Step into a world where the focus is keenly set on Not Sure Synonym. Within the confines of this article, a tapestry of references to Not Sure Synonym awaits your exploration. If your pursuit involves unraveling the depths of Not Sure Synonym, you've arrived at the perfect destination.
Our narrative unfolds with a wealth of insights surrounding Not Sure Synonym. This is not just a standard article; it's a curated journey into the facets and intricacies of Not Sure Synonym. Whether you're thirsting for comprehensive knowledge or just a glimpse into the universe of Not Sure Synonym, this promises to be an enriching experience.
The spotlight is firmly on Not Sure Synonym, and as you navigate through the text on these digital pages, you'll discover an extensive array of information centered around Not Sure Synonym. This is more than mere information; it's an invitation to immerse yourself in the enthralling world of Not Sure Synonym.
So, if you're eager to satisfy your curiosity about Not Sure Synonym, your journey commences here. Let's embark together on a captivating odyssey through the myriad dimensions of Not Sure Synonym.
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
Wwe summerslam 2020 roman reigns returns full recap results rna wwe summerslam 2020 roman reigns returns full recap results synonym wwe summerslam 2020 roman reigns returns at tlc wwe summerslam 2020 roman reigns returns to raw wwe summerslam 2020 roman reigns vs j wwe summerslam 2020 full show wwe summerslam tv
WWE SummerSlam 2020: Roman Reigns returns, full recap, results and ratings
WWE SummerSlam 2020: Roman Reigns returns, full recap, results and ratings
Lots happened at SummerSlam, including the crowning of The Fiend as Universal Champion. But the big news of the night was a surprise: Roman Reigns returned after the main event, spearing the crap out of The Fiend and destroying Braun Strowman. SummerSlam's tagline was "You'll never see it coming" and I was shamefully admit -- I did not see this coming. It likely all leads to WWE's next pay-per-view, Payback, which takes place on Sunday. I know, it's crazy.
It capped off a mixed show. The WWE Championship match was excellent, and saw Drew McIntyre retain over Randy Orton. Asuka won the Raw Women's Championship in another strong bout. The other key match was Dominik Mysterio against Seth Rollins in a street fight, which ended with Rollins crushing Dominik with a curb stomp.
Everything else on the show was average, including the disappointing SmackDown Women's Championship match between Bayley and Asuka and the Loser Leaves WWE contest between Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville.
For full SummerSlam results and analysis, scroll below.
The Fiend wins the Universal Championship, gets killed by Roman Reigns
"The Fiend" Bray Wyatt defeated Braun Strowman in a car crash of a Falls Count Anywhere match to win the Universal Championship. Roman Reigns returned afterwards, spearing The Fiend and destroying Strowman with a chair.
The championship match itself was all big moves. It began with The Fiend hitting a urangage on Strowman. The two ended up outside, with Strowman crashing The Fiend through the barricade. He then tried to slam The Fiend through the announcer's table, but it didn't break. Back in the ring, he hit his running powerslam for a two count.
They then went backstage, where The Fiend planted Strowman with a Sister Abigail. Two count. They brawled back to the ring, where they continued to hit big moves on one another. Strowman got a box cutter and cut the ring mat, exposing the wooden planks below.
The Fiend hit him with another uranage and two Sister Abigails to win the title.
Rating: 3.25 stars. Little psychology, lots of impact.
Drew McIntyre pins Randy Orton
Drew McIntyre is still WWE Championship. After an excellent match, he pinned Randy Orton with a rollup.
This was the opposite of the earlier Rollins/Mysterio match. There weren't any spectacular spots, but a lot of fantastic wrestling. From start to finish, this was smooth, well paced and intense.
It began with Orton playing mind games, evading McIntyre by stalling outside the ring. McIntyre would get frustrated, and Orton would take advantage. The RKO and Claymore were both teased early. It turned into a very strong back-and-forth bout. Orton hit a suplex on the announce table, McIntyre locked in the Figure Four as a nod to Ric Flair. Orton did is patented middle-rope DDT, McIntyre reverse a tree of woe into a suplex and scored a top-rope clothesline.
Both men ended up bloodied up, and both men worked incredible hard. The finish was great because it was a clean pin but not a definitive one. McIntyre won, but not decisively enough that a rematch doesn't make sense.
Rating: 4.25 stars. This was great, and I'm excited to see the rematch.
Asuka wins Raw Women's Championship
Asuka tapped out Sasha Banks to win the Raw Women's Championship in by far the best match of the night so far.
The bout followed the story from the opening match. Asuka's leg was injured, so Banks went straight for that. Just moments in, Banks hit a gnarly sunset flip powerbomb to Asuka from the apron to the ground. Yet the highlight of the match came as Banks and Asuka traded submission holds -- from Asuka Lock to Banks Statement, back and forth -- leading to some awesome false finishes.
The actual finish came when Bayley tried to interfere but caught a spinning forearm from Asuka. Banks tried to work off the distraction, a mirror from the Bayley match's finish, but Asuka countered into the Asuka Lock for the submission.
Rating: 3.75 stars. Great start to finish, if only it was longer.
Seth Rollins pins Dominik Mysterio
As far as first matches go, this was an excellent one for Dominik Mysterio. But as far as feature SummerSlam matches go, this was too long, and had a bit too much smoke and mirrors. With that said, the finish was awesome: Rey Mysterio was handcuffed to the ropes (some of the smoke and mirrors I mentioned), and watched as Rollins curb stomped Dominik for the three count.
Other than Rey being handcuffed, this street fight also saw a cameo appearance by Rey's wife, interference from Murphy, the extensive use of kendo sticks and a spot that saw both Dominik and Rollins crash through a table.
But the wrestling itself was average. It had to be: This was Dominik's first match. Rollins is amazing, and Dominik did super well, so it certainly wasn't bad. It just felt like a lot of filler between spots. It would have been stronger with a third of its length cut. That said, Dominik Mysterio is clearly going to be great.
Rating: 3 stars. Would have been better shorter, and certainly with a live crowd reacting to Dominik's debut.
Mandy Rose defeats Sonya Deville
WWE's ThunderDome features piped-in audio to replicate the sounds of a live crowd. This match benefitted greatly from that, because I'm sure it would have died in front of a crowd. Mandy Rose got the win after hitting three running knee strikes on Sonya Deville, and then planting Deville with a pedigree-face buster.
These two women worked hard, but it was ultimately sloppy and a little boring. It was a no disqualification match, which ended up meaning a lot of ringside brawling but not much in the way of spectacle. After the bout, Michael Cole blithely states that Deville must not leave WWE, struggling hard to care.
One upside: It felt like this match was designed to show a tough side to Mandy Rose. That's a legitimately redeeming quality here, because it gives the bout purpose. It wasn't exciting to watch, but it still achieved something.
Rating: 1.5 stars.
Street Profits retain Raw Tag Team Championships
Kevin Owens was out for commentary for this match. Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins got the W after Ford hit a wicked Frog Splash on Angel Garza, who was teaming with Andrade.
This bout was a little disjointed at points, but it was a solid tag match. Dawkins is a freak of an athlete, which makes it fun to watch him do basically anything. Andrade is an underrated performer, and was another highlight.
It began with Ford getting the advantage over Garza, but the bad guys quickly turned things around by double teaming and beating down on Ford. Things picked up when Dawkins got the hot tag and cleared house. He had a strong -- but too brief -- exchange with Andrade. In the end, Andrade would be distracted when Zelina Vega was knocked off the apron, allowing the Street Profits to get the pin on Andrade.
Rating: 2.5 stars. A simple, but decent match.
Bayley beats Asuka
The main show kicked off with Asuka's first championship opportunity as she took on Bayley for the SmackDown Women's Championship. Bayley would end up retaining by securing a rollup after interference from Sasha Banks.
It was not a particularly good match. The story is that Bayley, towards the end, put the hurt to Asuka's knee. This began with Bayley dropping Asuka knee-first into the apron. She then followed with some leg-based submissions. After the match, Banks and Bayley beat down on Asuka further.
In other words, this match was a warmup for the Asuka versus Sasha Banks for the Raw Women's Championship. That is likely to be the better bout. Bayley and Asuka didn't really click here. There's also the issue of Bayley's offence, which is often not convincing. This was noticeable here, where she applied some weak-looking "submission holds" that poor Corey Graves had to try and explain ("it's a knee bar, sort of, but she hasn't got it all...")
Rating: 2.5 stars.
Apollo Crews retains United States Championship
Crews defeated MVP in a short match to retain his US title. He pinned MVP after a spinning powerbomb.
Spotify s joe rogan problem turns out synonym spotify s joe rogan problem turns out my online spotify s joe rogan problem turns all year spotify s joe rogan problematic spotify s joe problem spotify student spotify sign in how to download spotify songs cancel spotify subscription
Spotify's Joe Rogan Problem: Turns Out His Deal Might Be Worth $200 Million
Spotify's Joe Rogan Problem: Turns Out His Deal Might Be Worth $200 Million
Joe Rogan and his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, are at the center of growing concerns over COVID-19 misinformation and the host's use of racial slurs in dozens of episodes. This has put pressure on Spotify, the music streaming service that signed the comedian to an exclusivity deal in 2020.
In January, rock legend Neil Young pulled his music from Spotify over objections to false claims about COVID-19 vaccines on Rogan's popular podcast. Some other artists joined the boycott, but the backlash grew soon after when a compilation video of Rogan using a racial slur on numerous past episodes began circulating on social media.
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek confirmed that Rogan chose to remove multiple episodes of his popular podcast from the streaming service after the company's leadership discussed his use of "racially insensitive language," according to a memo sent to employees.
Spotify continues to grapple with a dilemma that many internet giants like Facebook and YouTube face: balancing freedom of expression and effective moderation of objectionable content on their platforms. It views Rogan as a key component to its growth as an audio platform, and the comedian has said being able to express himself is one of the reasons he moved his podcast to the streaming service. The company paid the comedian a reported $200 million, double the amount previously thought, according to a report from The New York Times Thursday.
Rogan posted an apology to Instagram on Feb. 5, saying he "wasn't trying to be racist" and agreeing that he shouldn't use such slurs, regardless of the context. Rogan said the backlash was a "political hit job" in an episode of his podcast posted on Feb. 8 but added that it was a "relief" to address comments he regrets making.
Here's what you need to know about the backlash against Joe Rogan and Spotify.
Why were episodes of Rogan's podcast removed?
Videos of Rogan using racial slurs on past episodes went viral on social media at the end of January. This was layered on top of a growing musician boycott over concerns that Rogan's podcast serves as a platform for COVID misinformation. The hashtags #DeleteSpotify and #CancelSpotify began trending on Twitter as some people called for the removal of Rogan's podcast. A consumer poll from Feb. 1 found 19% of Spotify subscribers said they canceled or will cancel their service, according to a report from Variety.
On Feb. 4, a fan-made website found that more than 100 episodes of Rogan's podcast were no longer available on Spotify. The website, JREMissing, uses Spotify's API to compare available episodes to a database of all episodes recorded. A total of 113 episodes of Rogan's podcast were shown to be removed: 42 happened last year when Rogan moved his show to Spotify. The other 71 were deleted on Feb. 4 without explanation at the time.
Ek sent a memo to Spotify employees about the development on Feb. 6. He confirmed that Rogan chose to remove multiple episodes of his podcast from the streaming service. This came after Spotify's leadership spoke to the comedian about his use of "racially insensitive language."
CNET couldn't confirm a link between the circulating videos and the episodes that were removed from Spotify.
"Some of Joe Rogan's comments [are] incredibly hurtful -- I want to make clear that they do not represent the values of this company," Ek wrote in the memo, which was provided to CNET by a company spokeswoman. "While I strongly condemn what Joe has said and I agree with his decision to remove past episodes from our platform, I realize some will want more. And I want to make one point very clear -- I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer."
Ek went on to say the company would invest $100 million -- the earlier reported amount it paid to Rogan for exclusivity rights -- for the "licensing, development, and marketing of music (artists and songwriters) and audio content from historically marginalized groups. This will dramatically increase our efforts in these areas."
Spotify didn't respond to a request for comment on whether it will increase the investment to $200 million to match the newly reported amount of Rogan's deal.
What has Rogan said about this?
Rogan uploaded a video to his Instagram account on Feb. 5, the day after the podcast episodes were removed, in which he talked about his use of racial slurs and apologized for his actions.
"I certainly wasn't trying to be racist," he said, "and I certainly would never want to offend someone for entertainment with something as stupid as racism." Rogan agreed he shouldn't use such slurs, regardless of the context.
In episode #1773 of his podcast, Rogan had comedian Akaash Singh on and started the show talking about the blowup, saying it was a "relief."
"This is a political hit job," he said on his podcast. "They're taking all this stuff I've ever said that's wrong and smooshing it all together. It's good because it makes me address some s*** that I really wish wasn't out there."
How did this all get started?
In December, Rogan had two guests on his show who have been at the forefront of COVID misinformation. Dr. Peter McCullough, a cardiologist, and Dr. Robert Malone, who has described himself as the inventor of the mRNA vaccine, have used their credentials to try to give credibility to false conspiracy theories regarding the pandemic and vaccines.
COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at reducing hospitalizations and deaths, and other public health measures like masking and social distancing have helped slow the spread of the virus. The dangers of the illness are clear. To date, there have been more than 419 million cases of COVID-19 around the world and more than 5.8 million deaths, according to the coronavirus resource center at Johns Hopkins University.
On Jan. 12, 250 doctors, professors and researchers signed an open letter to Spotify calling out the streaming service for platforming COVID misinformation, in particular on Rogan's podcast. Since then, more than 1,000 additional medical professionals have signed the letter.
After coming across the letter, singer-songwriter Young, who rose to fame in the 1960s and '70s, made an ultimatum to Spotify on Jan. 24: either Rogan goes or his music goes. He removed his music Jan. 27, but some songs featuring Young with other artists are still on the platform.
Other musicians joined Young in a boycott of the service, including:
The controversy escalated when Grammy-winning singer Arie joined the boycott, saying she found Rogan problematic, not just for his interviews around COVID, but also his language around race.
Is Spotify doing anything about COVID misinformation on its platform?
Following the musicians' protest over COVID misinformation, Ek responded in a blog post Jan. 30, saying his company doesn't want to be a "content censor" but will make sure that its rules are easy to find and that there are consequences for spreading misinformation. He acknowledged that Spotify hasn't been transparent about them, which led to questions about their application to serious issues including COVID-19.
"Based on the feedback over the last several weeks, it's become clear to me that we have an obligation to do more to provide balance and access to widely accepted information from the medical and scientific communities guiding us through this unprecedented time," Ek said.
Included in the post was a link to Spotify's platform rules detailing what content isn't allowed on the service. Regarding COVID misinformation, the rules specifically prohibit saying that COVID-19 isn't real, encouraging the consumption of bleach to cure diseases, saying vaccines lead to death and suggesting people get infected to build immunity.
Ek also said the company is working on a content advisory for any podcast episode that talks about COVID. The advisory will guide listeners to the service's COVID-19 hub.
In a Feb. 2 company town hall, Ek told Spotify employees that Rogan's podcast was key to the future of Spotify, according to audio obtained by The Verge.
"If we want even a shot at achieving our bold ambitions, it will mean having content on Spotify that many of us may not be proud to be associated with," Ek said during the town hall. "Not anything goes, but there will be opinions, ideas and beliefs that we disagree with strongly and even makes us angry or sad."
Spotify employees were reportedly disappointed by his remarks. Members of the company's board of directors were also reportedly not happy with the response according to The New York Times.
In an Instagram post Jan. 30, Rogan defended his choice to bring on guests like Malone but said he was happy for Spotify to add disclaimers to podcasts on what he called "controversial" topics. He added that if he could do anything differently, it would be to get experts with differing opinions on directly after "controversial ones."
Who else had something to say about this?
The White House chimed in on Spotify's move to add misinformation warnings to podcast episodes. In a Feb. 1 press briefing, press secretary Jen Psaki was asked if tech companies should go further than these disclaimers.
"Our hope Is that all major tech platforms, and all major news sources for that matter, be responsible and be vigilant to ensure the American people have access to accurate information on something as significant as COVID-19. That certainly includes Spotify," Psaki said. "So this disclaimer, it's a positive step, but we want every platform to continue doing more to call out misinformation and disinformation while also uplifting accurate information."
Psaki also referred to Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy's warning from July about the dangers of misinformation, calling it an "urgent threat."
The CEO of Rumble, a video streaming service known for being a hub of misinformation and conspiracy theories, said Feb. 7 that he'd offer Rogan $100 million over the course of four years if he brought his podcast to the company,
"This is our chance to save the world," Chris Pavlovski said in a letter to Rogan posted to Twitter. "And yes, this is totally legit."
During a question and answer portion of a recent comedy show, Rogan told a crowd he plans to stick with Spotify according to a Feb. 8 report from Hollywood Reporter.
Former President Donald Trump on Feb. 7 posted a message on his site saying Rogan shouldn't apologize for what he said. "How many ways can you say you're sorry," the former president wrote.
Facebook-owned WhatsApp extends message deletion time
Facebook-owned WhatsApp extends message deletion time
Facebook-owned WhatsApp is changing the amount of time you have to delete messages you've sent for all recipients. According to WABetaInfo, since the release of WhatsApp beta for Android 2.18.69, the messaging app allows users 2¹² seconds (4,096 seconds, which is 68 minutes, 16 seconds) to take back a message you didn't want to send. It replaces it with a "this was deleted" message. The feature has since been added to the iOS and Windows Phone apps via updates.
First released last October, the "delete for everyone" feature used to allow you only 7 minutes to delete a message. The app had a flaw though, allowing people with modified versions of the app from third-party sites to delete messages as far back as three years.
This has been fixed as well, and when a revoke request comes in, it will make sure the message was sent within 24 hours. This time limit was decided in case the recipient of the message that is being deleted didn't have their phone on. If they don't turn their phone on in 24 hours, the message will not be deleted.
Spectre and meltdown details you need on those big pink spectre and meltdown details you can add spectre and meltdown details you cash spectre and meltdown details you can put spectre and meltdown details you probably missed spectre and meltdown details synonym spectre and meltdown details direct spectre and meltdown virus spectre and meltdown difference between hp spectre and envy spectre and phantom stranger image
Spectre and Meltdown: Details you need on those big chip flaws
Spectre and Meltdown: Details you need on those big chip flaws
Processors are vital to running all our computerized devices, even if we hardly ever think about them. That's why it's a big deal that they have major vulnerabilities, such as Spectre and Meltdown, that leave them open to hacking attacks.
As they run all the essential processes on your computer, these silicon chips handle extremely sensitive data. That includes passwords and encryption keys, the fundamental tools for keeping your computer secure.
The Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities, first revealed January 3, with a newly found fourth variant disclosed May 21, could let attackers capture information they shouldn't be able to access, like those passwords and keys. As a result, an attack on a computer chip can turn into a serious security concern.
So how did this happen? And what will chip companies like Intel,Arm and AMD (and the hardware makers that put the chips in their products) do to fix the problem? Here's what you need to know:
What are the vulnerabilities?
Researchers found two major weaknesses in processors that could let attackers read sensitive information that should never leave the CPU, or central processing unit. In both cases, attackers could see data that the processor temporarily makes available outside of the chip.
Here's why that happens: To make computer processes run faster, a chip will essentially guess what information the computer needs to perform its next function. That's called speculative execution. As the chip guesses, that sensitive information is momentarily easier to access.
One flaw, Spectre, would let attackers trick the processor into starting the speculative execution process. Then attackers could read the secret data the chip makes available as it tries to guess what function the computer will carry out next.
The other flaw, Meltdown, lets attackers access the secret information through a computer's operating system, such as Microsoft Windows or Apple's High Sierra.
Security experts refer to these sorts of incursions as side-channel attacks, because they access information as it's being used by a legitimate process on the computer.
What are tech companies saying and doing about this?
Intel CEO Brian Krzanich says the problems are well on their way to being fixed, at least in the case of Intel-powered PCs and servers. Intel said that 90 percent of chips released in the last five years will have fixes available by about Jan. 13 and that for chips up to 10 years old, fixes will be released in the coming weeks.
On Jan. 22, Intel halted some updates to its chips after reports that the patches were causing devices to unexpectedly reboot.
Microsoft right away released patches for the Windows operating system and its Internet Explorer and Edge browsers, but warned that your antivirus software needs to be updated to support those patches.
Apple said Jan. 4 that it has released mitigations for the Meltdown flaw for the operating systems on its Mac computers, Apple TVs, iPhones and iPads, and that neither Meltdown nor Spectre affects the Apple Watch. Apple also said Jan. 4 that it will release patches "in the coming days" for the Safari browser to help defend against Spectre exploits and that it will continue to release patches in future updates of its iOS, MacOS and TVOS software.
On Jan. 7, Apple released an update to its iOS software that patches Spectre on iPhones and iPads. On Jan. 23, Apple released an update to the Sierra and El Capitan versions of its Mac operating systems.
Which chips are affected?
A number of chip designs from Intel, Arm and AMD are susceptible to one or more variants of the attacks. The issue is so widespread because those chips, used in devices made by Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon and others, all share a similar structure.
What's more, the flaws don't just affect personal computers -- Meltdown also affects servers, the backbone of all major cloud services. So yes, Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud are susceptible to the problem, too. Google said it has secured all its affected products, and Amazon said it would finish securing all affected products on Wednesday.
How long has this been a problem?
Researchers at Google's Project Zero, as well as a separate team of academic researchers, discovered the problems in 2017, but the issue has existed on chips for a long time -- perhaps more than 20 years.
That's because the issue doesn't result from a badly written computer code. Instead, the problem comes down to the way the chips are intentionally designed.
Processors are supposed to make the secret information easier to access as they gear up to run the next process on a computer. As the programming quip goes, this is a feature, not a bug.
Has anyone been hacked via these flaws?
Researchers, chipmakers and computer companies all say there are no known examples of hackers using these weaknesses to attack a computer. However, now that the details of the design flaws and how to exploit them are publicly available, the chances of hackers using them are much higher.
The good news is that hackers would first need to install malicious software on your computer to take advantage of these flaws. That means they need to select their targets and hack each one of them before running a sophisticated attack to steal a computer's sensitive information.
What can I do to protect myself?
As chipmakers and computer companies roll out software updates, be sure to install them. Beyond that, since hackers would have to install malware on your computer, do your best to make that harder for them.
That means you should keep all your other software updated, including your web browsers and Flash (if you're still using it). Also, run security software to make sure you don't have any malicious software on your computer right now.
Finally, look out for phishing emails. Emails that trick you into clicking on a link and downloading malicious software are still the No. 1 way for hackers to get a foothold on your computer.
First published Jan. 3 at 6:01 p.m. PT Update, Jan. 4 at 4:19 p.m: Added statement from Apple. Update, Jan. 5 at 6:36 a.m. and 11:57 a.m.: Added statement from Intel and new information from Microsoft, and later updated the information on Apple Watch. Update, Jan. 8 at 11:51 a.m.: Added information on Apple's patch to iOS. Update Jan 23 at 3:36 p.m.: Added information about Apple's patch to El Capitan and Sierra operating systems, and information about reports that some patches were causing computers to unexpectedly reboot.
The Smartest Stuff : Innovators are thinking up new ways to make you, and the things around you, smarter.
iHate : CNET looks at how intolerance is taking over the internet.
