India Delays UPI Payments Market Share Cap in Relief for PhonePe, Google Pay

India has pushed back the implementation of market share caps for UPI apps like Google Pay and PhonePe. According to the proposal, first made in November 2020, digital payment firms would not be allowed to hold more than 30 percent share of the volume of transactions processed via India's popular unified payments interface (UPI).

Appl TV+ Offers Free Streaming of Apple Originals Without Subscription This Weekend

Apple TV+ will be free for streaming during the first weekend of January 2025, the company announced on Monday. The streaming service from the Cupertino-based technology giant will offer a weekend promotion with free streaming of Apple Original films and shows without any subscription required.

WhatsApp Web Tipped to Be Working on a Google-Enabled Reverse Image Search Feature

WhatsApp is said to be working on a new feature for WhatsApp Web that will allow users to perform a web lookup on shared images. The feature, dubbed Search on Web, is tipped to let users quickly do a reverse image search via Google without having to leave the messaging platform. The feature can be useful to curb the spread of misinformation and protect users from fall...

WhatsApp Web Tipped to Be Developing ‘Chat With Us’ Option for Quick Support

WhatsApp Web, the desktop client of the instant messaging app, is developing a new feature which lets users contact the support team quickly, as per the claims by a feature tracker. The new option dubbed ‘Chat with us’ is said to be available in the Help section of the desktop app and is scheduled for release in a future version of the app.

US President-Elect Donald Trump Asks Supreme Court to Pause Law That Could Ban TikTok

President-elect Donald Trump has urged the US Supreme Court to pause implementation of a law that would ban TikTok. The law would require TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the platform to an American company or face a ban.

Google Said to Be Testing a New AI Overviews Animation for Search

Google might be testing a new animation for its artificial intelligence (AI) search summary feature AI Overviews. On Saturday, a social media user posted about the new loading animation that replaces the existing blue lines that show up when the AI is preparing a summary for a searched query. As per the post, the new animation has a blue and purple roaming spotlight e...

ChatGPT Search Feature Reportedly Vulnerable to Prompt Injection and Hidden Text Manipulation

ChatGPT Search, a feature that lets the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot look for information on the web, is reportedly vulnerable to manipulation by website developers and owners. As per the report, OpenAI’s search engine’s behaviour can be altered using hidden text on the website. This text is said to be used to feed incorrect and deceptive information to th...

Microsoft Reportedly Bundling Copilot AI With Microsoft 365 Subscription and Hiking Prices

Microsoft is reportedly making changes to its Microsoft 365 subscription in some regions to bring Copilot to more users. As per the report, the Redmond-based tech giant has started bundling the Copilot AI assistant, which is available across multiple apps such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, with the subscription. This new addition is also not free of cost as...

YouTube for Android Testing ‘Play Something’ Floating Action Button: Report

YouTube is testing a new button in its mobile app for the Android platform, according to a report. It is said to play a random video when the user doesn’t know what to watch. The feature, dubbed 'Play something' appears as a floating action button (FAB) with white text on a black background on the YouTube mobile app.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Sora Services Now Fully Operational After Suffering a Major Outage

OpenAI artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT services suffered a major outage on Thursday in the US and some other regions. As per reports registered on an online outage monitor, the outage began roughly around 1:30pm ET on December 26 (12:00am IST, December 27). The outage also affected the AI firm’s API service, as well as the text-to-image platform Sora.

WhatsApp for iOS Rolls Out New AR Effects and Backgrounds, Adds Option to Scan Documents

WhatsApp for iOS has received several new features with the latest update. It adds the option to apply augmented reality (AR) effects and backgrounds when using the camera through the app. The instant messaging platform also makes it easier to share documents with others, courtesy of the new document scanning feature which is integrated into the file-sharing option on...

Instagram Reportedly Testing Feature to Allow Users to View Story Highlights From a Week Ago

Instagram may soon allow users to view older stories from their followers that they have missed in the first 24 hours. A recent report suggested that the Meta-owned social media site is testing a feature that will allow users to view Story Highlights from mutual followers for a week after they were posted.

Apple Executive Explains Why the Company Will Never Develop a Google-Like Search Engine

Apple does not have any intentions of building a search engine or entering the text ad market, highlighted a company executive on Monday. The statement arrived as an official testimony in the ongoing antitrust case against Google and Apple filed by the US Department of Justice over the default search engine deal that triggers any queries entered by an iPhone user on S...

Google Chrome Could Soon Reportedly Benefit from AI-Powered Gemini Live Capabilities

Gemini Live could soon make its way to the desktop version of Google Chrome, according to claims on social media by a tipster. The two-way conversational artificial intelligence (AI) feature was initially rolled out to Gemini Advanced users on Android in September and finally made its way to the iOS platform last month with the introduction of the Gemini for iOS app. ...

Telegram Profitable for First Time After App Pays Down Debts

The milestone comes as the messaging service faces increasing scrutiny for aiding the spread of misinformation and illegal content such as child sexual abuse materials.

Google Reportedly Planning to Add an ‘AI Mode’ Option to Google Search

Google is reportedly planning to add a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature to its Search. As per the report, the Mountain View-based tech giant is working on an AI Mode on Google Search that will allow users to access a conversational interface for searched queries. However, this feature is said to be different from the AI Overviews feature which shows a brief AI...

Elon Musk-Owned xAI Is Testing a Standalone Grok AI App for iOS

Elon Musk-owned artificial intelligence (AI) firm xAI is testing a standalone app for its in-house chatbot Grok. The chatbot app for Grok is currently only available on iOS in beta. It was first reported on Sunday and is currently only available in select regions. The iOS app will also take advantage of the recently released AI-powered image generator Aurora and can p...

WhatsApp Wins Ruling Against NSO Group as US Court Finds It Liable for Pegasus Spyware Hack

WhatsApp claimed a legal win over the NSO Group, the makers of the Pegasus spyware, on Friday. A US District Court judge ruled in favour of the Meta-owned platform and found that the Israeli company is liable for hacking 1,400 individuals’ devices and infecting them with spyware via the instant messaging platform’s servers.

X Premium+ Subscription Receives Significant Price Hike in India, US and Other Markets

X (formerly Twitter) is raising the price of its premium subscription in several markets including India, the microblogging platform has announced. Its top-tier subscription, which is X Premium+, has been revised and the US is one of the markets hit the hardest by this change. In the country, the price of the subscription has gone up by almost 40 percent. The social m...

Google Blasts Chrome Sale as ‘Extreme’ Remedy at Odds With Law

Google on Friday labelled the US Justice Department's plan to sell its web browser as "extreme" and legally flawed, cautioning a judge against stifling future innovation. In a court filing, the search giant proposed its own remedy, arguing the Chrome sale doesn't match the illegal conduct involving exclusive contracts with browsers, manufacturers, and carriers.

Google Photos Developing Quick Edit Feature for Editing Media Before Sharing: Report

Google Photos may be developing a new feature which lets users edit photos and videos quickly before sharing them, according to a report. The feature is dubbed Quick Edit and is said to enable quick photo editing by automatically enhancing it. Further, it is reported to also have cropping functionality.

Rapido Reportedly Fixes Security Flaw That Exposed User and Driver Information

Rapido has addressed a security flaw that exposed user and driver personal information via a feedback form, revealing names, email addresses, and phone numbers, according to a TechCrunch report. Discovered by a security researcher, the issue has been acknowledged and resolved by securing the portal to prevent unauthorised access and potential scams.

Instagram Is Working on an AI-Powered Editing Tool That Can Reimagine Users’ Videos

Instagram is working on a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature that will allow users to reimagine their videos. The AI-powered video editing tool is built on Meta’s Movie Gen AI model, an early research project that can generate videos from text prompts. On Instagram, instead of letting users generate videos from scratch, the feature will add enhancements to vid...

WhatsApp Rolls Out New Calling Effects, Animations and Stickers Ahead of New Year

WhatsApp is introducing fun new features to enhance the texting and calling experience ahead of the new year, the company announced on Thursday. For a limited time, WhatsApp users will be able to take advantage of new calling effects with the New Year theme during video calls. Further, the instant messaging platform rolls out new animations and sticker packs to match ...

GitHub Copilot Free Version With 2,000 Code Completion Per Month Launched for All Developers

GitHub launched a free tier of the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Copilot on Wednesday. The platform’s Copilot is geared towards coding-related tasks and comes with several third-party agents, extensions and features such as multi-file editing. The free version of the chatbot comes with higher rate limits in code completions and chat messages compared to the p...

OpenAI Introduces New Phone Number for ChatGPT, Lets Users Access Chatbot via Phone Calls and WhatsApp

OpenAI introduced an official phone number for ChatGPT on Wednesday. People in eligible regions can make phone calls to this number to access the company’s chatbot and interact with it verbally. Additionally, people residing in the rest of the world can save the contact and text it on WhatsApp to talk to the generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot.

Threads Testing Schedule Posts Option; Instagram Allows Scheduling Direct Messages

Meta has revealed that it is testing a new feature for Threads that will allow users to schedule their posts. The release timeline for this feature has not yet been confirmed. Meanwhile, another Meta-owned social media site, Instagram, has quietly introduced a schedule option for direct messages. Users will be able to schedule text messages in DMs using this feature....

Google App for iOS May Soon Get a Gemini AI-Powered Search Suggestions Feature

Google is reportedly testing a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature for its iOS app. As per the report, the Mountain View-based tech giant is working on a new feature that shows AI suggestions when a user begins typing a search query. These words reportedly add more details and context to the query, and can act as a filter to show more targeted results.

How to Share Sticker Packs on WhatsApp for iOS and Android

WhatsApp's new feature makes sharing sticker packs much easier. Available on iOS and Android, users can now send entire sticker packs as links. Recipients just tap to download and install them. This works with sticker packs that can be browsed within WhatsApp, making it easy to share fun stickers with friends.

Apple App Store’s Top Apps and Games of 2024 in India Announced: WhatsApp, Instagram, BGMI and More

Apple on Monday announced its annual year-end charts of the most downloaded apps and games on the App Store in over 35 countries, including India. WhatsApp — the popular instant messaging platform owned by Meta Platforms — has emerged as the top free iPhone app. Meanwhile, the Forest: Focus for Productivity app, which helps users put down their iPhone and focus on...

Instagram Rolls Out 2024 Collage Feature With New Year-Themed Fonts: Report

With 2024 coming to an end, Instagram has rolled out a new feature for users to create a collage from all the moments that they have shared on social media throughout the year, according to a report. It is said to be visible in the Instagram story interface once an image has been selected and resized. The Meta Platforms-owned social media platform is also reported to ...

Google Drive's Document Scanner Updated With Auto Enhancement Feature on Android

Google Drive is getting a new feature for its mobile document scanner tool. The new feature, dubbed ‘auto enhancements’ was announced on Friday and can automatically enhance the resolution and image quality of a digitised document to improve its readability. The new tool can fix a number of issues in a scanned document including white balance, shadows, lighting, c...

YouTube Opens Its Health Content Shelves to Registered Health Professionals

YouTube is expanding one of its health-related initiatives to allow verified content creators to spread awareness about different topics and diseases. Last week, the video streaming platform announced it was opening up ‘health content shelves’ and ‘health source information panels’, two exclusive features reserved for accredited health organisations, to regist...

ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode With Vision Rolling Out to Paid Subscribers

OpenAI rolled out the Advanced Voice Mode with Vision feature in ChatGPT on Thursday. The feature, which lets the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot access the smartphone’s camera to capture visual information of the user’s surrounding, will be available to all ChatGPT Plus, Team and Pro subscribers. The feature draws on the capabilities of GPT-4o and can provid...

Google Announces Android XR Operating System for Mixed Reality Headsets, Smart Glasses

Android XR has been unveiled by Google as a new operating system for XR devices, featuring Gemini AI assistant support. Expected to debut with mixed reality headsets and smart glasses, it will support AI, AR, and VR functionalities, enhancing user experiences with advanced, immersive features.

Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Haiku AI Model Released to All Users on the Web and Mobile Apps

Anthropic has silently released the Claude 3.5 Haiku artificial intelligence (AI) model to users. On Thursday, several netizens began posting about the model's availability in Claude's web interface and mobile apps. Anthropic stated that the new generation of Haiku is the company’s fastest large language model developed. Notably, all Claude users irrespective of the...

WhatsApp Rolls Out New Effects for Video Calls, Group Calling Improvements

WhatsApp is rolling out several new features to improve the audio and video calling experience on desktop and mobile platforms ahead of the holiday season, the company announced on Thursday. The social media platform now lets users pick from even more effects in video calls. Further, it adds the ability to select specific participants for calls in group chats. WhatsAp...

Apple Announces App Store Awards 2024 Winners; Top Apps Include Kino and Lightroom

Apple App Store Awards 2024 winners have been announced and Lightroom and Kino have won the top Mac and iPhone app categories, while Apple has also recognised six winners and six finalists in the Cultural Impact category, alongside top Apple Arcade titles. Here are all the top apps and games selected by Apple this year.

Fortnite Maker Epic Brings Game Store to Millions of Android Devices with Telefonica Tie-Up

Telecom giant Telefonica is partnering with Epic Games to bring the "Fortnite" video game maker's marketplace app directly to millions of devices on the Spanish company's network, the companies said on Thursday.

Microsoft Makes File Sharing Between iPhone and PCs Easier With New Link to Windows Feature

Microsoft is rolling out a new feature for its Link to Windows app which makes the process of sharing files between an iPhone and PC more seamless, the company announced on Wednesday. Currently limited to Windows Insiders, it leverages the Phone Link software to establish a connection between Windows and iOS devices.

Google Gemini 2.0 Family Unveiled, Gemini 2.0 Flash Added to the Chatbot on Web and Mobile Apps

Google introduced the successor of the Gemini 1.5 family of AI models, dubbed Gemini 2.0, on Wednesday. The new AI models come with improved capabilities including native image generation and audio generation, the company highlighted. Currently, the Gemini 2.0 model is available in beta to select developers and testers, whereas the Gemini 2.0 Flash AI model has been a...

Microsoft Replaces PWA Experience With Native Copilot App for Windows Insiders

Microsoft is rolling out a native Copilot app for Windows, the company announced on Tuesday. Introduced for testers registered with the Windows Insider Program, it replaces the progressive web app (PWA) which was available until now. The native Copilot for Windows app is being offered as an update following which it will appear in the system tray, as per Microsoft.

OpenAI’s Canvas Tool for ChatGPT Comes Out of Preview, Made Available to All Users

OpenAI released the Canvas tool out of preview on Tuesday, day four of its 12-day shipping schedule. Canvas was first announced in October as a sandbox-styled pop-up window that allows users to make inline edits, formatting, and other changes to text and code. Users can both make edits themselves or highlight a particular section and ask the AI to make changes.

Instagram Rolls Out Trial Reels to Help Creators Test New Content With Non-Followers

Instagram is rolling out a new feature dubbed trial reels which makes it easier for creators to experiment with new content, it announced on Tuesday. This feature was first announced in May this year and was rolled out in the test phase. With its arrival, the social media platform will enable Instagram creators to create trial reels and show them to users who do not f...

Reddit Answers, an AI-Powered Conversational Summaries Feature Introduced

Reddit is testing an artificial intelligence (AI) feature that will make it easier for users to search topics and find information. On Monday, the discussion forum-styled social media platform introduced the new feature, dubbed Reddit Answers. The AI feature is a conversational chatbot with which users can interact by asking text-based queries. The AI will generate a ...

Vipps Emerges as First Apple Pay Tap-to-Pay Competitor on iPhone Due to EU Regulation

Vipps has launched contactless payments on iPhone in Norway, becoming the first third-party app to offer tap-to-pay on iOS, similar to Apple Pay. Previously, only Apple Pay and Wallet could access the NFC chip, but iOS 18.1 update now allows third-party access in select regions.

xAI Announces Aurora AI Image Generation Model for Grok, Days After Its Removal

xAI officially launched Aurora, a native artificial intelligence (AI) image generation model, on Monday after deploying it briefly over the weekend. On December 7, several users reported spotting Aurora in the model selector menu within the Grok interface and were able to generate images using the tool. However, it disappeared a few hours later and no explanation behi...

Pixel Screenshots App Gets Gboard Suggestions, Circle to Search, and More Features With December Update

Google rolled out the December Pixel Feature Drop for compatible Pixel devices last week. A notable highlight of the update is the features coming to Pixel Screenshots — the standalone screenshot management app exclusive to Google's devices. The company says it is rolling out improved integration between Gboard and the Pixel Screenshots app, enabling users to get su...

CCI Seeks Supreme Court Hearing to Expedite Amazon, Flipkart Cases

The Competition Commission of India asked the court to hear 23 challenges, filed by Samsung, Vivo, and several vendors on the Amazon and Flipkart platforms, to enable the case to be decided quickly.

Elon Musk’s Grok AI Reportedly Gets Upgraded With New AI Image Generator, Taken Down Within Hours

Elon Musk-owned artificial intelligence (AI) firm xAI reportedly added a new AI image generator to Grok on Saturday. This image generation model, dubbed Aurora, was confirmed by Musk to be internally developed, unlike Flux which was developed by Black Forest Labs. After spotting the tool in Grok, several users posted images that were said to be generated using Aurora.

JioSaavn Rolls Out Replay 2024 in India, Showcasing Personalised Listening Habits and National Trends

JioSaavn has rolled out ‘Replay 2024’. It showcases the listening habits of users and trends based on the streaming activity, including the top songs, artists, and albums. In addition to personalised statistics, it also highlights the latest listening trends across the country such as the chart-topping songs and podcasts. Similar to Apple Music Replay and Spotify ...

Google Docs Gets Upgraded With Gemini AI-Powered ‘Help Me Create’ Feature for Workspace Users

Google Docs is getting a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature that will let users create formatted documents from scratch. Available for Google Workspace users in early access, the ‘Help me create’ feature can also take context from files saved in the Workspace account and make documents using them. The Mountain View-based tech giant claims the feature can be ...

WhatsApp Message Reminders Rolling Out to Beta Testers on Android

WhatsApp message reminders are now rolling out to beta testers, making it easier to users to keep track of messages received on the app. The status updates reminders feature has been updated with the ability to receive reminders for messages that users may have missed, on the latest beta version of WhatsApp for Android.

TikTok Ban: US Appeals Court Upholds Law Forcing Its Sale Ahead of Deadline

A US federal appeals court has upheld a law requiring ByteDance to divest its popular short video app TikTok in the US by early 2025, ahead of an upcoming deadline. The decision from the appeals court increases the chances that TikTok will face an unprecedented ban in six weeks, that could cut off access to the service for 170 million users in the country.

Netflix Suspended Account Scam Being Used By Hackers to Steal User Information in Several Countries

Hackers are using a phishing scam to target Netflix account users, telling them that their account has been suspended, in order to prompt them to visit a maliciously crafted website. This website steals their Netflix password and banking information, which is then sold on the dark web. Here's how you can keep your Netflix login and password, as well as your banking in...

OpenAI Launches Full Version of Reasoning-Focused o1 AI Model, Introduces ChatGPT Pro Subscription

OpenAI brought the o1 artificial intelligence (AI) model out of preview on Thursday and released the full version. The AI firm claims that the new model can now perform tasks that the o1-preview could not. It is also said to be faster in response times and more concise in its thinking. The OpenAI o1 AI model will be available to all the paid subscribers of ChatGPT.

Instagram Adds Replies, Insights and More Features to Broadcast Channels for Improved Audience Engagement

Instagram announced new features for broadcast channels on Wednesday. The latest update adds more ways for creators to engage with their audience instead of simply liking and reacting to messages — the only avenue for interaction on the social media platform until now. Instagram users can now reply to messages from creators as well as each other. Further, it now ena...

WhatsApp Introduces New Typing Indicators for Real-Time Engagement in Chats

WhatsApp has rolled out a new feature for mobile devices which makes it easier for users to engage in chats in real time, it announced on Thursday. It will now display typing indicators with visual cues appearing in chats when users are engaged in active conversations in both one-to-one and group chats.

Google Photos Rolls Out ‘Undo Device Backup’ Feature0 for Better Cloud Storage Management

Google has introduced a new feature for its Photos app that aims to make deleting backed-up photos and videos easier. It was reportedly first spotted in June, with code strings of the Google Photos app hinting at a feature with similar functionality. The feature, dubbed ‘Undo Device Backup’, lets users remove media from the cloud storage space offered by Google wi...

Nothing Rolls Out Community Widgets App, Brings Nokia’s Classic Snake Game to Its Smartphones

Nothing has introduced a new app called Nothing Community Widgets. As the name suggests, it features widgets such as games and tools for Nothing smartphones co-developed by its passionate user base. One of the first arrivals on the app is a snake game which pays homage to the classic snake experience on Nokia phones. It is exclusively available for Nothing smartphones...

Pixel Recorder App Could Soon Get a ‘Clear Voice’ Feature for Background Noise Reduction

Google is developing a new feature for its native Pixel Recorder app to eliminate background noise and enable clearer speech playback when recording audio on its smartphones, according to a report. It was spotted during an APK teardown of the app for Android. The app is exclusive to Google’s Pixel lineup of devices such as the latest Pixel 9 series and offers featur...

OpenAI Reportedly Considering Showing Ads on ChatGPT in a Bid to Boost Revenue

OpenAI is reportedly looking at ads as a way to create a new revenue source. As per the report, the AI firm is considering showing ads on ChatGPT, the company’s AI-powered chatbot platform. However, it is said that there is no decision on when or how these ads could be displayed.

How to Turn On or Off Instagram’s Quiet Mode on Android and iPhone?

Instagram’s Quiet Mode is designed to help users take control of their social media experience. When activated, it silences all notifications, changes your activity status to “In Quiet Mode,” and sends auto-replies to anyone who sends you a direct message. This ensures you can focus on important tasks, relax, or recharge without interruptions. Quiet Mode can be ...

Gemini AI Assistant Rolling Out Support for Making Calls, Sending Messages on the Lock Screen

Gemini AI assistant is getting a new functionality that will allow users to make calls and send messages even on the lock screen. The feature was spotted in the latest version of the Gemini app for Android and seems to have been activated on the server side. While it is not widely available currently, those who have access to it can test the feature.

Threads Will Roll Out Profile and Other Tools for Search Bar to Refine Searches

Threads is rolling out a new feature to refine searches with the help of additional options. Following its rollout, users will be presented with additional filters for date ranges and profiles which can be applied in the search bar. This development builds upon a recent rollout of a new feature in the testing phase which brings an option of setting a custom feed as de...

Samsung to End Support for DeX for PC With One UI 7, Asks Users to Switch to Link to Windows App

Samsung will end support for DeX for PC with its upcoming operating system (OS) dubbed One UI 7, the company has confirmed. In its place, the South Korean technology conglomerate will prioritise the more recent Link to Windows app for accessing phone features on a PC.

Death Clock App for Android and iOS Uses AI to Predict Users’ Life Expectancy and Ways to Improve It

Death Clock, a new app on the block, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to determine when a user will die. It is available for both Android and iOS and is free to download and install. It asks users to fill out a questionnaire and guesses people’s life expectancy on the basis of the answers provided. Despite its morbid overtones, the app brands itself as “AI-powere...

Proposed Australia Law Would Fine Big Tech Over Digital Competition

Australia's centre-left Labor government has targeted Big Tech's influence, and parliament passed a law last week that banned social media for children aged under 16.

WhatsApp Starts Testing Feature to View, Share Channels Using QR Codes

WhatsApp is beta testing a feature that lets users share, view, and follow WhatsApp Channels using a quick response code (QR code) code in the app. The feature is currently available to beta testers and could roll out to all WhatsApp users in the future.

Microsoft Says It's Unable to Launch Xbox Mobile Store on Android Due to Google Court Order Stay

Despite the Microsoft's plans to launch an Xbox app on Android in November, the Xbox parent has been unable to do so owing to a stay on the October court order that directed Google to open up its Play Store and allow competition.

Australia Passes Social Media Ban for Children Under 16

Australia has approved a social media ban for children aged under 16. A trial of methods to enforce it will start in January with the ban to take effect in a year.

Samsung Calendar and Other One UI 7 APKs and In-App Screenshots Surface Online

Samsung's Android 15-based One UI 7 update is speculated to be available next month in beta in select countries. Ahead of its anticipated rollout, several first-party application packages (APKs), which are expected to be part of Samsung's suite, have surfaced online, according to claims by a tipster on social media.

Anthropic Introduces Custom Styles in Claude AI That Can Match Users’ Writing Style

Anthropic introduced a new feature in Claude on Tuesday that will allow the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot to generate responses in users’ preferred writing style. Dubbed Custom Style, the new feature is aimed at the chatbot’s responses more in tune with how the user generally writes and prefers to read. With this personalisation feature, users can either se...

Elon Musk’s xAI Reportedly Planning to Launch a ChatGPT-Like Standalone App Soon

Elon Musk’s xAI reportedly plans to launch a standalone app as soon as next month. xAI might have arrived late to the artificial intelligence (AI) space, but it has taken quick strides to close the gap. And now, a report claims that the company is planning to take on OpenAI with a ChatGPT-like app.

Microsoft Denies Training AI Models on User Data From Microsoft 365 Apps

Microsoft on Wednesday denied claims that it uses customer data to train artificial intelligence models. The response came after some users pointed out on social media that the company requires users to opt-out of its "connected experiences" feature, which they argued was used to train AI models.

Google, Meta Urge Australia to Delay Bill on Social Media Ban for Children

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's centre-left government wants to pass the bill, which represents some of the toughest controls on children's social media use imposed by any country, into law by the end of the parliamentary year on Thursday.

Australia Moves Closer to Ban Social Media for Children

Australia on Wednesday moved closer to banning social media for children under 16. Australia's House of Representatives passed the bill 102 votes to 13 after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's centre-left Labor government secured bipartisan support for the ban.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Design, One UI 7 Interface Spotted in Leaked Images

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra images have surfaced online, offering a look at the upcoming flagship smartphone. Although the launch is anticipated to take place in early 2025, leaked images showcasing the Galaxy S25 Ultra with an S Pen have emerged. Additionally, the device is depicted running One UI 7, Samsung's upcoming custom Android interface, slated to debut with the ...

Android’s New Feature Will Automatically Log Users Back Into Apps When Switching Devices

Google has announced a new feature for Android which aims to make the process of switching to and setting up new devices a quicker and more efficient experience. The feature, called Restore Credentials, can automatically log users back into apps on devices once the switchover is complete, leveraging a restore key.

Zoom Changes Name to Emphasise AI Offerings, Gives Sales Forecast

Zoom Video Communications gave a sales forecast for the current quarter that failed to impress investors who were expecting a bigger boost from the company’s expanded suite of products. Revenue will be about $1.18 billion (roughly Rs. 15,170 crore) in the period ending in January, Zoom said Monday in a statement.

Brazil Antitrust Body Rules Apple Must Lift Restrictions on In-App Payments

Brazilian antitrust regulator Cade said on Monday that Apple must lift restrictions on payment methods for in-app purchases. Another preventive measure is that Apple must allow app developers to offer other in-app payment processing options apart from the one owned by Apple, the regulator added.

Threads Is Testing New Feature Which Lets Users Pick the Default Feed

Threads is testing a new feature that lets users pick their default feed, the company CEO announced via social media on Monday. Following its rollout, it may present them with an additional option of setting a custom feed as default, in addition to choosing from the existing two options. This development builds upon a recent algorithm change that will result in users ...

Instagram Rolls Out Nicknames, Live Location Sharing and More Features for DMs

Instagram is rolling out several new features for direct messages (DMs) to make catching up with friends a more expressive experience, the company announced on Monday. It now enables users to customise chats by adding nicknames and brings a Snapchat-like location sharing feature which allows them to send their location to their loved ones, or locate them in crowded pl...

Google Calendar Gets Full-Screen Task Lists Feature on Android for Easy Task Management

Google has introduced a new feature for its Calendar app on Android which aims to make managing tasks easier. The app lets users create tasks, edit them with details, create sub-tasks, and use them with Google Workspace products like Gmail and Calendar — synced across devices. The company introduced full-screen task lists on the web last year and the same experience...

iOS 18.2 Adds Unified 'Default Apps' Section to Settings App With New Categories: Report

iOS 18.2 will introduce a new unified section that will enable users to set default apps across more than eight categories, including calling, messaging, call filtering, autofill, and NFC chip-compatible applications. Here's how the new Default Apps feature works on iOS 18.2.

YouTube Shorts’ Dream Screen AI Feature Upgraded With Video Background Generation Capability

YouTube first began testing a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature for Shorts dubbed Dream Screen in June. The feature earlier could generate AI-generated image backgrounds for the vertical short video format, but on Thursday, the company announced a new capability. Dream Screen can now generate video backgrounds alongside image backgrounds allowing users more cre...

Threads Algorithm Updated to Show Users Less Recommended Content

Threads has updated its algorithm to show users more posts from people that they follow. Users will see fewer recommended posts, which are published by accounts that they don't follow, according to details shared by Instagram head Adam Mosseri, who said that content creators on Threads will see a drop in 'unconnected' reach, while 'connected' reach will increase, afte...

Spotify Tests Video Clips, Author Pages and More Features for Audiobooks

Spotify has rolled out several new features in the pilot phase to improve the audiobook listening experience. One of the most notable changes is the introduction of video clips in audiobooks, enabling users to view a short snippet containing information about it or even a message from the author before pressing play.

WhatsApp Rolls Out Voice Message Transcripts With Support for English and Other Languages

WhatsApp rolled out a new feature on Thursday that aims to make sharing voice messages more convenient. It introduces voice message transcripts on WhatsApp for Android and iOS platforms, enabling users to see a text-based transcription of the voice message received from others. The feature is said to come in handy while on the move or in a loud environment.

ChatGPT Live Video Feature Spotted on Latest Beta Release, Could Launch Soon

ChatGPT might soon get vision capabilities. As per a report, evidence for the Live Video feature, which is part of OpenAI’s Advanced Voice Mode, was spotted in the latest ChatGPT for Android beta app. This capability was first demonstrated in May during the AI firm’s Spring Updates event. It allows the chatbot to access the smartphone’s camera and answer queries...

Android Switch App for iOS Users Launched; Google Says Improved Data Transfers Coming to More Phones in 2025

Google has launched a redesigned app called Android Switch as it attempts to simplify the process of transferring data from an iPhone to a new Android smartphone. The company has also announced that the delayed data transfer feature, first seen on the Pixel 9 series, will be available on other Android devices in 2025.

Meta Rolls Out AI-Powered Backgrounds, HD Video Calls and More for Messenger Calling

Meta Platforms has introduced new features for Messenger which aim to improve the experience during audio and video calls. Powered by artificial intelligence (AI), users will be able to take advantage of custom backgrounds during Messenger video calls for better expressivity. It also brings HD video calls to the app, in addition to other updates such as background noi...

Google Reportedly Working on AI-Powered ‘Help Me Draw’ Feature for Google Keep

Google is reportedly working on a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature for Google Keep. As per the report, the company’s note-taking app might soon offer AI-powered enhancement to hand-drawn text and sketches. Dubbed Help Me Draw, the evidence of the feature were said to be found within the latest version of the Google Keep app for Android.

Google AI-Powered Air View+ Announced With Real-Time Hyperlocal Air Quality Information Across India

Google announced Air View+, an ecosystem-based solution to address the gaps in air quality data across India, on Wednesday. The system uses the Mountain View-based tech giant’s artificial intelligence (AI) models to process a large volume of air quality data at the hyperlocal level and provide actionable insights to Indian government agencies.

Google’s Chrome Worth Up to $20 Billion If Judge Orders Sale

Chrome browser could go for as much as $20 billion if a judge agrees to a Justice Department proposal to sell the business. Antitrust officials, along with states that have joined the case, also plan to recommend Wednesday that federal judge Amit Mehta impose data licensing requirements.

Gemini AI Chatbot Gets Upgraded With Saved Info Feature, Can Remember Users’ Interests and Preferences

Gemini is getting upgraded with a new feature that will allow it to remember specific information about a user’s interests and preferences. On Tuesday, Google announced the new update for its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot. With this, users can ask Gemini to remember information about themselves and it will continue to tailor its responses accordingly in all f...

Instagram Will Let Users Reset Their Content Recommendations

Instagram will let some users reset the algorithm that determines what types of posts and videos they see in their feed. The change is designed to give people more control if they find the content in their Instagram feed no longer matches their interests.

Perplexity AI ‘Buy With Pro’ and ‘Snap to Shop’ Features Rolling Out for Paid Subscribers

Perplexity added two new features to its platform on Monday to offer users a new shopping experience. The artificial intelligence (AI) search engine is rolling out ‘Buy with Pro’ and ‘Snap to Shop’ features for paying subscribers. With the former, Perplexity Pro users can now purchase products directly on the platform after asking for recommendations.

Google Play Best of 2024: Indus Battle Royale, WhatsApp Among Top Apps and Games on Play Store in India

Google on Tuesday announced its annual list of top games and apps on the Play Store in India. The Google Play Best of 2024 awards focus on apps that have a practical and user-centric design at their centre, developed by Indian developers for niche audiences. The company highlights the advancements made across sectors such as personalised news, fashion styling, social ...

Xiaomi Said to Replace GetApps With PhonePe's Indus Appstore in India

Xiaomi will likely soon discontinue its GetApps app store for Indian users. Although the company has yet to officially announce the store's discontinuation, information regarding the same has surfaced online. The Chinese smartphone maker is said to replace the app store with Indus Appstore, an Android-based mobile app marketplace by PhonePe.

Yahoo Mail for iOS Updated With AI Features, Gamification Tools

Yahoo Mail is getting a new makeover. Last week, the company announced that it is redesigning the app with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI). It now offers new features such as summarising messages and helping users compose emails as well as letting them sort and categorise their emails. Apart from the AI features, the app is also introducing a messaging-inspire...

Bluesky Confirms It Will Not Train Its Generative AI Models on User Posts

Bluesky social media platform officially stated on Friday that it does not train its generative artificial intelligence (AI) models on user data. The company also highlighted the areas where it uses AI tools and claimed that none of the models have been trained on the public and private posts made by users. The statement was released after several creators and users r...

Google Shielded Email Feature Reportedly in Development; Could Help Users Hide Email ID Addresses

Google is reportedly working on Shielded Email, a new feature that could protect user privacy while using apps that ask for their email address. The new Shielded Email feature could allow users to share email address 'aliases' when signing up for apps or newsletters and might work similarly to Apple's Hide My Email service that is available to iCloud+ customers.

Google Maps Updated With Product Search, Trailer-Friendly Routes and Weather Disruption Alerts

Google Maps has introduced several new features designed to enhance the user experience for shopping and driving during the upcoming holiday season. Users will be able to search for specific products within Google Maps, while drivers in North America can use 'trailer-friendly routes' to avoid obstacles and tunnels.

Netflix Hopes for Live Sports Knockout with Jake Paul-Mike Tyson Fight

Mike Tyson and social media influencer-turned-fighter Jake Paul on Friday is the latest one-two punch from Netflix. The OTT streaming service has dabbled in sports content before, with exhibition golf and tennis events and the wildly popular docuseries "Formula 1: Drive to Survive".

Google Launches Gemini for iOS App With Gemini Live Capability, More

Google has rolled out the Gemini app for iOS users globally, days after being reportedly spotted in a test run in select regions. It enables users to generate images using its multi-modal capabilities, find information across apps like Gmail and YouTube, or enable problem-solving via image queries.

Meta Will Face Antitrust Trial Over Instagram, WhatsApp Acquisitions

Meta will be facing a trial in a US Federal Trade Commission lawsuit seeking its break-up over claims that it bought Instagram and WhatsApp to crush emerging competition in social media.

Google Introduces AI-Powered Safety Tools to Protect Users from Phone Call Scams and Malicious Apps

Google introduced two new artificial intelligence (AI) safety tools for Android devices on Wednesday. These tools are aimed at protecting users from phone call-based scams and malicious apps by monitoring the activity in real time. The first is Scam Detection in Phone by Google, which monitors conversation patterns to determine whether an incoming call could be potent...

Google Chrome for iOS Receives Shopping Insights, Other New Features

Google Chrome for iOS has rolled out several new features that aim to make finding information and completing tasks easier. The web browser now lets iPhone users add text queries to visual searches via Google Lens for more helpful and relevant results. It also introduces new ways to save space on iPhone, find better deals while shopping online, and view maps of addres...

Slack Is Reportedly Working On an AI-Powered File Summary Feature

Slack, the work management and productivity platform, is reportedly working on a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature. As per a report, the new feature is called AI file summary, and it can summarise documents uploaded to the platform. The new feature is said to be able to summarise text-heavy files to help users quickly get a gist of the topic. This is an under-d...

Meta to Offer Less Personalised Ads in Europe to Appease Regulators

Meta Platforms plans to offer Instagram and Facebook users in Europe the option to receive "less personalised ads". These ads will also target users based on age, gender, and location, with some being unskippable for a few seconds.

Instagram AI Feature That Lets Users Generate Profile Pictures Spotted in Development

Instagram might be working on a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature that will allow users to upload AI-generated images. A new leak claims that the Meta-owned social media platform is testing a feature that will allow users to use AI models to generate profile pictures using AI. While not a lot is known about the feature at this point, similar features are report...

Apple Gets EU Warning to Stop Geo-Blocking on App, ITunes Stores

Apple's App Store, iTunes Store and other media services unlawfully discriminate against European customers based on their place of residence, according to a European Commission statement on Tuesday. 

Signal Updated With Call Links Feature, Raise Hand Button, Emoji Reactions and More Improvements

Signal has been updated with Call Links, a feature that enables users to initiate a group call with multiple participants without the need to form a separate group chat. Additional updates include a "raise hand" button, emoji reactions, and a dedicated calls tab on Signal.

Google's Quick Share App Now Available for Snapdragon X Elite, Other ARM Devices Running Windows 11

Google has announced the silent rollout of its Quick Share app for ARM-powered devices running Windows 11 or later. Users can now easily send and receive photos, documents, and more data between nearby Android devices and ARM-based Windows PCs including the new Snapdragon X Elite laptops.

Gemini App for iPhone With Gemini Live Capability Appears in the App Store for Some Users

Gemini app might have been released on iOS. On Sunday, a Reddit user posted screenshots of the iOS version of the app. In the screenshots, the Gemini Live feature, which offers a two-way voice conversation with the AI, was also visible. The user also shared the app’s App Store listing URL, however, several others claimed that it was not available in their region.

WhatsApp for iOS Gets Drafts Label for Unread Messages in Chats, New Widget for Home Screen

WhatsApp for iOS has rolled out a new feature which lets users check their drafted and unsent messages without opening a specific chat. With the app’s latest update, a new 'Draft' label appears next to the chat which contains an incomplete message, enabling the user to find it quickly without the hassle of scrolling through the chat list.

Zomato’s New Food Rescue Feature Lets Users Grab Cancelled Orders at a Discount

Zomato has rolled out a new feature which aims to minimise the wastage of food caused by cancelled orders. The feature, dubbed Food Rescue, lets users grab orders cancelled by others from nearby restaurants at discounted prices for a limited time. The food delivery platform says orders will be received by customers in a short time and in their untampered packaging.

Instagram Gets Rid of ‘Annoying’ Automatic Feed Refreshing When App is Opened

Instagram is implementing a change for the removal of a feature that was long been considered annoying by users, the company head has confirmed via social media. From now on, the social media platform’s feed will not automatically refresh when the app is opened after a period of brief inactivity, enabling the user to see the posts which first appear on their screen.

MS Paint Gets AI-Powered Generative Fill Feature in Preview to Windows 11 Insiders

MS Paint in Windows 11 is getting a couple of new artificial intelligence (AI) features. On Wednesday, Microsoft announced new preview features for Windows Insiders including the major AI upgrade to the Paint app. It is getting a new Generative Fill feature that uses AI to generate objects based on text prompt. Apart from that, the company is also introducing a Genera...

Meta Says App Stores Should Police Australia Under-16 Social Media Ban

Australia will impose a ban on social media for people aged under 16 despite calls by Meta Platforms for it to consider shifting responsibility for policing. The legislation will be brought before parliament in the week beginning November 18.

Google Photos App for Android and iOS Gets New Updates Page for Viewing Incoming Activity

Google Photos app is rolling out a new feature that aims to make it easier for users to catch up on incoming activity. It appears as a new feed with options to see updates to shared albums, conversations, memory and storage. The feature has been released for the Google Photos app for both Android and iOS platforms and can be accessed from the home page.

Google Vids AI-Powered Video Creation Tool Rolling Out to Select Workspace Users

Google Vids, the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) video creation tool, is now rolling out to select Google Workspace users. Announced on Thursday, the tool can assist users across multiple steps in the video and presentation-making workflow. Interestingly, Google Vids is not an AI video generation tool like Runway or Pika, which can generate videos using text ...

Australia Proposes 'World-Leading' Ban on Social Media for Children Under 16

Australia is trialing an age-verification system to assist in blocking children from accessing social media platforms, as part of a range of measures that include some of the toughest controls imposed by any country to date.

Google Working on 'AI Replies' for Call Screen Feature on Pixel Phones: Report

Google Pixel devices’ Call Screen feature is reportedly getting new artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. As per the report, the Mountain View-based tech giant is working on an AI Replies feature which will generate smart replies based on what the caller has said, instead of the standard replies seen in the current version of the feature.

ToxicPanda Banking Trojan Infects Over 1,500 Android Smartphones, Targets 16 Banks: Report

ToxicPanda has been detected by security researchers as a new banking trojan, infected devices in Europe and Latin America. It is used to remotely take over accounts on compromised phones, allowing attackers to transfer funds while bypassing a bank's security measures. ToxicPanda was reportedly found on over 1,500 devices, while targeting users of 16 banking instituti...

Paytm UPI Statement Download Feature Introduced to Help Users Track Transactions

Paytm, the digital payments company, introduced a new unified payments interface (UPI) feature on Wednesday. The new feature, dubbed UPI statement download, allows users to get a detailed statement of their transaction history for the desired period. The service is available to all users without any cost. The company highlighted that the feature will enable users to b...

Gemini AI Assistant Gets Google Home Extension, Can Control Smart Home Devices

Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) assistant is getting support of a new extension that will allow users to control their smart home appliances. The AI-powered virtual assistant for Android devices has been receiving regular extension support to perform more tasks on the device and match the performance level of the older Google Assistant. Currently, Gemini assistant...

Google Cloud Will Make Multi-Factor Authentication Mandatory for All Users Starting 2025

Google Cloud will soon make multi-factor authentication (MFA) mandatory for all users, the platform’s Vice President of Engineering announced on Tuesday. The company says this decision has been taken in a bid to strengthen the cloud platform’s security without affecting the convenient online experience that it provides.

Amazon Prime Video Gets AI-Powered X-Ray Recaps Feature That Generates Spoiler-Free Summaries of Shows

Amazon Prime Video is getting a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature that will let users easily check the recap of the show they are watching without any spoilers. Announced on Monday, the feature is called X-Ray Recaps and joins the existing X-Ray experience that allows viewers to get trivia about shows and movies as well as information about the cast, soundtrack...

EU to Assess if Apple's iPad Operating System Complies with Digital Markets Act

EU's move followed Apple's publication of a compliance report for its iPad OS, designated by the commission in April as an important gateway for businesses to reach their customers.

Instagram Now Lets Creators Filter Message Requests in DMs With Its New Feature

Instagram has rolled out a new feature for creators that aims to make interactions with other creators and businesses easier, the platform’s head recently announced via social media. Following its rollout, they can now sort and filter message requests received from others in direct messages (DMs) based on the account type, instead of having to scroll through each on...

X Begins Rolling Out Updated Block Feature That Lets Blocked Users See Posts, Followers List

X (formerly known as Twitter) announced the roll out of the new block function on Sunday. The social media platform first announced the decision to change the way block works last month. With the new system, the blocked users can see the profile, posts, as well as followers and following lists of the users who had blocked them.

Anthropic Introduces PDF Image Understanding With Claude 3.5 Sonnet AI Model

Anthropic released another new artificial intelligence (AI) feature for its chatbot Claude on Friday. The feature, dubbed PDF image understanding, now allows Claude to see and process images embedded within PDF files including charts and graphics. This capability has been added to the recently released Claude 3.5 Sonnet AI model. The company claims that this ability w...

Apple to Buy Pixelmator, Maker of Popular Photo-Editing Apps

Apple will purchase Pixelmator, the maker of a popular high-end photo-editing app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac computers. Pixelmator said in a blog post that its team would be joining the iPhone maker. Apple's customers should gain access to a high-end photo editing app for the first time since the company discontinued Aperture.

WhatsApp Rolling Out Custom Lists Feature to All Users Globally

WhatsApp recently introduced a feature where users could categorise certain groups and individual chats as favourites for quick access. This was accessible through a tab in the chat filters bar alongside tabs like unread, groups and all. Now the company has announced that it is rolling out a Custom Lists feature where users will be able to create and edit customisabl...

OpenAI Introduces ChatGPT Search AI-Powered Web Search to Take On Google’s AI Overviews, Perplexity

ChatGPT Search, the artificial intelligence (AI) search engine for the OpenAI-built chatbot, was introduced on Thursday. The feature arrives after months of speculation about the AI firm’s SearchGPT waitlist. The web search feature allows users to run a web search about a topic and get natural language results based on information sourced from various websites. This...

Google Confirms Early Android 16 Release Timeline, Second Minor Android Update to Follow

Google has announced that Android 16 is set for release in the second quarter of 2025. The next major Android update will be launched at least three months earlier than Android 15 and Android 14. Google says it will also roll out a minor Android 16 SDK release towards the end of 2025.

Nintendo Launches Music App That Lets You Stream Video Game Soundtracks

Nintendo has launched a new music app with a library that consists of video game soundtracks from classics like Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda games. It has scores from newer releases as well and newer tracks will be added to the app. Users do not require a Nintendo Switch to access the app, however, they will need a Nintendo Switch Online membership alongside a...

Samsung's One UI 7 Update to Introduce Smart Notification Management, Redesigned Icons and New AI Features

One UI 7 was briefly teased by the company at its annual developer conference, and a publication has now leaked the design and features arriving with the upcoming update. While One UI 7 isn't expected to arrive until early 2025, it will reportedly bring several improvements to the interface, while introducing new parental controls and AI-powered features.

LinkedIn Hiring Assistant AI Agent That Automates Hiring Process for Recruiters Introduced

LinkedIn introduced a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool dubbed Hiring Assistant on Tuesday. The company said that the feature is the platform’s first AI agent which can automate multiple tasks in the hiring workflow to make the process easier for recruiters and hiring professionals. The tool is currently being rolled out to a select number of enterprise clients,...

Apple Expands Tap to Pay on iPhone to Austria, Sweden and More Countries

Apple is expanding its Tap to Pay for iPhone to more countries, the company announced on Tuesday. Now, business merchants in Austria, Ireland, Sweden and more countries will be able to use its services for accepting in-person and contactless payments without requiring any additional hardware.

Google Rolls Out AI-Powered ‘Help Me Write’ Shortcut to Gmail for Web, Expands ‘Polish’ to More Platforms

Google is rolling out features powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to the web and mobile, including new shortcuts. Following the latest Workspace updates, the Mountain View-based tech giant brings a new ‘Help Me Write’ shortcut which leverages AI to provide writing suggestions when writing or refining text in open text fields on the web. Additionally, another ...

Google AI Overviews Rolling Out to More Than 100 Countries in a Major Expansion Drive

Google announced the expansion of AI Overviews to more than 100 countries on Monday. The feature, which offers a brief overview of the searched query using artificial intelligence (AI) was earlier limited to a few territories. However, the Mountain View-based tech giant is now pushing to a wider user base with this update. The company highlighted that it is the featur...

Netflix Rolls Out Moments Feature for Mobile That Lets Users Save and Share Scenes from Films, Shows

Netflix has introduced a new feature dubbed Moments for mobile users which lets them save, relieve and share scenes from their favourite films and shows. It appears as a new button on the bottom of the screen alongside the playback controls. According to Netflix, the saved scenes from acclaimed shows such as BEEF, Bridgerton or Nobody Wants can be captured and also be...

Instagram Lowers Video Quality of Stories and Reels That Do Not Fetch Views, Says Adam Mosseri

Instagram lowers the quality of videos that do not get a lot of views, Instagram Head Adam Mosseri said on Friday. The social media platform’s head executive revealed this during an ask-me-anything (AMA) session held on Instagram Stories. As per him, this applies to all video formats on the platform including Stories, longer videos, and Reels.

Elon Musk’s xAI Introduces Image Understanding Feature to Grok AI

Elon Musk, the founder of the artificial intelligence (AI) company xAI, announced a new feature for Grok on Monday. The in-house AI chatbot is now getting image understanding capability that allows it to process and analyse the content in an image. Users can now upload an image and ask the AI questions based on it.

JioSaavn Introduces 3-Month Free ‘Pro Individual’ Subscription Ahead of Festive Season

JioSaavn — the music-streaming platform owned by Jio Platforms — is rolling out an offer ahead of the festive season. Users will be able to avail of three months of free JioSaavn Pro subscription at no cost, enabling them to stream ad-free music and enjoy unlimited downloads of the highest quality. However, the offer is only limited to select subscription plans.

Apple Confirms Early Access to Image Playground, Other Apple Intelligence Features Rolling Out in ‘Coming Weeks’

Apple rolled out the iOS 18.2 Developer Beta 1 update for iPhone last week. It introduced Image Playground, Image Wand and Genmoji, expanding the suite of Apple Intelligence features that it first debuted with the iOS 18.1 beta. However, a large number of users have been unable to take advantage of them due to Apple requiring early access registration, which is yet to...

Google Rolls Out Quick Share Update for Windows With App Crashing, Wi-Fi Hotspot Recovery Fixes

Google has rolled out a new update for Quick Share for the Windows platform that does not bundle any new features but carries bug fixes for several issues that have been plaguing users in recent weeks. The new version of Quick Share rectifies an error which caused the app to crash if the file had a name comprising of non-ASCII characters.

Apple Said to Test Blood-Sugar App in Sign of Its Health Ambitions

Apple has been exploring health care opportunities and recently conducted a test of an application designed to assist individuals with prediabetes in managing their diet and lifestyle. The technology may be incorporated into upcoming health products, such as the non-invasive glucose tracker that has been in development for over ten years.

Telegram Says It Can't Police All Chatbots in Star Health India Data Leak

Telegram has informed the Madras High Court that it is not feasible to monitor all accounts for leaked customer data from Star Health, after the insurer suffered a data breach. The messaging platform stated that it would only block content identified as problematic when reported, and has agreed to delete the data if it received help from Star Health.

Samsung Health App Gets New Medication Tracking Feature on Galaxy Devices, Powered by Tata’s 1mg

Samsung has announced a new feature to help users with Galaxy wearables and smartphones help track their medications. The app, which has been designed by Samsung and is powered by Tata’s 1mg service, will not only let consumers track their medication, but also learn about the medication they consume as well.

Google Photos Will Now Add Labels to Images Edited Using AI Tools

Google Photos announced the introduction of specific labels to highlight that an image has been edited using artificial intelligence (AI) tools on Thursday. The Mountain View-based tech giant will start including this information within the metadata of the images to let anyone easily check whether the image was made using synthetic methods. Apart from indicating AI-ed...

Anthropic Introduces New Analysis Tool in Claude That Can Write and Run JavaScript Code

Anthropic introduced a new tool for its native Claude artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot on Thursday. Dubbed analysis tool, the feature offers a coding sandbox environment for the AI model where it can both write and run JavaScript code. While the AI model could generate code earlier, the new capability allows it to run deeper data analysis, complex mathematics, and...

YouTube Partners With Flipkart and Myntra to Launch YouTube Shopping in India

YouTube Shopping has been launched in India, as the company looks to expand monetisation options for video creators in the country. Eligible creators can tag brands in their content and earn commissions when customers make purchases. The YouTube Shopping affiliate marketing program will collaborate with Flipkart and Myntra at launch.

Google Drive Rolls Out New Video Player With Fast-Forward and Rewind Buttons

Google is rolling out a revamped video player for its cloud storage service — Google Drive. It gets a new look in line with the Mountain View-based tech giant’s Material Design 3 system. Following its introduction, there are dedicated buttons for fast-forwarding and rewinding the media while the playback speed adjustment option also gets an enhancement.

Gentler Streak Update Introduces Sleep Analysis and Insights Features, Redesigned Wellbeing Section

Gentler Streak has been updated with new sleep tracking features. With its latest update the app has added support for Sleep Analysis and Sleep Insights, while the Wellbeing tab on the iOS app has been revamped, with distinct sections for Health and Body Metrics.

WhatsApp Working on Ability to Create and Share Custom Sticker Packs: Report

WhatsApp is developing a custom sticker pack creation feature that will enable users to make their own packs, that can also be shared with other users on the platform. Here's everything you need to know about WhatsApp's custom sticker pack feature and how it works.

Google Messages Rolls Out Sensitive Content Warning, Enhanced Spam Detection and More Features

Google Messages is rolling out several new features aimed at improving user privacy and protecting them from suspicious calls and messages. One of the additions is protection against scam texts related to package deliveries and jobs, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) models. There are also features related to handling international callers and contact verificati...

Apple Reportedly Developing Gaming Hub Focused on Apple Arcade and App Store Games

Apple is said to be working on a new app for iOS that would integrate with a user's Game Center profile and keep them updated about games on Apple Arcade and the App Store. The iPhone maker is also reportedly considering the ability to let users talk to their Game Center friends via the company's FaceTime or iMessage apps via the gaming hub on iOS.

WhatsApp Will Soon Make It Easier to Add or Manage Contacts on Web and Other Linked Devices

WhatsApp has announced that it will soon roll out a big change that will make managing contacts on linked devices an easier process. At present, users need to save a contact on their primary device for it to show up on WhatsApp with the saved name. However, this is now expected to change, following the announcement. Users will be able to add or manage contacts on What...

Gemini AI Assistant Could Soon Let Users Make Calls, Send Messages From Lockscreen

Gemini AI assistant, the recently added artificial intelligence (AI) virtual assistant for Android smartphones, is reportedly getting new capabilities. Ever since its release earlier this year, one of the major concern was lack of integration with first-party and third-party apps. Over the months, the Mountain View-based tech giant solved some of the issues with vario...

ChatGPT First-Person Bias and Stereotypes Tested in a New OpenAI Study

ChatGPT, like other artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, has the potential to introduce biases and harmful stereotypes when generating content. For the most part, companies have focused on eliminating third-person biases where information about others is sought. However, in a new study published by OpenAI, the company tested its AI models’ first-person biases, whe...

ChatGPT Desktop App for Windows Rolled Out to Paid Subscribers in Early Beta

ChatGPT is being rolled out as a Windows app for paid subscribers, OpenAI announced last week. The artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot could earlier only be used via the web client, but with this move, users can access a dedicated app to use all the generative AI functionalities. Currently, the app is available as an early beta version to ChatGPT Plus, Enterprise, Te...

WhatsApp for Android Reportedly Testing a Chat Memory Feature for Meta AI

WhatsApp for Android might be getting a new feature for its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Meta AI. As per a feature tracker, the instant messaging platform is adding a new chat memory feature that will let users ask the AI to remember specific information about themselves. Once a piece of information has been saved in the chatbot’s memory, it is said to then ...

Indian Retail Group Seeks Antitrust Probe on Quick Commerce Brands Swiggy, Blinkit, Zepto

The All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation (AICPDF) has asked the antitrust authority to investigate Zomato's Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy. The AICPDF has alleged that quick commerce firms were practising predatory pricing while also sidelining the traditional salespeople.

Google Granted Request to Pause Order on Play Store Overhaul

Google's request to temporarily pause an order directing it to overhaul the Play Store to give consumers more choice over how they download software, was granted by a federal judge in California. The company had argued that the October 7 injunction would harm the company and introduce "serious safety, security and privacy risks into the Android ecosystem."

Disney-Reliance Joint Venture Said to Stream Live Sports Only on Disney+ Hotstar

The Disney-Reliance business in India, including popular Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket, will only be available on Disney's Hotstar app, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Apple Requires EU Developers to List Contact Details on App Store to Comply With Digital Services Act

Apple says developers in the European Union (EU) must now provide the company with their contact details, in order to comply with the EU's Digital Services Act. This contact information will appear under individual app listings, and developers who miss the deadline will have their apps unlisted from the App Store in the EU.

Apple Business Connect Updated to Display Brand Information on Caller ID, Mail and Apple Pay

Apple Business Connect has been updated with Business Caller ID, Branded Mail, and the ability to see brand information while using Tap to Pay on iPhone. These features will be available to all businesses even if they do not have a physical presence, according to Apple.

Robinhood Launches Desktop Platform, Adds Futures and Index Options Trading to App

Robinhood has launched its desktop platform and added futures and index options trading features to its mobile app. The Menlo Park, California-based company said its desktop trading platform, dubbed 'Robinhood Legend,' will focus on active traders.

Amazon Prime Video to Introduce Ads for Subscribers in India Starting in 2025

Amazon Prime Video will introduce advertisements to its subscribers in India, starting in 2025. Subscribers in India will begin to see ads while streaming Prime Video shows and movies on the platform. Amazon Prime members who want to avoid advertisements will be able to opt for a costlier subscription option, which will be introduced in the future, according to Amazon...

October Pixel Drop Brings New Features and Updates to Pixel Phones, Tablet and Watch

Google’s October Pixel Drop brings a ton of features to Pixel smartphones, tablets and watches. Gemini makes itself felt in more places than ever before and also becomes more capable in some use cases. There is a new camera mode for the latest Pixel 9 lineup while older devices can also benefit from some audio editing features that were previously reserved for the l...

YouTube Update Brings Sleep Timer, Resizable Miniplayer And More Features

YouTube is being updated with a sleep timer, a resizable miniplayer, and the ability to fine-tune playback speed. These updates will arrive on the web interface, the YouTube mobile and TV apps, and YouTube Music. Other features expected to arrive later this year include the ability to vote on videos in playlists, creator badges, and an updated interface for Shorts o...

Instagram Rolls Out Customisable Profile Card Feature for Easy Sharing via QR Codes

Instagram has announced a new feature for creators that makes it easier and more fun for them to share their profiles with others. They can now create a two-sided digital card on the Meta-owned social media platform which matches their style courtesy of multiple customisable options, depending on their preference.

FIDO Alliance Seeks to Increase Passkeys Adoption With Draft Secure Credential Exchange Specifications

Passkeys could soon become easier to use across various platforms, thanks to new draft specifications published by the FIDO Alliance. Google, Apple, Microsoft, and password management apps like Dashlane and Bitwarden could allow users to export and import passkeys and passwords securely.

Google Reportedly Working on Redesigned Play Store Listings With Fixed Header, Install Button

Google Play Store layout will reportedly be updated to simplify app installations on Android. The current design requires users to scroll to the top of an app's listing to install it. Recent Google Play store app code suggest that the company may redesign app listing headers, making the install button accessible even when browsing through longer app descriptions.

Star Health Says It Received $68,000 Ransom Demand After Data Leak

Star Health said it had received a ransom demand of $68,000 from a hacker following a data breach of customers' medical records in September. The country's biggest health insurer has launched internal probes and taken legal action against Telegram and the hacker, whose website continues to share samples of customer data.

YouTube Reportedly Confirms Reducing Elements on the Ads as Users Claim ‘Skip Button’ Is Being Hidden

YouTube might be hiding the “skip button” that appears on its ad interface. Some users have reported that the skip button is entirely missing whereas others have found it appearing after the countdown duration has passed. The video-streaming giant has reportedly stated that the skip button is not being tampered with, however, the company is testing the reduction o...

After iOS, WhatsApp Now Rolling Out Messenger-Like Chat-Specific Theme Support on Android

After screenshots about theme support showed up a few months ago, support for themes is now finally making its way to the beta version of WhatsApp on Android. A recent report even revealed support for the same feature on iOS, so it seems that Android is not too far behind.

JioFinance App With UPI, Utility Payments and Loan Functionality Launched in India

The JioFinance app was launched in India on Friday as a one-stop solution for financial essentials. It has been developed by Jio Financial Services Limited (JFSL), previously a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited. The app, which is now available widely for users in the country, offers facilities such as carrying out UPI transactions, monitoring and investing in ...

Spotify Starts Free Streaming Option in South Korea

Spotify users in South Korea will now get access to free music and podcasts services. Users in South Korea can now sign-up for a free account to access Spotify's playlists.

Google Gemini Updated With Imagen 3 AI Model for Image Generation, Available to All Users

Google announced a significant upgrade for Gemini, its in-house artificial intelligence (AI) model, on Wednesday. The company announced that the image generation capability of the chatbot will now be handled by the Imagen 3 AI model for all users. Imagen 3 is the Mountain View-based tech giant’s latest and most capable image generation model.

Meta AI Expanded to the UK and Five Other Countries; to Be Available Within Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp

Meta announced the expansion of Meta AI, the company’s in-house artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, to six new countries on Wednesday. The UK has been included in the list of countries which are getting access to the AI chatbot now. The social media giant also highlighted that the AI platform will be expanded to 15 more countries soon, taking the number of total s...

Facebook Gets a New Video Tab as Meta Introduces AI-Powered Video Ad Tools via Advantage+ Platform

Facebook will soon get a new video tab on its platform which will play all the different types of video formats in the same place. This announcement was made by Meta at the Advertising Week event on Tuesday. Alongside, the social media giant also introduced several new artificial intelligence (AI) tools for video-based ad creation and deployment.

Snapchat Announces Testing of Sponsored Ads in Chats and Promoted Places in Snap Map

Snapchat has announced that it will begin testing advertisement placements in two places in its app, improving customer relationship management (CRM) system integrations. It is partnering with two dining franchises and an entertainment company whose ads will be visible on the app, enabling businesses to visually engage with consumers.

Apple Updates iCloud Website With Dark Mode Support and Other New Features

Apple has updated its iCloud website. It now gets support for dark mode while also bringing new customisation options for choosing the colours of the home page. Additionally, the iCloud update also tweaks the design, layout and options in several of Apple’s apps such as Calendar, Photos, Notes and more.

Google Reportedly Working on Inline Image Editing Capability for Gemini

Google is reportedly working on improving the image generation capabilities of the Gemini chatbot. As per a new report, the Mountain View-based tech giant is adding an inline image editing feature to the artificial intelligence (AI) bot. The feature was spotted in the latest beta version of the Google app, and while it is reportedly being developed for smartphones, it...

US Judge Orders Google to Open Up Play Store to Competition

The injunction by US District Judge James Donato in San Francisco outlined the changes Google must undertake to open up its lucrative app store, Play, to greater competition, including making Android apps available from rival sources.

TikTok Smart+ Platform With AI-Powered Ad Campaign Automation Capabilities Launched

TikTok launched a new artificial intelligence (AI) platform on Monday to help advertisers easily create and deploy ads on the app. Dubbed Smart+, the AI-powered platform automates the entire ad campaign journey starting from the creative development to delivering the ad to the right audience. The platform is focused towards performance marketing and lets clients measu...

Amazon miniTV, MX Player Merged Into Amazon MX Player as an Ad-Supported Video on Demand Service

Amazon has introduced its latest ad-supported video-on-demand service dubbed Amazon MX Player. It is the result of the merger of two OTT streaming services — MX Player and Amazon miniTV. Amazon says its new streaming platform will offer content across genres and languages, while it will continue to invest in original shows and films.

WhatsApp for iOS Reportedly Rolling Out Chat Theme Feature With Options for Chat Colour, Wallpapers

WhatsApp might be rolling out a new customisation feature for iOS users. According to a feature tracker, the instant messaging platform has now started shipping a chat theme feature that will let them select from multiple options of chat colours and wallpapers to add some variety to their messaging experience. This feature was first spotted in August when the Meta-own...

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Teases Upcoming NFT-Related Feature: Everything to Know

Telegram and its founder, Pavel Durov, have hinted at the launch of an NFT-focused feature. According to Durov, Telegram will soon enable users to convert limited-edition Gifts into NFTs. These digital collectibles will be powered by the Durov-backed TON blockchain.

Google Photos’ Gemini AI-Powered Ask Photos Feature Reportedly Rolling Out to Some Users

Google Photos is reportedly receiving the much anticipated Ask Photos feature in a limited rollout the US. The artificial intelligence (AI) feature powered by Gemini was first unveiled at the Google I/O in May. Last month, the company confirmed that the feature will be shipped in early access, and as per a report, users have begun seeing the feature on their devices...

Google Showcases India-Focused AI, Payment and Safety Features at Google for India 2024 Event

Google for India 2024 event was held on Thursday and the company unveiled new features across its apps and services that are aimed at users in India. The search giant introduced enhancements to Google Pay, Google Maps, search and showcased health-related features created in collaboration with the healthcare industry.

Google’s AI Overviews Feature Reportedly Begins Showing Ads to Some Users

Google has reportedly begun showing ads on AI Overviews, the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) Search experience powered by Gemini. Previously known as Search Generated Experience (SGE), the feature was launched in the US earlier this year. Then, in August, it was expanded to six more countries including India. And recently, the tech giant has started displayin...

WhatsApp Adds Private Mentions and Likes to Its Status Feature

WhatsApp has introduced a new set of features for status updates. The Meta-owned instant messaging platform is rolling out new status likes and private mentions features for Android and iOS users. Likes on Status is a new way to acknowledge a contact's status update by tapping the heart emoji. With private mentions, users can now mention and tag contacts in their stat...

YouTube Announces Longer 3-Minute Duration for Shorts, Templates and More Features

Creators will now be able to create YouTube Shorts with a duration of up to three minutes, the company announced on Thursday. This change is part of a wider feature rollout which includes templates, the ability to mix YouTube videos to Shorts directly, a video-generation model powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and new ways to discover trending content on YouTube...

ChatGPT Gets a New ‘Canvas’ Interface For Writing and Coding, Offers Inline Edit Tools

ChatGPT is getting a new capability that will make it easier for humans and artificial intelligence (AI) to collaborate together on a project. Just days after hosting its annual DevDay conference in San Francisco, OpenAI announced the new Canvas interface for the chatbot. The feature opens a separate window within the platform and allows users to edit the generated co...

Gemini Nano Access Expanded to All Android Apps; Google Reportedly Adds Direct Image Sharing Support

Gemini Nano, the smaller artificial intelligence (AI) model from the Gemini family, is now being expanded to all Android developers. The AI model so far powered the AI features on first-party Google apps such as Google Messages and Pixel Recorder on compatible Pixel smartphones and the Galaxy S24 series. However, with this expansion, even third-party apps will be able...

Microsoft Copilot Updated With AI-Powered Voice and Vision Features; Recall Availability Expanded

Microsoft is rolling out new artificial intelligence (AI) features to Copilot, the company’s native chatbot. Announced on Tuesday, the tech giant is now adding both voice and vision capabilities to the chatbot. Alongside, the Recall feature will finally be expanded to all Windows Insider users this month. Microsoft highlighted that the new Copilot features are aimed...

Google Showcases India-Focused AI, Payment and Safety Features at Google for India 2024 Event

Google for India 2024 event was held on Thursday and the company unveiled new features across its apps and services that are aimed at users in India. The search giant introduced enhancements to Google Pay, Google Maps, search and showcased health-related features created in collaboration with the healthcare industry.

Google Lens Gets Upgraded With New Video Feature That Utilises AI Overviews to Generate Responses

Google Lens is getting a significant update and will now support video recording. Users can use this feature to capture videos about objects and places they would like to run a quick web search about. The feature was first unveiled at Google I/O earlier this year, and it uses the capabilities of the company’s in-house artificial intelligence model, Gemini.

YouTube Bringing Back Songs by Adele, Green Day and Other Artists in the US After SESAC Deal

YouTube has announced that it is bringing back music by artists such as Adele, Bob Dylan, Kendrick Lamar and others for users in the US, days after their removal from the video-streaming platform due to a legal rights dispute. It claims to have reached an agreement with the for-profit performance-rights organisation SESAC.

YouTube Said to Be Blocking Songs by Adele, Kendrick Lamar and Other Artists in the US Following Legal Dispute

YouTube has blocked songs by popular artists such as Adele, Bob Dylan, Green Day, and Kendrick Lamar in the US, according to a report. This step is said to be taken by the video-streaming platform following a legal rights dispute with the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC).

ChatGPT Subscription Prices Could Reportedly Be Hiked Before the End of the Year

ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot by OpenAI is reportedly about to get more expensive for paid subscribers. According to a new report, the AI firm is planning to increase the subscription price for the ChatGPT Plus users by $2 (roughly Rs. 167) a month. The price hike is not expected to stop there either, as the company is said to push the monthly subs...

WhatsApp Beta Introduces Feature to Block Messages From Unknown Accounts

WhatsApp is rolling out an update to beta testers, introducing a new feature aimed at safeguarding users from unwanted messages from unknown accounts. The optional feature automatically protects users from unidentified senders by filtering messages under certain conditions.

Elon Musk's X Seeks Brazil Comeback, Retreats on 'Censorship' Feud

Elon Musk's X told Brazil's Supreme Court it had complied with orders to stop the spread of misinformation and asked a judge to lift a ban on the platform. The billionaire had held out for more than five months against what he called "censorship" in a feud with a judge in one of X's largest and most coveted markets. The court shut Brazilians' access to the platf...

Gemini in Gmail App Adds Contextual Smart Replies Feature for Google Workspace Users

Gemini in the Gmail app is getting a new feature which will let users quickly respond to emails with the power of artificial intelligence (AI). Dubbed contextual smart replies, the feature allows users to respond to incoming emails with detailed replies. The AI can process the content of the email and contextually generate a reply. Notably, the smart replies feature w...

Pixel Phones With Temperature Sensor Could Get Material Auto-Detection Feature Soon

Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 8 Pro’s pre-installed Thermometer app could get a new feature that could make the process of recording the temperature easier, according to a report. It is said to have been spotted during an APK teardown of the app. Leveraging the temperature sensor located at the back of the Pixel 9 Pro and its predecessor, this feature might automatic...

Mozilla Hit With Privacy Complaint Over Firefox User Tracking

Mozilla's Firefox browser has been accused of tracking user behaviour on websites without consent. Vienna-based advocacy group NOYB has filed a complaint with the Austrian data protection authority.

Meta Rolls Out AI-Powered ‘Imagine’ Feature to Facebook, Instagram and Messenger

Meta AI features were a major highlight during the company’s annual Meta Connect event on Wednesday. The company introduced the new voice chat feature and added new artificial intelligence features to the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. The social media giant also expanded the experimental ‘Imagine’ feature to [Facebook](https://ift.tt/7oscWEY), In...

Meta AI Voice Chat Feature With Celebrity Voices Rolled out to Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp

Meta AI voice chat feature was finally introduced on Wednesday, after rumours about it appeared earlier this week. The social media giant announced multiple new artificial intelligence (AI) features for its native chatbot at the Meta Connect 2024, among which the voice chat feature was a major highlight. It will allow users to have a two-way conversation with the AI w...

Snapchat Partners With Google to Deploy My AI Powered by Gemini, Adds Computer Vision Capabilities

Snapchat has partnered with Google Cloud to bring the capabilities of its artificial intelligence (AI) model Gemini to My AI. Announced on Tuesday, the strategic partnership has allowed the social media platform to add computer vision capabilities as well as improved processing of text, audio, and code. As per the Mountain View-based tech giant, Snapchat’s My AI is ...

UK's Competition and Markets Authority Remains Concerned Over's Google's Ad Privacy Plan

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) of the UK has said on Tuesday that "concerns remain" over the company's plans to retain third-party cookies as part of its Chrome browser.

Google Imagery Update Enables Street-Level Exploration in 80 Countries; Introduces Historical View in Google Earth

Google Street View has received one of its biggest updates in recent years. It is now available in nearly 80 countries, some of which have Street View imagery for the first time ever. The feature, available on Google Earth and Maps, stitches together billions of panoramic images to provide street-level views which users can access from home.

Meta AI Voice Chat Said to Feature Voices of Celebrities Including John Cena, Judi Dench

Meta is reportedly planning to announce a new voice mode feature for the native Meta AI chatbot. The feature is believed to work similarly to the voice mode on OpenAI’s ChatGPT and allows users to have two-way conversations with the AI. However, the social media giant is said to have partnered with various celebrities and public figures to include their voices in th...

Google Photos Updated With AI-Powered Video Presets, New Video Editing Features

Google Photos is getting a new update that adds several new video editing tools to the app. Announced on Monday, the Mountain View-based tech giant announced one artificial intelligence (AI) editing feature as well as three new editing tools. The AI feature will be available to both Android and iOS users, however, the editing tools are only being rolled out to Android...

Telegram to Provide Users' IP Addresses, Phone Numbers to Law Enforcement Authorities, CEO Says

Telegram will provide users’ IP addresses and phone numbers to relevant authorities in response to valid legal requests. The move represents a marked difference from Telegram’s approach to government requests for data and its reputation for lax moderation.

YouTube Premium Subscription Price Reportedly Hiked in Italy, Saudi Arabia and Other Countries

YouTube Premium — the ad-free subscription plan offered by the video-streaming platform — has received a price hike in Italy, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and several other countries, according to claims on social media. In the European countries, it has become more expensive by approximately EUR 2 (roughly Rs. 186) for the ‘Single’ plan, while the hike is also a...

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold Gets Ability to Use Inner and Outer Cameras Simultaneously on Meet

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is getting a new functionality on one of the company’s first-party apps which aims to enhance the meeting experience. On Google Meet, users will now be able to use the inner and outer cameras of the smartphone simultaneously during video conferencing. While this feature was initially announced with the launch of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold in August...

WhatsApp Beta Introduces Feature to Block Messages From Unknown Accounts

WhatsApp is rolling out an update to beta testers, introducing a new feature aimed at safeguarding users from unwanted messages from unknown accounts. The optional feature automatically protects users from unidentified senders by filtering messages under certain conditions.

Hacker Uses Telegram Chatbots to Leak Data of Star Health Insurance

Customer data such as medical reports from Star Health Insurance has been made publicly available through chatbots on Telegram. The alleged chatbot creator told a security researcher that the private information of millions was up for sale, with samples accessible via Telegram chatbots.

Google Chrome Passkey Support Gets an Improvement Allowing Users to Sync Across Devices

Google Chrome is getting a new update that will make it easier for users to sign into their Google Accounts across devices. On Thursday, the Mountain View-based tech giant introduced an update which allows users to add the Google Password Manager PIN on multiple operating systems such as Windows, Linux, macOS, and Android. This means users can now sync their passkeys ...

EU Antitrust Regulators to Spell Out How Apple Must Open Up to Rivals to Abide by Digital Markets Act

EU antitrust regulators have initiated proceedings to ensure Apple adheres to significant regulations that mandate opening its proprietary ecosystem to competitors. Through the specification proceedings, the European Commission will detail the actions Apple must take to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which was enacted in 2023.

LinkedIn Reportedly Trained Generative AI Models on User Data Without Permission Before Updating Policy

LinkedIn, the social networking site for professionals, was reportedly scraping user data on the platform without informing the users first. The company has now updated its terms of service to reflect this, however, it continues to automatically opt-in users unless they manually find and toggle off the setting to opt-out. Several netizens took to social media platform...

YouTube Brings AI-Powered Video Generation Capabilities to Shorts, AI Reply Suggestions in Comments

YouTube is introducing several new features to its video streaming platform, and a few of them will be powered by artificial intelligence (AI). On Wednesday, the platform held its Made on YouTube event and the biggest announcement was the integration of a new AI Video model to let creators generate backgrounds and six-second-long videos. The AI model being used for th...

Snapchat to Introduce AI-Powered Video Generation Tool for Creators, Improvements to My AI

Snapchat announced new artificial intelligence (AI) tools for users on Tuesday. The social media giant revealed at its 6th annual Snap Partner Summit that the company is planning to introduce an AI video tool for those with a creator account. The AI tool will allow users to generate videos from text and image prompts.

Discord Introduces End-to-End Encryption Protocol for Audio, Video Calls in DMs and Voice Channels

Discord launched end-to-end encryption protocol dubbed DAVE for audio and video calls on Tuesday. It will offer encryption in direct messages (DMs), Group DMs, voice channels, and Go Live streams, for its estimated 200 million monthly users. The social media platform said that users will be able to check when end-to-end encryption is in effect and verify other members...

Instagram Teen Accounts With Enhanced Safety Features for Younger Users Launched

Instagram Teen Accounts have been introduced as the latest measure to safeguard young users on the platform. These Teen Accounts come with default-enabled protections, and only users over the age of 16 can modify the safety settings of their account. Additionally, parents or guardians can monitor who has messaged their teenagers in the past week and can establish dail...

WhatsApp Reportedly Working on a Feature That Will Let Users Mention Contacts in Status Updates

WhatsApp for Android is getting a new feature that will allow users to mention others on their status updates, as per a feature tracker. The status update mentions feature is said to be private, so only the uploader and the users mentioned will be able to see it. The functionality of the feature is said to be similar to Instagram Stories, where the mentioned user is n...

Adobe Introduces New Acrobat AI Assistant Student Plan at an Affordable Price

Adobe announced a new student-focused discount for Acrobat AI Assistant, the generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot for the Acrobat platform, on Monday. It was first introduced in April for all users, but now the company is offering it to students at an affordable price. The AI chatbot can process any compatible document and answer queries based on it. It can...

Microsoft 365 Copilot Pages, New AI Capabilities in Apps and Copilot Agents Rolled Out

Microsoft 365 Copilot, the rebranded name for the enterprise-focused version of the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot is getting new features. Announced on Monday, the tech giant is rolling out various improvements in Microsoft 365 apps as well as a new Copilot Page feature. The latter is a multiplayer AI feature which allows different users to collaborate over a p...

Disney+ Hotstar Introduces New AI Video Optimisation Tool to Offer Data-Efficient Viewing Experience

Disney+ Hotstar, the over-the-top (OTT) platform, introduced a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool on Monday that will improve the user experience. The streaming giant claimed that the AI tool will optimise video streaming so that less data is consumed while keeping the quality of the video unchanged. The new feature will also make it more data-efficient to download...

Meta to Start Training Its AI on Public Data of Facebook, Instagram Users in the UK

Meta confirmed on Friday that it will begin training its artificial intelligence (AI) models on the public data on Instagram and Facebook in the UK. The company first planned to use this data three months ago, however, the plan was halted due to regulatory concerns. However, the social media giant confirmed that it has now received the nod to proceed with the AI train...

Adobe Express Expands Its Platform in Eight Indian Languages, Adds New AI Features

Adobe Express, the content creation platform, was expanded in eight Indian languages on Friday. The company said this move will empower more native language speakers in the content creation process. The platform also offers generative artificial intelligence (AI) features, which users can take advantage of. Notably, the language expansion is available across the deskt...

Gemini Live With Multiple Voices Reportedly Rolling Out to Free Gemini Users on Android

Gemini Live, the two-way conversational artificial intelligence (AI) feature by Google, is reportedly rolling out to Gemini free users on Android. The voice mode was first unveiled during Google I/O in May, and was rolled out to Gemini Advanced users last week. However, a new report claims that the feature is now being expanded to all users of Gemini on Android.

Google Chrome Safety Check Update Brings One-Tap Unsubscribe from Notifications and Other Features

Google Chrome is getting new features that aim to improve the protection against online threats and have better control over their privacy. The revamped Safety Check feature will now notify users of potential security issues and take actions such as revoking permissions and flagging unwanted notifications on their behalf.

Gemini Receiving Gems on the Mobile App Along With Redesigned Home Page

Gemini app for iOS and Android is getting artificial intelligence (AI) agents dubbed Gems. These custom chatbots were first released to users on the web version of Gemini in August. The company is now rolling them out on the mobile app as well, allowing users to create and use chatbots designed for specific purposes. Alongside adding Gems, Google has also redesigned t...

Google API’s New Feature Allows Developers to Force App Downloads Through Play Store

Android has rolled out an API for developers which allows them to have more control over how their apps are downloaded, according to a report. The API – dubbed “Play Integrity” – is said to carry a new functionality that forces users to only download the app through the Google Play Store, effectively blocking sideloading.

Google Chrome Is Getting Three New AI-Powered Features to Make Accessing Tabs Easier

Google Chrome is getting three new artificial intelligence (AI) features that will help users with managing tabs. On Tuesday, the Mountain View-based tech giant announced a new feature for Chrome for iOS and two features across devices. The company stated that these features are all powered by Google AI. Interestingly, these arrive just a week after Google announced t...

Bumble Plans to Introduce New AI-Powered Features Including Photo Picker: Report

Bumble, the popular dating app, is reportedly working on new artificial intelligence (AI) features. As per a report, the company CEO revealed on Monday that the plan is to integrate AI features at a deeper level assisting users with the profile creation process and starting conversations with new matches. These plans were reportedly discussed during Goldman Sachs’ a...

Google Rolls Out App Access Risk Feature to Keep Users Safe From Dangerous Apps: Report

Google has introduced a new feature for developers to safeguard user data against risky applications that may capture a user's screen content or control device actions, prompting the user to close such apps.

Google One Lite Plan With Affordable Pricing Is Rolling Out in India to Some Users

Google One Lite plan, a new subscription tier for the Mountain View-based tech giant’s cloud storage bundle service, has been spotted for some users in India. The new subscription tier is priced cheaper than the Basic tier, which was previously the cheapest entry to the Google One subscription. The subscription plan offers just free cloud storage and no other benefi...

Google Loses Fight Against $2.7 Billion EU Antitrust Fine

Google on Tuesday lost its fight against a 2.42 billion euro ($2.7 billion or roughly Rs. 22,673 crore) fine levied by EU antitrust regulators seven years ago. CJEU judges noted that EU law does not sanction the existence of a dominant position, but its abusive exploitation.

Google's Antitrust Trial Over Online Advertising Set to Begin

Google will face US antitrust prosecutors on Monday where the Justice Department will seek to show the company stifled competition in online advertising technology. Prosecutors say Google engaged in a complex scheme to dominate website advertising tools.

WhatsApp Third-Party Chats Feature That Will Allow Sending Messages to Other Apps Will Soon Be Rolled Out

WhatsApp will soon start supporting third-party chats allowing users to send and receive messages. The announcement was made by the instant messaging platform’s parent company Meta last week. The company said the decision to make the app interoperable was made after the European Union brought the Digital Markets Act (DMA) into force in 2022. Earlier, Meta asked for ...

Google Photos Updated With Descriptive Queries Feature for Improved Search Experience

Google Photos introduced a new feature that will make searching for specific photos and videos easier. On Thursday, the Mountain View-based tech giant announced Descriptive Queries, an improvement for the native search functionality of the app. With this, users can type a query in everyday language and find more specific results. This feature is being rolled out to al...

Google Photos Getting a Gemini-Powered Ask Photos Feature in Early Access

Google Photos is getting a couple of improvements, including a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature, the tech giant announced on Thursday. The photo gallery app is now getting an Ask Photos feature that will allow users to search for specific images by sending a conversational query to Gemini. Additionally, the platform is also getting a ‘descriptive queries’ ...

YouTube Stops Recommending Videos About Weight, Physical Appearance to Teens; Adds New Supervision Feature

YouTube is improving the safeguards of its platform to make it a better experience for minor users. On Thursday, the video-streaming giant announced that it will restrict video recommendations about body weight, fitness, and physical appearance to teenagers. The company said that the decision was made after the suggestions provided by an advisory committee.

Gemini 'Upload and Analyse Files' Feature Rolls Out to Specific Google Users

Gemini is getting a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature that will allow users to upload and analyse files within the mobile app. Recently, Google rolled out the Gmail Q&A feature on Android devices which is powered by Gemini, and now, the Gemini app itself is getting a feature dubbed Upload and Analyse Files.

Gemini Live Two-Way Voice Conversations Feature Rolled Out to Gemini Advanced Users

Gemini Live, Google’s two-way voice conversation feature for its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot is now rolling out to a larger number of users. The feature was first unveiled at Google I/O earlier this year. It allows users to have a natural and free-flowing conversation with Gemini, without needing to type prompts or reading the responses.

Opera Browser for Android Adds AI-Powered Image Understanding Feature to the Aria AI Assistant

Opera browser for Android is getting a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature that will let users run search queries about images. The feature is being integrated within Aria, the browser’s native AI assistant, as a part of the company’s AI Feature Drop programme. The feature will be available in the Opera Developer build of the Android browser.

YouTube Shorts Gets New Feature That Lets Creators Add Text, Filters to Thumbnails

YouTube has introduced new creator tools for Shorts on Android and iOS platforms. With this feature, creators can now customise the thumbnails of their short videos by tweaking them with text, filters and emojis. Additionally, it is now giving them more choices when choosing thumbnails, even after YouTube Shorts are uploaded.

Instagram Rolls Out New Comments Feature for Stories With 24-Hour Visibility

Instagram is rolling out a new comments feature for Stories, Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Tuesday. With its addition, users will be able to leave comments on Instagram Stories that will be publicly visible for a limited duration. This development builds upon recent feature rollouts on the social media platform, including new fonts and text animation...

Snap to Focus on Ads Business, AR Amid Poor Stock Performance

Snap is set to lay its focus on boosting advertising business and work around AR, as confirmed by CEO Evan Spiegel. The announcement comes amid a challenging period for the Snapchat owner, as it contends with major social media players.

Google Pixel Phones With Temperature Sensor Get Support for Body Temperature Measurement in Europe

Google Pixel users in Europe will now be able to measure their body temperature. This feature works by leveraging the Pixel Thermometer app and the temperature sensor that Google introduced with its Pixel 8 Pro last year. The sensor is also available in the new Pixel 9 Pro lineup. While its capabilities were initially limited to measuring the temperature of objects, t...

UPI Circle Feature With Access to Secondary User Payments Rolled Out in India by NPCI

UPI Circle, the latest innovation in Unified Payments Interface (UPI) was rolled out by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) last week. The feature allows UPI users to enable trusted people by letting them have access to their accounts. This way, those even without a UPI account can make transactions with the payment instrument.

Apple Set for Music, TV Streaming Fight in India After Airtel Deal

Apple, working to boost revenue globally from services including apps, payments and media, is set to offer free music and video streaming to many of Bharti Airtel's 281 million customers. Airtel will pay Apple a per-user fee "significantly" lower than the monthly $1.20 (roughly Rs. 100) charged each for Apple TV+ and Apple Music in India,

WhatsApp for Android Meta AI Voice Mode Feature’s New Interface Reportedly Spotted

WhatsApp for Android is reported to soon get a new feature for the in-app artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Meta AI. As per a WhatsApp feature tracker, the instant messaging platform is working on adding a Voice Mode to Meta AI that will allow users to have a two-way conversation with the chatbot.

Google Play Store Now Supports Three App Downloads and Updates Simultaneously on Android

Android users are set to benefit from a Google Play Store change that aims to enhance the entire app download and updating process. Following this change, the store can download up to three apps or app updates simultaneously. It builds upon the functionality that the platform introduced in April, which allowed users to download up to two apps at once on their handsets...

Gemini Live Integration for Android Auto Reportedly In the Works

Gemini Live is reportedly being added to Android Auto and could become its default virtual assistant. Last month, Google launched Gemini Live which would let users have a voice-based two-way communication with the AI. Currently, the feature is available via the Gemini app, however, it appears that the tech giant might be expanding it to other platforms. Notably, Gemin...

Amazon Turns to Anthropic's Claude for Alexa AI Revamp

Amazon's Alexa upgrade is said to predominantly use Anthropic's Claude AI models instead of its proprietary AI. The company is likely to offer its enhanced "Remarkable" Alexa version for a monthly fee, and it will offer advanced generative AI features. Customers will also be able to access the original version of Alexa on their devices at no cost, according to previou...

NCLT Approves Merger of Viacom 18, Star India After CCI Nod

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Friday approved a merger scheme that will allow Viacom 18 Media with Star India. The merger of Reliance Industries and The Walt Disney Co's media assets was approved earlier this week by the Competition Commission of India and will create the country's largest media empire.

Gmail Q&A Gemini-Powered AI Feature Rolled Out for Android

Gmail for Android is getting a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature that will allow users to search the inbox. On Thursday, Google announced the Gemini-powered feature, dubbed Gmail Q&A, for its Workspace users. With this, users can prompt Gemini in Gmail to look up a specific information from the emails in the inbox, and the AI will be able to find it.

Microsoft Phone Link Instant Hotspot Feature Rolling Out to More Android Smartphones: Report

Microsoft Phone Link app has been updated with support for an instant hotspot feature that was previously limited to Samsung smartphones. Users with Android smartphones from brands such as OnePlus and Oppo may be able to use their handsets as portable hotspots to quickly connect their PCs to their internet without needing to manually configure the details.

WhatsApp Developing Phone Contact Sync Toggle for Linked Devices: Report

WhatsApp for Android may be testing a new privacy-related feature for the management of synced contacts, according to claims by a feature tracker. It aims to add functionality to the multi-account feature which lets users use two WhatsApp accounts on the same device without using parallel apps. With this change, users may be given the choice of how they wish to sync t...

Disney+ Hotstar Will Stream Select Premier League Football Matches in 4K Resolution

Disney+ Hotstar, the homegrown over-the-top (OTT) platform, announced on Thursday that it will stream select Premier League matches in 4K resolution. The streaming giant also claimed that this is the first time Premier League matches will be streamed in 4K resolution in India. Notably, the highest tier of the English football league system began on August 17, and will...

Instagram Developing New Feature Which Enables Real-Time Sharing of Currently Playing Spotify Tracks

Instagram may be developing a new feature that will allow users to share their currently playing tracks on Spotify with others in real-time, as per claims by a tipster. The feature, dubbed Share from Spotify, is said to work via Instagram Notes – short text updates visible in direct messages (DMs) which users can share with their followers.

Airtel to Shut Down Wynk Music App, Absorb All Employees

Bharti Airtel will exit from music vertical and shut down its Wynk Music app. When contacted, the Airtel spokesperson confirmed the development. The company has entered into an agreement with Apple to provide access to Apple Music with special offers to its customers who use iPhone.

X Down? Several Users Report Outage Across the Globe, Including India

X (formerly Twitter) suffered an outage in India and globally during the early hours of Wednesday. The microblogging website, which is owned by billionaire Elon Musk, left users unable to access it or its features on both mobile and web platforms. Over 20,000 user reports were logged on a website which detects and monitors downtime activity.

WhatsApp for Android Reportedly Testing New Shortcut to Mark All Chats as ‘Read’ At Once

WhatsApp for Android may be testing a new feature that lets users mark all chats as read at once with a new shortcut, according to claims by a feature tracker. The functionality is said to be available in a beta version of the app but may not be available to users yet. It is speculated to work similarly to the ‘mark read’ feature on the iOS version of the app whic...

Snapchat Update Introduces Layout Optimised for iPad Display With Larger Canvas

Snapchat has rolled out a highly requested feature for iPad users, adding to the expansive list of updates brought out in 2024. Following its latest update, the social media app now works natively on the Apple device, instead of its iPhone app being optimised for the tablet. It builds upon several new features introduced this year, including editable chats and emoji r...

YouTube Premium Price Hike in India Announced for Individual, Family Subscription Plans

YouTube Premium price in India has been hiked by the company. With this change, all subscription plans, including individual, family and student, now cost more. While the hike is minor for some plans, others cost significantly more than what they did prior to the price revision. However, it is unknown if the streaming service will offer a grace period for existing sub...

Arc Search AI Mobile Browser Confirmed to Get an Android App Soon

Arc Search, the artificial intelligence (AI) mobile browser, is soon coming to Android, the company confirmed on Saturday. The browser made its debut at the beginning of this year and gained popularity due to its AI-powered features such as Browse for Me where the AI reads multiple web pages to show the relevant information, AI summarisation, and more.

WhatsApp for iOS Reportedly Testing AR Capabilities for Call Effects and Filters in Beta

WhatsApp for iOS is testing a new feature that leverages augmented reality (AR), according to claims by a feature tracker. The said feature is said to bring AR capabilities for video calls on the platform, enabling users to customise factors such as lighting conditions and surroundings.

Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Said to Be Arrested in France Over Alleged Offenses Related to Messaging App

Telegram founder Pavel Durov, who has dual French and United Arab Emirates citizenship, was arrested as part of a preliminary police investigation into allegedly allowing a wide range of crimes due to a lack of moderators on Telegram.

WhatsApp Spotted Working on Themes for iOS App; Username PIN Feature Surfaces on Android Beta

WhatsApp is working on two features that have been spotted in development on recently released beta versions of the app for iOS and Android smartphones. The first feature is a theme picker for WhatsApp on iOS that lets users pick from 10 wallpaper and chat bubble colour combinations, while the other is a Username PIN feature to prevent spam after creating a username o...

Perplexity AI Reportedly Planning to Show Ads on Its Platform Before the End of the Year

Perplexity AI, the artificial intelligence (AI) platform that can scour the Internet to find curated answers for user queries, is planning to run ads on its platform, as per a new report. The company, which built the AI-powered answer engine, has reportedly prepared a pitch deck for advertisers to showcase the popularity and engagement of its platform.

iPhone Users in the EU Will Be Allowed to Change Default Apps, Delete App Store

Apple announced on Thursday that it will soon allow iPhone and iPad users in the European Union (EU) region new options to change default apps, delete first-party apps, and more. The decision was made in compliance with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) which prohibits tech companies from practising anti-competitive policies.

Instagram Collaborates With Sabrina Carpenter to Launch New Feature That Lets You Add a Song on Profile

Instagram has announced a new feature that aims to enhance the customisation of user profiles. The feature is dubbed ‘profile song’. As the name suggests, it enables users to add a specific song to their profile that best describes their mood or other preferences. The social media platform has a comprehensive list of licensed songs which can be added.

Disney+ Hotstar Will Stream Select Premier League Football Matches in 4K Resolution

Disney+ Hotstar, the homegrown over-the-top (OTT) platform, announced on Thursday that it will stream select Premier League matches in 4K resolution. The streaming giant also claimed that this is the first time Premier League matches will be streamed in 4K resolution in India. Notably, the highest tier of the English football league system began on August 17, and will...

Zomato to Acquire Paytm's Entertainment Ticketing Business for $244.2 Million

As part of the agreement, Paytm's platforms would to continue to offer ticketing services for 12 months before transitioning entirely to Zomato's newly launched 'District' mobile application.

Google Working on Gemini AI-Powered 'Ask Photos' Feature on Android

Google is reportedly working on a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature for Android dubbed Ask Photos. The feature was first announced at the tech giant’s annual Google I/O event in May. It was described to be an extension for Google Photos which lets the on-device Gemini assistant access the stored images to answer queries about them.

Google Adds Gemini AI-Powered Polish Feature for Gmail, Can Generate Formal Emails from Rough Drafts

Google released a new feature for Gmail powered by its Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) model on Tuesday. Dubbed Polish, it is a new option in the Help me write feature for Gmail which can generate complete formal email drafts based on rough notes. The company said it will be available on the web as well as on mobile devices.