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Tech Industry Sees Shifts in Gaming, Fitness, and Longevity Research
The tech world experienced a week of notable developments, ranging from a posthumous ban on Xbox Live to shifts in the fitness industry and advancements in AI.
Microsoft permanently banned Jeffrey Epstein from its Xbox Live online gaming platform in December 2013. According to emails spotted by XboxEra, the ban was initially attributed to "harassment, threats, and/or abuse of other players," Sean Hollister of The Verge reported. However, a subsequent email from Microsoft the same day indicated the ban was due to Epstein being a registered sex offender.
In other news, Peloton announced it was laying off approximately 11 percent of its staff, primarily impacting engineers working on technology and enterprise, Stevie Bonifield of The Verge reported on Friday. This announcement came just months after the fitness brand launched its AI hardware.
The video game industry also saw movement as stock prices for major companies dipped following Google's unveiling of its Project Genie tool. Jay Peters of The Verge reported that Take-Two Interactive, Roblox, and Unity all experienced notable declines on Friday. Project Genie allows users to generate interactive virtual worlds from prompts using AI.
Fitbit users received an extension to migrate their data to a Google account. The original deadline of February 2nd, 2026, has been pushed back to May 19th, 2026, according to an update on Google's help page for Fitbit account migration, reported by Stevie Bonifield. The page specifies that users can still download or delete their data after the deadline.
Beyond the immediate tech landscape, MIT Technology Review highlighted the growing influence of "Vitalism," a philosophy and movement focused on lifespan extension. Founded by Adam Gries and Nathan Cheng, Vitalism advocates for scientific advancements, policy changes, and access to experimental drugs to slow or reverse aging. The movement aims to persuade influential people to support their cause.
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