Kiwi.com has unveiled an AI-powered system that enables direct airline bookings, partnering with AIpic to launch the industry’s first Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. However, this technology links flight inventory directly with major AI platforms.
MCP is an open standard likened to a ‘USB-C for AI’. It lets large language models access real-time services beyond their pre-trained data. The access enables AI agents to search and book flights on a user’s behalf.
Kiwi.com says the technology positions it to capture growing demand, as consumers increasingly use AI platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and Microsoft Copilot to plan travel. Experts anticipate that agentic AI systems will become the dominant interface for online services.
With MCP, users can request flights in natural language, specifying dates, destinations, passenger numbers, and cabin preferences. The AI agent accesses Kiwi.com’s inventory, returning curated results in the user’s preferred currency and time zone and an instant booking link.
The company considers the integration a new distribution channel and a potential model for other online travel agencies. It adapts to changing search and booking behaviours driven by AI.
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US law enforcement, alongside nine other nations, dismantled the BlackSuit ransomware gang’s infrastructure, replacing its leak site with a takedown notice after a coordinated operation. The group, formerly known as Royal, had amassed over $370 million in ransoms since 2022.
More than 450 victims were targeted across critical infrastructure sectors, with ransom demands soaring up to $60 million. Dallas suffered severe disruption in a notable attack, affecting emergency services and courts.
German authorities seized key infrastructure, securing data that is now under analysis to identify further collaborators. The operation also included confiscating servers, domains and digital assets used for extortion and money laundering.
New research indicates that members of BlackSuit may already be shifting to a new ransomware operation called Chaos. US agencies seized $2.4 million in cryptocurrency linked to a Chaos affiliate, marking a significant blow to evolving cybercrime efforts.
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Tesla has reportedly shut down its Dojo supercomputer project following multiple high-profile departures, including that of project head Peter Bannon. CEO Elon Musk ended the AI chip programme, reassigning the remaining staff to other data centre projects.
Dojo aimed to process vehicle data for autonomous driving and reduce Tesla’s reliance on Nvidia and AMD. The project faced delays, with leaders such as Jim Keller, Ganesh Venkataramanan, and Bannon departing before its closure.
About 20 former Dojo employees have joined DensityAI, a stealth startup founded by ex-Tesla staff, which is expected to work on AI chips for robots and data centres. Tesla will now rely more on Nvidia, AMD, and Samsung.
Samsung recently secured a $16.5 billion deal to supply AI chips for Tesla’s self-driving cars, robots, and data centres. Musk said Samsung’s Texas factory will produce Tesla’s AI6 chips, with AI5 chips to be made in 2026.
Musk suggested that combining AI5 and AI6 chips could form a ‘Dojo 3’ system, while Dojo 2 would not launch. The shutdown comes as Tesla restructures, with executive exits, job cuts, and renewed focus on AI integration across Musk’s companies.
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GitHub’s CEO, Thomas Dohmke, envisions a future where developers no longer write code by hand but oversee AI agents that generate it. He highlights that many developers already use AI tools to assist with coding tasks.
Early adoption began with debugging, boilerplate and code snippets, and evolved into collaborative brainstorming and iterative prompting with AI. Developers are now learning to treat AI tools like partners and guide their ‘thought processes’.
According to interviews with 22 developers, half expect AI to write around 90 percent of their code within two years, while the rest foresee that happening within five. The shift is seen as a change from writing to verifying and refining AI-generated work.
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OpenAI’s new GPT‑5 model has been unveiled, and the company offers it free to all users. Three model versions, gpt‑5, gpt‑5‑mini and gpt‑5‑nano, offer developers a balance of performance, cost and latency.
CEO Sam Altman applauded India’s rapid AI adoption and hinted that India, currently OpenAI’s second‑largest market, may soon become the largest. A visit to India is planned for September.
The new GPT‑5 achieves a level of expertise akin to a PhD‑level professional and is described as a meaningful step towards AGI. OpenAI intends to make the model notably accessible through its free tier.
Head of ChatGPT Nick Turley noted that GPT‑5 significantly enhances understanding across more than twelve Indian languages, reinforcing India as a key market for localisation.
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OpenAI has launched GPT-5, replacing previous ChatGPT models and removing the model picker option. CEO Sam Altman called it a PhD-level AI, claiming improvements in reasoning, writing, coding, accuracy, and health-related queries, with fewer hallucinations. The rollout followed right after the announcement.
GPT-5 includes both an efficient and a reasoning model, but users no longer choose which to engage, OpenAI’s system automatically routes queries. The change has frustrated many, as favourite models like GPT-4o and o3 are no longer available.
Users on social media and forums complain that GPT-5 gives shorter, less engaging answers and has less personality. Some say the model ignores instructions, gets basic things wrong, and is slower despite not running in ‘thinking mode’.
Several users allege OpenAI shortened responses deliberately to reduce costs, removing emotional intelligence to discourage casual chatting. Critics believe the move could result in lost subscriptions despite efficiency gains.
Others describe GPT-5 as more organised but clipped in tone, with no clear quality improvement over earlier models. The loss of previous models has left some feeling that the upgrade is a downgrade, with one user saying it feels like ‘watching a close friend die’.
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Over 1.2 million internet-connected healthcare devices and systems that expose patient data have been identified in research by Modat. The United States, South Africa, and Australia topped the list, with vulnerable systems including MRI scanners, CT machines, and hospital management platforms.
Using its Modat Magnify platform, the company identified misconfigurations, weak passwords, and unpatched software as common risks. Some devices had no authentication, while others used factory-default passwords such as ‘admin’ or ‘123456’. Sensitive MRI, dental X-ray, and blood test records were accessed.
Modat worked with Health-ISAC and Dutch CERT Z-CERT for responsible disclosure, alerting organisations to secure exposed systems. CEO Soufian El Yadmani said devices should never be open to the internet without safeguards, warning that remote access must be secure.
The research stressed that healthcare cybersecurity is a patient safety issue. Outdated or unprotected devices could enable fraud, extortion, or network breaches. Regular security checks, asset inventories, and monitoring were recommended to reduce risks.
Founded in 2024, Modat uses its Device DNA dataset to catalogue internet-connected devices globally. It aims to help healthcare and other sectors close the gap between rising cyber threats and effective resilience.
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The Browser Company has introduced a $20 monthly Pro subscription for Dia, its AI-powered web browser, offering unlimited access to advanced chat and skills features.
Free users will now encounter limits on AI usage, although light users engaging with AI a few times a week can still use the browser without paying. CEO Josh Miller mentioned plans to launch multiple subscription tiers, ranging from $5 to several hundred dollars, based on different feature sets.
The Pro plan was briefly available online before being removed, but it is now accessible again through Dia’s settings. It marks The Browser Company’s first paid offering following its previous success with the Arc browser.
The Browser Company has secured $128 million in funding from investors, including Pace Capital and several prominent tech leaders such as Jeff Weiner and Dylan Field.
The launch comes amid intensifying competition in the AI browser space, with rivals like Perplexity’s Comet, Opera’s upcoming Neon browser, and AI integrations from Google and Microsoft vying for user attention.
The Browser Company’s subscription model aims to capitalise on growing interest in AI-enhanced browsing experiences.
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US Texas-based company Fintiv, which provides mobile financial services, has filed a legal complaint against Apple, alleging that it stole trade secrets from its predecessor, CorFire, to develop Apple Pay.
The complaint claims that Apple employees held several meetings with CorFire to discuss the implementation of CorFire’s mobile wallet solutions and that CorFire had uploaded proprietary information to a shared site maintained by Apple.
According to the lawsuit, the two companies signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), giving Apple access to CorFire’s confidential information, which Apple allegedly misappropriated after abandoning plans for a partnership.
According to the IPWatchdog, Fintiv has been involved in ongoing litigation over its mobile wallet patents. Recently, it lost two key appeals: one against PayPal, which upheld the dismissal of its patent infringement claims, and another against Apple, in which the court confirmed specific patent claims were invalid.
However, in May, Fintiv secured a partial victory when the Federal Circuit reversed a lower court’s ruling that Apple did not infringe one of its patents (US Patent No. 8,843,125), allowing that part of the case to proceed. Apple had not commented publicly as of the article’s publication.
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Paying rent in Bitcoin is no longer a niche concept, with cities worldwide embracing digital currencies for property leases. Remote workers, nomads, and tenants seeking alternatives to traditional banking are finding it easier to settle monthly payments in Bitcoin.
Blockchain-powered rental platforms and smart contracts have brought speed, security, and transparency to the process, reducing disputes and enabling global accessibility.
Tenants and landlords can choose between direct Bitcoin transfers and indirect payments via third-party services. Direct payments offer lower fees and decentralisation but carry price volatility risks.
Indirect transactions convert cryptocurrency to fiat, protecting landlords from market swings and ensuring regulatory compliance. Both methods are gaining traction as awareness and infrastructure improve.
Cities leading the Bitcoin rental movement include Miami, Lisbon, Berlin, Toronto, and Paris. Each offers varying degrees of direct and intermediary-supported payments, catering to crypto-savvy tenants and forward-thinking landlords.
Beyond these hubs, hotspots like El Zonte in El Salvador and Rosario in Argentina showcase how crypto rentals are gaining ground in emerging markets.
For tenants, the appeal lies in avoiding costly currency conversions, accessing flexible housing, and navigating global moves without banking hurdles.
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