Facebook parent company Meta is reportedly considering another round of layoffs after cutting 11,000 positions, or 13 percent of its global workforce, in November. Meta made those cuts in a bid to lower costs and increase efficiency as it struggles with financial headwinds along with the rest of the tech sector. The company's much-hyped pivot to the metaverse has yet to pay dividends, and traditional forms of revenue such as advertising spending have fallen due to widespread economic uncertainty. Employees have reported being demoralized by the situation.
TWITTER CHARGING FOR TOOL
Twitter is getting pushback for charging $100 a month for a tool that cash-strapped nonprofits and researchers have come to rely on. Known as the API, or Application Programming Interface, the tool allows organizations to scan the platform for calls for help. Some users are sharing their API keys with do-gooder organizations, but activists are urging Twitter to remove the fee.
AMAZON ROBOTAXI
Zoox, an Amazon-owned startup, is now testing autonomous robotaxis with passengers in California. The company started the tests after getting approval from the state's Department of Motor Vehicles last week. The robotaxis are completely autonomous and have no steering wheels or pedals. They also have bi-directional driving capabilities, meaning they can move forward or backwards with ease. Right now, the permits only apply to a one-mile stretch of road between the Zoox offices and Foster City, California and will only be shuttling employees.
REMOTE WORK COST $12B IN NYC
A Bloomberg News analysis of exclusive data from Stanford University economist Nicholas Bloom found that remote work is costing New York City more than $12 billion a year. Work-from-home reduced the number of days in the office by 30 percent, which meant fewer commutes and fewer workers spending time in the city during the day. The analysis showed that the average worker is spending $4,661 less annually on things like shopping and food.
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Spain's government has fined Airbnb 64 million euros or $75 million for advertising unlicensed tourist rentals. The consumer rights ministry announced the fine on Monday. The ministry stated that many listings lacked proper license numbers or included incorrect information. The move is part of Spain's ongoing efforts to regulate short-term rental companies amid a housing affordability crisis especially in popular urban areas. The ministry ordered Airbnb in May to remove around 65,000 listings for similar violations. The government's consumer rights minister emphasized the impact on families struggling with housing. Airbnb said it plans to challenge the fine in court.
Roomba maker iRobot has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but says that it doesn’t expect any disruptions to devices as the more than 30-year-old company is taken private under a restructuring process. iRobot said that it is being acquired by Picea through a court-supervised process. Picea is the company's primary contract manufacturer. The Bedford, Massachusetts-based anticipates completing the prepackaged chapter 11 process by February.
Serbia’s prosecutor for organized crime has charged a government minister and three others with abuse of position and falsifying of documents related to a luxury real estate project linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The charges came on Monday. The investigation centers on a controversy over a a bombed-out military complex in central Belgrade that was a protected cultural heritage zone but that is facing redevelopment as a luxury compound by a company linked to Kushner. The $500 million proposal to build a high-rise hotel, offices and shops at the site has met fierce opposition from experts at home and abroad. Selakovic and others allegedly illegally lifted the protection status for the site by falsifying documentation.
Wealthfront’s CFO Alan Iberman talks the $2.05B IPO and the major moment for robo banking as the company bets on AI, automation, and “self-driving money."
