Category: Tech

The Current’s tech news keeps you upto date with news of new gadgets, tech updates, information about tech startups and technology reviews.

  • Easiest way to sign up and sell products on Daraz

    Easiest way to sign up and sell products on Daraz

    Many small to large businesses are now listed on Daraz and are generating great earnings.

    There is no doubt that online enterprises will play a significant role in Pakistan’s future as the globe continues to move toward a digital economy.

    You can now experience what it’s like to work with the world’s top online commerce technology and logistics company, thanks to Daraz’s acquisition by the Alibaba Group, which makes it simple to grow your business from the comfort of your home.

    Surprisingly, joining Pakistan’s largest online marketplace is not that difficult.

    All small to medium-sized businesses can open stores on Daraz with dedicated one-on-one support, where sellers can get free business advice any time of day or night! Additionally, merchants will have free analytics tools at their disposal to aid in the optimization of their online business.

    On its official website, Daraz claims to have initiatives that reduce financial burdens by offering 0% commission. From May 1 through June 30, all newly registered and existing vendors are exempt from paying commission fees. Additionally, sellers can enjoy free pick-up and storage, promotional credits, and discounted packaging.

    Daraz offers express sign-ups for all new sellers, enabling you to launch your venture and begin selling on the platform in less than two days.

    How to sign-up

    Simply pick up your phone and text “Daraz” space “Name” to 7575 to get started, or you can also sign up as a vendor on the platform’s seller sign-up page.

    If you’re just getting started with your online business, Daraz also provides free training and instruction for online sellers through webinars offered by Daraz.

    According to its website, Daraz is the largest virtual marketplace in South Asia, with more than 20 million products listed in more than 100 categories on both its website and mobile application. The marketplace aims to empower and enable tens of thousands of sellers to interact with millions of customers in this cutting-edge technological era.

  • ‘I am very happy that Twitter is now in sane hands’: Trump welcomes Musk’s takeover

    ‘I am very happy that Twitter is now in sane hands’: Trump welcomes Musk’s takeover

    The takeover was hailed, but former US president Donald Trump, who was permanently banned from Twitter after the riots on January 6, 2021, said little about making a comeback. “I am very happy that Twitter is now in sane hands, and will no longer be run by Radical Left Lunatics and Maniacs who truly hate our country.”

    Trump was banned after the 2021 attack on the US Capitol, which the Republican leader is suspected of instigating. Musk has said he might lift the ban.

    Former Russian President and current Vice-Chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, tweeted his congratulations, saying “Good luck @elonmusk in overcoming political bias and ideological dictatorship on Twitter. And quit that Starlink in Ukraine business.”

    Others urged Musk to undo restrictions imposed by the social network. In response to @catturd2, a random account with 852,000 followers, known for being a big supporter of Trump’s election fraud claims, and who said it was “shadowbanned,” Musk tweeted “I will be digging in more today.”

    Margarita Simonyan, the head editor of the Russian state-run media outlet RT, pleaded with Musk to “unban RT and Sputnik accounts and take the shadow ban off mine as well.”

    Musk and Twitter are under increasing pressure since he plans to address the Twitter workers on Friday after the purchase is finalised.

    “Hey @ElonMusk, now that you own Twitter, will you help fight back against Trudeau’s online censorship bill C-11?” tweeted Canada Proud, a group attempting to unseat Justin Trudeau as prime minister of Canada.

    According to Musk, Twitter may serve as the basis for a “super app” that does everything from ride-hailing to retail and money transfers.

    However, Twitter is having trouble retaining its most active users, who are crucial to the company. Less than 10 per cent of monthly active users are “heavy tweeters,” but they produce 90 per cent of all tweets and 50 per cent of global income.

  • Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover and what it means for you

    Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover and what it means for you

    The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tesla and the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, has finally closed the $44 billion deal to acquire Twitter.

    The “Chief Twit” allegedly fired Twitter’s senior executives, including its CEO Parag Agrawal and its head of legal policy Vijaya Gadde, on Thursday after closing the $44 billion deal.

    The takeover may bring significant changes to Twitter. The indicators have gotten stronger since the senior management was fired on the first day. Musk has previously made various allusions to the possibility of changing the online platform.

    This might not be good news if you use Twitter and value your online privacy. The platform has struggled with privacy and security issues for years, and it has been slow to put any potential fixes into action. As a result, it’s possible that everything you’ve ever done or said on Twitter, whether it was in public or private, including your direct messages, belongs to one of the wealthiest individuals in the world, a man notorious for being unpredictable, childish, and even vengeful.

    Additionally, it is now owned by a man who wanted to fire 75 per cent of the company’s employees, which might further jeopardise Twitter’s security.

    Noman Javed, an electrical engineer from Lahore, Pakistan, who has been using Twitter since 2010, said that given how immature and erratic Musk has always been, “anything is possible” on the social networking site. Musk has previously stated numerous times that he wants to support free expression and allow people to write anything; although this may sound positive, it can also be risky. As if everyone can tweet anything they want without worrying about being blocked or experiencing any negative effects.

    Javed anticipates that there may be increased disputes and debates on the platform, particularly between Indian and Pakistani users who regularly argue over a variety of topics, including sports and religion.

    According to TIME, when Musk commenced the takeover in April, he wrote CEO Agrawal, “I have a tonne of ideas.”

    Musk lists the preservation of “free expression” on Twitter as one of his key concerns. One of the primary advocates for removing Trump from the platform, Vijaya Gadde’s dismissal is regarded as the first step in that direction.

    After the attacks on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021, Trump was taken from the podium. A few other right-wing speakers were banned from the stage for promoting false information and divisive ideas.

    In a survey Musk conducted in March, he found that 74 per cent of users wanted an “edit” feature. The edit button has already begun to undergo testing on Twitter, but it has not yet been made available everywhere.

    Musk has spoken out against the pervasive use of bots on Twitter. Musk said in September that 90% of the replies on his tweets are automated. Even Agrawal was targeted with the assertion that eight out of ten Twitter accounts are bogus.

    He might take action in the coming days based on bots and phoney accounts. However, a Scottish digital university called CodeClan claims that if Musk bans bots, he might lose as many as 13.5 million followers.

    According to Bloomberg, in April, Musk reportedly disclosed to the banks his plans to create features to increase business revenue, including novel ways to monetize tweets that contain significant information or go viral.

    He suggested ideas including charging a fee when a third-party website wants to reference or incorporate a tweet from a verified person or organisation.

    A UCLA adjunct professor named Robert McCann claims that Musk’s public criticism of Twitter and its leadership has caused a “significant erosion of trust” on the website.

    Employee morale can suffer, and it might “spook” potential customers. Additionally, due to the restructuring at the very top, more employees may voluntarily quit the company after the purchase.

    In an open letter to advertisers published on Thursday, billionaire Elon Musk said he wouldn’t allow Twitter to devolve into a “free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences.” His apparent goal was to allay users’ and advertisers’ concerns the day before his $44 billion acquisition.

  • YouTube will let doctors apply to be labeled as ‘certified’ to avoid misinformation

    YouTube will let doctors apply to be labeled as ‘certified’ to avoid misinformation

    In an attempt to decrease inaccurate information on the platform, YouTube said Thursday that doctors and other health care providers can apply to have their channels certified. The change will allow viewers to more easily access videos containing “high-quality health information,” YouTube said.

    “This is a big step towards helping people more easily find and connect with content that comes from the extraordinary community of healthcare professionals on YouTube,” it added.

    In addition to physicians and nurses, those in the mental health field and those who offer healthcare information may also apply for the YouTube verification that makes their videos visible to users. “This new step will allow us to expand to include high-quality information from a wider group of healthcare channels,” the company said.

    The National Academy of Medicine estimates that 90 per cent of Americans use social media to look up health-related information.

    Last year, YouTube came under fire for displaying videos that decried the Covid-19 vaccine or went against the World Health Organization’s or the CDC’s recommendations for good health.

    In September 2021, it enacted a prohibition on vaccine-related misinformation in response.

    Additionally, a limited programme was introduced that permitted movies produced by public health departments, hospitals, and governments, among other organisations, to carry labels indicating their authority to consumers.

    This programme is currently being expanded.

    Healthcare providers need to follow best practises for disseminating science-based health information and have an active YouTube channel in order to access the programme, according to the business.

    The San Bruno, California-based company YouTube claims two billion active monthly users.

  • Elon Musk says he is buying Twitter to ‘help humanity’, not to make more money

    Elon Musk says he is buying Twitter to ‘help humanity’, not to make more money

    Elon Musk intends to collaborate with advertisers as his $44 billion purchase of Twitter is set to close. Musk reiterates that he is acquiring Twitter because it is a pillar of civilization and that doing so will benefit humanity in a statement to advertisers.

    Musk’s appeal reflects concerns that the platform might turn into a swamp of free-for-all commentary once he acquires it and that numerous people with extreme views could have unlimited access to it. With Musk leading Twitter, there is a chance that many advertisers may decide to abandon the platform.

    Musk guarantees in his note that once he buys Twitter, it wo n’t be free for all. It goes without saying that Twitter cannot devolve into a free-for-all hellhole where anything may be spoken without repercussions.

    “In addition to adhering to the laws of the land, our platform must be warm and welcoming to all,” he tweeted via a note.

    “Twitter aspires to be the most respected advertising platform in the world that strengthens your brand and grows your enterprise. To everyone who has partnered with us, I thank you. Let us build something extraordinary together.”

    In the message, Musk highlighted why he is buying Twitter. He says, “The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence,” he writes. “That is why I bought Twitter. I didn’t do it because it would be easy. I didn’t do it to make more money. I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love. And I do so with humility, recognizing that failure in pursuing this goal, despite our best efforts, is a very real possibility.”

    It’s the exact explanation Musk initially offered when he first announced his attempt to acquire Twitter for about $44 billion in April of this year. He quickly changed his mind, claiming he was no longer interested in purchasing Twitter because, in his opinion, the platform inflates the number of real, active users.

    Twitter disputed the accusations and sued Musk in court. Later, Musk promised to execute the transaction, and the court ordered him to do so by October 28.

    Elon Musk intends to collaborate with advertisers as his $44 billion purchase of Twitter is set to close. Musk reiterates that he is acquiring Twitter because it is a pillar of civilization and that doing so will benefit humanity in a statement to advertisers.

  • Elon Musk enters Twitter office holding a bathroom sink

    Elon Musk enters Twitter office holding a bathroom sink

    Billionaire Elon Musk entered the Twitter’s San Francisco office on Wednesday with a bathroom sink in his hands, with just a few more days to finalise his acquisition of Twitter and avoid a fresh court hearing.

    “Entering Twitter HQ – let that sink in!” the Tesla and SpaceX CEO tweeted with a video of his entrance.

    Earlier, Musk also changed his bio on Twitter, where he has more than 110 million followers, to “Chief Twit.”

    Musk must finalise the purchase of Twitter by Friday at 5 p.m. Eastern Time, or else he will have to consider going to trial once again.

    When Musk attempted to terminate their $44 billion merger deal, Twitter sued him on the grounds that it had been negligent in disclosing information concerning spam and bots on its network, which he claimed would have a materially negative impact. This was refuted by Twitter.

    After Musk said that he would in fact be prepared to purchase Twitter, a judge in the Delaware Chancery Court set the Friday deadline.

    Twitter wants the court to continue to be engaged because it did not trust Musk’s word. The judge ultimately decided to postpone the trial that had been scheduled for last week and gave the parties until the end of this week to reach a settlement; otherwise, she would schedule fresh trial dates for November.

  • YouTube rolls out new design with better features

    YouTube rolls out new design with better features

    A new look, a pinch-to-zoom function, precise seeking, new buttons, ambient mode, and a dark option that is “much darker” are all part of YouTube’s interface update unveiled on Monday.

    The changes will be gradually rolled out to all users.

    Users of iOS and Android devices may zoom in on videos on YouTube using the new pinch-to-zoom function to see additional information. In August, Premium members had access to this functionality as a test.

    Users will be able to quickly locate a certain segment in a video with precise seeking. Users can drag the cursor or slide up on the video to see a row of thumbnails on both desktop and mobile devices. Users can utilise this to locate the precise place in the video they need to revisit.

    The new version of YouTube includes a feature called “ambient mode” that uses “dynamic colour sampling” to match the background colour of the app to the colours in the video being watched. In the official blog post, YouTube’s UX Director Nate Koechley wrote.

    According to what we gather, the new impact is extremely modest and only intended for aesthetics. The idea is to engage the audience and draw attention to our watch page, Koechley continued.

    With YouTube’s dark theme, ambient mode will be accessible on both desktop and mobile devices. Additionally, video playlists will have it available.

    New buttons under videos are among the extra modifications. We will soon see buttons in place of video links in the video description, reducing distractions. Furthermore getting updated and exhibited in a smaller size are the like, share, and subscribe buttons.

  • WhatsApp down: Users facing problems in sending, receiving messages

    WhatsApp down: Users facing problems in sending, receiving messages

    Numerous users are reporting problems with the app’s text-sending and receiving capabilities, which suggests that WhatsApp may be experiencing a glitch.

    The number of people reporting the outage of WhatsApp has sharply increased, according to Downdetector, a company that measures online outages throughout the world.

    With more than 6,000 reports posted online, Downdetector is reporting a significant increase. Users are upset since their messages are not getting through. The app does not indicate delivery status even when the messages are delivered.

    Several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, and India, have reported the outage.

    Even Twitter users have expressed worries. In the meantime, the most popular hashtag on social media is “WhatsApp Down.”

    “We’re aware that some people are presently having problems sending messages, and we’re working to restore WhatsApp for everyone as quickly as possible,” a spokesman for Meta told media outlets in a statement.

  • WhatsApp is far more private and secure than iMessage, says Mark Zuckerberg

    WhatsApp is far more private and secure than iMessage, says Mark Zuckerberg

    Apple iMessage is the target of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s most recent Instagram post. He asserts that WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, is much more private and safe than iMessages.

    He continued by listing capabilities of WhatsApp that are not found in iMessage, such as end-to-end encryption and message disappearance.

    A billboard in New York City for Meta advertising promotes WhatsApp over SMS or iMessage in conjunction with the Instagram post. It provides a side-by-side comparison of WhatsApp’s “Private” bubble with the Green and Blue bubble technique used in iMessage.

     “WhatsApp is far more private and secure than iMessage, with end-to-end encryption that works across both iPhones and Android, including group chats. With WhatsApp you can also set all new chats to disappear with the tap of a button. And last year we introduced end-to-end encrypted backups too. All of which iMessage still doesn’t have,” reads the Instagram post shared by Zuckerberg.

    According to The Verge, the privacy ad campaign is a big push for Meta. Spokesperson Vispi Bhopti told the publication that it “will appear on broadcast TV, digital video, outdoor, and social across the United States,” and billboards will be popping up in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

    Over 2 billion people use WhatsApp worldwide. In the US, it is not the default texting app. Meta seeks to increase WhatsApp’s US user base. Recently, Meta has promoted WhatsApp focused on security and privacy.

    Not just Meta, but other tech firms have criticised iMessage from Apple. Apple’s Messages app should support RCS, the SMS replacement, according to Google’s pressure on Apple. A valid criticism of Apple’s privacy-focused iPhone advertising is the reality that iMessage still relies on SMS and cannot be used to securely message people who use Android phones.