Category: Tech

The Current’s tech news keeps you upto date with news of new gadgets, tech updates, information about tech startups and technology reviews.

  • Punjab IT Board develops more than 500 quality websites for different govt departments

    Punjab IT Board develops more than 500 quality websites for different govt departments

    For several government departments in the province, the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) has designed and developed more than 500 official websites, 490 of which are in English and 18 of which are in Urdu.

    This was announced at a progress review meeting on Tuesday presided over by PITB Chairman Syed Bilal Haider. The meeting was briefed on how the PITB’s web presence team developed these websites with a strong emphasis on transparency and citizen facilitation, offering optimised performance, scalability, improved loading times, and responsiveness.

    According to The News, the Punjab government has been helping many ministries set up portals to increase the government’s online presence with the help of PITB. CPEC, Web 3.0, SMU, CM Inspection Team, PESSI, Punjab Portal, Punjab Examination Commission, Lahore High Court, Punjab Police, Excise & Taxation Department, Punjab Information Technology Board, Punjab Procurement Regulatory Authority, Finance Department, and Chief Minister Punjab are among the top 10 websites developed by PITB among many others.

    It was reported that these websites had received more than 8.5 billion hits overall. The Right to Information (RTI) Act of 2013 has been used by PITB to increase transparency. As websites are being developed, PITB instructs the relevant departmental officials how to frequently and independently update and manage the content on their own websites.

    PITB has assisted various government departments, including the Audit Bureau of Circulation, the Baluchistan Police, the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting, and National History and Literary Heritage, in addition to creating websites for the administrative departments of Punjab and their affiliated bodies. The services offered as part of this project are all free. You can visit the websites created by the PITB’s web presence team at pitb.gov.pk/web.

  • Apple is reportedly considering transferring some of its iPad production to India

    Apple is reportedly considering transferring some of its iPad production to India

    According to two sources close to the Indian government, India is looking into ways to transfer some of Apple’s iPad production from China. The tech behemoth is reportedly in constant communication with authorities. Although no specific plans have been established, if the initiative is successful, Apple’s presence in the country would expand.

    Apple said earlier this year that it has started producing the premium iPhone 14 in southern India. For a number of years, the tech giant has produced the country’s older iPhone models.

    Following nationwide protests that have taken place over the past two weeks in response to Beijing’s tough zero-Covid policy, the tech giant has announced plans to diversify more of its supply chain away from China. Apple issued a warning in early November that iPhone shipments will be delayed as a result of the Chinese government’s lockdowns, and experts have been lowering their expectations for the important holiday shopping period.

    Over the weekend, The Wall Street Journal claimed that Apple is aggressively exploring to move production out of China to other Asian nations, including Vietnam and India.

    Even so, sources warn that similar ambitions in India could be slowed down by a shortage of highly skilled workers and people with experience in creating complicated products like the iPad. The backdrop of foreign policy, with rising hostilities between China and India, is particularly unhelpful. Due to recent territorial disputes between the two nations, the military presence near the China-India border has increased.

    10 per cent of Apple iPhones, according to Gene Munster of Loop Ventures, are produced in India, but he anticipates a gradual increase in output.

    “I think in five years, 35 per cent will be manufactured in India,” added Munster. “I think Apple will add iPhone production to other countries outside of India and China in the next five years. Perhaps Vietnam, Malaysia and the USA.” In a note to clients, Piper Jaffray’s Harsh Kumar wrote: “While Apple has made efforts to move production out of China, in our opinion, India still accounts for less than 5.”

  • Xiaomi is gearing up to launch its first-ever Windows PC with gaming GPU

    Xiaomi is gearing up to launch its first-ever Windows PC with gaming GPU

    Xiaomi seems to be gearing up to enter yet another technological market. The Chinese juggernaut is most likely known for its smartphones, and some of you may be familiar with their line of laptops, but it now appears that at least a few Windows PCs are on the way.

    According to gsmarena, the two designs were reportedly planned to be unveiled at the Xiaomi event on December 1. Due to Jiang Zemin’s passing as the former general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, the event has been postponed. It appears that two PC designs were still showed off to select folks a little early while we wait for a new date to be set.

    Let’s begin with the stranger of the two. The Xiaomi Host Mini PC appears to be a small form factor (SFF) prototype that has been left in its most basic form. That is to say, the system in the image only has a 100W XM22AL5X PSU installed. The remainder of the hardware that will be included in the box hasn’t been revealed because it’s unlikely that Xiaomi will sell it as a barebones kit.

    We can infer from the images that a Mini-ITX motherboard will support low-profile, half-height, up to dual-slot dedicated GPUs. Although we are unsure of how a dedicated GPU will function with the 100W power supply, it’s possible that it isn’t the final or only component in the setup.

    The windows key and “M” key combination are illustrated on a bespoke plate that is attached to the back of the case. Perhaps Xiaomi intends to change the Windows key combination that generally dismisses all windows and replace it with a unique function. The mechanical switch that is mounted on the back of the Host Mini PC is another intriguing feature. Even though neither of us is certain what it does, the leaked Weibo images do show an accessory package that includes a keycap for the button in question, indicating that it is probably functional.

    Now let’s go on to the other system, about which we know a lot more. It is a small PC with a form factor similar to the Mac Mini or Intel NUC. It will reportedly be powered by a 45W MD Ryzen 7 6800H APU with a Radeon 680M RDNA2 iGPU, 16GB of memory, and a 512GB SSD.

  • Oppo is launching a Galaxy Z Flip competitor this month

    Oppo is launching a Galaxy Z Flip competitor this month

    Oppo’s INNO Day 2022 event, which is expected to take place by the middle of this month, will serve as the official launch event for the Find N2 and Find N2 Flip, according to recent reports.

    The Find N2 Flip will be Oppo’s first phone with a foldable screen. A leaked video of the Find N2 Flip is now doing the rounds on social media. It gives a good look at the design from the front and rear sides. It is likely to feature a Dimensity 9000 chipset and a 4,300mAh battery with 44W rapid charging support. It will come preinstalled with the Android 13 OS, which will be skinned with ColorOS 13.

    According to reports, the upcoming smartphone will be equipped with a 50MP Sony IMX766 main camera and an 8MP Sony IMX355 ultrawide unit. Interestingly, it will be sold outside of China for the first time, giving tough competition to the popular Galaxy Z Flip series. 

    In a leaked video, the OPPO Find N2 Flip can be seen sporting a foldable display with a centrally positioned punch-hole.

    Tech news websites claim that the device is equipped with a 6.8-inch foldable E6 AMOLED panel that produces a Full HD+ resolution of 2520 x 1080 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate.

    The right side of the phone seems to feature a volume controller and a power key, which is integrated with a fingerprint scanner.

  • Finance Ministry agrees to IT minister’s suggestion regarding Google payments

    Finance Ministry agrees to IT minister’s suggestion regarding Google payments

    Following the Ministry of Finance’s decision to allow blocked payments to international service providers, including Google, on the advise of IT Minister Aminul Haque, Pakistan averted the suspension of paid Google Play mobile apps on Thursday.

    A $34 million payment suspension by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to foreign service providers might have prevented inward mobile users from downloading paid Google Play Store services using their cell balance as a source of payment starting on December 1, 2022.

    After the SBP stopped using the direct carrier billing (DCB) mechanism, a $34 million payment to foreign service providers like Google, Amazon, and Meta was put on hold.

    Using their mobile phone carrier bill as a form of payment, users of the DCB online mobile payment system can make purchases.

    According to Geo, customers of telecommunications firms can buy these products using airtime and send money abroad to pay for IT-related services.

    However, Tariq Bajwa, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Finance, got in touch with Haque and expressed his thoughts on the payments that had been halted.

    The Finance Ministry agreed to distribute the payments on schedule, the IT minister later confirmed.

    Insisting that “paid Google Play apps will not be suspended in Pakistan,” he said that the Finance Ministry had instructed the SBP to postpone for one month the implementation of the policy that had blocked payments.

    He stated that the payment method must be implemented by telecom companies within a month.

    According to the IT minister, the ministry has written to the finance minister, Ishaq Dar, requesting a timeline for the implementation of the telecom operators’ request for help from the government. Haque commended Dar and Bajwa for their prompt judgement.

  • Samsung to launch Galaxy S23 series in February 2023

    Samsung to launch Galaxy S23 series in February 2023

    Samsung is just a few months away from releasing the long-awaited Galaxy S23, according to a Korean media report.

    The upcoming flagship from the Korean phone maker is expected to be unveiled in the first week of February 2023 at an event.

    Since the pandemic, this will be the first Unpacked event held in person. The phones will go on sale worldwide later in February after the unveiling, which is anticipated to take place in San Francisco.

    This is not the first Korean report to state the Galaxy S23’s launch time and date. This might cast doubt on its veracity, but since a Samsung executive is cited, there is a good probability that it is accurate.

    According to rumours, a Galaxy announcement will be made in January during CES 2023. Samsung’s S Series announcements, which are typically saved for its own Unpacked events, are not suitable for this forum. We don’t anticipate this pattern changing in the upcoming year.

    Instead of the customary Exynos SoCs, all Galaxy S23 versions will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU.

  • KP launches AI-based attendance system for schools

    KP launches AI-based attendance system for schools

    Due to an upsurge in complaints about teachers’ absences, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has deployed artificial intelligence (AI)-based video systems in schools to monitor students’ and teachers’ live attendance.

    According to Zarif-ul-Mani, MD of the Elementary Schools Education Foundation (ESEF), the AI-based attendance system in the foundation schools would uphold the standard of instruction and improve student performance.

    He also described how the School Management Information System (SMIS) works to guarantee quality, accountability, and a simple transfer of scholarship cash to partners.

    He also commended the ESEF’s e-governance division for reviving this project, which had been mismanaged in the past.

    Additionally, the project would reduce dropout rates while guaranteeing that professors are present and that classes start on schedule.

    Prior to that, the government of Sindh made the decision to take strong action against teachers who were getting their wages while staying at home and neglecting their jobs.

    The provincial education agency reportedly stopped more than 2,000 “ghost teachers” being paid across the province.

    According to Express Tribune, Akbar Laghari, the education secretary for Sindh, said in a statement on the choice that they have filed a letter to the AG for Sindh asking him to cease paying the wages of 2,019 ghost teachers.

    He added that the department would fire the “ghost teachers” and would do everything it took to ensure that teachers showed up for work.

  • Fact check: Google is not suspending Play Store in Pakistan but users won’t be able to buy apps with mobile balance

    Fact check: Google is not suspending Play Store in Pakistan but users won’t be able to buy apps with mobile balance

    Online rumours claiming that Pakistani Android users will be unable to use Google Play Store services are false and misleading, as users will be able to download and use free apps.

    The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) stopped paying $34 million to international tech companies in order to reduce the outflow of dollars, so Android users in Pakistan won’t be able to purchase paid apps through mobile carrier billing.

    Carrier payments, or a method by which mobile users pay for paid apps using their mobile credits, will no longer be available.

    According to details, the SBP has halted payments totaling $34 million to foreign service providers, which would prevent mobile customers in Pakistan from accessing paid services through the Google Play Store.

    Details indicate that the SBP terminated Direct Carrier Billing (DCB). As a result, the payment to foreign service providers, including Google, Amazon, and Meta, has been suspended. It is important to note that Pakistani customers may only pay for applications or paid services with credit or debit cards.

  • Twitter may introduce different colour checks for organisations and individuals

    Twitter may introduce different colour checks for organisations and individuals

    Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter, announced on Monday that the social media platform is delaying the resumption of its blue check subscription service, deviating from his initial tentative timetable to do so.

    “Holding off relaunch of Blue Verified until there is high confidence of stopping impersonation,” Musk said in a tweet.

    “Will probably use different color check for organisations than individuals.”

    Earlier, only verified accounts of prominent figures including journalists, legislators, and well-known people could display the coveted blue check mark.

    But earlier this month, Twitter launched a membership option that is available to anybody willing to pay in order to increase income as Musk battles to keep advertisers.

    Due to the proliferation of bogus accounts, Twitter stopped the newly introduced $8 blue check membership service and indicated that it will resume on November 29.

    Musk noted in another tweet that the 1.6 million new users on Twitter during the last week were “another all-time high.”

    As they adjust to the new leader, Twitter advertisers, including major corporations like General Motors, Mondelez International, and Volkswagen AG, have suspended their campaigns.

    According to estimates, hundreds of Twitter employees left their jobs last week after Musk gave them until Thursday to sign up for “long hours at high intensity” or go.

  • Elon Musk restores Donald Trump’s Twitter account

    Elon Musk restores Donald Trump’s Twitter account

    Donald Trump’s Twitter account appeared to come back online after a narrow majority of votes were cast in Elon Musk’s Twitter poll in support of re-allowing the former US president, who was barred from the social media platform following the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

    In the survey, little more than 15 million ballots were cast, with 51.8 per cent in favour of restoration.

    “The people have spoken. Trump will be reinstated,” Musk tweeted. During the poll, Musk acknowledged the vote numbers were being affected by automated “bots”, which are not people, and suggested there was a need to “clean up” Twitter polls from being influenced by “bot and trolls armies”.

    Earlier in the day, Trump didn’t seem all that eager to go back on Twitter. The former president was asked about it by a panel at the annual leadership meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition, and he responded via video, “I don’t see any reason for it.”

    He declared that he would continue to use his brand-new platform Truth Social, an application created by his startup Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG).

    Following the assault on the US Capitol on January 6, Twitter made the remarkable decision to ban Trump, claiming that his postings were “very likely to incite and inspire individuals to mimic the criminal acts that took place at the US Capitol.”

    Trump announced his effort to win the presidency back in 2024 on Tuesday and hailed Musk, saying he had always admired him. Trump said that Twitter’s issues were “extraordinary” and that it was plagued by bots and false accounts.

    Musk’s self-described reputation as a “free speech absolutist” increased the potential that he might lift the restriction on users whose Twitter accounts had been permanently suspended from the network even as Musk was still finishing up his acquisition of Twitter. Experts on hate speech and disinformation have been preparing for the return of Trump, who accumulated more than 88 million followers during his first tenure on the network.

    Musk first stated in May that he intended to lift the ban on Trump, and many of Twitter’s advertisers were anxiously awaiting the timing of any comeback by the president.

    Musk hoped to convince consumers and advertisers that such a choice would be carefully considered by a content moderation committee made up of individuals with “widely different perspectives” and that no account reinstatements would take place before the panel convened.

    He said that unless there was a “clear process for doing so,” Twitter would not allow any banned users to reapply.

    And this week, Musk unexpectedly allowed comic Kathy Griffin to return after she had been suspended for violating his new policy against impersonation by changing her profile name to “Elon Musk” without making it clear that it was a parody account. Regarding the moderation council or the reinstatement procedure, nothing has changed.