Tech News – by Arlin Schaffel

Looking for a Job in Tech Is More Confusing Than Ever

A similar role at different companies might be titled with “AI,” or “machine learning,” or “data” or “computer vision,” followed by “engineer,” or “developer” or “architect,” with jargon like “senior” or “associate” or “specialist” thrown in for good measure. “In the last two to three years, we’re seeing an acceleration in the job market’s evolution,” she said, adding that some 20% of the people in the U.S. who took on a new job in the past 12 months took on a job title that didn’t exist in 2000, according to LinkedIn’s data.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/looking-for-a-job-in-tech-is-more-confusing-than-ever-58fbaea1?mod=tech_lead_story

Meta conducts layoffs in Oculus Studios, impacting VR exercise app Supernatural

Meta laid off employees on Thursday in its Reality Labs division, which encompasses various virtual and augmented reality projects. The cuts impact employees within Oculus Studios, which develops apps and games for Meta’s Quest headsets. Reality Labs has been a massive cost for Meta, losing almost $5 billion in the last quarter of 2024 while generating about $1 billion in sales. Meta has reported billions of dollars in operating losses on Reality Labs each year since rebranding from Facebook and emphasizing its commitment to the “metaverse.”
https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/24/meta-conducts-layoffs-in-oculus-studios-impacting-vr-exercise-app-supernatural/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

Ai Pin returns from the dead, no thanks to printer maker HP

Ai Pin is dead, long live the OpenPin. Same great hardware with none of the hubris. Check out the open-source project at openpin.org if you have a bricked Ai Pin just collecting dust — or if you’re now more interested in owning one than ever like us.
https://9to5mac.com/2025/04/23/ai-pin-returns-from-the-dead-no-thanks-to-printer-maker-hp/

Roku says its ads aren’t meant to be ‘interruptive’ after controversial test

Rost didn’t say as much directly, but it’s apparent that Roku was keenly aware of the bubbling up of complaints. “Advertisers want to be part of a good experience. They don’t want to be interruptive,” he told me. “We’re always testing. We listen to consumer feedback, we do all of our own A/B testing on the platform. We’re constantly tweaking and trying to figure out what’s going to be helpful for the user experience.”
https://www.theverge.com/tech/654389/roku-2025-event-ads-interview

Adobe and Figma tools are getting ChatGPT’s upgraded image generation model

Adobe’s leading ecosystem of creative tools including its Firefly and Express apps will provide access to OpenAI’s image generation capabilities, giving creators the choice and flexibility to experiment with different aesthetic styles – something business professionals, consumers and creators all value when generating new creative ideas. Figma is leveraging the latest model to bring advanced image generation and editing capabilities across its platform. Rolling out starting today, users can use ‘gpt-image-1’ in Figma Design to generate and edit images from simple prompt – adjusting styles, adding or removing objects, expanding backgrounds, and more. This new integration lets designers rapidly explore ideas and iterate visually, all in Figma.
https://www.theverge.com/news/654561/openai-chatgpt-image-generation-model-adobe-figma

FTC sues Uber over difficulty of canceling subscriptions, “false” claims

image via arstechnica.com

The US Federal Trade Commission has sued ride-hailing app Uber, saying it made “false or misleading” claims about its subscription service, in the latest sign that Donald Trump’s administration is embracing an aggressive stance against Big Tech groups. “Americans are tired of getting signed up for unwanted subscriptions that seem impossible to cancel,” said FTC chair Andrew Ferguson. “Uber not only deceived consumers about their subscriptions, but also made it unreasonably difficult for customers to cancel.”
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/04/ftc-sues-uber-over-difficulty-of-canceling-subscriptions-false-claims/

Why Being Polite to ChatGPT Is Costing OpenAI Millions and Wasting Electricity

Polite exchanges are costing the AI company a fortune, CEO Sam Altman revealed in an exchange on X. "I wonder how much money OpenAI has lost in electricity costs from people saying 'please' and 'thank you' to their models," writes user @tomieinlove. "Tens of millions of dollars well spent—you never know," Altman responded.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/why-being-polite-to-chatgpt-is-costing-openai-millions-and-wasting-electricity