Shopify announced a 20% reduction in its workforce, its second major layoff in less than a year. The Canadian e-commerce company has also agreed to sell the majority of its logistics business to supply chain technology company Flexport. More: - The layoffs are expected to impact over 2,300 employees out of its approximately 11,600-person workforce, following its previous layoff of 1,000 workers, or 10% of its workforce, in July of last year.
- The affected employees will receive 16 weeks of severance pay and medical benefits, according to Shopify CEO Tobias Lütke.
- Shopify, an Amazon competitor, is also selling its shipping service company Deliverr and most of its fulfillment assets to Flexport, which becomes the official logistics partner for Shopify,
- In exchange, Shopify will receive a 13% equity stake in Flexport. The e-commerce giant acquired Deliverr only last year for $2.1B.
- In addition, British grocery tech firm Ocado Group is acquiring Shopify’s warehouse automation firm 6 River Systems, or 6RS, for an undisclosed amount.
- The sales of its logistics business are expected to allow Shopify to focus more on its retail business.
CNBC 
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What's happening: The U.S. government wants to tax the electricity used for cryptocurrency mining by 30% to force mining companies to pay for their environmental pollution and cover the cost of high energy prices. What the numbers say: Mining cryptocurrency uses a lot of power — just 34 large Bitcoin miners in the U.S. use the same amount of electricity as 3 million households. The University of Cambridge estimates that Bitcoin uses around 133 TWh of electricity per year, or roughly 0.6% of the world's electricity consumption and more than many countries. If Bitcoin were a country, it would be among the top 30 most-energy-consuming nations on Earth. What's next: If the proposal becomes law, the U.S. government would phase in the tax over three years, starting with a 10% tax on miners' electricity use in the first year and raising it to 30% in the third year. The tax increase would be expected to raise $3.5B in revenue over a decade. Still: Critics note that crypto miners will take a hit no matter what type of electricity they use, including 100% renewable sources. Brian Quintenz, head of policy at a16z, says that miners would be penalized just because the government is dissatisfied with how the energy is being used, and not with their overall carbon emissions. 
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Google is introducing passkeys as an alternative to traditional passwords across all Google accounts, including Gmail and Drive. Passkeys can be accessed via fingerprints, face scans, or PIN unlock codes, providing a more secure login option. More: - Each passkey is unique to each service and anchored to the user's phone or computer, making them resistant to phishing and other online attacks.
- Google previously launched passkey support for Android and Chrome. In a blog post yesterday titled "The beginning of the end of the password," the company also announced passkeys to log on across Google accounts from all major platforms.
- Google said it will encourage the use of passkeys moving forward and persuade account holders to switch from password logins.
- Microsoft, Google, and Apple have all developed passkey technology, with Apple launching passkeys in iOS16 and the latest MacOS version, and Microsoft using them through its Authenticator app.
- Computerworld shared directions for setting up an Android-based passkey for Google accounts.
TECHCRUNCH
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Qualcomm reported a 17% decline in sales from its handset chips and gave a weak outlook for its current quarter, citing poor demand for smobile phones globally. Its profits also fell by 42% in the second fiscal quarter to $1.7B. Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon attributed the weak outlook to macroeconomic conditions negatively impacting demand and sales for smartphones. More: - Qualcomm's chip segment, QCT, reported a 17% decrease in revenue to $7.94B in the second fiscal quarter.
- QCT markets and sells advanced electronics components such as smartphone processors, automotive chips, and other parts.
- Sales of its handset chips, which are used in most Android phones, were also down 17% from the year-ago quarter.
- According to Qualcomm CFO Akash Palkhiwala, customers are expected to remain cautious with their purchases.
- Qualcomm expects global handset shipments to decrease between 5% to 10% this year.
- As a result, the company is planning to cut its operating expenses by at least 5% this fiscal year.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
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Apple Arcade announced a major expansion of its library with 20 new games. Apple's subscription-based video game service launched in 2019 and now claims over 200 titles. More: - The new offerings include classic titles and mobile ports of already-popular games.
- Its brand-new titles include "TMNT Splintered Fate," a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle roguelike, and a "Words with Friends" contender called Disney Spellstruck, among others.
- Users pay a $4.99 monthly subscription fee to access and play the games across iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs, and Macs.
- Apple Arcade is also a part of the Apple One plan.
Zoom Out: - Netflix also offers a mobile gaming service to its subscribers, with plans to add 40 more games to its library this year, for a total of around 100.
9TO5MAC
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The White House has announced plans to gather public feedback on the usage of automated technology for worker management and monitoring, such as RFID badges, speed and location monitors, and keystroke and mouse activity trackers. As automation becomes more common, the Biden administration is concerned that automated tools used to track and monitor workers can pose serious risks to their safety and mental health, as well as fuel discrimination in areas like pay and discipline. More: - The White House is seeking feedback from employers, advocacy groups, and researchers to gain a better understanding of AI's role in the workplace.
- The collected data will assist the federal government in developing regulations to address any negative impacts of workplace surveillance technology, which is becoming more prevalent.
Zoom out: - According to a Pew Research survey, most Americans oppose using AI to track employees' movements while working, keep track of desk time, or record what workers are doing on their computers. However, when it comes to monitoring workers' driving behaviors while on the job, those polled were more supportive.
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- Google confirmed the Pixel Fold, its first foldable phone, with the release with a short video showing off the device's capabilities. The May 4 “May The Fold Be With You” teaser comes ahead of its expected reveal during Google I/O 2023 on May 10.
- Apple is set to report its fiscal second-quarter earnings after market close today. Analysts project a 4% drop in revenue from the year-ago quarter.
- The Paramount+ streaming service has surpassed 60 million subscribers, up from 43 million last spring.
- Crypto.com launched a ChatGPT-powered AI assistant "Amy" to help keep users updated on token prices, events, and projects in the cryptocurrency industry.
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 |  | Beth is a writer and editor at Inside.com covering artificial intelligence and daily technology news. She has written the Inside AI newsletter since 2019. You can reach her at Beth.Duckett@inside.com. |   | | Editor | Eduardo Garcia is a writer and editor based in New York. He is the author of "Things You Can Do," an illustrated book about climate action. Bylines in The New York Times, The Guardian, Slate, Scientific American, and others. In one of his previous lives, Eduardo worked as a Reuters correspondent in Latin America for nearly a decade. | |
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