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WhatsApp has introduced audio and video calling directly on WhatsApp Web, requiring no app download. Users can now make calls from a browser, including group chats. WhatsApp said the feature is useful for professionals on corporate devices. The update also lets users move active calls between devices without hanging up.
A New York school district paused plans to trial a humanoid robot named Sally in high school classrooms this week. The robot has lifelike skin and uses natural conversation to answer student questions. Officials stopped the project due to concerns about student privacy, data storage, and tracking of information.
On Wednesday, Russia's Federal Security Service accused Telegram founder Pavel Durov of aiding terrorist activities. The agency said it was adding his name to international wanted lists. Durov, who often says he is a champion of free speech, responded by posting an image of himself on his official account.
Sony confirmed three free games for PlayStation Plus subscribers in August 2026, all going live on August 4. The lineup features Dying Light 2, Big Walk, and Signalis. Players also get a Marvel Tokon cosmetic pack starting August 6. You can add these titles to your library until August 31.
Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma said India needs more AI champions to reach the masses. Speaking at the 22nd J.R.D. Tata Memorial Lecture, he urged firms to invest in future technologies. "We need many more AI champions and champions which will bring the technology to the grassroots and masses," he said.
Big Tech companies like Meta, Microsoft, and Alphabet face pressure as investors question their massive AI spending. These firms expect to spend over $700 billion on AI this year. While Microsoft shows progress, Meta saw free cash flow fall 91% recently. Investors now want to see real profits from these investments.
Google Pay launched "Ask Google Pay," a Gemini-powered AI feature for personalised spending insights and financial education. It supports text and voice in 10 Indian languages. The tool helps users track expenses, understand SIPs, and learn about taxes. Google said the feature keeps user financial data under their own control.
Google reassigned most original AlphaFold authors to its Gemini AI project over the last year. DeepMind moved many researchers to focus on large language models and other scientific goals. While the team changed, the massive protein database remains open. Key researchers like John Jumper recently left to join Anthropic instead.
South Korean women digital detectives are fighting a rise in illegal AI-generated pornography. Last year, the group pulled down 318,000 videos and photos for 10,600 people. Kim Mi-soon said, "South Korea acted faster than others because not only digital sex crimes became common earlier than elsewhere, but also women spoke out."
Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed the ninth World AI Conference in Shanghai this month, pitching Chinese models as a global public good. While America sells closed-source models, China releases open-weight versions. Mr. Xi said AI "should not be a solo performance by a single country but a symphony of international cooperation."
US military leaders may ban cell phones for troops in the Middle East to stop Iran from tracking American bases. A July 28 letter from Admiral Cooper warned that online videos help Tehran target soldiers. Many troops use phones to message family, but security concerns now make a crackdown likely.
Samsung Electronics reported second quarter results on Thursday, July 30, where its operating profit surpassed analyst expectations. The company saw operating profit rise 1,814% year-on-year, driven by strong AI server demand. Despite these record earnings, the stock got sharp swings between gains and losses following a broader market sell-off.