AI

The Google Pixel 6 impressed us in the test with its bright OLED display, strong cameras, and decent battery life, but it still didn't manage to get a top score. Read on to find out why this is and why it's still a very good smartphone.

RISC-V International is pushing for increased adoption with the introduction of 15 new specifications for the RISC-V ISA. Most prominent are the Vector specs that expand support for AI / machine learning, the Scalar Cryptography specs that make it easy to add improved security features even on the smallest IoT devices, and the Hypervisor specs that add compatibility with other OSes for data center environments and allow for increased malware protection.

StarFive has unveiled the VisionFive V1 single-board computer. What sets this apart from other SBCs is that it is powered by a RISC-V based SoC, rather than an Arm or Intel chip, and is among the first full-featured models to hit the market.

NVIDIA recently rolled out a demo of GAUGAN 2, an AI-based text to image platform. GAUGAN 2 has been trained on images of buildings, plants, and other objects, and will output images of what it thinks input text represents. The results aren't always accurate, but are stunningly beautiful on occasion.

MediaTek has unveiled a new flagship SoC for the next generation of premium big-screen devices. The Pentonic 2000 can support resolutions of up to 8K and refresh rates of 120Hz. It can also allow OEMs to pack specs such as AV1 support, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos into their upcoming top-end TVs.

MediaTek has announced the new flagship Dimensity 9000 that will soon power Android flagships around the world. The Dimensity 9000 can potentially outperform the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, its successor the 8 Gen 1, and the Exynos 2100, and even the Apple A15 and Google Tensor in some areas. The Dimensity 9000, however, supports only sub-6 5G and as such will not be available in handsets sold in the US.

Nissan and Verizon have developed a project to improve driver safety. Sensors detect potential emerging hazards from visual obstructions. The sensory data is processed by Verizon's 5G Edge and rapid alerts can be communicated to the driver.

Tencent Cloud, the Chinese giant's cloud services subsidiary, recently unveiled three new AI chips its working on that reportedly deliver significantly faster results than existing systems.

Graphics card company NVIDIA has revealed Omniverse Avatar, a tool that allows you to build AI assistants that can hold conversations in real-time. NVIDIA has demonstrated uses of the platform, such as taking orders in a restaurant and improving video conferencing calls during its annual GPU Technology Conference.

AMD's recent Accelerated Data Center Premiere Keynote has served to confirm the existence of next-gen products such as the server-grade processors known as EPYC Milan-X. These CPUs are much like those of the previously-unveiled third-gen series, except with 3D V-Cache technology. Their successors were also outlined in more detail.

AMD has now formally introduced the new Instinct line of accelerators, touting them as the first kind of GPU rated for exascale performance. This may render them equal to the demands of next-gen research-class computing. The new MI200 series may do so through an inaugural multi-die design, CDNA2 architecture and compatibility with EPYC processors for potential

Amazfit's US store is holding what it calls a "Black Friday-beating" sales event for Thanksgiving 2021. It involves up to 50% discounts on various smartwatches or fitness trackers from the increasingly popular Zepp Health brand. They include the new GTS 3, GTR 3 and GTR 3 Pro flagship wearables.

Gatik and Walmart have revealed that they are the first companies ever to accomplish fully autonomous deliveries using self-driving trucks without safety drivers. Gatik claimed that its vehicles are safe and reliable and has operated in North America since 2019. During this time, the autonomous trucking company has retained a perfect safety record.

A team from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and the Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines has created a mathematical framework to make robots cognizant of how their actions impact others.

Sega has announced that it will be joining forces with Microsoft to employ Azure cloud services to create new and innovative video games. Azure will help Sega to advance its game development as part of its 'Super Game' project. The partnership can benefit Sega by improving its online infrastructure and supporting the development of cloud games.

Zoox announced that it will initiate testing of its self-driving vehicles in Seattle in 2022. The company plans to deal with Seattle's rainy weather by employing specialized hardware in its vehicles. The Amazon company hopes to gain beneficial information from these tests to further develop its AI technology. Zoox is striving to make these vehicles commercially fit for sale when they are deemed safe.

Google’s new Pixel is starting to roll out to users in selected markets globally and it touts some impressive new camera features. One we were keen to try is what Google is calling inclusive camera technology designed to deliver image equity.

OPPO has outlined some of its latest ambitions for the future of its company and its software at its latest Developers Conference, beginning today (October 27, 2021). They include plans to break into the areas of healthcare and smart car technology, as well as allusions to the potential of next-gen mobile AI and graphics.

The newest top-end mobile GPU unveiled by ARM is the Mali-G710, likely to form part of upcoming SoCs such as the Dimensity 2000. However, the chipset IP colossus has now hinted at its successor, rated to improve further on the potential gains of the G710. Then again, the company has yet to offer many metrics or indicators of its apparent relative superiority over current cutting-edge smartphone graphics.

The Google Pixel 6 range is about to start its rollout in select markets with the promise that Google has made its new Tensor chip to really shine in machine learning tasks. Unfortunately, we just pitted it against the Apple A15 Bionic in the new GeekBench ML test and it got obliterated.

SK Hynix has introduced its latest development as high bandwidth memory 3 (or HBM3) as "the world’s best-performing DRAM". It is rated for up to 78% greater data-processing rates compared to its predecessor, thanks to its maker's latest TSV technique. HBM3 also has a new maximum capacity per module, thanks to the latest manufacturing processes.

The Google Tensor SoC enables the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro to leverage several advanced AI and ML capabilities to enhance various aspects of smartphone usage such as photos, videos, transcription, and translation. The Tensor SoC accelerates these AI-driven features while ensuring privacy and also being economical on the battery.

MIT and BASF have teamed up to create an open-source AI algorithm that significantly speeds up the development of new materials for 3D printing with niche characteristics.

Google’s AI department was recently hit by a class-action lawsuit in the UK, because of possible irregularities in the way that it received and handled the data of over 1.6 million NHS patients from the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.

Samsung has begun mass producing its 14nm DDR5 DRAM with cutting-edge EUV technology. Samsung's five-layer EUV process has allowed it to achieve the highest DDR5 DRAM bit density in the industry with 20% productivity enhancement. The DDR5 DRAM also draws up to 20% less power than the previous DRAM node.

Halide has updated its popular camera app for the iPhone with a new macro mode. The functionality is similar to one of the marquee camera features on the new iPhone 13 Pro models giving owners of older iPhones an opportunity to snap their own close-ups.

Intel has revealed its latest piece of silicon, a chip dubbed Loihi 2 that uses the human brain as an inspiration for how it works. The chip has also been fabricated on Intel’s new 4 nm process, which is still in its testing and development phase.

Intel plans to completely overhaul its consumer CPU architecture by 2024 in order to provide a competitive alternative for Apple's M processors. However, certain elements that will play a big role in this overhaul such as AI accelerators and VPUs are rumored to be integrated on desktop and laptop CPUs as soon as 2023.

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