The opportunity for participating in the Bangladesh ICT Competition 2020 is open until December 31 this year.

This easy and free online registration process will require mobile phone number or email address verification and some simple information about the interested participant, said a press release.

This dedicatedly designed competition for the science and engineering students will be a two-month long programme that will have three rounds.

1st and 2nd round will be individual competitions and the national final round will be a team competition.

The top three teams will get a chance to win laptops or Huawei mobile, Huawei smart watch or smart band.

Also read: Huawei launches 5G unmanned vehicle for medical delivery in Thailand

The winning team will take part in the Huawei ICT Competition regional final and global final competition.

If COVID situation improves, they will also visit Huawei Headquarters in Shenzhen of China and even, they can also get a priority to work with Huawei Technologies (Bangladesh) Limited further.

The 4th year or post-graduate level students from engineering universities or science and engineering-related departments can enroll in this programme.

The registration should be done by the student and university, both. Universities or departments need to contact BCC or Huawei for enrollment.

Also read: Huawei hosts Asia Pacific ICT Talent Forum

Huawei, in partnership with Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC), has launched ‘Bangladesh ICT Competition 2020’ with the vision to accelerate the growth of the ICT industry and to facilitate ICT talents in Bangladesh.

From BCC, this competition is being coordinated by Leveraging ICT for Employment and Growth of the IT-ITES Industry project (LICT) under the ICT Division.

The contest will have mainly two parts, termed as ‘Practical Competition’ and ‘Theory Competition’. These will not only comprehend the basic theoretical understanding and hands-on practical ability but also assess innovative technology application and program design capabilities.

Also read: Huawei taking 10 BD students to China visit

This year, the competition will cover network switching and routing technical areas. And going further the new technology such as Big Data, AI, and cloud (Artificial Intelligence) will be introduced.

The first round of this competition will begin next month. In this round, registered students will have to take online courses on a designated web portal of the global ICT leader, Huawei. From the first round, the top 20 contestants from each university will go to the second round through online learning and examination.

In the second round, they will take online courses from HCIA (Huawei Certified ICT Associate) along with exams. The top 10 teams from the second round will be chosen for the National Final. At the final, selected students will form teams, three students & one faculty in each team, from each university. Instructors from headquarter will provide training to the contestants who, in the end, need to pass a simulation test. The top 3 teams will be rewarded as the winners.

Also read: Huawei aims to build sustainable future

Interested universities and departments can enroll by sending emails to pacd.bangladesh@huawei.com and students can find the registration link on the official Facebook page of Huawei Bangladesh (https://www.facebook.com/HuaweiTechBD).

Last month, Huawei signed an MoU with BCC and Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority to bring our four different programs namely ‘Bangladesh ICT Competition 2020’, ‘ICT Joint Innovation Center’, ‘Huawei ICT Academy’, and ‘Curating Bangladeshi Startups’. Among those, Bangladesh ICT Competition 2020 has been commenced firstly. Huawei is running this ICT competition in more than 30 countries across the globe involving more than 45,000 students, and 1,600+ instructors from more than 800 academies.

‘Bangladesh ICT Competition 2020’ is the first of the four distinct programs (‘Bangladesh ICT Competition 2020’, ‘ICT Joint Innovation Center’, ‘Huawei ICT Academy’, and ‘Curating Bangladeshi Startups’) that are going to be organized chiefly by Huawei to promote ICT talent and innovation in Bangladesh.

Also read: Huawei partners to build 5G automobile ecosphere

realme , a popular smartphone brand, is set to launch the latest phone of its narzo series – realme narzo 20 in the smartphone market of Bangladesh on December 28 through an online event.

The latest phone will boast the Helio G85 processor, 48 MP AI triple camera on the back and an enormous 6,000mAh battery with Type-C 18W quick charge, said a press release.

This will be powered by MediaTek’s powerful gaming processor, all the modern tech features, realme will launch this smartphone to power up the life of the youth.

Read Also: Realme Bangladesh launches Realme 7 series

The event can be views at https://rebrand.ly/realme_narzo_20_Launch_Event

Because of multi-functionality, smartphones are replacing any other tech devices and becoming the primary device of the youth. To inspire their versatility, realme has been bringing the best hardware-software optimization in its devices, said a press release.

The latest phone will pack a huge battery for non-stop fun. And the gaming processor will enable smoother performance and ensure astonishing speed while working.

realme narzo 20 will be released in two beautiful colors – Silver Sword and Blue Blade. It’s massive 6.5-inch mini-drop display of narzo 20 with its 88.7% screen-to-body-ratio will provide an immersive viewing experience. The AI triple camera with big aperture can capture flawless low light photos. The front camera can capture detailed selfies.

Read Also: 50 million in two Years: What has made realme so successful so fast?

realme’s narzo series was launched with ‘Feel the Power’ slogan. The Helio chipset will better optimize with upgraded realme UI and deliver seamless performance. It comes with 3-finger screenshot, soothing dark mode for better viewing experience and a lot more. The UI will also enable better battery backup with super power saving mode.

realme UI also comes with Dual Mode Music Share to enjoy the same song or video in more than one device. It also has a Focus Mode to isolate from all the noises of the outer world and relax.

In contrast, to the previously launched C series smartphones, which are entry level phones, the narzo series mainly focuses on gaming smartphones with powerful features which will enhance the gaming experience of the youth and also make it available to them at a more accessible price point.

Read Also: realme ranked among top 4 mobile brands during Q3 in Bangladesh

realme has become a key player in the smartphone market providing tech-trendy devices since mid-2018. The brand has become an icon for the young generation and has already reached 61 markets, earning more than 50 million users worldwide. realme is also bringing instinctive AIoT products to offer a creative ecosystem to empower the youth.

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A UN human rights expert has called on Facebook’s Oversight Board to take the rights of ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities into account in reaching decisions, particularly on hate speech.

The UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Fernand de Varennes, welcomed the recent news that Facebook’s Oversight Board has accepted its first six cases appealing against decisions to remove content. 

Also read: Facebook civil rights audit finds ‘serious setbacks’

The Oversight Board, compared by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to the social media platform’s own Supreme Court, is an independent body that reviews Facebook moderation decisions.

“Minorities are the most likely target of online hate speech, and we know that online hate speech against minorities often leads to severe real-world harm, and may even lead to ethnic cleansing and genocide,” said de Varennes on Wednesday in a statement issued from Geneva. “Hate speech online is one of today’s most acute challenges to human dignity and life.”

Also read: Facebook bans Holocaust denial, distortion posts

In particular, the Oversight Board should consider Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN General Assembly’s 1992 Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, as well as other jurisprudence on the rights of minorities.

De Varennes also said Facebook’s Community Standards should be brought into line with the understanding of “hate speech” in the recent UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech. 

Also read: Facebook oversight board to start operating in October

He said Facebook’s omission of protection for linguistic minorities from hate speech is troubling and contrary to international human rights law.

However, he called the Oversight Board “an innovative and ambitious initiative to regulate online expression, in particular hate speech, which is essential for the effective protection of vulnerable minorities worldwide.”

Also read: Facebook extends ban on hate speech to 'white nationalists'

He commended the fact that the Board is made up of prominent experts committed to human rights and freedom of expression, and noted that efforts have been made to ensure impartiality by having an independent trust administer it.

During 2020, de Varennes has made “Hate Speech, Social Media and Minorities” his thematic focus. He convened regional fora in Europe and Asia, and presided over the UN Forum on Minority Issues in November 2020. The three fora have made more than 100 recommendations for tackling online hate speech against minorities.

Also read: Facebook bans 'dangerous individuals' cited for hate speech

“I look forward to continuing to constructively engage with the Oversight Board, and hope I can assist in its institutional development and on issues related to minorities,” de Varennes said.

The Playstation 5 (PS5) released last month and it has already been making waves in the console gaming scene. Its long anticipated arrival has left few disappointed and holds true to its promise by presenting a next-generation platform that elevates the gaming experience to a whole new level. That being said, previous PS iterations have launched updated models over the course of their respective lifespan - what does this mean for the PS5, and is it worth it?

 

The first way to tell that Sony has kept up with the times is its introduction of a PS5 digital version that does not have a blu-ray disk port, retailing at USD399, while the standard version is priced at USD499. Many PS users have opted to purchase their game through the digital “Playstation Store” and Sony responded in kind by providing a more affordable option that caters to the shift in culture. This move alone garners props to Sony for releasing a variation that does not rob users from the best graphics to compensate for the price cut. 

 

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The device breaks boundaries with 4K resolution and 120 frames per second - showcasing power never seen before in a console. Complementing that is its 825GB SSD. The graphics and display UI is clearly superior to previous iterations and arguably its Microsoft competitor. When it comes to its memory capacity, it does appear as though a downsize was done to save cost, and could hurt the experience for gamers who prefer having an extensive library of titles. With the console offering 667GB of usable game storage, buyers will have to carefully consider whether housing an estimate of 16 games will be enough. It is possible to plug an external SSD in, but it’ll only transfer PS4 games. 

 

 

With all that power stored into a single console, it is understandable to conclude that overheating could be a cause for concern - but not in PS5’s case. Despite its bulk and quality output, the console does a fantastic job of reducing heat emission and noise. Compared to its predecessor, the console is practically silent, but hot air can still be felt for graphic-intensive games, although not nearly to the same extent as the PS4. 

 

No gaming experience would be complete without quality controllers and the PS5 have also stepped up in this department. This iteration doesn’t stray too far from the quality DualShock 4 gave players previously, but with some neat features topped on. The new controller is officially known as the DualSense controller and it is a light piece of equipment that won’t hamper you if you’re planning to dedicate hours of play time. The controllers come predominantly in matte and provide exceptional grip for those with sweaty palms. The control sticks also appear to have improved on quality and seemingly holds up to wear and tear issues that previous controllers presented. The first of its new features is a mute button on the left that can mute headsets and even speakers on your television by holding the button down. The second is its haptic upgrade that gives a new level of immersion by altering your sense of touch based on activities in game - down to terrain textures and action sequences. 

 

Verdict

The Playstation series has widely been known as a juggernaut in the console gaming industry for years. Staying ahead of the competition all this time, Playstation reveals that it has not gotten complacent with its healthy reputation and minimal competitors. The PS5 sets up a new benchmark for all consoles to follow as gamers enter the next era of home-based entertainment and takes its user’s interests to heart. The reduced memory capacity does take away a sense of freedom to those who live by juggling a whole bunch of games concurrently, but goes above and beyond to hit the absolute limit of technological innovation, power and quality.

 

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It’s going to take months to kick elite hackers widely believed to be Russian out of the U.S. government networks they have been quietly rifling through since as far back as March in Washington’s worst cyberespionage failure on record.

Experts say there simply are not enough skilled threat-hunting teams to duly identify all the government and private-sector systems that may have been hacked. FireEye, the cybersecurity company that discovered the intrusion into U.S. agencies and was among the victims, has already tallied dozens of casualties. It’s racing to identify more.

“We have a serious problem. We don’t know what networks they are in, how deep they are, what access they have, what tools they left,” said Bruce Schneier, a prominent security expert and Harvard fellow.

Read Also: US government agencies hacked

It’s not clear exactly what the hackers were seeking, but experts say it could include nuclear secrets, blueprints for advanced weaponry, COVID-19 vaccine-related research and information for dossiers on key government and industry leaders.

Many federal workers — and others in the private sector — must presume that unclassified networks are teeming with spies. Agencies will be more inclined to conduct sensitive government business on Signal, WhatsApp and other encrypted smartphone apps.

Read Also: Dutch researcher claims he hacked Trump’s twitter account

“We should buckle up. This will be a long ride,” said Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder and former chief technical officer of the leading cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. “Cleanup is just phase one.”

The only way to be sure a network is clean is “to burn it down to the ground and rebuild it,” Schneier said.

Imagine a computer network as a mansion you inhabit, and you are certain a serial killer as been there. “You don’t know if he’s gone. How do you get work done? You kind of just hope for the best,” he said.

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Deputy White House press secretary Brian Morgenstern told reporters Friday that national security adviser Robert O’Brien has sometimes been leading multiple daily meetings with the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the intelligence community, looking for ways to mitigate the hack.

He would not provide details, “but rest assured we have the best and brightest working hard on it each and every single day.”

The Democratic chairs of four House committees given classified briefings on the hack by the Trump administration issued a statement complaining that they “were left with more questions than answers.”

“Administration officials were unwilling to share the full scope of the breach and identities of the victims,” they said.

Morgenstern said earlier that disclosing such details only helps U.S. adversaries. President Donald Trump has not commented publicly on the matter, but Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on a conservative talk show Friday, “I think it’s the case that now we can say pretty clearly that it was the Russians that engaged in this activity.”

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What makes this hacking campaign so extraordinary is its scale — 18,000 organizations were infected from March to June by malicious code that piggybacked on popular network-management software from an Austin, Texas, company called SolarWinds.

Only a sliver of those infections were activated to allow hackers inside. FireEye says it has identified dozens of examples, all “high-value targets.” Microsoft, which has helped respond, says it has identified more than 40 government agencies, think tanks, government contractors, non-governmental organizations and technology companies infiltrated by the hackers, 75% in the United States.

Florida became the first state to acknowledge falling victim to a SolarWinds hack. Officials told The Associated Press on Friday that hackers apparently infiltrated the state’s health care administration agency and others.

SolarWinds’ customers include most Fortune 500 companies, and it’s U.S. government clients are rich with generals and spymasters.

The difficulty of extracting the suspected Russian hackers’ tool kits is exacerbated by the complexity of SolarWinds’ platform, which has dozen of different components.

“This is like doing heart surgery, to pull this out of a lot of environments,” said Edward Amoroso, CEO of TAG Cyber.

Security teams then have to assume that the patient is still sick with undetected so-called “secondary infections” and set up the cyber equivalent of closed-circuit monitoring to make sure the intruders are not still around, sneaking out internal emails and other sensitive data.

That effort will take months, Alperovitch said.

If the hackers are indeed from Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence agency, as experts believe, their resistance may be tenacious. When they hacked the White House, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the State Department in 2014 and 2015 “it was a nightmare to get them out,” Alperovitch said.

“It was the virtual equivalent of hand-to-hand combat” as defenders sought to keep their footholds, “to stay buried deep inside” and move to other parts of the network where “they thought that they could remain for longer periods of time.”

“We’re likely going to face the same in this situation as well,” he added.

FireEye executive Charles Carmakal said the intruders are especially skilled at camouflaging their movements. Their software effectively does what a military spy often does in wartime — hide among the local population, then sneak out at night and strike.

“It’s really hard to catch some of these,” he said.

Rob Knake, the White House cybersecurity director from 2011 to 2015, said the harm to the most critical agencies in the U.S. government — defense and intelligence, chiefly — from the SolarWinds hacking campaign is going to be limited “as long as there is no evidence that the Russians breached classified networks.”

During the 2014-15 hack, “we lost access to unclassified networks but were able to move all operations to classified networks with minimal disruptions,” he said via email.

The Pentagon has said it has so far not detected any intrusions from the SolarWinds campaign in any of its networks — classified or unclassified.

Given the fierce tenor of cyberespionage — the U.S., Russia and China all have formidable offensive hacking teams and have been penetrating each others’ government networks for years — many American officials are wary of putting anything sensitive on government networks.

Fiona Hill, the top Russia expert at the National Security Council during much of the Trump administration, said she always presumed no government system was secure. She “tried from the beginning not to put anything down” in writing that was sensitive.

“But that makes it more difficult to do business.”

Amoroso, of TAG Cyber, recalled the famous pre-election dispute in 2016 over classified emails sent over a private server set up by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton when she was secretary of state. Clinton was investigated by the FBI in the matter, but no charges were brought.

“I used to make the joke that the reason the Russians didn’t have Hillary Clinton’s email is because she took it off the official State Department network,” Amoroso said.