Tag: technews

  • ‘Data of around 45,000 Pakistanis stolen to unlock smuggled mobile phones’

    ‘Data of around 45,000 Pakistanis stolen to unlock smuggled mobile phones’

    Identity credentials of around 45,000 international passengers have been stolen to unlock smuggled mobile phones since the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) launched its crackdown on illegally-imported devices.

    This was revealed by PTA and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) while briefing a federal cabinet meeting presided by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan last week, a private media outlet reported.

    The authorities informed the cabinet that travel documents such as passport, CNIC copies etc of around 44,943 resident and overseas Pakistanis were stolen and misused to unlock the smuggled phones since the implementation of PTA’s Device Identification Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS).

    According to PTA, 986,000 mobiles phones were received for registration, out of which around 656,000 were registered under FBR baggage rule exemption with no tax while around 33,000 mobile phones were registered under the duty paid category.

    PTA says that with the implementation of DIRBS, a significant increase has been seen in the legal commercial import of mobile phones. The authority hopes the system will give more dividends towards the elimination of smuggled phones.

  • NASA to open International Space Station to tourists

    NASA to open International Space Station to tourists

    NASA is to allow tourists to visit the International Space Station from 2020, priced at $35,000 (Rs 5,233,900) per night.

    NASA will allow up to two private trips to
    the station per year, each lasting up to 30 days. The first mission could be as
    early as 2020. But the ride won’t be cheap. NASA estimated the cost of a flight
    would be around $50 million per seat. NASA will charge visitors for food,
    storage and communication at the station.

    “If you look at the pricing and you add it up, back of a napkin, it would be roughly $35,000 a night, per astronaut,” NASA’s Chief Financial Officer Jeff DeWit said at a news conference in New York.

    The two companies hired by NASA are SpaceX and Boeing which
    will be responsible for all the arrangements.

    NASA had previously banned any commercial use
    of the space station and prohibited astronauts from taking part in for-profit
    research.NASA does not own the station however it was built in 1998, with
    Russia, which has taken a more relaxed approach in recent decades to commerce.

    In 2001, US
    businessman Dennis Tito became the first tourist to visit when he paid Russia
    around $20 million for a round trip.

  • Bye Bye Apple iTunes

    Bye Bye Apple iTunes

    Apple
    has officially decided to discontinue its iTunes music service and offer three
    separate applications for music, television, and podcasts.

    One of the biggest questions that longtime users of iTunes have is “What would happen for your existing music”

    During the announcement for the new macOS Catalina operating system that revealed the separate apps, it was revealed that Apple doesn’t intend to let the back catalogs of their users disappear.

    Technology
    and Telco editor at Finder, Alex Kidman said,

    “That’s
    data that Apple already makes available to your existing iOS devices, and
    there’s no real reason to think that it won’t take this approach with split
    apps under MacOS. If you’ve got content purchased through Apple, it’ll still be
    on record with them and should be accessible on compatible devices. For PC
    users, we’ll have to wait and see what Apple’s replacements will be, but again,
    it’s not like Apple wants to lose consumers who have Apple Music subscriptions,
    or those who buy or rent movies or TV shows through Apple. That’s still a
    lucrative revenue source for them.”

  • Apple unveils new iPod model

    Apple unveils new iPod model

    Apple introduced its first new iPod model in four years, highlighting music and games. The new-generation iPod touch is available in more than two dozen countries at Apple´s online shop starting at US 199 (Rs 31,000).

    The ultra-thin and lightweight design of iPod touch has always made it ideal for enjoying games, music and so much more wherever you go.

    The iPod touch became popular with
    people, particularly parents of internet-wanting children, who wanted mobile
    devices for games and music  without the
    cost of telecommunications services.

    The mobile devices can connect to
    the internet using Wi-Fi hotspots.

  • How 5G will change everything?

    How 5G will change everything?

    China and the United States are in a race over who will master the technology first. On May 15, the United States President Donald Trump banned Huawei in the country. The reason cited was a “threat to national security”.China already leads the world in the mobile market sector, so it is very well expected that China will be on the top when it releases its 5g technology.

    5G will change everything but How?

    Wifi Everywhere

    An entire building can get a direct 5G connection from a nearby cell, and within that building, every device can take advantage of 5G’s speeds via existing wifi connections, including TVs, game consoles, phones, desktop computers, laptops, etc.

    Faster Downloading

    5G will allow downloading 20 times faster than 4G.  The 5G technology will be up to twenty times faster than the 4G. downloading a two-hour long movie takes six minutes on a 4G network, while it will only take 3.6 seconds on a 5G network.

    Smart Vehicles

    When a whole city is online with 5G, and cars can communicate directly with other cars and traffic lights, traffic signals will respond appropriately. One day, you can quit waiting at a stop light when no other cars are around. The system will know when other vehicles are approaching fast enough to warrant a red light on your side, and will otherwise let you cross the intersection effortlessly.

    Vehicles require GPS to know exactly where they’re located. The latest generation of GPS chips are even more accurate, direct car-to-car communication will make the whole experience even better, specifically when it comes to safety and traffic jams.

    Smarter Healthcare

    Exchanging information with your doctor or should be something you can tap into at any time, especially in emergency situations. An “on-demand doctor” will be there all the time.

    Imagine the near future where smart wearable not only monitor your heart rate but also your blood sugar, hemoglobin, etc. The last thing you’d want in an emergency is for your device to not be able to communicate important data to your doctor because the connection was slow. With 5G your wearable will be able to quickly contact a server to update your health records for your doctor to see or to alert a family member that you need instant attention.

  • Amazon is working on a device that can read human emotions

    Amazon is working on a device that can read human emotions

    The report said the device would come equipped with a microphone to listen into a user’s voice and detect their emotional state.  It is not clear how far along the project is or if it would ever become a commercial product.

    The wrist-worn gadget is described as a health
    and wellness product indicating another big leap by a
    major tech company into health. Amazon has previously indicated its interest in
    the health sector with its $753 million deal to buy the online pharmacy
    PillPack.

    Amazon declined to comment on the
    report.

  • ‘One-ring’ scam is targeting Pakistanis via phone calls

    ‘One-ring’ scam is targeting Pakistanis via phone calls

    A one-ring scam is targeting Pakistanis on mobile phones. A number of citizens received phone calls from unknown international numbers.

    The phone call ends with a missed call notification on the receiving end, urging the receiver to call back. The scam tricks thousands of users into dialing an international number and hence exposing them to the risk of getting charged heavily for the connecting fee, and huge per-minute charges.

    A user who received a call from this scam ring shared a
    message on Whatsapp which reads

    “Very
    Very Urgent …

    Please pass this message to your family and friends NOW.
    People have been receiving calls from
    Tel: +375602605281
    Tel: +37127913091
    Tel: +37178565072
    Tel: +56322553736
    Tel: +37052529259
    Tel: +255901130460 or any number starting from +371 +375 +381
    These guys only ring once and hang up. If you call back, they can copy your contact list in 3 sec and if you have a bank or credit card details on your phone, they can copy that too
    +375 code is for Belarus.
    +371 code is for Lativa.
    +381 Serbia.
    +563 Valparaiso.
    +370 Vilnius.
    +255 Tanzania.
    Don’t answer or Call back.
    Also, Don’t Press #90 or #09 on your Mobile when asked by any caller.
    It’s a new trick which is used to access your SIM card, make calls at your expense and frame you as a criminal.
    URGENTLY FORWARD this message to as many friends as you can to stop any intrusion!!!”

  • Karachi students developed speaking glove

    Karachi students developed speaking glove

    Karachi students of Usman Institute of Technology have invented a smart glove called ‘Speech Generator Glove’ that can turn Pakistani Sign Language into audible speech.

    Speech Generator Glove weighs around 300 grams
    and can convert 28 Urdu words into sentences.

    The students say they are working to add more
    Urdu words into the glove’s dictionary. The Speech Generator Glove’s total word
    capacity is of 3,000 words.

  • Ministry of Science prepares lunar calendar for the next five years

    Ministry of Science prepares lunar calendar for the next five years

    The Scientific committee formed by the Ministry for Science and Technology has announced that they have prepared a lunar calendar for the next five years.

    The committee, formed by the Minister for Science and Technology, Fawad Chaudhry was to finalise a lunar calendar, having the exact dates of the important events in Pakistan, by the 15th of Ramadan to finish the moon-sighting disagreements. The minister has also said that according to the lunar calendar prepared by the committee, Eid-ul-Fitr is expected to fall on June 5, as reported by Geo.

    Fawad Chaudhry has also invited the Council of Islamic Ideological (CII) to give their recommendations and asked for their help in publishing the calendar in Ramadan. The minister, in a tweet, also shared that he has invited both Mufti Muhammad Muneeb-ur-Rehman and Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai to see how moon cycle works and how easy science has made moon-sighting.

  • Instagram is ready to roll out a test that hides “Like” counts

    Instagram is ready to roll out a test that hides “Like” counts

    Would we feel less envious and competitive if Instagram didn’t tell us how many Likes a post received? That’s the idea behind Instagram now hiding Like counts. Only the person who posted a photo will be able to see the number of likes it received. Instagram is not testing this at the moment but it will start doing this with users in Canada next week. It is not clear if Instagram plans to test this out in other places. But if it leads to more positive effects on the app, it wouldn’t be surprising to see an expansion of it.

    Instagram critics have pointed to it as one aspect that contributes to the negative effects on mental health. Like counts can be a source of social pressure, particularly for younger users. hiding likes count could potentially make Instagram a little healthier.