Daily Tech News 17 November 2025

• The world's first microprocessor wasn't Intel's 4004, but the 20-bit MP944 control system built for the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. (Tom's Hardware)
  
  Which I already knew, because while it was classified information in 1970 when it first launched - literally - it was declassified in the late 90s. (And because a while back I was doing a search for computer hardware with unusual word sizes, and 20 bits qualified.)
  
  It's also not true.
  
  
  
• The first true microprocessor was probably the AL1 from Four-Phase Systems. (Wikipedia)
  
  It was an 8-bit device, but it was what was known as a "bit slice" design: You could simply chain multiple units together to create a larger word size. The AL1 was never sold by itself, but the company did sell the System IV/70, a video terminal controller, that used three such chips to create a 24-bit CPU.
  
  It was announced and in use two months before the first working samples of the MP944, and a year before Intel's 4004.

• That great sucking sound you just heard was PC makers buying up all the nonexistent memory inventory so you double can't have any. (Tom's Hardware)
  
  That's just wonderful.
  
  
  
• THEA1200 is an A1200. (The Register)
  
  Well, it's an Arm-based emulator in a full-sized A1200 case, but that's pretty close.
  
  And it costs about $200.
  
  Plus $30 for shipping if you live in Australia.
  
  That's not too bad, considering.
  
  
  
• The president of Windows announced Microsoft's plans to suck even more in the future and got roasted so hard he had to close replies on Twitter. (Tom's Hardware)
  
  Good. More of this.
  
  
  
• The latest attack on npm was a tea-farming project that spanned 150,000 fake packages. (The Register)
  
  If you don't know what any of that means, count your blessings.
  
  
  

posted by Pixy Misa at 04:00 AM

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