The hottest Hardware Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Public Miners Raised $2B in Last Pre-Halving Quarter

Miner Weekly • 19 implied HN points • 16 May 24
💰 Finance Mining Regulation Hardware Corporate Feature
  1. Public bitcoin mining companies raised nearly $2 billion in the last pre-halving quarter, with the three largest companies accounting for a significant portion.
  2. Financing activities for public mining stocks have slowed down in the current quarter, but the investments still surpass those from the previous year's quarter.
  3. Public mining companies are holding a substantial amount of bitcoin, signaling a shift towards retaining mined assets rather than selling immediately.

#90

The Nibble • 4 implied HN points • 23 Dec 24
🕹 Technology AI Software Hardware Crypto Open Source
  1. Nvidia has released an affordable AI supercomputer called Jetson Orin Nano for $249, making it accessible for hobbyists and students. This is seen as a big step forward in generative AI technology.
  2. Google and OpenAI are actively launching new features and products, showcasing their ongoing commitment to innovation in the tech space. This includes advancements in AI tools that make coding easier for everyone.
  3. The Pudgy Penguins community has launched a new ecosystem token called $PENGU, continuing their engagement and growth in the crypto space. However, there was a small issue with privacy during the launch.

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.

Prepare for the Next Bitcoin Mining Infrastructure Boom

Miner Weekly • 59 implied HN points • 14 Dec 23
💰 Finance Bitcoin Mining Infrastructure Regulation Hardware Corporate Financial
  1. Texas is becoming a major global hub for Bitcoin mining, with plans for significant power capacity expansions.
  2. Several major mining companies are gearing up for infrastructure booms by expanding their mining power capacity in various locations.
  3. Regulation news and corporate developments, like the acquisition of power plants, showcase the ongoing growth and changes in the Bitcoin mining industry.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Your guide to AI: December 2024

Guide to AI • 6 implied HN points • 01 Dec 24
🕹 Technology AI Policy AI Research Tech startups Hardware
  1. AI is really growing fast, and new companies are getting lots of funding to develop more advanced tools. This is creating a competitive environment.
  2. The politics around AI are uncertain after the recent US elections. It's hard to predict how new leaders will affect AI regulations and policies.
  3. There's ongoing debate about the quality of AI models from both US and Chinese labs. They are working hard to innovate and improve, showing that competition is fierce on a global scale.

LLMs running on your laptops and smartphones.

nolano.ai • 78 implied HN points • 11 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI Hardware Programming Open Source Mobile devices
  1. Large language models (LLMs) can be used for tasks like email completion and code explanation, but currently need hardware accelerators beyond personal devices.
  2. Using on-device LLMs allows greater control over data and the ability to create personalized generation models.
  3. A community of developers is working towards enabling LLM inference locally to empower creators and researchers in utilizing these models for their projects.

Citing Danger of “Ink Spills” Epson Programs End of Life for Some Printers

Fight to Repair • 157 implied HN points • 27 Jul 22
🕹 Technology Hardware Legal Environment Consumer Rights Repair
  1. Epson printers have a pre-determined 'end of life' programmed into their software without clear disclosure at purchase, pushing customers to replace or service their printers.
  2. Users encountering the 'end of life' message can temporarily reset it using an Epson utility for Windows, but Mac users must seek service or replace the printer.
  3. Epson designed their printers to stop working to prevent potential property damage from ink spills or safety issues, leading to concerns about electronic waste and right-to-repair practices.

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.

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.

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.

Deep Tech For Deep Minds? Or Deep Pockets?

Investing 101 • 59 implied HN points • 24 Feb 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Manufacturing Investing Technology Hardware
  1. The history of venture capital reveals a significant role played by hardware companies in the tech industry's early days, tracing back to the 1950s and even earlier.
  2. The decline in hardware investment by VCs in favor of software has had implications on manufacturing and American industrial capabilities, with a recent resurgence in manufacturing employment in the US.
  3. The recent interest in hard tech and manufacturing by VCs has led to a new wave of investment, sparked by success stories like SpaceX and Nvidia, raising concerns about hype cycles and the need for a deeper understanding of the complexities of hard tech startups.

My 2025 WFH prediction

My Home Office Hacks • 5 implied HN points • 25 Nov 24
🕹 Technology AI Workplace Hardware Software Trends
  1. By 2025, there are expected to be fewer people working from home, especially among federal employees. This might set an example for the private sector to follow.
  2. To effectively use AI on your laptop, you'll need powerful hardware like a great CPU, dedicated AI graphics, and plenty of RAM. It might be a good time to think about upgrading your device.
  3. It's important to keep an eye on how tariffs on imported goods could affect tech products, including laptops. Investing in the right tools now could help you stay ahead.

A Tale of a Close Partnership

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 39 implied HN points • 20 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI Hardware Software Startups Computing
  1. AMD has partnered with Lamini to help startups create and run generative AI products using AMD GPUs. This collaboration started in September and aims to address the GPU shortage in the AI industry.
  2. Lamini disclosed that they have been exclusively using AMD GPUs for the past year, showcasing their commitment to this partnership. They even highlighted their continuous use of AMD hardware at an AI event.
  3. Together, AMD and Lamini have developed the LLM Superstation, a powerful supercomputer equipped with 128 AMD Instinct GPUs. This setup allows businesses to train large AI models more effectively.

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.

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

Let Us Face the Future • 158 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.

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

Let Us Face the Future • 178 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.

Groq's inference strategy

Axial • 7 implied HN points • 22 Oct 24
🕹 Technology AI Hardware Semiconductors Innovation Computing
  1. Groq is designing chips that speed up AI by using a special kind of memory called SRAM, which is faster but also more expensive. This helps them run complex AI models more efficiently.
  2. Their choice of using separate cards for each chip instead of smaller, cheaper chips means they might face higher costs and power use. This choice could limit how easily they can grow their technology.
  3. Other companies like Microsoft are trying different approaches that might be cheaper and easier to scale. Groq needs to find a balance between speed and practicality to succeed in the competitive AI market.

Our Picks For The Top Repair Stories of 2022

Fight to Repair • 59 implied HN points • 15 Jan 23
🕹 Technology Regulation Repair Sustainability Hardware E-Waste
  1. State-wide laws are crucial for the right to repair movement to succeed, as seen in 2022 with wins in New York and Colorado.
  2. Companies like Apple's self-repair program may offer solutions, but without clear legislation, it can fall short in truly empowering consumers.
  3. Governments are taking steps towards standardization, like the EU mandating USB-C, to reduce electronic waste and increase sustainability.

Run Large Language Model On Your Own Computer

The Beep • 19 implied HN points • 10 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Software Hardware Programming Data science
  1. You can run large language models, like Llama2, on your own computer using a tool called Ollama. This allows you to use powerful AI without needing super high-tech hardware.
  2. Setting up Ollama is simple. You just need to download it and run a couple of commands in your terminal to get started.
  3. Once it's running, you can interact with the model like you would with any chatbot. This means you can type prompts and get responses directly from your own machine.

Phoenix Puts UAE On Bitcoin Mining Map

Miner Weekly • 39 implied HN points • 23 Nov 23
🔮 Crypto Bitcoin Mining IPO Hardware Infrastructure Regulation
  1. Phoenix, a UAE-based bitcoin mining company, raised $370 million in an IPO on the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange, highlighting growing interest in bitcoin mining in the region.
  2. Phoenix appears to focus more on hardware distribution rather than proprietary mining, indicating potential plans for diversification in the future.
  3. Key highlights of Phoenix's business include a sizeable team, impressive hashrate capacity, and a revenue stream primarily reliant on hardware sales.

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 Copper Chains Holding Cerebras Back

Irrational Analysis • 39 implied HN points • 27 Oct 23
🕹 Technology AI Hardware Semiconductor Data processing
  1. Cerebras, a unique AI-hardware startup, faces challenges in scaling due to copper chains and thermal density issues.
  2. They have developed proprietary technology to print wires across scribe lines, a unique capability in the semiconductor industry.
  3. Cerebras is selling systems for non-AI workloads like drug discovery and scientific research, but they need significant upgrades to compete with Nvidia.

Huawei to Transform Chip Game

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 39 implied HN points • 11 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Semiconductors AI Hardware Innovation Competition
  1. Huawei is entering the chip market and competing directly with NVIDIA. Their Ascend 910 AI processor has similar power to NVIDIA's A100.
  2. The Ascend 910 offers strong performance with 256 TeraFLOPs while using less power than the A100. It shows that Huawei's technology can be efficient and effective.
  3. More companies, like iFlytek, are choosing Huawei's chips for AI development, indicating a shift in the industry. This could change the landscape of chip manufacturing.

Implementing Softmax using RISC-V Vector

Fprox’s Substack • 41 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.