UltraMega

Props to anyone who can identify any one of the mathematical properties represented here:

Agreed on Administration. If I had a tech issue that I had questions about that I could not find the answer to on my own, this would be the absolute best place to seek further information. Hands down. It is extremely rare that I find myself in that situation, but it's great to know where to go when it happens. I think it's extremely rare for all of us to need help on tech stuff because we are all so good at our craft. It's too bad there are not more users here seeking expert knowledge (maybe a marketing angle @ENTERPRISE)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/webb-studies-planet-k2-18-b-again-to-confirm-presence-of-gas-only-produced-by-life/ar-AA1nGfUo If real, this is probably some kind of alge or something similar. This planet is ~ 2.6 times the size of earth and suspected to be an ocean planet. Given the size of the planet, it would be virtually impossible for any intelligent life to ever make it to space due to the increased gravity which would make reaching escape velocity extremely difficult. So while they a may be life, and we may never really know for sure, it's very unlikely to be intelligent life.

This seems relevant: Apple Car | Project Titan, Canceled APPLEINSIDER.COM Apple's Project Titan could have led to a fully autonomous Apple Car, but it was canceled in February 2024. Learn about it here. They just don't know where to direct all that cash. I think the era of iterating on the same design for mass appeal is just over. As @Sir Beregondpointed out, there is just virtually nothing to gain from upgrades for the average user. IMO Apple would have been better off focusing on a cheaper VR headset, maybe something around the same cost as an iphone. If they had been able to successfully create an appealing product that felt more in reach, they could have had a shot at creating a new market segment. Still, I think VR is ultimately niche for now and any near future, and it was a mistake to make this an area of focus to begin with. Apple magic goes hand in hand with mass appeal. Bill Gates wrote a book in 1995 that described his vision for future tech, and in it he described what he called at the time, a "pocket computer". I read the book sometime around 2014, so it was well after smart phones came to fruition, but it was really interesting to see how spot on some of the predictions from Gates were back then. More interesting perhaps, is that Gates had such a clear vision for the future that Microsoft let go to Apple under Balmer despite clear insight that an iphone like device was inevitable. I mention this because back then, there was a clear path to the future of computing. Smaller, better, faster. Now, I'm not sure what comes next for a company like Apple. When the hardware is already so perfected, the only thing left to do is real science. That has never been Apple's focus. Yes, they make some great chips today, but they also typically have a process node advantage from their deep pockets so it's not exactly an even comparison on the engineering side.

https://www.gasworld.com/story/georgia-tech-group-create-worlds-first-graphene-based-semiconductor/2138021.article/ Is it finally coming the fruition? Perhaps.

Just search for the Razor Kishi.

Apple slashes Vision Pro production, might cancel 2025 model in response to plummeting demand | TechSpot IMO, Apple needs a new CEO. One that is in touch with developing technology vs trying to perfect ideas from ten years ago. The Apple magic is gone. We're all waiting for Apple to come out with a really great AI to revitalize the Siri level excitement, but I don't think they are capable. I've been following this stuff a lot, and AI seems to have caught them really off guard, and I suspect they will be playing catchup from now on. While Microsoft is building on demand AI super computers, Apple is still dicking around. 15 years old, but still feels relevant:

Utilizes extra RAM if you have 128MB RAM upgrade. The OG Xbox is basically just a Sega designed arcade board with less ram. It is possible to upgrade the ram on an OG Xbox, and that basically gives it the same functionality as a Sega Chihiro. Moder Vintage Gamer has covered this. The OG Xbox is basically a successor to the Dreamcast, developed by Sega.

That is definitely the most entertaining bit in the research release, but the rest are much more down to earth. Impressive tech. Remind me of Star Trek or Star Wars sifi stuff when they show pictures of people from the past being animated. That always seemed so far-fetched as a kid, but now it's one of the more simple things for AI to do.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/project/vasa-1/

Hey, it's useful for summaries if nothing else.

ADLINK’s New GPU: The article discusses ADLINK’s unveiling of a new graphics card featuring Intel’s Arc A380E GPU, designed for basic tasks with a low-profile form factor1. Intel Arc A380E Specs: Intel’s GPU is based on the Alchemist architecture, has eight Xe-cores, 6GB GDDR6 memory, 128 EUs, and is rated at 50W TBP. It includes 128 XMX engines for AI workloads23. EGX-PCIE-A380E Features: ADLINK’s graphics card is compact, single-slot, and supports DirectX 12, Vulkan 1.3, OpenGL 4.6, and OpenCL 3.0. It has a PCIe 4.0 x 8 interface and 4 Mini-DP ports4. Industrial and Edge AI Use: The card is ideal for industrial IoT workloads and edge AI use cases, leveraging the onboard chip’s AI performance. Pricing and release date are yet to be announced.

LogoFAIL is a set of security vulnerabilities affecting different image parsing libraries used in the system firmware by various vendors during the device boot process. It impacts devices by placing malicious code inside an image file that is parsed during boot, leading to persistence1. Here are some key points about LogoFAIL: What Is LogoFAIL? LogoFAIL is a constellation of two dozen newly discovered vulnerabilities that have existed for years, if not decades, in Unified Extensible Firmware Interfaces (UEFIs) responsible for booting modern devices running Windows or Linux. These vulnerabilities allow malicious firmware execution early in the boot-up sequence, making infections nearly impossible to detect or remove using current defense mechanisms2. The attack is dubbed LogoFAIL by the researchers who devised it. How It Works: LogoFAIL involves hardware seller logos displayed on the device screen during the boot process while the UEFI is still running. Image parsers in UEFIs from major vendors are riddled with roughly a dozen critical vulnerabilities that have gone unnoticed until now. By replacing legitimate logo images with identical-looking ones specially crafted to exploit these bugs, LogoFAIL enables the execution of malicious code at the most sensitive stage of the boot process (known as DXE, short for Driver Execution Environment). Scope and Impact: Hundreds of Windows and Linux computer models from virtually all hardware makers are vulnerable to LogoFAIL. The attack can be remotely executed in post-exploit situations, using techniques that can’t be easily spotted by traditional endpoint security products. Exploits run during the earliest stages of the boot process, bypassing defenses like Secure Boot and similar protections designed to prevent bootkit infections. Affected Parties: Participating companies include UEFI suppliers (AMI, Insyde, Phoenix), device manufacturers (Lenovo, Dell, HP), and CPU makers (Intel, AMD, ARM). Links to advisories and vulnerability designations are available in the original research2. Protection and Mitigation: If you’re concerned about LogoFAIL, consider the following steps: Update your firmware: Check for security patches provided by your device manufacturer. Prevent unauthorized access: Ensure that attackers cannot gain access to the EFI System Partition (ESP) where the logo image is stored3. Remember, LogoFAIL is not a virus but rather a set of vulnerabilities that allow attackers to bypass security measures and install malicious software during the boot process4. Stay vigilant and keep your devices secure!

NVIDIA Announces Blackwell GPUs with 208 Billion Transistors, including GB200 System Supporting 72 Blackwell GPUs and 13.5 TB of HBM3e Memory (msn.com) China has the world's top super computer today (that is not undisclosed). It's top super computer is about 2 exoflops. Nvidia is going to be shipping super computer systems that can do 2 exoflops with just a couple racks under blackwell. Just food for thought.

The short: And the long: I'd love to see the commentary on this.

Kinda nuts that their still making music.

AIs are more accurate at math if you ask them to respond as if they are a Star Trek character — and we're not sure why (msn.com) Trekkies and Trekkers get it.

Do you guys listen to any music that's not old enough to have kids that are legally able to drink? Maybe you could post something good from the modern ear?

I have a customer right now doing some upgrades to his PC who is actual a pilot and uses the PC pretty much just for flight Sim. How much of a difference would 16GB vs 32GB of system ram make? How about Vram?

Just a minor update to this: I've thought about making updated charts but the prices have actually not changed much at all. I've bought maybe 10 or so GeForce 3070 GPUs at about the same price over the span of about a year and a half. Same has been generally true for the used CPU market. 6 months ago I sold a Ryzen 3600 on ebay for $60. Last week I sold one for $70. With the exception of cards that had just come out when I made the charts and have gotten official price drops since, things have barely changed. Seems like inflation and high prices on new GPUs is keeping the used market unusually stable. On a side note, Newegg's prices for their used cards now more closely match what you find on ebay.

Nvidia CEO predicts the death of coding — Jensen Huang says AI will do the work, so kids don't need to learn (msn.com)

I would have also assumed no OC controls, but I was listening to the newest digital foundry podcast and they said Nvidia is actually planning on adding OC controls.

IMO Neural link is a not going to go anywhere. It's an interesting science project, but what it can achieve is doable with no-implant devices. I've seen demos of head mounted sensor devices that just read your brain waves demoed over ten years ago that could do the same things neural link is trying to do now. Elon Musk thinks we live in a simulation, so I don't think his perspective on this is in touch with reality. The concept of controlling a computer with a neural interface is a good idea, but not an implant device. The brain can't understand binary and computers can't speak in brain waves so some kind of telepathy-like ability from implants is just not realistic, at least not without another giant leap in this tech that is no where near. Any neural device, implant or not, is a one way signal. Brain puts out signals and something picks up the signals. There is no tech in existence, theoretical or otherwise, that can send information to the brain in this context. The only useful application for a neural implant device is for disabled people. If you have a prosthetic arm, an implant device might be somewhat better than other input methods for controlling the arm, but that's never going to be a mass market kind of thing.

I the video, they say they want to have their robot be commercially available one year from now.