Day: October 18, 2022

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Samsung launches Galaxy Buds2 Pro

Samsung recently launched its latest flagship wireless earbuds, the long-awaited Galaxy Buds2 Pro, in Bangladesh.

 

With the most advanced features in the world of audio, the Galaxy Buds2 Pro is here to give users an ultimate concert-like experience right from their smartphones and devices.

 

The Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro can be purchased at Tk 26,999. Customers can also avail a cashback of up to Tk 10,000 as a launch offer.

 

These earbuds can be found in an array of premium colors, including Graphite, White, and Bora Purple. Its battery supports five hours of continuous playtime with ANC and up to 18 hours in the cradle.

 

It comes with 24-Bit Hi-Fi Audio for unmatched sound quality. Besides, 360 Audio makes any sound more realistic, transporting users right to a concert. The intelligent 360 Audio can pinpoint the direction of the sound as users move their heads for a spatial experience.

 

Moreover, the newest Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) eliminates all sorts of outside sounds, including the soft sound of the wind. It also switches to Ambient sound with the Voice Detect as soon as it detects talking so that users can engage themselves in a conversation without taking the buds off.

 

Md. Muyeedur Rahman, Head of Mobile of Samsung Electronics, said, “The need for wireless audio has been increasing for quite a while. To bring the best form of audio for our customers, Samsung introduced the Galaxy Buds2 Pro, equipped with top-notch features and technological advancements for an unmatched audio experience. Be it listening to music, playing video games, or talking to your loved ones, the Galaxy Buds2 Pro ensures convenience and quality for every instance.”

 

This latest pair of Galaxy Buds come in a classy-yet-fun design structure. They are ergonomically designed for the ultimate comfortable fit. Enhanced wind flow technology helps reduce ear canal pressure and minimizes noise — for comfort and clarity. Adding to that, the earbuds underwent a 15% size reduction from its predecessor, now weighing only 5.5 grams. Moreover, the silicone tips come in three different sizes, so users can choose their perfect fit. Besides, the Galaxy Buds2 Pro comes with IPX7 Water Resistance. Regardless of an accidental splash of water, rain, or dripping sweat from an intense cardio session – the pair will work just fine.

 

Galaxy Buds2 Pro also offers seamless connectivity. With Easy Pairing, the buds can be connected to Samsung Galaxy devices with Android 10 and above by popping the case open, followed by just a tap.

 

Auto Switch on Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro intelligently detects mobile activity and seamlessly shifts its connection to a Samsung Galaxy phone, tablet, and watch, or even a Samsung TV. Incoming calls can be answered simply by tapping the Galaxy Buds2 Pro twice. Moreover, SmartThings Find enables users to locate the earbuds, thanks to the location detection feature.

 

Moreover, it can also detect when the user is walking away from the earbuds. The integrated alarm will alert the user by instantly sending a notification so that the earbuds are not accidentally left behind.

 

Source: United News of Bangladesh

 

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DU observes Sheikh Russel Day

On the occasion of the 58th birth anniversary of Shaheed Sheikh Russell, the youngest son of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, people have paid tribute to him by placing flowers at his mural.

 

Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni, Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University Prof. Md. Akhtaruzzaman, directors and chairmen of different organisations and Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Education Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Naufel presented floral wreaths on the mural of Sheikh Russel at University Laboratory School and College of University of Dhaka.

 

After paying tribute to the mural of Sheikh Russel, a discussion session was arranged by University Laboratory school and College.

 

DU vice-chancellor prof. Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman inaugurated the discussion session by cutting a cake.

 

Acting Principal of University Laboratory School and College Mrs. Selina presided over the meeting and Director of Education and Research Institute Prof. Dr. Md. Abdul Halim delivered the welcoming speech.

 

Among others DU Pro-Vice Chancellor (Administration) Prof. Dr. Muhammad Samad, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education) Prof. Dr. ASM Maqsood Kamal, Treasurer Prof. Mumtaz Uddin Ahmed, University Laboratory Ex-Students Association (ULESA) President Naeem Ahmed Khan, and Sheikh Russel’s classmate Prof. Fawzia Banu were present in the discussion session.

 

The vice chancellor said, “Sheikh Russell was a 4th grade student at the University Laboratory School and College. He had some extraordinary qualities like honesty, articulation and friendly.”

 

“If the little Russell of that day were alive, he would have been a mature man of 59 years today and could have led the work of building a golden Bengal of Bangabandhu. But the merciless bullets of the assassins did not allow that to happen,” he added.

 

Later, The Vice-Chancellor called upon the new generation to become worthy citizens by keeping the values of Sheikh Russell.

 

Mentioned, Sheikh Russell was a student of University Laboratory School and College of Dhaka University. He was born on 18th October of 1964 and killed by the assassin on 15th August of 1975 at the age of 11.

 

However, Leaders and activists of different hall units of Dhaka University of Chhatra League led by president of university branch Sanjit Chandra Das and GS Saddam Hussain paid tribute to Sheikh Russell’s mural by offering flowers.

 

Dhaka University Chhatra League unit also launched a food distribution program among the street children and needy people to mark the birthday of Sheikh Russel.

 

The food distribution program will be held at Oparajito Shadhinota Chottor in front of TSC at 5 pm.

 

Source: United News of Bangladesh

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UK PM Truss’ waning power brings political plots, jokes

Powerless, humiliated, labeled a “ghost” prime minister and compared unfavorably to a head of lettuce — this is not a good week for Liz Truss.

 

Britain’s prime minister was scrambling to recover her grasp on power Tuesday after her economic plans were ripped up and repudiated by a Treasury chief whom she was forced to appoint to avoid meltdown on the financial markets.

 

Truss remains in office, for now, largely because her Conservative Party is divided over how to replace her.

 

In a bid at business as usual, Truss held a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, where, her spokesman said, there was an “in-depth discussion” of the new economic plan, and no one asked her to resign.

 

Truss also met lawmakers from rival Conservative factions, arguing that keeping her in post can provide stability, even though she has had to ditch almost the entire prospectus on which she was elected party leader just six weeks ago.

 

Chastened but defiant, Truss acknowledged Monday that “mistakes were made” — but insisted she would lead the Conservatives into the next national election.

 

Few believe that. Britain’s lively, partisan press is unusually united in the opinion that Truss is doomed. The Conservative-backing tabloid The Sun called her “a ghost PM” and said “for the sake of the country, we cannot go on like this.” The left-leaning Guardian compared the Conservatives to a mutinous ship’s crew, saying “Truss has not left her party. But it appears to have left her.”

 

After The Economist said Truss’ time in control of the government — before the Sept. 23 “mini-budget” that set the markets aflame — was “roughly the shelf-life of a lettuce,” the tabloid Daily Star set up a livestream featuring a photo of the prime minister beside a head of iceberg, adorned with a blond wig, eyes and a mouth. It asks “Can Liz Truss outlast this lettuce?” — which, five days in, is gradually turning brown.

 

Truss initially tried to stay the course after her government’s package of 45 billion pounds ($50 billion) in unfunded tax cuts spooked the markets, pushing up government borrowing costs, raising home mortgage costs and sending the pound plummeting to an all-time low against the dollar. The Bank of England was forced to intervene to protect pension funds, which were squeezed by volatility in the bond market.

 

Under intense political and economic pressure, Truss last week fired her ally Kwasi Kwarteng as Treasury chief, replacing him with the Cabinet veteran Jeremy Hunt, who had been sidelined since 2019.

 

On Monday Hunt scrapped almost all of Truss’ tax cuts, along with her flagship energy policy and her promise that there will be no public spending cuts, saying there are “many difficult decisions” to be made before he issues a medium-term fiscal plan on Oct. 31.

 

The market for British government bonds and the pound weakened Tuesday as relief over the government’s about-face was tempered by the recognition that the new policies are likely to mean slower economic growth.

 

The pound fell 0.75% against the U.S. dollar to $1.1273 in late morning trading in London, after jumping as much as 1.2% on Monday. Yields on 10-year government bonds rose to 4.081% after dropping to 3.973% on Monday. Bond yields, which represent the return investors receive on their money, rise as a borrower’s creditworthiness decreases and decline when it improves.

 

“While one could argue that yesterday’s measures have stabilized the public finances in the short term and pulled the U.K. back into the pack as far as market perceptions of fiscal responsibility is concerned, one must question at what price to the economy next year,” said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK.

 

With opinion polls giving the opposition Labour Party a large and growing lead, many Conservatives now believe their only hope of avoiding electoral oblivion is to replace Truss.

 

Under Conservative Party rules, Truss is safe from a leadership challenge for a year, but those rules can be changed if enough lawmakers want it. Some Conservative legislators also believe Truss can be forced to resign if the party can agree on a successor. But the many divisions in the party — whose factions range from hard-right Brexiteers to centrist “One Nation” Conservatives — makes that a challenge.

 

Truss’ defeated leadership rival Rishi Sunak, House of Commons leader Penny Mordaunt and popular Defense Secretary Ben Wallace all have supporters, as does Hunt, who many see as the de facto prime minister already. Some even want the return of Boris Johnson, who was ousted in the summer after becoming enmeshed in ethics scandals.

 

A national election does not have to be held until 2024, and a few Conservatives say Truss should be given a second chance. But lawmaker Charles Walker said that if Truss led the party into the next election, “I think we’ll be out (of power) for 15 years.”

 

The chaos is unprecedented even for a country that has experienced plenty of political turbulence. Since the shock 2016 referendum vote to leave the European Union, Britain has seen years of bitter wrangling with the EU, two general elections and three prime ministers.

 

“British politics and economics is convulsed from time to time, as many countries are,” said Tony Travers, visiting professor in the Department of Government at the London School of Economics. “But the two coming together — where a political crisis effectively causes an economic one, which then the government has to try to bail itself out from — I think it’s pretty well without parallel.”

 

Source: United News of Bangladesh

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BNP provides financial assistance to families of two slain activists of Bhola

BNP on Tuesday provided financial support to the families of the leaders of Jubo Dal and Swechchasebak Dal who were shot dead allegedly by the police in BNP’s political programmes in Bhola.

 

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir handed over the party’s cash assistance to the families of Jubo Dal leader Noor-e-Alam and Swechchasebak Dal leader Abdur Rahim at the party Chairperson’s Gulshan office.

 

BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman virtually joined the programme.

 

Speaking at the programme, Fakhrul assured that their party will stand by the family members of those who are sacrificing their lives in the ongoing movement for the sake of democracy and people’s voting rights.

 

On July 31, Abdur Rahim was shot dead when the police attacked a protest rally against the increase in fuel and commodity prices in Bhola. Noor-e-Alam died while undergoing treatment on August 3 in Dhaka who sustained bullet wounds during the clash.

 

The assistance was provided from the party fund and the party’s acting chairperson Tarique Rahman and. Besides, Australian expatriate Habibur Rahman and American expatriate Saiful Alam Kadar provided financial support for these two families.

 

BNP Senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, vice chairman Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, central leader Nazim Uddin Alam and BNP Standing Committee Member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, among others, were present at the event.

 

Source: United News of Bangladesh

 

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BGMEA leaders, Dickson discuss ways to boost RMG export to UK market

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has discussed possible ways to increase apparel export share in the UK with British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson.

 

Dickson had a courtesy meeting with BGMEA President Faruque Hassan at BGMEA Complex on Tuesday.

 

BGMEA President hopes for continued support of the British government to RMG sector.

 

They discussed various trade related issues, including the present situation in the UK market, challenges of the industry and the areas where the sector is focusing on to remain competitiveness in the long term.

 

They also talked about cooperation between the UK and Bangladesh regarding graduation from LDC, possible changes in the tariff regime and how to retain Bangladesh’s export competitiveness and maintain its standing in the global market in the post-LDC era, according to the BGMEA.

 

BGMEA Vice President Shahidullah Azim, Vice President (Finance) Khandoker Rafiqul Islam, Directors Barrister Shehrin Salam Oishee, Asif Ashraf, Tanvir Ahmed, Abdullah Hil Rakib, Barrister Vidiya Amrit Khan, Director of Sales and Investment at British High Commission Dan Pasha and BTMA Director Md. Mosharaf Hossain were present at the meeting.

 

Source: United News of Bangladesh

 

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Seminar on engaging Generation Z in shaping the future held at BRAC University

A seminar was held on “Engaging Youth in Shaping Bangladesh’s Future in a Transforming World” at BRAC University on Tuesday.

 

UNDP Bangladesh and the BRAC Institute for Governance and Development (BIGD) have jointly organised the discussion seminar on this year’s global Human Development Report, said a press release issued on Tuesday.

 

The seminar was attended by a room full of young students and professionals and it was designed to engage young minds and hearing their perspectives on the implications of the issues highlighted in this year’s report in the context of Bangladesh.

 

Speakers at the seminar highlighted a number of key messages during the discussion saying as the world faces an array of overlapping and interlinked challenges, layers of uncertainty are added in people’s lives and years of progress made in human development are reversed.

 

Dangerous planetary pressures, sweeping societal transformation, and increased polarization are the three sources of uncertainty mentioned in the Human Development Report (HDR) 2022 that are compounding to cause stress and anxiety at an unprecedented level.

 

This has strong consequences for Generation Z i.e., the changemakers of tomorrow, especially in a country like Bangladesh which continues to face the brunt of more persistent threats like climate change.

 

It will take working towards shared goals and doubling down on human development to create a future in which all can thrive, however uncertain.

 

Seminar on engaging Generation Z in shaping the future held at BRAC University

 

Dr Imran Matin, Executive Director, BIGD moderated the discussion and set the context of the seminar, “This discussion seminar is a way of understanding the perspectives of youths and how their lives are impacted by uncertainty revolving around climate change, youth employment, mental well-being, skill development, inequality, polarized societies.

 

Stefan Liller, Resident Representative of UNDP Bangladesh, emphasized on how the future depends on the choices society makes about people, their lives, the beings around them and the overall environment. “Youth perspectives, energy and meaningful participation is what will help secure a more inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous future for all in Bangladesh” he remarked in the opening session.

 

A panel discussion followed covering three broad themes. Dr. Rohini Kamal, Assistant Professor and Research Fellow, BIGD as a panelist discussing the theme Planetary dangers and resultant uncertainties remarked “Policy makers must amplify voices of those most impacted by climate change.

 

Local ownership and solutions can work wonders in tackling the challenges.”. Dr. Nazneen Ahmed, Country Economist, UNDP Bangladesh, in her reflections on the theme Polarized societies and implications for decision making for all opined “There will be differences in views, but we need to respect these differences through education, recognition, and representation. It will enable us to coexist peacefully and reduce the polarized views among ourselves.”

 

Talking about Transformation in society through innovation, AKM Fahim Mashroor, Founder and CEO of Bdjobs.com emphasized on balanced youth engagement in technological advancement and innovation.

 

The panel discussion was followed by very interactive reflection session with youth panelists.

 

Tazrean Alam, General Secretary of Green Planet Club of Independent University of Bangladesh stressed on young people’s effective engagement in community and grassroots level to find local solutions for the climate crisis.

 

Golam Mostafa Shuvo, Advocacy Lead at Youth Policy Forum suggested that youth should proactively choose the content they expose themselves to on social media instead of letting its algorithm make that choice.

 

“Although limited, there are opportunities to learn, explore and innovate around us – we just have to find them” said Labby Hasan who is the President of Brac University Research for Development Club.

 

The seminar was closed on the note that for continued progress in human development in Bangladesh and to navigate through an uncertain world we need more meaningful youth engagement at all levels.

 

Source: United News of Bangladesh

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How you smell could make you a ‘mosquito magnet’

A new study finds that some people really are “mosquito magnets” and it probably has to do with the way they smell.

 

The researchers found that people who are most attractive to mosquitoes produce a lot of certain chemicals on their skin that are tied to smell. And bad news for mosquito magnets: The bloodsuckers stay loyal to their favorites over time.

 

“If you have high levels of this stuff on your skin, you’re going to be the one at the picnic getting all the bites,” said study author Leslie Vosshall, a neurobiologist at Rockefeller University in New York.

 

There’s a lot of folklore about who gets bitten more but many claims aren’t backed up with strong evidence, said Vosshall.

 

To put mosquito magnetism to the test, the researchers designed an experiment pitting people’s scents against each other, explained study author Maria Elena De Obaldia. Their findings were published Tuesday in the journal Cell.

 

They asked 64 volunteers from the university and nearby to wear nylon stockings around their forearms to pick up their skin smells. The stockings were put in separate traps at the end of a long tube, then dozens of mosquitos were released.

 

“They would basically swarm to the most attractive subjects,” De Obaldia said. “It became very obvious right away.” Scientists held a round-robin tournament and ended up with a striking gap: The biggest mosquito magnet was around 100 times more attractive to the mosquitoes than the last place finisher.

 

The experiment used the Aedes aegypti mosquito that spreads diseases like yellow fever, Zika and dengue. Vosshall said she’d expect similar results from other kinds, but would need more research to confirm.

 

By testing the same people over multiple years, the study showed that these big differences stick around, said Matt DeGennaro, a neurogeneticist at Florida International University who was not involved with the research.

 

“Mosquito magnets seem to remain mosquito magnets,” DeGennaro said.

 

Out of the favorites, the researchers found a common factor: Mosquito magnets had high levels of certain acids on their skin. These “greasy molecules” are part of the skin’s natural moisturizing layer, and people produce them in different amounts, Vosshall said. The healthy bacteria that live on the skin eat up these acids and produce part of our skin’s odor profile, she said.

 

You can’t get rid of these acids without damaging your skin health too, said Vosshall, who is paid by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and serves as its chief scientific officer. The institute also supports The Associated Press’ Health and Science Department.

 

But the research could help find new methods to repel mosquitoes, said Jeff Riffell, a neurobiologist at the University of Washington who was not involved with the study. There may be ways to tinker with skin bacteria and change humans’ tantalizing smells, he said.

 

Still, figuring out ways to fight off mosquitoes isn’t easy, Riffell said, since the critters have evolved to be “lean, mean biting machines.”

 

The study proved this point: Researchers also did the experiment with mosquitoes whose genes were edited to damage their sense of smell. The bugs still flocked to the same mosquito magnets.

 

“Mosquitoes are resilient,” Vosshall said. “They have many backup plans to be able to find us and bite us”.

 

Source: United News of Bangladesh

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Jubo League is enough to face BNP: Hasan Mahmud

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Tuesday warned that Jubo League, the youth front of the ruling Awami League, is enough to face the opposition BNP in the field of politics.

 

He came up with the remark while addressing a cultural function organised marking the 59th birth anniversary of Sheikh Russel, the youngest son of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in the capital as the chief guest.

 

“The BNP won’t find a way to flee once we announce we’ll be facing them in the field,” he said.

 

Saying the Jubo League is the vanguard of the ruling party, he directed the youth body to remain vigilant to tackle the opposition once called upon.

 

Jubo League President Sheikh Fazle Shams Farosh presided over the function where lawmaker Suborna Mustafa, Russel’s paternal cousin and also lawmaker Sheikh Salahuddin Jewel addressed as special guests. Jubo League General Secretary Md Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil also spoke there.

 

Turning down the repeated threats by the BNP to oust the government through movement, he said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina knows better how to tackle such a movement.

 

He recalled the brutal memories of 15 August, 1975 as one of the worst massacres in the history of the world.

 

Suborna Mustafa said “Today’s oath is to resist the anti-state killing gangs under leadership of Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina.”

 

Sheikh Salauddin Jewel recalled the memories of his childhood playmate Sheikh Russel.

 

Source: United News of Bangladesh