Content
- ‘Sinkclose’ Flaw in Hundreds of Millions of AMD Chips Allows Deep, Virtually Unfixable Infections
- DevRev Raises Over $100 Million in Series A, Joins AI Unicorn Club
- Gemini Live, Google’s answer to ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode, launches
- Intel’s New Update: Protecting Your Desktop CPUs from Voltage Deterioration
Weekly News Digest
Date: August 13, 2024
‘Sinkclose’ Flaw in Hundreds of Millions of AMD Chips Allows Deep, Virtually Unfixable Infections
Security researchers have discovered a significant vulnerability in AMD processors, dubbed "Sinkclose," which affects nearly all AMD chips since 2006. This flaw allows malware to deeply embed itself in a computer's memory, making it extremely difficult to detect or remove, potentially requiring the entire machine to be discarded. While exploiting this vulnerability requires hackers to already have deep access to a system, the risks are severe, and users are advised to patch their systems promptly.
Date Published: Aug. 9, 2024
DevRev Raises Over $100 Million in Series A, Joins AI Unicorn Club
DevRev, an AI-driven customer relationship software firm, has raised $100.8 million in a Series A funding round, bringing its valuation to $1.15 billion and entering the unicorn club. The funding, led by Khosla Ventures, reflects the growing investor interest in AI startups, with venture capital investments in the sector reaching $24 billion from April to June 2024. DevRev aims to build trust with end users through secure and maintainable AI solutions.
Date Published: Aug. 9, 2024
Gemini Live, Google’s answer to ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode, launches
Gemini Live, Google’s new voice-based AI feature, is rolling out after being announced at the I/O 2024 developer conference and showcased at the Made by Google 2024 event. It allows users to engage in natural, in-depth voice conversations with the Gemini chatbot on their smartphones, featuring a speech engine designed for emotionally expressive and realistic dialogue. While currently available only in English and without multimodal input, future updates will introduce more languages, iOS support, and the ability to interact with visual content. Gemini Live is part of the Gemini Advanced plan, which costs $20 per month.
Date Published: Aug 13, 2024
Intel’s New Update: Protecting Your Desktop CPUs from Voltage Deterioration
Intel has released a microcode update to address voltage issues in its 13th and 14th Gen desktop CPUs, aiming to prevent further deterioration. The update is primarily for K, KF, and KS series processors and is distributed via BIOS updates through all partners. While Intel is exploring potential fixes for already affected CPUs, their current advice remains to exchange any processors showing instability. Future chips are expected to be free from these issues.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/9/24216887/intel-13th-14th-gen-raptor-lake-statement
Date Published: Aug. 9, 2024
Conclusion
To wrap things up, this week’s tech news has been exciting and at the same time critical because as we can see there are also relevant challenges to address to avoid risks. The "Sinkclose" flaw in AMD chips is an important reminder of how important it is to ensure cybersecurity by all means. On the other hand, DevRev turning into a unicorn company shows how fast AI-driven companies are growing. Google’s launch of Gemini Live marks a new chapter in AI interactions, while Intel’s updates to protect their CPUs reflect their dedication to keeping hardware safe. If these relevant highlights are considered and we use technology to our advantage, we can avoid risks and keep prospering.
References
Greenberg, A. (2024, August 9). “Sinkclose” flaw in hundreds of millions of AMD chips allows deep, virtually unfixable infections. Wired. https://www.wired.com/story/amd-chip-sinkclose-flaw/#intcid=_wired-verso-hp-trending_41251869-5c79-4956-851b-ab4959897e9e_popular4-1
Hollister, S. (2024, August 9). Read Intel’s biggest statement yet on how it’s addressing Raptor Lake CPU WOES. The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/9/24216887/intel-13th-14th-gen-raptor-lake-statement
Reuters. (2024, August). DevRev raises over $100 million in Series a, joins Ai Unicorn Club. https://www.usnews.com/news/technology/articles/2024-08-09/devrev-raises-over-100-million-in-series-a-joins-ai-unicorn-club
Wiggers, K. (2024, August 13). Gemini live, Google’s answer to CHATGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode, launches. TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2024/08/13/gemini-live-googles-answer-to-chatgpts-advanced-voice-mode-launches/
Thumbnail image by Google DeepMind
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