United News of Bangladesh

Surgeons have performed the world’s first transplant of an entire human eye, an extraordinary addition to a face transplant — although it’s far too soon to know if the man will ever see through his new left eye. An accident with high-voltage power lines had destroyed most of Aaron James’ face and one eye. His right eye still works. But surgeons at NYU Langone Health hoped replacing the missing one would yield better cosmetic results for his new face, by supporting the transplanted eye socket and lid. The NYU team announced Thursday that so far, it's doing just that. James is recovering well from the dual transplant last May and the donated eye looks remarkably healthy. “It feels good. I still don’t have any movement in it yet. My eyelid, I can’t blink yet. But I’m getting sensation now,” James told The Associated Press as doctors examined his progress recently. “You got to start somewhere, there’s got to be a first person somewhere,” added James, 46, of Hot Springs, Arkansas. “Maybe you’ll learn something from it that will help the next person.” Read: Industrial robot crushes worker to death Today, transplants of the cornea — the clear tissue in front of the eye — are common to treat certain types of vision loss. But transplanting the whole eye — the eyeball, its blood supply and the critical optic nerve that must connect it to the brain — is considered a moonshot in the quest to cure blindness. Whatever happens next, James' surgery offers scientists an unprecedented window into how the human eye tries to heal. “We’re not claiming that we are going to restore sight,” said Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez, NYU's plastic surgery chief, who led the transplant. “But there’s no doubt in my mind we are one step closer.” Some specialists had feared the eye would quickly shrivel like a raisin. Instead, when Rodriguez propped open James’ left eyelid last month, the donated hazel-colored eye was as plump and full of fluid as his own blue eye. Doctors see good blood flow and no sign of rejection. Now researchers have begun analyzing scans of James’ brain that detected some puzzling signals from that all-important but injured optic nerve. One scientist who has long studied how to make eye transplants a reality called the surgery exciting. “It’s an amazing validation” of animal experiments that have kept transplanted eyes alive, said Dr. Jeffrey Goldberg, chair of ophthalmology at Stanford University. Read: a2i’s NISE and Muktopaath win WITSA Award The hurdle is how to regrow the optic nerve, although animal studies are making strides, Goldberg added. He praised the NYU team’s “audacity” in even aiming for optic nerve repair and hopes the transplant will spur more research. “We’re really on the precipice of being able to do this,” Goldberg said. James was working for a power line company in June 2021 when he was shocked by a live wire. He nearly died. Ultimately he lost his left arm, requiring a prosthetic. His damaged left eye was so painful it had to be removed. Multiple reconstructive surgeries couldn’t repair extensive facial injuries including his missing nose and lips. James pushed through physical therapy until he was strong enough to escort his daughter Allie to a high school homecoming ceremony, wearing a face mask and eye patch. Still he required breathing and feeding tubes, and longed to smell, taste and eat solid food again. “In his mind and his heart, it’s him — so I didn’t care that, you know, he didn’t have a nose. But I did care that it bothered him,” said his wife, Meagan James. Face transplants remain rare and risky. James’ is only the 19th in the U.S., the fifth Rodriguez has performed. The eye experiment added even more complexity. But James figured he'd be no worse off if the donated eye failed. Three months after James was placed on the national transplant waiting list, a matching donor was found. Kidneys, a liver and pancreas from the donor, a man in his 30s, saved three other people. During James' 21-hour operation, surgeons added another experimental twist: When they spliced together the donated optic nerve to what remained of James’ original, they injected special stem cells from the donor in hopes of spurring its repair. Last month, tingles heralded healing facial nerves. James can't yet open the eyelid, and wears a patch to protect it. But as Rodriguez pushed on the closed eye, James felt sensation — although on his nose rather than his eyelid, presumably until slow-growing nerves get reoriented. The surgeon also detected subtle movements beginning in muscles around the eye. Read: 13th Anniversary of a2i's Digital Centre initiative celebrated  Then came a closer look. NYU ophthalmologist Dr. Vaidehi Dedania ran a battery of tests. She found expected damage in the light-sensing retina in the back of the eye. But she said it appears to have enough special cells called photoreceptors to do the job of converting light to electrical signals, one step in creating vision. Normally, the optic nerve then would send those signals to the brain to be interpreted. James’ optic nerve clearly hasn't healed. Yet when light was flashed into the donated eye during an MRI, the scan recorded some sort of brain signaling. That both excited and baffled researchers, although it wasn’t the right type for vision and may simply be a fluke, cautioned Dr. Steven Galetta, NYU’s neurology chair. Only time and more study may tell. Still, the surgery marks “a technical tour de force,” said Dr. David Klassen, chief medical officer of the United Network for Organ Sharing, which runs the nation’s transplant system. "You can learn a tremendous amount from a single transplant” that could propel the field. As for James, “we’re just taking it one day at a time,” he said.

Aspire to Innovate-a2i recently celebrated its 13th anniversary, marking over a decade of providing technology services to marginalized communities through digital centres. State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak was present as the chief guest. The event was also attended by the Project Director of a2i, Md Mamunur Rashid Bhuiyan; Natore Superintendent of Police Md. Tariqul Islam, PPM; and other special guests including Tariqul Islam, PPM; Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Center Establishment Project Deputy Project Director (Deputy Secretary) Md Mokhtar Ahmed, and Project Director of Bangladesh-India Digital Services and Employment Training Center Establishment Project, Md Amirul Islam. The ICT state minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took the initiative to establish this digital centre to deliver the service to the doorstep of the people in a corruption-free way at an affordable price using technology. It has reduced the time from three months to three minutes. This is Sheikh Hasina's Digital Bangladesh, Palak added. More than 17,800 women and men entrepreneurs of 9397 digital centers spread across the country are providing more than 385 public and private services to the citizens easily, quickly and at a low cost. More than 75 lakh services are being provided from digital centers every month. The entrepreneurs have so far saved 78.14 percent of the time, 16.55 percent of the cost and 17.38 percent of the commute of the citizens. The state minister mentioned that the initiative has received international recognition and will be the model for a smart Bangladesh. This model is being followed in many countries, including the Philippines, South Africa, Ghana, and Cambodia. The government plans to set up 1,000 village digital centers across the country by 2024, ensuring that technology services are accessible to every corner of the village. a2i Project Director Md Mamunur Rashid Bhuiyan said the digital centre will play a pivotal role in boosting the rural economy. He added that smart technology will serve as a powerful tool for the development of Bangladesh. The digital centre will be one of the key instruments for building a Smart Bangladesh, he added. Natore Deputy Commissioner Abu Nasser Bhuiyan presided over the program while Nilufa Yasmin, deputy project director of ICT Division's Har Power Project conducted it.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg "personally rejected" proposals aimed at improving the mental health and wellbeing of teenagers on Facebook and Instagram, internal communications shared as part of an ongoing lawsuit have revealed, reports CNN. According to the unsealed communications, Zuckerberg overruled senior executives, including Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri and President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg, who advocated for increased measures to protect more than 30 million teens using Instagram in the United States. Elon Musk says he may need surgery before proposed 'cage match' with Mark Zuckerberg One notable rejection involved a 2019 proposal to disable Instagram's "beauty filters," which digitally alter users' appearances and have been linked to promoting unrealistic body image expectations, negatively impacting teens' mental health, said the report. Despite broad support from top executives, Zuckerberg insisted that there was a "demand" for the filters and claimed he had seen "no data" indicating harm. Zuckerberg looks shredded in photo with MMA fighters The lawsuit revealed internal tensions within Meta, with executives expressing concerns about the lack of investment in well-being initiatives. Instagram's policy chief, Karina Newton, and Meta's vice president of product design, Margaret Gould Stewart, had recommended disabling beauty filters based on advice from academics and external advisors. However, after Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth brought the matter to Zuckerberg's attention, the proposal was rejected. The newly unveiled documents also accused Meta of exploiting the psychology of adolescent brains and claimed that Zuckerberg personally set goals for increasing user engagement on Instagram, potentially prioritising profits over user wellbeing. Agitated employees grill Meta CEO Zuckerberg following mass layoff announcement In response, Meta spokesman Andy Stone defended the company, emphasising that they have a robust central team overseeing youth well-being efforts and have implemented various tools to support teens and families. Stone also stated that Meta banned filters promoting cosmetic surgery, changes in skin colour, or extreme weight loss.

An industrial robot crushed a worker to death at a vegetable packaging plant in South Korea, police said Thursday, as they investigate whether the machine was unsafe or had potential defects. According to police officials in the southern county of Goseong, the man died of head and chest injuries Tuesday after he was grabbed and pressed against a conveyor belt by the machine’s robotic arms. Police did not release his name but said the man was an employee of a company that installs industrial robots and was sent to the plant to examine whether the machine was working properly. Read: Can Earthquakes Really be Predicted? The machine was one of two pick-and-place robots used at the facility that packages bell peppers and other vegetables exported to other Asian countries, police said. Such machines are common in South Korea's agricultural communities. “It wasn’t an advanced, artificial intelligence-powered robot, but a machine that simply picks up boxes and puts them on pallets,” said Kang Jin-gi, who heads the investigations department at Gosong Police Station. He said the police were working with related agencies to determine whether the machine had technical defects or safety issues. Another police official, who did not want to be named because he wasn’t authorized to talk to reporters, said police were also looking into the possibility of human error. The robot’s sensors are designed to identify boxes, and security camera footage indicated the man had moved near the robot with a box in his hands, which likely triggered the machine’s reaction, the official said. Read: The iPhone 12 emits too much radiation and Apple must take it off the market, a French agency says  “It’s clearly not a case where a robot confused a human with a box – this wasn’t a very sophisticated machine,” he said. South Korea has had other safety accidents involving industrial robots in recent years. In March, a manufacturing robot crushed and seriously injured a worker who was examining the machine at an auto parts factory in Gunsan. Last year, a robot installed near a conveyor belt fatally crushed a worker at a milk factory in Pyeongtaek.

OPPO’s Zero-Power Tag was announced to have landed on TIME’s list of Best Inventions for 2023 in the Experimental category, putting OPPO among the likes of Apple, Samsung, and Sony with a highly prestigious international accolade for invention. Every year, TIME recognizes products, software, and services that are solving compelling problems in creative ways. The result is a list of 200 groundbreaking inventions changing how we live, work, play, and think about what’s possible. In the Experimental category, TIME’s recognition of the OPPO Zero-Power Tag adds to OPPO’s international reputation for technical expertise and novel thinking, and highlights a new approach to a sustainable world where IoT devices won’t generate polluting batteries. “We are honored to be included in TIME’s Best Inventions of 2023 list for the OPPO Zero-Power Tag in recognition of our achievements in innovation and sustainability,” said Elvis Zhou, OPPO Overseas CMO. Born from OPPO's vision to blend convenience and environmental responsibility, OPPO Zero-Power Tag is an eco-friendly IoT device that communicates with phones using ambient energy instead of a battery. With object tracking, environmental monitoring and other smart features, we are very excited about the possibilities it will unlock in the IoT space. Moving forward, OPPO will continue to make contributions to sustainability and develop innovative initiatives that positively impact the environment.” At MWC 2023, OPPO unveiled the company’s first battery-free IoT prototype device — OPPO Zero-Power Tag — powered by Zero-power Communication technology. Leveraging key technologies such as RF power harvesting, backscattering, and low-power computing, the Tag is able to harvest energy directly from Bluetooth, WiFi, and cellphone signals, resulting in surprising advantages such as smaller size, better durability, greater signal distance, and lower cost. Sustainability has long been a central component of OPPO’s business operation and product design. In February 2023, OPPO released the OPPO Climate Action Report with support from global consultancy Deloitte. In the report, OPPO pledges for the first time to achieve carbon neutrality across its global operations by 2050, and outlines five key areas in achieving this goal: low-carbon manufacturing, reducing the carbon footprint of products, investing in options that generate less carbon, utilizing digital technology to manage carbon emissions, and collaborating on industry standards to address climate change. This year, OPPO Battery Health Engine received the 2023 SEAL Business Sustainability Award, and thanks to its innovations, OPPO was also named one of the 10 Most Innovative Asia-Pacific Companies in 2023 by influential business media Fast Company. In the 2023 OPPO Inspiration Challenge, OPPO added a new category, “Inspiration for the Planet,” to recognize innovations for sustainability and attract more than 280 proposals from worldwide startups, covering from biomimetic materials to sustainable and safe energy storage.  

Vivo's V29 and V29e smartphones have been launched in Bangladesh bringing cutting-edge technology that promises professional photography experiences on mobile devices. The challenge of capturing images with minimal light and colour temperature discrepancies during photography will be addressed by the smartphones’ Smart Aura Light technology, according to a press release. Measuring just 7.46 millimetres in thickness and weighing a mere 186 grams, the smartphones can be availed in two colours: Saint Martin Blue and Nobel Black with premium glass finish on the back, it said. Read: Xiaomi Pad 6 Review: Can It be a True iPad Alternative? In the real world, lighting conditions can be complex and dynamic. Therefore, the Aura Light system is designed to adapt to any lighting condition, whether it's daytime or nighttime. The device's camera configuration includes a 50-megapixel rear camera, a 50-megapixel selfie camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 2-megapixel monochrome camera. The new Vivo smartphones feature a 6.78-inch 3D curved amoled display with a 120Hz refresh rate, offering a vivid viewing experience. It comes with a resolution of 2800 x 1260 pixels and a pixel density of 452 PPI. With support for around 1.07 billion colours, said the release. In addition, the smartphones are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor and runs on FunTouch OS 13. Gamers will particularly appreciate the device's 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Its 4,600mAh battery, coupled with an 80W Type-C fast charger, can be fully charged in just 30 minutes, it also said. Read: 10 Best GPS Trackers for Cars in Bangladesh Vivo's Country Brand Manager Tanzib Ahmed affirmed Vivo's commitment to providing the highest level of service to customers. He emphasised that the smart Aura Light technology, the result of extensive research, will bring a professional photography experience to smartphone users. He expressed hope that Vivo's V29 series smartphones will become an indispensable companion for those interested in professional photography, there lease also said. Pre-booking for the vivo V29 will begin alongside the opening of Vivo's authorised showrooms and e-store, starting from October 24. The price of the vivo V29 is set at Tk 56,999. On the other hand, the Vivo V29e is set at Tk 36,999. The brand will also present gifts to new buyers.

‘National Intelligence Employment and Entrepreneurship (NISE)’ and ‘Muktopaath’ – two innovative initiatives of Aspire to Innovate (a2i) have won the ‘WITSA 2023 Global Innovation and Technology Excellence Awards’. The World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) conferred the awards in recognition of remarkable contribution to the skills development and education of millions of people in the country through online platforms. The award was presented on the third day of the three-day WCIT 2023 International Conference held in Kuching, Malaysia on October 5. Read: Huawei, ASEAN Foundation, and SEAMEO host 'Seeds for the Future Summit 2023' Program Associate or a2i, Alavi Zaman Disha, and E-Learning Coordinator, Jinia Jerin, received the award from WITSA Chairman Dr Sean Seah on behalf of NISE and Muktopaath respectively. About 130 innovative projects from different countries vied for the prestigious award. From Bangladesh, a2i’s project NISE won the 1st place in the Public Sector Digital Opportunity/Inclusion category and Muktopaath won the 1st place in the e-Education and Learning category. Awards were given this year in a total of 14 categories for the government and private/NGO sectors. In recognition of its significant contribution to upskilling millions of unemployed youths through online platforms, the NISE project bagged the award. Read: Google brings its AI chatbot Bard into its inner circle, opening door to Gmail, Maps, YouTube Muktopaath won the accolade for providing online education to millions through e-learning platform. WITSA 2023 Global Innovation and Technology Excellence Awards is considered a prestigious award in the global IT sector. More than 10,000 delegates from member countries participated in the conference, titled World Congress on Innovation and Technology (WCIT-2023).

Google on Wednesday unveiled a next-generation Pixel smartphones lineup that will be infused with more artificial intelligence tools capable of writing captions about photos that can also be altered by the technology. The injection of more artificial intelligence, or AI, into Google’s products marks another step toward bringing more of the technology into the mainstream – a push company executives signaled they were embarking upon during their annual developer’s conference five months ago. Read: Google brings its AI chatbot Bard into its inner circle, opening door to Gmail, Maps, YouTube “Our focus is on making AI more helpful for everyone in a way that is bold and responsible,” Rick Osterloh, Google’s senior vice president of devices and services, said during Wednesday's event held in New York. As if to leave no doubt about Google’s current priorities, Osterloh described the new Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro phones as a conduit for having “AI in your hand.” The next moves will include allowing the 7-year-old Google Assistant to tap into the company’s recently hatched AI chatbot, Bard, to perform tasks. The expanded access to Bard comes just two weeks after Google began connecting the AI chatbot to the company's other popular service such as Gmail, Maps and YouTube. Google is leaving it up to each user to decide whether to allow Bard to interact with its other services, an effort to address worries about AI sifting through potentially sensitive information as it seeks to learn more about language and people. Read: It's Google versus the US in the biggest antitrust trial in decades One of the new tricks that the Bard-backed assistant is supposed to be able to do is scan a photo taken on a phone powered by Google’s Android software and generate a pithy caption suitable for posting on social media. As Google has been doing with most of its AI gambits, the Bard-backed Google Assistant initially will only be available to a test audience before it is gradually offered on an opt-in basis to more owners of the latest Pixels. As has become common across the industry, most of the other technology in the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro phones unveiled Wednesday will be similar to what has already been available in last year’s models. One of the main selling points of the new phones will be improved cameras, including more AI-empowered editing tools that will mostly be available on the Pixel 8 Pro. The AI features will be able to spruce up photos, zoom into certain parts of images, substitute faces taken from other pictures in group shots and erase objects and people from images. Read: Fair Technology launches ‘Hyundai Exchange Program’ Google is counting on the new AI twists added to this year’s lineup to be enough to justify a price increase — with the starting prices for both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro increasing by $100 over last year’s comparable models. That will result in the Pixel 8 selling for $700 and the Pixel 8 Pro for $1,000 when they go on sale in stores next week. Apple also raised the starting price of its top-end iPhone by $100 when its latest models came out last month, signaling inflationary pressures are starting to drive up the costs of devices that have become essential pieces of modern life. The Pixel 8 Pro will also be able to take people's temperatures — an addition that could be a drawing card in a post-pandemic era as various strains of COVID evolve. But Google is still trying to get regulatory approval to enable that capability in the U.S. A 2020 phone, the Honor Play 4 Pro made my Huawei, also was able to screen for fevers, so Google isn’t breaking totally new ground. Despite generally getting positive reviews, the Pixel phones have barely made a dent in a market dominated by Samsung and Apple since Google began making the devices seven years ago. But they have been gaining slightly more traction in recent years, with Pixel’s share of the high-end smartphone market now hovering around 4% from less than 1% three years ago, according to the research firm International Data Corp. Read: Digital Quality of Life Index 2023: Bangladesh ranks 82nd, internet quality 5% lower than global average Google can afford to make a phone that doesn’t generate huge sales because it brings in more than $200 billion annually from a digital ad network that’s anchored by its dominant search engine. A big chunk of the ad revenue flows from the billions of dollars that Google pays annually to lock in its search engine as the main gateway to the internet on the iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy lineup. The agreements that have given Google’s search engine a lucrative position on phones and computers are the focal point of an ongoing antitrust trial in Washington, where the U.S. Justice Department is trying to prove its allegations that Google has been abusing its power to stifle competition and innovation.

The history of earthquakes is nothing less than terrifying. Whether it’s the 1556 Shaanxi earthquake or something as recent as the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake, every major earthquake in the world involves destruction and death. For centuries, scientists, geologists, saints, and seers alike have searched for answers to one inevitable question: Can earthquakes be predicted? Let’s try to find out. Myths about Earthquakes and Predicting Them The phenomenon of earthquakes has long been attributed to mythical and otherworldly happenings. Thousands of years ago, the occurrence of an earthquake not only brought destruction but also paved the way for the fear of the unknown and faith in supernatural power.  The concept of an earthquake is often attributed to Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology. It is said that Poseidon uses his trident to shake the earth which causes earthquakes. Similar stories are found in Japanese mythology where the giant catfish Namazu causes earthquakes. According to Mongolian mythology, the earth is placed on the back of a giant frog. When the frog stumbles, it causes earthquakes. Read more: 10 Most Earthquake-prone Countries around the World But beyond the myths, there are also some common misconceptions about earthquake predictions. Unlike the myths, these aren’t quite outlandish and are often passed on as hard facts. Some of the common misconceptions regarding earthquake prediction include:  - Animals can predict earthquake - There are always advanced signs of earthquakes - Earthquake is preceded by sudden weather change - Planetary alignment influences earthquake - Increased seismic activity is a precursor for a large earthquake - A series of small earthquakes deters the chance of a large earthquake in a region. Unfortunately, none of these concepts are true. There is no set pattern to earthquakes and neither does it have any identifiable precursors. And that brings us to the all-important question.  Read more: Earthquake Safety Tips for Parents to Keep Children Safe

Bangladesh has dropped six places on Surfshark’s annual Digital Quality of Life (DQL) Index since last year. The country ranked 82nd among 121 countries, according to Surfshark’s 5th annual DQL index. The Digital Quality of Life Index is an annual study that ranks 121 countries by their digital wellbeing based on 5 core pillars. Also read: Bangladesh climbs 5 spots in latest passport ranking, still behind Sri Lanka and Libya The study is based on the United Nations’ open-source information, the World Bank, and other sources. Out of the index’s 5 pillars, Bangladesh performed best in internet quality, claiming 65th place.