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.

  • How 5G will affect you

    How 5G will affect you

    Qualcomm, an American multinational telecommunication company makes the 5G chips and modems that every 5G phone in the US will rely on. However, Qualcomm isn’t the only major 5G player, of course — Huawei, Nokia and Ericsson are all leaders too. Nevertheless, Qualcomm’s investments in 5G research and development mean that it has a strong hand in getting more business. 

    Here how 5G wil affect our lives.

    Every high-end phone could be 5G in 2020

    In a confident statement by Qualcomm, “all premium phones will support 5G in 2020 such as Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G, LG V50, Oneplus 7 pro 5G. But there’s a little nuance here too. 4G only options are still valuable during the 5G transition because they come with a lower price tag. 

    5G laptops will appear in 2020

    Lenovo has already announced that it will introduce 5G connected PCs in early 2020. We may not see those laptops hit the market for a while, but you’d better believe that some laptop-makers will jump at the chance to be the first to bring 5G to computing — just as you see happening right now with phones, but Qualcomm bets that the hunger for 5G laptops will grow over time. 

    5G will replace wifi routers at home and office 

    5G hubs that work like Wi-Fi for your home are already here. One example of fixed 5G is the HTC 5G Hub, a device that plugs into your router to deliver home broadband. 

    Moreover, they’re designed to deliver the same dramatically high-speed internet, say between 500 (Mbps) to over one (GB) per second. 

    Self-driving cars that talk to each other 

    Qualcomm showed a self-driving car fitted with 5G sensors runs the same route as a car without 5G. The 5G powered sensors take in data from other connected vehicles, understanding when a car door is opening at the curb, if there’s an obstruction in the road and when pedestrians are finished crossing the streets. At the end of the demo, the 5G-connected car is better informed of obstructions and arrives at the destination much faster. 

    But the reality could be decades away. Before 5G autonomous cars become common, self-driving vehicles will be be the norm.

  • YouTube, Facebook content moderators sign PTSD disclosure

    YouTube, Facebook content moderators sign PTSD disclosure

    Technology and media company Verge has published a detailed report on Facebook and YouTube’s ‘content moderation’ processes in which people have to sign a form that says:

    “I understand the content I will be reviewing may be disturbing, It is possible that reviewing such content may impact my mental health, and it could even lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I will take full advantage of the weCare program and seek additional mental health services if needed. I will tell my supervisor/or my HR People Adviser if I believe that the work is negatively affecting my mental health.”

    However, this policy is not for everyone, here is the reason why.

    According to the report, only new joiners were asked to sign the forms, whereas existing employees were being sent the form as an update. In addition, this policy is being implemented in a company called ‘Accenture.’

    The Accenture is a multinational company that provides content moderation services to various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Google. The job of content moderation is outsourced because a huge amount of Data is posted on social media platforms. It is certainly not possible for the company to moderate all content on its own.

    However, the nature of the job is gruesome because the moderators have to view highly sexual and violent content which results in severe mental health issues. The reports come as Facebook faces lawsuits from former content moderators over a range of mental health issues in California and Ireland.

    Cases of PTSD and other mental health issues have been on the rise among content moderators. In 2019 The Verge published a behind the senses report of the Facebook Moderators.

    One moderator quoted in that report said he “sleeps with a gun by his side” after doing the job.

    Mental health experts say understanding the psychological strains of this job does not mitigate its risks.

  • Twitter to allow users to decide who can reply to their tweets

    Twitter to allow users to decide who can reply to their tweets

    In a surprising tech twist, Twitter announces that it is testing new ways to limit online abuse and will allow users to control who can reply to their tweets.

    Kayvon Beykpour, VP of product at Twitter revealed the plan at a conference in Las Vegas saying that, “the primary motivation is control…We want to build on the theme of authors getting more control, ” reports TechCrunch.

    Twitter will be experimenting with different options on who can reply and how much control to give the author of a tweet.

    The most private option would prevent anyone from replying to a tweet and users can select who they want to reply to their tweet. Other options include in limiting replies to people mentioned in the tweet or followers only.

    WATCH: PTI’s supporter Dr. Farhan Virk reveals why his Twitter account was deactivated

    It is unclear when this option will be released.

    Many Pakistani journalists, especially female anchors, have complained about on-going abuse on Twitter.

    Watch what anchor Gharidah Faruqi had to say when asked about being heavily trolled online in this The Current Life interview.

  • Jazz conducts successful 5G tests

    Jazz conducts successful 5G tests

    Jazz has successfully tested out the fifth generation of mobile technology. Twitter handle of Jazz announced the news. When launched, 5G will meet the evolving needs of tomorrow’s customers.

    https://twitter.com/jazzpk/status/1213472918941896704

    The tests were conducted at Jazz’s Digital Headquarters in Islamabad, where average download speeds of 1425 Mbps and upload speeds of 68 Mbps were achieved.

    Jazz
    CEO Amir Ibrahim, talking about the successful 5G trials, said, “We are pleased
    with the initial 5G trials and are ready to fast track the technology across
    Pakistan, whenever the process gets started by the government. These trials
    showcase our commitment towards a digital Pakistan, which is why we have been
    the frontrunners in deploying the latest mobile technology.”

     “Successful conclusion of these 5G trials is a
    matter of pride for us as we have always tried to provide the latest
    technologies to the masses,” said Jazz CTO Khalid Shehzad. “Our network is
    spread throughout Pakistan and once the pre-requisites are set for the
    commercial launch of 5G in the country, Jazz will ensure no one is left behind
    in attaining the benefits this next-gen technology will offer.”

    Jazz
    is ready to offer 5G’s game-changing potential whenever the government allows
    for the commercial launch.

  • Madrassa students won a robotics competition at Taxila University

    Madrassa students won a robotics competition at Taxila University

    Students from Jamia Baitul Salam participated in an educational competition held at HITEC University Taxila. The madrassa students won robotics competition beating participants from 20 other universities.

    Not only this but they also won Urdu speech competition
    and spelling bee contest. 

    Every year HITEC University arrange an inter-university event that involves different curricular and co-curricular competition. Over 20 educational institutes take part in different activities. 

    Jamia Baitul Salam is one of Islamic welfare educational institutions that offers their students worldly knowledge under the shade of religion. The institute also offers both matriculation and O level education to the students.

    .

  • 5 products of this decade that transformed the tech world

    5 products of this decade that transformed the tech world

    The year 2020 is almost here, marking the end of this dacade, but it surely brought a lot of new technology and gadgets which range from latest mobile applications to mobile phones, computers to smart devices, and much more in the internet of things.

    But not every product that is created in the past ten years has the same impact on the society. It takes some serious innovation and cultural adoption to really change the tech world.

    We have listed here a few tech innovations that truly changed tech and were hailed as the most revolutionary products this in this decade.

    WhatsApp:

    Launched in November 2009, WhatsApp is a social media messaging platform that is owned by Facebook and its impact on society was significant enough to be mentioned here.

    WhatsApp specializes in cross-platform messaging, it is a free service that lets users message one another seamlessly between mobile and desktop devices. It is known for its enhanced privacy features, like end-to-end encryption, and its free audio and video international calling services.

    Apple iPad:

    When Steve Jobs first revealed the iPad in early 2010, many wondered whether there was a room for a product that was bigger than a smartphone, but lighter than (and more limited in features than) a laptop.

    Apple originally designed this new device to occupy a new product category between the iPod touch/iPhone and the Mac and by late 2012, over 100 million iPad devices had been sold worldwide and around 71 million iPads were sold in 2013 alone.

    It runs the same version of operating system as the iPod touch and iPhone. Similarly, the iPad devices are compatible with the vast majority of mobile applications written for the iPhone and iPod touch as well.

    Uber:

    Launched in 2012, ther ride-hailing service Uber has become the most recognized alternative to the traditional taxi services around the world. The service is available in over 700 cities including around the world including Pakistan, and this number is set to increase even more.

    This service allows its users to order a cab from a mobile application by just mentioning the pickup and drop-off locations.

    However, with expansion the problems in the service also increased. Wired has reported that the company’s relationship with its drivers is fraught and the company also refuses to classify its drivers as employees. Moreover, it is has also been criticized for skimping on driver background checks.

    Apple iPhone 4S:

    The original iPhone was launched in 2007 and it was one of the most influential events of our modern era. But the launch of the iPhone 4S in October 2011, was the big game-changer for Apple company’s business.

    Its new design and being the first iPhone mobile device to boast a front-facing selfie camera with the launch of FaceTime and Apple’s video chat service, the device captured the market in an instance.

    Oculus Rift:

    Oculus Rift is a virtual reality headset, designed to connect to a high-powered PC to enable advanced computations and graphics rendering. The original prototype of this device was created in 2011 by the (then) 18-year-old Palmer Luckey in his parents’ garage in Long Beach, California.

    But what captured the comsumers’ interest was the launch of an HD (high-definition) version of the device in 2012. Later, in the fall of 2012, the company raised over two million dollars through its kickstarter crowdfunding campaign which is significantly higher that the $250,000 the startup sough.

    Oculus Rift’s constellation positioning technology uses gaze tracking and IR LED sensors to identify the user’s position while interacting with the virtual environment. It allows users to move freely within their physical environment, where they can sit, stand, walk, turn, duck and dodge as they desire.

  • ‘Can locate users even if they opt-out of tracking,’ reveals Facebook

    The social media giant, Facebook has revealed that it can determine where users are even if they choose-out of having their whereabouts tracked, The Express Tribune reported.

    According to the details, Facebook in its letter sent to United States (US) senators explained the ways it can use to figure out where people are after they have selected not to share precise location data with the company.

    The social media network, contended that knowing a user’s location has benefits ranging from showing ads for nearby shops to fighting hackers and battling misinformation.

    Republican Senator Josh Hawley in a tweet said, “There is no opting out. No control over your personal information,” adding that, “That’s Big Tech. And that’s why Congress needs to take action.”

    Facebook said that the clues for figuring out someone’s location include being tagged in a photo at a specific place or a check-in at a location such as at a restaurant during a dinner with friends or a hotel.

    Along with location information shared in posts by users, their whereabouts can be noted with the help of devices connecting to the internet, which are given IP addresses. Those IP addresses include locations, although they are a a bit imprecise when it comes to mobile devices linking through telecom services that might only note a town or city.

    The tech giant had recently said that it is ready for a data privacy law which will go into effect in its home state of California at the start of next year.

    The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) will give internet users the right to see what data is being collected by the big tech companies and with whom it is shared.

  • Kp govt to launch ‘Online Sabzi Mandi’ with free home delivery

    The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has decided to launch an Online Sabzi Mandi with free home delivery option to ensure the provision of quality household commodities at citizens’ doorsteps, a private media outlet has reported.

    According to the details, the KP government is developing a mobile app which according to the Directorate General Information of KP, will be inaugurated by Chief Minister (CM) Mahmood Khan in January.

    The citizens with the help of this app will be able to order groceries and fruits online at government notified rates without any delivery charges and it will be available on both the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store.

    In the first phase, the online service will be launched in four districts of the province including, Mardan, Abbottabad, Peshawar, and Dera Ismail Khan.

    This online platform will provide all household items such as vegetables, fruits, grains and other food items on government applied rates.

  • Student sues TikTok over alleged data transfer

    Student sues TikTok over alleged data transfer

    A university student in California named Misty Hong, has filed a class-action lawsuit against Chinese-based social media video app TikTok, accusing it of harvesting large amounts of user data and storing it in China, Dawn reported.

    According to the details, the court filing said, “TikTok clandestinely has vacuumed up and transferred to servers in China vast quantities of private and personally-identifiable user data”.

    The lawsuit has alleged, “TikTok also has surreptitiously taken user content, such as draft videos never intended for publication, without user knowledge or consent”.

    “In short, TikTok’s lighthearted fun comes at a heavy cost,” the lawsuit said.

    The social media app which is quiet popular with teenagers around the world, was launched by Chinese company ByteDance in September 2017.

    The suit marks the latest legal battle for the app. Earlier in November, the United States (US) government had opened a national security investigation into TikTok, according to the New York Times, potentially looking into whether the app was sending data to China.

    Misty Hong alleges that the app retrieved her data without permission – including videos that she had created but not shared online with friends – and transferred that data to servers run by companies that cooperate with the Chinese government.

    Hong filed the suit on behalf of the approximately 110 million US residents who have downloaded the app.

    In November, TikTok didnot gave any comment on a possible US investigation but emphasised that the respect of US users and regulators was its highest priority.

    TikTok claimed that it has distanced itself from Chinese authorities, maintaining that its servers are located outside of the country and that its data is therefore not subject to Chinese law.

    In November, the app hit 1.5 billion downloads worldwide, outperforming the photo-sharing app Instagram.

  • SOS Pakistan to launch app to rescue stray animals

    SOS Pakistan to launch app to rescue stray animals

    Save Our Strays (SOS) Pakistan, an animal welfare community, is launching a mobile phone application to rescue stray animals. According to the makers of SOS Animal Rescue, this will be Pakistan’s first-ever rescue app for strays.

    The app will spot the exact location of animals in danger and provide instant help through the nearest volunteers and vets. The app is expected to launch on March 23, 2020, to end violence against stray dogs, cats, donkeys and other local breeds.

    Director Operations and PR from SOS, Mustafa Ahmed, said
    “People could not share the exact location of animals in need, especially when
    reporting from the roads, hence the rescue work would get delayed,”

    As per reports, the app will initially launch in Karachi, Badin, Bahawalpur, Lahore and Islamabad, but will soon cover other cities as well in the next phase.

    The application will only require address, nearest landmark, contact number and details of the animal in danger to provide help. The volunteers are also being trained for this purpose while CNIC and mobile number based verification system are also being presently developed.

    Ahmed shared that more than 1,500 animals, that were mostly wounded or poisoned, were rescued and around 130 animals in November alone. He hoped that more strays would be saved via this app.