Anyway, I missed the news - apparently this is in response to a proposed bill by one Bill Foster that would mandate tracking & kill switch technology in chips that could be sent overseas: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/nvidia-gpu-t...
(The body of the article doesn't mention kill-switch, but the cached search engine results do.)
No Open Source Drivers.
bigyabai•6mo ago
I like Nvidia. I got Nvidia products. But I'm also not stupid; there's a programmable microcontroller inside my GPU that decides whether or not everything works right. It accepts signed firmware when you update it and can presumably be reprogrammed via an OTA update to refuse functionality or outright brick the hardware. If Nvidia wanted to, they could absolutely killswitch my GPU.
This is the part of modern consumer electronics we all have to satisfy ourselves with. It's the case with your iPhone, your Nintendo Switch, probably your desktop computer too. We've long since crossed this Rubicon of trust in the hopes private interests won't eventually betray us down the road.
nabla9•6mo ago
It's not Nvidia vs you, It's Nvidia vs every customer. Black-hat hackers, white-hat hackers, comp-sec companies working for Nvidia customers, foreign governments, all have incentive to find out if there is a backdoor. For profit, security, exploit or fame.