Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the closer-look department: An interesting piece on Construction Physics that examines how Japan transformed discarded American wartime shipbuilding techniques into a revolutionary manufacturing system that captured nearly half the global market by 1970. The story reveals the essential ingredients for industrial dominance: government backing, organizational alignment, relentless will to improve, and the systematic coordination needed to turn existing technologies into something entirely new. A few excerpts: During WWII, the US constructed an unprecedented shipbuilding machine. By assembling ships from welded, prefabricated blocks, the US built a huge number of cargo ships incredibly quickly, overwhelming Germany's u-boats and helping to win the war. But when the war was over, this shipbuilding machine was dismantled. Industrialists like Henry Kaiser and Stephen Bechtel, who operated some of the US's most efficient wartime shipyards, left the shipbuilding business. Prior to the war, the US had been an uncompetitive commercial shipbuilder producing a small fraction of commercial oceangoing ships, and that's what it became again. At the height of the war the US was producing nearly 90% of the world's ships. By the 1950s, it produced just over 2%.
But the lessons from the US's shipbuilding machine weren't forgotten. After the war, practitioners brought them to Japan, where they would continue to evolve, eventually allowing Japan to build ships faster and cheaper than almost anyone else in the world.
< This article continues on their website >
Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the what-to-expect department: OpenAI on Wednesday announced that it was paying $6.5 billion to buy io, a one-year-old start-up created by Jony Ive. While the company remains tightlipped about the futuristic AI device(s) it has in the works, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo shared some alleged details about its design. MacRumors reports: In a social media post today, Kuo said the device will be "slightly larger" than Humane's discontinued AI Pin. He said the device will look "as compact and elegant as an iPod Shuffle," which was Apple's lowest-priced, screen-less iPod. The design of the iPod shuffle varied over the years, going from a compact rectangle to a square. Like the iPod shuffle, Kuo said OpenAI's device will not have a screen, but it would connect to smartphones and computers. The device will be equipped with microphones for voice control, and it will have cameras that can analyze the user's surroundings.
He said that users will be able to wear the device around their necks, like a necklace, whereas the AI Pin can be attached to clothing with a clip. Kuo expects OpenAI's device to enter mass production in 2027, and the final design and specifications might change before then. Kuo expects OpenAI's device to enter mass production in 2027, and the final design and specifications might change before then.
Posted by from MMO Champion
Upcoming Class Tuning with the Weekly Maintenance - May 27
Originally Posted by Blizzard
(
Blue Tracker /
Official Forums)
We continue to regularly monitor class balance and make adjustments to specializations that over-and under-perform in group content and in PvP.
With scheduled weekly maintenance in each region, we’ll make the following changes.
Classes
Evoker
Augmentation
Nerub-ar Palace 2-piece class set increases Upheaval damage by 15% (was 30%) and Eruption damage by 15% per stack (was 30%).
Developers’ notes: With recent buffs to Augmentation’s personal damage, this older class set became stronger than intended.
Preservation
Healing of all spells and abilities increased by 4%. Does not affect PvP combat.
Living Flame healing increased by 30%.
Spiritbloom healing increased by 20%.
Echo’s base healing increased by 100%. This only affects the raw healing, not how strong copied spells are.
Hunter
Survival
Explosive Shot damage increased by 15%.
Fury of the Eagle damage increased by 25%.
Mage
Frost
All damage dealt increased by 3%. Does not affect PvP.
Paladin
Holy
Lightsmith: Blessing of the Forge healing increased by 15%.
Lightsmith: Hammer and Anvil healing increased by 20%.
Priest
Shadow
< This article continues on their website >
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