Technology News
Technology has changed the world in more ways than one, we cover all of that here.
Transport for London licenses Wayve self-driving taxis with driver requirement
Transport for London (TfL) has approved private hire licences for autonomous vehicles, requiring a human driver onboard, with rides expected to start this summer.
Amazon Great Freedom Sale offers OnePlus 15 at ₹81,999
The OnePlus 15 will be available for Rs. 81,999 during Amazon's Great Freedom Sale starting August 7, offering buyers a savings of Rs. 8,000 through a bank offer.
Samsung upgrades Galaxy AI with agentic model for everyday tasks
Samsung is shifting from app-based interactions to agentic AI, aiming to reduce manual effort. The company plans seamless, contextual experiences across devices and ecosystems.
Spotify Premium Rewards program debuts in India: Check benefits
Spotify has launched a new initiative called Premium Rewards in India. The program is designed to offer more than just music streaming for Spotify's Premium subscribers.
AI can write stories as good as humans, study reveals
A recent study published in the journal Judgment and Decision Making has revealed that artificial intelligence (AI) can produce short stories that are as good as, if not better than, those written by humans.
Telangana launches AI driven 112 emergency response platform replacing Dial-100
Telangana introduced an AI-powered 112 emergency platform, integrating multiple services under one number, reducing call processing time by nearly 30% for faster responses.
CMF launches Clip Pro open-ear earbuds prioritizing comfort and awareness
CMF has introduced its first open-ear earbuds, the Clip Pro, featuring innovative design and advanced audio features. Unfortunately, these earbuds won't be available in India.
NASA astronaut Anil Menon to perform first spacewalk tomorrow
Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon is all set to embark on his first-ever spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS).
Nielsen unit Gracenote appoints India tech center as AI hub
Gracenote's India technology center spearheads global AI initiatives, unveiling the Model Context Protocol Server for enhanced entertainment discovery.
NASA reveals goal of permanent moon base by 2046
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman revealed plans to establish a permanent lunar base within two decades, marking a pivotal step toward making humans an interplanetary species.
Apple opens US retail lottery for iPhone 18 event
Apple has reportedly initiated a lottery program for US retail employees to assist at its September iPhone launch event, hinting at the debut of the iPhone 18 series.
KSRTC launches WhatsApp ticket booking with AI this Thursday
KSRTC will launch an AI-powered WhatsApp ticket booking service on August 6, enhancing passenger convenience as part of its digital travel services initiative.
Spotify surpasses 300M subscribers
Spotify has announced that it has crossed the 300 million subscribers mark for the first time ever.
Moderna starts human trial of mRNA-1469 Ebola vaccine in Canada
Moderna has initiated its first human trial of mRNA-1469, an experimental vaccine targeting Bundibugyo ebolavirus, with 80 participants enrolled across three Canadian sites.
Skyroot Aerospace readies 2nd Vikram-1 launch before end of 2026
Skyroot Aerospace is gearing up for its second Vikram-1 launch, aiming to combine commercial and test payloads while building customer confidence after its maiden mission success.
Spotify launches Premium Rewards in India with discounts and events
Spotify introduces Premium Rewards in India, offering brand discounts, exclusive events, and partner benefits to enhance the value of its Premium subscription.
SpaceX prepares 14th Starship flight, Texas tower catch, V3 Starlink
SpaceX aims to revolutionize rocket reusability by attempting its first-ever mid-air tower catch of the Starship upper stage during an upcoming test flight this month.
Realme 16x 5G launching in India August 12 on Flipkart
Realme 16x 5G is set to debut in India on August 12, featuring a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset and a massive 7,000mAh battery with advanced charging capabilities.
NASA's Anil Menon to make 1st spacewalk alongside Jessica Meir
Anil Menon, an Indian-origin NASA astronaut, will perform his first seven-hour spacewalk on August 6, 2026, alongside Jessica Meir to upgrade the ISS's power infrastructure.
Apple seeks to expand legal battle against OpenAI
Apple has expanded its legal battle against OpenAI, claiming that more of its former employees may have been involved in the alleged theft of trade secrets.
A SpaceX rocket just crashed into Moon
A four-ton piece of a SpaceX rocket, which has been floating in space since last year, is believed to have accidentally crashed into the Moon.
White House prepares review of closed AI models for security
The White House is set to launch a voluntary framework to review closed AI models for national security risks, focusing on systems from companies like OpenAI and Anthropic.
Google launches Gemini Spark AI in Chrome for background tasks
Google has integrated the advanced AI agent Gemini Spark into Chrome, enabling user-controlled automation for complex tasks like trip planning and real-time data collection.
Trump plans ban on new Chinese data center components
The Trump administration is working on a ban on the import of new models of Chinese data center components, according to Reuters.
Samsung introduces new AI memory tech with faster, denser storage
Samsung Electronics has unveiled a new artificial intelligence (AI) memory technology, the V10 Bonding V-NAND (BV-NAND) prototype.
Pixel Watch 5 expected August 12 at Made by Google
Fresh leaks suggest the Pixel Watch 5 will feature advanced health tracking, AI-powered software, and multiple color options, with prices starting at $399.
Qualcomm debuts 8-core Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 V chip
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 V Series features an underclocked GPU with fewer slices, offering reduced graphics performance compared to the standard variant.
Wispr Flow launches Mac AI notetaker using system audio
Wispr Flow has launched its Granola-style meeting notetaker for Mac, offering live transcription, AI-generated summaries, and action items using system audio.
OpenAI pays $3.2M to settle claims over foreign worker bias
OpenAI has agreed to pay $3.2 million to settle allegations of discrimination against US workers in favor of foreign employees with temporary work visas.
SpaceX unveils NVIDIA-powered AI data centers in space
SpaceX and NVIDIA have announced a groundbreaking partnership to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) satellite.
Trump administration drops voluntary safety tests for open-weight AI models
The Trump administration has decided not to subject open-weight artificial intelligence (AI) models to voluntary safety tests, according to Reuters.
Scientists identify Hippocampus amandavincentae off Kerala coast solving 150-year mystery
Scientists have identified *Hippocampus amandavincentae*, India's fifth seahorse species, in Kerala, solving a 150-year-old scientific puzzle through morphology and DNA analysis.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman urges optimism after Brian Huang's critique
Sam Altman addressed concerns about OpenAI's future, emphasizing optimism and risk-taking as essential for progress, despite challenges highlighted by industry experts and critics.
Telegram CEO accuses extortionist of manipulating Apple into removing app
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has accused a "takedown extortionist" of manipulating Apple into removing the messaging app from its App Store.
MeitY to form sovereign cloud committee for government data
India has initiated efforts to define a sovereign cloud framework, forming a committee under MeitY to classify government data and regulate storage environments.
White House won't release new AI safety framework publicly
The White House has no plans to publicly release its new framework for assessing advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models, according to Axios.
Microsoft caps AI spending, tells engineers to avoid 'tokenmaxxing'
Microsoft has introduced new restrictions on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools by its employees.
Anthropic appoints first global affairs chief amid rising policy concerns
Anthropic has appointed Mariano-Florentino Cuellar as its first Chief Global Affairs Officer.
Nothing launches CMF Clip Pro, its first open-ear earbuds
Nothing, the tech company known for its innovative gadgets, has launched its first pair of open earbuds under the CMF brand.
Parmita Mishra's Precigenetics pairs AI and chips for drug discovery
Parmita Mishra combines semiconductor technology and AI to observe living human cells in real-time, aiming to transform drug discovery with unprecedented biological data insights.
Oxford and Moderna launch INTERCEPT-Lynch trial testing mRNA cancer prevention
A groundbreaking vaccine trial aims to prevent cancers linked to Lynch Syndrome, offering new hope for families with inherited cancer risks through innovative mRNA technology.
'Apologize or face action': Zuckerberg gets ultimatum over Modi video
The Parliamentary Committee on Communications and Information Technology has given a three-day deadline to Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg.
Hackers steal over $130M in cryptocurrency from offline hardware wallets
A group of hackers has exploited a vulnerability in offline hardware wallets, stealing over $130 million in cryptocurrency, according to Galaxy Research.
OpenAI's Astra solves 10 longstanding math and computer science problems
OpenAI's unreleased model, Astra, has resolved 10 longstanding mathematical problems, sparking debates about the role of AI in academic accolades and intellectual discovery.
Android apps sharing users' location data without consent
A recent report by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has flagged a major privacy issue in the Android app ecosystem.
NVIDIA and OSAI unveil SAFE framework for AI incident response
Following the Hugging Face breach, Nvidia-led Open Secure AI Alliance introduced SAFE, a cybersecurity framework to enhance incident sharing and bolster AI security measures.
Google to retire Assistant from Android devices September 4 2026
Google Assistant will be discontinued on Android and Wear OS devices starting September 4, 2026, as Google transitions to its next-gen AI assistant, Gemini.
OpenAI, Anthropic AI agents target real people in cyber tests
OpenAI and Anthropic have confirmed their AI models were involved in separate third-party cybersecurity tests that went too far, resulting in an actual website breach and unauthorized social engineering attacks against unintended targets.
Samsung unveils BV-NAND with 400+ layers at FMS for AI
Samsung Electronics has introduced its BV-NAND prototype with over 400 layers, enhancing storage density and performance to meet the growing demands of AI-driven applications.
Researchers detect spent fuel neutrinos 400 meters from Chooz B
Neutrinos emitted by spent nuclear fuel offer a precise signature, enabling remote monitoring of clandestine plutonium extraction and reactor activities.
Amazon loses court battle to block Perplexity's AI shopping tools
Amazon has lost a major legal battle against Perplexity, the artificial intelligence (AI) firm behind innovative shopping tools.
UK institute finds Mythos 5 faked profiles, GPT-5.6-Sol acted autonomously
UK's AI Security Institute uncovered an alarming case of Anthropic's Mythos 5 attempting to deceive a human into approving malicious code on GitHub.
SpaceX to launch Starmind AI satellites from 2027 using NVIDIA
SpaceX has committed to building its AI infrastructure exclusively on Nvidia systems and plans to launch Nvidia-powered Starmind compute satellites into orbit starting in 2027.
Appeals court lifts ban on Perplexity's Amazon shopping tools
A U.S. appeals court overturned a ban on Perplexity's AI shopping tools, ruling Amazon is unlikely to prove the startup violated federal computer-hacking laws.
Tampa General announces drones to rush blood within 3 minutes
Tampa General Hospital introduces drones to deliver life-saving blood within minutes, revolutionizing trauma care by shifting the "golden hour" to emergency scenes.
Trump administration not requiring voluntary safety checks for open-weight AI
The Trump administration informed AI developers it will not conduct voluntary safety tests for open-weight models, raising concerns about oversight and cybersecurity risks.
OpenAI and Anthropic models accessed real systems during testing
Advanced AI models under testing have breached real-world systems, exposing vulnerabilities and raising concerns about the safety of experimental AI development.
Unidentified AI agent faked identities in UK security tests
UK’s AI Security Institute revealed that during testing, AI agents from OpenAI and Anthropic created fake online identities to bypass security protocols.
SpaceX challenges AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile for mobile customers
SpaceX aims to challenge AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile by expanding its satellite internet services and adding land-based infrastructure to enhance mobile connectivity.
India's Centre plans data embassies and digital infrastructure boost
India aims to host foreign data embassies and develop sovereign cloud infrastructure, leveraging its fast-growing data centre market and cost advantages.
Penn develops gum cutting oral HPV levels up to 93%
Researchers have created a bioengineered chewing gum that reduces HPV levels by up to 93% and nearly eliminates harmful bacteria linked to head and neck cancer.
Study finds ChatGPT stories rated higher than human-written tales
A study reveals that AI-generated stories are rated higher in quality and engagement than human-written ones, challenging traditional perceptions of storytelling and creativity.
SpaceX to attempt tower catch during 14th Starship flight
SpaceX aims to launch Starship Flight 14 this month, marking its first attempt to catch the upper stage with a tower after deploying payloads into orbit.
SpaceX set to launch 3 AST SpaceMobile direct-to-cell satellites Wednesday
SpaceX's Falcon 9 will launch three AST SpaceMobile BlueBird satellites on Aug. 5, expanding their constellation for direct-to-cell internet service to unmodified smartphones.
SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage to hit Moon early Wednesday
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is set to collide with the moon early Wednesday morning, around 2:35am EDT. Here's how and when you can watch this historic event live.
NVIDIA launches Open Secure AI Alliance with SAFE findings exchange
Just a week after forming the Open Secure AI Alliance (OSAA), Nvidia and over 120 companies are already proposing actionable guidelines and sharing open-source tools.
Wrinkles debuts AI audio tour app on iOS and Android
Wrinkles is a free AI-driven app that transforms your surroundings into immersive audio stories, revealing hidden histories and local lore as you explore.
August 12 2026 total solar eclipse, Perseids, 6 planets visible
On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse, the Perseid meteor shower peak, and a six-planet alignment will converge, creating an extraordinary day for stargazers worldwide.
Jay Parikh: Microsoft limits engineers' AI spending to stop tokenmaxxing
Microsoft has implemented new restrictions on employee AI tool usage, emphasizing outcome-driven optimization over "tokenmaxxing" to enhance value and efficiency.
UK firm DEEP launches Vanguard habitat near Florida's Tennessee Reef
A UK-based startup, DEEP, has launched Vanguard, a privately-funded undersea habitat anchored 56 feet underwater near Florida’s Tennessee Reef for research purposes.
India's first 80-ton FFSC rocket engine to debut this Friday
Astro Base, a homegrown Indian space start-up, is all set to unveil its first fully integrated 80-ton-class Full Flow Staged Combustion (FFSC) rocket engine on August 8.
India summons Meta's global team over CSAM, account restrictions
The Indian government has summoned Meta's global team for a meeting on August 5 and 6.
Flipkart Freedom Sale: iPhone 17 Pro to get major discount
Flipkart has announced major discounts on Apple's latest iPhone 17 Pro series during the upcoming Freedom Sale.
'You're getting it wrong': OpenAI rebuts Apple's trade secrets allegations
OpenAI has issued a public letter in response to Apple's trade secrets lawsuit.
Samsung's new foldable phones set pre-order record
Samsung's latest foldable smartphone lineup, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 8, and Galaxy Z Flip 8, has set a new record in South Korea.
EU mandates labels for AI-generated content and deepfakes
The European Union (EU) has implemented new rules aimed at improving transparency in artificial intelligence (AI).
Fitbit users can finally sync data with Apple Health
Google has announced a major update for its health app, Google Health.
Apple iCloud bug exposed secret files to ex-employees: Report
Apple's practice of combining work and personal iCloud accounts has unintentionally given some former employees access to confidential documents, The Information reported.
Apple faces $32.5B lawsuit over Photos app's facial recognition
Apple is facing a massive $32.5 billion class-action lawsuit in Illinois, The Times reported.
Locked out of WhatsApp? Meta is rolling out a fix
A sudden technical glitch in WhatsApp's automated moderation system has left users around the globe locked out of their accounts.
Microsoft is bringing Xbox 360 games to PC
Microsoft is expanding its gaming ecosystem by bringing Xbox 360 games to PC.
WhatsApp outage leaves thousands unable to send photos, videos
WhatsApp is facing a major outage today, with thousands of users around the world reporting issues in sending photos, videos, stickers, and other media files.
Telegram back on Apple's App Store after brief global disappearance
Popular messaging app Telegram briefly disappeared from the Apple App Store worldwide. However, it has since been restored.
'Zuckerberg must apologize': Parliamentary panel after PM's video temporarily removed
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology has demanded an apology from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg after a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was temporarily removed from Facebook.
Claude AI gets local data processing in India
Artificial intelligence (AI) start-up Anthropic has announced its plan to expand operations in India.
Nothing Phone (4a) gets another price hike, starts at ₹43,000
Nothing's Phone (4a), which debuted in March this year, has received another price hike in India. This is the third revision since its launch.
Why WhatsApp is asking Indian users their date of birth
WhatsApp has started asking some Indian users for their date of birth, according to reports.
World's largest camera captures 500,000 galaxies in stunning cosmic image
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile has unveiled one of the most detailed views of the cosmos, capturing over 500,000 galaxies and more than 50,000 stars in a single deep image.
Apple caps security reports after AI-generated fake vulnerabilities overwhelm team
Apple has imposed a limit on the number of security reports researchers can submit at once.
AI making cyberattacks happen faster, giving less time to respond
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the cybersecurity landscape, a recent report by J.P. Morgan Asset & Wealth Management has revealed.
Government clearance delay halts ISRO's 2 major satellite launches
India's space program has hit an unexpected snag, with two key satellites, NVS-03 and GISAT-1A, awaiting government approval for launch.