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Monday 3 November 2025
MaxEpic: Leading AI Power Delivery with Revolutionary Chiplet Technology
MaxEpic, a nascent but rapidly advancing chiplet semiconductor startup based in Canada, is spearheading the development of next-generation fully-integrated power delivery and power integrity solutions crucial for the escalating demands of AI systems.Founder and CEO Dr. Jerry Zhai is a seasoned veteran who has accumulated over two decades of experience in semiconductor technologies, product development, and business development with companies such as Analog Devices, Samsung Semiconductor and Renesas."AI has made a tremendous inroad in our industry from component to system level. The technology we have developed is a highly integrated power delivery chiplet that can address the new and rigorous demand of AI systems," said Zhai. "That is a fundamental force which drove us to start up this company."The company, which began its focused development just about two years ago, is moving swiftly. Already, the company has successfully engaged with multiple major AI industry players, including large-scale hyperscalers, AI machine makers, semiconductor companies, and manufacturing partners, underscoring the immediate industry relevance of their solution.Addressing the AI Power and Thermal CrisisThe dramatic advancements in AI hardware, such as GPUs, CPUs, and High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), have resulted in an unprecedented power dilemma. Dr. Zhai points out that the electrical current drawn by these components has increased three to five times over prior generations.Modern CPUs, for instance, can consume up to 1,000 Amperes at a very low voltage of around 0.7 volts. The voltage for HBM continues todecrease. For example, the I/O voltage is down to 0.4V now to meet the low latency and high speed of data transmitting. The layer stack up of HBM that has increased up to 12 layers to meet workload demands has raised the HBM current consumption and density dramatically. This extreme current level and super high density create immense systemic challenges, including thermal dissipation issues and limits on I/O ports.MaxEpic's innovative power delivery method trademarked as Ivy-ChipletTM is a fundamental solution to this challenge. It utilizes a proprietary IP to perform high-efficiency voltage conversion. Instead of drawing 0.7 volts directly, the device can effectively take a voltage that is twice or three times higher, such as 1.4 volts or 2.1 volts. In HBM I/O power which needs 0.4V, the voltage converstion ratio is 5-to-1 or 6-to-1 and the input voltage become 2.0V or 2.4V As a consequence of this voltage conversion, the current flowing into the device is instantly reduced by half, two-thirds or even less, depending on the designed voltage conversion . This significant reduction in current directly alleviates the problems of I/O port limit and thermal challengess by dramatically reducing power loss along the delivery path. The efficiency of MaxEpic's technology is remarkable, achieving up to 97% with its proprietary power streaming circuitsTechnological Edge and Versatile ApplicationsThe Chiplet's design offers significant flexibility in integration. It can be used as a standalone device or be seamlessly integrated directly into the AI device's package using contemporary 3D packaging technology.MaxEpic's device is implemented using FinFET nodes, designed to be fully compatible with more advanced nodes like 7 nanometer, 5 nanometer, or even lower. This compatibility with cutting-edge process technology is vital, as the more advanced a chip is, the more efficient its power management needs to be.The high efficiency, excellent thermal properties, and dimensional profile of MaxEpic's solution expand its potential beyond high-performance computing (HPC) and data centers. The technology can address systems requiring high degrees of integration and size reduction in three dimensions. Potential applications include next-generation AI glasses, which have a huge demand for high integration, small size and low profile, and Electric Vehicle (EV) systems, which benefit from the high reliability the technology offers.Founder and CEO Dr. Jerry Zhai, MaxEpic. Credit: MaxEpic
Monday 3 November 2025
RUNWITHIT Synthetics Pioneers Generative AI for Planning and Resilience, Targets Asia Market Expansion Via Taiwan
In an era defined by increasing volatility from climate change and complex infrastructure challenges, Canadian 6D simulation firm RUNWITHIT Synthetics is pioneering a novel approach to urban resilience. The company, a Certified Indigenous and women-led enterprise based in Edmonton, is building " live 6D AI-driven models of cities and regions" using its proprietary 6D simulation generative AI platforms.Myrna Bittner, Founder and CEO of RUNWITHIT Synthetics, describes the company's core mission as bridging the "critical gap between very complex data and real human experience." The goal is to make data accessible, enjoyable, and relevant for leaders-many of whom are not technologists-who are making critical policy and investment decisions around resilience, new energy technologies, and community welfare.The Power of the Living Digital TwinRUNWITHIT Synthetics does not rely solely on existing historical data, a significant differentiator in a field often constrained by data availability. Instead, their technology is built to thrive in scenarios where historical data is scarce or where anticipated events-like an extraordinary cold snap in a warm city-have never occurred."We shouldn't let data be our barrier when we need to be looking and planning in the future," Bittner states.The company's platform consumes diverse inputs-from spatial and satellite data to public census and research-to synthesize a "living form of reality." It then runs "superscalar simulations" on this digital twin, generating new, reliable data from configured, novel scenarios through emergent behavior modeling.This approach requires a highly diverse team, blending deep-tech social system engineers, AI programmers, game engine developers, designers, and animators. The inclusion of design is deliberate; as Bittner notes, making the future compelling and beautiful makes data more accessible.Furthermore, the company is highly focused on efficiency, utilizing clustering technology, parallel processing, and federated generative AI to minimize computing consumption, allowing complex simulations to be run even on a laptop.Versatility: Driving Strategic Decisions Across Multiple ScenariosThe power of RUNWITHIT Synthetics' platform lies in its modular and adaptable architecture, which allows customers to flexibly integrate modules for distinct strategic purposes. Applications span beyond disaster management to include long-term strategic advisory, community growth planning, and infrastructure design."Customers can choose a focus area and not even be limited by that one focus area," Bittner explains. The platform enables users to model the intricate connections between design response, energy resilience, public health, social infrastructure planning, and security environments. This interconnectedness allows clients to effectively navigate the comprehensive impact of various decisions on the built environment, the natural environment, and the community.Globally, the company is tackling major challenges such as modeling the impacts of extreme cold in Nashville and working with the Government of Canada to improve resilience in rural communities. This Canadian project, for example, models the interconnections between energy, health, and communication systems while assessing the benefits of implementing distributed energy resources like solar, wind, and virtual power.Asia Expansion: Applying Versatile Planning Tools in TaiwanA major focus for the company is market expansion, with Taiwan serving as a key strategic access point for Southeast Asia. The recent Hualien flood disaster provided a stark reminder of the challenges the region faces.In light of this, RUNWITHIT Synthetics has already established foundational relationships, notably with the Taiwan Indigenous Sustainable Development Association and the Council of Indigenous Peoples (TISDA). Their goal of joining the Canadian Technology Accelerator (CTA) program is to advance digital twin applications for rural and indigenous communities in Taiwan, focusing on emergency preparedness, improved health access, and sustainable energy development-precisely the kind of interlinked systems analysis needed for planning and disaster recovery. They are also seeking to reinvigorate conversations with the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) regarding health research simulations involving population data, which is crucial for managing health crises following a natural event.Myrna Bittner, Founder and CEO of RUNWITHIT Synthetics. Credit: RUNWITHIT Synthetics
Friday 31 October 2025
How Mobile Phones Gave Gaming a New Lease of Life
Gaming used to mean sitting down in a specific room. You powered up, stared at a glowing screen, and disappeared for hours. Now it's something people do on buses, at bus stops, in bed, or while waiting for a takeaway. The shift from console to mobile didn't just make games more convenient. It made them part of daily life. What was once an escape has become a companion.The rise of the smartphone didn't just give us better cameras or faster messaging. It handed us a new kind of playground. A billion pockets turned into arcades overnight. Games like Angry Birds, Temple Run, and Candy Crush weren't flukes. They were proof that entertainment didn't need a controller anymore. Mentioning a social casino game these days barely raises an eyebrow. People play for fun, for the challenge, or just to pass a dull minute. It's gaming stripped down to its essentials, accessible to anyone who can swipe a screen.The Old Console CrowdRemember when playing games meant being tethered to a television? The ritual of plugging in cables, picking up controllers, and arguing over who got player one. It was a production. Then came the phone. Suddenly, gaming was as easy as opening an app. It didn't matter if you had five minutes or fifty. You could dive in, make progress, and get on with your day.Classic titles noticed. Call of Duty, FIFA, even Grand Theft Auto showed up on mobile screens, adapted and alive. They weren't replacements; they were reinventions. For players who grew up glued to their consoles, this was liberation. You could take your favorite worlds with you. No more waiting until you got home to play. You already were home, in a way. It's as if the rules changed overnight and everyone who'd ever held a controller suddenly found the game following them instead of the other way around.Quick Fixes and Fast RewardsMobile games are built for the modern attention span. You don't need hours to get something out of them. You need thirty seconds and a thumb. They tap into something primal. The thrill of progress. The satisfaction of instant feedback. It's psychology cleverly disguised as play. Every level cleared, every reward unlocked, is another nudge to keep you hooked. The developers know exactly what they're doing-and we thank them for it.And that's what keeps people coming back. Mobile gaming doesn't demand loyalty. It earns it, one dopamine hit at a time. It fits between emails and errands, filling the gaps modern life leaves behind. A quick match here, a puzzle there, a sense of control in a world that often feels like it has none. You could call it escapism, but really, it's convenience disguised as joy.Everyone's a GamerThe stereotype of the gamer sitting in a dark room surrounded by empty cans is long gone. Your gran is probably playing Wordscapes. Your mate who hates "nerd stuff" has a Clash of Clans base he's been building for years. Mobile gaming didn't just grow the audience. It obliterated the walls that once defined it.Now, everyone's a gamer whether they admit it or not. It's a universal language. No tutorials needed. Just curiosity and a few taps. The accessibility is what made it unstoppable. You don't need to spend a fortune or dedicate your weekend. All you need is a phone and a spare moment. It's the great equalizer of entertainment-the one pastime that fits inside your pocket and asks for nothing but your attention.A Cultural ShiftMobile gaming's influence sits quietly in the background of pop culture. It's as normal as scrolling social media or watching short clips online. The way we interact with games mirrors how we consume everything else now.It's a bit like when Netflix changed how we watched TV. We stopped planning our lives around scheduled shows. We started watching on our terms. Mobile gaming did that for play. And if you've ever felt the heartbreak of losing your progress because your phone died mid-level, you've joined a global brotherhood of quiet, shared despair. Somewhere out there, millions know exactly how you feel.The Competitive EdgeCompetition has changed too. It's no longer about high scores on a single machine. It's global, constant, and always within reach. Daily missions, leaderboards, and events keep players locked in. It's not about beating the game anymore. It's about staying part of the loop.That endless engagement turned mobile gaming into a financial juggernaut. In 2024, it made up nearly half of all gaming revenue worldwide. The numbers prove what anyone with a smartphone already knows. We're all playing. Constantly. And most of us don't even realize because it has become second nature.The Next ChapterThe next leap won't be about screens or specs. It'll be about depth. Phones are getting faster, graphics sharper, and stories richer. Soon, the line between console and mobile will disappear. The best games will live everywhere. What matters won't be what you play on, but how easily you can lose yourself in it.The evolution of mobile gaming shows what happens when technology meets everyday life. It's no longer about finding time to play. It's about the moments between everything else when play finds you. Gaming didn't just survive the move to mobile. It thrived. It adapted, simplified, and conquered. The console might have started the story, but the phone made it impossible to put down.