Intel boss says firm will issue updates to fix flaws

Brian Krzanich hails the collaboration of tech firms in the wake of the issue

Intel boss Brian Krzanich has said the company will issue security updates for all its products affected by the Meltdown and Spectre flaws by the end of the month.

Giving the keynote speech ahead of the opening of CES, Mr Krzanich called the collaboration between tech firms in the wake of the issue “truly remarkable”.

“For our processors and products introduced in the past five years, Intel expects to issue updates for more than 90 per cent within a week, and the remaining by the end of January,” he said.

“As of now, we have not received any information that these exploits have been used to obtain customer data.

“We’re working tirelessly on these issues to ensure it stays that way.”

Last week, security researchers from Google published details of flaws in processor chips made by Intel and other manufacturers that could be exploited to access personal data on computers.

Many tech giants, including Apple and Microsoft, have since confirmed they have either released or will shortly release updates that mitigate the issue.

On a day of press conferences ahead of the opening of CES, the common theme was autonomous smart homes and robots.

Both LG and Samsung spoke of plans to make their entire appliance product lines internet-enabled and therefore able to speak to each other and able to work together to complete tasks.

LG announced a new smart fridge that can help create recipes and then send cooking instructions to a connected oven, while Samsung demonstrated its own Family Hub smart fridge and its content being checked from a connected TV.

However, LG did also encounter issues when smart home robot CLOi became unresponsive during a live demo.

Industry analyst Ben Wood from CCS Insight warned the incident could signal a sense of foreboding for exhibitors at the Las Vegas convention.

“Unfortunately for LG, its 2018 CES press conference will be remembered for the problems with its CLOi consumer robot,” he said.

“This episode may well prove to be a metaphor for a lot of the technology on show at CES this year, particularly in the area of consumer robotics.”

Picture: Getty. Brian Krzanich displays a 49-qubit chip as he delivers a keynote address at CES 2018 at Park Theater at Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, Las Vegas yesterday.