TechCapsules

India is transitioning from a technology importer to a creator, with public research institutions, corporate R&D, and deep‑tech startups driving growth in semiconductors, communications, space, and healthcare. Patent filings have risen, and indigenous products are emerging, yet R&D spending remains low and commercialisation weak. Talent shortages and limited research capacity hinder full market penetration. Government policy pushes for innovation, but stronger industry‑research links, technology transfer mechanisms, and support for frontier technologies are needed to close gaps and [...]

VIT’s annual technology festival, graVITas’26, opened its second day with 227 events and an expected 40,000 participants. Students from mechanical, electronics, electrical, and communication engineering showcased projects in robo wars, drone racing, toycathon, big band theory, and map quest. Robo wars featured 15‑kg and 60‑kg categories, requiring teams to repair damaged robots within 20 minutes. Drone teams navigated obstacle courses over 200 m, with speed and precision determining winners. The fest also hosted a capital‑hunt startup pitch, attracting [...]

Microsoft updated Windows 11’s long‑standing Mouse Indicator in Insider Preview Build 26340.9502, released September 18 2026. The new animation is smoother and can be triggered by a single or double Ctrl press. Users can now keep the indicator visible until they press Esc or click, a feature previously unavailable. The update is accessed via Settings > Accessibility > Mouse pointer and touch. PowerToys’ Find My Mouse remains more configurable, but the built‑in tool now matches modern UI standards.

Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro Max introduces a variable aperture on its 48‑megapixel main camera, offering five physical f‑stops (ƒ/1.48, ƒ/1.8, ƒ/2.8, ƒ/4.0 and Auto). The mechanism uses interlocked blades thinner than a human hair that slide to widen or narrow the opening, a first for iPhone hardware. Only the main lens receives this capability; the 4× telephoto (ƒ/2.8) and ultrawide (ƒ/2.2) remain fixed. In real‑world testing, the author observed noticeably improved low‑light performance and depth‑of‑field control, likening the effect [...]

Vals, a San Francisco AI‑benchmarking startup founded in 2024, raised $40 million in a Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz after an earlier seed round from 8VC and Bloomberg Beta. Co‑founder Rayan Krishnan, a former Palantir intern and Stanford AI lab student, says the company was created to address outdated public benchmarks that can be gamed by model developers. Vals offers private, industry‑specific tests—covering law, finance, coding and emerging areas such as mental‑health, cybersecurity and the law of armed [...]

Meta’s Connect 2026 conference will showcase a range of new hardware, most notably camera‑free smart glasses and the mixed‑reality “Phoenix” device. Rumors suggest the glasses will replace front‑facing cameras with additional microphones, allowing users to interact with Meta’s AI assistant while avoiding privacy backlash tied to “creepy” camera‑glass narratives. Ray‑Ban has hinted at upcoming Meta‑branded eyewear that could belong to a third‑generation line, possibly featuring dual‑lens displays for richer interaction. The Phoenix headset, long‑speculated, appears to be [...]

iOS 27 has rolled out to all supported iPhones, promising a noticeable speed boost across more than 30 system areas. Apple says the update, compatible with devices as old as the iPhone 11, delivers up to 30 percent faster app launches, a figure derived from internal tests on the iPhone 11 Pro Max versus iOS 26.4.2. The company highlighted broader refinements that make everyday tasks feel smoother, citing bug fixes and a complete Siri overhaul as part of the performance push. Analysts note [...]

In a new filing, The New York Times alleges that OpenAI copied millions of copyrighted articles without permission while training its AI models, accusing the firm and its partner Microsoft of “transgressive and deceptive” methods to bypass paywalls. The lawsuit, part of a broader wave of copyright actions against AI developers, seeks billions in damages and argues that OpenAI’s data collection was driven by commercial motives, citing a 2017 statement by co‑founder Greg Brockman about financial rewards. The [...]