Facebook’s parent company Meta is doing layoffs again. But there’s one ‘safe’ team that could actually benefit from the job cuts.

Welp, it's Wednesday. I'm Diamond Naga Siu, and I (semi-jokingly) like to say that I watch  about one movie per year. I've already watched one in 2023. But in light of breaking news, I might make an exception. 

Netflix is ending its DVD-rental service that started the company over two decades ago. But ahead of its official last DVD-rental day in September, I want to rent a movie from Netflix just to say I did it.

Before I start browsing the selection — tweet me recommendations @diamondnagasiu! — let's dive into today's tech.

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1. Gaming is 'safe' at Facebook's parent company Meta. The job cuts are expected to start on Wednesday. But multiple people told my colleague Kali Hays that gaming within Meta's Reality Labs division will likely remain immune — and perhaps actually benefit — from the job cuts.

• One person told Kali that after the layoffs are done, the team will be able to start hiring again. This expansion contrasts with the expected shuttering of multiple teams amid CEO Mark Zuckerberg's "Year of Efficiency."
• "Gaming has always been the biggest use case for virtual reality," Kali says. But Zuckerberg has insisted the metaverse was about much more than video games: "It was for work, leisure, shopping, 'community,'" she said.
• Kali added: "That could end up being true, but it's going to take years to get there."

More on the gaming safe harbor here.

In other news:

2. 'Stealth spear-fishing' is Shopify's latest recruitment strategy. A leaked document revealed that the company is overhauling its recruiting methodology. Recruiters were encouraged to use "unorthodox" ways to find new hires. More on the hunting metaphor-filled mandate here.

3. How the impending Hollywood writers' strike will impact each streaming service. Netflix will likely be fine with its stockpile of content. But Apple will probably flounder a bit. See how each streaming service will likely fare. Bonus: Netflix is finally cracking down on password sharing.

4. Google is looking less perky. The search giant set the bar for luxurious tech worker perks. But it's also been quietly cutting perks and benefits for years, even before the recent tech industry turmoil. Dive into the pruned perks here.

5. 'Love is Blind' contestants said it was like hell on earth. No food. No sleep. And no leaving. The hit Netflix reality show captivated US audiences. But multiple contestants told Insider about their traumatic experiences filming it. More on the "inhumane" on-set conditions here.

6. Teslaquilla. Not-a-Flamethrower. SpaceX onesies. Elon Musk loves his merch. Over the years, he's released a bunch of weird and wacky goods. Check them all out here — including some pretty short, 'S3XY' Tesla shorts.

7. 'Leave pity city.' This CEO went viral for telling employees to stop asking about bonuses. They should focus on the company's well being instead, she said. More on her "motivational" speech here.

8. Generative AI like ChatGPT lives rent free inside the heads of tech execs. Google CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI founder Sam Altman, and other major techies can't sleep at night. They can thank ChatGPT for that. Check out their fears of the new technology here.

Odds and ends:

9. How to catch the Lyrid meteor shower. The celestial spectacle is peaking this weekend. And you could catch 10-20 shooting stars per hour. Here's Insider's guide to watching the astronomical show.

10. Disney and Florida continue their 'Don't Say Gay' public feud. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis floated building a state prison next to the Orlando Walt Disney World Resort. Now, Disney announced its first official LGBTQ event for Pride Month. Catch up on their clash here.

What we're watching today:

• Kemba Walden, the US Acting National Cyber Director, is speaking at the National Cyber Security Centre's annual CYBERUK 2023 summit.
• SpaceX is launching its Falcon 9 rocket. Watch the livestream here.
• Quarterly earnings for Tesla, IBM, and other companies. Keep up with earnings here.

Curated by Diamond Naga Siu in San Diego. (Feedback or tips? Email dsiu@insider.com or tweet @diamondnagasiu) Edited by Matt Weinberger (tweet @gamoid) in San Francisco and Hallam Bullock (tweet @hallam_bullock) in London.