The Morning After: Big, Beautiful Fallout
Similarly, for all of this administration's talk of bringing manufacturing back to the US, the bill is a middle finger for domestic solar companies. The US is the only credible manufacturing rival to China in solar panels, but the bill cuts these businesses off at the knees. I spoke to people inside the US solar industry who know that, despite whatever tariffs are implemented, this bill opens the door to a flood of cheap, Chinese-made solar panels to usurp their US rivals.
An earlier version of the bill also contained moves that could only be described as weirdly vindictive. It previously proposed an annual EV tax of $250 (and $100 for hybrid owners) as well as a general levy on all wind and solar projects. Why? A cynic might suggest it was due to the bill being drafted to benefit fossil fuel companies at the expense of literally everyone else.
Anyway, hopefully you can enjoy the holiday and won't need to spend it panic-buying an EV and US-made solar panels. Although that's not actually a bad way to spend a long weekend.
— Dan Cooper
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You can snag two months of Paramount+ for just $2, allowing you to take advantage of the new season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . The deal applies to both the Essential and Premium plan, so you can easily have a little run of ad-free Star Trek as a treat. And, if you don't like the idea of binging Strange New Worlds , you can always watch Star Trek: Lower Decks instead.
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Microsoft has announced it will cut 9,000 jobs from its global workforce, with much of that focus on its gaming division. Engadget's Jessica Conditt got the inside scoop from employees at Halo Studios, who reveal all is not well at what should be one of Microsoft's crown jewels. Sadly, the company was already gutted back in 2023, and the lukewarm reception of its work since then is a sign of how badly things are going.
Continue Reading. Igor Bonifacic for Engadget
Translating a work of art is a delicate task requiring nuanced knowledge of both the culture and the languages you're translating from and to. Unless you're Anime-favoring streaming service Crunchyroll, which just dumped subtitle files into ChatGPT and hoped for the best. As well as a general sloppiness, Engadget's Igor Bonifacic found instances of lines beginning with 'ChatGPT said:' at the start of a line. Crunchyroll said the subtitles were the result of the unauthorized action of a "third-party vendor," and it is working to rectify the error right now.
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Neil Druckmann, head of Naughty Dog and co-creator of The Last of US and its TV adaptation, is stepping down from the HBO series. He said he's shifting his focus back to video games full time to work on the studio's next big title, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet . The Last of Us Part II co-writer Halley Gross is also stepping down at the same time, and that got our staff TLoU superfan Nathan Ingraham's antennae twitching. He feels the video game industry, currently suffering body blow after body blow, needs Druckmann (and Gross) far more than the TV world does.
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Nothing has launched its third-generation flagship, the $799 Nothing Phone 3, complete with a new eye-catching gimmick. Whereas previous models had the Glyph Interface, a series of flashing lights on the rear cover, the 3 gets a tiny dot-matrix display called the Glyph Matrix. Wanna find out if it's going to be worth your cash? Check out Mat Smith's detailed hands-on.
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Engadget
38 minutes ago
- Engadget
How AI can help you navigate layoffs, according to one executive producer at Xbox
It's been a rough week at Microsoft. Following the news that 9,000 people are being laid off at the company, one Xbox executive offered some questionable words of advice for people on their way out: Find solace in Microsoft Copilot. As reported by Aftermath , Matt Turnbull, an executive producer at Xbox Game Studios Publishing who clearly did not lose his job recently, took to LinkedIn to let folks know, "You're not alone and you don't have to go it alone." In the same breath as acknowledging that AI evokes "strong feelings in people," Turnbull suggested that LLMs like ChatGPT and Copilot could "help reduce the emotional and cognitive load that comes with job loss." Turnbull went on to provide specific AI prompts that he recommended for recently laid-off people, including, "Write a warm intro message for reaching out to someone at [studio name] about a job posting." He explained how an LLM could aid overwhelmed developers in planning their careers and punching up their resumés, and also help with "emotional clarity and confidence." The post was circulated on Bluesky by Necrosoft Games director and Insert Credit host Brandon Sheffield, where it received a predictably negative reaction. According to Video Games Chronicle , LinkedIn users were similarly unimpressed. Turnbull deleted the post a few hours later. Here's the full text from the LinkedIn post: These are really challenging times, and if you're navigating a layoff or even quietly preparing for one, you're not alone and you don't have to go it alone. I know these types of tools engender strong feelings in people, but I'd be remiss in not trying to offer the best advice I can under the circumstances. I've been experimenting with ways to use LLM Al tools (like ChatGPT or Copilot) to help reduce the emotional and cognitive load that comes with job loss. Here are some prompt ideas and use cases that might help if you're feeling overwhelmed: Career Planning Prompts:"Act as a career coach. I've been laid off from a [role] in the game industry. Help me build a 30-day plan to regroup, research new roles, and start applying without burning out." "What kinds of game industry jobs could I pivot to with experience in [Production/Narrative/LiveOps/etc.]?" Resume & Linkedin Help"Here's my current resume. Give me three tailored versions: one for AAA, one for platform/publishing roles, and one for startup/small studio leadership.""Rewrite this resume bullet to highlight impact and metrics." "Draft a new LinkedIn 'About Me' section that focuses on my leadership style, shipped titles, and vision for game development." Networking & Outreach"Draft a friendly message I can send to old coworkers letting them know I'm exploring new opportunities." "Write a warm intro message for reaching out to someone at [studio name] about a job posting." Emotional Clarity & Confidence "I'm struggling with imposter syndrome after being laid off. Can you help me reframe this experience in a way that reminds me what I'm good at?" No Al tool is a replacement for your voice or your lived experience. But at a time when mental energy is scarce, these tools can help get you unstuck faster, calmer, and with more clarity. If this helps, feel free to share with others in your network. Stay kind, stay smart, stay connected. Turnbull's post, however earnest, comes at a time when Microsoft is seemingly all-in on both AI and layoffs. The 9,000 job losses this week add to over 6,000 announced in May . Microsoft President Brad Smith began 2025 by committing to spend around $80 billion on AI infrastructure through the year, and CEO Satya Nadella recently shared that a large portion of his company's code is now authored by AI. Just last week, Business Insider reported on another executive telling employees that using Copilot is " no longer optional " in an internal memo. One developer at Halo Studios, which was affected by the layoffs, told Engadget's Jessica Conditt that they felt Xbox leadership was looking to "replace as many jobs as they can with AI agents." If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Microsoft announces another round of layoffs, affecting 9,000 roles
Microsoft has announced its second significant round of layoffs in recent months, affecting approximately 9,000 employees, or nearly 4% of its global workforce. The technology firm began issuing layoff notices on Wednesday 2 July 2025, impacting divisions such as its Xbox video game segment and other departments, reported The Associated Press. This wave of job cuts is the largest the company has implemented in more than two years. The layoffs will impact various teams worldwide, including the sales division, as part of organisational adjustments aimed at enhancing Microsoft's competitiveness in a rapidly changing market. In a memo to staff within the gaming division, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer mentioned that these changes are intended to steer the business towards long-term success by focusing on strategic growth. The layoffs also include 830 employees from Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Washington, as per a notification sent to state officials. The company did not disclose the total number of layoffs but confirmed it represents about 4% of the workforce reported a year ago, when Microsoft had 228,000 full-time employees as of June 2024. Microsoft had previously laid off around 6,000 workers in May 2025, marking its largest job reduction in more than two years before this current announcement. In addition, Microsoft's Spain-based King division, responsible for developing the Candy Crush video game, is reducing its workforce by 10%, equating to roughly 200 positions. These recent cutbacks coincide with Microsoft's continued substantial investments in data centres and AI infrastructure components like specialised computer chips. The company expects these expenses to amount to approximately $80bn in the current fiscal year which commenced earlier this week. Financially, Microsoft reported significant growth in its third-quarter results for fiscal year 2025. Revenue reached $70.1bn, marking a 13% increase from the previous year. Net income rose by 18% to $25.8bn, with operating income growing by 16% to $32bn. The tech giant attributed this positive performance to heightened demand for AI solutions and sustained adoption of cloud infrastructure by enterprises. "Microsoft announces another round of layoffs, affecting 9,000 roles" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Engadget
2 hours ago
- Engadget
Pick up our favorite air purifier while it's $37 off for Prime Day
Prime Day 2025 is coming soon on July 8-11, but you don't have to wait to grab good tech deals — and that goes for everyone, not just Prime members. Early deals have already started popping up on Amazon, and one of the best at the moment is on an Engadget-approved air purifier. The Levoit Core 400S air purifier is on sale for $183, which is $37 off its usual price and not too far off of the lowest price we've seen. It's part of a larger sale on all kinds of Levoit devices including other air purifiers, cordless vacuums and more. The Levoit Core 400S is our current pick for the best air purifier overall. Sure, it might not have the prettiest design of all the options we have tested and the companion app might have a little too much going on. But the Core 400S does its job and does it well. The Levoit Core 400S has dropped down to $183, which is almost a record-low price. $183 at Amazon This smart air purifier is slated to clean the atmosphere in spaces of up to 1,733 square feet in as little as one hour. The Core 400S has a cylindrical shape with vents at the top and a touch display that shows air quality readings. You'll be able to get a sense of the current air quality in your space at a glance with a color-changing ring that will light up in blue, green, orange or red. The 360-degree filtration system is said to be capable of capturing over 99.9 percent of pollutants as small as 0.3 microns, such as dust, pet dander and pollen. There is an auto mode that should suffice for maintaining air quality, but the Core 400S is compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant voice controls too. The fan isn't too loud, even when it's operating at maximum speed — the volume topped out at 62dB in our testing. Meanwhile, at $50 each, the air filter replacements aren't too expensive compared with those from many of Levoit's competitors. You can also find other Levoit Prime Day deals on Amazon right now that include more air purifiers, cordless vacuums and more.