Saturday, August 8

Technology

US Investigates 1.2 Million Tesla Vehicles Over Suspension Defect
News, Technology, Technology and Auto

US Investigates 1.2 Million Tesla Vehicles Over Suspension Defect

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a preliminary safety investigation into approximately 1.2 million Tesla vehicles following reports of suspension failures that could lead to a sudden loss of steering control, raising fresh regulatory scrutiny for the electric vehicle giant. According to the regulator, the probe covers certain 2018-2020 Tesla Model 3 and 2021-2023 Model Y vehicles after its Office of Defects Investigation received 156 consumer complaints alleging that the front lower lateral suspension link detached while driving. NHTSA said the reported defect can leave affected vehicles undriveable, requiring them to be towed. Most owners said there was no warning before the suspension component failed, although some reported hearing unusu...
Tech Firms Scanned Millions of Books—Then Destroyed Them
Technology

Tech Firms Scanned Millions of Books—Then Destroyed Them

A growing controversy has emerged over reports that some of the world's largest artificial intelligence (AI) companies are purchasing physical books, scanning them to train AI models, and then destroying the original copies—raising fresh concerns over copyright, cultural heritage, and the preservation of knowledge. According to recent international media reports, several technology firms have been acquiring large volumes of books, particularly older and out-of-print editions, to extract high-quality text for training generative AI systems. Court documents made public in the United States indicate that AI startup Anthropic internally referred to one such initiative as "Project Panama," which involved destructively scanning millions of books by cutting off their bindings, digitizing every...
WhatsApp Introduces Major PDF Upgrade for Web and Windows Users
Technology

WhatsApp Introduces Major PDF Upgrade for Web and Windows Users

Meta has rolled out a major productivity upgrade for WhatsApp Web and the Windows desktop app, allowing users to open PDF documents directly within the app without downloading them first. The new feature, powered by Adobe Acrobat integration, enables users to preview PDF files instantly in WhatsApp Web and the Windows app. Previously, users had to download PDF documents to their device before they could be opened. With the latest update, users can also edit PDFs by highlighting text, adding annotations, and making other basic markups directly within the built-in viewer. Meta partnered with Adobe to bring these capabilities to WhatsApp while maintaining the app's end-to-end encryption, ensuring documents remain secure even when viewed inside chats. The company confirmed that the fe...
Samsung Reveals Galaxy Z Fold8 and Fold8 Ultra With Slimmer Design, Higher Prices
Technology

Samsung Reveals Galaxy Z Fold8 and Fold8 Ultra With Slimmer Design, Higher Prices

Samsung has unveiled its latest generation of foldable smartphones, introducing slimmer designs, upgraded AI capabilities, and higher price tags as rising component costs reshape the premium smartphone market. The South Korean tech giant launched the new Galaxy Z Fold8 lineup at an event in London on Wednesday, reinforcing its leadership in the foldable segment ahead of the widely anticipated entry of Apple into the category later this year. Leading the lineup is the Galaxy Z Fold8, which measures just 4.5mm thick when unfolded and features a 7.6-inch display with a 4:3 aspect ratio, offering a tablet-like experience for multitasking, productivity, and video consumption. The device starts at $1,900. Samsung also introduced the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, its most premium foldable yet. T...
YouTube Cracks Down on AI Videos, Warns Creators of Monetization Loss
Technology

YouTube Cracks Down on AI Videos, Warns Creators of Monetization Loss

YouTube has tightened its policies on artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content, making it harder for creators to monetize repetitive, low-quality, or spam-like AI videos as the platform seeks to improve content quality and user experience. The company clarified that the update is not an entirely new policy, but rather a clearer explanation of its existing monetization guidelines to help creators better understand what qualifies for revenue. According to YouTube, the revised guidance specifically targets AI-generated videos that repeatedly recycle the same content, lack meaningful originality, or are designed primarily to manipulate viewers. While such videos may still remain on the platform if they do not violate other policies, they will generally not be eligible for monetizat...
Pakistan Has 449 Active 5G Sites Across 22 Cities
Technology

Pakistan Has 449 Active 5G Sites Across 22 Cities

Pakistan currently has 449 active 5G tower sites operating across 22 cities, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology. During the committee meeting, PTA Director General Amir Shehzad said the regulator is monitoring telecom network performance around the clock by collecting operational data from mobile operators every 24 hours. The system helps identify telecom towers that go offline and allows the authority to closely track network reliability. PTA Member Sadiq Memon revealed that Karachi currently has 50 active 5G sites, while Hyderabad has only three, highlighting the uneven pace of infrastructure deployment across the country. He cautioned that if the current rollout continues without significant ac...
Sony Makes Major PlayStation Announcement
Technology

Sony Makes Major PlayStation Announcement

Sony has officially confirmed that all new PlayStation games released from January 2028 onward will be available exclusively in digital format, marking the end of physical game discs for future first-party and third-party releases on PlayStation consoles. The announcement was made in a blog post by Sid Shuman, Senior Director of Content Communications at Sony Interactive Entertainment, who said the decision reflects the gaming industry's rapid transition toward digital distribution. “As consumer preferences and the broader entertainment industry continue to shift away from physical discs to digital, physical game disc production for all new games released on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting January 2028,” Shuman said. Sony clarified that games released before J...
Samsung Eyes Another DRAM Price Hike
Technology

Samsung Eyes Another DRAM Price Hike

Samsung is reportedly preparing to raise DRAM memory prices once again in the third quarter of 2026, as persistent supply shortages across server, mobile and AI-related memory products continue to tighten the global semiconductor market. According to industry reports, the South Korean tech giant is negotiating with commodity DRAM customers to increase average selling prices by up to 20% compared to the previous quarter. Prices for LPDDR memory, widely used in smartphones, AI servers and other power-efficient devices, could rise by more than 20% due to particularly severe supply constraints. If implemented, the move would mark Samsung’s third consecutive quarterly DRAM price increase. The company’s average DRAM selling prices surged by more than 90% in the first quarter of 2026 compar...
Alibaba Reportedly Bans Claude Code
Technology

Alibaba Reportedly Bans Claude Code

Chinese technology giant Alibaba has reportedly banned employees from using Anthropic’s Claude Code for work-related software development, directing them instead to adopt its in-house AI coding platform, Qoder, according to a Reuters report. The move comes after concerns emerged over Claude Code’s ability to inspect user environments and potentially identify users connected to China. The reported ban also signals a further escalation in the ongoing dispute between Alibaba and Anthropic over allegations that Chinese firms have used Claude’s outputs to improve competing AI models. Claude Code, Anthropic’s AI-powered programming assistant, remains popular among Chinese developers despite the company officially restricting access to users and businesses in China. However, a source famili...
Xiaomi is Shutting Down Popular Smartphone Series, Reports Claim
Technology

Xiaomi is Shutting Down Popular Smartphone Series, Reports Claim

Xiaomi is Shutting Down Popular Smartphone Series, Reports Claim Xiaomi has reportedly discontinued its Civi smartphone lineup, signalling the end of its design-focused premium mid-range series after nearly five years. While the company has not officially confirmed the move, a fresh claim from a well-known Chinese tipster suggests the Civi brand is unlikely to return. According to Digital Chat Station on Weibo, Xiaomi has shut down the Civi series with no plans for another generation. If accurate, the report would also confirm the cancellation of the much-rumoured Civi 6, which had been the subject of conflicting leaks for months. Earlier reports claimed the Civi 6 was scrapped due to disappointing sales of its predecessor. Later leaks suggested development had resumed, with rumo...