Friday, October 15, 2010

Jazz 3000 Minutes + 3000 SMS Offer!

Jazz 3000 Minutes + 3000 SMS Offer!


Mobilink is now rewarding its new customers by offering 3000 Minutes and 3000 SMS upon joining the Mobilink Family.
The offer takes the strength of the last acquisition offer of 1000 mins +1000 sms much further by offering THREE TIMES the incentive: 3000 Minutes and 3000 SMS to all customer who buy a Jazz SIM or Port-IN to the Jazz network from 5th October 2010!
The OFFER:
Subscribers joining Mobilink’s network from 5th October will be eligible to get equal free minutes & SMS as bonus on Rupee usage for 6 months
  • To avail the offer customer needs to subscribe by sending an SMS to short code 424
  • Maximum free minutes and free SMS in a month will be capped at 500 minutes and 500 SMS
Details:

  • All new sales (including MNP) from 5th October and subscribing through SMS on short code ‘424’ will be eligible for the promotion
  • Each month subscriber will get free minutes and free SMS equal to their balance consumption in the last month
  • Each monthly installment will be capped at 500 free minutes and 500 free SMS
  • Cumulative Rupee usage(balance consumption) will be tracked for each month and equal free Minutes and SMS will be given after 10th of every calendar month
  • Free Minutes and SMS will have a validity of 7 days from the date of posting
  • Free Minutes will be for On-net calls only and free SMS will be valid for all local networks
  • It is a limited time promotion

Samsung Gets Roadshow Going in Karachi

Samsung Gets Roadshow Going in Karachi


Samsung Amina Khan Samsung Gets Roadshow Going in Karachi
Model Aminah Haq at a Samsung Road Show in Parktowers Karachi showing the latest 3D LED TV and mobile phone Champ.

PTA Reports Massive Violations by Telcos in Selling SIMs

PTA Reports Massive Violations by Telcos in Selling SIMs


Pakistan Telecommunication Authority conducted a survey/ inspection to monitor sale of pre-active SIMs to check if cellular companies are selling SIMs in accordance with the standard operating procedures (SOP) defined by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority or not, told us sources familiar with the matter.
Survey results, which are exclusively made available to ProPakistani, revealed that all cellular companies are violating SOP in selling postpaid SIMs, while Mobilink topped the race with 7 out of 9 Customer Service Centers and 18 out of 26 franchises have been found guilty of selling SIMs without fulfilling the described procedures.
Our sources have confirmed us that a Warning letter has been dispatched to CEO of Mobilink regarding the violations.
We had sent a query to Mobilink to know their viewpoint on the said issue, for which we are still waiting for their response.
Following are highlights of survey results:
Customer Service Centers:

Company CSC Surveyed Violations
1 Mobilink 9 7
2 Ufone 4 0
3 Telenor 11 6
4 Warid 9 4
5 Zong 11 4

Total 44 21
Franchises:

Company Franchises Surveyed Violations
1 Mobilink 26 18
2 Ufone 35 18
3 Telenor 27 18
4 Warid 28 17
5 Zong 24 15

Total 140 86

wi-tribe sponsors P@SHA ICT Awards 2010

wi-tribe sponsors P@SHA ICT Awards 2010
In support of the growing ICT industry and the young entrepreneurs nationwide, wi-tribe Pakistan is confirmed as the Silver Sponsor for the P@SHAICT Awards 2010. It is held to recognize and celebrate the innovation that is taking place within the technology sector. The event is scheduled for Friday, 8th October, 2010 in Lahore.
In addition to the sponsorship, wi-tribe will offer Wi-Fi connectivity at the venue, as well as live-stream the event, allowing internet users to watch the P@SHA ICT Awards 2010 from any where.
Speaking about the sponsorship, wi-tribe Pakistan’s Director of Marketing, Ali Fahd said, “wi-tribe decided to support P@SHA because we feel that both organizations in their own sphere aim to make a notable contribution towards Pakistan’s ICT industry. While P@SHA provides a platform for promoting, protecting and developing the software industry in Pakistan wi-tribe is focused towards taking convenient and reliable broadband services to the masses.”
At P@SHA ICT Awards 2010, awards will be given out in 24 different categories. Now in its 7th year, this is the first time the event is being held in Lahore.

PTCL’s Student Broadband Package Promo Extended!

PTCL’s Student Broadband Package Promo Extended!

PTCL Broadband Ramadan sales promotional offer is being extended till 31st October 2010. All new subscribers with student package will get incentives in following two categories:
Category 1
PTCL will Sponsor Rs. 100,000 as educational expenses to 50 students applying for a PTCL Broadband Connection till October 31, 2010.  This promo is for all existing and new broadband student package customers. The 50 lucky students will be selected via a transparent process of a lucky draw after the end of the promo period i.e. 31st October 2010.

Category 2

Anyone applying for a PTCL broadband till October 31, 2010 can also apply for one free easy learning card. This promo is for all new broadband customers.
Internationally recognized easy learning card that has an actual worth of Rs. 4000. This easy learning card will provide them with an opportunity to acquire an internationally recognized ‘online ‘certified qualification to help further their careers in the international market as well.

PTCL Launches 10 MB DSL Broadband

PTCL Launches 10 MB DSL Broadband


PTCL has introduced a new 10 Mbps Broadband package on 10/10/10, This package is  in addition to its existing Broadband packages. The New 10 Mbps data rate is offered to the customers at Rs. 9,999 / month with unlimited download. Current PTCL Broadband packages are;
  • 1Mbps at Rs. 1,199
  • 4Mbps at Rs. 1,999
  • 6Mbps at Rs. 4,999
  • 8Mbps at Rs. 6,999
  • 10Mbps at Rs. 9,999
On the other hand WorldCall, one of PTCL’s rival, is providing 10 Mbps Cable Broadband in rupees 8,000. But it’s only available in selected areas – where as PTCL’s DSL coverage spans almost all over the Pakistan.
PTCL’s Delivery of highspeed broadband services remains a question mark – as company’s old infrastructure, particularly in far flung areas, may not support this much of data transfer rate. Only cities like Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi having new FiberOptic lines may support 10 Mpbs data rate.

Zong and Dreamworld Sign MoU

Zong and Dreamworld Sign MoU












Zong and Dreamworld Ltd have signed an MoU, according to which Zong has become Official Telecom Partner of Dreamworld.
Picture shows Mr. Ali Kamran, Director Corporate Sales, ZONG and Col. Anayatullah Nadeem, Executive Director, Dreamworld exchanging the documents.

Android Phones – The Next Big Thing?

Android Phones – The Next Big Thing?
                                                                                                               













By Zahra Baray


Technology today is evolving within a blink of an eye. The necessities of ones life are changing with every new invention that is announced. If Abraham Maslow was to rethink over his hierarchy of needs, then the basics of the physiological level would not just revolve around food, shelter and clothing but inventions like the cell phone would be inclusive of the need pyramid.
Cell Phones transitioned into our lives for the basic purpose of communicating within cities but today this purpose is long gone. They are beyond just a means of communication; in fact they are one of life’s most needed accessories. A symbol depicting ones status and preference for style driving people on a mad rush for the latest in town phones. The word that has recently become the talk of our towns here in Pakistan are Android Phones. I personally am still stuck at a stage of finding a decent yet stylish cell phone for myself which could replace my Nokia 2630 and this need to change, dear friends, has been provoked by my maid’s new cell phone which happens to have a stylus.
Anyhow, in my search for cell phones the word Android phones came to light and I decided to research a bit on what exactly they were. Android phones are cell phones that use the Google-developed Adroid operating system and platform which means that they are a revolution in the cell phones industry. Now what is so revolutionary about them is that the Android software uses a complex system that can run multiple applications at the same time and in the background of a phone, making multitasking easier and the functionality of the phone more fluid than other cell phones. But I always believed that this was what a Smart Phone does so I researched a bit further as to how one could differentiate between a Smart Phone and an Android Phone. The answer, Android Phones are those Smart Phones that use the Android Operating System. Since Android Phones are driven by the Android application, several cellular manufacturers worldwide have launched their own versions of the Android Phones. Motorola Droid X, HTC EVO 4G, Samsung Galaxy X, LG Ally to name just a few. The year 2010, according to androphonez.com was a great year for Android phones, with more than 30 phone models available at the time the list was split and it’s not even the half of the year.
These phones are no ordinary phones but have various applications built in them. The applications available in an Android Phone are similar to that of a mini computer with GPRS access to the internet, facilitating you to always stay connected and check your emails, possibilities of downloading the Facebook applications and since it is a Google Invention, all Google applications can run on it freely.
Another important distinction of the Android platform is that it is not tied to a specific manufacturer. Any manufacturer interested in producing its own version of an Android phone is welcome to use the platform for their own devices. The result could mean a large number of competing cell phone companies using Android to power their mobile phones and market their devices.
Owing to the success of these phones abroad, one of our local giants was the first to introduce the Android Phones made by Motorola in Pakistan. But unfortunately they couldn’t own the platform of being the only ones for long. As now there are several Android Phones providers spread all across Pakistan but what needs to be questioned is, if normal Smart Phones like the BlackBerry and iPhone already exist in the market with prices touching the ceiling and falling after a few months of their introduction, would the introduction of the Android Phone follow the same pattern or simply offer low priced services for the Pakistani consumers? Although Apple currently enjoys dramatic iPhone growth and that too which is increasing with every new version of their new series, it’s future market share is likely to suffer from the cost barriers it is building into its pricing model which is designed to maximize its profits with ongoing revenue stream from third-party content. According to Newsweek, there’s only one place where anyone can buy iPhone applications and that is Apple’s online Application Store; so it is not just the revenue from the sale of the iPhone that Apple enjoys.
When technological advancements bring to the world a new cell phone, a new technology, a new necessity every other day, then there shouldn’t be a price war for consumers to be the victims of. We have seen tech savvy people complain about the fall in the price of the iPhones with every new version and it is quite but obvious that a new cell phone once used, does not return the same resale value. So if the pace with which these inventions come to the market remains the same or increases, then very soon every other day your cell phone or Android Phone or Smart Phone would become outdated and loose its value. Also if it is a necessity for young businessmen, a style symbol for the youngsters and a *keep away phone* from non tech savvy parents, then the prices of these phones should be kept at an affordable and reasonable level. And reasonable for the masses not just a few handful of elites who can afford a BMW.
Although the Smart Phones market has great potential in developing economies of South East Asia but instead of just an influx of technological goodies, companies need to rethink their plans for emphasizing on the cost element of these phones so that instead of a more for more pricing strategy, consumers can benefit from a more for less strategy.
This is a cross post from Telecom Recorder

Wateen Gets Rs. 2.1 Bln Funding from Dhabi Group

Wateen Gets Rs. 2.1 Bln Funding from Dhabi Group
Wateen Telecom today announced that it has received Rs. 2.1 billion as emergency fund injection from Dhabi Group.
Wateen didn’t say any word on the type of funding, however, it is assumed that its a soft loan – spanning over a longer duration of period.
This fund injection will not dilute Wateen’s shares as a result, said the statement.
The primary objective is to secure losses, pending liabilities along with stabilization of Wateen telecom in the market and the stocks.
Wateen says that the decision that came from board of directors will imply as an influx of US dollars into the country while for Wateen it shows shareholders’ confidence in the company and its management while supporting the business plan.
Update:
On other hands, Business Recorder reported today that Wateen posted Rs. 2 billion 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.
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.
According to the financial results sent to Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE), the company’s revenue declined to Rs 7.961 billion in FY10 against Rs 15.410 billion in FY09.
The cost of sales (excluding depreciation and amortisation) declined to Rs 5.917 billion against Rs 10.607 billion. Depreciation and amortization increased to Rs 1,648.499 million against Rs 946.810 million. The company posted Rs 3.091 billion as loss before taxation in FY10 against profit before taxation of Rs 1.446 billion in FY09.
It merits mentioning here that Wateen had raised Rs. 2 billion with its IPO earlier this year.

Wateen Tops Another Chart, Plagiarization!

Wateen Tops Another Chart, Plagiarization!
When writing a blog online, we have started embracing the fact that it’s going to get copied and it’s going to get copied a lot. And since we already have embraced the fact, we let our stories and content go, well, sort of.
We like our words being spread, even if that’s the way they get it. However, it starts to itch us a bit when that goes way out of the hands.
We usually let people use our content (even word to word) requiring a credit link, just to credit our efforts there (even though it still causes us losses monetarily). But not everyone writes to us to ask, or puts the credit  link, we usually let that go too, unless it’s someone who shouldn’t really be doing that, or does it too often.
In-fact, the latter category, they have installed scripts which automatically lift content from our RSS feeds and effortlessly republishes it on their websites.
Wateen Net 300x173 Wateen Tops Another Chart, Plagiarization!Wateen has finally made it to the said category. Almost all the content that makes it way to the “Wateen’s Infotainment Portal” is scrapped off from blogs around the globe.
We can put countless links here for reference which have been taken off from my website and there are again countless which are being taken off from other similar blogs and for some reason, they didn’t find it serious enough to write us back, when we contacted them through their contact form.
Below are few of the links which have recently been scrapped off from KoolMuzone

Ufone Sets up Tent Villages for the Needy

Ufone Sets up Tent Villages for the Needy
Ufone recently set up tent villages in flood hit areas to help those in dire need of shelter.
The recent floods have left the nation at a standstill and even though a lot is being done some how the scenario on ground plus the stake holders suggest that it isn’t enough.
Keeping in view the immense need of shelter, Ufone has set up tent villages using re-cycled PVC flex which are taken off from hoardings and billboards after when a commercial campaign is expired.
So far villages have been put up in Charsadda, Sukkur and Multan and are catering to up to 300 people per tent village.
Tent Activity 8 Tent Activity 5
Mr. Akbar Khan Chief Marketing Officer Ufone said
Pakistan is in great need of support from the people and the corporate sector and Ufone as a socially responsible organization is trying its best to meet the requirements by providing basic needs starting from shelter. As the winter is slowly setting in the need for sturdy shelter is essential. Other than the organization a number of our employees have gone out of their way to help the affectees on a personal basis. It is time we all come together for the better of the nation.

Mobilink Offers International Job Alerts

Mobilink Offers International Job Alert


Mobilink brings the new and improved Mobilink Job Alerts service!
Mobilink customers will now be able to receive notifications for both local as well as international job openings on their mobile phones.
Previously, this service was only offered for local market jobs but with the latest upgrade of Mobilink Job Alerts service, Mobilink subscribers can also get international job notifications.
Mobilink Job Alerts service is currently offering international job alerts for North America, Europe, Middle East, Asia, Africa and Far East.
How to subscribe:
Send “SUB” to 5622 in order to subscribe to the Mobilink’s Job Alerts service.
On subscribing you will receive the following message from the short code 5622 “Welcome to “Mobilink Job Alert” service. Reply back with LA for Local & IA for International Job Alerts. Subscribe @ Rs. 30+Tax/Month & Rs. 2+Tax/SMS.
Charges:
For both Local and International Job Alerts
  • SMS Charges:  Rs. 2 + Tax/SMS
  • Subscription fee: Rs. 30 + Tax/Month
How to unsubscribe:
  • To unsubscribe from local job alerts send keyword “Unsub” to short code 5622
  • To unsubscribe from International job alerts send keyword “Unsub” to short code 2114

Zong Offers Unlimited On-Net Calls for Karachiites

Zong Offers Unlimited On-Net Calls for Karachiites

After Multan, Lahore, Faisalabad and various other cities, Zong’s unlimited on-net calling offer has reached the city of lights, Karachi. Zong offers two variants of packages for unlimited on-net calls for its customers living in Karachi.
Monthly Karachi Unlimited
Monthly Karachi Unlimited offers Zong customers living in Karachi and selected suburbs unlimited calls to Zong numbers anywhere in the country for an entire month. As an additional bonus, subscribers will also receive unlimited SMS on all networks!
Daily Karachi Unlimited:
With Daily Karachi Unlimited Offer, Zong customers in Karachi and selected suburbs can make unlimited calls to any Zong number nationwide for an entire day.
How to subscribe:
  • Send “khi” to 522 to avail the monthly offer @ Rs. 199 + tax/month.
  • Send “khi7” to 522 to avail the daily offer @ Rs.7+ tax/daily.
Pricing:
  • Monthly Karachi Unlimited: PKR 199+tax
  • Daily Karachi Unlimited: PKR 7+tax
Terms:
  • This offer covers Karachi city as well as selected suburbs, to check footprint of this offer, click on the above map.
  • Offer can be availed on all packages.
  • Promotion is being launched from 13th October 2010.
  • Monthly and Daily Karachi Unlimited Offers are valid for ON NET calls only. Monthly Karachi Unlimited Offer also offers unlimited offnet/ onnet SMS.
  • In case of Monthly Offer, customer will be automatically subscribed after 30 days, in case of low balance customer will get an SMS. In case of Daily offer, customer will be automatically subscribed next day, in case of low balance customer will get an SMS.
  • Calling Party must be in Karachi while receiving party can be anywhere in Pakistan, but he/she must be part of Zong network
  • This is a limited time offer

    Zong Launches Android Handset, Priced at Rs. 15,999

    Zong Launches Android Handset, Priced at Rs. 15,999

    Zong is all set to launch a fair priced Android handset in Pakistan. Already available Android 2.2 handsets in Pakistan have been priced for the high end segment of the consumers.
    From what we have heard so far, Zong’s Android is Priced at 15,999, with a new Zong SIM.
    It has a 2.8-inch capacitive touchscreen, a 3.2-megapixel camera and GPS. Smart-phone comes an ability to access the Internet using 802.11n WiFi. The Qualcomm processor is said to be clocked at 528 MHz.
    Zong’s Android handset has Accelerometer, Proximity Sensor and Ambient Light sensor as well, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an microSD slot.
    The applications available in an Android Phone are unlimited, facilitating the consumers to always stay connected with social networking groups, configure multiple email accounts, get information about important places in nearby vicinity and download unlimited free application and games.
    Expressing his views Salman Wassay, Director Marketing, ZONG said, “Currently the Android handsets have been priced at a premium. With Zong’s fair priced handsets, we aim to bring the emerging technology within the reach of a greater number of consumers in order to let them experience the state-of-the-art technology at affordable rates.”
    Android is an emerging mobile technology still in the development phases which offers unlimited applications including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google Maps, Voice Search etc.
    Providing state-of-the-art technology to its subscribers is the hallmark of Zong’s philosophy. With the introduction of Android handsets in Pakistan, Zong has taken lead in the telecom industry by coming up with yet another innovative product for its subscribers at an affordable price.

    Nokia Launches its Recycle Program – a Customer’s Social Responsibility

    Nokia Launches its Recycle Program – a Customer’s Social Responsibility
















     

     

    Pakistan has become 86th country in the world where Nokia has launched its recycling program, through a press event in Karachi.
    “Take Back” program will have recycle boxes at all 9 Nokia Care centers across the country. Along with, there would be 400+ collection points and a mobile van in Karachi to serve urban mobile market.
    The initiative is launched to invite the mobile phone users to recycle their old phones.
    Nokia isn’t accepting only Nokia made models, but also Samsung, Siemens and other makes are also encouraged to be dropped into Recycle Boxes.
    Moreover, customers can drop old batteries, chargers or any other accessories in drop boxes too.
    When asked about any incentives offered to customers or society in return, Nokia said that there are no incentives for customers in this. They will have to drop their phones for no-return at all!
    So there is no monetary advantage involved here. Nokia assumes that it’s the customer’s social responsibility.
    However, for society’s betterment, Nokia said that it will re-invest money saved through recycling, which ultimately will help company bring better devices at low cost.
    In response to a question that there are already options available to customers where they can sell their old/useless phones for Rs. 200 or so, Nokia said “Naiki ki koi keemat nae hoti”.
    During the briefing, Nokia said that devices collected through this program will be shipped back to Hungry. When asked about the establishment of a recycling unit in Pakistan, Nokia explained that transporting it outside Pakistan is less costly than actually maintaining the plant here.
    Following are other highlights of Nokia’s Briefing:
    • Nokia is saving some 500 million Euros, globally, out of this recycling program
    • Nokia was the first company in Pakistan to introduce simple packaging.
    • 80 percent of Nokia’s new devices are recycle-able. New packaging is also made up to 65% of recyclable material. It’s free of PVC since 2006.
    • According to Nokia’s country manager in Pakistan, average life of cell phone is one and a half year or two at most.
    • According to a survey conducted by Nokia, only 3% people know about recycling. 74% have no idea about it. 50% of the people are unaware that it is possible to recycle mobile phone
    • Interesting fact: According to Nokia’s surveys almost 8% of cell phones are stolen each year.
    • Nokia has been trying to reduce the cost of cell phones so basically they are putting their saved money in reducing the cell phone cost.

    Telenor’s Easypaisa Turns One!

     Telenor’s Easypaisa Turns One!
    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.

    Zong Signs MoU for Environment Protection

    ZONG announced an initiative for protection of metropolitan environment in Lahore, as a Corporate Social Responsibility project. In this regard ZONG signed a MoU with City District Government Lahore. Picture shows Mr. Waseem Ajmal Ch, MD /DO (Lahore Solid Waste Management) is shaking hands with Ali Kamran, Director, ZONG.
    Zong has announced an initiative for protection of metropolitan environment in Lahore, as a Corporate Social Responsibility project. In this regard ZONG signed a MoU with the Solid Waste Management & Lahore Waste Management Company – a part of Solid Waste Management – City District Government Lahore, for creating awareness amongst citizens for environmental protection, with public sector investment in cleanliness of Lahore city through Solid Waste Management & a professionally managed company.
    As part of the MoU, ZONG will design and execute a public awareness campaign focusing on cleanliness of surroundings within the Lahore city while encouraging public to dispose off their litter in a proper way. During the signing ceremony, officials from the City District Government Lahore, ZONG and other dignitaries were also present.
    Using its strength in cellular mobile telephony, ZONG will provide mobile phone connections to Solid Waste Management – City District Government Lahore workers & Lahore Waste Management Company that will have dedicated numbers for citizens to call in and register their complaints. Moreover this would be a generation shift from simple wireless to cellular subscription, making the staff more accessible and hence effective.
    “Urban centers like Lahore generate thousands of tons of litter every day. It is important that citizens proactively support collection and disposal of litter in a systematic yet environmentally friendly manner,” stated Ali Kamran, Director ZONG. “As a responsible corporate citizen that believes in preservation of the environment, ZONG has decided to partner with Solid Waste Management – City District Government Lahore and use its technological advantage to reinforce positive values in our society,” he added.
    Speaking on the occasion, Waseem Ajmal Chaudhary, District Officer (Solid Waste Management) / Managing Director Lahore Waste Management Company said, “We are extremely pleased to partner with ZONG in this environmentally important project. We hope that this project will help encourage the citizens of Lahore to take care of the environment of their city with renewed zeal.”
    It is to be noted that improper or irresponsible disposal of everyday litter by the public leads to spread of deadly diseases, environmental damage, blocking of storm-water drains, besides giving an unpleasant look to the surroundings. ZONG’s initiative has a lot of potential to encourage behavior change amongst citizens, who should be proactive participants in maintaining cleanliness.

    Wednesday, October 6, 2010

    Telenor Pulls Back Controversial TVC, Airs Backup AD

    It looks that Telenor has decided to pull back its recent most TV commercial of Internet.More, which came under fire from masses due to its over-expressive nature.
    We don’t have official words on this yet; however, Telenor’s official YouTube page has deleted the ad that showed a guy hunting for a girl on Facebook using Telenor’s GPRS.
    Telenor is airing a backup TVC on TV channels, which shots a better use of Telenor’s GPRS.
    As we said, we don’t have official words on this matter yet; still, pulling the plug of TVC in question is being termed as positive and sensible response from Telenor’s end.
    At the same time, now it is evident that said TVC had thematic problems in it.
    Below is new TVC of Intenret.More

    PTA Becomes Taxable, Will Pay Taxes Every Year, Now Onwards

    Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has become taxable, as per Finance Act, 1997, and is bound to pay taxes to FBR every year, revealed us sources close to authority.
    Earlier, PTA had been arguing that authority is a Government body and all revenues go directly into Government’s account; hence, it should not be taxed. In a result PTA didn’t pay taxes for over or around ten years.
    On other hands, large Tax Payer Unit (LTU) of FBR was consistently pushing PTA to pay taxes. In response FBR’s tax collection call; PTA took the matter in both High Court and Appellate Tribunals, and believed that PTA is not liable to pay any tax as it is authority itself.
    Court had issued the stay order for PTA’s payable tax of Rs. 9 billion; but PTA’s current year’s tax which was not under the court’s cover was recovered by enforcement department at FBR Large Taxpayer Unit by directly withdrawing the money from PTA’s bank account.
    Recent most audit report for PTA has finally termed that PTA is now taxable, while non-payment of taxes in previous ten years has caused authority a deficit of Rs. 9,566.703 million, confirmed us a source at AGP office.

    MMS Settings For Android Handsets: Telenor/ Zong/ Mobilink/ Warid

    Just like we promised in our previous post for GPRS settings for Android handsets, here’s a complete set of MMS settings for Telenor, Zong, Mobilink and Warid, we couldn’t get hold of Ufone’s MMS settings for now.
    Sorry we took a little while to get this one up, we had to test out the settings and confirm they were working before we could share them with you.
    Just like the GPRS settings, MMS settings were possible all because of Haris Nadeem from AndroidPakistan.com, he put in quite a lot of time to make these settings work.
    And before you bombard us with questions relating to the settings not working on your Android handset, we tested out MMS on a Nexus One running on Android 2.2 Froyo, Samsung Galaxy S running on Android 2.1 Éclair, HTC Hero running on Android 2.1 Éclair and a Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 running on Android 1.6 Donut.
    We’re assuming that these settings would work on Android 1.5 Cupcake as well, but might not work on every Android handset!
    Telenor
    • Go to Settings > Wireless & networks > Mobile networks >Access Point Names.
    • Press the ‘Menu’ key and select “New APN”.
    • Now use the following settings:
    Name: MMS (anything you like)
    APN: mms
    Username: Telenor
    Password: Telenor
    MMSC: http://mmstelenor or http://mmstelenor (Try both)
    MMS Proxy: 172.018.019.011
    MMS Port: 8080
    MMS Protocol: WAP 2.0 (Only if it asks you)
    MCC: 410 (should be there by default)
    MNC: 01 (use whatever is there by default)
    APN type: mms
    You can leave all the other fields blank as they are and save these settings.
    Zong
    • Go to Settings > Wireless & networks > Mobile networks >Access Point Names.
    • Press the ‘Menu’ key and select “New APN”.
    • Now use the following settings:
    Name: MMS (anything you like)
    APN: zongmms
    MMSC: http://10.81.6.11:8080
    MMS Proxy: 10.81.6.33
    MMS Port: 8000
    MMS Protocol:: WAP 2.0 (Only if it asks you)
    MCC: 410 (should be there by default)
    MNC: 01 (use whatever is there by default)
    APN type: mms
    You can leave all the other fields blank as they are and save these settings.
    Mobilink
    • Go to Settings > Wireless & networks > Mobile networks >Access Point Names.
    • Press the ‘Menu’ key and select “New APN”.
    • Now use the following settings:
    Name: MMS (anything you like)
    APN: mms.mobilinkworld.com
    Username: Mobilink
    Password: Mobilink
    MMSC: http://mms/
    MMS Proxy: 172.25.20.12
    MMS Port: 8080
    MMS Protocol:: WAP 2.0 (Only if it asks you)
    MCC: 410 (should be there by default)
    MNC: 01 (use whatever is there by default)
    APN type: mms
    You can leave all the other fields blank as they are and save these settings.
    Warid
    • Go to Settings > Wireless & networks > Mobile networks >Access Point Names.
    • Press the ‘Menu’ key and select “New APN”.MMS Setting Name Warid
    MMS APN: mms.warid
    Proxy:
    Port:
    Username:
    Password:
    Server:
    MMSC: http://10.4.0.132/servlets/MMS
    MMS Proxy: 010.004.002.001
    MMS Port: 8080
    MCC: 410
    MNC: 07
    APN type: mms

    You can leave all the other fields blank as they are and save these settings.
    Ufone is missing from the list but we would love to see contributions from you guys as well with a complete set of working settings for MMS for Ufone.
    Customer Support is of no help when it comes to Internet or MMS settings. That’s why we had to figure out these settings ourselves by looking at MMS and Internet settings from different smartphones and then applying them on Android.
    Please if you do have MMS settings for Ufone, share them in the comments section below, it would be a big contribution for the Android smartphone owners’ community.
    Once again, hats off to Haris Nadeem for this major contribution.
    [via AndroidPakistan]

    Mobilink Expands International Jazz Load Service with TransferTo

    Mobilink has entered into a partnership with the international mobile airtime transfer company, TransferTo in order to widen its Jazz Load international transfers.
    Through this collaborative service, Pakistanis living outside of Pakistan will be able to send airtime to their loved ones in Pakistan.
    Mobilink Jazz prepaid users can now have their credit balance topped-up through the international airtime transfer network of TransferTo which is comprised of mobile operators, point of sale retailers, and its online top-up service www.transferto.com.
    Bilal Munir Sheikh, Vice President Marketing Mobilink, said, “Jazz, Pakistan’s favorite prepaid cellular brand is presently offering the largest portfolio of value added services to its valued customers. With the addition of this international top-up service, we are pleased to expand our services and reach across the borders for ease and convenience of the Mobilink family.
    Eric Barbier, TransferTo Founder and CEO said, “We’re extremely pleased to be collaborating with Mobilink to offer our customers a larger choice of Pakistan airtime top-up options. The service will greatly benefit Pakistanis abroad who want to send low cost, high value gifts to their loved ones back home as a complement to their cash remittances.”
    Jazz international top-up with TransferTo is currently available in:
    • Saudi Arabia
    • Kuwait
    Pakistani subscribers in Saudi Arabia can send Jazz top-ups simply through SMS if they are subscribers of a partner operator, STC. All Jazz international top-up transactions will be processed in real-time through the secure platform of TransferTo.
    Mobilink Jazz international load facility is already available in UK, USA, Spain, UAE in collaboration with ezetop.

    PTCL Resumes Operations, Customers Urge Bill Waiver

    PTCL employees are returning back to work after almost a month and half long strike.
    The longest strike in the history of PTCL has piled up tons of tons of complaints, repair work and other operations’ deficits in all departments of the company.
    PTCL exchanges and One Stop Shops are being bombarded with customers. In these conditions, linemen have become un-available due to huge number of complaints.
    PTCL staff, in a conversation with ProPakistani, communicated that it can take weeks to get the work to its normal routine. He confessed that strike resulted into no good but troubles for customers and more work for staff to do now.
    Whole nation suffered due to employees strike, which concluded recently despite management didn’t agree to workers’ demands.
    PTCL employees were demanding 50 percent pay raise, while PTCL management insisted on 30 percent increase in salaries, across the board, while 20 percent another hike based on performances.
    On other hands, customers are complaining that line rent of services, which remained out of order during the strike should be waived.
    Customers protest that they suffered due to company and their employees, now, instead of compensation company is charging them for services they never used, including but not limited to PTCL land-line, DSL and others.

    Qubee Launches USB Dongle, Claimed as ‘Best in Market’ Device

    Qubee has launched broadband USB device “Qubee Shuttle”, the most reliable, state-of-the-art device in the market so far, as claimed by the company in a statement issued today.
    Reportedly, device was well tested before official launch. Internal reports suggest the device performs pretty smooth even in less covered areas.
    Qubee says that device is the best in class among the similar products being offered by other WiMAX providers in Pakistan as it has the latest technology which drastically improve performance to provide uninterrupted internet experience to the users.
    As we reported before, the main advantage of “Qubee Shuttle” is that it is bundled with unlimited downloads at Rs. 1,500 per month.
    Following are Qubee tariffs,
    Qubee Tariff Qubee Launches USB Dongle, Claimed as ‘Best in Market’ Device
    Note:
    • Out of bundle charges Rs 0.11 per MB
    • Explore Max- Unlimited will be available on Qubee Shuttle only
    • Qubee fair usage policy applies to Explore Max residential unlimited volume package
    • The unlimited packages have no cap on downloads customer make.
    • The unlimited packages for residential users are not usable by commercial users or
      further reselling as per directives of PTA.
    • Qubee reserves the right to suspend or disconnect, permanently or temporarily
      any link which is used in violation of PTA regulations.
    “Qubee has been actively involved in technology up-gradation since its launch in Pakistan and the introduction of unique, portable and reliable “USB Shuttle” is a reassurance of our commitment to provide our customers amazingly reliable services. Furthermore now our customers can enjoy Unlimited downloads with the same worldclass service,” said Mubashir Naqvi, CEO, Qubee.
    Moreover, Qubee is also getting good response from its customers in Lahore and twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi where the service has been launched recently.
    “Response from users in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Islamabad is quite encouraging. We are covering almost 80 percent of urban areas of these cities and our team of experts is working hard to extend the coverage to the remaining areas,” Naqvi added.
    “We are attracting new users by offering unmatched services for all segments of the market as well as serving the unsatisfied customers who have never been provided quality services,” said Hashim Sheikh, Chief Marketing Officer, Qubee. “We are coming up with new and innovative products and services to cater to the needs of the market and launch of Qubee Shuttle reiterates our commitment to provide high speed and reliable broadband services to customers in Pakistan.”

    Telenor Clarifies its Position on Controversial TVC; Regrets if Sentiments Were Hurt

    A statement issued by Telenor said that company has taken down the TVC based on concerns raised certain sections of society regarding the advertisement of Telenor internet.more TV campaign.
    Telenor expressed its regrets if anyone’s sentiments were hurt through this advertisement.
    “Said advertisement is already off air and will not be telecasted again.”
    TV Channels are already airing secondary ads for Internet.More campaign.
    Indeed a reasonable step by Telenor Pakistan. Same as their previous corporate record, such as, Karo Mumkin, Khuddar Pakistan initiatives, Telenor has once again acted responsibly by listening to its customers and society.

    Nokia 5800 Xpress Music Review: Sleek Smartphone

    A long awaited arrival, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic was one smartphone that the masses wanted their hands on. On January 23rd, it finally went on sale and it blew the markets off their feet in a record time. This attention seeking phone was the first S60 5th edition touch control phone and therefore, the arrival created a gigantic hype in the market even before it’s released.
    clip image001 thumb Nokia 5800 Xpress Music Review: Sleek Smartphone
    The Design
    • The phone has a few sweeping controls and you can move through the song list but if you are expecting some iphone treatment, you should hold your chain of thought right here, right now!  You can get this phone with a stylus with it so if you are new to the touch control, you will get all the help you can get.
    • Even the design of this phone is satisfying as it is a quality phone with a smart look to it. It’s like you have everything on your fingertips – literally! You can even download numerous applications in your 5800 and enjoy all the way! Applications that are already included are the camera, internet browsing, dictionary, and calculator.
    clip image002 thumb Nokia 5800 Xpress Music Review: Sleek Smartphone
    Usability
    • The text entry of this phone is normal as long as you are getting used to the phone because the keys are small but the right size and whenever you hit a key, the phone vibrates in response. However, whenever you log in any kind of entry, you need to take your finger off the phone in order for it to register that you have actually touched a key. Don’t expect to type fast if you want to be an expert, be calm and patient with this baby!
    Camera:
    • The phone comes with a 3.2 megapixel camera that has an autofocus facility inbuilt. In addition to this it has a dual-LED flash which makes it a decent camera to use and appreciate. You can even record a VGA video recording at 30 fps. Other delightful option that may want to make you buy this phone is that it supports the Wi-Fi system so the internet is easily accessible anywhere. Below are some of the high definition images, which clearly explain the limits of this camera.
    clip image004 thumb Nokia 5800 Xpress Music Review: Sleek Smartphoneclip image007 thumb Nokia 5800 Xpress Music Review: Sleek Smartphoneclip image009 thumb Nokia 5800 Xpress Music Review: Sleek Smartphone
    clip image005 thumb Nokia 5800 Xpress Music Review: Sleek Smartphone
    [Images Via]
    Storage and Multimedia Qualities:
    • You even get an 8GB card for this phone and a memory expansion that can store all of your required pictures, music and documents, however, it’s nothing compared to Nokia X6 Review which comes with 32 GB storage and specifically targets the music fans. A Bluetooth and USB 2.0 version is also included in this package and the audio quality of this phone is the best you could want. Coming at a very affordable price, this is also an office document viewer.
    • However, it has a build quality and it may be considered too big for those who have small hands. The camera does not come with a flash and the video recording is not of the highest quality and even the touch screen quality is not the best. The image of the camera is also not perfect for a 3.2 MP.
    • This phone is a good one for those who have not experienced the iphone because after all, it is a touch screen and as more technology takes over our lives, the more we want of it and this is the phone that knows it.
    • It allows you to store wallpapers, games and most importantly themes to your mobiles, you can feel free to download and install themes seamlessly in your handset, all these new themes make the handset give a great feel.
    clip image010 Nokia 5800 Xpress Music Review: Sleek Smartphone
    Power Management:
    5800 Xpress music comes with a Standard battery, Li-Ion 1200 to 1320 mAh(BL-5J), it has an impressive stand by time on both 2G and 3G networks, if you are a 2g customer, you can expect to have about 406 hours stand by time, 3G network customers get the same amount of standby time. Now the most important aspect of the battery, which is its performance while its being consumed, on 3G sets, you can use it continuously for up to 5 hours, however, 2G customers will get an edge on it as it gives a talk time of about 8 hours.
    clip image011 thumb Nokia 5800 Xpress Music Review: Sleek Smartphone
    Price and Conclusion:
    The features which can be qualified as Nokia 5800 XpressMusic’s strengths are its sleek look, a better looking design with a sharp touch screen. Even though the camera is not outstanding to current standards, but it still does the job amazingly, the 3.2 megapixel camera is one of its key feature. Other important features include Wi-Fi, 2G – 3G support and Bluetooth.
    However, the weaker user interface needs some more work, there needs to be improvements on its navigation and input methods. As far as the price is concerned, it is readily available in the market for the price of $251 USD which is about 21,000 PKR, rate varies from region to region and retailers, Check Mobilephones.pk for up to date prices.

    Mobilink Gives Away Prizes to Apni Kahani Winners

    Hira Wahid 300x225 Mobilink Gives Away Prizes to Apni Kahani WinnersMobilink Jazz initiated an online story contest, Jazz Apni Kahani to acknowledge the importance of loved ones in making one’s dreams come true.
    Participants were required to submit their stories of achievement glorifying the role of their loved ones who helped them achieve their goals.
    Hira Wahid, a student of NUST engineering college was declared winner of the best story and she won a brand new laptop while two runner-ups, Mazhar Abbas from Rawalpindi and Abdul Ghani from Karachi won mobile handsets. The contest also gave away 50 free minutes each to 30 lucky Jazz participants through Jazz Apni Kahani Lucky Draw.

    Samsung Continues to Distribute Relief Goods

    Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd is a proactive and caring company operating in Pakistan.
    Recently a team from Samsung visited Muzaffargarh, which is among the areas facing the worst flood disasters in Pakistan.
    The Managing Director Mr. Steve Han and the Senior Manager Mr. Injae Lee personally visited the displaced victims along with numerous Samsung employees to distribute more than 400 relief packs containing food and clothing items in the relief camps, besides personally interacting with the unfortunate flood victims.
    Picture-04 Picture-02 Picture-03
    The Managing Director of Samsung Pakistan, Mr. Steve Han said; “It is really painful to see such a large number of Pakistanis, facing such a massive disaster, where they have lost their homes, livelihood, properties, valuables and lives. Samsung is fully committed to help in the revival of a normal healthy life for these fellow citizens.”
    During this visit the Samsung team personally ensured the fair distribution of 2 truck loads of relief goods.
    The DCO of Muzaffargarh briefed them about the extent of devastation in the area.
    About 2.1 million people among the total population of 3.5 million living in and around Muzaffargarh have been affected by the floods. 50% of the road Infrastructure, 80% of schools and 90% of health centers in the district are either destroyed or severely damaged.
    This team from Samsung, which also included Mr. Zeshan Qureshi- Head of Mobile Phones, Ms. Rabiya Siddiqui-PR Manager and Mr. Zahid Saeed- Head of HR and Admin later visited some surrounding areas like Baseera and Shershah, where the level of devastation has been more than 75%. The recent floods have caused a severe disaster for people all over Pakistan.
    Earlier, Samsung has been regularly distributing flood relief packs, each containing essential items like; Cooking Oil 2.5 kg, Flour 10 kg, Sugar 3 kg, Rice 5 kg, Gram 1 kg, Pulses 1 kg, Tea 0.5 kg, Sherbet Bottle 1.5 liter, Clothing for Man/ Woman and 1 Pack of Dry Milk.

    Indigo Announces its International Offer

    Indigo Indigo Announces its International Offer
    Mobilink Indigo is offering “International Call Offer”, that allows its subscribers to call USA, UK and Canada for only 89 paisas for an entire minute, while 11 other destinations at Rs 1.39 /min.
    This offer comes in two sets, both containing discounts on calls made to 5 and 11 destinations respectively.
    Both sets are charged at a fixed monthly rental separately. Below are more details on tariff:
    5 intl Indigo Indigo Announces its International Offer
    11 intl Indigo Indigo Announces its International Offer
    Subscription mechanics
    • The Products can be subscribed by calling 111 helpline
    • Both the products can be opted for simultaneously
    • Charges will be prorated based on the dates of subscription
    • The product will be on auto subscription after the first month
    • Charges for the product may vary depending on the customer’s package as shown above
    • The products will not be given to customers who do not have ISD, they will have to get their ISD opened as per the existing process
    • Club indigo subscribers can contact their CAMs to subscribe this service
    • The prices shown above are exclusive of taxes

    Mobilink’s Contribution for Flood Relief Crosses Rs. 236 Million

    Mobilink has committed more than Rs 236 million towards flood relief in addition to contributing thousands of volunteer hours.
    This to date is one of the largest relief initiatives from the private sector. Besides the distribution of healthy food, hygiene kits and essential items, Mobilink has donated prefabricates sheets worth Rs 140 million to be used as Health Units across Pakistan.
    The shelters will be used by renowned NGOs including the World Health Organization (WHO) and Thardeep Rural Support Program (TRDP) to establish health units to meet the medical needs of the flood victims across Pakistan.
    The shelters are made of pre-fabricated sheets making them easy to assemble, transport and store as per requirements. Made of durable material, these shelters will not only be useful during the current relief efforts but are a long term donation for future use as schools and dispensaries in coming months and years particularly in areas where rehabilitation will be a slow and lengthy process.
    Besides these shelters, Mobilink has committed a comprehensive relief-package, worth 85 million rupees, for the flood affectees. Additionally, over Rs 10 million have been raised by Mobilink employee through their salaries and friends and family; SMS donations, and other private donors.
    All funds generated by Mobilink are being channeled through the Mobilink Foundation with the support of Mobilink employees who remain the the key driver in relief efforts.
    To date, Mobilink Foundation has reached out to more than 100,000 flood victims in more than 15 severely affected locations by the floods across Pakistan. Over, 95,000 bottles of water, 2,300 bags of flour, 5,050 packs of dry food rations and 7,865 packs of ready to eat food, 4,950 hygiene kits and 1,900 non-food items have been distributed among the flood affectees in last four weeks.

    Samsung Galaxy S – Price, Specs, Review

    It takes a brave manufacturer to launch a flagship phone at the same time Apple unleashes its latest iPhone, but that’s exactly what Samsung did. Not once, but twice. First with the Samsung Wave, featuring its own Bada OS, and then with its high-end Android phone, the Galaxy S.
    That might put a bit of a dampener on sales, but what it can’t do is dent our opinion of its latest handset: where the Wave was disappointing, the Galaxy S is a cracker of a phone.
    Not that you’d know it from simply looking at it or picking it up. It’s far from the design triumph that the iPhone 4 is, and it isn’t as nice to hold as the HTC Desire either. It’s light, a little bit plasticky, and the chrome effect trim that curves around the edge of the front fascia makes it look and feel like a cheap, knock-off copy of the iPhone 3GS.
    Specification:
    • Network: 850/900/1800/1900
    • Display Type : Super AMOLED (C-type)
    • Resolution : WVGA (480×800)
    • Weight : 118g
    • Dimension : 64.2 x 122.4 x 9.9mm
    • Battery Talk Time : 803 min
    • Standby : 750 hrs
    Quick Spec:
    • 3G
    • 5.0 Megapixel Video Recording
    • Video Calling
    • Music Player
    • E-Mail
    • FM Radio
    • Bluetooth
    • WiFi
    • External Memory

    Display

    When the Galaxy’s screen sparks searingly into life all such thoughts are immediately banished. It’s huge, measuring 4in diagonally, it boasts a high resolution of 480 x 800, and it uses the same “Super AMOLED” technology as featured on the Wave. It’s very, very bright – more so than even the HTC Desire – and the most colour-intense screen we’ve seen on any smartphone.
    clip image0021 Samsung Galaxy S   Price, Specs, Review
    But try as it might, it still can’t quite rival the iPhone 4 all round. Whites aren’t quite as pure, and the latter still wins out on sheer resolution. Due to the pen-tile arrangement of the sub-pixels in OLED screens, which means effective resolution isn’t quite as high as the quoted resolution, it’s noticeably grainier. The larger screen size, however, ensures that small text is just as readable.

    Performance

    Nearly as impressive as the screen is the sheer performance of the Galaxy S. Thanks to the 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor, it’s the quickest, slickest, smoothest Android phone yet. It hardly stuttered, no matter how much we asked it to do. Over a fast Wi-Fi connection it loaded the full BBC home page in an average of nine seconds, level with the HTC Desire and iPhone 4.
    In the SunSpider benchmark it completed the tests in 15.5 seconds compared to the iPhone 4’s time of just over 10 seconds. Its score of 93 out of 100 in the Acid 3 standards is good, but again falls slightly behind the iPhone 4’s perfect 100.
    With battery life it’s the same story. We recorded 50% capacity remaining (rounded to the nearest 10% for fairness) after our 24-hour test, in which we make a 30-minute phone call, force the screen on for an hour, download a 50MB podcast and then play it through headphones for an hour. And all the while, we’re polling for new email every half hour.
    That suggests the Samsung Galaxy S will survive a day of heavy use and maybe two days’ light to moderate use if you’re really careful; once more, it falls slightly behind the iPhone 4.
    The 5-megapixel camera lags further behind the iPhone’s, however; shots looked a lot softer with no LED to help out in low light. Responsiveness is good, and features such as image stabilisation and touch-to-focus add to its appeal, but because the auto focus doesn’t work as well it’s less reliable than the iPhone’s camera in terms of getting the shot you want. The video mode is better, however, shooting crisp, colourful footage at 720p, 30fps.
    Call quality was absolutely fine and the speaker is good enough to project Google Maps’ satnav voice instructions at top volume without distorting or breaking up. It’s interesting to note, however, that just as the iPhone 4’s signal bars fall away if gripped in a certain way, the same happens with the Samsung Galaxy S.
    In some locations we were able to get the signal indication bars at the top of the screen to fall from four down to nothing, simply by wrapping a hand gently around the phone’s bottom half. In general use, however, we experienced no dropped calls, and call quality remained solid, as did data connections. We don’t think it will be an issue for most users, but if you do order one and live in a weak signal area, it’s something to look out for.

    Software

    In terms of its hardware, then, the Galaxy S is hard to fault. The software, however, is harder to pigeonhole. In many ways it’s brilliant.
    clip image004 Samsung Galaxy S   Price, Specs, Review
    The Swype text entry option, for instance, allows you to slide your finger over the letters of the onscreen keyboard to create words (instead of tapping) and, as we discovered at the launch of the device, it works brilliantly. See the video below for a demonstration.
    Excellent word completion helps it to reliably predict what you intended to write, even if you’re not that accurate with your traces. When you come up against a word that isn’t in the dictionary, it’s just as good: simply tap it out normally, then select the word in the resulting pop-up menu to add it to the dictionary for future use, or simply hit Space to continue.
    It really takes mobile phone text entry to the next level, and it’s accompanied by a good selection of pre-installed apps. We particularly liked Text and Go: a notepad app on steroids that acts as a hub for text messaging, memo writing, and even social networking status updates.
    Also thrown in is ShareAll, a media-streaming tool that lets you play music and video files from shared network locations to the phone, from the phone to compatible DLNA streamers or from shared locations to DLNA streamers. Think of it as a souped-up, networked remote control. You also get Aldiko (an eBook reader), the enhanced reality viewer Layar, driving game Asphalt 5, and ThinkFree Office, which allows you to view and edit documents. We shouldn’t forget the inclusion of Google’s free turn-by-turn satnav as well.
    clip image006 Samsung Galaxy S   Price, Specs, Review
    Samsung’s Android customisations, meanwhile, are subtle but useful. Pull down the status menu from the top of the screen and you’ll see shortcuts for turning Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on and off, plus a pair of buttons to put the phone into silent and vibrate mode.
    Along the bottom of each of the Galaxy’s seven horizontally scrolling home screens are shortcuts for the phone screen, contacts, texting (which offers a threaded view) and applications. More important, however, is the fact that the Galaxy S runs Android 2.1, which means enhanced Exchange support.
    The social networking tools are pretty good too. They’re not quite as all-encompassing as HTC’s Sense equivalents, offering only MySpace, Facebook and Twitter feeds, as well as contact and calendar synchronisation. There’s no push option for updates and the phone only lets you check once an hour for updates.
    But the contacts view is very good, successfully marrying information (including photos) from all sources and it attempts to automatically link duplicates too. We’re particularly fond of the ability to view recent updates, phone calls, texts and even a person’s social networking media via his or her contacts entry.
    clip image008 Samsung Galaxy S   Price, Specs, Review
    Add caption

    There’s no Flash support, however, and we have a big beef with the desktop synchronisation application – Samsung Kies. Mimicking a desktop within a window, this facilitates everything from media transfer to firmware updates and includes a whole load of extra features from disc burning, video conversion and Outlook contact sync to basic photo editing.
    It even includes its very own Samsung version of Windows Explorer, which you use to browse the contents of the phone’s 8GB integrated storage. It’s terribly clunky.Fortunately, once installed you can use Windows to chuck files back and forth instead.

    Price:

    Samsung Galaxy S is being sold at Rs. 39,990 at HomeShopping.pk

    Conclusion:-

    Combine that with the gorgeous 4in OLED screen, lightning-quick performance, and an excellent software complement (boosted by the huge repository of downloadable apps from the Android Market) and you have a high-class alternative to the iPhone 4.
    We doubt it will dissuade those who have their hearts set on one of Apple’s handsets – the industrial design isn’t as good, the camera is a notch behind, and neither is the music player software as elegant – but if you don’t have the cash for an iPhone 4, or simply don’t like Apple, this is very nearly as good.

    PTA, Comsats Sign MoU for Telecom Research

    Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Comsats Institute of Information Technology have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in order to promote the telecom research that would be beneficial not only for both the organizations but also for the country.
    It is expected that this MoU would also boost mutual co-operation in the relevant fields and would enhance the industry academia linkage. Representatives of PTA and Comsats signed the MoU.
    Chairman PTA Dr Mohammad Yaseen and Rector Comsats Dr S M Junaid Zaidi were present during signing ceremony held at Comsats on Friday. This MoU would be valid for (five) 5 years and would be renewed after completion of the period.
    It is expected that the concerned organisations would be benefited from this collaboration as the young researchers would be conducting research in the relevant fields of telecom with expert guidance of the faculty and the PTA. Main objectives of this collaboration are to support research activities and to equip the future leadership with theoretical training as well as practical experience in policy and regulatory issues of telecom sector

    Jazz Na Qabil-e-Yaqeen Offer – Unlimited Free Calls to 3 Numbers

    Jazz brings an exciting offer with Jazz Na Qabil-e-Yaqeen Offer, which gives you the freedom to make unlimited calls for 24 Hours on 3 Friends & Family numbers. Daily rental for this offer is Rs. 6.99 plus tax per day.
    Jazz Na Qabil-e-Yaqeen offer comes with Jazz One Package.
    Just switch to Jazz One package and dial *108# to avail the offer.
    Tariff:
    jazz-na-qabil-e-yaqeen-01
    Terms:
    • Offer is available only on Jazz One
    • The offer will be renewed automatically and customer can unsubscribe from the offer by dialing *108*4#
    • With this offer customer can make free calls on 3 On-net FnF number any time of the day
    • 19.5% tax apply on the above mentioned price
    Procedure for Package Conversion to Jazz One
    For the convenience of customers, the package migration will be absolutely free (for limited time period) during the promotion duration. Subscribers from other Jazz Packages can convert to Jazz One through following procedure.
    • Call 123 from Jazz connection.
      • Press 3 for package settings.
      • Press 0 for package selection
        • Press 5 to select Jazz One
    Procedure for Adding FnF Numbers
    • Call 121 for addition / modification of Friends & Family Mobilink numbers
    • Dial 121 from your Jazz connection
      • Press 1 for FnF number administration
    • Select your FnF numbers
      • Press 1 for the first number OR
      • Press 2 for the second number OR
      • Press 3 for the third number
    • Enter your FnF number
      • Press 0 to enter your number(Enter your number starting with 0300, 0301, 0302, 0303, 0305, 0306, 0307 or 0308 – whichever applicable)
    • Confirm your FnF number
      • Press 0 to confirm your selection
    Note: Addition/up-dation of FnF numbers is charged at Rs. 15 plus tax

    PTCL Provides Free Vfones in Flood Hit Areas

    The Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has said that under its corporate social responsibility, it has provided 500 Free Vfone telephone service sets at flood relief camps in Sindh and Balochistan in support for the flood affected people.
    A PTCL statement said the IDPs living in relief camps could now make free unlimited local and national calls and stay in touch with rest of the community and their relatives.
    Meanwhile, the PTCL General-Manager Consumer Services, Rizwan Ahmed Bhutto and Mushir Khan, the phone utility’s GM Coordination, during their visit of the IDPs camp at Lyari Poly Technical College; Mir Muhammad Baloch Road sympathized with the flood affected people there and conveyed best wishes from the management of PTCL.
    They also said on the occasion that PTCL share the ordeal of the displaced people and committed to provide all assistance throughout the country.


    Ufone Revises its Fortnightly SMS Package

    Ufone has increased the limit of text messages, its subscribers can send with Ufone fortnightly SMS package.
    Earlier, fortnightly SMS package allowed 1,000 text messages in 14 days, which is now increased to 2,500 SMS in same time duration at same charges.
    Ufone’s fortnightly package is liked by those who are not text messaging freaks, however, they send occasional messages for their communication needs.
    How to Subscribe:
    Send Sub to 603!
    Ufone SMS Package thumb Ufone Revises its Fortnightly SMS Package
    Terms:
    • All rates are exclusive of GST
    • Standard rates apply to all SMS sent to the respective ShortCode.
    • offer do not include Premium SMS OR International SMS.
    • To check remaining free SMS & expiry date you can send blank SMS to 606.
    • You can unsubscribe to the package at any time by simply SMSing “Unsub” to 506
    • 19.5% FED on usage and 10% withholding tax at recharge or bill applies.

    Mobilink Partners with WHO to Restore Flood Hit Health Units

    President and CEO Mobilink Rashid Khan with Dr. Guido Sabatinelli World Health Organization Representative in Pakistan exchange MoUs to install the prefabricates as basic health units in the flood affected districts of Pakistan.
    President and CEO Mobilink Rashid Khan with Dr. Guido Sabatinelli World Health Organization Representative in Pakistan exchange MoUs to install the prefabricates as basic health units in the flood affected districts of Pakistan.
    World Health Organization is playing a major role in the response to the flood emergency providing medicines, deploying health staff and restoring primary health care.
    The destruction of many Basic Health Units (BHU) and medical centres has severely affected the level of health care available for people. Many people that were displaced during the floods are now returning back to their place of origin to find only devastation.
    “Now we have to deal with two different types of responses. While in some districts of Sindh flood continues to spread and people are still being displaced, in Punjab and in the North of the country the situation has started to improve and support is needed for rehabilitating damaged healthcare facilities” said Dr. Guido Sabatinelli- World Health Organization Representative in Pakistan.
    A recent survey showed that 514 health Facilities were damaged or destroyed in the flood affected districts of Pakistan.
    Mobilink has generously offered through WHO to restore the health services in the affected districts of Pakistan by providing 244 high quality prefabricates which are easy to assemble and ready to use as BHU. These prefabricated sheets will be made into more than 100 BHUs nationwide.
    Speaking at the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Mobilink and WHO, President and CEO of Mobilink, Rashid Khan said; “No crisis is too big if we stand united and form meaningful synergies. Our partnership with WHO, to whom we are grateful, is a testament of Mobilink’s commitment to reach out to millions still awaiting a helping hand. We have contributed more than Rs. 236 million towards flood relief and our employees and associates continue to volunteer their time, energy and expertise in the relief process to reshape live son ground.”
    “World Health Organization is grateful for the contribution by Mobilink and will work closely with the provincial Governments to identify the locations where to install these prefabricates. WHO will also provide furniture and equipment to transform these infrastructures into Basic Health Units and Medical Centers while the Ministry of Health will ensure medical staff to make these BHU fully functional,”said Dr Sabatinelli in the signing ceremony of MoU.

    Cellular Subscribers Cross 100 Million Mark, PM Lauds PTA

    Cellular subscribers in Pakistan have surpassed 100 million mark, though we don’t have official stats from PTA yet, however, APP has reported that Mr. Yousaf Raza Gilani, Prime Minister of Pakistan has congratulated PTA on achieving this land mark.
    Dr. Mohammed Yaseen who presented him SIMS of five operators to commemorate the 100 millionth subscription.
    Talking to PTA Chairman Dr Mohammed Yaseen at the Parliament house, the prime minister expressed his satisfaction on the extraordinary growth of cellular mobile industry in Pakistan.
    He said that Pakistan offered immense investment opportunities while the government has formulated policies to create a business friendly environment. He also expressed his satisfaction at the fact that Pakistan had moved from comparative advantage to competitive advantage in the global market.
    Dr Yaseen briefed the Gilani about the latest developments taking place in the telecom industry, declaring that healthy competition introduced by the government has encouraged operators to go an extra mile for making a strong subscriber base. Therefore, the predictions, estimates and forecasts made for Pakistan mobile industry proved to be counter-factual and the subscriber base proceeded with growth higher than the forecast, he added.
    He further said that the regulator’s compliance with the Government policies gave boost to the subscriber base.

    Samsung Announces its Galaxy Tab in Pakistan

    Samsung Glaxy Samsung Announces its Galaxy Tab in Pakistan
    Mr. Zeshan Qureshi and Mr.Roy Chang along with the HHP and PR team at the announcement of Galaxy Tab , which is the first mobile tablet with the most powerful smart phone features, a brilliant 7-inch enhanced TFT display screen and 1GHz Hummingbird Application processor supporting 3D graphics.
    To know more about Samsung Galaxy Tab, click here

    Ufone Brings Nokia N8 to Pakistan with 25 % Discounted Price

    Ufone Nokia N8 thumb Ufone Brings Nokia N8 to Pakistan with 25 % Discounted Price
    Add caption

    Ufone has come up with this amazing offer for its customers, to pre-order Nokia N8. Ufone is claiming that its customers will get 25 percent discount on Nokia N8′s price as compared to usual market rates.
    We can’t call it subsidiary, as Handset doesn’t come under any contract or obligation, however, one can term it discount offered exclusively for Ufone customers.
    Ufone is accepting pre-orders through its website or designated service centers in seven cities of Pakistan.
    We don’t have arrival date of Nokia N8 yet, but we know that Nokia N8’s first device left the factory yesterday.
    Price:
    • After discount, Ufone will offer Nokia N8 at Rs. 41,900
    • Handset won’t be network locked, we have confirmed with our sources in Ufone
    Where to place Order:
    Ufone Service Centers thumb Ufone Brings Nokia N8 to Pakistan with 25 % Discounted Price

    Zong Announces KPO Car Winner

    ZONG KPO Car Winner for web Zong Announces KPO Car Winner
    ZONG’s Keep Phone On (KPO) reward program’s lucky draw was held recently in which one lucky winner from Faisalabad received a car for keeping his phone on.
    The picture taken on the occasion shows Mr. Berkatullah, Regional Director handing over the car to lucky winner Muzammal Hussain of Faisalabad.

    PTCL Introduces Call me Back SMS Service

    There is a time when you need someone (Mobile user) to call you rather than you call them. Possibly, either you are budget conscious or may be someone’s cell phone was busy while you dialed his number from your landline.
    For such kind of situations, PTCL has introduced this service – which will send a pre-defined text to the number of your choice requesting him/her to call you back.
    Service Mechanics:
    • Just dial 1322 from your landline or VFONE and follow the IVR.
    • It will ask you to enter the cell number on which you want to send a Call Me back message
    • a SMS with pre-defined text will then be sent out from the PTCL to the GSM/WLL number, requesting for a call back
    Tariff:
    • Each  call will be charged @ 50 Paisa / Call (Exclusive of tax)
    • No service subscription is required.

    Unlimited Free Calls to 3 FnF Numbers: Telenor

    After Mobilink’s Na-qabil-yaqeen offer, Telenor has offered its customers a similar treat to make unlimited calls to three friend and family numbers at a fixed daily rental of Rs.9.99 plus tax.
    Telenor’s this offer comes with its TalkShawk 24 ghantay package, which is a pretty decent package for making calls to all networks at 80 paisas plus tax per 30 seconds. Little higher than counterparts, which are offering 68 paisas or even 65 paisas per 30 seconds for all networks.
    Telenor’s this move, of following Mobilink, may push other operators to allow un-metered calls on selected numbers at a fixed daily rental.
    However, cellular companies will have to keep an eye on their network’s strength before offering this kind of incentives.
    So if you want to make free calls to 3 FnF numbers, switch to Talkshawk 24 ghantay package, following is the method:
    How to Migrate to TalkShawk 24 Ghantay Package:
    Write “migrate” and send SMS to 345
    Customer will reiceve a menu, reply this message with your desired package and you are done.
    How to Avail 24 Hours Free Call Offer:
    Dial *345*300# for daily activation.
    Daily Charges:
    Rs.9.99 +tax
    How to Add FNF?
    To administer FnF through SMS, use the following:


    • To add an FnF send “Add ” to 345
    • To delete FnF send “Del ” to 345
    • To edit FnF send “Edit ” to 345
    • To view FnF send “FnF” to 345
    • or  Dial 555 to add FnF
    Tariff Details for TalkShawk 24 Hours:
    Tariff thumb Unlimited Free Calls to 3 FnF Numbers: Telenor

    PTCL Introduces MPLS based Global IP Connect Service

    Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTCL) today announced its connectivity solution with multiple applications in the form of Global IP Connect service.
    Based on internet protocol, this service will allow Pakistani companies whose offices are located across the globe to connect and transfer data in a private secure manner over a MPLS infrastructure provided by PTCL within Pakistan, while global connectivity is achieved through an extensive network of PTCL global network partners.
    Not only this, flexible topologies are also offered to customers depending upon the class of service selected based on the enterprises’ applications e.g. real time, transactions, data base and email applications.
    Customers here can choose from Platinum, Gold and Silver packages and can benefit from bandwidth ranging from 64Kbps to 1Gbps.
    IP Connect
    • The “IP Connect” service is based on Internet Protocol Virtual Private Networks (IP-VPN)
    • This product is aimed for those requiring high security/bandwidth comparable to that provided by Private Leased Circuits as well as scalable connectivity to provide the future growth changes in size and volume of the customer business.
    • MPLS IP VPN from PTCL delivers a flexible, customizable, any-to-any network that lets you connect office headquarters, branches, distribution facilities, data centers and other locations, with ease.
    • You can also converge all your existing business traffic, even latency-sensitive applications onto one network.
    Product Differentiator
    • IP Connect – Basic
    • IP Connect – Guaranteed; CoS: Silver, Gold and Platinum
    Benefits
    • Intranet VPN: The capability to interconnect all remotely located sites into an Intranet
    • Any-to-any connectivity: The ability to create an efficient fully meshed network providing any-to-any communication among sites
    • Security: Enabled by establishing VPN connectivity over PTCL Dedicated MPLS network.
    • Flexibility: Simplicity in redefining the customer network topology
    • Scalability: PTCL MPLS network architecture easily adapts to growth in complexity and volume in the customer’s network
    • Managed Options: Managed Router options
    • Quality of Service: Support of different Guaranteed Classes of Services depending on customer applications requirements
    • Availability & Reliability: Supported by redundancy in PTCL MPLS network
    • Support: Dedicated 24/7 support, 365 days a year via PTCL’s Customer Care Centres(CCC).
    • Reduced Cost and simply operations
    SEVP Commercial Naveed Saeed while elaborating the effectiveness and usage of this service said that it not only provides private and secure connectivity to our customers but is also scalable in its MPLS network architecture which would easily adapt to growth in complexity and volume in the customer’s network, topology which can then be easily redefined. It also enables customers to interconnect remotely located sites in to an intranet and create an efficient fully meshed network providing any-to-any communication among sites.
    Zaman Gulzar EVP Corporate Services and Product Development said this service supports multiple types of applications such as data, voice and multimedia. The coverage at the
    moment is being provided in 21 countries in Asia, 58 countries in EMEA and 30 countries in the Americas. He also added that in the future PTCL plans to provide its corporate customers most updated connectivity solutions to meet their increasing business requirements and to keep them connected internationally. “A single network supporting all your business’ application needs”