Telcos Should Be Heavily Fined for Not Improving Service Quality: IT Minister:
Federal Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunication Syed Amin Ul Haque Wednesday demanded heavier fines for telecom companies that fail to improve their quality of service. While briefing the National Assembly Committee on IT & Telecom in Islamabad, the minister said telcos must change their attitude to improve services. He sought bigger fines for operators who are unable to take the right steps in this regard.
Twitter No Longer Requires Log In for Viewing Tweets:
Twitter has made an unexpected adjustment by removing the login requirement for users to access tweets. This means that users can now view Twitter links directly in their web browsers without the need to create or sign in to an account. TechCrunch was among the first to notice this change, as tweet previews began appearing on popular messaging platforms such as Slack, WhatsApp, and even iMessage, as reported by Engadget. Initially, Twitter had implemented the login requirement as a temporary solution to combat data scraping, which was causing service degradation for regular users. Company CEO Elon Musk had previously mentioned that this measure was put in place to address the issue.
All iPhones Are Getting Big Battery Upgrades This Year:
A recent rumor originating from an alleged “insider” at a Foxconn factory in China suggests that the upcoming Apple iPhone 15 lineup will feature substantial improvements in battery capacity. All four models are expected to benefit from these enhancements. According to the rumor, the iPhone 15 is said to house a battery with a capacity of 3,877 mAh, while the iPhone 15 Plus is anticipated to feature a larger 4,912 mAh battery. The iPhone 15 Pro is rumored to be equipped with a 3,650 mAh battery, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max is expected to offer an even higher capacity of 4,852 mAh. All of these are substantial improvements in battery capacity.
Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 Launch Date Unveiled:
In an exciting announcement, at least for its Chinese audience, Xiaomi President Lu Weibing confirmed that the highly anticipated Mix Fold 3 will be released in August. He shared this news in response to a question on Weibo, within the comments section of his post regarding Xiaomi’s latest factory upgrade. Xiaomi’s newly unveiled Smart Factory has been officially inaugurated, and its initial production will focus on the forthcoming Mix Fold 3. Significant advancements are coming through the manufacturing system to achieve a device that is both slimmer and more robust than its predecessors. Notably, the Mix Fold 3 will feature cameras with the renowned Leica branding, delivering exceptional photographic capabilities as expected.
Honor X50 Debuts With a Huge 5,800 mAh Battery Starting at $193:
Honor has launched two new budget phones in its home market, the Honor X50 and X50i. Both of these phones feature high refresh rate displays, large batteries, and affordable price tags. The Honor X50 showcases a curved 6.78-inch AMOLED display, boasting a resolution of 1,200 x 2,652 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate. Positioned at the top, there is a centered punch hole cutout for the 8MP front-facing camera. On the back of the device, there is a 108MP main camera with an f/1.75 aperture and a 2MP depth module is also present to enhance depth perception.
OnePlus Nord 3 Launched With Better Display, Bigger Battery and More:
Following numerous leaks, OnePlus has officially launched its highly anticipated mid-range smartphone for 2023, known as the OnePlus Nord 3. This device presents several notable improvements compared to its predecessor, the Nord 2T, including a larger and upgraded display, a more powerful chipset, and an enhanced battery. The Nord 3 now features a 6.74-inch display as opposed to the 6.43-inch screen of the previous year. Additionally, the new OLED panel supports a smooth 120Hz refresh rate and is compatible with HDR10+ content. The screen exhibits a higher resolution of 1240 x 2772 pixels.
Haaris M. Chaudhary Joins Mobilink Bank as Chief Operating Officer:
Haaris Mahmood Chaudhary is set to join Mobilink Bank as Chief Operating Officer (COO). With a career spanning over two decades, Haaris has expertise in various domains, including Finance and Banking, Operations, Public Policy and Risk Management. Prior to joining Mobilink Bank, Haaris held the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Universal Service Fund (USF). With a focus on operational efficiency, he steered USF as one of the leading public sector organizations. In addition to this, he held other leadership positions as well including Chief Financial Officer and Head of Corporate & Government Affairs at USF. Currently, Haaris is also the Non-Executive Director at Zarai Tarqiati Bank Limited.
Xiaomi’s First Electric Car is Nearing its Global Launch:
Industry analysts and customers have been anticipating Xiaomi’s automotive entry since its announcement a few years ago. Recent reports hint at significant progress in Xiaomi’s efforts to develop the first automobile model. According to a report from CNMO, Xiaomi’s first car’s price has been set. Changchun-based FAW Fuwei Automotive Parts Co., Ltd. said that numerous subsidiaries joined Xiaomi’s car purchase team. Xiaomi’s supplier network is also improving, it added. Xiaomi’s car is said to start at around Rs. 5.7 million, according to social media reports. However, Wang Hua, Xiaomi’s PR chief, has denied these reports.
National Bank of Pakistan Selects PTCL for Managed Data Centre Hosting:
Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) and National Bank of Pakistan Limited (NBP) have signed an agreement to provide primary Data Center colocation services at PTCL’s Tier-III Data Center facility. Zarrar Hasham Khan, Group Chief Business Solutions Officer, PTCL & Ufone 4G, and Amin Manji, Group Chief ITG & CTO National Bank of Pakistan, signed the agreement at a signing ceremony recently held at the PTCL Zonal office in Karachi. Jafar Khalid, Group Chief Technology Officer, PTCL & Ufone 4G, Noman Muzaffar, EVP Divisional Head ITG National Bank of Pakistan, Basharat Qureshi, Group VP Enterprise PTCL, Umer Ilyas, Group VP Data Centers PTCL, Umar Farooqi, Group Director Enterprise PTCL, were also present on the occasion, along with other senior officials.
Pakistan’s Farmdar Launches AgromAI Fintech in Brazil:
Pakistan’s leading Agritech Startup Farmdar has launched a new fintech venture AgromAI in Brazil which will utilize artificial intelligence (AI) and geospatial data to provide financial services. “Pakistani technology will be used by some of the largest businesses in the world, and with more developed markets as a stomping ground” stated Muzaffar Manghi, co-founder of Farmdar while talking exclusively to ProPakistani. He added that Latin America is under severe climate change impact with evolving temperature and rainfall patterns which increase the risk for insurers and AgromAI will mitigate it and prepare agribusinesses to respond to these risks.
Threads: Ten million join Meta’s Twitter rival, Zuckerberg says:
Ten million users signed up for Meta’s newly launched Threads app in its first seven hours, the company’s chief Mark Zuckerberg says. He pitched the app as a “friendly” rival to Twitter, which was bought by Elon Musk in October. Experts say Threads could attract Twitter users unhappy with recent changes to the platform. Threads allows users to post up to 500 characters, and has many features similar to Twitter. Earlier, Mr Zuckerberg said keeping the platform “friendly… will ultimately be the key to its success”. But Mr Musk responded: “It is infinitely preferable to be attacked by strangers on Twitter, than indulge in the false happiness of hide-the-pain Instagram.”
Former Leicestershire police officer accused of lying over drone crash:
A former Leicestershire police officer is accused of lying to his bosses after a force drone crashed. The police constable was flying the device when it was damaged on 14 October. The officer, who has since left the force, allegedly did not follow the correct procedure for reporting the damage, Leicestershire Police said. A hearing will take place on Tuesday to determine if he is guilty of gross misconduct.
Threads could cause real problems for Twitter:
First impressions of Threads: can Meta do this? Is this not somehow plagiarism? The app looks almost identical to Twitter. The character limit, the reposting, the feed. It’s all incredibly familiar. Mark Zuckerberg claims millions of people have signed up in the first few hours. You should always be sceptical when a tech boss says how many users have signed up to a platform. But it does feel like a lot of people are already on it. That’s partly because it’s connected to Instagram. If you are already on Instagram, you are given the option to “follow all” of your Instagram followers when you sign up. The option gives you a ready-made follower list, but also means you’ll be likely to gain followers as your Instagram friends sign up.
Canada stops advertising with Facebook and Instagram in news row:
Canada’s federal government has said it will pull all its advertising from Facebook and Instagram. It follows parent company Meta’s move to restrict news content for Canadians after parliament passed a law that will force tech firms to pay media for news. Canadian officials said on Wednesday that they stand by the law and will not be “intimidated” by Meta. They said they have been in contact with other countries who plan to pass similar laws. Google has also announced plans to block Canadian news in the country in response to the Online News Act – also known as Bill C-18 – when it takes effect in about six months.
Gloucestershire pupils speak out about negative side of social media:
Gloucestershire schoolchildren told an audience in the House of Lords that they back stronger online regulations. Twelve pupils from two schools were speaking ahead of scrutiny of the Online Safety Bill which is due to be heard in the Lords on Thursday. They were hosted by the Bishop of Gloucester, the Right Revd Rachel Treweek, who is calling for stronger age verifications online. Year nine student Amy said: “I feel this (the bill) will help a lot.” The Online Safety Bill aims to tackle illegal and harmful content online by imposing new legal requirements on big tech companies. Pupils from All Saints’ Academy in Cheltenham and The Cotswold School, Bourton-on-the-Water shared their views on the negative side of social media.
What do we know about drone attacks in Russia?:
Russia says Ukraine has launched a series of drone strikes on its territory in recent months, including several attacks on the country’s capital Moscow. Flights were forced to be diverted from Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow after a drone attack on 4 July. Russia also accused Ukraine of trying to kill President Vladimir Putin in an alleged attack on his residence in the Kremlin on 3 May. Ukraine denies carrying out the attacks.
Netherlands: Phone ban announced to stop school disruptions:
Devices including mobile phones are set to be banned from classrooms to stop them from disrupting learning, the Dutch government has announced. The initiative is being introduced in collaboration with schools and is to take effect at the start of next year. There will be some exceptions, including for students with medical needs or a disability, and for classes focused on digital skills. The ban is not legally enforceable but may become so in the future. “Even though mobile phones are almost intertwined with our lives, they do not belong in the classroom,” said Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf.
Hertfordshire residents urged to report cyber crime and fraud:
People have been urged to report suspicious emails or text messages as levels of fraud and cyber crime rise. Hertfordshire Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Lewis Cocking said more than half of such crimes reported in the county occur in the home or online. Despite successful recovery attempts, he said it was difficult to correctly estimate how much money was being lost. “I suspect the £2.5m we have got back is a small drop in the ocean, in terms of what’s actually out there,” he said.
Honeybee brains could bring AI breakthrough, say Sheffield experts:
South Yorkshire scientists are seeking to harness the power of bee brains in an effort to improve artificial intelligence (AI) systems and devices. Honeybees are believed to excel when it comes to quick decision-making, with brains only the size of a sesame seed, University of Sheffield scientists say. The experts examined how bees decide which flowers to explore for nectar. Study leader Dr HaDi MaBouDi said the aim was to develop skilled machines “that can think like bees”. In the study, researchers trained 20 bees to recognise five different coloured flowers. Blue flowers contained sugar syrup, green flowers contained bitter tonic water and the remaining colours sometimes had glucose.
VR headsets to be used on Worcestershire hospital wards:
Virtual reality (VR) headsets are now being used on hospital wards to help keep patients calm during procedures. A trial at Kidderminster Hospital saw soothing sounds and visuals from them used to cut stress and anxiety. In one case, VR was used in place of sedation when a tube was inserted into a child’s vein for blood sampling, staff said. The Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust says they are now a permanent feature in its hospitals. Dawn Forbes, a nurse specialist, used the technology ahead of a blood test and MRI scan for a patient with a phobia of needles.