Zong 4G & PBM Celebrate First Cohort of Graduates from Digital Lab & Women Empowerment Initiative:
Zong 4G, in collaboration with Pakistan Bait ul Mal (PBM) and with the support of the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety (MOPASS), held a momentous Graduation Ceremony at Zong headquarters, celebrating the achievements of the first graduates of the centre’s Digital Program. These talented individuals successfully completed the comprehensive training program, gaining valuable skills in various digital domains. Zong 4G proudly inaugurated the state-of-the-art digital lab at PBM’s women empowerment center in Islamabad in December 2022. This initiative aims to provide women with essential digital skills and empower them to thrive in the digital age.
Infinix Ranked #45 in Kantar BrandZ Top 50 Chinese Global Brand Builders of 2023:
Infinix has once again proven its worth in the global market, securing the 45th position in the prestigious Kantar BrandZ rankings for the Top 50 Chinese Global Brand Builders of 2023. This remarkable achievement follows Infinix’s recognition in 2022 as a Kantar BrandZ Rising Star among Chinese Global Brand Builders. Such consistent acknowledgment showcases the brand’s continuous efforts in capturing the trust and loyalty of consumers, providing them with a strong sense of value associated with the Infinix brand.
Razer Blade 14 Gaming Laptop Launched With 2K 240Hz Screen and RTX 4070:
Gaming hardware maker Razer has announced its latest laptop for gamers, the Blade 14, which packs the latest and greatest generation of AMD CPUs and an Nvidia RTX 40 series GPU. As the name says, the Razer Blade 14 has a 14″ display that features 2K resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio. It refreshes at an incredibly fast 240Hz and has support for AMD’s FreeSync Premium and a 3ms response time for a frame-perfect gaming experience. This screen can hit 500 nits of peak brightness and covers 100% of the DCI P3 color space. The laptop weighs about 1.84 kg and is 17.99 mm thick. It will be available in classic matte black and stunning mercury color options. There is also a 1080p webcam tucked in the top bezel.
Google Now Lets You Identify Skin Diseases At Home:
Google has introduced a plethora of new features to its app and services for user convenience including a “Try On” function for online shopping which we have covered in a separate article. Other than that, we also have useful new features for Google Maps and Google Lens. Google Lens, a cutting-edge image recognition tool, has introduced a new capability that simplifies the identification of potential skin diseases. With a straightforward process of pointing your smartphone camera at your skin or uploading photos, you can access visually similar images that assist in recognizing potential skin ailments.
Twitter Faces $250 Million Lawsuit for Allowing Copyrighted Music:
On behalf of 17 prominent music publishers, the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) has taken legal action against Twitter. The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Tennessee, alleges that the company sustains its operations by hosting numerous unauthorized copies of musical compositions, thereby violating the exclusive rights of publishers and other rights holders as outlined in copyright law. The lawsuit also includes a comprehensive list of approximately 1,700 songs that the publishers claim have been repeatedly flagged for copyright infringement to Twitter, yet the company has failed to take appropriate action. The plaintiffs are seeking a court order to impose fines of up to $150,000 per violation on Twitter for its alleged infringements.
Europe Could Destroy 80% of Google’s Ad Business With New Laws:
Google holds a dominant position in the online advertising market, which has repeatedly raised concerns and triggered controversies for the company. Now the European Union (EU) is raising apprehensions regarding potential antitrust violations by the search engine giant and calling for a possible breakup of its ad business, which could force Google to lose 80% of its ad business. In a comprehensive statement, the EU has communicated its “preliminary view” to Google, expressing its belief that the company has violated antitrust regulations pertaining to the advertising industry.
Steam Gets Major Design Changes and New Features:
Valve recognized the long-awaited need for a significant upgrade to the Steam desktop client, and today they have delivered. The company has released an update for the platform, incorporating numerous features that have been tested in the app’s beta channel. The latest client version boasts refreshed fonts and menus, an improved notification system, and a redesigned in-game overlay.
Pioneering the Future of 5G: A Discussion with Rakesh Tamrakar, Leading 5G Standard Expert at vivo:
We sat down with Mr. Rakesh Tamrakar, a Leading 5G Standard Expert at vivo Communications Research Institute, to delve into the captivating world of 5G and discover how vivo is shaping the digital landscape through its commitment to innovation and accessibility. In this insightful interview, Rakesh Tamrakar sheds light on vivo’s recent 5G Talk initiative, shares his vision for the future of connectivity, and explores the key benefits of 5G for developing countries.
Google’s AI Tool Lets You Try Clothes Before Buying Them:
Following its I/O keynote in May, Google has been actively promoting its generative text and image AI tools, offering assistance with tasks such as essay drafting and artistic creations. Nonetheless, the company’s primary revenue stream is derived from advertising and product sales. In line with this, Google has recently introduced a new shopping feature designed to enhance these endeavors.
PTA Tells Mobile Companies to Prepare Anti-Cyclone Plan:
Fearing losses due to the Biparjoy cyclone, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) directed telecom companies to prepare a plan to deal with any emergency situation. PTA has directed telecom companies to prepare a backup plan for cyclone-affected areas and start implementing it. Sources told ProPakistani that on the instructions of IT Minister Syed Aminul Haq, PTA officials held a meeting with representatives of telecom companies. The meeting deliberated on possible Biparjoy cyclone damage in coastal areas and measures to protect telecom infrastructure from it.
Richard Branson: Virgin Galactic commercial space flights to start this month:
Sir Richard Branson’s space tourism company Virgin Galactic says it will launch its first commercial flight before the end of this month. The firm is targeting a launch window for the flight, which is called Galactic 01, from 27 June to 30 June. After the announcement to investors, Virgin Galactic shares jumped more than 40% in extended New York trading.
In May, Virgin Orbit – a separate space firm owned by the UK billionaire – shut down, months after a mission failed. Virgin Galactic said the first flight will be a scientific research mission, carrying three crew members from the Italian Air Force and the National Research Council of Italy to conduct microgravity research.
AI to stop water pollution before it happens:
Artificial intelligence will be used in south-west England to predict pollution before it happens and help prevent it. It’s hoped the pilot project in Devon will help improve water quality at the seaside resort of Combe Martin, making it a better place for swimming. Sensors placed in rivers and fields will build a picture of the state of local rivers, rainfall and soil. AI will then combine that data with satellite imagery of local land use. It will predict when the local river system is most vulnerable to things like agricultural runoff, allowing for measures such as asking farms to hold off on applying fertiliser.
The workers already replaced by artificial intelligence:
Until recently Dean Meadowcroft was a copywriter in a small marketing department. His duties included writing press releases, social media posts and other content for his company. But then, late last year, his firm introduced an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system. “At the time the idea was that it would be working alongside human lead copywriters to help speed up the process, essentially streamline things a little bit more,” he says. Mr Meadowcroft was not particularly impressed with the AI’s work. “It just kind of made everybody sound middle of the road, on the fence, and exactly the same, and therefore nobody really stands out.” The content also had to be checked by human staff to make sure it had not been lifted from anywhere else.
iPhone maker Foxconn to switch to cars as US-China ties sour:
iPhone maker Foxconn is betting big on electric cars and redrawing some of its supply chains as it navigates a new era of icy Washington-Beijing relations. In an exclusive interview, chairman and boss Young Liu told the BBC what the future may hold for the Taiwanese firm. He said even as Foxconn shifts some supply chains away from China, electric vehicles (EVs) are what will drive its growth in the coming decades. As US-China tensions soar, Mr Liu said, Foxconn must prepare for the worst. “We hope peace and stability will be something the leaders of these two countries will keep in mind,” 67-year-old Mr Liu told us, in his offices in Taipei, Taiwan’s capital. “But as a business, as a CEO, I have to think about what if the worst case happens?” The scenarios could include attempts by Beijing to blockade Taiwan, which it claims as part of China, or worse, to invade the self-ruled island. Mr Liu said “business continuity planning” was already under way, and pointed out that some production lines, particularly those linked to “national security products” were already being moved from China to Mexico and Vietnam.
Hacker gang Clop publishes victim names on dark web:
The names and company profiles of dozens of victims of a global mass hack have been published by a cyber crime gang holding their stolen data to ransom. On Wednesday the hacker group Clop began posting names of firms to its website on the darknet. 26 organisations including banks and universities have been added to try and pressurise victims into paying. US federal bodies have also been targeted. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency told CNN it “is providing support to several federal agencies that have experienced intrusions affecting their MOVEit applications,” It’s not known which agencies are impacted or what data stolen but cyber authorities say they do not expect it to have significant impact. The mass hack is likely to have affected hundreds of organisations around the world with around 50 so far confirmed either by the firms themselves or by the hackers.
Black Mirror returns with mixed reviews from critics:
Charlie Brooker’s dystopian Netflix show Black Mirror has returned for a sixth series with mixed reviews from critics. Its five new episodes deal with themes including paparazzi and audiences’ obsession with true crime. In a three-star review, The Independent’s Nick Hilton said the show is “infected with classic Black Mirror tropes”. But, he added, the latest season “also brings something new”. “For the first time, Black Mirror is not merely holding the looking glass up to the damage wrought by technology, but to the self-inflicted wounds of society as well,” he said. “The resultant mishmash demonstrates that the best episodes of Black Mirror will always be dystopian, and experimenting with that winning formula is a fool’s errand.”
Mum says school failed girl who was harassed after bullies shared details:
The mother of a girl who was sent sexual messages after bullies shared her details online has said the way her school treated the issue was “absolutely abysmal”. Gemma, whose name has been changed, said the 13-year-old received explicit texts after her Snapchat handle was shared on adults-only forums. She said the Tameside school did “absolutely nothing” to support her. The school said it took “safeguarding and bullying very seriously”. Gemma told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the bullying, which also saw her daughter being ostracised at mealtimes and subjected to offensive name calling and body shaming, started earlier in 2023.
Ed Sheeran: Ipswich hacker who stole songs told to pay £100k:
A hacker who stole two unreleased songs from Ed Sheeran and sold them on the dark web has to pay more than £100,000. Adrian Kwiatkowski, 23, from Ipswich, traded the music by Sheeran and 12 songs by rapper Lil Uzi Vert in exchange for cryptocurrency. Last year, he admitted 19 charges, including copyright infringement and possessing criminal property, and was jailed for 18 months. About half of the money he has to pay is currently held in Bitcoin. Kwiatkowski managed to get hold of them after hacking the performers’ digital accounts, the Crown Prosecution Service said. He had made £131,000 from the music, City of London Police said. In his police interview, Kwiatkowski admitted he had hacked the musicians’ cloud-based accounts and sold the songs online.
UK weather: Why your phone overheats and how to prevent it:
You’re sitting outside on your lunch break and your phone says it’s too hot to work. What are you meant to do without TikTok to scroll through, actually talk to your colleagues? The current UK heatwave – yes, it is officially one – is not just affecting people’s bodies, but also their electronics. Unlike humans, phones can’t sweat – which is good for those holding them but not great for our handsets. So why do our electronics struggle in the heat and what can we do about it? Much like how we struggle to operate at the same speed in intense heat, it can be something similar for the phone’s processor – a chip inside that’s responsible for its main functions. “The internal things that actually make it all work, unfortunately, themselves generate heat in the way they work,” says Dr Roz Wyatt-Millington, a senior lecturer in electronic and electrical engineering at Leeds Beckett University. “And as the device gets hotter for phones, the processor tries to stop itself overheating and it ends up slowing everything down as a result.”
Meta scientist Yann LeCun says AI won’t destroy jobs forever:
One of the three “godfathers of AI” has said it won’t take over the world or permanently destroy jobs. Prof Yann LeCun said some experts’ fears of AI posing a threat to humanity were “preposterously ridiculous”. Computers would become more intelligent than humans but that was many years away and “if you realise it’s not safe you just don’t built it,” he said. A UK government advisor recently told the BBC that some powerful artificial intelligence might need to be banned. In 2018 Prof LeCun won the Turing Award with Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio for their breakthroughs in AI and all three became known as “the godfathers of AI”. Prof LeCun now works as the chief AI scientist at Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. He disagrees with his fellow godfathers that AI is a risk to the human race.