128GB of RAM on board

Tom’s Hardware has found a shipping document with a new variant of the speculated AMD Strix Halo APU, which boasts an unprecedented 128GB of RAM.

This mobile processor is shaping up to be AMD's most formidable APU, surpassing its predecessors in both mobile and desktop categories.

The shipment, containing Maple Rev.B printed circuit boards (PCBs), was dispatched on 27 May 27. These "Maple" PCBs have been linked to Strix Halo prototypes, with earlier versions, Maple Rev.A, featuring 32GB and 64GB of RAM. The thermal design power (TDP) remains consistent at 120W in this latest iteration.

The prospect of an APU equipped with 128GB of RAM has heightened anticipation for Strix Halo. Despite AMD's silence, the steady stream of leaks has led many to accept its existence as a given.

 Strix Halo shares its moniker with Strix Point, the codename for AMD's upcoming Ryzen AI 300 series processors, set to debut in laptops this July. The leaked specifications suggest that Strix Halo could outperform the current generation of AMD APUs found in gaming consoles.

The Strix Halo APU is anticipated to feature a multi-chip design, using AMD's Infinity Fabric for die-to-die connections. It is expected to house two CPU dies alongside a GPU die, with the CPU segment comprising 16 Zen 5 cores capable of reaching 5.8 GHz, backed by a 64MB L3 cache.

The graphics component will likely include up to 40 RDNA 3.5 cores, operating at 16x PCIe 4.0 speeds and sharing a 32MB L4 "Infinity" cache. Additionally, Strix Halo is rumoured to incorporate a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) with a capacity of 70 TOPS, surpassing the standard for today's AI-enabled PCs.

The idea of having 64GB RAM on a laptop was once deemed excessive, and 128GB RAM and 120W TDP specifications appear particularly lavish for gaming purposes.

These extreme figures are likely part of AMD's exploratory testing to gauge the APU's performance under maximal power and memory conditions. Yet, it remains possible that these specifications could represent the upper echelon of what AMD intends to market.

Strix Halo has garnered attention from power users and professional consumers, who may leverage the chip for intensive tasks such as content creation, AI processing, and 3D rendering.

Its specifications and compact design suggest that Strix Halo could be accommodated within slimmer devices than traditional CPU and mobile GPU combinations. There is speculation that Strix Halo might be featured on portable gaming PCs.

There is no confirmed release date for Strix Halo, nor has AMD officially acknowledged the chip. The tech community eagerly awaits the introduction of the Zen 5 architecture with the release of Strix Point in July, and hopes that Strix Halo will follow.

Is it? Isn’t it

There is some confusion over whether Intel’s Lunar Lake chips are going to be delayed.

A report from DigiTimes, a publication specialising in semiconductor news, indicates that chip deliveries are now expected in September, deviating from an initial June schedule.  Intel, however, officially contests this claim and claims they would always arrive in September.

When Lunar Lake was announced, it was projected to arrive within this year's July to September window, pinpointing their availability before the festive shopping period. Had June been the original timeline, more comprehensive details about the processors would likely be available by now. It seems September has been the intended goal from the outset.

In correspondence with Intel, the company confirmed, "Lunar Lake will be available starting in Q3 ‘24 as noted at Computex — in time for the holiday shopping season."

Despite no official delay for Lunar Lake, these processors are set to enter the market after receiving offerings from Qualcomm and AMD.

Lunar Lake represents Intel's venture into the new Copilot+ PCs domain, yet they are slated to be the final entrants. Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chip is already integrated into laptops, and AMD has announced that its Ryzen AI 300 CPUs will hit the shelves in July. While Intel has not publicly committed to a September release for Lunar Lake, this remains the prevailing conjecture.

Considering the processors are due in Q3 — between July and September — it appears premature for their launch next month. Although Intel has elaborated on Lunar Lake's "radical low-power architecture," details such as chip specifications or model numbers remain undisclosed.

Intel has offered some broad performance benchmarks compared to the Snapdragon X Elite and AMD's previous-generation CPUs. Nonetheless, as the launch date approaches, a more detailed understanding of these processors and their capabilities is expected.

Intel has yet to share vital information about power consumption, a key factor to consider when weighing the efficiency offered by the new Snapdragon X Elite.

While many particulars about Lunar Lake are still under wraps, we have witnessed a preview of devices incorporating this latest chip generation. For instance, MSI is set to introduce a new iteration of its Claw handheld device powered by a Lunar Lake CPU.

Because it thinks that will save it

Online book buyer, Amazon wants to save its flagging digital assistant Alexa by bringing in a subscription.

 Following an increase in subscription costs and the introduction of advertisements on Prime Video, Amazon is contemplating introducing a subscription fee for its Alexa service, ranging from $5 to $10. This move aims to generate profits from the service, operating at a loss. The company plans to include conversational generative AI to make the offer more attractive, with two service levels available.

Amazon's CEO, Andy Jassy, is championing the project, internally referred to as Project Banyan. He is determined to revitalise the decade-old service.

Speculation about changes to Alexa began two years ago, following Amazon's decision to reduce its workforce by 10,000 positions towards the end of 2022.

According to sources cited by Reuters, Amazon has set a deadline of August 2024 to revamp Alexa. However, they also note that the pricing, launch dates, and even the continuation of the project are subject to change, depending on how the development is perceived to be progressing.

Alexa was introduced with considerable fanfare in 2014 as the first widely available digital assistant, designed to respond to voice commands and answer user inquiries. It was a favoured initiative of Amazon's founder, Jeff Bezos, and can connect to home appliances through a standard API, allowing for voice control of various devices.

Despite having sold over 100 million Alexa-enabled devices, public interest has waned in recent years.

In his annual letter to shareholders in April, Jassy hinted that Amazon is developing "an even more intelligent and capable Alexa" as part of a broader AI initiative within the company. He describes this as the next foundational element of Amazon's growth.

Jassy outlined three layers within the Generative AI (GenAI) framework, each of which is substantial and receiving significant investment from Amazon.

Jassy said the foundational layer is intended for developers and organisations that wish to create base models. This layer encompasses the computational power needed to train models and generate inferences and the software simplifying the model-building process. This is evidenced by Amazon's large-scale acquisition of Nvidia GPUs to power AI applications on dedicated servers within AWS data centres.

Amazon has made considerable investments in Trainium and Inferentia, its custom-designed AI chips optimised for AI training and inference tasks, respectively.

Jassy added that the intermediate layer is designed for customers who want to use an existing foundation model and its features to create a GenAI application. It is provided as a managed service.

However, Jassy anticipates Amazon will reap significant rewards at the topmost layer of the stack—the application layer —beginning with the monetisation of generative AI applications through the Alexa service and brand.

"We're constructing an extensive array of GenAI applications across all Amazon consumer divisions. These range from Rufus, our new AI-driven shopping assistant, to a more advanced and capable Alexa, to enhanced advertising capabilities that simplify the creation, customisation, and editing of high-quality images, advertising copy, and videos using natural language prompts, to productivity applications for customers and sellers," Jassy stated.

Project Banyan is part of this application layer, alongside a variety of applications that Amazon is developing.

Partners and AWS subscribers are expected to create numerous applications that operate on Amazon's technology within AWS data centres.

Operations cancelled

A cybercriminal syndicate, believed to be the notorious Qilin group from Russia, has orchestrated a cyberattack on Synnovis, a blood testing company affiliated with the NHS.

This significantly disrupted services at prominent London hospitals, including King’s College Hospital Trust and Guy’s and St Thomas’ Trust.

The group released nearly 400GB of purloined data onto the dark web in the dead of night late last week.

The BBC has disclosed that this data trove includes sensitive patient information such as names, NHS numbers, and dates of birth. Authorities are currently investigating the breach.

While it remains unclear if the leaked data encompasses test results, reports suggest that the cache contains detailed business accounts, revealing financial interactions between Synnovis and various hospitals.

An NHS England representative has acknowledged the incident, stating, "We understand that people may be concerned by this, and we are continuing to work with Synnovis, the National Cyber Security Centre and other partners to determine the content of the published files as quickly as possible."

The spokesperson clarified, "This includes whether data is extracted from the Synnovis system, and if so, whether it relates to NHS patients."

The fallout from this cyber onslaught has been considerable, with 1,134 surgical procedures and 2,194 outpatient appointments deferred across the two hospital trusts since 3 June.

Jobs’ Mob pauses European plans

The fruity cargo cult Apple has paused its “Apple Intelligence” roll out in Europe after claiming that its tech might be illegal.

Jobs’ Mob has postponed deploying AI features within iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia across the European Union. The delay, attributed to the stringent stipulations of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), signals a significant pivot in the company's rollout plans.

The firm has opted to withhold the introduction of “Apple Intelligence," iPhone Mirroring on Mac, and SharePlay Screen Sharing functionalities within Europe for the current year.

The Tame Apple press has rushed to defend its favourite company, saying that the delay was proof of what Apple has been saying about the evil DMA for ages. Basically, if big US tech companies were not allowed to form monopolies, take European money, and close European businesses, “innovation” would suffer.

The DMA, enacted in 2022, was crafted to engender a more equitable competitive landscape by curtailing the dominance of large technology conglomerates. The legislation's core objective is to thwart such corporations from stifling nascent competitors by preferentially promoting their services, sequestering customer data within their ecosystems, and obscuring the mechanics of advertising data usage.

This is not the inaugural instance of Jobs’ Mob attributing feature restrictions for its European clientele to regulatory constraints. The company retracted the functionality that allowed the addition of web apps to the home screen, citing DMA regulations, only to reverse this decision later.

Google, too, has mirrored this approach, excising third-party applications and watch faces from European gadgets in response to "new regulatory requirements."

The postponement emerges amid heightened scrutiny from EU regulators. In March, the European Commission initiated a formal probe into Jobs’ Mob with the prospect of levying DMA violation charges.

Earlier in the year, the company was slapped with a hefty €1.8 billion fine for obstructing app developers from notifying iOS users about more economical music subscription alternatives outside of its ecosystem.

These unfolding events underscore the escalating friction between Jobs’ Mob and EU watchdogs, spotlighting the quandaries faced by big tech as it tries to escape regulations in its quest to make the big bucks.

New options arriving

The Framework Laptop 13 will have a  RISC-V motherboard option.

According to OMG Ubuntu  the collaboration between Framework Computer and DeepComputing is set to introduce a new mainboard powered by the StarFive JH7110 processor, a 64-bit CPU with four SiFive U74 cores and a maximum speed of 1.5 GHz.

Although still in the early stages of development, this initiative marks a significant step towards diversifying the processor options available for the Framework Laptop 13, which currently offers AMD Ryzen 5 7640U, Intel 13th Gen, or Meteor Lake processors.

The RISC-V mainboard will feature soldered memory and non-upgradeable eMMC storage, but it will maintain the Framework's commitment to modularity, as it can be inserted into any Framework Laptop 13 chassis or Cooler Master Mainboard Case.

The collaboration with Canonical and Red Hat aims to ensure robust Linux support through Ubuntu and Fedora, highlighting the importance of open-source software in this venture.

Framework's announcement emphasizes that the current generation of the RISC-V mainboard is primarily aimed at developers, tinkerers, and hobbyists.

 It acknowledges that the peripheral set and performance levels are not yet on par with their Intel and AMD-powered counterparts. Nevertheless, the company views this as a "huge milestone" for both the expansion of the Framework ecosystem and the accessibility of RISC-V technology.

In addition to the RISC-V mainboard, Framework has also released open-source CAD for the Framework Laptop 13 shell, encouraging the development of custom skins, cases, and accessories.

Moreover, the availability of Factory Seconds systems with British English and German keyboards presents a more affordable entry point into the Framework ecosystem.

Framework's commitment to an open, repairable, and customisable Consumer Electronics industry is evident in these developments, and it's clear that they are eager to foster a community where innovation and personalisation are at the forefront.

As the RISC-V Summit Europe approaches, many will look forward to seeing the early prototype of the RISC-V Mainboard in action and learning more about this exciting project.

Unlawful Employee Termination

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) of the United States has lodged a formal complaint against the e-commerce behemoth Amazon.

According to the Verge Amazon is accused of illicitly disciplining and ultimately dismissing an employee who played a pivotal role in orchestrating walkouts in May.

These walkouts directly responded to Amazon’s imposition of new directives mandating employees to return to the office three days a week, a policy instituted earlier last year.

The walkouts were not isolated; they were preceded by a groundswell of dissent, with thousands of Amazon employees signing petitions to voice their opposition to the new mandate.

 Despite the palpable unrest and subsequent walkouts, Andy Jassy, Amazon CEO, doubled down on the company’s stance in a meeting in August 2023, reinforcing the expectation for employees to spend the majority of their workweek on-site.

The NLRB’s complaint delves deeper into the repercussions faced by employees involved in the walkouts.

It alleges that Amazon resorted to “interrogation” tactics via its internal communication platform, Chime, to question employees about their participation in the protest. The employee at the centre of this controversy was subjected to a performance improvement plan following their involvement in the walkout and was later presented with an ultimatum.

Workers were told to accept a severance package equivalent to nine weeks’ salary in exchange for their resignation or face termination.

 The NLRB’s legal team asserts that these actions were retaliatory, aimed at quashing the employee’s efforts in organising the walkout and, by extension, intended to dissuade other employees from engaging in similar “protected, concerted activities.”

The NLRB’s general counsel is demanding various remedial measures from Amazon. These include financial compensation for the aggrieved employee to cover the damages incurred and expenses related to job searching and employment.

Additionally, the counsel seeks a formal letter of apology and the dissemination of a “Notice to Employees” across Amazon’s national facilities, to be shared electronically and articulated by an Amazon representative during a recorded video conference.

In a rebuttal, Amazon maintains that the disciplinary actions taken were not linked to the employee’s activism against the return-to-work policies.

A spokesperson for Amazon told The Verge that the employee in question had a consistent track record of underperformance spanning nearly a year, marked by a failure to fulfil assigned projects. Despite considerable support and coaching, the employee’s performance did not improve, leading to their decision to part ways with the company.

K|NGP|N GPUs are coming back

A well-known overclocker Vince "K|NGP|N" Lucido is making a comeback, switching from EVGA to PNY. Hopefully, we'll see some interesting RTX 50 series GPUs with the K|NGP|N stamp in the future.

In case you missed it, Vince "K|NGP|N" Lucido launched a lot of high-end/enthusiast graphics cards and motherboards under the EVGA brand, and with EVGA ditching Nvidia, or the other way around, we did not see such products for quite some time. Now, according to an interview with Vince "K|NGP|N" Lucido from Gamersnexus, we could again see those products under the PNY brand.

Of course, developing such graphics cards takes both time and money, so we don't expect them anytime soon, but hopefully, we'll see some NVIDIA Geforce RTX 50 series GPUs with the K|NGP|N design in the near future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZQyNvZy5do

$100 more in the US and €150 in Europe

It appears that Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Z Flip6 will indeed get a price increase in both the US and Europe, at least judging from multiple earlier reports.

The first leak that came from the US, revealed a price increase of $100 for both storage options, putting the entry 256GB model at $1,099.99 and the 512GB one at $1,219.99. A similar report comes from Saminsider shows that Europe will share the same fate, with the entry-level 256GB model starting at €1,340 and the 512GB model at €1,467. This is about a €150 increase compared to the Galaxy Z Flip5, which was priced at €1,200 and €1,320.

On the other hand, the Galaxy Z Flip6 will finally get 12GB of RAM, as well as a better 50MP camera and a bigger battery. In case you missed it, it still gets a 6.7-inch screen, and retains the same 187g weight. It will come in mint, silver, yellow, and blue color options. The Galaxy Z Flip6 is expected to launch on July 10th.

Larger footprint and hidden power connector

Gigabyte has silently launched the new RTX 4070 Ti SUPER Windforce MAX, a much larger version of the original RTX 4070 Ti SUPER Windforce OC launched earlier this year.

The new model gets a few updates, including a higher GPU clock, a larger Windforce cooler and a neat hidden power connector feature, which is a welcomed addition. As spotted by Videocardz.com, the new Gigabyte RTX 4070 Ti SUPER Windforce MAX is 7cm longer and 1cm wider compared to the original one, and also features a slightly higher 2,655MHz GPU clock. If you missed it, the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER comes with 8,448 CUDA cores and 16GB of GDDR6X memory.

In addition to the larger footprint, the new Gigabyte RTX 4070 Ti SUPER Windforce MAX placed the power connector behind the cooler, which both prevents bending of the connector and hides it pretty well, allowing much neater cable management.

Unfortunately, the new Gigabyte RTX 4070 Ti SUPER Windforce MAX has yet to show up on retail/e-tail shelves so there is no word on the price or the availability date.