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Apple has now reported its fiscal first-quarter earnings, exceeding analysis estimates. The company’s total revenue for the quarter rose 4% year-over-year to an all-time high of $124.3 billion, surpassing the estimated $124.12Bn, while its net income clocked a growth of 7.1% to amount to $36.33 billion for the period, compared to $33.92 billion a year ago. Its diluted earnings per share amounted to $2.40 per share, compared to $33.92 billion, or $2.28 per share, in the same period last year, while its gross margin for the quarter was a record 46.9%. The company’s financials for the period was largely driven by strong growth in its services, Mac, and iPad divisions, despite challenges in iPhone sales and declining performance in China. Revenue from iPhones – Apple’s flagship smartphone lineup and the company’s largest business segment – missed projections, falling slightly by 1% to $69.14 billion. It seems that sales of the iPhone 16, released last September and the latest addition to...

DeepSeek, the low cost Chinese alternative to US-based AI models, is now facing its first ban after making headlines worldwide recently. Italian data protection authority ‘Garante’, has reportedly blocked the two-year-old Hangzhou-based startup DeepSeek ‘s artificial intelligence model. According to a report by Reuters , the ban means that users can no longer access the DeepSeek app on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in the country since Wednesday (January 29). Regulators are citing concerns over users’ data security, as they reportedly did not find enough information about how the company is using personal data. Therefore, the regulator has requested detailed information and clarity regarding these concerns. DeepSeek has been given 20 days to respond. However, users in Italy who have already downloaded the app are still able to use it without any issues. Additionally, there is no effect on app downloads and usage in other European Union countries and the UK. In the meant...

Netflix is rolling out a much-awaited feature for iOS users. The immensely popular OTT platform, has now allowed users to download all episodes of a series season with one click. The feature has already been available for Android users, but going forward, iPhone and iPad users will also have access to it. Called ‘Season Download,’ the new feature will be located next to the share button in the app interface. To check if you have this feature on your iPhone or iPad, users should first update the app to the latest available version. The prominent rival of Prime Video first introduced the season download feature in 2021 for Android devices only, but it has now expanded accessibility to Apple’s iPhone and iPad app versions as well. Interestingly, all Netflix original series and most licensed content – including The Night Agent and XO Kitty Season 2 – are available for download for offline viewing. To use this feature, users will see a ‘Season Download’ button on a show’s display page (...

SoftBank, which has been committing billions in US investments around data centres and AI, is now aggressively pushing into another related and trending sector – robotics. SoftBank Group Corp. is reportedly in advanced talks to invest a significant amount in Pittsburgh-headquartered Skild AI. According to a report by Bloomberg, the Japanese investment powerhouse may lead a $500Mn fundraise for the AI robotics startup. The report further suggests Skild AI touching a $4Bn valuation in this fundraise. This development becomes even more significant considering the company was founded just two years ago, in 2023. However, there has been no official comment from SoftBank or Skild AI regarding the development. Skild AI is known for building a general-purpose AI model for robots that is robust and adapts to unseen scenarios without failure. The company is primarily developing software that enables robots to perform increasingly complex tasks and adapt to new tasks without needing pre-prog...

Moving towards its aim of becoming an everything app, microblogging platform X has announced a partnership with digital payments network Visa. This association will help X to launch its digital payment service, X Money. Under this plan, the Elon Musk-owned company primarily aims to provide a ‘digital wallet’ and ‘peer-to-peer payments’ within the X app. X CEO, Linda Yaccarino, announced that X Money will be launched later this year. Meanwhile, Visa has officially become the first partner for this upcoming service. Once launched, X Money will offer an instant bank account transfer option that links to Visa debit cards. Users will also be able to load money into X Money’s wallet. The company will use Visa Direct, a solution for real-time money transfers. They can also transfer money back to their bank accounts. Venmo, Block’s Cash App, and Zelle are considered prominent rivals for the upcoming X Money service in the US. “Visa Direct will make it possible for U.S. X Money account user...

DeepSeek, the Chinese startup app that topped the free downloads chart on iPhones in the US, and has single handedly created havoc among US tech stocks, has now temporarily halted new user sign-ups for its AI assistant platform. The company officially confirmed the move, citing recent cyberattacks as the main reason. “Due to large-scale malicious attacks on DeepSeek’s services, we are temporarily limiting registrations to ensure continued service. Existing users can log in as usual. Thank you for your understanding and support,” the company stated on its support page. While major global AI companies are still struggling to enter the Chinese market, this China-based AI startup has consistently made headlines worldwide after releasing its open-source R1 model last week. Founded in 2023, DeepSeek has recently emerged as a notable player with its open-source model, DeepSeek-R1. However, the company was hit by a cyberattack just hours after its AI Assistant app surpassed ChatGPT in term...

Meta, the social media giant, has now added a memory feature to its AI assistant, popularly known as ‘Meta AI.’ With this new update, the AI assistant will be able to remember ‘important/specific details’ regarding users’ preferences and provide a more personalized experience in the future using the saved information. Meta informs that it began rolling out this new update in the last week of 2024. This feature enables Meta AI to remember certain details that users share with it during one-on-one chats on WhatsApp and Messenger. The San Francisco-headquartered social media powerhouse clarifies that Meta AI will only store specific information that users share with it during one-on-one conversations. The AI assistant will not “store” or “remember” details from group chat conversations. To avoid any privacy-related concerns, the company is also giving users the option to delete the information from Meta AI at any time. “You can tell Meta AI to remember certain things about you (like th...

Apple has just announced that 68% of all iPhones have iOS 18 (its latest mobile operating system) installed. The iPhone maker released a new report showing the adoption rate of its latest versions of operating systems, including iOS 18 and iPadOS 18. The Cupertino-headquartered company reveals that around 53% of all iPads are running iPadOS 18. Interestingly, since the public release in September 2024 , Apple has shared iOS 18-related insights for the first time. Apple informed that iOS 18 is installed on approximately 76% of iPhones introduced in the last 4 years. This latest iteration of Apple’s mobile operating system – iOS 18 – is packed with various new features, including enhanced customization options for icons and home screen layout, a redesigned Control Center, and the ability to add or change controls on the Lock Screen. In October 2024, Apple released iOS 18.1 with the first set of ‘Apple Intelligence’ features. Then, in December 2024, Apple rolled out the latest softwa...

Advertisements will soon make an appearance in Threads, the X-alternative app that social media giant Meta had launched one-and-a-half years ago. The parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram revealed the development in an official blog post. According to what we know so far, the initial rollout will involve a limited test with select brands in the US and Japan, so that Meta can assess the platform’s suitability for running ads. This decision marks the first time that ads will appear on Threads, which means that the company now intends to monetize the app, which has so far been ad-free. If the test is successful, then it would give Meta another avenue to further diversify its revenue streams. The concerning thing is that in order to deliver relevant ads to users, Meta will use various data points, including user activity on Threads and Instagram, interactions with posts, and even email addresses and browsing behavior outside of Meta’s platforms. “To help people deepen con...

On what would be an obvious next for the fast growing AI space, OpenAI has now released an artificial intelligence (AI) agent capable of performing various tasks autonomously on behalf of users, on its own browser. Called ‘Operator’, OpenAI’s latest AI agent can carry out tasks such as navigating websites, typing, and clicking buttons using the internet. For example, this AI agent can fill out forms, book flights, plan grocery orders, and even complete user purchases. An AI agent is a program that uses artificial intelligence to analyze data, make decisions, and perform tasks to achieve specific goals. According to the company, the ‘Operator’ is based on a new model called Computer-Using Agent (CUA), trained to interact with graphical user interfaces (GUIs)—the buttons, menus, and text fields people see on a screen. Speaking of details, the Operator mainly uses the combined capabilities of GPT-4’s vision features and advanced reasoning through reinforcement learning. However, the C...

San Francisco headquartered Perplexity AI has launched its Android-based assistant to compete against existing players like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Apple’s Siri, Google Assistant, and Amazon’s Alexa. Backed by Nvidia and Jeff Bezos, the AI startup began the rollout on Thursday (January 23). This new AI agent, named ‘Perplexity Assistant,’ is specially designed for Android devices. It is capable of performing several tasks independently and can even take multi-step actions on behalf of its user. This AI multimodal can write an email, set a reminder, play an old YouTube video, translate Shakespeare, and even book dinner reservations for users. According to the company, a user can ask the assistant to “get me a ride.” Once it learns where the user wants to go, the assistant automatically opens Uber (or another app) and books a ride accordingly. We are excited to launch the Perplexity Assistant to all Android users. This marks the transition for Perplexity from an answer engine to a natively...

India could soon play host to the largest data centre in the world, dwarfing the largest one by Microsoft that currently exists. Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries, according to a Bloomberg report , could set up the aforementioned data centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat. The data centre, once up and running, will provide the infrastructure necessary to support a wide range of AI applications, with Ambani planning aggressive pricing for AI services. In pursuit of this goal, Reliance has reportedly begun to buy AI semiconductors from chipmaking giant Nvidia, including the company’s Blackwell AI processors. Both companies have collaborated several times over the past months – in September 2024, the two teamed up to develop AI supercomputers and LLMs. The Indian government is supportive of these developments as well – it has, so far, pledged over Rs 10,000 crore to fund startups, AI projects, and development of LLMs. “It makes complete sense that India should manufacture its own AI. You sho...

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has ordered the suspension of the five-year data sharing ban between WhatsApp and other Meta apps in India. Earlier, in November 2024, India’s antitrust authority – the Competition Commission of India (CCI) had imposed a ban on data sharing between WhatsApp and Meta’s other platforms for advertising purposes. At that time, the CCI also slapped a fine of $25.4 million (~ ₹213 Cr) on Meta over WhatsApp’s 2021 privacy policy update. However, as soon as the CCI verdict came regarding the data sharing ban, Meta filed an appeal with the NCLT requesting to quash the Competition Commission of India’s November directive. The company argues that the data-sharing ban will negatively impact its advertisement business in the country. In its appeal in front of the tribunal, WhatsApp boldly highlights that if the data sharing ban between WhatsApp and its other platforms (Facebook and Instagram) is enforced, the company may have to disable or pau...

Having felt like an eternity, Truecaller has now finally introduced a long-awaited update for iPhone users: real-time caller identification. This feature, which has been a staple on the app’s Android platform for years, was previously unavailable on iOS. Now, leveraging Apple’s latest Live Caller ID Lookup framework, Truecaller has managed to bridge the gap, putting the iPhone version of Truecaller closer to parity with its Android counterpart. If you, like me, are an Android user, then you are familiar with Truecaller’s live caller ID feature, which enabled you to identify unknown callers on your devices. However, for iPhone users, the constraints of Apple’s operating system meant that this feature remained out of their reach. Instead, the app merely allowed users to search for numbers post-call, rendering it far less useful in real-time scenarios. So far, Android users make up the majority of Truecaller users (nearly 93%), leaving about 30 million iOS users of the caller ID and spa...

LinkedIn is in hot waters over a lawsuit by its own premium subscribers. The company is facing allegations of sharing personal data of customers with third parties to train large language models (LLMs) without their consent, according to a report by Reuters. In fact, premium customers allege that the Microsoft-owned company shares their private messages as well for the training purpose of AI models. This lawsuit was initiated in a federal court located in San Jose, California. It specifically represents LinkedIn Premium customers who had sent or received InMail messages. The ‘InMail’ feature allows direct communication between LinkedIn users and is often used for professional networking or outreach. The lawsuit focuses on instances of data sharing that occurred before September 18. The allegation becomes more significant since, as of January 2025, LinkedIn had over 175 million premium users across the globe. Citing the case filing, the report suggests that this lawsuit accuses the...

Streaming giant Netflix has now unveiled another round of subscription price increases, impacting plans in the US, Canada, Portugal, and Argentina. This announcement coincides with the company’s fourth-quarter 2024 earnings report, which reveals a solid growth in its subscriber base for the winter quarter. Starting with the next billing cycle, the ad-supported tier will rise from $6.99 to $7.99 per month, while the standard ad-free plan will jump from $15.49 to $17.99 per month. The premium plan, the highest-priced tier, will increase from $22.99 to $24.99 monthly. Netflix last raised its prices in October 2023, and this marks the first price hike for the ad-supported plan introduced in 2022. Despite the price increases, Netflix ended 2024 on a high note, adding 19 million subscribers in the last quarter alone — marking a record for the company and the most significant single-quarter increase in its history. This surge brings its total global subscriber count to over 300 million. Al...

US President Donald Trump began his first full day in office on January 21 with several executive orders being signed, though most may actually end up in legal disputes. One of the major highlights is a 2023 AI safety-related executive order introduced by Joe Biden, which has now been revoked by the new president, Donald Trump. Not surprising at all though, because in 2024, during the election campaign, the Republican Party promised to reverse the executive order, claiming that the order restricts progress and innovation in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). Notably, in October 2023, former President Joe Biden signed an executive order titled “Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence.” This was the first of its kind in the United States concerning AI regulation. The order advocated for comprehensive guidelines for developing and applying artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in the country. The Biden-era order required developers to t...

If you have been using Google Search on Chrome or Firefox, then you may have seen this message – “Turn on JavaScript to continue searching.” The message pops up if you keep JavaScript disabled in the browser and then try to use the search engine. Now, there is official information on the matter. Going forward, Google will now require JavaScript to be enabled for users to access and use its search engine, according to what Google confirmed to TechCrunch over an email. The main reasoning behind this development? Google says it is aiming to ‘better protect’ users as they access the world’s most popular search platform. According to a spokesperson for the tech behemoth, enabling JavaScript allows the company to protect its users and services better from various forms of cyberattacks, such as spam and bot-driven activities. These activities currently pose a risk to user data, as well as compromise the quality of search results. At least that is what Google claims to be aiming to prevent...

After getting a setback from the Supreme Court, ByteDance-owned TikTok is getting some relief from the newly elected US President Donald Trump. As has been indicated by him previously, Trump has signed an executive order on the first day of his office, postponing the potential ban on TikTok. Trump had earlier indicated in a TV interview d that he would ‘most likely’ grant TikTok a 75 day reprieve from a potential ban. The executive order reads, “I intend to consult with my advisors, including the heads of relevant departments and agencies on the national security concerns posed by TikTok, and to pursue a resolution that protects national security while saving a platform used by 170 million Americans”, effectively ensuring TikTok stays afloat in the US. Trump had already confirmed, before his swearing-in, that he will sign an executive order on Monday, delaying the ban. “I am asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark! I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period...

In a bid to become an everything app, Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) now seems to be trying to position itself as an alternative to TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. The micro-blogging platform has rolled out a new feature to enhance the video viewing experience within the app. As part of this, the company has added a whole new vertical video feed or tab for users in the United States. This feature might make its way to other countries as well. On the ‘Home’ page of the app’s interface, users can find this new dedicated vertical ‘Video’ tab at the bottom, in the middle of the ‘Grok’ and ‘Notification’ icons. To access this new dedicated video feed, users need to press the play button at the bottom of the screen. In this new feed, users will have a simplified way to access and discover videos just by swiping up and down. Until now, users have been able to view videos by tapping and scrolling through their timelines. you better not be making a dedicated video tab whe...

Zomato, the food delivery parent behind BlinkIt, District, Hyperpure and Zomato apps, reported its quarterly numbers for Q3 of FY 2024-25. And while overall numbers have largely increased across expected lines (barring QoQ EBITDA which was negative), the company stated it is still losing significant money on BlinkIt expansion. This comes as competition in the quick commerce space is heating up from all quarters, such as Zepto, Flipkart, Amazon and its listed food delivery peer, Swiggy. Talking about pure numbers, gross order value (GOV) for the entirety of its B2C apps grew 57% YoY (14% QoQ) to INR 20,206 crore cumulatively in Q3FY25. Of this, food delivery GOV grew 17% YoY (2% QoQ), Quick commerce GOV grew 120% YoY (27% QoQ), and Going-out GOV (District app) grew 191% YoY (35% QoQ). The District numbers obviously see an impact from Zomato’s acquisition of Paytm’s events and ticketing business. The company’s B2B business Hyperpure’s Revenue grew 95% YoY (13% QoQ). Zomato’s stock tr...

TikTok, the Chinese video-sharing platform, which had a dramatic battle over its US existence in the past few months, has now restored service to its US users following a temporary blackout. “In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service. We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive. It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States,” the ByteDance-owned TikTok announced in a post on X. For those who missed it, on Saturday evening, TikTok services had shut down in the US after the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act came into effect. If you were among the users who were trying to access TikTok, the...

In its bid to stay ahead in the AI tech race, OpenAI is now ready with its latest AI model, called ‘o3-mini.’ The company has finalized the first version of its latest reasoning AI model, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman confirmed the same in his X post. After testing by external safety researchers, the new model will be launched in a few weeks. Notably, in December 2024, the ChatGPT maker officially announced the development and testing of its advanced reasoning models – o3 and o3-mini . These models are mainly created to handle complex tasks from various domains, including science, mathematics, and coding. Of course, they can be considered a more powerful reasoning AI model than the existing one – ‘o1’. Now, as Altman confirms the finalization of the o3-mini model, it is expected to launch by the end of January, post which the larger o3 model will arrive. Previously, o1 reasoning AI models were released in September 2024. ‘o3’ (and not o2, due to strange trademark issues) is an obvious upgra...