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Microsoft's 'Meltdown' updates are reportedly bricking AMD PCs
Following reports of unbootable machines, Microsoft has halted updates of its Meltdown and Spectre security patches for AMD computers, according to a support note spotted by the Verge. It made the move after numerous complaints from users who installed the patch and then couldn't get past the Windows 10 splash screen. "To prevent AMD customers from getting into an unbootable state, Microsoft will temporarily pause sending the following Windows operating system updates to devices with impacted AMD processors," it wrote.
Intel will patch all recent chips by the end of January
The potential impact of the major processor security flaw that went public last week can't be understated. But hardware and software companies alike have been quick to patch fixes for the first two reported exploits, Meltdown and Spectre. Intel, which to date is the company most affected by the exploits, already committed to patching "90 percent" of affected processors made in the past five years by the end of this week. Today on stage at CES, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich promised the remaining 10 percent would see fixes by the end of the month.
Apple updates macOS and iOS to address Spectre vulnerability
Just a few days after Apple disclosed how it would be dealing with the Meltdown bug that affects modern computers, it's pushed out fixes for the Spectre exploit as well. iOS 11.2.2 includes "Security improvements to Safari and WebKit to mitigate the effects of Spectre," the company writes on its support page, while the macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 Supplemental Update does the same for your Mac laptop or desktop. Installing this update on your Mac will also update Safari to version 11.0.2.
Intel faces multiple lawsuits over chip security vulnerabilities
Intel is already facing multiple lawsuits over the chip security flaws revealed earlier this week. Gizmodo reports that three have been filed so far -- in California, Oregon and Indiana. All three are class action complaints and note Intel's delay in disclosing the vulnerabilities -- it knew about them for months -- as well as reduced performance caused by subsequent security patches. The Register reported that PC slow downs could amount to as much as five to 30 percent, but Intel has said that its solution's impacts are "highly workload-dependent" and won't be noticed much by the typical user.
Meltdown and Spectre are wake-up calls for the tech industry
It's not hyperbole to say that Meltdown and Spectre CPU vulnerabilities are a disaster. They affect pretty much every processor used over the past two decades and practically every device. In the right hands, they could reveal things like passwords and other secure information. While many companies have rushed to patch against Meltdown, which specifically affects Intel chips and lets hackers access the memory of apps being used by an operating system, Spectre is more stubborn. It won't be fully resolved until chip makers move to new architectures -- a process that could take years.
Intel says it will patch 90 percent of recent chips by next week (updated)
A little more than a day since Google Project Zero went public with its findings regarding a major security flaw in Intel (and others) chip designs, the company announced that it is already is pushing out patches to eliminate the vulnerability. Intel has "already issued updates for the majority of processor products introduced within the past five years," per the company press release, and expects to have 90 percent of affected chips produced within the past five years patched by the end of the week.
Meltdown and Spectre CPU flaws threaten PCs, phones and servers
By now you've probably heard about a bug Intel is dealing with that affects processors built since 1995. But according to the people who found "Meltdown" and "Spectre," the errors behind these exploits can let someone swipe data running in other apps on devices using hardware from Intel, ARM and AMD. While server operators (like Amazon) apply Linux patches to keep people from accessing someone else's information that's being executed on the same system, what does this mean for your home computer or phone?
Intel says memory security issue extends beyond its own chips (updated)
That major security flaw attributed to Intel chips might not be so Intel-specific after all. After hours of silence, Intel has posted a response denying some of the claims about the exploit, which is believed to revolve around identifying content in an operating system kernel's protected memory space. The chip giant shot down reports that the issue was unique to its CPUs, noting that it's working with AMD and ARM (not to mention multiple OS makers) to create a solution -- sorry, you're not safe because you have a Ryzen rig. It also reminded people that the performance hit of the fix would be "workload-dependent," and shouldn't be noticeable for the "average computer user."
The Spectre 13.3 is the most intriguing thing HP has made in years
It's been a long time since I've wanted to test a laptop this badly. The HP Spectre 13.3 isn't just the world's thinnest notebook; it's the most exciting device Hewlett-Packard has made in years. I mean, just look at it. The 10.4-millimeter-thick, 2.45-pound PC is as slim as a AAA battery, with a sleek new logo and copper accents inspired by classic watches. Aside from being the skinniest notebook on the planet, the Spectre 13.3 differs from its closest competitors in a few other key ways: It brings a cushier keyboard, a more powerful processor and a larger selection of ports, including a USB-C adapter in the box. (Hear that, Apple?) The idea that HP produced not just a MacBook rival but one that has a distinctive design and potentially learns from Apple's mistakes makes it very interesting indeed. After using it for two weeks, I can confirm it's largely worthy of the hype. But it's clear that in the interest of building a thin, fast PC, HP made some compromises of its own.
HP's Spectre 13.3 laptop is as thin as a AAA battery
HP's newest laptop, the Spectre 13.3, isn't like anything else in the company's lineup. In contrast to the company's candy-colored Chromebooks and plain silver notebooks, the Spectre was inspired by jewelry and women's purses. In fact, HP chose to unveil it not at CES or any other tech show but at a luxury conference in Versailles. And, at 10.4mm thin, the Spectre is about as thick as a AAA battery, making it not just the skinniest PC in HP's portfolio but the slimmest notebook on the entire market. Think of it as HP's answer to Apple's 12-inch MacBook, except with a bigger screen, extra horsepower and a little more bling.
Radiohead released a 'Spectre' theme tune for Christmas
It's the season for giving, and Radiohead just gave us a real treat. The British band was apparently invited to write a theme tune for the Bond movie Spectre last year. Ultimately, "it didn't work out," and Sam Smith ended up recording "Writing's On The Wall" for the film. Radiohead's track became something the band "love very much," though, so much so that it's just released it to the world via SoundCloud.
The HP Spectre x2 is like the Surface Pro, but cheaper and lower-specced
What timing: Just a day after Microsoft announced the Surface Pro 4, HP is unveiling a similar-looking 2-in-1 of its own. Though HP has made laptop/tablet hybrids before, the new 12-inch Spectre x2 is one of the few from the company to rock a built-in kickstand, à la Microsoft's tablet. Far from being just an imposter, though, the x2 sets itself apart in several key ways, with a more adjustable kickstand and a sturdy, potentially more comfortable keyboard. Oh, and that keyboard actually comes in the box (ahem, Microsoft).
UK cinema staff will wear night-vision goggles to fight Bond (piracy)
Night vision is slowly working its way into mainstream use. An example of this comes with a report from the Telegraph that says cinema staff in the UK will use military-grade night vision headsets to combat piracy during the UK's early run of the new Bond romp Spectre. Like something lifted straight out of a Bond film, staff will don these goggles in auditoriums across the country to catch those who are trying to record the movie for illegal distribution. A manager at a UK cinema told Engadget that for high-risk titles such as this, extra measures against piracy are fairly standard -- but we wager not quite so apt for the movies as in this case.
HP Spectre x360 review: What happens when Microsoft helps build a laptop?
The Spectre x360 is HP's newest flagship notebook. It's also probably the closest you'll get to seeing Microsoft build its own laptop. You see, though the machine has Hewlett-Packard's name on it, HP designed it in close collaboration with engineers from the Windows team, optimizing everything from the fan noise to the screen's color gamut. The result is a well-built laptop with fast performance, long battery life and a nearly bloatware-free version of Windows. And at $900 to start, it undercuts almost all of its rivals. Is there anything not to like?
HP teamed up with Microsoft to build its latest flagship laptop
This isn't your typical laptop announcement post. The most interesting thing about the Spectre x360, HP's new flagship notebook, isn't its design, performance or even price. No, what's interesting about this laptop is that Microsoft helped build it. Over the course of a year and a half, the two companies met regularly to hash out everything from the BIOS, fan noise and wireless range, even obsessing over details like the screen's color gamut. The result is a well-built laptop that promises long battery life, fast performance and one clean OS install. If you've ever speculated about whether Microsoft might make its own clamshell notebook, this is probably the closest you're going to get. HP of course deserves much of the credit, but make no mistake: The x360 has Redmond's stamp of approval all over it.
Barely Related: Suicide Squad cast, Reynolds is Deadpool
This week, enjoy the good things, if you can. Welcome to Barely Related, a conversational Friday column that presents the non-gaming news stories that we, the Joystiq staff, have been talking about over the past week. And no, we're not stopping our focus on industry and gaming news. Think of this as your casual weekly recap of interesting (and mostly geeky) news, presented just in time to fill your brain with things to discuss at all of those weekend shindigs. Grab a fresh drink, lean back in your armchair, and get ready to talk nerdy with us.
HP Spectre 13 Ultrabook review: a good deal, but with trade-offs
It's already March, dear readers, which means with the exception of this post right here, you're not going to find many laptop reviews on this site. Why? Because Intel's just three months away from launching its next-generation chips and besides, we've reviewed most of the current-gen models anyway. But not HP's. We haven't reviewed a Hewlett-Packard Ultrabook in more than a year. So here we are, picking up where we left off. The company's newest flagship, the Spectre 13, has a metal-clad body, much like the older models we've tested, except it steps up to an optional 2,560 x 1,440 display and an extra-wide touchpad designed to make all those Windows 8 gestures easier to pull off. It also starts at $1,000, making it a good deal cheaper than most of the other models we'll be name-checking throughout the review. So does that make it a good deal?
How would you change HP's Envy Spectre XT?
We've always prided ourselves on having a crack team of laptop reviewers, who run the rule over almost every mobile computer available. One that earned a measure of praise was HP's Envy Spectre XT, which addressed plenty of our complaints that we'd lodged against the original Envy 14 Spectre. The only things that remained stuck in our collective craw were the unimpressive battery life and poor audio, but otherwise it received a clean bill of health from us. But now that you've had some time to spend with this hardware, you can share with us what it's been like to live with it on a daily basis. So why not come on down to our forum and dish the dirt?
HP announces Spectre One desktop, three other all-in-ones
Didn't you hear? All of HP's top-shelf product consumer products will henceforth have the word "Spectre" in the name. So, it makes sense that the company would expand beyond laptops and release a futuristic desktop bearing the same branding. Indeed, the company just announced the Spectre One, a 23.6-inch all-in-one with a skinny design and nice-to-have features like NFC. Though that aluminum frame and tilting 1080p display are pleasing to look at, the real story isn't what the Spectre One has, so much as what's missing. You see, in order to get the system down to 11.5mm thick, the design team had to forgo certain features you might otherwise expect -- features like a TV tuner, touchscreen and even an optical drive. It's a gamble, to be sure, but HP is betting that fashion-forward, tech-savvy users won't really mind. (The jury is out on whether a Windows 8 all-in-one without touch is a missed opportunity.) In any case, HP did include four USB ports (two of them 3.0), HDMI input, an Ethernet jack, Beats Audio and a memory card reader, with optional discrete graphics and SSDs. The components are also easily serviceable via a back door, if tinkering is your idea of fun. Lastly, the One ships with a keyboard, Magic Trackpad-style wireless touchpad and two NFC tags, which can be assigned to favorite websites. In addition to the Spectre One, HP also trotted out three other all-in-ones. At the mid-range, you'll find the Envy 20 and 23, which have 20- and 23-inch screens, respectively, with 1,920 x 1,080 resolution. Rounding out the list, the company announced the low-end Pavilion 20, another 1080p system. Put simply, the two Envy systems have touchscreens, Beats Audio and will be offered with Ivy Bridge processors only; the Pavilion is non-touch, and will be offered with both Intel and AMD chips. Whichever you choose, HP's old Magic Canvas UI for Windows is gone; in its place, the "Connected Suite," which includes a mix of desktop and mobile apps for sharing photos, streaming music and remote access. Though the mobile applications work with iOS and Android devices, you'll need a Windows 8 laptop on one end of the setup -- specifically, an HP PC. That's right: for now, at least, the software will only work on the company's own computers. The Envy 20, Envy 23 and Pavilion 20 will all be available on October 23rd, with the budget Pavilion going for $499 and the two Envys starting at $849 and $1,099, respectively. The Spectre One doesn't arrive until November 14th, but when it does it will cost $1,299.
HP on laptop design similarities with Apple's: it's a struggle as we drive to simplicity
HP's spent the afternoon here in Shanghai to share some details about its latest products and strategy, and to our delight, there was one session dedicated to "Style Meets Function," during which Vice President of Industrial Design Stacy Wolff talked about his design philosophy and design goals for the current market. Most notably, we learned that some of HP's latest laptop designs were based on the work of its research centers from 11 different cities, and the company isn't afraid of admitting that it used consultants for an outside perspective as well. Despite Stacy's upbeat presentation and interesting stats (apparently these days men have a boring color preference, from first to fourth favorite: black, gray, blue and white), the inevitable question popped up: One lady expressed her concern that the brand-spanking-new Envy Spectre XT reminded her of the MacBook Air a lot, so she wondered if HP's ever worried that Apple might sue. Stacy kept his initial reply pretty brief: "I would go back to the TC1000 [Tablet PC] from about 10 years, and that's a tablet. I think if you look at the new Spectre XT, there are similarities in a way, not due to Apple but due to the way technologies developed. Apple may like to think that they own silver, but they don't. In no way did HP try to mimic Apple. In life there are a lot of similarities." As always, we wanted more from the horse's mouth, so we grabbed hold of Stacy right after the session and had a little chat over this topic -- you can see the full and surprisingly candid interview after the break.
