Yazılar

Apple unveils new M5 chip powering upgraded MacBook Pro, iPad Pro and Vision Pro

/in /tarafından

Apple introduced its latest generation of hardware on Wednesday, rolling out new versions of the MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro headset, all powered by the company’s most advanced M5 chip. The updates reinforce Apple’s push to stay ahead of rivals like Qualcomm and Intel, which have recently launched AI-optimized processors.

The new 14-inch MacBook Pro equipped with the M5 chip marks a significant upgrade from last year’s M4 lineup. Built using an advanced 3-nanometer process, the M5 delivers greater speed and energy efficiency, enabling devices to run large language models directly on the device. Despite the leap in performance, pricing remains unchanged — the MacBook Pro starts at $1,599, the iPad Pro at $999, and the second-generation Vision Pro headset at $3,499.

Apple said the new hardware lineup targets creative professionals and developers seeking on-device AI capabilities. The company’s decision to debut the M5 in its high-end products mirrors its strategy from previous years, prioritizing premium models before bringing the chip to other devices.

The Vision Pro, launched in 2023 as Apple’s first major new product in a decade, has received positive reviews for its visual quality but limited adoption. The updated version aims to attract more users with better performance and smoother app integration. Meanwhile, iPad sales are projected to grow about 6% in fiscal 2025 after a multi-year slump, aided by lower-cost models and a recovery in global electronics demand.

Meta partners with Arm to boost AI recommendations across Facebook and Instagram

/in /tarafından

Meta Platforms announced a new partnership with chip technology firm Arm Holdings to power the AI systems behind its personalization and recommendation engines across Facebook and Instagram. The collaboration marks another milestone for Arm as it pushes deeper into data center and AI computing — areas long dominated by Intel and AMD’s x86 architecture.

Meta will deploy Arm-based data center platforms to run the ranking and recommendation algorithms that determine what users see on its apps. Both companies said the shift will deliver higher performance and improved energy efficiency compared to traditional x86 systems.

Arm, backed by Japan’s SoftBank, provides the chip designs that serve as blueprints for central processing units (CPUs) used in billions of devices worldwide. While its technology already dominates smartphones, it is rapidly expanding into server and personal computer markets.

As part of the announcement, Meta revealed a $1.5 billion investment in a new Texas data center, its 29th facility globally, to support AI infrastructure growth. The two companies also said they have optimized Meta’s AI software for Arm chips and made the improvements open source, allowing developers to freely use and build upon them — a move expected to speed up Arm’s adoption in cloud computing.

Meta and Arm plan to continue refining their joint open-source projects to make AI workloads more efficient and accessible across the industry.

Intel unveils new AI data center chip “Crescent Island” to relaunch AI ambitions

/in /tarafından

Intel has announced plans to launch a new artificial intelligence chip for data centers next year, marking a renewed effort to reclaim ground in the booming AI hardware market dominated by Nvidia and AMD.

The new GPU, named Crescent Island, will prioritize energy efficiency and be optimized for AI inference workloads, Intel Chief Technology Officer Sachin Katti said at the Open Compute Summit on Tuesday. “It emphasizes our focus on inference, optimized for AI, and for delivering the best performance per dollar,” Katti said.

The announcement represents Intel’s latest bid to reenter the AI race after CEO Lip-Bu Tan pledged to restart the company’s stalled AI programs, including the Gaudi and Falcon Shores lines. Despite trailing competitors, Intel hopes to capture a meaningful share of the rapidly expanding data center market fueled by generative AI adoption since ChatGPT’s 2022 debut.

Crescent Island will feature 160 gigabytes of memory, though slower than the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in AMD and Nvidia’s top-tier AI chips. The chip will be based on Intel’s existing consumer GPU architecture, underscoring the company’s modular approach that allows customers to mix and match chips from multiple vendors.

Intel also committed to releasing new data center AI chips annually, matching the cadence of rivals AMD, Nvidia, and major cloud providers developing their own silicon.

The move follows Nvidia’s $5 billion investment in Intel, which gave it a 4% stake and launched a partnership to co-develop future AI and PC chips. Katti said the collaboration aims to ensure Intel CPUs remain integrated into AI systems worldwide as the company seeks to position itself as an indispensable player in next-generation computing.