Posted by Mechafire from TFW2005


Via the Takara @tspark_official X account we have a new image and info for the upcoming Synergenex Transformers x Zoids x Diaclone Shield-D-Prime figure: “Transformers x Zoids x Diaclone SHIELD-D-PRIME Reservations start on June 5, 2025 ■ Transformation Transforms from Shield Liger mode to Optimus Prime mode. Diaclone personnel can board the main cockpit and back unit.” See it after the jump and let us know if you’re interested in the ongoing discussion thread!

The post Takara Synergenex Transformers x Zoids x Diaclone Shield-D-Prime New Image & Info appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Posted by Randall Munroe from XKCD
Pontoon bridges are just linear open-sided waterbeds.

Posted by Black Convoy from TFW2005


Via some Walmart listings, we can share for you our first images of the Transformers Swapticons Wave 2 2-Packs. While the listings are not live and no official images have been shared yet, it seems Walmart must’ve sent out review copies of the following sets: Swapticons Ravage & Shadow Panther Swapticons Grimlock & Snarl Swapticons Starscream & Slipstream The recently revealed Swapticons Nemesis Prime & Clench 2-pack should be part of this wave too. See the images after the jump and then share your impressions on the 2005 Boards!  

The post Transformers Swapticons Wave 2 2-Packs In-Hand Images appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Posted by Black Convoy from TFW2005


Thanks to Instagram user @the_pop_analyst we have our first look a the new Funko Jumbo Chan Optimus Prime. This is a new 14-inch/35.56-cm retro-inspired hard-vinyl Optimus Prime figure. It will be limited to 1200 units with a certificate of authenticity. This new figure will be available for $250 USD via Funko website since June 13th, 2025 at 09:00 AM. See the mirrored official images after the jump and then sound off on the 2005 Boards!  

The post First look at Funko Jumbo Chan Optimus Prime appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the glacial-pace department: Snowflake's growth among large enterprise customers faces a significant bottleneck tied to the sluggish replacement cycles of existing on-premises data warehouse systems, according to finance vice president Jimmy Sexton. Speaking at a Jefferies conference, Sexton explained that while the cloud data company secured two deals worth more than $100 million each in the financial services sector during its latest quarter, such migrations unfold over multiple years as "cumbersome projects."

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the uncharted-territory department: An anonymous reader shares a report: Internet service provider Frontier Communications agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by major record labels that demanded mass disconnections of broadband users accused of piracy. Universal, Sony, and Warner sued Frontier in 2021. In a notice of settlement filed last week in US District Court for the Southern District of New York, the parties agreed to dismiss the case with prejudice, with each side to pay its own fees and costs.

The record labels and Frontier simultaneously announced a settlement of similar claims in a Bankruptcy Court case in the same district. Frontier also settled with movie companies in April of this year, just before a trial was scheduled to begin. (Frontier exited bankruptcy in 2021.) [...] Regardless of what is in the agreement, the question of whether ISPs should have to crack down more harshly on users accused of piracy could be decided by the US Supreme Court.

Posted by from MMO Champion
The Legacy of Arathor Goes Live June 17!

Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Take your adventures further in the Legacy of Arathor beginning June 17. You’ll amp up the challenge in Overcharged Delves, go Lorewalking with Lorewalker Cho, get a helping hand with the new Combat Assistant and Single-Button Assistant… and more.

---

New Arathi Highlands Campaign

While attentions have been focused on Khaz Algar, a new storm is brewing in the Arathi Highlands. Tensions are rising between the Horde and Alliance; join Faerin, Danath, and Geya'rah as they attempt to quell the rising tides of hostility between the two factions in a new multi-quest campaign. You’ll get to experience this new two-chapter storyline with branching viewpoints for each faction as you play through.

Players will receive a few new rewards for their efforts:

Alliance: Stromgarde Tabard

Horde: Mag'har Tabard

Shoulder Transmog inspired by Faerin’s own pauldrons.

Read and listen to the Heartlands 5-part audio novella before you head into Arathi Highlands.

---

Go Lorewalking with Lorewalker Cho




< This article continues on their website >

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the can't-have-nice-things department: Automated web-scraping bots seeking training data for AI models are flooding scientific databases and academic journals with traffic volumes that render many sites unusable. The online image repository DiscoverLife, which contains nearly 3 million species photographs, started receiving millions of daily hits in February this year that slowed the site to the point that it no longer loaded, Nature reported Monday.

The surge has intensified since the release of DeepSeek, a Chinese large language model that demonstrated effective AI could be built with fewer computational resources than previously thought. This revelation triggered what industry observers describe as an "explosion of bots seeking to scrape the data needed to train this type of model." The Confederation of Open Access Repositories reported that more than 90% of 66 surveyed members experienced AI bot scraping, with roughly two-thirds suffering service disruptions. Medical journal publisher BMJ has seen bot traffic surpass legitimate user activity, overloading servers and interrupting customer services.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the one-port-to-rule-them-all department: Microsoft will require all USB-C ports on Windows 11 certified laptops and tablets to support data transfer, charging, and display functionality under updated hardware compatibility program rules. The mandate targets devices shipping with Windows 11 24H2 and aims to eliminate what Microsoft -- and the industry -- calls "USB-C port confusion," where identical-looking ports offer different capabilities across PC manufacturers.

The Windows Hardware Compatibility Program updates also require USB 40Gbps ports to maintain full compatibility with both USB4 and Thunderbolt 3 peripherals.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the fighting-back department: Apple has filed an appeal with the European Union's General Court in Luxembourg challenging the bloc's order requiring greater iOS interoperability with rival companies' products under the Digital Markets Act. The EU executive in March directed Apple to make its mobile operating system more compatible with competitors' apps, headphones, and virtual reality headsets by granting developers and device makers access to system components typically reserved for Apple's own products.

Apple contends the requirements threaten its seamless user experience while creating security risks, noting that companies have already requested access to sensitive user data including notification content and complete WiFi network histories. The company faces potential fines of up to 10% of its worldwide annual revenue if found in violation of the DMA's interoperability rules designed to curb Big Tech market power.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the oops department: An anonymous reader shares a report: Business Insider announced this week that it wants staff to better incorporate AI into its journalism. But less than a year ago, the company had to quietly apologize to some staff for accidentally recommending that they read books that did not appear to exist but instead may have been generated by AI.

In an email to staff last May, a senior editor at Business Insider sent around a list of what she called "Beacon Books," a list of memoirs and other acclaimed business nonfiction books, with the idea of ensuring staff understood some of the fundamental figures and writing powering good business journalism.

Many of the recommendations were well-known recent business, media, and tech nonfiction titles such as Too Big To Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin, DisneyWar by James Stewart, and Super Pumped by Mike Isaac. But a few were unfamiliar to staff. Simply Target: A CEO's Lessons in a Turbulent Time and Transforming an Iconic Brand by former Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel was nowhere to be found. Neither was Jensen Huang: the Founder of Nvidia, which was supposedly published by the company Charles River Editors in 2019.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the self-inflicted-wounds department: A new analysis argues that Stack Overflow's decline began years before AI tools delivered the "final blow" to the once-dominant programming forum. The site's monthly questions dropped from a peak of 200,000 to a steep collapse that began in earnest after ChatGPT's 2023 launch, but usage had been declining since 2014, according to data cited in the InfoWorld analysis.

The platform's remarkable reputation system initially elevated it above competitors by allowing users to earn points and badges for helpful contributions, but that same system eventually became its downfall, the piece argues. As Stack Overflow evolved into a self-governing platform where high-reputation users gained moderation powers, the community transformed from a welcoming space for developer interaction into what the author compares to a "Stanford Prison Experiment" where moderators systematically culled interactions they deemed irrelevant.

Posted by Black Convoy from TFW2005


THe official Yolopark Instagram and Facebook have shared our first images of a new update of their upcoming AMK PRO Bumblebee Movie Soundwave giving us our first look at his partner Ravage. While the AMK PRO Bumblebee Movie Soudnwave was revealed in previous events, now at the Hainan International Digital Entertainment Expo 2025, they had Ravage prototype on display, confirming that he will be included with Soundwave. It’s just a hard resin prototype, so we have no concrete information if this Ravage could fit inside Soundwave’s chest. Stay tuned with this space for more updates! See the mirrored images » Continue Reading.

The post Yolopark AMK PRO Bumblebee Movie Soundwave Prototype Update: Ravage Prototype Image appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the stranger-things department: A new business model has emerged across China's major cities, El Pais reports, where companies charge unemployed individuals to rent desk space and pretend to work, responding to social pressure around joblessness amid rising youth unemployment rates. These services charge between 30 and 50 yuan ($4-7) daily for desks, Wi-Fi, coffee, and lunch in spaces designed to mimic traditional work environments.

Some operations assign fictitious tasks and organize supervisory rounds to enhance the illusion, while premium services allow clients to roleplay as managers or stage workplace conflicts for additional fees. The trend has gained significant traction on Xiaohongshu, China's equivalent to Instagram, where advertisements for "pretend-to-work companies" accumulate millions of views. Youth unemployment reached 16.5% among 16-to-24-year-olds in March 2025, according to National Bureau of Statistics data, while overall urban unemployment stood at 5.3% in the first quarter.

Posted by Joe Moore from The Toyark


The second wave of Biker Mice From Mars action figures are now available to pre-order directly from Nacelle Toys. These 6″ scale action figures are based on the classic Biker Mice From Mars toys of the 90’s. The second wave ...

The post Biker Mice From Mars Wave 2 by Nacelle appeared first on The Toyark - News.

Posted by Black Convoy from TFW2005


Japanese Publisher Hero-X have finally revealed the cover of their new Transformers Generations Book 2025. Hero X have tweeted our first look at the amazing cover art of this book including a clean version.The art, by artist Akira Amemiya, features a mix of G1 and G1 Japan characters with Devastator, Liokaiser, Star Convoy, and Predaking with MPG-17 Optimus Prime Style Generation and the new Wild King Energy Master Optimus Prime in the center. The Transformers Generations book 2025 will have 96 pages, but there’s still no exact information about the content this time, but judging for the cover the new MPG-17 Optimus Prime Style Generation and Wild King » Continue Reading.

The post Transformers Generations Book 2025 Cover Art Revealed appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Posted by Joe Moore from The Toyark


Four upcoming Target Exclusive Superman figures from McFarlane Toys have been listed online at Target.com. These DC Multiverse Gold Label Series and Collector Edition Action Figures are currently not available to purchase. However, you can set up notifications for when ...

The post DC Multiverse Listings for Target Exclusive Superman Figures appeared first on The Toyark - News.

Posted by Joe Moore from The Toyark


This Wednesday, NECA will open pre-orders for their new line of figures based on the Netflix Wednesday Series. Inspired by the classic Addams Family comic strips, the series follows Wednesday Addams as a student at Nevermore Academy. The new 8″ ...

The post NECA Previews Wednesday Figures appeared first on The Toyark - News.

Posted by Joe Moore from The Toyark


Later this week, the next Street Fighter figure from Jada Toys will be available to pre-order. Up next is a Vega 6″ Scale Figure from Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers. The figure includes masked and unmasked portraits, a ...

The post Ultra Street Fighter II – Jada Toys Vega Figure appeared first on The Toyark - News.

Posted by Joe Moore from The Toyark


Pre-orders are live for the new No Time To Die – James Bond 1/6 Scale Figure from Hot Toys. Based on Daniel Craig’s final James Bond movie, the new figure stands at approximately 12″ tall, with about 30 points of ...

The post No Time To Die – Hot Toys James Bond Figure appeared first on The Toyark - News.