Aina, a startup specializing in artificial intelligence (AI) hardware, has raised $5.5 million to develop a universal interface designed for the age of AI and AI agents. This design-oriented consumer hardware startup aims to change how people interact with devices, including smartphones and personal computers, by creating a context-aware computing interface.
Earlier this year, the company released Dune—a three-key keyboard that is context-aware. Concurrently, Aina continues to develop its core interface in closed beta. The seed funding round was led by Redstart Labs (Info Edge, India) and 360 One Asset. MIXI Global Investments, Antler, Blume Founders Fund, and private investors, including Kunal Shah (Cred), Tikhon Bernstam (Scribd), Harshil Mathur, and Shashank Kumar (Razorpay), also participated in the round.
The funds raised will be used to bring Aina's flagship interface to market and expand the team in offices in San Francisco and Bengaluru. Aina was founded by Apurva Shankar, who previously served as Vice President of Hardware at Ultrahuman, a company developing health technology. The company was incorporated in May 2025 and initially operated as a Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) lab named 'Project Mirage.'
Apurva Shankar, founder and CEO of Aina, noted that modern phones and computers are primarily designed for viewing information. He emphasized that regardless of task complexity, the effort expended is the same, and when performing hundreds of tasks daily, every extra step increases cognitive load. In his view, as intelligence becomes ubiquitous, AI assistants will better understand context, and agents will act on behalf of users. Thus, people will only need to confirm or reject actions, and Aina is creating a context-aware layer for easily capturing this choice.
Vibhore Sharma from Redstart Labs (Info Edge) stated that the traditional notion of computers as tools that are instructed is gradually dissolving due to AI. He believes the key question is how interaction will change when software begins to understand context and the interface becomes invisible. It is in such conditions that new categories, like Aina, emerge.
Abhishek Nag, Head of Venture Capital at 360 One Asset, added that every leap in computing required a new hardware interface, from punch cards to graphical user interfaces and smartphones. Since AI agents are becoming the primary way to interact with computers, the world again needs a new class of interfaces designed for the real way of computing. He expressed pride in jointly leading the seed round, supporting Apurva's team in creating revolutionary consumer hardware from India for the world.
The company pointed out that AI is transforming daily life: one prompt can generate an entire film, yet the everyday experience has not kept pace with this development. While AI notes automate workflows, joining a meeting still requires four clicks, and ordering a taxi involves a sequence of actions: unlocking the phone, finding the app, entering the destination, and confirming. The main problem lies in the outdated hardware layer. Software and AI are evolving rapidly, but the interfaces people use to interact with them are not keeping up with this pace. For example, keyboards have not been updated since the 1980s, and touchscreens were designed with interaction in mind in 2007.
Aina presented three experimental interfaces at CES 2026, which are part of the company's broader HCI research across various domains targeting daily applications such as online meetings, ride-hailing, and food ordering. In April, the company announced Dune—a context-aware keyboard for Mac that automatically adapts its three keys to the active application. The team has already distributed hundreds of Dune keyboards to early users to study feedback and workflows to test their hypothesis about AI adaptation in real-world conditions.
Aina believes that every computing era has spawned a new interface, and each has succeeded by requiring less effort from the user. The company posits that the next interface will require the least effort. In a world where AI possesses the context of all human actions, people are left only to choose. Aina is developing the most natural and simple way to capture this choice so that in the AI era, people can spend time on tasks that require human intellect and effort.
Google announced new features for the AI Mode in Search this Thursday (16th), integrating it with Canva, YouTube Music, and Instacart. These additions expand the use of artificial intelligence to facilitate users' daily tasks.
The implementation of these improvements began in the United States during July. The corporation's intention is to make AI features closer to usual activities, allowing users to trigger tools from other applications directly through the search interface, eliminating the need to open each service individually.
With these new connections, AI Mode now assists in creating playlists, developing visual content, and organizing purchases, all based on commands provided in natural language within Google Search itself.
The partnership with YouTube Music allows users to request customized playlists based on criteria such as musical style or desired mood. After processing the request, the system suggests a playlist that can be viewed in the music platform's application.
Regarding Canva, the AI tool offers support in creating visual templates, such as materials for events. Google clarified that this technology has the capacity to use the user's calendar data, when available, to adapt the templates to the specific context of the event.
Additionally, the link with Instacart allows orders placed via AI Mode to be converted into shopping lists within the application. This functionality can also take into account scheduled commitments in the calendar, such as meetings or events, to suggest items relevant to the occasion.
This expansion is part of Google's Personal Intelligence initiative, a feature that enables Gemini to use information from various applications to enrich its responses. The company began increasing this capability throughout 2026.
In addition to these integrations, AI Mode received more sophisticated search features. Among them is a smart search box designed to adapt to more elaborate queries and accept multiple input formats, including videos, images, files, and Chrome browser tabs.
The company also expressed its intention to increase the number of partners connected to the system in the future, maintaining a strategic focus on converting artificial intelligence into a cohesive tool across various spheres of digital routine.
The 'DNS not responding' error occurs when the device cannot convert a website name into its corresponding IP address, which prevents browsing. Generally, this failure is caused by instability in the internet provider, corrupted data in the local cache, or blocks imposed by antivirus and firewalls.
There are several measures that can be taken to solve this issue. It is possible to restart both the modem and the device itself, clear the system cache, or replace the default DNS with more reliable options. If the problem persists, it is recommended to check if the network drivers are outdated or if security settings are obstructing communication.
Restarting the modem clears the internal data cache, removing damaged information that may be locking up the device. This procedure forces a new synchronization with the internet provider, updating the DNS address map. In the case of computers or mobile phones, restarting resets the TCP/IP traffic rules and the local network history, resolving temporary conflicts and restoring a stable connection to the router.
Clearing the DNS cache aims to erase old or defective address records stored in the system. This forces the device to look for an updated IP address directly from the servers, reestablishing the correct connection path. In Windows, this is done through the Command Prompt run as administrator, typing the command ipconfig /flushdns and restarting the PC. On macOS, the process involves opening Terminal and running the command sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder, thus restarting Apple's connection service.
Changing the DNS server provided by the provider to external options helps prevent interruptions when the original address is unstable. It is suggested to use Google DNS (8.8.8.8) or Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1), both recognized for their stability. In Windows, you must access the Properties of the active network connection, enter the TCP/IPv4 protocol, and manually insert the new addresses. On macOS, the user accesses System Settings, goes to Network, selects the active connection, clicks Details, and adds the new servers in the DNS tab.
Keeping network drivers updated corrects communication failures between the operating system and the physical internet card. This correction eliminates data packet loss, allowing DNS queries to complete successfully. In Windows, this maintenance is performed via Device Manager, expanding the 'Network adapters' section, right-clicking the active card, and choosing 'Update driver'. For macOS, these essential components are integrated into Apple's closed system and are updated automatically when installing new versions of the operating system.
Security software, such as antivirus and firewalls, can inadvertently block the UDP port, which is used by DNS traffic. This excessive protection prevents the device from receiving website responses, generating the connection error. To resolve this, it is necessary to check the traffic rules and network permissions in the security tool, ensuring that the flow of the browser and internet adapters is not being blocked. As a quick test, you can temporarily disable these defenses; if browsing normalizes, simply add the DNS servers to the security program's exception list.
The 'DNS server not responding' error can have various origins. It may be instability or overload on the provider's DNS server. Another common cause is corrupted data in the local cache, causing the system to attempt non-existent routes. Security software can block traffic on the UDP port. Failures in the home router's firmware can also freeze redirection functions. Furthermore, outdated network drivers cause conflicts and packet loss, and conflicts with VPNs or proxies can interrupt browsing.
To determine whether the problem lies with the router or the device, it is possible to test by connecting a second device, such as another smartphone or laptop, to the same network. If all devices show the error, the fault is with the router or the provider. An additional effective test is to use the mobile data on the problematic device; if browsing returns to normal, it confirms that the DNS failure is limited to the home router.
DNS acts as the internet's phone book, converting easy-to-remember website names into numerical IP addresses that machines require. Without this conversion function, devices cannot locate servers, and browsing stops. In addition to establishing paths, the system optimizes connections through local caches and offers protection against cyberattacks, simplifying the network architecture.
Researchers from the University of Sheffield (England) have developed a new theory suggesting that the mysterious substance holding galaxies together may be in harmony with a hidden fifth dimension. The goal of this research is to help explain one of the greatest mysteries of modern science—the true nature of dark matter.
Dark matter has been studied by scientists for decades and inspires works of science fiction. For example, it appears as vortices capable of destroying planets in the film 'Star Trek,' or as 'dust' sustaining the multiverse in Philip Pullman's fantasy trilogy 'His Dark Materials.' Despite this, it remains one of the most unresolved problems in physics.
Although this substance has never been directly observed, scientists are confident in its existence due to its intense gravitational influence. It acts as an invisible 'cosmic glue,' ensuring the cohesion of galaxies, but its composition and properties remain unknown.
The hypothesis that this substance might exist in an additional and hidden dimension has been discussed in recent years. However, researchers from the University of Sheffield claim to have made a step forward with a new theoretical model. This study, published in the journal Physical Review D, offers an explanation for the behavior of dark matter and the difficulties in detecting it.
According to this model, dark matter exists in an extra dimension hidden near a force-carrying particle known as the dark photon. The theory posits that the specific geometry and shape of this dimension lead to the precise alignment of these particles' masses. This alignment generates a phenomenon called dark matter resonance, which researchers compare to the operation of a musical instrument vibrating strongly when reaching the correct note.
Dr. Yu-Dai Tsai, a senior researcher at Dorothy Hodgkin's Royal Society at the University of Sheffield, told Phys.org that dark matter resonance is already considered an important idea for understanding both its origin and detection methods. He noted: 'Dark matter resonance is already known as a powerful idea with the potential to change our understanding of how dark matter was produced in the early Universe and how we search for it today.'
According to the scientist, previous models treated this resonance merely as a pre-assumed hypothesis. Tsai added: 'But many previous models of resonant dark matter viewed the resonance as an assumption. This work provides a possible deeper origin for it: the resonance may stem directly from the geometry of hidden dimensions.'
Tsai also stated that this mechanism could explain why dark matter interacted much more intensely during fundamental periods of cosmic history, remaining practically undetectable today. He emphasized: 'This resonance can make dark matter interactions much stronger during critical epochs of cosmic history, such as in the early Universe. It is important that the model allows for these strong past interactions while explaining why dark matter seems so inert and difficult to detect today.'
The researchers also point out that although resonant dark matter and extra dimensions were studied separately in previous works, these models required extremely precise tuning of particle masses to function. The new study suggests that this alignment is not a coincidence nor dependent on manual adjustment, but arises naturally from the mathematical structure of the hidden dimension itself.
For Tsai, understanding this mysterious substance would mark a significant breakthrough for science. He stated: 'Understanding dark matter would be a profound breakthrough in humanity's knowledge of the cosmos and what it is made of.'
He added that the new model opens up new avenues for future research. 'Our study offers physicists new clear goals in the search for dark matter, while simultaneously linking two of the greatest ideas in fundamental physics: the mystery of dark matter and the existence of hidden dimensions.'
Beyond the implications for understanding the Universe, the researchers note that the search for dark matter stimulates the development of technologies with practical applications. These include ultra-sensitive detectors, cryogenic systems, low-noise electronics, and quantum measurement technologies, which can contribute to progress in fields such as medicine, computing, and global communications.
