Expansion in Japan will enable Midnight to operate in a country that is ‘uniquely vulnerable to AI-generated copyright infringement’ due to ‘sophisticated digital piracy syndicates’ operating at ‘unprecedented scale’.

Dublin-based AI-powered copyright protection platform Midnight Labs is to benefit from investment by Sony Innovation Fund.

The investment for an undisclosed amount would be used to expand Midnight Labs’ agentic ‘Enforcement Engine’ to protect high-value entertainment intellectual property (IP) from mass piracy, deepfakes and AI-generated infringement in the US and Japanese markets, the company said.

Midnight’s technology uses “automated enforcement workflows” to fast-track the scanning, detection, analysis, verification and removal of IP-infringing content in minutes, rather than weeks, according to the company, which forecasts that “video piracy alone will drive an estimated $125bn in annual revenue leakage by 2028”.

“Generative AI has industrialised piracy, exposing IP holders to both financial loss and real-time reputational damage,” said Dan Purcell, CEO and co-founder of Midnight Labs. “Traditional digital rights management built on manual processes simply cannot keep pace with AI-generated infringement, leaving legal and content protection teams overwhelmed.

“We make enforcement autonomous by scanning, detecting, proving and removing stolen content faster than it can spread, returning control to IP holders over their content, reputation and revenue. The backing of Sony Innovation Fund accelerates that mission.”

Midnight, founded in 2025, said it has removed more than 2.8bn pieces of infringing content across gaming, anime, manga, film, sports, music and live streaming, and works with “the world’s largest streaming platforms, entertainment studios, podcast networks, talent agencies and Fortune 100 executives”.

According to the company, its platform integrates legal-grade evidence collection directly into an automated pipeline, with “every takedown” supported by a “forensic evidence bundle, including time-stamped screenshots, cryptographic hashes, HTML source archives and full network records”, enabling the next steps towards litigation and court proceedings following content removal.

The company claims that its internal AI platform continuously scans more than 75m sources – including on the dark web and non-compliant platforms –  and identifies threats in real time to automate takedowns, filings and compliance workflows.

Expansion in Japan through Sony’s funding will enable Midnight to operate in a country that it said is “uniquely vulnerable to AI-generated copyright infringement” due to “sophisticated digital piracy syndicates” operating at “unprecedented scale” there.

“Midnight Labs is tackling an important and increasingly complex problem for the creative industries,” said Antonio Avitabile, managing director at Sony Ventures EMEA. The company is also backed by Airbridge Equity Partners, Earlybird VC and Upside VC.

Midnight also offers a “creator-focused” product named Ceartas, which the company said is aimed at “protecting the world’s biggest content creators and creator-economy brands from impersonation, piracy and deepfakes”, and was “founded to fight exploitation and protect victims of non-consensual content”.

Don’t miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.

It’s already been five years since BGMI came to the Indian market. And if you’ve been playing for long, chances are you remember a very different gaming landscape. Gaming creators were rare, eSports was still finding its footing, and convincing someone that gaming could be a career was almost impossible. Fast forward to 2026, and things look very different. BGMI has moved from just being a fun pastime to leading the Indian gaming sector, with thriving eSports and collaborations with real-world brands that were once impossible.

Speaking to Fossbytes, Srinjoy Das, Director – Marketing & BGMI Product Management at KRAFTON India, explained how both BGMI and the Indian gaming audience have evolved over the years, and why the company increasingly sees BGMI as more than just a battle royale game.

Indian Gamers Have Grown Up

I’d be the first to admit that I downloaded PUBG Mobile on the very first day. It was a quiet afternoon, and I was bored, scrolling through my phone, when I saw it launch in India. I got my friends to download it, too. We used to play together, sitting in the same room for hours before our parents called us back. It’s been many years since that, and we’ve all grown up, pursuing careers in different parts of the world. Still, there’s one way we all keep in touch, and that’s BGMI. It’s the place we hang out virtually, turning the experience from simply grinding through a game into a way to stay in touch with friends while having fun.

When asked what had changed more over the years, the game or the audience, Das had a simple answer: both. Gaming is one of the fastest-moving forms of entertainment today. Unlike movies or TV shows, which evolve gradually, games and the communities around them can change dramatically in just a few years.

According to Das, one of the biggest shifts has been the seriousness with which people now take gaming. He pointed to KRAFTON’s BGMI Career Mode campaign as an example, saying the response showed that many players now see gaming as more than just a hobby. “People are seriously thinking about a career in gaming now,” Das said. “They think gaming gives them real-world skills, and it’s not just about becoming a streamer or an esports player anymore.”

That broader acceptance is something he believes has transformed the industry. Gaming is no longer something people do only in their spare time. Instead, it has become a mainstream form of entertainment that competes directly with movies, OTT platforms, and social media for people’s attention.

BGMI Is Bigger Than Gaming Creators Now

One of the more interesting changes over the last few years has been the creator ecosystem surrounding BGMI. When the game first exploded in India, gaming YouTubers were the primary way new players discovered the game. Today, however, KRAFTON’s strategy has expanded far beyond traditional gaming creators. According to Das, India boasts one of the largest gaming creator ecosystems in the world for a single title. But he believes the industry has now reached an inflection point where relying solely on gaming creators is no longer enough.

Over the last few months, BGMI has worked with creators like Bhuvan Bam and other mainstream internet personalities. The company is also preparing collaborations with CarryMinati, showing how the game’s reach now extends well beyond the gaming audience. “We’re going beyond gaming-focused influencers,” Das explained. “We’re seeing what else lies beyond that world.”

How KRAFTON Decides What Goes Into New BGMI Updates

One of the more interesting aspects of BGMI today is its updates. Every few months, a new mode introduces a new map to discover, along with special abilities that take time to master. It’s one of the biggest reasons my friends and I still log in to the game, as it’s more fun than just running around a field trying to find an enemy.

I asked Das how the team comes up with these, and he said player feedback remains at the center of the update process. The recently released BGMI 4.4 update introduced a Greek and Roman mythology-inspired theme, complete with floating islands, special powers, and new gameplay mechanics. While these large thematic updates have become a regular part of BGMI, KRAFTON says the goal is always to create new ways for players to prove themselves.

One example is the new Glory Battle system. Instead of allowing everyone access to the same rewards, only top-performing teams can participate in certain encounters and unlock some of the most valuable rewards. According to Das, this creates a stronger sense of achievement and rewards skilled gameplay. “Players repeatedly tell us they like it when we make these changes because it gives them a chance to prove themselves,” he said.

Along with these updates, another trend that’s become more common in BGMI is brand collaborations, such as those with Mahindra, Royal Enfield, Harley-Davidson, and Ford. While many players may view these collaborations as simple cosmetic additions, Das says the reality is far more detailed. According to him, partner brands are involved in nearly every stage of development. Everything from a vehicle’s appearance to how it sounds and handles is carefully reviewed. Using Royal Enfield as an example, Das told us that both teams spent considerable time perfecting the exact sound the motorcycle makes when players start it up in-game.

A More Social Gaming Experience

More than ever, BGMI feels like a social platform rather than just a game. According to Das, KRAFTON is actively designing for that behavior. Over the years, BGMI has evolved from a simple lobby into a much broader social experience. Features like the Hub, Collection Hall, Home Ground, and the newly introduced Flash Crew system are all designed to encourage players to spend time together outside of matches.

The Hub allows players to interact while waiting for games. Collection Hall lets users showcase their collections to friends. Home Ground gives players the ability to build their own spaces and host gatherings. Flash Crew takes that idea even further by allowing players to create multiple friend groups around different interests and activities. “It’s not just your closest friends anymore,” Das explained. “You can have different types of friends for different circumstances.”

The company is also focusing more on player-generated content. Das said that players have already created nearly 30,000 custom maps using BGMI’s creation tools. That’s a massive leap from the handful of official maps that existed during the game’s early years.

The company now wants to invest even more heavily in that ecosystem. Future tools could allow players to create everything from zombie survival experiences and fighter jet battles to parkour challenges and uniquely Indian environments. “We’re seeing players who don’t just want to play content anymore. They want to create it,” Das said.

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off today at Apple Park in Cupertino, California. The annual software event, geared toward developers, is also a preview of software (and sometimes hardware) to come. 

You can catch the WWDC keynote on Apple’s website, Apple TV, the Apple Developer app and the company’s official YouTube channel on Monday, June 8, at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. BST). We expect to hear from Apple’s team, including Tim Cook, likely for the last time as Apple’s CEO. 

What to expect at WWDC 2026

At this year’s WWDC keynote, the company is expected to unveil new software upgrades, including iOS 27, MacOS 27, iPadOS 27 and WatchOS 27. Apple’s unlikely to announce any new hardware, like the rumored iPhone Fold, but we might see new iOS features that would be particularly nice on a foldable phone. It’s entirely possible Apple Intelligence could be at the center of it all.

But the breakout star of WWDC 2026 will likely be a revamped Siri that doubles as Apple’s AI chatbot. 

Apple’s WWDC also comes following an eventful first few months of 2026. In March, Apple unveiled new hardware, including the budget-friendly MacBook Neo and iPhone 17E, as well as new MacBook models powered by the M5 chip for improved performance.

WWDC will also likely be the final major Apple keynote helmed by Cook, who will step down as CEO on Sept. 1. John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, will then become the company’s CEO just in time for its presumed iPhone announcement in the fall. As part of the CNET Group’s Big Guessing Game contest, 96% of readers who responded think that Ternus will speak at the WWDC keynote today.

Since Apple is full of surprises, nothing’s guaranteed, but with the big event less than two weeks away, we’re unpacking everything we expect to see. 

Watch this: What to Expect From Apple at WWDC 2026 | Tech Today

02:49

A revamped Siri 

Last year, iOS got a major redesign with Liquid Glass. But another big change is expected this year — Siri could be getting a makeover. 

Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported that Apple was testing a standalone Siri app. The rumored overhaul of Siri could mean a button to “Ask Siri” and a standalone Siri app could make the voice assistant more prominent on Apple devices. Siri could also be Apple’s AI chatbot (which could be powered by Google Gemini). If that’s true, Apple’s known voice assistant could be more powerful with generative AI features across iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and MacOS 27. 

Siri aside, we could also see an update to the camera with Visual Intelligence AI-powered features for photo and video modes. 

MacOS 27 

Some of the highly anticipated features we may see in iOS 27 could also be available for MacOS 27 — like a standalone Siri app and built-in Apple Intelligence features. But since MacOS Tahoe is the last operating system to support Intel Macs, we may get a glimpse of what changes we can expect now that Apple Silicon microchips will be required for updates. 

iPadOS 27

There’s not much we can say about iPadOS 27 right now. We’ll have to see what new features come with the rumored iPadOS 27. Last year, Apple announced iPadOS 26 features, including a new menu bar for apps, the Liquid Glass redesign and Apple Intelligence features like live translation, text summaries and Image Playground updates with ChatGPT. If we see Apple Intelligence and Siri updates in iOS 27, we hope they will be available in iPadOS 27. 

Watch this: iPadOS 26 Almost Turns Your iPad Into a Mac

01:22

WatchOS 27

Apple hasn’t shared whether the new WatchOS 27 will focus more on features or aesthetics. The new WatchOS could be a slimmed version of the Watch Ultra’s face, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Instead, the watch face could be simpler, like a massive clock with three complication options. But we’ll have to wait to see. Even though WatchOS 27 could be coming soon, WatchOS 26.5 will be a new Pride Luminance watch face and matching band for Pride month in June. 

VisionOS 27

We likely won’t see new Vision Pro hardware until 2028, according to Gurman. Apple’s mixed-reality headsets — the Apple Vision Pro (M2) and (M5) are currently available. 

Apple announced new accessibility features for its hardware, including some exclusive to the Apple Vision Pro, in a May press release. The Apple Vision Pro will be able to control compatible wheelchairs using your eyes later this year. On-device speech recognition for generating subtitles will also be available on Apple devices, including the Apple Vision Pro. The headset will allow facial gestures for actions and the selection of elements with your eyes. And if you use the Apple Vision Pro as a car passenger, the headset’s Vehicle Motion Cues can reduce motion sickness, Apple says. 

Otherwise, Apple’s been pretty tight-lipped about any software updates, so we’ll have to see what else is in store at WWDC. 

Watch this: Apple Vision Pro’s Best Feature Is Your Avatar. Could Personas End Up on an iPhone Next?

04:13

Hints of Apple’s first foldable phone

It’s unlikely that we’ll see Apple’s rumored first foldable phone at WWDC, but we might see iOS 27 features that point toward the possibility of one. Plenty of rumors are swirling about what we could expect, if so. 

Reports say the phone could be called the iPhone Ultra, iPhone Flip or the iPhone Fold. Design leaks of Apple’s foldable phone resemble the wider book-style similar to Google’s original Pixel Fold. The battery could have a 5,500-mAh capacity, which is better than the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Leakers predict a September launch and price between $2,000 and $2,500. 

While a foldable iPhone has been rumored as far back as 2021, we’ll have to see if Apple provides any official hints of one at this year’s WWDC. If any new updates to iOS 27 happen to incorporate some of the multitasking features now available on the iPad, that could be as strong a clue as any that a foldable iPhone with a tablet-like display could be on the way.

Halo Studios has set a firm launch date for Halo: Campaign Evolved, its full remake of the original 2001 Halo: Combat Evolved campaign. The new Halo game arrives July 28, with Premium and Collector’s Edition owners getting up to five days of early access starting July 23. Pre-orders are now open across Xbox, Steam, and PlayStation.

New missions add a prequel story arc

Every edition of Halo: Campaign Evolved will include Operation: METEORITE, a new three-mission story arc set one year before the events of the original game. The missions will follow Master Chief and Sgt. Johnson on a covert UNSC operation aboard a Covenant research vessel.

Halo Studios developed the story in collaboration with sci-fi author Troy Denning, whose previous work spans several Halo novels. The studio revealed the first trailer for Operation: METEORITE at the Xbox Games Showcase, showing off new enemy types including the Brute Berserker and a space combat sequence.

Three editions, one pre-order bonus

The Standard Edition is priced at $49.99 and includes the original 10-mission campaign alongside Operation: METEORITE. The Premium Edition runs $69.99 and adds early access, the Alpha Halo Armory Pack with five armor skins and six weapon skins, and a Digital Story & Art Collection that includes a new short story by Denning.

The Collector’s Edition is $199.99 and bundles in a 12-inch Master Chief statue, a light-up Cortana chip, a Steelbook, concept art prints, and a physical game disc for Xbox Series X and PS5.

All pre-orders receive the Foundry Armory Pack, which includes a Classic 2001 Mark V Armor skin and matching Assault Rifle skin, plus two Gilded Onys variants. The Collector’s Edition is exclusive to HaloWaypoint. The game will support cross-play and cross-progression across Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PS5, and will be available on day one with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

For longtime fans, the arrival of a full remake built in Unreal Engine 5, launching simultaneously on PlayStation for the first time, marks a notable shift in how Microsoft is approaching its biggest franchises.

Think portable PC monitor and something pretty puny probably comes to mind. What you’re probably not imaging is folding contraption with dual 24-inch 1080p displays. What you probably didn’t think of is the extraordinary Acer PD243Y E Portable Monitor.

It’s immediately obvious that the term “portable” is being used pretty liberally by this unusual dual-screen monitor. You’re not going to be slipping it into a small bag with your 13-inch thin-and-light laptop.

Today only, pick up a 13-inch MacBook Air with a 10-core GPU for $899 during B&H’s WWDC Deal Zone event.

Both Apple’s Sky Blue and Midnight colorways are marked down to $899 this Monday, a discount of $300 off the original MSRP for the closeout M4 model.

Buy M4 13″ MacBook Air for $899

This 13-inch spec has a 10-core GPU, 16GB of unified memory, and 512GB of storage. And with free 2-day shipping on orders shipped within the contiguous U.S., you won’t have to wait long to begin using your ultraportable laptop.

With Father’s Day on June 21 and graduation gift-giving in full swing, this 24-hour Deal Zone is worth checking out thanks to its budget-friendly price tag and upgraded GPU.

While the M4 laptop is a last-gen model that was released in 2025, you can still enjoy the same chassis design and two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports as the current M5 model (only at a much lower price point).

B&H’s WWDC Deal Zone ends tonight at 8:59 p.m. Pacific Time, or while supplies last. And if you need a larger screen size, B&H has also slashed prices on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros with discounts of up to $300 off.

SEGA chose the Xbox Games Showcase to revive Crazy Taxi after many years without a new flagship title. The game’s subtitle is World Tour, and it will be launched in 2027. The announcement began with Axel driving the famous yellow taxi. He tears through streets that have the appearance and feel of historic San Francisco, complete with a recognized bridge in the background. The song “All I Want” by The Offspring plays over the footage. Later scenes include a mysterious new driver and hint at action that will take the plot to a new level.

Axel is hot on the trail of the masked thieves who stole his taxi, and he’s on a roll, pursuing them through five places, each with a new and unique challenge. You’ll be able to collect fares at each place while racing against the clock to get your customers from point A to point B. Of course, there’s the thrill of pulling off wild drifts, blasting over jumps, and tackling all of the unexpected chores that arise during your trip. We’ve already demonstrated some of the interesting side elements, such as pizza delivery runs and a fishing mini-game that allows you to unwind in some fantastic locations.

Campaign mode ties everything together with a captivating storyline that spans the globe. As you play, you will earn money by making speedy deliveries and fulfilling missions, all while the bad guys are hot on your heels. When you need a break from the main game, you can switch to Arcade mode, where the goal is to achieve the highest possible score before time runs out. For the competitive sorts, there is Multiplayer, which allows you to compete against friends or strangers online to see who’s the best.

The game will be released for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam, with Xbox Play Anywhere allowing users to play it on both their Xbox console and PC, with progress carried over. Kenji Kanno, the creator of the original Crazy Taxi, is leading the charge on this new game, which SEGA describes as a fresh take on the core gameplay of picking up passengers and transporting them to their destination, wrapped up in a larger story that takes you across a variety of environments. SEGA claims to have used generative AI to help with production; essentially, the AI helped create some of the background aspects.