An independent UN human rights expert called for greater scrutiny of emerging digital technologies which she said are being used to uphold racial inequality, discrimination and intolerance.

Special Rapporteur on racism, Tendayi Achiume, presented her concerns in a report delivered on Wednesday to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, reports UN News.

“Technology is not neutral or objective,” said Achiume, who was appointed by the Council and is neither a UN staff member nor paid by the Organization.

“It is fundamentally shaped by the racial, ethnic, gender and other inequalities prevalent in society, and typically makes these inequalities worse. It is resulting in discrimination and unequal treatment in all areas of life, from education and employment to healthcare and criminal justice.”

“Corporations such as Facebook, have economic and business models that mean they actively profit from misinformation, discrimination and intolerance”, she said, adding that many governments have adopted algorithms which discriminate against marginalised groups.

‘Transnational uprising’

In addition to pressing for reparations for those affected by entrenched racism, Achiume also called for possibly banning some technologies.

“Part of the human rights response must include greater scrutiny of how the design and use of digital technologies is further entrenching this systemic racism.”

With her report released against the backdrop of the covid-19 pandemic, which has hit racial and ethnic minorities the hardest, Achiume warned that technology deployed to combat spread of the disease “is the same type that has been used to exclude these communities from full enjoyment of their human rights in the past”.

More representation

To prevent and eliminate racial discrimination in technological design will require having more racial and ethnic minorities in decision-making in the industry, Adichie said.

“States must also provide the full spectrum of effective remedies for those against whom emerging digital technologies have racially discriminated,” she added.

Also read: Coronavirus: UN says reopening approach in any country must be localised

Bangladeshi handset maker Walton has released its new flagship smartphone featuring triple back cameras, one with 48- megapixel, in the local market. 

‘Primo S7 Pro’ is available on online sales platform Evaly with 100 percent cashback opportunity.

Asifur Rahman Khan, head of Walton Cellular Phone Sales department, said speciale emphasis on cameras as well as high performance was given.

It has a powerful processor and RAM, more spacious ROM and fast charging facilities. The design and features of the phone have won the hearts of smartphone lovers and they were eagerly waiting for the the device, he said. 

He also mentioned that the price of the phone has been set at Tk 20,500. 

However, customers can buy it with 100 percent cashback facilities from Evaly under its Eid Dhamaka Offer.

The ‘Primo S7 Pro’ features a 6.3-inch full HD+ IPS V-Notch display with 2340X1080 pixel resolutions. The attractively designed device comes in two different colors -- black and blue. 

The back cover of the device is made of PMMA material which has enables it to glow different colors like rainbow in bright lights. Moreover, the phone would get less scratches than other devices.

It runs on Android 9.0 Pie and sports a high-performance 2.1 GHz Helio P70 Octa-Core

processor, Mali-G72 MP3 GPU, 6 GB LPDDR4x RAM and 128 GB internal storage, which can be expanded to 252 GB.

The device has 48 MP, 8 MP and 2 MP AI triple cameras in the back with auto focus, f/1.79 aperture, PDAF and LED Flash and a 16 MP camera with PDAF and f2.0 aperture on the front. 

The 48 MP main camera with 1/2.25" large sensor and 0.8μm pixel size is for better low-light, sharp and colorful photos while 8 MP wide-camera for 120° super wide-angle image and 2 MP camera depth sensor for best portraits with various attractive modes and features. 

It is powered by a 3950 mAh high density Li-polymer battery with 18W fast (wired) and 10W wireless charging.

The smartphone has many advanced features including dual 4G network VoLTE support, full HD video recording and playback, intelligent assistance, face unlock, multifunctional fingerprint sensor, type-C port, 2.4GHz & 5GHz dual-band Wi-Fi, OTG etc.

Customers will enjoy 30-day instant replacement for the phone along with one-year regular warranty.

Google has announced to invest $10 billion to help gear up India’s transition to a digital economy in the next five to seven years, reports AP. 

Sundar Pichai, chief executive officer of Google, said the project will focus on building products that are relevant to India’s needs and empowering businesses for their “digital transformation”.

“Our goal is to ensure India not only benefits from the next wave of innovation, but leads it,” Pichai said in a digital keynote at a Google for India event on Monday.

The tech giant also declared to invest $1 million to support digital education in India. The fund aims at enabling 1 million teachers of 22,000 Indian schools across the country to use Google services that can facilitate online learning.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, styles himself as a leader in touch with technology, has made digitisation a major priority for India and envisions a “Digital India”.

Modi who has nearly 60 million followers on Twitter, wrote that he and Pichai met and discussed a wide range of subjects, “particularly leveraging the power of technology to transform the lives of India’s farmers, youngsters and entrepreneurs.”

“I was delighted to know more about the efforts of @Google in several sectors, be it in education, learning, @_DigitalIndia, furthering digital payments and more,” he said. 

The United Kingdom on Tuesday decided to exclude all 5G equipment of Huawei from the country by 2027 over security concerns.

Besides, British telecom operators have been directed to stop buying 5G equipment from Huawei by the end of this year.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden revealed the decision and said “this has not been an easy decision, but it is the right one,″ reports AP.

The decision would delay the 5G rollout, and cost millions of pounds, but that it had to be done, the secretary added.

The British government backtracked on plans to give Huawei a limited role in the UK’s new high-speed mobile phone network in a decision with broad implications for relations between London and Beijing. Britain said it imposed the ban after US sanctions made it impossible to ensure the security of Huawei equipment, forcing it to start turning to other suppliers for components.

Earlier, the US threatened to sever an intelligence-sharing arrangement with the UK because of concerns Huawei equipment could allow the Chinese government to infiltrate UK networks. The decision gives British telecoms operators until 2027 to remove Huawei equipment already in Britain's 5G network. The operators must stop buying 5G equipment from Huawei by the end of the year.

Critically for telecoms operators, the government opted not to order firms to rip out legacy equipment manufactured by Huawei in earlier systems, like 4G. Such a decision might have caused havoc in UK telecoms systems.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson was under pressure from within his own Conservative Party who criticised China’s new Hong Kong security law and its treatment of ethnic Uighurs, as well as Huawei’s links to the Chinese government.

Ten Conservative lawmakers sent a letter to Johnson demanding that he remove Huawei from “the UK’s critical national infrastructure.”

Johnson in January sought to balance economic and security pressures by agreeing to give Huawei a limited role in Britain’s so-called 5G network, excluding the company from core components of the system and restricting its involvement to 35 percent of the overall project.

But the move set up a diplomatic clash with the Americans, who threatened to cut off security cooperation unless Britain dumped Huawei. Amid continued pressure to remove Huawei from communication networks entirely, the US in May imposed new sanctions that will bar companies around the world from using American-made machinery or software to produce chips for the Chinese company.

The Labour Party's spokeswoman on communications issues, Chi Omwurah, decried the government's flip-flop approach and said it would have a dire impact on the future. “This is a car crash for our digital economy, but one that could have been visible from space," she said.

Meanwhile, Huawei expressed disappointment and said the decision threatens to move “Britain into the digital slow lane, push up bills and deepen the digital divide.''

"Regrettably our future in the UK has become politicized, this is about US trade policy and not security,'' said Ed Brewster, a spokesman for Huawei UK.

Over the past 20 years, Huawei has focused on building a better connected UK. “As a responsible business, we will continue to support our customers as we have always done,” he added.

Samsung is one of the pioneer electronic brands who have enriched the Smartphone industry with innovations, quality, and performance. Considering the burning necessity for mid-range budget Smartphones, Samsung launched their M series. In this legacy, Galaxy M31 has debuted in Bangladesh on 12 July 2020. Let’s see whether Samsung Galaxy M31 can please the Samsung fans!

Key Features of Samsung Galaxy M31

Design and Build Quality

Samsung Galaxy M31’s appearance may not amuse you at first sight. It is quite disappointing that M31 features plastic builds on both front and rear surfaces, while other brands like Xiaomi are offering glass built Smartphone Redmi Note 9 Pro for the almost same budget.

It is true that M31’s plastic body has let it down, but the Samsung fans should not be worried! Though built with polycarbonate, this Smartphone features sturdy construction. And, you can compromise with its average look, considering the fact that in Galaxy M31, Samsung has emphasized on hardware instead of design.

Like other Samsung Smartphone devices, Galaxy M31 is blessed with excellent weight-balance construction. Though carrying a big battery (6000mAh), M31 weighs only 193g, which is hard to believe. At this point, Samsung out wins the Chinese Mobile brands who mostly produce heavy phones.

Like the contemporary Smartphone models, M31 has a 3.5mm earphone jack, light sensor, face unlock, and fingerprint scanner. However, the performance of its loudspeaker is not so loud. This Smartphone is available in two colors: black and navy blue.

Read Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro Max Review: Is It Worth Buying?

 

 

Display

The secret behind the reign of Samsung in the Smartphone industry is the magnificent display. Galaxy M31 is not an exception. The marvelous Super AMOLED display keeps M31 ahead of Redmi Note 9 Pro’s IPS LCD display. From every corner of the display, you can feel the presence of a standard quality OLED panel.

Its 6.4-inch screen can deliver 1080 x 2340 pixels resolution power featuring 19.5:9 ratios and ~ 403 PPI densities. Moreover, its sleek bezels (~84.1% screen-to-body ratio) have improved the user experience. M31’s display offers average brightness in the outdoor environment. This Smartphone would be great for day to day use.

While the Note 9 Pro and other competitors are offering Corning Gorilla Glass 5, Samsung really disheartens their fans by providing Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection in their latest Smartphone Galaxy M31.

Read Realme 6i Review: Can This Smartphone Fulfill Users’ expectations?

 

Camera

Samsung has a reputation for providing standard camera series in their Smartphone devices. Galaxy M31 would perform better than your expectation. It has 64 MP primary camera featuring f/1.8 aperture, 26mm wide, 1/1.72-inch, 0.8µm lens.

In daylight, the main rear camera can take amazing photos with great color contrast. Furthermore, the dynamic range of photos is also mind-blowing. But sharpness quality could have been better. In low light situations, its performance may not overwhelm you. However, you can apply the ‘Night Mode’ to take better captures.

The secondary rear camera is an 8 MP (f/2.2 aperture, 12mm, 1/4.0-inch, 1.12µm) ultra-wide lens. In ample light, the ultra-wide shooter can perform quite similar to the main camera. Thanks to Samsung for providing M31 with a 5 MP (f/2.4) macro camera and a 5 MP (f/2.2) depth. You can hardly find such a wonderful combination in many similarly priced competitors. You can take nice portraits with good edges.

If you love shooting videos here and there, M31 won’t disappoint you. Its 4K video capacity at 30fps offers good detailing and crispy footage, but the stabilization may not be satisfactory. You can shoot at 1080p@30fps to get better stabilization and standard performance. At the slow motion, M31 is capable of filming at 720p@480FPS.

Galaxy M31 is going to win the hearts of Selfie lovers by virtue of its 32MP front camera, which surpasses the latest Note 9 pro’s 16MP shooter. It can take nice photos displaying natural color. However, the Samsung fans had expected more detailing from this powerful selfie camera.

The 4K (at 30fps) video recording feature of M31’s front camera upholds the grandeur of Samsung once again. You can also shoot at 1080p@30fps. The super stabilization mode would make your experience more convenient.

Read Realme C3: Superb Budget Gaming Smartphone for PUBG Lovers.

 

Read Samsung Galaxy S20 vs Plus vs Ultra: 5G Smartphones with Terrific Camera Feature

 

Performance

Galaxy G31 is available only in one variant that is 6GB/64GB. Undoubtedly, the 6GB LDDR4 RAM keeps M31 one step ahead of many similarly priced competitors.  Its dedicated Slot for MicroSD can support up to 512GB external memory.

Galaxy M31 comes with Exynos 9611 (10nm) chipset. Samsung has also applied this chipset in other Samsung Smartphone models from A-series and M-series. Though the performance of Exynos 9611 is quite well, the fans had been expecting the latest chipset from Samsung.

M31’s Mali-G72 MP3 GPU offers great HD graphics. The gaming performance is good if compared with other Samsung Galaxy models like A51 or A71. You can smoothly play PUBG Mobile and other games smoothly at 60fps. However, you can experience some frame drops and lags at the heavy action moments. If you are looking for a gaming Smartphone, then Galaxy M31 may not be the one.  

This Smartphone runs on the operating system One UI 2.0 on top of Android 10. You may feel a sluggish vibe through its User Interface (UI). Do not forget to turn off the ‘touch sensitivity’ and ‘reduce animation’ from ‘Advanced Options’ when you buy Samsung Galaxy M31. The other useful features include the dark mode, game mode, game screen recorder, game booster, etc. However, if Samsung had reduced the load of default system apps, the UI could have run faster.

While you are using Redmi Note 9 Pro, you might get suffocated by the invasion of Ads. Thanks to Samsung opting for less advertisement policy, this is also maintained in Galaxy M31.

Samsung Smartphone devices are highly praised for their security features. Samsung applies Knox Security in their A-series Smartphone devices, which is not available in this model. It is quite unfortunate for the Galaxy M31 users.

Read Huawei Y7P: Budget Smartphone with Exclusive App Gallery.

Batter Power

Samsung’s middle-range Smartphone M31 literally shook the world with its 6000mAh battery support. On a full charge, this Smartphone gives at least 10h screen time. It can serve for 2 to 3 days for moderate use. Using this device, you can continuously play virtual games for around 7h.

However, we have seen almost similar backup by 4500 to 5000mAh battery supported smartphones from other brands, like Xiaomi. Unfortunately, Galaxy M31 could not overcome the heating issue, which prevents its powerful battery from providing the expected backup.

Galaxy M31’s 15W charger may take up to 3h to get this Smartphone fully charged, which can be a deal-breaker for the people who are looking for fast charging Smartphone devices.

Samsung Galaxy M31 Price in Bangladesh

The official price of the Samsung Galaxy M31 (6GB/64GB) is BDT 24000.

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Read Samsung Galaxy Z Flip: Futuristic Folding Smartphone On the Go.