08 | EDITOR'S NOTE Editorial
09 | READER'S RESPONSE Letters to the Editor
INTERVIEWS 18 | We serve to make difference: Zulfiqar Malik, GM PC, Bhurban 24 | The tech future lies in WiMAX: Declan Byrne, President WiMAX 29 | Executing a vision is vital for business: Yahya Polani
TELEPEDIA 10 12 46 48 55 58 59
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CCP drafts marketing guidelines for telcos Dozens franchises closed for sale of illegal SIMs Mobile apps reshape urban taxi landscape Smartphone replaces wallet When it comes to mobile! We all are teenagers Mibilink Facebook bundle offer Smartphones to outship feature phones
COVER STORY 26
26 | Govt reckless attitude continues
INSIGHT 13 23 44 49 50 53 54 56 57
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Role of social media in coming election ZRG brings emerging concepts in CR management Future tech talk! Goal-line technology: how it works? Divorce under social media influence Video games make senior citizens happier Google Glass is just the beginning The best thing on your desk top! Toaster USB hub, drives Want to cure cancer? There's an app
EVENTS 14 22 30 32 33 34 36 37 38 40 42 47 51 63
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Mobilink gives regal welcome to journalists Changhong Ruba unveils hi-tech energy saving air-conditioners Zong celebrates Women Day Photo exhibition to foster tolerance, harmony and spirit Wateen channelizes social media for environmental change Samsung opens new Brand outlet in Lahore Zong team spends a day with mentally challenged children Wateen launches 'Values' to achieve strategic goal Gadgets, gizmos galore at CeBIT 2013 G'Five unveils new outlet in Fortress Stadium, Lahore Zong vows to light up rural lives HTC unveils new flagship smartphone Sony aims to triple India mobile phone sales Mobile World Congress, Barcelona 2013
33 Wateen channelizes social media for environmental change
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EXCLUSIVE 20 | One Pound Fish Man! A story of Pakistani talent 41 | Top 10 richest people on planet 52 | Techs go even smarter
NEWS 64 | National News 72 | International News
Samsung opens new 34 Brand outlet in Lahore
We serve to make difference: 18 Zulfiqar Malik, GM PC, Bhurban
TECH TOOLS 77 78 80 84 86 87 88 89 90 92
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Mobile Rates Mobile Review Current Mobiles Upcoming Mobiles High Range Mobiles Low Range Mobiles Computers Laptops Accessories Gaming Zone
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24 The tech future lies in WiMAX: Declan Byrne, President WiMAX
HTC unveils new flagship 47 smartphone
March 15 - April 15, 2013
Editor s No t e Govt packs luggage Telecom gets Taain Taain Fish
Information Technology and Telecommunications are the most important and vital sectors which attracted huge amount of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country so far, while the largest contributor to the national treasury and at present the cash cow for the government as the revenue from this sector is the highest; but the wrong policies block the smooth flow of FDI and in the last couple of years witnessed huge decline. Telecom sector was enjoying its zeal of success through the length and breadth of the country; it was the major contributor to the national exchequer, when the present government came in power. The sector has more than 122 million cellular subscribers to its credit, but the shortterm led solution to curb the menace of terrorism affected its growth adversely. During the PPP led regime, telecom witnessed failures, inefficiencies, corruption scandals, bad policies and controversies; misused of powers, made wrong choices, ignored wrongdoings, pampered the corrupt and violation of merit cost the public kitty billions. On administrative matters and in regard to the day to day affairs, the competent authority has been given blue-eyed boys, who failed to guard the national interest but worked hard to please masters. This most lucrative sector in the last five years saw six federal ministers in the chair for MoIT and PTA getsrid of a corrupt chairman but again gifted with another, who jumped from perashoot, who was dismissed by Lahore High Court, then the government appointed him as Member Finance and acting chairman, which again undone by LHR, as all the show of hide and seek was to channelize huge funds for the incumbent government to run its election campaign. During this course of tug of war and lust for power, the much awaited 3G technology couldn’t make its way to Pakistan, in spite of the repeated announcements made by the regulator. India is now using 3G/4G, whereas we are still using 2G and 2.5G; India has auctioned 3G at the right time, which enabled her to earn billion dollars much higher than the expectations; on the other hand, our government was extremely busy in appointments and bringing their skin on most important spots to plunder public kitty. Pakistan is an ideal place on the entire surface of the earth, where violation of law considers the most respected norm; superior court orders put aside and appoint candidates at public offices by ripping merit; non-professional candidates for important positions and getting-in favorites and blue-eyed boys to safeguard vested political interests. The creation of ICH, its suspension, reinstatement and the FCC orders brought a bad name for our telecom sector across the globe. The PPP led coalition government has packed up its entire luggage but failed to serve the nation in general and telecom sector in specific. Now, we can hope for the best and looking towards the coming-up General Election. 8
Zubair Ahmed Kasuri
Editor
Irfan Khan Ismail Qureshi
Assistant Editor Senior Sub-Editor
Usman Yaqoob Director 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:05) Price Rs: 400 URL: www.f lar e .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.
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Telepedia
Irfan Khan
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Telenor Pakistan, a Norwegian telecom company, well known for its notorious marketing campaigns, every now and then, has introduced new products and bundles by violating fair play and disrespecting local norms and values, tries to incite youth towards non-healthy and immoral activities
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he Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) prepared a guidelines report to provide guidance on what may constitute as ‘deceptive marketing’ with respect to Section 10 of the Competition Act, 2010 for those providing telecommunication products and services in Pakistan. This effort by the commission is aimed at avoiding actions that may amount to violating section 10 and other provisions of the act. The draft guidelines have been shared with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), all telecom companies, and placed on the commission’s website for soliciting feedback and suggestions from stakeholders. These guidelines are meant for telecommunication companies to follow in their sales, marketing, advertising, and communication, in all forms and across all mediumsonline and on point of sale. Companies have been advised to bear in mind the legal implications that may arise out of certain practices dealing with distribution of false information, deception, fine print, disclaimer and qualifications, importance of substantiation of claims, essential terms and conditions, omissions, puffery, price disclosure, comparative advertising, promotional contents and, telemarketing. The draft guidelines present the approach taken by the commission in its decisions regarding deceptive marketing practices and the approach that it may take towards certain marketing practices by telecommunication service providers. However, the guidelines are not exhaustive and the approach of the commission shall depend upon the particular facts and circumstances of each case. Because it is not possible to predict future behaviour of the companies involved in the telecommunication sector, the commission will not, in any way, be restricted to look into matters that have not been mentioned in these guidelines. Guidelines have been prepared in light of best international practices; after reviewing several documents and guidelines published by jurisdictions namely, the USA, UK, Australia, Canada and Hong Kong. The principles contained in the guidelines will be applied and further developed and refined by the commission from time to time
depending on individual cases. Section 10 of the Act reads as follows: “10. Deceptive marketing practices. (1) No undertaking shall enter into deceptive marketing practices. (2) The deceptive marketing practices shall be deemed to have been resorted to or continued by an Undertaking resorts to(a) The distribution of false or misleading information that is capable of harming the business interest of another undertaking; (b) The distribution of false or misleading information to consumers, including the distribution of information lacking a reasonable basis, related to the price, character, method or place of production, properties, suitability for use or quality of goods; (c) False or misleading comparison of goods in the process of advertising; or (d) Fraudulent use of another’s trademark, firm name or product labeling or packaging.” For the purpose of clarity, certain factors of Section 10 may be highlighted: (a) Undertaking; (b) False and misleading information; (c) Consumer; (d) Goods. Each of these factors are fully explained in the draft in light of the provisions of the Act and the principles established through the Orders passed by the Commission. According to reports, Telenor Pakistan, a Norwegian telecom company, well known for its notorious marketing campaigns, every now and then, Telenor Pakistan often introduced new products and bundles for its consumers by violating fair play and disrespecting local norms and values; it always kept trying to project its western culture to manipulate our young minds to push them indulge in non-healthy activities. Keeping the malpractices of indecent advertising, The Commission in its draft, made a distinction between the terms false and misleading. It was stated that “false information” can be said to include oral or written statements or representations that are (a) contrary to truth or fact and not in accordance with the reality or actuality; (b) usually implies either conscious wrong or culpable negligence; (c) has a stricter and stringer conno-
tation and (d) is not readily open to interpretation. On the other hand “misleading information” has been held by the Commission to essentially include oral or written statements or representations that are (a) capable of giving a wrong impression or idea; (b) likely to lead to error of conduct, thought or judgment; (c) tends to misinform or misguide owing to vagueness or any omission; (d) may or may not be deliberate or conscious and (e) in contrast to false information, it has less onerous connotation and is somewhat open to interpretation as the circumstances and conduct of a party may be treated as relevant to a certain extent. The distribution of false or misleading information in respect of telecommunication products or services may take any form, be it through the print media, television advertisements, brochures, bill boards, banners, advertisements on the internet or websites, telemarketing, Short Message Service (SMS) offers, etc. Section 10 will be applicable in the case of any such form of marketing. In the past, Telenor Pakistan, introduced a Christian model in an Omrah ad, which resulted in country-wide protests and created havoc through the length and breadth of Pakistan. After, some time, introduced girl trapping tactics in public places and parks, which also received a huge criticism by inciting youth to non-healthy activities. In promoting or advertising a good or service, a telecommunication provider needs to ensure that all significant terms and conditions of a good or service are mentioned in the advertisement. A disclaimer stating “terms and conditions apply” may not be regarded as sufficient, if such terms and conditions are likely to effect the consumers choice to purchase the good or service. When the first contact between seller and buyer occurs through deceptive practices, the law may be violated even if the truth is subsequently made known to the purchaser. If terms and conditions that are significant or central to an offer for example those relating to price or limited availability, are not clearly communicated when marketing a product, there is likelihood that the advertisement will be regarded as misleading or deceptive. n
Telepedia
Flare Report
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Dozens franchises closed for sale of illegal SIMs
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2259 franchises of f ive mobile operators are working, Telenor 791 franchises while Mobilink was operating 458 franchises, Ufone 369 franchises, Warid 337 and Zong 304
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s many as 98 franchise shops of mobile phone companies have been suspended for selling Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs) in contradiction to lay down procedure of March 13, 2012, Senate was told. In a written reply to the question of Talha Mehmood of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F), Minister Incharge for Cabinet Division, said Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) monitors adherence of license conditions and laid down procedure by cellular mobile operators. According to Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), the mobile companies are bound to sell the SIMs through designated sale channels (customer services centres, franchise retail outlets). Verification of subscriber should be made through NADRA database. He said a total of 2259 franchises of five mobile operators are working across the country. Telenor was operating highest 791 franchises in various part of the country. Mobilink was operating 458 franchises in the country. 369 franchises were being operated by Ufone, 337 by Warid and 304 by CMPak. To a question of Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, he said Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had allowed the mobile operators to levy five per-
abad High Court (IHC) had granted stay to five cellular companies. Efforts are under to get the stay order vacated. Mobile users are also paying 10 percent withholding tax, 19.5 percent federal excise duty (FED).
Responding to another question of Talha Mehmood he said a total of 6325 Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) have been installed in the country by various mobile operators including 1231 BTS by
ment of all pre requisite formalities. However, physical structure of tower can only be erected by getting NoC from concerned Local government bodies. On the other hand, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has directed the Ministry of Information Technology and Pakistan PTA to sit with cellular operators and work out a roadmap for verification of all unverified SIMS in the country. The Prime Minister issued this direction in a meeting with private cellular operators who met him at the PM’s House recently. During the meeting the cellular operators informed the Prime Minister that the verification of SIMs was taking longer time than they had earlier expected and it would not be possible for them to verify the SIMs within the deadline. The cellular companies had given December 31, 2012 deadline to its customers to get their connections registered or else the connections of unverified SIMs were to be blocked. The cellular operators informed the Prime Minister that presently SIMs were only being issued from their business offices. Earlier 80,000 outlets were selling SIMs in the country. After listening to the operators and represen-
cent service charges from September 25, 2008. While two percent maintenance charges are being received by the companies have not been approved by the PTA. In November 2011 the PTA had stopped two percent service charges but Islam-
Mobilink, 939 by Warid, 1753 by Ufone, 1150 BTS have been established by Telenor, 1252 BTS was being operated by CMPak. Responding to a question, he said BTS on buildings have been permitted subject to fulfill-
tatives of the Ministry of Information Technology, the Prime Minister directed the Ministry of IT to resolve the issue by March 7, 2013 but there are not progress regarding launching of biometric SIM verification system in the country. n
Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has directed the Ministry of Information Technology and PTA to sit with cellular operators and work out a roadmap for verification of all unverified SIMS in the country
Flare Report
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InsighT
Role of social media in coming election We are electing wrong people for the right job. Our electronic media is too busy in the competition of breaking news and losing focus on important national issues in the much happening country. The media rightly trying not to take sides of any political party but forgot about distinguishing the thin line between the right and wrong sides
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ocial media around the globe become the source of change. Pakistani Nation will get yet another chance to elect their representatives in Election 2013. In the next two months, we will see election campaign in full swing with political parties reiterating their “change” and “inqalaab” mantra. Slogan of Change is popular even in successful and prosperous societies around the world. President of USA; Barack Obama won his election on the slogan of change. Unfortunately, we have been changing the faces but not giving the chance to those who could change the system in Pakistan. What has changed after holding various elections in Pakistan? The current democratically elected government completed it’s tenure of 5 years but not even 5 basic problems of the common man was addressed. Why our democracy has failed to deliver when democracies in Great Britain, USA and India have flourished. Answer is simple; we are electing wrong people for the right job. Our electronic media is too busy in the competition of breaking news that media is losing focus on important national issues in the much happening country. The media rightly trying not to take sides of any political party but forgot about distinguishing the thin line between the right and wrong sides. The unbiased attitude of our print and electronic media has made them shy to clearly point out the honest, educated and patriotic leadership for Pakistan. Why our media can’t boycott members of parliament convicted of corruption charges and fake degrees? You have to become biased in the larger interest of Pakistan. Is this not the duty of investigative journalism to expose in public the owners of Raiwind Mehal and recently build “Bilawal House “ in Lahore. Where the political parties led the Nation with “ roti, kapra aur makaan “ , “ qarz utaro, mulk sanwaro “ or “ parha likha Punjab “ slogans and schemes ? There is debate going on about the implementation of Article 62 & 63. Analysts are questioning that which institution will have the authority to decide about the honesty of the candidate or he/ she has not been convicted for a crime involving moral turpitude or for giving false evidence. I agree that no institution can do this except the institution
comprised of 180 million people “ Nation of Pakistan “. People are the best judge to scrutinize the candidates of their constituencies. These candidates are living in our cities and towns and we can easily judge with their background, life style, history of changing loyalties and contribution towards the society that how sincere they are with the oppressed class.
The revolutionaries from Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Yemen and Bahrain decided to use the modern tools of cyber world to demolish the inhumane tools being used by the oppressors. The self immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi was the event which started this fire in Tunisia and then organized campaigns on social media ignited the flames of revolution in the Middle East We might not compete with the advancements in the 21st century but we cannot deny that we are living in the 21st century. If we see the world from the Pakistani angle, we realize that rest of the world invented some kind of time machine which carried them to the world of future. We did not buy the tickets of this time machine and now our Nation is stranded in the 19th century with no power, gas, education, economic growth and employment. Or should I say that when the rest of the world was planning to invent the machine to conquer the world, we were selling its tickets in black. We have to stand up and start our national struggle to meet the objectives and goals of Pak-
istani society. The recent revolution in Middle East called “Arab Spring “ is the success model for our Nation. Social Media played vital and decisive role in spreading the message of revolution around the Middle East. The power of social media was witnessed by the world when massive campaigns were run on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. The revolutionaries from Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Yemen and Bahrain decided to use the modern tools of cyber world to demolish the inhumane tools being used by the oppressors. The self immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi was the event which started this fire in Tunisia and then organized campaigns on social media ignited the flames of revolution in the Middle East. It was a highly organized campaign on social media which gathered millions of people in these countries who were ready to topple their corrupt governments. We do not want to bring revolution with the power of bullet in Pakistan but we want to see peaceful revolution which would be durable and sustainable for the country. In upcoming elections, we could use the power of ballot to bring this revolution. The youth of Pakistan could use social media to educate and provide awareness to the common people of their right to vote. They could expose the cruel faces of our feudal lords, industrialists, religious extremists and corrupt ruling elite. Our youth has to understand that now we don’t have any excuse on how to spread the ideology and philosophy of truth after the vibrant presence of social media. Newspapers and TV channels might not give us the space and time to educate the people but social media is giving us equal and fair opportunity to spread the message of revolution. We have the freedom of speech now in Pakistan through social media which allows us to address our domestic and international audience at the same time. Educated, honest and Middle class leadership is the need of our domestic audience for progressive and prosper Pakistan where as the same phenomenon would make the region stable and peaceful for international stake holders. Let’s get active on Social Media to build a consensus on the next leadership of Pakistan !! n
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Event
Irfan Khan
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Mobilink gives regal welcome to journalists Intelligent-Media meet-up concludes in Bhurban, Murree For the f irst time in the history of Pakistani media, the market leader Mobilink brought leading telecom journalists under one roof, wherein journalists and their families were given a regal welcome. The 3 day event was unique, as the cellular company had created a vibrant training and recreational forum for media persons
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obilink is Pakistan’s market leader in cellular services, which recently concluded an “Intelligent-Media and Press” event at the PC Hotel in Bhurban. The event successfully inspired a resolve that the telecom sector and media will work together for the development and empowerment of the new generation of media persons, covering the domestic telecom industry. The 3 day event was unique, as the cellular company had created a vibrant training and recreational forum for media persons. The main feature of the event was an insightful conference titled; “Conceiving ideas for the next media generation”. Mobilink’s Head of Corporate Communications – Omar Manzur said; “It is delightful to see the vi-
Participants
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Kashif Munir Anwar Khan Mirza M. Khurram Baig Aman Ullah Bashar Raja Kamran Romail Kenneth Kashif Hussain Amir Farooq Mehboob Sheikh Abid Hussain Nofil Naqvi Syed Majid Ali M.Irfan Abrar Mustafa Zahid Farooq Malik Shakeel Qarar Faiz Paracha Sabir Shakir Rana Tariq Tariq Mehmood Aysha Khan Rashid Malik Salman Awan Usman Cheema Mian Abrar Irshad Ansari Mehtab Haider Wasim Iqbal Ijaz Kakakhel Noor Ullah Ahsan Raza Khizar Hayat Gondal Rizwan Naqvi Almass Ahmed Shabbir Sarwar Mohammad Riaz Ishtiaq Hussain Ahsan Siddique Amir A Khan Zubair Kasuri Sharam ul Haq Nasir Naqvi Amjad Bukhari Shaukat Ashfaq Bhatti Tariq Saeed Mushtaq Yusufzai Shahid Ali Saleem Mubarik Yasir Sheikh
Org.
ATV Business Recorder Express Tribune Pakistan Observer Abb Takk Abb Takk Express Express News Jurrat Daily Dunya Spider @ Internet Geo News Jang Metro Watch Dawn News Samaa ARY Aaj TV Waqt TV Dunya News APP Urdu ATV Nation Pakistan Today Express News Business Recorder Daily Times News Dawn Jang City42 ARY Daily TImes Business Recorder PPI Nawa-i-Waqt Netmag FLARE Magazine Express Tribune ATV Daily Express Daily Pakistan Pakistan Observer The News President - PClub Dawn ARY
brant and progressive young journalists carving higher quality benchmarks for the increasingly empowered Pakistani media. The objective of this conference was to consult media persons on how to make interactions between telecom and media, more fruitful. According to Trainer Shireen Naqvi; “There is a need for impartiality, national interest, truth, responsibility, objectivity and professionalism. Media persons should have clarity of vision, to facilitate progress in the country and meet the challenges of the 21st century. During the group discussions, the participants agreed that; the telecom industry could assist by providing capacity building opportunities. Representatives of telecom and media should work more
cohesively to enable a positive and powerful impact on the society. The use of Smart-phones and mobile services is helping in the instant dissemination of correct information. Telecom technology is also helping in educating people across the remote regions of the country, where no access to internet is available. A large number of telecom journalists along with their families participated in various activities and have won exclusive prizes. The list of the participants is exclusively available with Flare; being a leader in Telecom, Flare Magazine has the distinction to publish the whole event, which no other group just can but wish to. Following is the complete list of participants with activity and prize details:
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Event
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Interview
Flare Panel
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We serve to make difference Flare Panel talks to Mr. Zulfiqar Malik, General Manager, Pearl Continental Hotel, Bhurban, Murree, who has more than 20 years experience to his credit, specialist in Hotel Management, Strategic Leadership, Revenue Management and Asset Management; having strong planning and organizational skills and solid financial understanding, he says “I encountered plenty of obstacles getting myself established in this important position, but what did really help was that I had confidence in my abilities and strengths”
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urree, the heaven on earth, popularly known as Malika-e-Kohisar, is a hill station, summer resort and was the summer capital of the British Raj in the British India. A popular tourist destination located in the north-west Himalayas at an average altitude of 2,291 metres, the city of Murree, draped in forests of pine, and oak, experiences pleasant summers and cold, snowy winters. The city is famous for its buildings styled in tudorbethan and neo-gothic architecture dating from the colonial era. This place is a popular summer resort for all the nature loving people hailing from around the globe. Bhurban is one of the more picturesque places in the country, and is a tourist paradise with unique flora, and a fauna with a variety species not found elsewhere in Pakistan. It is known for scenic hiking trails in the nearby Ayubia National Park. Pearl Continental Hotel Bhurbun, located at the foothills of the magnificent Himalayas at an elevation of over 2000 metres, offers a unique experience of defining reunion with Nature. Affectionately known as “the Paradise on Earth”, the Kashmir Valley is blessed with picture postcard perfection and attracts a cosmopolitan crowd soaking all that it has to offer. Intrinsic beauty,
world class adventure sports and personalized luxury make it the most agreeable proposition. Mr. Zulfiqar Malik graduated from Punjab University and then went, USA where he completed his education in Hotel Management & Hospitality from Cornell University, which helps him in achieving the zeal of success. General Manager of PC Bhurban – an honor indeed. He is a self-made
There’s immense potential for hospitality industry in Pakistan. Pakistan is blessed with diverse cultures, festivals, unique ethnicity and abundant natural and scenic beauty that attract tourists from all over the world. The people of Pakistan also enjoy these blessings
man, albeit he attributes his successful making up to his parents’ blessings and efforts which in fact makes him more-than-successful. His current placement is at Pearl Continental Bhurban as General Manager, which has a tale to tell about his long association with the Hotel Management business. Excerpts from Interview: Flare: Tell us a little about your experience in the hospitality sector, what drove you to pursue a career in hospitality? Zulfiqar Malik: Bhurban is the ‘cradle of civilization’ that has been successfully developed over hundreds of years and still has a great influence over the Pakistan and the whole world. As for me being raised and surrounded by this magnificent atmosphere had an effect on my choice in studying and my career path afterwards. I have a degree and experience in Hotel Management not only from Pakistan but from Faculty of Tourism & Hotels abroad. Flare: You are one of the few to reach the general manager position. What advice would you give to those who wish to follow in your footsteps? Zulfiqar: I would really advise them not to follow my footsteps unless they are passionately in
Flare Panel
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love with hospitality, as it is a very hard job. But, if they decided they want to pursue this career then, I would say to pursue jobs or responsibilities that you're not crazy about so you can learn. The better-rounded you are in your field, the more effective you will be at work and will always stay focused on your target. If you believe in something, other people will too. Flare: The tourism industry in Pakistan has been affected by the political turmoil in recent years. How much potential do you see for hospitality industry in Pakistan and what are the challenges here? Zulfiqar: There’s immense potential for hospitality industry in Pakistan. Pakistan is blessed with diverse cultures, festivals, unique ethnicity and abundant natural and scenic beauty that attract tourists from all over the world. The people of Pakistan also enjoy these blessings. At present, the hospitality industry is very small if compared to the lucrative potential it offers. However, since July 2007, the political instability, militancy and severe security issues have curtailed the growth of this industry very badly. But I foresee a very bright future for this industry in the years to come as I’m pretty hopeful that the things will come back to normal state soon.
Flare: Have you had to face any challenges in your career to get to where you are today? Zulfiqar: I encountered plenty of obstacles getting myself established in this important position, but what did really help was that I had confidence in my abilities, and when I faced roadblocks, I employed two strategies: the first was refusing to take criticism and prejudice personally; the second was to expand my qualifications for my career, such as earning new trainings and certificates, in order to improve my qualifications, and I still continue to do that today. Flare: What hopes and aspirations do you have for Pearl Continental Hotel?
Zulfiqar: My aspiration for the ‘Pearl Continental Hotel’ never ends and has no top limit, which reflects on the hotel privacy and luxury. Moreover, the hotel features the largest rooms in Bhurban city, equipped with the latest facilities, a
Interview
wide range of restaurants, meeting rooms and a unique scenic view. These factors drove the ‘Pearl Continental’ Hotel, to be a market leader in Pakistan and the entire hotel’s family is working by heart to maintain this image. Flare: How do you find the fresh graduates coming to this field? Zulfiqar: Hospitality is not just about giving rooms to guests or serving food; it’s the way of serving that makes a difference. For that we need to hire and train people according to our high standards. Despite the great potential, the talented and trained staff is not available here. Ms. Sarah Hashwani has ventured into a hospitality training school which has turned out batches of highly trained professionals. No doubt, this is one of the most demanding fields and one has to prove its mettle to excel here. Flare: If you could pass on a message to the hospitality industry about Pakistan, what would it be? Zulfiqar: As I said earlier, Pakistan has immense potential for hospitality industry and it’s one of the few countries, which is blessed with diverse cultures and scenic beauties. I would like to say that when we go back to the Pakistan’s history we can easily see that, over the years, Pakistan suffered from ups and downs throughout its entire history,
and always at the end it succeed to turn each deterioration to improvement and success. What we need, is to channelize the true potential of its youth and serve the world with love and hospitality. Honours & Awards l 2008 MUSTANG Global General Manager of the Year Award (Asia/Pacific) from Marriott International in recognition of Inspiring Performance. l Ten Years Service Award from Mr. J.W. Marriott l Exceptional Service Awards from Paris and Doha Marriott l Best Revenue Manager Award from Marriott Int'l – 1991
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Exclusive
Flare Report
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'One Pound Fish Man’ A story of Pakistani talent The f ish seller turned singer is one of the few Pakistani’s who created a stir internationally and deserves full support of our media and other corporate entities. PTCL has taken a lead in promoting this rising star by casting him in the company’s latest campaign, which also features an improvised version of his famous song
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akistan, a culturally diverse land, has never been short of talent. People from here have earned worldwide fame when they have been provided appropriate platform. Talk about music, one finds as big names as Rafi Muhammad, Reshmaan and Ataullah Eisa Khelvi, who did not belong to any ‘gharana’ but their melodious voices touched hearts across the world. In the last century or before, the artists have to wait for decades to get known outside of their hometowns. There are many heroes in history, whose talent was known to the world through their students after their deaths. In the 21st century, call it the global age, when Internet and telephony, has made borders irrelevant, talented people have got a chance to earn fame as well as fortune. And it happens not in decades but years and months. The case in point is a poor man of little known town of Pakistan who is reported to have sung lyrics in the religious ceremonies to make his both ends meet only a couple of years ago but has become a fast emerging pop star. His popularity has reached across
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the world and his fans include people who can speak or understand English! Muhammad Shahid Nazir, 31, went to United Kingdom in 2010 and got a job at a ‘fish stall’ in
November last year Warner Brothers signed him and reportedly reckoning him as big as Gangnam Style star, Psy; it is pitting him against the winner of X Factor for the most remembered hit of the year
Queen’s Market, London. What was in his mind was that he would earn enough money to support his wife and four children living in Pattoki, his home town in Punjab.
Shahid’s boss demanded him to shout with full throat to attract customers and his natural talent made him to compose “One Pound Fish” song with lyrics: Come on ladies, come on ladies One pound fish Have-a, have-a look One pound fish Very, very good, very, very cheap One pound fish Six for five pound one pound each The video of Shahid’s performing his song was uploaded on social media by passing customers and got millions of hits. The song has since then been covered by Alesha Dixon, Timbaland and Mindless Behavior. Nazir auditioned for the ninth series of UK's The X Factor where he sang his famous composition and the guest judge Rita Ora gave him a standing ovation but success did not greet him here. However, in November last year Warner Brothers signed him as a recording artist released a dance version of his market sales pitch. The company is re-
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portedly reckoning him as big as Gangnam Style star, Psy; it is pitting him against the winner of X Factor for the most remembered hit of the year. A video has also been released which features him Bollywood-style dancers and an appearance from former weatherman Michael Fish. The song was in the running for securing the Christmas No.1 for 2012 alongside X Factor winner James Arthur's release of his winning song "Impossible". Last December when Shahid came back to his hometown hoping his “One Pound Fish” song gaining top popularity during Christmas days, he was given a warm welcome by his fans, family members and friends at Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore. The fish seller turned singer is one of the few Pakistani’s who created a stir internationally and deserves full support of our media and other corporate entities. Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has taken a lead in promoting this rising star by casting him in the company’s latest campaign, which also features an improvised version of his famous song. The campaign enables the company’s landline customers to reconnect their closed landline connections and benefit from the superior voice quality and reliability of PTCL landline network. The campaign is a continuation of the telecom
giant’s broader initiatives to promote the local talent. The company’s products are also an extension of this vision, bringing Information Communication Technology services to the masses through its voice telephony, wired and wireless broadband internet.
Within few days of the launch of this video ad by PTCL, the unique style have created a sensation across social circles, making it one of the most watched and downloaded video on social media. Shahid takes on various appearances in the commercial, which creatively portray the reach and usage of PTCL landline
Exclusive
Within few days of the launch of this video ad by PTCL, the unique style and amusing actions of Shahid’s enchanting personality have created a sensation across social circles, making it one of the most watched and downloaded video on social media. Shahid takes on various appearances in the commercial, which creatively portray the reach and usage of PTCL landline connections for all segments and age groups. The management of the company envisions the company as a catalyst for change. PTCL’s latest initiative will encourage the local talent to come forward and prove their skills and talents on national and international arena. A London based daily has recently reported that the moment he starts to sing he is suddenly surrounded by a sea of fans. The local youth is obsessed with his song and travel miles just to meet him. “People have come from Australia, the US, Canada and all over Europe. They don’t come here to work or shop, they come for One Pound Fish Man,” the Sun reported on February 22. “But even if he achieves the success of his hero, Psy, there is no chance of him forgetting his plaice. He loves the fish stall and wants to work there, for believes he would not have gained all that popularity without being there,” the report said. n
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Usman Yaqoob
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InsighT
ZRG brings emerging concepts in customer relationship management
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Company highlights the possibilities for achieving best customer satisfaction without eroding prof its; ZRG is known in the market for its fully integrated contact center solution with a complete suite of communication and business software apps RG International, the market leader in unified customer contact centre and CTI solutions, presented innovative ideas and best practices in customer relationship management during a financial industry
rated by Kazi Abdul Muktadir, Deputy Governor, State Bank of Pakistan and was attended by over 250 leading professionals from the financial sector. The branchless banking model will allow fi-
conference on branchless banking. The one-day conference, organised by 1Link, was inaugu-
nancial service providers to offer banking services to consumers without the need for setting
up traditional style brick-and-mortar branches. The contact centre would be the primary channel for delivering information and services to the customers in a timely and efficient manner. “By adjusting the customer care program and fine tune some impactful areas such as the customer accessibility, processes, operational efficiencies, technology and monitoring, a business can get achieve greater customer satisfaction and spend less for doing it”, said Ayub Butt, founder and chief executive of ZRG. Ayub highlighted the upcoming concepts such as Home working, social media and the big data that offer great opportunities for a business in reducing costs and creating better customer engagement. “The most daunting challenge faced by contact centers today is in managing the balance between effectiveness and efficiency. Understaffing could have a drastic impact on customer satisfaction while overstaffing would reduce profits. By using the right metrics, a company can transform its service delivery machine to maximize profits while keeping customers happy”, said Ayub. The ideas presented by ZRG offer great potential for businesses in their efforts to deliver a dynamic customer experience in a highly efficient way. ZRG is known in the market for its fully integrated contact center solution with a complete suite of communication and business software apps. n
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Interview
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The tech future lies in WiMAX The President of the WiMAX Forum talks about the wireless technology, its future in Pakistan, and more. He says, Pakistan is an extremely significant market—in fact it was the first country globally to roll out a WiMAX network on a nationwide basis. The forum has reorganized to focus on three main areas: marketing, including the group's regional summit series of meetings around the world; technology, including technical certifications; and new market development, which is focused on non-telecom markets, including verticals such as aviation, oil and gas, transportation and utilities
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Question: What is WiMAX and why are you in Pakistan? Declan Byrne: WiMAX is a fixed and mobile broadband Internet technology, essentially a metro area wireless broadband, capable of delivering high-speed connections and handling heavy loads. It is a 4G technology ideal for users who require high speed broadband in areas with no preexisting fixed-line connections or those who like to take their connections on the move. I am here to represent the international body governing global standards in the WiMAX industry. We have over 250 operators worldwide in over 180 countries, serving around 30 million users in developing and developed markets. Pakistan is an extremely significant market—in fact it was the first country globally to roll out a WiMAX network on a nationwide basis. In addition to bringing the Internet to potentially millions of users, WiMAX is relevant here because of its applications within the aviation, utilities, and oil and gas sectors. Pakistani consumers are becoming increasingly familiar with smartphones and are already well aware of 2G technology. Awareness about 3G is also on the rise, because of a recent rollout in India—and it will be launching here in the near future from what I hear. Currently the landscape is such that operators are able to deliver mobile voice and text
very, very well—which means users are well versed in SMS, as well as light Internet and emails on their mobile devices. WiMAX offers the best solution for bridging the existing gap, as I believe 3G will take some time to roll out. The ecosystem already exists. It's only a matter
I was recently in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia which also has a large rural population. They’re bringing broadband Internet to schools and educational institutions, as well as clinics and hospitals as a matter of government policy. A similar approach is needed in Pakistan. It is only through government policies that such technologies can achieve scale and hit the masses
of time before the operators realize this and convergence in the industry starts taking place. Q: Can you explain a bit more about WiMAX applications for utilities? Byrne: WiMAX has been around for a long time—but it’s still relatively young in terms of take up. It has really only been massively deployed in the past three years internationally— Wateen Telecom kicked off its WiMAX network in Pakistan quite aggressively in 2007. In the past 18 months an increasing number of industrial sectors have started taking interest in WiMAX. There has been particular interest from the utilities sector—and this is where I see real potential especially for Pakistan because of the energy crisis. What we are seeing now across the globe is that utility operators, large and small, are putting up what they call “smart grids.” These are really communications infrastructures embedded within the grid which create a telecom network, allowing the operators to manage the grids efficiently, allocating resources on a “needs basis” in real time. In Asia, we are expecting one project that will see tens of millions of WiMAX semiconductors embedded in electricity meters connecting homes and businesses across the country, acting like smartphones and constantly feeding back data to the grid. I am looking forward to interact with utility operators
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in Pakistan and having similar discussions on how WiMAX and WiMAX operators can help them. Q: Have you discussed the potential use of this technology for Pakistan with the government? Byrne: I am definitely planning to bring the success story of WiMAX with respect to utilities to the Pakistani authorities. Of course, at this stage, my role is more educational. I intend on inviting the relevant Pakistanis—whether in government or utilities or other businesses—to participate in our events on aviation and other sectors so they can see for themselves how this technology can benefit. Globally, the aviation community has selected WiMAX as its standard technology for surface communications at every airport of the world. This decision was taken about 24 months ago and within the next year, five airports in the U.S. and five in Europe will begin installing WiMAX technology to manage everything from baggage handling to air traffic control operations. This is a 10-year process— and I’m confident that eventually Pakistani airports will implement WiMAX as well. Q: Do you think the security situation in Pakistan is suitable for foreign investment? Byrne: I have always felt extremely comfortable here. I do understand from the companies that I represent that the security situation has had a negative impact on the macro situation in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI), and economic growth. This of course affects the industry I represent where new telecom technology providers are hungry for investment. Also, I think that with purse strings tightening, Pakistani consumers are finding it increasingly difficult to buy laptops, computers or smartphones. And that, of course, clearly impacts all Internet service providers, whose businesses depend on the ability of average Pakistanis to buy Internet-ready devices. Q: How do you see WiMAX networks expanding to Pakistan’s rural areas? Byrne: The business argument for a private telecom company to provide Internet services in remote, rural areas calls for an aggressive government mindset, including adopting a digital “do or die” strategy in collaboration with the private sector. There are many models that can be replicated. I was recently in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia which also has a large rural population. They’re bringing broadband Internet to schools and educational institutions, as well as clinics and hospitals as a matter of government policy. The government released a tender to connect 20,000 primary and secondary schools to the Internet for the first time—a tender all the telecoms operators bid for and a WiMAX operator won. A similar approach is needed in Pakistan. It is only through government policies that such technologies can achieve scale and hit the masses. This is one of the key areas I hope to address during my interactions with Pakistani officials. Q: How about challenges like lack of energy, political will or investment? Also, most of the Internet is in English, not spoken or read by the vast majority of Pakistanis. Byrne: No doubt these challenges exist— but they are not insurmountable. I frequently talk to WiMAX operators in India and Bangladesh, and they face similar challenges. As I said, you just need the backing from the government, and capital and focus from the WiMAX operators. As far as the language barrier is concerned, I think once broadband Internet becomes more ubiquitous, and connects more residential and business users in Pakistan, an increasing amount of Urdu content will become available. The good news is that Internet access is growing fast in Pakistan. Q: Critics say WiMAX is getting outdated. Is this true?
Interview
Byrne: That is flat out not true. WiMAX was adopted by the International Communication Union as one of two technologies that is a true 4G technology, which has the ability to deliver a multimedia experience (video, voice, Internet and mobility) to consumers. And remember, in Pakistan you only have 2G. Now, you have the government considering 3G in the future; however, WiMAX is already deployed here and can bridge this gap. There has been a lot of hype and talk lately about 4G cellular mobile voice tech-
Q: There are currently four major WiMAX operators in Pakistan. What does the future hold? Byrne: The way I see it, there are three proper WiMAX operators in Pakistan: Wateen, WiTribe and Qubee—you also have Mobilink Infinity, but they’re mostly limited to Karachi. It’s important to remember that all three major WiMAX operators require capital from their foreign principals to grow and sustain their operations. And whenever there are security concerns which impact the macroeconomic picture, FDI becomes all the more important. Add to this the still-not-resolved global financial crises of 2008-09. So if you’re an operator that established operations in 2007-08 right at the onset of this crisis, then no doubt you’ll face challenges. Especially since this is a capital intensive business that needs funding to really succeed and grow. Such challenges have nothing to do with the technology or other operations. That said, I am confident they will resolve eventually. Bear in mind investors are not technologists—they read the papers and don’t necessarily know where to differentiate hype from reality. In this regard, a lot of what I do involves meeting with investors across the globe and educating them. And whenever I meet them, I push telecoms technologies as the areas in which to invest, showing them successful WiMAX case studies that demonstrate that these businesses work and can and should be built. WiMAX is not a closed technology—it is an Internet protocol broadband technology. This year, we will be taking the decision to open up the technology so that operators can serve other access technologies as well. This means access to 3G and 4G on the mobile and voice sides, really opening up those big ecosystems. Here in Pakistan we will be taking a decision on the WiMAX Forum level to allow
nology, known as Long Term Evolution (LTE). There was an auction in India two years ago for 4G wireless technology and some WiMAX was deployed there. However, the largest Indian operator decided at the time to wait for LTE technology, expecting it would launch by 2011. Now they’ve pushed that back to 2014. Meanwhile WiMAX is already taking hold. Let me add here that I love LTE—I think it’s a great technology and I can’t wait to actually see it.
3G and 4G technologies to be supported on their networks. What this basically means for Wateen, WiTribe, Qubee etc. is that their WiMAX networks will be accessible via other 3G/4G devices as well, such as the iPhone. This will open up the ecosystem—which is not very developed yet, but which we expect to be very large in the next 3-5 years.It will also be a significant step in allowing these operators to raise funding. Courtesy: Newsweek Pakistan/ Latitude
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Zubair Ahmed Kasuri
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ur country is flooded with IT and Telecom experts, the whole world is utilizing our cream people to boost their economies, on the contrary the incumbent PPP led coalition government yet to find an individual for its IT & telecom ministry. For me, what I had learned from the PPP’s present regime, they are only giving priorities to their loved ones, what so ever, they may blank mind but are sitting on the most important positions and offices; which led the country on the verge of destruction. The only thing these socalled democratic parliamentarians know, how to loot the public wealth and dysfunction the national institutions. Information Technology (IT) and Telecommunications are the most important and vital sectors which attracted huge amount of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country so far, but the wrong policies block the smooth flow of FDI and in the last couple of years witnessed huge decline.
whole nation as international telecom regulators discuss ours bad policies. Its merit mentioning here, our telecom sector in the last five years saw six federal ministers in the chair of MoIT, even the ministry has witnessed many federal secretaries in the office; without any proper minister for some stable period; how we can expect smooth progress? The ex-Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani acted as a Minister In-Charge, then appointed Qamar Zaman Kaira, Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, Dr. Babar Awan, Sardar Assef Ahmed Ali and now the incumbent Prime Minister is Minister In-Charge of the MoIT office. But, ironically, none, had done any effort for the well-being of this sector, but each minister tried to appoint his kin on important positions. It is pertinent to mention that the Ministry of Information Technology is an important ministry as it helps government in planning projects and to launch different telecommunication and IT programmes according to international standards to compete with outside world. In the absence of a telecom and IT expert minister the sector cannot be governed as smoothly as it should be. Fifteen departments are under the Ministry of IT and telecom as Carrier Telephone Industries (CTI), Electronic Certification Accreditation Council (ECAC), Electronic Government Directorate (EGD), Na-
right time, which enabled her to earn multi-billion dollars much higher than the expectations; on the other hand, our government has announced so many dates but failed to conduct 3G auctions; even now, it is still not interested, the hope for a better future is dying off, because the attitude of the authorities is shameful. Flare has highlighted the ignorance of the important ministry many times and again and will continue its efforts to remind the authorities for instant action to save the telecom sector from sinking. The irresponsible attitude of politicians is still the same. The incumbent government seems to enjoy the fruit of power and has nothing to do with the future of the national institutions. Meanwhile, the saga of International Clearing House ICH and its repercussions was first highlighted by Flare, which led the Lahore High Court to put the ICH dysfunctional by declaring it null and void, but the LDI operators and the telecom regulator violated LHC order and continuously charge high rates from the overseas Pakistanis, which decline the international traffic to Pakistan through legal channels and thus increase grey traffic and cost billions to national kitty. We are living in that part of the world, where violation of law considers the most respected norm; superior court orders are put aside and appoint candidates at public office by violating merit;
Our telecom sector was enjoying its zeal of success through the length and breadth of the country; it was the major contributor to the national exchequer, when the present government came in power. Our cellular industry through cheap rates and ever new and affordable offers attracted more than 122 million subscribers. Pakistan is one of the biggest and fast growing cellular markets in the world. But, thanks to the genius of Federal Interior Minister, Mr. A Rehman Malik, who invented a new way to stop terrorism by cellular blockade; which not only cost huge losses to cellular operators but to national exchequer. Telecom industry is the second largest industry in our country, while the largest contributor to the national treasury and at present the cash cow for the government as the revenue from this sector is the highest. The excise duty on the cellular users is the highest in the region. The corporate income tax that is levied on the turnover of the companies is also significantly high and is even paid by the companies that run into a loss. The five years rule of the PPP regime is marked by failures, inefficiencies, corruption scandals, bad policies and controversies, most of which are the consequences of the actions and inactions of the top order, who sometimes for the pleasure of their leaders and sometimes on their own deliberately misused powers, made wrong choices, ignored wrongdoings, pampered the corrupt and failed to be like a true guardian of the public kitty. On administrative matters and in regard to the day to day running of the government, the competent authority is failed to appoint suitable men for the desired ministries and offices. The government of Pakistan is repeatedly playing jokes with the most vital and lucrative sectors at first stage by not appointing a professional secretary and minister, and secondly, promulgating inept policies, (International Clearing House) which not only increasing grey trafficking but also bring a shameful image for the
tional ICT R&D Fund, National Radio, National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC), Pakistan Computer Bureau (PCB), Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), Pakistan Telecommunications Mobile Limited (PTML), Paknet, Special Communication Organisation (SCO), Universal
non-professional candidates for important positions and getting-in favorites and own skin to safeguard vested political interests. The present government on various occasions served with contempt of court but is following the principle of plundering public wealth firmly. There are many key appointments being made unchecked during the dying days of the regime. Dozens of lucrative positions in Pakistani missions abroad are being offered to blue eyed boys. Only a few days back, the prime minister appointed his favourites including his principal secretary as directors in the state-owned bank while another controversial appointment of Farooq Awan has been made as member PTA. Awan, who was earlier appointed chairman PTA by Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, was removed on the orders of the LHC but yet Raja made him member finance. According to sources Raja will now notified him as Chairman PTA before the departure of the present regime. The re-appointment of Farooq Awan in the PTA has already raised many eyebrows. But again, Lahore High Court ordered Mr. Farooq Awan, exChairman of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and currently the member finance of the authority, to restrain from all type of official working till the next date of hearing. Court was hearing the writ petition filed by Khawaja Saad Saleem of Nayatel that has challenged the appointment of Mr. Farooq Awan as Member Finance after he was terminated from Chairmanship of Authority by the court. Petitioner had plead the court that Lahore High Court had terminated Mr. Awan from Chairmanship of PTA by terming it illegal and in violation with regulations, however, he was re-appointed by the government as Member Finance, which is not only illegal but is also a contempt of court. Petitioner, hence, said that Mr. Awan should be stopped working as member finance by voiding his appointment. Next hearing of the petition is on March 19, 2013.
The ICH Agreement was seriously opposed by CCP, stayed by LHC and now rests with CCP for a fresh decision in light of a recent Supreme Court judgment. The agreement resulted in drop of incoming calls to Pakistan from 1.5 billion per month to 0.5 billion resulting in loss of millions of dollars to national revenue and exponential increase in grey traffic as almost one billion minutes every month shifted to grey traffic
Service Fund (USF) and Virtual University (UV). Our neighboring country India, which also got independence from the British rule as we, but the economic development, telecom progress and the overall success India has achieved a hallmark, the only difference, which led them towards prosperity and harmony is the continuation of policies and efforts, she took for the uplift of its telecom sector. India is now using 3G/4G, whereas we are still using 2G and 2.5G; India has auctioned 3G at the
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Mr. Awan in a show of strange anxiety and urgency acted strangely when it made all long distance telecom operators (LDIs) agree to sign a multi-billion dollar controversial International Clearing House (ICH) Agreement under which call rates to Pakistan for overseas Pakistanis were drastically increased. It is also alleged that a cartel of operators was formed amid allegations of payment of huge kickbacks to those in power corridors. It is said that the ICH Agreement was seriously opposed by Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP), was stayed by LHC and now rests with CCP for a fresh decision in light of a recent Supreme Court judgment. The agreement resulted in drop of incoming calls to Pakistan from 1.5 billion per month to 0.5 billion resulting in loss of millions of dollars to national revenue and exponential increase in grey traffic as almost one billion minutes every month shifted to grey traffic. The saga of ICH was not only remained restricted to Pakistan but the matter was also put up by the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C., the regulatory body in USA, has ordered all U.S. telecommunications service providers to freeze payments to Pakistani longdistance carriers for termination services in excess of 2 cents per minute. In an order issued on March 5th, 2013, the agency’s International Bureau agreed to partly grant an October 2012 petition by Vonage Holdings Corp. for commission intervention in what the company claims is a 500 percent increase in the rates charged for outgoing calls to Pakistan. Such rates prior to Oct. 1, 2012, had been based on cost, averaging $0.02 per minute, but Pakistani carriers decided to raise the rate to $0.088 per minute following the creation of a new “International Clearing House.” AT&T Inc. also supported Vonage’s petition, and said that Pakistani carriers’ actions violate the commission’s policies protecting U.S. consumers against anticompetitive conduct by foreign carriers to force “above-cost” settlement rate hikes. According to Vonage, the Pakistani LDI carriers submitted in 2011 to the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) an application seeking an exemption from the Pakistan Competition Act of 2010 to allow them to create the ICH exchange. The Pakistani LDI carriers later withdrew the application and the CCP subsequently issued an order in February of 2012 disposing of the application and identifying concerns with the application. In that order, the CCP outlined the following details of the agreement to create the ICH exchange (ICH Plan): (1) it assigns the rights of 13 Pakistani LDI carriers to terminate incoming international traffic to the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), the incumbent telecommunications service provider in Pakistan; (2) each Pakistani LDI carrier is to suspend and keep suspended all interconnection capacities in relation to incoming international traffic to Pakistan ; (3) PTCL is to act as the sole Pakistani LDI operator with the right to exclusively terminate all incoming traffic to Pakistan; (4) PTCL is to sell its call terminating services to foreign carriers at the approved settlement rates of the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA); and (5) each Pakistani LDI carrier will get a pre-determined fixed quota from PTCL to terminate calls on its network, and receive a fixed share of revenues generated from all incoming international traffic. On August 28, 2012, the CCP sent a Policy Note to the PTA and the Ministry of Information Technology of Pakistan (MoIT), warning that the ICH Plan was illegal under Pakistan’s Competition Act. Vonage states in its petition that the MoIT, despite the order of the CCP, nevertheless issued a directive calling for the implementation of the ICH Plan. Subsequently, the Pakistani LDI carriers, PTA and MoIT moved forward with the ICH Plan and have implemented the rate increase to more than $0.088 per minute as of October 1,
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2012. In its petition, Vonage requested that the Commission require U.S. carriers to stop settlement payments to the Pakistani LDI carriers until the ICH Plan is abrogated and international termination rates are re-established at cost-based levels on the U.S.-Pakistan route. Vonage also requested that the Commission immediately impose temporary requirements on U.S. carriers prohibiting all U.S. carriers from paying the Pakistani LDI carri-
The saga of ICH was not only remained restricted to Pakistan but the matter was also put up by the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C., the regulatory body in USA, has ordered all U.S. telecommunications service providers to freeze payments to Pakistani long-distance carriers for termination services in excess of 2 cents per minute
ers anything more than the termination rate to Pakistan in effect prior to October 1, 2012, while it considers its request to stop all settlement payments. It also informed the FCC that, pursuant to a court order, the PTA had withdrawn its mandate of the increased rate and implementation of ICH
Plan, the International Bureau requested a status update from the parties. In response, AT&T filed an ex parte letter explaining that it had asked its correspondent long distance carrier in Pakistan to clarify the current status of the settlement rate on the U.S.-Pakistan route. AT&T notes that its correspondent carrier responded on December 17, 2012, that the increased rate of $0.088 per minute remains in effect. On January 23, 2013, Vonage filed a second ex parte letter reiterating that the increased rate of $0.088 per minute for termination into Pakistan is still in effect and “is not cost-based and appears to be the result of concerted action among Pakistan carriers, even if the new rate is no longer mandated by the PTA.” On February 22, 2013, it was reported that a two-member bench of the Pakistan Supreme Court suspended the Lahore High Court’s Stay Order on the ICH Plan and directed the Pakistani LDI carriers to approach the CCP to resolve the issue. The practical effect of the suspension of the Stay Order would appear to put back in place the ICH Plan unless and until the CCP rules against it. Vonage notes that so long as these artificially high rates remain in place, whether pursuant to the ICH Plan or concerted action among the Pakistani LDI carriers, they will continue to harm U.S. consumers, necessitating the need for Commission action. FCC in its order said, “We find anticompetitive the Pakistani LDI carriers’ actions demanding a substantial rate increase above previously negotiated rates in a way that amounts to a rate floor. By establishing the International Clearing House plan, the Pakistani carriers acted in concert to impose unilaterally this rate floor without engaging in meaningful negotiations with U.S. carriers and foreclosing future separate negotiations between U.S. and individual LDI correspondent carriers.” A stitch in time saves nine. Our government has already failed in a number of fields and it is still not interested in the mainstream issues of various ministries. It’s very strange, that a foreign commission stands for the interests of overseas Pakistanis; who send their hard earned money back home which amounts in billions per month contribution to national treasury in the form of foreign exchange, which the incumbent government uses to run state affairs, but our own institutions are doing nothing to safeguard expats interests but to pamper the vested interests of corrupt politicians. n
Flare Panel
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Y
ahya Polani is the CEO of Polani Travelers, one of the oldest travel agencies of the country. He is also chairman of the eight other companies including Polani Builders and Polani Overseas Employment Foundation. He is currently the central chairman of Travel Agents Association of Pakistan (TAAP). He has been the chairman of the standing committee on aviation, Tourism, Hajj and Umra of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI). Flare: How did you start your career? Yahya Polani: I started my journey from electric lights decoration business. I was both a laborer and a boss. Had two employees as well. But, I was not satisfied with that and switched over to my present field: the travel agency business. Flare: How did you enter this business? YP: I started my business with Rs 100 investment and set up 48 square feet office on the M A Jinnah Road in 1973. After a couple of years, I collaborated with a friend and expanded my business in Karachi and relocated my office to I I Chundrigar Road. Finally, I became the sole owner of Polani Travelers and established its subsidiary organizations subsequently one after another. Flare: How is your experience of working in different sectors? YP: Working in multiple sectors is always useful and to me it has been very profitable as funds continue to flow and resources are employed optimally in diverse fields. Therefore, one sector strengthens another and offsets any loss. I have incurred losses in a few sectors, but recovered soon with the support of my other established businesses. This is the best formula of successful business as you can never be bankrupt with diversified investment. Flare: What is the philosophy of a successful businessman in your view? YP: Working tirelessly with the collaboration of your trusted business partners and sincere employees and availing yourself of every opportunity. You need to work with people so it is very important to distribute responsibilities in your organization wisely and rightly in order to obtain better and long-term results, which actually make a business-man successful in every field and country. Flare: Being a boss, how do you evaluate the performance of Pakistan's human resource?
YP: Well, the performance of our citizens is good as they are hardworking and talented, capable of working day and night despite unfavorable working situations. Further, your encouragement inculcates a sense of participation among your employees and their input becomes inevitably fruitful for the organization as they assume that this is their own organization. I don't have to give too many directions to my employees because workers from top to bottom work honestly and independently without any fear. Flare: What do you think about the capabilities of workforce working abroad? YP: As a manpower exporter, I think the best quality work is produced by Pakistani nationals in foreign countries. That is why remittances in the country have continued to flow in and have made records. I believe the expatriate Pakistanis are playing a pivotal role in strengt-hening our economy. Skilled employees should be encouraged and facilitated if they desire to work abroad. In contrast, they get little help from the government. Government should provide more facilities to companies exporting manpower. Flare: What are the qualities of a good boss? YP: A good boss must be a good human being and know the needs and potential of his subordinates. He should take good care of his workers and treat them as stakeholders in his business. A boss should be a role model for his employees. So I still work hard till late to complete the work. I am always punctual and meet the deadlines. I try my level best to satisfy my clients and business partners. Flare: What will be the effects of floods on tourism and aviation industries? YP: Forecasting the losses to aviation and tourism industries is a bit difficult at the moment but these two industries will definitely get hurt indirectly because of the dilapidated infrastructure of the floodhit provinces. Tourist spots have also been destroyed in Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa. Government apathy will delay the reconstruction of these spots, so the people depending on tourists for their livelihoods will suffer. Flare: How could Hajj operations be improved in the country? YP: I handled the Hajj groups when they used to go by ship. Although there were many difficulties at that time, the situation was much better than it is now
Interview
with modern aircraft. The ministry has a lot of corruption on the one hand and the national airline has a lot of problems on the other. The ministry makes money through Hajj operations although it is a Muslim country. On the other hand, the staff members of the national flag carrier also create troubles for us. Flare: What are your business goals in future? YP: I have achieved more than I had thought in my life. I still consider myself a common citizen of the country. I initiate a work and thanks to Allah it flourishes. Flare: What is your present priority of life as businessman? YP: In my views, education and training plays a pivotal role in human development. So, I constituted an NGO a couple of years ago to train government schools' teachers with English language skills. I know it is very important for our nation because teachers groom the new generation and if they are educated, our new workforce will be better educated. Flare: What is the strongest point of your personality? YP: I believe in the proverb "honesty is the best policy". I am honest with others and want others to be honest with me. Flare: What is the weakest point of your person-ality? YP: I will not accept lies and dishonesty as this makes trouble for people and your business eventually. Flare: How do you spend your leisure time? YP: I am very much involved in social activities. I am always cheerful in meetings and parties with friends. It is fun to chat with friends and business partners and play cards with them occasionally. Flare: What are your favourite books or TV programmes? YP: I am not an avid reader but read news-papers and magazines daily. I like talk shows very much and manage time to watch my favorite shows on TV. Flare: Do you like music? YP: I like classical music and love listening to songs of famous singers of the sub-continent. Besides, I am very fond of listening to Naat. *
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Wateen launches ‘Values’ to achieve strategic goal
Wateen Values took over a year and a half, finally resulting in five final Core Values to be implemented within the organisation: Serve & Enable; Passion, Energy & Fun; Team work & Respect; Ownership & Accountability; and Innovation & Creativity. Each of these values is defined by three specific behaviors, allowing the values to be integrated easily into every day behavior. Commenting on the successful launch, Mr. Naeem Zamindar said, “For Wateen this marks the dawn of a New Beginning and a sign of our commitment to build a workforce that exemplifies the right attitude, behaviour and mindset of Pakistan’s leading converged communications service provider.”
First time in Pakistan, corporate organisation identif ies ‘Core Values’ to be ‘lived and breathed ’ by all employees; Wateen now has a total 100 employees who have experienced the benef its of the Values and have become ‘commandos’ who will drive the new culture
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n a first for any corporate organisation in Pakistan, Wateen Telecom, country’s leading converged communications service provider, recently launched its Core Values during special events organised for all company employees in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. The events kicked off with the first one held at the Wateen head office at Oberoi House in Lahore. Over 700 Wateen employees were in attendance, ranging from office assistants to the senior management team, Wateen CEO Mr Naeem Zamindar and senior Board Member Mr Zouhair Khaliq. A select group of
The most significant aspect of the launches was the Value Champions Team, comprising of employees from every tier, segment and background. Following six weeks of ‘living the Values’, Wateen now has a total 100 employees who’ve experienced the benefits of the Values and have become ‘commandos’ who will drive the new culture. Asad Rezzvi, Wateen Chief Transformation Officer, says, “Culture is the source of great strategy. It is the conglomerate of the beliefs of the people. Beliefs drive behaviour and thoughts. With extraordinary beliefs and thoughts come extraordinary
the company’s Enterprise customers were also invited to attend the explosive, high-energy and funfilled event.
actions. Keeping this in mind, we set out to sow the seeds for a high performance culture.” The entire process of defining and creating the
The events consisted of demonstrations, presentations, skits, and other interactive activities aimed at allowing employees to actually experience the Core Values as they might be applied in real life settings. The Lahore event was followed by similarly successful events in Karachi and finally Islamabad.
For Wateen this marks the dawn of a new beginning and a sign of our commitment to build a workforce that exemplifies the right attitude, behaviour and mindset of Pakistan’s leading converged communications service provider, said Mr. Naeem Zamindar Moving forward, the plan is to drive the Values throughout the organisation by getting every single employee on board. A Rewards Program is being planned around the Values and their behaviours, which will motivate people to focus in the direction of
the new culture. Every time someone hits a certain level of points, a reward will be triggered. This will create momentum and create healthy competition in the right direction. n
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glove, with the speaker in the little finger, allowing you to make calls without getting your hands cold. Equally nerdy is the smartphone-controlled golf ball developed by Woddon Industrial Limited. No need for golf clubs: simply download the app to your smartphone, then wave your device as if swinging a club. The ball judges the speed and angle of the "swing" and moves accordingly.
he world's top technology fair, the CeBIT, has open in Hanover, Germany, with the focus being on sharing in cyberspace. In addition, the up-and-coming tech nation Poland featured prominently at the fair. CeBIT has been Technology’s most important trade show since the first event in 1986. Since then, many technology leaders such as Microsoft, Mozilla, and Siemens have participated and made it a globally recognizable name. Deutsche Messe now hosts “CeBIT Worldwide Events” in various countries including China, Turkey and Australia. The purpose for every event remains the same: promote cooperation within the industry and showcase upcoming talent.
opers and of course, the consumer. For over 30 years, CeBIT has helped to put Hanover on the map as one of the most important Tech cities in the world. German Chancellor Angela Merkel presided over the official opening ceremony. Merkel has taken a strong interest in the CeBIT Expo; in fact, since she was elected in 2005, she has presided over the opening ceremonies every year. She was joined this year by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, as Poland was the partner country at CeBIT this year. The joint opening was symbolic of the increasingly important trade partnership between Germany and Poland. Poland’s role as partner country also speaks to its rising profile in the tech community. This year
The latest "iConCopter", due out in a couple of months, has a maximum range of 50 metres (165 feet) and is likely to retail at around $390, said sales manager Harry Chen. But not all gadgets at the CeBIT, the self-styled Davos of high-tech, are so frivolous. Taiwan-based PenPower Technology attracted crowds with its text-reading and translating scanning pen. Sleek-black and scarcely bigger than a normal ballpoint pen, the device scans text from a sheet of paper and transmits it instantly to a smartphone before offering to translate it into more than 20 languages. Launched last month, the futuristic pen recognises a host of Asian languages, including Japanese, Chinese and Korean, and costs around 130 euros, said manager Shin Kuo, who believes it is a unique application. Everyone likes to add a personal touch to a birthday card but the New York-based firm has gone a step further by allowing users to upload videos or a photo slideshow to the inside of an ordinary greeting card via a USB port. Also pulling in the crowds on CeBIT's first day was the "Cookoo" watch unveiled by Bluetrek Technologies from Hong Kong. The Cookoo looks -- and functions -- just like a normal watch but is linked to the smartphone in your pocket and notifies you when you have received an email or when one of your Facebook friends has updated his or her status. One of more unusual computer accessories on show is a mouse in the shape of the iconic yellow
The very latest gadgets and programs displayed at the CeBIT Trade Show, which officially kicked off in Hanover. This show featured the very latest in the tech industry and provides an opportunity for networking and investing. CeBIT 2013 has over 4,000 exhibitors from 70 different countries. Along with the exhibitors themselves, this event attracts hundreds of companies and investors to the sprawling fairgrounds in Hanover to sample and discuss the latest technological developments. The show targets government, the business sector, innovators/devel-
Poland sent over 150 exhibitors, which more than doubles it’s participation from last year. From a glove that can be used as a mobile phone to a remote-controlled spy helicopter: this year's CeBIT, the world's top high-tech fair, showcases a bewildering array of gadgets. For geeks in cold climates, China-based firm Winnershine Technology has just the thing: a glove that can be used as a mobile phone while keeping your hands toasty warm. Connected to your smartphone via bluetooth, the earpiece is in the thumb of the woolly green
three-wheeled van from cult British TV comedy classic "Only Fools and Horses". But for the ultimate in pointless but fun gadgets that no self-respecting nerd should be without, UKbased Satzuma is hard to beat. Satzuma also unveiled a personal drink-chiller. The can-sized red fridge plugs neatly into your laptop or desktop and keeps your beverage cold all day, enthused sales executive Michaela Grill. "Cold beer all day and you need never get up from your desk," she said. n
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In the present digital age mobile phones become the most necessary and inevitable commodity in human lives; keeping the cherished massed abreast with latest and most economical handsets, G’Five Mobile (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd. unveiled a new outlet for the reverend consumers in Fortress Stadium Lahore. The new outlet was recently inaugurated by Mr. Jeff Edwards, President, G’Five Mobile. Haji Abdul Rehman, CEO G’Five Mobile, Pakistan welcomed the honorable guests. The opening ceremony was well attended by mobile phone dealers and media persons.
Mr. Jeff Edwards, President, G' FIVE Mobile (c), Haji Abdul Rehman, CEO, G’Five along with other distinguished guests pose for photo during the opening ceremony of G’Five Fortress Stadium outlet in Lahore.
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Zong vows to light up rural lives Zong will sponsor the establishment of Solar Charging Stations in the selected villages in Chiniot District, providing solar lanterns for the use of the villagers, which can be regularly charged at the solar-charging stations. This is the f irst time in the country’s history that a telecom company is investing in a clean energy initiative to provide much needed lighting to those living in the depth of darkness in rural parts of the country
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ONG, the international brand of China Mobile, in collaboration with Buksh Foundation, a leading microfinance organization, is set to light up rural lives through the project ‘Lighting a Million Lives’ that will provide solar-powered lighting to 2 villages as a start of a long term partnership. The initiative is a part of the TERI project that aims to provide lightning to a billion people worldwide through solar power. Under the partnership, ZONG will sponsor the establishment of Solar Charging Stations in the selected villages in Chiniot District, providing solar lanterns for the use of the villagers, which can be regularly charged at the solar-charging stations. This is the first time in the country’s history that a telecom company is investing in a clean energy initiative to provide much needed lighting to those living in the depth of darkness in rural parts of the country.
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The initiative has important socio-economic benefits as well. As the solar-charging stations will be operated by women from the same villages, the project directly promotes women empowerment. Two female micro-entrepreneurs will be selected from each village to run these stations. They will then either rent out the charged solar lanterns every evening to fellow villagers at an affordable fee, or will sell the lanterns to individual households as per their need. Further, project will contribute to improvement of education and health standards, as has been observed in other countries where the project has been implemented. The use of solar lanterns, over its life span of about 10 years
will also result in 500 to 600 liters of kerosene not being used for kerosene lamps, eliminating about 1.5 tons of carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
About 43% (80 million people) of the total population of Pakistan lives without access to electricity. Interestingly, while some of the villages do not have electricity, their residents still have cellular connections and carry cell phones. The common practice in these areas is that one of the villagers’ collects all cell phones and goes to a nearby town with electricity to recharge these phones. By investing in the solar charging stations, ZONG is also making the process of recharging hassle free for the 2 fortunate villages. ZONG is one of those few companies in the country which has embedded sustainability to the core of its business. The Company now has more than 400 cell sites which are solar powered, the highest number for any telecom service provider in Pakistan.
At the MoU signing ceremony between Zong and Buksh Foundation for the project Mr Fan Yunjun, the CEO of Zong Pakistan stated “‘We are pleased to support Buksh Foundation on this solar energy initiative especially since this aims to address a critical energy gap in the country. We are optimistic that this collaboration, whilst addressing the energy crisis, will also enhance female employment through generating increased entrepreneurship opportunities and will hence positively impact overall socio-economic development in the country.’ Ms Fiza Farhan, Chief Executive Officer of Buksh Foundation states, ‘“This unique collaborative project will help create female empowerment in rural areas, provide a Sustainable Energy Alternative for impoverished communities, increase economic capacity of the rural areas, creating literacy about the needs for environmentally friendly
energy alternates and the benefits they provide. With the help of Zong we will be able to directly impact the lives of more than 500 individuals in Chiniot District and aim to expand this scope with time.” ZONG an international brand of China Mobile entered Pakistan’s telecom industry in April 2008 and has now spread its coverage across the country. Among all the Chinese investments in Pakistan, China Mobile is the biggest investor in Pakistan. ZONG’s reach now stretches from the mountain tops of Ishkoman in Gilgit-Baltistan to the rocky plains of Buleda in Balochistan covering more than 10,000 cities, towns and villages across Pakistan. n
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he grandest accomplishments of engineering took place in the twentieth century. The widespread development and distribution of electricity and clean water, automobiles and airplanes, radio and television, spacecraft and lasers, antibiotics and medical imaging, computers and the Internet are just some of the highlights from a century in which engineering revolutionized and improved virtually every aspect of human life. As a technology professional, keeping on top of trends is crucial. Below is a list of technology topics that telecommunications conferences are focusing on: Internet of things: The Internet of things is more than just the newest buzzword. The IoT promises to be the most disruptive technological revolution since the advent of the World Wide Web. Projections indicate that up to 100 billion uniquely identifiable objects will be connected to the Internet by 2020, but human understanding of the underlying technologies has not kept pace. This creates a fundamental challenge to researchers, with enormous technical, socioeconomic, political, and even spiritual consequences. In recognition of the importance of IoT, "The Internet of Things: The Next Technological Revolution" will offer a forum for highlighting what the IoT could bring to the end user. Recommended topics for this special issue include design and development methodology for a user-centered IoT; the dynamics of social media and connected objects; community programming for the IoT, including citizen science, citizen journalism, and social activism; opportunistic sensing, big data, and the IoT; and the impact of the IoT on the future networked society. Cybersecurity: Recent technological advances in computing, communications, software, and hardware have enabled the significant growth of cyberspace, an important aspect of modern life that continues to transform the way citizens, business, and governments interact, collaborate, and conduct business. Our heavy dependence on various digital infrastructures has made them strategic national assets that must be protected to ensure economic growth, prosperity, and safety in the future.
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Cybersecurity is an emerging area of intense activity that endeavors to provide innovative solutions to ensure uninterrupted communications and service availability. International body aims to disseminate the latest advances in cybersecurity that are critical in thwarting future threats, attacks, fraud, and damage. The discussion will focus on effective techniques and approaches that have the potential to ensure a safe, trustworthy, secure, and resilient cyberspace. Big data visualization: We've entered a data-driven era, in which data are continuously acquired for a variety of purposes. The ability to make timely decisions based on available data is crucial to business success, clinical treatments, cyber and national security, and disaster management. Additionally, the data generated from large-
Cloud computing has emerged as a dominant paradigm, widely adopted by enterprises. Clouds provide on-demand access to computing utilities, an abstraction of unlimited computing resources, and support for on-demand scale-up, scale-down, and scale-out. Cloud platforms are also rapidly becoming viable for scientific exploration and discovery, as well as education
scale simulations, astronomical observatories, high-throughput experiments, or high-resolution sensors will help lead to new discoveries if scientists have adequate tools to extract knowledge from them. However, most data have become simply too large and often have too short a lifespan. Almost all fields of study and practice sooner or later will
confront this big data problem. Government agencies and large corporations are launching research programs to address the challenges presented by big data. Visualization has been shown to be an effective tool not only for presenting essential information in vast amounts of data but also for driving complex analyses. Cloud computing in science and engineering: Cloud computing has emerged as a dominant paradigm, widely adopted by enterprises. Clouds provide on-demand access to computing utilities, an abstraction of unlimited computing resources, and support for on-demand scale-up, scale-down, and scale-out. Cloud platforms are also rapidly becoming viable for scientific exploration and discovery, as well as education. As a result, it is critical to understand application formulations and usage modes that are meaningful in such a hybrid infrastructure, the fundamental conceptual and technological challenges, and ways that applications can effectively utilize clouds. The goal is to explore how cloud platforms and abstractions, either by themselves or in combination with other platforms, can be effectively used to support real-world science and engineering applications. This will focus on algorithmic and application formulations, programming models and systems, runtime systems and middleware, endto-end application workflows, and experiences with real applications. Mobile computing meets the cloud: It could be argued that two of the most important technological developments of the last few years are the emergence of mobile and cloud computing. By shifting the hardware and staffing costs of managing computational infrastructure to third parties such as Google, Microsoft, or Amazon, cloud computing has made it possible for small organizations and individuals to deploy world-scale services; all they need to pay is the marginal cost of actual resource usage. At the same time, the deployment of 3G and 4G networks, the rapid adoption of feature-rich smartphones, and the growing integration of computation into consumer products such as cars and home appliances, have brought mobile and pervasive computing into the mainstream. Mobile and embedded devices make it possible
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for users to access cloud-based services and data anywhere and anytime, extending their reach into everyday life. Simultaneously, cloud computing platforms are a natural fit to remedy the lack of local resources in mobile and pervasive devices, while enabling resource-intensive next generation applications. Internet censorship and control: The Internet is a battleground where fights for technical, social, and political control are waged, including between governments and their citizens, separate governments, and competing commercial interests. These fights take many forms, including Internet filtering versus circumvention, surveillance versus anonymization, denial of service attacks and intrusion attempts versus protection mechanisms, and on- and offline persecution and defense of online activists. These battles impact and are impacted by the Internet's technical structure. As the Internet continues to embed itself into our world, its structural changes will have an increasing effect on our social and political structures, and our social and political structures will have increasing impact on the Internet's technical structure. Interactive public displays: Recent trends show an increasing prevalence of interactive displays of varying sizes in public and urban life. With their prominent visibility and the integration of diverse methods for interaction, they can offer new opportunities to enrich user experiences beyond the personal sphere, for instance in public knowledge institutions such as museums and libraries, or integrated within public plazas or architectural facades. The public context with its social and cultural particularities and constraints provides a large variety of intriguing but challenging settings and use-case scenarios for interactive displays of varying sizes. Experts will focus on research that addresses the opportunities and challenges around public indoor and outdoor urban display installations. Next-Generation mobile computing: Ubiquitous, pervasive mobile computing is all around us. We use mobile computing not only when we interact with our smartphones to connect with friends and family across states and countries, but also when we use ticketing systems on a bus or train to work or home, purchase food from a mobile vendor at a park, watch videos and listen to music on our phones and portable music play-
degraded network, power, or computing environments, such as for first-responders in a catastrophe, mobile phone users in remote regions or in countries where communication infrastructure is degraded or even millions of people watching fireworks along a river and overwhelming the local networking infrastructure in a major metropolitan area. 3D imaging techniques and multimedia applications: With the advances in sensing, transmission, and visualization technology, 3D information has become increasingly incorporated into real-world applications—from architecture to entertainment, manufacturing, and security. Integrating depth perception into such application can help present an even richer media interface. For example, in immersive telecommunication, spatialized audio and 3D parallax increases the effec-
tiveness of communication; in medicine, 3D instrument tracking enables more precise and safer operations; and new low-cost 3D cameras are starting a new chapter in interactive gaming and human-computer interaction. One of the fundamental requirements of these applications is the estimation of scene depth information. The extraction of 3D information has been studied in the field of computer vision for more than three decades, but it remains a challenging problem, in particular under uncon-
caution, routine component and operator failure, the complexity of international projects, and adaptation and refurbishment. In addition, there are the security-related issues such as intentional, malicious attacks and supply-chain risks. Reliability: Over the past decade, designers have sought after efficient design points with respect to power, performance and cost. Of these, power has undoubtedly emerged as a first-order design challenge. In the coming era, this challenge may be subsumed by the challenge of building robust and reliable systems. As technology advances, susceptibility of systems to transient errors, such as timing violations, parameter variations, aging and infant mortality, is steadily increasing. Without innovations in the areas of microprocessor and software reliability, future systems may face continuous failure. Thus, new computing paradigms are required that incorporate adaptive techniques at both the hardware and software layers to ensure robust and resilient execution. The system, as a whole, must dynamically detect and recover from errors to meet historically established high reliability standards without exceeding power budgets and cost constraints, and violating performance targets. Haptics in rehabilitation: Robotic devices are expected to be effective at delivering the intensive and repetitive therapy that is known to induce brain plasticity and foster restoration of motor coordination after stroke, spinal cord injury, and other neural impairments. Engagement of the sensorimotor system, including haptic feedback to the participant during rehabilitation, is an important factor in regaining motor control. Further, haptic feedback can enhance the natural control, utility, and efficacy of advancement of prosthetic and orthotic devices that restore mobility and manipulability to lower- and upper-extremity amputees. However, advanced prosthetic devices, for example, have decoupled the normal afferent-efferent loop and rely heavily on visual feedback to the amputee for control in the absence of haptics. The science and technology of haptics thus has great potential to affect the outcomes of rehabilitation and adoption of advanced prosthetic and orthotic devices. Multicore memory coherence: As we enter an era of large multicores, the question of efficiently supporting a shared memory model has become of paramount importance. Massively parallel architectures lacking coherent shared memory have enjoyed great success in niche applications such as 3D
ing devices. In other words, mobile computing is not only the interaction of smart phones with each other. Any computation system that is expected to move and interact with end users or other computational systems despite potential changes in network connectivity—including loss of connectivity or changes in type of connectivity or access point— participates in mobile computing infrastructure, and the number of such systems is expected to grow significantly each year over the coming decades. Many of these systems in urban areas take advantage of robust networking infrastructure, gigabit bandwidth backbones, high-speed relays, and unlimited power and recharging capabilities. However, many of these systems operate within
strained environments that can include variable lighting, specular and deforming scene surfaces, and occluded objects, among other things. Multimedia researchers must account for imperfect depth information when designing their systems, making this a unique research opportunity. Safety-Critical systems: This year, experts will take an unprecedented look at safety-critical systems with coordinated software and security & Privacy. Safety-critical computer-based systems are woven into the fabric of our lives. These days, they can't be safe without being secure—yet security is just one of many challenges. These systems must be trusted to work adequately given user behavior, system interactions, changing environment and expectations, organizational turbulence, regulatory
rendering, but general programming developers still demand the convenience of a shared memory abstraction. Efficiently using a message passing interface requires that the individual computation tasks must be relatively large to overcome the communication latencies, and it becomes difficult to use MPI at the fine-grained level when fast on-chip communication is available. Higher-level mechanisms like MapReduce or shard-based databases are popular in particular application domains but researchers have not yet efficiently applied them at the chip/node level. This year, researchers will focus on approaches to providing scalable, shared memory at the onchip level. n
We use mobile computing not only when we interact with our smartphones to connect with friends and family across states and countries, but also when we use ticketing systems on a bus or train to work or home, purchase food from a mobile vendor at a park, watch videos and listen to music on our phones and portable music playing devices
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Mobile apps reshape urban taxi landscape A number of new services have sprung up in recent years that enable smartphone users to locate and request taxis with GPS. Drivers conf irm they're on the way, and payment is made by mobile phone, with no cash changing hands
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efore the smartphone, riders summoned a taxi by waving an arm or calling a dispatcher -- but mobile apps are changing that, helping both drivers and passengers. A number of new services have sprung up in recent years that enable smartphone users to locate and request taxis with GPS. Drivers confirm they're on the way, and payment is made by mobile phone, with no cash changing hands. "It gives the passenger control and incentivizes the driver to provide excellent service," said Yonis Benitez, general manager in Washington for MyTaxi, a German-based firm which has recently expanded to the US market. "It's no longer anonymous. They know the driver's name and the driver's rating," from customer reviews which can be seen on the app. MyTaxi was founded in 2009 in Germany, and in October began service in Washington, one of 30 cities worldwide where it operates. The apps offer the promise of increased business, especially in areas where vehicle and cab traffic is low. "We've been well-received in DC," Benitez said. "Our numbers have doubled month over month in terms of numbers of people joining and passengers." San Francisco-based Uber offers a mobile app connecting passengers and taxis in six cities, including Washington, and operates in 27 cities worldwide with a "black car" service, which it says costs more than taxis but less than comparable limousine services. Uber founder and chief executive Travis Kalanick said drivers like the system because "they make more money, they can fill out their downtime and can invest and grow." Like other services, Uber has no cars of its own but partners with taxi or limousine drivers who agree to use the app. "We are like Open Table for restaurants or Expedia for travel," he said. Uber has faced some well-publicized regulatory hurdles, and in New York temporarily suspended taxi service, while maintaining its limo operations, as city officials consider regulations on the "e-hail-
ing" of cabs. In Washington, the city council approved a measure last year to clear the way for app-based taxi and limo services. "The DC law is cutting edge, it's pro-innovation, and a lot of cities are starting to follow," said Rachel Holt, Uber's manager in the city. Uber, which has venture funding from Amazon's Jeff Bezos and Goldman Sachs, has been expanding globally to cities like Paris, Melbourne and Stockholm while competition heats up in the United States. Washington driver Peter Faris said he has been able to build a car service with three vehicles around the Uber app.
Uber founder and chief executive Travis Kalanick said drivers like the system because "they make more money, they can fill out their downtime and can invest and grow. Like other services, Uber has no cars of its own but partners with taxi or limousine drivers who agree to use the app "We've grown as Uber has grown in DC," he said. "There's an amazing vibe. It's hard to communicate the enthusiasm it has created. It has filled a need." Hailo, launched in London in 2011, claims to be the largest taxi app, with some 30,000 drivers in Boston, Chicago, Toronto and Dublin. This year it plans to launch in New York, Tokyo, Madrid, Barcelona and Washington. "The drivers have 30 to 60 percent down time, depending on the city, and customers find it difficult to get a cab," Jay Bregman, the New York-
born founder of the Britain-based company, told. "This is a pattern you find all over the world. It's one of the last bastions of inefficiency," said Bregman, who launched the idea after studying at the London School of Economics. Hailo says it has grown to more than $120 million in annualized sales, and has raised $50 million in venture capital, including from Twitter-backer Union Square Ventures and British mogul Richard Branson. Bregman said Hailo only launches in a city after it has recruited enough drivers to provide an adequate supply. He said the app helps drivers by serving as a kind of social network, alerting other cabbies about traffic or accidents, and of events or neighborhoods where taxis are needed. Hailo has some 5,000 cab drivers in New York ready to roll, assuming city authorities resolve regulatory issues and lawsuits challenging app-based services. "This is a positive technology with almost no drawbacks," he said. "It doesn't destroy the other industries, it makes them more competitive." Bergman said Hailo works with regular taxis, and is not seeking "to upsell a more expensive luxury service." The apps can offer the convenience of fast service for the rider and allow the driver to waste less time. "I spoke to a driver in New York who said he took someone to the Bronx and for the first time in 20 years had a ride back," Uber's Kalanick said. "It's a really good outer borough story." But Kalanick said efficiency is not just a matter of luck. "People see they can push a button and a car magically appears. But they don't realize all the math and logistics in making that occur," he said. He said Uber's technical team includes "two nuclear physicists" and others who crunch numbers to ensure "that you get the ride quickly but the driver always has a customer. "We have to develop algorithms for this, and calculate things like traffic congestion." n
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Smartphone replaces wallet
mobile payment systems. Noting that he tended to lose his taxi receipts, Bajorat said that the smartphone app had been a great help to him. "Now I get an e-mail with all the necessary receipts, which I can't lose anymore," he told DW. The app used PayPal or his credit card as the underlying payment system, Bajorat said, which made it virtually unnecessary for him to carry cash in a wallet around. Bajorat said he saw potential for installing more of these so-called island solutions modeled on MyTaxiApp, since both retailers and customers had an interest in cashless payment. US-based coffee shop chain Starbucks already has such a system, he added, and cinemas as well as shopping malls were likely to follow soon as they recognized the benefits.
If you want to write a text message, surf the Internet or simply make a phone call - none of this is a problem with a modern-day mobile phone. But the future devices of this type may even be able to replace your wallet
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f you want to believe technology experts, the sensual feeling of stashing currency notes in your wallet may soon be a thing of the past. Non-cash payment systems will dominate our shopping in the not-too-distant future, they suggest, as companies around the world continue working on the electronic underpinnings that will make spending money easier. Hotly tipped as a favorite payment system is one called m-payment, done with smartphones. Already, cashless payment systems, such as Google Wallet and PayPal, enable customers to go shopping around the clock, around the world.
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More technologically-advanced is a system called Near Field Communication (NFC). NFC is on the verge of revolutionizing cashless electronic payments as it promises to be simpler, faster and more secure. NFC chips enable wireless communication between different gadgets, and once built into a
smartphone, can be scanned with a laser. Customers just need to pass an electronic reader at the cashier to pay for their shopping. NFC chips may also be integrated in credit cards. The market of mobile payment, which is also called m-commerce, is fiercely contested, as many companies want to be the first to come up
The market of mobile payment, which is also called m-commerce, is fiercely contested, as many companies want to be the first to come up with a commercial solution, thus setting the standard for the technology
with a commercial solution, thus setting the standard for the technology. Mobile payment is more than just a hip trend, said Manfred Kr端ger, chairman of ConCardis GmbH. The German firm specializes in cashless payment systems, and its chairman told DW that rapid growth in the use of smartphones and tablet PCs would create a growing demand for mobile payment. "Mobile phone technology will increasingly transform e-commerce into m-commerce," he said. MyTaxiApp blazing the trail: MyTaxiApp is a software application already used by customers to pay taxi fares. One of them, is Andre Bajorat, a senior researcher in online-banking and
Data protection obstacle: German e-commerce lobby group, Bundesverband Informationswirtschaft, believes that it is just a matter of time until mobile payment systems will be introduced nationwide because NFC technology was on the verge of a breakthrough. However, protecting customer data is still a major and unresolved issue. In particular, the laser-based scanning technology in NFC has not emerged from its test phase yet.
"At the moment, the technology still has room for improvement as far as data security is concerned," Antje Stobbe, an analyst with Deutsche Bank, told DW. She criticized that NFC chips could be read by unauthorized people more easily than had previously been thought. Japan leads the way: While Germans still appear to be somewhat reluctant to go cashless, alternative payment systems are more common in other countries. Japan, for example, has been using NFC-based ticketing in public transport for about a decade. Noting that, in the past, Japanese subway turnstiles used to be heavily clogged during rush hour, Steffen von Blumroeder said the situation had substantially improved since the introduction of NFCbased payment procedures. "Passengers no longer need to hold their tickets against the scanners since NFC chips are now automatically scanned while passing, making ticketing much faster," he told DW. n
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The system detects any change in the magnetic f ield on or behind the goal-line to determine if a goal has been scored and, again, the process takes under one second for a message to be relayed to the referee
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ver since the dawn of football, governing bodies have been looking for ways to avoid controversial refereeing decisions. Goals have always been awarded when they should not have been and disallowed when they should have stood, because referees and linesmen are unsighted or too far from the action. Probably the most famous cases on the international stage, curiously all involve England, but the three events span 46 years. The argument still rages to this day on whether Geoff Hurst's controversial third goal in the 1966 World Cup final at Wembley, awarded by referee Gottfried Dienst and Soviet linesman Tofik Bakhramov, actually crossed the line. Then, in the 2010 World Cup against Germany, Frank Lampard had a perfectly good goal wiped out as England slipped to a 4-1 defeat, a decision which led FIFA president Sepp Blatter to apologise and push for goal-line technology to be introduced. And in last year's Euro 2012, Ukraine were on the receiving end when Marko Devic's effort, which had clearly crossed the line, was hooked away to safety by John Terry. Goal-line Technology (GLT) will be in place for this year's Confederations Cup in Brazil, as a dress rehearsal for next year's World Cup when it will be fully operational. At present, two rival systems have been licensed by FIFA - although when it comes to putting the contracts out to tender, two more German firms are expected to throw their hats into the ring. The most high profile system is Hawk-Eye. Hawk-Eye works by utilising six cameras at each goal to track the ball on the pitch, not dissimilar to the system in use at the Wimbledon tennis tournament. The British system's software employs "triangulation" to pinpoint the exact location of the football and if it crosses the goal-line, then an encrypted radio signal is sent to the referee's wristwatch to indicate a goal has been scored. In line with FIFA's requirements, the whole process takes less than a second to complete. The other competing system is GoalRef from Germany. GoalRef uses a microchip implanted in the ball and low magnetic waves around the goal.
The system detects any change in the magnetic field on or behind the goal-line to determine if a goal has been scored and, again, the process takes under one second for a message to be relayed to the referee. Barring any last-minute problems, the expectation is that one or both systems will be used for the Confederations Cup and the World Cup. And in line with England's history of controversy with goal-line incidents, London bookmakers have immediately quoted England at 66-1 to have a goal awarded by goal line technology at the 2014 World Cup.
Many critics think that football should go further and allow the use of video replays to help referees make decisions concerning offside, handball and fouls. Referees have to make split second judgments with the naked eye while millions of television viewers are treated to slow-motion replays, from different angles, which often show clearly whether the official was right or wrong The same odds are quoted for a disallowed goal. Or anyone who fancies a more ambitious flutter should get down to Ladbrokes and put money on England at 400-1 to become the first side to win a major tournament thanks to being awarded a goal in the final under the new rules. Two systems, Hawkeye and Goalref, have so far been licensed by FIFA and both were used at last year's World Club Cup in Japan, one in each of the two stadiums, where goal-line technology was employed for the first time.
FIFA said a third system, developed in Germany, have already passed examinations and that the providers were in licensing discussions. A fourth system, also German, has also been tested. FIFA confirmed goal-line technology was "successful" at the World Club Cup, although there were no incidents where it had to be used. It intends to install goal-line technology at all 12 venues at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. "After a successful implementation of goal-line technology (GLT) at the Club World Cup in Japan in December 2012, FIFA has decided to use GLT at the Confederations Cup Brazil 2013 and 2014 World Cup," FIFA said in a statement. "The aim is to use GLT in order to support the match officials and to install a system in all stadia, pending the successful installation, and pre-match referee tests. FIFA said Hawkeye and Goalref would have to join the selection process. Goal-line technology providers had been invited to join an inspection visit to the six Confederations Cup venues in March. Those venues will all be staging matches at the following year's World Cup. The use of goal-line technology, to help match officials in cases where it is not immediately clear if the ball has entered the goal, was approved by soccer's rule-making body, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), last year. The use of goal-line technology had previously been rejected by FIFA, which performed a U-turn following the controversy over Frank Lampard's disallowed goal for England in the 2010 World Cup match against Germany. However, goal-line technology is not favoured by European soccer's governing body UEFA, which instead prefers to employ two extra linesmen, one on each goal line. Many critics think that football should go further and allow the use of video replays to help referees make decisions concerning offside, handball and fouls. Referees have to make split second judgments with the naked eye while millions of television viewers are treated to slow-motion replays, from different angles, which often show clearly whether the official was right or wrong. n
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The ability to contact old flames or cultivate new relationships which online networking allows has contributed to relationship problems for a growing number of couples
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he explosion in popularity of Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Orkut and other social networking sites has been matched with a rise in the number of couples citing social media as a factor in their relationship break-ups, family lawyers law firm have found. They say that the ability to contact old flames or cultivate new relationships which online networking allows has contributed to relationship problems for a growing number of couples. Sheikh Ahsan Elahi, family lawyer, said: “Infidelity and relationship breakdown has been around for much longer than the internet has so it would be inaccurate to say that the likes of Facebook and Twitter are necessarily ‘causing’ relationships to fall apart. “However, it is a fact that as more and more people use social media, so the temptation for them to ‘live other lives’ and cultivate other relationships that their partners do not know about grows. We have certainly seen a rise in the number of cases where the use of Twitter and Facebook by one or both partners has been a contributory factor to relationship breakdown. “Whether these problems would have occurred without the existence of social media is difficult to tell, but it is hard to ignore the growing body of evidence on the subject and what we have seen as family lawyers here.” A survey last year found that more than a third of divorce filings in the Europe contained the word ‘Facebook’, while in the US, over 80 percent of divorce lawyers say they have seen a rise in the number of cases involving social networking. One in five people admit they use Facebook for flirting, while the phenomenon has become so widespread that there are even online websites dedicated to exposing the practice of cheating via Facebook. Another family laywer said: “It is an unfortunate fact that the ease of access offered by social networking and the popularity of sites like Facebook can, in some cases, prove to be a temptation for people in a relationship to look elsewhere. “The other key feature we have seen about social networking sites is that as people use them more and more, they become less circumspect about revealing what would normally be regarded as highly personal information.
“Lulled into a false sense of security about the reality of posting information on publicly accessible sites like Facebook and Twitter, they can open up about themselves to quite a startling extent. “This also has the potential to cause relationship issues, as well as exposing some unfortunate ‘home truths’ about partners. “There have been a number of cases where someone has found out that their partner is looking elsewhere by finding a change to their Status Update on Facebook. “In other cases, people already involved in divorce or other family law proceedings have revealed information about themselves via so-
The golden rule for anyone in a relationship who uses social media is to think carefully about what you are doing and what you are posting before you do it. You never know who might be watching or where something could be leading
cial media that has gone on to have a major impact on the course of those proceedings. “The golden rule for anyone in a relationship who uses social media is to think carefully about what you are doing and what you are posting before you do it. You never know who might be watching or where something could be leading.” A UK firm Ward Hadaway’s Family and Matrimonial team is one of the largest dedicated teams in the North East, offering a full service on all aspects of Family and Matrimonial Law. The team was acclaimed as “first class” by independent legal guide Legal 500 in its 2012 survey of the UK legal profession with its “strong offering in matrimonial matters” receiving particular praise while the Chambers & Partners 2013 survey of UK law firms noted that Ward Hadaway offers “a truly cross-disciplinary service to clients” on divorces and
matrimonial issues. On the other hand, you can destroy your marriage on the Internet. And social networking is making it easier than ever to fall into traps that can have you flirting with exes, meeting new people to whom you may be attracted, and having emotional or even physical affairs. Does this mean you should cancel your Facebook and Twitter accounts? Use social networking sites for good and not evil – and take the following steps to divorce proof your online profile – and you should be fine. Never write or share photos that you would not want your husband or wife to see or that would make him or her uncomfortable. You are a married person and your status, which usually includes titles, such as single, divorced, seeking love, or married, should reflect your commitment. Some people feel that no one needs to know about their status, especially if they are not seeking relationships on the Internet, and that’s okay, too. Facebook and other social networking sites require you to agree when others try to befriend you. Agreeing means the person in question can see your profile and comments and get in touch with you. You don’t have to always agree to be friends with people. You should ignore strangers, especially those of the opposite sex. And you can
block people who make you feel uncomfortable or are somehow inappropriate. While looking good in your profile photo is a must, you still should be dressed appropriately. Profile pictures should be classy and decent. Leave the sexy bedroom eyes and scantily clad shots for your husband or wife’s eyes only. Keep those sexy pics off the Internet. n
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Techs go even smarter
tell stories on the Web. If one puts what the shoe knows through an algorithmic logic engine, it can translate it into copy, Govil explained. Now if that copy is given to an interesting copy writer, one could give the shoe personality. One shoe could be the trash-talking shoe, he added.
Send a text message to charge your cellphone
Researchers have developed a new innovative "air-writing" glove system that allows users to write texts and emails in the air with their hand; the tech giant, Google has unveiled a pair of talking shoes; People living off-grid can now power their phones simply by sending a text message; not even this but designers created a magic mouse that floats above the desk Amma also envisions the hardware being inSave your thumbs, write texts and corporated into a smartphone - in that way, a emails in air
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Thumb-typing texts or emails on a smartphone’s keypad can be excruciating. The touchscreen is uber sensitive, the keys are too small and you spend more time correcting your mistakes — or the auto-correct mistakes — than you do writing. Researchers have developed a new innovative "air-writing" glove system that allows users to write texts and emails in the air with their hand. When the wearer of the gloves draws letters in the air with their hand, the system can identify which letters are being drawn. Those letters are converted into digital text, which could then be input into an email, text message, or any other type of mobile app. The glove developed by a team of computer scientists at Germany's Karlsruhe Institute of Technology is equipped with accelerometers and gyroscopes that detect hand movements. The system then identifies which letters are being drawn and converts them into digital text, which can then be wirelessly entered into an email, text message or other mobile apps. Once it is determined that letters are indeed being drawn, the computer then sets about identifying the individual letters. The programme incorporates statistical models of the unique signal patterns for every letter in the alphabet, and can account for differences in individual writing styles. It can also recognise approximately 8,000 words, along with complete sentences. Christoph Amma, who developed the technology, now hopes to miniaturise the sensors to the point that the glove could be replaced by something less impractical to everyday use, such as a wrist band.
single hand-held device like a cellphone could be used both to detect hand movements, and to process the data.
Google honours German-made air-writing glove
A pair of German computer scientists who created a glove that can recognise the motions for handwriting has won an 81,000-dollar award from Google for what is hoped will be a method that makes it easier to enter data into smartphones. "The airwriting glove makes it possible to write in the air, like on an invisible blackboard," said inventor Christoph Amma. His Karlsruhe Institute for Technology said it could make typing on miniature smartphone keyboards unnecessary.
Google unveils 'talking shoe'
Developing Google Glass was not enough for the Internet firm, the tech giant has now unveiled a pair of talking shoes. But that does not mean the search giant is planning to get into the sneaker or footwear business. The experiment was designed to highlight its new advertising platform called Art, Copy and Code. Google took a few pairs of Adidas sneakers and crammed in a small computer, an accelerometer, a pressure sensor, a gyroscope, speaker and Bluetooth. The shoe can tell what you are or aren't doing and can then relay that information to your phone via Bluetooth or to you via the speaker in the top tongue of the shoe. Aman Govil, lead of the advertising arts team, told that the 'Talking shoe' is an experiment in how one can use connected objects to
Out of battery? Just send a text! People living off-grid can now power their phones simply by sending a text message. A Londonbased company Buffalo Grid has introduced a solar-powered cellphone charging station that is activated by text message. A patchy or absent power grid of problems for rural areas in the developing world, particularly in Africa and Asia, where the use of cellophanes is rapidly rising. The company's basic technology, which was recently trialled in Uganda, should help tackle this issue. The battery extracts power from the solar panel using a technique called maximum power point tracking (MPPT). A 60-watt solar panel charges a battery. A solar panel's power output is dictated by environmental conditions, such as temperature and the amount of sunlight, as well as the resistance of the circuits connected to it. MPPT monitors the conditions and changes the resistance to ensure the maximum possible power output at any given time. The innovation lies in how the stored power is released to charge a phone. A customer sends a text message, which in Uganda costs 110 shillings, to the device. Once it receives the message, an LED above a socket on the battery lights up, indicating that it is ready to charge a phone. At the Konokoyi coffee cooperative in Uganda, each text message allows a phone to be charged for 1.5 hours. A fully charged Buffalo Grid unit can last for three days, has up to 10 charging points and charges 30 to 50 phones a day. To bring the cost down further, Buffalo Grid hopes to co-opt the cellphone network operators into subsidizing power for charging the phones, or even making it free. "When you bring power to phones that don't have any, people will use them more," said Buffalo Grid's Daniel Becerra. "Instead of paying for the charge, people will spend more on airtime," Becerra said.
Magic mouse floats above the desk
It is the kind of trick performed by illusionists who want to make you believe something is floating mid-air. But this new gadget will soon let people perform similar stunts in the office or at home - and there is no magic involved. Prague-based design studio, Kibardindesign, have created a levitating wireless computer mouse known as Bat. The sleek design includes a mouse pad and mouse with a magnetic ring, which allows it to float in mid-air. It levitates at a height of 40mm on its own or 10mm beneath the weight of your hand. Other than looking futuristic, Bat can also stop nerve damage and dysfunction in people’s hands. It is specifically designed to prevent those using a mouse from experiencing carpal tunnel syndrome - the painful hand, fingers, and wrist condition that is often associated with prolonged use of a mouse. n
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ll we ever hear anymore is how video games are corrupting our youth, and must be burned. That’s why it’s nice then to see some real science looking into the benefits that playing video games provides to not only young people, but our elderly citizens as well. A new study from North Carolina State University looked into how gaming affects the wellbeing and positive outlook of the elderly. The results, which were published in this week’s Computers in Human Behavior, found that gaming may actually help the elderly stay positive. The study focused on three groups of people – regular gamers, occasional gamers and nongamers. The interesting part is that 61 percent of the participants said that they played games occasionally, while 35 percent said that they played at least once a week. Grandma is definitely getting in her weekly Wii Bowling, or whatever the ol’ gals at the nursing home are into these days. After it was all said and done, those who regularly or occasionally played games “reported higher levels of well-being.” Those who did not play games “reported more negative emotions and a tendency towards higher levels of depression.” Dr. Jason Allaire, lead author of the study, had this to say on it: “The research published here suggests that there a link between gaming and better well-being and emotional functioning. We are currently planning studies to determine whether playing digital games actually improves mental health in older adults. ”
Contrary to popular belief, video gaming is a growing hobby enjoyed by every demographic in our society; men and women, young and old; Games are just one of many options we have in today’s modern world to make us happy
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Video games make senior citizens happier A sprightly centenarian has revealed the secret to staying sharp in old age - playing video games. Instead of knitting or playing bingo Kathleen Kit Connell, known as Kit, spends two hours a day tapping away at her favourite console
The study isn’t saying that people, including the elderly, need video games in their lives to remain happy. There are plenty of other ways to lead a fulfilling life. Games are just one of many options we have in today’s modern world to make us happy. A sprightly centenarian has revealed the secret to staying sharp in old age - playing video games. Instead of knitting or playing bingo Kathleen Kit Connell, known as Kit, spends two hours a day tapping away at her favourite console. And the grandmother-of-one, who still lives independently, said
our society; men and women, young and old. To illustrate this point, the BBC has done a wonderful video interview with Hilda Knott, an 85-year-old gamer who will be turning 86 next month. During the interview Knott explains why she still loves to play video games: “Finding something new in the game. Getting on to the next stage or the next event, and then having the achievement of finishing it. Because a lot of them, as well as adventures and fighting, are puzzles, working out how to do something and when to do it.” Knott agrees that playing video games helps to keep her mind active, and talks about playing
report. It follows a similar story published about a 68year-old gentleman who has six – yes six – characters on World of Warcraft maxed out at level 90. In addition, he reportedly has four other characters above level 80. That’s hundreds of hours of gameplay time, and a whole lot of respect from the staff here at TNW. That doesn’t quite beat Kathleen “Kit” Connell though, who after turning one hundred, still plays the Nintendo DS for games such as Scrabble, Family Fortunes and Art Academy. “It’s absolutely super, I can’t speak highly
she has used the Nintendo DS Lite, so much she even wore out her first console and had to replace the computer. Kit, who according to the game has the mental age of 64, said: "It's absolutely super. I don't feel a day over 80. Contrary to popular belief, video gaming is a growing hobby enjoyed by every demographic in
Grand Theft Auto IV with her auntie, who is now 94. “We had a hilarious time,” she said. The 85-year-old gamer uses a PlayStation 3 (with a PlayStation Plus subscription too) hooked up to a 65” television, and can be seen playing the incredibly tricky tactical role-playing game Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten during the video
enough of it. I don’t know what I would do without it,” said Kit in an interview with the Telegraph newspaper. “I’ll play it in the evening, then I’ll have a break and a cup of tea, then I’ll go back to playing my Nintendo.” Keep playing, gamers young and old. We salute you. n
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Google Glass is just the beginning How wearable computing could change our lives and alter meaning of privacy; by allowing the user to clearly see things that are normally too bright to look at, while at the same time allowing them to see things that are too dark to look at
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oogle may have wowed many techies with its new computerized glasses, but a Toronto researcher says that device represents just the beginning what kind of wearable computing could do. "There's a lot that could be done better," said Steve Mann, a University of Toronto professor who has been developing his own high-tech glasses since the 1970s. Recently, Google released a promotional video for Google Glass, a pair of glasses with a built-in semi-transparent computer screen in one corner. The video shows the device responding to voice commands to allow users to do things such as record videos while hang gliding, look up photos of tigers while sculpting ice into the shape of a tiger's head, or checking the weather while walking the dog. The winners of a Google contest have given the opportunity to be the first to buy the device for $1,500. While Google Glass may look like brand new technology, Mann said he first developed computerized eyeglasses in the 1970s. Unlike Google's, they were designed to enhance vision, by allowing the user to clearly see things that are normally too bright to look at, while at the same time allowing them to see things that are too dark to look at. "If you're in a dark alley and there's car headlights shining in your face, you still want to be able to see the face of driver and recognize the license plate number, for example," he said. He sees a lot of other uses for high-tech glasses in the future such as: • A phone that allows people to do video calls that allow them to see from the perspective of the people they are calling. • A wearable face-recognizer that could help people with memory problems. • A device that helps blind people see by mapping directly to their brains. Isabel Pedersen, who researches wearable and mobile media culture at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, acknowledged that wearable computing has existed for decades, but she
said the arrival of Google Glass is still significant because it makes the technology available to consumers for the first time. "It's the mainstreaming of this kind of device," she said. "I really think we're on the cusp of a big
Isabel Pedersen, who researches wearable and mobile media culture at the University Of Ontario Institute Of Technology, acknowledged that wearable computing has existed for decades, but she said the arrival of Google Glass is still significant because it makes the technology available to consumers for the first time
change with things like Google Glass." That's because such devices will allow people to do things such as surreptitiously shoot video, which has implications for privacy, public safety and personal freedom, Pedersen said. Mann's own experience illustrates a possible scenario that could arise while someone is wearing computerized glasses. Like Google Glass, Mann's glasses contain a camera that feeds into a computer. The computer reprocesses the image and presents an enhanced version to the user's eyes. In the process, it records what the user sees. Mann recalled one time when he was hit by a car while walking with his glasses on. Although the computer attached to the glasses was designed to write over older data as it records, in this case, the car damaged it, causing it to stop recording. That preserved clear video of the driver, car and licence plate number. "In some sense, the driver recorded himself,"
Mann said. Certainly, it's not something that the driver would have expected. That kind of recording "is something that really interests and scares all of us," Pedersen said. But she noted that it's not such a big step from the almost ubiquitous recording done now with security cameras and smartphones. Pedersen expects new policies to arise to deal with that issue and others raised by wearable computing. Some of those issues are apt to be discussed at a conference Mann is organizing in Toronto in June called the "Social implications of wearable computing and augmediated reality."
Augmediated reality — a term used to describe some of the computer-enhanced experiences that wearable computing allows for — is in some ways similar to virtual reality, except that it theoretically doesn't interrupt real life, Pedersen said. "In practice, it could be very distracting to have your contacts texting you while you're down the street," she said. That remains to be seen and dealt with. In the meantime, Pedersen said, "the task at hand for Google is to socialize the public to wearing this device before anybody sees it and rejects it." n
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Interview
When it comes to mobile! We all are teenagers People are very conflicted. 61 percent of respondents said what they do on their mobile device has no effect on the people around them, but 52 percent said it was more tempting to be rude to people who were using their phone in public
was more entertaining. “It's not just about entertainment, although that's clearly a part of the picture,” Tucker says. “Brands are in the same position as consumers: we're still figuring out the boundaries. We'd hope that brands can figure it along with or ahead of consumers, particularly when they are conducting the right research and talking to the right audiences.” "Globally, the average consumer has only been a mobile user for 12 years," said Laura Simpson, Global Director, McCann Truth Central. "That means that, in mobile years, it's as if we're all just becoming teenagers. And like most teens, we're taking risks and trying new things. Our data shows that in their relatively young adolescent mobile lives, consumers have owned 6.4 devices and entered into a serious relationship with a new mobile device or provider every 22 months." "Our mobile teenage years create fantastic opportunities for brands to enhance their relationships with their customers," said Kevin Nelson , McCann's
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uestionable behavior, fleeting infatuations with the new and the flashy, and conflicted opinions about what’s right and wrong are clear signs of adolescence. They’re also hallmarks of people’s relationship to mobile. According to McCann Truth Central, an “intelligence unit” of advertising network McCann Worldgroup, we’re all only adolescents when it comes to mobile technology, starting with our overall relationship with mobile -- which, for the average person, is about 12 years. A look at mobile user attitudes by McCann Truth Central has decided that most mobile phone users exhibit teenage like behaviour with their devices. The online study found that most people are still figuring out what they want the mobile space to be and who they intend to be inside it. The bottom line: people are very conflicted. 61 percent of respondents said what they do on their mobile device has no effect on the people around them, but 52 percent said it was more tempting to be rude to people who were using their phone in public. Seventy-two percent said mobile devices were a requirement to connecting to someone or something, although a similar percentage worried that our emotional connections to each other are weaker today than they were in the past. “We're still figuring out how our mobile behaviors define ourselves and affect others,” David Tucker, deputy director of McCann Truth Central, tells Marketing Daily. “It's also evident when we realize just how conflicted people are when it comes to mobile.” Yet mobile is a way for consumers to project status. Three-quarters of users said they looked to their devices as a way to fit in, rather than stand out. (The study also found the average consumer switched devices or carriers every 22 months.) At the same time,
55 percent said they judge people by the devices they own, and 40 percent judge on the basis of carrier. “It's testament to the power of branding for mobile carriers,” Tucker says. “Seventy-five percent of people felt that mobile carriers have different personalities, so it stands to reason that they associate that personality with the people that utilize a given carrier.”
Meanwhile, mobile users are engaging in questionable behavior with their devices. More than 10 percent of respondents have sent or forwarded sexually explicit texts, 29 percent admitted to downloading content illegally and 20 percent said they use profanity in their texts. “This is all part of the teenage experience,” Tucker says. “I suspect it's also a case of the consequences of these actions not being fully understood by some consumers plus the security provided by doing things through a screen.” As consumers are figuring out how to grow out of their mobile adolescence, they are looking for more engagement. According to the study, 63 percent of people wish the advertising they saw on their phones
As consumers are figuring out how to grow out of their mobile adolescence, they are looking for more engagement. According to the study, 63 percent of people wish the advertising they saw on their phones was more entertaining Global Telecom Lead. "But brands need to understand that people hold mobile to a higher standard than other mediums. This is because mobile is more personal, less like a TV or PC, and more like an extension of ourselves. Brands that respect this unique relationship will be championed and the ones who don't will quickly find themselves screened out." Teens are often on a quest to discover their true selves and define their own unique personalities. Surprisingly, the study revealed that people's mobile personalities are often very different from their "face to face" personalities.
Some of the less desirable elements of being a teen include pressure to fit in and a tendency to judge others. In Japan, a woman said, "There is a guy at work who has a rabbit as a phone cover, and I feel that type of cover is for a student. I worry whether I can do business with such guy."n
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The best thing on your desk! Toaster USB hub, drives
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Say goodbye to your boring USB flash drives and hubs. With all of the USB flash drives that are out there on the market, there should be an endeavor to capture the playful side of what is a seemingly ordinary device for the ordinary practice of external data storage
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f you think USBs are boring, think again. Adding a cute factor to electronics is a must, and what better way to so than with the ‘USB Toaster Hub?’ This absolutely adorable item is shaped like a toaster with little pieces of toast. The toaster has four different USB slots and the pieces of toast are cute little USB thumb drives. Say goodbye to your boring USB flash drives and hubs. With all of the USB flash drives that are out there on the market, there should be an endeavor to capture the playful side of what is a seemingly ordinary device for the ordinary practice of external data storage. With the new USB Toaster Hub and Thumb drives from ThinkGeek, consumers can increase their computer’s number of USB hubs and externally store their data in a very delightful way that is sure to get rid of the bore out of data storage (but may make you hungry for a particular breakfast and sandwich item)! The USB Toaster Hub is, as you can gauge, a tiny toaster-shaped hub with 4 slots for your USB drives and one slot for your SD card. Silver with black dials, you don’t have to worry about burning your toast because after all, it is a USB hub rather than a portable kitchen appliance (it is highly recommended that you do not put anything in the slots other than USB drives and SD cards as it will most certainly not toast your bread). It comes with a meter-long USB cable and contains a speed of up to 480MB/s. The fun does not stop with the Toaster Hub. Although it accommodates any type of USB, ThinkGeek has also created four USB thumbdrives to complement the Toaster Hub which are shaped as tiny pieces of toast. We would say that it looks good enough to eat had it not been for the little faces and names that have been given to each piece of toast: Butta is a yellow and happy smiley piece of toast; Tato is a white piece of toast with a mild expression; Ry Ry is a tan and solemn piece of toast; and Crisp is a brown and (you guessed it) sad piece of toast as he has been burnt. Each toast-shaped thumbdrive is available in a 4GB capacity; therefore, if you collect
them all, you get 16GB of data storage plugged in your adorable toaster-shaped hub. External data storage and increasing the number of USB hubs on your computer cannot possibly get any cuter with ThinkGeek’s Toaster Hub and Butta, Tato, Ry Ry and Crisp. With this neat USB hub and thumbdrives, the days of boring data storage are toasted and gone.
A USB hub is super helpful to those who need to access information on USB drives often, and while this product is super practical and typical in terms of USB hubs, can access up to 4 of the breadslice-shaped USB drives at a time, and also features a card reader so you can multitask and multi-access even more
A USB hub is super helpful to those who need to access information on USB drives often, and while this product is super practical and typical in terms of USB hubs, we had to share it with you because it is so over-the-top adorable. Truly. The USB hub is shaped like a little 4-slice toaster and can access up to 4 of the breadslice-shaped USB drives at a time, and also features a card reader so you can multitask and multi-access even more. The bread slices of various types are equally adorable and really complete the whole package. You’ll notice that life gets progressively harder when you have more email address, bank accounts, or social network profiles than the average person. Because while you might be more social or have more money, and thus, more cards
to maintain, you’ll pretty much have the same memory capacity as anyone else. In other words, you’ll have a much harder time keeping track of all your passwords, PINs, and account numbers. Then along came myIDkey; myIDkey is a voice-activated USB drive that not only stores your data, but also lets you access all your critical and private account information with a literal swipe of your finger. It comes with a biometric scanner which ensures that you’re the only one who can view all the data that you’ve inputted into it. Now there’s no reason for you to keep using the same password for all of your accounts anymore–but you shouldn’t be doing this in the first place anyway. A week ago, we learned about the Mycestro, a pointing device that, despite its unusual form, only has a humble goal: to replace your mouse. The Ego! Smartmouse on the other hand is quite the opposite. It looks like a traditional mouse, but it is much more than that. The question is, do we need a mouse that’s this smart? Made by Laura Sapiens, the Ego! Put some life into it! – is a Bluetooth mouse that can be used both on a flat surface as well as on air. You can also use the Ego! to control your HTPC or other Bluetooth media players. It can also be used as a wireless flash drive. It can also be used to as a gesture-based gaming controller. It can also remember and automatically input your passwords for you. It can also vibrate to alert you of an appointment or a new email. If Old Spice were to design a mouse, they’d probably come up with an Ego! Except the Old Spice mouse would have a sixpack. In order to perform all those tasks, the Ego! runs on Linux, has a 400MHz ARM9 CPU, a flash memory capacity of either 2GB or 4GB, a VGA camera, a touch sensor (in place of a scroll wheel), an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a compass, a vibration motor and an optical mouse sensor. It’s got nothing on my mouse though! My Logitizzech M305,000 is covered in luxurious duct tape and has a special right-click button – 60 percent of the time, it works every time. n
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ancer is just as deadly as it was 50 years ago. Here’s why that’s about to change. Why haven't we cured cancer yet? It seems like almost every day, we hear about another miraculous advance in cancer treatment. Drugs that cause tumors to shrink, gene therapies, and even a possible vaccine. And yet, our loved ones keep dying of cancer. We spoke to cancer experts to find out why the death rate from cancer hasn't changed in the past 50 years — and we learned how genetic therapies could transform cancer treatments tomorrow. Most of us have lost friends and loved ones to cancer, and we're all familiar with the inexorable logic of tumor growth and metastasis. It's a disease so horrible, it defies metaphor - people use cancer as a metaphor for the worst things in life, but there are no metaphors dreadful enough to describe cancer. A new gaming app is in development that will help scientists to analyse genetic data in the search for cancer cures. Cancer Research UK have teamed up with Google, Facebook and Amazon to develop a game you can play on your mobile that will simultaneously sort through genetic data. A group of some of the world's best technology minds from Facebook, Google and Amazon, plus 40 hackers, programmers and games testers took part in a weekend 'hackathon' to turn the data provided by Cancer Research UK into a game, provisionally called GeneRun, to be officially launched this summer. The event will take place on the Google campus near Old Street, east London. The implications of the game are wide-reaching. As anyone with a smartphone can play it, it will cut down the time scientists need to spend sorting through genetic data, and reach cancer cures faster. The aim of the game will be to spot minute differences in the data between cancerous genes and healthy genes, but the final game will look more like a traditional game format, so that the player wouldn't be aware they were actually spotting genetic mutations. Amy Carton, Cancer Research UK’s head of Citizen Science, Said: “The aim is for people to want to play the game for the games sake but with the brilliant side effect that they will be helping with cancer research too."
Phone Doctors claimed that mobile phones can have more germs than a public toilet seat; they are also doing what they can to limit the spread of the deadly virus by educating and encouraging people to either come in and have their Smartphones cleaned free of charge, or to purchase a professional cleaning solution that is designed to reduce the spread of germs, while being safe for the mobile device At present, much of this type of research can take years to analyse, but this form of crowdsourcing the work should speed up the process. Professor Carlos Caldas, senior group leader at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, said: "The clues to why some drugs will work and some won't, are held in data which need to be analysed by the human eye – and this could take years. By harnessing the
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Want to cure cancer? There's an app
Facebook, Google and Amazon team up with scientists to create game that sorts through genetic data; these tech giants plus 40 hackers, programmers and games testers took part in a weekend 'hackathon' to turn the data provided by Cancer Research UK into a game, provisionally called GeneRun, to be off icially launched this summer
collective power of citizen scientists we’ll accelerate the discovery of new ways to diagnose and treat cancer much more precisely." Philip Su, engineering site director of Facebook London, said: "At Facebook we believe the best way to solve a problem is to bring smart people together to 'hack' a solution. That approach is just as valid in the field of life sciences as it is in software engineering." Meanwhile, people don’t generally think about the need to clean their mobile phones. Influenza has become a huge problem in Oklahoma, with over a dozen flu related deaths since the beginning of the year. Recent reports from the Wall Street Journal, ABC News, and other sources referenced in a report on PhoneDoctors.com claimed that mobile phones can have more germs than a public toilet seat. Phone Doctors claimed that mobile phones can have more germs than a public toilet seat; they are also doing what they can to limit the spread of the deadly virus by educating and encouraging people to either come in and have their Smartphones cleaned free of charge, or to purchase a professional cleaning solution that is designed to reduce the spread of germs, while being safe for the mobile device. “It should come as no surprise that phones are a big culprit in how people are getting sick.” Said Tony Baker, Vice President of Marketing for Phone Doctors. “People need to get in the mind-
set of cleaning their phones daily, especially since they are warm devices that often rest on the very things we need to protect; our mouth, nose, ears, and fingers. Smartphone manufacturers warn against using anything stronger than a damp terry cloth, but a damp terry cloth will do nothing for germs,” said Baker. According to the report at Phone Doctors, viruses and bacteria have been found to spread where germs and heat are present. “Mobile devices are naturally warmer than the environment around them because of the internal power source, and in how we carry and store the devices on us and from the research that we have read, this can provide the perfect breeding ground for a sickness in the making. We bathe ourselves to be fresh and clean so we ought to take more time protecting ourselves and our gadgets by keeping them clean as well, and WHOOSH! appears to be a safe and effective gadget cleaning product,” said Baker. Phone Doctors chose WHOOSH! Screen Shine because it is non-abrasive to mobile phones, and yet has the ability remove the dirt and grime that attracts germs. WHOOSH! Screen Shine uses natural polymers to remove biofilm, dirt, smudges, skin oils and fingerprints while leaving a nano-thin, invisible coating that resists dust, smudges and fingerprints. WHOOSH! Screen Shine is an alcohol- and ammonia-free, anti-static and streak-free formulation. n
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Another bold initiative to touch the hearts
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People use Facebook many times in a day to share their status, upload photos, videos and do much more stuff. With this deal the Jazz and Jazba consumers can enjoy absolutely limitless access to Facebook
acebook fever is growing worldwide and everybody wants to be in touch with his friends circle and updated round the clock. No doubt, Facebook is now the most powerful social media. People use Facebook many times in a day to share their status, upload photos, videos and do much more stuff. With this deal the Jazz and Jazba consumers can enjoy absolutely limitless access to Facebook over their mobile phones. So the think tanks of mobilink have taken a bold initiative to touch the customers’ heart and cash the facebook fever. Over one million user of facebook in Pakistan will wish to use this catchy service and for mobilink customers, this is definite. The marketing and advertising campaign was so impressive that even other companies wish to have such a great concept with jingle and star studded commercials. The most popular star of the campaign is Ali Zafar Now-a-days if you watch any channel you will
with his attractive personality and sweet voice. He has the honor of the most attractive personality in the subcontinent among all men (as per one India media report). So his presence is also giving edge to mobilink and attract more customers. Unlike the usual, we can see the catchy jingles options on radio and TV and we can decide to go beyond our limits to reach facebook with mobilink. Since the IAL creative team has Murtaza Shakar now, they are reaching and analyzing the media and advertising strategy in more comprehensive way. I personally know MS Shaker, he is good, funny and target oriented in his approach. Even you see his idea of 3+ 0 kitny hoty hian; and now for the Gulf package. All are driven and created by MS Shaker. How to Access Facebook? After prosperous bundle subscription, subscriber will access Facebook by getting into below address in mobile or Opera mini browser. m.facebook.com Facebook is accessed either via mobile browsers, that don’t seem to be proxy browsers,
• For unlimited free usage, subscribers ought to access Facebook by writing m.facebook.com via mobile browser or elect versions of Opera mini. • Opera mini are often downloaded from m.opera.com, however, commonplace knowledge charges can apply. • Subscriber will perform all Facebook activities as well as viewing/sharing photos & videos. However, visiting external links/websites are charged.. • Accessing Facebook via proxy browsers & Apps could end in knowledge charging. • Subscriber could get charged for itinerant applications overwhelming knowledge in background. this could be controlled by turning off such applications. • Mobile browsers (for example Nokia Xpress) on some handsets area unit proxy browsers. Accessing Facebook via these browsers could end in knowledge charging. • This is a restricted time provide which can continue until fifteenth Mar thirteen. How-
or below versions of Opera mini. How much you can have by this package? Facebook bundle subscriber will perform all activities on Facebook like standing update, read News Feed, like or inquire into posts, send and reply to messages. Terms & Conditions t use? • This service is accessible for Mobilink paid subscribers solely, as well as all Jazz & Jazba subscribers. • This service might not be obtainable on Blackberry intrinsical internet browsers.
ever, Mobilink reserves the proper to switch provide length. Daily charges and Subscription Daily charges for the Unlimited Facebook Bundle offer are Rs. 5 and the coolest part is that there is NO fair usage plan on the access. To subscribe the Facebook bundle offer, customers have to dial *114*5# and the rates would be Rs. 5/day. After the successful subscription, customers can easily access Facebook via m.facebook.com on handset or Opera Mini browser. n
Renowned singer and actor Ali Zafer is also playing a vital role in highlighting their products with his attractive personality and sweet voice
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see the flood of telecom ads from Qmobile. Its issue of battery or large screen, low price or double SIM, Qmobile is everywhere to attract more and more customers. Ufone, Zong and even Telenor Pakistan is not present in electronic media with same hits like Qmobile. Only few TVCs by Zong, Telenor Pakistan and Warid are there to to retain their customers. All companies are with old concepts but, Mobilink is on top with this facebook bundle offer. Renowned singer and actor Ali Zafer is also playing a vital role in highlighting their products
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Telepedia
Smartphones to outship feature phones
Smartphone demand is burgeoning in large, populous nations as their respective economies have grown; this has made for a larger middle class that is prepared to buy smartphones. China, which supplanted the U.S. last year as the global leader in smartphone shipments, is at the forefront of this shift
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ore smartphones are forecast to be shipped globally than feature phones in 2013, the first such occurrence in the mobile phone market on an annual basis. According to IDC, vendors will ship 918.6 million smartphones this year, or 50.1percent of the total mobile phone shipments worldwide. Smartphone prices have fallen globally, the smartphone strata are wider than ever, and the roll-out of data-centric fourth-generation (4G) wireless networks are three factors that have made these "do-it-all" devices an increasingly attractive option for users. By the end of 2017, IDC forecasts 1.5 billion smartphones will be shipped worldwide, which equates to just over two-thirds of the total mobile phone forecast for the year due to these primary factors. To date, much of the world's smartphone shipments were a direct result of demand in mature economies such as the U.S. The balance of smartphone demand is gradually shifting, however, to emerging markets where smartphone user bases are still relatively small and economic prospects are considerably higher. Smartphone shipments to China, Brazil, and India will comprise a growing percentage of the device type's volume in each forecast year. Smartphone demand is burgeoning in these large, populous nations as their respective economies have grown; this has made for a larger middle class that is prepared to buy smartphones. China, which supplanted the U.S. last year as the global leader in smartphone shipments, is at the forefront of this shift. "While we don't expect China's smartphone growth to maintain the pace of a runaway train as it has over the last two years, there continue to be big drivers to keep the market growing as it leads the way to ever-lower smartphone prices and the country's transition to 4G networks is only just beginning," said Melissa Chau, Senior Research Manager, IDC Asia/Pacific. "Even as China starts to mature, there remains enormous untapped potential in other emerging markets like India, where we expect less than half of all phones shipped there to be smartphones by 2017, and yet it will weigh in as the world's third largest market." Brazil is another market where smartphone growth will remain high over the course of the forecast as its economic fortunes improve.
"Brazilians have yet to turn in their feature phones for smartphones on a wholesale basis," said Bruno Freitas, Consumer Devices Research Manager, IDC Brazil. "The smartphone tide is turning in Brazil though, as wireless service providers and the government have laid the
Now smartphone users constitute the majority of all mobile phone users in the United States, IDC expects slower growth in the years ahead. Underpinning its growth is the constantly shifting operating system landscape, in which resurgent BlackBerry and Windows Phone aim to gain salience against incumbents Android and Apple iOS groundwork for a strong smartphone foundation that mobile phone manufacturers can build upon." Top five markets for smartphone shipments: China will easily remain the world's largest market for smartphones, specifically low-cost handsets based on the Android operating system and to a lesser degree iOS. While shipment volume to the country will remain at the top, growth will slow towards the end of the forecast period. Also, smartphone prices are expected to fall amid increased competition. Consequently, China's share of the global smartphone market will be diluted somewhat as more smartphones are shipped to India, Brazil, and other emerging markets. Now that smartphone users constitute the majority of all mobile phone users in the United States, IDC expects slower growth in the years ahead. Underpinning its growth is the constantly shifting operating system landscape, in which resurgent BlackBerry and Windows Phone aim to gain salience against incumbents
Android and Apple iOS. India's year-over-year smartphone shipment growth will be the highest among the top countries by a wide margin as the vast majority of the country's wireless subscriber base currently use feature phones. The smartphone market will grow due to a variety of factors including greater availability of low-cost devices and additional sales emphasis by top-flight vendors on less populous parts of the country. In addition, 3G network coverage will continue to expand while 4G networks are expected to stimulate smartphone growth from 2015 onwards. Brazil's smartphone market rise is driven by a confluence of circumstances, such as tax breaks for vendors that create jobs via local mobile phone production. Wireless service providers are offering greater subsidies to drive smartphone sales with an eye on higher data revenue streams in the future. The successful rollout of Long-Term Evolution (LTE) networks in Brazil is key to the country's smartphone. Growth of the United Kingdom smartphone market has slowed considerably in recent quarters as penetration has risen and economic growth remains minimal at best, which has led to consumer trepidation. The size of the market and its wealth relative to much of Western Europe will make it a smartphone volume leader over the forecast given the ongoing transition to LTE networks and continued high carrier subsidies.
* Note: Countries are listed by 2013 rank, based on unit shipments. The 2017 ranking is forecast to be 1. China, 2. USA, 3. India, 4. Brazil, 5. United Kingdom, 6. Japan. n
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Mobilink wins at GSMA’s Global Mobile Awards 2013
Rashid Khan, President & CEO, Mobilink with the Global Mobile Award 2013, along with John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA (left) and Oren Nissim, CEO, Telmap (2nd left)
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Mobilink Foundation’s ‘SMS Based Literacy’ programme won in the inaugural ‘Connected Life Awards’ category, and was acknowledged as the ‘Best Mobile Education or Learning Product or Service’
obilink Foundation’s ‘SMS Based Literacy’ programme has won the GSMA’s Global Mobile Awards 2013. Mobilink Foundation was amongst 158 nominees across thirty seven (37) categories, selected from over 600 high-quality entries from across the global mobile ecosystem.
Mobilink Foundation’s ‘SMS Based Literacy’ programme won in the inaugural ‘Connected Life Awards’ category, and was acknowledged as the ‘Best Mobile Education or Learning Product or Service’. The programme, which is Mobilink Foundation’s flagship corporate responsibility project aimed at educating rural Pakistan was highlighted by the
Etisalat Group joins M2M multi-operator alliance Multinational corporations planning to roll out connected devices worldwide face an array of problems, such as the limited local coverage of some mobile operators, fragmented network landscapes and multiple SIM management platforms
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tisalat Group, the leading telecommunications operator in the Middle East, has joined the M2M (machine-to-machine) Multi-OperatorAlliance, a coalition of companies that includes KPN, NTT DOCOMO, Rogers Communications, SingTel, Telefonica, Telstra and VimpelCom. “Etisalat Group looks forward to working with our global counterparts to help shape M2M policy globally and to ensure enhanced developmentacross the region,” said Khalifa Al Shamsi, Chief Digital Services Officer at Etisalat Group. “We believe this Alliance has great potential to create real value for our business customers, and we look forward to playing an active role alongside other global leaders.”
The M2M Multi-OperatorAlliance announced last year its intent to bring technology to market that would simplify the process of global M2M deployments. Multinational corporations planning to
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.” Rashid Khan, President & CEO, Mobilink, emphasised, “This award by the GSMA has highlighted Mobilink’s dedication to Pakistan over the course of nearly two decades, and is a testament to our commitment to the country. I feel honored to have received this award on behalf of Mobilink and the people of Pakistan and am grateful for the encouraging feedback received from our peers in the global mobile industry. The award recognises Pakistan’s capacity to innovate in the pursuit of education as a means of improving lives across the country.” John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA, added, “Through these awards, we are proud to shine the light on the mobile industry’s many innovators and leaders, from all corners of the world. This year’s new categories reflected the industry’s reach into many new sectors and we received more than 600 high-quality entries from across the mobile ecosystem. We would like to congratulate all Global Mobile Awards winners and thank the many hundreds of companies and organisations that support these awards by entering each year.” ‘SMS Based Literacy’ was launched in May 2009 in collaboration with UNESCO, and is the first and the only service in Pakistan that utilizes Short Messaging Service (SMS) to impart education. The programme is currently in its third phase and is being implemented in the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pukhtunkhwa of Pakistan; till date, it has reached out to over 4,000 learners across Pakistan. The Global Mobile Awards aim to recognize excellence and innovation within the mobile communications industry. The awards for 2013 were presented at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. n roll out connected devices worldwide face an array of problems, such as the limited local coverage of some mobile operators, fragmented network landscapes and multiple SIM management platforms. The M2M Multi-Operator Alliance intends to build a market-driven M2M ecosystem that provides cost efficient, multi-network M2M solutions for multi-national customers wishing to simplify deployments in retail, healthcare, consumer electronics, transportation, automobiles and energy on a global scale. Khalifa Al Shamsi, the Chief Digital Services Officer at Etisalat Group and Shane Rooney, the Vice-President of Machine-toMachine at Etisalat Group (pictured), hosted the representatives of the M2M Multi-OperatorAlliance at the Etisalat stand in Mobile World Congress 2013 to celebrate the new alliance. M2M, a term for the exchange of data between machines and information technology infrastructure, has many industrial and commercial applications. By 2021 there are expected to be more than 2 billion M2M connections. n
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Redefining literacy through digital means
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DEF believes that lack of information is at the root of poverty and exploitation. Mr Manzar says, “If you lick the problem of information poverty, you would, to a large extent, overcome economic poverty
igital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), a Delhi-based not-forprofit organisation, was founded by Osama Manzar in December 2002 under the Societies Registration Act. Its objective is to uplift the downtrodden using information, communication and technology (ICT). Since Mr Manzar worked in a software company, he was acutely aware of the need to bridge the digital divide which haunts India. A large chunk of India’s population is deprived of even basic ICT; telecom facilities and power are either not available or there’s errant supply. Penetration of computers and Internet is low, despite pious government pronouncements. DEF believes that lack of information is at the root of poverty and exploitation. Mr Manzar says, “If you lick the problem of information poverty, you would, to a large extent, overcome economic poverty.” He opines that just as, if you build a road, people begin to use it, if you have digital media, people start creating and sharing information. So it is necessary for the State to create and provide the infrastructure for digital media. DEF’s basic premise is that digital media—connoting anything that bridges physical distances for communication—radio, broadband, film projectors, mobile telephony, Internet, etc, have made it easier to empower people with information. Once people are empowered, good governance will follow. In 2003, Mr Manzar gave up his job to concentrate on DEF’s operations. DEF uses three
mechanisms
for its development interventions, namely, advocacy, networking and project implementation. Its advocacy initiatives are facilitated by the fact that Mr Manzar is a member of government’s working groups on Internet proliferation & governance, national optic-fibre network for universal service obligation fund and screening committee for community radio licence. The Manthan Award launched on 10 October 2004 to recognise the best practices in e-content and creativity, has enabled DEF to establish a wide network in the social sector. DEF has a database showcasing 5,000 social sector best practices from all over south
Samsung launches new premium 'smart' TVs The 16 new "smart TV" models, which come in sizes ranging from 46 to 75 inches, allow users to navigate the Internet, offer specialised apps such as video games and recognise various spoken queries and hand motions
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outh Korea's Samsung Electronics launched a range of giant Internetenabled televisions as part of a strategy to cement its lead in slowing global markets by focusing on premium models. The 16 new "smart TV" models, which come in sizes ranging from 46 to 75 inches, allow users to navigate the Internet, offer specialised apps such as video games and recognise various spoken queries and hand motions. Questions such as "What's today's TV schedule for football matches?" or "Any action films scheduled on TV this weekend?" will result in a list of requested TV programmes. They also zoom in and out, or rotate images on screen as well as change channels by recognising certain hand motions. The firm said the new models would hit South Korean stores on Saturday but did not say when overseas sales would start. One 55-inch model is priced at nearly 6.0 million won ($5,550). Samsung, the world's biggest flat-screen TV maker, and domestic rival LG have aggressively promoted pricer premium TV models in
Asia. Although 70%-80% of these are from India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are important contributors. Digital literacy is predicated on availability of broadband, because information at the grassroots is easier to create and communicate in audiovisual rather than textual formats. This has been DEF’s learning, especially in the field of education where it has enabled some 500 schools to upload content on gyanpedia.in. Again, this is a drop in the ocean, but a beginning at least. “We have nearly 1.4 million government schools in the country but not even a tenth of them have IT connectivity. The challenge in such a scenario is: Can the government redefine literacy and announce that we are going to work together towards not higher literacy but for digital literacy. It would indicate that India is working on the medium of the future rather than that of the past.” DEF has obtained FCRA registration which enables it to raise funds from international donors like the Ford Foundation, Vodafone Foundation and Intel Foundation. It also gets grants from the ministry of IT, Internet Society and Public Interest Registry. n
about five percent this year in volume but remain stagnant or slightly shrink in revenue. "We will create new growth momentum in the stagnant TV market... our strategy is focusing on the premium TV segment to further strengthen our lead," Kim told reporters. The market for high-end TVs larger than 60 inches was expected to grow more than 30 percent this year, he said. "This... is a segment that we're investing and marketing most aggressive-
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Etisalat Group partners with iMENA Holdings Through Etisalat’s ownership of critical telecommunications and ICT assets in these markets, and iMENA’s management team’s experience in managing successful online businesses, the partnership is established to provide great value for its partners and customers
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tisalat Group, the leading telecom operator in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, today announced its partnership with iMENA Holdings, a company focused on supporting the development of online consumer businesses in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. iMENA’s mission is to capture the hyper-growth phase of the online consumer industry in the MENA region by developing a portfolio of businesses across various sectors that include ecommerce, digital media, and mobile applications and services to address the gaps in the Internet ecosystem. With the support of investment capital from around the globe, the Company’s strategy is to own and operate companies with proven business models, executed through the establishment of new businesses, partnering with established leaders, and investing in existing companies. Through Etisalat’s ownership of critical telecommunications and ICT assets in these markets, and iMENA’s management team’s experience in managing successful online businesses, the partnership is established to provide
great value for its partners and customers. Khalifa Al Shamsi, Chief Digital Services Officer of Etisalat Group, commented: “Etisalat is constantly looking for new ways to enhance the way in which we serve our customers. By partnering with iMENA, we are helping to develop the Internet ecosystem which would foster an entrepreneurial environment and en-
courage the creation of new companies and business models in our region, for our region.” Dr. Daniel Ritz, Chief Strategy Officer for Etisalat Group said: “The number of consumers in the MENA region with Internet access is increasing at a rapid pace. This large and growing market is currently underserved. We believe our partnership with iMENA will enable us to better understand consumer trends ahead of the curve and allow us to develop innovative MENA-specific products and services to satisfy the future needs of our subscribers.” Khaldoon Tabaza, Cofounder and Chairman of iMENA, added, “We are delighted to partner with Etisalat Group, the leading telecommunications group in the region, which has the right scale to position iMENA as the leading Internet group in the region.” “We look forward to working with leading Internet companies and leading operators in the region, such as Etisalat, to provide relevant services and content to the MENA consumer,” AdeySalamin, Cofounder and Chief Executive Officer, added. The founders of iMENA, Khaldoon Tabaza and Adey Salamin, are experienced entrepreneurs with a combined track record of establishing, managing, and investing in Internet and technology businesses in the MENA region. Along with a team of qualified professionals, and through the support of its partners, the Company will offer strategic and shared services to its portfolio companies to accelerate growth. n
Facebook gets a facelift after two years
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We want to give everyone in the world the best personalized newspaper we can, said Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg
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ocial networking giant Facebook has announced a major overhaul of its homepage known as News Feed, unveiling a more visually stimulating stream of photos, videos and comments posted by friends that will also let users see more of the topics they are most interested in. "We want to give everyone in the world the best personalized newspaper we can," said Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg at a news conference announcing the changes. "This design reflects the evolving face of the News Feed," Zuckerberg said, describing the new multifaceted focus on vivid visuals, giving users more of a choice on what they see in their feeds, and creating a consistent look across mobile and desktop versions of the site. The redesign puts photos front and centre, which is not surprising according to industry experts, with Facebook's recent acquisition of the photo sharing service Instagram. "The types of stories that we tell when we communicate with a photo as opposed to text are completely different," Zuckerberg said on stage at the company's California headquarters. Other changes to the News Feed include a division into sections, with separate tabs that can be used to view photographs, music, or posts coming from brand and celebrity pages users follow. Facebook's team said this change will be welcomed by some users who have complained of being bogged down with a
seemingly endless stream of unimportant content. "In our new design we are giving these images and rich visuals lots of prominence," said Facebook Director of Design Julie Zhuo at the news conference. Facebook announced Thursday its first major homepage redesign since 2011. The revamped News Feed will be heavy on visuals the company said. While company executives have said the redesign has been in the works for some time, the unveiling comes on the heels of a Pew study released last month that found 61 percent of Facebook's more than one billion active users have taken a hiatus from the site due to reasons such as boredom or too much irrelevant information. The redesign does not, however, affect the filtering algorithm that Facebook uses to select what shows up on a user's feed. "You see all the stories you saw in your News Feed before, but with a fresh new look," said Vadim Lavrusik, Facebook's Journalism Pro-
gram Manager in a post on the site. "We've completely rebuilt each story to be much more vibrant and colorful and highlight the content that your friends are sharing. Photos, news articles, maps and events all look brighter and more beautiful," Lavrusik said. Facebook said it will begin rolling out the new News Feed immediately, but on a limited basis, so it can get feedback and make changes. Mobile versions will be released in the coming weeks. Facebook first introduced the News Feed in 2006. The facelift marks the first major redesign to the feature since September 2011. n
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Mobile World Congress, Barcelona 2013
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ance and resume writing tips in order to enhance the skills of fresh graduates. It also shared actual vacancies available at Ufone alongside the interviewers also interviewed potential candidates. Tahir Husain, a Master Trainer at Pitstop International, present at the event appreciated Ufone for offering Graduate CV Coaching servic-
es. “The students showed great interest, appreciated the help and guidance on best practices. They left motivated having learnt new techniques, and confident of their chances of getting a job brighter than before,” commented Tahir Hussain. Syed Zulfiqar Ali Zaidi GM Human Resources Ufone said, “Events like these help identify po-
tential employers for returning graduates while at the same time nurture our commitment to giving talent a fair chance. It is indeed a very welcome initiative by the British Council.” Ufone believes that partnering with the British Council is a key step in reversing the brain drain, and bringing back our intellect to Pakistan, he further added. He interviewed several candidates to give maximum opportunity to the fresh graduates to gain experience at one of the largest and leading cellular companies of Pakistan. Nadia Kamran, Country Head Education UK at British Council Pakistan hoped to sustain and strengthen British Council’s partnership with Ufone for similar future events in 2014 and 2015. She said that such corporate initiative will help in bridging the gap between Pakistani students studying in the UK and potential employers in Pakistan. n
Prime Minister about the projects being run by USF in Sindh. Prime Minister also unveiled a plaque to inaugurate these projects. It is pertinent to mention here that Universal Service Fund has been vigorously working in Sindh province. Through USF Rural Telecom Project in Mirpur Khas, 213 villages
have been provided basic telephony and data services through a subsidy of Rs. 930 million. Similarly, in Dadu, 426 villages have been provided services through a subsidy of Rs. 250 million. In optic fibre programme, 17 un-served tehsils in Sindh have been connected with 1,038 f of optic fibre cable through a subsidy of Rs. 449 million. In Southern Telecom Region-1 of Broadband Programme, 77 cities & towns have been connected through a subsidy of Rs. 549 million along with establishing 82 Educational Broadband Centres (EBCs) and 43 Community Broadband Centres (CBCs).
Overall, the success of USF is evident from the fact that it has provided telecom services to almost 3,600 previously un-served villages. 260 previously unserved towns now have almost 412,000 USF funded broadband connections. Optic fibre cable of more than 4,250 kms has also been laid to connect un-served tehsils. New initiatives of USF include a Telemedicine project to provide health-care facilities to remote areas and establishment of Universal Tele-Centers for proliferation of e-services. Secretary IT, Dr. Zafar Iqbal Qadir was also present at the ceremony.” n
Ufone provides career guidance at BC Employers Job Fair
Ufone HR team conducting interviews at the British Councils Employees Fair held in Islambad.
Islamabad: British Council Employers’ Fair concluded with its last event held in Islamabad after conducting one-day fairs in Karachi and Lahore. Ufone said that it remained the key participant and the most sought after employer amongst the youth and students visiting the fair at all three stations. The Ufone team at the fair provided career guid-
NEWS
ZONG brings ZTE Skate with data bundle
ZONG has announced an exciting handset bundle offer – ZTE Skate Data Bundle for its prospective postpaid customers. ZTE Skate is coupled with ZONG 2GB data bundle makes it the best Smartphone offer in the market.
ZTE Skate is one of the flagship Android devices launched by ZTE Corporation which ZONG is offering with 2GB GPRS/EDGE data per month for 12 months (billing cycles) in just Rupees 13,999/ZTE Skate Smartphone has OS Android 2.3, 4.3 inch display, 5 mega pixels camera, EDGE/HSUPA/HSDPA, 800 Mhz CPU, 512 MB internal and 2GB external memory amongst other innovative features. All devices are network locked and can only be used on ZONG Network. n
LG Optimus L Series sold 15m units
PM inaugurates USF projects in Sindh
Islamabad: Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, has said that the present government has undertaken record development schemes worth billion of rupees throughout the country. He was addressing a gathering in Sanghar at the inauguration of Universal Service Fund Projects in Sindh. He further said that Sanghar District suffered huge losses due to floods and unprecedented rains and government has left no stone unturned to alleviate the sufferings of affected people and will continue its efforts. CEO, Universal Service Fund and AdvisorMinistry of IT, Dr. Basit Riaz Sheikh briefed the
Warid signs MoU with Latitude for public relations services
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Lahore: Warid Telecom announced it has signed on Lahore-based Latitude Corporate Relationship Solutions for the provision of public relations services. Latitude is a boutique public relations and relationship management consultancy that offers a range of services in the fields of public and corporate relations and media management. The agency was selected following a competitive pitch process, during which the Latitude team demonstrated its ability to build the strategic re-
lationships and communications necessary for informing the public and other interest groups about the latest developments in Warid’s offerings and corporate standing. Sadaf Zarrar, Warid Head of Marcom, said, “Pakistan’s telecom in-
dustry is extremely complex and constantly evolving. In such an environment it’s important to bring on board a PR agency that understands the importance of brand building and developing a unique voice on industry perspectives. We felt the team at Latitude
understands the need for wider communications campaigns that encompass more than just broadcasting news, including corporate profiling and pushing out industry thought leadership.” Omar Jamil, CEO Latitude, added, “We are extremely excited to be given this opportunity to work with Warid Telecom. Warid has traditionally executed some of the best campaigns in the industry. We look forward to working with the company to continue developing creative campaigns that focus on raising awareness of Warid’s innovative cellular services and industry world view.” n
Karachi: LG Electronics (LG) announced it sold an Optimus L Series device every second over the past two months, propelling sales of the popular smartphones to over 15 million units. Since its launch at Mobile World Congress (MWC) last year, Optimus L Series smartphones have become the device of choice for individuals around the world who favor a well-balanced smartphone with a unique design. Building on this momentum, LG will unveil a new generation of the stylish series at MWC 2013 with an upgraded design and improved features. The Optimus L SeriesII will carry on the legacy of its predecessor, offering a user experience unique to LG smartphones. The Optimus L3II, Optimus L5II and Optimus L7II all feature a comfortable contour with laser-etched details
Telenor SIM home delivery service
Islamabad: Telenor Pakistan introduced ‘SIM Delivery Service’-an online new SIM booking and Mobile Number Portability (MNP) with home delivery facility. The customers would now be able to book, purchase and join Telenor Pakistan’s network from the comfort of their homes. Customers can now conveniently book their Telenor Pak-
in a slim unibody design. The sleek and customizable devices are also differentiated by smart LED lighting around the home button to mirror users’ unique styles. “The success of the Optimus L Series is testament to our belief all along that there is indeed a market for well-balanced smartphones that represent individuals’ unique tastes,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “The new Optimus L SeriesII expands upon the design philosophy of the original series so we’re quite confident that we’ll have another hit on our hands.” The new Optimus L SeriesII smartphones will be unveiled at Mobile World Congress later this month. Visitors to MWC are encouraged to see these new models up close at the LG booth in Hall 3. n istan prepaid numbers online through SIM Delivery Service website and get the SIM delivered to their doorstep without any additional cost or hassle. The new service offers the option of selecting numbers of their choice including the 0345 Prime Code. Director Sales and Distribution Telenor Pakistan Malik Faisal Qayyum said in current regulatory environment, it was going to be a significant sales channel and we were confident that it would offer convenience to customer’s doorstep. n
NEWS
Intel celebrates Women Day
Karachi: Intel Pakistan, in collaboration with Karachi Press Club, celebrated International Women’s Day. The event
titled ‘Intel Celebrates Women’ was held at Karachi Press Club and included a panel of leading women achievers, Jehan
Ara (President P@SHA and Bolo Bhi), Nezihe Hussain (Owner, SWOT), Salma Jafri (Content Marketer, Social Media Train-
tiny detail of the new flagship device from Blackberry is designed with ‘U’ in mind. BlackBerry Z10 thinks and adapts to the world around you. It helps you to be more efficient and more effective. It delivers ease and speed by removing all of the little roadblocks you experience on other smartphones that take up valuable time. The phone is equipped with a 4.2” touch display which has a resolution of
1280x768 pixels and density of 356ppi. The Z10 is powered by a 1.5GHz TI OMAP 4470 processor and Adreno 225 GPU. It has 2GB of RAM and 16GB internal Memory with MicroSD card slot. The 8 megapixel auto-focus Camera also offers HD 1080p video recording at 30fps, for BBM video chat a secondary 2MP is placed at the front. The phone offers wide range of connectivity options like Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS receiver and NFC. BlackBerry Z10 is available at selected service centers in Lahore, Karachi & Islamabad for a price of PKR 60,000. n
Ufone introduces BlackBerry® Z10
Islamabad: Ufone once again took the lead and today introduced the highly anticipated smartphone, BlackBerry Z10 for the first time in Pakistan. Powered by the re-designed, re-engineered, and re-invented BlackBerry 10 platform the phone offers you a faster, smarter and smoother experience than any other BlackBerry you have used before. Every feature, every gesture, and every single
er and Writer) and Sana Saleem. The program is a stepping stone for the National Digital Literacy Mission, an initiative by Intel Pakistan which aims to bring affordable computing and connectivity to the masses. Widely attended by media women in Karachi, the event focused on digital literacy, problem-solving and collaboration skills for professional and personal growth of women in media. In celebration of the International Women’s Day, various programs were also highlighted which have been implemented in Pakistan to equip girls and women with digital literacy skills in remote areas of the
Affan lefts Telenor Pakistan
nication department of Telenor Pakistan for last five years, has now resigned from his position and left Telenor Pakistan. According to sources closed to the matter confirmed Affan’s resignation, but the reason of resignation yet to be unfolded. Affan, a communiAffan Haider, who cation expert, was the has been with commu- oldest member of Te-
lenor’s communication department and has headed the public relations twice for over a year and a half. Affan has previously served Nestle Pakistan and US Department of Commerce. His functions at Telenor Pakistan included internal and external communication, corporate social responsibility and crisis
country. Intel believes that education is a fundamental right for everyone and has worked for decades to improve education around the world. Asma Aziz, Public Relations and Marketing Manager, Intel Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka said, “At Intel, we will continue our decades-long commitment to education as a means to accelerate change—improving lives, enabling innovation and transforming economies. We seek innovative approaches that support Intel’s vision to create and extend computing technology to connect and enrich the lives of every person on earth. In a developing country like Pak-
PTCL organizes hepatitis awareness drive
Islamabad: Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited (PTCL) organized a seminar on ‘Prevention and Awareness of Hepatitis’ at a local school in Karachi as part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. PTCL is organizing a nation-wide drive to create awareness about Hepatitis and its preventive measures. Dr. Tariq Saeed of PTCL Medical Services while giving information to students said, “Hepatitis is growing at an ever alarming rate now, with women and children at an increasing risk”. “More than 12 million Pakistanis are infected with hepatitis due to frequent use of therapeutic injections,
NBP Exchange Co. unveils branch at Cavalry Ground fer services to the families of Pakistanis living abroad. The number of branches may cross the 16 figure this year. This was stated by Chairman National Exchange Company Senior Executive Vice President Khalid Bin Shaheen while inaugurating the company’s new branch here at Cavalry Ground Lahore. He further disclosed that two more branches Mr. Khalid Bin Shaheen SEVP/Group Chief NBP and Chairman NBP Exare being opened in Dischange Company Limited is inaugurating the new branch along with extrict Rahimyar Khan ecutives of NBP and NBP Exchange Company. and Bahawalpur in near Lahore: National ny is providing country future as our customers Bank Exchange Compa- wide swift money trans- have concrete confi-
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dence over Exchange Company for being the subsidiary of National Bank of Pakistan; this is why our foreign currency exchange is increasing day by day and it almost doubled the figure of business in last three years. While talking to newsmen he announced that our market share have exceeds up to 12% due to dynamic services of professional and vigilant staffer. He appraised the Pakistan’s living abroad and declared them an asset for the nation. n management. It is interesting to note here that Affan’s resignation has come at a time when trend for leaving Telenor is on the rise. At least two other members from the same department resigned in last three months. Aamer Izhar, VP Corporate Affairs also had resigned recently and his replacement is yet to be announced. n
istan when women are empowered with technological tools, resources and opportunities to learn, they can not only transform their lives but also help to improves lives of everyone they touch”. The interactive session covered a wide range of topics such as understanding components of a PC, browsing the internet, chatting, sending emails and how the computer can be used to search for relevant information for news updates and articles. Additionally, the session discussed the importance of new social media sites to make more meaningful and quality connections for professional growth. n
re-use of syringes, inappropriate sterilization practices and poor hospital waste management,” Dr Tariq said. “At the community and individual level, certain behavioral practices increase the risk of these infections substantially and it is the responsibility of every single one of us to confront this disease”, Dr. Tariq added. Syed Mazhar Hussain, PTCL Senior Executive Vice President (SEVP) HR commented, “PTCL believes in empowering the youth of the country and the current drive is a continuation of this vision. The company believes in conducting its business in a manner where it is positively contributing. It is worth mentioning here that the PTCL is one of few companies in Pakistan which has dedicated medical centers catering to the health needs of its employees and their families nationwide. n
wi-tribe ranks Pakistan’s most socially devoted broadband service
Islamabad: wi-tribe, Pakistan’s no. 1 broadband provider in terms of quality of service, has recently been ranked as Pakistan’s most socially devoted broadband service provider on Facebook. Social Bakers, a social media analytics platform has released the January 2013 Social Media Report that has details about the performance of Pakistani brands on Facebook. The rankings are based on the response rate of the brands on their Facebook pages. The average response rate is calculated by number of questions brands answered minus question that went unanswered on its Facebook wall. wi-tribe’s customercentric approach saw 96 percent of queries responded to in an average time of just 4 hours. This approach is one of the many reasons which has seen wi-tribe’s social media platform develop into the fastest responding
and informative customer care touch points in Pakistan. “We are thoroughly pleased with the growing excitement around witribe on Facebook,” said Ali Fahd Ahmed, Director Marketing, wi-tribe. “At wi-tribe we believe in social media transparency; customers will be talking about issues associated with our brand online and we embrace this by getting involved and guiding conversations smoothly. If consumers know they can reach out to our company through social media and are encouraged to do so, this becomes a good opportunity for us to provide great service in front of a large audience. Our inhouse digital team prides itself on running one of the most interactive and consumer centric pages on Facebook and is humbled by the acknowledgment the page has received in the digital spheres.” n
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Wateen deploys free wi-fi hotspots at LLF
Lahore: Wateen Telecom, Pakistan’s leading converged communications enabled internet connectivity by
deploying high speed Wi-Fi Hotspots at Lahore Literary Festival (LLF). The inaugural LLF,
was held on the 23rd and 24th of February at the Alhamra Arts Complex, with aims to revive the spirit of art and creativity in Lahore. The festival is a first step in re-establishing Lahore as the cultural heartbeat of Pakistan and enriching the cultural experience of the city’s residents by creating an institutional platform for fostering and furthering Lahore’s literary traditions. According to certain estimates around 30,000 people attended the two day festival. As part of its support
for the Festival and Lahore’s revival as Pakistan’s cultural capital, Wateen Telecom provided guests and visitors at the event with continuous high-speed wireless broadband. About 2,000 people per day took advantage of free Wi-Fi Hotspots that was being provided by Wateen Telecom at the Alhamra Arts Complex for the Lahore Literary Festival (LLF). At this twoday highly successful event more than 4,000 people registered for the service, which they used to download and upload content utilizing Wa-
teen’s continuous highspeed wireless broadband. In addition, Wateen placed experiential kiosks specially designed for the Literary Festival at the venue. The kiosks, known as ‘Freedom Booths’, had laptops fitted with web cameras through which visitors recorded their video messages about their experiences at the Festival. Commenting on Wateen’s involvement with the Festival, Mr. Naeem Zamindar, CEO Wateen Telecom, said, “The Lahore Literary Festival was great event not only for those involved but
for the citizens of Lahore. All of us got a chance to attend some amazing sessions on literature, culture, history and art. We at Wateen are proud of the fact that we facilitated those who attended the Festival by enabling them to blog, tweet, post pictures and share videos from the festival with not only their friends and loved ones but everyone across the globe.” As a further commitment to supporting the arts, Wateen permanently donate the necessary WiFi equipment to the Alhamra Arts Complex for continued future use. n
PTCL launches Smart TV app for EVO customers Mobilink offers special
Islamabad: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has launched a standalone application enabling its EVO customers to access digital television service on their PCs, laptops and smartphones. The unique service of PTCL Smart TV PC application has brought Pakistan in the list of a few countries across the globe,
where digital TV services are accessible on laptops, PCs and Smartphones. With this PTCL offer, Smart TVPC application allows customers to be more interactive and more in control with their TV service as compared to conventional TV broadcast or cable TV. The PTCL Smart TV application enables its viewers to watch content of last 7 Days of the
available 12 TV channels. It also allows the viewers to record the TV programs on their local storage. Omar Khalid, PTCL Executive Vice President (EVP) Wireless Business, said "PTCL Smart TV application will enable its EVO customers to experience multi-screen viewing and uninterruptable rich live content on their PC screens."
"Customers can access 12 TV channels through EVO Wingle, EVO Dongle, EVO Nitro, EVO Cloud and EVO Tab" Omar added. Available for only Rs 50 per month, the application can be downloaded from PTCL website www.PTCL.com.pk or from the company's official Facebook page www.facebook.com/PTCL.Official n
calling rates for SA & UAE
Lahore: Mobilink has introduced an IDD Offer for our customers to call freely to Saudi Arabia & UAE at the most affordable rates. Now talk to your friends & family living in Saudi Arabia and UAE for
just Rs 1.99+Tax/15 sec. The offer subscription fee is Rs 0.99+Tax (Rs 1.18). This offer will be automatically re-subscribed after every 24 hours at a resubscription fee of Rs 0.99+Tax (Rs 1.18). n
PTCL inter-regional table tennis tournament concludes
Lahore: An agreement was signed by Manager Director PIA, Mr. Junaid Yunus and Dr. Haroon Rashid, CEO National Testing Service (NTS) for establishing a computerized Testing Lab at PIA for conducting competency tests. The ceremony was witnessed by Chairman PIA, Lt. General (R), Asif Yasin Malik, also seen in the picture is Director HR PIA, Mr. Shanawaz Rehman and Director Coordination PIA, Mehmood Ahmed. Syed Mazhar Hussain, PTCL Senior Executive Vice President (SEVP) HR and Abdul Sattar Naeem, Executive Vice President (EVP) HR Services along with the Winner and Runner-up players of PTCL Inter-Regional Table Tennis Tournament.
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Islamabad: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) Inter-Regional Table Tennis Tournament’s first phase has concluded at the company’s Officers Club F-8, Islamabad. The 14 day tournament saw a large number of employees competing in categories of Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, Veteran’s Singles, Veteran’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles. In the Men’s Singles final, Amir Kundi emerged as winner by brilliantly defeating Asim Akhtar, while Imran-UlHaq and Haroon Rafiq defeated Aamir Kundi& Salman AFarooqi after an
enthralling match in Men’s Doubles final. Behram Shahrokh Aslam stood the ground in his contest with Aqdus Faraz Tahir in Veteran’s Singles before teaming up with Abdul Sattar to defeat Sana Ullah Shaikh & Abdul Rashid Quadry in Veteran’s Doubles. In Women’s Singles, Azka Hamid was the clear winner, while Tasnim Akhtar and Saira Javed beat Azka Hamid and Nida Iftikhar in Women’s Doubles. Mr. & Mrs. Aqdus Faraz Tahir beat their rivals Azka Hamid and Raza Sarwar in the Mixed Doubles finals. The matches drew large number of spectators comprising of em-
ployees as well as their families who appreciated the sportsmanship and level of competition displayed by the players. Syed Mazhar Hussain, PTCL Senior Executive Vice President (SEVP) HR presented awards among the players reiterating that the company shall carry on with its efforts to bring PTCL family closer through co-curricular activities in future as well, enabling employees to showcase their athletic abilities, sporting passion and team spirit . Abdul Sattar Naeem, Executive Vice President (EVP) HR Services and other senior officials were also present at the occasion. n
wi-tribe employees to get linked with sister companies globally
Islamabad: After connecting people across the Middle East, North Africa and South East Africa through its exceptional broadband and communication services, wi-tribe’s parent company, Qtel Group has launched Buzz, a Group intranet connecting employees across its operational companies across the globe with an objective for them to learn more, share more and connect more. Launched at an internal ceremony on Tuesday at the wi-tribe Head Office in Islamabad, Buzz was unveiled by wi-tribe CEO Wasim Ahmad in front of all wi-tribe employees, connected across its regions
through video link, a tool regularly employed by witribe for face-to-face communication with its employees. During a presentation, wi-tribe’s Director Human Capital, Alia Zafar highlighted Buzz’s purpose, functionalities and benefits, encouraging employees to update their ready-to-access profiles for professional networking and information sharing throughout the Qtel Group. Providing information about all operational companies of the Qtel Group, it also features QG careers, where employees can apply for positions within the Qtel Group, accessible blogs, workspaces, news and
events’ updates, note board and an efficient search capability among others. Speaking at the event, Alia Zafar proud of witribe’s contribution towards its development said, “Beyond networking, Buzz offers insights into the cultures of the countries Qtel Group operates in, allowing all employees the chance to increase understanding and enhance collaborations on projects. The Group intranet has an interactive blog for engaging employees in one-on-one communication, increasing interest within it and giving employees a sense of belonging. Proud of the abundant talent at wi-tribe Pakistan.” n
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3G consultants take legal Zong sponsors National Polo Championship ‘the game of the kings’. action against PTA We are seriously looking
The consultants hired by the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) to auction the 3G mobile phone licenses have engaged lawyers to take legal action over the non-payment of their fees. Dr Rob Nicholls from the Australian law firm Webb Henderson; Dennis Ward, the former spectrum auctioneer for the Canadian Spectrum Management Program; and Martin Sims from the spectrum specialists PolicyTracker; were given three month contracts by the PTA starting from 23 November 2012. They completed more than half of this work at their own expense – including a lengthy stay in Pakistan - before reading in the media that their contracts had been cancelled. The PTA didn’t confirm this until January 14: two weeks later. The consultants were given individual cheques by the PTA for 10 percent of the agreed fee, but on cashing these cheques discovered that the PTA had stopped them. “This is cheque fraud, pure and simple, and punishable by a jail sentence under Pakistani law,” said consultant Martin Sims. “This is disgraceful behaviour from a public body which should be maintaining an exemplary reputation, not damaging Pakistan’s name at
home and abroad.” The consultants have incurred substantial personal expenses and not been paid a penny for the work they have done. Despite numerous attempts to contact the PTA no one has been willing to talk to them. The three international experts have engaged Bhutta, Khan and Mir to recover the money. “There are many legal options available to us and we will be pursuing each of these in turn until the money we are owed is paid,” said Rob Nicholls, one of the consultants. The contract cancellation letter sent by the PTA was “ridiculous”, said Dennis Ward. It claimed that the contract was void ab initio, a legal term meaning invalid at the outset. “That is something only a court can decide,” said Ward. “The PTA is legally obliged to honour contracts, it can’t appoint itself judge and jury and suddenly decide to pull out.” The forthcoming legal action means the PTA is liable not only for the unpaid fees but also for the legal costs associated with the case. “The PTA is being cavalier with public money,” said Rob Nicholls. “Instead of adopting this ‘head in the sand’ approach it should make an arrangement to settle its debts and bring us back after the election to complete the auction.” n
Mobilink revenues up 9pc in 4Q
Islamabad: Mobilink has posted fourth quarter revenues of Rs. 27.2 billion, up 8.9 percent from Rs. 24.98 billion during the same period last year. Company’s EBITDA in local currency increased 12 precent to Rs. 11.7 billion up from Rs. 10.4 billion in last quarter of previous year. Capex was down 8 percent to $101 million in Q4 2012. Mobilink said that its revenues were hurt mainly by forced network suspensions from government due to security reasons. Company said that it was asked to shut down cellular services during Eid holiday in October, Ashura and other occasions in November and December, resulting in revenue loss for Mobilink and all other cellular operators in Pakistan. Furthermore, new
regulatory guidelines were issued on retail channel sales, resultantly Mobilink added a net 67,000 new subscribers while its market share settled at 29.6 percent down 0.8 percent during same period last year. Mobilink’s ARPU in local currency stood at Rs. 243 up from Rs. 235 during the same period previous year. Mobilink said that it signed an agreement with Huawei and Alcatel-Lucent for modernizing the network, paving the way to introducing 3G services, as soon as these are licensed in Pakistan. During the same quarter, Mobilink in partnership with Waseela Microfinance Bank,launched Mobile Financial Services with brand name of ‘MobiCash’. n
Niaz A. Malik, ED Strategy, Corporate Sales and ESS of ZONG and Abdul Haye Mehta, President of Lahore Polo Club addressing the press conference in Lahore.
ZONG is sponsoring the National Open Polo Championship for the Quaid-e-Azam Gold Cup 2013. Six teams will be competing through the tournament starting from March 06, 2013 to March 17, 2013 while its final is scheduled for Sunday March 17, 2013. The National Polo Championship this year has 6 teams where the lower limit of the tournament is 10 goals and the upper limit is 14 goals. There are 6 for-
eign players participating in this tournament. Renowned foreign Umpires like Marcus Hancock, Matias Vial Perez, Santiago Mendivil, Gaston Moore, Manuel Crespo and James Harper will be participating in the event . Niaz A Malik, Executive Director Strategy, Corporate Sales and ESS of ZONG said “Sports and ZONG have a natural relationship, which is growing stronger day by day.
Through our strategic partnership with Manchester United, we are the leading corporate supporter of football in the country. As a cricket loving nation we have been sponsors of domestic T20 cricket and Pakistan and Australia series in the past. Though we have previously partnered with traditional polo tournaments in Shandur twice but this time it is an honor for us to be part of the professional polo,
Humaima becomes brand Ambassador for Samsung Galaxy series
Lahore: Samsung Electronics has signed on famous film and fashion icon Humaima Malick as its brand ambassador for Samsung Galaxy series mobile devices. This announcement was made at a press conference held by Samsung at a Country
Club in Lahore. In this role, Humaima will be working with Samsung to raise awareness about Samsung mobile devices and ultimately make Samsung Galaxy series the preferred smartphones in Pakistan. Commenting on his
association with Samsung, Humaima remarked that ‘Samsung is a brand that celebrates talents and creates the future we are all working hard for. I tend to endorse brands very selectively as I need to relate to the brand as well as believe in it. This will certainly be an exciting journey for me, Samsung customers, and the public’. According to the Farid Ullah Jan, Head of Mobile phones division at Samsung EC Pakistan ‘we are very excited about this partnership with Humaima Malick because we want to connect with our customers delightfully and we find in Hu-
Lahore: ZonG offers the most affordable international call bundle for calling China, the Pak-China Friendship Bundle. Pak-China Friendship dates more than half a century back in time, and over all these years the Chinese nation and the people have extensively contributed toward progress and development of Pakistan via host of historic and on-
going projects. These projects vary from some of the most critical defense projects to commercial joint venture and business investments. ZonG itself is reflection of this long standing cooperation and brotherhood that has continued to thrive between the two ends of the Silk Route. Over the years, the number of Chinese professionals working in
Pakistan has grown manifold, and our Chinese friends have a round-the-year need of calling China to reach out for home and staying connected with their loved ones. In addition, the Pakistani businesses are also trading exten-
Brand Ambassador of Samsung Galaxy Series – Humaima Malick is signing the contract along with Samsung Managing Director John Park.
Zong offers Pak-China friendship bundle
at greatly enhancing our support to this great game”. Praising the role of Zong in the promotion of this great sport, President of Lahore Polo Club, Abdul Haye Mehta said “Zong’s role is tremendous as far as the development of polo is concerned as they have come forward to sponsor high goal tournaments at the Lahore Polo Club for the past many years “. Mehta urged the business houses to follow the example of Zong and extend sponsorship and patronage of polo tournaments and the riding school of Lahore Polo club. National open polo championship was incepted way back in 1963 and this year’s event will be the 50thedition of the national polo championship. The trophy was first introduce as the El Effendi Cup, and was presented by Brig H M el Effendi who was himself a 4 goal player. n maima all the values we stand for and work tirelessly to achieve. She is an optimistic believer, a relentless innovator and a passionate creator and these values make up the Samsung brand’. He continued that ‘Samsung as a brand is born out of a commitment to relentlessly pursue a better tomorrow by creating the future hand in hand with our customers through innovation and an optimism that says it’s all possible. The Samsung Galaxy series stands for innovation, change, discovery, self expression and excellence in performance. We want to further connect with our customers at all touch points, especially through style and reliability since it is one of the passions of peoples in Pakistan. n sively with Chinese companies. Considering the need for our customers, and potential customers, to bridge the geographical distance between Pakistan and China, this new offering from ZonG effectively provides the most affordable connectivty via International Calls to China. The bundle offers a wide range of options for all strata of China calling customers to subscribe any bundle of choice as per their calling needs, convenience and personal economy. n
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Soneri Bank website gets hacked
message. It is still unclear if customers’ data was compromised or not or if the online accounts were impacted by hackers. Pakbugs displayed the message when it first defaced the bank’s website, “You Must Have Heard About US on News , Headlines , Government charges , Blogs , online news
media , blah blah . On First Look I saw ” Security Seal of Norton Company ” But Soon After 5 minutes I came to Know That your Soneri Bank is in Wrong Untalented Hands because you Guys are hiring noobs with degree but Real Talent of Pakistan is always without degree See the diff, Your World Class Internet Banking System secured by Norton Compromised within 5 Minutes , isn’t funny ? 1 more thing your multi billion dollars data is in my 10$ USB Drive :P Because my 10$ little USB drive is more secure than your million dollars setup and my computer’s data never leaked like your bank’s data. Register at
BEIJING: The successful operation in Pakistan has given China Mobile the confidence to look for target with positive ‘business synergy’ around the world. China Mobile Communications Corp, the parent company of the world’s biggest mobile operator by subscriber, is seeking merger-and-acquisition opportunities in the global market, the company’s chairman said. Compared with counterparts in the energy, manufacturing and financial industries, Chinese State-owned telecom operators have fallen behind in terms of overseas expansion. The only acquisition by a Chinese telecom carrier was made in 2007, when China Mobile bought Paktel Ltd, a money-losing Pakistani carrier, for $284 million from Millicom International Cellular SA. “The Pakistan case set the precedent for Chinese operators going global,”
said Xi Guohua, China Mobile’s chairman, on the sidelines of the annual session of the 12th Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee. The company was renamed China Mobile Pakistan, or CMPak, and its services were rebranded in 2008 as Zong. “China Mobile is determined to go global. We keep an eye on every opportunity that is suitable,” Xi said. He added that he cannot elaborate because of financial rules that govern a listed company. Premier Wen Jiabao reiterated the “going out” strategy on Tuesday, when he delivered the government work report to the annual session of the National People’s Congress. Wen encouraged Chinese companies to invest overseas and conduct global operations. Xi said there are many M&A opportunities, whether the global economic climate is good or bad. “But it is very difficult
for telecom carriers to make M&A decisions because we are not manufacturers, who complete deals with no loose strings,” he said, adding Telecom carrier’s M&A’s could be a long-term investment. “The process can be rather complex. We consider not only returns, but also local policies, laws and cultural differences. Besides, the M&A target should have a business synergy with China Mobile,” Xi said. According to China Mobile’s 2012 interim report issued in August, the company, which is one of China’s most profitable State-owned enterprises, had cash and cash equivalents of 96.4 billion yuan ($15.5 billion) as of June 2012. Wang Jianzhou, former chairman of China Mobile, in an interview with China Daily last year, said that China Mobile hoped to become a minority shareholder in telecom carriers in the European or North American markets. “We would like to be strategic investors (in them),” Wang said. He also said that the company’s experience in China and Pakistan will boost its confidence in working with overseas markets. n
Karachi: Huawei has introduced an attractive, durable and affordable solution- Huawei Ascend Y210D – a smartphone that has a dual SIM dual standby bring 2 wonderful worlds, smooth use from the Android OS, Qualcomm 1G CPU, 3.5’no border floating screen brings an unlimited horizon, 1700mAH long
standby, no charging in your weekend 2 Days trip, Concise fashion ID, grip comfort, 5 seconds fast boot, faster than TV, and 1st Class RF satisfies the 1st operators, surfing and calling anytime and anywhere. Now the handset is available in Pakistan at amazingly affordable price. Huawei believes that everyone can be the centre of in-
Soneri Bank’s online banking website has been hacked twice by two separate hacking groups with-in 24 hours. Initially the Soneri website – which manages the online banking system of Soneri customers – was hacked by Pakbugs and later by Pak Cyber Army re-hacked the website and defaced the same page with their own
www.PAKBUGS.Com and Learn Some Cool Stuff related to Hacking and Security Where is Your Million dollar$ Firewall Honey ! Where is your Cyber Experts I.T team ? Where is So called Cyber Security Gaint Norton who Secure you han? …. Note:- We Didn’t transfer even 1 Dollar From your System ! Don’t Forget to say thanks to PakBugs ! Later on another hacking group called Pakistan Cyber Army defaced the page again and claims to have restored the website. This is the first time that the online banking section of a bank is hacked and defaced by hackers. This incident has raised serious concerns about the security of online banking system in Pakistan. n
After success in Pakistan, China telecom IHC orders telcos to stop giant searches for overseas market
Huawei launches Ascend Y210D
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formation and that the world would be a better place if access and information barriers were knocked down. Its strong suite of mobile phones, mobile broadband devices and home devices is testimony to Huawei Device's focus on customers and its commitment to providing userfriendly mobile internet experiences through ongoing innovation. n
prize schemes
Islamabad; Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ordered the cellular companies to discontinue any and all prize schemes. It may be recalled that PTA had directed the telecom service providers to put a complete halt on prize awarding schemes as it violates Telecom Consumer Protection Control otherwise the authority would take legal action. Taking PTA up on its threat, all telecom operators had challenged the PTA directives in Islamabad High Court. PTA in defence of its case presented the order of Supreme Court discouraging such activities whereas the prosecutor (cellular companies) pointed out that introduction of prize schemes did not violate consumer rights and that Supreme Court had instructed against prize schemes which were illegal and ill structured. Telecom operators were of the stance that the prize scheme could not be discontinued with immediate effect as there were a number of stakeholders involved who were working together after having lawfully agreed on the terms and conditions as per law of the land. The IHC, after initial hearing, had issued a stay order in favor of cellular companies but on Friday it dismissed their petitions. n
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Mobilink to promote new range of Lumia WP8 in Pakistan
Mr. Arsalan Qureshi, Head of Corporate Sales (South), Mobilink and Mr. Arif Shafique, Country General Manager, Nokia Pakistan and Afghanistan exchanging the MoU at the launch of Nokia Lumia WP8 Smartphones along with other officials.
Lahore: Nokia Pakistan has joined hands with Mobilink, as a means of strengthening its local ecosystem partnerships as well as extending the availability of the innovative Nokia Lumia WP8 range in Pakistan to bring better value propositions for consumers. As a result of this partnership, Mobilink will sell the Nokia Lumia Windows Phone 8 range as a special bundle offer including exciting Nokia gear. The new Nokia Lumia 920 with free Wireless Charger DT 900, Lumia 820 with free Wireless Cover and Wireless Charger DT 900 and Lumia 620 with USB Portable Nokia DC 16 charger. The first 1000 customers will get to avail the special bundle offer available via Mobilink Business Centers. Additionally, Mobilink is offering 1GB data for one month to all new and existing Mobilink customers purchasing
Nokia Lumia through Mobilink Business Centers or retail. This is a limited time offer. Speaking on the occasion, Arif Shafique, country general manager, Nokia Pakistan said, “As we continue to invest towards delivering unique experiences to consumers, we have partnered with Mobilink to take the Lumia experience to more and more consumers swiftly.” Expressing his views on the occasion, Moied Javeed, Director Marketing, Mobilink said, “Mobilink’s partnership with Nokia ensures that our customers have access to the latest cellular technology at competitive prices and bundled with the most attractive offers.” With the globally acclaimed Nokia Lumia WP8 devices, Nokia and Mobilink are committed to bring more innovative experiences and greater value to customers in Pakistan. n
Islamabad: We are ready for 3G technology our network checking is complete and we pleased to provide next generation to our consumers its price may be bitter high but this is very much needed service for telecom sector. This was stated by Omer Manzur. Head of Corporate Communications Mobilink during a two-day journalist workshop held in PC Bhurban. During the workshop, journalists were given a briefing about the current telecommunications and future of Mobilink in the sector. One of the hallmarks of the telecom media conference was the presence of Navitus a premiere consultancy based in Islamabad. Mobilink bought them in to invig-
orate the journalists and to help them in their work, facing challenges and how to plan for the future in systematic and coherent manner. This session was arranged for around 80 journalists and their families from all parts of Pakistan. The conference was named “iMPress” standing for Intelligent, Media & Press. Apart from the informative session with the journalists there was a family gala arranged for the families of the journalist where games and competitions were held and the winners were given prizes. A musical evening was planned after dinner where the families enjoyed the music with the beautiful weather of Bhurban. Delicious food was also arranged in this two days event. n
Mobilink ready for 3G: Omar Manzoor
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Fr e e d o w n l o a d | f la r e.p k
Syed Mazhar Hussain, PTCL Senior Executive Vice President (SEVP) Human Resources along with PTCL HR officials and participants of the HR Conclave 2013, held at PTCL Training Academy, Islamabad.
PTCL holds HR Conclave 2013 Islamabad: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has organized a one-day HR Conference entitled HR Conclave 2013. The Talent Management & Learning function of HR at PTCL, in lieu of the strategic transformation of HR, joined hands to “Unleash
HR Potential”. The conference served as a shared platform for representatives of the HR Community at PTCL to recap the achievements of the past year while projecting towards the future of HR. The conference was led by Syed Mazhar Hussain, PTCL Senior Exec-
utive Vice President (SEVP) HR, accompanied by Muhammad Nehmatullah, PTCL Senior Executive Vice President (SEVP) Finance; Jamal Hussain Al Suwaidi, PTCL Senior Executive Vice President (SEVP) Procurement & Supply Chain Management; Mateen Malik, PTCL Exec-
The National Assembly was told that a total of $11.464 billion Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) was made in the country from March 2008 to date. Minister In-charge for the Prime Minister Secretariat in a written reply to a question informed the house that a total $2.621 billion FDI was made in the country in 2007-08 (March-June), $3.72 billion in 2008-09 (July-June), $2.151 billion in 2009-10 (July-June), $1.635 billion in 2010-11(JulyJune), $0.813 billion in 2011-12 (July-June) and $0.525 billion in 2012-13 (July-January). The countries which made FDI in Pakistan included Netherlands, USA,
UK, UAE, Japan, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Germany, South Korea, Norway, China and others. According to the latest figures of 2012-13(JulyJanuary), Netherlands is on the top of the list as far as FDI in Pakistan is concerned. Details revealed that direct investment of Netherlands is $125.4 million, USA, $118.9 million, UK, $115.6 million, UAE, $8 million, Norway, $102.6 million, Switzerland, $100.8 million. Most of the investment in 2012-13(July-January) was made in oil and gas sector, which is $327.4 million, financial business $179.7 million, chemicals $96.5 million, Power $21.8 million, Transport $65.2
million, communications IT& Telecom $192.8 million, construction $24.1 million, textile $0.4 million, trade $9.2 million and others $186.6 million. Meanwhile, the house was also told that Rs 1.989 trillion currency notes were printed during the last five year from July 1, 2007 to December 31, 2012. Federal Finance Minister Saleem H Mandviwalla told the House currency notes valuing Rs 200.94 billion were printed in 2007-08, Rs 438.9 billion in 2008-09, Rs 153.75 billion in 2009-10, Rs 372.51 billion in 2010-11, Rs 524 billion in 2011-12 and Rs 298.91 billion in 2012-13 (up to 31-12-12).
Pakistan received $11.464bn FDI
PTCL’s annual report earns SAFA’s award
Islamabad: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), the largest Information Communication Technology (ICT) service provider in Pakistan, has won distinction for the country, with South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA) conferring the ‘Best Presented Accounts Award 2011’ to the company, in the category of ‘Communication and Information Technology’. The award is presented to companies that exceed industry standards in quality and transparency of financial reporting parameters. SAFA, consisting of the institutes of chartered
and management accountants in the SAARC countries, holds these awards every year for different categories on the basis of evaluation of the published annual reports of companies across the South Asian Region to improve transparency, accountability and governance in financial reporting. “We are honored to have our report recognized globally. SAFA’s decision to honor PTCL with the ‘Best Presented Accounts 2011’ award is recognition of the company’s resolve to offer standard corporate practices and marks our commitment to meeting in-
ternational standards in corporate governance. Our annual report is the bridge between our investors, shareholders and the public, and we will continue to enhance the production standards of our annual report, ensuring it conveys our business activities and financial information while maintaining a high degree of transparency,” commented Farah Qamar, Company Secretary of the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited. The certificate awarding ceremony will be held in Colombo on March 2223, 2013 by the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Sri Lanka. n
utive Vice President (EVP) Operations and Maintenance; Abdul Sattar Naeem, PTCL Executive Vice President (EVP) HR Services; Shahzad Safdar Khan Executive Vice President (EVP) Talent Management & Learning and Naushad H Javaid, PTCL Executive Vice President (EVP), Leadership and Organizational Develop-
ment. During the course of the conference, HR officials representing the headquarter and regional offices of PTCL identified areas of focus for the year 2013 to strategically align the goals and objectives of the HR Department with the organization’s vision and mission. Interactive team based activities were con-
ducted to instill values of motivation and teamwork. After the conference, Syed Mazhar Hussain also inaugurated the newly built cafeteria at PTCL academy. A corporate dinner and musical evening was also held to commemorate the successful implementation and management of the HR Conclave 2013.
Intel Pakistan has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF – Federal Ministry of Science & Technology) to support Intel Pakistan in holding Science Fairs all over the country. The MoU will bring Intel Pakistan and PSF together to work for accelerating the pace and scale of education in Pakistan and will create awareness and promote research in Sciences. PSF works to promote scientific research and provide funding for research projects in the areas of Agricultural Sciences, Biological Sciences, Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Chemical Sciences, Information Technology, Mathematical Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Engineering, Earth sciences, Medical sciences and Physics. The Foundation has so far funded 1031 research
projects in various fields of Science and Technology and has been supporting Intel in conducting the Intel ISEF affiliated National Science Fairs ever since the inception of the program in Pakistan in the year 2003. Under this project, PSF will support Intel Pakistan in arranging trainings for science teachers, holding provincial and national science fairs all across Pakistan, including orientation workshops and providing resource persons, mentors and judges, cash awards for the winners, and logistic support wherever possible. Sharing his thoughts at the occasion, Naveed Siraj, Country Manager Intel Pakistan said, “Intel wholeheartedly believes in the powerful impact of knowledge and its application within our community. We are very excited to be partnering up with Pakistan Science Foundation this will en-
Lahore: Warid has launched Blackberry Z10 smartphone officially with priced Rs 59,999. The Blackberry Z10 is set to be the latest phenomena in smartphone technology introduced by BlackBerry previously known as RIM (Research in Motion), whose BlackBerry handsets are used by millions around the world. The
BlackBerry Z10 is the first phone based on the brand new BlackBerry 10 Operating System. The phone comes with an all-touch
courage and inspire next generation of innovators and yield significant positive results not just by enhancing training and educating, but also encouraging students to convert their ideas into reality. Through a sustained public-private partnership with organizations like PSF, we work at international, national, and local level and invest heavily in education programs adapted to address the technological needs of the country.” Over the years, Intel Pakistan has partnered with and facilitated many public and private sector organizations with programs that increase access to technology – helping people with better education, improved healthcare, and economic opportunity. Intel has been instrumental in creating innovative new solutions and building a future of opportunity for the youth of Pakistan. n experience instead of a QWERTY keyboard usually associated with BlackBerry. The latest BlackBerry also comes with a 4.2-inch 1280×768 display and an 8-megapixel rear camera capable of recording full-HD video. With a 1.5 GHz processor, HDMI technology and high-speed USB port, the BlackBerry Z10 is a one-stop solution for all business needs. n
Intel Pakistan inks accord with PSF
Warid launches Blackberry Z10
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tion started in California, where, due to government regulations, Toyota
that imported cars have been slapped with obscene duties and tariffs due to the dominance of
Prius changed the automobile industry,” remarked Bukhari. At the time, Prius had generated significant buzz as a number of celebrities embraced the car as something better for the environment. He claimed that hybrid technology would be a game changer for the automobile industry in Pakistan. The challenge is
local automobile manufacturers, he observed. “The thing I don’t understand is that the local car industry turns profits every year, and yet they cry over imports claiming the local market will die,” observed Bukhari. “There is a significant difference in imported and domestically-assembled cars. The people deserve the better option.” n
Porsche to introduce hybrid cars in Pakistan
Lahore: A presentation on hybrid cars was held at the Porsche centre in Lahore, aiming to create awareness of hybrid technologies in automobiles. Porsche Pakistan, which has recently unveiled the new Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid, advocated in the presentation that such innovations were a potential solution to the problems of rising fuel costs and environment concerns related to the automobile industry. “We, as a country, need to embrace hybrid technology,” Porsche Pakistan CEO Abuzar Bukhari remarked during the presentation. “The biggest selling point is
that we save money and save the planet.” Bukhari had privately explained that the reason for hosting the briefing was to help acquaint the public with the new technology being included in hybrid cars, and said he was passionate about promoting them in the Pakistani market. He said the output of hybrid technology has proven that it can match the performance of comparable non-hybrid cars, as well as being more economical. Bukhari said that current technology has proven that one can save up to 40-50% on fuel while driving a zeroemissions car. “The hybrid revolu-
Hum Qadam bags CSR award
Atifa Asghar, Director Corporate Communications & Responsibility, Telenor Pakistan receiving the National Excellence Award.
Karachi: Telenor Pakistan’s corporate responsibility initiative Telenor Hum Qadam has won the 7th CSR National Excellence Award under the category of ‘employee engagement’, sponsored by Xcelerate Management Consultants UK, during a ceremony organized by the
CSR Association of Pakistan in Karachi. The award recognized Telenor Pakistan for its commitment towards embedding sustainable thinking into organizational culture and in the process, supporting communities, especially in the areas of disability awareness, ed-
Karachi: Canon unveiled new products line the IXUS, LEGRIA and PowerShot N series in Pakistan. Four new digital compact cameras were released in the IXUS range. The IXUS 255 HS, IXUS 135, IXUS 132 along with the IXUS 140 support new advanced features such as Hybrid Auto Zoom, Intelligent Image Stabalization for video and stills, Eco mode and WiFi. The Singapore based Canon launched two new LEGRIA AVCHD flash Memory Camcorders, the LEGRIA HF G25 and LEGRIA HF R46. All new “prosumer”
LEGRIA HF G25 has an array of manual functions and expandability options while the LEGRIA HF R46 includes a new Baby Mode, designed for chronicling a child’s growing years. If you are looking for a compact and agile camera to aid in capturing and sharing life’s beautifully unexpected moments need to look no further then the PowerShot N. The new PowerShot N boasts a new unique pocket-sized form factor and new features that will excite and boost the creativity of avid shutterbugs, street photography enthusiasts and lomography fans. n
ucation, health and environment. Atifa Asghar, Director Corporate Communications & Responsibility, Telenor Pakistan received the award on behalf of the company. The award ceremony was preceded by a CSR Networking Forum with a host of international speakers and guests including representatives from the United Nations and the corporate sector. Expressing her delight, Atifa Asghar, Director Corporate Communications & Responsibility, Telenor Pakistan described the award as a testimony to Telenor Pakistan’s corporate responsibility initiatives. She said the award would spur Telenor Pakistan to do more in the
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Wateen delivers Fibre Optic network in Sindh
Lahore: Wateen Telecom, Pakistan’s leading converged communications company has been awarded Rs.449 million project to develop an extensive optical fibre network in Sindh. The USF Sindh project entails the laying of over (1,037) km of an optical fibre network in Southern Telecom Region. An amount of Rs.449 million will be provided by USF in the form of a subsidy; the rest of the cost will be borne by Wateen. The new optical fibre network will connect 17 unserved cities and towns.. Wateen has joined hands with the Universal Service Fund Company (USF Co.) to undertake this project of national importance, which will go a long way in bridging the digital divide in the country. The project, funded through a USF subsidy, will provide state of the art digital infrastructure in remote areas of Sindh, and could be further exploited to build IT, telecom, education, health and business services in these areas. This protect has been inaugurated by Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on 23 February 2013, in Sanghar – Chak # 11 along with a number of
socio-economic development of Pakistan. Notably, apart from various interactive awareness sessions about disability issues, Telenor Hum Qadam’s volunteers arranged activities for underprivileged children, conducted tree plantation and cleanup activities, and organized blood donation drive as well. “Today, Telenor Pakistan’s reputation as a responsible and reputable cellular operator, well-integrated in the community, has been soundly established. With effective communication and commitment to long-lasting development projects, we have been able to build up the harmonious relations that characterize our association with loFreelancing in Pakistan cal communities,” she is on the rise. And this is concluded. n the whole new industry which has opened up the new revenue sources esturers, NGOs, journal- pecially for the Web deists, politicians and even veloper’s community in government officials can Pakistan. Realizing the posubscribe to the service tential, one of the top freeand record messages for lancing marketplaces their audience to listen ‘Freelancer.com’ has anto. What’s more, all pub- nounced to start its operlishers are given a ations within Pakistan. Acunique ID which can be cording to the site, Pakcommunicated to their istani Freelancers have followers to listen to earned in excess of $13 their messages. In this million and the trend is way, publishers can feel generally on the rise here. free to record informaFreelancer.com, one of tion as it will only be available to those listen- the largest freelancing / ers who have access to jobs marketplace in the world, finally started its the publisher’s ID. in Pakistan. operations For example, a uniPakistan holds one of the versity administrator can largest freelancing comdial the publisher code munities in the world and 2898 and record voice updates for students to the trend is on the rise. More and more indilisten to. Students can viduals and professionals listen to the recorded buzz by dialing in to the from Pakistan are turnlistener code 2899 and ing towards self-employentering the university’s ment and entrepreneurship by offering services to unique ID. n
Canon launches new products Warid launches Warid Buzz Lahore: Warid launches yet another exciting service Warid Buzz for its postpaid subscribers. Warid Buzz is a communication medium where people can record their information on an IVR channel and their followers and audience can dial in and listen to it whenever they want. Warid Buzz is a new medium which will have User Generated Content for the audience to enjoy. Warid Buzz provides an easy to use platform for Warid customers who are interested in voiceblogging. Anyone can become a publisher! Simply register as a publisher by dialing 2898 and start recording your thoughts. Individuals, groups of students, universities, fashion designers, lec-
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Freelancer.co m lands in Pakistan
telecommunications and health and education projects. This new project is in line with Wateen Telecom’s commitment to lead the digital revolution in Pakistan. Wateen is already working with USF on four optical fibre projects in underserved areas of Balochistan and Sindh, with subsidies worth a total of PKR 3.7 billion. These existing projects entail optical fibre networks spanning over 4,563 km (in Sindh and Balochistan) Commenting on the project, Mr Zamindar said, “Wateen’s vision is to take Pakistan into the digital revolution of the 21st Century by offering complete communications and media solutions, including telephony, internet, data and TV/multimedia to the public at large, and to make Pakistan a regional communications hub, inter-connecting the East with the West and Central Asia with the Middle East, participation in USF regions aligns with Wateen’s vision of taking Pakistan into the digital broadband revolution of the 21st century while promoting education and literacy through these means.” n off-shore clients through free-lancing marketplaces. This is evident from the fact that self-employed Pakistanis surged from
33.3 percent to 39.9 percent in last three years (2009 to 2012) – this was faster than the employee category growth, which only grew from 35.8 percent to 36 percent. The growth of self-employment was joined by the rise of Internet, which has shown double-digit growth in the past five years. Moreover, Pakistan remains the third top country using the website, closely behind India and the United States. Freelancer.com has said that Pakistanis working online have earned over $13 million through the website. Freelancer.com, with its launch in Pakistan, is likely to resolve the payment issues of Pakistani freelancers. In addition, the trend of freelancing will be propagated to get it to the next level in the country. The launching was held in Karachi on March 5th, 2013. n
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Fr e e d o w n l o a d | f l ar e. pk
IMEWE gets damaged, Internet down across the country
Islamabad: IMEWE (India-Middle East-Western Europe) submarine cable was recently disbanded about 170 kilometre away from Indian financial hub Mumbai, which caused broadband dis-connectivity problems in eight countries including Pakistan. The internet and other communication services were found disconnected which affected 20 percent consumers in Pakistan. Meanwhile, the communication lines have been transferred on other two submarine lines namely SMW3 (SEAMEWE) and SMW4 (SEAMEWE) to restore smooth communication. When contacted Mr. Furqan Qureshi Senior Vice President (SEVP) and spokesman of Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited (PTCL) he said, the disbanding did not affect
Pakistani broadband consumers on large scale as we transferred the communication lines on the alternative lines as soon as the cable broken-up. We are in constant touch with the world consortium and as soon as the IMEWE gets repaired, we will restore the traffic on it for swift broadband
speed, he added. IMEWE is a 13,000 km submarine communications cable system between India and France. Internet Service Providers and Network Operators are utilizing the additional bandwidth to support high-bandwidth peer-to-peer IP-based broadband services such as
Cellular subscribers fall by 1.6million
Karachi: The government’s recent directives to cellular mobile operators (CMOs) about sale of new SIMs and verification of customer data seem to have done the trick. The industry recorded a negative growth in mobile subscriptions in December 2012, according to statistics released by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). Overall cellular mobile teledensity dropped to 68.8 percent in December last year, down from 69.8 percent in
the preceding month. Total number of mobile subscribers fell to 121.946 million as all five CMOs combined lost 1.6 million subscribers during the month, reflecting a decrease of 1.3 percent compared to 123.597 million mobile users as of November 30, 2012. The negative growth in net subscriptions did not have any impact on the market share of any of the five operators. However, it may be the reflection of PTA’s directives, which re-
quired CMOs to block unverified SIMs, stop selling new SIMs through retail networks and restrict the number of SIMs issued against a CNIC to five from December 1, 2012. The five CMOs had added about 2 million new users to their networks in November 2012, before the December 1 deadline to implement PTA’s directives aimed at addressing security challenges. December’s statistics, however, reflect the impact of the directives. Ufone, which has the third largest subscriber network, lost more than 500,000 subscriptions in December. Its subscriber base shrank to 23,809,099 users at the end of the month. Market leader Mobilink was not far behind, it lost more than 450,000 subscribers and ended up with 36,141,241 subscribers to its network. Telenor lost over 245,000 subscribers and closed the month at 30,564,465 mobile users to remain second largest operator in terms of sub-
US telecom regulator has no jurisdiction in Pakistan: LDI operators
Islamabad: Pakistani Long Distance International (LDI) Industry will continue with existing International Clearing House Exchange (ICH) arrangements for inbound traffic as per legal and regulatory regime in vogue. A press release issued by Pakistani companies said that the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in its recent Memorandum of Opinion and Order has advised USA based carriers to suspend payment to Pakistani LDIs despite the fact that the interconnected USA Carriers had agreed to current Approved Settlement Rate (ASR) and entered into contract which has binding effect. FCC has no juris-
diction in Pakistan. Licensed telecom operators of Pakistan are bound to follow the directives and policy of the government of Pakistan and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). PTCL and all LDI operators in Pakistan are bound by the regulatory regime and policies of the Government of Pakistan and the Pakistan
Telecommunication Authority. Currently, the ASR as approved and fixed by PTA is $0.088 and this being the floor price for all incoming traffic, PTCL cannot agree to any reduced rate. Any attempt through any order to change the rate would be violation of applicable rules, regulations and contractual obligation. Any adverse order passed in any territory outside the geographical boundaries of Pakistan is of no legal and material effect and as such must not be relied upon for doing telecom business with Pakistani licensed operators. Any business entity not complying with Pakistan’s existing telecom regime mandating
US Cent8.8 per minute is considered to be in breach of the relevant agreement and will be treated accordingly which will result in blockage of traffic as done by Pakistani Operators in the past. International operators not agreeing to currently enforced ASR for Pakistan have been paying more than ASR to third parties for Pakistan bound traffic and have been experiencing associated hazards. Any International operator who does not terminate traffic in Pakistan through the licensed LDI’s and which will now be verified using the ICH central switch would be presumed to have terminated traffic illegally in Pakistan. n
multimedia streaming, broadband Internet and voice/video telephony. The cable system includes a terrestrial link connecting the cities of Alexandria and Suez in Egypt. The IMEWE cable system comprises three optical fibre cable pairs and 2 trunk lines. It has cable landing stations at: Mumbai (India) (two landing sites) Karachi, Fujairah (UAE), Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Suez (Egypt), Alexandria (Egypt), Tripoli (Lebanon), Catania (Italy) and Marseille (France). The cable system was funded by a consortium of 9 companies from across the world: Bharti Airtel (India), Etisalat (UAE), France Telecom (France), Ogero (Lebanon), PTCL, STC (Saudi Arabia), Telecom Egypt (Egypt), Telecom Italia Sparkle (Italy) and Tata Communications (India). n
scriber base while Zong lost more than 229,000 customers to finish at number four with 18,700,507 users at the end of December 2012. Warid shed over 211,000 subscribers during the period under review. It had a total subscriber base of 12,731,050 at the end of December 2012. According to sources in the telecom sector, industry’s sales had a massive slump of about 80 percent following the ban on sale of new SIM cards through retail outlets from December 1 in the wake of PTA’s directive dated November 13, 2012. A telecom industry source told that the decrease in CMOs subscriber base may be a reaction to PTA’s directives. In order to meet the February 28, 2013 deadline, the source said, CMOs may have blocked unverified SIMs, resulting in this decrease. Secondly, he added, they may also have blocked various SIMs issued against the same CNIC to ensure only five SIMs are issued to a single person – a requirement of PTA. n
Lahore Auto-Show 2013 event held
Lahore: Lahore Auto Show held recently at the Liberty Market where a static displayed of more than 500 exclusive cars and motorbikes. Glow by Warid presented the event while Shell Helix Motor Oil was the gold partner for the show. PakWheels.com along with TDCP have organised the event under the auspices of the government of Punjab and PHA as part of the Rang-e-Lahore celebrations. This extravaganza was aimed at nurturing the automotive industry in Pakistan, through an extravagant display of vehicles, where the young fans can also gain insight on the hazards of street racing and reckless driving. The Marketing Manager of PakWheels.com – Mr. Ahmed Saeed said; “PakWheels has a history of orchestrating successful auto-shows that attract thousands of visitors from all walks of life. We were delighted to have Glow by Warid and Shell Helix Motor Oil as our premium partners and were thankful to TDCP for helping us in organizing such a grand event as part of the Rang-e-Lahore celebrations”. n
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Microsoft fined $733m for failing to keep EU deal
Amsterdam: The European Union has fined Microsoft Corp. $733 million for breaking a pledge to offer personal-computer users a choice of Internet browsers when they install the Windows operating system. The 561 million euro penalty imposed by the European Commission is a first. No company had ever failed before to keep its end of a bargain with EU authorities. In 2009, Microsoft struck a broad settlement with the commission to resolve disputes over the dominance of Windows that had spanned more than a decade. The company agreed to pay 860 million euros and promised to give Windows users the option of choosing another browser rather than having Microsoft's Internet Explor-
er automatically installed. But Microsoft failed to stick to the deal for about 15 million installations of Windows 7 in Europe from May 2011 to July 2012. The company admitted the failure last year, saying it was a mistake. The commission's top competition regulator, Joaquin Almunia, said at a news conference in Brussels, Belgium, that the fine reflected the size of the violation and its length. It was also intended to make an example of Microsoft. The commission could have fined Microsoft up to 10 percent of its global annual sales during the period of the violation. "A failure to comply," Almunia said, "is a very serious infringement that must be sanctioned accordingly." n
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China smartphone to hit 460 million by 2017
China's smartphone shipments are expected to rise sharply to 460 million by 2017 and will make up nearly all mobile phone sales, research firm IDC said, as increasingly wealthy consumers opt for more feature-filled phones. China has more than 1
billion mobile phone subscribers, with many switching from low-end feature phones to smartphones in the past few years as prices become more affordable with some smartphones selling for less than 1,000 yuan ($160) apiece. Handset vendors, such
as Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, Apple Inc, ZTE Corp, Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and others, shipped a total of 213 million smartphones in 2012, more than double 2011 figures, according to IDC. No rankings of top smartphone vendors in Chi-
na were immediately available from IDC analysts. Smartphones made up almost 58.8 percent of total handsets shipped in China in 2012, with the figure expected to rise to 78.4 percent in 2013 and 90.1 percent in 2017, IDC said.
FBI watching you on internet: Google
Washington: Google has said, the FBI is monitoring the Web for potential terrorist activity. But it can't say how extensive the surveillance is. As part of the Google Transparency Report, the Internet giant this week released data on so-called National Security Letters -official requests for data under the Patriot Act passed after the September 11, 2001 attacks. But Google said it was only allowed to provide broad ranges of numbers: in the years from 2009 to 2012, for example, it received between zero and 999 requests. The the globe. It offers more than 7,00,000 apps and games. requests affected between "Since no birthday is 1,000 and 1,999 accounts, complete without presents, we're celebrating with a bunch of special offers across A patent filing suggests the store on songs, TV shows, movies and books. We're that Facebook could one day even offering a collection of charge for an ad-free vergames with some fun birth- sion of its site complete with day surprises created by de- extra premium features. velopers," said Jamie RosenIn a filing entitled "Paid berg, VP of Digital Content, Profile Personalization" and Google Play. dated July 27, 2011, Facebook The name "Google Play" was introduced three and a details how users who paid a half years after Google monthly subscription could launched its Android Market chose "to replace advertiseas a central outlet for con- ments or other elements that sumers to download the mo- are normally displayed to bile apps created for the visitors of the user's profile growing number of Android- page that are otherwise conbased smartphones. The trolled by the social netstore was rebranded as the working system. In particuGoogle Play Store last year. lar embodiments, the user may edit elements on their tually there. The headset can profile page that are otherbe plugged into an iPhone, tablet or games console to provide an HD cinema viewing experience and could prove to be indispensable on a long-haul flight or even on China's government those evenings when you looks likely to hand out liwnat to lie down and still cences for fourth-generation watch TV. mobile services this year, However, Carl Zeiss triggering a new round of hopes that its headsets will be capital expenditure that adopted by the travel industry could reinvigorate a slowas a means of letting holiday- ing telecoms sector. State media quoted Miao makers explore a hotel suite or a far-off destination before Wei, Minister of Industry parting with their money. To and Information Technology, this end it has partnered with as saying that he expected 4G a company called moving- licences to be issued before pictures that creates interac- the end of this year. Previtive panoramic tours, to build ously, the ministry had said those licences were not like3D experiences specifically ly to come before 2014. for the Cinemizer that will Shares in ZTE, China's work in conjunction with a second-largest vendor of teleheadtracking unit. com networking equipment "360째 panoramas in the by revenue after unlisted travel industry will help to Huawei, saw the biggest immeet expectations and to pact, closing 8.9 per cent build trust with customers. higher. This allowed shareEveryone can know in ad- holders to claw back losses vance exactly what to expect after a string of profit warnand book their travel and ac- ings had driven the share commodation with full confi- price down over the past dence," explains Wolfgang year. The state-controlled Sailer, CEO of moving-piccompany has backed Chitures. n
Google celebrates Google Play birthday
Security Letters which have been criticized by civil liberties groups for giving the government too much power to conduct surveillance without a warrant. The Electronic Frontier Foundation calls the letters "dangerous" and has challenged the authority along with the American Civil Liberties Union. One inspector general review found "serious deficiencies" in the FBI's handling of the process and noted that the letters concerned tens of thousands of US citizens and non-Americans. EFF said public records have documented "the FBI's systemic abuse of this power."
except in 2010 when the range was 2,000 to 2,999 accounts, Google said. "You'll notice that we're reporting numerical ranges rather than exact numbers. This is to address concerns raised by the FBI, Justice Department and other agencies that releasing exact numbers might reveal information about investigations,"
said a blog post from Google law enforcement director Richard Salgado. Salgado added, "We're thankful to US government officials for working with us to provide greater insight into the use of NSLs." The numbers, while inexact, were believed to be the first data from a private company about the National
wise automatically generated and controlled in design and content by the social networking system. In particular embodiments, the user is billed on a recurring basis for profile personalization." Before teenaged Facebook users in particular start panicking, it is worth highlighting that just because a patent is filed, or even granted, it may have no bearing on a company's future direction. Patents are simply a means of safeguarding a potential future direction and, in the case of Apple, to stop others from piggy-backing on their designs or product features. na's homegrown mobile standard TD-SCDMA, by launching a large number of handsets supporting it. While it has secured a larger share of domestic network equipment contracts than Huawei, this has made it more reliant on domestic business than its larger rival. ZTE blamed an expected net loss of up to Rmb2.9bn for 2012 partly on delayed capital expenditure from Chinese telecom carriers. Several Chinese carriers already have 4G trials under way in several cities, but overall China is behind many developed markets in its rollout of the technology. This mirrors the country's introduction of 3G, which was delayed several times before licences were issued in early 2009. 3G helped to narrow the huge gap in subscribers between China Mobile, the former monopolist, and China Unicom and China Telecom, the two other state-owned companies which the government admitted to the mobile sector to increase competition. n
However, at the same time, Facebook is no longer a small word-of-mouth website that people stumble upon. It currently has 1.01 billion users and is a publically listed company. And once a company is on the stock exchange, it has an obligation to make money for its shareholders. Amazon has toyed with the freemium business model for a number of years. Kindle Fire owners can pay a premium at the time of purchase to eradicate ads from their web browsing, while Amazon Prime customers pay a yearly fee to guarantee next-day delivery and bene-
fit from a number of multimedia services such as free video streaming and book borrowing. Research published recently by Carnegie Mellon University researchers, shows that Facebook users may have been unwittingly sharing more than they intended to following the site's privacy policy updates in 2009 and 2010. The researchers claim that changes to page layout and to default settings may have led users to think something they posted or shared was private when in fact it was public.
Google's visitors were greeted by its innovative doodle as it the search giant paid tribute to the famous humorist author Douglas Adams. Google seems to have taken a leap into the future with their doodle for noted humour author Douglas Adams' 61st birthday. Adam' cult classic book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is the inspiration for Google's Doodle. The Doodle gives us a glimpse into Adams' bestseller trilogy: A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and it shows us the interior of a futuristic spaceship. You will find stars pass-
ing by through the tiny window in the top right and to the left-side is an elevator with a robot, as your co-pilot. The doodle has a device featuring the words "Don't panic" written on it. In the series, Don't Panic is a phrase written in large letters on the cover of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The doodle includes a spate of clickable elements of Adams' famous novels. When clicked, the doodle also plays sound in the background which can be turned off which a click of a mouse. You can find a cup of tea in doodle as well. n
Facebook could move to 'freemium' model
Google Play, the online storefront for music, books and digital goods, turned one. Launched a year ago, Google Play lets users enjoy their favourite music, movies, books and apps on their Android phone and tablet. Google Play has grown rapidly in the last year, bringing more content in more languages and places around
3D glasses bring the outdoors inside
Cinemizer glasses, on displayed at the CeBIT technology fair in Hanover, Germany, let users visit exotic locations and luxury hotels without leaving home.
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Designed to create an emersive visual experience, the Carl Zeiss Cinemizer OLED 3D multimedia glasses differ in one very big respect from Google's much publicized Project Glass headset -- there is a very clear use case for them. Visitors to the company's stand at this year's CeBIT put on the glasses and took a 3D virtual tour of five holiday resorts and experienced a level of detail that should make wearers feel that they're ac-
China telecoms set for 4G shake-up
Google Doodle goes sci-fi on Douglas Adam's 61st birthday
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Global tablet sales up 78pc 'Explorers' to don Google Hackers hit Apple in wake in 2012 of Facebook attack Internet glasses
Washington: The global market for tablet computers surged 78.4 percent last year, with 128 million of the devices shipped, a survey showed. Research firm IDC said tablets made up 10.7 percent of the global market last year for "smart connected devices," which include smartphones, and portable and desktop PCs. Overall, the market for these devices grew 29 percent to 1.2 billion, according to IDC, with growth in tablets and smartphones - which saw a 46 percent rise -- offsetting declines in PC sales. Although tablet sales sizzled, they have not yet eclipsed sales of traditional PCs yet, the figures showed. Some analysts say that could happen in the next year or two. IDC data showed a 3.4 percent drop in portable PC sales to 202 million
and a 4.1 percent decline in desktop PC sales to 148.4 million. These were dwarfed by the 722 million smartphones sold last year, a figure which was previously released. Smartphones and tablets are growing at a pace that PCs cannot keep up with, said IDC analyst Ryan Reith. "The average selling price for a tablet declined 15 percent in 2012 to $461, and we expect that trend to continue in 2013." IDC said smartphone prices averaged $408 and are generally replaced more often than other devices. In the overall market for connected devices, Samsung rose to the top position with at least 20 percent of the market in each category, and an overall market share of 20.8 percent, overtaking last year's leader Apple. Apple held 18.2 percent of the market for 2012, up from 16.3 percent in 2011. The maker of the iPhone and iPad saw 44 percent growth for the year but was unable to keep pace with South Korea's Samsung, which more than doubled its sales. n
San Francisco: Google invited "explorers" with creative vision and $1,500 to spare to be part of a select group of people who get to experiment with glasses synched to the Internet. A video intended to capture what it feels like to use Google Glass was posted online at google.com/glass/start/ along with information about what the eyewear does and how to be among those putting them to the test. "We're looking for bold, creative individuals who want to join us and be a part of shaping the future of Glass," said a message at the website. "We're still in the early stages, and while we can't promise everything will be perfect, we can promise it will be exciting." Roller coaster rides, ice skating spins, sky diving, trapeze stunts, ballet
moves, and ski runs captured from first-person perspectives were among action snippets woven into the Google Glass video. Google glasses that overlay the Internet on daily lives should hit the market in a little more than a year -- technology the tech giant hopes will someday make fumbling with smartphones obsolete. Google co-founder Sergey Brin offered the estimated timeline in June after a project update that included sky divers dropping in on a developers conference in San Francisco with a new version of "Glass" wearable computers. Brin introduced "Explorer" edition glasses that developers were invited to buy for $1,500 to become the first people outside the company to shape the revolutionary eyewear before it gets to market. n
ket for endoscopes used in surgery. When it is also expected to unveil its latest PlayStation games console -- Sony said it would book a one-time gain of 115 billion yen ($1.2 billion) by selling a six percent stake in M3 Inc. to Deutsche Securities. The unit supplies online medical information to doctors. The maker of Bravia televisions lost 456.66 billion yen in the last fiscal year, its fourth year in the red, but says it is still on track for a 20 billion yen net profit in the year to March. n
computer systems at Apple were infected but they were isolated from the main network, according the Silicon Valleybased company. "There is no evidence that any data left Apple," Apple said. Apple released a Macintosh computer operating system update that disables Java software that hasn't been used for 35 days or longer, as well as a tool for finding and removing the malware. Word of hackers hitting Apple came just days after leading social network Facebook said it was "targeted in a sophisticated attack" last month, but that it found no evidence any user data was compromised. Facebook said Friday that the malware came from an infected website of a mobile developer. n
Britain raises less than hoped in 4G auction
Embattled Sony announces another asset sale Tokyo: Sony said it would book a $1.2 billion gain from selling part of an online medical services unit, the Japanese electronics giant's latest asset sale as it eyes a full-year profit. The firm has announced a massive corporate overhaul that includes thousands of job cuts and the sale of a chemical division and its US headquarters in Manhattan. It is also investing in Olympus to tap the camera and medical equipment maker's strong foothold in the global mar-
San Francisco: Apple said it suffered a cyber attack similar to the one recently carried out against Facebook, but that it repelled the invaders before its data was plundered. The maker of iPhones, iPads, iPods, and Macintosh computers said it is working with law enforcement officials to hunt down the hackers, who appeared tied to a series of recent cyber attacks on US technology firms. "The malware was employed in an attack against Apple and other companies, and was spread through a website for software developers," Apple said. The malicious software, or malware, took advantage of a vulnerability in a Java program used as a "plug-in" for Web-browsing programs. A "small number" of
London: Britain raised far less than expected from the auction of its super-fast 4G airwaves auction, a watchdog said, dealing a blow to finance minister George Osborne's deficit reduction plans. Telecoms watchdog Ofcom announced that it has raised £2.341 billion ($3.615 billion, 2.692 billion euros) from selling 4G mobile licences to five companies that will provide the country with superfast mobile Internet services. That was more than £1.0 billion less than the £3.5 billion forecast last year by the government. The li-
cence fees cover a period of 30 years. "After more than 50 rounds of bidding, Everything Everywhere Ltd, Hutchison 3G UK Ltd, Niche Spectrum Ventures Ltd (a subsidiary of BT Group plc), Telefonica UK Ltd and Vodafone Ltd have all won spectrum," Ofcom said on Wednesday. "This is suitable for rolling out new superfast mobile broadband services to consumers and to small and large businesses across the UK," it added in a statement. Vodafone, which successfully bid £790 million for its licences, welcomed the outcome. However, economists said the news would disappoint Chancellor of the Exchequer Osborne, who is struggling to bring down the budget deficit and is due to unveil his annual budget on March 20. "The proceeds are some £1.0 billion less than the £3.5 billion that the Treasury were hoping for, so it
is a blow to the public finance targets that they could very much have done without," said IHS Global Insight economist Howard Archer. "While the 4G shortfall is only a small blow in itself given the size of the government's deficit, it will nevertheless add to the perception that the Treasury is unlikely to meet its borrowing targets." The Office for Budget Responsibility -- the government's economic-forecasting body -- had made the initial £3.5-billion estimate back in December 2012. "At the time we highlighted this estimate as an area of particular uncertainty in the December forecast. We will include the final proceeds announced today in our budget forecast in March," an OBR spokesman said on Wednesday. He added: "This estimate was based on external analysts' reports and the value of comparable spectrum auctions outside the UK." n
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Microsoft added to hacker hit list
A photograph on the occasion of marriage ceremony of Mustafa Qureshi with Samia Haque. Sidra Khan,Mahwish Sayyed, Khadija Qureshi, Shakeela J. Baig,Ayaz Khan, Raazia Ejaz, Rafida Izzat, Momin S Khan.,Laila Baig, Ahmed Qureshi, Fauzia Kausar and other distinguished guests.
Sony pressured to change game with PS4 console San Francisco: Sony is expected to reveal its vision of the future of home entertainment by providing a glimpse at a new-generation PlayStation console that streams games, films, music and more. "Sony needs a big hit with this game console," said Forrester analyst James McQuivey. "Not just because it has lost its dominance in gaming to Microsoft's Xbox 360, but because the company needs to make what might be its last attempt to be relevant -- not as a device maker but as a digital platform." McQuivey argued that the Japanese consumer electronics titan must show it can go beyond selling gadgets to skillfully cultivating ongoing relationships with customers who turn to online sources for enter-
tainment. "It's a big challenge," the analyst said. "While we won't know for a while whether Sony's new box succeeds as a device, we will know right away whether Sony has the right ambitions." Analysts and industry insiders are certain that a Sony event in New York
City on Wednesday evening will be devoted to introducing the PlayStation 4, a console that would hit the market next year. "Expect Sony to come out, guns blazing, talking about technical details and specifications of what is likely to be a pretty mindblowing system," said TechSavvy Global strategic in-
novation consultant Scott Steinberg. The company will likely also announce "kick-ass games and development talent recruited to the cause," he continued, explaining that "Sony has traditionally been run by engineers and focused on high-performing gaming systems." However, analysts want to see whether Sony goes beyond impressive hardware to a console that integrates services, the popularity of smartphones and tablet computers, and rich portfolios of games, films, music, and television shows. "The question is going to be how the system has been updated to stay relevant to the times," Steinberg said. "Gamers want to know what they can get on the PS4 that they can't get anywhere else." n
US regulators give Wi-Fi more breathing space Washington: US telecom regulators have moved to expand the capacities for Wi-Fi Internet access with more room on the broadcast spectrum and "more flexible" rules. The Federal Communications Commission said actions announced Wednesday would "unleash significant additional spectrum to accelerate the growth and expansion of new Wi-Fi technology" with faster speeds, more capacity and reduced congestion at Wi-Fi hot spots. The agency said it was proposing a 35 per-
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cent increase in the range of spectrum in the 5 GHz band for "unlicensed wireless devices," which use Wi-Fi. The proposed rules, which may be finalized after public comment, also calls for "a more flexible regulatory environment" which would "streamline existing rules and equipment authorization procedures for devices throughout this band." The move comes with the United States seeking ways to use more Wi-Fi signals for mobile devices, as a way to ease the so-called
San Francisco: Microsoft joined Facebook and Apple on the list of US technology titans targeted in recent cyberattacks. "As reported by Facebook and Apple, Microsoft can confirm that we also recently experienced a similar security intrusion," Trustworthy Computing team general manager Matt Thomlinson said in a blog post. "During our investigation, we found a small number of computers, including some in our Mac business unit, that were infected by malicious software using techniques similar to those documented by other organizations." There was no evidence customer data was stolen but an investigation into the attack was continuing, according to Thomlinson.
"This type of cyberattack is no surprise to Microsoft and other companies that must grapple with determined and persistent adversaries," he said. Apple said Tuesday that hackers invaded its system in an attack similar to one recently carried out against Facebook, but that it repelled the intruders before its data was plundered. The maker of iPhones, iPads, iPods and Macintosh computers said it was working with law enforcement officials to hunt down the hackers, who appeared tied to a series of recent cybe attacks on US technology firms. "The malware was employed in an attack against Apple and other companies, and was spread through a website for software developers," Apple told. n
Facebook apps for iPhoneiPad add free calls
San Francisco: Facebook allowed users to make free calls to friends at the leading social network using its application tailored for iPhones or iPads. An updated Facebook "app" for the popular Apple mobile devices shows when friends are online and then gives the option of ringing them up by tapping an icon on the screen. Calls are routed over the
Internet using telecom service data plans or connections to Wi-Fi hotspots. Facebook introduced a version of the feature earlier this year in its messenger program. Upgrades in the Facebook 5.5 app included a button designed to make it easier to "like" online content and post comments at the social network. n
"spectrum crunch" stemming from a surge in the use of smartphones and tablets. Gary Shapiro, head of the Consumer Electronics Association, welcomed the action, saying it would "expedite ultra high-speed, high-capacity Wi-Fi in support of the US innovation economy." The Internet Innovation Alliance said that consumers "stand to benefit from this unlicensed spectrum through increased speeds and decreased congestion at a variety of locations including airports, Internet cafes and community anchor institutions across the nation." n
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Etisalat renews sponsorship agreement with FC Barcelona
Barcelona: Etisalat Group, the leading telecommunications operator in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, and FC Barcelona announced the renewal of a four-year partnership agreement. The deal means the UAE-based company is FC Barcelona’s official partner in the UAE, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, the Ivory Coast, Benin, Togo, Niger, Gabon and the Central African Republic. The contract was signed during Mobile World Congress 2013 – a major event for
the telecommunications industry taking place in Barcelona – at FC Barcelona’s stadium, Camp Nou, by Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar, the Chief Executive Officer of the Etisalat Group and Sandro Rosell, FC Barcelona’s President. They were accompanied by Eissa Al Suwaidi, the Chairman of Etisalat Group, Saleh Al Abdooli, the CEO of Etisalat UAE, Khalid Al Kaf, the CEO of Mobily (which operates in Saudi Arabia), Steven Evans, the CEO of Etisalat Nigeria, Nagi Abboud, the CEO of At-
Barcelona: Nokia, once the leader of the mobile phone world, unveiled two new Windows Phone-based Lumia smartphones aimed at the cheaper end of the market. The Finnish group revealed the Nokia Lumia 720 and Nokia Lumia 520 on the opening day of the world's biggest mobile fair, the Mobile World Congress, in
Barcelona, Spain. "The momentum behind Nokia is gathering pace," said Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop. "The launches reflect our commitment to broadening our devices and services portfolio to meet the demands of people and businesses around the globe." The Nokia Lumia 720 has a camera with Carl Zeiss optics and has a starting price of 249 euros ($330) before taxes, with a rollout due to start in Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore in the first quarter. The Nokia Lumia 520 would be priced at just 139 euros pre-tax, it said, the cheapest of its Windows Phone 8 devices, launching first in Hong Kong and Vietnam in the first quarter of this year before a broader release in the second quarter. Nokia said it would
Barcelona: Mozilla Foundation announced it will launch in mid 2013 its widely anticipated Firefox operating system for smartphones in a direct challenge to the duopoly of Apple's iOS and Google's Android. Mozilla, which campaigns for open development of the online world, showed off the first commercial version of the Firefox OS on the eve of the opening of the world's biggest mobile fair in Barcelona, Spain. Smartphones equipped with Firefox OS look familiar to those on other systems, with an array of apps, or application programmes, to be made available on an online
store, and a mapping programme developed by Nokia. "With the support of our vibrant community and dedicated partners, our goal is to level the playing field and usher in an explosion of content and services that will meet the diverse needs of the next two billion people online," said Mozilla chief executive Gary Kovacs. Mozilla, which aims to take third place behind Android and iOS, said it had already lured 17 operators including Sprint, China Unicom, KDDI, Singtel,Telefonica, Telenor and Deutsche Telecom. The foundation said it was working with handset
Nokia launches cheaper Windows-based phones
Firefox smartphone system challenges Android, iOS
lantique Telecom and Essa Al Haddad, Etisalat Group’s Chief Regional Officer for Africa. Speaking about the partnership, Mr Julfar, Etisalat Group’s CEO, said: “As a global telecommunications operator, it makes sense for us to partner with a world-class football club interested in expanding its international fan base. This partnership presents a unique opportunity for us to engage and share the talents of FC Barcelona with our customers.” Sandro Rosell, the Presi-
bring the Lumia 720 and the Nokia Lumia 520 to China. Last month, Nokia posted a net profit of 202 million euros in the fourth quarter, its first quarterly profit for 18 months. But the beleaguered company, which is trying to cut costs, said that it would not pay a dividend to shareholders for the first time in more than 20 years. In the three months ending December 31, Nokia made a net profit of 202 million euros compared to a loss of 1.07 billion euros in the same quarter a year ago. The company sold a total of 86.3 million devices during the quarter, including 4.4 million Lumia smartphones, its new flagship product developed with Microsoft. Nokia said at the time that the numbers were better than expected. Still, net sales of smart devices fell 55 percent in the quarter to 1.2 billion euros on a yearly basis as volumes fell. n
manufacturers South Korea's LG and China's TCL and ZTE on Firefox OS-run devices, with China's Huawei to follow later in the year. All the smartphones would be run with Qualcomm Snapdragon application processors, which use an architecture licenced by Cambridge, England-based ARM. They will be available from the northern hemisphere summer, with the first devices arriving in Brazil, Colombia, Hungary, Mexico, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia, Spain and Venezuela. Other markets are to be announced soon, Mozilla said. Google and Apple's operating systems combined now control more than 90 percent of the smartphone market. n
Fr e e d o w n l o a d | f la re .p k dent of FC Barcelona, expressed a deep satisfaction for the continuity of the alliance with Etisalat: “They are pioneers in telecom services in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, and this will allow FC Barcelona to strengthen the connection with and feel closer to our fans in these territories. It will also help to share the FCB feeling there as well as letting us grow in social and economic terms.” Saleh Al Abdooli, CEO, Etisalat UAE said: “Today football is the most popular game in the UAE and playing a significant role in the lives of youth today. Barcelona FC is one of the most prominent football clubs globally with a record number of championships. Etisalat’s renewal of the contract with Barcelona FC restates our values focused on excellence, ambition and creativity. As a UAE based organization, it’s been top priority to extend our efforts from creating a successful business model as well as supporting activities impacting various elements of the ecosystem.” n
HP sells webOS to LG ahead of Android tablet
San Francisco: HewlettPackard said it is selling its webOS mobile operating system to South Korean consumer electronics titan LG to use in Internet-connected televisions. "The open and transparent webOS technology offers a compelling user experience that, when combined with our own technology, will pave the way for future innovations using the latest Web technologies," said LG Electronics chief technology officer Skott Ahn. "It creates a new path for LG to offer an intuitive user experience and Internet services across a range of consumer electronics devices." Word of the deal came with news that HP in April will release an Android tablet computer, tightening its relationship with Internet giant Google. The Slate 7 tablet synched to Google's popular online products and services is being introduced as the leading computer maker strives to adapt to Internet lifestyles shifting from desktop or laptop machines to mobile devices. The seven-inch Slate will debut in the United States in about two months at a price of $169. "To address the growing interest in tablets among consumers and businesses alike, HP will offer a range of form factors and leverage an array of operating systems," said HP mobility business unit senior vice president Alberto Torres. "Our new HP Slate7 on Android represents a compelling entry point for consumer tablets, while our ground-breaking, businessready HP ElitePad on Windows 8 is ideal for enterprises and governments." n
Visa, Samsung announce global deal for mobile payments
Barcelona: US credit card giant Visa announced a global alliance with Samsung to let shoppers make payments by waving their smartphones near a special reader. The deal could significantly boost the long-touted use of smartphones to pay for goods worldwide without any physical contact, and without the need either for credit cards or cash, it said. The system could be used by owners of Samsung smart phones equipped with a technology known as Near Field Communication, or NFC, which lets a phone transmit information to a nearby reader without touching it. "A Samsung device equipped with the Visa contactless payment service is a powerful proposition and will allow us to make mobile payments a reality for people around the world," Visa Europe vice president Mariano Dima said in a statement. The success of the new system agreed between Visa and Samsung, the world's leading smartphone manufacturer, will still depend on whether banks can be persuaded to use it. Visa said the deal had the potential to "significantly accelerate" the availability of mobile payments globally, noting a forecast by ABI Research that 1.95 billion NFC-enabled devices
will ship in 2017. Visa revealed the agreement on the first day of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which is trying to raise awareness of the advantages of NFC, including by letting participants use "NFC badges" on their mobiles to enter. Some in the industry are sceptical about NFC's usefulness, however. "I think NFC is just a technology in search of a problem to fix that does not exist because it is really easy to pay in the store," the president of eBay subsidiary PayPal, David Marcus, told journalists at the congress. The agreement with Samsung is the first of its kind between a leading manufacturer of NFC-enabled smartphones and a payment network, Visa said. Under the deal, Samsung will equip the next generation of its mobile devices with Visa payment technology, including by pre-loading Visa's contactless payment system -- Visa payWave -- in its mobiles in a mini-programme known as an applet. Samsung will let banks send payment account information over the airwaves to a secure microchip embedded in its devices. Banks will use a secure system relying on Visa's so-called Mobile Provisioning Service and Samsung's key management system.
China's Barcelona: Huawei, the number three smartphone maker behind giants Samsung and Apple, unveiled a new mobile, the Ascend P2, which it claims is the fastest in the world. Sharp-cornered and thinner than a pencil at 8.4 mm, the company said it can achieve speeds of 150 Mbps, fast enough to download a two-hour high-definition movie in less than five minutes. The mobile, which has a 4.7-inch, high definition screen, has a powerful 1.5 GHz quad-core processor and
is able to use the fourth-generation high speed mobile networks being rolled out worldwide. Unveiling the device on the eve of the opening of the four-day Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, the company said it was "the world's fastest smartphone," smashing all previous records. Huawei said its phone surpassed top speeds of 100 Mbps for the fourth-generation network ready versions of Apple's flagship iPhone 5 and Samsung's Galaxy SIII. The Ascend P2 will launch in France through Orange in June and is also expected to be available worldwide during the second quarter of 2013, it said. "Ascend P2 downloads HD movies in minutes, and loads online videos, web pages, songs or e-Books in seconds," Huawei said in a statement. n
China's Huawei claims world fastest smartphone
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Mobile industry sees 4 bn subscribers by 2018
Barcelona: The $1.0-trillion (750-million-euro) global mobile industry predicted a boom in subscribers to four billion people by 2018 as the world's largest mobile fair opened in Barcelona, Spain. Already, 3.2 billion people pay for mobile services, nearly half of the world's population, said a study by A. T Kearney and GSMA, which represents 750 mobile operators and organises the vast, four-day annual Mobile World Congress.
The report forecast that a further 700 million subscribers would be added by 2017 and the four billionsubscriber mark would be hit in 2018. Revenues for mobile operators alone amounted $1.0 trillion, or 1.4 percent of the world's gross domestic product, in 2012, the report said. Most of the growth was in the Asia Pacific region, where operators were forecast to raise revenue by 4.0 percent a year up to 2017,
adding $80 billion, or 23 percent, to their revenue of $350 billion, the report said. But Africa showed the fastest growth, and mobile operators there were predicted to boost revenue by 25 percent over the 2012 to 2017 period to 70 billion dollars. Worldwide, the growth in mobile operators' revenues was expected to slow, however, from a 4.0-percent annual expansion from 2008 to 2012 to an annual pace of 2.3 percent in the period up to 2017. "One of the reasons for the slowdown is the decline of revenues in Europe," the report said, blaming "heavy regulation" of mobile prices, and impact of the eurozone economic crisis for an estimated fall in revenue from $248 billion to $216 billion from 2008 to 2012. "The mobile operator
-- for the first time this year, more smartphones are forecast to be shipped globally than feature phones, according to a report released by IDC, the technology market research firm. IDC projects that vendors will ship 919 million smartphones this year -50.1 percent of total mobile phone shipments. "Much of the world's smartphone shipments were a direct result of demand in mature economies such as the U.S.," IDC wrote. "The balance of smartphone de-
mand is gradually shifting, however, to emerging markets where smartphone user bases are still relatively small and economic prospects are considerably higher." China is leading the charge in the developing world, passing the U.S. last month to become the world's top country for Android and Apple iOS smartphones and tablets, according to Flurry Inc., a mobile analytics firm. That's helping to feed the app frenzy. Apple and Google now have more than 700,000 apps in their respective app stores. The time people spend using apps is growing, too. From December 2011 to December 2012, time spent by app users in the U.S. grew from 94 minutes to 127 minutes a day, according to Flurry. The new "app econo-
Apps industry surging to $25 billion
In 2007, at the dawn of the app market, few would have predicted the industry would soon become a billion dollar business. But thanks to the popularity of Apple's iPhone, Google's Android and other smartphone platforms, the app business is booming. Mobile phone apps are expected to generate $25 billion in worldwide sales in 2013, up 62 percent from last year, according to new research from Gartner Inc. The exponential growth mirrors that of smartphones
market in Europe is expected to decrease further by 2.0 percent a year to 2017 due to competition and regulation. This trend, together with the growth in traffic, show the increasing value to consumers, who are using mobile services more while spending less," it said. New lightning fast fourth-generation mobile networks, which promise download speeds as quick as the best fixed broadband connections, could boost revenues, it said, pointing to higher prices being commanded for 4G in North America, Scandinavia, South Korea and Japan. "In Europe it is still too early to judge consumer reaction to the new services but it is certainly true that operators are positioning 4G as a premium service," the report said. n my" has created about 466,000 jobs in the U.S. from 2007 to 2012, according to a study last year by TechNet. But the explosion of smartphone applications will likely decrease the odds for bedroom developers dreaming of app riches. "You do still see the success stories but they are fewer and farther between," Mashable's Christine Warren told. "A lot of it has to do with luck," she said. "Having a well-designed app, an app that works well with mobile so it takes advantage of the camera, it takes advantage of geolocation features, it can connect in with other apps and services -- that goes a long way. Catching the attention of the right websites and "staying in the top 10, top 50 of the best selling list goes a long way toward long-term success," she said. n
Microsoft bringing hand gestures to Kinect
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Soon Kinect users will be able to pinch to zoom, scroll and pan simply by clenching their fists. Not to be upstaged by the likes of Leap Motion, Microsoft is integrating hand gestures into its Kinect for Windows system. The Kinect sensor, which started out as an immersive addition to Microsot's Xbox games console, was integrated into the Windows platform last year so that PC users could also benefit from some of its voice command and motion recognition features. At TechFest event, where Microsoft offered journalists a sneak peek of some of its prototypes and revealed details of some of its current research and development projects, the company demonstrated that Kinect can now recognize hand (rather than simply full body) gestures such as clenched and open fists and finger movements. This means that users will be able to wave a hand to pan an image, clench their fists and move their arms apart to zoom in on an image or webpage and even replicate mouse clicks with fin-
ger movements. What isn't clear is if these gestures will work with the Windows 8 operating system itself -- which as most people know by now is optimized for touchscreen interaction -- or solely within apps developed for the Windows 8 platform. Nevertheless, gesture interfaces
are set to be one of the next big things in consumer technology as demonstrated by the buzz surrounding Leap Motion. The start up company's Leap Motion Controller is not much larger than a thumb drive but, when plugged into a computer's USB port, gives the user the full ‘Minority Report' gesture experience. The controller can track movements to 1/100th millimeter -- smaller than the tip of a pin -- with no visible lag time, has a 150-degree field of view, and tracks individual hands and all 10 fingers at 290 frames per second. What's more, it is effective within a space of up to 8 cubic feet. Other recent entrants in the gesture interface arena include Thalmic Labs, whose MYO armband translates electrical activity created within the wearer's arm muscles and translates them as gestures. The device actually connects with a computer, tablet or smartphone via Bluetooth, meaning that the user doesn't even have to standing in front of or even near the device in question in order to control it.
Lightning-fast mobile hits speed bump in Europe
Barcelona: Lightningfast fourth generation mobile networks are spreading rapidly worldwide, led by the United States, Japan and South Korea, but Europe lags behind and its economic crisis could brake investment, an industry report said. Next generation Long Term Evolution, or LTE, networks promise download speeds to mobile phone users as fast as fixed broadband connections, opening the way to new mobile services such as high-definition videos with no buffering lag. But the new networks need significant new investment by operators, and Europe has fallen behind, industry analysts IDATE said in a 2013 report. By mid 2012, 26.5 million people were subscribing to LTE services, it said. US operators led by Verizon Wireless had 13 million customers on the new LTE networks, South Korean operators had 7.5 million subscribers and Japanese operators 3.4 million, it said. But the report, released on the opening day of the world's biggest mobile fair in Barcelona, Spain, showed the biggest users of LTE networks in Europe were Germany and Sweden with 300,000 each, while Austria
logged just 180,000. "LTE technology has now been adopted in all areas of the world and is growing rapidly," the report said An even faster technology, known as LTE Advanced, or True 4G, is expected to be rolled out this year with the United States, Japan and South Korea once again the front-runners, it said. Some 350 mobile operators were now investing in LTE in 104 countries, the report said. "With the LTE ecosystem growing so rapidly, IDATE forecasts that there will be more than 912 million LTE subscribers worldwide by the end of 2016." In 2016, Asia-Pacific nations would still be leaders, it predicted, with 41 percent of the world's LTE customers compared to 21 percent for North America and 16 percent for Western Europe. n
Smartphone sales to top 900m
Smartphone sales are expected to extend their strong growth trend in 2013 with some 918 million units worldwide, led by gains in big emerging markets China, Brazil and India, a survey showed. The research firm IDC said 2013 will be the first year smartphones will outsell the more basic feature phones in the mobile market, and will account for 50.1 percent of all mobile phones. "Smartphone prices have fallen globally, the smartphone strata are wider than ever, and the roll-out of data-centric fourth-generation wireless networks are three factors that have made these 'do-it-all' devices an increasingly attractive option for users," IDC said. The research firm said that by the end of 2017, 1.5 billion smartphones will be shipped worldwide, over two-thirds of the total mo-
bile phone market. China, which supplanted the United States last year as the global leader in smartphone shipments, is expected to see sales of 301 million this year, or 32.8 percent of the global market, ahead of the 137 million in the United States. "While we don't expect China's smartphone growth to maintain the pace of a runaway train as it has over the last two years, there continue to be big drivers to keep the market growing as it leads the way to everlower smartphone prices and the country's transition to 4G networks is only just beginning," said IDC's Melissa Chau. India is expected to become the number three market for smartphones by 2017, and Brazil will be fourth, as those countries overtake mature markets like Japan and Britain, IDC said. n
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Panasonic world's 1st Wireless video camera
What's next for wireless power?
We've just recently learnt that on January 10th, Panasonic Japan announced the world's first Qi Wireless charging video camera. All models will be released sequentially, only release dates in Japan have been provided. Sony's Face Detection Technology will automatically adjust the focus, exposure, white balance and even flash control on multiple faces in the single shot.
The surprise hit of this year's CES was wireless charging and the technology is set for a major boost during the remainder of 2013. Nokia, LG, HTC, Motorola and Samsung have already put Qi standard wireless power receivers into recent phones like the Lumia 920 as well as Bluetooth headsets. Nokia promised last year that US coffee chain Coffee Bean would offer wireless charging points in its tables and the Las Vegas store marks the fifth US city to get them. You can borrow a charging case or micro USB adapter if your phone doesn't have Qi built in. Buying a whole new wireless charger might seem like a waste when you get a wired charger free with your phone.
1/2.33″ High Sensitivity MOS Sensor with 17.5 Megapixels [16:9], In high resolution, 20.4-megapixel still pictures, 21x Optical zoom, Focal length 2.82 59.2 mm, Equipped with Wi-Fi
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ProClip car holder with Wireless Charging
Nokia Fatboy wireless charging pillow
Moment of humble-brag: I bought a new car recently and since it's my first new car I'm suddenly into accessories for it. Enter in ProClip, one of the top recommended companies who manufacture in-car mounts for literally everything mobile. We had a few conversations with Johan van Mierlo, Global Partner Development Manager at ProClip at CES 2013 and truth be told their products are quite compelling for those considering a superior setup for their vehicles. While ProClip do make “universal holders” which are themselves quite impressive due to their high quality, the company's bread and butter is the ability to custom make mounts for any vehicle going back to 1972.
Nokia's new Lumia devices offer some great new features. Not only new camera and display technologies are built into the Lumia 920 (or 820), but also wireless charging. Sure, wireless charging is nothing that new. Palm used this technology some years ago already, but Nokia has a much greater chance of taking the technology mainstream, and it is of note that now Samsung, LG and HTC now use it too, but not with as much promotion. For charging your smartphone wirelessly Nokia offers several ways. One way is the wireless charging pillow, the others are the wireless charging plate (which is actually pretty much the same as the pillow…) and the wireless charging stand.
Purse That Charges Your Smartphone,
A Solar-Powered, Induction Charging Tree
We've heard of bags that charge your gadgets the Powerbag Instant Messenger comes to mind but none targeted directly at women. That's where the Everpurse comes in. It's a Kickstarter project started by married couple Dan and Liz Salcedo. Essentially, you place your phone in a purse, or a purse insert (which is essentially a smaller bag you put inside your main bag), and it charges your phone on the go. Oh, and it's entirely wireless. It works by using the Qi standard for inductive charging of the Everpurse battery. According to cofounder Dan Salcedo, the purse takes about 6 hours on a charging pad to be fully charged, and provides twice the battery life of your iPhone. In other words, when your phone is almost dead, you can pop it in the Everpurse and get it back to a full-charge in no time. Within the Everpurse itself, there are no
Induction charging seems ready for its time in the spotlight, with the Nexus 4, Droid DNA and Lumia 920 all shipping with wireless charging based on the Qi standard built-in. Now a concept design that offers solar-powered wireless charging cleverly hidden inside a futuristic looking bonsai tree hopes to become a reality with the help of Kickstarter. The electree+ began life as a concept by French designer Vivien Muller, which he originally unveiled in 2008. Then, three years later, Muller tried to bring the device to market, kicking off pre-orders for the device beginning at $370. She was aiming for 400 pre-sales, but the device eventually shipped to just a small group of 200 preorder customers. Now, the electree+ has been redesigned to maximize its solar efficiency, and to be manufactured in the USA at much larger volume.
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Remotely Control Your Home
Show Your Creativity With a 3D Pen
Burglaries were fewer and farther between it made sense. Unfortunately crime is on the rise. (I'll resist going on a political tangent) Burglars are much smarter. So we the home owners/dwellers must better prepare our domiciles. House sitters have become a popular option. Or maybe your neighbor stops by to turn lights off and on. Smarthomes enable remote control of many items in the home. But not all of us can afford a True Smarthome (or can't retro fit ours). Announced yesterday at Mobile World Congress, and covered by CNN, in Barcelona is a solution to use our everyday technological capabilities when it comes to remote household control.
Say you had a goal. Not only did you meet your goal you reached it to the tune of 6241%. Probably a good indication you succeeded, eh? Meet 3Doodler, a 3D pen. Their creators began a Kickstarter campaign earlier this year to raise $30,000. With 26 days to go they have $1.8m pledged. I think 3Doodler has a future, how about you? In a world of partially funded projects it is nice to see someone hit it out of the proverbial ballpark. Peter Dilworth and Max Bogue creators of 3Doodler founded WobbleWorks to “create affordable, cutting edge toys and robots that inspire and delight our customers the world over.” And this 3D pen fits with their mission. 3Doodler provides a pen-like device with
Mus3 Wireless Computer Mouse
World's Smallest Automatic Umbrella
A mouse is a mouse, don't you think so? Some folks, especially gamers, do not agree with that particular statement, since they know that individual mice do come with its fair share of features and functions that can make or break a gamer. Well, here is a new take on the classic mouse, coming in the form of the £29.99 Mus3 Wireless Computer Mouse. What makes the Mus3 Wireless Computer Mouse a whole lot different from the other mice in the market? For starters, it does not only control your on-screen cursor, but it also resembles a cursor, too! Specially designed to be easy to use, sporting a scroll wheel and some right click action, this mouse looks fantastic and is a snap to use.
For those who have lived in London, you know just how wet it can be most of the year, and an umbrella should not be too far away from your reach. As for the rest of us who live in areas where there are rainy seasons, an umbrella is normally stashed away in the boot of our vehicle, just in case the heavens decide to pour, you know. Well, having said that, it goes without saying that in this day and age, space is always a premium, whether it is at home, at the office, or in the car, which is why the $29.95 World's Smallest Automatic Umbrella makes plenty of sense when you think about it. The World's Smallest Automatic Umbrella can be carried around inconspicuously in a purse or
Canon PowerShot N announced
Drift HD Ghost action camera
You know, with each edition of CES, consumer electronics manufacturers would come up with new and revised versions of existing models, be they camcorders or digital cameras. This year, we see Canon update the PowerShot range with a slew of new models, although we are going to take a closer look at the PowerShot N for now. The spanking new PowerShot N digital camera will feature an innovative Creative Shot mode which help enhances artistic expression as well as sport a host of new connectivity features which will be able to support instant sharing, turning the Canon PowerShot N into quite the ultimate storytelling tool. In a digital manner, of course. First of all, here are more details about the Creative Shot, which is a new imaging mode that is capable of intuitively analyze an image, and it will automatically get to work
Apart from that, you are also able to enjoy video recording/tagging capabilities in continuous loop mode, while watching a near instant playback of what was just recorded on an integrated 2-inch Gorilla Glass LCD display, clearly marking out the Drift HD Ghost as one of the best all-in-one solutions right now in its device category. The Drift HD Ghost is proud to be different from other point of view cameras which will require aftermarket accessories as well as peripherals for functionality, as it already comes equipped with just about everything you need to shoot professional quality video right from the get go. Apart from that, it also has an intuitive user interface that makes it a snap to use, easy to navigate and even easier to set up. In addition, the Drift HD Ghost is proud to be the only action camera that comes packaged with a wearable on/off remote control with LEDs and wrist strap.
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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate stirs up conflicting emotions. On the one hand, it's a good action game that draws you into the depths of Dracula's castle with its beautifully tormented gothic design. Equally pleasing are the flexible and responsive controls that bring the exciting combat system to life. Apart from these highlights, however, Mirror of Fate struggles with a handful of issues. Prevalent quick-time events, and the often mundane situations that call for them, often feel unwarranted. The story, despite its good points, concludes with a twist that can be seen coming from a mile away. At the end of the day, demon slaying and clever platforming are the biggest reasons to stick until the lukewarm conclusion. Thankfully, the tight and entertaining gameplay prevents the experience from slipping into mediocrity.
With seven characters to choose from, multiple play throughs are the only way to see everything the game has to offer. That does mean you have to repeat some puzzles before you get to the character-specific sections, but you can easily whizz through them a second time and get to parts that are new. Plus, the story elements and excellent narration are more than good enough to warrant another play through. Throughout the course of each chapter, you spend a good amount of time developing your character's skill set and learning the particulars of each attack. Developing your grasp of combat mechanics is a fulfilling journey, but the prevalence of quick-time events repeatedly deflates the value of this progress. This is most obvious during boss fights, which demand precision and quick reflexes.
It's the most cherished of World War II stories: There was Hitler, then Hitler summoned demonic zombies, and then the Allied forces really wished to be rid of both those things. That's pretty much the extent of the plot in Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army, the stand-alone, multiplayer-focused expansion to the much more serious Sniper Elite V2. And that's perfectly fine--zombies and Nazis are already two of video gaming's most hated enemies. Do you really need a good reason to shoot hundreds of zombies in the head? You do want reliable partners if at all possible. If someone disconnects on you mid-game, you have no option to invite new people without dropping back to the lobby and losing all progress. So if you lose a teammate or two near the end of a level, you can either finish alone or take a big 45-minute step back. Thankfully the game adjusts to the player count and goes easier on you when you're by yourself, giving you much more generous checkpoints when you don't have allies to bring you back from the brink of death. But it can still be disheartening when you're marching through a level with three buddies only to have to end the journey alone (though there's something to be said for being the last survivor of a zombie outbreak). There's a good chance you will have had your fill of Nazi Zombie Army by the time its five missions end. Its five enemy types (six if you count a boss you fight twice) and linear structure don't allow for enough variety to keep things fresh with repeated playthroughs. Those desperate for an excuse to return to levels after finishing them can try to hunt down hidden Nazi gold and well-hidden bottles of blood, but this isn't a fantastic incentive to boot the game up. You may find more enjoyment in going after a high leaderboard score, earning more points for success kills at longer ranges. It's a fun game with friends, but most of the action is as brainless as the undead hordes you're slaughtering.
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The most important piece of knowledge you need going into Brutal Legend has nothing to do with heavy metal music. Sure, a deep love of that genre can play a huge part in your overall enjoyment of the game's guitar-solo-fueled and star-studded story, but it's easier to find satisfaction in what the game is when you're not expecting it to be something it is not. With this PC release of Brutal Legend coming years after its 2009 console debut, it's easier to prepare for the unique experience it offers while also enjoying it at a higher resolution. You always control Eddie directly and can get your axe bloody in on-foot battles yourself, but you need to spend a lot of time managing your troops from the air. A simple button press sends you flying into the sky, where you can quickly survey the land and order troops around. If you're serious about doing damage with your own hands, units at your command have double-team attacks that let you control them more directly, whether by marching with a mosh pit of headbangers, driving a vehicle, or operating a turret. The main place where Brutal Legend's PC port feels like a missed opportunity is in its controls, and it's weird to say that an RTS actually controls better with a gamepad than with a mouse. While you can plug in an Xbox 360 controller and immediately have a console-like control experience, those intending to play with a mouse and keyboard may not have as good a time. The game certainly isn't unplayable in this setup, but it's not ideal. The radial menus make sense when you're using analog sticks, but they make building units quickly a chore when you're using a mouse. It would have been nice if Double Fine had taken the extra step to add something PC RTS players are more used to, such as a menu bar. As it is, the game doesn't feel as natural when you're using a keyboard.