Alphabet’s Robotaxi Unit Waymo Says it Laid Off 8%
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Alphabet’s Robotaxi Unit Waymo Says it Laid Off 8%
Wednesday's Top Tech News
Alphabet’s Robotaxi Unit Waymo Says it Laid Off 8%
Waymo, Alphabet's autonomous vehicle subsidiary, has laid off 137 employees, primarily engineers, in its second round of cuts this year. The cuts follow earlier reductions in January that affected general and administrative staff as well as some engineering and operational workers. Waymo's co-CEOs, Tekedra Mawakana and Dmitri Dolgov, said the job losses were necessary to enable investment in "key engineering areas." Alphabet has come under pressure to reduce losses at Waymo, which has a large headcount but little revenue compared to other subsidiaries. Waymo is one of Alphabet's most costly subsidiaries because of its bespoke hardware and cloud computing requirements.
Hackers Are Getting Smarter
Cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated and are increasingly using malware-free attacks, according to the "2023 CrowdStrike Global Threat Report." Based on data from CrowdStrike Falcon, the report found that 71% of attacks detected in 2022 were malware-free, up from 62% in the previous year. Interactive intrusions, which require hands-on keyboard activity, also rose by 50% year-on-year. The report also highlighted the growing demand for identity and access credentials, with their value rising by 112% year-on-year and a 95% increase in cloud exploitation. The researchers also noted the emergence of 33 new adversaries in 2022.
Intel Launches Quantum Computing SDK
Intel has released a Quantum Software Development Kit (SDK) that allows developers to emulate a quantum computer on standard computing hardware, enabling them to experiment with writing software in a quantum environment that can be simulated on normal computers. The SDK is expected to accelerate the development of quantum applications so that they are ready when Intel’s quantum hardware becomes available. The IQS, which simulates qubits, can already interface with Intel's Horse Ridge 2 quantum control chip and also with its quantum spin qubit chip expected later this year. However, quantum computers are still in the very early stages of development, and their practical applications are therefore limited.
Motorola’s New Razr Foldable
Motorola is set to launch another version of its Razr foldable phone, according to CEO of Lenovo, Motorola's parent company. The new device will have improvements to its hinge and a less noticeable crease when unfolded. The outer display is expected to be much larger than last year's model, although its exact size is unknown. The new Razr may launch as soon as June 1st, but it is uncertain if it will be available in the US. Motorola may also be working on a rollable phone, but details are scarce.