Pakistan Moves Closer to Launching New Telcos Services Without a Physical Network:
Pakistan has taken a major step toward opening its telecom market to new players as the Ministry of Information Technology has forwarded the Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) licensing framework to the federal cabinet for final approval. Officials said the move is seen as a key part of preparations for the country’s 5G launch planned for the first quarter of next year. The framework had been pending with the ministry for almost one year. PTA originally sent the revised MVNO plan to the Ministry of IT in November last year, after which consultations with international MVNOs were held.
Xiaomi’s Tags to Take On Apple Air Tag But With a Convenient Upgrade:
According to a new rumor from China, Xiaomi is working on a tracking device called the Xiaomi Tag. As the name suggests, this device is expected to compete directly with Apple’s AirTag and Motorola’s Moto Tag. The tracker is expected to work with Google’s Find My Device network. This would allow the Xiaomi Tag to use nearby Android phones to help locate tagged items, making it more easily compatible with a lot more devices than Apple’s AirTags.
Instagram Will Now Let You Fully Control Your Feed Algorithm:
Instagram has announced a new feature that lets users see and control their Reels algorithm for the first time. The feature is accessible through an icon showing two lines with hearts in the upper right corner of the Reels interface. When users tap the icon, they can see the topics Instagram believes they are interested in. From there, they can choose which topics they want to see more of and which they want to see less of. Reels’ recommendations will then adapt based on those choices.
You Can Now Use Adobe Photoshop and Acrobat Inside ChatGPT for Free:
Adobe has announced that users can now access its Photoshop, Express, and Acrobat tools directly inside ChatGPT. Users can describe what they want to do, and ChatGPT will use Adobe’s products to carry out the requested actions. They can then continue the conversation to request further changes.With Photoshop available inside ChatGPT, users can edit images by adjusting a specific part of the picture, fine-tuning brightness, contrast, and exposure, or applying creative effects such as Glitch and Glow. These edits aim to preserve the quality of the original image while the user controls the process through chat.
Daraz Pakistan Closes 2025 with 12.12 Grand Year End Sale and One Last Wave of Savings:
Daraz Pakistan is all set to launch its 12.12 Grand Year End Sale, giving customers across the country a final chance to unlock big savings before the close of the year. The campaign will run from 8 PM on 11 December until 18 December, with an action-packed opening that includes Brand Rush Hour, One Rupee Game and Shop & Win rewards.This year’s 12.12 is powered by a wide network of banking and digital payment partners so that customers can enjoy extra savings up to 40% off when they pay with their preferred channels. Leading banks including MCB, Meezan Bank, AlBaraka Bank, Soneri Bank are offering special discounts or instalment plans on selected cards
iPhone 17 Pros Available For Just Rs. 14,314/Month with Free Repairs and 1 Year Warranty:
MCB Bank is offering a 0% markup installment plan for customers who purchase the new iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Family, or iPhone Air using an MCB Credit Card. The plan allows payments of up to 36 months with no processing fee and includes complimentary benefits. The offer is available for a limited time, valid until December 31, 2025.Along with the installment plan, MCB is providing Shield+ complimentary benefits on eligible purchases. These include:
- Extended warranty (1 year)
- Front screen replacement (1 time)
- Back glass replacement (1 time)
In addition, customers will receive a free complimentary gift, available as a limited offer while stocks last.
Google’s New Android Feature is Eerily Similar to Pakistan’s Safe City Citizen Camera:
Pakistan’s Safe City project aims to protect the citizens of this country against crime. The app recently added a feature for citizens to share live video footage with law enforcement for faster response times.Now Google appears to be adding the same thing to Android phones widely. The Android maker announced a new feature called Android Emergency Live Video, which allows users to share live video with emergency services. As the name suggests, the feature enables real-time video streaming during emergencies, and it works with a single tap.
Jazz and Ericsson Sign Strategic Microwave Frame Contract to Enhance Network Infrastructure:
Jazz, Pakistan’s leading digital operator, and Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), have signed a strategic Microwave Frame Contract to strengthen Jazz’s network backbone, aligning with the operator’s ServiceCo vision of providing advanced digital experiences and nationwide connectivity.Leveraging Ericsson’s cutting-edge MINI-LINK solutions from the Ericsson Transport portfolio, the Microwave Frame Contract aims to support Jazz in expanding its network capacity, boosting its network reliability and improving its users’ experiences, in alignment with the ambitions of Digital Pakistan Policy.
Ignite Wants to Train 2,000 IT Graduates in Coding And Other High-Demand Skills:
Ignite, the training and capacity development wing of the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication, has announced a plan to upskill 2,000 IT graduates through its new “Code4AI-North Region Program.” The initiative aims to provide short-term, intensive, hands-on training in highly demanded coding languages to help participants develop practical and job-ready skills. The Code4AI-North Region Program is designed to expand Pakistan’s pool of skilled programmers by focusing on leading programming languages that support current and future industry needs. For this purpose, Ignite has identified three in-demand technologies: Python, JavaScript Fullstack, and Java with Angular or React. These languages are considered well-suited to meet market demand, especially in areas related to artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and blockchain.
ACME Telecom Secures LDI License in Pakistan to Boost Telecommunication Infrastructure:
Acme Telecom (Pvt.) Ltd., has achieved a significant milestone by obtaining a Long Distance International (LDI) License from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). The license was officially awarded at a ceremony held at PTA headquarters, marking a major expansion of the company’s footprint in global services landscape.With the acquisition of the LDI license, Acme Telecom is aiming to invest in International digital ecosystem to position Pakistan as a regional connectivity hub and to enhance national connectivity infrastructure, deliver faster and more reliable communication solutions to the nation.
vivo X300 Ultra’s Battery and Charging Speeds leaked Ahead of Launch:
While it is clear that the launch will not happen this year, vivo is clearing the last hurdles before making the X300 Ultra official. The phone, listed as model V2536A, has just been certified in China with support for 100W fast charging.The certification confirms 100W USB PPS charging, rated at 20V at 5A. This will enable fast charging performance on par with vivo’s own FlashCharge system.
Oppo Reno 15c Specs, Variants and Colors Revealed Ahead of China Launch:
The Oppo Reno 15c is confirmed to launch in China later this month, though the company has not yet shared any details about the phone. Oppo first teased the device during last month’s Reno 15 and Reno 15 Pro launch event.Ahead of the official announcement, the Reno 15c has appeared in China Telecom’s database. The listing reveals its key specifications, RAM and storage options, and color variants.
‘It’s amazing’ – the wonder material very few can make:
Lying on your back in a big hospital scanner, as still as you can, with your arms above your head – for 45 minutes. It doesn’t sound much fun. That’s what patients at Royal Brompton Hospital in London had to do during certain lung scans, until the hospital installed a new device last year that cut these examinations down to just 15 minutes. It is partly thanks to image processing technology in the scanner but also a special material called cadmium zinc telluride (CZT), which allows the machine to produce highly detailed, 3D images of patients’ lungs. “You get beautiful pictures from this scanner,” says Dr Kshama Wechalekar, head of nuclear medicine and PET. “It’s an amazing feat of engineering and physics.”
Clair Obscur sweeps The Game Awards with nine wins:
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been named game of the year at this year’s Game Awards. The French-developed role-playing game (RPG) cleaned up in 9 of the 10 categories it was up for, with further wins in best narrative, best music and best performance. It fended off competition from Death Stranding 2, Nintendo platformer Donkey Kong Bananza, indie games Hollow Knight: Silksong and Hades 2, and medieval adventure Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 to claim the top prize. During the ceremony in Los Angeles, players also got their first glimpses of two new Tomb Raider games, sequel Control Resonant and a new Star Wars role-playing game.
Google asks UK experts to find uses for its powerful quantum tech:
Google has announced plans to team up with the UK to invite researchers to come up with uses for the tech giant’s state-of-the-art quantum chip Willow. It is one of several firms competing to develop a powerful quantum computer – which is seen as an exciting new frontier in the future of computing.
Researchers hope they will be able to crack problems in fields such as chemistry and medicine which are impossible for current computers to solve. Professor Paul Stevenson of the University of Surrey – who had no involvement with the agreement – told the Media it was “great news for UK researchers”.
The moment the earliest known human-made fire was uncovered:
A stunning discovery at an archaeological dig in the UK is rewriting the timeline of when humans first made fire.
Researchers have discovered the earliest known instance of human-created fire, which took place in the east of England 400,000 years ago. The new discovery, in the village of Barnham, pushes the origin of human fire-making back by more than 350,000 years, far earlier than previously thought. The ability to create fire was the moment that changed everything for humans. It provided warmth at will and enabled our ancestors to cook and eat meat, which made our brains grow. It meant we were no longer a group of animals struggling to survive – it gave us time to think and invent and become the advanced species we are today.
Bit flips: How cosmic rays grounded a fleet of aircraft:
Radiation from space that led to more than 6,000 Airbus aircraft needing emergency computer updates could become a growing problem as ever more microchips run our lives. “We need medical equipment,” the pilot of a JetBlue passenger jet announced over the radio to air traffic control. His plane, an Airbus A320 commercial airliner had suddenly and unexpectedly dropped altitude during a flight from Cancun, in Mexico, to Newark, in New Jersey, US, on 30 October 2025. Three people appeared to have suffered “a laceration in the head”, the pilot said. At least 15 people were later taken to hospital when the flight landed after being diverted to Florida.
A month later, this incident would lead to the mass grounding of more than 6,000 aircraft – one of the largest ever aviation industry recalls. It triggered widespread disruption and cancellations over the final weekend of November 2025, one of the busiest of the year for air travel following Thanksgiving in the US.
Geminid meteor shower set to light up sky during weekend peak:
The Geminid meteor shower – one of the most spectacular in the celestial calendar – is set to peak this weekend and astronomers say conditions could make for an especially striking show if weather permits. The meteors are visible all over the world, though people in the Northern Hemisphere will get the best views. In the UK, if the skies are clear, a waning crescent Moon will only rise after midnight which should mean several hours of dark skies to see the meteors more clearly.
Councillor says AI video of mayor ‘serves purpose’:
A councillor has defended creating and sharing an AI generated video of a mayor, saying it “served a purpose”. The video was made by independent councillor Alastair Chambers and showed the Mayor of Gloucester, councillor Ashley Bowkett, dressed in ceremonial robes saying he would not allow an investigation in to the city council’s finances. Mr Chambers said: “If I need to push boundaries and use modern technology to expose what’s really going on, I will do, every single time.” The Liberal Democrat group on Gloucester City Council has called for an investigation and said the content was “beneath the standards expected of anyone in public office”.
‘Architects of AI’ named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year:
Time Magazine’s Person of the Year for 2025 is not a single person. Instead, the magazine has recognised the year’s most influential figure as “the architects” of artificial intelligence (AI).
Nvidia boss Jensen Huang, Meta head Mark Zuckerberg, X owner Elon Musk and AI “godmother” Fei-Fei Li are among those depicted on one of the magazine’s two covers. Experts say it highlights how quickly AI, and the firms behind it, are reshaping society. It comes as a boom in the technology, ushered in by OpenAI’s launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, continues at pace.
AI has entered the classroom – but is it the solution for overworked teachers?:
Schools across the UK are trialling the use of deepfake teachers and even employing remote staff to deliver lessons hundreds of miles away from the classroom. It comes as the use of AI is becoming increasingly prevalent in schools. The government says AI has the power to transform education, and improve teacher workload, particularly around admin for teachers. The Media has spoken to teachers, school leaders and unions who seem divided on what the future of the UK’s classrooms should look like. Emily Cooke is a maths teacher at The Valley Leadership Academy in Lancashire, which has hired a virtual maths teacher – a decision Mrs Cooke is strongly against. “Will your virtual teacher be there to dance with you at prom, hug your mum during results day, or high-five you in the corridor because they know you won the match last night?” she says. Since September, top set pupils in Year 9, 10 and 11 at Mrs Cooke’s school have been taught by the remote maths teacher, who is based 300 miles away in Devon.
McDonald’s Netherlands pulls AI Christmas ad after backlash:
McDonald’s Netherlands has taken down a Christmas advert made with Artificial Intelligence (AI) following online backlash.
The 45-second advert was produced with generative AI clips and released publicly on McDonald’s Netherlands YouTube channel on 6 December. Viewers on social media denounced the use of AI in the film, with one commenter calling it “the most god-awful ad I’ve seen this year”. On 9 December McDonald’s Netherlands removed the video, adding in a statement to BBC News that the moment served as “an important learning” as the company explored “the effective use of AI”.
Australia has banned social media for kids under 16. How will it work?:
Under-16s in Australia are now banned from using major social media services including Tiktok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Threads. They cannot set up new accounts and existing profiles are being deactivated. The ban is the first of its kind and is being watched closely by other countries. The government says it will reduce the negative impact of social media’s “design features that encourage [young people] to spend more time on screens, while also serving up content that can harm their health and wellbeing”. A study it commissioned earlier in 2025 found that 96% of children aged 10-15 used social media, and that seven out of 10 of them had been exposed to harmful content. This included misogynistic and violent material as well as content promoting eating disorders and suicide.
One in seven also reported experiencing grooming-type behaviour from adults or older children, and more than half said they had been the victim of cyberbullying.
Amazon, Microsoft pledge mega AI investments in India:
Tech giants Amazon and Microsoft have announced a combined $52.5bn (£39.4bn) investment plan for India over the coming years. Amazon said on Wednesday it was pumping in $35bn into India by 2030 to advance AI-driven digitisation, export growth and job creation, a day after Microsoft committed $17.5bn strengthen the country’s AI ecosystem. India, which is an emerging AI and cloud infrastructure hub, has witnessed a surge of global tech investments recently. In October, Google announced a $15bn investment to build an AI data hub, and earlier this week Intel announced a collaboration with Mumbai-based Tata Electronics as its first major customer in the latter’s $14bn semiconductor manufacturing plans.