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Meta cuts jobs in Reality Labs

Meta has announced layoffs within its Reality Labs division, impacting Oculus Studios and hardware development teams. Among those affected is the team behind Supernatural, a popular VR fitness app that Meta acquired for over $400 million.

The company stated that these restructuring efforts aim to improve efficiency and focus on developing future mixed reality experiences, particularly in fitness and gaming. Despite reaffirming its commitment to VR and mixed reality, Meta’s moves reflect its Quest headset business challenges.

While its smart glasses partnership with Ray-Ban has exceeded sales expectations, Quest devices continue to underperform, with the latest Quest 3S already seeing discounts less than a year after release.

Why does it matter?

The layoffs signal Meta’s attempt to streamline operations as it navigates a shifting market for virtual and mixed reality. Although the company promises ongoing support for its VR communities, these changes highlight the pressures Meta faces in turning its ambitious metaverse and hardware ventures into sustainable success.

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AI investments lift Alphabet despite cloud slowdown

Alphabet’s shares climbed over 5% in premarket trading after the company reported strong earnings that reassured investors of its AI strategy.

Despite a slight deceleration in advertising and cloud growth, Google’s parent company beat expectations, signalling that its major bets on artificial intelligence are starting to pay off.

Advertising revenue, which forms the backbone of Alphabet’s business, rose 8.5% in the first quarter to $66.89 billion—outperforming analyst projections.

Although this marks a slowdown from the previous quarter’s growth, it reinforces investor confidence in Alphabet’s ability to monetise AI across its services. Meanwhile, Google Cloud revenue grew by 28%, falling just short of forecasts and indicating some cooling in the segment.

The company is pressing ahead with its ambitious infrastructure plans, reaffirming a $75 billion investment in expanding data centre capacity.

Alongside Microsoft’s even larger plans, these efforts contribute to Big Tech’s anticipated $320 billion AI investment in 2025. However, growing trade tensions and fears of an economic downturn have led to questions about the sustainability of such capital spending.

While Alphabet remains a key player in the AI race, legal challenges loom large. Ongoing antitrust actions in the United States could compel the company to divest core assets like Chrome, as regulators seek to limit Google’s market dominance.

Nevertheless, many analysts remain optimistic, with several brokerages raising their price targets, pointing to Alphabet’s ability to deliver GenAI-powered products at scale despite headwinds.

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Tariff pressure weakens demand for Intel’s AI chips

Intel is witnessing strong demand for its older Raptor Lake and Alder Lake processors, as buyers shy away from newer AI-enhanced chips like Meteor and Lunar Lake.

Economic concerns, particularly the threat of US tariffs, are prompting many to prioritise affordability over cutting-edge features, even in the fast-moving tech world.

Recent data suggests consumers remain unconvinced about paying extra for artificial intelligence in their devices. A survey of over 20,000 tech users found that 84% are unwilling to spend more for AI capabilities, reinforcing current market behaviour.

Intel has acknowledged that the pricing structure of its latest chips is less attractive to consumers and system manufacturers alike.

Adding to the challenge, Intel’s production of processors based on its Intel 7 process node is struggling to keep up with demand. Although its newer chips use TSMC’s advanced nodes, the surge in popularity of older-generation products is creating a supply strain.

Concerns over trade tensions and tariffs are fuelling inventory stockpiling, particularly for parts that help manufacturers keep costs low.

Meanwhile, Intel is undergoing significant internal changes. CEO Lip Bi-Tan confirmed workforce reductions, a major company restructure, and a push for employees on hybrid schedules to return to the office four days a week instead of three.

Combined with rising economic uncertainty and potential retaliatory tariffs from China, the company faces a complex and turbulent period ahead.

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Bitcoin whale moves 50 BTC after 15 years, making $4.67 million

A Bitcoin whale recently moved 50 BTC, worth approximately $4.67 million, after sitting dormant for 15 years. The transaction saw coins originally mined in July 2010, when Bitcoin was worth less than $0.10 per coin. At the time of the transfer, Bitcoin’s price stood at $93,455.

Address identified by code ’04ba30′ stayed inactive for more than 15 years after receiving coins in 2010. However, the transaction was first flagged on X by Bitcoin journalist and historian, Pete Rizzo.

The holder, whether an early miner or a long-term investor, achieved an unimaginable 93,460,500% return on their investment.

It is not the first time Bitcoin whales have resurfaced with remarkable returns. In November, another investor moved 2,000 BTC, initially purchased for a mere $120, now valued at a staggering $179 million.

Despite these extraordinary gains, the most prominent Bitcoin whale remains the pseudonymous creator, Satosh i Nakamoto, believed to hold 1.1 million BTC.

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Auto Shanghai 2025 showcases cutting-edge AI robots

At Auto Shanghai 2025, running from April 23 to May 2, nearly 1,000 companies from 26 countries showcase their innovations.

A major highlight of the event has been the introduction of AI humanoid robots.

Among the most talked-about innovations is Mornine Gen-1, an AI humanoid robot developed by Chinese automaker Chery.

Designed to resemble a young woman, Mornine is set for various roles, from auto sales consultation to retail guidance and entertainment performances.

Also drawing attention is AgiBot’s A2 interactive service robot. Serving as a ‘sales consultant,’ the A2’s smart, interactive features have made it a standout at the event.

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$Trump cryptocurrency soars following exclusive event promise

The price of Donald Trump’s $Trump cryptocurrency surged by over 70% following the announcement of exclusive events for its top investors. The 220 largest holders of the meme coin will be invited to a private gala dinner with the president on 22 May.

The event is described as ‘the most EXCLUSIVE INVITATION in the world’ on the coin’s official website.

Despite the surge, the $Trump token remains far below its peak of over $74 (£42.40) from January, shortly after its launch. Trump, who has dubbed himself the ‘crypto president’, has launched several crypto-related ventures.

Alongside the gala dinner at the Trump National Golf Club in Washington, DC, the top 25 coin holders will also receive invitations to a private VIP reception with the president.

The $Trump tokens in circulation are valued at around $2.5bn, with the cryptocurrency debuting just before Trump’s inauguration on 20 January. The announcement has drawn criticism from some within the crypto community, who labelled it ‘a stunt’.

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Microsoft’s Surface ad uses generative AI without anyone noticing

Microsoft recently revealed that it created a minute-long ad for its Surface Pro and Surface Laptop using generative AI, but the twist is that no one seemed to notice the AI elements, even though the ad has been online for nearly three months.

Released on January 30th, the ad features a mix of real footage and AI-generated content, with some AI-generated visuals corrected and integrated with live shots.

The AI tools were first used to generate the script, storyboards, and pitch deck for the ad. From there, a combination of text prompts and sample images helped generate visuals, which were iterated on and refined with image and video generators like Hailuo and Kling.

Creative director Cisco McCarthy explained that it took thousands of prompts to achieve the desired results, although the process ultimately saved the team around 90% of the time and cost typically needed for such a production.

Despite the AI involvement, most viewers didn’t notice the difference. The ad has received over 40,000 views on YouTube, but none of the top comments suggest AI was used. The quick-cut editing style helped mask the AI output’s flaws, demonstrating how powerful generative AI has become in the right hands.

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MTN confirms cybersecurity breach and data exposure

MTN Group has confirmed a cybersecurity breach that exposed personal data of some customers in certain markets. The telecom giant assured the public, however, that its core infrastructure remains secure and fully operational.

The breach involved an unknown third party gaining unauthorised access to parts of MTN’s systems, though the company emphasised that critical services, including mobile money and digital wallets, were unaffected.

In a statement released on Thursday, MTN clarified that investigations are ongoing, but no evidence suggests any compromise of its central infrastructure, such as its network, billing, or financial service platforms.

MTN has alerted the law enforcement of South Africa and is collaborating with regulatory bodies in the affected regions.

The company urged customers to take steps to safeguard their data, such as monitoring financial statements, using strong passwords, and being cautious with suspicious communications.

MTN also recommended enabling multi-factor authentication and avoiding sharing sensitive information like PINs or passwords through unsecured channels.

While investigations continue, MTN has committed to providing updates as more details emerge, reiterating its dedication to transparency and customer protection.

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North Korean hackers create fake US firms to target crypto developers

North Korea’s Lazarus Group has launched a sophisticated campaign to infiltrate the cryptocurrency industry by registering fake companies in the US and using them to lure developers into downloading malware.

According to a Reuters investigation, these US-registered shell companies, including Blocknovas LLC and Softglide LLC, were set up using false identities and addresses, giving the operation a veneer of legitimacy instead of drawing suspicion.

Once established, the fake firms posted job listings through legitimate platforms like LinkedIn and Upwork to attract developers. Applicants were guided through fake interview processes and instructed to download so-called test assignments.

Instead of harmless software, the files installed malware that enabled the hackers to steal passwords, crypto wallet keys, and other sensitive information.

The FBI has since seized Blocknovas’ domain and confirmed its connection to Lazarus, labelling the campaign a significant evolution in North Korea’s cyber operations.

These attacks were supported by Russian infrastructure, allowing Lazarus operatives to bypass North Korea’s limited internet access.

Tools such as VPNs and remote desktop software enabled them to manage operations, communicate over platforms like GitHub and Telegram, and even record training videos on how to exfiltrate data.

Silent Push researchers confirmed that the campaign has impacted hundreds of developers and likely fed some stolen access to state-aligned espionage units instead of limiting the effort to theft.

Officials from the US, South Korea, and the UN say the revenue from such cyberattacks is funneled into North Korea’s nuclear missile programme. The FBI continues to investigate and has warned that not only the hackers but also those assisting their operations could face serious consequences.

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Google boosts AI in coding and cloud growth

More than 30% of all code at Google is now written with the help of AI, according to CEO Sundar Pichai during Alphabet’s Q1 2025 earnings call.

Developers are embracing AI-generated suggestions in nearly one out of every three code changes, thanks to improved models and the rollout of agentic workflows—AI systems designed to manage complex, multi-step tasks.

Pichai noted that AI-assisted coding is expanding across the company, with customer service teams leading the way in adoption.

Alphabet reported strong financial results, with quarterly revenue climbing 12% year-over-year to $90.2 billion. Net income rose sharply by 46% to $34.5 billion, and earnings per share jumped 49%.

While there was a slight quarterly dip in revenue from the previous quarter, Google’s core advertising business, YouTube, and Google Cloud all contributed to year-on-year growth. Cloud revenue, in particular, increased 28% due to surging demand for AI and infrastructure products.

The recently released Gemini 2.5 Pro model was described by Pichai as ‘state-of-the-art’, outperforming rivals across benchmarks and landing the top spot on Chatbot Arena. Gemini models are now integrated across 15 Google products used by more than half a billion people.

Features like Gemini Live and AI-powered camera tools are being rolled out on Android and Pixel devices, while Google Assistant will also receive a Gemini upgrade later this year.

Instead of slowing down, Google is accelerating its AI development with initiatives like Gemini Robotics Models, the AI Co-Scientist for research, and the continued success of AlphaFold, used by over 2.5 million scientists.

With over 200% growth in users of AI Studio and Gemini API, and more than 140 million downloads of Gemma models, Google is clearly positioning AI at the centre of its future across products, platforms, and research.

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