#Apple networking chip

[iosnextgen]

🌟 Apple's Next Gen Revolution: What’s Coming in 2025! 🌟 Get ready for Apple TV 2025, the HomePod Mini 2025, and exciting updates in iOS Next Gen! With a new Apple networking chip, Apple is pushing the boundaries of smart home integration and device connectivity. Learn more about iOS 18 rollout delays, the next iOS update plans, and Mark Gurman’s predictions for Apple's future. Stay ahead with the latest on NextGen iPhone features and Apple's evolving ecosystem. 🚀

[jcmarchi]

The Rise of Neural Processing Units: Enhancing On-Device Generative AI for Speed and Sustainability

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/the-rise-of-neural-processing-units-enhancing-on-device-generative-ai-for-speed-and-sustainability/

The Rise of Neural Processing Units: Enhancing On-Device Generative AI for Speed and Sustainability

The evolution of generative AI is not just reshaping our interaction and experiences with computing devices, it is also redefining the core computing as well. One of the key drivers of the transformation is the need to operate generative AI on devices with limited computational resources. This article discusses the challenges this presents and how neural processing units (NPUs) are emerging to solve them. Additionally, the article introduces some of the latest NPU processors that are leading the way in this field.

Challenges of On-device Generative AI Infrastructure

Generative AI, the powerhouse behind image synthesis, text generation, and music composition, demands substantial computational resources. Conventionally, these demands have been met by leveraging the vast capabilities of cloud platforms. While effective, this approach comes with its own set of challenges for on-device generative AI, including reliance on constant internet connectivity and centralized infrastructure. This dependence introduces latency, security vulnerabilities, and heightened energy consumption.

The backbone of cloud-based AI infrastructure largely relies on central processing units (CPUs) and graphic processing units (GPUs) to handle the computational demands of generative AI. However, when applied to on-device generative AI, these processors encounter significant hurdles. CPUs are designed for general-purpose tasks and lack the specialized architecture needed for efficient and low-power execution of generative AI workloads. Their limited parallel processing capabilities result in reduced throughput, increased latency, and higher power consumption, making them less ideal for on-device AI. On the hand, while GPUs can excel in parallel processing, they are primarily designed for graphic processing tasks. To effectively perform generative AI tasks, GPUs require specialized integrated circuits, which consume high power and generate significant heat. Moreover, their large physical size creates obstacles for their use in compact, on-device applications.

The Emergence of Neural Processing Units (NPUs)

In response to the above challenges, neural processing units (NPUs) are emerging as transformative technology for implementing generative AI on devices. The architecture of NPUs is primarily inspired by the human brain’s structure and function, particularly how neurons and synapses collaborate to process information. In NPUs, artificial neurons act as the basic units, mirroring biological neurons by receiving inputs, processing them, and producing outputs. These neurons are interconnected through artificial synapses, which transmit signals between neurons with varying strengths that adjust during the learning process. This emulates the process of synaptic weight changes in the brain. NPUs are organized in layers; input layers that receive raw data, hidden layers that perform intermediate processing, and output layers that generate the results. This layered structure reflects the brain’s multi-stage and parallel information processing capability. As generative AI is also constructed using a similar structure of artificial neural networks, NPUs are well-suited for managing generative AI workloads. This structural alignment reduces the need for specialized integrated circuits, leading to more compact, energy-efficient, fast, and sustainable solutions.

Addressing Diverse Computational Needs of Generative AI

Generative AI encompasses a wide range of tasks, including image synthesis, text generation, and music composition, each with its own set of unique computational requirements. For instance, image synthesis heavily relies on matrix operations, while text generation involves sequential processing. To effectively cater to these diverse computational needs, neural processing units (NPUs) are often integrated into System-on-Chip (SoC) technology alongside CPUs and GPUs.

Each of these processors offers distinct computational strengths. CPUs are particularly adept at sequential control and immediacy, GPUs excel in streaming parallel data, and NPUs are finely tuned for core AI operations, dealing with scalar, vector, and tensor math. By leveraging a heterogeneous computing architecture, tasks can be assigned to processors based on their strengths and the demands of the specific task at hand.

NPUs, being optimized for AI workloads, can efficiently offload generative AI tasks from the main CPU. This offloading not only ensures fast and energy-efficient operations but also accelerates AI inference tasks, allowing generative AI models to run more smoothly on the device. With NPUs handling the AI-related tasks, CPUs and GPUs are free to allocate resources to other functions, thereby enhancing overall application performance while maintaining thermal efficiency.

Real World Examples of NPUs

The advancement of NPUs is gaining momentum. Here are some real-world examples of NPUs:

Hexagon NPUs by Qualcomm is specifically designed for accelerating AI inference tasks at low power and low resource devices. It is built to handle generative AI tasks such as text generation, image synthesis, and audio processing. The Hexagon NPU is integrated into Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platforms, providing efficient execution of neural network models on devices with Qualcomm AI products.

Apple’s Neural Engine is a key component of the A-series and M-series chips, powering various AI-driven features such as Face ID, Siri, and augmented reality (AR). The Neural Engine accelerates tasks like facial recognition for secure Face ID, natural language processing (NLP) for Siri, and enhanced object tracking and scene understanding for AR applications. It significantly enhances the performance of AI-related tasks on Apple devices, providing a seamless and efficient user experience.

Samsung’s NPU is a specialized processor designed for AI computation, capable of handling thousands of computations simultaneously. Integrated into the latest Samsung Exynos SoCs, which power many Samsung phones, this NPU technology enables low-power, high-speed generative AI computations. Samsung’s NPU technology is also integrated into flagship TVs, enabling AI-driven sound innovation and enhancing user experiences.

Huawei’s Da Vinci Architecture serves as the core of their Ascend AI processor, designed to enhance AI computing power. The architecture leverages a high-performance 3D cube computing engine, making it powerful for AI workloads.

The Bottom Line

Generative AI is transforming our interactions with devices and redefining computing. The challenge of running generative AI on devices with limited computational resources is significant, and traditional CPUs and GPUs often fall short. Neural processing units (NPUs) offer a promising solution with their specialized architecture designed to meet the demands of generative AI. By integrating NPUs into System-on-Chip (SoC) technology alongside CPUs and GPUs, we can utilize each processor’s strengths, leading to faster, more efficient, and sustainable AI performance on devices. As NPUs continue to evolve, they are set to enhance on-device AI capabilities, making applications more responsive and energy-efficient.

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[techav]

On Multitasking

Sharing a Computer with Friends

The Motorola 68030 was a decently powerful microprocessor for its day. It is a fully 32-bit processor with 16 general-purpose registers, separate instruction & data caches, memory management unit, 18 addressing modes, over 100 instructions, pipelined architecture, and was available rated up to 50MHz. It was used in computers by Apple, Amiga, NeXT, Sun, Atari, and saw further life embedded in devices such as printers, oscilloscopes, and network switches. It was the kind of microprocessor used for desktop publishing, 3D CAD & animation, photo & video editing, etc.

In short, the 68030 is a microprocessor that can do some serious work. That's part of why I like it so much. It's a real workhorse chip but as far as 32-bit microprocessors go, it's dead simple to build with.

But running a single quick & simple BASIC program hardly seems like an adequate exercise for such a capable chip.

There is a prevailing claim that the 68000 architecture was heavily inspired by that of the PDP-11 or VAX minicomputers — powerhouses of the previous generation of computing. These machines ran entire businesses, at times servicing many simultaneous users. Surely the 68030 with similar capabilities but significantly faster instruction throughput than the decade-older machines would be more than capable of handling such a workload.

As I've mentioned before, one of my end goals for my 68030 projects is to run a proper operating system. Something like System V, BSD, or Linux; a true multi-user system befitting of the 68k's architectural heritage. My programming skills are limited, and getting such a complex project running is still outside my reach. But I am learning, and slowly inching myself closer to that goal.

Recently I built an expansion card for my Wrap030 project to add another four serial ports to it. In the context of the old minicomputers, another serial port means another terminal, which means the ability to serve one more user. My new 4-port serial card should give me the ability to add four new user terminals.

If only I had software capable of doing so.

Excluding symmetric multiprocessing and today's multi-core behemoths, supporting multiple user processes on a single computer processor means dividing time between them. The computer will run one user's program for a little while, then stop and run another user's program for a little while. Do this fast enough and neither user might ever notice that the computer is paying attention to someone else — especially since the computer spends much of its time just waiting for user input.

There are a few ways to accomplish this, but the simplest is to just make sure that every user program is written to cooperate with the others and periodically yield to the next user program ("Cooperative Multitasking"). A good time to do this is whenever the program needs to wait for input from the user or wait for a device to be ready to accept output.

Enhanced BASIC (68k EhBASIC), which I have been running on all of my 68k computer builds, was written in such a way that lends itself well to this sort of cooperative multitasking. It runs a tight loop when waiting for input or output, and while running a BASIC program, it stops at the end of each line to see if the user has pressed Ctrl-C to stop the program. This means that EhBASIC never goes too long without needing to check in with slow I/O devices. All that would needed is a simple kernel to set things up and switch to another user's processes whenever each time one of them is waiting for I/O.

So I set about creating such a minimal multi-user kernel. On startup, it initializes hardware, sets up some data tables for keeping track of what each user program is doing, loads BASIC into RAM, then starts running BASIC for that first user. Whenever a user process needs to read data from or write data to its terminal, it asks the kernel to handle that I/O task for it. The kernel will save the state of the user program to the data table it set up in the beginning, then switch to the next user to let it run until it too asks for assistance with an I/O task.

The kernel works through all user processes round-robin until it loops back around to the first user. After restoring the state of the user's process the kernel will service the I/O task that user process had originally requested, and return to let that user process run for a little while again. So all of the other user processes get their chance to run while one is waiting on data, and each process makes sure to allow the others a chance to run for a while when they are in the middle of running their own program.

I was able to throw together a quick proof of concept using the EASy68K simulator. What followed was days of catching all of the tiny mistakes I made, such as saving register A0 to the memory location reserved for register A1, overwriting the value previously saved for A1 and effectively losing both in the process — an error which resulted in BASIC printing only the first three characters of its startup header followed by a long string of null characters.

Debugging was tricky. I was starting from the bottom. No standard library, no existing structure or frameworks to rely on. The kernel process relied on the very same registers the user programs were using. Any changes to register contents by the kernel would affect the user processes. I ended up adding assembly macros to print short statements and register contents to the kernel console to try to get some insight into what was happening. I was able to track when registers came out of the user context save/restore process different than when they went in to find where I had bugs in that process.

This was a challenging project resulting in nearly a thousand lines of very low-level 68k assembly code, all of which I wrote and rewrote multiple times before figuring everything out. I've written small pieces of assembly code over the years, but none which required such deep dives into the CPU documentation to discern fine details of how the chip operates. I got there eventually though and now I have an 8MHz 68030 homebrew computer with 2MB of RAM that can run four BASIC programs simultaneously.

I'm going to need more terminals.

[appalamutte]

When Eric finally, after three hours of deliberation, decides to take a shower, the oven timer sounds from across the apartment.

"Shoot, hon," he says to a sleeping Deke as he scrambles half-naked down the hall and into the combined kitchen-slash-living room. The dog doesn't even pick his head up—just opens his eyes and raises one ear from the worn-down dog bed in the corner beside the couch. "What is your daddy going to do? Forgetting I put some apple turnovers on, Lord, my mind is plum gone."

A small waft of smoke burns at his eyes when he opens the oven door. The turnovers are a touch too crispy, blackened on the bottoms in a way Eric's always disliked and his family's always preferred. He sets them to cool on top of the stove.

He also lights an apple pumpkin candle, just for the hell of it.

Maybe he even still grabs one to eat.

Some hockey game is playing on the television when he goes to sit on the couch. Eric doesn't even remember turning the television on, let alone deciding to watch the game tonight of all things, but the Falconers are currently losing against the Canucks in the fourth quarter and the turnover tastes like burnt flour in his mouth and Eric was fired from his job, for the first time in his life, earlier that morning.

Deke stands from the dog bed—oh, who is Eric fooling, it's an outdoor patio cushion Eric bought on clearance a few years ago that was the perfect size for Deke to lay on—stretches, yawns, shakes sleep off his body and joins Eric on the couch. Noses his way toward the turnover in Eric's hand, digs his paws into the thin cotton of Eric's underwear to stand up, up, up until Eric's forced to shove the rest of the turnover into his still-full mouth.

"Down," he mumbles out, and Deke doesn't listen, but he does lick at Eric's face and that's okay, too.

"Mashkov chips the puck up the ice into Canuck territory, St. Martin goes to pick it up," the announcer is saying, the bright white light of the game clashing with the soft lamplight of Eric's apartment. "Bit of a struggle with Canuck's number twenty-eight, though St. Martin is able to snatch the puck and send it up to Zimmermann, who—"

"What am I going to do with you?" Eric asks once Deke yawns again and lays halfway onto Eric's lap, belly-side up and ears flopped this way and that.

His phone lights up from the side table, buzzes once, then goes dark again. Eric ignores it for all of two seconds before he snatches it up and unlocks it, seeing seven missed phone calls, fifty-two text messages, three emails, a handful of Twitter notifications, and a reminder from Tinder that his profile will be hidden soon if he doesn't log back in to it. That one is immediately deleted, as well as his emails—all from clients who haven't been told he's no longer with the company—but the Twitter notifications grab his attention long enough that he misses out on the goal the Falconers score until the network starts showing replays.

"What a goal! Wow, Rick, I have to say, despite the rough game they've had up until this point, Zimmermann may have just turned their spirits around. I mean, talk about an all-around masterclass of a shot. He's been quiet all night and then he does this? It's like he's been waiting until this moment to make something happen."

The cameras flick through a series of shots: the full rink from above, panning across the team celebrating at the bench, coming in close to where Robinson's pulling Jack down to Mashkov's wide-open arms for a hug. The joy is palpable. The smiles are wider than Eric would expect for a goal in a lost game. Jack doesn't look so frustrated now, not like he was looking the other night over the phone, and he makes eye contact with the camera as St. Martin comes in to pat against his helmet and Jack winks.

He—he winks.

The screen changes to that of the announcers as soon as Eric registers what he just saw. Surely, that wasn't—he didn't—now, Eric might be a gullible person under the right circumstances, but he's not delusional; he knows Jack doesn't know he's watching the broadcast because they haven't talked since yesterday when Jack was still in Seattle and Eric's life hadn't yet fallen apart and today's game was never mentioned. Jack didn't wink for Eric. He winked for the camera, for all the fans, a culmination of the Falconers' media training and Eric's gentle pushing that he needs to be more personable, more charming, at least for the media.

But—something warm settles inbetween the spaces of Eric's ribs and slowly fills the cavity of his heart.

The Falconers still lose the game. The announcers mention that this is now the fourth game the Falconers have lost in a row. Eric watches until the station starts covering highlights from another game from earlier in the day, and when he turns the television off, he finds the apartment to be silent.

Though, not like before. Not like when he first got home from work six hours too early and turned his phone off and fell face-first on his unmade bed. Deke softly snores in Eric's lap now, hot to the touch. It almost smells like home did when Eric was ten and helping his Mama bake after school. For the first time in years, despite the circumstances, Eric doesn't have to set any alarms for a Thursday morning.

Jack's making a layover in New York tomorrow.

That is enough.

[parasolyaa]

Hi!! How are you doing?

I saw your post inviting asks and something I've been wondering is, if you could tell me about some things from Misha's childhood that are unique to Ukraine which he might feel nostalgic for as a young adult (snacks, toys, kids tv shows, etc)?

Thank you for the informative posts you make, you're awesome ☺️

hi!! i'm doing good tysm!!! couldn't be otherwise after getting an ask from the most legendary artist in this fandom, i adore your ricky art!! i'll use this post as an excuse to yap endlessly about random media that will mostly be irrelevant, but also a peak into that time and place. sort of.

the epithome of ukrainian childhood nostalgia is zhyvchyk: both a drink and a tv show (which is just an advertisement for that drink). it’s a bubbly apple soda, in other words - a drink of gods.

(also fun fact: after russia occupied crimea, they tried to make their own version of zhychyk there. they called it zhyvunchik and the only design change was that they ??cut off the arms of the mascot?? since zhyvchyk basically means “lively guy”, it was kinda ironic)

other drinks he’d definitely miss would be kvas and kompot (obligatory laughing and giggling when he calls it cumpot).

starting off with more traditional snacks, i envision young misha with a necklace of booblycks (obligatory laughing and giggling when he calls it booblicks)

also any roshen candy! (obligatory laughing and giggling when he mentions the nut out chocolates) (they indeed are called that) (they are pretty recent tho). the undying classic is crazy bee and shypuchka/fizzy boom (the darker green design is the older one).

also there are some fancy sets, associated with holidays or family gettogethers. strila/arrow, kyiv evening and kyiv cake

the thing misha would DEFINETELY love and miss is flint ?bread chips?, this is an unmatched snack. once again, darker green design is the older one, and also with a pretty wild taste. there is a big variety of those.

ukrainian childhood cartoons were mostly distributed among three channels - pixel, plusplus and malyatko tv (disney, nickelodeon and cartoon network were here too, but no point in talking abt them now). the first two usually broadcastered whatever cartoons from around the world were relevant at the time (ukrainian dub for ducktales was unmatched!!), and also a few ukrainian things. i will highlight "abetka tivi" (alphabet tv) from pixel. it was, well, a show about learning the alphabet. "auntie owl’s lessons" was another one, and there were much more episodes, usually about famous art, world history and etiquette.

on plusplus, there was a show called "fairytale with dad", in which male celebrities read out fairytales to children. something about healing daddy issues with this one. also there is a whole plusplus cinematic universe, because this show sometimes intervened with another original show of theirs about ??shapes going on adventures??. and there was a show called useful suggestions, which was universally disliked by kids for being too on the nose about the life lessons they were trying to teach.

and then there was malyatko tv. when it stopped broadcasting in 2023, everyone weeped and so did i. there were vibrant music videos, eg "turtle aha", "helper boy" (self PR for my fic with that name. sorry.) and other. and, even though this wasn’t original ukrainian content, i feel the need to mention this: malyatko tv often showed some old anime cartoons - "haidi", "pocahontas" and others. ukrainian opening dubs were ethereal. to me.

there also were old cartoon classics (broadcasted on a creepy channel called children's world, an ugly sibling of malyatko tv) - the “how cossacks” series and “there once was a dog", but there were tons more.

(also this made me remember another long-gone channel called Qtv. basically what the cool kids watched, it also shows up in every tiktok #ukrainechildhood #nostalgia #2000s video. it's showed simpsons and stuff and had cheeky editing, eg in an advertisement for death note they only showed spongebob clips to make it look like he was kira. pretty funny imo)

peak nostalgia is the show "країна у" (country u? krayina u? untranslatable title), which is a dumb sketch show consisting of shows on its own about people from different regions of ukraine. bringing this up because odesa was one of them, and, no matter if misha disliked this show or not, this definetely impacted his childhood. the schtik about "once upon in odesa" was that there were four guys in odesa and uuuuh that's it? i don't remember much about it tbh ...

there were also popular reality tv shows and stuff, i really really wanna highlight "the world inside out". it's a travel show about this dude dmytro komarov getting to most remote an unique places in the world. don't get me wrong, he was being an idiot half the time, but it was peak entertainment. he uploaded old episodes with english dub on youtube and now does charity work. props to him

back to cartoons, "fox mykyta" was a nice, more modern cartoon. it's vaguely based on ivan franko's book with the same name, which in turn is vaguely based on "the blue jackal". speaking of books, ukrainian school literature programe is traumatising asf, and i just need to mention "fedko-brigand". it's a short story about a young boy who misbehaved but only lied once, when he took the blame for pushing a rich boy in the river, which he didn't do. it's also the reason why ukrainian 5th graders all spent at least one night crying, and since rereading it, i just keep thinking about misha. i feel like he'd relate

i'm convinced every ukrainian child had this specific "abetka"(alphabet) book with rhymes to every letter. the "а-ба-ба-га-ла-ма-га" publishing house never fails with their illustrations.

also probably the most popular children's books are the ones by vsevolod nestayko, eg "toreadors from vasyukivka" and "wonderful adventures in the forest school".

about games and toys, i honestly can't recall any ukraine specific ones except "this thing but slavic!" (monopoly ukraine, stuff like that). motanka dolls count as an original toy. out of computer games, maybe the most popular one at the time - "stalker: shadow of chornobyl"? some irony in that. real life games tho? the only difference between the games of tag and kvach is the name. "сossacks and bandits" maybe... there's a bl comic with the same name btw, and i also think that's the only place where you can find the rules for it in english lol. or google translate the wikipedia page.

misha lived by the sea, so he probably played a lot of games on water, other than that - all the same things american kids experience. generally my main advise when thinking about misha's childhood is to remember he had all the same things people in uranium did, excluding canada specific media. after auntie owl's lessons came ninja turtles, and after eating flint bread chips it was only natural to sip coca cola.

also i can advise to just look up "ukraine nostalgia"/"дитинство ностальгія" on tiktok. half the time it will be uncomprehensive stuff, and the other half might be something that'd help shape the view of what it was like. this is an invitation to ask more specific things and also for my ukrainian mutuals to add on because i only scratched the surface. hope it was useful or somewhat interesting xd

[hannahhook7744]

Known Descendants Stuff (Part 2);

Known Auradon Tv Show(s):

Toddlers Without Tiaras.

Auradon’s Classiest Home Videos.

Big Bling Theory.

Auradon’s Ninja Warriors.

Palaces and Coronations.

Trading Carpets. 

Stranger thingamabobs.

My Fair Lady.

Chipped.

The Prince Is Right.

Aurora The Explorer.

The Young And The Crownless.

Little Dwarves, Big Giants.

The Great Auradon Bake Off.

Get Down With The Ballgown.

Real Princesses Of Charmingsville.

How I Met Your Fairy Godmother.

Auradon's Friendly Forcast (News).

Auradon News Network (ANN).

Known Auradon Tv Channel(s):

AAC.

Auradon News Network (ANN).

ABS.

NAC.

WDA.

Good Deeds.

Fairy Planet.

Courtesy Central.

Kindness.

Bipidity. 

Magic Network.

National Enchantment.

Princess Broadcasting. 

Known Isle Tv Channel(s):

Evil Isle.

Known Isle Tv Show(s):

Judge Frollo.

Wharf Watch.

Cruella de Vil’s Coat Club.

Skin Deep With Mother Gothel.

Known Businesses:

Knuckle Punch.

The Market Place.

Pedro’s Meals For Eels.

Brews and Stews.

Hook's Clock and Curiousity shop.

Known Punishment(s):

The Stocks. 

Known Thing(s):

Human-Animal Translator Earpiece. 

Stocks. 

Centipedes in a bag.

Worms for sail.

Hair dye.

Murky Maggie's Soap Suds for the Anti-Socialite.

Known Food(s):

Snake Eggs.

Seaweed Smoothie.

Stale Muffins.

Moldy Jelly Donuts. 

Crepes.

Canned Cream Spinach.

Tongue Tinglers.

Banana Cream Pie.

Eel Tails.

Curdled Cream.

Rotten Apples.

Crab Apples.

Gruel.

Crusty oatmeal.

Gaston's 'Large as A Barge' recipe.

Known Class(es):

Accelerated Piracy.

Understanding Goblin Speech.

Chartering And Navigation. 

Coin And Jewel Calculus.

Advanced Wickedness.

Under The Sea: Science Below The Surface.

History Of The Isle.

Known Social Media:

Auratube (YouTube).

Auradon Buzz (Twitter?).

AuradonPrepFeed.

Other:

Student lounge, auditorium, and fitness center (info from descendants mobile game).

Fashion Flash (written by Lonnie for the school newspaper).

Auradon Prep Times.

Isle Gas Station (possibly).

Some form of Disney channel/Disney XD (possibly).

Part 1.

[house-of-mirrors]

I suppose this is the perfect time to introduce one of my favorite OCs: the IT guy that works for the Bazaar in modern era

The Dauntless Technician

Explains to Wines that even if you delete a drunk post, everyone still saw it and it exists forever. Pretends not to see the hundreds of files of porn when they tune up its PC (it is still in charge of the sex trade after all)

Explains to Spices that you can't delete other people's (Wines') posts but you can block them (Spices doesn't). Goes in and clandestinely blocks access to Wines' pages from Spices' browser to get 20 minutes of peace

Removes viruses from Pages' computer because it keeps clicking suspicious "love story" links. There's an infamous incident where Pages clicked an attachment and introduced ILOVEYOU to the Neath. Explains to Pages that you can't make people unblock you

Pages would probably have some claim over the social media trade. The Technician moonlights as a white hat hacker undermining Pages' censorship attempts

Works closely with Fires, considering Fires probably jumps on owning technology as it advances (electricity, invention are under its domain). Fires thinks the Technician is its best ally because the Technician stands there listening to it rant (as an IT person, they are blessed with godlike patience). The Technician couldn't care less.

Replaces Fires' hardware because it melted it for the third time this week after seeing ragebait posts or reading emails from Iron. Also has to deal with Fires demanding the Technician help it install the latest tech updates the moment they drop, even if the Technician can see they won't be good.

Stones is really into mining bitcoin. Our technician doesn't even try touching that

Helps Happles set up a huge PC setup so it has two separate devices/cameras to stream cooking videos as Mr Apples and more scandalous material as Mr Hearts

The technician's favorite master is Iron. It's never demanding, it quickly adjusts to learning how to use technology, and it never gets into trouble with its devices because it's too paranoid to open spam. Iron is happily rolling in a fortune on the metals used in producing computer chips (and intermittently biting Fires over negotiations)

Embattled in a personal, passionate rivalry with the ruthless and skilled "hacker" who tries attacking the Bazaar every seven weeks, DDOS attacks are themed around water imagery, ransomware demands flesh and reckoning (the Technician doesn't have patience for any of this melodrama). The hacker's screen name is allshallbewell.

The Technician sends out PSAs begging people to recognize this and other parabolan hackers' signatures in spam links, which due to the entwining of computing and parabola, can not only brick your device but have dangerous mental consequences

The Bazaar is a messenger so really would be like the source of wifi/central communications network of the Neath, wouldn't she? The Technician gains an intimate knowledge of her from working so closely into her systems. The Penstock of the seventh city.

If our Technician is revolutionary inclined: can they pull off the job of a lifetime? Push a software update through the Bazaar's network that makes her realize she doesn't have to do all this to impress someone who will never love her? Save the Seventh by writing a program that makes the Bazaar love herself?

[musewrangler]

WIP Tag Game

Rules: If you are tagged, you have to work on your WIP until you write a sentence that contains at least one word from the sentence given to you by the person who tagged you. Then post that sentence and tag as many people as you want. Tag-backs are not only allowed, but encouraged! >:)

Starting a new one because it was getting huge. Also, SO MANY lovely people have tagged me and I am so so behind, and I'm sorry. xD. Thank you @lady-merian for the most recent tag. Here we are:

---But when he came home with a split lip or a black eye because the local gangs of feral children enjoyed targeting him, it would only send his Father off into a rage. Not because his son was hurt—oh no. Because his son was stupid enough to get caught in the first place. Because he couldn’t fight back effectively. It was embarrassing apparently.

He was silent for awhile, trying to wait for the hot tears sliding down into his hair so that he could reply without a sob.

“What if he’s right?” he asked his sister at last. It was the question that plagued him. What if he and Rilla were wrong? They were just children after all and Father worked with tough beings. He knew what cowards looked like.

Rilla emitted an angry huff at the night sky and turned to lean up on her elbow so he could see her face. 

“He is NOT,” she emphasized, reaching down to wipe his tears with her fingers. She’d known he was crying anyway. 

“But what do we know?” he pushed. “We’re just—-”

“I know, Firmus Piett,” Rilla told him fiercely. “All those stories we read—they’re by beings who are smart. Who know these things.”

It was the one luxury they had. Their oldest sister had found a battered and ancient datapad one day in a dumpster outside her work. Firmus had worked tirelessly on it to make it run—-hunting for wires and chips himself to do so. It didn’t connect to the holo network or anything. But what it could do was download the free books from the small local library. He would go there whenever he could and the kind lady with the wrinkled face like an old apple would assist him. 

“You telling me they’re all wrong about courage or cowardice, Shaja?” Rilla pursued relentlessly.

He looked up into her large brown eyes, the moonlight making them shine at him with intensity.

“No…”

“Karking right, no,” she nodded, and he couldn’t help the snort laugh at her language. She smiled down at him and leaned in to kiss his temple hard. “Don’t you dare listen to him, brother of mine. You’re the bravest.”-----

Tagging @lady-merian, @kraytwriter @kanerallels @afaroffsong @klarionthewizard @chaosgoblinhours @wolfy254709 @tolkienreader1996 @called-kept @freenarnian dumps bag of tags on @winterinhimring ;D

[badlymadedndsideblog]

The ultimate mix and match qucik bread recipe:

if something is beautiful it should be shared and cherished, and this banana bread recipe is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It’s a formula for making quick breads/muffins from a Food Network Magazine from like 2012 and it works miracles. It’s so flexible and delicious. Also ignore the part where it says to only use 1 fruit or vegetable type, I’ve mixed and matched to get to 1 cup. My all time favorite is banana zucchini bread. And it’s scalable!! I love using it to use up produce thats about to go bad. Its a very flexible and adaptible recipe/ recipe framework. Recipe in text form:

Choose a Flavor: Prepare one cup of fruit or vegetable (1 kind) such as pear(shredded and squezzed dry), apple(shredded and squezzed dry), banana(mashed), carrot(shredded), or zucchini(shredded and squezzed dry) *Note from me: I have used mixtures of multiple of these fruits/veggies adding up to one cup like a mix of zucchini and banana with great results. I have also had sucess using 1/4 cup cut up dried fruit (such as raisins) mixed with 3/4 cup warmed up applesauce*

Pick Your Mix-Ins: Choose up to 1 3/4 cups total of the following ingredients (use no more than 3/4 cup nuts). Toast and chop any nuts; chop any large dried fruit: walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, dried cherries, dried cranberries, dried currants, raisins, dried figs, dried apricots, pitted dried dates, rolled oats, chocolate chips, shredded coconut. *Note from me: I never add oats, but if you do add a lot of them you may have to decrease the amount of flour you use slightly*

Prepare the Pan: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter one 9-by-5-inch loaf pan or three 6-by-3-inch mini pans. *Note from me: you can also use muffin or mini muffin tins*

Make the Batter: Mix 1 1/4 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon each baking powder and salt, and 1/2 teaspoon each baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl; add your dry mix-ins (from step 2). In a medium bowl, whisk 2 eggs, 1/2 cup cooled melted butter or vegetable oil, 1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon citrus zest (optional). Stir your fruit or vegetables (from step 1) into the egg mixture, then fold into the dry mixture until just combined. *Note from me: you can use any mix of white & brown sugar, and you can use AP flour or a mix of AP and whole wheat flour, also playing around with differnt seasonings and flavorings is fun*

Bake the Loaf: Spread the batter in the prepared pan/pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes for a standard loaf, 35 to 40 minutes for mini loaves. Cool 30 minutes in the pan(s) on a rack, then turn out onto the rack to cool completely. *Note from me: check at like 15-20 minutes for muffins*

Make a Glaze: Prepare a glaze, pour on the cooled bread and let set, 15 to 20 minutes. Chocolate: Whisk 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons milk, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Vanilla Bean: Whisk 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon milk and the seeds from 1 vanilla bean. Brown Butter: Brown 3 tablespoons butter over low heat; cool slightly. Whisk with 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar and 1 tablespoon milk. Use immediately. Citrus: Whisk 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon each milk and citrus juice, and 1 teaspoon citrus zest. Cream Cheese: Whisk 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons softened cream cheese, 2 tablespoons milk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Happy baking and enjoy!!!

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Wednesday SpaceTime 20241218 Series 27 Episode 152

How those infamous Martian dust storms can engulf an entire planet

In a new study has begun to unravel the mystery of those massive planet wide dust storms which often blanket the entire Martian surface.

Astronomers discover more dark comets

The first dark comet—a celestial object that looks like an asteroid but moves through space like a comet—was discovered less than two years ago. Soon after, another six were found.  Now astronomers have detected seven more, doubling the number of known dark comets.

How space weather events affect national security assets

Scientists are working on new research projects to help protect major national security assets from threat of space weather.

The Science Report

People are living longer, but the gap between good health and lifespan is getting wider.

Google's new quantum error correction chip.

A step closer to a rechargeable proton battery.

Alex on Tech: New AI updates from Apple and Google

SpaceTime covers the latest news in astronomy & space sciences.

The show is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through Apple Podcasts (itunes), Stitcher, Google Podcast, Pocketcasts, SoundCloud, Bitez.com, YouTube, your favourite podcast download provider, and from www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com

SpaceTime is also broadcast through the National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio and on both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

SpaceTime daily news blog: http://spacetimewithstuartgary.tumblr.com/

SpaceTime facebook: www.facebook.com/spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime Instagram @spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime twitter feed @stuartgary

SpaceTime YouTube: @SpaceTimewithStuartGary

SpaceTime -- A brief history

SpaceTime is Australia’s most popular and respected astronomy and space science news program – averaging over two million downloads every year. We’re also number five in the United States.  The show reports on the latest stories and discoveries making news in astronomy, space flight, and science.  SpaceTime features weekly interviews with leading Australian scientists about their research.  The show began life in 1995 as ‘StarStuff’ on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) NewsRadio network.  Award winning investigative reporter Stuart Gary created the program during more than fifteen years as NewsRadio’s evening anchor and Science Editor.  Gary’s always loved science. He studied astronomy at university and was invited to undertake a PHD in astrophysics, but instead focused on his career in journalism and radio broadcasting. Gary’s radio career stretches back some 34 years including 26 at the ABC. He worked as an announcer and music DJ in commercial radio, before becoming a journalist and eventually joining ABC News and Current Affairs. He was part of the team that set up ABC NewsRadio and became one of its first on air presenters. When asked to put his science background to use, Gary developed StarStuff which he wrote, produced and hosted, consistently achieving 9 per cent of the national Australian radio audience based on the ABC’s Nielsen ratings survey figures for the five major Australian metro markets: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth.  The StarStuff podcast was published on line by ABC Science -- achieving over 1.3 million downloads annually.  However, after some 20 years, the show finally wrapped up in December 2015 following ABC funding cuts, and a redirection of available finances to increase sports and horse racing coverage.  Rather than continue with the ABC, Gary resigned so that he could keep the show going independently.  StarStuff was rebranded as “SpaceTime”, with the first episode being broadcast in February 2016.  Over the years, SpaceTime has grown, more than doubling its former ABC audience numbers and expanding to include new segments such as the Science Report -- which provides a wrap of general science news, weekly skeptical science features, special reports looking at the latest computer and technology news, and Skywatch – which provides a monthly guide to the night skies. The show is published three times weekly (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and available from the United States National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio, and through both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

[jcmarchi]

Will Nvidia Overtake Apple In Market Value? - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/will-nvidia-overtake-apple-in-market-value-technology-org/

Will Nvidia Overtake Apple In Market Value? - Technology Org

Nvidia is on the verge of surpassing Apple to become the world’s second-most-valuable company.

Nvidia chip in a mainboard – illustrative photo. Image credit: Pixabay, free license

The rapid growth in value for Nvidia is driven by a remarkable surge in its shares fueled by the growing demand for its semiconductor chips, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence, where they power tools like ChatGPT.

In just nine months, Nvidia’s market valuation has soared from $1 trillion to over $2 trillion, outpacing major entities such as Amazon.com, Google-parent Alphabet, and Saudi Aramco along the way.

Presently, Nvidia’s market capitalization stands at approximately $2.38 trillion, trailing Apple by around $230 billion and Microsoft by roughly $645 billion.

The company’s robust performance in the high-end AI chip market, where it commands an 80% share, has not only contributed to its staggering growth but has also played a significant role in propelling Wall Street to record highs this year, with Nvidia accounting for over 5% of the benchmark S&P 500 index.

Nvidia, experiencing a remarkable 95% increase, and Meta Platforms, with a notable 46.6% increase this year, have surpassed other members of the so-called Magnificent 7, clearly illustrating the growing investor enthusiasm for all things related to artificial intelligence (AI).

Amidst challenges such as slowing iPhone sales, Apple relinquished its position as the most valuable U.S. company to Microsoft for the first time since 2021 in January. Nvidia has also recently overtaken Tesla as the most traded stock by value on Wall Street.

Despite its impressive run, Nvidia’s 12-month forward price-to-earnings ratio of 36.6 is lower than a year ago, making it comparatively more affordable than other stocks in the “AI narrative” category.

However, there are indications that Nvidia’s stock may be approaching a peak. Analysts’ median target price over the next 12 months suggests a trading value of $850 per share, below the latest closing price of $926.

While sustaining rapid growth for a mega-cap stock becomes challenging due to the law of large numbers, the stock price could potentially remain at these levels if Nvidia continues to meet or exceed analysts’ high expectations.

Written by Alius Noreika

[waycaseuk]

The **evolution of the iPhone** since its introduction in 2007 has been a defining journey in the world of smartphones, with significant advancements in design, performance, and features. Here's a brief overview of key milestones in iPhone evolution:

### 1. **iPhone (2007)**

- **Notable Features**: 3.5" touchscreen, 2 MP camera, 4GB/8GB storage.

- **Innovation**: The first touchscreen-only smartphone, removing the physical keyboard seen in other phones at the time. It introduced multi-touch technology and mobile internet.

### 2. **iPhone 3G (2008)**

- **Notable Features**: 3G network support, App Store.

- **Innovation**: Faster internet browsing with 3G connectivity and the launch of the App Store, which opened the door to third-party apps.

### 3. **iPhone 3GS (2009)**

- **Notable Features**: Faster processor, video recording, voice control.

- **Innovation**: Significant speed improvements ("S" stands for speed) and better camera capabilities, including video recording.

### 4. **iPhone 4 (2010)**

- **Notable Features**: Retina Display, FaceTime, 5 MP camera, glass design.

- **Innovation**: A major redesign with a stainless steel frame and glass front/back, and the introduction of the Retina Display, which had higher pixel density for crisper visuals.

### 5. **iPhone 4S (2011)**

- **Notable Features**: Siri, 8 MP camera, A5 chip.

- **Innovation**: Siri, the first virtual assistant on an iPhone, was introduced, along with significant camera and processor upgrades.

### 6. **iPhone 5 (2012)**

- **Notable Features**: 4" display, Lightning connector, LTE support.

- **Innovation**: The iPhone grew in size to a 4-inch screen and introduced the Lightning connector, replacing the 30-pin dock.

### 7. **iPhone 5S & 5C (2013)**

- **Notable Features (5S)**: Touch ID, 64-bit architecture.

- **Notable Features (5C)**: Colorful plastic body.

- **Innovation**: The iPhone 5S brought Touch ID for fingerprint authentication and a powerful 64-bit A7 chip. The 5C was a more affordable model with colorful designs.

### 8. **iPhone 6 & 6 Plus (2014)**

- **Notable Features**: 4.7" & 5.5" displays, Apple Pay.

- **Innovation**: Apple entered the "phablet" market with larger displays, along with introducing Apple Pay, the company's mobile payment system.

### 9. **iPhone 6S & 6S Plus (2015)**

- **Notable Features**: 3D Touch, 12 MP camera, 4K video.

- **Innovation**: The introduction of 3D Touch, which allowed the screen to detect varying levels of pressure, creating new ways to interact with the phone.

### 10. **iPhone SE (2016)**

- **Notable Features**: 4" screen, A9 chip (same as iPhone 6S).

- **Innovation**: A smaller, more affordable model, resembling the iPhone 5S but with the internal power of the iPhone 6S.

### 11. **iPhone 7 & 7 Plus (2016)**

- **Notable Features**: Dual cameras (7 Plus), no headphone jack, water resistance.

- **Innovation**: The removal of the headphone jack was controversial, and Apple also introduced dual cameras on the 7 Plus for improved zoom and portrait photography.

### 12. **iPhone 8 & 8 Plus (2017)**

- **Notable Features**: Wireless charging, glass back, True Tone display.

- **Innovation**: While similar to the iPhone 7, the 8 series introduced wireless charging through the glass back and enhanced display technology with True Tone.

### 13. **iPhone X (2017)**

- **Notable Features**: Edge-to-edge OLED display, Face ID, no home button.

- **Innovation**: A radical redesign that removed the home button and Touch ID, replacing it with Face ID, Apple’s facial recognition technology. It also introduced the first OLED display in an iPhone.

### 14. **iPhone XS, XS Max, & XR (2018)**

- **Notable Features**: Larger OLED display (XS Max), Liquid Retina display (XR), A12 chip.

- **Innovation**: The XS Max brought a massive 6.5" screen, while the XR offered a more affordable option with an LCD display but the same powerful internals.

### 15. **iPhone 11, 11 Pro, & 11 Pro Max (2019)**

- **Notable Features**: Ultra-wide camera, night mode, A13 chip.

- **Innovation**: A triple-camera system on the Pro models enhanced photography, including better low-light performance with night mode.

### 16. **iPhone SE (2nd Gen) (2020)**

- **Notable Features**: A13 chip, 4.7" display, Touch ID.

- **Innovation**: Like the original SE, this model combined older iPhone design (resembling the iPhone 8) with powerful internals from newer models, offering a budget-friendly option.

### 17. **iPhone 12 Mini, 12, 12 Pro, & 12 Pro Max (2020)**

- **Notable Features**: 5G support, MagSafe, Ceramic Shield.

- **Innovation**: The iPhone 12 series introduced 5G connectivity and the MagSafe system for attaching accessories. Ceramic Shield provided increased drop protection.

### 18. **iPhone 13 Mini, 13, 13 Pro, & 13 Pro Max (2021)**

- **Notable Features**: Smaller notch, ProMotion 120Hz display (Pro models), Cinematic Mode.

- **Innovation**: Focused on camera improvements, including Cinematic Mode for video recording, and higher refresh rate displays on the Pro models for smoother performance.

### 19. **iPhone SE (3rd Gen) (2022)**

- **Notable Features**: A15 chip, 5G, improved battery life.

- **Innovation**: Continuation of the budget-friendly SE line with more powerful internals.

### 20. **iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, & 14 Pro Max (2022)**

- **Notable Features**: Dynamic Island (Pro models), 48 MP camera (Pro), Always-On Display (Pro), satellite SOS.

- **Innovation**: The Pro models introduced the Dynamic Island, a new interactive notification area, along with the powerful 48 MP main camera and satellite communication for emergencies.

### 21. **iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, & 15 Pro Max (2023)**

- **Notable Features**: USB-C port, A17 Pro chip, Action Button (Pro models).

- **Innovation**: The transition from Lightning to USB-C for universal charging, along with enhanced performance and camera upgrades.

The iPhone's journey reflects major technological strides and design shifts, focusing on improving usability, camera quality, and processing power with each iteration.

[tomorrowusa]

Elon Musk has turned Twitter X into a haven for hate speech as well as bots from Russia and other malevolent countries.

Musk himself promoted an antisemitic tweet – probably to show his far right pals that he's just one of the guys. Because of that, he's losing his few remaining respectable advertisers and is coming under scrutiny by governments in the US, UK, and the EU.

An advertising boycott of social media platform X is gathering pace amid an antisemitism storm on the site formerly known as Twitter. Apple, Disney, Comcast and Warner Brothers Discovery have all halted advertising on X, US media report, following hot on the heels of IBM. The European Commission, TV network Paramount and movie studio Lionsgate have also pulled ad dollars from X. It comes after X owner Elon Musk amplified an antisemitic trope. The corporate boycott has also been picking up steam in the wake of an investigation by a US group which flagged ads appearing next to pro-Nazi posts on X. A spokesperson for X told the BBC on Thursday that the company does not intentionally place brands "next to this kind of content" and the platform is dedicated to combatting antisemitism. Mr Musk came under fire on Wednesday after he replied to a post sharing an antisemitic conspiracy theory, calling it "actual truth".

Yeah, "actual truth" as the type of stuff you'd find on Truth Social. 🙄

The White House denounced Mr Musk's endorsement of the post. "We condemn this abhorrent promotion of antisemitic and racist hate in the strongest terms," said spokesperson Andrew Bates.

The Washington Post has a list of major advertisers who have suspended their ads on Musk's platform.

IBM IBM pulled its advertising from X on Nov. 16 after the Media Matters report identified it as one of several blue-chip companies whose ads had appeared next to tweets promoting antisemitism. [ ... ] Apple The maker of iPhones and MacBooks decided to pause all advertising on X on Friday after Musk endorsed an antisemitic post on platform, according to Axios, citing unnamed sources, and the New York Times. Apple was reportedly the platform’s largest advertiser, spending nearly $50 million in the first quarter of 2022. [ ... ] Lionsgate A spokesperson for the entertainment and film distribution company told The Washington Post it suspended advertisements on X on Friday afternoon, saying the decision came after “Elon’s tweet.” [ ... ] Disney The entertainment giant suspended advertising on the social media platform Friday, a company spokesperson said. [ ... ] Paramount The media, streaming and entertainment company is suspending all advertising on the platform, a spokesperson said in an email to The Post on Friday.

[ ... ] Comcast The global media and tech company is pausing ads on X, company spokesperson Jennifer Khoury said in an email on Friday. Philadelphia-based Comcast, with a market cap near $171 billon, provides a range of broadband, wireless and other services.

The European Union has also stopped all advertising at MuskX.

No more ads on Elon’s X, EU Commission tells staff

Truth Social is having HÜGE financial problems. Perhaps the two ought to merge; a lot of people wouldn't notice the difference except for the logo. 😆

Chris Hayes at MSNBC put Elon Musk's antisemitism in historical perspective.

To people still on Twitter/X: How do you explain to others why you remain on a platform associated with vile hatemongers?