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Tag: Intel

  • Intel Plans to Make Chips for the Auto Industry

    Intel Plans to Make Chips for the Auto Industry

    Intel is planning to make chips for the auto industry, with the first chips being made in the next six to nine months.

    The auto industry has been hit especially hard by the global chip shortage, resulting in shutdowns and slowed production. GM has even resorted to shipping trucks without their full complement of fuel management chips, leading the 2021 models to get 1 MPG less than they should.

    Intel is hoping to help alleviate that shortage, and is in talks with auto chip makers to use the company’s factories for production. The company had previously announced plans to open two chip factories in Arizona, with plans to use them for manufacturing semiconductors for its clients.

    According to Reuters, Intel is not waiting for the new factories to be opened, and will dedicate some of its existing factory resources — specifically in Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico, Israel and Ireland — to helping the auto industry.

    “We’re hoping that some of these things can be alleviated, not requiring a three- or four-year factory build, but maybe six months of new products being certified on some of our existing processes,” CEO Pat Gelsinger said. “We’ve begun those engagements already with some of the key components suppliers.”

    Given the Biden administration’s focus on easing the semiconductor crisis, Intel will likely have whatever support it needs to make its plans a reality.

  • Intel CEO Wants Apple Back As a Customer

    Intel CEO Wants Apple Back As a Customer

    Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has his sights set on regaining Apple as a customer, thanks to Intel’s planned factories in Arizona.

    Apple made headlines when it announced it would be transitioning its Mac platform to its own custom silicon, based on Arm designs. Previously, Apple used its own custom silicon in iPhone and iPads, but relied on Intel’s chips for its Mac computers.

    Unfortunately for Intel, the company was no longer able to meet Apple’s needs. Intel’s chips increasingly started falling behind rival AMD’s semiconductors, and failed to keep up with the power savings and performance Apple was able to achieve with its custom silicon.

    To make matters worse, Intel had some high-profile issues with quality control. In fact, according to former Intel engineer François Piednoël, at one point Apple was finding almost as many bugs in Intel’s chips as Intel’s own team — not a good way to convince a company to stay with your products.

    “The quality assurance of Skylake was more than a problem … It was abnormally bad,” said Piednoël. “We were getting way too much citing for little things inside Skylake. Basically our buddies at Apple became the number one filer of problems in the architecture. And that went really, really bad. When your customer starts finding almost as much bugs as you found yourself, you’re not leading into the right place.”

    Despite losing Apple, Gelsinger is intent on getting them back, if not as a customer of Intel’s in-house chips, then as a manufacturing customer.

    Intel’s new factories are being built in Arizona with the goal of challenging TSMC, the company Apple currently uses to manufacture its chips, and bring more semiconductor manufacturing to the US. As a result, Intel is positioning itself as an alternative manufacturing partner, giving companies like Apple, Qualcomm, Nokia and Microsoft another option and a way to diversify their supply chain.

    In an interview with Yahoo Finance, Gelsinger laid out his hope.

    Apple is a customer, and I hope to make them a big foundry customer because today they’re wholly dependent on Taiwan Semiconductor. We want to present great options for them to leverage our foundry services, as well, just like we’re working with Qualcomm and Microsoft to leverage our foundry. We’re going to be delivering great technology, some things that can’t be done anywhere else in the world.

    In an interview with BBC News, Gelsinger emphasized it wouldn’t be an easy sell, and Intel would have to demonstrate that it could successfully meet customers’ needs.

    Everybody wants multiple suppliers. So we think there’s very real potential. But I have to earn that business. I have to be able to go to my competitors and be able to say: “I want you to become my customer.”

    And that also includes Nvidia, Qualcomm and Broadcom, in addition to Microsoft and IBM. I want all of them to say: “I need more technology… and I trust that Intel is going to become one of my key suppliers.”

    And that includes Apple as one of the biggest users of advanced semiconductor capabilities.

    Gelsinger certainly doesn’t lack for ambition in his efforts to turn Intel’s fortunes around. It remains to be seen if he and Intel can deliver the goods.

  • Intel Investing $20 Billion to Build Two Arizona Plants

    Intel Investing $20 Billion to Build Two Arizona Plants

    Intel has announced it is investing $20 billion to build two new chip factories in Arizona.

    Intel is in the process of trying to turn its business around, after several years of setbacks. The company has dealt with supply issues, quality control issues, security bugs and losing Apple, one of its biggest customers. The company is even outsourcing some of its chip production.

    The company’s turnaround began with a new CEO. VMware’s Pat Gelsinger replaced Bob Swan, and began aggressively working to help the company regain its former glory.

    As part of Intel’s latest initiative, Gelsinger announced plans to build two new factories in Arizona.

    “We are setting a course for a new era of innovation and product leadership at Intel,” said Gelsinger. “Intel is the only company with the depth and breadth of software, silicon and platforms, packaging, and process with at-scale manufacturing customers can depend on for their next-generation innovations. IDM 2.0 is an elegant strategy that only Intel can deliver – and it’s a winning formula. We will use it to design the best products and manufacture them in the best way possible for every category we compete in.”

    The company’s plans will result in thousands of jobs, and make a significant contribution to the local economy.

    This build-out represents an investment of approximately $20 billion, which is expected to create over 3,000 permanent high-tech, high-wage jobs; over 3,000 construction jobs; and approximately 15,000 local long-term jobs. Today, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo participated with Intel executives in the announcement. Gelsinger commented: “We are excited to be partnering with the state of Arizona and the Biden administration on incentives that spur this type of domestic investment.” Intel expects to accelerate capital investments beyond Arizona, and Gelsinger said he plans to announce the next phase of capacity expansions in the U.S., Europe and other global locations within the year.

    It remains to be seen if Intel can undo its recent setbacks, but today’s announcement is a step in the right direction.

  • Apple Selects Munich For New 5G and Wireless Facility

    Apple Selects Munich For New 5G and Wireless Facility

    Apple has announced it is investing 1 billion euros to make Munich its European Silicon Design Center for 5G and future wireless technology research.

    Apple has been working to create its own 5G modems and end its dependence on Qualcomm for some time. The company purchased Intel’s 5G modem business after the latter failed to make headway against Qualcomm.

    Munich is already Apple’s largest European engineering hub, with nearly 1,500 engineers.

    “I couldn’t be more excited for everything our Munich engineering teams will discover — from exploring the new frontiers of 5G technology, to a new generation of technologies that bring power, speed, and connectivity to the world,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Munich has been a home to Apple for four decades, and we’re grateful to this community and to Germany for being a part of our journey.”

    Apple says the new facility will house the company’s cellular unit, with a focus on 5G and future wireless technology. The facility will be 30,000 square meters, located in central Munich’s Karlstrasse.

    The Munich investment will no doubt play a significant role in Apple’s future developments, especially as the company moves more and more of its component tech in-house.

  • Intel and Microsoft Working For DARPA On Usable Homomorphic Encryption

    Intel and Microsoft Working For DARPA On Usable Homomorphic Encryption

    Intel and Microsoft are working with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop a usable form of homomorphic encryption.

    Homomorphic encryption is considered the holy grail of encryption. With standard options, data is encrypted when stored and in transit, but it must be decrypted to manipulate.

    In contrast, homomorphic encryption keeps all values encrypted, even when in use. For example, two numerical values encrypted with homomorphic encryption could be given to a third party, added together and returned. All values, including the calculated sum, would remain encrypted the entire time, with only the originator able to decrypt them. Homomorphic encryption would be a significant upgrade over current methods.

    Fully homomorphic encryption remains the holy grail in the quest to keep data secure while in use. Despite strong advances in trusted execution environments and other confidential computing technologies to protect data while at rest and in transit, data is unencrypted during computation, opening the possibility of potential attacks at this stage. This frequently inhibits our ability to fully share and extract the maximum value out of data. We are pleased to be chosen as a technology partner by DARPA and look forward to working with them as well as Microsoft to advance this next chapter in confidential computing and unlock the promise of fully homomorphic encryption for all. – Rosario Cammarota, principal engineer, Intel Labs, and principal investigator, DARPA DPRIVE program

    With ongoing cybersecurity threats, and an increased reliance on the cloud homomorphic encryption could be a valuable tool in the fight to keep data secure.

    We are pleased to bring our expertise in cloud computing and homomorphic encryption to the DARPA DPRIVE program, collaborating with Intel to advance this transformative technology when ready into commercial usages that will help our customers close the last-mile gap in data confidentiality —– keeping data fully secure and private, whether in storage, transit or use. – Dr. William Chappell, chief technology officer, Azure Global, and vice president, Mission Systems, Microsoft.

  • IBM Announces IBM Cloud Satellite, General Availability of its Hybrid Cloud Service

    IBM Announces IBM Cloud Satellite, General Availability of its Hybrid Cloud Service

    IBM has announced that its hybrid cloud service is now generally available to all clients, a major step in the company’s transformation.

    IBM announced in October that it would split into two companies. Its legacy business would be spun out as a separate company, while the core business focused on hybrid cloud. Since the announcement, IBM has been on a buying spree, snapping up smaller companies and startups that can help it achieve its goal.

    The company’s hybrid cloud service is now widely available, via its IBM Cloud Satellite service. The service is also integrated with Lumen Technologies’ edge platform to bring IBM’s cloud offerings to edge computing clients.

    “With the Lumen platform’s broad reach, we are giving our enterprise customers access to IBM Cloud Satellite to help them drive innovation more rapidly at the edge,” said Paul Savill, SVP Enterprise Product Management and Services at Lumen. “Our enterprise customers can now extend IBM Cloud services across Lumen’s robust global network, enabling them to deploy data-heavy edge applications that demand high security and ultra-low latency. By bringing secure and open hybrid cloud capabilities to the edge, our customers can propel their businesses forward and take advantage of the emerging applications of the 4th Industrial Revolution.”

    IBM is working with more than 65 ecosystem partners — including Cisco, Dell and Intel — to ensure customers can run their hybrid cloud workloads in any environment, thanks to IBM Cloud Satellite. Service partners will also offer migration and deployment services to help customers make the transition. IBM Cloud Satellite customers will have access to Red Hat OpenShift-certified software via the Red Hat Marketplace.

    “IBM is working with clients to leverage advanced technologies like edge computing and AI, enabling them to digitally transform with hybrid cloud while keeping data security at the forefront,” said Howard Boville, Head of IBM Hybrid Cloud Platform. “With IBM Cloud Satellite, clients can securely gain the benefits of cloud services anywhere, from the core of the data center to the farthest reaches of the network.”

  • Mystery Malware Found On M1 and Intel Macs

    Mystery Malware Found On M1 and Intel Macs

    A new malware discovered on some 30,000 Macs — both Intel and Apple’s M1 variety — has researchers stumped.

    Malware is a relatively rare thing in the Mac community. For decades, the Mac enjoyed “security through obscurity,” meaning that its low market share made it a low-priority target for most hackers. In addition, macOS is based on UNIX, giving it relatively secure underpinnings. Apple has also taken a number of major steps to further harden macOS, all of which make it a very secure operating system (OS).

    Nonetheless, researchers at Red Canary have discovered two variants of a macOS malware they have dubbed “Silver Sparrow.” According to the researchers, the only real difference between the two variants is that one targets Intel-based Macs exclusively, while the second is a universal binary, meaning it is compiled to run on Intel and M1-based Macs.

    The latter is especially significant, since Apple’s custom M1 chip is based on Arm designs, and is essentially a desktop-class version of the chip used in the iPhone and iPad. As of the time of writing, Silver Sparrow has infected some 29,139 Macs in 153 countries. High numbers of infected machines were found in the US, UK, Canada, France and Germany.

    What’s even more suspicious, however, is there doesn’t appear to be a payload in the malware. A payload is the final goal the malware is programmed with, such as locking files for ransom, deleting files, stealing information, etc. With Silver Sparrow, researchers have yet to find its payload. They know the malware checks every hour to see what new content its creators want it to download but, as of yet, no payload has been downloaded by the infected machines.

    “After observing the malware for over a week, neither we nor our research partners observed a final payload, leaving the ultimate goal of Silver Sparrow activity a mystery,” writes Red Canary’s Tony Lambert.

    Red Canary also found the malware was “distributed through malicious advertisements as single, self-contained installers in PKG or DMG form, masquerading as a legitimate application—such as Adobe Flash Player—or as updates,” adds Lambert. “In this case, however, the adversary distributed the malware in two distinct packages: updater.pkg and update.pkg.”

    It remains to be seen what the ultimate goal of Silver Sparrow’s creators is. In the meantime, macOS users should update their antivirus software and check out Red Canary’s blog for detection and mitigation information.

  • Apple Already Working On 6G Tech

    Apple Already Working On 6G Tech

    5G may just be ramping up, but Apple already has its sights set on the future and 6G.

    6G is still years away, with no specification or concrete guidelines. Nonetheless, Apple seems intent on getting started sooner rather than later. The company has long been reliant on Qualcomm for its modems, no doubt a sore point given their history of litigation.

    Apple has already taken steps to end its dependence on Qualcomm, buying Intel’s failed modem business. Early reportssuggested the company may be planning to begin using its own modems as early as 2022.

    According to job postings on Apple’s site, using its own 5G modems is just the beginning. In a posting entitled “Wireless Research Systems Engineer – 5G/6G”, Apple outlines its vision for the job:

    We are looking for expert and highly self-motivated communication systems engineers who have a deep understanding of wireless technology used in state of the art indoor and outdoor wireless networks. In this role you will be at the center of a cutting-edge research group responsible for creating next generation disruptive radio access technologies over the next decade. You will work on defining system level concepts, proposing and researching innovative ideas & algorithms, performing complex system simulations, defining rapid prototyping platforms to help prove your ideas and specifying RAN protocols and for next generation (5G/6G) cellular systems.

    Similarly, another posting, “RAN1/RAN4 Standards Engineer”, has the following line:

    You will be part of a team defining and doing research of next generation standards like 6G.

    Apple clearly wants to be at the forefront of 6G development and is wasting no time getting started.

  • Samsung Looking to Build $10 Billion Chipmaking Factory in Texas

    Samsung Looking to Build $10 Billion Chipmaking Factory in Texas

    Samsung is considering a $10 billion factory in Texas, its most advanced to date in the US.

    Samsung is the largest smartphone maker, as well as the largest memory chip maker, but the company lags behind rival TSMC as a semiconductor maker. While Samsung has been working to catch up for some time, there are a number of current factors that could be driving Samsung’s considerations.

    US officials have shown increased interest in revitalizing the US semiconductor business. The early days of the pandemic illustrated the potential shortcomings of being so reliant on China and overseas companies for critical tech components, as multiple companies and industries were paralyzed when China went into lockdown. There has also been increased concern over the security implications of relying on China.

    As a result, there’s never been a better time to invest in the US semiconductor industry. Adding to the opportunity is Intel’s recent troubles, including its decision to outsource production of some of its chips to TSMC, although Samsung was also part of the negotiations.

    According to Bloomberg the company is locking to establish a factory in Austin, one that will eventually be able to fabricate 3 nanometers processors. If the deal moves forward, construction would begin this year, with manufacturing starting as early as 2023. The project could end up costing more than $10 billion.

  • Intel Outsources i3 to TSMC

    Intel Outsources i3 to TSMC

    Intel has decided to outsource its i3 processors to TSMC, after considering such a move for months.

    Intel has fallen on hard times in recent years, being eclipsed by its long-time rival AMD, as well as Apple’s switch to its own, ARM-based, custom silicon. The company has dealt with security flaws, production bugs and supply issues. Most recently, it was announced that Pat Gelsinger would replace Bob Swan as CEO.

    One of the biggest indications of Intel’s troubles was its willingness to consider outsourcing its processor manufacturing. While Intel has outsourced non-CPU chips for some time, this step would have never been an option years ago.

    It appears Intel has moved forward, with plans to outsource its i3 production to TSMC in 2021, before moving its high-end chips over in 2022, according to TrendForce.

    While the company is planning to kick off mass production of Core i3 CPUs at TSMC’s 5nm node in 2H21, Intel’s mid-range and high-end CPUs are projected to enter mass production using TSMC’s 3nm node in 2H22.

    TrendForce believes the move will allow Intel to reserve its own in-house production for its most profitable, high-end chips.

  • Trump Administration Blocking More Companies From Selling to Huawei

    Trump Administration Blocking More Companies From Selling to Huawei

    The Trump administration is moving to revoke the licenses of companies previously cleared to sell products to Huawei.

    The US has engaged in a coordinated effort to isolate Huawei, citing national security concerns. The company is widely believed to have close ties with the Chinese government and intelligence apparatus. While all Chinese firms are required to cooperate with the government, Huawei’s ties are seen as closer than most.

    US officials have already banned Huawei, and pressured allies to do the same, with many following suit. The US even modified the Entity List and Foreign Direct Product Rule to cut the company off from suppliers, including those in other countries that rely on US technology. This resulted in Huawei losing access to chips from TSMC, Samsung and SK Hynix. In spite of that, some companies were granted licenses that allowed them to continue doing business with Huawei, such as Intel and Qualcomm.

    It appears the administration is preparing to revoke a number of those licenses, as well as deny additional applications, according to Reuters. One of the main companies impacted is Intel, with their license being one of the ones revoked.

    Reuters saw an email by the Semiconductor Industry Association, in which it said the Commerce Department intends “to deny a significant number of license requests for exports to Huawei and a revocation of at least one previously issued license.”

    It remains to be seen if the incoming Biden administration will take the same hard stance against Huawei but, for the time being, this is another major blow to the Chinese firm.

  • Intel’s CEO-To-Be Takes Shots At Apple

    Intel’s CEO-To-Be Takes Shots At Apple

    Intel’s soon-to-be CEO is already taking shots at Apple, as the new M1 Macs offer significant advantages over Intel-based machines.

    Intel made headlines Wednesday when it announced Intel alum and VMware CEO Pat Gelsinger would replace Bob Swan as CEO. The change comes at a time when Intel is facing pressure and challenges on all sides. Intel is clearly hoping that Gelsinger has the expertise and experience to turn things around.

    While Gelsinger isn’t slated to take over the reigns at Intel until February 15, that hasn’t stopped him from challenging Intel to beat Apple in the processor race.

    According to The Oregonian, Gelsinger made his comments at an all-hands meeting on Thursday.

    We have to deliver better products to the PC ecosystem than any possible thing that a lifestyle company in Cupertino. We have to be that good, in the future.

    Only time will tell if Intel can live up to Gelsinger’s aspirations. Either way, he’s definitely giving the company something to shoot for.

  • VMware’s Pat Gelsinger to Replace Bob Swan as Intel CEO

    VMware’s Pat Gelsinger to Replace Bob Swan as Intel CEO

    Intel has announced VMware CEO Pat Gelsinger will replace Bob Swan as CEO, effective February 15.

    Intel has been struggling in recent years, facing a host of problems. It has witnessed the rise of Arm-based chips, used in everything from phones to computers. AMD, a rival that historically has lagged behind Intel, has been resurgent, releasing chips that have challenged Intel’s core business. In addition to external threats, the company has faced internal problems, including the loss of leading chip engineers, “unfixable” security issues and ongoing production problems.

    Intel’s troubles even lead the Third Point hedge fund to pen a letter to Intel, demanding changes to address the problems. Swan indicated a willingness to work with Third Point on potential solutions.

    Intel has now announced a change in its top leadership, bringing Gelsinger onboard to replace Swan. Gelsinger is widely seen as one of the best choices to lead the company. He is a 30-year Intel veteran, giving him invaluable experience and insight into company culture. Most recently, he has served as CEO of VMware since 2012, leading that company to some of its greatest successes.

    “Pat is a proven technology leader with a distinguished track record of innovation, talent development, and a deep knowledge of Intel. He will continue a values-based cultural leadership approach with a hyper focus on operational execution,” said Omar Ishrak, independent chairman of the Intel board. “After careful consideration, the board concluded that now is the right time to make this leadership change to draw on Pat’s technology and engineering expertise during this critical period of transformation at Intel. The board is confident that Pat, together with the rest of the leadership team, will ensure strong execution of Intel’s strategy to build on its product leadership and take advantage of the significant opportunities ahead as it continues to transform from a CPU to a multi-architecture XPU company.”

    “I am thrilled to rejoin and lead Intel forward at this important time for the company, our industry and our nation,” said Gelsinger. “Having begun my career at Intel and learned at the feet of Grove, Noyce and Moore, it’s my privilege and honor to return in this leadership capacity. I have tremendous regard for the company’s rich history and powerful technologies that have created the world’s digital infrastructure. I believe Intel has significant potential to continue to reshape the future of technology and look forward to working with the incredibly talented global Intel team to accelerate innovation and create value for our customers and shareholders.”

    Gelsinger has a big challenge ahead of him, as he tries to turn things around at the beleaguered chipmaker. It remains to be seen if he will be successful, although he certainly has the background and experience to have a fighting chance.

  • CES 2021: Intel Announces New Processor Families, Takes On Arm

    CES 2021: Intel Announces New Processor Families, Takes On Arm

    Amid its escalating issues, Intel has announced new processor families, including one obviously aimed at Arm designs.

    Intel has been experiencing a slew of problems, from supply issues to security flaws to possibly outsourcing their production to TSMC or Samsung. The company has also faced increased pressure from a resurgent AMD, as well as Arm Holdings, whose designs are used by Apple in iPhones, iPads and now Macs. In spite of that, Intel is working hard to regain its position as the most innovative chipmaker in the industry.

    At CES 2021, Intel announced four new processor families. The vPro platform is the 11th Gen Intel chip aimed at businesses, offering the best performance. The Evo vPro platform is aimed at business laptop users, offering optimizations to improve battery life, responsiveness and instant wake features.

    Intel also teased its 12th generation chip, the Rocket Lake and Alder Lake lines. The Rocket Lake is a series of desktop processors, and will be aimed at gamers, PC enthusiasts and those who require the fastest performance.

    The most interesting addition, however, is the Alder Lake line. Intel describes it as “the next-generation processor that represents a significant breakthrough in x86 architecture and Intel’s most power-scalable system-on-chip. Due in second half of 2021, Alder Lake will combine high-performance cores and high-efficiency cores into a single product. Alder Lake will also be Intel’s first processor built on a new, enhanced version of 10nm SuperFin and will serve as the foundation for leadership desktop and mobile processors that deliver smarter, faster and more efficient real-world computing.”

    If that sounds familiar, it should. The combination of high-performance and high-efficiency cores is the same design principle Apple has touted with its Arm-based custom silicon it uses across its various devices. Apple’s new Arm-based M1 Macs have been met with rave reviews, smashing competitors, in both performance and battery life. It’s little wonder that Intel wants to offer a chip that more directly competes.

    If Intel can pull off its plans, the company could well regain some of the standing it once had.

  • Intel In Talks With TSMC and Samsung to Outsource Chip Production

    Intel In Talks With TSMC and Samsung to Outsource Chip Production

    Intel is in talks with TSMC and Samsung to produce some of the company’s chips.

    Intel has fallen on hard times of late. Once the undisputed leader of the semiconductor industry, the company has struggled to keep up with demand, has been plagued with security issues, lost one of its most high-profile customers, seen an exodus of its top chip engineers and experienced difficulties moving to 7nm processors.

    Intel’s troubles have led the company to consider outsourcing production of its chips to outside companies, something that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. In October, CEO Bob Swan said the company was looking at outsourcing and would make a decision in the next couple of months.

    According to Bloomberg Intel is now in talks with both TSMC and Samsung to outsource its production to them. The talks with Samsung, whose abilities still lag behind TSMC, are described as preliminary.

    It’s unclear how much business TSMC could take on. TSMC is the company Apple outsources production of its custom silicon, now used in iPhones, iPads and Macs. As a result, reports indicate that Apple has already booked some 80% of TSMC’s 5nm production, raising questions about how much of Intel’s business TSMC could absorb.

    While Intel is still holding out hope it will be able to turn things around and keep production in-house, it’s an amazing fall for one of the titans of the semiconductor business.

  • Intel Introduces RealSense ID Facial Recognition

    Intel Introduces RealSense ID Facial Recognition

    Intel has introduced RealSense ID Facial Authentication in an effort to deliver private, secure facial recognition.

    Traditional authentication methods leave much to be desired, especially with rise of ransomware attacks, software supply chain attacks, identity theft and additional threats. Intel’s hope is that RealSense ID will provide a more secure alternative, paving the way to use facial recognition to unlock access controls, smart locks, ATMs, kiosks, POS systems and more.

    Intel touts the ease with which RealSense can be deployed and used.

    With an easy enrollment process and no network setup needed, Intel RealSense ID brings a highly accurate, natural solution that simplifies secure entry. Using only a glance, users are able to quickly unlock what’s important to them. Intel RealSense ID combines active depth with a specialized neural network, a dedicated system-on-chip and embedded secure element to encrypt and process user data quickly and safely.

    Facial recognition has become one of the most controversial technologies in existence. It appears Intel is trying to bring some credibility and security to the technology, emphasizing the potential good it can offer.

  • Linus Torvalds Switches to AMD, Slams Intel

    Linus Torvalds Switches to AMD, Slams Intel

    AMD has gotten a boost from an unexpected source, as Linus Torvalds has switched to AMD and slammed Intel.

    As the creator of the Linux operating system (OS), Torvalds is widely respected within the tech industry. He continues to be a powerful voice in the Linux community, as well as the developer community at large. As a result, when Torvalds make his preference for one processor over another clear, and slams another, it tends to make people take notice.

    In posts on Real World Technologies’ forums, Torvalds’ criticism of Intel came down to two factors: cost and the lack of Error-Correcting Code (ECC) memory.

    No. I used to look at the Xeon CPU’s, and I could never really make the math work. The Intel math was basically that you get twice the CPU for five times the price. So for my personal workstations, I ended up using Intel consumer CPU’s.

    The AMD Threadripper pricing is much closer to “twice the price for twice the CPU”. Yes, you end up paying more for the accoutrements (MB and cooling), but that’s pretty much in line too. So yes, it ends up being more expensive, but if CPU power is what you want and need, the expense is pretty much in line with what you get.

    Torvalds harshest criticism was reserved for Intel’s approach (or lack thereof) to ECC memory. As its name suggests, ECC is designed to scan for and correct simple errors and data corruption that occurs in memory storage. Torvalds blasted Intel for its stance on ECC.

    The arguments against ECC were always complete and utter garbage. Now even the memory manufacturers are starting [to] do ECC internally because they finally owned up to the fact that they absolutely have to.

    Torvalds says Intel has pushed an erroneous narrative to users for years.

    How many times has a row-hammer like bit-flip happened just by pure bad luck on real non-attack loads? We will never know. Because Intel was pushing shit to consumers.

    And I absolutely guarantee they happened. The “modern DRAM is so reliable that it doesn’t need ECC” was always a bedtime story for children that had been dropped on their heads a bit too many times.

    While its ECC support may not be “officially verified,” AMD’s chips at least support the feature.

    And the fact that it’s “unofficial” for AMD doesn’t matter. It works. And it allows the markets to – admittedly probably very slowly – start fixing themselves.

    But I blame Intel, because they were the big fish in the pond, and they were the ones that caused the ECC market to basically implode over a couple of decades.

    It’s no secret Intel has been struggling, losing market share to AMD and seeing the mobile market dominated by Arm Holdings. Torvalds criticism only adds to Intel’s troubles.

  • UK Watchdog Investigating Nvidia’s Purchase of Arm Holdings

    UK Watchdog Investigating Nvidia’s Purchase of Arm Holdings

    Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is launching an investigation into Nvidia’s acquisition of Arm Holdings.

    Arm Holdings is the UK’s most successful tech firm, and is at the center of the semiconductor industry. The company’s chip designs are used in iPhones, iPads, Macs, Android phones, servers and more. The company is, along with AMD, responsible for Intel’s fall as the world’s dominant chipmaker.

    Nvidia and Arm made headlines in September when it was announced Nvidia would acquire Arm for $40 billion. The announcement was greeted with skepticism and denunciation from many corners of Britain, as well as the the industry, with Arm’s co-founder calling the deal an “absolute disaster.” In addition to the 3,000 UK jobs at stake, many are worried about the possibility of Arm’s neutrality being corrupted.

    Arm doesn’t manufacturer any of its own chips, unlike Intel and AMD. Instead, it licenses its designs to companies throughout the tech industry, who then manufacture chips based on those designs. As such, Arm is the chipmaking equivalent of Switzerland, working with everyone and excluding no one. Many industry experts are concerned that may change under Nvidia, a company that has a vested interest in preventing competitors from using Arm’s designs to gain any advantage over it.

    In addition, with the ongoing nationalization of technology — as evidenced by the US cutting off China-based Huawei from its chip suppliers — there is concern within the UK of their premier tech company being under the control of a US-based company.

    These concerns have now culminated in the CMA launching an investigation, according to The Guardian. As part of their investigation, the CMA is calling “for interested parties to submit views on the contentious deal before the launch of a formal investigation later this year.”

    It remains to be seen how the CMA will rule. However, given the stakes for the British tech industry, as well as the tech industry at large, it seems likely the CMA may seek to block the deal.

  • Intel Willing to Work With Third Point Hedge Fund

    Intel Willing to Work With Third Point Hedge Fund

    Intel has signaled it is willing to work with Third Point hedge fund to improve its business.

    As we reported earlier today, Third Point’s CEO sent a letter to Intel’s chairman urging changes as the chipmaker lags behind rivals.

    “Without immediate change at Intel, we fear that America’s access to leading-edge semiconductor supply will erode, forcing the U.S. to rely more heavily on a geopolitically unstable East Asia to power everything from PCs to data centers to critical infrastructure and more,” CEO Daniel Loeb wrote.

    According to International Business Times, It appears Intel is open to discussion with Third Point in an effort to make changes.

    “Intel Corporation welcomes input from all investors regarding enhanced shareholder value,” the California tech giant said. “In that spirit, we look forward to engaging with Third Point LLC on their ideas towards that goal.”

  • Intel’s Troubles Mount As Hedge Fund Urges Action

    Intel’s Troubles Mount As Hedge Fund Urges Action

    Third Point LLC, an activist hedge fund, is urging Intel to make changes to address its falling status in the chipmaking industry.

    Once the undisputed leader in chipmaking, Intel’s processors were used in everything from mobile devices to PCs to servers. Unfortunately for the company, it failed to keep up with changes in the industry, especially with the rise of mobile processing.

    Designed by Arm Holdings, ARM chips are known for their outstanding performance to power consumption ratio. ARM-based chips power iPhones, iPads, Android devices and, most recently, computers. In the case of Apple’s Mac platform, the ARM-based M1 offers superior performance to comparable Intel chips while using a fraction of the energy. The result are machines that run cooler and have much longer battery life.

    Intel, in contrast, has struggled to offer that winning combination of performance and efficiency. The company struggled to move to 7nm processors, has had issues keeping up with demand and been plagued with “unfixable” security issues. The company has also lost some of its best engineers, including Jim Keller and Murthy Renduchintala.

    To make matters worse, AMD has been chipping away at some of Intel’s stronghold markets, especially with its Ryzen line of chips. The Ryzen 3000 took aim at the desktop, the 4000 series made headway in the mobile market and the 5000 is challenging Intel in the gaming market. Meanwhile, the Threadripper Pro is challenging Intel’s server dominance.

    Intel’s issues have reached the point where the company is even considering outsourcing its chip production.

    Third Point CEO Daniel Loeb wrote to Intel’s chairman, Omar Ishrak, urging the company to take action to address its issues, according to Reuters.

    “Without immediate change at Intel, we fear that America’s access to leading-edge semiconductor supply will erode, forcing the U.S. to rely more heavily on a geopolitically unstable East Asia to power everything from PCs to data centers to critical infrastructure and more,” Loeb wrote.

    One of the suggested remedies was “separating its chip design from its semiconductor fabrication plant manufacturing operations, according to the sources. This could include a joint venture in manufacturing, according to the sources.”

    It’s unclear if Intel will respond, although Third Point’s nearly $1 billion stake in Intel could make it hard to ignore. Either way, one thing is clear: Intel must figure out a way to turn its business around before it’s too late.

  • Microsoft Designing ARM Chip For Azure and Surface

    Microsoft Designing ARM Chip For Azure and Surface

    Microsoft is reportedly developing its own line of ARM-based chips for use in Azure servers and, possibly, Surface devices.

    Apple upturned the industry when it announced at WWDC 2020 that it was transitioning its Mac line of computers to its custom silicon, based on ARM designs. Early tests show that Apple’s new M1 MacBooks are faster than even the fastest Intel-based MacBook.

    When Apple first announced its plans, Jean-Louis Gassée said Microsoft would be forced to adopt ARM processors to keep up with Apple’s newfound performance.

    “This leaves Microsoft with a choice: Either forget Windows on ARM and cede modern PCs to Apple, or forge ahead, fix app compatibility problems and offer an ARM-based alternative to Apple’s new Macs,” said Gassée. “It’s a false dilemma, of course. Microsoft will forge ahead…with repercussions for the rest of the Windows PC industry.”

    According to Bloomberg, Microsoft is moving ahead in that direction. Bloomberg’s sources said the company is working on its own line of ARM-based processors for its Azure servers. The company is also working on a processor that could be used in its Surface line of devices.

    The news only adds to Intel’s woes, as the chipmaker battles with supply problems, unfixable security issues, moving to 7nm processors and considers outsourcing its manufacturing.