Pakistan Live News: September 2010

Pakistan Live News » Archives for September 2010

September 30, 2010

PTA Bans Browsing on BlackBerry

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has banned website browsing via Blackberry on several cellular networks.

“The ban has been placed by the PTA. It is not clear when it will be lifted,” said a customer service officer of Pakistani cellular company; Mobilink. Same is said by Telenor:

Ufone has increased the limit of text messages, its subscribers can send with Ufone fortnightly SMS package.

Earlier, fortnightly SMS package allowed 1,000 text messages in 14 days, which is now increased to 2,500 SMS in same time duration at same charges.

Mr. Zeshan Qureshi and Mr.Roy Chang along with the HHP and PR team at the announcement of Galaxy Tab , which is the first mobile tablet with the most powerful smart phone features, a brilliant 7-inch enhanced TFT display screen and 1GHz Hummingbird Application processor supporting 3D graphics.

The senior management of Norwegian telecom company Telenor Pakistan is considering to take an action against its officials who have pushed the company into serious problems that have cost money and reputation to the company.

World Health Organization is playing a major role in the response to the flood emergency providing medicines, deploying health staff and restoring primary health care.

The destruction of many Basic Health Units (BHU) and medical centres has severely affected the level of health care available for people. Many people that were displaced during the floods are now returning back to their place of origin to find only devastation.

Sony Ericsson has launched LiveView a innovative accessory for android mobile phones which uses Bluetooth connectivity to wirelessly pair up to a compatible handset and allows consumers to control the mobile phone without taking it out of their pocket or handbag.

The LiveView device can connect with a phone from up to 33 feet away. Sony Ericsson says the device lets you “Take control of your phone without ever taking it out.” LiveView also helps you locate your mobile phone when it has gone missing.

A latest mobile application for iPhone, TimeTree, tells how long ago you shared a common ancestor with any species. The application was developed by scientists at Penn State University in the US.

This free mobile application for the Apple iPhone is the brainchild of Prof Blair Hodges of Penn State University and Sudhir Kumar, a PhD graduate of the same university now at Arizona State University. Users enter the names of any two species or families, and TimeTree mobile application will tell how long ago their common ancestor lived. A circular ‘Tree of Life’ image shows the route life has taken from its single source to the 1,610 taxonomic families that exist — containing between seven and 100 million individual species.

Is ‘Windows Phone 7′ Releasing on October 21st?

While we are waiting for Microsoft to declare the official launch date of Windows Phone 7, many are thinking that the software would be officially released in U.S. on November 8 while on 21st Oct. 2010 in European countries.

The OS, however, is expected to first arrive in the UK, France, Spain, Germany and Italy. Microsoft’s latest mobile OS, Windows Phone 7 is a completely new mobile operating system, built from the ground up. It is of its erstwhile Windows Mobile smart phone operating system which was struggling to maintain its lead and has, since the advent of Android and iOS, seen a major slump in its market share.

RIM (Research In Motion), introduces BlackBerry PlayBook, an ultra thin mobile tablet with a design that makes it very convenient to carry. It is half inch thick and holds the secrets of greatest creation in the world of mobiles in it.

“RIM set out to engineer the best professional-grade tablet in the industry with cutting-edge hardware features and one of the world’s most robust and flexible operating systems. The BlackBerry PlayBook solidly hits the mark with industry leading power, true multitasking, uncompromise web browsing and high performance multimedia,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion.

The north eastern state of Assam in India has been hit with a rare case of exploding mobile handsets, which the locals have termed ‘bombile.’

Mobile handsets exploding is not a new phenomenon, but about 30 different mobile phones suddenly exploding within a week when users answer a call with the incoming number highlighted in red colour is rare, and requires a scientific explanation.

BlackBerry PlayBook v/s Apple iPad

RIM already going through the tough roads maintaining its market share and fighting the difficulties coming its way have recently unveiled their version of tablet, the BlackBerry Playbook. To see how BlackBerry looks and with its PlayBook, watch the sneak-peak video at their home page.

The BlackPad comes with features over-shinning those of Apple’s iPad. The PlayBook is set for market launch in early 2011. Will Apple come-up with iPad2 before that?

For any of you out there with a contract on Vodafone and if you’re a fan of the new BlackBerry Curve 8520 then why not look into buying one? Or maybe you have some doubts about the handset or maybe there’s some other handsets that have caught your eye like the Apple iPhone?

The thing about the new RIM ‘emailer’ is that it is just your bog standard entry level phone and at the end of the day that’s all it is, an emailing phone. It is classed as a smart-phone for business but personally I’d say it’s more a business phone than anything else really. Which I suppose is why you see more business men with BlackBerry’s.

Cabinet Comitte Deliberates on LDI- 3G Licenses & PTCL Issues

The first round of the Cabinet’s Ministerial Committee meeting constituted by the Federal Cabinet for examining the matters concerning the Share Purchase Agreement on Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) with M/s Etisalat and auction of 3G Spectrum and LDI licenses held here today. Senator Waqar Ahmed Khan Federal Minister for Privatisation is the convener of the Committee.

Termination of Computerised System to Upset Revenue Collection

Karachi Customs Agents Association (KCAA) on Tuesday said decision to wind up Pakistan Custom Computerized System (PaCCS) is not in the national interest as it would damage revenue collection and impede trade.

I'mHalal.com

The founder of I’mHalal, the world’s first Islamic orientated search engine, has said the site is seeing an “almost viral” surge in traffic as it celebrates its first anniversary. http://www.imhalal.com/

A mobile application Vingo is here that can instantly send a text message, make a call, search your phone, browse the web, make a note, update your twitter status just by speaking to your mobile phone.

Vlingo is available for BlackBerry smart mobile phones, Apple’s iPhone (3G, 3GS, iPod Touch – 2nd Gen), Nokia smartphones, Android and selected Windows Mobile phones, i.e. for every mobile platform we say. This mobile application is on 50% discount for Nokia mobile sets.

SMS Services Introduced for Watan Card Project

NADRA (National Database and Registration Authority) has launched a mobile SMS service in collaboration with the PTA (Pakistan Telecommunication Authority) in order to determine the recipients of the Watan Card and to devise a complaints lodging mechanism.

Tariq Malik, NADRA Deputy Chairman said, “We have people living in neighboring areas complaining that one of them is being declared as a beneficiary and the other is being deprived by the provincial government. This service will register the complaint, and allow us to address and resolve the issue(s) with local authorities.”

The Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has said that under its corporate social responsibility, it has provided 500 Free Vfone telephone service sets at flood relief camps in Sindh and Balochistan in support for the flood affected people.

A PTCL statement said the IDPs living in relief camps could now make free unlimited local and national calls and stay in touch with rest of the community and their relatives.

Jazz brings an exciting offer with Jazz Na Qabil-e-Yaqeen Offer, which gives you the freedom to make unlimited calls for 24 Hours on 3 Friends & Family numbers. Daily rental for this offer is Rs. 6.99 plus tax per day.

Jazz Na Qabil-e-Yaqeen offer comes with Jazz One Package.

Orascom Telecom Holding’s Mobilink has committed more than Rs 236 million towards flood relief in addition to contributing thousands of volunteer hours. This is one of the largest relief initiatives from the private sector up till now.

National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (SEECS) is organizing a workshop on “Mobile Banking/Commerce Opportunities and Challenges” on October 12, 2010.

In Pakistan M-banking/Commerce is one of those fields which really need attention because in Pakistan with wide income divides, banking services are primarily for middle and upper classes but now more than 98 million people own a mobile connection.

Intel invites iPhone users to participate and win a free Core i5 Laptop and runner up prizes are Best Buy gift cards ranging from $250, $100 and $25.

Currently this is only open to iPhone users as Intel has not informed about any other mobile application which can be used in this competition aside from the one made specifically for the iPhone, but maybe mobile users of other smartphone platforms like Android and Symbian will have to take part in this hunt by simply texting “Core” to 6174604517 and download the mobile application via their mobile phones.

It’s been quite a while since I got any chance to play around with a Nokia Smartphone mainly because they were getting really repetitive in terms of software, but recently I got a chance to get my hands on the Nokia C5 and I have to say Nokia has done a good job in making a sleek looking Symbian Smartphone with all the necessary features for the road and at a very reasonable price tag.

Apple iPhone 4 vs. HTC EVO 4G

Apple iPhone 4 and HTC EVO 4G are by far the two most exciting smartphones that money can buy to date. And in many ways they are very similar: both have big full-phone-size touchscreens, smart operating software, lots of free or cheap applications, high resolution photography and video recording, video call capabilities, etc. One imagines for a consumer who is not technically sophisticated it will be an absolute guess whether iPhone 4 or EVO 4G will work better for him or her. But yet somehow Apple and HTC have managed to design two completely different smartphones despite playing on the same field by the same rules.

Just what the heck is this? Why are there Care Bears Shine rays coming out of it? Well, for just $63.42, you can have the answers to all those questions, although reading through this post will also shed additional light on the handset. This phone will come with a transparent crystal keypad (warning to butterfingers!), where it can light up with 7 different colors to further enhance its sex appeal. Not only that, you get quad-band GSM support, dual SIM card slots, an advanced G-sensor, a 2.2-inch touchscreen display, a microSD memory card slot as well as Bluetooth connectivity. Oh yeah, and for trivia’s sake – it is called “Damascus” because it includes a special Muslim-themed startup/shutdown music and animation. A certain pastor from Florida sure as heck ain’t gonna be dropping $65 clams for this!

PlayStation Move review (PlayStation 3)

Sony's motion controlled gaming setup, PlayStation Move, has arrived in stores, and if you believe the hype, it's everything we wanted the Wii to be...and more. Is this the future of gaming or just another expensive set of peripherals that will be buried in the back of a cupboard by the end of the year? Read on for our review. Hardware

If you’re looking for an iPod or iPhone dock then you’ll quickly discover that iHome has a big selection of docks for you to choose between. They are coming out with yet another one, except this time their dock has a bit more kick than usual. Instead of going for a lower wattage speaker they’ve decided to kick things up to 50W. In addition to those 50W of power, they’ve added in Bongiovi Digital Power Station technology.

Mobile phones charged by power of speech

In the search for alternative energy sources there's one form of energy you don't hear much about, which is ironic because I'm referring to sound energy. Sound energy is the energy produced by sound vibrations as they travel through a specific medium. Speakers use electricity to generate sound waves and now scientists from Korea have used zinc oxide, the main ingredient of calamine lotion, to do the reverse – convert sound waves into electricity. They hope ultimately the technology could be used to convert ambient noise to power a mobile phone or generate energy for the national grid from rush hour traffic.

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and COMSATS Institute of Information Technology have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in order to promote the telecom research that would be beneficial not only for both the organisations, but also for the country, an official said on Friday. PTA Chairman Dr Mohammed Yaseen said that the authority would provide data on telecom sector and expertise to COMSATS and the institute would encourage its students to undertake research in different areas of telecom.

It takes a brave manufacturer to launch a flagship phone at the same time Apple unleashes its latest iPhone, but that’s exactly what Samsung did. Not once, but twice. First with the Samsung Wave, featuring its own Bada OS, and then with its high-end Android phone, the Galaxy S.

That might put a bit of a dampener on sales, but what it can’t do is dent our opinion of its latest handset: where the Wave was disappointing, the Galaxy S is a cracker of a phone.

Meeting to Examine PTCL Share Purchase Agreement With Etisalat

Federal Minister for Privatisation Senator Waqar Ahmed Khan has convened a meeting of four-member committee on September 28, 2010 in Islamabad for examining the matter concerning Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) with M/s Etisalat and auction of 3G Spectrum.

Using the same technology that allowed them to accurately detect the brain signals controlling arm movements that we looked at last year, researchers at the University of Utah have gone one step further, translating brain signals into words. While the previous breakthrough was an important step towards giving amputees or people with severe paralysis a high level of control over a prosthetic limb or computer interface, this new development marks an early step toward letting severely paralyzed people speak with their thoughts.

Nokia Money

Nokia, the cellular giant has ventured into providing mobile financial services with the name of “Nokia Money” allowing users to manage their accounts through their cell phones. Nokia reports that there are 4 billion mobile users and only 1.6 billion bank accounts worldwide, so this service definitely brings a perfect option for those without a bank account.

Relacom, the leading independent and global supplier of network services has donated tents for flood IDP’s to pop star Faakhir for his initiative Project MADAD.

Relacom is a Swedish company and have offices in Pakistan. Relacom stepped into the maintenance business in Pakistan in March 2008 by signing a contract with Warid Telecom for the Preventive and Corrective maintenance of the non-Telco equipment for their BTS sites.

LG Launches ‘Optimus GT540′ in Pakistan

LG Electronics has launched its Android mobile phone, Optimus GT540 in Pakistan. This mobile phone runs on Android 2.0 and features a customized UI from LG.

LG Optimus (LG GT540) offers an optimal environment for first-time smartphone users with easy and convenient mobile access. LG Optimus allows users to enjoy diverse Android mobile applications and automatic account synchronization with all Google mobile services. LG Optimus also features enhanced social networking functions in a high-powered multimedia environment. “LG Optimus is the ideal choice for early smartphone users who expect all the features of smartphones without the complexity,” said Mr Ki Wan Kim, CEO of LG Electronics Middle East and Africa. “This is a device that was designed for regular people who want to jump into the smartphone experience but have been hesitant to do so because of the learning curve. By making LG Optimus more approachable, we hope more people will give smartphones a try.”

A team from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd the manufacturer of Samsung Mobile phone sets, has recently visited Muzaffargarh, which is among the areas facing the worst flood disaster in Pakistan. They have supplied relief good to the flood affectees.

Nokia delays the delivering of its flagship smartphone, the much awaited N8 that was promised earlier for September end delivery.

Nokia needs few more weeks to ship the smartphone which points to the challenges faced by the company by Stephen Elop’s taking over as chief executive of Nokia. He replaced Olli-Pekka Lallsvuo to provide the much needed edge to Nokia over Google’s Android market and Apple’s iPhone range.

LG Electronic Inc, the world's No. 3 mobile phone maker, aims to sell 10 million of its first smartphone, Optimus One, which will be distributed globally through some 120 carriers, as it seeks to turn around the loss-making mobile unit. The South Korean firm, which has no smartphones to yet reach the 1 million-unit sales mark, is betting that booming demand for Google's Android-powered smartphones will help put it firmly back on the recovery path.

Google has added an ocean layer to Google Earth that is now accessible on the iPhone. With this Google Earth update, iOS users can explore underwater landscapes and terrains on their mobile devices.

HTC ‘Desire’ is Available in Pakistan!

HTC Desire is an Android powered smartphone with specs which you would typically expect from a mobile phone from HTC.

HTC Desire is a complete powerhouse and represents what a smartphone should be, staying connected with your social networks and your friends and family members doesn’t get easier than what the HTC Desire has to offer. Powered with Android™ 2.1 (Éclair) with HTC Sense™ operating system, HTC Desire has many interesting features, such as this mobile phone automatically lowers the ringer volume as soon as the mobile phone is picked up and mutes the ringer when the mobile phone is flipped face down.

Research in Motion, which is a Canadian mobile phone manufacturing company, introduced the latest version of its BlackBerry Internet Service, i.e, BIS 3.2, last week but they did not announce any detail or information about its release date.

It s suggested that RIM would launch the BlackBerry Internet Service 3.2 on October 2nd, albeit it seems that the roll-out has already begun in some mobile markets, e.g Australia. Additional info on the new features of BlackBerry Internet Service 3.2 are available on Research In Motion’s website. The previous version of BIS, viz BlackBerry Internet Service 3.1, was announced officially in May this year.

Microsoft’s Zune digital entertainment service that competes with Apple’s iTunes will expand internationally with the launch of Windows Phone 7.

Content and services at the online Zune Marketplace will be accessible through Windows Phone 7 mobile sets. “The integration between Zune, Windows Phone 7 and Xbox LIVE is an exciting expansion in our entertainment offerings,” said Craig Eisler, a corporate vice president at the Microsoft Interactive Entertainment Business Group. “Now, more people than ever will be able to enjoy the freedom and flexibility that the Zune service offers.”

Apple has recently launched the new version of the iPod touch which is more than just an MP3 player. Now you can also get the features of a mobile phone in this device.

Apple has submitted a patent application covering an accessory that could allow iPod touches to make phone calls.

Nokia has announced the launch of seven latest mobile accessories under the Nokia Gear brand. These mobile accessories include five new Bluetooth headsets, a new Blue-tooth stereo headphone and the Nokia Charging Plate.

Kodak isn’t just all about photo prints, you know, as the company also has its own range of digital imaging hardware. The latest among the entire bunch would be the PLAYTOUCH video camera, where it will attempt to keep up with the times by featuring a 3-inch capacitive touchscreen display that allows you to go through your entire collection of high definition videos using nothing but the swipe of a fingertip. Thanks to new on-camera editing as well as Kodak’s exclusive Share Button, it will make the PLAYTOUCH Video Camera all the easier for consumers to share their favorite moments with friends and family – in full 1080p HD, no less.

Smartphone maker HTC Corp unveiled details of its push into the increasingly important mobile services sector and introduced two new handsets using Google's Android operating software. The launch came a day after Nokia, the world's biggest cellphone maker, launched three new smartphones at its annual showcase conference in London. Taiwan-based HTC -- which also uses Microsoft's Windows operating system in its phones -- is battling for the position of fourth-largest smartphone maker with much larger cellphone maker Samsung Electronics.

First leaked photo of BlackBerry Storm 3

The BlackBerry Storm and its sequel didn't do so hot when RIM was trying to break into the touch phone market. But as they say, third time's the charm - the first BlackBerry Storm 3 photos hit the interwebs and they look like an improvement. The BlackBerry Storm 3 reportedly has a bigger screen than its predecessors - 3.7" unit looks much roomier than the 3.25" screens on the Storm and Storm 2. There's no info on the resolution though, hopefully it's got a bump from the 360x480 pixels resolution of the previous versions.

No one will ever accuse Apple of being a bargain brand, but the company's iPad tablet may prove to be more affordable than the first generation of Android slates, particularly the Dell Streak and Samsung Galaxy Tab.Apple, a boon for bargain hunters? It's true if your new Android tablet is tied to a 3G data contract, a time-honored tactic (at least in the United States) that lowers the up-front cost of the device, but tethers the buyer to a pricey two-year wireless data plan.

On the other hand, AT&T plans to go on-air with LTE in 2011 while Verizon will launch its network later this year. It’s a big step once again in the developing LTE market. Previously, the only LTE commercial operator was TeliaSonera but MetroPCS has also written its name in the communications books now.

A long awaited arrival, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic was one smartphone that the masses wanted their hands on. On January 23rd, it finally went on sale and it blew the markets off their feet in a record time. This attention seeking phone was the first S60 5th edition touch control phone and therefore, the arrival created a gigantic hype in the market even before it’s released.

28th September is going to be One SPECIAL day!!

All Mobilink Jazz customers who have not used their sims between Aug 1st and Sep 27th, upon re-joining the Jazz family will be GUARANTEED WINNERS!

Simply make a call or send an SMS on 28th September 2010 using the Jazz sim.

Mobilink indigo offers a range of highly competitive postpaid offerings that provide great value for money to our customers. We bring yet another offer for our valued customers that will allow them to stay in touch with their businesses and loved ones residing in other countries at even more affordable rates. With this new offer, customers will now be able to call USA, UK and Canada for only 89 paisas for an entire minute, while 11 other destinations at Rs 1.39 /min.

TelenorPk is in again, this time with a relaunch of its prepaid brand Talkshawk. Launched first with the catchy melody and festive feel of ‘Yehi hai Dhun sub ki’ that rocked the country. Then in accordance with the changing customer needs it was ‘Call milao, Talkshawk sey faida uthao!‘. Now with the relaunch, a new chapter in the history of Talkshawk invites subscribers to stimulate their connections in life with ‘Baatoun baatoun may…’

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