Google details how it protected services like Gmail from Spectre

Google says it already deployed anti-Spectre and Meltdown solutions to protect its products, and users didn’t even notice. The downside of the patches companies are rolling out to fix the CPU vulnerabilities is that they have the potential to slow down systems. For the big G, that means slowdown for huge services like Gmail, Google Drive and Search and its Cloud products. Mountain View had to gather hundreds of engineers working across the company to find a way to protect its products. After a few months, they found a solution for Meltdown and the first variant of Spectre (two of the three vulnerabilities), which they then started rolling out way back in September. Google says it didn’t get any complaint reporting performance degradation after it deployed the fix.

However, the second variant of Spectre proved a lot more problematic. Google’s engineers thought the only way to protect against it was to switch off the CPU features that made the chips vulnerable to attackers. Unfortunately, doing that slowed down applications considerably and caused inconsistent performance, so the tech titan had to look at unusual or “moonshot” solutions. It found the answer in Retpoline, a technique conjured up by Google Senior Staff Engineer Paul Turner, which “modifies programs to ensure that execution cannot be influenced by an attacker.”

Retpoline allowed Google to protect its services from the second variant of Spectre without having to modify source codes or to switch off hardware components. And by December, the company was done rolling our protections against all three variants. Google reiterates that it received no support tickets related to the updates, but then again, people might have attributed their complaints to other things if they didn’t know about the flaws.

Google considers this set of vulnerabilities the “most challenging and hardest to fix” it’s had to deal with in the past decade. That it was able to find solutions for them relatively quickly demonstrates just how powerful the company is. Thankfully, the tech titan isn’t keeping Retpoline a secret: it has shared its research with other tech companies in hopes that it “can be universally deployed to improve the cloud experience industry-wide.”

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Google

The Morning After: CES 2018, Day 3

Hey, good morning! We’ve just crowned the best in show at CES 2018. Capping off our third day of coverage at the tech show, we also heard how Kodak is getting into bitcoin and, naturally, continue our reportage on the best new tech to be found in Las Vegas.

Winner!
Presenting the Best of CES 2018 winners!

Finally, after long hours of debating which finalist should win in each of our Best of CES awards this year, we’ve made our decisions. Below is our list of winners for each category, as well as Best of the Best and People’s Choice. Congratulations to all the winners and finalists!

Dell and HP’s latest machines are good signs for the future.
Gaming laptops are cheap and portable at CES 2018

Buying a laptop has traditionally meant juggling price, graphics performance, weight and battery life. You want a powerful gaming laptop with good battery life? Sorry about that six-pound weight, bro. Looking for a lightweight, inexpensive laptop to take to events? Forget about playing games or editing video.
CES 2018 marks a turning point, however. With the arrival of Intel’s eighth-generation Core with RX Vega M graphics and recent models with NVIDIA’s shrunk-down Max-Q graphics, owning a powerful laptop no longer means sacrificing your back for more than two hours of gaming. At the same time, you won’t need to pay a fortune for a lightweight model that’s also a decent gaming machine.

Heavy applications mean more significant slowdown.
Intel reveals possible slowdowns from Meltdown processor fix

Your personal computers will be less than 10 percent slower after you install the Spectre/Meltdown fix, Intel has revealed in a blog post. Intel has come to that conclusion after assessing the performance changes in computers using sixth-, seventh- and eighth-generation Intel core processors with Windows 10. Systems equipped with eighth-generation (Kaby Lake, Coffee Lake) chips and SSDs will be the least affected, with the expected impact being less than six percent. The company boss also made a public statement, committing to further transparency over the issues.

But wait, there’s more…

• Apple Health app data used as evidence in rape investigation
• Kodak slaps its name on a sketchy bitcoin-mining business
• Dolby’s plan for 2018 includes Atmos and Vision in more places
• Samsung phones will have functioning FM chips from now on

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Aptiv on helping automakers create an autonomous world

Automakers don’t build every component in their vehicles. It’s a complex combination of in-house parts and third-party components working in tandem to make things like autonomous vehicles a reality. One of the main players is first-tier supplier Aptiv (formerly Delphi). The company’s vice president of advanced engineering, Jada Tapley stopped by the Engadget Stage at CES to talk about the supplier’s work with OEMs and the autonomous Lyft drives it was offering CES attendees.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

Samsung Galaxy S9 box leak hints at variable aperture camera

Sometimes leaks are obviously legitimate, and sometimes people go out of their way to dupe us with an elaborate hoax. And sometimes, you just can’t call it — say, when an image pops up on Reddit allegedly showing the box a Galaxy S9 will eventually be tucked up in. The gloves, the clinically white work space, the layout and font; nothing seems too suspect. And given we know the S9 and S9+ will be announced next month, this is when you’d expect the leaks to start flowing. Assuming this is, in fact, final Galaxy S9 packaging, then what does it tell us about Samsung’s next flagship? Well, that it’s much like the S8, but with a few new features thrown in.

Most of what’s listed on the box is completely believable: The 5.8-inch Quad HD+ AMOLED display, 8-megapixel front-facing camera, IP68 water and dust resistant rating, iris scanner, 64GB of storage, 4GB of RAM, wireless charging support and earphones “tuned by AKG.” If anything, they might disappoint those hoping for a bigger step change this generation — we can’t not mention the iPhone X here — since you’ll find all this written on the back of the Galaxy S8’s packaging. It’s worth bearing in mind, though, that this is just one box, so who knows what other storage and RAM configurations Samsung is cooking up.

One rumor that’s been doing the rounds is that the S9’s camera will feature a variable aperture, which this leak seems to confirm, but otherwise it’ll be the same “dual pixel” 12MP shooter with optical image stabilization found on the S8. And Samsung’s already launched a pricey flip phone in China with a camera that can switch (mechanically, not digitally) between an f/2.4 aperture and a wider, f/1.5 aperture for improved low-light performance. No great stretch to assume the rumor is true, then.

The box also speaks of a “super slow-mo” feature little birdies have been chirping about. Apparently, the camera is capable of shooting slow-motion video at 1,000 fps, besting the 960 fps limit of Sony’s Xperia XZ Premium and XZ1. Otherwise, we’re apparently getting stereo speakers “tuned by AKG,” which would be new, and we can safely assume the S9 will feature a functioning FM radio chip, at least in North America, given the partnership with NextRadio announced just a few days ago.

There’s no mention of any face-unlocking feature; not on the box anyway. There’s been speculation the S9 could have iPhone X-like face authentication and possibly another take on animated emojis, because Samsung’s latest Exynos 9810 smartphone chip is geared for that kind of thing. Not all S9’s will carry the Exynos 9810 chip, though. In regions including the US, you’ll find a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 in its place, but that chip is capable of the same level of face mapping. Perhaps the feature isn’t ready yet, or Samsung is having trouble getting it performing comparably across both chips. Or maybe it just didn’t make the box.

Predictably, all Samsung had to say was it “is unable to comment on rumors and speculation.” But in between now and the S9/S9+’s official reveal next month, you can definitely expect more leaks either confirming or challenging what we think we’ve learnt from this little drip.

Via: TechRadar, PhoneArena

Source: Reddit

International User Accounts Swept Up in Chinese iCloud Data Migration

Apple’s announcement on Wednesday that its iCloud services in mainland China will be handed over to a Chinese company has already run into controversy, after it emerged that accounts registered overseas are being swept up in the migration.

Apple said yesterday that customers based in China had been contacted and advised to examine new terms and conditions, which include a clause that both Apple and the Chinese firm will have access to all data stored on iCloud servers, which will be transferred from February 28. Customers living in mainland China who did not want to use iCloud operated by GCBD had been given the option to terminate their account.

However, according to some users who spoke to TechCrunch, in the data to be handled by local partner Guizhou-Cloud Big Data (GCBD), Apple is including iCloud accounts that were opened in the U.S., are paid for using U.S. dollars, and/or are connected to U.S.-based App Store accounts.

STRANGE: my US Apple ID also got the China iCloud Transfer mail… pic.twitter.com/MZvjsbPiYL

— 王博源 Wang Boyuan (@thisboyuan) January 11, 2018

When asked for comment, Apple pointed to its terms and conditions site, which explains that it is migrating iCloud accounts based on the settings of the user’s device, not where an iCloud account is registered or billed to.

The operation of iCloud services associated with Apple IDs that have China in their country or region setting will be subject to this transition. You will be notified of this transition via email and notifications on your devices. You don’t need to take any further action and can keep using iCloud in China.

After February 28, 2018, you will need to agree to the terms and conditions of iCloud operated by GCBD to keep using iCloud in China.

As it stands, this could result in thousands of users temporarily living in China to study or work having their data migrated to servers under the control of GCBD, which is owned by the Guizhou provincial government in southern China.

The situation is said to have left many users feeling trapped into the migration, but one user has discovered an apparent opt-out. This involves switching an iCloud account back to China before signing out of all devices. The user then switches their iPhone and iCloud settings to the U.S., and after signing back into iCloud, their account should no longer be part of the migration.

“What will Apple do when the Chinese authorities request a backdoor to access data that is encrypted?” Charlie Smith, founder of censorship monitoring site Great Fire, told TechCrunch. “Will they continue to adhere to local laws and regulations and submit to the request? Or are they leaving this decision squarely in the hands of GCBD, their local partner?”

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tags: China, iCloud
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Wu-Tang Clan Frontman RZA to Lead Music Lab Session at San Francisco Apple Store

Wu-Tang Clan lead member and acclaimed American rapper RZA will host a Music Lab session at Apple’s Union Square store in San Francisco later this month. First spotted by AppleInsider, the the free-to-attend session called “Developing Your Sound with RZA” will reveal a number of techniques the hip-hop artist uses to produce his music.

Attendees at the January 22 session will begin by brainstorming and sketching out ideas to create their music story and sound profile. Then they’ll get to grips with GarageBand for iPad Pro and ROLI Blocks, which will help them learn how RZA developed his trademark beats, which revolutionized hip-hop in the 1990s.

Sadly, the session at Union Square is all booked up, but anyone interested will have other opportunities to attend the same course with a video introduction by RZA. The sessions will be offered at all Apple stores as part of the company’s new “Today at Apple” retail program, which involves locations hosting community-building workshop events. Check the link for details on upcoming events in your area.

Tags: GarageBand, Today at Apple
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Apple’s Tim Cook and More Than 100 CEOs Urge Congress to Protect Dreamers

Apple’s Tim Cook on Wednesday joined over 100 other CEOs in urging the U.S. Congress to pass a bill to protect young immigrants before the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program expires. For those unfamiliar with the program, DACA gives about 800,000 illegal immigrants who entered the U.S. at age 16 or younger work permits and protection from deportation by two-year deferral. Many of those protected by DACA have been in the United States for most of their lives.

In an open letter to House and Senate leaders, the group called on lawmakers to introduce legislation supporting so-called Dreamers by Friday, which is the deadline for Congress to pass a bill for government funding to avert a shutdown. The DACA program actually expires on March 5, but the CEO signatories say the government needs time to implement a new program before that deadline.

“We write to urge Congress to act immediately and pass a permanent bipartisan legislative solution to enable Dreamers who are currently living, working, and contributing to our communities to continue doing so,” the letter reads. “The imminent termination of the DACA program is creating an impending crisis for workforces across the country.”

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft president Brad Smith, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, and Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam were additional signatories of the letter, which cited a CATO Institute study that found ending the DACA program could cause a $215 billion decline in the gross domestic product.

“In addition to causing a tremendous upheaval in the lives of DACA employees, failure to act in time will lead to businesses losing valuable talent, cause disruptions in the workforce, and will result in significant costs,” the group wrote. “While delay or inaction will cause significant negative impact to businesses, hundreds of thousands of deserving young people across the country are counting on you to work in a bipartisan way to pass permanent legislative protection for Dreamers without further delay.”

Tim Cook has been consistent in his support for a legislative solution to protect those affected by the end of the DACA program. Following U.S. President Donald Trump’s September announcement that DACA would be phased out over six months, Cook sent an email to employees saying Apple would try to help Congress find a solution and would be working with impacted Apple employees to provide support, including access to immigration experts. Apple employs 250 “Dreamers”, Cook previously revealed in a tweet.

In December, Cook teamed up with Koch Industries CEO Charles Koch to write an opinion piece in The Washington Post about DACA, asking Congress to work quickly to come up with a solution before the end of the year. That never happened, and the government’s stance on the issue now appears to be mired in confusion.

On Tuesday, a federal judge in California issued a nationwide injunction ordering the Trump administration to maintain the DACA program on a nationwide basis while legal challenges to the president’s decision go forward.

In another development this week, concerns grew among hardliners after Trump met with lawmakers during a freewheeling televised session, in which he signaled he was open to compromise and seemed to express support for a number of legislative options to legalize Dreamers.

Indeed, the president appeared to suggest that the details of a legislative solution didn’t matter to him, telling congressional leaders that he would approve whatever they sent him. “I will be signing it,” Trump said towards the end of the meeting. “I’m not going to say, ‘Oh, gee, I want this or I want that.’ I’ll be signing it.”

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
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Facebook is Testing a New City-Specific ‘Today’ Feed for Local News and Events

Facebook is currently testing a new section of its mobile app called “Today in…”, which serves up a feed of city-specific events, announcements, and local news, according to TechCrunch.

The company is kicking off the local hub with a small batch of test markets, including New Orleans, Louisiana; Olympia, Washington; Billings, Montana; Binghamton, New York; Peoria, Illinois; and Little Rock, Arkansas. Users in those markets can access the feature via the lower-right menu button, indicated by three horizontal lines in the main Facebook app.

The feed will be populated using a mixture of human-curated and algorithmically-plucked content, and is being spearheaded by Facebook’s Journalism Project, designed to support news literacy and to serve as a hub for journalists and publishers to learn and share. It also comes on the back of the company’s recently announced Journalism Project Initiative, which aims to build local news partnerships as one of its core goals.

This isn’t the first time Facebook has dabbled in promoting local content. Last year the social network giant introduced a separate Explore Feed that is said to use live location information occasionally to suggest posts, articles, photos, and videos from local sources a user hasn’t followed, but might be interested in.

In another attempt to establish links within local communities, Facebook recently expanded its e-commerce Marketplace service, which lets users advertize and check out region-based private and business listings for things like vehicles, properties, and household goods.

Tag: Facebook
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CES 2018: SYNC 3-Enabled Ford Vehicles Gaining Waze Support Through iOS AppLink

This week at CES, Ford provided new details about a partnership with navigation app Waze, which will bring Waze’s GPS directions onto the touch screen of SYNC 3 vehicles when connected via USB to an iPhone. Powered by Ford AppLink, the feature will let users operate Waze “completely through a vehicle’s touch screen,” as well as allow for voice control.

As long as the Ford vehicle includes a SYNC 3 infotainment system, users will be able to plug their iPhone into the USB port while running Waze to see the app projected onto the dashboard’s touch screen system. Afterwards, all of Waze’s features will be accessible, including crowdsourced navigation updates, liking and disliking user-created warnings, adding a new hazard report, carpool lane navigation, and Talk to Waze voice commands.

“Our goal is to bring a human-centered approach to technology in the vehicle, making it as easy as possible for people to integrate the tools that matter most to them,” said Don Butler, Ford executive director, Connected Vehicle and Services. “With the flexibility of our SYNC 3 software and AppLink, customers can easily use Waze to get all the traffic and navigation help they need – on a big screen and without having to fiddle around with their phones while driving.”

The partnership was previously announced at Mobile World Congress last year, and Waze product lead for in-car applications, Jens Baron, mentioned that the company has been working on optimizing the Waze experience on an infotainment system since that time. Using Ford’s AppLink SmartDeviceLink (SDL) on iOS, Baron explained that users will “get the most updated version from Waze,” and it will be the same as driving with Waze on a smartphone.

Ford explained that the Waze integration will launch in the coming weeks and will be supported on any 2018 model year Ford vehicle that has SYNC 3 version 3.0 or greater. Other vehicles with SYNC 3 will also be able to get Waze via an over-the-air update or update via USB. In addition to Waze, Ford said that other SYNC AppLink integrations will be coming soon, like iHeartRadio.

Ford began expanding its CarPlay support in mid 2016 when it announced its SYNC 3 infotainment system — which features CarPlay and Android Auto — would be available across its entire 2017 lineup of cars, SUVs, light trucks, and electric vehicles in the United States. Then in 2017, Ford released a SYNC 3 software update that added CarPlay and Android Auto support to its older 2016 model year vehicles, allowing more users to access Apple apps like Maps, Phone, Music, Messages, and more on their dashboard.

Tags: Ford SYNC, Waze, CES 2018
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Chinese Smartphone Makers Plan for Mini LED Supply as Apple Expected to Control Majority of OLED Production This Year

Apple’s domination of the OLED supply chain is one of the reasons why three Chinese smartphone makers are seeking out alternative display technology in future handsets, according to a report today by DigiTimes.

Huawei, Oppo, and Xiaomi are planning to adopt mini LED-backlit panels in smartphones launched later in 2018. The three companies believe that Apple “may extend use of AMOLED panels” to iPhones coming in 2018 and occupy even more of Samsung Display’s production of the OLED displays.

Apple’s entry in smartphone OLED displays began with the manufacturing of the iPhone X last year and is expected to increase in 2018 with the second-generation iPhone X and 6.5-inch “iPhone X Plus,” which should lead Apple to significantly increase OLED display orders thanks to the larger size. The company has also implemented OLED displays into the Apple Watch.

Instead of attempting to fight for OLED display supply against Apple, the China-based smartphone makers are turning towards mini LED this year. The companies have reportedly asked Taiwan-based suppliers to begin producing mini LED backlighting in June 2018 in anticipation of products that would debut in the second half of 2018. Industry sources noted that technological advances in mini LED product designs have the potential to cut production costs, further boosting the smartphone makers’ readiness to adopt the technology.

Besides Samsung Display, a report earlier in the month suggested that Apple will add LG Display to its OLED supply chain to help build 6.5-inch panels for the iPhone X Plus. Samsung was the sole OLED supplier for the iPhone X in 2017, and it’s predicted that the company will increase supply of OLED panels to Apple with between 180 and 200 million OLED displays in 2018 (for the 5.8-inch device), up from an estimated 50 million in 2017.

Related Roundup: iPhone XTags: digitimes.com, OLEDBuyer’s Guide: iPhone X (Buy Now)
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