Meta to Cut 10 Percent of Work Force
The layoffs affect about 8,000 employees, with Meta also planning to close 6,000 open roles, as the company focuses on artificial intelligence.
Science/Tech
Tim Cook Calls Apple Maps Launch His ‘First Really Big Mistake’ as CEO
In a recent town hall meeting reported by Bloomberg (paywalled), Apple CEO Tim Cook named the troubled 2012 launch of Apple Maps as his “first really big mistake” in the role. “The product wasn’t ready, and we thought it was because we were testing more of local kind of stuff,” Cook told staff. MacRumors reports: Reflecting on the debacle, Cook said it was “valuable,” noting that he expressed...
BlockDAG’s May 7 Casino Debut Captures Buyer Focus While ETH and HYPE Navigate Major Sentiment Reversals
Ethereum continues to dominate long-term market discussions, with Ethereum price prediction narratives focused on network stability, institutional interest, and its role across decentralized applications. Growth expectations remain steady rather than abrupt, shaped by gradual adoption cycles. Hyperliquid price activity follows a different path, driven mainly by derivatives trading demand and...
‘Kraken-like’ giant octopuses 100m years ago crunched bones of prey
Study of fossilised beaks shows patterns of wear and suggests some ancient species were up to 19 metres long
Giant “kraken-like” octopuses that used powerful beaks to crunch through bones of prey were among the most formidable predators of the Cretaceous oceans, according to research.
Analysis of dozens of newly identified fossils reveals that some ancient octopus species reached up to 19...
Microsoft Plans First-Ever Voluntary Employee Buyout
Microsoft plans to offer voluntary buyouts for the first time. According to CNBC, “about 7% of U.S. employees are eligible,” with the program being “available to U.S. workers at the senior director level and below whose years of employment and age add up to 70 or higher.” Further details will be provided on May 7. From the report: Last year Microsoft removed some costs through multiple rounds...
What is the UK Biobank project and what are the privacy concerns around it?
Volunteers’ data has enabled medical breakthroughs, but there are questions over how that data is protected
With the revelation that the confidential health records of half a million British volunteers have been put up for sale on a Chinese website, we take a look at what the UK Biobank project has achieved – and why concerns have been raised.
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Elon Musk and Sam Altman’s Epic Fight Heads to Court
A jury trial that is set to start on Monday could shift the course of the A.I. race, with Mr. Musk seeking billions of dollars in damages from Mr. Altman’s OpenAI.
New York Sues Coinbase and Gemini, Seeking To Halt Unlicensed Prediction Market Businesses
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Associated Press: New York is suing Coinbase and Gemini, two of the newest players in the prediction market industry, arguing that the companies’ unregulated and unlicensed platforms are illegal gambling operations. Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit, filed Tuesday in state court in Manhattan, seeks to bar the companies’ platforms from operating...
SA public sector urged to build trust in AI
Panellists at the ITWeb AI Summit 2026 call for stronger governance, accountability and skills development.
Ethical AI a business imperative, not a choice, summit hears
Experts at the ITWeb AI Summit 2026 warn that retrofitting trust into deployed models is a costly failure.
Palantir Employees Are Starting to Wonder if They’re the Bad Guys
Interviews with current and former Palantir employees, along with internal Slack messages obtained by WIRED, suggest a workforce in turmoil.
Businesses must move beyond AI hype to real value
Enterprises must stop chasing AI pilots and focus on measurable outcomes, TransUnion Africa CEO Lee Naik told the ITWeb AI Summit.
Usaasa’s 30-year run nears its end
The speed at which the Electronic Communications Amendment Bill is enacted will determine how quickly Usaasa is dissolved.
Intel Lands Tesla As First Major Customer For 14A Chip Technology
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Wednesday the EV maker plans to use Intel’s next-generation 14A manufacturing process to make chips at its Terafab project, an advanced AI chip complex Musk has envisioned in Austin. The contract would mark Intel’s first major customer for the technology, a breakthrough for the chipmaker which has struggled to stand...
JBL Celebrates 80 Years of Powering Voices
JBL, the iconic audio brand from HARMAN, is celebrating its 80th anniversary, marking eight decades of delivering sound that moves generations.
How Infrastructure, Skills And AI Are Shaping South Africa’s Digital Future
President Ramaphosa’s announcement at the 2026 State of the Nation Address of a R50 billion investment into data centres over the next three years signals that South Africa recognizes digital infrastructure as the foundation for economic growth. The question now isn’t whether digital transformation will happen, but whether South Africa will continue to be amongst […]
South Africa planning big overhaul of public sector IT
Government has set a 2028 deadline to redesign the State IT Agency – but it comes after years of false starts.
Private health records of half a million Britons offered for sale on Chinese website
Technology minister tells Commons ‘de-identified’ information from UK Biobank advertised for sale on Alibaba
UK politics live – latest updates
The confidential health records of half a million British volunteers have been offered for sale on Chinese website Alibaba, the UK government has confirmed.
The data, belonging to participants in the UK Biobank project, was found for sale on three...
‘Can I have some, please?’: has Trump opened the door to a psychedelic future?
Order to speed hallucinogen research hailed as ‘threshold moment’ but concerns remain over access and protections
The scene seemed so far-fetched you could be forgiven for thinking you might be hallucinating.
On the weekend in which psychonauts celebrate “Bicycle Day” – the anniversary of the first LSD trip – Donald Trump was in the Oval Office double-checking that he was correctly...
Lume Cube Edge Light Go Review (2026): Versatile, Portable
Portable lamps are rarely, if ever, as powerful, precise, and multipurpose as the Lume Cube Edge Light Go.
These New Smart Glasses From Ex-OnePlus Engineers Have a Hidden Cost
The Kickstarter-funded glasses from L’Atitude 52°N have AI features bundled for 1 year, but the company doesn’t know yet how much it will charge for access after that.