In five seconds, this SSD will self-destruct: 5… 4… 3… 2…
When we think about storage, the primary concern is usually reliability – you need to know that the data you save remain safe and accessible. But there are plenty of other things to consider, and new offerings from TEAMGROUP takes a unique approach to security.
With the internal P250Q‑M80 NVMe SSD and the portable T‑Create Expert P35S external, there is not only military-grade AES-256 encryption to ensure data is not going to fall into the wrong hands, but also an uninterruptible self-destruct option. Push a red button on either of the devices and they can be wiped, or completely nuked – and nothing can stop the process.
Microsoft says it is ending USB-C confusion with updated Windows 11 WHCP
USB-C was supposed to be the connection that simplified everything -- but it has ended up doing anything but making things simple. With different USB generations, and within those generations different levels of capability, it is no wonder people are confused about just what their USB ports and cables can do, and what level of capability to expect.
This is something Microsoft is looking to change. Pointing to the “inconsistent implementations of USB-C port capabilities across the PC ecosystem”, the company is seeking to end USB-C port confusion by using the Windows Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP) to help people know precisely what to expect from certified PCs.
OpenAI spends billions to buy Jony Ive's io as Sam Altman bets big on design-led future
OpenAI is officially buying Jony Ive’s hardware startup, io, for more than $6 billion. Yes, you read that right. The folks behind ChatGPT are now writing checks to bring legendary design talent and a brand-new product lab into their orbit.
Sam Altman and Jony Ive have apparently been quietly plotting this partnership for years, according to their announcement. What started as casual brainstorming and a bit of creative daydreaming apparently turned into “tangible designs” that both parties think could change the way we interact with computers.
Intel has released one fix for poor Arrow Lake performance, and has another in the pipeline
Intel’s recently released Arrow Lake processors were notable for the wrong reasons. Performance was found to be more than a little disappointing, particularly for gamers. A fix was promised, and one has been delivered.
The fix takes the form of a not only an update to Windows, but also a BIOS update. But it does not end there. Intel says that it will be releasing a further update in January which will introduce additional performance optimizations.
Unnecessary replacement of hardware leads to higher costs and growing waste problem
More than three quarters (77 percent) of IT decision makers say that their organization has a fixed time frame for replacing hardware. 14 percent replace every year, 30 percent every two years and 33 percent every three years.
A survey of 400 US and UK decision makers from Scalable Software suggests this leads to unnecessary upgrades and increased costs and can also have a negative environmental impact.
Lenovo unveils a range of new ThinkBook laptops with built-in AI functionality
Today at CES 2024, Lenovo introduced four new ThinkBook laptops -- the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid, the ThinkBook 13x Gen 4, the ThinkBook 14 i Gen 6+ and the ThinkBook 16p Gen 5.
These new laptops are designed to cater to the needs of a diverse user base, from media content creators to logistics professionals.
What is open source silicon root of trust? [Q&A]
You may have come across the term 'root of trust', it’s a source, such as a hardware module, that can always be trusted within a cryptographic system. The system trusts the keys and other cryptographic information it receives from the root of trust module as always authentic and authorized.
Mostly this involves being tied into a specific vendor, but OpenTitan has developed an open source silicon root of trust for use in for use in data center servers, storage, peripherals, and more.
JEDEC officially recognizes CAMM2 standard -- smaller RAM modules to cram more into less space
Laptops are soon going to benefit from a major memory boost thanks to the recognition of a new standard. CAMM2 is the successor to the familiar SO-DIMM form factor, and its significantly smaller size opens up potential for more memory to be installed into less space.
JEDEC, the organization that defines many computing and electronics standards, has published JESD318: Compression Attached Memory Module (CAMM2) Common Standard. CAMM2 is 57 percent thinner than SO-DIMMs and also has the potential for higher clock speeds. The memory has already been used by Dell as a proprietary memory type, but now it is likely to see wider adoption.
Google launches FIDO2 compatible security key
Today sees the launch of Google's new Titan Security Key which can be used as a second authentication factor and also to store your passkeys.
Unlike the earlier FIDO1 key, Titan will also work with all other FIDO-enabled services (such as Microsoft accounts). You can also store credentials for up to 250 accounts on this key, compared to current keys which can typically only store around 25.
Microsoft unveils four new Surface devices
Today, at its hardware event, Microsoft took the wraps off four brand-new Surface devices aimed at end users and IT professionals.
According to Nancie Gaskill, General Manager, Surface, these new products "have been redesigned to reflect our longstanding commitment to integrating the voice of commercial customers" while also "supporting the needs of IT professionals to deploy, manage and support these devices at scale." These are the four new devices that were announced:
Microsoft updates Windows 11 system requirements and CPU support list
With little fanfare, Microsoft has released details of the updated listed of hardware supported by Windows 11. The new system requirements see the addition of support for a large number of CPUs from Intel, AMD and Qualcomm.
The update to the list of supported processors comes shortly after the release of Windows 11 Moment 3. As well as adding support for a large number of new CPUs, there have also been some removed from the list.
Firewalla Gold SE is set to offer protection for faster internet speeds
Towards the end of last year we reviewed the Firewalla Gold Plus, a more powerful version of the plug-in network protection device aimed at professional and business users.
Of course the world of the internet doesn't stand still for long and with gigabit speeds becoming more widely available as full fiber services are rolled out, Firewalla is set to up its game again with the launch of the Gold SE.
The rise of hardware-based security and why it matters [Q&A]
Cybersecurity is usually viewed as something to be addressed via software. In recent years though we've seen a hardware element start to creep in -- Windows 11's requirement for TPM capability for example.
Can we expect to see more hardware-based security measures? And what benefits do these offer? We spoke to Ed Maste, senior director of technology at the FreeBSD Foundation (the non-profit organization supporting the open source FreeBSD operating system) to find out.
Economic pressure forces connected device makers to seek efficiencies
Economic pressures are forcing delays and price increases on connected device makers, with 38 percent experiencing delays in bringing devices to market, while almost half (48 percent) say they have been forced to increase prices.
New research from the Qt Group -- based on a survey of 250 embedded device manufacturers in the US, UK, France and Germany, conducted by Censuswide -- finds manufacturers are adopting various techniques in order to fuel efficiencies.
Hardware dependence -- what it is and why it's a problem [Q&A]
We're currently in the middle of a global chip shortage, while at the same time major hardware companies like Intel, NVIDIA and Arm are looking to dominate the hardware market for AI and ML applications.
This creates something of an issue where models have to be tuned and optimized according to specific hardware specifications and software frameworks, sacrificing the portability that the industry has come to take for granted..
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