Tag Archives: reportedly
Microsoft Reportedly Lays Off Shanghai Azure Staff Amid Ongoing Global Restructuring
Business
Credit: Photo by Simon Ray on UnsplashMicrosoft has reportedly begun layoffs affecting parts of its Azure cloud team in Shanghai, according to Chinese media outlet Phoenix Technology. Employees said they received an internal email titled “Important Business Update,” which they understood as a notification of job cuts. The new severance package reportedly offers about three months less compensation than the July layoffs and does not include a signing bonus. Some staff were offered relocation opportunities to Australia but were laid off if they declined.
The move comes as Microsoft continues a broader corporate restructuring. Windows Report noted on October 7 that the company has cut more than 15,000 positions globally since May 2025, mainly across its Azure, sales, and engineering divisions. A Microsoft spokesperson said organizational and workforce adjustments are “a necessary and routine part” of...
Meta reportedly closes deal to buy AI voice replicator PlayAI
Meta has finalized the agreement to purchase Play AI, a startup based in California providing users with an AI voice cloning tool, according to Bloomberg. The news organization says the "entire PlayAI team" is joining Meta next week, based on the internal memo it has seen. After joining the company, the team will be working under Johan Schalkwyk, who used to oversee speech AI research for Google and who was also a recent hire from another voice AI startup.
PlayAI's tool can clone a user's voice and can generate new human-like voices, which can be used on websites, apps and phones. Meta reportedly noted in its memo that the PlayAI team's work is a "great match" for its own work and roadmap across various products, including Meta AI, its AI Characters and its wearables. The company...
West Asia News Live: Netanyahu reportedly receives medical report on all living hostages
West Asia News Live: Welcome to our West Asia News Live blog that brings you the latest developments from West Asia. Stay updated on key shifts in regional geopolitics, oil and energy markets, diplomacy, security tensions, economic reforms, civil movements and religious dynamics. Track the evolving roles of regional powers be it Iran or Israel and their responses to various external and internal challenges:read moreTensions remain high across West Asia this morning, as regional actors respond to escalating conflict and diplomatic strain. Yemen’s Ansarullah leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi has renewed calls for resistance against US and Israeli actions, reinforcing the group’s alignment with the Palestinian cause amid the continuing war in Gaza. His remarks come amid a wave of Israeli airstrikes that have killed at least 33 people in the territory. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin...
Apple reportedly tested a blood glucose monitoring app
Lifestyle Apple is reportedly still working on glucose management this time through software. Bloombergs Mark Gurman says the company tested an app this year for pre-diabetic people, helping them manage their diet and lifestyle. Apple is said not to have plans to launch the app to consumers, but it could play a part in future health products.The company reportedly tested the app internally, with employees confirmed through a blood test to be at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. The subjects actively monitored their blood sugar via various devices available on the market, logging corresponding glucose changes. The app would then note correlations between dietary changes and blood sugar levels (for example, dont eat the pasta).Gurman says Apple paused the test to focus on other health features. Bloomberg notes that the Apple Health app...
