Elon Musk leaves White House, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella explains why company laid of 6,000 employees, launches from iQoo and Alcatel, and other top news of the week
Elon Musk confirmed his departure from the White House, signalling a renewed focus on his ventures like Tesla and SpaceX. Meanwhile, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella addressed the recent layoff of 6,000 employees, clarifying the cuts were due to "reorganisation" rather than performance issues. On the product front, the Indian smartphone witnessed the launch of the gaming-centric iQoo Neo 10, and Alcatel's V3 series. Adding to the retail landscape, Google has finally begun selling its full Pixel lineup directly through its online store in India. All this and other tech news of the week.
Elon Musk leaves White House but will remain in advisory role
Elon Musk has left the White House to take care of his companies, including Tesla and SpaceX. Musk expressed gratitude to Trump for the opportunity to lead DOGE, saying, "As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Donald Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending. The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government." Trump also praised Musk saying that the Tesla CEO was "terrific".
Read full story here.
CEO Satya Nadella on why Microsoft laid off 6000 employees
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella addressed recent job cuts during the company's latest Town Hall event with its employees, reportedly revealing that the latest round of job cuts was due to 'reorganisation rather than performance,'. This clarification came weeks after it announced plans to lay off 6,000 employees, which is roughly 3% of its workforce.
Here's the full story.
iQoo Neo 10 launched in India
iQoo Neo 10 was launched in India this week. It is a mid-range smartphone with a focus on gaming performance and battery life. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset and has a 7000mAh battery. It is available in multiple RAM and storage configurations, starting at Rs 31,999 for the 8GB + 128GB variant.
More details here.
Alcatel launches its smartphone in India
Alcatel has launched its smartphones in India. Through a partnership with Nxtcell India, the company launched the V3 series -- including the V3 Classic, V3 Pro, and V3 Ultra -- featuring MediaTek Dimensity 6300 processors and Android 15. The V3 series also showcases Alcatel's patented NXTPAPER display technology. The phones are available on Flipkart starting June 2, 2025.
Click here for prices and more specs.
Walmart job cuts and new hiring plans
Walmart will reportedly introduce 'several hundred new roles' in the US and India -- days after the company announced to let go of approximately 1,500 employees from its technology department, e-commerce fulfillment centres and the advertising segment named Walmart Connect. Employees who were laid off are eligible to apply for any of these roles.
More information here.
Google starts selling Pixel phones from its online store
Google has officially launched direct online sales for its complete Pixel lineup through the Google Store in India. This means consumers can purchase these devices directly from Google. Available products include the Pixel 9a, Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Pixel 8a, Pixel 8 Pro smartphones, along with Pixel Watch 3, Pixel Buds Pro 2, and official accessories.
All details here.
Hisense unveils E7Q Pro QLED Smart TV
Hisense launched its latest Smart TV—the Hisense E7Q Pro in India, designed specifically for modern gamers and those seeking a cinematic home entertainment experience. The
Hisense E7Q Pro QLED Smart TV
is equipped with a high-performance 144Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision Atmos support, AMD FreeSync Premium certification, and AI Smooth Motion technology. The company claims that the TV can deliver jitter-free visuals and low-latency gaming.
Read more for price and features.
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Economic Times
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