TELECOM Research Projects

1500 Free Minutes with New Warid SIMs

2012-04-17T15:57:00.000-07:00

In a recent effort to push sales Warid has announced free calls for 3 months on every new SIM and 1500 free minutes on a recharge as low as Rs 50 per month.

The offer details are:

Offer is valid for all new prepaid customers and also if you port your existing connection of any network to Warid.
Subscriber will get free minutes for 3 months on Recharge done every month. Free minutes will be transferred right after recharge and distribution of free minute are like this:

1st Month recharge of Rs 50 will give 500 free minutes.
2nd Month recharge of Rs 50 will give 500 free minutes.
3rd Month recharge of Rs 50 will give 500 free minutes.

Free minutes can be used for Warid to Warid calls only.
Validity of free minutes given every month is 3 days.
Minimum recharge required is Rs 50 to avail free minutes.
Free air time given on SIM activation would remain as before, free minutes after recharge would be an additional benefit.
In case of package change, free minutes will still be usable.
This offer is available for recharge through scratch card and Warid Ezeeload. It is not available through Warid balance share.
Check your free minutes through *200*7#.
This is a limited time offer and only for prepaid subscribers.
All charges include government taxes and levies as well as a 19.5% federal excise duty.
Each recharge done through scratch cards and Warid Ezeeload includes 10% withholding tax.
Using SIMs without proper documentation is a crime – PTA

Warid Telecom, the most reliable cellular service provider in Pakistan announces an amazing offer where on purchase of a new prepaid SIM, customers will be given 1500 free on-net minutes over a period of three months on a minimum recharge of Rs. 50 every month. This offer is valid for all new prepaid customers and port-in customers. With the help of Warid Mobile Number Portability (MNP) service, non-Warid customers can also switch to Warid Telecom network to get the benefits of this amazing offer. Warid Telecom has established the credibility and transparency of its promotions by making communication not just simple and easy, but rewarding and worthwhile.

How To Pin Websites To Windows 8 Start Menu

2012-04-17T15:54:00.000-07:00

A few days ago Microsoft Pakistan page on Facebook asked a question “Did you know you can pin the websites to your Windows 7 task bar? “, the idea of pinning pages to Windows 8 Start Menu sprung up in my mind and I found out the following

Follow these steps if your Internet Explorer is set to open as Metro IE:

Open Internet Explorer from the Start Menu.
In the search box, type the address of the website you wish to pin, once the page loads you can pin the website by clicking on the pin to start button that appears after the refresh button.

The above steps are only applicable when Internet Explorer is set as Default for opening websites and you are using Metro IE.

i f you are not using Metro IE in Windows 8, then following steps should be followed:

Any site can be pinned by going to Tools > Add Site to Start Menu.
Go to All Programs, search the page by typing its name (e.g. Google)
Right click it to pin it to the start menu.

49 Paisa for 30 Seconds, All Networks: Telenor TalkShawk

2010-10-25T10:25:00.000-07:00

Telenor has offered its Talkshawk customers to make calls to any network at 49 Paisas per 30 seconds, anytime of the day, at a daily subscription charge of Rs. 3 plus tax.

For the purpose, you need to activate Telenor’s talkswhak 63 Package and avail this offer by activating your daily subscription.

Tariff:
If subscribed,

All calls to all networks in Pakistan will be charged at 49 paisas per 30 seconds
Call to UK (Landline only), US (Landline and Mobile) and Canada (Landline and Mobile) are charged at 49 Paisas per 30 seconds.

How to Activate:
Dial *345*255#

Subscription Charges:
Rs. 3 plus tax per day

How to Convert to Talkshawk 63 Package:
Write “migrate” and send SMS to 345

Complete Tariff of Talkshawk 63 is available here
Terms:

This offer is valid only for Talkshawk 63 package
Subscription expires every day at 12:00 AM
This is a limited time offer

Zong Introduces Another Low-End Handset

2010-10-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

After Android and four other mid and low end handsets, Zong has introduced this stylish R-221 Model that a basic camera, FM Radio, Torch and GPRS.

Handset comes with classy look at an affordable price.

The salient features of handset R-221 are as below:

Handset Features
0.3 MP Camera
GPRS
FM Radio
Torch

Price:
Handset with new ZONG SIM: Rs. 2,499/- (Rs. 150 will be waived if you don’t want a SIM)
Bundle Offer:

Rs 150/- free balance

Incoming SMS While Roaming Goes Free on Warid

2010-10-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

During International Roaming, Warid is now offering incoming SMS Free of Cost (FOC) without any subscription charges, providing its customers a convenience to stay connected using SMS.

* This offer is already available for Prepaid subscribers and it is now being offered to Warid Postpaid subscribers as well.
* It is only for Warid subscribers, roaming abroad.
* For further information please contact 321

To view Warid’s latest tariff for International Roaming, download this file (156KB – PDF)

ISPAK Urges Not to Pay USF and ICT R&D Fund

2010-10-25T10:13:00.000-07:00

Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (ISPAK) is seeking a facility for all the stakeholders to not to pay their contribution for Information Communication Technologies (ICT) Research and Development (R&D) Fund and Universal Service Fund (USF) due to government’s inaction in resolving the issues of these two funds.

In a news item produced in ‘The News’, it said that ISPAK has written a letter to Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), ISPAK has demanded that since last six months, government has miserably failed to resolve the serious issues being faced by both funds and any further contributions by the telecom operators should be stopped till both organizations are back on the track.

ICT R&D Fund and USF are both stuck in managerial issues for last 6 months or so. Both funds are operating without any budget in this fiscal year, resulting no operations and non-payment of salaries.

Cellular companies pay 1.5 percent of their annual revenues for USF and ICT R&D fund. It merits mentioning here that PTA collects this contribution from cellular companies at regular intervals and even imposes surcharges in case of late payments.

When contacted cellular companies, they showed their concerns over the situation, however, they said that they can’t stop paying the fund as its part of their license agreement.

At the same time cellular companies urged the Government to either get both the organizations working or otherwise spare cellular companies from paying billions of rupees of fund.

Cellular officials responded negatively, when asked if they have escalated this issue at authority’s level.

Following is the text of letter sent by ISPAK to PTA:

Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan
(ISPAK)
No. 3(5)/2010
18 October 2010
Dr. Mohammad Yaseen
Chairman
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority
Islamabad

Subject:

State of Affairs of ICT R&D Fund and Universal Service Fund and Contributions by Telecom Operators
Dear Sir,
1.         Two important organizations created through sole contributions of telecom operators for promotion of telecom sector in the country have been forced to become practically dormant over last six months. All telecom operators of the country, as part of their licensed obligations, have been contributing a significant percentage of their annual gross revenues to these funds on regular basis since last many years.
2.         While telecom operators have been fulfilling their obligations earnestly and contributed billions of rupees to these funds in addition to payment of heavy taxes, the Government has miserably failed to fulfill its obligations, that were, to provide an efficient, professional and transparent organizational structure to utilize these funds for promotion of information communication technologies (ICT) and extend telecom infrastructure to under and un-served areas of the country.
3.         The gloomy state of affairs of both organizations is summarized as follows:
ICT R&D Fund
a. Last meeting of the Board of Directors (BOD) was held on 30 March 2010.
b. Company Secretary was ‘illegally’ sacked by the then Chairman BOD on 26 May 2010.
c. Financial and administrative powers of the Acting CEO were ‘illegally’ withdrawn by the then Chairman BOD in June 2010, thus leaving the organization unable to perform its functions.
d. Six independent directors of the Board were ‘illegally’ removed from the BOD by the then Chairman on 7 July 2010.
e. Despite the orders of Lahore High Court on suspension of the notification of removal of independent directors on 20 September 2010, no meeting of BOD has been convened by the Government, despite requisitions submitted by the majority of Board members.
f. Numerous projects of ICT R&D Fund being executed by the Universities and R&D organizations have been stopped due to non disbursement of funds by the organization. The executing agencies left with no budget for payment of salaries, have started laying off their researchers. This means that billions of rupees already invested in these projects are just going down the drain due to apathy of Government.
Universal Service Fund
g. Last meeting of BOD was held on 31 March 2010.
h. No grants for the approved and ongoing projects have been released by the Government thus halting the ongoing projects to extend telecom services in rural and un-served areas.
i. Payments to telecom operators for approved and competed projects have been stopped due to non-release of grants by the Government.
3.         PTA has been imposing penalties on telecom operators for even a day of delayed payments as contribution to R&D and US Funds but this blatant non-fulfillment of obligations by the Government has gone unchecked by the regulator. Nominees of the Federal Government on BODs of both organizations have also not played their legitimate role and did not make any effort to save these organizations from disaster.
5.         There have been rumors that Government is planning to divert the funds available with ICT R&D Fund and USF to some other ‘activities’ for political gain. Funds of both organizations have a specific mandate and their utilization by the Government for any purpose other than specified in the relevant statue, rules and regulations would be in excess of authority, ultra vires of the law and illegal.
6.         In view of above, we request that payments from the telecom operators to ICT R&D Fund and USF to PTA are kindly suspended till Government resolves pending issues of these organizations and bring them back on fully functional track.
With kind regards.
Yours truly.
Wahaj us Siraj
Convener
c.c.
1. Mrs. Nergis Sethi, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad
2. Mr. Naguib ullah Malik, Secretary, Ministry of IT, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad
3. Mr. Iqbal Awan, Additional Finance Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad.
4. Mr. Nasrul Karim Ghaznavi, Member Finance, PTA, Islamabad.

Facebook Becomes ‘Top Time Waster’ in Pakistani Offices

2010-10-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

We all knew it; however, the statement seems more valid after Daily Time’s this survey that concludes:

Pakistani office going community loves the Facebook, the most, out of all other time wasting activities.

The previous office time waster king was the MSN, Yahoo Messengers but over the years web applications have been developed that diverted the Internet traffic from these messengers.

These days, Twitter, online video games and popular video search engine Youtube are among the top office time wasters, noted Daily Times.
But even the bosses know that blocking these web sites would create frustration among the employees as they get a chance to refresh themselves just by checking their account on Facebook for a few minutes.
You may consider blocking Facebook, if you are boss and if you feel like a lot of amusement going around with less work in your office.

Interestingly, the people contacted for comments, wished not to be named as it could affect the repute of their organizations and they would be termed as “less professional”.

Jazz Launches SMS Khazana 4 with Bigger Prizes

2010-10-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

After the success of SMS Khazana 1, 2 and Jazz Eid SMS Khazana, Mobilink now brings another exciting offer for its valued customers “Jazz SMS Khazana 4” promising lots of cash prizes for Mobilink customers to win.

Jazz SMS Khazana 4 like its predecessors is based on answering trivia questions to gather points and entering in to lucky draw to win high value cash prizes.

Prizes:
This time around the prizes are valued at

Rs. 100,000 daily win,
Rs. 1,000,000 monthly win and
Rs. 3,000,000 bumper win!

Jazz SMS Khazana 4 has begun from October 18^th and will continue till January 16th, 2011.
How to Participate:
send JK to 5555 to enter into Jazz SMS Khazana 4. Remember, the higher the points the customer gets, the closer he/she gets to winning a prize.
Charges:
Service charges are Rs 8+tax per SMS
To Unsubscribe:
If a customer wishes to opt out of the contest then he/she should call 111 and ask to be removed from the promotion or send STOP to 5555. The participant will not receive any promotional SMS, but in case if he sends any SMS to 5555 again, he will be receiving replies.
Service Mechanics:
The quiz mechanism consists of multiple choice questions where participants should answer in order to gather points and increase their possibilities to become a winner. All points will be accumulated during the campaign for the final draw/grand prize.

Every correct answer awards 20 points for the prizes
Every incorrect answer awards 10 points
Every invalid answer gives 5 points
Various bonus mechanisms give the chance to the participant to win more points
The participant will have to choose from option 1 or 2 to reply to a question

Service Eligibility Criteria & Rules:

Daily draw: All participants who have sent at least 1 SMS on a specific day enter that day’s draw with all the collected points gathered from the beginning of the campaign until the time of the draw.
Monthly draw: All participants who have sent at least 1 SMS during the specific month enter that Month’s draw with all the collected points gathered from the beginning of the campaign until the time of the draw.
Grand Prize draw: All participants who have participated in the campaign are eligible to enter the draw for the grand prize with all their accumulated points. This includes the winning participants of daily/monthly draws as well.
The users will have lucky draw entries based on their points, which means if a user has 100 points he will have 100 entries in the lucky draw.
The due lucky draw of that particular day will be held at 11:59 PM. The names of the winners will be published on Mobilink World Website after every 3rd working day.
One particular user cannot win two similar cash prizes during the campaign. For example, same customer cannot win daily prize twice. However these winners will be eligible for the other draws i.e., daily winners will be eligible for monthly draws & the Grand Prize draw ,similarly monthly winners will be eligible for daily draws & the Grand Prize draw. Users who have won neither daily nor monthly prizes shall also be eligible for the Grand Prize draw.

Terms & Conditions:

Mobilink Employees, franchises, dealers, Employee’s first blood relatives are not eligible to participate in the campaign.
All prizes will be delivered within 20 working days after the lucky draw.
All applicable Govt. taxes will be deducted from the prize money before handing over the prize amount to the winner.
The SIM should be registered in the name of the prize claimer.
Indigo users can also participate in the campaign.
In case of postpaid connection, until & unless all the dues are cleared, prize money will not be handed over to the winner.
· All winners will be announced on www.mobilinkworld.com/khazana4

Glow Din Raat Offer, With New SMS / GPRS Bundles

2010-10-20T12:59:00.000-07:00

Glow has introduced this new offer called ‘Din Raat’. Heard of this name before? Yes, its similar to Djuice’s ‘Din Raat Package’.

‘Raat Din offer’ gives Glow customers a freedom of calling their friends and family (also called Glow Gang) numbers at good price.

Moreover, Glow customers can also choose from variety of SMS bundles and Mobile Internet packages according to their usage.

Tariff:
Calls to On-net Glow Gang Friends:

Din: Rs. 1.99+tax / 30 min (8am to 5pm, (Monday to Friday)
Raat: Rs. 2.99+tax / call (This rate is already applicable for Glow users for calls in the Nights & Weekends)

Note: Re. 1+tax will be charged only the first Glow Gang call made in a day on Glow 1 & Glow 2 with Raat Din Offer.
To Activate:
Glow customers can avail this offer while being on their existing package whereas for rest of the Warid Prepaid subscribers this offer is only available on Glow 2.0.

SMS Glow to 7777 or call 321
Existing Warid Customers: Dial 321 or SMS Glow to 7777

Activation Charges:

Rs.10 for Glow customers
Rs. 25 for other Warid Prepaid customers

Terms & Conditions

19.5% FED on usage & 10% withholding tax on recharge apply.
Prices are subject to change at Warid’s discretion
All calls will automatically disconnect after 50 minutes

New Glow SMS Packages:
Send Unlimited SMS to any number, any network in Pakistan.

1000 SMS@ Rs. 7.99+tax/week – To activate, SMS Glow1000 to 7777or call 321
700 SMS @ Rs. 6.99/week – To activate, SMS Glow700 to 7777 or call 321
250 SMS @ Rs. 2.99/day – To activate, SMS Glow250 to 7777or call 321

Note: Act. charges on all bundles Re. 1+tax.
New Glow Mobile Internet:

2MB Mobile Internet @Rs. 3.99+tax/day – To activate, SMS 2MB to 7777
10MB Mobile Internet @Rs. 30+tax/bucket – To activate, SMS 10MB to 7777

Nokia C3 [Officially] Launched in Pakistan

2010-10-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

Nokia today officially launched Nokia C3 in Pakistan.

Built with social networking in mind, the Nokia C3 is the first device to bring a full QWERTY keyboard to Series 40.

People can view, post, comment, share locations and even update their status on networks such as Facebook and Twitter, straight from the homescreen. Nokia C3 offers more of a smartphone features at lower price.

To maximize the connectivity experience, Nokia is collaborating Ufone to bring free data bundles for all Ufone customers with the purchase of every C3 phone.

The free data bundle would allow Ufone customers to enjoy unlimited internet access, Ovi services, email and chat to let them be on top of their social as well as work life.

Speaking at the launch of Nokia C3, Khurram Pradhan, Product and Portfolio Manager, Pakistan & Afghanistan said,

The Nokia C3 comes with Ovi Mail and Ovi Chat, meaning for the first time users can set up email and chat accounts straight from the device, without the need for a PC.
Other features include Wi-Fi connectivity, a two megapixel camera, rich color screen, and support for up to 8GB memory card. The Nokia C3 is available in a variety of colours including hot pink and blue.

Specifications:

2.4 inch QVGA display
320 x 240 pixel resolution
262K colors
Series 40 User Interface
Full QWERTY keyboard
GPRS/EDGE
Opera Mini
Wi-Fi
2 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom
Media Player
Stereo FM Radio
Built-in hands-free speaker
55 MB internal memory
8 GB expandable memory
2 GB MicroSD card included
3.5mm headphone jack
Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR
OVI Chat
OVI Share
7 hours talktime
20 days stand-by time

Price:
Nokia C3 Price in Market: Rs. 12,900

Mobilink Jazz Brings ‘All in One Offer’

2010-10-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

Jazz brings an amazing offer ‘JAZZ All in One’, for its customers.Now for Rs. 20 you can get

20 minutes which can be used for on-net, off-net & international calls (USA/Canada – Landline + Mobile & UK – Landline only) and
200 SMS that can be used on all local networks!

Furthermore, a consumer can decide on the usage of minutes/SMS in any category as they want thus providing complete freedom. For example all minutes can be used for international calls.

Tariff:

19.5% FED apply on the above mentioned price

Subscription Process
Dial *101*1*03# on mobile screen and press send.

Status Inquiry
Dial *101*2# on mobile screen and press send.

Terms & Conditions:

The existing daily hybrid bundle offering 25 Mobilink minutes and 50 SMS for Rs. 20 will not be available from 23:59 Oct 19, 2010 onwards. However if a subscriber has already subscribed to a bundle, his voice minutes will become valid for any local number as well as USA/Canada(L+M), UK(L).
In case of multiple subscriptions, the count of minutes and SMS will be added together and validity will be greater of the two subscriptions e.g. if a customer buys a bundle on 11:00 Oct 27, 2010 consumes 10 minutes and 100 SMS the same day (left with 10 minutes and 100 SMS available till 23:59 Oct 28, 2010) and buys another bundle next day 14:00 Oct 28, 2010, he will have 30 minutes and 300 SMS available till 23:59 Oct 29,2010.
In case of purchase of a bundle before the expiry of previous bundle, the validities will be greater of the two but the destination of the minutes will be as per the last purchased bundle i.e. if a subscriber has bought all-in-one bundle and before the consumption / expiry of the bundle he has bought an on-net bundle, all the minutes will be converted to on-net; and vice versa.
Minutes are for calls to any local number as well as USA/Canada(L+M), UK(L) and SMS are for all mobile networks across Pakistan
The offer will be available on all Jazz packages except Jazz 24 Ghanta
There is no restriction or quota assigned on Mobilink, other operator or international minutes and the customers can use the 20 minutes as per the split that he desires
The validity of this bundle will be till next day at 23:59 i.e. if a subscribers purchases this bundle on Oct 22, at 11:00 then his bundle will be valid till Oct 23, 23:59.
This is a limited time offer

Car Amplifier Fuse and Car Safety [Tips]

2010-10-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

Car amplifier is the electronic device, which is used to enhance the multimedia experience in the vehicle. It is widely used in the Pakistan and mostly youth prefer to have car music amplified and loud with extra grooves.
Inline car amplifier fuse is used in installation of car amplifier and its basic function is to protect the circuit that it is attached to.

In simple, when it is used with car amplifier, it fundamentally guards car from burning up (God forbid) in case of power shorting, provided if installed properly.

In Pakistan well designed inline car amplifier fuses are available in car audio / video markets. Their price ranges from PKR 500/- to PKR 3000/- but not limited to and depends on the type, quality and complete wiring set that anyone want to buy.

Car Fuse basically comes in complete wiring set, which includes, Power Wire, Ground Wire, RCA

Cables, Speaker cables and inline fuse with connectors.
There is common ignorance which is observed that most of the people don’t use inline fuse while installing car amplifiers. As car amplifiers are high electronic devices capable of producing high pitch sounds, hence they require much current generation and direct electric current connection to keep itself not only Powered ON but to also provide good sound quality.

So, if there is huge current activity going on, heat production is part of it and any short circuit can be harmful for the vehicle, which may be prevented by installing car amplifier inline fuse.
Inline car amplifier fuses are highly advised to be used only after having an expert opinion on your particular car amplifier, as these inline fuses varies in ampere range and also its selection depends on the power required and consumption by the car amplifier.

Points to Consider & and to be Consulted:

Car Amplifier Specifications like Watts, Amperes, Gains, Ampere adjustment with speakers, Heat Exhaust and Heat Sinks or Fan Air blowers must be considered before your decide the type and make of inline fuse.
Plan the Amplifier placement in vehicle by keeping every aspect in view.
Power Wire Gauge.
Ground Wire Gauge.
Inline Fuse Amperes value.
Wiring separation or piping, for instance speaker audio wires must be separated from electronic wires as it may come in electronic field and may produce fuzzy sound in speakers.

Conclusion:
Always remember, car amplifier is high current consumption electronic device and it heats up the power wire generally.

Research more and get expert opinion on its installation plan and deployment. But one should consider as many as precautions and safety tips in mind as he can.
Though nothing is 100% secure in this world, so please do not limit yourself to these precautionary and safety guides.

Disclaimer: Please be informed that, information mentioned in the article is only for awareness and can’t be termed as a guideline. Author is not responsible for any purchase / sale /exchange/loss/Price Quotation/ decision made after reading this article.

Mobilink May Launch a Youth Brand, Soon!

2010-10-19T09:36:00.000-07:00

Mobilink, Pakistan’s largest cellular network, is reportedly all set to launch a new brand, especially designed for youth, revealed a report produced at Telecom Recorder. This upcoming Youth Brand is likely to surface in November 2010.

However, we are yet to ascertain the features and tariffs for the said brand.

Target Audience:
Target audience for this upcoming brand is said to be between 15 to 25 years of youngsters.

Offerings:
Keeping in view the Mobilink’s recent (hourly) offers, it is assumed that Mobilink will try to come up with special treat for youth, who are usually hard to impress these days. It is sure that Mobilink will retain its focus on SMS and internet GPRS packages to grab the attention.

Scope:
Mobilink, for long, tried to cope with Youth with their primary brand Jazz, however, with time Jazz has turned out to be more of a generic or best dubbed as “Awami” brand. Specialized package for youth, Jazz Octane couldn’t leave the impact due to its daily rental, at the same time, pricing and publicity didn’t match the competition.

Maybe its little late, but Mobilink has rightly identified the need of a Youth Brand, because it is the youth that has revolutionized the scope of the mobile industry from being just an ordinary portable phone calling/receiving device to becoming a texting, web connected, instant messaging, and social networking phenomenon.

If we look at competition, Telenor, Zong, Ufone and Warid all have their recognized Youth brands, however, Mobilink had failed to get the recognition in this race.

If we look at competition, Telenor, Zong, Ufone and Warid all have their recognized Youth brands, however, Mobilink had failed to get the recognition in this race.

PTCL Revises its Student Broadband Package

2010-10-19T09:31:00.000-07:00

PTCL has revised its student package by bundling it with PSTN (landline) incentives – however, the price of broadband remains the same.

PTCL is now offering student Package of 1 Mbps broadband with unlimited download, 150 free voice minutes per month and free unlimited Kehdo SMS at Rs 999 / month.

But if you need just the broadband, then and PTCL Broadband existing Student Package will cost you Rs 850 / month.

Note: Kehdou Voice SMS service was launched by PTCL back in June 2008 that enables PTCL customers to send voice SMS to cellular subscribers.
I
t merits mentioning here that PTCL had taken back discounts on student packages for 1 Mpbs broadband.

PTCL broadband student package has been launched with the following two offers;

Broadband Student Package 1 Mbps unlimited download Bundled with PSTN offering 150 Free voice Minutes and FREE Kehdo SMS at Rs 999 / Month
PTCL broadband Student Package basic 1 Mbps with unlimited downloads at Rs 850 / month (Previously PTCL Educational Broadband)

Benefits and key Highlights:

PTCL Broadband Student Package is available in over 1000 cities across Pakistan.
Free E- Learning cards to all (By applying till 31st of Dec 2010)
Chance to win Rs. 100,000 scholarships for further education (By applying till 31st of Dec 2010

Universal Laptop Charger [Preview]

2010-10-19T09:24:00.000-07:00

Couple of days back my laptop charger went unresponsive and I had to visit market for new charger.
I was told by this one shopkeeper that he can sell me a laptop charger for Rs. 700, which was made in China and it came with no warranty at all.

But with that I was offered another solution for my laptop that was “Universal Laptop Charger” with multiple pins for only PKR 750/- obviously china made ;) This gadget has an ability to charge almost all laptops, and it works like a charm with my laptop.

A universal laptop charger can be used with different types of laptops without buying specific laptop charger for a specific laptop. Universal laptop charger is usually available with 8 different pin connectors and in the range of 15v to 19.5 volts adjusted automatically (however, some universal chargers may not support automatic adjustment of output power).

Universal laptop chargers are designed for the people who have multiple laptops at a single place like a laptop repairing shop, Networking admin etc, but it can also benefit general users based on requirments.

How to Buy a Universal Laptop charger:
Things you must consider before buying a laptop charger are:

It must have 8 different pins to connect with different variety of laptops.

Very IMPORTANT Step: You must check the required voltage for your laptop. This can be verified through your laptop manual or otherwise it would be mentioned on your original charger as well. So make sure that you are inputting correct and exact amount of voltage to your laptop. A mistake here can damage your laptop severally. Try consulting an expert to know the required voltage for your laptop.
Some of universal laptop chargers are available with retractable cords; which can be disturbing in some cases as retractable cords disconnects a lot.

Where to buy in Pakistan?
Well there is no specific place except electronics markets or computer markets.

Disclaimer: Please be informed that, Article is only written in the favor of informing common people about the new gadgets benefits. Author is not responsible for any purchase / sale /exchange/loss/Price Quotation/ decision made after reading this article.

Microsoft Contributes $ 1.3 Mln for the Flood Victims

2010-10-18T09:26:00.000-07:00

Microsoft Pakistan is working closely with different NGOs and Government bodies in Pakistan as part of the rescue and prevention effort now underway.

In this regard Microsoft announced a relief package consisting of $ 700,000 cash-donation, deployment of disaster management software for the Govt. of Punjab at no cost, urgent food supplies to the flood victims in KPK province and software donations to various NGOs currently involved in relief activities.

In the first and the most urgent phase of this humanitarian assistance, Microsoft Pakistan team volunteered in donating and distributing food items comprising flour, rice, cooking oil, sugar and tea to the hundreds of families left destitute by the heavy monsoon rains, which have ravaged different parts of Pakistan.

A group of individuals from Microsoft team has visited Nowshera and its surroundings four times in last one month to deliver urgently needed food supplies to flood victims there. So far over 300 families have been reached.

“It has been extremely difficult to reach these vulnerable families,” said Shoaib Khalil, Marketing Lead, Microsoft Pakistan.

“Almost all infrastructures have been destroyed by the flood and relief activities are hindered. Sitting back in the office it was impossible for us to gauge the level of assistance needed by the affected families. I would urge people in their personal capacity shall come forward and visit these camps with do their share of support “he added.

As part of the efforts to create resilient communities, Microsoft will support landing a Disaster Management Response system in the Punjab Province. Country Manager Kamal Ahmed led the Microsoft mission in a presentation to the Punjab Chief Minister and subsequently his cabinet, to present a state of the art Emergency Response System developed by Microsoft Gold Partner, Geodan . The Dutch Firm, which received Microsoft’s 2008 innovation award, will provide the $500,000 software package and initial training free of charge as part of Microsoft partner support to flood relief.
The Response System and its technical staff, which has especially flown in from Holland has already began the installation and training for Punjab Province Staff. Microsoft will also arrange demos for the software system to all the major donors so that it can become part and parcel of the arsenal of disaster response mechanisms. In addition Microsoft will also be providing software donations to NGOs involved in the relief effort.
Talking at this ceremony Kamal Ahmed, Country General Manager Microsoft Pakistan said

“The floods have uprooted millions from their homes. This is a time when every individual, every brand, every company must do everything possible to help the affectees in areas best suited to their core strengths. Only this way, will we be able to maximize our impact and tend to the needs of our fellow Pakistanis. A single entity’s contribution is limited by its individual resources and skill. Our aim is to help as many people as possible and therefore, it is important to create synergies to maximize reach. What we could have done alone would be far smaller than what we can do together with our cause partners like; Geodan and Govt. Of Punjab combined. We have come together to provide help in their respective areas of expertise and have dedicated their individual resources to reach out to those unfortunately affected by the country’s floods. “

Microsoft and its employees around the world have committed and contributed generously for flood relief efforts in Pakistan. Microsoft offices in the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and our Middle East and Africa Region are matching employees’ donations as well. Besides the cash donation MSN & Bing had been running cross network promotion on how to donate to help for Pakistan flood victims, through their websites. Besides the cash donation MSN & Bing has been running cross network promotion on how to donate to help Pakistan.
Manager Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy, Malik Babur Javed ,while appreciating the multi-fold support provided by Microsoft said,

“The unprecedented torrential rains and flash floods have caused immense human and financial loss to the country and it is the need of the hour that the business community should come forward with generous donations so that maximum relief could be provided to the million of displaced families.”

The United Nations has reported that to date, an estimated 20 million people have been affected by torrential rains and flooding and 7 to 8 million people are in dire need of food aid, clean water and shelter. Over 1,700 lives have been lost, more than 1,600 injured and 2 to 3 million people displaced due to the various rain-related hazards including landslides, floods, mudflows and structural collapse. More floods due to continued rains in upper parts of the country are likely to swell the number of those affected.

PTCL will Offer Weekend and Intl Bucket Packages

2010-10-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

PTCL is all set to introduce Nation Wide Weekend and Off-Peak, European and Far Eastern Bucket packages for its customers, we have confirmed with sources in the company.

These packages are likely to come at a monthly rental with a set amount of minutes to be used during weekends, off-peak hours, or otherwise for European and Eastern countries.

NWD Weekend and Off-Peak Package

Unlimited on-net NWD calls from 8 PM to 8 AM and weekends
Free 100 minutes to mobile networks during 8 PM to 8 AM and weekends
Package charges will be Rs. 350 per month

European Bucket Package

250 minutes to fixed networks of Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherland and Norway
Package Charges: Rs. 300 per month

Far Eastern Bucket Package

250 free minutes to fixed networks of South Korea, Malaysia and Fixed and Mobile networks of Hong Kong
Package charges: Rs. 300 per month

Subscribers will be able to select one or multiple buckets at a time.
We are yet to ascertain the Launch date of these buckets.

Dell Insipiron N5010 – Preview, Price, Features

2010-10-18T09:20:00.000-07:00

This model is known by two names i.e. Dell Inspiron N5010 or Dell 15R. It is a home machine and forerunner of 1560’s sequence dell laptops. It is weighted at 2.47 kg with almost (380 W x 259 D x 20 H) (front) / 32.8 (rear) mm dimensions.

Dell Inspiron N5010 comes with 15.6 inches for 720p HD WLED display resolution of 1366×768 and black bezel color matches with silver palm rest.

WLED stands for “White Light Emitting Diode”, it uses a lesser amount of energy and is environmentally friendly that produces smoother and brighter lighting of the display with enhanced clarity.

Dell Inspiron N5010 offers true life display (anti-reflective) technology that enhances the gloss, sharpness, wide viewing angles and vibrant colors for watching content on the screen.

Dell Inspiron N5010 is ready with full size keyboard with integrated numeric pad. It enhances the pointing device experience by providing smooth touch pad with On/Off button and dedicated vertical scroll Up/Down pad.

The right side of the Dell Inspiron N5010 has a built-in DVD burner and eSATA port, a 10/100 Ethernet port and an SD card slot; while the left side has a USB port, microphone and headphone ports and an HDMI port; the rear has two more USB 2.0 ports, a VGA port and the power connection.

Chipset / Motherboard:

Dell Inspiron N5010 is equipped with Intel H57 chipset, which is part of Intel 5 series chipsets replacing the old two chip approach. Intel rapid storage technology, INTEL RST 9.5 brings additional storage performance and data protection with low power consumption features.

Support for eSATA combined with Intel RST provides much better performance than USB 2.0 or IEEE 1394, so it may be ideal for data storage and transferring purposes like multimedia professionals needs high speed data transfer and copying devices for the content.

Processor:

Dell Inspiron N5010 comes with Intel® Core™ i3 2.13 GHz 330M, with 2 cores and its hyper threading technology enables dual core CPU to grip 4 threads at one time. It should be able to handle good amount of applications at optimum level but there could be possibility of advanced CPU for demanding games.

It is loaded with instruction set of 64 bit technology, Enhanced Speed step, Intel Virtualization Technology, Idle States, Thermal Monitoring technology, Intel fast memory access, Intel flex memory access with integrated GMA HD 500MHz, integrated DDR3 1066 memory controller.

Cache and Memory, (RAM/Hard Drive):

Dell Inspiron N5010 features 3MB smart cache for better giving out and set up with 250GB hard drive supporting (High rpm); hard drives are capable of working under vibration with power saving options. 2GB DDR3 (DDR 800, 1066, 1333 and 1600) RAM twice the data rate of DDR2 for in-depth memory processing such as gaming, digital video editing, producing DVDs and running software applications.

You can also extend RAM till 4GB DDR3 to utilize maximum optimum performance on the laptop for most favorable computing with availability of two RAM Slot banks.

Integrated Graphics:

Intel H57 provides elevated visual performance for crisp images, vibrant colors with high definition audio and video experience. It offers full support for Windows 7 with influential performance and instinctive design. Intel clear video HD technology provides higher processing capacity to facilitate a wealthier amusement experience.

Intel HD graphics provides multiple options for connecting with different displays like HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) and supports HD high resolutions like 720p. With its TV setup utility, it provides step by step guide for configuration with TV. Dell Inspiron N5010’s graphics memory may range from 384mb till 1024 mb dedicated and shared depending on the model series.

Networking Details:

It is offered with W-LAN 802.11b, W-LAN 802.11g like Intel WIFI link 6200 /6250 or Wireless WLAN Half mini card optionally, depends on the model series. It is also ready with Bluetooth 2.0 and Ethernet controller. Dell Inspiron N5010’s networking features fulfill basic networking requirements to keep connected on internet or intranet.

Multimedia Details (Optical Drive, Speakers, Webcam and Sound Card):

Dell Inspiron N5010 features High Definition soundcard, which produce optimum digital sound. machine has speakers that produces great sound for movies and music. Its optical drive is capable of playing audio / video DVD discs with burning capabilities ranging from DVD RW/R (8X) and CD-RW with DL support.

External Ports:

5 in 1 Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital Cards, Multimedia cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, xD picture cards.
Usb 2.0
1 HDMI Connector.
1 eSATA+USB.
1 VGA port.
RJ 45 Ethernet connector.
1 Headphone out and Microphone in jack.

What’s in the Box?

Manuals
Laptop Charger
Screen LCD covering cloth
Applications & Drivers CDs

Availability in Pakistan:

Dell Inspiron N5010 is available in Pakistani local laptop markets. Dell Inspiron N5010 is offered in the price range of PKR 55000/- to PKR 60,000.

It is available in PKR 55000/- (As of 16 October, 2010) on Mega.Pk.

Please be informed that, you may get/observe price difference while visiting your local market. Please visit market and have detailed research before you buy. (Prices are subjected to change).

Disclaimer: Please be informed that, Websites mentioned in the articles are only for citing references. Author is not responsible for any purchase / sale /exchange/loss/Price Quotation/ decision made; but not limited to, after reading this article.

Mobilink Announces MMS Competition

2010-10-16T00:12:00.000-07:00

So, you think you take amazing photos from your mobile phone camera? Well, here’s a chance for all
Mobilink customers to flaunt their photography skills by taking part in an interesting MMS Competition.

Competition Theme:

Competition theme is “My City”. So all you have to do is take a beautiful photo from your mobile phone and send it to 535 via MMS.

Remember, your photo must be relevant to the theme of competition.
Photos that users will submit via MMS will be uploaded on Mobilink World website where other subscribers will be able to view as well vote for their favorite ones via SMS.
The photo receiving the most votes will win the competition. In case of votes tie, winner will be chosen from a lucky draw.

The competition began from October 14^th and will continue till November 14^th, 2010.
The winners will be announced by end of November. Mobilink MMS competition is open to both Jazz and indigo customers.

How to Submit a Photo:

Take a photo with your phone camera
Compose an MMS containing the photo
Send it to 535
Your submission will be confirmed via SMS

How to Vote:
To vote for your own photo:

Send the Photo ID that is sent to you via SMS after your photo is accepted to 535

To vote for someone else’s photo:

Go to MMS competition on www.mobilinkworld.com/mmsphotos
Browse through the submitted photos
Note down the Photo ID of your favorite photo
Send the Photo ID as an SMS to 535

Charges:

MMS: PKR 3 + Tax / MMS
SMS: PKR 1 + Tax / SMS

After Android, Zong Launches 3 Low-End Handsets

2010-10-15T04:31:00.000-07:00

Zong looks serious about handset market. It’s recent launch of Android handset at Rs. 15,999 is already getting popular amongst the masses. Along with, Zong has offered these four low-end handsets to meet requirements of all segments.

Zong’s this aggressive move is a going to impact already struggling Nokia. Not only this, other operators will be compelled to offer handsets too – if Zong’s offers become lucrative.

Details and pricing are as following:

G 2201

Following the immense success of our previous affordable handset offers, ZONG is back with another handset deal with the latest affordable handset offer that is bound to catch your interest and attention. The stylish and affordable G 2201 handset coupled with an amazing bundle offer from ZONG.

Price:

Rs. 1,999 with SiM

Offer:

1,000 free on-net minutes
1,000 free SMS to any network
Free GPRS Package for 15 days @ 2 MB/15 days

Handset Features

WAP
FM Radio
Torch

R 231

The R-231′s sleek and stylish design along with its music related functionalities is a truly appealing blend. The trendy handset is packed with numerous features and a remarkable bundle offer of free calls and SMS to any network in Pakistan.
Price:
Handset with new ZONG SIM: Rs. 3,499/-
Offer:

Rs 225/- FOC balance divided over 3 months ( Rs 75/month); the balance is valid for on-net calls, off-net calls and SMS
6MB free GPRS each month for 3 months.

Handset Features

2 MP Camera
EDGE Support
FM Radio
34MB Internal Memory
Micro SD card Supported

N281

N 281 is low-end touch screen phone offered by Zong at an unbelievable price. Along with this splendid TouchScreen handset and high-quality camera you will also get an incredible bundle deal of free GPRS and balance to make calls and SMS to any network in Pakistan.

Price:

Rs. 6,999 with SIM

Offer:

Rs. 300 free balance distributed over three months, which can be used for of-net, on-net calls and SMS
Free GPRS package for three months @ 6MB per month

Handset Features

Touch Screen
2 MP Camera
EDGE Support
FM Radio
20MB Internal Memory
Micro SD card Supported
8 Pre-Loaded Bookmarks (which include Facebook, Gmail, Google, CricInfo, ZONG, Wikipedia, Yahoo)
ZONG Music Hot Key for one touch access to ZONG Music IVR

According to info provided to News, there is another handset in the queue, named as Zong R 221. However, Zong’s website isn’t mentioning this phone as of now. If launched, Zong R 221 will be priced at Rs. 2,499 along with SIM.

All handsets are available at Zong Customer Service Center and Franchises.

All handsets come with discount of Rs 150/- for Subscribers who want to avail the offer on their existing ZONG SIM.

Wateen Beats Forecasts, Posts Loss After Tax

2010-10-15T04:18:00.000-07:00

In the annual report published this week; Wateen posted Rs 1,994 million as after tax loss in the year ended June 30, 2010 (FY10) as compared to profit after tax of Rs 927.763 million in the corresponding period in FY09.

Forecasts had initially projected a loss of Rs. 2,071 million for the same period.

Wateen’s revenues for year ended June 30th, 2010 stood at Rs 7,961 million with the gross margin for second half of FY10 increasing to 38% from 30% compared to the first half of FY10. Company’s revenues were Rs. 15,410 million during the same period last year.

The board of directors of the company in its meeting held at Abu Dhabi, UAE declared Rs 4.43 per share loss in the period under review against earning per share of Rs 2.22 in the same period a year back.
Company’s financial performance in FY10 has shown a positive trend marked by a positive EBITDA of 6% for second half compared to negative 3% for first half of FY10.

Wateen has said that it outperformed management’s expectations through various cost rationalizing and consolidation initiatives aimed at lowering operational overheads. Overall, Wateen was able to cut more than Rs. 700 million in operating costs which resulted in EBITDA of 4% for FY10 compared to projected EBITDA of 0%.

Recently the sponsors have extended a support of over Rs 2,100 million to Wateen.
You can download Wateen’s financial report for year 2009/10 by clicking this link (PDF File – 2.27 MB)

Microsoft Signs Education Alliance Pact with HEC

2010-10-15T04:16:00.000-07:00

To achieve these objectives in Pakistan, Microsoft Pakistan has entered into an Education Alliance Agreement with the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan to.

In essence, the Education Alliance Agreement between Microsoft and HEC will provide centralized IT services to HEC-approved universities across Pakistan while maintaining the highest standards in the use of Information Technology within the ambit of education in Pakistan.
Commenting on this major development in the country’s higher education sector, Kamal Ahmed, Country Manager, Microsoft Pakistan, said,

“This Education Alliance Agreement provides the framework for a comprehensive joint public/private implementation plan that supports Pakistan’s objective of achieving education excellence. It is aligned to the key strategic aims of Transforming Education, Fostering Local Innovation and Enabling Jobs and Opportunities, and contains a selection of mutually agreed programs and solutions that offer the tools and support to achieve the country’s overall vision pertaining to education.”

A key objective of the Agreement is to establish the basis of a long term, on-going partnership that will also allow for regular review and measurement to ensure that all undertakings of Microsoft within the educational programs remain aligned to the long term.
Since it is always fruitful for the state sector and private enterprise to work together to combine expertise, knowledge, experience and resources to ensure successful and sustainable education transformation, Microsoft will help the HEC to attain its goals by transforming education, fostering local innovation and creating jobs and opportunities through this alliance.
This blends perfectly with the HEC’s stated objective of equipping university students and faculty with the latest technological access across Pakistan. The HEC is also committed to bridging the digital divide by bringing Pakistan at par with the developed nations of the world where technology enablement for the students is concerned.
Giving his views on the Agreement, Professor Dr. Sohail Naqvi, Executive Director of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, said

“The Commission has entered into this joint partnership with Microsoft to promote the use of Information Technology in Pakistan’s higher education sector through powerful software tools and to improve the efficiency of the education system by attaining the best accepted standards at all higher education institutions in the country.”

Since a strong technology infrastructure serves to make communities more appealing to local, regional and global businesses and investors, deployment of technology access under the education alliance will help bolster Pakistan’s economic growth and global.
Discussing the merits of the agreement, Anwar Amjad, HEC’s Director IT, said,

“This is a great opportunity for institutions of higher learning in Pakistan to gain access to a broad spectrum of technology and enable the country to move towards a knowledge-based economy.”

Telenor’s Easypaisa Turns One!

2010-10-15T04:11:00.001-07:00

Easypaisa has successfully completed one year of operations. The service, which was launched jointly by Telenor Pakistan and Tameer Microfinance Bank last year, has helped provide people across Pakistan with access to convenient financial services.

Roar Bjærum, Vice President Financial Services, Telenor Pakistan while commenting on easypaisa’s one year of completion said:

“Easypaisa is a uniquely convenient way for everyone to carry out financial transactions such as money transfer and bill payments. More than six million transactions worth Rs10 billion have been moved through the system in this one year, with a million transactions worth nearly Rs2 billion moved in the last month alone. These numbers reflect our customers’ increased trust in the services. Our aim is to continue to change the way financial transactions are carried out in Pakistan, and to develop a portfolio of easypaisa services that meet different customer needs.”

Ali Abbas Sikander, Group Executive Director Technology & Operations, Tameer Microfinance Bank, speaking about the milestone said:

“In Pakistan, there are currently an estimated 30 million economically active people who have no access to basic transactional services, let alone savings and other financial safety net solutions. Now, with easypaisa, these people can have a bank account without a physical bank branch and can conduct financial transactions from the comfort of the home using just a basic cell phone. All transactions are transparent, regulated by the State Bank of Pakistan, and are accounted for towards the country’s economy.”

The service, when it was launched a year ago, was available at 2,200 outlets. Currently, easypaisa services are available at more than 11,000 outlets in 700 urban and rural areas across Pakistan. The spread is even greater than the number of bank branches in Pakistan which is 8,000.

Smartphoneware Best ScreenSnap v3.00

2010-10-14T16:00:00.000-07:00

Support/Info: S60v3/S60v5 SymbianOS9.x Signed

Details:
With Best ScreenSnap you can capture screenshots on your smartphone, save them to a file or send them to friends or to your desktop computer.
Best ScreenSnap is FREE! You can download and use it absolutely free of charge. No spyware or adware inside.

Features include:
* Configurable hotkey to make a screenshot.
* Sound notification after taking screenshot
* Supports true colour BMP, 256 colour BMP, and JPG
* Ability to send image via Bluetooth, Infrared, MMS or email.
* Auto-generated image name.
* Ability to set up where to save screenshots.

Download Now

Smartphoneware Best Timer v3.00

2010-10-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

Support/Info: S60v3/S60v5 SymbianOS9.x Signed incl Keygen-HSpda

Details:
Best Timer - all about measuring time.

It can turn your phone into powerful stopwatch with lots of functions. Your girlfriend says she'll be ready in 2 minutes? Just check how long it really takes

Additionally it allows you to set up any number of custom timers with a name, time to count down and a signal to be played when the time is over. Pizza timers, tea timers, custom reminders - just anything you need to count down!

Features include:
* Multiple timers
* Visual and sound notifications
* Stopwatch with 3 modes
* Pausing functionality
* Ability to snap time at any moment
* Split time or multiple lap features

What's new:
* stopwatch: 'copy results to clipboard' command is added
* 'start all' command is added
* many cosmetic changes
* Support for Symbian^3 devices is added

Download Now