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.

News

TCL CSOT Unveils ‘APEX Pixel’ innovations at SID Display Week 2026

Breakthroughs in display technologies

Published

May 7, 2026

GadgetMatch

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Pushing the boundaries of display physics, TCL CSOT has officially launched its APEX Pixel framework at SID Display Week 2026.

This unified innovation path targets the microscopic architecture of pixels across FMM OLED, Inkjet-printed (IJP) OLED, and LCD panels to redefine clarity, power efficiency, and color volume.

The Super Pixel revolution

The highlight of the showcase is the Super Pixel technology for mobile FMM OLEDs.

By increasing sub-pixel density by roughly 1.8%, TCL CSOT has achieved sharpness comparable to WQHD standards while slashing power consumption by 25%.

Key mobile prototypes on display include:

6.9-inch Ultra-Clarity Display: Features a 2608×1200 resolution with a 0.5mm top bezel
165Hz High-Refresh Panel: Utilizes a Real RGB layout to boost motion smoothness by 40% over standard 120Hz screens
Ultra-Low Power 8T LTPO: A 420PPI powerhouse that reduces SoC power draw by a quarter.

IJP OLED and the Tri-Fold Future

TCL CSOT continues to lead the transition toward Inkjet-printed (IJP) OLED.

By utilizing the world’s first 8.6-generation IJP line, the company has debuted a 28-inch Foldable and Portable IJP OLED Monitor.

This “Real Stripe” RGB display features a tri-fold design that expands from a 16-inch footprint to a 28-inch workspace.

IJP OLED allows for larger light-emitting areas, occupying 50% to 60% of the pixel. This leads to a significantly enhanced luminous efficiency compared to traditional evaporation methods.

RGBC: The New Standard for LCD

For large-scale cinema experiences, TCL CSOT introduced RGBC Four-Color Technology.

By adding a Cyan sub-pixel to the traditional RGB matrix, the 85-inch WHVA Ultra LCD TV achieves a staggering 131% of the BT.2020 color gamut.

This hardware-level shift allows for more saturated hues and finer resolution rendering that traditional three-color pixels cannot replicate.

Through APEX Pixel, TCL CSOT is no longer just chasing size, but perfecting the very atoms of the digital image.

News

iPhone 17 is the best-selling phone of 2026 so far

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S26 series didn’t make the top ten list.

Published

May 7, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

With more than a quarter of the year done and dusted, it’s time to figure out which smartphone has taken the early lead in the charts. According to the numbers, it can’t get any clearer. The iPhone 17 is currently dominating the charts.

According to Counterpoint Research, the bestselling smartphone in the world as of the first quarter is the base iPhone 17. The model took 6 percent of the global share in unit sales. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Pro took the second and third spots, respectively. Only a bit surprisingly, Apple rounded out its quarter with the iPhone 16 taking the number 6 slot.

The stranger thing is Samsung’s presence on this list. The South Korean brand took five spots on the top 10 list. However, none of them are of the Galaxy S26 series. All of them are from the Galaxy A series: in order, Galaxy A07 4G, A17 5G, A56, A36, and A17 4G. (The Galaxy S26 series narrowly missed the top 10.)

That makes nine. The final spot was taken by the Xiaomi Redmi A5.

Going only by the last two paragraphs, you’ll likely assume that the midrange market is rightfully dominating the charts in the months following the Christmas season. However, the iPhone 17’s dominance confirms that Apple has not lost its stride.

Plus, with the iPhone 17e only just having launched, Apple might continue its run well into 2026.

Apps

Google, on Android adopting Liquid Glass: “Not happening!”

Just in case you were wondering.

Published

May 7, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Google is slightly moving away from Material Design. Last week, a set of icon changes saw Android adding splashes of gradients to its formerly flat app icons. To poke fun at Android’s move away from flat designs, a user on X created a mockup of Android running Apple’s Liquid Design. Google, however, had a response ready in the chamber.

On X, @Micetor made a mockup of Android, specifically on the upcoming Pixel 11, using Apple’s latest Liquid Design aesthetics. It looked much like what an iPhone does except with Google’s icons and fonts.

Clearly, Google does not need to reply to any unsubstantiated mockups about its ecosystem. But they still did.

Sameer Samat, Google’s head for the Android ecosystem, personally replied to the mockup with a simple rebuttal: “Not happening!”

Not happening! Y'all are wild. 😂

— Sameer Samat (@ssamat) May 5, 2026

Despite using the design language for over a decade, Google does not want to drop Material Design altogether. Though the new gradients have revitalized the design language somewhat, the essence of flat design is still there.

Apple, on the other hand, wants a return to 3D. Liquid Design mimics the transparent aesthetics of Windows Vista. Though a bunch of users have found the design polarizing, other brands have started copying the design for themselves, incorporating elements on Liquid Design on their interfaces.

Whatever Google is doing, it’s coming in due time. The company is hosting its annual Google I/O on May 12 to showcase new developments coming to the Android ecosystem, including its design.