Category: Biz Tech

Moscow’s Federal Security Service has opened a criminal investigation into Telegram founder and chief executive Pavel Durov, accusing him of aiding and abetting terrorist activities linked to widespread content on the messaging platform and alleging refusal to cooperate with law enforcement. State-affiliated media in Moscow published material this week stating that the investigation falls under Russia’s criminal code provisions on assistance to terrorism, a charge that carries severe penalties under domestic law. The move marks a significant intensification of pressure

WhatsApp is testing a scheduled messages feature in its iOS beta, allowing users to choose a specific date and time for a message to be delivered automatically, a move that reflects a deeper shift in how the platform is positioning itself for more structured, business-oriented communication.The feature, spotted in the iOS beta distributed through Apple’s TestFlight programme, enables users to draft a message and set it to be sent at a later time without relying on third-party automation tools. While

Google has unveiled a major advancement in its Gemini artificial intelligence assistant that allows the software to autonomously handle multi-step operations on Android devices, enabling users to command the AI to book rides, order food and manage other everyday tasks without manual execution. The new capability positions Gemini not just as a conversational helper but as an active agent capable of executing instructions across multiple apps in sequence, a shift that could reshape the way people interact with mobile devices

Nvidia delivered record quarterly and annual revenue, beating Wall Street expectations and pushing back against claims that the artificial intelligence boom is overheating.The Silicon Valley chip designer said revenue for the fourth quarter of its fiscal year ended 26 January 2025 rose to $39.3 billion, up sharply from a year earlier and above market forecasts. Full-year revenue reached $130.5 billion, more than doubling on the previous fiscal year, as demand for its data centre processors continued to outstrip supply.Net income

Amazon has unveiled a sweeping overhaul of Alexa, introducing selectable personality modes that allow users to tailor the assistant’s tone, humour and conversational style, marking one of the company’s most ambitious attempts to reposition its voice platform in the generative AI era.The update, rolled out as part of a broader AI upgrade to Alexa across Echo devices and select Fire TV products, enables users to choose from different conversational personas designed to feel more natural and emotionally responsive. Executives say

Microsoft has warned that threat actors are exploiting seemingly legitimate Next. js repositories to compromise software developers, embedding staged backdoors inside projects that mimic technical assessments and open-source tools.Security researchers at Microsoft said the campaign targets developers who routinely clone public repositories for evaluation, collaboration or recruitment exercises. The attackers publish projects that appear credible, often styled as coding challenges or portfolio pieces, and rely on standard development workflows in Visual Studio Code and Node. js to trigger malicious activity.

Meta Platforms is redirecting its Horizon Worlds platform towards smartphones, marking a decisive pivot away from its earlier emphasis on Quest virtual reality headsets as the primary gateway to its metaverse ambitions.The company has indicated that development efforts for Horizon Worlds will centre almost entirely on mobile devices, reflecting a broader reassessment of how users access immersive social experiences. Executives have acknowledged that while virtual reality remains integral to long-term plans, scale and engagement are more readily achieved through the

Meta Platforms has struck a landmark long-term agreement with Advanced Micro Devices to buy tens of billions of dollars’ worth of AI processors and data-centre hardware over the next five years, a deal that could exceed $100 billion and reshape the competitive landscape for artificial-intelligence infrastructure. This multiyear pact will see Meta deploy up to six gigawatts of AMD-based computing capacity, starting with initial shipments in the second half of 2026, underlining the company’s strategy to diversify its chip supply and

Nordic data centre operator atNorth has confirmed plans to develop a 300MW high-density colocation campus in Sollefteå Municipality, Sweden, marking one of the largest artificial intelligence-focused infrastructure projects announced in the region. The facility, to be built at the Hamre Industrial Park, is scheduled to begin operations in the first half of 2028.Company executives said the campus is designed to meet accelerating demand for AI and high-performance computing workloads, particularly from hyperscale cloud providers and enterprises training large language models.

Microsoft has acknowledged a significant flaw in its Microsoft 365 Copilot AI assistant that allowed the system to process and summarise emails labelled as confidential, bypassing established data protection controls. The issue, tracked internally as CW1226324, emerged from a coding defect in the Copilot “Work” tab that inadvertently pulled content from users’ Sent Items and Drafts folders — even when those messages carried sensitivity labels and were protected by data loss prevention policies designed to prevent such access.The glitch

 Anthropic’s Claude Code, an AI-driven coding agent that autonomously reads, writes and executes software instructions from a user’s terminal or browser interface, is accelerating change across the software development industry and unsettling traditional players in legacy computing and cybersecurity. The tool, which has transitioned from research preview to widespread adoption in developer communities, now integrates security scanning and parallel agent workflows that can handle complex development tasks previously requiring substantial human effort. This leap towards autonomous code generation and execution

Kyndryl has unveiled a Cyber Defense Operations Center in Bengaluru, bringing its network and security operations under a single command structure as enterprises confront an escalation in AI-enabled cyber attacks.The new facility, described by the company as a Cyber Defense Operations Center, is designed to integrate traditional network monitoring with advanced threat detection, incident response and resilience planning. Executives said the unified model is intended to reduce response times, eliminate operational silos and give clients a consolidated view of risk

North Korean state-backed hackers are exploiting global technology recruitment channels to plant malware, siphon intellectual property and generate covert revenue, according to multiple cyber security investigations tracking activity since 2022. The operations combine fake IT worker identities with booby-trapped job interviews, turning routine hiring processes into attack vectors aimed at software developers and technology firms.Security analysts say the campaigns form part of a broader strategy by Pyongyang to circumvent international sanctions by earning foreign currency and stealing proprietary code. Investigators

More than a thousand malicious plug-ins capable of siphoning cryptocurrency wallet data and sensitive credentials have been identified on OpenClaw’s ClawHub platform, raising fresh concerns over the security of decentralised software marketplaces and the speed at which harmful code can spread through developer ecosystems.Security researchers examining ClawHub said they had flagged 1,184 so-called “skills” that appeared designed to harvest SSH keys, private wallet information and other authentication data from unsuspecting users. The findings point to a coordinated effort to exploit

A sophisticated cyber-espionage group known as Silver Fox has launched a fresh wave of targeted attacks against organisations in Taiwan, deploying advanced techniques designed to evade detection and disable security controls while delivering a remote access trojan known as Winos 4.0, also referred to by researchers as ValleyRat.Cyber security analysts tracking the activity say the campaign combines DLL sideloading with a method called Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver, or BYOVD, enabling attackers to load legitimate but flawed drivers to undermine

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have intercepted what they describe as organised, terrorist-linked cyberattacks aimed at government systems and critical national infrastructure, preventing attempts to disrupt essential digital services and infiltrate strategic networks.The UAE Cybersecurity Council said coordinated operations targeted state entities and vital sectors through ransomware deployment, phishing campaigns and network intrusion efforts. Officials characterised the incidents as part of a broader attempt to undermine digital stability and erode public confidence in national institutions. Swift countermeasures and collaboration

Advantest Corporation, a leading supplier of semiconductor testing equipment, has disclosed that a ransomware attack has disrupted parts of its internal network, prompting containment measures and raising concerns across the global chip supply chain.The Tokyo-listed company said it detected unauthorised access to its systems on 15 February Japan Standard Time and swiftly moved to isolate affected servers. Several internal systems were taken offline as a precaution while forensic investigations were launched. Advantest has not publicly detailed the scale of data

Apple is preparing to equip the iPhone with a more visually intelligent assistant as it integrates a new artificial intelligence model, known as Ferret-UI, into the software foundation of iOS 18. The development marks a shift in how Siri may interpret and respond to what appears on a user’s screen, enabling more precise app navigation, icon recognition and contextual understanding.The Ferret-UI model, introduced through Apple’s machine learning research division, is designed to comprehend graphical user interfaces rather than relying solely

DeepSeek has expanded the context capacity of its flagship large language model by a factor of ten and pushed its knowledge cut-off forward to May 2025, sharpening competition in China’s fast-moving artificial intelligence sector as rival Zhipu introduced a new model aimed at enterprise and developer markets.The Hangzhou-based company said the upgrade enables users to process far longer documents and multi-step prompts in a single session, addressing a key limitation in earlier generations of large language models. The extension of

PayPal has disclosed a cybersecurity incident that left sensitive customer information accessible for almost six months, attributing the breach to a software error within its PayPal Working Capital loan application system. The payments company has begun notifying a limited number of affected users, warning that personally identifiable information linked to business loan applications may have been exposed online between late last year and mid-year.The company said the flaw emerged in its PayPal Working Capital, or PPWC, platform, which provides financing

Three engineers working in Silicon Valley have been indicted in the United States on allegations of conspiring to steal sensitive chip design trade secrets from Google and other technology companies, in a case that federal prosecutors say underscores mounting insider threats to the semiconductor industry.The US Department of Justice announced that Samaneh Ghandali, 41, and her husband Mohammadjavad Khosravi, also known as Mohammad Khosravi, along with a third engineer based in Northern California, were arrested following a grand jury indictment.

Noise cancellation was once considered a premium feature, typically chosen after other aspects were already established. However, it has now become an essential component of daily audio consumption, providing users with greater control over background noise and enhancing focus in various environments. Noise-cancelling headphones and earbuds are purposefully designed to integrate seamlessly into one’s routine, minimising distractions and streamlining the listening experience.In this evolving landscape, boAt has distinguished itself as a key player by making noise-cancelling audio technology accessible and

Mayo Clinic Platform is positioning the Gulf as a proving ground for a new generation of data-driven healthcare, with its chief operating officer Maneesh Goyal outlining plans to expand the organisation’s digital ecosystem and deploy two flagship offerings, Orchestrate and Insights, across the region.Speaking on the sidelines of World Health Expo Dubai 2026, Goyal said the future of medicine will be shaped less by individual hospitals and more by interoperable platforms that connect providers, researchers and technology companies. He described

Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence firm Origen has raised $50 million from Bluefive Capital, marking one of the larger disclosed growth investments in the emirate’s emerging AI ecosystem and signalling fresh momentum for technology ventures anchored in the Gulf.The funding, confirmed by both companies, will be directed towards expanding Origen’s operations, deepening research and development capabilities, and accelerating commercial deployments across the Middle East and other target markets. Executives described the capital injection as a strategic partnership rather than a purely

OpenClaw, a widely used open-source autonomous AI assistant, has pushed out version 2026.2.17 with expanded capabilities that include support for Anthropic’s latest Claude Sonnet 4.6 model and enhancements across messaging platforms and automation workflows. The update, made available by lead developer Peter Steinberger on February 17, 2026, was designed to address user demand for broader model integration and improved context handling, but it arrives as the software grapples with intensifying scrutiny over critical security vulnerabilities and malware targeting its ecosystem.

 An Iraqi-Emirati consortium is advancing plans for a $700 million subsea and terrestrial data cable connecting the United Arab Emirates to Turkey through Iraq, signalling intensifying competition among Gulf states to dominate regional digital infrastructure.One of the project’s backers confirmed that the system would run from the UAE across Iraqi territory before linking into Turkey’s networks, providing a new high-capacity route between the Gulf and Europe. The proposal emerges days after a Saudi-backed fibre-optic initiative was unveiled in Syria, underscoring

Apple has rolled out a new feature in its latest iOS developer beta that allows users to generate customised Apple Music playlists using a simple text prompt, marking a deeper push into artificial intelligence-driven music curation.Called Playlist Playground within the beta software, the tool enables subscribers to type short descriptions such as “upbeat electronic for a late-night drive” or “soft acoustic tracks for Sunday morning” and receive an automatically generated playlist tailored to that request. The feature builds on Apple’s

Krea, a San Francisco-based technology startup, has locked in a total of $83 million in funding aimed at building a unified generative AI platform for designers, artists and creative teams grappling with a fragmented ecosystem of AI tools. The venture round, which includes a $47 million Series B led by Bain Capital Ventures, now values the company at about $500 million and underscores growing investor confidence in tools that simplify AI-assisted workflows.The startup’s platform brings together over 2,500 generative

Automattic has introduced an expansive artificial intelligence assistant for WordPress. com, enabling users to edit text, generate images and reshape site designs through conversational prompts, marking a decisive turn in how websites are created and maintained.The new assistant, embedded directly within the WordPress. com interface, allows publishers and businesses to instruct the platform in plain language to draft blog posts, refine copy, adjust layouts, alter colour palettes and produce graphics. Company executives describe the rollout as a foundational shift rather

WordPress. com has unveiled a powerful artificial intelligence assistant that allows users to build, edit and redesign websites simply by issuing natural language commands, a move that could redefine how millions of sites are created and managed on the platform.The new feature, integrated directly into WordPress. com’s site editor and Media Library, enables users to adjust a site’s layout, alter styling, generate and edit images, translate text and refine content without writing code. By lowering the technical barriers traditionally

Microsoft has completed the global rollout of a new AI Workflows feature within the Teams Workflows app that uses Microsoft 365 Copilot to help users automate complex tasks and daily operations, marking a significant advance in intelligent productivity tools for organisations worldwide. Users with Microsoft 365 Copilot licences can now access preset workflow templates that harness scheduled Copilot prompts to handle repetitive actions like project summaries, data monitoring, report generation and task reminders without manual intervention. This automation arrives amid

Mozilla has issued an emergency update to its Firefox browser to address a critical heap buffer overflow vulnerability in the libvpx video codec library, urging users and organisations to apply the patch without delay. The fix, delivered through version 147.0.4 of Firefox and corresponding patches for the Extended Support Release branches, closes a flaw tracked as CVE-2026-2447 that could be exploited without user interaction on vulnerable builds of the browser and related products.The vulnerability resides in the libvpx

ByteDance is said to be in advanced negotiations to sell Shanghai-based game developer Moonton Technology — the studio behind Mobile Legends: Bang Bang — to the Saudi-backed Savvy Games Group in a transaction valued at between $6 billion and $7 billion, with talks progressing toward a possible deal this quarter. Both parties have reportedly agreed on broad commercial terms, marking a significant shift in ByteDance’s strategy and a major acquisition push for Savvy.Moonton, founded in 2014 and headquartered in

Anthropic has enabled its Claude artificial intelligence system to edit files directly within software development environments, marking a significant escalation in the race to build autonomous coding agents capable of handling complex engineering tasks with limited human intervention.The capability allows Claude to read, modify and write code across structured repositories, moving beyond code suggestions in chat windows to targeted alterations inside live projects. Developers can grant the model scoped permissions to adjust specific files, generate patches and refactor segments of