IT news, innovations and digital technologies in Kyiv region. Latest tech events
Samsung is renaming its wider Fold 8 model to simply Fold 8, while making the successor to the Fold 7 the Fold 8 Ultra — but without key Ultra lineup attributes. The name is becoming a marketing category rather than a technical one.
Dreame Technology has entered into a global partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo. Under the agreement, he will promote robotic vacuum cleaners, major home appliances, and kitchen equipment — though the contract terms and duration have not been disclosed publicly.
The Trump administration is forcing millions of civil servants to install an official application on their work smartphones. Cybersecurity experts have already determined that only 23% of the app's requests go to whitehouse.gov — the rest go to commercial services, none of which are certified under federal security standards.
The tactical group "Revenge" as part of the GUR is transitioning ground robotic systems from logistics to assault operations—and in doing so is forming a list of skills that don't fit into any existing military specialty.
An Android update has broken the external display of the first Pixel Fold in software: the screen is active during boot, but turns off as soon as the system starts. Google remains silent — users found a solution on Reddit.
Diia.AI gained a million users within days of launch — faster than any previous digital service from the Ministry of Digital Transformation. Behind this figure lies a change in approach: not "find the service in the menu," but "write a request and get a result."
# Xiaomi Launches Clip-On Earbuds with AI Translation for 21 Languages, LHDC 5.0, and Apple Find My Support — But Full Functionality Only Available on HyperOS Xiaomi has released clip-on earbuds featuring AI-powered translation for 21 languages, LHDC 5.0 codec support, and Apple Find My compatibility — though complete functionality is exclusive to HyperOS devices. Whether this represents a fair compromise or a marketing trap depends entirely on which smartphone the buyer uses.
# Ukrainian Vyriy Upgrades Bliskavka Kamikaze Drone with Aerodynamic Fairing Ukrainian company Vyriy has modernized the Bliskavka kamikaze drone by adding an aerodynamic fairing, achieving approximately one-third increase in range without changing the power plant. The baseline version already reaches up to 80 kilometers with a relay; what the upgrade will deliver under real combat conditions remains an open question.
OpenAI has launched a beta ChatGPT add-on for Microsoft PowerPoint. Anthropic did this back in September 2024, and Microsoft Copilot has been built in from the start — so OpenAI is catching up rather than leading.
Apple is adding automatic captions for personal videos in iOS 27, and this is the first time an accessibility feature is transforming into a daily tool for everyone — but only in English for now.
TAF Industries has upgraded the "Babka" reconnaissance drone with a new Sony 3MP matrix, 30x zoom, and improved aperture — without changing the price. According to the manufacturer's concept, the drone is designed to fill the niche between a multicopter and the expensive "Leleka": situations where it would be wasteful to send complex equipment.
Xiaomi officially unveiled the Xiaomi 17 Max — the flagship model of the series, which focuses on record-breaking battery capacity and a Leica camera with Samsung's 200-megapixel HP9 sensor. This is more than just a larger screen: the company has reconsidered the compromise between size and battery life.
Google is integrating CapCut tools directly into Gemini — now video ideation, generation, and editing can happen in a single interface. However, behind this convenience lies a non-trivial context: CapCut is owned by ByteDance and remains banned in several countries due to data security concerns.
# Translation The 50th Separate Artillery Brigade showcased "Grads" with grilles over launch guides, mesh structures on the cabin, and electronic warfare domes. In parallel, the National Guard went further — completely transferred the system to a MAN chassis with digital fire control.
While bank lending recovers slowly, online microfinance organizations like Moneyveo are recording growing demand — and this is not just about convenience, but about a structural gap in financial accessibility.
A 21% decline — the largest since 2016 — appears to be an industry crisis. But behind the figures lies a more complex picture: some entrepreneurs did not leave the market, but instead switched to gig contracts or employment agreements due to changes in legislation.
# Translation: The IT recruitment platform Djinni has allowed candidates to confirm Ukrainian citizenship through the Diia app — voluntarily, without sharing personal data. Behind the feature lies the logic of a trust signal, but the question of whether it will become a de facto mandatory hiring requirement remains open.
Samsung has registered a test build of One UI 9 for the Galaxy S26 FE ahead of the official shell release. According to leaks, the FE series may finally get rid of its main drawback this time — the cut-down processor.
# Pentagon Signs Contract with Shield AI to Integrate AI System into Drone Fleet The Pentagon has signed a contract with Shield AI to integrate the Hivemind artificial intelligence system into LUCAS drones — a reverse-engineered copy of the Iranian Shahed-136 valued at $35,000 per unit. The system will allow a single operator to control a swarm that operates autonomously even in radio jamming conditions.
# Pink vertical stripe on Pixel 8 display didn't qualify for Google warranty repair. Instead of scrapping the device, the owner assembled a fully functional retro console with HDMI output, four gamepads, and a computer fan — and it turned out to be a more practical solution than it seems.
# Amazfit Bip Max — Not Just a Bigger Screen, But an Attempt to Redefine Budget Segment Expectations Amazfit Bip Max is more than just a larger display—it's an attempt to rewrite expectations for the budget segment: 4 GB of memory instead of 512 MB in its predecessor, offline maps, and battery life that flagship models would not be ashamed of. The question is whether this will be enough to win over the audience from Xiaomi and CMF by Nothing.
TAF Industries has become the majority owner of the manufacturer of the ground robotic complex "Tesla" — a platform with a payload capacity of 180 kg that is already evacuating the wounded on the front lines. The change of ownership signals a transition from a pilot project to industrial-scale production.
Xiaomi has launched the budget Poco Pad C1 tablet on the global market — essentially a rebranded Redmi Pad 2 9.7. For consumers, the differences are minimal: the same hardware specifications, the same price of around $150, but a different brand name on the box.
The 5th Separate Assault Kyiv Brigade demonstrated two types of combat application of unmanned robotic complexes: the Droid combat platform stopped a night assault by an MT-LB, while a logistics robot delivered explosives and destroyed an enemy position. The brigade has been implementing unmanned robotic complexes since 2023 — among the first in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Eastern Europe Foundation and WINWIN EdTech have received funding from OpenAI to systematically document for the first time how adolescents interact with artificial intelligence in conditions of active armed conflict — both for educational and other purposes.
The new AMG GT 4-Door EV is the first production car featuring axial-flux motors and a battery developed in collaboration with Mercedes F1 team. Zero to 100 in 2 seconds — but the acceleration isn't the most interesting part; it's how they achieved it.
Google DeepMind has connected 280 billion Street View images to the generative model Genie 3. Practical consequence: Waymo is already training autonomous vehicles on scenarios that almost never occur in reality.
# Samsung and Google showcase smart glasses powered by Android XR at Google I/O 2026 At Google I/O 2026, Samsung and Google unveiled smart glasses running Android XR, featuring no display but equipped with artificial intelligence-powered Gemini and a built-in camera. Two versions will be released in autumn — one from Gentle Monster and another from Warby Parker. However, the main focus isn't on "intelligence," but rather on making them appealing enough for people to actually want to wear them.
At Google I/O 2026, the company launched a new AI Ultra tier for $100 per month, while simultaneously reducing the old top-tier plan from $250 to $200. This is not a discount—it's a new pricing tier that directly targets subscribers of OpenAI and Anthropic.
At the Google I/O 2026 conference, the company unveiled a major update to the Gemini app — a redesigned Neural Expressive interface and integrated AI agents. The rollout has already begun for Android and iOS.