Digital cooperation

Samsung and Chinese brands prepare Max rollout

Russia has been pushing for its state-backed messenger Max to be pre-installed on all smartphones sold in the country since September 2025. Chinese and South Korean manufacturers, including Samsung and Xiaomi, are reportedly preparing to comply, though official confirmation is still pending.

The Max platform, developed by VK (formerly Vkontakte), offers messaging, audio and video calls, file transfers, and payments. It is set to replace VK Messenger on the mandatory app list, signalling a shift away from foreign apps like Telegram and WhatsApp.

Integration may occur via software updates or prompts when inserting a Russian SIM card.

Concerns have arisen over potential surveillance, as Max collects sensitive personal data backed by the Russian government. Critics fear the platform may monitor users, reflecting Moscow’s push to control encrypted communications.

The rollout reflects Russia’s broader push for digital sovereignty. While companies navigate compliance, the move highlights the increasing tension between state-backed applications and widely used foreign messaging services in Russia.

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Pixel Care+ launches for Pixel, Fitbit, and Pixel Watch devices

Google has launched Pixel Care+, a new device protection programme that replaces Preferred Care and Fi Device Protection in the US. Existing subscribers will be transitioned to the new plan over the coming months.

The programme offers unlimited accidental damage claims, extended warranty coverage, and $0 repairs for screen, battery, and malfunction issues. It also guarantees genuine Google parts, priority support, and optional theft and loss protection.

Subscribers benefit from free upgraded shipping on replacements, including next-day delivery. Pricing varies by device, with Pixel Care+ for the Pixel 10 costing $10 per month or $199 for two years.

Pixel Care+ is available for Pixel 8 and newer devices, as well as Pixel Watch 2, Pixel Tablet, and Fitbit models, including Ace LTE, Versa 4, Sense 2, Charge 6, and Inspire 3. Users must enrol within 60 days of purchase.

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Europe adds 12 new unicorn startups in first half of 2025

Funding season is restarting in Europe, with investors expecting to add several new unicorns in the coming months. Despite fewer mega-rounds than in 2021, a dozen startups passed the $1 billion mark in the first half of 2025.

AI, biotech, defence technology, and renewable energy are among the sectors attracting major backing. Recent unicorns include Lovable, an AI coding firm from Sweden, UK-based Fuse Energy, and Isar Aerospace from Germany.

London-based Isomorphic Labs, spun out of DeepMind, raised $600 million to enter unicorn territory. In biotech, Verdiva Bio hit unicorn status after a $410 million Series A, while Neko Health reached a $1.8 billion valuation.

AI and automation continue to drive investor appetite. Dublin’s Tines secured a $125 million Series C at a $1.125 billion valuation, and German AI customer service startup Parloa raised $120 million at a $1 billion valuation.

Dual-use drone companies also stood out. Portugal-based Tekever confirmed its unicorn status with plans for a £400 million UK expansion, while Quantum Systems raised €160 million to scale its AI-driven drones globally.

Film-streaming platform Mubi and encryption startup Zama also joined the unicorn club, showing the breadth of sectors gaining traction. With Bristol, Manchester, Munich, and Stockholm among the hotspots, Europe’s tech ecosystem continues to diversify.

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Generative AI music takes ethical turn with Beatoven.ai’s Maestro launch

Beatoven.ai has launched Maestro, a generative AI model for instrumental music that will later expand to vocals and sound effects. The company claims it is the first fully licensed AI model, ensuring royalties for artists and rights holders.

Trained on licensed datasets from partners such as Rightsify and Symphonic Music, Maestro avoids scraping issues and guarantees attribution. Beatoven.ai, with two million users and 15 million tracks generated, says Maestro can be fine-tuned for new genres.

The platform also includes tools for catalogue owners, allowing labels and publishers to analyse music, generate metadata, and enhance back-catalogue discovery. CEO Mansoor Rahimat Khan said Maestro builds an ‘AI-powered music ecosystem’ designed to push creativity forward rather than mimic it.

Industry figures praised the approach. Ed Newton-Rex of Fairly Trained said Maestro proves AI can be ethical, while Musical AI’s Sean Power called it a fair licensing model. Beatoven.ai also plans to expand its API into gaming, film, and virtual production.

The launch highlights the wider debate over licensing versus scraping. Scraping often exploits copyrighted works without payment, while licensed datasets ensure royalties, higher-quality outputs, and long-term trust. Advocates argue that licensing offers a more sustainable and fairer path for GenAI music.

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Global agencies and the FBI issue a warning on Salt Typhoon operations

The FBI, US agencies, and international partners have issued a joint advisory on a cyber campaign called ‘Salt Typhoon.’

The operation is said to have affected more than 200 US companies across 80 countries.

The advisory, co-released by the FBI, the National Security Agency, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Department of Defence Cyber Crime Centre, was also supported by agencies in the UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, Italy and Japan.

According to the statement, Salt Typhoon has focused on exploiting network infrastructure such as routers, virtual private networks and other edge devices.

The group has been previously linked to campaigns targeting US telecommunications networks in 2024. It has also been connected with activity involving a US National Guard network, the advisory names three Chinese companies allegedly providing products and services used in their operations.

Telecommunications, defence, transportation and hospitality organisations are advised to strengthen cybersecurity measures. Recommended actions include patching vulnerabilities, adopting zero-trust approaches and using the technical details included in the advisory.

Salt Typhoon, also known as Earth Estrie and Ghost Emperor, has been observed since at least 2019 and is reported to maintain long-term access to compromised devices.

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Google boosts Virginia with $9 billion AI and cloud projects

Alphabet’s Google has confirmed plans to invest $9 billion in Virginia by 2026, strengthening the state’s role as a hub for data infrastructure in the US.

The focus will be on AI and cloud computing, positioning Virginia at the forefront of global technological competition.

The plan includes a new Chesterfield County facility and expansion at existing campuses in Loudoun and Prince William counties. These centres are part of the digital backbone that supports cloud services and AI workloads.

Dominion Energy will supply power for the new Chesterfield project, which may take up to seven years before it is fully operational.

The rapid growth of data centres in Virginia has increased concerns about energy demand. Google said it is working with partners on efficiency and power management solutions and funding community development.

Earlier in August, the company announced a $1 billion initiative to provide every college student in Virginia with one year of free access to its AI Pro plan and training opportunities.

Google’s move follows a broader trend in the technology sector. Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, and Meta are expected to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on AI-related projects, with much dedicated to new data centres.

Northern Virginia remains the boom’s epicentre, with Loudoun County earning the name’ Data Centre Alley’ because it has concentrated facilities.

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WhatsApp launches AI assistant for editing messages

Meta’s WhatsApp has introduced a new AI feature called Writing Help, designed to assist users in editing, rewriting, and refining the tone of their messages. The tool can adjust grammar, improve phrasing, or reframe a message in a more professional, humorous, or encouraging style before it is sent.

The feature operates through Meta’s Private Processing technology, which ensures that messages remain encrypted and private instead of being visible to WhatsApp or Meta.

According to the company, Writing Help processes requests anonymously and cannot trace them back to the user. The function is optional, disabled by default, and only applies to the chosen message.

To activate the feature, users can tap a small pencil icon that appears while composing a message.

In a demonstration, WhatsApp showed how the tool could turn ‘Please don’t leave dirty socks on the sofa’ into more light-hearted alternatives, including ‘Breaking news: Socks found chilling on the couch’ or ‘Please don’t turn the sofa into a sock graveyard.’

By introducing Writing Help, WhatsApp aims to make communication more flexible and engaging while keeping user privacy intact. The company emphasises that no information is stored, and AI-generated suggestions only appear if users decide to enable the option.

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AI tools underpin a new wave of ransomware

Avast researchers uncovered that the FunkSec ransomware group used generative AI tools to accelerate attack development.

While the malware was not fully AI-generated, AI aided in writing code, crafting phishing templates and enhancing internal tooling.

A subtle encryption flaw in FunkSec’s code became the decryption breakthrough. Avast quietly developed a free tool, bypassing the need for ransom payments and rescuing dozens of affected users in cooperation with law enforcement.

However, this marks one of the earliest recorded instances of AI being used in ransomware, targeting productivity and stealth. It demonstrates how cybercriminals are adopting AI to lower entry barriers and that forensic investigation and technical agility remain crucial defence tools.

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Insecure code blamed for 74 percent of company breaches

Nearly three-quarters of companies have experienced a security breach in the past year due to flaws in their software code.

According to a new SecureFlag study, 74% of organisations admitted to at least one incident caused by insecure code, with almost half suffering multiple breaches.

The report has renewed scrutiny of AI-generated code, which is growing in popularity across the industry. While some experts claim AI can outperform humans, concerns remain that these tools are reproducing insecure coding patterns at scale.

On the upside, companies are increasing developer security training. Around 44% provide quarterly updates, while 29% do so monthly.

Most use video tutorials and eLearning platforms, with a third hosting interactive events like capture-the-flag hacking games.

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US pushes chip manufacturing to boost AI dominance

Donald Trump’s AI Action Plan, released in July 2025, places domestic semiconductor manufacturing at the heart of US efforts to dominate global AI. The plan supports deregulation, domestic production and export of full-stack technology, positioning chips as critical to national power.

Lawmakers and tech leaders have previously flagged tracking chips post-sale as viable, with companies like Google already using such methods. Trump’s plan suggests adopting location tracking and enhanced end-use monitoring to ensure chips avoid blacklisted destinations.

Trump has pressed for more private sector investment in US fabs, reportedly using tariff threats to extract pledges from chipmakers like TSMC. The cost of building and running chip plants in the US remains significantly higher than in Asia, raising questions about sustainability.

America’s success in AI and semiconductors will likely depend on how well it balances domestic goals with global collaboration. Overregulation risks slowing innovation, while unilateral restrictions may alienate allies and reduce long-term influence.

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