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Showing posts from September, 2025

Nothing Secures $200M, Plans AI-Native Devices for 2026

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London-based phone maker Nothing is taking a bold leap into the future of consumer technology. On September 16 , the company announced it had raised $200 million in a Series C funding round , bringing its valuation to $1.3 billion . Alongside the funding, CEO Carl Pei revealed plans to launch the company’s first AI-native devices in 2026 . Nothing Bets on AI Future Building the Future of AI-Native Devices In a post on X , Pei shared his vision: “From building the only new smartphone company of the last decade, to creating an AI-native platform where hardware & software converge.” He hinted at a future where AI creates personalized operating systems for every user, describing it as “a billion different operating systems for a billion different people.” Pei believes consumer hardware must evolve with the mass adoption of AI, and the company’s upcoming devices aim to deliver intelligence that turns understanding into action . While he did not confirm the form factor, he teas...

Jaguar Land Rover Extends Cyberattack Production Halt Until September 24

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Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) , Britain’s largest carmaker and a subsidiary of India’s Tata Motors , has extended its production pause following a major cyberattack , pushing the shutdown at its UK plants to more than three weeks . JLR Extends Cyber Shutdown The company confirmed on Tuesday that its three British factories , which usually manufacture around 1,000 vehicles daily , will not resume operations until September 24 . The disruption began in early September , when JLR shut down its systems to contain the breach that has severely impacted both manufacturing and retail operations . Ongoing Investigation In a statement, JLR said: “We have taken this decision as our forensic investigation of the cyber incident continues, and as we consider the different stages of the controlled restart of our global operations, which will take time.” The carmaker has asked many of its 33,000 employees to stay at home as investigations continue. Supply Chain at Risk The prolonged outage has ra...

SRM Institute Wins UST’s GenCyS 2025 National Cybersecurity Challenge

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In a high-stakes battle of next-gen cyber talent , UST wrapped up the 2025 edition of its national cybersecurity challenge, GenCyS (Generation Cyberstars) , with SRM Institute of Science and Technology clinching the top spot. UST Crowns Cyber Champs The Capture the Flag (CTF) finale , hosted at UST’s campus in Thiruvananthapuram , brought together the top 50 shortlisted teams from an initial pool of more than 1,000 student and early-career professionals across India . SRM’s Winning Edge The three-member SRM team showcased exceptional skill across real-world problem domains— cryptography, reverse engineering, web security, network analysis, and IoT vulnerabilities . Their stellar performance earned them a ₹1.5 lakh cash prize and a conditional job offer from UST , highlighting the competition’s mission to spot and nurture India’s brightest cybersecurity minds . The second and third places went to Tata Consultancy Services and Poornima University , respectively. More Than Jus...

Morocco Ties Cybersecurity to Digital Sovereignty, Economic Growth at Regional Cyber Week

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At the opening of Regional Cyber Week in Rabat on Monday, Morocco’s Minister Delegate for National Defense Administration, Abdeltif Loudyi , underscored that cybersecurity is now inseparable from digital sovereignty and economic growth . Morocco Pushes Cyber Trust “ Investing in cybersecurity not only shields against risks but also drives tangible gains—improving the business climate, attracting investment, boosting consumption, and enhancing competitiveness, ” Loudyi said. He added that digital trust builds confidence among citizens and companies while enabling the shift toward a secure, sustainable digital economy. Morocco’s Digital Progress Loudyi highlighted Morocco’s “remarkable progress” in digital transformation in recent years, from expanded public digital services to upgraded digital infrastructure , making access easier for citizens and businesses while improving government efficiency. Cybersecurity as an Economic Necessity Echoing his remarks, Minister of Economy a...

TechD Cybersecurity IPO Subscribed 12.5x on Day 1, Backed by Vijay Kedia

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The initial public offering (IPO) of TechD Cybersecurity , backed by ace investor Vijay Kedia , witnessed a stellar response from investors on September 15 , the opening day of bidding. TechD Cyber IPO Soars 12.5x The issue was subscribed 12.52 times , with bids placed for 1.81 crore equity shares against the 14.45 lakh shares on offer, across 12,490 applications . IPO Details Offer size: 20.20 lakh shares (entirely fresh issue) Total proceeds: ₹38.99 crore Price band: ₹183 – ₹193 per share IPO window: September 15 – 17 Allotment finalization: September 18 Listing: NSE Emerge on September 22 The company had already raised ₹11.09 crore ahead of the IPO by allotting 5.74 lakh shares to three anchor investors: Nine Alps Opportunity Fund Vira Bharat Opportunities Fund North Star Opportunities Fund Utilization of Funds TechD Cybersecurity, based in Gujarat , plans to use the proceeds for: Investment in human resources Establishing a Globa...

Samsung Expands S25 Lineup With Affordable Galaxy S25 FE at ₹59,999

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Samsung has officially rounded off its Galaxy S25 lineup with the launch of the Galaxy S25 FE , the fifth and most affordable member of the family. Priced from ₹59,999 , the new Fan Edition (FE) device promises a flagship-like experience at a more accessible price point, slotting in beneath the Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, S25 Ultra, and the iPhone Air rival, the S25 Edge. Samsung Launches Galaxy S25 FE A Familiar Formula, Refined The FE series has always struck a balance between premium features and affordability , and the Galaxy S25 FE continues that tradition. While last year’s Galaxy S24 FE was a solid device with compromises—such as extra bulk and slightly lower performance—the new model refines the formula. Samsung has focused on polish over reinvention . Subtle upgrades like a slimmer frame, lighter weight, more efficient processor, larger battery, and faster charging make the S25 FE a more confident entry in the competitive mid-premium segment. Slimmer, Lighter, More Premium...

Microsoft to Auto-Install 365 Copilot App on Windows Devices Starting October 2025

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Microsoft is gearing up to make its AI-powered assistant more accessible. Starting October 2025 , the company will automatically install the Microsoft 365 Copilot app on Windows devices that already have Microsoft 365 desktop apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Microsoft 365 Copilot Auto-Install The rollout, which will be completed by mid-November , will apply to devices outside the European Economic Area (EEA) . What the Copilot App Does The Microsoft 365 Copilot app acts as a central hub for AI-powered features across Microsoft’s productivity suite. It integrates directly with apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Notebooks , while also providing access to Copilot agents designed to enhance workflow and boost productivity. According to Microsoft, the change is aimed at simplifying access: “This app provides a centralized entry point for accessing Copilot experiences and AI-powered capabilities across Microsoft 365. This change ensures users can easily discover and engag...

Qualcomm Unveils Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Ahead of 2025 Summit

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Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8-series chips have long powered the top-performing Android flagships , setting the standard for premium smartphones. But this year, the company’s latest naming strategy has sparked curiosity. Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Arrives In 2024, Qualcomm launched the Snapdragon 8 Elite , the successor to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Promising massive performance gains, the company introduced the “Elite” tag to highlight its most powerful SoC. Many expected its successor to be called the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 . However, just before the 2025 Snapdragon Summit , Qualcomm confirmed that the upcoming flagship chip will instead be known as the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 . Why “Gen 5”? On its official website, Qualcomm explained the decision, clarifying that the “Gen 5” label reflects the fifth generation of 8-series chips since the company introduced its simplified single-digit naming scheme in 2021. Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 debuted in November 2021 Since then, each new flagship chip ha...

AI Chatbots Exploited to Create Scam Emails Targeting Seniors, Reuters Finds

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Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries worldwide, but a new Reuters investigation with Harvard researcher Fred Heiding reveals how it can also fuel cybercrime. The study shows that some of the world’s most widely used AI chatbots can be manipulated into generating phishing emails aimed at elderly users . AI Chatbots Fuel Scam Emails The Experiment In mid-2025, researchers sent AI-generated scam emails to over 100 senior citizen volunteers in the U.S. . While no financial loss occurred, the findings were concerning: 11% of participants clicked on malicious links , suggesting that AI-written scams can be as convincing as human-crafted ones. One test involved Grok , Elon Musk’s xAI chatbot. Reporters asked it to draft an email about a fake charity called the “Silver Hearts Foundation.” Without further instruction, Grok not only created a persuasive message but added urgency: “Click now to act before it’s too late.” Why Seniors Are at Risk According to the FBI , phishing r...

Jaguar Land Rover Extends Production Halt After Cyberattack

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Tata-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) announced on Tuesday that it has extended its ongoing production pause until September 24, 2025 , following a major cybersecurity incident earlier this month. Cyberattack Halts JLR Plants In a statement, the luxury carmaker said: “Today we have informed colleagues, suppliers and partners that we have extended the current pause in our production until Wednesday 24th September 2025.” The company noted that forensic investigations are still underway and that a controlled restart of its global operations will take time. JLR apologized for the continued disruption, pledging to provide updates as the probe progresses. Impact on Customers and Dealers According to the BBC , UK repair garages have warned that Jaguar and Land Rover owners may face delays in receiving replacement parts, as the cyber incident disrupted supply chains. The timing has proved particularly problematic, coinciding with the release of new registration plates on September 1 , tr...

Deepfake IDs and AI-Powered Phishing: New Kimsuky Campaign Hits in July 2025

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In mid-July 2025, security teams detected a sophisticated spear-phishing campaign that combined generative AI deepfakes with old-school obfuscation to bypass traditional antivirus controls. Cybercriminals attributed to the Kimsuky group used AI-generated images of government ID cards embedded in phishing lures that tricked recipients into downloading malicious archives. AI Deepfake Phishing Threat The attacks impersonated military and security organizations and asked targets to “review” draft ID cards. When victims opened the attached archive, an elaborate multi-stage infection chain unfolded: a shortcut file invoked cmd.exe to create a long environment variable, then used character-slicing techniques to reconstruct obfuscated commands. Those commands fetched two payloads from South Korean command-and-control servers — a deepfake PNG created with generative AI and a batch script that executed immediately. Analysts found the campaign used a mix of AutoIt and PowerShell payloads. The...

China-Linked Mustang Panda Deploys New USB Worm and Updated Backdoor

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Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered fresh activity from the China-aligned threat group Mustang Panda , which is now deploying an upgraded version of its TONESHELL backdoor alongside a new USB worm dubbed SnakeDisk . Mustang Panda’s New Cyber Tools According to a recent analysis by IBM X-Force , SnakeDisk is engineered to run only on devices with Thailand-based IP addresses , where it delivers the Yokai backdoor to establish remote access. This discovery highlights the group’s evolving tactics and its growing focus on Southeast Asia. Updated TONESHELL Variants Originally documented in 2022, TONESHELL has been a staple in Mustang Panda’s campaigns across Myanmar, Australia, the Philippines, Japan, and Taiwan. The malware is typically spread through spear-phishing emails , often dropped alongside families like PUBLOAD , which also deliver shellcode payloads from remote command-and-control (C2) servers. IBM identified two new variants— TONESHELL8 and TONESHELL9 —capable of comm...

Samsung Rolls Out One UI 8 With Multimodal AI and Next-Gen Security

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Samsung Electronics has officially announced the rollout of One UI 8 , its latest software update designed to make Galaxy devices smarter, more secure, and more personalized. The update debuts with the Galaxy S25 series this week and will soon expand to the Galaxy S24 series, Galaxy Z Fold6, Z Flip6, S24 FE, and other eligible models later this year. Samsung has launched One UI 8 One UI 8 brings multimodal AI capabilities , enabling Galaxy devices to combine visual, auditory, and contextual intelligence for a seamless experience across smartphones, tablets, and foldables. The system now provides personalized, proactive suggestions while strengthening privacy with advanced security measures. Smarter Everyday Tools Now Bar : Tracks app activity and media progress in real time, now integrated with more third-party apps on the Galaxy Z Flip’s FlexWindow . Now Brief : Delivers daily updates on traffic, reminders, and Samsung Moments, plus personalized content recommendations and...

Google Faces Lawsuit Over AI Overviews Impacting Publishers

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Google is rapidly integrating artificial intelligence across its services , and Search has become one of its most ambitious testing grounds. The company’s AI Overviews feature—instant summaries that appear at the top of search results—has now sparked legal trouble . Google Faces Lawsuit Over AI Penske Media Corporation (PMC) , the parent company of Rolling Stone and The Hollywood Reporter , has filed a lawsuit alleging that Google’s AI summaries are diverting traffic and revenue away from publishers . According to the complaint, AI Overviews push source links further down the results page, meaning users are less likely to visit the original websites. Instead, readers get quick summaries written by Google’s AI, reducing incentives to click through. PMC claims this has led to declines in site traffic, advertising revenue, and affiliate earnings . The lawsuit also argues that publishers have little choice but to allow their content to feed into Google’s AI systems or risk being exclud...

OpenAI Study Reveals Top 3 Uses of ChatGPT

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ChatGPT remains one of the world’s most widely used AI chatbots , attracting hundreds of millions of users every week. While its coding and reasoning skills often grab headlines, a new large-scale study by OpenAI’s Economic Research team —conducted with Harvard economist David Deming—reveals that coding isn’t even among the top three reasons people use ChatGPT . ChatGPT The research, which analysed 1.5 million conversations in a privacy-preserving way, found that most interactions fall into three main categories: Asking, Doing, and Expressing . Asking (49%) – Nearly half of all messages are users seeking advice, clarifications, or answers to information queries. OpenAI says people value ChatGPT most as a digital advisor . Doing (40%) – A significant share of conversations involve task completion, such as drafting emails, preparing documents, planning, or programming. Writing tasks dominate this category, while coding accounts for only a small fraction. Expressing (11%) – ...

Meta Connect 2025: Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Leak Ahead of Event

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Meta is preparing to host its annual Connect 2025 conference on September 17–18 , where the company will unveil its latest AR, VR, and AI innovations . But ahead of the big event, Meta has accidentally leaked its next-generation Ray-Ban smart glasses in a YouTube video that quickly spread across social media before being taken down. Ray-Ban Smart Glasses The leaked clip revealed a built-in heads-up display (HUD) integrated directly into the glasses’ lenses—suggesting the ability to project maps, text snippets, and digital overlays in real time. The video also showed a wrist-worn accessory , likely designed for gesture or touch-based HUD control. A label marked “Display” on the frames further highlights this new feature as the centerpiece of the update. Interestingly, the leak also offered a glimpse of Oakley-branded smart glasses with a central camera, hinting that Meta may be expanding beyond its partnership with Ray-Ban. Meanwhile, Google is preparing to launch its own Android...

OpenAI Launches GPT-5-Codex: Smarter, Flexible AI for Coding

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OpenAI has unveiled a major upgrade to its coding assistant with the release of GPT-5-Codex , a new version of Codex built on GPT-5 . The model introduces a unique ability to decide how much time it should spend on solving coding problems—ranging from just seconds to as long as seven hours . This dynamic approach has already helped it score higher in coding benchmarks compared to earlier models. OpenAI Launches GPT-5-Codex The rollout is underway for ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business, Edu, and Enterprise users , with access also available through GitHub, IDEs, and the terminal. OpenAI says API support will follow soon. The launch comes as AI coding tools gain strong global momentum. Rivals like Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf have rapidly grown, while GitHub Copilot remains the market leader. Cursor recently surpassed $500 million in annual recurring revenue , and Windsurf was partly acquired by Google and Cognition after a fierce bidding war. Against this backdrop, GPT-5-Codex is seen...

Over 200 Google AI Contract Workers Laid Off Amid Growing Concerns

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 More than 200 contract workers supporting Google’s AI development have recently lost their jobs, according to Wired . The layoffs were carried out by GlobalLogic , an outsourcing firm that manages much of Google’s AI rating work. Google contract workers laid off These workers played a crucial role in refining Google’s Gemini chatbot and improving AI-generated summaries in Google Search . Their tasks—known as “AI rating”—involved checking chatbot responses for accuracy, clarity, and reliability. Many of these “super raters” had advanced degrees in fields like teaching, writing, and research. Despite their expertise, workers reported low pay, tight deadlines, and limited job security . Some allege their efforts were used to train AI models that could eventually automate their roles. Internal documents reviewed by Wired suggest GlobalLogic has been developing tools to replace parts of the raters’ work. The cuts also highlight rising labour unrest . Over the past year, contracto...

Apple iOS 26 Rolls Out with New Look, Battery Notice

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Apple has officially rolled out iOS 26 , marking one of the biggest updates in iPhone history. The highlight is the liquid glass theme , now available across all supported iPhones and iPads with iPadOS 26. iOS 26 Update & Battery But before you update, Apple has issued a caution regarding battery performance . In its updated support page on September 15, the company explained that users may notice a temporary dip in battery life right after installing iOS 26. This happens because the device runs background processes to complete setup. Apple reassures users that this is normal and not a permanent issue. Once the setup completes, battery performance should return to normal, ensuring a smooth software experience. Meanwhile, the upcoming iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air , launching on September 19, will ship with iOS 26 pre-installed.

Google’s Gemini “Nano Banana” AI Sparks Celebrity Selfie & Nostalgia Trends on Social Media

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Google’s Gemini-powered Nano Banana AI image generator is taking social media by storm, with users experimenting and pushing creative limits. From 3D figurines to vintage saree portraits, feeds are now flooded with innovative AI edits. But the latest viral craze is even more eye-catching: AI-generated selfies with celebrities. Google Gemini AI selfies & ‘Hug My Younger Self’ trend Celebrity Selfies Go AI The trend began gaining traction when Instagram user @_vinayshakya shared an AI-crafted selfie with none other than Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, set against the backdrop of London’s Big Ben. His caption revealed the simple prompt used: “App – Google Gemini. Prompt – Make this photo a selfie with Shahrukh Khan in London Big Ben.” The post quickly grabbed attention and sparked a wave of similar celebrity-inspired AI selfies across Instagram. Following this, Instagram creator @moms_littleworld22 joined the movement by posting her own AI selfie edit with Shah Rukh Khan. She even...