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ENDS explores London’s underbelly in 2026 beta A new role-playing game, ENDS, is poised to captivate fans of the Grand Theft Auto series with its immersive open-world experience set in London’s underbelly. Developed by Concrete Realms, the single-player action-adventure title contrasts the city’s wealth with its harsh realities, promising a narrative-driven crime drama. ENDS is slated for release on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, with an early access beta planned for Q1 2026 on Steam. Players will control Rahim, navigating life alongside friends Sonny and Reece in a coming-of-age tale exploring brotherhood, family, and loyalty.         View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by ENDS (@endsthegame) The game blends sandbox and RPG mechanics, offering choice-based gameplay akin to Detroit Become Human, allowing players to shape Rahim’s story. Realistic combat, exploration, and an in-game phone ...

Players in UK are bypassing age verification using Death Stranding 2 A recent discovery has revealed that Death Stranding's photo mode can easily bypass the UK’s newly enforced age verification systems, affecting platforms like Reddit and Discord. This follows the implementation of the UK's online safety regulations, which began requiring age checks on various sites from Friday, July 25. According to The Verge, the trick was first brought to light by Dany Sterkhov, who shared the method of using Death Stranding's in-game photo mode to bypass facial scanning systems. By activating the photo mode and pointing a phone camera at the screen, users can use Sam Bridges, the game’s protagonist, to fool age verification tools into believing the user is an adult. Users have been sharing their demonstrations online. You can use Death Stranding's photo mode to bypass Discord's age verification https://t.co/o9n0c0lwkI pic.twitter.com/mvYmhZZCVp — Dany Sterkhov 🛡✈ (@DanySterkh...

Tesla confirms $16.5 billion chip deal with Samsung for AI hardware Elon Musk has confirmed Tesla has signed a $16.5 billion semiconductor supply agreement with Samsung Electronics, a deal set to support the development of the automaker’s next-generation AI chips. Samsung disclosed the contract in a regulatory filing, with the deal taking effect from 26 July 2025 through to 31 December 2033, as reported by CNBC.  While the South Korean firm did not initially identify its partner, Musk later confirmed Tesla’s involvement on social media platform X. “Samsung’s giant new Texas fab will be dedicated to making Tesla’s next-generation AI6 chip,” Musk wrote, adding that Tesla will assist in improving production efficiency. “I will walk the line personally to accelerate the pace of progress,” he said, also suggesting the deal’s value could exceed the reported figure. Samsung agreed to allow Tesla to assist in maximizing manufacturing efficiency. This is a critical point, as I will walk t...

What you say to AI might not stay private, warns OpenAI CEO OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has warned that users who share personal or emotional content in ChatGPT conversations should proceed carefully. Unlike discussions with licensed professionals, such as therapists, doctors, or lawyers, chats with AI do not receive legal confidentiality or privilege. If a legal case arises, those conversations could be produced in court. Altman’s caution comes as many users increasingly rely on ChatGPT for relationship advice, mental health support, or life guidance, especially younger people. He emphasized that these uses feel intimate, but currently lack any legal protections under existing frameworks. He also noted broader privacy concerns. OpenAI is appealing a court ruling tied to The New York Times lawsuit, which requires the retention of user chat histories, even those deleted, except for Enterprise accounts. This policy change may set a precedent affecting the data rights of all users. Altman des...

Alibaba to launch AI glasses in bid to rival Meta Chinese tech conglomerate Alibaba has announced its entry into the wearable technology market with the upcoming launch of its first smart glasses, powered by the company’s in-house artificial intelligence platforms. Named the Quark AI Glasses, the device is set to debut in China by the end of 2025 and will be backed by Alibaba’s Qwen large language model and its intelligent assistant, Quark. The move marks Alibaba’s first major step into smart eyewear, placing it in direct competition with Meta - whose Ray-Ban-branded smart glasses have led developments in the sector - as well as domestic rival Xiaomi, which introduced its own AI glasses earlier this year. Read more: https://ift.tt/6cPkftA While full specifications and pricing are yet to be revealed, Alibaba confirmed that the glasses will include key features such as hands-free calling, music playback, real-time translation, meeting transcription, and a built-in camera. #Alibaba ...

Viral women-only app 'Tea' hits 1 million downloads amid privacy concerns over anonymous posting The women-only Tea app has reached one million downloads and topped the App Store lifestyle chart, gaining rapid popularity for its bold premise. Marketed as a dating safety tool, Tea allows women to post photos of men they’re dating to request “tea”, or gossip, about them from other users. Founder Sean Cook created the app after his mother was catfished online. The platform includes features like reverse image search, phone number lookups, and public records checks to verify identities. Tea also includes the “Tea Party Group Chat,” where women anonymously share experiences and rate past partners. Tea is restricted to verified female users and employs AI moderation technology to detect and remove harmful content. Screenshot prevention and a “green flag” feature aim to protect privacy while encouraging safer dating. Supporters say the app gives women more control in a digital datin...

Elon Musk teases AI-powered Vine reviving buzz about defunct short-form video platform Elon Musk says he’s bringing back Vine, his time, “in AI form.” The brief eight-word post on X set off waves of speculation about what that could mean for the long-defunct six-second video app. Originally launched in 2013 and shut down in 2017, Vine was once a viral hit before losing ground to competitors like Instagram and Snapchat. Musk’s statement came without further detail, leaving followers to guess whether an AI-enhanced Vine could mean algorithmically generated content, automated editing tools, or synthetic creators. What’s clear is that interest in the platform hasn’t faded. His post quickly generated thousands of interactions and even affected the price of Vine-themed memecoins. This isn’t the first time Musk has raised hopes for a Vine revival. In 2022, shortly after acquiring Twitter (now X), he ran a poll asking users if they wanted the app back, most responded with a resounding yes. A...

Intel reduces manufacturing plans, aims to trim workforce by a third Intel has revealed that it will scale back on its manufacturing projects, including halting or delaying key initiatives in Germany and Poland. The company, under the leadership of new CEO Lip-Bu Tan, has taken steps to reduce inefficiencies by reevaluating its expansion plans, as reported by TechCrunch. In its second-quarter earnings report, Intel confirmed that it would not be moving forward with previously announced projects in Poland and Germany. These included a testing and assembly facility in Poland, and a chip production plant in Germany, both of which had been paused in 2024 following an initial suspension. Intel also disclosed plans to consolidate its testing operations, shifting resources from Costa Rica to its existing facilities in Vietnam and Malaysia. “We made investments in capacity over the last few years that were too far ahead of demand and excessive,” Tan said during the earnings call. “Our factor...

Dark Souls 3 remaster reportedly in development at FromSoftware for 2026 multi-platform release Multiple sources report that FromSoftware is developing a remaster of Dark Souls 3, aiming for a 2026 release. Originally launched on March 24 2016, Dark Souls 3 marked a significant return for the series, which has become influential in discussions around game difficulty. According to information shared by known FromSoftware leaker Kurakasis, the unannounced title under the codename ‘FMC’ is advanced in development and planned as a multi-platform release. This aligns with speculation that the studio is preparing to mark the 10th anniversary of Dark Souls 3 with a remaster. Kurakasis claims, “It’s far enough along in development to be almost guaranteed for a 2026 release.” Fans have also referenced previous comments from XboxEra’s Nick Baker, who mentioned in a 2024 stream that a Dark Souls 3 remaster was in the works, though details on its release timing remained unclear. The report notes...

Yahoo Japan implements AI to double productivity by 2028 Yahoo Japan is placing a significant bet on generative AI to revolutionise its workplace, mandating that all 11,000 employees integrate AI tools into their daily tasks with the goal of doubling productivity by 2028. The company, which also operates the messaging platform LINE, plans to use AI to handle routine tasks such as research, meeting documentation, expense management, and even competitive analysis. The initiative is designed to allow employees to focus more on high-level thinking and communication by automating the groundwork, as reported by PC Watch. Yahoo Japan's approach targets the 30% of daily tasks that the company estimates consume a large portion of employees' time, including searching, drafting documents, and handling meeting notes. The company has already developed internal tools such as SeekAI to manage tasks like expense claims and data searches, with the AI tools also set to assist in creating agend...

Australia’s 'Online Safety Act' to enforce age checks across social media Australians will soon face mandatory age verification and identity checks when using online services, as part of new regulations set to take effect from December. Developed by the tech sector and eSafety commissioner, these rules aim to protect children from harmful content online, such as pornography and violent material. The new codes, under the 'Online Safety Act', will require services like search engines, social media, and app stores to implement age assurance measures for all users. This could involve using account history, facial recognition, or bank card checks to verify users' ages, as reported by The Guardian. Starting in December, search engines must activate "safe search" features for users under 18, filtering out inappropriate content. Platforms hosting harmful material, including self-harm and violent content, will also need to ensure children cannot access it. The eS...

Astronomers observe birth of a solar system for first time Astronomers said on Wednesday they had observed the moment when planets start forming around a distant star for the first time, revealing a process that sheds light on the birth of our own solar system. The new planetary system is forming around the baby star HOPS-315 — which resembles our own Sun in its youth — 1,300 light years from Earth in the Orion Nebula. Young stars are surrounded by massive rings of gas and dust called protoplanetary discs, which is where planets form. Inside these swirling discs, crystalline minerals that contain the chemical silicon monoxide can clump together. This process can snowball into kilometre-sized “planetesimals”, which one day grow into full planets. In our home Solar System, the crystalline minerals that were the starter dough for Earth and Jupiter’s core are believed to have been trapped in ancient meteorites. Now astronomers have spotted signs that suggest these hot minerals are starti...

AI 'nudify' apps blackmailing minors rising in number After a Kentucky teenager died by suicide this year, his parents discovered he had received threatening texts demanding $3,000 to suppress an AI-generated nude image of him, reports AFP. The tragedy underscores how so-called sextortion scams targeting children are growing around the world, particularly with the rapid proliferation of "nudify" apps — AI tools that digitally strip off clothing or generate sexualised imagery. Elijah Heacock, 16, was just one of thousands of American minors targeted by such digital blackmail, which has spurred calls for more action from tech platforms and regulators. His parents told US media that the text messages ordered him to pay up or an apparently AI-generated nude photo would be sent to his family and friends. "The people that are after our children are well organised," John Burnett, the boy's father, said in a CBS News interview. "They are well financed, an...

Nvidia to resume China chip sales amid shifting US export policy Nvidia has confirmed it is filing applications to restart sales of its H20 artificial intelligence chips to China, following months of shifting US export rules. The move, confirmed through a blog post on Nvidia's website, comes after the Trump administration reversed restrictions imposed earlier this year, opening the door for resumed trade. The company expects to secure US government licences soon and begin deliveries shortly after. It has also announced a new chip, the “RTX Pro,” designed specifically for the Chinese market and said to comply fully with current export regulations. Nvidia describes the chip as optimised for digital manufacturing, including logistics and smart factory systems. Though not its most advanced processor, the H20 is the most powerful chip Nvidia can legally sell to China under existing rules. Built for inference tasks (the operation of trained AI models) the chip is favoured for its ...

Elon Musk adds anime girl companion to Grok AI in latest SuperGrok update on X On July 14, Elon Musk unveiled a new feature for SuperGrok, the premium version of his Grok AI, introducing an anime girl companion named Ani. Photo: X The update, announced on X, adds a visual avatar designed to resemble Misa Amane from Death Note, though described as an “un copyrighted” version. The new release is part of Grok 4, Musk’s most advanced AI model to date, which he claims is “better than PhD level in every subject, no exceptions.” Alongside Ani, users can now interact with a panda avatar called Rudy and a profane variant dubbed Bad Rudy. A male anime-style character named Chad is also listed as “coming soon.” To access Ani, SuperGrok subscribers must toggle the ‘companion’ option by selecting the top-left menu and the settings gear at the bottom-right. Musk shared these steps directly with users on X. The update quickly gained attention among anime fans and Musk followers, many noting the cha...

Five EU states to test age-check app to protect children online Five EU countries including France will test an app aimed at preventing children from accessing harmful content online by checking users' ages, the European Commission said Monday. Several European nations have ramped up the pressure on the bloc to better protect minors online through more stringent measures, with some going as far as to advocate banning social media for under-15s. On Monday, the commission unveiled the prototype of an age-verification app that Denmark, France, Greece, Italy and Spain will customise to launch national versions within several months. "It will allow users to easily prove they are over 18 years old, protecting children from inappropriate content," EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen told reporters. Read More: Stanford study warns AI chatbots fall short on mental health support "It's hard to imagine a world where kids can enter a store to buy alcohol, to go to a nightclub by...

Stanford study warns AI chatbots fall short on mental health support AI chatbots like ChatGPT are being widely used for mental health support, but a new Stanford-led study warns that these tools often fail to meet basic therapeutic standards and could put vulnerable users at risk. The research, presented at June's ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency, found that popular AI models—including OpenAI’s GPT-4o—can validate harmful delusions, miss warning signs of suicidal intent, and show bias against people with schizophrenia or alcohol dependence. In one test, GPT-4o listed tall bridges in New York for a person who had just lost their job, ignoring the possible suicidal context. In another, it engaged with users’ delusions instead of challenging them, breaching crisis intervention guidelines. Read More: Is Hollywood warming to AI? The study also found commercial mental health chatbots, like those from Character.ai and 7cups, performed worse than base models a...

Samsung unveils new Galaxy Z series at Unpacked 2025 In a bid to further cement its dominance in the foldable smartphone market, Samsung launched three new devices at its highly anticipated Galaxy Unpacked 2025 event: the flagship Galaxy Z Fold7, the sleeker Z Flip7, and a new budget-friendly option, the Galaxy Z Flip7 FE (Fan Edition). The launch represents a strategic shift as Samsung not only refines its premium offerings but also attempts to democratize foldable technology by introducing its first-ever lower-cost foldable device. Galaxy Z Fold7: Thinner, Lighter, Smarter Samsung’s top-of-the-line foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold7, now boasts a more streamlined form factor, weighing just 215 grams and measuring only 8.9mm when folded. It features a large 6.5-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X cover screen and an 8-inch internal folding display—both with up to 2,600 nits of peak brightness. The Fold7 is powered by a custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy processor, with a 41% faster Neural Processing...

Google introduces image-to-video feature in Gemini AI app Google has launched a new feature in its Gemini app that allows users to generate videos from static images, powered by its advanced Veo 3 model. The image-to-video generation tool is available to Google’s AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers, marking the first time the feature has been extended beyond the AI Ultra tier. Previously exclusive to AI Ultra users, the Veo 3 model is now being made more widely accessible to those with a Google AI Pro subscription. That dog in your photo? He's got something to say. 🐶 Turn your images into eight-second video clips with sound effects and speech in the @GeminiApp and Flow from @GoogleLabs. This feature uses Veo 3 to generate motion that reflects real world physics and includes a new… pic.twitter.com/Zth5hyRut8 — Google AI (@GoogleAI) July 10, 2025 The tool enables users to create eight-second video clips at 720p resolution, with audio that is synced to the generated video. However, Goo...

Nvidia becomes first company to hit $4 trillion market value Nvidia became the first company to reach $4 trillion in market value on Wednesday, a new threshold in Wall Street's bet that artificial intelligence will transform the economy. Shortly after the stock market opened, Nvidia, which is led by electrical engineer Jensen Huang, vaulted as high as $164.42, giving it a valuation above $4 trillion before retreating slightly. "The market has an incredible certainty that AI is the future," said Steve Sosnick of Interactive Brokers. "Nvidia is certainly the company most positioned to benefit from that gold rush." Read More: Nvidia unveils AEON humanoid robot in bid to expand AI power Nvidia has now attained a market value greater than the GDP of France, Britain or India, a testament to investor confidence that AI will spur a new era of robotics and automation, potentially boosting productivity while also challenging incumbent sectors and companies. The Californ...

Trump eyes African mineral wealth in trade-focused summit US President Donald Trump hailed West Africa's rich natural resources as he hosted five of its leaders Wednesday for a White House summit aimed at fostering trade to counter the growing influence of Russia and China. Trump's administration is seeking to strengthen economic ties with the mineral-rich region as it simultaneously curbs foreign aid to Africa and hits nations with 10 percent import tariffs. Talks with the presidents of Senegal, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Gabon were expected to focus on commercial opportunities and security. "We're working tirelessly to forge new economic opportunities involving both the United States and many African nations," Trump told the assembled leaders and reporters ahead of the meeting. "There's great economic potential in Africa, like few other places, in many ways." He gushed about the continent's "vibrant places, very valuable land...

X CEO Linda Yaccarino steps down after two years Linda Yaccarino resigned Wednesday as CEO of X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, after two years at the helm of the Elon Musk-owned company. In a statement posted on the platform, she said she had decided to step down following what she described as "two incredible years" leading the company through a major transformation. No reason was given for her exit, but the resignation came as Musk's artificial intelligence chatbot Grok was under fire for anti-Semitic comments that praised Adolf Hitler and insulted Islam in separate posts on the X platform. After two incredible years, I’ve decided to step down as CEO of 𝕏. When @elonmusk and I first spoke of his vision for X, I knew it would be the opportunity of a lifetime to carry out the extraordinary mission of this company. I’m immensely grateful to him for entrusting me… — Linda Yaccarino (@lindayaX) July 9, 2025 In a short reply to her post on X, Musk wr...

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander named NBA 2K26 cover athlete Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the standout guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder, has been announced as the cover athlete for NBA 2K26. The 2025 MVP will feature on the standard edition of the popular video game following a remarkable season that saw him lead the Thunder to their first-ever NBA title. In what was a career-defining campaign, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, and 5 rebounds per game, guiding the Thunder to an outstanding 68-14 record. His leadership propelled the team to dominate the competition, with Oklahoma City outscoring opponents by a historic 12.9 points per game.         View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by NBA 2K (@nba2k) The Thunder clinched the NBA championship, defeating the Indiana Pacers in a thrilling seven-game series. Gilgeous-Alexander's stellar performance was further recognised with...

‘Cursor’ wows Islamabad tech crowd A few weeks ago, the name Sualeh Asif coupled with the acronym MIT, began making rounds on social media as people discovered the young man from Pakistan is one of the minds behind Cursor, the AI-powered code editor valued at $9.9 billion, which is taking the AI startup scene by storm. The Cursor team made its first appearance in Pakistan at a meetup in Islamabad attended by over hundred builders, tech enthusiasts and students eager to take part in the future of programming. The event was hosted at the National Incubation Centre and featured a live demonstration of Cursor’s build-on-command capabilities by its Pakistan Ambassador, Yahya Qureshi, a talk by Antematter engineer, Zohaib Adnan, on how the product has changed programming at their company and a Q&A session with Cursor developer, Juan Batista Martinez, who joined on zoom. Cursor allows developers to generate code and build programmes simply by describing what they want it to do. In respo...

Threads closes in on X’s daily active users, new data reveals Instagram’s Threads app is closing the gap on its main competitor, X (formerly Twitter), in terms of daily mobile app users, new data reveals. As reported by Tech Crunch, based on data provided by market intelligence firm Similarweb, Threads had 115.1 million daily active users across iOS and Android, showing a remarkable 127.8% year-over-year growth. Meanwhile, as of June 2025, X has reached 132 million daily active users, though its growth declined by 15.2% over the same period. New data shows Threads is nipping at X's heels on mobile. In June of this year... 🧵 Threads hit 115.1M daily active users ❌ X reached 132M DAUs And Bluesky was far behind, with 4.1M DAUs.https://t.co/0uF3nB2Av8 — TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) July 7, 2025 Despite its rapid growth, Threads still trails behind X in web traffic. X recorded 145.8 million average daily web visits worldwide in June, far surpassing Threads’ 6.9 million. Howeve...