Top tech news of the week

Hey there TechCrunchers, happy new year!

Spooky spectres and catastrophic meltdowns availed themselves this week and they're coming for just about every device that you own, but your crypto gains may still be doing well, so it's not all bad.

Kernel panic! 👻

This week, security researchers unveiled a pair of devastating chip vulnerabilities affecting millions -- perhaps billions -- of Intel, AMD and ARM processors that can be used to harness raw unencrypted data passing through the deep interworkings of the CPUs. Does this affect the smartphone or laptop, you're reading this on? Most likely...

We've got a guide to walk you through some of the questions on your mind about Meltdown and Spectre and what you can do to keep yourself protected, take a look [link].

Ethereum hits $1K 💰

Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash might have been the cryptocoins grabbing the most headlines over the past several weeks, but Ethereum has continued to chug along all the while, reaching new heights this week, with a single Ether coin now worth north of $1,000. [link]

What else happened this week 🤖 

1. Ethereum breaks new record by reaching $1,000 for the first time
2. Travis Kalanick reportedly plans to sell about 29% of his Uber shares
3.  GoPro cuts 200-300 jobs, largely impacting its drone division
4.  Game of Thrones isn’t coming back until 2019
5.  Mark Zuckerberg’s personal challenge is all about fixing Facebook before it implodes
6.  Nintendo Switch is the fastest-selling video game console ever in the U.S.
7.  Spotify files to go public

Weekend Reads 💻

1. What to expect at CES 2018
2. A look back at Uber’s hellish year
3. It’s the Jons 2017!

Stay warm out there!