Tech
Apple and Microsoft face off with new MacBook Pros and Surface Studio PC

It was a monster week in tech. Microsoft and Apple squared off on back-to-back days on Wednesday and Thursday with each company announcing new high-powered computers.
Joining me on this week’s MashTalk was Mashable Tech Editor Pete Pachal and our Apps Reporter Karissa Bell who dialed in from San Francisco.
But before we jumped into the two tech titans and their new gadgets, we poured one out for Vine. In a move that shouldn’t have surprised anyone, Twitter announced on Thursday via a Medium blog post it will shut down the mobile app in the coming months.
Honestly, I’m surprised Vine lasted as long as it did. With so many Vine stars having left the platform for Snapchat Stories, YouTube and Instagram Stories, was the news really shocking?
The problem with Vine was that if you were really good at it, you became a chosen one. Heck, tons of internet famous “influencers” sprouted from Vine. But if you were a casual Viner, even if you were consistent, you really didn’t stand a chance. Discovery was a huge pain point, and Twitter didn’t really do much to build it out.
Worse, content creators, especially the Vine elite, couldn’t monetize it — hence, the flock to YouTube. Compounding it all was the rise of live streaming platforms like Periscope and Facebook Live.
Vine opened many doors for many people, but it’ll be remembered for what it…
Myanmar
Digital Revolution and Repression in Myanmar and Thailand
Activists have also proactively published social media content in multiple languages using the hashtags #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar and #WhatsHappeningInThailand to boost coverage of events on the ground.

By Karen Lee
Following the February 1 coup, Myanmar’s netizens became the latest to join the #MilkTeaAlliance, an online collective of pro-democracy youth across Asia.
(more…)Ecommerce
How will oil prices shape the Covid-19 recovery in emerging markets?

– The rise has been driven by OPEC+ production cuts and an improving economic climate
– Higher prices are likely to support a rebound in oil-producing emerging markets
– Further virus outbreaks or increased production would pose challenges to price stability
A combination of continued production cuts and an increase in economic activity has prompted oil prices to return to pre-pandemic levels – a factor that will be crucial to the recovery of major oil-producing countries in the Middle East and Africa.
Brent crude prices rose above $60 a barrel in early February, the first time they had exceeded pre-Covid-19 values. They have since continued to rise, going above $66 a barrel on February 24.
The ongoing increase in oil prices, which have soared by 75% since November and around 26% since the beginning of the year, marks a dramatic change from last year.
Following the closure of many national borders and the implementation of travel-related restrictions to stop the spread of the virus, demand for oil slumped globally.
In the wake of the Saudi-Russia price war in early 2020, Brent crude prices fell from around $60 a barrel in February that year to two-decade lows of $20 a barrel in late April, as supply increased and demand plummeted. The value of WTI crude – the main benchmark for oil in the US – fell to record lows of around $40 a barrel last year on the back of a lack of storage space.
While global demand for oil remains low, one factor credited with reversing the trend is the decision to make significant cuts to oil production, which subsequently tightened global supplies.
Tech
How the Rural-Urban Divide Plays Out on Digital Platforms
It is one thing for entrepreneurs, whether urban or rural, to create and operate an online store, as some digital platforms have made it relatively easy to manage an e-store – even by using just a smartphone.

In the West, villages are emptying out due to the lack of economic opportunities. Consider Italy where, in a bid to attract newcomers, a handful of municipalities have turned to selling houses for €1.
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Digital Revolution and Repression in Myanmar and Thailand
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