Apple announces dates of its first biggest event of 2025; Layoffs at Infosys, IBM and Boeing; OpenAI's ChatGPT has just updated Ghibli-style photos policy; New UPI rules and other top tech news of the week

The tech world has been buzzing with major developments this week. Apple has officially announced the dates for its first major event of 2025, setting the stage for exciting product and software updates. Meanwhile, layoffs continue to impact the industry, with Infosys, IBM, and Boeing cutting jobs across various divisions. OpenAI has also updated its policy on generating Studio Ghibli-style photos, placing new restrictions on real-world images. Additionally, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has introduced new UPI regulations aimed at enhancing security and efficiency. Here’s a roundup of the top tech headlines of this week.
Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025 is set to take place from June 9 to 13, with the keynote kicking off on June 9 at Apple Park, followed by a week of developer sessions. This year, Apple is expected to unveil redesigned versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, marking the most significant visual revamp since iOS 7. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the overhaul will focus on creating a more unified and consistent experience across Apple’s ecosystem, with updates to icons, menus, apps, windows, and system buttons. Click here to read the complete story. Click here to read the complete story.
Infosys has reportedly conducted another round of layoffs at its Mysuru campus, letting go of 30-45 trainees on March 26, according to a MoneyControl report. This follows the company's decision in February to cut around 400 roles after trainees failed evaluation tests three consecutive times. The affected trainees received an email from Infosys stating, “Following the results of your final assessment attempt, we regret to inform you that you have not met the qualifying criteria in the 'Foundation Skills Training Program' despite additional preparation time, doubt-clearing sessions, and multiple mock assessments.” Click here to read the complete story.
Boeing, the American aerospace giant, has laid off around 180 employees from its Boeing India Engineering and Technology Center (BIETC) in Bengaluru as part of a global workforce reduction initiative. The layoffs took place during the December 2024 quarter and align with Boeing's previously announced plan to cut its global workforce by 10%. While the company has not issued an official statement, it described the move as a "strategic adjustment" aimed at streamlining operations without affecting customer service, government operations, or safety standards. Click here to read the complete story.
IBM is reportedly laying off thousands of employees across various locations in the United States, according to . Citing sources familiar with the matter, the report indicates that the job cuts significantly impact IBM’s Cloud Classic division. Layoffs have been reported in Raleigh, North Carolina; New York City and State; Dallas, Texas; and California. While the exact number of affected employees remains undisclosed, a source told the publication, “Concrete numbers are being kept private,” adding that the layoffs are “in the thousands.” Click here to read the complete story.
Vivo has expanded its Y-series smartphone lineup with a new model, the Vivo Y39 5G. The smartphone’s design includes a glazed ceramic-like camera module and dynamic lighting effects. One of the biggest highlights of the Vivo Y39 5G is its 6,500 mAh battery, which comes powered by BlueVolt technology that ensures five years of longevity for the smartphone’s battery health. The smartphone also has Military-Grade certified durability, Shield Glass protection, a sturdy body, and SGS certification. Vivo Y39 5G is available in two colours—Lotus Purple and Ocean Blue—and is priced at Rs 16,999 (inclusive of taxes) for the 8 GB+128 GB model and Rs 18,999 (inclusive of taxes) for the 8 GB+256 GB model. Click here to read the complete story.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has announced a major shift in the company’s promotion strategy, emphasizing that building large teams will no longer be the key to success. According to a recording of last week’s all-hands meeting obtained by , Jassy told employees that Amazon is “actively changing how it thinks about promotions.” He stressed that the best leaders are those who "achieve the most with the least resources necessary." This announcement comes just weeks after Amazon mandated a five-day return to office policy starting January 2025. Click here to read the complete story.
OpenAI's latest GPT-4o update has ignited a viral trend of Studio Ghibli-style portraits, flooding social media with dreamy, anime-inspired images. However, this feature—launched on Tuesday, March 25—is currently exclusive to ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Team, and Select subscribers, leaving free-tier users on the sidelines for now.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced on Wednesday that overwhelming demand has delayed the rollout to free users, meaning those on the basic plan can't yet access GPT-4o’s native image-generation capabilities, including Sora. But don’t worry—you don’t need ChatGPT Plus to join the Ghibli-style fun. Here’s how you can create your own portraits for free. Click here to read the complete story.

Elon Musk’s AI venture, xAI, is actively recruiting skilled backend engineers to enhance the performance and reliability of its chatbot, Grok. The hiring push, highlighted through social media and job postings, reflects xAI’s commitment to building a robust and scalable AI capable of competing with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google Gemini. In a recent post, xAI co-founder and engineer Igor Babuschkin called for “outstanding backend engineers to help keep Grok performant and reliable.” Musk echoed the message, emphasizing xAI’s distinctive approach to AI development, stating, “xAI is the only major AI company with an absolute focus on truth, whether politically correct or not.” Click here to read the complete story.

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has introduced new guidelines to enhance the security and efficiency of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions. Effective April 1, 2025, these directives require banks, Payment Service Providers (PSPs), and third-party UPI apps like PhonePe, Google Pay, and Paytm to implement stricter measures regarding numeric UPI IDs. As per NPCI’s directive, "Banks and PSP apps must utilize the Mobile Number Revocation List/Digital Intelligence Platform (MNRL/DIP) and update their databases regularly, at least on a weekly basis." Click here to read the complete story.
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has unveiled BHIM 3.0, the latest upgrade to the Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) app, designed to streamline expense management and enhance user experience. The phased rollout is set to complete by April 2025. BHIM 3.0 introduces new tools that enable users to track, monitor, and split expenses with ease. One key addition is the Split Expenses feature, allowing users to effortlessly divide bills for activities like dining, rent, or shopping among friends and family. Click here to read the complete story.

Airtel has officially launched its IPTV services in 2,000 cities across India, offering a comprehensive entertainment package. Subscribers get access to 29 leading streaming platforms, including Netflix, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, SonyLIV, and Zee5, along with 350+ TV channels and high-speed Wi-Fi connectivity. Plans start at ₹699 per month. As a limited-time offer, Airtel customers can enjoy up to 30 days of free IPTV service when purchasing a plan through the Airtel Thanks app. Click here to read the complete story.
OpenAI's ChatGPT has updated its policy regarding Studio Ghibli-style photos, restricting the use of real-world images for generating such artwork. Under the new terms, users can no longer create Ghibli-style portraits based on real people’s photos. When attempting to generate a Ghibli-style image from a real-world photo, users receive a message stating: "I wasn't able to generate a Ghibli-style portrait from your last image due to content policy limitations around creating likenesses of real people. However, I can absolutely create a Ghibli-style portrait based on a description! Just let me know some details—like hairstyle, clothing, background, mood, or anything else you'd like—and I'll create a stylized version inspired by that. Want to give it a go?" Click here to read the complete story.