Technology

The United States Senate has told its members to not use Zoom’s video conferencing app due to data security concerns, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, even as the company attempts to stem a global backlash against its fast-growing app. Senators have been asked to find an alternative platform to use for remote working, the Financial Times reported citing a person who had seen the …

ISLAMABAD: He may be the most famous prankster in Pakistan, but the tax authorities are in deadly earnest when they say they believe he owes them Rs13 million. The prankster in question is YouTube star Nadir Ali who runs a channel called P for Pakao, which features short videos of Nadir and his team pulling pranks on unsuspecting people around …

Chief Executive Officer of Twitter Inc, Jack Dorsey pledged on Tuesday to donate a quarter of his fortune towards battling the coronavirus pandemic. The co-founder of the micro-blogging site as well as the payments company Square, announced to pitch in $1 billion of his Square shares towards Smart Stall, in a bid to “fund global Covid-19 relief.” “I’m moving $1B …

BERLIN: Germany’s public health authority launched a smartwatch app on Tuesday in partnership with healthtech startup Thryve to help monitor the spread of Covid-19 and analyse whether measures to contain the novel coronavirus pandemic are working. The app gathers vital signs from volunteers wearing smartwatches or fitness trackers — including pulse, temperature and sleep — to analyse whether they are …

Human rights groups urged three Gulf Arab states on Wednesday to lift bans on free internet calls to help their large migrant workforces stay in touch during the coronavirus pandemic. Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have long blocked many voice and video calling apps on the grounds of protecting the commercial interests of state-owned telecoms. “This has caused …

AMMAN: Hundreds of women in Saudi Arabia are taking to social media to share their experiences of sexual harassment in a rare exploration of a taboo topic in the ultra-conservative kingdom. Using the hashtag “WhyIdidn’treportit”, women and some men are recounting abuse endured at home or in public which they did not report to authorities fearing shame or blame. Saudi …

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi has directed the concerned authorities to take measures to improve internet connectivity for students while discussing online university classes held in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Many universities are offering online classes, but a large number of students are facing internet connectivity issues or lack laptop computers and other such facilities, sources said. “There …

ZHOB: On January 9 this year, just as some farmers — who eke out a living growing vegetables in the mountains surrounding the city of Zhob, Balochistan — made their way home after a long day at work, a terribly frightening noise, akin to a raging storm, disrupted the tranquility of their otherwise sedate surroundings. A bright light pierced the …

Even though Pakistan has very limited level of financial inclusion and far from a healthy number of online transactions, the past few years have seen quite a few direct-to-consumer players emerge, offering digital wallets and luring customers with cash-backs and discounts. But things are different in the world of business, with few service providers catering to this massive segment. And …

OAKLAND: Alphabet Inc’s Google has published charts showing how the coronavirus has brought hard-hit Italy to a standstill, led to runs on grocery stores around the world and prompted a stark drop in going-out between Mardi Gras and St. Patrick’s Day. The analysis of location data from billions of Google users’ phones is the largest public dataset available to help …