Daily Tech News 8 February 2022

• Dissent is the highest form of terrorism. (DHS)

  The United States remains in a heightened threat environment fueled by several factors, including an online environment filled with false or misleading narratives and conspiracy theories, and other forms of mis- dis- and mal-information (MDM) introduced and/or amplified by foreign and domestic threat actors. These threat actors seek to exacerbate societal friction to sow discord and undermine public trust in government institutions to encourage unrest, which could potentially inspire acts of violence.

  I have a question.
  
  Get fucked, you dime-store Stalin wannabes.
  
  Well, I guess technically that's not a question.
  
  
  
• Meanwhile with that story about protestors trying to burn down an Ottawa apartment building...
  
  

  To be clear, the protesters created the unsafe conditions under which this event was allowed to transpire. I'm not saying it was a big burly trucker. I think it's a bad actor related to the protests who wants to hurt people. It started with the swastika on day 1. Period.

  — Matias Muñoz (@TiMunoz) February 7, 2022

  
  
  Uh huh. Do go on.
  
  
  

• Gigabyte's new Aero laptops are on their way with Alder Lake chips. (Tom's Hardware)
  
  The current models are interesting because they combine solid CPUs and graphics options with 4K AMOLED displays. A lot of the time laptops with solid graphics go for low-resolution high-refresh display panels. Since I spend far more time working than gaming I'd much rather have a high-res low-refresh screen.
  
  The 16" model has a 3840x2400 60Hz AMOLED panel or an optional 2560x1600 165 Hz LCD - still pretty good, up to a 12900HK CPU and 3080 Ti graphics, up to 64GB of RAM, and two M.2 slots so in theory a maximum of 16TB of SSD though that gets pretty expensive.
  
  Where the old models had a broad range of ports, the new ones are simplified: Two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB-C port with DisplayPort support - so three outputs that can drive monitors without needing a dock, and a headphone jack. Wired Ethernet seems to have disappeared. On the other hand, it looks like they have the Four Essential Keys.
  
  
  
• Intel lost half a billion dollars on its Optane business last year. (Tom's Hardware)
  
  Optane is a technology similar to flash, but about ten times faster and ten times more expensive. Since flash storage can already be very fast, and is much, much cheaper, that leaves only a small and stagnant market for Optane. Which is a shame because on a purely technical basis it's kind of neat.
  
  
  
• Nvidia's plan to purchase Arm has fallen in a heap. (WCCFTech)
  
  Current owner, Japanese investment group Softbank, will proceed with an IPO instead.
  
  
  
• The IRS has decided that maybe you don't need to sign up as a Twitch streamer just to file your taxes. (Krebs on Security)
  
  Every organisation needs a grumpy old bastard whose job it is to tell people why what they're doing is a bad idea. I try to fill that role but to my chagrin I am not grumpy enough.
  
  
  
• The EU announced plans to throw $48 billion at expanding chip production in Europe. (Apple Insider)
  
  Unfortunately it seems that they don't actually have $48 billion, which is actually something of a surprise given how much they've fleeced US Big Tech companies for.
  
  
  
• Congress set aside $1.9 billion to pay for ripping Chinese spyware out of US communications networks. Turns out the amount needed is $5.6 billion. (The Register)
  
  Maybe they can fine European Big Tech companies.... Oh, wait.
  
  
  

posted by Pixy Misa at 04:00 AM

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