Uses third party app

AMD has just launched its own local and GPT-based LLM-powered AI chatbot, that works on Ryzen AI processors and Radeon RX 7000 series GPUs.

AMD's new LLM-based GPT chatbot can work on many different Ryzen AI platforms, including Ryzen 7000 and Ryzen 8000 series APUs that have AMD's new XDNA NPUs and Radeon RX 7000 series GPUs that have AI accelerator cores.

The company released a new blog that explains how to set it up so you can run your local chatbot powered by GPT-based LLMs (Large Language Models). If you have a Ryzen AI processor, you'll need the normal LM Studio copy for Windows, while if you have an RDNA 3-based Radeon RX 7000 series GPU, you'll need the ROCm Technical Preview.

AMD isn't the first to do this. Nvidia recently launched "Chat with RTX," an AI chatbot powered by GeForce RTX 40 and RTX 30 series GPUs. It's sped up with the TensorRT-LLM feature set, offering fast AI results based on local data. AMD is now following their lead with its new LLM-powered ChatGPT chatbot.

You can learn how to set up on AMD's website here

Massive losses after cyberattack

Outsourcing giant Capita has revealed shocking annual losses of more than €126.5 million, with a big chunk blamed on a cyberattack it suffered last March.

The attack, carried out by the notorious Black Basta group, caused chaos to the company's financial health, costing €30 million.

Capita first said the incident's impact was €23.7 million, but its new figures show the attack's colossal damage.

The company's annual report for 2023 showed that the rest of the losses came from various factors, including significant costs related to business exits and goodwill impairment.

The aftermath of the cyber incident has been destructive. Capita's share price has dropped by more than 54 per cent since the attack, significantly impacting investor confidence.

Capita saw a big drop in its market value, falling by 20 per cent, which also made shareholders unhappy.

The cyberattack has also hurt Capita's customer relations, as shown by a drop in its net promoter score from +25 to +16.

Capita's pensions administration business was especially hit, raising worries about data security in sensitive sectors.

Capita's new boss, Adolfo Hernandez, has announced harsh cost-cutting measures to save the company's financial health in response to the economic mess.

"Our 2023 financial results have shown some progress. But we have not yet delivered the operational excellence that will let us create the right platform for future growth or achieve our full potential for the benefit of shareholders," Hernandez said.

"Looking forward, we will focus on precision in execution, co-creating solutions with clients, speeding up the use of technology, and using our technology partnerships to drive improvement in our operating and financial performance."

Hernandez set out plans to cut an extra €118.4 million in costs by mid-2025, stressing the need for operational efficiency and technological innovation to boost Capita's competitive edge and help future growth. But the details of these cost-saving plans are still secret, sparking rumours about possible job cuts and restructuring efforts.

The company's recent history shows its active approach to cost reduction, shown by the axing of around 900 jobs and the merging of property leases in the previous year.

Amid the financial troubles, questions come up about how much data was stolen and the possible consequences for stakeholders.

Although Capita first told stakeholders that no data was stolen, later investigations showed that data was taken from some servers. The need for more details about how much data was taken and who was affected raises concerns about honesty and responsibility.

Capita's data breaches have also attracted regulatory attention, with the Information Commissioner's Office, a data protection watchdog, receiving many reports from affected organisations.

In May last year, another breach exposed files with details on local council benefit payments.

With possible fines hanging over it under British data protection laws, Capita faces enormous pressure to fix security problems and keep its data protection promises.

OLED appears  interchangeable with WOLED 

Samsung’s Quantum dot-infused OLED panels promised richer colour compared to LG Display's white OLED panels (WOLED); however, that might not have been the case.

According to  Arstechnica, Samsung is suddenly not so cocky. Samsung's 2024 OLED TV range will feature QD-OLED and WOLED panels. Samsung started doing this last year with the 83-inch S90C. But this year, it will reportedly be even more challenging to tell if a new Samsung OLED TV has quantum dots.

In January, Samsung announced the cheap S85D, the S90D, and the top S95D without saying what type of OLED panel tech(s) they had. However, it was clear that the S90D would have WOLED options since Samsung said it would come in 42-, 48-, 55-, 65-, 77-, and 83-inch sizes. QD-OLED doesn't come in 42, 48, or 83 inches.

Now, Korean news outlet The Elec, spotted by FlatPanelsHD, says that the other S90D screen sizes might be WOLED or QD-OLED.

In a video shared Saturday, Vincent Teoh, the display expert behind the HDTVTest YouTube channel, said that Samsung won't openly advertise any of its 2024 OLEDs as QD-OLED.

Teoh added that at a Samsung showcase recently held in Frankfurt, a 55-inch S90D was on display, and he confirmed it was QD-OLED "based on its subpixel configuration."

The Elec reported this week that Samsung's use of both WOLED and QD-OLED for its S90D TVs comes from LG Display, which asked that Samsung not make WOLED look worse than QD-OLED. Notably, it's expected that Samsung's most expensive 2024 OLED TV, the S95C, will use QD-OLED for all sizes.

Samsung was long against selling OLED TVs, choosing LCD panels with quantum dots as its premium TV option. However, with LCD-making partners in China hiking prices, growing consumer interest in OLED, and reported pressure from the South Korean government, Samsung tried to get into OLED and eventually teamed up with rival LG.

The Elec also reported that Samsung is considering making its cheapest 2024 OLED TV, the S85D, which is only available with WOLED but has yet to make a final decision. When checking out a unit on display at CES 2024, Teoh confirmed that that specific unit had WOLED.

Takes out EU spat on its users

The Fruity cargo cult Apple is punishing its European users because the European Union has demanded that it must be nice to them.

Jobs’ Mob says it will not let you update your iPhone software installed by third-party app shops if you leave the European Union for over 30 days.

In a sneaky update to its support page on Thursday, Apple says you can continue using apps from other marketplaces while travelling for long periods—but you'll need to return to the EU to get the latest version.

The move is clearly a response to the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which kicked in on Wednesday. Apple fanboys were told that they would "lose access to some features" when leaving the EU "for short-term travel." Apple has made this policy more specific by carving out a 30-day grace period, which could be a pain for frequent travellers.

This doesn't change your ability to use alternative app shops; however, as Apple says, you can still use third-party shops to manage apps you've already installed. Several developers are preparing to launch third-party app shops, including the enterprise app shop Mobivention and MacPaw's Setapp shop.

Epic Games might not be able to launch the game shop it's been planning, as Apple has cancelled its developer licence for being "'verifiably untrustworthy."

To reflect the changes in the Digital Markets Act, users in the European Union can install alternative app shops and apps offered through alternative app shops on iOS 17.4 or later. The country or region of your Apple ID must be set to one of the countries or regions of the European Union, and you must physically be in the European Union.

Device eligibility for alternative app shops is decided using on-device processing with only an indicator of eligibility sent to Apple. To protect your privacy, Apple does not collect your device's location.

If you leave the European Union, you can continue to open and use apps you previously installed from alternative app shops. Alternative app shops can continue updating those apps for up to 30 days after you leave the European Union, and you can continue using alternative app shops to manage previously installed apps. However, you must be in the European Union to install alternative app shops and new apps from alternative app shops.

Interestingly, it takes Apple more effort to be this petulant than it does to go along with it. We guess that its actions, along with others, to fight against the Digital Markets Act will end up in an expensive court battle with the EU, which Jobs’ Mob will lose. However, in the meantime, it will write off all its actions to its customers by blaming the EU for protecting them.  

Bans do not appear to be working

Insiders have revealed that Huawei and its partner Semiconductor Manufacturing International cheated to produce an advanced chip in China last year using US technology.

.Sources told Bloomberg that the Shanghai-based SMIC used California-based Applied Materials and Lam Research machines to make an advanced 7-nanometer chip for Huawei in 2023.

It appears that China still can't make its parts and equipment for cutting-edge products like semiconductors and is desperate to become self-reliant in technology. Huawei's efforts to boost domestic chip design and making have received Beijing's support.

Applied Materials and the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, which oversees stopping exports, refused to comment.

Praised in China as a big jump in home-made semiconductor making, last year’s SMIC-made chip powered Huawei’s Mate 60 Pro and a wave of loyal smartphone buyers in the Asian country. The chip is still way behind the top parts from global firms but ahead of where the US wanted to stop China’s progress.

However, the machines that made it still had foreign sources, including technology from Dutch maker ASML Holding NV and gear from Lam and Applied Materials. Bloomberg News reported in October that SMIC had used equipment from ASML for the chip breakthrough.

Leading Chinese chip equipment makers, including Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment and Naura Technology Group Co., have been trying to catch up with their American rivals. However, their products still need improvement. China’s top lithography system maker, Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment Group, is still a few generations behind industry leader ASML.

Some sources said that SMIC got the American machines before the US banned such sales to China in October 2022. Both firms were among the American suppliers that pulled their staff from China after those rules came into force and stopped US engineers from fixing some machines in the Asian country.

ASML told American workers to stop working with Chinese customers in response to the US restrictions. However, Dutch and Japanese engineers can still fix many machines in China — much to the annoyance of their American competitors.

Companies are now banned from selling top-notch, US-made technology to SMIC or Shenzhen-based Huawei. Both tech firms have been blacklisted for alleged links to the Chinese military, although this is more likely a fear that the Chinese would overtake the US industry if given a chance.

After Huawei released the new phone, Washington launched a probe into its chip, and US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo promised to take the “strongest possible” actions to protect national security. Meanwhile, Republican MPs have called for the Biden government to completely cut off Huawei and SMIC’s access to US technology.

Department of Commerce officials have said they haven’t seen proof that SMIC can make the 7nm chips “at scale,” a point echoed by ASML’s Chief Executive Officer Peter Wennink.

Wennink told Bloomberg News that if SMIC wants to improve its technology without ASML’s state-of-the-art extreme ultraviolet lithography systems, the Chinese chipmaker will have technical problems making chips at a meaningful amount.

“The yield is going to kill you. You’re not going to get the number of chips you need to produce high-volume chips,” he said.

ASML has been unable to sell its EUV systems to China as the Dutch government has yet to give a licence allowing those exports.

The US, meanwhile, is strong-arming the Netherlands, Germany, South Korea, and Japan further to tighten limits on China’s access to semiconductor technology.

That effort is causing trouble and meeting resistance in some countries. It halts trade at a time when Chinese businesses are investing in equipment and computing power to compete in the artificial intelligence race.

Sky-high profits could be doomed

Nvidia has been raking in cash with its unbeatable chips for artificial intelligence, but some ESG investment managers who made a fortune in the stock last year are now getting cold feet.

Swedbank Robur Technology’s Kristofer Barrett, who made Nvidia the top holding last year, said he is hopeful for the long haul but admits that the valuation is not very appealing.

The Swedbank fund, registered as "promoting" environmental, social and governance standards under European Union rules, returned 53 per cent in 2023.

He is concerned that Nvidia might fall victim to its success as it has become a retail stock which suggests a bubble waiting to burst.

According to fresh data provided by Morningstar Direct, the share of ESG funds holding Nvidia shares dropped to 15 per cent of the total at the end of December from a high of 20 per cent in the second quarter of 2023.

So far, warnings of a sudden slump in Nvidia shares have generally been followed by jaw-dropping gains. Last year, Nvidia's market value soared almost 240 per cent and was already up almost 80 per cent in 2024. According to Bloomberg data, of the 66 analysts tracking Nvidia, none are advising clients to sell, while 60 say investors should keep buying the shares.

But there are still some concerns. Cathie Wood, despite being a vocal supporter of the transformational potential of AI stocks early on in the cycle, actively trimmed her exposure to Nvidia last year and other big-name stocks tied to the AI boom.

Hedge funds that piled into tech stocks before Nvidia's latest set of results are now exiting at the fastest pace in seven months, according to data from Goldman Sachs Group prime-brokerage unit.

Christian Blink, who now runs the Swedbank fund, said Nvidia "might be a bit stretched" in the short term, with the possibility of some investors cashing in.

Further out, the outlook is positive. "We believe that people tend to underestimate the long-term implications of generative AI, and Nvidia is an enabler of that technology," Blink said.

And Nvidia remains the fund's biggest holding, now accounting for almost 10 per cent of the roughly €12.6 billion Swedbank portfolio, he said.

Blink said a bubble bursting was "always a worry. "I don't think there is one, but many factors exist for generative AI to become one. We are monitoring that."

Prices starting at €480 for A55 and €380 for A35

European retailer has jumped the gun and has put both the upcoming Galaxy A55 and the Galaxy A35 on sale, revealing European prices for all versions of both models. The Galaxy A55 and the Galaxy A35 are scheduled to officially launch on March 11.

In case you missed earlier leaks, both phones use the same design and are quite hard to tell apart. The Galaxy A55 should end up with a 6.5-inch 2340x1080 120Hz AMOLED screen, while the Galaxy A35 should be slightly larger at 6.6-inch, according to earlier rumors. The listing lists both phones at 6.6-inch so the earlier rumor might be wrong. Interestingly, both screens should share the same specifications, but the Galaxy A55 will have a glass back with an aluminum frame, while the less expensive Galaxy A35 will end up with a plastic frame and plastic back. The Galaxy A55 will also get a more powerful Exynos 1480 SoC, while the Galaxy A35 sticks to the Exynos 1380.

Both phones will have a triple rear camera system, with the Galaxy A55 featuring a 50MP main sensor, 12MP ultrawide, and 5MP macro, while the Galaxy A35 ends up with a 50MP main sensor, 8MP ultrawide, and 2MP macro one. The Galaxy A55 also has a 32MP selfie camera, while the A35 ends up with a 13MP one. Both phones will also have 5,000mAh battery with 25W wired charging, and both should have an under-display optical sensor.

The Samsung Galaxy A55 will start at €479 for the base 128GB model, while the 256GB version will sell for €50 more, at €529, at least according to this leak. The Galaxy A35 starts at €379 for the base 128GB version and €449 for the 256GB one, which also gets 8GB of RAM.

The retailer might pull down these listings but GSMArena.com already grabbed some screenshots.

Tech giants rip off customers with sky-high bills

Tech giants have been overcharging their customers for cloud services, threatening to damage the industry long-term.

A new Civo report reveals that 64 per cent of AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud users have seen their costs increase in the last year.

This comes as the watchdogs are probing the public cloud services for their dodgy billing and pricing tricks.

Based on a survey of over 500 tech experts who use the big cloud services, the report finds that 69 per cent of them have seen their bills rise by up to 25 per cent.

More than 42 per cent of businesses using the cloud giants say they can't predict their monthly bill, and 28 per cent say they've been hit with a nasty surprise. 47 per cent of businesses are thinking of ditching the cloud, and 28 per cent have hired advisers to help them cut their costs.

Civo boss Mark Boost said that the cloud is a con and

Mark Boost, the boss of Civo, the firm behind the report, said that the industry needs to face the truth that the cloud is broken.

The cloud giants have not kept their promises of low costs and easy solutions made more than ten years ago. Instead, they've left us with high prices, complicated systems, and locked-in tech, making it hard to go anywhere else.

“Once you're in, you're stuck! This is terrible news, especially for small businesses, who can't afford to tailor the cloud to their needs, “Boost said.

He said the tech sector can improve by focusing on fairness, honesty, and customer experience—not fat cat profits.

“The cloud should be about helping IT teams try new things and create using the technology, finding the services they want, and paying a fair price. With this new approach, the cloud can be what it should have been: an amazing tool for equality in technology, making it possible for anyone to use the latest tech to innovate and succeed. I believe that the tech sector's future must be about fairness and social responsibility, giving back to users and making the world a better place,” Boost said.

You can try paid tiers for $7.99/$3.99

Nvidia has released a new update for its Geforce NOW, introducing new games, and Day Passes, as well as adding Cloud G-SYNC with Nvidia Reflex support for 60 and 120 FPS.

The new list of games now includes action RPG Granblue Fantasy: Relink game, as well as The Thaumaturge, Winter Survival, and some other games. In addition, Nvidia is also introducing Day Passes, which allows users to try out paid tiers for 24 hours, without paying the monthly fee. The Ultimate Day Pass is priced at $7.99, while the Priority Day Pass is priced at $3.99.

Nvidia is also introducing Cloud G-SYNC and Nvidia Reflex support for 60 and 120 FPS. These features will be available with Geforce NOW on Windows and macOS.

Here is the full list of new games coming to Geforce NOW, and you can check out more details over at Nvidia's Geforce NOW site.

• The Thaumaturge (New release on Steam, March 4)
• Classified: France ‘44 (New release on Steam, March 5)
• Expeditions: A MudRunner Game (New release on Steam, March 5)
• Winter Survival (New release on Steam, March 6)
• Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator (New release on Steam, March 7)
• Zoria: Age of Shattering (New release on Steam, March 7)
• Undisputed (Steam)

FullHD monitors now require a 144Hz refresh rate

AMD has updated its FreeSync hardware requirements, raising hardware requirements for those FreeSync tier badges.

According to an updated list, AMD is keeping the specifications for laptops where they were. In order to get the FreeSync Premium badge, laptops will need to have a maximum refresh rate of at least 120Hz. For monitors and TVs, these requirements got a bit higher, as now FHD monitors (or those sub-3440) and TVs will need a maximum refresh rate of at least 144Hz to get the FreeSync badge. For the FreeSync Premium badge, those same monitors and TVs will have to have at least a 200Hz refresh rate.

For monitors and TVs with 2K and 4K resolution, AMD wants at least a 120Hz refresh rate for the FreeSync Premium badge. To get the FreeSync Premium Pro badge, those same monitors and TVs will have to have FreeSync HDR on top of those FreeSync Premium requirements.

The update was implemented as of September 2023, according to Videocardz.com, but AMD is only reporting on it now, so some of those new monitors with updated FreeSync badges should already fit under those requirements.