Digital Arrest Frauds: Cases of digital arrest scams have been on the rise in recent months. Many people across the country have lost their hard-earned money to fraudsters. In one such incident, a 40-year-old woman from Karnataka lost Rs 3.16 crore after falling victim to a well-planned digital arrest scam. As per police reports, fraudsters pretended to be law enforcement officers and tricked her into transferring the money to them under the pretext of a “digital arrest”. The woman got a call from a scammer claiming to be from the National Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP). The caller told her that a SIM card in her husband’s name was linked to illegal activities, and she needed to follow certain steps to clear her husband’s name. Over the next few days, more scammers called her. One even pretended to be a public prosecutor. They kept pressuring her to share her personal and financial information. They told her the money would be returned after a “verification process”. Believing them, the woman made several transfers between June 10 and June 27. The total amount she sent to the different bank accounts they gave her was Rs 3.16 crore. She finally discussed it with her children and realised that she had been scammed.  She then went to the authorities and filed a formal complaint. This is the case of a digital arrest scam. An investigation is being conducted, suspecting that a well-organized network of cybercriminals is behind it. What Is Digital Arrest Scam? The “Digital Arrest Scam” is a type of online fraud where criminals pretend to be police or government officials. Here’s how it generally works: — You get a call or message from scammers, often through WhatsApp, Skype, or other video call apps. — They pretend to be someone from official agencies like police, CBI, ED, RBI, etc. — They create fear by telling you that you or your family member has been involved in a serious crime.  — They might even show fake ID cards or arrest warrants. They say you’re under “digital arrest”. — They demand that you stay online and follow their instructions. — To “clear your name” or avoid arrest, they demand you transfer money to a specific account. — Sometimes, they use AI or manipulated videos to make it look like they are in a police station or official setting. — Their only goal is to scare you into giving them money or sensitive personal/financial information.

New Delhi: The Indian IT services sector is expected to experience a soft quarter growth (Q1FY26) despite the seasonal strength, according to a report released on Tuesday. IT companies’ earnings are expected to be mixed across the board with a very soft quarter for ER&D services companies on a quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) basis, Equirus Securities said in its report. The report is being prepared considering Infosys and Tech Mahindra among large-cap IT companies, and Zensar, Mphasis, and KPIT eClerx among mid-cap companies on a relative basis. The financial service firm sees some sort of modification in Infosys’s FY26 sales growth guidance and soft growth in the top six large-cap IT companies. “Infosys to guide for 1.0-3.25 per CC growth in US$ sales to largely factor incremental inorganic growth contribution of c. 0.4 per cent (earlier growth guidance of 0-3 per cent) with no change in its EBITM guidance of 20-22 per cent for FY26E,” the report said. “The top 6 large caps to register QoQ growth of (-) 2.6 per cent to (+) 1.4 per cent in US$ Sales in CC terms in 1Q1 FY26E. Equirus Securities expects high cross-currency tailwinds QoQ across top 6 large caps in the range of 120-230 bps QoQ,” it added. However, the firm expects a healthy sales performance from some of the midcap IT/BPO services companies. The financial research firm expects demand commentary to remain cautious. However, it believes that vendors are witnessing better demand tailwinds in BFSI. As per the report, TCS’s US$ revenue is expected to dip QoQ by 0.4 per cent in CC terms. Tepid growth is largely due to the expected ramp-down in the BSNL deal and some softness in sales growth in international markets. Equirus expects Wipro US$ sales to dip by 2.6 per cent QoQ in CC terms, while HCL Tech US$ revenue growth is expected to be 1.4 per cent QoQ. Tech Mahindra’s US$ sales to dip 0.8 per cent QoQ sales in CC terms considering seasonal softness in Comviva and continuing softness in demand from some of the hi-tech clients, according to the report.

OnePlus Nord 5 Series India Launch: OnePlus has expanded the Nord series with the launch of the OnePlus Nord 5 and Nord CE 5 smartphones alongside the OnePlus Buds 4 at its Summer Launch event. The OnePlus Nord 5 is offered Marble Sands, Phantom Grey, and Dry Ice colour options. Meanwhile, the OnePlus Nord CE 5 smartphone comes in Nexus Blue, Black Infinity and Marble Mist colour options in the market.  Adding further, the OnePlus Nord 5 smartphone comes powered by a Snapdragon processor, while the Nord CE 5 runs MediaTek chipset. It is the first Nord phone to come equipped with a Snapdragon 8 series chipset.   OnePlus Nord 5 Specifications The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, paired with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 3.1 storage for smooth multitasking and fast data access. It features a 6.83-inch AMOLED display with a sharp 2800 x 1272 pixel resolution and an ultra-smooth 144Hz refresh rate, along with 3840Hz PWM dimming for reduced eye strain and Gorilla Glass 7i protection for durability. On the photography, the smartphone supports  50MP main camera with both optical and electronic image stabilization, accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide lens. For selfies and video calls, it houses a 50MP Samsung ISOCELL JN5 sensor capable of shooting 4K videos.  The phone is powered by a massive 6,800mAh battery with support for 80W SuperVOOC fast charging, along with reverse charging and a bypass charging mode designed for gamers. Moreover, the smartphone comes with additional features which includes dual stereo speakers, a USB-C port, Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 6, NFC, and an in-display fingerprint scanner.   OnePlus Nord CE 5 Specifications The device is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 chipset, paired with 12GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage, ensuring responsive performance and ample space for apps and media. It sports a 6.77-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate for fluid visuals and an immersive viewing experience. On the photography, it features a 50MP main sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, and a 16MP front-facing camera for selfies and video calls. The handset is powered by a 7,100mAh battery, backed by 80W SuperVOOC fast charging for quick top-ups. On the connectivity front, the smartphone supports Bluetooth 5.4 and a USB-C port, though the device does not include NFC support. OnePlus Nord 5, Nord CE 5 And OnePlus Buds 4 Price In India The OnePlus Nord 5 starts at Rs 31,999, with a net effective price of Rs 29,999. The top-end variant featuring 12GB RAM and 512GB storage is available for Rs 35,999 after discounts. Customers can also benefit from a Rs 2,000 instant discount on select bank credit cards and enjoy up to six months of no-cost EMI. Meanwhile, the OnePlus Nord CE 5 is priced at Rs 24,999 for the 8GB + 256GB base model, with an effective price of Rs 22,999. The 12GB + 256GB version comes at an effective price of Rs 26,999. As for the OnePlus Buds 4, they retail at Rs 6,000 but can be purchased for Rs 5,499 after discounts. OnePlus Nord 5 Series And OnePlus Buds 4 Availability  The OnePlus Nord 5 and OnePlus Buds 4 will go on sale on 9 July at 12 p.m., while the OnePlus Nord CE 5 will be available starting 12 July at 12 a.m. All three products will be available across multiple platforms, including the OnePlus India website, OnePlus Store app, Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, and major offline retailers such as OnePlus Experience Stores, Reliance Digital, Croma, Vijay Sales, and Bajaj Electronics.

New Delhi: Elon Musk-owned X said it was directed by the Indian government to block more than 2,300 accounts, including the official handles of global news agency Reuters. According to the X’s Global Government Affairs handle, on July 3, 2025, the Indian government ordered X to block 2,355 accounts in India, including international news outlets like Reuters and ReutersWorld, under Section 69A of the IT Act. “Non-compliance risked criminal liability. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology demanded immediate action- within one hour- without providing justification, and required the accounts to remain blocked until further notice,” the social media platform claimed. The government later requested X to unblock Reuters and ReutersWorld, according to X. “We are deeply concerned about ongoing press censorship in India due to these blocking orders. X is exploring all legal options available. Unlike users located in India, X is restricted by Indian law in its ability to bring legal challenges against these executive orders. We urge affected users to pursue legal remedies through the courts,” said the social media platform. The Centre was yet to react to the fresh X claims. Earlier, the government had denied any role in the suspension of Reuters’ X account. “There is no requirement from the Government of India to withhold Reuters’ handle. We are continuously working with X to resolve the problem,” a government official had said. This clarification came after Reuters’ X account was found to be withheld in India, prompting concerns over press freedom and censorship. Users attempting to access the handle were shown a notice stating that the account had been withheld “in response to a legal demand”. It appears that X may have mistakenly enforced an outdated order. Despite the block on Reuters’ main and Reuters World handles, several affiliated accounts, including Reuters Tech News, Reuters Fact Check, Reuters Asia, and Reuters China, remained accessible within India.

Bitchat Bluetooth Messaging App: Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter (now X), has rolled out a new messaging app called Bitchat. This new application is designed to work entirely without an internet connection or mobile network. Unlike WhatsApp and Telegram, which require an active internet connection, Bitchat uses Bluetooth to send and receive messages. It also doesn’t require a phone number, email, or even an account.   The messages are end-to-end encrypted and disappear by default. Nothing is stored on a central server, and the app collects no personal data. Adding further, the app is now available in beta via TestFlight, and Dorsey has released a technical whitepaper detailing the architecture on GitHub. It is a decentralised platform, which means it has no central servers.   Bitchat: How It Works  Bitchat works like torrents, using a decentralized peer-to-peer system. It lets nearby Bluetooth-enabled devices send encrypted messages to each other. If someone is offline, the app can save the message and deliver it later when they’re back in range. This is helpful for people who lose connection for a while. In the future, Dorsey plans to add Wi-Fi Direct support to make messages travel faster and reach farther.  Bitchat: Messaging Range Bluetooth typically has a short range of about 100 meters, which may limit the app’s direct communication. However, Dorsey claims Bitchat can relay messages across multiple devices, extending the effective range up to 300 meters through its peer-to-peer network.  Bitchat Privacy Features  It offers strong privacy features such as opt-in-only bridging, which prevents unwanted connections, channel-level permission controls to manage access, and cryptographic identity isolation to keep user identities secure and separate across different channels and interactions. 

Ai+ Smartphone India Launch: Former Realme CEO Madhav Sheth’s latest venture, NxtQuantum, has introduced Ai+ smartphones in the Indian market. The Ai+ smartphone lineup includes two models: Pulse and Nova 5G. These handsets run on Android 15-based NxtQuantum OS, which has been fully developed in India.  The devices support regional languages and offer a customizable user experience through features like NxtQuantum’s Theme Designer Tool. The Ai+ smartphones come with secure Indian data storage on MeitY-approved Google Cloud regions and follow a zero-trust security framework. The Ai+ Pulse and Ai+ Nova 5G are available in five colour options which includes Black, Blue, Green, Pink, and Purple.  Ai+ Pulse Specifications  It features a 6.7-inch HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate and 450 nits of brightness, offering a smooth and vibrant viewing experience. Measuring 8.5mm in thickness and weighing approximately 193 grams, the device is powered by a Unisoc T615 octa-core processor.  The smartphone is available in two RAM variants—4GB and 6GB—paired with 64GB or 128GB of internal storage, which is expandable up to 1TB via a microSD card. On the photography front, the Ai+ Pulse is equipped with a 50MP rear camera offering CIF clarity and a 5MP front-facing camera for selfies.  Ai+ Nova Specifications The smartphone features a 6.7-inch HD+ display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, enhancing visual fluidity. It has a slim profile at 8.2mm thickness and weighs around 196 grams. Powered by the Unisoc T8200 processor, the device comes with 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, expandable up to 1TB via microSD.  For photography, it offers a 50MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. It is backed by a 5,000mAh battery with 10W charging support. The Ai+ Nova 5G also supports dual 5G SIMs, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, and includes a 3.5mm headphone jack for added convenience.  Ai+ Pulse And Ai+ Nova Price In India And Availability  The Ai+ Pulse is available in two storage variants: the 4GB RAM with 64GB storage model is priced at Rs 4,999, while the higher-end 6GB RAM with 128GB storage variant is priced at Rs 6,999. Meanwhile, the Ai+ Nova 5G is offered in two configurations: the 6GB RAM with 128GB storage variant is priced at Rs 7,999, while the 8GB RAM with 128GB storage model is available for Rs 9,999.  Both models will be part of upcoming flash sales on July 12 and July 13, respectively, offering exclusive day-one promotions. It is now available on Flipkart.  

Seoul: Samsung Electronics on Tuesday estimated its second-quarter operating profit plunged 55.9% from a year earlier due to sluggish chip business and the fallout from US trade policies, missing market expectations. The world’s biggest maker of memory chips expected an operating profit of 4.59 trillion won ($3.4 billion) for the quarter ending in June, sharply down from 10.44 trillion won a year earlier, according to an earnings guidance released by Samsung Electronics. From the previous quarter, operating profit sank 31.2 percent from 6.69 trillion won. The operating profit was 23.4 percent lower than the average estimate, according to a survey by Yonhap Infomax, the financial data firm of Yonhap News Agency. Revenue edged down 0.1 percent to 74 trillion won. The data for net earnings was not available. In a separate release, Samsung Electronics attributed the sharp on-quarter decline in profit to inventory replenishments and the impact of the U.S. ban on exports of advanced AI chips to China. For the upcoming quarter, Samsung Electronics expects a rebound in demand and sales of premium high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, despite reports that its HBM products failed to pass quality tests by U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) chip leader Nvidia Corp. “The memory business saw a decline in performance due to one-off costs, such as provisions for inventory asset valuation,” the company said in a statement. “However, improved HBM products are currently being evaluated and shipped to customers.” It also noted that its non-memory division, including its foundry segment, is expected to reduce losses in the third quarter, backed by better utilisation rates amid a gradual recovery in demand. Although Samsung did not disclose detailed earnings by business division, market analysts estimated that its semiconductor unit posted an operating profit of around 1 trillion won in the first quarter. Experts pointed to sluggish sales of HBM products, a decline in NAND flash prices and a stronger Korean won as key factors behind Samsung Electronics’ worse-than-expected performance in the second quarter. The launch of the flagship Galaxy S series smartphone in January, which contributed to a 10 percent year-on-year sales increase in the first quarter, had little impact on the company’s second-quarter results. Its conventional television and home appliance businesses are also expected to have seen a drop in profitability during the period on U.S. tariff impacts. Despite the weak showing, analysts forecast a rebound in the third quarter, backed by a recovery in memory chip prices. “Samsung Electronics’ operating profit appears to have bottomed out in the second quarter and is expected to show gradual improvement,” said Roh Geun-chang, chief researcher at Hyundai Motor Securities Co., citing anticipated gains in HBM sales. The company will release its final earnings report later in the month.