Menu Home News Hardware Gaming Mobile Finance Deals Reviews How To Wccftech MobileSoftware Google Lays Off Hundreds Of Employees In Major Shakeup After Android And Pixel Merger, Saying It Is “Focused On Becoming More Nimble And Operating More Effectively” Ali Salman • Apr 11, 2025 at 11:02am EDT Google is said to have terminated "hundreds of employees" after offering voluntary employment in January. The employees who had been laid off were in charge of Android, Chrome, and the Pixel division. If you are not familiar with it, Google merged its Android and Chrome teams, bringing them under a single Pixel and Devices group, and this is possibly the move that led to the layoff of hundreds of employees. Google lays off hundreds of employees after merging the Android and Pixel team According to The Information, Google has laid off hundreds of employees and the company confirmed the "job reductions" in a statement saying that it is "focusing on becoming more nimble and operating more effectively." At this stage, there are no details available on whether a specific team or product was hit with the impact of a workforce reduction. However, the impact will not reach the end user as the company has its plan sorted and products in place for this year, as they were before. A few months ago. Google began restructuring its internal affairs with the company offering voluntary buyouts in January of this year. Before the buyout, the Android and Chrome units were merged with the Pixel and Devices under chief Rick Osterloh in 2024, and the combined units had more than 20,000 employees. Since combining the Platforms and Devices teams last year, we’ve focused on becoming more nimble and operating more effectively and this included making some job reductions in addition to the voluntary exit program that we offered in January. It appears that Google is trying to maintain a more integrated ecosystem with a major focus on AI for its hardware and software products. Google is not unfamiliar with layoffs, as the company laid off almost 6 percent of its global workforce in 2023, but it continues to expand its list of products while offering major AI additions to its entire product line. While this is one the end of the spectrum, Google is also reportedly paying its AI staff a whole year's worth of income for doing absolutely nothing instead of letting its employees work for the competition. Apple is also gradually working its way to improve Siri and Apple Intelligence to better rival the likes of Google. The company is picking up the pace and delivering features this fall, which were delayed until next year. We will keep you posted on the latest details, so be sure to keep an eye out for the latest trends. Subscribe to get an everyday digest of the latest technology news in your inbox Follow us on Topics Sections Company Some posts on wccftech.com may contain affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com © 2025 WCCF TECH INC. 700 - 401 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada

جدولة منشورات السوشيال ميديا (أتمتة التواصل الاجتماعي!)

Doom Anthology $25 for Nintendo Switch | $30 for PlayStation (was $80) See at Woot See at Amazon With Doom: The Dark Ages arriving next month, it's the perfect time to replay the series. Woot's Spring Video Game Sale includes a deal that can help with that. Doom Anthology, which originally released last October for $80, is on sale for as low as $25 at Woot. The Nintendo Switch version is discounted to $25, while the PlayStation edition for PS5 and PS4 is up for grabs for $30. Doom Anthology comes with six games, a BFG replica display figure, and a steelbook case.Doom Anthology is available for much higher prices on all four platforms at Amazon: PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Shop Woot Spring Game Sale Continue Reading at GameSpot

The Nintendo Switch 2’s controllers won’t have analog triggers, and some of Nintendo’s top hardware experts have just explained why. The Switch 2’s Joy-Con 2 controllers have a few upgrades to set them apart from their predecessors on the original Switch. Instead of a rail system, the new Switch 2 controllers connect to the tablet with magnets - something that Nintendo actually considered for the original Switch at one point. There is also a new C Button that controls the console’s new GameChat feature, and the individual Joy-Con 2 controllers can be placed sideways and used as a mouse.

Whether you’re dancing as Aloy, Varl, Teersa or Erend through a post-post-apocalyptic world made of LEGO bricks, you need a soundtrack that can keep up. Today we’re celebrating the launch of the official LEGO Horizon Adventures soundtrack, a collection of tracks that reimagines Aloy’s journey in a whole new light. To kick things off, we’re debuting a special music video for post-post-apocalyptic dance party by mxmtoon, a synth-powered anthem that perfectly captures the game’s playful energy and mxmtoon’s passion for both music and gaming.  Play Video Dancing through a LEGO World For mxmtoon, the collaboration was personal, playful, and packed with nostalgia. “The very first moment that I started writing ‘post-post-apocalyptic dance party’, I was sitting in my grandma’s living room in Florida. I was just so excited to have the opportunity to write a song that felt inspired by a character that I’ve grown to love and it just felt really natural,” she says. Her love for both LEGO bricks and games, and the Horizon series helped guide the tone of the track from the very first note. “My inspiration behind creating and writing this song is definitely because I grew up loving and playing a bunch of the LEGO games, and I love music. It felt like the perfect opportunity to express both of those interests and loves into one project.”  That blend of influences helped shape not only the sound of the track, but the storytelling within it, referencing nods related to the lore and unique setting of Horizon. “There were so many elements of the Horizon series that were incredibly influential to me when I was writing this song because you’re provided this really rich landscape of lore and world-building through the canvas of Horizon Zero Dawn which was a world I was really familiar with as a fan of the game. It was really fun to involve those pieces of lore and vocabulary into moments of the song, whether you’re talking about the Focus or you’re talking about the landscape of a post-post-apocalyptic world. So it felt really fun just to be like, naturally a nerd about the game and involve all the elements and bits that I loved learning about while I was playing into writing the song.”  The whole process also stirred up a bit of nostalgia for mxmtoon. “It was like being 15 again, writing a piece of music that I was just excited to make, about something I wasn’t quite sure what it would be yet, but eventually turned into a project I’m so proud to be a part of.” Diving deeper into the soundtrack While mxmtoon brings the pop, the rest of the musical world of LEGO Horizon Adventures is shaped by composer Homay Schmitz, whose score strikes the perfect balance between adventurous and whimsical. “Right from the start the idea was to keep it light and upbeat rather than going too epic for most of it,” says Homay. “The game has such a playful and lighthearted charm to it, we wanted to reflect that in the overall tone‬ throughout the score. When you go through the game you have all these different environments that‬ change from folkier stomps and claps to slightly funky synth pop to something that has hints of a western‬ desert blues and over to orchestral metal but the through thread was always to keep it fun, bright and‬ adventurous or something you could potentially groove to.‬” The game’s visual design also played a key role in shaping the sound. “The very first time I saw gameplay I thought how stunning and detailed everything looked,” Homay points out. “Especially the movement of each of the LEGO elements and the way the waterfall moves. It created a very specific style and there was such a‬ warmth and friendliness about it all.‬” Working within the LEGO version of the Horizon universe meant embracing both its emotional roots and its reimagined, light-hearted tone. Homay explains: “‬Some themes from the original game were carried over to create a sense of familiarity and tie the two‬ worlds together. For example, ‘‬Aloy’s Theme’‬, written by Joris De Man, was a choice that made sense to keep for the main character, which is instantly recognisable and was peppered throughout the game. It just had to be infused with LEGO DNA to transform its beautifully haunting‬ quality into something more sprightly.‬” That playful twist did not mean abandoning the essence of Horizon. Homay wove familiar motifs into the score in clever, unexpected ways. “One detail I personally found really exciting, though maybe more subtle, was having access to a few of the original game’s sound sources. These included a combination of tuned and untuned percussion put together by composers‬ The Flight‬, which we were able to incorporate into the new score. Having played‬ Horizon‬ and listened to its soundtrack, I recognised those sounds immediately. It felt really special to use‬ elements from such a beloved game in LEGO form—another way of bridging the two worlds.‬” Fans might have noticed one more Easter Egg while playing the game, says Homay: “‘In The Flood’ from Horizon Forbidden West was played back by a baby mobile as a lullaby‬ and appears in one of the cut scenes!” Homay had to get creative while composing some of her favorite pieces on the soundtrack: “If I had to pick a couple it would be ‘Jewel Tones’ and ‘Melodies on the Mesa’. One of which made good use of Boomwhackers, which serve as percussion instruments and are basically tuned plastic tubes, and material wise, fits nicely into the LEGO world. I have also not worked with them before so that was a fun palette to explore!”  Whether it’s Aloy soaring through a LEGO version of Mother’s Heart or battling a Sawtooth made of LEGO bricks, the music punctuates each moment with personality and punch. “Finding the right tone for the first combat cue was both enjoyable but maybe also slightly challenging‬,” Homay recalls. “I had to strike the right balance between fun and intensity to make it drive enough for the fight but without ever sounding too threatening or too dark in any way. Once that was established though, it set a‬ good marker for the other following combat cues to safely go to battle without it ever getting too intense or‬ unsettling.‬” Speaking of epic battle tracks, Homay mentions the cue she worked on with composer Harry Brokensha: “The orchestral rock metal mix for the final boss. There are a fair few different genres that can be found overall‬ in the game, which were all fun to work on but I really loved what Harry did with this track, which is‬ probably the most dramatic cue amongst them all but still has all the fun elements it needs in it!”‬ Homay looks back with fondness on the collaboration with the development teams and the response of the community. “‬From start to finish, it was an absolute delight to work with such an incredible team! We collaborated closely on the music and had regular catch-ups to discuss the LEGO‬ Horizon‬ world, its themes, and the‬ styles within it.” We are all super excited for the Horizon community to get to enjoy the soundtrack anywhere they go!  The official LEGO Horizon Adventures soundtrack is now available on all major streaming platforms—so whether you’re reliving your favorite in-game moments or vibing out to ‘post-post-apocalyptic dance party’, there’s something here for every fan. Stream the full soundtrack here today!

After taking the world of genre cinema by storm with 2022’s cult hit Saloum, director Jean Luc Herbulot is back with another fascinating genre experiment filled with surprising twists and turns and a radical political message. His new movie Zero, out in theaters and available on VOD this week, is one of 2025’s most explosive new movies — and not just because its premise involves quite a few bomb vests. Part Crank, part Phone Booth, part odd-couple buddy comedy, part unusually relevant action movie, it’s a memorable and stylish new entry for one of the most exciting up-and-coming filmmakers working today. And though it was filmed more than two years ago, it keeps getting more prescient with each passing month — to its filmmakers’ simultaneous delight and dismay. In Zero, two American men wake up in Dakar, Senegal, with bomb vests strapped to their chests, a timer ticking down, and a strange man (Willem Dafoe) speaking to them via earbuds. If they complete five simple tasks, he claims, he’ll set them both free. The truth is far more complicated. This setup allows Herbulot and co-writer, producer, and star Hus Miller to explore weighty issues like the USA’s outsized influence on the Global South, individual Americans’ complicity in the violence that results from that influence, the media’s relationship to terrorism, and how to compel mass action from oppressed groups around the world. In a director’s statement provided to the press, Herbulot says he “wanted to bind geopolitics and emotions in a surreal world,” exploring how “two seemingly innocent people can become enemy number one, reversing the propaganda that is often used in Western politics.”  For better or worse, Zero’s political material is even more relevant today than when it was shot in 2022 and 2023. “There were so many things that happened [in real life] that we did in the movie,” Miller told Polygon in a video interview. “Even when we were looking for footage, a year later we had the footage, because it was actually happening.” “It was in the streets!” Herbulot exclaimed in the same interview, referencing movements in West Africa to separate countries from France’s influence. “That’s when you know that you’re touching a universal subject.” I watched Zero days before the announcement of Trump’s worldwide tariffs, and in the midst of the American government’s continued support of a genocide in Gaza, which is certainly using some of my tax dollars, and is supposedly on behalf of Jews like myself. That all made Zero’s story hit harder for me — it’s explicitly about America’s influence on the rest of the world, and how even unwilling Americans can contribute to global destruction. “That was an important part of the initial concept of Zero in the first place, and that’s why we did it in Africa,” Miller said. “Something that we haven’t really talked about much is having this inverse of [fictional portrayals of] terrorism. [In the movie,] you’re seeing Americans do this, right? But they’re doing it unwillingly, and being used as pawns to do it.” Herbulot was born in Congo-Brazzaville, has lived in many different countries, and survived a civil war. For him, infusing political elements through a genre framework wasn’t “strategic,” he said. It just came naturally. “The subject started to call for that, and the voice [Dafoe’s character] started to call for that,” Herbulot said. “The political stuff came as a tool to understand why the voice is doing it, how the voice is doing it, and who is the voice, without telling you who it is. When we did the movie, there was no [generative] AI yet, but I knew there was going to be a technology where you can do whatever you want with your voice. So the idea for us was, we are never going to identify this person, because it can be a kid somewhere, or a person trying to just fuck with everybody else, or it can be the CIA. Who knows, right? We don’t need to answer that question, but what we want you to think about is that it’s omnipotent, it’s omnipresent, and it’s everywhere in the world. “It’s about how this movie can last in the next five years, in the next 10 years. Hopefully, when you watch it back, you’re like, Oh, it’s still actuality, it’s still happening. So that was my main goal as a storyteller. I want to make something that puts an inception in your head and stays there for a long time.” As with Saloum, the weighty and overtly political themes are contained within a stylish, thrilling genre package that clocks in under 90 minutes and wastes no time getting into the heart of the story. The genre combination is appealing: The thrills of action, the tension of horror, and the release of comedy (an unplanned addition to the mix that happened while they were shooting, Herbulot says) will be instantly recognizable to fans of Saloum and Herbulot’s work. “It’s not easy for the marketing team to work on my movies, because they’re like, ‘Is it an action movie? Is it a comedy? Is it a political thriller?’ And I’m like, ‘Whatever,’” Herbulot said. “I don’t give a shit about genre. I just try to follow the characters and the story.” A lot of the movie’s comedy comes from the clash between the two American characters. #1 (played by Miller — the characters don’t get names) is from Wall Street, and is talkative, desperate, and skittish, questioning everything about the ridiculous, dangerous situation he’s in. #2 (Cam McHarg) is a violent man of action, not words, and seems remarkably calm and collected, despite the bomb strapped to him. Along the way, we are introduced to many, many characters with their own on-screen ticking timers counting down to their deaths, from mere minutes to more than a year. Dafoe, meanwhile, is pure mischief as the voice, a mix of Kiefer Sutherland in Phone Booth (a direct reference the filmmakers were pulling from) and Jigsaw in the Saw series (a subconscious reference that surprised and thrilled the filmmakers when I brought it up). They never thought they’d land the four-time Oscar nominee for the role. But after they reached out to him, he watched Saloum, loved it, and signed on. Herbulot deploys uptempo editing in Zero to keep things moving at a brisk pace, maintaining surprise and humor around nearly every corner. The evocative costumes (especially the ones used to cover the bomb vests — one is a fur coat, in spite of the sweltering Dakar heat), the focus on expressive faces and minute details, and the playful stylistic choices (like a diorama effect using tilt-shift photography to create an impersonal “eye of god” perspective for Dafoe’s character) keep things captivating visually. And as with Saloum, the score is energetic and vibrant. My favorite of these moments is the first time a bomb explodes in Zero. Rather than focusing on the frankly not-all-that-impressive explosion VFX you would expect from a movie working with a modest budget, Herbulot instead directs the camera to the process and the fallout: gears turning in a watch, people flying through the air in slow motion (filmed like the view from the bottom of a trampoline), sand rippling. It’s economical and thrifty filmmaking, but also makes for a striking, distinctive visual approach. When the PR team working with Zero offered Polygon an exclusive clip of the movie for this story, I immediately thought of this moment, because it’s a great encapsulation of Herbulot’s stylistic approach and willingness to zig where others might zag. Without spoiling things, Zero culminates in a startlingly bold ending. It openly explores what it would take to actually build a better world, and unlike other action movies with political material, it doesn’t flinch in the face of tough questions. Even if it does stumble at some points along the way (Saloum is a slightly more polished project), it’s another promising entry from a fascinating artist whose ambition is only outmatched by his stylistic flair and admirably economical pacing. Zero itself seems poised to grow as well, as a changing world order continues to unfurl itself. “I’m glad [increased relevance of the subject matter] is happening in some ways, for the movie,” Miller said. “But for the world, I’m a little skeptical.” “I am really proud that the movie is going out in theaters in the U.S., because it was never meant to be an anti-American movie,” Herbulot said. “It was meant to be an anti-domination movie. It’s more about the mechanism of power in place, and we hope it’s going to stay in people’s heads.” Zero is now playing in theaters, and is available for digital rental or purchase on VOD platforms. Saloum is streaming on Shudder, AMC Plus, and for free with ads on Hoopla, and is also available for digital rental or purchase on VOD platforms.

In the heart of Chelsea in New York City, a relatively unassuming charcoal gray facade conceals an immersive world of sound. House of Sound curates a listening experience that is next level, each subsequent floor of the building revealing somehow an even more complex sound system than the last. Each of the six floors house these systems in beautiful, considered spaces – a pure treat for the ear and the eyes. I had the opportunity to visit House of Sound for a screening of A Complete Unknown, a biographical film starring Timotheé Chalamet as Bob Dylan, directed by James Mangold. Tod Maitland, sound designer for the movie, offered insight into the process behind the project before the film, sharing a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to create a compelling and evocative score. Behind the foyer door, the luminous white of the entrance gives way to the darkness of a theater. Enormous charcoal lounges, easily big enough for four, dot the hushed, expectant room, dimmed lights throwing soft shadows onto the carpeted floor. Acoustic panels line the dark walls, ensuring you hear the score exactly as intended. Sound is so integral to worldbuilding, and coming from multiple different modalities, vocals, microphones, and instruments, ambient sound had to be expertly arranged in tandem with the soundtrack to create a cohesive film. Maitland shared the difficulties and also benefits from having Chalamet do all of his own vocals and most of his own guitar. This is quite unusual for an industry that is very much about the art, and also very much about the bottom line. Mics were hidden in his hair, guitar, and surrounding the stage to be eventually mastered into the final score. This added an incredible level of insight to the movie watching experience, understanding the intricacies of how to immerse a viewer. Sound is incredibly powerful. Dylan’s extensive catalogue has undoubtably changed folk music, and arguably the scope of music in general. Anyone who has been to a very good concert, perhaps one of his, knows this to be true. On the next floor, looking to the left of the landing, a gorgeous kitchen extends to the back of the building. The kitchen opens up into a two-story chandelier, with a chic patio right outside. The experience is immaculate, huge metal carafes of drinks on ice, beads of condensation extending to the twin gleaming granite countertops, creating the illusion of immense length. Pizza, Shake Shack, any type of beverage to choose from – a New York-themed night, coincidentally a personal favorite of mine. To the right of the landing, the McIntosh system here features a lossless projection, no one point in the room being the sweet spot to hear all the detail. Ambulating about, the volume and tonality do not change, offering an incredibly immersive sound experience. This was a treat to experience, the system blasting Donna Summer while not even breaking a sweat, coolly set at quarter volume. This is the magic of House of Sound: it’s a space for people who truly appreciate music to gather, and listen on some of the best and most complex systems in the business. All this, coupled with genuine hospitality and a first class interior, gives all the warmth of home, just more upscale. Taking great care to keep the space enjoyable and elevated, the House of Sound team does just that – an oasis of sound and sight all concealed cleverly from the bustle of the city. Completely decked out with a custom McIntosh system, the next level offers a pleasing vision of blue and brown, vintage cabinets and chestnut leather meet periwinkle upholstery and robin’s egg walls. Large, floor length windows offer light and perspective, the facade of the Maritime Hotel peeking out through the equipment. Lastly, we exit out on to the rooftop for a bit of fresh air. Chelsea landmarks spill over the skyline, with beautiful downtown views on all sides. Modern and luxurious, yet feeling right at home, this is exactly where you’d want to decompress after some intense listening. To learn more about House of Sound, visit houseofsoundnyc.com. Photography by Nadav Havakook.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.If you’ve been holding out for a 240Hz gaming monitor without blowing your budget, the Samsung Odyssey G4 is currently at its lowest price ever, according to price trackers—$179.99 (down from $279.99). Samsung Odyssey G4 Gaming Monitor $179.99 at Amazon $279.99 Save $100.00 Get Deal Get Deal $179.99 at Amazon $279.99 Save $100.00 It’s a 25-inch, 1080p entry-level panel made for speed, not flash. No RGB backlighting or fancy extras here. The stand is basic and a little wobbly, and the design leans more “budget gamer” than premium setup. Still, if smooth gameplay tops your list, the G4 pulls through with a fast response time, low input lag, and both FreeSync and G-SYNC compatibility. Whether you're on AMD or NVIDIA, you’ll get tear-free performance as long as you’re using DisplayPort.This monitor is clearly built for PC gaming. At 240Hz with a solid response time across all refresh rates—60Hz, 120Hz, or 240Hz—you’re getting smooth motion with almost no ghosting or blur. It also includes some extra gaming features like a virtual aim point overlay (an always-on crosshair) and ultra-wide simulation mode that stretches your aspect ratio to 21:9 for a broader field of view. However, console gamers might want to skip this one. It doesn’t scale 4K or 1440p well and has poor VRR support on PS5. The Xbox Series X works a bit better, but you still won’t get full use of HDR or high-res modes. So if your gaming happens mostly on a console, this might not be worth the hassle.The image quality is decent for the price, but far from perfect. It handles glare well and gets bright enough for daytime use, but don’t expect deep blacks or dazzling HDR—this monitor doesn’t have local dimming, and the contrast ratio is pretty weak. Blacks often look gray in a dark room. Still, for most gamers playing in well-lit rooms, it holds up fine. The viewing angles are wide enough for side-by-side co-op without major color washout. The dual HDMI 2.0 ports, a single DisplayPort, and a 3.5mm audio jack cover the basics, and you also get other features like auto source switching, blue light filtering, and power-saving modes.

WhatsApp just rolled out a dozen new features. Most of these are small, but they add up to a fairly substantial software update. Let’s go over some of the more notable additions. Chats now allow for tappable reactions, which is basically like adding a thumbs up to someone else’s reaction. Group chats feature an indicator that lets users know how many people are actually online. This will be right underneath the group name. Solo conversations now offer the ability to create an event, complete with an RSVP mechanic. This event can also be pinned in the chat. There are a couple of chat tools just for iPhone users, including the ability to scan and send documents directly from the app. Users can also now set WhatsApp as the default messaging and calling app on iPhones. Calls finally have their own dedicated tab, which is where folks go to make calls, share call links and manage their history. Users can also add someone from a video call directly from a chat thread. Video calls now offer a pinch to zoom feature, but only on iPhones. WhatsApp also says it has updated its technology for smoother video calls. Channel admins can now record and share short videos with followers and there are voice message transcripts available on the Channels tab. Finally, admins can share QR codes that link directly to the channel. ICYMI, here’s what’s new on WhatsApp 👇→ chat themes! change up your chats with preset wallpapers and bubble colors or choose your own→ you can now add music to your WhatsApp Status 🎵 → avatars got an upgrade so they look even more like you— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) March 31, 2025 WhatsApp says that more features and updates are on the way, so we’ll let you know when new stuff drops. The app has been busy lately. It’s been testing reply threads and has finally added a long-requested drafts feature.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/whatsapp-just-got-a-bunch-of-new-features-including-document-scanning-151607441.html?src=rss

Garmin has just announced a powerful front bike light that also doubles as a 4K camera for capturing run-ins with other road users.