Update your Chrome: Google releases important security fix

Update your Chrome: Google releases important security fix

If you see a notification to update your Chrome this week, don't ignore it. On Thursday, Google said it's now rolling out securityupdates for the browser to patch a vulnerability that's still being exploited in the wild. As first reported by CNET sister publication ZDNet, the zero-day vulnerability and patch are for Chrome version 88.0.4324.150 for Mac, Windows and Linux system users. 

The details about the vulnerability, called CVE-2021-21148, are currently being kept under wraps "until a majority of users are updated with a fix," according to a post on Google's security update blog on Thursday. The discretion is typical of companies facing security risks that are still widely active, but Google did note that the bug was being used in attacks before it was reported to engineers by user Mattias Buelens on Jan. 24.

"Google is aware of reports that an exploit for CVE-2021-21148 exists in the wild," the company said in a blog post. "We would also like to thank all security researchers that worked with us during the development cycle to prevent security bugs from ever reaching the stable channel."

Just two days after Buelens brought the bug to Google's attention, Google's Threat Analysis Group issued a warning to cybersecurity researchers that North Korean hackers were targeting researchers working on sensitive topics, in part by luring the researchers onto blog sites that exploited a browser vulnerability. 

Google said browser updates will continue rolling out over the coming days and weeks. 

How to update Chrome

If you're using Chrome, it's a good idea to check which version you're using and see whether you're fully updated. If you're using the Brave browser or another browser built on Google's Chromium engine, you should consider updating those as well. 

Updating Chrome is a supersimple process. Here's how you do it. 

Open Chrome, and check the top-right corner of the browser window for a green Update button, beside your three-dot More menu. 

Screenshot by Rae Hodge/CNET

Once you click Update, you'll be greeted by a prompt to confirm your choice. Click Relaunch and Google does the rest. Remember that this will close and restart your browser, so make sure you've saved anything you're working on before proceeding. 

Screenshot by Rae Hodge/CNET

Many Chrome users already have their browsers set to update by default, so you may not need to take any action. To check whether your browser has already updated itself, simply open Chrome, go to the top-right corner and click the three-dot More menu. 

If you see an option that says Update Google Chrome, then you're not running the latest version. If you are running the latest version, that option won't be in the list. You can also manually check for updates by opening Chrome, then going to the top-left of your browser, clicking File, then clicking Preferences. 

From there, select Safety Check from the list of options on the left side of the browser. 

Screenshot by Rae Hodge/CNET

You'll be taken to a screen that will offer to run a check for any updates or risks in your current version of Chrome. Click the Check Now button and the automated process will take over. You'll still need to restart Chrome afterward, though, so be sure to save any open work. 

Don't forget to check the browsers on your phone and tablet. Check out Google's four-step instructions for Android users, and those for iPhone and iPad. 

What version of Chrome am I using? 

Wondering whether this affects your browser? It takes only two clicks to find out whether you're running Chrome's 88.0.4324.150, the latest version and the one impacted by the vulnerability and update. Here's how. 

Open Chrome and go to the top-left corner of your window.

Screenshot by Rae Hodge/CNET

Once you've clicked preferences, you'll be presented with not only your current Chrome version information, but other system and security options to explore.

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Not sure if your PC is compatible with Windows 11? Here's how to check

Not sure if your PC is compatible with Windows 11? Here's how to check

Windows 11  dropped in October (here's our full Windows 11 review), and with it came significant compatibility questions. Uncertainty regarding compatibility has been common among PC users since this summer when Microsoft unveiled its first major Windows OS upgrade in six years. Fortunately, Windows 11 should work with most PCs, according to a company blog post. That said, though Windows 11's release date already came and went, certain compatible devices won't necessarily get the upgrade yet -- Microsoft set a target for mid-2022 before every Windows 10 device can download and install Windows 11.

Annoyingly, Microsoft's own tool for determining device compatibility -- the PC Health Check app -- wasn't up to par when Microsoft first announced Windows 11 (there were reports it didn't give people enough information about why their devices weren't compatible), so the company temporarily removed the app. But Microsoft's PC Health Check is now back online and in working order. The app will tell you if your computer meets the requirements to run Windows 11 -- and if your PC doesn't, the tool will tell you why and provide links for more support.

But that's not the only way to check if your device will work with the free Windows 11 update. Read on for all of your options for checking Windows 11 device compatibility. With the Windows 11 release date finally past (remember, however, that it'll be a staggered rollout), it's a good idea to check your own computer. If your device doesn't meet eligibility requirements, you may need to replace your PC by 2025 as Microsoft will phase out Windows 10 over the next several years. 

Read more: Should you buy a new Windows laptop now, or wait for Windows 11?

Option 1: Use Microsoft's PC Health Check app to see if your computer can run Windows 11

Follow these steps to test whether your PC meets the system requirements for Windows 11. 

1. Download Microsoft's PC Health Check. Open the file, agree to the terms of service and click Install. Make sure the box is checked that says Open PC Health Check, and click Finish. 

Here's what you'll see after running the updated Microsoft PC Health Check app if your device is not compatible with Windows 11.

Microsoft

2. The app home page that pops up says, "PC health at a glance." At the top, a box reads, "Introducing Windows 11." Click Check now. 

If your machine isn't compatible, you'll get a message that says, "This PC doesn't currently meet Windows 11 system requirements," with more information below. 

If your machine is compatible, you can download the Windows 11 update for free. The official Windows 11 release date was Oct. 5, but Microsoft is planning a staggered rollout, and many devices will not see the upgrade until 2022.

Option 2: Try the WhyNotWin11 app to check Windows 11 compatibility

An open-source app called WhyNotWin11 is a good alternative to the PC Health Check app. The Github app, created by a developer not affiliated with Microsoft, has a less friendly interface, but it should give you more information and go into more detail about various potential compatibility issues. Here's more information from TechRadar on how to use it to determine your own device's compatibility with Windows 11.

Option 3: Check Microsoft's list of system specifications for Windows 11

To determine if your current PC will be able to run Windows 11, you can check out this list of system specifications on Microsoft's website, or in the chart below. If your machine is compatible, you can download the Windows 11 update for free when it becomes available.

What are the system requirements to run Windows 11?

Here's the full list of system requirements for Windows 11, including at least 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and a 720p display larger than 9 inches diagonally.

Windows 11 requirements

Spec	Requirement
Processor	1GHz or faster with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or system on a chip
RAM	4GB
Storage	64GB or larger storage device
System firmware	UEFI, Secure Boot-capable
TPM	Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0
Graphics card	Compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver
Display	HD (720p) display greater than 9 inches diagonally, 8 bits per color channel
Internet connection and Microsoft account	For Windows 11 Home edition: internet connectivity; Microsoft account to complete device setup on first use. For all Windows 11 editions: Internet access to perform updates and to download and use some features; Microsoft account for some features

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What are Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync and which do I need?

What are Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync and which do I need?

There are many ways to compensate for the disconnect between screen updates and gameplay frame rate, ranging from the brute force method of simply capping your game's frame rate to match your monitor's refresh rate to the more intelligent realm of variable refresh rate. VRR enables the two to sync to prevent artifacts like tearing (where it looks like parts of different screens are mixed together) and stutter (where the screen updates at perceptibly irregular intervals). These efforts range from basic in-game frame rate control to pricey hardware-based implementations like Nvidia G-Sync Ultimate and AMD FreeSync Premium.

Which do you want?

When picking a monitor, which VRR system to look for comes down to which graphics card you own -- especially now when you can't really buy a new GPU -- and which games you play, plus the monitor specs and choices available. G-Sync and G-Sync Ultimate and FreeSync Premium and Pro are mutually exclusive; you'll rarely (if ever) see variations of the same monitor with options for both. In other words, every other decision you make pretty much determines which VRR scheme you get.

Basic VRR

Basic VRR enables games to use their own methods of syncing the two rates, which on the PC frequently means the game just caps the frame rate it will allow. One step up from that is generic adaptive refresh rate, which uses extended system-level technologies to vary the screen update rate based on the frame rate coming out of the game. This can deliver a better result than plain VRR as long as your frame rates aren't all over the place within a short span of time.

G-Sync Compatible and FreeSync

In the bottom tier of Nvidia and AMD's VRR technologies you'll find improved versions of adaptive refresh, branded G-Sync Compatible and FreeSync. They use the GPU's hardware to improve VRR performance, but they're hardware technologies that are common to both Nvidia and AMD GPUs, which means you can use either supported by the monitor, provided one manufacturer's graphics card driver allows you to enable it for the other manufacturer's cards. Unlike FreeSync, though, G-Sync Compatible implies Nvidia has tested the monitor for an "approved" level of artifact reduction.

G-Sync and FreeSync Premium

The first serious levels of hardware-based adaptive refresh are G-Sync and FreeSync Premium. They both require manufacturer-specific hardware in the monitor that works in conjunction with their respective GPUs in order to apply more advanced algorithms, such as low-frame rate compensation (AMD) or variable overdrive (Nvidia) for better results with less performance overhead. They also have base thresholds for monitor specs that meet appropriate criteria. G-Sync still only works over a DisplayPort connection for monitors because it uses DisplayPort's Adaptive Sync, however, which is frustrating because it does work over HDMI for some TVs.

At CES 2022, Nvidia launched its next-generation 1440p G-sync Esports standard with Reflex Latency Analyzer (Nvidia's technology for minimizing lag of the combined keyboard, mouse and display)  and a 25-inch mode that can simulate that size display on a larger monitor. Normalizing high-quality 1440p 27-inch displays for esports is a great step up from 1080p and 25 inches. The initial monitors which will be supporting it (the ViewSonic Elite XG271QG, AOC Agon Pro AG274QGM, MSI MEG 271Q, all with a 300Hz refresh rate, and the Asus ROG Swift 360Hz PG27AQN) haven't shipped yet.

(Mini rant: This name scheme would make a monitor "G-Sync Compatible-compatible," so you'll see the base capability referred to as a "G-Sync Compatible monitor." That's seriously misleading, because that means you're frequently called on to distinguish between uppercase and lowercase: G-Sync Compatible is not the same as G-Sync-compatible.)

G-Sync Ultimate and FreeSync Premium Pro

At the top of the VRR food chain are G-Sync Ultimate and FreeSync Premium Pro. They both require a complete ecosystem of support -- game and monitor in addition to the GPU -- and primarily add HDR optimization in addition to further VRR-based compensation algorithms.

The hardware-based options tend to add to the price of a monitor, and whether or not you need or want them really depends upon the games you play -- if your games don't support these technologies it's kind of pointless to pay extra for them -- how sensitive you are to artifacts and how bad the disconnect is between your display and the gameplay. 

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