Alphabet’s self-driving unit, Waymo, has raised $5.6 billion to scale its autonomous ride-hailing service across major U.S. cities, including San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Austin, and Atlanta. The funding round saw investments from major firms such as Andreessen Horowitz and Fidelity, as well as existing investor Alphabet. Waymo plans to extend partnerships, including with Uber, despite challenges from regulatory scrutiny and public skepticism about driverless tech. Meanwhile, Tesla and General Motors’ Cruise are competing in the autonomous ride-hailing market, alongside Amazon’s Zoox, which recently expanded testing of vehicles without steering wheels or pedals.

Nvidia has introduced a new lightweight artificial intelligence model for the Hindi language, called Nemotron-4-Mini-Hindi-4B, which includes 4 billion parameters. This launch targets the growing demand for AI technologies in India. Chief Executive Jensen Huang will meet with Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, at a conference in Mumbai to discuss this initiative. The new AI model was developed using a combination of real-world Hindi data, synthetic Hindi data, and equal amounts of English data. This allows businesses to utilize the model for creating their own AI applications, enhancing the technology's accessibility in the Indian market.

India will allocate satellite spectrum administratively, following global standards, Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia announced. This decision comes as a relief for Elon Musk, CEO of Starlink, who had criticized spectrum auctions, a method supported by telecom giants Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. Musk expressed gratitude, stating, "Much appreciated! We will do our best to serve the people of India with Starlink." He believes the administrative allocation will facilitate Starlink’s expansion in rural India, improving internet access. The decision aligns with international practices, avoiding auction fees and promoting satellite-based internet services.

India secured a 2-0 series sweep over Bangladesh in the Kanpur Test, winning by 7 wickets despite losing two days to rain. Yashasvi Jaiswal's half-century and a stellar bowling performance by Jasprit Bumrah (3-17) and Ravindra Jadeja (3-50) helped India chase a modest 95-run target on Day 5. Bangladesh, coming off a historic series in Pakistan, struggled to maintain momentum, collapsing to 146 in their second innings. India now leads the World Test Championship standings, strengthening their chances of a third consecutive final appearance.

The Indian government has blocked several websites found leaking sensitive personal data, including Aadhaar and PAN card details. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) filed a police complaint regarding the public exposure of Aadhaar data, violating the Aadhaar Act 2016. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) stated that cybersecurity and personal data protection are top priorities. CERT-In identified security flaws in the websites and issued guidelines to strengthen their IT infrastructure. Affected individuals can seek compensation under the IT Act. An awareness program will be launched to promote responsible data use.

Indian-origin entrepreneur Advait Paliwal, based in San Francisco, has developed a wearable device called Iris, which captures photographs every minute, offering users a visual record of their daily life. The device, resembling an evil eye pendant, features a camera at its center and is worn around the neck. Using Artificial Intelligence (AI), Iris not only captures these images but also organizes and captions them, helping users recall forgotten moments. Photos can be stored on the device or uploaded to the cloud. Paliwal highlights Iris as a tool to create an “infinite memory” for users, enhancing personal memory retention.

The use of AI is transforming the dead-celebrity industry, with estates generating significant revenue. Michael Jackson's estate, despite being $500 million in debt at the time of his death, has earned $2 billion due to AI-driven projects. James Dean, Judy Garland, and others now narrate books through AI voice-cloning startup ElevenLabs. AI has also recreated digital versions of stars like Paul Walker and Peter Cushing. With ongoing demand for AI-generated content, experts predict this could become a primary revenue source for deceased celebrities' estates within five years.

TikTok argued in a Washington DC appeals court that a US law forcing it to sell its US operations or face a ban would have a "staggering" impact on free speech. The law, aimed at addressing data security concerns over TikTok's links to China, was called unconstitutional by TikTok’s lawyer, Andrew Pincus. He emphasized that TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, is not controlled by China. The US Department of Justice countered, citing national security risks. The case, involving 170 million US users, could reach the Supreme Court, with concerns over global free speech at stake.

Indian engineers have made groundbreaking contributions across various industries, quietly revolutionizing technology and healthcare worldwide. Amar Bose created the first noise-cancelling headphones, transforming the audio industry. Ajay Bhatt led the invention of the USB and AGP, while Krishna Bharat built Google News, an automated news aggregator. Vinod Dham, the 'Father of the Pentium Processor,' co-invented Intel’s first flash memory technology. Nitesh Kumar Jangir invented 'Saans,' a neonatal breathing device saving premature babies, and Arogyaswami Paulraj developed MIMO, revolutionizing wireless broadband access for billions.

Tech giants like Apple, Dell, and IBM have laid off over 27,000 employees amid an industry shift toward AI and cybersecurity. Companies such as Cisco and Intel are also restructuring due to declining IT product demand and a focus on emerging technologies. As traditional IT skills lose relevance, the layoffs underscore the need for upskilling in fields like AI, cloud computing, and data analytics. Experts suggest IT professionals should proactively learn new skills to remain competitive in this rapidly evolving landscape, as adaptability will be key to career survival and advancement.