Hashtag Trending – Chrome tests reading mode; hackers steal biometric data; AMD’s new processor

Chrome tests distraction-free reading mode, hackers steal biometric data from border patrol, AMD announces new processor.

Hashtag Trending on Amazon Alexa Google Podcasts badge - 200 px wide

That’s all the tech news that’s trending today. It’s Wednesday, June 12th, and I’m your host, Tom Li.

Trending on Google, Google’s newest Chrome release fixes a bunch of bugs and adds a new reading mode. Once updated to version 75, Chrome will allow the user to enable the “Distill page” option, which clears the page of ads and other obtrusive elements. This feature may already sound familiar to Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Edge users as it’s been a part of them for a while now. Currently, Distill page is tucked away in Chrome’s experimental features section. Follow the source linked in our transcript for instructions on how to turn it on.

Trending on Reddit, hackers managed to steal biometric data collected by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. The Washington Post reported that images of people’s faces and license plates were lost in the attack, which can be used to construct identity theft. Loss of biometric information is especially dangerous due to their permanence; once lost, they present a persistent threat. The CBP reported that fewer than 100,000 people were impacted in its initial report, highlighting the dangers of mishandling sensitive information.

Lastly, trending on Google, AMD announced a new desktop processor that packs 16 cores, or 32 threads, at E3. The processor, called the Ryzen 9 3950X, uses AMD’s third generation Zen microarchitecture built on 7nm transistors. It also comes with massive amounts of cache — 72MB to be exact. Equally impressive is its 105W TDP, which is very low considering its high core count. While AMD says that the processor is designed for gaming, its multithreaded design should make it suitable for professional workloads, too. The Ryzen 9 3950X will be purchasable in September for $749 USD.

That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home daily briefing. I’m Tom Li, thanks for listening.

Would you recommend this article?

Share

Thanks for taking the time to let us know what you think of this article!
We'd love to hear your opinion about this or any other story you read in our publication.


Jim Love, Chief Content Officer, IT World Canada

Featured Download

Tom Li
Tom Li
Telecommunication and consumer hardware are Tom's main beats at IT World Canada. He loves to talk about Canada's network infrastructure, semiconductor products, and of course, anything hot and new in the consumer technology space. You'll also occasionally see his name appended to articles on cloud, security, and SaaS-related news. If you're ever up for a lengthy discussion about the nuances of each of the above sectors or have an upcoming product that people will love, feel free to drop him a line at tli@itwc.ca.

Featured Articles

Cybersecurity in 2024: Priorities and challenges for Canadian organizations 

By Derek Manky As predictions for 2024 point to the continued expansion...

Survey shows generative AI is a top priority for Canadian corporate leaders.

Leaders are devoting significant budget to generative AI for 2024 Canadian corporate...

Related Tech News

Tech Jobs

Our experienced team of journalists and bloggers bring you engaging in-depth interviews, videos and content targeted to IT professionals and line-of-business executives.

Tech Companies Hiring Right Now