Character.AI Introduces Character Calls Feature That Lets Users 'Call' AI Chatbots

Character.AI, the artificial intelligence (AI) platform, introduced a new feature on Thursday that will let users call a chatbot. These AI chatbots, also known as Characters, can be programmed to behave as a real person or a fictional entity. With this feature, users can make phone calls over the app and have conversations that simulate a real telephonic conversation....

Truecaller Fraud Insurance Launched in India for iOS and Android Users

Truecaller announced an insurance protection plan to protect users against mobile frauds on Thursday. The plan, dubbed Truecaller Fraud Insurance, is being offered to the paid subscribers of the app on both Android and iOS. The new plan is currently only available in India, and will be rolled out in other regions later. The caller ID platform has partnered with HDFC E...

YouTube Reportedly in Talks With Record Labels for Deal to Train AI Song Generator

YouTube is reportedly in talks with multiple record labels to strike a deal that will let it use copyrighted songs to train its artificial intelligence (AI) tools. The Google-owned platform is said to be working on several new AI features that it plans to release by the end of this year. Last year, the video streaming platform announced testing an AI song generator du...

WhatsApp for Android Could Reportedly Let Users Choose the Llama Model to Power Their Meta AI Chatbot

WhatsApp for Android is tipped to be working on a new feature that will let users choose the Large Language Model Meta AI (Llama) 3 model to power the Meta AI chatbot. On Thursday, a feature tracker claimed that this feature is currently under development and not available to beta testers. The feature is said to let users choose between the Llama 3-70B AI model and th...

WhatsApp Reportedly Testing New Shortcut Button for Quick Replies to Video Notes

WhatsApp introduced Instant Video Notes in 2023, enabling users to record and send 60-second video messages to others directly in chat. The instant messaging platform is now enhancing that feature by enabling quick replies for it, according to a feature tracker. The new option is said to be spotted in a beta version of WhatsApp for Android.

OpenAI's Voice Mode Feature for ChatGPT Delayed, Alpha Testing to Begin in July

OpenAI Voice Mode for ChatGPT has been delayed. The launch of the upgraded chatbot with emotive expressions and real-time responses will not arrive until later this year. The artificial intelligence (AI) firm showcased the feature during last month’s Spring Updates event which also unveiled the GPT-4o model. The company said that the delay was caused to meet its hig...

Anthropic Introduces Projects for Claude AI, a New Collaborative Tool to Organise Information

nthropic released a new collaborative tool for its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Claude on Tuesday. Dubbed Projects, the tool will allow users to ground the output of the chatbot to the internal knowledge provided to it. Using this, users can create an internal knowledge hub that can offer information in the style and tone that the user may need. The feature ca...

OpenAI's ChatGPT App for macOS Now Available For All Users

OpenAI released the desktop app of its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT for macOS on Tuesday. The app will be available to both paid subscribers and those who use the free version of the platform. The AI firm first announced the dedicated app for Mac devices last month at the Spring Updates event. The company was slowly rolling out the app to ChatGPT Plus ...

Snapchat Simplifies Location Sharing, Improves Blocking Feature to Protect Younger Users

Snapchat has expanded its safety features in an attempt to protect younger users on the video and photo messaging platform. The Snapchat block feature has been optimised to be more effective, while location sharing has been simplified, in-app warnings will be more useful, and strangers are now prevented from sending a friend request to teenagers.

Netflix May Reportedly Introduce a Free Ad-Supported Plan in Select Asian, European Markets

Netflix may introduce a free plan, enabling users to consume its content without having to pay for it, but with ads, according to a report. The video-streaming platform is said to be considering introducing a free plan in select markets around the world including Asia and Europe – regions where other networks also offer free TV plans.

YouTube Tests New ‘Hype’ Feature, Boosting Community Engagement for Small Creators

YouTube is testing a new way which provides more community support to small content creators, the company announced on Monday. The feature, called ‘Hype’, is being made available to viewers in select regions. Content creators within the criteria will be eligible for this new program, enabling viewers to hype a video to boost its rankings.

WhatsApp for Android May Be Developing a New In-App Dialler for Calling Convenience

WhatsApp may be developing a new in-app dialler, according to a feature tracker. This feature, reported in the latest WhatsApp for Android beta app update, is speculated to make WhatsApp calling convenient by allowing users to make calls directly from the app, without having to switch to the system dialer and save the contact on the Android smartphone.

YouTube Reportedly Developing a Sleep Timer Feature That Automatically Stops Video Playback

YouTube may be developing a sleep timer feature for users of its Android app – a feature which already exists in the YouTube Music app, according to a report. References to the feature were reported during an APK teardown of a beta version of the YouTube app for Android.

WhatsApp for Android, iOS Get More Interactive Stickers With Lottie Framework Support

WhatsApp is rolling out more interactive stickers with fluid motion, courtesy of the new Lottie framework support. According to a feature tracker, this initiative was first reported in a beta version of the WhatsApp for Android app in February but is now rolling out widely with the latest stable update for both Android and iOS platforms.

Meta AI Chatbot Is Finally Rolling Out to India, Will Be Powered By Llama 3 AI Model

Meta AI, the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot by the company, has started rolling out to India. The chatbot will be available across all the Meta-owned platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger, as well as the meta.ai website. The chatbot is powered by the company’s in-house Llama 3 large language model (LLM) which was launched in April.

Amazon Said to Plan Up to $10 Monthly Price Tag for Unprofitable Alexa Service, AI Revamp

Amazon is planning an overhaul of is unprofitable Alexa service as part of a new project called Banyan that is said to include a conversational generative AI with two tiers of service. The company is also planning to charge a monthly fee of around $5 to access the revamped version of Alexa, the company's voice assistant used on its Echo smart speakers and other compat...

YouTube Expands Privacy Complaint Process, Lets Users Report AI-Generated Content Using Their Face or Voice

YouTube is expanding its user privacy protection mechanism to include artificial intelligence (AI) content. The video-streaming giant announced on Thursday that users will be able to report AI-generated content that simulates their face or voice. Users can report such videos using the Privacy Complaint Process, an online reporting system that allows them to fill out a...

Anthropic Releases Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Makes It Available for Free to All Users

Anthropic launched the first entrant in the Claude 3.5 large language model (LLM) family, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, on Friday. The new release comes just three months after the AI firm launched the Claude 3 family of artificial intelligence (AI) models. As per the company, the latest AI model can outperform Claude 3 Opus, the most capable model from the previous generation.

YouTube Music Could Reportedly Get an AI-Powered ‘Ask for Music’ Feature Soon

YouTube Music might soon get a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature, as per a new report. The music streaming platform of the Google-owned company recently received the “Play, Sing, or Hum to Search” feature which used AI algorithms to find the desired results. It may soon get another AI-powered feature to search for songs. The feature, reportedly dubbed ‘As...

Google Pixel Tablet Gains Circle to Search Access via Action Key on Android 15 Beta 3: Report

Android 15 Beta 3 update makes it easier for users to access the Circle to Search feature on devices such as the Google Pixel Tablet, according to a report. Following the Android 15 Beta 3 update, a new pop-up window reportedly shows up when you swipe up on the persistent-style taskbar.

Google Pixel 9 to Feature Creative Assistant App for Custom AI Sticker, Emoji Generation: Report

Google Pixel 9 is expected to get a new app that will let users generate custom stickers using artificial intelligence (AI), according to a report. This feature would be available on Google’s upcoming smartphones courtesy of a new app called Creative Assistant, which is said to be under development.

YouTube May Soon Allow Users to Add ‘Notes’ Below Videos, Similar to X’s Community Notes

YouTube may be getting ready to introduce a new and experimental feature which lets users add ‘notes’ below videos, according to the company. This feature is speculated to work along the same lines as the Community Notes feature on X, enabling users to provide more context to videos on its platform.

Adobe Acrobat Gets Image Generation, Other AI-Powered Features With Firefly Image 3 Model Integration

Adobe introduced a slew of new artificial intelligence features for Acrobat, its PDF editing software on Monday. These features are powered by the Adobe Firefly Image 3 foundation model. Users can now leverage AI to enhance images and generate them with text-based prompts. Furthermore, it can also meet and provide insights into documents.

WhatsApp Rolling Out New Default Media Quality Setting Feature for Android Users

WhatsApp for Android is rolling out a feature which automatically sets the default media quality setting. This feature will allow users to set default media quality for uploads, without having to manually toggle the HD option every time they send an image or video.

Google Chrome for Android Gets a ‘Listen to This Page’ Text-to-Speech Feature: How to Use

Google Chrome for Android is getting a new feature dubbed Listen to this page, which will let the browser read any text-heavy webpage aloud. The text-to-speech (TTS) feature is being integrated into the Android app, and users will be able to access it from the three-dotted menu icon. The feature opens a miniplayer that comes with play/pause, a progress bar, playback s...

Yahoo News App Gets an AI-Powered Revamp, Integrates Artifact’s Technology for Personalised News Discovery

Yahoo News app is getting a significant revamp that will bring several new artificial intelligence (AI) features to the news reporting and aggregation platform. The company highlighted that the new app’s AI capabilities come from the now-defunct AI news app Artifact. Yahoo acquired the platform in April 2024, and it has now integrated its architecture within its new...

YouTube Reportedly Testing New Method to Disrupt Ad Blockers Amid Ongoing Crackdown

YouTube is reportedly developing another way to crack down on third-party blockers by injecting ads directly from the server, according to a post on social media. It is speculated that this change may combine the video and ads into one and it may be played as a continuous stream on the video-streaming platform, preventing the browser plugins from stopping them.

WhatsApp Announces Improved Video Calling Features for Mobile and Desktop Apps

WhatsApp announced several new features related to video calling for mobile and desktop users on Thursday. The participant list for group video calls has been expanded and up to 32 members can now be on a call together across all devices. Furthermore, users can now share their audio when screen-sharing with other participants.

Google Messages Reportedly Developing a Quicker Way to Have Conversations With Gemini: Report

Google Messages may reportedly introduce a quicker way for you to have conversations with Gemini – the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot. This feature was reported after an APK teardown of the app with a new floating action button (FAB) appearing above the new chat icon in the Messages app.

Google Pixel Lookup Feature for Unknown Callers Rolling Out to Pixel Smartphones: Report

Google has begun rolling out the reverse number search feature for Pixel smartphones, according to a report. It reportedly enables users to look up unknown numbers directly from the call log. Lookup is exclusive to Pixel devices right now and was spotted in Phone by Google app version 132.

YouTube Tests AI-Powered Comment Topics Summariser Feature for Shorts on Mobile

YouTube is testing its AI-based comment topic summariser feature for Shorts. The experimental feature will only show up on the video streaming giant’s iOS and Android apps for now and will be available on a limited number of Shorts with large comment sections from select creators. The feature sorts the comment section into popular topics based on user-generated comm...

YouTube Testing Google Lens Button With Object Detection, OCR-Based Search on Android: Report

YouTube for Android is getting a new functionality with the integration of Google Lens, according to a report. The option is said to be present alongside the search bar in the form of a Google Lens icon, enabling users to take an image of an object and search for it on the video-streaming platform.

Google Pixel Feature Drop for June Brings Gemini AI to More Pixel Phones Along With Other Imaging Features

Google’s latest Pixel Feature Drop brings a ton of new features and upgrades for its Pixel devices. These new features are not limited just to its Pixel smartphones but for its lone Pixel tablet and two Pixel Watch models as well. Some features from this Pixel Feature Drop are not available in India.

WhatsApp Reportedly Begins Rolling Out Ability to Pin Multiple Channels to Beta Testers

WhatsApp is reportedly working on the development of a feature that lets users pin up to two channels on Android, according to a feature tracker. The feature was reported in a beta version of WhatsApp for Android and may not be available to all users.

Apple Brings RCS, Satellite Capabilities to the Messages App for iPhone With iOS 18

Apple unveiled iOS 18, the next generation of its operating system for iPhone, at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 on Monday. Among many new features such as Home Screen customisation, Apple Intelligence, and Control Center improvements, the Cupertino-based tech giant also introduced two new features to the Messages app — support for RCS and new satel...

WhatsApp for Android Reportedly Testing New Feature That Offers Better Privacy Control Over Status Updates

WhatsApp for Android is reportedly testing a new feature that allows users to control privacy settings for status updates, according to details shared by a feature tracker. The feature, known as status privacy confirmation, is tipped to be tested in a beta version of the app for the Android platform.

Apple's iOS 18 AI Features to Be Called Apple Intelligence: Mark Gurman

Apple is expected to announce a host of artificial intelligence-backed features and tools at the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 on June 10. The umbrella term used for these AI features will be 'Apple Intelligence' according to a report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Samsung May Bring a New Way to Check Time on Galaxy Devices, Even With the Screen Off: Report

Samsung is reportedly working on introducing a new way to check time on Galaxy devices, according to claims by a tipster on a social media platform. It is said to allow users to check the time even when the device’s screen is turned off. The feature will reportedly be activated via a simple gesture.

Google’s Find My Device to Reportedly Get UWB, AR Features to Help Find Lost Devices Quicker

Google’s Find My Device app may get ultra-wideband (UWB) and augmented reality (AR) features, making it easier to locate lost or stolen devices, according to a report. Both these features are speculated to bring an upgrade, enabling precision finding of devices. As per the report, hints of the features were spotted during an APK teardown of the Android app.

Microsoft Outlook Mobile App for Android, iPhone Gets New Features With Latest Update

Microsoft Outlook received new features for its app on Android and iOS platforms on Monday. The features were introduced as part of app updates on both platforms. According to Microsoft, the Compose and calendar functionalities have been improved on its iPhone app whereas the update for its Android app brings enhancements to events, search, and calendar.

Amazon Agrees to Purchase Some Assets of MX Player in $100 Million Deal: Report

Amazon has reportedly agreed to purchase some assets of video-streaming platform MX Player from Times Internet. In May, it was reported that conversations between the two resumed again and a possible deal was on the cards. The deal has reportedly now been agreed for a sum of less than $100 million.

Google Keep Might Reportedly Allow Users to Resize App Window on Android

Google Keep may be getting a new feature that lets users resize windows. According to a report, the resizable windows feature was spotted during an APK teardown of the Google Keep app and may be accessible via a new sliding pane layout.

WhatsApp Reportedly Begins Beta Testing New Layout for Status Updates With Preview Feature

WhatsApp for Android is reportedly testing a new layout for the status updates page, according to a feature tracker. It is speculated that with this feature, the instant messaging platform may introduce a more modern look and feel. Additionally, users may also reportedly be able to preview statuses without having to open them.

Google Maps Doubles Down on Privacy With New On-Device Location Storage: Report

Google Maps is bringing a big change to how it stores your location data, according to a report. It will soon enable devices to store location and timeline data locally (on-device) instead of Google Cloud, the report suggests. Furthermore, the company will also set the auto-delete feature, which automatically removes your timeline data after a certain time period, to ...

GPT-4o Tested: Faster and More Versatile Than Before, but Questions Loom Over Reliability

GPT-4o was introduced with several new features. It added real-time emotive voice generation, access to the Internet, integration with certain cloud services, computer vision, and more. While the features were impressive on paper (and in the tech demos), the biggest highlight was the announcement that GPT-4o-powered ChatGPT will be available to everyone, including the...

Google Gemini to Get Spotify Integration via New Extension for AI Assistant: Report

Google Gemini might soon be able to play music via Spotify. The tech giant introduced the artificial intelligence (AI) powered Gemini assistant for compatible smartphones earlier this year but its functionality was very limited. While it could perform generative AI tasks, it was not as integrated with Google apps and third-party apps as Google Assistant.

Netflix Will Drop Support for Old-Gen Apple TV Models Next Month: Report

Netflix may soon drop support for older Apple TV models, according to claims on Reddit. Users on the social media forum reported receiving emails from the streaming platform about “sunsetting support” for several older-generation models.

Google Reportedly Testing Auto Dark Mode for Websites on iPhone via Search Labs

Google is testing an Auto Dark Mode for websites feature on its iPhone app, according to a report. When enabled, this feature will be turned on for all the applicable websites, it was further mentioned. It is also reported that Auto Dark Mode will not be available on websites which have an existing dark mode.

YouTube Testing a Dream Screen Feature for Shorts That Will Generate Images for Green Screens

YouTube is testing a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature for its minute-long vertical video format, Shorts. Dubbed Dream Screen, this feature will add a custom green screen image generated by AI to the videos. This feature is likely aimed at users who prefer to use creative backgrounds to stand out in the videos or be thematically aligned with the content of the ...

Instagram Confirms Testing Unskippable Ads, Says Always Trying to Drive ‘Value for Advertisers’: Report

Instagram has reportedly confirmed testing unskippable ads on its platform after several users posted about seeing them recently. Earlier, a Reddit post highlighted these 5-second-long ads labelled as “ad breaks”, that users could not scroll past. Now, as per a report, a Meta spokesperson has said that the company is testing newer ways to drive value for advertise...

Zoom’s AI-Powered Avatars May Bring Us Closer to a Four-Day Workweek, Says CEO

Zoom may introduce AI avatars that would attend meetings on behalf of the user, its CEO Eric Yuan recently said in an interview. This would reportedly enable the user to focus more on in-person interactions but not for work.

Spotify Premium Prices Hiked in the US for the Second Time in 12 Months

Spotify price hike has been announced for all its Premium plans in the US. With this move, the company aims to “bring users the best experience”, it said. The Individual plan gets a $1 price hike and now costs $11.99 a month.

Nvidia Will Soon Bring RTX Video HDR to VLC Media Player and Video-Editing Software

Nvidia is bringing RTX Video HDR to VLC media player, the company announced at Computex 2024 on Sunday. It uses AI to automatically upscale SDR content to HDR and can preserve details that may not be seen when videos are playing in the standard dynamic range.

Instagram Reportedly Testing 5-Second Unskippable Ad Breaks Feature

Instagram is testing a new feature called Ad Breaks that brings short but unskippable ads, according to recent claims on Reddit. The Meta-owned photo-sharing platform did not officially reveal the testing of the Ad Breaks feature but users across Reddit forums have reported its arrival.

RBI, NIPL Working to Expand UPI to 20 Countries by 2028-29: RBI Annual Report

RBI (Reserve Bank of India) and NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) are working on expanding UPI to 20 countries by 2028 or 2029, according to RBI's annual report. The central bank is in talks with central banks of various countries for entering into collaborative arrangements according to the Payments Vision Document 2025.

Online Payment Frauds Jump Over 400 Percent in India, RBI Data Shows

Digital payment frauds in India saw a 400 percent jump in the year ended March 2024, according to the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) annual report. Data from the central bank shows that the value of transactions on UPI jumped 137% in the past two years to 200 trillion rupees, while the rise in online transactions is also boosted by cheap access to the internet along wi...