#Chinese smartphone company

[thistransient]

More musings on Naha:

- My Japan-visiting history includes Naha in 2018 and Tokyo in 2023 (each for 3 nights). I loved Naha the first time, but did not really have the same feeling about Tokyo (which I chalked up to insufficient planning, sprained ribs, and having gotten over the first-time-in-Japan thrill). But I also loved my second time in Naha! The factors I think are at play:

1. Public transport: there's a singular monorail, no need to navigate Tokyo's convoluted two-company labyrinth of an MRT system. It was also a brisk 12 minute ride from the station nearest my hotel to Naha International, unlike the commute from the city center to the airports servicing Tokyo. It's also only a 1 hr 30 minute flight from Taipei, can't really beat that.

2. Walkability: to get anywhere else in Okinawa one must rent a car, but it's perfectly possible to stroll around Naha center on foot. I spent quite a bit of time on the train in Tokyo (and all that that entailed) trying to explore different neighborhoods, which was tiring. I didn't feel threatened by motorised traffic in either city but I found myself jumping out of the way of bicycles in Tokyo a few times.

3. Shīsā (シーサー, 風獅爺, 獅子): "a traditional Ryukyuan cultural artifact and decoration derived from Chinese guardian lions, often seen in similar pairs, resembling a cross between a lion and a dog, from Okinawan mythology. Shisa are wards, believed to protect from some evils. People place pairs of shisa on their rooftops or flanking the gates to their houses, with the left shisa traditionally having a closed mouth, the right one an open mouth. The open mouth shisa traditionally wards off evil spirits, and the closed mouth shisa keeps good spirits in." I love these things so much, they are so fun to spot while walking around, people even dress them up in little outfits depending on the season!

(At this point I should optimally visit a third city to triangulate my experiences a bit.)

- I find if I only go somewhere for a few days, it can be really nice to not buy a SIM card, just download an offline map, save some restaurant locations, and wander around looking at stuff almost like the pre-smartphone days.

- At some point I was also thinking to myself "wow, sometimes it's nice being in a country with minimal hawkers, hustlers, and touts! No one is trying to sell me stuff unsolicited!" Then I accidentally wandered into the red light district while taking a roundabout stroll to a shrine on the edge of town. The deserted back streets of Naha sprang to life and suddenly I was very popular (I suppose it must get boring for them at noon on a Sunday, but I felt like a lone gazelle on the savanna and made a hasty escape with a lot of head shaking and staring intently at the pavement). Perhaps they intentionally put the brothels near the temple to ensnare wayward tourists, who knows.

- The silence of Naha streets compared to the incessant scooter-revving in Taipei made me wonder how much psychic damage the noise pollution is really dealing me on a daily basis. I was also operating with a Taiwanese mindset when jaywalking across a median to get to a supermarket (only because I'd seen some locals doing it), and stepped back cautiously to wait for an oncoming bus which I was sure would otherwise punch me a one-way ticket to the afterlife. Instead, it STOPPED. There wasn't even a cross-walk! I waved somewhat guiltily and scampered away full of wonderment. Frankly I did not really want to come back from pedestrian heaven where there are zero scooters on the unobstructed sidewalks and crossing the street is not a hair-raising experience.

- By sheer, strange coincidence I ran into a friend on the street (as she was getting off a bus), who definitely should not have been in Japan (she told me she was moving back, probably to Tokyo, only after Christmas)- she was in Okinawa for approximately 24 hours to look at real estate and didn't have time to hang out but it was very surreal to catch up for a couple minutes.

- I was a bit surprised when the airline queue employee in International Departures started talking to me in Japanese off the bat (something that has never happened in TPE with Mandarin, they see a westerner and have real low linguistic expectations), so I eyed her a bit blankly til she was done and then tested out my Duolingo skills with 日本語が話せませ¹ to which she responded 英語?², I said "yeah" and she told me I needed to use the kiosk first, to which I protested that I'm always prompted to go to the counter for document verification, but then for once the thing actually didn't (take note if you're doing visa runs, Peach Aviation evidently gives no shits about exit flights). ¹ I don't speak Japanese ² English?

To be honest I had had some ambitions for trying out more Duolingo-learnt phrases, but in the moment chickened out and ended up just pointing at stuff lest I give the impression I was capable of more in-depth conversation beyond これをください³. I've had vague thoughts about language school (for the purpose of being able to communicate about print-making and/or shibari, but also to test the waters beyond the tourist experience), and I feel in theory knowing Mandarin first should help with learning kanji, but on the other hand I look at this

and in my mind it says "Jiùmìng dòngyī wa zuòxí no xià ni aimasu". I think I will stay in Taiwan for now. (Also apparently immigration is not super keen on people over 30 with dubious employment history rocking up for language school in Japan, but that's a bridge to cross when one comes to it). ³ Please give me this

- Last but not least, I flew back south only to find Taipei 5 degrees Celsius colder than Naha, the bidet frostier than ever. 再見琉球，等我回來 T_T

[nuadox]

LiDAR reveals vast ancient Maya city and complex networks hidden in Mexico's Campeche forest

- By Nuadox Crew -

Archaeologists have uncovered thousands of ancient Maya structures and a large city named Valeriana in Campeche, Mexico, using aerial LiDAR technology to penetrate dense forest cover.

The discovery, which spans around 47 square miles, includes urban and rural settlements with reservoirs, temples, and roads, resembling other major Maya cities.

Previously overlooked due to its inaccessibility, Campeche is now recognized as a vital part of the Maya Lowlands, revealing complex urban planning and extensive connectivity among Maya cities.

The findings challenge the view of Maya cities as isolated entities, instead suggesting a vast, interconnected network.

Experts consider LiDAR a transformative tool, reshaping understanding of ancient Maya civilization and its environmental adaptation, organization, and conservation needs.

Image header: Core details of the Valeriana site. Credit: Luke Auld-Thomas et Al, Cambridge University Press.

Read more at CNN

Scientific paper: Auld-Thomas L, Canuto MA, Morlet AV, et al. Running out of empty space: environmental lidar and the crowded ancient landscape of Campeche, Mexico. Antiquity. 2024;98(401):1340-1358. doi:10.15184/aqy.2024.148

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[frank-olivier]

Semiconductors: The Driving Force Behind Technological Advancements

The semiconductor industry is a crucial part of our modern society, powering everything from smartphones to supercomputers. The industry is a complex web of global interests, with multiple players vying for dominance.

Taiwan has long been the dominant player in the semiconductor industry, with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) accounting for 54% of the market in 2020. TSMC's dominance is due in part to the company's expertise in semiconductor manufacturing, as well as its strategic location in Taiwan. Taiwan's proximity to China and its well-developed infrastructure make it an ideal location for semiconductor manufacturing.

However, Taiwan's dominance also brings challenges. The company faces strong competition from other semiconductor manufacturers, including those from China and South Korea. In addition, Taiwan's semiconductor industry is heavily dependent on imports, which can make it vulnerable to supply chain disruptions.

China is rapidly expanding its presence in the semiconductor industry, with the government investing heavily in research and development (R&D) and manufacturing. China's semiconductor industry is led by companies such as SMIC and Tsinghua Unigroup, which are rapidly expanding their capacity. However, China's industry still lags behind Taiwan's in terms of expertise and capacity.

South Korea is another major player in the semiconductor industry, with companies like Samsung and SK Hynix owning a significant market share. South Korea's semiconductor industry is known for its expertise in memory chips such as DRAM and NAND flash. However, the industry is heavily dependent on imports, which can make it vulnerable to supply chain disruptions.

The semiconductor industry is experiencing significant trends, including the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT), the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), and the increasing demand for 5G technology. These trends are driving semiconductor demand, which is expected to continue to grow in the coming years.

However, the industry also faces major challenges, including a shortage of skilled workers, the increasing complexity of semiconductor manufacturing and the need for more sustainable and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes.

To overcome the challenges facing the industry, it is essential to invest in research and development, increase the availability of skilled workers and develop more sustainable and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes. By working together, governments, companies and individuals can ensure that the semiconductor industry remains competitive and sustainable, and continues to drive innovation and economic growth in the years to come.

Chip War, the Race for Semiconductor Supremacy (2023) (TaiwanPlus Docs, October 2024)

Dr. Keyu Jin, a tenured professor of economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science, argues that many in the West misunderstand China’s economic and political models. She maintains that China became the most successful economic story of our time by shifting from primarily state-owned enterprises to an economy more focused on entrepreneurship and participation in the global economy.

Dr. Keyu Jin: Understanding a Global Superpower - Another Look at the Chinese Economy (Wheeler Institute for Economy, October 2024)

Dr. Keyu Jin: China's Economic Prospects and Global Impact (Global Institute For Tomorrow, July 2024)

The following conversation highlights the complexity and nuance of Xi Jinping's ideology and its relationship to traditional Chinese thought, and emphasizes the importance of understanding the internal dynamics of the Chinese Communist Party and the ongoing debates within the Chinese system.

Dr. Kevin Rudd: On Xi Jinping - How Xi's Marxist Nationalism Is Shaping China and the World (Asia Society, October 2024)

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

[theconstitutionisgayculture]

idk why but I though of you when having this issue so here goes nothing. I need a new mobile, and I make a point of getting myself one with removable battery. The thing is, I can't seem to find a single smartphone with removable battery that's not from a Chinese manufacturer. I'm really tired of companies being so obsessed with planned obsolence. Do you happen to know any smartphone with removable battery that's not from a Chinese brand, by any chance? My current mobile is 8 years old and it is begging for retirememnt.

Here are a few I found. There are some Chinese ones thrown in, like the TCL, but most seem to be Japanese or Korean. They're all old though, and some are hard to get in the US. The thing about phones is they all have Chinese parts, though, since the rare Earth minerals that are used to make phones pretty much all come from China. So it's very hard to divest fully from China when getting a phone.

[mariacallous]

Recently, former president and convicted felon Donald Trump posted a series of photos that appeared to show fans of pop star Taylor Swift supporting his bid for the US presidency. The pictures looked AI-generated, and WIRED was able to confirm they probably were by running them through the nonprofit True Media’s detection tool to confirm that they showed “substantial evidence of manipulation.”

Things aren’t always that easy. The use of generative AI, including for political purposes, has become increasingly common, and WIRED has been tracking its use in elections around the world. But in much of the world outside the US and parts of Europe, detecting AI-generated content is difficult because of biases in the training of systems, leaving journalists and researchers with few resources to address the deluge of disinformation headed their way.

Detecting media generated or manipulated using AI is still a burgeoning field, a response to the sudden explosion of generative AI companies. (AI startups pulled in over $21 billion in investment in 2023 alone.) “There's a lot more easily accessible tools and tech available that actually allows someone to create synthetic media than the ones that are available to actually detect it,” says Sabhanaz Rashid Diya, founder of the Tech Global Institute, a think tank focused on tech policy in the Global South.

Most tools currently on the market can only offer between an 85 and 90 percent confidence rate when it comes to determining whether something was made with AI, according to Sam Gregory, program director of the nonprofit Witness, which helps people use technology to support human rights. But when dealing with content from someplace like Bangladesh or Senegal, where subjects aren’t white or they aren’t speaking English, that confidence level plummets. “As tools were developed, they were prioritized for particular markets,” says Gregory. In the data used to train the models, “they prioritized English language—US-accented English—or faces predominant in the Western world.”

This means that AI models were mostly trained on data from and for Western markets, and therefore can’t really recognize anything that falls outside of those parameters. In some cases that’s because companies were training models using the data that was most easily available on the internet, where English is by far the dominant language. “Most of our data, actually, from [Africa] is in hard copy,” says Richard Ngamita, founder of Thraets, a nonprofit civic tech organization focused on digital threats in Africa and other parts of the Global South. This means that unless that data is digitized, AI models can’t be trained on it.

Without the vast amounts of data needed to train AI models well enough to accurately detect AI-generated or AI-manipulated content, models will often return false positives, flagging real content as AI generated, or false negatives, identifying AI-generated content as real. “If you use any of the off the shelf tools that are for detecting AI-generated text, they tend to detect English that's written by non-native English speakers, and assume that non-native English speaker writing is actually AI,” says Diya. “There’s a lot of false positives because they weren’t trained on certain data.”

But it’s not just that models can’t recognize accents, languages, syntax, or faces less common in Western countries. “A lot of the initial deepfake detection tools were trained on high quality media,” says Gregory. But in much of the world, including Africa, cheap Chinese smartphone brands that offer stripped-down features dominate the market. The photos and videos that these phones are able to produce are much lower quality, further confusing detection models, says Ngamita.

Gregory says that some models are so sensitive that even background noise in a piece of audio, or compressing a video for social media, can result in a false positive or negative. “But those are exactly the circumstances you encounter in the real world, rough and tumble detection,” he says. The free, public-facing tools that most journalists, fact checkers, and civil society members are likely to have access to are also “the ones that are extremely inaccurate, in terms of dealing both with the inequity of who is represented in the training data and of the challenges of dealing with this lower quality material.”

Generative AI is not the only way to create manipulated media. So-called cheapfakes, or media manipulated by adding misleading labels or simply slowing down or editing audio and video, are also very common in the Global South, but can be mistakenly flagged as AI-manipulated by faulty models or untrained researchers.

Diya worries that groups using tools that are more likely to flag content from outside the US and Europe as AI generated could have serious repercussions on a policy level, encouraging legislators to crack down on imaginary problems. “There's a huge risk in terms of inflating those kinds of numbers,” she says. And developing new tools is hardly a matter of pressing a button.

Just like every other form of AI, building, testing, and running a detection model requires access to energy and data centers that are simply not available in much of the world. “If you talk about AI and local solutions here, it's almost impossible without the compute side of things for us to even run any of our models that we are thinking about coming up with,” says Ngamita, who is based in Ghana. Without local alternatives, researchers like Ngamita are left with few options: pay for access to an off the shelf tool like the one offered by Reality Defender, the costs of which can be prohibitive; use inaccurate free tools; or try to get access through an academic institution.

For now, Ngamita says that his team has had to partner with a European university where they can send pieces of content for verification. Ngamita’s team has been compiling a dataset of possible deepfake instances from across the continent, which he says is valuable for academics and researchers who are trying to diversify their models’ datasets.

But sending data to someone else also has its drawbacks. “The lag time is quite significant,” says Diya. “It takes at least a few weeks by the time someone can confidently say that this is AI generated, and by that time, that content, the damage has already been done.”

Gregory says that Witness, which runs its own rapid response detection program, receives a “huge number” of cases. “It’s already challenging to handle those in the time frame that frontline journalists need, and at the volume they’re starting to encounter,” he says.

But Diya says that focusing so much on detection might divert funding and support away from organizations and institutions that make for a more resilient information ecosystem overall. Instead, she says, funding needs to go towards news outlets and civil society organizations that can engender a sense of public trust. “I don't think that's where the money is going,” she says. “I think it is going more into detection.”

[voiceofentrepreneurlife]

Tim Cook Announces Apple's China Expansion

In a meeting with Chinese government officials in Beijing, Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed that the U.S. company plans to boost its investment in China, contributing to the growth of the supply chain, according to a report from state news agency Xinhua on Thursday. On Wednesday, the ministry confirmed that Cook met with Jin Zhuanglong, Minister for Industry and Information Technology.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment via email.

This is Cook’s second visit to the world’s largest smartphone market this year, where the iPhone maker has recently seen a decline in market share to domestic competitors.

Xinhua quoted Cook as saying, “Apple is keen to leverage the opportunities created by China’s economic opening and will continue increasing investment in the country, thereby supporting the high-quality development of its industrial and supply chains.” Read More-https://voiceofentrepreneur.life/apple-ceo-tim-cook-announces-the-companys-plans-to-boost-investments-in-china/

[seairexim]

The Surge of Mobile Exports from India in 2024

In recent years, India has emerged as a formidable player in the global electronics landscape, particularly in the realm of mobile exports. As of 2024, the Indian mobile export industry is witnessing significant growth, driven by favorable government policies, foreign direct investment, and a burgeoning domestic market. This article explores the current state of mobile export from India, the key players involved, and the implications for the global smartphone market.

Overview of Mobile Exports from India

The mobile export from India has seen a meteoric rise, with projections indicating that exports could exceed $12 billion in value by the end of 2024. This impressive growth can be attributed to several factors, including the government’s "Make in India" initiative and the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, both designed to bolster domestic manufacturing and attract international investments.

Growth Drivers

Several factors are propelling the growth of mobile exports in India:

1. Government Initiatives

The Indian government has introduced various programs to promote local manufacturing, such as tax breaks, subsidies, and the establishment of electronics manufacturing clusters. These initiatives aim to attract both domestic and foreign manufacturers to set up production facilities in India, which has proven effective in enhancing the mobile export sector.

2. Investment in Infrastructure

Investment in infrastructure has also played a critical role in boosting mobile exports. Improved logistics, reliable power supply, and streamlined regulatory processes make India an attractive destination for mobile manufacturers. This investment is crucial for facilitating large-scale production and ensuring timely exports.

3. Technological Advancements

The rapid advancement of technology has enabled Indian manufacturers to produce high-quality smartphones that meet global standards. Companies are increasingly investing in research and development to innovate and improve their product offerings, further enhancing their competitiveness in the international market.

4. Skilled Workforce

India’s vast pool of skilled labor is another significant factor driving mobile exports. The country boasts a workforce proficient in electronics manufacturing and engineering, enabling companies to maintain high production standards and innovate effectively. This skilled labor force is essential for both domestic and foreign companies seeking to enhance their manufacturing capabilities in India.

Key Mobile Exporters in India

Several major players dominate the mobile export landscape in India, Leading mobile exporter in India are:

1. Apple Inc.

Apple has been a trailblazer in the Indian mobile export sector, establishing manufacturing facilities through its contract manufacturers like Foxconn and Wistron. The production of iPhones in India has not only bolstered local employment but has also significantly contributed to India’s mobile export data.

2. Samsung Electronics

Samsung operates one of the largest smartphone manufacturing plants in Noida, where it produces a wide range of devices, from budget models to flagship smartphones. The company has ramped up its export operations, making it a critical player in the Indian mobile export market.

3. Xiaomi

Xiaomi has rapidly gained a significant market share in India, thanks to its affordable smartphones. The company has invested heavily in local manufacturing, exporting a considerable volume of devices to countries across Southeast Asia and Africa.

4. Vivo and Oppo

Both Vivo and Oppo, Chinese smartphone manufacturers, have established substantial production facilities in India. They focus on catering to the growing demand for mid-range smartphones, further enhancing India’s export capabilities.

5. Lava International

As a homegrown brand, Lava International has also made strides in mobile exports. The company primarily targets budget-conscious markets, exporting feature phones and affordable smartphones to various countries.

Analyzing Mobile Export Data

The mobile export data for 2024 indicates robust growth, with significant exports to key markets including:

1. North America

India has become an essential supplier of smartphones to North America, with Apple’s production in India catering to a large portion of the U.S. market. This trend is expected to continue as more brands establish manufacturing operations in India.

2. European Union

Countries in the EU, particularly Germany and the UK, have seen increased imports of Indian-manufactured smartphones. Samsung and Xiaomi lead this charge, exporting a diverse range of devices to meet consumer demand.

3. Southeast Asia

Indian smartphone manufacturers are tapping into the growing demand in Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand. Competitive pricing and quality have made Indian smartphones increasingly popular in these regions.

4. Middle East and Africa

The demand for affordable smartphones in the Middle East and Africa has surged, making these regions vital markets for Indian manufacturers. Brands like Lava and Xiaomi are successfully exporting budget-friendly smartphones, addressing the needs of price-sensitive consumers.

Understanding Mobile Phone HS Code

The Harmonized System (HS) code plays a crucial role in facilitating international trade. The mobile phone hs code is 8517.12, which covers smartphones capable of connecting to cellular networks. Accurate classification using the HS code is essential for mobile exporters in India to ensure compliance with customs regulations and to expedite the export process.

Conclusion

The mobile export landscape in India is poised for significant growth in 2024, with the country solidifying its position as a key player in the global smartphone market. Supported by government initiatives, foreign investments, and a skilled workforce, India is well-equipped to meet the growing demand for mobile devices worldwide.

As Indian manufacturers continue to innovate and expand their production capabilities, the outlook for mobile exports remains positive. By leveraging its strengths and addressing challenges, India can capitalize on its position in the global supply chain, ensuring sustainable growth and economic benefits for years to come. The future of mobile exports from India is bright, and the country is set to make its mark on the international stage. However if you need the list of smartphone exports by country, mobile phone HS code or global trade data connect with import and export data provider platforms like Seair Exim solutions.

Post By:

Seair Exim Solutions

Phone No.: 099900 20716

Address: B1/E3 Mohan Cooperative Industrial Estate Near Mohan Estate Metro Station Opposite Metro Pillar No:-336, NH-19, New Delhi, Delhi 110044

Also Read : A Comprehensive Guide to Garment Exports from India in 2024

[denmark-street]

How Osama bin Laden’s ‘Letter to America’ reached millions online

By Wednesday night, the letter had become a point of discussion among left-wing creators on the video app, with some saying its critiques of American foreign policy had opened their eyes to a history they’d never learned.

But the letter didn’t rank among TikTok’s top trends. Videos with the #lettertoamerica hashtag had been seen about 2 million times — a relatively low count on a wildly popular app with 150 million accounts in the United States alone.

Then that evening, the journalist Yashar Ali shared a compilation he’d made of the TikTok videos in a post on X, formerly Twitter. That post has been viewed more than 38 million times. By Thursday afternoon, when TikTok announced it had banned the hashtag and dozens of similar variations, TikTok videos tagged #lettertoamerica had gained more than 15 million views.

The letter’s spread sparked a deluge of commentary, with some worrying that TikTok’s users were being radicalized by a terrorist manifesto, and TikTok’s critics arguing it was evidence that the app, owned by the Chinese tech giant ByteDance, had been secretly boosting propaganda to a captive audience of American youth.

But the letter’s spread also reflected the bedeviling realities of modern social media, where young people — many of whom were born after 9/11 — share and receive information on fast-paced smartphone apps designed to make videos go viral, regardless of their content.

It also showed how efforts to suppress such information can backfire. Many of the videos on TikTok were posted after the British newspaper the Guardian, which had hosted a copy of bin Laden’s letter, removed it. Some TikTokers said the removal was proof of the letter’s wisdom and importance, leading them to further amplify it as a result.

“Don’t turn the long-public ravings of a terrorist into forbidden knowledge, something people feel excited to go rediscover,” Renee DiResta, a research manager at the Stanford internet Observatory who has advised Congress on online disinformation, wrote Thursday in a post on Threads. “Let people read the murderer’s demands — this is the man some TikTok fools chose to glorify. Add more context.”

TikTok spokesman Alex Haurek said Thursday that the company was “proactively and aggressively” removing videos promoting the letter for violating the company’s rules on “supporting any form of terrorism” and said it was “investigating” how the videos got onto its platform.

Haurek said that the #lettertoamerica hashtag had been attached to 274 videos that had garnered 1.8 million views on Tuesday and Wednesday, before “the tweets and media coverage drove people to the hashtag.” Other hashtags, for comparison, dwarfed discussion of the letter on the platform: During a recent 24-hour period, #travel videos had 137 million views, #skincare videos had 252 million views and #anime videos had 611 million views, Haurek said.

Ali said he made the compilation video Wednesday after seeing “thousands” of the videos and intentionally left out the “most incendiary examples” because he didn’t want the compilation to be removed from Instagram, where he also posted it.

He agreed the hashtag had never trended on TikTok but disputed the idea that the number of videos posted there had been “small,” saying, “Sure, in the context of a global platform. But not small enough to be minuscule or not important.”

Most of the videos have since been removed by TikTok, making it difficult to get a full tally. But a search for the letter Thursday morning by a Washington Post reporter revealed around 700 TikTok videos, only a few of which got more than 1 million views.

Such high view counts are common on TikTok, where videos are served up in rapid fashion and the average U.S. user watches for more than an hour a day. One viral video last month, in which a young woman discussed the pain of a 9-to-5 job, has more than 3 million views and 280,000 likes.

The videos featured many people saying they’d known little about bin Laden and were questioning what they’d been taught about American involvement around the world. Some said they were “trying to go back to life as normal” after reading it; in one video, a user scrolled through the full letter and said, “We’ve been lied to our entire lives.”

But while many pointed to bin Laden’s comments on the Palestinian issue, few highlighted the letter’s more extreme criticism of Western “immorality and debauchery,” including “acts of fornication, homosexuality, intoxicants, gambling and trading with interest.”

Many commenters also criticized giving the letter attention or worked to remind people that bin Laden had preached an antisemitic, sexist ideology that led to thousands of deaths. On the “_monix2” video, one commenter said, “You guys Bin Laden wrote this. Do y’all know what he did. What is wrong with y’all [oh my God. I guess] we’re supporting terrorism these days.” (Attempts to reach the @_monix2 account were unsuccessful.)

Charlie Winter, a specialist in Islamist militant affairs and director of research at the intelligence platform ExTrac, said in an interview Thursday that he was “frankly really quite surprised at the response” to the letter, which he described as “a kind of core doctrinal text” for both al-Qaeda and the Islamic State terrorist group.

In addition to long-standing grievances, the letter contains “blatant language that is clearly calling for acts of genocide … [and] for killing noncombatants in any nation that is democratic and is fighting against a Muslim-majority state,” he said.

“It’s not the letter that is going viral. It’s a selective reading of parts of the letter that’s going viral,” he said. “And I don’t know whether it’s because people aren’t actually reading it or, when they’re reading it, they’re reading the bits that they want to see.”

The letter’s spread online was celebrated Thursday by users on al-Qaeda forums, according to SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks online extremism. One user Thursday wrote that Islamist militants should capitalize on the opportunity, saying, “I hope you all are seeing ongoing storm on Social Media. … We should post more and more content.”

Some of the TikTok creators who shared the letter posted follow-up videos saying they did not support terrorism or violence. One of the first TikTok creators to share it, and who spoke to The Post on the condition that her name not be included in the story, said she had encouraged people to read it for “educational purposes.”

She said she did not “condone nor justify” bin Laden’s actions and was “distancing [herself] from this entire situation.” “It’s a sad world if we cannot even read a public document, simply to educate ourselves, without being smeared online,” she said.

TikTok has faced criticism and calls for a nationwide ban due to the popularity of pro-Palestinian videos on the app compared with pro-Israel content, even though Facebook and Instagram show a similar gap. In a video call organized by TikTok on Wednesday, first reported by the New York Times, some Hollywood actors and TikTok creators pushed company executives to do more to crack down on antisemitic content.

But the idea that the “Letter to America” discussion solely began on TikTok is challenged by Google data, which show that search interest in the “bin Laden letter” began gathering last week, days before it became a topic of TikTok conversation.

And TikTok is far from the only place where the letter has been discussed. Though Instagram blocked searches for some hashtags, some videos related to the letter — including those critical of it — remained publicly viewable Thursday on the Meta-owned app.

On Thursday afternoon, searches for “letter to America” on Instagram were still being given a “Popular” tag. One post, a series of screenshots of the letter, had more than 10,000 likes as of Thursday afternoon.

On Thursday, the letter and bin Laden’s name were also “trending topics” on X, the social network owned by Elon Musk. One tweet there from Wednesday — in which the writer said reading the letter was like feeling a “glass wall shatter,” and asks, “Is this what ex cult members feel like when they become self aware” — remained online Thursday, with nearly 3 million views.

The letter — a nearly 4,000-word translation of the al-Qaeda leader’s comments — had been originally posted in Arabic on a Saudi Arabian website used to disseminate al-Qaeda messages. The Guardian originally published an English translation in 2002 alongside a news article that offered more detail on how it had begun circulating among “British Islamic extremists.”

Though the Guardian removed the letter on Wednesday, its replacement, a page called “Removed: document,” had by Thursday become one of the most-viewed stories on the newspaper’s website. Some TikTokers voiced anger at the newspaper for, in the words of one, “actively censoring” information.

A spokesperson for the Guardian said in a statement that the letter had been removed after it was “widely shared on social media without the full context.”

The editors of the Guardian faced a “no-win scenario” once interest in bin Laden’s letter began to grow, Marco Bastos, a senior lecturer in media and communication at City, University of London, said in a phone interview.

“If they don’t take down the content, the content will be leveraged and it will be discussed, potentially shared and is going to go viral — if not out of context, then certainly outside of the scope of the original piece,” Bastos said. “If they take it down, they’re going to be accused, as they are right now, of censorship.”

At the time of publication, the editors “expected that this letter would be read critically, you know, adversarially … that you would process this within the view — or the bias, if you prefer — of the Western side of the events,” Bastos added. “And now it’s being consumed, distributed and shared to push an agenda that’s precisely the opposite of the one that it was originally intended for.”

Winter, the Islamist militant affairs specialist, said he found it “kind of ironic” that the letter was being shared uncritically around the web.

“People who consider themselves to be critical consumers of mainstream media are consuming this very uncritically and not thinking about the context around it,” he said. “Not thinking about everything that happened just over a year before it was published as well, in any meaningful way.”

Bisset reported from London.

[murumokirby360]

My Family's Old Film Camera (from the 90s) [feat. my Paper Dolls]

🟢dA Version [CLICK ME!]🟢

Hello, August! Let's step aside my 2023 problem, for now, and set back to the old memory lane with this careful piece and prize possession memory yet outdated device, shall we? And no, I won't make a full ledge review about this.

My deviation work & 1st to 4th Image(s): ↑

• What you see here is a "Focus-35" 35mm focus-free film camera from the 90s 📷🎞️ (or 2000s?), with the old logo of "Chowking" restaurant [1985 - 1999] (a famous Filipino-Chinese style restaurant [CLICK ME!]). It's a generic film camera that can be used during the aforementioned year, and during my early age, I don't know how to use it except by clicking the buttons pretending that I'm shooting a picture without a film. Yes, I did that back when the 90s; were shined from TV shows, commercials, cheap food, and awesome moments unlike now. No offense, 2023.

• Nonetheless, we usually have 2 or 3 of these, but now there are scrap & and forgotten, but not this one! Thank goodness, we have that in our family's possession, and you can see it is 100% intact from front to back and even the interior. Hmmm... You know, this might be useful if only I have a fresh spare of film cameras, after all, some companies have decided to produce old-style film cameras for the nostalgic hipsters/users who want it over modern style counterparts. But, purchasing a film camera of today could be hard to swallow for my wallet. Although, there are cheap prices, but the image quality could be subpar & and not worth the price tag. *sigh* Maybe someday, my good'ol camera. And did I mention, that we have an older film camera than this generic one? However, I'm not sure where my parents put it. No worries, though, I'll look around & and I'll save it for September. (Just in case, that my PC replacement part is not yet found)

5th to 8th Image(s): ↑

• Right now, I'm still stuck at my mom's laptop, while my paper dolls are having fun with my family's old film cam. Pretending that I'm taking snapshots at them, even though I don't have a real roll-on negative film. But hey, I have camera on my smartphone, duh. hehe 📸📲😅

Well, that's all for now! And the end of my topic.

If you haven't seen my previous topic, then please click down below. ↓

• RIP My GPU Card (7/24/23)

Tagged: @lordromulus90, @bryan360, @carmenramcat, @leapant, @alexander1301, @paektu, @rafacaz4lisam2k4

[alfa-rent-a-car-cluj]

This is Xiaomi SU7 Pro Max

In an era where technology and innovation continue to redefine the boundaries of the industry, the Alfa Rent a Car Cluj Napoca office is here to inform you that Xiaomi, the giant best known for the production of high-quality smartphones, has taken a brave step in the automotive direction. With about a decade of rumors about Apple's possible entry into the automotive segment, here the scenario has changed and Xiaomi has taken the initiative. Launching its first electric car, called the Xiaomi SU7 (pronounced Sue-Qi, where "Qi" in Chinese means seven), the Chinese company aims to compete with big names like Porsche and Tesla. In English, the acronym SU stands for Speed Ultra.

[ultramaga]

While I was walking, a guy crashed on the road nearby. His front wheel came off on an ebike. I helped him home, getting lovely reminders from my back all the ways.

It was the first time I have seen one up close.

It's an electric motorbike, going over 60 kph on the flat without pedalling, and requires no license or rego plates.

Try doing that on a motorcycle and you can go to jail, but the government is pushing these ebikes to replace cars, so they are willing to cut corners.

I had an elderly relative who bought a robot vacuum. It requires a smartphone, which they don't have and could not possibly use, or it stops working.

You have to run the app, which is probably full of spyware. The current Chinese business model is to double bill the customers. You pay up front, then pay with privacy as they harvest your data.

Recently, there was a scandal because it turns out the robot vacuum cleaners are programmed to upload footage of weak points in security, children changing clothes, etc, and by an amazing coincidence, that data is then auctioned off to pedos and thieves.

It would not surprise me if they turned out to have microphones as well, but they definitely can take photos, or at least the model they were talking about could.

Maybe I am just getting old, but it just seems like the world is steadily getting worse.

[quickscaleup]

Best Ecommerce Website Designing Company in Patna

The website design is a really important tool for creating an appealing website that attracts users and customers. These ecommerce website designs represent your product, and what you are selling.

Thus, you need to make sure your website is relevant to the services you’re providing and can make a lasting impression.

Now, being said that, are you looking for some inspiration for your website designs? If yes, you’ve stumbled into the perfect solution, the website designing company in Patna, Quick Scaleup is your one-way stop. 

Ecommerce website designs 

The best ecommerce website design examples are those that can benefit you in boosting your sales and communicating with the brand and products. Some of the ecommerce website examples are the following,

Theseus is an online shoe store that promises customers the best online shopping experience. It has options such as shopping and return policy and even gives the users the opportunity to pay in installments.

Welly is a band aid campaign and website supplying catchy, funky, and aesthetic band aids. Children die for such cute band-aids and it comes with cute packaging too.  

Hebe’s website is mind blowing in terms of beauty. Its photography stands out compared to other websites. The high-quality photos ensure grabbing the customer’s attention and increasing the sales. 

Now, the ecommerce website examples in India are 

Amazon tops the ecommerce website list considering it is one of the country’s best ecommerce players since it rolled out in 2013. It has grown its market by covering everything from groceries to toys to furniture. 

Flipkart comes second on the list, always competing with Amazon in terms of quality and prices. It was founded in 2007, and is now acquired by Walmart. 

Meesho is a social commerce platform wherein the small business or merchants can deal with the users directly showcasing their products. 

Myntra is the one-stop online fashion destination that supplies with all the brands like Mango, H&M, Chemistry, Allen Solly etc. Myntra was acquired by Walmart making it a live commerce site with a lot of Indians depending on the site. 

OLX has products from cars to electronic goods and even real estate. People can buy or sell on this website according to their preferences. 

Snapdeal was a sinking company ready to be acquired by Flipkart in 2017. But, they did the needful surviving the takeover, and now focuses on products for fashion and home and personal care. 

Jio Mart is an online player that launched in 2020. It became known quickly in over 200 cities in India. 

Shopsy is a social commerce platform launched by flipkart. It’s a marketplace selling jewelry, grocery and home goods. 

Realme store is an online shopping site of the chinese smartphone brand realme. It even sells other electronic accessories.  

Mi store is another chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi selling mobile phones and other products. 

FirstCry is India’s shopping platform for baby products such as diapers, tous, cribs etc. Everything that can be termed a baby is being sold by them. 

Top 10 ecommerce websites 

The best ecommerce website design 2023 comprises of the following ecommerce website list and companies like 

Amazon tops as the world's best retailer and website designs. 

Ebay is the best marketplace with all the best features and products available. 

Aliexpress is the site offering the funkiest and catchy products with cheap prices. 

Walmart consists of an unlimited supply of organic products.

Wildberries is a popular Russian site known for clothes and household products. 

Ozon is like Russia’s Amazon, offering all kinds of products. 

Flipkart is an Indian ecommerce site dealing with all products like clothes, furniture, electronic devices. 

Samsung is the world's leader when it comes to electronics.

Etsy is another one of the popular sites specializing in handmade, vintage and unique goods. 

Rakuten is another one of the ecommerce sites dealing with cashback programmes.

The ecommerce website design templates that work well with any kind of website design such as apparel, fashion, jewelry or other ecommerce products. These templates create responsive, flexible and retainable online stores. Following is the list of best ecommerce website templates 

Pillowmart can be used for business purposes.

Capitalshop for fashion and accessories.

Fashi’s templates are available for fashion 

The Coza store is for business and ecommerce. 

eCommerce websites are the people’s go to sites for business and online shopping. People don’t like going around comparing products from shop to shop.

For such individuals, these websites are a piece of heaven.

To make sure that your website designs and products are appealing enough to the customers, you can take help from the website designing company, Quick Scaleup.

They have one of the best services available tailored to your customer’s needs.

[thisislizheather]

Museum of Failure in NYC

“Museum of Failure is a collection of failed products and services from around the world. The majority of all innovation projects fail and the museum showcases these failures to provide visitors a fascinating learning experience. Innovation and progress require an acceptance of failure. The museum aims to stimulate productive discussion about failure and inspire us to take meaningful risks.”

God, I love a fun museum. There’s absolutely nothing better. I went to the Museum of Failure when it opened a few weeks ago in Brooklyn and I can’t recommend it enough. The space it’s displayed in is a bit of a failure in itself (on purpose maybe?), but once you get past that it’s a great way to spend an hour. Some highlights below!

As soon as you enter, there’s the Share Your Failure wall that visitors can contribute to. Best ones I read: not getting divorced, not kissing him, not wearing sunscreen when I was young.

Above Photo: Share Your Failure wall at the Museum of Failure, NYC

Above Photo: If this doesn’t remind you of the Toronto Science Center in the mid 90s, I don’t know what to tell you

Okay, Orbitz was not actually a good drink, but it completely paved the way for bubble tea to take off.

Above Photo: Diet candy AYDS, 1937-1980s

“Why take diet pills when you can enjoy AYDS?" HOW WAS THIS REAL? And how on earth was it successful for decades?? This appetite-suppressant candy was successful with the help of Hollywood celebrities and its popularity peaked in the 1970s. Obviously when the AIDS epidemic emerged in the 1980s the weight-loss product was doomed.

Above Photo: Atari ET Game & Console, 1982-1983

This is basically known as the worst video game of all time and Atari reported a $536 million loss in 1983 because of it. There’s a great documentary about it called Atari: Game Over about the urban legend that unsold copies were buried.

Above Photo: Low blow, museum. Low blow.

Is it funny that there’s a Titanic reference? Absolutely. Horrid, but funny.

Above Photo: Pinky Gloves, 2021

Oh no, these came out in 2021. A male trio of German inventors created gloves to wear when taking out tampons so that women wouldn’t get blood on their hands and have a “discrete way to dispose of the used product.” WOW.

Above Photo: Little Miss No Name, 1965

Firstly, I apologize for introducing this image into your subconscious. I really am. The brand Hasbro designed this unusual doll to be an alternative to the hugely popular Barbie. “In keeping with the climate of the mid-sixties, they wanted to teach little girls compassion and the realities of life for homeless people.”

Above Photo: Trump SECTION at the Museum of Failure, NYC

There’s a whole Trump wing in the museum, which is just *chef’s kiss*.

Above Photo: Spray On Condom, 2006-2008

This German product was supposed to be the solution to the problem of condoms being either too small or too big. Its instructions: “Simply insert penis into an apparatus to coat with melted latex and then wait 3 minutes for the latex to dry.” It failed because the idea of inserting one's penis into the apparatus scared men and the three-minute hardening time proved too long to wait.

Above Photo: Shared Girlfriend, 2017

Developed by Chinese company Taqu Ltd., the Shared Girlfriend service rented sex dolls for $45 a day. They were made of high-quality silicon and dolls were ordered with a smartphone app then delivered to your door. “After each rental, the dolls were disinfected, and the more heavily used and damaged parts were replaced.” ICK.  Amazingly, the service was suspended only four days after its launch due to public outrage.

There were so many other incredible pieces on display (grass skis, the hula chair, the Elon Musk wall), you really should make an afternoon of it and see for yourself. I showed a few videos of the exhibit over on my spring ‘23 highlights on Instagram, if you’re interested in seeing even more. Such a fun time. Tickets available over here.

Now I beg you, world: bring back Pepsi Blue.

[selloldmobile]

Vivo X100 Series Launch in China - Launch Date, Specifications, Pricing & More

Vivo X100 Series Launch in China: Launch Date, Specifications, Pricing & More

Chinese smartphone maker Vivo has begun to hype its upcoming flagship smartphones – the X100 Series. The X100 Series is reportedly set to succeed the Vivo X90 series and will be photography-focused. The X100 Series is expected to come with impressive camera capabilities and large batteries with fast charging, among other features. Interestingly, the new X100 Series smartphones could be powered by the latest flagship processors from both Qualcomm and Mediatek. The X100 Pro, for instance, is rumoured to feature a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 while the X100 Pro+ might have a MediaTek Dimensity 9300.

The X100 Series smartphones are also rumoured to come with periscope zoom lenses for up to 10x optical zoom. In terms of display, the X100 Series smartphones are likely to offer an AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and curved design. The phones may also feature a punch-hole cutout on the front for the selfie camera. In addition to this, the X100 Series smartphones are expected to have large batteries with support for 50W wireless charging.

Vivo X100 Series smartphones are expected to be launched on 13 November in China. The company has confirmed the event on Weibo, China’s microblogging platform. During the event, Vivo will reportedly unveil its new flagship smartphones and vivo Watch 3. The vivo Watch 3 is expected to be the company’s first smartwatch that runs on Blue OS, its custom mobile operating system.

Aside from revealing the launch date of the X100 Series, Vivo has also released an official poster for the smartphones. The posters give us an idea of the design and overall look of the upcoming flagships. The smartphones are also expected to feature an unibody metal construction.

The Vivo X100 Series will be available in two models – the X100 and the X100 Pro. The X100 will be the entry-level model while the X100 Pro is expected to be the premium offering. Both models are expected to be available in multiple colour options. The X100 Pro is also rumoured to feature a dual rear camera setup that includes a 1-inch Sony IMX989 primary sensor, a Samsung JN1 ultra-wide sensor, and an OmniVision OV64B telephoto shooter for a up to 4.3x optical zoom. The X100 series is also rumoured to have a 20MP tele-macro lens for close-up shots.

If you are thinking of getting a new phone, then sell your old Vivo phone now and that too at a good price, search recycledevice.com, sell your phone, hurry up.

[mariacallous]

A potential bidding war to buy TikTok has begun, less than a month after President Joe Biden signed legislation that would force the app’s Chinese parent company ByteDance to divest, or face a ban in the United States within a year.

The latest suitor to emerge is the real estate billionaire Frank McCourt, who announced this week he’s assembling a group of investors to acquire TikTok and has brought on financial advisers from Guggenheim Securities and the law firm Kirkland & Ellis to help. The app could be worth $100 billion, according to some estimates, though McCourt said it’s too early to discuss potential valuations.

What exactly McCourt would do with TikTok remains unclear, but in an interview with Time Magazine, he said that “the user experience wouldn’t change much.” He was not deterred by the prospect of the Chinese government preventing him from buying TikTok’s core algorithm, which is responsible for determining what content users see on the app.

“Of course, TikTok isn't worth as much without the algorithm. I get that. That’s pretty plain,” McCourt said. “But we’re talking about a different design, which requires people to move on from the mindset and the paradigm we’re in now.”

McCourt, who was previously the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, says he has already poured $500 million into an existing social media and technology initiative called Project Liberty, which aims to reduce the power that Silicon Valley giants like Meta and Google have over the internet. One of its main focuses has been building and deploying a blockchain-based protocol that Project Liberty claims will give people more control over their data online.

McCourt also previously invested in another social network called MeWe, a privacy-focused platform that became popular with far-right users after Facebook and Twitter deactivated many of their accounts in the wake of the US Capitol riot on January 6. In 2022, MeWe announced it was migrating its entire platform over to Project Liberty’s decentralized social networking protocol, and it’s possible McCourt could do the same thing with TikTok.

Anna Feagan, a spokesperson for Project Liberty, says McCourt and his team are currently focused on putting together their bid for TikTok, but are committed to finding the right technological solutions for the platform. She adds that so far, they have not been in contact with ByteDance.

New York University professor Jonathan Haidt, a leading voice of the movement arguing that smartphones and social media are causing grave harm to children, says he supports McCourt’s plan for TikTok. “What a creative approach to changing social media: Assemble a consortium to buy TikTok and make it better, on an architecture that respects users' rights,” he said in a post on X.

TikTok, however, has made it clear that it does not want to sell its US operations, and is fighting the legality of the new divest-or-ban law in court. TikTok did not respond to a request for comment about the acquisition plans announced by McCourt and other investors.

This has done little to deter a growing list of other business moguls who have also expressed interest in acquiring the app, which has been under government scrutiny in the US for four years over alleged national security concerns stemming from its Chinese ownership. One of them is former Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin, who said earlier this week he too was assembling a group of investors to make a bid for TikTok. He first hinted about the plan in March before the divestiture bill passed into law.

Mnuchin told Bloomberg he understands that the Chinese government is unlikely to allow ByteDance to sell TikTok’s algorithm, but he planned to “rebuild the technology.” That would be quite a lofty endeavor, especially given that TikTok competitors like YouTube and Meta have been trying to copy its product for years with only mixed success.

There’s at least one existing business connection between Mnuchin and TikTok: They are both backed by Japan’s SoftBank, which has stakes in ByteDance and in Liberty Strategic Capital, the private equity firm Mnuchin set up after he left office. A representative from Liberty Strategic Capital did not immediately return a request for comment about Mnuchin’s TikTok acquisition strategy.

Former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has reportedly considered buying TikTok as well. He even floated the idea to Zhang Yiming, the former CEO of ByteDance who retains a roughly 20 percent stake in the company, the Wall Street Journal reported in March. Around the same time, Canadian businessman and Shark Tank judge Kevin O'Leary told Fox News that the app is “not going to get banned, ’cause I’m gonna buy it.”

O’Leary did not immediately return a request for comment about whether he was seriously interested in TikTok. Kotick could not be reached for comment.

All of TikTok’s potential suitors would be facing an uphill battle to close a deal. The first challenge will be raising enough money. Only a small number of the world’s largest companies likely have enough cash on hand to acquire the app outright, and so far, they haven’t publicly voiced an interest in the platform. That’s a big change from four years ago when then-president Donald Trump first tried to force ByteDance to sell TikTok. At the time, Microsoft, Oracle, and Walmart were among the most promising buyers for the app.

But the even bigger problem that investors face is the fact that TikTok doesn’t seem to think a sale would even be possible, let alone desirable. In a lawsuit it filed against the US government last week, TikTok argued the divestiture bill violated the First Amendment and claimed severing its American operations from ByteDance was “not commercially, technologically, or legally feasible.”

TikTok noted that the Chinese government has “made clear” that it would not permit the company to sell its recommendation algorithm to a foreign buyer, citing regulations that Beijing introduced after Trump first targeted TikTok in 2020. The measures put limits on the export of certain technologies such as “personal interactive data algorithms.”

Even if a sale were politically possible, TikTok argued the move would “disconnect Americans from the rest of the global community” on the platform, in possibly the same way that the Chinese version of the app is restricted only to people in China. TikTok added that it would take a team of new engineers years to sift through its source code and “gain sufficient familiarity” with it to run the app effectively.

A group of TikTok creators filed a separate lawsuit against the federal government earlier this week arguing that the divest bill violated their free speech rights. (TikTok is paying their legal fees.) Separating TikTok from ByteDance, they said, “is infeasible, as the company has stated and as the publicly available record confirms.”