Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the made-in-America department: Longtime Slashdot reader walterbyrd shares news that Texas Instruments has announced plans to invest more than $60 billion to expand its U.S. manufacturing operations in the United States. From a report: The funds will be used to build or expand seven chip-making facilities in Texas as well as Utah, and will create 60,000 jobs, TI said on Wednesday, calling it the "largest investment in foundational semiconductor manufacturing in U.S. history." The company did not give a timeline for the investment.
Unlike AI chip firms Nvidia and AMD, TI makes analog or foundational chips used in everyday devices such as smartphones, cars and medical devices, giving it a large client base that includes Apple, SpaceX and Ford Motor. The spending pledge follows similar announcements from others in the semiconductor industry, including Micron, which said last week that it would expand its U.S. investment by $30 billion, taking its planned spending to $200 billion. [...]
Like other companies unveiling such spending commitments, TI's announcement includes funds already allocated to facilities that are either under construction or ramping up. It will build two additional plants in Sherman, Texas, based on future demand. "TI is building dependable, low-cost 300 millimeter capacity at scale to deliver the analog and embedded processing chips that are vital for nearly every type of electronic system," said CEO Haviv Ilan.
Posted by Black Convoy from TFW2005
The official Yolopark
Instagram and
Facebook have been updated with a new product update of their upcoming AMK PRO Rise Of The Beasts Optimus Prime kit. This is a new upgraded release of the
AMK ROTB Optimus Prime plastic kit, now under the AMK PRO line with die-cast parts, premium finishing, LED lights and more accessories. Read on for details of this modl update: The sculpt of the head and the expression in the eyes have been fine-tuned for even greater screen accuracy. The interchangeable hands now feature upgraded paint applications for enhanced detailing. AMK Pro Rise Of The Beasts Optimus
» Continue Reading.
The post
Yolopark AMK PRO Rise Of The Beasts Optimus Prime Product Update: New Head Sculpt appeared first on
Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.
Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the new-challenger-appears department: Midjourney has launched its first AI video generation model, V1, which turns images into short five-second videos with customizable animation settings. While it's currently only available via Discord and on the web, the launch positions the popular AI image generation startup in direct competition with OpenAI's Sora and Google's Veo. TechCrunch reports: While many companies are focused on developing controllable AI video models for use in commercial settings, Midjourney has always stood out for its distinctive AI image models that cater to creative types. The company says it has larger goals for its AI video models than generating B-roll for Hollywood films or commercials for the ad industry. In a blog post, Midjourney CEO David Holz says its AI video model is the company's next step towards its ultimate destination, creating AI models "capable of real-time open-world simulations." After AI video models, Midjourney says it plans to develop AI models for producing 3D renderings, as well as real-time AI models. [...]
To start, Midjourney says it will charge 8x more for a video generation than a typical image generation, meaning subscribers will run out of their monthly allotted generations significantly faster when creating videos than images. At launch, the cheapest way to try out V1 is by subscribing to Midjourney's $10-per-month Basic plan. Subscribers to Midjourney's $60-a-month Pro plan and $120-a-month Mega plan will have unlimited video generations in the company's slower, "Relax" mode. Over the next month, Midjourney says it will reassess its pricing for video models.
< This article continues on their website >
Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the what-year-is-it department: An anonymous reader quotes a report from TorrentFreak: Napster, the brand synonymous with the music piracy boom of the early 2000s, has a new copyright challenge. Together with audio giant Sonos, Napster faces a lawsuit demanding over $3.4 million in alleged unpaid copyright royalties. Filed by collective rights management organization SoundExchange, the complaint (PDF) centers on missed payments related to the "Sonos Radio" service, which until 2023 was powered by Napster's music catalog. [...]
Sonos Radio launched in April 2020 with Napster as the authorized agent, submitting the required royalty reports and royalties to SoundExchange. While all went well initially, payments stopped around May 2022. At the time, Napster had been acquired by venture capital firms Hivemind and Algorand, with a focus on "web3" technologies, including cryptocurrencies and blockchain. According to the complaint, the takeover resulted in a "complete breakdown of reporting and payment for the Sonos Radio service." The alleged payment problems eventually came to light during an audit initiated by SoundExchange in 2023, which concluded that Sonos and Napster owed millions in unpaid royalties.
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Posted by from MMO Champion
Patch 11.2 - Ghosts of K'aresh Development Notes
Originally Posted by Blizzard
(
Blue Tracker /
Official Forums)
The Ghosts of K’aresh Public Test Realm (PTR) is now available for testing.
These changes are for the first week of PTR testing and do not contain the full patch notes for the update.
The War Within: Ghosts of K’aresh Development Notes
CONTINUE THE WAR WITHIN CAMPAIGN
In Ghosts of K’aresh, the campaign continues as more pieces to a troubling puzzle fall into place. With the release of this content update players will be able to immerse themselves in The War Within story as it leads up to the next chapter of the Worldsoul Saga—Midnight.
There’s some unfinished business to be had on K’aresh and the specter of an old enemy looms large. Forces with ill-intent are determined to bring forth Dimensius, the All-Devouring once more to finish off the ethereals. Should he arise, Azeroth will also be in peril from this dangerous Void Lord.
EXPLORE THE SHATTERED WORLD OF K’ARESH
Home of the ethereals, K’aresh is a fragmented void-touched world just waiting for players to explore what remains of this little-known land.
With shadowy forces working toward bringing Dimensius back into the world, players will need to gather their allies in a bid to put a stop to him and his followers. You’ll fight alongside Alleria Windrunner and her mentor Locus-Walker among others to end the clear and present danger he poses.
Players will also have the opportunity to explore Tazavesh, The Veiled Market, work toward restoring the ecosphere in eco-domes, go Phase Diving, and more.
RETURN TO TAZAVESH, THE VEILED MARKET
< This article continues on their website >
Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the proceed-with-caution department: Waymo plans to relaunch its robotaxi service in New York City, starting with safety driver testing while lobbying to change state law to eventually allow fully autonomous vehicles without human operators. The company has applied for a permit and will begin mapping in Manhattan, though legislative hurdles and skepticism from lawmakers remain. The Verge reports: A bill was introduced in the New York State Legislature earlier this year that would permit autonomous vehicles without safety drivers "provided that the automated driving system is engaged and the vehicle meets certain conditions." The bill is currently under consideration by the state Senate's transportation committee.
New York City also has some of the most dangerous, congested, and poorly managed streets in the world. They are also full of construction workers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and double- and sometimes even triple-parked cars. In theory, this would make it very difficult for an autonomous vehicle to navigate, given that AVs typically rely on good weather, clear signage, and less aggressive driving from other road users for safe operation. And it's not clear that the state will amend its laws to allow for fully driverless vehicles, with some lawmakers expressing reservations. "This kind of testing hasn't even been completed in other parts of the country," state Senator John Liu told Daily News last year after the city announced its new permitting process. "It would behoove New York City to wait to see some of those other results of driverless technology in less dense urban settings. This is an example of something where New York City does not have to be first."
Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the AI-all-the-things department: An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: YouTube CEO Neal Mohan has announced that the Google Veo 3 AI video generator will be integrated with YouTube Shorts later this summer. According to Mohan, YouTube Shorts has seen a rise in popularity even compared to YouTube as a whole. The streaming platform is now the most watched source of video in the world, but Shorts specifically have seen a massive 186 percent increase in viewership over the past year. Mohan says Shorts now average 200 billion daily views.
YouTube has already equipped creators with a few AI tools, including Dream Screen, which can produce AI video backgrounds with a text prompt. Veo 3 support will be a significant upgrade, though. At the Cannes festival, Mohan revealed that the streaming site will begin offering integration with Google's leading video model later this summer. "I believe these tools will open new creative lanes for everyone to explore," said Mohan. [...]
While you can add Veo 3 videos (or any video) to a YouTube Short right now, they don't fit with the format's portrait orientation focus. Veo 3 outputs 720p landscape videos, meaning you'd have black bars in a Short. Presumably, Google will create a custom version of the model for YouTube to spit out vertical video clips. Mohan didn't mention a pricing model, but Veo 3 probably won't be cheap for Shorts creators. Currently, you must pay for Google's $250 AI Ultra plan to access Veo 3, and that still limits you to 125 8-second videos per month.
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.
Patch 11.2 PTR - Build 61476
Death Knight Season 3 Tier Sets
Numbers can be tricky. On the day of my 110th birthday, I'll be one day younger than John Tukey was on his. 
Google's Frighteningly Good Veo 3 AI Videos To Be Integrated With YouTube Shorts 2025-06-18 13:15:02
