Category: Information Technology

A few months ago, Trump’s government decided to tighten its grip on Chinese applications in the wake of security concerns. The application hit hardest by this decision is TikTok.

The ByteDance owned platform was given an ultimatum to sell its US operations to a US-based company or get shut down in the region. However, after announcing the whole fiasco, the administration went silent on the matter. So much so, TikTok had to file an appeal in the US court calling for a review of actions by CFIUS. As a result, the deadline for the ban was delayed till 12th November.

Now, for the third time in a row, the US government has delayed the ban until 4th December. A Treasury Department spokesperson detailed that they have delayed the ban so that it can review submission by the company to the Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS).

However, this review is not based on the appeals made by the Chinese application. The spokesperson clearly said that the review is apart from the various legal challenges TikTok and some influencers on the platform have raised to keep proposed bans from going into effect.

With the new government and administration taking over in the US soon, things are changing a little. Although the fate of the app is unclear as of now, things might go in the right direction for TikTok under President Biden.

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Chinese phone maker Oppo is turning its attention towards its Reno series of phones now that the last lineup is complete. The Oppo Reno 5 series is expected to include the Reno 5, the Reno 5 Pro, and the Reno 5 Pro+, but these names are not official yet.

A tipster has shared details of the upcoming Reno 5 series and claims that it will launch in either December or January. He adds that 4G and 5G versions will be separate, the former featuring the Snapdragon 720G with 50W fast charging, while the latter will boast the Snapdragon 765G with 65W fast charging.

Moreover, the Reno 5 Pro and Pro+ are not expected to get 4G versions in the global market. The Reno 5 Pro may feature the MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ chipset and the global model will be powered by the Snapdragon 765G chip.

The Oppo Reno 5 Pro+ will be the only flagship in the series featuring the unannounced Snapdragon 870 SoC, also known as the Snapdragon 865 Ultra. It will have the same Sony IMX689 48MP camera sensor seen on the Oppo Find X2 and the OnePlus 8 Pro. In terms of design, the Oppo Reno 5 series will be quite similar to the Reno 4 lineup.

Unfortunately, the Reno 5 Pro+ will be exclusive to the Chinese market.

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Prices of dried fruits have risen substantially with the reports of a long and extreme winter season in the country this year.

According to the reports, the prices of pistachios, almonds, walnuts, dried apricots, dates, cashews, peanuts, and dried figs have seen a significant increase as the traders have increased the prices up to their preferred rates.

In various parts of the country, demand for dried fruits has increased due to the cold weather. According to the market data, the price of pine nuts (chilghoza) has reached a high of Rs. 9,000 per kg and raw pine nuts are currently sold at Rs. 5,000 per kg. High-quality pistachios retail at Rs. 2,000, and medium-quality pistachios at Rs. 1,600 per kg.

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The price of the cashew nut has gone up from Rs 2,200 per kg to Rs. 2,600 per kg. Similarly, the price of paper almonds has jumped from Rs. 750 per kg to Rs. 1,000 per kg. Paper walnuts have gone up from Rs. 400 per kg to Rs. 800 per kg.

The price of dried figs has increased by Rs. 300 per kg, making it Rs. 650 per kg in the retail market. The price of dried apricots jumped from Rs. 400 per kg to Rs. 800 per kg.

Citizens are hesitant to buy dried fruit, following the increase in the prices, as it is now beyond the buying power of the common man. The people have requested the government to introduce a rate list and a proper system to contain this surge in prices.

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edotco Group Sdn. Bhd. (edotco) has announced the appointment of Abdul Aziz — the former CEO of Ufone — as the new Country Managing Director of edotco Pakistan. Mr. Aziz will be replacing Mr. Arif Hussain, who will be leaving the organization to pursue other opportunities.

“Pakistan has been and will continue to be a key emerging market for edotco. With our broad portfolio of infrastructure offerings alongside the country’s exponential digital growth, we are constantly uncovering new and improved ways to boost its connectivity capabilities, further ensuring the people of Pakistan have greater access to reliable and affordable connectivity”, said Adlan Tajudin, CEO of edotco Group.

Adhlan said that with around 2,000 tenancies across edotco’s towers, the company is currently connecting over 30 million people in Pakistan.

“Through Abdul Aziz’s appointment, we are set to drive our commitment to building our business in the country and partnering with the nation even further. With his valuable expertise, great track record and extensive experience of over 25 years in the telecommunications sector, Abdul Aziz will lead our team in contributing towards achieving the government’s Digital Pakistan ambitions. On behalf of the Group, I am pleased to welcome him onboard,” the CEO of edotco group further said.

edotco’s end-to-end offerings in Pakistan includes the building and deployment of telecommunication towers; the leasing of towers and poles to network operators; the deployment of street furniture; provision of power; and field operations for telecom operators, among others.

In extension to this, from 2020 and beyond, the company will be placing an increased focus on fibre, small cells, edge computing and rural networks – components that will be a key driver for hyperconnected Pakistan.

While edotco continues to advance the state of connectivity in the country, this move is also in line with the Group’s commitment to upskilling and developing the expertise of its local talent through selected leadership changes.

Since its inception in 2014, edotco Pakistan has invested approximately USD 200 million in its local operations. In addition to that, last year, the company also signed investments of up to USD80 million, a fraction of the USD 250 million it intends to invest in Pakistan over the next five years. This came amidst increased bilateral cooperation between Malaysia and Pakistan where the telecommunications sector is a key focus area for both governments.

To date, edotco’s business in Pakistan has grown to approximately 1,750 towers manages and operated and 5,000 energy sites. It has a consolidated workforce of approximately 1,600 employees and offices in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar.

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Six members of the Pakistan touring squad have been tested positive for COVID-19. The tests were conducted on the day of their arrival in the isolation facility in Christchurch, New Zealand.

All the members of the touring party had returned a negative COVID-19 test and passed a symptom check before their departure from Lahore.

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All the positive cases will now be moved to a quarantine facility within the isolation center set by the New Zealand government. Other members of the team will be tested a minimum of four times before being given the green signal, as per the New Zealand government regulations.

The rest of the squad won’t be allowed to train or leave the facility for any matter. All the members have been requested to stay within their assigned rooms until advised otherwise.

The team members have also been given a ‘final warning’ by the New Zealand authorities after several members were seen breaching COVID-19 protocols.

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Air Commodore Darryn Webb, head of Managed Isolation and Quarantine, said “Our focus is on keeping the rest of the squad and our staff safe. For that reason, all other team members must remain in their rooms while investigations continue. This is in line with standard operating procedures at managed isolation facilities.”

Pakistan is scheduled to take on New Zealand in three T20Is and 2 Tests, starting from December 18, however, the latest incident might have put the whole tour in jeopardy.

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Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus a day before his sister, Bakhtwar Bhutto Zardari’s engagement.

Bilawal announced the news on Twitter. Taking to the microblogging website on Thursday morning, the PPP chairman said he is currently experiencing mild symptoms.

“I’ll continue working from home and will be addressing PPP foundation day via video link. Wear a mask, everyone, see you on the other side.”

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Bilawal had quarantined himself on Tuesday after one of his staff members was confirmed to have been infected.

The news came days after his elder sister Bakhtwar’s engagement was confirmed with a Dubai-based businessman. The engagement ceremony will take place on Friday, November 27, at Bilawal House, Karachi.

The latest development means that Bilawal will also be unavailable for Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) next rally in Multan due on November 30. He is, however, expected to address the rally via video link.

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Best Wishes Pour In
Health wishes poured in as soon as he broke the news on Twitter.

PPP Senator Rehman Malik wished the party chairman a speedy recovery.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Health Minister, Taimur Jhagra also sent him best wishes with a political touch.

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Charging technology has vastly improved over the years for Smartphones as well as other devices, but while it is indeed a lot faster than before, it has largely been limited to wires or wireless pads. This may soon change as scientists have managed to build a new charger that can power devices from across the room.

This new device is called ‘anti-laser’ and scientists claim that it can perfectly beam energy across a room. This invisible beam of energy is fully capable of powering a Smartphone or a laptop over the air.

This technology works the exact opposite way of a laser emitting light particles and photons in a straight line. Instead, this new anti-laser device sucks up photons one after another in reverse order.

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For a demonstration, the scientists showcased the anti-laser receivers being able to receive 99% of the power sent through beams, even with obstacles in the way and electronics moving around.

This method of sending energy is currently termed as Coherent Perfect Absorption (CPA) that uses two different machines to send power and receive it. However, the biggest limitation of this technology is that it requires time-reversal symmetry that can be hard to maintain and can compromise the energy being transferred.

The team of scientists hopes to overcome this obstacle over time.

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Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has declared that all calls made to National Highway and Motorway Police (NH&MP) emergency helpline 130 shall be free of charge.

In this regard, IG Motorways, Mr. Kaleem Imam, met Chairman PTA, Maj. General (R) Amir Azeem Bajwa, today at PTA headquarters. During the meeting, issues related to telecom coverage on different motorways and highways including M-3 and Hazara Expressway were also discussed.

Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed the PM Delivery Unit (PMDU) to set up a national emergency helpline within two months, the Ministry of Information said.

“Big decision by Prime Minister Imran Khan. The government decides to establish a national emergency helpline. Prime Minister Imran Khan has made the PM Delivery Unit responsible for this important task,” the ministry said.

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All existing helplines across the country will be connected to the new national helpline, the Ministry said. They added that the number would be toll-free. People will soon be able to seek help in case of road accidents by dialing on designated toll-free national helpline number 130 free of any charges.

Chairman PTA assured that PTA will extend all support to NH & MP in facilitating road users and the public.

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