Submission + - Well, shit.
Cpt_Kirks writes: Patrick Stewart dead at 86.
Submission + - Patrik Stewart, Star Trek's Captain Jean-Luc Picard, has passed away at age 86 (hollywoodreporter.com)
Vrallis writes: "Patrick Stewart, the sophisticated actor who brought a Shakespearean touch to Star Trek and X-Men as he made an otherworldly transformation from British stage veteran to sci-fi icon, has died. He was 86."
Submission + - Industry executives knew for decades that microplastics were infiltrating the hu (latimes.com)
joshuark writes: Susanne Rust of the Los Angeles Times reports that industry executives knew for decades that microplastics were infiltrating the human body.
Scientists today say we’re just beginning to understand the harm that the tiny bits of plastic we drink, eat and breathe are doing to the human body.
Internal memos among company scientists and executives obtained by The Times reveal that for at least half a century, the plastics industry has been aware of and concerned about the potential for microplastic contamination in the human body.
But recently discovered chemical company documents dating back several decades show that industry scientists have long been aware of — and concerned about — the way microplastic particles migrate beyond the gut in animals and humans, depositing in important organs. And the potential for that knowledge to affect the plastic food packaging industry.
Their concern goes back to 1974 and a scientific meeting at a New York City hotel, where a German gastroenterologist presented a scientific paper that showed for the first time that ingested particles like microplastics could infiltrate the rest of the body.
His presentation was largely overlooked by the government scientists in attendance but became a point of worried discussion among company scientists.
Tracey Woodruff, professor of epidemiology and population health at Stanford University, who reviewed the documents, said they indicate scientists and executives at major chemical companies have known and remained silent even as microplastics accumulated in tissues. She likened it to other industries that knew about pollutants — greenhouse gases, asbestos and tobacco — but did not take action to make them safer.
A spokesperson with the chemical industry’s largest trade group took issue with that characterization.
“Scientific debate over what the evidence shows is not silence. It is how sound science and effective policy advance,” said Craig Davis, senior director of plastics chemistry at the American Chemistry Council. “Our industry is committed to advancing microplastics science by supporting independent research and policies that would do so.”
The Plastics Industry Assn. did not respond to requests for comment.
Scientists today say we’re just beginning to understand the harm that the tiny bits of plastic we drink, eat and breathe are doing to the human body.
Internal memos among company scientists and executives obtained by The Times reveal that for at least half a century, the plastics industry has been aware of and concerned about the potential for microplastic contamination in the human body.
But recently discovered chemical company documents dating back several decades show that industry scientists have long been aware of — and concerned about — the way microplastic particles migrate beyond the gut in animals and humans, depositing in important organs. And the potential for that knowledge to affect the plastic food packaging industry.
Their concern goes back to 1974 and a scientific meeting at a New York City hotel, where a German gastroenterologist presented a scientific paper that showed for the first time that ingested particles like microplastics could infiltrate the rest of the body.
His presentation was largely overlooked by the government scientists in attendance but became a point of worried discussion among company scientists.
Tracey Woodruff, professor of epidemiology and population health at Stanford University, who reviewed the documents, said they indicate scientists and executives at major chemical companies have known and remained silent even as microplastics accumulated in tissues. She likened it to other industries that knew about pollutants — greenhouse gases, asbestos and tobacco — but did not take action to make them safer.
A spokesperson with the chemical industry’s largest trade group took issue with that characterization.
“Scientific debate over what the evidence shows is not silence. It is how sound science and effective policy advance,” said Craig Davis, senior director of plastics chemistry at the American Chemistry Council. “Our industry is committed to advancing microplastics science by supporting independent research and policies that would do so.”
The Plastics Industry Assn. did not respond to requests for comment.
Submission + - How we're Strengthening PHP Security
Mirnotoriety writes: Today's PHP Security Release, and How We're Strengthening PHP Security
“Earlier today, the PHP project released PHP 8.5.12, 8.4.27, 8.3.36, and 8.2.35. These releases fix two critical vulnerabilities that, under the right conditions, allow an unauthenticated attacker to execute code on servers running PHP.”
CVE-2026-109618 / GHSA-w8hw-w9fx-j79w: RCE via OOM corruption (out-of-memory): If a request reached PHP's memory_limit at exactly the wrong moment, PHP could leave partially initialized internal data behind and later treat it as valid, corrupting memory.
CVE-2026-109619 / GHSA-6wmf-4rv5-p3rp: RCE via stale global state: A fatal error at the wrong point could leave internal state pointing to memory that belonged to a previous request ..
“Earlier today, the PHP project released PHP 8.5.12, 8.4.27, 8.3.36, and 8.2.35. These releases fix two critical vulnerabilities that, under the right conditions, allow an unauthenticated attacker to execute code on servers running PHP.”
CVE-2026-109618 / GHSA-w8hw-w9fx-j79w: RCE via OOM corruption (out-of-memory): If a request reached PHP's memory_limit at exactly the wrong moment, PHP could leave partially initialized internal data behind and later treat it as valid, corrupting memory.
CVE-2026-109619 / GHSA-6wmf-4rv5-p3rp: RCE via stale global state: A fatal error at the wrong point could leave internal state pointing to memory that belonged to a previous request
Comment Re:Windows XP ran on 128MB of RAM (Score 2) 91
2001: Windows XP ran on as little as 64mb with 128mb being the recommended.
2021: Windows 11 minum is 4gb is listed as the minimum. I've never even touched Windows 11, so I don't know if that is realistic.
The minimum specs for each system is a 64x multiple, as you said. That's a good observation. I'm pretty sure in the late 90s I was running Windows95 with 96mb and my motherboard was capped at 128mb. Negligible ram on the graphics card. It also could have only been 64mb. I don't have a clear memory of what I was running when I first got XP.
Today my PC is a partially upgraded (old) i7-4790k with 32gb ram and 10gb of ram on the video card, so approximately 448x increase in memory in ~25 years.
My Mac is 256gb unified, so ~2,730x multiple.
Still not to the Moore's Law rate!
Comment Re:I have only... (Score 2) 91
You know what, fuck all of you!
This is probably the best sentence (and post) that I have read on Slashdot in some time. Amen.
Comment Re:I'm sure AI is great (Score 1) 100
Another thing that I have found Claude is really good at doing is taking an error from a log and doing a deep dive analysis of what happened. I give it read-only database access, access to www logs, access to application logs, access to a checked out source tree, etc. I paste in the error message (or in some cases paste in a tech support email from a user) and have it write up an analysis, a proposed response to the customer, and any recommendations (if there is a bug or actual problem).
Submission + - Margret Hamilton, Director Working on the Apollo Guidence Computer, Passes Away
BrendaEM writes: From Wikipedia: Margaret Hamilton (née Heafield; August 17, 1936 – September 30, 2026) was an American computer scientist. She directed the Software Engineering Division at the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory, where she led the development of the on-board flight software for NASA's Apollo Guidance Computer for the Apollo program. She later founded two software companies, Higher Order Software in 1976 and Hamilton Technologies in 1986, both in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
https://arstechnica.com/scienc...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
https://arstechnica.com/scienc...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
Submission + - CATL launches 170 Wh/kg modular, heavy-duty vehicle battery w/621 mile range (interestingengineering.com)
fahrbot-bot writes: Interesting Engineering is reporting that the Chinese battery company CATL has unveiled its next-generation modular commercial vehicle battery platform, TECTRANS II, at IAA Transportation 2026 in Hanover.
Rather than a basic cell update, the system is a adaptable modular architecture that integrates into existing vehicle lines. Truck manufacturers can achieve up to 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of range on a single charge, backed by megawatt-level fast charging that replenishes 80% capacity in 25 minutes.
The battery delivers a gravimetric energy density of 170 Wh/kg, exceeding the industry average by 13% and increasing payload capacity by 0.6 tonnes.
CATL rates the heavy-duty truck setup for a 12-year, 1.5-million-kilometer (932,056 mile) operating lifecycle while retaining 70 percent capacity.
Rather than a basic cell update, the system is a adaptable modular architecture that integrates into existing vehicle lines. Truck manufacturers can achieve up to 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of range on a single charge, backed by megawatt-level fast charging that replenishes 80% capacity in 25 minutes.
The battery delivers a gravimetric energy density of 170 Wh/kg, exceeding the industry average by 13% and increasing payload capacity by 0.6 tonnes.
CATL rates the heavy-duty truck setup for a 12-year, 1.5-million-kilometer (932,056 mile) operating lifecycle while retaining 70 percent capacity.
Submission + - New tin-based solar cells trap heat 1,000 times longer, could beat 33% limit. (interestingengineering.com)
fahrbot-bot writes: Interesting Engineering is reporting that researchers at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands found that tin-based perovskite solar cells can slow heat loss from high-energy “hot electrons” by a factor of 1,000 and could push solar cell efficiency beyond the theoretical 33 percent limit.
When sunlight strikes a panel, photons jump-start electrons into action. The most energetic photons create super-charged hot electrons. Theoretically, these high-voltage powerhouses should generate far more electricity, but, in practice, they are fleeting. In fractions of a trillionth of a second, these high-energy particles rapidly cool, dumping their bonus energy as waste heat before ever leaving the solar cell.
“This means that the energy is lost before the hot electron exits the solar cell material,” said Jan Anton Koster, Professor of Physics of Novel Semiconductors and Devices at the University of Groningen.
Using a specialized solar cell material called tin-based perovskite, Loi’s lab performed a feat many thought impossible: she slowed the heat loss down by a factor of 1,000. Suddenly, the extra energy lingered for nanoseconds instead of vanishing in picoseconds.
The study findings were published in the journal ACS Energy Letters.
When sunlight strikes a panel, photons jump-start electrons into action. The most energetic photons create super-charged hot electrons. Theoretically, these high-voltage powerhouses should generate far more electricity, but, in practice, they are fleeting. In fractions of a trillionth of a second, these high-energy particles rapidly cool, dumping their bonus energy as waste heat before ever leaving the solar cell.
“This means that the energy is lost before the hot electron exits the solar cell material,” said Jan Anton Koster, Professor of Physics of Novel Semiconductors and Devices at the University of Groningen.
Using a specialized solar cell material called tin-based perovskite, Loi’s lab performed a feat many thought impossible: she slowed the heat loss down by a factor of 1,000. Suddenly, the extra energy lingered for nanoseconds instead of vanishing in picoseconds.
The study findings were published in the journal ACS Energy Letters.
Submission + - Google fined more than €400m by Irish regulator over its use of location da (theguardian.com)
AmiMoJo writes: Google has been fined more than €400m (£345m) over the way it processed users’ location data, following claims that the tech giant had manipulated users into agreeing to be constantly tracked on their mobile phones. The fine, imposed by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC), comes after complaints from multiple European consumer organisations that Google was following every step users took.
The DPC launched its inquiry six years ago and set out to find out whether Google had a valid legal basis for its use of location data. It found that Google users could have been unaware that their location was being used to influence them with adverts or to gather details about their health and interests.
The DPC launched its inquiry six years ago and set out to find out whether Google had a valid legal basis for its use of location data. It found that Google users could have been unaware that their location was being used to influence them with adverts or to gather details about their health and interests.
Comment Re:So what? (Score 1) 93
I've been using Claude to both understand and assist in writing new code in DB/C, an obscure dialect of another pretty obscure language called PL/B or DATABUS -- all of which are descendants of (or highly influenced by) COBOL. It's pretty fantastic. It's a codebase that is ~50 years old, hundreds of thousands of lines, with code spread throughout modules, with jump tables and gotos everywhere. The code itself is easy to read and understand, but the flow is not!
Submission + - Public inquiry 'clouded Letby's innocence'
Mirnotoriety writes: Letby’s lawyer: Public inquiry ‘clouded by her innocence’
The findings of the Thirlwall Inquiry will be clouded by Lucy Letby's innocence, her barrister has said.
On Tuesday, Lady Justice Thirlwall will publish the long-awaited report into how the NHS and other institutions could have prevented Letby from killing seven babies and attempting to murder seven more at the Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016.
But large numbers of medical and legal experts have questioned Letby's guilt and the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) is deciding whether to send her case back to the Court of Appeal.
At the outset of the inquiry in 2024, Lady Justice Thirlwall emphasised that the inquiry's remit was not to retry the case or review Letby's guilt.
She refused Mr McDonald's request for Letby to be represented in the £18m hearing ..
The findings of the Thirlwall Inquiry will be clouded by Lucy Letby's innocence, her barrister has said.
On Tuesday, Lady Justice Thirlwall will publish the long-awaited report into how the NHS and other institutions could have prevented Letby from killing seven babies and attempting to murder seven more at the Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016.
But large numbers of medical and legal experts have questioned Letby's guilt and the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) is deciding whether to send her case back to the Court of Appeal.
At the outset of the inquiry in 2024, Lady Justice Thirlwall emphasised that the inquiry's remit was not to retry the case or review Letby's guilt.
She refused Mr McDonald's request for Letby to be represented in the £18m hearing
Comment Re:Gamers Nexis fires back (Score 2) 123
Came to post this. LG's response isn't worth recycling into toilet paper.
It's nothing but technical gibberish in order to cover their ass until the business heads can either divest or destroy evidence and emails.
Submission + - Lawsuit challenges intimidation of DHS observers across the country (npr.org)
joshuark writes: NPR reports that a new lawsuit follows a handful of other cases brought by observers arguing First Amendment violations, but it is the most sweeping to date, as it includes incidents from multiple states and seeks national relief. It is asking a judge in Washington, D.C. to bar federal agencies from intimidating or retaliating against observers.
"The right of citizens to criticize and hold our government accountable is the backbone of American democracy – and it is under attack," Common Cause's vice president for litigation, Maryam Jazini Dorcheh, told NPR. "We want to make sure we're promoting participation in the political process. And obviously, if government officials are criminalizing peaceful observation, that hinders our mission," Jazini Dorcheh said.
The lawsuit describes disturbing encounters seven Common Cause members had with federal officers in Maryland, Minnesota and New Jersey after trying to observe immigration enforcement. They include being photographed, followed, reported to police, pepper-sprayed or threatened with a visit to their home by federal officers. Federal officers did show up at one Common Cause member's Minnesota home.
NPR did not receive an immediate response from DHS or DOJ about the lawsuit's allegations. The FBI declined to comment.
"The right of citizens to criticize and hold our government accountable is the backbone of American democracy – and it is under attack," Common Cause's vice president for litigation, Maryam Jazini Dorcheh, told NPR. "We want to make sure we're promoting participation in the political process. And obviously, if government officials are criminalizing peaceful observation, that hinders our mission," Jazini Dorcheh said.
The lawsuit describes disturbing encounters seven Common Cause members had with federal officers in Maryland, Minnesota and New Jersey after trying to observe immigration enforcement. They include being photographed, followed, reported to police, pepper-sprayed or threatened with a visit to their home by federal officers. Federal officers did show up at one Common Cause member's Minnesota home.
NPR did not receive an immediate response from DHS or DOJ about the lawsuit's allegations. The FBI declined to comment.
