Yamaha’s current AVR lineup has been running on 2020 and 2021 hardware, with firmware updates doing the heavy lifting to keep things relevant. That trick only works for so long. At some point, HDMI, processing, wireless features, and home theater expectations move on, and no amount of software fairy dust changes the hardware underneath. For 2026, Yamaha appears ready to turn the page with the new RX300A and RX500A, two entry level A/V receivers aimed at buyers who want a modern home theater upgrade without wandering into flagship pricing territory.
“The RX300A and RX500A close the gap between soundbars and true AV receiver-based home theater,” said Alex Sadeghian, director of marketing for consumer audio at Yamaha. “They include all the essential tech you need to build a modern home theater with phenomenal sound at an accessible price point, while offering simplified setup and operation that will appeal to both first-time AV receiver users and experienced enthusiasts alike.”
A New Look
Yamaha RX300A
The RX300A and RX500A also give Yamaha’s entry level AVR design a needed visual reset. The front panels look cleaner than the outgoing models, with fewer buttons, simpler labeling, and less of the “command center from a 2004 cable box” energy. The essential controls are still there, but Yamaha has clearly tried to make the layout easier to read and less cluttered. It is not a radical redesign, but it does make the RX300A and RX500A look more current without alienating longtime Yamaha home theater owners.
On The Inside
Yamaha is leaning on more than four decades of AVR development with the RX300A and RX500A, and the engineering story is familiar in the best way. The company’s True Sound philosophy is not just marketing wallpaper here. In practical terms, it points to circuit layout, shorter signal paths, vibration control, and the kind of internal housekeeping that matters when an AVR is being asked to handle movies, music, gaming, and whatever else gets plugged into it before dinner.
Both models also inherit Yamaha’s Anti Resonance Technology Wedge, a center mounted fifth foot borrowed from the company’s flagship AVENTAGE models. The goal is simple: reduce chassis vibration and improve stability. Nobody should expect a $600 receiver to suddenly behave like a five figure separates stack, but better mechanical control is still better mechanical control.
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The bigger upgrade for most buyers will be HDMI 2.1 support. The RX300A and RX500A are built for modern video sources with 4K/120Hz and 8K/60Hz pass through, along with Dolby Vision and HDR10+. Gamers also get VRR and ALLM, which should help with smoother motion and lower input lag when used with current consoles.
Room Correction
The RX300A and RX500A include a setup microphone for automatic room correction, allowing the receivers to measure room acoustics and speaker behavior before adjusting performance for the space. Yamaha also includes an on screen setup guide that walks users through connections and configuration step by step, which should make installation less painful for first time AVR owners and anyone who would rather not spend Saturday afternoon decoding a manual like it was recovered from a Cold War dead drop.
Sound Setting Simplicity
To simplify the listening experience, both AVRs feature Scene buttons. These buttons enable users to recall system settings with a single press.
Each Scene button can be programmed to select an input, sound mode, and other key parameters, making it easy to switch seamlessly between activities like watching TV, streaming music, or gaming. The result is a more intuitive experience that keeps the user focused on enjoying content rather than getting distracted fiddling around trying to find the right settings.
RX300A: Great For Beginners
Building on the previous Yamaha RX‑V385, the RX300A is a 5.2 channel AVR designed to meet the needs of those who may be just getting started in home theater, wanting to upgrade from a soundbar or are on a budget with a price ($399.95 MSRP).
New enhancements compared with the RX-V385 include support for Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X, compatibility with 4K/120Hz and 8K/60Hz video, gaming support that includes ALLM and VRR, dual subwoofer outputs, Bluetooth Multipoint, enhanced build quality, and an updated on-screen setup guide with streamlined menus.
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The RX300A supports Dolby Atmos in flexible speaker configurations, including 3.2.2-channel with up-firing or in-ceiling height speakers and virtualized rear channel sound, or with a traditional 5.1 or 5.2-channel setup in combination with virtual height processing to create sound from above without dedicated height speakers.
Bluetooth Multipoint allows two devices to remain paired simultaneously, making it easy to switch between sources without reconnecting.
RX500A: More Channels, Wi-Fi, and Streaming
The RX500A builds on the RX300A platform with 7.2 channel amplification and more flexible speaker layout options.
With seven channels of amplification, Dolby Atmos support allows the RX500A to work with real discrete speakers for both the height channels and the surround channels, creating a more convincing immersive sound field than you can get with a 5-channel system. The RX500A supports multiple height speaker configurations, including in ceiling speakers or up-firing height modules. And if you don’t want to bother with height channels, the RX500A can virtualize those with its speaker virtualization technology. This can leave two of your amplifier channels free for speakers in a second room. The RX500A also supports DTS:X, giving users access to the two major immersive audio formats without moving into Yamaha’s more expensive AVR models.
The RX500A also adds stronger network audio support. In addition to Bluetooth Multipoint, it includes built in Wi-Fi and Ethernet for music streaming through Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Qobuz Connect, TIDAL Connect, internet radio, and other supported services. That makes it the more complete option for buyers who want both home theater flexibility and everyday music streaming in one box.
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The RX500A is a new model tier in the Yamaha AV receiver lineup, offering a step up from the RX300A for those who want more speaker channels and more advanced music streaming capabilities at an accessible MSRP of $599.95. The current Yamaha RX-V6A 7.2-channel AV receiver remains in the lineup—offering some additional features such as MusicCast capabilities (e.g., full app control and multi-room audio), more connectivity options, Zone 2, increased performance, and other features—at an MSRP of $799.95.
Dolby Atmos Dolby True HD Dolby Digital Plus Dolby Digital DTS-HD Master Audio DTS-HD High Resolution DTS-Express DTS DTS-ES Matrix 6.1 DTS-ES Discrete 6.1 DTS 96/24 DTS:X
Dolby Atmos Dolby True HD Dolby Digital Plus Dolby Digital DTS
Dolby True HD Dolby Digital Plus Dolby Digital DTS-HD Master Audio DTS- HD High Resolution DTS DTS 96/24 DTS Neo:6
Surround Sound Post Decoding Formats
Dolby Surround DTS Neural:X
Dolby Surround DTS Virtual:X
Not Indicated
Network Decoding Formats
MP3, MPEG4-AAC, WMA, WAV, FLAC, Apple Lossless, AIFF
No
No
USB Decoding Formats
MP3 MPEG4-AAC WMA WAV
MP3 MPEG4-AAC WMA WAV
MP3 MPEG4-AAC WMA WAV
HDMI Decoding Formats
PCM (8ch max)
PCM (8ch max)
PCM (8ch max)
Sound Modes
Pure Direct Straight Movie All Channel Stereo 2 Channel Stereo Music Night
Pure Direct Straight Movie All Channel Stereo 2 Channel Stereo Music Night
Direct Straight Enhancer Bass program BD/DVD TV CD Radio
Zone B
Yes
Yes
Not Indicated
Room Calibration
Room Correction
Room Correction
YPAO
Other Features
Dialogue Level Subwoofer Trim Extra Bass Lip Sync
Dialogue Level Subwoofer Trim Extra Bass Lip Sync
Dialogue Level Subwoofer Trim Extra Bass Lip Sync
HDMI Connections
4 Inputs / 1 Output
4 Inputs / 1 Output
4 Inputs / 1 Output
HDMI Features
HDMI 2.1 8K60Hz/4K120Hz eARC, ARC VRR ALLM QMS HDCP 2.3 CEC Auto Lip Sync Deep Color x.v. Color HD audio playback
HDMI 2.1 8K60Hz/4K120Hz eARC, ARC VRR ALLM QMS HDCP 2.3 CEC Auto Lip Sync Deep Color x.v. Color HD audio playback
HDMI 2.1 4K60p eARC, ARC HDCP 2.2 CEC Auto Lip Sync Deep Color x.v. Color HD audio playback
High Dynamic Range (HDR) Support
HDR10+ HDR10 Dolby Vision Hybrid Log-Gamma
HDR10+ HDR10 Dolby Vision Hybrid Log-Gamma
HDR10 Dolby Vision Hybrid Log-Gamma
Speaker Output
7 (binding post terminals)
5 (binding post terminals)
5 (binding post terminals)
Headphone Output
1
1
1
Subwoofer Pre-outs
2
2
1
HDMI
4 Inputs / 1 Output
4 Inputs / 1 Output
4 Inputs / 1 Output
Analog RCA Inputs
2
2
2
Optical Input
1
1
1
Coaxial Input
1
1
2
USB
1 (Audio File Playback from a Mass Storage Device, Firmware Updates)
1 (Audio File Playback from a Mass Storage Device, Firmware Updates)
1 (Audio File Playback from a Mass Storage Device, Firmware Updates)
FM/AM Tuner
Yes / No
Yes / No
Yes/Yes
Bluetooth
Yes (Ver. 5.3, Multipoint)
Yes (Ver. 5.3, Multipoint)
Yes (Version 2.1)
Streaming
Spotify Connect Qobuz Connect TIDAL Connect Google Cast AirPlay 2 Net Radio Podcasts
No (Streaming through Bluetooth only)
No (Streaming through Bluetooth only)
Wi-Fi / Ethernet Port
Yes / Yes
No
No
Power Consumption
260W
260W
Not Indicated
Standby Power Consumption
≤0.3W
≤0.3W
Not Indicated
Auto Power Standby
Yes
Yes
Not Indicated
Dimensions (WxHxD)
434 x 157 x 319 mm 17-1/8” x 6-1/8” x 12-1/2”
434 x 157 x 319 mm 17-1/8” x 6-1/8” x 12-1/2”
17.13″ x 6.31 x 12.56″
Weight (Unit)
8.0 kg; 17.6 lbs
7.6 kg; 16.8 lbs
17 lbs
App
Audio Connect
Not Indicated
Not Indicated
Included Accessories
Remote Control Batteries FM Antenna Setup Mic Microphone Stand Quick Guide Safety Guide
Remote Control Batteries FM Antenna Setup Mic Microphone Stand Quick Guide Safety Guide
Remote Control Batteries AM/FM Antenna Setup Mic Microphone Stand Quick Guide Safety Guide
The Bottom Line
Yamaha finally has new entry level AVRs, and the RX300A and RX500A look like practical updates rather than a full reset. That is not a bad thing. HDMI 2.1 support, cleaner industrial design, automatic room correction, better setup tools, and broader gaming and streaming compatibility all matter for buyers moving beyond a soundbar without stepping into flagship AVR pricing.
The RX500A is the more interesting of the two, thanks to 7.2 channel amplification, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Wi Fi, Ethernet, and support for Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Qobuz Connect, TIDAL Connect, and internet radio. That makes it the better fit for users who want a real home theater foundation and modern music streaming in one box.
What is missing? HDMI 2.2 would have been nice from a future proofing standpoint, but the current ecosystem does not really demand it yet. The bigger question is whether Yamaha follows these models with updated midrange and AVENTAGE AVRs. Denon, Marantz, Onkyo and others are not waiting around politely with tea and biscuits. Yamaha needed fresh hardware. The RX300A and RX500A are a solid first step.
Defense giant Anduril is operating its autonomous naval vessel manufacturing facility at the old Foss Shipyard on the Lake Washington Ship Canal in Seattle. (GeekWire Photo / John Cook)
Anduril Industries announced a massive $5 billion funding round Wednesday as the fast-growing defense tech startup ramps up investments in manufacturing and autonomous military systems — including a quietly expanding maritime operation in Seattle.
As GeekWire reported last month, Anduril established operations at the historic Foss Maritime shipyard along the southern bank of the Lake Washington Ship Canal, where the company is developing autonomous naval vessels and other maritime technologies.
The Series H funding round — including investments from Thrive Capital and Andreessen Horowitz — values Anduril at $61 billion.
The Costa Mesa, Calif.-based company said the financing will fuel aggressive investments in manufacturing capacity, R&D and infrastructure needed to produce advanced defense systems.
“When Anduril launched in 2017, defense attracted little venture investment,” CEO Brian Schimpf said in a letter, adding that investors now increasingly recognize “the scale of the technological and industrial challenges facing the United States and its allies.”
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The Seattle facility underscores how the Pacific Northwest is increasingly emerging as a strategic hub for next-generation defense technologies — blending advanced manufacturing with AI, autonomy and defense software.
Just this week, GeekWire reported on Armada’s growing engineering hub in Bellevue, where the heavily funded startup is working on portable data centers for military operations and other use cases. Other Seattle-area companies such as Overland AI — autonomous military vehicles — and Echodyne — advanced radar systems — are benefitting from what CNBC dubbed a “defense tech funding boom.”
Earlier this year, autonomous vessel startup Saronic Technologies announced a $1.75 billion funding round and plans to develop a next-generation shipyard focused on autonomous naval ships — raising broader questions about where America’s future defense shipbuilding hubs will emerge.
Anduril’s expansion also lands amid renewed national focus on revitalizing America’s industrial and naval capacity. In a letter released alongside the funding announcement, the company argued that future conflicts will depend heavily on resilient production systems, rapid adaptation, and scalable autonomous technologies.
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Anduril has not publicly detailed the scale of its Seattle maritime operations, and the company did not respond to requests for comment when GeekWire reported on the shipyard last month.
However, the company said in a November 2025 press release that its Seattle facility will serve as the U.S. hub for vessel assembly, integration and testing of Autonomous Surface Vessels as part of the U.S. Navy’s Modular Attack Surface Craft (MASC) program.
Anduril also is rapidly expanding its operations in California. And it is building a massive facility just south of Columbus, Ohio, that it dubs Arsenal-1, described by the company as “the future of American defense manufacturing.”
Founded in 2017 by Oculus VR creator Palmer Luckey, Anduril Industries has rapidly grown into one of the most valuable private defense companies in the world, building autonomous drones, surveillance systems, AI-powered software platforms and military robotics.
Motorola’s first book-style foldable is earning strong early reviews for its sleek design, excellent battery life, fast charging, and stylus support. Reviewers note it still lacks some of the polish of the Z Fold 7 and Pixel 10 Pro Fold, but most agree the Razr Fold is a legitimate foldable contender.
According to the researcher, YellowKey appears unusual for a previously unknown security bug. Nightmare-Eclipse explained that the flaw can be reproduced by copying an attached “FsTx” folder to a USB drive formatted with a Windows-compatible file system such as NTFS, FAT32, or exFAT. Read Entire Article Source link
3D printers are almost never fast enough. [Cocoanix] had a Prusa MK3S with this very problem. He found it to be disappointingly tedious when completing even simple prints, and sought a way to make it faster. Thus, he grabbed a Nintendo Switch and got to work.
It might sound like an odd choice, and that’s because it is. There’s no special magic inside a Nintendo Switch that makes 3D printers faster – it’s just that the handheld console was a useful platform on which to run Klipper. As [Cocoanix] explains, Klipper is designed to run on faster general-purpose computers compared to the more limited microcontrollers used in some printers. It’s designed to off-load complex motion processing tasks to a faster CPU, while the printer’s onboard microcontrollers are freed up to simply handle the low-level tasks of driving the motors and so on. An older printer equipped with Klipper can often print faster, while implementing techniques like input shaping to further improve speed as well as print quality.
It’s worth noting that you don’t have to use a Nintendo Switch for this. It’s just a good hook for the YouTube video. Typically you’d use a Raspberry Pi or some other computer instead, but the fact it runs on a jailbroken console is amusing nonetheless. It’s also cool to see the results – in this video, [Cocoanix] got the Benchy printing time down from 90 minutes to just 8.
Samsung’s upcoming wide-screen foldable may end up making a surprising compromise in the camera department.
According to a new leak, the rumoured Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide could launch with just two rear cameras instead of the triple-camera setup Samsung typically reserves for its premium foldables.
The device has already appeared in several leaks ahead of its expected July unveiling. This includes official-looking renders reportedly pulled from an early One UI 9 build. Those renders hinted at the simplified camera layout. Furthermore, new details from GalaxyClub and SamMobile now appear to confirm it.
According to the latest report, both rear cameras on the Z Fold 8 Wide will use 50MP sensors. The main camera will feature an f/1.8 aperture, while the secondary sensor will reportedly use an f/1.9 lens. Both cameras will also support 8K video recording at 30fps.
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That setup feels fairly modest compared to Samsung’s usual foldable ambitions, and is especially notable considering devices like the Galaxy Z Fold series traditionally push heavier camera hardware.
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The move also mirrors Samsung’s more experimental Galaxy S25 Edge that also adopted a similar dual-camera approach. However, unlike the S25 Edge — which features a massive 200MP primary sensor — the Z Fold 8 Wide appears to prioritise simplicity over outright camera power.
Elsewhere, the phone will include two 10MP selfie cameras, one on the outer display and another on the folding inner screen. Battery capacity may also differ from the standard model. The Z Fold 8 Wide is tipped to feature a 4,800mAh battery, slightly smaller than the 5,000mAh cell expected on the regular Galaxy Z Fold 8.
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Taken together, the leaks suggest Samsung could position the Z Fold 8 Wide as a more affordable alternative within its foldable lineup. A reduced camera setup and slightly smaller battery would help explain a lower price point, especially if the company wants to make wider foldables more accessible.
The handset will also launch in several colours, with Dark Green reportedly acting as the signature finish.
Samsung is expected to officially reveal the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide alongside the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8 sometime in July.
SpaceX has detailed major Starship V3 upgrades ahead of a launch targeted as early as May 19. The changes are meant to move Starship closer to its core goals: rapid reuse, Starlink deployment, orbital refueling, and eventually Moon and Mars missions. Longtime Slashdot reader schwit1 shares a report from Teslarati: Here is an explicit, broken-down list of the key changes, first starting with the changes to Super Heavy V3:
– Grid Fin Redesign: Reduced from four fins to three. Each fin is now 50% larger and stronger, repositioned for better catching and lifting performance. Fins are lowered on the booster to reduce heat exposure during hot staging, with hardware moved inside the fuel tank for protection. – Integrated Hot Staging: Eliminates the old disposable interstage shield. The booster dome is now directly exposed to upper-stage engine ignition, protected by tank pressure and steel shielding. Interstage actuators retract after separation. – New Fuel Transfer System: Massive redesign of the fuel transfer tube — roughly the size of a Falcon 9 first stage — enables simultaneous startup of all 33 Raptors for faster, more reliable flip maneuvers. – Engine Bay/Thermal Protection: Engine shrouds removed entirely; new shielding added between engines. Propulsion and avionics are more tightly integrated. CO? fire suppression system deleted for a simpler, lighter aft section. – Propellant Loading Improvements: Switched from one quick disconnect to two separate systems for added redundancy and reduced pad complexity.
Next, we have the changes to Starship V3:
– Completely Redesigned Propulsion System: Clean-sheet redesign supports new Raptor startup, larger propellant volume, and an improved reaction control system while reducing trapped or leaked propellant risk. – Aft Section Simplification: Fluid and electrical systems rerouted; engine shrouds and large aft cavity deleted. – Flap Actuation Upgrade: Changed from two actuators per flap to one actuator with three motors for better redundancy, mass efficiency, and lower cost. – Faster Starlink Deployment: Upgraded PEZ dispenser enables quicker satellite release. – Long-Duration Spaceflight Capability: New systems for long orbital coasts, orbital refueling, cryogenic fluid management, vacuum-insulated header tanks, and high-voltage cryogenic recirculation. – Ship-to-Ship Docking + Refueling: Four docking drogues and dedicated propellant transfer connections added to support in-space refueling architecture. – Avionics Upgrades: 60 custom avionics units with integrated batteries, inverters, and high-voltage systems (9 MW peak power). New multi-sensor navigation for precision autonomous flight. RF sensors measure propellant in microgravity. ~50 onboard camera views and 480 Mbps Starlink connectivity for low-latency communications. “Believe it or not, there’s more,” writes schwit1. “Two years ago, the biggest and most powerful rocket ever flown was Starship V1. Last year, it was Starship V2. V3 is about to become the biggest and most powerful rocket ever flown — but don’t worry, the company already has plans for V4.”
Displays have come a long way, from monstrous CRT televisions to thin, lightweight LCDs and the portable smartphone displays we have now. The transition to wearable displays, however, has been thwarted by the annoying habit of OLED displays to break instead of bending. That might not be a problem anymore, as South Korean researchers, in collaboration with counterparts at Philadelphia-based Drexel University, claim to have developed a new type of OLED display that is both bendable and stretchable.
Flexible OLED displays have been around for more than a decade, but current foldable smartphones have serious drawbacks, such as significantly reduced display durability. Repeated folding and unfolding cause micro-fractures in the conductive traces and the gradual degradation of the organic layers of the OLED substrate. This manifests as visible damage and reduced image quality. The same weakness also makes it extremely difficult to integrate the current generation of flexible OLED displays into wearables that will likely be subject to repeated stretching and folding cycles.
The new flexible OLED display, described in the journal Nature, uses nanomaterials that allow it to be safely stretched to a whopping 1.6 times its original size. While contemporary wearable displays lose a significant amount of their brightness upon stretching, this nanomaterial-enhanced OLED display can allegedly retain 83% of its light output after 100 cycles rated at 2% strain. Let’s take a look at what makes this new technology tick.
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Leveraging nanotechnology to improve brightness and durability
Ipeggas/Getty Images
Traditional flexible OLED displays cannot endure many bending and stretching cycles due to the fragility of the conductive electrodes and organic layers that make up the panel. The electrical underpinnings wear out over repeated strain cycles, while the stretchable polymer layers introduced to enhance flexibility and durability reduce the display’s brightness and energy efficiency.
The new flexible OLED design overcomes those shortcomings by using a nanomaterial dubbed MXene to create transparent and stretchable electrodes. Developed by Drexel University’s College of Engineering in 2011, the nanomaterial combines excellent electrical conductivity, mechanical strength, stretchability, and transparency. This allows for a bendable display that claims to retain almost 90% of its performance and efficiency when stretched up to 60% of its maximum strain limit.
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The researchers’ claims of impressive light efficiency stem from a new stretchable organic layer, called an exciplex-assisted phosphorescent (ExciPh) layer, that essentially alters the energy level of the OLED system to produce light more efficiently. An OLED pixel produces light by combining the positive and negative charges generated by the electrodes, which eventually unite to form an exciton. The subsequent decay of these excitons generates the electroluminescence driving individual OLED pixels. The new ExciPh layer lets more than 57% of excitons produce light, much higher than the 12% to 22% of traditional flexible OLEDs. This makes for a flexible display that’s not only more durable but also significantly brighter.
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Will these lab experiments mature into consumer applications?
Cherdchai Chawienghong/Getty Images
While the publication of research papers on high-tech displays and other promising phone-related technologies doesn’t always translate into consumer products, this joint US–Korean research endeavor did at least result in displays that offer a glimpse of the future. Drexel University researchers demonstrated the efficacy of their stretchable OLED display technology with two green monochrome displays: one depicted a heart icon, while the other showed a set of numbers.
Their counterparts at Seoul National University went one step further, developing a full-color stretchable display, replete with stretchable passive-matrix OLEDs. In other words, this flexible OLED technology already seems relatively mature, and deploying it in low-power wearable display solutions is not out of the realm of possibility.
The authors of this research paper list real-time health care monitoring and wearable communications technology as the potential applications of the stretchable OLED display prototypes demonstrated in their journal publication. Meanwhile, contemporary research into stretchable batteries, as discussed in ACS Energy Letters, seems to herald a future where wearable displays are the norm rather than science fiction.
The pharma has four locations in Ireland, employing more than 1,000 professionals.
Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda has announced plans to cut 4,500 people from its globally dispersed workforce, as a means of restructuring and reducing costs. Reportedly the cuts will start in early July and could extend to December 2027.
According to a recent investor presentation, the company’s restructuring plans will include consolidating its departments for efficiency, cutting management layers and automating operations, all in the name of generating the necessary funds to support upcoming drug launches.
Current hiring plans will not be impacted however, as Takeda intends to fill 2,200 vacant roles. Some of which will go to internal candidates. With more than 50,000 workers worldwide, in more than 80 global locations, it is unclear which regions will be most impacted.
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It is unknown how the cuts might affect Ireland. The pharmaceutical company has had a presence in the country since 1997 and has four locations. In Dublin there are facilities at Citywest, Grange Castle and Baggot Street. There is also a premises in Bray, Wicklow.
The Bray facility was previously chosen as Takeda’s first European OSD facility, allowing expansion into global markets and in 2004 Takeda chose Grange Castle as its first active pharmaceutical ingredient facility outside of Japan. Currently, the company employs more than 1,000 people in Ireland.
SiliconRepublic.com has reached out to Takeda regarding how the layoffs might impact employees based in Ireland.
Earlier this week coding platform GitLab announced plans to cut an undisclosed number of jobs, with additional plans to reduce its global operational footprint by up to 30pc. Carmaker GM also announced layoffs, with around 30 Ireland-based employees expected to be affected in the layoffs.
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‘This must be engagement farming’: Nothing CEO pokes fun at Sony for ‘awful’ Xperia 1 VIII social post showing its AI Camera Assistant tool making photos look worse
Sony has posted an advert for the Xperia 1 VIII’s AI Camera Assistant tool
But all the images using this feature look worse than the ‘before’ shots
It’s unclear how this could have happened without Sony realizing
AI is a controversial tool, but even those against the technology would probably admit that it has some utility. One such use case is to improve photos, but Sony’s recent attempt to advertise AI’s skills in this area has very much backfired.
You see, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII has just launched with an ‘AI Camera Assistant’ tool, which, on paper, sounds promising. It can make suggestions about settings you might want to change, such as exposure, bokeh, and color, based on what you’re pointing the viewfinder at, in order to get the best version of a photo. Except, its suggestions are seemingly absolutely terrible.
In a post on X, the official Sony Xperia account has shown some before and after photos aimed at advertising the capabilities of this tool, but the improved shots basically just seem to be overexposed to ludicrous levels, washing out colors and details, and leaving the photos looking pale and unnatural.
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The new AI Camera Assistant* with Xperia Intelligence brings stories to life. Using subject, scene and weather, it suggests expressive options with adjustments of colour, exposure, bokeh, and lens for breathtaking photos*.https://t.co/zgSQ9MLWFP#SonyXperia #Xperia1VIII pic.twitter.com/1dsBeCNvhEMay 14, 2026
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An accident or an intentional gamble?
An example of Sony’s AI Camera Assistant tool in action, as provided by Sony itself (Image credit: Sony)
Even if the feature really is this bad, it’s bizarre that Sony would highlight its failings like this, so there’s some debate online about what’s going on. Nothing’s CEO Carl Pei even weighed in, suggesting “this must be engagement farming??” But if it is, it’s quite the gamble given just how terrible this makes the feature look.
Other replies have described the results as “awful” and noted that “all the originals look better”, with one poster saying, “If this is intelligence, I’d prefer my phone dumb.” Another simply asks, “Is this satire?”
The response is almost universally negative, and it seems hard to believe that Sony didn’t realize the adjusted photos look worse. But it’s also hard to imagine the company would intentionally post bad images for engagement.
Perhaps, then, the before and after shots have accidentally been mislabeled, but the post has been up for quite a while now, so you’d think it would have been taken down if that was the case.
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We’ll be interested to give the AI Camera Assistant feature a try for ourselves when we get our hands on the Sony Xperia 1 VIII, but for now, based on Sony’s own images, it looks like something you might want to steer well clear of.
LinkedIn is laying off workers across engineering, product and marketing, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, as the tech sector continues shedding roles.
CEO Daniel Shapero disclosed the cuts in an internal memo cited by Bloomberg. The professional networking platform, which is owned by Microsoft, did not say how many of its 17,500 employees would be affected or where they are based. A report from Reuters put the cuts at 5% of the workforce.
“As part of our regular business planning, we’ve implemented organizational changes to best position ourselves for future success,” a company spokesperson told GeekWire via email.
Shapero took the helm at LinkedIn last month after serving as chief operating officer since 2021. He succeeded Ryan Roslansky, who was elevated to executive vice president overseeing both LinkedIn and Microsoft Office.
The cuts come despite strong financial performance. In January, LinkedIn reported crossing $5 billion in quarterly revenue for the first time, and last month said its annual revenue grew 12% year-over-year. Microsoft acquired the company a decade ago for $26.2 billion.
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The layoffs are the latest in a string of workforce reductions at Microsoft. The tech giant cut 6,000 employees, roughly 3% of its global workforce, about a year ago, then trimmed an additional 9,000 jobs last July. It recently offered voluntary retirement to thousands of employees for the first time in its 51-year history, targeting workers whose age plus years of service total 70 or more, and has flattened management layers while overhauling its compensation structure.
Microsoft has repeatedly denied a direct link between the cuts and its growing use of artificial intelligence to automate coding tasks. But as AI efficiencies expand and the company invests billions in data centers, it continues trimming its payrolls.
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