Google is introducing new quality requirements for Android apps as developers face tighter constraints on device memory and broader hardware supply pressures.

The company announced two new requirements this week. One focuses on reducing apps’ memory use and improving code efficiency, while the other requires apps to restore users’ sign-in status when they move to a new Android device.

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Google Sets New Memory Performance Rules

Google said the mobile industry is facing “significant hardware supply constraints that are altering device memory availability,” which could affect app performance and the user experience.

Under the new rules, developers will need to meet thresholds covering areas including dynamic memory and bitmap usage. Additional code optimisation requirements are designed to reduce slowdowns and crashes linked to excessive resource use.

Google is also rolling out tools that alert developers when their apps exceed the new limits. More diagnostic features are planned later this year, including deeper analysis through Android’s Memory Limiter, which restricts excessive memory use.

Developers have until February 2027 to comply with the new standards, according to Google’s Android Developer documentation.

Zero-Tap Sign-In Requirement Starts In 2027

A separate requirement will apply to all apps distributed through Google Play. By April 2027, apps that use optional or mandatory sign-ins must automatically restore a user’s sign-in state when they move between Android devices.

The feature will rely on Android’s Restore Credentials API, which is designed to transfer sign-in credentials during device migration without requiring users to log in again.

Google said the new standards are intended to help developers maintain app performance and simplify device transitions as device specifications and memory availability change.

The Cyprus Shipping Chamber (CSC) has backed the proposed National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy 2032 following a meeting with Chief Scientist for Research, Innovation and Technology Demetris Skourides.

Skourides presented the strategy to members of the chamber’s Digitalisation Committee, which focuses on technology and communications affecting shipping companies and vessel operations. The committee also follows the International Maritime Organisation’s work on navigation, communications and search and rescue.

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The CSC said it looked forward to continued cooperation with Skourides and the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy as the strategy moves towards implementation.

AI Could Cut Shipping Costs

Public consultation on the strategy runs until August 31. According to the government’s consultation notice, Cyprus aims to become a trusted AI centre in the eastern Mediterranean by 2032 and a European base for AI services connecting the EU with neighbouring regions.

For the shipping industry, the draft strategy targets fuel savings of 10% to 20% and maintenance cost reductions of 30% to 40%. Proposed applications include AI-assisted route planning, predictive maintenance and digital models of vessels.

Routing systems could combine weather, currents, fuel prices and vessel performance, while digital models would use sensor data to identify potential maintenance problems before equipment fails. AI tools could also help crews and operators track regulatory changes, coordinate with ports and identify safety risks.

Maritime Data And Autonomous Technology

The strategy also proposes a shared maritime data space where companies could contribute anonymised datasets for AI training while protecting commercially sensitive information. Other measures include supervised testing of autonomous surface vessels, drone inspections and the creation of a maritime centre of excellence to support testing and adoption.

Human oversight would remain central. Qualified professionals would retain final authority over decisions, while independent assessments and the withdrawal of systems that fail safety, compliance or performance requirements would be required. The projected savings are targets rather than results already achieved.

Broader AI Strategy

The government’s wider AI framework includes eight strategic objectives covering productivity, public services, skills, data infrastructure and accountability.

Skourides has previously said that “AI must serve people” and that people must remain in control. The strategy therefore also proposes training, reskilling and practical support to help employees, businesses and public servants use and assess AI effectively.

Businesses, professional bodies, researchers and citizens can submit feedback through the government’s e-consultation platform until August 31, with submissions to be considered for inclusion in the final strategy.

Cyprus performs strongly in higher education, but its school students continue to lag behind the EU average in basic, digital and civic skills, according to the latest Education and Training Monitor from the European Union.

The report highlights broader concerns about the quality of education, warning that weak learning outcomes could affect young people’s career prospects and Cyprus’ competitiveness.

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PISA data show that 53.2% of students in Cyprus lack basic mathematics proficiency, compared with 29.5% across the EU. The gap is wider among students from disadvantaged backgrounds, reaching 69.8% in the lowest socioeconomic quartile, compared with 48% in the EU.

Advanced skills are also less common. Only 1.4% of Cypriot students demonstrate advanced reading skills, compared with 6.5% in the EU. The figures for mathematics and science stand at 3.9% and 2%, respectively, against EU averages of 7.9% and 6.9%. The report called for stronger evaluation and further measures to improve educational outcomes.

Digital And STEM Skills Remain A Concern

Digital proficiency is another weak point. Some 59% of eighth-grade students in Cyprus do not reach basic digital skills, compared with 43% across the EU and well above the bloc’s 2030 target of 15%.

Civic knowledge is also below average, with Cypriot students scoring 459 compared with 511 across the EU. Girls generally performed better than boys.

STEM participation remains low as well. Just 14.9% of students study science, technology, engineering and mathematics, compared with 26.9% across the EU. The figure has fallen by 3.4 percentage points since 2015 and is well below the proposed 32% target for 2030. Female participation, at 33.9%, is slightly above the EU average of 32.2%.

Higher Education Tells A Different Story

At the tertiary level, Cyprus performs considerably better. In 2024, 60.1% of people aged 25 to 34 held a tertiary qualification, compared with 44.2% across the EU and the bloc’s 2030 target of 45%.

The sector has expanded rapidly, with student numbers rising 42% between 2015 and 2023 and graduate numbers increasing 125% over the past decade. The growth has been supported partly by the expansion of private universities and higher education institutions since 2007.

Cyprus also has one of the EU’s highest rates of outward degree mobility, with 26.9% of students studying abroad compared with 4.4% across the bloc. Overall, 27.8% of Cypriot students studied outside the country.

The result is a mixed education picture: Cyprus has strong tertiary attainment, but significant gaps in basic, digital and STEM skills remain earlier in the education system.

A new social network called Twitter.now is entering the market, with a founding team that includes former Twitter trademark counsel Stephen Coates. The service is being developed by startup Operation Bluebird.

As Ars Technica reported, X sued the company last year and asked a Delaware judge to block the launch. Operation Bluebird argued in a petition that X had abandoned trademarks including “Twitter” and “Tweet.”

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Coates has said the project is not an attempt to recreate the original Twitter. In a LinkedIn post, he described the platform as a new public space focused on trust, transparency and user choice.

AI System To Rate Posts

Twitter.now is currently being tested, with early access priced at $20. Its main feature is VERA, an AI system designed to evaluate posts, verify claims and provide sources and context.

Posts receive a trust score, with users eventually able to set a minimum score to filter their feeds. The company says this approach will give people more control over what they see instead of leaving those decisions entirely to an algorithm.

Moderation Remains A Challenge

Scaling moderation will be one of the platform’s biggest tests. Social networks have repeatedly struggled with content moderation as their communities grow, and newer platforms such as Bluesky have faced similar criticism.

Operation Bluebird says VERA will form the basis of its moderation and verification system. A second version is already planned, with expanded tools that would let users set a specific trust threshold for the posts appearing in their feeds.

For now, Twitter.now remains in an early testing phase, combining the familiarity of the Twitter name with an AI-driven approach to evaluating online information.

Bank transfers accounted for 85% of the total value of government receipts in Cyprus during the first half of 2026, highlighting the state’s rapid shift toward digital payments, accountant-general Andreas Antoniades told the Cyprus News Agency.

Online payments made up another 10% of receipts, while electronic payments made in person represented 1%. Traditional payment methods accounted for just 4%.

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Antoniades said electronic payment channels were now “universal in the state”, with digital methods for settling government debts continuing to gain ground. He described the figures as evidence of steady progress toward the complete digitalisation of state transactions.

New €4.1m Payment System

The shift is expected to accelerate following a new contract for processing electronic government transactions, signed with VivaBank Single-member Banking Company on August 12.

The €4.1 million contract was awarded through a tender conducted by the Treasury of the Republic, with the new technical solution expected to be implemented during 2027. Services will initially run for three years, with the government holding an option to extend the agreement by a further two years.

Until the new system is operational, card payments to the state will continue to be processed under the existing contract with JCC Payment Systems Limited, which was recently renewed. Around €1.5 billion in government receipts is processed through JCC each year, according to Antoniades.

Traditional Payments Being Phased Out

Cyprus is also gradually eliminating traditional payment methods. Personal cheques have not been accepted from individuals or businesses since January 1, 2026, while banker’s drafts remain temporarily available. The government plans to withdraw those as well, leaving cash as the only traditional payment option.

Cash is currently accepted for transactions of up to €10,000.

Antoniades said the move toward digital payments forms part of the state’s broader digital transformation, improving the speed, accessibility and transparency of public services while reducing administrative costs and the operational burden on government.

The continued expansion of digital infrastructure and payment solutions, he added, should help create a more efficient and citizen-friendly public administration while making better use of public resources.

Deposits held with financial institutions in Cyprus increased by a net €562.3 million in July, while total loans fell by €68.7 million, according to data from the Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC).

The increase in deposits was driven mainly by Cyprus residents, whose holdings grew by €603.2 million. Household deposits rose by €195.7 million, while non-financial corporations added €257.1 million. Deposits held by other domestic sectors increased by a further €150.4 million.

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As a result, the total deposit balance reached €59.2 billion at the end of July, more than twice the outstanding loan balance. The annual growth rate of deposits also accelerated to 6.2%, from 5% in June.

July’s increase was slightly smaller than the €601.2 million net rise recorded in June, but still represented a substantial monthly inflow.

Lending Falls After Strong June Increase

Loan balances moved in the opposite direction, declining by €68.7 million in July after rising by €499.4 million the previous month. Much of the decrease came from €90 million in repayments by residents of other euro-area countries.

Lending to Cyprus residents, meanwhile, edged up by €1.8 million. The modest overall increase reflected contrasting movements among households and businesses: household borrowing rose by €65.7 million, while loans to non-financial corporations fell by €79.6 million. Lending to other domestic sectors increased by €15.8 million, partly offsetting the decline in business lending.

Total outstanding loans stood at €28.3 billion at the end of July. Despite the monthly decline, annual lending growth remained strong at 11.1%, easing only slightly from 11.6% in June.

Amazon’s smart home division Ring is introducing a new encryption standard that will become the default for video protection and user controls, while allowing the company to offer more cloud-based features.

The standard, called TAKE, or “Throw Away the Key Encryption,” is designed to balance privacy with features that can be limited by end-to-end encryption, including video search, descriptions and access for trusted users.

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Temporary Keys Support Cloud Features

Under TAKE, Ring uses rotating encryption keys that are temporarily stored in the cloud and accessible only when needed to provide features activated by users. Once a request is completed, the company says the relevant keys will be deleted within 24 hours.

The system allows Ring to temporarily decrypt and process videos for cloud services such as Smart Alerts, which can notify users when people, vehicles or packages appear in a camera’s view. The company said in a blog post that the encryption key is deleted after the feature has been used.

Amazon’s technical white paper says TAKE was developed using Messaging Layer Security, an open messaging standard created by the Internet Engineering Task Force.

Users Can Still Choose End-To-End Encryption

TAKE will begin rolling out to customers in September and will become the default worldwide. Ring users will still be able to manually select end-to-end encryption instead.

The new system also includes several options for recovering encryption keys. Users who lose access to their device can authenticate by standing near their Ring cameras, while passphrases, cloud backups, another approved device or passkeys can provide alternative recovery methods.

Ring said the approach is intended to preserve access to cloud features without requiring users to give up control of their video encryption keys.

Privacy Concerns Remain

The announcement comes after months of scrutiny over Ring’s use of facial recognition. Its Familiar Faces feature can identify people appearing in camera footage.

In June, a class-action lawsuit accused Amazon of storing images of people passing by Ring cameras without their consent. The introduction of TAKE therefore comes as Ring faces continued questions over how its cameras process and protect personal data.

Chinese artificial intelligence company Z.ai released a new model Wednesday that it says operates entirely on domestically produced semiconductors, highlighting China’s push to reduce reliance on foreign AI hardware.

The low-cost GLM-5.3-Flash ranks 10th on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, ahead of DeepSeek V4 Pro Max. Z.ai’s Hong Kong-listed shares rose more than 8% in Thursday trading.

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Z.ai Claims 100,000 Domestic Chips

Z.ai said it used 100,000 China-made chips to process online requests for GLM-5.3-Flash, including after its August 20 release under the code name “Ox Alpha”. The model ranked first by usage on the global OpenRouter platform over the past week.

The company has not identified the chip suppliers, while CNBC was unable to independently verify the claim. Counterpoint Research senior analyst Ivan Lam said Z.ai is likely using Huawei Ascend chips alongside processors from other domestic suppliers, reflecting closer cooperation between Chinese AI developers and hardware companies.

Running an AI model generally requires less computing power than training one, meaning the use of domestic chips for inference does not necessarily demonstrate that the same hardware could train the model at scale.

China Pushes Domestic AI Hardware

The development comes as Nvidia faces restrictions on selling advanced chips to China, while Huawei and other Chinese companies expand their alternatives.

Beijing has accelerated efforts to strengthen domestic semiconductor and AI capabilities following U.S. restrictions on advanced chip exports. Leading U.S. AI models are also not officially available in China.

Z.ai’s release therefore offers another indication of how Chinese AI companies are adapting their infrastructure as access to leading foreign processors becomes more constrained.

MiniMax Shares Also Rise

Z.ai rival MiniMax gained about 3% in Hong Kong after reporting a 283% year-on-year increase in first-half revenue. Its adjusted net loss more than doubled to $293 million, while its M3 model ranks 18th on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index.

Both companies listed in Hong Kong in January. Since then, Z.ai shares have climbed more than 800%, compared with a gain of more than 80% for MiniMax. Z.ai is scheduled to report its first-half results on Monday.

Hyundai Motor Group has increased its U.S. market share more than any major automaker since 2020, as it expands domestic production and invests heavily in the market.

The group, which includes Hyundai, Kia and Genesis, increased its U.S. market share from 8.4% in 2020 to 11.2% in 2025, while sales rose 50%. Its market share reached 11.8% in the first half of 2026, according to Mobility Global, making it the fourth-largest automaker in the country.

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Tesla was the only major automaker to record a comparable gain, with its estimated market share increasing by 2.1 percentage points.

$26 Billion Investment In The U.S.

Hyundai plans to invest $26 billion in the U.S. through 2028, including further expansion of its Georgia Metaplant.

CEO José Muñoz said the company is considering raising the plant’s planned annual capacity from 500,000 vehicles to between 700,000 and 800,000 by 2028. Hyundai aims to produce at least 80% of the vehicles it sells in the U.S. domestically by the end of the decade, compared with about 40% in 2024.

Muñoz said U.S. tariffs on South Korean vehicles have accelerated the company’s localisation plans.

Growth Extends Across Hyundai, Kia And Genesis

The U.S. strategy is part of Hyundai’s “Bold 2030 Vision”, which targets global sales of 5.55 million vehicles by 2030, about 35% above 2025 levels. The company has also reaffirmed a 6% global market-share target for Hyundai and Genesis.

More than 100 vehicle launches and major updates are planned through 2030, including 58 in North America and additional electrified models. Kia is targeting U.S. sales of 1.02 million vehicles by 2030, supported by new pickup trucks and larger SUVs, while Hyundai is also considering a midsize pickup.

The group has meanwhile moved beyond its traditional value positioning. Hyundai and Kia continue to offer vehicles starting in the $20,000s, while Genesis competes in the luxury segment with models priced at $100,000 or more.

Genesis Pushes Into The Luxury Market

Genesis, which entered the U.S. a decade ago, has become the fastest luxury brand to reach 1 million global sales, according to Hyundai.

Its latest flagship, the Genesis GV90, is part of the brand’s push further into the premium market.

For Hyundai, expanding U.S. production is becoming increasingly important as it seeks to maintain market-share gains while managing trade costs. The combination of local manufacturing, broader vehicle offerings and investment across three brands gives the group several avenues for further growth.

Global entertainment and media revenue is expected to reach $4.2 trillion by 2030, with advertising, streaming and live experiences driving much of the expansion, according to PwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2026–2030.

The report covers 12 sectors across 53 countries and territories and forecasts average annual growth of 3.4%. Digital ecosystems are expected to generate most of the additional $600 billion in revenue by the end of the decade.

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Advertising Becomes The Main Growth Driver

Advertising revenue passed $1 trillion in 2025 and is forecast to reach $1.4 trillion by 2030, growing 5.6% annually. AI-powered, real-time personalisation is expected to help advertisers target audiences more precisely and increase the value of digital impressions.

Internet advertising revenue rose 12.2% to $755.6 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow 7.2% annually through 2030. Advertising is therefore expected to overtake consumer spending in 2026.

Consumer spending is forecast to grow 2.5% annually, while connectivity revenue from internet access is expected to increase 2.3%. Connectivity will nevertheless remain the largest of the three main segments, with revenue rising from $1.3 trillion in 2025 to $1.5 trillion in 2030.

Streaming Growth Slows In Mature Markets

Streaming revenue is projected to grow 6.1% annually through 2030, although expansion is expected to slow in established markets as consumers become less willing to pay for multiple subscriptions.

“Subscription fatigue” could encourage consolidation, partnerships and bundled services, while advertising is expected to become more important for platforms offering lower-cost plans. Advertising currently accounts for 19.4% of streaming revenue and is forecast to reach 22.6% by 2030.

Traditional television is moving in the opposite direction. Global revenue fell 2.7% to $360.5 billion in 2025 and is projected to decline to $341.2 billion by 2030 as audiences shift towards digital platforms.

Live Experiences Continue To Expand

Cinema is expected to continue its recovery, with global box office revenue forecast to grow 3.5% annually to $39.5 billion by 2030.

Asia-Pacific is projected to see the strongest growth among major regions, with box office revenue rising from $13.8 billion in 2025 to about $17 billion. Europe, the Middle East and Africa are expected to increase from $8.6 billion to $10.1 billion, while North America is forecast to reach about $9.9 billion.

Cinema, live music, out-of-home entertainment, trade shows and online betting are collectively expected to grow 5.2% annually to $294 billion by 2030, reflecting continued demand for shared and in-person experiences.

Music, Events And Online Gambling Gain Ground

Revenue across music, radio and podcasts is forecast to rise from $125.5 billion in 2025 to $145.1 billion in 2030. Streaming will remain the largest component at $56.6 billion, while live music revenue is expected to exceed $41.5 billion. Business events are also expanding, with exhibitor spending projected to increase from $38 billion in 2025 to $44.6 billion in 2030.

Online gambling is among the fastest-growing segments in the report. Across 10 markets, gross online gambling revenue more than doubled from $37.1 billion in 2021 to $79.5 billion in 2025 and is forecast to reach $119.7 billion by 2030.

Overall, PwC expects the industry’s next phase of growth to be shaped by AI-enabled advertising and digital services, while consumer demand for live and immersive experiences continues to support traditional entertainment segments.