Bdb index 2020

Tear gas and fire extinguisher gas float around demonstrators during a protest against the military coup in Yangon, Myanmar, March 2, 2021. Picture taken from behind a window. REUTERS/Stringer The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) advised the almost 1,300 Filipinos in Myanmar to avoid places of protest following reports that 38 people were killed as the military quelled protests in several towns and cities on Wednesday. “Filipinos in Myanmar are once more advised to avoid places of protest, monitor developments through reputable sources and check with the Philippine Embassy in Yangon for further advisories,” the DFA said in a statement. The DFA earlier said there were about 1,273 Filipinos in Myanmar as of June 2020. It also reiterated its call for a complete restoration of the status quo ante and allow State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi “to play her unifying role.” In a post on Twitter, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said all foreign ministers of the Association of ... » Learn More about DFA urges Pinoys in Myanmar to avoid protests

Experts discuss how cybersecurity policies and strategies are formed in the Asia Pacific during the 2nd Asia Pacific Online Policy Forum hosted by Kaspersky on Tuesday, March 2, 2021. MANILA, Philippines — Cybersecurity experts underscored on Tuesday the pressing need for building capacity and investing in education to make the cyberspace more secure. During the 2nd Asia Pacific Online Policy Forum organized by Kaspersky, Dr. Greg Austin, Professor of Cybersecurity, Strategy and Diplomacy at the University of New South Wales in Australia, pointed to the need to attract more cybersecurity experts. Attended by more than 1,000 participants including executive officers from various sectors and top government officials, the forum focused on how policies and strategies are shaped in APAC and how policymakers should act ahead of cybercriminals. “Globally, we are not making enough cybersecurity professionals,” Austin said. “Most countries are not prepared to make investments in ... » Learn More about Experts underscore need for getting more cybersecurity professionals in APAC

Avid steamer “TheGrefg” Martínez recently set a new viewing record on the Twitch platform. Image: courtesy of Twitch and David “TheGrefg” Martínez via AFP Relaxnews While Twitch has seen a significant increase in viewer numbers over the last 12 months, this trend appears to be digging in for 2021. David “TheGrefg” Martínez has set a new record for the video streaming platform, attracting more than 2.4 million simultaneous viewers in his latest live broadcast. The Spanish Twitch player who counts 6.3 million subscribers captured the attention of new viewers by introducing his new avatar for “Fortnite”: a red-haired character available from Jan. 16 on Epic Games’ flagship game store. This announcement was followed live by more than 2.47 million people on the video streaming platform, according to data from the TwitchTracker website. This audience peak allowed David Martínez to beat the record set by Tyler “Ninja” Blevins in March 2018. At that time, more than 616,000 curious ... » Learn More about Twitch sets new records as the pandemic continues

MANILA, Philippines – Individuals will have to surrender more personal data as an offshoot of the coronavirus pandemic in the coming year and companies and governments will have to redouble their efforts to protect that information, according to a global cybersecurity firm. In particular, Palo Alto Networks said efforts to improve contact tracing — necessary to rein in the spread of COVID-19 — will take on greater importance in 2021 as the private and public sectors strive to reopen economies and national borders. “Despite the data privacy conversation circulating for several years – with wariness around the use of data by some big tech companies and general data protection regulation compliance continuing to be a challenge for companies – it is contact tracing that has really made individuals sit up and take notice of data privacy,” the company said. Rigorous contact tracing and timely access to accurate and complete data have proven to be a key factor in “flattening the curve” ... » Learn More about Stronger cybersecurity urged to protect personal data

A host of more affordable 5G smartphones should be coming in 2021. Image: IStock/alexsl via AFP Relaxnews. 5G going truly mainstream, ecological awareness, the conquest of space and the breakthrough of cryptomoney are some of the main trends awaiting the world of high-tech in 2021. 5G for everyone With the first commercial offers making their appearance over the last year or so in many regions and the majority of the next smartphones coming onto the market will be 5G compatible, a large part of the population is eager to take advantage of this new generation of ultra-fast mobile network. The 5G rollout will continue throughout various territories in more areas, not just main cities, and will have an impact on businesses with more augmented reality experiences and interactive shopping being available as a result. As more consumer devices enable 5G connectivity, this will mean a greater range of services available to users in their homes and as citizens of “smart cities.” ... » Learn More about What we’re betting on in tech for 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about significant changes when it comes to the role of managers in businesses. Image: Unsplash via AFP Relaxnews. Whether it’s managing workers remotely, rallying teams while lending an attentive ear to each individual, or juggling time spent in the office and time working remotely, COVID-19 has reshuffled the cards when it comes to the role of managers working in businesses worldwide. What if, in the coming year, lessons learned in the pandemic were taken onboard to make way for a more horizontal approach to management, drawing on the idea of permaculture in the workplace? Welcome to Episode 5 of ETX Studio’s “After Calendar” of incoming trends for 2021. “Before, managing was about motivating teams and moving forward together to achieve results. Today, you have to manage fragility. It’s new emotional territory in the workplace. At any time, you know that your troops can crack. And you yourself are shaken up by the context, the uncertainty. So ... » Learn More about 2021: The year of ‘perma-management’?

Dr. Reginald Christian Bernardo in a photo he captioned “Expelliarmus.” Image: courtesy of Dr. Reginald Christian Bernardo After earning the title of being the country’s first homegrown gravitational physicist, Dr. Reginald Christian Bernardo made headlines in recent months, and only rightfully so. Despite this newfound fame, the scientist wants to emphasize to fellow Filipinos that there have been several other Filipino gravitational physicists before him, albeit not being “homegrown.” He points out that the era of gravitational physics in the Philippines started way back in 1970 when Dr. Roger Posadas obtained his Ph.D. under the supervision of renowned theoretical physicist Ezra Newman from the University of Pittsburgh in the United States. Noting that while the 1970s is not only the era that is “darkest in Philippine history,” it is also the time when the most respectable physics programs in the country were “only at their infancy.” Following Posadas, it took around ... » Learn More about ‘Put scientists at decision-making front lines,’ urges PH’s 1st homegrown gravitational physicist Reginald Bernardo

INQUIRER.net Stock Photo To end 2020, Adobe Flash Player has finally bid goodbye to internet users as its services will no longer be available from now on. Adobe has stopped distributing and updating the Flash Player plugin, which allowed generations of netizens to play thousands of games and watch videos since the early days of the internet. Since 1996, Flash Player had been widely used by gaming and video-sharing websites to provide internet users access to their contents relatively quickly back then. For one, Facebook had its plethora of games relying on Flash Player, such as the popular internet pastime “Farmville,” which used to have around 30 million daily players. The said game, among many others, also has since had its final bow just right at the end of 2020, as Flash Player was laid to rest. Along with Facebook, tech giants Microsoft, Apple and Mozilla have announced back in 2017 that they will gradually stop supporting Flash Player until its end-of-life (EOL) ... » Learn More about After 24 years, Adobe Flash Player finally bids goodbye

The Central Java and Yogyakarta provincial administrations are currently mulling over closing down tourist sites in their areas during the year-end holidays to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Central Java has decided to temporarily close 84 tourist sites in the province during the Christmas and New Year celebrations. According to the Central Java Youth, Sports and Tourism Agency, 27 tourist sites have been closed in Purworejo regency, 17 in Wonogiri regency, 17 in Kudus regency, 10 in Rembang regency, nine in Jepara regency, one in Surakarta city and three in Pemalang regency. The agency’s head, Sinoeng N. Rachmadi, said the provincial administration had closed down the tourist sites to prevent widespread COVID-19 transmission during the holidays. “The policy takes on effect from Dec. 24, 2020 to Jan. 2, 2021. However, some sites will remain [closed] until Jan. 4,” Sinoeng said in Semarang on Monday, kompas.id reported. He said some of the tourist sites, such as Widuri ... » Learn More about Central Java closes tourist sites during year-end holidays

The Jakarta and Central Java administrations have encouraged residents to stay home for New Year’s Eve. “We request that everyone stay home,” Jakarta deputy governor Ahmad Riza Patria said on Wednesday, as quoted by kompas.com . Riza said that Jakartans should not go out unless for important matters, such as going to the doctor or buying food. “Don’t go out unless it’s very important,” he said. Riza added that large gatherings were prohibited during New Year’s Eve and that the administration had informed business owners not to host celebrations. He reminded the public about the impact of long weekend holidays on COVID-19 cases, saying that he did not want New Year’s Eve celebrations to cause another surge of cases. Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo also requested that residents stay home, citing COVID-19 cases and the volcanic activity of Mount Merapi as reasons not to go out. “We request that all residents spend their holidays at home. However, we will ask the team ... » Learn More about Stay home for New Year’s Eve, administrations plead