Samsung warns of 32% hit to profits on chip slump:
Technology giant Samsung has warned of a 32% slide in its profits as demand for electronic devices and the memory chips that power them shrinks due to the global economic slowdown. The South Korean company estimates its quarterly operating profit was about 10.8tn won ($7.6bn; £6.9bn). On Thursday, US chip maker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) also said it was hit by a fall in demand for computers. It comes as people cut back on purchases as the cost of living rises. Samsung’s profits from its microprocessor making business suffered as the global price of memory chips plunged due to weakening demand for consumer electronics.
Google Launches its First Smartwatch With Premium Features:
Google’s has unveiled its latest flagship phones as well as its first ever smartwatch, the Pixel Watch. It runs on Wear OS 3.5, but it is mostly like Fitbit watches on the inside since all of its fitness features are taken directly from it. Google Pixel Watch will be available in a single 41mm size, but with two different variants for Wi-Fi and LTE connections. It has a small circular screen measuring 1.2-inches with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits and Always On support. It appears like an ordinary wrist watch since its entire UI is black and it blends well with the thick black bezel around it.
Google Launches Flagship Pixel 7 and 7 Pro With Better Cameras and New Chip:
Just as promised, Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro became official on October 6 alongside the Pixel Watch and Pixel Buds Pro. The two phones are powered by Google’s second-generation Tensor chip and bring a host of camera improvements as well. In terms of design, the new Pixel phones are quite similar to each other, but of course, one is bigger than the other. The camera visor from last year is still there, though it is made from metal this time and is a single uninterrupted strip that reaches both ends. The Pixel 7 has a matte finish on the camera strip while the Pixel 7 Pro goes for a glossy look.
Infrastructure Sharing Framework for Telecom Sector in the Works:
The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) has decided to prepare the telecom industry infrastructure sharing framework. According to the Ministry of IT and Telecom, the consultation of all stakeholders is going on for the creation of an infrastructure-sharing framework. The meeting for the finalization of the draft telecom infrastructure sharing framework of the telecom industry was concluded under the Chairmanship of Member (Telecom) Omar Malik with industry stakeholders and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority. The meeting was attended by all relevant stakeholders.
MoITT Prepares Spectrum Re-Farming Framework:
The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) has prepared a Spectrum Re-Farming framework. According to MoITT spokesperson, as per Section 8.5.2 of the Telecommunication Policy 2015, the first-of-its-kind draft framework for Frequency Spectrum Re-Farming prepared with recommendations from Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) and Frequency Allocation Board (FAB) has been uploaded on the MoITT website for open consultation.
Notorious Indian Hacking Group is Targeting Pakistani Embassies:
An Indian hacking group is targeting Pakistani embassies in various countries, it is learnt reliably here. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) has issued an advisory after receiving threat intelligence from Avast CERT that an APT group from India was involved in targeting Pakistani embassies in multiple countries including Brunei, Nepal, Argentina, and Azerbaijan during March-June 2022, according to an official document seen by Propakistani.
WorldCall Tops PSX Volume Charts On Parent Company’s Nasdaq Listing:
WorldCall Telecom Limited (WTL) has topped volume charts in the last few days with daily traded volumes of 359 million shares (16 percent of free float) during the last three days as against average daily traded volumes of 22 million shares for WTL in 2022 to date. According to a report by Topline Securities, increased investor interest was seen after material information shared by the company on October 4, 2022, which disclosed the completion of its pilot project of Fiber to the Home (FTTH) and entry into the second phase of FTTH conversion, and listing of Global Tech on Nasdaq, the parent company of World Call Services.
Daraz Acquires Digital Streaming Rights of ICC T20 World Cup 2022:
Daraz, Pakistan’s largest e-commerce platform, will once again be live streaming the ICC T20 World Cup matches on their app for free to ensure that fans from across the country do not miss out on the action. Since the launch of Daraz Live last year, which has successfully streamed several cricket tournaments already, the platform has become the leading digital streaming destination for Pakistanis to watch their favorite sport.
KP Govt Fully Digitizes Its Food Department:
Atif Khan, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Minister for Food, Science, Technology, Information Technology, and Sports and Youth Affairs, formally inaugurated the digitization of the provincial food department on Wednesday. He clicked the button to launch the new system at the food directorate, calling the development a milestone in the province’s food sector.
Govt Set to Devise Package for Enhancing IT Exports:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Thursday said that the government would extend its full support to the IT and Telecom sector through a package to achieve the target of $5 billion in exports. Chairing a meeting of the IT task force to devise a strategy for the development of the sector, the prime minister said the sector has great potential that needs to be unpacked.
A Complete Guide on Tapping Into Pakistani Freelancers’ Potential:
Freelancing is becoming popular throughout the globe as a full-time profession. Freelancers are their own bosses, they select projects that interest them and work on their own deadlines. As for the freelance industry in Pakistan, it is growing at a rapid pace as well. Given the increasing global competition, freelancing in Pakistan reportedly earned a whopping $397 million dollars in FY 2021-2022 at a growth rate of 2.74%. Of the total export earnings through freelancing, the IT-related export earnings were $265.444 million, while non-IT-related export earnings were $131.884 million.
Redmi Launches an Affordable iPad Competitor in Pakistan:
Redmi’s first tablet has arrived in Pakistan only a few days after landing in the global market. The slate is now available on Mi Store for Rs. 57,499 in only a single memory option with 4 GB RAM and 128 GB storage. This is the base variant for the tablet and other markets have higher memory options as well.
Redmi Pad: An All-in-One Pad for Fun Launched in Pakistan:
Xiaomi Pakistan has launched its latest tablet, the Redmi Pad, in Pakistan. The device utilizes state-of-the-art technologies providing consumers with an immersive, high-quality audiovisual experience. The Redmi Pad comes equipped with quad speakers which are compatible with Dolby Atmos® providing you with unparalleled sound. It also boasts a 10.6″ display with a 90Hz refresh rate with lower visual latency giving you a viewing experience like never before.
Dancers’ moves help to power Glasgow music venue:
Glasgow arts venue SWG3 has switched on a system that creates renewable energy from the body heat on its dancefloor. Dancers’ heat is piped via a carrier fluid to 200m (650ft) bore holes that can be charged like a thermal battery. The energy then travels back to the heat pumps, is upgraded to a suitable temperature and emitted back into SWG3. The owners say this will enable them to completely disconnect the venue’s gas boilers, reducing its carbon emissions by about 70 tonnes of CO2 a year.
Tesla’s Optimus and the problem with humanoids:
Fans of Tesla and Elon Musk were enthralled by the unveiling of Optimus, a prototype humanoid robot, in California last week. I also enjoyed the theatrics – but I’m not alone in wondering why, apart from the wow factor, Optimus had to be human-like. And while the fans hate any perceived criticism, Mr Musk himself has said Optimus is nowhere near market-ready.
Elon Musk: Twitter won’t ‘take yes for an answer’:
Billionaire Elon Musk has said he aims to complete his purchase of Twitter by the end of the month, but the company “will not take yes for an answer”. In a court filing, he said the social media platform had raised concerns about the “theoretical possibility of a future failure to obtain debt financing” to pay for the deal. Twitter said it did not trust that the offer would come through. Twitter sued Mr Musk in July after he tried to back out of buying the firm. The judge overseeing the case gave the two sides until 28 October to work out a deal, agreeing to put legal proceedings on hold at the request of Mr Musk.
Molly Russell: Dad wants no further delay to online harm bill:
The father of 14-year-old Molly Russell says “there is no time for delay” in legislating to stop children seeing harmful content online. An inquest found social media material contributed “more than minimally” to Molly’s suicide in 2017. Despite being reassured the Online Safety Bill would not be watered down, Ian Russell said he remained concerned that it could be delayed further. He also said online platforms must stop self-regulating their content.
Northampton inventor’s Microsoft trademark dispute ‘resolved’:
A dispute with Microsoft over the name of a device to help child literacy has been resolved by dropping an “s”, its inventor said. Kate McKenzie, from Duston, Northampton, created a tool called Word Windows, which will now be known as Word Window. She said Microsoft had opposed her trademark but she could now launch the product with the new name. She said she would be “getting on with what we wanted to do from the start”. The tool puts a box around a word and creates a window that can open and close to isolate it.
The LA kids who started behind and then flew ahead:
South Central Los Angeles is an area that has been tarnished with a troubled image. Both Hollywood and real-life crime stories have seen to that. Carlos Oyarbide, who teaches English Language Development in South Central LA, is all too familiar with its reputation as a regular visitor. “There’s truth in the violent stereotype, but I choose to teach there. It is an immigrant hub with a great sense of loyalty and community. And that community has an entrepreneurial spirit.” That spirit has been harnessed at Mr Oyarbide’s school, Nava College Preparatory Academy. The school was the trial site for a scheme that has pitched using the metaverse to help teach English to students with a limited grasp of the language.
Chris Williamson: Bullied at school, bored on Love Island, now a podcast star:
The show was called Love Island, but to Chris Williamson, it felt like the World Cup final.
This was his moment; his dream come true; the pinnacle of his party boy career. As a 27-year-old model and nightclub promoter, a month in the sun-kissed villa, shown nightly on ITV2, promised a new level of fame. He had been on TV before – the prime-time dating show, Take Me Out, three years earlier – but Love Island was longer, and with fewer clothes. After screen tests, “the most rigorous sexual health check you’ve ever seen”, and a psychometric evaluation, he flew to Majorca to start filming. But then the cameras started rolling. The long, lifeless days turned into weeks, and he understood the truth of his World Cup final.
Software glitches hit Inverness driverless bus trial:
A self-driving bus in a Scottish trial of autonomous vehicle passenger services had to be driven manually at its launch due to software issues. The driverless bus – nicknamed Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Driverless Machiney – is being tested on a two-mile (3km) route in Inverness. Organisers said the vehicle had been operating fine in the weeks up to Thursday’s official launch. They said identifying such problems was all part of the trial. Two of the three software glitches on Thursday were resolved with a third requiring further work.
Former Uber security chief convicted for concealing a felony:
Uber’s former chief security officer has been convicted of failing to tell US authorities about a 2016 hack of the company’s databases. A jury in San Francisco found Joe Sullivan – fired from Uber in 2017 – guilty of obstruction of justice and concealing a felony. Increasingly, companies negotiate with ransomware hackers. But investigators said they must “do the right thing” when their systems are breached. The conviction is a dramatic reversal for Sullivan, who had at one point in his career prosecuted cyber-related crime for the San Francisco US attorney’s office.
Elon Musk X: What life is like on a super-app in Asia:
I’m stuck at home taking care of a sick child, when a familiar feeling suddenly hits – a craving for durian. But there’s no need to head out to a durian stall or supermarket to buy the tropical fruit, lug it home, and wrestle open its spiky husk. I just whip out my phone, open an app called Grab, and make a few taps. Forty-five minutes later, there’s a knock on my door. A deliveryman hands over a bag: it’s my durian, freshly shucked and sealed in plastic tubs, ready to eat.