SK Hynix To Discuss 896GB/s HBM3, 27Gbps GDDR6 Memory During ISSCC 2022

Facemasks being a trend may not be intentional, but researchers are taking the extra step to make them do more. The folks at Northwestern Universtity have developed what’s called a FaceBit. Described as the “Fitbit for the face”, the researchers say it can turn any face mask into a smart monitoring device.

The FaceBit chip attaches itself to a mask using a tiny magnet, and it works with just about any mask, from the N95 to the more basic surgical and cloth masks. It has some of the features that you’d expect to see on a smartband hence the brand namedrop. To start, it measures heart rate using subtle head movements from blood being pumped through its vessels.

It also detects poor fitting masks by detecting a dip in mask resistance. Though the researchers point out that the FaceBit is yet to replace the usual fit test of an N95 mask. All the data collected is then used to monitor a person’s stress levels. The chip can then ask its user to take a break, for example.

The FaceBit prototype runs on a battery that recharges itself using breathing force, heat, motion and solar energy. This allows it to stretch its battery life up to 11 days. But the researchers are still working on making it completely battery free.

For now, the FaceBit chip still has to go through a long list of tests before it is ready for real-world use. But the researchers have released the project code and hardware to the public so that others can help build and verify it.

SK Hynix To Discuss 896GB/s HBM3, 27Gbps GDDR6 Memory During ISSCC 2022

SK Hynix, the South Korean memory manufacturer, is now expected to reveal, as well as speak at length about its latest and faster HBM3 memory standard. The new memory is reportedly capable of achieving speeds of up to 896GB/s, up from the initial 820GB/s that was first touted when it launched its 12-Hi HBM3 last year.

Details about the new memory is still scarce but what is confirmed is that the presentation and Q&A sessions are set to be held during the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) that is scheduled to take place from 20 February until 24 February next month. Like its predecessor, the new HBM3 memory is expected to be a 12-layer DRM, with a capacity of 196Gb or 24GB. How this is achieved is through a process called Through Silicon Via (TSV) auto-calibration and machine-learning optimisations.

In addition to the new ultra-fast HBM3 memory, SK Hynix also plans on speaking about its new T-Coil 27Gbps GDDR6 memory. Naturally, that would make it faster than Samsung’s own GDDR6 memory, which currently runs at 24Gbps and is currently being sampled.

Samsung To Offer Galaxy M12 For RM 499 During Super Brand Day

This phone has just been released in Malaysia two months ago but that doesn’t stop Samsung from offering a significant discount for the Galaxy M12 at its upcoming Super Brand Day at Shopee Mall which will take place on 21 and 22 July.

However, the deal on Galaxy M12 will be available slightly earlier at 12 AM on 20 July (yup, that’s tonight!). For those who are not familiar with the phone, the Galaxy M12 is essentially a budget phone that is powered by Samsung’s own Exynos 850 processor together with 4GB of RAM and 64GB internal storage.

As for the actual deal itself, the Galaxy M12 has a standard price of RM 799 but during Samsung’s Shopee Mall Super Brand Day, it can be obtained for much lower at RM 499. To see other deals that will be available during the sale festival, check out its official page at Shopee right here.

Samsung To Showcase S-Foldable Smartphone And Other Prototypes During SID Display Week 2021

Samsung Display announced that it will be showcasing several prototype products during the Society for Information Display (SID) Display Week 2021 event, which starts today from 17 until 21 May 2021. Most interestingly, one of the confirmed demonstrations will be a smartphone concept known as the “S-Foldable” which features a tri-folding display (pictured above).

The S-Foldable sports a flexible display that transforms back and forth from phone to tablet mode via two hinges – with the process itself resembling an “S” shape, hence the device’s namesake. From the image provided by Samsung, the phone features what appears to be a triple camera setup on its left side, while on the right is a transparent material which serves as a cover for its display in smartphone mode. The latter might function as a notifications bar when viewed from the back of the S-Foldable in its folded form.

Other than the concept smartphone, Samsung noted that it will feature three other prototypes during the event. These include a tablet/laptop hybrid with a 17-inch foldable display, a smartphone concept known as the “Slideable” which features, well, a slidable display, and a laptop that comes equipped with its Under Panel Camera (UPC) technology. 

As we are aware by now, the innovations featured in the aforementioned products above are not particularly new. Slideable or rollable displays have been showcased before by rival smartphone maker OPPO and fellow South Korean company LG, while the UPC has already debuted by ZTE via its Axon 20 5G smartphone that was released last year.

It is also worth noting that Samsung had also teased these two technologies prior to this when they were still in the early stages of development. That being said, the SID Display Week 2021 event is the company’s best opportunity to demonstrate the latest evolution for its display-based innovations which could possibly see a commercial release in the very near future.

Self-Isolating During Hari Raya Aidilfitri? Try This Virtual “Open House” Concept

Hari Raya Aidilfitri has finally arrived. But much like in 2020, most of us will only be able to do so while practicing self-isolation. This is, of course, due the alarming number of local COVID-19 cases as well as the recently implemented nationwide Movement Control Order (MCO), which prohibits interdistrict and interstate travel and any form of gatherings – including Hari Raya open house activities.

Unfortunately for some (if not, most) of us, “balik kampung” is still something we can’t do. Especially for those who are working in different locations, away from our home towns or states.

Thanks to current technology, we could still celebrate Aidilfitri with distant loved ones through virtual means. These include via group-based video and voice calls, e-greeting cards, and even utilising virtual banking or e-payment for sending out duit raya. Just in case you missed it, you can refer to our previous article that was published last year on how to to celebrate Hari Raya digitally.

For this year, we would like to share with our readers another cool way to celebrate the occasion with your loved ones via video or voice conferencing, but with an “Open House” inspired twist. Similar to how it is done in real life, this concept allows you to create an open invitation to both family and friends, enabling them to “drop by” at anytime or at a preferred time during Hari Raya to catch up or to hang out.

So rather than visiting physically, these visits are done through apps such as Facebook Messenger, Google Meet, Skype, or Zoom. As most of us are aware by now, these applications allow users to organise multi-user video and voice sessions. But for this concept, rather than creating a session and directly inviting friends and family to join in, you’ll be relying on the “join/invite by URL” feature that are available on these apps.

Undoubtedly, I’m sure there are other applications and platforms that are capable of handling this as well. Just bear in mind that the three that I mentioned are just my personal recommendations, and are the best used to demonstrate this approach. It’s also worth pointing that these apps enable non-platform specific users to join in, sparing them from registering a new account just for the video/voice conferencing sessions. Due to the closed doors approach of Clubhouse, we won’t be including it or any similar apps in this article.

Moving on. Once you’ve created your session on one of the four aforementioned platforms, simply copy the URL and share it on your social media page (ie: Facebook) as an open invitation. For a more manageable virtual Open House, we highly recommend sharing your post to only close friends and family, and also set a preferred time frame for the session.

For example: “Doing an virtual Open House on <insert platform> from 2pm to 4pm! Feel free to drop and celebrate Aidilfitri together via this link: <your URL>!”

I’m sure you’re capable of coming up with a more exciting social media post than my cringe-worthy example, so do be creative. Accompanying your invitation with a Raya-themed photo or graphic would be a nice touch as well… as long as you’re not using Comic Sans as your typeface. Just don’t.

Whether you want to set your virtual open house session or your invite via social media to public is entirely up to you, especially if you don’t mingling with random strangers. But this is the digital age, and privacy as well as security threats are very real. So exercise caution if you still wish to do so.

Now, you may be wondering: why are we proposing this idea?

Well, firstly, there’s nothing wrong with direct calls to friends and family. This concept is to merely simulate the spirit of our country’s beloved Open House culture, even when we are unable to visit each other physically. The best part of an open house are often the surprise visits from friends or family, as well as introducing them to each other. We hope that this approach will be able to achieve that in a virtually way.

The only drawbacks, of course, are the lack of Hari Raya dishes for your virtual guests and the occasional lag that may hinder the overall experience. Unfortunately, there’s only so much that current technology is capable of doing, but at least it’s something.

Last but not least, if you are hosting a virtual open house or attending one, do dress up accordingly or nicely for it. It is for Hari Raya after all.

Hong Kong Customs Seize 300 NVIDIA CMP 30HX Mining GPUs During Bust

Hong Kong Customs recently seized a large batch of NVIDIA Cryptocurrency Mining Processor (CMP) GPUs, in a failed smuggling attempt in the island city. The seized batch reported contained 300 CMP GPUs, all of which were the lower-end CMP 30HX model.

As a quick primer, NVIDIA announced in February that it would launch its CMP miner GPUs, in the hopes that it would stem the tide of scalpers and bot buyers snatching up all of its GeForce RTX 30 series card in order to use them for mining cryptocurrencies – Ethereum, mainly – and starving bonafide gamers of the component in the process.

The CMP HX can be divided into four variants. These include the 30HX, 40HX, 50HX, and 90HX, and a supposed 170X. The 30HX, in particular, is said to be based on the GeForce RTX 1660 Super and even has more or less identical internals. In terms of hashrate, NVIDIA says that the card should be able to mine Ethereum at 26MH/s.

Getting back on point, the seizure of the cards come at a time when China has already implemented a ban on mining farms that made their profits off China’s cheap electricity. As mentioned by Videocardz, the cryptomining craze led to a surge in demand for electricity in Inner Mongolia that essentially led to China having to supply the excess power to its neighbour.

Oddly enough, the original report doesn’t actually mention why these particular cards were seized, nor where and who they were meant to go to. Suffice to say, whoever it was, they’re probably weeping about it right now.

Twitter CEO Called Out For Tweeting During US Congressional Hearing

US Congressional hearings are far from being the most exciting thing a tech giant looks forward to, nor do they enjoy the questions that are asked in-session. For Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter, the man may have indirectly compounded those uneasy feelings when he sent out a tweet, while still in the middle of his own hearing.

Dorsey’s tweet was picked up by the Democratic New York Representative, Kathleen Rice, who was sitting in on Dorsey’s Congressional hearing on disinformation and extremism. Where a panel of lawmakers dealt hard-hitting questions towards Dorsey – along with the CEOs of Facebook and Alphabet – over whether their social media platforms held any responsibility during the 6 January insurrection that led to deadly riots and storming of the US Capitol.

Dorsey’s tweet was a poll with the subject simply being a “?”, with the choices being Yes or No. While the message itself is cryptic, it’s likely Dorsey venting his frustration with regards to the format of the hearing; US lawmakers typically present either a loaded or unnecessarily complicated question to the subject, but demand that the latter reply with a simple “Yes” or “No” answer.

As you can imagine, Representative Rice was less than amused with Dorsey’s tweet and even brought it up during the five-hour session, asking the CEO which poll answer was leading. Dorsey’s answer was a monotonous “Yes”. At the time of writing, Yes currently leads at 65.4%, while No is at 34.6%.