Intel’s manufacturing process “18A” is seen as a major hope for the company. However, recent media reports have caused confusion, which the former CEO has now clarified. A low chip yield per wafer is not the only important factor in semiconductor manufacturing; wafer size and economic viability also matter. Despite this, there should be enough processors available in the market, but that is currently not the case. AMD’s gaming champion 9800X3D and Intel’s 285K are both in short supply. Improvement is expected by January, but the current high prices due to scarcity should be avoided.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has acknowledged issues with Outlook on Windows 11 24H2, related to Google Workspace Sync. Some problems with games, especially from Ubisoft, have been resolved after developers provided hotfixes. These are the key updates in brief.
Reports have mentioned that “18A has only 10 percent yield,” which is a statement that has been widely circulated. This figure was cited in a South Korean article about the dismissal of Pat Gelsinger, who was Intel’s CEO until recently. Yield is a measure of the maturity of a process, such as chip manufacturing, but it is directly linked to chip size. Intel’s former CEO confirms that the percentage alone is not a valuable metric.
Fewer chips than expected seem to be reaching the market. Two of the most sought-after PC processors are scarcely available or very expensive at German hardware retailers after Black Friday deals. There are hardly any reasonable offers for AMD’s Ryzen 7 9800X3D or Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285K. The X3D, currently the fastest CPU for gaming, has been in short supply for a while and is now almost sold out. If a retailer promises delivery within a few days, prices start at around 750 euros, which is over 200 euros more than the launch price. The availability of Intel’s 285K is only slightly better.
Microsoft admits further difficulties with the 24H2 update for Windows 11. Microsoft Outlook reportedly has issues when using Google Workspace Sync for Outlook. Some gaming problems have been resolved. After installing Windows 11 24H2, issues may occur when starting Microsoft Outlook if Google Workspace Sync is used. It has been observed that Outlook does not start, and users cannot uninstall or reinstall Google Workspace Sync. However, the list of games not running correctly on Windows 11 24H2 has been reduced.
The Meta company has released the new version of its Large Language Model (LLM) called Llama 3.3 70B, which is supposed to be easier and more cost-effective to operate. There is a comparison overview where Llama 3.3 is measured against Nova Pro from Amazon, Gemini Pro 1.5 from Google, and ChatGPT-4o from OpenAI. In various established AI benchmarks, Llama 3.3 is positioned among the top LLMs. The new model performs slightly worse than its predecessors like Llama 3.1, possibly in favor of the operational and cost-efficiency advantages touted by Meta.
For people who want to surf, climb, or engage in similar sports despite a thigh amputation, modern, computer-assisted prostheses offer a lot of comfort and freedom. One such model is the Genium X4, described by the manufacturer as a “microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee joint that adapts in real-time to the user’s movements.” Various sensors are integrated into the Genium X4 to capture the position and movement of the knee joint in real-time, supporting people in walking, standing, climbing stairs, and cycling.
In other news, Finland is advancing plans for its first nuclear waste repository. Reports indicate that investor Tencent is negotiating new stakes with the owner family. The next “Assassins Creed” will feature Denuvo, and Ubisoft might soon go private. The Mac mini with the M4 chip is making waves with its price and speed. In 2004, a Chinese manufacturer took over IBM’s PC business, signaling shifting power dynamics in the IT sector. After the federal election, Germany might get an independent digital ministry. The reformed product liability directive provides a framework for compensation claims for defective products, even in the IT sector. Volkswagen’s business in China has been struggling, and factories are being considered for sale. A U.S. federal court has dismissed TikTok’s lawsuit against a potential ban, and the company plans to appeal. Arista has introduced a new concept for switch stacking based on Ethernet, challenging Cisco and HPE Aruba. Google’s smartwatches will soon offer emergency features to detect falls, accidents, and pulse loss for German users.