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How Optical Switches Can Cut AI Hyperscale Data Center Power by 40%

I’m about to wax eloquent on a new generation of optical switches that are poised to revolutionize the communication capacity and performance of data centers—especially the AI and hyperscale flavors (ooh, tasty—and very real, as operators like Google have already proven)—while also cutting power by 40%, but first…

The phrase “It’s a funny old world, and no mistake” is an informal, colloquial British … Read More → "How Optical Switches Can Cut AI Hyperscale Data Center Power by 40%"

Efficient Computer’s Efficient Computer is 100X More Energy Efficient than Other General-Purpose Processors

I remember the heady days of the 1970s, when new and exciting 8-bit processor architectures were sprouting like metaphorical mushrooms. I’m sure that, like me, you are thinking of little beauties like the 8008 (1972), 8080 (1974), and 8085 (1976) from Intel, the 6800 (1974) from Motorola, the 6502 (1975) from MOS Technology, and the Z80 (1976) from Zilog.

However, there were many other contenders that deserve mention, such as the 8-bit PPS-8 (1974) from Rockwell International, which … Read More → "Efficient Computer’s Efficient Computer is 100X More Energy Efficient than Other General-Purpose Processors"

Meet the Next Generation of AR+AI Glasses User Interfaces

It’s hard to believe that it’s now been nine years since virtual reality (VR) truly went mainstream with the commercial launch of the Oculus Rift. I was at the front of the queue when it arrived. I love VR, but I firmly believe that augmented reality (AR) is the real wave of the future, especially when combined with artificial intelligence (AI).

As an aside (if … Read More → "Meet the Next Generation of AR+AI Glasses User Interfaces"

The New Era of Silicon: Collaboration Over Competition with PDF Solutions CEO John Kibarian

We all know that the semiconductor industry has always been fiercely competitive, but what if the key to its next great leap isn’t competition, but collaboration? My podcast guest, John Kibarian, President and CEO of PDF Solutions, believes that for the industry to keep pace with demand and complexity, a new model of cooperation is … Read More → "The New Era of Silicon: Collaboration Over Competition with PDF Solutions CEO John Kibarian"

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featured blogs
Jan 13, 2026
The last thing I need at the moment is yet another project, but I'm sorely tempted by the Framework Laptop 12 DIY Edition....
chalk talks
Driving innovation in 3D IC Design: Siemens Calibre MultiPhysics Work Flow — Siemens  In this episode of Chalk Talk, John Ferguson from Siemens and Amelia Dalton explore how we can drive 3D IC innovation with Siemens Calibre MultiPhysics Work Flow. They also investigate the implications of thermal issues on 3D IC design, the benefits of multiphysics simulations from the concept stage throughout the design cycle, and the … Read More → "Driving innovation in 3D IC Design: Siemens Calibre MultiPhysics Work Flow — Siemens"
Accelerating Time to Fault Campaign Success with Siemens EDA — Siemens  In this episode of Chalk Talk, Ann Keffer and Robert Serphillips from Siemens and Amelia Dalton explore how the Siemens EDA functional safety platform can guide your team through the complete ISO 26262 lifecycle. They also examine the benefits that the Veloce Fault App brings to automotive IC designs and how you can take … Read More → "Accelerating Time to Fault Campaign Success with Siemens EDA — Siemens"
FPGA-based Prototyping with the Latest High-Capacity FPGA Enables New Use Modes – Siemens  FPGA-based prototyping is an essential tool for any SoC and digital chip design and verification. In this episode of Chalk Talk, Juergen Jaeger from Siemens and Amelia Dalton explore the multitude of benefits of the Veloce proFPGA CS platform from Siemens. They also investigate the debug capabilities, software prototyping and scalable hardware of this … Read More → "FPGA-based Prototyping with the Latest High-Capacity FPGA Enables New Use Modes – Siemens"
Calibre DesignEnhancer: Layout Modifications that Improve your Design – Siemens  In this episode of Chalk Talk, Jeff Wilson from Siemens and Amelia Dalton investigate the variety of benefits that the Calibre DesignEnhancer brings to IC design and how this tool suite can be used to find and fix critical design stage issues. They also explore how the Calibre DesignEnhancer can Identify and resolve issues … Read More → "Calibre DesignEnhancer: Layout Modifications that Improve your Design – Siemens"
Vector Funnel Methodology for Power Analysis from Emulation to RTL to Signoff – Synopsys  The shift left methodology can help lower power throughout the electronic design cycle. In this episode of Chalk Talk, William Ruby from Synopsys and Amelia Dalton explore the biggest energy efficiency design challenges facing engineers today, how Synopsys can help solve a variety of energy efficiency design challenges and how the shift left methodology … Read More → "Vector Funnel Methodology for Power Analysis from Emulation to RTL to Signoff – Synopsys"
Accelerating Tapeouts with Synopsys Cloud and AI — Synopsys  In this episode of Chalk Talk, Amelia Dalton and Vikram Bhatia from Synopsys explore how you can accelerate your next tapeout with Synopsys Cloud and AI. They also discuss new enhancements and customer use cases that leverage AI with hybrid cloud deployment scenarios, and how this platform can help CAD managers and engineers reduce … Read More → "Accelerating Tapeouts with Synopsys Cloud and AI — Synopsys"