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Evening Tech Bits
Meta plans to fund seven new natural gas plants to power its largest data center. This initiative aims to provide energy for the company's expanding infrastructure.
Mark Zuckerberg offered to 'help' Elon Musk with DOGE in 2025
Text messages published in court documents reveal that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg offered to assist Elon Musk with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in early 2025. The exchange also included discussions about potentially bidding on OpenAI's intellectual property. Musk's lawyers have argued that these personal communications are irrelevant to his lawsuit against Sam Altman and OpenAI.
Meta will fund seven new natural gas plants to power its biggest data center yet
Meta will fund seven new natural gas power plants and associated transmission lines to support its largest data center under construction in Louisiana. The company is also investing in renewable energy resources and exploring future nuclear power development. This move comes amid growing public concern over the environmental impact and rising electricity costs associated with AI data centers.
Meta sends more mixed signals about its future in VR with more layoffs at Reality Labs, while its director of games told GDC, "We've a lot going on – new hardware, new audiences, new games"
Meta is reportedly conducting further layoffs across various departments, including its Reality Labs VR division, as it shifts focus towards Artificial Intelligence. Despite these cuts and the closure of some VR studios, Meta's director of games stated that investment in Meta Quest hardware and games remains high. The company is exploring new hardware, potentially with pricier components like Micro-OLED displays for future headsets, while also adapting to community feedback on platforms like Horizon Worlds.
Engadget Podcast: Can Microsoft fix Windows 11 by dumping AI?
This podcast episode discusses Microsoft's potential shift in Windows 11 strategy, moving away from heavy AI integration like Copilot towards core features and customization. The hosts also touch upon OpenAI's Sora, Meta's legal troubles regarding child engagement and social media addiction, an iOS exploit, Epic Games layoffs, and the dissolution of the Afeela EV collaboration between Honda and Sony.
The Morning After: Sony and Honda’s debut EV is dead before it even arrived
Sony and Honda have officially discontinued their Afeela electric vehicle project, citing a review of their business direction. The companies are reportedly facing significant financial losses in the EV market. In other news, Hades 2 is coming to Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5, while Meta and YouTube were found negligent in a social media addiction lawsuit.
Meta reportedly lays off around 700 workers, Reality Labs division affected
Meta has reportedly laid off approximately 700 employees, with its Reality Labs division being significantly impacted. This follows an earlier reduction in the Reality Labs workforce that led to the closure of three VR studios. Separately, the German games market saw a 4% growth in 2025, reaching €9.4 billion, primarily driven by hardware sales from new consoles like the Nintendo Switch 2 and ASUS ROG Ally.
The EU is investigating Snapchat over possible child protection breaches
The European Union has launched a formal investigation into Snapchat for potential breaches of the Digital Services Act concerning child protection. Regulators are examining whether the platform adequately safeguards minors from grooming, illegal drug access, and age-inappropriate content, questioning the effectiveness of its age verification system. The EU is also investigating reporting mechanisms for illegal content and accounts, and how user data is recommended.
How social media’s landmark court loss will affect gaming, whether we like it or not
A recent court ruling against social media platforms, likened to Big Tobacco's legal battles, could significantly impact the gaming industry. The article discusses how restrictions on social media's engagement-farming business models might affect game announcements, advertising, and news dissemination. It also touches upon the potential positive effects on children's mental health and addiction cycles.
Jak and Daxter Remaster Concept Emerges From Former Sly Cooper Studio
A pitch for a Jak and Daxter remaster was created by a team at Sanzaru Games, the studio formerly behind Sly Cooper. While the project was never formally commissioned by Sony and did not move forward, a senior animator shared a recreation of a cutscene to showcase the potential visual upgrade. The pitch was a passion project intended to gain the IP holder's blessing for a full-scale remake.
Senator Bernie Sanders announces bill to pause US data center construction: 'AI and robotics will impact our economy, our democracy, our privacy rights... even our very survival as human beings on this planet'
Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have introduced the AI Data Center Moratorium Act, proposing a pause on new data center construction in the US. The bill aims to establish national safeguards for AI development, addressing concerns about economic impact, privacy, misinformation, and environmental costs associated with AI's growing energy and water demands.
WhatsApp rolls out updates including multiple accounts for iOS
WhatsApp is rolling out several updates for its messaging platform, including the highly anticipated ability for iOS users to manage multiple accounts on a single device. New features also enhance chat history migration between platforms and devices, allow for deletion of large files within chats, and integrate AI for photo editing and message drafting.
Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time developer Sanzaru Games pitched a Jak & Daxter remaster years ago, and a short clip of the proposal has just been unearthed
Former Sanzaru Games animator Travis Howe has revealed a fan-made pitch for a Jak & Daxter remaster, complete with a short animated clip. The project, which was not commissioned by Sony, was created in 2019 by developers who previously worked on Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time. Howe is now seeking fan support to gauge interest in a potential official remaster.
Trump appoints Nvidia's Jensen Huang, AMD's Lisa Su, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, and more to science and…
President Trump has appointed a business-heavy group to the reestablished President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). The council includes CEOs from major tech companies like Nvidia, AMD, Meta, Oracle, and Dell, alongside venture capitalists and researchers. The stated goal is to ensure American technological dominance in fields such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
Meta Quest usage reaches "all-time high" in 2025 despite studio closures and layoffs
Meta Quest usage reached an all-time high in 2025, with over 100 titles grossing more than $1 million and in-app purchase revenue increasing by over 10%. Despite studio closures and a significant loss in its Reality Labs division, Meta remains the largest investor in VR globally. The company also removed Horizon Worlds from its store after data indicated it did not improve device retention.
Oversight Board tells Meta expanding Community Notes outside of US poses 'significant' risks
Meta's Oversight Board has advised caution regarding the expansion of its Community Notes feature outside the United States, citing significant human rights risks and potential for tangible harms. The board recommended withholding the feature in countries with high polarization, ongoing conflict, or organized disinformation networks, suggesting it can coexist with traditional fact-checking partnerships.
Evening Legal Briefs
Meta and YouTube have been found liable in a social media addiction trial. The verdict holds the companies accountable for the alleged negative impacts of their platforms on users.
Meta ordered to pay $375 million after losing child exploitation lawsuit
Meta has been ordered to pay $375 million after a New Mexico court ruled that the company failed to adequately protect children from predators on its platforms, Instagram and Facebook. The lawsuit focused on the company's alleged negligence in preventing child exploitation.
YouTube is bringing affiliate shopping features to more creators
YouTube has lowered the subscriber threshold for its Shopping affiliate program from 1,000 to 500, allowing more creators to earn money by tagging products in their videos. This move follows Meta's recent addition of shopping links to Reels on Facebook and Instagram, intensifying competition in creator monetization features.
Jury rules against Meta and YouTube in social media addiction case
A Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube negligent in a lawsuit concerning social media addiction, ordering them to pay $3 million in damages to a plaintiff who claimed harm from addictive features during her childhood. Meta was found responsible for 70% of the compensatory damages, with YouTube covering the rest. This case is significant as it's the first time a jury has heard testimony and seen internal documents regarding allegations that social media platforms harmed minors due to their design.