Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the green-light-red-light department: Automattic has put its plan to migrate Tumblr's backend to WordPress on hold, with CEO Matt Mullenweg citing a shift in focus toward features users are actively requesting. "I still want to do it," Mullenweg says. "It's just cleaner. But right now, we're not working on it." The Verge reports: The decision to halt the change also appears to mean that Tumblr posts won't be available in the fediverse in the near future. WordPress.com currently offers an ActivityPub plug-in, so Tumblr moving onto WordPress would theoretically let people bring Tumblr posts to the fediverse. "That would've been a free way to get it," Mullenweg says. "And so that was one of the arguments for migrating everything to WordPress."

In the meantime, however, "I think if there was a big push to implement fediverse, we would just do it on the Tumblr code base," according to Mullenweg.

Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the record-breaking department: Oracle has signed a landmark $30 billion annual cloud deal -- nearly triple the size of its current cloud infrastructure business -- with revenue expected to begin in fiscal year 2028. The deal was disclosed in a regulatory filing Monday without the customer being named. Bloomberg reports: "Oracle is off to a strong start" in its fiscal year 2026, Chief Executive Officer Safra Catz said in the filing. The company has signed "multiple large cloud services agreements," she said, adding that revenue from Oracle's namesake database that runs on other clouds continues to grow more than 100%.

The $30-billion deal ranks among the largest cloud contracts on record. That revenue alone would represent nearly three times the size of Oracle's current infrastructure business, which totaled $10.3 billion over the past four quarters. A major cloud contract awarded in 2022 from the US Defense Department, that runs through 2028 and could be worth as much as $9 billion, is split among four companies, including Oracle. That award was a shift after an earlier contract worth $10 billion was awarded to Microsoft and was contested in court.

Posted by Black Convoy from TFW2005


We may earn a commission from eBay Partner Network links on this post. Please read our advertising disclosure. Coming to us via eBay users icon_of_iacon and Transmimi we have our first in-hand images of the new Transformers x Monster Hunter Synergenex Series Rathalos Prime. This is a Monster Hunters Wyvern Rathalos which can transform into a new Prime robot. We have clear shots of the dragon and robot mode for your viewing pleasure. Rathalos Prime is retailing for $49.99 with a ship date of October 2025. Hit our sponsors below to snag yours! TFSource, Entertainment » Continue Reading.

The post Transformers x Monster Hunter Synergenex Series Rathalos Prime In-Hand Images appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the new-lease-on-life department: HP is developing a "PCFax" system similar to CarFax for used cars that securely collects and stores detailed device usage and health data at the firmware level to extend the life of PCs and reduce e-waste. A team of HP experts outlines the system in a recent IEEE Spectrum report: The secure telemetry protocol we've developed at HP works as follows. We gather the critical hardware and sensor data and store it in a designated area of the SSD. This area is write-locked, meaning only authorized firmware components can write to it, preventing accidental modification or tampering. That authorized firmware component we us is the Endpoint Security Controller, a dedicated piece of hardware embedded in business class HP PCs. It plays a critical role in strengthening platform-level security and works independently from the main CPU to provide foundational protection.

The endpoint security controller establishes a secure session by retaining the secret key within the controller itself. This mechanism enables read data protection on the SSD -- where telemetry and sensitive data are stored -- by preventing unauthorized access, even if the operating system is reinstalled or the system environment is otherwise altered. Then, the collected data is recorded in a timestamped file, stored within a dedicated telemetry log on the SSD. Storing these records on the SSD has the benefit of ensuring the data is persistent even if the operating system is reinstalled or some other drastic change in software environment occurs. The telemetry log employs a cyclic buffer design, automatically overwriting older entries when the log reaches full capacity. Then, the telemetry log can be accessed by authorized applications at the operating system level.

< This article continues on their website >

Posted by Black Convoy from TFW2005


Japanese store E-Hobby have updated their website with images and information of some new exclusive Transformers SD acrylic stands. E-Hobby had previously revealed a first wave of fun and cute 5-cm-tall Super Deformed/Chibi Style G1 Transformers acrylic stands and now they have revealed three more characters: Megatron Tarn Magna Convoy Each one is 1760 Yen/$12.23 USD and planned for release by early October 2025. These products are available only in Japan at the moment. See all the promotional images after the break and sound off on the 2005 Boards!

The post E-Hobby Exclusive Transformers SD Acrylic Stands appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the how-about-that department: Freelance workers using AI tools are earning significantly more than their counterparts, with AI-related freelance earnings climbing 25% year over year and AI freelancers commanding over 40% higher hourly rates than non-AI workers, according to new data from Upwork.

The freelance marketplace analyzed over 130 work categories and tracked millions of job posts over six months, finding that generative AI is simultaneously replacing low-complexity, repetitive tasks while creating demand for AI-augmented work. Workers using AI for augmentation outnumber those using it for automation by more than 2 to 1. Freelancers with coding skills comprising at least 25% of their work now earn 11% more for identical jobs compared to November 2022 when ChatGPT launched.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the see-you-in-court department: Apple must face the U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit accusing the iPhone maker of unlawfully dominating the U.S. smartphone market, a judge ruled on Monday. From a report: U.S. District Judge Julien Neals in Newark, New Jersey, denied Apple's motion to dismiss the lawsuit accusing the company of using restrictions on third-party app and device developers to keep users from switching to competitors and unlawfully dominate the market.

The decision would allow the case to go forward in what could be a years-long fight for Apple against enforcers' attempt to lower what they say are barriers to competition with Apple's iPhone.

Posted by from MMO Champion
Mists of Pandaria Classic Development Notes: Pre-Pull Buff Adjustments

Mists of Pandaria Classic Development Notes - June 30

Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

We’re continuing to iterate on changes to pre-pull behaviors. See above for the initial list. We’ve made the following additional changes:

The Synapse Springs buffs are removed when the gloves are removed.

Soulshatter can no longer proc effects.

Circle of Flame doesn’t work past level 89.

Sulfuron Slammer cannot be used in raid and will be removed upon entering a raid.

Unconscious Dig Rats can’t be used in raids.

Turnip Punching Bags cannot be used in raids.

Soul Reaper added to the list of effects that are removed on pull.

Hunter Focus no longer goes to max on encounter start.

On-pull actions updated to remove resources from a player if they are the first player to hit the boss or they try to pre-cast a missile spell that has a cost.

For example, if you engage the boss using Chaos Bolt and you are the one engaging, your resources on pull will behave as if you spent resources on a Chaos Bolt. Instead of going to 1 Burning Ember on pull, you will go to 0.

All renews from Shadow Priests are removed on pull (preventing previously-set up spell casts to influence the fight).

Soulburn casts obey the same pre-pull rules and will pull from your encounter start pool if you engage early.

< This article continues on their website >

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the router-roulette department: An anonymous reader shares a report: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has a plan for spectrum auctions that could take frequencies away from Wi-Fi and reallocate them for the exclusive use of wireless carriers. The plan would benefit AT&T, which is based in Cruz's home state, along with Verizon and T-Mobile.

Cruz's proposal revives a years-old controversy over whether the entire 6 GHz band should be devoted to Wi-Fi, which can use the large spectrum band for faster speeds than networks that rely solely on the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. Congress is on the verge of passing legislation that would require spectrum to be auctioned off for full-power, commercially licensed use, and the question is where that spectrum will come from.

When the House of Representatives passed its so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill," it excluded all of the frequencies between 5.925 and 7.125 gigahertz from the planned spectrum auctions. But Cruz's version of the budget reconciliation bill, which is moving quickly toward a final vote, removed the 6 GHz band's protection from spectrum auctions. The Cruz bill is also controversial because it would penalize states that regulate artificial intelligence.

Instead of excluding the 6 GHz band from auctions, Cruz's bill would instead exclude the 7.4-8.4 GHz band used by the military. Under conditions set by the bill, it could be hard for the Commerce Department and Federal Communications Commission to fulfill the Congressional mandate without taking some spectrum away from Wi-Fi.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the admission-of-defeat department: Apple is considering using AI technology from Anthropic or OpenAI to power a new version of Siri, according to Bloomberg, sidelining its own in-house models in a potentially blockbuster move aimed at turning around its flailing AI effort. From the report: The iPhone maker has talked with both companies about using their large language models for Siri, according to people familiar with the discussions. It has asked them to train versions of their models that could run on Apple's cloud infrastructure for testing, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations.

If Apple ultimately moves forward, it would represent a monumental reversal. The company currently powers most of its AI features with homegrown technology that it calls Apple Foundation Models and had been planning a new version of its voice assistant that runs on that technology for 2026. A switch to Anthropic's Claude or OpenAI's ChatGPT models for Siri would be an acknowledgment that the company is struggling to compete in generative AI -- the most important new technology in decades. Apple already allows ChatGPT to answer web-based search queries in Siri, but the assistant itself is powered by Apple.

Posted by Slashdot Staff from Slashdot
From the next-gen-vpn department: TorrentFreak spotlights VP.net, a brand-new service from Private Internet Access founder Andrew Lee (the guy who gifted Linux Journal to Slashdot) that eliminates the classic "just trust your VPN" problem by locking identity-mapping and traffic-handling inside Intel SGX enclaves.

The company promises 'cryptographically verifiable privacy' by using special hardware 'safes' (Intel SGX), so even the provider can't track what its users are up to.

The design goal is that no one, not even the VPN company, can link "User X" to "Website Y."

Lee frames it as enabling agency over one's privacy:

"Our zero trust solution does not require you to trust us - and that's how it should be. Your privacy should be up to your choice - not up to some random VPN provider in some random foreign country."

The team behind VP.net includes CEO Matt Kim as well as arguably the first Bitcoin veterans Roger Ver and Mark Karpeles.

Ask Slashdot: Now that there's a VPN where you don't have to "just trust the provider" - arguably the first real zero-trust VPN - are trust based VPNs obsolete?

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the nature's-healing department: Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg said he regrets telling the media that "WordPress.org just belongs to me personally" during a new interview about his company's legal dispute with hosting provider WP Engine. The comment has been "taken out of context so many times" and represents "the worst thing ever," Mullenweg said in a new podcast interview with The Verge.

The dispute began when Mullenweg accused WP Engine of "free-riding" on WordPress's open-source ecosystem without contributing adequate resources back to the project. Mullenweg filed a lawsuit against WP Engine while cutting off the company's access to core WordPress technologies. WP Engine countersued, and Automattic was forced to reverse some retaliatory measures.

The controversy triggered significant internal upheaval at Automattic. The company offered "alignment" buyouts to employees who disagreed with the direction, reducing headcount from a peak of 2,100 to approximately 1,500 people. Mullenweg said this was "probably the fourth big time" WordPress has faced such community controversy, though the first in the current media landscape. WordPress powers 43% of websites globally. Mullenweg said he wants to return to "the most collaborative version of WordPress possible" but noted the legal proceedings continue with both sides spending "millions of dollars a month on lawyers."

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the all-things-digital department: China's transition to digital payments has reached the point where physical cash has nearly vanished from daily commerce, with WeChat and Alipay now handling transactions from supermarkets to public transportation across the world's second-largest economy. Many businesses no longer maintain traditional cash registers and instead scan QR codes presented by customers, while numerous taxis refuse cash payments entirely.

The widespread adoption has given tech giants Tencent and Alibaba immense power over routine financial transactions, prompting China's central bank to develop a competing digital yuan currency.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the pushing-the-limits department: Microsoft's new AI diagnostic system achieved 80% accuracy in diagnosing patients compared to 20% for human doctors, while reducing costs by 20%, according to company research published Monday. The MAI Diagnostic Orchestrator queries multiple leading AI models including OpenAI's GPT, Google's Gemini, Anthropic's Claude, Meta's Llama, and xAI's Grok in what the company describes as a "chain-of-debate style" approach.

The system was tested against 304 case studies from the New England Journal of Medicine using Microsoft's Sequential Diagnosis Benchmark, which breaks down each case into step-by-step diagnostic processes that mirror how human physicians work. Microsoft CEO of AI Mustafa Suleyman called the development "a genuine step toward medical superintelligence."

Posted by from MMO Champion
Get Started with Pet Battles in Mists of Pandaria Classic

Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

In Mists of Pandaria Classic, players can engage in Pet Battles—strategic 3v3 turn-based encounters that feature hundreds of collectible battle pets from across Azeroth. This beginner-friendly guide introduces the fundamentals of Pet Battles, from taming wild companions to mastering type matchups and ability combos.

---

What are Pet Battles?

Pet Battles allow players to turn their companion pets into battle-hardened allies. Unlock the feature through Battle Pet Training and take your team of three pets into tactical, turn-based encounters against wild creatures, quest trainers, and other players.

Each pet has its own family type, abilities, and progression path.

How to Get Started



Audrey Burnhep in Stormwind



Varzok in Orgrimmar

Train the skill: Visit any major city and speak with a Battle Pet Trainer to learn Battle Pet Training. This unlocks Pet Battles and the ability to track nearby wild pets on your minimap.

Tame your first pet: Choose from your current companions or tame a level 1 wild pet in a starting zone like Elwynn Forest or Durotar.

< This article continues on their website >

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the up-next department: Avantare writes: Microsoft Authenticator houses your passwords and lets you sign into all of your Microsoft accounts using a PIN, facial recognition such as Windows Hello, or other biometric data, like a fingerprint. Authenticator can be used in other ways, such as verifying you're logging in if you forgot your password, or using two-factor authentication as an extra layer of security for your Microsoft accounts.

In June, Microsoft stopped letting users add passwords to Authenticator, but here's a timeline of other changes you can expect, according to Microsoft:

July 2025: You won't be able to use the autofill password function.
August 2025: You'll no longer be able to use saved passwords.

Posted by from MMO Champion
Mists of Pandaria Classic Pre-Patch Extended Maintenance - July 1, 2025

Blizzard has announced an extended maintenance for Mists of Pandaria Classic Pre-Patch launch day in North America, lasting approximately 8 hours from 7:00 AM PT until 3:00 PM PT. European realms will also have an 8-hour maintenance on Wednesday, from 3:00 AM CET until 11:00 AM CET.

Weekly Maintenance Schedule

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the catch-me-if-you-can department: Companies deliberately design customer service friction to discourage refunds and claims, according to research into a practice academics call "sludge." The term, coined by legal scholar Cass R. Sunstein and economist Richard H. Thaler in their updated version of "Nudge," describes tortuous administrative demands, endless wait times, and excessive procedural fuss that impede customers.

ProPublica reported in 2023 that Cigna saved millions of dollars by rejecting claims without having doctors read them. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ordered Toyota's motor-financing arm to pay $60 million for alleged misdeeds including deliberately setting up dead-end hotlines for canceling products and services. The 2023 National Customer Rage Survey found that the percentage of American consumers seeking revenge for customer service hassles had tripled in three years.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the shape-of-things-to-come department: Apple plans to release a cheaper MacBook powered by the A18 Pro chip used in the iPhone 16 Pro line, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The laptop will be priced below $999 -- first time for a MacBook Air -- and go into production in late 2025 or early 2026 on the new laptop, the analyst noted.

The device will feature the same 13-inch screen as the current MacBook Air, with the chip representing the primary difference between models. The A18 Pro chip delivers single-core performance around 3,500 on Geekbench, trailing the M4 chip only slightly, though multicore performance lags significantly at approximately 8,780 versus 15,000 for the M4. The A18's multicore performance matches the original 2020 M1 chip.

Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the writing-on-the-wall department: A founding member of the Xbox team says she believes Xbox hardware is "dead" and that Microsoft appears to be planning a "slow exit" from the gaming hardware business. Microsoft recently announced partnerships with external hardware companies including the ROG Xbox Ally, which runs Windows and functions as a portable PC that can run games from external stores like Steam.

Laura Fryer, one of Microsoft Game Studios' first employees who worked as a producer on the original Gears of War games and served as director of the Xbox Advanced Technology Group, called the partnerships evidence of Microsoft's inability to ship hardware. "Personally, I think Xbox hardware is dead. The plan appears to be to just drive everybody to Game Pass," Fryer said.