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  • What’s in the latest build? – Computerworld

    What’s in the latest build? – Computerworld



    Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4805.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.3000

    Release date: January 24, 2024

    Released to: Dev Channel

    In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get new battery icons, including colored icons to indicate charging states, simplified overlays that don’t block the progress bar, and an option to turn on battery percentage. The same group also gets several bug fixes, including for a bug in File Explorer in which you sometimes would be unable to navigate by entering a path in the address bar. These changes are gradually rolling out.

    There are 18 known issues in this build, including one in the Recall feature in which some users may see a message to “Make sure Recall is saving snapshots” while the Settings page for Recall shows saving snapshots is enabled. Reboot your device to resolve this issue.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.3000.)

    Windows 11 Build 26100.3025 (KB5050094)

    Release date: January 21, 2025

    Released to: Release Preview Channel

    This build gradually rolls out a number of new features, including one in which an icon will appear in the system tray when you use an app that supports Windows Studio Effects. This only occurs on a device that has a neural processing unit (NPU). Select the icon to open the Studio Effects page in Quick Settings.

    The update also improves the previews that show when your cursor hovers over apps on the taskbar. In addition, the Windows Mobile Hotspot now supports 6 GHz connections. This new band requires chips that support the feature and updated drivers. 

    A variety of bug fixes are also being rolled out, including for a bug in which the Snipping Tool screenshots were distorted when you used two or more monitors that have different display scaling.

    The build also immediately rolls out a change in which you will now have a standard Windows 11 taskbar after restoring from a backup via the Windows Setup experience (OOBE) on a new Windows PC.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.3025.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4800

    Release date: January 17, 2025

    Released to: Beta Channel

    In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available get a standard Windows 11 taskbar after restoring from a backup via the Windows Setup experience (OOBE) on a new Windows PC. You can still find your apps in the Start menu and Search, and you can pin apps to your taskbar. In addition, the build starts the rollout of the Settings home page for commercial customers on PCs managed by an IT administrator. 

    Those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get one bug fix, which includes increased support for text scaling in File Explorer, File Open/Save dialogs, and copy dialogs.

    There are three known issues in this build, including one in which the Home page of Settings may crash. If you are impacted by this, you should still be able to open specific Settings pages directly by searching for them from the taskbar.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4800.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27774

    Release date: January 16, 2025

    Released to: Canary Channel

    This update includes a small set of tweaks that Microsoft says improves the overall experience of Windows 11. In addition, the Administrator protection can now be enabled from Windows Security settings under the Account Protection tab, which allows users to enable the feature without requiring help from IT admins.

    The build also fixes several bugs, including one in which accent colored window borders were not displayed when enabled, shadows around windows were not displaying when enabled, and window launching (and other) animations were not showing.

    There are three known issues in this build, including one in which Insiders joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel, or retail will lose Windows Hello PIN and biometrics to sign into the PC. You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking Set up my PIN.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27774.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27768

    Release date: January 9, 2025

    Released to: Canary Channel

    This update includes a small set of general changes that Microsoft says improve the overall experience of Windows 11. It also fixes several bugs, including one in which File Explorer sometimes lost focus on the search box while typing.

    There are three known issues in this build, including one in which if you are joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel, or retail, you will lose Windows Hello PIN and biometrics to sign into your PC. You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking “Set up my PIN.”

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27768.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4660

    Release date: January 3, 2024

    Released to: Beta Channel

    In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available get labels added to previously unlabeled actions on File Explorer’s context menu such as cut, copy, paste, rename, share, and delete.

    Those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates also get several bug fixes for issues that impacted File Explorer’s performance and reliability.

    Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4660.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27766

    Release date: January 3, 2024

    Released to: Canary Channel

    This update includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that Microsoft says improve the overall experience of Windows 11. It also fixes several bugs, including one in which some Insiders experienced frequent explorer.exe crashes after they clean-installed or reset their PC.

    There are two known issues in this build, including one in which if you are joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel, or retail, you will lose Windows Hello PIN and biometrics to sign into your PC. You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking Set up my PIN.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27766.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2702

    Release date: December 13, 2024

    Released to: Dev Channel

    In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a new advanced camera options page. To see it, navigate to a camera under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras and click the edit button for advanced camera options. Note that this is being gradually rolled out.

    Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates also get several bugs fixed, including one in which when pointer trails were enabled, the mouse cursor became invisible with a black box behind it.

    One bug is fixed for everyone in the Dev Channel, in which if you rolled back from Build 26120.2510 to an earlier build, you would see a “Your organization used App Control for Business to block this app” dialog when attempting to use or install certain third-party apps on your PC due to an incorrect policy being enforced.

    There are seven known issues in this build, including one in which Click to Do sometimes doesn’t highlight any info on screen if there is no content on a connected external monitor in extended mode.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2702.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4655

    Release date: December 13, 2024

    Released to: Beta Channel

    In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available will be able to see visual previews of links or web content they share using the Windows share window. Note that the new feature may not yet be available to everyone because it is being gradually rolled out.

    The build also fixes one bug, in which window previews weren’t showing when hovering over certain open apps in the taskbar, for those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates.

    Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4655.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27764

    Release date: December 11, 2024

    Released to: Canary Channel

    In this build, when right-clicking on apps pinned to the Start menu, jump lists will be shown for apps that have them, such as PowerPoint. The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which File Explorer might hang when browsing a folder with lots of media in it, and another in which some HDDs were being incorrectly listed as SSD on the Task Manager Performance page.

    There are three known issues in this build, including one in which if you are joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel, or retail, you will lose Windows Hello PIN and biometrics to sign into your PC. You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking “Set up my PIN.”

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27764.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4580

    Release date: December 6, 2024

    Released to: Beta Channel

    In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available get several improvements to File Explorer, including one in which if you launch File Explorer folders from outside of File Explorer (for example, from an app or from the desktop), by default they now open in a new tab if you have an existing File Explorer window open. Note that these features are being gradually rolled out, so may not be immediately available.

    Those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a single bug fix, in which Pinyin IME users may unexpectedly switch the IME from Chinese to English when switching between windows.

    Everyone in the Beta Channel gets four bug fixes, including for a bug in which Windows stopped responding when you used an Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) USB printer.

    Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4580.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27758

    Release date: December 4, 2024

    Released to: Canary Channel

    This build introduces a new advanced camera options page in Settings that includes a multi-app camera setting and a basic camera setting, the latter intended as a last resort when your camera is not functioning correctly. The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one that could have caused Settings to crash when you selected your default audio device.

    There are four known issues in this build, including one in which if you are joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel, or retail, you will lose Windows Hello PIN and biometrics to sign into your PC. You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking “Set up my PIN.”

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27758.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2415

    Release date: November 22, 2024

    Released to: Dev Channel

    This build, for those who have Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, introduces the first preview of the Recall feature that constantly takes screenshots of what you do while you work so you easily find files, web pages, and more. In addition to searching, you can use a timeline to scroll back to what you were doing on your PC at a specific day and time.

    Click to Do is also included. It lets you take AI-powered actions on the screenshots taken by Recall, such as erasing objects from them, performing a visual Bing search on them, copying them, sharing them, and more.

    In addition, those who have the toggle turned on to immediately get new features will soon get new Windows Hello features that have already been rolled out to the Beta and Canary Channels.

    Those who have the toggle turned on to immediately get new features and other changes get a variety of bug fixes, including for a bug in which explorer.exe sometimes crashed when interacting with app icons.

    Click to Do has eight known issues, including one in which there a delay before snapshots first appear in the timeline.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2415.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4510

    Release date: November 22, 2024

    Released to: Beta Channel

    In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available can resume working on OneDrive files from a phone (iOS and Android) on a Windows 11 PC with a single click. Users will also be able to right-click and share local files under the Recommended section of the Start menu. Note that these changes will roll out gradually.

    Those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of bug fixes, including one for a bug in which you sometimes could not navigate by entering a path in the address bar.

    Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4510.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27754

    Release date: November 20, 2024

    Released to: Canary Channel

    This build revamps Windows Hello in several ways, primarily to make authentication easier. Among the changes is a redesign of using passkeys for more secure and faster authentication. Users can now switch between authentication options and select passkey/devices more intuitively. Beyond that, if you hold Shift and Ctrl when clicking on a jump list item in the Start menu or taskbar, you will launch that item as admin.

    The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one that caused RAW images taken in portrait mode to unexpectedly display in landscape mode thumbnails in File Explorer.

    There are six known issues in this build, including one in which if you are joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel, or retail, you will lose Windows Hello PIN and biometrics to sign into your PC. You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking “Set up my PIN.”

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27754.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4510

    Release date: November 15, 2024

    Released to: Beta Channel

    In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available can share files directly from right-click jump lists on the taskbar in supported apps such as Notepad. Note that this feature will roll out gradually.

    Those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates also get a fix for a single bug, in which you might have unexpectedly seen a message saying “You’re offline. Widgets are unavailable.”

    Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4510.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.2448

    Release date: November 14, 2024

    Released to: Release Preview Channel

    This build gets a wide variety of new features, including one in which when you right-click apps that you have pinned to the Start menu, jump lists will appear for apps that have jump lists. There is also a new section for touchscreen edge gestures. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Touch. There, you can choose if you would like to turn off the left or right screen edge touch gesture. These features are being gradually rolled out.

    There are also a variety of bugs that have been fixed, including one in which the Task Manager’s Users page could have caused Task Manager to stop responding when you used the keyboard.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.2448.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27749

    Release date: November 13, 2024

    Released to: Canary Channel

    This build adds a new shortcut “Narrator key + Ctrl + X” to copy what Narrator last spoke to clipboard. You can use this shortcut in conjunction with “Narrator key + X,” which repeats the last spoken phrase out loud, to review and copy what Narrator spoke.

    The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which Task Manager showed a 0 count for apps and processes, and another in which a blank entry in Settings > Privacy would cause Settings to crash if you clicked it.

    There are five known issues in this build, including one in which if you are joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel, or retail, you will lose Windows Hello PIN and biometrics to sign into your PC. You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking “Set up my PIN.”

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27749.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2222

    Release date: November 8, 2024

    Released to: Dev Channel

    In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can hold Shift + Ctrl when clicking on a jump list item in the Start menu or taskbar to launch that item as admin. This feature is being gradually rolled out.

    Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates also get several bug fixes, including for an issue in which windows unexpectedly moved around after waking from sleep if you had multiple monitors. Note that this is being gradually rolled out.

    There are two known issues in this build, including one in which Narrator crashes on launch if you use one of the natural voices, and another in which your desktop background may show big black areas with multiple monitors.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2222.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4445

    Release date: November 8, 2024

    Released to: Beta Channel

    In this build, Insiders in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available have a New Folder option in the context menu when right-clicking locations in the navigation pane. Note that this change will be gradually rolled out.

    Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates also have a variety of bugs fixed, including one in which performing a search unexpectedly triggered the search happening repeatedly. Note that these fixes will be gradually rolled out.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4445.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27744

    Release date: November 6, 2024

    Released to: Canary Channel

    This build includes a major feature update to Prism, Microsoft’s emulator for Windows on Arm, that will make it possible for more 64-bit x86 (x64) applications to run under emulation. This new support in Prism is already in limited use in the retail version of Windows 11 24H2, where it enables the ability to run Adobe Premiere Pro 25 on Arm. Starting with this build, the support is being opened to any x64 application under emulation. You may find that some games or creative apps that were blocked due to CPU requirements before will now be able to run using Prism.

    Note that only x64 applications can use these new CPU features. If you have a 32-bit app or a 64-bit app that uses a 32-bit helper to detect CPU feature support, that app won’t detect the new features in Prism.

    The build also fixes several bugs, including one in which certain apps did not detect a scanner, although one was connected.

    There are three known issues in this build, including one in which if you are joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel, or retail, you may lose your Windows Hello PIN and biometric sign-in your PC. You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking “Set up my PIN.”

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27744.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2213

    Release date: November 4, 2024

    Released to: Dev Channel

    In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates will have the IME toolbar hidden when apps are in full-screen mode for those who have the IME toolbar enabled and type in Chinese or Japanese. Note that this is being gradually rolled out.

    Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates also get a variety of bug fixes, including for one in which RAW images taken in portrait mode unexpectedly displayed in landscape mode thumbnails in File Explorer. Note that this is being gradually rolled out.

    Everyone in the Dev Channel gets a variety of bug fixes, including for a bug that caused Task Manager to show a 0 count for apps and processes.

    There is one known issue in this build, in which the desktop background sometimes may not show correctly with multiple monitors (showing big black areas).

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2213.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4440

    Release date: November 1, 2024

    Released to: Beta Channel

    In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available get a revamped Windows Hello that adheres to contemporary Windows visual design standards. The update also has a small set of general improvements. Note that all these changes will be gradually rolled out.

    Those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates also get a single bug fix, for a bug that caused touch keyboard crashes and the IME candidate window not to appear for some Insiders.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4440.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4435

    Release date: October 25, 2024

    Released to: Beta Channel

    In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available can launch an item on the Start menu or taskbar as an admin by holding Ctrl + Shift when clicking. Note that this feature will be gradually rolled out.

    Those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates also get several bugs fixed, including one in which the X button to close an app window from the taskbar wasn’t working for some Insiders. This fix will be gradually rolled out.

    Everyone in the Beta Channel can now configure the Copilot key again, after that feature was turned off in Build 22635.4291. Everyone in the Beta Channel gets several bug fixes, including for one in which the PIN reset did not work when you selected the “I forgot my PIN’ link on the credentials screen in Windows Hello for Business.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4435.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2200

    Release date: October 25, 2024

    Released to: Dev Channel

    In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can access Windows Studio Effects in Quick Settings from the system tray of the taskbar. Windows Studio Effects delivers AI-based camera and audio enhancements on devices equipped with a neural processing unit (NPU). Note that this feature is being gradually rolled out.

    Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates also get several bugs fixed, including one in which if you clicked or tapped on a letter on the Start menu’s All apps list, the All apps list may have broken. This fix is being gradually rolled out.

    Everyone in the Dev Channel gets a variety of bug fixes, including for a bug in which you could not view some parts of the UI when you ran certain apps.

    There are two known issues in this build, including one in which there is an unexpected amount of spacing between items in the Start menu apps list.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2200.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4371

    Release date: October 18, 2024

    Released to: Beta Channel

    In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available can now use the new Narrator key + Ctrl + X shortcut to copy what Narrator last spoke to clipboard. It follows the pattern of using Narrator key + X, which repeats the last spoken phrase out loud.

    Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as possible get several fixes for several bugs, including one in which Narrator would slow down after 15 minutes of continuous use with a single application.

    An update for the Snipping Tool (version 11.2409.23.0 and newer) is also being rolled out to Windows Insiders in the Beta and Release Preview Channels. It introduces a new “Copy as table” feature.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4371.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2130

    Release date: October 18, 2024

    Released to: Dev Channel

    In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get several new features, including one in which “All apps” is now just “All” on the Start menu.

    Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates also get several bug fixes, including for a bug in which clipboard history did not display items you had copied.

    There are two known issues in this build, including one in which if you click or tap on a letter on Start menu’s All apps list, the All apps list may break. If you encounter this issue, try rebooting or restarting explorer.exe to fix it.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2130.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27729

    Release date: October 17, 2024

    Released to: Canary Channel

    This build adds the ability  to configure the Copilot key. You can choose to have the Copilot key launch an app that is MSIX packaged and signed, thus indicating the app meets security and privacy requirements to keep customers safe.

    The build also fixes a variety of bugs, including one in which the screen went black for a few seconds for some people when using Alt + Tab.

    There are five known issues in this build, including one in which some Insiders with PCs that have older NVIDIA GPUs (like the GTX 970, Quadro K620, etc.) are experiencing some issues where their displays appear stuck at a black screen and unresponsive or seeing their GPUs showing errors in Device Manager and not working correctly.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27729.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4367

    Release date: October 11, 2024

    Released to: Beta Channel

    In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available get a small set of general improvements and fixes that Microsoft claims improves the overall experience of running Windows. They also now have the ability to share directly to apps that support sharing in Windows when right-clicking on local files in File Explorer or the desktop.

    Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as possible get several bug fixes, including for one in which some Insiders saw an unexpected amount of spacing between items in the Start menu All Apps list.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4367.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2122

    Release date: October 11, 2024

    Released to: Dev Channel

    In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a small set of general fixes that Microsoft says improve the overall experience of running Windows. The Disconnect and Logoff dialogs in Task Manager now support dark mode and text scaling.

    Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates also get one bug fix, for a bug that caused the screen to go black for a few seconds for some people when using Alt + Tab.

    Everyone in the Dev Channel gets several bugs fixed, including one in which some Insiders saw error 0x800f0825 when trying to install the latest Dev Channel builds.

    There are two known issues in this build, including one in which if you click or tap on a letter on Start menu’s All apps list, the All apps list may break. If you encounter this issue, try rebooting or restarting explorer.exe to fix it.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2122.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.2152

    Release date: October 10, 2024

    Released to: Release Preview Channel

    This build gradually rolls out a number of new features, including one in which you can stop the suggestions to turn off notifications from certain apps. Select the ellipses (…) in the notification and turn it off. You can also go to Settings > System > Notifications and turn it off from there.

    The build also immediately rolls out a change in which you can configure the Copilot key on the keyboard. The build also immediately fixes a number of bugs, including one in which you could not sign in to your account from the web because the screen stopped responding.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.2152.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27723

    Release date: October 9, 2024

    Released to: Canary Channel

    This build introduces several minor changes and features, including one in which you can share local files directly from within the search results shown in the search box on the taskbar.

    There are five known issues in this build, including one for those using Copilot+ PCs, in which if you are joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel, or retail, you will lose your Windows Hello PIN and biometrics to sign into your PC. You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking “Set up my PIN.”

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27723.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1930

    Release date: October 4, 2024

    Released to: Dev Channel

    In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a small set of general improvements and one bug fix, for a bug in which the boot menu wasn’t displaying correctly for some Insiders with dual-boot devices.

    Everyone in the Dev Channel can now configure the Copilot key. You can have the Copilot key launch an app that is MSIX packaged and signed, increasing security and privacy.

    There are two known issues in this build, including one in which if you click or tap on a letter on Start menu’s All apps list, the list may break. If you encounter this issue, please try rebooting or restarting explorer.exe to fix it.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1930.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4300 

    Release date: October 4, 2024

    Released to: Beta Channel

    In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available will see “All” instead of “All apps” on the Start menu. In addition, Windows Search runs IFilters in the Less Privileged App Containers (LPACs). LPACs are like app containers, but they deny even more permissions by default. The intent is that a process running in a LPAC has access only to the resources needed by it. This helps to minimize the potential damage that can be caused by a compromised process by limiting its access to sensitive system components and data.

    Two bugs are fixed for those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as possible, including one in which items in the navigation pane became very spread out for some people.

    There are two known issues in the build, including one in which live captions will crash if you try to use them.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4300.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27718

    Release date: October 2, 2024

    Released to: Canary Channel

    This build introduces a number of minor new changes and features. You can now drag apps from the Pinned section of the Start menu and pin them to the taskbar. For laptops on battery, a notification will pop up asking you to plug in your laptop if the battery level reaches 20% while Energy Saver is set to “Always On.” 

    Several bugs have been fixed, including one in which the emoji panel closed when you tried to switch to the kaomoji and symbols sections, or after selecting an emoji, and another in which the Widgets icon sometimes unexpectedly displayed twice in the taskbar.

    There are three known issues in this build, including one for those using Copilot+ PCs, in which If you are joining the Canary Channel from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel or retail, you will lose Windows Hello pin and biometrics to sign into your PC; you’ll see error 0xd0000225 and an error message “Something went wrong, and your PIN isn’t available.” You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking “Set up my PIN.”

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27718.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1912

    Release date: September 30, 2024

    Released to: Dev Channel

    In this build, those in the Dev Channel who’ve turned on the toggle to receive the latest updates get a small set of general improvements and fixes that Microsoft says improves the overall experience of running Windows. In addition, Windows Mobile Hotspot has been enhanced to support 6GHz connections. The new band requires chips that support the feature and updated drivers; not all chips that support 6GHz Wi-Fi in general will support the 6GHz mobile hotspot.

    Those in the Dev Channel who agreed to receive the latest updates also get several bug fixes, including one in which Task Manager’s Settings page might have a white background when it should not.

    There is one known issue in this build: if you click or tap on a letter on Start menu’s All apps list, the All apps list may break. If you encounter this issue, try rebooting or restarting explorer.exe to fix it.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1912.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4291

    Release date: September 30, 2024

    Released to: Beta Channel

    In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned on the toggle to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available get an updated Task Manager design in which the Disconnect and Logoff dialogs in Task Manager now support dark mode and text scaling. They also get several bug fixes, including one in which explorer.exe crashed sporadically when using ALT + Tab in recent builds.

    Everyone in the Beta Channel gets several bug fixes, including one in which Work Folders files failed to sync when Defender for Endpoint was on.

    There are two known issues in the build, including one in which live captions will crash if you try to use them.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4291)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.1876

    Release date: September 23, 2024

    Released to: Release Preview Channel

    This build, for those using Windows 11 version 24H2, gradually rolls out a number of new features, including one in which when your device’s battery power is running low, a pop-up window will appear that asks you to plug in your device. This occurs when the battery level reaches 20% and while Energy Saver is set to “Always On.

    Several bug fixes are being immediately rolled out, including one in which when a combo box has input focus, a memory leak might have occurred when you closed that window.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.1876.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.4247 and 22631.4247

    Release date: September 23, 2024

    Released to: Release Preview Channel

    In this update for users on Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2, a variety of features are being rolled out slowly, including one in which the “Sign out” option is now on the account manager when you open the Start menu. To change to a different user, select the ellipses (…). A list of other users appears to make it easier to switch.

    The update also fixes several bugs, including one in which Microsoft Edge sometimes stopped responding when you used IE mode.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.4247 and 22631.4247.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4225

    Release date: September 20, 2024

    Released to: Beta Channel

    In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available will get the ability to share content to an Android device from the context menu in File Explorer and on the desktop. To use this feature, the Phone Link app must be installed and configured on your PC.

    Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as possible get a fix for a bug in which the emoji panel didn’t work properly.

    Everyone in the Beta Channel can now configure the Copilot key. You can choose to have the Copilot key launch an app that is MSIX packaged and signed, thus indicating the app meets security and privacy requirements.

    Everyone in the Beta Channel gets several bug fixes, including for a bug in which some Insiders experienced a bug check when closing Notepad.

    There is one known issue in the build, in which if you click or tap on a letter on the Start menu’s All apps list, the list may break. If you encounter this issue, try rebooting or restarting explorer.exe to fix it.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4225.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1843

    Release date: September 20, 2024

    Released to: Dev Channel

    In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a new feature, in which File Explorer provides you with quick access to files that have been shared with you. If you are signed into Windows with your Microsoft account or Entra ID account, you will be able to view files that have been shared with your account, such as email, Teams chat, etc. You can access this feature by launching File Explorer Home and clicking on the Shared tab.

    Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get several bug fixes, including one in which when pressing Windows key + E, a screen reader might unexpectedly say a pane had focus, or focus may not be set within File Explorer at all.

    Everyone in the Dev Channel gets a number of bug fixes, including one in which could result in the Widgets icon unexpectedly displaying in the taskbar twice sometimes.

    There are four known issues in this build, including one in which if you click or tap on a letter on Start menu’s All apps list, the list may break. If you encounter this issue, try rebooting or restarting explorer.exe to fix it.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1843.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4145

    Release date: August 30, 2024

    Released to: Beta Channel

    In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available will see several new features, including one in which the Sign out option is immediately visible in the new account manager on the Start menu. There’s also a list of signed in users under the three-dot icon so it’s faster to switch accounts. The mouse and touchscreen controls have more options, and hotspots now appear on the desktop when users right-click the Windows Spotlight icon. The changes are being rolled out gradually.

    Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as possible get fixes for several bugs, including one in which explorer.exe crashed when interacting with archive files. These fixes are being rolled out gradually

    Everyone in the Beta Channel gets a number of bug fixes, including for a bug in which the [NetJoinLegacyAccountReuse] registry key has been removed.

    There is one known issue in the build: if you click or tap on a letter on Start menu’s All apps list, the All apps list may break. If you encounter this issue, try rebooting or restarting explorer.exe to fix it.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4145.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27695

    Release date: August 30, 2024

    Released to: Canary Channel

    In this build, Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) has been improved with a new ability to recover encrypted passwords from Active Directory (AD) backup media even when there are zero AD domain controllers running.

    A number of bugs have been fixed, including one in which Ctrl + F would sometimes not start a search in File Explore, and another in which the colors in the Performance section of Task Manager weren’t displayed correctly in dark mode.

    There are two known issues in this build, including one for those using Copilot+ PCs, in which  If you are joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel or retail, you will lose your Windows Hello PIN and biometrics to sign into your PC with error 0xd0000225 and error message “Something went wrong, and your PIN isn’t available.” You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking Set up my PIN.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27695.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4082

    Release date: August 26, 2024

    Released to: Beta Channel

    In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as they are available will see the media controls at the lower bottom center of the Lock screen when media is being played. There is also now an option to turn off the suggestions to disable notifications from certain apps. These features are being rolled out gradually.

    Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates as soon as possible get fixes for several bugs, including one in which explorer.exe crashed for some Insiders when closing apps from the taskbar. These fixes are being rolled out gradually.

    Everyone in the beta channel gets one bug fix, in which the [NetJoinLegacyAccountReuse] registry key has been removed.

    There are two known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one that causes explorer.exe to crash when interacting with archive files.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4082.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.4108 and 22631.4108

    Release date: August 19, 2024

    Released to: Release Preview Channel (Windows 11 23H2 and 22H2)

    Starting with this update, a variety of features will be rolled out slowly, including one that lets you share content to your Android device from the Windows Share window. To do this, you must pair your Android device to your Windows PC. Use the Link to Windows app on your Android device and Phone Link on your PC.

    A number of bugs are being fixed, including one in which when a combo box has input focus, a memory leak might occur when you close that window.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds 22621.4108 and 22631.4108.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22610.1586

    Release date: August 19, 2024

    Released to: Release Preview Channel (Windows 11 24H2)

    This build, for those with Windows 11 version 24H2, gradually rolls out a new feature in which when you right-click a tab in File Explorer, you have the choice to duplicate it.

    A wide variety of bug fixes are being gradually rolled out, including for a bug in which memory leak occurred when you interacted with archive folders and another in which File Explorer stopped responding when you browsed within it.

    Three bug fixes have been immediately released to everyone, including one in which a deadlock occurred in the domain controller (DC) when it started up in the DNS client.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.1586.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4076

    Release date: August 19, 2024

    Released to: Beta Channel

    In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates will find that a feature introduced in Build 22635.3930 that showed a Studio Effects icon in the system tray when using any application with a Studio Effects-enabled camera has temporarily been disabled. It will be re-enabled in a future build.

    Those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a variety of bug fixes, including for a bug in which  Voice Access commands weren’t working for non-English supported languages.

    A wide variety of bugs are fixed for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which Windows Backup sometimes failed in devices with an Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) system partition (ESP).

    There are two known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one in which explorer.exe crashes when interacting with archive files.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4076.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1542

    Release date: August 19, 2024

    Released to: Dev Channel

    In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a new feature that adds first letter navigation support to the taskbar. When keyboard focus is set to the taskbar (WIN + T), you can press a letter, and it will jump to the open or pinned app whose name starts with that letter. The feature is being gradually rolled out so isn’t yet available to everyone.

    Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get fixes for three bugs, including one in which the emoji panel closed when trying to switch to the kaomoji and symbols sections, or after selecting an emoji.

    Everyone in the Dev Channel gets a number of bug fixes, including for a bug in which adding languages or optional features might fail with error 0x800f081f.

    There are two known issues in this build, including one in which navigating between different pages in Task Manager may crash it.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1542.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27686

    Release date: August 15, 2024

    Released to: Canary Channel

    This build includes the new Windows Sandbox Client Preview that is now updated via the Microsoft Store. It introduces runtime clipboard redirection, audio/video input control, and the ability to share folders with the host at runtime. You can access these via the new “…” icon at the upper right on the app. This preview also includes a very early version of command line support. (Commands may change over time.) You can use the wsb.exe –help command for more information.

    The build also includes optimizations to improve battery life and a detach virtual hard disk (VHD/VHDx) button in Settings that makes it simpler to detach your VHD/VHDx as needed.

    A number of bugs have been fixed, including one in which Dev Drive VHDs weren’t automatically remounting when the underlying volume was dismounted and brought back online, and one in the Windows Security app where if you browsed the networks under Firewall & Network protection, it showed a broken glyph (a rectangle) next to the network name rather than a network icon.

    There are two known issues in this build, including one in which if you are joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel, or retail, you will lose Windows Hello PIN and biometrics to sign into your PC. You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking “Set up my PIN.”

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27686.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1350

    Release date: August 9, 2024

    Released to: Dev Channel

    In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates can more easily share content to an Android device from Windows share window. The feature requires you to pair your Android device to your Windows PC using the Link to Windows app on Android and Phone Link on your PC. The feature is being rolled out gradually.

    Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get one fix that addresses an issue in which graphs on the Performance page in Task Manager did not show the correct colors when using dark mode again. The fix is being rolled out gradually.

    Everyone in the Dev Channel gets several bug fixes, including for a bug in which Windows Sandbox failed to launch with error 0x80370106.

    There are four known issues in this build, including one in which navigating between different pages in Task Manager may crash it.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1350.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4010

    Release date: August 9, 2024

    Released to: Beta Channel

    In this build, many of those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates will see the simplified system tray with shortened date/time change that began rolling out with Build 22635.3930. The feature is being rolled out gradually.

    Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get fixes for two bugs, one in which the dropdown at the top of the GPU section of Performance wasn’t showing in dark mode when dark mode was enabled, and the other in which if you pressed the Shift key when you right-clicked on an app icon on the taskbar, it opened another instance of the app rather than opening the expected menu.

    There are three known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one that causes explorer.exe to crash for some Insiders when closing apps from the taskbar.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4010.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1340

    Release date: August 5, 2024

    Released to: Dev Channel

    In this build, those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get improvements for spelling and corrections in voice access, including the ability to dictate characters at a faster speed and have more editing flexibility with selection, deletion, and text navigation commands.

    Those in the Dev Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a fix for a bug in which items under “Let desktop apps access your location” section in Settings > Privacy & Security > Location had visibly flickered although there were no changes displayed.

    There are four known issues in this build, including one in which navigating between different pages in Task Manager may crash it.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.1340.)

    Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4005

    Release date: August 2, 2024

    Released to: Beta Channel

    In this build, those in the Beta Channel who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get a small set of general tweaks and fixes that Microsoft says improves the overall experience of running Windows.

    Those who have turned the toggle on to receive the latest updates get one fix for a bug that caused sporadic explorer.exe crashes for some Insiders.

    There are three known issues for everyone in the Beta Channel, including one that causes explorer.exe to crash for some Insiders when closing apps from the taskbar.

    (Get more info about Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4005.)



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  • The best turntables of 2025: Tested and reviewed by our tech experts


    I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but being the vinyl and turntable nerd that I am, I can’t stop seeing and (to my wife’s chagrin) pointing out every record player I see cropping up in seemingly every TV show or movie I’ve watched over the last little while. They’re everywhere — from Mr. Milchick rewarding Helly R. with a dance party from a Thorens-like deck in Severance to Agatha All Along trashing a perfectly good TEAC TN-280BT — it’s official: turntables are cool again, and you should get one.

    Whether you’re rediscovering the satisfying ritual of putting on a record, are new to the world of vinyl, or you’re already neck-deep in LPs, having a decent turntable or record player is essential. But there are so many to choose from that it can get confusing. Many come ready to go out of the box, with built-in phono preamps for easy connection to powered speakers or receivers and integrated amplifiers, and a range of features that make them easy to get the hang of. If you’re curious and want to dip your toes in slowly, one of our favorite entry-level turntables is the Audio-Technica AT-LP70X, a budget-priced basic deck that looks great, too.

    But if you’ve already taken a few spins around the vinyl world and are looking to upgrade or get into something a little more advanced, like one with a better phono cartridge, external phono preamps, higher-quality tonearms, and anti-resonant components that can make for a beautifully clear and sonic experience, we’ve checked out a bunch and also put them on our list of the best turntables.

    The best turntable we can recommend right now is the U-Turn Audio Orbit Special (Gen 2), which has been given a nice little refresh and upgrade since it launched in 2012. Its top-notch Ortofon cartridge and solid acrylic platter help ensure dynamic and clear sound, while its updated speed select switch make it a breeze to use. We also still love the stalwart Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo, so check that out, too.

    But we’ve got several other turntables on our list to help you decide, and once you do, why not check out our roundup of the best turntable accessories, too. Let’s go.

    Editors' Choice

    u turn orbit special review feature 01


    Derek Malcolm / Digital Trends

    Best turntable overall

    U-Turn Orbit Special (Gen 2)

    Pros

    • Excellent sound
    • Dynamic Ortofon 2M Red cartridge
    • New speed selection dial
    • Solid acrylic platter
    • Optional built-in preamp
    • Seven finishes

    Specification:
    Motor Belt drive
    Built-in preamp Yes, optional
    Wi-Fi No
    Cartridge Ortofon 2M Red, upgradable

    The original U-Turn Orbit Special was a really good turntable. I bought one in 2018, and it was one of my daily-use decks for years — it had an Ortofon 2M Red cartridge, a solid acrylic platter, and no-nonsense, simple belt-driven operation. But in 2023, U-Turn gave its entire Orbit lineup an update, and when I got my hands on the Gen 2 Special for review, all my gripes had been obliterated, landing it at the top of my list of favorite turntables.

    The Gen 2 Orbit Special is still as reliable as ever, but the Woburn, Massachusetts company has made some key upgrades that make it a no-brainer for a mid-range turntable. Chief among them is a redesigned, quieter motor and a new tonearm that’s now a single pice of molded magnesium that reduces resonance and vibration transfer when compared to the first gen’s aluminum version. Additionally, the acrylic platter now has a machined groove around its edge to keep the belt in place (the old model used to fall off constantly), and there’s now an automatic speed selection dial — no more manual belt switching!

    Assembly and setup is still simple (takes about 10 minutes out of the box), and while I would have liked to see the numbered counterweight dial like on U-Turn’s premium Orbit Theory make its way to the Special, adjusting it is still easy. However, I’d still recommend using a force scale gauge for simplicity.

    Once it’s up and running, though, the U-Turn Orbit Special is a dream to use and punches above its weight when it comes to sound, which, thanks to the 2M Red, is crystal clear, balanced across the frequency range, and has depth and height favorable to all kinds of music. If you want to improve things even more, the Ortofon cartridge can be upgraded to the more premium 2M Blue, and you can get the turntable with or without a built-in phono preamp.

    The second-gen Special is available in black, white, red, blue, and green, as well as in real oak or walnut finishes for an extra $170, but damn they look sharp.

    U-Turn Audio - Orbit Special (Gen 2) Turntable with Built-in Preamp, Oak

    U-Turn Orbit Special (Gen 2)

    Best turntable overall

    Recommended Product

    The Audio-Technica AT-LP60X turntable.


    Audio-Technica

    Best budget turntable

    Audio-Technica AT-LP70X

    Pros

    • Great-sounding turntable
    • Excellent quality for the price
    • Upgradable, replaceable stylus
    • Fully automatic operation
    • Easy to set up and use

    Cons

    • Made of plastic
    • Aluminum platter
    • Nonadjustable feet

    Specification:
    Motor Belt drive
    Built-in preamp Yes
    Wi-Fi Available
    Cartridge Audio-Technica AT-VM95C, upgradable stylus
    Operation Fully automatic

    Many a vinyl beginner has turned to Audio-Technica for their first turntables because the well-established company (they also make world-class headphones and microphones) produces reliable, easy to use, and affordable turntables for pretty much every level and budget.

    At one time, the AT-LP60X sat in this sport as my pick for the best budget turntable, and to be clear, I still recommend it as another fantastic beginner turntable at just $150. But last year, Audio-Technica introduced the AT-LP70X, a slight evolution of the LP60X, and even though it’s slightly more expensive, it replaced my pick mainly for a few important reasons, but one main one.

    First, the LP70X keeps all the great bones of the LP60X — easy automatic operation with push-button start and stop, built-in switchable phono preamp for multiple connection options no matter what your sound system is (powered speakers or full amp and speaker combos), and even a Bluetooth-capable model should you want it.

    But where the extra money is well worth it is with the AT-LP70X’s newly designed AT-VM95C Integral Moving Magnet phono cartridge, which is not only a step-up in sound quality, soundstage, and dynamics from that of the LP60X, but A-T also created a whole new series of VM95 interchangeable styli that allow you to upgrade them as your vinyl-listening ear develops and you want more from your turntable.

    For $200, the AT-LP70X offers great value and excellent performance, and could now potentially be the only turntable you’ll ever need, even if you graduate from beginner vinyl nerd status.

    Audio-Technica AT-LP70X-BZ Automatic Turntable, Black/Bronze

    Audio-Technica AT-LP70X

    Best budget turntable

    The Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo turntable.

    Pro-Ject

    The best mid-range turntable

    Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo

    Pros

    • Warm, defined sound
    • high-quality components for the money
    • No more manual speed change
    • Available in nine finishes

    Specification:
    Motor Belt drive
    Built-in preamp No
    Wi-Fi No
    Cartridge Sumiko Rainier, upgradable

    If you’re just starting your turntable hunting you’ve likely already come across the Pro-Ject brand (heck, we mention two of them in our intro). The stalwart company is up there with Rega as a standout in the industry, its decorated Debut Carbon lineup has helped keep it there for more than a decade. Its latest version, the Debut Carbon Evo, doesn’t falter either, proving that you don’t need to spend a grand or more for high-end features.

    Pro-Ject’s best-selling turntable model got a few key upgrades in this latest version that have put it over the top, including a redesigned motor with improved suspension, new height-adjustable sound-dampening aluminum feet, and a heavier 3.7-pound, steel platter with a thermoplastic dampening ring that Pro-Ject says reduces wow and flutter (tiny distortions that can be caused by vibrations and other factors). While I haven’t thoroughly reviewed this model myself, I’ve spent some time with it and can vouch for at least some of the sound quality and usability features that have garnered the many positive reviews it’s gotten over the years.

    The best upgrade, though, is the addition of a new three-speed selector switch that has been discretely mounted on the underside of the plinth. Previously, you’d have to remove the platter to physically move the rubber belt underneath to switch between 33 and 45 RMP records. The new switch is a godsend, and also offers 78 RPM as well.

    You also get the Evo’s single-piece carbon fiber tonearm, which looks cool and contributes to the turntable’s rich, balanced, and quiet sound, but not quite as much as its excellent, re-mounted Sumiko Rainier moving magnet (MM) cartridge, which is punchy, balanced, and full-bodied (like a good beer, I guess). Outside the U.S., the Evo comes with the also-great Ortofon 2M Red installed, but, if you’re at the stage where you’re experimenting with cartridges, you can easily swap them; it’s not hard.

    The only obvious thing that the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo doesn’t come with is a built-in phono preamp, so you will have to get one (unless you have one already). I really like the Schiit Mani 2 phono preamp, I have two of them and they sound great. You might think is a deal breaker, but I would argue that if you’re looking to up your entry-level game with a Carbon Evo, a good external phono preamp will be better than most built-ins if you can stomach the extra few hundred dollars.

    The Debut Carbon Evo comes with a semi-balanced RCA cable and is available in nine colors and finishes.

    Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO

    Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo

    The best mid-range turntable

    Recommended Product

    fluance rt85n turntable review 01


    Derek Malcolm/Digital Trends

    Best features-for-price turntable

    Fluance RT85N

    Pros

    • Full sound that stays true to the source
    • Outstanding Nagaoka MP-110 cartridge
    • Solid, anti-resonant build quality
    • Fuss-free RPM speed control dial
    • Automatic stop feature

    Cons

    • No built-in phono preamp
    • No Bluetooth or USB connectivity
    • Glossy finish prone to fingerprints

    Specification:
    Motor Belt drive
    Built-in preamp Yes
    Wi-Fi No
    Cartridge Nagaoka MP-110, upgradable

    The midrange Fluance RT85N blew us away when I reviewed it last year for its more than reasonable $500 price, superb Nagaoka MP-110 cartridge, quality components, and rock-solid build, which, in my opinion, puts it neck-and-neck with the Pro-Ject Debut Evo as an even more affordable option that will do the job just as well.

    The star of the RT85N is Nagaoka MP-110, which on its own is a $150 cartridge, but its sound is well regarded as being balanced, and forgiving of a wide range of music styles (it really likes older vinyl, too), with excellent separation between the lows, mids, and high frequencies. In my review, I said of the MP-110 that “vocals sound natural across the board, while the highs stay sharp and clean with a marked reduction in sibilance when compared to cheaper cartridges.” All that and, if you wanted to, you could easily switch out the MP-110 for another cartridge of your choosing, making the RT85N upgradeable and future-proof.

    Helping that Nagaoka cartridge do its thing is all the anti-resonance happening in the RT85N. The thing is a beast at 17.7 pounds, much of that accounted for in its solid MDF plinth. A 0.62-inch (16mm) thick, high-density clear acrylic platter also helps dampen vibrations, along with its aluminum S-shaped tonearm, and adjustable rubber isolation feet, making the RT85N “one of the quietest, most stable turntables I’ve tested,” my review says.

    There’s no Bluetooth or USB connectivity here, and like the Debut Evo, the RT85N does not have a built-in preamp, but they tend to not sound great anyway, so if you’re moving up from a budget or entry-level deck, you’re probably better off exploring the word of phono preamps now anyway. The RT85N also has a handy auto-stop feature for those who like to putter around the house while listening to records — it automatically stops at the end of the record, which also saves wear and tear on the stylus.

    Setting up the RTN85 is pretty easy, too. Everything you need is in the box, and the instructions are clear. Setup should only take you about 10 or 15 minutes, but in case you’re expecting to plug it in and go, there is a higher level of precision required with turntables compared to cheaper decks — it’s not a bad thing for you to learn how to attach a headshell and balance a tonearm, and the sweet sounds you’ll get will make it all worth it.

    RT85N Reference High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable

    Fluance RT85N

    Best features-for-price turntable

    Editors' Choice

    u turn orbit theory review with record


    Derek Malcolm/Digital Trends

    Best turnable around $1,000

    U-Turn Orbit Theory

    Pros

    • Ortofon 2M Blue or Bronze cartridge
    • New antiresonant tonearm design
    • Easy to set up
    • Electronic speed switch dial
    • Built-in preamp option
    • Fantastic sound for price

    Cons

    • Only two finish options
    • No auto stop

    Specification:
    Motor Belt drive
    Built-in preamp Yes, optional
    Wi-Fi No
    Cartridge Ortofon 2M Blue or Bronze, upgradeable

    As a long-time owner and fan of the original U-Turn Orbit Custom, when I finally got my hands on the Woburn, Massachusetts company’s first foray into the premium turntable realm, I was pretty excited. I’ve always liked U-Turn’s scrappy spirit and that it offers high-quality turntables that are a little different than the big players for a reasonable price. The Orbit Theory is easily U-Turn’s best turntable yet, and a fantastic next step for vinyl enthusiasts ready to jump up out of the mid-range.

    The rethought Orbit Theory is a strikingly beautiful, hardwood-based turntable that comes in walnut and a new black Ebonized Oak finish. But it’s not just easy on the eyes. Building off of the 10-year lineage of the Orbit brand, the upgrades are substantial, including a newly developed molded magnesium tonearm that combines the headshell, arm tube, and pivot housing in one to reduce resonance. The belt drive system is all-new as well. It’s more powerful, has a new silicone belt that runs in a machined groove around the side of the platter, and it gets up to speed faster. Plus, I can confirm that it’s virtually silent. And, my favorite part is that U-Turn has finally added a speed switch — no more manual belt changing between 33 and 45 RMP. A set of three anti-resonant and height-adjustable feet are also new to the Theory, further solidifying its quiet properties.

    But where we start getting into the real premium territory with the Orbit Theory is with its choice of two excellent cartridges from world-class cartridge makers, Ortofon: the 2M Blue (which comes with the base-model Theory at $999) and the even better 2M Bronze that adds $180 to the price. Either way, you’re laughing with how good these cartridges are — they consistently produce big, brilliant, and stable sound that is forgiving for all kinds of music and you can’t go wrong with either. If you do go for the Bronze, you add even more opportunity to upgrade further, as the Bronze’s cartridge is compatible with two of Ortofon’s best styluses, the Black ($575) and Black LVB ($800), pushing you into audiophile territory, should you like.

    In true U-Turn fashion, the Orbit Theory is customizable and ranges from $999 with the 2M Blue and without a built-in preamp to the top-of-the-line at $1,249 with the preamp and the 2M Bronze. Whichever way you configure it, the Orbit Theory is an excellent turntable, worthy of our Editor’s Choice pick.

    Orbit Theory Turntable

    U-Turn Orbit Theory

    Best turnable around $1,000

    The Rega Planar 3 turntable.

    Rega

    Best audiophile turntable

    Rega Planar 3

    Pros

    • Uncompromising quality
    • Best-in-class tonearm
    • Choice of two high-quality cartridges
    • Bright, full, detailed sound

    Cons

    • Can get expensive
    • Only available in three colors

    Specification:
    Motor Belt drive
    Built-in preamp No
    Wi-Fi No
    Cartridge Elys 2 MM or Ortofon 2M Blue, or no cartridge

    Many turntable nerds count the Rega Planar 3 as the pinnacle, their Holy Grail turntable; the one they’d get if they found a wad of cash in the couch cushions. And they wouldn’t be wrong. The Rega name is often the first that comes to mind when you think of audiophile turntables and gear (the Planar 3, while excellent, is actually their mid-range), and the Planar 3 is arguably their most popular, for its reachable price and legendary quality.

    With 40 years under its belt, the Planar 3’s lightweight, anti-resonant plinth was the mold for many modern turntables that have come after (including several on this list). It’s, of course, come a long way since then, having undergone several iterations and upgrades, and it’s this design expertise that few can compete with. The current Planar 3 features the latest version of their iconic RB330 tonearm that offers amazing balance, stability, and industry-leading anti-resonance. It’s a belt-driven turntable, of course, with a new 24-volt low-vibration motor that’s nearly silent and that drives the Planar 3’s eye-catching glass platter.

    While there is no built-in preamp (turntables at this level rarely have them) and no speed selector switch, when coupled with the Rega Neo power supply, you can bypass the finicky manual belt switching and get precise 33 or 45 RMP speed control with a button push.

    The Planar 3 comes in a few different configurations, including on its own without a cartridge that runs around $1,125, with Rega’s own outstanding Elys 2 MM cartridge ($1,395), and another with the also excellent Ortofon 2M Blue ($1,364). You can, of course, upgrade to a multitude of other cartridges out there, too. The turntable is as quiet as it gets, sounds gorgeous, and looks it too. Rega also does a good job at making the Planar 3 customizable with upgradeable parts, such as belts, platters, and more. The Rega Planar 3 is available in three glossy finishes: black, white, and red.

    Rega Planar 3 with Elys 2 MM Cartridge

    Rega Planar 3

    Best audiophile turntable

    The Audio-Technica At-LP14XP DJ turntable.

    Audio-Technica

    Best turntable for DJs

    Audio-Technica AT-LP140XP

    Pros

    • Rock-solid build
    • Heavy and stable
    • Affordable
    • Instant speed, pitch control

    Specification:
    Motor Direct drive
    Built-in preamp No
    Wi-Fi No
    Cartridge AT-XP3 DJ cartridge, upgradable

    All the turntables on our list, so far, have been belt-drive turntables, which are best for most people because of their simple operation and the fact that they tend to be quieter because the motors that spin are usually off to the side and do not directly contact the platter.

    Direct drive turntables, however, are a different beast, as their motors usually sit directly under the platter and often drive them, er, directly. While there is much debate over which is better, DJs favor direct drive decks because they can get up to speed almost instantly, can spin records in both directions without damaging the motor, and often have tempo control sliders for mixing.

    One of, if not the best DJ turntables ever made, is arguably the Technics SL-1200, but they are hard to come by and even the new versions of them can get expensive. Enter Audio-Technica, whose SL-1200-inspired LP140XP direct-drive turntable is tailor-made for DJs, but at a way more manageable $500 price.

    Similar to Audio-Technica’s massively popular AT-LP120, the LP140XP is a beast of a 22-pound turntable that is stable as hell with four sure-footed adjustable feet and a die-cast aluminum platter that is damped underneath with a dense, felt-like material for anti-resonance. Where the LP140XP differs from its LP120 cousin is that it does not come with a built-in phono preamp (most DJs will have some form of amplification anyway), and it trades out the standard workhorse AT-VM95E cartridge for the hotter, more DJ-friendly AT-XP3 cartridge instead. The headshell comes pre-mounted, so all you have to do is balance the tonearm with the included instructions and you’ll be spinning in no time. A-T’s solid anti-skate mechanism is here, too, to keep the stylus tracking in the groove properly.

    Speaking of spinning, the DJ controls include a pitch-control slider, pitch lock, forward/reverse buttons, and the classic pop-up platter strobe light. It doesn’t have Bluetooth or USB connectivity (for that look to the LP120XBT-USB), but the AT-LP140XP will spin at 33, 45, and 78 RPM, and is an easy-to-use, straightforward DJ’s dream.

    Audio-Technica AT-LP140XP-BK Direct-Drive Professional DJ Turntable

    Audio-Technica AT-LP140XP

    Best turntable for DJs

    Recommended Product

    victrola stream carbon turntable review sonos dust cover on


    Derek Malcolm/Digital Trends

    Best for Sonos integration

    Victrola Stream Carbon

    Pros

    • Sound is excellent
    • Quality Ortofon 2M Red cartridge
    • Easy wireless setup
    • Connects to any Sonos in your house
    • Big, universal volume dial
    • Clean, modern look

    Cons

    • Expensive
    • Basic app
    • Motor is a bit noisy

    Specification:
    Motor Belt drive
    Built-in preamp Yes
    Wi-Fi Yes, Works with Sonos certified
    Cartridge Ortofon 2M Red, upgradable

    Sonos makes some of the finest network music streaming speakers and audio products out there. And whether you’ve already invested your hard-earned cash into one or two Sonos speakers or a whole-home Sonos setup, it makes sense that if you’re going to start getting in to vinyl that you might want to utilize those speakers, if you can, instead of shelling out for a whole new sound system.

    There are several ways to integrate a turntable with a Sonos system, but Victrola is one of the first companies to come forth with a “Works with Sonos” certified turntable that can connect directly to any Sonos speaker or system without the use of another Sonos connectivity product like the Port, Amp, or one of Sonos’ line-in speakers like the Era lineup. And it’s dead simple for pretty much anyone.

    The Victrola Stream Carbon (there’s also a slightly cheaper version, the Stream Onyx) is a modern-looking, solidly built turntable (it weighs a stable 13 pounds) with some high-end components, such as its Ortofon 2M Red cartridge, dense MDF plinth, cast aluminum platter, and anti-resonant carbon fiber tonearm. It has a built-in analog-to-digital converter that translates the analog signal from your records into a 24-bit/48kHz digital signal that sounds sweet when streamed out over your Sonos system.

    Setup is easy with the bare-bones, but functional Victrola Stream app, and once the turntable is connected, all the rest is done via the easy-to-use Sonos app. Simply choose the speakers or groups of speakers you want your record to play on. The Stream Carbon can also be played through a traditional analog setup, like a receiver and set of passive speakers.

    Victrola Stream Carbon Works with Sonos Turntable

    Victrola Stream Carbon

    Best for Sonos integration

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How we test turntables and record players

    Like many things we review at Digital Trends, we test turntables and record players from differing points of view — those with little experience with the tech and those familiar with it — so we can relay the details in a way that’s meaningful to both. From unboxing and setup to explaining all its features, we use each turntable we get just as you would, by using and evaluating everything it can do and how easy and fun/frustrating it is to do it. We do this all while playing a lot of records to examine the most important thing: how it sounds. We play a wide range of music to test out the lows, mids, highs, and everything in-between, while listening for clarity, distortion, soundstage, and any anomalies that might appear.

    Check out our full rundown on how we test turntables.

    What’s the difference between a belt-drive and direct-drive turntable?

    A belt-driven turntable uses a thin rubber or silicone belt that is wrapped around the platter (either on the outside edge or underneath, for example) that is, in turn, wrapped around a spindle connected to a motor that is usually set off to the side of the platter. A direct-drive turntable’s motor usually sits directly beneath the platter and the two are, er, directly connected. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.

    Belt-drive turntables tend to be preferred by audiophiles because, due to the offset and isolated nature of the motor and the use of the rubber belt, vibrations and resonance are kept to a minimum, therefore they are much quieter. Direct-drive turntables, on the other hand, are preferred by DJs because the platter’s direct connection to the motor means they can get up to speed much quicker. Because there’s no belt getting in the way, direct-drive decks can also be played backwards, stopped more easily, and are generally more forgiving of all the cueing and syncing uses of DJs. The trade-off is that the vibrations from the motor can be directly transferred to the cartridge and hence through the audio system.

    Are Bluetooth turntables any good?

    Yes, they can be. Without getting too into the weeds about hi-res audio and Bluetooth codecs, a turntable streaming music over Bluetooth to a Bluetooth speaker or set of headphones must do two things. First, it must convert the analog sound form the record’s grooves into a digital signal and then it must compress that signal to a reasonable amount of information that can be sent wirelessly over Bluetooth.

    Often, this can strip music of some of its detail and resolution, and some vinyl purists think that this defeats the whole purpose of vinyl records, which typically have excellent audio fidelity. Will most people notice? No. Will most people care? Also no. As long as it sounds good to you, that’s all that matters.

    There are, however, Bluetooth codecs, such as Qualcomm’s aptX HD, that are allowing for much better sound quality over Bluetooth, making it a better experience and more convenient option. This also has its caveats, though. For this to work, both the turntable and the receiving Bluetooth speaker must support the aptX HD codec.

    Alternatively, a Wi-Fi or LAN network-based system, such as Sonos with a compatible turntable (see the Stream Carbon turntable above), can convert vinyl records at a much higher sound quality than Bluetooth and can stream much higher amounts of digital data for high-resolution sound.

    What is a phono preamp and do I need one?

    A phono preamp (also known as a phono stage) can be either an internal component in a turntable or an external unit that a turntable is connected to. Either way, it’s job is to take the generally weak signal that comes from a turntable’s stylus (needle) and cartridge and prepare it to be amplified by either a receiver, integrated amplifier, powered speaker, or other amplification device.

    Many modern turntables come with phono preamps built-in, generally giving users everything they need to get their records amplified and booming out a pair of speakers. However, some built-in phono preamps (especially those in budget turntables) aren’t very good, and many higher-end turntables still do not even have preamps built-in. For these reasons, you may need to purchase an external phono preamp. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as adding an external phono stage is a great way to improve the stability and sound quality of your turntable’s signal, so you might want to consider it.

    And if you happen to have a receiver or amplifier that has a phono input, that will act as your preamp, so you don’t need one if you like how it sounds. You can always opt to use a phono stage anyway and connect through the amp’s AUX input, like many people do.








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  • Best Super Bowl TV deals: Get up to $630 off sets from Samsung, LG, Sony and others

    Best Super Bowl TV deals: Get up to $630 off sets from Samsung, LG, Sony and others


    With Super Bowl LIX only a few days away, it’s a decent time to grab a new TV at a discount. If you’re hoping to upgrade your living before the Chiefs and Eagles square off (again), you may need to pay extra to get a new set shipped in time. Nevertheless, we’ve searched through Amazon, Best Buy and other retailers to find a few Super Bowl 2025 TV deals that might actually be worthwhile. 

    To be candid, many of the deals we’ve found are the result of TVs naturally falling in price this time of year more than any Super Bowl-specific sales. Most TVs tend to follow a similar pricing timeline: arrive in the spring, drop a bit over the summer, receive a larger price cut around the holidays, then gradually become cheaper until being discontinued the following year. We’re in the last step of that pattern now, and with TV makers like Samsung and LG unveiling their 2025 models during CES last month, last year’s sets are likely to fall even further in the months ahead.

    That said, if you must shake things up today, a number of well-reviewed TVs from LG, Sony, Samsung, TCL and Hisense are back down to the prices we saw around Black Friday. A few are even cheaper. We’ve also found a couple of deals on other living room gadgets from Roku and Sonos. Though we at Engadget do not formally review TVs, we’ve scoured feedback from other reviewers we trust and checked price histories to ensure the deals below are genuine.

    • LG B4 OLED TV (48″) for $600 at Best Buy ($200 off MSRP): This ties the lowest price we’ve seen for the 48-inch LG B4, which is the entry-level model in LG’s 2024 OLED lineup. While it’s not as bright or color-rich as some higher-end alternatives, it still offers the essential perks of any good OLED TV: superb contrast with deep black tones, clear motion, wide viewing angles and the like. It’s also a nice value for gaming, as it has four HDMI 2.1 ports that support refresh rates up to 120Hz. It’s just better off in a darker room, and this particular model is relatively small.

    • Hisense U7N QLED TV (65″) for $698 at Amazon ($300 off): Several reviewers we trust say that the U7N delivers better brightness, contrast and HDR performance than most TVs in its price range. It’s built with most of the features expected from pricier LED sets, including quantum-dot color, mini-LED backlighting and a 144Hz refresh rate. It also runs on the handy Google TV platform. Its viewing angles are poor, so it’s not great for watching shows with a large group, and you may need to tinker with settings to get an optimal image. But the 65-inch model should be a strong value at this price, which is only about $20 more than the all-time low we briefly saw around Cyber Monday. Also at Best Buy. If you’d prefer a smaller size, the 55-inch model is also back within $20 of its best-ever price at $498.

    Samsung The Frame
    The Samsung Frame TV.
    Amy Skorheim
    • Samsung The Frame 2024 QLED TV (55″) for $868 at Woot ($630 off): This deal from Amazon subsidiary Woot has been live for a few weeks, but it ties the best price to date for the 55-inch version of Samsung’s stylish Frame TV outside of a one-off eBay coupon deal. You’d buy this set for its design above all else: It can’t match the contrast and color volume of other TVs in its price range, as it lacks local dimming altogether, but it’s convincingly built like a framed piece of wall art that can blend in with your home decor. Its matte panel helps it fend off glare in a bright room, and you can display actual artwork onscreen when you’re not watching something. It’s worth noting that Samsung unveiled a new and improved “Frame Pro” TV at CES, but we’d expect that to cost more whenever it arrives.

    • TCL Q651G QLED TV (65″) for $370 at Amazon ($180 off): The Q651G is a fairly basic LED TV that might appeal to gamers on a budget, as it can play at a fast 120Hz refresh rate — albeit only when you drop the resolution from 4K to 1440p or 1080p. It’s another one without local dimming, so its contrast is limited. Most reviewers suggest that the Hisense U6N (which isn’t majorly discounted) provides a brighter and much more dynamic image for not much more. However, while the U6N can also play in 1440p/120Hz, the TCL model has a wider variable refresh rate (VRR) range in that mode. In simpler terms, that means it’ll have an easier time allowing your PS5 or Xbox games to run smoothly. This discount marks a new low for the 65-inch model. Also at Best Buy.

    The Samsung S90D OLED TV.
    The Samsung S90D.
    Samsung
    • Hisense U8N QLED TV (65″) for $898 at Amazon ($602 off): The U8N’s picture quality is a broad step-up from the U7N above, with better contrast, more vibrant colors and supremely high peak brightness. It still has most of the same drawbacks — mediocre viewing angles, minor blooming in a dark room, just decent upscaling of lower-res content — but it should be a worthy upgrade if you have more cash to burn. This is another discount we saw for much of November and December, but it ties the all-time low for the 65-inch variant. Also at Best Buy.

    • Samsung S90D QD-OLED TV (55″) for $1,198 at Amazon ($600 off): The S90D stands out for its QD-OLED panel, which mixes the benefits of an OLED display with quantum dots to boost color performance. Most reviews say that it can put out a wider gamut of more vibrant colors and brighter HDR highlights than more traditional OLED TVs like the LG C4. It also has four HDMI 2.1 ports that can play up to 144Hz. It doesn’t support Dolby Vision HDR, however, and Samsung’s Tizen interface can be clunky. The company has also made the aggravating step of using both QD-OLED and more standard WOLED panels within the same product line, but this 55-inch version comes with the superior display in North America. (The 65- and 75-inch models do as well.) This deal is the second-best price we’ve seen and about $150 off this variant’s average street price in recent months. Also at Samsung and Best Buy. 

    The Sony Bravia 7 QLED TV set up in a living room.
    The Sony Bravia 7.
    Sony
    • Sony Bravia 7 QLED TV (55″) for $1,198 at Amazon ($100 off): The Bravia 7 isn’t as strong of a value as the Hisense U8N, but some reviews suggest that it’s a decent alternative if you’re willing to trade some contrast and peak brightness for a more accurate picture out of the box. Like the Hisense TV, its image washes out when viewed from an angle and it only has two HDMI 2.1 ports for gaming. In general, most people will be happier with a good OLED TV around this price. But if you want a brighter LED TV that looks great right away, this one might be worth a look. This is a new low for the 55-inch model. Also at B&H and Best Buy.

    • Roku Ultra (2024) for $79 at Amazon ($21 off): Roku’s Ultra set-top box is overkill for most, but it might be worthwhile if you prefer the simplicity of Roku’s interface and need built-in Ethernet and USB ports. It supports just about all the major apps and HDR formats, plus it lets iPhone owners cast video from their phone via AirPlay. Unlike the cheaper Roku Streaming Stick 4K, it also comes with a rechargeable remote that has backlit buttons, built-in voice controls and a lost remote finder. We call it the best Roku player in our guide to the best streaming devices. This deal was available for much of the holiday season, but it ties the latest model’s all-time low. Also at Roku, Walmart and Best Buy.

    • Sonos Beam (Gen 2) for $399 at Sonos ($100 off): Yes, the recent overhaul of the Sonos app has been an abject disaster, to the point where the audio brand’s CEO and other execs have left the company entirely. However, if you’re not already tied up in the Sonos ecosystem and just want a clean-sounding soundbar that won’t take up a ton of space in your living room, the Sonos Beam’s hardware still does enough right to be worth a look. We call it the best midrange option in our guide to the best soundbars. It only has one HDMI port, and it’s too small to deliver truly room-rattling bass, but it still compares favorably to most alternatives in its size range. This deal is $30 above the device’s all-time low but still $100 off its typical street price. Other Sonos home theater gadgets are similarly discounted, including the more compact Sonos Ray for $179 and the Sub 4 subwoofer for $679. These offers are also available at Amazon and other retailers. Sonos says they’ll run until February 9.

    • LG C3 OLED TV (65″) for $1,197 at Amazon ($303 off): The LG C3 was released in 2023, but it’s not a huge downgrade from last year’s LG C4, so it’s still worth considering when it’s available for less. The C4 should be slightly better in terms of brightness and color volume, plus it supports refresh rates up to 144Hz rather than 120Hz, though the latter is only really useful for PC gaming. Neither model can quite match the QD-OLED panel on the Samsung S90D, but the C3 will still look excellent if you’re not comparing the two side-by-side and just want to save some cash on a larger premium display. This discount ties the lowest price we’ve tracked outside of a handful of in-store-only and eBay coupon deals.

    • Sony A95L OLED TV (65″) for $2,498 at eBay via BuyDig ($500 off): The A95L is wildly expensive even with this discount, but many reviewers agree that it’s the best TV on the market if money is no object. It’s another QD-OLED TV like the Samsung S90D, but it’s more color-accurate out of the box and should be better at preserving details in shows that aren’t presented in 4K. It also supports Dolby Vision, unlike Samsung’s TVs, and its Google TV software is generally easier to navigate than Tizen. The only serious drawback is that it’s limited to two HDMI 2.1 ports, which may be annoying for those who own a soundbar and multiple game consoles. This discount from ties the lowest price to date for the 65-inch model; just use the code SAVEBIG20 at checkout. It comes from eBay via BuyDig, which Sony lists as an authorized seller.

    Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

    This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/best-super-bowl-tv-deals-get-up-to-630-off-sets-from-samsung-lg-sony-and-others-161012987.html?src=rss



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  • Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus Review: The Best Thing About AI Is I Hardly Notice It

    Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus Review: The Best Thing About AI Is I Hardly Notice It


    Samsung Galaxy S25

    9.1/ 10
    SCORE

    Samsung Galaxy S25

    Pros

    • Camera consistently delivers good images
    • Impressive battery life
    • More AI features feel practical

    Cons

    • Still some stray gimmicky AI features
    • Not many changes over the S24
    Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus

    9.1/ 10
    SCORE

    Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus

    Pros

    • Lightning fast charging
    • Nice big screen
    • 7 years of OS and security upgrades
    • Great performance

    Cons

    • Battery life is similar to the baseline S25
    • Similar specs as the S25, at a higher price
    • Better cameras on other phones at the same price

    Samsung’s mantra when debuting the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus appears to have been, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” as this year’s phones share a striking resemblance to last year’s S24 and S24 Plus. But what the new phones lack in innovation, they make up for in consistency and practicality. 

    While I found myself warming up to (most of) the many AI upgrades separating the S25 and S25 Plus from their predecessors, there are other time-tested attributes that remain more important to me – namely, cameras and battery life. Still, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I grew to like certain AI-powered features after using the phones for a week. 

    This story is part of Samsung Event, CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice around Samsung’s most popular products.

    For instance, there’s a new tool called AI Select that looks at your phone’s screen and suggests actions like summarizing or translating text, the Gallery app can find a picture you’re looking for with more conversational search terms and Audio Eraser can clean up distracting background noises in your videos. 

    Watch this: Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus Review: AI Finally Makes Itself Useful (Mostly)

    Google’s Gemini has been further baked into the Galaxy’s interface and can be summoned with a long press of the side power button to answer questions and carry out tasks as your assistant.

    At a time when major phone releases are as high-stakes as ever, Samsung tries to set the $800 Galaxy S25 and $1,000 Galaxy S25 Plus apart by leaning into what’s new (AI), as well as the familiar (good cameras and battery life). And I am definitely impressed. 

    Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus: Look and feel 

    rear of Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus phones in dark blue and white against a blue and pink background

    The S25 and S25 Plus have matte glass backs that add a premium touch.

    James Martin/CNET

    So what’s the difference between the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus? Not much. Other than the Plus being, well, bigger than the baseline model.

    The phones both have AMOLED displays with 120Hz adaptive refresh rates, with the S25’s measuring 6.2 inches and the S25 Plus clocking in at 6.7 inches. At 162 and 190 grams respectively, the S25 and S25 Plus feel light in hand, thanks to their aluminum frames. The screens are covered in Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and the matte glass backs offer an elegant touch and premium feel. 

    I hesitantly dunked the S25 Plus into a shallow pool at Filoli Historic House & Garden near San Francisco during testing and am happy to report it survived unscathed. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, since both the S25 and S25 Plus have an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, meaning they can survive being submerged for 30 minutes being under 1.5 meters of water (or about 5 feet).

    Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus side closeup

    The camera bumps don’t jut out too much on the S25 and S25 Plus, which is nice. 

    James Martin/CNET

    The phones come in navy, icy blue, mint and silver shadow, as well as the online-exclusive colors blue black, coral red and pink gold. I absolutely adore the icy blue color of the S25 I’ve been using, and the Plus I have in navy also looks nice and rich.

    The S25 and S25 Plus arrive with Android 15 and Samsung’s One UI 7. And similar to the Pixel 9 series, you’ll get seven years of OS and security updates, helping you get the most bang for your buck (and there’s certainly a lot of buck involved here). The phones are powered by a custom-built Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, helping to bring those many, many AI features to life.

    The best thing about AI is that I hardly notice it

    Samsung Galaxy S25

    Gemini and I, surprisingly, became friends.

    James Martin/CNET

    I’m not alone in feeling severe AI fatigue. As someone who tends to be AI-averse (do I really need it to write my emails, brainstorm ideas or summarize a PDF?), I tend to be wary of AI-heavy announcements like the one Samsung had at its Galaxy Unpacked event in January.

    Once I got my hands on the devices, I put my skepticism aside and was surprised. 

    After a few days, I found myself leaning on Gemini for help with everything from tweaking email settings (this was faster than Googling and reading), caring for my wood cutting board, and finding events and sending corresponding texts via a single voice command. 

    Ultimately, it’s the AI features that operate discreetly that won me over, like Circle to Search. This is a Google-powered feature that came out last year and lets you circle anything on your screen to quickly see product information and links. Now, Circle to Search can recognize a song playing in the background of a video or even a tune you hum or sing, and I had a lot of fun testing this out. When I hummed niche Taylor Swift songs like I Hate It Here and Foolish One, it nailed both. (Step aside, Shazam.) To be fair, I’m not sure how often I’ll use this particular aspect of Circle to Search, but the tool as a whole remains impressive. 

    The AI Select tool also served me well, but primarily for translating text. My Spanish vocab has (sadly) gotten rusty since high school. So when I came across an email in Spanish, I tapped the tool on the right-hand side of the screen, circled the text I wanted to translate and within a couple taps, it was quickly transformed into English (and hopefully, accurately). 

    Side-by-side AI generated images of Abrar, one black and white and pencil style, the other color CGI

    Here are two Portrait Studio images of me entirely created by AI.

    Galaxy AI/Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET

    Not all AI features are a home run, though. Portrait Studio, which uses AI to create stylized portraits (kind of like caricatures an artist might sketch of you at the beach or on a boardwalk), is fun to play with but feels like a novelty. It did an admittedly great job replicating details like my hijab, eye shape and smile. But I’m not sure how useful a tool like this is in the long run. Similarly, Drawing Assist, which turns your sketches into different stylized illustrations, is impressive at transforming my crappy drawings into pleasing images. I don’t have any real use for this tool, as I’m not going to be framing these random images of cats and flowers. 

    The biggest disappointment, so far, has been the Now Brief. This is designed to learn your habits – like if you usually check the weather, read the news and consult your calendar each morning – then surface any relevant suggestions to simplify those routines. In the week I used these phones, the only time I was even slightly impressed with this feature was when it showed a highlight of the images I’d taken that day. But otherwise, Now Brief simply lists the weather, my events that day and articles that are irrelevant 90% of the time. That’s not to say it won’t eventually learn more about me and get better, but it hasn’t proven its value just yet.

    Photos and videos are even better with AI

    Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus camera closeup

    The S25 and S25 Plus have a trio of lenses on the back: wide, ultrawide and 3x telephoto.

    James Martin/CNET

    The Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus share the same camera specs as last year’s series: a 50-megapixel wide camera, 12-megapixel ultrawide camera and 10-megapixel 3x telephoto camera. They also both share a 12-megapixel front-facing camera. So you’ll get the same kinds of images on both the S25 and S25 Plus.

    I’ve always admired the punchy colors in Galaxy S photos, and the S25 and S25 Plus were no exception. Here are a few of my favorite shots.

    This is one of the best examples of how each shade of color, from pale pinks to vibrant reds, pop. There’s so much texture in this image below, from the ripples on the water to the droplets on the petals, and the background maintains just enough detail and color without robbing the spotlight.

    Flowers sit atop a bird bath in a garden


    Enlarge Image

    Flowers sit atop a bird bath in a garden

    Bright colors shine on the S25 and S25 Plus. 

    Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET

    Portrait mode on the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus is perhaps the most impressive I’ve seen, as it does the best job of knowing what to keep in sharp focus and what to blur. Even in this picture below of my (dying) tulips, each leaf and petal remains clearly in the foreground and isn’t lost to background blur. 

    Pink tulips sit in a floral vase on a marble coffee table


    Enlarge Image

    Pink tulips sit in a floral vase on a marble coffee table

    These wilting flowers may not look very pristine, but at least the overall shot does.

    Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET

    Portrait mode isn’t perfect, of course, as some of the many branches in this shot do get the undesired blur effect. But it’s such a minor detail that hopefully all you’ll notice is how well the flowers on the table pop.

    Several flower arrangements sit on a table in the lobby of The Palace Hotel


    Enlarge Image

    Several flower arrangements sit on a table in the lobby of The Palace Hotel

    I love how commanding the subject is in Portrait shots.

    Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET

    The improvements over previous Galaxy S devices come in the form of – yes, AI. Generative Edit debuted on the S24 series, but is now processed on device, allowing you to quickly and easily remove photobombers or objects cluttering your image. I tried this out with both people and objects and was blown away each time. Generative Edit did a seamless job filling in backgrounds (sometimes even generating new graffiti patterns, as seen below when I removed a railing).

    A pot filled with succulents sits in front of a wall with graffiti, with a white railing to the right


    Enlarge Image

    A pot filled with succulents sits in front of a wall with graffiti, with a white railing to the right

    There’s a rail on the right…

    Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET

    A pot filled with succulents sits in front of a wall with graffiti, and a white railing to the right has been erased with AI


    Enlarge Image

    A pot filled with succulents sits in front of a wall with graffiti, and a white railing to the right has been erased with AI

    And now there’s not!

    Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET

    One downside, though an upside for transparency, is that there’s a label on images that have benefitted from Generative Edit disclosing that this is “AI-generated content.” I understand the importance of this, especially as AI gets better at fooling people, but object removal features are nothing new to photography.

    In one photo, there's a light behind a woman in a purple scarf and floral dress. In another image, the light has been erased.


    Enlarge Image

    In one photo, there's a light behind a woman in a purple scarf and floral dress. In another image, the light has been erased.

    Before and after. Notice the AI disclaimer at the bottom of the image to the right.

    Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET

    Samsung introduced a Virtual Aperture tool that mimics a standalone camera’s f-stops, using the separate Expert RAW app. If you’re a pro photographer, I can see this being a cool feature to have. But as someone who likes things plain and simple, I’m going to stick with the camera’s built-in Portrait mode so that factors like background blur and lighting are sorted out for me. 

    Another AI-related boost comes in the form of nighttime videos. I was impressed with how rich the dark sky looks in videos I recorded and with how smooth the motion appears as I panned the camera. Daytime videos also looked solid.

    Photos at night were splendid, with rich contrast and saturation.

    Balls of light sit on the floor of a garden


    Enlarge Image

    Balls of light sit on the floor of a garden

    The S25 beautifully handled the combination of vibrant greens, dark shadows and bright holiday lights (which are still up for some reason).

    Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET

    Night mode also did a great job of brightening up this image to almost make it look as if it were taken in the daytime, and not at 7 p.m.

    A tree photographed at night, brightened by the S25's night mode


    Enlarge Image

    A tree photographed at night, brightened by the S25's night mode

    This night time shot almost looks as if it were taken in the daytime. 

    Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET

    Selfies maintain the smoothing effect I so love on Galaxy S phones, while maintaining vibrancy and crispness in the foreground and background. 

    A woman in a purple headscarf and floral dress stands in front of a series of palm trees


    Enlarge Image

    A woman in a purple headscarf and floral dress stands in front of a series of palm trees

    And let’s flip that camera around real quick for a selfie. 

    Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET

    Battery life and performance

    A hand holding the Galaxy S25 while running an AI search

    Remarkably, the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus have a great battery life, which is important since both feature power-hungry AI features.

    Celso Bulgatti/CNET

    Battery capacity is one of the few factors separating the phones, with the S25 sporting a 4,000-mAh battery and the Plus packing a 4,900-mAh battery.

    Both phones lasted about a day and a half with regular use. In CNET’s 45-minute endurance test, which involves a combination of streaming, scrolling through social media, joining a video call and playing games, the S25’s battery dropped from full to 93% (the same as last year’s S24), while the battery on the S25 Plus dropped to 94%. 

    In a longer, 3-hour streaming test over Wi-Fi, in which I watched a YouTube video in full-screen mode at full brightness, the S25 dropped from 100% to 85%, while the S25 Plus dropped to 86%.

    YouTube streaming battery test

    Phone After 1 hour After 2 hours After 3 hours
    Galaxy S25 96% 90% 85%
    Galaxy S25 Plus 96% 91% 86%
    Galaxy S24 FE 96% 90% 83%
    Galaxy S24 97% 91% 86%
    Galaxy S24 Plus 97% 91% 87%

    Higher percentages are better.

    The S25 supports 25-watt charging, while the S25 Plus supports 45-watt charging. In a 30-minute test using a 30-watt charger, the S25 went from 0% to 47%, and reached 100% in 80 minutes. In the same test using a 45-watt charger, the S25 Plus went from 0% to 63% in 30 minutes, and reached a full charge in 70 minutes. For comparison, in last year’s test, the S24 went from 0% to 51% in 30 minutes, and the S24 Plus went from 0% to 50%.

    The Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus also support 15-watt wireless charging, which is the same as what you’ll get with Qi2. You can use Samsung’s own case with the Qi2 magnetic profile or a compatible third-party case to tap into those wireless capabilities.

    Benchmark tests for the CPU in Geekbench 6 place the S25 and S25 Plus well above the entire Galaxy S24 lineup. In a graphics test using 3D Mark’s Wild Life Extreme, the S25 and S25 Plus exceeded the performance of the iPhone 16 Pro, Galaxy S24 and S24 Ultra.

    Check out the graphs below for more specifics.

    Geekbench v.6.0

    Samsung Galaxy S25 2,999 9,604Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus 3,224 10,143Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus 2,057 6,571Samsung Galaxy S24 1,955 6,255Apple iPhone 16 Pro 3,507 8,750

    Note: Longer bars indicate better performance

    3DMark Wild Life Extreme

    Samsung Galaxy S25 6,496Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus 6,875Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 4,415Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus 4,808Samsung Galaxy S24 4,752Apple iPhone 16 Pro 4,672

    Note: Longer bars indicate better performance

    3DMark Wild Life Extreme — Average frame rate

    Samsung Galaxy S25 38.90Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus 41.17Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 26.4 Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus 28.79Samsung Galaxy S24 28.46Apple iPhone 16 Pro 28

    Note: Longer bars indicate better performance

    Final thoughts: Which phone to buy, the S25 or S25 Plus?

    Samsung Galaxy S25

    The Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus have lots of AI but aren’t entirely defined by it.

    James Martin/CNET

    Perhaps the highest praise I can give to a phone in 2025 is that there was just enough AI to not make me go crazy. The S25 and S25 Plus have their fair share of AI-powered features, but for the most part, there are only several that I can see myself willingly using. Others like Portrait Studio and Drawing Assist may be fun for keynote demos, but don’t seem to serve a real purpose beyond that. (But it wouldn’t be a Galaxy phone without a flashy feature no one uses, right??)

    Thankfully, the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus continue to deliver on what, to me, makes the Galaxy S series notable: good cameras, solid battery life and a seamless interface. 

    Because there are so many similarities between the S25 and S25 Plus, and the higher battery capacity on the Plus didn’t result in any startling differences (although superfast charging is great), I’d personally save some money and just go with the baseline S25. If you want a bigger phone, it might be worth going a full step up with the S25 Ultra, so you could take advantage of added perks like that 50-megapixel ultrawide lens, but that costs $500 more than the regular S25. Still, the S25 and S25 Plus share many similarities with the Ultra, including Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, 12GB RAM and AI features, so you’ll be getting a relatively good value from that baseline model.

    If you have a Galaxy S22 or older, switching to the S25 or S25 Plus could be a significant upgrade. If you have an S23, you can benefit from improved battery life and dip your toes into Samsung’s newer AI waters. But if you’re rocking an S24, there’s no reason to pay for relatively modest upgrades.

    Ultimately, the S25 and S25 are much of the same as what we’ve seen before. But that isn’t such a bad thing, when “the same” largely still does the trick.

    Samsung Galaxy S25 specs vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus, Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus

    Samsung Galaxy S25 Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus Samsung Galaxy S24 Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus
    Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate 6.2-inch AMOLED; 2,340×1,080 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate 6.7-inch AMOLED; 3,120×1,440 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate 6.2-inch AMOLED; 2,340×1,080 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate 6.7-inch AMOLED; 3,120×1,440 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate
    Pixel density 416 ppi 509 ppi 416 ppi 509 ppi
    Dimensions (inches) 5.78 x 2.78 x 0.28 in. 6.24 x 2.98 x 0.29 in. 5.79 x 2.78 x 0.3 in. 6.24 x 3 x 0.3 in.
    Dimensions (millimeters) 146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2 mm 158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm 147 x 71 x 7.6 mm 158 x 76 x 7.6 mm
    Weight (grams, ounces) 162 g (5.71 oz.) 190 g (6.70 oz.) 168g (5.93 oz.) 197g (6.95 oz.)
    Mobile software Android 15 Android 15 Android 14 Android 14
    Camera 50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto) 50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto) 50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto) 50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto)
    Front-facing camera 12-megapixel 12-megapixel 12-megapixel 12-megapixel
    Video capture 8K 8K 8K 8K
    Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
    RAM + storage 12GB RAM + 128GB, 256GB 12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB 8GB RAM + 128GB, 256GB 12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB
    Expandable storage None None None None
    Battery 4,000 mAh 4,900 mAh 4,000 mAh 4,900 mAh
    Fingerprint sensor Under display Under display Under display Under display
    Connector USB-C USB-C USB-C USB-C
    Headphone jack None None None None
    Special features 2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dust resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; 25W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7 2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dust resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; 25W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7; ultrawideband 2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dust resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; 25W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 6E 2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dust resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 6E
    US price starts at $800 (128GB) $1,000 (256GB) $800 (128GB) $1,000 (256GB)

    How we test phones

    Every phone tested by CNET’s reviews team was actually used in the real world. We test a phone’s features, play games and take photos. We examine the display to see if it’s bright, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and build to see how it is to hold and whether it has an IP-rating for water resistance. We push the processor’s performance to the extremes using standardized benchmark tools like GeekBench and 3DMark, along with our own anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution videos and playing graphically intense games at high refresh rates.

    All the cameras are tested in a variety of conditions from bright sunlight to dark indoor scenes. We try out special features like night mode and portrait mode and compare our findings against similarly priced competing phones. We also check out the battery life by using it daily as well as running a series of battery drain tests.

    We take into account additional features like support for 5G, satellite connectivity, fingerprint and face sensors, stylus support, fast charging speeds and foldable displays, among others that can be useful. We balance all of this against the price to give you the verdict on whether that phone, whatever price it is, actually represents good value. While these tests may not always be reflected in CNET’s initial review, we conduct follow-up and long-term testing in most circumstances.





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  • Space calendar 2025: Here are the moments you won’t want to miss

    Space calendar 2025: Here are the moments you won’t want to miss


    Though 2025 won’t mark the return of astronauts into deep space as NASA had hoped, launchpads still will be scorching-hot from a procession of robotic spacecraft attempting to land on the moon

    How many of these moon landings will succeed? Will the number top the two-ish (one of which made a heckuva comeback) last year? 

    Giant commercial rockets, such as SpaceX‘s Starship and Blue Origin’s New Glenn, will likely also have several uncrewed orbital test launches as they iron out the kinks in their hardware. And while people await scientific missions to distant solar system destinations, a few probes will send home close-up pictures of planets as they snag gravitational boosts from flybys. 

    Here’s a round-up of space missions and cosmic events just around the bend. Bookmark this calendar and look for updates from Mashable throughout the year. 

    SEE ALSO:

    NASA leader doubts Elon Musk will push Trump to axe moon rocket

    BepiColombo makes final Mercury flyby: Jan. 8

    Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, but it’s perhaps the most overlooked of the rocky worlds in the solar system. Hot and harder to reach than Saturn, it hasn’t enjoyed the level of study that other worlds have.

    But BepiColombo, a joint mission of the European and Japanese space agencies, seeks to change that. The spacecraft makes its sixth and final flyby on Jan. 8 before returning to enter orbit around the planet in late 2026. Closest approach will take the spacecraft just 160 miles above the surface of Mercury. Mission controllers will release images of the event on Jan. 9.

    Two moon landers on one rocket: Jan. 15

    Two small uncrewed spacecraft, one of which is carrying several NASA instruments, will try to land on the moon with a boost from the same rocket. 

    Both Firefly Aerospace and Japan’s ispace will ride a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket slated to leave Earth as early as 1:11 a.m. ET Jan. 15. Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander was originally scheduled to lift off in late 2024, and the launch will mark its maiden voyage. The spacecraft is slated to travel for 45 days before trying to touch down in early March. 

    Firefly’s flight will be the first Commercial Lunar Payload Services mission of the year. The NASA program has recruited vendors from the private sector to help deliver instruments to the moon and send back crucial data.

    Ispace’s new Hakuto-R mission will be its second try, after it ran out of fuel and crashed on the lunar surface in April 2023. The Resilience lander, a partnership with Japan’s space agency JAXA, is taking a long way to the moon to save on fuel, arriving about four to five months after launch.

    Blue Origin’s first flight for New Glenn: Jan. 16

    Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will soon get a chance to see his giant rocket New Glenn launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida. 

    His aerospace company Blue Origin started a countdown on Jan. 13, but launch controllers waved off the opportunity when a technical issue arose. The company will try again no earlier than Jan. 16, targeting a three-hour launch window that opens at 1 a.m. ET.

    Blue Origin’s goal is to reach orbit, and the company will also try to land its booster on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean so that it can be reused on future flights, though executives admit doing so would be “ambitious” on the first try. 

    SpaceX tests upgraded Starship: Jan. 16

    SpaceX is preparing to launch another uncrewed Starship test, this time with an upgraded spacecraft and 10 mock satellites to practice a payload deployment in space. 

    This SpaceX launch would mark the seventh Starship test and feature a reused engine from the booster returned from the fifth test. Weather-related postponements have made it possible that Starship and Blue Origin’s New Glenn will lift off for these tests on the same day. Starship’s one-hour launch window opens at 4:00 p.m. CT.

    NASA moon rover and orbiter delivery: Feb. 26

    Intuitive Machines made history last year as the first company to reach the moon intact — though its lander, Odysseus, broke landing gear and touched down tilted

    The Houston-based company is now gearing up for a second moon landing — this time with the Athena lander. The mission, referred to as IM-2 or PRIME-1, will carry a NASA rover. The spacecraft will test a drill and mass spectrometer, a device that identifies the kinds of particles in a substance. Liftoff is targeted for a four-day launch window that opens no earlier than Feb. 26.

    Another spacecraft, NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer, will also hitch a ride on this flight. The small satellite will orbit the moon to map out the locations of lunar water. 

    Europa Clipper flies by Mars: Feb. 27

    After a successful October 2024 launch, the Europa Clipper spacecraft has been hurtling through space. It’s on schedule to make its first flyby of Mars on Feb. 27, where it will get a gravity assist to continue its journey. The craft won’t arrive at Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, for its mission until 2030. 

    Scientists are intrigued by Europa because they believe it could hold double the water held by Earth’s oceans. Could this small world in the outer solar system have conditions capable of supporting life? If NASA finds that Europa is a habitable place, a second Europa mission could return to determine if there are indeed any inhabitants. 

    Mashable Light Speed

    Launch of new astrophysics observatory: Feb. 27

    NASA intends to launch an astrophysics observatory to create a map of the entire sky in 3D. The mission, SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer), will orbit Earth while studying hundreds of millions of stars and galaxies, showing them in 102 invisible “colors.” 

    One of the main goals of the mission is to learn more about cosmic inflation, a brief but crucial phase of the Big Bang that contributed to the universe’s expansion. It will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California as early as Feb. 27.

    Firefly attempts moon landing: March 2

    Following a successful launch in January, Firefly Aerospace will target a robotic landing in the Mare Crisium region of the moon, an ancient hardened lava flow, on March 2. Prior to descent onto the surface, the uncrewed spacecraft, the Blue Ghost lander, will spend 16 days in orbit around the moon. 

    Landing on the moon remains onerous. The moon’s exosphere provides virtually no drag to slow a spacecraft down as it approaches the ground. Furthermore, there are no GPS systems on the moon to help guide a craft to its landing spot.

    Blue Ghost shared a ride on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Japanese company ispace, which will try to land on the moon after a failed attempt in 2023. Its Resilience lander is taking a longer route than Blue Ghost to save on fuel, arriving in May or June. 

    European spacecraft Hera flies by Mars: March 12

    Back in 2022, NASA deliberately crashed a spacecraft into a harmless asteroid to practice thwarting a space rock, should a hazardous one ever be on a collision course with Earth.

    The European Space Agency is providing a follow-up to that test, known as Hera. The mission’s spacecraft launched in October 2024 and will rendezvous with Dimorphos, the slammed asteroid, in 2026. But this March, it will also have a quick pop-in with Mars, closest approach at 7:51 a.m. ET, and one of the Red Planet’s two moons, Deimos. Mission controllers will use the opportunity to collect data on the Martian moon.

    Boeing astronaut crew returns home: March

    NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams waving before launch

    NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been waiting for their ride since the space agency decided not to send them home on Boeing’s Starliner spaceship.
    Credit: Joe Raedle / Getty Images

    Two astronauts whose eight-day visit to the International Space Station turned into a more than eight-month layover are expected to return to Earth in March. 

    NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been waiting for their ride since the space agency decided not to send them home on the spaceship they rode in on. That test vehicle, Boeing’s Starliner, landed empty without any problems, but NASA hadn’t wanted to risk it after the capsule experienced propulsion issues in space. 

    The pair was supposed to return in a SpaceX Dragon capsule in February, but NASA announced at the end of 2024 that the flight would likely be pushed back to March. Wilmore and Williams, who were integrated into Crew-9, will fly back to Earth after Crew-10 arrives at the space station. 

    NASA and India join forces on a satellite: March

    NASA is teaming up with India’s space agency on a mission to study Earth’s land and ice. 

    This mission involves the NISAR satellite, which will scan all of the planet’s surfaces twice every 12 days to measure changes. The satellite will launch from the Indian Space Research Organisation’s space port, the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, on India’s southeastern coast.

    Private astronauts fly to ISS: no earlier than spring

    Private astronauts will launch to the International Space Station for Axiom Space’s fourth such mission. The four crew members are awaiting approval to fly to the orbiting lab and will launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, no earlier than this spring. 

    When Axiom flew its first private mission in 2022, it redefined the word “astronaut.” For decades, that title was reserved for government space pilots and crew. More recently, uber-rich space tourists earned the distinction by breaching Earth’s atmosphere. But with Axiom’s private mission came a third possible description: Someone privately trained and sent into space to perform commercial scientific research. Axiom crews receive 750 to over 1,000 hours of training. 

    Twin spacecraft go to Mars: no earlier than spring

    Twin spacecraft that were built to orbit Mars

    The Escapade mission will involve two Mars orbiters built by Rocket Lab.
    Credit: Rocket Lab

    A NASA-funded science mission seeks to get to the bottom of how solar radiation strips away the tattered Martian atmosphere. Called Escapade, the mission will involve two Mars orbiters built by Rocket Lab.

    The flight was previously scheduled for October aboard Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, which would have been its first launch. But, as rockets are wont to do, the inaugural flight was delayed. NASA and Blue Origin are now in talks for a new launch date for that mission, no earlier than spring 2025.

    Lucy spacecraft flies by asteroid: April 20

    NASA launched the Lucy spacecraft on a grand 12-year asteroid tour last fall with plans to fly by several space rocks that share Jupiter’s orbit. On April 20, Lucy will encounter a small main-belt asteroid, Donaldjohanson, as a sort of test sequence before it visits seven Trojan asteroids. The asteroid, called DJ for short, is only 2.5 miles wide, with an extremely slow rotation that takes more than 10 days to complete. 

    Peak of Lyrids meteor shower: April 21-22

    Meteor showers happen every year or at regular intervals as Earth passes through the dusty wake of previous comets. Each time a comet zips through the inner solar system, the sun boils off some of its surface, leaving behind a trail of debris. When the planet intersects with the old comet detritus, the result can be a spectacular show, with sometimes up to hundreds of meteors visible per hour. The debris that creates the Lyrid meteor shower originates from comet Thatcher. The Lyrids, best viewed from the Northern Hemisphere, will be active from April 17 to 26.

    Peak of Eta Aquariids meteor shower: May 3-4

    The Eta Aquariids meteor shower, best viewed from the southern tropics, produces strong “persistent trains” of shooting stars. The shower is the first of two each year created by Halley’s Comet debris. The celestial event will be active from April 20 to May 21.

    Perseids meteors streaking across the sky

    Perseids meteors streak across the sky over Bishop, California, in 2024.
    Credit: NASA / Preston Dyches

    Peak of Delta Aquariids meteor shower: July 29-30

    The Delta Aquariids are another shower best observed from the southern tropics. Conditions will be favorable for viewing meteors in the morning. Astronomers suspect the interacting debris causing the event came from the strange Comet Machholz. The event will be active from July 18 to Aug. 12. 

    Peak of Perseids meteor shower: Aug. 12-13

    The popular Perseids, made up of remnants of comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, is usually a spectacular show for the Northern Hemisphere. The meteor shower is active from July 17 to Aug. 23. But don’t get your hopes up this year: Experts say the waning gibbous moon, more than 80 percent full, will allow only the brightest meteors to be seen. 

    Astrobotic attempts moon landing, again: fall

    Astrobotic Technologies tried to become the first commercial company to land on the moon last year, but it lost its chance just a few hours into the flight because of a fuel leak. The company will try again this fall with its Griffin lander. 

    Originally, this mission was supposed to carry a NASA rover to drill for ice at the lunar south pole. But VIPER — short for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover — was cancelled due to cost overruns. Griffin will still launch without the rover as a flight demonstration of the lander and engines.

    Peak of Orionids meteor shower: Oct. 22-23

    The Orionids meteor shower marks the return of activity caused by Halley’s Comet debris. In recent years, the displays have been pretty lackluster, but a waning crescent moon rising near dawn means moonlight won’t obscure the shower in 2025. The celestial event will run from Oct. 2 to Nov. 12.

    Peak of Southern Taurids meteor shower: Nov. 3-4

    The Southern Taurids make up a complex meteor shower. Usually the displays are weak, but Taurid meteors are more numerous sometimes. Known as a “swarm year,” 2025’s event could offer more fireballs as Earth plows through a group of pebble-sized fragments from the Comet Encke. But given the moon’s phase, there’s a good chance moonlight will interfere with viewing most Taurids. Activity will go from Oct. 13 to Nov. 27. 

    Dream Chaser spaceplane sits on a runway in the dark

    A Dream Chaser spaceplane, Tenacity, is expected to launch to the International Space Station in 2025.
    Credit: Sierra Space

    Peak of the Leonids meteor shower: Nov. 16-17

    The Leonids are some of the fastest-moving meteors, traveling up to 44 miles per second. The debris that causes the show comes from Comet Tempel-Tuttle, but the displays are usually pretty weak. The exceptions are years when the showers become so-called “meteor storms,” but that won’t likely happen again until perhaps 2035. The shower will be active from Nov. 3 to Dec. 2. 

    Peak of Geminids meteor shower: Dec. 12-13

    Widely regarded as the best meteor shower of the year, the Geminids can be seen from most any part of the world, especially the Northern Hemisphere. The Geminids are denser meteors, allowing stargazers to see them as low as 29 miles above ground before the cosmic dust burns up. The shower will be active between Dec. 1 and 21.

    This year the moon will have a waning crescent phase, which rises around 2 a.m. local time. Prior to that, views should be moon-free. You could glimpse bright meteors by facing a direction with the moon at your back, according to the American Meteor Society.

    Peak of Ursids meteor shower: Dec. 21-22

    The Ursid meteors are caused by debris from Tuttle’s Comet, which orbits every 13 years. This shower, often overlooked because of its close timing to Christmas, can only be observed in the Northern Hemisphere. Because of a new moon at the shower’s peak, moonlight won’t interfere with the show. The event will be active from Dec. 16 to 26. 

    Other possible missions in 2025

    • Sierra Space has been working on a spacecraft with the nostalgia of NASA’s space shuttle program. Dream Chaser, a cargo space plane capable of runway landings, is set to launch for the first time to the International Space Station for a resupply mission sometime this year

    • Following Intuitive Machines’ second mission in early 2025, the company will shoot for another later in 2025 or early in 2026. If successful, the lunar landing mission, IM-3 or PRISM, will deploy rovers and study a so-called “lunar swirl.”





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  • The 44 Best Shows on Hulu Right Now (February 2025)

    The 44 Best Shows on Hulu Right Now (February 2025)


    While Netflix seemingly led the way for other streaming networks to create compelling original programming, Hulu actually beat them all to the punch. In 2011, a year before Netflix’s Lilyhammer and two years before the arrival of House of Cards, the burgeoning streamer premiered The Morning After, a pop-culture-focused news show that ran for 800 episodes over three years, plus A Day in the Life, a docuseries from the late Oscar-winner Morgan Spurlock.

    Hulu has continued to make TV history in the years since, most notably in 2017, when it became the first streamer to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series with The Handmaid’s Tale. In the years since, the streamer has continued to match—and often exceed—that high bar for quality entertainment with shows like The Bear, which took home 11 Emmys in 2024, and Shōgun, which recently set an Emmy record with 18 wins in a single season.

    While more competition has popped up since Hulu started gaining critical credibility, the network has continued to stand out for its carefully curated selection of original series and network partnerships that make it the home of FX series and more. Below are some of our favorite shows streaming on Hulu right now.

    Not finding what you’re looking for? Head to WIRED’s guide to the best TV shows on Amazon Prime, the best TV shows on Disney+, and the best shows on Netflix. Have other suggestions for this list? Let us know in the comments.

    If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more.

    Paradise

    This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman reteams with that award-winning series’ star, Sterling K. Brown, for an intricate political thriller which plays with time to slowly reveal the details of a secret service agent (Brown) tasked with protecting the president (James Marsden) who ultimately becomes a suspect in the POTUS’ death. Expect many twists—including a massive one to kick off the series in episode 1.

    Scamanda

    “Why would somebody fake cancer?” That’s the question asked—and that ABC News attempts to answer—in this true crime docuseries based on the podcast of the same name. The four-part special recounts the life and lies of Amanda C. Riley, a wife, mother, churchgoer, and popular mommy blogger who was celebrated for sharing her fight against Hodgkin’s lymphoma with the world … only to have it all blow up in her face.

    Accused

    Like a reverse engineered version of Law & Order, Accused—adapted from the acclaimed British series of the same name by Homeland cocreator Howard Gordon—follows the justice system from the perspective of the accused. Each episode begins with the defendant in the courtroom and recounts (via flashbacks) the circumstances that led them there. Like Dick Wolf’s iconic crime series, each episode is full of familiar faces, from Whitney Cummings and Wendell Pierce to Molly Parker and Margo Martindale. The series premiered in early 2023, with season 2 just finishing up in December.

    Say Nothing

    Fact and fiction combine in this historical drama based on Patrick Radden Keefe’s novel that follows the lives of a group of people growing up in Belfast during the Troubles and their dealings with the Provisional IRA. Much of the story focuses on the Disappeared—a group of 16 people who went missing during the Troubles and were believed to have been kidnapped and murdered. Jean McConville was one of these individuals, both the only woman among them and the only Irish Catholic convert. Nearly 50 years later, many questions remain about these individuals. While Say Nothing doesn’t attempt to answer all of these questions, it does add fascinating context to the events.

    Interior Chinatown

    Willis Wu (Jimmy O. Yang) is a waiter who attempts to escape his humdrum life by imagining that he is a background actor in a Law & Order-esque TV show called Black & White. After Wu witnesses a kidnapping, police detective Lana Lee (Chloe Bennet) enlists him to help investigate and take down the local gangs in Chinatown—and discovers something about his own family in the process. Nothing is what it seems in this meta comedy-crime series, which Charles Yu adapted from his own National Book Award–winning novel. The Daily Show’s Ronny Chieng ups the comedy as Wu’s coworker/BFF Fatty Choi, and Taika Waititi (one of the show’s executive producers) directs the pilot.

    What We Do in the Shadows

    If you are in need of a laugh-out-loud comedy (and don’t mind if it’s of the sometimes R-rated kind), you should be watching What We Do in the Shadows. In 2014, Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi cowrote, codirected, and costarred in a feature of the same name—a funny mockumentary featuring a group of vampires who share a home. This series, which premiered in 2019, moved the vampire action from New Zealand to Staten Island and brought in a whole new group of vampires—who struggle to even get up off the couch, let alone take over all of New York City (as they’ve been instructed to). After several years, they finally seem ready to get around to the task. If you haven’t been watching, now is the perfect time to start—especially as its sixth season, which aired its final episode on December 16, will sadly be its last.

    La Máquina

    Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna have been close friends since childhood, and it shows in the onscreen work they’ve done together—most famously in Alfonso Cuarón’s Oscar-nominated Y Tu Mamá También (2001). More than two decades later, their onscreen chemistry is still potent, as evidenced by this Spanish-language boxing drama. Esteban (García Bernal) is an aging boxer whose manager/BFF Andy (Luna) persuades him to step into the ring one last time before he officially retires. But as the match looms closer, the criminal underbelly of the sport rears its head—forcing Esteban to determine what parts of his life he’s willing to sacrifice. With just six episodes in all, La Máquina moves fast. Don’t flinch.

    Rivals

    Though David Tennant rose to fame playing Doctor Who’s lovably quirky Tenth Doctor, he’s often at his best when he gets to play a bit of a conniving asshole. In Rivals, Tennant clearly relishes the opportunity. Based on Jilly Cooper’s 1988 novel, and set two years before then, it tells the story of two very powerful men and neighbors—Lord Tony Baddingham (Tennant) and Tory MP Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell)—whose ongoing rivalry brings to mind the over-the-top nighttime soaps of that decade, including Dallas and Dynasty. Like those iconic American series, Rivals is more shock-driven than plot-driven, with its campiness (and lots and lots of sex between people who are married to other people) being part of the point. At its heart, it’s a class warfare story in which the tensions between bona fide aristocrat/rogue Campbell-Black and new-money-who-married-into-old-money media mogul Baddingham boil over for all to see. Especially after Baddingham, who owns a television network, poaches popular TV presenter Declan O’Hara (Aidan Turner) from the BBC and enlists fish-out-of-water American TV producer Cameron Cook (Nafessa Williams) to help keep him on top.

    How to Die Alone

    Former Saturday Night Live and Insecure writer Natasha Rothwell—whom you might know from her Emmy-nominated turn as spa manager Belinda in season 1 of The White Lotus (she’ll be back for season 3)—created and stars in this eight-episode series. Mel (Rothwell) is an employee at New York City’s JFK Airport who is content with the uneventful life she has built for herself. But when she has a sudden brush with death, she decides to take her life into her own hands. While it’s not the first series to explore matters of life and death, it does so in a way that is both beautifully nuanced and laugh-out-loud funny—all of it anchored by Rothwell’s performance. On February 4, Hulu announced that it had canceled the series after one season—a move that has Rothwell “baffled” and looking for a new network to produce season 2.

    English Teacher

    Television audiences are hardly lacking in high school–set comedies, or in really great high school–set comedies, and/or really great high school–set comedies that focus on the teacher perspective (see: Abbott Elementary). English Teacher is already proving that it is well on its way to fitting into that elite niche. Brian Jordan Alvarez—who was behind the award-winning 2016 web series The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo—both created and stars in the show, in which he portrays an English teacher in Austin, Texas, who is dedicated to making an impact on his students, even if he sometimes needs to depend on their teenage wisdom to figure out the right way to do that. While it doesn’t shy away from the politics that exist in the teaching profession, it also presents the “adults” as often just as lost as the kids they teach.

    Only Murders in the Building

    Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez make for a delightful trio of true-crime-obsessed podcast fans who, in season 1 of this original Hulu series, decide to join forces and create their own podcast while attempting to solve the mysterious death of a fellow resident of their Manhattan apartment building. From the very beginning of their odd alliance, it’s been clear that all is not what it seems, and everyone is keeping secrets. Now they’ve upped the ante on guest stars, too; the third season saw Paul Rudd and Meryl Streep join in the fun. Streep returned for the show’s fourth season, and was joined by Eugene Levy, Kumail Nanjiani, Tina Fey, Melissa McCarthy, Zach Galifianakis, and Eva Longoria. Season 5 is already in the works.

    At Witt’s End

    On December 1, 1994, 19-year-old Melissa Witt drove to surprise her mother at a bowling alley in Fort Smith, Arkansas, but disappeared without a trace. Six weeks later, her naked body was found by hunters in Ozark National Forest. Now, this four-part docuseries delves into the 30-year quest to identify Melissa’s killer(s) and bring an end to her case, which local police, the FBI, family, and friends are still desperate to solve. At Witt’s End elevates the typical true-crime docudrama by drawing an intimate portrait of Witt, a beloved teen whose life was cut far too short.

    Solar Opposites

    This animated sci-fi comedy, which premiered in 2020, is about a family of aliens from the planet Shlorp who crash-land on Earth—for better or worse. The show is rooted in the idea that humans are, well, weird. Which seems appropriate given this current moment in time. Yet, in between the laughs and occasional threat to humanity, it maintains a positive outlook on the world and the people who inhabit it. Which is something we could probably all use right about now.

    Marvel’s Hit-Monkey

    Hit-Monkey may not be Marvel’s best known character, but this action-packed animated series is helping change that. As the title indicates, the story centers around Hit-Monkey (Fred Tatasciore), a snow monkey intent on taking out the Tokyo underworld with the help of his mentor, Bryce Fowler (Jason Sudeikis). Oh, and Bryce is a ghost—and a former assassin.

    Futurama

    Following a decade-long hiatus, Futurama—Matt Groening and David X. Cohen’s animated sci-fi comedy—made a triumphant return in 2023, complete with gags about Twilight Zone and “Momazon” drone deliveries. Now is the perfect time to dive back in—or watch it all for the first time. All 12 seasons of the series are currently available for streaming and and Hulu has confirmed that at least two more seasons are on the way (with the next one tentatively scheduled to premiere in July).

    We Were the Lucky Ones

    In Radom, Poland, the Kurcs are a loving family who seem to have it all—until the horrors of the Holocaust invade the serenity of their everyday lives. As World War II arrives on their doorstep, the family is separated—escaping to France, Brazil, West Africa, and Russia. Some are in hiding, others in concentration camps. But they’re all focused on one goal: surviving the war and reuniting with each other.

    The Bear

    Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) is a superstar of the fine dining world who has returned to his hometown of Chicago to save his family’s struggling sandwich shop after his brother’s death by suicide. While Carmy initially struggles to acclimate himself to being home and to his inherited kitchen’s back-to-basics style, he eventually realizes that it’s not too late to change both himself and the restaurant. Anyone who has ever worked in a busy kitchen knows the stress that comes with it, and The Bear does an excellent job of making that tension palpable—as evidenced by its slew of aforementioned Emmy Awards. While the plot sounds simple enough, much of Carmy’s previous life is a bit of a mystery, and it’s doled out in amuse-bouche-sized bits throughout the series with top-tier guest stars you may not have seen coming (fact: Jamie Lee Curtis has never been better, as evidenced by her recent—and very first—Emmy win). Prepare to feast.

    Queenie

    Queenie Jenkins (Dionne Brown) is a Jamaican-British twentysomething whose world is thrown into an upheaval following an ugly breakup with her boyfriend. That messiness follows Queenie into the next chapter in her life, when she attempts to pick up the pieces of her failed relationship while frequently butting heads with her family and trying to reconcile her dual cultures. Candice Carty-Williams adapts her own bestselling novel to create a poignant dramedy that’s ultimately about trauma and healing.

    Black Twitter: A People’s History

    In the late 2000s—back when Elon Musk was just that car-and-spaceship billionaire—Twitter was more than a social media network. It was a genuine gathering place for people to find their people, whether that was Film Twitter or Cat Twitter. For Black Twitter, it was a lot more. This three-part docuseries, based on WIRED senior writer Jason Parham’s 2021 cover story, recounts the most important moments and movements that helped solidify the Black Twitter community’s place as a cultural force in the world, from politics and beyond.

    Under the Bridge

    Welcome to your new true crime obsession. Riley Keough and Lily Gladstone (who earned an Emmy nomination for her work in the show) make a formidable duo as an author and a police officer, respectively, investigating the brutal murder of a 14-year-old girl in a small town in Canada. The limited series is based on Rebecca Godfrey’s award-winning 2005 book of the same name (with Keough portraying Godfrey), and is a haunting reminder of what human beings are capable of.

    Shōgun

    Game of Thrones fans still lamenting the loss of one of television’s great epics have found their new favorite binge-watch in Shōgun, which just took home a record 18 Emmys (with 25 nods altogether). This 10-episode series, based on James Clavell’s beloved novel (which was first adapted into a miniseries in 1980), is a brilliant and sweeping tale of political rivalry in feudal Japan where Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), a powerful warrior, has a target put on his back by his political rivals in the Council of Regents. Fortunately for Toranaga, he’s got Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai), a talented translator and fiercely loyal samurai, by his side. Though it was originally positioned as a one-and-done limited series, FX and Hulu have already confirmed that both seasons two and three are in the works.

    Such Brave Girls

    Comedian/actress Kat Sadler created and stars in this deeply messy, darkly funny story of a totally dysfunctional family—mom Deb (Sherlock’s Louise Brealey) and daughters Josie (Sadler) and Billie (Lizzie Davidson, Sadler’s real-life sister)—attempting to pick up the pieces after their husband/father leaves them. It’s cringe-comedy at its finest, and the kind that will appeal to fans of Fleabag. A second season is in the works, and expected to premiere later this year.

    Abbott Elementary

    Quinta Brunson created and stars in this hit series, which follows the daily lives—in and out of the classroom—of a group of teachers at what is widely considered one of the worst public schools in America. Despite a lack of funding for even basic educational necessities, and school district leaders who only care about the barest minimum standards, these educators are united by their drive to surpass expectations and encourage their students to do the same. The series is currently in its fourth season, with season 5 already confirmed.

    Fargo

    Noah Hawley’s anthology series isn’t the first attempt to adapt the Coen brothers’ Oscar-winning crime-comedy to the small screen (Edie Falco starred in a previous version, which was a more straightforward adaptation of the movie), but his approach was clearly the smarter move. Fans of the Coens in general will find lots to love about the many nods to the filmmakers’ entire filmography, with each season covering a different crime and time period. Though the seasons do share connections, each one is a total one-off, and the show might boast the most talented group of actors ever assembled: Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Bob Odenkirk, Oliver Platt, Ted Danson, Patrick Wilson, Nick Offerman, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Ewan McGregor, Michael Stuhlbarg, Carrie Coon, Scoot McNairy, Chris Rock, Jason Schwartzman, Timothy Olyphant, and Ben Whishaw are just a few of the names who’ve found a home in Fargo. The fantastic fifth season—featuring Juno Temple, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Joe Keery, and Lamorne Morris (who won an Emmy for his role)—continued this tradition of exceptional acting, with all episodes streaming now.

    A Murder at the End of the World

    Darby Hart (Emma Corrin) is a talented hacker and armchair detective who is one of eight guests invited to spend a few days at the stunning yet remote home of a mysterious billionaire (Clive Owen). When one of the guests ends up dead, Darby must work quickly to prove that it was murder—and who did it—before the bodies start piling up. Fans of twisty true crime will appreciate this limited series, which comes from the minds of Brit Marling (who costars) and Zal Batmanglij—cocreators of the equally mind-bending The OA.

    Moonlighting

    While Die Hard turned Bruce Willis into one of Hollywood’s biggest action stars, he was far from producers’ first choice for the role of John McClane. That’s largely because he was seen as the funny guy from Moonlighting, the Emmy-winning ’80s dramedy that centers around the Blue Moon Detective Agency and its two often-bickering owners, David Addison (Willis) and Maddie Hayes (Cybill Shepherd). Over the course of its five seasons, the series racked up some serious critical acclaim and wasn’t afraid to experiment with the sitcom format.

    The Other Black Girl

    Sinclair Daniel shines as Nella Rogers, an up-and-coming book editor—and the only Black employee at the publishing house where she works. While Nella is initially thrilled when another young woman of color, Hazel-May McCall (Ashleigh Murray), is hired as an assistant, she can’t help but notice that a series of bizarre events seems to follow. As Nella tries to suss out exactly what is going on, she uncovers some pretty damn disturbing skeletons in her employer’s closet. While horror-comedies are an increasingly popular movie genre, we don’t see them on the small screen quite as often—which, if this clever series is any indication, is a real shame. Also unfortunate: One season is all we’ll get of The Other Black Girl.

    The Full Monty

    Twenty-six years after a low-budget British comedy blew up at the box office, scored an Oscar, and introduced “the Full Monty” into the popular lexicon, the Regular Joes turned strippers from Sheffield are back to face largely the same issues they were lamenting in the original feature film. Much of the main cast reassembled for this follow-up to Peter Cattaneo’s hit 1997 movie, including two-time Oscar nominee Tom Wilkinson, who passed away in late December. Stripping is involved, as are other inevitables in life, including breakups, reconciliations, and death. For fans of the original movie—or the Broadway musical and stage play that followed—it’s a fun check-in with the characters who bared it all.

    The Office (UK)

    Years before there was Jim and Pam and Dwight and Michael, there were Tim and Dawn and Gareth and David. For lovers of cringe, it’s hard to do better than Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s workplace comedy. David Brent (Gervais) is the original boss from hell, whose office antics will have you covering your eyes and laughing out loud at the same time. Like many British series, there are just two seasons—each consisting of a mere six episodes—plus a two-part Christmas special. Don’t be surprised if you sit down to watch a single episode and binge it all in one go.

    Cheers

    In the 1980s, NBC was the channel to watch on Thursday nights—in large part thanks to Cheers. The bar where everybody knows your name is where the action happens in this award-winning sitcom about a former Red Sox player (Ted Danson) and the lovable employees and patrons who treat his bar like a second home. If you can look past (or, even better, embrace) the questionable ’80s fashion and sometimes-sexist storylines that wouldn’t necessarily fly on TV today, you’ll find what is arguably one of the smartest sitcoms ever written. More than 40 years after its original premiere, the jokes still stand up and the characters are some of television’s most memorable (and beloved) for a reason.

    Dopesick

    Back in 2021, Hulu went where Netflix’s Painkiller went in 2023: to the late ’90s and early 2000s, aka the beginning of America’s opioid crisis. Danny Strong created this retelling of the lengths to which Richard Sackler (played here by the always excellent Michael Stuhlbarg) and Purdue Pharma would go to sell doctors on the powers of OxyContin—all with the promise of no addiction. Michael Keaton won an Emmy for his portrayal of a widowed doctor in Appalachia who buys into the lies, and eventually becomes a victim of them.

    Reservation Dogs

    Taika Waititi and Sterlin Harjo cocreated this Peabody Award–winning series, which made history as the first mainstream TV show created by, starring, and crewed by an almost entirely Indigenous American team. It tells the story of four bored teens who are desperate to escape their lives on a reservation in Oklahoma. They decide that California is where they want to be and commit to a life of mostly petty crimes in order to save up enough money to leave. The full series is available to watch now, including the brilliant third season sendoff.

    Taste the Nation With Padma Lakshmi

    “The gateway to another culture often happens first through food,” says Padma Lakshmi in the first season of Taste the Nation. That pretty much sums up this food show, made in the style of Parts Unknown and Bizarre Foods (both of which are also streaming on Hulu). Lakshmi makes for a compelling tour guide, and she doesn’t even need to leave the US to explore the cultures, and culinary delights, of Ukraine, Cambodia, Italy, and beyond.

    The Great

    Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult shine in this witty, fast-paced, comedic retelling (but not really) of Catherine the Great’s rise to power. Created by Tony McNamara, who earned Oscar nominations for his writing work on both The Favourite and Poor Things, The Great offers the same combination of lush costumes and scenery mixed with a biting commentary on the world, and a woman’s place in it. A story that rings as true today as it did in the 18th century, when Catherine the Great became empress of Russia and brought about the Age of Enlightenment, this show chips away at notions of class, propriety, and monarchical rule in a way few others do. If it’s historical accuracy you’re after, look elsewhere; the series’ creators describe it as decidedly “anti-historical” (which is part of the fun). All three seasons are available to stream.

    Tiny Beautiful Things

    The reason to watch this eight-part limited series can be summed up in two words: Kathryn Hahn. A comedic juggernaut, Hahn can switch from funny to dramatic in the same scene, if not the same sentence. This talent is on display in Tiny Beautiful Things, where she plays Claire, a writer who takes up an advice column and pours all the traumas of her life into responding to her readers. Based on Wild author Cheryl Strayed’s collection of “Dear Sugar” columns, the vignettes here may be a bit out of sorts, but Hahn pulls them together.

    Dave

    Dave Burd is a comedian and rapper who goes by the stage name Lil Dicky. In Dave, Burd plays a rapper who goes by the stage name Lil Dicky and is attempting to raise his profile and make a much bigger name for himself. If only his many neuroses didn’t keep getting in the way. While Dave could have easily turned into some mediocre experiment in meta storytelling, Burd—who cocreated the series, stars in it, and has written several episodes—grapples with some surprisingly touchy topics, including mental illness. And he does it all with a level of sensitivity and honesty that you might not expect from a guy named Lil Dicky. Despite the show’s popularity and critical acclaim, the three seasons currently streaming may be all we get of Dave. In early 2024, Burd announced that he’d be pressing “pause” on the series in order to explore other creative ventures. (But never say never.)

    Atlanta

    Donald Glover proved himself to be a quadruple threat of an actor, writer, musician, and comedian with this highly acclaimed FX series about Earnest “Earn” Marks (Glover), an aspiring music manager who is trying to help his cousin Alfred Miles, aka Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry), kick off his musical career. They’re surrounded by a supportive crew of friends, including Alfred’s BFF, Darius (LaKeith Stanfield), and Van (Zazie Beetz), Earn’s close friend and the mother of his child. This makes it all sound like a fairly straightforward buddy comedy, but Atlanta is so much more. Even better: It’s weird. Glover is not afraid to experiment with storytelling, which is part of what makes the show so compelling.

    Baskets

    Zach Galifianakis stars alongside Zach Galifianakis as twin brothers Chip and Dale Baskets in this unexpectedly moving family comedy about an aspiring clown (Chip) who fails to graduate from a fancy clowning school in Paris and is forced to return home to Bakersfield, California, where he lives with his mother (the late Louie Anderson) and is constantly belittled by his higher-achieving brother (Dale). Between the dual role for Galifianakis and Anderson as the mom, it may sound like a cheap bit of stunt casting that can’t sustain more than an episode, let alone multiple character arcs. But if you’re a fan of absurdist comedy, Baskets truly ranks among the best of them. And Anderson, who won his first and only Emmy for his role as Costco-loving Christine, is absolutely transcendent. While it received a fair amount of critical acclaim, Baskets could rightly be considered one of the most underseen and underappreciated series in recent memory.

    The Dropout

    Amanda Seyfried won a much deserved Outstanding Lead Actress Emmy for her portrayal of the notorious Stanford dropout turned health care technology maven Elizabeth Holmes, who tricked some of the world’s savviest business minds into investing in her company, Theranos. While Holmes’ goal was altruistic enough—making health care more accessible to the masses via a device that could detect any number of diseases with little more than a single finger prick of blood—the technology wasn’t able to catch up. Rather than admit defeat, she kept pushing, making business deals and promises she could never fulfill.

    The Handmaid’s Tale

    When Margaret Atwood wrote The Handmaid’s Tale in 1985, little did she know that its television adaptation would revolutionize the still-nascent world of original streaming content. And she may not have anticipated just how many parallels her dystopian classic would share with the real world at the time it was adapted into an award-winning television series. It’s set in an unnamed time in what is presumably the very near future, when the United States has been taken over by a fundamentalist group known as Gilead, under whose regime women are considered property and stripped of any personal rights. The most valuable women are those who are fertile, as infertility has become an epidemic, and they are kept as handmaids who are forced to take part in sexual rituals with high-ranking couples in order to bear their children. Recognizing the power she wields, Offred, aka June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss), is not content to remain enslaved and sets about changing the rules as she seeks to reunite with her lost husband and daughter. It’s been a while since we’ve seen any new episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale; its most recent season aired in 2022. Production on the sixth, and final, season commenced in September and is scheduled to drop in the spring.

    It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

    If you thought the characters on Seinfeld were terrible people, wait until you meet the gang from Paddy’s Pub. For nearly 20 years, Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Mac (Robert McElhenney), Charlie (Charlie Day), Sweet Dee (Kaitlin Olson), and Frank (Danny DeVito) have unapologetically plotted against each other and total strangers in a series of completely self-centered schemes with absolutely no regard for the rules of civility. The show follows the “no hugging and no learning” rule Larry David established for Seinfeld, but elevates it to a new level of sociopathy. “Dennis and Dee Go on Welfare,” “Sweet Dee Has a Heart Attack,” “How Mac Got Fat,” “Dennis Looks Like a Registered Sex Offender,” “The Gang Turns Black,” and “The Gang Goes to a Water Park” are just some of the offbeat adventures awaiting viewers. In 2021, Sunny became the longest-running live-action sitcom in the history of television, and it shows no signs of slowing down—or taking it easy on its characters. It also happens to be one of the easiest shows to binge: Pop an episode on and, without even realizing it, you’ll be on to another season. Its 16th (!!) wrapped up in 2023—but there are at least two more on the way.

    Letterkenny

    What began as a web series is now a Hulu original that wrapped up its eleventh season in December. The show is a portrait of small-town Canada (the fictional Letterkenny of the title) and focuses on siblings Wayne (cocreator Jared Keeso) and Katy (Michelle Mylett), who run a produce stand with help from friends Daryl (Nathan Dales) and Squirrely Dan (K. Trevor Wilson). As is often the case in small-town series, many of the residents fall into specific categories—in Letterkenny, you could be a gym rat, a hick, a skid (their word for a drug addict), or a “native” (a member of the nearby First Nation reservation). But in contrast to many small-town series, these groups—and the individuals who comprise them—aren’t reduced to meaningless stereotypes.

    The Patient

    Steve Carell plays against type—or is at least nothing like The Office’s Michael Scott—in this psychological thriller from Joel Fields and The Americans creator Joe Weisberg. Carell is Alan Strauss, a therapist being held captive by his patient (Domhnall Gleeson), who cops to being a serial killer and desperately wants Strauss to “cure” his desire to kill. The series plays out like one big-bottle episode; much of the action occurs in a single room, with Carell and Gleeson speaking only to each other—each trying to determine his best next move.

    Pen15

    Mining the awkwardness of one’s middle school years is hardly a new comedy concept. But being in your early thirties and playing yourself as a junior high school student and then surrounding yourself with age-appropriate actors who are actually going through that hellish rite of passage brings a whole new layer of cringe and humor. This is exactly what cocreators/stars Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle did for Pen15.



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  • A comprehensive list of 2024 and 2025 tech layoffs

    A comprehensive list of 2024 and 2025 tech layoffs


    The tech layoff wave continued through 2024. Following significant workforce reductions in 2022 and 2023, 2024 saw more than 150,000 job cuts across 542 companies, according to independent layoffs tracker Layoffs.fyi. Large companies like Tesla, Amazon, Google, TikTok, Snap, and Microsoft conducted sizable layoffs in 2024, while smaller-sized startups also experienced cuts, and in some cases, shut down operations altogether.

    We’re continuing to track the industry’s layoffs into 2025 so you can see the trajectory of the cutbacks. Later this year, we will break out our 2024 and 2025 lists in order to make the trends easier to parse.

    By tracking these layoffs, we’re able to understand the impact on innovation across companies large and small. We’re also able to see the potential impact of businesses embracing AI and automation for jobs that had previously been considered safe. It also serves as a reminder of the human impact of layoffs and what could be at stake in regards to increased innovation.

    Below you’ll find a comprehensive list of all the known layoffs in tech that have occurred in 2024, to be updated regularly. If you have a tip on a layoff, contact us here. If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can contact us here.

    • January 2025: 6,003 employees laid off — see all January 2025 Tech Layoffs
    • December 2024: 2,268 employees laid off — see all December 2024 Tech Layoffs
    • November 2024: 5,925 employees laid off — see all November 2024 Tech Layoffs
    • October 2024: 3,659 employees laid  off — see all October 2024 Tech Layoffs
    • September 2024: 3,765 employees laid off — see all September 2024 Tech Layoffs
    • August 2024: 26,024 employees laid off — see all August 2024 Tech Layoffs
    • July 2024: 9,051 employees laid off — see all July 2024 Tech Layoffs
    • June 2024: 10,083 employees laid off — see all June 2024 Tech Layoffs
    • May 2024: 11,011 employees laid off — see all May 2024 Tech Layoffs
    • April 2024: 22,423 employees laid off — see all April 2024 Tech Layoffs
    • March 2024: 7,403 employees laid off — see all March 2024 Tech Layoffs
    • February 2024: 15,639 employees laid off — see all February 2024 Tech Layoffs
    • January 2024: 34,107 employees laid off — see all January 2024 Tech Layoffs

    February 2025

    Sonos

    Reportedly let go of approximately 200 employees, according to The Verge. The company previously cut 100 employees as part of a layoff round in August 2024. 

    Workday

    Laid off 1,750 employees, as originally reported by Bloomberg and confirmed independently by TechCrunch. The cuts affect roughly 8.5% of the enterprise HR platform’s total head count.

    Okta

    Laid off 180 employees, the company confirmed to TechCrunch. The cuts come just over one year after the access and identity management giant let go of 400 workers.

    Cruise

    Is laying off 50% of its workforce, including CEO Marc Whitten and several other top executives, as it prepares to shut down operations. What remains of the autonomous vehicle company will move under General Motors.

    Salesforce

    Is reportedly eliminating more than 1,000 jobs. The cuts come as the giant is actively recruiting and hiring workers to sell new AI products.

    January 2025

    Cushion

    Has shut down operations, CEO Paul Kesserwani announced on LinkedIn. The fintech startup’s post-money valuation in 2022 was $82.4 million, according to PitchBook.

    Placer.ai

    Laid off 150 employees based in the U.S., affecting roughly 18% of its total workforce, in an effort to reach profitability.

    Amazon

    Laid off dozens of workers in its communications department in order to help the company “move faster, increase ownership, strengthen our culture, and bring teams closer to customers.”

    Stripe

    Is laying off 300 people, according to a leaked memo reported by Business Insider. However, according to the memo, the fintech giant is planning to grow its total headcount by 17%. 

    Textio

    Laid off 15 employees as the augmented writing startup undergoes a restructuring effort.

    Pocket FM

    Is cutting 75 employees in an effort to “ensure the long-term sustainability and success” of the company. The audio company last cut 200 writers in July 2024 months after partnering with ElevenLabs.

    Aurora Solar

    Is planning to cut 58 employees in response to an “ongoing macroeconomic challenges and continued uncertainty in the solar industry.”

    Meta

    Announced in an internal memo that it will cut 5% of its staff targeting “low performers” as the company prepares for “an intense year.” As of its latest quarterly report, Meta currently has more than 72,000 employees.

    Wayfair

    Will cut up to 730 jobs, impacting 3% of its total workforce, as it plans to exit operations in Germany and focus on physical retailers.

    Pandion

    Is shutting down its operations, impacting 63 employees. The delivery startup said employees will be paid through January 15 without severance.

    Icon

    Is laying off 114 employees as part of a team realignment, per a new WARN notice filing, focusing its efforts on a robotic printing system.

    Altruist

    Eliminated 37 jobs, impacting roughly 10% of its total workforce, even as the company pursues “aggressive” hiring.

    Aqua Security

    Is cutting dozens of employees across its global markets as part of a strategic reorganization to increase profitability.

    SolarEdge Technologies

    Plans to lay off 400 employees globally. It’s the company’s fourth layoff round since January 2024 as the solar industry as a whole faces a downturn.

    Level

    The fintech startup, founded in 2018, abruptly shut down earlier this year. Per an email from CEO Paul Aaron, the closure follows an unsuccessful attempt to find a buyer, though Employer.com has a new offer under consideration to acquire the company post-shutdown.

    December 2024

    Brave Care

    Has shut down its operations permanently, according to a post on its website. It’s unclear how many workers were impacted.

    Epicery

    Has ceased operations as the result of “economic and financial challenges” that the food delivery startup could not overcome.

    Bench

    Abruptly shut down but was later acquired by Employer.com for an undisclosed price in a last-minute deal. It’s currently unknown how many of the accounting startup’s 600 staff will be hired back.

    Lilium

    Ceased operations and laid off about 1,000 workers. But the company might be saved after all: Lilium announced that a consortium of investors agreed to acquire two subsidiaries, which would allow it to restructure and exit insolvency.

    Boston Dynamics

    Has laid off 45 employees, accounting for 5% of its total workforce. A spokesperson told The Boston Globe the cuts impacted “nearly every function throughout the business.”

    OfferUp

    Is cutting 22% of its workforce as it attempts to expand into new product lines. The total number of workers impacted is not currently known.

    Canoo

    Is undergoing another layoff round two months after the EV startup relocated employees to Texas to avoid bankruptcy. More than 20 employees were included in the cuts.

    Foundry

    Eliminated 27% of its workforce. The cuts include 16% of its U.S.-based employees, as well as a “small team in India,” affecting a total of 74 workers.

    Calendly

    Laid off 70 employees, roughly 13% of its workforce. The cuts impacted teams in engineering, customer experience, marketing, and billing.

    Yahoo

    Laid off around 25% of its cybersecurity team — known as The Paranoids — over the last year, TechCrunch has learned. The cuts impacted 40 to 50 employees out of a total staff of 200.

    Bluevine

    Is cutting 100 employees, impacting its global workforce by roughly 18%. It’s the fintech company’s second layoff round in six months.

    EasyKnock

    Has abruptly shut down. The news follows several lawsuits filed against the proptech company and an FTC consumer alert about controversial sale-leaseback models.

    Carousell

    Is eliminating 76 roles in a reorganization effort. The cuts account for about 7% of the Singapore-based company’s total headcount. 

    Mixtroz

    Is shutting down its operations, co-founders Kerry Schrader and Ashlee Ammons Halpin announced.

    Stash

    Reportedly laid off 40% of its roughly 220-person workforce in a major restructuring effort following the departure of CEO Liza Landsman in September.

    Booking Holdings

    Has laid off 60 employees in one of its B2B units as the company shifts its focus to AI.

    Lightspeed Commerce

    Will lay off roughly 200 employees as part of a “strategic review” of its business while exploring a potential sale. The company cut 280 workers in April as part of a restructuring effort.

    November 2024

    AlphaSense

    Laid off 150 employees, impacting 8% of its workforce, in a new restructuring effort following its July 2024 acquisition of Tegus.

    Ola Electric

    Is reportedly letting go of up to 500 employees in an effort to boost its profitability. The cuts would impact more than 10% of its total workforce.

    Hopper

    Cut roughly 10% of its workforce, affecting 60-65 employees, as the online travel agency conducts another reorganization attempt.

    LinkedIn

    Eliminated 202 employees, accounting for roughly 1% of its total workforce. The cuts impacted engineering and customer support roles, spokesperson Greg Snapper confirmed to The Information.

    Headspace

    Is cutting 13% of its workforce and shifting its staff of clinical therapists to part-time or contract roles in an effort to “reset” the unicorn startup. It’s unknown exactly how many employees were impacted.

    Truelayer

    Reportedly laid off roughly a quarter of its employees. Sources told City AM that the former unicorn startup cut 71 roles before announcing a $50 million funding round.

    AppLovin

    Announced 120 layoffs in a new WARN filing. The filing comes a week after the advertising software company hit a $97.7 billion valuation.

    Stoa

    Has shut down its operations after four years in business, CEO Raj Kunkolienkar announced on LinkedIn.

    AMD

    Is laying off 4% of its workforce to focus on “large growth opportunities.” AMD had roughly 26,000 employees as of last year, so the cuts could impact approximately 1,000 workers.

    23andMe

    Is cutting 40% of its workforce, impacting more than 200 employees, as part of a restructuring effort at the company. Since going public in 2021, 23andMe has lost more than 99% of its value amid declining interest in its products and subscriptions, plus a data breach in 2023 that resulted in 7 million users’ ancestry data being stolen.

    Chegg

    Is laying off 319 employees, accounting for 21% of its total staff, as it struggles to compete with ChatGPT and other AI products. Like 23andMe, at the time of writing, Chegg has also lost 99% of its valuation since going public in 2013.

    Enphase Energy

    Is laying off roughly 500 workers, affecting 17% of the solar and EV charging company’s total workforce. Enphase laid off 10% of its workforce less than a year ago, as they and other solar companies continue to face significant headwinds.

    Exosonic

    Is shutting down after five years of operation. In 2020, the supersonic aircraft startup joined Y Combinator’s Winter cohort in 2020 and went on to raise over $4.5 million.

    Freshworks

    Is laying off 660 employees globally, accounting for 13% of the company’s total workforce, as the software-as-a-service company for customer and IT service management aims to finish a restructuring effort by the end of the year.

    Akamai

    The cloud computing company is eliminating 2.5% of its workforce, impacting roughly 250 employees. The company made a similar sized cut to its workforce at the beginning of 2023.

    ShareFile

    Announced it will cut nearly 200 jobs in North Carolina, shortly after its acquisition by Progress Software Corp.

    Just Eat

    Is reducing its headcount by 300 employees, accounting for 2% of the food delivery company’s total work force.

    iRobot

    Is laying off 105 employees — about 16% of the company’s workforce. The move comes after iRobot slashed roughly 350 jobs earlier this year, following the scuttling of an acquisition by Amazon for $1.7 billion.

    The Mozilla Foundation

    Has laid off 30% of its employees as the organization says it faces a “relentless onslaught of change.” It’s the second layoff round at Mozilla this year.

    Maven Clinic

    Reportedly cut 10% of its staff, impacting roughly 60 employees. In October 2024, the company announced a $125 million Series F Round.

    Bowery Farming

    Is shutting down its operations. The agtech company was valued at $2.3 billion in 2021.

    October 2024

    Tidal

    Is conducting another round of layoffs, reportedly impacting up to 100 employees. CEO Jack Dorseytold employees in an email that the company needs to operate “like a startup again.” 

    X

    Reportedly conducted a round of layoffs. The number of employees impacted is currently unknown.

    Coursera

    Cut 10% of its total workforce as the education company struggles with its customers not renewing their subscriptions.

    Dropbox

    Is letting go of 20% of its workforce as the company undergoes what CEO Drew Houston calls a “transitional period.” The reduction in headcount will impact 528 employees.

    Consensys

    Has laid off 20% of its total workforce as it faces struggles in the Ethereum market.

    F5

    Is trimming its global workforce by nearly 2% in a cost-cutting measure, impacting roughly 100 employees.

    Kyte

    Is pulling out of almost all of its major markets in the U.S. and has cut its workforce roughly in half as it shifts its focus on just San Francisco and New York City.

    Upwork

    Is reducing its total workforce by 21% as the company aims to generate $60 million in annual cost savings.

    Venminder

    Will lay off 100 employees after being acquired by risk and vendor management company Ncontracts.

    Jellysmack

    Is laying off staff in a reorganization effort impacting 22 employees in the U.S. Cuts will reportedly also impact staffers in France in the coming months.

    CapWay

    Has been shut down, founder Sheena Allen wrote on LinkedIn. The Y Combinator-backed fintech sought to bring financial services to people in banking deserts.Meta

    Employees across multiple teams across Meta have been laid off as the company looks to “ensure resources are aligned with their long-term strategic goals,” in the words of its emailed statement to TechCrunch. What Meta did not detail was the scope or specific teams affected by the layoffs, though Threads, recruiting and legal were confirmed not to be unaffected.

    Boeing

    Will cut 10% of its workforce, impacting roughly 17,000 employees. The cuts follow a loss of $9.97 a share in Q3 amid a continued machinist union strike.

    Stellantis

    Is laying off 1,100 employees in Michigan, impacting the company’s subsidiary brands Chrysler, Jeep, Ram, and Dodge.

    TikTok

    Is laying off hundreds of employees, mainly in Malaysia, as the social network turns to AI for content moderation. The company said fewer than 500 people were affected.

    Samsung

    Is cutting jobs in Southeast Asia and Australia to “improve operational efficiency.” A spokesperson told TechCrunch that it hasn’t “set a target number for any particular positions,” though the cuts could impact roughly 10% of workers in those markets

    Kasperksy

    Is shutting down its UK office and laying off dozens of workers, TechCrunch has learned. The cuts come just three months after the company started closing down its U.S. operations. 

    NFX

    Laid off four employees as the firm looks to “rebalance” its resources from its software and product teams to its investing team, general partner Pete Flint told TechCrunch.

    Eaze

    Is laying off 500 employees as it begins winding down its operations. In a message to staff, CEO Cory Azzalino cited the “ongoing challenges of the California cannabis market” as a reason for the closure. 

    PubMatic

    Eliminated 1% of its total workforce, impacting roughly more than a dozen employees, as it reportedly pivots its business to connected-TV advertising.

    Tome

    Has laid off nearly a third of its employees in a “resetting” attempt for the company. It’s the second layoff round for the AI startup in 2024.

    Alma

    Has laid off 9% of its total workforce, impacting most departments, as it aims for “long-term sustainability.”

    Flexport

    Is reducing its headcount by about 2%. It’s the second layoff round for Flexport this year, where the company cut 20% of its staff in January.

    FreshBooks

    Let go of 140 employees across all of its teams as it aims to reach profitability, CEO Mara Reiff announced in a blog post.

    September 2024

    Shein

    Has cut 17 employees in Singapore as the company prepares for an IPO at the London Stock Exchange.

    Drata

    The security compliance platform has laid off 9% of its workforce, impacting 40 employees.

    Moov

    Reportedly laid off upwards of 50 employees, though Moov itself has not yet confirmed the layoffs.

    FreightWaves

    Eliminated 16 jobs in sales, HR, and marketing, citing a significant downturn in the freight market.

    Northvolt

    Is cutting 25% of its global workforce in an effort to cut costs. The layoffs impact upwards of 1,600 employees at the battery giant.

    Olo

    Is reducing its workforce by 9%, impacting roughly 50 employees, as it aims to fund future growth initiatives.

    Healthy.io

    Cut 40 employees across its markets in the U.S., the UK, and Israel. The cuts come after the Israeli healthtech firm laid off 70 employees in 2023. 

    Reverb

    Reportedly eliminated 40 roles. The Chicago-based music gear marketplace was acquired by Etsy in 2019.

    Luminar

    Is reducing its staff by 30% as part of a new cost-cutting measure, CEO Austin Russell announced in a blog post. The cuts are largely made up of “non-technical” roles.

    Notable Labs

    Is eliminating 65% of its workforce and consultants and pausing a clinical trial of its cancer treatment as it aims to minimize expenses.

    CrawTrawler

    Is cutting 10% of its workforce, impacting roughly 40 employees. The company, however, said it will create 28 new roles as part of its new strategy.

    ApplyBoard

    Has eliminated 4% of its total workforce as it restructures its operations in Ontario.

    Qualcomm

    Will lay off 226 workers in San Diego later this year, according to a California WARN notice. The decision comes less than a year after the chipmaker let go of more than 1,250 workers. 

    Udemy

    Will reduce its headcount in a new restructuring effort, impacting roughly 280 employees. The company says that half of those affected by the cuts would be rehired, particularly if they work in lower cost markets.

    Amperity

    Will lay off 13% of its workforce. The company previously laid off 20 employees earlier this year, in addition to two other workforce reductions in 2023.

    Cisco

    Is reducing its headcount by 7%, impacting around 5,600 employees. The cuts follow another layoff round from the company this year, in which 4,000 employees were impacted.

    Microsoft

    Is laying off around 650 employees in its gaming division. The layoffs come eight months after the gaming division faced 1,900 job cuts after Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard.

    Nori 

    Has shut down its operations citing a “tough funding environment,” co-founder Alexsandra Guerra announced on LinkedIn.

    Bending Spoons

    Will lay off 75% of WeTransfer’s staff. Bending Spoons acquired the file transfer service in July for an undisclosed amount.

    Goop

    Is laying off 18% of its 216-person staff as the company shifts its focus to its beauty and food brands and deprioritize other areas like wellness and travel. 

    Fly.io

    Has reportedly laid off around 40 employees in what appears to be a restructuring effort for the company.

    Motif FoodWorks

    Is reportedly shutting down its operations following a lengthy litigation battle with competitor Impossible Foods.

    August 2024

    Character.AI

    Reportedly cut at least 5% of its staff in its marketing and recruiting departments.

    Apple

    Is reportedly cutting around 100 jobs in its digital services group, potentially impacting workers in the company’s Books and News teams.

    Brave

    Has laid off 27 employees across the different departments, TechCrunch has learned. The cuts impact roughly 14% of the web browser and search startup’s total staff.

    Scale AI

    Reportedly terminated more than 1,000 remote contract workers. The company did not categorize the cuts as layoffs and says full-time employees have not been impacted.

    Skip the Dishes

    Is cutting 100 workers in Canada and 700 working for its parent company, Just Eat Takeaway.com, CEO Paul Burns announced on LinkedIn.

    GoPro

    Will reduce its total workforce by about 15% before the end of the year as part of a major restructuring effort. The cuts will impact around 139 workers.

    Retention.com

    Laid off 40% of its staff, CEO Adam Robinson wrote on LinkedIn, impacting 15 employees.

    Loop

    Is conducting layoffs as the company goes through a “strategic shift” in priorities. The number of employees affected is currently unknown.

    Inuitive

    Is cutting 20% of its workforce, affecting around 80 employees. Inuitive CEO Shlomo Gadot is also stepping down from the company.

    Formlabs

    Has laid off a “small number” of employees, the company exclusively confirmed to TechCrunch. The 3D printing firm says the cuts occurred over the past two years and impact 40 employees out of its less than 750-person staff.

    Sonos

    CEO Patrick Spence confirmed with TechCrunch the company cut 100 employees in a new layoff round, impacting 6% of Sonos’ workforce. Sonos previously reduced its headcount by 7% in 2023.

    Cisco

    Will reportedly eliminate thousands of jobs in another round of layoffs this year. The company previously laid off more than 4,000 employees in February 2024.

    Tally

    Has shut down its operations “after exploring all options” before running out of cash. The fintech previously helped users manage and pay off their credit card debt; it had 183 employees and was last valued at $855 million. 

    Branch.io

    Has laid off more than 100 employees. Nova Launcher, which was acquired by Branch in 2022, said the cuts whittled down its team to one full-time developer.

    READY Robotics

    Has reportedly stopped its operations. The company is now auctioning off equipment through the Silicon Valley Disposition.

    Eventbrite

    Is cutting around 100 employees, accounting for 11% of its total workforce. The online ticketing company previously let go of 8% of its employees in February 2023.

    LegalZoom

    Announced it will reduce its global workforce by 15% and pause future hiring efforts in an effort to save $25 million.

    Techstars

    Is laying off 17% of its staff and ending its $80 million J.P. Morgan-backed programs at the end of this year following a rocky period for the company that has included financial losses and leadership shakeups.

    Mobius

    Will completely shut down operations after facing financial struggles. The Kenya-based SUV manufacturer reportedly cited tax hikes as a driving force of the decision.

    Infineon

    Will cut 1,400 jobs globally, including hundreds of roles at its German plant. The company said it will also relocate an additional 1,400 employees to countries with lower labor costs.

    Jam City

    Has eliminated around 85 employees, affecting 10% of the video game developer and publisher’s total workforce.

    Dell

    Will conduct layoffs as the company plans to get “leaner,” according to an internal memo, and create a new sales unit focused on AI products and services. The number of employees impacted is currently unknown.

    Intel

    Intel kicked off the month with substantial layoffs, with 15,000 employees accounting for 15% of its total staff affected by the company’s cutbacks. “Our revenues have not grown as expected — and we’ve yet to fully benefit from powerful trends, like AI,” CEO Pat Gelsinger said in a memo announcing the layoffs.

    July 2024

    Rad Power Bikes

    The e-bike startup that has raised more than $300 million from investors has also conducted five rounds of layoffs since April 2021, with TechCrunch exclusively learning that Red Power’s most recent layoffs were conducted in July with an unknown number of Rad Power’s roughly 394 employees impacted.

    Match Group

    Has discontinued livestreaming services across its dating apps, specifically Plenty of Fish and BLK, as it shifts its focus to generative AI. The move will result in a 6% reduction in its total workforce.

    Bungie

    Will cut 220 employees, representing around 17% of the game studio’s total workforce. CEO Pete Parsons said the changes impact all levels of the company, including senior and executive leadership.

    Pocket FM

    Has reportedly eliminated roles for nearly 200 U.S. writers a month after the company partnered with ElevenLabs to quickly convert scripts into audio content using AI.

    WayCool Foods

    Has reportedly laid off more than 200 employees across several departments. It would be the agritech company’s third substantial layoff round in the past year.

    Webflow

    Announced it will eliminate roughly 8% of its workforce as the company works toward its “next phase of growth.”

    Cohere

    Is reportedly laying off about 20 employees, accounting for nearly 5% of its total workforce. The cuts came the day after the company announced it raised $500 million at a $5 billion valuation.

    Magic Leap

    Reportedly eliminated around 75 of its workers. As part of the cuts, the augmented reality startup reportedly axed its sales and marketing departments entirely.

    Mercari

    Is reportedly laying off nearly half of its employees in the U.S. as the Japan-based company struggles to compete with other e-commerce rivals like Temu.

    Aqua

    Is eliminating 50 employees, accounting for 10% of its total workforce. Earlier this year, the cybersecurity company raised $60 million at a $1 billion valuation, making it a unicorn.

    EverC

    Is reportedly laying off 10% of its 165-person workforce. The company develops cyber intelligence software that helps prevent online fraud.

    Lex

    Has laid off the majority of its roughly eight-person staff as the LGBTQ+ social networking site struggles to monetize its product. Last year, the company’s third, Lex raised $5.6 million in seed funding and elevated co-founder Jennifer Lewis from COO to CEO.

    Monarch Tractor

    Cut “less than” 15% of its 250- to 300-person workforce as part of a necessary reshuffling following a $133 million Series C funding round, TechCrunch has learned.

    Kaspersky

    Will lay off dozens of employees and leave the U.S. market completely following a U.S. government order that banned the sale of the company’s software due to security risks.

    Salesforce

    Eliminated about 300 employees in its workforce as it rolls out a broader effort to cut costs and streamline its operations.

    Intuit

    Will cut 1,800 employees, impacting 10% of its workforce. The company says more than half were cut due to low performance and aims to hire approximately the same number of employees instead of cutting costs.

    UiPath

    Plans to cut 420 jobs, 10% of its total workforce, as the company undergoes a large restructuring effort.

    UKG

    Cut an estimated 2,200 employees, amounting to nearly 14% of its workforce, as the software company attempts to redirect its resources into “key areas of product innovation.”

    OpenText​​

    Plans to cut roughly 1,200 jobs, amounting to almost 2% of its total workforce, as the information management company plans to significantly reduce its expenses by 2025.

    Unacademy

    Is laying off about 250 employees in the latest in a series of job cuts after schools reopened across India following pandemic lockdowns.

    Koo

    Is ceasing its operations after its last-resort acquisition talks with Dailyhunt collapsed.

    Upside Foods

    Has cut its workforce by 26 people, CEO Uma Valeti wrote in an email to staff, as the lab-grown meat industry sees a decline in VC funding.

    Sightful

    Is eliminating 20 employees, amounting to a third of its total workforce, as the company shifts its focus to software development.

    June 2024

    RealPage

    Will cut approximately 4% of its workforce as part of a plan to boost growth, though the company is also one of many within its field facing a consolidated lawsuit alleging they engaged in price fixing.

    Planet

    Intends to lay off roughly 180 employees, amounting to 17% of its workforce, according to an SEC filing that amounts to its second recent round of layoffs.

    Moxion Power

    Is laying off more than 100 employees, according to a WARN filing. The news of the cuts comes after the company launched a large office expansion in Richmond, California.

    eBay

    Is reportedly conducting layoffs in Israel as it goes through a global restructuring.

    BeReal

    Is reportedly cutting a large number of its staff after being acquired by French gaming company Voodoo.

    Flutterwave

    Has laid off about 30 people, accounting for 3% of its workforce, as it refocuses its business to enterprise.

    Ginkgo Bioworks

    Terminated 158 employees, with another batch of layoffs expected to come as the company aims to reduce its workforce by 25%.

    Moovit

    Is making cuts to 10% of its workforce, impacting around 20 to 25 employees.

    Wex

    Is laying off 375 employees, accounting for 5% of its total workforce.

    PayPal

    Will eliminate up to 85 employees based in Ireland, the company announced.

    Rapyd

    Is reportedly laying off around 30 employees in Israel and will move positions to other regions to cut costs.

    C2FO

    Cut 16 employees in its supplier resource management department as it focuses on automation.

    Chegg

    Is reducing its global headcount by 23% in a major restructuring effort as the online learning platform aims to become a “leaner” operation.

    StackPath

    Is closing up shop and liquidating its assets. The number of employees affected is currently unknown.

    Unit

    Is reducing its headcount by 15% as the company attempts to “think in longer time frames,” the company announced in a blog post.

    Loop

    Is making more cuts, co-CEO Carey Anne Nadeau announced on LinkedIn. The number of employees impacted is currently unknown.

    Care/of

    Will lay off its 143 employees by July 3 due to a “funding loss,” and will no longer be accepting new orders. The company has not shut down fully though, telling TechCrunch: “We are actively exploring options for the brand but do not have anything definitive to communicate at this time.”

    Running Tide

    Shut down its operations and laid off its remaining employees after raising more than $50 million since its 2017 start.

    Satellogic

    Is laying off 70 employees, about 30% of its workforce, three weeks after an earlier round of cuts impacted 34 employees.

    ByteDance

    Is slashing around 450 jobs at its Indonesian e-commerce division, accounting for 9% of the unit. 

    VRChat

    Has eliminated around 30% of its total workforce, CEO Graham Gaylor confirmed in a statement.

    Paytm

    Is reportedly conducting large cuts across the company. The total number of employees impacted is currently unknown.

    Kissflow

    Has cut around 45 jobs as part of a restructuring effort.

    Copia Global

    Has laid off at least 1,060 employees two weeks after the startup filed for administration.

    Revel

    Is laying off its 1,000+ staff drivers as it embraces a gig worker model similar to that of Lyft and Uber.

    Simpl

    Has cut 30 employees a month after the Bengaluru-based startup laid off 160 people.

    Oda

    Has confirmed layoffs of 150 jobs as it drastically scales back its expansion ambitions to focus on its markets in Norway and Sweden.

    Pagaya

    Is laying off 100 workers, or 20% of its staff, in another round of cuts.

    MoonPay

    Is reportedly laying off 10% of its workforce, amounting to around 30 people.

    Microsoft

    Is reportedly cutting hundreds of employees working in its Azure cloud business, though the exact number of employees impacted is currently unknown.

    OrCam

    Is laying off 100 employees months after reducing its headcount by 50 workers.

    Google

    Is reportedly making large cuts globally across several of its Cloud teams, including teams focused on sustainability, consulting and partner engineering.

    Tropic

    Is eliminating 40 employees as part of a restructuring effort, CEO David Campbell wrote in a post on LinkedIn. 

    May 2024

    Gro Intelligence

    Is shutting down its operations after laying off 60% of its staff in March in an attempt to stay afloat.

    Jasper Health

    Has laid off a substantial part of its workforce, TechCrunch learned. Engineering and product design departments were most impacted by the cuts at the cancer care platform startup.

    Cirium

    Is laying off 37 tech workers at FlightStats, the flight tracking startup it acquired in 2016, as it plans to consolidate its operations in India and the U.K.

    Walnut

    Is cutting 15 employees in a round of layoffs, impacting 20% of the Israeli startup’s total workforce.

    Fisker

    Has laid off hundreds of employees in a bid to keep the EV startup alive. One current and one laid off employee told TechCrunch exclusively that an estimated 150 people remain at the company.

    Cue Health

    Is shutting down its operations and laying off the rest of its staff. The COVID-19 test company laid off half of its workforce earlier this month to cut costs.

    Foursquare

    Has let go of 105 employees as the company seeks to “streamline” its operations, according to an email to staffers from current CEO Gary Little.

    Lucid Motors

    Is laying off about 400 employees, roughly 6% of its workforce, as part of a restructuring ahead of the launch of its first electric SUV later this year.

    TikTok

    Will reportedly make large cuts to its global operations and marketing teams. The amount of employees impacted is currently unknown.

    Pixar

    Will reportedly cut 14% of its staff, impacting 175 employees, as the company shifts its focus from original Disney+ programming back to films.

    Replit

    Let go of 20% of its staff as the coding startup shifts its focus to enterprise sales.

    SeekOut

    Cut about 30% of its total workforce. The recruiting startup that uses AI to find candidates was last valued at over $1.2 billion in January 2022.

    Gopuff

    Eliminated 6% of its staff in another round of layoffs as the fast-delivery startup attempts to become cash-flow positive by the end of 2024.

    Atmosphere

    Plans to lay off 106 employees, according to a WARN notice filed in Texas. 

    Mainvest

    Has shut down its operations. The number of employees affected is currently unknown.

    Indeed

    Is cutting roughly 1,000 jobs, impacting 8% of the company’s headcount, CEO Chris Hyams wrote in a letter to staff.

    Motional

    Cut around 40% of its workforce, impacting about 550 employees, sources told TechCrunch. The company’s chief operating officer, Abe Ghabra, has also left the company.

    Google

    Will eliminate 57 positions in San Francisco, according to a WARN notice filed in California.

    Vacasa

    Is eliminating 800 employees, accounting for 13% of its workforce, as part of a restructuring effort.

    Brilliant

    Told The Verge it has laid off most of its staff and is no longer selling its smart home controllers and light switches as it looks for a buyer.

    Enovix

    Laid off roughly 170 workers, impacting a third of its total headcount, in an effort to cut back on annual operating costs. 

    Microsoft

    Closed Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, and more game studios as part of cuts at Bethesda. It’s currently unclear how many employees will be impacted.

    Cue Health

    Is eliminating 230 employees, about 49% of its workforce, in a cost cutting measure laid out in documents filed with the U.S. SEC.

    Luminar

    Is slashing its workforce by 20%. The cuts will affect around 140 employees, and the company is also cutting ties with “the majority” of its contract workers.

    Sprinklr

    Has laid off about 3% of its workforce, impacting 116 people, the company confirmed to TechCrunch in a statement. The cuts come over a year after the company eliminated about 4% of its headcount.

    Peloton

    Is laying off 15% of its workforce, affecting about 400 people, as part of a cost-cutting effort. The company’s CEO Barry McCarthy is also stepping down.

    April 2024

    Tesla

    Has gutted its charging team in a new round of layoffs, CEO Elon Musk announced in an overnight email to executives.

    Google

    Has laid off staff across key teams like Flutter, Dart and Python. It is currently unclear how many employees were let go.

    Fisker

    Is laying off more employees to “preserve cash,” according to an internal email viewed by TechCrunch. The number of cuts is currently unknown.

    Getir

    Is shutting down operations in the U.S., the U.K. and Europe, impacting at least 6,000 jobs across the closing markets.

    Ola

    Is cutting about 180 jobs in a profitability push and has let go its chief executive Hemant Bakshi, a source familiar with the matter told TechCrunch.

    True Anomaly

    The space and defense startup laid off nearly 30 people, accounting for about 25% of its workforce, due to “duplication of roles and functions across the company,” TechCrunch exclusively reported.

    Expedia

    Is expected to cut employees in its Austin office for the second time this year.

    Nike

    Plans to eliminate 740 employees at its Oregon headquarters this summer, according to a WARN Act notice.

    Stability AI

    Is eliminating 10% of its workforce following the exit of former CEO Emad Mostaque.

    Google

    Is laying off workers as part of continued cost cutting measures. The number of employees affected was at the time unknown.

    Rivian

    Is reducing its total workforce by 1%. It’s the second round of layoffs for the EV maker this year.

    Take-Two

    Is laying off 5% of its workforce, affecting around 579 employees. The GTA 6 publisher also announced the elimination of “several projects” in development.

    Tome

    Is eliminating about 20% of its 59 employees in a restructuring effort.

    Tesla

    Is cutting “more than 10%” of its global workforce, per an internal email sent by CEO Elon Musk. That could impact more than 14,000 workers worldwide, as Tesla prepares itself “for our next phase of growth” amid a challenging EV market.

    Criteo

    Is reducing its global workforce by nearly 4%, impacting up to 140 employees.

    TikTok

    Is laying off 250 employees based in Ireland as it restructures its Training and Quality team.

    Hinge Health

    Cut approximately 10% of its workforce, TechCrunch exclusively learned, as the company prepares for an IPO and aims to reach profitability.

    Checkr

    Has laid off 382 employees, amounting to 32% of its total workforce, TechCrunch exclusively learned. The background-screening platform was last valued at $5 billion in April of 2022.

    Bolt.Earth

    Reportedly laid off a sizable part of its staff in a restructuring effort. The number of employees impacted is currently unknown, but sources told Inc42 that it could be “in the range of 70-100” workers.

    Apple

    Is laying off 614 employees in California after abandoning its electric car project, according to a WARN notice.

    Agility Robotics

    Has laid off a “small number” of employees as part of a company-wide focus on commercialization efforts.

    Ghost Autonomy

    Shut down operations. The company, which was backed by OpenAI, employed about 100 people.

    Whirlpool

    Is shutting down Yummly, the recipe and cooking app it acquired in 2017.

    AWS

    Will cut hundreds of jobs across Sales, Marketing, Global Services and its Physical Stores Technology team.

    Byju’s

    Is laying off about 500 employees, accounting for 3% of its total workforce, as part of a restructuring effort.

    March 2024

    Reliance

    Reliance, largest conglomerate in India, took its time in announcing it had laid off more than 42,000 people in its fiscal year, which ended in March. That significant number accounted for 11% of its workforce, and another 143,000 employees took “voluntary separations” in the same time.

    ChowNow

    Has laid off 20% of its staff after acquiring point-of-sale platform Cuboh. The company previously laid off 100 people in 2022.

    Nintendo of America

    Is restructuring its testing department, which is largely made up of contractors. A Nintendo spokesperson told Kotaku the changes will end some assignments but will lead to the creation of new full-time positions.

    Dell

    Cut its global workforce by about 6,000 jobs, according to a 10-K SEC filing. The filing reveals the company cut 13,000 jobs in the last year.

    Synctera

    Has made cuts to its staff, the company confirmed to TechCrunch. A report in Fintech Business Weekly estimates that 17 people, or about 15% of the company, were impacted. 

    ShopBack

    Is cutting 195 roles in an effort to become more sustainable, CEO Henry Chan wrote in a blog post. The layoffs impact nearly a quarter of its staff.

    Airmeet

    Reportedly eliminated 20% of its total workforce in its second restructuring effort in the past year.

    Chipper Cash

    Conducted another round of layoffs impacting 20 employees, CEO Ham Serunjogi announced in a blog post. 

    Textio

    Has reportedly cut 16% of its staff in a strategic move to support its Textio Lift product. 

    Stash

    Is reportedly laying off around 25% of its workforce. According to Axios, the cuts affect roughly 80 people.

    Phantom Auto

    Is shutting down after failing to secure new funding, TechCrunch has learned. The remote driving startup, which had cut staff last year, employed a little more than 100 people.

    IBM

    Is reportedly slashing its marketing and communications staff. The company previously announced a strategy to replace upwards of 8,000 jobs with AI.

    Inscribe.ai

    Cut just under 40% of its staff, equating to dozens of employees, the company confirmed to TechCrunch.

    Turnitin

    Laid off around 15 people earlier this year, following comments from CEO Chris Caren that the company would be able to reduce 20% of its headcount thanks to AI.

    Sorare

    Laid off 13% of its staff based in its New York office as the web3 fantasy sports platform focuses on its Paris headquarters, a source familiar with the matter told TechCrunch.

    Melio

    Is eliminating roughly 7% of its workforce as part of organizational restructuring. The fintech unicorn last conducted layoffs in August 2022.

    ONE

    Is cutting about 13% of its workforce, affecting 40 employees. It’s the second round of layoffs for the battery startup in recent months.

    Project Ronin

    Is shutting down, resulting in a “permanent mass layoff” impacting around 150 employees.

    February 2024

    Fisker

    Plans to lay off 15% of its workforce and says it likely does not have enough cash on hand to survive the next 12 months.

    EA

    Cut 5% of its workforce, impacting 670 employees, as it moves away from the “development of future licensed IP.”

    Bumble

    Is letting go of about 350 employees, accounting for 30% of its workforce.

    Apple

    Is likely cutting hundreds of employees who worked on the company’s autonomous electric car project now that the effort has stopped, TechCrunch has learned.

    Sony

    Is laying off 900 employees from its PlayStation unit, affecting 8% of the division’s workforce. Insomniac Games, Naughty Dog, Guerrilla and Firesprite studios will also be impacted.

    Expedia

    Will reportedly cut 1,500 roles in 2024, primarily in its Product & Technology division, accounting for more than 8% of the company’s workforce.

    Finder

    Eliminated roughly 60 employees, or 17% of its workforce. It’s the financial startup’s third major layoff round in the past 12 months.

    Rivian

    Is laying off 10% of its salaried workforce in a bid to cut costs in an increasingly tough market for EVs.

    Meati Foods

    Will lay off 13% of its workforce as it works to “build a financially sustainable business,” CEO Phil Graves told TechCrunch exclusively.

    Cisco

    Announced it will eliminate 5% of its employees, impacting more than 4,000 people.

    Toast

    Will lay off about 550 workers in a move designed to promote “operating expense efficiency.”

    Instacart

    Announced in an SEC filing that it will lay off roughly 250 employees as part of a restructuring effort.

    Mozilla

    Is scaling back its investment in a number of products, TechCrunch has learned, resulting in layoffs that will affect roughly 60 employees.

    Grammarly

    Is laying off 230 employees worldwide as part of the company’s efforts to advance its focus on “the AI-enabled workplace of the future.”

    Getaround

    Is cutting 30% of its North American workforce as part of a restructuring.

    Amazon

    Is reportedly cutting jobs in its healthcare businesses One Medical and Amazon Pharmacy. The number of impacted roles is currently unknown.

    DocuSign

    Announced plans to eliminate 6% of its workforce, largely impacting the company’s sales and marketing divisions.

    Snap

    Announced plans to cut 10% of its workforce, impacting roughly 500-plus employees, in an effort to “reduce hierarchy.”

    Polygon Labs

    Has laid off 60 employees, or about 19% of its staff, CEO Marc Boiron announced in a blog post.

    Okta

    Is laying off approximately 400 employees. The layoffs come almost exactly a year to the day after Okta announced plans to cut about 300 employees.

    January 2024

    Thinx

    Will lay off 95 workers in New York City, according to a filing with the New York Department of Labor.

    Proofpoint

    Is laying off about 6% of its global workforce, or 280 employees, the company confirmed to TechCrunch.

    Wattpad

    Conducted another round of layoffs earlier this month, amounting to roughly 15% of its workforce, a source familiar with the situation told TechCrunch. 

    Block

    Is reportedly laying off around 1,000 people in the Cash App, foundational and Square arms of Block.

    PayPal

    Has reportedly begun company-wide layoffs. While it is unclear how many people will be affected, one source told TechCrunch it was expected to be in the “thousands.”

    Aurora Solar

    Has laid off 20% of its staff of about 1,000 people, TechCrunch exclusively learned. The cuts to the software startup come despite record growth in the solar industry last year.

    iRobot

    Is laying off 350 people, or one-third of its headcount, after Amazon’s bid to acquire the Roomba-maker shuttered. Longtime CEO Colin Angle has also stepped down.

    Salesforce

    Is reportedly laying off 700 workers, or around 1% of its staff. This comes after the company had a significant reduction of 10% of its workforce in 2023.

    Flexport

    Is reportedly planning to cut around 20% of its staff in the next few weeks. The company announced similar cuts in October, when founder Ryan Petersen returned as CEO and slashed its workforce by 20%.

    Microsoft

    Is laying off 1,900 employees across its gaming divisions following its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Blizzard president Mike Ybarra announced he will also be stepping down.

    Swiggy

    Is cutting about 400 jobs, 7% of its workforce, as the food delivery startup seeks to bring further improvements to its finances ahead of a planned IPO later this year.

    Aurora

    Laid off dozens of workers, according to sources familiar with the decision. The autonomous vehicle technology company has since confirmed that about 3% of its workforce has been laid off.

    eBay

    Will lay off 9% of the company’s workforce, affecting about 1,000 full-time employees. In a blog post, the company also plans to cut contract roles in the coming months.

    SAP

    Announced it intends to offer voluntary buyouts or job changes to 8,000 employees amid restructuring.

    Brex

    Laid off 20% of its staff, affecting 282 workers. In a blog post, Co-CEO Pedro Franceschi said that the company is prioritizing “long-term thinking and ownership over short-term gains in our comp structure.”

    TikTok

    Eliminated around 60 jobs across the U.S. in Los Angeles, New York, and Austin in addition to layoffs in international markets. The affected roles, according to NPR’s initial reporting, are largely in sales and advertising.

    Vroom

    Is cutting 90% of its employees as it shuts down its online used car marketplace and shifts resources into two business units: one focused on auto financing and the other on AI-powered analytics.

    Riot Games

    Is laying off 11% of its workforce, affecting about 530 employees, as the company focuses on “fewer, high-impact projects.” The League of Legends maker is also sunsetting its five-year-old publishing group, Riot Forge.

    Wayfair

    Is eliminating 13% of its global workforce, affecting 1,650 employees, in a restructuring effort aimed at cutting layers of management.

    YouTube

    Will eliminate 100 employees, a spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch, as part of a restructuring effort in its creator management and operations teams.

    Google

    Is laying off “hundreds” of employees in its advertising sales team, according to a leaked memo. The cuts come a week after the company did sweeping layoffs across its hardware teams. And more layoffs will come throughout the year, as CEO Sundar Pichai told the company in a memo obtained by the Verge.

    Lost Boys Interactive

    Reportedly laid off a “sizable” number of employees January 12. The game developer studio was acquired by Borderlands maker Gearbox in 2022.

    Pixar

    Is going to lay off employees in 2024, TechCrunch exclusively learned, with the total impacted employees potentially reaching as high as 20% of the animation studio’s 1,300 person workforce. The cutbacks come as Disney looks to reduce the studio’s output as it struggles to achieve profitability in streaming.

    Audible

    Is laying off 5% of its workforce, citing an “increasingly challenging landscape,” according to a leaked memo obtained by Business Insider.

    Discord

    Is laying off 17% of its staff, impacting 170 people. In an internal memo obtained by the Verge, Discord CEO Jason Citron blamed the cuts on the company growing too quickly.

    Google

    Laid off hundreds of employees across its Google Assistant division and the team that manages Pixel, Nest and Fitbit hardware. The company confirmed to TechCrunch that Fitbit co-founders James Park and Eric Friedman are also exiting.

    Amazon

    Is laying off “several hundreds” of employees at Prime Video and MGM Studios, according to a memo obtained by TechCrunch. The cuts come days after the 500 layoffs at Amazon’s Twitch.

    Twitch

    Is reportedly laying off 500 employees, 35% of its current staff, amid a continued struggle to achieve profitability in the face of rising costs and community backlash. The pending layoffs come after hundreds more employees were laid off in 2023.

    Treasure Financial

    Confirmed to TechCunch that layoffs, conducted in December, had impacted 14 employees, accounting for 60% to 70% of the company, according to multiple sources.

    Duolingo

    Confirmed it cut 10% of its contractor workforce at the end of 2023 as it turns to AI to streamline content production and translations previously handled by humans.

    Rent the Runway

    Will cut about 10% of corporate roles as it goes through a restructuring plan following Anushka Salinas’ planned resignation as operating chief and president at the end of January.

    Unity

    Is reducing its workforce by about 25%, or 1,800 people. The video game engine maker went through three rounds of layoffs in 2023.

    Pitch

    Laid off two-thirds of its employees as the German startup, which built collaborative presentation software, looks to pursue a “completely different path.” CEO and co-founder Christian Reber also stepped down.

    BenchSci

    The AI and biomedical startup reportedly cut 17% of its workforce January 8, citing “shifts in the economic environment,” in a LinkedIn post announcing the layoffs. 

    Flexe

    Eliminated 38% of its staff January 8 as the online retail logistics company follows up after conducting layoffs in September 2023.

    NuScale

    Announced January 8 it is laying off 28% of its staff, or 154 workers, as the small modular nuclear reactor company shifts its focus to “key strategic areas.”

    Trigo

    Is reportedly laying off 15% of its workforce focused on computer vision for retailers.

    InVision

    Is shutting down at the end of 2024 after a 12 year run. The design collaboration startup was once valued at nearly $2B.

    VideoAmp

    Is laying off nearly 20% of its workforce as it tries to maintain its battle with Nielsen over media measurement. CEO Ross McCray stepped down from the company.

    Orca Security

    Is laying off roughly 15% of its staff, totaling 60 employees. The Israel-based unicorn reportedly plans to move some impacted employees into other positions at the company.

    Frontdesk

    Laid off its entire 200-person workforce January 2 after attempts to raise more capital failed, TechCrunch exclusively learned. The mass layoff comes just seven months after the startup acquired rival Zencity. 





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