Chips and processor hardware

Alibaba Cloud and Intel team up on IoT

The Joint Edge Computing Platform lets enterprises train AI models at the edge of a network to support real-time decision-making Continue Reading

Foreshadow mitigation obscures licensing impact

Performance of virtual machines could be severely affected by the workaround for Intel’s latest processor flaw. To compensate, more processors will be needed Continue Reading

Autumn Budget 2018: Guarantees sought over future funding of national quantum computing programme

The chair of the Science and Tech Committee has written to the chancellor Philip Hammond to demand assurances that more funding for the UK's quantum computing efforts will be forthcoming in the Autumn 2018 budget Continue Reading

An inside look at Alibaba’s deep learning processor

From Huawei’s Kirin 970 system-on-chip (SoC) that packs in a neural processing unit to Google’s new Edge TPU that performs machine learning tasks on IoT devices, the use of dedicated chips to speed ... Continue Reading

Brussels loans Nokia €500m to fund European 5G research

European Investment Bank is loaning Nokia half a billion euros to accelerate 5G mobile network R&D Continue Reading

Intel releases fix for latest chip security flaws

Businesses and consumers are advised to download security updates from Intel for new security flaws that could allow attackers to access protected data, but some cloud providers could see a performance impact Continue Reading

Virus outbreak at iPhone chip plant could delay shipments

A computer virus at an iPhone chip manufacturing plant could delay shipments of Apple’s latest smartphones, but the impact will be limited, say analysts Continue Reading

CIO interview: Alex von Schirmeister, CDTIO, RS Components

The electronics distributor’s chief digital, technology and innovation officer (CDTIO) on putting in place a new IT infrastructure, creating a digital business and accepting risk Continue Reading

Spectre variant gives buffer overflow a new twist

New variants of the Spectre microprocessor bugs use buffer overflow-style attacks to run malicious code Continue Reading

Quantum is revolutionary, but UK must fix funding

Quantum sensing could replace GPS navigation, and cut the cost of major building projects. But industry needs to work with academia to prototype quantum technologies Continue Reading

The desire for perfect recycling is making the e-waste problem worse

Shipping our electronic waste to poorer countries isn't going to solve the problem of recycling – there's a more economic solution Continue Reading

University of Melbourne claims quantum computing breakthrough

Australian scientists have simulated the power of quantum computing on classical computers to solve a mathematical problem, paving the way for future breakthroughs in the nascent field Continue Reading

Australian university reaches for the stars after HPC boost

The University of Sydney has upgraded its supercomputing infrastructure to answer big questions on cosmology and keep pace with growing research needs Continue Reading

Digital Catapult partners with Cray to give AI startups supercomputing power

Innovation centre says partnership will bring down some of the barriers to entry that startups often face in the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning Continue Reading

How has a Broadcom flaw affected the Lenovo ThinkPad?

A previously disclosed flaw found in Broadcom's Wi-Fi controller chips is now believed to affect the Lenovo ThinkPad. Learn how this vulnerability works with expert Judith Myerson. Continue Reading

Intelligence on the edge will see workloads migrate from clouds

IoT devices’ ability to make their own decisions will see computing shift back from the cloud to the edge, ABI Research has predicted Continue Reading

Security researchers find fourth CPU flaw

Security researchers have reported another flaw in common microprocessor chips related to the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities Continue Reading

Microsoft predicts five-year wait for quantum computing in Azure

Industry experts predict it will take 10 years for quantum computing to become a reality, but Microsoft believes it has the research edge, with systems, software and technology to get there in five Continue Reading

ARM aims to boost physical security of IoT

Chipmaker ARM announces microprocessor aimed at improving the physical security capabilities of devices making up the internet of things Continue Reading

Australia government earmarks A$70m to refresh supercomputers

The investment will fund replacements for two supercomputers at the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre in an effort to bolster Australia’s research capabilities Continue Reading

Next generation of SCADA industrial controls will protect against cyber attack

Oil, energy and chemical companies are rethinking how to control big manufacturing plants, replacing expensive control technology with cheaper, more secure systems, taking their cue from biology Continue Reading

AI is renewing interest in high-performance computing

Growing adoption of artificial intelligence is spurring interest in high-performance computing beyond research institutions Continue Reading

US tax cuts and dollar’s decline propel datacentre spending

Gartner’s latest spending forecast shows the strongest growth in IT spending, which it expects to total $3.7tn in 2018, up 6.2% from 2017 Continue Reading

Only newer systems will get Intel firmware updates for Spectre chip flaw

Intel will not issue patches for legacy processors, so older systems and legacy embedded applications will remain vulnerable to Spectre exploits Continue Reading

Arm and Nvidia collaborate on internet of things intelligence

A collaboration between Arm and Nvidia looks to provide deep learning and artificial intelligence on internet-connected devices Continue Reading

BlackBerry QNX to power Jaguar Land Rover electronic controls

BlackBerry’s embedded operating system and cryptography platform will be used to power the carmaker’s next-generation connected and autonomous cars Continue Reading

Boom expected in processor attacks

Sonicwall's latest research shows worrying signs that the processor flaws revealed at the start of 2018 are set to dominate IT security Continue Reading

Researchers accused of irresponsible disclosure of AMD chip flaws

Israel-based researchers have been accused of irresponsible disclosure for going public with more than a dozen security flaws discovered in AMD processors Continue Reading

Security researchers demonstrate ransomware attack on robots

Researchers have carried out a ransomware attack on robots to show that such attacks are possible and should be guarded against Continue Reading

How IT is taking UPS to new heights

In this week's Computer Weekly, we talk to UPS CIO Juan Perez to find out how making his IT department “business intimate” is driving innovation at the parcel shipping giant. We look at how cloud management platforms can help ease the adoption of multiple public cloud services. And we examine how UK local councils are struggling to deal with cyber attacks and data breaches. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Prepare for Y2K style Meltdown strategy

The days of fixing the date bug in legacy systems may be long gone, but IT now has as much of an effort mitigating the Spectre/Meltdown processor flaw Continue Reading

Dell EMC’s IoT revenue in APAC surpasses $1bn

The milestone in Dell EMC’s internet of things revenue underscores the APAC region’s rapid uptake of sensors and other IoT devices in industries and smart city projects Continue Reading

Can we trust Intel Inside to mean secure computing?

Intel has just released an updated patch after its previous update failed spectacularly. Now its CEO is promising security assurance Continue Reading

Smart speakers: How to give apps a voice

Experts discuss how to go about creating compelling voice-enabled user interfaces for smart speakers Continue Reading

HPE opens APAC innovation lab to tap IoT market

Facility in Singapore will rope in partners across the internet of things ecosystem to test new applications powered by HPE’s edge computing capabilities Continue Reading

How a digital workplace can drive innovation

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at some of the latest tools for the digital workplace and find out how they can improve collaboration and innovation. We ask what lessons the demise of Carillion has for IT outsourcing. And the CIO of retailer River Island tells us how technology is changing the high street in fashion. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Leak confirms CEO dumped Intel shares after Meltdown and Spectre processor flaw

Leaked document show that Intel’s CEO sold his shares the very day the company told hardware makers of its processor flaw Continue Reading

Hours lost on patching Meltdown and Spectre flaw

IT administrators have already lost hours installing the processor patch from Intel, which causes PCs to lock up and systems to crash and slow down Continue Reading

Intel recalls botched Spectre fix

The inventor of Linux, Linus Torvalds, vents his frustration and suggests Intel has no plans to fix Spectre flaw Continue Reading

Will banking regulations create a new Big Bang?

In this week's Computer Weekly, we look at two important new financial services regulations, PSD2 and open banking, which promise to revolutionise the industry by opening up customer data. We ask security researchers to explain the Spectre and Meltdown processor flaws and how to tackle them. And we examine the NVMe protocol and its likely benefits for storage technologies. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Spectre: How reverse-engineering a microprocessor revealed a fundamental flaw

Researchers have published their work on Spectre, a flaw that affects every modern CPU. We find out what went wrong from one of the engineers. Continue Reading

Meltdown and Spectre: to patch or not to patch

As IT recoils from the Spectre and Meltdown chip exploits, companies face patches that are incompatible, leading to crashes, reduced performance and lock-ups Continue Reading

How to fix the Meltdown and Spectre chip flaws

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as CIOs come to terms with the Meltdown and Spectre processor flaws that make every computer a security risk, we examine how to protect your IT estate. We find out how Alexa-style voice recognition smart speakers can help with CRM strategies and open up new sources of customer data. And we look at how the public sector is implementing DevOps and the benefits being delivered. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Intel makes security-first pledge

As it scrambles to deal with the Meltdown and Spectre processor exploits, Intel has made a series of security commitments Continue Reading

F-Secure highlights another critical Intel security issue

As Intel scrambles to issue security updates to address the Meltdown and Spectre exploits, researchers have highlighted another, unrelated, critical security issue that could affect millions of corporate laptops Continue Reading

Spectre: How reverse-engineering a microprocessor revealed a fundamental flaw

Researchers have published their work on Spectre, a flaw that affects every modern CPU. We find out what went wrong from one of the engineers Continue Reading

Intel to set up new group to focus on hardware security

Chip maker is reportedly planning to form a new group to focus on hardware security as it scrambles to limit the impact of recently discovered security flaws in chip designs Continue Reading

As Meg Whitman steps down, HPE fleshes out hybrid ambitions

Hybrid IT represents a $100bn business, and is a segment HPE has set its sights on Continue Reading

HPE Superdome Flex in-memory supports Big Bang research

Stephen Hawkin’s Cosmos research group takes delivery of a Superdome HPC to enable it to test theoretical models of the Big Bang Continue Reading

How soon will we be driving fully autonomous cars?

Nvidia sets out vision for driverless cars as its new Pegasus processor promises to support “level 5” autonomy Continue Reading

Fiat joins BMW's autonomous car platform initiative

Car makers Fiat and BMW are working in collaboration with Intel and Mobileye to develop a scalable platform for self-driving vehicles Continue Reading

Quantum computing drives the future for Volkswagen

In this week’s Computer Weekly, Volkswagen’s global CIO explains how the car giant is using quantum computing to drive the future of transport. We examine how to make data analytics programmes work and deliver business value. And SAP’s CEO reacts to controversy around the software supplier’s indirect licensing policies that led to recent high-profile court cases. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Racetrack Memory products in five years, says IBM fellow

Millennium Prize winner Stuart Parkin says flash and 2D methods of storage are fatally limited – Racetrack Memory offers 100x the capacity without flash’s wear issues Continue Reading

Intel urges business to patch critical remote-execution flaw

Intel advises business customers to apply a security update for some versions of its administration firmware for vPro processors to fix a remote execution flaw Continue Reading

Demo shows GPUs are more than simple accelerators

Graphics processor units have helped to accelerate a reservoir simulation program, showing that the technology could be applied to complex code Continue Reading

Inside Diamond Light Source, the UK's synchrotron facility

Computer Weekly recently visited the particle accelerator facility, to see how cutting edge software and hardware engineering is supporting pioneering science Continue Reading

MWC 2017: 4G still has plenty of mileage, say mobile analysts

5G is likely to be a hot topic at this year’s Mobile World Congress, which kicks off at the end of February, but operators should be paying more attention to getting more out of their 4G networks Continue Reading

Compute power pushes boundaries

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the ways chip engineers are looking beyond silicon to keep pushing the limits of Moore’s Law as datacentre power demands increase. We find out about serverless computing and how it could deliver what many firms really want from the cloud. And we look at the importance of culture change to digital transformation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

A guide to Alexa smart home integration

We look at how Amazon's voice service, Alexa, can be used to control smart home devices Continue Reading

IT spreads innovation at Unilever

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how consumer goods giant Unilever has changed its thinking about IT to support a global digital transformation programme. The UK boss of Hewlett Packard Enterprise assesses progress after the first year since HP split in two. And we examine how software development is changing in the enterprise. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

PC market in longest period of decline since records began, says Gartner

PC shipments across the globe enter an unprecedented period of decline, Gartner reveals Continue Reading

Computer Weekly 50th anniversary special

It’s been 50 years since Computer Weekly's launch on 22 September 1966. To mark this achievement, we have compiled a special edition of the magazine to reflect on how much the British technology industry has contributed over that time – and, of course, to celebrate our role in keeping IT professionals in touch with those developments – week-in, week-out, for half a century. Read this 100-page anniversary special now. Continue Reading

Intel Developer Forum: Silicon Photonics boosts datacentre connectivity

Microsoft Azure datacentres increase connectivity to 100Gbps thanks to Silicon Photonics interconnect Continue Reading

CW@50: The Great British chip invention

There is a link between the world’s first working computer and the world’s most successful chip: they are both British Continue Reading

My first IoT project: A guide for businesses

We’ve all had a good giggle about having our fridges hacked – but now it’s time to get real. What are the first steps enterprises should take when implementing their first internet of things project? Continue Reading

The rise of machine intelligence

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at how machine intelligence is becoming increasingly commoditised and available to all – and what it means for enterprise IT. After Three’s takeover of rival mobile network O2 was blocked, we look at the future for the UK’s mobile operators. And we find out about attempts to address some of the fundamental design flaws of the internet. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

How 3D printing will disrupt industry worldwide

The technology is helping startups model prototypes and inventory suppliers lop millions from supply chain costs Continue Reading

Nike and BMW pilot HP Inc's first 3D printer

HP Inc rolls out its first 3D printer, with hopes that it will revolutionise manufacturing Continue Reading

CW@50: How UK home brew gave computing to the masses

From batch processing to the graphical user interface, from desktop PCs to smartphones, from luggables to wearables, computing has come a long way since Computer Weekly was first published in 1966. We look at some of the personal computers that paved the way Continue Reading

IBM develops quantum as a service

IBM starts the ball rolling on what it would mean to program a universal quantum computer Continue Reading

How SNCF is using predictive analytics to keep trains running

The French rail operators has fitted internet sensors to its trains to improve maintenance and avoid breakdowns Continue Reading

BBC turns micro:bit computers into IoT devices

The BBC and Nominet demonstrate a new use case for the micro:bit computer and hope to turn Britain’s schoolchildren into internet of things pioneers Continue Reading

CW@50: From ICL to ITIL

Standardisation helps industries to grow. Here in the UK, a number of highly influential standards emerged that have become building blocks for the modern computer industry Continue Reading

Virgin supplies Ethernet connectivity to Met Office supercomputer

The Met Office has awarded the contract to provide Ethernet connectivity for its next-generation supercomputer to Virgin Media Business Continue Reading

Intel share price drops despite strong results

Despite growth in Intel's key datacentre and IoT businesses, investors remain concerned by falls in its core PC chip business amid market declines Continue Reading

How Taiwan is building the internet of things

In this week's Computer Weekly, we meet the Taiwanese companies that are developing the technology building blocks for the internet of things. Our latest buyer's guide looks at the skills needed for modern IT leadership. And we examine the technology options to take superfast broadband speeds even higher. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

The rise of general-purpose AI and its threat to humanity

Socially aware general-purpose artificial intelligence in the form of a dog could be the ideal form factor to take over the world Continue Reading

Intel future showcase – The past, present and future of technology

In this photostory we explore the past, present and future of technology and how Moore's law has driven innovation across the technology sector since its creation 50 years ago. Continue Reading

The future of Moore's Law at 50

In this week's Computer Weekly, Moore's Law – the seminal forecast by Intel founder Gordon Moore that oversees technology development – is 50 years old. We look at its modern relevance and future implications. IT chiefs discuss whether Windows is still core to their strategy. And we look back at five years of government IT. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Juniper Networks goes after finance market with switch-integrated compute

Juniper launches a compact compute-integrated network switch to boost performance of sensitive applications for financial institutions Continue Reading

ARM unleashes internet of things potential with starter kit

Chip-maker ARM has collaborated with IBM to launch the mbed IoT Starter Kit, pitched at SMEs and application developers Continue Reading

Wellcome Trust builds 1,728-core grid for DNA analysis

The Wellcome Trust Centre has deployed a high-performance computing cluster based on Fujitsu servers Continue Reading

UK's fastest supercomputer upgrades to 2Pflops and 5PB of tiered storage

The UK's fastest supercomputer upgrades to 4,920 nodes and 2 Petaflops performance with tiered storage including 5PB of direct-attached disk Continue Reading

Price cuts and posturing in the public cloud war

The price battle among commodity cloud players is set to rage on, but how much impact is it really having for enterprise customers? Continue Reading

Intel merges PC and mobile divisions

Intel plans to merge its profitable PC group with the loss-making division that sells chips for smartphones and tablets Continue Reading

Amazon unveils Docker-friendly container service and EC2 instance

Amazon has launched its free, Docker-friendly EC2 container management service Continue Reading

Airbus interview: research, innovation and the future of aviation

IT plays a substantial role in creating the aircraft of the future, with research and innovation at the core of the Airbus business strategy Continue Reading

The real story behind The Imitation Game film

The life of Alan Turing is being celebrated on the big screen this month. The Imitation Game from Studio Canal opens on November 14th 2014 and tells the story of the war hero who’s achievements until recently were largely unknown. Continue Reading

Met Office supercomputer to increase weather forecast accuracy

Met Office buys £97m Cray supercomputer to help predict disruptive weather events with a far greater degree of accuracy Continue Reading

Government replaces Becta education IT procurement framework

Government seeks up to 20 suppliers to form a £300m procurement framework for ICT services to public-sector education organisations Continue Reading

Why Shell, BP and PwC teamed up to launch platform-neutral IT4IT Forum

Lack of IT integration and workload interoperability is pushing enterprises such as Royal Dutch Shell to collaborate with IT providers to develop standards Continue Reading

IBM operating income falls by 18% as it offloads semiconductor unit

IBM reported lower-than-expected earnings for the third quarter of 2014, with revenue down by 4% year-on-year Continue Reading

Managing digital projects

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the project management challenges for IT teams that are building digital, agile systems. We look at the growing importance of user experience testing driven by mobile app development. We assess the main products in the scale-out NAS market for storage. And Intel’s CIO talks about managing IT at the world’s largest chip manufacturer. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Embedded SIMs key to unlocking internet of things

GSMA’s eUICC Embedded SIM Specification will help M2M communications and the IoT become mainstream, say analysts Continue Reading

The internet of things is coming: Is your datacentre ready?

Gartner estimates the IoT will see 26 billion units installed by 2020 – channelling huge volumes of data traffic into datacentres Continue Reading

Intel unveils first 14nm processor aimed at mobile computing devices

Chipmaker's first processor based on 14nm micro-architecture will be thinner, cooler and aimed at tablet PCs Continue Reading

Intel watches ARM as low-powered computing thrives

As the PC market continues to decline, ARM is proving that non-x86 chips have a long and prosperous future Continue Reading

Will silicon photonics replace copper cabling in mainstream datacentres?

Silicon photonics can increase bandwidth in servers, improve data transfer speeds and reduce complexity. But are datacentres ready for it? Continue Reading

Write-through, write-around, write-back: cache explained

Cache is vital for application deployment, but which one to choose – write-through, write-around or write-back cache? We examine the options Continue Reading

TCG releases TPM 2 specification for improved security

The Trusted Computing Group has published an updated specification for the Trusted Platform Module Continue Reading