tech
Twitter bans ads that contradict science on climate change
Twitter says it will no longer allow advertisers on its site who deny the scientific consensus on climate change, echoing a policy already in place at Google.
"Ads shouldn’t detract from important conversations about the climate crisis,” the company said in a statement outlining its new policy Friday.
There was no indication that the change would affect what users post on the social media site, which along with Facebook has been targeted by groups seeking to promote misleading claims about climate change.
Also read: Musk says he has $46.5B in financing ready to buy Twitter
The announcement coinciding with Earth Day came hours before the European Union agreed a deal requiring big tech companies to vet their sites more closely for hate speech, disinformation and other harmful content.
Twitter said it would provide more information in the coming months on how it plans to provide “reliable, authoritative context to the climate conversations” its users engage in, including from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The U.N.-backed science panel's reports on the causes and effects of climate change provide the basis for international negotiations to curb climate change.
Also read: Mamata blocks Bengal Governor on Twitter
The company already has a dedicate climate topic on its site and offered what it described as “pre-bunks” during last year's U.N. climate conference to counter misinformation surrounding the issue.
Meta shares ways to connect and take action on Earth Day
Meta, formerly known as the Facebook company, is announcing impactful ways that people can learn more about sustainable living and take action this Earth Day.
According to Meta’s analysis, more than 2 million Bangladeshis are part of at least one Facebook group dedicated to the discovery, protection and appreciation of the earth and our environment as interest in climate change is on the rise.
“Every day, thousands across our platforms rally together to connect and take action on climate change, whether it is engaging in a Facebook Group or practicing sustainable tips from a creator. I’m heartened to see that this is no exception in Bangladesh. Earth Day is a vital reminder that all actions, both big and small, can make a difference in protecting our planet,” said Siddharta Swarup, Social Impact and Communities Lead for APAC at Meta.
Read Musk sells $4B in Tesla shares, presumably for Twitter deal
Meta has partnered with renowned illustrators to release specially designed Earth Day stickers and features on Messenger and Instagram starting this week so people can express their commitment to the environment. They can also create their own word effects and 3D avatar stickers to show their support for climate action.
Moreover, there are more than 800 businesses on Instagram in Bangladesh that describe themselves as eco-friendly. Facebook Marketplace is available in Bangladesh, where people can buy and sell second hand items in their local community and beyond — from bicycles and plants to clothes and home decor.
Meta’s global operations are now 100 per cent supported by renewable energy. The company has set an ambitious goal of achieving net zero emissions across its value chain and be water positive by 2030. It continues to work in tackling climate misinformation through its $1 million Climate Misinformation grant program, as well as expanding its annual Climate Change Opinion Surveyto share information about public views on climate change across more than 180 countries.
READ: Shares of Facebook parent Meta plunge 22% on lower profits
For more information on what’s new and how to get involved with Meta to show appreciation for the planet, visit: https://messengernews.fb.com/2022/04/19/talking-about-our-earth-on-messenger-and-messenger-kids/
CNN’s streaming service shutting down a month after launch
CNN’s brand-new streaming service, CNN+, is shutting down only a month after launch.
In a Thursday memo, incoming CNN chief executive Chris Licht said the service would shut down at the end of April.
CNN+ launched when its parent was still part of AT&T. It combined with Discovery earlier this month in a new company, Warner Bros. Discovery, under Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who had his own vision for CNN and its Warner siblings.
In his memo, Licht said consumers wanted “simplicity and an all-in service” rather than “stand-alone offerings.” Discovery had previously suggested that it wanted to merge the new company’s separate streaming services, which include Discovery+ and HBO Max, into a single app.
Read: What’s the impact if Europe cuts off Russian oil?
Licht said some CNN+ content will wind up on other company networks, and the streaming service’s employees will get opportunities to apply for jobs elsewhere inside Warner Bros. Discovery. The head of CNN+, Andrew Morse, is leaving the company.
“While today’s decision is incredibly difficult, it is the right one for the long-term success of CNN. It allows us to refocus resources on the core products that drive our singular focus: further enhancing CNN’s journalism and its reputation as a global news leader,” Licht wrote.
Under AT&T, there were $100 million in development costs and some 500 employees assigned to building out CNN+. The service had attracted big names for its lineup, from former Fox anchor Chris Wallace to food-media star Alison Roman, as part of the company’s effort to appeal to younger people with a streaming news service as cable news audiences age.
Read: Musk says he has $46.5B in financing ready to buy Twitter
There had been skepticism that a paid news streaming service would attract interest from consumers, who already have available a slew of online TV. While Fox has a paid streaming service, Fox Nation, other major TV news organizations make their apps available free.
Vivo launches Eid campaign
Global smartphone brand vivo has come up with different offers on its smartphones ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr 2022.
The campaign will continue till May 3 and buyers of specific vivo smartphones – X70 Pro, V23 5G, V23e, Y33s, Y21 and Y21T – will be eligible for the offer.
The first prize winners will get home appliances, including freezers, TVs, washing machines, microwave ovens, fans, induction cookers, electric irons, rice cookers, juicers, and multi-plugs.
Read: Samsung Galaxy A23 launched
The winners of the second prize will get another similar handset for free on the purchase of a smartphone from any of the six specific models.
Third prize winners will get gifts including speakers for X70Pro, V23 5G and V23e; vivo backpacks for Y33s, vivo umbrellas for Y21T, and T-shirts for Y21.
Read Eid: Samsung offers discounts on Galaxy A03, Galaxy Z flip 3 5G
Samsung Galaxy A23 launched
Samsung Bangladesh recently launched Galaxy A23, another addition to its A Series.
The phone comes in three colours – Blue, Peach and Black.
The device's 6.6-inch Infinity V-Cut display, accompanied by a 90Hz refresh rate, accounts for an immersive viewing and smooth scrolling and swiping experience.
Read: Xiaomi Bangladesh brings Redmi 10C
The Snapdragon 680 4G (6nm) Octa-Core (2.4GHz + 1.9GHz) processor-powered Galaxy A23 is equipped with a 5000mAh battery and supports 25W super-fast charging.
The device also comes with a quad-camera setup, consisting of a 50MP (f/1.8) OIS main camera, 5MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide camera, 2MP (f/2.4) depth camera and 2MP (f/2.4) macro camera.
All of these are accompanied by an 8MP (f/2.2) front camera.
Read Walton Primo S8 Mini: A Budget Friendly Gaming Phone
The device also has 128GB ROM storage alongside a 6GB RAM, Samsung Knox Security and a sensor side fingerprint.
Priced at Tk25,599, Samsung Galaxy A23 comes with Android 12.0 and Samsung One UI 4.1.
Xiaomi Bangladesh brings Redmi 10C
Xiaomi Bangladesh Wednesday announced the launch of Redmi 10C to make high-quality products accessible to more consumers across Bangladesh.
Redmi 10C is the latest addition to the locally made smartphones from the Redmi 10 series under the "Make in Bangladesh" initiative.
The phone features a large display, a Snapdragon chipset, and a dual-camera setup with a 50MP primary sensor.
Read: Oppo F21 Pro now available across Bangladesh
The device comes with a 6.71" dot drop display with 1650 x 720-pixel HD+ resolution, while the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 ensures that it stays protected.
Equipped with a 2.4GHz octa-core Snapdragon 680 processor, Redmi 10C contains flagship-level 6nm process technology to provide energy-efficient performance.
Powered by Qualcomm Adreno 610 GPU and 4GB LPDDR4X RAM, it ensures smooth performance.
Read: Xiaomi brings 11i HyperCharge 5G, Redmi Note 11S
The phone's powerful dual rear camera has a 50MP high-resolution primary camera.
Accompanied by a 2MP depth sensor, Redmi 10C helps achieve a natural bokeh effect for portrait shots every time. The 5MP front camera allows users to capture crisp selfies.
The device also comes with Android 11 via MIUI 13 out of the box. It has a 5,000mAh battery, 4G LTE connectivity, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and WIFI support.
Read Telecom Minister unveils data packs sans validity in Bangladesh
From Friday, Redmi 10C will be available in three colours – Graphite Grey, Ocean Blue and Mint Green across Bangladesh.
The retail price is Tk12,999 for the 4GB+64GB variant and Tk13,999 for the 4GB+128GB variant.
Musk says he has $46.5B in financing ready to buy Twitter
Elon Musk says he has lined up $46.5 billion in financing to buy Twitter, and he’s trying to negotiate an agreement with the company.
Last week, Musk announced an offer to buy the social media company for $54.20 per share, or about $43 billion. At the time, he did not say how he would finance the acquisition.
The Tesla CEO said Thursday in documents filed with U.S. securities regulators that he’s exploring what’s known as a tender offer to buy all of the social media platform’s common stock for $54.20 per share in cash. Under a tender offer, Musk, who owns about 9% of Twitter shares, would take his offer directly to other shareholders, bypassing the board.
But Musk hasn’t decided yet whether to do that.
The documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission say San Francisco-based Twitter Inc. has not responded to Musk’s proposal.
Last week Twitter’s board adopted a “poison pill” defense that could make a takeover attempt prohibitively expensive.
Read: Elon Musk wants to buy Twitter, make it 'maximally trusted'
The filing states that “entities related to (Musk) have received commitment letters committing to provide an aggregate of approximately $46.5 billion.”
The financing would come from Morgan Stanley and other financial institutions. Some would be secured by stock that Musk owns in Tesla, the electric car and solar panel maker. Other banks involved include Barclays, Bank of America, Societie Generale, Mizuho Bank, BNP Paribas and MUFG.
Shares of Twitter were down slightly to $46.69 in Thursday morning trading after the financing became public. The share price is $7.51 below Musk’s offer.
Musk “is seeking to negotiate a definitive agreement for the acquisition of Twitter ... and is prepared to begin such negotiations immediately,” the documents say.
With a tender offer, Musk would try to get other shareholders to pledge their stock to him at a certain price on a certain date. If enough shareholders agree, Musk could use that as leverage to get the board to drop the poison pill defense.
Musk signaled the possibility of a tender offer several times this week in tweets using the word “tender.”
A message was left Thursday seeking comment from Twitter.
Walton Primo S8 Mini: A Budget Friendly Gaming Phone
Bangladeshi Brand Walton has been making the country proud with its top-notch phones. Targeting the local market, they produce affordable and quality smartphones. The most recent Walton phones have a variety of features, including an affordable price point and a good camera. Recently, they have launched a new phone Walton Primo S8 Mini. The phone came to the Bangladeshi market on April 16, 2022. With the massive battery Walton named this the Gaming Warrior. Let’s see the specs, features and price of Walton Primo S8 Mini and find what you can expect from this phone.
Key Features of Walton Primo S8 Mini
Design
On the back, top left, you will find four cameras and one flash. The glossy look will help you to hold the phone with more confidence. On the bottom side of the phone, it features a mic, 3.5mm audio jack, USB Type C, and speaker. Walton integrated a fast fingerprint sensor on the back, which will give you a smooth unlocking experience.
Read Vivo X Fold Review: Can it outsmart the other foldable phones?
The right side contains the volume button and the power button. On the left, you will get to see the sim tray, which is also the memory card tray.
Although the Primo S8 Mini is a budget phone, the 9.15 mm depth and 205g will give you an elegant feel. Further, the 163.65 mm height and 77.65 mm width will give you the opportunity to hold the phone in one hand.
It comes in three colors, stone white, ink black, and forest green. Further, the rainbow glass protection on the back reduces the scratches significantly. Besides, blending the rainbow with three different colors makes the phone more beautiful.
Read Symphony Z42 Review: Affordable Phone from Local Market
Display
S8 Mini comes with an incredible 6.53-inch LTPS FHD display and makes it one of a kind that makes everything on display look real. Moreover, the 2340x1080p resolution with 400 Nits brightness and 19.5:9 aspect ratio will certainly make your vision clear. So, you can stream your favorite TV shows, movies, or even games smoothly.
The phone has a captive touch screen, which makes the phone more responsive than those with resistive touch screens. Also, it is easier on the eyes and requires less pressure to be registered. The captive touch screen is more durable and lasts longer than resistive touch screens. The display type is LTPS INCELL Full lamination Technology with 2.5D Curved Glass.
Read Samsung Galaxy A13 4G Review: Does it live up to the hype?
Performance
The Walton Primo S8 Mini features a Qualcomm® Snapdragon 665, 2.0GHz Octa-Core Processor, and Kryo 260 64-bit. The GPU is Qualcomm® Adreno™ 610 - 950MHz. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 665 Mobile Platform offers highly beneficial mobile experiences with artificial intelligence to enhance the experience of gaming, camera performance, and security performance. Moreover, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 Mobile Platform offers intelligent and immersive user experiences. The Adreno 610 also boosts gaming performance.
The phone runs on Android 11, which is associated with VSmart OS. This will give you a new user experience and make you fall in love with the new S8 Mini.
Read Oppo F21 Pro Review: Camera Phone Made in Bangladesh
Memory
The Primo S8 Mini comes with 4GB and 8GB LPDDR4x RAM versions, while the internal memory is the same 64GB for both versions. However, this internal memory might look poor to you. The phone has an external memory card option, and you can expand the memory up to 256GB. Further, the phone is equipped with a 2.1 memory system that provides awesome data transfer performance while consuming low power. So, you can get the ultimate gaming experience on a budget phone.
Camera
The main camera features a combination of four cameras 16MP+8MP+2MP+2MP AI Quad Cameras. The camera features autofocuses with PDAF and LED flash while the aperture is f/1.8. These 16MP cameras will give you an amazing sensor for everything you click.
Read Vivo Y33s 4G Review: Do features accompany premium look?
Further, a dedicated 8MP wide-angle sensor gives you the opportunity to focus widely. You can take a 120-degree wide-angle phone with Walton Primo S8 Mini. A 2MP depth sensor gives you amazing portraits. In addition to that, the phone also features quad lenses for different modes of shooting. The 2MP Macro shooter can take perfect macro shots of anything you want.
The shooting modes you will get are Photo, Macro, Beauty AR Sticker, Slow Motion, Time-Lapse, Manual (Manual Focus, White Balance, ISO, Exposure, Shutter Speed), Fast Motion, Portrait, HDR, Color Filter, and Self-Timer.
Read Samsung Galaxy A53 5G Review: A Fast Phone with Massive Battery
The amazing camera will provide you with up to 4K 30fps video recording with Video Stabilizer, Video Face Detection, and interruption few recordings.
The selfie camera features 13MP with PDAF and f/2.0 aperture. You can take a selfie in Normal, Portrait, AI Beauty, Watermark, Color Filter, and HDR mode. Also, the large sensor size gives you a sharp & colorful selfie while applying face beauty, selfie indicator, BSI, AI, and face detection. The front camera can record 4K video at 30fps, while video face detection also comes with it. You can even shoot slow-motion videos with the Primo S8 Mini.
Read Xiaomi Mi 12 Ultra: What to Expect from the Next Xiaomi Flagship?
Battery
The Walton Primo S8 Mini comes with a massive 5000mAh battery, which will give you an extended gaming time. You can change this giant battery cell quickly with an 18w fast charger. The USB Type C cable features quick charge 3.0.
Price of Walton Primo S8 Mini
The Primo S8 Mini is priced at Tk. 13,999. But you can get it for Tk. 12,499 with a free t-shirt for a limited time pre-booking period.
Read Xiaomi POCO X4 Pro Review: Know the Pros and Cons
Conclusion
Walton Primo S8 Mini is a gaming phone at a budget price. If you are a gamer and looking for an affordable phone, Primo S8 Mini should be a great option. Further, the excellent camera and video quality will also give your peace of mind. Also, streaming in HD will let you stream your live game too.
Banglalink skill development programme: 'Digirevolution' Season 1 ends
Telecom operator Banglalink has completed the first season of "Digirevolution," a virtual skill development programme for students, through a closing ceremony.
Erik Aas, chief executive officer, and Monzula Morshed, chief human resources and administration officer, of Banglalink, and all the programme participants were present at the event in the capital.
Students from more than 35 universities from all over the country were shortlisted for the virtual programme.
READ: Breaching copyright law by Banglalink: Hearing on charge framing in 2 cases on May 26
They were upskilled on various contemporary telecom, digital, and business topics in business intelligence and analytics, digital marketing, UI and UX, content marketing, design thinking, and agile project management.
Following each session, the participants went through an evaluation process.
Monzula Morshed said: "Digirevolution helped the participants learn professional digital skills much needed in the workplaces of today."
Read Development sector: 'Young job-seekers should learn soft, technical skills to thrive'
"We believe that empowering local talents with contemporary learning experiences will result in a well-equipped workforce in our telecom and IT industries."
Netflix shares drop 25% after service loses 200K subscribers
Netflix suffered its first subscriber loss in more than a decade, causing its shares to plunge 25% in extended trading amid concerns that the pioneering streaming service may have already seen its best days.
The company’s customer base fell by 200,000 subscribers during the January-March period, according to its quarterly earnings report released Tuesday It’s the first time that Netflix’s subscribers have fallen since the streaming service became available throughout most of the world outside of China six years ago. The drop this year stemmed in part from Netflix’s decision to withdraw from Russia to protest the war against Ukraine, resulting in a loss of 700,000 subscribers.
Netflix acknowledged its problems are deep rooted by projecting a loss of another 2 million subscribers during the April-June period.
If the stock drop extends into Wednesday’s regular trading session, Netflix shares will have lost more than half of their value so far this year — wiping out about $150 billion in shareholder wealth in less than four months.
Netflix is hoping to reverse the tide by taking steps it has previously resisted, including blocking the sharing of accounts and introducing a lower-priced — and ad-supported — version of its service.
Aptus Capital Advisors analyst David Wagner said it’s now clear that Netflix is grappling with an imposing challenge. “They are in no-(wo) man’s land,” Wagner wrote in a research note Tuesday.
Read: Elon Musk wants to buy Twitter, make it 'maximally trusted'
Netflix absorbed its biggest blow since losing 800,000 subscribers in 2011 — the result of unveiled plans to begin charging separately for its then-nascent streaming service, which had been bundled for free with its traditional DVD-by-mail service. The customer backlash to that move elicited an apology from Netflix CEO Reed Hastings for botching the execution of the spin-off.
The latest subscriber loss was far worse than a forecast by Netflix management for a conservative gain of 2.5 million subscribers. The news deepens troubles that have been mounting for the streaming since a surge of signups from a captive audience during the pandemic began to slow.
It marks the fourth time in the last five quarters that Netflix’s subscriber growth has fallen below the gains of the previous year, a malaise that has been magnified by stiffening competition from well-funded rivals such as Apple and Walt Disney.
The setback follows the company’s addition of 18.2 million subscribers in 2021, its weakest annual growth since 2016. That contrasted with an increase of 36 million subscribers during 2020 when people were corralled at home and starved for entertainment, which Netflix was able to quickly and easily provide with its stockpile of original programming.
Netflix has previously predicted that it will regain its momentum, but on Tuesday faced up to the issues bogging it down. “COVID created a lot of noise on how to read the situation,” Hastings said in a video conference reviewing the latest numbers.
Among other things, Hastings confirmed Netflix will start crack down on the sharing of subscriber passwords that has enabled multiple households to access its service from a single account, with changes likely to roll out during the next year or so.
The Los Gatos, California, company estimated that about 100 million households worldwide are watching its service for free by using the account of a friend or another family member, including 30 million in the U.S. and Canada. “”Those are over 100 million households already are choosing to view Netflix,” Hastings said. “They love the service. We’ve just got to get paid at some degree for them.”
Read: Netflix, TikTok block services in Russia to avoid crackdown
To stop the practice and prod more people to pay for their own accounts, Netflix indicated it will expand a test introduced last month in Chile, Peru and Costa Rica that allows subscribers to add up to two people living outside their households to their accounts for an additional fee.
Netflix ended March with 221.6 million worldwide subscribers. The subscriber downturn clipped Netflix’s finances in the first quarter when the company’s profit fell 6% from last year to $1.6 billion, or $3.53 per share. Revenue climbed 10% from last year to nearly $7.9 billion.
With the pandemic easing, people have been finding other things to do, and other video streaming services are working hard to lure new viewers with their own award-winning programming. Apple, for instance, held the exclusive streaming rights to “CODA,” which eclipsed Netflix’s “Power of The Dog,” among other movies, to win Best Picture at last month’s Academy Awards.
Escalating inflation over the past year has also squeezed household budgets, leading more consumers to rein in their spending on discretionary items. Despite that pressure, Netflix recently raised its prices in the U.S., where it has its greatest household penetration — and where it’s had the most trouble finding more subscribers. In the most recent quarter, Netflix lost 640,000 subscribers in the U.S. and Canada, prompting management to point out that most of its future growth will come in international markets.
Netflix also is trying to give people another reason to subscribe by adding video games at no extra charge — a feature that began to roll out last year.