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Meta to Cut 1,500 Positions in Plan to Terminate Gaming Social Network

Horizon Worlds Developers Confront Job Reductions Amid Meta’s Strategic Transition

Meta’s Reality Labs segment, which is tasked with the creation of virtual reality (VR) innovations and platforms, is experiencing major transformations as the company realigns its strategic priorities. Reports suggest that Meta intends to eliminate roughly 10% of its Reality Labs personnel, equating to about 1,500 positions. These layoffs mainly focus on the metaverse sector, impacting staff involved in developing VR headsets and the VR-centric social platform, Horizon Worlds.

This move follows an earlier budget cut in December 2025, which redirected resources towards artificial intelligence (AI) and smart eyewear, instead of VR. Even though Meta Quest headsets saw robust sales during the holiday period, Horizon Worlds has faced difficulties in competing with rivals such as Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft.

Meta’s Chief Technology Officer, Andrew Bosworth, has scheduled an important meeting for January 14, 2026, to discuss these developments. The company is said to be shifting its focus towards creating an ultralight VR headset, which may debut in late 2026 or 2027. This forthcoming device is anticipated to boast premium features and a corresponding price, marking a shift away from Horizon Worlds and external Horizon OS development.

As Meta reorients its focus on first-party VR headsets and gaming, the prospects for Horizon Worlds and its developers remain unclear. The forthcoming meeting is expected to shed more light on the company’s trajectory and its implications for its workforce.

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Apple TV Reveals Comeback of Beloved Sci-Fi Series Launching Next Month

**Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 Overview**

Apple TV’s renowned sci-fi series, *Monarch: Legacy of Monsters*, is poised to make its return for a second season on **February 27, 2026**. Following the triumph of its inaugural season, which enthralled viewers with its fusion of human drama and monstrous action, the series continues to delve into the intricate realm of Titans, featuring legendary figures like Godzilla and King Kong.

**New Titan Unveiled**

The freshly released trailer for season 2 reveals a new entity, termed ‘Titan X,’ amplifying the excitement surrounding the series. This new Titan is anticipated to play a crucial role in the evolving narrative, which promises to investigate further into the mythology of the Monarch organization and its relationship with these gigantic beings.

**Plot Summary**

The initial season of *Monarch: Legacy of Monsters* centered on two siblings exploring their family’s connections to the secret organization Monarch. Their adventure plunged them into a realm filled with monsters and the intricate history of Army officer Lee Shaw, depicted by the father-son pair Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell. The tale traversed the 1950s and the contemporary era, uncovering the organization’s concealed truths.

As season 2 commences, the fate of Monarch and the world is uncertain. The plot will uncover hidden secrets that unite heroes and villains on Kong’s Skull Island and within a mysterious village where a new Titan surfaces. The series will persist in blurring the distinctions between family, friends, and adversaries, all while a titan event approaches on the horizon.

**Release Schedule**

*Monarch: Legacy of Monsters* season 2 is set to debut on February 27, 2026, with new episodes airing weekly until May 1, 2026.

**Viewing Options**

Viewers can catch up on the first season of *Monarch: Legacy of Monsters* on Apple TV, available for **$12.99 per month** or via the discounted Apple One bundle.

As excitement heightens for the new season, fans are invited to share their opinions on the series and their intentions to watch the forthcoming episodes.

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Apple Unveils Anticipated Launch of Pixelmator Pro for iPad

Apple acquired the team responsible for developing the app at Pixelmator in late 2024, with the acquisition concluding nearly a year ago. Now, in the first significant update since the acquisition, Pixelmator Pro is set to launch on iPad in conjunction with the debut of Apple Creator Studio.

### Pixelmator Pro Arrives January 28 on iPad Alongside Apple Creator Studio

From Apple’s press announcement regarding the upcoming Apple Creator Studio:

> For the first time, Pixelmator Pro is making its way to iPad, featuring a completely new touch-optimized workspace, comprehensive Apple Pencil support, the capability to work seamlessly between iPad and Mac, and all the robust editing tools that users have come to value on Mac. Pixelmator Pro for iPad delivers fast and effective image editing, harnessing the high-speed capabilities of Apple silicon and designed from the ground up for the latest iPadOS.

User-friendly touch controls enhance the ability to create desktop-level designs wherever users take their iPad. The comprehensive Layers sidebar enables creators to assemble designs using a variety of distinctive elements like images, shapes, text, and even video. Intelligent selection tools assist users in isolating and modifying specific sections of images with ease, and with advanced bitmap and vector masks, they can conceal or display specific areas of their designs. The profound integration of hardware, software, and Apple silicon activates features such as Super Resolution for intelligently enlarging photos, Deband for eliminating compression artifacts, and automatic composition prompts with Auto Crop. With complete Apple Pencil support, digital artists can enjoy a natural painting experience with a stunning array of pressure-sensitive brushes. The unparalleled precision of Apple Pencil—combined with features like hover, squeeze, and double-tap—equips creators to produce pixel-perfect designs.

In other words, the complete functionality of the Pixelmator Pro application for Mac seems to be incorporated into the new iPad app. The updated iPad version of Pixelmator Pro will be available **Wednesday, January 28**. It necessitates hardware with an A16, A17 Pro, or M1 chip or newer running iPadOS 26 or above.

According to the press release, it remains somewhat unclear if Apple Creator Studio is needed to access the new iPad app. The Mac version will be obtainable as a one-time purchase of $49.99, but Apple doesn’t specifically indicate a comparable purchase option for iPad.

Pixelmator Pro has consistently been exclusive to Mac, despite the original Pixelmator app being accessible for both iPhone and iPad as well. However, that application has seen minimal updates in recent years. Even prior to the Apple acquisition, the team behind Pixelmator primarily concentrated on Pixelmator Pro for Mac.

Interestingly, even if you acquire the Mac version through a one-time purchase, Apple is restricting at least one Pixelmator Pro feature to subscribers of the new Apple Creator Studio.

> Moreover, for subscribers of Apple Creator Studio, both Pixelmator Pro for Mac and iPad introduce a powerful new Warp tool for twisting and shaping layers in countless creative ways, accompanied by a stunning collection of Warp-powered product mockups.

Certain unique features are also offered in the Apple Creator Studio subscription for other applications, such as Pages, Keynote, and Numbers.

Are you eager to utilize Pixelmator Pro on iPad? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Apple Unveils Anticipated Launch of Pixelmator Pro for iPad
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“Bose’s Method for Phasing Out SoundTouch Speakers Provides Insights for Smart Home Brands”

When you purchase a smart home gadget that depends on an internet connection or cloud services for operation, a countdown begins. These gadgets won’t function indefinitely, as the manufacturers will eventually opt to stop supporting them. Certain smart home and Internet-of-Things devices may endure longer than anticipated, while others may be rendered obsolete much sooner than users expect.

Devices linked to the internet will ultimately be phased out — this is unavoidable. What follows remains unclear. Some brands leave their customers stranded with inoperable hardware, while others provide refunds or store credits to facilitate upgrades to newer (supported) models.

The optimal choice, however, is for smart home manufacturers to open-source the software behind discontinued devices. This approach allows the community to intervene and maintain their smart home devices for an indefinite period. Once the software is open-sourced, users can self-host their smart home systems, integrate with platforms like Home Assistant, and utilize community-driven projects to prevent hardware from ending up in landfills.

A few months back, Bose revealed that its SoundTouch speakers were entering their end-of-life phase, ceasing official support in February 2026. What transpired afterward serves as a model for how smart home companies should engage with their customers when it’s time to gracefully retire products they can no longer support.

Bose initially faltered but then corrected its course

Speakers should ideally last indefinitely, but with the addition of smart functionalities, assumptions can’t be made. Bose’s SoundTouch range of home audio speakers and soundbars featured “smart” technology relying on cloud capabilities for music streaming and multi-room audio. Their cost was also significant, with some variants exceeding $1,000.

In its initial announcement in October 2025, Bose declared that as of February 18, 2026, it would cease cloud support for all SoundTouch offerings. The hardware would stop receiving security updates, the app would be discontinued, and features such as Spotify/TuneIn integration and multi-room listening would vanish.

Naturally, this news didn’t sit well with customers, who expressed their discontent on Reddit regarding their smart speakers becoming non-smart. According to the initial plan, SoundTouch speakers would still be able to stream music via Bluetooth, Aux, or HDMI, but that was the extent of it.

Don’t let anyone convince you that collective dissent is ineffective, as Bose altered its approach last week in light of customer feedback. An updated email from the company stated that Bose has “been listening closely” to SoundTouch users and is adjusting its plans accordingly.

Specifically, the end date for cloud support has now been pushed to May 6, 2026, the SoundTouch app will remain accessible for local control after the shutdown, and the SoundTouch API will be open-sourced for community use.

This is about as significant a victory as Bose SoundTouch owners could have hoped for. While cloud support will eventually be discontinued, AirPlay and Spotify Connect “should continue to operate,” according to the company. When the cloud services are deactivated, the SoundTouch app will be updated to a local variant, allowing users to set up, configure, control remotely, and group their systems.

Although some functionalities, like cloud music services and presets, will be eliminated in May, they may not be gone for good. Bose’s consumer-friendly choice to open-source the SoundTouch software presents the community with an opportunity to restore lost features.

Open-sourcing smart home technologies benefits all involved

Open-sourcing the SoundTouch software always appeared to be the wisest path for Bose. It serves everyone’s interests. Bose can safely deactivate the cloud infrastructure supporting SoundTouch systems, reallocating those resources to new product lines. In the meantime, consumers can continue to access most of their speakers’ functionalities, and the open-source community can assist them in reclaiming — or even exceeding — lost features.

This stands in stark contrast to how other companies have addressed the phasing out of older hardware. Last year, Google withdrew support for the first and second-generation Nest Learning Thermostat models. This action effectively disabled their most valuable features, reducing them to “dumb” thermostats. Does that sound familiar? It’s a similar opening to Bose’s handling of SoundTouch speakers.

However, Google only offered owners of affected Nest Learning Thermostats a $130 discount on a new fourth-generation model. It made no attempt to restore essential functionalities or open-source the software for community access.

As is often the case, the open-source community found a way forward nonetheless. One developer, Cody Kociemba, reverse-engineered the Nest API to restore certain features of the Nest Learning Thermostat in a project named NoLongerEvil Thermostat.

The end result is arguably similar — both Bose and Google Nest users have a makeshift workaround to prolong their devices’ functionality — but the public sentiment diverges. Bose appears open to feedback and demonstrates concern for its customers, while Google’s approach seems more anti-consumer.

Major companies like Google, Amazon, and Samsung should take notes.

Rarely do companies imitate Bose’s actions from last week. It is uncommon for a business to take steps,

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"Bose's Method for Phasing Out SoundTouch Speakers Provides Insights for Smart Home Brands"
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T-Mobile Provides Complimentary Motorola Flip Phone, lauded as “Truly Outstanding,” No Trade-In Required

Create a fresh line and this highly rated foldable might be entirely yours.

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)
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T-Mobile Provides Complimentary Motorola Flip Phone, lauded as "Truly Outstanding," No Trade-In Required
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Challenges in Adjusting macOS 26 Windows Owing to Non-Rounded Corners

### The Resizing Challenge in macOS 26: Recognizing the Design Flaw

Following the upgrade to macOS 26, numerous users have faced a vexing problem while trying to resize windows. The typical scenario entails attempting to grab a corner of a window, only to discover that the action does not succeed. This issue stems not from user mishaps, but from a design flaw by Apple concerning the window corners.

Traditionally, Mac windows had a visual cue in the lower right corner that distinctly indicated the capability to resize, offering a clear grab handle. This design feature was emphasized by John Siracusa in his review of Mac OS X Lion back in 2011. However, with the arrival of macOS 26, the enlarged corner radii have posed a new obstacle.

Developer Norbert Heger remarked that the natural inclination to click to resize a window often occurs in a region that does not yield the anticipated response. The functional area for resizing is a 19 × 19 pixel box situated near the window corner. In earlier versions of macOS, a substantial part of this area resided within the window. Nevertheless, due to the extended corner radius in macOS 26, around 75% of this area now extends outside the window, resulting in frequent unsuccessful attempts to resize.

Heger demonstrated this inconsistency with visual representations, illustrating where users generally click (green shading) in contrast to the actual functional area (red shading). This discrepancy between visual expectation and functional design is the fundamental reason for the resizing difficulties.

Additionally, John Gruber highlighted the extra visual confusion caused by this design oversight. For example, scrollbars are programmed to function within a rectangle with square corners, which further complicates the user interaction.

As conversations concerning the design of macOS 26 progress, it is evident that the resizing problem is a crucial area of concern for users. The visual and logical inconsistencies in window corners underscore the challenges that may emerge when aesthetic modifications do not coincide with functional design tenets.

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Apple Introduces ‘Apple Creator Studio’ Subscription: An Overview of Features and Advantages

**Apple Creator Studio: A Fresh Chapter in Creative Capability**

Apple has officially unveiled the introduction of Apple Creator Studio, an innovative collection of creative applications aimed at equipping users with professional-level tools. Scheduled to launch on the App Store on January 28, this service will come with a subscription price of $12.99 monthly or $129 annually, including a one-month complimentary trial for new users.

**Highlights of Apple Creator Studio**

Apple Creator Studio offers a wide array of applications, addressing various creative requirements:

– **Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and Pixelmator Pro**: Offered on both Mac and iPad, these top-tier applications enable users to edit videos, compose music, and produce breathtaking graphics.

– **Motion, Compressor, and MainStage**: Exclusive to Mac users, these instruments augment video production and live performance potential.

– **Smart Features for Productivity Applications**: Keynote, Pages, and Numbers will gain premium content and smart features, improving the overall experience for users.

– **Freeform**: This collaborative tool will be available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, though its launch is set for a later date.

A prominent highlight is the arrival of Pixelmator Pro on iPad, which promises an experience optimized for touch, specifically designed for Apple Pencil users.

**Latest Features and Improvements**

Alongside the Apple Creator Studio launch, every application in the suite will feature new elements, enhancing both their functionality and user experience. These updates are designed to simplify workflows and provide users with cutting-edge tools to advance their creative endeavors.

Apple Creator Studio marks a major step towards making high-quality creative tools available to everyone, regardless of their skill level. With its extensive suite of applications and features, Apple is ready to motivate a new generation of creators.

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Apple Introduces 'Apple Creator Studio' Subscription: An Overview of Features and Advantages
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“‘Are You Dead?’ Rises to Become the Leading Paid iPhone App in China: Factors Contributing to Its Success”

**”Are You Dead?” Application Rises in Popularity in China and Abroad**

In early 2026, a surprising application emerged at the top of the paid apps list on the App Store in China. The app, oddly named “Are You Dead?”, went viral thanks to its distinctive concept. Available for approximately 8 CNY ($1), it permits users to designate an emergency contact who will be alerted if the user fails to check in daily. This function is aimed at individuals who live alone, responding to concerns regarding emergencies. By 2030, forecasts suggest that China could have up to 200 million one-person households, with more than 30% of the population living independently, as reported by Global Times through BBC.

The app, branded as Demumu in Western markets, acts as a safety assistant for solitary office employees, students, and those preferring isolated lifestyles. Its Chinese title, “Si-le-ma,” plays on a well-known food app, “E-le-ma” (“Are You Hungry?”). Despite its grim title, the safety functionalities of the app have fostered its appeal.

**Global Success and Functionalities**

Created by developers born after 1995, the app required around 1,000 CNY ($140) for its development. Moonscape Technologies, the firm behind it, is contemplating a rebranding in light of criticism. On an international scale, Demumu ranks among the leading paid utility applications in the U.S., Singapore, and Hong Kong, and is positioned in the top four in Australia and Spain. The app’s privacy protocols consist of no collection of location data, encrypted check-in records, and no requirement for account creation—only an email address for emergency contacts.

Should a user neglect to check in for several consecutive days, the app sends an email to their designated contact, notifying them of possible safety concerns. While the iPhone does feature a built-in check-in option, it lacks daily reminders akin to those offered by Demumu. The application is especially beneficial for older individuals living alone, and the creators are pondering a version tailored specifically for the senior demographic. Presently, “Are You Dead?” is unavailable on Android.

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"'Are You Dead?' Rises to Become the Leading Paid iPhone App in China: Factors Contributing to Its Success"
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Enhance Your Vintage Television with This Cutting-Edge Gadget

Numerous high-quality soundbars offer support for advanced audio formats such as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, creating an experience that feels like there are additional speakers in your living space.

Highly-rated soundbars, including the Sonos Arc Ultra and Samsung HW-Q990F, are celebrated for their exceptional audio performance, yet <a href="https://www.bgr.com/1933220/best-soundbars

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Enhance Your Vintage Television with This Cutting-Edge Gadget
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Why Apple’s Partnership with Google Makes Sense for Siri’s AI Overhaul

In a pioneering partnership, Google and Apple have revealed that Apple’s upcoming Foundation Models will utilize Google’s Gemini models and cloud infrastructure. This alliance intends to elevate Apple’s AI functionalities, including an updated version of Siri, which is set to launch on iOS this year. The decision, though expected, is strategically advantageous for both technology leaders, providing shared advantages without demanding excessive exertion.

As a company mainly focused on software services, Google stands to benefit by incorporating its services within Apple’s ecosystem, thus broadening its reach. This partnership enables Google to use its proficiency in AI and software integration, likely increasing its user base and revenue through data monetization.

For Apple, collaborating with Google provides a means to access sophisticated AI capabilities without having to develop them internally. By leveraging Google’s established AI solutions, Apple can enhance the functionality of its devices, ensuring they stay competitive and attractive to consumers. This strategy allows Apple to concentrate on its primary strength—producing high-quality hardware—while still offering innovative AI functionalities.

In summary, this collaboration illustrates how two firms can capitalize on their strengths to attain shared success, benefiting both their business objectives and their customers.

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