Meta, the company behind Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, has recently announced that it will lift its blanket ban on the word "shaheed". The word, which stands for "martyr" in English, went through a year-long review by Meta's oversight board. It was recently decided that banning the word was an "overboard" approach.

Tech companies focusing on AI-related products and services saw a substantial increase in market capitalisation at the end of June 2024. Particularly, success was seen from chipmakers, such as Nvidia, which briefly overtook Microsoft to become the most valuable company in the world.

Businesses around the world are becoming more adept at handling cybersecurity, thus leading to a global decrease in cyber insurance premiums, states a recent report by Howden Insurance, a global broker firm.

Toys"R"Us, the US-based toy brand, has recently released a teaser trailer that, according to the company, has been created with OpenAI's video generation AI tool, Sora. The video, which depicts the story of Toys"R"Us founder Charles Lazarus, is being called the first-ever commercial ad made by Sora.

Project Altair from the Islamic University of Technology (IUT) and Team Interplanetar from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) has advanced to the final round of the international rover competition European Rover Challenge (ERC) 2024, to be held in Krakow, Poland, from September 6 to 8, 2024.

Tiger New Energy, a Bangladesh based startup established in 2021, has secured an additional USD 1 million in funding from ADB Ventures following Tiger's USD 2.5 million seed round led by Wavemaker Partners last year, propelling the rollout of its battery swapping technology across Bangladesh. Md. Ismail Hossain, Manager, Brand & Marketing of Tiger New Energy confirmed the funding to The Daily Star.

Sophos, a cybersecurity solutions company, has announced the appointment of Joe Levy as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Levy, who has been acting CEO since February 15, will officially step into the role.

Amazon.com, the US-based tech and e-commerce company, has reached a valuation of $2 trillion for the first time. This makes it the fifth US company to reach this market value, a rise that is being attributed to the recent AI boom.

GrayMatter Robotics, co-founded by BUET graduate Ariyan Kabir, has raised USD 45 million in Series B funding led by Wellington Management, a Boston-based investment firm.

OnePlus has recently introduced the Nord CE4 Lite 5G smartphone in Bangladesh.

Facebook's parent company Meta Platforms has talked about incorporating its generative AI model into Apple's newly revealed AI system for iPhones, reveals a report from The Wall Street Journal on Sunday. These discussions are reportedly in preliminary stages and could still be abandoned.

NASA's Boeing Starliner spacecraft, currently docked at the International Space Station (ISS), is facing a series of technical issues that have significantly delayed its return to Earth. This unexpected situation has extended the stay of NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who were scheduled to return on June 26. The updated return date of the spacecraft has not yet been announced by NASA.

Sadia Afrin, a textile engineer and a leading figure in the female biking community "Yamaha Riders Club-Girls," recently completed a solo cross-country motorcycle trip across Bangladesh. Her journey not only showcased her determination but also highlighted the potential of female riders in the country.

The U.S. government announced a ban on the sale of Kaspersky antivirus software on Thursday, urging American users to switch to alternative providers due to national security concerns. The US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security imposed the ban, arguing that Kaspersky poses a threat to US national security and user privacy because the company is based in Russia.

Ilya Sutskever, co-founder and former chief scientist at OpenAI, has recently announced that he is launching his own AI company. He officially departed from OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, last month. 

Rangpur has the highest number of mobile financial services (MFS) accounts among the eight divisions of Bangladesh, with 28.10 percent of its population utilising these services. Barisal follows closely, with 24.26 percent of its residents holding MFS accounts, according to the report on Socio-Economic and Demographic Survey 2023, recently published by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

Bangladesh boasts a dynamic online presence that comes alive during Eid, specifically on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, becoming digital bridges that link families and friends across the globe.

Once a vibrant ritual, the exchange of Eid cards brought people closer. It encapsulated emotions and shared joy at a time when digital mediums weren’t there. Now, in the age of the internet and social media, many folks often see physical Eid cards as redundant, leading to their decline in sales.

Researchers from Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry have unveiled LignoSat, touted as the world's first wooden satellite. Set to launch in September 2024, this project aims to explore the potential of wood as a sustainable material for space applications, significantly reducing the environmental impact of satellite re-entries.

The traditional exchange of 'salami' or Eid money, has evolved to include a range of digital gifts, making it easier and more exciting to share the joy of the festive season.