Twitter board member and candidate for the DG of the WTO, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has said Twitter has rules under which it operates and CEO Jack Dorsey’s statement contains all that needs to be known concerning the suspension of US President, Donald Trump from its platform.

Okonjo-Iweala disclosed this in an interview with Arise TV on Friday evening.

• “Twitter tries to help the public conversation in the world and gives people a means to engage on important issues,” she said.

On the decision to censor Donald Trump

She said the Board agreed as a team to have one voice on the decision to suspend Donald Trump from the service and that CEO Jack Dorsey gave all that needed to be known.

Okonjo-Iweala stated;

• “Being on the Twitter board, I have to respect our rules for communications on what is happening. I have to be very honest that we as a board agreed that we have a team that will deal with this, to make sure that we have one voice. But, I can tell you that if you want to know why the decisions were taken, please look at the statement by the CEO, Jack Dorsey, I think it tells you all you want to know.
• “Twitter is an organization that has rules under which it operates, and if you read what it puts out, you will see that things are being implemented according to the rules.

On welcoming rules and regulations for the social media giant

Okonjo-Iweala said;

• “Let’s wait and see, I don’t want to pre-judge or comment on anything. I don’t want to go beyond what I am willing to say, but let’s wait and see. These are very difficult times in the world. We all saw what happened in the United States. We have to be very careful. We would see what the future would be for the tech companies.”

Flash back:

• Nairametrics reported that social media network, Twitter, permanently suspended U.S President, Donald Trump, citing the risk of further incitement of violence.
• Jack Dorsey, the CEO and founder of Twitter, said that the decision to ban Donald Trump from the social network was the right decision, but one that sets a dangerous precedent.

CES 2021, the most influential tech event in the world, which provides a platform for emerging technologies came to a close yesterday, showcasing innovative gadgets like LG Transparent Smart Bed TV, amongst others.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this year’s edition was held virtually between 11-14 January and featured live-stream keynotes from leaders of tech giants like Verizon, Microsoft, as well as General Motors, Mastercard, amongst others.

Highlights of some of the gadgets

Lenovo’s New ThinkReality A3 Smart Glasses

• This is a new pair of smart glasses that uses augmented reality to project up to five virtual desktops right in front of your eyes. These smart glasses are suitable for people working from home because it depicts the perfect multi-monitor setup ever. You can position and resize this virtual monitor however you like. They also fit perfectly in front of prescription glasses.
• According to Jon Pershke, Lenovo Vice President of Strategy and Emerging Business, “The A3 is a next-generation augmented reality solution — light, powerful and versatile, whether working in virtual spaces or supporting remote assistance, the ThinkReality A3 enhances workers’ abilities to do more wherever they are.”
• The A3 glasses also include a 1080p 8-megapixel camera, which Lenovo imagines you could use for “remote expert use cases.” Bundled in are dual fish-eye cameras for room-scale tracking.

LG Transparent Smart Bed TV

• LG showcased a 55-inch Oled transparent TV that can roll up from the foot of a bed.  The company stated that it had achieved 40% transparency on this TV as opposed to the 10% transparency over the years. The TV comes with a set of built-in speakers that are embedded in the transparent frames despite the small panel.
• Jong-sun Park, LG Display’s Senior Vice President and Head of Commercial Business said: “Transparent OLED is a technology that maximizes the advantages of OLED and can be used in various places in our daily lives, from stores, shopping malls, and architectural interiors to autonomous vehicles, subway trains, and aircraft. It will grow into a next-generation display that can change the existing display paradigm.”

Razer Project Hazel Smart Mask

• Razer made a high-tech face mask that filters air and amplifies your voice. It qualifies as a surgical N95 respirator, and it also features a silicone seal on the top that glasses wearers will rejoice over.
• The face mask also comes with a nifty case, which both charges it and keeps it clean thanks to the UV sterilization inside.

Petpuls A.I-powered Dog Collar

• There is also something for dog lovers. This dog collar is one of the intriguing pet-specific gadgets.  It uses voice recognition technology to detect and track five different emotional states. It analyses the tone and pitch of your dog’s bark to tell you whether your pup feels happy, anxious, angry, sad, or relaxed.
• It pairs through Wi-Fi with an iOS or Android app to give you a readout of what your pet is ‘saying’.
• In addition to tracking mood, Petpuls includes an accelerometer to track your dog’s activity and better manage diet. Think of it as a FitBit for your dog. The range is only around 15 feet, but your phone will pair whenever you come back in range.

Razer Project Brooklyn Gaming Chair

• The new gaming chair by Razer aims to change your gaming experience. It is stylish and designed with ergonomics in mind. It can serve as a desk-side chair for PC gaming. It comes with a clever trick that allows it to transform into an immersive gaming experience.
• Unlike traditional monitor mounts that use multiple flat gaming displays or a larger curved screen, Project Brooklyn uses a roll-able OLED panel, which provides a bigger radius curvature to place you in the middle of the on-screen action.

Others are…

• Brink Bionics Impulse Neuro Controller.
• Cadillac eVTOL flying taxi concept.
• Panasonic Automotive AR HUD.
• Kohler Stillness Bath.
• Samsung’s Micro-LED TV’s come home.
• Rollable smartphone by LG.
• Nobi Smart Lamp, amongst others.

What to expect: Most of the amazing gadgets displayed at CES 2021 will be available for sale by the middle of the year.

Jack Dorsey, the CEO and founder of Twitter, said that the decision to ban Donald Trump from the social network was the right decision, but one that sets a dangerous precedent.

Jack Dorsey disclosed this in a statement on Thursday morning.

He said:

• “I do not celebrate or feel pride in having to ban Donald Trump from Twitter, or how we got here. After a clear warning we’d take this action, we made a decision with the best information we had based on threats to physical safety both on and off Twitter. Was this correct?”
• “Banning Trump was the right decision as Twitter faced an extraordinary and untenable circumstance, forcing us to focus all of our actions on public safety. Offline harm as a result of online speech is demonstrably real, and what drives our policy and enforcement above all.”

He disclosed that banning an influential account has significant ramifications, citing it as a failure of Twitter to promote healthy conversation and a time to reflect on its operations.

He added that taking actions to limit influential people like Trump fragments public conversation, limits the potential for clarification, redemption, learning, and sets a precedent I feel is dangerous – the power an individual or corporation has over a part of the global public conversation.

He disclosed that Internet companies engaging in censorship can and over the long term, be destructive to the noble purpose and ideals of the open internet.

• “A company making a business decision to moderate itself is different from a government removing access, yet can feel much the same. I believe the internet and global public conversation is our best and most relevant method of achieving this. I also recognize it does not feel that way today. Everything we learn in this moment will better our effort, and push us to be what we are: one humanity working together.”

What you should know 

• Nairametrics reported last week that Social Media Network, Twitter permanently suspended U.S President, Donald Trump, citing the risk of further incitement of violence.
• Twitter saw its shares drop as much as 8.5% at the start of Monday’s trading session on the New York Stock Exchange.