KARACHI: Import of mobile phones and other telecommunication apparatus to Pakistan increased 47 percent during the first 11 months of fiscal year 2020-21 as volume of telecom imports surged to US$ 2.337 billion. According to data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics total value of telecommunication imports reached at $2,337.199 million that is 47.18 % higher as compared to corresponding period of previous fiscal year, July-May 2019-20 when mobile phones and other telecom apparatus worth $1,587.94 million were imported by Pakistan. The data depicted 63.4 % growth in import of mobile phones during July-May 2020-21 as import of cellular phones reached $1,860.49 million. In the first 11 months of FY 2019-20, $ 1,138.641 million were spent on import of mobile phones. Import of other telecommunication apparatus increased 6.1 percent to $ 476.709 million in 11 months of FY20-21 compared to $449.299 million in corresponding period of the previous fiscal year. Monthly imports of telecommunication sub sector stood at $ 220.696 million showing 38.87% increase over May 2020 and 14.27 percent growth over April 2021. In May 2020 volume of telecom imports was recorded $ 193.137 million while in April 2021 the volume remained $158.925 million. During May 2021, Pakistan imported mobile phones worth $175.501 million and other telecom apparatus of $45.195 million representing 17.79% and 2.38 % growth respectively over April 2021. In the previous month –April 2021- import volume of mobile phones stood at $148.992 while other apparatus amounting to $44.145 million were imported as well.
Imports of mobile phones telecom apparatus surge to 2.33b
SAN FRANCISCO: A computing network management tool by Kaseya was under cyberattack attack on Friday, prompting the US IT company to urge businesses to shut down servers to avoid ransomware. Cybersecurity firm Huntress Labs said in a Reddit forum that it was working with partners targeted in the attack, and that some 200 businesses “have been encrypted. ” Ransomware attacks typically involve locking away data in systems using encryption, making companies pay to regain access. Kaseya describes itself as a leading provider of IT and security management services to small- and medium-sized businesses, meaning an attack would make them targets going into the Independence Day holiday weekend in the United States. “We are in the process of investigating the root cause of the incident with an abundance of caution but we recommend that you immediately shutdown your VSA server until you receive further notice from us,” Kaseya said in a message shared in a Reddit forum. “It”s critical that you do this immediately, because one of the first things the attacker does is shutoff administrative access to the VSA. ” VSA is the company”s flagship offering, designed to let companies manage networks of computers and printers from a single point. The company lists a US headquarters in Florida and an international headquarters in Ireland. Kaseya said in a post that the apparent cyberattack may have been limited to a “small number” of its customers. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) put out word that it is “taking action to understand and address the recent supply-chain ransomware attack” against Kaseya VSA and the service providers using its software.
TCL unveiled its latest offering, C825 Mini-LED TV on 1st July 2021 at their Flagship Stores across Pakistan. The new TV is now available for Pre-Order from 1st July till 10th July on the TCL Website (https://www.tclpakistan.com/mini-led.html) and TCL Pakistan App. TCL is offering an exclusive discount, extended 3-year brand warranty and a premium gift with every pre-order of C825 Mini-Led. The new LED TV is on display at all Flagship Stores across Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. The New Series will then be available for purchase after 10th July. It comes in 55” and 65” size with Retail Price at PKR 259,900 and PKR 349,900 respectively.
The C825 runs on Android R and with its breakthrough Mini-LED Display technology, offers a Full Array backlight system in which each pixel has its own illuminating led which gives a brighter and smoother image for its viewers along with much deeper, richer blacks. With its state-of-the-art Quantum Dot Panel consisting of light transmitting inorganic Nano Crystals which illuminates with back light to provide sharper and closer to reality image experience, the C825 gives images with a color definition of 100% color volume. It also features a 120Hz Refresh Rate Panel, which through HDMI 2.1, supports output at 4K resolution meaning users looking for the very best picture output can enjoy super hi-definition graphics and super smooth picture quality without any judders or lags.
C825 meets all the standards of best picture quality and sound design, and is one of the first TVs in Pakistan to have IMAX certification to provide a real IMAX cinema like experience at home. It also supports the latest high quality HDR formats such as Dolby Vision IQ and HDR 10+ meaning users get the very best picture quality on all the latest entertainment content.
C825 comes equipped with powerful sound system designed by ONKYO, which has two 15W speakers with 30W Sub-woofer and is equipped to support Dolby Atmos and DTS which together creates a professional theatre-level immersive sound experience.
Additionally, C825 allows you to control your TV through gestures through its Magic Camera, which can easily be mounted on and mounted off. Further, with the Magic Camera, you can place video calls through Google Dup or just snap a perfect selfie. You can also make use of TCL Developed third-party peripheral platform, “TCL Home” for making an Internet of Things (IoT) and control chores around through only giving voice commands to your TV. C825 is equipped with a powerful Octa Core processor complementing which are 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM, which makes your experience more responsive and snappier.
Mr. Majid Niazi, Head of Marketing at TCL Pakistan, remarked, “We at TCL are both excited and extremely proud to be bringing the latest technology which is developed globally to Pakistan in the form of Mini-LED. We look forward to continuing to stretch the horizons for TV capabilities and providing our customers with an Exceptional Experience. This TV Series truly is a remarkable step up in terms of the TV experience and I’m excited for consumer to feel the difference that it offers for any use that they may have – casual viewing, climatic experience lovers and hardcore gaming fans all included.”
TCL has maintained its position of being the No. 1 in Pakistan and the 2nd Largest TV Brand in the Global Consumer Electronics industry, with a global presence in over 150 countries and aims to further broaden its footprint across the country, by giving customers the best Smart CE solutions available globally.
SAN FRANCISCO: Pinterest on Thursday banned weight loss ads, calling it a move against “body shaming” and protecting mental health on online platforms. The popular online bulletin board said that it will not allow ads containing testimonials about losing weight; references to body mass indexes, or that “idealize or denigrate” certain body types. “Across the country, people of all ages are facing challenges related to body image and mental health, particularly as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic and kick-off the summer season,” Pinterest said in a post. “We´re empowering Pinners to plan for a summer without weight loss ads, so they can focus on what matters most.” Pinterest claimed to be the first major online platform to prohibit all weight-loss ads, saying it is an expansion of policies barring body shaming in advertisements. The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) nonprofit in the United States praised Pinterest´s move. “NEDA is encouraged by this necessary step in prioritizing the mental health and well-being of Pinners, especially those impacted by diet culture, body shaming, and eating disorders,” association chief executive Elizabeth Thompson said in a release. “We are hopeful this global policy will encourage other organizations and companies to reflect on potentially harmful ad messages and to establish their own working policies that will create meaningful change.” Pinterest had previously banned ads for weight loss pills as well as procedures such as liposuction, along with imagery or language mocking body types. San Francisco-based Pinterest in April reported that the number of people using it each month around the world grew to more than 478 million in the first quarter of this year. Pinterest, launched in 2010, is a virtual bulletin board platform, with users decorating their boards with pictures showcasing interests including food, fashion, travel and lifestyle.
Pinterest bans weight loss ads to thwart body shame
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Thursday got first zig zag technology led brick kiln after conversion of a conventional black smoke emitting chimney to a latest and cleaner technology with the objective of combating air pollution and reducing carbon emission. “The first zig zag technology led brick kiln was inaugurated Thursday by Provincial Minister for Environment Istiaq Urmar at Urmar Mehra area in the suburbs of Peshawar,” informed Director General Environment Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Muhammad Amjad. Talking to media, Dr. Amjad apprised that conversion of traditional Fixed Chimney Bulls Trench Kiln (FCBTK) has been started to a new and environmentally friendly zig zag technology as a result of which air pollution could be contained. The conventional brick kiln has old design therefore for reducing the air pollution zig zag technology has been introduced which is not only environment friendly but also much profitable, DG EPA told media. He said initially two brick kilns were selected through a lucky draw for conversion on latest technology on basis of public private partnership. One is in Peshawar and the second one is in Mardan district which will be inaugurated in a couple of days. Dr. Amjad said conversion of one units costs in millions and expenditure of the selected two units is bore as a pilot project on public private partnership between EPA and the owners. Explaining benefits of zig zag technology, DG EPA said the latest technology helps in reducing emission of carbon by 60 percent and temperature of coal feeding surface area by 50-80 degree centigrade against traditional kiln with temperature exceeds upto 150 degree centigrade. In older technology, the smoke passes through 24 lines causing more air pollution compare to ZigZag technology, which passes through 5-6 lines, resultantly carbon emissions stick to red bricks due to which pollutants emitting from its chimney are considerably reduced and coal consumption to be slashed by 40percent, he added.
KP gets first Zig Zag tech to combat brick kiln air pollution
Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited (PTCL), has signed a contract with PepsiCo Pakistan to provide premium connectivity services at their multiple sites across Pakistan.
Zarrar Hasham Khan, Chief business Services Officer, PTCL and Sadaf Saad, Chief Information Officer, PepsiCo Pakistan, signed the contract during a ceremony held at PepsiCo Pakistan Head Office in Lahore, along with senior representatives from both organizations. Under this contract, PTCL will provide seamless telephone and internet services to PepsiCo Pakistan through its robust network infrastructure.
Speaking at the occasion, Zarrar Hasham Khan, Chief Business Services Officer, PTCL, said, ‘We are glad to be partner of choice for PepsiCo Pakistan and provide them with connectivity across their essential sites in Pakistan. PTCL Business Solutions strives to provide state-of-the-art ICT solutions that are innovative, dependable and agile and exceed expectations of our corporate customers.”
On the occasion, Sadaf Saad, Chief Information Officer, PepsiCo Pakistan, said, “We are delighted to get PTCL on board that will enable our workforce to be efficient and stay connected in a seamless way. PTCL with its vast network spread across the country will definitely support our increasing demand for internet and telecom services that will ultimately benefit our business.”
PTCL has always been on the forefront to provide innovative solutions to both corporate customers and consumers.
BarceloNa: Earphones embedded in pearl earrings, a smartwatch that measures body temperature, a diamond ring that monitors sleep patterns: The wearable gadgets market has boomed as the pandemic boosts interest in health monitoring and working from home. While worldwide sales of smartphones slumped last year, a record 527 million wearables were sold in 2020, up from 384 million in 2019, according to research firm Strategy Analytics. It was the first time that global wearable sales topped half a billion and analysts expect the trend to continue, with the firm forecasting the devices will overtake smartphone sales by the end of the decade. The surge in wearables sales was in focus at the four-day Mobile World Congress, the telecom industry´s biggest annual gathering, which wraps up Thursday in Barcelona. Ear-worn devices such as earbuds, which can be used to make calls and listen to music, accounted for nearly two-thirds of global wearable sales last year as people working from home upgraded their headphones for video calling.
UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council on Tuesday will hold its first formal public meeting on cybersecurity, addressing the growing threat of hacks to countries” key infrastructure, an issue Joe Biden recently raised with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. At their summit earlier this month in Geneva, the US president set out red lines for Russia, which is often accused of being behind major hacks. In this case, he laid out 16 “untouchable” entities, ranging from the energy sector to water distribution. “This is the generic list of critical infrastructure which every country has,” said one European ambassador who specializes in cybersecurity. “In the United Nations first committee, we already have agreed in 2015, which is six years ago, that we are refraining from malicious cyber activities against each other”s critical infrastructures as UN member states,” the diplomat said. Tuesday”s meeting, called by Estonia which heads the Council for the month of June and is a leader in the fight against hacking, is itself being held online, at a ministerial level. The Security Council has addressed the subject in the past, but only informally, both in public or behind closed doors. “It is not something where we can sort of put our head under the sand and say it doesn”t exist,” said another diplomat, who also requested anonymity. “It is a new issue and in the Security Council, as always, it is difficult to bring anything new” after 76 years of dealing with more traditional aspects of peace and security, the official added. A briefing by Undersecretary General for Disarmament Izumi Nakamitsu is due to open the meeting. The aim of the videoconference, Estonia said, is “to contribute to a better understanding of the growing risks stemming from malicious activities in cyberspace and their impact on international peace and security.
UN Security Council meets to counter cyber attacks
Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) JBS has announced its partnership with WALLIX – global leader in access and identity cybersecurity solutions to protect data from unauthorized access to keep the highest level of data confidentiality and prevent cyber frauds. Remote work is increasing in organizations worldwide, creating a need to facilitate secure access to more and more remote users, and making traditional VPN solutions less and less relevant due to their cost and complexity. Under the partnership agreement, JBS will provide consulting, licensing, implementing and support for PAM solutions and global access and identity security solutions. JBS would help users protect their critical IT assets: data, servers, terminals and connected objects, from cyber security threats affecting all companies today, through Privileged Access Management (PAM). With an annual growth rate forecasted at 20%, the global PAM (Privileged Account Management) market represents a huge opportunity for VARs, SIs and MSSPs in Pakistan channel.
“The PAM market is seeing an accelerated growth phase; it presents an outstanding opportunity for our partners. We’re really excited to partner with JBS to make our solutions readily available to organizations in the Pakistani market.” Says Afi Hashim, WALLIX Middle East Business Manager.
“The information stored within business applications and on servers are sensitive and important assets for organizations. There is high risk of data theft and fraud in the current era of remote access and constant cyber threats and organizations need to have IT security solutions specialized in the governance of privileged accounts for Administrators (PAM Solutions). With WALLIX PAM solutions, we have enabled organizations to connect securely from anywhere with secure-by-design capabilities; enabling IT teams to ensure that only the right person can access the right resource for the right purpose.” Says Wajid Ali Khan, General Manager – Services, Jaffer Business Systems.
With JBS being positioned as the leading independent cybersecurity VAD, and extensive cybersecurity knowledge and experience, the partnership will enable channel VARs and MSSPs to respond to the growing demand for Privileged Account Management, a market expected to reach $3.8 billion in 2021.
JBS signs agreement with WALLIX – global leader in access and identity cybersecurity solutions
MADRID: A scaled-back version of the world’s biggest mobile telecommunications fair got under way on Monday in Spain under tight virus controls, with top firms avoiding an in-person presence after the pandemic derailed last year’s edition.
Spain’s King Felipe V and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez were on hand for the opening of the four-day Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, one of the first big technology conferences staged in Europe since the start of the pandemic.
“We are back to business, we are back to Barcelona, we are back together,” Mats Granryd, director general of the industry association that stages the congress, the GSMA, said in an opening address.
The event, which is usually held in February, is taking place this year both in-person at Barcelona’s main conference centre as well as digitally, with an online appearance by tech billionaire Elon Musk among the highlights.
Participants will only be allowed into the congress if they have a negative COVID-19 test result which is less than 72 hours old and will have to sign a daily declaration that they are in good health.
