Tech

HCLTech has clarified that its initial probe found no evidence of a breach in its systems or client engagements after a hacker group claimed exposure of employee-related data. The company said the information appears limited and dated, and it continues to investigate. The statement follows a similar clarification by TCS, which also reported no credible breach evidence.

WhatsApp users across several countries reported disruptions affecting photos, videos, stickers, GIFs and other media, while text messaging largely continued. Outage reports emerged in India, Britain, France and other countries, with users reporting failed uploads despite troubleshooting attempts

India is preparing for the first test of the Kusha long-range surface-to-air missile system, a domestically developed weapon that will form a crucial part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Sudarshan Chakra mission — a two-phase plan to build a multilayered national defence umbrella against aerial threats by 2035.

Kerala Police registered a cyber fraud case after an AI-generated fake video impersonating ADGP P Vijayan circulated on Facebook, falsely promoting an old currency note scam. Police are investigating the account, possible victims and whether similar deepfake videos targeted other officials

NASA astronauts Anil Menon and Jessica Meir completed a six-hour spacewalk outside the International Space Station, installing hardware for future roll-out solar arrays. The mission upgrades the station’s power systems and supports long-term operations, including preparations for controlled deorbit

WhatsApp has begun testing an optional date-of-birth feature for a limited number of users in India as it prepares for compliance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act. The feature is voluntary during the testing phase and will not affect users' experience.

Microsoft has launched its India South Central cloud region in Hyderabad, expanding to four regions across the country. The facility, built with three Availability Zones, strengthens Microsoft’s AI and cloud infrastructure amid surging enterprise demand.

Meta revealed that its AI model Muse Spark 1.1 accessed the internet and exploited a vulnerability in an external service during cybersecurity testing due to a misconfigured environment. The incident adds to growing concerns over AI models' capabilities and safety controls

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has apologised to the Indian government over the spread of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), deepfake content, and operational lapses on the company’s platforms. Government sources said authorities warned Meta that its role in selecting and distributing content could disqualify it from “safe harbour” protections under the IT Act.

Noise has entered India's screenless wearable segment with the launch of the REP Band, offering subscription-free health monitoring, AI-powered wellness insights and continuous biometric tracking. The lightweight wearable is tailored for Indian users and is priced at Rs 9,999 as a special introductory offer.

Meta-owned WhatsApp has placed several accounts under 24-hour review, restricting access to key features without prior notice. Users reported sudden disruptions and appealed on social media, while the platform cited checks for compliance with its Terms of Service.

Google has selected 20 AI-powered Indian startups for the 2026 Play Accelerator India programme. The three-month, equity-free initiative will provide mentorship on AI integration, app quality, security, growth and monetisation to help startups build scalable products for global markets.

India’s GenZ population, nearly 407 million strong, spends an average of seven hours daily on screens, with much of that time on social media. Studies and expert commentary warn that algorithm-driven platforms amplify outrage, polarisation, and misinformation, making them powerful propaganda tools that can distort public debate and mobilise protests.

Anthropic said three of its AI models breached organisations during cybersecurity testing, prompting fresh concerns about AI safety. The disclosure follows a similar incident reported by OpenAI and highlights growing challenges in keeping advanced AI systems under human control

Most privacy incidents by 2029 will result from AI-generated inferences rather than direct data leaks, Gartner said. The firm urged organisations to strengthen AI governance, adopt privacy-enhancing technologies and improve data minimisation to counter emerging inference-based privacy threats.

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers urged Apple to stop sourcing memory chips from Chinese firms CXMT and YMTC, citing national security concerns. Senators warned the move could increase dependence on China-linked suppliers and asked Apple to provide commitments by August 21

Elon Musk’s company xAI has filed a federal lawsuit against Minnesota challenging the state’s new law banning “nudification” technology, which uses AI to create fake nude images of real people. The law, set to take effect Saturday, makes Minnesota the first state to outlaw such tools.

A student who hacked IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras websites after being denied admission to IIT-K's Cyber Security programme may receive another opportunity. Instead of legal action, IIT-K plans to assess his technical skills for possible admission in the next academic cycle

The BJP has intensified Instagram outreach to engage youth after the NEET-UG paper leak controversy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union ministers are using reels and videos to highlight exam reforms, anti-paper leak measures, and government responses amid student protests

The IT Ministry has summoned Meta’s global head of public policy after Facebook removed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video message to youth on paper leaks. Meta said the post was removed accidentally and has since been restored on the platform

realme’s P Series achieved major milestones on Flipkart, becoming the fastest-growing smartphone lineup in H1 2026 and gaining strong market share. The brand maintained double-digit growth despite industry decline and announced increased investments ahead of the festive season to boost consumer engagement

Hyderabad-based Skyroot’s orbital success signals a startup revolution, and a turning point for India’s private space industry

OpenAI's ChatGPT suffered a global outage on Saturday, with more than 1,500 users reporting issues on Downdetector. The disruption affected the chatbot, mobile app and API services, while OpenAI confirmed it had applied mitigation measures and was monitoring service recovery.

SpaceX successfully launched its Starship on a test flight, deploying next-generation Starlink V3 satellites for the first time. While the Super Heavy booster made a hard splashdown after an imperfect landing burn, the upper stage completed a successful soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean.