bKash reportedly takes back mistakenly sent BDT 50 coupons from users
bKash has reportedly retrieved mistakenly sent BDT 50 coupons from users, as detailed in posts circulating on Facebook. Several users shared screenshots from 'bKashNotice', alleging that bKash had erroneously distributed BDT 50 coupons, only to retract them subsequently.
Why the culture of glorifying over-work needs to stop
The glorification of overworking and the expectation to stay late in the office have become long-ingrained in the corporate culture of many countries, including Bangladesh. But in this modern age, while many countries across the world are doing away with this culture, staying late is still often seen as a sign of dedication and hard work in Bangladesh.
Google working on feature to identify unknown callers: report
Google is reportedly developing a new ‘Lookup’ button that allows users to quickly search phone numbers directly from their recent calls screen, therefore identifying unknown callers. The discovery was first made by an X user named AssembleDebug, who found this upcoming feature in the latest beta version of the Google Phone app, as reported by PiunikaWeb, an India-based tech news platform.
How Switzerland is preparing for the quantum computing revolution
Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator Foundation (GESDA), an independent research foundation based in Switzerland, is already looking beyond AI, with the belief that quantum computing is going to be the next big technological disrupter.
Indian startup's maiden rocket launch postponed again
The debut launch of the Indian aerospace startup Agnikul Cosmos' rocket, named the Agnibaan, was postponed last week due to technical complications, according to people on the launch site.
Bangladeshi Aydha Mehnaz in Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe
Aydha Mehnaz, a 29 year old Bangladeshi, has been featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list under the Media and Marketing category. Aydha is VIP and Media Relations Lead at fashion brand Mugler, a French luxury fashion house owned by L’Oréal Group. Under her leadership, Mugler's media impact value soared from $58 million pre-Covid to now over $200 million, states Forbes.
Spotify to let users craft playlists with text prompts
Spotify, the music streaming platform, is releasing its new AI playlists feature into beta. This new functionality allows users to generate custom playlists based on written prompts.
Microsoft to open new London-based AI hub
Microsoft has unveiled plans to open a new artificial intelligence (AI) hub in London, UK, with a primary emphasis on researching large language models and associated infrastructure. The Microsoft AI Hub team will be led by AI scientist and engineer Jordan Hoffmann, with Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of Google DeepMind, as EVP and CEO.
Jobs of the week
Here are our picks for jobs of the week. Check out the article for more details.
Bangladeshi all-female Valorant teams qualify for international tournament
Two all-female Valorant teams from Bangladesh, Team Hexagon and Team Celestials, have secured qualification for the South Asian round of the VCT Game Changers tournament, an esports event officially hosted by Riot Games, the maker of Valorant.
Tesla reportedly drops plan to build low-cost EV
Tesla has reportedly scrapped its plan to develop a lower-cost electric vehicle (EV) estimated to be priced around USD 25,000, according to a report by Reuters. Marking a significant shift in the company's strategy, this decision comes despite the perceived importance of such a low-cost vehicle for Tesla's broader growth trajectory.
EDITOR'S PICK
LATEST
Meet the app and browser extension made for halal internet experience
In an effort to combat cyber miscreants and ensure a safe and halal internet experience, a Turkish startup named Halalz has launched a new app and browser extension named Kahf Guard. This initiative aims to shield users, particularly Muslims, from exposure to inappropriate and morally objectionable online contents such as pornography, gambling, harassment etc.
Team Atlas from Bangladesh reaches finals of Australian Rover Challenge 2024
Team Atlas, a robotics team from Bangladesh, has recently earned 9th position at this year’s Australian Rover Challenge 2024. The team earned this rank among 14 finalists, which included institutions from India and Australia. The competition’s final round was held from March 21 to March 25, 2024, at the University of Adelaide.
Team from BracU qualifies for final round of RoboCup Rescue 2024
BRACU ALTER, a rescue rover team from LaSSET (Laboratory of Space System Engineering and Technology) at BSRM School of Engineering of Brac University, has qualified for the final round of RoboCup Rescue Robot League 2024, an international robotics competition.
End of the road: Ghost Autonomy, with OpenAI support, shuts down
Ghost Autonomy, a startup focused on developing autonomous driving software for automotive partners, has ceased operations, according to a company announcement.
With a new look, Facebook wants to be more like TikTok
Facebook is set to launch a vertical-first video player, promising a more uniform design and user experience across various video formats, including Reels, long-form videos, and live videos.
AI resurrection of actors shows that we're not ready for ethical AI
The digital resurrection of Manna, done without explicit permission from his family, epitomises the delicate balance between technological capability and moral responsibility. It begs the question: Just because we can, does it mean we should?
STARTUPS
Press Release / REVE Chat to participate in international AI summit
REVE Chat, a Bangladeshi-Singaporean venture, is going to showcase its AI-powered customer engagement platform at the upcoming Conversational AI & Customer Experience Summit 2024. The event will be held in Bangalore, India, on April 18 and 19.
Sam Altman no longer in control of OpenAI's startup fund
OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT, has recently restructured its venture capital fund, effectively removing Sam Altman, the company's CEO, from ownership and control of the OpenAI Startup Fund. According to the company, this move aims to enhance transparency and address concerns regarding the fund's governance.
Australian company founded by Bangladeshi exceeds $1B valuation
Deputy, an Australian software company specialising in workforce management co-founded by Ashik Ahmed, a Bangladeshi immigrant, has recently reached a valuation of over US$1 billion, making it the first Australian tech ‘unicorn’ in two years.
Mukesh Ambani's 5 tips for successful entrepreneurs
In a rare glimpse into the mind of one of India's most successful entrepreneurs and the current richest man in Asia, Mukesh Ambani, the Chairman of Reliance Group, shared insights regarding entrepreneurship success during the NASSCOM conference in 2017. While the event is now about seven years old, Ambani's lessons are evergreen, as he offered valuable advice to budding entrepreneurs that will remain relevant for years to come. Here are the five key takeaways from his tips that can serve as a guiding light for those charting the entrepreneurial path.
WPDeveloper unveils parent company Startise
WPDeveloper, a WordPress based product company, has recently unveiled its parent company Startise in a "Grand Surprise Event" at Capital’s Radisson Blu hotel. In addition to WPDeveloper, Startise now oversees a portfolio of five companies, including Templately, xCloud, easy.jobs, and Storeware.
Sam Altman's new AI chip startup awaiting US approval: reports
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT, is awaiting approval from the US government for his new AI chips startup, according to a recent report by Bloomberg News. The report suggests that this emerging venture has the potential to trigger concerns related to national security and antitrust issues.
Six intl. startups working towards fashion recycling solutions
The fashion industry's significant issue of excessive waste is prompting governments worldwide, especially the EU, to set ambitious recycling goals. Here are some international startups that are working towards the ambitious goal of effective textile recycling solutions.
APPS
Google to add fees for premium AI search features: report
Google is planning on introducing fees for premium features on its generative AI-driven search engine, according to a recent report by the Financial Times. The report adds that the traditional search engine would remain free of charge, with ads continuing to appear alongside search results even for subscribers.
TikTok removes over 75 lakh videos in Bangladesh
TikTok has removed a total of 7,599,349 (over 75 lakh) videos in Bangladesh for violating Community Guidelines in Q4 2023. Comparatively, in Q3 2023, 8,147,484 (over 80 lakh) Bangladeshi videos were removed by TikTok, showing a notable decrease in total videos removed from quarter-to-quarter.
You can now use ChatGPT without signing up
Users can now access the free version of ChatGPT without requiring to sign up via a Google, Microsoft, or Apple account. Instead, the popular AI chatbot can be directly accessed from OpenAI's official website without needing to log in.
Canada school boards sue social media giants for affecting students' mental health
Four Canadian school boards have filed a lawsuit against major social media companies, including Meta Platforms and Snap, seeking damages totalling over $2.96 billion USD. The legal action alleges that the companies' products, designed to foster compulsive usage, have negatively affected students' mental health and learning processes.
YouTube removes over 152K videos in Bangladesh
In the fourth quarter of 2023, YouTube, the video streaming platform owned by Google, removed over nine million videos worldwide. In the same period, YouTube removed 2.25 million videos in India, making it the country with the highest number of video removals on the platform during this period. Bangladesh ranked 8th globally with 152,051 videos removed for failing to adhere to YouTube's community guidelines.
LinkedIn working on short-form video feed: report
LinkedIn, the professional networking platform, is reportedly developing a short-form video feed in the app, according to TechCrunch, an international tech news platform.
LinkedIn to launch games on its platform: report
LinkedIn, the professional networking platform owned by Microsoft, is planning to launch games on its platform. Among the early titles in development are games such as "Queens," "Inference," and "Crossclimb", according to a report by tech news platform, TechCrunch.
GADGETS
India issues high-risk vulnerability warnings for Apple devices
India’s cybersecurity agency CERT-In today sent out a warning about a 'high' severity flaw that allows remote code execution attacks on a wide range of Apple products. The warning has been issued for several Apple products including iPhones, iPads, MacBooks running on various operating systems, Apple Watch and other devices.
Our picks for air conditioners under Tk. 50,000
Air conditioners have become a must-have item at both home and office this summer. Before you buy your first conditioners, are some basic information you should be aware of. Also, check out our suggestions for locally available air conditioners under Tk. 50,000.
Press Release / Samsung Galaxy A15 5G launched in Bangladesh
Samsung has recently launched the Galaxy A15 5G smartphone in Bangladesh. Samsung Galaxy A15 5G features a 6.5-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display, a 90 Hz refresh rate, and a 5,000mAh battery with 25W super-fast charging capacity.
Apple users report new 'password reset' phishing scam
Apple users around the world have recently highlighted a new phishing scam that reportedly exploits a vulnerability in Apple's 'password reset' feature. This scam aims to manipulate unsuspecting users into approving unauthorised password changes, ultimately granting control of their Apple ID accounts, according to a report by Krebs on Security, a US-based cybersecurity blog.
Apple planning to use Baidu's AI in iPhones: report
Apple is reportedly planning to integrate generative AI made by Baidu Inc., the Chinese tech and AI company, into upcoming iPhones and Apple products in China, as per a report by Wall Street Journal. This discussion between the tech giants signals a potentially significant development for the Chinese AI landscape.
Budget-friendly kitchen gadgets for this Ramadan
This Ramadan, fine-tune your kitchen productivity and make your meal preparation a little easier with handy budget kitchenware. Here are some of our suggestions. Please keep in mind that pricing and availability may vary across stores.
GUIDES
How to choose the right power supply unit for your PC
You can think of the PSU as the heart of your computer, pumping electricity to different organs. Whether you're a seasoned PC enthusiast or a beginner looking to learn more, this guide will explain the basics of PSUs.
Choosing the right fire extinguisher, and how to use them
There are five main types of fire extinguishers, each designed for specific types of fires, marked by distinct colour codes and suitable for various materials like paper, wood, textiles, flammable liquids, and electrical equipment.
Choosing the right NVMe SSD: a user-guide for PC builders
If you are building a PC, you probably have already picked your motherboard, CPU and RAM. But what about the NVMe SSDs? These are storage devices that use flash memory to store data. NVMe stands for Nonvolatile Memory Express, and SSD stands for Solid State Drive. NVMe SSDs are faster, quieter, more reliable, and more energy efficient than other storage options. However, picking the right NVMe SSDs for your PC can be tricky because you need to consider myriad factors. You might also get confused by their technical terms or even by marketing labels like creator or gaming. This guide will explain the basics of NVMe SSD and what a new buyer should look out for.
How to check election results online on the EC app
Bangladesh Election Commission Secretariat has released the 'Smart Election Management BD' app, which is intended to help voters to stay updated online. Voters can see their polling centres and their addresses, voter numbers, and voting serial numbers by providing NID information and birth date in the designated sections of the app.
Here’s the new price for heart rings
Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) of Bangladesh has set a new price list for coronary stents, popularly known as heart rings.
How to edit sent messages in Messenger
Meta has recently rolled out a highly-coveted feature for Messenger, the ability to edit sent messages. With this new update, users can now freely edit any messages they have sent within 15 minutes of sending that message.
How to stay safe from the 'job offer' scam message
One particular scam that has become common lately is the 'job offer' scam message, in which unknown phone numbers offer jobs or money to unsuspecting mobile phone users. If you have recently received such scam messages, then be careful. Follow these ways to stay safe from this ongoing scam.
Videos and Podcasts
Developing Games in Bangladesh
Game development in Asia has largely been taking place in East Asia since the creation of video games. Is this about to change ? We talked to Mehnaz Irtika from The Daily Star, who told us about the challenges Bangladesh's game industry faces if it wants to compete with the big dogs.
Augmenting Schools - AR Learning
We explore the use of Augmented Reality in education. With us to discuss how deployment of AR could affect Bangladesh's education and consumer sector is Md. Ridwan Sakib Anjum, an in-house contributor for the Tech and Startup section of The Daily Star.
Data Thieves - Stolen Identity
Whether it's putting a photo of a drivers license #online, or going to a sketchy #website, we can all make mistake that compromise our #identity. It's even more unfair when even when we've done everything right, our #data are being #stolen. We talked with Zarif Faiaz from ANN's The Daily Star to tell us about how this is happening in Bangladesh, and how we may minimise the impact.
iPhone 15 to be released officially on September 12
Apple has officially announced its annual event, scheduled for 12 September at Apple Park. The invitation, titled "Wonderlust," indicates that the company plans to unveil its iPhone 15 series, among other products.
Why should you use eSIM?
eSIM is being introduced in Bangladesh. A private telecommunication company is set to bring eSIM to the market. But what is eSIM? What is the difference between a regular SIM card and an eSIM?
$5 billion export from ICT industry by 2025?
Bangladesh aims to achieve exports worth $5 billion from its ICT industry by 2025. The Daily Star's Tech section editor Shahriar Rahman speaks to former BASIS President Syed Almas Kabir on how it can be achieved in this episode of Star Connects.
What will solve the complications in e-commerce deliveries?
The Daily Star editor of Toggle Shahriar Rahman discusses possible solutions to the complications in e-commerce behind stagnating deliveries with Saifur Rahman, Senior IT Specialist, Australian Public Service, in Star Connects.
Jobs of the week
Here are our picks for jobs of the week. Check out the article for more details.
Roundtable discussion held on the care economy of Bangladesh
AYAT Education, a social enterprise, recently organised a roundtable discussion on 'Building a strategic roadmap for care economy in Bangladesh'. The event discussed strategies for nurturing a caring economy that empowers both paid and unpaid care workers in Bangladesh.
Summit Chairman Aziz Khan only Bangladeshi in Forbes billionaire list
Forbes has released its 2024 World's Billionaires List, featuring 2,781 billionaires from 78 countries, showcasing the global spread and diversity of immense wealth. Among the entries is Muhammed Aziz Khan, Chairman of Summit Group, marking him as Bangladesh's first billionaire to be included in this compilation.
Bengali.AI and IUTCS partner for regional dialect datathon
Bengali.AI, a leading community dedicated to research and innovation in the Bengali language, has announced a Datathon in collaboration with Islamic University of Technology Computer Society (IUTCS) focusing on the history and evolution of Bengali speech recognition, with a special emphasis on regional dialects.
The race to create an artificial sun
Humans have worshipped the sun since we became sentient. Our journey from ancient civilisations' mystic rituals to today's advanced scientific understanding has only deepened our appreciation for the sun. The question then arises: can we ever aspire to craft something as sublime or dare to harness its immense power? Remarkably, the answer is yes.
Users can't access thousands of .bd sites due to a glitch since morning
There are nearly 40,000 government and private sites registered under the .bd domain managed by Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd (BTCL), and users have been unable to access thousands of them, due to a 'technical glitch' since morning today
Dhaka to get eco-friendly, IoT-based transport system: DSCC Mayor
Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh has announced plans to introduce an eco-friendly and Internet of Things (IoT)-based transport system in Dhaka. The announcement was made during a discussion today on the impact of traffic congestion on businesses in Old Dhaka, hosted by the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI).
Facebook wants to reduce news content on its platform
Facebook has closed its dedicated news tab, a move that reflects parent company Meta's broader strategy to reduce news content across its platforms. The decision has left Australian users without access to the news tab since Tuesday, with plans to extend this change to the United States over the coming days. This action has sparked criticism from both the Australian government and media organisations, highlighting tensions between large technology corporations and news providers.
Bangladesh’s Bored Tunnelers ranks in the top three in Elon Musk’s Not-a-Boring Competition
Team Bored Tunnelers from Bangladesh became the first ever Asian team to rank in the top three.
The need for cybersecurity education in Bangladeshi universities
Institutions must equip students with skills to steer through the cyber world's complexities.
