Join Josh Dzieza, a Verge reporter who investigated the undersea cable industry, as he reveals the hidden world that keeps our internet connected. He discusses the laborious process of laying and maintaining these vital cables. Tom Warren and Joanna Nelius dive into the competitive future of Arm chips in laptops, with Microsoft aiming to surpass Apple’s performance. Meanwhile, Alex Cranz answers listener inquiries about the latest in e-readers, spotlighting new Kobo devices and offering tips on the best e-readers available now.
Undersea cables play a vital role in our internet connectivity and are actively maintained to ensure seamless online experiences.
Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chip aims to bridge the performance gap in laptops, offering power efficiency and improved functionality.
The laptop industry is shifting towards AI-focused processing, leading to advancements in chip architectures for optimal performance and efficiency.
Deep dives
The Evolution of Laptop Chips and the Promise of Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite Chip
The laptop industry has seen an evolution in chip technologies, with companies like Intel, AMD, Apple, and Qualcomm each bringing their own unique approaches. Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chip aims to bridge the performance gap and provide more power efficiency for laptops. Microsoft has been dedicated to making Qualcomm-powered PCs work, striving for a balance between performance, battery life, and connectivity.
Challenges in Previous Attempts with ARM-based Laptops and Microsoft's Continued Focus
Despite previous challenges with ARM-based laptops like Windows RT and Surface RT, Microsoft continues to push for ARM architecture in Windows devices. With the upcoming Snapdragon X Elite chips, Microsoft hopes to deliver better performance and efficiency to compete with Apple's M-series chips and other x86 offerings.
Impacts of AI Workloads on Laptop Performance and Energy Efficiency
The rise of AI workloads is driving a shift towards software-based architectures for chips to handle these tasks efficiently. While Qualcomm's ARM-based approach offers potential cost savings and improved energy efficiency, performance is crucial for running AI models locally on devices. Microsoft's AI-focused initiatives aim to optimize performance, battery life, and connectivity in upcoming laptop offerings.
Future Considerations for Performance, Battery Life, and Developer Support
As the laptop industry shifts towards AI-focused processing, future considerations include balancing performance, battery life, and support for developers leveraging AI models. Microsoft's collaboration with Qualcomm and Intel aims to deliver chips that provide optimal performance per watt for running AI tasks efficiently, while also offering developer-friendly features for software optimization.
Evolving Landscape of E-Readers: Books E-Palmo and Ecosystem Choices
Books continue to evolve the E-Reader landscape with devices like the Books E-Palmo, offering a pocket-sized E-Ink tablet experience while facing the need to choose between ecosystems like Amazon Kindle or Books for one's reading preference. The E-Palmo, despite being on Android 11, presents versatile reading options supported by system updates. The choice between Kindle and Books E-Readers involves considerations such as ecosystem preference, app compatibility, and device form factors.
Innovation and Challenges in E-Reader Technology
Books stay active in rolling out color variations and the Books E-Palmo, contributing to a range of pocket-sized options. These devices, while enhancing reading experiences with features such as stylus note-taking, raise challenges around app compatibility and device ergonomics. The e-Reader market receives a boost with innovative solutions like the Compact Pocket-Sized Books E-Palmo, catering to diverse reading needs.
43:43 - Tom Warren and Joanna Nelius join the show to discuss the future of Arm chips on PCs and whether or not we’re about to get a huge jump in performance on most laptops.