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Batch file automated a clean-up job, then fouled itself by deleting the wrong directory
A reader known as “Pascal”, writing in The Register’s regular “Who, Me?” confessional column, recounted how a routine maintenance script he wrote crippled a company’s first Exchange server. Tasked with keeping the mailbox database running smoothly, he created a batch file to stop the Information Store, compact it, clear temporary files, and restart the service,…
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Ex-spy chief warns of Chinese spying risk as Lammy hit by fraudster phone number
TalkFuse briefing: security fears over a Chinese-owned Chery research hub near Millbrook and fresh embarrassment for David Lammy lead, alongside record cyclist-pedestrian casualties, Gary storm blackouts, dramatic Ryanair footage, Waymo’s new chip and a vitamin B6 depression breakthrough.
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Ancient ‘Who owns Linux?’ case now has one foot very deep in the grave
A US appeals court has dealt what looks like a near-fatal blow to a long-running legal dispute over the ownership of code within Linux, ruling that a claim brought by SCO successor Xinuos against IBM and Red Hat is invalid and time-barred. The case traces back to a failed 1998 partnership called Project Monterey, in…
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Arriva North London Bus Drivers Strike Next Week Over Hot Working Conditions
More than 1,500 bus drivers employed by Arriva in North London will strike next week after negotiations with management collapsed without resolution. The industrial action centres on concerns about excessive heat in buse
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Arriva bus strikes return, Trump slams Canada, Thailand hit by arson wave
London bus drivers plan fresh strikes over hot working conditions, Trump lashes out at Canada after trade talks collapse, and Thailand faces over fifty co-ordinated arson attacks, plus Iran’s economic woes, Premier League kick-off and Mateta’s Palace contract battle.
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TechCrunch Mobility: The custom chip driving Waymo’s robotaxi ambitions
Waymo has revealed that a custom-built silicon chip is central to its sixth-generation self-driving system, offering a clearer picture of how the company plans to make its robotaxi business commercially viable. The disclosure comes as Waymo opens its next-generation Ojai robotaxi to all riders in Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco, and follows the firm’s…
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These modern smartwatches are in their last year of updates
Several popular smartwatches from Apple, Google and Samsung will lose software support during 2026, marking the end of new features and, in some cases, security updates for these devices. The watches will keep working for basic tasks like step tracking and notifications, but the loss of security patches raises concerns for anyone using them for…
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After more than 15 years of laptops in the classroom, do Australian schools need a rethink?
Australia is reconsidering its heavy reliance on laptops and personal devices in classrooms, after federal education minister Jason Clare suggested children need a “digital detox” and Victoria announced it will scrap bring-your-own-device programmes in primary schools from January. The debate has gained momentum following disappointing Naplan results, which some commentators have labelled a “national tragedy”,…
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Illicit deeds have just gotten a new Halloween video game banned in Australia – and it’s not because of the violence
The upcoming multiplayer game Halloween: The Game has been refused classification in Australia, meaning it cannot legally be sold in the country. The ban stems not from its graphic violence, which includes brutal killings inspired by the horror film franchise, but from a mechanic allowing players to smoke marijuana to reveal the location of villain…
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How Cursor beat Git’s scalability shortcomings
Cursor, the AI coding assistant company, has detailed how it built its own Git repository service, called Origin, to overcome scalability problems that have long plagued the distributed version control system, particularly as AI coding agents generate ever more code, pull requests and CI runs. In a technical post, Cursor principal systems engineer Vicent Martí,…