Prediction articles:
2020: A consumer electronics forecast for the year(s) ahead
AI Chips: What Will 2020 Bring?
CEO Outlook: 2020 Vision: 5G, China and AI are prominent, but big changes are coming everywhere
Top 10 Tech Failures From 2019 That Hint At 2020 Trends – Last year’s tech failures often turn into next year’s leading trends
Trends:
AMD’s 7nm Ryzen 4000 CPUs are here to take on Intel’s 10nm Ice Lake laptop chips
Top 9 challenges IT leaders will face in 2020: From skills shortages to privacy concerns
From the oil rig to the lake: a shift in perspective on data
In December 2020, the new IEC/EN 62368-1 will replace the existing safety standards EN 60950-1 and EN 60065-1
Use of technology money outside company IT department is the new normal
Tech to try:
12 Alternative Operating Systems You Can Use In 2020
CONTINUOUS INTEGRATION: WHAT IT IS AND WHY YOU NEED IT
Research:
Universal memory coming? New type of non-volatile general purpose memory on research, some call it UltraRAM.
1,318 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
What is Microsoft doing with Linux? Everything you need to know about its plans for open source
Microsoft is following the customers and the ecosystem, but pragmatic investment in Linux doesn’t diminish the company’s commitment to Windows.
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/what-is-microsoft-doing-with-linux-everything-you-need-to-know-about-its-plans-for-open-source/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Amazon’s cloudy Macs cost $25.99 a day. 77 days of usage would buy you your own Mac
Other Mac hosts are rather cheaper. And Azure has had cloudy Macs for months. But AWS still has a play here
https://www.theregister.com/2020/12/02/aws_ec2_mac_pricing/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cloud Wars Top 10 Special Report:
Which Cloud Vendors Will Thrive in 2021?
https://cloudwars.co/special-report-2020/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple Developing 32-Core ARM CPUs and 128-Core GPUs to Replace AMD Graphics, Report
https://www.tomshardware.com/news/apple-developing-32-core-arm-cpus-and-128-core-gpus-to-replace-amd-graphics-report
Tomi Engdahl says:
Is AMD working on an ARM-based Apple M1 rival?
AMD working on an ARM-based chip that would rival the M1 processor. An official announcement is expected soon, it appears
https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/is-amd-working-on-an-arm-based-apple-m1-rival-7094845/
Tomi Engdahl says:
//As you know, Red Hat and IBM killed CentOS Linux 8. But, not ALL hope is lost. We will have Rocky Linux as the 100% rebuild of RHEL. It is a work in progress with no ETA. However, some challenges remain. https://www.cyberciti.biz/linux-news/centos-linux-reborn-as-rocky-linux-enterprise-operating-system/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.facebook.com/126000117413375/posts/4110172292329451/
Programming in startups – here’s a shoestring, build your way out of this active sinkhole please.
Programming in enterprise – please replace this stick that is holding up the base of the tower of Babylon with this elaborate cement column that doesn’t fit the same dimensions. I’ll be over there in the bunker for safety.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Gimp turned 25 years old
https://www.gimp.org/news/2020/11/21/25-years-of-gimp/
Tomi Engdahl says:
128-core AMD EPYC Milan server CPU scores an eye-watering 87878 on CineBench R23
https://www.notebookcheck.net/128-core-AMD-EPYC-Milan-server-CPU-scores-an-eye-watering-87878-on-CineBench-R23.509223.0.html
Following initial reports about the upcoming AMD EPYC Milan 7713, tipster @ExecuFix shared Cinebench R23 scores for what appears to be a dual-socket configuration, which dominates both EPYC Rome and Intel’s Xeon Platinum 9282.
Arjun Krishna Lal, 12/13/2020
Tipster @ExecuFix shared benchmark results for what appears to be a dual socket configuration of the AMD EPYC Milan 7713 server CPU in CineBench R23. The dual 64-core setup delivered an astounding 87,878 in the test. To put this into perspective, a high-end consumer Ryzen 9 3900X will score approximately 6500-7000.
More relevantly, the EPYC 7713 seems to deliver better performance than the Intel Xeon Platinum 9282, while featuring a far lower TDP than that 400W part. AMD appears to be leveraging significant IPC gains with the Zen 3 architecture, as well as greater transistor density and higher clocks thanks to the use of TSMC’s 7nm lithographic process.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cyberpunk 2077 Made Its Polish Cofounders Billionaires … But The Game Failed To Live Up To Its Hype
https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddawkins/2020/12/14/cyberpunk2077-made-its-polish-cofounders-billionaires–but-the-game-failed-to-live-up-to-its-hype/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Gordie
The December 10 release of Cyberpunk 2077–arguably the biggest new video game of the year–has been nothing short of an unmitigated disaster for its Polish producer CD Projekt. After 8-years of hype fueled by CD Projekt’s relentless marketing machine, disappointed shareholders and angry fans are now left to ponder what could have been.
Cyberpunk 2077–currently emblazoned on the side of London buses–is the first game in five-years from CD Projekt, a much-loved Warsaw-based studio best known for its Witcher series, inspired by the rich lore of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski’s fantasy novels (think Slavic Tolkien). CD Projekt scored popular if enigmatic Hollywood A-lister Keanu Reeves as the motion-captured frontman for Cyberpunk 2077, and some analysts projected revenues for the lockdown blockbuster to hit $1 billion or more.
Between January and December 4, Cyberpunk 2077 hype drove up the share price of Warsaw-listed CD Projekt by more than 50% making company cofounders Michał Kiciński (who left in 2013) and Marcin Iwinski both billionaires—one of just a small handful of video game billionaires globally.
But Cyberpunk 2077 has so far been a huge disappointment—particularly for players with older gaming consoles not using a $2,000 gaming PC, or an impossible-to-find next-generation Playstation or Xbox (a group of around 160 million gamers, according to one analyst).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Valve’s made Cyberpunk 2077 playable on Linux
Some characters might not have a face, but it works.
https://www.pcgamer.com/valves-made-cyberpunk-2077-playable-on-linux/
Among Valve’s many, many projects is Proton, a piece of software that acts as a compatibility layer, allowing Windows games to run on Linux operating systems. Originally launched in 2018, Proton integrates with Steam and makes playing supported titles on Linux as simple as pressing ‘play.’
Giffrais advises that the game will currently best run with an AMD GPU and Mesa, though users are reporting some success using alternative setups, including Nvidia cards. This is of a piece with Proton compatibility generally, where there’s a sizeable list of titles that Valve whitelists as officially working, but also a huge number of others that work regardless
Tomi Engdahl says:
Analysis: Global chip shortage threatens production of laptops, smartphones and more
https://reut.rs/2IXdwoB
SEOUL/BERLIN/SHENZHEN, China (Reuters) – Makers of cars and electronic devices from TVs to smartphones are sounding alarm bells about a global shortage of chips, which is causing manufacturing delays as consumer demand bounces back from the coronavirus crisis.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft Designing Its Own Chips for Servers, Surface PCs
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-18/microsoft-is-designing-its-own-chips-for-servers-surface-pcs
Move is potential threat to Intel’s data center chip business
Software giant is using Arm designs for in-house processors
Tomi Engdahl says:
x64 emulation has come to Windows on ARM
All your apps should now run on ARM
https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/10/22168542/x64-emulation-windows-on-arm-surface-pro-x
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.techpowerup.com/275694/asrock-rack-unveils-m-2-slot-graphics-card
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://cloudwars.co/special-report-2020/ibm/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Semiconductor Industry Forecast: Sunny and Bright with Few Clouds in Sight
https://spectrum.ieee.org/view-from-the-valley/semiconductors/processors/semiconductor-industry-forecast-sunny-and-bright-with-few-clouds-in-sight
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple’s 2021 Mac CPU roadmap reportedly includes 32-core chips
You could also find 16-core chips inside MacBook Pros and iMacs.
https://www.engadget.com/apple-silicon-mac-cpu-roadmap-leak-142247372.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://techcrunch.com/2020/12/07/apple-reportedly-testing-intel-beating-high-core-count-apple-silicon-chips-for-high-end-macs/
Tomi Engdahl says:
New transistor design disguises key computer chip hardware from hackers
https://techxplore.com/news/2020-12-transistor-disguises-key-chip-hardware.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.macrumors.com/2020/11/30/m1-chip-speed-explanation-developer/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.infoq.com/news/2020/11/microsoft-edge-linux-preview/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/50-years-gaming-history-revenue-stream/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/multi-billion-dollar-console-gaming-market/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why computers suck and how learning from OpenBSD can make them marginally less horrible
https://arccompute.com/blog/why-computers-suck-and-how-openbsd-makes-them-marginally-better/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Scientists Are Finally Studying Why Some Of You Nerds Don’t Invert Your Controllers
https://www.iflscience.com/technology/scientists-are-finally-studying-why-some-of-you-nerds-dont-invert-your-controllers/
Tomi Engdahl says:
CPU Benchmarks and Hierarchy 2020: Intel and AMD Processors Ranked
By Paul Alcorn 3 days ago
All of today’s consumer, desktop CPUs compared
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cpu-hierarchy,4312.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=socialflow
Tomi Engdahl says:
2020 witnessed the rise of multi-cloud driven by Kubernetes followed by large M&A deals in the space.
5 Cloud Native Trends Of 2020
http://on.forbes.com/6184Hr5YM
1. Multi-Cloud Becomes a Reality
2. The Market Consolidation
3. The Growth of Kubernetes at the Edge
4. The Convergence of Containers and Serverless
5. GitOps Gains Momentum
Tomi Engdahl says:
Multi-cloud brings a new level of complexity – be aware of data silos
https://www.tietoevry.com/en/blog/2020/11/multi-cloud-brings-a-new-level-of-complexity/
When multi-cloud is the new norm, CIOs need to take the lead of management, operating model, and governance to avoid data silos.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Make your IT project fail – 2020 edition.
https://leocode.com/project-management/how-to-make-your-it-project-fail-the-2020-edition/
Tomi Engdahl says:
$ Why make games for Linux if they don’t sell? Because the nerds are just grateful to get something that works And when nerds are your audience, everything is easier. https://www.theregister.com/2020/12/26/linux_game_development_scene/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Do you know anyone who qualifies for ‘Senior Master Developer of Everything There Is?
We wish everybody a better upcoming year 2021!
Senior Master Developer of Everything There Is
https://get.pockethunt.com/helloworldify/?fbclid=IwAR3ZwtraNANxgGIO1LRP_9qAD_1N9G0c0hEnyhNFV5P0YlnCEt38lNijnrA
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft Is Reinventing How Laptops Go on Standby
BY SIMON BATT
3 DAYS AGO
Windows 10X devices will fetch your emails and update themselves while you sleep.
https://www.makeuseof.com/microsoft-is-reinventing-laptop-standby/?utm_source=MUO-FB-P&utm_medium=Social-Distribution&utm_campaign=MUO-FB-P
First of all, it’s worth noting that this feature is coming to something called “Windows 10X,” which is a little different from Windows 10. It’s a new operating system that Microsoft is designing specifically for dual-screen devices, but it’s also planned for single-screen mobile devices.
Windows 10X is a brand new version of Windows 10—so new that it’s not fully released at the time of writing. It’s due to fully ship out in March-July 2021. Unfortunately, Microsoft hasn’t revealed much about 10X
Windows 10X is set to contain some fancy new features, and one of these is called “Modern Standby.” It works a little differently than regular standby, as it allows the laptop to continue updating itself, download emails, and churn through large files while in a low power state.
This is very similar to what we see in modern-day mobile and gaming devices.
While you wait for Windows 10X to roll out, there are ways to put a regular Windows 10 into a pseudo-rest state. For instance, you can set it so that a Windows 10 laptop doesn’t turn off the screen or go to sleep when you close the lid.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft Doesn’t Back Up the Windows Registry Anymore
It’s still possible to perform Windows Registry backups, but the option is disabled by default. Microsoft made the change to save on storage space.
https://uk.pcmag.com/windows-10/121518/microsoft-doesnt-back-up-the-windows-registry-anymore
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.macrumors.com/2020/12/30/intel-urged-to-take-immediate-action-amid-threats/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why do most people use Windows or macOS if Linux is more customizable and configurable?
https://www.quora.com/Why-do-most-people-use-Windows-or-macOS-if-Linux-is-more-customizable-and-configurable
Take a deep breath, because this will blow your mind, and will help you understand why the Year of Linux on the Desktop will be never.
Most people do not give a roadkilled rat’s moldering, puckered anus about “customizable” and “configurable.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
LEDS-ON-CHIPS WILL GIVE US LOWER COST OPTOELECTRONICS
https://hackaday.com/2020/12/30/leds-on-chips-will-give-us-lower-cost-optoelectronics/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amd-ryzen-7-5800x-zen-3-review?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social
Tomi Engdahl says:
LED Developed That Can Be Integrated Directly Into Computer Chips
https://scitechdaily.com/led-developed-that-can-be-integrated-directly-into-computer-chips/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/intel-stock-drops-after-report-of-microsoft-developing-its-own-chips-11608325385
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google quietly buys company that turns your old Windows 7 PC into Chrome OS machine
Google buys Neverware, a startup with Chrome OS variant that squeezes extra life out of old Windows PCs and Macs.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-quietly-buys-company-that-turns-your-old-windows-7-pc-into-chrome-os-machine/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple’s 2021 chip strategy will create a massively parallel universe
https://venturebeat.com/2020/12/07/apples-2021-chip-strategy-will-create-a-massively-parallel-universe/
Tomi Engdahl says:
5 PC Parts That Tend to Die: How to Extend Their Lifespans
BY GAVIN PHILLIPS
JUN 06, 2016
https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-pc-parts-tend-die-extend-lifespans/
How long can you make a motherboard last? What about hard drives? Here’s how to extend the life of your computer.
Tomi Engdahl says:
AMD RX 6800 XT runs at almost half the frame rate of Nvidia’s RTX 3080 in Vulkan Ray Tracing tests
https://www.pcgamer.com/amd-rx-6800-xt-vulkan-ray-tracing/
AMD is just getting started at the whole ray tracing game. The AMD RX 6800 XT marks Team Radeon’s very first ray tracing enabled GPU, with the power to render Microsoft DirectX Raytracing (DXR) supporting games, albeit rather slower than the Nvidia competition. But no longer is AMD restricted to Microsoft’s ray tracing API as today the Khronos group, a cross-vendor supported consortium of super-smart people, has unleashed its own GPU-agnostic ray tracing extension for Vulkan.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://linuxhint.com/best-linux-distributions-old-laptop/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.makeuseof.com/what-is-windows-core-os/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/windows-10x-is-arriving-next-year-what-we-know-so-far/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M.2
Tomi Engdahl says:
IBM’s Secret Weapon Isn’t Red Hat—It’s Much Bigger Than That!
https://cloudwars.co/special-report-2020/ibm/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Phosphorus equivalent of graphene makes reconfigurable transistors
https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/12/atomically-thin-material-make-transistors-that-can-reconfigure-on-demand/