Daily Tech Briefing: April 10, 2014

It was recently revealed that OpenSSL, the software library used to secure communications on the Internet, has a vulnerability known as the “TLS Heartbeat Read Overrun” and unofficially called “Heartbleed.”

This flaw has compromised the security of hundreds of thousands of Web servers and services by allowing Web attackers to retrieve up to 64 kilobytes of the last data communicated through Web servers by scraping the server’s memory.

This vulnerability, which has been in existence for two years, only affects Linux servers, but it puts the passwords of users at risk and could reveal private keys used to encrypt the Secure HTTP, or HTTPS, protocol.

Google is now releasing its latest Chrome Web browser Version 34 to users along with a new ChromeOS Version 34 for all Chrome devices. This is all part of the company’s regularly scheduled updates for its Chrome browsers and related applications. Chrome Web browser Version 34 has bug fixes and other improvements, such as new apps and extension APIs, as well as the ability to more easily import supervised users onto new computers.

Microsoft has released the Windows 8.1 Update to the general public. The update has features that make using the touch-enabled operating system simpler for keyboard and mouse users.

The goal of this is to allow users who switch from Windows XP to 8.1 to have an easier time using the newer OS. Users who prefer the old Windows desktop will also be pleased to see that, both the Windows Store and desktop apps now show up in the toolbar with the Windows 8.1 Update.

Finally, Intel and SGI are using a supercomputer to test data center cooling technology. In order for this technology to work, the system must be fully submerged in a liquid developed by 3M. Officials from all three companies said that, if effective, this method could save as much as 95 percent of the cost of cooling the data center, as well as limit the floor space needed for the infrastructure.