Google Pixel 5a 5G What's Special About It?
Undoubtedly Google is the top search enginer in the world. But in the realm of phone industry, Google has many tough competitors. Though claining exorbitant prices, Google phones got reputations for their stunning performances. Google's Pixel 5a 5G was released on August 26, 2021. It was first marketed in Japan and the US. Since its release, Pixel 5a 5G has been in the middle of gossip among phone lovers all around the world. In design and performance, the phone shares some similarities to its ancestor Pixel 4a 5G. Let's see what does it offer.
Google Pixel 5a 5G Full Review
Design
The Google Pixel 5 is the only phone in a span of a long time to implement a metal back. The industry has become more glass-oriented in recent years to allow for improved signal transmission. The metal cover all around the sides creates an all-in-one style that is also uncommon today. The metal can endure much more resistance to harm, whether from everyday wear, hit and tear, or severe drops.
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The metal has a matte surface, giving it a more polycarbonate-like feel than conventional aluminum frames. Its material is intriguing yet unappealing. Not to mention, it provided us with a more secure hold on the phone.
Not every element of the tiny format is flawlessly designed. For instance, the metal-lock button and volume adjuster on the right of the phone protrudes slightly from the body. It requires a little more effort to press these buttons.
Display
The front of the phone is dominated by a 6.34-inch OLED display with a hole punch. The resolution is 2,400 by 1,080 pixels, with a density of 413ppi. Color fidelity is superb, with a high contrast ratio and dark, inky blacks. The viewing aspects are good, and the display is bright enough to use outside. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3.
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Pixel 5a 5G will dishearten the users with its poor refresh rate. While surfing the internet or app library the users might experience stuttering associated with its 60Hz display.
Rear Lenses
The Pixel 5a has the same excellent camera module as the costlier Pixel 5. There are two cameras on the phone's rear side. Its main sensor features a 12.2MP (f/1.7)lens. It has useful features like autofocus with dual-phase detection, optical and electronic image stabilization. The 16 MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide lens offers a field of view of 107 degrees but lacks OIS and EIS.
As expected, the Pixel 5a's pictures are similar to its predecessor Pixel 5. While the Pixel 5a lacks high-resolution sensors, it comfortably outperforms its midrange rivals and gives flagships a run for their money.
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The 12.2MP main sensor works well in all lighting situations. The Pixel 5a produces clear pictures with great depth of field in the daytime. The texture is lush, and the color accuracy is flawless.
The rear lens's video recording rate is limited to 240 frames per second in 1080p and 60 frames per second in 4K.
Front Lens
The 8MP front lens has an aperture of f/2.0. The front camera works well in almost all lighting conditions. Selfies are clear and accurate in terms of color and exposure. In portrait mode, depth mapping work is appreciable.
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Performance, Software, UI
The Pixel 5A 5G operates through a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G 7nm SoC. This device is supported by 6GB of RAM. The storage capacity is 128GB, with about 111GB of storage accessibility out of the box. This phone has no microSD card slot.
The performance of the Pixel 5a is quite impressive. It is capable of handling whatever job is thrown at it. When multitasking with hundreds of Chrome windows open, apps launch instantly, and there is no latency. Even Night Mode pictures that took a bit of time to process on the Pixel 4a 5G run easily on the 5a.
The Pixel 5a excels in gaming. During testing, this phone showed no problems while playing Genshin Impact and Alto's Odyssey for a few hours. Both games loaded fast, with no latency or missed frames.
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The Pixel 5A does share the same Snapdragon mobile platform, storage and RAM as the Pixel 5.
Battery and Charger
The 5A battery is the biggest Pixel battery yet at 4,685mAh. It lasted almost 12 hours before shutting down in our battery drain test, streaming HD movies over Wi-Fi at maximum brightness. The battery would probably survive for a day without charging if the phone is used more sparingly.
A rapid charging 18W charger is included in the package. Wireless charging isn't included, which is a bummer.
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Price in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, the phone is available unofficially. The powerful 4GB, 64GB model is unofficially priced at BDT 55,000 in the local market. 1 INR = 1 BDT is the exchange rate used here.
Bottom Line
The Google Pixel 5a 5G phone can be a fantastic upper-midrange option that is well worthy of a good name. It boasts a standard processor, sharp OLED display, long battery life, and good camera features.
In fact, it's difficult to find significant flaws in the Pixel 5a. Though this Google phone lacks wireless charging and a high refresh rate display, it runs well and has the same sturdy build quality as the more costly Google Pixel 5. Users who are looking for a 5G phone with exceptional performance for the price, can consider Google Pixel 5A.
Google Alphabet’s Project Taara: Light beam broadband internet creates new hope in Africa
The triumph of the internet is all around today. Nowadays, people can do almost everything from sitting at home, such as shopping to getting married! In a word, if there is the internet, everything is in one's hands. In this era of speedy internet and communication technology, there are still some places in the world where the internet is far away, and even the mobile signals do not reach properly. However, it is not like those places are deprived, or no one gives attention to them. The places that don't have internet are mainly due to geographical location or natural reasons. Some villages in Congo, Africa, are such remote locations. But this time, Google's new project named 'Project Taara' is working on providing high-speed internet to those remote villages.
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What is Project Taara?
According to Project X, Google's own company, the technology will actually transmit the internet at very high and invisible super high-speed laser-based system light. The subject is a lot like optical fiber, but in this case, no cable or wire will be used.
This innovative approach to Internet connection was implemented under Alphabet X's 'Project Taara.' Alphabet X is a research and innovation company under Alphabet Inc., the parent company of search giant Google. The company works with a variety of innovative technologies, in many cases with strict confidentiality.
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It has already successfully set up a laser-based system to supply the internet across the Congo River at 20 GBPS speed, which can cover distances of up to 20 kilometers.
When did Project Taara start?
Project Taara has been working for three years since 2017. Alphabet X is partnering with Econet Group and Liquid Telecom to launch high-speed Internet services in sub-Saharan Africa and has even begun commercial marketing in Kenya.
How does Taara service work?
This technology usually sends a signal to the receiver via radio wave from a server with a transmitter mounted on a tall building or a tower. The company claims that currently, people are able to access the internet at speeds of up to 1 Gbps only. But the new technology will allow users to access the Internet at speeds of up to 20 GBPS.
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While the current broadband fiber-optics service transmits information on pulses of light, the Taara will transmit the data in a special form of twisted light. The regular fiber-optics' encoding and processing system affect the data speed. But the twisted light forms the missing key and helps in unlocking the super-fast communication.
The advanced Taara communication system not only carries more data; but also processes it faster through the light beams. Nevertheless, the internet speed can be as much as 100 times faster than the current system broadband system.
Has this been tested?
Google's technology has already been tested in remote areas of India and Africa. This new technology will greatly reduce the difficulties of providing internet service in the towers, and tall buildings.
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Besides these, by virtue of the new technology internet access can be assured in jungles, rivers, railway tracks, and several other remote areas. In simple words, the advanced technology is expected to be very effective in places where it is virtually impossible to deliver optical fiber.
The technology has already been successfully tested in Andhra Pradesh, India, and villages across the Congo River, Africa. And it has yielded promising results in each case.
Previously Google took another step named “Project Loon” to provide internet service through the balloon, which did not make the cut. Google's Taara, on the other hand, seems very promising as it transmitted 700 TB data over a 20-day period test in Congo. Furthermore, the light beam technology had 99.9 percent during the testing period.
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On the user's side, there was no hint when the data passed through FCOS nodes or the wires. Further, Google wanted to make the experience indistinguishable, and seemingly they are successful. According to Google, the system is placed high up, and it can adjust itself up to five degrees to uphold a perfect connection. The test also shows that the laser system was up even in the face of unexpected obstacles, such as extreme weather, flocks of flying birds, etc.
The latest test removed the pretty stubborn connection gap between the Republic of Congo city of Brazzaville and the Democratic Republic of Congo city of Kinshasa. Although the names are almost the same, the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are two different countries. The two countries gained independence from the European colonial occupation in 1960 at about the same time.
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The distance between Brazzaville and Kinshasa was five kilometers only. But, it was complicated and expensive to connect the two cities with fiber cable in a conventional way due to the river flowing between them.
The cost of broadband connectivity has increased fivefold as the Internet has simply turned the tide. The problem is partially solved by Alphabet X's Lighting Internet connection or The Wireless Optical Communication (WOC) system. Therefore, the 17 million people living in those cities will be able to access the high-speed internet soon.
Challenges
The WOC system comes from 'free space optical communication' technology. The technology originated from Project Loon, a project to send data using lasers between multiple balloons floating in the atmosphere.
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However, Alphabet closed Project Loon in February 2021 due to a lack of commercial potential. Now they started Project Taara with the same concept. But this technology is not perfect yet. The system was up 99% during the taste. But, unwanted objects like fog, hostile weather, clouds, or birds flying through the light waves, can disrupt the WOC system.
However, the BBC reports that it is possible to deal with that complication by increasing the power of the laser transmission. The WOC system works much like a telescope; Mirrors, lighting, software, and hardware - these four combine to control the destination of light. The report says that the researchers have also found a way to avoid the disruption of the connection due to the birds flying through the middle. Alphabet X is also testing the technology in Kenya, India, Mexico, and the United States.
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Shammi Quddus: A Talented Bangladeshi Woman in Google, Global Fintech Industry
Shammi Quddus, Google's product manager and co-founder of Bangladesh's first leadership organization- BYLC (Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center), grew up in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The mother of two has already received MBA and MPAID degrees from Stanford GSB and Harvard Kennedy School respectively. Shammi went to America to study with a scholarship and graduated in environmental engineering from MIT. She is currently living in Sunnyvale, California with her husband and children.
Her reputation precedes her astonishing contributions to the fintech industry. Ignoring the patriarchal system, she has firmly established her position as a woman in the international technology sector. Let's find out the success story of this talented woman.
Gaining the opportunity to study at MIT
MIT has opened the door of possibilities in front of Shammi Quddus. Generally, it is very difficult for any girl from a middle-class family in Bangladesh to go abroad to study. Even then, Shammi was able to overcome all obstacles due to the positive attitude of her parents who were teachers. Going beyond the so-called rules, she mastered martial arts despite being a South Asian girl. She holds black belts in Karate and Taekwondo.
By the way, she moved to the United States with a scholarship. Traveled to different big cities. After all, instead of going for a conventional profession, she chooses a profession with her own choice.
Despite the contemporaneous adversity towards women, she was able to do so because of her family's support and self-confidence, and will-force.
In high school, she passed the SAT One and Two exams. She then applied to 14 American universities for scholarships. Shammi received scholarships from most of these universities. And she immediately chose MIT, the university of her dreams.
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Joining in end-user engagement
After doing a BSc in Environmental Engineering from MIT, Shammi first started working as an engineer in the multinational infrastructural engineering firm ECOM. Here she had to engage in theoretical activities like data analysis. But Shammi's desire was to involve himself in some work that directly affects people's lives. As a result, she started working with the Bangladesh team of Waterhealth International in 2011.
At that time the team was working on drinking water management in Chittagong. She then worked with Jeeon, a start-up social organization in the health and technology sector in Bangladesh. Through her, Jeeon's first telemedicine product entered Bangladesh. At this time, the Projotno mobile telemedicine service implemented by her has won the USAID M4D Award as the most innovative mobile app service of the year in South Asia.
Emerging as an entrepreneur
In early 2008, Shammi Quddus, along with her husband Ejaz Ahmed, formed the Young Leadership-Based Program (BYLC) with an aim of exchanging views of English, Bengali, and Arabic medium students and promoting active citizenship. During this time she won a highly competitive collegiate social innovation grant from MIT called the Davis Projects for Peace, which provided initial funding for BYLC. She developed partnerships and a curriculum. She ensured the participation of students in the program, 93% of whom have completed graduation. As a result, the program became the country's top leadership institute.
Based on this, Shammi has had to play the necessary role in setting up many start-ups by working in various multinational consultancy firms. She has been involved in a variety of activities, including negotiating with marginal consumers, marketing campaigns, dealing with landowners, bringing in electricity approvals, and arranging recruitments.
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Journey of Shammi Quddus as a Google employee
Shammi feels a deep urge to work in the development sector. So she did MBA to gain knowledge about leadership and economic planning. On the other hand, the MPA ended up acquiring skills in policymaking in various public and private sectors. Then came the call from Google Inc.
At first, she worked for a year and a half as Customer Insights Manager. Then join as the product manager of the payment platform team. It is the responsibility of this team to complete all types of Google monetization processes. This means that all types of financial transactions of customers with Google take place through them. They have to ensure the use of Google products like YouTube, Maps, Ads, Play Store, AdSense, etc. all over the world.
As a product manager, Shammi has to advise programmers on designing technical implementations for each product by understanding user needs, technical feasibility, regulatory restrictions, revenue impact, Google's goals.
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The pioneer of women leadership in the 21st century
Shammi thinks that in any organization, it is necessary to maintain equality of men and women in high positions as well as to recruit an equal number of men and women at the primary level. Gender discrimination will be eliminated if men and women are treated equally at all levels, not just in the workplace.
As in Bangladesh, women do not get the opportunity to play sports, so they suffer from an inferiority complex. But Shammi was very interested in martial arts and took Karate training in Chittagong at the age of 16 and got a black belt. She even became a champion at the divisional and national levels. As well as studying, she became more confident as a result of such outdoor activities. While at MIT, she took Taekwondo training and won a black belt in four years.
Besides career, Shammi also gives equal importance to family life. According to Shammi, the decisions have to be made depending on the situation. Sometimes after giving 80 percent, you will get 20 percent. Giving 20% again will give 80% profit. And it results to keep a balance in life.
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The challenges on the way to her success
Shammi's biggest challenge was getting a full free scholarship to MIT. And even after these 15 years, she still remembers the efforts to get that scholarship. The joy of finally getting MIT's positive emails seen in the inbox never fades.
Then it was very difficult for Shammi to study in two completely different places like Harvard and Stanford in different environments. Because maintaining contact with her husband and children and continuing her studies was like crossing the Himalayas for her. Ejaz Ahmed, the founder of BYLC, was by her side at that time.
Final Word
Shammi Quddus now dreams of creating new products in the financial technology industry in the future. However, more participation of Bangladeshi women is needed in this regard. Everyone should come forward to create technology-based services as much as possible from their place. Creativity can be born if a good work environment is created. And only then will welfare be achieved for the greater good.
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Amazon, Google register for VAT
Tech giants Google and Amazon acquired Business Identification Number (BIN) from the National Board of Revenue last week to run their business in Bangladesh while ensuring value added tax (VAT) compliance.
The companies will now pay a 15% VAT on revenue earned from the country.
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Google got its VAT registration certificate on May 23 and Amazon on May 27. These tech giants earlier paid VAT through banks.
Both companies got the BIN as non-residential companies. PwC Bangladesh, the consultant appointed by both ventures, did the paperwork processing for them and will act as their VAT consultant.
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Google says 20% of workers will be remote, many more hybrid
Google says it expects about 20% of its workforce to still work remotely after its offices reopen this fall, while some 60% will work a hybrid schedule that includes about three days in the office and two days “wherever they work best.”
The remaining 20% can change their location to a different Google office.
The policy announced Wednesday relaxes the company’s stricter earlier stance.
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“The future of work is flexibility,” CEO Sundar Pichai wrote in an email to employees that was also posted on Google’s website. “The changes above are a starting point to help us do our very best work and have fun doing it.”
Most of Google’s 135,000 employees can continue to work from home through September of this year.
For up to 20 days per year, Google employees will also be able to work from any location other than their main office. That’s up from a previous allotment of 10 days.
The company based in Mountain View, California, will also continue offering extra “reset” days — days off to help cope with the pandemic.
Google was among the first major technology companies last year to tell its employees to work from home at the onset of the pandemic. Other tech giants, such as Facebook and Twitter, have announced that people can work from home permanently after the pandemic if their jobs allow for it.
Australian judge rules Google misled Android users on data
Google broke Australian law by misleading users about personal location data collected through Android mobile devices, a judge found Friday.
The Federal Court decision was a partial win for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the nation’s fair trade watchdog, which has been prosecuting Google for broader alleged breaches of consumer law since October 2019.
Justice Thomas Thawley found that Google misled Android mobile device users about personal location data collected between January 2017 and December 2018.
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“This is an important victory for consumers, especially anyone concerned about their privacy online, as the court’s decision sends a strong message to Google and others that big businesses must not mislead their customers,” Commission Chair Rod Sims said in a statement.
“We are extremely pleased with the outcome in this world-first case,” he added.
Google is considering an appeal to the full bench of the Federal Court.
“The court rejected many of the ACCC’s broad claims,” a Google statement said.
“We disagree with the remaining findings and are currently reviewing our options, including a possible appeal,” Google added.
The judge ruled that when users created a new Google account during the initial set-up process of their Android device, Google misrepresented that the “Location History” setting was the only Google account setting that affected whether Google collected, kept or used personally identifiable data about their location.
But another Google account setting titled “Web & App Activity” also enabled Google to collect, store and use personally identifiable location data when it was turned on, and that setting was turned on by default.
The judge also found that when users later accessed the “Location History” setting on their Android device during the same time period to turn that setting off, they were also misled because Google did not inform them that by leaving the “Web & App Activity” setting switched on, Google would continue to collect, store and use their personally identifiable location data.
Similarly, between March 2017 and Nov. 29, 2018, when users later accessed the “Web & App Activity” setting on their Android device, they were misled because Google did not inform them that the setting was relevant to the collection of personal location data.
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Google said the digital platform provides “robust controls for location data and are always looking to do more.”
The commission is seeking court orders and financial penalties against Google to be determined later.
The Australia Institute Center for Responsible Technology, a Canberra-based think tank, said the case “highlights the complexity of Big Tech terms and conditions.”
“The reality is most people have little to no idea on how much of their data is being used by Google and online platforms,” the Center’s Director Peter Lewis said in a statement.
Lewis said reading most terms and conditions takes an average of 74 minutes and requires a university education, according to the institute’s research, and more comprehensive consumer data protection was needed.
Google celebrates Pahela Baishakh with new doodle
Search engine giant Google is celebrating Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bangla new year, by replacing its regular home page graphic with a special doodle for the Bangladeshi surfers.
Today’s Doodle commemorates the festival of Pahela Baishakh, which falls on the first day of the Bengali calendar.
Whether at home or abroad, Bengalis worldwide warmly greet each other with, Shubho Noboborsho, the customary way to wish each other a prosperous and happy New Year.
One of the most traditional Pahela Baishakh celebrations commences after dawn underneath an ancient Banyan tree at Dhaka’s Ramna Park. Mangal Shobhajatra is a radiant carnival procession that begins at the Institute of Fine Arts at Dhaka University.
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The festive spirit blends young and old, as they wear colorful masks and parade with massive cutouts of animals as a way to symbolize Bengali cultural diversity, heritage, and identity of the people.
The nation celebrates with street parades, fairs, and grand concerts as a way to unify the Bengalis to welcome another year to come.
But this year, Pahela Boishakh, is being celebrated across the country on Wednesday without outdoor programmes for the second consecutive year due to the coronavirus pandemic. This year, the programmes were cancelled to avoid mass gatherings in a bid to curb the transmission of coronavirus.
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All television channels aired a special programme in the morning to digitally celebrate the day.
Colorful figures of animals—like the Bengal tiger seen in today’s animated Doodle.
Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google’s homepage that is intended to celebrate holidays, events, achievements and people. The doodle was introduced in 1998.
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Google to lower in-app commission rate for developers
Global tech giant Google pushs to lower its planned commission rate for app developers, parliamentary and industry sources said Monday, amid complaints from software makers over steep fees.
Indian media ask Google to pay for news content
Indian newspapers on Thursday demanded up to 85% advertisement revenue share from US search giant Google for publishing their content online, with Australia approving a new law aimed at forcing tech giants to pay for news.