Amazon Web Services has confirmed that customer data hosted in its Bahrain and United Arab Emirates data centers was permanently lost following Iranian drone strikes in March. The damage wiped out data across all three availability zones in Bahrain and one of three zones in the UAE, with AWS saying the destruction exceeded what its systems were built to survive. Amazon had already halted billing in the affected regions and spent six months trying to restore services before disclosing the losses.
Outgoing Republican Representative Darrell Issa has introduced legislation that would let copyright holders secure court orders forcing internet providers, domain name resolvers, and VPN services to block access to foreign piracy websites. The bill follows similar site-blocking proposals from other lawmakers backed by the Motion Picture Association, and comes after Issa signaled his intent at a June 30 hearing.
A developer of the Floppy Emu disk emulator found that a new manufacturing batch failed quality assurance with strange symptoms: some boards wouldn't boot, others showed erratic 'haunted' behavior jumping through code, and one ran in slow motion. After months of setting the failures aside, the developer began systematic debugging with power checks, solder reflows, and a hardware debugger to isolate the cause, suspecting a change introduced by a new subcontractor at the contract manufacturer.
A commentary argues that municipal governments should establish formal music offices, similar to film or tech commissions, to systematically support and grow their local music industries. The piece contends that while cities pour resources into entertainment districts, business recruitment, and branding efforts, they largely ignore music as a distinct economic sector deserving dedicated oversight and investment.
After Astronomer's CEO and chief people officer were filmed embracing at a Coldplay concert and the clip went viral, fabricated statements attributed to the CEO spread widely online before the company issued any official comment. Astronomer's board eventually confirmed an investigation, and the company later used a Gwyneth Paltrow cameo to redirect attention, but the delay of roughly 48 hours allowed false narratives to take hold first.
Unionen and Sveriges Ingenjörer have issued a strike notice against King, the Microsoft-owned studio behind Candy Crush Saga, after leadership rejected a proposed collective bargaining agreement in August. Unless a mediator helps the two sides reach a deal, the strike is set to begin September 25. King has argued its current global benefits already exceed what the CBA would offer Swedish staff.
9to5Mac's Jeff Benjamin previewed macOS 27, showing Siri deeply integrated into Spotlight search rather than tucked away as a separate function. The beta lets users choose between traditional search and asking Siri directly from the same Command+Space interface, with responses drawing on personal context while Apple emphasizes on-device privacy.
Alec Litowitz joined Citadel in 1994 without a finance background, brought on by Ken Griffin for his way of thinking rather than his resume. He went on to help scale Citadel's equity business from about $100 million to $10 billion in assets before spending 18 years leading Magnetar Capital, which grew to roughly $20 billion by 2022.
Scientists studying a small spotted cat first photographed in Bolivia nearly a decade ago by National Geographic Explorer Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz have confirmed it as a genetically distinct species, not a variant of the previously known tigrina. The findings, published in Current Biology, name the animal Leopardus tilcayo, marking the first entirely new felid species identified in over a century.
A new whitepaper, 'Opening Doors Through Education: The William Louey Effect,' tracked scholarship recipients from the William S.D. Louey Educational Foundation over three decades, from lower-income backgrounds in China into careers spanning business, finance, academia, engineering and education. Rather than stopping at graduation, the research examined their later leadership roles, financial outcomes and tendency to mentor others.
Chinese startup Xteink is following up its compact X4 e-reader with the Xteink S4, a 4.3-inch E-Ink device that ditches the previous proprietary Linux OS for Android 11. This change lets users sideload apps like Kindle, Kobo, and KOReader instead of being limited to DRM-free EPUB files. The S4 also bumps up specs with 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, and a 1,400mAh battery, more than double the X4's 650mAh cell.
Greta Gerwig revealed that her upcoming adaptation of 'The Magician's Nephew,' set for release in 2027, draws creative inspiration from British rock music rather than traditional fantasy sources. The director, known for 'Barbie,' shared this unexpected influence behind her approach to the Narnia franchise entry.