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WhatsApp introduces ‘channels’ to receive updates from people, organisations

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Meta-owned WhatsApp on Thursday announced that a new feature was under development for Android, iOS, and Desktop users, providing them with the ability to follow accounts outside their personal contacts.

According to WaBetaInfo, the instant messaging app said that the new update would allow users to receive important updates from people and organisations privately and reliably after following them. 

The new feature, called Channels, is available for some users in Singapore and Colombia. It will be released to more users in future. 

“With Channels, WhatsApp is developing a reliable and private way to receive important updates from individuals and organisations you matter,” the app-tracking website said. 

Mark Zuckerberg also made the announcement of the new feature Channels — which can be accessed through Updates. This is separate from regular chats as users can follow their preferred Channels. 

The admins looking over the Channels are able to share different content like text, photos, videos, stickers, and polls with their followers. Through this feature, users will be able to share different updates — from hobbies and sports teams to receiving news from local officials and much more. 

Meanwhile, the privacy of the admins will also remain intact as WhatsApp keeps their phone numbers and profile photos hidden from followers. 

Just like that, the phone numbers of followers will not be shown to the admins as well as who they choose to follow. This is why Channels are private tools for broadcasting information.

“WhatsApp believes channel updates should not have to stick around forever. For this reason, they plan to store channel history on their servers for up to 30 days, and they are developing new tools to make updates disappear even faster from devices,” the WhatsApp watcher added. 

Admins will also be able to block screenshots, and forwards from their Channels, make their Channels discoverable or keep them hidden. 

However, these Channels are not end-to-end encrypted by default but there is a possibility that limited audience end-to-end encrypted Channels might be introduced in future for non-profits or health institutions.

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China and Pakistan Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Launch AI-Powered Agricultural Equipment

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Through Chinese expertise, the arrangement, which was made possible by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), intends to increase Pakistan’s agricultural output.

The Punjab government and China’s “AI Force Tech” company have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to introduce advanced agricultural machinery during Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s visit to China.

Through the use of advanced robotic technology, the MoU seeks to transform Pakistan’s agricultural industry, guarantee economic growth, and boost farmers’ wealth with China’s assistance.

Through the partnership, Pakistan would also have the chance to absorb knowledge about China’s sophisticated farming methods.

In the meantime, plans have been revealed by the Federal Minister of Planning to send 1,000 agricultural experts to China to study contemporary farming methods.

A Chinese business and the Punjab government previously inked an agreement to introduce cutting-edge cancer treatment technologies to Punjab.

Maryam Nawaz signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hygea Medical Technologies while she was in China in order to introduce cutting-edge cancer treatment equipment and techniques to Punjab.

This equipment will make it feasible to treat cancer without the need for chemotherapy or surgery.

Following a meeting with Hygea Medical Technologies President Dr. Luo Fuliang, Maryam Nawaz said the organization has promised expert assistance for the establishment of the Nawaz Sharif Cancer Hospital.

She went on to say that the hospital will work with China to treat cancer patients utilizing the newest equipment and techniques following the agreement.

Maryam Nawaz and a high-level delegation are present. From December 8 to December 15, the chief minister will go to Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou.

CM Maryam Nawaz is expected to attend a number of conferences, events, and meetings with the goal of enhancing bilateral relations and looking into potential joint ventures in the areas of infrastructure development, technology, agriculture, and governance.

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ChatGPT by OpenAI experiences a significant outage!

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Users were unable to use ChatGPT, the well-known AI chatbot, due to a major outage that occurred today.

The problem was initially noticed by users on outage-tracking websites and social media channels. The company that created ChatGPT, OpenAI, has acknowledged the outage and is attempting to fix it.

There is currently an outage affecting us. We have located the problem and are in the process of implementing a solution.

“We’re currently experiencing an outage,” the business wrote in a statement on X, the platform that was originally known as Twitter. We have located the problem and are in the process of implementing a solution. We apologise and will keep you informed.

ChatGPT Outage

Users are unable to access the chatbot and are presented with error messages suggesting that the service is offline; however, the precise cause of the outage is still unknown. Many users have been affected by this disruption, including researchers, students, enterprises, and individuals who depend on ChatGPT for a variety of purposes.

OpenAI has not yet given a projected timeline for the complete restoration of the service. It is recommended that users keep up with the most recent information via OpenAI’s official channels.

Earlier, late Friday night, thousands of users from all around the world, including Pakistan, experienced interruptions on Meta platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

Nearly 1,000 customers in Pakistan reported problems with Meta services at approximately 11 p.m., according to Downdetector.com, a real-time platform outage tracker. In the meantime, 2,259 complaints have been filed against WhatsApp since 10:52 p.m. In the same period, Instagram, which is also owned by Meta, received more than 1,200 reports of outages.

On the competing platform X, several Facebook and Instagram users reported running into issues with messages like “something went wrong.” In a succinct Facebook comment, Meta acknowledged the problem and said, “We’re working on getting this fixed as soon as we can.”

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How to avoid falling victim to scammers on WhatsApp groups

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Smartphone users occasionally find themselves in a difficult situation when they are part of multiple WhatsApp groups.

To his annoyance, a user is typically added to dozens of WhatsApp groups for friends, family, and the office. This is because his phone rings every other second from the constant barrage of forwarded messages.

But these days, scammers are busy in WhatsApp groups, coming up with novel ways to con people.

After joining a WhatsApp group, a man lost INR 16 lakh to scammers, according to a startling disclosure.

Reports from the Indian media state that the event took place in Mangaluru and that the victim was deceived into joining a WhatsApp group by an unidentified individual.

The victim clicked on a dubious link and was duped into downloading a malicious program after being seduced with promises of large rewards in share market investing.

Hoping for large rewards, the victim transferred INR 16.9 lakh to the scammer’s bank account.

The victim discovered he had been duped, however, when he attempted to withdraw the money and was unable.

A clear reminder of the dangers of believing unidentified links and promises made online is provided by this instance.

Advice for Guarding Against These Scams:

Be cautious of unknown links and apps.
Avoid unverified investments with promises of high returns.
Research before downloading apps.
Enable two-factor authentication for added security.

Report suspicious activities to the platform or local police.

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