5 important things happening in tech today

Microsoft has provided clarity on its Windows 11 minimum system requirements, saying that they are considering reducing them.

Facebook reached $1 trillion in value after a court case arguing that it has monopolised social media was dismissed.

Hackers tricked Microsoft into certifying malware masked as a system driver.

China is making progress towards establishing a central bank digital currency (CBDC), paving the way for other nations to follow.

Samsung has introduced its new Watch interface, called One UI, which will take significant advantage of its collaboration with Google.

Here is what is happening in the tech world today:

• Windows 11 minimum system requirement update: When Windows 11 was announced, the minimum system requirements were set at Intel 8th-Gen or AMD Zen 2 processors. Any computer dating to before 2017 — the release year of Intel 8th-Gen — would therefore be unable to run the new OS. Windows has provided clarity on this, with a blog post stating the company will “test to identify devices running on Intel 7th generation and AMD Zen 1 that may meet our principles”. If they adjust the minimum requirements, the compatible devices would extend back to 2016, when Intel 7th-Gen was released.

• Facebook reaches $1 trillion value: A recent court case accusing Facebook of monopolising social media has been dismissed in the US, Reuters reported. After the court ruled in Facebook’s favour its share price rose by 4%, which saw it climb to a $1 trillion market cap for the first time. The case against the company aimed to force it to sell Instagram and WhatsApp on the basis that it controls 60% of the social media market.

• Microsoft mistakenly certified a malicious driver: Hackers were able to trick Microsoft into certifying a rootkit, a type of malware, disguised as an official Windows 10 driver. The earliest trace of the rootkit dates back to March 2021. According to The Verge, it allows for hackers to capture virtually all the data on an infected device. The company has stated that it is working on solving the problem, and says that the driver is circulating primarily in gaming environments.

• China accelerating progress towards establishing CBDC: Reuters reported that China is accelerating its progress towards establishing a digital currency for its central banks, with the People’s Bank of China leading the project. US officials recently voiced their scepticism on CBDCs, but this stance will likely change if China establishes a digital currency as a CBDC will allow for a “huge social infrastructure”.

• Samsung announces its new watch interface: On 19 May 2021 Samsung announced its partnership with Google to create a new watch experience, and the company has now announced its new watch interface. Dubbed One UI, the new interface will enable an “entirely new Galaxy Watch experience”, the company said. New apps downloaded onto a linked smartphone will now be automatically downloaded onto the Galaxy Watch. Samsung also says that its unified platform with Google will open up new features and integrations with popular third-party apps available to download from Google Play directly onto a Galaxy watch.

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