Posted by from MMO Champion
Cataclysm Classic: The Joyous Journeys 50% Experience Buff is Back!

Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

The shattered lands of Azeroth are fraught with danger as the heroes of Azeroth continue to push back against Deathwing’s reign of terror. For all stalwart champions continuing their odyssey in Azeroth, take advantage of the Joyous Journeys experience buff which increases experience gains by 50% for all players up to level 85!

Finish leveling a character, create a new one, or invite friends to join you in Cataclysm Classic as you prepare for your next adventure in Pandaria. The buff is active by default, but you can visit any innkeeper in the capital cities and Dalaran to turn it off or on again.

Take advantage of the Joyous Journey’s experience buff now until the Mists of Pandaria Classic pre-patch arrives. It’s an excellent opportunity for new and returning players to level up and join in the fight— for Azeroth!

*Experience buff not available in modern World of Warcraft®, Season of Discovery, or World of Warcraft® Classic Era.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the how-about-that department: Bloomberg's editorial board warned Tuesday that AI has created an "untenable situation" in higher education where students routinely outsource homework to chatbots while professors struggle to distinguish computer-generated work from human writing. The editorial described a cycle where assignments that once required days of research can now be completed in minutes through AI prompts, leaving students who still do their own work looking inferior to peers who rely on technology.

The board said that professors have begun using AI tools themselves to evaluate student assignments, creating what it called a scenario of "computers grading papers written by computers, students and professors idly observing, and parents paying tens of thousands of dollars a year for the privilege."

The editorial argued that widespread AI use in coursework undermines the broader educational mission of developing critical thinking skills and character formation, particularly in humanities subjects. Bloomberg's board recommended that colleges establish clearer policies on acceptable AI use, increase in-class assessments including oral exams, and implement stronger honor codes with defined consequences for violations.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the empty-desks-rising-threats department: Multiple readers shared the following report about the executive departures at CISA: Virtually all of the top officials at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have departed the agency or will do so this month, according to an email obtained by Cybersecurity Dive, further widening a growing void in expertise and leadership at the government's lead cyber defense force at a time when tensions with foreign adversaries are escalating.

Five of CISA's six operational divisions and six of its 10 regional offices will have lost top leaders by the end of the month, the agency's new deputy director, Madhu Gottumukkala, informed employees in an email on Thursday. [...] The exits of these leaders could undermine the efficiency and strategic clarity of CISA's partnerships with critical infrastructure operators, private security firms, foreign allies, state governments and local emergency managers, experts say.

Posted by Kenneth Shepard from Kotaku
Backlash against Disney’s live-action remakes is nothing new. The movies are widely panned by fans who see them as vapid cash grabs that are almost always inferior to the original animated classics. Despite this, almost all of them have been box-office hits, so there’s no real incentive on Disney’s part to rethink its…

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Posted by Ethan Gach from Kotaku
HBO’s Harry Potter revival continues to move forward, now with the show’s Harry, Ron, and Hermione in tow. Unsurprisingly, the TV reboot has cast unknown child actors in the roles, similar to what happened with the original Warner Bros. movies. The only difference is that this time around there’s an existing on-screen…

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Posted by Keith Nelson Jr from Kotaku
Mission: Impossible isn’t simply a cool franchise title, it’s become a promise and a challenge. With each new entry in the collection, Mission: Impossible filmmakers seem to make it their goal to put Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team in a maze of interconnected circumstances that seem, at the very least,…

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Posted by from MMO Champion
World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria Classic Arrives July 21

Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

You've ended Deathwing's destructive rampage; now, you must unlock the mysteries of a lost continent and discover the dark secrets of Pandaria's past when World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria Classic launches on July 21.

Your new journey begins with the pre-patch hitting the servers the week of July 1 with regional server restarts.

Explore ancient kingdoms hidden since before the Sundering, plunder vast treasures from the depths of the forgotten vaults, and rise to defend Pandaria from the shadow of a long-buried evil before it is too late.

---

Mists of Pandaria Classic Pre-Expansion Patch



The Mists of Pandaria Classic pre-patch launches the week of July 1— return to the mystic lands of Pandaria, a world shrouded in fog and mystery. This ancient realm, untouched by time and war, is returning with a renewed sense of wonder and adventure, inviting you to lose yourself again in its lush forests, cloud-ringed mountains, and timeless secrets.

New Playable Race: With the release of the Mists of Pandaria pre-patch, set out as a member of the enigmatic Pandaren and join the ranks of either the Horde or Alliance as you enter the conflict brewing on Pandaria's shores.

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Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the weighing-the-options department: An anonymous reader shares a report: More than 2% of Americans are taking the blockbuster class of GLP-1 drugs for overweight or obesity, up nearly 600% over six years, according to a report from FAIR Health given to Axios first. The data from FAIR Health's repository of over 51 billion commercial healthcare claim records shows the explosion in use of the drugs specifically for weight loss -- roughly half of all users.

In all, roughly 4% of Americans were taking GLP-1 drugs in 2024 for either overweight, obesity or Type 2 diabetes (their original approved use). The data shows Novo Nordisk's Ozempic is still by far the most commonly taken GLP-1, followed by Eli Lilly's Mounjaro. The percentage of adults who were prescribed a GLP-1 drug but did not have bariatric surgery increased from 2.5% in 2019 to 11.2% in 2024 while the the percentage of adult patients who had bariatric surgery decreased 41.8%.

Posted by Zack Zwiezen from Kotaku
Lilo & Stitch, Disney’s latest live-action remake, has already pulled in more money than the original 2002 animated film. The new remake also beat out Tom Cruise’s latest (and possibly last) Mission: Impossible film at the box office, while both films helped set a new Memorial Weekend record.

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Posted by Billy Givens from Kotaku
Solo dev WhyKev’s PaperKlay is a charming 3D platformer with environments made of paper and cardboard. In this short, but sweet, adventure, players control a chicken named Chick and his sidekick Nugget as they set out on an adventure to rescue stolen eggs. It’s a simple but cute premise for a game, and it should…

< This article continues on their website >

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the putting-the-cart-before-the-horse department: Researchers are developing techniques to genetically modify cancer-fighting immune cells directly inside patients rather than in expensive laboratory facilities, potentially making CAR-T therapy accessible to far more people.

Current CAR-T treatments require removing a patient's T cells, shipping them to specialized facilities for genetic engineering, then returning them weeks later at costs around $500,000 per dose. The new "in vivo" approaches use viral vectors or RNA-loaded nanoparticles to deliver genetic instructions directly to T cells circulating in the bloodstream, which could reduce costs by an order of magnitude. Companies including Capstan Therapeutics, co-founded by Nobel laureates, and AstraZeneca-backed EsoBiotec have launched early human trials. While only about 200 US centers currently offer traditional CAR-T therapy, the approach could make the powerful treatment available on demand like conventional drugs.

Posted by Black Convoy from TFW2005


Coming to us via Australian site All Interactive we have our first stock images of the new Transformers Swapticons Desert Dunes Mission 5-Pack Official Stock Images. This new 5-pack consists of the following little fun toys: Ramjet Sandstorm (G2) Optimus Prime (desert cammo) Hound Scorponok (G1) See the images after the jump and then sound off on the 2005 Boards!  

The post Transformers Swapticons Desert Dunes Mission 5-Pack Official Stock Images appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the running-away-with-data department: German sportswear giant Adidas disclosed a data breach after attackers hacked a customer service provider and stole some customers' data. From a report: "adidas recently became aware that an unauthorized external party obtained certain consumer data through a third-party customer service provider," the company said. "We immediately took steps to contain the incident and launched a comprehensive investigation, collaborating with leading information security experts."

Adidas added that the stolen information did not include the affected customers' payment-related information or passwords, as the threat actors behind the breach only gained access to contact. The company has also notified the relevant authorities regarding this security incident and will alert those affected by the data breach.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the draw-four-enemies department: More than 50 years after its debut, Uno has achieved unprecedented popularity among adults, but its resurgence is creating problems and confusions as players disagree on fundamental rules. WSJ, in a fun story [non-paywalled source]: Think politics divides? Try mixing competitors with different views on stacking "action" cards, or getting everyone to agree on the true power of the Wild card. And nobody can seem to decide whether staples of the game of their youth -- like mandating players yell "Uno!" when they have one card left -- are socially acceptable at a bar with strangers. Mattel has responded by actively settling rule debates on social media, definitively stating that stacking Draw 2 cards is prohibited, while simultaneously embracing the game's divisive nature through marketing campaigns. The company's "Show 'Em No Mercy" variant, featuring more aggressive rules, became the second-best-selling card game in the United States last year according to research firm Circana, trailing only classic Uno itself.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the tough-luck department: The Browser Company has ceased the active development of its Arc browser to focus on Dia, a new AI-powered browser currently in alpha testing, the company said Tuesday. In a lengthy letter to users, CEO Josh Miller said the startup should have stopped working on Arc "a year earlier," noting data showing the browser suffered from a "novelty tax" problem where users found it too different to adopt widely.

Arc struggled with low feature adoption -- only 5.52% of daily active users regularly used multiple Spaces, while 4.17% used Live Folders. The company will continue maintenance updates for Arc but won't add new features. Arc also won't open-source the browser because it relies on proprietary infrastructure called ADK (Arc Development Kit) that remains core to the company's value.

Posted by Ethan Gach from Kotaku
Beautiful 3D platformer Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is hitting PS Plus this month. The hyper-stylish homage to Jet Set Radio arrives alongside NBA 2K25 and a Destiny 2 takeover in June. Some noteworthy classics are also joining the subscription service catalog, including PlayStation 2's Grand Theft Auto 3.

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Posted by John Walker from Kotaku
Nintendo’s emphatic dislike of sharing has reached a bizarre new level, with the Nintendo Today app now stopping users from screenshotting or videoing its advertising material.

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Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the closer-look department: President Trump's threat of a 25% tariff on smartphone imports including iPhones would not provide enough economic incentive for Apple to relocate US-bound iPhone production to domestic facilities, according to a new Morgan Stanley note viewed by Slashdot. The tariff threat, announced Friday via social media, appeared to target Apple's recent shift of iPhone production from China to India through its contract manufacturing partners.

Morgan Stanley analysts estimate that establishing US iPhone production would require a minimum of two years and several billion dollars to build multiple greenfield assembly facilities, with a trained workforce exceeding 100,000 workers during peak seasons. More significantly, the firm calculates that a US-produced iPhone would cost 35% more than current China or India production, primarily due to higher labor costs and the need to import 25% of iPhone components from China under existing 30% tariffs. By contrast, Apple could offset a 25% import tariff by raising global iPhone prices just 4-6%, making domestic production economically unviable.

Posted by Joe Moore from The Toyark


From the original 1987 Predator film comes an updated version of the Predator figure from Hot Toys. Their Predator (2.0) 1/6 Scale Figure features updated sculpting, and new accessories. The figure stands over 13″ tall, and has 16 points of ...

The post Hot Toys Predator 2.0 Figure appeared first on The Toyark - News.

Posted by Black Convoy from TFW2005


Via Telemaga.net we can share for you our first in-hand images of the new Transformers Wild King Wave 2 Energy Beasts for your viewing pleasure. We have clear shots of the small-sized Energy Beasts WKB-05 Ignite Leo (lion), WKB-06 Spirituan (Spinosaurus), WKB-07 Drillnohorn (rhino) and WKB-08 Thunderbeak (Pteranodon). Each Energy Beast can combine with Energy Master Optimus Prime or Energy Master Megatron as arms or legs, and you can also combine the 5 figures into one big robot. Each bot features several weapons and ports for several combinations, adding high play value in each possible combination. See all the mirrored images after the jump » Continue Reading.

The post Transformers Wild King Wave 2 Energy Beasts In-Hand Images appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.