United News of Bangladesh

Samsung Electronics Company is exploring strategies to reclaim its leadership in the high bandwidth memory (HBM) market, following a recent decline in its position, according to sources familiar with the matter. The efforts were discussed during the company’s biannual executive-level strategy meetings, held over three days. Led by division heads, the sessions reviewed regional and business-specific challenges, sales strategies, and performance goals for the latter half of the year. Samsung sees revenue boost from smartphone sales despite chip slump A key focus during Wednesday’s meeting—hosted by the semiconductor division—was HBM sales strategies and production schedules, amid soaring global demand fueled by the recent boom in generative artificial intelligence (AI), Yonhap reported. Samsung’s HBM chips have reportedly failed to pass quality tests by Nvidia Corp., a critical player in the AI hardware sector. This shortfall has prevented Samsung from entering the global HBM supply chain, which is currently led by Nvidia, SK hynix Inc., and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC). Consequently, Samsung was overtaken by rival SK hynix in global DRAM market share during the first quarter of 2024. According to data from global market research firm Omdia, SK hynix’s market share rose to 36.9 percent, while Samsung’s dropped to 34.4 percent. In response, Samsung is reviewing its plans to begin mass production of its next-generation HBM4 chips in the second half of the year—a move the company hopes will be a game-changer in regaining its competitive edge.

Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of instant messaging app Telegram, plans to leave his fortune to the more than 100 children he has fathered. The Russian-born tech tycoon has revealed that his estate will be split between his six children from relationships and the scores of others whom he fathered through sperm donation. In a wide-ranging interview published Thursday in French political magazine Le Point, 40-year-old Durov revealed that he does not differentiate between his legal children with three different women and those conceived with the sperm he donated. “They are all my children and will all have the same rights! I don’t want them to tear each other apart after my death,” he said, after revealing that he recently wrote his will.   Durov revealed the number of children he has fathered on his social media last year. He said a doctor told him that it was his “civic duty” to donate his “high quality donor material,” which he did over the course of 15 years. According to Bloomberg, Durov is worth an estimated $13.9 billion, but he dismissed such estimates as “theoretical,” telling Le Point: “Since I’m not selling Telegram, it doesn’t matter. I don’t have this money in a bank account. My liquid assets are much lower – and they don’t come from Telegram: they come from my investment in bitcoin in 2013.” Regardless, his children will have a long wait for their inheritance. He said: “I decided that my children would not have access to my fortune until a period of 30 years has elapsed, starting from today. I want them to live like normal people, to build themselves up alone, to learn to trust themselves, to be able to create, not to be dependent on a bank account. I want to specify that I make no difference between my children: there are those who were conceived naturally and those who come from my sperm donations.” Cybernews researchers report billions of login credentials leaked online When asked why he has written his will now, Durov, who lives in Dubai, said: “My work involves risks – defending freedoms earns you many enemies, including within powerful states. I want to protect my children, but also the company I created, Telegram. I want Telegram to forever remain faithful to the values I defend.” Telegram, which has more than a billion monthly users, is known for its high-level encryption and limited oversight on what its users post. Last year, Durov was arrested in Paris on charges relating to a host of crimes, including allegations that his platform was complicit in aiding money launderers, drug traffickers and people spreading child pornography. Google faces major setback in appeal against EU antitrust fine over Android Durov, who is Telegram’s sole shareholder, has denied the charges, which he described as “absurd.” “Just because criminals use our messaging service among many others doesn’t make those who run it criminals,” he told the French magazine. Source: CNN  

Researchers at cybersecurity outlet Cybernews say that billions of login credentials have been leaked and compiled into datasets online, giving criminals “unprecedented access” to accounts consumers use each day. According to a report published this week, Cybernews researchers have recently discovered 30 exposed datasets that each contain a vast amount of login information — amounting to a total of 16 billion compromised credentials. That includes user passwords for a range of popular platforms including Google, Facebook and Apple. Sixteen billion is roughly double the amount of people on Earth today, signaling that impacted consumers may have had credentials for more than one account leaked. Cybernews notes that there are most certainly duplicates in the data and so “it's impossible to tell how many people or accounts were actually exposed.” It's also important to note that the leaked login information doesn't span from a single source, such as one breach targeting a company. Instead, it appears that the data was stolen through multiple events over time, and then compiled and briefly exposed publicly, which is when Cybernews reports that its researchers discovered it. Various infostealers are most likely the culprit, Cybernews noted. Infostealers are a form of malicious software that breaches a victim's device or systems to take sensitive information. Many questions remain about these leaked credentials, including whose hands the login credentials are in now. But, as data breaches become more and more common in today's world, experts continue to stress the importance of maintaining key “cyber hygiene.” If you're worried about your account data potentially being exposed in a recent breach, the first thing you can do is change your password — and avoid using the same or similar login credentials on multiple sites. If you find it too hard to memorize all your different passwords, consider a password manager or passkey. And also add multifactor authentication, which can serve as a second layer of verification through your phone, email or USB authenticator key.

A Chinese research team has developed a new remote-sensing satellite model, which has for the first time achieved the high-precision, dynamic calculation of CO2 emissions from large coal-fired power plants, providing a new solution for global carbon emissions monitoring. Coal-fired power plants account for nearly 50 per cent of the total carbon emissions from fossil fuel combustion globally. They are a crucial component in the estimation of carbon emissions resulting from human activity. The precise, scientific calculation of carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants is of significant importance. However, established calculation methods depend heavily on the product of fuel consumption reported by power plants and carbon emissions factors, which makes estimations difficult to compare and verify. Current remote-sensing satellite technology can also result in inversion errors as high as 50 per cent due to background interference and atmospheric instability. SpaceX rocket explodes during test in Texas The research team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Aerospace Information Research Institute optimized algorithms and constructed this new model to quantify the CO2 emissions of 14 large coal-fired power plants around the world based on satellite data, significantly improving inversion accuracy. According to the team's recent paper in the Journal of Cleaner Production, the new model provides an objective, effective means for the verification of carbon emissions from key global sources, and offers a scientific basis for carbon-trading auditing and the calibration of emissions reduction policies. 

Google suffered a significant blow on Thursday in its ongoing effort to overturn a multibillion-euro antitrust fine from the European Union, as a top legal adviser to the EU’s highest court sided with regulators. Juliane Kokott, the advocate general of the European Court of Justice, issued a non-binding opinion recommending that Google’s appeal against the penalty—worth over 4 billion euros ($4.7 billion)—be dismissed. The case originated in 2018 when the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, fined Google 4.134 billion euros. The Commission concluded that Google had misused the dominance of its Android mobile operating system to suppress competition and limit consumer choices. Google challenged the ruling, and in 2022 a lower court slightly reduced the fine to 4.125 billion euros. However, Google proceeded to appeal that decision as well, taking it to the European Court of Justice. In her advisory opinion, Kokott recommended that the court uphold both the fine and the lower court’s ruling. Her opinion was summarized in a press release issued by the court. Responding to the development, Google expressed disappointment, arguing that if the court accepts the advocate general’s recommendation, it could have a chilling effect on investment in open platforms. The company said this would negatively impact Android users, developers, and business partners. Google offers more employee buyouts amid AI expansion, antitrust challenges “Android has created more choice for everyone and supports thousands of successful businesses in Europe and around the world,” Google said in a statement. Although advocate general opinions are not legally binding, they are often influential and commonly adopted by the judges in their final rulings. The European Court of Justice confirmed that the judges have now begun their deliberations, with a final judgment to be issued at a later date. This Android-related fine is one of three major antitrust penalties imposed on Google by the European Commission in the past decade, amounting to over 8 billion euros, as the EU intensifies its regulatory efforts against Big Tech firms. Google also remains under investigation in Brussels in a separate antitrust case concerning its digital advertising operations, with a decision still pending.

A SpaceX rocket undergoing testing at the company’s Starbase facility in Texas exploded late Wednesday, creating a large fireball but causing no injuries, the company confirmed. The explosion occurred around 11 p.m. during preparations for the Starship vehicle’s tenth test flight. SpaceX described the incident as a “major anomaly” while the rocket was still on the test stand. In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), SpaceX assured that all personnel were safe and that a designated safety perimeter had been maintained throughout the operation. The company emphasized there was no risk to nearby communities and urged the public not to approach the area. SpaceX also said it is coordinating with local authorities in response to the incident.

Google faced a big setback Thursday in its attempt to overturn a multibillion-dollar European Union antitrust penalty involving Android after a top court's legal adviser sided with regulators. The European Court of Justice's advocate general, Juliane Kokott, recommended in a preliminary opinion that Google's appeal against the fine worth more than 4 billion euros ($4.7 billion) should be dismissed. The case dates back to 2018, when the EU’s executive Commission slapped Google with a 4.134 billion euro fine after finding that the US tech company used the dominance of its mobile android operating system to throttle competition and reduce consumer choice. vivo T4 Ultra Review: A Game-Changing Mid-range Flagship After Google filed an initial appeal, a lower court trimmed the penalty to 4.125 billion euros in 2022, which the company also appealed to the Court of Justice. Kokott advised that the Court of Justice confirm the fine and uphold the lower court's judgment, according to a press release summarising her opinion. Opinions from the advocate general aren’t legally binding but are often followed by judges. The judges “are now beginning their deliberations in this case. Judgment will be given at a later date,” the court said. The fine was one of three antitrust penalties totaling more than 8 billion euros that the European Commission slapped on Google in the last decade, as the 27-nation bloc launched its crackdown on Big Tech companies. Google still faces a decision from Brussels in an antitrust case targeting its digital ad business.

A SpaceX rocket undergoing testing at the company’s Starbase facility in southern Texas exploded late Wednesday, lighting up the night sky with a large fireball. According to SpaceX, the Starship vehicle suffered a “major anomaly” around 11 p.m. while it was stationed on the test stand in preparation for its tenth flight trial. Space station leak concerns can delay astronaut visit from India, Poland, Hungary In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), SpaceX confirmed that a safety perimeter was in place during the test and that all staff members were safe and accounted for. The company, led by CEO Elon Musk, assured that the explosion posed no risk to nearby communities and advised the public against approaching the area. SpaceX added that it is coordinating with local authorities in response to the incident.  

Amazon is preparing to manufacture up to 10,000 robotaxis per year at a massive new facility near Silicon Valley, marking a significant step in its effort to rival autonomous driving leader Waymo. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is also competing in the growing self-driving market. The newly unveiled 220,000-square-foot (20,440-square-meter) factory represents a major milestone in Amazon’s autonomous vehicle ambitions, which date back to its $1.2 billion acquisition of self-driving startup Zoox five years ago. Zoox, founded in 2014, is set to power Amazon’s robotaxi service, which will begin operations in Las Vegas later this year and expand to San Francisco in 2025. The facility, located in Hayward, California—just 17 miles (27 km) north of a Tesla manufacturing plant—occupies the former site of a bus factory. Since moving in during 2023, Zoox has transformed the space into a state-of-the-art assembly plant with a 21-station production line. The company is currently producing one robotaxi per day, but aims to ramp up to three vehicles per hour by next year. At full capacity, with two eight-hour shifts, Zoox hopes to reach an annual output of 10,000 vehicles to serve markets like Miami, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. While the robotaxis are assembled in the U.S., roughly half of their components are imported, according to company officials. Zoox vehicles are fully autonomous, carriage-style units with no steering wheels, seating up to four passengers—setting them apart from Waymo’s vehicles, which use modified cars from existing automakers and retain traditional designs. Waymo, a Google spin-off that launched as a secret project in 2009, has a significant lead in the field. It began its commercial robotaxi operations in Phoenix nearly five years ago and now offers paid rides in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin. To date, Waymo claims to have completed over 10 million paid rides. On Wednesday, it also filed an application to begin testing in New York City and has plans to expand into Miami and Atlanta. vivo T4 Ultra Review: A Game-Changing Mid-range Flagship Despite trailing behind, Zoox believes its unique vehicle design and customer experience will help it compete. “It’s an exciting time to be heading on this journey,” said Zoox CEO Aicha Evans during a tour of the Hayward facility, alongside co-founder and CTO Jesse Levinson. Zoox’s current testing includes operations in San Francisco and Las Vegas, where it has partnered with Resorts World to provide rides for guests. Last month, a minor collision involving a Zoox robotaxi and an electric scooter in San Francisco led to a voluntary recall to update the vehicle’s software, though no injuries occurred. Meanwhile, Tesla is still working to enter the robotaxi space. CEO Elon Musk had once promised a fleet of 1 million robotaxis by 2020, but that target remains unmet. Musk is now aiming for a small-scale launch in Austin this Sunday, though he has warned the timeline could shift, citing his “super paranoid” stance on safety. Zoox has plans to deploy between 500 and 1,000 robotaxis in smaller cities and around 2,000 in larger urban centers. Each robotaxi, built at the Hayward plant, is expected to operate for about five years or 500,000 miles. Though still in catch-up mode, Amazon’s Zoox is positioning itself to become a key player in the rapidly evolving autonomous transportation sector.  

On Tuesday afternoon, Iranian state television called on the public to delete WhatsApp from their smartphones, claiming—without providing evidence—that the messaging platform was collecting user data to share with Israel. WhatsApp responded with concern, stating that the accusations were false and potentially a pretext for authorities to block the app again at a time when people rely on it most. The platform emphasized its use of end-to-end encryption, which prevents any third party, including service providers, from accessing message content. “We do not track users' precise locations, we don’t maintain logs of who is messaging whom, and we do not monitor personal messages,” WhatsApp said. “We also do not provide bulk user information to any government.” End-to-end encryption scrambles messages so that only the sender and recipient can read them. Anyone intercepting the communication would see unintelligible data without the decryption key. However, Gregory Falco, a cybersecurity expert and assistant professor at Cornell University, pointed out that while message content is encrypted, WhatsApp metadata—such as usage patterns—is not, which has long raised concerns among privacy advocates. WhatsApp to begin showing ads in parts of the app Falco also highlighted the issue of data sovereignty, noting that WhatsApp data from users in one country may be stored elsewhere. For example, it is likely that Iranian user data is not stored on servers inside Iran. He argued that countries should store and process their data domestically using their own systems, as trust in the global data infrastructure is increasingly eroding. WhatsApp is owned by Meta Platforms, which also operates Facebook and Instagram. Iran has previously restricted access to several social media platforms. In 2022, during widespread anti-government protests following the death of a woman in the custody of the morality police, the country blocked WhatsApp and Google Play. These restrictions were lifted late last year. Despite such bans, many Iranians continue to use virtual private networks (VPNs) and proxy services to access blocked platforms. WhatsApp had remained one of the most widely used messaging apps in Iran alongside Instagram and Telegram.