Project Suncatcher: the first step in Google's plan to put data centers in space
Google has launched an experimental satellite carrying its own AI chips. The long-term aim is to assemble solar-powered constellations of computing centers in orbit.
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US probes Foxconn, Luxshare and 18 others over AI server power patents
The US International Trade Commission has opened a patent case against 20 companies, including Foxconn, Luxshare and Quanta, over power systems in AI servers. It follows a complaint from power-chip maker Vicor, which says their products infringe one of its patents.
Can the AI industry persuade data center opponents by getting rid of NDAs?
In an episode of TechCrunch's Equity podcast, the hosts discuss what moratoriums on data center construction could mean. They also ask whether the AI industry is struggling to communicate, including whether dropping non-disclosure agreements could win over opponents.
Minions: A Dynamic and Distributed Virtual GPU Cloud Built on Idle Apple Silicon Devices
An Apple research paper describes Minions, a system that pools the mostly idle GPUs of Apple Silicon Macs into a distributed cloud for machine learning inference. The idea targets the cost, rigidity and waiting times of centralized GPU infrastructure.
Microsoft's new Nvidia-powered PCs are great for power users, but I'll wait for AI PC 3.0
Microsoft this week launched powerful machines with Nvidia graphics cards aimed at AI developers. The reviewer reads the move as a sign that Microsoft may have stepped back from its consumer Copilot+ PC push.
Cheaper AI tokens are driving more demand, and that's Jensen Huang's best-case scenario
Data from a16z points to a Jevons paradox: token prices keep falling while H100 GPU rental prices hold steady or rise, as cheaper AI drives demand faster than costs drop. If that demand levels off, the whole chain from chipmakers to cloud providers would be hit.