Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the how-about-that department: Mazda is redesigning the steering wheel controls in its new CX-5 to address potential safety concerns from its shift to touchscreen-based infotainment systems. The Japanese automaker developed what it calls "an all new steering wheel layout with physical buttons" that allow drivers to control critical vehicle functions without taking their hands off the wheel. Stefan Meisterfeld, Mazda's U.S. VP of operations, said the new steering wheel design goes beyond simple redundant shortcuts.

The company is pairing the enhanced steering wheel controls with Google Assistant voice commands and a 15.6-inch central touchscreen that now houses audio and climate controls previously operated by physical dashboard buttons. Mazda had been the sole mainstream holdout against touchscreen infotainment systems, relying instead on a console-mounted dial. The steering wheel redesign represents the company's attempt to maintain its "hands on the wheel, eyes on the road" safety philosophy while adopting touchscreen technology that customer research indicated buyers wanted.
Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the ticket-closed department: A federal judge has dismissed an antitrust lawsuit that accused Apple, Visa and Mastercard of conspiring to suppress competition in the payments network market and inflate merchant transaction fees.

U.S. District Judge David Dugan in Illinois ruled that merchants failed to provide sufficient evidence supporting claims that Apple illegally declined to launch a competing payment network to rival Visa and Mastercard.

The lawsuit, filed by beverage retailer Mirage Wine & Spirits and other businesses representing thousands of merchants, alleged the payment networks paid Apple hundreds of millions of dollars annually to avoid competition. Dugan found the plaintiffs offered only "a slew of circumstantial allegations" but permitted them to amend their complaint.
Posted by Tony_Bacala from TFW2005


Former Hasbro CEO Alan Hassenfeld, who oversaw the birth of the Transformers brand in the 80s, has passed away at the age of 76.  He was part of the original family that started Hasbro back in the 1920s, the Hassenfeld Brothers (Has-Bro, see), and the last Hassenfeld to act as CEO.  In addition to helping transform the company into the juggernaut that it is today, he also started and contributed to many philanthropic endeavors.   We here at TFW2005 thank him for his service on all fronts, and wish his family well.    

The post Former Hasbro CEO Alan Hassenfeld Passes Away at 76 appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.
Posted by from MMO Champion
Patch 11.2 PTR - Build 61871

Ghosts of K'aresh Development Notes - July 10, 2025

Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

The following class changes have been added to the Ghosts of K’aresh PTR:

Classes

Rogue

Hero Talents

Deathstalker

Subtlety

Manaforge Omega 2-set bonus – Deathstalker effects and damage increased to 50% (was 30%).

Trickster

Manaforge Omega 2-set bonus – Unseen Blade damage increase and chance to trigger an additional time increased to 35% (was 30%).

Manaforge Omega 4-set bonus – Effectiveness of second Coup de Grace increased to 150% (was 100%).

Assassination

All damage increased by 8%.

Outlaw

Killing Spree off-hand shots no longer count as off-hand weapon swings that deal half damage.

Killing Spree off-hand shot damage increased by 25% to match main-hand shot damage.

Net result of these changes is a Killing Spree damage increase of 43%.

Fatebound

Fixed an issue that could cause Killing Spree to be immediately cancelled if Fatebound Coin (Tails) was flipped.

Warlock

Hero Talents

Diabolist

Fixed an issue with the Manaforge Omega 2-set bonus – Eye Blast cast by Demonic Oculi no longer deals its multi-target damage to its main target.

Demonology

Fixed an issue with the Manaforge Omega 2-set bonus – Eye Blast is now affected by Mastery.

Soul Harvester

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Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the going-all-in department: Almost three-quarters of all solar and wind power projects being built globally are in China, says a new report that highlights the country's rapid expansion of renewable energy sources. From a report: China is building 510 gigawatts of utility-scale solar and wind projects, according to data from the Global Energy Monitor, a non-governmental organisation based in San Francisco. That compares with about 689GW under construction globally, GEM said.

A rough rule of thumb is that a gigawatt can potentially supply electricity for about 1mn homes. "China is [...] leading the world in global renewable energy build-out," the report said. "It continues to add solar and wind power at a record pace." China's expansion of clean energy sources is important for efforts to fight climate change, given the country's dominant role in global manufacturing.
Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the oops department: Swedish security service members who shared details of their running and cycling routes on fitness app Strava have been accused of revealing details of the prime minister's location, including his private address. Politico: According to Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter, on at least 35 occasions bodyguards uploaded their workouts to the training app and revealed information linked to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, including where he goes running, details of overnight trips abroad, and the location of his private home, which is supposed to be secret.
Posted by Tony_Bacala from The Toyark


New round of DC Multiverse proper today with Azrael from Knightquest, Batwing from the New52 and Batman from the Troika series.  All 3 are ~$26.99 and due to ship in August 2025.  Read on to check pics and details, hit ...

The post New DC Multiverse – Azrael, Batwing and Batman appeared first on The Toyark - News.
Posted by AzT from TFW2005


Comic-Con begins in just two weeks and by annual tradition, we have your first look at the daily program schedule. Get ready for the following Transformers-related panel on Thursday: 1:00pm – 2:00pm PDT, Room 6BCF Robert Kirkman Live at SDCC The biggest Robert Kirkman panel in Robert Kirkman history! Want to learn more about everything Invincible (including the new fighting game Invincible VS and Battle Beast comic series) and The Walking Dead? Excited about his plans for Transformers and Void Rivals via Skybound and Hasbro’s Energon Universe? Then don’t miss this panel, which includes world premiere announcements and exclusive giveaway surprises—yes, plural—for every attendee! Stay tuned for more » Continue Reading.

The post Comic-Con 2025 Thursday: Robert Kirkman Live at SDCC appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.
Posted by from MMO Champion
WoW Housing: It's Only Neighborly

Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Welcome home, Adventurers!

Or in this case, welcome to the neighborhood, Adventurers!

So far in our series of articles, we’ve shared information on our philosophy, decorating, and rewards for Housing in World of Warcraft, but it’s time to bring you into the Neighborhood. Briefly mentioned in our first post on Housing, let’s get into the nitty- gritty of what Neighborhoods are and how they work.

Before we dive into things, our usual disclaimers apply. Neighborhoods are a work in progress so names, images, numbers, timing, and more may change between now and when Housing is released. Our goal in sharing this ahead of time is to get your feedback; so please let us know what you think.




This Land is Your Land

As a quick refresher, homes in World of Warcraft are separated into two Neighborhood zones, Founder’s Point (for the Alliance) and Razorwind Shores (for the Horde). Each Neighborhood is made up of roughly 50 plots of the same size, all of which contain a house.

We want players with different preferences for locations to find a plot that’s perfect for them, be they vibe-based or looking for something for a specific character. Some plots are placed far away from everything for the hermits among us, while others are grouped together in small cul-de-sacs of two to three houses perfect for a small group of friends. Other houses are in larger groupings for folks looking for more hustle and bustle.

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Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the closer-look department: US's emergency-warning infrastructure failed to prevent more than 100 deaths during flash flooding in Kerr County, Texas over the July 4 weekend, despite repeated warnings from the National Weather Service. At least 27 young campers and counselors died at Camp Mystic when the Guadalupe River surged during early morning hours. The alerts never reached residents who lacked cellphone service, had silenced notifications, or didn't carry phones with them.

Similar communication failures occurred during recent Los Angeles wildfires and Maui blazes. Maui's outdoor sirens never sounded during 2023 wildfires when cellular networks failed. Nearly 30% of Texas residents opt out of wireless emergency alerts, the highest rate nationally. Rural officials often lack funding or permission to send alerts through broadcasters and cellphones. So what's going on?

Federal, state and local authorities share responsibility for alerting citizens through multiple platforms, but the country's patchwork of digital and physical emergency-alert tools often lags behind rapidly developing weather events, WSJ argues.

The Atlantic has a story that adds more color: It details how officials lack training in writing effective alerts, how messages like "move to higher ground" are meaningless without context, and how the absence of warning-coordination meteorologists creates communication gaps between weather services and local authorities.
Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the good-fight department: Senators from both parties are preparing to challenge the Trump administration's proposed 24% cut to NASA's budget, with the Senate appropriations committee advancing a $24.9 billion allocation that matches the agency's 2025 funding levels.

The bipartisan pushback directly contradicts President Donald Trump's budget request, which sought to slash NASA's science portfolio funding nearly in half and terminate dozens of operating and planned missions. "We rejected cuts that would have devastated NASA science by 47% and would have terminated 55 operating and planned missions," Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, said.

The Senate bill allocates $7.3 billion for science programs. Senators also refused the administration's call to cancel the Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew capsule after their third flights, programs Trump's budget labeled "grossly expensive and delayed." "The bill reflects an ambitious approach to space exploration, prioritizing the agency's flagship program, Artemis, and rejecting premature termination of systems like SLS and Orion before commercial replacements are ready," said Senator Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican.
Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the drawing-a-line department: European Union officials unveiled new AI regulations on Thursday that require makers of the most powerful AI systems to improve transparency, limit copyright violations and protect public safety.

The rules apply to companies like OpenAI, Microsoft and Google that develop general-purpose AI systems underpinning services like ChatGPT, which can analyze enormous amounts of data and perform human tasks. The code of practice provides concrete details about enforcing the AI Act passed last year, with rules taking effect August 2.

EU regulators cannot impose penalties for noncompliance until August 2026. Companies must provide detailed breakdowns of content used for training algorithms and conduct risk assessments to prevent misuse for creating biological weapons. CCIA Europe, representing Amazon, Google and Meta, told New York Times the code imposes a disproportionate burden on AI providers.
Posted by Super_Megatron from TFW2005


We are happy to reveal the Ages Three and Up x Toy Dojo TFcon Toronto 2025 exclusive Mastermind Creations R-53D Tyranplex which will be available to attendees at the Ages Three and Up booth at this year’s show. The price will be $205 CAD and available in limited quantity at the show while supplies last. Tickets are still available at www.tfcon.ca

The post TFcon Toronto 2025 exclusive Mastermind Creations R-53D Tyranplex appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.
Posted by Black Convoy from TFW2005


Via official LEGO internacional listings we have our official reveal of the new LEGO Icons 10358 G1 Soundwave. This is an official LEGO building set which can transform into his classic G1 cassette player alt mode. He includes his partners Ravage and Laserbeak which can also transform into cassettes. This set consists of 1505 pieces and stands 33 cm tall in robot mode. It also includes a new sound brick for maximum fun. See the promotional images after the break and then sound off on the 2005 Boards! Create a captivating centrepiece or surprise a loved one with this LEGO® » Continue Reading.

The post LEGO Icons 10358 G1 Soundwave Official Reveal appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.
Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the accepting-new-world-order department: Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan told employees this week that the company has fallen out of the "top 10 semiconductor companies" and that it's "too late" to catch up with Nvidia in AI training technology.

The remarks came as Intel began laying off thousands of workers globally, including 529 in Oregon and several hundred others in California, Arizona and Israel. "Twenty, 30 years ago, we are really the leader," Tan said during a conversation broadcast to Intel employees worldwide. "Now I think the world has changed. We are not in the top 10 semiconductor companies." Tan said Nvidia's position in AI training is "too strong" and that customers are giving Intel failing grades.

Intel's market value has dropped to around $100 billion, roughly half its value from 18 months ago, while Nvidia briefly hit $4 trillion on Wednesday. Tan said Intel will instead focus on "edge" AI that operates directly on devices rather than centralized computers.
Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the grave-concerns department: Researchers have discovered 27 million tonnes of nanoplastics distributed across just the top layer of the temperate to subtropical North Atlantic Ocean, according to a study published in Nature. The team sampled water at three depths across 12 locations during a November 2020 research cruise, finding average concentrations of 18 milligrams per cubic meter of three plastic types: polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene and polyvinylchloride.

These particles, smaller than one micrometer in diameter, behave differently from larger microplastics by remaining suspended throughout the water column rather than settling to the ocean floor. The nanoplastics can pass through cell walls and enter the marine food web through phytoplankton, said Tony Walker, an environmental scientist at Dalhousie University. The world's oceans contain an estimated 3 million tonnes of floating plastic pollution when excluding nanoplastics.
Posted by Joe Moore from The Toyark


A new addition to the revamped Dynamic 8ction Heroes line has been announced by Beast Kingdom. You can now pre-order their Superman (2025) 1/9 Scale DAH Figure. The figure stands at 8″ tall, with 22 points of articulation. It features ...

The post Superman 2025 Figure by Beast Kingdom appeared first on The Toyark - News.
Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the work-in-progress department: An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: On Sunday, Block CEO and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey launched an open source chat app called Bitchat, promising to deliver "secure" and "private" messaging without a centralized infrastructure. The app relies on Bluetooth and end-to-end encryption, unlike traditional messaging apps that rely on the internet. By being decentralized, Bitchat has potential for being a secure app in high-risk environments where the internet is monitored or inaccessible. According to Dorsey's white paper detailing the app's protocols and privacy mechanisms, Bitchat's system design "prioritizes" security.

But the claims that the app is secure, however, are already facing scrutiny by security researchers, given that the app and its code have not been reviewed or tested for security issues at all -- by Dorsey's own admission. Since launching, Dorsey has added a warning to Bitchat's GitHub page: "This software has not received external security review and may contain vulnerabilities and does not necessarily meet its stated security goals. Do not use it for production use, and do not rely on its security whatsoever until it has been reviewed." This warning now also appears on Bitchat's main GitHub project page but was not there at the time the app debuted.

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Posted by from MMO Champion
New Delve, Mythic+ and PvP Mounts in The War Within Season 3

The War Within Season 3 begins on August 12, bringing new mount rewards from Delves, Mythic+, and Rated PvP. Here's a quick look at what you can earn in the upcoming season, alongside the new raid mounts from Dimensius!

New Delve Mount

Delver's Mana-Skimmer - Reward from the seasonal delve quest Repossessed!



Delver's Mana-Skimmer Schematic: Hyperdrive - Reward from Let Me Solo Her: Nexus-Princess Ky'veza



New Mythic+ Mounts

Azure Void Flyer - Reward from The War Within Keystone Master: Season Three





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Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the would-you-look-at-that department: BrianFagioli shares a report from NERDS.xyz: Red Hat has introduced a new option that gives developers a fast lane to enterprise-grade Linux without needing to go through IT. The new release, called Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Business Developers, is now available for free. It offers direct, self-serve access to the same operating system used in production environments, specifically for business-focused development and testing.

The offering is part of the Red Hat Developer Program and is designed to reduce friction between development and operations teams. Developers can now build and test applications on the same platform that powers critical systems across physical servers, virtual machines, cloud deployments, and edge devices. [...] Each registered user can deploy up to 25 instances, whether virtual, physical, or cloud-based. The program includes signed and curated developer content such as programming languages, open source tools, and databases. Red Hat also includes Podman Desktop, its go-to container development tool, allowing users to work with containers that can closely match production environments.

While access is free, developers can choose to purchase support plans that tap into Red Hat's Linux expertise. This could appeal to developers working in business units or teams that want to build quickly without waiting on formal IT approval. This new option complements Red Hat's existing free Developer Subscription for Individuals and the Enterprise Developer Subscription for Teams, which is available through Red Hat reps or partners.
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