Durov's Code

📡 What is the Situation with Telecommunications and IT in Oman? // Oman's Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology has published the Telecommunications and IT Sector Indicators report. According to the data, 94% of households in Oman have access to the Internet, 95% have access to smartphones, while only 66% own a computer (desktop, laptop or tablet). 27% use a smart watch. The main purpose of using the internet is to access social media - 77% of respondents. Meanwhile, 38% use it for online shopping and 42% use it for work and study 12% of respondents use the devices to write software in various programming languages. In terms of mobile network coverage, 99.4% of users can use 3G networks, 97.8% can use 4G and 44.9% can use 5G. @kod_ae

🥺 Y Combinator Urges its Companies to Stay Alive // Y Combinator, a start-up accelerator, has sent out a letter of warning to its start-ups. @kod_ae

🚀 A 3D Printed Rocket // The first ever 3D printed Rocket can make it into space this summer. Last week Relativity Space Inc., a Los Angeles-area startup that makes rockets using advanced 3D printing technology, concluded pre-launch testing of its Terran 1 craft. Terran 1 is built to carry payloads of up to 1,000 kilograms into orbit. The next generation of this model, Terran R, which is currently under development, will be able to lift 20 times morte payload. The company says its key advantage is the ability to build rockets far more rapidly that its rivals given its 3D-additive production technologies, with more than 90 per cent of the rocket being printed by robots. @kod_ae

🏙 First Incubator for Sustainable Cities // Dubai now hosts the world’s first incubator for sustainable cities. The concept was devised by Dubai-based urban planning consultants URB who focus on designing Net Zero Sustainable Cities The accelerator's R&D programme will focus entirely on developing new solutions for the next generation of sustainable cities across the world. Its second aim is to discover, support and mentor the next generation of designers in the area of urban design. A sustainable city is designed to address social, environmental and economic impact through urban planning and city management. Many sustainable cities adopt eco-friendly alternatives into city infrastructure such as electric vehicles, bike lanes and smart waste management that reduces landfill. @kod_ae

🚙 'Made in UAE’ Electric Car // The first batch of cars, dubbed Al Damani DMV300, is expected to roll out by the end of June. The EV is said to be able to reach at top speed of 160km/h and cover more than 405km on a single charge. @kod_ae

🖥 UAE Government Urges to Update Zoom // In a statement posted on social media the Emirati Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority said vulnerabilities have been detected in the platform, due to which users' devices may be compromised. The authority urged residents to update the program and ensure they have installed the latest version. @kod_ae

🔫 The Dangerous Job of Investment Advisor // Six persons were given six-month jail terms in the UAE for stealing $200,000, two phones, three watches and a diamond ring from a European investment advisor who told them how to invest in cryptocurrencies. @kod_ae

🔫 The Dangerous Job of Investment Advisor // Six persons were given six-month jail terms in the UAE for stealing $200,000, two phones, three watches and a diamond ring from a European investment advisor who told them how to invest in cryptocurrencies. @kod_ae

🔐 Meta Changes Privacy Policy // Recently the company has produced a new revision of its Terms of Service and updated its privacy policy. The revision does not bring much change, but rather modifies the language and adds examples to help people understand what each segment is about. Publishing this revision, Meta said that it “is not collecting, using or sharing your data in new ways based on this policy update and we still do not sell your information.” The new policy applies to Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and other Meta products, but not WhatsApp, Workplace, Messenger Kids, or Quest devices used without a Facebook account (those have their own privacy policies). @kod_ae

🚙 UAE Residents Opt for EVs // About 52 per cent of UAE residents are considering switching to hybrid or electric vehicles as the increase in fuel prices influences their spending habits. @kod_ae

🧠 The Modern Life of a Startupper// Anna Yakusevich, 23, lives in Cyprus, works at Prisma and runs the startup SMUZI. Durov's Code talked to her to find the answer to the question - can anyone really master one of the popular programming languages today and open doors to any company? @kod_ae

⛴ Metaverse Technology Where It Was Not Expected // UAE-based DP World, one of the world's largest port operators, has announced an initiative to explore metaverse technology. It plans to explore metaverse applications for container and vessel inspection, modelling of warehouse and terminal operations, and digital twins - three-dimensional virtual representations of physical objects or processes. The company will be able to take advantage of immersive online training for its employees. Replacing physical training in the metaverse will reduce the time it takes to train operational teams by 50%. The new platform, called DPMETAWORLD, will be launched by the end of this year. @kod_ae

📑 A Controversial Deal // Thomas Kurian, head of Google's cloud division, said the company's work with oil giant Saudi Aramco was unrelated to oil production, giving the first public comments in an interview with Bloomberg TV. In 2020, Google, owned by Alphabet Inc, announced plans to expand its cloud business in Saudi Arabia, agreeing with Saudi Aramco to resell Google's cloud services to customers in the country. Critics of Google believe that the partnership with the oil and gas company runs counter to the company's ambitious goals of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. In addition, Saudi Arabia is often criticised for failing to respect human rights. In this regard, the activist group SumOfUs will make a proposal to publish a human rights assessment of the data centre in Saudi Arabia at Alphabet's shareholder meeting on 1 June. Earlier this month, Saudi Aramco overtook Apple Inc. to become the world's most valuable company. @kod_ae

🏡 Omani Green Energy // Riyadh-based utility developer Acwa Power is teaming up with Omani energy company OQ and New York-based industrial gas supplier Air Products to build a multi-billion-dollar green hydrogen ammonia plant in the Salalah Free Zone in Oman. It will include the integration of renewable energy from solar, wind and storage, hydrogen production by electrolysis, nitrogen production by air separation and the production of environmentally friendly ammonia. Oman aims to use clean fuels for energy, intending to expand its renewable energy sector with a target of generating 11% of its electricity from clean sources by 2023. It aims to add 30% clean energy to its power mix by 2030. @kod_ae

🌚 Flight to the Moon // NASA is preparing to send the tiny Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) satellite on an unexplored trajectory around the Moon that could one day become the orbiting home for astronauts on a planned lunar space station called Gateway. CAPSTONE will test a zone known as the near rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) - a path around the Moon created by the gravitational pull of the Earth, the Moon, the Sun and Jupiter. It is a perfect fit for Artemis, NASA's ambitious programme to send humans to the Moon this decade. @kod_ae

🪙 Cryptocurrencies Become More Accessible in Bahrain // Binance Bahrain has become the first exchange to receive a Category 4 licence as a сrypto asset service provider (CASP) from the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB). Binance Bahrain can now provide a full range of crypto-asset exchange services under the supervision of Bahrain's regulatory authorities. Binance has intensified its operations in the Middle East. In March, it obtained a limited operating licence in Dubai, and in April, it received preliminary approval to operate as a broker-dealer in Abu Dhabi. @kod_ae

📩 Lieberman Urges Government to Help Yandex Move to Tel Aviv // Israeli Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman urges the government to help Russian tech giant Yandex transfer hundreds of its employees to Israel. @kod_ae

🗃 Deceptive Use of Private Data for Targeted Advertising // Twitter will pay a fine of $150 million for disclosing users' personal data. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lawsuit, Twitter's administration misled users about their utilisation of sensitive data from May 2013 to September 2019. The social network applied users' phone numbers and email addresses for targeting purposes. In total, more than 140 million users were affected, according to the FTC. Twitter agreed to pay the fine and promised to take data protection measures. In particular, the administration of the social network is required to develop a comprehensive data privacy and information security programme and conduct regular data security audits in the future. In addition, the company will have to report on the introduction of any new product or service that collects users' personal information. @kod_ae

💰 Fully Determined // Elon Musk said that he will secure an additional $6.25 billion in equity financing to fund the $44 billion acquisition of Twitter, thereby reducing the billionaire's margin loan to zero. This may indicate that he wants to close the deal. Musk originally took out a $12.5 billion margin loan secured against Tesla shares to buy Twitter. But earlier this month, he reduced the amount to $6.25 billion after raising co-investors. @kod_ae

🎇 Mars Metaverse Land // UAE-based Everdome is offering the opportunity to purchase metaverse land on Mars. @kod_ae