Technology News

Adobe Announces Project Music GenAI Control, an Experimental AI-Based Music Generation Tool Adobe announced a new experimental artificial intelligence (AI)-based tool on Wednesday that can generate music from simple text prompts. Named Project Music GenAI Control, Adobe says the AI tool not only generates music, but also gives users “pixel-level control for music” by letting them edit, lengthen, shorten, remix, and create loops. There are more edit optio...

Apple Could Rebrand Apple ID to Apple Account Later in 2024, Says Report Apple ID could witness a rebranding exercise and take on the Apple Account moniker before the end of 2024, a new report has revealed. The current version of Apple ID with a formal email address was first started after the introduction of iCloud in 2011. The reason behind the rumoured rebranding was not stated.

WhatsApp Introduces New Search by Date Feature for Messages: How to Use WhatsApp, Meta's popular messaging platform, has unveiled a new feature enhancing its search capabilities. The new ‘Search by Date’ feature allows users to choose a specific date to find the messages exchanged on those particular days. It is likely to help users retrieve specific information from past conversations more smoothly.

LG, Meta Announce Collaboration to Develop Next-Generation XR Technologies Meta and LG announced a strategic collaboration on Wednesday which is focused on extended reality (XR) devices and technologies. Meta has been working in this space has has launched multiple Meta Quest headsets, which offer virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences. Similarly, at the end of 2023, LG created an XR business unit within the Home Enterta...

Tumblr, WordPress Plan to Sell User Data to OpenAI and Midjourney to Train AI Models: Report Tumblr and WordPress users might soon find that their data is being used to train artificial intelligence (AI) models, as per a report. Allegedly, the parent company of the blog sites, Automattic, has struck deals with OpenAI and Midjourney to sell user-generated public content to help train their AI model.

Sony to Cut 900 Jobs at PlayStation, Shut London Studio; Naughty Dog, Insomniac Hit With Layoffs Japan's Sony is cutting about 900 jobs at its PlayStation unit and shutting a studio in London, it said on Tuesday as the videogame industry struggles to recover from a post-pandemic slump.

Krutrim AI Chatbot Rolls Out in Public Beta: Here's How to Test the Chatbot Krutrim AI has been launched to the public and now anyone can try out the newest artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot. The founder of the startup, Bhavish Aggarwal took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to announce that the platform was being rolled out as a public beta and is now available to a wider user base.

FASTag KYC Deadline set for February 29: How to Update, Check Status, and More The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) recently introduced the ‘One Vehicle, One FASTag' initiative to discourage users from using single FASTag for multiple cars or vice versa. The move is meant to reduce traffic congestion and streamline toll collection nationwide. Here's how you can update your FASTag KYC using different methods, check the status, and mo...

FASTag KYC Deadline set for February 29: How to Update, Check Status, and More The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) recently introduced the ‘One Vehicle, One FASTag' initiative to discourage users from using single FASTag for multiple cars or vice versa. The move is meant to reduce traffic congestion and streamline toll collection nationwide. Here's how you can update your FASTag KYC using different methods, check the status, and mo...

Mark Zuckerberg Seeks to Avoid Personal Liability in Lawsuits Blaming Him for Kids' Instagram Addiction Mark Zuckerberg has asked a US court to dismiss him as a personal defendant in two dozen lawsuits accusing Meta and other social media companies of addicting children to their products. If the US court decides that Zuckerberg cannot be held personally liable in the litigation, it would have no impact on the allegations against Meta.

RBI Moves to Ensure UPI Transactions on Paytm Continue to Work After Strictures on Paytm Payments Bank The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has requested the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to examine a request from Paytm to become a third-party application provider, in order to allow UPI payments on Paytm to continue working after the central bank's wind down date for Paytm Payments Bank.

Reliance-Backed Group Unveils Hanooman, a Series of Indic Language AI Models: Report Hanooman, a series of language models focused towards the Indian demographic was unveiled on Wednesday, February 21, as per a report. The AI model was reportedly showcased at a recent technology event in Mumbai. It supports 11 Indian regional languages and will operate in the fields of healthcare, governance, financial services, and education.

Intel Signs Microsoft as Foundry Customer; Says Firm on Track to Overtake Biggest Rival TSMC Intel has signed Microsoft as a foundry customer for its 18A technology, the company said at an event. The chipmaker said it expects to beat its 2025 deadline to overtake TSMC in advanced chip manufacturing. The news of Intel's 14A technology is the first time the Silicon Valley company has given details of its plans beyond 2025.

Reliance-Backed Group Unveils Hanooman, a Series of Indic Language AI Models: Report Hanooman, a series of language models focused towards the Indian demographic was unveiled on Wednesday, February 21, as per a report. The AI model was reportedly showcased at a recent technology event in Mumbai. It supports 11 Indian regional languages and will operate in the fields of healthcare, governance, financial services, and education.

Adobe Introduces Generative AI Assistant That Can Summarise PDFs for Acrobat and Reader Adobe has announced generative artificial intelligence (AI)-powered features for its web client and desktop app of Acrobat. The software giant has added an AI Assistant that can do multiple tasks and help users easily understand and analyse large PDF files. One notable feature will summarise files and present it in a formatted and easy to follow text block.

Flipkart in Talks to Buy Reliance-Backed Dunzo: Report Walmart-backed Indian e-commerce firm Flipkart has held discussions over potentially acquiring the on-demand delivery platform Dunzo, TechCrunch reported on Tuesday, citing three people familiar with the matter.

Paytm Crackdown Signals More RBI Scrutiny on India Banks India stunned investors last month by abruptly suspending most activities of the banking affiliate of Paytm, a once high-flying fintech star that had attracted backing from Warren Buffett and SoftBank Group Corp. While the Paytm case was an extreme example of lapses in customer verification — it allegedly used a single identity document to open thousands of accounts...

Zee Entertainment Seeks to Revive $10 Billion Merger With Sony: Report India's Zee Entertainment is making a final attempt to restart discussions with Japan's Sony Group to revive their $10 billion merger deal which was scrapped on Jan. 22, Indian business daily Economic Times reported on Tuesday, citing people aware of the matter.

Neuralink's First Human Patient Able to Control Mouse Through Thinking, Says Elon Musk The first human patient implanted with a brain-chip from Neuralink appears to have fully recovered and is able to control a computer mouse using their thoughts, the startup's founder Elon Musk said late on Monday.

WhatsApp Reportedly Working on Secret Code for Locked Chats on Web Client WhatsApp Web will soon get support for secret codes for locked chats, according to details shared by a feature tracker. While users can already lock specific chats on WhatsApp for iOS and Android that are hidden behind a secret code, the same functionality is expected to arrive on WhatsApp Web in the future.

Apple Set to Face Over $500 Million Fine After EU Finds It Broke Rules to Silence Spotify, Other Rivals Apple will face a European Union fine close to EUR 500 million ($539 million or roughly Rs. 4,475 crore) over the regulator’s investigation into allegations it silenced music-streaming rivals, including Spotify Technology SA, on its platforms. 

RBI Not Planning Harsher Rules to Curb Fintech Sector After Paytm Strictures, Official Says The Reserve Bank of India does not plan to impose drastic measures on India's fintech sector after the recent action against Paytm Payments Bank, according to P Vasudevan, an executive director in charge of enforcement at the central bank. Paytm has been in the crosshairs of the regulator for some time, with multiple warnings over the past two years.

Paytm Shifts Nodal Account to Axis Bank, RBI Extends Unit Wind-Down Date to March 15 Paytm Payments Bank has been granted additional time by the RBI to wind down its operations in the country, the central bank announced on Friday. Customers won't be able to add fresh funds to their Paytm Payments Bank accounts after March 15 Meanwhile, parent firm One97 Communications has signed on a new banking partner to try to survive the ongoing crisis by keeping ...

Google, Meta, OpenAI and More Firms Sign Tech Accord to Fight AI Election Interference Globally Twenty tech firms including OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, Meta, Adobe, TikTok, and X announced on Friday they have agreed to work together to prevent deceptive AI content from interfering with elections across the globe this year. The accord was signed at the Munich Security Conference.

Google’s Duet AI Features Testing on Gmail, Docs and Drive Expands to More Users: Report Google’s Duet AI has started making an appearance for users who have enrolled into the Workspace Labs program. Duet AI was first unveiled by the tech giant during the Google I/O 2023, and since then it has been in a closed testing phase. Now, Google has started wider testing of the feature and the AI side panel has begun emerging in Gmail, Google Docs, Google Drive...

GTA 6 May Not Release by March 2025, Take-Two Revenue Forecast Suggests Take-Two Interactive Software forecast fourth-quarter bookings below market expectations and cut its annual estimates on Thursday, on signs of weak demand for its gaming titles such as NBA 2K, sending its shares plunging 10 percent after the bell.

Google’s Duet AI Features Testing on Gmail, Docs and Drive Expands to More Users: Report Google’s Duet AI has started making an appearance for users who have enrolled into the Workspace Labs program. Duet AI was first unveiled by the tech giant during the Google I/O 2023, and since then it has been in a closed testing phase. Now, Google has started wider testing of the feature and the AI side panel has begun emerging in Gmail, Google Docs, Google Drive...

Google’s Duet AI Features Testing on Gmail, Docs and Drive Expands to More Users: Report Google’s Duet AI has started making an appearance for users who have enrolled into the Workspace Labs program. Duet AI was first unveiled by the tech giant during the Google I/O 2023, and since then it has been in a closed testing phase. Now, Google has started wider testing of the feature and the AI side panel has begun emerging in Gmail, Google Docs, Google Drive...

OpenAI Tests a New Memory Feature for ChatGPT to Let the AI Remember Past Conversations OpenAI is testing a new memory feature for ChatGPT to help make conversations seamless and hassle-free. The feature will allow the artificial intelligence (AI)--powered chatbot to retain pieces of information beyond a specific conversation. The company says that users will have full control over what ChatGPT remembers and what it does not.

Apple’s Longest-Serving Designer Bart Andre Said to Depart Company, Adding to Exodus Apple's longest-serving designer, Bart Andre, is said to depart the company. Andre was one of the last remaining designers from the Jony Ive era and helped create the aesthetic for Apple products released over the past three decades. His exit marks the near-complete turnover of the team that was once headed by Ive.

Google Takes Steps to Curb Gmail Spam, Updates Email Sender Guidelines for Bulk Senders Google has updated its Email Sender Guidelines, taking a strict step to reduce spam for Gmail users. Starting February, Gmail now requires bulk senders to authenticate their accounts to avoid getting error messages on sent emails, and eventually having them rejected. As per the updated guidelines, a bulk sender is someone who sends more than 5,000 emails to personal G...

Apple iMessage, Microsoft Edge and Bing Dodge EU’s Big Tech Crackdown Apple and Microsoft have managed to dodge strict new European Union rules reining in Big Tech platforms for iMessage and Bing, respectively. Both firms would have been obliged to adapt their services to meet a swathe of new obligations and prohibitions in the EU.

Paytm Crisis: Non-Bank Lenders Said to Explore Options for Loan Disbursal Amid the ongoing Paytm crisis, Indian non-bank lenders are looking at options other than the beleaguered firm for loan disbursal. These lenders are said to be worried about the regulatory crisis engulfing Paytm that has led to a temporary halt of lending services.

Google One Surpasses 100 Million Subscribers Right After Announcement of Gemini Advanced Plan Google One has surpassed the milestone of 100 million subscribers. The announcement came on February 9, a day after the company unveiled the Gemini Advanced subscription plan, which was bundled with Google One. As per CEO Sundar Pichai, the AI Premium plan brings Gemini’s capabilities to Gmail, Docs, and other services.

One in Four Adults Plans to Use AI to Write Valentine’s Day Love Letters: Study McAfee conducted a survey which revealed that one in four surveyed adults plan to use generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools to write a love letter for their partner or potential love interest on Valentine’s Day. Interestingly, the study also found that more than two-thirds of the adults could not differentiate between a love letter written by AI and one writ...

Microsoft Announces Windows 11 24H2 Feature Update; Release Set for Second Half of This Year Microsoft has officially announced that it will launch Windows 11 24H2 during the second half of 2024 as the annual feature update for the operating system. The latest announcement suggests that the company has no plans to launch Windows 12 this year.

UPI Services Roll Out in Sri Lanka, Mauritius: Details India's Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services were on Monday rolled out in Sri Lanka and Mauritius, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi describing it as linking historic ties with modern digital technology.

Google One Surpasses 100 Million Subscribers Right After Announcement of Gemini Advanced Plan Google One has surpassed the milestone of 100 million subscribers. The announcement came on February 9, a day after the company unveiled the Gemini Advanced subscription plan, which was bundled with Google One. As per CEO Sundar Pichai, the AI Premium plan brings Gemini’s capabilities to Gmail, Docs, and other services.

WhatsApp Now Allows Users to Block Spam Directly From Lock Screen: Here Are Steps to Enable Feature WhatsApp, the popular messaging platform owned by Meta, has rolled out a new feature allowing users to block spam directly from their lock screens. Spam messages have been a persistent issue for messaging platforms like WhatsApp. With this move, the company aims to enhance user privacy and security while fostering a more seamless messaging experience.

WhatsApp Now Allows Users to Block Spam Directly From Lock Screen: Here Are Steps to Enable Feature WhatsApp, the popular messaging platform owned by Meta, has rolled out a new feature allowing users to block spam directly from their lock screens. Spam messages have been a persistent issue for messaging platforms like WhatsApp. With this move, the company aims to enhance user privacy and security while fostering a more seamless messaging experience.

WhatsApp to Introduce 'Third Party Chats' Support to Comply With EU's DMA Regulations WhatsApp is working on support for chat interoperability in order to comply with the EU's Digital Marketing Act (DMA) regulations. As part of the new third party chat support that is coming soon, WhatsApp users will soon be able to send and receive messages from users on third-party chat platforms. Here's everything you need to know about how chat interoperability wil...

EPFO to Halt Claims Made via Paytm Payments Bank Following RBI Restrictions The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has issued an order asking officers to refrain from accepting claims linked with accounts in Paytm Payments Bank. The move comes after the RBI recently directed Paytm Payments Bank to stop accepting new deposits in its accounts or digital wallets from March.

GTA 6 May Not Release by March 2025, Take-Two Revenue Forecast Suggests Take-Two Interactive Software forecast fourth-quarter bookings below market expectations and cut its annual estimates on Thursday, on signs of weak demand for its gaming titles such as NBA 2K, sending its shares plunging 10 percent after the bell.

Government Said to Seek an End to WTO’s 1998 Tariff Freeze on Digital Trade The government is said to be planning to push the World Trade Organization to lift a moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions. Such a move by the WTO would allow tariffs to be imposed on anything from software downloads to video games.

WhatsApp to Introduce 'Third Party Chats' Support to Comply With EU's DMA Regulations WhatsApp is working on support for chat interoperability in order to comply with the EU's Digital Marketing Act (DMA) regulations. As part of the new third party chat support that is coming soon, WhatsApp users will soon be able to send and receive messages from users on third-party chat platforms. Here's everything you need to know about how chat interoperability wil...

Tecno to Unveil Dynamic 1 Robot Dog, AR Gaming Set at MWC 2024 Alongside Pova 6 Pro 5G Tecno has confirmed the devices and technologies it will show off at the MWC this year. The company will showcase an AR gaming set with AR glasses and a robot dog at the MWC. Tecno will also unveil a new Pova series smartphone at the event. It will also showcase its Universal Tone technology and an improved version of the rollable concept phone.

Apple Opens Applications for Swift Student Challenge 2024: Know Dates, Eligibility, Rewards Apple is now inviting applications for its annual Swift Student Challenge. The competition is meant for students and aspiring developers and allows them to showcase their coding skills and creativity through its app playgrounds. Every year, the Cupertino-based tech giant picks 350 winners among the participants, and they are recognised by the company. This year 50 out...

Tata Neu Preparing to Use Magicpin's ONDC Integration to Enter Food Delivery Fray: Report Tata Neu is reportedly planning on entering the food delivery sector. The 'super app' launched by the Indian conglomerate in 2022 is relying on the government-backed ONDC network using technology developed by Gurgaon-based startup Magicpin, according to a report that cites unnamed sources.

Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma Said to Be in Talks With RBI Over Regulatory Concerns Paytm Chief Executive Vijay Shekhar Sharma met the Indian central bank on Monday to discuss plans to address regulatory concerns, two sources with direct knowledge of the talks said on Tuesday, days after the regulator imposed curbs on its banking affiliate.

YouTube Makes Quick U-Turn, Plans to Launch Official Apple Vision Pro App: Report YouTube is reportedly planning to launch an official app for the Apple Vision Pro headset, according to the company. Last month, YouTube said it wouldn't allow users to access the iPad version of its video streaming app on the Vision Pro, but now the company said that it is working on adding support for a native visionOS app.

Google Maps Brings a New Generative AI Feature to Improve Discovery Google Maps is introducing a new way to discover places with generative AI. The new feature will use large language models (LLMs) to analyse more than 250 million locations on Google Maps and contributions from over 300 million contributors to pull up suggestions based on users' specific needs. The generative AI tools in Google Maps will be rolling out this week to se...

Jio AirFiber Introduces New Add-On Data Plans in India: See Price, Offers Jio has introduced two new AirFiber plans in India. Both are add-on plans which can be used over existing plans. One Rs. 401 Data Booster Pack was already available. Now the company has launched Rs. 101 and Rs. 251 Data Booster Packs. These additional plans are particularly helpful for users who have sizable data usage.

Apple's iPhone Sales Target Billions Below Wall Street Expectations as China Business Suffers Apple on Thursday forecast a drop in iPhone sales and targeted overall revenue $6 billion (roughly Rs. 49,714 crore) below Wall Street expectations as its China business took a hit. This overshadowed overall fiscal first-quarter sales and profit that beat analysts' targets, powered by iPhone growth, sending Apple shares down 3 percent in after-hours trade.

Threads App Sees Rise in Downloads, Competitor X Falls in Top Downloaded Apps List: Report Threads was launched by Meta's Instagram in July 2023. Within the first five days of its launch, the application saw 100 million registered users. However, the platform struggled to retain regular users on the text-based app after the initial rush. Threads appear to be gaining its footing back in the game as it saw an increase in the number of new downloads, while com...