Samsung AI-Designed Chip; New Cable from US to Philippines; Apple Plans Multiple Rollout Events; T-Mobile Data Breach

Samsung is using AI to create cutting edge chips. According to arstechnica.com, Google and Nvidia have been talking about doing so, but meanwhile, Samsung is actually in the process. They are using software from Synopsys to accelerate chip development. The software can not only plan the layout of the chips and arrangement of components, but by doing such, can improve performance of the chip by 15%. Samsung is using the AI software to design the next generation of Exynos chips.

While Elon Musk and others are flooding the skies with tiny satellites to beam Wi-Fi everywhere, Facebook and Amazon are asking the US government for approval to go the other way. Reuters.com reports that the companies are planning to run a new undersea cable from California to the Philippines. They want to begin commercial operation by late 2022. Previously, China Mobile had looked at this, but was turned down unanimously by the FCC in 2019. Right now, there are about 300 undersea cables which really are the backbone of the internet, carrying 99% of the world’s data traffic. 

We are probably less than a month away from Apple’s usual mid-September rollout of the new iPhones and Apple Watches. Macrumors.com says that isn’t the only event to expect this fall. they quote Boomberg’s Mark Gurman as saying there will also be an event (maybe in October) for the updated iPad mini with bigger display as well as updates to apple services. Finally, the highly anticipated MacBook Pros, which will rock Apple’s proprietary ‘M’ series chip and a mini-LED display should be showed off October-November. Some sources indicate they are already in production, and will be available in November.

In case you missed it, one the weekend, it was revealed that T-Mobile is investigating a data breach. According to Reuters, the personal data of over 100 million may have been compromised. The bad news: it includes social security numbers, names, phone numbers, physical addresses, and drivers licenses…basically, everything a crook would need to disrupt your life! The hacker that has the data is asking 6 bitcoin for a subset of 30 million SSNs and driver licenses, and apparently is trying to sell off the rest of the data privately.