Chipocalypse Now: Processor Design Flaw Affects Billions of Devices
Intel and other chipmakers are in the hot seat after a major flaw was revealed in processors used in billions of devices. Russell Brandom, Reporter at The Verge, was with us to break down the latest developments in the cybersecurity scare.
After taking a backseat following news of chip design flaws that impacted billions of devices, Apple has finally spoken up, revealing all Mac systems and iOS devices are affected. Most big tech companies, including Google and Amazon, responded promptly to the security threat. Brandom says disclosure about these kind of issues is tricky, but adds that companies must have fixes for the flaws when they make the official announcement in order to prevent attackers from compromising the devices.
Brandom says the biggest impact of the flaw won't be seen on your phone or laptop. He’s most worried about the impact on cloud services like AWS and Google Cloud.
With the rollout of 5G technology, mobile phone users are experiencing faster device performance. But as the tech becomes more widely available, 5G won't just make our phones operate faster. Digital productivity across the board is expected to rise. Hugh Odom, founder and president of Vertical Consultants, joined Cheddar's "Closing Bell" to talk about his company's predictions for 5G, including more streamlined virtual doctor visits and helping supply chains become more efficient. Odom also talked about the airline industry's request to the Biden administration to delay the wider rollout of 5G, as they said it will interfere with flying safety.
Jurors in the trial against Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes have entered day six of deliberations. Holmes is accused of lying to investors about the functionality of a newly developed blood-testing technology. Andrew George, partner at Baker Botts, joined Cheddar to break down key points in the case and what the jury might be considering during their deliberations. He also noted that the rest of Silicon Valley, including Holmes' business partner, Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani, who is facing identical charges, is closely watching the outcome of deliberations — as it could set the tone for future regulations and Balwani's own trial.
While slumps within the crypto market have typically correlated with major developments, such as China's crypto crackdown or Tesla reversing course on accepting bitcoin, the current slide is coming at a time when the stock market is at or near record levels. Reporter Alex Vuocolo talks about the role of the crypto derivatives market in bitcoin's latest price drop, as well as the future of sustainability in the space.
According to a recent report from T-Mobile, spam call traffic doubled in 2021. The company says so far they have been able to block just 21 billion spam calls for their customers this year. Despite telecom giants blocking these calls, a number of customers continue to receive these spam calls, especially during the holiday season. Founder and President of Vertical Consultants Hugh Odom, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
