Netflix confirmed it laid off “around 300 employees” on Thursday. It’s the streaming giant’s latest round of job cuts so far this year as it faces slowing growth. The layoffs were earlier reported by Variety.  Netflix also cut 150 jobs in May, after it had eliminated a number of jobs at its fandom website, Tudum, in April. …

London-based startup Nothing is launching its first smartphone, Phone 1, on July 12. However, Americans who were eagerly anticipating the launch will be disappointed — the phone won’t be available in the US, the company confirmed to CNET. Leaker Evan Blass noted the absence earlier this week. “Whilst we’d love to bring our second product to the entire community around the …

Semiconductor company Broadcom is purchasing enterprise software company VMware for $61 billion, the company said in a press release on Thursday. The deal would be one of the largest in tech history.  “This transaction combines our leading semiconductor and infrastructure software businesses with an iconic pioneer and innovator in enterprise software as we reimagine what we can deliver to customers …

CNN Plus will shut down just shy of one month online. The streaming service, which cost $6 per month, was launched March 29, just before parent company WarnerMedia merged with Discovery. The service will shut down April 28, according to CNN, two days earlier than employees were originally told.  The streaming service, which featured news and original shows, may have been doomed …

Peacock will carry an early Major League Baseball game each Sunday, starting on May 8, the streaming service said on Wednesday. The 18 games will start earlier than normal: the first six at 8:30 a.m. PT and the final 12 at 9 a.m. PT. Each game (except the first) is exclusive to Peacock. The broadcasts will be produced by NBC …

Google users will soon see search results giving them two new ways to identify trustworthy news sources. First, a “highly cited” label will alert users to articles that have been cited in other news stories. These highly cited stories are often early, authoritative and local stories that provide necessary context, Google said in a blog post Thursday.  The label will appear in the …

Google on Thursday is offering developers a first look at Android 13, its newest operating system. Android 13 Developer Preview 1 will be available for manual download and includes a few notable updates. The new system will have more specific privacy controls. Android 13 will let people share with apps only specific photos instead of all media, through its photo …

Zagg’s cases and screen covers have been protecting phones for years. This week, the InvisibleShield maker unveiled Zagg Protect, a repair and protection plan. For an annual fee of $99, you can get up to two incidents of accidental damages covered per year, including cracked screens and liquid damage. The plan also covers failure of a phone’s battery, headphone jack, touch …

Venmo on Thursday rolled out eight digital “gift wrapping” options for in-app payments, adding a bit of color and animation to the process of zapping someone a little cash. In a release about the new feature, Venmo owner PayPal noted that 78% of Venmo users said they’d sent a gift last year through one payment app or another. People will be …

Taco Bell is giving you a reason to stop by every day and grab your favorite (or most convenient) taco. You can now buy its new Taco Lover’s Pass for around $10 (price varies by location) and snag one of its seven taco options every day for 30 days. The pass is available only through the Taco Bell app, where you can …