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TWITTER FINALLY DECIDED TO TAKE DOWN THE FAKE JOE BIDEN AD THAT HAS TRIGGERED POLITICAL CONFLICT

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Social Media is a very powerful platform. They can be a rich source of information, righteous movements, but at the same time create mayhem through unreliable words. Fake news spreads faster than trusted facts and figures. And, especially things tend to go out of hand when famous people with thousands of followers share this type of false information as well. Among all the social media, Twitter is one of the most powerful. One single tweet can bring down the reputation of a person and can build it at the same time. And, recently, politics in America has gone aggressive through these threads of tweets. A fake ad of Joe Biden is spread worldwide by re-posting the tweet. The staff of Trump campaign has been amplifying this political bashing.

What is the tweet?

Recently, a fake Joe Biden ad has gone viral on Twitter. And, the Trump campaign members escalated the spread of this tweet. Many of them reposted it saying it might be true. But, finally, Twitter has decided to take down the fake ad of Joe Biden. Because, amongst the pandemic of COVID-19, the least world needs right now is a firework of political revolt.

The tweet is no longer available on the platform. Though, the image that was posted showed Joe Biden’s chest has been lightening up. And, it also showed a beam of light coming from it. Along with the image, the tweet read, “His brain? No. His heart.” The tweet also had the official logo of the campaign as well on top of it.

It has only been a few days that this fake tweet has been posted, and it received 1,000 retweets and 62,000 likes. Common people are hyped about any loopholes and when it is triggered by the system itself, the situation gets worse. Apart from Twitter, the post was also shared in platforms like Reddit and Tumblr. But, the real toll took place on Twitter when an accounted re-posted it saying that it is 100% authentic. But, the Biden campaign confirmed it to Twitter that it is fake and thus, asked to remove it.

Who said what?

Many members of the Trump campaign has shown interest in this tweet and shared it as well. Tim Murtaugh, the Director of Communications for the reelection campaign of Donald Trump also shared the post. Not only he shared the tweet but he also said that though Twitter is not that trustworthy at times, the Joe Biden ad is not a fake one. Another member of Trump’s campaign, Karen Giorno (chief strategist for Florida branch) also shared it claiming the ad was approved by Joe Biden.

This is not the first time

But, this is not the first time that fake images and false allegations have fired between Joe Biden and Trump’s campaign. Last month, Dan Scavino, the social media director of White House posted a tweet of Joe Biden. The content showed a doctored video of Joe Biden and Twitter applied a tag of “manipulated media” on it. This is the first time that Twitter put the tag of fake media on the tweet.

After Twitter put the tag of “manipulated media”, Greg Schultz, campaign manager of Joe Biden, said that Facebook should have also taken fast action like Twitter. Moreover, from 5th March, Twitter started putting this tag on fake media that has the potential to create political tension. This helped the platform maintain harmony by creating friction in the velocity of the spread.

Taking the necessary steps

The previous year, Twitter declared that it will ban all types of political advertising starting from November 2019. Jack Dorsey, CEO of the company made the full policy public on November 15th. Due to this ban, the opposition party was unable to boost this recklessly. But, the tweet was indeed present on the platform for a good few days and the shares weren’t labeled as false.

But, Twitter has declared that this particular post violates the Election Integrity Policy of the company. And, hence they were looking into it followed by taking some fast actions. Apart from these fake ads to bring down the image of the opposition parties, health-related conspiracy theories are cooking as well.

Netflix

The Last Airbender to Hit Netflix on May 15th

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Netflix recently announced that all three seasons of the fan-favorite The Last Airbender will now be available on the video platform from May 15th onwards. The beloved anime loved by millions around the world had opened to rave reviews years ago. The story follows the life and adventures of the Avatar, Aang, as he tries to master the four elements. The original show aired on Nickelodeon between Feb 2005 and July 2008, to much love and adoration from fans. Here’s a look at how fans around the world have greeted this announcement.

Netflix and Avatar

This is not the first time the video-streaming giant has associated itself with the Avatar series. For instance, Netflix is working on creating a live-action adaptation of the show. This will be the second time such an adaptation has been made, with the first one being the movie made M. Night Shyamalan. Netflix’s adaptation, titled The Dragon Prince, will feature the screenwriter of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aaron Ehasz. Netflix released a statement regarding the Airbender series via Twitter yesterday.

Throughout its 61-episode run, it won various awards and recognitions, including a Peabody Award and a Primetime Emmy. While the M. Night Shyamalan movie did not receive favorable reviews, Netflix plans on creating ripples through their live-action project based on the Airbender series.

Other Netflix Ventures

Netflix has also bagged streaming rights for 21 Studio Ghibli movies, from this year on, for any area outside North America. However, in case you stay within the US and wish to watch these movies, you will need to register with WarnerMedia’s HBO Max, which will hit the market on May 27th. Yesterday, Netflix announced that it would also be the one to release the new Pokémon animated episodes. All of this comes as a result of Netflix’s plan to invest more heavily in animated shows, manga, and anime. Such a decision will significantly help in competing with other children’s platforms such as YouTube and Disney+.

Airbender Series

The series premiered in 2005, on the Nickelodeon network and ran for three years, until 2008. The show featured the adventures of a powerful Avatar who could control the elements, fire, water, earth, and air. By using martial-art moves, the power of his will, and help from other gifted children like himself, the Avatar fought against negative forces that wished to take over the world. The titular Avatar, who took form once in every generation was the only being capable of handling all four elements at the same time. The Avatar takes shape as a 12-year-old boy named Aang to stop the tyranny of the Fire Nation.

The series, which ran for over three years, faced great critical acclaim and was loved by fans all around the world. In 2012, a sequel came out, titled The Legend of Korra, following M Night Shyamalan’s live-action movie in 2010. Netflix too is working on a live-action project, with the series creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko serving as executive producers. The series The Legend of Korra, which came out on Nickelodeon ran for four seasons till 2014.

The show aired briefly on Netflix in 2019, being removed later, which led fans to wait anxiously for its return. A large section of Twitter was set ablaze by Netflix’s announcement, with fans flocking to express their excitement and happiness. However, fans in Canada were surprised regarding why they did not receive the right to watch shows like their American counterparts.

The live-action remake will feature a soundtrack by original composer Jeremy Zuckerman, meaning that most of the same team will reunite for this project. While no release date has been specified, fans are expecting the movie to drop sometime in 2021. Jan Chol Lee will serve as the concept designer, having worked previously on large projects such as on Big Hero 7, Beowulf, and the animated feature Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. With the original series celebrating its 15th anniversary this February, it is safe to say that fans couldn’t be happier regarding their favorite show returning to Netflix!

ARFICUS

COVID-19 testing kit from Indian company that needs only 53 seconds!

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COVID-19 has become a gripping reality for many countries around the world.  Every nation, state, and district is trying its best to keep it at bay. Declared a pandemic by the WHO, the novel coronavirus has been spreading aggressively for the past two months now. As a result, most of the world’s major countries have gone into stringent lockdowns to prevent its spread. Most medical experts have claimed that the only way to stop this spread is to test and identify patients as soon as possible. Therefore, medical teams are now raising against the clock to find diagnosis equipment and vaccines for the disease. It is at this juncture that an Indian company ARFICUS has come out with a claim that will bring much joy to medical practitioners if found to be true. Read on to know more about this company’s AI-based testing equipment which could help us greatly in the fight against this invisible enemy.

Miracle Diagnosis Test

Most states in India are having trouble getting their hands on enough testing kits, as the supply is limited. Few testing kits lead to few tests, which, in turn, lead to fewer confirmed patients. However, the Indian company, ARFICUS claims that they might have a solution to this problem. They claim that they could quickly become the country’s biggest ally in the fight against the novel coronavirus as their diagnosis kit could help determine patients at a staggering rate.

The company is presently in talks with the National Institute of Health Research-UK, and the World Health Organisation regarding their testing kit. They are working with them, and believe that soon enough, these tests will be deployed in the UK and the USA shortly. They also think that with the right support from the Indian government, they could help make testing much faster in India as well.

Aim to Help

ARFICUS wants to help as many people as they possibly can, and help countries in their fight to save humanity. The company, being of Indian origin, also wants to deploy the kit in the Indian sub-continent to help the government improve its existing testing capabilities. With the COVID-19 having taken hold of over 184 countries around the world, this help could be much needed for many! As the infection reaches a manageable extent in China, outside it, the virus is accelerating its spread. Being able to diagnose the disease earlier would help in preventing community spread of the COVID-19. This could, therefore, go a long way in helping stop the accelerated spread of the disease. The most significant advantage that early diagnosis gives doctors is the chance to isolate them at the earliest. With more and more patients testing positive while being asymptomatic, this could prove to be vital in stopping the disease.

Why this Helps

The current tests take, on average, around 2 hours to give a proper result. Since many quarantine centers do not have advanced examinations, this could take even longer. ARFICUS claims that their testing kit, which makes use of CT scan machines, can diagnose the disease in less than a minute! Furthermore, since these machines are available in most centers and hospitals, this could make testing much more accessible and convenient.

However, such a method requires multiple rechecks and reviews as the lungs have a lot of lesions on them. That is why ARFICUS makes use of Artificial Intelligence to check the CT results, which leads to 98% specificity and 99% accuracy. AI technologies, including computer vision and medical image analysis, help in evaluating the CT results to clinical doctors. This helps in overcoming the shortage of doctors qualified enough to gauge the scan results. Therefore, the system ARFICUS developed may be able to diagnose millions in a day, as the test takes less than a minute to decide.

ARFICUS Website

Image Source: arficus.com

Best of Luck COVTREAT

The system name COVTREAT was trained on over 1678 COVID-19 patients with 99.56% accuracy. The company is now in talks with regulatory bodies in the US, UK, France, and India to mass-produce this kit and system, as per Sandeep Sinha, who is the Founder and CEO of ARFICUS. The test aims to gauge the disease by checking the CT for bilateral multilobar ground-glass opacification in the lower and right middle lobe. Other indications include Septal thickening, bronchiectasis, pleural thickening, and subpleural involvement in some instances.

ARFICUS Website
Image Source: arficus.com

AI-assisted medical image analysis helps in assisting the diagnosis, relieving pressure on doctors. They make use of the Dice Similarity Coefficient and Absolute Volume Difference to study the lesion area segmentation. The results found are claimed to be highly consistent with the other testing regime, meaning that this, if true, could help doctors significantly.

Facebook

FACEBOOK BECOMES THE LARGEST MINORITY SHAREHOLDER OF RELIANCE SUBSIDIARY JIO

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The adaptability of people with the internet is booming in this era of digitalization. We Indians have especially engrossed ourselves in the technical development for a while now. Many companies are showing genuine interest in Indian social and economic growth. Because India is going through a rapid transformation in the sphere of economy our world has ever witnessed. And, it is happening mostly due to the involvement of India in digital technologies. With every passing day, people are showing enthusiasm to use the internet do to something valuable. They are learning new skills, opening small businesses, etc. Within the last five years, around 500 million people got internet access in India. This led one of the biggest social media platforms to invest in Jio Platforms, the technical division of Reliance Industries.

The Investment

Jio is a Reliance subsidiary that provides broadband, mobile services, and online commerce stage to the Indian people. It is one of the leading internet platforms in India currently. So, what can be better than the gigantic social media platform collaborating with one of the largest network enterprises? Facebook announced that it is investing $5.7 billion in Jio Platforms, thus making Facebook its largest minority shareholder. This deal has summed up Jio’s value to $65.95 billion.

Facebook already has a mammoth size market in India. It has the largest number of Whatsapp users from our country, that is, 400 million users. So, further investment in the Indian market will help the company operate more effectively and contribute to the digital economy. Everything happens today with a few swipes on our mobile screen. And, Facebook aspires to connect more people through the power of Whatsapp and fuel Jio’s small businesses like JioMart.

A New Partnership

Facebook says that Jio has gone through some excellent development in less than three years of its launch. Moreover, after Jio has come into the market, the number of Internet users in India has escalated very fast. So, the company looks forward to opening new opportunities for people through the services of Jio. Already, 388 million people are using the internet service of Jio and the number is expected to rise soon.

Facebook is currently targeting small businesses in India. There are around 60 million small enterprises that can grow bigger with stronger connectivity. But, the pandemic of COVID-19 is indicating a huge downfall in the economy which will affect these small businesses. So, responding in the need of the hour, Facebook along with Jio commits to helping businesses grow again. With affordable internet collection and a huge audience, businesses can digital and hence expand internationally.

Something big is coming up

Facebook and Jio have come together to make a stronger community in the sphere of digital business. The plan is to make a new app that will connect people around the world and help in purchasing products as well. Though, the companies didn’t make any big announcement about releasing the app as it is an ongoing project. The companies want to create something similar to WeChat, a multipurpose app for the Indian market.

Delays have been caused in this project due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus. But, it is clear that a multipurpose app is coming in its way. It will help people buy groceries, do shopping, and also make the payment from JioMoney. But, the final model of this new business isn’t clear yet. Reliance has not mentioned if there will be more than one investor for Reliance Jio and Reliance Retail. But, both the companies have set off to launch this new super at the earliest.  

Future planning

The whole world is losing its financial stability due to the lockdown. Recently, the oil price has also gone negative. But, Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance brings a ray of hope. He said that this new collaboration will help Indi recover economically during the post-Corona phase. So, Reliance is looking forward to a long time commitment with Facebook to heal and embrace the digital environment of India.

With this new partnership, it is predicted that India might have 2.1 billion devices connected to the internet by 2023. In this collaboration, Morgan Stanley acted as the financial advisor of Jio Platforms. This partnership will open new opportunities for the people of India.

macbook

Use your iPad Pro as a Laptop Using the New Magic Keyboard

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Apple recently released news regarding their new Magic Keyboard for the Apple iPad Pro. Fans around the world have come out in support of the original design, calling it well-made and classy. The new keyboard case comes with a trackpad, and this allows users to use the iPad as a laptop. Such a move will make the iPod so much more convenient than before, much to the fans’ delight. So, what are the features of the new keyboard, and why is it so great? Here’s a look at Apple’s new keyboard, and why it is a much-needed reprieve for fans.

Convenience Upgrade

The keyboard is extremely comfortable to type on, making the iPad more convenient, as it allows it to function as a laptop. However, it is quite expensive, coming out at $299 (11-inch) and $349 (12.9-inch), whereas, in comparison, the iPad comes in at $329. But, the keyboard does allow you to use the iPad as you would a traditional laptop. The Magic keyboard comprises of well-backlit keys and a trackpad that supports various gestures that the iPadOS configures.

Keyboard Features

The Magic keyboard itself is a great keyboard that is comfortable to use. The new keyboard makes use of the same scissor-switch technology that runs the other counterparts in the Magic series of consoles. These keyboards had come out earlier for the iMac and MacBook Pro. Therefore, the model is easier to use than the prior butterfly-switch keyboard that the older MacBook Pros use to have. It is also better than the fabric-lined Smart Keyboard that the older iPad Pro boasted. Unlike other keyboard designs wherein Apple focused on the board’s thinness, this time around, they have focused on comfort. It is thick enough to give users an excellent feel when typing, making the experience of typing much more comfortable. However, unlike the Magic Keyboard sported by the MacBook Pro, the keys on this one are a little wobblier. But, there’s nothing to worry about, as the keys are sturdy enough to last you long enough.

As fans expected, the keys on this keyboard are backlit and adjust as per the ambient lighting. Therefore, for most of the time, the keys are perfectly lit, improving your typing experience by maintaining the right brightness. But, the problem here is that they aren’t easy to switch off completely. Imagine you are watching a horror movie at night on your iPad Pro, and want to create the right ambiance by turning all the lights off. You can’t switch off the backlighting directly. Instead, users will have to head to the Settings, go to General, and then over to Keyboard Hardware. From there, users have the option of adjusting the keyboard’s backlighting via a slider.

Furthermore, the keyboard does not have an Escape button, but you can toggle a keyboard to enable that function from this same setting bar. Another major issue that the keyboard’s Type C port only supports charging and not data transfer. Therefore, in case you want to extract data from a third-party source, you will need adapters and wires.

Lack of a Function Bar

These two issues could have been quickly resolved if the keyboard had a function bar on top. Most popular consoles have a function row above the number row on the keyboard. Most of the buttons on standard function bars have all the necessary function shortcuts that users would need, including adjusting brightness and sound levels. Having dedicated buttons related to volume, backlighting, screen brightness and Escape would have made it easier for users to control the device. The lack of such a function bar prompts the user to approach the Control Center to manage their functions.

Trackpad Functions

However, the new trackpad, although small when compared to other Apple keyboards, works excellent and is a great addition to the board. If users are familiar with the trackpads on the MacBook Pro, they will find this one quite small to use. When using the 12.9-inch board, the trackpad has dimensions similar to the trackpad on the Surface Pro. The trackpad itself, works brilliantly, being smooth, accurate and extremely lag-free. Also, GUI for the cursor is excellent too. While the tracker resembles a dot most of the time, it quickly changes to a text cursor whenever the situation demands it.

Furthermore, the cursor grows and falls in size, mimicking the size of the icons or text on the screen. You can also use the trackpad to navigate within the system, and users can use up to three fingers simultaneously on the keyboard. The biggest issue regarding the trackpad comes into play while using third-party apps. Applications that do not utilize Apple’s APIs when making their texts and icons affect the trackpad negatively. These icons make it difficult for your fingers to swipe across the trackpad, difficult to type or select texts, and the image stops shifting its shape.

The Magic Keyboard, which is built like a tank, is a blessing for users around the world. It sits stably on your lap or tabletop and is exceptionally well-balanced. The floating position of the iPad angles the screen onto a more comfortable position. The keyboard can also tilt up to 130 degrees, allowing users to adjust it as per their needs. While the keyboard is on the heavier side, weighing around three pounds, it is quite satisfying to use. It is quite safe to say that the new Magic Keyboard transforms the iPad Pro into an efficient laptop, much to the joy of users around the world!

Medium

Medium’s Content On COVID-19 Becomes Questionable Because What Can Be Right Today Can Go Wrong Tomorrow

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Every citizen of every nation has become the prisoner of the novel coronavirus. Due to this outbreak, people have started losing their minds and much likely fall prey to misinformation. When every person is suffering due to this pandemic, misinformation is the last thing we wish for. But, how can normal people differentiate between the fact-checked, professionally-curated, verified information and random conspiracy theories? Had it been that simple, the spread of wrong information would have stayed in control. And, the hype for entertaining misleading information accelerates when reputed platforms like Medium publish them. Medium is one of the leading blogging platforms that witnesses both facts verified from experts and welcomes new ideas as well.

What has gone wrong?

Currently, the media is covering the statistics of COVID-19 as well as spreading awareness among people. Many experts have also published articles based on data gathered. But, when it comes to analyzing the seriousness of the coronavirus, a growth hacker and an epidemiologist are not the same. And, it all started getting worse when a Silicon Valley growth hacker, Aaron Ginn analyzed the situation in his way.

Aaron Ginn wrote an article based on his assessment of the coronavirus data. Medium posted the article and it spread like a wildfire. The article had certain hints of treating the deadly pandemic as an overhyped situation until Carl T. Bergstrom debunked it. Carl is an expert on infectious disease and criticized the article by a series of tweets thread.

He tried clarifying most of the misinformation by explaining it point by point. The article tried to dilute the gravity of the situation by explaining that it is following the bell curve. But, Carl said it doesn’t necessarily mean viruses will follow the bell curve unlike most things in nature. The coronavirus outbreak didn’t spread in every nation at the same time. And, speaking of less number of cases, the number of tests conducted varies for every nation and so is the population density. So, Medium removed the article immediately to stop the spread of misinformation.

Spot the correct information

But, amongst the misinformation spreading, Tomas Pueyo, another growth hacker posted a meaningful article on the coronavirus outbreak. The article was posted on Medium. This is one of the most famous articles on coronavirus with over 40 million views. Tomas set that the number of cases is growing exponentially and that it can take bigger shape in the future.

But, Tomas is no medical expert. Whatever he concluded in his article was a result of analyzing data and understanding research papers. A famous psychologist, Steven Pinker also shared his article. But, what is media without critics? Many people raised the question that he isn’t an epidemiologist so why should they support the idea. Tomas was delighted to hear it and said the article needs verification because he isn’t a medical expert. And, this rise in concern about what is right or wrong is what we need at this hour from common people.

Misleading information was taken down

An essayist, A. J. Kay who lives in Arizona started learning about the coronavirus situation. According to her, the experts were calling it highly transmissible which was not the scenario. But, what she failed to understand it testing started lately in the U.S. This means if anybody who was suffering from this disease was reported lately. By then it has already been spread to so many other people.

Without understanding any of this, she dropped an article, “The Curve is Already Flat”. The articles received 275,000 within the first 48 hours. But after a couple of days, she received a mail from Medium that her article was removed from the site. Medium informed her that the contents could have risked the lives of people so the Medium’s Trust and Safety team has reached the decision.

The conclusion

There are two categories of articles that are published on Medium. First, the ones that are fact-checked and written by professional journalists. The experts verify these articles and on the other hand, there are user-generated pieces. Due to the crisis, Medium now marks these user-generated articles is not fact-checked. Because it has the potential to put people’s health at risk. Moreover, the platform has amended “COVID-19 Content Policy”. Any article violating this set of the rule will be taken down without further explanation. Moreover, the figures are jumping exponentially every day. So, what theory might be valid today cannot be valid tomorrow.