Category: Technology

Meta has started another round of layoffs amid the company’s “year of efficiency.” The latest job cuts are the third round of a series of cuts first announced in March. The company said it expected to shed a total of 10,000 jobs over the course of three rounds.

It’s unclear exactly how many workers are impacted by the latest round, but the layoffs, once again, seem to be primarily in non-engineering roles. People in marketing, communications, and recruiting have lost their jobs, according toReuters, which cited posts on LinkedIn. Meta will also be slashing nearly 500 jobs from its Irish office, about 20 percent of its workforce in the country, according to a separate report.

Meta declined to comment on the cuts. A spokesperson pointed to a memo Mark Zuckerberg shared with employees last fall when the company conducted an earlier round of 11,000 layoffs. In the message, he said that economic conditions had “caused our revenue to be much lower” than expected. He described the job cuts as “some of the most difficult changes we’ve made in Meta’s history” and “what we need going forward.”

Zuckerberg has talked openly about the need for more “efficiency” in the months since. He dubbed 2023 as Meta’s “year of efficiency,” and said he wants to create a “flatter” management structure at the company. “I continue to believe that slowing hiring, flattening our management structure, increasing the percent of our company that is technical and more rigorously prioritizing projects will improve the speed and quality of our work,” he said during the company’s most recent earnings call.

The conclusion of the latest round of layoffs brings the total number of workers Meta has cut to about 21,000 since last November. Though Meta’s layoffs have been among the highest in the industry, it’s far from the only tech company shedding jobs over the last several months. Amazon, Google, Microsoft and dozens of others have dramatically shrunk their workforce since the start of the year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-is-laying-off-employees-for-the-third-time-in-less-than-three-months-174112198.html?src=rss 

Pro League of Legends players may hold a walkout in protest of changes made by the game’s publisher, Riot, to the esport’s minor leagues. All 50 players in the League Championship Series (LCS), the highest level of LoL esports in North America, will reportedly vote this weekend on a potential walkout. If the walkout goes ahead, it would be among the first major instances of collective action in high-level esports.

The vote will reportedly take place a few days before the start of the LCS Summer Split. That’s one of the two annual competitive LCS seasons and the pathway for North American teams to qualify for the LoL World Championship. “If we have 26 out of 50 of the LCS [players] willing to do something, I can tell you right now, the league’s not running,” LCS Players Association (LCSPA) executive director Phil Aram told journalist Mikhail Klimentov, who was first to report on the vote.

The issue stems from a decision that Riot announced earlier this month to no longer require LCS teams to field a team in an official feeder league. The company claimed LCS teams asked it to drop the obligation “to unlock more operational and financial flexibility.” Riot agreed in order to “support the continued, long-term success of the teams and the professional esports ecosystem in North America.”

Although three LCS teams have committed to continue fielding a team in the North American Challengers League (NACL), most said they were dropping their developmental rosters. That didn’t sit well with the LCSPA, a group run by and for pros to offer them “counsel, programs, information and support.”

The LCSPA said that while Riot framed its decision “as a commitment to the NACL, the reality is that as many as 70 players, coaches and managers will lose their jobs overnight. The unprecedented decision to destroy the NACL less than a month before the start of the 2023 NACL Summer Split with no plan — and no warning — is a stain on their leadership.”

The group noted that over half of the current LCS players came through the NACL system. “Claims that the NACL is in any way responsible for team financial instability are false; the average annual salary cost of an entire NACL roster represents less than 17 percent of an average LCS organization’s League-based salary costs in a year,” the LCSPA said. It argued that while the feeder systems in Europe, Korea and China are doing well, “North America now has a developmental product with no viewership, no institutional support, no paying jobs and no future.”

“Riot gave each team $3 million this year to operate in LCS + NACL, but only 3 could afford to spend 15-20 percent of that to promote the future of NACL?,” the player organization said. “Shame on Riot for letting teams get away with it and shame on every team that pocketed the future of the league.”

The LCSPA’s executive council agreed on Monday to authorize a walkout vote among players. The vote is scheduled to take place this Sunday, according to Klimentov.

The LSCPA shared a list of requests it’s making of Riot. The organization wants there to be a Valorant-style promotion and relegation format between the LCS and NACL and for the publisher to “commit to a revenue pool for player salaries of $300,000 per NACL team per year.” For comparison, that’s less than what each LCS player was reportedly making on average as of 2020. The LSCPA also wants other protections and cost-sharing opportunities for LCS players and teams.

“We cannot go and be in the room with Riot and have meaningful negotiations of any kind like we’ve had in the past, unless we’re able to establish with them that the actions that they took without our consent, without consideration for us or for the league, in this case, are not acceptable,” Aram told Klimentov. “It’s an important inflection point for our players.”

Although the idea of playing video games professionally is alluring for many young gamers, the reality is that it’s tough to make a living in esports. Pro careers are typically short and several players have retired from the scene at a young age due to mental health concerns. There’s a lot of competition to land a spot on a team in a major esport too.

The industry as a whole seems to be struggling. Earlier this month, The New York Times reported that many esports organizations have made significant cuts over the last several months. Many haven’t been able to turn a profit and some are looking to sell their teams, even at a loss. For one thing, TSM, one of the major North American esports organizations, is selling its spot in the LCS and plans to compete in LoL esports in another region.

Engadget has contacted Riot for comment.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/league-of-legends-pros-could-stage-a-walkout-to-protect-the-esports-minor-leagues-153005589.html?src=rss 

It’s not unusual to hear of countries using NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware to surveil the public, but there are now concerns one government is spying on itself. Sources for The New York Times and The Washington Post claim Pegasus has been found on the phone of Mexico undersecretary for human rights Alejandro Encinas, a longtime ally of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, as well as at least two members of Encinas’ office. While there’s no firm evidence pointing to a culprit, this comes as Encinas has been investigating alleged military abuses of power since 2018, including the notorious disappearance of 43 students in Iguala in 2014.

The University of Toronto-based Citizen Lab research team detected Pegasus in a 2022 audit, according to a source speaking to The Post. Encinas’ phone has been compromised more than once, The Times says, including last year as he was heading the commission covering the Iguala disappearances. He blamed the tragedy on the police, military, certain officials and drug traffickers. Encinas apparently briefed Obrador about the spying this March, but has remained silent since.

Encinas, Citizen Lab and the Mexican Defense Ministry have already declined to comment. NSO Group tells The Times in a statement that it looks into “all credible allegations” of misuse, and ends contracts when it finds problems.

In a press conference, Obrador has minimized the alleged snooping and doesn’t believe the military is to blame. However, anti-corruption critics Ángela Buitrago and Eduardo Bohorquez are worried the Mexican army may be using Pegasus to retaliate against Encinas, revealing a lack of effective government oversight in the process.

NSO Group itself has faced widespread criticism. The US banned trade with the company in 2021 for allegedly selling spyware to authoritarian governments that used the tools to eliminate dissent by surveilling activists and journalists. NSO has denied enabling abuses and even hired a libel attorney who accused some journalists of misrepresenting its business.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/pegasus-spyware-found-on-phones-of-mexican-presidents-close-ally-154511274.html?src=rss 

Add Eric Schmidt to the list of tech luminaries concerned about the dangers of AI. The former Google chief tells guests at The Wall Street Journal‘s CEO Council Summit that AI represents an “existential risk” that could get many people “harmed or killed.” He doesn’t feel that threat is serious at the moment, but he sees a near future where AI could help find software security flaws or new biology types. It’s important to ensure these systems aren’t “misused by evil people,” the veteran executive says.

Schmidt doesn’t have a firm solution for regulating AI, but he believes there won’t be an AI-specific regulator in the US. He participated in a National Security Commission on AI that reviewed the technology and published a 2021 report determining that the US wasn’t ready for the tech’s impact.

Schmidt doesn’t have direct influence over AI. However, he joins a growing number of well-known moguls who have argued for a careful approach. Current Google CEO Sundar Pichai has cautioned that society needs to adapt to AI, while OpenAI leader Sam Altman has expressed concern that authoritarians might abuse these algorithms. In March, numerous industry leaders and researchers (including Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak) signed an open letter calling on companies to pause AI experiments for six months while they rethought the safety and ethical implications of their work.

There are already multiple ethics issues. Schools are banning OpenAI’s ChatGPT over fears of cheating, and there are worries about inaccuracy, misinformation and access to sensitive data. In the long term, critics are concerned about job automation that could leave many people out of work. In that light, Schmidt’s comments are more an extension of current warnings than a logical leap. They may be “fiction” today, as the ex-CEO notes, but not necessarily for much longer.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/former-google-ceo-says-ai-poses-an-existential-risk-that-puts-lives-in-danger-141741870.html?src=rss 

A favorite Samsung Galaxy Watch feature might just be making a comeback. MySmartPrice has shared leaked renders procured by tipster OnLeaks that appear to show the full Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic design — and it includes a physical rotating bezel. Samsung notably removed the physical dial from the Galaxy Watch 5, which utilizes a touch bezel that requires users to swipe their finger at the edge of the screen to change between apps or faces. 

The Galaxy Watch 4 had a physical rotating bezel for easy twisting — without necessarily needing to double-check the placement of your finger. Judging by the leak, the bezel on the upcoming model will be slightly thinner compared to those earlier versions and reports suggest it will border a 1.47-inch Super AMOLED display with a 470 x 470 resolution. 

SamMobile also suggests that the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic will be powered by the Exynos W980 chip, giving it around a 10 percent boost compared to the Exynos W920 found in Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 5 models.

It will likely be a couple of months before the return of the physical bezel is fully confirmed. Samsung is expected to announce the Galaxy Watch 6 alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 5, Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Tab S9 at its Unpacked 2023 event in the coming months.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-galaxy-watch-6-leak-suggests-the-rotating-bezel-will-return-124637657.html?src=rss 

AMD has just announced its latest entry-level graphics card, the RX 7600. It will live alongside the RX 7900 XT and RX7900 XTX, which share the same RDNA 3 architecture, but have more fans, higher clock speeds and more memory. The RX 7600 comes in at a lower $269 price point, compared to the outgoing RTX 6600. The company says that the new GPU will comfortably play most games at 1080p resolution and at least 60 fps, with most popular games exceeding that mark.

The RX 7600 includes 8GB of GDDR6 memory with 18Gbps of memory throughput. AMD says that 8GB is the sweet spot for 1080p gaming and that an unsurprising 65 percent of gamers choose to game at 1080p. Compared to the RTX 6600, AMD claims that you’ll get 29 percent better graphics performance on average. Hopefully, the new card will be less of a mess than the 6600, especially at the lower price. As we saw in our review, the RTX 6600 had lackluster ray tracing and limited upscaling abilities. Not to mention, the pricing was all over the place thanks to the parts shortage during the product’s release cycle.

The card doesn’t max out at 1080p resolution, either. AMD claims that you’ll be able to play 260 games at a higher 1440p resolution with the help of AMD Fidelity FX Super Resolution. Though, you will likely be dipping below 60fps for certain titles if you choose to play at higher resolutions.

The card has some benefits for streamers, as well. AMD says the RX 7600 will be able to encode the AV1 video codec at the hardware level. This enables higher-quality video at lower file sizes, while retaining the same streaming bitrate. That’s great news for anyone who prefers streaming their games on YouTube.

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 is available starting today for $269.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amds-rx-7600-graphics-card-promises-smooth-1080p-gaming-for-lower-269-price-130024012.html?src=rss 

Samsung has detailed pricing and availability for its revamped Smart Monitors. The 2023 Smart Monitor M5, M7 and M8 will be available in June, including new 27-inch models. The headlining M8 starts at $650 for the 27-inch version, and $700 for its 32-inch counterpart. It boasts a new, slim design (about 0.45in thick) and can now rotate to portrait mode for reading long documents. The 4K screen is the most capable of the trio with a 400-nit typical brightness, HDR10+ support, an included webcam and a built-in SmartThings hub. You’ll also get far-field Alexa and Bixby voice control as well as HDMI 2.0 input, a USB-C port with 65W laptop charging and two USB-A ports.

The Smart Monitor M7 is aimed at users who want the M8’s design without as many extras. It drops the included webcam (though you can still add it later) and SmartThings hub, and you’ll have to be content with 300-nit brightness and regular HDR10. You get a 4K resolution and other luxuries from the M8, however. The prices are also more palatable, beginning at $550 for the 27-inch model and $600 for the 32-inch equivalent.

A Smart Monitor M5 is also available for those who just want the basics. It’s a 1080p display with a 250-nit brightness, no far-field mics and a simpler design without pivot or tilt. Input is likewise limited to two HDMI 1.4 jacks and a pair of USB-A ports. It’s definitely more affordable, though, starting at $280 for a 27-inch panel and climbing to $300 for the 32-inch edition.

All of the Smart Monitors have new software tricks. They can detect nearby compatible smartphones (such as the Galaxy S23 series) through Bluetooth and wake up to show calendars, photos and other helpful content. You can now use a mouse and keyboard in many of the smart TV apps, and Multi View lets you juggle the built-in browser and Microsoft 365 apps in full screen. Screen mirroring is available for Apple devices (via AirPlay) in addition to Android.

These aren’t intended as high-end gaming monitors given their 60Hz refresh rates, and you’ll want to turn to the 5K-capable Viewfinity S9 if you want a more pro-oriented screen. As before, they’re primarily appealing if your monitor doubles as your TV, or if the looks of the M7 and M8 stand out in a sea of generic designs.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsungs-2023-smart-monitors-arrive-in-june-starting-at-280-133952508.html?src=rss 

You know about Twister. The famous party game asks 2-3 players to balance their limbs on a series of colored dots, dictated by an increasingly absurd set of instructions. Right hand red. Left foot green. Repeat until multiple people fall on the floor in presumed hilarity. Now, Hasbro is changing the game: Twister Air is a music-focused, augmented reality alternative to the game that has no floor mat and less risk of falling down that you can play by yourself.

Specifically, Twister Air is a standing version of the classic game that uses a phone or tablet’s camera to track player movements, tasking them to match colored Twisters Air ankle and wrist bands with colored dots on the device’s screen. The game comes with 8 colored bands, but users will have to download a free iOS or Android app to play it.

At a glance, the game looks a little more like Dance Central than the original Twister. Players do rack up points by striking and holding weird poses, but they do so while listening to one of 16 included music tracks, including a new original song called “Twist in the air.” That shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who grew up watching commercials of the game: Twister ads have featured original bops that reflected the tone of multiple eras, from the 1960s, the 1980s, the 1990s and even the 2010s.

Perhaps the biggest departure from the original game, however, is the player count. Twister Air is played in either a solo or two player mode. The days of collapsing into a pile of unbalanced limbs are over.

Twister Air is up for pre-order on Amazon and will be available in stores on August 1st.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/hasbros-augmented-reality-twister-lets-you-play-by-yourself-130056818.html?src=rss