Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the more-cuts department: Microsoft is planning to ax thousands of jobs, particularly in sales, as part of the company's latest move to trim its workforce amid heavy spending on AI. From a report: The cuts are expected to be announced early next month [non-paywalled source], following the end of Microsoft's fiscal year, according to people familiar with the matter. The reductions won't exclusively affect sales teams, and the timing could still change, said the people, who requested anonymity to discuss a private matter. The terminations would follow a previous round of layoffs in May that hit 6,000 people and fell hardest on product and engineering positions, largely sparing customer-facing roles like sales and marketing.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the closer-look department: Investigators believe Air India Flight 171 had an emergency-power generator operating when it crashed last week, raising questions about whether the plane's engines functioned properly during takeoff. WSJ: The preliminary finding [non-paywalled source], according to people familiar with the probe, gives investigators a new line of inquiry as they study a crash that killed all but one of the plane's passengers. In all, at least 270 people died following the crash, including some on the ground in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad.

The emergency system is known as a ram air turbine. It is a small propeller that drops from the bottom of the 787 Dreamliner's fuselage to serve as a backup generator. Engines normally produce electricity for an aircraft and help run its flight-control systems. The power generated by the RAT can enable crucial aircraft components to function. The system can deploy automatically in flight if both engines have failed or if all three hydraulic system pressures are low, according to an airline's Boeing 787 manual reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

It can also deploy if cockpit instruments lose power or problems emerge with the aircraft's electric motor pumps. Pilots can manually deploy the RAT if needed. The most common occurrence is when a pilot thinks that both engines failed, according to Anthony Brickhouse, a U.S.-based aerospace safety consultant. Engine failures can result from a variety of causes, including bird strikes or problems with fuel.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the getting-warmer department: The NFC Forum has released NFC Release 15 (that's what it's calling it), extending the operating range of Near Field Communication connections from 0.5 centimeters to 2 centimeters -- a fourfold increase that reduces the precision required for device alignment.

The global standards body, whose board includes representatives from Apple, Google, Huawei, Infineon, NXP, Sony, and ST Microelectronics, designed the enhancement to accelerate transaction speeds and improve reliability across NFC-enabled devices. The expanded range addresses technical challenges in smaller form-factor devices like wearables and smartphones while maintaining compatibility with existing ISO/IEC 14443 standards.

The standard also incorporates support for NFC Digital Product Passport specifications, allowing single NFC tags embedded in products to store and transmit sustainability data throughout their lifecycle.

Posted by Tony_Bacala from The Toyark


New drop today in the month long trickle of Gamerverse figures for Marvel Legends.  The big guy Gargantos is now live.  Hit the linkage, check the deets. Marvel Legends Series Gamerverse Gargantos PO Links -> Entertainment Earth, Big Bad Toy ...

The post Marvel Legends Series Gamerverse Gargantos appeared first on The Toyark - News.

Posted by Black Convoy from TFW2005


The official E-Hobby Twitter/X account have surprised us with the official announcement of their exclusive Transformers Garage Kits. Garage Kits pieces are often made of resin and are planned to be painted. There still not much detail about these new kits, but the first promotional pictures reveal Optimus Prime and a sneek peek of Pretender Stranglehold. We can also spot sketches of Megatron, Grimlock, Sideswipe, Drift and Deadlock. Stay tuned with this space for more updates! See the mirrored images attached to this news post after the break and then share your impressions on the 2005 Boards!

The post E-Hobby Exclusive Transformers Garage Kits Announcement appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the existential-crisis department: Microsoft is positioning Windows as the primary gaming platform for Xbox, according to Xbox president Sarah Bond. "We're working closely with the Windows team to ensure that Windows is the number one platform for gaming," Bond said in a video announcing a partnership with AMD for next-generation Xbox hardware spanning consoles and handhelds.

The statement, PCWorld points out, aligns with Microsoft's recent "This is an Xbox" marketing campaign, which promotes phones, PCs, televisions, and traditional consoles as Xbox devices. The company's newly announced Xbox Ally X handheld runs Windows beneath its Xbox interface, allowing access to multiple game stores unlike Valve's Steam Deck.

Microsoft has shifted strategy following weak Xbox console sales compared to PlayStation, spending billions to acquire publishers including Bethesda and Activision Blizzard while expanding Xbox Cloud Gaming services across multiple device types.

Posted by Black Convoy from TFW2005


< This article continues on their website >

Posted by from MMO Champion
Patch 11.2 - Ghosts of K'aresh

Patch 11.2 - Ghosts of K'aresh Developer Interviews

Some outlets had the opportunity to ask the developers some additional questions. We've recapped some of the highlights below.

ScreenRant

Screenrant interviewed Assistant Lead Quest Designer, Stephanie Yoon, the Associate Art Director, Tina Wang, and two Lead Encounter Designers for Ghosts of K'aresh, Taylor Sanders and Andrew De Sousa.

Players are able to gather a lot of hints and clues about where we're headed to next in Midnight with the story in this patch

Tazavesh was a really cool space that was built out as a dungeon, so the team did some revamping to make it work for flying, opened up some doors, and now more players will be able to see it.

Using a Reshii Wrap, players can take waygates and move as energy through conduits and even dodge through boss mechanics

The Dimensius fight will involve players diving through space, dodging lasers and even planets being thrown.

WellPlayed

WellPlayed talked to Tina Wang, Associate Art Director and Stephanie Yoon, Assistant Lead Quest Designer.

Ve’nari has a list of animals ready for you, so you won't be heading off to just any zone to collect animals for your eco-dome.

Players will be able to fly right away in of K'aresh, as there are shattered land masses that are separated by the twisting void that are unreachable without flying.

Capstone World Quest are only while in phase diving.

< This article continues on their website >

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the waking-up-to-reality department: Swiss Re has identified extreme heat as a significant insurance threat in its latest annual report on emerging risks with the Zurich-based reinsurer noting that up to half a million people globally die from extreme heat effects each year. The death toll exceeds the combined impact of floods, earthquakes and hurricanes. Heat waves contributed to conditions that generated $78.5 billion in insured wildfire losses globally from 2015-2024, Swiss Re reported.

The Los Angeles wildfires this year could add up to $45 billion in insured losses, according to UCLA Anderson School of Business estimates. The insurance industry has historically underestimated heat-related costs because damages spread across multiple policy types rather than appearing as a single category. Construction firms face rising medical insurance and workers compensation claims when outdoor workers suffer heat injuries, plus potential liability for inadequate cooling breaks.

Posted by from MMO Champion
Patch 11.2 - Ghosts of K'aresh

Today's WoWCast introduces us to Patch 11.2, Ghosts of K'aresh! It features a new Artifact Cloak, Dungeon, Raid, Delves, Outdoor World updates, and more!

Ghosts of K'aresh

The Ethereals in Burning Crusade told us about K'aresh, a beautiful arid homeworld that was ruined by Dimensius the All-Devouring consuming their world-soul

We helped the Ethereals get revenge and thought the matter was finished

We’ll be setting foot on the shattered void-touched land because we have heard that evil forces are trying to resurrect Dimensius the All-Devouring. If he’s allowed to return, it would be the end of the Ethereals and then the end of Azeroth.

Alleria will be here front and center with her old mentor Locuswalker, as he bring us to his old home planet

Lorewalking gave hints to the coming content for players that completed it in Legacy of Arathor.

Tazavesh, the Veiled Market will be a home base in K’aresh

New Raid - Manaforge Omega

Giant facility that was built on the planet to harvest cosmic energy

We’ll be facing down a spider like creature that they are harvesting silk from

We’ll also face a mysterious council of Demon Hunters that made their way to K’aresh

The final boss is Dimensius, the largest raid boss the team has ever created. It is the size of Stormwind!

Players will enter the raid through the mana intake pipe by turning themselves into energy with their Artifact Cloak.

The first boss encounter is against a Warden that oversees the pipes, so players will need to go in and out of energy form to survive

Artifact Cloak - Reshii Wraps

The team wanted to give players an upgradable artifact with visible components that doesn’t interfere with any tier sets

The cloak helps turn players’ bodies into energy form

A very powerful person in the campaign helps players gather Ethereal artifacts and coalesces them into a Reshii Wrap

< This article continues on their website >

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the internet-of-snitches department: The UK Information Commissioner's Office has issued its first guidance demanding manufacturers of air fryers, smart speakers, fertility trackers, and smart TVs respect users' privacy rights after reports of excessive data collection in homes.

The regulator requires companies to ensure data security, provide transparency to consumers, and regularly delete collected information. Stephen Almond, the ICO's executive director for regulatory risk, said smart products know who users live with, their music preferences, and medication details. The guidance addresses "internet of things" devices, including fertility trackers that record menstrual dates and body temperature before sending data to manufacturer servers.

Additionally, smart speakers that monitor family members and visitors must allow users to configure settings that minimize personal information collection. The ICO warned manufacturers it stands ready to take enforcement action in the event of noncompliance.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the interest-of-transparency department: Nature will automatically publish peer review reports and author responses alongside all newly submitted research papers starting this week. The flagship scientific journal previously offered transparent peer review as an optional service since 2020, while Nature Communications has required it since 2016.

All exchanges between authors and anonymous reviewers will become publicly accessible (reviewer identities remain confidential unless they choose disclosure). Nature aims to open what it calls the "black box" of science by revealing the months-long conversations that shape research papers before publication.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the how-about-that department: Starting in summer 2026, Netflix subscribers in France will be able to watch commercially broadcast TV content "without ever having to leave the service." The Verge adds: The streaming giant has announced a distribution deal with French media company TF1 Group to make TF1's free-to-air live TV channels and on-demand TF1 Plus streaming content available to French Netflix users as part of their existing subscription plan.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the deeper-cuts department: U.S. public companies have cut their white-collar workforces by 3.5% over the past three years, marking a fundamental shift in corporate philosophy that views fewer employees as a path to faster growth. One in five S&P 500 companies now employ fewer people than they did a decade ago, according to employment data-provider Live Data Technologies.

The reductions extend beyond typical cost-cutting measures and coincide with record corporate profits at the end of last year. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told employees Tuesday that AI will eliminate certain jobs in coming years, while Procter & Gamble announced plans to cut 7,000 positions to create "broader roles and smaller teams."

Bank of America reduced its workforce from 285,000 in 2010 to 213,000 today while revenues climbed 18% over the past decade. Managers have faced particularly steep cuts, with their ranks falling 6.1% between May 2022 and May 2025. Companies are flattening organizational structures and pushing remaining employees to handle larger workloads as executives track revenue per employee more closely.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the how-about-that department: DC Studios co-head James Gunn argues that the movie industry is "dying" primarily because productions begin before screenplays are complete, while also delivering a sharp critique of his former employer Marvel Studios, which he claims Disney has "killed" through output mandates.

Gunn dismissed common explanations for Hollywood's struggles like declining theater attendance or improved home viewing experiences, telling Rolling Stone that "the number one reason is because people are making movies without a finished screenplay." The filmmaker has implemented a strict rule at DC Studios requiring finished scripts before production starts, recently scrapping a project because its screenplay wasn't ready.

The director, who previously helmed three "Guardians of the Galaxy" films for Marvel, said Disney's corporate directive to increase output destroyed the studio's creative process. "They were under a corporate mandate, yeah. That wasn't fair. It wasn't right. And it killed them," Gunn said, referring to Marvel's mandated production quotas for movies and television shows. By contrast, Gunn said DC Studios operates without numerical mandates. "We don't have the mandate to have a certain amount of movies and TV shows every year. So we're going to put out everything that we think is of the highest quality," he explained.

Posted by Tony_Bacala from TFW2005


The fine folks over at Fanatical have organized a charity gaming bundle which benefits the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) in the UK.  The bundle includes 13 games with a retail value of over $199 dollars and is being offered for $5.99.  And on top of that, all the proceeds go to the charity.  The games will be provided as Steam keys, so not for console gamers like PS5, Switch, XBox etc. Read on to check out all the details, and if you were thinking about picking up TF: Battlegrounds or just want » Continue Reading.

The post Fanatical Charity Bundle Featuring Transformers Battlegrounds appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Posted by from MMO Champion
Dastardly Duos Week 3: Spicy Mean-Ball Pet & Cosmetic Shoulders Rewards

Week 3 of the Dastardly Duos event is here! In this post, we quickly go over how to unlock this week's rewards: Winner's Podium toy upgrade, the Spicy Mean-Ball pet, and two cosmetic shoulders.

Take the quest Week 3: Spread the Word from Vinnie Sweets.

Defeat 6 dastardly bosses during the match to complete the week 3 achievement Defeat the Dastardlies.

Win the Dastardly Duos match to complete the weekly quest and turn it in to gain the Highest Score measure for your Winner's Podium.

Speak with Wodim the Troll-Servant to purchase the newly unlocked rewards:

New Pet: Mean-Ball Ball Bag - Teaches Spicy Mean-Ball

New Cosmetic Shoulders: Blue Dastardly Epaulet & Black Dastardly Epaulet

Posted by Joe Moore from The Toyark


Pre-orders are available for a new Iron Man figure by ThreeZero. The Marvel DLX – Iron Man Mark 7 (Black x Gold) 1/12 Scale Figure is a Big Bad Toy Store Exclusive. The figure stands nearly 7″ tall, with 48 ...

The post Marvel DLX – BBTS Exclusive Iron Man Mark 7 Black x Gold Figure appeared first on The Toyark - News.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the talent-war department: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman accused Meta of attempting to poach his developers with $100 million sign-on bonuses and higher compensation packages as the social media giant races to catch up in AI race. Altman said Meta, which has a $1.8 trillion market capitalization, began making the offers to his team members after falling behind in AI efforts. "I've heard that Meta thinks of us as their biggest competitor," Altman said on the Uncapped podcast [video] hosted by his brother.

None of his "best people" had accepted Zuckerberg's offers, he said. Meta has been recruiting top researchers and engineers from rival companies to build a new "superintelligence" team focused on developing AGI. The Facebook parent company has struggled this year to match competitors, facing criticism over its Llama 4 language model and delaying its flagship "Behemoth" AI model.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the oops department: An anonymous reader shares a report: Microsoft has a long history of being criticized for coming up with clunky product names, and for changing them so often it's hard for customers to keep up. The company's own employees once joked in a viral video that the iPod would have been called the "Microsoft I-pod Pro 2005 XP Human Ear Professional Edition with Subscription" had it been created by Microsoft. The latest gripe among some employees and customers: The company's tendency to slap "Copilot" on everything AI.

"There is a delusion on our marketing side where literally everything has been renamed to have Copilot it in," one employee told Business Insider late last year. "Everything is Copilot. Nothing else matters. They want a Copilot tie-in for everything." Now, an advertising watchdog is weighing in. The Better Business Bureau's National Advertising Division reviewed Microsoft's advertising for its Copilot AI tools. NAD called out Microsoft's "universal use of the product description as 'Copilot'" and said "consumers would not necessarily understand the difference," according to a recent report from the watchdog.

"Microsoft is using 'Copilot' across all Microsoft Office applications and Business Chat, despite differences in functionality and the manual steps that are required for Business Chat to produce the same results as Copilot in a specific Microsoft Office app," NAD further explained in an email to BI. NAD did not mention any specific recommendations on product names. But it did say Microsoft should modify claims that Copilot works "seamlessly across all your data" because all of the company's tools with the Copilot moniker don't work together continuously in a way consumers might expect.