Intel sez: "We can make silicon move light."

For a sec reading this, my inner geek was excited. Faster connections are affected for various reasons as it is. Getting a lab-built modulator to move a billion pulses is easy enough in a controlled setting. However, tis bound to slow down if mass users worldwide are trying to use a limited amount of fiberoptic cables to access the Net.

This is bound to hike up the costs of the next batch of computers too, since what's new and shiny is always expensive for the first couple of years til it gets mass marketed.

(ending spiel of cold water)

True. On the other hand, shiny Apple G5 dual processor CPUs will be available for a few hundred bucks. I know my computing needs don't require light-based processing--I'll be happy to scoop up the suddenly obsolete machines.

Excellent

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/01/02/intel_cpu_design_flaw/

this is a massive fuck up innit?

The effects are still being benchmarked, however we're looking at a ballpark figure of five to 30 per cent slow down, depending on the task and the processor model.

security flaw could allow hackers to zzzzzz

ASLR by default has only been widespread for about a decade so I expect to see these types of issues to keep coming tbf

Intel don't want you to know that this ONE WEIRD TRICK to speed up CPU performance through speculative execution is now a potential security flaw!

I sure am looking forward to the next Patch Tuesday! As if the computers at work (all HP Intel based, natch) aren't slow enough already!