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Chinese-Made Smartphones Are Secretly Stealing Money From People Around The World

When Mxolosi saw a Tecno W2 smartphone in a store in Johannesburg, South Africa, he was attracted to its looks and functionality. But what really drew him in was the price, roughly $30 — far less than comparable models from Samsung, Nokia, or Huawei, Africa’s other top brands.

“They’re very attractive and appealing to your eyes,” Mxolosi, who asked for his last name not to be used to protect his personal safety, told BuzzFeed News. “Honestly, I was a Samsung fan but I said, ‘Let me try this new product.’”

It was another sale for Transsion, the Chinese company that makes Tecno and other low-priced smartphones, as well as basic handsets, for the developing world. Since releasing its first smartphone in 2014, the upstart has grown to become Africa’s top handset seller, beating out longtime market leaders Samsung and Nokia.

But its success can come at a price. Mxolosi, an

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Programming
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‘Racist’ artificial intelligence is ‘painting world white’

Jar Jar Binks, right, a character in the Star Wars franchise, is part of a long tradition of racial stereotypes when it comes to extraterrestrials, the study said - AFP
Jar Jar Binks, right, a character in the Star Wars franchise, is part of a long tradition of racial stereotypes when it comes to extraterrestrials, the study said – AFP

Artificial intelligence risks creating a “racially homogenous” workforce, Cambridge University researchers have warned.

Cultural depictions of artificial intelligence as white need to be challenged as they erase people of colour and result in machines with bias baked into their algorithms, the scientists claim.

According to the researchers from Cambridge’s Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, like other science fiction tropes, artificial intelligence has always reflected racial thinking in society.

In the study published in the Philosophy and Technology journal, they argue there is a long tradition of racial stereotypes when it comes to extraterrestrials – from the “orientalised” alien of Ming the Merciless to the Caribbean caricature of Jar Jar Binks.

However, artificial intelligence is portrayed as white because,

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Computer
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How to Get a Fulbright Scholarship to Travel the World

Are you interested in studying, working or teaching English in another country?

If you’re a college graduate (or soon to be one), then you may want to consider reviewing Fulbright Scholarship requirements. The prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program hands out about 2,000 awards annually. Winning one could be a life-changing experience — and help you limit student loans for graduate school.

To learn how to get a Fulbright scholarship and whether the opportunity is right for you, let’s try to answer the following questions:

What is a Fulbright scholarship?What are the Fulbright scholarship requirements?How can you get a Fulbright scholarship?Should you apply to the Fulbright program?What is a Fulbright scholarship?

The Fulbright Program operates in more than 160 countries across the world (140 of which are available through the U.S. Student Program), and as such Fulbright scholarships come in all shapes and sizes. One scholarship could go to a writer

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Application
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‘Trolls World Tour’ star Flula Borg on sugar-rush recordings and the future of cinemas (exclusive)

Flula Borg voices yodelling troll Dickory in 'Trolls World Tour'. (Credit: Amanda Edwards/WireImage/Universal)
Flula Borg voices yodelling troll Dickory in ‘Trolls World Tour’. (Credit: Amanda Edwards/WireImage/Universal)

Trolls World Tour voice actor Flula Borg has admitted he was “terrified” when Universal opted to release the film on-demand rather than in cinemas.

The studio opted not to delay the film in the early days of the coronavirus lockdown and instead used the animated sequel as a guinea pig for the new “premium video-on-demand” model.

Fortunately for all involved, the move proved a money-spinning success story — albeit one that sparked conflict with cinema chains.

Borg, who played yodelling troll Dickory in the colourful musical, told Yahoo Movies UK he was concerned about those who devoted years to working on the movie.

Read more: Films streaming early because of coronavirus

“As you know, I didn’t have a huge role, but there are people who have spent thousands of hours on this film,” said the 38-year-old musician

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Internet
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Flula Borg was ‘terrified’ by ‘Trolls World Tour’ release

Trolls World Tour voice actor Flula Borg has admitted he was “terrified” when Universal opted to release the film on-demand rather than in cinemas.

The studio opted not to delay the film in the early days of the coronavirus lockdown and instead used the animated sequel as a guinea pig for the new “premium video-on-demand” model.

Fortunately for all involved, the move proved a money-spinning success story — albeit one that sparked conflict with cinema chains.

Borg, who played yodelling troll Dickory in the colourful musical, told Yahoo Movies UK he was concerned about those who devoted years to working on the movie.

Read more: Films streaming early because of coronavirus

“As you know, I didn’t have a huge role, but there are people who have spent thousands of hours on this film,” said the 38-year-old musician and internet star.

‘Trolls World Tour’. (Credit: Universal)

He added: “That’s what’s

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Internet
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Katy Perry, David Guetta, Steve Aoki Preview Tomorrowland Around the World Virtual Festival

Click here to read the full article.

Tomorrowland Around the World performers Katy Perry, David Guetta, Steve Aoki, Nervo and Dimitri Vegas joined Tomorrowland co-founder Michiel Beers and moderator Sean Dhondt in an online press conference today to preview what fans can expect from the virtual festival.

Scheduled for July 25 and 26 on the Tomorrowland website, Tomorrowland Around the World has combined 3D visuals with innovative game design to present an interactive digital festival meant to mimic the in-person experience. Attendees of the conference were given a preview of the performances, which utilize green screen technology to give the event a real-life touch.

More from Variety

Each act recorded its respective set at green screen studios across the world, allowing the artist to be placed in the virtual playground of Tomorrowland with similar lighting and resolution. And because DJs naturally feed off of a crowd’s energy, Tomorrowland Around the

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Technology
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Day cares welcome mask-wearing toddlers as parents struggle to ‘make best decision’ in COVID-19 world

Sam DeRoze is almost 4 years old. After years of nanny care, he’s supposed to dive into his first organized school experience this fall. But the coronavirus pandemic has his mother mulling.

“I’ll need to see the plan from his preschool before I decide,” says Dianne DeRoze, a business consultant in Leesburg, Virginia. “If it’s safe and a positive experience, that’s valuable. What I don’t want is for him to have a knee-jerk reaction that school is this scary place you get dumped.”

DeRoze is among the millions of parents grappling with sending their children to preschool and babies to day care as cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, spike nationally.

The debate continues to rage among politicians and school officials on fall reopening plans. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last week that the city would be providing day care for 100,000 children to help

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Internet
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Daycares welcome mask-wearing toddlers as parents struggle to ‘make best decision’ in COVID-19 world

Sam DeRoze is almost 4 years old. After years of nanny care, he’s supposed to dive into his first organized school experience this fall. But the coronavirus pandemic has his mother mulling.

“I’ll need to see the plan from his pre-school before I decide,” says Dianne DeRoze, a business consultant in Leesburg, Virginia. “If it’s safe and a positive experience, that’s valuable. What I don’t want is for him to have a knee-jerk reaction that school is this scary place you get dumped.”

DeRoze is among millions of parents grappling with the pros and cons of sending their children to preschool and babies to day care as cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, spike nationally.

The debate continues to rage between politicians and school officials on fall re-opening plans, while New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last week that the city would be providing day care

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Internet
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Will COVID-19 Adaptations Create a More Disability-Inclusive World?

Video conferencing at home.
Video conferencing at home.

I have always been a fan of Charles Darwin. In my sixth-grade biology class, adaptation was taught as a concept that grew into Darwin’s theory of natural selection — but for me, it had a different meaning. It was the first time I learned there was a name for everything I had always done since birth. Growing up with a neuromuscular disease meant that adaptation was built into every part of my existence. As a lifetime wheelchair user, I learned at a young age that adaptation was a critical part of my ability to fit into an able-bodied world that wasn’t designed for me.

With the rise of COVID-19 and the drastic changes our world has experienced over the last several months, my intrinsic sense of adaptation has been adopted by the world at large. This pandemic is arguably one of the most significant periods in

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Technology
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Porn’s Brave New World of Camming: ‘The Possibilities Are Endless’

Handout
Handout

When I started doing adult films, the times known as the “golden days” were coming to an end. Sasha Grey marked the end of an era. Her rise to fame for being an extreme performer with no limits was as fast as her departure. Tube sites, that basically allow users to upload and watch adult movies for free, started to dominate the industry by profiting off of this pirated content, which then created budget cuts and business restructuring for porn companies. During this time we also saw a steady rise in camming and solo girl websites. Like a sort of guarantee, solo girl sites were a personal membership-based website selling clips, photos, and cam shows that could create residual income for a performer when they decided to leave the industry. But the options were limited—you either joined a network of other stars giving a percentage away to the host

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Technology