Hello! Thanks for listening to me speak with Chris Smith, on the global Chris Smith Show on TNTRadio.live! Chris’ show is on 2pm to 4pm AEST, Mondays to Fridays, which means it starts at 9pm in San Francisco, midnight in New York and 5am in London.
1) I was in in San Francisco last week, attending a conference by chipmaker AMD, whose processors not only compete with Intel for dominance in the world of consumer and business PCs, servers, and artificial intelligence, but which also power all of the Sony Playstation 5’s and Xboxes out there, so what did they launch that’s exciting and new? Let’s go through it all step-by-step.
1a) AMD launched more powerful chips in several areas: in servers, in desktop and laptop computers, and they are absolutely state-of-the art, coming with major improvements in performance and power efficient compared with previous models.
Here’s the short video showing the highlights from the event:
AMD also has brand new AI chips that have the power to let companies easily run their own ChatGPT like system and offer services to its customers, should they wish to, or use the AI smarts in improving their own operations, as well as new Ryzen AI-enhanced processors that add an AI-equivalent to the Neural Core you see on Apple’s A and M series chips, and in Qualcomm’s smartphone and desktop-class mobile processors, and in Google’s Tensor processors, with the other processor companies also doing the same to varying degrees.
1b) This new Epyc 97×4 processor range dubbed Zen 4c, is for widespread deployment in new or upgraded fleets of servers in data centres, in what AMD is calling “No compromise cloud native computer” letting those companies serve more content at faster rates while providing services to all the tech companies out there that provide services to users on the Internet and in apps.
In November last year, the new range then had 96 cores, this year’s version has 128 cores for even better performance, with 2.7x better energy efficiency than November 2022’s models, supporting up to 3 more containers, which means more sessions of processing even more user data ever faster and in real time, while incredibly letting data centres save even more money on energy costs an ongoing basis than with the older tech – and all by replacing one CPU processor on the motherboards of their servers, if they upgraded last November, with this new one.
Or upgrading from older tech where your computing power boost will be comparatively ENORMOUS!
1c) There’s also new Ryzen 7050 processors with AI that you’ll find in brand new desktops and laptop computers out there. Ryzen is AMD’s version of the Intel Core i3, i5, i7 and i9 processors, and AMD have beaten Intel, yet again, but this time in delivering processors with an AI core, like Apple and Qualcomm’s smartphone, tablet and computer processors have, but which major competitor Intel has announced but not yet released.
The dedicated AI accelerator hardware is part of the actual chip, and it works to intelligently optimise tasks and workloads, CPU and GPU resources are freed up to ensure optimal performance. But AMD is also using Ryzen’s new AI capabilities for more than raw performance or power efficiency, but new experiences, at least for PC users.
Ryzen’s AI processors will deliver the kinds of experiences iPhone, iPad and Mac users take for granted – AI that puts you at the centre of the live video conference, and they’ve called it “Automatic Framing” to Apple’s name of “Centre Stage”, and it automatically expands and contracts the video image zoom area as you move around, or other people join or leave your video chat.
You can also blur the background or add in other virtual backgrounds even more smoothly than Zoom can do it using the AI enhancements built right into the processor, and finally, and most importantly, “eye correction”. This lets you maintain eye contact, even when you don’t; this amazing new feature makes it look like your eyes are meeting your audience’s as much as possible. I remember Apple talking about this for its FaceTime app some time ago, but I don’t actually know if Apple is delivering that – I’ll have to check – but even so, Windows computers powered with this new specific range of Ryzen 7040 variants that come with enhanced AI-powers are now possible thanks to AMD’s development.
1d) What could be AMD’s most exciting announcement for the tech world is the introduction of the world’s Most Advanced Accelerator for Generative AI. Generative AI is what ChatGPT, Bing AI chat and Google Bard delivers.
AMD’s new Instinct MI300 Series accelerator family deliver the power needed to provide the compute and memory efficiency needed for large language model inference and generative AI workloads – again, this is ALL the rage right now. This means companies can now add servers to their data centres which are purpose built to now fit large language models such as Falcon-40B, a 40 billion parameter model, on a single MI300X GPU accelerator.
AMD also introduced the AMD Infinity Architecture Platform, which brings together eight MI300X accelerators into an industry-standard design for the ultimate in generative AI inference and training. The MI300X is sampling to key customers starting in Q3. AMD also announced that the AMD Instinct MI300A, the world’s first APU Accelerator for HPC and AI workloads, is now sampling to customers. If you thought AI was growing at super fast speeds, these are the types of technologies being used to massively accelerate it, and bring it the brains for reasoning at ever higher levels.
Here is the AMD launch in full:
2) Hisense launches its most advanced TV and Laser TV range in Australia and NZ, no doubt coming soon to the US, UK and elsewhere if not already.
Mostly arriving next month in July, Chinese TV maker Hisense has launched new TVs in sizes ranging from 55 inches to a whopping 100 inches, with its Laser TV projectors able to display images up to 130-inches in sze.
Its Hisense ULED TVs feature what’s known as “Mini-LED technology”, which this year delivers an even wider colour palette, with clearer and brighter imagery, using 20,000 lED backlights designed to light up much smaller areas of the screen.
This is important, because the smaller the area being lit, the higher the contrast level and the clearer the picture.
The top of the range is the flagship Mini-LED X 75-inch and 85-inch TVs, with over 2500 nits of brightness and what Hisense claims is an unrivalled 5000+ dimming zones, aimed at providing crips and clear visuals in even the brightest of living spaces, defeating the harsh Aussie sun from making your TV looked washed out, as can happen on bright days.
So what is the extra detail? The X in the TV’s name stands for the new Dynamic X Display, this flagship model’s screen is capable of five times less reflection and offers over 1 billion unique colours to deliver what will obviously be a breathtaking picture. This is further enhanced by HDR10+ and Dolby Vision IQ, as well as IMAX Enhanced certification. In other words, premium technology works together to deliver a fantastic at-home visual experience that’s as close as you can get to being at the cinema.
As noted before, there’s also the new Laser TV projectors that offer a huge screen experience, from 90-inches, to 100, 110, 120 and 130-inches in size, if you have a wall big enough in your house!
3) LG announces an new home appliance, productivity and entertainment range for 2023 that you can personalise with different colour schemes, with personalisation via colour a way for companies to differentiate their products, with colour serving as an expression of mood an attitude, and to stand out – both when people see the products in your homes, and to stand out in retail stores!
The days of being PC desktop boxes and the famous “white goods” for appliances obviously still exists, but if you are more discerning and want to express yourself with a burst of colour, while also, for example, having the most energy and water efficient front-loading washing machine with 5-star ratings, LG obviously hopes you’ll consider its new range.
LG’s latest fridge is the InstantView with MoodUP, letting you see what’s inside the fridge without opening it, while the front panels can have different colours eliminating the typing white or silver box.
LG’s CordZero hand stick vacuum range is in “Forest Green” colours which aren’t supposed to interfere with your interior design colours, as are some of its other products. Obviously these will be unmissable in retail stores as each company vies to win the hearts, minds and wallets of consumers.
LG has also introduced its thinnest and lightest 14-inch laptop with an anti-glare 16:10 aspect ratio screen, so you can see more of the spreadsheet or document you’re working on than traditional 16:9 widescreens, with 120Hz refresh rate for truly smooth scrolling, and powered by an DCI-P3 enabled OLED display for really rich colours and really black blacks.
This range also features an iridescent white body colour design that nevertheless changes colour subtly depending on the angle you look at it in, with the latest 13th-generation Intel i5 and i7 processors, 16GB RAM, a 512GB SSD, all day battery life, Windows 11 and a weight of 999 grams, or just under a kilo.
JB Hi-Fi currently has both models at a discount, priced at $2379 Aussie dollars for the Intel Core i5 model and $2589 for the Intel Core i7 model, if you’re looking for a really light laptop, but a bigger than normal screen, this is one worth checking out.
4) Electric car news – Chinese car brand MG Motor is making EV motoring more accessible and affordable in Australia with the launch of the MG4 Excite 51 SUV. It will be from $38,990 + on road costs, making it the first EV priced under $40,000 in Australia, with deliveries to begin in August.
Obviously designed to support more Australians to make the transition to full EV driving, you get a 7-year unlimited kilometre warranty as standard, which MG Motor says “remains one of the longest fully-transferable warranties in Australia”, with this model the first to use MG’s “Modular Scalable Platform” that is underpinning this next new generation of MGs, with rear-wheel drive, a 50:50 weight distribution and thin battery technology.
The MG4 Excite 51 will have a 51 kWh battery, capable of up to a 350km range. There are three other models, the MG4 64KwH Essence, capable of up to 435km range, the 64KwH Excite with up to 450km range, and the 77Kwh Essence, at $55,900 plus on road costs with a range of up to 530km range.
On the 64kwH models, the battery is capable of recharging at up to 140kW, meaning a charge time of only 26 minutes from 10% – 80% using a 150kW DC rapid charger.
5) Hot on MG’s heels is Australia’s No.2 electric car brand, the Chinese-made BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams.
BYD Automotive Australia will be launching the Dolphin hatchback (European Union link) at a gala event at Australia’s Sea World theme park on the Gold Coast tomorrow, Thursday June 22. The price has not yet been revealed, but it is promised to be Australia’s most affordable EV, so we’ll reveal what the price is next week.
Either way, the competition is hotting up fast for Elon Musk’s Tesla, with Chinese manufacturers applying an incredible range of in-car smarts that give you cars with smartphone like upgrades and all the mod-cons, making the cars of even 10 years ago look almost primitive in comparison.
6) Google launches new Pixel tablet, complete with speaker dock, and a case with a kickstand – blending a smart display and a tablet into one device. Priced at $899 in Australia, and $499 in the US, what is Google’s new tablet like?
Here’s Google’s official video:
7) Scam watch for iPhone and Mac users!
iPhone and Mac users are being targeted with a pop-up message, which says Apple Security, with the Apple logo.
The message says: Hacker is tracking you, your iPhone your connection has been hacked and someone is tracking you. Do not close this page, if this problem is not resolved within two minutes, the hacker will reveal your identity, and send your browsing history and all your frontal camera photos to all your contacts.
How to repair this yourself:
Step 1) Click the Protection Connection button below
Step 2) You’ll be redirected to the App Store
Step 3) Install the recommended protection app, open it and repair your iPhone
Obviously this is just a scam, and it’s a fake message. There’s also a countdown timer on some messages – just ignore it.
8) Employment scams
I’ve been received messages on my iPhone’s message app, and my Whatsapp message app, purporting to be from a “recruitment consultant” Australian job site Seek, noting they’ve received my job application and asking if I’m still looking for a job.
It’s a scam, if you start interacting with them and sending your CVs over to them, your information will be stolen and used to impersonate you and steal your identity.
9) Delivery item scams
I’ve also been getting SMS messages that say: “Delivery Issue: Item’s at the post office. For pickup/redelivery”, use “aupost-au-packageassist.com”
Obviously the address is meant to look like Australia Post (or your country’s local postal provider) but again, they’ll steal your address details, ask you to pay fees and more.
If you’re really concerned, go and visit your local post office or even call them!
10) Google has announced its latest Feature Drop for its Pixel smartphones and watches, what are the new capabilities?
New pixel features for phone and watch. Pixel 7 Pro gets new Macro mode focus for recording videos of bees on flowers or other small things you want to capture clearly and in focus.
There’s also New cinematic wallpapers that have cinematiion motion when you go to the home screen, a new emoji workshop app so you can craft your own and have them appear as your phone’s background as well if you want, better safety check and emergency sharing that improves car crash detection, (but no satellite emergency SOS network access as with the iPhone 14 yet), while the Pixel watch gets a better look at your heartbeat with high and low heart rate notifications, and overnight tracking of oxygen levels with SpO2 blood oxygen tracking.
Here’s the official video:
