Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the pony-up department: Facing mounting competition from autonomous taxi services like Waymo, Uber is in early talks to help fund Travis Kalanick's potential acquisition of Pony.ai's U.S. subsidiary (source paywalled; alternative source). If completed, the deal would reunite Kalanick with Uber (now under CEO Dara Khosrowshahi) and position Pony.ai to operate independently of its Chinese parent amid rising U.S. regulatory pressures. The New York Times reports: The company, Pony.ai, was founded in Silicon Valley in 2016 but has its main presence in China, and has permits to operate robot taxis and trucks in the United States and China. The talks are preliminary, said the people, who were not authorized to speak about the confidential conversations. Mr. Kalanick will run Pony if the deal is completed, they said. It is unclear what role, if any, Uber would take in Pony as an investor. Financial details of the potential transaction could not be determined. Pony went public last year in the United States, raising $260 million in a share sale. Its market capitalization stands around $4.5 billion.

If the deal goes through, Mr. Kalanick, 48, will remain in his day job running CloudKitchens, a virtual restaurant start-up that he founded after leaving Uber in 2017. He would also work more closely with Dara Khosrowshahi, who took over as Uber's chief executive after Mr. Kalanick's ouster. The discussions are the starkest sign yet that Uber is under pressure from Waymo, the driverless car unit spun out of Google, and other autonomous car services. When Mr. Kalanick was Uber's chief executive, the company tried developing autonomous vehicle technology. It then bought Otto, a self-driving trucking start-up run by Anthony Levandowski, a former Google engineer. Google later sued Mr. Levandowski for theft of trade secrets and sued Uber to bar it from using its self-driving technology.

< This article continues on their website >

Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the generative-ai-degenerative-revenue department: An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: Google's AI search features are killing traffic to publishers, so now the company is proposing a possible solution. On Thursday, the tech giant officially launched Offerwall, a new tool that allows publishers to generate revenue beyond the more traffic-dependent options, like ads.

Offerwall lets publishers give their sites' readers a variety of ways to access their content, including through options like micropayments, taking surveys, watching ads, and more. In addition, Google says that publishers can add their own options to the Offerwall, like signing up for newsletters. The new feature is available for free in Google Ad Manager after earlier tests with 1,000 publishers that spanned over a year. While no broad case studies were shared, India's Sakal Media Group implemented Google Ad Manager's Offerwall feature and saw a 20% revenue boost and up to 2 million more impressions in three months. Overall, publishers testing Offerwall experienced an average 9% revenue lift, with some seeing between 5% and 15%.

Posted by from MMO Champion
MoP Classic Development Notes: Pre-Pull Buff Adjustments - June 26

Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

In preparation for the next raid test weekend, we’ve implemented changes to how players will approach the start of raid encounters (pre-pull behavior).

We want to discourage the complicated routines that have emerged, where raid teams require players to exit the raid and take different steps to obtain certain resources before a pull. We don’t want players to feel like they’re at a large disadvantage if they don’t participate in pre-pull routines.

We have a goal of doing this without nerfing classes, but rather reducing the obnoxious rituals that can have a rippling negative effect on enjoyment. Of course, some classes are going to be affected by this, but we want to avoid changes that make boss pulls feel clunky, and we want to emphasize the feeling that you just get to play the game.

Everything here is subject to further change and iteration.

We’ve used the following criteria to decide what should and should not be allowed to be brought into an encounter on-pull:

Do you need to involve an enemy at all (striking or being struck by) to gain this buff?

If so, it will be removed (e.g. Lock and Load, Molten Core, Blood Shield, Wild Imps (Despawn), Vengeance).

Does casting the spell require a resource that the player does not generate on their own without using a cooldown?

If so, it will be removed (e.g. Shield Barrier, Guard, Inquisition, Slice and Dice).

Do you need to take an extra step to manipulate the circumstances for this to work?

< This article continues on their website >

Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the new-and-improved department: Michael Larabel writes via Phoronix: The upcoming Blender 5.0 3D modeling software application is introducing High Dynamic Range (HDR) display support on Linux when making use of Wayland -- no X11 support for HDR -- and Vulkan graphics accelerator. HDR support for Blender 5.0 on Linux is currently considered experimental. Enabling the HDR support on Linux for the Blender creator software requires having a High Dynamic Range display (of course) and be running on a Wayland desktop, enabling Vulkan API acceleration rather than OpenGL, and enabling the feature currently deemed experimental. Additional details can be found via this Blender DevTalk thread.

Posted by from MMO Champion
Three Warcraft Titles Now Available on Xbox Game Pass

Blizzard has announced that three Warcraft titles are now available on the Xbox Game Pass.

Warcraft I: Remastered

Warcraft II: Remastered

Warcraft III: Reforged

Originally Posted by Blizzard

Three iconic Warcraft titles are now available on PC Game Pass. Play Warcraft I Remastered, Warcraft II: Remastered, and Warcraft: III Reforged today!

Warcraft I: Remastered (PC)

Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Experience the inciting war between Orcs and Humans that shook Azeroth to its core. Defend the realm as the noble Alliance, or seek to conquer it as the bloodthirsty Horde, across thrilling faction campaigns or custom skirmish games. Warcraft I: Remastered features updated hand-painted art, widescreen battles, and rebalanced classic music. Enjoy modern UI tweaks, enhanced controls, and never-before-seen 1994 concept art!

Warcraft II: Remastered (PC)

Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Captain your own fleet in the second Warcraft title created in 1995, now remastered with vivid, all-new visuals and modernized controls! War between orc and man rages on across the seas, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance as the great tacticians of the Horde and the Alliance clash. Only one thing is certain: winning this war will demand unprecedented cunning, courage, and nerves of steel.

Warcraft III: Reforged (PC)

Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Warcraft III: Reforged features a thorough visual overhaul, a suite of contemporary social and matchmaking features, and more. Command the Night Elves, Undead, Orcs, and Humans and relive epic battles, explore vast campaigns, build armies, and challenge friends in multiplayer matchmaking!

Save 20% on Warcraft Titles

< This article continues on their website >

Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the AI-all-the-things department: Google is bringing its AI Overviews-like feature to YouTube in the form of an "AI-powered search results carousel." The Verge reports: As shown in a video, the search results carousel will show a big video clip up top, thumbnails to a selection of other relevant video clips directly under that, and an AI-generated bit of text responding to your query. To see a full video, tap on the big clip at the top of the carousel.

The feature is currently only accessible on iOS and Android and for videos in English and will be available to test until July 30th, per the YouTube experiments page. Additionally, only a "randomly selected number of Premium members" will have access to it, YouTube says in a support document.

Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the latest-developments department: An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: After sending cease-and-desist letters to VMware users whose support contracts had expired and who subsequently declined to subscribe to one of Broadcom's VMware bundles, Broadcom has started the process of conducting audits on former VMware customers. [...] Ars Technica reviewed a letter that a software provider and VMware user in the Netherlands received that is dated June 20 and informs the firm that it "has been selected for a formal audit of its use of VMware software and support services" [PDF]. The security professional who provided Ars with the letter asked to keep their name and their employers' name anonymous out of privacy concerns.

The anonymous employee told Ars that their company had been a VMware customer for "about" a decade before deciding not to sign up for a new contract with Broadcom's VMware a year ago. The company had been using VMware Cloud Foundation and vSphere. "Our CEO decided to not extend the support contract because of the costs," the employee said. "This already impacts us security-wise because we can no longer get updates (unless the CVSS score is critical)." The letter notes that an auditing firm, Connor Consulting, which is headquartered in San Francisco and has offices around the globe, will perform a review of the company's "VMware deployment and entitlements, which may include fieldwork or remote testing and meetings with members of your accounting, licensing, and management information systems functions." The letter informs its recipient that someone from Connor will reach out and that the VMware user should respond within three business days.

< This article continues on their website >

Posted by from MMO Champion
July 2025 Trading Post: Forsaken Memories

Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Just when you think it’s safe to go to the July Trading Post, the Forsaken have infiltrated the month’s offerings. This month’s bar is extended to include three new Forsaken-themed rewards to add to your collection—Forsaken’s Grotesque Cauldron, Ensemble: Forsaken’s Grotesque Collection, and Forsaken’s Grotesque Charger.

---

Visit T&W** (Tawney and Wilder) just outside the Mage District in Stormwind or the Zen’shiri Trading Post next to Grommash Hold in Orgrimmar to check out all the latest items*** they have available. Players can also visit the Trading Post in the capital city of Dornogal (The Foregrounds) on the Isle of Dorn, where representatives of both Tawney and Wilder and the Zen’shiri Trading Post are open for business.

---

Check Out What's in Stock for July

< This article continues on their website >

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the stick-works department: Apple will allow developers in the European Union to distribute iOS apps outside its App Store, the company said Thursday in a bid to avoid escalating fines from Brussels regulators. The policy change came on the deadline for Apple to comply with EU rules or face new financial penalties that can reach up to 5% of average daily worldwide revenue.

The $3 trillion iPhone maker has been negotiating with the European Commission for two months after receiving a $585 million fine for breaching the EU's Digital Markets Act. The landmark legislation targets the power of Big Tech companies and requires Apple to open its mobile ecosystem to competitors.

The second change, set to go into effect in January 2026, would replace the current "core technology fee" model -- a separate charge imposed on developers -- with a commission-based structure.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the no-mercy department: PlayStation will continue withholding its first-party games from PlayStation Plus on launch day, despite Xbox offering day-one releases through Game Pass. Nick Maguire, PlayStation's vice president of global services, told Game File the company remains committed to its current approach of adding first-party titles to the subscription service 12 to 18 months after release. "We've sort of stayed true to our strategy across the board, where we're not looking to put games in day and date," Maguire said.

PlayStation instead selects four to five independent games annually for day-one PlayStation Plus releases, a strategy Maguire described as "working really well across the platform."

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the keeping-up-with-times department: The Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) has held strong in Windows for nearly 40 years, but that's about to change. From a report: Microsoft revealed earlier this year that it was overhauling its BSOD error message in Windows 11, and the company has now confirmed that it will soon be known as the Black Screen of Death. The new design drops the traditional blue color, frowning face, and QR code in favor of a simplified black screen.

The simplified BSOD looks a lot more like the black screen you'd see during a Windows update. But it will list the stop code and faulty system driver that you wouldn't always see during a crash dump. IT admins shouldn't need to pull crash dumps off PCs and analyze them with tools like WinDbg just to find out what could be causing issues. The company will roll out this new BSOD design in an update to Windows 11 "later this summer."

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the return-to-sender department: An anonymous reader shares a report: Malaysia will ban plastic waste imports from the U.S. starting Tuesday because of America's failure to abide by the Basel Convention treaty on international waste transfers, in a move that could have significant consequences for California.

Malaysia emerged as a major destination for U.S. waste after China banned American waste imports in 2018. California shipped 864 shipping containers, or more than 10 million pounds of plastic waste, to Malaysia in 2024, according to the Basel Action Network, an advocacy group. That was second only to Georgia among U.S. states.

Under Malaysian waste guidelines announced last month, the country will no longer accept plastic waste and hazardous waste from nations that didn't ratify the Basel Convention, the international treaty designed to reduce the international movement of hazardous and other waste. The U.S. is one of just a handful of countries, including Fiji and Haiti, that hasn't signed the pact.

Posted by AzT from TFW2005


Our first look at October’s incoming Transformers solicitations includes the announcement of a new creative team: Writer Robert Kirkman (Invincible, The Walking Dead, Void Rivals) and artist Dan Mora (Justice League Unlimited, Superman) will kick off a bold new era for or the two-time Eisner Award winning series Transformers that will be …MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE with issue #25, in comic book shops October 8. It will be published by Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment, in collaboration with leading games, IP and toy company Hasbro. Joining current series colorist Mike Spicer (Stillwater, Murder Falcon) and letterer Rus Wooton (G.I. JOE, » Continue Reading.

The post Skybound’s Transformers: Robert Kirkman and Dan Mora Lead New Creative Team appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Posted by from MMO Champion
Stop Greedy Goblins and Get Diabolical Goodies Starting July 1

Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

We're bringing back the Greedy Emissary event*, and Azeroth's bravest must band together to deliver a swift end to greedy, saw-toothed thieves. And, alongside the Greedy Emissary event, take advantage of the Collector's Bounty buff when you defeat legendary foes once again to collect their bountiful rewards!

When: Begins July 1 at 8:00 am PDT and ends July 29 at 8:00 am PDT

Where: Stormwind, Orgrimmar, Dornogal, and Undermine

Currency: Hellstone Shards earned during the Greedy Emissary event.

During the Greedy Emissary event, you'll encounter even more of these deviously greedy Treasure Goblins in Stormwind, Orgrimmar, Dornogal, and Undermine for new diabolical rewards— including the Inarius' Charger mount.

---

Collector's Bounty Buff

Alongside the Greedy Emissary event, take advantage of the Collector's Bounty buff. Foes in legacy dungeons and raids find themselves overloaded with extra treasure. Defeat them once again to collect their bountiful rewards for you and your Warband.

When: Begins July 1 at 8:00 am PDT and ends July 29 at 8:00 am PDT

If you've been on the hunt for rewards that have been eluding you, now's the time to get them. The following will have drop rates increased by up to 10 times (and in one case, 25 times!), while your chance for Transmog loot drops is doubled in legacy (pre-Dragonflight) raids and dungeons:

< This article continues on their website >

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the twice-bitten-once-shy department: Microsoft is preparing to release a private preview of Windows changes that will move antivirus and endpoint detection and response apps out of the Windows kernel, nearly a year after a faulty CrowdStrike update crashed 8.5 million Windows-based machines worldwide.

The new Windows endpoint security platform is being developed in cooperation with CrowdStrike, Bitdefender, ESET, Trend Micro, and other security vendors. David Weston, Microsoft's vice president of enterprise and OS security, said dozens of partners have submitted papers detailing design requirements, some hundreds of pages long. The private preview will allow security vendors to request changes before the platform is finalized.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the who-watches-the-watchmen department: Accenture is facing mounting challenges as AI threatens to disrupt the consulting industry the company helped build. The Dublin-based firm, which made its fortune advising clients on adapting to new technologies from the internet to cloud computing, now confronts the same predicament as generative AI reshapes business operations.

The company's new generative AI contracts slowed to $100 million in the most recent quarter, down from $200 million per quarter last year. Technology partners including Microsoft and SAP are increasingly integrating AI directly into their offerings, allowing systems to work immediately without extensive consulting support. Newcomers like Palantir are embedding their own engineers with customers, enabling clients to bypass traditional consultants.

Between 2015 and 2024, Accenture generated a 370% total return by helping companies navigate technological transitions. The firm reached a $250 billion valuation in February before losing $60 billion in market value. CEO Julie Sweet insists that the company is reorganizing around "reinvention services." A recent survey found 42% of companies abandoned most AI initiatives, up from 17% a year ago.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the how-about-that department: Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School found that people who used large language models to research topics demonstrated weaker understanding and produced less original insights compared to those using Google searches.

The study, involving more than 4,500 participants across four experiments, showed LLM users spent less time researching, exerted less effort, and wrote shorter, less detailed responses. In the first experiment, over 1,100 participants researched vegetable gardening using either Google or ChatGPT. Google users wrote longer responses with more unique phrasing and factual references. A second experiment with nearly 2,000 participants presented identical gardening information either as an AI summary or across mock webpages, with Google users again engaging more deeply and retaining more information.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the no-openings department: CareerBuilder + Monster, which once dominated the online recruitment industry, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week and said it plans to sell its businesses. From a report: Created through the September merger of CareerBuilder and Monster, the Chicago-based company said it agreed to sell its job board operations, its most recognizable business, to JobGet, which has an app for so-called gig workers.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the new-world-order department: Salesforce chief executive Marc Benioff said Thursday his company has automated a significant chunk of work with AI, another example of a firm touting labor-replacing potential of the emerging technology. From a report: "AI is doing 30% to 50% of the work at Salesforce now," Benioff said in an interview, pointing at job functions including software engineering and customer service.

[...] Salesforce has said that use of AI internally has allowed it to hire fewer people. The San Francisco-based software company is focused on selling an AI product that promises to handle tasks such as customer service without human supervision. Benioff said that tool has reached about 93% accuracy, including for large customers such as Walt Disney.

Posted by Black Convoy from TFW2005


Thanks to 2005 Boards members and UK residents StrawDeath and renkencen we can confirm that the new Transformers Cyberworld Strike Battle Set Scorponok has been found at UK retail. One of the biggest toy in the new Cyberworld collection for sure. Scorponok was found at Smyths stores in Wolverhampton and North Wales. To top it all, 2005 Boards member Omegastoopreme has treated us with our first in-hand images of this figure. He’s quite a big toy for sure! We have images nexto to Titan Class Tidal Wave, Cyberworld Girmlock and Retro Bumblebee. See the mirrored images attached to this news post and then sound off on » Continue Reading.

The post Transformers Cyberworld Strike Battle Set Scorponok Found At UK Retail & In-Hand Images appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.