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Microsoft reshapes Xbox through sweeping cuts and studio reorganisation
Microsoft is restructuring Xbox as part of a wider reset involving around 3,200 job cuts, consolidating studios, shifting major franchises and making some teams independent. Halo development is moving from Halo Studios to a new Activision-led team, while the changes further weaken Xbox’s traditional identity as a console-focused business with a clear stable of exclusive…
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Natalia Osipova makes challenging stage debut as Lydia Lopokova
Royal Ballet principal Natalia Osipova is making her acting debut as Russian ballerina Lydia Lopokova in James Graham’s play The Standard of Living. The production explores Lopokova’s unexpected marriage to economist John Maynard Keynes, and Osipova says the role has challenged her profoundly, leaving her crying and shaking during early rehearsals despite gradually gaining confidence.…
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Microsoft is laying off 268 Xbox staffers and Ninja Theory may close
Microsoft is laying off 268 Xbox employees as part of a major restructuring of its gaming business, described as “the most significant restructure in Xbox history.” The cuts are part of a larger plan affecting 3,200 roles during Microsoft’s financial year ending June 2027, with the company roughly three-quarters of the way through the announced…
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Beats unveils premium headphones with interchangeable colours and materials
Beats has unveiled the Beats 360 headphones, a premium model positioned above the Studio Pro that marks a significant departure from the company’s traditional design aesthetic. The new headphones feature a modular, customisable approach with interchangeable ear cushions and headband components, allowing users to mix and match colours and materials—a strategy Beats’ vice president Oliver…
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Khosla Ventures-backed AI music company GRAI acquires social music platform Hangout
AI music company GRAI has acquired Hangout, the social music platform created by Joseph Perla’s Turntable Labs, strengthening its position in music technology following its August licensing of over 24 AI music patents from Music IP Holdings, an entity backed by Universal Music Group. The merger combines Hangout’s community-driven streaming model—where users create virtual rooms…
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EssilorLuxottica unveils Nuance Audio Plus glasses with clearer sound and longer battery
EssilorLuxottica has launched the Nuance Audio Plus, an upgraded version of its discrete over-the-counter hearing aid glasses. The device retains the appearance of standard eyewear whilst housing FDA-approved hearing aid technology in its thin temple arms, and introduces enhanced audio amplification, improved voice clarity in noisy environments, and extended battery life of up to 10…
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Waymo and Visa offer $2.85 credits for Bay Area transit users
Waymo has announced a new transit discount programme in partnership with Visa for the San Francisco Bay Area. The scheme offers $2.85 credits to customers who use Waymo’s robotaxis and public transit within two hours of each other when paying with a Visa credit card. This initiative represents Waymo’s latest attempt to position autonomous ride-hailing…
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Breakthrough Energy backs 21 startups developing future energy technologies
Breakthrough Energy, the investment fund connected to Bill Gates, has announced its sixth cohort of the Breakthrough Energy Fellows programme, backing 21 early-stage startups developing technologies to transform the global energy sector. The initiative comes as the organisation warns that electricity demand will surge dramatically over the coming decades as countries electrify entire economic sectors…
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Goodfellas’ CEO Vincent Maraval Says Michel Hazanavicius Cut Eight Days of Production on WWI Film ‘The Third Hand’ by Using AI
Vincent Maraval, CEO of French production company Goodfellas, has highlighted artificial intelligence’s transformative impact on film production, citing how AI reduced shooting time for a major battlefield scene in Michel Hazanavicius’s WWI film “The Third Hand” from ten days to just two days. Maraval defended the technology as enabling filmmakers to tell stories they would…