What’s new
Microsoft’s internal bug database was hacked in 2013
Hackers broke into Microsoft’s secret, internal bug-tracking database and stole information related to vulnerabilities that were exploited in later attacks. It was discovered in 2013 but never disclosed to the public, according to five former employees of the company who spoke with Reuters. Microsoft tightened up security after the breach, the former employees said, walling the database off from the corporate network and requiring two authentications for access.
You can read more here.
Intel will launch the Nervana Neural Network Processor
Intel announced the Nervana Neural Network Processor (NNP), formerly known as “Lake Crest,” a chip three years in the making that’s designed expressly for AI and deep learning. Unlike traditional processors, Nervana places greater emphasis on matrix multiplication and convolution operations, both of which are frequently used in deep learning applications.
More info are available here.
New products
Microsoft Surface Book 2
The Surface Book 2 comes in two sizes, 13.5-inch and 15-inch. The 13.5-inch model has Intel Core i7 processor, GTX 1050 and 2GB of video RAM. The 15-inch model comes with GTX 1060 and 6GB of video RAM.
More info here.
HP ZBook x2
HP ZBook x2 operates in four modes: laptop, detached, docked and tablet. It has a 14-inch 4K display, Intel Core i7 CPU and an NVIDIA Quadro M620 graphics card.
More info here.
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WhatsApp adds location tracking
The feature, called Live Location, lets users open a chat with the person or group they want to share with. The new option, found under “Location” in the attach button, will now let users “Share Live Location.” They can also set a timer on how long they want their location shared before they send the info.
You can read more here.
IBM is using the blockchain to speed up and simplify payments
IBM has signed a partnership with blockchain startup Stellar and payment company Kickex to launch a cross-border payment system for banks which uses the blockchain to “reduce the settlement time and lower the cost of completing global payments for businesses and consumers”. Currently, international transactions take days, if not weeks, to be completed.
More info can be found here.
Fun stuff
Reserchers developoed a ‘skin’ to give robots the sense of touch
Engineers have developed a flexible sensor “skin” that can stretch over any part of a robot’s body or prosthetic to accurately convey information about shear forces and vibration, information critical to grasping and manipulating objects. It’s an important breakthrough, which could lead to robots that can perform delicate surgery and disarm explosives without the need for remote human operators.
You can read more here.
