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The British government is examining how to clear and compensate hundreds of post office counter managers punished for accounting errors resulting from computer glitches - "We're dealing with it and we want to put it right. The money has been put aside. What we're looking at now is how we can speed up the process," Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told reporters on Monday during a visit to Accrington, in the north of England. The Prime Minister confirmed that the Justice Minister, Alex Chalk, and the Secretary of State for the Economy, Kevin Hollinrake, will meet this afternoon to discuss a strategy. Some politicians have suggested that all wrongly convicted people should be cleared collectively through legislation to unlock compensation. More than 700 branch managers were accused of fraud, theft or falsification of accounts by the British Post Office between 1999 and 2015 when, in reality, it was a computer glitch. It was later discovered that the discrepancies in the accounts were caused by the computer system installed by the Japanese company Fujitsu, whose problems the Post Office sought to omit. For years, the state-owned company claimed that the Horizon software was reliable and forced the branch managers to reimburse the accounting deficits. The scandal was already well known, but it has been in the news again in recent days following the success of a miniseries broadcast on television by ITV, which tells the story of the campaign for justice by some of those affected. One of the law firms representing those affected has revealed that it has been contacted by at least 50 more in recent weeks. The four-part series "Alan Bates vs the Post Office" portrays the battle led over two decades by one of the Post Office's former managers to expose the truth and exonerate wronged postal workers. London's Metropolitan Police revealed on Friday that it is investigating whether the company committed fraud by taking the money obtained following these accusations and wrongful convictions. On the other hand, Fujitsu officials are also being investigated for false testimony and obstruction of justice, but in fact there have been no arrests in four years. In December 2019, a Supreme Court judge ruled that the computer system contained a series of "flaws, errors and defects" and that there was a "significant risk" of causing deficits in the accounts of postal agencies. Since then, 93 convictions have been overturned, but only 30 of these people have received full and final compensation and no one from the Post Office or other companies involved has been arrested or criminally charged. Three different financial compensation schemes have been set up over the years, resulting in the payment of more than 150 million pounds (174 million euros). A public inquiry launched in 2020 is due to be completed this year, and should reveal details about what is considered one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in the UK. The original article via Observador can be read here.

According to a recent announcement, Chinese regulators have stated that Tesla China is recalling more than 1.6 million vehicles due to problems with the steering software and door locking systems. This recall affects a number of Tesla models, including the popular S, X, 3 and Y, as well as more than 7,000 imported vehicles. On the other hand, the good news for owners of these vehicles is that the company plans to solve these problems through remote software updates, meaning there is no need for these vehicles to be assessed at a repair center. Through remote software updates, Tesla is able to simplify the recall process and provide a convenient solution for its customers. Problems with the steering software and the door locking system are major concerns for vehicle safety. The steering bug can affect the vehicle's ability to respond to the driver's commands, thus posing a risk of loss of control. Similarly, the problem with the door locking system could compromise the security of the vehicle, leaving it vulnerable to unauthorized access. Vehicle owners have been advised to stay informed and follow Tesla's instructions to initiate the necessary updates. The original article via Global Village Space can be read here.

According to a statement, Apple said it would update the iOS 17 operating system, which iPhone 15 devices run on, to fix a bug responsible for these devices overheating. The US giant is also working with developers to make changes to applications that "overload the system". The fix for this software error, which has since been released, was made via a software update sent to the affected iPhones: "This update provides important fixes; security updates and resolves an issue that may cause the iPhone to heat up more than expected," according to the update alert. Instagram, owned by Meta Platforms, has made changes to its social media app in order to prevent these overheating problems on the new iPhone with iOS 17. Other apps, such as Uber and the video game Asphalt 9, are still in the process of releasing their updates, according to Apple itself. The "iPhone 15 Pro Max heats up very easily. I'm just browsing social media and it's on fire," said one user in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter). The Wall Street Journal reported last month that the iPhone 15 Pro Max heated up to 112 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 44 degrees Celsius) when performing processor-intensive tasks, such as gaming, and when it was being charged. It is not uncommon for new iPhones to heat up unusually during the first few days of use or when they are being restored with backup information stored in the cloud, problems that Apple has already pointed out to users. The devices can also heat up when using applications such as video games and augmented reality technology that require a lot of processing power, but the heating problems with the iPhone 15 models have gone beyond these typical situations. The original article via CBS News can be read here.

In England, an electronic sign in Norwich, where the "Wroxham" road meets the "Sprowston" road, was affected by a bug that alerted drivers to roadworks more than 160 kilometers away. The sign, which was in place for several days, has since been switched off. According to Norfolk County Council, the problem was caused by a software issue. According to the local authority, the sign should have been displaying information about works at the Heartsease traffic circle, which is less than three kilometers away, and instead informed drivers of a road closure overnight in the Leicestershire village, preventing them from reaching Melton Mowbray - "This is a software issue with our contractor, who is trying to resolve the issue," said a spokesperson for the council. The original article via the BBC can be read here.

McDonald's ice cream machines are notorious for their frequent breakdowns, and iFixit, an American repair company, is working to make them easier to repair. In a video released last Tuesday, iFixit, known for its consumer electronics disassemblies and repair guides, took apart a McDonald's ice cream machine to investigate the cause of its frequent breakdowns. According to the same video, at the time of its publication, it was estimated that at least 34% of ice cream machines were broken in New York state alone. According to the US company's analysis following this video, McDonald's ice cream machines have overly complicated error codes. This, coupled with an exclusive repair contract between McDonald's and the machine's manufacturer, Taylor, creates a heavy reliance on service technicians, making the process both costly and time-consuming. The company Kytch had already developed a device that translated error codes into simple instructions for repairing ice cream machines, but McDonald's quickly squashed this initiative, citing unproven "safety risks", according to Elizabeth Chamberlain, iFixit's repair specialist. In this context, the iFixit team decided to "take the law into their own hands" due to the limitations imposed by US copyright law. In the published video, Elizabeth Chamberlain, iFixit's director of sustainability, expressed the team's desire to create a device similar to Kytch's that could read the error codes of these machines, however, they are unable to do so due to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), and the software that is blocking access to the machines. Thus, iFixit and Public Knowledge have requested an exemption from the law for this purpose, similar to the one they have obtained for other products, and have therefore asked Congress to reintroduce the Freedom to Repair Act. The continuation of the original article via The Times of India can be read here.

An attack on several Norwegian government ministries has forced US federal agencies to fix an Ivanti software bug. The bug in question is a flaw related to an authentication bypass in Ivanti's Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM) device management software, formerly known as MobileIron Core. The US company has issued patches for this vulnerability, and the Norwegian government revealed that the flaw had been exploited in an attack that affected 12 of its ministries. In this context, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has added this bug to its catalog of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV). In an alert issued, CISA stated that "these types of vulnerabilities are frequent attack vectors for malicious cyber actors and pose significant risks to the federal enterprise". Identified as CVE-2023-35078, the authentication bypass bug received the maximum possible CVSS rating of 10, with Ivanti warning its customers that it was essential that they patch their software immediately. According to Ivanti, this bug allowed unauthorized access to the solution's restricted functionality or resources, allowing threat actors to "potentially access users' personally identifiable information and make limited changes to the server". CISA also learned that this software bug allowed unauthenticated access to specific API paths - "An attacker with access to these API paths can access personally identifiable information (PII) such as names, phone numbers and other mobile device details for users on a vulnerable system." The Norwegian authorities did not say whether the data had been exfiltrated during the attack on their ministries, however they did say that the country's Data Protection Authority had been notified, which indicates that there may be concerns that the information has been stolen: "This vulnerability was unique and was discovered for the first time here in Norway," said Sofie Nystrøm, Director General of Norway's National Security Authority. "If we had published information about the vulnerability too early, it could have contributed to its abuse elsewhere in Norway and the rest of the world. The update is now widely available and it is prudent to announce what kind of vulnerability it is," she added. The continuation of the original article via SC Magazine can be read here.

In England, a ferryboat has suffered a breakdown caused by a software problem. The vessel, which runs between Cowes and East Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, has since been taken out of service, and according to Cowes Island Council itself, the ferry is to remain so, to be replaced by another service. This is an important means of transport for the residents of this region, as when this means of transport is inoperative, it forces a 12-mile (19 km) detour through Newport.This ferry cost more than 3 million pounds and its breakdowns and problems have been a constant since it entered service in 2017. The continuation of the original article via the BBC can be read here.

In the United States, more than 4,000 El Paso Electric (EPE) customers have not received their monthly bills due to a bug. The problem, which has been present for the last four months, has mainly affected the customer service system. Resolutions to the problem are already underway, and the company expects the system to be fixed by the end of this month, said George De La Torre, spokesperson for EPE. According to Karmen Mayorga, also a spokesperson for the US company, most of the affected customers are voluntarily paying estimated amounts for their monthly bills until the problem is properly resolved. It is estimated that around 50 affected customers have not been paying their bills and the company's customer service representatives are contacting them to make payment arrangements. In addition, employees of the Texas-based company are asking customers who have not received these bills to use their previous ones to estimate the amount they should pay each month, so that they don't have a bill that is too high when the system works properly again, added Mayorga, who added that this is not a revenue problem for the electricity distribution company - profits in 2022 amounted to more than 113 million dollars. The continuation of the original article via El Paso Times can be read here.

In India, South Korean giant Kia has been forced to recall more than 30,000 vehicles due to a software error located in the digital instrument panel. Due to this bug, more than 30,000 units of the Carens MPV model manufactured between September 2022 and February 2023 will have to be inspected and receive a software update in order to correct the problem. According to a statement issued by the company, the recall campaign has been initiated to inspect for any potential errors in the cluster's initialization process that could cause it to go blank. Kia India also adds that it will contact the owners of the vehicles concerned directly to inform them about this voluntary recall campaign. In October 2022, more than 44,000 units of the same MPV model were recalled, also to fix a possible problem with the software, but related to the airbag control unit. The continuation of the original article via Auto News can be read here.

When analyzing current automation trends and how they will continue in the future, it is important to remember that the quality of any software product depends on the quality of its software testing. It is an integral part of the software development process, and in recent years, it has become easier, more reliable and more comprehensive for software testers to do their job. This article discusses the main current trends shaping software testing, as well as predicting those that will continue in the future. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made its mark prominently in today's digitized world. According to the Statista website, the AI software market is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years, reaching around 126 billion dollars by 2025.To improve testing processes, software testing trends incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. An AI algorithm, for example, generates test cases, and ML techniques are used to identify patterns and anomalies in the test data. Using IoT Testing for Smart Devices and Systems As the popularity of the "Internet of Things" increases, software testers are switching to IoT testing - a network of interconnected physical objects that allows them to collect and exchange data.As the number of IoT devices increases, functional testing and security testing have become essential to confirm that these devices are working effortlessly. Their aim is to verify that IoT devices and systems work as expected. RPA testing RPA, robotic process automation, is a software technology that provides an easy way to create, deploy and manage software robots that mimic human actions when interacting with digital systems. This allows humans to focus on higher-value tasks, freeing them from performing repetitive tasks. Automated RPA tests ensure that these systems are working effectively and meet user requirements: they improve efficiency, reduce costs and cut down on errors. In addition, as RPA systems are used in the health and finance sectors, the need for their efficiency and reliability has increased. Multi-Device Testing for Smarter Test Automation Everyone has several devices connected to each other at all times, such as smartphones, tablets, laptops and home devices. Therefore, multi-device testing is carried out to ensure that the application works effectively on each connected device. Multi-device testing ensures that the application works correctly in terms of size, shape and operating system. As the use of multiple devices increases, so does the opportunity for multi-device testing. There are many quality control automation testing services that offer multi-device testing to test multiple devices and browsers simultaneously, reducing the overall time and effort required for testing. In addition, mobile application testing services ensure that the mobile application is compatible with all devices and operating systems. Blockchain Testing for Increased Security and Performance Blockchain is the latest trend of the decade, with the growing popularity of digital currency and NFTs, most companies have started to adopt the technology. Along with its growing popularity, blockchain brings security threats.Today, cybersecurity has become a global issue, so to ensure the security of your blockchain-based application, blockchain tests are essential. They ensure that your application is secure and that the products are reliable by locating and resolving various problems, such as compatibility issues, security breaches or any other aspect that affects their functionality. Thus, many blockchain-based companies insist on having their application tested with blockchain tests to improve security and performance. Transform Automation Testing with Chatbots Chatbots are sophisticated tools that talk to customers about any of their questions at any time of the day. As well as interacting with customers, they handle requests and provide all the information they need. Their integration with artificial intelligence and natural language helps companies to facilitate interaction with consumers. With automation testing, chatbots can improve and optimize the testing process. Chatbots easily speed up the testing process as they automate routine tasks, allowing testers to focus on important tasks. Data Testing Online businesses are heavily dependent on data, so conducting data tests with automation and specific tools allows testers to deal with the complexity of large volumes of data. Data testing includes checking data pipelines and processing application that have a large amount of data in various formats, data storage, consumption, processing, modeling and visualization.Data testing ensures quality, accuracy and consistency, and with the growth of the industry, most companies want to ensure the authenticity of data, making data testing a growing factor in automated testing. The continuation of the original article via EuroSTAR Huddle can be read here.