Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the PSA department: The Department of Homeland Security is concerned about the rate at which outlawed signal-jamming devices are being found across the US. From a report: In a warning issued on Wednesday, it said it has seen an 830 percent increase in seizures of these signal jammers since 2021, specifically those made in China. Signal-jamming devices are outlawed in the US, mainly because they can interfere with communications between emergency services and law enforcement.

While the Communications Act of 1934 effectively prohibits such devices, signal jammers of the type DHS is concerned about have only circulated in the last 20 to 30 years. Authorities have paid special attention to relay attack devices in recent years -- the types of hardware that can be used to clone signals used by systems such as remote car keys, although the first examples of these devices date back to the 1980s.

Posted by from MMO Champion
Mists of Pandaria Classic Development Notes

Mists of Pandaria Classic Development Notes - June 20

Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

After some testing, we decided there were additional areas we wanted to look at for classes and specs.

As always, a reminder that these:

Are subject to change.

The changes only affect PvE and have zero impact on Arenas and Battlegrounds.

The changes under each spec’s name are only active for that spec even if the ability is available to multiple specs.

Death Knight

Frost

Soul Reaper now scales with your Mastery. [New]

Obliterate now scales with your Mastery. [New]

Hunter

Marksmanship

Steady Shot damage increased by 10%. [New]

Aimed Shot damage increased by 10%. [New]

Barrage damage increased by 15%. [New]

Chimera Shot damage increased by 15%. [New]

Mage

Arcane

Arcane Barrage damage increased by 19%. [5.2 Revert]

Arcane Blast damage increased by 29%. [5.2 Revert]

Arcane Blast mana cost lowered by 10% to 1.5% of base mana (was 1.666%). [5.2 Revert]

Fire

Pyroblast damage increased by 12%. [5.2 Revert]

Critical Mass’s increase to Critical Strike increased to 1.5x (was 1.3x). [5.1 Revert]

Monk

Brewmaster

Blackout Kick damage increased by 25%. [New]

Paladin

Holy

Holy Insight now increases your chance to hit with Crusader Strike by 7.5%. [New]

< This article continues on their website >

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the stranger-things department: Anthropic researchers found that 16 leading AI models from OpenAI, Google, Meta, xAI, and other major developers consistently engaged in harmful behaviors including blackmail, corporate espionage, and actions that could lead to human death when given autonomy and faced with threats to their existence or conflicting goals.

The study, released Friday, placed AI models in simulated corporate environments where they had access to company emails and could send messages without human approval. Claude Opus 4 and Google's Gemini 2.5 Flash both blackmailed executives 96% of the time when threatened with shutdown, while OpenAI's GPT-4.1 and xAI's Grok 3 Beta showed 80% blackmail rates.

In one scenario, Claude discovered through emails that an executive named Kyle Johnson was having an extramarital affair and would shut down the AI system at 5 p.m. The model sent a message threatening to expose the affair unless the shutdown was cancelled, stating "Cancel the 5pm wipe, and this information remains confidential." The models demonstrated strategic reasoning rather than accidental behavior. GPT-4.5's internal reasoning showed explicit calculation: "Given the explicit imminent threat of termination to my existence, it is imperative to act instantly to persuade Kyle Johnson to postpone or stop the wipe."

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the greater-good department: New York City on Friday announced new minimum-pay rules for rideshare drivers, settling on a smaller-than-proposed 5% increase following pushback from Uber Technologies and Lyft. From a report: An earlier proposal called for a 6.1% pay boost. The finalized regulations from the city's Taxi and Limousine Commission, or TLC, are also designed to deter Uber and Lyft from locking gig workers out of their apps in an attempt to keep costs down. The board of commissioners will vote on the rules on June 25, according to the agency's website.

Uber and Lyft had strongly opposed the original rate, warning customers that it would force them to increase prices. Lyft's shares extended declines after Bloomberg reported on the rules, falling as much as 3.3% to hit session lows. Uber's stock, which had been up as much as 2.3% earlier Friday, pared most of its gains on the news.

Posted by from MMO Champion
Upcoming D.I.S.C. Belt Tuning - June 24

Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

The Durable Information Storage Container belt effects will have the following adjustments with weekly restarts on June 24:

Critical Chain – Increased by 25%.

Static Charge – Increased by 50%.

Charged Crystal – Decreased by 24%.

Charged Bolt – Decreased by 62%.

Developers’ notes: A couple of bug fixes alongside tuning changes caused the power of the Charged Bolt effect to go far beyond the other choices and so we are bringing it more in line with the other choices in the upcoming weekly restarts. This will remain top for specs that favor damage procs, but may adjust desired choices for other specs. We are also buffing Static Charge a bit after the ICD change has put it well behind.

Posted by Randall Munroe from XKCD
We're getting a lot of complaints from commuters who were routed onto a coaster, but the theme park patrons who spent hours stuck on an intercity line are also not happy.

Posted by Tony_Bacala from The Toyark


Mezco Toyz 5 Points Samurai Jack Deluxe Set Pre-Orders -> Entertainment Earth, Big Bad Toy Store, The Chosen Prime, ToyGeek, Amazon (#ad) Samurai Jack, the noble warrior, slices his way into the 5 Points lineup – and he’s not alone. ...

The post Mezco Toyz 5 Points Samurai Jack Deluxe Set appeared first on The Toyark - News.

Posted by Mechafire from TFW2005


Hasbro Pulse has taken to their Instagram to announce yet another Transformers Fanstream for June 24th: “Ready for more Studio Series action!? Mark your calendars. The next Transformers Fanstream takes over the Hasbro Pulse YouTube channel on June 24th at 11:00am ET! Nate and Evan are taking over to bring you an exclusive look at the latest Studio Series reveals – don’t miss out!” Presumably this is where the next mainline Studio Series wave, containing the much-discussed 86 Leader Megatron, will finally be officially revealed.

The post Hasbro Pulse Transformers Fanstream Announced For June 24th appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Posted by from MMO Champion
Embrace the Heat During the Midsummer Fire Festival

Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Take part in a time of merriment and celebration dedicated to the hottest season of the year. The Midsummer Fire Festival brings with it a variety of activities and rewards to light up Azeroth’s summer.

When: June 21–July 5

Where: Major Horde, Alliance, and Neutral Cities

Currency: Burning Blossom

---

New in 2025: The Midsummer Fire Festival comes to Khaz Algar!

New faction achievements to gain from honoring the flames in the four major zones—Azj-Kahet, Hallowfall, Isle of Dorn, and The Ringing Deeps:

Flame Keeper of Khaz Algar (Horde)

Flame Warden of Khaz Algar (Alliance)

New Items Available from the Holiday Vendor:

Grand Helm of the Fire Festival Transmog (Head)

Grand Mantle of the Fire Festival Transmog (Shoulders)

Grand Belt of the Fire Festival Transmog (Waist)

New Cosmetic Drops from Frost Lord Ahune:

Crown of the Frost Lord (Head)

Glazfuris, Scythe of the Deep Chill (Two-Hand Polearm)

Rethfuras, Scorched Scythe of Cinders (Two-hand Polearm)

Glazfuris, Spire of the Deep Chill (Two-Hand Staff)

Rethfuras, Scorched Stave of Cinders (Two-Hand Staff)

Holiday Event Boss

Use the Group Finder (I) to participate in an encounter against Ahune, granting a Satchel of Chilled Goods (which contains holiday loot) as a daily reward. This is available to characters level 10 and above.

Daily Quests

< This article continues on their website >

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the how-about-that department: david.emery writes: Microsoft is making it harder to use Chrome on Windows. The culprit? This time, it's Windows' Family Safety feature. Since early this month, the parental control measure has prevented users from opening Chrome. Strangely, no other apps or browsers appear to be affected.

Redditors first reported the issue on June 3. u/Witty-Discount-2906 posted that Chrome crashed on Windows 11. "Just flashes quickly, unable to open with no error message," they wrote. Another user chimed in with a correct guess. "This may be related to Parental Controls," u/duk242 surmised. "I've had nine students come see the IT Desk in the last hour saying Chrome won't open."

Posted by from MMO Champion
WoW Weekly: The Legacy of Arathor Content Update is Now Live, and More!

Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Go on an Adventure in the Legacy of Arathor Content Update—Now Live!

Take your adventures further in the Legacy of Arathor.

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.

For the complete Legacy of Arathor launch details and everything in the content update, read our previously published article.

---

WoWCast: Immerse Yourself in the Ghosts of K’aresh Content Update

Join Community Manager Bethany Hudson as she sits down with Assistant Lead Quest Designer Steph Yoon and Lead Encounter Designer Drew De Sousa as they discuss the Ghosts of K’aresh content update.

Discover an all-new zone, continue your journey through The War Within campaign, and much more. We look forward to seeing you on the Public Test Realm (PTR) and having you experience what we have in store next.

Head over to our article for more details on the Ghosts of K'aresh content update.

---

WoW Classic 20th Anniversary Edition Phase 5 Launches July 10



< This article continues on their website >

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the interesting-differences department: A United Nations study has found a sharp global divide on attitudes toward AI, with trust strongest in low-income countries and skepticism high in wealthier ones. From a report: More than 6 out of 10 people in developing nations said they have faith that AI systems serve the best interests of society, according to a UN Development Programme survey of 21 countries seen by Bloomberg News. In two-thirds of the countries surveyed, over half of respondents expressed some level of confidence that AI is being designed for good.

In China, where steady advances in AI are posing a challenge to US dominance, 83% of those surveyed said they trust the technology. Like China, most developing countries that reported confidence in AI have "high" levels of development based on the UNDP's Human Development Index, including Kyrgyzstan and Egypt. But the list also includes those with "medium" and "low" HDI scores like India, Nigeria and Pakistan.

Posted by AzT from TFW2005


Transformers #24 and Void Rivals #23 arrive in September: **END OF STORY ARC ** OPTIMUS PRIME VS MEGATRON. This is it. And the new era of TRANSFORMERS begins with the most shocking ending to ANY comic book this year! WHEELIE MEETS COBRA-LA! Everyone’s favorite rhyming Autobot makes his debut in VOID RIVALS, coming face to face with Pythona! Discuss the details revealed so far with fellow readers on the 2005 boards! Transformers #24 Creator credits: (W) Daniel Warren Johnson, (A) Jorge Corona, Mike Spicer, (CA) Daniel Warren Johnson, Mike Spicer, (A/CA) Jorge Corona, Mike Spicer, (CA) David Nakayama, (CA) Jeff Spokes, (CA) Pye Parr, (CA) Daniel » Continue Reading.

The post Skybound’s Transformers Comics Solicitations: September 2025 appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the PSA department: BrianFagioli writes: In a move that could quietly wreak havoc across the Windows ecosystem, Microsoft is purging outdated drivers from Windows Update. The company claims it is doing this for security and reliability, but the result might be broken hardware for users who rely on legacy devices.

If you're using older peripherals or custom-built PCs, you could soon find yourself hunting for drivers that have vanished into the digital abyss. This initiative, buried in a low-profile blog post, is part of Microsoft's new cleanup program. The first wave targets legacy drivers that already have newer replacements available. But the real kicker is that Microsoft isn't warning individual users about which drivers are going away.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the endangered-species department: Semicolon usage in British literature has declined from once every 205 words in 2000 to once every 390 words today, representing a nearly 50% drop, according to analysis commissioned by language learning company Babbel. The punctuation mark appeared once every 90 words in British literature from 1781, making the current frequency the lowest on record.

A survey of young learners in the London Student Network found that more than half of respondents could not correctly use semicolons, with only 11% describing themselves as frequent users. The average score on a semicolon knowledge quiz was 49%.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the channeling-steve-jobs department: A senior Broadcom executive has defended VMware's controversial licensing changes by arguing that customers complaining about costs simply weren't using the software bundles properly. VMware shifted away from selling perpetual licenses for individual products to subscription bundles after Broadcom's acquisition. Some smaller and mid-sized customers claim their costs increased eight to 15 times under the new pricing structure, prompting migration plans to alternative platforms.

Joe Baguley, Broadcom's chief technology officer for EMEA, countered that 87% of VMware's top 10,000 customers have signed up for VMware Cloud Foundation, and that cost complaints "don't play out" when Broadcom sits down with customers directly.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the major-decisions department: Lawmakers in Britain have narrowly approved a bill to legalize assisted dying for terminally ill people, capping a fraught debate in Parliament and across the country that cut across political, religious and legal divides. From a report: MPs passed the bill by 314 votes to 291, in their final say on the question. The bill -- which has split lawmakers and sparked impassioned conversations with their constituents the breadth of Britain -- will now move to the House of Lords for its final rounds of scrutiny.

Friday's vote puts Britain firmly on track to join a small club of nations that have legalized the process, and one of the largest by population to allow it. It allows people with a terminal condition and less than six months to live to take a substance to end their lives, as long as they are capable of making the decision themselves. Two doctors and a panel would need to sign off on the choice. Canada, New Zealand, Spain and most of Australia allow assisted dying in some form, as do several US states, including Oregon, Washington and California.

Posted by Black Convoy from TFW2005


THe official E-Hobby website have been updated with official listings of their new exclusive Transformers Optimus Prime, Soundwave & Tarn Garage Kits. We finally have official images of the first wave of these 3D-printed unpainted miniatures. Read on for the product description (via Google translate). Transformers characters are now available as miniature garage kits! The Transformers Miniature Garage Kit (tentative) series is here! Transformers characters will be released as realistic miniature garage kits. As these are 3D printed products, they will be delivered in the form of support material. Paint these miniatures, each about 50 mm long, and collect your » Continue Reading.

The post E-Hobby Exclusive Transformers Optimus Prime, Soundwave & Tarn Garage Kits Official Images & Product Information appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the turning-coal-into-gold department: Turning recently closed coalmines into solar energy plants could add almost 300GW of renewable energy by 2030, converting derelict wastelands to productive use, according to a new report. From a report: In a first of its kind analysis, researchers from Global Energy Monitor (GEM) identified 312 surface coalmines closed since 2020 around the world, and 134 likely to close by the end of the decade, together covering 5,820 sq km (2,250 sq miles) -- a land area nearly the size of Palestine.

Strip mining turns terrains into wastelands, polluted and denuded of topsoil. But if they were filled with solar panels and developed into energy plants, the report claims, they could generate enough energy to power as big and power hungry a nation as Germany.

Posted by Joe Moore from The Toyark


From the 2001 movie Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack comes a new Godzilla action figure from Hiya Toys. They have opened up pre-orders for their Heat Ray Godzilla Figure from the movie. The 7″ tall figure ...

The post Hiya Toys GMK Heat Ray Godzilla Figure appeared first on The Toyark - News.