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.

Microsoft Teams Unified App for Personal, Work and Education Accounts Released on Windows, Mac Devices

Microsoft Teams was updates to a unified app for personal, work and other usage for Windows and Mac devices on Tuesday. With its introduction, the need for having two separate Teams apps installed on PCs has been eliminated, says Microsoft. Users can also easily switch between different accounts when joining video conferencing calls.

Google Photos Gets a New Feature That Lets Users Block a Person’s Face From Memories

Google Photos is getting a new feature that lets users not just hide but block a person entirely from their media collection. As per the company, it can prove useful when users don’t want to see a person featured in their featured Memories tab. While a similar feature was previously available in Google Photos, it only allowed users to hide them from certain sections...

Apple Podcasts Web App Now Available on Desktop With Up Next, Saved Library and More Features

Apple Podcasts web app is now available to users on desktop browsers such as Safari, Chrome and Edge. Previously, the desktop experience was only available on macOS but with this change, iPhone users can also listen to their podcasts on Windows-based desktops too, with features such as Up Next queue, list of saved shows and more.

Microsoft Office, Teams Vulnerabilities Enable Hackers to Access Camera and Microphone on macOS: Report

Microsoft's apps for macOS are affected by eight security vulnerabilities that could allow hackers to access the camera and microphones of users without their consent, according to cybersecurity group Cisco Talos. The latest flaw detected across several Microsoft apps such as Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Powerpoint, and...

WhatsApp Working on Feature to Block Messages from Unknown Senders; Tests Like Reactions for Status Updates

WhatsApp will soon help users protect their account and optimise device via a new 'Block unknown account messages' toggle that prevents certain messages from being delivered to users via unknown accounts. Meanwhile, the messaging app has started testing like reactions for WhatsApp status updates on the latest beta version of the app for Android smartphones.

Google to Fix Security Vulnerability on Pixel Phones That Could Allow Remote Access or Control: Report

Google Pixel phones shipped since 2017 included an application with a security vulnerability that could be used by attackers to inject malicious code or run spyware on Pixel phones, according to security firm. The Showcase app, which was found on Pixel smartphones sold globally, will soon be removed by the company in the coming days.

Google AI Overviews Gets New Experimental Features, Expands to India and Six Other Countries

Google announced that its AI Overviews is getting several new features and being expanded to new regions on Thursday. With this update, the Google Search-based snapshot feature will be available in India and six other countries. The expansion will also include local language support in each country. Notably, it was rolled out in May and was made available only in the ...

Grok-2 and Grok-2 Mini AI Models Launched in Beta, Said to Outperform GPT-4 Turbo

Grok-2 family of artificial intelligence (AI) models have finally been released in beta by xAI. The Elon Musk-owned AI firm launched Grok-2 and Grok-2 Mini on Tuesday and claimed newer capabilities and improvements in the large language models (LLMs). Both models are available to Premium and Premium+ X (formerly known as Twitter) users. Interestingly, the Grok-2 model...

Swiggy UPI Backed by NPCI Launched in India for Faster Payment Experience: Features

Swiggy UPI was launched in India on Wednesday. The on-demand food delivery services platform has collaborated with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to roll out its UPI plug-in solution that aims to improve the payment experience by reducing the number of steps it takes to complete a transaction and making the whole process quicker.

Google Rolls Out Gemini Live, a Two-Way Voice Feature That Can Take on ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode

Google launched several new Pixel devices at its Made By Google event on Tuesday. Alongside the hardware announcements, the tech giant also spent considerable time showcasing new artificial intelligence (AI) features for its Gemini chatbot. Among them, Gemini Live was the most significant upgrade of the evening which introduced voice capabilities to the chatbot. With ...

Elon Musk's X Hit by Complaint Accusing It of Using Austrian Users' Personal Data for AI Training

An advocacy group from Austria, NOYB, has expressed issues with Elon Musk's X for training its Artificial Intelligence (AI) bot Grok with the personal data of users without their consent. NOYB is led by privacy activist Max Schrems.

Polish Billionaire Plans to Sue Meta Over Fake Advertisements on Facebook, Instagram

Polish billionaire Rafal Brzoska and his wife plan to sue Meta over fake advertisements on Facebook and Instagram that feature his face and false information.

Telegram Becomes Launchpad for Dogs Coin, the Latest Memecoin Sensation

The ‘Dogs Coin’ is the latest memecoin to stir up a buzz in the crypto sector, with Telegram acting as its pre-list host. The Dogs Coin is part of a new game on the Mini Apps marketplace on Telegram, named Dogs. The game lets Telegram users play on the app and collect Dogs Coin. The ecosystem of this game and this memecoin went live on July 9.

YouTube Music Will Reportedly Soon Let Users Share Their ‘Personal Radio’

YouTube Music is reportedly getting a new feature that will allow users to share their personal radio with others. As per the report, the new feature will make the user’s personal radio sharable, and others can add it to their playlists. Notably, the personal radio feature has been a part of the app for quite some time, and it refreshes daily based on the played son...

Turkey Restores Access to Instagram after Nine-Day Block

Turkey has restored access to Instagram after the company agreed to cooperate with authorities to address the government's concerns. Instagram was blocked in Turkey on August 2 for not complying with the country's laws, rules, and public sensitivities.

Signal Private Messenger Blocked in Russia by Roskomnadzor: Report

Signal Private Messenger has been blocked in Russia by Roskomnadzor, the country's state communications watchdog, according to news agency Interfax. The app has reportedly been blocked in the country for violating laws linked to anti-terrorist operations, but Signal users in Russia have reported that the service is working normally when accessed via a VPN or used in t...

Instagram Carousel Feature Gets Increased Limit for Photo and Video Uploads

Instagram is rolling out a big change that potentially improves the sharing of multiple photos and videos on the social media platform. Users can now add more content in a single carousel than the previous limit which only allowed 10 uploads. As per the Meta-owned platform, this change makes it easier for users who wish to add their “end-of-summer “photo dumps”.

OpenAI Warns ChatGPT Voice Mode Users Might End Up Forming ‘Social Relationships’ With the AI

OpenAI warned on Thursday that the recently released Voice Mode feature for ChatGPT might result in users forming social relationships with the artificial intelligence (AI) model. The information was part of the company’s system card for GPT-4o, which is a detailed analysis about the potential risks and possible safeguards of the AI model that the company tested and...

Apple Changes App Store Policy in EU After Facing Probe for Breaching Tech Laws

Apple has decided to allow developers to communicate with their customers outside its App Store. The iPhone-maker said developers will now be able to communicate and promote offers that are available anywhere, not just on their own website, from within their app.

Apple, Google to Reportedly Fix a Major Security Flaw in Safari and Chrome Browsers

Apple, Google, and Mozilla’s browsers reportedly have a major security vulnerability which has existed for years. The zero-day vulnerability is related to the IP address 0.0.0.0 which is private to the user’s device. The exploit can allow bad actors to send queries through it to breach the system and steal data.

Pixel Weather App Available for Sideloading, May Reportedly Offer Precipitation Notifications and Other Features

Google Pixel 9 series has been speculated to get a new weather app in recent weeks, that would be introduced on other Pixel devices too. The said application is now available for download as an Android Package Kit (APK) on a hosting platform, albeit unofficially. It can be sideloaded on the current lineup of Pixel smartphones.

ByteDance Unveils Jimeng AI, a Text-to-Video Generation Platform That Could Rival OpenAI Sora

ByteDance, the Beijing-based technology giant known for TikTok, has released an artificial intelligence (AI) text-to-video platform. Dubbed Jimeng AI, the platform allows users to generate both images as well as videos from text prompts. The platform has been released on both Apple’s App Store and Android as mobile apps but is only available to users in China.

YouTube Testing a Gemini AI-Powered Video Outline Generation Tool to Help Creators

YouTube announced a new creator-focused artificial intelligence (AI) feature on Tuesday. Powered by Google’s in-house AI chatbot Gemini, this new tool will let video creators on the platform brainstorm video ideas. The Gemini AI tool can assist users with thumbnail ideas, video titles, as well as suggest an outline of the video.

Elon Musk's X Files Lawsuit Accusing Advertisers of Boycotting Platform

Elon Musk-owned X has filed a lawsuit in federal court in Texas against the World Federation of Advertisers, Unilever and Danish renewable energy company Orsted, in addition to Mars and CVS Health. The lawsuit has alleged that advertisers have collectively withheld billions of dollars in advertising revenue from X.

Reddit Announces Plans for Testing AI-Powered Summaries for Search Result Pages

Reddit will begin testing summaries generated using artificial intelligence (AI) for content, the company announced during its earnings call with investors on Tuesday. The AI-powered summaries will appear at the top of the search result pages. Courtesy of this feature, Reddit aims to help users “dive deeper” into the platform’s content, including games, communit...

X Tipped to Introduce Payments Service Soon, Realising Elon Musk’s ‘Everything App’ Vision

X (formerly Twitter) may introduce its in-house payments service soon, according to claims by an independent app researcher on social media. Since Elon Musk’s takeover, the microblogging platform has undergone a myriad of changes. Musk has highlighted his ambitions of making the platform into an “everything app”.

ChatGPT App for macOS Gets New Update, Enables Multitasking via Companion Window

ChatGPT app for macOS is getting a new update which will make it easier for users to multitask with the chatbot. The new update was rolled out for all supported macOS versions on Tuesday, and it adds a companion window that can be accessed side-by-side with another app. Users can open the smaller window by pressing the Option + Space buttons on the keyboard.

Google Pixel 9 Series to Reportedly Feature a New Weather App With Redesigned Cards

Google Pixel 9 series is set to launch on August 13 at a Made by Google event. As per a new report, they may arrive with a new weather app. This new weather app, which is said to be designed just for the upcoming series which is rumoured to comprise the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

Google Reportedly Stops Generating Fat APKs, Making Sideloading Android Apps More Tedious

Google introduced the Android App Bundle at the I/O 2018 event, enabling developers to build their apps as bundles. Following this change, Google Play Store only downloaded the specific portions it needed during app installation. However, this only applied to apps downloaded via the store, with sideloading apps still allowing fat APKs. A recent claim suggests that thi...

Gemini AI Olympics Ad Receives Backlash Online, Google Reportedly Takes It Down

Gemini AI ad that was recently aired in the US for the Paris Olympics 2024 has reportedly been taken down after receiving backlash online. Google is said to have issued a statement highlighting that it took public feedback to remove the ad from airing during the Olympics event, but also proceeded to defend the idea behind it.

OpenAI Reportedly Withholding ChatGPT Text Detection Tool Due to Fear of Backlash

OpenAI reportedly has built a tool that can detect when text has been generated using its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, but is unwilling to release it to the public. As per the report, the tool is ready to be launched for quite some time, but the AI firm is concerned that such a detection tool might make the chatbot unpopular among users.

Telegram Rolls Out Multi-Tab In-App Browser and Mini App Store With July Update

Telegram introduced a slew of new features that aimed at enhancing the overall user experience on Thursday. One of the key additions rolled out on the instant messaging platform is a new in-app browser with support for multiple tabs. It also highlighted that its 950 million monthly active users can now take advantage of the new option which enables them to gift Telegr...

Google Chrome Upgraded With Google Lens, Gemini AI-Powered Browser History and More

Google Chrome is getting three new artificial intelligence (AI) features, the company announced on Thursday. The Chrome browser was already infused with Google’s in-house AI model Gemini earlier this year, but those features are only available to paying Workspace subscribers. But now, the tech giant is adding AI features that all users will be able to use.

Reddit Acquires Generative AI Startup Memorable AI

Reddit is acquiring Memorable AI, a startup that uses generative artificial intelligence to help marketers create better ads, in its first acquisition since going public in March.

Spotify Brings Back Expanded Lyrics Feature for Free Users but With a Monthly Limit: Report

Spotify – the Swedish audio streaming service – is bringing back a highly requested feature months after it was put behind a paywall and removed from the free tier, according to a report. The lyrics feature is said to be now rolling out for users without a subscription to Spotify, albeit with a monthly limit.

Google Search Updates Content Removal and Ranking System to Combat Explicit Deepfakes

Google Search updated its removal processes and ranking systems on Wednesday to combat non-consensual fake explicit imagery, also known as deepfakes. The tech giant’s new strategy involves quickly removing explicit deepfakes and demoting websites that host such content so that this type of content does not appear high up in Search results.

Samsung Knox Rolls Out Private Sharing for Quick Share and Enhanced Data Protection Features

Samsung introduced new features for Knox on Wednesday. One of the new features claims to make sharing files such as photos, videos and documents more secure by adding various permissions and expiration dates for the data. The other added feature enables end-to-end encryption in system backups created for the handset.

Meta Quest 3 Gets New Layout App With the Ability to Measure Real-World Objects

Meta Quest 3 is getting a new app that will allow users to measure real-world objects. Dubbed Layout, the utility app was released by the company as a part of the Meta Quest v68 update for the mixed-reality device. The new app can both measure real objects as well as place virtual objects with a given size specification.

ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode Rolls Out to Some ChatGPT Plus Users

ChatGPT with the advanced Voice Mode is now rolling out to some paid users, the company announced on Tuesday. OpenAI first announced the feature in its Spring event in May. Powered by the latest GPT-4o artificial intelligence (AI) model, advanced Voice Mode offers features such as real-time responses, natural voice, and the capability to sense the user’s emotions.

WhatsApp for Windows Security Flaw Allows Executing Python, PHP Files Without Warning: Report

WhatsApp for Windows reportedly has a vulnerability that can be exploited by bad actors. The security flaw exploits executable files of Python and PHP for which the app does not send a warning, claimed the report. As a result, an unsuspecting user might accidentally save and run the file, allowing the attacker to deploy the payload.

Canva Acquires AI Image and Video Generator Leonardo.ai, Will Integrate It Into Magic Studio Tools

Canva acquired Australia-based artificial intelligence (AI) startup Leonardo.ai on Tuesday. The AI startup uses its native foundation model Phoenix to generate images, videos, and create visual assets. The platform also offers features such as AI-powered upscaling, inline editing, and real-time image generation. Canva said that the Phoenix AI model will be integrated ...

X Working on Support for Editing Direct Messages, Employee Confirms

X (formerly Twitter) has been gradually adding a slew of features since the billionaire’s takeover in 2022. The latest feature which could soon be introduced on X is the ability to edit DMs (direct messages), according to information provided by an employee on the social media platform, although the timeline of its rollout remains unknown.

Meta AI Studio With Support for Generating AI Characters, Digital Avatars on Instagram Rolled Out

Meta AI Studio began rolling out to Instagram users on Monday (July 29). The social media giant first announced the AI avatar creation platform last year during its Connect event. Powered by the recently released Llama 3.1 405B artificial intelligence (AI) model, AI Studio can create mini chatbots called AI characters with a specific knowledge base that can interact w...

Google Photos for Android Testing an Easier Way to Hide Faces from Memories: Report

Google Photos – the media manager on Android devices – may be developing new functionality which makes hiding certain people from the photo library a lot easier, according to a report. With this feature, users may be able to choose select faces and hide them from the Memories tab without too many steps involved.

WhatsApp for Android Reportedly Testing Message Reactions via Double Tap Feature

WhatsApp for Android may be testing a new gesture feature which lets users react to messages, according to claims by a feature tracker. This feature is speculated to allow quick reactions to messages by simply double-tapping them, which may bring up a default heart emoji. It is only available to WhatsApp’s beta users registered via the Google Play beta program.

Microsoft Rolls Out Android Smartphone Visibility in Windows 11 File Explorer for Wireless Browsing

Microsoft is rolling out a new feature for the Windows 11 File Explorer through its Insider Channels, the company announced on July 25. With its introduction, users will now be able to see their Android smartphones in the File Explorer when it is connected wirelessly via the Link to Windows app.

Elon Musk’s X Gives Users Chance to Keep Posts From Grok AI Chatbot

X (formerly Twitter) will allow users to prevent their posts and interactions from being used to train Grok, the AI (artificial intelligence) chatbot on the microblogging platform. The setting is available on the web platform and will soon be rolled out on mobile, according to the company.

AltStore PAL Rolls Out Support for Sideloading Third-Party Apps on iPhone in the EU

AltStore PAL – the alternative app marketplace for the iPhone – is rolling out support for hosting third-party apps, it announced via a social media post on Wednesday. With the app’s latest update, users in the European Union (EU) can sideload apps on their iPhone from other developers by adding sources, including even those which are not allowed on Apple’s Ap...

Apple Maps Web Beta With Support for Directions, Guides and Search Rolled Out via Public Beta

Apple Maps web interface was rolled out on Wednesday in the form of a public beta. Following this move, users can access Maps, get directions, explore cities and do much more from their browsers on smartphones and desktops. Apple says Maps on the web is currently available in limited languages and platforms, with support for more features to be added in the coming mon...

WhatsApp Working on AirDrop-Like Nearby File Sharing Feature on iOS: Report

WhatsApp for iOS may be developing a feature that lets users share documents, files, media and other content with nearby devices, according to claims by a feature tracker. Its functionality is speculated to be similar to Apple’s AirDrop, which allows the sharing of content between Apple devices in the vicinity.

Meta AI Upgraded With New Image Generation Capabilities and Support for Multiple Languages

Meta AI received a significant update on Tuesday, expanding both its capabilities and availability. The artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot which is available within WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook is being expanded to more regions and is now accessible in 22 countries. The chatbot is also getting support for new languages and will be able to both accept prompts an...

Adobe Illustrator Updated With AI-Powered Design Tools, Photoshop Gains Support for Image Generation

Adobe Illustrator received new artificial intelligence (AI) tools on Tuesday to make the design creation process easier for users. The new tools include a Generative Shape Fill tool that can generate pattern vectors within a shape. Other tools include Style Reference, Retype, Mockup, and more. These tools are powered by the company’s Firefly Vector Model.

Spotify Hi-Fi Audio Plan Still in ‘Early Days’; Deluxe Plan to Deliver More Features, CEO Says

Spotify will bring out a “deluxe” version of its subscription that brings hi-fi (high fidelity) audio, but the company is still in its “early days” of planning, CEO Daniel Ek said during the earnings call on Tuesday. When launched, this plan is speculated to be priced considerably higher than its current Premium plan.

Google Play Protect ‘Rescan’ Option for Flagged Apps on Android in Development: Report

Google Play Protect is reportedly working to introduce a “Rescan” option for apps that have been previously flagged as harmful, without uninstalling them from a user's device. According to a report, the feature is still being developed by the company.

Slack Introduces Status, Catch Up and Slack Launcher Widgets for iPhone

Slack is bringing three new widgets to the iPhone, the company announced on Monday. The new widgets add catch-up, status view and other functionalities to the iPhone’s home and lock screens, enabling users to leap directly into the different tabs of the Slack app. The features are available to iPhone users following the app’s latest update.

Spotify Premium Introduces Limited-Time Offer in India With 3 Months of Ad-Free Listening at Rs. 59

Spotify has announced a new offer for prospective subscribers of its premium subscription in India. Courtesy of a new limited-time deal introduced by Spotify, users can enjoy ad-free music streaming at a cut price via the Individual plan. However, the offer is only limited to first-time subscribers of the premium subscription.

X Said to Be Developing Feature That Lets Users Disable Links in Post Replies

X (formerly Twitter) is said to developing a feature that may let users disable links in the replies of their posts, according to claims by an app researcher on social media. It is speculated to aid in reducing spam links posted in replies to posts on the platform by introducing the ability to natively block links.

WhatsApp Reportedly Developing Feature for Web Client That Lets Users Pick Usernames

WhatsApp is speculated to be developing a new feature for its web client which may let users pick usernames, according to claims by a feature tracker. It is tipped to offer more flexibility while connecting with other users on the instant messaging platform by eliminating the need to share phone numbers.

WhatsApp for Android Will Not Utilise Google’s Technology For Its Real-Time Translation Feature: Report

WhatsApp for Android was earlier reported to be developing a new real-time translation feature which could utilise Google’s live translation technology. A new report now suggests that while the feature is in the works, it will only rely on the instant messaging platform’s in-house technology. The feature was spotted in the latest beta again, however, it is still n...

Gemini AI Assistant Can Now Answer Questions, Perform Tasks Even When Android Device Is Locked

Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) assistant is getting a new upgrade, and users will now be able to access it and get it to perform certain tasks even when the device is locked. While the AI-powered virtual assistant was able to respond on the lock screen earlier, completing any tasks required invoking Google Assistant.

Microsoft Designer App, the AI-Powered Image Generator Platform Is Now Available For All Users

Microsoft Designer app, which was so far only available in preview, was released globally on Wednesday. The app is available across Android and iOS mobile platforms and on Windows desktops and is free to download and install. The Designer platform was first announced last year and has been available on the Web and via the Microsoft Edge browser for a few months. On th...

Google Maps Live Activities With ETA, Directions Reportedly Rolling Out to More Users

Google Maps Live Activities support is rolling out to users in various regions, including India, according to a report. Support for iOS feature that allows users to view information at a glance from an app while it is in the background, is expected to roll out to Google Maps in the future.

Instagram Rolls Out Multi-Audio Track Support for Reels; Allows Users to Add Up to 20 Tracks

Instagram announced a new multi-track audio feature for Reels on Tuesday. With the rollout of this new feature, users can now add up to 20 audio tracks in a single Instagram Reel, enabling them to produce creative mixes, in addition to editing them with text, stickers, clips and other items.

Apple, Anthropic and Other AI Firms Have Reportedly Trained AI Models on Thousands of YouTube Videos

Apple, Anthropic, and other major artificial intelligence (AI) firms have reportedly trained AI models on data from hundreds of thousands of YouTube videos. A new report claims that multiple AI companies used a publicly available dataset called Pile which contained the plain text of videos’ subtitles without any video imagery.

Anthropic Launches Android App for Claude AI Assistant, Powers It With Claude 3.5 Sonnet

Anthropic launched an Android app for its Claude artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot on Tuesday. The Android app comes a couple of months after the AI firm released an iOS app for Claude. Users can find the Claude AI app free to download on the Play Store. The interface works similarly to the website, and even free users can take advantage of all the basic features.

WhatsApp Lets Users Set Contacts as Favourites in Chats and Calls for Quick Access With Latest Update

WhatsApp is introducing a new update that enables users to set certain contacts as favourites, the company announced on Tuesday. Through it, users can save the people they frequently contact at the top of the screen in WhatsApp Chats and Calls. Additionally, it will also be available as a filter on the instant messaging platform.

Google AI Overviews Reportedly Pared Back Further, Shows for Just 7 Percent of All Searches

Google AI Overviews feature has taken another hit and is now showing for fewer searches than before, as per a report. Dubbed Search Generated Experience (SGE) during its beta testing phase, AI Overviews was formally introduced during the Google I/O 2024 event. The feature is currently available only in the US and allows users to get a snapshot of the searched informat...

iOS 18 May Let Users Recover ‘Accidentally’ Deleted Photos and Videos on iPhone: Report

iOS 18 was showcased at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 on June 10. Although Apple did showcase several key features arriving with the update, the rollout of iOS 18 Developer Beta and recently, the public beta, has led to discoveries of other new features that the update might include. One of the features is reported to be a ‘Recovered’ album in Ph...

Google Maps for Android Update With Redesigned Bottom Sheet Layout Rolling Out Widely

Google Maps was updated with a new interface design, which is now being rolled out widely. The new interface comes with a bottom sheet layout, where instead of showing the menu and information edge-to-edge, it now appears within rounded sheets that do not cover the entire space. Changes have also been made to the directions and navigation page.

Apple Approves UTM SE as First PC Emulator for iPhone, iPad on the App Store

Apple has approved UTM SE on the App Store and has made it the first PC emulator to be listed on its app marketplace. The decision came a month after the Cupertino-based tech giant rejected the application of the PC emulator citing violation of its existing policy. Notably, the company said it would only allow emulators for retro games and not those that emulate PC sy...

Competition Commission of India Antitrust Probe Finds Apple Abused Position in Apps Market

Competition Commission of India (CCI) has found that Apple exploited its dominant position in the market for app stores on its iOS operating system in India, engaging "in abusive conduct and practices". The antitrust body has been investigating Apple since 2021 for forcing developers to use its proprietary in-app purchase system, possibly abusing its dominant position...

Apple’s ‘Tap-and-Go’ NFC Gets EU Approval After the iPhone Maker Agrees to Open It to Third-Party Apps

Apple received approval for its Near Field Communication (NFC) technology in Europe on Thursday. The European Union (EU) formally announced the approval after the Cupertino-based tech giant agreed to make changes that were suggested by the bloc. The company first applied for approval in 2022, however, the EU expressed concerns due to Apple’s monopoly over the techno...

Elon Musk’s X May Be Testing ‘Dislike’ Button on iOS as a Way to Downvote Posts

X (formerly Twitter) may be testing a new feature for increasing user engagement by allowing them to downvote replies on iPhone. According to claims on social media, the feature may appear as a ‘dislike’ option in the form of a heartbroken icon, instead of a Reddit-like downward arrow.

Samsung Bixby to Reportedly Get a Gen AI Upgrade, Could Compete With Apple Intelligence-Powered Siri

Samsung’s Bixby, the company’s native virtual voice assistant, is reportedly getting a generative AI upgrade. A report claimed that Bixby will be infused with the South Korean tech giant’s own large language model (LLM) to bring new capabilities and features. However, these features were not disclosed. Earlier this week, the company hosted its second Galaxy Unpa...

WhatsApp for Android Reportedly Testing Transcription Feature for Voice Messages

WhatsApp for Android may be testing a new feature which may let users transcribe voice messages, according to a report. It was spotted by a feature tracker in a beta version of the WhatsApp app for the Android platform. With this, users may be able to generate transcriptions for voice messages they have sent and received.

DMRC Launches Digital QR Code-Based Ticketing Service Via Amazon Pay

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) expanded its Digital QR Ticketing service to Amazon Pay on Thursday. With this move, Delhi Metro commuters can purchase their travelling tickets online through the platform. The QR code-based ticketing facility was already available via several other apps, but now travellers have an additional way to book their one-way tickets.

Google Makes Passkeys Available in Advanced Protection Program for High-Risk Users

Google announced the support of passkeys for its Advanced Protection Program (APP) on Wednesday. APP is the tech giant’s strongest level of Google Account security aimed at those users who are at a high risk of cyberattacks. With this move, the company will allow users to enrol for the service and access their accounts without the need for a physical security key.

Google, Apple Partner to Bring New Tool That Allows for Easy Media Transfer Across Devices

Google's new initiative is claimed to make transferring data from Google Photos to iCloud Photos easier. To achieve this, the Mountain View-based tech giant has teamed up with Apple to bring support for iCloud Photos to Google’s data portability initiative, enabling seamless transfer of media to iCloud Photos without deleting it from Google’s library requiring the...

Spotify for Podcasters App Introduces Comments Feature, Enabling Deeper Engagement With Listeners

Spotify for Podcasters introduced a new ‘Comments’ feature on Tuesday. This interactive feature is said to allow listeners to post comments on podcasts and receive replies from the podcasters, enabling more engagement. The app has also been revamped and it now delivers real-time performance updates for podcasts alongside notifications when a particular podcast lan...

Perplexity AI Rolling Out Its Pro Search Feature For Complex Queries to Android Devices

Perplexity AI, the artificial intelligence (AI) search engine platform rolled out a new feature dubbed Pro Search last week. The feature is now making its way to the Android app and users can access it just by toggling the Pro button underneath the text field. According to the AI firm, the feature uses multi-step reasoning to find answers to complex queries that canno...

Instagram Will Prioritise Short-Form Content Over Long Videos to Help Users Explore Their Interests, Says Adam Mosseri

Instagram – Meta Platforms’ photo and video-sharing social media app – will focus on short-form content rather than long videos, according to Adam Mosseri, head of the company. It is part of the company’s “core identity” of connecting people with friends, while also helping them explore their interests.

Gemini Clock Tool Extension on Android Will Reportedly Let the AI Chatbot Set Alarms and Timers

Gemini on Android might soon be able to perform more tasks, as per a report. The artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot that was added to Android smartphones can perform several tasks such as answering queries, looking up the internet, and writing essays and messages. A report now claims Gemini will also be able to set alarms and timers soon.

WhatsApp Rolls Out Context Card for New Group Members to Improve Safety

WhatsApp group safety context cards are rolling out to users as part of a new feature that is designed to improve safety on the messaging service. Users will now see contextual information after they are added to a group by a stranger. WhatsApp also allows users to control who can automatically add them to a group without their permission.

Google One Dark Web Report Feature to Be Discontinued, Similar Feature Coming to All Users This Month

Google has announced that it is bringing dark web reports to all account users starting in late July. The service enables the user to keep a check on the emergence of their data on the dark web which could prove to be potentially harmful. Previously limited to users with the Google One subscription, it will now be accessible to all users.