PAKISTAN:
National savings app lets you check investment info, prize bond results & more:
National Savings is continuing to move forward on its reform agenda and is entering the Digital Age by launching a mobile application “Qoumi Bachat Digital” for its investors. The app will help National Savings investors by enabling them to view up-to-date certificate and account balance, access product-wise investment details, get SMS and email alerts on any transactions in the accounts/certificates, view transaction history and account statements, search draw results of prize bonds and save prize bond numbers for future draws.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
Samsung Galaxy S9’s box leak reveals surprising new features:
Samsung’s newest flagship phone is coming next month at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), but the leaks show no signs of stopping. The latest was a retail box of the Galaxy S9, with some interesting new details mentioned in specifications. The box pretty much confirms the rumored specifications of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S9. What the rumors didn’t point to was the inclusion of stereo speakers and a camera with variable aperture.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
Vassist ai assistant for phones launched by Pakistani startup:
The Creative Verge, a Pakistani startup, has developed an artificially intelligent product Virtual Assist that is listed by the name of ‘ Vassist’ on the Google play store. Vassist’s aim is to serve the user as a personal assistant by managing their daily schedule with the help of artificial intelligence. Artificial Intelligence is transforming the technology world in ways, we had not expected a few years ago. Nowadays, AI is being increasingly used to make effective decisions in medicine, healthcare, science, sports and many other fields performing tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
Youtube starts crackdown against controversial videos with new moderation policy:
2018 could’ve hardly started on a worse note for YouTube, which saw one of its biggest stars in a major controversy. Now, the platform is making sure its contributors act more responsibly and the quality of content meets its criteria.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
Facebook finally decides to declutter messenger:
Facebook Messenger is one of the most widely used messaging apps and due to it’s massive userbase, it needs constant improvement and new features. If you are a techie – you should know that the Messenger app is heavily bloated and comes with a number of useless features that only use up your device’s RAM and drain the battery.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
PTI’s official website hacked once again:
This Tuesday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s official website was hacked by a group calling themselves “Pak Cyber Attackers”. Some hackers defaced the website, again, and posted a message for PTI Chairman, Imran Khan.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
PTCL to sponosor hockey hall of fame world XI
To revive and promote Hockey – Pakistan’s national game – PTCL is proud to announce its sponsorship of ‘Hockey Hall of Fame World XI Pakistan Tour’. The tournament is called PTCL Hockey Cup 2018. During this tournament, two exhibition hockey matches will be played between Pakistan National Hockey team and visiting All-Star Team World XI with renowned international players at Karachi & Lahore.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
Zong launches 4g powered smart car solution:
Leading the digital innovation in the industry, Zong 4G started the New Year, 2018, with yet another state-of-the-art 4G enabled product, Zong 4G Smart Car solution. Zong 4G Smart Car solution takes the 4G users in a new realm of digitalization, by offering three features in one innovative vehicle onboard diagnostics OBD–II device, monitored through a Mobile app for both Android and Apple users.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
PTCL holds Hajj balloting for its employees:
Hajj balloting for 2018 was held at the PTCL HQ in Islamabad on January 16, 2018. Names of PTCL employees from across Pakistan were included in the balloting to finalize 40 employees and 2 Mehrams of female employees who will perform Hajj. Congratulating the successful candidates, Syed Mazhar Hussain, Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) said.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
[ads1]
INTERNATIONAL:
Food store AI sees what you put in basket:
An artificial intelligence-based system is being developed to spot what goods shoppers pick up in convenience stores so that they can be charged without having to queue at the till. A prototype version of the technology by the San Francisco start-up Aipoly is on show at the CES tech show. Amazon is known to be working on similar technology.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
The ces 2018 techie awards:
This week’s Tech Tent is a special edition from Las Vegas with all the news from the greatest gadget show on earth, CES. We meet a rather disturbing humanoid robot called Sophia, we hear about the latest move to rival Tesla with an electric autonomous car, and China’s Baidu tells us that a huge smartphone population generating vast amounts of data could give it an edge in the battle for leadership in artificial intelligence.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
Apple health data used in murder trial:
Health data has provided crucial evidence at a trial in Germany, in which a refugee is accused of rape and murder. Apple’s Health App accurately records steps and has been pre-installed on the iPhone 6S and newer models. Data suggesting the suspect was climbing stairs could correlate to him dragging his victim down a riverbank and climbing back up, police said.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
Snapchat redesign is a ‘flop’ with users:
Snapchat’s redesign, which was rolled out at the end of last year, has not gone down well with users. The refreshed look pushed out in the UK, Australia and Canada has proved unpopular, with up to 83% of reviews on the App Store being negative. Many have complained that feeds are no longer chronological and are confusing.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
Ford to boost investment in electric cars by 2022:
Ford says it will boost its investment in electric vehicles to $11bn (£8bn) in the next five years, more than doubling a previous commitment. Chairman Bill Ford said the car maker would have 40 hybrid and fully electric vehicles in its range by 2022.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
Time machines camera lets you record ‘missed moments’:
A wearable camera is in development that allows users to record events that have already happened. The Roader is being pitched as having “time machine” powers thanks to its ability to start recordings 10 seconds before its record button is pressed. The idea is to let owners capture unexpected events that would otherwise have been missed.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
Hackers steal $400,000 of crypto-currency:
Hackers have stolen $400,000 (£290,000) of the virtual currency said Stellar Lumen in an online attack on Saturday. The group hijacked the server that hosts BlackWallet, a web-based wallet application that stores lumens and stole 669,920 from users’ accounts.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
‘Text bomb’ is latest apple bug:
A new ‘text bomb’ affecting Apple’s iPhone and Mac computers has been discovered. Abraham Masri, a software developer, tweeted about the flaw which typically causes an iPhone to crash and in some cases restart.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
The DIY cardboard accessory for switch:
Nintendo has unveiled its latest release, and it’s a little less high-tech than you might expect. Dubbed Labo, it is a series of DIY accessories for the hit Nintendo Switch console which are made of cardboard.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
Senate presses tech firms on anti-extremism efforts:
In a session that appeared to be more about keeping up pressure than making any specific demands, US lawmakers once again pressed major technology companies over efforts to combat terrorism and propaganda. Policy representatives from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube appeared in front of the Senate Commerce Committee in Washington on Wednesday.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
Drone hit newly erected crane during kent site survey:
A pilot has flown a drone into a crane, according to an air-accident report. The pilot had planned the drone flight in Kent with four reference points, all at 400ft above ground level – higher than three existing cranes on the site. But another crane was erected after his site safety visit, and on take-off the drone crashed into the jib of the new structure, damaging the unmanned craft.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
Kitty Perry and the copyright lesson for seven-year-olds:
A campaign to teach children about copyright infringement on the internet, is employing cartoons and puns on pop stars’ names, to get the message across. Even its makers admit it is a “dry” and “niche” subject for a cartoon aimed at seven-year-olds.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
Careem launches its services in Iraq:
Careem, the region’s leading ride-hailing service in the MENA, Turkey and Pakistan, has announced the expansion of its services into the Republic of Iraq, as part of its broader commitment to improving transportation across the region. With the introduction of Careem’s ride-hailing services in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, residents will be introduced to a dynamic, safe, and affordable new mode of transportation.