June (1) by Ahmad Hyatt

June 15 - July 15, 2013 08 | EDITOR'S NOTE Editorial

09 | READER'S RESPONSE Letters to the Editor

INTERVIEWS 22 | Perfect, successful business woman, Qaisra Sheikh 50 | We empower through excellence: Maria Zafar

TELEPEDIA 19 34 36 38 40 41 46 54 56 63

| | | | | | | | | |

Mobilink, UNESCO sign MoU for SMS Literacy programme To do list for the new government Azizi brings Warid reload offer Celcos lament inflict of SIM activation tax Telenor bribes journalists Warid joins Sundas on World Blood Donors Day Smart generation using smart phones smartly Smartphone life shakes up web-world Ufone's Uth Pack! Truly young-at-heart Mobile gaming still eludes a troubled industry

COVER STORY

26 | Cyber warfare

US steal 13.5 billion sensitive reports from Pakistan Does Pak capable to fence its cyberspace?

INSIGHT 12 13 14 16 24 25 35 42 49 52 53 59 60 62

| | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Police salvages Facebook kidnap teen Anusha signals to open YouTube soon PTCL kicks off 'Leadership Excellence Programme' Secret funds eat up public purse Online transactions touch Rs 7.9 trillion PTCL signs MoU with AL Ghurair for ICT services HEC furnishes 600 colleges with broadband Ban in Pakistan! YouTube turns 8 Philips connects light bulb with Wi-Fi Is typewriter better than PC? UN warns stop killer robots now Identity woes on Facebook The Now Digital Age Scientists develop epilepsy warning device

PTCL kicks off 'Leadership Excellence Programme'

EVENTS 17 29 30 32 44 48 61 64

| | | | | | | |

Warid celebrates 8th anniversary in Pakistan HTC, Mobilnk jointly launch Butterfly HTC Brand Ambassador Jacqeline unveils HTC One Zong promotes emerging talent at Fashion show 6th Pakistan TeleCON 2013 Egypt unveils Inar tablet computer Xbox-I unveiled as home entertainment hub Computex 2013: Asia's biggest IT trade fair

EXCLUSIVE 10 18 20 58

| | | |

Telecom gets ignored in Budget 2013-14 Pakistan's top 10 richest icons Does mobile make good friends? Adapting the right attitude at work

36 Azizi brings Warid reload offer

HTC Brand Ambassador 30 Jacqeline unveils HTC One

MOSAIC 76 | International Mosaic

NEWS 66 | National News 77 | International News

TECH TOOLS

82 84 86 90 92 93 94 95 96 98

| | | | | | | | | |

Mobile Rates Mobile Review Current Mobiles Upcoming Mobiles High Range Mobiles Low Range Mobiles Computers Laptops Accessories Gaming Zone

22 Perfect, successful business woman, Qaisra Sheikh

Zong promotes emerging 32 talent at Fashion show

Editor s No te

June 15 - July 15, 2013

Need of the hour! Readiness against cyber warfare

The face of the world is constantly changing; new technologies, developments and new thoughts come up every second. In this fast paced environment, Pakistan has (to some extent) quickly caught up with the race. Pakistan is one of the fastest growing markets in information technology. The rapid increase in the number of advanced technologies and the cyber crime phenomenon bring all the nations on to their toes. Information and communication technologies (ICT) plays an important role in helping ensure interoperability and security based on global standards. As computer crime refers to any crime that involves a computer and a network, cyber crime refers to criminal exploitation of the Internet. No country can fence its cyberspace absolute secure or can ensure its cybersecurity. Cyber criminals are everywhere hence can attack any system to hack sophisticated information. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a heinous crime, in the recent onslaught; the United States National Security Agency (NSA) has intercepted more than 14 billion reports from Iran in March this year, followed by Pakistan with 13.5 billion, Jordan with 12.7 billion, Egypt fourth with 7.6 billion and India fifth with 6.3 billion. Developing countries are under attack, they need to better understand the national and international implications of growing cyber-threats, meet the requirements of existing national regional and international instruments and establish a sound legal and technological foundation. Cyber crime is one of the biggest threats all over the world. Unfortunately Pakistan is one of the few countries where cyber crime laws are still in the pipeline waiting for implementation, on December 31, 2007, the then President Pervez Musharraf promulgated a law called The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Ordinance (PECO) 2007 which lapsed in 2010. The new PECO 2012 was remained under debate in the National Assembly and was being tweaked / redrafted by the Standing Committee in consultation with other industry stakeholders. Now a new and an improved summary is awaiting President Asif Ali Zardariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signature to become cyber law. The nature of cyber crimes is not only international but local and regional; cyber crime in Pakistan is growing rapidly with the exponential growth in usage of mobile phones and penetration of internet. It is also observed that criminals are using latest technology to execute their crimes. The truth which actually hurts is the national ICT Infrastructure doesn't have systems whatsoever to fight cyber crime. The police at this time of the day, which is supposed to be spearheading the initiatives for cyber security, is still planning on training a critical mass of specialists in cyber security. The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom, that is supposed to think about a National Law has something on paper but needs to become a proper law if the President signs it. In the absence of funds and technical capacity by government and cooperate bodies to fight cyber crime, what are we left for? Should Pakistan become a fertile land for cyber crime? Should all cyber criminals relocate to developing and underdeveloped nations like Pakistan? The public representatives should have to answer. We need the national effort to investigate high-tech crimes, including cyber-based terrorism, espionage, computer intrusions, and major cyber fraud. To stay in front of current and emerging trends, we should seriously take up the issue and prepare an anticyber army to protect our secret documents. Everybody has a role to play in cyber security.

Zubair Ahmed Kasuri

Editor

Irfan Khan Ismail Qureshi

Assistant Editor Senior Sub-Editor

Usman Yaqoob Director Marketing Syed Farhat Ali Manager Marketing

Zafar Khan Afridi Senior Graphic Designer M. Naeem Mughal Graphic Designer Azhar Javed General Manager Lahore Office 46J-Gulberg III, Lahore-Pakistan. Ph: +92-42-35555511 | 35880183 | 32112352 Fax: +92-42-35880183 Islamabad Office Phone: +92-51-3000012 | 2254548 Kasur Office Phone: +92-49-2723099 | 0608-600000 Karachi Office 14 Star Marketing & Production 32-1-C-1/6, Block 6 PECHS Main Shahrah-e-Faisal. Tel: 021 343117813 | 34228885 Registration No PCPB/105 (Vol. 9 Issue:07) Price Rs: 400 URL: www.flare.pk Email: flare.mag@gmail.com Colour Sepration: Fotoscan Process, 25-C Lower Mall, Lahore. Ph: 042-37111906, 37234042.

Zubair Ahmed Kasuri, (Editor-in-Chief) publisher of FLARE leading telecom magazine, printed it from Qasim Naeem Art Press, Near Bank Road, Main Bund Road, Lahore and published from 46J, Gulberg III, Lahore.

Exclusive

Azhar Javed

Free download | flare.pk

nstead of taking some steps to reduce the taxes on telecom sector, PML-N government has increased one per cent General Sales Tax (GST) and did not increase the development of telecom and IT sectors in Pakistan. One per cent increase in GST as announced in the federal budget for the 201314 fiscal year would lead to high inflation. The general public opined that the GST would directly put burden on the people. It was a budget made by the bureaucrats, violating the law. The Federal Budget 2013-14 neglected the telecom industry's special demands. Telcos were looking at a rationalisation of GST, the abolishment of activation tax. Budget 201314 did not offer any special support for the struggling telecom industry in Pakistan. Growth of the telecom sector will depend on Pakistan’s growth.

The Information Technology & Telecommunication Division has been allocated Rs 927.1 million while the Interprovincial Coordination (IPC) has been given Rs 437.6 million. In previous budget 2012-13, government allocated Rs 787.4 million Allocated for IT and Telecom Division, it is increase by Rs 139.4 million. The Interior Division has been given Rs 6,259.2 million as compared to Rs 6,349.8 million last year. The Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit Baltistan Division has been allocated Rs 29,590 million while Law Justice & Parliamentary Affairs Division has been given Rs 2,364 million. The Narcotics Control Division has been alloacted Rs 326.3 million while National Food Security & Research Division has been given Rs 750 million. The National Heritage & Integration Division has

Telecom gets ignored in Budget 2013-14 The Federal Budget 2013-14 neglected the telecom industry's special demands. Telcos were looking at a rationalisation of GST, the abolishment of activation tax. Budget 2013-14 did not offer any special support for the struggling telecom industry in Pakistan

In contrast to economic situation, telecom sector is witnessing positive growth and total teledensity of the country grew by more than 3per cent. The total teledensity growth kept oscillating between highs and lows till the end of the year and total teledensity including mobile, fixed and WLL services stood at 72.1 percent, according to PTA report. Federal cabinet approved the federal budget 2013-14 and Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar presented 3.5 trillion budget to the National Assembly. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar presented budget proposals before the House for approval. Earlier‚ these budget proposals will be put for approval by the federal cabinet at its special meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. A number of proposals are expected to be presented to resolve energy crisis‚ reduce government expenditure‚ and fiscal deficit and steps to revive national economy and enhance revenue collection. The budget 2013-14 has the following salient features: The total outlay is Rs 3,985 billion. Its size is 24.4 percent higher than the size of budget estimates 2012-13. Rs 295,518 m allocated for 41 ministries, divisions The government has earmarked Rs 295,518 million for 41 federal ministries / divisions in the PSDP for the year 2013-14. According to highlights of the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), the Defence Division has been allocated Rs 3,545.5 million as compared to Rs 1,238.1 million last year. Likewise, the Water and Power Division (Water Sector) has been allocated Rs 57,840.2 million, the Cabinet Division Rs 2,179.8 million, the Capital Administration & Development Division (CADD) Rs 1,505.7 million and the Commerce Division Rs 841 million. Rs 109.3 million has been earmarked for the

Communication Division (other than NHA) and Rs 2,300 million for the Defence Production Division. The Economic Affairs Division has been allocated Rs 104.5 million while the Education and Training Division has been given Rs 5,237.1 million. The Establishment Division has been allocated Rs 79.4 million and the Federal Tax Ombudsman Rs 31.3 million. The Finance Division has been given Rs 13074.2 million while the Foreign Affairs Division has been earmarked Rs255.2 million.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has been allocated Rs 18,490 million as compared to Rs 15,052 million last year. The Housing & Works Division has got Rs 3,779.7 million this year while the Human Rights Division has been allocated Rs 78 million. The Industries Division has been given Rs 779.8 million. The Information & Broadcasting Division has been allocated Rs 492.8 million as compared to Rs 422.3 million last year.

been earmarked Rs 12 million while National Health Services Regulations & Coordination Division has been allocated Rs 25,739.2 million. The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission has been allocated Rs 52,300 million while the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority has got Rs 316 million. The Petroleum & Natural Resources Division has been allocated Rs 50 million while the Planing & Development Division has been given Rs 10,658.6 million. The Ports & Shipping Division has been earmarked Rs 500 million and the Production Division has got Rs 1,100 million. The Railways Division has been earmarked Rs 30,964.9 million as compared to Rs 20,707.3 million last year. The Revenue Division has been allocated Rs 533.3 million while the Science & Technological Research Division has been given Rs 2,172.6 million. The States & Frontier Regions Division has been earmarked Rs 18,500 million while Statistics Division has got Rs 220 million. SUPARCO has been earmarked Rs 700 million while Textiles Industries Division has been allocated Rs 315 million. Rs 114,482 million has been earmarked for WAPDA and NHA corporations. Out of the total amount, WAPDA will get Rs 51,443.4 million and NHA Rs 63,038.6 million. Another Rs 540,000 million has been earmarked for Special Programmes, New Development Initiatives and ERRA. Out of the total amount, Rs 5,000 million has been allocated for special programmes and Rs 115,000 for new development initiatives. Both are new heads as no amount had been earmarked for any of the two last year. ERRA has also been allocated Rs 10,000 million this year Rs 615,000 million has been dedicated for the four provinces also. n

InsighT

Flare Report

Free download | flare.pk

Your current location: There are a lot of people who love the location tagging feature on Facebook that allows them to let people know where they are 24/7. The problem is that you have just told everyone that you're on vacation (and not at your house). If you add how long your trip is then thieves know exactly how much time they have to rob you. My advice is not to provide your location at all. The fact that you are home alone: It is extremely important that parents make sure their children never put the fact that they are home alone in their status. Again, you wouldn’t walk into a room of strangers and tell them you are going to be all alone at your house so don’t do it on Facebook either. We may think that only our friends have access to our status, but we really have no idea who is reading it. Your friend may have had their account hacked or someone could be reading over their shoulder at the library. The best rule of thumb is not to put anything in your profile or status that you wouldn’t want a stranger to know. You may have the most stringent privacy set-

o doubt Social Media has brought a lot of awareness to the masses – but there are always the dark sides of a tool. A recent example and sad incident which took place in Karachi, when 13 years old Mustafa was kidnapped just because of Facebook Friendship. Mustafa made a new friend Arslan, and their friendship last for 6 months. According to details, Police rescued a teenage boy who was kidnapped in Karachi for a halfmillion dollar ransom after apparently being lured through Facebook, officers and relatives said. Officers raided the gang's hideout to the west of the sprawling city, which is plagued by gang violence and extortion rackets, killing four of the abductors in a shootout and arresting a fifth. The kidnappers started chatting to their 13-year-old target, identified only as Mustafa, six months ago, senior police officer Niaz Khoso said. They enticed him to a meeting on May 24. The youngster, the son of a senior customs official, was whisked away to the town of Hub outside Karachi in

Police salvages Facebook kidnap teen

Cops rescued a teenage boy who was kidnapped in Karachi for Rs.50 million ransom after apparently being lured through Facebook; Police raided the gang's hideout to the west of the sprawling city, which is plagued by gang violence, killing four of the abductors in a shootout and arresting the f ifth

restive Baluchistan province, and his family received calls demanding 50 million rupees ($508,000) in ransom. Police said they used mobile phone records to track the kidnappers to the hideout in Hub and rescued him. Mustafa's mother made a tearful plea to parents to supervise their children's use of social media. "This is my request to all the parents to never let their children make friendship on Facebook," she told, sobbing as she sat beside her son. "I beg you for God's sake that you never do." Make sure, they have made strong ‘Privacy Settings’ and make sure they do not share any personal information with strangers. Facebook has become the Google of social networks. If you're not updating your status right now, chances are that you are uploading photos or taking some sort of odd quiz. We post tons of intimate details about our lives that we normally wouldn't share with anyone. We think that as long as we make sure our privacy settings are set correctly that we are safe and snug within our circle of friends. The problem is that we never know who's really looking at our information. Our friend's account could have been hacked when they installed some rogue application, or their creepy uncle might be using their account because they forgot to log out. For the sake of the safety of you and your family, there is some information that you should never post on Facebook. Here are the things you should consider removing or not posting to Facebook and/or other social networks.

You or your family's full birth dates: We all love getting “happy birthdays” from our friends on our Facebook wall. It makes us feel all warm inside knowing that people remembered and cared enough to write us a short note on our special day. The problem is when you list your birthday you are providing identity thieves with one of the 3 or 4 pieces of personal information that is needed to steal your identity.

Facebook has become the Google of social networks. The problem is that we never know who's really looking at our information. Our friend's account could have been hacked when they installed some rogue application. For the sake of the safety of you and your family, you should never post personal information on Facebook

Your relationship status: Whether you are in a relationship or not, it may be best not to make it public knowledge. Stalkers would love to know that you just became newly single. If you change your status to "single" it gives them the green light they were looking for to resume stalking now that you're back on the market. It also lets them know that you might be home alone since your significant other is no longer around. Your best bet is to just leave this blank on your profile.

tings possible, but if your friend’s account gets compromised than those settings go out the window. Pictures of your kids tagged with their names: We love our kids. We would do anything to keep them safe, but most people post hundreds of tagged pictures and videos of their kids to Facebook without even giving it a second thought. We even go so far as to replace our profile pictures with that of our children. Probably 9 out of 10 parents posted their child’s full name, and exact date and time of birth while they were still in the hospital after delivery. We post pictures of our kids and tag them and their friends, siblings, and other relatives. This kind of information could be used by predators to lure your child.

They could use your child’s name and the names of their relatives and friends to build trust and convince them that they are not really a stranger because they know detailed information that allows them to build a rapport with your child.n

Flare Report

Free download | flare.pk

Anusha signals to open YouTube soon

New IT & Telecom minister has warned that Google could be blocked in the country if the company fails to remove blasphemous and objectionable material from its video-sharing website YouTube

he Flare Team welcomes the newly appointed IT and Telecommunication Minister Anusha Rahman Khan and hopes that the new minister will solve the problems of IT and telecom sectors especially YouTube issue. Previous government had banned the YouTube for blasphemous and objectionable material back in September 2012. We hope Ms Rahman will address burning issues and play a positive role in strengthening the local industry. We are hopeful that a more inclusive policy making route will be adopted, and civil society and industry opinion will be included in the decision-making process for better growth, development and economic advancement. In the Pakistan of tomorrow, we hope to see the government uphold civil liberties, promote open access and Internet penetration. Anusha Rehman Khan has sworn in as minister of state on 7th June 2013 in the first batch of ministers. She was elected as member of National Assembly on women reserved seats from Punjab. Anusha Rehman Khan wife of Mohammad Shabir Ahmad Khan was born on 1st June 1968 at Lahore. Ms Rahman was a member of the National Standing Committee on Information and Technology in the previous government. New IT and Telecommunication Minister Anusha Rahman Khan has warned that Google could be blocked in the country if the company fails to remove blasphemous and objectionable material from its video-sharing website YouTube. Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication Anusha Rahman Khan made the remarks on her first day in office while talking about Pakistan’s

efforts to end a nine-month ban on YouTube for hosting clips from the controversial film “Innocence of Muslims”. Google, the parent company of YouTube, had rejected requests from the previous Pakistan People’s Party-led government to remove the objectionable material and Khan said she hoped the company would listen to the new PML-N government. “It all depends on our negotiation clout. If they persist with their stance, we can block Google in Pakistan as a last resort as there are many alternative search engines available on the web,” Khan has said. “Innocence Of Muslims” triggered violent protests by right wing groups across Pakistan and the PPP-led government itself sanctioned a day of protests in September last year. Twenty-three people were killed and property worth billions of rupees was destroyed during these protests. The PML-N government has listed as one of its priorities the restoration of YouTube with filters to screen blasphemous and pornographic content. Pakistan banned YouTube on September 17 last year. The ban was lifted for a few hours in December before being reinstated following protests from right wing groups. Soon after the ban, the IT Ministry issued a key policy directive to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to block all blasphemous and pornographic materials on the internet by installing a filtration system. Information Technology Secretary Zafar Iqbal blames PTA for failing to devise a filtration system but the new Minister of State for IT said she did not buy the argument and believes the ministry could have done better during the past nine

InsighT

months. “PTA is just an enforcement body. Our ministry is responsible for policy decisions, so it’s our job to ensure reopening of YouTube as soon as possible with thorough screening of objectionable material. I will immediately start work on it after a presentation by ministry officials on Monday,” Khan said. The government will go all out to ensure that a proper filtration system is in place to reopen YouTube. “We will pump in extra money if needed and do whatever is in our capacity to bring YouTube back to Pakistan without compromising our ethical values,” she said. She said she will request Google to remove objectionable material from YouTube or at least ensure that access to it is blocked in Pakistan. Khan made it clear that the ban on YouTube will not be removed without ensuring the “blockade of objectionable material”. She said, “We cannot face the embarrassment of opening the website and closing it again after protests. We have to ensure that proper filtration system is in place before we open the website.” IT experts say Pakistan has had little success in blocking blasphemous and other objectionable material on YouTube as the country does not have an agreement on content with Google. On the other hand, Bangladesh lifted a ban on popular video sharing website YouTube, eight months after it was imposed to prevent the viewing of an anti-Islam film which had sparked worldwide protests. "The ban has been lifted," a spokesman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Sunil Kanti Bose said. Talking to state-run BSS news agency Bose said the people in Bangladesh now could have access again to the YouTube as all the International Internet Gateway (IIG) were directed to provide the popular service to the customer. The telecom regulator blocked YouTube in Bangladesh on September 17 last year to prevent people from watching the 14-minute trailer on a film titled 'Innocence of Muslims' which sparked deadly protests from the Middle East to Southeast Asia claiming many lives. Bose said the ban was lifted on Google assurance that they would filter the objectionable content 'Innocence of Muslims' for what the popular video streaming site was blocked temporarily in the country.

“PTA is just an enforcement body. Our ministry is responsible for policy decisions, so it’s our job to ensure reopening of YouTube as soon as possible with thorough screening of objectionable material. I will immediately start work on it after a presentation by ministry officials” says Anusha Rehman, State Minister for IT & Telecom The BTRC chief said the Google also assured the regulator to install an independent server in Bangladesh as soon as possible. Different Islamist groups had protested the film and set fire to US flag in the country. The BTRC eventually banned the site as the Google US and Google APAC that control the operations of YouTube facility across the Asia-pacific region did not respond to Bangladesh request to withdraw the film. n

InsighT

Flare Report

Free download | flare.pk

InsighT

Flare Report

Free download | flare.pk

Secret funds eat up public purse

Ministry of IT & Telecom tops the list of fund distributors Pakistan has lost an unbelievably high amount, more than Rs10.5 trillion, in corruption, tax evasion and bad governance during the last five years of PPP led coalition regime. An adviser of Transparency International said Pakistan does not need even a single penny from the outside world if it eﬀectively checks the menace of corruption

akistan, a country burdened by an entrenched insurgency, rampant corruption and a power-starved economy with “jungle of problems.” Everybody knows that our economy is in extremely poor condition; we have little in financial resources and have to pay back billions of rupees of debt. We should pledged to reshape Pakistan into a nation that would no longer be known for extremism, insecurity, corruption, poverty and dictatorship — but a Pakistan known for good governance, development, prosperity and respect within the international community. Unfortunately, we have got leaders and civil servants, who do nothing but wasting public hard earned money in the name of secret funds and discretionary funds. The highest amount of secret funds since 2009 was the. Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom, which remained minister-less during majority of last five years and arguably one of worst performing era in the ministry, spent over Rs. 3 billion from a secret fund, revealed an Auditor General report. The report read, in the fiscal year of 2009-10, that MoIT was allocated Rs 1.329 billion of secret funds in the federal budget. In the subsequent year of 2010-11, the same ministry obtained an even higher amount of Rs 1.422 billion. Interestingly, the secret fund fell down to zero in the subsequent year. Secretary MoIT, Zafar Qadir, expressed his ignorance over the existence of a secret fund in his ministry. “I don’t have any information regarding existed. You should better ask my predecessors,” he told. Official sources said the MoIT was engaged in some concealed projects in Azad Jammu & Kashmir and the purpose of the secret fund was to fulfill the financial requirements without getting into the lime-

The audit documents showed that in just three years (from 2009 to 2012) the government has spent around Rs4 billion in the name of secret funds. The second highest distributor of secret funds was the information ministry that distributed more than Rs260 million in the last three fiscal years.

light. A Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Jawad S Khawja and Justice Khilji Arif was hearing petitions challenging the use of secret fund by the ministry of information. The petitioners alleged the ministry distributed millions of rupees among selected journalists and media organisations to achieve certain objectives. On direction of the apex court, the information ministry placed a list of those individuals and organisations which had received money from the secret fund. As the list was incomplete, the court demanded complete information containing the names of all the re-

cipients.Ironically, more than 27 ministries and public departments had secret funds at their disposal in the poor Pakistan. During the dictatorial regime of General Musharraf, the ministries and department distributed more than Rs7 billion from the secret funds. The Pakistan People’s Party government raised the allocations by Rs1 billion, to enjoy the fruit of democracy. The audit documents showed that in just three years (from 2009 to 2012) the government has spent around Rs4 billion in the name of secret funds. The second highest distributor of secret funds was the information ministry that distributed more than Rs260 million in the last three fiscal years. It was followed by Federally Administered Tribal Areas (more than Rs 238 million), Interior Division (more than Rs 130 million), Civil Armed Forces (more than Rs 70 million), National Accountability Bureau (more than Rs 22 million), etc. in the same period. A retired federal secretary explained the allocations for secret funds were made in the federal budget within purview of the law. “The secret funds cannot be scrutinised publicly. If it is done, the purpose of having the secret funds will die,” he added. In August last year, a report by the Interior Ministry revealed that ‘informers’ in the war against terror were compensated from the secret funds. They were paid a total amount of Rs30 million. In 2005, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) installed close-circuit cameras to enhance the security at the Prime Minister House. Surprisingly, the expenditure of Rs5.2 million was met from the IB’s secret fund. The then director general IB had revealed that fact before the Public Accounts Committee. In May 2011, the Foreign Office conceded before the PAC that it had paid British Labour party MP George Galloway 135,000 Pounds from its secret fund to promote Pakistan’s viewpoint on Indian-held

Kashmir. The position of Pakistan is in bad shape, the devil of corruption is reining every field of national activity. The condition of government offices is very deplorable. Police, railways and transport are the departments, which are supposed to provide efficient services to the people, but you cannot expect a slight action in any of these departments without spending illegal money. There are many such departments where corruption has become a norm of their life. Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications could not auction 3G in the last 5 years but spent billion rupees in the head of secret funds. If we put a glance over the performance of the MoIT in the last five years, we witness minister-less office and dysfunctional secretary. It is clear that unless this trend is checked, the country cannot make any progress, it cannot achieve the goal of prosperity and self-reliance. It is about time that the Government should take a bold step to discard and uproot its forces, before it becomes too late for us. According to calculations performed by Transparency International, Pakistan has lost an unbelievably high amount, more than Rs10.5 trillion, in corruption, tax evasion and bad governance during the last five years of PPP led coalition regime. An adviser of Transparency International acknowledged that "Pakistan does not need even a single penny from the outside world if it effectively checks the menace of corruption and ensures good governance". The Transparency International also noted that the five years of the previous regime under Gilani and Raja had been the worst in terms of corruption and bad governance in the country’s history. The NAB chairman also declared that corruption to the tune of $40 billion was being done annually in the country. n

Flare Report

Fr e e d o w nload | fl a re. p k

Event

Now Warid has grown to become one of the largest service providers in the country, garnering a number of accolades and awards along the way

arid Telecom, Pakistan’s leading telecom innovator is pleased to announce the completion of its eighth year of operations in Pakistan. Warid Telecom entered the Pakistani market in May 2005 and since then has become the trusted operator of choice for millions of mobile subscribers in the country. With its unique products and consistent advances in technology and services, Warid Telecom is proud to be adding its share to the Pakistani telecom sector, the economy and as a partner for the people of Pakistan. From its entry into the market 8 years ago, Warid has grown to become one of the largest service providers in the country, garnering a number of accolades and awards along the way, including recently winning the Highest FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) Excellence Award in May 2011. The company was also nominated twice for Pakistani Brand of the Year in 2007 and 2008. Speaking about the anniversary of Warid’s entry into Pakistan, Warid Telecom CEO Mr. Muneer Farooqui, said, “We are delighted to have completed 8 successful years in Pakistan. We would like to thank our loyal customers for their unwavering support and patronage throughout this journey. We will continue to provide them with the very best in terms of service and support while we head into the future together.”

Warid Telecom entered the Pakistani market in May 2005 and since then warid has become the trusted operator of choice for millions of mobile subscribers in the country

The company created one of the country’s first youth-centric brands, Glow by Warid, which is one of Pakistan’s most popular and in demand cellular brands. Commenting on the achievement Warid Telecom Chief Commercial Officer Mr. Younas Iqbal Shiekh stated, “During its eight years of operation Warid Telecom has distinguished itself in the market by providing numerous value added services for consumers while also structuring itself for versatility in each segment of the market, enabling it to provide cutting edge technology and innovative services.” Warid’s VP Sales and Distribution Mr. Suhail Jan spoke of the company’s position in the market saying, “Today Warid is recognized as a leading innovator in the telecom industry which has introduced many industry-first initiatives. Our key objective has always been to innovate and develop services which cater the needs of Pakistan’s mobile subscribers and we aim to continue this tradition in the future.” Warid continues to work with organizations and people in Pakistan for the development of the country and its economy, including projects with the SKMT (Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust), Pink Ribbon Pakistan, The Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Fund, Anti Dengue and Polio drives, Student Career Support Program ‘Transforming Futures’, Government College Lahore endowment fund, LUMS and other Young Leaders support sponsorships. n

Exclusive

Usman Yaqoob

Free download | flare.pk

Flare Report

Fr e e d o w nload | f la re .p k

Telepedia

Bilal Sheikh, CCO, Mobilink (2nd right) and Dr Kozue Kay Nagata, Director UNESCO (3rd right) following the signing ceremony of the ‘SMS Based Literacy’ programme.

Mobilink, UNESCO sign MoU to enhance ‘SMS Based Literacy’ programme

obilink Foundation and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) have signed an agreement to enhance the award winning ‘SMS Based Literacy’ programme. The ‘SMS Based Literacy’ programme uses Short Messaging Service (SMS) to impart education to learners across Pakistan. The programme was conceived by UNESCO Islamabad, who started piloting this project with Mobilink in May 2009. The fourth (4th) phase, in 2013, will include two projects with the first being the continuation of the SMS based literacy initiative for learners with an extended outreach across Punjab, KPK, FATA and Sindh. The second project extends the outreach of the programme to help enhance the capacities of participating teachers across Pakistan. As of 2013, the ‘SMS Based Literacy’ programme will be managed under Mobilink Foundation’s flagship ‘mTaleem’ initiative. ‘mTaleem’ aims to provide education to underprivileged communities across Pakistan utilizing resources available to Mobilink Foundation. This includes initiatives such as ‘SMS Based Learning’ and ‘Teach 2 Transform’, which is an innovative programme to engage Mobilink Torchbearers (employee volunteers) as teaching assistants in schools across Pakistan. Elaborating on the project, Dr. Kozue Kay Nagata, Director/Representative, UNESCO stated: “We have come a long way in this public –

“The Mobilink Foundation has been the custodian of Mobilink’s Corporate Responsibility initiatives since 2008, with education being one of our primary areas of focus

private partnership with Mobilink and other partners. Earlier when we started, it was only for rural women, but in its upcoming phase we are also using this innovative educational approach for the youth of FATA; off course this would not had been possible without our trusted partners.” Bilal Munir Sheikh, Chief Commercial Officer, Mobilink highlighted, “The Mobilink Foundation has been the custodian of Mobilink’s Corporate Responsibility initiatives since 2008, with education being one of our primary areas of focus. We look forward to working closely with UNESCO to enhance the impact of this initiative for both learners and teachers over the

course of this project. As Pakistan’s leading provider of cellular services, Mobilink is well placed to reach out to communities across Pakistan, especially those that are cut off from the conventional educational system.” In early 2013, the ‘SMS Based Literacy’ programme won the GSMA’s Global Mobile Award in the ‘Connected Life Awards’ category, and was acknowledged as the ‘Best Mobile Education or Learning Product or Service’. The programme was highlighted by the competition’s jury as an “Excellent and needed mobile initiative with an explicit educational ideology that opens up new learning opportunities for a disadvantaged, rural group.” n

Exclusive

Irfan Khan

Free download | flare.pk

Does mobile make good friends? Cell is the new-age horror. It is everywhere and has the potential to catch you unaware. It disturbs your most intimate of acts, increases your lying tendencies, assists in the wonderful art of flirting and you cannot do without it. Not unless you are Bill Gates. And the catch is if you are Gates, you won’t be able to think of going without it

obile Phone friendships are common in Pakistan – Thanks to the Cheap Call Rates and SMS Buckets. Young people especially the teenagers have easy access to mobile phones. These Mobile Phone Friendships are too dangerous especially for girls. Recently, a girl, resident of Lahore went to Liah to marry her phone-friend, where Police arrested both, during the investigation, the student girl told Police that sometime back she became friend of Abdul Majeed on mobile phone, both used to talk on cell phones and decided to tie the knot. Mavia Rubab after investigation produced before magistrate, who sent her to Dar-ul-Aman. Latter, Irfan Khaider, sub-inspector city Police Station got marry her. Similarly, a young couple committed suicide in Kasur, who got married four months ago; both breathed their last in District Hospital after ingesting poisonous pills. The modern-day invention mobile phone brought close 16 years old Muhammad Shafique son of Muhammad Hanif, a hard working resident of Kasur city, with his own cousin. The cell phone led love story touched its peak, where both forced their parents to put them in the knot of marriage. Soon after their marriage members of both families started interventions over anecdotes, elders’ interference created lots of hardships which at last led the couple to eat poisonous pills to get rid of the everyday’s issues. The young couple fought for 8 hours but death remains the winner where the newly wed lovers lost their battle of life. The couple who promised to lives in shine or dust remained loyal to each other, as the boy breathed his last the very next moment his life partner also left this world forever. According to Stephen King, the maverick writer, cell is the new-age horror. It is everywhere and has the potential to catch you unaware. It disturbs your most intimate of acts, increases your lying tendencies, assists in the wonderful art of flirting and you cannot do without it. Not unless you are Bill Gates. And the catch is if you are Gates, you won’t be able to think of going without it. Most of us cannot do without mobile phones. It is a godsend that most cell-manufacturers have their products up on cheap mobile phones category.

Since, it is a necessity, let’s get them as cheap as possible without compromising on quality. That is why mobile phone deals and contract mobile phones are so popular. They make it possible for you to have the best without burning a hole in your pocket. But, the improper use led to such situation, when you come across in situations like in the case of Mavia Rubab. Despite best attempts at conversation with smartphone users, cell phones and social media do not make good friends, nor do they aid in keeping them. Actually, they do just the opposite, according to Flare Magazine’s recent survey. Cell phones are “eroding our personal relationships,” said a university Professor. Yet many young people—even those who well aware of the destructive qualities of constant cell phone use—can’t stay away. “At first glance, one might have the tendency to dismiss such aberrant cell phone use as merely youthful nonsense—a passing fad, he said. “But an

Parents should keep their eyes wide-open and monitor regularly what their kids are doing on their cell phones. Young users should also have to avoid making friends they don’t know in person. Maturity will come but it should not be on the sake of some sacrifice

emerging body of literature has given increasing credence to cell phone addiction and similar behavioral addictions.” He pointed out that cell phone addiction is fueled by materialism and impulsiveness, similar to consumption pathologies like compulsive buying and credit card misuse. “Having texts, calls, email, and Facebook all in one spot is great, but way too distracting many

times,” said Munazza Ejaz, 26, of NUST, Islamabad. “I feel like I might miss something from someone— and not responding, or someone not responding to me, is one of my biggest pet peeves.” Salman Aziz, 31, of Abbottabad, I agreed that cell phone addiction has become an epidemic that’s destroying friendships, mentioning non-stop access to Facebook as one of the main culprits. “I think Facebook is to friendship what porn is to sexuality—they are each selfish substitutes for something that, as designed, is a good desire,” he said. “Facebook allows you to listen or stop listening to your friends, whenever you want. There is really no give—it’s all take. It makes us feel like we have these real relationships, when it’s actually too lopsided and selfish to be called friendship.” Nazia Bibi of Karachi, admitted that her cell phone addiction even reaches into the bedroom. “When my husband and I should be spending time with one another or with our children, we instead find ourselves on Facebook, checking email, etc. on our phones,” she said. “Less communicating and less sleep. It’s so stupid of us!” Speaking on behalf of the ones being ignored by cell phone addicts, Fozia Salim, 26, of LUMS, Lahore, said, “I try to be very intentional about limiting my cell phone use when I’m interacting with friends or family face-to-face. I am usually pretty offended when I am with someone who doesn’t show me the same courtesy.” Waqas Munir of Peshawar agreed. “I think it’s rude to text when someone is talking to you. It shows that the person in front of you is not very important.” So what’s the solution? What can cell users do to fight their addiction? Ayesha Khan mentioned she has stopped almost all push notifications on her phone. “That way it isn’t going off as much and I am not constantly looking at it,” she said, adding that it’s helping some. Parents should keep their eyes wide-open and monitor regularly what their kids are doing on their cell phones. Young users should also have to avoid making friends they don’t know in person. Maturity will come but it should not be on the sake of some sacrifice but through proper guidance and education. n

Flare Report

Fr e e d o w nload | f la re .p k

Event

Zong's CFO Feng Tuixian, PRCS Director Health and Training Kamran Mushtaq exchange signed agreement along with Zong's top management and PRCS representatives.

Zong sings MoU with Pakistan Red Crescent Society

The digital partner of the nation organized a blood donation drive at its various oﬃces in Lahore and Islamabad; ZONG employees and top management enthusiastically participated in the blood donation drive on the World Blood Donation Day 2013 ong providing Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) with a short code service through which Zong customers can register themselves as blood donors by sending “reg” on 2258 after which they will be contacted by the Red Crescent in time of need. ZONG, the digital partner of the nation, recently organized a blood donation drive at its various offices in Lahore and Islamabad. Donors including ZONG employees and top management enthusiastically participated in the blood donation drive being held on the World Blood Donation Day 2013. Speaking about this unique collaboration Mr. Feng Tuixian, CFO, Zong said, “It is an honour for us to be a part of this noble cause. Most of us don’t realize the importance of having healthy blood

cells but for those who need it in case of blood diseases and accidents know the value of this lifeline.” Dr. Kamran Mushtaq, Director Training and Health PRCS said, “We are thankful to all the volunteers who donated blood and became part of this valuable and noble initiative. This year’s campaign of World Blood Donor’s Day was focused on the value of donated blood to the patient, not only in saving life, but also in helping people live longer and more productive lives. PRCS and Zong are working in close collaboration in the development and implementation of safe blood transfusion reforms”. Speaking about the drive ZONG’s CCO Sajid Mahmood said, “This is one of the several initiatives that are being carried out under ZONG’s CSR umbrella. ZONG has also started corporate vol-

unteerism program and I am proud to say that our volunteers have devotedly participated in our programs including this blood donation drive.” Campaign has received an overwhelming response. ZONG is also broadcasting PRCS blood donation awareness SMS to its user base in main cities of Pakistan for its continuous efforts in helping Red Crescent in blood donation awareness campaign. ZONG is today’s fastest growing telecommunication company with immense support from its parent organization, China Mobile which is the No. 1 telecom operator in the world. The company is following the ethos of China Mobile by offering consistent growth to its employees and by making significant contribution to the development of communities. n

Interview

Usman Yaqoob

Free download | flare.pk

Perfect, successful business woman

Flare Panel sits with Qaisra Sheikh, elected President of Central & North Punjab Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CNPWCCI), for formal chit chat. She is one of the founder members of the chamber since its inception in 2003. CNPWCCI is a group of individuals who believe in the potential of women entrepreneurs in Pakistan. Ms Sheikh says chamber is an advocacy group dealing with issues of economic empowerment of women; women entrepreneurs belonging to all tiers of society f ind a forum to voice their concerns. She adds for potential women entrepreneurs, the chamber provides a one window facility, whereas for established women entrepreneurs, the chamber provides a forum for debate and discussion, opportunity to interact with their local and international counterparts

Flare Panel: Tell us about yourself? Qaisra Sheikh: Currently, I am Director of H-l Private Limited Company established in 1984. The Company is engaged in designing and fabrication of high technology wrapping and packing machines used in biscuit industry, confectionery & chocolate industry, ice cream industry, snack food industry, pharmaceutical and soap industries. With the support of my husband and I own self-confidence, I entered into a new venture with the inception of Pact Generators in 2006, where I running it as a Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Being a mother, I also have family responsibilities having to take care of my husband and children as well, like a good Pakistani women. Flare: What was motive behind to start power generator business? Sheikh: I had noticed that the severe power crisis had hit the country with worst loadshedding everywhere including homes, markets, hospitals, offices, educational institutions, factories, mills and industries, the wheel of all come to a standstill without electricity during the Pervez Musharraf regime in 2007. To watch the scenario, I decided to start business of generators in the Pakistan for provide some relief to the public and in this regard I consultant my friends and told them the plan of business of generators. My friends had chosen the name of company was Pact Generator, the factory situated at Ferozepur Road, Lahore. The power generators range available varies from 15 KVA to 85 KVA and we also deliver high-capacity power generators on orders. “Pact Generators” purchases engines and other parts from local markets and assembles them to make high technology electric generators.

Flare: What are your achievements as President of CNPWCCI? Sheikh: Central and North Punjab Woman Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CNPWCCI) had established to solely promote and develop women entrepreneurship in Pakistan on a nonprofit basis and to this end, we organise numerous conferences, exhibitions and delegations and award ceremonies to recognise the commendable work done by women entrepreneurs of our country. I appreciated the efforts of Dr Shumaila for establish Women Chamber of Commerce. Government of Musharaf passed the Law of Chamber in 2008. I elected President of Chamaber unopposed. Recently, eight-member delegation of Central and North Punjab Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CNPWCCI) led by its president Qaisra Sheikh has four-day visited to India with handfuls of business orders and signings of a number of memoranda of understanding (MoU), writing a new page in the history of Pakistan’s trade and economic relations with the neighbouring country. Flare: How one can become member of Women Chamber? Sheikh: There is very simple procedure to become member of Women Chmber just pay registration fee Rs 4500 and renewal Rs 2000 and Chamber Card fee Rs 500. Chamber helps women entrepreneurs in establishing and consequently expanding their business interests nationally as well as internationally. Chamber helps business women to get bank loans, NTNs, Passports and ID Cards. Flare: Are you in favour of Pak-India trade ties? Sheikh: Yes, I am in favour of Pak-India trade ties and governments of both the nations

should work for improving relations, so that trade between the two nations could further improve. Trade got worst affected whenever relations between the two nations got strained. The life style, language and dresses were similar in both Punjabs, therefore, there was a need of import and export of goods on both sides. Flare: What is generally the response in the host countries when you take a business delegation abroad? Sheikh: Whenever I take any business delegation abroad, the response of the host country is always very positive, welcoming and full of cooperation in providing all facilities. Flare: Do you think tourism has a role in the life of a business woman? Sheikh: Yes, tourism and especially travelling has a significant role in a life of every business person in today’s world, irrespective of whether they are men and women. It affects our life in so many ways. Tourism gives us numerous opportunities to know about so many different places, cultures, people and so more that eventually helps business to tap new market; you meet new people who share their experience. Foremost, travelling gives you an opportunity to take some time out for yourself, where you disconnect from you daily routine. You go out see new places, try new cuisines, go shopping, hang out with family and friends and much more. n

InsighT

Flare Report

tate Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has released its 3rd Quarrterly Review Fiscal Year 1213 in which mentioned that the e-banking transactions reached Rs 7.9 trillion in Pakistan an increase of 4.37 percent. Over 94 percent of banksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; branches in Pakistan are now offering real-time online branches (RTOB) services, said a quarterly Payment System review published by State Bank of Pakistan. Overall 9,946 branches of banks out of 10,535 now offer RTOB services across the country. During the third quarter of FY13 basic infrastructure of payment systems of Pakistan increased considerably. A total of 217 more ATMs were installed by various banks, thus bringing the total number of ATMs installed in the country to 6,449. Altogether, 50 more bank branches were added to the online branch network which makes a total of 9,946 branches that are now offering RTOB services out of 10,535 total bank branches across the country. Compared with the preceding quarter, number of plastic cards issued to customers increased by 5.06 percent in the third quarter of FY 13, thus making the total number of plastic cards issued to 21.77 million. In comparison with other cards, debit cards have shown the highest percentage

growth of about 5.41 percent which has raised the total number of debit cards so far issued to 19.57 million. Moreover, debit cards have the highest share in the total number of plastic cards issued in the country which is 89.94 percent in the current quarter of FY 13. Transactions through debit cards have also increased both in volume and value as compared to the previous quarter which is 6.2 percent and 8.82 percent respectively.

The volume and corresponding value of overall e-banking transactions during this quarter also depicted a growth of 3.47 percent increase in volume which is equal to 82.21 million transactions and an increase of 4.37 percent in value which is equal to Rs. 7.9 trillion. Of all the e-banking transactions, mobile

Free download | flare.pk

Online transactions touch Rs 7.9 trillion

A total of 217 more ATMs were installed by various banks, thus bringing the total number of ATMs installed in the country to 6,449. Altogether, 50 more bank branches were added to the online branch network which makes a total of 9,946 branches that are now oďŹ&#x20AC;ering RTOB services out of 10,535 total bank branches across the country

transactions show the highest percentage increase since the previous quarter of current fiscal year. The transactions increased by 22.84 percent in terms of volume reaching the number of 1.12 million as compared to 0.91 million in the preceding quarter.

The value of transactions increased by 30.66 percent reaching Rs. 7.3 billion as compared to Rs. 5.6 billion in the preceding quarter.In terms of volume of overall e-banking transactions, ATM transactions have a major share of 62.78 percent and an average value per transaction stands at Rs. 10,005

Similarly, the value of mobile transactions also showed highest percentage increase as compared to the previous quarter of current fiscal year. The value of transactions increased by 30.66 percent reaching Rs. 7.3 billion as compared to Rs. 5.6 billion in the preceding quarter.In terms of volume of overall e-banking

transactions, ATM transactions have a major share of 62.78 percent and an average value per transaction stands at Rs. 10,005. In comparison with the number of transactions reported in the second quarter of the current fiscal year, the overall volume of ATM transactions increased by 6.27 percent and the value increased by 8.73 percent. In the overall e-banking transactions, amount of ATM transactions remained at 6.53 percent during current quarter.

As a result of decrease in SBP money market operations, volume and value of large-value payments through RTGS have reduced to 121,362 transactions and Rs. 39.40 trillion respectively as compared to the previous quarter. This implying a 0.25 percent decrease in volume and 6.48 percent decrease in value of RTGS transactions. n

Flare Report

Free download | flare.pk

InsighT

PTCL signs MoU with Al Ghurair for deployment of ICT infrastructure at DHA Islamabad

The agreement was signed by Muhammad Nasrullah, PTCL SEVP Business Zones and Yaqoob Mehanti, Director Projects Al Ghurair Giga Pakistan in the presence of Walid Irshaid, President and CEO PTCL and Haji Muhammd Rafiq Giga, Vice Chairman Al Ghurair Giga Pakistan.

akistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Al Ghurair Giga Pakistan Private Limited, the developers of World Trade Center and other state-of-the-art commercial and residential developments in DHA Phase-II, Islamabad.

Through this agreement, PTCL will develop ICT infrastructure and provide full range of telecommunications services for Al Ghurair Giga'ss current and future projects. The agreement shall enable customers of Al Ghurair Giga Pakistan to experience superior telecom services of PTCL including voice telephony, broadband internet and SmartTV as well as Pakistan's fastest and most reliable EVO wireless broadband internet services.

The agreement was signed by Muhammad Nasrullah, PTCL Senior Executive Vice President (SEVP) Business Zones and Yaqoob Mehanti, Director Projects Al Ghurair Giga Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd in the presence of Walid Irshaid, President and CEO PTCL and Haji Muhammd Rafiq Giga, Vice Chairman Al Ghurair Giga Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd. Tariq Al Salman, Chief Technical Officer PTCL; Shahid Mahmood, PTCL Executive Vice President (EVP) Business Zone North; Imran Patel Company Secretary, Al Ghurair Giga Pakistan along with other senior officials from PTCL and Al Ghurair Giga were also present at the occasion. Muhammad Nasrullah, PTCL Senior Executive Vice President (SEVP) Business Zones while speaking at the signing ceremony said, "We are pleased to extend cooperation to Al Ghurair Giga for develop-

ment of telecom infrastructure. As the single largest national carrier, PTCL is aligning all possible measures to bring world-class telecom services in the country". "This initiative is one of many through which PTCL continues to lead the innovation drive for its customers and provide progressive and robust ICT solutions", he added further. Haji Muhammed Rafiq Giga Vice Chairman Al Ghurair Giga Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd said at the occasion, "This agreement shall enable us to move forward collectively and deliver better services to our customers. We realise the importance of an efficient ICT sector, and for this reason, we have partnered with PTCL, the largest ICT services provider, to develop an integrated network of telecom services which caters to the needs of today's fast paced environment". n

Cover Story

Zubair Kasuri

Free download | flare.pk

e live in a world which is constantly changing; new technologies, developments and new thoughts come up every second. In this fast paced environment, Pakistan has (to some extent) quickly caught up with the race. Pakistan is one of the fastest growing markets in information technology. The rapid increase in the number of advanced technologies and the cyber crime phenomenon bring all the nations on to their toes. Information and communication technologies (ICT) plays an important role in helping ensure interoperability and security based on global standards. As computer crime refers to any crime that involves a computer Asif Ali Zardari President of Pakistan and a network, cyber crime refers to criminal exploitation of the Internet. Nobody nor any country can fence its cyberspace absolute secure or can ensure its cybersecurity. Cyber criminals are everywhere hence can attack any system to hack sophisticated information. It’s a heinous crime, but if individuals run through any system and steal sensitive documents, everybody across the globe condemns them and law enforcement agencies get them to task. As Julian Paul Assange founder of WikiLeaks, who published some secret information, news and wires recently, he was treated as a criminal. But in the recent onslaught, the United States National Security Agency (NSA) has intercepted 13.5 billion reports for intelligence purposes during a period of 30 days in March 2013 from Pakistan. The NSA datamining tool called Boundless Informant, that details and even maps by country the voluminous amount of information it collects from computer and telephone networks. Iran was the country where the largest amount of intelligence was gathered, with more than 14 billion reports in that period, followed by 13.5 billion from Pakistan. Jordan, one of America’s closest Arab allies, came third with 12.7 billion, Egypt fourth with 7.6 billion and India fifth with 6.3 billion. The focus of the internal NSA intelligence agency tool is on counting and categorising the records of communications, known as metadata, rather than the content of an email or instant Anusha Rehman message. The State Minister for MoIT Boundless Informant documents show the agency collecting almost 3 billion pieces of intelligence from US computer networks over a 30-day period ending in March 2013. One document says it is designed to give NSA officials answers to questions like, “What type of coverage do we have on country X” in “near real-time by asking the SIGINT (signals intelligence) infrastructure.” An NSA factsheet says: “The tool allows users to select a country on a map and view the metadata volume and select details about the collections against that country.” The factsheet also states the tool shows information including: “How many records (and what type) are collected against a particular country.” The disclosure of the internal Boundless Informant system comes amid a struggle between the NSA and its overseers in the Senate over whether it can track the intelligence it collects

on American communications. The NSA’s position is that it is not technologically feasible to do so. At a hearing of the Senate intelligence committee in March this year, Democratic Senator Ron Wyden asked James Clapper, the director of national intelligence: “Does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans?” “No sir,” replied Clapper.Judith Emmel, an NSA spokeswoman, “NSA has consistently reported — including to Congress — that we do not have the ability to determine with certainty the identity or location of all communicants within a given communication. That remains the case.” In his first public response to the disclosures on NSA surveillance, US President Barack Obama said that congressional oversight was the American peoples’ best guarantee that they were not being spied on. “These are the folks you all vote for as your representatives in Congress and they are being fully briefed on these programmes,” he said. Obama also insisted that any surveillance was “very narrowly circumscribed”. “Thus, we apply rigorous training and technological advancements to combine both our automated and manual (human) processes to characterise communications — ensuring protection of the privacy rights of the American people”, Emmel added.

The United States National Security Agency (NSA) has intercepted more than 14 billion reports from Iran followed by 13.5 billion from Pakistan. Jordan, one of America’s closest Arab allies, came third with 12.7 billion, Egypt fourth with 7.6 billion and India fifth with 6.3 billion

But it’s merit mentioning here that, here might is right law is being exercised. The world power has the authority to do whatever it wants to do, but if others do the same its abuse of technology. The rules and principles should have to be applied for all nations and states whether developed, developing or under developed. It’s not only a concern of Pakistan but everyone’s; the adoption of appropriate legislation against the misuse of ICTs for criminal or other purposes, including activities intended to affect the integrity of national critical information infrastructures, is central to achieving global cyber security. Since threats can originate anywhere around the globe, the challenges are inherently international in scope and require international cooperation, investigative assistance, and common substantive and procedural provisions. It is thus important that countries harmonize their legal frameworks to combat cybercrime and facilitate international cooperation. Developing countries need to better understand the national and international implications of growing cyber-threats, meet the requirements of existing national regional and international instruments and establish a sound legal and technological foundation. Cyber crime is one of the biggest threats all over the world. Almost all countries, including developing countries, are combating these threats with extreme legal measures. They have completed their legislation and now there are laws to tackle cyber criminals. Unfortunately Pakistan is one of the few

Cover Story

countries where cyber crime laws are still in the pipeline waiting for implementation, on December 31, 2007, the then President Pervez Musharraf promulgated a law called The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Ordinance (PECO) 2007 which lapsed in 2010. The new PECO 2012 was remained under debate in the National Assembly and was being tweaked / redrafted by the Standing Committee in consultation with other industry stakeholders. In the absence of Cyber Crime laws through which punitive action can be taken against those committing crimes on the cyber world in Pakistan, people are increasingly becoming victims of abuse on social Muhammad Nawaz Sharif media sites, internet Prime Minister of Pakistan frauds, etc. Pakistani lawmakers promulgated a new and an improved cyber law but the summary is awaiting President Mr. Asif Ali Zardari’s signature. But, I don’t know why the president seems too busy in all other matters and couldn’t make it to sign the most important document. Pakistan is currently facing the following types of cyber crimes: Financial crimes, cyber pornography, sale of illegal articles, online gambling, intellectual property crimes, email spoofing, cyber stalking, forgery, unauthorised access to computer systems\networks, theft of information contained in electronic form virus/worm attacks, logic bombs, trojan attacks, internet time theft, password cracking and buffer overflow to name a few. The nature of cyber crimes is not only international but local and regional; cyber crime in Pakistan is growing rapidly with the exponential growth in usage of mobile phones and penetration of internet. It is also observed that criminals are using latest technology to execute their crimes. These criminals are involved in financial matters, information stealing and at times even in terrorism. To counter their activities National Response Center for Cyber Crime (NR3C) was formed which is (say to some extent) able to monitor, track and catch all such criminals. NR3C is providing single point of contact for all local and foreign organizations for all matters related to cyber crimes in Pakistan. It is imparting training and related security education to government / semi-government and private sector organizations. It has also conducted a number of seminars in different cities of the country to educate sensitive government organizations regarding cyber attacks on their information resources, information breech and to make their systems secure against all such threats. But, the recent US attack, which stole 13.5 billion our sensitive reports, shows our incapability and incompetency with the modern age of warfare; today, where we stands, is the era of cyber war and ensuring cybersecurity. The phenomenon of physical attacks and use of warheads fading away; to survive in this battlefield, only those countries who equip their public with modern technological education will stand tall, others will struggle for their very existence. Technology advancements, new apps, ubiquitous software and the mobilization of computing have driven the democratization of information beyond boundaries that have existed since Gutenberg cast his first type. Nowhere are the turf battles colliding more quickly than in the cyber battlefield. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has issued basic guidelines and discussed about the online security and cyber crime at various forums. The discussion seemed

Cover Story

Free download | flare.pk

alien to some representatives from developing countries, sorry my country is also a developing nation but having a fragile cyber security team and a very naive society as regards cyber security. The ICT society in Pakistan, I should say, has always ignored most of the cyber crime scenarios, most of the ICT discussion forums developed ideas on how ICT can be used to increase internet and mobile penetration but the government did not devise a clear strategy to tackle the challenges of cyber attacks. The naked truth which actually hurts is the national ICT Infrastructure doesn't have systems whatsoever to fight cyber crime. The Police at this time of the day, which is supposed to be spearheading the initiatives for cyber security, is still planning on training a critical mass of specialists in cyber security. The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom, that is supposed to think about a National Law has something on paper but needs to become a proper law if the President signs it. In the absence of funds and technical capacity by government and cooperate bodies to fight cyber crime, what are we left for? Should Pakistan become a fertile land for cyber crime? Should all cyber criminals relocate to developing and underdeveloped nations like Pakistan? The answer is No, and a Big No. Pakistan through education and sensitization can fight cyber crime. As Michelle Rhee said that the most sustainable way of fighting poverty is through education, I also say that the most sustainable way and method for fighting cyber crime is through education and sensitization of the general mass. Cyber criminals are now making more money than the illegal drug trade. We only need to make cyber crime the least profitable business, and trust me; no one

companies and solutions providers based in USA, they have our passwords and IP addresses; we can’t fight them until and unless we make our selves capable to having all these on our own soil; frankly speaking, with the current infrastructure we can’t demand for safety, because all the tech-giants are in the US control if their spy agencies get access to the servers of major tech companies, then what we can do; to wait and invest in our own youth to equip them with latest and modern education to combat the western imperialism. I would at this moment want to quote one of the contributors; “In times past, mothers and

aunties taught their pre-pubescent daughters not go to the well alone, or talk to strangers on the way there. Have the reasons for these admonitions been erased by the coming of modernity?” Literally meaning that in Asia we have always had our own ways of averting normal crime by staying away from possible crime or its source, possibly through taking strangers by caution. This is no longer the way we behave.

words that are strong and are changed on a regular basis. Tell them the danger of using the names of their kids or their dogs (these details are easily found out on social networks); do not use “12345″ or the word “password.” Make sure employees know they should not leave passwords on sticky notes on their desks. Big companies have armies of security specialists who work full-time on these issues and protect their company’s information. Obviously

will be willing to invest in it. We need the national effort to investigate high-tech crimes, including cyber-based terrorism, espionage, computer intrusions, and major cyber fraud. To stay in front of current and emerging trends, we should seriously take up the issue and prepare an anti-cyber army to protect our secret documents. Everybody has a role to play in cyber security. As President Barack Obama, the department and private industry all have made cyber security a top national priority. The Americans are not only protecting their homeland but using their techforce to steal sensitive reports from countries like Pakistan, Iran, Jordon, Korea and India. But, the very basic question comes to mind is, are we capable to stop US and other Western countries from cyber crime and can we guard our cyberspace? The simple and logical answer at the moment is a very big No, because, the IT services

The y-generation has this power 'to find out', even when the finding involves going through a populated den. I finally smell, at the end of the day, the solution to cyber crime, particularly the one that targets us common individuals or states is not technology but vigilance and being on a look out of any abnormal occurrences. How to be secured online? People who are risk-aware do fewer risky things. They do not need to know every threat or technical detail, but they should know the basics. Teach them how hackers operate: Explain how hackers constantly run scripts across the Internet to find unprotected computers and then use tool kits to launch massive attacks on those weaknesses. Teach them how to recognize scams and phishing schemes—emails or phone calls from purportedly trustworthy groups that try to get access to your credit cards and financial accounts. Make sure people understand how to protect the data on their PCs, tablets, smart-

this is harder to pull off when you’re a smaller company without vast resources. But even small companies must give someone clear responsibility for security. Leading security doesn’t have to be a fulltime job, but it must be part of someone’s. You may need to invest in training or hire part-time consultants to help your security person get up to speed. Then be sure you give them attention and support when they want to make a change. Without focus and attention, security will suffer. And so may your company. When it comes to security, being small is not a protection. It doesn’t take a lot of investment to put basic protections in place. But it does take attention and effort. Start now to protect your company, your employees, and your customers. Did I make my point noticeable? I am not sure but I believe other people have some techniques of helping out our naive society as regards this fresh problem. n

phones, and other devices. Educate them on the dangers of putting personally identifiable information on the Internet that can be used to acquire passwords or run scams. Make sure the data on their PCs is encrypted. Tell them how they can protect themselves when they’re traveling and accessing sensitive company information from a foreign network. Help them make smart choices. Make sure your colleagues understand how and when they’re allowed to use personal devices on different networks. Make sure any changes to the network are reported or automatically logged. Make sure your employees have pass-

Cyber crime is not only a concern of Pakistan but everyone’s; the adoption of appropriate legislation against the misuse of ICTs for criminal or other purposes, including activities intended to affect the integrity of national critical information infrastructures, is central to achieving global cyber security. Since threats can originate anywhere around the globe, the challenges are inherently international in scope and require international cooperation, investigative assistance, and common substantive and procedural provisions

Free download | flare.pk

Flare Report

Event

Flare Report

Free download | flare.pk

Event

Flare Report

Free download | flare.pk CFO Zong Feng Tuixian (1st left) along with emerging designers, Ali Kamran (1st right) Adviser to Executive Director Strategy and Corporate Zong pose for photograph at the event.

Free download | flare.pk

Flare Report

Event

Telepedia

Parvez Iftikhar

Free download | flare.pk

To do list for the new government

Information and communication technology is a fast-moving high-tech sector where policies get outdated quickly. The government should take up the job of creating the new ICT policy urgently, with inputs from all stakeholders

awaz Sharif was elected Pakistan's prime minister, taking the reins of a country burdened by an entrenched insurgency, rampant corruption and a power-starved economy. Afterward in his first speech to lawmakers, Sharif vowed to tackle Pakistan’s “jungle of problems.” On the ICT front, the PML-N has done well to appoint Anusha Rehman as the new Information Technology minister. As an ICT professional myself, I venture to suggest what the government should now do. Information and communication technology is a fast-moving high-tech sector where policies get outdated quickly. The government should take up

the job of creating the new ICT policy urgently, with inputs from all stakeholders. However, there is no need to wait for the policies to be in place before starting the long-delayed, vital ICT development programmes. Investments in the telecommunications sector alone account for 32 percent out of the total of $21.5 billion that Pakistan has received in foreign direct investment (FDI) over the last five years. In desperate need of funds, the government is relying heavily on proceeds from the oft-delayed auction of cellular spectrum licences. The auction,

according to the PTA, will bring in around Rs100 billion through 3G spectrum licences, and another Rs200 billion through infrastructure development. Being the world’s sixth most populous nation, Pakistan is potentially one of the world’s largest telecom markets with a current subscriber base of 120 million. However, PTA’s efforts have so far not been able to attract new players – whose participation could potentially boost the bidding price. Broadband deserves a special treatment because its impact on the Millennium Development Goals is now widely acknowledged. Since 2010, the UN Broadband Commission for Digital Development has been actively helping countries prioritise the roll-out of high-speed broadband networks through

National Broadband Plans to support their goals of inclusive economic growth and competitiveness in the information age. Most countries have realised the importance of Optic Fibre Highways and are working feverishly to increase fibre penetration. When I was working at Universal Service Fund, we made good progress in the programme, “Optic Fibre to every Tehsil”. Now, the need is to extend the fibre to all the 6,000-plus Union Councils, terminating at the community telecentres there. Even in the short term, thousands of jobs will be created through this effort.

High-speed broadband connected community tele-centres could become a source for all kinds of information for villagers. Each centre, equipped with PCs, allied equipment, Wi-Fi hot spots and renewable sources of power, should be run by rural development organisations that have roots in those areas, with professionally trained trainers. The broadband connectivity available at these centres could then be extended to neighbouring schools, healthcare centres, post offices and government offices, etc. Out of all the destinations of broadband, none is more important than in schools. Information and Communication Technology is all-encompassing since it impacts every sector of the economy. Therefore, if our new generation does not grow up with the knowledge of using ICTs, they will be left behind. It has been learnt that connecting schools with broadband is not the only need of the hour. In fact, the provincial education and school administrations should be on board to develop/provide relevant local content (with links to the curriculum), create portals, implement child protection policies, and train the teachers. The need to train cannot be stressed enough. It is a pity that even Afghanistan has 3G and we do not! Worldwide, there are more than two billion 3G subscriptions. The PML-N manifesto favours 4G (100 million users worldwide). It is the private sector that then goes for the most viable technology in the given spectrum band. But there is simultaneous space for 3G as well as 4G. Therefore, the spectrum for both should be auctioned, with less emphasis on the price and more on widespread, time-barred rollout obligations. Fortunately, in ICT, government budget constraints are not something to worry about but the

It is a pity that even Afghanistan has 3G and we do not! Worldwide, there are more than two billion 3G subscriptions. The PML-N manifesto favours 4G (100 million users worldwide). It is the private sector that then goes for the most viable technology in the given spectrum band. But there is simultaneous space for 3G as well as 4G

government has to provide clear policies, fair regulations and a level playing field to promote competition and let the citizens enjoy the fruits. If at all the government has to intervene with cash, it is in areas that the private sector doesn’t find lucrative enough. And, for that, there is the Universal Service Fund. It is the private sector which brought the 2G revolution in Pakistan, along with massive amounts of foreign direct investment, and it is the private sector which should be given the challenge again. The writer works as an Information and Communication Technology Consultant in Asia and Africa. He is a former CEO of Universal Service Fund (Pakistan).

Free download | flare.pk

Flare Report

InsighT

HEC furnishes 600 colleges with broadband

The digital library and archives – maintained by HEC – will be available online to all students in Pakistan, which has a database of over 10,000 e-journals and 65,000 e-books

s many as 183 higher education institutions throughout the country have the facility of broad-bandwidth internet connectivity. This network is being expanded to over 600 colleges which are under provincial governments. It will make Pakistan a regional leader in the field of information and communication technology. The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has ensured that the digital library and archives are available online to all students in Pakistan, which has a database of over 10,000 e-journals and 65,000 e-books. The Campus Management Solutions have already been implemented in eight universities with more to follow. The National and Regional Data Centres, established by the HEC in Islamabad and provincial capitals, are hosting ICT services for higher education sector. The Research Repository, containing more than 6,680 Pakistani PhD theses in digitised form, plagiarism eradication tool, has been provided to all HEIs. In addition, the Higher Education Management Information Assistance is being provided to 30 HEIs for improving their academic and administrative governance and business intelligence through the HEC-Microsoft Education Alliance. Access to 180+ free software has been provided to over 1 million students in higher education sector of Pakistan. Universities have been provided state-of-the-art high-tech equipment and equipment sharing programmes and grants for research, holding of conferences, seminars and workshops are being offered.

Moreover, the HEC has established a computerised system of document attestation with more than 200,000 educational documents attested each year. Commenting on these achievements, HEC Chairman Dr. Javaid R. Laghari said universities are the most important producers of knowledge, which is the driving force for prosperity and improved standard of living. He said that the video conferencing facility has been provided at 79 sites having footprints in 32 cities. The video conferencing facility is not only being used for interactive meetings and lectures delivered under Virtual Education Programme Pakistan, but it is being exhaustively utilised in the field of telemedicine and agriculture field research. So far, more than 2,554 academic activities, including workshops, presentations, PhD defense, and lectures have been covered through this innovative and modern facility to brave the challenges. Dr. Laghari remarked that according to the World Economic Forum 2013, Pakistan’s score on the higher education indicator of the Global Competitiveness Index surged significantly ahead, which is a clear manifestation and recognition of the fact that Pakistan’s higher education sector has become a role model for the developing countries. Recently, the HEC and Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom have agreed to benefit from each other’s experience in the field of information and communication technology for proliferation of ICT in Pakistan. n

Telepedia

Flare Report

Free download | flare.pk

Azizi brings Warid reload offer

The campaign offers free on-net minutes, 100 free SMS and unlimited free calls on friends and family numbers for one day; an amazing daily prize of Rs. 100,000 through a lucky draw and a bumper prize of Rs 5,000,000 which will again be handed out through a lucky draw at the end of the campaign

here are news anchors, political analysts, and economic experts and then there is Azizi. A one of a kind talk show host (actually co-host) loved and religiously followed by millions, no matter which socio economic class they belong to. The spirit of the Dunya TV show Hasb-e-Haal and one of the most well-respected stage actors Mr. Sohail Ahmad aka Azizi has recently been engaged by Warid Telecom for their newly launched Warid reload offer. Warid has recently given two daily prize of rupees Rs.100,000 to Mr. Adeel Aslam from Lahore and Mr. Muhammad Nadeem from Faisalabad. The cheques were handed out by Azizi himself, giving the lucky winners an opportunity to interact with one of the most respected artist in Pakistan. The Warid reload offer was launched on the 3rd of June for all Warid subscribers. On every re-load of Rs. 50 the customers will get a guaranteed prize of 20 free on-net minutes, 100 free SMS and unlimited free calls on friends and family numbers for one day. The campaign of-

fers an amazing daily prize of Rs. 100,000 through a lucky draw and a bumper prize of Rs 5,000,000 which will again be handed out

Warid has made a great choice by engaging someone like Azizi for this campaign. Azizi’s association with this campaign not only provides Warid’s re-load offer high credibility; it also attracts all segments of Pakistan’s society. The re-load offer is a campaign for the masses and there is no better Pakistani celebrity that have as big an appeal as Mr. Sohail Ahmad aka Azizi

through a lucky draw at the end of the campaign. To avail this offer customers only have to reload their Warid number with Rs. 50 or higher, the more a subscriber re-loads the more chances they get to win. The TV ad itself is simple and to the point with Azizi, in his usual Hasb-e-Haal attire, sitting in a nicely illustrated setting, resembling a somewhat empty space. As he starts explaining the offer the room around him gets furnished with a smooth flow of illustrations and the offer details appear on the left and right corners of the screen. He talks in his amicable accent which really rubs off on the viewer. You see him sitting on a table and explaining the details of the offer while picking up his phone and utilizing the offer himself. Azizi ends his talk with the campaign tagline “Rozana ho jayein cash se overload” accompanied by his trademark funny expressions which put a smile on your face. The script is engaging and to the point and has been developed keeping in mind the humour that is

Free download | flare.pk

Flare Report

Telepedia

associated with Azizi’s character. Warid has made a great choice by engaging someone like Azizi for this campaign. Azizi’s association with this campaign not only provides Warid’s re-load offer high credibility; it also attracts all segments of Pakistan’s society. The re-load offer is a campaign for the masses and there is no better Pakistani celebrity that have as big an appeal as Mr. Sohail Ahmad aka Azizi. It is a great sign that Warid is experimenting and exploring new avenues and themes in terms of its marketing campaigns. Especially these days when there is clutter of all sorts of advertisements on television they have come out with an ad that is simple and to the point. One should also encourage the fact that being a telecom operator they have relied on their core strength which is keeping the customer as the focal point of the campaign and have relied on the simple premise of rewarding their valued customers. All in all Warid’s re-load offer is a great campaign for the company’s subscribers with an impressive marketing campaign to support it. This is a simple offer for the masses and kudos to the concept writers and the company for coming up with a simple yet brilliant campaign.n

Telepedia

Flare Report

Free download | flare.pk

Celcos lament inflict of SIM activation tax

PTA has delayed the implementation of subscribers and SIMs verif ication system due to absence of key off icials but the losses are being suffered by cellular phone operators who could have added millions of new subscription in the last few months

n a move which is likely to attract consumersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; flak, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has issued notification (sales tax) SRO No. 460(1)2013 on May 30 imposed sales tax on sale and activation of cell phone SIMs at a flat rate of Rs 250 per SIM. According to a notification issued by the FBR, mobile phone companies are required to submit monthly tax returns to the FBR. Moreover, the FBR has also imposed tax on the import of low-priced cell phones at the flat rate of Rs150 while on medium-priced cell phones the rate of tax is Rs250. In addition, a flat tax of Rs500 per set has also been imposed on the import of smartphones, android phones. The mobile phone companies condemned the government for imposed Activation Tax on the subscription in the scenario when the sector has been hit hard by the drop in sales and revenues in the wake of suspension of sales on 0.2 million retail agents. Official of the mobile phone companies said that cuttingedge competition among the cellular phone sector over charges of different services coupled with ban on the SIM sales on the retail agents has diminished

According to GSMA report, Pakistan is the third country having highest mobile tax regime of overall 30.44 percent after Gabon and Turkey with rate of 37.2 percent and 48.23 percent. But the purchasing power of the masses in the country is quite lower than the two countries whereas the number of operators and lesser

their revenues significantly as they are unable to make revenues from new and old subscribers. They added that mobile phone companies have been imposed already a discriminatory tax regime of 19.5 percent GST on all of its services in addition to 10 percent withholding tax which slow down the utility of mobile phone telephony services, their earnings and revenues of the government. Cellular phone sector is not a profitable sector as it is deemed because of the fact its growth has turned

into negative growth following the recent measures on the directives of outgoing government, an official of the mobile phone company said. The number of SIM sales is very limited despite new offers by the companies mainly in the untapped rural markets besides the operators have cleaned up their subscribers base massively due to non-documentation and mismatch of subscribers record against his or her CNIC, he said on the condition of anonymity. As per data of P a k i s t a n Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the cellular phone companies witnessed contraction of 2.63 million subscriptions which stand at 122.12 million by March-end. PTA has delayed the implementation of subscribers and SIMs verification system due to absence of key officials but the losses are being suffered by cellular phone operators who could have added millions of new subscription in the last few months. Besides, the sector will bring million of dollar foreign direct investment for the auction of 3G license and upgradation of their network, he said adding hence they should be given incentives while refrain to impose activation tax again, which was wrongly slapped on them. According to GSMA report, Pakistan is the third country having highest mobile tax regime of overall

30.44 percent after Gabon and Turkey with rate of 37.2 percent and 48.23 percent. But the purchasing power of the masses in the country is quite lower than the two countries whereas the number of operators and lesser. But the removal of activation tax recently heaved sigh of relief to the companies operating in Pakistan because operators used to pay this tax from their own pockets instead of receiving it from the masses. To encourage Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) in Pakistan especially in telecom and IT sectors, the new government will launch new strategy to attract the investors to invest more and more in Pakistan and in this regard the approval of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) strategy 2013-17 may play an important role in strengthening investors confidence in the stability of investment conditions through concluding international inv e s t m e n t agreements According to the BOI's FDI strategy 2013-17, it would act as an administrative broker between foreign investors and Pakistani authorities; would take up requests of investors for permits, licenses, the provision of utilities and more, and obtain the necessary decisions from the authorities concerned in an inter-agency administrative process. n

Telepedia

Flare Report

Fr e e d o w n l o a d | fl a re. p k

Telenor bribes journalists Invites media persons for three day luxury trip to Norway

The trip was arranged to bribe the media persons; they were given lollypops so that they kept their mouths mum over the wrong doings of the telecom company; the journalists were also given cash prizes and left no stone unturned to please reporters so they do not publish any news item against Telenor Pakistan in future

elenor Pakistan has taken journalists for a three day training trip to Telenor’s global headquarters Oslo, Norway to enhance their technical and professional reporting skills. The luxury trip was arranged at a time when the PML-N came into power, whereas the current Federal Finance Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar during the electioneering month had lodged a complaint against Telenor Pakistan with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) accusing Telenor for supporting and funding a specific political party. Though Mr. Dar didn’t mention name of any political party but in the complaint informed the commission that Telenor were allocated funds for the political campaign of that party. During the Pakistan’s General Election campaign leading newspapers and magazines published reports (including Flare Magazine) that Telenor Pakistan was allegedly supporting Pakistan Tehreke-Insaaf (as the complaint of Senator Ishaq Dar was registered) and all the strategies of its election campaign were designed and executed by Telenor Pakistan. Leading print media had published the stories, now the Telenor Pakistan are pleasing the reporters, editors and correspondents of Daily The News, Jang, Dawn, Express Tribune, Khabrien, Nawa-e-Waqt and others, for the purpose a luxury Norway trip was organized on June 16. Journalists were invited through an official invitation; Flare has got the copy of the invitation, for the readers convenience an image of the invitation letter and article published in Flare Magazine’s May issue, are shown. The trip was arranged to bribe the media persons; they were given lollypops so that they kept their mouths mum over the wrong doings of the telecom company. The journalist’s skills enhancement trip was scheduled on June 16, 2013 from Islamabad to Oslo for three days. Sources also told this scribe that the

Story published in Flare Magazine in May

journalists were also given cash as prizes and the telecom firm left no stone unturned to please them so they do not publish any news item against Telenor Pakistan in future. When Flare broke the story on www.flare.pk, Mr. Saad Warraich, Assistant Manager Corporate Communications & Responsibility and Corporate Affairs & Security, Telenor Pakistan, through an email to this scribe, disowned the official invitation letter and added that the letter shown is fab-

If we put a glance over the short history of Telenor’s journey in Pakistan, we see Telenor as pampering corrupt practices, polluting native culture, creating unrest in society and promoting non-healthy activities. From the day first, Telenor is following a false agenda and promoting western culture by indulging Pakistani youth in useless activities

ricated, fake and has not been authorized by Telenor. Telenor Pakistan didn’t issue the letter shown here. But, it’s merit mentioning here that Mr. Saad Warraich has said that journalists were invited for the above mentioned luxury trip to Oslo, Norway, to improve their technical skills. Now, the question rises, how the trip was arranged and how journalists were invited and selected what was the selection criteria. I want to recall the memories, these are the few reporters who every now and then enjoy such luxury trips and high perks on the expenses of other companies. The Telenor instead of wasting money on bribing these few reporters should have offer some relief in call rates, SMS bundles or data packets for only one day if not more. But, those companies who have some vested interests, and then they ignore their valued customers and spent lavishly on those who could write or speak about their wrong doings. If we put a glance over the short history of Telenor’s journey in Pakistan, we see Telenor as pampering corrupt practices, polluting native culture, creating unrest in society and promoting nonhealthy activities. From the day first, Telenor is following Jews agenda and promoting western culture by indulging Pakistani youth in useless activities. Now, the PML-N has formed government, it needs to take action against Telenor by unveiling its anti-Islamic and anti-Pakistani activities. n

Fr e e d o w nload | f la re .p k

Flare Report

Event

Employees donate blood generously, take part in the drive in huge numbers Mr. Younas Iqbal Sheikh, Chief Commercial Oﬃcer, Warid Telecom, said, “We are proud to have partnered with Sundas Foundation for such a noble cause. We have always promoted healthy living through our CSR projects; whether it is “World No Tobacco Day” or “World Blood Donors Day” we believe in raising awareness around such important health issues both amongst our employees and the general population

arid Telecom, one of Pakistan’s leading telecoms providers, recently held a blood donation drive at their office on the occasion of “World Blood Donors Day”. Warid employees generously donated blood to show their support for this noble cause and to celebrate ‘World Blood Donors Day’ which was observed annually across the globe on the 14th of June. Warid Telecom, as part of its CSR program, partnered with Sundas Foundation to raise awareness amongst all Warid employees regarding the importance of donating blood. Experts from the Sundas Foundation also held a session to educate Warid employees about the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank voluntary unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood. The session by Sundas Fundation was aimed to highlight the fact that transfusion of blood and blood products helps save millions of lives every year. It can help patients suffering from life-threat-

ening conditions live longer and with higher quality of life, and supports complex medical and surgical procedures. It also has an essential, lifesaving role in maternal and prenatal care. Warid employees from all management tiers donated blood in huge numbers. Speaking on the occasion Mr. Younas Iqbal Sheikh, Chief Commercial Officer, Warid Telecom, said, “We are proud to have partnered with Sundas Foundation for such a noble cause. We have always promoted healthy living through our CSR projects; whether it is “World No Tobacco Day” or “World Blood Donors Day” we believe in raising awareness around such important health issues both amongst our employees and the general population.” Volunteers can register as a Voluntary Blood Donor on Warid’s Internal Blood Bank Service by sending ‘BLOOD’ in an SMS to 50501. A request for blood donation can also be made by sending ‘FIND’ in an SMS to 50502. n

InsighT

Flare Report

Ban in Pakistan YouTube turns 8

The popular video sharing site, now a mainstream broadcasting platform, was f irst launched in May 2005 and now more content is being created and curated than ever before; as YouTube turns years old, more than 100 hours of video are being uploaded each minute

reak out the balloons, cut the cake, and load up the cars for a trip to chuck e cheese: YouTube is now eight years old. On this day in 2005, the video sharing site went live. Three days later, its first video was posted. Eight years later, 100 hours of video are uploaded to the site every minute. Aww, our little baby is all grown up! With more than four days of video uploaded every 60 seconds, each month more than one billion people visit YouTube.com to access news, entertainment and seek answers to questions. YouTube, being one of the richest kids in town, is in the midst of an extravagant, weeklong birthday bash. More immediately, a blog post, tribute video, and playlist have launched to celebrate the occasion. The blog post runs down some up-to-date stats about the site. Most of it is pretty old hat by now, but just in case you need a refresher, YouTube has more than a billion monthly users watching videos by more than a million uploaders. Yeah, it’s pretty big. The celebratory video came from The Gregory Brothers, who debuted it during last night’s Big Live Comedy Show. It’s premise is simple: If someone just arrived home from an eight year vacation, how would you explain YouTube to him? How would you warn him about its addictive qualities? Would you sing it? The Gregory Brothers answered those three questions as ‘It’s got all these cool videos’, ‘be careful’, and ‘yes’, respectively. Finally, there is the playlist. YouTube trends

manager Kevin Allocca has curated a list of eight videos he finds to be the most famous YouTube comedy videos of all-time. Regular surfers will have seen all of them before, but it does provide an excuse to re-watch David After Dentist, which is always a worthwhile pursuit. To YouTube, we say, Happy birthday and we look forward to seeing how things look when you’re nine. Given that you’ve already mastered long division, I’d say your development is coming along nicely.

The largest video sharing platform worldwide, YouTube, was acquired by Google in 2006, has become the go-to destination to find video content on almost every subject possible – from the latest viral harlem shake video to how-to demonstrations on making your home solar-energy equipped

The largest video sharing platform worldwide, YouTube, turns 8 this month. YouTube, which was acquired by Google in 2006, has become the go-to destination to find video content on almost every subject possible – from the lat-

Free download | flare.pk

est viral harlem shake video to how-to demonstrations on making your home solar-energy equipped. Make sure you’re up to date with the latest news stories, immerse yourself in cultural events or hear directly from the world’s leaders. Whatever you want to see, YouTube is the place to go. With YouTube viewers can access and create news, information or entertainment, wherever they are and on whatever device is available. YouTube has announced that more than 100 hours of video footage is uploaded to YouTube every minute. That’s more than four days of video uploaded each minute. In 2012, it was 72 hours of video uploaded every minute. In 2011, it was 48 hours and in 2010, it was 35 hours. With over 6 billion hours of video watched per month, a quarter of which are viewed on a mobile device, YouTube is growing fast each year. In the past year in South Africa, visits to the platform have grown by 80 percent, and uploads have increased by 30 percent. YouTube has evolved into more than just an entertaining and educational video sharing site – now, it plays a key role in advertising and business development as well. One of the most important developments for business is the YouTube Partnership Programme (YPP). YPP, where partners get a portion of the advertising revenue on their channels, has uncovered a new generation of talented performers right on our doorstep. In South Africa, revenue given back to partners increased by 60 percent over the past year. Peter Cilliers, local fitness expert and successful YouTube partner, has built a fitness empire through YouTube with his channel, Six Pack Factory. In just the four years, Peter has become the ultimate YouTube Star. Peter transformed his channel into a platform that helps viewers lose weight and train in the comfort of their own homes, and helps him earn R 70 000 a month by just uploading two fitness videos each week. The success of Peter’s channel is seen in its over 68 million views since its launch, and over 160 000 subscribers, with approximately 250 subscribers joining each day. Peter’s revenue is generated organically without additional paid advertising on the site. He is also able to interact with his fans and customers through his YouTube channel, his website and social media.

Event

Flare Report

Free download | flare.pk

6th Pakistan TeleCON 2013

Experts vow to speed-up deployment of new tech and celebrate Pakistan’s ICT success

he 6th Annual Pakistan Telecommunications Conference 2013 (TeleCON 2013) concluded here at a local hotel in Karachi, with a resolution passed to speed-up deployment of new technologies and celebrates Pakistan’s IT potential and success, both on the local and international fronts. Participants from a cross-section of government, corporate, business, social and academic organizations attended the conference.

and moderated by the prolific Salman Ansari, former advisor to the ministry of IT and telecommunication. Aamir Zafar Choudhry, Director-General IT, Punjab IT Board, and Ms. Jehan Ara, President, P@SHA cited Pakistan’s great IT potential and called for its recognition.

“Whatever the problems have been, we need to leave the past behind and move on, we have an opportunity here so let’s take the next steps for the benefit of the people of Pakistan,” said Furqan Qureshi, SEVP, PTCL in the Thought-Leadership forum

sector and observed that it was important for the ‘new wave’ to have an impact in Pakistan not just in telecommunication but equally a ‘new wave’ in good governance in our national institutions, and more so to the four pillars of the state. Earlier Menin Rodrigues, Chairman of TeleCON 2013 welcomed the delegates saying that the industry had shown remarkable performance trends and had created some truly em-

Javed Jabbar, former minister and senator, in his keynote address characteristically presented a holistic picture of the telecom and IT

Distinguished speakers and panelists outlined specific areas of development and shortcomings and concluded that Pakistan was today among the slow-starters in deployment of new technologies whereas, globally countries had migrated from 3-G/LTE to 4-G and beyond. It was not too late to embrace the changes. “Whatever the problems have been, we need to leave the past behind and move on, we have an opportunity here so let’s take the next steps for the benefit of the people of Pakistan,” said Furqan Qureshi, SEVP, PTCL in the ThoughtLeadership forum, an exclusive by Shamrock,

powering services, products and events; telephony, he said, had indeed changed and reshaped lives in Pakistan. The first session on “The Telecom Cloud Opportunity” was chaired by Dr. Khawar Khokhar, Ex-Director Technical, PTA. The speakers who spoke about cloud computing as a revolutionary advancement and a new concept in Pakistan, included, Mr. Babar Shahbaz Ahmed, Cisco Systems and Mr. Ashraf Kapadia, Advisor, Systems Limited. They said cloud computing was all about building a shared pool of configurable computing resources – network,

Free download | flare.pk

servers, storage, applications and services, and provided better return on investment. The next session on “A New Generation of Cellular Standards” was about a new generation of standards that enables a whole new range of revolutionary telecom facilities, for streamlining economic functions and social outreach. The presenters included, Nadeem Safdar, Country

Flare Report Manager, 03b Networks/ Interactive Group; Shehryar Hydri, CEO, Trango Interactive and Dr. Charles Timothy, Dean, Habib University Foundation. The closing session was a panel discussion on “Innovations in Telecommunication & Information Technology Sector” and was chaired by Mohammad Anwer Sheikh, Managing Di-

Event

rector, Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) who represented the Ministry of IT & Telecommunication. The panelists included, Asadullah Choudhry, CEO, AUC Technologies, Ms. Seema Ansari, Head of Telecom Dept., Inst. of Business Management, and an industry perspective by Ms. Jehan Ara, President of P@SHA. n

Telepedia

Usman Masood Noor

Free download | flare.pk

Smart generation using smart phones smartly

There are more than 1,400 companies in Pakistan currently designing smartphone apps. Pakistan's IT industry's global share is estimated at $2.8 billion, including global sales revenue of over $1.6 billion

he smartphone market segment is increasing exponentially in global markets. Smartphones based upon the iOS and Android platforms are gaining momentum. The tablet computer market is witnessing a similar growth trend. As per current market trends and usage patterns, China is amongst the largest markets in the world for smart devices. This fact is further substantiated by a recent report published by the internationally acclaimed analytics firm Flurry. As per research report, China was just 1 million units behind the United States smartphone market of 222 million devices at the end of January 2013. Based on growth trends, China is expected to surpass the US market by the end of April 2013, reaching 246 million devices. With this projected trend, China will eventually be significantly ahead of the US projected smartphone market of 230 million devices. Another critical statistical component is the saturation density of smartphones in developed countries. For example, US near its saturation density with a population of 310 million. China has 1.3 billion people and looking at the current trends of smartphone users, there is a significant room for expansion and growth. The smartphone market dynamics of China will have a major impact on the Pakistan smartphone market. Several key parameters need to be analyzed to gauge the overall impact of the growing smartphone industry of China on the world market. As per the given market trends, analysts are predicting that China will become the number 1 smartphone manufacturing exporter by 2017. Industry experts say that China's smartphone

shipments are expected to rise sharply to 460 million by 2017. Handset vendors shipped a total of 213 million smartphones in 2012, more than double figure in 2011, according to the International Data Corporation. All these statistics allude to the fact that Pakistan will certainly benefit from the influx of the Chinese smart phone market. As China progresses with building and rolling out smart phones, prices will drop and penetration will increase allowing an opportunity for the smart phones to open into the Pakistan market. The growing smartphone and application market numbers are not only of significant value for the consumers but also for the government and regulators in Pakistan. Pakistan’s IT industry has grown by over 200% in the last decade. In the last five years the boom was driven by companies developing applications and programs for smartphones. There are more than 1,400 companies in Pakistan currently designing smartphone apps. Pakistan's IT industry's global share is estimated at $2.8 billion, including global sales revenue of over $1.6 billion. Pakistan is a favorite destination for companies looking for app development because of lower labor costs and the high quality of work produced. Smartphones are going to be enablers on all platforms and avenues of social, financial and economic models. From a business stand point, smartphones allow business owners the flexibility required to conduct business negotiations instantaneously, receive immediate information, archive critical business collateral and organize critical company documentation within seconds. The resulting efficiencies in terms of costs and human resource management are reasons enough for businesses to invest in smartphones. The openness of the smartphone platform is an additional incentive. This enables companies to build robust and customized applications. Whether it’s car dealers accessing used cars via Warid’s Pak Wheels application, businessmen using mobile banking appli-

cations, or students using Warid’s ‘My Cinema’ app to see the latest movie schedules, the smartphone application network has paved way into the social and moral fabric of Pakistan. Smartphone applications are changing the way we live and manage our social, personal and business lives. Innovation is the most important component of the data revolution currently underway in Pakistan’s telecom industry. Now in Pakistan, the application revolution is what will drive further services as companies seek to build new applications for growth opportunities as well as enhancing applications for sustainability in the current application markets. Pakistani companies in every sector of the economy, including Warid Telecom, have been constantly developing innovative and interactive user friendly apps to cater to all demographics. All these efforts aim to empower people seamlessly. Software applications will be used to open doors and pay for coffee before even reaching the shop and will also be used to identify people using chips that are built into newer smartphones. Meanwhile, schools in rural parts of Africa that have never had textbooks are incorporating smartphones as an information source. Imagine a society where smartphones and tabs take the place of schoolbooks; where children have access to the best texts, resources and practices at the click of a button through userfriendly mobile apps. It sounds like a nightmare for teachers, but the intelligent educationist will find a way to incorporate technology into the classroom without lessening their own relevance. This can be the future of education and society, one where people connect and live digital and real lives seamlessly. This is the future Pakistan can look forward to as well, as we make that change step by step. n The writer is Head of Value Added Services Group at Warid Telecom.

Event

Flare Report

Free download | flare.pk

Flare Report

Free download | flare.pk

InsighT

Philips connects light bulb with Wi-Fi

The concept is simple, giving you the power to change the brightness and colour of the light with an app on your smartphone or tablet, wherever you are around the house or around the world

he Philips Hue is one of a few ‘connected’ light bulbs that will become available in Australia and around the world in later 2013. It combines a powerful red-greenblue-white LED lamp with a low-power Wi-Fi mesh network, all inside a standard-size light bulb. The concept is simple, giving you the power to change the brightness and colour of the light with an app on your smartphone or tablet, wherever you are around the house or around the world. The Philips Hue introduction pack included three Hue bulbs and a Hue network bridge. There’s also power and network cables for the bridge and an instruction manual that guides you through the system’s initial setup process. Each Hue light bulb measures 110mm long, with a maximum bulb diameter of 62mm. This is reasonably long, which may cause issues with some light fittings — the bulb itself only just fit into the light fitting of our ceiling-fan-light combo, which has

the light fitting aimed horizontally rather than vertically and uses a spring-loaded frosted glass cover over the bulb. The Hue bridge is the automatically-networking glue that holds the entire lighting system together — you hook it up to power and your house’s Wi-Fi router, effectively bridging the connection between your mobile device, the Internet, and the Hue bulbs. The entire process is simple, and the mobile app tells you exactly what you need to do to get everything working — which really isn’t very much. Because the Hue bulbs and bridge operate as a mesh network, each bulb can function as a repeater, extending the range of the overall wireless signal — so as long as at least one bulb is in wireless range of the Hue bridge, and each bulb is in range of at least one other bulb, the entire lighting network will operate seamlessly. You’ve got to have your mobile device and the Hue bridge connected to precisely the same Wi-Fi router to get it working. We originally had the Hue bridge connected to a non-Wi-Fi router, albeit one

still on exactly the same network as our Wi-Fi, and we couldn’t get our smartphone to talk to the Hue network. After hooking it up to the router that specifically handles Wi-Fi on our home network, the process worked with no further issues. This is an intriguing issue, given we’ve had a Sonos mesh network — very similar to the ZigBee mesh network concept — operating perfectly under these conditions before. The Philips Hue system can be controlled via smartphone or tablet apps for iOS or Android, via the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. iPhones 3GS and newer, and iPod touches 3rd generation and newer, are supported, as are all iPads including the mini. The Android app should support any smartphone or tablet running 2.3 Gingerbread or newer. There are also community apps which add extra functionality. Load up the Hue app, and it’ll search for the Hue bridge. Once it’s found, the mesh network will communicate with all the Hue lamps within the range of that bridge, giving you access to control their colour temperature and brightness. This is the basic functionality that you need — the ability to dim and brighten individual lights, and to change their colour to create the mood you want. If you register your Hue network on Philips website, you can control your lights wherever you are, even when you’re not on your home’s Wi-Fi network. Everything else within the Hue apps is an extra. You can choose from various scenes for your lighting — a bright, warm Sunset mode, or a dim, warm Relax mode, or a pulsing cool blue Underwater mode, or several others. You can draw from any of

these presets, emulate the colours in any photo from your smartphone or tablet’s picture gallery, or create your own light recipes with a few sliders and colour pickers. Philips’ default light recipes are good, although they tend to quite warm colour temperatures. You can control each bulb individually, or all at once, changing colour intensity, colour temperature,

and brightness as you like. In our weekend of testing we really didn’t stray too much from the standard colour profiles — Concentrate for most of the evening, Relax for late at night — but the potential for strobing a rainbow through your living room at midnight to annoy your house-mates does sound appealing. If you hit the light switch, though, the bulb resets to the standard daylight white and full brightness. The most interesting aspect of the Hue apps has to be the alarm and timer modes. If you’ve got a modern smartphone, chances are you use the alarm on it to wake up every morning. If you set an alarm within Hue, you can make sure the lights are on — slowly brightening from off to full power — as you’re waking up in the morning. You can set up a timer for them to dim over an hour or two as you’re getting ready to sleep at night. Want to know when you’ve hit half an hour of exercise? Have the lights flash a different colour when time is up.

The new Hue app, recently updated to version 1.1, also introduces geofencing — once you travel within a certain distance of your home, the lights come on, and turn off when you go. It’s these kind of minor extras that make the Hue so versatile, and while you’re going to have to embrace them to get the best value out of the system, we really think there’s a lot of potential to fully automate the lighting within your home or office. The light output of the Hue is quite directional, more so than a traditional clear or frosted incandescent light bulb — this makes it less than ideal for non-vertical ceiling or floor light fittings. It’s not as tightly focused as a downlight, but it’s definitely not as diffused as an Edison bulb. In our minds, the ideal light fitting for the Hue bulb would be a vertical ceiling light fitting — with the bulb pointing downwards, and a glass cover diffusing the Hue’s light output over a wider area. If you wanted to use the Hue in a floor or table lamp, we’d recommend a lamp cover that has a vertical opening and a translucent shade. n

Interview

Flare Report

Free download | flare.pk

We empower through excellence

Flare Panel talks to Miss. Maria Zafar, who is Business Development Manager at ETS (Engineering & Technology Solutions), having Masters degree in Telecom engineering. She has more than 4 years experience to her credit in Network Solutions and corporate training and equipped with many industry oriented courses

Flare Panel: What type of services ETS provides? Maria Zafar: Engineering & Technology Solutions (ETS) established in 2007 and offers a wide range of services & solutions related to telecom and information technology. Whereas, our specialty is to provide telecom trainings and consultancy in human resources. Being expert in all aspects of telecom technology, ETS services are not only limited to the topics like RF Planning, VoIP, NGNs, WIMAX, Network Optimization, switching and transmission evolution, UMTS, FPGA based designing, network security & ethical hacking etc, but also to the several management skills courses. So that trainees could fight todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s turbulent conditions. Flare: Why ETS telecom trainings are important? Maria: The telecommunication market is in a continuous state of transition. Around 90 percent people are graduated in Electrical Engineering or in Communication while telecom is an applied form of Electrical or communication engineering, so we need to give applied knowledge to the engineering graduates. ETS took this responsibility and now providing trained and well equipped human resource to the industry. Flare: How ETS is beneficent as a whole? Maria: Fresh graduates are highly qualified but lack practical knowledge because of the difference between theoretical and practical studies. We provide first level Telecom trainings to the fresh graduates which help them in entering into the Telecom sector, while professionals are getting promotions and confidence after being trained at expert level. We are also providing HR Consultancy and recruitment services. One of our main customers is Huawei Technologies. ETS has sent number of Pak-

istani Telecom engineers in Middle East and Africa. These engineers are not only providing excellent technical skills to the companies but also earning handsome foreign reserve for Pakistan. Flare: Do you (ETS) have any operations outside Pakistan? Maria: Yes, ETS is running its operations

from outside Pakistan as well through partner network. In last 2 years, ETS has delivered 16 trainings outside Pakistan. Training courses which ETS delivered were related to RF planning, Microwave Transmission & Radio Planning, IP Network planning and GPRS / EDGE network Planning & Optimization. Flare: What are the major fields of ETS trainings? Maria: ETS is delivering trainings on RF planning & Optimization, Microwave Transmission and Link Planning, Core Network Planning & Optimization etc. We are covering all major Telecom systems including GSM, WCDMA / UMTS and LTE. Flare: Who are ETS trainers? Maria: ETS is proud to hold highly qualified instructors cum consultants including Ph.Ds and MS from international reputed universities. All the instructors have number of years working experience in Telecom sector. Thus making an excellent blend of academic education, practical skills and experience. Our trainers have vast experience in national and multinational telecom vendors and operators. They have been involved in designing, implementation and optimization of Tele-

com networks globally. Many of them are internationally trained on numerous evolving technologies.

Flare: What can be venue or mode of trainings your organization is providing? Maria: Due to multiple resources and dynamic approaches we can rapidly customized our training programs according to the customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs and can provide these trainings around the year on customized schedules on where ever, when ever basis. n

InsighT

Flare Report

Free download | flare.pk

Is typewriter better than PC?

To me the typewriter is better than the computer, not because I'm old fashioned, but because it slows you down. You have to choose the words carefully because you cannot correct, says Marzorati

rmanno Marzorati has rarely been so busy. He is currently fixing a 1930 Underwood typewriter for Tom Hanks. But, there are plenty more ancient writing machines awaiting his tender care. While the modern world taps away in an ever-increasing frenzy online, the Italian senses a new trend, from his calm Beverly Hills studio: the return of the art of slow writing. Marzorati has restored typewriters belonging to Ian Fleming, Tennessee Williams, Jack London, Ray Bradbury, Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles, as well as celebrities like Julie Andrews, Greta Garbo and John Lennon. He proudly shows photos of some of his best work, including an orange-colored Underwood machine dating from 1926, on which Orson Welles wrote "Citizen Kane." It was totally destroyed when he got it. "To me the typewriter is better than the computer, not because I'm old fashioned, but because it slows you down. You have to choose the words carefully because you cannot correct," he told. "It takes a long time to press the key." Collector Steve Soboroff says typewriters, unlike computer keyboards, have an intimate relationship with their owners. "I just love the idea of authors, famous people, would spend hours of their lives on these typewriters, so they are very personal. And there's only one of them, is not like there are hundreds of them. "There's only one for each," added the biggest customer of Marzorati, whose studio is full of old printing machines, typewriters and mechanical calculators. Occasionally Hanks tweets photos of the vintage typewriters that Marzorati restored in his own collection. Marzorati has a shelf dedicated to his most famous client, and he currently holds 12 machines belonging to the "Forrest Gump" star. In all, the talkative Italian has some 60 ma-

chines waiting to be fixed -- an enormous numbers compared to a few years ago. "I'm booked up for six months," said the 68-year-old, who started repairing typewriters in 2003. "Collectors are the exception. Most of the peo-

But the obvious question is, why would someone in the 21st century want to type on a heavy and difficult-to-use mechanical device, without the possibility of cutting, pasting, erasing or copying?

His view is echoed by Christopher Lockett, who regularly takes his 1950 Hermes Baby typewriter with him to write in the open air in Los Angeles' Griffith Park, next to the hipster Los Feliz district. "There are no text windows in blue popping up, you can't play music on it," he said. "I shut off my iPhone, I take my typewriter and sit and I don't worry about the typos, I keep moving forward, and I go dah dah dah dah ding!" He compares the experience of using a typewriter to riding a bicycle. "It's an alternative to the most efficient way of doing something, it's about enjoying the ride, and nobody gets angry about the notion of a bicycle. But people are like 'typewriters are impractical.' "Well, so is a bicycle and people are still making bicycles and it's not an issue," he said. Lockett, a cameraman and documentarymaker, made a film on the subject last year called "The Typewriter in the 21st Century," which is currently showing on the independent movie circuit in Los Angeles. "I thought: if the typewriter is going away, and is in part responsible for every great novel from the 20th century, they deserve a proper send-off," he told. When he set about making the film he was surprised to find that, not only are typewriters not disappearing, but there is a surge of demand for old machines to be repaired and brought back to life. "Suddenly typewriters were all over the internet," he said. Artist Tim Youd is staging a performance in New York this month in which he taps out a Henry Miller novel on the same model of typewriter used by the writer. Painter Louise Marler last year held a type-in event in Venice Beach. Young inventor Jack Zylkin meanwhile has created a "hack" that allows a mechanical typewriter to be connected to an iPad via a USB port. Lockett said the wave of interest in typewrit-

Marzorati said the advantages of computers are over-rated. "Writing on a computer is very distracting, because you get email coming in, you type a word, you delete it, you change it, you get stuck," he said.

ers should not be misunderstood as a desire to return to the past, and abandon modern technology. "Nobody in the film is saying it is the only way to work. They're making a case about something everyone is throwing away," he said. n

ple I fix typewriters for are people who are going to use it," said Marzorati, who was born in Italy in 1945 and moved to Los Angeles in 1969. "I feel people, honestly, are getting fed up because all these iPhones, all these electronics, they like to get back to the basics," he said. -- 'Writing on a computer is very distracting, you get stuck' --

Christopher Lockett said the experience of using a typewriter to riding a bicycle. It's an alternative to the most efficient way of doing something, it's about enjoying the ride, and nobody gets angry about the notion of a bicycle

Flare Report

Free download | flare.pk

InsighT

UN warns stop killer robots now

During the debate Pakistan's council delegate Mariam Aftab – speaking on behalf of 56 Islamic states – said the international community should consider a complete ban, not just national moratoria

cience fiction met reality at the United Nations in Geneva where question was debated at a meeting of the Human Rights Council. UN special rapporteur Christof Heyns told the council that countries are developing armed robots that can kill without the need for human choice or intervention, and they need to call a halt before it's too late. "The possible introduction of LARs (lethal autonomous robots) raises far-reaching concerns about the protection of life during war and peace," Mr Heyns said: "If this is done, machines and not human, will take the decision on who is alive or dies." Mr Heyns presented a report on his research and called for a worldwide moratorium on the production and deployment of such machines, while nations figured out the knotty legal and ethical issues. "War without reflection is mechanical slaughter," he said. "In the same way that the taking of any human life deserves - as a minimum some deliberation, a decision to allow machines to be deployed to kill human beings deserves a collective pause worldwide." Mr Heyns warned that if humans are taken "out of the loop" then it could make war more likely. It was also unclear how these killer robots could be programmed to distinguish the enemy from innocent civilians. And because they lacked the ability to act "out of compassion or grace" and understand the bigger picture, a robot would never decide that some specific situations required greater leniency, even in wartime. In his report, Mr Heyns said robots will be "the next major revolution in military affairs, on par with the introduction of gunpowder and nuclear bombs" Officially, governments who are capable of producing Lethal Autonomous Robots are not currently planning to use them. Some argue that, "as a matter of principle, robots should not be granted the power to decide who should live and die," the report said – though others say that, used well, they could "even make armed conflict more humane and save lives on all sides". Mr Heyns acknowledged that future generations of robots could be able to employ less lethal

force, causing fewer unnecessary deaths, with their greater ability to immobilise or disarm a target. "LARs will not be susceptible to some of the human shortcomings that may undermine the protection of life," his report said. "Typically they would not act out of revenge, panic, anger, spite, prejudice or fear. "Robots also do not rape." During the debate Pakistan's council delegate Mariam Aftab – speaking on behalf of 56 Islamic states – said the international community should consider a complete ban, not just national moratoria. Lethal autonomous robots would fundamentally change the nature of war, she said. Pakistan has been the focus for anti-terrorism drone strikes. "The experience with drones shows that once such weapons are in use, it is impossible to stop them," said Ms Aftab.

Pakistan has been the focus for anti-terrorism drone strikes. The experience with drones shows that once such weapons are in use, it is impossible to stop them

Most of the delegates said they found the report interesting and worthy of further debate, though several said it would be better negotiated outside of a human rights forum. The European Union delegate said the question would be more appropriately dealt with by arms control negotiations between states. Germany supported the idea of an international register for all unmanned systems. Argentina warned at a potential killer robot arms race, and possible use by terrorists. The US delegate pointed out that some systems, such as the Aegis and Patriot surface-to-air missile defence systems, already have an "autonomous mode" that acts when a split-second response is needed. Last November the USA Department of Defense issued a policy directive for autonomous weapon systems, highlighting technical dangers such as "unintended engage-

ments" (ie, killing the wrong person) and "loss of control of the system to unauthorised parties" (ie, enemies hacking your robots and turning them against you). France said the "role of humans in the decision to fire must be retained," however the UK said existing law and treaties were sufficient to govern lethal autonomous robotics. Russia said such machines could "undermine legal order" but did not comment on the report's recommendations. No 'killer robots' as such are yet known to exist, but precursor technology is already used in the US, UK, Israel and South Korea – and possibly in Russia and China. Unmanned drones have their weapon systems controlled remotely by humans. As the potential for autonomous weapons has grown, several organisations have started arguing for a ban or moratorium. Last year Human Rights Watch issued a report on "Losing Humanity: the case against killer robots". HRW employee Mary Wareham is co-ordinating the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots. She said this was a "day of firsts", including the first time governments have publicly discussed the issue. "People have been concerned about this for quite a while now and it's come to fruition ... and it's had a really excellent response," she said. "One of our fears was that they would say 'why are we discussing this, is it really a problem'. But nobody said that. Many were asking how are we taking this forward, who's going to take this forward." HRW will now campaign for governments including Australia, New Zealand and Canada, who did not take part in the debate, to make their position clear. "There is a debate going on between the technology people and the more traditional warriors, and it reflects an unease with the trend towards autonomy in warfare," Ms Wareham said. "There are quite a few military who are not happy about this." Some country needed to "champion" the issue on the world stage, to move towards an international treaty, she said.

Telepedia

Flare Report

nternet giants from Google and Facebook to Yahoo and Zynga are scrambling to adapt to an online world where people reach for smartphones or tablets instead of traditional computers. Social games pioneer Zynga, which rose to stardom making titles played at Facebook's website, is cutting nearly a fifth of its staff as part of a move to focus on titles for mobile gadgets. After taking over as chief executive at Yahoo last year, former Google executive Marissa Mayer laid out a turn-around strategy that made a priority of tailoring offerings to smartphones and tablets. The dismal performance of Facebook's freshly-launched stock last year was blamed in large part on fears that it lacked tools to cash in on members who are increasingly accessing the social network from mobile devices. Google has proved prescient by creating and giving away an Android mobile operating system that showcases its software and services on smartphones and tablets. Even the Mountain View, California-based technology titan's seemingly offbeat "big bets" on Internet-linked Glass eyewear and Web-connected self-driving cars are seen by some analysts as shrewd moves to remain anchored in lifestyles. "The head-mounted display makes the mobile user much more valuable because you can serve ads as they are walking and make them locationbased," independent Silicon Valley analyst Rob Enderle said of Glass.

Free download | flare.pk

Smartphone life shakes up web-world Gartner research shows that people using smartphones access the Internet an average of 20 times a day with sessions lasting about a minute, compared with four times daily for about 35 minutes a pop on traditional computers.

"With self-driving cars, the dashboard is a huge tablet; if the car is driving and someone is bored, you can serve up whatever you want." Companies that staked claims with websites visited by people using desktop or laptop computers risk obsolescence if they don't adapt to Internet users switching to apps on smartphones or tablets. Industry data shows that people are moving "aggressively" to apps and away from traditional websites, according to Gartner analyst Van Baker. "It is important to cater to that mobile user," Baker told news agency. "That is the driving force in the market right now; the one device a person carries everywhere -- the smartphone."

Not only are the devices preferred by Internet users changing, so is their behavior. Gartner research shows that people using smartphones access the Internet an average of 20 times a day with sessions lasting about a minute, compared with four times daily for about 35 minutes a pop on traditional computers. "It is a big challenge, because the behavior associated with a smartphone is dramatically different from a notebook computer," Baker said.

"Your experience needs to be two clicks deep and be done in a minute," he continued. "If it takes any longer, they are gone." Smartphones in particular have small screens, raising the risk of people being annoyed by advertising. Mobile devices also allow location, calendar information and other contextual data to be woven into services to win people over with desirable information at just the right moments and places. "The opportunity to be relevant or helpful is much greater because of the contextual information," said Forrester analyst Charles Golvin.

Companies that staked claims with websites visited by people using desktop or laptop computers risk obsolescence if they don't adapt to Internet users switching to apps on smartphones or tablets

"If you interrupt me and adopt the old get-inyour-face approach of many marketers, you are much more likely to sour any potential relationship." Internet companies don't have the luxury of focusing on either mobile devices or traditional computers; they must tailor offerings for both, according to analysts. "Mobile first is correct, but it is not mobile only," Golvin said. "You need to enable your customers to reach you where and when they choose to and on the de-

vice that happens to be in their hand at that moment." Established Internet companies tend to be well-positioned to adapt to engaging people on mobile devices. "The fundamentals of delivering your experience digitally are still there at the core whether it is going to a PC or a browser or to a mobile device," Golvin said, referring to established operations such as Facebook and Yahoo. "It is less of a disruption than it is a transition." However, the ability to bypass running websites makes it easier for startups to blaze into the market with mobile apps.

Zynga faces the added challenge of being in a hits-drive business in a world where loyalty to apps is fleeting. Most of the people who download a mobile app at launch abandon it within three months, according to Gartner. "The life of 'Draw Something' or 'Farmville' can be even more compressed in the mobile world," Golvin said, referring to Zynga titles. "A game is a hit, people engage and then the next hit comes along and takes up their time." n

Telepedia

Flare Report

Free download | flare.pk

Ufone’s Uth Pack: Truly young-at-heart

Unlike other youth brands, Uth Pack chooses not to focus on call rates, free minutes and other such pull strategies; Uth Pack, instead, focuses on the lifestyles of the youth. The youth’s points of interest are the brands strong suit allowing it to personify the belief of reaching out, living life to the fullest and being open to new experiences while having fun. Interestingly, the brand philosophy goes one better by implying that the youth are not as apathetic as perceived by the nation but simply lack the channels and the tools to maximize their potential and do justice to their talents. It is the brand’s mission to provide power to the youth and let them follow their hearts with regards to what they want to do in life. Backing up these tall claims are strategic partnerships or affinities with 14 brands, recognized as being relevant to the youth and designated as Uth Pack On Kar Partners, which allow Uth Pack cus-

akistan’s telecom industry has more often than not been described as saturated, over-crowded and lacking in any true direction other than that already established. The launch of Uth Pack disproved all that with its tech-savvy marketing strategy, which eschews mindless promotion for a structured and concrete marketing direction, and a unique philosophy that not only claims to empower the youth, but goes some distance towards backing up that claim. While there is an element of jumping on the bandwagon as Uth Pack will be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Glow, Jazba and DJuice, there is no denying the fact that Uth Pack’s distinct direction has proved that a strong idea, if executed properly, can make waves even in a crowded pond. Unlike other youth brands, Uth Pack chooses not to focus on call rates, free minutes and other such pull strategies; Uth Pack, instead, focuses on the lifestyles of the youth. The youth’s points of interest are the brands strong suit allowing it to personify the belief of reaching out, living life to the fullest and being open to new experiences. In

Uth Pack currently has a unique market advantage owing to the fact that the competition was caught totally unaware, but in order to leverage that advantage to its full potential, the brand team must ensure that all brand promises remain fulfilled long after the launch is done and dusted. If they succeed in that task, Uth Pack could achieve a level of brand penetration never before seen in a telecom service

essence, Uth Pack encourages the youth to not settle for anything but the best and to be responsible

tomers to avail an amazing array of discounts on the specific products, services and items that are most in demand by the target market. If the Uth Pack customer visits any of these partner outlets he gets to save around Rs. 160-400 minimum, so

Flare Report

Free download | flare.pk

Telepedia

that literally means that their mobile usage is free. These brands are McDonald’s, The Body Shop, CrossRoads, Timberland, Cinnabon, Merle Norman, Hush Puppies ,Crocs, Dunkin’ Donuts, Adidas, Tutti Frutti, Accessorize, Swatch and Dell and these discounts are available at 250+ outlets all over the country. To make the most of a successful strategy, it can only in the brand’s best interests if the team behind Uth Pack keep on adding brands and tweaking their offerings according to market conditions. Moving away from affinities, Uth Pack is placing a strong emphasis on all the activities that the youth actively participate in, a concept their launch strategy defined very clearly, with LED

lighted cars roaming the streets of Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad/Rawalpindi giving out gifts and giveaways to those who spotted them. The brand is very strong on giveaways, offering up gifts, vouchers, movie passes and free minutes at the drop of a hat. Another medium the brand is actively trying to own is cinema, with the launch of Iron Man 3 already under its belt, it remains to be seen what progress Uth Pack makes in this direction. Uth Pack’s unique launch plan is visibly gaining ground with its target market. While it is too soon to pass a definitive verdict on the brand’s performance, it is, perhaps, safe to assume that Uth Pack is here and here to stay. It will be most interesting to see what steps the competition takes now that Uth Pack is on the ground and running because it is quite clear to the minds of the consumers that the fish-hook approach of economical call rates and late-night packages is not going to cut it anymore. Uth Pack currently has a unique market advantage owing to the fact that the competition was caught totally unaware,

but in order to leverage that advantage to its full potential, the brand team must ensure that all brand promises remain fulfilled long after the launch is done and dusted. If they succeed in that task, Uth Pack could achieve a level of

brand penetration never before seen in a telecom service. Ufone might just have a winner on their hands with Uth Pack, provided they keep on employing the same diligence as was awarded to the widely successful launch of the product. n

Exclusive

Flare Report

eing in a good environment automatically encourages employees to produce good results. Similarly, an unhealthy environmentwould infuse discontent among people and hence a decreased quality of results. A hefty environment could be created if all the employees honor the work ethics and have the right attitude. Workplace ethics could be defined as a set of codes that every employee is expected to follow so that a productive and competitive work environment could be created. Ignoring these rules would not only have a negative effect on the individual performance but it would cast an appalling effect on the collective productivity of the team. A person who doesn’t care about the work ethics is generally not in the good book of people around him. Work ethics could be thought of as an extension of general moral ethics, the training of which is received from the home. The people who ignore the work ethics might not have an idea that their attitude seems inappropriate to others. Following are some of the principles that you need to follow in order to maintain a good reputation. No matter where you work or what you do, punctuality is an invaluable trait and is needed all the time. Employers appreciate efficiency in each and every bit of work that you do and they certainly cherish an employee who is diligent about deadlines and tries to be punctual. If you are a team leader, than you need to be extra careful about it. If a team leader or the boss arrives late at the office, it would give negative messages to the subordinates and they would not deem coming in late as unprofessional! Punctuality does not only apply to coming in at time in the morning. It also highlights the fact that meeting deadlines is equally important especially when you work in a team as your being late can drastically affect the pace and quality of work of the whole team. Have a professional attitude while you are at the office. You might be on social terms with some of your colleagues, but it is highly inappropriate to discuss your private issues at work. Of course you could discuss them during the lunch break or after finishing off the day, but during the work hours…it is a big NO! Mind your own business. This might sound rude but this is actually the attitude that is expected of you in the workplace. As it is highly unprofessional to discuss your private affairs with coworkers, similarly you should never poke around about other people’s lives. The same goes with the official issues that are not being discussed with you. You don’t need to speculate and gossip about it. If two coworkers seem to have a secret discussion, you have no need to know what is going on. Even the most well-groomed people around us seem to be unaware of the phone etiquettes. We would often find an elderly coworker or a brilliant employee making uproarious phone calls. Whenever having a conversation on phone, keep your volume low so that you don’t become a cause of disturbance and pain for the people around you. Keep your Smart phones on silent mode as you would not like a conspicuous tune to capture the colleagues’ attention every time your phone rings. Do not make unnecessarily long phone calls. Whether it is your family or friends, keep it short and focus on your work instead of having a cutesy conversation with them. Honesty is the most sought after trait at workplace just the way it is in real life. After all, no one likes a manipulative person who could spoof the facts and figures. Honesty is appreciated in each and every domain. If you are unable to meet the preplanned deadlines, you need to be honest and straight forward about it before much damage is done to your team and your reputation. Similarly, if you have made a mistake, just admit it and take the responsibility. Your honestly might save your job.

Free download | flare.pk

Adapting the right attitude at work

Workplace ethics are a set of codes that every employee is expected to follow so that a productive and competitive work environment could be created. Ignoring these rules would not only have a negative effect on the individual performance but it would cast an appalling effect on the collective productivity of the team

Having a courteous and nice attitude towards colleagues helps in the long run as you never know who could offer generous help during an hour of need. Having a nice attitude towards people plays a great part in building a good reputation. You don’t have to be courteous only towards the senior officials but also towards your colleagues, subordinates and juniors. Smile and say ‘Hello’ to the

Have a professional attitude while you are at the office. You might be on social terms with some of your colleagues, but it is highly inappropriate to discuss your private issues at work. Of course you could discuss them during the lunch break or after finishing off the day, but during the work hours it is a big NO!

office boys and greet the receptionist as well. Respect is a mutual gesture, if you do not give people respect, do not expect any in return! It is bad manners to look at others’ computer screens. It is considered even worse if it is the

computer screen of your coworker. Peeping into the cubicles or workspace is unacceptable and regarded as immoral. Similarly, eavesdropping on people’s conversation can make others suspicious of your motives. Don’t look into the files or documents of others. By no means meddle in what does not concern you, whether it is about someone’s private life or an issue at the workplace. Never forget that curiosity killed the cat! Your curiosity could make you look suspicious and you could end up in trouble. Social Media has become an integral part of our lives and it seems that life has become impossible without it. Most people log into their Facebook and Twitter accounts as soon as they turn on their office PCs. But this certainly is against the workplace ethics. Not only these online activities waste a lot of our precious time at the work place, they also keep us tremendously distracted. You would love to see every notification that pops up without even noticing that these teeny-weeny timeslots practically kill a lot of your valuable time. Workplace ethics are essential to be observed by each and every person in the office. A positive and healthy environment can bring out the best in people. That is why managers keep a hawk eye on the employees and the factors that can affect the general mood of the office. The hardcore rules and principles differ from place to place but the general principles of morality remain the same all around the globe. n

Flare Report

Free download | flare.pk

InsighT

Identity woes on Facebook

Showbiz, media and brands pages, profiles to get verification Just like Twitter, Facebook starts signaling authentic public-f igure Pages and accounts with a little blue check mark. The copy-cat addition is meant to give members assurance that the brands or celebrities they follow are actually who they say they are

acebook said that it has begun to verify the Facebook Pages and profiles of public figures. "Today we're launching verified Pages to help people find the authentic accounts of celebrities and other high-profile people and businesses on Facebook," the company wrote in its announcement. "Verified Pages belong to a small group of prominent public figures (celebrities, journalists, government officials, popular brands and businesses) with large audiences." Just as on Twitter, Facebook's verified accounts will feature a little blue check mark. You'll find the mark next to verified accounts on Timelines, in search results, and elsewhere on Facebook, the company said.

The copy-cat addition is meant to give members assurance that the brands or celebrities they follow are actually who they say they are. Facebook said that it is proactively verifying the accounts of public figures and those members cannot request to have their profile or Page verified. A person can, however, report a fake account that is impersonating his or her identity. Actually, verified pages and profiles are the little blue checkmarks you might see popping up on brand pages, profiles, and search results

that "give high-profile accounts an added level of authenticity." They look like this: You can't apply to have your own profile or page verified, but if you have a large enough following, Facebook may choose to verify you at some point. Right now, you'll only see verification marks for "a small group of prominent public figures (celebrities, journalists, government officials, popular brands, and businesses) with large audiences." Though this update is newsworthy and exciting, it's interesting to marketers like us for another reason. Twitter already has verified accounts. So does Pinterest. They're all copying each other! All the social networks are starting to look the same. These incremental little rollouts that on their own, really, aren't that interesting ... but they sure as sugar are if you're a marketer. The social networks are starting to look the same, and they're starting to make changes with the brand -- not the user -- in mind. While we don't have to begrudge these social networks for slowly morphing into clones of each other, we do need to pay attention to how we react to this overarching shift in design and user experience on social media.

People believe it starts by figuring out how we can adjust our activities to better solve for the person on the other end -- the social networks are taking care of solving for businesses just fine The time for social media disruption is now: This mean in two ways, and the most obvious is disruption could be the emergence of a new social network. All these tweaks to

platforms that cater to businesses instead of users are bound to leave a lot of users with sour tastes in their mouths. If you're looking to disrupt the social media scene with a new product that rethinks monetization and user experience, now's the time. But we're not here to think of the hot new social network that replaces Facebook. The more interesting opportunity for disruption is the way marketers use social media to do their jobs. Social networks are all making it easier for us to reach our target audience -- it's no longer novel to have a Facebook page, to tweet blog posts, to pin products, or to share links to landing pages. Social media for lead generation, for audience reach, for engagement are all

important, but most of our means to meet those ends are not novel. The time is now to disrupt how marketers "do" social media. At this point, I kind of take back the whole "you don't have an action item" part of this post. Users think we all have an action item. How can we all rethink our own approaches to social media marketing? People believe it starts by figuring out how we can adjust our activities to better solve for the person on the other end -- the social networks are taking care of solving for businesses just fine. n

InsighT

Flare Report

The New Digital Age

Free download | flare.pk

An arresting survey of how technology is changing people and their destinies

The book promises to explore “the future of people, nations and business”, and this view is predominantly seen through the lens of international and national security. To that end, it ends up presenting a somewhat scary view of the future, countering those with a rose-tinted view of the Internet’s healing powers

rom the offices of Google, we get Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen’s opus, The New Digital Age, which imagines a world they believe is but inevitable—a future completely dominated by technology. The book promises to explore “the future of people, nations and business”, and this view is predominantly seen through the lens of international and national security. To that end, it ends up presenting a somewhat scary view of the future, countering those with a rose-tinted view of the Internet’s healing powers. Schmidt and Cohen do seem to believe in the positive power of the Internet, introducing, however, an important caveat at the beginning of their book: Five billion new people are going to be getting online, and the “attributes of these users and their problems are much more complex than those of the two billion” already connected. Despite this, they have taken it upon themselves to predict—sometimes in great detail—how these new equations will play out. From an Indian perspective, much of the book is laying out the world we will inherit. The first chapter, imagining “Our Future Selves”, paints an almost unimaginable-outside-the-movies view of smart homes, driverless cars, personal robots, flexible education, fantastic medical advances, and so on. It is exciting to know that many of these experiments are already under way. But it is important to remember we can’t really predict how things are going to pan out. For example, while the authors praise the possibility of 3D printing as “the perfect partner for advanced manufacturing”, it is best to remember that the first gun has already been manufactured through a 3D printer in the US, with more than 100,000 people having downloaded its blueprint. There is now a mad scramble in the US to delete those

files from the Internet, reminding us yet again about the flip side of technological progress. The book spans a variety of topics—the future of media houses, as “aggregators, custodians and verifiers” in the wake of an instantaneous social media landscape, and how reporters from unsafe locations can be protected because of technological innovation. This brave new world, where virtual identity might trump your physical identity, will raise new dilemmas. Security and privacy will be our immediate concerns.

The real meat of the book, however, is in the discussion over state policing, cyber warfare and cyber terrorism—how technology will endanger and save us at the same time. For example, Cohen and Schmidt talk about India’s massive Unique Identification (UID) Project that is collecting information on 1.2 billion people, including fingerprints and iris scans. But should it “enhance surveillance capacities of the Indian state at the expense of individual freedoms and privacy?” they ask. They conclude that Indians are still hopeful about its many uses—especially in service

delivery—although a similar programme was scrapped in the UK owing to privacy concerns. In an interesting chapter, the authors imagine how the state can turn against its people through technology. They believe it would be possible to discriminate against minorities by erasing them from the country’s Internet, or even limit their online access, thereby denying them access to knowledge. In the context of censorship, each country indulges in some degree of Internet filtering—and a very real picture of the Internet not making this world a global village but remaining very much part and parcel of the concept of a national policy seems to emerge. The future is already here—with the Chinese experiencing a heavily guarded Internet and Iran cutting itself off from the global Internet as it stands today. Can we imagine separatists in Kashmir offering a totally different version of the Internet to their followers, establishing in the virtual world what they can’t in the physical? Cohen and Schmidt can. The book examines the transformative role that technology can play in reconstruction after a war or a disaster, and its role in helping spark revolutions. And they have their finger on the pulse of these developing countries: Current headlines are filled with news of online crowdsourcing in Pakistan to prove suspected election malpractice. Yet the book seems to stop short of laying out a digitally bright future. For example, the idea that you can transcend your earthly limitations of birth, geography and station is suddenly crushed by the concept of a digital caste system that might just work to keep you exactly where you are. It seems to me the real challenge of the new digital age might just well be the ability to retain human rights and free expression in an increasingly securitized and corporatized world. n

Flare Report

Free download | flare.pk

Event

Microsoft has sold some 77 million Xbox 360 consoles since they hit the market in late 2005. Console rival Sony has sold about the same number of PlayStation 3 icrosoft unveiled its eagerly awaited new generation Xbox One videogame console, touting it as a home entertainment hub that goes far beyond

games. "Today, we put you at the center of a new generation in the living room," said Don Mattrick, head of Microsoft's interactive entertainment business, unveiling the new version of the popular game console. The beefed-up hardware is powered by software that allows for instant switching between games, television, and Internet browsing, according to Mattrick. Skype was also integrated for online video calls. Kinect motion and sound sensing accessories that will come with consoles will recognize users and respond instantly to commands spoken in more natural language, according to Microsoft executives.

Famed filmmaker Steven Spielberg signed on to produce a live-action "Halo" television series in partnership with game maker 343 Studio. "For me, the 'Halo' universe is an amazing opportunity to be at the intersection where technology and myth-making meet to create something really exciting," Spielberg said in a video snippet played during the press event at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington.

Wii consoles that became hits due to innovative motion-sensing controls after their debut in 2006. Demand for Nintendo's recently released Wii U consoles have been disappointing, however. Sony announced a new generation PlayStation 4 system in February but spoke ambiguously about the device, leaving much to the imagination.

Xbox One consoles will be released later this year, according to Mattrick, who did not disclose pricing details. Microsoft has sold some 77 million Xbox 360 consoles since they hit the market in late 2005. Console rival Sony has sold about the same number of PlayStation 3 consoles. Meanwhile, Nintendo sold nearly 100 million

Sony on Monday release a YouTube video teasing its plans to show off the PS4 in Los Angeles on June 10, the night before E3 officially gets underway. The PS4, which is also to hit the market by the end of this year, will succeed PlayStation 3 consoles that began their lifespan in late 2006. n

Microsoft played to longtime Xbox fans with glimpses of blockbuster games including "Call of Duty Ghosts" and "FIFA" football being tailored for the new consoles

"This is the beginning of a new generation of games and entertainment and a new generation of smart TV," said Microsoft entertainment unit executive Yusuf Mehdi. Microsoft played to longtime Xbox fans with glimpses of blockbuster games including "Call of Duty Ghosts" and "FIFA" football being tailored for the new consoles. A beloved "Halo" science fiction shooter franchise was used to showcase the merging of television and videogame play in Xbox One.

InsighT

Flare Report

Free download | flare.pk

Scientists develop epilepsy warning device

According to the World Health Organisation, about 50 million people around the world, some 80 percent of them in developing regions, suffer from the disease

tiny device implanted in the brain of epilepsy sufferers has for the fist time been able to predict the onset of seizures, scientists reported. The potentially life-saving device works with electrodes that monitor electrical activity on the brain surface, they wrote in The Lancet Neurology. The electrodes were connected to a second device implanted under the skin of the chest, which transmitted the data wirelessly to a handheld device that calculated the probability of a seizure. The device lights up in red for a high risk, white for moderate, or blue for low seizure probability. "Knowing when a seizure might happen could dramatically improve the quality of life and independence of people with epilepsy and potentially allow them to avoid dangerous situations such as driving or swimming," lead author Mark Cook from Australia's University of Melbourne said in a statement. It could also give epilepsy sufferers the freedom to take seizure-stopping drugs before the onset of an attack, rather than on a continuous basis. Epilepsy is a chronic disorder characterised by recurrent seizures -- anything from a brief lapse of attention or muscle jerks to severe convulsions. The seizures are caused by excessive electrical discharges in a group of brain cells. The biggest risk is from falls and injuries sustained when patients lose consciousness. According to the World Health Organisation, about 50 million people around the world, some 80 percent of them in developing regions, suffer from the disease. The researchers said about 30 to 40 percent of patients are unable to keep their seizures under control with existing treatments. The new technology may be especially useful for them. The team tested the implants on 15 patients and recorded relatively few adverse effects, which included infection and device migration. The system correctly predicted seizures with a

"high warning" sensitivity level greater than 65 percent in 11 of the patients, said a statement. There was a high variability between seizure warning times, and the team said more work was needed. "Our small proof-of-concept study shows that seizure prediction is possible and could lead to new therapeutic strategies and more independence for individuals with epilepsy." Commenting on the study, epilepsy experts Christian Elger and Florian Mormann of the University of Bonn Medical Centre described the outcome as a "major milestone". But they cautioned it was too early to determine whether the device performed well enough to find medical application. "This will depend on how well patients tolerate false alarms or missed seizures, and will ultimately need to be decided on an individual basis," they wrote. "Nevertheless, the presented results suggest that at least some patients would view the warning device as beneficial.

The researchers said about 30 to 40 percent of patients are unable to keep their seizures under control with existing treatments. The new technology will be more useful for them

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder that may be affected by reproductive hormones and may complicate reproductive health. Many women with epilepsy experience changes in seizure frequency and severity with changes in reproductive cycles, including at puberty, over the menstrual cycle, with pregnancy and at menopause. Ovarian steroids alter neuronal ex-

citability at the membrane and in the genome. Altered protein synthesis as a consequence of changes in RNA mediated gene transcription is one mechanism for steroid mediated effects on excitability. These genomic effects are delayed and sustained. In contrast, membrane effects are immediate and short duration. These effects are mediated at both the GABA-A and NMDA receptors. Estrogen also dynamically alters synaptic connectivity. Estrogen enhances excitability and lowers the seizure threshold, whereas progesterone enhances inhibition and increases the seizure threshold. In experimental models of epilepsy, estrogen is proconvulsant and progesterone is anticonvulsant. The net effect of these steroid actions is to alter neuronal excitability over physiological cycles. Some epilepsy syndromes are expressed or worsened at puberty. One third to one half of women with epilepsy have catamenial seizure patterns, with seizures most likely to occur in the perimenstrual period and at ovulation. More research is needed to understand the effects of menopause on epilepsy. Antiepileptic drugs may exacerbate the risk of reproductive endocrine disorders in women with epilepsy. Fertility rates are lower for women with epilepsy. Women with epilepsy are more likely to have anovulatory menstrual cycles, abnormal pituitary LH release and altered ovarian steroid concentrations. Polycystic ovaries are detected more often in women with epilepsy, particularly those on valproate. Treatment of hormone sensitive seizures relies on standard AEDs. Small trials suggest that adjunctive progesterone therapy is sometimes helpful. The newer AEDs, gabapentin and lamotrigine may have some advantages for women with epilepsy. These drugs do not alter levels of steroid hormones and do not interfere with effectiveness of hormonal contraception. Experience in pregnancy is limited. The dynamic effects of hormones on seizure expression and of seizures on reproductive health complicate the management of epilepsy in women. Newer AEDs may offer advantages for women with epilepsy in the reproductive years. n

Flare Report

Free download | flare.pk

Telepedia

Mobile gaming still eludes a troubled industry

Video game industry is scrambling to devise games and experimenting with new ways to appeal to a generation of players that spends more time on mobile devices than on computers or consoles

o get a sense of how investors view the promise of mobile gaming, one needs look no further than Japan's GungHo Online Entertainment. With just one game under its belt, its stock has risen tenfold since October and its market cap almost equals that of decadesold Nintendo. From veterans like Electronic Arts to rising stars such as "Clash of Clans" maker Supercell, the $66 billion video game industry is scrambling to devise games and experimenting with ways to appeal to a generation of players that spends more time on mobile devices than on computers or consoles. Most are having scant success in an industry peppered with one-hit wonders like OMGPOP and where even established players like Zynga are faltering, industry sources say. "It's sort of like all the chess pieces have been thrown in the air, and the industry has not yet landed on what the chess board looks like," said Owen Mahoney, CFO of Japanese online gaming giant Nexon Co Ltd, which has in the past year bought two companies to accelerate its mobile foray. In recent years, the model has been to offer games for free, then encourage players to spend real money on in-game purchases - a system perfected by Zynga in its online games. But its rapid decline in just the past year illustrates the challenge of hooking new players, and loosening gamers' purse strings. The company that shot to fame on the back of Facebook games like "Farmville" bought OMGPOP, developers of the mobile sensation "Draw Something" - for $180 million. After months of losing users that once peaked to 14.5 million players over a year ago, Zynga last week shut its New York-based studio, effectively laying off the OMGPOP team. Industry executives say mobile gamers today are spoiled for choice as the industry has exploded. In 2007, when Apple Inc launched the iPhone, there were but a handful of developers. Today, there are hundreds, whose apps sell across the globe on Apple and Google Inc's Android devices.

"You see these rocket ships in the industry that explode on the scene with a casual game that's easy to develop with not much money and they gain users quickly. But users get bored or angry because they can't progress without paying more money," Nexon's Mahoney told Reuters in an interview. Nexon has had some success boosting its mobile portfolio, a likely factor behind revenue growth of 24 percent in 2012 to 108 billion yen ($1.1 billion). Looking for answers: To stand out from the crowd, developers big and small are seeking ways to build a sustainable business.

Revenue from games on mobile and portable devices is expected to grow about 38 percent to $8 billion in 2013 and touch $20 billion in 2018. That's why mobile developers won't give up

EA, as one of the best-funded competitors, is turning to data analytics to keep track of its players' gaming patterns and behaviour. Japanese gaming giant DeNA is experimenting with on-the-spot tweaks to its games by employees, who adjust conditions depending on what players do, CEO of DeNA West Clive Downie said. Canadian indie studio Noodlecake, known for games like "Zombie Road Trip", is employing loyalty programs similar to airlines with daily virtual currency rewards for first-time and frequent players. Others resort to tricks like seasonal deals and holiday-themed content to boost their rankings on app-download charts during the crucial holiday period. Up-and-coming GungHo, which has seen its shares rise tenfold since October as investors bet on its ability to rise above the fray with its sole title "Puzzle & Dragons," is turning to costly TV

advertising to place its brand front-and-centre. Japanese telecoms giant Softbank Corp owns a majority stake in GungHo. Even Rovio - backers of pop-culture phenomenon "Angry Birds" - has reported that it now leans on stuffed toys, mugs and other merchandise for 45 percent of its revenue. "Everybody wants a manual" with the best user acquisition techniques, said Doug Smith, an independent developer who launched his kids game "Chugga Bugga" on the Apple App Store in early April but has had only about 3,500 downloads. He is disappointed that it's becoming "harder and harder for new entrants to come in without a big budget." Gold rush: As E3, the industry's largest annual convention, kicks off in Los Angeles next week, console games going up against mobile games will be an underlying theme. Revenue from games on mobile and portable devices is expected to grow about 38 percent to $8 billion in 2013 and touch $20 billion in 2018, according to David Cole, an analyst at research group DFC Intelligence. That's why mobile developers won't give up. Game publishers are now rushing to hire people with data science and analytics skills dedicated to acquiring users and analyzing their behaviour, said Ville Heijari, European general manager for PlayHaven, which helps developers monetize and market games. EA has made investments in data analytics to build a suite of back-end proprietary software to break down its players by region and preferences, to help development of future games, said EA's President of Labels Frank Gibeau. For now, consumer spending remains concentrated on the decades-old console gaming industry. But the situation is fast changing: in just a few years, mobile gaming has grown to account for about 9 percent of overall revenue. Mobile is "an absolutely critical, if not â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the' growth driver for the industry for the next several years," Gibeau said. Despite the success of a number of companies, "a lot of the industry is still in a learning phase," PlayHaven's Heijari said. n

Event

Flare Report

Fr e e d o w n l o a d | fl a re. p k

Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou (L) hands out an award to a winning vendor staff during the 2013 Computex in Taipei on June 4, 2013.

Asustek's new product ASUS fonepad Note, a 6-inch device combined tablet and smartphone, is displayed at 2013 Computex exhibition.

Two staff display NeuroSky's new products during the 2013 Computex in Taipei on June 4, 2013.

(From L) Jason Chen, Intel Taiwan country manager, Krik Skaugen, senior vice president and general manager of the PC Client Group, Navin Sheony, vice president of Intel Architecture Group and general manager of Mobile Client Platform attend a press conference in Taipei

Two promoters stand at the WD booth during the 2013 Computex in Taipei.

A staff displays a smart watch developed by Sonostar, a Taiwanese golf GPS data base provider, during the 2013 Computex in Taipei.

Japan's semiconductor maker Rohm employee displays the new solid fuel type cell "Mobile aqua" (L) and its fuel containing a sheet of calcium hydride and a pack of water, designed for the power of smartphones and portable devices.

Fr e e d o w nload | f la re .p k

Jonney Shih (2nd-L), Chairman of Taiwan's ASUSTek Computer Inc., introduces its new product called the "ASUS Transformer Book Trio".

A promoter stands at the WD booth during the 2013 Computex in Taipei.

A model displays displays a solid fuel type cell "Mobile aqua" charging the battery of a smartphone.

A model poses with Martian Watches' new "Voice Command Watch" which are compatible for when speaking with iPhone and Android mobiles during Computex 2013 in Taipei

Flare Report

Event

(From L) Acer Inc. President Jim Wong, Chairman and CEO J.T. Wang, and Chief Marketing Officer Michael Birkin pose for photos with their new products during a press conference ahead of the opening of the Computex trade fair in Taipei

People visit the Microsoft boot during the 2013 Computex in Taipei

Young Liu (L) , Foxconn general manager of innovating Dial System Business Group (iDSBG), speaks next to Li Gong (R), SVP of Moile Devices, President of Asia Operations and CEO of MozillaTaiwan.

A staff member displays KRC Technology Co.'s new "Miniwing" which is a smart home cloud computing center and app icons displayed on its screen, during the 2013 Computex in Taipei

NEWS

Free download | fl a re. p k

Zong revised Microsoft announces winners of Imagine Cup 2013 Karachi: Microsoft dows Software Developits Flatter Pakistan in partnership ment Kit and Xbox Indie call rates with Nokia Pakistan an- Games. Karachi: Zong revised Flatter offer call rates for its customers; previously minimum call rates to subscribe flatter was Rs. 1.2 per minute plus tax and revised rate for call is 1.6 per minute, this price will be charged for new activation of package and customer will shift from another package to Flatter package. n

Warid introduces Double Number offer

Lahore: Warid introduces double number service offer for their customers and it’s possible for Warid subscribers now to use one SIM card for two separate Warid numbers without using two handsets or a dual SIM handset. The offer is for both Warid’s Prepaid and Postpaid customers. Warid’s Double SIM offer comes with some attractive and unique features. Subscribers can identify the schedule to shut down their Double Number for a specific time period, for example from 4am to 6am every day. Mobile numbers can be blocked for incoming calls or SMS on the Double Number. Subscribers of this offer also have the freedom to turn their Double Number off or on at anytime. n

nounced the national winners of Imagine Cup 2013 Pakistan, the world’s most prestigious student technology competition. This team was shortlisted from approximately 180+ entries received this year. Team Epic the winning team developed a project Epic to detect falls and Accidents using Windows Phone Device, it’s also capable to alert the authorities of such occurrence. Using the same technology, brain wave data can be collected for various problems including Epileptic Seizures and can be used for further research. This year Imagine Cup presented university students with three competition categories: World Citizenship: honors the software application with the greatest potential to make a positive contribution to the betterment of humanity. Games: honors the best student games built on Microsoft platforms Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, Kinect for Win-

Innovation: honors apps that deliver dramatic, accessible innovations and advance the state of the art in major categories such as social networks, search, classifieds or online shopping. Now in its eleventh year, Imagine Cup 2013 gave students in the Pakistan an opportunity to bring their technology ideas to life using Microsoft technology. “In Pakistan, young minds are our assets. They have ideas, energy and creativity to make the world particularly this country a better place. We need to make sure that students must be at the forefront of embracing and utilizing new technology, and through competitions like Imagine Cup we provide excellent opportunities for those students that have a passion for technology, entrepreneurial talent and leadership abilities to discover their potential and put it at work early on” said Amir Rao, Country Manager, Mi-

crosoft Pakistan. Speaking on the occasion, Suleman Kazi, Captain, Team Epic said; “Imagine Cup has been a wonderful and inspiring experience for us, we have worked as a team and had tons of fun building something that can actually help people in the world. To know that something that YOU created has the potential to affect lives gives you a feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment that few other experiences can. We’re looking forward to making Pakistan proud in the World Wide finals”.

Joe Devassy, Head of Developer Experience, Nokia IMEA said: “Nokia’s partnership with Microsoft for the Imagine Cup is part of an on-going drive to support young entrepreneurial talent across Middle East and Africa. With the large youth population in the region, it is especially important to assist them in building skills that will help them succeed today and advance their careers post-graduation. New technologies are rapidly changing businesses and the lives of consumers in these regions and the

‘Tolerance is Peace’ short films enthrall audience

Senator Nuzhat Sadiq addressing while DG PNCA Touqeer Nasir distributing awards at National Art Council.

Islamabad: Screening of films aimed at promoting tolerance, harmony and spirit of coexistence in society was held at PNCA, Islamabad Auditorium recently. The short film contest ti-

tled “Tolerance is Peace” was organized by Midas Communications and PNCA. The organisers received a total of 145 entries out of which 10 were short listed for screening. An elite panel of judges comprising

media experts Shahid Masood, Syed Tafeeq Shah and Azhar Niaz selected the top 3 at the screening. The winners received prizes including DSLR camera, laptop and iphone 4S. The prizes were distributed

by the chief guest Senator Nuzhat Sadiq. Addressing the occasion Senator Sadiq appreciated the initiative and said that such efforts are very essential to raise awareness among the society on this

speed of adoption is inspiring. Equipping young people with technology will truly put the future of their nations in their hands.” The joint collaboration between Microsoft and Nokia is an effort to expand the existing ecosystem and compliment the changing mobile and PC consumption needs of the masses. The competition will promote development of new apps, games and softwares and as a result provide more rich content and technology to endusers. n

topic. PNCA Director Taqeer Nasir also addressed the occasion and said that ours is a very diverse society and this diversity must be celebrated by fostering harmony and tolerance. Shahid Masood briefed the audience about the criterion of short-listing and selection of films for screening and prizes. The films were judged on the basis of concept, script, production quality and overall impact, he told. Members of civil society, media, students and general public attended the event. n

Samsung offers 43” Plasma TV ITU Punjab launches

Islamabad: Mobilink has introduced GupShup offer to its customers and provide an opportunity to add 20 FnF numbers and go for free calls within the specific time, according to the GupShup offer to go for unlimited calls timings are 12 am to 7 pm and per day charges is Rs. 7. Customers will have to activate the GupShup offer to avail the unlimited number of calls on the given time frame, for activation simply dial *363*NUMBER#. For the other packages subscribers have the normal call charges according to their specific packages. Customers have to activate the GupShup offer daily and charges per day are Rs. 7 rupees plus tax. n

Lahore: Samsung Electronics is a global market leader in technologies, offering big screen 43” Plasma TV which makes action more life-like, natural looking at most incredible price. Samsung 43” Plasma TV is packed with many brilliant features. This includes build in triple protector, regular fluctuation of voltage is no more a worry as it saves television from it and an efficient layer over screen is also there to protect from humidity. Moreover, it save flow of electric charge if transmitted through cable, with impressive 2 HDMI ports, it has a High definition format which can run easily along with 26 format like (JPEG, MOV, Bitmap, JIF, MPEG and many more). In addition to all these superb fea-

BS programme

tures, Samsung’s 43’ Plasma lets you watch videos, play music or view photos from a USB connection without needing to use a PC or special equipment. Simply plug your USB device or drive directly into your Samsung TV’s USB port and watch on the big screen with friends and family. Amazingly, all this is offered in only Rs 42,900. The AV Head of Samsung EC Pakistan Pvt. Ltd. – Mr. H.D. Lee said; “Samsung’s 43” Plasma TV offers innovative features designed to make it even easier for consumers to enjoy their en-

tertainment experiences in truly an outstanding value.” Samsung consistently seeks a deep insight into the changing needs, preferences, lifestyles and traditions of its customers dwelling in all regions of the world. This helps Samsung in creating products that are built to enhance the living standards of the consumers and ensure its customer’s happiness. This 43’ Plasma TV at most affordable price rate is a testimony to Samsung’s customercentric approach. n

Lahore: The Information Technology University of the Punjab (ITU-Punjab) held a successful Information Session at the Arfa Software Technology Park. Aspiring students gathered in large numbers to inquire about the undergraduate programmes being launched by the ITU in the fields of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering as well as its existing graduate programme in Computer Science. ITU Punjab’s Vice Chancellor, Dr Umar Saif was among the prominent speakers who addressed the attendees during the event. Highlighting the vision and mission of the university he said, “ITU aims to implement a unique teaching methodology and cross-disciplinary research that is

grounded in solving realworld problem.” Faculty members Zia Imran and Zubair Nabi also gave presentations to the prospective students. They emphasized ITU’s focus on infusing an entrepreneurial spirit in its students as well as encapsulating a modern design-centred and project-oriented approach to education geared towards producing a new generation of IT workers. An information desk was set up, by the admissions staff, at the event to answer queries regarding the admissions process, fee structure and scholarship options available to students. ITU will be offering four-year Bachelors (BS) degrees in the fields of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering and a two-year MS degree in Computer Science. n

NEWS

Syntax becomes Edelman's partner in Pakistan

Syntax Communications has entered into an exclusive affiliate relationship with Edelman, the world’s largest public relations firm. With this exclusive affiliation, Syntax Communications has become the sole representative of Edelman in Pakistan. Through the partnership, Syntax Communications aims to take public relations to the next level in Pakistan by introducing international best practices and the creativity that Edelman is known for. Mr. Ali Mandviwalla, COO of Synergy Group, the holding company for Syntax Communications, said, “The alliance between Syntax Communications and Edelman is a strategic partnership that will have a longterm impact on PR in Pakistan and the way it is perceived. An international alliance with the world’s topranked communications firm will allow Syntax Communications to achieve the highest standard of excellence in communications services. n

PHC orders blockage of blasphemous pages on social media

Peshawar: Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan has ordered authorities to block blasphemous material on social media. He issued notices to the interior ministry, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and other authorities concerned, directing them to take immediate measures to block all the pages containing disputed material on social media. The orders came over a petition filed by a local lawyer Arif Khan. He ordered them to submit their report within 20 days. The chief justice observed that anti-Islam material on social media incite religious sentiments, which cause chaos in the society. Peshawar High Court has ordered the authorities to block blasphemous and objectionable content available on social media websites, especially the Facebook and other websites within three days. Court directed interior ministry, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and other departments to take stern action against these websites and submit a compliance report within 20 days. n

Fr e e d o w n l o a d | fl a re. p k

PTCL holds retailers conference Warid Muft Hafta offer

Zaman Gulzar, PTCL EVP Business Zone South; Omer Khalid, PTCL EVP, Wireless Business along with other senior officials of PTCL at the company’s Retailers’ Conference held in Karachi

Islamabad: As part of its on-going drive to further strengthen business relations with retailers and distributors, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has organized a retailers’ conference in Karachi. Attended by more than 300 PTCL retailers, business partners and distributors, the conference included various team-building sessions, and provided participants an exciting opportunity to share their observations and experiences regarding PTCL’s products and services. Appreciating the support of retail partners,

Zaman Gulzar, PTCL Executive Vice President (EVP) Business Zone South said, “Our retail partners are the backbone of our distribution network and we fully acknowledge their loyalty, hard work and collaboration in the company's success.” “Telecom is a rapidly changing industry, with new practices and products emerging at a fast pace. This conference is designed to provide a better understanding to our partners about our evolving product portfolio and also serves as a platform to develop and share ideas that drive future growth”, he added

further. Mr. Zaman assured retailers and distributors of PTCL’s commitment to create a mutually beneficial partnership which strengthens the existing business partnership built on commitment and team work. The top performing partners were presented with certificates and attractive prizes. The participants also enjoyed a highly entertaining musical performance. Retail partners were also briefed about the company’s business strategy, future product offerings, and emphasis on customer centric approach. n

Lahore: National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (SEECS) and Mobilink have collaborated to encourage students to identify everyday problems and propose solutions using technology as a medium. NUST’s School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (SEECS) took the lead in developing a competition titled ‘Finding Innovative & Creative Solutions (FICS)’. The competition was a means of providing a platform for students to identify problems that existed in the communities around them and to propose innovative solutions. Mobilink provided organizational support for the competition, as well as participating in the mentoring of the participants and the evalua-

tion of the entries. Students had the opportunity to discuss the realworld applicability of their proposed solutions by interacting with industry experts from Mobilink and a number of other technology intensive organizations. Moeid Javeed, Director Marketing (Mobile Internet) Mobilink, expressed his thoughts, “Mobilink has sustained its leadership position in the telecom industry for over two decades through continuous innovation. Our collaboration with SEECS for this competition is a reflection of Mobilink’s drive for creativity and

students of SEECS that supported the participating teams them to think out-of-the-box and create such impressive projects.’’ The competition was conducted by SEECS over a number of phases, with 14 teams reaching the final leg of the competition, competing for total prize money of PKR 116,000. The winning solutions included a ‘Non Invasive Glucometer’ (first prize), a ‘Pervasive Anti-coagulation service for Cardiac Health’ (second prize) and ‘Clay Computing: An inexpensive Computing Solution’ (third prize). n

NUST, Mobilink enable students to solve problems

our belief in the youth of Pakistan. On behalf of Mobilink, I congratulate the faculty on a successful competition and providing state-ofthe-art facility to the

Lahore: Warid Telecom, leading innovator in Pakistan’s telecom industry, now offers its Glow and prepaid subscribers 500 free on-net minutes and 500 SMS to any network through its ‘Muft Hafta’ offer. To avail this offer subscribers need to “SMS or Call 3733” from their Warid numbers. Through the ‘Muft Hafta’ offer, for every 4 weeks of usage, customer will receive one free week every month for six months. To enjoy this exciting offer, customers simply have to activate their new Warid SIM before 15th June or re-acti-

vate their Warid SIM not in use since 20th April. Subscribers will receive their free minutes during the fifth week after they have used their Warid connection for the previous four weeks. The number of minutes offered to the client will amount to 25 percent of the minutes they would have used in the first four weeks. For example if a subscriber has consumed 100 minutes during four weeks they will be given 25 free minutes during the fifth week. The upfront free 500 on-net minutes and SMS to any network have a validity of 3 days. n

Lahore: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. announced that the Samsung Galaxy S4 is TCO Certified, the first smartphone to be awarded such an honor. TCO Development, an independent body that focuses on sustainability in the IT industry, found the Galaxy S4 was sustainably designed and manufactured and met customer demand for sustainable mobile products. “The demand for environmentally friendly products informed our decision making process when we were creating the Galaxy S4. We are delighted to be the first smartphone manufacturer to be TCO Certified as this validates our approach to sustainability,” said JK Shin, CEO & President, IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics. “This is the second significant certificate the Galaxy S4 has received since its release as we were also awarded Platinum Ecologo certification from UL. Our customers can trust that every device we release to the market is sustainable and environmentally friendly.” To become TCO Certified a smartphone must meet requirements across

a variety of criteria including social, environmental and economic viability. In the social category, Samsung demonstrated that it is committed to socially responsible manufacturing and is compliant with International Labour Organization and United Nation conventions. In the environmental category, it was found that the Galaxy S4 was free from many hazardous materials such as nickel, beryllium, and mercury which, if present, would have severely restricted its potential to be recycled at the end its lifecycle. In terms of economic viability, the power efficiency of the charger was praised, as was the smartphone’s industrial design which boosts reliability. "TCO Certified Smartphones are designed to make it easier for smartphone buyers to choose products that have been designed with sustainability in mind. By certifying their smartphones, leading brands such as Samsung have a real opportunity to demonstrate that their products are helping advance more sustainable mobile solutions," said Soren Enholm, CEO TCO Development. n

NEWS

Fr e e d o wnload | fl ar e. pk

Hybrid cars HTC Desire 600 dual SIM boosts the acclaimed Desire series Lahore: HTC, a globinto a customisable select a music theme, alget 100 duty al leader in mobile innostream of live informa- ter the sequences and cut vation and design, has tion, HTC BlinkFeed is share your life movie with

Islamabad: The government has announced major reduction in duties and taxes on the import of the Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) ranging from 25 to 100 percent, depending on their engine capacity. Under the Finance Bill (2013-14), to encourage hybrid vehicles for conservation of fuel withholding tax on import of hybrid cars with engine capacity up to 1200CC has been exempted to provide incentive and relief.

Similarly, withholding tax on HEVs up to 1800CC has been reduced by 50 percent and 25 percent for vehicles up to 2500CC. The customs budget focused on relief to general public, encouraging growth and investment, reducing cost of doing business and improving regulation and enforcement. The FBR has tightened the regulatory control on exempt/concessionary import of agricultural machinery, tourism sector, packaging industry and pharmaceutical sector to ensure that the benefit is availed by bona fide importers only. Editorial changes for simplification of concessionary SROs is also being made to remove duplications, spelling errors or redundant entries. Customs measures revealed that the government has allowed duty free import of "bio re-absorbable vascular scaffold" (heart stents) to decrease their cost for heart patients. The FBR has increased customs duty on betel nuts from 15 percent to 20 percent and betel leaves from Rs 200/kg to Rs 300/kg to discourage their use on account of adverse health effects. n

Ufone relaunches SIM lagao offer

Islamabad: Ufone has introduced the latest SIM Lagao offer, which customers those who have not used your Ufone SIM since 1st May, 2013. Without any balance recharge, you will get instant balance of Rs 100. Additionally, you will be able to make free calls to all Ufone numbers for the whole day after first five charged calls. If your SIM is lost or damaged, get it again from your nearest Ufone Service Center or Franchise without any charges. n

unveiled the new HTC Desire 600 dual SIM, the first mid-range handset to offer HTC’s latest Sense 5 experience; HTC BlinkFeed and HTC BoomSound, most recently launched as part of the award-winning new HTC One. Taking full advantage of Android Jelly Bean, the new model also offers super-fast quadcore performance, while the advanced Video Highlights feature enables maximum creativity at a more affordable price tag. “People rely on their smartphones every day to be their news channel, email inbox, social network and music player,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “The HTC Desire 600 dual sim combines speed and easy multitasking with the truly innovative HTC BlinkFeed home screen. The result is an affordable

mid-range phone that sets the standard for its class, keeping the busiest user up-to-date at a glance and offering them the power and range of features to switch between work and play.” Sporting a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, the HTC Desire 600 dual sim is able to support even the busiest of lifestyles. Capable of high-speed multitasking, super-fast web browsing and graphic-intense gaming, it offers exceptional performance whatever the task. Dual SIM card hold-

ers give you the freedom of having two phones in one, making it easy to switch between multiple mobile accounts and keep you up to speed with all the elements of your world. Running the “dual active” system, the HTC Desire 600 dual sim allows you to have two SIM cards active all the times, enabling you to receive a call on one line, even if you are already using the other. The HTC Desire 600 dual sim brings HTC’s acclaimed BlinkFeed to the Desire range. Transforming the home screen

Karachi: Intel Pakistan recently held an interactive session with toddlers and parent bloggers to focus on how the touch-generation can benefit from technology and how it positively impacts the quality of life. The event titled ‘Toddlers and Technology’ was held at Kidz Klub in an informative and relaxed environment with a panel of expert speakers. Attended by media, the event focused on key topical issues around Toddlers and Technology, such as: when should children be exposed to technology and what applications are out there to assist with their development, providing the information in a fun, informative, relaxed event environment. Reared by digitally connected parents, this new uber-connected generation is not only comfortable using touchscreen computers, but they are intuitively touching screens and flipping through apps with ease. Children are growing up as digital natives, and it is important to understand how to use technology in

a positive manner. A device has the ability to be an incredibly powerful educational tool and mixing computer play with interaction re-enforces what the child is learning and makes the experience more engaging.With the increase in density of touch-enabled screens, from ATMs to tablets, mobile phones to pubic smart display kiosks, there is now a growing expectation that the screens that people use every day will respond to their touch. In addition, touch plays a critical role in our development and our understanding of the world. Babies try to comprehend their environment through touch. When they are too young to fully manipulate objects with their hands, they put them in their mouths where touch receptors are at the highest density. Speaking at the event, Asma Aziz, Marketing& PR Manager, Intel South Asia said, “Today’s kids are so completely at ease with navigating and flicking their way through devices to get to the latest

game on a smart phone or tablet. The rapid spread of touch-screen computing devices like smartphones and tablets is creating a generation of children that we call the “Touch Generation” – and they’re heralding a new era that fundamentally changes the way we interact with computers.We are at a significant stage in the evolution of how we interact with technology. The rise of the touch generation is not only set to change the way we interact with our technology, but it is also changing the type of technology we will demand in future.” Theevent covered a wide range of topics such as child development and technology, introducing children to technology, top apps and games for children, setting limits for children when using technology, technology in the classroom and touch/perceptual computing. The event also showcased some of the latest high tech touch devices; latest Tablets, Allin-One PCs all powered by Intel processors. n

Intel hosts an interactive session

displayed on a stunning 4.5”, super LCD2 display and aggregates social streams and news, providing the freshest content at a glance. Drawing on local and global content from more than 1,400 media sources, BlinkFeed draws on more than 10,000 articles per day from some of the world’s leading media companies including AOL family of media properties, ESPN, MTV, The Financial Times and Reuters. HTC Video Highlights allows you to turn a day out into an entire experience that you can keep forever. Taking images captured on either the 8MP rear-facing or 1.6 MP front-facing camera, the HTC Desire 600 dual sim automatically creates professional-looking 30second show reels without the need for advanced editing software. Simply

friends, family and social networks with a single tap of the screen. The dual front-facing speakers of the HTC Desire 600 dual sim allow you to experience mobile entertainment as it is meant to be enjoyed. Complete with exclusive built-in amplifiers, whether you’re listening to music, watching movies or playing games, the speakers, which minimise distortion, offer a sharper, richer, wholly immersive smartphone sound. Beats Audio™ integration also takes the audio quality to the next level guaranteeing an experience as intense and high-powered as the device itself. The new HTC Desire 600 dual SIM will be available with mobile operators and major retailers in a number of markets from early June 2013. n

Ex Interim CM urges businessmen to focus on African region

Ex Interim Chief Minister Najam Sethi inaugurates LCCI Africa show in the presence of LCCI President Farooq Iftikhar, Vice President Mian Abuzar Shad and Convener of Standing Committee Zafar Mahmood.

Lahore: Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Najam Sethi has said that Pakistani businessmen should focus on the African region as it is destined to become a global growth centre for having enormous trade and tourism potential. LCCI President Farooq Iftikhar and Dean of African Ambassadors, High Commissioner of Kenya Mishi Masika Mwatsahu, LCCI Senior Vice President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, Vice President Mian Abuzar Shad, and Zafar Mah-

mood, convener LCCI Standing Committee on Pakistan Africa Business Promotion also spoke on the occasion. Speaking on the occasion, LCCI President Iftikhar said that Africa is a potential market for Pakistani rice while African businessmen could supply us leather, fertilizers, cotton, textile products and agricultural products which Pakistan does not produce. He said that exchange of students, doctors, teachers and scholars should take place on regular basis. n

Karachi: Easypaisa recently won three awards at Pakistan Advertisers Society (PAS) Awards 2013 for easypaisa Khushaal, the first savings and insurance product for

branchless banking. The categories where Khushaal won were – Banking and Financial Services, Best Local Original campaign and Campaign of the Year.

ICT R&D Fund offers ICT research awards

NEWS

Fr e e d o w n l o a d | fl a re. p k

PTCL launches new models of EVO State Bank unwilling and Nitro Cloud devices to project higher profits

Islamabad: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has introduced new models of its EVO and Nitro Cloud devices, which offer enhanced and upgraded features for a rich on-the-go broadband experience. The pocket-sized EVO and EVO Nitro Cloud devices are easyto-manage portable WiFi routers that create a powerful Wi-Fi hotspot, enabling users to share hyper fast broadband speeds of up to 9.3Mbps in over 200 cities and

3.1Mbps in more than 250 cities nationwide. “PTCL is continuously introducing connectivity solutions in order to facilitate our customers in their daily lives and also help them to remain efficient by offering tailor-made products to fit their needs,” said Omar Khalid, PTCL Executive Vice President (EVP) Wireless Services. “Our EVO product portfolio is opening up a new world of opportunities for on-the-go broadband internet connectivity while removing barriers

for improved growth and development of wireless broadband internet in the country”, he added further. Offering an intelligent Li-Polymer battery with auto cut-off function to avoid over-charging, and options of various packages, the devices offer great value for money, and enable customers to get the most out of their multimedia content whilst on the go. Both the device models come with slightly varying features, and can connect upto 5 and 8 Wi-Fi enabled gadgets like tablets, notebooks and smart phones, through a simple touch all at the same time. With the largest data network in addition to widest coverage, PTCL broadband is empowering people to reach out to the world, enabling convenient access to knowledge and information nationwide. n

ISOC selects Zakir Syed for NGL program

Telecoms & ICT professional, Zakir Syed has been selected by the Internet Society (ISOC) Next Generation Leaders Program to attend the course titled “Shaping the Internet – History and Future.” The Internet Society’s Next Generation Leaders (NGL) program blends coursework, practical experience and mentorship to help prepare young professionals from around the world to become the next generation leaders of Internet technology, policy, and business model. The NGL Program was officially launched in 2009 at a youth forum during the ITU Telecom World week in Geneva and is aimed at emerging talents across the globe, between the ages of 20 and 40. A global, missionbased organization, the Internet Society promotes the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of

all people throughout the world. Currently working as Manager Telecoms & ICT Research at a technology company, Zakir has been part of SAMENA Telecommunications Council’s Strategic Research Team and has worked on a number of region-specific and beyond the SAMENA region, research projects ranging from 3G, Broadband, ICT policies, spectrum harmonization, digital dividend and regulations, among others. He has authored several articles and industry reports in the areas including but not limited to optical networks, wireless networks, spectrum management, 3G, broadband, domain name industry and satellite communications. The selection for the NGL Program consisted of a very rigorous screening procedure where hundreds of applications were

received from highly qualified professionals from across the globe. In terms of participants, there is not only a wide geographical diversity, but also diverse professional backgrounds (government, international organizations, business, civil society, academia and media). Such a composition of participants will most definitely serve as a vibrant environment for exchange of knowledge and experience. The ISOC NGL Program will train emerging leaders in Internet technology, policy and business, through both academic and practical aspects. The NGL participants will be invited to apply for ISOC’s representation program, offering them the possibility to attend meetings of the Internet Governance Forum, the World Bank and OECD, and the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). n

Telenor TalkShawk SIM Lagao offer

Islamabad: Telenor Pakistan has introduced Telenor Talkshawk SIM Lagao offer which customers who have not

done any activity since 1st May 2013 can use their phone free for 15 days. Talkshawk sub-

scribers will get 1000 Free Minutes + 1000 Free SMS + 1000 MB Internet. All the subscribers to SLO offer will also get 100 min free (onnet) on usage of 5 min (onnet or offnet).These minutes will only be posted on usage of default price plan charged minutes. Any kind of free minutes used will not be valid for this offer. n

Islamabad: As disbursements from the US under the Coalition Support Fund are likely to fall from the next fiscal year, the State Bank of Pakistan and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority are reluctant to project hefty profits, heightening the woes of budget makers. With the presentation of next year’s budget looming, the SBP and the PTA accumulatively have shown about Rs150 billion less in earnings than what the finance ministry is targeting for the fiscal year 20132014. The central bank’s profits are largely generated from money lent to the federal government and export refinancing operations, while the PTA’s earnings are derived on account of auctioning third generation spectrum licences. These heads are expected to be the largest non-tax revenue generators for the next fiscal year, commencing from July 1. The reluctance of SBP and the PTA comes at a time when authorities are anticipating a significant reduction in CSF disbursements by the US. Authorities are thus struggling to finalise the overall non-tax revenue target after facing problems in working out the tax revenue target. Tentatively, all signs suggest the non-tax revenue to be around Rs690 billion. As against this year’s disbursements of $1.84 billion under the CSF, for the next fiscal year, authorities are considering a projected $600

million. A major reason behind this significant reduction is the pullout of US and Nato troops from Afghanistan in 2014 and a change in the calculation method of the CSF, billed by the Pakistani military. Sources said after the change, quarterly receipts are likely to remain in the range of $100 million and $150 million. Confusion prevails over the estimated income of the SBP as the finance ministry is hoping for around Rs225 billion to Rs240 billion for the next fiscal. For the current year, the estimated income from the central bank was Rs200 billion and during the first nine months it generated Rs150 billion, according to the ministry. However, for 20132014, it is reluctant to commit more than Rs135 billion in profits, sources added. Anticipating a reduction in the discount rate, quarterly zero borrowings and exchange rate fluctuations, SBP officials were not willing to project hefty profits for the next year. The finance ministry was of the view that without any additional borrowings, the net profit for SBP on existing stocks should not be less than Rs175 billion. On the other hand, the ministry has also asked PTA to give fresh estimates of earnings from the auction of 3G licenses. For the last two years, the government was showing an estimated income of $800 million but it now wants to show figures over $1.2 billion to $1.3 billion. n

Ufone appoints Usman Ishaq as Head of Sales and Distribution

Islamabad: Ufone, an Etisalat Group Company with its presence in all the major cities with a comprehensive coverage across Pakistan, has recently appointed Usman Ishaq as the Head of Sales and Distribution. Ishaq has worked with several telecom companies in the past with his latest stint being the Executive Director at Zong. The decision has been taken keeping in view the exceptional role that he played in developing marketing strategy and

providing direction for sales at his previous employer. Ufone has always focused on acquiring talented individuals who are determined to bring new ideas, thus creating a team driven to develop a culture of innovation and quality. Usman Ishaq has diversified industry experience. He has previously also worked for Mobilink, ICI Pakistan, and Warid Telecom. His key specialties include sales, distribution, customer management, business development and project management. The Ufone family is confident that Usman Ishaq will once again surpass the expectations of everyone in fulfilling his duties, and has wished him luck for his future plans. n

Warid Football Club service Lahore: Warid Telecom, the leading innovator in Pakistan’s telecommunications industry, has released its latest Football Club Service for Warid customers. Warid Football Club provides Warid customers a platform to stay updated with their favourite Football teams and Leagues through their mobile phones. From English Premier League to La Liga and the Football World Cup, this service is up to date with schedules, scores, team standings and much more. n

Cellular users reach 122.12m

Islamabad: Mobile phone subscribers in Pakistan reached 122,127,717 at the end of March 2013, up from 120,962,829 just a month ago, revealed by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority. All five cellular operators added 1.16 million mobile phone subscribers during the period, taking the tele-density to 68.6 percent. Telenor added the most customers in the reported month by adding 417,997 customers to its base. Mobilink grew by 305,139 subscribers during March 2013 while Ufone added 264,107 customers. Collectively all cellular services providers added over a million customers in one month despite the tough regulatory measures in place on sale of new SIMs. n

Warid launches Warid reload offer

Lahore: Warid Telecom has launched “Warid Reload Offer” another offer that will reward Warid customers with not only instant prizes but chances to win cash rewards through lucky draw. In this 2 tier offer everyone will be a winner. On every Re load of Rs 50 the customer will get guaranteed instant prize of 20 free on net minutes, 100 free SMS and unlimited free calls on friends & family numbers. Apart from this the customers will also get a chance to win Rs. 100,000 daily and a bumper prize of 5,000,000 through lucky draw. The lucky draw for the bumper prize will be held after completion of the campaign duration, which is from 1st June to 30th June 2013. n

NEWS

Fr e e d o wnload | f la re .p k

Lipton Tea announces grand winner of DIP &WIN campaign

Islamabad: Lipton, the world’s leading tea brand, announced on Thursday the grand prize winner to its three month long Dip&Win consumer promotion campaign. Javed Suri, resident of Karachi, proud winner of a new Honda Civic. The innovative nationwide campaign had consumers of Lipton tea bags excited at the unique opportunity to buy the Lipton Dip&Win Tea Bags pack during its duration (Jan to Mar 2013). The promotion was centered on a unique innovation where the gift icon was revealed on the tea bag during the process of actually brewing their cup of tea. In doing so consumers won exciting prizes from Lipton, culminating in the coveted grand prize of a new Honda Civic. Sarah Sadiq Brand Manager Lipton said: “Lipton plays the role of an energetic brand that aims to redefine the meaning of tea in people’s lives. By celebrating positivity in everyday life, Lipton tea arouses confidence, optimism and cheerfulness in the lives of its consumers. This campaign was an extension of the same brand philosophy and we are grateful to our consumers for the overwhelming response. Numerous people won exciting prizes ranging from iPads, televisions to mobile phones across Pakistan and we thank them all for their enthusiastic response.” The grand prize winner Javed Suri, who was thrilled to be the winner of the grand prize gift icon, was invited on Thursday 30th May, to the head office of Unilever Pakistan Limited to celebrate his win along with his family.

Samsung brings WB100 Lahore: The Samsung WB100 is the latest addition to the prestigious WB series, known for delivering superior quality images in compact form. Continuing to provide unparalleled image quality the WB100 is perfect for dynamic and inspirational shooting, capturing the smallest detail in stunning 16MP clarity. The WB100 is a great travel companion, ideally designed to capture experiences from upclose detail of inspiring architecture, to impressive landscapes and vistas. The 26x optical high zoom lens and 22.3mm ultra wide-angle lens ensure flawless detail, while shaky shots are instantly altered with the Dual Image Stabilization (OIS + DIS) function. With 720/30p HD video

recording users can enjoy high-quality playback on the latest high-definition displays, whilst 3D photo capture and Live Panorama Mode truly bring to life 3D images and panoramic views. The Managing Director of Samsung Pakistan, Mr. John Park said; “Samsung has once again introduced a fabulous product to delight its customers in Pakistan. Com-

bining high image performance, creative functionality and aesthetic appeal, the WB100 is the ideal camera for those looking to capture their world in perfect detail, creating stunning images”. WB100 deliver superior quality images but it is also a pleasure to use. Its easily-navigated menu screen makes the WB100 a versatile and

Lahore: The Lahore Transport Company (LTC) is to give a handheld device for issuing bus tickets a weeklong trial run with a view to putting one on each bus operating in the city. The e-ticketing pilot project will be launched on an Albayrak bus on the B-28 route (Airport to Valencia Town) in a few days, LTC officials told. A passenger getting on the bus will tell the conductor her destination. The conductor will type it into the handheld device, which will give a ticket printout for the passenger. The device will be equipped with WiFi, GPRS and GPS, so it can send real time data on number of passengers to a central computer equipped with software to keep track of numbers and do comparative studies. The main data centre

can also monitor the movement of the buses through a GPS device installed in the buses. According to the LTC, some 20 per cent of revenue is lost due to conductors’ negligence. LTC IT Manager Badieur Rehman told that the e-ticketing project would address this problem as the exact number of passengers would be known. The devices would raise revenue, he said. The handheld devices would also prevent the conductors from overcharging passengers, he said. If the test run is successful, the devices would be introduced on all buses. A private company is providing the handheld device and software for the pilot project. The device, according to the company’s officials, costs around Rs70,000.

The last experiment in the city with handheld devices was a failure. A private company introduced them at two parking areas to issue parking tickets. But, according to company officials, the devices had connectivity problems and printing faults so they often failed to print out tickets. The fee collectors then had to resort back to issuing manual tickets. The LTC is currently conducting a survey on various routes to assess the workability of the eticketing project and whether more buses are needed on the routes. The city has 54 official routes for high-occupancy vehicles, of which 34 are operational. Companies like Albayrak, Foton Busco, Platform, PakOz, Pak-Kor and others run more than 350 buses in Lahore. n aircraft in its fleet which will enable the airline to offer better services to its customers and will have savings with regard to fuel costs and maintenance costs, as presently the airline fuel cost is around 60% as compared to the industry average of 35%. Mr. Hussain Lawai in his address said that good news is that very soon in first phase PIA will be getting four newer narrow body aircraft on Lease from its own resources and no further loans will be obtained. He said that a complaint cell will be established with active participation of shareholders. Later the shareholders approved the annual accounts for year 2012. n

MD PIA Muhammad Junaid Yunus addresses PIA shareholders at the 56th annual general meeting.

Beware of fake SMS of BISP looting people

Islamabad: Benazir Income Support Programme was started to provide financial assistance to low-income families. But few people are using the name of this Benazir Income Support Programme to loot innocent people. Fraud people send a fake SMS to the people, informing them that you have won a prize of Rs. 25,000 and then they make fool through a very tricky way if you receive any such SMS, immediately inform the police or FIA. n

Lahore gets e-ticketing system for buses SAARC members vow to

PIA to acquire fuel-efficient planes told in 56th annual general meeting

Lahore: Hussain Lawai, Senior Member PIA Board of Directors presided over the 56th annual general meeting of Pakistan International Airlines. Managing Director PIA, Muhammad Junaid Yunus and Member Board Mr. Javed Akhter were also present at the occasion.

easy-to-use camera designed to capture clear, beautiful, mistake-free photos with ease. Available in Black or Red, it is a stylish and versatile tool with a range of creative features including Smart Filter and Magic Frame, designed to enhance image quality along with the shooting experience. The soft hand grip combined with the metallic design gives a sleek, seamless feel; attractive as well as ergonomically pleasing, its style compliments its comfortable handling. Samsung aims to make its customers life pleasant, convenient and comfortable experience, as they enjoy the innovative, luxurious appliances and digital entrainment products like WB 100 from truly a global technology leader. n

PIA shareholders appreciated present management’s role in maintaining the airline operations with a fleet constraint and other factors affecting the airline especially inconsistency and frequent change of Management. They demanded consistency and continuity of manage-

ment to implement their plan effectively to achieve desired results. Earlier Mr. Junaid Yunus in his address said that the airline is in an urgent need to induct new aircraft in its fleet to meet demand and capacity. He said that the airline is in the process to acquire 12 narrow body fuel efficient

enhance business environment

SAARC Countries dignitaries and RCCI officials during the SAARC Business Development Conference in Islamabad.

Islamabad: SAARC Commercial Counselors agreed to enhance trade relation with each other to promote regional trade; SAARC region has immense potential of trading activities but in the past the members of the said association focused on western trade markets which badly affect the regional economic growth. Cooperation among the member states for endorsing of business activities will be enhanced, said by SAARC Commercial Counselors during the SAARC Business Development Conference arranged by Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Islamabad. Speaking on the occasion President RCCI Manzar Khurshid Sheikh said that chamber’s prime goal is to endorse bilateral trade among SAARC States to develop the region. He said that Pakistan and India are two major stakeholders of the region and political tension between them badly affect the regional trade activities. He was of the view that promoting trade ties will reduce the tension and it is in the interest of both the countries for future development. President Rawalpindi chamber said, RCCI

already striving hard to enhance business relations among neighboring states and have organized 10 single countries expos in SAARC countries in 2012 and committed to organized 12 Expos in 2013. He hoped that SAARC Business Conference will achieve desirable results. The envoys includes Deputy High Commissioner India Gopal Baglay and First Secretary Sadanandan Nambiar, Sri Lanka First Secretary and Commercial Counselor MS. Wijayanthi Edirisinghe, D.P. Bhandari Counselor Embassy of Nepal, Suzil Ahmed First Secretary High Commission Maldives and Munir Yousafzai Commercial Attache Embassy of Afghanistan, President RCCI Manzar Khurshid Sheikh, Secretary Commerce Munir Qureshi, D.G Trade Development Authority Shahzad Hassan Rana, representatives of SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry, FPCCi President Zubair Ahmed Malik, President Lahore Chamber Farooq Iftikhar, President Islamabad Chamber Zafar Bakhtawri, government officials and other members of the RCCI were also present on the occasion. n

NEWS

Fr e e d o w n l o a d | f la r e.p k

Zong CNS Amateur Golf Cup 2013 concludes

Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Muhammad Asif Sandila (center) along with (left to right) Ali Kamran, Niaz A. Malik, Feng Tuixian and Yan Zhaohui of Zong at prize distribution ceremony of CNS Ameteur Golf Cup 2013.

Islamabad: Rao Hassan of Rawalpindi Golf Club lifted the Chief of the Naval Staff Amateur Golf Cup 2013 net category title with his total score of 208 on the final day of the event which concluded at Margalla Greens Golf Club. Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral M Asif Sandila graced the occasion as chief guest. Ghazanfar Mahmood of Rawalpindi Golf

Club won the gross category with total gross score of 218. Mubariz Ahmed remained runners-up with 217 and Tariq Mehmood finished third after carding 217. Rao Hassan of Rawalpindi Golf Club carded 208 to top the net category and was followed by Nosher Khan with 213 while Minhaj Maqsood Warraich finished on third spot. with

214. Col Sajid Nawaz won the senior’s gross title with 143 score followed by Lt Col M Shafi (155). Brig (R) Tanveer Rafi won the seniors net category with 142 and Rear Admiral Saleem Akhtar with 145 remained runners up. In ladies events, Ami Quin with net 74 won the title followed by Saima Ijaz with 66 in the second spot while in the net cat-

egory, the winner was Navaal Irfan with a score of 63 followed by Ramisha Ijaz (68). Master Asad Atiq won the juniors gross title with total score of 73. Master Rao M Haris grabbed runners up position with 82. Hazaifa Aslam won the juniors net category with 73 and Saad Aslam remained runners up with 74. While addressing the

on the occasion Chief of the Naval Staff said that Pakistan Navy has made a significant contribution to promote golf by regularly organizing national level tournaments. He added that this championship was a memorable event, which would leave a lasting impact on the minds and hearts of golf lovers throughout the country and the ambience of this beautiful course will be cherished for long. Mr. Feng Tuixian, CFO of Zong said “I would like to thank all the participators who participated in this championship for their enthusiasm and competitive spirit. While all championships must eventually end with one winner getting the trophy, in actuality everyone who participated in this championship is a winner.” Chief of the Naval Staff congratulated winners and all participants for performing well during the championship. The Admiral also thanked the sponsors, especially Chinese Embassy and Zong Pakistan for extending their support to the game. n

ICT R&D Fund offers ICT research awards

Islamabad: National ICT R&D Fund has announced the National ICT Research and Development awards 2013, for which it will be rewarding the winners with Millions of Rupees as reward money. This first of its kind awards by National ICT R&D are likely to continue every year with an aim to acknowledge the efforts of Pakistani organizations, researchers, academicians, professionals, engineers, etc. in the area of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to boost the development of an ICT focused R&D culture in Pakistan. Award categories are: n ICT based Products/Systems/Applications. n Published Research Papers. Each award will consist of a certificate and a cash award for First Prize Rs. 1.5 million, Second Prize Rs. 1.0 million and Third Prize is Rs. 0.5 million. In addition a grant up to Rs 2.5 million may be awarded to the winners (or the winning teams) through their parent institution(s) to pursue further R&D in a related area of interest. n

Mobilink brings missed call, SMS service

ZONG has received an overwhelming response of its Carnama offer which was concluded recently. Pictures show ZONG’s representatives distributing cars key to Muhammad Salman (2nd left) of Hyderabad and Fahimullah (3rd left) of Islamabad.

LCCI endorses WB Business Registration Reforms initiative

Lahore: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry endorsed Business Registration Reforms Programme initiated by the World Bank aimed at establishing onestop-shop for businesses registration through coordination among SECP, FBR and EOBI. The LCCI President Farooq Iftikhar was talking to a seven-member World Bank team led by Senior

Financial Sector Development Specialist Sarwat Aftab. The LCCI Senior Vice President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, Vice President Mian Abuzar Shad, Executive Committee Members Ahmad Husnain, Mudassor Masood Chaudhry, Shaoib Zahid Malik and Mian Zahid Javed Ahmad also spoke on the occasion and gave their respective point of view on WB initiative.

The LCCI President said that the establishment of one-stop-shop for registration of businesses would not only help push Pakistan up on the ladder of ease of doing business but it would also be saving the businessmen from many unnecessary hassles. He said that a number of businesses avoid registration only because of lengthy and cumbersome

procedures. He also blamed procedures hitches for low tax-to-GDP ratio. He said that the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry would be willing to establish onestop-shop for registration of businesses at its premises as soon as the WB completes its study on the subject and reaches a conclusion. The LCCI President said that the very concept of one-stop-shop is introduced by the emerging economies, in contrast to this concept; there are 30 departments in Pakistan which have to be approached by the businessmen to get registered. LCCI President said that One-stop-shop should be a centrally monitored

activity. Its work and actions should be closely supervised and not just left on their own to function so that it can be prevented from becoming the thirty first departments like the previously mentioned thirty departments which only prove to become speed breakers to the business inventiveness and initiatives. He said that the above mentioned procedures can prove to be effective tools in battling with the deadly epidemic of corruption which is proving fatal for the already dappled economy of Pakistan. Corruption is an issue which is the second deadliest after the energy crisis in our country and we should make every possible effort to expunge this blight. n

Islamabad: Mobilink has offered a new service to its customers with which they will be able to generate missed calls and send SMS to their friends when they don’t have balance. Mobilink said that customers will have to buy the bundle of 5 missed calls and 2 SMS for Rs. 2.25 plus tax per week. Once subscribed, customers can generate missed calls to let their FnF know that they want to get in touch. Customers will be allowed to send 2 text messages as well. Customers have to dial *600# to subscribe to this service. n

NEWS

Fr e e d o wnload | f l ar e.p k

EU envoy urges to enforce competition laws Make the CCP as strong as the Election Commission of Pakistan, give it more resources and use it to the fullest. Improved competition will be a win-win governance issue, which will benefit Pakistan and all of its consumers, says Ambassador of EU to Pakistan

Islamabad: The incoming government should enhance trade and business with India and implement competition laws to improve economic conditions in the country. This was suggested by Ambassador of European Union to Pakistan Lars-Gunnar Wigemark recently at an international conference on the ‘Role of Competition in fostering trade and investment’. The event was organised by Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP). “I have one message for the incoming government. Be inspired by the recent elections and create a truly level economic playing field for business in Pakistan,” Mr Wigemark said, adding that the incoming government needs to enforce the existing competition laws in the country. “Make the CCP as strong as the Election Commission of Pakistan, give it more resources

and use it to the fullest,” he said. Improved competition will be a win-win governance issue, which will benefit Pakistan and all of its consumers, he urged. “You have a strong political mandate. Use it and try to get rid of cartels, price-fixing, distorting subsidies and kick-backs. These are hampering both domestic economic growth and the inflow of foreign investment and trade,” he said. Mr Wigemark said that competition will also attract investment in innovative technologies and foster growth and development. He said that EU is Pakistan’s largest trading partner, at 8.2 billion euros, adding: “But Pakistan’s largest trading partner should not be the EU, rather its neighbours. “To realise the potential for trade and investment in the region, a strong competition sys-

tem will be essential,” he added. The conference was attended by many international experts from India, Canada, USA, Europe and other regions. Chairperson CCP Rahat Konain, welcoming the participants, expressed gratitude that their presence in the country under foray negative news, shows their confidence in the country and the efforts of CCP. She said that competition in economy is essential to improve efficiencies and fair play. “If you are pro-business, you have to be procompetition and vice versa. This is the general rule but generating acceptability of this notion has been one of the most formidable challenges for the CCP in gradually winning over confidence of the business community,” she said. She highlighted the resistance to CCP by various lobbies and said: “Despite, the enactment of the law, our struggle

continues – in one form or the other.” These issues include acute financial constraints, struggle for financial autonomy, coping with an ever increasing litigation portfolio and pursuing disposal of cases before the courts, she added. Among the cases taken up by the CCP against business giants includes establishment of International Clearing House (ICH) in the Telecom Industry, which has been

Islamabad: Islamabad High Court (IHC) has dismissed an intra court appeal filed by Sajjad Awan, Director General PTA challenging his posting as Director General HR Pool within PTA. Sajjad Awan, a closed aide of Farooq Awan, ex-Chairman of Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) was given charge of three most

powerful posts of Director Generals in PTA, i.e., Enforcement, HR and Law in November 2012 despite having non relevant qualifications and experience. Sajjad played a key role in appointment of international consultants for auction of multi-billion dollar 3G spectrum that was not approved by the Member Finance and Member

Technical of PTA and was later on scrapped after NAB declared the appointments as illegal and in violation of Public Procurement Rules. Sajjad continued his posting as DG Enforcement till appointment of Farooq Awan as Chairman PTA was declared illegal by Lahore High Court (LHC) on account of conflict of interests in January

2013. After Farooq Awan left the charge, Sajjad was transferred by two Members’ Authority and this order of transfer was challenged by Sajjad in IHC. Single bench of IHC, comprising of Justice Anwar Khan Kasi dismissed Awan’s Writ Petition along with four other deputationists who were brought into PTA by Farooq Awan.

Sajjad Awan filed an intra-court appeal against the decision and Divisional Bench of IHC granted him a stay order against the order of single bench. So Sajjad and four deputationists continued their working on same posts in PTA. The Bench comprising of Justice Riaz Ahmad Khan and Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui has now rejected the appeal of Sajjad Awan and

Karachi: Sindh High Court (SHC) directed cellular companies to ensure that all the franchise holders are mandatorily required to obtain the biometric system and fingerprint devices to be connected with Nadra. Hearing petitions regarding the missing persons, the SHC’s division bench, headed by Chief Justice Mushir Alam, also directed that with effect from July 1, 2013 no fresh cellular connection or SIM or reactivation shall be issued without biometric thumb printing verification from Nadra. “In order to ensure safety of life and property of the citizens of Pakistan, the cellular com-

panies should ensure that with effect from July 1, 2013 no SIMs shall be issued across the counter directly or through its franchise or licence holders, and SIMs should be issued after verification from Nadra by taking thumb impression verification,” the court ordered. The PTA counsel submitted that large number of unregistered SIMs have been blocked while new SOP and directives have been issued with regard to registration of SIMs. He said the prime minister had already issued directives that by February, 2013, all SIMs are to be linked up with the biometric system. The court observed the

keeping in view the increase of crimes by using cellular technology and also examine issuing necessary directive to the cellular companies for the retention of data by enhancing its capacity. The court directed that all cellular companies should be equipped with GPS facility to facilitate the law enforcement agencies in tracking down the culprits, cellular bomb or explosive device. The court asked the

PTA to initiate the process while taking the Ministry of Interior and Defence into confidence. On CDR data issue, the counsel of cellular companies submitted that one window operation should be made operational as different law enforcement agencies require CDR and other mobile phone data. Additional Chief Secretary Muhammad Waseem submitted that since ISI operates in a very limited fashion in selected cases while police require information on regular basis therefore focal person of police be appointed to collect the information. The court directed the IG Sindh and additional chief sec-

IHC voids DG PTA appeal against transfer

held in violation of the Competition Act. The various topics discussed in the conference included Detecting Cartels, promoting advocacy, nexus with competition regime and the ‘Public Procurement’. Dr Gabriele Herlemann, Judge at public procurement tribunal, German Competition Authority also addressed the event. “In Germany, three main and most important points of public pro-

curement are substantive law regulating the award procedure are transparency, non-discrimination and competition as the key principles for the award procedure,” Dr Herlemann said. Tenderers have the right to demand that provisions concerning the award procedure are complied with by the contracting authority, adding: “There are tribunal and civil courts that can be approached by the tenderers.” Meanwhile, speakers from Pakistan highlighted various forms of collusive bidding in the public procurement procedures. They demanded the government to revamp the entire procedure. Some of the speakers even criticised the courts for accepting all the appeals filed by the accused, following which the cases continue to linger for years without any outcome. n four deputationists, thus upholding the decision of single bench. PTA is currently without a Chairman and Members, first time in its history, due to meddling of previous Government which wanted to appoint its handpicked and blue eyed baboos in order to capture the lucrative multibillion dollar telecom sector and forthcoming 3G auction. n

Court orders SIMs verification through biometric system

biometric system and finger printing verification are accessible devices. Citizens-Police Liaison Committee’s counsel pointed out that since the ATM, credit cards and other similar services are provided at the postal address of the beneficiary, the SIMs can also be provided through the courier service and not across the counter. The court directed the PTA to examine retention of data beyond 365 days

retary to make effective mechanism by appointing focal person to call required cell phone data. The court directed IG Sindh to appoint qualified and experienced investigators at central places to assist the entire police force under one roof and such organisational mechanism setup may be established with capacity of GSM locater. The additional chief secretary assured the court that funding and resources to build capacity of focal persons and investigation centres will be made by the government for which he shall place a proposal. The court adjourned the hearing till July 17. n

NEWS

Fr e e d o w n l o a d | fl a re. p k

Aslam Hayat joins Telenor as CCAS officer

Islamabad: Muhammad Aslam Hayat has been appointed as Chief Corporate Affairs and Security Officer (CCAS) in Telenor Pakistan. He will be joining the company from 8 July 2013. Muhammad Aslam Hayat is an ICT regulatory professional who is currently working as Centre Director (CEO) of Pacific ICT Regulato-

ry Resource Centre (PIRRC) in Suva, Fiji, a World Bank Project. In his role at PIRRC, he is responsible to engage with all Pacific ICT Regulators and Ministries. Before joining PIRRC, he worked in Grameenphone (a Telenor subsidiary), Bangladesh for five years mainly advising in legal, regulatory and stakeholder man-

agement matters, making strategies and building capacity of Corporate Affairs Division. He has also worked as consultant to Telenor Pakistan from 2004 till 2006 advising on legal and regulatory matters. During his first tenure in Telenor Pakistan one of his key achievements was to lead the team of mobile operators of Pakistan in limiting mobility of WLL operators and successfully obtained a determination from the regulator. He also assisted in obtaining the LDI License for Telenor Pakistan and also contributed towards MNP and IMEI frameworks and proposed amendments in Pakistan Telecommunication (Reorganization) Act 1996 and in Pakistan Telecommunication Rules 2000. During his tenure in Ministry of Information Technology from 2002 till 2004 he was part of the team, which worked on ICT policies in Pakistan including Telecom Deregulation Policy 2003, Mobile Cellular

Intel Corporation took the wraps off its brand new, low-power, highperformance micro-architecture named Silvermont. The technology is aimed squarely at lowpower requirements in market segments from smartphones to the data center. Silvermont will be the foundation for a range of innovative products beginning to come to market later this year, and will also be manu-

factured using the Company's leading-edge, 22nm Tri-Gate SoC manufacturing process, which brings significant performance increases and improved energy efficiency. "Silvermont is a leap forward and an entirely new technology foundation for the future that will address a broad range of products and market segments," said Naveed Siraj, Country

Manager, Intel Pakistan. "Early sampling of our 22nm SoCs, including "Bay Trail" and "Avoton" is already garnering positive feedback from our customers. Going forward, we will accelerate future generations of this low-power micro-architecture on a yearly cadence." The Silvermont micro-architecture delivers industry-leading performance-per-watt effi-

FBR recover Book your Rs 2 billion favourite Warid from PTA

Policy 2004 and Universal Service Fund Policy, 2006. He has also drafted various ICT laws for Pakistan. “I am looking forward to coming back to Pakistan and am delighted to be joining Telenor Pakistan again with whom I have a fond association. I am also very keen to start working with an energetic and dedicated team with whom I am confident that together we will make a difference, shape better environment to do business and make our stakeholders successful.” said Muhammad Aslam Hayat, appointed Chief Corporate Affairs & Security Officer of Telenor Pakistan. “I am delighted to have Aslam in my top management team. With his very sound stakeholder engagement and regulatory experience in Pakistan and abroad I am very confident that we will be able to forge stronger relationships with our key stakeholders in Pakistan.” said Lars Christian Iuel, CEO Telenor Pakistan. n

Islamabad: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Large Tax-Payer Unit (LTU) Islamabad wing recovered Rs 2.038 from Pakistan Telecommunication Authority under the head of unpaid taxes by freezing its accounts in Islamabad. According to sources, bank accounts were held and then freed after the recovery of unpaid taxes from year 2006. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and LTU Islamabad were long running this dispute over taxes. There was a time when PTA had not paid any taxes for ten years valuing over Rs. 10 billion. PTA claims that it is a government body itself and must pay all the revenues to government exchequer itself, however, LTU Islamabad is of the view that taxes must be collected from the revenues that PTA generates – in accordance with law – and this way the money will ultimately go to government exchequer. FBR had collected Rs 3.43 billion in 2010 by carrying a similar action against the telecom authority. n

ciency. The highly balanced design brings increased support for a wider dynamic range and seamlessly scales up and down in performance and power efficiency. Naveed Siraj further said Intel's Silvermont micro-architecture was designed and

co-optimised with Intel's 22nm SoC process using revolutionary 3-D Trigate transistors. By taking advantage of this industry-leading technology, Intel is able to provide a significant performance increase and improved energy efficiency. n

Intel launches new brand 'Silvermont'

Dawlance unveils world's largest direct cool refrigerator

Lahore: On a hot day with the temperatures rising from 45-50° C, in the middle of a power failure where would you find a chilled glass of water? Due to the Prevailing situation of electricity availability, voltage fluctuations and power shutdowns in Pakistan, these are one of the smaller issues that have become part of our day to day lives. Consumer lifestyles and preferences are now being greatly influenced by these scenarios. In-fact people now prefer to set their daily engagements and plans keeping into consideration the electricity shutdown schedules.

As far as the consumer durable industry is concerned, these unstable power supply/voltage fluctuations have become one of the major causes behind the appliances failure. Since most of the appliances can work best at 220 volts hence due to the frequent voltage fluctuations or supply of very high/ very low voltage, either the products fail to function or require a stabilizer which subsequently involves an additional cost to pocket. Not only does the energy problem hamper economic growth but also creates a nuisance in the day to day activi-

ties of the common households, and activities like washing clothes, house ventilation and food preservation, to name a few, are severely affected due to frequent power failures. Now consumers are in dire need for a solution and though alternatives like generators and UPS do provide some relief, they are not affordable by the masses. Food preservation is one of the major issues faced by these families, lack of electricity and constant fluctuation causes refrigerators to malfunction, hence the basic purpose of preserving and cooling food items is lost. n

Mobilink brings Wikipedia Zero to Pakistan

Lahore: Mobilink has launched Wikipedia Zero with the aim of providing its customers with free access to the world’s largest general reference database. The source will be available for Mobilink’s prepaid customers who will have free access round the clock to the full mobile version of Wikipedia. Mobilink customers will also be able to view these articles in Urdu on supported handsets. Farid Ahmad, Vice President Marketing Mobilink commenting on the launch of Wikipedia Zero said, “As Pakistan’s leading mobile internet provider we are proud to partner with the world’s sixth largest website to offer our customers free access to Wikipedia. We hope that our customers will enjoy browsing through

Wikipedia on Pakistan’s fastest mobile data network.’’ The service is offered in continuation of Mobilink’s ideology of providing its customers the best mobile internet experience. On the other hand, this service will also complement Mobilink’s recent contract with UNESCO for its mTaleem projects where under and unprivileged women from the rural areas are formally taught through mobile phone services and SMS. The service is available for all new and existing prepaid customers free of cost by accessing Wikipedia at m.wikipedia.org OR zero.wikipedia.org from either their native mobile browser or through Opera Mini. n

number online

Lahore: Warid Telecom has started new exciting service through which customers can book their favourite Warid numbers online. Warid website allows an easy process to search favourite numbers. Potential buyers can search for a particular number, name or date of birth. A list of all available numbers appeared when search query is entered, from where customers can select their favourite Warid number. Upon CNIC and other verifications, the number is allotted which one can get easily. URL : http://waridtel.com/cs/o nline-sim.php. n

Warid joins SKM to mark World No Tobacco Day 2013

Lahore: Pakistan’s most trusted cellular network Warid Telecom with an aim at bringing a positive change in society and to promote a healthy lifestyle in collaboration with Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre marked ‘World No Tobacco Day 2013’ by driving a massive anti-tobacco awareness campaign which highlighted the adverse effects of using tobacco.

Warid also supported Shaukat Khanum Hospital Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in collecting donations for treatment of poor lung cancer patients. Mr. Faisal Sultan, CEO, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre said “I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to Warid Telecom for their support during Anti-Tobacco Campaign 2013. Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre is a unique institution which aims to treat cancer patients irrespective of their ability to pay. This is possible only because of the support of responsible organizations like Warid.”

NEWS

Fr e e d o wnload | fl ar e. pk

Picture shows Zong’s top management with Circle team cutting the cake at the launch ceremony.

ZONG launches ‘Circle’: an exciting youth brand Islamabad: ZONG has launched an exciting youth brand –Circle – with the tagline “Hamesha Together”, offering the best rates for the youth. The tagline “Hamesha Together” reflects the concept of how important it is for youth to be able to connect and stay in touch with their

circle of friends, in order to amplify their life experiences. Launched after several research and testing studies in the past year, the Circle is the most convenient and economical “brand” for the youth. It offers the most pocket friendly sms and call rates for the youth as

well. Circle will be launched thorugh a unique campaign on the 12th of June which speaks to the youth in their language and is the perfect product for their needs. One of the most innovative features of Circle is the all new Circle Club. Now, by joining

the Circle Club, youngsters can stay in touch with their friends, always – hence, “hamesha together”. The circle club feature can be activated by simply dialing *456# from any Zong sim, or by buying a new circle sim. Sajid Mehmood, Chief Commercial Officer of ZONG, states, “The

Serena observes World Environment Day

Mr. Michel A. Galopin, General Manager Islamabad Serena Hotel and Ms. Rizwana Kausar – UN Habitat Representative look on during the seminar.

Islamabad: The World Environment Day (WED) is observed on June 5 every year to promote the awareness on the importance of preserving our biodiversity, need to identify problems related to the environment and ways to

take corrective action. Islamabad Serena Hotel celebrated the World Environment Day 2013 in collaboration with the UN Habitat on June 5, 2013 at Sheesh Mahal, Islamabad Serena hotel. The theme for this year’s World Environ-

ment Day celebrations was Think.Eat.Save. Think.Eat.Save is an anti-food waste and food loss campaign that encourages you to reduce your foodprint. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), every year 1.3 bil-

lion tonnes of food is wasted. This is equivalent to the same amount produced in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, 1 in every 7 people in the world go to bed hungry and more than 20,000 children under the age of 5 die daily

youth form a major bulk of the population of Pakistan, about 63 percent. This shows that it is our responsibility to to empower the young people in our country and help them build their skills and talent. ZONG has always supported and encouraged the youth of Pakistan and helped from hunger. Given this enormous imbalance in lifestyles and the resultant devastating effects on the environment, this year’s theme – Think.Eat.Save – encourages to become more aware of the environmental impact of the food choices you make and empowers you to make informed decisions. This year’s campaign rallies you to take action from your home and then witness the power of collective decisions you and others have made to reduce food waste, save money, minimise the environmental impact of food production and force food production processes to become more efficient. As part of Serena Environmental and Educational Development program and to commemorate the World Environment Day, the Islamabad Serena Hotel has hosted an interactive dialogue to give awareness to its

them nurture their talent, through several initiatives in a wide range of areas from sports, fashion, to music. Our new initiative, Circle, offers the cheapest packages to the youth to help them stay in touch with their friends and loved ones, in a simple way”. n

associates. The event was addressed by Ms. Rizwana Kausar – UN Habitat Representative, Dr. Moin Uddin – Corporate Director Business Strategy Tourism Promotion Services and Mr. Omer Khalil - Health & Safety Manager Islamabad Serena Hotel. Speeches and a documentary regarding food wastage reduction were held. The General Manager Islamabad Serena Hotel – Mr. Michel A. Galopin has given the closing remarks. Mr. Michel told the participants that how much energy was consumed during a food manufacturing and how could we save the food from wastage. He said that every individual should have to come forward to save the food from wastage. He said if we prepare the exact quantity of food as per our regular need then betterment could be observed in this regard. n

NEWS

Ufone brings U 3G EVO Wireless Broadband

Islamabad: Ufone is offering U 3G EVO wireless broadband services for its customers to experience the 3.1 Mpbs speed across the Pakistan. To enrich the customers and facilitate the high end internet speed experience and also sharing connectivity of 3G EVO Wi-Fi Cloud. These four devices are categorizes the speed starting from 3.1 Mpbs to 9.3 Mpbs respectively including 3G EVO

Wingle offered with cloud connectivity and 3G EVO Wingle with USP interface facility. Ufone is pride about the wirelss broadband services for its value customers and striving to offer best services in the region. After the introduction of these Ufone EVO devices the customers will experience the high bandwidth, excellent internet speed and affordable rates. n

SC issues notices to PTA, USF, MoIT in 3G technology case

Islamabad: The Supreme Court issued notices to the management of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Universal Services Fund (USF) and Ministry of Information Technology (MoIT) for final parawise reply in the introduction of 3G technology in telecommunication within 10 days. The three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry including Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Ejaz Afzal resumed hearing of the 3G technology case. The court also issued notice to Attorney Gener-

al of Pakistan for the assistance of the court and sought constitutionality of section 33-A (3) of the Pakistan Telecommunication reorganization Act 1993. Ali Raja counsel for petitioner Khurram Shahzad Chughtai informed the court that PTA failed to discharge its constitutional duties and added that the benefits of the introduction of 3G technology in telecom sector should reach to people. He said that USF was receiving billions of funds annually from federal and provincial governments but its contribution in the sector is below par. n

Fr e e d o w n l o a d | f la re .p k

Anusha asks PSEB for establishing Software Tech parks Islamabad: The Minister of State for IT Ms Anusha Rahman directed Pakistan Software Export Board to develop a database of all the entrepreneurs in the software industry and help them in contacting the global market that will eventually increase export earnings. She stated this after briefings from various attached departments and organizations working under the Ministry of Information Technology which included National Telecommunication Corporation, Universal Services Fund, Virtual University, Pakistan Software Export Board and National ICT R & D Fund. The Minister explained that the focus of the present government would be on human resource development in ICT sector for creation of better employment opportunities, moreover, this sector will contribute in economic growth and revenue generation. PSEB was further directed to make a plan for establishing of Software Technology Parks across the country through joint ventures with local and

foreign investors. The Minister further advised the Virtual University and PSEB to jointly prepare VU ICT curriculum after consultation with the industry in order to mitigate the gaps between academia and IT industry so that young graduates have better employment opportunities. The Minister directed ICT R&D to make proposals on focusing on research and development in next generation telecom networks and new technologies instead of wasting resources on those activities which are not mandate of the company. The Minister further desired USFCo to provide ICT services to unserved and underserved areas especially in schools, colleges and libraries of these areas. The Minister has directed to fill all vacant positions on priority specially the Chief Executives of TF, PSEB and USF through a transparent and merit based system so that competent professionals from all over the world be considered for selection on these posts. n

PTCL remains committed to empowering talented youth

Aniqa actives Sony brings as Jehanzeb Xperia M left Mobilink dual SIM smartphon

Islamabad: Vice-President, Mobile Financial Services, Mobilink, Jahanzeb Taj, has resigned from his position. He joined Mobilink as VP Sales in March 2009 and later moved to Head Marketing Department as VP. Previously, Jehanzeb had served Telenor for its sales department. Mobilink has named Aniqa Afzal Sandhu as new Head of MFS (Acting). Aniqa has been with Mobilink since 2006, and launched Mobilink’s Mobile Financial Services division, under the brand name of Mobicash, in November 2012. Aniqa would report to Bilal Sheikh, Chief Commercial Officer She has been responsible for initiating and developing the MFS business at Mobilink, with oversight over MFS strategy, setting up of the dedicated Business Unit, proliferating organizational and group-wide awareness and buy-in and for introducing several pioneering Mobile Financial Services to the Pakistan market. Aniqa is a graduate of the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). n

Warid introduces IVR service

Islamabad: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Private Limited (PTCL)upheld their promise to promote and empower talented youth at Education Expo in Islamabad. Syed Mazhar Hussain, PTCL SEVP HR at a panel discussion at Education Conference 2013, held here in Pak China Centre, Islamabad. Being the largest telecommunication services provider in Pakistan, PTCL is empowering the youth of the country through internships and various development programs.

Warid offers lowest call rates for USA, Canada & UK

Lahore, 12th June 2013: Warid Telecom, the leading innovator in Pakistan’s telecom industry, now offers lowest ever international call rates for USA (landline and mobile), Canada (landline and mobile) and UK (landline) through its 111-LCR international calling service. This latest offer allows Warid Prepaid and Glow customers to call their friends and family in USA, UK and Canada throughout the day for

just 90 paisas+tax/minute. There are no hidden charges for this service and no subscription fee. All customers have to do is dial 111 before dialing the desired international number; for instance

111001XXXXXXXXXX for USA and Canada. Warid has also recently launched another international calling offer for Bangladesh and India customized for Prepaid subscribers in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur

regions. The 111-LCR international calling offer is yet another step by Warid Telecom to ensure loved ones around the world stay in touch at the most affordable rates and supreme voice quality. n

Lahore: Warid Telecom introduces joys of TV & radio on mobile phones for its customers and after subscription of IVR service can connect to live audio feed on their cell phones and also many options to browse many radio and TV channels which encompasses the Samaa TV, Dunya News, Urdu 1 and Abtakk for television and FM 100 and FM 106.2 for radio. Warid Radio Station also allows its subscribers to browse through the content catalogue at any time, in the language of their choice, be it Urdu or English. n

Karachi: Sony has announced two new members in its Xperia family in the form of Xperia M and Xperia M dual. Both these smartphones pack in similar specifications, with the Xperia M dual being a dual-SIM smartphone. Sony Xperia M and Xperia M dual sport a 4.0inch TFT display of FWVGA resolution. The smartphones pack in 1GHz dual-core processor along with Adreno 305 graphics. They come with with 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage of which 2.8GB is user-accessible. The storage can be further expanded by up to 32GB via microSD card. Commenting on the launch, Calum MacDougall, Director of Xperia Marketing at Sony Mobile Communications, said, "Consumers looking for their first steps into the world of Xperia smartphones, would be welladvised to look at Xperia M or Xperia M dual. Both models benefit from Sony's proven innovation and engineering expertise, and are perfect for those who want the premium technology and experiences often only associated with high-end models."n

Lahore: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd announced Samsung Galaxy S4 mini, a powerful yet compact version of Samsung’s bestselling smartphone, Galaxy S4. The Galaxy S4 mini delivers the superior performance, intuitive easeof-use and sleek design of the Galaxy S4 in a highly portable, chic and compact design, making it an ideal companion for everyday life. “We appreciate such unprecedented demands for the Galaxy S4 that we aimed to provide users with life companion for a fuller, richer and simpler life. And now, we want to give people more choices with Galaxy S4 mini, similar look & feel of Galaxy S4 for more compact and practical usages ,” said JK Shin, CEO and President of IT & Mobile Communication Division at Samsung Electronics. “The new Galaxy S4 mini provides consumers with a new way to enjoy the flagship Galaxy S4 experience.” n

Mosaic

Flare Report

Bruna Marquezine, actress poses for a picture as Neymar signs his contract with the club, in front of FC Barcelona's offices, close to Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona

Models display the new smartphone handsets of Japanese mobile communication giant NTT Docomo (LR) Sharp's Aquos phone Zeta, Sony's Xperia A, Samsung's Galaxy S4 and Fujitsu's Arrows NX in Tokyo

A South Korean model poses with the world's first curved OLED TV of LG Electronics during an IT show in Seoul

A woman uses her mobile phone to capture Krewella performing at the 2013 Wango Tango concert at the Home Depot Center in Carson.

Fr e e d o w n l o a d | fl a re. p k

A woman talks on a portable phone while holding a banner against genetically modified food during a rally organized by NGOs to mark the World Environment Day in Bucharest

A concert goer wears a bow and has a bow cover on her mobile phone as she captures Ariana Grande performing at the 2013 Wango Tango concert at the Home Depot Center in Carson

Cast member Beth Grant takes pictures with her mobile phone during a photocall for the film "As I Lay Dying" at the 66th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands shows a picture of his family which he got from Trumpf employee Svenja Weikert (R) as a present during his visit at German technology company Trumpf in the company's headquarters in Ditzingen near Stuttgart, southwestern Germany.

NEW S

Is big data a nightmare? Companies have no choice but to leverage all of the data they aggregated before, and start collecting it from new and unfamiliar sources, as well as still provide the same speed and eﬃciency

y now, we all understand the enor- rest with data in motion (including operational mous scale of big data and that en- and transient data that will never be stored in terprises have indeed begun to store, databases) with external data (suppliers, partcollect, and analyze historical data ners, customers via social networks all beyond for intelligent action. This basic minimum is the firewall) with data from mobile devices with not enough, nor will it ever be, as big data con- data from cloud applications without an intetinues to wildly increase. The few companies grated backbone. who actually use big data to continuously imWith data alone, businesses cannot adprove, spot opportunities, and mitigate risks, dress what is clearly laid out for them because all in real time, are soaring past those who let the “new integration” must address so much data collect dust in databases, under the false more. We have all grown to expect real-time reimpression that collecting the data is enough. sults from the data that has already been colThere is no good way to correlate data at lected, and there is no going back. Companies

Fr e e d o w n l o a d | fl ar e. pk

have no choice but to leverage all of the data they aggregated before, and start collecting it from new and unfamiliar sources, as well as still provide the same speed and efficiency. No, this is not a futuristic dream. It’s time companies not only get real-time results, but also wake up and get in touch with reality. In fact, they need to wake up three times because there are three realities that IT is going to face with the “new integration:” 1. Companies need to integrate real-time data into business processes. 2. Businesses will need to deal with data that is beyond the firewall. 3. There is a rise in system as a service (SaaS) tools and the public cloud, so companies will need an integrated cloud solutions. This “new integration” is necessary for the next generation of business. Companies need to collect new data and deliver it to new platforms, as smartphones, tablets, and the cloud have become entrenched in our lives. Before now, companies have addressed projects with point-to-point integration, and anything more than that was over-ambitious. There are just too many platforms, devices and standards for your company to waste time, money, and resources playing connect the dots with the old integration solution. Not only that, but it requires modifications every time an application is upgraded, completely undermining the reasons to integrate. It is time for integration itself to get an upgrade so that companies have the efficient, cost-effective and agile solution to a “big” problem. Integration no longer has to give anyone nightmares. In fact, it should bring the agility to make quick changes, the flexibility to deal with many data types, the ability to support event-driven business processes, and a direct path to return on investment. n

Visa, Mastercard ask court to rule 'swipe' fees legal

Visa and MasterCard want to put an end to the legal morass that began back in 2005 with the settlement, which would amount to about $7.25 billion -- $6.05 billion for past damages and the $1.2 billion for relief

S credit card giants Visa and Mastercard sued retailers that rejected a multibillion-dollar settlement over transaction fees and asked the court to rule the fee practices weren't illegal. The latest legal maneuver comes after years of legal battles over so-called "swipe" fees retailers must pay credit card in each transaction. Last year, in a proposed settlement, Visa, MasterCard and some banks that issue their cards agreed to pay more than $6 billion to millions of merchants that had sued them for allegedly fixing the card use fees. But a number of retailers and trade groups -- including behemoths such as Walmart, Target and Macy's -- have rejected the deal, saying it would not address the underlying concerns over how the fees are set. Recently, the credit card companies launched a counter-attack, asking US District Judge John Gleeson to rule that their fee practices didn't violate antitrust law, according to the complaint filed in the US district court in Brooklyn. Visa and MasterCard want to put an end to the legal morass that began back in 2005 with

the settlement, which would amount to about $7.25 billion -- $6.05 billion for past damages and the $1.2 billion for relief. "We believe the settlement is a reasonable way to end seven years of negotiation. We remain confident that this settlement will be approved in the fall," said Trish Wexler, spokeswoman for the Electronics Payment Coalition, which includes Visa.

A final hearing is scheduled for September 12. The NRF "opposes the settlement because it fails to reform the price-fixing system... or to introduce transparency that would lead to competition to lower the fees," said spokesman Craig Shearman. "Rather than lowering the fees, the card companies have proposed that the fees be passed along to consumers in the form of a surcharge, even though most major retailers

have rejected surcharges." In addition, he argued that the settlement amounts, as shared among millions of retailers, would only amount to about three months worth of transaction fees, which the NRF argued is insufficient. A “Swipe” fee range from about 1.8 percent to 2.5 percent, Visa has said, and is worth about $40 billion annually, according to reports. n

Fr e e d o wnload | f la re .p k

Softbank chief defends $20 billion Sprint takeover bid

The head of Japanese mobile operator Softbank defended his proposed $20 billion takeover of US firm Sprint Nextel, which will see his already heavily indebted company taking on even more loans. Masayoshi Son said Softbank's bid to buy 70 percent of Sprint ultimately offered a better deal for shareholders over the unsolicited $25.5 billion bid from American satellite-television provider DISH Network. "We will bring growth to Sprint which Sprint has

not seen in many years," Son told a press briefing in Japan, rejecting the rival DISH bid as inadequate and "very complicated". The head of Japan's third-biggest mobile operator painted his firm as the one with more experience in debt-financed takeovers and said Softbank's bid could be consummated one year earlier than its rival. The firm had addressed US regulators' concerns over national security tied to a foreign takeover of Sprint, he added. n

Google announced it will offer its personal assistant app Google Now to users of Apple devices, stepping up its challenge to its rival's Siri program. "Google Now is about giving you just the right information at just the right time," Google's Andrea Huey said. "It can show you the day's weather as you get

dressed in the morning, or alert you that there's heavy traffic between you and your butterfly-inducing date -so you'd better leave now! "It can also share news updates on a story you've been following, remind you to leave for the airport so you can make your flight and much more." Google Now, which like Siri is a voice-activated software program -- will be available to users of Apple iPhones and iPads, which use the iOS operating system. "Today, with the launch of Google Now on iPhone and iPad, your smartphone will become even smarter," Huey said. n

Google pushes personal assistant on Apple devices

Sony executives give up bonuses

Dozens of Sony executives including the firm's chief are foregoing bonuses this year in an "unprecedented" step to atone for a slump in its embattled electronics unit, a spokeswoman said. Chief executive Kazuo Hirai is among 40 top managers who will not get a bonus estimated at several hundred million yen (several million dollars) "due to severe business circumstances, including stagnant performance in the electronics sector", the spokeswoman said. The leading Nikkei business daily said the payout

Panasonic to invest $277m in India by 2015

Japanese electronics giant Panasonic will invest 15 billion rupees ($277 million) in advertising and marketing in India over the next three years, its president Kazuhiro Tsuga said. A Panasonic team, led by Tsuga were in India to explore how to increase their presence and business in the country, which currently contributes just one percent to Panasonic's global revenues. India has been identified as a "centrepiece" for the future, alongside Brazil, the

could have totalled 1.0 billion yen ($10 million). Last year, seven top Sony executives gave up their bonuses "but the number this time is unprecedented," she added. The decision comes as the maker of PlayStation consoles eyes a profit after four years in the red. But its troubled electronics unit may remain mired in losses despite Hirai's bid to drag it back to profitability. Sony has launched a massive corporate overhaul that includes thousands of job cuts as it unloads a string of assets, including buildings in Manhattan and Tokyo.n company said. In India, Panasonic competes with rivals like Sony, LG and Samsung in the expanding consumer goods and home appliances sector. Tsuga said he met top Indian industrialists like Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and business heads of the Tata conglomerate group, to explore strategic partnerships. "We are looking to work with industry giants like Reliance and the Tatas," Tsuga told reporters in financial centre Mumbai. But he added that talks are "premature" and they had not decided on the nature of possible tieups. n

NE W S

LinkedIn launches SMS to prevent account hacking

LinkedIn announced that it has added optional two-step authentication to its sign-in process. With this move, LinkedIn joins Google, Microsoft, Twitter, Facebook and numerous other services that have recently enabled twofactor authentication to make it harder for hackers to compromise their users’ accounts. Unlike some of these other services, LinkedIn’s system doesn’t offer a smartphone app. Instead, it can only send codes via SMS. Two-step verification ensures that just having a password (“something you know”) isn’t good enough to compromise an account. Instead, users also need a second factor (“something you have”) to log in to their accounts. Given the recent proliferation of hacked accounts on Twitter and other services, two-factor authentication is quickly becoming the new standard for thwarting unauthorized sign-ins. While it’s a bit of a hassle, it is miles ahead of the standard passwordonly approach. LinkedIn will prompt users for this second factor when it detects that a user is signing in from an unknown computer or device. Unlike some of these other services, LinkedIn’s system doesn’t provide these verification codes through a smartphone app. Instead, it can only send codes via SMS. n

Mexican Senate approves telecom reform

Mexico's Senate approved legislation to open up the telecommunications industry, a sector dominated by TV giant Televisa and billionaire Carlos Slim's phone empire. The bill, already approved by the lower house, is one of the signature reforms being pushed by President Enrique Pena Nieto, who took office in December with a vow to improve the country's competitiveness. "What we are doing is

opening (the market) to competition," Jorge Luis Preciado, a member of the Senate's radio, film and television committee, told. "Now it's everybody against everybody." Slim's fixed-line phone company, Telmex, controls 80 percent of the industry while his cellphone service, Telcel, holds 70 percent of the mobile market. The legislation also aims to break the dominance of the country's two powerful

television broadcasters, Televisa and TV Azteca. Televisa holds 70 percent of broadcast television and 60 percent of the cable market. The legislation passed with 108 votes in favor and three against, with the backing of the leaders of the main opposition parties, the conservative National Action Party (PAN) and the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD). Pena Nieto's Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) entered a grand alliance with its two opposition rivals, dubbed Pact for Mexico, to push the president's reform agenda, which has already overhauled labor laws and the education system. The telecom reform passed despite tensions within the pact over allegations that the PRI was using social programs to win regional elections in July. n

GIFEC wins 2013 World Communication Award

The Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) has won the 2013 Communication, Multimedia and Infrastructure Association of India’s (CMAI) 7th National Telecom Awards.

The Award was in recognition of GIFEC’s excellent performance in the operation of the Universal Access Fund and Service. It was organised by CMAI with the support of the International Telecom Union (ITU), the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation, the Government of India and several Industry Associations. Mr Kofi Attor, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GIFEC, who received the Award on behalf of Ghana said the recognition of the organisation as the Most Outstanding Universal Access Fund, has placed Ghana as the foremost nation in the provision of ac-

cess to electronic communications. He said Ghana has made strides in the provision of basic telephony, information communication technology (ICT), broadcasting, internet and multimedia service to the unserved and underserved communities. Mr Attor said GIFEC was nominated alongside many universal service funds and awarded as the “Best and Excellent Universal Access Fund” based on successes chalked out since the establishment of the agency in 2004 to support and promote technology for the underserved and rural people. n

curity agencies". "Some people say that spying is the second-oldest profession, where people have tried to get information off us for somebody else, so I don't think anyone is surprised that any government around the world is trying to find out what other governments around the world are doing. "Governments have to really focus on what quiet steps they're going to take, accepting no government will really trust 100 percent another government, regardless of the laws, the policies and procedures," he added. n

The world's first web page will be dragged out of cyberspace and restored for today's Internet browsers as part of a project to celebrate 20 years of the Web, organisers said. The European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) said it had begun recreating the website that launched that World Wide Web, as well as the hardware that made the groundbreaking technology possible. The world's first website was about the technology itself, according to CERN, allowing early browsers to learn about the new system and create their own web pages.

The project will allow future generations to understand the origin and importance of the Web and its impact on modern life, CERN web manager Dan Noyes told. "We're going to put these things back in place, so that a web developer or someone who's interested 100 years from now can read the first documentation that came out from the World Wide Web team," he said. The project was launched to mark the 20th anniversary of CERN making the World Wide Web available to the world for free. n

All governments hack secret 20 years on, world's first web page to be reborn data: Huawei

Using the Internet to spy and steal sensitive data is standard practice by all countries, according to the security chief of controversial Chinese telecoms giant Huawei. The comments published follow allegations that Chinese hackers gained access to secret designs for a slew of sophisticated US weapons programmes, and stole the blueprints for Australia's new intelligence agency headquarters. John Suffolk, a former chief information officer with the British government and now head of security operations at Huawei, said he was not surprised by claims of international hacking. "Governments have always done that," he told the Australian Financial Review, adding that the "harsh reality is every government around the world has a similar strap-line for their se-

Fr e e d o w n l o a d | fl a re. p k

NE WS

Huawei's Middle East revenue rose 18pc

China's Huawei Technologies Co's Middle East revenue rose 18 percent to $2.08 billion in 2012 and the roll-out of 4G mobile networks and IT outsourcing will be among its main regional growth drivers, the firm said. The world's secondlargest telecom equipment maker also expects Middle East telecom operators to prioritise improving network efficiency, Shi Yaohong, president of Huawei Middle East. "Operators' shift toward software-defined networks, IT outsourcing and adoption of 4G ... are all going to play a key role in Huawei's future business," said Shi. The disclosure of the

Middle East revenue figures - Huawei declined to reveal its net profit or capital expenditure for the region - may be part of a broader effort to be more open, coming after the company's Chief Financial Officer Cathy Meng hosted her first news conference earlier this year to announce the company's 2012 results. Many Middle East telecom firms, particularly in the wealthy Gulf, have unveiled 4G or longterm evolution (LTE) networks that potentially offer mobile internet speeds more than double that of 3G, but a shortage of devices has caused a slower-than-expected consumer take-up of this technology, said Shi. Shenzhen-based Huawei is also the world's No.5 smartphone maker, competing with the likes of Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. n

Apple raises record $17 billion in bond sale

Technology giant Apple confirmed it sold $17 billion in bonds in the biggest corporate debt issue ever. The bond sale, described in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, broke the record of $16.5 billion from Roche Holding in 2009, according to the research firm Dealogic. The debt-free Apple on offered six tranches of debt, four at fixed rates and two at floating rates with the maturity between three and 30 years. For the three-year bonds, Apple will pay a rate of 0.45 percent, which according to Dealogic is the lowest coupon rate on record, tied with Texas Instruments, Unilever Capital and Walt Disney for comparable notes. The bond maturities go up to 30 years, with a

Google faces new federal antitrust probe

U.S. regulators are in the early stages of an antitrust probe into whether Google Inc, the top player in Web display advertising, breaks antitrust law in how it handles some advertising sales, a source told. The source said that it was unlikely that the Federal Trade Commission had sent out civil investigative demands in relation to the probe, which would be the sign of a formal and more serious investigation. The new line of inquiry focuses on tools acquired when Google bought display ad company DoubleClick in 2007; other firms which specialize in helping Web publishers sell ads

to put on their websites are complaining to the FTC, the source said. The firms have accused Google of leveraging some of its most popular DoubleClick products, such as the ad managing system which has an estimated 80 percent of the market, to push websites to use other products, including Ad Exchange where websites swap ads, the source said. According to a second source familiar with the situation, Google has not been notified of any antitrust investigation so far. Google and the Federal Trade Commission declined comment on the matter. n

Startup glasses overlay Internet on real world While Google prepares to release eyewear that provides a window to the Web, a startup on the edge of its campus is readying glasses that overlay the Internet on the world in 3D. Atheer Labs provided the first public look at prototype eyewear that lets people manipulate virtual objects, maps and more in the air in a style reminiscent of a scene in the film "Minority Report." "The whole idea is that technology is becoming smart enough to wrap itself around you," Atheer co-founder and chief executive Soulaiman Itani said while providing a demonstration. "It is an opportunity of taking the Internet and making it much more immersive, connected and helpful in a non-intrusive way; like our hidden guardian angel." Itani and Atheer chief technology officer Allen Yang described what

their team is building as an extension of the trend of sophisticated mobile technology bringing Internet services to people when they want. "The next step, we believe, is natural interaction through computer vision," Itani said. "We worked hard to do that in portable fashion," he continued. "This is like putting the Xbox and the Kinect and the Internet in your pocket running on a battery." Atheer is working on versions of the eyewear that access the Internet by wirelessly connecting to smartphones or Wi-Fi hotspots and which have telecom chip capabilities to link to mobile phone networks. A prototype device in the Atheer office in a building on the Google campus in the Silicon Valley city of Mountain View allowed a virtual map to be scanned with the turn of a head and virtual objects manipulated. n

Airtel sinks further HTC sees 60pc hike in Q2 Bharti India's top telecoms Sunil Bharti Mittal said: revenue company Bharti Airtel "Market corrections have

rate of 3.85 percent, according to the SEC documents. The company chose to issue debt to finance part of the $100 billion in share buybacks and dividends it pledged to undertake through the end of 2015. Apple had a cash pile of $145 billion at the end of March. But a significant part of the money is in foreign accounts and the company decided it was better to borrow than bring the money back into the US because of tax issues. n

Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC said it expects a sharp rise in second-quarter revenue thanks to a new model, following record quarterly low sales in January-March 2013. First-quarter revenue was Tw$42.8 billion ($1.45 billion) and net profit slumped 98.1 percent yearon-year to a record low of Tw$85 million. But chief executive officer Peter Chou forecast that second-quarter revenue would surge more than 60 percent compared to the first quarter, to Tw$70 billion. "This was a pivotal quarter for HTC," he told an investor conference. "In February our teams set a new standard for smartphones, launching the

new HTC One. The reviews of fans and critics alike have been overwhelmingly positive and we look forward to delivering on the promise of this device." The Android-based model, sporting a 4.7-inch (12 cm) touchscreen and front-facing speakers, was unveiled in London and New York in February. Chou had hailed it as a "technological breakthrough" as he battles fierce competition from the Apple iPhone and Samsung's newly released Galaxy S4. n

said its net quarterly profit halved in its final financial quarter to March, hit by fierce competition and punishing interest charges. Consolidated net profit for the three months to March tumbled to 5.08 billion rupees ($94 million), down from 10.06 billion rupees in the same period a year earlier. The drop in profit marked the phone giant's 13th straight quarterly fall and was well wide of analysts' forecasts of a 7.0-billion-rupee profit, leading to a sharp fall in its shares. Despite the weak earnings, Bharti's billionaire founder and chairman

started... and pricing stability is returning to the sector in India." Weighing on earnings were interest costs from Bharti's hefty debt, incurred from the purchase of a faster 3G spectrum and the African mobile operations of Kuwait's Zain in 2010. The group's Africa operations, which it bought for $10.6 billion to extend its global footprint, are losing money. Bharti, the world's fourth-largest operator globally, with 270 million clients, is one-third held by Singapore's SingTel and operates in 20 countries across Asia and Africa. n

Fr e e d o wnload | f l ar e. pk

NEW S

PlayStation Plus offers multiplayer for service improvements Samsung launches cheapest

PlayStation Plus will be required to play online multiplayer games on PlayStation 4. However, Sony says the cost will ultimately benefit the consumer. "We decided that on PS4, because we want to continue

to invest and improve our new services, we've asked the most engaged consumers in the online activities to share the burden with us so that we can continue to invest," Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida said. Continuing the service for free on PS4 would put pressure on Sony to cut costs, and that would be at odds with the goal of providing "very robust and great online services going forward." "On PS4, the online connectivity features such as second screen, auto downloads and share features--

these are one big pillar of the PS4 experience and we will continue to invest in this area to expand and improve these online features and services," Yoshida told. Current-gen gamers need not worry about the Plus requirement being retroactively applied, however. "What we internally discussed and decided is that we will continue the free access to online play on PS3 and Vita, so that's clear," he said. On the bright side, PlayStation Plus will continue to offer the well-received

Twitter tightens security after breaches

Twitter said it was stepping up security measures for the popular messaging service following a series of high-profile breaches by hackers hitting media organizations and others. Twitter said it would implement a new login verification system, "a form of two-factor authentication" which is "a second check to make sure it's really you" when a user signs in. "Of course, even with this new security option turned on, it's still important for you to use a strong password and follow the rest of our advice for keeping your account secure," said

Jim O'Leary of Twitter Product Security. Some recent attacks took over Twitter feeds and delivered fake tweets using the accounts of Agence FrancePresse, the Associated Press, Financial Times and other news organizations.

Facebook became a full member of the Global Network Initiative, a non-government organization promoting Internet freedom and privacy rights. The announcement came one year after the world's biggest so-

cial network gained observer status at GNI, whose corporate members include Microsoft, Yahoo! and Google. "We welcome Facebook as a full member of GNI and look forward to working more closely with them to advance the freedom of expression and privacy rights of Internet users worldwide," said the group's executive director Susan Morgan. "Adding the power of Facebook's community of one billion global users puts GNI in an even better

Facebook joins Web freedom group

Instant Game Collection bonuses, and one Plus membership gives you the benefits across PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and Vita. Having a Plus membership on PS4 will net you a "Plus" edition of DriveClub, and the indie games Don't Starve, Outlast, and The Secret Ponchos. "In addition to that we add one digital game every month, so they get high quality indie games as well on top of what they get on PS3 and Vita," Yoshida said. "So hopefully that makes people's decision easy to join PS Plus." n

Intensifying the price war in the fast-growing smartphone category in India, South Korean mobile handset maker Samsung Electronics launched its cheapest Galaxy series phone 'Star' priced at Rs 5,240. 'Star' is the cheapest device in Samsung's Galaxy range and competes with the likes of Nokia's Asha range of smartphones as well as similar offerings from domestic firms like Micromax and Karbonn.

"Galaxy Star is a device that provides superior value to consumers based on its features, intuitive performance and design features. We want more and more feature phone users to upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy Star," Samsung Mobile Country Head Vineet Taneja said in a statement here. Previously, Galaxy Y was the cheapest device in Samsung's portfolio and it was available for Rs 5,890. n

China's Premier Li Keqiang has slammed the European Union for plans to probe the country's telecom products and impose taxes on its solar panels, Chinese state media reported. Keqiang said the planned measures would "not only cause serious damage to related industries, enterprises and employment in China, but will also hurt the personal interests of users and consumers in Europe." Keqiang said he hoped the EU would uphold the principles of free trade while keeping China-EU economic and trade relations in place to press governments to fulfill mind. their obligations to protect rights The critique, delivered online." in a speech to business and Facebook vice president Elliot Schrage said the California company joined the group as part of its commitment to "advancing human rights, including freedom of expression and the right to communicate freely." "We're pleased to join GNI and contribute to its efforts to shed a spotlight on government practices that threaten the economic, social and political benefits the Internet provides." n

financial leaders during a visit to Switzerland, echoes previous warnings by China, which has threatened the EU it will take "assertive measures" to defend its interests. The two sides are embroiled in tit-for-tat trade disputes on items ranging from agricultural products to steel tubes, highlighting growing trade tensions amid financial uncertainties around the world. Last week, the European Commission said it would open an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation into mobile telecommunications network equipment and components from China if bilateral negotiations fail.

Last month, hackers spooked markets after breaking into the AP Twitter account and falsely reporting President Barack Obama had been injured after two blasts at the White House. Twitter said the new system would be an option for users, and would allow them to require a verification code for each sign-in. "You'll need a confirmed email address and a verified phone number. After a quick test to confirm that your phone can receive messages from Twitter, you're ready to go," O'Leary said. n

China premier criticises EU for telecom probe, solar panel tax

Samsung sells more than 10 mn Galaxy S4

Solar plane sets distance record on US tour The first manned aircraft that can fly day and night powered only by solar energy set a new distance record when it landed after the second leg of a crosscountry US tour. The Solar Impulse project, founded and led by two Swiss pilots, aims to showcase what can be accomplished without fossil fuels, and has set its "ultimate goal" as an around-the-world flight in 2015. Solar Impulse landed in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas at 1:08 am (0608 GMT) after an 18 hour and 21 minute flight from Phoenix, Arizona, a distance of 1,541

Galaxy Star in India

kilometers (950 miles), organizers said in a statement. "This leg was particularly challenging because of fairly strong winds at the landing. It also was the longest flight -in terms of distance -- ever flown by a solar airplane," the plane's pilot Andre Borschberg said. "You have to understand that the pilot needs to stay awake for more than 20 hours without any autopilot," added Borschberg, who holds the record for the

South Korea's Samsung Electronics said its latest flagship Galaxy S4 had become its fastest selling smartphone to date, topping 10 million units globally less than a month after its debut. A company statement said the S4 had already passed the 10-million sales

mark following its April 26 launch. It's predecessor, the S3, took 50 days to reach the same threshold. The world's top handset maker hopes the S4 will expand its presence in highend markets in the United States and elsewhere, crowding out archrival Apple and its iconic iPhone. n

Fr e e d o w n l o a d | f la re .p k

NE WS

Samsung gives Intel big break in mobile chips

Samsung Electronics announced it would use an Intel processor in the latest model of its popular Galaxy tablets, an important

breakthrough for the world’s biggest chipmaker by revenues in its quest to challenge the dominance of Arm-based chips in mo-

bile devices. Samsung’s 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab 3, which is expected to go on sale this month, will be the first time the South Korean company has used Intel chips in its tablet computers. Previous versions of the Galaxy Tab used chips that are based on Arm Holdings’ designs. The move will provide an early boost for new Intel chief executive Brian Krzanich, who took the helm last month. Mr Krzanich admitted to shareholders that “we were

More than one-third of US marriages begin with online dating, and those couples may be slightly happier than couples who meet through other means, a US study found. Online dating has ballooned into a billion-dollar industry and the Internet "may be altering the dy-

namics and outcome of marriage itself," said the study by US researchers in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research is based on a nationally representative survey of 19 131 people who married between 2005 and 2012. "We found evidence for a dramatic shift since the advent of the Internet in how people are meeting their spouse," said the study, led by John Cacioppo of the University of Chicago's Department of Psychology. However, some experts took issue with the findings because the survey was com-

missioned by eHarmony.com, the dating site that attracted one quarter of all online marriages according to the research. Cacioppo acknowledged being a "paid scientific advisor" for the website, but said the researchers followed procedures provided by the Journal of the American Medical Association and agreed to oversight by independent statisticians. People who reported meeting their spouse online tended to be age 30-49 and of higher income brackets than those who met their spouses offline, the survey found. n

One-third of US marriages start online

ITC bans imports of iPhones, iPads

Apple infringed a Samsung Electronics patent, the US International Trade Commission said in a final judgment released that bans import into the US of certain AT&T iPhone and iPad models. The patent involves 3G wireless technology used to

transmit multiple services simultaneously and is necessary for device interoperability. The ITC found that Samsung did not prove that three other of its patents were violated by Apple. Commissioner Dean Pinkert dissented in the 4-1 ruling that found Apple in

Nokia Lumia Bus up for Royal Manx Show

A hi-tech bus packed with the latest Nokia gadgets and a world record breaking cycle stunt team will be star attractions at this year’s Royal Manx Agricultural Show with Manx Telecom.

The title sponsors of the show are bringing both attractions to the event held on August 9 and 10 at Knockaloe Farm, Patrick. Nokia’s Lumia Roadshow Bus is effectively a mobile expo

violation of one patent in the dispute. The ITC began an investigation on Aug. 1, 2011, after Samsung filed a complaint against Apple in what has been a multiplepronged legal battle involving courts around the world. The import ban, or "exclusion order" as it is officially called, affects AT&T models of the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad 3G and iPad 2 3G. The ITC also went a step further, issuing a cease-and-desist order so that Apple is forbidden from selling any inventory of those iPhones and iPads that it has already imported into the U.S. after the exclusion takes effect. n

where anyone can go on board to try out the company’s full range of handsets and all the apps and accessories. It hit the road for the first time in March this year and is set to travel the length and breadth of Britain over the coming months, but it has never been to the Isle of Man before. The bus comprises a lower demo deck, where users can check out the latest Nokia Lumia smartphones and accessories, while upstairs there is a meeting room as well as a coffee lounge. Travelling with the Lumia Roadshow Bus will be a team of experts to demonstrate how the products work and answer questions. n

slow to the mobile market” and promised aggressive action to address this error. As mobile devices have eaten away at the market for personal computers, where Intel is dominant, the US company has come under pressure to develop a strong presence in the market for mobile application processors, but it has made little progress so far partly because until recently Arm-based chips were far more energy-efficient than those designed by Intel. n

Visa, MasterCard see mPayments hype in Myanmar

Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc. said payments using mobile phones will help Myanmar reduce the use of cash when wireless networks are rolled out across Southeast Asia’s poorest country starting this year. The world’s biggest electronic payments companies emphasized the potential for mobile-phone payments in Myanmar, where the government is preparing to grant two new telecommunications licenses at the end of this month. “In markets where you don’t have that fixed infrastructure in place, it may well be that mobile acceptance is going to be the way

to go,” Matthew Driver, MasterCard’s Southeast Asia head, said in an interview yesterday in Naypyidaw. “There’s a great opportunity to leapfrog.” Making mobile phones available to the wider population in Myanmar, where fewer than one in 10 out of 64 million people now own a handset and the majority of transactions are made in cash, would make electronic payments possible. This would mirror the development in the last few years in African countries such as Kenya, where a mobile money transfer system is used to transact more than $900 million a month. n

A cat has been trained to smuggle mobile phones into prisons, but was caught by prison officials during its latest visit. The cat was caught while climbing the fence of a Penal Colony near

the city of Syktyvkar, the capital of the northern Republic of Komi. "Two packages were taped to the animal's back. When the packages were unwrapped, guards found objects prohibited in the penitentiary facility - two cell phones with batteries and chargers," the Republic of Komi penitentiary service department said in a statement posted on its website. Cats are sometimes used by Russian inmates to deliver drugs, although this is thought to be the first time they have been caught smuggling phones into this particular prison. n

Airtel to bring lowtariff model to Myanmar Cat caught smuggling Myanmar: Telecom major Airtel said it plans to bring its mobiles into prison low-tariff, high volume business model to Mynamar, where the company has submitted final bid for a telecom licence. "We made a very serious bid and I think the Indian business model works very well here. Massive roll out, rural roll out, low tariffs and we bring all that to the table," Founder and Chairman of Bharti Airtel Sunil Bharti Mittal told on sidelines of World Economic Forum on East Asia. Securing a licence in Myanmar will help the Indian telecom major expand presence in the sub-continent at a time when the company is seeing decline in profits and the home market is reeling under regulatory uncertainity. n

HTC COO steps down Ambani HTC's chief operating Costello's move adds to brothers sign officer has stepped down in a stream of top executives the middle of a manage- who have left or taken back $2.1bn ment restructuring intend- seats as the former US marproduct qual- ket leader in Android smarttelecoms deal edity toandimprove supply chains, fol- phones struggles to stem a Mumbai: India's billionaire Ambani brothers announced a $2.1-billion deal to share telecom tower infrastructure, cementing a reconciliation between the once-warring siblings. The agreement is the another tangible sign that the two are patching up relations since their bitter fight for control of Reliance erupted after their rags-toriches father, Dhirubhai, died in 2002 without leaving a will. Reliance Jio Infocomm, the telecom unit of Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries, signed the agreement with Reliance Communications, the flagship firm of the Anil Ambani group, to share the latter's telecom tower equipment, a joint statement said. The move will help Reliance Industries to accelerate the roll-out of its longawaited high-speed fourth generation (4G) telecom services, the companies said. n

lowing delays in the launch of the Taiwanese firm's flagship new phone. Matthew Costello became an executive advisor from Europe effective on June 1, according to an email from HTC president of engineering and operations Fred Liu to employees. Liu took up the operating responsibilities with Costello's departure.

Google blocked hackers for Iran election

Google said it has discovered and stopped a series of attempts to hack the accounts of tens of thousands of Iranian users in an effort the company believes is an attempt to influence the country's upcoming election. "For almost three weeks, we have detected and disrupted multiple email-based phishing campaigns," Eric Grosse, the vice-president for security engineering, wrote in a post on Google's blog.

slide in sales against competitors like Apple and Samsung Electronics. As part of the reorganisation, HTC has set up a new product quality assurance division and product management team to ensure its smartphones and other gadgets are up to scratch, Liu said in the email. n The phishing campaigns are originating in Iran, targeting users there and representing a big surge in the region's hacking activity. They are apparently tied to Iran's presidential election, Grosse said. "The timing and targeting of the campaigns suggest that the attacks are politically motivated," he said. He did not give further details. The relatively routine phishing attempts direct users to phony account maintenance pages where they are asked to give their username and password, Grosse said. n

Mobile Rates

Free download | flare.pk

Mobile Rates

Fr e e d o w n l o a d | f l ar e . p k

Tech-Tool

Fr e e d o w n l o a d | f l a r e. p k

Above prices are subject to change as per market

Fr e e d o w n l o a d | f l a r e. p k

Fr e e d o w n l o a d | fl a r e . pk

Above prices are subject to change as per market

Fr e e d o w n l o a d | fl a r e . pk

Above prices are subject to change as per market

Fr e e d o w n l o a d | f l a r e .p k

Fr e e d o w n l o a d | f l a r e. p k

Above prices are subject to change as per market

Tech-Tool

Fr e e d o w n l o a d | f l a re . p k

Above prices are subject to change as per market

Fr e e d o w n l o a d | f l a r e .p k

Tech-Tool

Fr e e d o w n l o a d | f l a r e. p k

Free download | flare.pk

3D printers

Samsung Galaxy S4

3D printing is already causing waves, with the technology being used in dozens of industries across the world including clothing, engineering and medicine. Using technology which maps out an object, the printers then layer thin slices of plastic - or other materials - on top of each other to create a 3D object. It is hoped that 3D printers can provide cheap and quick production, possibly providing solutions to problems such as forensic investigations. Some companies, such as RepRap, are trying to produce 3D printers available for home use, as most are only used in industrial or commercial settings.

Samsung unveiled their new Android phone earlier this month in New York, and are expecting it to outsell Apple's products. Among new feature is the Galaxy S4's remote technology which allows users to control functions without touching the screen. "Smart pause" means people can pause a video by looking away from the screen, while "smart scroll" lets users scroll through emails without touching the screen, the S4 detecting the movements of the eyes and wrist. Users can also change music tracks or accept a call with a simple wave of a hand. The Galaxy S will be rolled out globally at the end of April, and will be available on several different contracts.

Sony PlayStation 4

Google Glass

Sony have only given tantalising details of the PS4, but by all accounts it will provide a new boost for gaming. The controller has replaced some buttons with touchscreen technology, and the console now has a share function which lets you record, edit and upload gaming footage and share it online with friends. Industry analysts say that they don't expect to see one until the E3 gaming expo this June, and will probably be released in December.

This highly anticipated piece of technology will allow wearers to have a handsfree technological experience. While you wear the lightweight glasses, you can use your voice to command them to take pictures, record video, send messages, find directions and translate your speech. The glasses connect to the Internet and use Google's services to create a hands-free smartphone, right in front of your eyes. Google are testing the product on a lucky few who applied to be "Glass Explorers", but they will be released to a wider audience soon.

Sony 4K OLED TV

PaperTab

This will be the world's first Ultra High Definition television that uses Organic LEDs, with a native 3,840 x 2,160 OLED panel.

Combining the flexibility of paper with the endurance of digital, PaperTab is set to change the way we work on documents.

The 56-inch set gives outstanding detail and high-quality image, and experts are saying it will change the way we watch television for good. Again, no release date or price has been mentioned - but technology fans are desperate to get their hands on the newest piece of TV tech.

PaperTab only allows the user to open one thing at a time, but have several papers. This means users can do things like share PDFs just by tapping two tablets together, fast-forward during a video by bending the display, and opening emails by touching two displays together. Unfortunately, the device is still in construction and there has been no word on a release date - or a price.

Free download | flare.pk

Fujifilm X100S

Pebble

This retro-styled camera brings together the best of traditional photography and its digital counterpart.

Billed as "the first watch for the 21st century," the Pebble watch has different faces that you can download and customise. Pebble connects to iPhone and Android smartphones using Bluetooth, alerting you with a silent vibration to incoming calls, emails and messages.

With a 16.3MP X-Trans CMOS sensor and on-chip phase detection, the X100S now has a better autofocus speed than previous models. This is supported by a new processor, the 'EXR Processor II', which includes a new 'Lens Modulation Optimiser' function.

With apps you can turn the watch into a stopwatch, GPS, mp3 player and computer, to use while you're on the go.

With an improved user interface and viewfinder, this is a serious camera for serious photographers. It can be bought online for £1,099.

Initially funded through Kickstarter, those who donated have already got their watches. You can pre-order one for $150 online for when more become available.

Cambridge Audio Minx Air

Nvidia Project Shield

This sound system can play your music from whatever device you want smartphone, tablet or computer.

This portable gaming device claims to redefine gaming on the go. The Android gadget, with top-of-the-range audio and visual quality, lets you play highquality games away from your home. You can also connect the device to your PC using wifi, so you can play your favourite games without having to get off the couch.

Using Cambridge Audio's expertise in hi-fi design and wireless streaming quality, you can listen to your favourite song in high quality while still being able to use your phone or tablet. The device can also play the radio, and is compatible for both Apple and Android products. Costing £330, you can buy one online or in store at Richer Sounds.

It's still in development, but should be shipping to the USA and Canada in the second half on 2013. Nvidia say they want to ship to other countries, including the UK, as soon as they can after launch.

Turn your keyboard into a recliner

USB Mini Android Doll Mist Humidifier

Meet uChair, the keyboard that lets you type in true comfort. It's basically a recliner with a split keyboard embedded in the armrests. You sit back, adjust the headrest, pull up a screen, laptop, or tablet attached to an articulated bracket, and get to work. Or fall asleep, depending on how comfy you find it. While uChair was a lot more comfortable than typing from a garden-variety office chair, it isn't easy using a split keyboard if you've never tried one, especially when the halves are so far apart. It also feels a little like a hospital bed. Health experts tell us that sitting is the new smoking.

All winter the heat's on in our homes and offices, drying out our sinuses, skin and eyes, we have a brief respite with the arrival of spring, only to shut ourselves in again and turn on the air conditioners in order to stave off the summer heat. I hate feeling parched and dry all the time. Maybe I need to move somewhere like Seattle, it seems nice and damp there… Or I could just get myself the Mini Android Doll Humidifier, just the perfect companion for your home, car or office, this cute little green guy is powered via USB connection and emits a cool, ultrasonic moisturizing mist for up to 10 hours on a single fill.

Since you should stand up and move around regularly, being this close to horizontal may not be the best idea if you're already a sedentary type.

WIth its familiar green color, light up eyes, moveable little arms, and serene smile, your new Android friend is only about 3 and a half inches tall.

Free download | flare.pk

Within Remember Me, there's an outstanding game struggling to be set free, held back by a story that never takes off and claustrophobic levels that never allow the fantastic near-future setting to take center stage. Remember Me is not the game its world and premise hint that it could have been; rather, it's simply a good third-person action game: entertaining, slickly produced, and flavorful enough to keep you engaged to the end of its six-hour run time. It also stars a great heroine who is both powerful and vulnerable, allowing her to stand out in an intriguing world of corporate influence and lurking danger. This is a fantastic premise, and occasionally, Remember Me makes good on it. The chilling opening is one such example, though late-game developments prove poignant as well, revealing how personal pain can lead to far-reaching consequences for the ones we love--and even for entire cultures. In between, however, Remember Me falls into a rut, leaning on typical video game tropes, the voice in your ear leading you from one objective to the next with only a few words of exposition to motivate you. Nilin even makes a crack about being a simple errand runner, and all too often, that's the role you play. Your attempts to properly shape another's memories may not go right the first few times, but the scene will still change based on your actions. The ensuing events may even lead to your subject's inadvertent death, or maybe just the innocuous fall of an object to the floor. It's intoxicating to watch an entire cinematic morph around your attempts to solve the puzzle at hand, and the final memory manipulation makes use of a delightful concept you must experience for yourself to appreciate. Disappointingly, Remember Me offers too few chances to concoct new memories for others.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing follows the son of Bram Stoker's famous vampire hunter. While the title might be a little overblown, this action role-playing game has an endearing charm, with a well-realized setting, solid combat mechanics, and a terrifically cheeky sense of humor. As the son of Abraham Van Helsing, you're asked to bring a bit of balance to the "gothic noir" land of Borgovia, a rendition of 19th-century Eastern Europe with just a hint of steam punk. This world stands apart from those in other Western action RPGs like Torchlight or Diablo in that it flirts with more modern visions of classical fantasy. Guns, steam, and an often unclear boundary between science and magic are the meat of Van Helsing's world, and the consistently inventive art direction helps realize the macabre environment. If those nitpicks aren't enough to scare you off, you'd do well to pressure some friends to join your gothic adventure. Multiplayer has always been a strong component of these sorts of games, and Van Helsing is no exception. There aren't clearly defined classes in the traditional sense, which does limit character customization to a degree--after all, everyone is playing as Van Helsing--but there's enough variety in the equipment and skill selection that there shouldn't ever be too much overlap. Unfortunately, as it stands right now, convincing friends to play might be the only way you get to experience multiplayer. Even a full week after the official release, finding games is tough, if not impossible most of the time.

People either understand the appeal of the tower defense genre or they don't. To one person, the endless procession of enemies in search of a conquest represents an exhilarating opportunity to face off against overwhelming odds and to finally emerge triumphant, time after satisfying time. To someone else, the genre all too often offers only tedium. There's too little variety, no competitive element, and not nearly enough action. Occasionally, though, a new game presents a fresh take on the timeworn mechanics, one that has the potential to delight veterans and newcomers alike. CastleStorm, a new release from Zen Studios, is one such game. Besides ordering troops and hurling javelins, stones, bombs, explosive sheep, and other such projectiles at a rival's castle, you can activate as many as five unique spells over the course of a battle. These special abilities typically have a cooling period you must wait through before you can use them again, as does most of your ammunition. By managing each element well, you can really change the tide of battle, particularly if you're smart about when you summon your hero to the fray. Once you drop him on the battlefield, you control him directly as he slashes and shoots his way through whole enemy groups until his timer or life meter drains. Summoning a hero is a great response to situations when weaker enemies such as wolves and foot soldiers manage to sneak past your broader defenses. CastleStorm's well-executed twists to the tower defense genre make it a unique game with something to offer a variety of players. The occasional control issues are regrettable but hardly insurmountable, and the blend of offensive and defensive objectives and the competitive play are sufficient reasons to overlook that minor flaw as you happily commit yourself to the task of ruining the marauding Vikings'