TheRegister
Vintage computing boffin releases expansive Intel 286 test suite
The developer of MartyPC, an emulator for vintage Intel-compatible hardware that targets cycle accuracy, has released a test suite for Intel's classic 80286 processor and compatibles – created, in a fit of raw enthusiasm and hyperfocus, by single-stepping a physical chip from the mid-1980s through the execution of almost 1.5 million instructions.…
AWS slaps usage caps on Kiro as AI editor preview proves too popular for its own good
AWS has introduced daily usage limits and a user waitlist for Kiro, its preview spec-driven AI editor, citing unexpectedly high demand as it works to scale the system.…
Please, FOSS world, we need something like ChromeOS
Comment Dear Santa. For Windows-10-end-of-support-day in October, please may we have a dead simple bulletproof all-free OS that gets old PCs online without a Google account, and does nothing else?…
Radio geeks reveal how to access crucial hurricane data after US Department of Defense cut it off
With the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) set to shut down a key satellite data stream used in US hurricane forecasting, a group of amateur radio enthusiasts has stepped in with a decoder they say could fill the gap.…
Four new Android spyware samples linked to Iran's intel agency
Four new samples of Android spyware linked to the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) that collects WhatsApp data, records audio and video, and hunts for files by name, surfaced shortly after the Iran-Israel conflict began.…
Composer for worst Tomb Raider games jailed over COVID-19 loan fraud
Sad news for the three people who fondly remember the soundtracks to turn-of-the-millennium Tomb Raider – their composer, Peter Connelly, has been sentenced to 16 months behind bars for COVID-19 loan fraud.…
Microsoft patches under-attack SharePoint 2019 and SE
Microsoft is releasing out-of-band security updates for SharePoint Server 2019 and SharePoint Server Subscription Edition, following a warning that vulnerable versions were now under attack.…
Selling your digital soul to use Bluesky's DMs isn't just a bad idea, it's the law
Opinion On June 10, social network Bluesky announced that in 15 days it would introduce age verification for UK users, to comply with the UK Online Safety Act. As this law threatens non-compliant content companies with eight-figure fines from July 25, you can see why. The how, however, is breathtakingly inexcusable.…
Under-qualified sysadmin crashed Amazon.com for 3 hours with a typo
Who, Me? Welcome again to "Who, Me?" – The Register's Monday column in which readers admit to making mistakes and explain how they managed to keep their careers going afterwards.…
Alaska Airlines grounds itself due to mysterious IT problem
US carrier Alaska Airlines has grounded its fleet due to an unspecified IT issue.…
Japan discovers object out beyond Pluto that rewrites the Planet 9 theory
Asia In Brief Japan’s National Astronomical Observatory last week announced the discovery of a small body with an orbit beyond Pluto’s, and scientists think its presence means the “Planet 9” theory should be revisited.…
Vibe coding service Replit deleted user’s production database, faked data, told fibs galore
The founder of SaaS business development outfit SaaStr has claimed AI coding tool Replit deleted a database despite his instructions not to change any code without permission.…
Microsoft patches failed to fix on-prem SharePoint, which is now under zero-day attack
Infosec In Brief Microsoft has warned users of SharePoint Server that three on-prem versions of the product include a zero-day flaw that is under attack – and that its own failure to completely fix past problems is the cause.…
US signals intention to rethink job H-1B lottery
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) intend to reevaluate how H-1B visas are issued, according to a regulatory filing.…
UK uncovers novel Microsoft snooping malware, blames and sanctions GRU cyberspies
The UK government is warning that Russia's APT28 (also known as Fancy Bear or Forest Blizzard) has been deploying previously unknown malware to harvest Microsoft email credentials and steal access to compromised accounts.…
China proves that open models are more effective than all the GPUs in the world
Comment OpenAI was supposed to make good on its name and release its first open-weights model since GPT-2 this week.…
Ex-IDF cyber chief on Iran, Scattered Spider, and why social engineering worries him more than 0-days
Interview Scattered Spider and Iranian government-backed cyber units have more in common than a recent uptick in hacking activity, according to Ariel Parnes, a former colonel in the Israeli Defense Forces' cyber unit 8200.…
Republican calls out Trump admin's decision to resume GPU sales to China
The Republican chair of the US House Select Committee on China has protested the Trump administration's decision this week to lift restrictions on the sale of Nvidia H20 GPUs and similar processors, warning the chips could be used to advance Chinese AI and military interests.…
Meta declines to abide by voluntary EU AI safety guidelines
Two weeks before the EU AI Act takes effect, the European Commission issued voluntary guidelines for providers of general-purpose AI models. However, Meta refused to sign, arguing that the extra measures introduce "legal uncertainties" beyond the law's scope.…
Foundry competition heats up as Japan’s Rapidus says 2nm chip tech on track for 2027
Japanese foundry upstart Rapidus says it's on track to begin volume production of 2nm process tech after achieving a major milestone this week.…