The hottest Hardware Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

How AI Infused PCs are Transforming the Computing Industry and Business

Rod’s Blog • 39 implied HN points • 14 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Business Hardware Software
  1. AI infused PCs have artificial intelligence capabilities built into the hardware to enhance performance and user experience.
  2. AI infused PCs are driving demand for advanced hardware, software, and infrastructure in the computing industry.
  3. In businesses, AI infused PCs streamline operations, reduce costs, increase efficiency, and provide valuable insights for improved customer satisfaction and loyalty.

DePIN and DeREN: Toward a Better Classification of Decentralized Infrastructure Networks

Unsyndicated by Mason Nystrom • 137 implied HN points • 13 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Infrastructure Marketplaces Hardware
  1. Decentralized infrastructure networks can be categorized into DePINs and DeRENs based on their unique properties.
  2. DePINs use non-fungible resources deployed in specific locations, while DeRENs use fungible resources that are location-independent.
  3. Successful networks in both categories unlock new demand or expand the market in unique ways, not just compete on price.

Implementing Softmax using RISC-V Vector

Fprox’s Substack • 39 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Programming Algorithms Computing Simulation Hardware
  1. Softmax is a non-linear normalization layer commonly used in neural networks to compute probabilities of multiple classes.
  2. When implementing Softmax, numerical stability is crucial due to exponential function's rapid growth, requiring clever techniques to prevent overflow.
  3. RISC-V Vector (RVV) can be used to efficiently implement complex functions like Softmax, with stable and accurate results compared to naive implementations.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

AI Roundup 050: Synthetic Geometry

Artificial Ignorance • 54 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI Hardware Elections Models Research
  1. A new Google Deepmind model named AlphaGeometry can solve International Math Olympiad problems at a near-gold medalist level.
  2. OpenAI is addressing concerns about AI in worldwide elections by focusing on preventing abuse, transparency of AI content, and improving access to voting information.
  3. Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event introduced new AI features for Samsung phones, including live translation and AI-powered note organization.

The Era of the Cloud Czars

Dana Blankenhorn: Facing the Future • 39 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Cloud Computing Tech Companies Artificial Intelligence Hardware Software
  1. The era of the Cloud Czars is defined by five key companies: Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Meta.
  2. Building clouds and investing in the Cloud game was a key risk that many companies failed to take on, leading to their decline.
  3. In the tech industry, failure to take risks can be fatal, as highlighted by the success of the Cloud Czars who embraced the challenge.

DRM Gone Wild: The Polish Train Liberation Controversy

Fight to Repair • 78 implied HN points • 21 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Repair Manufacturers Software Hardware
  1. Polish hackers faced legal pushback after repairing a train that a manufacturer attempted to render inoperable remotely, highlighting the risks of DRM and anti-competitive behavior.
  2. DRM controls extend to various devices like farm equipment and cars, restricting repairs to authorized technicians and limiting consumer choice, highlighting the need for right to repair laws.
  3. Companies use DRM and legal threats to control products, emphasizing profit over consumer rights, leading to the rise of the 'landlord economy' where users pay for ownership and usage rights.

South Bay LA is Ground Zero for the Hard Tech Wave and Here's Why

Nathan’s Substack • 79 implied HN points • 15 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Startups Aerospace Automotive Networking Hardware
  1. South Bay LA, including areas like Redondo Beach, El Segundo, and Torrance, is experiencing a boom in hard tech innovation. The region is home to a growing number of young founders and engineers leveraging decades of experience and innovative tools from companies like SpaceX.
  2. The concentration of talent in South Bay is reminiscent of Richard Florida's theory on talent clusters, where talent attracts more talent, leading to a cycle of innovation and success. The region's history in aerospace has also played a significant role in shaping this talent pool.
  3. The alumni networks of SpaceX and Tesla have significantly contributed to the entrepreneurial spirit in South Bay, with many new hard tech companies emerging from these connections. The presence of these networks has made South Bay a hub for hard tech innovation and collaboration.

😱 HeyGen: doppiaggio e clonazione video

Vincos Newsletter • 176 implied HN points • 23 Sep 23
🕹 Technology AI Hardware Social media Stats
  1. HeyGen offers innovative features like video dubbing and creating personalized avatars for digital use.
  2. Major tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are introducing advanced AI tools and updates.
  3. Harvard Business School and BCG research show significant benefits in productivity and quality from using AI, but caution against blind trust in AI for tasks people are not skilled at.

The Future of P4: One Perspective

Systems Approach • 353 implied HN points • 15 May 23
🕹 Technology Programming Networking Technology Trends Hardware Software
  1. P4 language is more than just Tofino chips, it has many backend targets like SmartNICs and IPUs.
  2. The distinction between 'open' and 'closed' forwarding pipelines is crucial, even fixed pipelines can be flexible.
  3. P4's value lies not just in quantifiable metrics, but also in its ability to abstract packet forwarding pipelines effectively.

3D Gaming Before VR

Ironic Sans • 248 implied HN points • 18 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Gaming Virtual reality Software Hardware Future
  1. 3D gaming was possible before VR with LCD shutter glasses that created the illusion of 3D by alternating between two views for each eye.
  2. LCD shutter glasses allowed playing existing games in 3D without special design, like Tomb Raider and Thief 2.
  3. While VR is now more common, there are efforts to bring classic games into VR, although converting them is challenging due to control and graphical limitations.

Which PC genres convert pre-launch interest the best?

The GameDiscoverCo newsletter • 294 implied HN points • 15 May 23
🕹 Technology Gaming Cloud Hardware Market Streaming
  1. Consider that the best-converting PC genre tag is 'Escape Room', but creating these games may pose challenges like online co-op mechanics.
  2. While 'Sports' is another well-converting genre, success in niche games might not guarantee significant financial results.
  3. Cloud gaming competition concerns arise as Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard is cleared by the EU, with conditions, amid regulatory scrutiny.

The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu

Dan’s MEGA65 Digest • 11 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Audio Programming Hardware Software Digital Media
  1. Audio can be generated on the MEGA65 through SID chips and Pulse-Code Modulation (PCM), which allows for reproducing real-world sounds but takes up a lot of memory space.
  2. The MEGA65 expansion board project aims to enhance the computer with features like component video output, Commodore user port, and tape port.
  3. Using audio DMA on the MEGA65, you can play digitized sound samples by controlling speaker membranes directly, even enabling playback of high-quality sound data and providing opportunities for creative sound manipulation.

💾 E14: The Real AI Bottleneck: High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) 💾

Let Us Face the Future • 137 implied HN points • 08 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Memory AI Hardware Innovation Market
  1. High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) is crucial for datacenter AI accelerators and large language models due to its high bandwidth, low latency, and low power consumption.
  2. HBM is commercially viable, but cost and complexity remain restraints, making it more suitable for high-performance computing and AI rather than mainstream applications.
  3. The future growth of HBM depends on reducing costs, advancing technology like through-silicon vias, and addressing challenges like thermal management for wider adoption beyond datacenter and HPC.

Release day!

Dan’s MEGA65 Digest • 16 implied HN points • 25 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Software Hardware Updates
  1. MEGA65 platform release v0.96 is now available for upgrade, after 14 months of enhancements to the FPGA core, MEGA65 ROM, and system software.
  2. Different instructions are provided for MEGA65 owners, Xemu emulator users, DevKit owners, and Nexys dev board users regarding upgrading to the release v0.96 version.
  3. Notable changes in v0.96 include support for Ethernet file transfer, new hardware typing event queue, and improvements to chipset, Freezer, SD card utility, and Configuration utility.

What is Hard Tech?

Nathan’s Substack • 39 implied HN points • 03 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Hardware Software Deep Tech Manufacturing Cybersecurity
  1. Hardware companies are seeing a resurgence in interest due to their sticky products with deep moats against competition.
  2. Investors and founders in hard tech should understand that there is market risk along with technical risk.
  3. Hard tech companies face longer go-to-market cycles but enjoy stickier product market fit, with the ability to focus on growing margins through economies of scale.

#49

The Nibble • 12 implied HN points • 02 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Cryptocurrency Software Development Hardware Web Development
  1. Figure raised $675M for humanoid robots with investments from big tech players like Microsoft and NVIDIA.
  2. Tim Cook hints at Apple's groundbreaking move in Generative AI and discontinues Project Titan.
  3. Elon Musk sues OpenAI for prioritizing profits over public good, marking a significant development in the tech industry.

🔮 E05: The Future of Edge AI: "Brain-inspired" Neuromorphic Computing

Let Us Face the Future • 176 implied HN points • 23 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Research Hardware Architecture Market Trends
  1. Neuromorphic computing is inspired by the biological brain and integrates memory and processing, leading to more efficient computing systems.
  2. Neuromorphic chip designs are expected to win 20% of the edge AI hardware market by 2030.
  3. RRAM development is crucial for viable neuromorphic chip production, enabling cost-effective fabrication and addressing memory technology requirements.

Llama 2 follow-up: too much RLHF, GPU sizing, technical details

Democratizing Automation • 146 implied HN points • 21 Jul 23
🕹 Technology AI Data Programming Hardware Research
  1. The Llama 2 model may be exhibiting trigger-happy behaviors due to excessive use of RLHF during training.
  2. There are challenges with GPU sizing for different model variants, with considerations for inference and fine-tuning.
  3. Meta's evaluation of the chat models reveals potential issues with model refusal rates and ensemble techniques.

Taxonomy of Red Teams

Locks and Leaks • 39 implied HN points • 19 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity AI Hardware Collaboration
  1. Red Teams exist to test and improve important systems, often related to cybersecurity, physical security, and decision-making.
  2. Red Teaming can be categorized into Critical Systems Testing (CST) and Applied Critical Thinking (ACT), with multiple types of red teams within each category.
  3. Collaboration among red teams is crucial, with various ways to work together such as conducting joint trainings, attending conferences, and sharing knowledge.

Transposing a Matrix using RISC-V Vector

Fprox’s Substack • 27 HN points • 09 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Programming Hardware Algorithms Benchmarking Software Development
  1. Transposing a matrix in linear algebra is a common operation to switch row-major and column-major layouts to optimize computations.
  2. Different techniques like strided vector operations and in-register methods can be used to efficiently transpose matrices using RISC-V Vector instructions.
  3. Implementations with segmented memory variants and vector strided operations can be more efficient in terms of retired instructions compared to in-register methods for matrix transpose.

Compute In The HiSeq X

ASeq Newsletter • 43 implied HN points • 15 Nov 23
🔬 Science Technology Hardware Storage
  1. HiSeq X uses an external compute server compared to MiSeq's internal computer setup.
  2. HiSeq X has larger storage volumes in various RAID configurations than MiSeq.
  3. HiSeq X offers about 4x the compute performance of MiSeq, while NovaSeq 6000 is 7 times faster than HiSeq X.

More on the Apple Vision Pro

thezvi • 11 HN points • 13 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Reviews Hardware Software Entertainment Productivity
  1. Reviews highlight the Apple Vision Pro's impressive entertainment features but express disappointment in its productivity capabilities.
  2. There are concerns raised about the weight, battery life, and setup process of the device.
  3. The potential for the Apple Vision Pro to excel in specific use cases, such as watching movies and immersive experiences, is noted, while its value for productivity is still uncertain.

Sapphire Rapids Core-To-Core Latency

Delayed Branch • 67 HN points • 07 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Hardware Data Analysis
  1. The analysis of Sapphire Rapids CPU core-to-core latency is affected by factors like instance type and lack of detailed performance data.
  2. Intel's adoption of EMIB technology for Sapphire Rapids allows for integration of multiple chiplets in the same package, impacting latency and performance.
  3. Understanding the latency costs and implications of EMIB for core communication in Sapphire Rapids can help evaluate its performance impact on different workloads.

Composable Architectures and Lego

Polymathic Being • 56 implied HN points • 27 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Design Software Hardware
  1. Composability is a powerful capability in design allowing modular parts to be combined and recombined.
  2. Lego demonstrates the concept of modularity and reusability, showcasing fantastic opportunities for leveraging existing efforts.
  3. Balancing composability is key, requiring intentional design and identifying natural limits to adapt and pivot effectively.