PAKISTAN NEWS:
Facebook launches Innovation Lab Platform in Pakistan:
Facebook and Pakistan’s Ministry of Information Technology along with the National Technology Fund (IGNITE) launched the first Facebook Innovation Lab located in the National Incubation Centre (NIC) at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). The launch event, held on April 3, 2019, was attended by several thought leaders from across the world who came together and debated on issues such as women and technology; the impact that VR has on social good and impactful ways to harness technology for social good.
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Cabinet seeks legal advice from Law Division on telco license renewal:
The Federal Cabinet is going to seek legal advice from the Law Division on the policy for renewal of cellular mobile licenses. Prime Minister Imran Khan, last Tuesday, presided over the cabinet meeting to consider a 19-point agenda. The body considered an agenda item, “Policy Directive under Section 8 of the Pakistan Telecommunications (Re-Organization) Act 1996 for renewal of cellular mobile licenses in 2019″, submitted by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication.
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Senate Committee asks to open national roaming for Ufone in Malakand:
The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication, on Tuesday, recommended Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to launch national roaming in Malakand division for Ufone. The committee, which met with Rubina Khalid in the chair, expressed serious concerns over the poor service or no service of Ufone in Malakand division while saying that SIMs are being sold among the people at an average of 3000 per month.
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Sony is butting heads with a Pakistani that owns a $10,000 domain they want:
Sony Pictures Television (SPT) recently launched a joint venture with CSS (Chicken soup for the soul) entertainment, with an online streaming business called Crackle Plus, which will also host popcornflix and other similar media-streaming ventures. It is basically a new home for Crackle, the ad-supported free video streaming service owned by Sony Pictures. The only problem is, that the domain crackleplus.com is registered in the name of a Pakistani resident Muhammad Abdullah. Abdullah registered it on his name in October 2017.
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Oppo reveals A7n, a slightly better version of the A5S:
Oppo A7n, another mid-range phone from Oppo was silently unveiled in China. It looks like an upgraded variant of Oppo A5s since all the specifications it features are similar to Oppo A5s except for the upgraded RAM and selfie camera. It can also be called the MediaTek version of OppoA7, that was launched in November 2018. The design of this phone is exactly the same as the Oppo A5s. It has a dual sensor rear camera at the top left and a customary fingerprint sensor in the center.
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BenQ Zowie Gaming Monitors & Gear officially launched in Pakistan:
Zowie, a brand by BenQ, dedicated to the development of the best competitive gaming monitors & gears, has recently announced its availability across Pakistan with all Power Retailers & Etailers in the region with a 3 Year Warranty. BenQ Zowie aims at providing gamers with an array of proficient gaming equipment to choose from. The range features XL & RL series monitors fine-tuned for a smooth and responsive experience. The gaming EC, FK & ZA Mouse series is available in various sizes and shapes for preferred grips, with options for right and left-handed players.
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Android Q beta’s second update adds better navigation and more:
Just recently, Google released Android Q beta which promises better overall privacy as compared to Android 9.0 Pie and a number of other features related to themes, notifications, battery display, etc. However, shortly after the release of Android Q beta, Google is ready to send out its first update. Even though most of the features are still in the testing zone, the company is promising a number of bug fixes, updates, and optimizations.
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Get up to 60pc off on Mistore for Mi Fan Festival 2019:
Mi Pakistan is going to celebrate the much awaited and globally anticipated event Mi Fan Festival 2019 on 5th, 6th and 7th of April. The Mi Fan Fest will feature 3 days of back to back Discounts, Flash Sales and much more! The sale will go live on April 5 at 12 am. Mi Fan Fest is a unique way of recalling Xiaomi’s voyage with its fans and celebrating the birth of an astonishing brand that came into existence in China. Head over to Mistore and brace yourselves for the storm ahead.
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS:
NASA is aiming to send humans to Mars by 2033:
After NASA’s new announcement for a second Human Moon landing by 2024, Administrator Jim Bridenstine has now given the schedule for NASA’s Astronaut landing on Mars by 2033. Bridenstine revealed on Tuesday at a congressional hearing, that NASA wants a human mission on the red planet as soon as 2033. Answering the questions of Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, NASA chief said that the moon landing will be the first step and proving grounds for a Human mission on Mars.
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God of War wins best game at Bafta Awards:
Action-adventure game God of War has won the sought-after Best Game prize at the 15th annual Bafta Games Awards. The game is rooted in ancient mythology and stars Kratos, the former Greek god of war, and his son Atreus. Fortnite, released in 2017, was named best evolving game. Despite receiving six nominations, UK-made western adventure Red Dead Redemption 2 walked away empty-handed at the glitzy ceremony in central London.
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Fortnite: Is Prince Harry right to want game banned?:
Prince Harry has called for a ban on Fortnite, saying the survival game beloved by teenagers around the world, was “created to addict”. His words add to a growing debate among health workers, governments and lobby groups about whether gaming can be harmful to health. The remarks come just before the Gaming Bafta Awards, one of the biggest nights in the UK’s gaming calendar, which take place in London on Thursday evening.
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Microsoft’s eBook store: When this closes, your books disappear too:
There’s bad news for users of Microsoft’s eBook store: the company is closing it down, and, with it, any books bought through the service will no longer be readable. To soften the blow, the company has promised to refund any customers who bought books through the store (a clue that there may not have been that many of them, hence the closure. Microsoft did not offer further comment).
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Computer virus alters cancer scan images:
A computer virus that can add fake tumours to medical scan images has been created by cyber-security researchers. In laboratory tests, the malware altered 70 images and managed to fool three radiologists into believing patients had cancer. The altered images also managed to trick automated screening systems.
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Data on 540 million Facebook users exposed:
Detailed information about more than 540 million Facebook users was left publicly viewable for months, a security firm has found. UpGuard found the massive cache of data on unsecured Amazon servers used by a Mexican social media firm. The information came from visitors to CulturaColectiva’s Facebook pages and included account names, ID numbers, comments and reactions.
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Australia targets tech firms with ‘abhorrent material’ laws:
Australia has passed controversial laws which could see tech companies face penalties — including jail for executives — if they host violent videos on their platforms. The laws, billed as a probable world first, follow last month’s New Zealand mosque shootings which killed 50 people and were live-streamed by the gunman. The Australian government said websites “should not be weaponised”.
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Guardian to flag old news on social media:
Old news stories from the UK’s Guardian newspaper will be marked with their year of publication when shared on social media, to limit misinformation. It said partisan groups had been sharing old news stories as though they had been recently published in order to push an agenda. Apps such as Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp do not show the publication date of news stories that are shared. The Guardian will mark the date on the image of old stories.
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Huawei laptop ‘backdoor’ flaw raises concerns:
A flaw in Huawei Matebook laptops, found by Microsoft researchers, could have been used to take control of machines, the Times has reported. The “sophisticated flaw” had probably been introduced at the manufacturing stage, one expert told BBC News. Huawei is under increasing scrutiny around the world over how closely it is tied to the Chinese government. The company, which denies any collusion with Beijing, corrected the flaw after it was notified about it in January.
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Toyota to share hybrid vehicle secrets for free:
Car manufacturer Toyota is to offer royalty-free access to its hybrid vehicle technology patents until 2030. It is part of a move to promote hybrid cars as a bridge to fully electric vehicles (EVs). It will grant licences for nearly 24,000 patented technologies relating to motors, converters and batteries. The Toyota-designed Prius was the world’s first mass-produced hybrid car and the firm has sold 13 million hybrid cars since its introduction.
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Dame Helen Mirren gives Netflix short shrift at CinemaCon:
Dame Helen Mirren has given streaming giant Netflix short shrift at an event for cinema exhibitors in Las Vegas. “I love Netflix, but [expletive] Netflix,” she said, eliciting cheers and applause from her audience. Mirren declared there was “nothing like sitting in the cinema” while appearing at the annual CinemaCon event. Last year, the actress said the rise of watching films on streaming services at home was “devastating” for people who want to make films for the big screen.
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Motorola Quad-Camera phone shows up in a Leaked Render:
With the Huawei P30-series and Samsung’s Galaxy S10 models both featuring some of the best camera we’ve seen on smartphones, it’s safe to say that 2019 is gonna be the year of smartphone photography. Manufacturers are looking to add more and more cameras to their flagship phones in order to improve the overall quality and versatility of their photography experience.