Reports have been circulating for the past few weeks that recent Windows 11 updates (KB5063878 and KB5062660) were causing some SSDs using Phison controllers to fail. While plenty of YouTube and TikTok videos have blamed Microsoft for the issues, Phison has identified “early versions of firmware and BIOS” as the problem instead.
“Many of the reports originate from media testing conducted on hardware running early versions of firmware and BIOS,” says Michael Wu, GM and President of Phison US, in a statement to The Verge. “These versions are performance preview drives and are not identical to those provided to end users through official distribution channels. We have observed that outdated firmware is still being used on some SSDs and we encourage any reviewers facing this to leverage updated channel firmware readily available through manufacturer-provided update utilities.”
YouTuber JayzTwoCents claimed last week that the “Windows update and SSD problem is WAY worse than we thought!” JayzTwoCents showed a Crucial T500 drive (with a Phison E25 controller) failing after Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 security updates, and needing a power cycle to come back to life. It’s not clear whether JayzTwoCents was using pre-release SSD firmware, or even an early motherboard BIOS.
Phison was able to replicate issues reported by the PCDIY! community though, and found that these were down to engineering preview firmware. “Phison examined the exact SSDs used in the PCDIY! testing and determined PCDIY! was utilizing an engineering preview firmware, which is not the final firmware used in the Corsair Force Series MP600 SSD 2TB and other drives with the E16 controller available for sale to consumers on the market,” explains Wu. Phison also performed the same tests on consumer SSDs and found no crashes or failures.
Microsoft said late last month that it had “found no connection” between its security updates and the drive failures reported on social media and elsewhere. That didn’t stop many people, including prominent YouTubers, from blaming Microsoft for the SSD issues. That’s hardly surprising though, given Microsoft’s history of chaotic Windows updates.
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/a-screenshot-from-google-maps-showing-the-locations-of-montreal-homicides-in-2024-so-far-right-a-police-officer-stands-with-hi.jpg?id=54092894&width=2000&height=1500&coordinates=152%2C0%2C152%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>As of October 23, 2024, <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal/this-map-shows-all-the-murders-in-montreal-so-far-in-2022">Montreal</a> had recorded 29 homicides in 10 months, with incidents of violence marring many neighbourhoods across the city. </p><p>With just two months left of the year, Montreal's homicide count is edging closer to the 31 victims recorded in 2023, putting increased pressure on city authorities working to curb armed violence.</p><p>To illustrate just how widespread these incidents have been, <a href="https://www.narcity.com/fr/montreal/nombre-de-meurtre-a-montreal-carte-2024">Narcity Quebec</a>, with data from the Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), has mapped out each of the 29 homicides recorded this year. The map features clickable blue points in neighbourhoods across the island, with brief descriptions of each incident.</p><p>The first homicide of 2024 happened on January 13. Within the first three months of the year, there had been eight homicides. Things took a more violent turn between April and September, with 18 homicides recorded. May was especially brutal, seeing 8 deaths in just over two weeks.</p><p>Since early October, 3 more deaths have been reported, including 2 linked to a major fire that swept through a building in Old Montreal.</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><iframe height="480" src="https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1S2OSeth4etYMGSB5GLt7_goxIsfXVBY&ehbc=2E312F&noprof=1" width="640"></iframe></div><p>Some Montreal neighbourhoods have been particularly impacted by gun violence this year, including Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles, Ville-Marie, Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension, and Lachine.<br/></p><p>SPVM data reveals that about a dozen of 2024's homicides in Montreal were related to gun violence. This past June, SPVM stressed that armed violence is "a societal issue that police alone cannot resolve." </p><p>They highlighted the crucial role of community, institutional, and government partners in helping reduce violence in Montreal, with a collaborative approach proving key to tackling this issue.</p><p>Montreal police release an annual report every January covering activity from the previous year, so we'll have to wait a few more months for the full overview of what happened in 2024.</p><p><em><em><em><em>This story was adapted from the article "<a href="https://www.narcity.com/fr/montreal/nombre-de-meurtre-a-montreal-carte-2024">Meurtres à Montréal : Cette carte montre exactement où et comment ils ont eu lieu en 2024,</a>" which was originally published on Narcity Québec by Ariane Fortin.</em></em></em></em></p><p><em>This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.</em></p>
<p><img width="644" height="362" src="https://www.naijanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/NUC-logo.png" class="attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="NUC Denies Releasing List Of 100 Professors In Nigeria" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" srcset="https://www.naijanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/NUC-logo.png 644w, https://www.naijanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/NUC-logo-300x169.png 300w, https://www.naijanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/NUC-logo-390x220.png 390w, https://www.naijanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/NUC-logo-640x360.png 640w" sizes="(max-width: 644px) 100vw, 644px" /></p>
<h2>The National Universities Commission (<strong><a href="https://www.naijanews.com/topic/nuc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NUC</a></strong>) has announced that it is in the final stages of announcing the establishment of two additional universities in Nigeria.</h2>
<p>If announced, this will bring the total number of higher institutions in the country to 272, <strong>Naija News</strong> understands.</p>
<p>The acting Executive Secretary of the commission, Chris Maiyaki, who disclosed the latest development during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, emphasized that the NUC will continue to approve new universities to address the admissions gap in the country.</p>
<p>He highlighted that while approximately two million candidates apply for university admission yearly, the available admission slots range between 500,000 and 700,000.</p>
<p>Maiyaki's position contrasts the concerns raised by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (<strong><a href="https://www.naijanews.com/topic/asuu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ASUU</a></strong>) and other stakeholders in the tertiary education sector, who oppose the government's proliferation of institutions due to inadequate funding for existing universities.</p>
<p>These stakeholders have repeatedly called on the government and the NUC to cease granting approvals for new public universities.</p>
<p><i>“We have no choice but to, as a matter of deliberate policy, undertake the massification of universities,” Maiyaki said.</i></p>
<p>Maiyaki stated that each year, nearly two million individuals apply for university admission, yet only a range of 500,000 to 700,000 students are granted admission.</p>
<p>He added: <em>“You need to see the anguish and the frustration on the faces of families who are desperate to make sure that their children attend university education every admission session. It is very tough and challenging for university leaders and NUC so we have no choice but to continue to approve the universities.</em></p>
<p><em>“The approval for two more varsities to bring the number of universities in the country to 272 has been concluded and will be announced next week.”</em></p>
<p>Maiyaki asserted that Nigeria will continue to expand access to universities by approving the establishment of more universities to meet the demand for quality education.</p>
<p>He pointed out that countries like Brazil and Indonesia, which have smaller populations than Nigeria, have more than 1,000 universities. He mentioned that efforts are underway to revitalize the university system through transnational education, allowing foreign universities to operate in the country.</p>
<p>The Executive Secretary mentioned that the commission is currently reviewing applications for the establishment of distance learning centres, which will be closely monitored to ensure the provision of high-quality education.</p>
<p>However, the head of the NUC emphasized that this does not imply a return to the era of establishing distance learning centres.</p>
<p>In response to the invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (<strong>EFCC</strong>)for proprietors of private universities and other higher learning institutions in Nigeria to charge fees in dollars, he firmly stated that no tertiary institution is permitted to collect tuition fees in dollars.</p>
<p>He further emphasized that the commission had thoroughly examined the accusation and conducted a comprehensive investigation, only to find that the alleged private university was not charging fees in dollars.</p>
<p><em>“On the dollarisation of tuition fees in this said university, we have investigated it, and the university is not charging fees in dollars.</em><br />
<em>They only charge dollars to foreign students. So I want the media to join hands with us to tell the public that no Nigeria university is allowed to charge fees in dollars,</em>” he said.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.naijanews.com/2024/02/16/nuc-sets-to-announce-two-new-universities-in-nigeria/">NUC Sets To Announce Two New Universities In Nigeria</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.naijanews.com">Naija News</a>.</p>
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry faced backlash from online critics after the Duchess of Sussex shared an image of Lilibet, 3, on a boat without a life vest.
