Dhaka, Mar 24 (UNB) - Uber, the world’s largest on-demand ride-sharing company, launched its “Driver Safety Toolkit”, a comprehensive set of in-app safety features for driver partners, in Bangladesh on Sunday.

With the objective to make every ride a safer experience, the Driver Safety Toolkit features benefits of ridesharing such as tracking every trip with GPS while driving with Uber, as well as an emergency button, said a press release.

Commenting on the launch, Zulquar Quazi Islam, Lead Uber Bangladesh, said, “Driver partners form the core of Uber’s business. The roll-out of an emergency button and the ‘share trip feature’ under the Driver Safety Toolkit strongly reiterates our commitment to their safety.”

Over the past two years, Uber has focused its efforts in developing innovative solutions that increase transparency, accountability, and safety of all the Uber users, he said.

The rollout of the toolkit is the next step in ensuring that Uber is helping all driver partners stay connected and safe, reads the release.

Dhaka, Mar 23 (UNB) - GPAY, the digital wallet platform of Grameenphone, has registered more than 9 million bill pays in the year 2018.

The convenient and accessible solution is continuing to assist rural households with convenience and easy access to bill payment services.

Commenting on the service that has being operated since 2009, after GP had received the necessary permissions from Bangladesh Bank and Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Commission, Yasir Azman, Deputy CEO and CMO of Grameenphone stated that GPAY provided “convenient, future proof, digitized solution to pay different utility bills, buy train tickets and carry out wallet refills from bank accounts or GP outlets.”

Aligning with 28 nationwide utility concerns, GPAY has been instrumental in the government’s utility company bill collection process. In that context, GPAY has transacted approximately TK 1050 crore in 2018 in a safe and secure manner, serving close to one crore households.

Pointing out that the bill payment service saves valuable time, cost and generates significant social value for users. Azman suggested that it also benefited utility service providers with easy bill collection and reduced revenue leakage/system loss. “GPAY has been adapted to citizen’s digital payment needs, and is aligned with the digital inclusion mandate of the Bangladesh Government. With further expansion of the service and greater inclusion we believe that the lives of people will be made easier,” the GP DCEO added.

To avail GPAY services, customers can refill their GPAY Wallets from any nearby MobiCash retail outlet or from selected GPAY partner bank accounts: all VISA, Mastercard debit and credit cards, DBBL Rocket Mobile Banking Account, AB Bancore banking account, and Islami Bank mCash account or internet banking. GPAY subscribers also have the advantage of refilling their wallets from any Grameenphone Center.

GPAY has played a key role in reducing the major predicaments customers face to recharge their meters after the launch of prepaid meters. Citizens in all parts of Bangladesh can easily avail the service using a GPAY wallet and recharge through GP’s bill pay agent points. “GPAY is a 24/7 solution and opens up wide opportunities for the government’s prepaid ambitions.” Azman concluded.

Dhaka, Mar 23 (UNB) - The British Council has teamed up with Robi Axiata Limited to set up a ‘British Council Satellite Library” inside the telecom operator’s corporate office.

The library was inaugurated Saturday at a ceremony held at the Robi Corporate Office.

The satellite library allows Robi employees who are members of British Council to enjoy the books from the library in addition to the main library and access the rich contents of British Council’s digital library.

Robi’s Managing Director and CEO Mahtab Uddin Ahmed inaugurated the satellite library in presence of British Council Bangladesh’s Acting Country Director Andrew Newton.

Robi’s Head of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs, Shahed Alam, Vice President (Media, Communications and Sustainability) Ekram Kabir and British Council’s Head of Cultural Centre Tanvir Alim and Cultural Centre Manager Tahnee Yeasmin were present on the occasion.

The library houses the latest award-winning collections of UK’s best titles. In order to spread these services and to cater larger number of readers, the British Council Library and Cultural Centre has brought the concept of satellite libraries. The Robi Axiata Limited’s satellite library consists of books on language, fiction, literature and a wonderful collection for the young readers.

Inaugurating the library Robi’s Managing Director and CEO, Mahtab Uddin Ahmed said, “The best way to grow as a human being is to read. Wise men of world have time and again said that books are the most trusted of all confidants. So, be it for pursuit of enlightenment or material gains, you can always trust a good book. Even Robi as an organization stands to gain immensely from it as it will help us to strengthen our learning culture within the organization. I would like to thank the British Council for its kind support in this regard.”

British Council Bangladesh’s Acting Country Director, Andrew Newton said: “This is an exciting partnership for us, as Robi is the first private company to initiate and accommodate the British Council Satellite Library.”

“Developing reading habit from an early age has many silent benefits such as developing patience and wellbeing. We are really happy that Robi employees and their children are now able to access the best collection of books in the world through British Council physical and digital library,” he added.

British Council’s content rich digital library was also introduced to the Robi officials at the programme. The inauguration programme was attended by Robi employees and their family members. An exciting storytelling session was held for the children of Robi employees at the end of the programme.

Dhaka, Mar 23 (UNB)— Smartphone brand Vivo released its long-awaited V15 model sporting a 32MP pop-up selfie camera in Bangladesh market.

The phone comes with a powerful triple rear camera set-up, stunning Ultra Full-View 6.53 inch display and a conventional fingerprint scanner on the back. This dual-SIM phone’s screen supports 1080x2340 pixels resolution.

Pre booking of V15 started on March 20 and will continue until March 26. Vivo is offering a gift box with pre booking while Grameenphone users are getting special data offer.

Chinese multinational mobile company Vivo announced V15 launch at an event at Radisson Blu hotel in Dhaka last week.

“The V15 is a clear example of our commitment in bringing immersive advanced products to consumers of all walks of life,” said Duke, the managing director of Vivo Bangladesh.

Vivo V15 is powered by a 2.1GHz Octa-core processor and comes with 6GB of RAM and 64 GB ROM. The phone supports an extended memory of up to 256 GB. It runs on Android Funtouch OS 9.

It sports a 32 megapixel pop up camera on the front for selfies. The phone is equipped with AI photography features including AI Face Beauty and AI Portrait Framing.

The phone packs a 24MP primary camera, a second 8MP camera and a third 5MP camera on the back. The rear camera setup has autofocus.

The all-new AI Super Night Mode makes shaky night shots a thing of the past. The phone allows users to take photos with stunning clarity and wider perspective.

Other key features of the phone are its powerful 4,000mAh battery and dual-engine fast charging. The phone will be available in Glamour Red and Topaz Blue for Tk 29,990.

Beijing, Mar 23 (AP/UNB) — Apple CEO Tim Cook says he's "extremely bullish" about the global economy based on the amount of innovation being carried out, and he's urging China to continue to "open up."

In a speech at an economic forum in Beijing on Saturday, Cook said Apple is less concerned with the short term economic outlook because the tech giant makes investments looking ahead years or decades.

His remarks come as China and the U.S. prepare to meet again to resolve their trade dispute, which has roiled global markets, and as Apple is expected to announce that it's launching a video service.

The iPhone has long been Apple's marquee product and main money maker, but sales are starting to decline. The company is pushing digital subscriptions as it searches for new growth.