Author: Security – Computerworld

Hands-on with the Windows answer to Apple’s Vision Pro

February 5, 2025 /

Hey, remember the Apple Vision Pro? For a while there, everyone was talking about Apple’s $3,499 headset being the future of productivity. You’d strap a headset to your face and work on large monitors floating in a “mixed reality” world.

Well, that vision has now officially arrived on Windows PCs, and it’s more than 10 times cheaper. For a mere $299, you can pair a Meta quest headset with a Windows 11 PC and work in a mixed-reality world with floating monitors around you.

So let’s set aside the pricey Apple headsets and skip the wait for Google’s latest attempt at VR. Here’s what it’s like to use the new “Windows Mixed Reality” with an inexpensive Meta headset for productivity. After all: With Microsoft’s HoloLens discontinued, this is the closest thing we’re going to get.

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To try this out, you’ll need a Meta Quest 3 or Quest 3S headset, the company’s latest VR headsets. Again, they’re a lot cheaper than an Apple Vision Pro — and probably a lot cheaper than that upcoming “Project Moohan” headset that will run Google’s new Android XR, too! I tested this out with a Meta Quest 3 headset. (Unfortunately, it doesn’t work with previous-generation Quest 2 headsets.)

You’ll also need a PC running Windows 11. You don’t need the absolute latest hardware, but you do need something at least somewhat recent. I used Microsoft’s latest Surface Laptop. (You can find a complete list of requirements on Microsoft’s website.)

If you have the hardware — and if you already have a recent Meta Quest headset lying around — you’re good to go, and you can set this up very quickly.

Here at the start of 2025, this feature is still a little experimental. That means you’ll have to go out of your way to activate it. Meta offers detailed instructions, but these quick steps should be all you’ll need to get going:

  • On your Windows 11 PC, install the Microsoft’s Mixed Reality Link app from the Microsoft Store.
  • On your Meta Quest headset, open the Settings app, select “Advanced,” and activate the “Pair to PC with Mixed Reality Link” setting.

Then, while wearing the headset and using passthrough (Mixed Reality) mode, you can just look at a Windows 11 PC, and you’ll see a floating “Pair” button you can click to pair your headset with your PC.

The first time you pair, you’ll be asked to press Windows+Y. Your PC will show a QR code, and your headset will scan it — and then, the two devices will be linked. From that point forward, you can just look at the PC while wearing the headset and select “Pair.”

Microsoft Windows VR headset pairing
The pairing process is fast and quick, and it’ll only get easier when this feature is no longer experimental.

Chris Hoffman, IDG

A Windows desktop, floating in front of your face

While paired, you’ll see your PC’s desktop pop up as a floating window in passthrough mode (just like other apps in the Meta Quest’s Horizon OS). You can type on your computer’s keyboard normally — and use its mouse — to control Windows and your applications.

It works better than you might expect! There isn’t much latency — despite the wireless connection, it’s a very responsive interface that feels great to use.

You can use “theater mode” to expand the desktop to take up more of your vision, if you like. That lets you place the desktop somewhere you want it in space, walk away, then walk back to it.

Productivity aside, this has the potential for all sorts of engaging entertainment use for mid-work-day breaktimes or moments of travel. If you enjoy the thought of watching a movie on a big virtual screen while wearing a headset, you can definitely do that with this setup. I pulled up YouTube, switched to full-screen mode, and toggled theater mode for the whole experience. It was more than a little impressive to see the entire video filling my field of vision. Similarly, you could play PC games while wearing the headset — or, of course, watch official work-related demo videos and presentations. It’s a very different experience from using a small laptop display.

The only real downside is having to wear a headset the entire time you’re watching.

Windows 11 desktop on VR headset
You can resize the floating desktop window and reposition it around you in Mixed Reality.

Chris Hoffman, IDG

So the $1 million question: Does Microsoft’s Mixed Reality Link and a Meta Quest headset really make you more productive?

The biggest benefit is the ability to add extra virtual displays beyond what you’d have in the physical world. I used my Surface Laptop, which didn’t have any external monitors connected. With a few presses of buttons on the Meta Quest’s controllers, I was able to add two extra displays that floated off to the sides of my main display, giving myself some extra virtual space for working. I’m able to enjoy a spacious three-display setup in the Mixed Reality interface, although I just have the one small physical screen.

I’ll be honest, though: I’ve never fully understood why I would want to do my productivity-oriented work with a headset strapped to my head. That was my big concern about Apple’s Vision Pro, and it’s my big challenge here. I do think Meta’s Quest headset is neat for VR games and workout apps. But we’re not talking about using VR with a sense of presence here — we’re talking about using a two-dimensional Windows desktop interface floating in space.

Windows 11 VR multiple displays
The ability to have multiple virtual displays — and make them as big as you want — is the most interesting productivity feature here.

Chris Hoffman, IDG

That’s one of the most significant downsides to this setup — that we’re talking about a two-dimensional desktop. You won’t be using an immersive VR application like Google Earth VR over Windows Mixed Reality link. You’ll just get access to the same standard two-dimensional applications you use on your Windows desktop. (There are other solutions for using PC VR apps with a Quest headset, but Mixed Reality Link doesn’t simplify the process.)

Compared to other mixed-reality headset platforms, the fact that you’re just dealing with your PC’s desktop is also an advantage. There’s no need to set up your productivity workflow on a new device — you’re just getting access to the desktop interface you already use. So, if you do want this sort of interface for productivity or PC desktop use in general, good news: It’s here, and you can get it today for a few hundred bucks!

Personally, I’ve been writing this entire article with Microsoft Word floating in front of my face while wearing the headset. And, while it worked really well, I’m looking forward to removing the headset and giving my face a break.

Of course, this is just “version one” of this experience. In the future, we might eventually see incredibly lightweight and comfortable “smart glasses” that are easier to wear for extended periods of time. Perhaps that’s the future of computing — a floating Windows desktop on our smart glasses.

Or…, perhaps not. But, with Apple and Google making big bets on mixed-reality headset experience, it’s nice to know that there’s a version of that spatial computing experience already available for us Windows PC users, too.

Let’s stay in touch! Sign up for my free Windows Intelligence newsletter today. You’ll get three new things to try every Friday and free in-depth Windows Field Guides as a special welcome gift.

AI chatbot war breaks out with DeepSeek debut, and the winner is…you

February 5, 2025 /

Less than a week after Chinese start-up DeepSeek rocked the tech industry, leading generative AI (genAI) model providers are scrambling to shore up their market foothold and find ways to emulate the newcomer’s tech efficiencies.

Last week, DeepSeek’s eponymous chatbot hit Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store and downloads almost immediately exceeded those of OpenAI’s ChatGPT. In short order, the DeepSeek-R1 AI model changed the genAI market, erasing $600 billion in market capitalization — the largest intraday decline in history — before markets began to recover.

The aftershocks have continued, but experts and industry watchers say DeepSeek’s marketplace entry will challenge every other leading genAI model maker to do better with less. In the meantime, those leaders are scrambling to hold ground in a fast-evolving market.

Within days of DeepSeek’s release, Microsoft announced that users of the free version of Copilot will be able to use OpenAI’s o1 reasoning model. OpenAI then released its new o3-mini reasoning model and said that even users of free ChatGPT will have (limited) access to it.

“I think Microsoft’s and OpenAI’s announcements are definitely and largely in response to the challenges from DeepSeek,” said Avivah Litan, a distinguished vice president analyst at Gartner Research. “This is especially true of OpenAI’s announcements.”

With a development cost of just $5.5 million — compared to OpenAI’s $5.4 billion annual budget — DeepSeek’s model outperforms current open-source language models, which are now on the defensive.

US genAI providers are rushing ahead with changes to their pricing models to shift the focus away from DeepSeek, though it likely won’t make much of a difference, according to Litan.

The competition between DeepSeek and its genAI counterparts is good for the industry, Litan said. Open-source models were always the main competition to frontier model providers, but DeepSeek has now accelerated the race. It will ultimately depend on where top data scientists and AI engineers want to work — at a closed, non-transparent company or with a small, agile team focused on fast, collaborative innovation.

“I’m not saying DeepSeek has no issues — in fact there are several from a privacy and bias perspective,” Litan said. “But the fat frontier model companies can no longer rest on their laurels and keep their systems closed. And that’s a good thing overall.”

One concern is that DeepSeek stores user data, including chat messages, on servers in China, raising concerns about Chinese government access and data security. Its privacy policy allows sharing data with advertisers and law enforcement, leading to questions about its ability to protect user information, according to Atalia Horenshtien, head of AI practice for North America at tech consultancy Customertimes.

Censorship and bias are also concerns. The model might restrict sensitive topics, especially those critical of China, and its training data and instructions are not publicly available, making bias hard to assess.

Hayley Sutherland, a research manager at IDC, agreed with Litan, saying that while DeepSeek’s work is still being verified, the potential for high-performing models at a fraction of the current cost has created a massive stir in the tech industry and related markets. 

“Microsoft, OpenAI, and other major providers of foundation models were already innovating at a rapid pace, but this adds significant pressure for such providers to show that their AI innovations can be scalable and affordable for a much wider swath of businesses,” Sutherland said.

According to Sutherland, genAI tool users should expect rapid industry R&D focused on more efficient AI and clearer, more advanced reasoning — essentially, having genAI “show its work.” Meanwhile, providers like AI-powered search provider Perplexity and chipmaker Nvidia have partnered to offer DeepSeek’s model with US data sovereignty and no Chinese media restrictions.

This isn’t a “winner-takes-all” chatbot war,” Sutherland said.

Foundation model innovations, especially open-source ones, show there’s room for diverse providers to advance genAI for different businesses and consumers. However, the leaders will be those optimizing models for valuable, responsible, and scalable business outcomes, according to Sutherland.

Mike Gualtieri, a vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research, said companies such as OpenAI, Cohere and Anthropic were already headed for failure as they are unable to monetize their AI products.

GenAI-based chat apps are valuable, but most users will likely get them for free from companies like Google, Meta, Microsoft, and X, which monetize through ads, Gualtieri noted. For enterprises, genAI will become an expected feature in software from companies like Adobe and Microsoft, making premium charges temporary.

“An AI model is not a business model. Money will be made at the application layer,” Gualtieri said.

DeepSeek is a game-changer, he said, because it’s showing that no company or country will hold a monopoly, and governments can’t regulate or ban the math behind AI, which runs on computers.

“Having said that, every AI model company is inspired by the DeepSeek R1 model optimizations and will follow suit.  This will accelerate AI research,” Gualtieri said. “This doesn’t change much for enterprise AI strategy, CIOs already knew that they cannot lock into one model. They already saw the pace of AI innovation. It was fast. Now it is faster.”

How to bring Google’s custom vibration brilliance to any Android phone today

February 5, 2025 /

Have you heard the buzz? Good vibrations are on their way to Android — or at least to Google’s own homemade Pixel devices.

As we discussed in my Android Intelligence newsletter on Friday, word broke the other day about a still-under-wraps plan to bring custom vibration patterns into the ever-evolving Android arena. The feature appears to be connected to the Pixel-specific Google Sounds app and designed to let you pick from a series of distinctive, recognizable vibration patterns for different types of alerts.

That way, you’d know exactly what’s happening without even having to pull your phone out of your purse and/or pantaloons — as you’d be able to tell that a certain series of vibrations means “important call from work,” whereas another series of vibrations means “incoming message from a guy named Trent” (and we all know you never stop what you’re doing to deal with a guy named Trent).

As reported by famed Android code-sleuther and notably not Trent-named human Mishaal Rahman, the vibrations vary not only in their patterns — with presets such as “Blip,” “Rumble,” “Fireworks,” and “Waves” — but also in their intensity and duration (and for the love of all things holy, get your mind out of the gutter, lest I be forced to bring HR into this conversation).

It’s an interesting new way to make our devices less disruptive and more useful. But it’s also not available to anyone as of this moment, and it’s not entirely clear when that might change or how far the eventual rollout could reach.

But hold the phone! As usual here in the land o’ Android, where there’s a will, there’s a way. And with the inspiration of Google’s good vibrations guiding us, I’ve got an extremely easy way to bring this same custom vibration capability onto any Android device this instant — no matter who made it or how old it might be.

In fact, the setup we’re about to go over takes Google’s core concept and makes it even more versatile and customizable. And it’ll take you all of four minutes to get up and running on whatever Android gizmo you’ve got.

Ready?

[Keep the knowledge flowing with my free Android Notification Power-Pack next — six powerful notification enhancements for any Android device.]

4 minutes to smarter Android vibrations

The trick to bringing custom vibration patterns onto any Android device immediately resides in one of my all-time favorite Android power-user tools.

It’s an app called BuzzKill, and it might just be the best Android customization tool most people don’t know about.

The best way to think about BuzzKill is as a system that lets you create filters for your phone’s notifications — kind of like Gmail filters, only for Android notifications instead of incoming emails.

I’ve got an in-depth guide to all the ins and outs of BuzzKill and the many incredible things it can do for you, in case you’re feeling extra ambitious. But for our purposes here today, I want to focus specifically on the custom vibration flirtation and how you can bring that situation out of gestation, to your elation (and possibly with some celebratory gyration or libations). Whew! Can I get an ovation?!

All superfluous rhyming aside, this thing really is awesome. And it can bring you the benefit of easily recognizable, situation-specific vibration patterns in no time — no specific device or yet-to-be-released updates required.

Here’s all you’ve gotta do:

  • Download BuzzKill from the Play Store. It’ll cost you four bucks as a one-time purchase, and it’ll be worth every penny — and then some.
    • BuzzKill doesn’t require any unusual permissions, doesn’t collect any form of data from your phone, and doesn’t have any manner of access to the internet — meaning it’d have no way of sharing your information even if it wanted to.
  • Once you’ve gone through the app’s initial setup and gotten to its main screen, tap on the circular button in the lower-right corner of the screen to create a new rule.
  • That’ll cause a fill-in-the-blank “if this, then that”-style rule to show up. And all that’s left is to fill in those blanks with the specific info we want.
Google Pixel custom vibrations Android — BuzzKill — step 1
The blank canvas for your Pixel-style custom Android vibration rule.

JR Raphael, IDG

So first, consider what exact type of notification you want to target to start. Maybe it’s a message from your boss or a text from important client in Messages. Maybe it’s an update in a high-priority channel in Slack or a DM that contains a specific phrase. Or maybe it’s an especially critical calendar event with a certain keyword in its title.

Whatever the case may be, tap the text that says “any app” and select the app you want. You’ll then see that change reflected in the rule on your screen.

Next, tap “contains anything” and think about the exact circumstances you want this rule to affect. If you want the rule to affect all notifications from the app you selected, you can just leave this as-is and not fill in any additional info for that part of the equation. But if you want the rule to be limited only to specific notifications within the app — those including a certain name, word, or phrase — this is where you’d configure that.

Now we’ve got just one field left to faff with — the one that currently says “do nothing.”

Google Pixel custom vibrations Android — BuzzKill — step 2
For this step, you’ll tap the words “do nothing” to create your own custom vibration pattern.

JR Raphael, IDG

That field, as you may have surmised, controls what happens when a notification that matches our conditions appears. And that’s where the real magic comes into play.

Tap those two words, then scroll down and select “Custom alert” from the list of possibilities that pops up. That’ll expand your rule and set the stage for our final piece of our Android vibration customization creation. (Oh no. Here we go again with my sublime rhyme pastime…)

Last but not least, tap the newly present “default vibration” text — and now, in a twist even Google’s under-development custom vibration system doesn’t support, you can create your own original vibration pattern that you’ll be sure to recognize and immediately associate with this specific type of event.

Google Pixel custom vibrations Android — BuzzKill — step 3
Your custom Android vibration creation station — elation!

JR Raphael, IDG

Just tap that “Add buzz” button to get going. That’ll let you select from a variety of vibration styles for the first buzz in this custom sequence.

Pick whatever combination of buzz lengths and gap lengths you want to create your unique pattern, and be sure to look at the “Intensity” option to adjust how strong or gentle the vibrations are, too. 

Here, for instance, I’ve attempted to recreate the drumbeat to Led Zeppelin’s classic “Immigrant Song” — sans the high-pitched screams, of course:

Google Pixel custom vibrations Android — BuzzKill — step 4
My own custom vibration creation.

JR Raphael, IDG

Use the “Preview” option to feel your pattern in action, and once you’re satisfied, tap the “Pick pattern” button at the bottom of the screen to save it.

And that’s it: All that’s left is to tap “Save rule” to, y’know, save your rule — and it’ll then be up and running and ready to vibrate you in all the right ways.

Google Pixel custom vibrations Android — BuzzKill — step 5
The final step is simply saving your rule — then letting it work its magic.

JR Raphael, IDG

Just follow those same steps to set up additional custom vibration rules for any other types of notifications you want, and you’ll be buzzin’ away and recognizing specific alerts simply by the way your phone is a-shakin’.

And again, all of this is just scratching the surface of what BuzzKill can accomplish. I use it for all sorts of sanity-saving purposes — from keeping low-priority notifications out of my hair during the workday to auto-hushing back-to-back alerts from nuisances named Trent.

It’s one heck of a resource — and you’d better believe it’s yet another one of those powers that’s possible only here on Android.

🔔 NEXT: Snag my free Android Notification Power-Pack to discover even more powerful enhancements for your favorite Android device. Whee!

Qorgau: How Kazakhstan is Using AI to Make Roads Safer

February 5, 2025 /

Traffic management is a growing challenge for cities worldwide, requiring a balance between enforcement, efficiency, and public trust. In Kazakhstan, the Qorgau system is redefining road safety through an innovative fusion of artificial intelligence (AI), computer vision, and mobile technology. Designed to assist traffic police in real-time violation detection and enforcement, Qorgau represents a leap forward in smart policing.

A digital approach to safer roads

Since its implementation, the impact has been substantial. Road accidents in Kazakhstan have decreased by 30%, and the number of injured individuals has dropped from over 500 in 2019 to 338 in 2023. At the same time, the system has streamlined the collection of traffic fines, raising compliance rates from 50.5% in 2017 to 88.1% in 2023. These improvements demonstrate the power of digital transformation in public safety.

Qorgau’s mobile-first approach equips traffic police with a digital tool that integrates seamlessly with the country’s broader law enforcement infrastructure. The system uses AI-driven cameras to scan traffic in real time, detect violations such as speeding, running red lights, and improper lane usage, and immediately flag offenders. The results are sent to police officers’ tablets, allowing for quick decision-making without unnecessary vehicle stops. This minimizes congestion and eliminates subjective enforcement, ensuring fairer and more efficient policing.

Beyond enforcement, Qorgau contributes to preventive policing. The system logs vehicle movement data, helping officers identify patterns in high-risk areas and anticipate violations before they occur. This approach aligns with global smart city initiatives, where data-driven decision-making enhances public safety while reducing administrative burdens on law enforcement.

Laying down the digital foundation is key

However, deploying such an advanced system comes with challenges. The need for 24/7 monitoring, secure data transmission, and AI-driven analytics required significant investment in digital infrastructure. Additionally, ensuring officers were properly trained to use the system was critical for its effectiveness. These challenges were addressed through close collaboration between Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and technology partners, resulting in a fully integrated and highly efficient solution.

The success of Qorgau highlights a broader global trend in intelligent transportation management. Many cities worldwide are turning to AI-powered systems to optimize traffic flow, improve air quality, and reduce road fatalities. Countries like Singapore and the UAE have pioneered similar initiatives, leveraging smart sensors and data analytics to create safer and more efficient urban environments.

Looking ahead, Qorgau is poised for further expansion. Enhancements in facial recognition, automated ticketing, and AI-driven pattern analysis will further streamline operations, while the possibility of integrating the system with autonomous vehicle networks could redefine the future of road safety. As Kazakhstan continues to embrace digital transformation, Qorgau stands as a leading example of how technology can bridge the gap between enforcement and public service.

Curious to learn more about Qorgau and its impact on Kazakhstan’s road safety?

Explore the cutting-edge technology behind Qorgau and how it is shaping the future of intelligent transportation. From AI-powered enforcement to data-driven decision-making, learn how Kazakhstan is leading the way in digital road safety. Download the comprehensive report here: Global Trends in Smart Traffic and Transportation.

Tech layoffs this year: A timeline

February 4, 2025 /

2025 began in turmoil, with layoffs at some of the largest tech companies despite the support shown by the new US administration. 2024 had been a year of recovery, with the pace of layoffs slowing and IT employment the highest for years following two years of massive IT layoff in 2022 and 2023.

According to data compiled by Layoffs.fyi, the online tracker keeping tabs on job losses in the technology sector, 1,193 tech companies laid off 264,220 staff in 2023, dropping to “just” 152,104 employees laid off by 547 companies in 2024. In 2025, it has already logged 7,003 staff laid off by 31 companies.

Here is a list — to be updated regularly — of some of the most prominent technology layoffs the industry has experienced recently.

Tech layoffs in 2025

  • Workday
  • Salesforce
  • Meta

Feb. 5, 2025: Workday lays off 1,750

As it moves to invest more in AI and international growth, Workday is laying off 8.5% of its workforce and disposing of unused office space. Some analysts fear the cutbacks will affect the company’s customer service — unless AI can pick up the slack.

Feb. 4, 2025: Salesforce lays off over 1,000

At the same time as it’s hiring sales staff for its new artificial intelligence products, Salesforce is laying off over 1,000 workers across the company, according to Bloomberg. As of June, 2024, the company had over 72,000 employees, according to its website. Salesforce did not comment on the report. In 2024 the company reportedly laid off around 1,000 staff too, in two waves: January and July.

Jan. 14, 2025: Meta will lay off 5% of workforce

Mark Zuckerberg told Meta employees he intended to “move out the low performers faster” in an internal memo reported by Bloomberg. The memo announced that the company will lay off 5% of its staff, or around 3,600 staff, beginning Feb. 10. The company had already reduced its headcount by 5% in 2024 through natural attrition, the memo said. Among those leaving the company will be staff previously responsible for fact checking of posts on its social media platforms in the US, as the company begins relying on its users to police content.

Tech layoffs in 2024

  • Equinix
  • AMD
  • Freshworks
  • Cisco
  • General Motors
  • Intel
  • OpenText
  • Microsoft
  • AWS
  • Dell
  • Cisco

Nov. 26, 2024: Equinix to cut 3% of staff

Despite intense demand for its data center capacity, Equinix is planning to lay off 3% of its workforce, or around 400 employees. The announcement followed the appointment of Adaire Fox-Martin to replace Charles Meyers as CEO and the departures of two other senior executives, CIO Milind Wagle and CISO Michael Montoya.

Nov. 13, 2024: AMD to cut 4% of workforce

AMD will lay off around 1,000 employees as it pivots towards developing AI-focused chips, it said. The move came as a surprise to staff, as the company also reported strong quarterly earnings.

Nov. 7, 2024: Freshworks lays off 660

Enterprise software vendor Freshworks laid off around 660 staff, or around 13% of its headcount, despite reporting increased revenue and profits in its fourth fiscal quarter. The company described the layoffs as a realignment of its global workforce.

Sept. 17, 2024: Cisco lays off 6,000

After laying off around 4,200 staff in February, Cisco is at it again, laying off another 6,000 or around 7% of its workforce. Among the divisions affected were its threat intelligence unit, Talos Security.

Aug. 20, 2024: General Motors lays off 1,000 software staff

More than 1,000 software and services staff are on the way out at General Motors, signalling that it could be rethinking its digital transformation strategy. In an internal memo, the company said that it was moving resources to its highest-priority work and flattening hierarchies.

August 1, 2024: Intel removes 15,000 roles

Intel plans to cut its workforce by around 15% to reduce costs after a disastrous second quarter. Revenue for the three months to June 29 stagnated at around $12.8 billion, but net income fell 85% to $83 million, prompting CEO Pat Gelsinger to bring forward a company-wide meeting in order to announce that 15,000 staff would lose their jobs. “This is an incredibly hard day for Intel as we are making some of the most consequential changes in our company’s history,” Gelsinger wrote in an email to staff, continuing: “Our revenues have not grown as expected — and we’ve yet to fully benefit from powerful trends, like AI. Our costs are too high, our margins are too low. We need bolder actions to address both — particularly given our financial results and outlook for the second half of 2024, which is tougher than previously expected.”

July 4, 2024: OpenText to lay off 1,200

OpenText said it will lay off 1,200 staff, or about 1.7% of its workforce, in a bid to save around $100 million annually. It plans to hire new sales and engineering staff in other areas in 2025, it said.

June 4, 2024: Microsoft lays off staff in Azure division

Microsoft laid off staff in several teams supporting its cloud services, including Azure for Operations and Mission Engineering. The company didn’t say exactly how many staff were leaving.

April 4, 2024: Amazon downsizes AWS in a fresh cost-cutting round

Amazon announced hundreds of layoffs in the sales and marketing teams of its AWS cloud services division — and also in the technology development teams for its physical retail stores, as it stepped back from efforts to generalize the “Just Walk Out” technology built for its Amazon Fresh grocery stores.

April 1, 2024: Dell acknowledges 13,000 job cuts

Dell Technologies’ latest 10K filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission disclosed that the company had laid off 13,000 employees over the course of the 2023 fiscal year; it characterized the layoffs and other reorganizational moves as cost-cutting measures. “These actions resulted in a reduction in our overall headcount,” the company said. A comparison to the previous year’s 10K filing, performed by The Register, found that Dell employed 133,000 people at that point, compared to 120,000 as of February 2024. Dell announced layoffs of 6,650 staffers on Feb. 6, but it is unclear whether those cuts were reflected in the numbers from this year’s 10K statement.

Feb. 14, 2024: Cisco cuts 5% of workforce

Cisco will shed 4,200 of its 84,900 employees as it refocuses on more profitable areas of its business, including AI and security. The company’s last major round of layoffs was in November 2022. Cisco’s sales of telecommunications equipment have been hit by delays at telcos in rolling out equipment they havealready purchased. AI, on the other hand, is a growing business for Cisco, with AI-related sales in the billions—and that’s before it announced its recent partnership with Nvidia, which is making bank on sales of chips for AI applications. 

See news of earlier layoffs.

Tech layoffs this year: A timeline

February 4, 2025 /

2025 began in turmoil, with layoffs at some of the largest tech companies despite the support shown by the new US administration. 2024 had been a year of recovery, with the pace of layoffs slowing and IT employment the highest for years following two years of massive IT layoff in 2022 and 2023.

According to data compiled by Layoffs.fyi, the online tracker keeping tabs on job losses in the technology sector, 1,193 tech companies laid off 264,220 staff in 2023, dropping to “just” 152,104 employees laid off by 547 companies in 2024. In 2025, it has already logged 7,003 staff laid off by 31 companies.

Here is a list — to be updated regularly — of some of the most prominent technology layoffs the industry has experienced recently.

Tech layoffs in 2025

  • Salesforce
  • Meta

Feb. 4, 2025: Salesforce lays off over 1,000

At the same time as it’s hiring sales staff for its new artificial intelligence products, Salesforce is laying off over 1,000 workers across the company, according to Bloomberg. As of June, 2024, the company had over 72,000 employees, according to its website. Salesforce did not comment on the report. In 2024 the company reportedly laid off around 1,000 staff too, in two waves: January and July.

Jan. 14, 2025: Meta will lay off 5% of workforce

Mark Zuckerberg told Meta employees he intended to “move out the low performers faster” in an internal memo reported by Bloomberg. The memo announced that the company will lay off 5% of its staff, or around 3,600 staff, beginning Feb. 10. The company had already reduced its headcount by 5% in 2024 through natural attrition, the memo said. Among those leaving the company will be staff previously responsible for fact checking of posts on its social media platforms in the US, as the company begins relying on its users to police content.

Tech layoffs in 2024

  • Equinix
  • AMD
  • Freshworks
  • Cisco
  • General Motors
  • Intel
  • OpenText
  • Microsoft
  • AWS
  • Dell
  • Cisco

Nov. 26, 2024: Equinix to cut 3% of staff

Despite intense demand for its data center capacity, Equinix is planning to lay off 3% of its workforce, or around 400 employees. The announcement followed the appointment of Adaire Fox-Martin to replace Charles Meyers as CEO and the departures of two other senior executives, CIO Milind Wagle and CISO Michael Montoya.

Nov. 13, 2024: AMD to cut 4% of workforce

AMD will lay off around 1,000 employees as it pivots towards developing AI-focused chips, it said. The move came as a surprise to staff, as the company also reported strong quarterly earnings.

Nov. 7, 2024: Freshworks lays off 660

Enterprise software vendor Freshworks laid off around 660 staff, or around 13% of its headcount, despite reporting increased revenue and profits in its fourth fiscal quarter. The company described the layoffs as a realignment of its global workforce.

Sept. 17, 2024: Cisco lays off 6,000

After laying off around 4,200 staff in February, Cisco is at it again, laying off another 6,000 or around 7% of its workforce. Among the divisions affected were its threat intelligence unit, Talos Security.

Aug. 20, 2024: General Motors lays off 1,000 software staff

More than 1,000 software and services staff are on the way out at General Motors, signalling that it could be rethinking its digital transformation strategy. In an internal memo, the company said that it was moving resources to its highest-priority work and flattening hierarchies.

August 1, 2024: Intel removes 15,000 roles

Intel plans to cut its workforce by around 15% to reduce costs after a disastrous second quarter. Revenue for the three months to June 29 stagnated at around $12.8 billion, but net income fell 85% to $83 million, prompting CEO Pat Gelsinger to bring forward a company-wide meeting in order to announce that 15,000 staff would lose their jobs. “This is an incredibly hard day for Intel as we are making some of the most consequential changes in our company’s history,” Gelsinger wrote in an email to staff, continuing: “Our revenues have not grown as expected — and we’ve yet to fully benefit from powerful trends, like AI. Our costs are too high, our margins are too low. We need bolder actions to address both — particularly given our financial results and outlook for the second half of 2024, which is tougher than previously expected.”

July 4, 2024: OpenText to lay off 1,200

OpenText said it will lay off 1,200 staff, or about 1.7% of its workforce, in a bid to save around $100 million annually. It plans to hire new sales and engineering staff in other areas in 2025, it said.

June 4, 2024: Microsoft lays off staff in Azure division

Microsoft laid off staff in several teams supporting its cloud services, including Azure for Operations and Mission Engineering. The company didn’t say exactly how many staff were leaving.

April 4, 2024: Amazon downsizes AWS in a fresh cost-cutting round

Amazon announced hundreds of layoffs in the sales and marketing teams of its AWS cloud services division — and also in the technology development teams for its physical retail stores, as it stepped back from efforts to generalize the “Just Walk Out” technology built for its Amazon Fresh grocery stores.

April 1, 2024: Dell acknowledges 13,000 job cuts

Dell Technologies’ latest 10K filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission disclosed that the company had laid off 13,000 employees over the course of the 2023 fiscal year; it characterized the layoffs and other reorganizational moves as cost-cutting measures. “These actions resulted in a reduction in our overall headcount,” the company said. A comparison to the previous year’s 10K filing, performed by The Register, found that Dell employed 133,000 people at that point, compared to 120,000 as of February 2024. Dell announced layoffs of 6,650 staffers on Feb. 6, but it is unclear whether those cuts were reflected in the numbers from this year’s 10K statement.

Feb. 14, 2024: Cisco cuts 5% of workforce

Cisco will shed 4,200 of its 84,900 employees as it refocuses on more profitable areas of its business, including AI and security. The company’s last major round of layoffs was in November 2022. Cisco’s sales of telecommunications equipment have been hit by delays at telcos in rolling out equipment they havealready purchased. AI, on the other hand, is a growing business for Cisco, with AI-related sales in the billions—and that’s before it announced its recent partnership with Nvidia, which is making bank on sales of chips for AI applications. 

See news of earlier layoffs.

Meta promises it won’t release dangerous AI systems

February 4, 2025 /

According to a new policy document from Meta, the Frontier AI Framework, the company might not release AI systems developed in-house in certain risky scenarios.

The document defines two types of AI systems that can be classified as either “high risk” or “critical risk.” In both cases, these are systems that could help carry out cyber, chemical or biological attacks.

Systems classified as “high risk” might facilitate such an attack, though not to the same extent as a “critical risk” system, which could result in catastrophic outcomes. These could include, for example, taking over a corporate environment or deploying powerful biological weapons.

In the document, Meta states that if a system is “high risk,” the company will restrict internal access to it and will not release it until measures have been taken to reduce the risk to “moderate levels.” If, instead, the system is “critical risk,” security protections will be put in place to prevent it from spreading and development will stop until the system can be made safer.

Meta promises it won’t release dangerous AI systems

February 4, 2025 /

According to a new policy document from Meta, the Frontier AI Framework, the company might not release AI systems developed in-house in certain risky scenarios.

The document defines two types of AI systems that can be classified as either “high risk” or “critical risk.” In both cases, these are systems that could help carry out cyber, chemical or biological attacks.

Systems classified as “high risk” might facilitate such an attack, though not to the same extent as a “critical risk” system, which could result in catastrophic outcomes. These could include, for example, taking over a corporate environment or deploying powerful biological weapons.

In the document, Meta states that if a system is “high risk,” the company will restrict internal access to it and will not release it until measures have been taken to reduce the risk to “moderate levels.” If, instead, the system is “critical risk,” security protections will be put in place to prevent it from spreading and development will stop until the system can be made safer.

Europe’s DMA gives another big boost to iOS platform decay

February 4, 2025 /

One of a handful of “independent” iOS app stores in Europe has begun the distribution of a porn app, advertising it as “Apple Approved.” The app isn’t approved by Apple, and the biggest app available on the AltStore is Epic’s child-focused Fortnite game. Fortnite publisher Epic Games also invested in the AltStore, which now seems on track to become Europe’s place for iOS porn. 

What an achievement.

It’s all thanks to the Digital Markets Act (DMA). 

Tempers boil in Europe’s Hot Tub

The app (Hot Tub) is now available on the AltStore in Europe. The AltStore is one of the handful of independent stores to have appeared in the EU since implementation of the DMA. 

Originally a subscription-based service, the store became freely available once it received major funding from Epic Games, which has been a noisy critic of Apple’s App Store model. One thing the company hasn’t done with that funding is build an age-verification process, which means the porn app it provides is now easily available to young people in the region. 

Apple has no way to prevent this because the DMA both forces Apple to open up its app store ecosystem to third-party developers and removed its power to curate apps sold outside its store. And while the porn app is the first manifestation of the kind of content you’ll have to avoid when using third-party stores, or the kind of content you’ll want your kids to avoid, it won’t be the last such threat. 

Apple has warned for years that enabling app side-loading on iOS will open the gates to dangerous, deceptive, and dubious apps. Despite these warnings, the European Commission made this threat a reality. You should see this as a sign of what’s to come, thanks to the actions of former European competition chief Margrethe Vestager, who seems pleased to have forced Apple to open up. 

Features of the app include a “teen” channel and content from PornHub, which recently admitted to unlawful monetary transactions involving sex trafficking proceeds. Shortly after the app appeared, Alt Store also said it would donate its February Patreon earnings to organizations supporting sex workers and the LGBTQ community, which seems incongruous, given PornHub’s recent admission

A regulation for decay

Europe seems to think that forcing Apple’s platforms to become worse will in some way promote competition and enable innovative European businesses to thrive. But it seems to do so at the cost of platform security and the acceleration of what author Cory Doctorow describes as “enshittification.” In other words, it’s regulation-forced platform decay. 

In a statement provided to Computerworld, Apple said: “We are deeply concerned about the safety risks that hardcore porn apps of this type create for EU users, especially kids. This app and others like it will undermine consumer trust and confidence in our ecosystem that we have worked for more than a decade to make the best in the world.”

Apple has always argued that the DMA damages the company in preventing such content being published on its platforms. While there’s an app notarization process, that’s about tech verification and security rather than content. An app being notarized does not mean Apple has approved it, as is explicitly stated in the App Store guidelines. 

Silence is complicity

What makes matters worse is that the AltStore claims the app has been approved by Apple.

“Contrary to the false statements made by the marketplace developer, we certainly do not approve of this app and would never offer it in our App Store,” Apple said. “The truth is that we are required by the European Commission to allow it to be distributed by marketplace operators like AltStore and Epic who may not share our concerns for user safety.”

Apple was concerned about the app before it hit the store and approached the European Commission in December to express its concerns. The Commission expressed no opposition to the app, I’m told. In other words, the people behind the app would be more truthful if they said their app was approved by Vestager, rather than Apple. I’m not convinced that would be how she sees it, but actions speak louder than words, and by not taking any action the Commission she leads gives tacit approval.

While perhaps some European millionaires will make a couple of bucks off this platform decay, it is doubtful the participants in the adult videos now easily available to European schoolchildren will see much of that largesse.

How to protect you and your kids

Despite the EU’s efforts, parents do have some choice. Apple has built Parental Controls to forbid access to third-party stores.  First you must set up Parental Controls on your child’s device, after which you should follow these steps:

  • Open Settings>Screen Time>Content & Privacy Restrictions.
  • Tap App Installations & Purchases.
  • Tap App Marketplaces to change this to Don’t Allow.
  • You can also tap Web to change this to Don’t Allow.

While this is likely to lead to your children protesting that they can no longer access Fortnite in order to spend your money on digital game items (for the benefit of Epic Games), this does at least mean you can restrict your children to a curated and trusted marketplace. While the DMA’s goal is to foster competition, its impact on platform security remains contentious, and incidents like this one absolutely illustrate the risks.

You can follow me on social media! Join me on BlueSky,  LinkedIn, Mastodon, and MeWe. 

Europe’s DMA gives another big boost to iOS platform decay

February 4, 2025 /

One of a handful of “independent” iOS app stores in Europe has begun the distribution of a porn app, advertising it as “Apple Approved.” The app isn’t approved by Apple, and the biggest app available on the AltStore is Epic’s child-focused Fortnite game. Fortnite publisher Epic Games also invested in the AltStore, which now seems on track to become Europe’s place for iOS porn. 

What an achievement.

It’s all thanks to the Digital Markets Act (DMA). 

Tempers boil in Europe’s Hot Tub

The app (Hot Tub) is now available on the AltStore in Europe. The AltStore is one of the handful of independent stores to have appeared in the EU since implementation of the DMA. 

Originally a subscription-based service, the store became freely available once it received major funding from Epic Games, which has been a noisy critic of Apple’s App Store model. One thing the company hasn’t done with that funding is build an age-verification process, which means the porn app it provides is now easily available to young people in the region. 

Apple has no way to prevent this because the DMA both forces Apple to open up its app store ecosystem to third-party developers and removed its power to curate apps sold outside its store. And while the porn app is the first manifestation of the kind of content you’ll have to avoid when using third-party stores, or the kind of content you’ll want your kids to avoid, it won’t be the last such threat. 

Apple has warned for years that enabling app side-loading on iOS will open the gates to dangerous, deceptive, and dubious apps. Despite these warnings, the European Commission made this threat a reality. You should see this as a sign of what’s to come, thanks to the actions of former European competition chief Margrethe Vestager, who seems pleased to have forced Apple to open up. 

Features of the app include a “teen” channel and content from PornHub, which recently admitted to unlawful monetary transactions involving sex trafficking proceeds. Shortly after the app appeared, Alt Store also said it would donate its February Patreon earnings to organizations supporting sex workers and the LGBTQ community, which seems incongruous, given PornHub’s recent admission

A regulation for decay

Europe seems to think that forcing Apple’s platforms to become worse will in some way promote competition and enable innovative European businesses to thrive. But it seems to do so at the cost of platform security and the acceleration of what author Cory Doctorow describes as “enshittification.” In other words, it’s regulation-forced platform decay. 

In a statement provided to Computerworld, Apple said: “We are deeply concerned about the safety risks that hardcore porn apps of this type create for EU users, especially kids. This app and others like it will undermine consumer trust and confidence in our ecosystem that we have worked for more than a decade to make the best in the world.”

Apple has always argued that the DMA damages the company in preventing such content being published on its platforms. While there’s an app notarization process, that’s about tech verification and security rather than content. An app being notarized does not mean Apple has approved it, as is explicitly stated in the App Store guidelines. 

Silence is complicity

What makes matters worse is that the AltStore claims the app has been approved by Apple.

“Contrary to the false statements made by the marketplace developer, we certainly do not approve of this app and would never offer it in our App Store,” Apple said. “The truth is that we are required by the European Commission to allow it to be distributed by marketplace operators like AltStore and Epic who may not share our concerns for user safety.”

Apple was concerned about the app before it hit the store and approached the European Commission in December to express its concerns. The Commission expressed no opposition to the app, I’m told. In other words, the people behind the app would be more truthful if they said their app was approved by Vestager, rather than Apple. I’m not convinced that would be how she sees it, but actions speak louder than words, and by not taking any action the Commission she leads gives tacit approval.

While perhaps some European millionaires will make a couple of bucks off this platform decay, it is doubtful the participants in the adult videos now easily available to European schoolchildren will see much of that largesse.

How to protect you and your kids

Despite the EU’s efforts, parents do have some choice. Apple has built Parental Controls to forbid access to third-party stores.  First you must set up Parental Controls on your child’s device, after which you should follow these steps:

  • Open Settings>Screen Time>Content & Privacy Restrictions.
  • Tap App Installations & Purchases.
  • Tap App Marketplaces to change this to Don’t Allow.
  • You can also tap Web to change this to Don’t Allow.

While this is likely to lead to your children protesting that they can no longer access Fortnite in order to spend your money on digital game items (for the benefit of Epic Games), this does at least mean you can restrict your children to a curated and trusted marketplace. While the DMA’s goal is to foster competition, its impact on platform security remains contentious, and incidents like this one absolutely illustrate the risks.

You can follow me on social media! Join me on BlueSky,  LinkedIn, Mastodon, and MeWe.