5 important things happening in tech today

Nintendo announced a new Switch with a 7-inch OLED display.

Microsoft released a patch for the PrintNightmare security exploit that allowed hackers to remotely control Windows devices.

The US cancelled a $10 billion cloud contract awarded to Microsoft, as it wanted to include other companies in the deal.

A group of Chinese scientists claim they have built the most powerful quantum computer in the world, beating Google’s Sycamore computer.

Samsung announced earnings guidance for its upcoming Q2 2021 results.

Here is what is happening in the tech world today:

• Nintendo announces a new Switch: Nintendo has unveiled a new Switch gaming console with a 7-inch OLED display. According to the spec sheet released by Nintendo, the new model will feature 64GB of internal storage, compared to the maximum of 32GB of previous generations, and up to 9.5 hours of battery life. The OLED switch will launch on 8 October, at a price of $349 in the US (R5,015 excluding VAT, import duties, and distribution costs).

• Microsoft release PrintNightmare patch: Microsoft has patched a Windows security flaw known as PrintNightmare. The exploit allowed attackers to remotely take control of Windows systems through the printing software. Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows 10 were impacted by the vulnerability.

• US cancels $10 billion Microsoft deal: Reuters reported that the US has cancelled the JEDI cloud computing deal, which was awarded under the Trump administration to Microsoft. The Biden administration revoked the original deal to announce a new contract that opens the deal up to several companies, including Amazon. Amazon’s stock price climbed on the news, increasing the net worth of Jeff Bezos by over $8 billion to $211 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

• Chinese quantum computer claims top spot: A group of Chinese scientists claimed to have built the world’s most powerful quantum computer, as published on the Cornell University research database. The Zuchongzhi outperforms Google’s Sycamore computer, which claimed “quantum supremacy” in 2019. The Chinese quantum computer completed a task in just over an hour that would have taken the world’s most powerful supercomputer around 8 years to complete.

• Samsung announces Q2 results: Samsung released guidance for its Q2 2021 results, reporting a provisional sales revenue of $54.4 billion, and a minimum profit of $10.9 billion. According to this guidance, the company will see a 5% drop in sales revenue from Q1 2020, but a 32% increase in profits in the same period.

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