HeyWhatsNew: Microsoft Cuts 9,000 Jobs as Xbox Faces Big Changes and Honor Unveils Super-Thin Foldable Phone
Hello again, Heyuppers! Your weekly roundup of all things tech, gaming, and innovation is here. Let’s dive into everything that has been happening in the week beginning 30/06/2025.
Spy App Leak Exposes Thousands of Phones and Users
A serious security flaw in the spyware app Catwatchful has exposed the private data of over 60,000 users and 26,000 unsuspecting victims. Marketed as a child monitoring tool, Catwatchful secretly collects photos, messages, audio, and even live camera footage from infected Android devices while remaining invisible to users. Security researcher Eric Daigle uncovered the breach, which revealed unencrypted email addresses, passwords, and sensitive phone data. Most victims were located in Latin America and India, and the breach also exposed the identity of the spyware’s developer, Omar Soca Charcov, based in Uruguay. The spyware was discovered using Google’s Firebase platform to store stolen data, sparking concerns about how such tools remain active despite breaching established policies. While Google has updated Play Protect to flag the app, Catwatchful remains active.
New Tool Lets Millions of Websites Block AI Bots
Cloudflare, a major internet infrastructure company, is rolling out a powerful new tool that helps websites block AI bots from accessing their content without permission. The system, which already protects about a million sites, targets AI crawlers, which are automated programs that scrape data to train AI models. This marks a big shift in the online world, giving publishers and creators more control over how their work is used. The move has been praised by media giants like Condé Nast and artists who have long fought for better copyright protections in the age of AI.
Cloudflare’s tool doesn’t just block unwanted bots; it also opens the door to a future where websites can ask AI companies to pay for the content they use. With over 50 billion bot requests hitting their network daily, Cloudflare hopes this “Pay Per Crawl” idea will level the playing field between AI firms and content creators. While some experts say legal reform is still needed, many see this as a meaningful first step in protecting creativity, journalism, and fair use on the internet.
Microsoft to Cut 9,000 Jobs as Gaming Division Faces Major Shakeup
Microsoft is laying off up to 9,100 employees, around 4% of its workforce, in one of the company's largest rounds of job cuts this year. The layoffs are hitting the Xbox division hard, affecting teams behind major titles like Forza Motorsport, Perfect Dark, and Everwild. Entire studios, including The Initiative, are shutting down, while Candy Crush maker King is also losing 10% of its staff. This comes just weeks after Microsoft cut over 6,000 jobs, continuing a wave of downsizing that’s been ongoing throughout 2024.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer said the layoffs are part of a plan to focus on the most important areas for future growth and to make the company more efficient. While Microsoft’s gaming business is doing well, Spencer says tough choices are needed to keep that success going. The company says it’s offering support to laid-off workers, including pay, health care, and help finding new jobs within Microsoft.
Honor Unveils Super-Thin Foldable Phone Just Before Samsung’s Launch
Honor has revealed its new foldable phone, the Magic V5, and it's impressively thin. Just 8.8mm when closed, it is one of the slimmest foldable phones ever made. It’s a clear move to beat Samsung to the punch, as they’re expected to launch their next foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold7, very soon. The Magic V5 opens up to a tablet-sized screen, great for multitasking and watching videos, while still feeling like a regular smartphone when folded. It comes in four colors, but only the white version reaches the ultra-thin 8.8mm mark.
The phone includes premium features like a top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, triple rear cameras, and fast charging. It also tackles common foldable phone challenges like hinge strength and battery size with smarter design choices, like a thinner high-density battery and stronger hinge material. Honor says its new design is more water- and dust-resistant than many competitors. For now, the Magic V5 is launching in China and other regions outside the U.S., with hopes that Apple’s future entry into the foldable market will help boost global interest in these next-gen devices.
OpenAI’s Sam Altman Says: Don’t Fully Trust ChatGPT—It Can Make Things Up
ChatGPT may be widely used, but OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is reminding everyone: don’t trust it blindly. In the first episode of OpenAI’s new podcast, Altman said people have a surprising amount of faith in the chatbot, even though it’s known to “hallucinate,” or make things up. He stressed that while ChatGPT is powerful, it’s not always reliable, and users should stay cautious. These hallucinations happen for several reasons, like biased training data or the AI’s need to always generate an answer.
Altman also shared his thoughts on the future, saying AI will likely become much smarter than us, but his own kids will grow up far more capable because of it. When asked if ads might come to ChatGPT, he said he’s not against the idea but would want it handled carefully. Still, his overall message was clear: use ChatGPT as a helpful tool, not a source of absolute truth.
That’s a wrap for this week, Heyuppers! See you next week for your dose of the latest in tech and trends.
