Security teams log 54% of successful attacks and alert on just 14%. The rest move through your environment unseen.
The Picus whitepaper shows how breach and attack simulation tests your SIEM and EDR rules so threats stop slipping by detection.
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Fake Roblox Xeno script launcher pushes infostealer, RAT malware
Fake Xeno Executor installers are infecting unsuspecting Roblox players with malware that provides remote access and steals sensitive information.
Xeno Executor is a popular Roblox utility for running scripts that players can use to automate actions or run custom code on the platform, including cheats.
The tool isn’t an official part of the game, so the Roblox client periodically blocks existing versions, forcing the tool’s creators to release new versions that run undetected.
Cybersecurity company Bitdefender discovered a campaign targeting Roblox users since the start of the year, rising sharply in March before stabilizing.
The researchers found that the fake Xeno is promoted to Roblox players through gaming forums, Discord communities, or via compromised or impersonated accounts controlled by the threat actors.
The attackers advertise the malware as an “undetected” version of Xeno, luring users looking for a version that wouldn’t be detected by Roblox’s anti-cheat protections.
The victims download ZIP archives containing the fake Xeno installers along with instructions, or self-extracting archives that unpack content automatically.
To make these packages look authentic, the attackers recreate the directory structure of a legitimate Xeno installation, include some genuine Lua scripts, and use plausible filenames.
Once victims launch ‘xeno.exe,’ as instructed, believing it is the legitimate Xeno executable, they actually run the first-stage malware loader.
The payload checks for a Java Runtime Environment, and extracts one if necessary, then reads a local file containing the validation keys for the attackers’ command-and-control (C2) server.
It then launches an obfuscated Java payload disguised as ‘decompiler.exe,’ which performs environment checks, registers the victim, and downloads the final malware payload.
Source: Bitdefender
The final payload is a Java-based RAT and information stealer malware that combines credential theft with surveillance and remote administration capabilities.
Its most important capabilities are summarized as follows:
- Steals browser data including cookies and other stored user data from Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi.
- Targets online accounts and payment data, including Discord, Roblox, Minecraft, Microsoft Store tokens, and payment information associated with Discord and Microsoft Store accounts.
- Steals cryptocurrency wallet data, with dedicated functionality targeting Exodus Wallet and support for identifying numerous other cryptocurrency wallets.
- Provides surveillance capabilities, including keylogging, mouse activity logging, screenshot capturing, desktop streaming, and webcam access.
- Enables full remote control, allowing attackers to upload and download files, execute PowerShell commands, and access an interactive remote shell.
Bitdefender believes the campaign is the same as the one ThreatLocker previously documented as “Powercat,” but with significant updates to the malware’s capabilities and a new C2 infrastructure, indicating continuous evolution.
Bitdefender has shared indicators of compromise (IoCs) for the campaign and recommends that Roblox players completely avoid installing third-party tools from obscure sources.
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from the everything-is-about-to-get-much-dumber dept
Ideally, I think it makes sense to open up the U.S. market to Chinese goods (AI, EVs, robots), but have functional and well-funded regulators that policy all labor, competition, environmental, privacy, and consumer rights abuses. But big companies don’t much like that because it would boost competition and accountability, eroding quarterly revenues.
So instead we get protectionism. Or in the case of the Trump administration, protectionism run by a bunch of corrupt, incompetent clowns who gutted most of our federal regulators, then saddled them with an elaborate new policy ask that’s impossible to implement, even if the admin were competent.
Which it isn’t.
If you want a good idea of what Trump protectionism looks like in practice, I recommend this Verge piece about the Trump effort to ban Chinese drones. Spoiler: it’s not going well, and it’s trivial to trick the administration and bypass the ban without doing much, resulting in U.S. consumers losing access to lower-cost popular goods (DJI was the most popular and successful drone maker by far) under the pretense this is helping Americans and rekindling U.S. domestic electronics manufacturing.
Having unsuccessfully “blocked” Chinese drones (read: caused a bunch of annoying and pointless chaos), the Trump administration is dramatically expanding its protectionist campaign to include everything from cheap Chinese power converters (necessary for the world’s migration away from fossil fuels), to low-cost Chinese vacuum robots:
“While the government did include “humanoid robots” and “quadrupeds” among the bots it wants to ban, the ban is far broader than that. It covers almost any new software-controlled robot that travels over the ground, weighs more than 4.4 pounds (including any dock), can perceive its environment, and has wireless connectivity.
By that definition, the FCC is banning future robot lawnmowers, sidewalk delivery robots, and the robots that crate around packages at your local Amazon warehouse, too.”
Great stuff. Surely this will be competently enforced by… (checks notes)… Brendan fucking Carr.
Like his bumbling and unpopular boss, Brendan Carr has always made a gigantic stink about China. If you recall, he was one of the biggest proponents of a “ban on TikTok,” which he claimed was necessary to protect national security and stop propaganda. The solution to that problem was to steal the company and offload it to Trump’s billionaire friends so they could spread propaganda and abuse privacy.
The stupidity, xenophobia, and corruption on display with the Trump “TikTok ban” is going to be adapted for AI, and the next six to twelve months of U.S. tech policy will be dumber and more chaotic than ever. Especially as the biggest U.S. AI companies — swimming in debt, facing a data center glut bubble, and a long way from profitability — look to the government to protect them from all manner of competition (foreign, on device, open source, whatever).
This may come as a surprise to you, but Trump incorporated doesn’t actually care about protecting U.S. consumers from Roomba privacy abuses, propaganda, or national security abuses. If they did, they wouldn’t be supporting Trumpism. If they did, they’d regulate data brokers and pass a modern internet privacy law that applied to every company and executive doing business in the U.S.
What they care about is stuff like trying to shovel more drone business to the president’s sons, or protecting Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk from having to compete with cheaper overseas AI models.
Being mindlessly and personally transactional, the Trump administration is also keen to erect additional troll and tribute systems if companies want to continue doing business in the U.S. The money will go to his business interests and allies, but in a bid to appeal to nationalists, it’s going to all be layered under the pretense that this is all going to magically shift robotic manufacturing back to the U.S:
“But again, the government isn’t asking these companies any questions about security — not one — to get the waiver that lets them through. The FCC only wants to know where they’re designed and made and assembled and tested and influenced, and get a specific commitment to start manufacturing them in the US instead.”
But they’re not going to be competent enough to make any of this happen, even if shifting the entirety of low-cost electronics manufacturing back to the U.S. was a thing you could actually accomplish. A key part of the problem is that, as we saw from Trump’s dream of having U.S.-made smartphones, the folks in charge of this effort have a child-like understanding of how everything works. And everybody else — like massive swaths of the business community, academia, and the press — are too feckless to stand up to the corrupt stupidity in any meaningful way.
The Trump administration has also gone out of its way to ensure our federal regulators no longer have the resources or legal autonomy to function. Then they’re saddling them with this massive new layer of protectionism they’d be incapable of enforcing even if they wanted to. They’re not even bright enough to understand that even base protectionism is out of their reach.
This is just racist, crony capitalism by corrupt and incompetent zealots, and it’s going to cause irreparable harm to consumer prices, product quality, product availability, hobbies, science, the shift to renewables, and everything else over the next two to three years. All propped up by a lazy press, self-serving domestic monopolists, and a whole lot of bullshit about privacy and national security by the kind of people who are a direct and obvious threat to both.
Filed Under: ai, china, competition, crony capitalism, drones, incompetent, protectionism, robots, vacuums
Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the scale and complexity of data center infrastructure.
Traditional data center facilities were designed around relatively steady CPU workloads and predictable growth in power demand, allowing developers to secure energy supply alongside growing demand, cooling systems based on known and mature technology and infrastructure capacity with a reasonable degree of certainty.
AI workloads, however, demand far more power with greater energy density.
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Senior Director of Power Networks at Worley.
Electricity consumption from data centers has grown at 12% per year over the last five years and expected demand growth, particularly in AI training data centers, is set to drive a substantial increase in power demand.
Meeting this demand, while maintaining efficiency, is pushing developers toward gigawatt-scale data centers and with the timeframe for delivering these facilities rapidly compressing, the ability to deliver new infrastructure efficiently is increasingly critical.
In addition, as the scale of these developments grows, so does the complexity of delivering them. Grid interconnections can delay timelines by years, equipment supply chains are stretched, and projects must meet stringent reliability targets while navigating regulatory, environmental and community requirements that vary by region and country.
For owners and developers, the challenge is no longer simply constructing another data center building. The next generation of AI data centers requires a fully integrated approach across power, cooling, transmission, water, digital systems and long-term operations. Success depends on designing these facilities as resilient, flexible and energy-optimized industrial campuses.
Balancing site trade-offs to unlock faster delivery
Site selection is one of the clearest expressions of this dynamic where teams are typically assessing a series of imperfect options, each with its own advantages and constraints. For example, one site may offer lower cost land but lack the existing infrastructure required to support large scale development, while another may provide access to grid power but at a significantly higher cost or with timelines that delay delivery.
In practice, few locations offer everything required, and selecting a site becomes an exercise in understanding what should be prioritized, what can be mitigated, and what must be accepted.
Factors like water availability, land constraints, fiber connectivity, permitting timelines and social license to operate are all deeply important to success. Developers must consider how to optimize within these constraints. Where grid power is unavailable or delayed, for example, off grid or hybrid energy solutions may be introduced.
While these approaches can accelerate delivery, they also bring different capital requirements, financing structures, and operational considerations that must be carefully weighed.
Combining power solutions can accelerate bringing capacity online more efficiently
As AI workloads drive unprecedented levels of demand, power strategies also require a reassessment against expected scale timelines. Grid supply does offer lower long-term energy costs, stability and resilience advantages eventually but hinges on capacity constraints, and extended interconnection timelines.
In contrast, behind the meter generation, such as gas turbines or reciprocating engines, can be deployed more quickly and provide greater operational control. This, however, comes with higher upfront capital requirements, higher operational costs, fuel dependencies and more complex permitting considerations.
As speed-to-market is a key competitive driver, many large-scale developments are willing to pay a premium for off-grid or hybrid architectures, including battery storage and integration of renewables where accessible.
These systems are coordinated through microgrid controls, allowing operators to manage load variability, maintain resilience through islanding, and optimize overall system performance. The final configuration is shaped by how factors such as time to market, grid availability, resilience, and overall cost evolve.
Rethinking cooling can support high-density AI and optimize when energy is used
With this increase in power demands comes a corresponding increase in heat generation. The physics and economics of air cooling are struggling to keep pace with the thermal loads generated by AI workloads, forcing a shift toward alternative solutions.
One solution is liquid cooling, which is gaining traction as a more effective way to manage higher heat loads. Transferring heat more efficiently, it enables facilities to operate at the densities required by AI infrastructure. However, it does also introduce new dependencies, particularly around liquid cooling solutions and the infrastructure required to support it.
At the same time, taking a broader view of cooling opens up new opportunities. Cooling systems can be integrated with wider power infrastructure, excess heat can be connected to industrial processes that can utilize it and waste heat from data centers can be repurposed for applications such as district heating, which is already quite common in the Nordics.
Approaching cooling in this way allows developers to design systems that make better use of energy and create additional value through heat reuse and integration with surrounding infrastructure.
Additionally, thermal energy storage gives AI data centers the ability to shift cooling demand away from peak periods by producing chilled water when electricity is cheaper or more available and using it later when loads are highest.
This creates valuable demand response capability, allowing the facility to reduce its grid draw during periods of system stress, lower demand charges and support utility programs without impacting data center operations. In combination with batteries and advanced controls, thermal storage can help stabilize both the data center and the surrounding grid.
Early efforts on permitting can identify the fastest development route and avoid delays
Permitting and regulatory considerations sit alongside these technical decisions, shaping what is possible and how quickly projects can move forward. Requirements vary by region, country and project type, but in all cases, they influence how projects must be designed from the outset.
For example, grid connected developments may be constrained by connection approvals and capacity limits, while sites incorporating on-site generation may require air quality or emissions permits that influence technology choices. Land use restrictions, environmental approvals and community considerations can further shape site layout, development timelines and even overall project viability.
Addressing these requirements early, and in parallel with technical and commercial decision making, is therefore as important as those other factors. When permitting is treated as part of the initial planning process, it allows projects to be structured in a way that is both deliverable and aligned with regulatory expectations from the beginning.
This, in turn, reinforces the need for a coordinated approach across the full range of stakeholders involved. Energy providers, technology companies, developers, regulators and local communities each play a role in shaping outcomes, and the interaction between them becomes a critical factor in how effectively projects can progress.
Having the right expertise in place to connect these elements enables developers to navigate this complexity more effectively, ensuring that decisions made early on are aligned across disciplines. This early alignment helps create a more integrated delivery pathway, reducing friction between project phases and supporting smoother progression from planning through to construction and execution.
Turning AI demand into operational capacity at the speed and scale the market requires
The importance of this becomes clearer when looking at how these challenges play out in practice. In Texas, for example, early engineering work on a gigawatt scale AI training data center helped define the infrastructure strategy for one of the largest behind the meter energy systems supporting AI workloads.
The project includes 5 GW of gas generation capacity, up to 1.25 GW of solar PV, utility scale battery storage and a microgrid supporting 20 buildings totaling 10 million square feet, each designed for around 250 MW of power demand.
Projects of this scale reflect the sheer pace and ambition of AI demand, but ultimately, success comes down to how effectively that demand is translated into deliverable infrastructure. That means making early decisions that can withstand real world constraints, from power availability and permitting through to long term operational performance.
Bringing these elements together into a coherent strategy, and aligning the stakeholders needed to deliver it, is what will enable projects to move at the speed and scale the market now requires.
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There’s a lot to love about AirTags, but there are also compelling alternatives worth considering.
Apple AirTags are more handy than you think. With the design and functionality finally being refreshed for the first time in early 2026, the tiny, coin-sized item trackers provide even more value through upgrades like more powerful Precision Finding, longer Bluetooth range and a louder speaker for when you want to “ring” one from your phone to locate an AirTagged item. But there are things you should consider before using one.
While they are convenient, affordable, offer great battery life and have various security measures, there are limitations. Plus, you will find alternatives from competitors like Tile by Life360 or Chipolo that are really compelling. But some of the upsides may convince you that AirTags are the best for your needs.
The pros of using Apple AirTags
Apple AirTags are great companions to Apple devices. In fact, they can only pair with Apple products, but keeping within the Apple ecosystem means it’s a breeze to set up an AirTag. When you unpackage one, it can instantly connect to your iPhone and integrates seamlessly within the Apple Find My app. Once set up in a holder, you can attach it to all sorts of products, like your keys, purse or backpack, gym bag; even slot one into your luggage or eyeglasses case. While they aren’t meant to track people or pets, many users have placed them in a child’s school backpack or attached one to a pet’s collar as an affordable peace-of-mind option. Since they’re dust- and water-resistant, you can take them just about anywhere and don’t have to worry if they get wet in the rain or knocked about in the sand on the beach. Even hide them somewhere in your car to track its location, or at least the general area of the vehicle, if it’s stolen. Since the thief wouldn’t be alerted of the AirTag for about 24 hours, this may give you time to figure out where it is and contact authorities with the information.
With Precision Finding, you can locate a misplaced item with great accuracy, perfect if your keys fell beneath the couch cushions, for example, or you left your wallet in the jacket you tossed in the hamper. They are shareable with up to five family members as well, so everyone can keep tabs on valuables like your child’s backpack or the family house keys. With the ultra-loud speaker (even louder with the newer model), you can locate a nearby missing item by following a loud beeping noise. If the AirTag is left behind in another location, like at the airport, office or coffee shop, the Find My network means other iPhone, iPad and Mac users can help reunite you with your lost item. A secure Bluetooth signal advises someone nearby with an Apple device that an AirTag (and the item it’s attached to) is within range, and they can do their good samaritan thing.
Plenty of settings options enhance the experience. You can send a notification when someone detects your device and provide your contact information so the item can be safely returned. You can also set an AirTag to send a notification immediately when an item is out of range, like if you walked away from the car but left your purse behind. Privacy is integrated into the device, too, which has anti-stalking features to prevent people from trying to track you with hidden AirTags. Finally, while you do have to replace the battery, it lasts for about a year and uses an affordable and widely available coin-cell “watch” battery. All around, there are really compelling reasons to use Apple AirTags.
The cons of using Apple AirTags
While Apple AirTags are great, they aren’t perfect. Our list of the best Bluetooth trackers includes models that support both Apple’s Find My and Google’s Find Hub networks and hail from third-party brands like Chipolo and Hyper. Some of these employ different form factors, like the Chipolo Card that looks like a credit card and is easy to slot into a wallet, something you can’t comfortably do with an AirTag given its thicker and round form factor. There are also models like the Tile by Life360 Sticker you can easily and securely affix to the underside of a skateboard or inside of your glasses case.
Unless you buy a bundle, you need to pay for a holder for the AirTag separately. And while its battery lasts a long time, you can’t recharge it. This isn’t a big deal since coin cell batteries are easily found in corner stores and bigger shops and aren’t expensive. Still, it’s something to consider.
The AirTag’s Bluetooth range for finding has been improved, but for items nearby, it can only reach about 30-100 feet. Compare that to other models like the Chipolo Pop, which has triple the range at up to 300 feet, or the Pebblebee Clip 5, with an impressive Bluetooth range extending up to 500 feet. Both of these trackers work with both iOS and Android, though not at the same time. But it affords a choice you don’t get with an AirTag.
To AirTag or not to AirTag
Apple AirTag gives you the most seamless experience, but only with iPhone and other Apple devices. It fits nicely within the ecosystem, employs a simple and effective design with an easily replaceable and long-lasting battery, and the latest version has improved features. Precision Finding using ultra-wideband, for example, is so useful for playing scavenger hunt with your lost keys somewhere in the house, or for finding where you left your eyeglasses case in the building.
But the market has gotten competitive with plenty of third-party options that add value, including longer range and compatibility with both Apple’s Find My and the Android Find Hub (note that you can only connect to one or the other network at a time). There are also trackers that may fit better in your location of choice. So, Apple AirTags aren’t the only game in town. And while pricing is competitive, you’ll still want a protective holder to go with it since there’s no integrated key ring, which adds to the cost. Since it’s round and too thick to slot into a wallet, not to mention easy to lose without a holder, it isn’t as practical as some other designs either.
There’s no denying the power of the Apple Find My network. But Apple AirTags aren’t the only item trackers that use it. While relatively affordable, you might prefer the form factor, longer range and additional features of other third-party brands. There are plenty of reasons to get an Apple AirTag, but just as many to consider alternatives, too.
It’s hardly a surprise that Apple had to increase the prices of its iPads, Macs and other devices last month amid ongoing RAM and storage shortages, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the upcoming iPhones follow suit — but it’s not completely doom and gloom for Apple fans.
Apple’s wearables weren’t impacted by these price hikes, which is good news for anyone looking to upgrade to a watchOS 27-compatible device (as there will only be a select few left) or if you’re keen to get a swanky new watch to track your workouts.
The Apple Watch 11 was already going at a fantastic price of AU$429 during Prime Day last month, but surprise, surprise, it’s ever-so-slightly cheaper now, and it’s not even sale season! The Apple Watch Series 11 with the 42mm chassis and GPS-only option is now AU$2 cheaper, making this the lowest-ever price on Amazon Australia — that’s 37% off in case you were wondering.
Our Apple Watch Series 11 review called it “the most capable and best-looking” mainline Apple Watch yet, thanks to its larger battery capacity and brighter, more power-efficient and more scratch-resistant Always-On Retina LTPO3 OLED display compared to its predecessor.
Apple rates both the 42mm and 46mm models’ battery life at 24 hours of typical use and up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode, with battery capacity up 9% and 11%, respectively. Our reviewer found the claim checks out, with tests getting a full day and a half of battery life with light use, but the Low Power Mode makes it go even longer.
Health tracking is more comprehensive with the Series 11, adding blood-pressure monitoring to the usual arrhythmic heart-rate alerts, ECG, wrist temperature, respiratory rate and cycle tracking. Hearing health and Sleep Score are other notable additions, but these are also available on the cheaper SE 3 and have been rolled out to older models too.
Admittedly, the Apple Watch Series 11 won’t be much of an upgrade over the Series 10 because of the very similar hardware (and watchOS 27 compatibility), but upgrading from the Series 8 or older models, or even the Watch SE and SE 2, will see a significant performance jump and a longer support period.
And at this price, you don’t even need to wait till Black Friday as we don’t see it getting much cheaper than this in a few months’ time.
Whether you play games, create videos, or perform daily tasks on your computer, having up-to-date NVIDIA drivers is essential. NVIDIA drivers enable your graphics card to work effectively with Windows and programs installed on it. Upgrading your driver will improve performance, solve existing problems, make it more compatible with recently developed software, and offer new features. The most convenient method for upgrading your driver is to use the NVIDIA app, where you can install an updated driver in a few clicks.
Update NVIDIA Drivers Using the NVIDIA App
You can update your NVIDIA graphics drivers quickly through the NVIDIA app. If you don’t have the app, install it first. During installation, choose GeForce Game Ready Drivers for the best gaming experience or NVIDIA Studio Drivers for creative tasks like video editing and 3D design. Steps to update NVIDIA drivers:
- Open the NVIDIA app.
- Click Drivers from the left menu.
- Check for the latest driver update.
- Select Download.
- Click Install after the download finishes.
Can NVIDIA Drivers Update Automatically?
In the NVIDIA app, there are two different kinds of drivers to choose from: Game Ready Drivers and Studio Drivers. If you play games often, then you should go with the Game Ready Driver. They include optimizations for games and compatibility with newly released titles. However, if you use creative tools such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Blender, and DaVinci Resolve, you should consider using the Studio Drivers, as they suit your purpose.
The NVIDIA app can automatically download new driver updates as soon as they become available. While the download happens in the background, you must still open the app and install the update yourself. To use this feature, go to Settings in the NVIDIA app and enable Automatically download drivers and let me choose when to install. Once enabled, new drivers download in the background, making future updates faster and more convenient.
How to Go Back to an Older NVIDIA Driver
If a new driver update causes any performance or compatibility problems, you can go back to the old driver. The NVIDIA software maintains a list of previously used drivers in the section called Previously Installed on the Drivers tab. Just click the three dots next to your chosen driver and select Reinstall.
In addition to the driver update tool, NVIDIA has several other helpful tools. One of them is an automatic optimization of game settings to improve their performance. It also supports NVIDIA ShadowPlay, which lets you record gameplay and take screenshots or video recordings. You can also check the Drivers page for updates on new games, driver releases, and NVIDIA features.
In a nutshell: David W. Plummer is the original developer of Task Manager, one of Windows’ most popular built-in tools for monitoring and managing system resources. Now, the programmer wants to “reimagine” his original project, adapting the same concept for computer platforms beyond Windows.
David Plummer is working on a new Task Manager tool and is bringing it to macOS first. Simply named Task Manager OG (TMOG), the program is designed to offer a “serious” system console to people working on GUI-based operating systems. Furthermore, TMOG focuses specifically on code efficiency, depth of information, and the kind of performance that only native applications can offer.
Plummer created Windows Task Manager during his tenure at Microsoft, coding the tool in his spare time before Windows NT lead developer Dave Cutler decided to integrate it into the platform. The new TMOG project appears to provide a similar experience to the original program, although it could represent a massive upgrade for macOS users compared with the platform’s bare-bones Activity Monitor tool.
Plummer highlights how his tool is both powerful and easy to read, providing a quick view of how the operating system is using the CPU, GPU, and other hardware components. Beyond processor frequency, thermal values, and resource allocation, TMOG can also provide a deeper look at what each logical CPU core is doing, how a process branches out, and more.
– Dave W Plummer (@davepl1968) July 31, 2026
The former Microsoft programmer claims to be obsessed with speed and code efficiency, so much so that he recently “rebuilt” Windows Notepad as an extremely small, bare-bones clone called TinyRetroPad.
Unlike Microsoft’s approach to Windows 11, Plummer chose native APIs to create TMOG. The macOS version is built with Swift and AppKit, while the Windows release will be a pure Win32 application targeting the x86-64 architecture.
The TMOG beta is already available for macOS users, and the first Windows beta should arrive soon. Plummer says the tool will be free, although he could eventually create a “Pro” version with additional features that have yet to be announced for paying customers.
Projects such as TMOG highlight the continued interest in high-quality, power-user software, especially for monitoring the state and behavior of a PC’s operating system. Most Windows users generally rely on Task Manager to get a closer look at the OS.
Plummer is a controversial figure within the Windows software ecosystem. The programmer worked at Microsoft from 1993 to 2003 before eventually starting his own company, SoftwareOnline. The Washington State Attorney General later sued SoftwareOnline over products it alleged were scamware, including “Registry Cleaner” and “InternetShield.” The lawsuit was eventually closed after Plummer’s company agreed to pay $150,000 in civil penalties and $40,000 in legal fees.
The PDP-11 was a 16-bit minicomputer that was very influential in its time. That’s what inspired [vanheusden] to start working on an emulator for the machine in 2018, which has since been developed to run on a wide variety of platforms.
The emulator, named “Kek,” is quite capable, able to run Unix 5 up to an d including Unix 7 in multi-user mode, along with BSD 2.11 Unix depending on what it’s running on. It also supports classic hardware like RK05, RL02, RP06, and RP07 disks, the KW11-L line time clock, and the DC-11 serial line interface. The emulator can also run on a wide variety of platforms. It’s possible to run it on a standard Linux machine if so desired, or you can run it on BSD, MacOS, or Windows if so desired. Beyond that, you can even get it going on a Teensy 4.1 or an ESP32 if that’s more your jam. Modern microcontrollers are just that powerful that emulating a PDP-11/70 just isn’t a challenge anymore.
We love seeing old machines emulated and brought back to life. It’s funny to see how often it’s done on microcontrollers instead of full-scale PCs these days, too. Video after the break.
Malwarebytes, one of CNET.com’s Best Antivirus Overall Editors’ Choice award picks, is offering students at US colleges and universities two free years of its Malwarebytes Premium Security software suite through its Student Protection Program. The offer includes coverage for up to three devices.
Malwarebytes built its reputation on malware removal before expanding into a full antivirus suite with phishing and scam protection, ransomware defense and ad blocking. In our 2026 review, CNET’s testing team praised Malwarebytes as “an excellent choice for anyone who wants reliable security software for three or fewer devices,” awarding it our coveted Editors’ Choice badge and tying it with Bitdefender for the Best Antivirus Overall.
A representative for Malwarebytes didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Student Protection Program is open to students 18 or older enrolled at colleges and universities in the US who can produce a .edu or .college email address. The fine print on Malwarebytes’ site says it’s limiting the availability to the US, but may eventually expand the program globally. Students can check whether their school is eligible by entering their email address at the Malwarebytes website. There’s an option to request early access for schools not on the list or to fall back on a 50% student discount instead.
For students who qualify, the program unlocks the full Premium Security Standard tier. That includes real-time malware and ransomware protection, phishing and scam detection, and ad and tracker blocking. While Malwarebytes recommends a setup of one laptop, one phone and one tablet, students can use the three device slots however they choose. Once the two-year period ends, students can either keep using a limited free version without features such as real-time protection, automatic updates, and scheduled scans, or switch to a Premium subscription, which currently costs $60 per year.
The timing lines up nicely with the back-to-school season. Move-in time at a new institution means connecting unfamiliar devices to unfamiliar networks, downloading course software from links sent via email, and juggling phishing attempts disguised as financial aid notices or campus IT alerts. It can be a bit of an information security minefield, tough to add to the already overwhelming experience of school. Free access to trusted security software can at least take one thing off a student’s already crowded plate.
What just happened? Linux has reached double-digit territory in North America’s desktop usage share, according to StatCounter, but the size of the jump raises as many questions as it answers. The latest data shows Linux at 10.61% in June 2026, up from 3.56% in May, while Windows fell from 64.66% to 57.63% over the same period.
The shift stands out because the change was not gradual but abrupt. Linux’s rise came largely at Windows’ expense, while OS X saw only limited movement over the same period. That makes the month-to-month swing look less like a slow adoption trend and more like a sharp change in the mix of measured traffic.
StatCounter’s figures are based on desktop web usage rather than a count of installed machines, so they reflect browsing behavior rather than a direct census of operating systems. That matters because changes in who is browsing, how they browse, or what software is generating traffic can shift the results without reflecting a corresponding change in real-world desktop usage.
The latest reading is also part of a broader increase in Linux’s share of StatCounter’s North American desktop traffic. The June figure follows the sharp increase recorded in May, pushing Linux into a range that has long been out of reach in these monthly reports.
There is no hard evidence explaining the spike, but the scale of the increase leaves room for several possibilities. One is ordinary user migration, particularly from Windows, since that platform gave up the largest share over the same period. Another is that automated traffic may be playing a role. StatCounter itself flags the possibility that some of the new Linux activity could be bot-related, which would make the jump appear larger than a shift driven entirely by human users.
That possibility is worth keeping in mind because Linux is often used to run automated systems, including workloads that generate web traffic. Even so, the StatCounter reading marks an unusual moment for a platform that has spent years well below mainstream desktop levels in North America.
For now, the numbers support a narrow conclusion: Linux has crossed 10% in StatCounter’s North American desktop web-usage data, and the move appears to have come mostly at Windows’ expense. Whether that reflects a genuine shift in users, a surge in automated traffic, or a temporary distortion in the data remains unclear.
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