🤕 Amazon to Lay Off Over 17,000 Workers

Plus: Sony Releases Its First Accessible Controller, Meta's Ad Practices Ruled Illegal Under E.U. Law, and more…

Today’s pick

Amazon to Lay Off Over 17,000 Workers, More Than First Planned. Amazon.com Inc.'s layoffs will affect more than 17,000 employees, a higher number than the company initially planned and one that would represent the most reductions revealed so far at a major technology company, according to people familiar with… (Dana Mattioli / Wall Street Journal)

The Wall Street Journal @WSJ

Breaking: Amazon will lay off a total of more than 17,000 employees, a higher number than initially planned, people familiar with the matter say

on.wsj.comAmazon Layoffs to Hit Over 18,000 Workers, the Most in Recent Tech WaveThe cuts focused on the company’s corporate staff exceed an earlier projection and represent about 5% of the company’s corporate workforce.

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Sony Releases Its First Accessible Controller. Despite game studios investing in accessibility teams and design practices for their games, Microsoft's Xbox Adaptive Controller has been the only first-party accessible game controller available. Until now, that is, with Sony's announcement of… (Grant Stoner / WIRED)

Grant Stoner @Super_Crip1994

With the reveal of Project Leonardo, I had the opportunity to speak with @PlayStation's Jim Ryan in an exclusive interview for @WIRED. He discussed PlayStation's commitment to accessibility, its development, and the hopes for the future. Read more here:

wired.comSony Releases Its First Accessible ControllerThe company unveiled Project Leonardo, a fully customizable, accessible console game controller, built with the help of the disabled community.

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Meta's Ad Practices Ruled Illegal Under E.U. Law. Meta suffered a major defeat on Wednesday that could severely undercut its Facebook and Instagram advertising business after European Union regulators found it had illegally forced users to effectively accept personalized ads. The decision… (Adam Satariano / The New York Times)

The New York Times @nytimes

Breaking News: EU regulators fined Meta 390 million euros after finding it had illegally forced users to accept personalized ads on Facebook and Instagram. The ruling is one of the most consequential issued under the EU’s landmark data protection law.

nyti.msMeta’s Ad Practices Ruled Illegal Under E.U. LawThe decision is one of the most consequential issued under the E.U.’s landmark data-protection law and creates a new business headwind for the social media giant.

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Sony and Honda just announced their new electric car brand, Afeela. Sony and Honda's joint mobility venture announced a new vehicle brand, Afeela, for the company's first electric car, set to go on sale in North America in 2026. A prototype was unveiled during Sony's presentation at CES in Las Vegas Wednesday. Much… (Andrew J. Hawkins / The Verge)

The Verge @verge

Sony and Honda are starting a new car brand: Afeela #CES2023 bit.ly/3ii0bcb

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'Office Space' Inspired Engineer's Theft Scheme, Police Say. A software engineer siphoned more than $300,000 from his employer by introducing what prosecutors called a “series of malicious software edits” that wired money into his personal account. If the scheme sounds like the plot of… (Remy Tumin / The New York Times)

NYTimes Tech @nytimestech

A software engineer siphoned more than $300,000 from his employer by writing code that wired money into a personal account, the police said, emulating a nearly identical scheme in the film “Office Space.” No staplers or printers were hurt.

nyti.ms‘Office Space’ Inspired Engineer’s Theft Scheme, Police SayThe authorities said a software engineer in Washington State stole more than $300,000 from his employer and named the scheme after the 1999 workplace comedy.

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