United News of Bangladesh

Unwarranted pop-up ads have always been a bone in the throats of all Android Smartphone users. Interrupted streaming, opening unwanted sites, downloading harmful malware, and giving access to viruses – some of the most common issues – can be the epitome of bad user experience and also can be threatening to the privacy and security of a user. As annoying as these ads can be, android users can keep them at bay by taking a few simple steps. Why Are Ads Popping Up on Your Android Phone? At their core, ads on an Android phone are not very different from the ones shared on other media. All of them are meant to generate leads, offer discounts and trials, or get users to subscribe or download a product or service. But sometimes, things can take a wrong leap as some ads are made only to harass or rob a user via hidden viruses or malware. Relatable cases have risen to such an extent that people are starting to call such ads “Malvertisement.” Malvertisements lead users to a fake registration page, provoking them to share their email and passwords. Sometimes, scammers can use these ads to alert users about their phones being attacked by malware only to spread threats or blackmail them. Read more: Internet Safety Tips for Children, Teens, and Adults The first step to being aware of unwanted ads on an Android phone is to know why they are showing up in the first place. Here are a few common reasons: Adware Hackers often develop and share malicious ads that pop up without warning, redirect users to hostile websites, or, in extreme cases, can even take over a phone’s control. If you feel that the lock screen, home screen, and the browsers of your phone are swarmed with ads, secretly running adware can be a reason. App permission Apps get their permission to send you a request to perform a task and notifications and usually get your location after you allow them to do so. Some apps can track your behavior, everyday tasks, inclinations, and buying habits and sell the information to the black market. Read more: How to Check Official Phone Using BTRC IMEI Number? Notifications Most apps pop up a request to show or send notifications to update you about their latest campaign or intent. You will find a large part of such notifications useless. Being aware of the shortcomings, you should think before allowing an app to send you notifications. Ad-blocking app If your ad-blocking apps don’t seem to work or are being turned off all by themselves, it can be a sign that your phone is infected with suspicious malware.

Ever wondered how many push notifications you get in a day? It’s alright when it's from essential apps like messages, emails, and others. But what about unnecessary first-party apps or “bloatware”? They take up your essential space and constantly buzz off with ads that are both distracting and disturbing. Unfortunately, most Android OS today uses some form of bloatware. We’ve ranked the best and worst in terms of bloatware experience in 2024. Check it out.  What is Bloatware?  Bloatware refers to pre-installed apps on your device that are typically unnecessary. It can include trial versions of software, manufacturer-specific applications, promotional apps, or redundant utilities. Bloatware apps are almost always first-party apps developed by the manufacturer to provide a “customized” experience for the user. More often than not, this bloatware takes up storage space, consumes system resources (such as RAM and CPU cycles), and may even impact system performance or battery life. It’s not like that brands aren’t aware of the issues. However, the persistent inclusion of bloatware is due to the ecosystem integration as well as third-party collaboration.  Read more: What Is Google Gemini AI? How to Use the New Chatbot Model Defining Android OS Experiences Concerning Bloatware  We already mentioned that most OS out there have some form of bloatware included in the setup process. These bloatware apps can be removed after the first boot. The best metric to rate Android OS in this regard would be to consider the following:  - The number of bloatware apps on the OS - Whether the OS asks for permission to install bloatware while setting up the phone  - Whether the bloatware can be uninstalled after setup or at any given time  Here’s what we think is the best and worst OS based on the above indicators.  Read more: Why Are We Asked to Put Our Phones on Airplane Mode During Flights?

Elon Musk is suing OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman over what he says is a betrayal of the ChatGPT maker's founding aims of benefiting humanity rather than pursuing profits. In a lawsuit filed at San Francisco Superior Court, billionaire Musk said that when he bankrolled OpenAI's creation, he secured an agreement with Altman and Greg Brockman, the president, to keep the AI company as a non-profit that would develop technology for the benefit of the public. OpenAI, Intel CEOs cite artificial intelligence’s voracious appetite for processing powe Under its founding agreement, OpenAI would also make its code open to the public instead of walling it off for any private company's gains, the lawsuit says. However, by embracing a close relationship with Microsoft, OpenAI and its top executives have set that pact “aflame” and are “perverting” the company's mission, Musk alleges in the lawsuit. “OpenAI, Inc. has been transformed into a closed-source de facto subsidiary of the largest technology company in the world: Microsoft,” the lawsuit filed Thursday says. “Under its new Board, it is not just developing but is actually refining an AGI to maximize profits for Microsoft, rather than for the benefit of humanity." Microsoft's new deal with France's Mistral AI is under scrutiny from the European Union AGI refers to artificial general intelligence, which are general purpose AI systems that can perform just as well as — or even better than — humans in a wide variety of tasks. Musk is suing over breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and unfair business practices. He also wants an injunction to prevent anyone, including Microsoft, from benefiting from OpenAI's technology.

You were walking next to a swimming pool when you slipped and dropped your phone into the water. Or it slipped out of your hand when you were next to a filled bathtub or toilet. However your smartphone got wet, you now need to dry it. But what do you do? There’s lots of advice on the internet, some of it conflicting. Apple inserted itself into the debate recently when it put out an advisory that included a warning against using rice. Here are some things to keep in mind next time your phone has an unintended encounter with a liquid. What you should do Dry off the exterior with a towel or clean cloth, even your shirtsleeve — anything that’s absorbent. Take out the SIM card and holder. If possible, remove the back housing and battery to wipe them dry. Also, if possible, turn the phone off. Pros & Cons of Flagship Smartphones iPhones can’t be disassembled so Apple recommends tapping it gently against your hand with the connector ports facing down so liquid can flow out. Samsung, which is the biggest maker of Android phones, recommends using a cotton bud to get moisture out of the earphone jack and charging port. In contrast, Apple says cotton buds shouldn’t be inserted into iPhone openings. If it’s not water but another liquid — a drink, seawater or chlorinated pool water — Samsung advises soaking the phone in clean water for a few minutes then rinsing it to get rid of any impurities or salinity that could speed up corrosion of the circuitry inside. Both companies say it’s best to leave the phone out in a well ventilated area (perhaps with a fan) to dry it out. Google says leave the device to dry at room temperature. What you shouldn’t doDon’t use a hair dryer or compressed air on your phone. Don’t put it in a freezer - this might stop your device from short-circuiting but the problem will be back once you try to thaw it. And while this might seem obvious, don’t put your device in a tumble dryer or on top of a radiator. Don’t power it up or try to charge it with a cable — although wireless charging is OK if your phone has it and you really need to turn it on in an emergency. Microsoft's new deal with France's Mistral AI is under scrutiny from the European Union So what about using rice to dry your device? You may have heard that putting a phone in a bowl of rice will help draw out moisture. It’s been a tip that’s been out there for years. Apple, however, says that’s a no-no. The company warned against it in an advisory published in early January. It drew little attention at the time, but then people noticed the line that said: “Don’t put your iPhone in a bag of rice. Doing so could allow small particles of rice to damage your iPhone.” Is there anything I can use besides rice?The best option is silica gel, a drying agent that can absorb lots of moisture. Silica gel beads are typically found in packets that are included with products like beef jerky, seaweed sheets or sneakers to keep them dry. You can also buy them in bulk online. This works best if you put them in an airtight box with your phone. When do I know it’s dry?It’s hard to tell but it’s best to wait as long as possible — at least a few days. Samsung advises bringing your device into a service center for inspection even after it’s been air-dried. Aren’t phones waterproof nowadays?Most phones nowadays are designed to be water-resistant, which means they can resist water entering critical areas for a certain amount of time. But beware, this isn’t the same as being waterproof. Apple says the iPhone 7 and and newer models are splash and water resistant. iPhone XS devices and up have the IP68 rating, which means they can be submerged for as long as 30 minutes and, depending on the model, as deep as 6 meters (20 feet). These models also pop up a warning if there’s liquid detected in key ports, and warn against charging. Samsung says most of its Galaxy Android phones feature the same rating, though the maximum depth is about 5 meters (16 feet). Google’s newer Pixel phones carry the same water resistance ratings, but Google warns that they aren’t waterproof and the water resistance will diminish over time because of “normal wear and tear, device repair, disassembly or damage.”

The smartphone market brings diverse types of devices to cater to the needs of people seeking diverse price levels. The most advanced smartphones that belong to the top tier are called the “flagship phones”.  But not everyone can afford these high-end phones. Like other segments, flagship phones have a particular fan base around the world. Now the question arises, is it necessary to buy flagship phones while breaking the bank? Let’s take a look at the advantages and drawbacks of flagship smartphones. What is a Flagship Phone? The word “flagship” represents a conventional term in the technology industry. A product becomes a flagship item when it comes packed with updates, features, and technologies incomparable to other items of the same product line. For presenting the highest-end features, a flagship device usually tags itself with the highest price, too.  Most of the popular smartphone manufacturing brands have a flagship phone series; for instance, ‘The Mi series by Xiaomi, the iPhone series by Apple, the Galaxy S series by Samsung, etc. These flagship phones boast some exclusive features that are unavailable in the mid-range or budget phones. Read more: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: The Flagship Benchmark for 2024 Pros of a Flagship Phone As flagship phones come with the highest price range, they, therefore, come with the most convenient features and powerful abilities. When you are set for a flagship phone, usually you can expect it to offer a few privileges over other general phone models. Like: Cutting-edge hardware  First and foremost, a flagship smartphone is designed to appear as the latest and most updated product of a company. From robust processors to ingenious camera systems, flagship smartphones aim to convince even the most doubtful tech enthusiasts of having the best product from the manufacturing company. User experience Of course, a flagship is not all about the unparalleled hardware. A flagship phone is also about getting the best possible user experience. These phones are faster, more responsive, and easier to use. Manufacturers implement the latest UI and newest version of the operating system to give the smoothest and most efficient interactivity. Read more: ZTE Nubia Z60 Ultra Review: A Heavy-Duty Flagship Gaming Device

The age of generative AI started its journey in 2023. Day by day, the features of generative AI like chatbots are being improved to enhance user experience around the world. Google's Bard made waves with its capabilities, but now, a new era dawns with Gemini. This innovative chatbot boasts enhanced intelligence and functionality. Join us as we explore Gemini's features, capabilities, and impact on the future of conversational AI. What Is Google Gemini AI? Google Gemini is the newest and most advanced artificial intelligence made by Google. It understands images, videos, text, and even sounds. What makes Gemini stand out is how it acts almost like a human. Gemini AI is good at understanding information, solving problems, and planning for the future. Gemini has three versions: Pro, Ultra, and Nano. The Pro version has been released already, and the Ultra version will be available next year. It is expected that Gemini will play a crucial role in the latest chatbot technology, pushing the boundaries of what AI can do. Read more: AI Robot Chefs: Automated Cooking Could Redefine Food Industry How to Use the New Chatbot Model of Google Gemini AI is a type of computer system called a neural network. It has been trained using a huge amount of text and code from various sources like books, articles, and code repositories. This training helps the neural network understand the patterns and connections between words and phrases in this data. As a result, Gemini AI can do things like generate text, translate languages, create different types of content, and provide informative answers to questions. How to Use Gemini AI If you have a Google account already, using Gemini is easy. Just go to the website using your internet browser and log in with your Google details. But remember, you need to have a Google account. If you use a Google Workspace account, you might need to switch to your email to try Gemini. Read more: How to Make Money with AI for Beginners and Professionals

The European Union is looking into Microsoft's partnership with French startup Mistral AI as part of its broader review of the booming generative artificial intelligence sector to see if it raises any competition concerns. The 27-nation bloc's executive commission said Tuesday in a brief statement that it's analyzing the agreement between the two companies announced a day earlier. Microsoft declined to comment. Mistral did not respond to a request for comment. Microsoft said Monday it was teaming up with Mistral through a 15 million euro ($16 million) investment in the French company, which emerged less than a year ago. The agreement could cut the U.S. software giant's reliance on ChatGPT-maker OpenAI for supplying the next wave of chatbots and other generative AI products. The commission, the EU's top antitrust enforcer, said it's including the deal as part of its broader review of the generative AI market. It's examining agreements between digital tech giants and generative AI developers and providers. The EU last month started looking into Microsoft’s multibillion deal with San Francisco-based OpenAI, which could lead to a formal merger investigation.

Ever wondered why you're asked to put your phone on airplane mode during flights? It's a common request once the plane doors close and the flight attendants start their safety instructions. While it might be tough to disconnect, especially on longer flights, airplane mode is necessary. But what exactly is it, and why do airlines insist on it? Let's dive into the science behind this familiar practice and why it's still essential for your phone use during air travel. What is Airplane Mode? Airplane mode is a setting available on smartphones that disables all wireless communication features. When activated, it turns off the phone's ability to connect to cellular networks, Wi-Fi signals, and Bluetooth devices. This means that calls, text messages, and notifications will not be received or sent while airplane mode is active. The purpose of airplane mode is to prevent potential interference with aircraft communication systems during flight, making it a requirement for many airlines during the journey. Why Must Passengers Put Their Phones on Airplane Mode During Flights? Airplane mode is crucial during flights to prevent any potential interference with sensitive airplane systems. These systems, including communication and navigation systems, rely on radio frequencies emitted from the ground. However, cell phones and tablets also use these frequencies for various functions like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and data transmission. The problem arises when crosstalk or adjacent-channel interference occurs, where one radio receiver picks up transmissions from nearby frequencies, disrupting the intended signals. This interference can be compared to tuning into a radio station and hearing another station's transmission on a nearby frequency. Read more: Can Earthquakes Really be Predicted? Particularly during crucial moments like landing or emergencies, clear communication between the aircraft and ground control is vital. Airplane mode ensures that these communication lines remain open and interference-free. Additionally, with the advent of 5G technology, the risk of interference has increased, as signals from ground antennas and 5G devices might interfere with the airplane's radio altimeters, which gauge the distance from the ground during descent and landing. Therefore, using airplane mode helps ensure safe and uninterrupted communication during flights.

Two tech CEOs scrambling to produce more of the sophisticated chips needed for artificial intelligence met for a brainstorming session Wednesday while the booming market’s early leader reported another quarter of eye-popping growth. The on-stage conversation between Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman unfolded in a San Jose, California, convention center a few hours after Nvidia disclosed its revenue for the November-January period nearly quadrupled from the previous year. Intel, a Silicon Valley pioneer that has been struggling in recent years, laid out its plans for catching up to Nvidia during a daylong conference. Gelsinger kicked things off with a opening speech outlining how he envisions the feverish demand for AI-equipped chips revitalizing his company in a surge he dubbed the “Siliconomy.” “It’s just magic the way these tiny chips are enabling the modern economic cycle we are in today,” Gelsinger said. OpenAI, a San Francisco startup backed by Microsoft, has become one of technology’s brightest stars since unleashing its most popular AI innovation, ChatGPT, in late 2022. Altman is now eager to push the envelope even further while competing against Google and other companies such as Anthropic and Inflection AI. But the next leaps he wants to make will take far more processing power than what’s currently available. Donald Trump again compares his criminal indictments to imprisonment and death of Putin’s top rival The imbalance between supply and the voracious appetite for AI chips explains why Altman is keenly interested in securing more money to help expand the industry’s manufacturing capacity. During his talk with Gelsinger, he dodged a question about whether he is trying to raise as much as $7 trillion — more the combined market value of Microsoft and Apple — as was recently reported by The Wall Street Journal. “The kernel of truth is we think the world is going to need a lot more (chips for) AI compute,” Altman said. “That is going to require a global investment in a lot of stuff beyond what we are thinking of. We are not in a place where we have numbers yet.” Altman emphasized the importance of accelerating the AI momentum of the past year to advance a technology that he maintains will lead to a better future for humanity, although he acknowledged there will be downsides along the way. “We are heading to a world where more content is going to be generated by AI than content generated by humans,” Altman said. “This is not going to be only a good story, but it’s going to be a net good story.” Perhaps no company is benefiting more from the AI gold rush now than Nvidia. The 31-year-old chipmaker has catapulted to the technological forefront because of its head start in making the graphics processing units, or GPUs, required to fuel popular AI products such as ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini chatbot. Over the past year, Nvidia has been a stunning streak of growth that has created more than $1.3 trillion in shareholder wealth in less than 14 months. That has turned it into the fifth most valuable U.S. publicly traded company behind only Microsoft, Apple, Amazon and Google’s corporate parent, Alphabet Inc. Intel, in contrast, has been trying to convince investors that Gelsinger has the Santa Clara, California, company on a comeback trail three years after he was hired as CEO. Since his arrival, Gelsinger already has pushed the company into the business of making chips for other firms and has committed $20 billion to building new factories in Ohio as part of its expansion into running so-called “foundries” for third parties. Kolpolok starts providing Odoo ERP software solution in Bangladesh During Wednesday’s conference, Gelsinger predicted that by 2030 Intel would be overseeing the world’s second largest foundry business, presumably behind the current leader, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., or TMSC, largely by meeting the demand for AI chips. “There’s sort of a space race going on,” Gelsinger told reporters Wednesday after delivering the conference’s keynote speech. “The overall demand (for AI chips) appears to be insatiable for several years into the future.” Gelsinger’s turnaround efforts haven’t impressed investors so far. Intel’s stock price has fallen by 30% under his reign while Nvidia’s shares have increased by roughly fivefold during the same span. Intel also is angling for a chunk of the $52 billion that the U.S. Commerce Department plans to spread around in an effort to increase the country’s manufacturing capacity in the $527 billion market for processors, based on last year’s worldwide sales. Less than $2 billion of the funds available under the 2022 CHIPs and Science Act has been awarded so far, but Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, in a video appearance at Wednesday’s conference, promised “a steady drumbeat” of announcements about more money being distributed. Raimondo also told Gelsinger that she emerged from recent discussions with Altman and other executives leading the AI movement having a difficult time processing how big the market could become. “The volume of chips they say they need is mind-boggling,” she said. 

Kolpolok Technologies has become a partner of Odoo ERP that empowers 12 million users globally in enterprise resource planning. Odoo is a Belgian suite of business management software tools, including customer relationship management, e-commerce, accounting, and inventory management. Kolpolok chief executive officer SM Nazmul Hasan made this announcement at a function at its head office in the capital’s Shyamoli. Some 70 members of BASIS were present on the occasion. Odoo ERP has an app store with thousands of business solutions. The software has no vendor lock-in and is open source. Customers can easily buy software from one vendor and get software services from another. Infinix Hot 40 Pro Review: Budget-friendly Phone with Premium Features The software can be easily customised as per your convenience, which is time-consuming for most of the ERP software in the market. Odoo ERP has gained popularity due to its open-source mode, modularity, easy integration, scalability, user-friendly interface, mobile accessibility, low cost, and active community. Regarding the new solutions, Kolpolok CEO SM Nazmul Hasan hoped that Odoo ERP software will play an essential role in building a smart Bangladesh. “As Odoo has a global reputation, it will be possible to earn a lot of foreign currency in the near future with the functional and development support of ERP work,” he said. Kolpolok Software has announced the partnership with Odoo ERP that is already connected to over 5000 partners across the world. To ensure maximum service in the Bangladesh market, the Kolpolok developers will provide module-based skills and are ready to provide customer relationship management, inventory management, and human resource management on Odoo platforms. Kolpolok is serving clients in both enterprise and community versions. Best of Consumer Electronics Show 2024: The Top Picks Hundreds of applications in both versions are capable of automating any business organization. The company has already uploaded customised modules of both hotel management and hospital management software on the Odoo app store, which are currently available for free. Kolpolok has its own experienced Odoo developers and consultants who provide application customization and consultation services as per customer requirements. They also provide necessary assistance in database migration.