Internet of Things (IoT) devices seem to be everywhere you look these days. In your own home, you'll find them in the form of your smart doorbell, digital assistant (Amazon Alexa or Google Home), and other small devices that are connected to your Wi-Fi network. IoT devices can make our lives easier in many ways, but with the rise of IoT botnet attacks, they're also complicating our digital security, creating significant vulnerabilities. What Is an IoT Botnet? An IoT botnet attack refers to a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack that is carried out using an army of compromised IoT devices. All too often, IoT devices have weak security settings; users of these devices don't take the proper precautions to protect these accounts because they figure, "Who's going to hack into my smart speaker?" Unfortunately, when a large number of IoT devices are compromised, they can be pooled together to

It's no secret that there has been a major shortage in random access memory (RAM) chips and other computer parts since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. This scarcity, however, has bred some impressive innovations across the industry. In fact, researchers at the University of California Riverside (UCR) have recently announced the development of the first pneumatic RAM chip. This new technology could have significant implications for technology – not just now but also in the future. More About the Pneumatic RAM Chip To understand how a pneumatic RAM chip works, it is first important to know how a "traditional" RAM chip operates. The main difference is that the pneumatic chip utilizes air rather than relying on transistors and electricity to create binary gates like a traditional RAM chip. According to a TechSpot article, a pneumatic CPU "interprets the presence of atmospheric pressure in microfluidic valves as a true value

Windows 11, which launched in June of 2021, boasts a number of upgrades compared to Windows 10. Perhaps what sets Windows 11 apart from its predecessor the most is its advanced security features. Currently, Windows 11 is available as a free upgrade for Windows users; however, not all computers have the system requirements needed to install the upgraded operating system (OS). The good news? Even if you can't (or don't want to) upgrade to Windows 11, you can still take advantage of many of its security features while using Windows 10. New Windows Security Features So, what are some of the most notable new security features you'll find on Windows 11? First, there's the addition of virtualization-based security (VBS) and hypervisor-protected code integrity (HVCI). This feature minimizes operating system vulnerabilities by creating and isolating memory regions from the OS itself. Another new security tool worth noting in Windows 11 is

A central processing unit (CPU) plays a vital role in any computer or server. Specifically, a CPU is responsible for helping a computer or server interact with various applications and programs. One of the main purposes of a CPU is to interpret a program's instructions to ensure the user receives the intended output on the screen. CPU technology has come a long way over the years, with companies like Intel leading the way for innovations. Recently, Intel announced a new Granite Rapids chip, which represents the future of 7-nanometer microarchitecture. Whether you already use a dedicated hosting platform or are thinking about making the switch, you should be aware of this new Intel CPU and what it could mean for the hosting industry. Let’s take a closer look! More About Intel's New 7nm Chip In March of 2021, Intel's CEO, Pat Gelsinger, announced a new Granite Rapids 7nm CPU chip

For many years, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) and Xilinx have built their reputations in the computing industry. AMD is known for its processors, graphics, and other computer and server hardware. Meanwhile, Xilinx has gained popularity for its innovative and programmable silicon that has been used across many industries. With the merger of these two companies completed in 2022, many tech professionals are speculating on what new company will look like and what kind of impact it will have on the computing industry. More About the Merger The AMD-Xilinx merger, reportedly valued at a whopping $35 billion, with the new company having an estimated total valuation exceeding $130 billion. With this merger, it is expected that AMD will be able to significantly diversify its product offerings, allowing the company to grow even larger as a leading player in the computer hardware sector. This is especially true when you consider that

When you connect any device to the internet, it has its own unique Internet Protocol (IP) address that allows for communication between the device and the web. Until fairly recently, the "standard" for IP was IPv4, which utilizes a 32-bit addressing scheme and assigns addresses to more than 4 billion devices across the globe. However, in recent years, many devices have shifted to using IPv6, a more advanced and secure version of the Internet Protocol. So, what is IPv6, and how does it set itself apart from IPv4? Likewise, why should you be using IPv6 if you're not already? We answer these questions and more below. What Is IPv6? IPv6 technology has been around since 1998. However, because IPv4 seemed to be working well and was seen as the standard, few were in a hurry to upgrade. Specifically, IPv6 sets itself apart from IPv4 by using 128-bit addressing instead of

In 2020, Google first introduced the concept of "Core Web Vitals," though website owners and administrators were not largely affected by this change at the time. Recently, however, Google announced that beginning in May 2021, a major update will make Core Web Vitals an important ranking component for websites. If you host a website and want to rank well on Google, it’s crucial to have a solid understanding of what Core Web Vitals entail, why they're important, and what you can do to optimize yours. That way, you can make the most of your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. What Are Google's Core Web Vitals? Google's Core Web Vitals are comprised of a few key components that the search engine believes contribute to an overall positive user experience. These include: Loading time, which refers to the amount of time it takes for a page's main content to load (anything greater

In today's digital world, your law practice's online presence is more important than ever. Of course, a major part of building and maintaining a strong digital footprint is having a website that's reliable, secure, and easy for your visitors to navigate. Unfortunately, even the most carefully designed legal website can fall short without the right hosting plan. By having a better understanding of the hosting plans available to your practice, as well as the pros and cons of each, you can ultimately decide on the hosting option that will best serve your firm now and for years to come. Exploring Your Hosting Options in the Legal Field When you're building a legal website, you have a handful of hosting solutions to choose from. This ranges from "basic" free web hosting to dedicated server hosting and all of the options in between. In general, you'll want to avoid free hosting plans

Processing chips play a vital role in the overall performance, speed, and power of a computer or server. One of the most longstanding and well-known companies that produces computer chips is Intel, a manufacturer that has dominated this market for decades. Earlier in 2021, Intel released some exciting information about a new computer chip that is in the works. This next-generation chip, which is expected to debut this fall, will revolutionize the industry by delivering lightning-fast speeds and unrivaled efficiency. So, what do we currently know about the new Intel Alder Lake chip – and how might its availability affect the computing and hosting industries? Let's explore. More About the Alder Lake Chip The new line of Intel Alder Lake chips will be the company's next generation of processors, replacing today's 11th generation "Tiger Lake" chips in many devices. One of the most notable things that will set this chip

If you have plans to build your own computer in the near future, you may need to put them on hold. Unfortunately, some of the parts necessary to make a custom computer have been in short supply for the better part of the past year. This is especially true when it comes to graphics processing units (GPUs), also commonly known as graphics cards. So, what's behind this GPU shortage, and how long will it be before you can expect to find them on the market again? We're discussing everything you need to know below: Why Is There a GPU Shortage? You've probably heard that Coronavirus (COVID-19) is the reason behind the global GPU shortage – but that's only partially true. While it's easy to blame the pandemic for most of the world's problems today, the reality is that GPU shortages were becoming a problem years before it hit. A lot