Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the cross-platform-support department: Apple's Swift programming language is expanding official support to Android through a new "Android Working Group" which will improve compatibility, integration, and tooling. "As it stands today, Android apps are generally coded in Kotlin, but Apple is looking to provide its Swift coding language as an alternative," notes 9to5Google. "Apple first launched its coding language back in 2014 with its own platforms in mind, but currently also supports Windows and Linux officially." From the report: A few of the key pillars the Working Group will look to accomplish include:
- Improve and maintain Android support for the official Swift distribution, eliminating the need for out-of-tree or downstream patches
- Recommend enhancements to core Swift packages such as Foundation and Dispatch to work better with Android idioms
- Work with the Platform Steering Group to officially define platform support levels generally, and then work towards achieving official support of a particular level for Android
- Determine the range of supported Android API levels and architectures for Swift integration
- Develop continuous integration for the Swift project that includes Android testing in pull request checks.
- Identify and recommend best practices for bridging between Swift and Android's Java SDK and packaging Swift libraries with Android apps
- Develop support for debugging Swift applications on Android
- Advise and assist with adding support for Android to various community Swift packages
Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the good-riddance department: Comcast is introducing new simplified, contract-free broadband plans that eliminate its unpopular 1.2TB data cap for residential customers. "The company began enforcing a data cap in 2008, when it set that limit at 250GB," notes PCMag. "Four years later, it raised that to 300GB, then lifted it to 1TB in 2016 and inched it up again to 1.25TB in 2020 after suspending it entirely during the early months of the pandemic." The report notes that existing customers will need to switch to these updated plans to benefit from the cap removal. PCMag reports: Steve Croney, Comcast's COO for connectivity and platforms, describes these new "everyday price plans" as "built on simplicity and transparency -- no hidden fees, no confusion." Comcast began showing the new plans on its sign-up pages Thursday morning. The monthly rates largely match those announced when Comcast advertised a rate-lock offer in April:
- 300Mbps downloads for $40 with a one-year lock or $55 with a five-year lock, then $70 a month
- 500Mbps for $55 with a one-year lock or $70 with a five-year lock, then $85
- 1Gbps for $70 with a one-year lock or $85 a month with a five-year lock, then $100
- 2Gbps for $100 with a one-year lock or $115 with a five-year lock, then $130
Upload speeds on those plans will vary by location but should start at 40Mbps. These plans also include one year of Xfinity Mobile wireless service, which combines Verizon's coverage with Comcast's Wi-Fi network.
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.
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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?
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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
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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
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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:
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As AI Kills Search Traffic, Google Launches Offerwall To Boost Publisher Revenue 2025-06-26 16:10:02
