Chiplets and the Future of System Design
In a previous post, we traced the history of semiconductor integration and its limits: The Long Arc of Semiconductor Scaling. We’ll revisit these limits and then discuss the solution: chiplets! SoC Problems System-on-chips (SoCs) have become dominant by integrating multiple functions into a single die, including CPU, GPU, memory, I/O, and analog components. Apple’s M3 is…
Anticipatory Intelligence and the Return of Windows
At Microsoft Build this week, agentic AI stole the spotlight. But for me, an older story felt more important: Windows. As I jogged along the Seattle waterfront each morning, I kept returning to the question Can Windows matter again? I think it can. To see why Windows can matter again, let’s first rewind and revisit how…
Qualcomm Automotive Primer
One line from Qualcomm’s recent earnings call caught my ear: We delivered QCT automotive revenues of $959 million, reflecting 59% year-over-year growth on increased content in new vehicle launches with our Snapdragon Digital Chassis platforms. Source Nearly $1 billion in quarterly revenue, growing 59% YoY!! Sure, it’s peanuts relative to smartphones: And yes, growth from a smaller base…
The Long Arc of Semiconductor Scaling
I planned to write a chiplets explainer this week while traveling to and from CadenceLIVE in San Jose… but I got sucked into the broader chiplets backstory while doing research. After all, chiplets are a semiconductor manufacturing and scaling story of sorts! So I’m pivoting. This post shares the fun historical arc of transistor and IC scaling…
Intel Foundry: A Cultural Reboot
I attended Intel Foundry’s Direct Connect in San Jose this week, where it was evident the company is shedding its old top-down, Intel-knows-best approach. I saw humility, acknowledgment of past missteps, and meaningful customer and partner engagement. Credit goes to the new leadership with external experience. Still, 18A remains a challenge. Building The Foundry Muscle…
Robots That See, Part 2: Vision Transformers
Transformer neural nets are quickly making robotics way more useful. See Physical Intelligence’s video they dropped yesterday, where their robot cleans kitchens and bedrooms in homes it was never trained on! And check out this video from XPENG recapping what they discussed at the ongoing Auto Shanghai show, including how their robot uses more AI…