Tag: Technology

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TSMC’s Next-Generation Chip Technology for Apple Silicon on Schedule

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date April 10, 2024
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Apple chipmaker TSMC is making progress toward manufacturing 2nm and 1.4nm chips that are likely destined for future generations of Apple silicon, DigiTimes reports.

apple silicon feature joeblue
The manufacturing time frames for mass production of 2nm and 1.4nm chips have now apparently been determined: Trial production of the 2nm node will begin at in the second half of 2024, with small-scale production ramping up in the second quarter of 2025. Notably, TSMC’s new plant in Arizona will also join 2nm production efforts. In 2027, facilities in Taiwan will start to shift toward production of 1.4nm chips.

TSMC’s first 1.4nm node is officially called “A14” and will follow its “N2” 2nm chips. N2 is scheduled for mass production in late 2025, to be followed by an enhanced “N2P” node in late 2026.

Historically, Apple is among the first companies to adopt new, state-of-the-art chip fabrication technologies. For example, it was the first company to utilize TSMC’s 3nm node with the A17 Pro chip in the iPhone 15 Pro and ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ Max, and Apple is likely to follow suit with the chipmaker’s upcoming nodes. Apple’s most advanced chip designs have historically appeared in the iPhone before making their way to the iPad and Mac lineups. With all of the latest information, here’s how the ‌iPhone‌’s chip technology is expected to look going forward:

‌iPhone‌ XR and XS (2018): A12 Bionic (7nm, N7)
‌iPhone‌ 11 lineup (2019): A13 Bionic (7nm, N7P)
‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup (2020): A14 Bionic (5nm, N5)
iPhone 13 Pro (2021): A15 Bionic (5nm, N5P)
iPhone 14 Pro (2022): A16 Bionic (4nm, N4P)
‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ (2023): A17 Pro (‌3nm‌, N3B)
iPhone 16 Pro (2024): “A18” (‌3nm‌, N3E)
“‌iPhone‌ 17 Pro” (2025): “A19” (2nm, N2)
“‌iPhone‌ 18 Pro” (2026): “A20” (2nm, N2P)
“‌iPhone‌ 19 Pro” (2027): “A21” (1.4nm, A14)

The M1 series of Apple silicon chips is based on the A14 Bionic and uses TSMC’s N5 node, while the M2 and M3 series use N5P and N3B, respectively. The Apple Watch’s S4 and S5 chips use N7, the S6, S7, and S8 chips use N7P, and the latest S9 chip uses N4P.

Each successive TSMC node surpasses its predecessor in terms of transistor density, performance, and efficiency. Late last year, it emerged that TSMC had already demonstrated prototype 2nm chips to Apple ahead of their expected introduction in 2025.

Microsoft makes major quantum computing breakthrough — development of most stable qubits might actually make the technology viable for many, but will anyone be able to afford it?

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Unlike traditional computing that uses binary bits, quantum computing uses quantum bits or ‘qubits’, enabling simultaneous processing of vast amounts of data, potentially solving complex problems much faster than conventional computers.

In a major step forward for quantum computing, Microsoft and Quantinuum have unveiled the most reliable logical qubits to date, boasting an error rate 800 times lower than physical qubits.

This groundbreaking achievement involved running over 14,000 individual experiments without a single error, which could make quantum computing a viable technology for various industries.

Azure Quantum Elements platform

Microsoft says the successful demonstration was made possible by applying its innovative qubit-virtualization system (coupled with error diagnostics and correction) to Quantinuum’s ion-trap hardware. Jason Zander, EVP of Strategic Missions and Technologies at Microsoft, says, “This finally moves us out of the current noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) level to Level 2 Resilient quantum computing.”

The potential of this advancement is enormous. As Zander says, “With a hybrid supercomputer powered by 100 reliable logical qubits, organizations would start to see the scientific advantage, while scaling closer to 1,000 reliable logical qubits would unlock commercial advantage.”

Quantum computing holds enormous promise for solving some of society’s most daunting challenges, including climate change, food shortages, and the energy crisis. These issues often boil down to complex chemistry and materials science problems, which classical computing struggles to handle but which would be far easier for Quantum computers to manage.

The task now, Microsoft says, is to continue improving the fidelity of qubits and enable fault-tolerant quantum computing. This will involve transitioning to reliable logical qubits, a feat achieved by merging multiple physical qubits to protect against noise and sustain resilient computation.

While the technology’s potential is immense, its widespread adoption will depend on its accessibility and cost-effectiveness. For now, though, Microsoft and Quantinuum’s breakthrough marks a significant step towards making quantum computing a practical reality.

256TB SSDs could land before 2026 with a surprisingly low price — but will most likely use a controversial and popular trick borrowed from tape technology

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ScaleFlux has announced its latest SSD controller in what could be a significant step up for the company.

The SFX 5016, the successor to the SFX 3016, incorporates several design advancements, including an upgrade from PCIe 4.0 to PCIe 5.0, doubling the host interface speed and bandwidth.

The new controller has been designed to support a maximum storage capacity of up to 256TB, a volume which JB Baker, VP of Products at ScaleFlux believes can be achieved sooner than expected, by taking a leaf out of tape technology.

256TBe drives are coming

Reaching 256TB is a big aim for SSD makers, and one that has some challenging hurdles to overcome. For starters, the physical space, determined by the size and form factor of the SSD, dictates how many NAND components it can accommodate. The density of these components also plays a part, with higher densities providing more storage capacity. The SSD’s overall capacity can be limited by the controller’s ability to handle a certain number of NAND chips and manage them effectively. Additionally, SSDs maintain a “logical to physical map” to track each byte of data stored, typically in DRAM for consistent performance in enterprise SSDs. The amount of DRAM that can fit in the drive can further limit the maximum drive capacity.

For all of those reasons, we likely won’t see a 256TB physical capacity drive arrive until 2026 at the earliest, with pricing expected to come in at around $25,000 each. But there is a solution that’s closer to hand. Baker says a “256T effective through compression drive could arrive by 2025 and cost a fraction of the price.”

While offering a 256TB SSD ahead of the competition, and at a lower price point, sounds great, the method of achieving this is not without controversy.

Transparent compression, a feature included in the SFX 5016 and carried forward from the SFX 3016, is a popular trick borrowed from tape technology that allows an SSD to store more data than its physical capacity by compressing it. As Baker explains “a 3.84TB SSD can store 7.68TB of 2:1 compressible data for ‘effective capacity’. Storage array vendors pitch the ‘TBe’ -Terabyte effective – capacity based on achieving a certain data compression ratio.”

Although there’s no firm timescale for it, if Baker is right, it’s possible we’ll start seeing the first 256TBe drives late next year.

Startup claims to boost LLM performance using standard memory instead of GPU HBM — but experts remain unconvinced by the numbers despite promising CXL technology

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MemVerge, a provider of software designed to accelerate and optimize data-intensive applications, has partnered with Micron to boost the performance of LLMs using Compute Express Link (CXL) technology.

The company’s Memory Machine software uses CXL to reduce idle time in GPUs caused by memory loading.

The technology was demonstrated at Micron’s booth at Nvidia GTC 2024 and Charles Fan, CEO and Co-founder of MemVerge said, “Scaling LLM performance cost-effectively means keeping the GPUs fed with data. Our demo at GTC demonstrates that pools of tiered memory not only drive performance higher but also maximize the utilization of precious GPU resources.”

Impressive results

The demo utilized a high-throughput FlexGen generation engine and an OPT-66B large language model. This was performed on a Supermicro Petascale Server, equipped with an AMD Genoa CPU, Nvidia A10 GPU, Micron DDR5-4800 DIMMs, CZ120 CXL memory modules, and MemVerge Memory Machine X intelligent tiering software.

The demo contrasted the performance of a job running on an A10 GPU with 24GB of GDDR6 memory, and data fed from 8x 32GB Micron DRAM, against the same job running on the Supermicro server fitted with Micron CZ120 CXL 24GB memory expander and the MemVerge software.

The FlexGen benchmark, using tiered memory, completed tasks in under half the time of traditional NVMe storage methods. Additionally, GPU utilization jumped from 51.8% to 91.8%, reportedly as a result of MemVerge Memory Machine X software’s transparent data tiering across GPU, CPU, and CXL memory.

Raj Narasimhan, senior vice president and general manager of Micron’s Compute and Networking Business Unit, said “Through our collaboration with MemVerge, Micron is able to demonstrate the substantial benefits of CXL memory modules to improve effective GPU throughput for AI applications resulting in faster time to insights for customers. Micron’s innovations across the memory portfolio provide compute with the necessary memory capacity and bandwidth to scale AI use cases from cloud to the edge.”

However, experts remain skeptical about the claims. Blocks and Files pointed out that the Nvidia A10 GPU uses GDDR6 memory, which is not HBM. A MemVerge spokesperson responded to this point, and others that the site raised, stating, “Our solution does have the same effect on the other GPUs with HBM. Between Flexgen’s memory offloading capabilities and Memory Machine X’s memory tiering capabilities, the solution is managing the entire memory hierarchy that includes GPU, CPU and CXL memory modules.”

MemVerge Memory Machine X results

(Image credit: MemVerge)

iPhone 16 to Adopt Ultra-Thin Bezel Technology to Maximize Display

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date March 20, 2024
No Comments on iPhone 16 to Adopt Ultra-Thin Bezel Technology to Maximize Display

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Apple plans to maximize the display size on the upcoming iPhone 16 series by using a new ultra-thin bezel technology, claims a new report out of Korea.

iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature
According to SisaJournal, Apple will use Border Reduction Structure (BRS) technology to minimize the bezel at the bottom of the display. BRS achieves this by rolling up the internal copper wiring into a more compact package.

Apple reportedly plans to apply the borderless display technology to all four iPhone 16 models, which are due to be released in the second half of this year.

The company is said to have attempted to apply the technology to iPhones before, but previous attempts were curtailed due to heat issues. Apple’s reinvigorated efforts to adopt BRS are reportedly due to recent improvements in heat dissipation technology.

Last year, Apple reduced the bezels on iPhone 15 Pro models using low-injection pressure over-molding, or LIPO, to shrink the display border size to 1.5 millimeters (versus around 2.2 millimeters on iPhone 14 models).

Besides that, Apple has not significantly tweaked iPhone screen sizes since the introduction of the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ 12 models in 2020. However, that’s set to change with the 2024 iPhone 16 lineup. The iPhone 16 Pro models will have notably larger display sizes than the current iPhone 15 Pro models.

According to multiple sources, the ‌‌iPhone 16 Pro‌‌ and ‌‌iPhone 16 Pro‌‌ Max will feature an increase in display size compared to the ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ and ‌‌iPhone 15 Pro‌‌ Max, measuring roughly 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches, respectively. To be more precise, the ‌‌iPhone 16 Pro‌‌ will have a 6.27-inch display (159.31 mm), while the ‌‌iPhone 16 Pro‌‌ Max will feature a 6.85-inch (174.06 mm) screen.

With the increase in display size, the dimensions of the ‌iPhone‌’s body will also increase. The ‌‌iPhone 16 Pro‌‌ and 16 Pro Max will be slightly taller than their predecessors, while also being somewhat wider. The larger form factor of the devices will give Apple more internal space for components. The ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ models could get larger, longer-lasting batteries for example.

We are not expecting size changes for the ‌iPhone 16‌ and ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus, and these devices will be the same size as the iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus. However, with the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ 17 and ‌‌iPhone‌‌ 17 Plus in 2025, Apple is expected to also bring the larger 6.27- and 6.86-inch display sizes to its two standard ‌‌iPhone‌‌ models.

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Tags Adopt, Bezel, display, iPhone, Maximize, Technology, Ultrathin

News

Apple Working on Solution for EU Core Technology Fee Possibly Bankrupting Apps That Go Unexpectedly Viral

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date March 18, 2024
No Comments on Apple Working on Solution for EU Core Technology Fee Possibly Bankrupting Apps That Go Unexpectedly Viral

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Since Apple announced plans for the 0.50 euro Core Technology Fee that apps distributed using the new EU App Store business terms must pay, there have been ongoing concerns about what that fee might mean for a developer that suddenly has a free app go viral.

App Store vs EU Feature 2
Apple’s VP of regulatory law Kyle Andeers today met with developers during a workshop on Apple’s Digital Markets Act compliance. iOS developer Riley Testut, best known for Game Boy Advance emulator GBA4iOS, asked what Apple would do if a young developer unwittingly racked up millions in fees.

Testut explained that when he was younger, that exact situation happened to him. Back in 2014 as an 18-year-old high school student, he released GBA4iOS outside of the ‌App Store‌ using an enterprise certificate. The app was unexpectedly downloaded more than 10 million times, and under Apple’s new rules with Core Technology Fee, Testut said that would have cost $5 million euros, bankrupting his family. He asked whether Apple would actually collect that fee in a similar situation, charging the high price even though it could financially ruin a family.

In response, Andeers said that Apple is working on figuring out a solution, but has not done so yet. He said Apple does not want to stifle innovation and wants to figure out how to keep young app makers and their parents from feeling scared to release an app. Andeers told Testut to “stay tuned” for an answer.

What we are trying to do is tear apart a model that has been integrated for 15 years. And so for 15 years, the way we’ve monetized everything was through the commission. It covered everything from technology to distribution to payment processing, and the beauty of that model is that it allowed developers to take risks. Apple only got paid if the developer got paid, and that was an incredible engine for innovation over the last 15 years. We’ve seen it go from 500 apps to more than 1.5 million.

To your point, we’ve seen kids everywhere from 8-year-olds, 9-year-olds, 10-year-olds, to teenagers come up with some amazing applications and it’s been one of the great success stories of the App Store. In terms of the Core Technology Fee and our business model, we had to change. The mandates of the DMA forced us to tear apart what we had built and price each component individually. And so we now have a fee associated with technology, tools, and services, we now have a fee associated with distribution and the services we provide through the App Store, and then we have a separate fee for payment processing if a developer wants to use it.

To your point – what is the impact on the dreamer, the kid who is just getting started. It could be a kid, it could be an adult, it could be a grandparent. We want to continue to encourage those sorts of developers. We build a store based on individual entrepreneurs, not so much catering to large corporate interests. And so we really wanted to figure out how do we solve for that.

We haven’t figured out that solution here. I fully appreciate that. We looked at the data. We didn’t see many examples of where you had that viral app or an app just took off that incurred huge costs. That said, I don’t care what the data said. We don’t care what the data said. We want people to continue to feel… and not be scared… some parents… hey, I’ve got four kids who play around with this stuff. I don’t have five million euros to pay. This is something we need to figure out, and it is something we’re working on. So I would say on that one, stay tuned.

It is not clear when Apple might come up with a solution or what that solution might be, but it sounds like the company might soon have some kind of option for these rare fringe cases when an app goes unexpectedly viral.

The 0.50 euro Core Technology Fee (CTF) that Apple is charging applies to all apps created under Apple’s new business terms, both those distributed in the ‌App Store‌ and those distributed outside of the ‌App Store‌ in the European Union. The CTF must be paid for every “first” app install over one million installs.

A free app that is distributed outside of the ‌App Store‌ and downloaded over a million times will owe 0.50 euros for every subsequent “first” install, aka the first time a customer downloads an app on a device each year. The fee is incurred whether or not an app charges, creating a situation where an app developer could owe Apple money without ever making a dime.

As it stands, the CTF is a major unknown for any kind of freemium or free app built under the new business terms that might go viral, effectively making it very risky to develop a free or freemium app outside of the ‌App Store‌. A free or freemium app that gets two million annual “first installs” would need to pay an estimated $45,290 in fees per month, or more than half a million dollars per year, even with no money earned. That’s not a sustainable model for free apps, and freemium apps would need to earn at least 0.50 euros per user to break even.

App developers are able to continue to use Apple’s current ‌App Store‌ business terms instead of adopting the new terms, paying just 15 to 30 percent commission to Apple with no change. That prevents distribution outside of the ‌App Store‌, and it prevents developers from using third-party alternative payment solutions in the ‌App Store‌. Adopting any of the new features that Apple has implemented because of the Digital Markets Act requires opting in to the updated business terms.

Apple has been tweaking the app ecosystem rules that it introduced in the European Union based on developer feedback. Developers can now opt back in to the current App Store rules after trying out the new rules, though this is only available one time. Apple also recently did away with an app marketplace restriction that required alternative marketplaces to offer apps from any third-party developer that wanted to participate.

Third-party app stores are now able to offer apps only from their own catalog, and developers will soon be able to distribute apps directly from their websites as long as they meet Apple’s requirements. Note that all of these changes are limited to the European Union, and the ‌App Store‌ is operating as before in the United States and other countries.

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Tags Apple, Apps, Bankrupting, Core, fee, Possibly, Solution, Technology, Unexpectedly, viral, Working

Featured

Getac: Rugged mobile technology is stronger than ever, but we’re sticking to computing devices for now

Post author By lisa nichols
Post date March 17, 2024
No Comments on Getac: Rugged mobile technology is stronger than ever, but we’re sticking to computing devices for now

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We’ve always admired rugged mobile technology. Faster processors, higher resolution screens, intuitive operating systems – they’re all essential and impressive. But the build quality and durability of laptops, tablets, phones all capable of surviving unimaginable drops, shocks, and environmental extremes is in a league of its own.

There’s a reason for the growing popularity of the best rugged laptops, tablets, and phones. After all, those better specs won’t mean much when the display shatters, when dust and sand carpet the motherboard. According to one survey, the tablet PC market alone is forecast to be worth over $1900 million by 2032. It’s a trend replicated for rugged laptops and phones. One of the companies leading the way in mobile solutions protected against the elements is Getac.

We spoke to Paul Waddilove, Managing Director, UK & Nordics at Getac to find out what the future holds for rugged devices and frontline workers who depend on them.

Is Getac planning to have its own line of rugged smartphones similar to Cat? If not, why?

Getac’s core focus has always been on providing rugged tablets and notebooks that meet the needs of our customers across a wide range of industries and sectors. The smartphone market is an exciting and innovative one, but it is also extremely contested and not where our core expertise lies. While we’re always interested to see the latest smartphone devices being launched, rugged or otherwise, it’s not a market we plan to explore from a commercial perspective.

How are Android-based rugged tablets different from Windows-based ones?

Android and Windows rugged tablets share a lot of similarities, but also have a few key differences. Which one is best suited to a customer will largely depend on their individual use case. Generally speaking, Windows-based tablets tend to be larger and more powerful, while Android-based devices are smaller and offer greater flexibility/scalability.

The Android platform also receives more regular updates, while things like Google integration and its App ecosystem can be a better fit for some customers. Conversely, a key feature of Windows is its longer OS lifecycles, which can be crucial for organisations that want to build new applications around it. Personal preference is also a factor. Some customers are simply used to running Windows and want to stay with it, and vice versa.

Getac S410 G5 Rugged Laptop

When we tested the Getac S410 G5 rugged laptop it earned a well-deserved 4.5 stars (Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

A lot of the big names out there seem to have stopped producing their rugged devices. Why do you think that is the case?

This isn’t something we’ve seen. In fact, the rugged sector is getting increasingly competitive all the time with new products and solutions coming to market on a regular basis. A key driver for this is growing demand for rugged solutions, as more and more businesses build up their digital knowledge and start leaning towards rugged solutions to solve their day-to-day technology challenges.

As a rugged tech specialist with over 35 years of experience, we work closely with all our customers to deliver rugged solutions that solve their unique problems and challenges. This ranges from Windows tablets like the UX10-IP that paramedics can easily clean and disinfect after each patient, through to intrinsically safe Android devices, which can help deliver digital transformation in potentially explosive environments.

Paradoxically, there has been a surge in products that have been labelled IP68 and MIL-STD-810G. Can they be considered rugged once they’ve been tested to these standards?

There’s definitely a growing trend amongst consumer tech manufacturers to include things like IP68 and MIL-STD 810* certification in their products. However, building true rugged products is a highly specialised process that encompasses far more than simply adding a bit of extra protection to commercial off the shelf products. As such, a lot of these devices in question aren’t internally designed or built for rough handling and/or use in harsh environments, meaning they can’t really be considered true rugged devices. Furthermore, many companies that boast IP and MIL-STD certification have self-certified their own products, without any independent testing or verification. This makes it questionable how well they would really stand up in scenarios where rugged devices are required. Getac’s rugged devices are all independently tested and certified, meaning customers can buy them with confidence.

Other tell-tale signs that products aren’t quite as rugged as they appear are things like limited warranties, so it’s always wise to check this before making a purchase. True rugged manufacturers stand behind their products and this is reflected in their warranties. For instance, ours – and a lot of our peers – come with a three-year warranty covering accidental damage as standard.

How does the future look for rugged devices?

The future looks very bright, with more and more customers embracing rugged tech to drive business efficiencies, increase connectivity, digitalise operations and adopt emerging technologies.

As the market continues to evolve, expect to see more AI-powered applications being integrated into the rugged ecosystem to help customers solve key challenges and further streamline their operations. Customisation is also expected to become more prevalent, with rugged manufacturers giving customers the chance to fully tailor their solutions and specs based on their specific needs.

What are the five things to look for when you buy a rugged tablet or laptop?

There are many factors to consider when selecting the right rugged device, but below are five of the key things to look out for:

Rugged certifications: All rugged devices are IP and MIL-STD certified, but as mentioned above, many manufacturers self-certify their products, which makes it hard to know how rugged they really are. True rugged manufacturers will have their devices independently certified, so be sure to look out for this when choosing a rugged device. MIL-STD 810* is considered the benchmark for rugged devices, along with an IP rating of 53 or above.

Battery life: This is a key consideration for anyone that wants to use their rugged devices for long periods of time in the field, where there’s no access to charge facilities. Look for devices that can accommodate high-capacity batteries and allow the user to hot swap batteries on the go, without having to switch the device off first.

Connectivity options: Rugged devices typically feature multiple connectivity options, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, and 4G/5G, enabling users to be productive in a wide range of environments. When it comes to connectivity options, the more a device has, the better.

Support, service, OS longevity: Before purchasing a rugged device, customers should make sure it comes with a level of support that fits their needs. This includes things like service and repair, diagnostic assistance, and provision of any software drivers that might be required. Another key thing to look at is OS longevity, particularly if their app ecosystem is built around a specific version.

Warranty: As mentioned above, true rugged manufacturers stand behind their products, which is reflected in the warranty they come with. We offer a three-year Bumper-to-Bumper warranty covering accidental damage as standard on all fully rugged products. If a fully rugged device doesn’t come with a warranty like this, it’s best to steer clear.

Apple Reportedly Testing AI-Powered Ad Technology

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date March 12, 2024
No Comments on Apple Reportedly Testing AI-Powered Ad Technology

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Apple has begun testing a new AI-powered tool with a small group of advertisers that automatically decides where to place ads on the App Store, Business Insider reports.

iOS App Store General Feature Black
Citing two individuals familiar with the matter, Business Insider claims that the AI-powered tool mirrors the functionalities of Google’s Performance Max and Meta’s Advantage+, which allow advertisers to specify their budget, target cost-per-acquisition, desired audiences, and geographical targets. Apple’s algorithm then automatically determines the most effective placement of ads across the ‌App Store‌’s existing formats.

The initiative is said to be part of Apple’s broader ambition to refine and expand its advertising offerings. Currently, Apple provides a variety of ad formats within the ‌App Store‌, including search tab ads, search results page ads, “you might also like” suggestions on app product pages, and ads on the “today” tab.

Business Insider speculates that the move toward AI-enhanced ad placements suggests a future where Apple could extend advertising to other apps and services within its ecosystem, such as Apple News, Stocks, and the recently launched Sports app. The website also today reported that a number of recent Apple hiring decisions may indicate plans to introduce an ad-supported Apple TV+ tier.

Huawei has a game-changing 10 Petabyte storage product — OceanStor Arctic uses exciting new technology that can beat tape AND hard drives

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According to recent estimates, around 328.77 million terabytes of data are created each day. Storing that data is a challenge, so it’s no wonder that we’re seeing a number of new high-capacity storage technologies being introduced. In the past few months alone we’ve reported on a ceramic cartridge with a 10,000TB capacity, a 200TB optical disc, and Micron’s NVDRAM, which outperforms NAND-based SSDs in terms of speed and durability.

At a keynote speech at MWC 2024, Huawei’s Dr. Peter Zhou took the wraps off a number of new data storage solutions being introduced by the company. OceanStor A800 and OceanStor A310 are designed to make “AI training data globally visible, manageable, and available, and improves data collection, preprocessing, and training efficiency”, while OceanProtect E8000 and X9000 are data backup appliance solutions.

Perhaps the most exciting announcement however, covers the company’s next-gen OceanStor Arctic magneto-electric storage solution.

Over 10PB capacity

Although details on OceanStor Arctic are a little light at the moment, we know that it’s designed for warm and cold data. Huawei has also said that it is projected to reduce TCO by 20% compared to tape, and reduce power consumption by 90% compared to hard drives.

Huawei’s China HQ has since provided a little more detail, telling Blocks & Files, “Huawei’s MED (magneto-electric disk) brings brand-new innovation against magnetic media. The first generation of MED will be as a big capacity disk. The rack capacity will be more than 10 PB and power consumption less than 2 KW. For the first generation of MED, we will position it mainly for archival storage.”

Tom’s Hardware suggests that since the technology is a “magneto-electric disk (MED), not a magneto-electric drive, we are dealing with something that has magnetic platters with tracks (and probably spins). The underlying principle of MED technology seems to be the magneto-electric effect, which creates a connection between the magnetic and electric properties of a material.”

The first generation of the OceanStor Arctic is slated for international release in the first half of 2025.

Las Vegas Sphere has 4,000TB SSD storage delivering 400GB/s throughput — World’s only 16K display requires some exquisite technology to keep it going

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We’ve written previously about some of the technology that powers the Las Vegas Sphere, including the 16K interior LED screen, and the ultra-high resolution 18K camera system. Now, details have emerged of the storage employed by the massive music and entertainment arena located east of the Las Vegas Strip.

Everything about the Sphere is bleeding edge, and Hitachi Vantara has detailed how its software technology processes Sphere’s original and immersive content and helps stream it to both the 160,000 square-foot interior LED display and 580,000 square-foot Exosphere.

Hitachi Content Software for File, which Hitachi describes as a “high-performance, software-defined, distributed parallel filesystem storage solution” is an integral part of things. It consists of 27 nodes, with 4PB of flash storage for playback within Sphere.

Postcard from Earth

The system streams content in real-time to 7thSense media servers, each streaming 4K video at 60 frames per second. As you might expect, this is a world-first in terms of technology capability at this scale.

“Sphere represents a new, completely immersive and visually powerful entertainment experience,” said Octavian Tanase, Chief Product Officer, Hitachi Vantara. “To make sure that the technology behind it was ready to meet the challenge, Hitachi Vantara worked closely with the Sphere team to test, measure, and enhance how the data is processed, streamed, and projected. Quality-wise, the resolution and color are second to none, and this project has exceeded our already high expectations.”

For Darren Aronofsky’s original immersive film, Postcard from Earth, the system had to handle over 400GB/s of throughput at sub 5 milliseconds of latency and a 12-bit color display at a 444 subsampling.

“Sphere is home to many firsts, one of which is streaming immersive, high-resolution video content on a scale that has never been done before,” added Alex Luthwaite, SVP, Show Systems Technology, Sphere Entertainment. “Hitachi Vantara worked with our team to develop a solution that’s fast, reliable, and efficient.”

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