What’s new
Intel said that its patches can cause problems for some chips
Intel says it has identified bugs in updates released in the past week for microcode, its software installed directly on the processor. Intel posted a statement on its website saying, “We have received reports from a few customers of higher system reboots after applying firmware updates. Specifically, these systems are running Intel Broadwell and Haswell CPUs for both client and data center. We are working quickly with these customers to understand, diagnose and address this reboot issue“.
You can read more here.
AMD is releasing firmware updates to fix CPU vulnerabilities
The company’s chief technology officer, Mark Papermaster, said the threat from Spectre Variant 1 “can be contained with an operating system (OS) patch and we have been working with OS providers to address this issue”. The company additionally expects to offer “a combination of processor microcode updates and OS patches” to address Spectre Variant 2, he said. AMD is making firmware updates available for Ryzen and EPYC owners this week, and the company is planning to update older processors “over the coming weeks”.
More info are available here.
New products
HTC U11 EYE
The phone will come in two variants, one with a Snapdragon 652 processor, while the other with Snapdragon 660. It will have a 5.99-inch display, a 3,930mAh battery and 4GB/6GB of RAM.
More info here.
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Kuzzle will build the backend for the Internet of Things
Kuzzle confirmed plans to release worldwide their expanded Backend suite with ready-to-use advanced features for IoT, Mobile, and Webat. According to a provided media release, Kuzzle Backend includes Real-Time, Multi-Device, Multi-Protocol, Geo-Tracking, Geo-Fencing and Security features. It’s suitable for web-apps, hybrid or native mobile apps and IoT projects.
You can read more here.
Facebook will update News Feed to prioritise display of posts by family and friends
Facebook has announced a major update that will put friends and family above pages or celebrities in a user’s news feed. The change to the way Facebook ranks posts will put more weight on social interactions and relationships, according to News Feed product manager John Hegeman.
More info can be found here.
Fun stuff
Cubinote can print colorful sticky notes from the smartphone
Cubinote prints out messages on large, colorful sticky notes and it has Bluetooth so it can connect with the phone from a long distance. It will costs $149 and will be available in the US starting March, with a planned roll out in the UK in July.
You can read more here.
