To make sure that Samsung stays far ahead of their competitors before launching the next generation Samsung Galaxy S26, Samsung Electronics on Friday unveiled details of the new Exynos 2600 application processor (AP). The Exynos 2600 AP is widely expected to power the upcoming flagship Galaxy S26 smartphone. Furthermore, the South Korean tech giant said in its website post that the Exynos 2600, boasting the industry's first 2-nanometre gate-all-around (GAA) production technology, is currently under "mass production" status, reports Yonhap news agency, as reported by news agency IANS. Application processors, also known as APs, are often described as the brains of mobile devices. The APs optimise the handling of the core computing tasks that run operating systems and applications. The company, while releasing the statement about their latest APs, wrote, "The Exynos 2600 delivers enhanced AI and gaming experiences by integrating a powerful CPU, NPU and GPU into a single compact chip," as per IANS. Compared with its predecessor, the Exynos 2500, the new 2600 AP boasts up to 39 per cent improved CPU capability and 113 per cent higher generative AI performance, according to Samsung. Samsung Electronics further added, "Thanks to these improvements, you can perform more on-device AI tasks, such as intelligent image editing and AI assistant functions, quicker and more efficiently," reported IANS. Samsung to launch S26 in February 2026 Amid all the buzz created around their next-generation smartphone, Samsung Electronics plans to hold a launch ceremony for the Galaxy S26 smartphone in February 2026 in the United States. Earlier this month, Samsung Electronics also hinted at a new Exynos application processor (AP) widely expected to power the upcoming flagship Galaxy S26 smartphone. Samsung also uploaded a clip titled "The next Exynos" on YouTube, featuring the Exynos 2600. While the Exynos is the company's proprietary mobile chipset, the latest generation AP could reshape the smartphone segment altogether. Furthermore, the industry sources said, “Samsung Electronics began commercial production of the Exynos 2600 last month, making it the first AP manufactured using the 2-nanometre process technology,” as per IANS. Compared with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, the new Exynos 2600 AP is expected to deliver a 30 per cent improvement in NPU performance and a 29 per cent gain in graphics processing capability. (With inputs from IANS)
19 December,2025 11:02 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTech giants OpenAI, Google and Perplexity, in view of stepping up for the competition in one of the world’s fastest-growing digital markets, have launched free access to their premium artificial intelligence tools in India. The move is aimed at rapidly expanding their user base in the country, where low data costs and a massive smartphone population are driving strong demand for AI-powered services, as reported by news agency IANS. Considering that India has become a key battleground for AI firms due to its large smartphone user base of around 730 million and some of the cheapest mobile data rates in the world, the companies eye a significant user acquisition. Indians consume 21GB of data every month Users in the country consume about 21 gigabytes of data every month, paying just 9.2 cents per gigabyte, making heavy usage of AI tools far more affordable than in many other countries. OpenAI has taken a similar route by making its ChatGPT Go plan free for one year in India. The plan, which allows higher usage than standard versions of ChatGPT, is usually paid for in over 100 countries and was earlier priced at $54 in India. The free offer, launched nationwide in November, is available only to Indian users. The smart move by OpenAI has surely helped the tech giant to take a massive lead in the AI sector. Also, the data from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower shows daily active users of ChatGPT in India surged 607 per cent year-on-year to 73 million as of last week, as reported by news agency IANS. Furthermore, this figure is more than double the number of daily users in the United States. India has now become the largest market by daily users for both chatbots. Perplexity Pro Plan is now free for users in India Perplexity has also stepped up its India push by offering its Pro plan, which costs USD 200 a year globally, free for one year to customers of Airtel. The company said that the Pro plan gives users unlimited access to its most advanced research tools. Following the offer, India now accounts for more than one-third of Perplexity’s global daily active users, up from just 7 per cent last year. User engagement data suggests ChatGPT currently leads in India. In November, about 46 per cent of its monthly users opened the app daily, compared with 20 per cent for Perplexity and 14 per cent for Gemini. (With inputs from IANS)
19 December,2025 01:58 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn 2025, mobile applications have moved beyond being mere digital tools to become intelligent companions, transforming the way users interact with technology. From planning vacations and finding a coffee spot to booking international tickets, nearly everything can now be done on a gadget. With AI integrated into apps, experiences have become highly personalised, efficient, and immersive. Social and content-driven platforms, meanwhile, have shifted focus from passive scrolling to authentic engagement and smarter interactions. Based on the habits of users who rely on AI-powered assistants to solve daily problems, we highlight some of the most interesting applications that you did not know existed. These highly underrated apps not only enhanced user experience but also contributed to a broader digital transformation, making everyday life simpler and more productive. NowYouKnow An app designed for modern explorers, NowYouKnow redefines how users discover the world, whether nearby or across the globe. The social-led travel and discovery platform offers a refreshing alternative to crowded review sites and impersonal algorithm-driven suggestions. Built on the belief that the best experiences come from people you trust, it displays recommendations from mutual contacts who have visited a place and shared authentic experiences. With no sponsored posts, the app ensures tourist suggestions remain genuine and unmanipulated. GuideGeek Planning a trip can be time-consuming, with multiple filters and preferences to consider. GuideGeek is an AI-integrated travel suggestion platform that creates the perfect itinerary based on users’ budgets and needs. Whether it’s a month-long vacation or a weekend getaway, the app provides tips and advice on where to go and when, making travel planning seamless—even while enjoying time with friends. Tiimo Named the Apple iPhone App of the Year, Tiimo is designed with inclusivity in mind. The app uses visual timelines, gentle reminders, and AI-powered assistance to help users structure tasks without feeling overwhelmed. Unlike traditional to-do list apps, Tiimo is ideal for individuals with ADHD, autism, or anyone seeking a calmer, more intuitive approach to productivity. Its visual time awareness system combines planning, flexible scheduling, and supportive reminders to help users manage daily life efficiently. CapCut Many hesitate to post Instagram reels due to complex video editing, but CapCut has made editing effortless. One of the most downloaded apps of 2025, it leverages AI to simplify short-form video creation. Features such as background removal, automatic captions, smart transitions, and beat syncing make video editing easy with just a click, catering to the explosive growth of social media content. Microsoft Co-Pilot Standing out in the productivity space, Microsoft Co-Pilot uses advanced generative AI to enhance user experience across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams. Designed to simplify everyday work, the app amplifies productivity by understanding users’ files, conversations, and workflows. Its context awareness delivers highly relevant suggestions in real time, making official tasks faster, smarter, and more efficient.
17 December,2025 04:36 PM IST | Mumbai | Tarun VermaMeta has introduced its latest AI-technology innovation in the form of smart sunglasses. The tech giant, in collaboration with Oakley, has launched its Meta-integrated eyewear, the ‘Oakley HSTN’. The launch marks a new shift in the wearable technology segment that could reshape the smart-wearable market. Marking a significant expansion of smart wearable technology in the country, the newly launched sunglasses — officially called Oakley Meta HSTN — come with a built-in camera, open-ear speakers and AI-driven features aimed at athletes and active users. The companies said the device represents the merging of Oakley’s sport-centric design with Meta’s advances in AI and spatial computing. Global President of Oakley, Caio Amato, speaking about the Oakley Meta glasses in India, said, “For 50 years, we’ve been pushing the boundaries of what is possible, obsessed with solving unsolved problems.” He added, “Together with Meta, we are setting new bounds of reality – it is not only about pushing forward performance, but also about amplifying human potential as never before. And this is just the first chapter of a new era for sports.” Features The Meta AI-integrated Oakley Meta sunglasses feature Ultra HD 3K video recording, allowing hands-free capture of moments through simple voice commands. Users can not only record videos and take pictures while wearing the sunglasses, but Meta’s AI integration also allows browsing through WhatsApp, Instagram and other applications using hand gestures. Battery and performance Designed for outdoor and fitness activities, the AI-integrated sunglasses come with an IPX4 water-resistance rating and open-ear speakers that let users listen to audio while maintaining environmental awareness. As a wearable accessory, the sunglasses offer a decent battery performance with up to eight hours of regular use, 19 hours on standby, and fast-charging support. The portable case provides an additional 48 hours of charge. Integrated with fitness applications such as Strava and Garmin, the device aims to streamline activity tracking. AI voice integration Meta and Oakley have integrated AI voice interactions with Hindi language support, allowing users to issue commands, take photos or videos, and manage calls and messages in Hindi. Price and availability The Oakley Meta HSTN is priced at Rs 41,800. Pre-orders began on November 25, and the sunglasses are now available across multiple retail stores.
17 December,2025 04:27 PM IST | Mumbai | Tarun VermaCloud data centre capacity in India has reached approximately 1,280 MW, largely serving critical sectors such as banking, power and other critical public infrastructure, and according to industry estimates, it will grow by four-five times by 2030, the Parliament was informed on Friday during the Parliament Winter Session. Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT Jitin Prasada, speaking about the expansion of data centres across the country, said, “The expansion of data centres in the country is being propelled by the growing digitalisation and rapid adoption of AI across both government and private sectors, accompanied by the increasing adoption of cloud services." Global technology companies are already investing significantly in India’s AI and data centre ecosystem, news agency IANS reported. Google has already announced a USD 15 billion AI Hub in Visakhapatnam, making it their largest investment in India. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is also setting up an USD 8.3 billion data centre in Maharashtra. Minister Jitin Prasada stated that India is building a secure, scalable and AI-ready cloud infrastructure to support digital governance, private sector collaboration and citizen empowerment while addressing the Upper House of the Parliament. He further asserted, “The growing demand for cloud services across government, private and social sectors is driven by the country’s digital transformation and increasing use of AI-enabled applications." To meet the cloud requirements of the government, a national cloud infrastructure has been established under the Digital India initiative. The “GI Cloud”, known as MeghRaj, provides secure, scalable and elastic cloud facilities for delivery of e-governance services. While highlighting the features of GI Cloud-MeghRaj, the minister further stated, “The salient features of the ‘GI Cloud-MeghRaj’ include elasticity, scalability, pay-per-use metering, self-service provisioning, rapid deployment of applications, on-demand service provisioning, etc." Jitin Prasada, further stated, “The National Data Centres deliver cloud services to government departments and are designed to safeguard the cloud services from potential threats by implementing a layered security framework comprising established practices and procedures.” (With inputs from IANS)
12 December,2025 08:43 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentApple Watch users in India will now have access to a groundbreaking hypertension notification feature designed to alert users if they have signs of chronic high blood pressure. Launched on December 4, Apple described this as a significant step in preventive health technology, particularly in a country where lifestyle-related diseases are on the rise. Hypertension is one of the leading causes of heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease, affecting nearly 1.3 billion adults worldwide. Despite its prevalence, it often goes undiagnosed due to a lack of symptoms or irregular medical check-ups. Even during clinical visits, a single blood pressure reading may fail to capture the condition accurately, and that is where the latest feature in the Apple Watch will come into play. The latest feature in the Apple Watch uses its optical heart sensor to analyse how a user’s blood vessels respond to each heartbeat. While running passively in the background, the algorithm reviews data over a 30-day period and notifies users if it identifies consistent indicators of hypertension. These alerts can prompt timely behavioural changes or medical intervention, potentially reducing the risk of long-term complications, making it a life-saving feature. Apple, while briefing about this life-saving feature on the Watch, also asserted that if users receive a hypertension notification, it is recommended that they log their blood pressure for seven days using a third-party blood pressure cuff and share the results with their doctor at their next visit. Apple, while emphasising this feature, also highlighted that, “Like all of Apple’s health features, hypertension notifications are grounded in rigorous scientific validation. The feature was developed with advanced machine learning and training data from multiple studies involving over 100,000 participants.” World Heart Federation’s president, Professor Dorairaj Prabhakaran, while highlighting this feature, said that “Hypertension is one of the most widespread yet under-diagnosed health conditions. Integrating opportunistic detection into a device people wear daily will democratise access for early detection and help people have more informed conversations with their doctors.” However, Apple further highlighted that the latest hypertension notifications will only be available on Apple Watch Series 9 and later and Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later. The tech giant also emphasised that this feature is not intended for use by people under 22 years old, those who have been previously diagnosed with hypertension, or during pregnancy.
09 December,2025 04:51 PM IST | Mumbai | Tarun VermaUsers worldwide were left grappling with widespread internet disruptions on Friday after Cloudflare — a range of internet services provider to thousands of websites — suffered yet another outage. The incident led to access issues in several major platforms, including Canva, and even Downdetector, the highly-used service to track outages. Several Indian websites and several services, as well as news websites, faced the disruption, too. This marks Cloudflare's second disruption in less than a month. A similar technical issue in November had temporarily knocked out a range of services, including Spotify, ChatGPT, and US President Donald Trump's Truth Social platform. To date, Cloudflare has not released an official statement providing details on the cause or extent of the most recent outage. The unexpected shutdown saw irate users throng social media platform X, with several hashtags about the outage trending within no time. Netizens expressed anger over repeated disruptions, highlighting how the service failures had impacted their work, business operations, and online activities. Adding to users' frustrations, even Downdetector — a platform on which people rely to confirm when there are outages — was hit, leaving many unsure of the extent of the disruption. As the rate of the outages has raised some questions, users are calling for fast action and more transparent communications from Cloudflare to avoid such situations in the future. Last month, Cloudflare witnessed a major global disruption due to an internal configuration mistake. Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince had denied cyberattack speculations. The outage disrupted several major platforms, including X, ChatGPT, Canva, Discord, and many other websites and apps around the world. In a post-mortem, Prince explained that the problem began when the company made a change to permissions on a ClickHouse database cluster. The update was meant to improve access to data, but a faulty query caused the system to pull in far more information than it should have. This error made a key “feature file” used by Cloudflare’s Bot Management system grow too large. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
05 December,2025 04:42 PM IST | New Delhi | IANSThe South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics introduced its first multi-folding smartphone on December 2. The new model is called the Galaxy Z TriFold. It unfolds into a 10-inch screen using three connected panels. The company said the final display is almost 25 per cent larger than the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Samsung has priced it at about $2440 (around Rs 2.2 lakh). The phone is manufactured in South Korea and will be released there on December 12. It will also reach China, Taiwan, Singapore, and the UAE later this year. A release in the US is planned for early next year, with other regions to follow. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
03 December,2025 08:19 AM IST | Seoul | AgenciesIndustry experts on Saturday welcomed the government’s latest move to notify rules under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA), 2023. This particular modification in the Data Prevention Act will formally help in operationalising India’s first dedicated personal-data protection regime, news agency IANS reported. The notification rolled out by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) stated, “Social media sites, online gateways, and any other organisations handling personal data are required to give users a detailed explanation of the information being gathered and to make it apparent how it will be used." Ivana Bartoletti, Chief Privacy and AI Governance Officer of Wipro, said, “There is no doubt that India has entered a new era of privacy. In the age of AI, trust is crucial. And because AI depends on large volumes of data, strong privacy protections must come first. This development marks an important step in strengthening India’s digital ecosystem and aligns closely with the country’s recent AI governance guidelines." According to IANS, the Chief Privacy and AI Governance Officer of Wipro further stated, “The new rules come with robust data governance -- anchored in clear responsibilities, defined structures, consent, and privacy by design.” “These will enable organisations to grow in a sustainable and accountable way as innovation accelerates and technology becomes ever more embedded in daily life,” Bartoletti added while hailing the DPDPA Act 2023. According to the regulations, users must have an easy way to revoke their consent or complain to the Data Protection Board (DPB) about infractions. Consent managers, which are organisations authorised to act on behalf of users, have 12 months to register with the DPB. However, the companies will have up to 18 months to fulfil the administrative compliance requirements, IANS reported. Apart from Ivana, one of the partners in TMT [Technology, Media and Telecommunications], Trilegal, Nikhil Narendran stated, “With the notification of the Rules and the Act, the government has finally put all uncertainty to rest." “India Inc. now has an 18-month runway to gear up for full compliance. For most organisations, it will be necessary to start with data mapping, redesigns of consent and notice flows, and training programmes to ensure compliance, with the help of lawyers, technologists, and privacy professionals. The real focus will also be on the constitution of the new Data Protection Authority and how this regulator interprets these rules, prioritises enforcement, and how early guidance shapes India’s digital industry,” Narendran added. Jaspreet Singh, Partner and Chief Revenue Officer, Grant Thornton Bharat, while highlighting that DPDPA Rules 2025 marks India’s transition from policy intent to operational accountability and privacy, emphasised, “Compliance under DPDPA is not a checklist; it's a culture of trust every organisation must now institutionalise. The DPDPA era demands boardroom fluency in privacy governance; executives will now be measured by controls they can evidence, not promises they make.” (With inputs from IANS)
15 November,2025 10:27 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentAmid the rising AI trends across the globe, India now leads the Asia-Pacific region in AI bot activity. A report on Wednesday said that India witnessed a 300 per cent increase in automated traffic globally over the past year. As reported by news agency IANS, AI bots generated 3.2 billion triggers in India, positioning the country as one of the most targeted in the APAC region. India is further followed by Japan and China, said the report from cybersecurity and cloud computing company Akamai Technologies. The report published by a cybersecurity firm revealed an alarming spike in automated traffic driven largely by AI-powered bots targeting websites across all industries. These bots generate billions of requests, significantly distorting digital operations and analytics, and make up nearly 1 per cent of total bot traffic on Akamai’s platform. The spike is primarily caused by content scraping, which undermines traditional web-based business models, publisher analytics, and ad revenue. While enlightening about the rising AI bot traffic, the report said, As bot traffic grows, publishers and other content-driven businesses are seeing corrupted analytics and collapsing ad revenues through bots extracting value without giving any in return. The report further revealed that “The rapid growth of AI-enabled tools has made it easier than ever for both experienced threat professionals and new malicious actors to launch impersonation attacks, conduct social engineering, distribute phishing campaigns, and commit identity fraud using AI-generated fake documents and images,” as cited by news agency IANS. In addition, malicious bots such as FraudGPT, WormGPT, ad fraud bots, and return fraud bots have been driving up the costs, degrading site performance, and skewing key metrics. According to global research, almost 25 billion bot queries were recorded during a two-month observation period. With the commerce sector leading the way in AI bot activity, the country observed a large inclination amid the AI bot activity. However, in the digital media sector, publishing was most affected, accounting for 63% of AI bot triggers. According to the report, scraping, mostly by search and training bots, accounts for over 90% of AI bot triggers in the healthcare industry. (With inputs from IANS)
05 November,2025 04:28 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentUnique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Friday said that it has embarked on a comprehensive strategic and technological review to shape the next decade of Aadhaar’s evolution through a new ‘Aadhaar Vision 2032’ framework, recognising the rapidly changing technological and regulatory landscape. According to the Ministry of Electronics and IT, this forward-looking roadmap will strengthen Aadhaar’s technological foundation, integrate emerging digital innovations, and ensure that India’s digital identity platform remains robust, inclusive, and future-ready. "UIDAI’s technology stack, which forms the backbone of Aadhaar services and works as a facilitator of our digital economy, is set for a major upgrade," the ministry said. To guide this ambitious transformation, UIDAI has constituted a high-level Expert Committee under the chairmanship of Neelkanth Mishra, Chairperson, UIDAI. The committee brings together eminent experts and leaders from academia, industry, and administration to provide strategic direction on strengthening Aadhaar’s innovation roadmap. The committee will develop the Aadhaar Vision 2032 document, outlining the framework for next-generation Aadhaar architecture aligned with India’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, and emerging global standards of privacy and cybersecurity. "The Aadhaar Vision 2032 framework will focus on leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, Quantum Computing, Advanced Encryption, and next-generation Data Security mechanisms," the ministry said. These will ensure Aadhaar remains resilient against evolving cybersecurity threats, scalable for future demand, and adaptive to the rapidly changing digital landscape. The other members of the committee are Bhuvnesh Kumar, CEO, UIDAI; Vivek Raghavan, Co-Founder of Sarvam AI; Dheeraj Pandey, Founder of Nutanix; Sasikumar Ganesan, Head of Engineering, MOSIP; Rahul Matthan, Partner, Trilegal; Navin Budhiraja, CTO; Head of Products, and Vianai Systems. Prabaharan Poornachandran, Professor at Amrita University, Anil Jain, Professor at Michigan State University, Mayank Vatsa, Professor at IIT Jodhpur, and Shri Abhishek Kumar Singh, Deputy Director General, UIDAI, are also part of the committee. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
31 October,2025 06:23 PM IST | New Delhi | IANSADVERTISEMENT
-1765551117165_d.png "Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT Jitin Prasada. Pic/X")
