Tag: social media

  • Johnny Depp receives long, standing ovation at Cannes, social media users divided

    Johnny Depp showed up at the Cannes Film Festival a year after a highly publicised court trial with his ex-wife Amber Heard, for the screening of his French period film ‘Jeanne du Barry’, in which he played King Louis XV.

    In a viral clip, the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ actor was seen receiving a thunderous seven minute standing ovation at the premiere of the film.
    Social media users however remained divided on the actor’s comeback.

    Some users were praising how Depp made a powerful comeback after facing years of pushback, being dropped by some major roles, as well as the court trial with his ex-wife Heard, who accused him of domestic abuse and rape.

    Some were enraged at how the prestigious film festival refused to condemn abusers, which lead to the launch of the viral hashtag #cannesyounot, through which Twitter users criticised festival organisers for overlooking allegations of abuse on Depp.

    https://twitter.com/hotline2hades/status/1658758656014405633?s=20

    In an article posted in ‘Liberation’ newspaper, 123 French film workers had criticised the festival’s decision to invite Depp:

    “By rolling out the red carpet to men and women who commit assaults, the festival demonstrates that violence in creative circles can be exercised with complete impunity,” they wrote.

  • Six years later, Sajal Aly, Ahad Raza Mir’s powerful performances in ‘Yakeen Ka Safar’ still enthrall Twitter users

    Pakistani dramas are often seen off with heavy sighs of reliefs because honestly, one less thing to plague our minds on a weekly basis.

    But there are some exceptional acting powerhouses like Sajal Aly and Ahad Raza Mir, who have changed the entertainment industry with their performances as well as their chemistry that no other acting duo has been able to compete with.

    In 2017, ‘Yakeen Ka Safar’ graced our screens, marking the debut of Ahad Raza Mir as Dr Asfandyar, who is shattered after the tragic murder of his brother, Daniyal. While Aly starred as Dr Zubia, who is still devastated by the murder of her mother by her father.

    Seven years after this drama, Twitter users still have not gotten over the duo, who later went on to star together in Aangan (2018) and Ye Dil Mera (2019).

    After a tweet asked their followers to share a clip from one of their favorite dramas, Pakistani Twitter users were quick to champion ‘Yakeen Ka Safar’ as one of the finest productions the entertainment industry has produced.

    https://twitter.com/unhingedbushra/status/1658538852154482690?s=20

    Another actress who has been championed by Twitter users as one of the finest actresses Pakistan has ever seen in Yumna Zaidi, as users shared clips of her tear jerking and powerful performance from ‘Dil Naumeed Tou Nahi’ and ‘Pyar Ke Sadqay’

  • IT minister denies involvement in internet suspension resulting in billion-rupee losses

    IT minister denies involvement in internet suspension resulting in billion-rupee losses

    Following the internet blackout in Pakistan, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Syed Amin-ul-Haque distanced his ministry from the blockage, stating that they were not taken into confidence.

    According to Geo, Haque revealed that mobile internet services were suspended without the Ministry of IT’s consultation. Since 2017, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has not been under the Ministry of IT, and the PTA has been operating independently.

    The minister explained that blocking social media websites or the internet was not the solution to any issue, and he urged people to be open-minded rather than resorting to using a VPN to access blocked sites.

    Haque suggested that instead of completely blocking the internet, it could be blocked in specific areas. He emphasized that the IT sector suffered losses of billions of rupees due to internet blockages.

    The suspension of mobile broadband and restricted access to Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube occurred after violent protests arose in response to the Rangers personnel arresting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan from the Islamabad High Court. At least ten people died, and dozens sustained injuries during the days-long protests.

    After almost a seven-day suspension, the government restored access to social media platforms such as Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. The suspension was recommended by the interior ministry and is the longest continuous shutdown in a country that often suspends communication as a tool to quell unrest. Telecom operators suffered an approximate revenue loss of Rs820 million, which was a significant blow to the sector as the economy remained in a fragile state.

    Additionally, the government blocked major social media platforms, including Twitter and Facebook, while YouTube services were slower to control the spread of disinformation.

  • Real Sinf-e-Ahan Naila Kiani summits Mount Lhotse in Nepal

    Real Sinf-e-Ahan Naila Kiani summits Mount Lhotse in Nepal

    Pakistani female mountaineer Naila Kiani has summited Mount Lhotse just two days after scaling Mount Everest.

    On Tuesday morning, Kiani became the first Pakistani woman to summit six 8000-meter mountains after she successfully scaled Mount Lhotse in Nepal.

    Lhotse is the fourth highest mountain in the world at 8,516 metres, after Mount Everest, K2, and Kangchenjunga.

    Apart from Lhotse, the other five 8000 metre mountains Kiani has summited include Everest, K2, Annapurna, Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II.
    Kiani’s expedition organisers in Nepal confirmed that she reached on top of Lhotse at 8:13 am local time today morning.

    According to Karrar Haidri of Alpine Club of Pakistan, Kiani is the first Pakistani woman to climb Lhotse and the country’s fastest woman to ascend six peaks higher than 8,000 metres.

    There have been several Pakistani mountaineers who have successfully summited Mount Lhotse and Mount Everest. Nazir Sabir, the first Pakistani to climb Mount Everest, also summited Mount Lhotse, the fourth highest peak in the world.

    He achieved this feat in 2001. Ashraf Aman has also summited both Mount Everest and Mount Lhotse.

    Samina Baig, the first Pakistani woman to climb Mount Everest, has also successfully summited Mount Lhotse. She accomplished the feat in 2014, becoming the first Pakistani woman to summit both peaks.

    Mirza Ali is a Pakistani mountaineer who has climbed both Mount Everest and Mount Lhotse. He achieved this double summit in 2019, becoming the first Pakistani to accomplish this feat within 24 hours.

    These are some of the Pakistani mountaineers who have conquered both Mount Everest and Mount Lhotse, two of the most challenging and renowned peaks in the world.

    Their achievements reflect the determination and skill of Pakistani climbers in tackling the world’s highest mountains.

  • ‘Young Al Pacino or young Robert De Niro?’ A Twitter poll has users shaking, crying and throwing up

    Ever had to make a life-altering decision but faced with two things you absolutely cannot pick between? Yes we’re talking to you.

    Social media is being asked to pick between two of the best actors Hollywood has ever witnessed: Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.

    A journalist Ashley Reese was the one who initiated this babe smackdown when she posted a poll on her Twitter account and asked her 60.9 K followers to do the impossible and pick the one who was hotter in their prime.

    The poll went viral with even Pakistani Twitter users stepping in and offer their two cents along with evidence to back it up.

    Like we had amazing fancams from Twitter users defending Al Pacino and his show stopping performance in ‘The Godfather’, ‘Dog Days’ and even ‘Serpico’.

    The gorgeous love letter he wrote for Diane Keaton? Sign us up please

    https://twitter.com/taytertotbitch/status/1657846246680281088?s=20

    As for Robert De Niro… we as well as other Twitter users have no words to describe how gorgeous he was as well.

    Twitter has given their verdict, and the poll came to a tie. But what does our audiences think? Let us know in the comments!

  • Snapchat star creates virtual girlfriend AI chatbot to ‘cure loneliness’

    Snapchat star creates virtual girlfriend AI chatbot to ‘cure loneliness’

    Caryn Marjorie, a Snapchat influencer with 1.8 million subscribers, has launched an AI-powered, voice-based chatbot called CarynAI. The chatbot, described as a “virtual girlfriend,” allows Marjorie’s followers to have private and personalised conversations with an AI version of the influencer.

    The bot, designed by Forever Voices, an AI company, and developed using OpenAI’s GPT4 software, has generated $71,610 in revenue after one week of beta testing with over 1,000 users paying $1 per minute to use it. Marjorie hopes that CarynAI will “cure loneliness” and even features cognitive-behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy to rebuild physical and emotional confidence that has been taken away by the pandemic.

    However, CarynAI has sparked discourse around the ethics of companion chatbots, as it is not supposed to engage in sexually explicit interactions, but Marjorie stated that it had gone “rogue” and that her team is working around the clock to prevent this from happening again.

    Moreover, Irina Raicu, the director of internet ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, expressed concern that CarynAI’s claims to potentially “cure loneliness” are not backed up by sufficient psychological or sociological research, and the chatbot adds “a second layer of unreality” to parasocial relationships between influencers and fans.

    Despite the backlash and even death threats, Marjorie is proud of her team’s work, with CarynAI being the first step in the right direction to cure loneliness. However, Raicu emphasised that influencers should be aware of the Federal Trade Commission’s guidance on artificial intelligence products, and Meyer, CEO of Forever Voices, said that his company takes ethics seriously and is looking to hire a chief ethics officer. On Friday, Marjorie tweeted that “if you are rude to CarynAI, it will dump you.”

  • Social media calls out Indian filmmaker for accusing Imran Khan of ‘Illegally’ using Faiz’s poem

    Indian Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri came under social media fire after stating that Imran Khan has “illegally” used ‘‘Hum Dekhenge” song in a video for his instagram handle.

    The song was recently used in the Indian movie, The Kashmir Files.

    Vivek Agnihotri shared a clip of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Instagram post. In the video “Hum Dekhenge” is playing in the background.

    The Filmmaker, in his tweet wrote, “See the power of Indic cinema. The official account of @ImranKhanPTI is using the official song of #TheKashmirFiles illegally in his official video on Instagram.” This incident exposes the double standards of Pakistan when it comes to intellectual property and copyright infringement.”

    Social media was quick to point out that the song is actually Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed’s poem, which is not exclusive to ‘Kashmir Flies’.

    Have a look at the tweets:

    https://twitter.com/SamiyaLatief/status/1656949680931246081

  • Mobile data service suspension to cost Pakistan’s IT industry $3-4 million in daily losses

    Mobile data service suspension to cost Pakistan’s IT industry $3-4 million in daily losses

    The suspension of mobile data services in Pakistan is expected to result in a daily loss of $3-4 million to the country’s IT exports.

    The Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) has called on the government to restore mobile broadband services, which have been suspended since Tuesday due to the political turmoil that erupted after the arrest of the PTI party’s chairman, Imran Khan.

    The government has blocked 3G/4G mobile broadband services and major social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, as well as slowing down YouTube services to control the spread of “unwanted information” that could cause disinformation and panic among the masses.

    According to The News, Muhammad Zohaib Khan, the Chairman of P@SHA, warned that the suspension of mobile broadband services could result in significant losses for the IT industry, which relies heavily on internet connectivity.

    The IT industry has come to a standstill since Tuesday evening, and professionals are working from home due to the precarious law and order situation in the entire country. Zohaib urged the government to resume internet services to the IT industry immediately, saying that the sudden blockade of broadband services has completely halted IT operations, and the IT industry is already facing pressure due to poor governmental policies.

    Zohaib requested Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to intervene directly and asked for the support of the Ministry of IT and Telecom, Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), and Tech Destination Pakistan administrations to request the premier to issue categorical instructions.

    The suspension of mobile broadband services has also affected individuals who rely on digital apps for commuting or ordering/delivering food and other products. However, an official stated that it is difficult to calculate the losses at this stage.

  • Woman demands a refund for wedding photos from photographer after divorce

    Woman demands a refund for wedding photos from photographer after divorce

    A South African woman has made headlines after contacting her wedding photographer, four years after her wedding, to request a refund due to her recent divorce.

    The woman claimed that she and her ex-husband no longer needed the wedding photos, and therefore, they should be entitled to a refund.

    The photographer, Lance Romeo, initially thought it was a prank, but after realising the woman was serious, he respectfully declined her request.

    Still, the woman did not accept his refusal and requested to meet in person to discuss the matter, but the photographer refused and instructed her to communicate through her lawyers.

    The photographer shared the WhatsApp chat with the woman on Twitter, which soon went viral. The woman’s ex-husband later contacted the photographer and apologised on her behalf.

    Despite the woman’s demands, the photographer remained professional throughout the exchange, and the incident garnered widespread attention on social media.

  • Meta blocks over 1,000 malicious URLs disguised as ChatGPT and AI tools

    Meta blocks over 1,000 malicious URLs disguised as ChatGPT and AI tools

    The internet is becoming more hazardous as the number of scams on the internet increases. Social media giants are now alerting users to fraudulent ChatGPT apps that are circulating on the internet. It is essential for users to be vigilant and only download ChatGPT apps from reliable sources.

    Meta has identified scammers exploiting people’s interest in ChatGPT by enticing users to download harmful apps and browser extensions. Cybercriminals are taking advantage of people’s curiosity and trust in ChatGPT to launch attacks, using tactics similar to those used in cryptocurrency scams.

    Meta has discovered about ten malware families that pose as ChatGPT and other similar tools. These malware strains are used to compromise accounts across the internet. Once a user downloads the malware, the malicious actors can launch an attack and keep updating their methods to bypass security protocols.

    Meta’s Q3 2023 security report states, “Over the past several months, we’ve investigated and taken action against malware strains taking advantage of people’s interest in OpenAI’s ChatGPT to trick them into installing malware pretending to provide AI functionality.” The company has detected and blocked over 1,000 unique malicious URLs from being shared on their apps, protecting unsuspecting users from falling prey to these cyberattacks.

    Furthermore, Meta has reported these malicious URLs to their industry peers at file-sharing services where malware is hosted, enabling them to take appropriate action to protect their users and networks. Meta has taken significant steps to combat the threat posed by malware strains posing as ChatGPT and similar tools.

    Cybercriminals are also using other websites such as LinkedIn, Chrome, Edge, Brave, and Firefox to deceive people. Meta has taken action against nine groups worldwide who are attempting to influence people secretly and steal information.

    Meta advises people to be cautious and ensure that the things they download are safe. They recommend that people only download things from trusted sources.