Microsoft Corp said on Tuesday that software patches released to guard against microchip security threats slowed down some personal computers and servers, with systems running on older Intel Corp processors seeing a noticeable decrease in performance.The comments in a blog post were the clearest signal from Microsoft that fixes for flaws in microchips from Intel and rivals described last week could meaningfully degrade performance. The topic is of keen interest to large data center operators, which could incur significant cost increases if computers slow down.Microsoft also said that security updates froze some computers using chipsets from Intel rival AMD, dragging AMD’s shares down nearly 4 percent.Shares in Intel, which reiterated on Tuesday that it saw no sign of significant slowdown in computers, fell 2.5 percent taking the loss since the issue surfaced last week to about 7 percent or around $15 billion in market value.AMD shares have gained nearly 20 percent in the last … [Read more...] about Microsoft says security patches slowing down PCs, servers
Security
Meet Sunflower, an $8,000 robotic umbrella that moves with the sun, plays music, and even works as a security camera
Sunflower is an $8,000 robotic parasol that moves with the sun to keep you constantly shaded. It also has a built-in entertainment system, security camera, and can serve as a Wi-Fi hotspot. LAS VEGAS – Beach umbrellas have now officially gone high-tech. At the CES trade show here on Tuesday, a startup called Shadecraft unveiled Sunflower, a robotic “sun shade.” Sunflower is solar-powered and tracks the sun, adjusting its position to keep you shaded at all times. But Shadecraft is billing Sunflower as a whole lot more than a fancy beach umbrella. It can connect to your home network via Wi-Fi and allow you to interact with your smart-home devices using Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. You can listen to music via its built-in Harmon Kardon speakers, and it can help monitor your house with the camera that’s built into its pole. It can also charge your phone and can act as a Wi-Fi hotspot when you’re at the beach, … [Read more...] about Meet Sunflower, an $8,000 robotic umbrella that moves with the sun, plays music, and even works as a security camera
Intel CEO addresses chip security problems in presentation at CES
LAS VEGAS—Intel has big plans to steer toward new business in self-driving cars, virtual reality and other cutting-edge technologies. But first it has to pull out of a skid caused by a serious security flaw in its processor chips, which undergird many of the world’s smartphones and personal computers.Intel CEO Brian Krzanich opened his keynote talk Monday night at the annual CES gadget show in Las Vegas by addressing the hard-to-fix flaws disclosed by security researchers last week. At an event known for its technological optimism, it was an unusually sober and high-profile reminder of the information security and privacy dangers lurking beneath many of the tech industry’s gee-whiz wonders.Some researchers have argued that the flaws reflect a fundamental hardware defect that can’t be fixed short of a recall. But Intel has pushed back against that idea, arguing that the problems can be “mitigated” by software or firmware upgrades. Companies from … [Read more...] about Intel CEO addresses chip security problems in presentation at CES
Security tight for huge Catholic procession in Philippines
MANILA: A massive crowd of mostly barefoot Filipino Catholics has joined an annual procession of a centuries-old black statue of Jesus Christ under extra-tight security after the Philippines came under a disastrous pro-Islamic State group attack last year. Philippine police and military deployed more than 6,000 personnel, including snipers and bomb squads backed by a surveillance helicopter and drones, to secure the procession of the wooden Black Nazarene on Tuesday along Manila's streets. Authorities say no specific terrorist threat has been monitored. More than 600 devotees have been treated mostly for minor injuries and exhaustion.Hundreds of militants laid siege for five months in southern Marawi city, leaving more than 1,100 combatants and civilians dead in the worst IS group-linked attack so far in Asia. Troops crushed the uprising in October. (Video Twitter/CNN Philippines) … [Read more...] about Security tight for huge Catholic procession in Philippines
Intel faces scrutiny as flaw in computer chip security exposed
SAN FRANCISCO—In 1994, Intel faced a public relations crisis over an elusive mathematics glitch that affected the accuracy of calculations made by its popular Pentium computer chips. After insisting that the problem would not affect many people, the company succumbed to public pressure and recalled the chips, costing it $475 million (U.S.).Now Intel faces an even bigger test: two serious security issues with its chips that could have implications for nearly everyone touched by computing. And in something of a repeat of the 1994 incident, Intel has failed to quiet critics, putting it in an awkward position this week as its chief executive prepares to take the stage at one of the world’s biggest tech trade shows.The cause of the new public relations crisis is the disclosure last week of two new ways to filch data from the microprocessors inside nearly all the world’s computers. Called Meltdown and Spectre, they could allow hackers to steal the entire memory contents of … [Read more...] about Intel faces scrutiny as flaw in computer chip security exposed