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Google Pixel 9 series launched in India

Google announced the launch of its Pixel 9 series including the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and the Pixel 9 Pro XL in India and worldwide. The range will ship Android 14 out-of-the-box along with 7 years of guaranteed OS and security updates. The models come with advanced AI features and Gemini’s on-device AI model Nano. However, some features like the in-built VPN and satellite SOS will not be available in India. 

This is the first time ever that Google will be opening three walk-in centres for Pixel and Nest users in India, starting with Delhi and Bangalore while the Mumbai-based store will go live later. The Google Pixel 9 Pro and XL differ just slightly in terms of the screen sizes while being very similar otherwise. Both variants come in four different colours. All the models will be available on Flipkart as well as Reliance Digital and Croma for retail buyers which is also the first time this is happening in India. 

Intel sells stake in Arm

Intel has reportedly sold its $1.18 share stake in British chip firm Arm Holdings its regulatory filings for the second-quarter showed. The AI chipmaker has been struggling to find footing in the business and will be laying off more than 15% of its workforce and suspend its dividend as it tries to finance a recovery. The company would have raised about $146.7 million from the sale based on the price of Arm’s stock recently. 

Intel is trying to focus on investing in advanced AI chips while regaining lost ground to Nvidia and Taiwan’s TSMC, which is the world’s largest contract chipmaker. The company’s stock has fallen more than 59% of its value so far in 2024, dropping 26% on August 2 after the company announced its earnings and suspended dividend. Days later, the company’s shareholders filed a lawsuit against Intel and CEO Pat Gelsinger for misleading the internal state of the company. 

New Windows vulnerability leads to BSOD error

A report from cybersecurity company Fortra LLC has found a vulnerability in all versions of Windows 10 and 11 that could potentially lead to hackers triggering a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) error. A researcher demonstrated how the vulnerability could be exploited by proof-of-concept. The gap was caused by an improper validation of specified quantities in input data which means that the system failed to correctly check the values entered by the user. The researcher was able to craft specific values in a .BMF file which is a specific format. 

The BSOD error was last seen recently during the faulty update that was pushed by CrowdStrike leading to a Windows outage across the world that disrupted various critical industries. While the current vulnerability was found to be of a lower severity, there was some chance of a hack.