PAKISTAN NEWS:
Govt Likely to Allow Import of Used Smartphones:
In a major policy shift in the telecom sector, the PTI government is planning to allow import of used mobile phones in Pakistan, reliable sources quoted as saying last week..Import of used and old mobile phones is currently not allowed in Pakistan as per Ministry of Commerce and Federal Board of Revenue notifications. However, this is going to change as the government is considering allowing the import of used smartphones, with an aim to cut the import bill as smartphones comprise a major portion of the imports in Pakistan.
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Off-Net Calls Going to Get Cheaper Soon:
Off-net calls in Pakistan are likely to get cheaper by around 10% starting next year as the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has revised MTR (Mobile Termination Rate) from 90 paisas per minute to 80 paisas per minute. This development was reported in the leading daily of Pakistan whereas other medium also confirmed.
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Top Tech Talent Converges at Telenor Innovation HackFest 2018:
To promote innovation and pave the way for a robust and sustainable digital ecosystem in the country, Pakistan’s top telecom and digital services provider Telenor Pakistan powered the Innovation HackFest 2018 through its digital startup accelerator Telenor Velocity. Co-powered by Telenor Microfinance Bank, the Innovation Hack fest 2018 was organized in partnership with NSPIRE, NetSol’s business and tech incubator.
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Samsung Offers a Bundle Promo for Its Triple Camera A7 Smartphone:
Samsung, the global leader in technology and electronics, has bundled its amazing Galaxy A7 with a free 10,000 mAh battery pack with the purchase of a new Samsung Galaxy A7. This amazing promotion also gives purchasers 10 free food vouchers and this bundle promo is valid for a limited time at all Samsung Hero Shops. For consumers who wish to trade up their old phones, Samsung offers a ‘Trade Up’ option letting them pay the price difference between a new A7 and their old phone.
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Huawei’s ‘Pakistan Seeds for the Future’ Program Launched:
Huawei sponsored “Pakistan Seeds for the Future” program launched on 19th Nov 2018 in Beijing. The political Counselor (Political) of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to China, Mohammad Aamir Khan, was the chief guest at the launch ceremony. In his speech, he highlighted the pivotal role of Huawei in offering the great opportunity of visiting China to the talented ICT students from all over Pakistan.
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Tejar.pk Launches White Friday Mega Sale With Huge Discounts:
With White Friday right around the corner, e-commerce stores are gearing up to deliver impeccable discounts to customers across Pakistan. In a bid to challenge the existing e-commerce stores in Pakistan, Tejar.pk has ramped up its efforts and will deliver on its promise to provide quality starting this White Friday.
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HomeShopping Announces A 24-Hour White Friday Sale on 23rd November:
After the popular campaign carried out by HomeShopping consecutively for two years, under the tagline of “Because in Pakistan Friday is Never Black,” HomeShopping has announced the launch of its White Friday sale by the name of #WhiteFridayToofan. Unlike previous years, this year’s White Friday is being launched specifically for a one-day time period on 23rd November 2018.
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OnePlus Users Get SIM-less Global Data-Roaming Service:
If you’re out and about and don’t have a SIM card for whatever country you’re in, OnePlus may have a solution for you. They’ve launched a new service called OnePlus Roaming, which lets you use data wherever you are around the world. It’s limited to data only, you won’t be able to make calls.
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Samsung is Bringing Back Flat Displays With Galaxy S10:
There used to be a time when flat screen Samsung phones were all you could get. Then out came the Galaxy S6 with an “edge” model, which had a curved screen on the edges. It was well received, which led Samsung to make another one with the S7. By the time we got to S8, gone was the flat screen model, replaced with a curved-screen-only variant. If you liked the flat screen Samsung flagships more, there’s good news. The South Korean smartphone maker is bringing it back with the upcoming Galaxy S10, which is rumored to come with a flat screen.
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Mobile Companies post over 360 billion Revenues in Three Years:
Mobile phone companies made a total of Rs. 362.48 billion in net revenues (excluding WHT or GST that they collected from consumers) in FY 2017, latest stats have revealed. According to official data presented in the Senate mobile phone companies made Rs. 362.48 billion in 2016-17, up from Rs. 320 billion a year ago. Important numbers worth looking at are Zong and Ufone’s revenues, which came to limelight for the first time in the past few years.
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Vivo Launches Y95 with 20MP AI Selfie Camera:
Vivo last week launched the all-new Vivo Y95 in Pakistan. This new addition to the popular Y series comes with a 20MP AI Selfie Camera that helps users capture the picture-perfect moment in any scenario. This mid-ranger is power packed with many attractive and handy features offering the best experience for power users on a budget. Vivo Y95 features a striking design – the new Halo FullView™ Display paired with Starry Black and Nebula Purple colors, all enclosed within a curved 3D body to provide a seamless and immersive user experience.
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CCP To Act Against PTCL For Abusing Its Dominant Position:
The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has passed an order assuming its jurisdiction on the matter of an old show-cause notice to Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) for prima facie abusing its dominant position in violation of Section 3 of the Competition Act, 2010.The show-cause notice was issued to PTCL in 2012 after the conclusion of the inquiry a complaint filed by Micronet Broadband Limited, LinkDotNet Telecom Limited, and Nexlinx Limited (Complainants).
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS:
Facebook appeals against Cambridge Analytica fine:
Facebook has appealed against a fine imposed on it by the UK’s data watchdog after the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The social network says that because the regulator found no evidence that UK users’ personal data had been shared inappropriately, the £500,000 penalty was unjustified. Last month, the watchdog said Facebook’s failure to make suitable checks on apps and developers amounted to a “serious breach of the law”.
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Facebook ads urge its staff to leak secrets:
A campaign group advocating the break-up of Facebook has subverted the social network’s advertising tools to tempt its employees into leaking information. Freedom from Facebook says it targeted ads at the technology company’s staff, promoting a “safe space” website where they can anonymously submit “whistleblower tips”. Facebook declined to comment.
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Elon Musk renames his BFR spacecraft Starship:
Elon Musk has changed the name of his forthcoming passenger spaceship from Big Falcon Rocket (BFR) to Starship. The entrepreneur would not reveal why he had renamed the craft, which has not yet been built, but added its rocket booster will be called Super Heavy. In September, Mr Musk’s SpaceX company announced that Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa had signed up to be the first passenger to travel on the ship.
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Number of child gamblers quadruples in just two years:
The number of children classed as having a gambling problem has quadrupled to more than 50,000 in just two years, a report has claimed. The Gambling Commission study suggests that 450,000 children aged 11 to 16 bet regularly, more than those who have taken drugs, smoked or drunk alcohol. Bets with friends, slot machines, and scratchcards, were most popular.
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Tumblr removed from Apple app store over abuse images:
Tumblr has been removed from Apple’s app store because it let some users post images of child sexual abuse. The social network’s app was removed on 16 November but the reason for it being unavailable has only just come to light. In a statement it said the illegal images got through because its filters failed to spot them.
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Google helps boost High Street spending with search:
Attempts to increase the number of people shopping on UK High Streets has been given a boost by search giant Google. It has teamed up with start-up NearSt to help consumers see what is available in their local shops via the web. The search results will also tell people the distance to the shop and the price of goods for sale.
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Bitcoin falls below $5,000:
The value of Bitcoin has fallen below $5,000 (£3,889) for the first time since October 2017.The fall brought the total value of all Bitcoin in existence to below $87 billion. On Thursday, 15 November, Bitcoin Cash — an offshoot of Bitcoin — split into two different crypto-currencies, which are now in competition with each other.
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Blackout for thousands of dark web pages:
Hackers have deleted more than 6,500 sites being held on a popular dark web server. Called Daniel’s Hosting, the site was sitting on the hidden Tor network and many people used it to host pages they did not want to publish on the wider web. Administrator Daniel Winzen said no back-ups were kept of the pages it hosted.
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Streaming wars: Can Disney topple Netflix?:
Last year Disney put Netflix on notice, announcing it would launch its own streaming services and end distribution agreements with the online video giant. The move was yet another warning that the world of streaming television, where Netflix had long been the leading player, was getting increasingly crowded. The firm’s shares slumped immediately after Disney’s announcement, before later bouncing back.
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Human Rights Groups Sound Alarm Over ‘Killer Robot’ Threat:
Leaders from Human Rights Watch and Harvard Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic last week issued a dire warning that nations around the world haven’t been doing enough to ban the development of autonomous weapons — so-called “killer robots.” The groups issued a joint report that calls for a complete ban on these systems before such weapons begin to make their way to military arsenals and it becomes too late to act.
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Amazon Is Just the Tip of the AI Bias Iceberg:
Amazon recently disclosed its 2015 decision to scrap a recruitment tool used to hire talent, after finding that it had a bias against women. While this story has been covered sufficiently, there is a much greater story still to tell: A substantial amount of the artificial intelligence technology that currently is used for recruitment and human resources purposes has been acting independently, without any form of regulation, for some time.
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Acumos Project’s 1st Software, Athena, Helps Ease AI Deployment:
The LF Deep Learning Foundation last Wednesday announced the availability of the first software from the Acumos AI Project. Dubbed ‘Athena’ it supports open source innovation in artificial intelligence, machine learning and deep learning. This is the first software release from the Acumos AI Project since its launch earlier this year. The goal is to make critical new technologies available to developers and data scientists everywhere.
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Whether Intended or Accidental, Internet Traffic Rerouting Can Be Costly:
An apparent prefix leak from an errant router misconfiguration caused Google to lose control of several million of its IP addresses for more than an hour on Monday. During the event, Internet traffic was misrouted to China and Russia from Nigeria. The incident initially sparked concerns that it might have been a malicious hijacking attempt.
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Google Shows Off New Android Dev Tools:
Google announced support for a range of new Android tools for application developers, chief among them the creation of a new support category for foldable devices, at last week’s Developers Summit. After years of teasing and speculation, it finally looks as though foldable screen smartphones are headed to market. Google’s announcement followed closely on the heels of Samsung’s announcement at its own developer conference of a folding phone/tablet prototype with Infinity Flex Display
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Let’s Create a TV Show to Fix Silicon Valley:
Startups have been creating employee hell in Silicon Valley. That was in the forefront of my mind as I read the book ‘Lab Rats: How Silicon Valley Made Work Miserable for the Rest of Us’. I think this book should be required reading for anybody who thinks working for a startup in Silicon Valley would be fun. Unless you are into humiliation and abuse (giving or getting), you probably should avoid these startups like the plague. Yes, you could get rich, but you also could end up with a ruined life — broke, divorced, homeless, or maybe even dead by your own hand.