PAKISTAN NEWS:
IT Ministry Asks for Reduction in Taxes on Mobile Phone Imports:
The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has opposed the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) taxation on mobile phone import under Baggage Rules and recommended reduction in duties on smartphones to achieve the digital vision of the government. Official sources revealed that a meeting was held in the Ministry of IT & Telecom where, besides the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), other stakeholders also participated and discussed mobile phone import under the Baggage Rules.
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Telenor Microfinance Bank Organizes APPCON 2019 for Aspiring Individuals:
Telenor Microfinance Bank recently organized APPCON 2019, a digital application development initiative for aspiring individuals in the country. The event invited submissions from leading universities, with 3 teams were shortlisted from FAST, IBA and NUST. The winners were given cash prizes and an opportunity to qualify for the final round of the Management Trainee/Internship Program 2020.The digital infrastructure of Pakistan is transforming at a rapid pace with the app market showing the greatest promise. APPCON was organized to promote the young talent in the country and provide them the opportunities that they can’t get from other sources.
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Nokia 7.1 & Nokia 8.1 Get Android 10:
HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, today announced the Nokia 7.1 as its latest smartphone to join the Android 10 rollout. This is the third Nokia smartphone to receive the latest Android OS since its official launch, coming just days after the rollout for the Nokia 9 PureView was announced. HMD Global has made good on its promise to update three devices in Q4 2019 and is on track to have more of its smartphones running Android 10 by early 2020.As an Android One program smartphone, the Nokia 7.1 launched with a promise of three years of guaranteed monthly security updates and two years of OS upgrades. As of today the Nokia 7.1, Nokia 9 PureView, and Nokia 8.1 will be upgraded to Android 10.
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Huawei P40 Pro Will Bring 5 Rear Cameras, Confirm Leaked Images:
Even though the launch of Huawei’s upcoming P-series entries is at least 3 months away, we have had our first glimpse at the design thanks to the constant leaks and renders popping up online. The first renders of the smartphone were leaked last week, but they neither revealed the details of the smartphone’s camera sensors nor the display.However, the recently leaked images give us more insight into Huawei P40 Pro’s form factor. The main take away is that the smartphone will come with a Penta-sensor camera, according to the leak. The main camera sensor will most probably be a 64MP Sony IMX686 paired with a 20MP ultrawide, a 12MP periscope telephoto lens, a macro camera, and a 3D ToF unit.
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PUBG Mobile Adds a New Game Mode & Winter Skins in New Update:
PUBG Mobile patch 0.16.0 introduced a winter-themed update to the game with new modes including Snow Paradise and a Death Race like experience known as Ragegear. Players assumed that it would be the last update to PUBG for 2019, but that was just proven wrong as the game is now adding even more content.The latest update brings a new twist to EvoGround, combining Payload mode and War mode into a fun mashup. Players will skydive into the battlefield from their aircraft like usual but will respawn once eliminated. However, once the map starts getting restricted to safe zones, players will stop respawning immediately, giving the game mode a classic Chicken Dinner ending.
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Oppo Launches Mid-Range 5G Ready Reno3 Smartphones:
Oppo has finally launched one of its most anticipated and most teased smartphone duo, the Oppo Reno 3 and Oppo Reno3 Pro. Both smartphones feature 5G connectivity and are the first Oppo smartphones with support for the new technology.The mightier pro version, apart from being powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G, is currently known as one of the slimmest smartphones available with 5G support.
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What is Golootlo?:
Golootlo has been rapidly increasing its foothold in the retail space with its discount offerings popping up seemingly everywhere. But what exactly is Golootlo and why should you care?Put simply, Golootlo is an app that will save you a lot of money. It will get you access to exciting events for free, and even give you the chance to regularly win sizeable rewards.
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Sony is Having Trouble Meeting Demands for Smartphone Cameras:
Smartphones with single-sensor imaging cameras are pretty much exclusive to the entry-level tier for the past two years, not counting the past few Pixel devices. Even though smartphone sales have hit a plateau, manufacturers are adamant about packing as many features in a device as possible. One of the ways to do this is by squeezing in more and more imaging sensors into the smartphone. Owing to the plateaued sales, manufacturers are leaning on the increased camera sensors and a higher imaging capacity to nudge consumers into upgrading their smartphones. Even mid-range models nowadays boast as much as 48 MP main sensors joined by ultra-wide-angle sensors and depth sensors.
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Lenovo Teases its New Line of Gaming Phones:
Gaming smartphones have been rapidly gaining popularity ever since Asus, Blackshark, Razr, and a few others have introduced a diverse variety to choose from. Lenovo is now looking to grab a slice of that pie and is working on its very first gaming smartphone under the Legion brand name.The Chinese tech firm has set up a new Weibo account where it was revealed that the new phone will carry the Legion brand name.
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS:
Russia ‘successfully tests’ its unplugged internet:
Russia has successfully tested a country-wide alternative to the global internet, its government has announced.Details of what the test involved were vague but, according to the Ministry of Communications, ordinary users did not notice any changes. The results will now be presented to President Putin.Experts remain concerned about the trend for some countries to dismantle the internet.”Sadly, the Russian direction of travel is just another step in the increasing breaking-up of the internet,” said Prof Alan Woodward, a computer scientist at the University of Surrey.
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Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick steps down from board:
Uber’s co-founder Travis Kalanick is to step down from its board at the end of the year. The 43-year-old ousted the ride-hailing firm’s original chief executive within a year of its creation, but was himself forced to stand down six-and-a-half years later in 2017 after a number of scandals.He had, however, remained involved as one of its nine directors. Mr Kalanick also recently sold off most of his shares in the company.In the past two months he has liquidated about $2.5bn (£1.9bn) worth of stock, representing more than 90% of his earlier stake in the business.
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Iran internet ‘disrupted’ ahead of protests:
Internet services have been disrupted in parts of Iran amid reports it is being cut off ahead of planned anti-government protests on Thursday.Media audiences reported outages, while internet monitoring service NetBlocks confirmed a drop in usage.Semi-official Iranian news agency Ilna quoted an unnamed official as saying the action had been officially ordered.It comes amid calls for demonstrations in memory of those killed in protests fuelled by price rises last month.
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China is getting smarter — but at what cost?:
Thirty years ago, Shenzhen was a fishing village, surrounded by paddy fields.Then came a plan to build China’s first special economic zone to allow foreign investments, and out of the quiet rural landscape grew private businesses and factories which over time transformed into a city.Now Shenzhen, with a population of 12 million, is just one part of a huge urbanised area running down the Pearl River Delta.China’s smart cities ambitions are among the grandest in the world. But there are questions about whether their surveillance technologies will improve the quality of inhabitants’ lives or just be used to keep a closer eye on them.
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Will 2020 break the curse of the folding phone?:
Motorola has announced that it is delaying the launch of the new Razr — an updated version of its 2005 hit clamshell phone which boasts a vertical folding screen. The device, with a launch price of $1,500 (£1,170), was due to begin shipping in the US on 26 December.Parent company Lenovo blamed the Razr’s popularity, saying that demand had outstripped supply.But it’s yet another example of a folding phone with teething problems.Motorola said it does not think the time delay will be “significant” but has not yet revealed a new date.
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Hong Kong and mainland China gamers clash on GTA V:
The Hong Kong protests are being played out on Grand Theft Auto (GTA) V online.Players in Hong Kong realised they could dress up as protesters after a new update for the game was released earlier this month.They spread the word on LIHKG — which has been called the Hong Kong version of social news site Reddit – and started organising violent expeditions. Mainland players responded by showing up dressed as riot police with water cannon trucks.
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Google and Apple remove alleged UAE spy app ToTok:
Google and Apple have removed an Emirati messaging app called ToTok amid claims that it is used for state spying.Not to be confused with China’s TikTok, ToTok markets itself as an easy and secure way to chat by video or text.However, Media has reported allegations that the WhatsApp-lookalike is a spy tool for the United Arab Emirates government. ToTok has told users that it will be back in the app stores soon.
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Fund manager defends backing blacklisted Chinese surveillance firm:
The head of fund manager Fidelity International has defended her firm’s investment in a controversial Chinese surveillance company accused of contributing to human rights abuses.Fidelity owns a big stake in Hikvision, whose technology has allegedly been used to monitor the Uighur Muslim minorities in China’s Xinjiang region.Anne Richards said the fund tried to ensure firms it backed were ethical. Hikvision, which is reviewing its policies, has been asked to comment.