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Amazon launches new Echo Show 11, Echo Show 8

Amazon has expanded its smart home portfolio in India with the launch of the Echo Show 11 and the new Echo Show 8, offering consumers larger displays, improved audio and more intelligent home control features. The new devices are aimed at users who want a central screen for entertainment, communication and smart home management.

The Echo Show 11 comes with an 11-inch full-HD touchscreen, while the Echo Show 8 features an 8.7-inch HD display with slimmer bezels. Both devices are designed to be used hands-free with Alexa or through touch controls, making them suitable for kitchens, living rooms and workspaces. Users can watch videos, check calendars, follow recipes, make video calls or control connected devices from a single screen.

A key highlight is Amazon’s Omnisense technology, which combines motion detection, presence sensing and temperature monitoring. This allows the Echo Show devices to automate tasks such as switching on lights when someone enters the room or adjusting settings based on activity. The built-in 13-megapixel camera supports auto-framing and noise reduction, ensuring clearer video calls and easier monitoring of compatible security cameras.

Audio performance has also been upgraded. Both models feature front-firing stereo speakers and a custom woofer, delivering louder, clearer sound with deeper bass. Users can stream music from services such as Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, JioSaavn and Audible. Video streaming is supported through Prime Video, Netflix and web access to platforms like YouTube.

Privacy remains a focus, with physical buttons to turn off the microphone and camera, along with settings that allow users to review and delete voice recordings.

In India, the Echo Show 11 is priced at ₹26,999, while the Echo Show 8 costs ₹23,999. Both models are available in Graphite and Glacier White colours through Amazon.in and select retail partners. Amazon has also confirmed that the devices will be compatible with its upcoming Alexa+ AI assistant, promising more natural conversations and smarter assistance in the future.

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JioHotstar introduces monthly plans from Rs. 79

JioHotstar has rolled out monthly subscription plans across all its service tiers, giving users the option to pay on a month-to-month basis instead of committing to longer durations. The new plans will be available to new subscribers from January 28, 2026, while existing users will continue on their current plans as long as auto-renewal remains active.

Under the revised structure, the Mobile plan is priced at Rs. 79 per month. It allows streaming on a single mobile device and is ad-supported. Hollywood content is not included by default but can be added for an extra Rs. 49 per month. Quarterly and annual options for this tier remain unchanged.

The Super plan, priced at Rs. 149 per month, supports streaming on up to two devices simultaneously. It offers full access to JioHotstar’s content library, including Hollywood titles, but continues to carry advertisements. Users can also choose quarterly or annual subscriptions at higher discounts.

For viewers looking for a premium experience, the Premium plan is now available at Rs. 299 per month. This tier supports up to four devices, offers 4K streaming quality, and provides an ad-free experience, except during live sports and live events. Quarterly and annual plans continue to be available for this category as well.

JioHotstar said the introduction of monthly plans is aimed at meeting changing viewer preferences, especially the growing demand for flexible payments and large-screen viewing through connected TVs. The move is expected to attract more users who prefer short-term subscriptions and greater control over their spending.

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ChatGPT adds ads, Google’s Gemini stays clean

OpenAI has started testing advertisements in its ChatGPT chatbot, marking a key shift in how generative AI is monetised. Ads will appear at the bottom of responses for free-tier users and those on the lower-cost ChatGPT Go plan, while paid subscribers,  including Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise,  will remain ad-free. OpenAI assures that ads will be clearly labeled, won’t influence responses, and user conversations won’t be shared with advertisers.

The move is aimed at generating additional revenue from ChatGPT’s large user base, currently estimated at around 800 million weekly active users, without forcing subscription fees on everyone. This step reflects OpenAI’s push to balance monetisation with user trust, especially as AI infrastructure costs continue to rise.

In contrast, Google has no plans to introduce ads into its Gemini AI assistant. Dan Taylor, Google VP of Global Ads, said inserting ads could undermine the assistant’s purpose, which is to help users analyse, create, and complete tasks. Instead, Google focuses on integrating AI-powered ad surfaces in products like AI Overviews in search results, where ads can coexist without affecting the core AI assistant experience.

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X faced second global outage in 3 days

Social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, went down on Friday, affecting users in India and other countries. This is the second major outage in just three days, causing frustration among users who rely on the platform for news, updates, and communication.

The outage started around 8 pm IST in India, with users reporting that timelines were not loading, posts could not be uploaded, and direct messages were not working. On the outage tracking website Downdetector, more than 4,500 reports appeared within an hour, showing the scale of the disruption.

The problem was not limited to India. Users in the United States, the UK, Canada, and several European and Asian countries also reported issues. Most complaints involved the core functionality of X, including posting tweets, refreshing feeds, and accessing the app or website.

Earlier this week, X had a similar outage, and the back-to-back issues highlight ongoing technical problems. Users have expressed concern about the platform’s reliability, especially since X is widely used for both personal communication and professional updates.

As of now, X has not provided a detailed explanation for the outage or given a timeline for when all issues will be fully resolved. Many users are turning to other social media platforms to stay connected while X experiences intermittent problems.

Tech experts say that repeated outages could affect user confidence, as platform stability and uptime are critical for social media services. Continuous disruptions can lead users to explore alternatives and put pressure on the company to improve its infrastructure.

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India steps up antitrust heat on Apple

India’s competition watchdog has intensified its scrutiny of Apple Inc. after rejecting the company’s request to temporarily halt an ongoing antitrust investigation into its App Store policies. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has made it clear that the probe will continue, warning Apple that repeated delays and non-compliance will no longer be tolerated.

The case originates from complaints filed by Tinder owner Match Group and several Indian start-ups, who allege that Apple abused its dominant position in the iOS ecosystem. They claim Apple forces app developers to use its in-app payment system and restricts them from informing users about alternative payment options. Such practices, the complainants argue, increase costs for developers and limit consumer choice.

A CCI investigation report prepared last year found prima facie evidence suggesting Apple engaged in anti-competitive conduct. Apple has strongly contested these findings, maintaining that its App Store rules are designed to ensure user security, privacy, and a consistent digital experience.

In recent months, Apple sought to pause the antitrust proceedings, citing a separate legal challenge in the Delhi High Court. The company is questioning amendments to India’s Competition Act and new penalty guidelines that allow regulators to calculate fines based on a firm’s global turnover. Apple argues that this could expose it to disproportionately large penalties for alleged violations linked only to the Indian market.

However, in a confidential order issued late December, the CCI rejected Apple’s request. The regulator noted that Apple had already been granted multiple extensions to submit financial data and responses, and that further delays would undermine the investigation process. The CCI warned that it could proceed with the case even without Apple’s cooperation if deadlines are missed.

The standoff highlights India’s increasingly assertive approach to regulating large technology companies. Authorities have signalled that global tech giants will be held to the same competitive standards as domestic firms.

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Windows 10 & 11 users alerted to security flaw

The Indian government has raised an alert for Windows 10 and 11 users following the discovery of a security vulnerability that could compromise sensitive system information. CERT‑In, the national cybersecurity agency, has flagged the issue as a potential risk even for devices with standard security settings.

The flaw is located in the Desktop Window Manager (DWM), the component responsible for managing the Windows graphical interface. CERT‑In has identified that improper memory handling in this module may allow a local attacker with minimal access to retrieve sensitive system information. While the vulnerability does not directly allow remote hacking, it could be exploited in combination with other techniques to escalate attacks.

Affected systems include multiple Windows 10 versions (1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2) and Windows 11 editions (23H2, 24H2, 25H2), along with several Windows Server versions from 2012 through 2025. CERT‑In has rated the risk medium, highlighting that exposure of memory data could bypass security protections like Address Space Layout Randomisation (ASLR).

The advisory emphasizes that users should install the latest Microsoft security updates immediately via Windows Update. Enterprises and individual users are urged to maintain proper system hygiene, avoid untrusted software, and use accounts with limited privileges where possible.

Although no major exploit of this vulnerability has been reported yet, CERT‑In stresses that prompt patching is critical to protect data and maintain system security. Ignoring the update could leave systems vulnerable to future attacks, especially in enterprise environments where sensitive data is processed daily.

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Humanoid robot learns to lip-sync

Researchers have developed a humanoid robot that can accurately lip-sync with spoken words and sounds, marking a major advance in human-robot communication. The breakthrough comes from scientists at Columbia University, who trained the robot to move its lips and facial muscles in sync with speech using artificial intelligence rather than fixed programming.

Unlike traditional robots that rely on pre-set rules for facial movement, this robot learns by observing and experimenting. It first studied its own face in a mirror, making thousands of random expressions to understand how its facial motors work. Once it learned the basics, it watched hours of videos showing people talking, allowing it to copy natural lip movements linked to specific sounds.

The robot’s face contains more than two dozen motors that control lips, jaw, cheeks, and other features. Using machine learning, the system connects audio signals directly to these motors, enabling the robot to produce realistic mouth movements for speech and even singing. The model can adapt to different languages because it learns sound-to-movement patterns instead of memorising words.

Scientists say realistic lip-syncing is crucial for making robots appear more natural and trustworthy. Poorly matched speech and facial movements often make humanoid robots seem unsettling to humans. By improving this synchronisation, the new system helps reduce that effect.

The technology could be useful in education, entertainment, healthcare, and customer service, where robots may need to speak clearly and expressively. While the robot still struggles with some complex sounds, researchers believe the work brings machines a step closer to natural, human-like interaction.

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Apple launches Creator Studio with new AI tools

Apple has introduced Creator Studio, a new all-in-one subscription aimed at content creators, as it looks to expand its fast-growing services segment. The launch comes at a time when Apple is focusing more on software and subscriptions to balance slower growth in hardware sales.

Creator Studio combines Apple’s professional creative applications into a single monthly plan. The service will go live on January 28, 2026, and will cost $12.99 per month or $129 annually, with discounted pricing for students. It will be available on both Mac and iPad.

The subscription includes powerful tools such as Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro and Pixelmator Pro, covering video editing, music creation and image design. Mac users also gain access to apps like Motion and Compressor, while iPad users can take advantage of improved touch controls and Apple Pencil support.

Apple is placing strong emphasis on AI-driven features to attract users. In video editing, new tools allow creators to search clips using spoken words, identify visuals automatically and sync edits with music beats. Music creators can use AI to recognise chords and generate sounds, reducing the time needed to produce tracks.

Beyond creative apps, Apple is adding AI upgrades to everyday tools such as Pages, Numbers and Keynote, helping users create content faster and more efficiently. Additional AI updates for Freeform, Apple’s digital collaboration app, are expected later this year.

Although Apple will continue to sell its apps separately, Creator Studio offers exclusive AI tools and premium features that are not available with one-time purchases. This strategy reflects Apple’s growing focus on subscriptions and predictable revenue.

With Creator Studio, Apple is positioning itself as a strong alternative to established creative software platforms, while deepening engagement within its ecosystem and reinforcing its long-term services strategy.

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Google launches AI shopping protocol

Google has introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open-source standard designed to let AI agents manage online shopping for users. This protocol allows AI systems to discover products, compare prices, handle checkout, and manage orders without needing custom integrations for each retailer.

The protocol was developed in collaboration with major retail and payment partners including Shopify, Wayfair, Target, Walmart, Visa, Mastercard, and Stripe. It is designed to work across multiple platforms, making it easier for developers to build AI agents that can interact with different merchants and payment systems seamlessly.

UCP also integrates with complementary standards like the Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) for secure payments, Agent2Agent (A2A) for agent communication, and Model Context Protocol (MCP) for sharing context between AI systems. This makes the ecosystem more secure and interoperable.

Industry experts see UCP as a key step toward AI-driven commerce, where smart assistants could become the main interface for online shopping, similar to how mobile apps transformed e-commerce in the past decade.

For users, this means AI assistants like Google’s Gemini app or AI Mode in Search could soon handle the full shopping process, from finding products to completing payments, without leaving Google’s interface. Google Pay will handle transactions initially, with other payment systems planned in the future. Retailers remain the merchant of record, retaining control over data and order management.

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Smartphone security rules under review in India

Center is planning new rules to make smartphones safer for users across the country. The proposed measures aim to protect people from online fraud, hacking, and misuse of personal data, as India now has nearly 750 million smartphone users.

Reports say the government has shared a draft of 83 security standards with major phone makers, including Apple, Samsung, Google, and Xiaomi, as part of ongoing consultations. These rules are still under discussion.

One of the most debated proposals is that smartphone makers may need to share their source code, the programming behind operating systems and apps. Government-approved labs could then review the code to identify security weaknesses before phones or software updates are released.

The draft also includes other user-focused measures, such as letting people delete pre-installed apps, preventing apps from secretly using cameras or microphones in the background, running automatic malware scans, and keeping security logs for at least a year to track threats. Companies may also need to inform the government before major software updates, helping authorities respond quickly to potential risks.

Global tech firms and industry groups have raised concerns, saying that sharing source code could expose trade secrets, slow software updates, and affect device performance or battery life.

The government’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) has clarified that reports suggesting companies will be forced to hand over source code are misleading. Officials stressed that no final rule has been approved and that consultations are still in an early stage. They said the aim is to improve smartphone security while also taking industry concerns into account, with any final decisions to be made only after proper discussions with all stakeholders.

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