Data Center Optimization Through Game Theory

Data Center Optimization Through Game Theory
by Bernard Murphy on 02-13-2019 at 7:00 am

I always enjoy surprising synergies so I was immediately attracted to a Research Highlight in the Communications of the ACM this month, on a game-theoretic method to balance discretionary speed-ups (known as computational sprints) in data centers. If you don’t have an ACM membership and want to dig deeper, I include an open link… Read More


Machine Learning and Gödel

Machine Learning and Gödel
by Bernard Murphy on 02-06-2019 at 7:00 am

Scanning ACM tech news recently, I came across a piece that spoke to my inner nerd; I hope it will appeal to some of you also. The discovery will have no impact on markets or investments or probably anyone outside theories of machine learning. Its appeal is simply in the beauty of connecting a profound but obscure corner of mathematical… Read More


Why High-End ML Hardware Goes Custom

Why High-End ML Hardware Goes Custom
by Bernard Murphy on 01-30-2019 at 7:00 am

In a hand-waving way it’s easy to answer why any hardware goes custom (ASIC): faster, lower power, more opportunity for differentiation, sometimes cost though price isn’t always a primary factor. But I wanted to do a bit better than hand-waving, especially because these ML hardware architectures can become pretty exotic, so … Read More


Contrarian Views on Quantum Computing

Contrarian Views on Quantum Computing
by Bernard Murphy on 01-23-2019 at 12:00 pm

I’m not opposed to the exotic ideas which capture public attention from time to time, but I do enjoy puncturing a popular expectation demanding every novel technology be a revolutionary breakthrough. I’ve already made my small contribution to driving a stake through the heart of claims that quantum computing (QC) will replace… Read More


A Sharper Front-End to Intelligent Vision

A Sharper Front-End to Intelligent Vision
by Bernard Murphy on 01-16-2019 at 7:00 am

In all the enthusiasm around machine learning (ML) and intelligent vision, we tend to forget the front-end of this process. The image captured on a CCD camera goes through some very sophisticated image processing before ML even gets to work on it. The devices/IPs that do this are called image signal processors (ISPs). You might … Read More


WhisPro: A Speech Recognition Option from CEVA

WhisPro: A Speech Recognition Option from CEVA
by Bernard Murphy on 01-10-2019 at 7:00 am

In the superheated world of AI and Neural Nets (NN), many of us are familiar with object recognition in images: cars, pedestrians, cats and dogs and thousands of other applications. But there’s another class of applications, also growing rapidly, around audio AI. Early generations for command recognition in infotainment systems… Read More


CEVA-BX: A Hybrid DSP and Controller

CEVA-BX: A Hybrid DSP and Controller
by Bernard Murphy on 01-08-2019 at 7:00 am

I’ve noticed hybrid solutions popping up recently (I’m reminded of NXP’s crossover MCU released in 2017). These are generally a fairly clear indicator that market needs are shifting; what once could be solved with an application processor or controller or DSP or whatever, now needs two (or more) of these. In performance/power/price-sensitive… Read More


Disturbances in the AI Force

Disturbances in the AI Force
by Bernard Murphy on 01-03-2019 at 7:00 am

In the normal evolution of specialized hardware IP functions, initial implementations start in academic research or R&D in big semiconductor companies, motivating new ventures specializing in functions of that type, who then either build critical mass to make it as a chip or IP supplier (such as Mobileye – intially)… Read More


Ampere: More on Arm-Based Servers

Ampere: More on Arm-Based Servers
by Bernard Murphy on 12-19-2018 at 7:00 am

Since I talked recently about AWS adding access to Arm-based server instances in their cloud offering, I thought it would be interesting to look further into other Arm-based server solutions. I had a meeting with Ampere Computing at Arm TechCon. They offer server devices and are worth closer examination as a player in this game.… Read More


Big Data Analytics in Early Power Planning

Big Data Analytics in Early Power Planning
by Bernard Murphy on 12-13-2018 at 7:00 am

ANSYS recently hosted a webinar talking about how they used the big-data analytics available in RedHawk-SC to do early power grid planning with static analytics, providing better coverage than would have been possible through pure simulation-based approaches. The paradox here is that late-stage analysis of voltage drops … Read More