AMD Patches Critical Microcode Flaws, Buyer Warning - Used Seagate HDDs Sold as New, and Google Launches Budget AI Model Amid Competition

Welcome to NR Insider, your weekly digest on all things Tech, Hardware, and AI. Follow along to dive into the latest developments and most important topics in the world of technology. We have gathered all the highlights from cutting-edge hardware and groundbreaking AI advancements to major industry news. As we start Week 7 in Tech, let’s recap some major tech news you may have missed during Week 6.

Buyer Alert: Used Seagate HDDs Sold as New

A growing number of reports reveal that Seagate data center-grade hard drives, originally used in cryptocurrency mining, are being resold as new after having their internal usage logs reset. Investigations found that these drives, some with 15,000 to 50,000 hours of prior use, have surfaced in markets across Europe, Asia, and North America, often sold through third-party platforms like eBay. Seagate has denied involvement and has launched an investigation into the issue. Industry experts emphasize the importance of purchasing from trusted companies, urging enterprises to check ratings and conduct thorough due diligence to avoid potential risks associated with unreliable hardware. Some propose implementing unique tracking identifiers, similar to smartphone IMEIs, to prevent unauthorized resales. Seagate is working with authorities to address the problem and encourages buyers to verify purchases using its online warranty tool (read full article here).

AMD Patches Critical Microcode Flaws Amid Security Concerns and Deployment Delays

AMD has released two critical microcode patches to address vulnerabilities that could compromise Secure Encrypted Virtualization (SEV) protection, with the flaws initially leaked by a partner. Security experts warn that enterprises face a critical window of exposure between disclosure and full implementation, as OEMs must integrate the fixes into hardware-specific microcode, potentially causing delays. While some OEMs have already deployed patches, others may take weeks, leaving certain systems vulnerable. Experts commend AMD’s swift response, highlighting the complexity of microcode updates and the necessity of Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) updates to prevent recurring issues. Additionally, AMD patched a cache-based side-channel vulnerability affecting multiple EPYC processor generations, which, if exploited, could allow attackers - especially state-sponsored ones - to inject malicious microcode and compromise CPU security (read full article here).

Google Unveils Budget-Friendly AI Model Amid Intensifying Competition

Google has introduced Gemini 2.0 Flash-Lite, its most cost-efficient AI model, now available in public preview via Google AI Studio and Vertex AI. Designed for high-volume tasks, Flash-Lite features a 1-million token context window and supports multimodal input, enabling it to generate captions for 40,000 images for less than a dollar on Google AI Studio’s paid tier. This launch comes as competition heats up, with Chinese AI firm DeepSeek disrupting the market with lower-cost models, forcing industry leaders like Google, Microsoft, and Meta to reassess their pricing strategies. As businesses increasingly prioritize cost-effective AI solutions, analysts warn that enterprises must carefully consider trade-offs in security, privacy, and model performance before adopting these budget-friendly alternatives.

Up Next - Week 7 in Tech

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