PAKISTAN
Record time and money spent using mobile apps in q3 2020:
Lockdowns are starting to end and fewer people are now working or studying at home. Despite that, there has been a record increase in user time and money spent on mobile apps in Q3 2020. People spent 180+ billion hours using mobile apps in the period, which is a 25% increase compared to last year. Facebook applications lead the chart for most-used apps with the top 4 being Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram. These four were followed by online shopping platform Amazon, streaming giant Netflix, music streaming brand Spotify, and the Chinese social media app TikTok.
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PTA clarifies on how much taxes are charged per rs 100 card load:
With reference to taxes applied on the recharge/reload of prepaid balance, PTA clarified that mobile operators are deducting only Withholding tax & General sales Tax/Federal Excise Duty on the prepaid recharge/reload after restoration of taxes by the honorable Supreme Court of Pakistan from April 2019. A statement issued by PTA said that on the recharge of Rs. 100, the remaining balance provided to the user is Rs.88.88 (and not Rs.76 as reported on the social media). This initial deduction is made under the head of WHT tax that’s charged at 12.5% or Rs. 11.11 per Rs. 100 load.
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Massive leak reveals everything about the upcoming iphone 12 lineup:
The next iPhone launch event is right around the corner. Apple’s long-awaited keynote is due for October 13 at the Apple Park in Cupertino and that is when the iPhone 12 series is expected to break cover. Just a few days ahead of launch, we now have a detailed leak that reveals almost everything about the upcoming lineup. Notable Chinese tipster Kang shared a comprehensive post on Weibo talking about the iPhone 12’s specifications in detail. This was approved by another renowned tipster Ice Universe and also goes along with previous rumors.
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Huawei mate 40 is launching globally on October 22:
One of the major releases of October other than the iPhone 12 series, is expected to be Huawei’s flagship Mate 40. Industry tipsters believe that the Huawei Mate 40 lineup is launching globally on October 22 and on October 30 in China. Renowned tipster Teme believes that pre-launch teasers for the devices will start appearing after October 12. The global launch date will be October 22, which will also kick-off pre-orders in China, but the actual launch date for China will be October 30. However, it isn’t yet clear when sales will start with some sources saying that people will not get the devices until next year.
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Tiktok blocked in Pakistan, firm hopes to back, but with conditions:
Short video sharing app, TikTok, that was blocked by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority for users in Pakistan, last week, has said that its working for a comeback in Pakistan, with conditions though. While no more details were shared, a tweet issued by official handle of TikTok Pakistan said that company is working to restore its services in the country. Not to mention, PTA had repeatedly warned TikTok to self moderate its content or the platform will be blocked in Pakistan for indecent and immoral content.
TikTok is being banned in Pakistan as the popular social app is currently inaccessible in the country. Keeping in view the complaints and nature of the content being consistently posted on TikTok, PTA issued a final notice to the application and gave considerable time to respond and comply with the instructions for the development of an effective mechanism for proactive moderation of unlawful online content.
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AMD Ryzon 5000 series knocks out intel from the processor market:
American multinational semiconductor company, AMD, has unveiled Ryzen 5000 series processors for desktops. According to AMD, Ryzen 5000 series is based on its next-gen Zen 3 architecture and is the biggest leap forward for AMD’s desktop processors. AMD has claimed that the instructions per clock (IPC) of the Ryzen 5000 series has improved by 19%. This means the latest chipset series is 19% more efficient than previous generation processors. Thanks to the improvement in efficiency, AMD has managed to enhance the performance by roughly 26% without increasing power consumption.
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Pre-orders for tecno camon 16 premier begins:
Smartphone maker Tecno has announced Camon 16 Premier, a special edition of its Camon series. The phone is available for pre-orders at Tecno’s official website and AirKart online shop for only PKR 39,999. According to Tecno, limited stock of the handset is available for pre-order. The company is offering a free pair of TWS headphones worth PKR 3,999 to its pre-order customers. Pre-orders start today and will last till October 15, 2020.
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Samsung galaxy f41 launched with 64mp camera and 6,000mah battery:
Samsung has launched the first smartphone of its new mid-range Galaxy F series, the Galaxy F41. According to Samsung, the Galaxy F41 will last up to 119 hours with music playback, 26 hours with video playback, 21 hours with browsing, and 48 hours with calling, thanks to its massive 6000 mAH battery. Galaxy F41 is powered with Samsung’s Exynos 9611 (10nm) chipset, octa-core CPU, and Mali- G72 MP3 GPU. It operates on Android 10 with Samsung’s One UI Core 2.1. Galaxy F41 comes in two variants; 6GB/64GB and 6GB/128GB.As discussed above, the phone has a 6000 mAH battery which is supported by 15W fast charging.
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Ufone offers lowest data roaming rates for Saudi Arabia and UAE:
Ufone says it has introduced the lowest data roaming rate for Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The data roaming offer will now be available for as low as 4 paisa per 10Kb (approx. Rs 4/MB). This allows one to remain connected with their loved ones without worrying about high connectivity charges. By using the same prepaid number, customers in Saudi Arabia and UAE can enjoy seamless services at affordable prices. Subscribers only have to dial *506# free of cost for data roaming service activation. The roaming services will allow customers to use all social applications including Whatsapp, Facebook, IMO, and Skype without any restrictions.
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Vivo V20 with 44MP Eye Autofocus to be Launched from October 13th:
Vivo last week announced that the latest flagship smartphone in the V Series, namely the vivo V20 will be launched in Pakistan on Tuesday, October 13, 2020. Due to the ongoing pandemic situation in the country, vivo will be doing a digital launch for the vivo V20 in Pakistan with its brand ambassadors, the charismatic duo of Fahad Mustafa and Hania Aamir. The broadcast will be done through vivo’s official social media channels, where vivo fans can also interact and take part in different activities to get exciting gifts.
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS:
US election: twitter tightens rules on retweets and victory claims:
Twitter has said it will not allow any of its users — including candidates — to claim victory prematurely in the forthcoming US election. It said any tweets claiming victory before a clear projection would have a warning label added. The move follows a similar decision from Facebook last month.
Twitter will also temporarily change the way retweets work — prompting users to ‘quote tweet’ and add their own thoughts before spreading a message. If users do not add anything, it will appear as a normal retweet.
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Queen’s birthday honours 2020: ‘covid-critical’ broadband engineers awarded:
Two engineers who were on call “day and night” to ensure hospitals, care homes, surgeries and other critical sites stayed online in the early days of the Covid crisis are to be appointed MBEs. Peter Harding and Andrew Miller helped crucial sites, including the new Nightingale Hospitals, access the broadband connections they required. But welcomed the recognition, but stressed that it was a team effort. Workers at BT, Sky and Ericsson were also honoured. Joining Mr Harding and Mr Miller on the birthday honours list were BT’s John Hayday, Reza Rahnama, Karen Smith and Gemma Towers, alongside BT Openreach’s Peter Martin and Scott McPartlin. Sky’s managing director of customer service, Denise Allan, and her colleague, Ijeoma Nwamaka Ezeilo, were also awarded honours for their services to the telecommunications industry during the crisis.
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Driverless taxis to be available in phoenix ‘in weeks’:
People in Phoenix, Arizona will soon be able to order a driverless taxi, as Google expands its Waymo service. Vehicles with no human driver on board were previously tested by a select group of Waymo customers, before the pandemic halted the service. The driver-free cars will initially be available only to friends and family of those early Waymo adopters, but will extend to all app users within weeks. The service comes two years later than originally promised. The cars will be remotely monitored, with vehicle operators intervening in extreme circumstances — such as a road ahead being closed.
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Microsoft makes remote work option permanent:
Microsoft has told staff that they will have the option of working from home permanently with manager approval. The move mimics the US tech giant’s rivals Facebook and Twitter, which have also said remote work would be a permanent option. It follows a rapid shift away from office working prompted by the coronavirus pandemic. Many companies are reconsidering how much office space they need, expecting a long-term increase in remote staff. Microsoft said some roles will continue to require an in-person presence, such as those needing access to hardware, the firm added. But many staff will also be able to work from home part-time, without needing formal approval from their managers.
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US army trials augmented reality goggles for dogs:
The US Army has shown off augmented reality goggles for combat dogs, designed to let them receive orders at a distance. The technology, made by a firm called Command Sight, is managed by the US Army Research Laboratory. Military dogs can scout ahead for explosives and other hazards, but need instructions. The goggles are designed to let their handlers direct them, safely out of harm’s way. In current combat deployments, soldiers usually direct their animals with hand signals or laser pointers – both of which require the handler to be close by. But that need not be the case if the prototype AR goggles are widely adopted, the army said. Inside the goggles, the dogs can see a visual indicator that they can be trained to follow, directing them to a specific spot.
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XBOX game streaming ‘heading to iphones’:
Microsoft is planning to bring its Xbox game-streaming service to iPhones next year despite a public row with Apple over the app. The Game Pass streaming service was launched for Android phones last month. But Apple barred the app from its iOS app store, saying all 100 or so games on the service should be listed individually. Microsoft is now developing a web-browser-based version that should work on iPhones. Microsoft employees have been told that a “browser-based solution” is planned for next year, according to reports in Media. “We absolutely will end up on iOS,” Xbox head Phil Spencer said, according to both outlets.
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Carmakers compete to keep you entertained:
Bhavin Bhagalia from London has just bought his first electric car. “I didn’t just want something that could get me from A to B, I wanted the entire travelling experience to be better,” he says.
With that in mind he bought a Tesla Model 3. As well as its performance, Mr Bhagalia was attracted by its in-car entertainment. “You can play music straight from your Spotify account and when we have been charging the car on our journeys we have been watching Netflix and YouTube through the apps which come with the vehicle,” he says. All these apps are available on the main screen in the Tesla. However, it is only possible to use the music app Spotify while the car is moving.
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Cellmate chastity gadget hack thwarted by screwdriver trick:
The maker of a male chastity toy that was vulnerable to a hack attack has suggested the device can be easily removed with a screwdriver. Researchers found a flaw in Cellmate’s app that could have let hackers simultaneously remotely lock all the devices in use, with no manual release. Now the Chinese firm has defended the product, saying it can be cracked open. It added that anybody trapped in their chastity toy could also call its customer hotline to be released. The flaw was found by security firm Pen Test Partners, which shared its findings with Guandong-based Qiui, which makes the Cellmate toy.