United News of Bangladesh

Apple has jumped into the race to bring generative artificial intelligence to the masses, spotlighting a slew of features Monday designed to soup up the iPhone, iPad and Mac. And in a move befitting a company known for its marketing prowess, the AI technology coming as part of free software updates later this year is being billed as “Apple Intelligence.” Even as it tried to put its own stamp on technology's hottest area, Apple tacitly acknowledged during its World Wide Developers Conference that it needs help catching up with companies like Microsoft and Google, which have emerged as the early leaders in AI. Apple is leaning on ChatGPT, made by the San Francisco startup OpenAI, to make its often-bumbling virtual assistant Siri smarter and more helpful. “All of this goes beyond artificial intelligence, it's personal intelligence, and it is the next big step for Apple,” CEO Tim Cook said. Apple expected to enter AI race with ambitions to overtake the early leaders Siri's optional gateway to ChatGPT will be free to all iPhone users and made available on other Apple products once the option is baked into the next generation of Apple's operating systems. ChatGPT subscribers are supposed to be able to easily sync their existing accounts when using the iPhone, and should get more advanced features than free users would. To herald the alliance with Apple, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sat in the front row of the packed conference, which was attended by developers from more than 60 countries. "Together with Apple, we’re making it easier for people to benefit from what AI can offer," Altman said in a statement. Beyond allowing Siri to tap into ChatGPT's storehouse of knowledge, Apple is giving its 13-year-old virtual assistant an extensive makeover designed to make it more personable and versatile, even as it currently fields about 1.5 billion queries a day. When Apple releases free updates to the software powering the iPhone and its other products this fall, Siri will signal its presence with flashing lights along the edges of the display screen. It will be able to handle hundreds of more tasks — including chores that may require tapping into third-party devices — than it can now, based on Monday's presentations. Apple's full suite of upcoming features will only work on more recent models of the iPhone, iPad and Mac because the devices require advanced processors. For instance, consumers will need last year's iPhone 15 Pro or buy the next model coming out later this year to take full advantage of Apple's AI package, although all the tools will work on Macs dating back to 2020 after that computer's next operating system is installed. The AI-packed updates coming to the next versions of Apple software are meant to enable the billions of people who use the company's devices to get more done in less time, while also giving them access to creative tools that could liven things up. For instance, Apple will deploy AI to allow people to create emojis, dubbed “Genmojis” on the fly to fit the vibe they are trying to convey. Apple's goal with AI “is not to replace users, but empower them,” Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, told reporters. Users will also have the option of going into the device settings to turn off any AI tools they don't want. Monday's showcase seemed aimed at allaying concerns Apple might be losing its edge with the advent of AI, a technology expected to be as revolutionary as the 2007 introduction of the Phone. Both Google and Samsung have already released smartphone models touting AI features as their main attractions, while Apple has been stuck in an uncharacteristically extended sales slump. Thousands around the world report ChatGPT outage AI mania is the main reason that Nvidia, the dominant maker of the chips underlying the technology, has seen its market value rocket from about $300 billion at the end of 2022 to about $3 trillion. The meteoric rise allowed Nvidia to surpass Apple as the second most valuable company in the U.S. Earlier this year, Microsoft also eclipsed the iPhone maker on the strength of its so-far successful push into AI. Investors didn't seem as impressed with Apple's AI presentation as the crowd that came to the company's Cupertino, California, headquarters to see it. Apple's stock price dipped nearly 2% Monday. Despite that negative reaction, Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives asserted in a research note that Apple is “taking the right path.” He hailed the presentation as a “historical” day for a company that already has reshaped the tech industry and society. Besides pulling AI tricks out of its bag, Apple also used the conference to confirm that it will be rolling out a technology called Rich Communications Service, or RCS, to its iMessage app. The technology should improve the quality and security of texting between iPhones and devices powered by Android software, such as the Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel. The change, due out with the next version of iPhone's operating software, won't eliminate the blue bubbles denoting texts originating from iPhones and the green bubbles marking text sent from Android devices — a distinction that has become a source of social stigma. In another upcoming twist to the iPhone's messaging app, users will be able to write a text (or have an AI tool compose it) in advance and schedule a specific time to automatically send it. Monday's presentation marked the second straight year that Apple has created a stir at its developers conference by using it to usher in a trendy form of technology that other companies already had employed. Last year, Apple provided an early look at its mixed-reality headset, the Vision Pro, which wasn't released until early 2024. Nevertheless, Apple's push into mixed reality — with a twist that it bills as “spatial computing” — has raised hopes that there will be more consumer interest in this niche technology. Part of that optimism stems from Apple's history of releasing technology later than others, then using sleek designs and slick marketing campaigns to overcome its tardy start. Bringing more AI to the iPhone will likely raise privacy concerns — a topic that Apple has gone to great lengths to assure its loyal customers it can be trusted not to peer too deeply into their personal lives. Apple did talk extensively Monday about its efforts to build strong privacy protections and controls around its AI technology. One way Apple is trying to convince consumers that the iPhone won't be used to spy on them is harnessing its chip technology so most of its AI-powered features are handled on the device itself instead of at remote data centers, often called “the cloud.” Going down this route would also help protect Apple's profit margins because AI processing through the cloud is far more expensive than when it is run solely on a device. When Apple users make AI demands that requiring computing power beyond what's available on the device, the tasks will be handled by what the company is calling a “private cloud” that is supposed to shield their personal data. Apple's AI “will be aware of your personal data without collecting your personal data,” Federighi said.

Apple's annual World Wide Developers Conference on Monday is expected to herald the company's move into generative artificial intelligence, marking its late arrival to a technological frontier that's expected to be as revolutionary as the invention of the iPhone. The widely anticipated display of AI to be embedded in the iPhone and other Apple products will be the marquee moment at an event that traditionally previews the next version of software that powers the company's hardware lineup. And Apple's next generation of software is expected to be packed with an array of AI features likely to make its often-bumbling virtual assistant Siri smarter, and make photos, music, texting — and possibly even creating emojis on the fly — a more productive and entertaining experience. True to its secretive nature, Apple hasn't provided any advance details about Monday's event being held at the company's Cupertino, California, headquarters. But CEO Tim Cook has dropped strong hints during the first few months of this that Apple is poised to reveal its grand plans to enter a space that has been fueling an industry boom during the past 18 months. AI mania is the main reason that Nvidia, the dominant maker of the chips underlying the technology, has seen its market value rocket from about $300 billion at the end of 2022 to about $3 trillion. The meteoric ride allowed Nvidia to briefly surpass Apple last week as the second most valuable company in the U.S. Microsoft earlier this year also eclipsed the iPhone maker on the strength of its so-far successful push into AI. But analysts have been have been getting increasingly worried that Apple may be falling too far behind in the rapidly changing AI space, a concern that has been compounded by an uncharacteristically extended slump in the company's sales. Both Google and Samsung already have released smartphone models touting AI features as their main attractions. That's why analysts such as Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities view Monday's conference as a potential springboard that catapults Apple into another robust phase of growth. Ives believes infusing more AI into the iPhone, iPad and Mac computer will translate into an additional $450 billon to $600 billion in market value for Apple. Monday's conference “represents the most important event for Apple in over a decade as the pressure to bring a generative AI stack of technology for developers and consumers is front and center,” Ives wrote in a research note. Apple definitely could use the boost that AI may be able to provide, particularly for its 13-year-old assistant Siri, which Forrester Research Dipanjan Chatterjee now calls an “oddly unhelpful helper.” Meanwhile, OpenAI's ChatGPT is getting increasingly conversational — so much so that it recently sparked accusations of intentionally copying a piece of AI software voiced by Scarlett Johansson — and Google last month previewed an AI “agent” dubbed Astra that can seemingly see and remember things. Besides using AI to spruce up Siri, Apple may also team up with OpenAI to bring some elements of ChatGPT to the iPhone, according to a wide range of unconfirmed reports leading up to Monday's conference. This will be the second straight year that Apple has created a stir at its developers conference by using it to usher in its entrance into a trendy form of technology that other companies already had been making inroads. Last year, Apple provided an early look at its mixed-reality headset, the Vision Pro, which wasn't released until early this year carrying a $3,500 price tag that has been a major impediment to gaining much traction. Nevertheless, Apple's push into mixed reality, tweaked with a twist that it bills as “spatial computing,” has raised hopes that what is currently a niche technology will turn into a huge market. Part of the optimism stems from Apple's history of releasing technology later than others and then using sleek designs and services combined with slick marketing campaigns to overcome its tardy start to unleash new trends. “Apple’s early reticence toward AI was entirely on brand,” Forrester's Chatterjee wrote in a preview of the developers conference. “The company has always been famously obsessed with what its offerings did for its customers rather than how it did it.” Bringing more AI into the iPhone, in particular, will likely raise privacy issues — a topic where Apple has gone to great lengths to assure its loyal customer base that it can be trusted not to peer too deeply into their personal lives. One way Apple could reassure consumers that the iPhone won't be used to spy on them is to leverage its own chip technology so most AI-powered features are handled on the device itself instead of remote data centers, often called “the cloud.” Going that route also would help protect Apple's profit margins because AI technology through the cloud is far more expensive than when it is run solely on a device.

The government has unveiled an ambitious vision to transform the nation into “Smart Bangladesh” by 2041, emphasizing digital skills and digital IDs for its citizens. Central to this vision are four key pillars: Smart Citizens, Smart Economy, Smart Government, and Smart Society. By focusing on these areas, the government aims to ensure that at least 90 percent of citizens are digitally literate and 95 percent possess digital IDs. In a recent document submitted to the Parliament, the government detailed its strategy, giving top priority to the skill development of citizens. “Digital literacy of at least 90 percent of citizens will be ensured by 2041 by developing digital skills at all levels of society through the introduction of a digital curriculum,” the document stated. To support this transformation, the government plans to provide high-speed reliable broadband internet connectivity and ensure every citizen has access to at least one digital device. By 2041, 95 percent of citizens will be able to access services through their digital IDs. The document highlights the role of informed citizens in creating public-private services through e-participation. “Together, citizens and the government will create necessary policies,” it added. This initiative also includes campaigns to foster a digital and equitable mindset across the nation. By 2041, the government aims for at least one member of every family to have access to smart employment and entrepreneurship development facilities. Additionally, the goal is to increase smart device usage to 80 percent by 2031 and 100 percent by 2041. A key component of this plan is the universal use of Smart IDs for receiving citizen services, with a gradual increase in usage to 100 percent by 2041. The document also mentioned the acceleration of activities by the 12 sub-committees under the National Task Force on Blended Education to implement a comprehensive Blended Education and Skill Master Plan. Awami League’s manifesto for the 12th National Parliamentary Election outlined this comprehensive plan to build a “Smart Bangladesh,” placing significant emphasis on the youth and detailing both immediate and future plans for the nation’s progress. The manifesto underscores the commitment to leveraging the potential of the youth to drive the country towards a technologically advanced and economically prosperous future.

Thousands of ChatGPT users around the world were left frustrated earlier today after the popular AI chatbot experienced a major outage. According to DownDetector, a website that tracks online service outages, over 3,000 users reported issues with ChatGPT, reports The Sun. Many users took to social media to express their frustration, with one user on X (formerly Twitter) stating: “Hey ChatGPT - wasn't expecting you to be down when I chose you. Make it quick.” Read more: AI tool capable of classifying brain tumors within hours: Australian researchers OpenAI, the developers of ChatGPT, acknowledged the outage and released a statement saying: “We are currently investigating this issue.” The outage appears to have been resolved as of this time. However, it highlights the growing reliance on AI-powered services and the disruption that can occur when these services go offline, added the report.

Nissan is urging the owners of about 84,000 older vehicles to stop driving them because their Takata air bag inflators have an increased risk of exploding in a crash and hurling dangerous metal fragments. Wednesday's urgent request comes after one person in a Nissan was killed by an exploding front-passenger inflator, and as many as 58 people were injured since 2015. “Due to the age of the vehicles equipped with defective Takata air bag inflators, there is an increased risk the inflator could explode during an air bag deployment, propelling sharp metal fragments which can cause serious injury or death,” Nissan said in a statement. Nissan said the “do not drive” warning covers certain 2002 through 2006 Sentra small cars, as well as some 2002 through 2004 Pathfinder SUVs, and 2002 and 2003 Infiniti QX4 SUVs. Owners can find out if their vehicles are affected by going to nissanusa.com/takata-airbag-recall or infinitiusa.com/takata-airbag-recall and keying in their 17-digit vehicle identification number. The company says owners should contact their dealer to set up an appointment to have inflators replaced for free. Nissan also is offering free towing to dealers, and in some locations mobile service and loaner cars are available. “Even minor crashes can result in exploding Takata air bags that can kill or produce life-altering, gruesome injuries," the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement. “Older model year vehicles put their occupants at higher risk, as the age of the air bag is one of the contributing factors.” Nissan originally recalled 736,422 of the vehicles in 2020 to replace the Takata inflators. The company said around 84,000 remain unrepaired and are believed to still be in use. Nissan said it has made numerous attempts to reach the owners with unrepaired Takata inflators. The death was reported to NHTSA in 2018, the company said. The person killed was in a 2006 Sentra, according to Nissan. The death is one of 27 in the U.S. caused by the faulty inflators, which used volatile ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate air bags in a crash. The chemical can deteriorate over time when exposed to high temperatures and humidity. It can explode with too much force, blowing apart a metal canister and spewing shrapnel. More than 400 people in the U.S. have been hurt. Worldwide at least 35 people have been killed by Takata inflators in Malaysia, Australia and the U.S. Potential for a dangerous malfunction led to the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history, with at least 67 million Takata inflators involved. The U.S. government says many have not been repaired. About 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide. The exploding air bags sent Takata into bankruptcy. Honda, Ford, BMW, Toyota and Stellantis and Mazda have issued similar “do not drive” warnings for some of their vehicles equipped with Takata inflators.

Four Bangladeshi students from engineering and science fields have won Honda Young Engineer & Scientist’s (Y-E-S) Award – 2023. The awards from Japan’s Honda Foundation were handed to the winners at a ceremony held on Sunday night in Dhaka. Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh IWAMA Kiminori was the chief guest at the ceremony while chief evaluator of Honda Y-E-S Award programme in Bangladesh, Dr. Ainun Nishat; Chairman of International Committee and Director of Honda Foundation Akira Kiminori;  Secretary of Honda Foundation Norie Arai; Managing Director and CEO of Bangladesh Honda Private Limited Shigeru Matsuzaki; actor, writer and civil engineer Abul Hayat; Chief Marketing Officer of Bangladesh Honda Private Limited Shah Muhammad Ashequr Rahman, and representatives of respective universities were present. CIPFA awards 63 OCAG officials with professional accounting certificates The winners of Honda Y-E-S Award – 2023 are: Labiba Islam Salsabil, Farsia Kawsar Chowdhury, Md. Toki Tahmid and S.M. Sakeef Sani from Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET). The objective of this award is to “foster future leaders of science and technology fields to spearhead the growth of Asian countries.” The Y-E-S Award program aims to identify and encourage students who would become future leaders to develop and implement innovative technologies that help to realize a truly humane civilization, maintaining harmony with environment. The program initially kicked off in Vietnam in 2006 and it has been also implemented in India, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar. It was introduced in Bangladesh in 2019 to support the development and promotion of young leaders to spearhead the growth of these countries in the future. Digital Media Forum to announce awards for excellence in journalism The organisers informed that the program is annually selecting up to four undergraduate students of the designated universities in Bangladesh to award USD 3,000 to each student. The awardees can receive as additional award/grant up to USD 10,000 under the Honda Y-E-S Award Plus programme if they continue their study and training within four years after the receipt of the Honda Y-E-S Award either via masters, doctoral or study abroad programs in Japanese universities, or via internship programs in Japanese research organizations or private companies as approved by the Honda Foundation.

Microsoft wants laptop users to get so comfortable with its artificial intelligence chatbot that it will remember everything you’re doing on your computer and help figure out what you want to do next. The software giant on Monday revealed a new class of AI-imbued personal computers as it confronts heightened competition from Big Tech rivals in pitching generative AI technology that can compose documents, make images and serve as a lifelike personal assistant at work or home. The announcements ahead of Microsoft’s annual Build developer conference centered on fusing its AI assistant, called Copilot, into the Windows operating system for PCs, where Microsoft already has the eyes of millions of consumers. The new features will include Windows Recall, giving the AI assistant what Microsoft describes as “photographic memory” of a person’s virtual activity. Microsoft promises to protect users’ privacy by giving them the option to filter out what they don’t want tracked, and keeping the tracking on the device. “We’re entering this new era where computers not only understand us, but can actually anticipate what we want and our intent,” Nadella said at an event at the company’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington. “Her”? OpenAI to remove ChatGPT voice over Scarlett Johansson resemblance The conference that starts Tuesday in Seattle follows big AI announcements last week from rival Google, as well as Microsoft’s close business partner OpenAI, which built the AI large language models on which Microsoft’s Copilot is based. Google rolled out a retooled search engine that periodically puts AI-generated summaries over website links at the top of the results page; while also showing off a still-in-development AI assistant Astra that will be able to “see” and converse about things shown through a smartphone’s camera lens. ChatGPT-maker OpenAI unveiled a new version of its chatbot last week, demonstrating an AI voice assistant with human characteristics that can banter about what someone’s wearing and even attempt to assess a person’s emotions. The voice sounded so much like Scarlett Johansson playing an AI character in the sci-fi movie “Her” that OpenAI dropped the voice from its collection Monday. OpenAI also rolled out a new desktop version of ChatGPT designed for Apple’s Mac computers. Next up is Apple’s own annual developers conference in June. Apple CEO Tim Cook signaled at the company’s annual shareholder meeting in February that it has been making big investments in generative AI. Some of Microsoft’s announcements Monday appeared designed to blunt whatever Apple has in store. The newly AI-enhanced Windows PCs will start rolling out on June 18 on computers made by Microsoft partners Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Samsung, as well as on Microsoft’s Surface line of devices. But they’ll be reserved for premium models starting at $999. AI tool capable of classifying brain tumors within hours: Australian researchers While Copilot is rooted in OpenAI’s large language models, Microsoft said the new AI PCs will also rely heavily on its own homegrown “small language models” that are designed to be more efficient and able to more easily run on a consumer’s personal device. Powered by Qualcomm chips, many of the computers will end up in the hands of workers at big organizations looking to refresh their inventory, said Gartner analyst Jason Wong. AI applications from graphics production to language translation “can now run locally without having to go back to the cloud to process it,” said Wong. “That’s going to help with what you can do without connected internet, and make it that much more high-performing.”

A team of researchers from the Australian National University (ANU) has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to more quickly and accurately classify brain tumors. In a study published on Friday, the team demonstrated that their deep learning model - DEPLOY - can accurately classify brain tumors into 10 major subtypes. The AI tool analyzes microscopic pictures of a patient's brain tissue to make its classification. Danh-Tai Hoang, the co-lead of the project from the Biological Data Science Institute at ANU, said that the current gold standard for diagnosing and categorizing brain tumors - a process called DNA methylation-based profiling - can take several weeks and is not widely available. By comparison, the AI tool can deliver results within hours. "Remarkably, DEPLOY achieved an unprecedented accuracy of 95 percent," Hoang said in a media release. "Furthermore, when given a subset of 309 particularly difficult to classify samples, DEPLOY was able to provide a diagnosis that was more clinically relevant than what was initially provided by pathologists." DEPLOY was trained and validated on a dataset of approximately 4,000 patients from the United States and Europe. Hoang said it could be used in the future to add to a pathologist's initial diagnosis or even prompt a re-evaluation when it finds disparities. The researchers believe it could eventually be used to help classify other types of cancer.

They appear like ghosts in the night, standing outside your house, one holding up an antenna while the other crouches next to the car parked on the driveway. Within seconds, your car is gone, yet another victim amid a surge in auto theft enabled by the technology designed to make it easier to unlock and start vehicles. Auto technology has evolved and many newer cars use wireless key fobs and push-button starters instead of traditional metal keys. The fob sends a short-range signal, so when the driver approaches the car, it automatically unlocks the door. This saves you the hassle of digging out your keys when you've got your hands full with groceries. But that technology also makes things easier for thieves. The wireless fob will continue to emit a signal even if you're not using it. Thieves prowl neighborhoods at night looking for cars parked outside so they can carry out so-called relay attacks. Using portable equipment that can pick up the faint signal from a fob inside the house or parking lot, they relay it back to a transmitter that can clone the signal. Officials have urged carmakers to reduce the security vulnerabilities and warn owners about the risks. TikTok to start labeling AI-generated content as technology becomes more universal So what can you do to reduce the odds that your car will be gone in 60 seconds? “It’s relatively easy for drivers to protect themselves,” said Steve Launchbury, principal engineer of automotive security at Thatcham Research, a U.K.-based automotive risk intelligence company. Here are some tips: USE A SIGNAL BLOCKER A simple but effective way to stop auto bandits from purloining your key fob signal is to use a Faraday bag or pouch. They're lined with a conductive metal mesh that blocks the transmission of electromagnetic signals. The pouches aren't expensive, and you can also get boxes that do the same thing. But experts advise testing to make sure they work. Just put the key fob inside and approach your car. If the doors don't automatically unlock, then the signal is being blocked. It's also important to remember to use it whenever you leave your vehicle, and don't forget to put all of your key fobs inside, including any spares. But ignore some advice making the rounds on the internet telling you to put your fob in the microwave or freezer. It doesn't have the same effect as a Faraday bag, and you risk damaging your key. realme launches C65 with various technological safeguards GET AN OLD-FASHIONED LOCK Try an old-school solution by using a physical lock. Some police forces advise car owners to use them to make your vehicle look less tempting to steal. The reasoning is that a would-be thief might be deterred by the effort needed to cut through the lock and instead turn their attention to an easier target. Locks, in the shape of a disk or a long bar, clamp onto the steering wheel and make it difficult to steer. There are also versions that prevent the car from being put in gear. The downside is you'll need extra time to attach or remove it whenever you aren't driving. CHANGE UP YOUR SETTINGS For many cars, it's possible to deactivate the wireless setting so that you can't open the door remotely. For Fords, Hondas and Audis, use the touchscreen menus. If you own a Toyota, you can temporarily disable the signal by holding down the fob's lock button and at the same time pressing the unlock button twice. If you've done it correctly, the fob's indicator light should blink four times. Be aware that the next time you press any button, remote unlocking will be reactivated. The method will vary depending on make and model so consult your owner’s manual for the exact process. If it sounds complicated, there are YouTube videos that walk you through it. Don't forget that in most cases you’ll now have to manually press the fob's unlock button. Automakers have started adding motion sensors to key fobs. If the sensor doesn't detect recent movement because it's been, say, left on the kitchen counter after you come home, the fob goes into sleep mode and stops transmitting. If it lacks this capability, check with your dealer whether it's possible to upgrade it. If you buy a used car, some experts also advise getting the keys reprogrammed, just in case the previous owner kept one of the fobs. Tech entrepreneurs call for extending tax holiday till 2041 WATCH OUT FOR NEW METHODS Researchers have uncovered a new auto theft technique that doesn't target radio signals. The controller area network, or CAN, is “a feature of modern cars which allows different components and systems to communicate, (and) has recently been targeted and exploited by thieves,” said Thatcham's Launchbury. The network allows sensors and control modules to talk to each other directly, instead of going through a central node. Thieves take advantage by accessing the network from the car’s exterior, usually by removing a headlight and connecting a device that can “inject” a signal, tricking the car into unlocking and starting. While automakers work on improving CAN security, "there are steps drivers can take today to add layers of security and deter criminals," such as using a physical lock, Launchbury said. Aftermarket electronic immobilizer systems “should render a criminal’s theft tool useless,” and might even get you a discount on auto insurance, he said. Thatcham and other companies offer them but the downside is they can be quite pricey.

OnePlus, a renowned global leader in smartphone technology, has officially launched its operations in Bangladesh with a grand event at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center in Dhaka on May 14.  The launch highlighted the introduction of the OnePlus Nord N30 SE 5G, the brand’s first smartphone produced in Bangladesh, signaling a significant expansion in the country. During the event attended by tech influencers, media professionals, and various corporate representatives, OnePlus not only unveiled its new smartphone but also detailed its production and comprehensive after-sales services in Bangladesh.  YouTube blocks Hong Kong protest anthem after court injunction bans song in the city The company has quickly built a robust consumer base in the region, bolstered by its promise of exceptional and dedicated support for all users.