Highlight

According to the BBC, thousands of women in the UK have been affected after breast cancer screening services were suspended in parts of Essex for two months. The vans and units covering the Colchester and Chelmsford areas have been out of service since early August due to a technical issue. Liberal Democrat MP for Chelmsford, Marie Goldman, described the situation as “simply not good enough.” Routine breast screening is offered to women between the ages of 50 and 71, and software problems in an image archiving and communication system were cited as the cause of the suspension of services. This system allowed new mammograms to be compared with previous images. Several women reported difficulties in booking appointments, being told that there was no availability. Christine Rhodes, from Chelmsford, said she tried to book an appointment four times but was unsuccessful: “My local online community group is full of concerned women who want to do the right thing but are being prevented from doing so,” she said. “We are talking about a condition that can progress rapidly and be fatal. If this unit is not repaired, the waiting list for screening will extend for many months. How many lives will be put at risk?” Healthwatch Essex noted that for many women, it can take courage to book an appointment and that the cancellation of appointments by services creates another barrier, which may prevent some people from receiving the screening or treatment they need. In a statement, ESNEFT apologized for the technical problems, which have now been resolved, ensuring that “around 7,000 patients will receive new appointments after their original screening invitation was canceled.” The organization also said it had “a recovery plan in place” and committed to seeing all affected patients “as soon as possible.” The original article via BBC here. 

About 40 years ago, a software error was primarily responsible for the deaths of patients using the Therac-25, a radiotherapy machine developed to treat cancer. The equipment had two operating modes: electron beam, used to treat superficial tissues such as the skin; and high-energy X-ray beam, designed to target deeper tumors. Unlike previous versions, the Therac-25 was designed with software controls, leaving aside various physical safety protections. The problem in question lay in a programming flaw involving a race condition: when the operator entered commands too quickly, the software logic could skip verification steps and release radiation in a completely uncontrolled manner. As the machine took a few seconds to switch modes, this speed of operation created a dangerous flaw, resulting in doses being projected up to 100 times stronger than recommended, leading to severe internal burns and, in several cases, death. Between 1985 and 1987, six incidents were documented, three of them fatal. Some of these patients received massive amounts of radiation in a matter of seconds, and ended up dying days later. The case became famous for showing how invisible software failures can have devastating consequences when critical systems lack physical redundancies. The Therac-25 disaster served as a milestone in the history of software engineering and in the field of medical devices, also leading to important changes in the requirements for testing, documentation and formal validation of programs used in safety-critical contexts. The original article via Tom's Hardware here. 

In the United States, Toyota has announced a recall affecting more than half a million vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified a flaw in the instrument panel display, which may no longer show essential information such as vehicle speed, brake system status and tire pressure warnings - a defect that poses a high risk of accidents. The recall includes several models: Venza, Highlander, Lexus, Tacoma and GR Corolla. The problem stems from a software error during vehicle start-up, which prevents the instrument panel from correctly displaying critical notifications. Founded in 1937, Toyota Motor Corp is one of the world's largest car manufacturers, with 11.0 million units sold at retail in fiscal year 2025, including 10.3 million of the Toyota and Lexus brands. The company operates in the cyclical consumer goods sector, specifically in the vehicle and parts industry. Toyota's market capitalization is approximately US$ 262.48 billion, reflecting its substantial presence in the global automotive market. Toyota's financial performance is characterized by robust revenue growth and solid profitability metrics. The company's revenue for the last twelve months (TTM) is US$ 328.37 billion, with a three-year revenue growth rate of 17.1%. Despite a recent 16.5% drop in profits compared to last year, Toyota has maintained a healthy operating margin of 9.6% and a net margin of 8.82%. On the balance sheet, Toyota has a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt ratio of 1.07, indicating a balanced approach to debt. However, the Altman Z-Score of 1.77 places the company in the risk zone, suggesting a potential risk of financial instability over the next two years. Toyota's revenue trends are supported by its diversified product line and strategic investments in technology and innovation. The expansion of the company's operating margin is a positive indicator of operational efficiency, reflecting its ability to manage costs effectively while driving growth. Toyota's competitive positioning is reinforced by its significant market share in Japan and the US, as well as its investments in emerging technologies and partnerships with companies such as Uber Technologies and Joby Aviation. Valuation and market sentiment In terms of valuation, Toyota's P/E ratio stands at 9.27, which is below the sector average, indicating a potential undervaluation. The company's P/S ratio of 0.81 and P/B ratio of 1.08 further reinforce this outlook. The analysts' recommendations suggest a target price of 230.47 dollars, reflecting a positive outlook on Toyota's future performance. Technical indicators, such as the RSI of 60.95 and the moving averages, indicate a stable trading environment, with the share price close to its 52-week high. Institutional ownership is relatively low at 1.75%, with no significant insider trading activity reported in the last year. Toyota's financial health notes highlight areas of concern, particularly the Altman Z-Score and the company's ROIC of 4.39%, which is below the weighted average cost of capital, indicating potential inefficiencies in capital allocation. Sector-specific risks include regulatory changes and technological disruption in the automotive industry. Toyota's beta of 0.75 suggests lower volatility compared to the broader market, providing some stability amid these challenges. The original article via Guru Focus here. 

Security update KB5063878, made available by Microsoft as part of Windows 11 24H2, brought a critical bug that can make SSDs (and even HDDs, in isolated cases) inaccessible after continuous transfer of large volumes of data. When the problem occurs, the operating system stops recognizing the device and, after restarting the computer, the partitions may appear as RAW, inaccessible to the user. Reports indicate that the bug manifests itself when trying to write more than 50 GB of continuous data to drives that are already over 60% occupied. The tester, identified as Nekorusukii, evaluated 21 SSDs from various brands (including Samsung, WD, Seagate and Crucial) and found that several of them were inaccessible. The WD Blue SA510 2 TB SATA drive was the only one that suffered permanent damage and didn't work again, even after rebooting. Although it was initially thought that the problem was restricted to SSDs with Phison controllers, the bug apparently affects models with other controllers too. Microsoft has confirmed that it is aware of the reports and said that it is investigating the case together with market partners such as Phison. As a precautionary measure until there is an official patch, experts recommend that users avoid making very large file transfers, especially on drives that are already heavily used, and keep their backups up to date. The original article via TecMundo and PCWorld can be read here and here. 

At the end of July, a software error in the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) radar systems at the control center in Swanwick, Hampshire, led to the temporary closure of the airspace over England and Wales, causing a general suspension of flights for around 20 to 60 minutes. Despite the rapid technical resolution - with NATS activating a secondary system in around 20 minutes - the effects of this blackout continued for hours, with aircraft jams and crews scrambling to resume normal operations. More than 150 flights were canceled, and it is estimated to have affected more than half a million passengers. The Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, summoned the CEO of NATS, Martin Rolfe, to explain what had happened and guarantee preventive measures for the future. Ryanair has demanded Rolfe's resignation, claiming that previous failures - including one in August 2023 that affected around 700,000 passengers - have not served as a lesson. Experts and political opponents are calling for an independent government investigation into the resilience of the country's air traffic control infrastructure. Although emergency systems assured that there had been no cyber-attack, nor any risk to flight safety, the incident gave visibility to latent weaknesses in central traffic control systems and reinforced the urgency of modernization and more robust contingency plans. The original article via The Telegraph can be read here. 

If there's one thing you want in any car, it's a way to stop. It's even more important than power, style or any kind of flashy gadget. Having a brake pedal that doesn't work isn't good, which is why Volvo is warning drivers of certain plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles to stop driving until they download the latest software update. According to the recall report, this bug in the programming of the brake control module is part of software version 3.5.14 and only appears in certain conditions and in plugged-in models. Affected customers may experience a temporary loss of braking functionality after coasting for at least 1 minute and 40 seconds with the "B" driving mode for PHEV vehicles and the "One Pedal Drive" mode for BEV vehicles without applying the brake pedal or (to some extent) the accelerator pedal. If the situation occurs, pressing the brake pedal can completely remove the braking functionality. Although many plug-in hybrid drivers probably don't always drive in "B" driving mode, people living in mountainous areas may do so, just as some battery electric vehicle drivers religiously use one-pedal mode. This is how the defect was discovered, and the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Agency) even published a video from a DashCam showing this brake failure mode occurring. There's something unsettling about knowing that a software update can interfere with brake performance, because although it should work fine, what if it doesn't? The solution is to stop driving the vehicle and download the latest over-the-air software update as soon as it becomes available. If an affected car needs to be moved, make sure that "B" mode on plug-in hybrids and one-pedal driving on battery electric vehicles are not selected. The original article via The Autopian can be read here. 

In the United States of America, a software error led to widespread confusion among millions of Los Angeles County residents who received an evacuation warning message shortly after the outbreak of the Kenneth Fire in Woodland Hills, according to a report released by US Congressman Robert Garcia's office. The text message was sent to residents' cell phones on January 9, shortly after the Kenneth fire started, during a strong windstorm that two days earlier had caused the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires, which destroyed thousands of homes. The message was intended only for the residents of Calabasas and Agoura Hills, since the fire was spreading west towards them. Twenty minutes later, the county sent out another alert correcting the error and clarifying that the warning was only for the Kenneth Fire evacuation area, the report says - "The Kenneth Fire false alert was a wake-up call," Garcia said in a statement. "It showed the consequences of software glitches, vague message wording and a lack of federal standards. We must modernize our emergency alert systems to ensure warnings are accurate, timely and targeted. The public's trust is at stake." The erroneous messages were sent because an accurate element of the assessment area had not been uploaded into the federal public alert and warning system. Genasys Inc., which oversees the alerts, did not notify the county that the element was missing, so the alert was sent to about 10 million people instead of the targeted neighborhoods, according to the report. The company said it believed the error was due to a possible network outage, but did not go into detail, the report said. Through the same report, it is stated that Genasys has since added safeguards to correct the problem, including a warning to the user when the element is missing. The original article via EastBayTimes can be read here. 

In November last year, a bug was discovered in the Modefer application, which manages around 1,500 patients a month for the UK's National Health Service (NHS). The software flaw left patient data vulnerable to hacker attacks, reports the BBC, and according to the software engineer who discovered it, it has existed for at least six years. Modefer says it has no proof that the vulnerability has existed for so long and says that patient data has not been compromised. Within days of the discovery, the bug was fixed, the company assures. An NHS spokesperson said that it was taking note of the concerns raised about Medefer and will take the necessary action. It was explained that Medefer's system allows patients to make virtual appointments with doctors, who have access to the associated clinical data. The engineer who discovered the vulnerability said that the APIs Medefer used were not properly secured and could be accessed by malicious third parties and have access to patient information. The engineer also accuses Medefer of not taking appropriate action as soon as the vulnerability was discovered. "I've worked in organizations where if something like this happened, the entire system would be shut down immediately" - he adds that an external cybersecurity specialist should have been called in to investigate the problem, something Medefer failed to do. On the other hand, the company says that an external security agency has analyzed the problem and that the data is safe. This was confirmed by the company's founder, Bahman Nedjat-Shokouhi, who said that the fix was released within 48 hours of the vulnerability being discovered. He also points out that the claim that the bug gave access to large amounts of patient data is false. "We take our duties to patients and the NHS very seriously. We have regular external security audits of our systems, on several occasions annually." Because Medefer deals with highly sensitive patient data, such as medical information, cybersecurity experts who analyzed the case presented by the software engineer point out that the NHS data was not as secure as it should have been and that external cybersecurity experts should have been called in immediately to ascertain the true scale of the problem. The original article via Sapo24 can be read here. 

John Cheeks, a resident of Washington DC, bought a Powerball ticket on January 6, 2023. The draw took place the next day, but he didn't see it live. However, when he went to the website, his numbers were there. And there was no doubt about it, since his key included a combination of family birthdays and other numbers with personal significance, says The Guardian."I got a bit excited, but I didn't shout, I didn't scream. I just politely phoned a friend. I took a photo, as he recommended, and that was it. I went to sleep," he explained. However, what seemed like a dream turned into a nightmare. When Cheeks went to the Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) to claim his prize, he was informed that this would not be possible - and an employee on the spot even told him to throw the ticket away, because he would not receive any prize."The applicant's prize claim was rejected because the ticket was not validated as a winner by the OLG's gaming system, as required by OLG regulations," a letter sent later read. But John Cheeks decided to keep the evidence he had and then sue Powerball. In court, it emerged that the key was not the lottery winner after all. Apparently, quality tests were being carried out on the site, so Powerball's test numbers were accidentally published instead of in a development environment that mimicked the official page, but which was not visible to the public. Richard Evans, the plaintiff's lawyer, says that the justification doesn't show how to move the process along. "They said that one of their contractors made a mistake. I haven't seen any evidence to support that. Even if a mistake was made, the question is: what do you do about it?" he asked. He also gave an example of another situation in which figures were published by mistake, in November last year. In that case, the temporary winners - the people who had the numbers in question - were able to keep their prizes, which ranged from 4 to 200 dollars. It now remains to be seen what happens to the 340 million. The original article via Sapo24 can be read here. 

Opinion article signed by Adem Tural. 1. Finding Bugs Encourages Us Testing software is like a treasure hunt: You can investigate the work of expert programmers and discover any flaws or defects in the software. It's a bit like hacking, but completely legal. Finding and fixing bugs gives me an adrenaline rush and I'm proud to help create solid, reliable software for end users. When I see stakeholders satisfied with the results of my hard work, it's very rewarding and makes my job even more satisfying. 2. Challenging the Mind As a software tester, you need a sharp mind to analyze the work of the best programmers. It's not just about solving problems, it's about finding them. You have to be critical, analytical and thorough in your approach. It's a challenge that requires creativity, an eye for quality and superior logic. Your mind is constantly engaged in solving puzzles and unraveling the mysteries of software. And you know what? It has made me more focused and detail-oriented, not only at work, but also in my personal life! 3. Improving Social Skills through Teamwork Software testing is not a one-person job, but a team effort that requires intense collaboration, working closely with functional specialists and technical experts who have different perspectives and angles. You need to understand, integrate and manage these different points of view, collaborating constructively to improve the quality of the solution. In this sense, it has helped me to improve my personal skills and thrive in a collaborative working environment. 4. Win-win: Learning from Colleagues One of the best things about being a software tester is the opportunity it gives you to learn and grow. At OMP, I'm constantly learning from my more experienced colleagues, some of whom are the best in their field. Collaborating with functional product managers, I review test cases while they generously share their time and knowledge, providing valuable information about various products and solutions. Their input helps me produce higher quality test scenarios for the end user. The developers teach me new technical skills, recognizing that my in-depth knowledge of the application enables me to carry out rigorous tests. In return, I help them improve the quality of their code. It's a win-win situation, constantly motivating me to keep learning and improving my skills. 5. exploring new technologies and methodologies Software testing is a dynamic field that is constantly evolving, offering interesting opportunities to explore new tools, technologies and testing methodologies as part of the job. I'm fortunate to work with cutting-edge tools and technologies, including JavaScript, Python, REST API, UI automation, Git, AzureDevOps, SQL Server, InfluxDB, Kubernetes (K8s) and cloud technologies. In addition, our team collaborates using scrum tools and agile methodology. As a software tester, we should aim to be at the forefront of the latest industry developments, continuously learning and adapting. 6. Thrive on Professional Diversity Finally, another thing I like most about software testing is the diversity. From front-end testing to API testing, performance testing, scalability testing, database testing and end-to-end testing, I'm always dealing with a variety of tasks simultaneously. I analyze requirements for validity and feasibility, run different tests and participate in a number of projects, all at the same time. It's like being a complete project manager, juggling multiple tasks and challenges without ever getting bored The original article via OMP can be read here.