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Meta's Executive Bonus Bonanza: Massive Raises After Layoffs Spark Outrage

2025-02-22

Meta's Executive Bonus Bonanza: Massive Raises After Layoffs Spark Outrage

Meta has significantly increased executive bonuses to 200% of base salary, following recent layoffs affecting 3,700 employees. While Meta justifies the move by claiming it aligns with industry compensation, the timing, shortly after reducing stock options for remaining staff, has fueled criticism. This comes as CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced a massive $60 billion investment in AI infrastructure for 2025, potentially explaining the increased executive compensation but raising questions about its long-term success.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech Executive Bonuses

STOP AI: Radical Protest Against AGI Development

2025-02-21

STOP AI: Radical Protest Against AGI Development

A radical group called STOP AI is actively protesting the development of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) by companies like OpenAI. They believe AGI poses an existential threat to humanity and are calling for governments to ban its development and even destroy existing models. The group's members have diverse backgrounds, ranging from engineers to physicists, and they're employing various methods, including protests and civil disobedience, aiming to rally 3.5% of the US population to effect change. The case also involves the death of former OpenAI employee Suchir Balaji, with STOP AI demanding a thorough investigation. Despite the immense challenges, they remain determined in their fight to halt AGI development.

(www.theregister.com)

AI civil protest

HP Scraps 15-Minute Phone Support Wait Time After Backlash

2025-02-21

HP Scraps 15-Minute Phone Support Wait Time After Backlash

HP abruptly reversed its controversial policy of imposing a 15-minute mandatory wait time for telephone support. The policy, implemented in several European countries, aimed to push customers towards online support channels. However, negative feedback from both customers and internal staff led to its swift cancellation. HP stated that timely access to live agents is paramount and they will prioritize quick phone support.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech phone support

Ghost Ransomware: FBI and CISA Issue Joint Warning

2025-02-21

Ghost Ransomware: FBI and CISA Issue Joint Warning

The FBI and CISA have issued a joint advisory warning of the Ghost ransomware, active since 2021 and impacting critical infrastructure across various sectors in over 70 countries. The attackers exploit known vulnerabilities, using tools like Cobalt Strike to move laterally, steal data, and encrypt files for ransom. Effective defenses include patching vulnerabilities, regular backups, and monitoring for unauthorized activities, such as PowerShell usage. Victims with unaffected backups often restored operations without paying.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech

Dark Mode's Energy-Saving Myth Busted: BBC Research Reveals Unexpected Findings

2025-02-20

Dark Mode's Energy-Saving Myth Busted: BBC Research Reveals Unexpected Findings

Contrary to popular belief, using dark mode on apps and websites may not save energy. A BBC Research & Development study found that users often increase screen brightness when using dark mode, negating its potential energy savings and potentially increasing consumption. In their experiment, 80% of participants boosted brightness in dark mode. Furthermore, website responsiveness and data transfer showed little correlation with energy usage. The researchers conclude that relying solely on dark mode or website optimization for energy efficiency is misguided; lowering screen brightness is a more effective approach.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech

HP's 15-Minute Phone Wait: Forcing Customers Online?

2025-02-20

HP's 15-Minute Phone Wait: Forcing Customers Online?

HP Inc. is implementing a minimum 15-minute wait time for phone support in several European countries for consumer PC and print customers. This is a deliberate strategy to drive customers towards online support channels and reduce warranty costs. Internal sources express concern, highlighting the disconnect between decision-makers and the impacted customers. While HP claims to monitor customer satisfaction metrics, the move is likely to push some customers towards alternative support methods like social media or live chat.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech customer service online support

Microsoft's Valentine's Day Surprise: Cortana Location History Axed, GDPR Compliance Efforts

2025-02-20

Microsoft's Valentine's Day Surprise: Cortana Location History Axed, GDPR Compliance Efforts

Microsoft released Windows 11 24H2 preview build 26120.3281 to Dev and Beta channels, removing the Location History API for Cortana and making changes to address European privacy concerns. The API, previously deprecated, allowed Cortana to access 24 hours of location data. The update also disables account-based content in File Explorer for Entra IDs in the EEA, impacting Recent, Favorites, and Recommended features. Additionally, the update includes one-click OneDrive file resuming and an upcoming Recall update that will delete all existing snapshots. The rollout to the general release of Windows 11 remains uncertain.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech

Urgent: Critical Palo Alto Networks Firewall Vulnerability Under Active Exploit

2025-02-19

Urgent: Critical Palo Alto Networks Firewall Vulnerability Under Active Exploit

Three vulnerabilities in Palo Alto Networks' PAN-OS software allow attackers to gain root access to affected systems. CVE-2025-0108 allows unauthenticated attackers to bypass authentication, CVE-2024-9474 allows privilege escalation, and CVE-2025-0111 enables reading files accessible to the "nobody" user. Attackers are actively chaining these vulnerabilities to gain full control. Palo Alto Networks has released patches and urges immediate upgrades, especially for systems with internet-facing management interfaces. Even with restricted access, patching is crucial.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech

NAND Flash Prices Plummet Amidst Oversupply

2025-02-18

NAND Flash Prices Plummet Amidst Oversupply

NAND flash prices are expected to fall due to oversupply, forcing memory chipmakers to cut production. Lower-than-expected demand from PC and smartphone manufacturers is contributing to the glut. TrendForce revised growth forecasts down to 10-15% for 2025. While prices are expected to remain weak in the first half of 2025, AI server demand for SSDs is projected to boost shipments in the second half. The market is adjusting, with experts predicting a price recovery in the latter half of the year driven by AI and the transition to advanced technologies.

(www.theregister.com)

Hardware Memory Chips Oversupply

Schneier's 'Data and Goliath' Prediction: A Decade Later, Privacy Lost?

2025-02-17

Schneier's 'Data and Goliath' Prediction: A Decade Later, Privacy Lost?

A decade after Bruce Schneier's book, 'Data and Goliath,' warned about government and tech giants exploiting personal data, his predictions ring eerily true. Data harvesting continues, especially for AI model training, leaving personal privacy almost completely compromised. Schneier advocates for comprehensive privacy laws and regulation of mass surveillance, but this remains unlikely in the short term. While some regions have implemented regulations, surveillance capitalism and the power of tech monopolies hinder meaningful change. Individual efforts to protect privacy are largely ineffective, and even companies like Apple offer limited protection. Schneier remains cautiously optimistic about long-term privacy, but acknowledges a long road ahead.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech

The Open Source Maintainer Crisis: Burnout, Pressure, and an Uncertain Future

2025-02-17

The Open Source Maintainer Crisis: Burnout, Pressure, and an Uncertain Future

The 2025 State Of Open conference highlighted the plight of open source maintainers: volunteers pour countless hours into projects with little support, leading many to quit or consider quitting. The resignation of Asahi Linux lead Hector Martin due to burnout and demanding users exemplifies this crisis. Maintainers face pressure from users, endless requests, and occasional negativity. Even with minimal corporate sponsorship, the demands far outweigh the support. Surveys reveal many maintainers considering quitting, and many projects may become unmaintained. The problem isn't solely financial; it also requires more contributors to share non-coding tasks like community management and fundraising. But change needs a catalyst—perhaps a major project collapse will finally convince people that paying open source maintainers is crucial.

(www.theregister.com)

Development open source maintenance community pressure

Improved Meetings, Lost Job: A Tale of Office Politics

2025-02-17

Improved Meetings, Lost Job: A Tale of Office Politics

Palmer, an IT engineer, couldn't stand his team's inefficient weekly meetings. He bravely suggested improvements: shortening the meeting to 30 minutes, limiting speaking time to two minutes, and adding one-on-one meetings. While his suggestions were well-received by the team and improved the meetings, he was subsequently rated 'Needs Improvement' in his annual review and accused of lacking teamwork. Palmer leveraged his skills to secure three job offers, and the team he left was reorganized a year later due to poor performance. This story highlights the complexities of office politics, where even doing the right thing can have unforeseen consequences.

(www.theregister.com)

Misc office politics meeting efficiency

Asahi Linux Lead Resigns Amidst Burnout and Community Conflict

2025-02-14

Asahi Linux Lead Resigns Amidst Burnout and Community Conflict

Hector Martin, project lead of Asahi Linux, resigned due to developer burnout, demanding users, and Linus Torvalds' handling of Rust integration into the Linux kernel. Martin criticized Torvalds' lack of support and accused the Linux community of hypocrisy and malicious attacks. He cited Torvalds' poor leadership in handling Rust integration, leading to abuse of power by maintainers. This highlights the growing issue of developer burnout and community conflict in open source, and the need for sustainable funding for open source projects.

(www.theregister.com)

Development developer burnout

Apple's Privacy Policy Under Fire: German Regulator Investigates Double Standard

2025-02-14

Apple's Privacy Policy Under Fire: German Regulator Investigates Double Standard

Germany's competition watchdog is investigating Apple's App Tracking Transparency framework (ATTF), alleging a double standard. While Apple enforces strict user data consent rules on third-party developers, the investigation suggests Apple exempts itself, leveraging its vast ecosystem (App Store, Apple ID, connected devices) to collect user data for advertising purposes with less stringent consent requirements. This disparity in treatment, along with simpler consent dialogues for Apple's own apps compared to third-party apps, could constitute unfair competition. Apple has yet to respond.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech

LibreOffice at 40: New Tricks for an Old Dog

2025-02-13

LibreOffice at 40: New Tricks for an Old Dog

LibreOffice, the open-source office suite celebrating its 40th anniversary, showcased impressive new features at FOSDEM 2025. Allotropia's work on distributed real-time collaboration for Writer, using CRDTs, enables simultaneous editing similar to Google Docs but locally, without needing an internet connection. Furthermore, ZetaOffice, a WebAssembly port of LibreOffice, runs in any browser on any OS and CPU, and is scriptable via JavaScript. This offers powerful rich text editing capabilities for web apps, potentially challenging Microsoft's dominance and breathing new life into LibreOffice.

(www.theregister.com)

Development Open Source Office Suite

Ellison: Governments Need to Pool All Data for AI Success

2025-02-13

Ellison: Governments Need to Pool All Data for AI Success

Oracle CEO Larry Ellison argues that governments must consolidate all data, including genomic information, to leverage AI effectively for improved services and security. Speaking at the World Government Summit, he envisions AI-driven advancements in healthcare and agriculture, but acknowledges the potential for widespread surveillance. Ellison highlights Oracle's substantial investment in AI infrastructure, including a massive new data center and participation in the Stargate project, to support this vision.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech Data Consolidation Government

Australia's Treasury Copilot Trial: ROI Positive, But Employee Confidence Lags

2025-02-13

Australia's Treasury Copilot Trial: ROI Positive, But Employee Confidence Lags

A 14-week trial of Microsoft 365 Copilot by Australia's Department of the Treasury showed a positive return on investment (ROI), but employee confidence in its workplace effectiveness fell short. The trial revealed Copilot's actual applicability was lower than anticipated, with most participants using it less than three times a week. While Copilot excelled at basic administrative tasks like summarizing information and generating meeting minutes, it struggled with more complex tasks. The Treasury concluded that more careful staff selection, comprehensive training, and ongoing monitoring of AI's impact are crucial. The findings also hinted that AI-as-a-service might not be suitable for organizations handling sensitive data like the Treasury, suggesting on-premises AI infrastructure may be preferable.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech

The Information Deluge: Coping with the News Overload

2025-02-12

The Information Deluge: Coping with the News Overload

Reflecting on a 45-year career in tech, the author laments the shift from singular news sources to highly personalized strategies in the age of information overload. From the initial era of TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines, to the explosion of USENET and the web, news sources have multiplied exponentially, exceeding human information processing capacity. Faced with a deluge of information that's often untrustworthy or irrelevant, people have developed coping mechanisms, including complete disconnection and digital sabbaths. The author argues we need a fundamental rethink of our relationship with information, cultivating better discernment skills and building psychological and cultural defenses to navigate the chaos. This isn't a problem solvable by technology or law; it requires individual effort to improve our capacity to manage information overload.

(www.theregister.com)

Misc information filtering

US, UK, and Australia Sanction Russian 'Bulletproof Hosting' Provider Zservers

2025-02-11

US, UK, and Australia Sanction Russian 'Bulletproof Hosting' Provider Zservers

The US, UK, and Australia have jointly sanctioned Zservers, a Russian 'bulletproof hosting' provider, and several individuals linked to it. Zservers provided services to the LockBit ransomware operation, helping them evade law enforcement. This trilateral action aims to disrupt cybercrime and protect national security. Sanctions target Zservers, its UK subsidiary XHOST Internet Solutions, and six key individuals, two of whom are alleged Zservers administrators accused of providing services to LockBit and other ransomware groups, and managing related cryptocurrency transactions.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech

Microsoft's Open Source PostgreSQL Extension Challenges MongoDB's Dominance

2025-02-11

Microsoft's Open Source PostgreSQL Extension Challenges MongoDB's Dominance

Microsoft's release of an open-source extension stack for PostgreSQL to handle document-style data is not only a challenge to MongoDB's NoSQL dominance but also blurs the lines between relational and non-relational databases. This move, from a company built on proprietary software, aims to attract developers with its lightweight approach. The extensions, pg_documentdb_core and pg_documentdb_api, support BSON and provide MongoDB-compatible commands. They work with FerretDB, an open-source MongoDB alternative. Experts see this as document databases becoming features within relational systems. MongoDB dismissed the move, while FerretDB sees it as an opportunity to build a stronger, collaborative foundation for MongoDB alternatives. The move highlights the evolving landscape of database technology and the increasing convergence of relational and NoSQL approaches.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech

IT Hiring: A Rollercoaster Ride?

2025-02-10

IT Hiring: A Rollercoaster Ride?

While US Bureau of Labor Statistics data paints a bleak picture of IT hiring, Janco Associates argues otherwise. A reclassification of job titles led to a downward revision of over 111,000 positions in November and December 2024, resulting in a net loss of 123,200 IT jobs for the year. However, Janco reports that IT hiring is actually on the rise, with 11,000 new roles added in January 2025. Despite this, January's IT unemployment rate remained at 5.7%, higher than the national average. High demand exists for AI specialists, security professionals, and new technology programmers. Janco predicts IT job growth in the next five years, but anticipates the elimination of many white-collar IT roles due to AI automation.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech IT hiring

Google Discovers Critical AMD Processor Vulnerability: Microcode Manipulation

2025-02-09

Google Discovers Critical AMD Processor Vulnerability: Microcode Manipulation

Google researchers have uncovered a critical security flaw in AMD processors. Attackers can manipulate the microcode to control processor behavior, bypassing security features like Secure Encrypted Virtualization (SEV) and the root of trust. The vulnerability exploits an insecure hash function in the processor, allowing the loading of unauthorized microcode. While kernel-level access is required, it poses a significant threat to systems running virtual machines. AMD has released a patch, but it requires updating microcode and BIOS through system manufacturers. The vulnerability affects Zen-based processors dating back to 2017.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech processor security microcode

Chrome's Manifest V3: A Nightmare for Ad Blocker Developers?

2025-02-08

Chrome's Manifest V3: A Nightmare for Ad Blocker Developers?

Google's Chrome Manifest V3 (MV3) extension architecture overhaul continues to cause headaches for developers of ad blockers, content filters, and privacy tools. While Google claims MV3 aims to improve security and performance, developers like those behind AdGuard and uBlock Origin find its restrictions far more severe than anticipated, limiting or even preventing core functionality. Developers complain that MV3 increases development difficulty and accuse Google of slow responses to developer feedback, even subtly undermining extensions through UI changes. This raises questions about Google's true intentions: is it about improving security and privacy, or subtly limiting extension capabilities?

(www.theregister.com)

Development Chrome Extensions

Microsoft's Sneaky Copilot Price Hike: Opt-Out or Pay Up

2025-02-07

Microsoft's Sneaky Copilot Price Hike: Opt-Out or Pay Up

Microsoft is notifying users of a price increase for their Microsoft 365 Personal subscriptions, attributing it to the inclusion of the AI assistant, Copilot. However, this isn't a simple price adjustment; Microsoft is automatically adding Copilot to subscriptions unless users actively cancel and choose a Copilot-free plan. This has sparked backlash, with accusations of using 'dark patterns' to force users to pay for an unwanted service. While Microsoft offers a cheaper Copilot-less option, the default inclusion of Copilot is drawing criticism.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech Price Hike

Arm Drops Qualcomm Lawsuit, Paving Way for Oryon's Continued Success

2025-02-07

Arm Drops Qualcomm Lawsuit, Paving Way for Oryon's Continued Success

Arm has abandoned its attempt to terminate a key license with Qualcomm, allowing Qualcomm to continue producing its own Arm-compatible chips for PCs, phones, and servers. The lawsuit stemmed from Qualcomm's 2021 acquisition of Nuvia, which held an advanced Architecture License Agreement (ALA) and whose Oryon CPU cores power Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips. Arm argued Nuvia transferred designs without permission, but the jury largely sided with Qualcomm. This benefits Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Series and Snapdragon 8 Elite chips (for PCs and high-end phones respectively), bolstering their position in the AI market. While Arm notes other lawsuits are ongoing, its financial forecasts already account for this outcome, expecting continued royalty payments from Qualcomm. Both companies expressed confidence that the rise of smaller, powerful LLMs won't significantly impact their businesses and are committed to supporting on-device LLM execution.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech chip licensing

Linux Kernel Maintainers Resist Rust: A Programming Language War

2025-02-06

Linux Kernel Maintainers Resist Rust: A Programming Language War

The integration of Rust into the Linux kernel is proving bumpy. Several kernel maintainers strongly oppose using Rust, citing increased complexity and risk associated with multiple languages. Recent discussions surrounding a Rust driver's use of the DMA API reignited the conflict. Maintainer Christoph Hellwig explicitly rejected Rust code, arguing that maintaining multi-language projects is painful and that Rust developers should handle interfacing with C code themselves. While the Rust for Linux project aims to simplify integration through an abstraction layer, Hellwig maintains this adds maintenance overhead. This controversy highlights differing stances within the Linux community on programming language choices and the challenges of integrating new technologies into existing large systems. A maintainer even resigned because of the situation. The ultimate outcome remains to be seen, but it will have a profound impact on the future direction of Linux.

(www.theregister.com)

Development

Oracle's JavaScript Trademark Dispute: A Protracted Legal Battle

2025-02-06

Oracle's JavaScript Trademark Dispute: A Protracted Legal Battle

A community effort led by Deno Land CEO Ryan Dahl is challenging Oracle's ownership of the "JavaScript" trademark, sparking controversy. Oracle is accused of submitting false materials in its trademark renewal application and attempting to delay legal proceedings. The core of the dispute lies in whether JavaScript has become a generic term and whether Oracle has abandoned the trademark. Oracle counters that it has legitimate grounds and submits additional evidence. This legal battle reflects the strict protection of trademarks by tech giants and the efforts of the open-source community to secure fair use.

(www.theregister.com)

Development trademark dispute

DHS OIG Audits TSA's Airport Facial Recognition

2025-02-04

DHS OIG Audits TSA's Airport Facial Recognition

Following concerns from lawmakers and privacy advocates, the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General (DHS OIG) has launched an audit of the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) use of facial recognition technology at US airports. The audit will examine the technology's effectiveness in enhancing security while protecting passenger privacy. Despite TSA's claim of 99.7% accuracy, thousands of misidentifications could still occur daily with widespread deployment. This audit comes in response to senators' concerns about TSA's planned expansion of facial recognition, following the failure of a bill to halt it.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech

Dell Mandates Return to Office: Hybrid Work Policy Scrapped

2025-02-01

Dell Mandates Return to Office: Hybrid Work Policy Scrapped

Dell Technologies is ending its hybrid work arrangement in March, requiring all employees previously allowed to work from home part-time to return to the office for a full five-day work week. Those working remotely within an hour's drive of a Dell office must also commute daily. CEO Michael Dell justified the decision by emphasizing the benefits of in-person communication and citing the full-time office presence of sales, manufacturing, and engineering teams. This contradicts previous statements about remote work flexibility and has sparked employee discontent. Dell claims the change is aimed at boosting innovation and market leadership.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech

Microsoft's New Surfaces: Intel-Powered Models Cost $400 More

2025-01-31

Microsoft's New Surfaces: Intel-Powered Models Cost $400 More

Microsoft launched new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models for business customers, powered by Intel's Core Ultra processors. These are $400 more expensive than their Qualcomm Snapdragon-based counterparts. The Intel-based models start at $1499 with a second-gen Core Ultra 5 processor, 16GB RAM, and 256GB storage. Qualcomm-based Surfaces start at $1099. Consumer models currently only offer Qualcomm options. Available February 18th, the new Surfaces support Microsoft's new AI-enhanced mobile device management portal.

(www.theregister.com)

Hardware

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