Topic
modular
Technology Qualcomm Acquires AI Chip Software Startup Modular for Nearly $4 Billion
Qualcomm announced the acquisition of chip startup Modular for nearly $4 billion in stock, including $300 million for employees. The deal brings Modular's software platform that lets AI code run on different chips, and signals Qualcomm's push into data center AI. Modular was founded by Chris Lattner and Tim Davis, and raised $250 million nine months ago.
M*: A Modular, Extensible Serving System for Efficient Multimodal AI Inference
Researchers have developed M*, a universal serving system for composite AI models that integrates diverse components like vision encoders and language backbones. Using a novel 'Walk Graph' abstraction, M* achieves significant performance improvements: 20% lower latency for text-to-image, up to 2.7x higher throughput for text-to-speech, and 12.5x faster robotic planning rollouts compared to existing baselines.
Nimble SharePower: Modular Power Bank Lets You Share a Charge With a Friend
WIRED reviews the Nimble SharePower, a 10,000-mAh modular power bank that splits into two functional 5,000-mAh chargers. It features magnetic pogo-pin connection, load balancing, and a digital display. The device is made from 100% recycled plastic and is carbon-neutral. Other products in the summer collection include the Wally Pro Stretch and Champ Stretch.