Category: Biz Tech

Meta’s plan to expand artificial intelligence across private messaging on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp has triggered a wave of privacy concerns, as users, civil society groups and regulators question how conversational data will be used and protected under the company’s 2026 policy framework. The update, disclosed as part of Meta’s broader AI roadmap, allows automated systems to analyse interactions in private chats to refine content recommendations and advertising profiles, intensifying scrutiny of the company’s data practices.The policy signals a deeper

Abu Dhabi has unveiled a new Arabic-first artificial intelligence model that researchers say redefines how large language systems can understand, generate and reason in the Arabic language at scale. Technology Innovation Institute, the applied research arm of the Advanced Technology Research Council, announced Falcon-H1 Arabic as the latest addition to its Falcon family of large language models, positioning it as the most capable open Arabic AI model developed to date.Falcon-H1 Arabic has been trained from the ground up to handle

Smart speakers made by Apple, Amazon and Google are facing renewed scrutiny after accusations that the devices can listen to radio broadcasts in homes and use elements of that audio to refine advertising profiles and digital services, raising questions about consent, transparency and the limits of data collection inside private spaces.The allegations centre on claims that smart speakers equipped with always-on microphones are capable of detecting audio signals from traditional FM or digital radio stations played nearby, analysing patterns such

Las Vegas will set the tone for the semiconductor year as leading chip designers prepare to unveil new processors at CES 2026, highlighting advanced manufacturing nodes and intensifying competition across PCs, data centres and artificial intelligence. Market expectations centre on launches from Advanced Micro Devices, NVIDIA and others that rely heavily on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to deliver 3-nanometre and refined 5-nanometre silicon, while Intel plans an official debut of its next-generation Core Ultra platform, codenamed Panther Lake, built on

Saal. ai and Nutanix have unveiled SovereignGPT at a launch event in Abu Dhabi, positioning the platform as a government-grade artificial intelligence system designed to meet stringent data sovereignty and security demands while retaining the performance expected of mission-critical deployments. The announcement places Abu Dhabi at the centre of a growing push by governments and regulated industries to localise advanced AI capabilities without ceding control over sensitive data.The system is built on the Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure platform, combining virtualised compute,

Docker is changing how macOS applications are built, tested and deployed, as containerisation gains ground among developers working on Apple hardware. The shift is being driven by the need for consistent development environments, faster performance on Apple silicon machines and smoother collaboration across distributed teams, according to developers and industry analysts tracking software tooling trends.Containerisation allows applications to run in isolated environments that package code with its dependencies, eliminating many of the inconsistencies that arise when software is built on

Nvidia is stepping up output of its H200 artificial intelligence processors as demand from technology firms operating in China intensifies, reflecting a wider global race to secure advanced computing power for large-scale AI models. People familiar with the company’s manufacturing plans say production schedules have been tightened and supply allocations adjusted to prioritise customers seeking alternatives to restricted top-tier chips.The H200, built on Nvidia’s Hopper architecture and paired with high-bandwidth memory, has become a focal point for companies developing generative

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman has publicly acknowledged the expanding impact of artificial intelligence on mental health and cybersecurity, signalling a shift in how one of the world’s most influential AI developers frames the social risks of its technology. The remarks came alongside an announcement that OpenAI is seeking a Head of Preparedness, a role designed to anticipate and mitigate potential harms as AI systems grow more capable and widely deployed.Altman said the new position would sit at the intersection

Apple has opened 2026 by broadening its Fitness+ service with new multi-week training programmes, goal-based challenges and music-driven workouts, a move aimed at keeping users engaged beyond the early-year surge in health resolutions that often fades by February.The update, rolled out globally this month, adds structured plans lasting between two and six weeks, allowing subscribers to follow curated routines that blend strength, core, HIIT, yoga and mindful cooldowns. Apple said the changes are designed to provide continuity and motivation rather

Footage of a Tesla humanoid robot losing balance and falling during a controlled demonstration has reignited debate over the pace and credibility of Elon Musk’s ambitions in robotics, exposing the gap between promised timelines and the realities of building general-purpose machines that can operate safely among people.The incident occurred during a late-2025 demonstration of Optimus, Tesla’s bipedal robot unveiled as a future cornerstone of the company’s growth beyond electric vehicles. Video clips circulated widely on social media after the robot

Brookfield Asset Management is preparing to launch a cloud computing business called Radiant that will lease artificial intelligence chips directly to developers, underpinned by a newly formed $10 billion AI fund as part of its broader strategy to build an integrated AI infrastructure platform. Radiant’s model aims to control key inputs in the AI value chain from land and power to compute, offering an alternative to conventional cloud giants that could reshape how businesses access high-performance computing resources.Brookfield’s move places

Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella has called for a recalibration of how the technology sector talks about artificial intelligence, arguing that the industry should move beyond what he describes as “AI slop” and focus instead on a rigorous theory of the mind that reflects how people actually think, decide and create when equipped with powerful digital tools. His remarks, delivered during a wide-ranging discussion on the future of computing, signal a growing unease among senior executives about inflated expectations and

Samsung is preparing a significant overhaul of its Bixby voice assistant by integrating technology from Perplexity AI, a move aimed at strengthening on-device intelligence across the Galaxy S26 smartphone range scheduled for 2026. The partnership reflects Samsung’s push to reposition Bixby as a practical, search-driven assistant capable of delivering clearer answers and tighter control over handset functions, as competition in mobile artificial intelligence intensifies.People familiar with the development say the revamped Bixby will draw on Perplexity’s real-time search and summarisation

 Careto, the elusive cyber espionage group also known as “The Mask”, has resurfaced after nearly a decade of silence, deploying a new generation of attack techniques that signal a marked evolution in its operational capability and strategic intent. The renewed activity, disclosed by cybersecurity researchers during an international security conference in October, marks the first confirmed evidence of Careto-linked operations since early 2014, when the group abruptly vanished from the threat landscape.The re-emergence has drawn attention across the global cybersecurity

 Tuba, an artificial intelligence-driven healthcare benefit management platform, has been accepted into NVIDIA Inception, a global programme designed to support technology start-ups developing advanced AI solutions. The move places Tuba among a curated group of early-stage companies working with high-performance computing, data science and machine learning tools to scale products in complex sectors such as healthcare, finance and advanced manufacturing.The company’s entry into the programme signals growing investor and industry interest in AI-led approaches to managing healthcare benefits, an area

Security researchers have demonstrated how widely deployed service robots can be commandeered without physical contact, raising concerns about safety, surveillance and supply-chain exposure as robots spread across factories, warehouses and public spaces. The findings were showcased at a major hacking conference in Shanghai, where white-hat teams revealed that certain commercial robots could be hijacked through low-cost attacks using voice commands or short-range wireless links.At the event, researchers showed how vulnerabilities in control software and communications stacks allow attackers to issue

Infleqtion has secured a $2 million contract from the United States Army to develop artificial intelligence systems that can navigate and make decisions in environments where communications are degraded, denied or entirely unavailable, underscoring the military’s accelerating interest in edge-based AI for future operations.The award focuses on advancing autonomous navigation and sensing technologies that can function without constant access to cloud computing or satellite links. For the Army, such capabilities are increasingly viewed as critical as potential conflicts are expected

CachyOS is moving beyond its reputation as a desktop-focused Arch-based Linux distribution by outlining plans for a hardened server image aimed at improving performance, security and operational stability in production environments. The initiative, confirmed by the project’s developers in community briefings and development notes, signals an effort to position CachyOS as a credible option for administrators seeking finely tuned Linux systems without extensive manual optimisation.Known primarily for aggressive performance tuning on consumer hardware, CachyOS has built a following among users

PeerTube, the decentralised video-sharing platform positioned as an open-source alternative to YouTube, has rolled out a set of updates aimed squarely at creators, signalling a strategic push to make the network more attractive to professional and semi-professional video producers who have grown uneasy with the economics and governance of large, centralised platforms.The most significant change is the introduction of “Creator Mode”, a feature set designed to simplify channel management, improve audience engagement and give uploaders greater control over how their

Google is preparing a possible reversal of one of its most debated Android interface decisions, with beta indicators suggesting that separate Wi-Fi and mobile data toggles could reappear in Quick Settings after being merged three years ago. The change, still under development, signals a renewed focus on usability following sustained feedback from users and developers who argued that the combined control added friction to everyday connectivity tasks.The controversy dates back to Android 12, when Google consolidated Wi-Fi and mobile data

Schaeffler Group has moved to strengthen Europe’s position in humanoid robotics by unveiling what it describes as a production-ready universal actuator designed to be deployed across multiple robot joints, a step the company says could narrow the scale and cost advantages held by Chinese manufacturers.The Frankfurt-based industrial and automotive supplier plans to present the new planetary gear actuator at CES 2026 in Las Vegas early next year, positioning it as a standardised building block for humanoid robots. The component is

Proton VPN has moved into third position in TechRadar’s global VPN rankings, overtaking ExpressVPN and marking a notable shift in a market where privacy assurances and corporate ethics are becoming decisive factors for users. The change places the Switzerland-based provider behind only NordVPN and Surfshark in one of the most closely watched consumer technology comparisons, signalling how competition among virtual private network services is increasingly shaped by transparency, performance, and trust rather than aggressive marketing alone.The ranking reflects sustained scrutiny

SK hynix has secured a significant validation for its enterprise memory portfolio after completing Intel’s Data Center Certified process for a 256GB DDR5 RDIMM designed for the Xeon 6 server platform, marking a first for a module built on 32-gigabit die technology. The certification positions the South Korean chipmaker at the forefront of high-capacity memory deployment for data centres facing sharp increases in workload density driven by artificial intelligence, cloud computing and advanced analytics.The newly certified registered dual in-line memory

A federal appeals court in the United States has breathed new life into a class-action lawsuit accusing Apple of running the App Store as an unlawful monopoly, a ruling that sharpens pressure on one of the world’s most valuable companies and adds momentum to antitrust scrutiny facing Big Tech across several jurisdictions.The Ninth U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court decision that had dismissed the case, allowing app developers and consumers to pursue claims that Apple’s control

Red Hat has acquired Chatterbox Labs, a specialist in artificial intelligence safety and security tooling, aiming to embed advanced risk-testing and guardrails into its enterprise AI platform to help organisations deploy trustworthy, production-grade AI at scale. The deal, announced this month by the hybrid cloud and open source software provider, expands Red Hat’s AI portfolio, which now includes bespoke safety capabilities designed to address vulnerabilities inherent in large language models and other AI systems.The acquisition brings model-agnostic security testing

Two former employees of cybersecurity firms have pleaded guilty in a United States federal court to criminal charges after admitting they secretly carried out ransomware attacks against companies they were supposed to help protect, a case that has sent shockwaves through the cyber-security industry and reignited concerns about insider threats.Prosecutors said the defendants used their technical knowledge and access to professional tools to identify vulnerabilities in corporate networks, deploy malicious software and then demand payments running into millions of dollars.

Dubai has built its reputation as one of the most business-friendly cities in the Middle East. With a strong regulatory framework, world-class infrastructure, and a steady influx of international professionals, the emirate continues to attract entrepreneurs, executives, and investors from around the globe.In such a dynamic environment, efficiency is not a luxury—it is a necessity. Business travelers arriving in Dubai often face tight schedules, multiple meetings across districts, and limited time to manage logistics. Transportation, therefore, becomes a strategic consideration

Cisco has said that a sophisticated group of China-linked hackers is actively exploiting a previously unknown vulnerability to breach the networks of its customers, raising concerns across governments and large enterprises that rely on the company’s equipment for critical communications and data traffic.The company disclosed that the attackers have been using a zero-day flaw to gain unauthorised access to affected systems before patches were available, allowing them to move laterally inside networks, exfiltrate data and establish long-term persistence. Cisco said

Adobe has unveiled a significant expansion of its Firefly artificial intelligence platform, adding text-based video editing tools, camera controls and 4K upscaling as part of a broader push to embed generative AI more deeply into professional creative workflows. The update positions Firefly as a central layer across Adobe’s video and design ecosystem, with the company arguing that the new features reduce technical friction while keeping creators in control of final output.The headline addition is prompt-driven video editing, which allows users

Mozilla Corporation has appointed long-time Firefox executive Anthony Enzor-DeMeo as its chief executive officer, placing him at the helm of the organisation as it seeks to chart a new path in an increasingly AI-driven digital environment. The leadership change comes as the company aims to reinforce its mission of privacy and trust while pursuing artificial intelligence integration within its flagship Firefox browser and beyond, signalling a strategic shift in priorities at one of the most enduring names in open-source software.

Google has replaced the long-standing magnifying glass icon in parts of its search interface with a “+” symbol, marking a visible step in the company’s push to centre artificial intelligence tools within its core product. The new icon acts as a gateway to AI-powered features that allow users to upload images, documents and other files directly into search, broadening how queries are framed and answered.The change is being rolled out gradually across web and mobile experiences, according to people familiar

Advanced Micro Devices has reshaped its standing in the global semiconductor industry under chief executive Lisa Su, evolving from a company once associated mainly with cyclical PC demand into a diversified supplier central to the artificial intelligence build-out now reshaping data centres, cloud computing and high-performance workloads.AMD’s market capitalisation has hovered around the $200bn mark during 2024 and 2025, reflecting investor confidence that the company can carve out a durable position in AI computing alongside far larger rivals. That valuation

A coordinated cyber campaign using artificial intelligence to disguise malicious code is targeting researchers, developers and security professionals by exploiting trust in GitHub repositories, raising concerns about the resilience of open-source supply chains relied upon across academia and industry.Security analysts have identified a network of polished repositories seeded with a previously undocumented backdoor, dubbed PyStoreRAT, which is being distributed through reactivated GitHub accounts that had lain dormant for years. The attackers are not relying on brute-force techniques or obvious malware

Linux developers have introduced NTFSPlus, a new in-kernel driver designed to address long-standing problems with NTFS support on Linux systems, an issue that has affected desktop users, system administrators and enterprise environments that rely on Windows-formatted storage. The project represents a ground-up reworking of the ageing NTFS driver that has been part of the Linux kernel for many years but has struggled to keep pace with modern requirements.NTFS, or New Technology File System, remains the default filesystem for Windows and