United News of Bangladesh

Meta Platforms, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is planning a substantial investment of up to $65 billion (£559,051 crore) in artificial intelligence initiatives for 2025. The funds will primarily be directed towards building a massive new data centre and expanding the company’s AI workforce, Zuckerberg revealed in a Facebook post on Friday. The proposed data centre is set to be so expansive that it could occupy a significant portion of Manhattan. Meta aims to bring online approximately one gigawatt of computing power by 2025 and anticipates concluding the year with over 1.3 million graphics processing units (GPUs). TikTok-loaded phones listed online for thousands amid app ban “This is a massive effort, and over the coming years it will drive our core products and business, unlock historic innovation, and extend American technology leadership,” Zuckerberg stated. Significant AI Investment Meta has been heavily investing in AI over recent years, recently committing $10 billion (£86,440 crore) to a new data centre in Louisiana. Additionally, the company has acquired advanced computer chips to support products such as its AI assistant and Ray-Ban smartglasses. Zuckerberg also highlighted plans to significantly expand Meta’s AI teams in 2025. The announcement arrives shortly after OpenAI, SoftBank Group, and Oracle Corp. unveiled a $100 billion (£864,404 crore) joint venture, named Stargate, aimed at developing data centres and AI infrastructure across the US. Musk clashes with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman over Trump-supported Stargate AI data center project Increased Capital Expenditure Meta’s planned 2025 capital expenditure marks a 50% rise compared to its estimated spending for 2024, and more than double the amount allocated in 2023. The company is expected to release finalised 2024 capital expenditure figures when it announces its fourth-quarter earnings on 29 January. Wall Street analysts had anticipated Meta would allocate $51.3 billion (£443,444 crore) for 2025, according to Bloomberg-compiled estimates. While Meta shares initially dipped during pre-market trading following the announcement, they later rose by as much as 1.7% after markets opened in New York. Broadcom Inc., a key provider of chip design services to Meta, also saw its stock climb by up to 3.9%. Trump, a populist president, is flanked by tech billionaires at his inauguration Balancing Overspending and Strategic Positioning Zuckerberg acknowledged concerns about potential overspending in AI, reiterating comments he made in July. “There’s a meaningful chance that a lot of the companies are over-building now,” he noted, “but the downside of being behind is that you’re out of position for the most important technology for the next 10 to 15 years.” Unconventional Disclosure The decision to share Meta’s spending plans on Facebook, five days ahead of the company’s quarterly earnings announcement, deviates from typical corporate practice. Such projections are usually issued alongside financial results or via formal regulatory filings. However, federal regulators have ruled that social media platforms are suitable for companies to disclose material information to investors. Robert Schiffman, Senior Credit Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, commented positively on the announcement. “Meta’s sharp increase in 2025 capital spending … may be its best use of capital, driving future growth and positioning itself as a leader in AI capabilities,” he remarked. Source: With inputs from news wirers   

After a half-century of public silence, a freelance photographer from Vietnam has asserted he took one of the most renowned and impactful photos of the 20th century — the image of a naked girl fleeing a napalm attack in South Vietnam that has long been credited to a staff photographer from The Associated Press. Nguyen Thanh Nghe claimed authorship of the Pulitzer Prize-winning “napalm girl” photograph in the new documentary “The Stringer” and on the sidelines of its premiere Saturday night at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The AP conducted its own investigation and said it has no reason to conclude that anyone other than the long-credited photographer, Nick Ut, made the picture. The news agency said it was “surprised and disappointed” that filmmakers portrayed it as having reviewed the film’s materials and being dismissive. The AP said it saw the film for the first time at Sundance. Nghe joined the filmmakers for the post-screening Q&A where he said, through a translator, “I took the photo.” The audience cheered enthusiastically. He did not say why he waited so long to make the claim. The AP said it was calling on the filmmakers to release their contributors from non-disclosure agreements for the film, including Nghe. It also called on the filmmakers to share a visual analysis they commissioned — and the film itself. “We cannot state more clearly that The Associated Press is only interested in the facts and a truthful history of this iconic photo," the agency said. Investigating an image captured in the fog of war Nguyen says he took the iconic photo of Kim Phuc on June 8, 1972. Nghe said he went to the town of Trang Bang that day as a driver for an NBC news crew and captured the image of Phuc running down the street, crying and naked with arms outstretched. He said he sold his image to the AP for $20, and they gave him a print of the photo that his wife later destroyed. Representatives for the AP, who saw the film for the first time Saturday at the premiere, are contesting the film's implication that the company reviewed their findings and dismissed them. “As recently as December, we reiterated our request to see the filmmakers’ full materials and they did not respond, nor did they include AP’s full response in the film," Lauren Easton, an AP spokesperson, said Sunday. "We were surprised and disappointed that the film portrayed AP as having reviewed the film’s materials and being dismissive of the allegations, which is completely false." The film’s investigation was led by husband-and-wife team of Gary Knight, founder of the VII Foundation, and producer Fiona Turner. Bao Nguyen, a Vietnamese American filmmaker, directed. “I’m not a journalist by any stretch of the imagination,” Nguyen said. “I had a healthy skepticism, as I think anyone would, going against a 53-year-old truth. ... But as a storyteller and a filmmaker, I thought it was my both or my responsibility and my privilege to be able to uplift the story of individuals like Nghe.” AP investigated independently Before having seen the film, the AP conducted its own investigation over six months and concluded it had “no reason to believe anyone other than Ut took the photo.” Now, the AP is calling on the filmmakers to lift the non-disclosure agreements they placed on their subjects to allow the company to investigate more fully. Read: Families sue TikTok in France over teen suicides they say are linked to harmful content “AP stands ready to review any and all evidence and new information about this photo," Easton said. Knight and Turner met with AP in London last June about the allegations. According to the AP, filmmakers requested the news organization sign a non-disclosure agreement before they provided their evidence. AP would not. The film suggests that evidence was presented to the AP, which the AP says is not true. A primary source in the film is Carl Robinson, then an AP photo editor in Saigon, who was overruled in his judgment not to use the picture by Horst Faas, AP's Saigon chief of photos. Robinson says in the film that Faas instructed him to “make it staff” and credit Ut for the photo. Both Faas and Yuichi “Jackson” Ishizaki, who developed the film, are dead. Robinson, 81, was dismissed by the AP in 1978. On Saturday, a Sundance Institute moderator asked why he wanted to come forward with the allegations now. “I didn’t want to die before this story came out,” Robinson told the audience after the screening. “I wanted to find (Nghe) and say sorry.” A variety of witnesses interviewed by AP, including renowned correspondents such as Fox Butterfield and Peter Arnett and the photo’s subject herself, Phuc, say they are certain Ut took the photo. The documentary included forensics of the scene Robinson was one such person the AP attempted to speak to during their investigation but “were told we could only do so under conditions" that they said would have prevented them from “taking swift action if necessary.” Read: Trump signs executive order on developing artificial intelligence 'free from ideological bias' The film’s investigation took over two years. The journalists enlisted a French forensics team, INDEX, to help determine the likelihood of whether Ut had been in a position to take the photo. The forensics team concluded that it was highly unlikely that Ut could have done it. Ut's attorney, James Hornstein, had this to say Sunday after the premiere: “In due course, we will proceed to right this wrong in a courtroom where Nick Ut’s reputation will be vindicated.” Knight referenced AP’s investigation Saturday, telling the audience that the company's statement is available online. “They said they’re open always to examining the truth. And I think it was a very reasonable thing to say,” Knight said. “Our story is here and it’s here for you all to see.” He added: “Things happen in the field in the heat of the moment. ... We’re all stronger if we examine ourselves, ask tough questions, and we’re open and honest about what goes on in our profession. Now more than ever, I would argue." “The Stringer” does not yet have distribution plans.

Released on October 29, 2024, the Xiaomi 15 brings a bunch of innovative features, redefining what consumers can expect from a flagship smartphone. Here’s a comprehensive review of the key specifications, pros, cons, and price of Xiaomi 15 in Bangladesh. Key Features of Xiaomi 15 . Design and Build Quality The Xiaomi 15 builds upon its predecessor with a sleek, premium design. Its glass front and aluminum alloy frame (6M42) feel robust, complemented by an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. Compared to the Xiaomi 14, the Xiaomi 15 is slightly more refined with a polished aluminum frame, while maintaining similar dimensions. When compared to the ZTE nubia Z70 Ultra, which offers a bulkier and heavier build (228 g), the Xiaomi 15 strikes a balance between durability and usability, being significantly lighter at 191 g. Meanwhile, the Sharp Aquos R8s features MIL-STD-810G compliance and Gorilla Glass 3 protection but lacks the premium feel of Xiaomi’s aluminum alloy construction. Read more: realme Neo7 Review: Is This Mid-Range Gaming Powerhouse Worth Buying? Display Quality The Xiaomi 15 features a stunning 6.36-inch LTPO OLED display with 1B colors, a 120Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and a peak brightness of 3200 nits. This is a noticeable upgrade from the Xiaomi 14, which shares a similar resolution and refresh rate but peaks at 3000 nits. The improved brightness ensures better visibility under direct sunlight. Compared to competitors, the ZTE nubia Z70 Ultra offers a larger (6.85-inch) AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate, but it sacrifices peak brightness at 2000 nits. The Sharp Aquos R8s, on the other hand, has a 6.4-inch PRO IGZO LTPO OLED panel with a peak brightness of 1300 nits, making it less vibrant and immersive than the Xiaomi 15. Like Xiaomi 14 the latest 15 comes with 1200 by 2670 resolutions with around 461 PPI density. It is richer than rival ZTE nubia Z70 Ultra and Sharp Aquos R8s. Read more: Honor Magic7 Pro Review: A Flagship Killer or Just Another Premium Phone? Camera Performance The Xiaomi 15’s triple-camera system delivers exceptional photography capabilities. The main 50 MP sensor with f/1.6 aperture and Leica optics captures sharp, detailed images with accurate colors. The telephoto lens (50 MP, 3x optical zoom) offers improved zoom functionality compared to the Xiaomi 14’s 3.2x telephoto. Both models share similar ultrawide capabilities, but the Xiaomi 15 benefits from better low-light performance. When compared to the ZTE nubia Z70 Ultra, the Xiaomi 15 holds its ground with comparable triple 50 MP sensors but benefits from Leica’s collaboration for superior color accuracy. The Sharp Aquos R8s falls behind with a dual-camera setup, featuring a 50 MP wide lens and a 13 MP ultrawide, which lacks the versatility and advanced features of Xiaomi’s flagship cameras. Xiaomi 15 boasts an 8K video shooting capacity at maximum, which we have seen in Xiaomi 14 and ZTE nubia Z70 Ultra. However, Xiaomi 14 and 15 models can shoot up to 4K footage with the selfie sensor which outwins ZTE nubia Z70 Ultra and Sharp Aquos R8s. Read more: OnePlus Pad 2 Review: Is It Worth Buying? Processor Performance Equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm), the Xiaomi 15 offers top-tier performance with an octa-core configuration, including two powerful 4.32 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L cores. It outshines the Xiaomi 14, which runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm) chipset, with better efficiency and faster clock speeds. The ZTE nubia Z70 Ultra features the same Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, providing comparable performance. However, the Xiaomi 15's HyperOS 2 and optimized cooling give it an edge in sustained performance during demanding tasks. The Sharp Aquos R8s uses an older Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which falls short in terms of raw power and efficiency. Gaming Performance The Xiaomi 15 excels in gaming, thanks to its Adreno 830 GPU and advanced thermal management. It can handle graphically demanding games with ease, maintaining stable frame rates and low temperatures. In comparison, the Xiaomi 14 also performs well but shows slightly lower thermal efficiency during extended gaming sessions.  Read more: Honor X5b Plus Review: Powerful Contender in the Budget-friendly Segment The ZTE nubia Z70 Ultra, with its larger display and similar hardware, is a formidable competitor for gaming enthusiasts, though its heavier build might be less comfortable for prolonged use. The Sharp Aquos R8s, with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and lower-resolution display, offers a less immersive gaming experience compared to the Xiaomi 15. Battery Life The Xiaomi 15 comes with a 5400mAh Si/C Li-Ion battery, offering excellent longevity for a day of heavy usage. It supports 90W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, and 10W reverse wireless charging, making it more versatile than the Xiaomi 14’s 4610mAh battery, which charges slightly faster at 100% in 31 minutes. The ZTE nubia Z70 Ultra boasts a larger 6150mAh battery but falls behind in charging speed with 80W wired charging. The Sharp Aquos R8s has the smallest battery capacity at 4750mAh and only supports 15W wired charging, making it less competitive in this aspect. Read more: Xiaomi Redmi Turbo 4 Review: Is It a Value-for-money Midranger? Software and User Interface Xiaomi 15 runs on Android 15 with HyperOS 2, which provides a smoother and more user-friendly experience compared to the Xiaomi 14’s HyperOS 1.1. The refined interface includes enhanced multitasking features, improved animations, and better resource management. The ZTE nubia Z70 Ultra’s Nebula AIOS offers unique AI features but lacks the polished ecosystem of HyperOS. Meanwhile, the Sharp Aquos R8s runs on Android 13, making it outdated compared to the Xiaomi 15’s cutting-edge software. Storage Options The Xiaomi 15 offers multiple storage configurations, including 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB, paired with 12GB or 16GB of RAM, all utilizing UFS 4.0 for lightning-fast data speeds. This matches the Xiaomi 14’s options but introduces higher RAM availability in the base variant. Read more: ZTE Nubia Red Magic 10 Pro Review: Is It a Value-for-money Gaming Smartphone? The ZTE nubia Z70 Ultra provides similar storage options with up to 1TB but goes a step further with a 24GB RAM variant. In contrast, the Sharp Aquos R8s is limited to 256GB storage and 8GB RAM, making it less suitable for power users or those with high storage needs. Pros and Cons of Xiaomi 15  Pros  - Premium aluminum alloy frame with IP68 water and dust resistance.- Stunning LTPO OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and 3200 nits brightness.- Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset with 12GB/16GB RAM options.- Excellent triple-camera setup (50MP) and 32MP selfie camera.- Supports 8K video recording with gyro-EIS.- Massive 5400mAh battery with 90W wired, 50W wireless, and 10W reverse wireless charging.- Smooth performance on Android 15 with HyperOS 2.- Superb gaming and multitasking capabilities.- Stereo speakers and an infrared port for added convenience.- High RAM and storage variants available, up to 1TB.- 5G and NFC-enabled for seamless connectivity. Read more: Best Air Purifiers in Bangladesh: Price Guide, Top Models, and Buying Tips Cons  - No support for FM radio.- Lacks a 3.5mm audio jack.- Missing a microSD card slot for expandable storage.- No Gorilla Glass protection on the display.- Slightly expensive for budget-conscious users. Price of Xiaomi 15 in Bangladesh The Xiaomi 15 is priced at approximately BDT 85,000. However, the price is subject to change. Takeaways  The Xiaomi 15 is ideal for power users, gamers, and photography enthusiasts who value premium features, top-notch performance, and innovative camera capabilities. However, it is not suitable for budget-conscious users or those needing expandable storage, a 3.5mm audio jack, or Gorilla Glass protection. Consider it if you want a cutting-edge flagship experience.  Read more: Honor GT Review: A Power-Packed Mid-range Smartphone for Gamers

In the moment when her world shattered three years ago, Stephanie Mistre found her 15-year-old daughter, Marie, lifeless in the bedroom where she died by suicide. “I went from light to darkness in a fraction of a second,” Mistre said, describing the day in September 2021 that marked the start of her fight against TikTok, the Chinese-owned video app she blames for pushing her daughter toward despair. Delving into her daughter’s phone after her death, Mistre discovered videos promoting suicide methods, tutorials and comments encouraging users to go beyond “mere suicide attempts.” She said TikTok’s algorithm had repeatedly pushed such content to her daughter. “It was brainwashing,” said Mistre, who lives in Cassis, near Marseille, in the south of France. “They normalized depression and self-harm, turning it into a twisted sense of belonging.” Now Mistre and six other families are suing TikTok France, accusing the platform of failing to moderate harmful content and exposing children to life-threatening material. Out of the seven families, two experienced the loss of a child. Asked about the lawsuit, TikTok said its guidelines forbid any promotion of suicide and that it employs 40,000 trust and safety professionals worldwide — hundreds of which are French-speaking moderators — to remove dangerous posts. The company also said it refers users who search for suicide-related videos to mental health services. Before killing herself, Marie Le Tiec made several videos to explain her decision, citing various difficulties in her life, and quoted a song by the Louisiana-based emo rap group Suicideboys, who are popular on TikTok. Her mother also claims that her daughter was repeatedly bullied and harassed at school and online. In addition to the lawsuit, the 51-year-old mother and her husband have filed a complaint against five of Marie’s classmates and her previous high school. Above all, Mistre blames TikTok, saying that putting the app "in the hands of an empathetic and sensitive teenager who does not know what is real from what is not is like a ticking bomb.” Scientists have not established a clear link between social media and mental health problems or psychological harm, said Grégoire Borst, a professor of psychology and cognitive neuroscience at Paris-Cité University. “It’s very difficult to show clear cause and effect in this area,” Borst said, citing a leading peer-reviewed study that found only 0.4% of the differences in teenagers’ well-being could be attributed to social media use. Read: TikTok-loaded phones listed online for thousands amid app ban Additionally, Borst pointed out that no current studies suggest TikTok is any more harmful than rival apps such as Snapchat, X, Facebook or Instagram. While most teens use social media without significant harm, the real risks, Borst said, lie with those already facing challenges such as bullying or family instability. “When teenagers already feel bad about themselves and spend time exposed to distorted images or harmful social comparisons," it can worsen their mental state, Borst said. Lawyer Laure Boutron-Marmion, who represents the seven families suing TikTok, said their case is based on “extensive evidence.” The company "can no longer hide behind the claim that it’s not their responsibility because they don’t create the content,” Boutron-Marmion said. The lawsuit alleges that TikTok’s algorithm is designed to trap vulnerable users in cycles of despair for profit and seeks reparations for the families. “Their strategy is insidious,” Mistre said. “They hook children into depressive content to keep them on the platform, turning them into lucrative re-engagement products.” Boutron-Marmion noted that TikTok’s Chinese version, Douyin, features much stricter content controls for young users. It includes a “youth mode” mandatory for users under 14 that restricts screen time to 40 minutes a day and offers only approved content. “It proves they can moderate content when they choose to,” Boutron-Marmion said. “The absence of these safeguards here is telling.” A report titled “Children and Screens,” commissioned by French President Emmanuel Macron in April and to which Borst contributed, concluded that certain algorithmic features should be considered addictive and banned from any app in France. The report also called for restricting social media access for minors under 15 in France. Neither measure has been adopted. TikTok, which faced being shut down in the U.S. until President Donald Trump suspended a ban on it, has also come under scrutiny globally. The U.S. has seen similar legal efforts by parents. One lawsuit in Los Angeles County accuses Meta and its platforms Instagram and Facebook, as well as Snapchat and TikTok, of designing defective products that cause serious injuries. The lawsuit lists three teens who died by suicide. In another complaint, two tribal nations accuse major social media companies, including YouTube owner Alphabet, of contributing to high rates of suicide among Native youths. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologized to parents who had lost children while testifying last year in the U.S. Senate. In December, Australia enacted a groundbreaking law banning social media accounts for children under 16. Read more:  Trump pauses US TikTok ban with executive order In France, Boutron-Marmion expects TikTok Limited Technologies, the European Union subsidiary for ByteDance — the Chinese company that owns TikTok — to answer the allegations in the first quarter of 2025. Authorities will later decide whether and when a trial would take place. When contacted by The Associated Press, TikTok said it had not been notified about the French lawsuit, which was filed in November. It could take months for the French justice system to process the complaint and for authorities in Ireland — home to TikTok’s European headquarters — to formally notify the company, Boutron-Marmion said. Instead, a Tiktok spokesperson highlighted company guidelines that prohibit content promoting suicide or self-harm. Critics argue that TikTok’s claims of robust moderation fall short. Imran Ahmed, the CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, dismissed TikTok’s assertion that over 98.8% of harmful videos had been flagged and removed between April and June. When asked about the blind spots of their moderation efforts, social media platforms claim that users are able to bypass detection by using ambiguous language or allusions that algorithms struggle to flag, Ahmed said. The term “algospeak” has been coined to describe techniques such as using zebra or armadillo emojis to talk about cutting yourself, or the Swiss flag emoji as an allusion to suicide. Such code words "aren’t particularly sophisticated,” Ahmed said. "The only reason TikTok can’t find them when independent researchers, journalists and others can is because they’re not looking hard enough,” Ahmed said. Ahmed’s organization conducted a study in 2022 simulating the experience of a 13-year-old girl on TikTok. “Within 2.5 minutes, the accounts were served self-harm content,” Ahmed said. “By eight minutes, they saw eating disorder content. On average, every 39 seconds, the algorithm pushed harmful material.” The algorithm “knows that eating disorder and self-harm content is especially addictive” for young girls. For Mistre, the fight is deeply personal. Sitting in her daughter’s room, where she has kept the decor untouched for the last three years, she said parents must know about the dangers of social media. Had she known about the content being sent to her daughter, she never would have allowed her on TikTok, she said. Her voice breaks as she describes Marie as a “sunny, funny” teenager who dreamed of becoming a lawyer. “In memory of Marie, I will fight as long as I have the strength,” she said. “Parents need to know the truth. We must confront these platforms and demand accountability.”

Released on December 11, 2024, the realme Neo7 has quickly gained attention for its impressive features tailored to gamers and multitaskers alike. With a sleek design, powerful performance, and standout camera capabilities, it aims to dominate the mid-range market. In this review, we’ll break down the realme Neo7’s key specs, pros, cons, and pricing in Bangladesh to see if it lives up to the hype. Key Features of realme Neo7 . Design and Build Quality The realme Neo7 boasts a robust design with dimensions of 162.6 mm by 76.4 mm by 8.6 mm and a weight of 213g. It is slightly heavier (191g) and thicker (8.7mm) than the realme GT Neo6. The inclusion of IP68/IP69 certification sets Neo7 one step ahead of the realme GT Neo6 and other competitors like the OnePlus Ace 5 and Honor GT, as these devices only offer IP65 resistance.  Its sleek design and sturdy Crystal Armor glass on the front make it more premium and durable. However, its heft may not appeal to users preferring lightweight devices. Read more: Honor Magic7 Pro Review: A Flagship Killer or Just Another Premium Phone? Display Quality The realme Neo7 features a 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a resolution of 1264 by 2780 pixels (~450 PPI). The screen delivers vibrant colors and deep contrasts, supported by a peak brightness of 6000 nits, which is superior to the Honor GT’s 4000 nits and OnePlus Ace 5’s 4500 nits but comparable to the realme GT Neo6.  Its 120 Hz refresh rate ensures fluid scrolling and gaming, matching the industry standard for premium mid-range devices. However, while the HDR support is excellent for media consumption, the Honor GT’s slightly smaller screen (6.7-inch) offers a more compact alternative for one-handed use. Camera Performance The realme Neo7 houses a dual rear camera setup featuring a 50 MP (f/1.9) primary sensor with OIS and an 8 MP (f/2.2) ultrawide lens. The main sensor excels in low-light photography and delivers well-balanced colors, outperforming the realme GT Neo6 in dynamic range but falling short of the triple-camera system on the OnePlus Ace 5, which includes a dedicated macro lens. Meanwhile, the Honor GT’s camera performance is comparable but lacks the advanced image processing algorithms of the Neo7.  Read more: OnePlus Pad 2 Review: Is It Worth Buying? For selfies, the 16 MP (f/2.4) front camera provides decent quality but lags behind the 32 MP selfie camera of the GT Neo6, which captures more details.  The Neo7’s rear sensor supports a maximum of 4K video recording with stabilization, ensuring smooth footage, similar to its competitors. However, the realme GT Neo6’s front camera can capture up to 4K footage which outwins Neo7, OnePlus Ace 5, and Honor GT featuring 1080p of utmost video recording capacity each. Processor Performance Under the hood, the Neo7 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ chipset, paired with an octa-core CPU and Immortalis-G720 MC12 GPU. This 4 nm architecture ensures blazing-fast performance, placing it on par with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 found in the OnePlus Ace 5 and Honor GT.  Read more: Xiaomi Redmi Turbo 4 Review: Is It a Value-for-money Midranger? Compared to the realme GT Neo6’s Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, the Neo7 delivers marginally better thermal efficiency, making it a better choice for extended heavy usage. Benchmark tests show the Neo7 excelling in multitasking and intensive applications, with its chipset providing a significant upgrade over its predecessor, the GT Neo6. Gaming Performance Gaming enthusiasts will appreciate the realme Neo7’s HyperBoost gaming engine, which optimizes frame rates and reduces latency for a smoother experience. Popular games like Genshin Impact and PUBG Mobile run at high settings without noticeable frame drops. Thermal management is efficient, keeping the device cool during extended sessions, which is a slight improvement over the GT Neo6. While the OnePlus Ace 5 and Honor GT offer comparable gaming experiences, the Neo7’s larger battery gives it an edge in terms of playtime. Its immersive display and stereo speakers further enhance the gaming experience. Read more: Best Air Purifiers in Bangladesh: Price Guide, Top Models, and Buying Tips Battery Life The realme Neo7 features a massive 7000 mAh battery, a standout among its peers. This capacity allows for more than a day of heavy usage, even with demanding applications.  In contrast, the GT Neo6 has a 5500 mAh battery, and the Honor GT offers 5300 mAh. While the OnePlus Ace 5 comes close with a 6415 mAh battery, it still falls short of the Neo7’s endurance. Charging of Neo7 is handled by an 80W wired solution, which can fully charge the device in just over an hour. Although the GT Neo6 offers faster 120W charging, the Neo7’s larger battery capacity compensates by requiring less frequent charging. The absence of wireless and reverse wired charging in this price range can be a deal breaker for the realme Neo7. Read more: Top Smartphones Launching in January 2025: What to Expect Software and User Interface Out of the box, the Neo7 runs Android 15 with realme UI 6.0, offering a smooth and user-friendly experience. The updated interface includes enhanced customization options, improved widgets, and better multitasking features. Compared to the realme GT Neo6’s Android 14-based UI 5.0, the Neo7 provides a more polished software experience. The OnePlus Ace 5 and Honor GT run Android 15 with ColorOS 15 and MagicOS 9, respectively. While these UIs offer similar features, realme UI 6.0 stands out with its efficient resource management and minimal bloatware. However, the lack of long-term software updates compared to OnePlus devices may concern some users. Storage Options The Neo7 offers extensive storage configurations, including 256GB and 512GB options with 12GB or 16GB of RAM, as well as a premium 1TB variant. The use of UFS 4.0 technology ensures faster read and write speeds, ideal for data-intensive tasks.  However, none of these models support expandable storage, which might be a downside for users who need additional space.  Read more: Best Projectors to Create Home Theaters in Bangladesh in 2025 The GT Neo6, OnePlus Ace 5, and Honor GT offer similar storage configurations.  Pros and Cons of realme Neo7 . Pros  - IP68/IP69 dust and water-resistant.- LTPO AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and 6000 nits brightness.- Powered by the Dimensity 9300+ chipset, great for gaming and multitasking.- 12/16GB RAM and up to 1TB UFS 4.0 storage.- Massive 7000 mAh battery with 80W fast charging.- Crystal Armor glass for enhanced durability.- 5G, NFC, and infrared port support.- Dual rear camera (50MP) and 16MP selfie camera.- Supports 4K video recording.- Runs Android 15 with realme UI 6.0.- Stereo speakers and under-display fingerprint scanner. Read more: Vivo iQOO Z9 Turbo Plus Review: A Game-Changer Among Mid-Range Gaming Smartphones Cons  - No 3.5mm audio jack.- Lacks expandable memory (no MicroSD card slot).- No reverse charging support.- No wireless charging support.- Selfie camera limited to 1080p video recording.- Missing optical zoom or advanced camera features.- FM radio is not supported.- Gyro-EIS for video stabilization is unavailable. Price of realme Neo7 in Bangladesh The realme Neo7 is priced at BDT 45,000 in Bangladesh, and its competitive pricing makes it an appealing option in the mid-range segment. Takeaways The Neo7 is perfect for gamers, multitaskers, and users seeking a durable, high-performance device with excellent battery life. However, it may disappoint those needing expandable storage, advanced camera features, a 3.5mm audio jack, and reverse or wireless charging supports. However, if these are no issues, the realme Neo7 is a competent gaming smartphone in the mid-range segment. Read more: ZTE Nubia Red Magic 10 Pro Review: Is It a Value-for-money Gaming Smartphone?

Phones preloaded with TikTok are being sold on platforms like eBay and Facebook Marketplace for thousands of dollars, with some listings reaching as high as $50,000. However, it's unclear if buyers are willing to pay such steep prices. The surge in listings follows a brief period during which TikTok was unavailable for new downloads in the U.S. As of Sunday, users who had already installed the app could continue using it, but the app remains inaccessible for new downloads from Apple and Google app stores. This has created a market for devices preloaded with TikTok and other ByteDance apps like Lemon8 and CapCut. While some listings are exorbitantly priced, phones selling for a few hundred dollars have garnered the most interest. For example, Nicholas Matthews, a New York resident, listed an iPhone 14 Plus with TikTok for $10,000. As of Friday, the highest bid he received was $4,550. Matthews expressed modest expectations, saying, “I’m just expecting to sell this one phone.” With approximately 170 million TikTok users in the U.S., the app remains popular despite ongoing regulatory challenges. The ban does not target individual users, meaning those with the app already downloaded can still use it freely. Trump pauses US TikTok ban with executive order eBay has yet to comment on the influx of TikTok-loaded phone listings. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has directed the Justice Department to delay enforcing the ban until early April. However, significant uncertainties remain, including the legality of Trump’s order and the potential sale of TikTok by its China-based parent company, ByteDance.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on artificial intelligence Thursday that will revoke past government policies his order says “act as barriers to American AI innovation." To maintain global leadership in AI technology, "we must develop AI systems that are free from ideological bias or engineered social agendas,” Trump's order says. The new order doesn't name which existing policies are hindering AI development but sets out to track down and review “all policies, directives, regulations, orders, and other actions taken” as a result of former President Joe Biden's sweeping AI executive order of 2023, which Trump rescinded Monday. Any of those Biden-era actions must be suspended if they don't fit Trump's new directive that AI should “promote human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security.” Last year, the Biden administration issued a policy directive that said U.S. federal agencies must show their artificial intelligence tools aren’t harming the public, or stop using them. Trump’s order directs the White House to revise and reissue those directives, which affect how agencies acquire AI tools and use them. Biden’s executive order, the Trump administration said, “established unnecessarily burdensome requirements for companies developing and deploying AI that would stifle private sector innovation and threaten American technological leadership.” Trump's order also calls for the development of an AI action plan within 180 days. Leading the work will be a small group of White House tech and science officials, including a new Special Advisor for AI and Crypto — a role Trump has given to venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks. Trump repealed Biden’s 2023 guardrails for fast-developing AI technology just hours after returning to the White House on Monday. Read: ChatGPT faces outage, users worldwide report problems The new actions threaten to erase some of the Biden administration’s efforts -- championed by then-Vice President Kamala Harris -- to curb government use of the kinds of AI tools that have been found to unfairly discriminate based on race, gender or disability, from medical diagnosis chatbots spouting false information to face recognition technology tied to wrongful arrests of Black men. Until Thursday, it wasn't clear if Trump planned to replace Biden's signature AI policy with his own order. Trump had also signed executive orders on AI in his previous term, including a 2019 order directing federal agencies to prioritize research and development in AI that is still on the books. Alondra Nelson, former acting director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy under Biden, said Trump’s order seemed “backward looking” because agencies would be tasked with reviewing initiatives “that are already helping people, with an implicit intent to unwind them.” The Biden administration’s AI policies, she added, were aimed at protecting both innovation and the public. “In 60 days, we’ll know which Americans’ rights and safety the Trump Administration believes deserves to be protected in the age of AI, and if there will be a level playing field for every technologist, developer, and innovator or just the tech billionaires,” Nelson said. Much of Biden’s 2023 order set in motion a sprint across government agencies to study AI's impact on everything from cybersecurity risks to its effects on education, workplaces and public benefits, with an eye on ensuring AI tools weren't harming people. That work is largely done. Read more: Trump announces 500 bln USD AI infrastructure investment in U.S. One major piece that remained — until Trump rescinded it Monday — was a requirement that tech companies building the most powerful AI models share details with the government about the workings of those systems before they are unleashed to the public. The Trump order's focus on “human flourishing” echoes the language of his campaign's long-held promise to cancel Biden's AI policy once back in the White House. It's also in line with ideas espoused by Trump adviser Elon Musk, who has warned against the dangers of what he calls “woke AI” that reflects liberal biases. In a statement, Americans for Responsible Innovation, a nonprofit organization, said Trump has “made it clear from day one that his top priority on AI is out-innovating the rest of the world.” “Today’s executive order is a placeholder until the administration has a chance to develop a full strategy for executing that vision,” said the organization’s executive director, Eric Gastfriend. Agencies had already frozen work on AI policies initiated by the last administration following Trump’s repeal of Biden’s executive order on Monday, Gastfriend said. “This new instruction shouldn’t come as a surprise,” he said.

OpenAI’s generative AI chatbot, ChatGPT, is currently undergoing significant disruptions, preventing users from engaging in chats or accessing their previous conversations, reports NDTV. Nearly 4,000 users had reported problems on the outage tracking site Downdetector, it said. ChatGPT faces second outage in December The outages seem to be affecting not only ChatGPT but also other OpenAI services, leading to speculation that the GPT-4o and GPT-4o mini models are down, causing the wider disruptions. Users have been sharing their experiences and reactions on platforms like X.com and Instagram. In a recent podcast appearance, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared his vision of a future where AI surpasses human intellect, saying this shift will feel like a natural part of life for future generations. Italy fines OpenAI for ChatGPT data privacy violations "My kid is never going to grow up being smarter than AI," Altman commented on the Re: Thinking podcast with Adam Grant, acknowledging that AI will outperform humans in many areas. "Of course, it's smarter than us. Of course, it can do things we can't, but also who really cares?" he added.

Honor’s highly anticipated Magic7 Pro, launched recently under its flagship Magic series, is here to challenge the dominance of established players in the premium smartphone market. Boasting a sleek design, cutting-edge features, and powerful performance, the Magic7 Pro positions itself as a serious contender in the high-end category. In this review, we explore the key upgrades and standout specifications of the Magic7 Pro. Is it a true flagship killer or just another premium phone? Let’s find out. Key Features of the Honor Magic7 Pro . Design The Honor Magic7 Pro introduces a flat, boxy design to the Magic series instead of the curved and rounded aesthetics found in previous models.  Its mainframe measures 162.7 mm by 77.1mm by 8.8 mm, respectively, in height, width, and depth, which is a bit larger and slimmer than its previous model 6 Pro.  The new design gives the display more breathing room by removing the extra bezels seen in the curved-sided Honor Magic6 Pro. The Magic7 Pro also feels lighter, weighing 223 g, compared to the Magic6 Pro’s 225 g. However, the Oneplus 13 weighs even less (210 to 213 g). Read more: OnePlus Pad 2 Review: Is It Worth Buying? In terms of aesthetics, the Magic7 Pro showcases more modern elements than its ancestor 6 Pro, such as a glass front and glass back, with toned-down, polished gradient radiance on its flat back panel and a less protruded rear camera module. It offers IP68/69 dust-water resistance. Display The Honor Magic7 Pro uses the same 6.8-inch LTPO OLED display as the Magic6 Pro with no mentionable upgrade. Its 1280 by 2800 pixels resolution falls behind the OnePlus 13, featuring 1440 by 3168 pixels.  Magic7 Pro’s 5000 nits peak brightness level outperforms the OnePlus 13. It can explicitly render images and videos on the screen under direct sunshine. The micro curved display combines the elegance of a flat and curved screen, reducing their specific limitations. There are two sensors on the front– an under-display 3D ultrasonic fingerprint sensor and a 3D face unlock camera in the pill-shaped front camera module. Read more: Honor X5b Plus Review: Powerful Contender in the Budget-friendly Segment Cameras Honor’s AI Falcon Camera System has been upgraded in the Honor Magic7 Pro, refined by an AI image processing tool. Most of the lenses resemble the same specifications as the Magic6 Pro’s, except for a 200MP telephoto lens, which replaces the previous model’s 180MP sensor. The primary camera is a 50MP wide lens with an adjustable aperture that can shift between f/1.4 and f/1.2. Another 50MP ultrawide lens complements the rear module. Among major changes, the 200MP telephoto lens provides 3x zooming capacity and marks as the largest telephoto sensor on the market at 1/1.4-inch, and also the fastest with an f/2.6 aperture. The secondary camera is a 50MP wide lens, which does not differ much from the previous model. The quality of the pictures taken at 10x or higher zoom with the previous Magic models suffers from a lack of details and contrast. To solve the problem, Honor has implemented an AI SuperZoom feature that adds automated detailing to up to 30x zoomed pictures. The result may feel artificial at times. With a maximum of 4k video capturing capacity like the ancestor Magic6 Pro, the latest 7 Pro version falls behind the 8K video recording feature of the OnePlus 13.  Read more: Xiaomi Redmi Turbo 4 Review: Is It a Value-for-money Midranger? Hardware, Software, and Performance The Honor Magic7 Pro hits the standard flagship market-level performance, providing the latest 3nm Qualcomm SM8750-AB Snapdragon 8 Elite 3nm octa-core processor. It’s an upgrade from the previous 6 Pro model’s Snapdragon 8 3rd gen 4nm chipset.  The OnePlus 13 comes with the same 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. The resemblance is also shared for the graphical unit, which is an Adreno 830 chipset.  Users will get an exemplary gaming experience with the Honor Magic7 Pro, with hours of seamless gameplay for high-config games like Genshin Impact, Call of Duty, and Free Fire at their maximum resolutions. The phone can maintain its 60fps frame rate all along. For the operating system, the Honor Magic7 Pro uses the Magic OS 9, a highly customized Android 15 variation. The navigational layout reflects the same vibe of an iPhone screen, splitting the setting menu from the notification bar.  Read more: Honor X5b Review: Affordable Innovation or Budget Compromise? Battery and Charging Honor has stuck to its Silicon Carbon cell technology and used a 5,850 mAh battery in the Honor Magic7 Pro, which is a clear levitation from the Magic6 Pro’s 5,600 mAh cell. However, the OnePlus 13 boasts even a stronger Si/C cell with a 6,000 mAh capacity. With regular usage, users can expect up to two days of battery support. In addition, the Magic7 Pro comes with a versatile charging system, providing a superfast 100W wired charger and an 80W wireless charger. As per Honor’s claim, the 100W charger can reach 100% charge within 33 minutes, whereas the 80W charger takes 44 minutes.  The Honor Magic7 Pro also has reverse wired, reverse wireless, and wireless charging options which will be handy for the users. Pros and Cons of the Honor Magic7 Pro Pros - 5G, NFC, infrared port support- Emergency SOS via satellite (messages/calls)- Heavy-duty battery- Versatile charging options - LTPO OLED screen- 5000 nits brightness- NanoCrystal Shield, IP68/IP69 water/dust resistance- Android 15 with MagicOS 9- High RAM and storage variants- 4K video recording- 3nm processor- 200MP periscope telephoto lens, 3x optical zoom- Reverse wired, reverse wireless, and wireless charging options. Read more: ZTE Nubia Red Magic 10 Pro Review: Is It a Value-for-money Gaming Smartphone? Cons - No micro SD card slot- A bit bulky- No 8K video recording- No audio jack Price of Honor Magic7 Pro in Bangladesh The global variant of the Honor Magic7 Pro features 12GB RAM and 512GB storage. It is priced at USD 1,119 or BDT 1,35,478, following the current currency conversion rate of USD 1 = BDT 121.07. Conclusion The Magic7 Pro is a high-end, feature-packed, state-of-the-art flagship smartphone with many upgrades over its predecessors. It boasts an LTPO OLED display with an achievable 5000 nits brightness level, a powerful 3nm Snapdragon processor, an expressive 200MP telephoto lens, an AI Image detailing system, and a durable battery.  On the whole, the Honor Magic7 Pro is equipped with cutting-edge technologies combining the finest hardware and software. In 2025, it can be a considerable pick for flagship lovers. Read more: Best Air Purifiers in Bangladesh: Price Guide, Top Models, and Buying Tips

Elon Musk is clashing with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman over the Stargate artificial intelligence infrastructure project touted by President Donald Trump, the latest in a feud between the two tech billionaires that started on OpenAI's board and is now testing Musk's influence with the new president. Trump on Tuesday had talked up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion through a new partnership formed by OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, alongside Oracle and SoftBank. The new entity, Stargate, is already starting to build out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of fast-evolving AI technology. Trump declared it “a resounding declaration of confidence in America’s potential” under his new administration, with an initial private investment of $100 billion that could reach five times that sum. But Musk, a close Trump adviser who helped bankroll his campaign and now leads a government cost-cutting initiative, questioned the value of the investment hours later. “They don’t actually have the money,” Musk wrote on his social media platform X. “SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority.” Altman responded Wednesday to say Musk was “wrong, as you surely know” and inviting Musk to come visit the first site in Texas that is already under construction. "(T)his is great for the country. i realize what is great for the country isn’t always what’s optimal for your companies, but in your new role i hope you’ll mostly put (America) first,” Altman wrote, using a U.S. flag emoji to represent America. Behind the feud The public clash over Stargate is part of a years-long dispute between Musk and Altman that began with a boardroom rivalry over who should run OpenAI, which both men helped found. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company last year alleging it had betrayed its founding aims as a nonprofit research lab benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. Read: Musk's inauguration role cements place in Trump's orbit Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. A hearing is set for February in a California federal court. The world’s richest man, whose companies include Tesla, SpaceX and X, last year started his own rival AI company, xAI, that is building its own big data center in Memphis, Tennessee. Musk says it faces unfair competition from OpenAI and its close business partner Microsoft, which has supplied the huge computing resources needed to build AI systems such as ChatGPT. When did Stargate start? Tech news outlet The Information first reported on an OpenAI data center project called Stargate in March 2024, indicating that it's been in the works long before Trump announced it. Another company — Crusoe Energy Systems — announced in July it was building a large and “specially designed AI data center” at the northwest edge of Abilene, Texas at a site run by energy technology company Lancium. Crusoe and Lancium said in a joint statement at the time that the project was “supported by a multibillion-dollar investment” but didn't disclose its backers. AI technology requires huge amounts of electricity to build and operate and both companies said the project would be powered with renewable sources such as nearby solar farms, in a way that Lancium CEO Michael McNamara said would “deliver the maximum amount of green energy at the lowest possible cost.” Crusoe said it would own and develop the facility. It's not clear how and when that project became the first phase of the Stargate investment revealed by Trump. Abilene Mayor Weldon Hurt said construction began about nine months ago but “we didn’t know it was going to be quite this big. We thought it was going to be about a third of this size.” Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison said Tuesday that the Abilene project is the first of about 10 data center buildings currently being built and that number could expand to 20. Hurt told The Associated Press that the region surrounding Abilene, a city of about 130,000 people, benefits from a wealth of energy sources, including oil, gas, solar and some of the “largest wind farms in the world,” though Trump signaled opposition to wind power this week by temporarily halting approval of wind projects on federal lands. Read more: Trump Administration shuts down White House Spanish-language page, social media “We have the capability to produce the energy for this market so it really means a lot for a town like Abilene,” Hurt said. “To have this opportunity here in west-central Texas, to have something like this to make Abilene substantial, we’re just excited about it.” Where is Microsoft? Missing from Trump's press conference Tuesday was Microsoft, which has long supported OpenAI with billions of dollars in investments and enabling its data centers to be used to build the models behind ChatGPT and other generative AI tools. Microsoft said this week it is also investing in the Stargate project but put out a statement noting that its OpenAI partnership will “evolve” in a way that enables OpenAI “to build additional capacity, primarily for research and training of models.” Asked about Musk's comments about the Stargate deal Wednesday during a CNBC interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella pivoted to his company's own $80 billion plan to build out its global AI infrastructure, of which $50 billion is being spent in the U.S. “Look, all I know is, I’m good for my $80 billion,” said Nadella, laughing.