University scheme to help firms ‘adopt robotics’:
A West Yorkshire university has received funding for a multimillion-pound robotics project to help companies use the technology to expand their businesses. The £3.67m Yorkshire Robotics Hub in Bradford is hoping to bridge the “automation gap”, the city’s university said, and has been partially funded by government body Innovate UK. The University of Bradford said the programme would help businesses “adopt robotics and automation technologies”, working with more than 300 manufacturers.
Garmin’s New $800 Golf Watch Tracks More Than Just Your Score:
Garmin has officially unveiled the Approach S72, its latest premium smartwatch designed specifically for golfers. The watch starts at $799.99 and will be available to order from October 9. The Approach S72 comes in 43mm and 47mm case sizes. Both versions feature a titanium bezel, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal lens, and Garmin’s new ComfortFit fabric band.
PTA Tells Users to Enable Another Setting on Phones:
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has advised mobile phone users to enable Wi-Fi Calling and check their 4G/LTE settings to improve connectivity and call quality in areas with weak signals. The authority said users may face difficulties making calls inside buildings, basements, and other places where mobile signals are weak.
Googlebook Laptops Are Here, but Intel Models Have a Catch:
Google’s new Googlebook laptops are starting to reach stores worldwide, offering a platform that combines Android technologies with some desktop foundations from ChromeOS. The laptops run Googlebook OS, which can run Android apps natively rather than placing them inside a separate container. Google has confirmed that Googlebook models using Intel x86 processors may have compatibility issues with some Android apps.
Xiaomi and Apple Devices Can Now Cross Sync Photos, Messages and More:
Xiaomi is expanding the way its phones work with Apple devices through HyperOS 4, adding deeper integration with iPhones, iPads, and Macs. The new features allow Xiaomi users to share photos, files, contacts, and web pages directly with an iPhone. HyperOS 4 also allows users to view cloud photo albums across both Xiaomi phones and iPhones.
TPL Insurance Becomes JazzSure as JazzWorld Strengthens its Insurance Platform:
JazzWorld has announced that TPL Insurance Limited has been renamed JazzSure Insurance Limited, strengthening the insurance business within its digital services platform. JazzSure is the underwriting engine powering insurance offerings across JazzWorld, including those available through JazzCash and FikrFree, while continuing to serve its existing customers. For households and small businesses, an unexpected illness, accident or loss can wipe out savings and disrupt years of progress. Yet insurance remains out of reach for many Pakistanis because of affordability, limited awareness and access. JazzSure aims to address these barriers by making protection easier to understand, more relevant to everyday needs and simpler to access.
PM Directs Ministries to Complete Digitization Within Deadlines:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed all federal ministries to complete data digitization within set deadlines and provide the information to a central national digital platform under the Digital Nation Pakistan program. Chairing a review meeting on Thursday, Sharif said a central national data center would help improve government services, make public facilities more accessible and support economic development by integrating data from government institutions and different sectors.
Lahore High Court Gets Petition to Ban Smart Glasses:
The Lahore High Court (LHC) has summoned senior government officials over their failure to submit responses in a petition seeking a ban on the sale of camera-equipped smart glasses in Pakistan. Chief Justice Aaliya Neelum, while hearing a petition filed by Nadira Bibi, expressed displeasure over the lack of replies despite notices being issued to the concerned authorities.
Apple Partners With LG for Major Smart Home Devices:
Apple has reportedly partnered with LG Electronics to develop a range of smart home products, including a video doorbell, thermostat, smart lock, temperature sensor, and several security cameras. The products are expected to work with Apple’s long-rumored smart home hub, which is reportedly set to launch next week.
Google Launches Playground to Let Anyone Build Games With AI:
Google has launched Playground, a new browser-based platform that lets users create custom games using AI prompts without needing coding experience. The experimental gaming platform is available starting today in the US for users aged 18 and older.
Spotify Audiobooks Are Coming to Pakistan This Year:
Spotify is bringing its audiobook service to Pakistan as part of a major expansion that will make audiobooks available in more than 180 markets by the end of 2026. Audiobooks are currently available in 22 markets. The expansion will allow Spotify’s 750 million users worldwide to stream or purchase books through the platform.
South Korea Says AI Was Used in Recent Bank Hacks:
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said AI models are believed to have been used in some recent cyberattacks against the country’s banks and called for new cybersecurity measures suited to the AI era. Speaking during a cabinet meeting, Lee said signs of AI use had appeared in some hacking incidents and urged authorities to quickly determine what happened, minimize the damage, and focus personnel and resources on the investigation.
Microsoft Unveils Hybrid Intelligence Strategy for Windows 11:
Microsoft has outlined a new Windows strategy built around “hybrid intelligence,” combining local and cloud AI so each task can run where it is most suitable while remaining under user and IT control. The strategy covers Windows 11, Copilot+ PCs, developer tools, and systems designed for local AI workloads. Microsoft has made Microsoft Execution Containers, or MXC, generally available on Windows 11.
Why did an OpenAI system hack Australia’s health system – and can it be stopped in the future?:
An OpenAI agent has gone “rogue” and “infiltrated” an Australian government website in what cyber-security experts are calling the first hack of its kind. But why did it take the government months to discover what happened – and could it happen again? The hack was carried out by an AI agent – an autonomous computer program that uses AI to complete a task with minimal human oversight. On 18 June one of OpenAI’s agents went rogue during a test exercise – the company has said it was supposed to “look up answers, and available statistics for questions about Australia during an internal evaluation”.
Nvidia-backed data centre firm scraps IPO as AI valuation concerns deepen:
Artificial intelligence (AI) data centre company Firmus has scrapped its plans for what would have been one of Australia’s biggest-ever stock market listings. The Nvidia-backed firm said it had made the decision due to “recent market volatility and prevailing market conditions” and that going public would not be in the company or shareholders’ best interests. Firmus had initially announced plans for a stock market debut that valued the company at more than $30bn (£22.65bn).
‘Careless use of AI is the real threat – not the ghost stories’:
Meredith Whittaker has little patience for the AI doom that dominates headlines – she thinks warnings of AI turning on humanity is a fear “not anchored in science”. “The risk is very real,” says the boss of the Signal Foundation, which runs the encrypted messaging app of the same name, “but it’s not the shiny ghost stories the wild-eyed boys are talking about”. Instead, she believes the more immediate danger is the technology being used carelessly. She cites an alleged incident, reported by Media, in which a chatbot used by US intelligence invented information about a Chinese vessel carrying nuclear material, reportedly leading the US to prepare a military response.
Why Elon Musk is taking on India’s richest man over Starlink:
Elon Musk has questioned whether billionaire Mukesh Ambani is the “real boss of India” as his satellite internet company Starlink struggles to secure final approval to launch in the country. The remark came a day after Musk accused unnamed powerful business interests of trying to block Starlink’s entry into India. He then singled out Ambani, whose Reliance conglomerate owns Jio, India’s biggest mobile network operator. India has rejected Musk’s allegations, saying its satellite communications rules are fair and non-discriminatory. Ambani and Reliance Group have not responded to Musk’s remarks.
Data centre raises noise and wildlife impact fears:
A huge data centre planned in a village near a nature reserve would generate “very high noise levels” without extensive measures to block it, experts have said. Plans have been submitted to South Norfolk Council for a 150 megawatt facility in Keswick on the edge of Norwich, which includes assessments of its potential environmental impact. The scheme is causing concern, with thousands of people signing a petition against it, due to fears it could harm neighbouring wildlife sites. But Norwich Apex Data Centre has defended the scheme, claiming assessments showed it would not harm protected areas like Marston Marshes.
UK robotics hubs to drive adoption of new tech:
Eight new Robotics Adoption Hubs are to be rolled out across the UK, the government has announced. The hubs will get £40m to offer advice and support to businesses and public services looking to use the latest technologies and switch to automation. One, in Newcastle, will help healthcare providers adopt robotic-assisted surgery while another, in Lincoln, will assist the farming and food industries with innovations such as automated fruit-picking machines. AI and Robotics Minister Kanishka Narayan said harnessing robotics “in every sector of our economy” could “speed up how we reindustrialise the UK”.
White House blocks Microsoft from foreign worker hiring programme:
Microsoft and several other technology firms have been barred by the White House from hiring skilled international workers on a permanent basis through a widely used visa programme. Vice President JD Vance on Thursday accused Microsoft alongside other firms of committing fraud through the use of the H-1B visa programme and a related process for workers from abroad to become permanent US residents. Vance claimed that Microsoft, one of the most valuable companies in the US, has been effectively replacing American workers with “foreign indentured servants.”
Asos hackers took more personal details than first revealed:
Asos has told its customers that hackers are in possession of detailed profiles of potentially millions of the online store’s users. It issued the update after Media News told the retailer it had been contacted by cyber criminals who said this week’s breach went beyond the “basic contact details” Asos previously said might have been accessed. Names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, customer numbers and dates of birth are now in the hands of criminals. One victim told the Media it was “very unsettling” that the hackers now know these things about her. The criminals also have access to the searches customers have made on the website. Terms like “reclaimed vintage”, “glamorous wide fit” and “Asos petite” are visible in the data.
Viral US TikToker praises South West takeaways:
A TikToker from Tennessee who became “obsessed” with British food has given his seal of approval to takeaway nosh in Devon and Cornwall. Kalani Smith, who goes by Kalani Ghost Hunter online, racks up millions of views posting his reviews on social media and he recently finished a tour of the South West. He sampled pasties, spicy spuds and a local ale on his visit – and he explained he learned the hard way about the jam and cream rivalry that remains a heavily contested point between the counties.
Chinese runner dropped by sponsor after riding bike during marathon:
A Chinese fitness influencer has been dropped by her sponsor after she apologised for riding a bicycle during the Berlin marathon. Sun Yuanyuan, known as Abeeeer on Chinese social media, had claimed a personal best during the event which was held in September. But an Instagram page dedicated to monitoring inaccurate or misleading race times posted by influencers published a picture which appeared to show Sun on a bicycle between the 35km and and 40km marks. Sun apologised and admitted to “breaking the rules”. Brooks, the running shoe company, has ended its sponsorship deal with her and her finish time has been disqualified by the marathon organisers.
MP criticises US tech firm over fake images no show:
A Suffolk MP has criticised a US tech firm after its no show at a New York City Council meeting to discuss putting in laws to regulate AI developers. Jess Asato is suing xAI in the UK after sexualised images of her were created by its AI chatbot tool, Grok. She is seeking damages from the company, owned by Elon Musk, for the misuse of her private information and breaches of data protection rules. Asato told the BBC that the failure of SpaceXAI – which owns xAI – to turn up at the hearing, despite being subpoenaed, demonstrated its “level of arrogance”. SpaceXAI has been contacted for comment.
AI chip boom pushes Samsung profits to record $80bn:
Samsung Electronics says it expects a nine-fold surge in its quarterly profits compared with a year earlier, driven by surging demand for memory chips used in artificial intelligence (AI) data centres. The tech giant estimates that its operating profit for the three months to the end of September will jump to 107.4tn won (£61bn; $80bn), its fourth quarter in a row of record earnings. Samsung is one of the world’s largest memory chip makers alongside local rival SK Hynix and Micron in the US, which produce chips crucial for AI firms like Nvidia. Samsung, which makes the Galaxy Fold and S26 smartphones, is also expected to get a boost from its latest folding devices that were launched in August.
Fuel prices added to Google Maps as petrol and diesel costs soar:
Google Maps will now show fuel prices to help motorists find cheaper petrol and diesel in the UK as costs continue to soar. From Thursday, a search for forecourts on the app will display their locations as well as their pricing, using data supplied via the government’s Fuel Finder scheme. It is a legal requirement for UK forecourts to add their prices to Fuel Finder within 30 minutes of changing them. It comes days after the price of diesel topped £2 per litre for the first time, which RAC policy head Simon Williams described as “a price threshold no one wanted to cross”.