US officials announced on Tuesday they had recovered $3.6 billion of bitcoin stolen in 2016, throwing light on the scams that surround cryptocurrency. But how exactly do criminals steal in the virtual world?

YouTube on Thursday elaborated on its blockchain and metaverse plans for 2022, saying it could harness the emerging technologies to cut fraud in the fast-growing digital art market and offer a more social viewing experience for gaming content. The world's largest streaming service, which is owned by Alphabet Inc's Google, over the past year has sought to hang onto users with better guidance about upcoming features amid increasing competition with ByteDance Inc's TikTok and Meta Platforms Inc's Instagram. Last month, YouTube said it was exploring what proponents call Web3 technologies such as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which are video clips, art or other digital assets tied to the record-keeping technology blockchain. YouTube went further in a blog post on Thursday, suggesting that it could make NFTs safer bets. Sales of NFTs soared last year, but critics have said scams, copyright theft and other predatory behaviour are too common. Offering ways to verify the legitimacy of assets using its video library would be one feature possibility, YouTube said. “Giving a verifiable way for fans to own unique videos, photos, art, and even experiences from their favourite creators could be a compelling prospect for creators and their audience,” the blog said. YouTube also has prioritized the metaverse, an element of the Web3 movement that describes shared virtual worlds where people typically interact through avatars. YouTube said it did not have firm ideas yet but one possibility would be allowing users to watch videos together in a metaverse. Generally, it will focus for now on videos related to “gaming, where we'll work to bring more interactions to games and make them feel more alive,” the blog said. ByteDance last month launched a mobile app for gathering in a metaverse, and Meta is spending billions of dollars on virtual and augmented reality technology.

Vietnam-based automaker Vinfast announced that it will stop manufacturing internal combustion engine vehicle models and has set its sights to sell overseas, as it goes all-electric by the end of 2022. It will also focus significantly on research and development for the manufacturing of its all-electric based vehicles, the company said. Vinfast’s vision to catapult itself towards a 2022 U.S. listing, combines the clout of a powerful parent with potential for a shift to new energy vehicles in its fast-growing neighbourhood. The Refinitiv publication IFR says that the U.S. listing could potentially raise up to $3 billion for Vinfast. The overseas expansion plans support some of the electric vehicle industry’s valuation hype. While Tesla and western rivals eye the far east and Chinese peers Xpeng and Nio have their sights on Europe, Vinfast has its plans for the United States, Canada and Europe with Southeast Asia being a potential destination as well. Vinfast’s Vietnamese factory boasts an annual capacity of more than the country’s 2022 sales, as reported by manufacturers. This means that Vinfast can easily cater to growing demand in the region. Vinfast sold its first electric car last month and hopes to build on its earlier success: drivers bought more than 35,000 of its gasoline models in 2021, some 18% of the annual sales of passenger vehicles reported over the period by the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers' Association. With around 20% of Vietnamese consumers considering hybrid or electric for their next purchase, according to Deloitte, the brand’s battery-powered cars are positioned to do well too. Vinfast is 51.5% owned by Vingroup, the country’s biggest listed company by market capitalisation. Vingroup previously mentioned that it has targeted global electric vehicle sales of 42,000 units this year. The carmaker is eyeing a $60 billion valuation for its vehicles. Having a retail-to-property conglomerate parent may prove to be an advantage for Vinfast, as it can offer its shopping customers deals on vehicles, and install chargers at strategic spots, for instance. In India, the consumer products-to-hotels conglomerate, Tata is taking a similar electric lead. A strong owner can help crowd in funding too: in 2020, Vingroup sold a $650 million stake in Vinhomes to a consortium including KKR and Singapore’s Temasek to help fund Vinfast. However, it hasn’t been smooth sailing for the Vietnamese car manufacturers. In December, former Volkswagen veteran Michael Lohscheller left his role as chief executive of the Vietnamese carmaker after just five months in the position. Despite the bump in the road, Vinfast is set for a fast ride. To capture the market, the automaker announced a battery lease programme that will offer customers two subscription plans: "Flexible" (a minimum subscription fee for 300miles/500km per month, extra costs from the 301st mile/501st km) and “Fixed” (unlimited range). VinFast will cover all expenses on battery maintenance and will replace the owner’s used batteries for free when charging and discharging capacity falls below 70%. The company will also be offering 10-year warranty for all its electric vehicles in all markets.

Featuring a system full of powerful hardware, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and S22+ are two devices that attempt to take advantage of the latest smartphone features and come with a new style. One major highlight is the built-in S Pen in the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, a significant plus for prior Note series enthusiasts. The S Pen now has three times less latency than the S Pen from Note 20 Ultra, at only 2.8ms compared to 9ms before. The S Pen can recognize handwriting consistently well with its AI support. Additionally, the S Pen can take pictures with Bluetooth connectivity up to 10 meters away from the device. The S Pen also comes with new gestures and features for controls such as camera interchange, music or video playing, presentations, etcetera. The displays on both of these devices are excellent. S22 Ultra features a gigantic 6.8-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x display, while the S22+ features a 6.6-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x display. Both devices are shipped at a 120Hz refresh rate, allowing both devices to offer smooth scrolling and swiping. The refresh rate range is 1Hz to 120Hz on the S22 Ultra, while it is 24Hz to 120Hz for S22+. Besides adaptive display refresh, to ensure ultimate outdoor visibility, the display can also light up to 1750 nits. In terms of processors, both the S22 Ultra and S22+ are powered by the Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 4nm CPU, the fastest processor globally and relatively rare in Bangladesh. These powerful chipsets are also projected to be good at heat management. The Graphic Processing Unit (GPU) for both devices is Adreno 730, supporting extreme gaming. Only the snapdragon version of the devices is being officially launched in Bangladesh, while the Exynos version will be available in select global regions. The S22 Ultra features a quad-camera system that includes a 108 MP (f/1.8) OIS Wide Main Lens, a 10MP (f/4.9) OIS Periscope Telephoto lens with 10x Optical Zoom, a 10 MP (f/2.4) OIS Telephoto Lens with 3x Optical Zoom, and a 12 MP (f/2.2) Ultra-Wide lens with the ability to shoot super steady videos. Selfies with the 40MP (f/2.2) front camera came sharp and well. It also has a Nightography feature that allows amazing images in highly low-light circumstances. The noise reduction feature in Nightography is a unique attraction for the young crowd. There is nightography video support that also takes advantage of the large pixels that captures more light and produces results with less noise and more details. The S22+, on the other hand, comes with a triple camera arrangement, featuring a 50 MP (f/1.8) Wide Main Camera with OIS, a 10 MP (f/2.4) Telephoto lens with 3x Optical Zoom and OIS, and a 12 MP (f/2.2) 120˚ Ultra-Wide lens with Super Steady video. A 10MP (f/2.2) front camera also ensures crisp selfies. Furthermore, the S22+ also boasts the Nightography feature. The S22 Ultra and S22+ have 8GB/128GB RAM and 12GB RAM/256GB ROM storage capacities, respectively, and a 4500mAh battery in the S22+ and a 5000mAh battery in the S22 Ultra. The ram and internal storage used LPDDR5, which is more efficient and consumes less battery. Both devices have a 45W fast charging capability, while the S22 Ultra has two charging modes - 25W and 45W. Both devices have IP68 water resistance as well for durability. Pre-order details of both the devices will be soon to follow.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook and its parent company Meta, recently announced a brand new feature for Messenger end-to-end encrypted chats. In this update, if someone takes a screenshot of the disappearing message, the other person will get a notification.

Rockstar has confirmed that it is working on a new Grand Theft Auto, GTA, game. In a recent Grand Theft Auto community update post, a Rockstar spokesperson wrote,

To bring the e-commerce sector of the country under further regulation, the government is launching Unique Business Identification (UBID) numbers for e-commerce platforms. Traders who operate in the f-commerce industry, meaning any individual or business, small or large, that trades goods and items on Facebook, must also register to get their own UBIDs.

The local FMCG company Unilever Bangladesh Ltd (UBL) is known for its wide brand portfolio, which includes brands such as Sunsilk, CloseUp,

The local gaming community is still rapidly growing in Bangladesh, and many enthusiasts are exploring options to create their

Uninterrupted, efficient and focused studying has never been an easy task for any student. The overly competitive world of today demands more from students than ever before.

Regular viewers of Saturday Night Live (SNL) know that SNL sketches like Debbie Downer or The Californians maintain viewership thanks to the crew’s consistent improvisation capabilities. Netflix’s new crime-solving improv show Murderville allows viewers to get a taste, albeit acquired, of improv in a six-episode season.

Engine placement is one of the more crucial elements when it comes to automobile design. It can affect the handling, cabin space, cooling necessities and weight distribution of the automobile.

Competition is a constant factor in the equation of workplace culture. It is the secret motivation that drives employees to excel and bring in more contributions to the organisation.

It seems we have been going on a rant about the hustle culture lately. Sure, work is what keeps us financially stable, but do the detrimental effects of overwork outweigh the benefits?

Apple is reportedly working on two augmented reality projects due release in 2023, which will reportedly feature the brand new AR/VR operating system realityOS.

In a casual conversation, team Oriental Phoenix, winners of this year's Arena of Valor Bangladesh Championship 2021, shares with us the behind-the-scenes journey and future aspirations. Here are key snippets from the conversation.

To bring the e-commerce sector of the country under further regulation, the government is launching Unique Business Identification (UBID) numbers for e-commerce platforms. Traders who operate in the f-commerce industry, meaning any individual or business, small or large, that trades goods and items on Facebook, must also register to get their own UBIDs. 

Rockstar has confirmed that it is working on a new Grand Theft Auto, GTA, game. In a recent Grand Theft Auto community update post, a Rockstar spokesperson wrote, "We are pleased to confirm that active development for the next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series is well underway. We look forward to sharing more as soon as we are ready, so please stay tuned to the Rockstar Newswire for official details."

An American hacker by the name of P4x has hacked the nationwide internet access of North Korea, according to a report by the American magazine Wired. 

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, plunged over US$200 billion in stock value, according to stock reports from Thursday.