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Showing posts from March, 2024

Samsung will use sewage water to quench surging thirst for semiconductors — 400 million liters of waste water to be purified and used daily to manufacture electronic chips

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support The semiconductor industry is notorious for its massive water consumption, with each chip requiring thousands of gallons of ultrapure water for production. Ultrapure water (UPW) refers to water that has undergone purification to eliminate impurities, including fine particles and microorganisms, leaving behind only the fundamental hydrogen and oxygen molecules that make up H2O. In response to the escalating demand for semiconductors, amplified by the ongoing global chip shortage, Samsung Semiconductor is planning to expand its production lines. One of the knock-on effects of this is that by 2030, the industrial water required for its facilities is projected to more than double from the current amount. 400 million liters To address this demand, Samsung has announced plans to use wastewater to meet its enormous water needs. The South Korean tech giant plans to purify and use an astonishing 400 million liters (105.668 million gallons) of wastewate

Chinese EVs are winning – here's how Ford, Nissan, Honda and more are fighting back

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support According to a recent report by the Financial Times , a quarter of electric vehicles sold in the EU this year will be made in China. In addition to this, BYD, the largest EV maker in China, exported 19 per cent of its output overseas in February, its highest ratio ever . Despite the likes of the UK, the Biden administration in the US and the French government all stating that they will attempt to block Chinese EVs from tax subsidies, or go so far as to impose a hike on import tariffs, the impending march of cheaper electric and hybrid vehicles from China shows no sign of abating. Aside from appealing to governments and lawmakers to step in, some of the world's most recognized automakers have also kick-started their own reactionary measures in order to remain competitive. Be it partnering with their fiercest rivals or creating start-up style divisions to work out a way to produce more affordable, mass market electric vehicles, the likes of Fo

Hey Apple, we need a new iPhone SE sooner than later

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support I recently wrote about how the iPhone 13 is a great phone to buy if you can’t afford an iPhone 15 , and I stand by that. I still feel we’re missing a solid budget phone option from Apple.  Sure, we have the 2022 iPhone SE , but it was a tad underwhelming. It has a design that’s positively ancient in phone terms, a 60Hz display, a single rear camera, and lacks a vast array of features. Compare the iPhone SE to some of the best cheap phones from Google, Samsung and OnePlus, and it looks almost like Apple is chancing its hand at pushing old leftover tech that’s had a simple reheat in a microwave oven before being punted out to consumers.  The problem here is that unless you go down the pre-owned route, there’s no other option for a budget iPhone.  The rumors so far hint at an iPhone SE 4 being on the horizon, and they seem to promise a fresher design that borrows from the likes of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 . That’s good news, as both phones ha

ICYMI: the week's 7 biggest tech stories from WWDC 2024 announcements to Disney Plus to the Google Pixel 6a being laid to rest

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support In case you missed the last week in the busy world of tech we’re here with your weekly update that’ll catch you up to speed on all the most important stories. This week we finally got a date for Apple’s WWDC 2024 event – which might very well be the most important conference in Apple’s history. We also saw some weird creations from OpenAI’s Sora bot, got to hear some impressive ANC earbuds, and even witnessed the marriage of Disney Plus and Hulu. To find out about these, and the other biggest stories of the week scroll down this page – and be sure to check back next Saturday for another quickfire round-up. 7.  Apple WWDC 2024 was announced for June 10  (Image credit: Apple) Apple’s next Worldwide Developer Conference got a date this week – and it’s due to land on June 10, 2024. During the opening keynote we expect to get our first look at Apple’s next batch of software updates – iOS 18 , iPadOS 18, and macOS 15 – as well as some hardwar

How AI leaders are reducing their ecological impact

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support The AI rollercoaster of expectations and concerns continues to twist at breakneck speeds as enterprises inch ever closer to understanding the rapidly changing technology and its possible functions within their business. Most recently, advanced artificial intelligence platforms such as generative AI and large language models (LLMs) have fallen under scrutiny for their voracious energy consumption and consequent ecological impact, with some researchers hypothesizing that LLMs consume hundreds of liters of freshwater and produce annual emissions equivalent to that of a small country. With global warming exceeding 1.5 degrees across an entire year for the first time, global stakeholders are questioning where the bulk of responsibility should lie in preventing the climate crisis from worsening. Climate change remains an issue of critical importance for consumers and companies alike amidst these global efforts to reduce CO2 emissions, boding poorly for

Integrating continuous testing for digital success

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support With “digital” now a key part of every aspect of business activity, the ability to deliver innovation at speed is do or die. In a highly competitive marketplace with growing expectations of customer experience , the timely release of top-notch digital products and services is no longer a bonus, it is fundamental to customer acquisition and retention. The smallest of delays might be the opportunity a competitor needs to gain market share and become the new disruptor. This makes empowering software teams to deliver flawless digital experiences at speed and scale of great strategic importance. To achieve this, organisations need feedback to determine if the latest development will either function as intended, break core functionality or, even worse, fail in a real-world setting. Software testing, once perceived as an impediment to speed and innovation, has now become a critical component of development activity. This represents a huge perspective s

This startup wants to take on Nvidia with a server-on-a-chip to eliminate what it calls an already flawed system — faster GPU, CPU, LPU, TPU or NIC will not deliver the leap that many firms are aiming for

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support According to Israeli startup NeuReality, many AI possibilities aren't fully realized due to the cost and complexity of building and scaling AI systems.  Current solutions are not optimized for inference and rely on general-purpose CPUs, which were not designed for AI. Moreover, CPU-centric architectures necessitate multiple hardware components, resulting in underutilized Deep Learning Accelerators (DLAs) due to CPU bottlenecks. NeuReality's answer to this problem is the NR1AI Inference Solution, a combination of purpose-built software and a unique network addressable inference server-on-a-chip. NeuReality says this will deliver improved performance and scalability at a lower cost alongside reduced power consumption. An express lane for large AI pipelines “Our disruptive AI Inference technology is unbound by conventional CPUs, GPUs, and NICs," said NeuReality’s CEO Moshe Tanach. "We didn’t try to just improve an already flawed

The impact of AI and deepfakes on identity verification

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support In the digital landscape, where identities are woven into every aspect of our online interactions, the emergence of AI-driven deepfakes has become a disruptive force, challenging the very essence of identity verification. In navigating this ever-evolving terrain, CIOs and IT leaders must dissect the intricate interplay between emerging technologies and their profound impact on the integrity of identity management processes. Online identity verification today consists of two key steps. Firstly, a user being asked to take a picture of their government-issued identity document, which is inspected for authenticity. And secondly, the user being asked to take a selfie, which is biometrically compared to the picture on the identity document. Traditionally only used in regulated know-your-customer (KYC) use cases such as online bank account opening, identity verification is now used in a range of contexts today from interactions with government services,

Don't blame Apple for the US smartphone market, blame the US carriers

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Write this down, because I’m going to tell you my secret to understanding the US mobile industry for the last 20 years. The answer to everything is 'The Carriers.' Every question, every conundrum. If you want to know why we DO have this, or DON’T have that? The answer is the US carriers: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. How has Apple managed to achieve monopoly power in the US and draw the ire of the Justice Department? The answer is the US carriers. (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne) One of the strongest points that Apple makes in its rebuttal to the government’s lawsuit is that the government is considering only the US market, but Apple competes on a global scale. In the global market, Apple’s market share is much lower than in the US alone. It owns closer to 20% of the global market, as opposed to more than 60% of the US market. Why is there such a huge difference? Is it because Samsung is incredibly popular everywhere else

The US government is right about Apple's incredible market power, here's what you need to know

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support The smartphone market is not competitive. Whether or not Apple holds an anti-competitive monopoly is a matter for the courts to decide, but it seems clear that the smartphone market is designed to lock buyers into one brand, and that is bad for everyone.  Take a look at the list of the best phones published by many tech websites, like CNET . There is usually a best iPhone and a best Android phone, and never the two shall meet. Our own TechRadar list of the best phones you can buy in the US includes a best overall phone, but we may not bother with that superlative for much longer.  After all, if you have an iPhone now and you come to our list of best phones, would you really consider switching to a Samsung phone just because I said it was the best? Would you drop-kick your Apple Watch and your Apple AirPods Pro and trade in your iPhone 14 Pro Max for a Galaxy S24 Ultra? Probably not. Apple doesn't want your Samsung phones, switcher! (

Navigating the shift to AI-driven data management

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support In today's dynamic business landscape, data management stands as a critical cornerstone, directly influencing an organization's agility and innovation capabilities. The digital age demands that companies reassess their data management strategies, particularly the reliance on traditional master data management (MDM) systems. These legacy systems, often entrenched due to the 'sunk-costs' fallacy, hinder progress and adaptability, locking businesses into outdated practices that impede growth. Rules-based MDM solutions, with their rigid frameworks and manual-intensive operations, are increasingly misaligned with the needs of modern data environments. They struggle to manage the diversity and volume of data generated today, leading to inefficiencies that can ripple through an organization, affecting everything from decision-making speeds to customer experience and the ability to capitalize on emerging opportunities. The shift towards