Posts by takyon

Intel unveils gen 2 Optane SCM, bellows: You Barlow Pass, as it unfurls roadmap

Re: QLC - no thanks

I will only use the upcoming OLC (8-bits-per-cell) drives.

SpaceX Dragon flies British science into orbit, while stubby 'watertower' hops around Texas

Re: Wasn't he going to make an announcement once it flew?

A new Starship presentation should be coming within the next few weeks, as well as a 200 meter hop.

When two tribes go to war... Intel, AMD tease new chips at Computex: Your spin-free summary

Re: Definitely of Interest

Unmentioned in the article are two 6-core Ryzen 5 CPUs:

Ryzen 5 3600X = 6 cores, 12 threads, 3.8 - 4.4 GHz, 95 W, $249

Ryzen 5 3600 = 6 cores, 12 threads, 3.6 - 4.2 GHz, 65 W, $199

They were in a press release, not mentioned at the Computex keynote. They will also be available on July 7 (or more realistically, the day after, as July 7 is a Sunday).

I think they can make the 16-core part work with the available bandwidth, they just don't need to. For once, Intel is the one not putting competitive pressure on its rival. AMD can announce a 16-core "3950X" or something later in the year, with the "50" again alluding to the company's 50th anniversary.

cache me outside

Hmm, I wonder if the huge cache will alleviate potential issues with having 2 chiplets and 12-16 cores.

By the way, 64-core Epyc will have 32 MB of L2 cache and 256 MB of L3 cache.

Kepler may be dead but its data keeps on giving, thanks to AI: Two alien worlds found in archives

Re: Exo Astronomy..

It's time (for you) to stop.

YouTube's pedo problem is so bad, it just switched off comments on millions of vids of small kids to stem the tide of vileness

it works

The extraordinary measure is one more sign that the web giant's systems – which are designed to drive views and hence advertising money beyond all else – are fundamentally broken.

These systems do work and accomplish what they are designed for. They just work a little too well.

Also, when a company like Disney pulls ads, it's hard to take it seriously since they are angling to compete with their own streaming service.

Need a 1TB microSD for your smartmobe? Come April, you can free up storage space in your wallet and buy one

gimme the bits

Now that's what I call a SouljaGame handheld!

I respect Nintendo for supporting 2 TB microSDXC cards on Nintendo Switch, which they did with a software update. Other companies like Samsung apparently limit their support to an arbitrary size available on the market (like 400 GB for Samsung Galaxy S9).

If Nintendo announces a refresh/pro version of the Switch, I'll be looking for SDUC support. If they announce support for up to 128 TB microSDUC or add support through a software update, I might just buy the thing. Ideally it would also support SD Express for up to 985 MB/s speeds.

Re: Breaking the 2 TB ceiling

Depending on your use case, you might touch the microSD card a grand total of 1 or 2 times. Just insert it and transfer files over.

You could buy some cheap single board computers to put your 2 GB cards in. For example, Raspberry Pi Zero W.

Breaking the 2 TB ceiling

How much more NAND can fit into a full-sized SD card than microSD? 4x? 8x? (Volume of SD is almost 10x more than microSD: 1,612.8 mm^3 vs. 165 mm^3. Some of that is wasted space so I think 8x would be a best case scenario and 4x is more likely.)

The new SDUC format allows sizes beyond 2 TB, up to 128 TB. SDXC is limited to 2 TB (2,048 GB).

We are in that awkward moment where the largest available capacities for both microSD and SD are 1 TB. But we could probably see 2 TB microSD and 4-8 TB SD cards very quickly using the latest NAND. 96 layers will become 128 layers, whatever capacity per die these cards have will go up to 1.33 Tb/die, etc.

Increase layers to beyond 512, increase capacity per die to beyond 4 Tb, stack more dies*, decrease process node size, and increase bits per cell to 8, and maybe we have a chance at seeing 128 TB fingernail-sized storage within the next 10 years.

*Samsung's recent 1 TB eUFS storage stacked 16 dies, but at least 32 stacked dies within 1mm thickness may be possible.

Consumer SSDs are cheaper per terabyte than these microSD cards, and there are consumer-oriented 4 TB SSDs, like Samsung 860 QVO.

If you have bulk storage needs, you should be using a mix of SSD and spinning disk.

I haven't completely filled my laptop's 500 GB HDD. I could if I wanted to, but I trim it down before that happens. If I had a 2 TB SSD, I would make sure to keep most video off of it. I could fill it with games or applications but nah.

The $100 1 TB SSD is a thing now. Maybe in a year that will decline to $70, with 2 TB at $150.

ReRAM biz Crossbar hopes fad-du-jour IoT AI can help it avoid the tracks of Intel's Optane storage chip juggernaut

Oh look, Intel has 2 new fronts to fight Crossbar

Intel Says FinFET-based Embedded MRAM is Production Ready

Intel gave further details on its technique for embedding spin-transfer torque (STT)-MRAM into devices using its 22nm FinFET process, pronouncing the technology ready for high-volume manufacturing. Embedded MRAM is considered a promising technology for applications such as internet-of-things (IoT) devices.

[...] In a separate ISSCC paper presented Tuesday, Intel also described the development of resistive RAM (ReRAM) as a low-cost option for embedded non-volatile memory for SoCs used in IoT and automotive. The embedded ReRAM technology — also implemented in a 22nm FinFET process — demonstrate what the company says is the smallest and highest density ReRAM subarray and material innovations to allow low-voltage switching without impact to transistor reliability.

Note the MRAM write endurance, listed as 1E6 like Crossbar ReRAM in 2013.

Crossbar's IoT dreams snuffed out instantly, company goes bankrupt.

Re: @Chris Mellor Huh?

I remember getting hyped about Crossbar back in 2013:

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/08/05/crossbar_uncloaks_fast_tiny_capacious_rram_part/

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/07/01/the_end_of_flash_is_nigh/

This could have pretty much killed NAND, which only reached similar capacities in recent years, but at lower performance than the hypothetical ReRAM. It would have enabled HP's "The Machine" by acting as universal memory. It would be a great option for that Radeon Pro SSG. The list goes on.

But it has been vaporware for years. Also, where is my Optalysys desktop-scale exaflops supercomputer?

'Occult' text from Buffy The Vampire Slayer ep actually just story about new bus lane in Dublin

Re: pro-Buffy flame war.

Reboot something bad, no problem. Reboot the Buffy TV show... welp.

Western Digital: And when I pull the covers off, behold as NAND becomes virtual DRAM

hold up

Is this like Samsung's Z-NAND SSDs but worse?

Third Soyuz does not explode while auditors resume poking around NASA's big rocket SLS

Re: three or four launches enough to assemble the ISS

The recent BFR redesign lowered the payload to LEO to 100 tons (this might go back up later). However, it significantly expanded the payload fairing, which could help in the "launch a new ISS" scenario.

What will make the BFR truly great is not the payload or fairing size, although both are impressive. No, it's the full reusability that really matters. A single BFR could start launching space station parts, land back at the launch site, refuel, take up the next batch 24 hours later, and repeat until complete. The SLS pork rocket will be burnt to a crisp after each launch.

Defense Distributed starts selling gun CAD files amid court drama

Re: Absolute Moron

"gross violation of gun safety laws"

Citation? It's legal to make your own guns in America. It's free speech to share blueprints, plans, codes, and knowledge in America. You could draw up a hydrogen bomb design and share that if you want. Since the United States v. Progressive, Inc. case (concerning the hydrogen bomb) was dropped, nobody has been prosecuted for doing so.

"this will 100% directly contribute to deaths"

Maybe not for a long time, or at all. Printed/milled guns are currently a niche pursuit. It's easier and cheaper to just go buy a reliable gun. And it shouldn't be hard to find someone who will sell one to you, no questions asked. And as long as the Second Amendment remains intact, there will be ways to acquire a gun.

"this absolute wanker will 100% get sued into the ground when it happens"

Or, bolstered by the many donations he's received as well as sales of CNC mills, merch, etc., he will take on any legal challenges, which will be promptly thrown out due to having no standing. Just like when people try to sue the gun store. Except Wilson's hands are even cleaner than that. He is just providing information, not guns.

"America. Get me the fuck out of here."

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/travel-legal-considerations/us-citizenship/Renunciation-US-Nationality-Abroad.html

oath.wav

He's fighting for our First Amendment rights. Are you?

Re: Magical thinking

Hypothetically, if you have background checks and other gun controls in place, the CNC mill becomes a viable way of getting around gun control. Some people would not make it past strict background checks. Make using the CNC mill as user-friendly as possible, and anyone can make a gun as long as they have that $1,000 and can watch a couple of tutorials.

It's not a threat right now because it's far easier and cheaper to just go out and buy a gun, or buy a gun from a private seller who doesn't bother with any checks. Just like how not too many people have trouble getting cannabis in this country despite it being a Schedule I controlled substance (this was true even before the recent wave of state recreational and medical legalization). I don't think the lack of a serial number is too relevant either.

Ghost Gunner

The "Ghost Gunner" can make other stuff (it is described as "general purpose"), and other CNC mills can do the exact same thing. It was just user-friendly for the purpose of creating lower receivers out of unfinished "20% lowers". It may have been overpriced and thus should be considered partly a donation to Wilson.

The products that Wilson sells earn him money to fund the legal fights that inevitably ensue. The end goal is to get a favorable Supreme Court ruling.

Re: Cute, but not for long

Why do you think he's a loon? Perhaps you don't have the equivalent of America's First and Second Amendment rights wherever you live?

Having followed the actions of Cody Wilson for years now, I'd say that a loon couldn't come up with a long-term legal strategy as clever as he has. He is fighting for freedom of speech, and this fight has implications for more than just guns. Think about sharing "dangerous" chemistry or biology plans/knowledge.

I have to applaud EFF for "sticking to their guns" in this case. If people don't want to donate to Wilson (by "buying" these files that are already freely available elsewhere, for example), then they should kick some money towards EFF instead.

GlobalFoundries scuttles 7nm chip plans claiming no demand

Wafer Supply Agreement?

I'm wondering how much leverage GloFo still has over AMD going into this renegotiation of the WSA. Did GlobalFoundries break the terms of the agreement, and are they still going to force AMD to purchase a bunch of components (chipsets for example)? Can AMD get a clean break?