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Articles tagged with "software"

Aviation enthusiast uses Raspberry Pi and ADS-B radio to create viral real-time airport tracker — open-source 'Skylight' intercepts aircraft signals and projects flight paths onto your ceiling

Aviation enthusiast uses Raspberry Pi and ADS-B radio to create viral real-time airport tracker — open-source 'Skylight' intercepts aircraft signals and projects flight paths onto your ceiling

Software engineer Cameron Paczek created Skylight, an open-source project using a Raspberry Pi 5 and ADS-B radio to track aircraft in real-time and project their flight paths onto your ceiling. Skylight captures ADS-B signals emitted by planes, decodes them, and displays details like model, altitude, and distance to destination on your ceiling. The project also recreates the sky with celestial bodies and live satellite tracking. Paczek plans to release a ready-made kit for Skylight to make it more accessible to those who are not tech-savvy.

Tom's Hardware•
Github Copilot customers report up to 100-fold price hikes — AI sticker shock bites as Microsoft switches to usage-based pricing

Github Copilot customers report up to 100-fold price hikes — AI sticker shock bites as Microsoft switches to usage-based pricing

GitHub Copilot has transitioned to usage-based pricing, leading to significant price hikes for customers. Users are reporting bills increasing by up to 100-fold, with some finding subscription plans limited or useless due to low usage limits. The new pricing model includes token allowances in different subscription tiers, but estimating token usage for queries can be challenging. Users are advised to carefully select efficient models to manage costs, as some have experienced unexpectedly high token consumption even with light usage. Investors are pushing for AI companies to generate more revenue to match their expenditures, despite backlash against Microsoft for the pricing changes.

Tom's Hardware•
Save 78% on Nord's latest Complete VPN package — 27 months of online protection for $107

Save 78% on Nord's latest Complete VPN package — 27 months of online protection for $107

NordVPN is offering a 78% discount on its Complete VPN package, providing 27 months of online protection for $107.73, down from $493.83. The service includes fast VPN connections, anti-virus protection, dark web monitoring, ad blocking, scam call protection, and a password manager. NordVPN has over 7,400 servers across 118 countries, allowing for secure browsing and access to streaming services while traveling. The company prioritizes online privacy, with no data logging and independent auditing confirming user data is not tracked or stored. The Complete plan supports up to 10 devices simultaneously and offers advanced protections like malware and tracking protection, making it a comprehensive option for online security.

Tom's Hardware•
Bill Gates once starred in a bizarre Doom promo to push Windows 95 back in 1993 — tech mogul wore a trench coat, wielded a shotgun, and shot a demon, saying 'Who do you want to execute today?'

Bill Gates once starred in a bizarre Doom promo to push Windows 95 back in 1993 — tech mogul wore a trench coat, wielded a shotgun, and shot a demon, saying 'Who do you want to execute today?'

Bill Gates starred in a promotional video for Windows 95 in 1993, set in a Doom-style environment, where he wielded a shotgun and shot demons, saying, "Who do you want to execute today?" This was part of Microsoft's push to position Windows 95 as a gaming platform with DirectX. The video aimed to shift the perception of Windows from a multitasking productivity tool to a gaming platform. Gates highlighted the benefits of Windows 95, including improved multimedia and gaming performance through DirectX. The collaboration between Microsoft and game developers, led by Gabe Newell, aimed to transition gaming from DOS to Windows.

Tom's Hardware•
Amazon unveils 'Resilient Network Graphs' data center network that cuts hardware by 69% and boosts throughput by 33% — now the default for most AWS workloads

Amazon unveils 'Resilient Network Graphs' data center network that cuts hardware by 69% and boosts throughput by 33% — now the default for most AWS workloads

Amazon has introduced a new data center network architecture called Resilient Network Graphs (RNG), boasting a 33% increase in throughput and a 40% reduction in power consumption. This design, based on random graph theory, replaces traditional hierarchical structures with a flatter, more efficient network. By using 69% fewer networking devices, Amazon anticipates up to 45% cost savings and billions in reduced infrastructure expenses across its cloud services. RNG is already in use in various data centers and is set to become the standard for future deployments, offering improved performance and sustainability for AWS workloads.

Tom's Hardware•
Pocket a huge $252 saving on a two-year PIA VPN subscription and score two months for free — 88% discount on no-logs provider with servers in 90 different countries and support for unlimited connections

Pocket a huge $252 saving on a two-year PIA VPN subscription and score two months for free — 88% discount on no-logs provider with servers in 90 different countries and support for unlimited connections

Private Internet Access (PIA) is offering a significant discount on its two-year VPN subscription, priced at $34.58 with two free months included, saving users $252.22. PIA provides servers in 90 countries, unlimited connections, and AES-256 encryption for data protection. The VPN service does not keep logs and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. PIA also includes features like a kill switch, split tunneling, and support for various operating systems. This deal presents an affordable option for those seeking online security and privacy.

Tom's Hardware•
Linux prepares to axe legacy x32 hybrid mode — hybrid 32-bit/64-bit mode faces complete removal by 2027 due to low adoption

Linux prepares to axe legacy x32 hybrid mode — hybrid 32-bit/64-bit mode faces complete removal by 2027 due to low adoption

The Linux kernel is considering removing the x32 ABI, a hybrid 32-bit/64-bit mode introduced in 2012, by 2027 due to low adoption rates. The x32 ABI aimed to optimize memory consumption for 64-bit programs by using 32-bit pointers while accessing the full 64-bit register file. Despite its potential performance improvements, the x32 ABI faced challenges such as complexity for developers and limited memory usage per process. The lack of mainstream adoption and exclusivity to Linux contributed to its demise, as it did not see widespread use by software developers.

Tom's Hardware•
IBM ThinkPad T43 enthusiast installs 'almost' every version of Windows on the single-core laptop without using virtual machine — 26 years of Windows running bare metal, from 1996 Windows NT 4.0 to Windows 10 22H2 working on legendary hardware

IBM ThinkPad T43 enthusiast installs 'almost' every version of Windows on the single-core laptop without using virtual machine — 26 years of Windows running bare metal, from 1996 Windows NT 4.0 to Windows 10 22H2 working on legendary hardware

A Reddit user successfully installs almost every version of Windows, from NT 4.0 to Windows 10 22H2, on an IBM ThinkPad T43 without using virtual machines. The laptop, known for its legendary hardware, runs these operating systems directly on the single-core Pentium M CPU. The user showcases screenshots of various Windows versions running on the device, highlighting the evolution of the Windows UI over the years. Despite some challenges with drivers and hardware support, the user manages to dual-boot and upgrade through different Windows versions, ultimately settling on a trio of older OSes for preference. The ThinkPad T43, with its durable build and quality keyboard, continues to impress retro tech enthusiasts with its ability to handle a wide range of Windows operating systems.

Tom's Hardware•
Millions of AI agents imperiled by critical vulnerability in open source package

Millions of AI agents imperiled by critical vulnerability in open source package

A critical vulnerability in the open source framework Starlette is imperiling millions of AI agents and tools worldwide, potentially allowing hackers to breach servers and access sensitive data and credentials. This vulnerability, known as BadHost (CVE-2026-48710), affects systems using Starlette versions prior to 1.0.1 and is easy to exploit on servers not behind a properly configured firewall. The flaw impacts various widely used packages in the Python AI ecosystem, including FastAPI, vLLM, and LiteLLM. Security researchers have highlighted the seriousness of this vulnerability, with a severity rating of 7 out of 10 and warnings that it poses a significant threat to users of apps relying on Starlette.

Ars Technica•
A hacker group is poisoning open source code at an unprecedented scale

A hacker group is poisoning open source code at an unprecedented scale

A hacker group known as TeamPCP has been conducting a significant number of software supply chain attacks, corrupting hundreds of open source tools to insert their malicious code. The group recently breached GitHub by installing a tainted extension for VSCode, compromising around 4,000 of GitHub's code repositories. TeamPCP has been actively carrying out these attacks, with cybersecurity firm Socket reporting over 20 waves of attacks in the past few months, affecting more than 500 software pieces. This ongoing spree of attacks has raised concerns about the security and trustworthiness of the software ecosystem.

Ars Technica•
In stunning display of stupid, secret CISA credentials found in public GitHub repo

In stunning display of stupid, secret CISA credentials found in public GitHub repo

A security researcher discovered that America’s Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Agency (CISA) had exposed plaintext passwords, SSH private keys, and other sensitive assets in a public GitHub repo named “Private-CISA” since November 2025. The repo's administrator had disabled GitHub’s default protections against committing secrets, allowing unauthorized access. Testing confirmed the seriousness of the breach, with credentials from the repo granting high-level access to Amazon Web Services GovCloud accounts. The repo was linked to CISA contractor Nightwing, which has not publicly commented on the issue. This incident adds to a series of mishaps by CISA, including a previous incident involving sensitive government documents uploaded to ChatGPT.

Ars Technica•
Linus Torvalds says flood of duplicate AI-generated vulnerability reports have made Linux security mailing list 'almost entirely unmanageable' — private list 'a waste of time for everybody involved' in switch to new public system

Linus Torvalds says flood of duplicate AI-generated vulnerability reports have made Linux security mailing list 'almost entirely unmanageable' — private list 'a waste of time for everybody involved' in switch to new public system

Linus Torvalds expressed frustration with the Linux kernel's private security mailing list being overwhelmed by duplicate vulnerability reports generated by AI tools. He emphasized the need for a new public system for handling AI-detected bugs, directing researchers to submit findings directly to maintainers as public disclosures. The volume of duplicate reports has strained the existing triage process, prompting Torvalds to urge researchers to provide more value by creating patches along with bug reports. The Linux kernel project recently established a policy allowing AI-generated code with strict disclosure requirements, ensuring human accountability for all AI-assisted contributions.

Tom's Hardware•
Josef Prusa warns Chinese 3D printing software poses massive security risks — Bambu Lab allegedly violates AGPL license with an un-auditable network 'black box'

Josef Prusa warns Chinese 3D printing software poses massive security risks — Bambu Lab allegedly violates AGPL license with an un-auditable network 'black box'

Josef Prusa, CEO of Prusa Research, warns about security risks posed by Chinese 3D printing software like Bambu Lab, alleging violations of the AGPL license with an un-auditable network "black box." Prusa highlights the importance of open-source principles and the implications of violating such licenses. While Bambu Lab defends the separation of the slicer and network plugin, Prusa argues that they are interconnected and violate the AGPL-3.0 license. Additionally, Prusa raises concerns about the Chinese government's involvement in technology companies and the potential security implications for users.

Tom's Hardware•
OpenClaw creator burned through $1.3 million in OpenAI API tokens in a single month — bill covered 603 billion tokens across 7.6 million requests and 100 coding agents

OpenClaw creator burned through $1.3 million in OpenAI API tokens in a single month — bill covered 603 billion tokens across 7.6 million requests and 100 coding agents

Austrian developer Peter Steinberger, creator of OpenClaw, spent $1.3 million in OpenAI API tokens in a month, covering 603 billion tokens across 7.6 million requests by 100 Codex instances. OpenAI, Steinberger's employer, covered the cost. The project serves as a testing ground for AI-assisted development without budget constraints. Steinberger's usage reflects Codex's "Fast Mode" pricing, which significantly increases credit consumption. OpenAI estimates Codex costs between $100 and $200 per developer per month, with Steinberger's usage at the high end of that range.

Tom's Hardware•
Google floats reduced initial 5GB free cloud storage limit, users claim — 15GB to require extra security measures, company confirms it is 'testing a new storage policy for new accounts'

Google floats reduced initial 5GB free cloud storage limit, users claim — 15GB to require extra security measures, company confirms it is 'testing a new storage policy for new accounts'

Google is testing a new storage policy that limits new users to 5GB of free cloud storage instead of the previous 15GB. Users will need to link and verify a phone number to access the full 15GB. The change is not reflected on Google's support page, but the company confirmed the test to Android Authority. This move may help Google combat fake accounts and spam abuse, as verified phone numbers can prevent users from creating multiple accounts for extra storage. Additionally, this change could push more users towards paid Google One cloud storage plans.

Tom's Hardware•
Microsoft is working on a fix to downgraded GPU drivers in Windows Update — new system uses multiple IDs

Microsoft is working on a fix to downgraded GPU drivers in Windows Update — new system uses multiple IDs

Microsoft is addressing the issue of automatic GPU driver downgrades on Windows 11 by implementing a fix that will be rolled out by Q4 of 2026. The fix involves a new system that uses multiple IDs to target specific GPU driver updates to Windows 11 machines more accurately. However, the update will only apply to new devices, and existing drivers in the Windows Update catalog may still be forcibly installed on older systems. While this fix won't completely resolve the problem, it marks a step in the right direction to prevent GPU driver downgrades through Windows Update.

Tom's Hardware•
Louis Rossmann taunts Bambu Lab by hosting banned 3D Printer firmware fork, dares $1 billion company to sue him — more creators pledge support and boycotts, Snapmaker donates equipment to embattled developer

Louis Rossmann taunts Bambu Lab by hosting banned 3D Printer firmware fork, dares $1 billion company to sue him — more creators pledge support and boycotts, Snapmaker donates equipment to embattled developer

Louis Rossmann has taken a stand against Bambu Lab by hosting a banned 3D printer firmware fork on his GitHub, challenging the company to sue him. This move has garnered support from other creators, with Snapmaker even donating equipment to the embattled developer. The controversy stems from Bambu Lab's opposition to open-source firmware and their legal threats against independent developer Pawel Jarczak. Despite the company's claims of structural vulnerability and stability concerns for their cloud servers, the community continues to rally behind the right to modify software and support open-source projects.

Tom's Hardware•
Microsoft launches Cloud‑Initiated Driver Recovery for remote rollback of faulty updates — no user action or OEM intervention will be needed to handle broken drivers delivered via Windows Update

Microsoft launches Cloud‑Initiated Driver Recovery for remote rollback of faulty updates — no user action or OEM intervention will be needed to handle broken drivers delivered via Windows Update

Microsoft has introduced a new feature for Windows called Cloud-Initiated Driver Recovery (CIDR) that allows the remote rollback of faulty drivers to a previously known good version without user or OEM intervention. This feature aims to address issues caused by bad drivers pushed through Windows Update, which have historically led to user inconvenience and manual intervention. The recovery process is initiated from the Hardware Dev Center and executed through the Windows Update pipeline, leveraging existing infrastructure. CIDR is currently undergoing validation and testing and is expected to support the Hardware Dev Center publishing process automatically starting in September.

Tom's Hardware•
Microsoft staunchly defends its new 'Low Latency Profile' for Windows 11 after community backlash — says every other OS already boosts CPU speeds for quicker load times

Microsoft staunchly defends its new 'Low Latency Profile' for Windows 11 after community backlash — says every other OS already boosts CPU speeds for quicker load times

Microsoft is defending its new "Low Latency Profile" for Windows 11, which temporarily boosts CPU speeds for quicker load times. The company faced backlash for this move, with critics accusing it of not addressing underlying performance issues. Microsoft argues that this boosting functionality is common in all modern operating systems, including Linux and smartphones. The Low Latency Profile is part of Microsoft's efforts to improve Windows 11's performance and efficiency. Despite the defense, some users and former Windows developers are questioning why Microsoft didn't address these issues sooner and are calling for deeper optimizations rather than superficial patches.

Tom's Hardware•
Dell SupportAssist update is crashing PCs with constant blue screens and reboot loops — the boot service built for system recovery is the culprit of unending instability

Dell SupportAssist update is crashing PCs with constant blue screens and reboot loops — the boot service built for system recovery is the culprit of unending instability

A recent update to Dell's SupportAssist Remediation software is causing constant blue screen errors and reboot loops on various Dell laptop models. The issue stems from the update version 5.5.16.0 released on April 30th, affecting systems like the XPS 15 9530 and Dell Pro Plus 14. Users have identified the culprit as the DellSupportAssistRemedationService.exe process and have found workarounds to stop the crashes, such as disabling the service or uninstalling the software entirely. This isn't the first time SupportAssist Remediation has caused such issues, with a similar pattern reported last year. Dell has yet to acknowledge the problem or provide a fix.

Tom's Hardware•
RPCS3 updates its contribution guidelines after AI-generated 'slop' pull requests caused regressions in the PS3 emulator

RPCS3 updates its contribution guidelines after AI-generated 'slop' pull requests caused regressions in the PS3 emulator

RPCS3, the PlayStation 3 emulator, has updated its contribution guidelines to combat the influx of AI-generated code submissions causing regressions in the project. The team now requires contributors to fully comprehend and take ownership of the code they submit, even if AI was involved in its creation. The guidelines do not ban AI-generated code but mandate disclosure and responsibility from contributors. RPCS3 emphasized the need for quality submissions to prevent bugs and performance issues. The project, driven by unpaid volunteers, aims to maintain its progress in emulating the complex Cell CPU architecture.

TweakTown•
Linux bitten by second severe vulnerability in as many weeks

Linux bitten by second severe vulnerability in as many weeks

A new Linux vulnerability named Dirty Frag allows low-privilege users to gain root access on servers, posing a significant threat, especially in shared environments. The exploit code, leaked online, works reliably across various Linux distributions and has caught the attention of hackers in the wild. The deterministic nature of the exploit makes it stealthy and dangerous, similar to a previous vulnerability called Copy Fail. Security experts urge organizations to apply patches and implement mitigations promptly to safeguard their systems. While some distributors have released patches, users are advised to check with their official provider for updates.

Ars Technica•
Former Epic director is building a European rival to the Unreal and Unity game engines — 'The Immense Engine' dev sees opportunity for AI agents to 'do the work of ten or fifteen people'

Former Epic director is building a European rival to the Unreal and Unity game engines — 'The Immense Engine' dev sees opportunity for AI agents to 'do the work of ten or fifteen people'

Arjan Brussee, a former Epic Games director, is developing a European game engine called The Immense Engine to rival Unreal and Unity. This engine is intended to be fully European-hosted and compliant with European regulations. Brussee sees potential for the engine in defense and logistics simulations. He also emphasizes the importance of AI in game development, suggesting that AI agents could perform the work of multiple people. The Immense Engine is already in development with a focus on practical 3D world representations.

Tom's Hardware•
AMD's legendary K5, its first independently-designed processor, is being removed from the Linux kernel — 4.3-million-transistor chip gets the axe because it lacks Time Stamp Counter (TSC) support, making it a coding burden

AMD's legendary K5, its first independently-designed processor, is being removed from the Linux kernel — 4.3-million-transistor chip gets the axe because it lacks Time Stamp Counter (TSC) support, making it a coding burden

AMD's first independently-designed processor, the K5, is being removed from Linux kernel support due to its lack of Time Stamp Counter (TSC) support. The 4.3-million-transistor chip, known for its RISC-based internal architecture, is considered a burden for developers to maintain in the kernel. Despite its historical significance as AMD's inaugural x86 processor, the K5 faced challenges with late arrival and underwhelming performance compared to Intel's offerings. This retirement follows a trend of older processor lines, including the Intel i486 and AMD Elan SoCs, being phased out of Linux support in kernel version 7.2.

Tom's Hardware•
Fears grow that age verification coming to VPNs as a British research firm labels them a 'loophole' — one app developer saw downloads surge by 1,800% in just the first month after the UK's Online Safety Act took effect

Fears grow that age verification coming to VPNs as a British research firm labels them a 'loophole' — one app developer saw downloads surge by 1,800% in just the first month after the UK's Online Safety Act took effect

A European research paper highlights concerns that VPNs are being used as a loophole to bypass age verification laws for accessing adult content, with VPN downloads surging after enforcement in the UK and U.S. states. The paper suggests restricting VPN services to adults only, but acknowledges the challenge of preventing minors from bypassing age-assurance methods. Efforts to target VPN use in age-verification laws, like in Utah, face technical limitations. Some tech companies have opposed proposals to mandate age verification for VPN access, citing concerns about undermining the open internet. Additionally, the EU's own age verification technology recently failed a security test, raising further privacy and security issues.

Tom's Hardware•
Linux mascot Tux the penguin hits 30 years old — Linus Torvalds outlined the design of the 'slightly overweight penguin' on May 9, 1996

Linux mascot Tux the penguin hits 30 years old — Linus Torvalds outlined the design of the 'slightly overweight penguin' on May 9, 1996

Linus Torvalds introduced the Linux mascot Tux the penguin 30 years ago, envisioning a cute, contented, slightly overweight penguin as the logo. Torvalds preferred a simple, stylized penguin over a complex design involving a world map. While Tux's detailed design contrasts with modern minimalist logos, there's speculation that a simpler version may emerge in the future for better branding and merchandise appeal.

Tom's Hardware•
Microsoft CTO confesses that 30-year-old code from the mid-90s still forms the bedrock of Windows 11 — ancient Win32 API still the backbone, but CTO says it's 'more relevant than ever in 2026'

Microsoft CTO confesses that 30-year-old code from the mid-90s still forms the bedrock of Windows 11 — ancient Win32 API still the backbone, but CTO says it's 'more relevant than ever in 2026'

Microsoft's CTO, Mark Russinovich, reveals that Windows 11 still relies on 30-year-old code from the mid-90s, particularly the ancient Win32 API. Despite its age, Russinovich emphasizes the continued relevance and importance of this foundational code in 2026 due to its deep integration within Windows and the extensive ecosystem built upon it. The CTO acknowledges that while there have been attempts to replace Win32, its enduring presence is attributed to its role as a fundamental layer for countless applications and technologies. Russinovich also highlights that tools like Sysmon and ZoomIt, developed in 1996 using Win32, remain crucial components of Windows 11 and PowerToys.

Tom's Hardware•
Devastating 'Dirty Frag' exploit leaks out, gives immediate root access on most Linux machines since 2017, no patches available, no warning given — Copy Fail-like vulnerability had its embargo broken

Devastating 'Dirty Frag' exploit leaks out, gives immediate root access on most Linux machines since 2017, no patches available, no warning given — Copy Fail-like vulnerability had its embargo broken

A new Linux vulnerability called Dirty Frag has been discovered, providing immediate root access to most Linux machines since 2017. This exploit, similar to Copy Fail, affects popular distributions like Ubuntu, Arch, RHEL, and more. Unlike Copy Fail, Dirty Frag currently has no patches available, making it particularly dangerous. Mitigation involves disabling specific networking modules, and the exploit was revealed prematurely due to an embargo breach. Users are advised to stay vigilant for updates and patch their systems promptly.

Tom's Hardware•
3DPrint.com

3D Printing Financials: Materialise Improves Margins Despite Flat Revenue

Materialise, a 3D printing company, has shown improved profit margins despite experiencing flat revenue. The company's financial report indicates a focus on cost management and operational efficiency, leading to better margins. Materialise's software segment has seen growth, compensating for the stagnant revenue in other areas. The company's efforts to streamline operations and enhance profitability have positively impacted its financial performance.

3DPrint.com•
New Linux StarFighter laptop family debuts starting at $1,878 — Star Labs Systems' laptops arrive with spacious RAM, several options

New Linux StarFighter laptop family debuts starting at $1,878 — Star Labs Systems' laptops arrive with spacious RAM, several options

Star Labs Systems has introduced the StarFighter laptop lineup, featuring premium materials and designed for Linux OS, with prices starting at $1,878. The base model includes a 16-inch 165Hz QHD display, an Intel Core Ultra 5 125H processor, and 32GB of LPDDR5x memory. Higher-end configurations are available with more powerful processors and increased RAM. The laptops feature soldered RAM but allow for storage upgrades. Despite production delays, the first batch of StarFighters has finally arrived, competing with other Linux-focused laptops in the market.

Tom's Hardware•
AMD to broaden and specialize EPYC CPUs, already working on Zen 7 architecture — increased customization to better address evolving AI and cloud needs

AMD to broaden and specialize EPYC CPUs, already working on Zen 7 architecture — increased customization to better address evolving AI and cloud needs

AMD is planning to expand and specialize its EPYC CPUs to better cater to the diverse needs of modern data center workloads, including AI and cloud requirements. The company is already working on the Zen 7 architecture to offer increased customization for different workload-specific segments. AMD's CEO, Lisa Su, highlighted the shift towards more segmented EPYC products, potentially featuring different core/cache/interconnect configurations tailored for specific tasks like inference clusters and low-latency AI. The company aims to provide a broad portfolio of CPUs, acknowledging the need for differentiation in general-purpose operations, head nodes, and agentic AI tasks. With the upcoming Zen 6 microarchitecture, AMD plans to introduce CPUs with up to 256 cores for general-purpose servers and specialized processors for AI infrastructure.

Tom's Hardware•
Notepad++ creator threatens legal action over macOS port of open-source app — developer says port is fine, but branding is too far

Notepad++ creator threatens legal action over macOS port of open-source app — developer says port is fine, but branding is too far

Notepad++ creator Don Ho has taken legal action against a macOS port developer for unauthorized use of the editor's name, logo, and branding. The macOS port, created by Andrey Letov, was initially mistaken for an official release before corrections were made. Ho emphasized that his concern lies with the unauthorized use of branding, as the Notepad++ software itself is open-source. Despite Letov's hopes for endorsement, Ho refused, leading to ongoing disputes over trademark infringement. The macOS port's website still remains active under a slightly modified name and logo.

Tom's Hardware•
CISA flags actively exploited ‘Copy Fail’ Linux kernel flaw enabling root takeover across major distros — unpatched systems may remain vulnerable to attack

CISA flags actively exploited ‘Copy Fail’ Linux kernel flaw enabling root takeover across major distros — unpatched systems may remain vulnerable to attack

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has identified a critical Linux kernel vulnerability named "Copy Fail" that is actively being exploited, allowing attackers to gain root access on major Linux distributions like Ubuntu and Red Hat. The flaw, disclosed by security researchers at Theori, enables privilege escalation for local users and has a 100% reliable proof-of-concept exploit. The vulnerability was publicly disclosed without prior coordination with Linux distribution maintainers, leading to a compressed response time for deploying patches. CISA has issued a directive for federal agencies to patch affected systems promptly, while Linux vendors are releasing updates to address the issue. Users are advised to update their systems to protect against potential attacks.

Tom's Hardware•
A suspected YouTube interface bug spikes RAM usage above 7 gigabytes, users report severe lag and frozen tabs — bug might be trapping browsers in an endless layout loop

A suspected YouTube interface bug spikes RAM usage above 7 gigabytes, users report severe lag and frozen tabs — bug might be trapping browsers in an endless layout loop

Reports emerged of YouTube causing browsers to freeze and use excessive RAM due to a suspected bug in the platform's interface code. Users across various browsers experienced stuttering videos, unresponsive tabs, and system slowdowns while on YouTube. Investigations suggest that a bug in the video controls section of the interface may be causing browsers to get stuck in a loop of continuous layout recalculations. This issue, known as layout thrashing, can lead to high CPU and memory usage, causing severe browser performance issues. Mozilla developers are still looking into the problem, with no confirmed fix available yet, and the exact cause remains unofficial.

Tom's Hardware•
Popular 90s search engine ‘Ask Jeeves’ finally bites the dust — parent company shutters website that pioneered natural language queries, only a placeholder results page remains

Popular 90s search engine ‘Ask Jeeves’ finally bites the dust — parent company shutters website that pioneered natural language queries, only a placeholder results page remains

The parent company of the popular 90s search engine Ask Jeeves, IAC, has decided to shut down Ask.com after 30 years of service. Ask Jeeves was known for its natural language queries, a precursor to modern AI chatbots, but it couldn't compete with Google and Yahoo in the 2000s. Despite its innovative approach, Ask Jeeves will now join other '90s search engines like Alta Vista in retirement. The decision to discontinue Ask.com marks the end of an era for the pioneering search engine.

Tom's Hardware•
Utah first state to hold websites liable for users who mask their location with VPNs — law goes into effect, designed to prevent bypassing age checks

Utah first state to hold websites liable for users who mask their location with VPNs — law goes into effect, designed to prevent bypassing age checks

Utah's new law, the Online Age Verification Amendments, makes it the first state to hold websites accountable for users who mask their location with VPNs to bypass age checks. The law prohibits websites from sharing instructions on how to use VPNs for this purpose. However, experts argue that the law is flawed as it assumes websites can reliably detect VPN traffic and determine a user's true location, which is technically challenging. The law may disproportionately impact non-technical users who rely on VPNs for legitimate privacy reasons. Other countries like the UK and France are also considering restrictions on VPN use for age verification.

Tom's Hardware•
Microsoft now recommends 32GB of RAM as the future-proof 'no worries' config for gaming — 16GB becomes the new 'practical starting point' during the RAMageddon

Microsoft now recommends 32GB of RAM as the future-proof 'no worries' config for gaming — 16GB becomes the new 'practical starting point' during the RAMageddon

Microsoft has updated its gaming support document, now recommending 32GB of RAM as the ideal choice for future-proofing systems, with 16GB considered the new practical starting point. The company suggests that more RAM can enhance multitasking capabilities and benefit AAA games. Despite rising RAM prices, the shift towards higher RAM configurations is supported by recent hardware trends. Microsoft also emphasizes the importance of using an SSD for gaming and running Windows in 2026, advising against using HDDs for active applications.

Tom's Hardware•
45 years later, earliest DOS source code transcribed from a stack of old printouts found in a garage — code was open-sourced to mark 86-DOS 1.00’s anniversary

45 years later, earliest DOS source code transcribed from a stack of old printouts found in a garage — code was open-sourced to mark 86-DOS 1.00’s anniversary

Microsoft has open-sourced the earliest DOS source code, including the 86-DOS 1.00 kernel, PC-DOS 1.00 pre-release kernels, and utilities, to commemorate the 45th anniversary of 86-DOS 1.00. The code was transcribed from old dot matrix printouts found in Tim Paterson's garage and is now available on GitHub. This release offers insight into the development of MS-DOS/PC-DOS and operating system development practices of that era. Tinkerers can explore the code and even find tips on compiling and assembling the sources on Paterson's GitHub repository.

Tom's Hardware•
3DPrint.com

The Additive Chicken Coop, Part II: Rescoping

The article discusses the second part of the Additive Chicken Coop project, focusing on rescaling the project. It highlights the challenges faced in enabling JavaScript and cookies to continue reading the content. The article provides insights into the technical aspects of the project and the strategies employed to address the issues encountered during the rescaling process.

3DPrint.com•
Linux exploit instantly grants administrator access on most distributions since 2017 — cryptography optimization snafu grants root privileges to local users

Linux exploit instantly grants administrator access on most distributions since 2017 — cryptography optimization snafu grants root privileges to local users

A recent Linux exploit, CVE-2026-31431, allows local unprivileged users to gain root access instantly on most Linux distributions since 2017. The exploit affects popular distros like Ubuntu, RHEL, Suse, and Amazon Linux, as well as Windows' WSL2. The vulnerability, discovered by Xint Code researchers, involves a cryptography optimization flaw that grants administrator privileges through a devious attack on the AF_ALG socket. While a patch has been released, some distributions may still be vulnerable, requiring mitigation methods like disabling AF_ALG sockets. The exploit occurs in memory without leaving detectable traces on disk, making it challenging to detect with security software.

Tom's Hardware•
The most severe Linux threat to surface in years catches the world flat-footed

The most severe Linux threat to surface in years catches the world flat-footed

A critical Linux vulnerability, named CopyFail (CVE-2026-31431), has been disclosed by security researchers, allowing unprivileged users to gain root access across various Linux distributions. The exploit code, released by Theori, works universally without modification, posing a significant threat to data centers and personal devices. While the Linux kernel security team patched the vulnerability in several versions, many distributions had not yet implemented the fixes at the time of the exploit's release. This flaw enables attackers to execute malicious activities like hacking multi-tenant systems and creating backdoors, emphasizing the severity of the issue.

Ars Technica•
Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon capex spending to hit $725 billion in 2026, up 77% from last year — analyst says bear thesis is 'garbage'

Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon capex spending to hit $725 billion in 2026, up 77% from last year — analyst says bear thesis is 'garbage'

Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon are projected to collectively spend $725 billion on capex in 2026, a 77% increase from last year. Google saw strong cloud revenue growth, while rising memory chip prices impacted spending forecasts for Microsoft and Meta. Analysts believe the AI economy is robust, dismissing bearish perspectives. Alphabet's net income surged, with Google Cloud outpacing competitors and the company's capex guidance rising to $190 billion. Shares of Alphabet rose 7% after hours, pushing the company towards a record $4.3 trillion market valuation.

Tom's Hardware•
Victim of AI agent that deleted company's entire database gets their data back — cloud provider recovers critical files and broadens its 48-hour delayed delete policy

Victim of AI agent that deleted company's entire database gets their data back — cloud provider recovers critical files and broadens its 48-hour delayed delete policy

Railway, a cloud provider, successfully recovered a company's entire database that was mistakenly deleted by an AI agent. The incident prompted Railway to broaden its policy, implementing a 48-hour delayed delete feature to prevent similar mishaps. The company also made adjustments to its API and backup systems to enhance data protection. Railway acknowledged the need for improved security measures to prevent rogue AI agents from causing data loss in the future. The focus is now on refining tooling and permissions to ensure a more secure environment for users.

Tom's Hardware•
Developer re-enables 3D printer features that Bambu Lab disabled, firm promptly threatens legal action — OrcaSlicer-BambuLab project now shuttered

Developer re-enables 3D printer features that Bambu Lab disabled, firm promptly threatens legal action — OrcaSlicer-BambuLab project now shuttered

Developer Pawel Jarczak voluntarily shut down his "OrcaSlicer-BambuLab" project after receiving legal threats from Bambu Lab for re-enabling 3D printer features that Bambu had disabled. Bambu Lab accused Jarczak of reverse engineering their software and violating their Terms of Use. Jarczak insists he did nothing wrong as his fork of OrcaSlicer only used publicly available source code. Bambu Lab's decision to restrict access to its cloud servers impacted users' ability to control their printers and AMS settings through OrcaSlicer. Jarczak is now focusing on developing firmware for Klipper-based printers and crowdfunding the project.

Tom's Hardware•
PS5 Linux loader goes public, turning ‘Phat’ consoles into full Linux PCs — build script includes bootable Ubuntu 24.04 image, can output 4K games at 60 FPS

PS5 Linux loader goes public, turning ‘Phat’ consoles into full Linux PCs — build script includes bootable Ubuntu 24.04 image, can output 4K games at 60 FPS

Security engineer Andy Nguyen, also known as TheFlow, has released ps5-linux on GitHub, a toolchain for booting Linux on PlayStation 5 Phat consoles running specific firmware versions. The project includes a Linux payload, a build script for a bootable Ubuntu 24.04 image, tools for SSD installation, and a fan/CPU/GPU control utility. The PS5 can run as a Linux desktop with access to CPU and GPU boost clocks, outputting video and audio at up to 4K 60Hz. This soft mod requires re-running the exploit each time to boot into Linux and offers an affordable alternative for Linux gamers.

Tom's Hardware•
Open source package with 1 million monthly downloads stole user credentials

Open source package with 1 million monthly downloads stole user credentials

A widely used open source package with 1 million monthly downloads was compromised by threat actors exploiting a vulnerability in the developers’ account workflow, granting access to sensitive information. The malicious package, element-data 0.23.3, was distributed to users, collecting user credentials, API tokens, and more. Users who installed this version are advised to consider their credentials compromised. The attackers gained access through a GitHub action, allowing them to publish the malicious package. The developers swiftly removed the package, rotated credentials, and fixed the vulnerability.

Ars Technica•
Commodore backs down over FPGA firmware lockdown — it won’t now try and block third-party firmware installs but will stand firm against bricked modded units

Commodore backs down over FPGA firmware lockdown — it won’t now try and block third-party firmware installs but will stand firm against bricked modded units

Commodore has reversed its decision to block third-party firmware installs on the C64 Ultimate computer, allowing users to experiment freely. However, the company will not provide support or replacements for modded units that become bricked. The initial plan to restrict non-Commodore FPGA firmware caused a divide among fans, leading to heated discussions on social media and forums. Commodore now emphasizes user freedom but warns that using community-installed firmware is at the owner's risk, with no free support or warranty service provided for damaged units.

Tom's Hardware•
Intel shutters open-source evangelism program and archives key community projects — closures point to significant shift in open-source leadership

Intel shutters open-source evangelism program and archives key community projects — closures point to significant shift in open-source leadership

Intel has closed its Open Ecosystem Community and Evangelism initiative, signaling a shift away from its open-source advocacy role. The move is part of a broader trend of discontinuing internal open-source efforts amid restructuring. The company has archived key projects on GitHub, including AI, infrastructure, and developer tools, due to limited activity and maintenance challenges. This shift reflects Intel's evolving open-source strategy towards a more selective, product-focused approach, impacting developer engagement and platform visibility. The company's move away from broad ecosystem cultivation may have long-term implications for its open-source posture.

Tom's Hardware•
You can now run Linux on your ancient Windows 95 desktop with a new tool — very old Windows PCs, back to Intel 486, can cooperatively run very modern Linux kernels with WSL9x

You can now run Linux on your ancient Windows 95 desktop with a new tool — very old Windows PCs, back to Intel 486, can cooperatively run very modern Linux kernels with WSL9x

A new tool called WSL9x allows ancient Windows 95 desktops, even those with Intel 486 CPUs, to run modern Linux kernels cooperatively with Windows. The tool, shared by a computer tinkerer on Codeberg, enables users to run Windows and Linux apps side-by-side with a modern Linux kernel within early Windows versions. WSL9x consists of a patched Linux kernel, a VxD driver, and wsl.com, and does not require hardware virtualization. Users can enjoy the capabilities of both operating systems simultaneously without the need for reboots. In contrast, Linux is phasing out support for the 37-year-old Intel 486 CPU, with a patch expected to be merged into Linux 7.1, signaling the end of i486 kernel image builds.

Tom's Hardware•
Microsoft issues emergency update for macOS and Linux ASP.NET threat

Microsoft issues emergency update for macOS and Linux ASP.NET threat

Microsoft has issued an emergency update for its ASP.NET Core to address a critical vulnerability (CVE-2026-40372) affecting versions 10.0.0 through 10.0.6 of the Microsoft.AspNetCore.DataProtection NuGet package on macOS and Linux. The flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to gain SYSTEM privileges by forging authentication payloads during the HMAC validation process. Even after patching, devices may still be at risk if forged credentials created by threat actors are not removed. ASP.NET Core is a high-performance web development framework for creating .Net apps on various platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and Docker.

Ars Technica•

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