Latest Tech News

Apple may again be partnering with silicon chip manufacturer TSMC to produce its own AI server processor, according to a leak from Chinese social network Weibo.

Yes, news of Apple’s next step into the world of artificial intelligence tools is unironically brought to you by, MacRumors reports, “the Weibo user known as ‘Phone Chip Expert’”, who suggests that the processor will be produced using TSMC’s state of the art 3 nanometer node.

As MacRumors points out, the Weibo user known as Phone Chip Expert has form, having correctly identified ahead of formal announcements that the iPhone 7 would be water resistant and that the A16 Bionic chip would be exclusive to the iPhone 14’s Pro variant.

Apple AI progress

The Weibo user known as Phone Chip Expert may well be about to strike again with their clairvoyant powers, but it’s unclear as to exactly when Apple would formally announce such an AI processor, let alone launch it commercially. 

In an increasingly AI-crazed world driven by data centers, it doesn’t surprise us that Apple are striving to be self-sufficient in its cloud computing processes. 

Apple is a behemoth large enough to run its own data centers, and as generative AI tools, such as Apple’s own upcoming on-device large language model (LLM), increasingly trickle down to B2B and consumer audiences, it may as well exert as much control and oversight as possible over how that processing is done.

It’s clear that Apple have designs in the ‘AI space’ (blech), and supposedly even have credible ideas about it might improve our lives, but neither we, you, or the Weibo user known as Phone Chip Expert will truly know what those are until, probably, the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June.

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The Ultimate Guide to Cleaning Your Stove: How to Clean Gas, Induction and Glass Cooktops - CNET

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OpenAI's new Sora text-to-video generation tool won't be publicly available until later this year, but in the meantime it's serving up some tantalizing glimpses of what it can do – including a mind-bending new video (below) showing what TED Talks might look like in 40 years.

To create the FPV drone-style video, TED Talks worked with OpenAI and the filmmaker Paul Trillo, who's been using Sora since February. The result is an impressive, if slightly bewildering, fly-through of futuristic conference talks, weird laboratories and underwater tunnels.

The video again shows both the incredible potential of OpenAI Sora and its limitations. The FPV drone-style effect has become a popular one for hard-hitting social media videos, but it traditionally requires advanced drone piloting skills and expensive kit that goes way beyond the new DJI Avata 2.

Sora's new video shows that these kind of effects could be opened up to new creators, potentially at a vastly lower cost – although that comes with the caveat that we don't yet know how much OpenAI's new tool itself will cost and who it'll be available to.

What will TED look like in 40 years? For #TED2024, we worked with artist @PaulTrillo and @OpenAI to create this exclusive video using Sora, their unreleased text-to-video model. Stay tuned for more groundbreaking AI — coming soon to https://t.co/YLcO5Ju923! pic.twitter.com/lTHhcUm4FiApril 19, 2024

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But the video (above) also shows that Sora is still quite far short of being a reliable tool for full-blown movies. The people in the shots are on-screen for only a couple of seconds and there's plenty of uncanny valley nightmare fuel in the background.

The result is an experience that's exhilarating, while also leaving you feeling strangely off-kilter – like touching down again after a sky dive. Still, I'm definitely keen to see more samples as we hurtle towards Sora's public launch later in 2024.

How was the video made?

(Image credit: OpenAI / TED Talks)

OpenAI and TED Talks didn't go into detail about how this specific video was made, but its creator Paul Trillo recently talked more broadly about his experiences of being one of Sora's alpha tester.

Trillo told Business Insider about the kinds of prompts he uses, including "a cocktail of words that I use to make sure that it feels less like a video game and something more filmic". Apparently these include prompts like "35 millimeter", "anamorphic lens", and "depth of field lens vignette", which are needed or else Sora will "kind of default to this very digital-looking output".

Right now, every prompt has to go through OpenAI so it can be run through its strict safeguards around issues like copyright. One of Trillo's most interesting observations is that Sora is currently "like a slot machine where you ask for something, and it jumbles ideas together, and it doesn't have a real physics engine to it".

This means that it's still a long way way off from being truly consistent with people and object states, something that OpenAI admitted in an earlier blog post. OpenAI said that Sora "currently exhibits numerous limitations as a simulator", including the fact that "it does not accurately model the physics of many basic interactions, like glass shattering".

These incoherencies will likely limit Sora to being a short-form video tool for some time, but it's still one I can't wait to try out.

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AMD is introducing two new adaptive SoCs - Versal AI Edge Series Gen 2 for AI-driven embedded systems, and Versal Prime Series Gen 2 for classic embedded systems.

Multi-chip solutions typically come with significant overheads but single hardware architecture isn’t fully optimized for all three AI phases - preprocessing, AI inference, and postprocessing. 

To tackle these challenges, AMD has developed a single-chip heterogeneous processing solution that streamlines these processes and maximizes performance.

Early days yet

The Versal AI Edge Series Gen 2 adaptive SoCs provide end-to-end acceleration for AI-driven embedded systems, which the tech giant says is built on a foundation of improved safety and security. AMD has integrated a high-performance processing system, incorporating Arm CPUs and next-generation AI Engines, with top-class programmable logic, creating a device that expertly handles all three computational phases required in embedded AI applications.

AMD says the Versal AI Edge Series Gen 2 SoCs are suitable for a wide spectrum of embedded markets, including those with high-security, high-reliability, long lifecycle, and safety-critical demands. Purposes include autonomous driving, industrial PCs, autonomous robots, edge AI boxes and ultrasound, endoscopy and 3D imaging in health care.

The processing system of the integrated CPUs includes up to 8x Arm Cortex-A78AE application processors, up to 10x Arm Cortex-R52 real-time processors, and support for USB 3.2, DisplayPort 1.4, 10G Ethernet, PCIe Gen5, and more.

The devices meet ASIL D / SIL 3 operating requirements and are compliant with a range of other safety and security standards. They reportedly offer up to three times the TOPS/watt for AI inference and up to ten times the scalar compute with powerful CPUs for postprocessing.

Salil Raje, senior vice president of AMD’s Adaptive and Embedded Computing Group, said, “The demand for AI-enabled embedded applications is exploding and driving the need for solutions that bring together multiple compute engines on a single chip for the most efficient end-to-end acceleration within the power and area constraints of embedded systems. Backed by over 40 years of adaptive computing leadership in high-security, high-reliability, long-lifecycle, and safety-critical applications, these latest generation Versal devices offer high compute efficiency and performance on a single architecture that scales from the low-end to high-end.”

Early access documentation and evaluation kits for the devices are available now. The first silicon samples of Versal Series Gen 2 are expected at the start of next year, with production slated to begin late 2025.

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Latest Tech News

We're set to hear much more about what's coming with macOS 15 when Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) gets underway on June 10 – and one app in particular is rumored to be getting a major upgrade.

That app is the Calculator app, and while it perhaps isn't the most exciting piece of software that Apple makes, AppleInsider reckons the upcoming upgrade is "the most significant upgrade" the app has been given "in years".

It's so substantial, it's got its own codename: GreyParrot (that's said to be a nod towards the African grey parrot, known for its cognitive abilities). Part of the upgrade will apparently include the Math Notes feature we've already heard about in relation to a Notes app upgrade due in iOS 18.

It sounds as though Math Notes is going to make it easier to ferry calculations between the Notes and the Calculator apps. A new sidebar showing the Calculator history is reported to be on the way too. This might well get its own button on the app, AppleInsider says.

Currency conversions

Currency conversions currently require a pop-up dialog (Image credit: Future)

A visual redesign is also apparently on the way, with "rounded buttons and darker shades of black" to match the iOS Calculator. Users will also be able to resize the Calculator app window, with the buttons resizing accordingly, which isn't currently possible.

Unit conversion is going to be made more intuitive and easier to access, AppleInsider says, with no need to open up the menus to select conversion types – at the moment, it's necessary to select currencies in a pop-up dialog.

The thinking is that Apple wants to better compete with apps such as OneNote from Microsoft, and the third-party Calcbot app for macOS. It's been a long time since the Calculator app was changed in any way, and its rather basic feature set means it's lagging behind other alternatives.

According to AppleInsider, there's no guarantee that Apple will go through with this Calculator upgrade, but it seems likely. Expect to hear much more about macOS 15, iOS 18, and Apple's other software products at WWDC 2024 on June 10.

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Latest Tech News

It’s been rumored for a while now that Google is considering charging users for AI powered results, especially concerning the idea of a premium search option which leverages generative AI.

Whether that will happen remains to be seen, but Google is ending the era of free access to its Gemini API, signaling a new financial strategy within its AI development.

Developers previously enjoyed free access to lure them towards Google’s AI products and away from OpenAI’s, but that is set to change. OpenAI was first to market and has already monetized its APIs and LLM access. Now Google is planning to emulate this through its cloud and AI Studio services, and it seems the days of unfettered free access are numbered.

RIP PaLM API

In an email to developers, Google said it was shutting down access to its PaLM API (the pre-Gemini model which was used to build custom chatbots) to developers via AI Studio on August 15. This API was deprecated back in February.

The tech giant is hoping to convert free users into paying customers by promoting the stable Gemini 1.0 Pro. “We encourage testing prompts, tuning, inference, and other features with stable Gemini 1.0 Pro to avoid interruptions," The email reads. “You can use the same API key you used for the PaLM API to access Gemini models through Google AI SDKs.”

Pricing for the paid plan begins at $7 for one million input tokens and rises to $21 for the same number of output tokens.

There is one exception to Google’s plans - PaLM and Gemini will remain accessible to customers paying for Vertex AI in Google Cloud. However, as HPCWire points out, “Regular developers on cheaper budgets typically use AI Studio as they cannot afford Vertex.”

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Honda has revealed a new line-up of slick, sporty and decidedly future-thinking electric vehicles that comprises of two SUVs and a low-slung four-door GT that packs a racing-inspired cabin… but there’s a catch.

The Ye Series, which will be joined by a further three concepts in the very near future, is only destined for China and will be fully unveiled in the flesh at the Beijing motor show next week.

Honda says the models are a joint venture between itself and Dongfeng Honda and GAC Honda, two companies that operate in the Chinese domestic market. Despite looking like concept vehicles, the P7 and S7 SUVs are due on sale towards the end of the year.

The pair of sharply-styled crossovers ride on a newly developed dedicated platform and are designed in pursuit of the "joy of driving," according to the slightly clunky press release that a companied the announcement.

(Image credit: Honda)

They will be offered in either a one-motor rear-wheel-drive or dual-motor four-wheel-drive option, and have been specifically engineered to serve up "sporty and crisp handling", although the company doesn’t mention anything about battery capacity, range and charging times.

Compared to the e:Ny1 and the Prologue, which is due to arrive in the US later this year, they are altogether more futuristic, with cameras replacing conventional wing mirrors and longer, wider and lower stances on the road.

To rub further salt into the wounds of Western customers, Honda has also said it plans to offer a production version of the low-slung and rather attractive GT Concept, which the Japanese company claims has a “race driver” seating position and "dynamic performance". 

There’s no word on the interiors of all three models (we will have to wait for the Beijing motor show for those), but Honda has said that these China-bound EVs will feature AI-powered assistants, oodles of space inside and funky LED lights that can be personalized with specific lighting patterns.

Analysis: Is this proof that hybrids still rule in Europe and the US?

(Image credit: Honda)

Honda's decision to offer arguably its most exciting models since the innovative and stylish E exclusively to Chinese customers could be a good indication that it believes that hybrids and - dare we say it - combustion engines are still the powertrain of choice for the majority of customers everywhere else.

China is already leagues ahead of the rest of the world in terms of EV uptake, with a staggering 7.7 million units sold in 2023 alone. The country accounts for nearly 60 per cent of EV sales worldwide and more than half of the electric cars on the road today are found there.

So, it appears that if we want to see the results of Honda’s exciting and experimental new design language, we need to start buying more battery electric vehicles. Otherwise we're stuck with the distinctly safe e:Ny1, Prologue and a handful of plug-in hybrids.

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For a month now, hackers have been mounting a large-scale credential stuffing attack against multiple Virtual Private Network (VPN) instances around the world. At the moment, it’s hard to say who is behind the attack, or what the motives are, but researchers have some clues.

As reported by Ars Technica, Cisco’s Talos security team recently warned of an ongoing campaign in which attackers keep trying more than 2,000 usernames and some 100 passwords against different VPNs. Some of the products in the attackers’ crosshairs include Cisco Secure Firewall VPN, Checkpoint VPN, Fortinet VPN, SonicWall VPN, RD Web Services, Mikrotik, Draytek, and Ubiquiti, however others could be targeted, as well.

The victims are scattered all over the world, and operate in various verticals, prompting the researchers to conclude that the attackers don’t have a preferred target, but are rather casting as wide of a net as possible.

Growing in strength

“Depending on the target environment, successful attacks of this type may lead to unauthorized network access, account lockouts, or denial-of-service conditions,” the researchers said in their report. “The traffic related to these attacks has increased with time and is likely to continue to rise.”

While the evidence is inconclusive, the researchers believe this could be the work of the same threat actor that targeted Cisco a few weeks back. They are basing this assumption on the facts that there are “technical overlaps” in how the attacks were conducted, and that in both instances, the same infrastructure was used. In the Cisco campaign, the goal was reconnaissance, so the speculation is that it’s the same this time around.

The IP addresses found from the previous attack were already added to Cisco’s block list for its VPN, and organizations worried about these attacks are advised to do the same, for any third-party VPN they have deployed.

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A super-powerful all-in-one PC has been unveiled by Alafia AI, a startup specializing in advanced imaging appliances. 

The Alafia Aivas SuperWorkstation is a medical imaging behemoth powered by an Ampere Altra Max 128 ARM v8.2+ 64-bit CPU running at 3.0GHz, and Nvidia GPUs.

The SuperWorkstation sports a 27-inch 4K touch-sensitive rotating display and comes with 2TB DDR4 memory and an 8TB SSD expandable up to 72TB.

Won't run Windows

Alafia AI claims the GPUs have up to 28,416 cores, but we’re not entirely sure of the setup. Tom’s Hardware says the device has Nvidia RTX 4000 and RTX A3000 GPUs but the latest specs revealed at Embedded World 2024 say only that it’s powered by a single Nvidia RTX card, with AI acceleration provided by the "three Nvidia Tesla Ada Architecture Tensor Core GPUs". Nvidia retired the Tesla brand in May 2020. We've asked Alafia AI for clarification.

The SuperWorkstation doesn’t run Windows, instead it has a custom OS (ALAFIA OS 24.04 LTS) for AI inference and medical healthcare. The workstation reportedly features a custom cooling solution to manage its 700w power consumption efficiently.

The machine has two Intel X550 RJ45 (10GbE) one Intel i210 (1GbE) RJ45 ports and can drive three additional screens via HDMI, DP and miniDP ports, at up to 8K. There are also USB-C 3.2 and USB-A 3.2 ports, and connectivity is provided in the form of Wi-Fi 7 802.11be and Bluetooth 5.4.

The company plans a Q2 2024 hardware release, and as you might expect there’s no actual published pricing – potential buyers will need to contact the company directly for that.

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