Category: Biz Tech

Gmail is being overhauled to place artificial intelligence directly inside everyday email workflows, with Google removing the standalone Gemini side panel for subscribers to its AI Pro and AI Ultra tiers and replacing it with in-line assistance embedded across core actions. The change marks a decisive shift away from a separate chat-style interface towards contextual AI that appears where users write, read, search and organise messages. At the centre of the update is a redesign that weaves Gemini-powered features into Gmail’s

Pressure is mounting on Apple and Google after a group of United States senators urged the companies to remove the X and Grok apps from their app stores, citing what they described as disturbing failures in content safeguards that allowed the generation and amplification of harmful material. The appeal intensifies scrutiny of how major technology platforms police artificial intelligence tools distributed through mobile marketplaces that reach hundreds of millions of users. In letters sent to Apple and Google, the senators argued

UGREEN has moved deeper into the artificial intelligence race for consumer storage with the unveiling of its NASync iDX 6011 and iDX 6011 Pro at CES 2026, positioning the devices as a rethink of how people search for and manage personal and small-business data. Rather than relying on folder structures, filenames or rigid metadata, the new network-attached storage systems introduce an AI-driven search layer designed to surface files based on vague memories, contextual ideas or spoken requests. The iDX 6011 series

Apple has lost a senior Safari designer to an AI-focused rival, adding momentum to a broader shift of top product talent towards startups building generative tools for the web. Marco Triverio, a lead designer on Safari, has joined The Browser Company, the New York–based firm behind Arc, to work on its AI-powered browser Dia, according to people familiar with the matter. The hire comes as competition in the browser market intensifies around artificial intelligence features that promise to change how users

  Discord has taken a decisive step towards becoming a publicly traded company, confidentially filing paperwork for an initial public offering that could come as early as March and valuing the platform at about $15 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. The move places one of the world’s most influential online communities at the centre of a tentative revival in technology listings after a prolonged lull. Founded in 2015, Discord has grown into a sprawling digital ecosystem with about 200

Google is developing a “try before you buy” option for paid games on the Play Store, a shift that would allow users to sample full versions before committing to a purchase. The feature, surfaced through analysis of unreleased Play Store code, points to time-limited trials that preserve progress, giving players a realistic sense of gameplay, performance and value before payment. Details embedded in the code indicate that trials would not be restricted to demos or cut-down experiences. Instead, users would access

Fireblocks has agreed to acquire crypto accounting and compliance specialist TRES Finance in a transaction valued at about $130 million, a move that brings together one of the industry’s largest digital-asset infrastructure providers with a fast-growing financial intelligence platform serving institutional investors. The deal, confirmed by people familiar with the matter, folds TRES Finance’s reporting and compliance tools into Fireblocks’ custody, settlement and tokenisation stack as competition intensifies for banks, asset managers and regulated intermediaries entering digital assets. Founded in 2018,

Hundreds of thousands of people using popular artificial-intelligence chat tools had private conversations silently harvested after installing seemingly harmless Google Chrome extensions, according to a security disclosure that has triggered takedowns and a broader review of extension safety. Researchers at OX Security said the add-ons were designed to blend into everyday browsing by offering productivity features while covertly extracting content from web pages where users interacted with AI services, including ChatGPT and DeepSeek. The firm estimates that as many as 900,000

TDK has unveiled STRIDE, a low-power, real-time positioning software platform aimed at wearables and connected IoT devices, marking a push to strengthen its presence in software-defined sensing alongside its established sensor hardware business. The launch positions the Tokyo-based electronics group to compete more directly in applications where accurate location tracking must operate continuously on constrained batteries, such as smartwatches, fitness bands, asset tags and industrial monitoring devices. STRIDE is designed to fuse data from multiple motion and environmental sensors to deliver

Google has extended its partnership with Xreal, elevating the China-founded augmented reality specialist to lead hardware collaborator for Android XR as the two companies work towards launching consumer AR glasses in 2026. The move signals a sharper push by Google to translate its advances in artificial intelligence and spatial computing into a mass-market wearable, while positioning Xreal at the centre of a growing Android-based ecosystem. The alliance centres on the development of lightweight AR eyewear, including a reference design known as

Integrity is often spoken of as though it were universal: one definition, one standard, one moral yardstick by which trust is measured everywhere. In reality, integrity is deeply shaped by culture. What one society considers faithfulness, another may experience as rigidity. What one views as flexibility, another may interpret as unreliability. These differences are not signs of moral deficiency; they are reflections of distinct histories, social structures, and understandings of honour. Few contrasts reveal this more clearly than the difference between

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