Netflix Password Sharing Banned in UAE:
From 20 July, United Arab Emirates (UAE) residents are being notified that they can no longer share their Netflix passwords beyond their homes, according to a report by the Khaleej Times. The move is part of a broader initiative by the streaming giant to clamp down on the widespread practice of password sharing. A Netflix customer service representative confirmed to Khaleej Times that the new regulation is in effect as of 20 July.
Govt Sets up Advisory Council on Digital Economy to Enhance IT Exports by $15 Billion:
A high-level advisory council on IT and Digital Economy has been constituted to enhance the digital economy of the country including its IT exports up to $15 billion in the next three years. The council was chaired by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif with 31 members including relevant ministries and representation of the private sector. The prime minister launched a number of IT-related initiatives, telling the audience that the Gulf states were eager to invest in Pakistan and that the country would significantly gain from their investments.
TikTok Removes Over 1.1 Crore Pakistani Videos For Violating Community Guidelines:
The first three months of 2023 saw TikTok, the popular short video-sharing app, in full swing enforcing its community guidelines. According to their recently published enforcement report, the platform removed a whopping 91 million videos from around the world. This figure represents about 0.6% of all videos posted on TikTok.
Mobilink Bank Collaborates with TIIES and PAFLA to Fuel Entrepreneurial Success:
Mobilink Bank signed two separate Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) with the International Institute of Entrepreneurship (TIIES) and Pakistan Freelancers’ Association (PAFLA) respectively. These collaborative partnerships aim to bolster financial literacy, inclusivity, and entrepreneurship. Under the collaboration, Mobilink Bank, TIIES and PAFLA will organize events and workshops, provide support to freelancers, offer academic assistance and establish incubation centers across Pakistan. Through this strategic alliance and shared commitment, Mobilink Bank, TIIES and PAFLA strive to empower entrepreneurs and drive economic growth.
Google’s New ‘Genesis AI’ Will Write Entire Articles for Journalists:
Google has started testing a new type of AI that will write articles for journalists after only asking for a few facts, reports the New York Times. The search engine giant has presented this tool to media outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post, describing it as a “journalists’ personal assistant” designed to free them up for other tasks. The article cites two executives who felt the tool seemed to underestimate the effort required to create accurate and well-crafted news stories. Conversely, others viewed it more as a personal aid or assistance.
PTA Completes Show Cause Notice Hearing Against Telenor Over Poor Service in Chitral:
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has completed the Show Cause Notice (SCN) hearing against Telenor over poor service in Chitral. According to the written reply to the National Assembly forum, the PTA earlier initiated legal action against the operator under the provision of the Telecom Act 1996, and a Show Cause Notice was issued to Telenor on 10th March 2023. According to the Ministry of IT and Telecom, the operator submitted a reply of SCN to PTA on 10th April 2023.
You Can Now Officially Use WhatsApp Even on Smartwatches:
WhatsApp has officially rolled out its application for Wear OS smartwatches, meaning you can use the chatting app on all smartwatches running on Wear OS. While a beta version was in circulation for some months, this is the fully developed, stable release. Keep in mind that you will only be able to run WhatsApp if your smartwatch is running Wear OS 3. The app allows users to initiate new conversations, respond to messages via text, send voice messages, use emojis, and accept calls, all from their wrists. It also supports quick replies.
ChatGPT’s Performance is Getting Much Worse With Time:
Lately, there’s been an unexpected observation regarding GPT-4’s performance degrading over time, rather than improving. The consensus about the decline in the AI model’s response quality, though initially based purely on individual experiences, has now gained empirical support. This has now been proven by new research. Recent studies have demonstrated that the June variant of GPT-4 has a notably poorer performance than the March version when it comes to certain tasks. To exemplify, a set of 500 problems was administered, requiring the model to identify if a given integer was prime.
SBP Working on Pakistan’s First Ever Digital Currency: SBP Governor:
State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Jameel Ahmad Thursday informed the Senate’s Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue that the central bank is working to launch its own digital currency, known as the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Senator Saleem Mandviwalla at Parliament House, where the committee was briefed by the SBP governor that many central banks are working to launch digital currency on a pilot basis, and the SBP is trying to learn from their experience.
e.ocean Launches Revolutionary Healthcare Services on WhatsApp Business Platform for Aga Khan University Hospital:
e.ocean, Pakistan’s leading cloud communication platform, is proud to announce the highly anticipated launch of the WhatsApp Chatbot for Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH). This transformative initiative is set to revolutionize healthcare services, creating seamless connections between patients and AKUH. The launch ceremony, held at the AKUH Contact Center, was attended by esteemed officials from e.ocean, represented by their CEO Amir Jafri, and officials of AKUH Health Services, led by their interim CEO, Dr. Farhat Abbas.
Zong Announces Jobs for Fresh Graduates With a Minimum 2.5 CGPA:
Zong has launched Digital Trainee Executive Program 2023 to hire highly skilled fresh graduates.
Graduates that exhibit strong leadership abilities, aim to further develop their digital skills, and are passionate about Zong’s digital revolution are encouraged to apply.
TSMC: Chip giant delays Arizona production in blow to Biden:
Chipmaking giant Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC) has delayed the start of production at its factory in the US state of Arizona, in a setback to President Biden’s technology ambitions.
The firm says chip manufacturing will no longer start next year, due to a shortage of skilled workers. The White House has laid out plans to bring more chip production to the US. It comes as an ongoing trade row centred on the technology intensifies between Washington and Beijing. TSMC’s shares closed more than 3% lower in Taiwan on Friday.
AI will ‘lead to more games being made and more jobs’:
Artificial Intelligence will lead to more jobs in the video game industry, one of the bodies representing games developers has told the BBC. Dr Richard Wilson, boss of TIGA, says AI will “reduce the cost of making games and speed up the process”. Video games have been using forms of artificial intelligence for decades. But use of the latest technology in games creation is concerning some who worry that it could cost jobs and create legal issues for studios. UKIE, another organisation that looks after games companies in the UK, said it recognises there are concerns, but added the developments in this field were an “exciting opportunity” for the industry.
Can houseplants purify the air in your home?:
Most people don’t realise just how many pollutants are swirling around indoors, where they typically spend most of their time. For example, many of the products we use for cleaning and freshening our homes, schools and workplaces are adding invisible toxins to the air. “The smell of fresh is not a smell,” says Anne Hicks, a paediatric pulmonary specialist at the University of Alberta. “If you can smell it, there’s a chemical in the air that’s getting up your nose. So all of that is air pollution, whether it smells good or bad,” she says. “Indoor air pollution is huge, and it’s a relatively unknown frontier, because even my next-door neighbour’s house has a different air pollution fingerprint than my house would have,” Ms Hicks says.
Famed US hacker Kevin Mitnick dies aged 59:
Kevin Mitnick, a reformed hacker who was once one of the FBI’s “most wanted” cybercriminals, has died at the age of 59. Mitnick spent five years in prison for computer and wire fraud following a two-year federal manhunt in the 1990s. But after his release in 2000 he reinvented himself, becoming a renowned “white hat” hacker, cybersecurity consultant and author. He died on Sunday following a 14-month long battle with pancreatic cancer. “Kevin was an original; much of his life reads like a fiction story,” his obituary reads.
Fifa esports World Cup finalists respond to penalty row:
Pro gaming teams say the result of the Fifa esports World Cup final has been overshadowed by controversy. A row broke out after Mark Zakhary – aka Mark11 – lost to Manuel “Bachoore” Bachoore on penalties. Mark’s team Futwiz claim he tried to stop play because his controller inputs were visible on a big screen, revealing where he was aiming. Organiser FIFAe said it’s reviewed footage and found “no competitive advantage” was gained during the match. Competition game Fifa 23 has an option to enable input overlay – which displays a player’s controller on-screen. This meant Mark’s button presses were also shown around the arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. His team, Futwiz, claim he tried three times to tell referees and ask them to restart the shootout, but lost 4-5 to Team Gullit player Bachoore.
Mobile roaming charges: Ofcom proposes new rules to curb fees:
Mobile networks must tell people if they are going to be charged for using their phone abroad under new plans from the UK regulator. Ofcom wants people to be alerted about potential fees for roaming – using minutes, texts or data outside the UK. It says one in five people currently do not realise they face such fees when travelling. Under the plans, customers must also be told about any action they can take to limit roaming-related charges. Consumer groups say they are currently costing British phone users more than half a billion pounds a year. Ofcom says some mobile networks are charging people approximately £2 a day to use their phone abroad.
Apple slams UK surveillance-bill proposals:
Apple says it will remove services such as FaceTime and iMessage from the UK rather than weaken security if new proposals are made law and acted upon. The government is seeking to update the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA) 2016. It wants messaging services to clear security features with the Home Office before releasing them to customers. The act lets the Home Office demand security features are disabled, without telling the public. Under the update, this would have to be immediate. Currently, there has to be a review, there can also be an independent oversight process and a technology company can appeal before taking any action. Because of the secrecy surrounding these demands, little is known about how many have been issued and whether they have been complied with.
Grocery robot trial to expand to Wetherby, Leeds council hears:
A robot grocery delivery service has been extended in Leeds after a successful start to a pilot scheme. Co-op shoppers in the Adel and Tinshill areas of the city have been getting their supplies delivered by robots since the end of last year. Starship, the firm behind the robots, has now received permission from Leeds City Council to operate on roads in Kippax and Swarcliffe from this week. The scheme will also be rolled out to Wetherby before the year ends. Labour councillor for Kippax and Methley, Michael Millar, told a council scrutiny meeting the service had been well received locally.
Netflix password crackdown fuels jump in subscribers:
A burst of people signed up for Netflix this spring, after the streaming giant cracked down on password sharing. The company ended June with more than 238 million subscribers, adding 5.9 million members since March. That was bigger than expected and follows efforts by the company to re-ignite growth following unusual subscriber losses last spring. It is also facing challenges from ongoing strikes in the US by writers and actors. Netflix said it would spend less on content this year than expected as a result of the walkout – the industry’s biggest in six decades, while boss Ted Sarandos said “we need to get this strike to a conclusion”. “This strike is not an outcome that we wanted,” he said. He said the company was committed to reaching an “equitable” agreement that helped the industry move into the future.
AI: Digital artist’s work copied more times than Picasso:
“My work has been used in AI more than Picasso.” Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing life as we know it, but for digital artist Greg Rutkowski it is causing big problems. He said his name had been used as a prompt in AI tools that generate art more than 400,000 times since September 2022 – but without his consent. When he checked, his name had been used as a prompt more times than the artists Pablo Picasso and Leonardo da Vinci. Polish-born artist Greg has had his work used in games such as Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, but said his new found AI fame has caused concern for his future work. Sites like Midjourney, Dall.E, NightCafe and Stable Diffusion are known as generative AI because they can make new, artificially-generated artworks in seconds from prompts that users type in.