times a week, put the project into maintenance mode on Tuesday, and advised developers to consider alternatives.
“We recognize that many existing projects may continue to use Moment, but we would like to discourage Moment from being used in new projects going forward,” a project status update read this week. “We now generally consider Moment to be a legacy project in maintenance mode. It is not dead, but it is indeed done.”
That means there will be no new features, API changes, performance improvements, or major changes. There will be security fixes and data updates related to IANA time zone database changes, though the idea is to wean apps from Moment.js if possible.
https://momentjs.com/docs/#/-project-status/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sony cuts PS5 forecast by 4m due to chip woes
Sony Corp has cut its estimated Play Station 5 (PS5) production for this fiscal year by 4 million units, down to about 11 million, following production issues with its …
Sony cuts PS5 forecast by 4m due to chip woes
Bloomberg
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2020/09/16/2003743483
Sony Corp has cut its estimated Play Station 5 (PS5) production for this fiscal year by 4 million units, down to about 11 million, following production issues with its custom-designed system-on-chip (SOC) for the new console, people familiar with the matter said.
However, the company has come up against manufacturing issues, such as production yields as low as 50 percent for its SOC, which have cut into its ability to produce as many consoles as it wishes, said the people, who asked to remain anonymous.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Opinion: Nvidia’s deal for Arm could mean a real challenge to Intel and AMD, but is likely to face opposition
Published: Sept. 14, 2020 at 5:06 p.m. ET
By Therese Poletti
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/nvidias-deal-for-arm-could-mean-a-real-challenge-to-intel-and-amd-but-is-likely-to-face-opposition-2020-09-14?tesla=y
The $40 billion merger agreement adds needed components to Nvidia, but will face regulatory difficulty as well as potential backlash from Arm customers who compete with Nvidia
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cost Of Sony-Published Games For PlayStation 5 Set To Climb Up To $70
http://on.forbes.com/6186GQt9Y
New PlayStation 5 games from Sony’s first-party studios will cost between $49.99 and $69.99, according to a blog post from the company after it revealed the price of the new console, hinting that a $69.99 price tag for big-budget titles will become standard moving forward.
The PlayStation 5 will launch in the U.S. and other markets on November 12 with two different versions, a standard console with a disc drive for $499 and a digital-only platform for $399.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Devindra Hardawar / Engadget:
Facebook announces Oculus Quest 2, starting at $299, with a lighter design, 50% better resolution, 90Hz refresh rate, up to 256GB storage, coming October 13 — The Oculus Quest 2 is here, and it sounds like a tremendous upgrade over the original in every way.
Oculus Quest 2 delivers standalone VR with sharper 90Hz screens for $299
It fixes the few issues we had with the first Quest.
https://www.engadget.com/oculus-quest-2-vr-299-171715370.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Casey Newton / The Verge:
Q&A with Mark Zuckerberg on the impact of the pandemic on making VR mainstream, AR glasses, and why he doesn’t want to “put an Apple Watch on your face” — How Facebook’s CEO is thinking about the future of augmented reality, virtual reality, and more — Social networks contain multitudes.
Mark Zuckerberg on why he doesn’t want to “put an Apple Watch on your face”
https://www.theverge.com/interface/2020/9/16/21439741/mark-zuckerberg-facebook-connect-oculus-ar-vr-glasses-quest-apple-watch?scrolla=5eb6d68b7fedc32c19ef33b4
How Facebook’s CEO is thinking about the future of augmented reality, virtual reality, and more
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nick Statt / The Verge:
Facebook says it has partnered with Ray-Ban maker Luxottica to develop consumer “smart glasses”, coming next year, but shared few details — The company partnered with Ray-Ban maker Luxottica — Facebook says its first pair of consumer “smart glasses” will be releasing next year …
Facebook’s first ‘smart glasses’ will be Ray-Bans, coming next year
https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/16/21439929/facebook-ar-smart-glasses-ray-ban-announcement?scrolla=5eb6d68b7fedc32c19ef33b4
The glasses won’t have a display, but Facebook’s Project Aria research unit is working on true AR glasses
Tomi Engdahl says:
Scott Stein / CNET:
Interview with Facebook’s Andrew Bosworth on Project Aria, its AR glasses project that is using ~100 testers in Seattle and SF to refine the experience
https://www.cnet.com/news/facebook-project-aria-is-test-driving-tech-for-ar-glasses-on-real-world-people-this-year/
Tomi Engdahl says:
AWS Aurora PostgreSQL versions vanish from the mega-cloud for days, leaving customers in the dark
Disappeared databases since returned with no memory of what happened, speculation of bug abounds
https://www.theregister.com/2020/09/16/aws_aurora_postgresql_versions_disappeared/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Jeff Grubb / VentureBeat:
PS5 will launch on Nov. 12 in N. America, Japan, Mexico, AU, and NZ for $500 for Blu-ray drive version and $400 for Digital Edition, in more regions on Nov. 19 — Sony provided more details about the upcoming PlayStation 5. During a video event today, the company explained what you can expect
PlayStation 5 preorders: Sony reveals release date and price
https://venturebeat.com/2020/09/16/playstation-5-sony-reveals-release-date-and-price/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nintendo Discontinues 3DS After Nearly A Decade
https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2020/09/17/nintendo-discontinues-3ds-after-nearly-a-decade/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Gordie/#676f7264696
Nintendo has discontinued the sale of its 3DS line of handheld gaming devices, to focus solely on its primary games console the Switch, moving away from a 30-year old tradition of the Japanese company offering a separate home and portable gaming device on the market.
Tomi Engdahl says:
8K-pelaaminen tuli PC:lle ennen konsoleita
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/11164-8k-pelaaminen-tuli-pc-lle-ennen-konsoleita
Räätälöityjen tietokoneiden pioneeri Jimm’s PC-Store on julkaissut ensimmäiset RTX 30 -sarjan pelitietokoneet, joilla onnistuu vaivatta myös 8K-pelaaminen. Samalla PC ottaa voiton pelikonsoleista 8K-kisassa.
Jimm’s PC-Storen toimitusjohtaja Antti Järvisen mukaan PC-pelaaminen jatkuu välineurheiluna, jossa näytönohjainten ja suorittimien tehokkuuden kilpajuoksu jatkuu kohti sujuvaa 8K-pelaamista. – Pelitietokoneiden tehokkuus ja laajennettavuus ovat yhä omaa luokkaansa, joten vakavasti pelaamisensa ottavat pelaajat voivat tyytyväisinä jatkaa valitsemallaan tiellä.
NVIDIA julkisti edellisviikolla tehokkaat pelikäyttöön tarkoitetut GeForce RTX 3000 -sarjan näytönohjaimet. Ne ovat selvästi edellissukupolvea tehokkaampia ja niiden hinta-tehosuhde on myös aiempaa parempi. Uudet näytönohjaimet tuovat peleihin sujuvan 8K-tarkkuuden.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Chip Industry Wants $50 Billion to Keep Manufacturing in U.S.
The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), in partnership with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), released a study analyzing the impact of proposed federal incentives for domestic semiconductor manufacturing. The report, titled Government Incentives and U.S. Competitiveness in Semiconductor Manufacturing, finds robust federal incentives would reverse the decades-long trajectory …
Study Finds Federal Incentives for Domestic Semiconductor Manufacturing Would Strengthen America’s Chip Production, Economy, National Security, Supply Chains
https://www.semiconductors.org/study-finds-federal-incentives-for-domestic-semiconductor-manufacturing-would-strengthen-americas-chip-production-economy-national-security-supply-chains/
Tomi Engdahl says:
IFTLE 461: Samsung 3D-IC X-Cube; Intel Announces Hybrid Bonding
https://www.3dincites.com/2020/09/iftle-461-samsung-3d-ic-x-cube-intel-announces-hybrid-bonding/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Software Developer Drought: Where are you in Demand?
https://www.designnews.com/automation/software-developer-drought-where-are-you-demand?ADTRK=InformaMarkets&elq_mid=14441&elq_cid=876648
With an increasing need for software by non-tech companies, a developer drought is growing outside of Silicon Valley.
Turns out there’s a major need for software developers outside of the traditional geo-center of Silicon Valley. Despite COVID-19, states in the US heartland are actively hiring developers. Plus, professionals on the West Coast are reassessing work-life opportunities and exploring start-up prospects outside the Valley and other tech hotspots.
Eight out of 10 US counties with the highest “Developer Demand” shortage are in states in the middle of America, states such as South Dakota, Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Utah, and Mississippi.
This isn’t a shift to remote workers. In July and August, 92% of software developer job ads on three leading employment sites were for work-on-premises jobs. Apparently, employers are slow to embrace remote working.
The data comes from Mendix, a Siemens business involved in low-code application development. The company recently launched the Mendix 2020 Software Developer Drought Index, an effort to track hiring shortages for developers on the US county and state levels.
Part of the reason for the growing demand for developers outside the Valley is that software is becoming a vital part of more and more products and systems. “Enterprises across industries recognize that they need to build software to run their businesses. Software can enable an enterprise to make its internal processes more efficient while creating new digital touchpoints to interact with partners and customers,” said Koenigsberg. “That has become more important than ever in light of COVID-19. Software development is now pivotal for all organizations – in rural, suburban, and urban areas from sea to shining sea across the US and around the world.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Numbers Reflect Engineering Industry Health Amid Pandemic
https://www.designnews.com/automation/numbers-reflect-engineering-industry-health-amid-pandemic?ADTRK=InformaMarkets&elq_mid=14441&elq_cid=876648
ecent numbers from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics show that engineering occupations are growing at an average rate similar to other occupations.
Pandemic or no pandemic, the engineering profession is still healthy. As for growth in the US during the coming 10 years, the Bureau for Labor Statistics pegs employment in engineering occupations to grow 3% during the coming decade. Not spectacular; it’s about as fast as the average for all occupations. A net 74,800 engineer jobs are projected to be added during the 2020s.
Most of the projected job growth will come from demand in various areas such as the rebuilding of infrastructure, renewable energy, oil and gas extraction, and robotics. The median annual wage for engineering jobs is $81,440 as of May 2019. The median annual wage for engineers is higher than the median annual wage for all occupations in the economy, which is $39,810.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Edge Computing Acceleration with the Molex BittWare 250-SoC Card
https://www.hackster.io/news/edge-computing-acceleration-with-the-molex-bittware-250-soc-card-c3df33989dc8
The Molex BittWare 250-SoC card is a PCIe FPGA hardware accelerator card tailored to a data center’s storage and networking needs.
Acquired by Molex in 2018, BittWare is a company that offers FPGA solutions for applications such as hardware acceleration and network packet processing targeted for deployment in data centers. BittWare is well-known for its board-level computing technologies, integrated systems and software expertise. The 250-SoC card stands out in BittWare’s FPGA accelerator card lineup as the only Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC-based low profile PCIe card. This makes is an attractive option for those tight space situations in sever racks that still need a powerful FPGA solution.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/visualized-ranking-the-goods-most-traded-between-the-us-and-china/
Tomi Engdahl says:
How To Run A Data-Driven Dev Team Without Being A Performance Tyrant
https://linearb.io/blog/data-driven-dev-team/
Running a data-driven team does not mean stack ranking developers
A software development team is less like a sales team and more like a band. Everyone is highly dependent on one another to deliver a great result. If one person is off, it throws everyone off. And, like in a band, there are often unsung heroes (like the bass player or drummer) who make it possible for other stars (like the lead singer) to shine.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Age of the Tech Giants
https://www.statista.com/chart/22677/the-age-of-the-tech-giants/?utm_source=Statista+Global&utm_campaign=08ec70ddd8-All_InfographTicker_daily_COM_AM_KW35_2020_Mo_COPY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_afecd219f5-08ec70ddd8-309522993
Fifteen years ago, everyday life was very different: smartphones as we know them today had not yet been invented, Facebook had only just been founded, and ExxonMobil was worth ten times as much as Apple. More than a decade later, the rise of America’s digital giants has radically changed this landscape.
As an illustration of the unshakeable growth of GAFAM, Apple surpassed the $2 trillion market capitalization threshold for the first time last week – a historic milestone that only the oil giant Saudi Aramco has crossed before, in December 2019.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows 10:n syksyn suurpäivitys lähestyy – tiedä ainakin tämä
16.9.202017:05|päivitetty16.9.202017:05
Microsoft julkaisee Windows 10:n syksyn suurpäivityksen todennäköisesti lokakuussa.
https://www.mikrobitti.fi/uutiset/windows-10n-syksyn-suurpaivitys-lahestyy-tieda-ainakin-tama/c4d0a9a1-71b2-4092-877b-64976b8ee4b5
Tomi Engdahl says:
25 Years Ago, ‘Hackers’ Introduced Movie Audiences to the Internet
BY K. THOR JENSEN 15 SEP 2020, NOON
https://uk.pcmag.com/video-streaming-services/128616/25-years-ago-hackers-introduced-movie-audiences-to-the-internet
Remember the movie Hackers? Released 25 years ago this month, the movie showed the world what the internet could look like in the very near future. It wasn’t that far off.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Koodi on kuollut! Eläköön low code!
https://pilvilampi.fi/koodi-on-kuollut-elakoon-low-code/
Kenneth Falck kirjoitti Tivin tammikuun 2020 numerossa low-code-ratkaisuista. Hän peräänkuulutti kehittyneempiä ratkaisuja low-code-teknologian ympärille todeten nykyisten ratkaisujen olevan lähinnä ”glorifioituja lomake-editoreita”. Low-code-alustat ovat siis ratkaisuja, joissa ns. kovakoodaamista ei (pääsääntöisesti) tarvita vaan järjestelmät toteutetaan konfiguroimalla. Maallikkokielellä tämä tarkoittaa huippunopeita it-projekteja ja joustavia järjestelmäratkaisuja. Low-coden eduista ja mahdollisuuksista pitäisi siis puhua enemmänkin.
Sen lisäksi, että Pilvilammella tykästyimme käsitteeseen glorifioitu lomake-editori, vajosimme myös syvään itsetutkiskeluun. Me nimittäin toteutamme asiakkaille järjestelmiä nopeammin kuin koskaan aiemmin juuri low-code -teknologian ansiosta, konfiguroimalla ei kovakoodaamalla.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Minecraft is making a huge move that will change the game forever
https://www.techradar.com/news/minecraft-is-making-a-huge-move-that-will-change-the-game-forever
Minecraft lobbies could soon support 1,000+ players
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-history/heroic-failures/whatever-happened-to-the-molecular-computer
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tighter integration between process technologies and packaging
https://www.edn.com/tighter-integration-between-process-technologies-and-packaging/
In the past few years, there have been a number of announcements involving advanced packaging architectures for semiconductor devices. These architectures offer product designers tremendous flexibility in being able to heterogeneously integrate different IPs optimized on different silicon processes on package and hence offer significant performance enhancements.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Digitalisaation sietämätön kauneus
https://www.anders.com/fi/blogi/digitalisaation-sietamaton-kauneus/
Paine digitalisoitua on vahva, mutta organisaatiot joutuvat suunnittelemaan investointejaan taantuman ja globaalin laman kynnyksellä. Ketteryys, digitaalinen transformaatio ja uudet liiketoimintamallit ovat avainasemassa kilpailukyvyn vahvistamiseen. Anders yhdessä kumppaninsa Talent Basen kanssa kirjoitti nykyisen toimintaympäristön vaatimuksista ja kestävästä kilpailukyvyn elvyttämisestä.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.mtech.fi/blogi/ohjelmistorobotiikka-taloushallinnossa-nain-saastetaan-aikaa-ja-rahaa/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.howtogeek.com/686600/remember-bbses-heres-how-you-can-visit-one-today/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-history/silicon-revolution/25-microchips-that-shook-the-world
Tomi Engdahl says:
The 20 greatest home computers – ranked!
a Commodore VIC-20 and accessories at a vintage computing festival.
They seemed like the future … and here we are. We remember the key PC machines that inspired a generation of gamers and programmers
https://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/sep/07/the-20-greatest-home-computers-ranked?CMP=oth_b-aplnews_d-1
Tomi Engdahl says:
Advanced #packaging architectures offer designers the flexibility to heterogeneously integrate different IPs optimized on different silicon processes on package #ICDesign Intel
https://buff.ly/2ZQk65L
Tomi Engdahl says:
Asa Fitch / Wall Street Journal:
How Nvidia’s bets on gaming and AI transformed it from a niche player in the high-end graphics market in the mid-90s into the most valuable US chip company
How Nvidia’s CEO Cooked Up America’s Biggest Semiconductor Company
For Jensen Huang, the landmark bid for Arm cements his ambition to supplant Intel
https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-nvidias-ceo-cooked-up-americas-biggest-semiconductor-company-11600184856?mod=djemalertNEWS
In the midst of the pandemic, Nvidia Corp. Chief Executive Jensen Huang engineered his company’s biggest game changer from his kitchen: a $40 billion acquisition that could cement his status as the semiconductor industry’s hottest CEO.
The proposed acquisition of Arm Holdings from SoftBank Group Corp., 9984 -1.09% in the chip industry’s biggest deal ever, would transform Nvidia into a force across the most important arenas of computing, from servers and PCs to consumer electronics to smartphones, making it one of the most formidable threats Intel Corp. has ever faced. To do so, though, Mr. Huang still needs to clear regulatory hurdles and potential opposition from competitors that may appeal to authorities to block the deal.
The deal is a milestone in an extraordinary run over the past few years, one that has transformed Nvidia from a niche maker of high-end graphics chips for gamers into the most valuable U.S. chip company. “I couldn’t have dreamed two years ago that I’d be sitting here,” Mr. Huang told The Wall Street Journal this week.
Nvidia’s market value has soared to $319.8 billion, surpassing Intel’s valuation of $214.5 billion, even though Nvidia had $10.92 billion in annual sales in its latest fiscal year, compared with $71.97 billion for Intel. Nvidia’s bet on some of the hottest fields in tech, videogaming and artificial intelligence, have fueled investor enthusiasm, while Intel has stumbled with some of its most advanced chips.
It is a long way from 1993, when Mr. Huang dreamed up Nvidia on his 30th birthday at a Denny’s in San Jose, Calif., with two like-minded engineers. They bet on a future where consumers demanded better computer graphics, which would require specialized, high-performance hardware that wasn’t available at the time.
The Arm deal couldn’t have happened if it weren’t for Mr. Huang’s ties to SoftBank’s CEO, Masayoshi Son, who bought Cambridge, England-based Arm in 2016 for $32 billion. SoftBank has invested in Nvidia and, at the end of June, held a stake valued at around $245 million at Monday’s close.
SoftBank first approached Nvidia earlier this year to gauge Mr. Huang’s interest in making a deal. “At some point it became clear that SoftBank would be interested in maybe not holding onto Arm, and I just jumped on the opportunity,” Mr. Huang said, adding his focus then turned to ensuring Nvidia was the top bidder.
Mr. Huang limited his use of outside bankers and largely negotiated the deal with an internal team.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/11169-25-vuotias-java-yrittaa-yha
Tomi Engdahl says:
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Tomi Engdahl says:
e-Arm-ed: Nvidia’s move on UK chip giant sets up US-China tech war showdown
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3101946/re-arm-ed-nvidias-move-uk-chip-giant-sets-us-china-tech-war
Nvidia’s acquisition of Arm: was it a strategic business move by SoftBank or an opportunistic grab by the US?
One wrong move from here and Chinese software developers could be next in line to be cut off from US tech
FROM LITTLE ACORNS
Four years ago, right after the Brexit
referendum in Britain
, I was shocked and dismayed to learn that one of Britain’s top technology firms, Arm, was suddenly being sold to a Japanese investor for arguably a low valuation of US$31 billion.
Arm, originally Advanced RISC Machines Limited (Arm), was founded in 1990 as a joint venture between Acorn Computers and Apple Computers (now Apple Inc.), having its origins in 1983 designing the first RISC processor used in small computers, including the popular BBC Micro.
Arm does not make the chip processors, but designs them and charges an initial licence fee that covers its costs and then a royalty on every chip its partners make using its design. It is an unusual and very profitable business model in the semiconductor industry.
Arm is considered to be globally dominant, especially in mobile devices, and you will find Arm designs in just about everything, from all brands of smartphones, tablets and computers to supercomputers, IoT devices, networks, and even in space. Most recently, its processor designs have been key in the development of autonomous driving cars.
My concern wasn’t that the buyer, SoftBank
, would necessarily be a bad parent, but the fact the British government hailed the sale, telling the world that despite Brexit, Britain was still “open for business”.
Having done virtually nothing with Arm over the last four years, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son announced last week he would sell the company to US-based Nvidia
and pocket a tidy US$9 billion profit.
The pairing of Nvidia and Arm plays into the strengths of both companies, especially in the intense image processing required for a car to drive itself. It also immediately added serious ammunition to the US’s tech armoury as it continues its assault on various trade issues against China
. Arm is a stand-out leader in microchip architecture development, and President Donald Trump
and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo must be rubbing their hands with glee at the deal, if the acquisition comes to fruition.
Arm’s main competitors when it comes to central processing units are IBM, Intel and AMD – all American
– and on the graphics processing side are American and Japanese
firms, including Nvidia. All chip manufacturers rely on American-owned tech as there are very few alternatives.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How these new trends are reshaping people, data, and goods in the post-COVID world
We asked 3 CEOs what tech trends will dominate post-COVID
https://thenextweb.com/dutch-disruptors/2020/09/01/we-asked-3-ceos-what-tech-trends-will-dominate-post-covid/
In a globalized world, we’ve become accustomed to doing business, buying products, and traveling across the globe at lightning speed.
But the introduction of social distancing measures this year suddenly placed major barriers on movement. This caused a rapid acceleration in the transition to digital and the adoption of emerging tech, as society quickly adapted to this new reality.
1. Moving goods
While social distancing stopped us from physically going out to shop, it certainly didn’t stop us from moving our shopping habits online. During the lockdown period, there was a major spike in ecommerce — COVID-19 actually accelerated ecommerce’s growth by four to six years
2. Moving data
During the lockdown, the WHO teamed up with tech giants like Oracle, Microsoft, and IBM to create a blockchain-backed platform that will help detect COVID-19 carriers and potential hotspots. Why blockchain you may ask?
3. Moving ourselves
Last but certainly not least, after months of lockdown, all most of us want to do is hit the road and go on a trip. After months of scrolling through travel photos on Instagram, people are getting the itch to get out and move. But how will travel change in the post-COVID world?
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2020/07/09/easyocr-makes-ocr-well-easy/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2020/07/10/mmm-obfuscated-shell-donuts/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2020/07/07/gaming-in-different-languages/