a new MacBook Pro release. Production
began in April, reportedly to give Apple time
to manufacture enough chips to meet the
demand of the MacBook Pro, which is set for
a fall or winter release. A report from Nikkei
suggests that the M2 will continue to integrate
CPU, GPU, and the Neural Engine on the same
chip, but it does not go into any of the speciics
of the new chip. Some reports suggest Apple
is working on chips that could ofer 64 and
128-cores, perhaps for the Mac Pro, and
it’s likely to be suped-up compared to the
current entry-level M1 chip, which is also used
in the new iPad Pro refresh. Whether we’ll see
a signiicant leap forward from the irst to the
second generation remains to be seen, but it’s
clear that all eyes are on Apple for the future.
A POST-SILICON WORLD
Whilst tech giants rely on silicon every day for
their integrated circuits, some argue that the
end of silicon could be in sight. IBM revealed
its plans to move beyond silicon in the
future, thanks to a whole host of new materials
and replacements that could succeed the
current technology. What’s more, the current
semiconductor shortage has brought to light
the reliance and dominance of silicon, and irms
are naturally now looking for other options
to help weather future storms and shortages.
Some are even turning to gallium nitride (GaN),
because it is easier and faster to produce than
silicon chips, among other beneits. A quick
cast back to the days before silicon: Germanium,
for instance, is a great semiconductor, but it
was eventually forced out of the semiconductor
market as it was easier to obtain silicon. And