Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the stranger-things department: Requesting concise answers from AI chatbots significantly increases their tendency to hallucinate, according to new research from Paris-based AI testing company Giskard. The study found that leading models -- including OpenAI's GPT-4o, Mistral Large, and Anthropic's Claude 3.7 Sonnet -- sacrifice factual accuracy when instructed to keep responses short.

"When forced to keep it short, models consistently choose brevity over accuracy," Giskard researchers noted, explaining that models lack sufficient "space" to acknowledge false premises and offer proper rebuttals. Even seemingly innocuous prompts like "be concise" can undermine a model's ability to debunk misinformation.
Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the shape-of-things-to-come department: An anonymous reader shares a report: After weeks of news about Google's antitrust travails, the tech giant will try to reset the narrative next week by highlighting advances it is making in artificial intelligence, cloud and Android technology at its annual I/O developer conference.

Ahead of I/O, Google has been demonstrating to employees and outside developers an array of different products, including an AI agent for software development. Known internally as a "software development lifecycle agent," it is intended to help software engineers navigate every stage of the software process, from responding to tasks to documenting code, according to three people who have seen demonstrations of the product or been told about it by Google employees. Google employees have described it as an always-on coworker that can help identify bugs to fix or flag security vulnerabilities, one of the people said, although it's not clear how close it is to being released.
Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the AI-innovation department: Google has launched the AI Futures Fund, a new initiative to invest in AI startups that are building with the latest tools from Google DeepMind. TechCrunch reports: The fund will back startups from seed to late stage and will offer varying degrees of support, including allowing founders to have early access to Google AI models from DeepMind, the ability to work with Google experts from DeepMind and Google Labs, and Google Cloud credits. Some startups will also have the opportunity to receive direct investment from Google.

"The AI Futures Fund doesn't follow a batch or cohort model," a Google spokesperson told TechCrunch. "Instead, we consider opportunities on a rolling basis -- there's no fixed application window or deadline. When we come across companies that align with the fund's thesis, we may choose to invest. We're not announcing a specific fund size at this time, and check sizes vary based on the company's stage and needs -- typically early to mid-stage, with flexibility for later-stage opportunities as well." Startups can apply here.
Posted by Black Convoy from TFW2005


Via Chuckdawg1999 on YouTube we have images of the new Transformers Crash & Combine Heroes Optimus Prime & Bumblebee. This Amazon exclusive 2-pack was recently revealed and consists of re-releases of two Robots In Disguise 2015 molds. The Optimus Prime torso is a redeco of the Optimus Prime figure included in the RID 2015 Crash Combiners Wave 4 Grimlock / Optimus Prime (Primelock) and the Bumblebee legs are a straight yellow redeco of Dragstrip from the Dragstrip / Wildbreak (Dragbreak) pack. They came in a new Evergreen packaging and it is available and ready to ship via Amazon for $14.99. See the images after the » Continue Reading.

The post Amazon Exclusive Transformers Crash & Combine Heroes Optimus Prime & Bumblebee In-Hand Images appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.
Posted by Black Convoy from TFW2005


Following up our first official images of the new Auldey Transformers Alpha Action Elite Wave 2 , now we have our first look at the chase figures of this new wave, via the official AuldeyWeibo account. This is a new line of small and poseable G1 action figures, packaged in blind-boxes. The special chase figures have been revealed: G1 Goldbug Shattered Glass Bumblebee See the mirrored images after the jump and sound off on the 2005 Boards!

The post Auldey Transformers Alpha Action Elite Wave 2 Chase Figures Revealed appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.
Posted by Black Convoy from TFW2005


Via Chinese company Audley Weibo account we have our first official images of the new Transformers Alpha Action Elite Wave 2. This is a new line of small and poseable G1 action figures, packaged in blind-boxes. Characters are in scale to each other standing about 13 cm to 5.5 cm tall. Following up the previously released first wave of characters, now we have images of Wave 2 Elita-1, Perceptor, Bumblebee and Kickback & Ravage. Update #1: Official images of Megatron and Skywarp added via Audley Weibo. Update #2: Official images of Nemesis Prime added via Audley Weibo. See the » Continue Reading.

The post Auldey Transformers Alpha Action Elite Wave 2 Official Images appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.
Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the right-to-repair department: Philips has launched a new initiative called "Philips Fixables," offering free, officially drafted 3D-printable replacement parts to encourage self-repair and sustainability. The program is initially available in the Czech Republic but aims to expand over time. Tom's Hardware reports: This is a new idea, so only one component is available right now for download. The piece happens to be a 3mm comb for one of their shavers, but Philips assures there will be more components made available for more of their devices over time. This isn't the release of a grand library of parts by any means, but it does showcase a shift in supporting communities in search of businesses that support repairable hardware. [...]

The official Philips Fixables web page has a link for anyone in the general public to submit a request to add a specific component. Philips will notify customers with a download link if the component they suggested is able to be shared to Philips Fixables. It's not clear what sort of turnaround time to expect for these requests and whether there are limitations on what components will be made available.

According to Philips, consumers must adhere to the recommended print settings for their components to get the best results. This is the only way to ensure the replacement part is sturdy enough to stand in for a repair. Compromising on fill space for time could make or break your user experience, for example, but if done correctly, a replacement 3D print can be a useful long term solution.
You can check out the files over at Printables.com.
Posted by from MMO Champion
Resurrections for Hardcore Deaths due to DDoS - April 24 and May 3

Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

We have identified and resurrected characters who died due to circumstances caused by distributed denial-of-service attacks on the Doomhowl realm on April 24, and on the Doomhowl and Defias Pillager realms on May 3. We are done with these restorations, and affected players should be able to select the ghost character on the Doomhowl and Defias Pillager realms and log into it to complete the process.

Please be reminded:

If we decide to restore characters lost to a DDoS attack, we will only restore characters that remain on their Hardcore realm. A character cannot be restored if the character was transferred to another realm.

Blizzard Customer Support cannot assist with issues related to characters who have died on Hardcore realms.

Please do not contact Blizzard Customer Support with any inquiries regarding character deaths on Hardcore realms.

Thank you very much!

Additional Resurrections for Hardcore Deaths due to DDoS - April 24 and May 11

Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

We’ve completed a second pass on characters lost during the April 24 DDoS, and additionally resurrected characters that died during the DDoS yesterday, May 11.

All of the above took place on the Doomhowl realm.
Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the how-about-that department: The new owners of VPN provider VPNSecure have drawn ire after canceling lifetime subscriptions. From a report: The owners told customers that they didn't know about the lifetime subscriptions when they bought VPNSecure, and they cannot honor the purchases.
Posted by Zack Zwiezen from Kotaku
Nintendo’s upcoming video game console, the Switch 2, will include a nifty feature that will help protect your battery and keep it running for a long time. And all you have to do is sacrifice a bit of playtime.

< This article continues on their website >
Posted by Ethan Gach from Kotaku
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is an irresistible melting pot of old and new ideas, combining classic JRPG tropes with modern storytelling sensibilities and new gameplay flourishes. It’s in some ways fitting, then, that the 2025 GOTY contender includes optional challenges inspired by Final Fantasy’s most infuriating…

< This article continues on their website >
Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the modern-warfare department: An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: Countries are meeting at the United Nations on Monday to revive efforts to regulate the kinds of AI-controlled autonomous weapons increasingly used in modern warfare, as experts warn time is running out to put guardrails on new lethal technology. Autonomous and artificial intelligence-assisted weapons systems are already playing a greater role in conflicts from Ukraine to Gaza. And rising defence spending worldwide promises to provide a further boost for burgeoning AI-assisted military technology.

Progress towards establishing global rules governing their development and use, however, has not kept pace. And internationally binding standards remain virtually non-existent. Since 2014, countries that are part of the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) have been meeting in Geneva to discuss a potential ban fully autonomous systems that operate without meaningful human control and regulate others. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has set a 2026 deadline for states to establish clear rules on AI weapon use. But human rights groups warn that consensus among governments is lacking. Alexander Kmentt, head of arms control at Austria's foreign ministry, said that must quickly change.

< This article continues on their website >
Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the G-is-for-gradient department: Google is updating its iconic 'G' logo for the first time in 10 years, replacing the four solid color sections with a smooth gradient transition from red to yellow to green to blue. "This modernization feels inline with the Gemini gradient, while AI Mode in Search uses something similar for a shortcut," notes 9to5Google. The update has already rolled out to the Google Search app on iOS and is in beta for Android. From the report: It's a subtle change that you might not immediately notice, especially if the main place you see it is on your homescreen. It will be even less noticeable as a tiny browser favicon. It does not appear that Google is refreshing its main six-letter logo today, while it's unclear whether any other product logos are changing. In theory, some of the company's four-color logos, like Chrome or Maps, could pretty easily start bleeding in their sections.
Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the government-intervention-gone-right department: Ticketmaster will now show full ticket prices upfront -- fees included. "The company announced the 'All In Prices' initiative on Monday as part of its efforts to comply with the Federal Trade Commission's ban on junk fees, which goes into effect on May 12th," notes The Verge. From the report: Now, when you're shopping for tickets, Ticketmaster will display a ticket's full price, alongside a dropdown menu that you can select to see how much you're paying for the "Face Value" of a ticket and the service fee. You still won't see local taxes or delivery fees until checkout.

Ticketmaster says it has made some improvements to its queue as well, by offering real-time updates about ticket availability and when wait times are expected to last more than 30 minutes. It also allows customers to see exactly how many people are ahead of them in the queue.
Posted by Ethan Gach from Kotaku
Stellar Blade finally has a release date on PC. The very good, vibes-filled action-RPG that began as a PlayStation 5 exclusive will hit Steam in June, according to an apparent early leak of the trailer on YouTube. I can’t wait to see how the modding community reacts.

< This article continues on their website >
Posted by Billy Givens from Kotaku
There are multiple ways to get weapon skins in Doom: The Dark Ages. You can find them scattered throughout levels (indicated by a paintbrush icon), or earn them by completing mission challenges and milestones, both of which you can find by looking through your menus. You can even get some skins for the Doom Slayer,…

< This article continues on their website >
Posted by Zack Zwiezen from Kotaku
The Office’s first spin-off finally has a name and a release date. The new show is called The Paper, is set in the same universe, and will arrive exclusively on Peacock in September.

< This article continues on their website >
Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the technological-transformations department: An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Last Thursday, white smoke emerged from a chimney at the Sistine Chapel, signaling that cardinals had elected a new pope. That's a rare event in itself, but one of the many unprecedented aspects of the election of Chicago-born Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV is one of the main reasons he chose his papal name: artificial intelligence. On Saturday, the new pope gave his first address to the College of Cardinals, explaining his name choice as a continuation of Pope Francis' concerns about technological transformation. "Sensing myself called to continue in this same path, I chose to take the name Leo XIV," he said during the address. "There are different reasons for this, but mainly because Pope Leo XIII in his historic Encyclical Rerum Novarum addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution."

In his address, Leo XIV explicitly described "artificial intelligence" developments as "another industrial revolution," positioning himself to address this technological shift as his namesake had done over a century ago. As the head of an ancient religious organization that spans millennia, the pope's talk about AI creates a somewhat head-spinning juxtaposition, but Leo XIV isn't the first pope to focus on defending human dignity in the age of AI. Pope Francis, who died in April, first established AI as a Vatican priority, as we reported in August 2023 when he warned during his 2023 World Day of Peace message that AI should not allow "violence and discrimination to take root." In January of this year, Francis further elaborated on his warnings about AI with reference to a "shadow of evil" that potentially looms over the field in a document called "Antiqua et Nova" (meaning "the old and the new").

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Posted by Billy Givens from Kotaku
If you’re diligent about fully clearing each mission in Doom: The Dark Ages, you’ll eventually have enough gold and rubies to purchase every upgrade in the game to become the ultimate version of the Doom Slayer. In the long run, which upgrade paths you prioritize will be based on which guns and abilities you vibe with…

< This article continues on their website >
Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the clever-use-cases department: Apple is planning to use AI technology to address a frequent source of customer frustration: the iPhone's battery life. From a report: The company is planning an AI-powered battery management mode for iOS 19, an iPhone software update due in September, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The enhancement will analyze how a person uses their device and make adjustments to conserve energy, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the service hasn't been announced.

To create the technology -- part of the Apple Intelligence platform -- the company is using battery data it has collected from users' devices to understand trends and make predictions for when it should lower the power draw of certain applications or features. There also will be a lock-screen indicator showing how long it will take to charge up the device, said the people.
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