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Haqeeqat.Org: Understanding the EU project

shark — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:40:59 +0000

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Speak Your Mind!!!: “We …

Gregarius » personal — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:35:00 +0000

“We degenerate into hideous puppets, haunted by the memory of the passions of which we were much afraid, and the exquisite temptations that we had not the courage to yield to.”

Oscar Wilde

I actually like the timing of this quote. Hope you also enjoy it as much as I do. Good day!

Pro Pakistani: MQM’s PhotoShopped Rally Picture Exposed

Aamir Attaa — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:23:58 +0000

It is very much obvious that political parties are now using internet and computer technology for their political campaigns along with reviving the party agenda during peace days.

Recently a picture published in Daily Express turned out to be photoshpped to exaggerate the number of audience.

Click on Image to Enlarge

google_ad_client = "pub-2582615005696185"; google_ad_slot = "8617325131"; google_ad_width = 200; google_ad_height = 200;

Incident should be taken as a lesson for other parties to not to deceive the tech savvy audience by using technology, because you will be easily caught. However, political parties may legitimately use blogging, social media and other internet resources to convey their messages.

By the way, the photoshop guy must be in hot waters after this.

Via Cafe Pyala

Telecom News Bulletin: Ufone Lowest Incoming Call & SMS Rates for Hajji’s

Qudsia Jamaal — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:54:46 +0000

With Hajj around the corner Ufone has tailor made its Hajj offer to further facilitate the Hajjis to meet their communication needs while on this spiritual journey.

Syed Zeeshan Ali Manager International Roaming while giving out the details said that this offer puts Ufone miles ahead of its competitors. The package reflects Ufone’s policy of lowest tariff rates with state of the art value added features. The Hajj package offers lowest incoming call rates while roaming on the Mobily network and exclusive predefined Hajj Text messages for just Re.1+tax/SMS to any network in Pakistan. These predefined messages can be accessed by dialing *333#, *334# or *999#.”The package,” he added “also includes free incoming SMS while roaming in Saudia Arabia and hassle free IR activation via Ufone Prepaid IR services.

He further elaborated that Ufone as a company was more driven by a considerate approach towards its customers than maximizing profits. “Earning profit only comes secondary to us as we focus more on addressing the real time needs of our valued customers when they are away from their homes,” Syed Zeeshan Ali said.

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Pro Pakistani: Ufone Offers Lowest Incoming Call and SMS rates for Hajji’s

Aamir Attaa — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:52:10 +0000

With Hajj around the corner Ufone has tailor made its Hajj offer to further facilitate the Hajjis to meet their communication needs while on this spiritual journey.

The Hajj package offers lowest incoming call rates while roaming on the Mobily network and exclusive predefined Hajj Text messages for just Re.1+tax/SMS to any network in Pakistan. These predefined messages can be accessed by dialing *333#, *334# or *999#.”

The package,” he added “also includes free incoming SMS while roaming in Saudia Arabia and hassle free IR activation via Ufone Prepaid IR services.

He further elaborated that Ufone as a company was more driven by a considerate approach towards its customers than maximizing profits. “Earning profit only comes secondary to us as we focus more on addressing the real time needs of our valued customers when they are away from their homes,” Syed Zeeshan Ali said.

Pro Pakistani: Telenor Announces Blogging Competition Winner

Aamir Attaa — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:08:14 +0000

Telenor conducted few online competitions for Weblounge, an online portal, in which thousands of people participated and won numerous prizes ranging from gift hampers to IPods and Blackberrys.

Telenor Persona Weblounge Game Competition:

To spice up the WebLounge, Telenor launched Weblounge blog (www.telenor.com.pk/webloungeportal). Here competition on Weblounge game was conducted in which more than thousand visitors participated. 10 lucky winners got gift hampers on completing all levels of the game.

Blogging Competition.

To appreciate the concern and efforts of Bloggers, blogging competition was conducted on Telenor Persona Web lounge. Eight bloggers participated and showed great muscle during contest.

Neck to neck efforts was observed between two of them however Hamad Dar admin of Kool Muzone won Blackberry having maximum reference to Weblounge.

Mustafa Ramzan, Brand Manager Persona and Talkshawk, is giving Blackberry to Hamad Dar - the winner of Blogging Competition. Javed Jafiri , Strategic Media Manager, Telenor is also seen in the picture

Telecom News Bulletin: Telenor Competition Winners Announced

Tahira Jamil — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:49:08 +0000

Customers have always been the focus of Telenor, whether it is about new offers, products or competitions. Similarly this time to benefit customers Telenor conducted few online competitions in which thousands of people participated enthusiastically and won numerous prizes ranging from gift hampers to Ipods and Blackberrys.

Telenor Persona Weblounge Game Competition:

Telenor Persona Weblounge is one stop for complete online communication shopping. Customers can buy new Persona connection (delivered to door step), MNP existing numbers and also can manage the existing Telenor numbers (call – SMS records, VAS service activation for Persona numbers etc). Weblounge can be accessed at www.telenor.com.pk/weblounge.

To spice up the product, Telenor also launched Weblounge blog (www.telenor.com.pk/webloungeportal). Here competition on Weblounge game was conducted in which more than thousand visitors participated. 10 lucky winners got gift hampers on completing all levels of the game.

Blogging Competition:

To appreciate the concern and efforts of Bloggers, blogging competition was conducted on Telenor Persona Web lounge. Eight bloggers participated and showed great muscle during contest. Neck to neck efforts was observed between two of them however we are glad to announce that Hamad Dar admin of Kool Muzone won Blackberry having maximum reference to Weblounge.

Cricket Challenge Facebook Application:

Cricket Challenge is a unique application developed by Telenor for the facebook users, the game is based on predictions in which customers have to predict the winner of the upcoming cricket match. The game was played by thousands of facebook users during ICC Champions Trophy. Points were allotted to the player on predicting the right answers. Farhan Raza from Karachi was the lucky winner of Blackberry however Mohammad Rizwan and Syed Raza (Both from Karachi) got lucky in securing Ipods.

“What is EP” Guess the name.

Three days before the launch of easypaisa (Convenience Anytime Anywhere, www.easypaisa.com.pk) competition was run online in which people were asked to guess “What is EP”. More than 5000 visitors participated in the campaign, huge curiosity and excitement was observed online, some very interesting comments were also taken (Telenor educational program, easy bills etc ) however name of seven winners who correctly written “easypaisa” were announced last week and they will hopefully receive Ipods in upcoming week.

“Easypaisa” TV Commercial Competition.

The latest competition over facebook and other online websites were about the easypaisa TVC in which person have to answer simple questions related to the commercial. More than 4000 visitors participated in the competition. 10 Ipod winners will be announced this week to which Ipod will reach hopefully by upcoming week.

Telenor will continue to benefit customers with more competitions in future, in order to engage them in fun filled activities and provide healthy entertainment with the best packages and offerings.

Pro Pakistani: Zong : Lets Hunt for Treasure

Muhammad Zohair Chohan — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:23:57 +0000

To promote its Wap portal ZoNG brings you Mobile Internet Treasure Hunt, a quest to win fabulous prizes. If you are a hunter, participate in the exciting hunt to win free air time (On-net) and cool hand held devices from zong.

How you gonna hunt?

To Start the Hunt Log on to: wap.zong.com.pk

There are three codes hidden on the Wap portal of Zong; you have to find the secret codes and enter them into the portal on the Mobile Internet Treasure Hunt page.
After correct insertion you will be added to the lucky draw for cool Hand Held Devices.
All participants with the correct entries will be given free air time (On-net) on the next working day.
The campaign is for seven days only starting Nov 10 so start the hunt quickly and be the winner today.

Keep in Mind!

Although there are no subscription charges, but surfing the portal will cost you standard GPRS charges. So if you are not lucky enough then make sure you have activated hourly or unlimited GPRS package before starting the hunt.

Note:

After finding the codes the customer has to enter the three correct codes in the portal on the Treasure Hunt WAP page in one go.If the Insertion is correct the number will be sent into a pool for the lucky draw for that day.
For the correct insertion of codes customer will get five mins of Free Air Time (On-Net) on the next working day. One number can win Free Air Time once a day only.
CMPak shall conduct a lucky draw every day at 12:00 am and the Wap portal Home page will display the winners of that day.
The winner has got an SMS of Notification of Winning (on the next working day) in above mentioned Campaign and will be intimated to come to ZONG CSC’s with his/ her original CNIC card for collection of the the Prize.
CMPak Employees will not be entitled to any price of the campaign
The Winner has acknowledged and accepts the Prize on as and where basis and shall agree not to make any sort of claim or demand from CMPak.
The Winner shall not be entitled to claim any other facility from CMPak except Prize.
The Winner shall be liable for and shall indemnify and hold the CMPak harmless against all claims, damages, liabilities, losses, and expenses, litigation whether direct or indirect, arising out of any negligence or intentional act or omission of the Winner or its successors, etc in connection with this GPRS Treasure Hunt campaign.
MPak shall not provide any sort of guarantee or warranty nor shall be responsible for any defect or fault in the Prize after handing over the Prize to Winner.

Pro Pakistani: Mobilink Organizes Cricket Match for Special Citizens

Admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:17:27 +0000

Lahore: Zahid Iqbal, Director, Broadband & Carrier Division, Mobilink presents trophy to a participant at the cricket match.

Mobilink recently organized an entertaining Cricket Tournament for the Voice Society for Rehabilitation of Special Persons (Voice).

The activity was organized by Mobilink employees volunteering under the banner of Mobilink Foundation to instill socially participative behavior and affirm the equal status of special persons in society. Divided into mixed teams, Mobilink employees and Voice members played by side. A total of 65 players participated in the matches.

Zahid Iqbal, Director, Broadband & Carrier Division, Mobilink also attended the match and presented prizes to the participants and trophies to members of the winning team.

Volunteerism is a core value of Mobilink’s Culture of Excellence and employees are strongly encouraged to engage in community endeavors. The Mobilink Foundation Torchbearers, as they are called, are sanctioned to clock an average of 4 to 5 dedicated hours per person per month during official working hours. On average the volunteers spent more than 3,000 hours in 2008 in community service and have already clocked in more than 700 hours this year.

Founded in 2007, The Mobilink Foundation is the grant-giving arm of Mobilink, which provides support for the local community not only financially but also through dedicated volunteer hours.

Technology Bee: 2012 – A Hoax confirmed by NASA

Gregarius » startups — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:54:00 +0000

2012, an year so much on our nerves these days that we plan everything till that year these days. It has become our habit in daily conversations to mention something like "Forget it.Just enjoy life. We are having only 3 years now on this planet earth" :-$

C'mon guys, whats wrong with you anyway? Thanks to internet, we are used to such hoaxes and threats. You must be wondering, why would a technology news blog would review something like this one. Well folks, its the advancement of technology that made this freaking statement a world popular hoax. And its the advancement of technology today that is proving it wrong too. We are here to honor the technological advancement anyway.

Lets see first that what is 2012 phenomenon? According to wikipedia definition,

The 2012 phenomenon is a range of beliefs and proposals positing that cataclysmic or transformative events will occur in the year 2012. The forecast is based primarily on what is claimed to be the end-date of the Mayan Long Count calendar,which is presented as lasting 5,125 years and as terminating on December 21 or 23, 2012. Arguments supporting this dating are drawn from a mixture of amateur archaeoastronomy, alternative interpretations of mythology, numerological constructions, and alleged prophecies from extraterrestrial beings.

A New Age interpretation of this transition posits that, during this time, the
planet and its inhabitants may undergo a positive physical or spiritual
transformation, and that 2012 may mark the beginning of a new era. Conversely, some believe that the 2012 date marks the beginning of an apocalypse

Proving this phenomenon a hoax, NASA has actually came up with some answers from the people who monitor the happenings on the planet earth. David Morrison, NASA Senior Scientist, gave us the brief look into the answers to the popular questions that people asked like this one

Why does the Mayan calendar say the world will end in 2012? I have heard that they have been pretty accurate in the past with other planetary predictions. How can you be sure you know more than they did?

Calendars exist for keeping track of the passage of time, not for predicting the future. The Mayan astronomers were clever, and they developed a very complex calendar. Ancient calendars are interesting to historians, but of they cannot match the ability we have today to keep track of time, or the precision of the calendars currently in use. The main point, however, is that calendars, whether contemporary or ancient, cannot predict the future of our planet or warn of things to happen on a specific date such as 2012.

I note that my desk calendar ends much sooner, on December 31 2009, but I do not interpret this as a prediction of Armageddon. It is just the beginning of a new year.

David Morrison explained the hoax something like this..

You can find more of the answers from NASA right here

Let us build Pakistan: In the name of God, go. Let our next military saviour step in.

Gregarius » Pakistani Politics — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:19:00 +0000

By Abdul Nishapuri
[www.crestock.com] />
Friends of Taliban in Pakistani media are continuously and shamelessly suggesting that politicians are corrupt, and that democracy has failed to deliver good governance in Pakistan.
Here are two different perspectives on this topic: The first perspective is offered by Ansar Abbasi and Roedad Khan who suggest that in the interests of the country, President Asif Zardari must quit his position sooner than later.
The second perspective is offered by Nazir Naji who deconstructs the myth that politicians are corrupt whereas military dictators are the saviours of Pakistan.

....

In the name of God, go

Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Roedad Khan (The writer has been a key supporter of the military dictatorships of Generals Ayub, Yahya and Zia-ul-Haq.)

Some leaders sail with the wind until the decisive moment when their conscience and events propel them into the centre of the storm. Altaf Hussain's fateful decision not to support Zardari on the infamous NRO issue was a masterly stroke in the game of politics. Otto von Bismarck famously said that political genius entailed hearing the hoofbeat of history and then rising to catch the galloping horseman by the coattails. This is what Altaf Bhai has done, to the surprise of friends and foes alike.

Altaf Bhai's friendly advice to President Asif Zardari to sacrifice his exalted office for the sake of the country and democracy reminds me of the fateful "Norway Debate” in the House of Commons in May 1940. Britain was at war, facing the full might of Nazi Germany. In the backdrop of the dismal picture of failure and retreat which confronted the nation, L S Amery, MP, delivered the historic speech which led to the resignation of Prime Minister Chamberlain and elevation of Churchill as prime minister. "I cast prudence to the winds," Amery wrote in his diary, "and ended full-out with my Cromwellian injunction to the government… 'You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go.' "

"I say solemnly," Lloyd George who followed Amery, declared, "that the prime minister should give an example of sacrifice because there is nothing which can contribute more to victory in this war than that he should sacrifice his Seals of Office." President Lyndon Johnson had won an enormous election victory and proposed civil rights legislations and Great Society. Less than three years later, broken by the Vietnam War, realising the nation no longer trusted him, and unable to appear in public, he announced he would not seek re-election. What is President Zardari going to do?

All presidents fall from their honeymoon highs, but no elected president in history has fallen this low this fast. All presidents are opposed, of course, and many are disliked; but few suffer widespread attacks on their personal integrity or veracity. President Zardari is one of those few. Zardari knows well the man responsible for the trouble he is in. He looks at him everyday while shaving.

Talking about despotic rulers, like himself, Mussolini said just before he faced the firing squad: "Have you ever seen a prudent, calculating dictator, they all become mad, they lose their equilibrium in the clouds, quivering ambitions and obsessions – and it is actually that mad passion which brought them to where they are." Absolute power, unrestrained by law, must make people mad. Power is heady substance. How else can one explain Zardari's erratic behaviour and his massive blunders?

Sometimes, once in a long while, you get a chance to serve your country. Today President Zardari is the Atlas on whose shoulders the state of Pakistan rests! Few people had been offered the opportunity that lay open to Mr Zardari. He blew it. No wonder, the country is gripped by fear and uncertainty. If Zardari remains in command of the ship of state, we will all go down like the Titanic.

At a time when the country is at war, Mr Zardari, the Supreme Commander, spends almost his entire existence in the confines of a bunker – which he seldom leaves these days. Mortally afraid of his own people and the sword of the NRO hanging over his head, he is more concerned about protecting himself and his power rather than protecting the country or the people of Pakistan.

Mr Zardari is so swathed in his inner circle that he has completely lost touch with the people and reality. He wanders around among small knots of persons who agree with him. His blunders are too obvious, his behaviour too erratic, his vision too blurred. He has painted himself into a corner.

A year after he captured the presidency, Zardari seems to have lost his "mandate of heaven." At a time when leadership is desperately needed to cope with matters of vital importance to the very survival of the country, Pakistan is led by a president who lacks both credibility and integrity. What is worse, he seems oblivious to the realities of his awesome responsibilities and is only interested in perpetuating himself.

What is it that people really expected from their president in a national crisis? It is something that the national psyche needs. The people, especially those in the war zone, expect the occupant of the Presidency to share their suffering, to assure those trapped in the crossfire that they will survive; that they will get through it. He has to be a Chief Executive who is in command, who reacts promptly, who alleviates human suffering. Above all, he must inspire confidence and hope. And so, he has to be that larger-than-life figure, which Zardari is not. No president and no prime minister can govern from a bunker.

These are critical days in Pakistan. Isn't it a great tragedy that at a time like this there is a loveless relationship between the rulers and the ruled? There is no steady hand on the tiller of government. The survival of the country, its sovereignty, its stunted democracy, its hard-won independent judiciary, all are on the line. Tragically, in our political life, we prefer to wait until things reach the emergency room. Each man feels what is wrong, and knows what is required to be done, but none has the will or the courage or the energy needed to speak up and say enough is enough. All have lofty ideals, hopes, aspirations, desires, which produce no visible or durable results, like old men's passions ending in impotence.

"Fortune is a fickle courtesan," Napoleon said on the eve of the battle of Borodino. "I have always said so and now I am beginning to experience it." When I watched Zardari a few days ago on TV, he was visibly undergoing a similar experience and looked like the captain of a sinking ship, the wind of defeat in his hair. How fortunes fluctuate! The calendar says Zardari will be around for another four years, but the writing on the wall shows the party is almost over.

For Mr Zardari, the accidental president of Pakistan, the moment of truth has arrived. His presidency is collapsing all around us; the wolf is at the door.

The presidency is more than an honour, it is more than an office. It is a charge to keep. Asif Zardari's sudden ascension to presidency caused panic among the people. Thrown there by accident, he is grotesquely unsuited for his position. Henry Adams once wrote that the essence of leadership in the presidency is "a helm to grasp, a course to steer, a port to seek." President Zardari grasped the helm more then a year ago but the country still doesn't know whether he has an inner compass, or a course to steer or a port to seek. It is now abundantly clear that he is not worthy of the trust placed in him by his people. He carries a serious baggage, dogged for years by charges of corruption until they were abruptly dropped under the NRO, which he tried to get validated through the Parliament but failed. No democrat should come to power through such an array of backroom machinations, deals with Generals or foreign powers. No wonder, too many people reject Zardari's political legitimacy.

The Zardari aura is crumbling. His star is already burning out, but he will stop at nothing to keep his lock on power.

The writer is a former federal secretary. Email: roedad@comsats.net.pk, www.roedadkhan.com (The News)

....

Ansar Abbasi:

...
Nazir Naji

Telecom News Bulletin: EZY Infotech Launched Slim and Affordable PC in Pakistan

Usman Tahir — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:10:37 +0000

EZY Infotech Pvt. Ltd. (part of EZY Group Holding) launched the Atom based Slim Top PC (new range of personal computers) in Pakistan just for Rs. 21,500 with LCD.

The EZY Slim Top PC is both Slim in price and Slim in Size. The Launching Ceremony held today at a local hotel in Karachi. Present on the occasion, Mr. Saeed Sheikh, CEO and Country Manager eSys Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd. and EZY Infotech (Pvt.) Ltd. and Mr. Ashar Zaidi, Country Manager Intel Pakistan. Mr. Ziadi said, “The importance of basic computing using Intel Atom Technology will provide benefits for consumers of Pakistan.” He added that EZY Slim Top is such a vehicle that would benefit the user.

“EZY Infotech introduced the Slim Top with an objective to offer affordable computers with high quality Computing. We believe that this will benefit the domestic and student segment as well as corporate sector,” said Saeed Sheikh.

Speaking on the need of the market and consumers, Mr. Saeed Sheikh said that beside EZY Slim Top PC, it would also offer wide range of EZY Notebook and Desktop PC in near future.

“Today we are proud to bring a uniquely designed and uniquely packed computer to Pakistan at the most affordable price. Now you can get a branded computer for only Rs. 21,500 with one year limited warranty. Moreover, it comes with a 15.6″ LCD monitor, space saving designs and most importantly, a unique packaging system,” Mr. Saeed added.

This Computer is powered by Intel Atom technology, with increased energy efficiency and advanced thermal control solution.

EZY Infotech believes that the EZY Slim Top is a perfect start to its endeavor of providing a computer for every Pakistani. The EZY Slim Top that is just 11 inches in height, 3 inches in width and just 1400 grams in weight, is the slimmest desktop computer in the market. Its unique colors make it more appealing than other traditional computers and would make the owner proud to own a Slim Top. “Those days are gone when you had to hide the computer under a desk and it acquired too much of your desk space. The EZY Slim Top provides you with three different placement options to optimize your desk space, making it more smart and stylish to use,” said Mr. Sheikh.

The Slim Top is now available for the Pakistani consumers with the retail price of Rs. 21,500 with Open source OS (Linux Ubuntu 2.6) and option to bundle with Microsoft Win 7 Starter OEM at Rs. 3,000 only.

EZY Infotech has appointed two distributors for Pakistani market ‘Decent Computers’ for Northern region and ‘Optimum Technology’ for Southern Region. Besides that 100 different retail outlets will have the product on display throughout Pakistan.

EZY Infotech (eSys Technologies) is headquartered in Dubai. With a total capital of

US $ 1 billion, it has 117 fully owned operations in 38 countries. With global leadership positions in distribution of technology products, EZY has successfully diversified into PC manufacturing, Business Process re-engineering and IT Services.

Source : ApnaTimes