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Google to Pay AU$55 Million for Anticompetitive Deals with Australian Telcos

August 18, 2025August 18, 2025 by educatekaroin News, Government & Policy, TechLeave a Comment

Google has agreed to pay a AU$55 million (US$36 million) fine following regulatory action by Australia’s ACCC for anti-competitive agreements with major telecom companies Telstra and Optus. Between December 2019 and March 2021, Google arranged deals that required these carriers to pre-install only Google Search on Android phones, blocking rival search engines. This practice limited competition and consumer choice. Google admitted the agreements substantially lessened market competition and has pledged to remove such restrictions in future contracts. The Federal Court will soon decide on the penalty’s approval. This resolution aligns with broader efforts to foster competition amid the rise of AI search technologies.

US Approves OpenAI, Google, Anthropic for AI Developer Contracts

August 5, 2025August 5, 2025 by educatekaroin News, AI, Government & Policy, TechLeave a Comment

The U.S. government has added OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic to its list of approved AI vendors. Through a revamped Multiple Awards Schedule, federal agencies can now access these leading AI platforms using pre-negotiated contracts, easing procurement and accelerating digital transformation. This move signals a major shift in how governments work with cutting-edge AI tools and the growing recognition of generative AI’s transformative potential across public services.

STAN Raises $8.5M to Challenge Discord in India’s Gaming Community

August 2, 2025August 2, 2025 by educatekaroin News, Apps, Funding, game, TechLeave a Comment

Indian mobile gaming platform STAN has raised $8.5 million in a Series A round led by Google’s AI Futures Fund and top Japanese gaming firms. With 25 million downloads and rapid product-driven growth, STAN now supports 5.5 million monthly users and has scaled revenues to $7.87 million in FY25. The funding will support expansion to other mobile-first markets and boost its AI-powered personalization and blockchain-based gamer profiles. In a booming Indian gaming market expected to hit $9.1 billion by 2029, STAN stands out with voice clubs and mobile-focused features targeting tier-2/3 cities.

Google Unveils Gemini 2.5 Deep Think: Advanced Multi-Agent AI Launched

August 1, 2025August 1, 2025 by educatekaroin News, AI, TechLeave a Comment

Google has launched Gemini 2.5 Deep Think, its most advanced multi-agent AI model, exclusively for AI Ultra subscribers. Priced at $249.99/month, Deep Think sets a new benchmark in parallel reasoning, outperforming OpenAI and xAI on tests like Humanity’s Last Exam and LiveCodeBench V6. The model’s unique parallel thinking allows it to explore multiple solutions at once, boosting problem-solving power, especially in math and coding challenges. While a research variant won gold at the 2025 International Mathematical Olympiad, the consumer version delivers faster, bronze-level performance on similar tasks.

Google Commits $6 Billion to Asia’s Largest Data Center in Andhra Pradesh

July 31, 2025July 31, 2025 by educatekaroin News, Business, TechLeave a Comment

Google is investing $6 billion to build a 1-gigawatt hyperscale data center in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, marking the largest such facility in Asia by capacity and investment. This project includes a $2 billion allocation for renewable energy to sustainably power the data center, supporting India’s growing digital infrastructure needs. The investment aligns with Google’s global $75 billion expansion plan across Asia, also involving countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. Andhra Pradesh aims to develop 6 gigawatts of data center capacity over five years, bolstered by new high-capacity cable landing stations enhancing connectivity and regional tech growth.

Bitcoin Nears Double YoY as Wall Street & Washington Fuel Surge

July 15, 2025July 15, 2025 by educatekaroin News, AI, Funding, TechLeave a Comment

Bitcoin has nearly doubled in value over the past year, recently touching $123K before settling around $116K. Unlike past rallies, this surge is being driven by growing institutional demand, massive ETF inflows, and rising adoption from major firms like BlackRock and GameStop. Spot Bitcoin ETFs traded on U.S. exchanges have now amassed more than $150 billion in assets. Meanwhile, Congress is actively discussing crypto regulation during “Crypto Week,” with bills that may reshape the legal landscape. The proposed Clarity Act could finally provide clear oversight, giving the CFTC control over digital commodities like Bitcoin — paving the way for broader institutional involvement.

Credit: CNBC

Rwazi Raises $12M to Bring Real-Time Consumer Insights to Global Brands

July 15, 2025July 15, 2025 by educatekaroin News, AI, Funding, TechLeave a Comment

After years of struggling to find accurate data on global consumer behavior, Joseph Rutakangwa launched Rwazi in 2021 to solve the problem. The startup has now secured $12 million in Series A funding led by Bonfire Ventures. Rwazi offers companies real-time, voluntarily shared data directly from consumers — also known as zero-party data—instead of relying on outdated reports or surveys. With operations in 190+ countries and clients like Coca-Cola and Visa, the company plans to scale its AI tools and expand its engineering team to better serve global markets.

Credit: TechCrunch

Joby Aviation Doubles eVTOL Facility Size, Eyes 2026 Launch

July 15, 2025July 15, 2025 by educatekaroin News, Startup, TechLeave a Comment

Joby Aviation has expanded its pilot manufacturing facility in Marina, California, to 435,500 sq. ft., doubling production capacity as it prepares to launch electric air taxis (eVTOLs) commercially. The upgraded site can now produce up to 24 aircraft annually and will support pilot training, testing, and FAA certification. Backed by Toyota’s $500M investment, Joby is also developing a larger facility in Dayton, Ohio, capable of building 500 aircraft yearly. A sixth Joby aircraft has just earned airworthiness certification. The company will start from Dubai for its first trials in 2026, followed by a U.S. rollout.

Credit: TechCrunch

Cognition Acquires Windsurf to Boost AI Engineering Future

July 15, 2025July 15, 2025 by educatekaroin News, AI, Business, Funding, TechLeave a Comment

Cognition has officially acquired Windsurf, the agentic IDE, bringing in its product, IP, brand, and talented team. With $82M ARR, 350+ enterprise clients, and a rapidly growing user base, Windsurf strengthens Cognition’s mission to revolutionize software engineering. The Windsurf team will continue operations for now, while their tools and IP will soon integrate into Cognition’s offerings like Devin. Notably, all Windsurf employees will benefit financially and receive full equity vesting. This move signals a major leap toward the future of autonomous software development, positioning Cognition as a powerful force in the evolving AI engineering landscape.

Credit: TechCrunch

Windsurf Deal Slips From OpenAI’s Grasp, Google Wins in the AI Talent War!

July 15, 2025July 15, 2025 by educatekaroin News, AI, Business, Funding, TechLeave a Comment

In a surprise twist, OpenAI’s $3B deal to acquire AI coding startup Windsurf has collapsed — and Google swooped in smartly. Instead of buying the company, Google acqui-hired key Windsurf talent, including CEO Varun Mohan, for $2.4B. They also secured a non-exclusive license to Windsurf’s tech. The rest of Windsurf stays independent under a new interim CEO. This clever move gives Google DeepMind top AI coding brains without full acquisition hassles. Meanwhile, OpenAI is left empty-handed. The race for elite AI talent is heating up, and Google just played a masterstroke.

Credit: CNBC