News

Y2K(24): What happened when the world broke this weekend?

It’s the CrowdStrike incident of 2024

Published

July 22, 2024

Luigi Leonardo

Twenty-five years ago, the world trembled in the fear at the coming of the new millennium. A lot of people thought that computers all over the world would just stop working when the calendars rolled over from 1999 to 2000. Because computers were supposedly incapable of distinguishing 2000 from 1900, the so-called Y2K bug would break critical machines from functioning.

As you might have guessed, the world didn’t end in 2000. However, if everyone in 2000 feared how the world depended heavily on technology, imagine what a world-breaking bug can do in 2024. Now, thanks to a major mishap last weekend, you don’t need to imagine anymore.

In case you missed all the systems going down all over the world, a CrowdStrike incident caused an unprecedented number of PCs to crash, taking down essential services and companies.

What happened?

CrowdStrike is a cybersecurity company that ships important security updates to a vast number of systems operating through the cloud. It helps companies detect and prevent potential security threats. Because the service operated mainly in the cloud, most people, like you and me, probably have no idea how much the entire world relies on it.

Over the weekend, however, we all got a taste. On Friday, the company rolled out a security update to all its customers on Windows-based PCs and servers. The update contained a piece of software that caused PCs to enter a boot loop, preceded by the dreaded blue screen of death.

Almost immediately, systems crashed. Though a lot of essential services went down, the most visible effects came through flight delays and cancellations at airports all over the world. Bank services also went down. If a service you rely on is down today, chances are that they are still reeling from the error.

If you’re worried about your own machines, the error does not affect personal devices. It’s also only affecting Windows-based devices, so Macs are safe.

A fix rolls out

Hours after, CrowdStrike quickly pushed out an update that resolved the issue. For a lot of customers, that was the end of it. Not all systems were automatically fixed, though.

Some systems require an IT representative to actually handle the issue themselves at their respective servers. Some also require additional steps, such as rebooting systems multiple times.

Thankfully, the main brunt of the issue has been resolved. However, a comprehensive fix might take quite a while. If a service is still down right now, it’s likely that they’re still working on a fix at their end.

What does this mean for the world?

Back in 1999, the early internet era imagined a world where a single bug can take down the world’s systems in one fell swoop. Twenty-five years later, the world’s fears finally manifested into a global incident that crippled the globe for a weekend.

Thankfully, the world also moved fast to fix the problem. Regardless, it proved how much everyone relies on technology these days. The onus isn’t on regular people to find a workaround, though. The incident is just a grim reminder that things like this can (and does) happen.

Enterprise

TikTok finally gets a buyer in the United States

The deal targets a closing date in late January.

Published

December 19, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

The year started with a ban. A day before Donald Trump started his second term, TikTok went dark, in anticipation of an impending ban. The platform quickly went back online, leading to an ultimatum that saw TikTok hunt for an American buyer to full stave off a definitive ban in the United States. Now, as the year ends, a buyer is finally here.

Via CNBC, TikTok has reportedly inked a deal to finalize a deal in the United States, as stated in an internal memo from CEO Shou Zi Chew. The memo, which was sent just this week, details a plan that will see the deal close by January 26, 2026.

Fifty percent of TikTok’s newly restructured U.S. arm will be held by a collection of American investors including Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX. Meanwhile, already existing investors of TikTok will hold 30.1 percent. Finally, ByteDance will retain 19.9 percent.

Additionally, TikTok’s algorithm in the United States will be retrained with American data. The American arm will also handle the country’s “data protection, algorithm security, content moderation, and software assurance.” Oracle will be the “trusted security partner” in charge of making sure the company keeps within regulations in the country.

With a deal pushing through, the long-running TikTok saga in the United States might finally come to a close.

Gaming

Silksong is getting its first major expansion next year

The expansion is called Sea of Sorrow.

Published

December 16, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

I still can’t believe that Hollow Knight: Silksong came out this year. After years of just waiting for the mythical title, it’s surreal to have it in my library. Now, barely waiting to catch their breath, Team Cherry is already working hard towards the next content drop, starting with Silksong DLC.

Just like the original Hollow Knight, Silksong is getting free DLCs to expand its story. The upcoming Sea of Sorrow DLC will be the game’s “first big expansion.”

The expansion’s trailer barely shows anything about the new content, besides vague allusions to what’s coming. At the very least, Team Cherry has confirmed, both via the announcement and the accompanying poster, that Sea of Sorrow will be nautical-themed.

It will feature new locations, new tools, and new enemies. By itself, Silksong is already a huge game. Adding more content then is a massive undertaking. Plus, Team Cherry says that this is just the first expansion, hinting at more coming in the future.

Sea of Sorrow will launch in 2026.

Besides the new expansion, the studio is also working on a Nintendo Switch 2 update for the original Hollow Knight. It will add higher framerates, resolutions, and more graphical effects. PC players will also get some upgrades to support larger screens.

The Switch 2 update, which will be free for those who already own the original game, will also launch next year.

Entertainment

Supergirl gets its first teaser trailer

Milly Alcock stars as the titular character.

Published

December 12, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

Before the new year starts, it’s already fair to assume that Supergirl might be one of the most anticipated movies of 2026. Premiering a year after the globally successful Superman, Supergirl will see the adventures of Clark Kent’s superpowered cousin, Kara Zor-El. Now, the next film in the sage finally has a teaser trailer.

As James Gunn mentioned previously, Supergirl will be based on Tom King’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Off traveling to other planets to party, Kara finds herself thrust back into the role of being a hero after a young girl named Ruthye Mary Knoll asks her for help.

Though the teaser trailer is mostly a montage of scenes, we already know what we can expect. According to Gunn, Supergirl will be tonally different from Superman, and we see this in the trailer.

However, we can still see influences from Gunn including the usage of “Call Me” by Blondie for the trailer. Also, the film’s space scenes look like they can fit right in with Guardians of the Galaxy.

Still, that’s what we have, and we’re excited. Supergirl will premiere on June 26, 2026.

The film will be directed by Craig Gillespie (Cruella). Milly Alcock plays the titular character. Meanwhile, she will star alongside Eve Ridley as Ruthye Mary Knoll.