Phantom V Fold by TECNO is Reshaping Trends in the Foldable Phone Market:
Not too long ago, Samsung unveiled its first foldable phone, with other brands such as OPPO, Huawei, and more following suit. However, they encountered their fair share of issues, including loose hinges, screen cracks, and dust accumulation, which gradually improved with each new edition. Now, what’s once again causing a stir in the tech world? Another foldable phone! Yes, you heard it right. TECNO, Pakistan’s premium mobile phone brand, has officially joined the foldable phone club, offering an enticing price point alongside a cutting-edge processor.
Ufone 4G & Jochaho Join Forces to Transform Online Shopping Experience in Pakistan:
Pakistani telecom operator, Ufone 4G has joined forces with JoChaho, a leading e-commerce mobile application, to revolutionize the online shopping experience for millions of customers across the country. The partnership is in line with Ufone 4G’s sustained commitment to enable customers and transform user journeys to the realm of digital technology and innovation. JoChaho is an innovative and trusted marketplace that has been serving Pakistan’s e-commerce sector by offering unbeatable deals on a wide array of product categories, ranging from cutting-edge electronic devices to essential home appliances.
Restaurant App Indolj Denies Data Breach After Hackers Share Allegedly Stolen But Old Data:
Food ordering app Indolj said it became aware of claims made by various news and media outlets regarding compromised data put up for sale online after hackers gained access to a private company’s database used by restaurants. The hackers have displayed sample data of citizens that were compromised and offered for sale, while Indolj has denied having encountered any such attack.
Zong 4G’s New CEO, Mr. Huo Junli, Pledges Support for Pakistan’s Digital Future in Meeting with IT Minister Dr. Umar Saif:
Zong 4G’s newly appointed CEO and Chairman Mr. Huo Junli called on the interim IT & Telecommunication Minister, Dr. Umar Saif, on Tuesday, where the former reaffirmed Zong 4G’s pledge to invest in the digital future of Pakistan and emphasized the pivotal role of technology in national development. Mr. Huo Junli highlighted Zong 4G’s steadfast commitment to spearheading advancements in the telecommunication industry and driving Pakistan’s digital transformation.
Telcos Demand Urgent Policy Interventions to Restore Investor Confidence:
Cellular mobile operators (CMOs) operating in Pakistan have demanded immediate policy interventions by the caretaker government including delinking spectrum price from the dollar, extending license payments over twenty years, suspension of industry contributions to Universal Service Fund (USF) and Ignite as well as granting access to industrial electricity tariffs to restore investor confidence and pave the way for future technologies including 5G spectrum auction. The Caretaker Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Dr Umar Saif held a series of meetings with different stakeholders including the CEOs of telecom operators to discuss reforms of the telecom sector and timeline for auction of 5G spectrum.
Redmi Note 13 Pro+ Launched With IP68 Waterproofing and Curved Display for the First Time:
The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ has finally arrived in China after an extensive teaser campaign. It is part of the Note 13 series consisting of the vanilla Note 13, Note 13 Pro, and the highest-end, Note 13 Pro+. For now, we are only getting to see the Pro+ model. The Note 13 Pro+ is the first in this lineup to come with a curved screen, adding a premium touch to the display. It is a 6.67-inch AMOLED panel with 1.5K resolution and a smooth 120hz refresh rate. It can hit an impressive 1800 nits of peak brightness. In terms of design, the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ adopts a different approach by placing the cameras in a more traditional arrangement, foregoing the camera island design.
Govt to Establish 5,000 E-Working Stations for Freelancers:
Caretaker Federal Minister for IT and Telecom Dr Umar Saif that the government is going to install 5,000 e-working centers in the country and offer the facility of interest-free loans to freelancers to help establish these working stations. The minister said this during a meeting with Finance Minister Dr Shamshad Akhtar today. The meeting focused on several key initiatives aimed at boosting the country’s IT and startup ecosystem. One of the main topics discussed during the meeting was the establishment of a state-backed joint venture fund. Dr Saif said this initiative could potentially pave the way for greater involvement of global investors in Pakistan’s startup ecosystem.
PTCL Group Extends a Compassionate Hand to Pakistanis Affected by Recent Natural Disasters in Morocco and Libya:
Pakistan’s largest telecommunication and integrated ICT services provider, PTCL Group (PTCL and Ufone 4G) has launched a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative in response to the devastating natural calamities across the North African countries, Morocco and Libya. The initiative aims to connect families in Pakistan with their loved ones in these crisis-stricken countries to help them find strength and solace during these tough times. As these two countries are home to a considerable Pakistani diaspora that has been affected by these calamities, PTCL Group has stepped forward to alleviate the suffering of impacted Pakistanis. Ufone 4G was the first to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Morocco, and now PTCL is expanding the initiative’s scope by offering free calls to both Morocco and Libya.
Honor X40 GT Racing Edition Launched With Lower Price and More RAM:
Honor has quietly launched the new X40 GT Racing Edition and the reason why there is not much fanfare is because this is simply just an update over the Honor X40 GT. The biggest change is on the outside. The X40 GT Racing Edition features refreshed aesthetics on its back cover as well as new colors to choose from. Other than that, it is completely identical to the regular X40 GT. As the image shows, the Racing Edition will be available in Racing Black and Titanium Silver color options with a new design on the rear panel. The Honor X40 GT Racing Edition will have the same 6.81-inch 1080p LCD, boasting a high 144Hz refresh rate and an impressive 240Hz touch sampling rate. In terms of security, it includes a side-facing fingerprint scanner for user authentication.
Amazon Prime Video content to start including ads next year:
Amazon is set to introduce adverts to its Prime Video streaming service in 2024 as it seeks to put more cash into creating TV shows and films. UK Prime customers, along with those in the US, Germany and Canada, will see ads early next year unless they subscribe for an “ad-free” option at an additional cost. In a statement, Amazon said Prime Video still offered “very compelling value”. It follows similar moves by rivals including Disney+ and Netflix. Amazon said that the ads would be introduced across France, Italy, Spain, Mexico and Australia later in 2024. It will roll out the “ad-free” subscription tier for an extra $2.99 (£2.44) per month for Prime subscribers in the United States.
Microsoft’s new Call of Duty deal set for UK approval:
The UK’s competition watchdog has said Microsoft’s revised offer to buy the Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard “opens the door” to the deal being cleared. The Competition Markets Authority (CMA) said the updated deal appeared to address concerns it had raised. Under the new proposals, Microsoft will not buy the cloud gaming rights owned by Activision Blizzard. Its original $69bn (£59bn) deal was blocked by UK regulators. Earlier this year, the CMA prevented Microsoft from taking on the whole of Activision over concerns that the deal would harm competition in cloud gaming in the UK. Microsoft then submitted a restructured deal for the competition watchdog to look at last month.
JPEX: Hong Kong investigates influencer-backed crypto exchange:
Hong Kong police are investigating allegations of fraud against cryptocurrency trading platform JPEX after investors complained of HK$1.3bn ($166m; £134m) in losses. Eleven people, including popular influencers, were arrested this week after complaints filed by 2,000 people. The case could be one of Hong Kong’s biggest fraud cases, local media say. It also tests new financial regulations as Hong Kong positions itself as a global hub for virtual assets. Last week, Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) revealed the Dubai-based JPEX had been operating without a license for virtual asset trading. The platform, on the other hand, said it had “strived to comply” with the local requirement which took effect in June this year, but its efforts were “dismissed or sidestepped with official rhetoric” by the Commission.
Despite risks fish farms are booming in Africa:
“It was horrible,” says Allan Ochieng of the disaster that struck the fish farmers of Lake Victoria late last year. Thousands of fish were killed when Africa’s largest lake experienced a natural and recurring phenomenon known as upwelling. It happens when deep waters mix with surface water, causing a sudden depletion of dissolved oxygen in the water, killing the fish. Some of the farmers believe that raised levels of algae, or pollution might have played a role. Mr Ochieng lost all his 120,000 tilapia, of which half were almost ready for harvest. Many other farmers experienced similar losses. Along with three partners, the entrepreneur owns 24 cages, close to Ogal beach on the Kenyan shoreline, which cost them around $100,000 (£80,000). They spent another $185,000 on the baby tilapia, feed and labour. “Cage fish farming comes with enormous risks but can also be extremely profitable,” says Mr Ochieng, who is determined to continue.
AI risks destabilising world, deputy PM to tell UN:
Artificial intelligence could destabilise the world order unless governments act, the deputy prime minister is to warn. Oliver Dowden will tell the UN the pace of development risks outstripping governments’ ability to make it safe. The UK will host a global summit to discuss AI regulation, in November. There are fears without rules AI could eventually destroy jobs, supercharge misinformation or entrench discrimination. “The starting gun has been fired on a globally competitive race in which individual companies as well as countries will strive to push the boundaries as far and fast as possible,” Mr Dowden will tell the United Nations general assembly in New York. “At the moment, global regulation is falling behind current advances.” In the past, governments have created regulations in response to technological developments – but now, rules must be made in parallel with the development of AI. AI companies should not “mark their own homework, just as governments and citizens must have confidence that risks are properly mitigated”. And only action by nation states can reassure the public the most significant national-security concerns have been allayed.
Game of Thrones author sues ChatGPT owner OpenAI:
US authors George RR Martin and John Grisham are suing ChatGPT-owner OpenAI over claims their copyright was infringed to train the system. Martin is known for his fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, which was adapted into HBO show Game of Thrones. ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs) “learn” by analysing a massive amount of data often sourced online. The lawsuit claims the authors’ books were used without their permission to make ChatGPT smarter. OpenAI said it respected the rights of authors, and believed “they should benefit from AI technology”. Other prominent authors named in the complaint include Jonathan Franzen, Jodi Picoult and George Saunders. The case has been brought to the federal court in Manhattan, New York, by the Authors Guild, a trade group in the US working on behalf of the named authors.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: Reaction to demo as Tokyo Game Show starts:
Tokyo Game Show has begun, and fans will have their first chance to play Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Developers Square Enix are launching a demo of the long-awaited follow-up to 2020’s FF7 Remake at the annual convention held in Chiba, Japan. Critics have already had a chance to play the open-world section and brief story mission featuring fan favourite-characters Cloud Strife and Sephiroth. And the verdict? “More of the same, but it’s been supercharged”. That’s according to Eurogamer’s Ed Nightingale, who said the demo was “familiar yet fresh… the sort of magical spectacle fans will relish”. Polygon’s Oli Welsh had a similar take, observing that Rebirth’s gameplay felt like it was “expanding the scope, adding features, but cleaving close to what made the first game tick”.
More girls than boys exposed to harmful content online:
Teenage girls are more likely to be asked for nude photos online or be sent pornography or content promoting self-harm than boys, a report has found. New research has been carried out into children and young people’s online activity in Northern Ireland. The report is based on survey responses from around 6,500 young people. It found that girls are “much more likely to experience something nasty or unpleasant online”. The Growing Up Online report was written by academics from Stranmillis University College’s Centre for Research in Educational Underachievement (CREU) and funded by the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI). It aimed to find out about children’s online activities and their safety online. A total of 3,800 children aged 8-13, and 2,650 aged 14-18, took part.
Government approves £105m Stanford Hall NHS rehabilitation centre:
A specialist new £105m NHS rehabilitation facility has been given government approval. The National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) will be built at Stanford Hall in Nottinghamshire and will help people recovering from serious injury and illness. The approval means building work can now start on the 70-bed facility which is due to open in 2025. The NHS said the centre will “transform” patients’ recovery. The NRC will be built on the Stanford Hall Rehabilitation Estate, near Loughborough, which is already home to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre. It will be run by Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust.
Is it possible to regulate artificial intelligence?:
Can artificial intelligence be kept under control? Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, says that believing it can be is akin to “magical thinking”. “In many cases politicians and their aides have a weak understanding of how the internet works, and what it is possible to achieve,” says Mr Wales, who has spent many hours explaining both technology and its role in free speech to politicians around the globe. “The question of a body like the United Nations regulating AI is like suggesting the UN regulate [image editing app] Photoshop.” His point is that he thinks it would be pointless. The issue of whether AI should be regulated, and to what extent, heated up this summer when UN Secretary General António Guterres convened the first ever UN Security Council meeting to specifically discuss its potential dangers. Speaking in regard to everything from AI-powered cyber attacks, to the risk of malfunctioning AI, how AI can spread misinformation, and even the interaction between AI and nuclear weapons, Mr Guterres said: “Without action to address these risks, we are derelict in our responsibilities to present and future generations.”