WhatsApp is rolling out new features to combat scams, including safety overviews for group chats and alerts for individual chats with unknown contacts. The company has also taken down over 6.8 million accounts linked to scam centers. The new group chat feature provides key information and safety tips when someone not in your contacts adds you to a group. For individual chats, WhatsApp is testing alerts to caution users when starting a conversation with someone not in their contacts. WhatsApp also collaborated with OpenAI to disrupt scam efforts originating from a scam center in Cambodia, where scammers used ChatGPT to generate initial messages.

WhatsApp advises users to verify the legitimacy of requests, question if they make sense, and confirm the identity of individuals claiming to be friends or family.

The European Union's Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AI Act) is designed to establish a uniform legal framework for AI across EU countries, promoting the free movement of AI-based goods and services. It applies to both local and foreign companies involved in AI development and deployment.

The EU AI Act aims to foster trustworthy AI while protecting health, safety, fundamental rights, and environmental protection. It adopts a risk-based approach, banning unacceptable risk use cases, regulating high-risk uses, and applying lighter obligations to limited-risk scenarios.

The rollout of the EU AI Act began on August 1, 2024, with staggered compliance deadlines. As of August 2, 2025, it applies to general-purpose AI models with systemic risk (GPAI). Penalties for non-compliance can be significant, reaching up to €35 million or 7% of annual turnover for prohibited AI applications.

Some tech companies have expressed concerns about the EU AI Act, fearing it could hinder AI development and deployment in Europe. However, many companies, including Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, have signed the voluntary GPAI code of practice.

Google's NotebookLM, an AI note-taking app, is now available to Google Workspace for Education users of any age and consumers ages 13 and up. The update removes prior age restrictions, expanding access to AI-powered research tools to younger students.

Students can now use features like Audio Overviews, interactive Mind Maps, and Video Overviews to better understand class materials. Google says NotebookLM enforces stricter content policies for users under 18 and will not use their data for AI training.

The change follows OpenAI’s introduction of a study mode for ChatGPT, indicating increased competition in the AI education sector.

Cisco has disclosed a data breach that occurred on July 24th, resulting from a voice phishing (vishing) attack. A cybercriminal impersonated a trusted entity and tricked a Cisco representative into providing access to a third-party cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) system.

The attacker then exported a subset of basic profile information belonging to Cisco.com users. The compromised data includes names, organization names, addresses, Cisco-assigned user IDs, email addresses, phone numbers, and account-related metadata such as account creation dates.

Cisco has not specified the number of affected users. This breach resembles a series of attacks targeting companies' Salesforce data, potentially impacting Cisco, a known Salesforce customer.

Spotify is expanding access to its audiobooks service in the U.S. with the launch of the Audiobooks+ plan, priced at $11.99 per month. This plan allows subscribers on Family or Duo plans to add 15 hours of audiobook listening per month. The offering makes audiobooks available to household members for the first time in the U.S. market.

The Audiobooks+ plan gives subscribers the option to add on recurring access to 15 additional hours every month, on top of the Premium plan’s existing monthly allotment. The U.S. joins other markets with access to Audiobooks+, including Ireland, Canada, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.

This expansion comes after a tough quarter for Spotify, where it missed expectations and reported weak guidance. However, active users grew 11% to 696 million, and paid subscribers grew 12% to 276 million during the second quarter. Spotify aims to extract more money from existing customers with the new plan. In December, HarperCollins teased a solution for household members' inability to access audiobooks. Last month, Spotify expanded audiobook access to plan members with the launch of Audibooks+ in several non-U.S. markets.

Audiobook listening hours are up more than 35% year-over-year in the U.S., U.K., and Australia. Spotify also announced that its subscription prices are increasing from €10,99 to €11,99 across markets in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region. Spotify says it will experiment with other options for book fans in the future, including direct sales.

Indian startup Jeh Aerospace, founded by Vishal Sanghavi and Venkatesh Mudragalla, secured $11 million in Series A funding to scale the production of metallic components for aero engines and aerostructures. The company aims to ease global supply chain bottlenecks and establish India as a key destination for aerospace component manufacturing.

Jeh Aerospace's approach involves:

• Using a software-based, precision manufacturing facility in Hyderabad.
• Combining precision machinery, robotics, and IoT to reduce product introduction lead times.
• Focusing on Tier 1 and Tier 2 manufacturers in the supply chain.
• Building deep relationships with fewer, high-value customers.

The company has experienced significant growth, delivering over 100,000 flight-critical components and tools, reaching $6 million in annualized recurring revenue (ARR), and achieving profitability after taxes. Jeh Aerospace plans to use the new capital to invest in next-generation digital production technologies.

The founders aim to strengthen India's position in the global aerospace market, taking advantage of increased sourcing from companies like Airbus and Boeing. The company's advisory team includes former executives from Boeing India and Airbus India.