Igor’sLAB reports on the new launch windows for Sapphire Rapids.
Intel Sapphire Rapids, Source: CNET
The website has gained access to internal NDA-Sights documents listing the silicon’s problems. Those documents have already amassed 500 entries. This bug list is one of the largest that Intel has ever had for a CPU, which is why the silicon has been delayed for almost one and half years. According to Igor, the next-gen data-center already had as many as 12 different steppings:
The problems and errors are collected under NDA in internal documents (“so called NDA sights”) and currently amount to almost 500 (!) entries, with the trend continuing to rise. […] This started with A0 and A1, then proceeded via B0, C0, C1, C2, D0, E0, E2, E3 and E4 until currently stepping E5! The market launch was planned about 1.5 years ago and the plan was recently updated again.
—Igor Wallossek, Igor’sLAB
It is reported that the launch windows for Sapphire Rapids has moved to the 6-9th week of 2023, which is between February 6 and March 3 (2023). Some 2S (two socket scalable) SKUs are to ship in the 42nd week of this year while 4/8S (4-8 socket scalable) models might become available in the 45th week. However, according to the report, the availability of these samples is only for select partners.
[…] internal information is now becoming a bit more concrete. Intel has now announced the “launch window” for Sapphire Rapids (SPR) for calendar week 6 to 9 (Feb. 6, 2023 to March 3, 2023).
—Igor Wallossek, Igor’sLAB
Such a large number Steppings suggest that Intel has encountered numerous bugs that required changes and silicon respin, which have further delayed the 4th Gen Xeon Scalable series. At this point, however, it is not entirely sure if E5 is the last stepping.
During the recent Q2 earnings call, Intel explained that a bug was found that prevented the use of some features that are not fundamental to all Sapphire Rapids customers, yet they are the reason the silicon is delayed. The company now plans to ship some SKUs in the fourth quarter of this year, but the main launch is expected in 2023. So this official information appears to match what Igor is saying.
What is important to note that Igor only mentions the 4th Gen Xeon Scalable series here. There is no word on Sapphire Rapids-X/HEDT workstation CPUs availability. It is possible that those will indeed be among those available this year already.
David King has settled on three clubs as this year’s legitimate premiership contenders.
After studying a fascinating Round 20, the North Melbourne champion has assessed what he saw and narrowed the flag race down to a trio of teams.
King sees it as Melbourne, Geelong and Sydney as the sides to beat if you want to take out the 2022 premiership.
He explained why he sees it that way.
“And then there were three, that’s it for me – Melbourne, Geelong, Sydney,” he said on SEN’s Whateley.
“We talk about the premiership runway, that you’ve got to have your game in great order, particularly defensively in the last four to six weeks as a run-in to the finals.
“You don’t want to be looking for answers, you don’t want to be looking for things that are going to shake up a forward line or correct a backline or stop the opposition moving the ball.
“You just want to be in good order and tinkering as to who your opponent is and what their likely tactical changes are going to be.
“Through the course of a final series, you end up with asset versus asset, weapon versus weapon. You need to be in good order to maximize what you bring.”
King cites the defensive side of the game as most important at the business end of the season.
He believes the Demons, Cats and Swans, along with third-placed Collingwood, as the teams who have things in best shape from a defensive viewpoint.
“The teams that are in good order defensively are Sydney, Geelong, Collingwood are in really good order defensively but they’ve got other warts, and clearly they’ve won 10 in a row, and Melbourne,” he added.
“When Melbourne are allowed to defend in the way they like to defend, if they get the perfect setup, (they’re) bulletproof. We’ve seen their defensive profile spike considerably over the past few weeks.
“We’ve been waiting for it, in fairness. We’ve held blind faith, but it has been blind.
“I just think there’s a bit of a gap now. To me, there’s only three that can win it.”
Round 21 looms as a big weekend for the top four with second-placed Melbourne taking on the Magpies at the MCG on Friday night.
The top-of-the-table Cats host eighth-placed St Kilda on Saturday night while the Swans face North Melbourne on Sunday.
In May, the Perrottet government developed its Respectful Workplace Policy, which states “zero tolerance for bullying, harassment, discrimination, and sexual misconduct”.
The policy applies to any activity associated with the ministerial office workplace, following a confronting review by former sex discrimination commissioner and former NSW minister Pru Goward.
Goward’s review last year found political ambition, loyalty to ministers and tenuous employment left ministerial staff reluctant to report bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct.
A separate inquiry by former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick is due to be released next week, following a review of the NSW Parliament and its management of bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct.
Perrottet said ministerial offices had already implemented a number of training programs and established improved processes for complaints in response to the Goward review, which was described by then-premier Gladys Berejiklian as “brutal.”
“When it comes to the handling of complaints in the workplace, it is incredibly important that we allow for anonymous complaints to be made,” he said.
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“And whilst it’s difficult … I could not, after the discussions I had yesterday and the information that I received yesterday, feel comfortable that the office environment and actions taken by [Petinos] were appropriate in keeping with a safe environment.”
In a statement on Sunday, Petinos said she was proud of her work as a minister and would continue advocating for small business.
“I would never intentionally offend anyone or make them feel uncomfortable, and if I did I am truly sorry. I pursue politics to make a positive difference and will continue to do so proudly as the member for Miranda,” she said.
Labor on Monday called for the premier to explain the circumstances that led to Petinos’ dismissal.
“At the end of the day, the sacking of a minister of a Crown is a big deal in the life of the political history of this state. It deserves an explanation from the NSW premier,” Opposition Leader Chris Minns said.
“Frankly, issuing a two or three line statement last night without explaining to the taxpayers of this state what happened is not good enough.”
Labor’s better regulation spokeswoman Courtney Houssos said there had been multiple allegations reported across several news outlets that needed to be clarified.
“On Friday the premier backed his minister, and yet two days later, he sacked her. The public needs to know what changed,” she said.
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WASHINGTON – Sen. Joe Manchin on Sunday declined to answer whether he will support President Joe Biden running in 2024, and did not say if he wants Democrats to keep control of the House.
“Everybody’s worried about the election. That’s the problem,” Manchin, DW.Va., said when asked by ABC’s Jonathan Karl if he would support Biden if he runs again in 2024.
He added that he will not get into the next two election cycles, but would rather focus on the current president.
Manchin, who was asked a few times by Chuck Todd on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Sunday if he hoped Democrats would keep control of the House and the Senate, responded by saying that “people are sick and tired of politics.”
Democrats have a thin margin in the House and are widely expected to lose control in November’s election. The Senate is even split between the parties.
When Todd asked Manchin whether he cared about this year’s election outcomes, Manchin said he respects whoever he has to work with, and respects those states that they represent.
“Whatever the voters choose,” Manchin said. “I’ve always taken the approach whoever you send me, that’s your representative and I respect them. And I respect the state for the people they send, and I give it my best to work with them, to do the best for my country .”
Manchin, who faces reelection in 2024, has opposed some key parts of Biden’s domestic agenda by refusing to back the Build Back Better social spending bill, calling it too expensive.
Last week, though, he and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer agreed on a bill that includes some climate change provisions and allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices.
Will Sinema support the bill?:Democrats deal with Sen. Joe Manchin raises new question: What about Sen. Kyrsten Synema?
But he and senior executive Clay McDonald, who runs Aurizon’s bulk freight operations, will be in Adelaide on Monday to meet One Rail’s workforce. It’s the first chance the pair have had to brief staff on the plans since the deal was announced in October.
Nine months after the rail group announced its plans to buy One Rail from Macquarie Asset Management and the Netherlands’ PGGM Infrastructure Fund, it can finally start merging the bulk haulage operations.
Some investors were rattled when Aurizon announced the deal because the transaction will initially increase the company’s exposure to thermal coal (which is used to make electricity and is also the most polluting type of coal).
Jewel in the crown
But the jewel in the crown of One Rail’s business for Aurizon is its operation of the 2,200-kilometre Tarcoola to Darwin Railway, which runs from South Australia to the Northern Territory directly into the Port of Darwin.
One Rail is the only freight haulage company that uses the rail link. Formerly known as Genesee & Wyoming Australia, it also hauls coal in both NSW and Queensland.
About one-third of Aurizon’s haulage revenues are derived from thermal coal, with the remainder split between metallurgical coal (used to make steel) and bulk freight.
However, the location of the Tarcoola to Darwin Railway makes it a potential transport network for more than 250 mining projects in SA and NT that produce non-coal commodities that are expected to remain in strong demand, according to Aurizon.
These include copper (used in batteries), zinc, phosphate (used in fertilizers), iron ore, lithium, nickel and rare earths.
Most of the 14 million tonnes in volume currently carried on the Tarcoola to Darwin rail link is high grade iron ore (mostly from magnetite.)
Aurizon believes the long distances between mines and ports in the region will favor rail transport because trains can move large quantities of goods and have lower carbon emissions than trucks.
Adding operations in SA and NT to Aurizon’s existing businesses in Queensland, NSW and Western Australia will also give the company’s customers more transport options. (One Rail’s trains and terminals will be gradually rebranded under Aurizon’s name.)
Aurizon wants to be able to cater for all of its customers’ needs, including providing trucking and port handling services after goods are offloaded from its trains.
It already provides handling services at the ports of Townsville in Queensland and Newcastle in NSW, and it considers the port of Darwin particularly attractive due to its closeness to Asia. Operating a direct rail link into the northern port will allow Aurizon to give its customers more export options.
Longer trains
The rail group plans to draw on its experience transporting commodities around regional Queensland to make the north-south rail link more efficient and potentially add longer trains, which already stretch for about 1800 metres.
If Aurizon’s strategy for One Rail’s bulk haulage business pays off, it is hopeful of making hundreds of millions of dollars from the bulk haulage market by 2030 and cutting revenues from hauling thermal coal to less than 20 per cent of overall haulage revenues by the same date .
Securing the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s approval in mid-July to proceed with the acquisition and divestment of One Rail’s east coal business has already boosted Aurizon’s shares.
The stock, which was trading at $3.82 per share at the start of July and $3.87 a year ago, closed on Friday at $4.02.
Still, uncertainty about Aurizon’s future earnings will linger until the company can provide there are potential buyers for One Rail’s coal business or it is spun off successfully (Aurizon is considering both options.)
Some of the nervousness over who would buy a coal-linked business in a world that is shifting to renewable energy has since eased due to the rebound in fossil fuel prices after Russia invaded Ukraine.
“Coal prices have rallied, inflation and funding costs have risen, the federal government has changed, and we think the market currently places greater value on assets with reliable, inflation-protected cash flows,” says UBS analyst Andre Fromyhr.
High quality metallurgical coal exported from Queensland has traded at record high prices this year. Prices have, however, weakened since the state revealed plans to take extra royalties when prices go above $175 per tonne.
Merlon Capital Partners is among the funds that remains overweight Aurizon’s stock, with the investment group’s most recently quarterly report showing that the rail group is still one of its top 10 holdings.
Merlon said last year that it believed Aurizon’s stock was cheap.
Mr Fromyhr argues that Aurizon will benefit from the cash generated by One Rail’s east coast haulage business, potentially in the form of dividends, until it is sold or de-merged (if it is floated Aurizon investors would receive stock in the new company.)
debt reduction
If Aurizon does sell the business, the cash will help to reduce some $3.6 billion in net debt from existing operations (plus an additional $1.9 billion in bank debt it is taking on to buy the One Rail business.) It could also use the cash to increase dividends.
When it reports its annual results on August 8, Aurizon is expected to deliver a dividend at the low end of its payout range, which is 70 to 100 per cent of underlying net profit after tax.
Macquarie analyst Ian Myles says Aurizon is likely to prefer a sale of the One Rail east coast haulage business because it would avoid the company incurring some $10 million of costs annually associated with being a listed entity and give it cash to make other bulk haulage acquisitions.
Potential targets identified by Macquarie include logistics group Linx Cargo Care, which is currently owned by Brookfield Infrastructure.
Aurizon has other challenges to tackle. Its rail operations in NSW were disrupted by flooding in early July and like other companies, it has been suffering from staff shortages due to people isolating with COVID-19.
It also needs to renegotiate enterprise bargaining agreements with unionized workforces (including more than 600 workers at One Rail) who are expected to push for higher pay increases to counter the rising cost of living.
Still, annual earnings from Aurizon’s core coal haulage business are expected to rise in the 12 months to June from cost-cutting, despite an expected drop in coal volumes.
Aurizon reaffirmed its full-year guidance of $1.42 billion to $1.5 billion in earnings before interest taxation depreciation and amortization in May. Most of the company’s rail haulage contracts include clauses that allow it to raise prices in line with inflation.
Mr Curran and Mr Teh met at a blind music camp and started building the screen reading technology NVDA around ten years ago.
Once they’d developed the software, the pair made it “open source” meaning developers and users from anywhere could amend or contribute to the codebase, while suggesting new features for the core team.
“Now we have around 200 people who are constantly contributing code or translations or documentation to the software as well as making it what they want it to be,” Mr Curran said.
Keeping pace with the web
The challenge with a software tool such as NVDA is it needs to keep pace as the web evolves.
Mr Curran said the open-source community ensures that all browsers – whether it’s Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Mozilla Firefox – can support the screen reader, as well as productivity suites such as Microsoft or Adobe.
Linking the screen reader with efficient keyboard commands is also key to the technology’s success.
Mr Curran advises companies such as Google, Adobe and Microsoft on ways to design products, so they’re accessible for the visually impaired.
“It’s so much easier to build inclusively from the ground up, rather than design a new thing that works and then have a visually impaired person come along and can’t use it,” he said.
“The industry itself is getting much better, mostly because it’s much more economical to get advice on accessibility first, but they still need help along the way.”
Alex de Minaur has won his sixth ATP crown, defeating American Jenson Brooksby in straight sets in Atlanta.
Having rallied from a set down in both his quarter and his semi-final, the Demon was in control in the final, winning 6-3 6-3.
It’s his second Atlanta Open title, and his first title since last year’s Eastbourne Invitational – a traditional Wimbledon lead-up tournament.
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“It was great to get another title under my name. It’s my sixth title. It feels good. Not a lot of people have been able to do that, so I feel great,” de Minaur said in his post-match courtside interview.
“I feel great about my game. I’ve put a lot of work in, so it’s great to see the hard work being rewarded.
“I knew coming in it would be a very tactical, chess-like match that we were going to both play. I feel like we are both tricky players in that sense and we adapt very well, so (there were) a lot of tactics going both ways and I’m happy I was able to execute my game plan and get the win today.
Alex de Minaur of Australia poses with the trophy after defeating Jenson Brooksby in the singles final of the Atlanta Open at Atlantic Station on July 31, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) (Getty)
“But it was a very tough match. Plenty of times it could have gone either way and even though the scoreboard was three and three, it felt very, very tight.”
De Minaur fought off a break point early in the first set, and from there was never really troubled. He was broken in the first game of the second set, but broke the American straight back to get back on serve.
De Minaur saved four of five break points faced, while converting all four break chances he created.
His US Open preparation continues on Thursday at the Citi Open in Washington DC. The US Open kicks off at the end of the month.
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Commonwealth Games in pictures: Shayna Jack becomes emotional after winning first solo international swimming medal
There are fears of the invasive fire ant, which can form a raft to move along waterways, may have spread during record floods in southern Queensland.
Key points:
A Queensland LNP MP fears fire ants have spread during the most recent floods in the Lockyer Valley
The Queensland government says the pest could not have spread through floodwaters
Landholders are worried the fire ant eradication plan isn’t working
The state government said floodwaters moved too fast for the insects, but the opposition has called for evidence the risk had been assessed.
Landholders, meanwhile, said they were worried eradication programs were not moving fast enough.
The tiny pest has the potential for disastrous impact should it move unchecked and experts have warned it could cause billions of dollars of social, economic and environmental damage.
Unseasonal rain earlier this year wreaked havoc in the Lockyer Valley, west of Brisbane, including two major floods only 10 weeks apart.
The movement of such floodwater has LNP’s opposition spokesman for agriculture and Gympie MP Tony Perrett worried.
“We just don’t need them to be spread any further but more importantly, go undetected,” he said.
Often referred to as a super pest, red imported fire ants are renowned for their ability to not only move across the ground and fly, but also to float.
A raft of fire ants after flooding in Texas, United States in 2020.(Supplied: Bill O’Zimmermann)
The National Fire Ant Eradication Program identified the insects could raft on water by linking their claws and trapping air under their bodies, allowing them to float in groups and travel long distances on waterways.
Mr Perrett asked the government via a question on notice if it was investigating the risk, and if the ants had spread.
“It’s quite clear that they say they have a remarkable ability to be able to survive floods and can float for weeks until they come to dry land or a place where they can rest again,” he said.
“So, I am seriously concerned that they have spread and if that’s the case, then we need to know that.”
Mr Perrett wants the government to be sure the destructive fire ant has not spread.(Supplied: Tony Perrett)
Floods ‘too fast’ for fire ants
In response, Agriculture Minister Mark Furner said he had been advised the floods were too swift to allow the fire ants to raft.
“The information we have at hand is that the 2022 flooding event was a rapid event in terms of rises and the high flow rates, which actually reduced the likelihood of any spread,” he said.
But Mr Perrett was not convinced, and called on the minister to provide an update on the state’s 10-year eradication program, which is about halfway through.
“It didn’t provide a lot of information other than to say, ‘Trust me, we believe that we’ve got this right’,” he said.
The National Fire Ant Eradication Program began in 2017 with a $411 million budget from the Commonwealth, states and territories.
It was Australia’s largest biosecurity eradication plan.
According to the plan, the current incursion takes in a large area of South East Queensland, stretching across the Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim, Somerset and Ipswich local government areas.
Mr Furner says the floodwaters moved too fast for fire ants to raft.(ABC Wide Bay: Kallee Buchanan)
Landholders question aerial assault
The current eradication program includes deploying chemical insecticide baits from helicopters, but some landholders are worried the technique is not effective and could be affecting their animals.
The owners of a Lockyer Valley horse spelling and agistment farm fear the current control measures are not working fast enough.
Joyce Wilkinson and her partner often keep up to 60 thoroughbred horses on their farm, Atkin Lodge.
They do not want the ants to spread, but worry about the impact of chemicals dropped from helicopters on their horses and would prefer a targeted ground operation.
“To me, that is more of what they should be doing, actively seeking where these nests are,” Ms Wilkinson said.
“When they used to do the dogs to identify nests, they could actually treat those individual nests and actually destroy the ants in them.”
Ms Wilkinson acknowledged that helicopters with heat-seeking technology were often used to identify the nests because the ants were difficult to see on the ground, but she said the low-flying aircraft impacted her animals and should be used sparingly.
“Their thing is to run away from something that’s scaring them, and a fence doesn’t always stop them when they’re running,” she said.
Mr Furner said his government had further strengthened its commitment with a $37.1 million fire ant suppression taskforce in this year’s budget.
“Beating the fire ants will be a team effort,” he said.
But Mr Perrett said the taskforce’s name indicated a shift away from efforts to eradicate.
“We can’t afford to lose this battle,” he said.
The ABC contacted the National Fire Ant Eradication Program for comment however it declined to respond.
Joe Manchin has been one of the biggest obstacles to the Democratic Party passing major legislation in the Senate.Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Joe Manchin avoided a question on whether he wants the Democratic Party to win the House and Senate.
Manchin said he thought people were sick of politicians fighting and holding “hostage” legislation.
He said he’d be OK with whoever the voters choose and would “work with whatever I have.”
Sen. Joe Manchin on Sunday dodged a direct question about whether he wanted the Democratic Party to win the November midterms and keep control of the House and Senate.
Speaking to NBC’s Chuck Todd on “Meet the Press,” the West Virginia lawmaker said: “I think people are sick and tired of politics, Chuck. I really do.”
“I think they’re sick and tired of Democrats and Republicans fighting and feuding and holding pieces of hostage legislation because they didn’t get what they wanted, or something or someone might get credit for something,” Manchin added.
Todd then pressed Manchin, asking him directly if he wanted the Democrats to win.
“I think the Democrats have great candidates that are running. They’re good people I’ve worked with,” the senator responded. “And I have a tremendous amount of respect and friendship with my Republican colleagues. So I can work on either side very easily.”
“You don’t care about the outcome this year of the election?” Todd asked Manchin.
“Well, whatever — whatever the voters choose. I can’t decide what’s going to happen in Kansas or California or Texas. I really can’t,” Manchin said.
He added that he has always respected the representatives elected by the states and does his best to work with them.
“I don’t play the politics that way. I don’t like it that way,” Manchin added. “That’s not who I am.”
Manchin has been one of the biggest obstacles to the Democrats passing major legislation in the Senate, despite the party having control of the chamber. For one, the senator killed President Joe Biden’s landmark Build Back Better legislation.
In April, Manchin also addressed claims that he might switch parties to the GOP — an idea touted by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell — saying he’s “never considered” the idea from “such a standpoint.”
Manchin has also been reticent about expressing support for Biden in 2024.
In a surprise U-turn last week, Manchin said he would back the Inflation Reduction Act, a deal that he and Sen. Chuck Schumer cut that allots $370 billion for climate and energy programs and commits the US to a 40% emissions reduction by 2030.
Another 29 per cent said the services made them stressed, and 26 per cent said they had used the services despite concerns they could not afford the repayments.
Facilities management worker Nile O’Meally, 26, includes himself in that group. He quit buy now, pay later three years ago after accumulated debt impacted his lifestyle.
“More than being addicted to buy now, pay later, it was being addicted to having nice things. The main thing that it enabled was living above my means,” he said.
“I remember buying a set of tires for my car … Rather than getting sensible, economy tires, I could get the sporty kind, which was not something I really needed to do.”
Buying things and then having to meet the buy now, pay later’s repayments often meant he didn’t have the freedom to attend last minute social events or gigs.
“You have to compromise on things that you love a lot more than the things you bought because you haven’t had a set of savings behind you,” he said.
Up Bank chief executive officer Xavier Shay said customers were “self-aware” of how online shopping lured buyers in and embedded unhealthy spending habits. As such, customers had requested more tools to help them save and spend in a more controlled way.
The digital bank has more than 500,000 customers, with 25 per cent younger than 25.
The broader buy now, pay later sector faces a major shakeup as the government considers how best to regulate the products, and to what extent they should fall under credit laws.
“Let’s have an end to the silly argument about whether buy now, pay later is credit and get on with the next stage of growth for this emerging industry,” Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones said in July.
In Australia, there are now nearly 6 million buy now, pay later accounts, that make up $11.9 billion transactions a year, or 3.7 per cent of all online purchases.
But ballooning inflation poses an additional challenge for the sector as cost of living pressures increase, while more broadly, ever-increasing competition crimps margins.
Mr Shay said Up’s customers were also responding to rising cost pressures.
“With cost-of-living going up, people are really starting to ask for more tools to help them with their saving and make sure that when they are spending money, it’s on stuff they actually want,” he said.
