Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the more-you-know department: An anonymous reader shares a report: The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating whether Boeing failed to complete required inspections on 787 Dreamliner planes and whether Boeing employees falsified aircraft records, the agency said this week. The investigation was launched after an employee reported the problem to Boeing management, and Boeing informed the FAA. "The FAA has opened an investigation into Boeing after the company voluntarily informed us in April that it may not have completed required inspections to confirm adequate bonding and grounding where the wings join the fuselage on certain 787 Dreamliner airplanes," the FAA said in a statement provided to Ars today. The FAA said it "is investigating whether Boeing completed the inspections and whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records. At the same time, Boeing is reinspecting all 787 airplanes still within the production system and must also create a plan to address the in-service fleet." The agency added that it "will take any necessary action -- as always -- to ensure the safety of the flying public."
Boeing VP Scott Stocker, who leads the 787 Dreamliner program, described "misconduct" in an April 29 email to employees in South Carolina. Boeing provided a copy of the email to Ars. "After receiving the report, we quickly reviewed the matter and learned that several people had been violating Company policies by not performing a required test, but recording the work as having been completed," Stocker wrote. "As you all know, we have zero tolerance for not following processes designed to ensure quality and safety. We promptly informed our regulator about what we learned and are taking swift and serious corrective action with multiple teammates."
Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the how-about-that department: Motional, the autonomous vehicle startup borne out of a $4 billion joint venture between Hyundai and automotive supplier Aptiv, will pause its commercial operations and delay plans to launch a driverless taxi service as it undergoes a restructuring, TechCrunch reported Tuesday. From a report: The aim is make progress on the core technology and the business model, while preserving capital, according to sources familiar with the changes. Motional has pushed its plan to launch a commercial driverless robotaxi service with its second-generation AV -- the Hyundai Ioniq 5 -- to 2026, two years later than planned.
The company told employees Tuesday during an all-hands meeting that the changes will include layoffs, but did not provide a figure of how many people would be affected, according to sources who spoke to TechCrunch on condition of anonymity. Motional began notifying employees if they were laid off shortly after the meeting ended. The company employed more than 1,300 people prior to a 5% cut in workforce in March 2024. Motional will halt its commercial operations, which today includes taxi rides in autonomous Hyundai Ioniq 5 vehicles in Las Vegas via the Uber and Lyft network. The company will also end deliveries for Uber Eats customers in Santa Monica using its autonomous vehicles. A human safety operator is behind the wheel in all of its commercial operations.
Posted by from MMO Champion
Dragonflight Patch 10.2.7 - Dark Heart Live This Week
The War Within Alpha - Hallowfall Main Story Quest Preview
Today we are looking at the main story quest for Hallowfall. Keep in mind this quest chain is missing context and will likely change over time. MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD!
The Guiding Star
Anduin previously left with Adelgonn, one of the Earthen leaders, during the events of the Isle of Dorn questing. The two were intent on traveling to Hallowfall to seek aid from the Arathi against the Nerubians.
You meet Anduin and Adelgonn near Hallowfall's entrance. Upon entering and seeing the crystal in the sky, you eventually reach the town of Dunell's Kindness and meet Faerin, an Arathi lamplighter, and General Steelstrike.
The general recently ordered a retreat that caused a lamplighter and many troops to be placed in harm's way. Faerin wants you to help her recover them.
You take a lynx cart to the Aegis Wall while Faerin explains their situation to you and Anduin.
The Arathi here call the crystal in the sky a "star." They named it Beledar, meaning the "Emperor's Vision" of holy light.
These Arathi are known as the Hallowfall expedition of the Arathi Empire. They followed the Emperor's sacred vision across the sea to fight in Renulash, the final battle between light and dark.
However, they were caught in a storm and enveloped in golden radiance. The entire armada was transported here in a flash and has been fighting the Nerubians ever since.
Faerin was the only child transported with the Armada and grew up fighting the Nerubians, losing her arm and one eye in the process. She then explains that lamplighters are trained to charge into the darkness to save the lost and keep the dawntowers lit.
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Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the breaking-news department: Less than two weeks after President Biden signed a bill that will force TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the popular social media app or face a ban in the United States, TikTok said it sued the federal government on Tuesday, arguing the law was unconstitutional. From a report: TikTok said that the law violated the First Amendment by effectively removing an app that millions of Americans use to share their views and communicate freely. It also argued that a divestiture was "simply not possible," especially within the law's 270-day timeline, pointing to difficulties such as Beijing's refusal to sell a key feature that powers TikTok in the United States.
"For the first time in history, Congress has enacted a law that subjects a single, named speech platform to a permanent, nationwide ban, and bars every American from participating in a unique online community with more than one billion people worldwide," the company said in the 67-page petition it provided, which initiates the lawsuit. "There is no question: The act will force a shutdown of TikTok by Jan. 19, 2025." TikTok is battling for its survival in the United States, with the fight set to play out primarily in courts over the next few months. While lawmakers who passed the bill have said the app is a national security threat because of its ties to China, the courts must now weigh those concerns against TikTok's argument that a sale or ban would violate the First Amendment free-speech rights of its users and hurt small businesses that owe their livelihood to the platform.
Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the how-about-that department: The identity of the leader of one of the most infamous ransomware groups in history has finally been revealed. From a report: On Tuesday, a coalition of law enforcement led by the U.K.'s National Crime Agency announced that Russian national, Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev, 31, is the person behind the nickname LockBitSupp, the administrator and developer of the LockBit ransomware. The U.S. Department of Justice also announced the indictment of Khoroshev, accusing him of computer crimes, fraud and extortion.
"Today we are going a step further, charging the individual who we allege developed and administered this malicious cyber scheme, which has targeted over 2,000 victims and stolen more than $100 million in ransomware payments," Attorney General Merrick B. Garland was quoted as saying in the announcement. According to the DOJ, Khoroshev is from Voronezh, a city in Russia around 300 miles south of Moscow. "Dmitry Khoroshev conceived, developed, and administered Lockbit, the most prolific ransomware variant and group in the world, enabling himself and his affiliates to wreak havoc and cause billions of dollars in damage to thousands of victims around the globe," said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey, where Khoroshev was indicted.
Fortnite’s big Star Wars update arrived last week and added plenty of new content based on the popular sci-fi franchise to Epic’s massively popular free-to-play game. It also added a new Star Wars song to the game that can be played in the Guitar Hero-like rhythm game, Fortnite Festival. Sadly, the song is the Cantina… 
Hades 2 hit Early Access on May 6, giving those eager for a sequel to the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning action RPG roguelike a chance to jump in. We’ve already covered some starting Hades 2 tips, whether you’re a newcomer or a Hades vet, as well as some essential info for taking down Headmistress Hecate. 
Boeing Says Workers Skipped Required Tests on 787 But Recorded Work as Completed 2024-05-07 13:15:01
Hades 2, released on May 6 in Early Access, is already surpassing its predecessor’s feats. The sequel will feel familiar enough to those who fought their way to the surface as Zagreus in the first game. Some existing systems, however, have been iterated on, with perhaps the biggest example being the incantations… 
On May 7, Xbox announced that it was closing four studios: Arkane Austin (Redfall), Tango Gameworks (Hi-Fi Rush), Alpha Dog Games (Mighty Doom), and support studio Roundhouse Games. The news is yet another example of Xbox—which has spent billions buying up studios—cutting costs, laying people off, and rearranging… 
Today, May 7, Xbox announced it’s shutting down three studios and merging another. This includes Redfall developer Arkane Austin and Mobile Doom studio Alpha Dog Games, while Roundhouse Games is being absorbed into Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Online Studios. But perhaps most shocking of all is the closure… 
One of the worst years for cancellations, cuts, and closures in the history of the video game industry has just claimed its next victims, including Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks. Developers and fans alike are in disbelief. “Great teams are sunsetting before our eyes again, and it’s a fucking gut stab,” wrote Dinga… 
Co-op shooter Helldivers 2 was enjoying tons of success in the months since its February launch. Then, a few days ago, Sony announced that PC players had to link (or create) a PlayStation Network account to continue playing the game. This enraged fans who have been playing for months, resulting in a massive… 
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