Category: Technology

  • IBM revealed “Power11” chips, the next generation of IBM Power servers

    IBM’s Power11 chip, launched in 2025, represents a significant advancement in enterprise server processors, focusing on performance, energy efficiency, AI integration, and reliability.

    Let’s have a look at the key features of IBM Power11:

    Core Architecture and Performance:The Power11 chip has 16 CPU cores per die, similar to its predecessor Power10, but delivers up to 55% better core performance compared to Power9. It supports eight-way simultaneous multithreading (SMT), enabling up to 128 threads per socket. Systems can scale up to 256 cores (e.g., Power E1180 model) and support up to 64TB of DDR5 memory. For customers wanting to preserve memory investments, some Power11 systems also support DDR4 memory, trading off some bandwidth for cost savings.

    Energy Efficiency: Power11 introduces a new energy-efficient mode that sacrifices about 5-10% of core performance to reduce energy consumption by up to 28%, described as a “smart thermometer” approach. Advanced packaging technologies like 2.5D integrated stacked capacitors and improved cooling solutions optimize power delivery and thermal management. IBM claims Power11 achieves twice the performance per watt compared to comparable x86 systems.

    Reliability and Availability: IBM promises 99.9999% uptime with features like spare cores (one inactive core per socket acts as a hot spare to replace faulty cores) and hot-pluggable components (fans, power supplies, I/O) allowing maintenance without downtime.
    The platform supports autonomous operations for intelligent performance tuning and workload efficiency.

    AI Acceleration: Power11 chips include on-chip AI accelerators capable of running large and small language models.
    IBM is launching the Spyre AI accelerator (available Q4 2025), a system-on-chip designed for AI inference workloads, delivering up to 300 TOPS (tera operations per second) and featuring 128GB LPDDR5 memory. Power11 integrates with IBM’s AI software ecosystem, including watsonx and Red Hat OpenShift AI, to facilitate AI-driven enterprise workloads.

    Security: The platform offers quantum-safe cryptography and sub-minute ransomware detection via IBM Power Cyber Vault, enhancing enterprise security.

    Product Range: The Power11 family includes high-end servers like the Power E1180, midrange systems such as Power E1150 and Power S1124, and compact 2U servers like Power S1122 for space-constrained environments.
    IBM Power Virtual Server enables cloud deployment of Power workloads, certified for RISE with SAP.

    IBM Power11 is designed for AI-driven enterprises and hybrid cloud environments, delivering a balance of high performance, energy efficiency, reliability, and advanced AI capabilities. Its innovative features like spare-core resilience, autonomous operations, and integrated AI accelerators position it as a strong contender in the enterprise server market, especially for workloads demanding reliability and AI integration. This chip and its server family are generally available from July 25, 2025, with the Spyre AI accelerator coming later in Q4 2025

  • Microsoft was able to save more than $500 million last year in its call center alone.

    Microsoft disclosed that it saved $500 million in its call centers last year through AI-driven efficiencies, primarily by using AI to improve productivity in customer service and support operations. This was revealed by Microsoft’s COO Judson Althoff during a 2025 presentation, highlighting how AI automation and intelligent agents have significantly reduced costs and enhanced operational efficiency in their large-scale contact center environments.

    This $500 million saving is part of Microsoft’s broader AI strategy, which includes heavy investments (around $80 billion in AI infrastructure in 2025) and a focus on embedding AI across their cloud and enterprise services, including Dynamics 365 Contact Center. The AI tools help automate routine tasks, improve first-call resolution rates, and streamline workflows, contributing to these substantial cost reductions.

    Microsoft’s $500 million AI savings in call centers underscore the tangible financial benefits of AI adoption in customer service, setting a benchmark for the industry and reinforcing Microsoft’s leadership in AI-powered enterprise solutions.

  • Apple Working on ChatGPT-Style AI Assistant for Customer Support

    Aaron Perris, a contributor for MacRumors, discovered evidence in Apple’s code indicating that Apple is developing a new AI-powered feature called “Support Assistant” for the Apple Support app. This assistant is designed to provide generative AI-based customer support through chat interactions, allowing users to describe their issues and receive AI-generated solutions before being connected to a live Apple support agent if needed.

    Let’s have a look at the key details about the Apple Support Assistant found by Aaron Perris include:

    • It uses generative AI models to answer queries related to Apple products and services.

    • Users will be able to interact with the assistant via chat within the Apple Support app.

    • The assistant may support uploading images, PDFs, or documents to help diagnose problems.

    • Apple warns that the AI might produce incorrect or misleading responses, so users should not rely solely on it for critical advice.

    • This feature is not yet live but is expected to launch in a future update of the Apple Support app.

    • The development aligns with Apple’s broader AI initiatives, including partnerships with OpenAI and improvements to Siri under AI chief John Giannandrea.

    Aaron Perris’s findings highlight Apple’s move to integrate a ChatGPT-style AI assistant into its customer support ecosystem, aiming to enhance user experience by providing quick AI-generated help while maintaining the option to escalate to human advisors.

  • Jeff Williams, Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, Is Retiring After 27 Years

    Jeff Williams, Apple’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) and a key figure at the company for 27 years, announced his retirement later in 2025. He has been instrumental in building Apple’s highly efficient global supply chain, overseeing operations that enable the production of over 200 million iPhones annually, and leading major initiatives such as the launch and evolution of the Apple Watch and Apple’s health strategy. Williams also took charge of Apple’s design team after Jony Ive’s departure in 2019.

    Starting later this month, Sabih Khan, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Operations, will succeed Williams as COO. Khan has been a vital part of Apple’s supply chain and logistics for three decades and will focus on diversifying Apple’s manufacturing footprint beyond China, including expansion in countries like India.

    During the transition period, Williams will continue to oversee the design team, Apple Watch, and health initiatives, reporting directly to CEO Tim Cook, who praised Williams for his wisdom, dedication, and critical contributions to Apple’s success. After Williams retires, those teams will report directly to Cook.

    Williams was widely regarded as a potential successor to Tim Cook as CEO, but his retirement shifts expectations that the next Apple CEO will come from other senior leaders such as John Ternus, Craig Federighi, or Eddy Cue.

    This leadership change marks a significant moment for Apple as it navigates supply chain challenges and continues to innovate in hardware, software, and health technologies.

  • Samsung is developing a new in-car software platform called Auto DeX

    Samsung is developing a new in-car software platform called Auto DeX, designed as an alternative to Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. This feature offers a car-optimized user interface that supports over 8,500 car models from more than 100 brands and is expected to launch alongside One UI 8, potentially with new Samsung foldable devices.

    Let’s have a look the key aspects of Auto DeX include:

    • A dashboard-style UI with a central map display, music controls, and quick app shortcuts.

    • A vertical sidebar with time, app list, and app drawer shortcuts, featuring apps like Bixby, Maps, Music, and Phone.

    • A secondary taskbar with Samsung’s familiar three-button navigation system.

    • The ability to run on a car’s infotainment system and, notably, with some tricks, directly on the phone’s screen even if the car does not support it or the user does not have a car.

    Auto DeX builds on Samsung’s existing DeX platform, which transforms Galaxy devices into desktop-like environments, but tailored for vehicle use. Unlike Android Auto, which restricts app use to approved apps for safety, Auto DeX is expected to offer richer multitasking and broader app support, potentially including windowed apps and productivity features.

    Samsung has not officially confirmed the launch date, but the feature is anticipated to debut with the upcoming One UI 8 update, possibly coinciding with the release of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7.

    Samsung Auto DeX aims to shake up the in-car tech scene by providing a flexible, widely compatible, and feature-rich alternative to existing platforms like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

  • Get ready for a massive surge in AI-driven shopping this Amazon Prime Day 2025!

    It is expecting a 3,200% increase in traffic from generative AI sources compared to last year. Consumers are increasingly leveraging AI assistants like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Amazon’s Rufus to find products, compare prices, and snag the best deals across various retailers. Adobe’s analysis further reveals that these AI-driven visitors are significantly more engaged on retail sites.

    Let’s have a look the impact on Amazon’s Infrastructure:

    • Scaling compute and storage: Amazon has historically prepared for Prime Day by significantly scaling its cloud infrastructure. For example, in 2022, Amazon increased Amazon EC2 compute instances by 12% and added 152 petabytes of storage to handle peak loads, processing trillions of requests and hundreds of billions of transactions daily. For 2025, with generative AI traffic expected to surge by 3,200% year-over-year, Amazon will have to further expand its AI-optimized compute resources, including GPU-powered instances and AI chips, to serve millions of real-time inference requests while maintaining low latency.
    • Advanced AI infrastructure: Amazon’s AI shopping assistant Rufus and other AI features rely on large language models (LLMs) that require highly efficient, scalable deployment to meet strict latency SLAs (e.g., 300 ms response times) during peak traffic. Amazon uses innovations like parallel decoding and specialized AI chips to improve inference speed and power efficiency, critical for managing the massive AI workload surges on Prime Day.
    • Automatic scaling and resilience: Services like Amazon Aurora automatically scale with traffic increases to keep checkout and other critical processes smooth and responsive. The infrastructure must handle not only raw traffic but also the complexity of AI-driven personalization and dynamic content generation without outages.

    What about the Impact on Customer Experience?

    • Personalized shopping at scale: AI-powered tools such as Rufus, AI-generated shopping guides, and interest-based recommendations aim to solve the long-standing challenge of deal discovery among millions of items. These AI assistants curate product selections, reducing choice overload and helping shoppers find relevant deals quickly.
    • Enhanced engagement and conversion: Adobe’s analysis shows AI-driven visitors stay 8% longer, view 12% more pages, and bounce 23% less than non-AI referrals, indicating deeper engagement and better-informed purchasing decisions. AI helps shoppers with product research, deal spotting, gift ideas, and personalized recommendations, improving satisfaction and increasing average order value.
    • Mobile and AI synergy: Mobile commerce accounts for over half of Prime Day sales, and AI-powered mobile shopping assistants are increasingly active, spotting real-time deal drops and enabling seamless, on-the-go purchasing. This integration of AI and mobile enhances convenience and responsiveness.
    • Sustainability and cost efficiency: AI optimizations also help reduce power consumption and operational costs, contributing to more sustainable infrastructure management during the intense Prime Day event.

    Amazon’s infrastructure and AI innovations are critical to delivering a seamless, personalized, and high-performance shopping experience during the largest and longest Prime Day ever, despite the unprecedented surge in generative AI traffic.