In The Tech Poutine #31, hosts Ian and George discuss Intel’s strategic shifts, the UK’s controversial Online Safety Act with its privacy concerns, and China’s emerging semiconductor efforts, including a new domestic GPU. They also cover tech briefs on AI hardware, cooling innovations, and supply chain issues, concluding with reflections on content creation challenges and audience support.
The Tech Poutine episode #31 begins with hosts Ian and George catching up on recent events, including discussions about Intel’s financials and organizational changes. They clarify misconceptions around Intel’s network and edge (NEX) business, explaining that Intel is spinning off parts of its telco-related networking business to reduce risk and focus on higher-margin foundry services. They also touch on Intel’s 10-Q financial report, particularly the mention of potential challenges with the 14A node, and compare Intel’s node transition timelines with TSMC’s, noting that new process nodes take longer to become dominant in revenue than before.
The main topic centers on the UK’s recently implemented Online Safety Act, which imposes age verification and content restrictions on websites hosting sensitive material such as mental health, sexual health, addiction, and Linux-related content. The hosts express concerns about the act’s vague definitions, potential overreach, and privacy implications, especially regarding mandatory ID verification that could deanonymize users seeking help. They discuss parallels with similar laws in US states like Texas and Florida, highlighting the challenges of enforcement, the ease of bypassing restrictions via VPNs, and the broader implications for freedom of expression and online anonymity.
Shifting focus, the hosts discuss a new Chinese GPU announced by Lewan, which claims to be domestically produced but likely uses British Imagination Technologies IP. They analyze its specifications, performance benchmarks, and potential market positioning, noting that while it may serve the Chinese market well, driver support and software ecosystem limitations will hinder its appeal elsewhere. The conversation broadens to include China’s semiconductor landscape, mentioning other domestic efforts like Montage’s Gintide CPUs based on licensed or modified Intel x86 cores, illustrating China’s ongoing push for semiconductor self-reliance amid geopolitical tensions.
The episode also covers various tech briefs, including AMD’s exploration of discrete NPUs for AI workloads in PCs, Samsung’s innovative cooling solution for the Exynos 2600 chip, and Micron’s announcement of high-capacity PCIe Gen 6 SSDs, including a 245TB model. They touch on supply chain and security concerns, such as China’s cyberspace regulator questioning Nvidia over potential chip backdoor risks and a notable quality control issue involving a misspelled sticker on networking hardware. The hosts critique tech journalism practices, emphasizing the importance of transparency and accuracy when reporting on hardware reviews and benchmarks.
In closing, Ian and George reflect on their content creation efforts, upcoming events like Hot Chips, and the challenges of managing large data storage with limited internet speeds. They discuss the complexities of hardware sampling for reviews and analysis, contrasting Intel’s and AMD’s approaches. The episode ends with gratitude to their audience and encouragement to support their work through subscriptions, Patreon, and merchandise, underscoring their passion for discussing silicon, processors, and the broader tech ecosystem.