Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the called-out department: Senator Dick Durbin questioned a Texas-led effort to move Space Shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian to Space Center Houston, describing it as an expensive "heist" costing an estimated $305 million, not the $85 million initially budgeted. "This is not a transfer. It's a heist," said Durbin during a budget markup hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee. "A heist by Texas because they lost a competition 12 years ago." In April, Texas Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz introduced legislation to move the Space Shuttle Discovery from Virginia to Houston, which ultimately passed into law on July 4 as part of the "One Big Beautiful Bill." Ars Technica reports: "In the reconciliation bill, Texas entered $85 million to move the space shuttle from the National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia, to Texas. Eighty-five million dollars sounds like a lot of money, but it is not nearly what's necessary for this to be accomplished," Durbin said. Citing research by NASA and the Smithsonian, Durbin said that the total was closer to $305 million and that did not include the estimated $178 million needed to build a facility to house and display Discovery once in Houston.

Furthermore, it was unclear if Congress even has the right to remove an artifact, let alone a space shuttle, from the Smithsonian's collection. The Washington, DC, institution, which serves as a trust instrumentality of the US, maintains that it owns Discovery. The paperwork signed by NASA in 2012 transferred "all rights, interest, title, and ownership" for the spacecraft to the Smithsonian. "This will be the first time ever in the history of the Smithsonian someone has taken one of their displays and forcibly taken possession of it. What are we doing here? They don't have the right in Texas to claim this," said Durbin. [...]

< This article continues on their website >

Posted by AzT from TFW2005


Skybound announced its plans for Comic-Con International: San Diego later this month, including several Transformers-related panels and signings: Thursday, July 24, 1:00pm – 2:00pm PDT, Room 6BCF Robert Kirkman Live at SDCC The biggest Robert Kirkman panel in Robert Kirkman history! Want to learn more about everything Invincible (including the new fighting game Invincible VS and Battle Beast comic series) and The Walking Dead? Excited about his plans for Transformers and Void Rivals via Skybound and Hasbro’s Energon Universe? Then don’t miss this panel, which includes world premiere announcements and exclusive giveaway surprises—yes, plural—for every attendee!   » Continue Reading.

The post Skybound’s 2025 Comic-Con International: San Diego Panels and Signings appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Posted by Black Convoy from TFW2005


The official LEGO Minifigure Factory website have been updated with some nice Transformers Themed Prints. You can design, personalize and order your own minifigure and add some of these new Transformers items like T-shirts (one featuring Megatron), a Transformers Animated AllSpark, and Autobot and Decepticon insignias. See the mirrored images after the break and then share your impressions on the 2005 Boards!

The post LEGO Minifigure Factory Transformers Themed Prints appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the look-mom-no-hands department: An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: Automated surgery could be trialled on humans within a decade, say researchers, after an AI-trained robot armed with tools to cut, clip and grab soft tissue successfully removed pig gall bladders without human help. The robot surgeons were schooled on video footage of human medics conducting operations using organs taken from dead pigs. In an apparent research breakthrough, eight operations were conducted on pig organs with a 100% success rate by a team led by experts at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore in the US. [...]

The technology allowing robots to handle complex soft tissues such as gallbladders, which release bile to aid digestion, is rooted in the same type of computerized neural networks that underpin widely used artificial intelligence tools such as Chat GPT or Google Gemini. The surgical robots were slightly slower than human doctors but they were less jerky and plotted shorter trajectories between tasks. The robots were also able to repeatedly correct mistakes as they went along, asked for different tools and adapted to anatomical variation, according to a peer-reviewed paper published in the journal Science Robotics. The authors from Johns Hopkins, Stanford and Columbia universities called it "a milestone toward clinical deployment of autonomous surgical systems." [...]

< This article continues on their website >

Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the watching-your-trash department: The city of Centerville, Ohio has deployed AI-enabled garbage trucks that scan residents' trash and send personalized postcards scolding them for improper recycling. Dayton Daily News reports: "Reducing contamination in our recycling system lowers processing costs and improves the overall efficiency of our collection," City Manager Wayne Davis said in a statement regarding the AI pilot program. "This technology allows us to target problem areas, educate residents and make better use of city resources." Residents whose items don't meet the guidelines will be notified via a personalized postcard, one that tells them which items are not accepted and provides tips on proper recycling.

The total contract amount for the project is $74,945, which is entirely funded through a Montgomery County Solid Waste District grant, Centerville spokeswoman Kate Bostdorff told this news outlet. The project launched Monday, Bostdorff said. "A couple of the trucks have been collecting baseline recycling data, and we have been working through software training for a few weeks now," she said. [...] Centerville said it will continually evaluate how well the AI system works and use what it learns during the pilot project to "guide future program enhancements."

Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the year-round-updates department: BrianFagioli shares a report from NERDS.xyz: Android is changing how it gives developers access to early features. The company is replacing its old Developer Preview model with a new Canary channel that provides rolling updates all year long. This new approach is meant to give developers earlier and more consistent access to experimental tools and APIs.
Previously, Developer Previews had to be manually flashed onto devices. They only ran during the earliest stages of each release cycle and stopped once Android entered the beta phase. That meant promising features that were not quite ready for beta had nowhere to go and no way to collect feedback. The Canary channel solves that by running in parallel with the existing beta program and delivering over the air updates automatically.

Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the enough-is-enough department: Longtime Slashdot reader SonicSpike shares a report from Gizmodo: YouTube is inundated with AI-generated slop, and that's not going to change anytime soon. Instead of cutting down on the total number of slop channels, the platform is planning to update its policies to cut out some of the worst offenders making money off "spam." At the same time, it's still full steam ahead adding tools to make sure your feeds are full of mass-produced brainrot.

In an update to its support page posted last week, YouTube said it will modify guidelines for its Partner Program, which lets some creators with enough views make money off their videos. The video platform said it requires YouTubers to create "original" and "authentic" content, but now it will "better identify mass-produced and repetitious content." The changes will take place on July 15. The company didn't advertise whether this change is related to AI, but the timing can't be overlooked considering how more people are noticing the rampant proliferation of slop content flowing onto the platform every day.

The AI "revolution" has resulted in a landslide of trash content that has mired most creative platforms. Alphabet-owned YouTube has been especially bad recently, with multiple channels dedicated exclusively to pumping out legions of fake and often misleading videos into the sludge-filled sewer that has become users' YouTube feeds. AI slop has become so prolific it has infected most social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. Last month, John Oliver on "Last Week Tonight" specifically highlighted several YouTube channels that crafted obviously fake stories made to show White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in a good light. These channels and similar accounts across social media pump out these quick AI-generated videos to make a quick buck off YouTube's Partner Program.

Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the AI-consent-now-required department: An anonymous reader quotes a report from Straight Arrow News: Hollywood video game performers ended their nearly year-long strike Wednesday with new protections against the use of digital replicas of their voices or appearances. If those replicas are used, actors must be paid at rates comparable to in-person work. The SAG-AFTRA union demanded stronger pay and better working conditions. Among their top concerns was the potential for artificial intelligence to replace human actors without compensation or consent.

Under a deal announced in a media release, studios such as Activision and Electronic Arts are now required to obtain written consent from performers before creating digital replicas of their work. Actors have the right to suspend their consent for AI-generated material if another strike occurs. "This deal delivers historic wage increases, industry-leading AI protections and enhanced health and safety measures for performers," Audrey Cooling, a spokesperson for the video game producers, said in the release. The full list of studios includes Activision Productions, Blindlight, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts Productions, Formosa Interactive, Insomniac Games, Llama Productions, Take 2 Productions and WB Games.

< This article continues on their website >

Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the another-day-another-breach department: Qantas has confirmed that 5.7 million customers have been impacted by a recent data breach through a third-party platform used by its contact center. The breach, attributed to the Scattered Spider threat group, exposed various personal details but did not include passwords, financial, or passport data. BleepingComputer reports: In a new update today, Qantas has confirmed that the threat actors stole data for approximately 5.7 million customers, with varying types of data exposed in the breach:

4 million customer records are limited to name, email address and Qantas Frequent Flyer details. Of this:
- 1.2 million customer records contained name and email address.
- 2.8 million customer records contained name, email address and Qantas Frequent Flyer number. The majority of these also had tier included. A smaller subset of these had points balance and status credits included.

Of the remaining 1.7 million customers, their records included a combination of some of the data fields above and one or more of the following:
- Address - 1.3 million. This is a combination of residential addresses and business addresses including hotels for misplaced baggage delivery.
- Date of birth - 1.1 million
- Phone number (mobile, landline and/or business) - 900,000
- Gender - 400,000. This is separate to other gender identifiers like name and salutation.
- Meal preferences - 10,000

Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the what-to-expect department: Dubai-based airline Emirates is partnering with Crypto.com to integrate Bitcoin payments into the airliner's payment systems and add NFT collectibles on the company's websites for trading. The airline is also hiring staff to support its blockchain, crypto, and metaverse ambitions, positioning itself at the forefront of digital transformation in aviation.

"NFTs and metaverse are two different applications and approaches," explained Emirates Chief Operating Officer Adel Ahmed Al-Redha, adding that the airline will also seek to use the blockchain in tracing records of aircraft. "With the metaverse, you will be able to transform your whole processes -- whether it is in operation, training, sales on the website, or complete experience -- into a metaverse type application, but more importantly making it interactive."

The official integration of crypto payments is expected to take place next year, according to the announcement.

Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the that's-gonna-cost-you department: An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Record: A German court has ruled that Meta must pay $5,900 to a German Facebook user who sued the platform for embedding tracking technology in third-party websites -- a ruling that could open the door to large fines down the road over data privacy violations relating to pixels and similar tools. The Regional Court of Leipzig in Germany ruled Friday that Meta tracking pixels and software development kits embedded in countless websites and apps collect users' data without their consent and violate the continent's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The ruling in favor of the plaintiff sets a precedent which the court acknowledged will allow countless other users to sue without "explicitly demonstrating individual damages," according to a Leipzig Regional Court press release. "Every user is individually identifiable to Meta at all times as soon as they visit the third-party websites or use an app, even if they have not logged in via the Instagram and Facebook account," the press release said. "This may very well be one of the most substantial rulings coming out of Europe this year," said Ronni K. Gothard Christiansen, the CEO of AesirX, a consultancy which helps businesses comply with data privacy laws. "$5,900 in damages for one visitor adds up quickly if you have tens of thousands of visitors, or even millions."

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the stranger-things department: Russia's State Duma rejected legislation that would have legalized ethical hacking, citing national security concerns. Politicians worried that discovering vulnerabilities in software from hostile countries would require sharing those security flaws with foreign companies, potentially enabling strategic exploitation.

The bill also failed to explain how existing laws would accommodate white-hat hacking provisions. Russia's Ministry of Digital Development introduced the proposal in 2022, with a first draft in 2023. Individual security researchers currently face prosecution under Russian Criminal Code for unauthorized computer access, while established cybersecurity companies can conduct limited vulnerability research.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the for-what-it's-worth department: Google is rolling out photo-to-video generation in its Gemini app today, allowing paid subscribers to upload images and transform them into short AI videos using the company's Veo 3 model. The feature requires a subscription to Google's AI Pro plan at $20 per month for three daily video generations, or the $250 AI Ultra plan for five daily videos.

Videos are limited to 720p resolution and eight seconds in length, taking several minutes to generate due to computational requirements.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the deepening-pains department: Indeed and Glassdoor -- both owned by the Japanese group Recruit Holdings -- are cutting roughly 1,300 jobs as part of a broader move to combine operations and shift more focus toward AI. From a report: The cuts will mostly affect people in the US, especially within teams including research and development and people and sustainability, Recruit Holdings Chief Executive Officer Hisayuki "Deko" Idekoba said in a memo to employees. The company didn't give a specific reason for the cuts, but Idekoba said in his email that "AI is changing the world, and we must adapt by ensuring our product delivers truly great experiences."

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the how-about-that department: Mazda is redesigning the steering wheel controls in its new CX-5 to address potential safety concerns from its shift to touchscreen-based infotainment systems. The Japanese automaker developed what it calls "an all new steering wheel layout with physical buttons" that allow drivers to control critical vehicle functions without taking their hands off the wheel. Stefan Meisterfeld, Mazda's U.S. VP of operations, said the new steering wheel design goes beyond simple redundant shortcuts.

The company is pairing the enhanced steering wheel controls with Google Assistant voice commands and a 15.6-inch central touchscreen that now houses audio and climate controls previously operated by physical dashboard buttons. Mazda had been the sole mainstream holdout against touchscreen infotainment systems, relying instead on a console-mounted dial. The steering wheel redesign represents the company's attempt to maintain its "hands on the wheel, eyes on the road" safety philosophy while adopting touchscreen technology that customer research indicated buyers wanted.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the ticket-closed department: A federal judge has dismissed an antitrust lawsuit that accused Apple, Visa and Mastercard of conspiring to suppress competition in the payments network market and inflate merchant transaction fees.

U.S. District Judge David Dugan in Illinois ruled that merchants failed to provide sufficient evidence supporting claims that Apple illegally declined to launch a competing payment network to rival Visa and Mastercard.

The lawsuit, filed by beverage retailer Mirage Wine & Spirits and other businesses representing thousands of merchants, alleged the payment networks paid Apple hundreds of millions of dollars annually to avoid competition. Dugan found the plaintiffs offered only "a slew of circumstantial allegations" but permitted them to amend their complaint.

Posted by Tony_Bacala from TFW2005


Former Hasbro CEO Alan Hassenfeld, who oversaw the birth of the Transformers brand in the 80s, has passed away at the age of 76.  He was part of the original family that started Hasbro back in the 1920s, the Hassenfeld Brothers (Has-Bro, see), and the last Hassenfeld to act as CEO.  In addition to helping transform the company into the juggernaut that it is today, he also started and contributed to many philanthropic endeavors.   We here at TFW2005 thank him for his service on all fronts, and wish his family well.    

The post Former Hasbro CEO Alan Hassenfeld Passes Away at 76 appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Posted by from MMO Champion
Patch 11.2 PTR - Build 61871

Ghosts of K'aresh Development Notes - July 10, 2025

Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

The following class changes have been added to the Ghosts of K’aresh PTR:

Classes

Rogue

Hero Talents

Deathstalker

Subtlety

Manaforge Omega 2-set bonus – Deathstalker effects and damage increased to 50% (was 30%).

Trickster

Manaforge Omega 2-set bonus – Unseen Blade damage increase and chance to trigger an additional time increased to 35% (was 30%).

Manaforge Omega 4-set bonus – Effectiveness of second Coup de Grace increased to 150% (was 100%).

Assassination

All damage increased by 8%.

Outlaw

Killing Spree off-hand shots no longer count as off-hand weapon swings that deal half damage.

Killing Spree off-hand shot damage increased by 25% to match main-hand shot damage.

Net result of these changes is a Killing Spree damage increase of 43%.

Fatebound

Fixed an issue that could cause Killing Spree to be immediately cancelled if Fatebound Coin (Tails) was flipped.

Warlock

Hero Talents

Diabolist

Fixed an issue with the Manaforge Omega 2-set bonus – Eye Blast cast by Demonic Oculi no longer deals its multi-target damage to its main target.

Demonology

Fixed an issue with the Manaforge Omega 2-set bonus – Eye Blast is now affected by Mastery.

Soul Harvester

< This article continues on their website >

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the going-all-in department: Almost three-quarters of all solar and wind power projects being built globally are in China, says a new report that highlights the country's rapid expansion of renewable energy sources. From a report: China is building 510 gigawatts of utility-scale solar and wind projects, according to data from the Global Energy Monitor, a non-governmental organisation based in San Francisco. That compares with about 689GW under construction globally, GEM said.

A rough rule of thumb is that a gigawatt can potentially supply electricity for about 1mn homes. "China is [...] leading the world in global renewable energy build-out," the report said. "It continues to add solar and wind power at a record pace." China's expansion of clean energy sources is important for efforts to fight climate change, given the country's dominant role in global manufacturing.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the oops department: Swedish security service members who shared details of their running and cycling routes on fitness app Strava have been accused of revealing details of the prime minister's location, including his private address. Politico: According to Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter, on at least 35 occasions bodyguards uploaded their workouts to the training app and revealed information linked to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, including where he goes running, details of overnight trips abroad, and the location of his private home, which is supposed to be secret.