www.apnatime.

com
www.apnatime.com
www.apnatime.com
{cover story | saddads
}

4 | More | February 2010 www.apnatime.com

 { saddads | cover story}

www.apnatime.com February 2010 | More | 5

 CONTENT
{February 2010 | Volume 2 | Issue 8}

cover story
Disclaimer: Where opinion is expressed it is that of the author’s and does not necessarily coincide with the editorial views of the publisher or MORE. All information in

data on sMartphones,
14 next BiG thinG
According to industry analysts, in year 2011 of
08
this magazine is verified to the best of author’s and publisher’s ability. However, MORE does not accept responsibility for any loss arising from reliance on it.

the traffic generated into the mobile netw...

teLecoM
Late niGht packaGes: teLcos
are not onLy to BLaMe
This should not only lie with the telecom
12
companies who have invested billions of rupees...

convert 2G network into

3G or 4G with one device
If the majority of wireless subscribers on the
16
network are using GSM, the module will be...

enerGy
thar coaL shouLd not
BecoMe another kaLaBaGh
The positive steps of any government have
18
always been appreciated but what is lacking is....

event
1st pink eLephant it service
ManaGeMent conference
Trillium Information Security System in collabo-
20
ration with Pink Elephant organized the...

it
iLLeGaL trade of it product
and pakistan
The officials found involved in assisting smug-
22
glers both directly and indirectly should be...

BankinG
who takes the Lead, is
that McB?
Though all the competitors have come up with
24
innovative ideas, the one introduced by the....
career Guide
12 tips for ManaGinG 36
your career
I recently ran across an article that advocates
26
thinking “outside the box” and developing an...

technoLoGy
advanceMents in visuaL
effects
Quite often we see films based upon natural
28
phenomena’s. One recent example is 2012...

reviews
nokia 2700 affordaBLe
feature rich phone 30
Similarly, WH-102 Nokia headphone is very irri-
tating if you put them for more than 5 minutes... 43
st 550 duaL Lcd and
touch screen
The lens is sharp enough in the centre of the
32
frame and shows very little distortion at wide...

MoNth IN foCouS
MoBiLink Jazz Launches
35
audio cineMa
ptcL introduces BundLe
of services
teLenor send areeB iqBaL
40
to south africa
ufone to hoLd capacity
BuiLdinG workshop for
42
JournaLists
new coMputers, a daMaGed
seGMent of it industry

lAtESt IN tECh 42
tIpS AND tRICKS 44
GADGEtS 46
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published by Mudassar Jehangir Mufti at 2nd Floor, Ali Mansion, 41-A, Lower Mall,
Lahore Tel: 042 7321920, 2106737 Email: info@apnatime.com
Editor-in-Chief Mudassar Jehangir Mufti | Group Editor Sumaira Mudassar | Editor Halima Qureshi | Sub-Editor W. Khaliqdad
Advertising Manager Abdul Qayyum (Lahore) | Ahmed Malik (Lahore), Designer Assad Chughtai | Marketing Executive Syed Faisal
Ahmed, Zain Zahid | International Correspondent Ireland: Alina Amir |US: Ovais Qureshi | Contributor Sachhal Mufti,Aliya Ali
Registration No. PCPB 286
{cover story | More Team
}

8 | More | February 2010 www.apnatime.com

 {cover story}
n Mobile broadband networks are about
to get hit by a tsunami of smartphone data
across the world. Making networks ready
to deliver the superior experience that
consumers expect is the issue of the mo-
ment. Some 1.7 billion People or 25% of
world population have access to internet.
According to the ITU, mobile broad-
band subscriptions topped 600 mil-
lion in 2009. As mobile broadband
connections overtake fixed, few net-
works are prepared to cope with this
new wave of mobile data. A combination
of always on apps, mobility and the
growth of smartphones and mobile com-
puting devices like the iPad, will increas-
ingly test operators around the world.

To give two very specific ex-

amples: if you’re using mo-
bile broadband, and the
operator does not have
smartphone friendly kit, the
experience is either equiva-
lent to unplugging and plug-
ging in a fixed connection to
your computer every few
seconds, or your battery
drains very fast
With mobile broadband it’s always
bandwidth, or download speeds, that
grab headlines. Of course, capacity is vital
for mobile broadband. When a single
YouTube video is equivalent to half a mil-
lion text messages sent across your net-
work, you need the capacity to cope. But
it is the unique demands of mobility –
not just a wireless connection – that re-
ally impact the performance of mobile
broadband, and therefore determine the
experience of people using mobile com-
puters like the iPad. That unlimited data
plan isn’t worth much if the network
you’re on isn’t smartphone friendly. You
just won’t get the most from your device.

www.apnatime.com February 2010 | More | 9

{cover story}
It may help to picture it like this: a typical fixed
broadband operator knows where you want your
connection. It knows– in fact, it often supplies – the
single, approved device such as a wireless router,
to get online, and it can predict the traffic across
this, literally, fixed network. Of course, you can
probably also plug your devices - router and com-
puter – into a permanent power supply.
Now imagine for a moment if a mobile service provider de-
livered broadband like fixed. It quickly descends into farce:
“What number do you want the broadband line on?” they may
ask. “And where exactly do you want the broadband, because
we need to switch it on at the relevant local mobile base sta-
tion? Ah, you want it to be in different places? Oh,
right. Well, it will be active at a site of your choosing
within two working days, when you’ll also receive
our approved ‘Mobile Broadband Terminal’…”
It’s a caricature, of course, but highlights the
phenomenal experience we expect of mobile
broadband. Switch on your device, activate an app
that requires broadband, and receive a broadband
connection. For the user: simple. Nobody contacted to switch
on your service at the nearest base station, no insistence on
using a single approved device to connect with, no waiting. In
fact, as the wireless part of the service happens through the air,
the potential line speed of the connection isn’t even held back
by an old copper wire originally designed just for voice. That’s
one of the reasons that mobile broadband is growing so much
faster.
But as you know, this description may not match your cur-
rent smartphone experience. To exceed the experience of a
fixed line on a mobile connection is a unique challenge. But now
10 | More | February 2010
According to industry analysts, in year 2011
of the traffic generated into the mobile net-
works 50% is generated by mobile voice, the
other 50% by mobile data. By 2015 over 85%
of traffic in the mobile networks in generated
by mobile data, 49% via handheld devices.
there is a capability to transform those networks. One of the
companies is NSN.
To give two very specific examples: if you’re using mobile
broadband, and the operator does not have smartphone
friendly kit, the experience is either equivalent to unplugging
and plugging in a fixed connection to your computer every few
seconds, or your battery drains very fast. I’ll explain why.
Depending on the network they’re on, some smartphones
automatically turn off their antenna to save battery life as soon
as you are not sending or receiving any information, so that the
next link you click or the next app that asks for data from the
‘cloud’, has to establish a new connection. Every time that hap-
pens the network has to check who you are and what services
you’re entitled to, change your status in its database and allo-
cate you an IP address – all in a split second. This “talk” with the
network – known as signaling – doesn’t improve the experience
for you at all. In fact, it wastes capacity on your operators’ net-
work and can cause congestion – a poorer service for you and
other smartphone users.
The alternative, however, is for your device to keep its an-
tenna permanently connected to the operator while your
browser or app is open. But then your battery drains, fast.
This company NSN has this technology, built into their mo-
bile networks all over the world, to eliminate wasted signaling
www.apnatime.com
 {cover story}
Though smartphones are avail- smartphones shipment
able in Pakistan but its usage is in 2009
not according to the definition. For the year 2009, Nokia
Apart from other hindrances, shipped 67.8 million smartphones
one of the major issues is the with a market share of 39%, RIM
non-existence of 3G operation shipped 34.5 million smartphones
in Pakistan. Available smart- with 15.5% market share, while Apple
phones are being used on GPRS/EDGE based accounted for 14.4% of the market share
with 25.1 million shipments.
network which does not justify its usage According to the firm Strategy Analytics,
the smartphone market will become ultra
and improve the battery life of smartphones. It allows the net- competitive in 2010. Samsung and LG have
work to put the smartphone into an idle state that means it re- ambitious plans to grow volumes and expand
tains its connection, but switches off its broadband antenna. As their app stores, while emerging players like Dell
well as doubling battery life in the smartphone, this technology and Huawei are strengthening their device port-
can make signaling more efficient to such an extent - a five folios and courting major operators. The smart-
times reduction - that it can save the average service provider phone wars will be good news for consumers,
45 million Euros. but the fierce competition will inevitably place downward
The challenges don’t stop there. Mobility itself makes pre- pressure on vendors’ pricing and margins.
dicting traffic across a network tough. During rush hour, around
the world, millions of people change their location – all at the smartphones in pakistan
same time, putting varying loads on changing locations across Pakistan has emerged as one of the major
mobile networks at different times of the day. How does a mo- mobile phone user in the world. Accord-
bile operator cope with the fact that its capacity can be wasted ing to official figures, there are more
– but still cost money - if a business district is geared to support than 95 million mobile phone
peaks in traffic at certain times, but empty at weekends and in subscribers in Pakistan and it is
the evenings? Again, load sharing techniques can save an av- the fifth largest mobile phone
erage mobile operator 11 million Euros by dealing with exactly user in the the Asia. Mobile
this movement of people and the change in net- phones have become a neces-
work traffic it causes. sity in Pakistan.
There’s a lot more that needs to go Though smartphones are
into giving you the experience you available in Pakistan but its usage
want on a smartphone – or a new is not according to the definition.
iPad - and we have a lot more to Apart from other hindrances, one of
say on the topic. But as this next the major issues is the non-existence of
wave of technology becomes 3G operation in Pakistan. Available smart-
more widespread, isn’t it time you phones are being used on GPRS/EDGE
checked whether your mobile opera- based network which does not justify its
tor has a network that’s smartphone usage. In the absence of 3G network, statis-
friendly? tics in Pakistan cannot be verified truly as
According to industry analysts, in year 2011, smartphones are meant for data.
of the traffic generated into the mobile networks Future is data and we must realize its im-
50% will be generated by mobile voice, the other portance, our policy makers and regulators
50% by mobile data. By 2015 over 85% of traffic in should not waste time and must move on so
the mobile networks will be generated by mobile we could also become the part of global
data, 49% via handheld devices. community more effectively. n

www.apnatime.com February 2010 | More | 11

{teLecoM | More Team
}

following the befitting

example of television channels,
which have recently formed a “Code
of Conduct” for airing of sensitive news
and images, the telecom giants should
also develop some common standards for
offering any package, so that it does
not compromise the well-being
of the citizens

n Over the last six to seven years, the rapid
growth of the country’s telecom sector has
both positive and negative implications on
the society. If, on one side, the competition
in the industry has facilitated the customers
and businesses, on the other hand, the tele-
com companies for the sake of expanding
their customer base may have offered
some packages that have not a good im-
pact on the youth.
While comprehending how different kinds
of packages are risking youths’ morality, the
Punjab Assembly has recently passed a res-
olution demanding that the Government
should direct the cell phone companies to
suspend the “cheap” night packages. It is
pertinent to mention here that the resolu-
tion has been tabled by Ms Samina Khawar
Hayat of PML(Q), whose government was
very vocal in claiming the telecom revolu-
tion in Pakistan. It would have been better

12 | More | February 2010 www.apnatime.com


if the PML(Q) government had formulated
such policies in the beginning.
However, it has been rightly emphasized
that such packages have negative effect on
the education, health and personality of the
youth, especially students. Almost all the
cellular companies in the country have
been offering late night packages, which
usually activate at 12 am (5-6 hours after
sunset) and goes till 7 in the morning. Most
of the customers utilizing these “cheap” of-
fers are students who simply waste their
time in useless talks, which has definitely
adverse affect on their studies, not to men-
tion physical and psychological hazards.
The off peak hour calls are relatively
cheaper, however the late night packages
are almost free. One can talk for an hour for
just Rs. 3-7 at night, while charges for the
same call ranges from one to four rupees
during the daytime.
“ This should not only lie with the telecom companies who have invested billions of
rupees. Whatever packages they are offering, they had full support from the Government
of Pakistan so it would be totally unjust to solely blame the telecom companies for any
moral degradation that is caused by late night offers
The youngsters spend sleepless nights and
even some of the students could not attend
their colleges and schools in the morning.
Staying up during late nights and working
throughout the day definitely affects
health, education and professional life of
these people. We listen to many parents
complaining that their children are badly
affected by these night time offers, al-
though it is their (parent’s) responsibility in
the first instance.
However, the notion of the Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) demands that the tele-
com entities should seriously think about
the moral degradation in the society,
caused by such offers. Following the befit-
ting example of Pakistan’s television chan-
nels, which have recently formed a “Code of
Conduct” for airing of sensitive news and
images, the telecom giants should also de-
www.apnatime.com
velop some common standards for offering
any package, so that it does not compro-
mise the well-being of the citizens.
A socially responsible business entity al-
ways takes responsibility for impact of its
services on the society. As adopted by the
businesses worldwide, CSR policy functions
as a built-in, self-regulating mechanism
whereby business monitors and ensures its
adherence to law, ethical standards, and in-
ternational norms. In the developed world,
it is made sure that the businesses embrace
responsibility for impact of their activities
on environment, consumers, employees,
communities, stakeholders and all other
members of the public sphere.
Therefore, rather than putting the youths’
future at stake by applying shortcuts for
moneymaking, the telecom companies
should compete to improve the quality of
service as well as coverage of a wider area.
“
It must be realized that a positive competi-
tion will help in industry’s growth, which
will mutually beneficial for both the service
providers and the customers.
The onus should not only lie with the tele-
com companies who have invested billions
of rupees. Whatever packages they are of-
fering, they had full support from the Gov-
ernment of Pakistan so it would be totally
unjust to solely blame the telecom compa-
nies for any moral degradation that is
caused by late night offers.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority
(PTA) is the industry’s regulator, which
should ensure that the sector which it is
controlling must operate fairly. PTA is not
only responsible to issue licenses, promote
investment and look after some of the tech-
nical aspects. It is Authority’s obligation to
observe and analyze whether different ac-
{teLecoM}
tivities/services of these companies are
beneficial for the society.
It may be noted that under license terms of
the PTA, any such package offered by the
telecom operators is a product they offer to
the consumers and the license does not put
any sort of restriction on the mobile com-
panies. There is no doubt that the compa-
nies have paid hefty amounts to acquire
these licenses and they have the right to
earn, but again there must be some limits.
Whatever steps are needed must be taken
to modify the terms of the license.
“The negative impact of such packages has
only been ignored to generate taxes for the
government but now the issue has come to
the limelight. The unanimous passing of
resolution by the Punjab Assembly gives
credence to the fact that there is no second
opinion about this issue,” says Altaf, who is
not happy with his son availing the late
night offers.
Saima who is a high school teacher says,
“There is no doubt that the only purpose
of these packages is to mint money. These
packages should have been banned long
ago but its better late than never. We
should not care so much about revenues
of the companies at the expense of our
youth. Some people are comparing these
packages with the internet, which is not
comparable because internet has many
positives usages while not even a single
quality of late night cellular packages can
be justified.”
The Government should learn from its
mistakes and, in future, deliberate upon all
the pros and cons of any policy before its
implementation especially that affects al-
most every citizen of this country. More
importantly, all the stakeholders must also
be consulted in this regard. It is hoped that
neither the Government and telecom
companies nor the people of this country
will be at a loss, and a proper way out will
be thoroughly discussed which would be
beneficial for all the stakeholders. n
February 2010 | More | 13
{teLecoM | Waseem Khaliqdad
n The revolution brought in by the devel-
opment of Information and Communica-
tion Technology (ICT) has a tremendous
impact on every aspect of human life. Start-
ing from mobile technology to internet and
satellites, the ways and trends of communi-
cation have changed altogether through-
out the world. Like many other features of
ICT, the video conferencing system is an
amazing invention whose importance has
not yet been comprehended in Pakistan,
especially in the government sector.
The benefits of video conference technol-
ogy are overwhelming. Meetings and confer-
ences may be scheduled anytime, especially
14 | More | February 2010
}
“
The Government should also plan to use this technology for tele-medicine and tele-
nursing applications such as diagnosis, consulting and other such requirements. Using
“
video-conference, the patients may contact physicians while doctors and other paramed-
ical professionals can discuss cases across large distances
if an emergency meeting has to be called and ferences through video conferences, using
the participants are far from each other. The state-of-the-art technology.
system provides the luxury of calling them The technology allows the users to
any time you want and do the video confer- communicate not only with people within
ence without spending a lot of money on their organizations, but with the clients and
travel expenses, hotel accommodations, and other people outside the enterprise. There
many more. Above all, it saves time. Interna- is no need to have the same system as most
tionally, there is a growing trend among the desktop conferencing programs can work
government departments and business firms together, otherwise such systems are easily
to hold discussion forums, meetings and con- acquired online by downloading. Instant
www.apnatime.com

messaging systems are also offered for free
and those who have basic video conferenc-
ing needs can very well take advantage of
these services. This allows costs and efforts
to be cut significantly.
While at present most systems involve
separate programmes, in future one can ex-
pect to have everything integrated, making
available to everyone a more streamlined
platform for video conferencing and other
communication needs. Video conferencing
has taken the art of communication to lev-
els once thought to be unreachable. People
are just left wondering what exciting thing
would come out next.
Video conferencing has proven itself
useful not only to the governments and
businesses but also to the academia.
Through video conferencing, learning insti-
tutions can offer online lectures with ex-
perts from other countries, who no longer
have to travel to deliver their lectures. This
has made knowledge sharing very afford-
able and efficient. Moreover, companies can
improve their after sales customer support
through video conferencing because they
can respond to customer queries or com-
plains in real time. They can also provide
technical support to their clients through
web conferencing. Video conferencing does
not only promote technology but it can also
connect lives, people and families.
The video conference systems make
use of audio modems to transmit the line
of connectivity from the subscriber to
his/her participants. Because of the avail-
ability and efficiency of POTS, also known
as the plain telephone network, some low
speed applications like video telephone
satellite are converted to POTS and their
digital impulses from their analog waves
are connected through audio spectrum
range. The birth of the 3G wireless phone
services has been welcomed with great an-
ticipation by test markets in Europe and the
Asia Pacific. With the 3G-324M system for
mobile phones, it is now possible to engage
www.apnatime.com
in a real-time multimedia communication
with speeds that are comparable to broad-
band internet connections. Soon enough,
practically everyone with a cellular phone
would be able to engage in video confer-
encing that is very efficient, stable with
great quality of video and audio.
It is worth-mentioning here that the
Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pak-
istan has initiated a national level of Video
Conferencing project, under which a world-
class facility has been provided to 70 univer-
sities and degree awarding institutions
across the country. The project involves sup-
ply, installation, integration, testing, com-
missioning and maintenance/support of
fully functional Video Conferencing System
“ Taking Higher Education Commission’s initiative as a model, the Government of Pakistan
should implement the Video-Conferencing facility throughout the country, for official pur-
poses that will save billions of rupees. In this regard, the Ministries of Science and Tech-
“
nology and IT & Telecommunication should be tasked to come up with a comprehensive
plan and prepare a feasibility report
along with the collaborative tools to en-
hance the teacher-student interaction
through distance learning.
The project is successfully bridging the
gap of good faculty, especially at those uni-
versities located at far-flung areas and ulti-
mately to uplift the standard of education in
Pakistan. Eminent scholars including Nobel
Laureates/Scientists/Researchers from
across the world deliver interactive lectures
on various topics, with an aim to develop
the fundamental concepts, enhance the
critical thinking of undergraduate and grad-
uate students, as well as discuss cutting-
edge technologies and research work in the
fields of modern sciences. The facility is also
being utilized for conducting conferences
and meetings, thus saving precious re-
sources of time and money.
Now, taking HEC’s initiative as a model,
the Government can implement the video-
conferencing facility throughout the coun-
try, for official purposes and save billions of
{teLecoM}
rupees. In this regard, the Ministries of Sci-
ence and Technology and IT & Telecommu-
nication should be tasked to come up with
a comprehensive plan and prepare a feasi-
bility report. HEC experts’ help may also be
sought as their system is effectively work-
ing on the national level.
The functionaries of the Federal and
Provincial Governments, including the Pres-
ident, Prime Minister and Ministers have to
travel, some of them on daily basis, to at-
tend meetings and conferences in different
cities. If the Government makes a sincere at-
tempt and manages to adopt the video-
conferencing facility, one can imagine the
immense reduction of load on the national
exchequer.
Similarly, the Government should also
plan to use this technology for telemedicine
and tele-nursing applications, such as diag-
nosis, consulting and other such require-
ments. Using video-conference, the patients
may contact nurses and physicians in emer-
gency. Physicians and other paramedical
professionals can discuss cases across large
distances. In rural areas, the technology can
be used for diagnostic purposes, thus saving
lives and making more efficient use of
health care money. Special peripherals such
as microscopes fitted with digital cameras,
video-endoscopes, medical ultrasound im-
aging devices, otoscopes etc, can be used to
transmit data about a patient.
Moreover, the Government should also
promote technology such as VOIP, which
may be used in conjunction with desktop
videoconferencing to enable low-cost face-
to-face business meetings without leaving
the desk, especially for businesses with
wide-spread offices. n
February 2010 | More | 15
{teLecoM | ApnaTime.com
}
n Alcatel-Lucent introduced a new radio
module, based on software defined radio
(SDR) technology, that gives mobile service
providers the flexibility to support any mix
of 2G GSM, 3G W-CDMA/HSPA+ and long
term evolution (LTE) services simultane-
ously. In addition to supporting new de-
ployments today, this capability can be
introduced in more than 700,000 Alcatel-
Lucent base stations already deployed by
service providers worldwide, offering a
seamless, cost-effective way for operators
to introduce the latest generation of tech-
nologies – at their own pace – while contin-
uing to support their existing customers.
“ If the majority of wireless subscribers on the network
are using GSM, the module will be configured in GSM mode.
As more subscribers move toward W-CDMA or LTE the module
“
can shift the relative mix of technology to allocate more
power and carriers to W-CDMA or LTE
The new converged radio module,
called the MC-TRX, is a key building block
of Alcatel-Lucent’s Converged RAN (radio
access network) portfolio, which is geared
toward increasing the capacity and the cov-
erage of all networks while minimizing the
overall total cost of ownership (TCO) for op-
erators. This product is available for opera-
tors worldwide and has already been
selected by tier 1 mobile service providers.
“With multiple spectrum options and
technology options before them, operators
need to make CapEx containment a priority
as they plan their network launches,” said
Peter Jarich, Service Director with Current
Analysis. “To that end, network infrastructure
that supports spectrum and technology
16 | More | February 2010
evolutions along with the carrier capacity to
execute on these evolutions is a must.”
With the explosion of mobile data traf-
fic that is underway today, service providers
face a variety of technical and operational
challenges as they seek to increase their
wireless network capacity and transform
their networks toward end-to-end IP. This
new converged radio module elegantly ad-
dresses these needs by giving mobile serv-
MC-TRX
ice providers the ability to “re-farm” their
900 or 1800 MHz spectrum -- currently used
to provide 2G GSM services -- by introduc-
ing more advanced W-CDMA/HSPA+ or LTE
services through simple software activa-
tion. This process can be managed dynam-
ically -- if the majority of wireless
subscribers on the network are using GSM,
the module will be configured in GSM
mode. As more subscribers move toward
W-CDMA or LTE the module can shift the
relative mix of technology to allocate more
power and carriers to W-CDMA or LTE.
This ultra-compact, easy-to-install con-
verged radio module has the same form factor
as the previous generations of TRX modules.
This means that the new module can be im-
plemented on all multi-standard base stations
deployed by Alcatel-Lucent around the world
since 1999, and is of course supported in all
base stations sold today. In addition it supports
any 3GPP (third generation partnership proj-
ect) specification and complies with all local
regulatory requirements.
The new converged radio module offers
very high GSM capacity, supporting up to
2.5x the transceiver capacity per cabinet
today to help operators address market den-
sification requirements. The new converged
radio module can be configured to maximize
network coverage thus reducing the number
of sites. It integrates advanced radio capabil-
ities such as MIMO (multiple input/multiple
output) to ensure the best performance
when used in a W-CDMA/HSPA+ or LTE con-
figuration. It also can address a range of spec-
trum configurations, supporting bandwidths
of up to 20MHz, offering exceptional flexibil-
ity for deployments and maximum capacity
to enable the introduction of LTE.
This new module is complemented by
the company’s extensive professional
services capabilities, particularly in the
areas of radio network design and deploy-
ment. Leveraging its extensive experience
managing mobile network upgrade ef-
forts, Alcatel-Lucent can collaborate with
and counsel mobile operators as they
plan for and work through the re-farming
process and manage the evolution of
their networks to support next-genera-
tion services and applications. n
www.apnatime.com
 { saddads | cover story}

www.apnatime.com February 2010 | More | 17

{enerGy | MORE Team
}
n In the beleaguered history of Pakistan, many successive gov-
ernments have made huge claims about different mega proj-
ects, but most of these schemes became political issues and the
ultimate victims have always been the people of Pakistan. Had
our rulers formed right strategies to use the wealth of natural
resources that Pakistan is blessed with, we would definitely be-
come a prosperous nation in the world.
Among many other precious resources, Thar Coal is one of
the world’s largest coal reserves. About 9,100 square kilometers
of Thar desert contains 175.506 billion tonnes of coal. According
to an estimate, these reserves are worth 25 trillion US dollars
and if we put only two percent of it into use we can produce
20,000 megawatts of electricity for the next 40 years. If utilized
in a proper way, it can save oil import bill, reduce unemploy-
ment and help strengthen economy, rupee and foreign ex-
change stocks. Just compare our resources with the
ever-increasing problems of this country.
For generation of electricity in many of the developed and
developing countries, coal is used as the most important energy
source. Statistics of the World Coal Institute London indicate
that the US produces 52.2 percent of its electricity through coal,
China produces 77.5 percent of its total electricity by coal, India
generates 70 percent of power by coal while Pakistan is using
just five percent of coal for energy generation. Since the discov-
ery of Thar Coal in 1991, very little development work has been
done to utilize this natural resource. Thar coal is environment
friendly with a low sulfur content. The deposits extend across
the border where they are being mined for power generation
by India in Rajistan.
18 | More | February 2010
The positive steps of any government
have always been appreciated but
what is lacking is consistency, espe-
cially when there is a change in gov-
ernment. Our politicians must have to
realize that development schemes,
particularly mega projects like Thar
Coal, must not be politicized rather
credit be taken for further develop-
ments and success of such projects.
Coal extraction from Thar requires at least 3-4 years before
coal is made available for use and if our government succeeds
in utilizing these reserves, Pakistan's dependence on hydro proj-
ects and diminishing gas reserves will definitely decrease, re-
sulting in the rapid economic development of our country.
We have seen the worst power crisis in the country during the
last few years that has jeopardized the very basic elements of our
economy. But our policymakers and leaders don’t seem to bother
about such a critical situation. Several MoUs were signed be-
tween past governments and multinational exploration compa-
nies, who even invested and work started on the infrastructure
but the projects were stopped on political grounds. During the
last six to seven years, German, Chinese and other companies had
not only carried out surveys and feasibilities of this project but
also offered 100 percent investment but they were discouraged
in a systematic way and they had to quit.
www.apnatime.com

Some analysts even believe that the petroleum lobby is very
strong in Pakistan and they are against any other means of
power generation except for the imported oil. They argue that
this lobby is major beneficiary of the increasing oil bill that is es-
timated above 15 billion dollar this year.
Dr. Samar Mubarakmand, Member (Science and Technol-
ogy) Planning Commission, who is a strong proponent of the
utilization of Thar coal, recently said a seminar that by exploiting
our coal reserves to the optimum, we could provide power to
farmers at the rate of Re.1 per unit, which could boost our agri-
products and make the country self-sufficient, adding that
cheaper electricity will improve and increase our exports. He
said reverse osmosis could also be used to purify underground
saline water, making fresh water available for agriculture in the
Thar area. He lamented that the Australians, Americans, British
and Chinese know more than us about our cobalt, gold and
copper deposits.
It was really encouraging to read that the Sindh government
has notified the constitution of a committee, headed by Dr.
Mubarkmand as Chairman, for conducting interviews and mak-
ing contractual recruitment for two coal projects in Thar Coal-
field. The Committee, which will be the sole authority to make
contractual appointments in the two coal management units
to be established under the Sindh Coal and Energy Develop-
ment Department, comprises Additional Chief Secretary, Plan-
ning and Development, Government of Sindh, Provincial
Secretary, Coal and Energy; Special Secretary, Finance; one rep-
resentative of SGA&C department and Director General, Sindh
Coal Authority will work as member of the body.
The positive steps of any government have always been ap-
preciated but the thing which is lacking is consistency, espe-
cially when there is a change in the government. Our politicians
have to realize that development schemes, particularly mega
projects like Thar Coal, must not be politicized rather credit be
taken for further developments and success of any project. Pro-
fessionals and companies engaged for such projects should be
selected solely on merit.
There must not be any delay in finalizing the feasibility study
of Thar Coal so that work on the project is started at the earliest.
www.apnatime.com
{enerGy}
Several MoUs were signed between
previous governments and multina-
tional exploration companies, who
even invested and work started on the
infrastructure but projects were
stopped on political grounds. During
the last six to seven years, German,
Chinese and other companies had not
only carried out surveys and feasibili-
ties of this project but also offered
100 percent investment but they were
discouraged in such a systematic way
that they had to quit.
If we start working in 2010, the first megawatt of power from
the project will flow somewhere in early 2016, if all goes accord-
ing to plan. So we are already very late and no more excuses are
acceptable to the people of Pakistan. There are many problems
that need to to be addressed urgently. Thar coal is believed to
be high in moisture content, which makes it unsuitable for
transportation or easy use in power generation. Then there is
the issue of acquiring adequate water to run a power plant, and
overcoming the inter- and intra-provincial water disputes that
will inevitably ensue. And any new power plant in Thar will have
to be connected to the national grid at great cost and effort.
But more than the technical problems, politics and funding
hang heavy on the Thar power project. For one, disputes between
the Centre and Sindh over who has the ultimate say on Thar coal
and its use for power generation could yet scuttle the project. Ad-
ditionally, there is the question about how exactly power projects
in Thar will be financed. Domestic banks are wary of additional ex-
posure to the power sector given its recent troubles, while Pak-
istan’s poor standing in the international financial market could
render the project prohibitively expensive to finance.
Clearly, we must do more to put our overall economy in
order to make credit cheaper. And from an environmental and
local point of view, it must be ensured that clean-coal technol-
ogy is employed and that the people of the area benefit directly
and fairly from the exploitation of Thar Coal resources.
It is again requested to the provinces as well as the political
parties that they should rise above their differences and unite
for making Thar Coal Project a big success. They must realize
that it will solve many many problems that this poor nation is
faced with. n
February 2010 | More | 19
{event}

Trillium Information Security System in collaboration with Pink Elephant organized the 1st Annual Pink Elephant IT Service
Management Conference on 26-27th January 2010 at Jumeirah Beach Hotel Dubai. The event was gold sponsored by Loyalist (Cer-
tification Services) and endorsed by itSMF (IT Service Management Forum). Below are the pictures of participants.

A Groupphoto of Conference Organizers and Speakers

Mr. Azhar Zia ur Rehman

( Group Director IT, Etisalat )

Mr Mohsin Sheikh (MD, TISS), Mr. Yasin Miheisi (Director IT Service Delivery Division, ADJD), Julia Chapelle (Director, Loyalist
Certification Services) and Mr. Mr. David Ratcliffe(Co-Founder and President of Pink Elephant)

Ammar Elkaderi (Sr. IT Consultant, National Mr. Abdulrahim Almudhareb

Conference Audiance Information Center, Riyadh, Saudia) ( IT Director, Dubai Courts)

20 | More | February 2010 www.apnatime.com

 { saddads | cover story}

www.apnatime.com February 2010 | More | 21

{it | Nauman Butt
}

n Computer and IT industry of Pakistan has not been able

to keep the momentum as a result of numerous factors in-
cluding worse ever law & order situation, energy crises, ill
conceived taxation policies, fragile currency and failure
at official level to identify and explore new opportunities
in the sector. But the most conversable and formidable
counterpart in this regard that need to highlight is Illegal
trade or smuggling of computer IT items and its allied ac-
cessories. Illegal trade or smuggling among countries can
be defined as the form of trade across the borders/ports with
hidden strong collaboration between traders/smugglers and
the government officials responsible for controlling such move-
ment across the boundaries.
A variety of computer and non computer items is traded il-
legally at Pak-Afghan and Pak-Iran borders. The mainstream
products are Notebooks, Ram, Toners and Telecom sets with al-
lied accessories.
The local assemblers claimed that smuggling of computer 25,000 people involved in illegal trade earning 720 million ru-
and electronics items like Notebooks, Ram, drives, toners and pees per annum. This implies that a big network of smugglers
memory chips was started after the imposition of general sales
tax, which now contributes to 30 per cent of the total industry The officials found involved in assisting
size, thus causing a loss of millions of dollars to the national ex- smugglers both directly and indirectly
chequer. The computer hardware industry was growing at should be awarded exemplary punish-
steady 20 per cent growth in Asia Pacific, which was the third ments through a very rapid and effec-
highest growth in the region after China and India. Since the
tive prosecution. The arrested
government imposed 15 per cent GST on computer hardware,
the growth declined 17 percent.
smugglers should not be released at
The question arises that despite of encouraging global any cost. Their punishment should also
trends in the IT industry, why Pakistani market is showing the be exemplary so that no person
reverse trend and not exploiting the opportunities. New report should dare of entering into such il-
of IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker shows that Global PC legal business. The efficient custom/ex-
shipments rose 2.3% year on year in the third quarter of 2009
cise officers should be awarded rapid
(3Q09). Pakistan IT industry is going down every day and con-
trary to this, people in illegal trade are minting money. Accord-
departmental promotions as well as
ing to the data of Export Promotion Bureau, there are more than various prizes and medals.

22 | More | February 2010 www.apnatime.com


is present in Baluchistan. These groups are strong an influential
and high GST pave the way for smuggling, eventually, making
it difficult for the hardware companies to survive.
Pakistan does not manufacture any IT product. The global
trade, especially for developing country, is subject to WTO with
zero tax. This is done to promote the IT related business in every
way. The margin after selling genuine IT products are hardly 2-4%
and after paying almost 17% GST to government at the time of
import, a further GST on sale plus 3.5% withholding tax makes the
total tax percentage to almost 25%. In
this condition, earning mere 4% and
giving a 1-3 year warranty on prod-
{it}
turers keep requesting government and other stakeholders
through seminars and workshops but it seems all the efforts are
bringing no fruits.
Not only the IT industry is facing these issues, automobile,
consumer electronics and other industries have similar prob-
lems. This is the very reason that there is no transfer of technol-
ogy in Pakistan so far. There are example of local manufacturing
in shape of refrigerators, air conditioners, televisions etc but one
thing to note is that no major part of them is being manufac-
tured here. Every important element is imported. Pakistan has
a considerable market for a host of electrical items almost all of
them are being imported or smuggled into Pakistan.
One of the major reasons for not developing the local indus-
try is the culture of giving preference to the imported goods as
compared to those produced locally. One should however ac-
cept the harsh fact that usually the poor quality goods pro-
duced locally were enough to shift the interest of the consumers

“ Indian IT industry has set a target of $ 175 billion for itself till the year 2020. They are
all set to achieve the target for the year 2010 which is almost $ 50 billion. It became a re-
ality because the Global IT giants have outsourced their IT ventures in India due to IT
“
friendly policies. IBM, Microsoft, Oracle etc have their regional offices and plants in India
having thousands of employees

ucts make the trade unvi-
able to IT companies.
Our neighboring countries, in-
cluding India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka are giving top priority
to their IT industry. There are no duties and undue taxes on the
trade. Because of very same policies, Indian IT industry has set
a target of $ 175 billion for itself till the year 2020. They are all
set to achieve the target for the year 2010 which is almost $ 50
billion. It became a reality because the Global IT giants have out-
sourced their IT ventures in India due to IT friendly policies. IBM,
Microsoft, Oracle etc have their regional offices and plants in
India having thousands of employees.
In Pakistan, there are few assembling units for IT and elec-
tronic products. There is no transfer of technology in any ways.
Most of the IT giants have not even opened there offices in Pak-
istan and they are just relying on distributors because it is more
feasible to them rather than having a complete work force here.
Though, the representatives of the global hardware manufac-
towards the imported goods. Spelling out the facts which gave
way to the menace of smuggling in Pakistan, specially the IT
and electronics goods; sources identified the double standards
of duty structure for Karachi and Sust borders at Karakorum (Silk
Road), as the loophole of this industry.
At last but not least there is always room for remedy pro-
vided how serious we are to implement and enforce the law and
order. This illegal trade of computer IT products and electronics
can be minimized and can be controlled if following steps
would be taken seriously. The duties of the collectors should be
rotated after short intervals. Only honest and dutiful persons
should be posted at all borders that are assumed to be a path
way of illegal trade.
The honesty of the personals should be monitored through
the intelligence department. The officials found involved in as-
sisting smugglers both directly and indirectly should be
awarded exemplary punishments through a very rapid and ef-
fective prosecution. The arrested smugglers should not be re-
leased at any cost. Their punishment should also be exemplary
so that no person should dare of entering into such illegal
business. The efficient custom/excise officers should be
awarded rapid departmental promotions as well as various
prizes and medals. n

www.apnatime.com February 2010 | More | 23

{BankinG | MORE Team
}

24 | More | February 2010 www.apnatime.com

 {BankinG}
n Ever since the telecommunication
technology was introduced in Pakistan, a companies attained the customer base of 90 million
number of magnificent features have in less than 10 years, so it becomes crystal clear that
been added in the services provided by
the next 30 million people will be brought into
the mobile companies. In the beginning,
cell phone was a luxury enjoyed only by
the formal economy by opening a bank account in
the elite class; however, over the years it not more than five years
has become an affordable commodity for
everyone. Starting from a simple call and easier for the customers, even then the companies and some are extension of the
messaging service, there’s nothing that internet banking could not grow much online internet banking services while
you can not do through your mobile. Just because of lack of a large community’s others stand alone as mobile banking
name it. We are using the mobile phone access to the computers, especially lower platforms. But there is still a big room for
not only to communicate with each middle and poor strata of the society. In improvement.
other, we are using it to connect all across comparison, everyone carries a mobile An important thing that must be
the globe. And in this excessive flow of in- phone, he/she may belong to any age highlighted here is that both the banks
novative services, mobile banking is an- group or any community so it is easy to and telecom companies will have to have
other important addition that has yet to assume as to what are the prospects of a close coordination so that a reliable and
flourish. the mobile banking in Pakistan. Availabil- long-lasting system is in place. A true
The cell phone consumers can now ity of internet on the mobile phones has spirit of partnership between the two
make monetary transactions via their opened up a large resource pool for mass sectors is indispensable to make mobile
mobile, no need to take cash or credit enrolment in the banking sector, which is payments revolution a success.
card along. The service enables the users not only a good omen for the baking and Though all the competitors have
to perform online transactions including telecom sectors, it also shows bright come up with innovative ideas to attract
the customers, the one introduced by the
Muslim Commercial Bank (MCB) seems to
though all the competitors have come up with innova- have an edge over others. The Bank
tive ideas, the one introduced by the Muslim commer- launched mobile payments service by the
cial Bank seems to have an edge over others. the Bank name of MCB Mobile, which has been a
great success with thousands of cus-
has launched mobile payments service by the name of
tomers registered and the Bank proving
McB Mobile, which is being seen as a great success with itself a leader in providing the service as
thousands of customers registered and the Bank prov- yet. But those who want to compete will
ing itself a leader in providing the service as yet. have to grow faster and continuously in-
novate by introducing new payment
types and functionality.
money transfer, cash-in, cash-out, person- prospects for the overall economy of the In today’s marketing world, one must
to-person transfer, bill payments online country. be extra sharp as the fittest will survive. It
purchases and much more. Having said that, transaction through has taken over many decades for the
This is rightly being anticipated that a mobile phone is not as easy as it may banking industry to get more than 30
the mobile banking will further enhance seem because a lot of technical expertise million bank accounts, and the telecom
the mobile phone users in Pakistan as is needed to design a system that takes companies attained the customer base of
now an average man can feel safe for not into account the dynamics of all the 90 million in less than 10 years, so it be-
having to carry cash, and make utility bill stakeholders, including customers, gov- comes crystal clear that the next 30 mil-
payments from home. ernments/businesses, banks as well as lion people will be brought into the
Although in the last decade or so, the the telecom companies. A number of mo- formal economy by opening a bank ac-
computers revolutionized the banking bile banking solutions have already been count in not more than five years. The
sector in Pakistan and made transactions offered by the banks and the telecom race is on! n

www.apnatime.com February 2010 | More | 25

{career Guide | Shahid Khan
}

I recently ran across an article that advocates thinking “outside the
box” and developing an “entrepreneurial spirit” with an openness to
new opportunities when it comes to managing your career — as
we are likely to experience multiple career changes throughout our
work lives. The article also provided twelve tips for successful career
management — which I’ve paraphrased below.
n Brand yourself. In other words, understand what your skills,
experience, knowledge, values and expertise are and then
encapsulate them into a sentence or a phrase that describes
you, much like creating a simple personal mission statement.
n Market yourself. Make sure people know what you can do.
Having an updated and customizable resume readily available
is a must.
n Network…network…network. That means building
relationships. Socializing with peers, joining professional
associations, volunteering and making sure you’re taking
advantage of online communities are all great ways to do this.
n Develop professionally. Know your business, stay current with
advances in your area of expertise, read journals, attend
workshops — truly become an expert in your field.
n Keep a portfolio of your accomplishments. And make sure
they’re known, even if it feels “uncomfortable” to toot your
own horn. You’ll be glad you did when performance review
time comes around, as they’ll be right at your finger tips.
n Be a team player. It’s great to be great on your own, but it’s
even better — and absolutely critical in today’s work
environment — to achieve greatness in partnership with others.
n Be prepared to make changes at a moment’s notice. Flexibility,
adaptability and readiness for change are key characteristics of
successful employees. If you can anticipate and be prepared for
“what’s next,” change will no longer be your enemy.
n Keep a healthy work life balance. While it might be difficult
to replace you at work, it can be done, but no one can replace
you to your family, your friends — and yourself!
n Look for a mentor who can guide you through your career
development. Mentors not only teach us, but can be very
influential when it comes time for a promotion or a move to a
new opportunity.
n And in turn, be prepared to mentor others as your expertise
grows.
n Attitude is everything. Being positive, especially in the face of
adversity, will make you someone your colleagues want
to work with and managers want on their team.
n Lastly, though it’s your career, you’re not in it alone. Make
sure you’ve engaged your manager, your co-workers and
others around you in your journey.
I like these twelve tips. Reading through them I
realized I’ve used many of them in my work life — in-
cluding mentoring, keeping a portfolio, networking
and staying positive. The twelve tips also remind me
there is a lot I can do to control my career path — and
that’s invigorating.
I’d like to know if any in particular resonate with
you, or if you have other tips that have helped you suc-
cessfully manage your career.
Writer works for a multinational firm.
You can send your feedback on
mr.shahidkhan@gmail.com

26 | More | February 2010 www.apnatime.com

 { saddads | cover story}

www.apnatime.com February 2010 | More | 27

{technoLoGy | Aliya Ali
n With the films like ‘Avatar’ and ‘District 9’
in Oscar nominations, who is not talking
about success and advancement of visual
effects in recent time’s cinematography?
2009 was a big year for animated films. Ani-
mations and visual effects ruled the year. Vi-
sual Effects are the methods used to create
and blend non-existing scenes into a live ac-
tion movie. These are used when a scene
would be too expensive or dangerous, or
“
Quite often we see films based upon natural phenomena’s. One recent example is
2012. More than 100 artists created 2012's 1300 visual-effects shots, including volcanic
eruptions, tsunamis, floods and a massive earthquake that rips California apart
simply impossible to film any other way.
The use of computer generated im-
agery (CGI) has evolved over a period of
time. In 1980’s audience were subjected to
experience practical visual effects on big
screen. Elaborate models, puppets and
cameras did the trick for movies like Em-
28 | More | February 2010
}
A scene from the
movie Benjamin
Button
pire strikes back and for the blockbusters
like Batman and Indiana jones and the last
crusade. Computer generated imagery
techniques surprised cinema goers in
1990’s with films like Terminator 2. At this
time visual effects artists were creating im-
ages which were near to impossible with
previous techniques.
In the last decade CGI ruled out tradi-
tional techniques to fool audience. Its
“
dominance was widely seen in Matrix,
transformers and Lords of the rings.
CGI is used for visual effects because
the quality is often higher and effects are
more controllable than other more physi-
cally based processes, such as constructing
miniatures for effects shots or hiring extras
for crowd scenes, and because it allows the
creation of images that would not be fea-
sible using any other technology.
two important techniques which can be
used by using cGi only are:
1. Fluid dynamics
2. Facial animation
Firstly we will talk about facial anima-
tion. Often film makers need to make
photo realistic face images which cannot
be digitally created using other methods.
One remarkable example is the movie Ben-
jamin Button, where we saw an older ver-
sion of Pitt’s face. Did you even realize the
first hour of the movie was a completely
computer animated face? Every action, re-
action, motion and emotion of Brad Pitt’s
face was interpreted by a computer, and
transformed to a face which aged roughly
45 years. And it looked 100% real. It took
155 people over 2 years to create the
'heads' of Benjamin Button. The face not
www.apnatime.com

only needed to look alike Brad Pitt’s, it also
had to move like it in convincing manner.
Pitt was given a series of exercises to
practice so that he could easily move his face
into various actions. A 3D laser scan of Pitt’s
face would then yield a complete configura-
tion of his facial geometry in that position.
What the audience is actually seeing
in the first-third of the movie is a com-
puter-generated copy of Pitt's head, which
the studio aged digitally. It acts like Pitt on
the screen, that's because Pitt was filmed
performing all of the scenes and the visual
effects artists then mimicked his move-
ments on the digital head.
“ In 2007 The Golden Compass picked up the award for Best Visual Effects and Mir Zafar
Ali was one of the ‘Effects Technical Director’ at Rhythm and Hues, the US-based company
that worked on this particular film. Mir Zafar Ali is a FAST-Karachi graduate
Quite often we see films based upon
natural phenomena’s. One recent example
is 2012. More than 100 artists created 2012's
1300 visual-effects shots, including volcanic
eruptions, tsunamis, floods and a massive
earthquake that rips California apart. Every
single thing had to be destroyed. Visual Ef-
fects artists for this film built a 3D photore-
alistic version of several city blocks using
60,000 high-dynamic images as a reference.
Then they made every mailbox, tree and
building shake and crumble.
Previously such scenes were created
using models and other traditional tech-
niques. Artists used to make models and
then flood them, blew them up or set
them on fire. It not only requires a lot of
man power but very serious security is-
sues. The dam breaking scene in Dente’s
Peak was one of the most remarkable out-
comes of its kind using similar method.
Now using fluid dynamics, real life
scenes can be amazingly shown to audi-
ence which was previously impossible or
required much expertise, time and cost. In
‘The Day after tomorrow’ spectacular
scenes were shot using this technique. In
www.apnatime.com
one scene a tidal wave was shown which
appeared to be nothing less than reality.
In Pirates of the Caribbean, the water-
fall was to represent the end of the world,
stretching to the horizon and infinitely
deep. The overall effect needed realistic
water flowing, spray and mist rising from
the fall, bubbles floating and all other
minor details. Artists had to be able to
change each layer in parts of the waterfall
without affecting, or unnecessarily re com-
puting, other regions.
Still there are challenges faced by vi-
sual effects artist. With advancement in
technology, audience has become clever
“
enough to guess what is real and what is
not. And the whole point of CGI is to de-
velop images which look real. Now, the
technology has matured and is hitting the
mainstream as more theatres and the big
movie studios adopt the technology in an
effort to attract more people to the cinema
In future, we are expecting to see
some tremendous work in this field. The
charm of CGI has influenced film makers
like never before.
Absolutely with no doubt, CGI and vi-
sual effects has captured film industry all
over the world with its amazing room for
improvement. But in all this visual effects
magic, we see Pakistan far lagging behind.
On the first hand, there are no films being
made. And those few which are, they have
shamelessly low budget, with no good
script. There are some exceptions though
like Shoaib Mansoor’s Khuda K Liye and
some films from Javaid Sheikh, Shan and
Ajab Gul. The question is: Do we lack tal-
ent or we are just afraid to use it?
In 2007 The Golden Compass picked
up the award for Best Visual Effects and Mir
Zafar Ali was one of the ‘Effects Technical
{technoLoGy}
Director’ at Rhythm and Hues, the US-
based company that worked on this par-
ticular film. Mir Zafar Ali is a FAST-Karachi
graduate. There are many such promising
students of technology in Pakistan. IT and
sciences has improved a lot in a last decade
here. Despite of that we are still unable to
use this talent in right direction. At this
point of era where technology is a very im-
portant part of entertainment industry, our
film industry has not even managed to
come up with average good films.
If adequate budget is provided and a
potential script is chosen, we can create a
new market for our IT professionals. Our
own people are now used to mind blow-
ing visual effects and remarkable captured
shots in foreign films. We not only need to
provide quality cinema to our audience
but also we should give our engineers and
technicians a chance to use their expertise
on big screen.
It’s high time to bring a revolution in
our films. We need good equipment, edu-
cated people and proper investment to
make this happen. We can not only bring
viewers back to cinema, we can also give a
new dimension to IT profession in Pakistan.
In this Global world, technology and
advancement are the keys to success and
development. Almost in every walk of life
scientists and engineers are improving
ways to make lives easier. Entertainment
industry also has been completely over-
powered by technology. Cinematic expe-
rience was never this brilliant before. In
Pakistan, we do have all talent, capability
and minds to compete in such environ-
ment. If a right step at this right time is
taken, we can surely succeed in this area.
Our IT professionals are doing wonders in
foreign countries. This is time to use our
talent in our own country. Creative minds
need to collaborate with technology.
When every field in today’s world has
taken benefits from technology, why not
our own “Film Industry”? n
February 2010 | More | 29
{reviews | More-In-House
}

Good things
3.5 mm audio jack
You can use any headset or connect it to a set of
speakers of your choice.

email client
If you have the GPRS/EDGE activated on your phone, which
normally is the case now in Pakistan, you can configure any
POP3 enabled email account. The automatic configuration
won’t work and you will need to configure settings manually..

Built in Maps
You can download new maps , though it does not have
a built in GPS but can connect through a GPS device.

web services
It allows you to connect to Facebook without having to
go via the phone's browser.

equalizer
The music player has an equalizer and a stereo
widening option, which gives you a surround
sound effect.

flash Message
The function allows you to type messages
which are directly opened on the receiver’s
phone.

scientific calculator
Besides a regular one, you can
switch to the scientific calculator
for a more detailed working.

30 | More | February 2010 www.apnatime.com


n Since the competition is getting stronger, mobile phone
manufactures are putting everything in the low range phones.
Nokia 2700 is one such example. Feature wise, the phone gives
you a feel that you are holding a good middle end phone which
could fulfill calling, texting and data need. Though Nokia is run-
ning a separate series for the music but this phone also has the
necessary music software to impress you.
Measuring only 109 x 46 x 14 mm and weighting only 85 g,
this item's size will satisfy its most skeptic users. This cell phone
comes with a 1020 mAh Li-Ion battery, letting a talk time of 6.00
hours and provides in standby mode 288 hours. It includes a 32
MB memory, a good quantity for a regular use but our never
shown more than 28MB of memory. For extra storage of your
music and image files, you can put a separate 2GB card into it.
The package in Pakistan comes with a 1GB card.
Screen is pleasant and sharp with enough readable fonts.
You can select the shortcuts for left and right menu buttons. The
default is the email function which is a real charm in this price
range. You can store contacts with much more detail besides
“ Similarly, WH-102 Nokia headphone is very irritating if you put them for
more than 5 minutes. They will never pass you any sound adjustment done
“
by the equalizer. Even Chinese phones in the local market have the head-
phones which will give you an ultimate sound quality
the Ovi Contacts, which Nokia is promoting a lot.
Nokia has been promoting music almost in every set, this
phone is no different. It has the music and video player along
with a good radio which has a good reception to catch major
stations in the city. One annoying fact for the music application
lovers is that you can’t adjust the volume from any side button.
Nothing is placed on any side of the phone. You only need to
rely on the navigation button for this. Similarly, WH-102 Nokia
headphone is very irritating if you put them for more than 5
minutes. They will never pass you any sound adjustment done
by the equalizer. Even Chinese phones in the local market have
the headphones which will give you an ultimate sound quality.
We had to dig the menu for locating the camera application
which was not a pleasant experience. The device does not have
a camera button outside. That means if you want
to take a quick shot, you will need to rely on
the quick menu (shortcut). If you
have other important short-
www.apnatime.com
{reviews}
Bad
n Screen can get too many scratches just in few days
n No USB Cable in package
n No external Camera button
n No external Volume control
n Very irritating WH-102 headphones
cut on the display screen like music or radio you will miss your
favorite shot every time. 2MP camera will give you the good re-
sults but video is not acceptable and crisp. Maximum image size
it can take is 1200x1600, for video it is 176x144. Very rarely, the
camera application gets stuck and you will need to restart your
phone.
Voice quality is good and won’t let you down so is the typing
if you are a slow texter. Those who love to text a lot won’t find it
a smooth sail every time. Buttons are a little tough, better than
Nokia 5030 but still a little improvement is required. It is com-
pletely contrary to the outlook of the phone.
The good thing about this phone is that it has all standard
interfaces nothing proprietary of Nokia
particularly. Connectivity is standard mi-
croUSB, you have a standard 3.5 mm
headphone socket so any headphone can
be jacked in & you have a microSD card
which can fit in any standard SD adapter.
Bluetooth, GPRS and USB options are
available for the connectivity, again, the package does not in-
clude the USB cable. This is the second cheap but important ac-
cessory that is not available inside your box.
Few good games are packed inside. Diamond Rush, Rally 3D,
Snake III, Sudoku are built-in and entertaining games. You can
download more. Bad part is, you can’t reduce the volume which
is quite high. Such a thing would remind you of a Chinese
phone where most of the post production quality checks are ig-
nored. Anyways, for this, you need to change the profile and
turn the “silent” mode on. After playing your game, turn it off or
else you may miss some important calls.
You may find your MicroSD card causing your
phone to halt after using for some days. In such a
case remove the card and phone will be back to
normal.
Battery life is 3-4 days which is the hall
mark of Nokia phones. Finally, those who
want communication, imaging and
media in one phone at an afford-
able price, the Nokia 2700 clas-
sic is the one for you. n
February 2010 | More | 31
{reviews | More-In-House
}

32 | More | February 2010 www.apnatime.com

 {reviews}

www.apnatime.com February 2010 | More | 33

{reviews}
n Imagine, you are holding the digital camera and standing
with arm outstretched to take your own snapshot, most of the
time you will end up taking the picture of half of your head,
sometime you will miss your favorite background scene just be-
cause there was no one to tell you what was your camera cap-
turing exactly. It’s a thing of past, Samsung’s ST550 has
introduced the first camera with two LCDs, One on the back and
other one on the front side just adjacent to the lens. While stand-
ing in front of the camera, you can easily see what it is capturing
and you can adjust yourself accordingly. The front LCD is a 1.5
inch display, to take a self portrait, simply tap the front screen to
activate it and compose your shot. LCD monitor is hidden be-
neath the transparent surface of the front panel, to the left of the
lens. When not in use the display is almost invisible beneath the
tinted black surface, but shines after tapping. When activated
face when activated face and smile detection feature will kick in
and the camera will take your picture automatically.
The front screen can also have animation activated from the
menu; it will be good to get attention of yours or the subject for
a better picture. In self timer mode you can also see the count-
down on the front screen to know when the picture is being
taken. Press the shutter halfway and the smiley face will appear
on the front screen to remind the subject to smile. Bad thing is,
the front LCD screen cannot be used in video mode.
“
The lens is sharp enough in the centre of the frame and shows
very little distortion at wide angle. The camera has an automatic
“
contrast booster, but all it really does is brighten the image, clipping
the highlights even more
The ST550 has plenty of user-friendly features to show off.
A Smart Auto mode automatically detects scene conditions and
selects the best settings, the Beauty Shot feature fixes skin im-
perfections while the Photo Style Selector consists of a variety
of in-camera creative effects that, according to Samsung are
there ‘to evoke a mood’ and include colour manipulation, neg-
ative, retro and soft effects.
The ST550 is a slim 12Mp compact with a 4.6x optical zoom
4.9-22.5mm f-3.5/5.9 lens equivalent to 27-124mm on a 35mm
camera. The LCD on the back is a 3.5in touch screen LCD. It also
sports an 80-3200 ISO range and a 1280 x 720 HD video record-
ing at 30fps.
The camera rely mostly on touchscreen technology which
Samsung has been using in its mobilephone quite excellently.
In the coming models Samsung can also make use of space by
removing even the “play” button from its body. For the camera,
34 | More | February 2010
touch screen is new, no doubt we will see lots of improvements
in the coming models.
The large backside display uniquely provides haptic feed-
back when you tap on it. The cameras buzzes slightly when you
touch an on-screen button. The smart gesture allow pattern on
the screen to execute certain commands such as rotate or
delete the saved picture. If you want to scroll through your pho-
tos you can just tilt the camera one way or the other or if you
want to delete a picture you just have to draw an X on it with
your finger.
Interestingly, the ST550 uses microSD cards for storage. Accord-
ing to Samsung, the front LCD took up space inside the camera and
hence the company had to resort to a smaller memory media.
The lens is sharp enough in the centre of the frame and
shows very little distortion at wide angle, but corner sharpness
could be better. The camera has an automatic contrast booster,
but all it really does is brighten the image, clipping the high-
lights even more.
Image noise control, on the other hand, is surprisingly good.
Images at 400 ISO have a little noise and colour distortion but
are quite printable, and even at 800 ISO tone gradients remain
fairly smooth, usable for web and email purposes.
In use, the zoom slider feels flimsy and has a less than smooth
motion. It sometimes bumps its way through the different focal
lengths. Yet the ST550 has an excellent Macro mode for this level
of camera, which allows you to focus up to 5 cm away. Response
times are also good with little shutter lag and a fast Auto Focus
The camera has 760mAH Lithium-ion Rechargeable battery
which needs more improvements. While using the camera, we
activated the flash and front display more often and the battery
could take some 123 pictures before it got discharged.
The ST550 is a very interesting camera with two screens and
a lot of functions. It’s a beautiful gift for ladies and teenage pho-
tographer. n
www.apnatime.com
 {Month in focus}

n Mobilink has launched a new and innovative service allowing users to

listen to select movies on their cell phones. Jazz Audio Cinema is the first of
its kind service allows users to enjoy the original dialogues & songs of popular
blockbusters on the go. The movies have been adapted into a storytelling
format and converted into durations of 60 to 90 minutes.
Commenting on the service, Wasif Mustafa, Director Value Added Serv- Winner of 500,000 with Mobilink team
ices, IR & Products & Platform shared that, “Today the cellular handset has
become a tool not only for communication but also entertainment. At Mo-
bilink we continue to add value to the cellular experience with our new and
The SMS that changed his life!
n Tariq Mehmood who is father of four children, two sons and two daughters
innovative product portfolio which is the largest in the telecom industry.
The Jazz Audio Cinema is an exclusive treat brought to Pakistani audiences is a government employee and works with the relief agencies in Bagh, Azad
for the first time.” Kashmir. Like any Mobilink Jazz user, Tariq is fun loving and an optimist by na-
Mobilink Jazz users can subscribe to this service by dialing IVR short ture which is why he could not resist participating in the Mobilink Jazz SMS
code 606 for a nominal monthly subscription fee and enjoy the service at Khazana contest. Hooked to the thrill of winning, the brain tease, Tariq kept
low per minute browsing rates. Mobilink has the most diverse bouquet of accumulating points.
value added services including revolutionary and exclusive services such as Little did he know that
Mobi Track, Mobilink Insurance and Mobile Money Order that provide users these SMSes will completely
with convenience and flexibility no other operator provides. change his life and that hap-
pened when he was de-
subscription process: clared the 1st winner of Jazz
User can subscribe to this service by dialing IVR SMS Khazana Weekly Prize
short code 606. After subscribing to service, users will of Rs. 500,000/-
get the successful subscription notification via SMS. Munching on the treats
After successful subscription of service, users can dial laid out in his honour at Mo-
606 and enjoy the service. bilink House, Tariq shared
un-subscription process: with the Mobilink Jazz
To unsubscribe this service user dials the IVR and Brand team that he had
select unsubscribe option from the menu. A notifica- never taken part in any con-
Tariq Mehmood being awarded by Mobilink official
tion SMS will also be sent to user after un-subscribing test of this nature before.
the service. This was his first time and he did so because he had faith in the company.
service charges He said, “I knew Mobilink is a big company and I have been using Jazz number
Monthly Subscription Charges @ Rs. 20 + Tax. IVR for last 5 years, I fully trusted the company and their SMS Khazana campaign.
Browsing @ Rs. 0.20+ Tax per min I decided to give my luck a try aur Allah kay karam se sab Acha ho gaya!” Senior
List of Movies available: members of the Mobilink team met Tariq and asked him for his feedback on
Chance Pe Dance, Chori Chori Chup Ke Chup Ke, Dhan the Mobilink Jazz SMS Khazana before handing him his cheque for Rs 500,000.
Dhana Dhan Goal, Fashion, Hattrick, HUM, KAMINEY, Using the prize money Tariq plans to start a small side-business as he be-
Karz, Khalnayak, Khosla Ka Ghosla, Life in a Metro, Mein lieves this way he will be in a much better position to support his family as well
Aur Mrs Khanna, Oye Lucky Lucky Oye, Tezaab, Wake as his ageing parents. Tariq was extremely thankful to Allah and everyone in-
Up Sid, Welcome to Sajjanpur, Whats Your Rashee volved for totally changing his life. He said, “I believe everyone should take a
chance in life because unless you give it a try, you won’t come to know what
note: the service is available for Jazz customers only luck has in store for you.”

www.apnatime.com February 2010 | More | 35

{Month in focus}

n Pakistan Telecommunication Company
Ltd (PTCL) recently announced its finan-
cial results for the half year ended on 31st
December, 2009. The Company has an-
nounced a Net Profit of Rs. 5.354 billion
compared to Rs. 5.314 billion recorded in
the same period last year. On a consoli-
dated basis, for half year ended December
31, 2009, the Group earned Rs. 6.7 billion
Profit after Taxation i.e. a 13% growth
compared to same period last year.
the first time in Pakistan, expanded to all
the major cities in the country too. Under
the USF scheme, PTCL is extending voice
and data services to the underserved and
far-flung areas of Pakistan using satellite
backhaul as well.
To provide value services to its Corpo-
rate clients, the Company has launched
Enterprise DSL, I-Sentry (IP video moni-
toring and surveillance solution), man-
aged services and also soft launched
tive packages at national and regional levels
have been introduced. Free on-nets minutes
for new connections, Double-up Unlimited
Package with single pricing for voice and
broadband services, Bundle deals in Lahore
and Karachi and Regional Packages all over
the country are a few examples.

“ President PTCL Walid Irshaid commenting on the results

said, we strive hard to ensure the high standards of quality
that our valued customers expect from us. Now customers can
“
experience the Internet at its fastest with high-speed access from
Broadband Pakistan

During last year, PTCL has continued
its strategy of developing new sources of
income, on the Commercial side. The
Company remained focused, inter-alia,
on enhancing Broadband penetration
and accordingly PTCL achieved 85% mar-
ket share by acquiring about 336,000 cus-
tomers spread over 200 cities in Pakistan.
During the period under review, ‘Evo’ –
the wireless Broadband based on 3G
technology with nationwide roaming for
Tele-presence for the first time in Pak-
istan. Also, Data Centers equipped with
latest technologies are being established
Mr. Walid Irshaid, President PTCL
at Karachi and Lahore with the objective
to provide data-hosting as well as disas-
ter-recovery services to our valued corpo- President PTCL Walid Irshaid com-
rate customers. Another initiative is the menting on the results said “We strive
on-going project to equip over four thou- hard to ensure the high standards of
sand (4,000) schools with IT labs under quality that our valued customers expect
the auspices of Government of Punjab. from us. Now customers can experience
For the PSTN customers, various innova- the Internet at its fastest with high-speed

36 | More | February 2010 www.apnatime.com


access from Broadband Pakistan, simulta-
neously, enjoy Voice service over the
same telephone line without any extra
cabling connections! Broadband Pakistan
offers DSL service with unmatched relia-
bility, affordability and connectivity
He further added this reflects our
commitment to add value to the lives of
our customers and provide them access
to the most sophisticated and advanced
services with Automation of processes,
operational costs optimization, commis-
sioning of Next Generation Networks, de-
velopment of nationwide backbone
“ SEVP commercial Naveed Saeed Stated, by launching this
service, PTCL again has reinforced its commitment to provide our
customers with updated technology at value added cost and
“
with no additional cost for Broadband customers with smart
TV service
infrastructure, and propagation of broad-
band services among few of the envi-
sioned objectives for the near future.”
PTCL is offering special 30% discount
package for the students on 1 Mbps con-
nection on high speed broadband serv-
ices. The company says, it is giving better
services to growing student segment of
Broadband customers in recent years
with the confidence that this package will
continue to facilitate students in their ed-
ucational requirements.
EVP Multimedia and broadband, Syed
Zomma Mohiuddin said that the aim be-
hind offering this package is to provide
uninterrupted service to all our existing
and new student customers. He also said
that we take this opportunity to thank the
loyal customers of PTCL in displaying great
faith in Broadband services being offered.
All other packages of greater than 1
Mbps i.e., 2 Mbps and 4 Mbps on high
speed broadband services will not have the
student package discount applicable which
is effective from 1st March 2010 onwards.
www.apnatime.com
Another service that has thrilled the
industry is PTCL’s Wi-fi facility with its
fixed line broadband service that will give
the PTCL Broadband customers the abil-
ity to use high speed and secure broad-
band services anywhere in the house.
This service will provide wire free con-
nectivity to all WiFi enabled devices like
desktops, laptops, PSP, cell phones etc
with strong WiFi signals up to 54MBPS,
with a secure password which enables
protection to avoid any misuse.
PTCL is offering this customer friendly
WiFi service at an additional charge of
only Rs 200 per month. However, the
service has no extra cost for the cus-
tomers having Broadband with the smart
TV service. The package also includes a
WiFi USB to enable customer’s desktop pc
to be used on the WiFi service.
SEVP Commercial Naveed Saeed
Stated, “By launching this service, PTCL
again has reinforced its commitment to
provide our customers with updated
technology at value added cost and with
no additional cost for Broadband cus-
tomers with smart TV service. This is an-
other milestone towards reinforcing
positive image of PTCL Broadband as a
customer centric organization
EVP Multimedia and broadband, Syed
Zomma Mohiuddin said that the aim of
launching this service was to make the
fixed line broadband service available to
multiple people in the house at the same
time on a single connection, thereby pro-
viding users with the fastest Broadband
connectivity with the added convenience
of roaming anywhere within in the house.
{Month in focus}
In order to reduce the communication
cost in the corporate sector, its audio con-
ferencing platform has introduced new
state of art service ‘Personal Collaborator’.
The aim of this conference service is
to connect national and global workforce
of corporate clients and small businesses,
where clients immediately can support
virtual meetings of up to 10 users.
EVP Customer Care Jamil Khawaja has
Naveed Saeed, SEVP Commercial, PTCL
stated that PTCL audio conferencing solu-
tions has been designed in a way so as to
keep the usage easy with economical
billing packages while allowing the cus-
tomer’s organization to collaborate with
their customers, staff and partners located
both in Pakistan and internationally, thus
enhancing their work productivity.
This service is being offered both in
English and Urdu with reservation-less in-
stant meeting, where customer’s employ-
ees keep the same dial-in number and
pin code so meetings can be started at a
moment’s notice.
PTCL is determined to develop sys-
tems and services that are customer-cen-
tric and customer-friendly. As part of that
endeavor PTCL is exploring new horizons
of technology to provide its customers
best value of their money. n
February 2010 | More | 37
{Month in focus}

Telenor send Areeb Iqbal to South Africa

“areeb iqbal” has won the finals of the com-
petition and will be flying to south africa for
the world finals of red Bull street style.

what is “red Bull street

style”?
“Red Bull Street Style” is a new event that aims to unite
the loosely organized international scene that has grown
up around “Freestyle Football“ under a single banner. It’s
a competition about artistry with a soccer ball that is tak-
ing place in 41 nations, with the winners of the national
contests advancing to the world finals in Brazil.

how, when and where did freestyle

football originate?
It’s impossible to pinpoint exactly when and where it began because people
have been performing tricks with soccer balls for ages. But there was a no-
table increase in the buzz around Freestyle Football at the start of the 21st
century that came largely from urban areas. The roots lie much deeper, how-
ever, with legends such as Pele or Maradona considered early pioneers with
their great technical ball-handling skills. The trend continued with latter-day
stars such as Ronaldinho, Beckham and others carrying the torch.

when exactly do the finals take place?

The finals will take place in November/December in Sao Paulo. More exact
details will be published at a later date.

PTA to study MVNO, 3G

and 4G in 2010
n Pakistan Telecommunications Authority
(PTA) has successfully achieved 95 percent
of its Targets and Goals for the year 2009
and set new Targets and Goals for the year
2010. The Annual Meeting was held at PTA
Headquarters, Islamabad wherein progress
of Division and Directorates of PTA for the
year 2009 was reviewed and proposed Tar-
gets and Goals for the year 2010 were dis-
cussed and finalized. Chairman PTA. Dr.
Mohammed Yaseen chaired the session.
It was decided in the meeting that during
the year 2010, PTA Commercial Affairs Divi-
sion will carry out Consultation Paper on
Charging of Calls to Toll Free Numbers from
Mobile, Broadband tariffs-Benchmark
Study, Financial analysis of Mobile Opera-
tors and some other studies.
The Enforcement Division, along with other
tasks, will conduct QoS surveys of different
telecom services in the country.
The Finance Division of PTA will work on the
Comparative Study of MVNO with different
Countries, Review of Mergers and Acquisi-
tions in the Telecom Sector of Pakistan and
some other studies. PTA Strategy and De-
velopment (S&D) Division will conduct dif-
ferent studies including study on Status of
4G and 3G deployments globally and way
forward for Pakistan.
The Licensing Division will carry out studies
on Regulatory Changes in WLL Regime in
line With Technological Advancements, 3G
Licensing, and Low Power GSM Trends etc.
The Law & Regulations Division will work on
the preparation of Research Papers on dif-
ferent topics including Unification of Li-
cense: Provision of Coveraged Services i.e.
voice, video and data under one Umbrella
and their Regulatory Issues etc.
The ICT Directorate will conduct consul-
tancy on recommending various strategies
for improving Telecom market in Pakistan
and will be responsible for carrying out
some other important tasks.

38 | More | February 2010 www.apnatime.com

 {Month in focus}

Two Numbers in One SIM by Zong

n ZONG has introduced‘Chine-Ease’one SIM
two numbers, an additional service for ZONG
postpaid subscribers. Chine-Ease is a service
through which subscribers using interna-
tional roaming services will be given roaming
facilities in China at the cheapest rates.
‘Chine-Ease’ subscribers will be given a
‘China Mobile’ number, mapped with their
ZONG number; enabling them to have two
numbers on one SIM. Thus, the China Mo-
bile number will serve as the calling num-
ber, when the subscriber is in China. The
ZONG number will serve as the calling
number when the subscriber is in Pakistan
or in any other country.
The calling number is switched automati-
cally, according to the registered network
and location while incoming calls can be re-
ceived on both numbers. This service will
allow subscribers to avail the cheapest rates
on roaming while in China and at the same
time have the convenience of carrying their
regular ZONG SIM.
Awais Malik, Director Segment, Products &
International Business, ZONG, while ex-
pressing his views said that the new service
would particularly benefit people who
travel frequently to China and do not want
the inconvenience of purchasing local SIMs
for making calls .
ZONG has again produced a highly innova-
tive and affordable service for its sub-
scribers. The Chine-Ease tariff is very cost
effective; it is even less than half of China
roaming tariff being offered by other oper-
ators in Pakistan. Moreover, as the calling
number is switched automatically there is
no inconvenience to the subscriber.
During initial phase the Chine-Ease service
has been offered in Beijing, Guangdong, Zhe-
jiang and Xinjiang provinces with plans to ex-
pand the service to other parts of China.

Ufone to hold Capacity Building Workshop for Journalists

Mr. Afzal Butt, President National Press Club, Mr. Abrar Khan, Chief Marketing Officer, Ufone, Mr.
Tariq Chaudary, Ex-President National Press Club and other officials at the reception hosted by Ufone
in the honor of recently elected Governing body of National Press Club, Islamabad
n Appreciating the role played by Pakistani media in providing
information to the people in very trying times, Ufone has an-
nounced a capacity building initiative that will train journalists
for reporting in security sensitive situations.
Akbar Khan, Chief Marketing Officer at Ufone announced the initia-
tive at a dinner hosted in the honor of the elected cabinet of the Na-
tional Press Club Islamabad. The capacity building workshop will
be held with international trainers in the month of April this year.
Speaking on the occasion he said that both the cellular industry
and the media had shown tremendous growth in the last
decade and have empowered the people by providing them ac-
cess to information. He congratulated the newly elected mem-
bers of the National Press Club cabinet and expressed
confidence that that their tenure will bring further improve-
ments to the important organization like National Press Club.
President National Press Club Afzal Butt thanked Ufone for invit-
ing the elected body and emphasized that telecommunication
and media were interconnected in many ways and support each
other. He hoped that the cooperation between Ufone and the
National Press club will further grow. He proposed a few steps
to strengthen the relationship with the journalist community.

Operating profit of USD 48 million in the

LG’s highest earnings in its history
n LG Electronics reported record revenues
and operating profits in the fourth quarter
of 2009, reflecting the results of the com-
pany’s successful strategy and competitive-
ness during the current recession.
Record sales and operating profits were re-
ported for the three months ending Dec.
31, 2009. Sales on a global basis rose 6.8
percent to USD 12.2 billion year-over-year.
Operating profit was up to USD 382 mil-
lion resulting in a margin of 3.1 percent,
2.3 percent points higher than the fourth
quarter last year.
The LG Home Entertainment Company saw
fourth quarter sales rise by 18 percent to
USD 5.0 billion, returning an operating profit
of USD 232 million for a margin of 4.6 per-
cent, 5.2 percent points higher than the pre-
vious year, as a result of strong product
leadership and rising demand for LCD TVs
and Plasma TVs. Unit sales of total flat panel
TVs jumped 52 percent year-over-year to 6.6
million sets from 4.3 million. Quarter-over-
quarter unit growth was also seen in both
LCD TVs and Plasma TVs, 38 percent and 29
percent respectively. Annual sales reached
USD 15.3 billion, jumping 19.9 percent from
the previous year, mainly led by record unit
sales of 19.5 million flat panel TVs. The LG
Mobile Communications Company re-
ported sales of USD 3.6 billion in sales, 7.4
percent lower than the 2009 fourth quarter.
2009 period resulted in a margin of 1.3 per-
cent. Handset revenues were USD 3.3 bil-
lion, a 5 percent decline from the same
quarter in 2008, while operating profit
reached USD 57 million, resulting in a mar-
gin of 1.7 percent. Unit shipments of hand-
sets saw an increase of 32 percent
year-over-year and 7 percent quarter-over-
quarter to 33.9 million units, which resulted
in a record 117.9 million units being sold in
2009 versus 100.7 million units in 2008 due
to robust growth in North America, Europe
and emerging markets.
Price erosion and an increase in marketing
expenses for year-end inventory clearance
and emerging market channel expansion
resulted in lower profitability compared to
the third quarter.

www.apnatime.com February 2010 | More | 39

{Month in focus}

Kingston Boosts Speed, no price increase

standalone unit or with a bundled solution for desktop or note-
book systems. There is no need to reload the operating system
or do anything that would alter critical data files. The included
cloning software makes it simple to move the contents of the
existing hard-disk drive (HDD) to the SSD.
“Kingston has really increased the performance on the new sec-
ond generation SSDNow V Series drive without raising the price,
and maintaining pricing will be huge for our customers,” said
Nathan Su, Flash Memory Sales Director, APAC Region, Kingston.

Basic features
sequential speed
n 128GB: up to 200MB/sec. read; 160MB/sec. write
n Kingston Digital’s second generation SSDNow V Series solid- n 64GB: up to 200MB/sec. read; 110MB/sec. write
state drive (SSD)are targeted for mainstream consumers and n 30GB: up to 180MB/sec. read; 50MB/sec. write
small and medium businesses, the new Kingston SSDNow V Se- pcMark hdd 2005
ries offers higher performance than its predecessor and sup- n 128GB: 20,177
ports Windows 7 TRIM functionality while maintaining pricing. n 64GB: 21,317
Capacities are 30GB, 64GB and 128GB and the drive comes as a n 30GB: 18,900

MTV VJs Dino and Navin endorsing the Dell Consumer notebooks. "Yours is
Here", the tagline for Dell Consumer is about the colorful personalities that
make up this world and they can express themselves through Dell.

Nubla Iftikhar,Marketing Manager for Consumer and SMB at Dell Provincial Minister Sindh Shazia Marree, C.E.O Mr. Asad
sharing a light moment with MTV VJ, Dino. Dino is holding a Sibtain & Country Manager Mr. Tauseef Khan at soft
Cherry Red Inspiron 1440. Launch of ASUS at PC Hotel Karachi.

40 | More | February 2010 www.apnatime.com

 {Month in focus}

3rd TeleCON-2010 on April 24 in Lahore

n The 3rd Global Telecommunication
Congress 2010 (TeleCON 2010) with a spe-
cial emphasis on “Taking Pakistan to the
Next Level of Technology Frontiers” is being
organized on April 24 at the Pearl Continen-
tal Hotel-Lahore by SHAMROCK Confer-
ences International. This high profiled
forum is held annually, under the patron-
age of the Pakistan Telecommunication Au-
thority (PTA).
TeleCON-2010 is the third in a successful se-
ries of Telecom conferences designed to as-
semble the Industry-Specialists, Regulators,
Technologists, Speakers and investors from
national and global institutions, including
the Government and Private sectors. These
experts will discuss challenges & opportu-
nities to equip this dynamic sector with rev-
olutionary modern technology available in
the developed world. Deliberations on For-
eign-Direct Investment during the global
economic revival will also be held.
Ammad Hassan Shah, Head of Conferences
at SHAMROCK Conferences International
(SCI) said, “The national telecom objectives
and policies need prompt realignment with
the rapid technological advancements in
global telecom. Over the years, this forum
has inspired innovative initiatives for
evolved operations in Rural Area Connec-
tivity, Broadband, Wireless Access, Connec-
tivity, Mobility, Safety and Security.”
Similar to the TeleCON forums in the past, the
upcoming moot will attract leading names
from prominent telecom organizations. Viper Technology one of the leading IT solution companies
Proactive leaders in Telecom, GSMA and the in Pakistan, steps forward in creating server technology
Cyber technologies are expected to share awareness through its mall based activities, with an idea
their wisdom to enable seamless, instant to bring the high-end technology forward through the di-
connectivity throughout Pakistan, delivering rect consumer interaction. Picture shows Viper representa-
highest quality and futuristic capabilities. tive explaining a customer about Viper Server.

A recent survey on the topic, “why new computers are sold less than the old ones”, was conducted by MORE team. Reviews and
feedback of prominent hardware sellers are mentioned below;

saqib iqbal, Branch Manager, Galaxy com- Muhammad halim, ceo

puters says, it is good that Government is fo- decent computers says
cusing on IT sector at the same time people are buying used com-
Government should review the tax policy on puters more than the new
the computers and related hardware. The cur- ones. Schools and colleges
rent tax rate is very high and causing low rev- use old computers whereas
enue for the government. Revenue can be corporate sector rely on the
increased if the policy makers could make it fa- new computers. A used com-
vorable for the traders. Due to smuggled and puter is available for Rs. 6,000
used computers, 30 % - 40 % of genuine busi- whereas nearly Rs. 30,000 is
ness is affected in the negative way. the price of new computer.
This is huge difference. Taxes
should be low so that prices could be brought down.
emad saeed, ceo, surge enter-
prise says the market for the
computer and hardware is badly Muhammad rehan anwar, ceo, Gs
affected due the smuggled computers says, dealers remove Hard
goods and used items being im- Disks and RAMs from used imported com-
ported illegally. If a new Dual Core puters and install these components in the
is sold at Rs. 20,000, a similar used new computers and then sell them on
one is available for Rs. 10,000. higher profits. 90% of the dealers are in-
How can we convince a customer volved in such activity. Only 10% of dealers
to buy an expensive item? It are selling new computers in a proper way.
would have been much easier to Since the duties on used computers are
convince the buyer if difference very low that is why they are being im-
between the price of new and used was not more than 20%. ported very easily and in bulk. Importers
Government is not taking any action to bring this industry of used computers do not mention the true value of their items at
back to life. Stake holders should act immediately. port hence they pay less tax and duties and gain maximum profits.
All these activities have damaged the new computers industry.
www.apnatime.com February 2010 | More | 41
{Latest in tech}

waterproof kindle
n An Amazon Kindle is seen inside an M-Edge Accessories Guardian
case floating in. The molded plastic Guardian case floats and safe-
guards Kindles in water up to one meter deep for those wanting to
use them in the bath or pool. The case allows the Kindle navigation
buttons and keyboards to be used fully through flexible sealed but-
ton cutouts.

vectorform's sur-
facedJ music mix-
ing application
n 3M Touch Systems communications manager Tim Holt
demonstrates Vectorform's SurfaceDJ music mixing appli-
cation on a 3M 22-inch, 10-finger Multi-touch Display. The
unit will be available in March 2010 for USD 1,500 and can n A chimpanzee in the
be used like many touch screens but can handle so much Budongo Trail at Edinburgh
data, combined with a high resolution and HD, that it is Zoo holds a chimp-proof cam-
aimed at higher end users in the medical and engineering era in Edinburgh, Scotland.
fields. The screen even works when a user is wearing sur- The 11 chimps at the zoo are
gical gloves. being featured in a BBC Natu-
ral World Documentry. They
have been taking part in a vol-
untary study called 'The Chim-
pcam Project', a collaboration
between the Royal Zoological
Society , the University of Stir-
ling and Burning Gold produc-
tions. The chimps have
experienced video streaming
for the first time, learned how
to use touch screen technol-
ogy and have been given the camera to shoot their own footage.

“year of tiger”
usB drive tinniest
n Kingston Digital launched another interesting USB and
termed it as “Year of Tiger” USB drive. Kingston’s Limited-
usB
Edition “Chinese New Year” USB drives with twelve zodiac n Tuff-'N'-Tiny 8GB USB
animal symbols have been popular since the “Year of Pig” Drives by Verbatim are
USB drives rocked the market back to the year 2007. displayed. The devices
Kingston Limited-Edition “Year of Tiger” USB drive will not measure 1.19 x 0.5 x 0.06
only fulfill your needs for data storage but also serve as a inches.
seasonal greeting delivered by Kingston, which will bring
you unfailing good fortune and luck in 2010.

42 | More | February 2010 www.apnatime.com

 {Latest in tech}
n French designer
Philippe Starck present-
ing a new line of Micro
Wind Turbines in Milan.
Starck, creator of chic
hotels, high-tech lamps
and modern-style furni-
ture, has turned his at-
tention to energy with
the design of two sleek
micro wind-power tur-
bines aimed at domestic
use. Starck on Wednes-
day unveiled the "Revo-
lutionair" turbines,
made by Italy's Pramac
which makes power
generation equipment,
after two years of work

save energy on the project.

n The 304 Series luminaires, BetaLED's first luminaire to n MagicJack CEO and
achieve landmark performance of over 100 lumens per founder Dan Borislow
watt (LPW), have the potential to make a significant im- holds up the new and
pact on our environment by saving as much as 70 percent improved MagicJack.
in energy use. The company behind
the MagicJack, the
cheap Internet phone
gadget heavily pro-
moted on TV, has made
a new version of the
device that allows free
calls from cell phones
in the home.

n On the display is
a boom box playing
an Apple iPhone.
The boom box can
record radio to an
MP3 or SD card.

n The Powertech Slim USB

charger. The device plugs di-
rectly into a wall outlet and
lets you charge up USB
gadgets while a normal
three-pronged plug is
plugged into the socket.
n An iPod is shown docked in a prototype of Cydle's Consider the device some-
i30 ATSC Mobile TV handheld. The company says it is thing of portable power strip,
the first device to bring mobile digital TV to smart- handy for the traveler run-
phones. ning low on computer ports
and hotel room outlets.

www.apnatime.com February 2010 | More | 43

{tips and tricks | Darren Rowse
}

These days digital cam-

eras are found in a variety of other gadgets
– including cell phones. In fact Camera Phones are one of
the fastest growing segments of the digital camera market. Unfortunately many of the pictures being taken
with Camera Phones are poor in quality. This might partially be a result of lower quality cameras – but it is
also often a result of poor photographic technique.

n Light your subject well
The better lit your subject is the clearer
your image is likely to be. If possible shoot
outside or turn on lights when shooting in-
side. If you’re turning on lights in a room to
add extra light to your shot be aware that
artificial light impacts the color cast in your
shots and you might want to experiment
with white balance to fix it.
Some cameras come with a built in flash
or light – this can really lift a shot and add
clarity to it, even if you’re shooting outside
(in a sense it becomes a fill flash). If your cam-
era doesn’t have a flash or light you should
avoid shooting into bright lights as you’ll end
up with subjects that are silhouetted.
n Get close to your subject
One of the most common mistakes
with camera phone images is that their
subject ends up being a tiny, unrecogniz-
able object in the distance. Camera
phone images tend to be small due to
low resolution (although this is changing)
– so fill up your view finder with your sub-
ject to save having to zoom in on the sub-
ject in editing it later (which decreases
quality even more).
Having said this, getting too close on
some model camera phones creates dis-
tortion and focusing issues (particularly if
the camera phone doesn’t have a macro
or close focusing mode).
n keep still
As with all digital photography, the
steadier your camera phone is when taking
your shot the clearer your image will be.
This is especially important in low light
situations where the camera will select
longer shutter speeds to compensate for
the lack of light. One trick is to lean your
camera phone (or the hand holding it)
against a solid object (like a tree, wall, ledge)
when taking shots.
Keep in mind that many camera
phones also suffer from ’shutter lag’ (ie the
time between when you press the shutter
and when the camera takes the shot can be
a second or so). This means you need to

44 | More | February 2010 www.apnatime.com


hold the camera still a little longer to ensure
it doesn’t take a shot as you’re lowering it
away from the subject.
n edit images later
Whilst it can be fun to use your camera
phone’s inbuilt editing and effects, editing
pictures later on your computer produces
much better quality images. Take your
shots in color at high resolution to keep
your options open on how to treat it later.
You can always make it black and white
on your computer, but you can’t make it
color if you take it in Black and White mode
n don’t throw away ‘mistakes’
Remember that on many phones the
quality of the screen will not be as good as
your computer’s. So if possible hang onto
your shots until you can get them on your PC.
You might just find that they come alive on a
quality monitor. You’ll also find that even‘mis-
takes’and blurred shots can actually be quite
usable (in an abstract kind of way)
n avoid using the digital zoom
As tempting as it might be to zoom in on
your subject when taking your picture (if you
have a zoom feature on your camera phone),
if the zoom is a ‘digital zoom’ it will decrease
the quality of your shot to use it (you’ll end
up with a more pixilated shot). Plus you can
always edit your shot later using photo edit-
ing software on your computer.
Of course some camera phones are be-
ginning to hit the market with ‘optical
www.apnatime.com
zooms’ – these are fine to use as they don’t
enlarge your subject by enlarging pixels.
n experiment with white balance
An increasing number of camera
phones come with adjustable white bal-
ance which allows you to modify color bal-
ance in your images based on shooting
conditions. Experiment with this feature to
get a good feel for the impact that it has on
your shots. I find that it impacts different
camera phones differently. Read your man-
ual to find out how it works on your phone.
n take loads of shots and experiment
The beauty of all forms of digital pho-
tography (including that of camera phones)
is the ability to shoot off many shots quickly
and without cost. This means you can ex-
periment with different modes and compo-
sition and discard those that you don’t want
to keep.
Camera phones are particularly good
for experimenting with new angles and
perspectives – shoot from down low, up
high, close up etc and you’ll end up with in-
teresting and fun shots.
n follow rules of composition
Learn some basic composition ‘rules’.
(for example – the rule of thirds – i.e. don’t
place your subject squarely in the middle of
your frame but a third of the way in). Simple
tips like this can bring life toyour photos.
But then also remember that the
beauty of a camera phone is its ability to
break all conventions – some of the best
shots around break all the rules. So shoot
from the hip, the floor, up high, up close –
anything goes.
n keep your Lens clean
One of the challenges with many cam-
era phones is keeping them maintained and
clean. Phones spend a lot of time in pockets,
in bags and being used in all manner of
weather and conditions. As a result they get
{tips and tricks}
dirty and can easily become damaged – fin-
gerprints are a common problem on cam-
era lenses – especially if your phone doesn’t
have a lens cover. From time to time clean
the lens of your camera using a soft cloth
(sunglasses cleaning cloths are great).
n observe camera phone etiquette
While there is no formal set of rules for
using camera phones – it is worth consid-
ering how you use it and what impact it
might have upon others. There are many
cases of camera phones being abused to
take sneaky or voyeuristic photos. Ask per-
mission to photograph strangers, consider
restrictions on the use of cameras in places
like theaters and concerts etc.
nuse the highest resolution
possible on your camera phone
Some phones allow you to choose
what resolution you want to take photos
at. It almost goes without saying (but we
like to state the bleeding obvious) that
the higher your resolution the clearer
your shot will be. This is especially true for
camera phones which often have sensors
of under 1 megapixel in them. Keep in
mind however that the higher the resolu-
tion the larger the file size of the images
you take – this means if you want to send
images they can end up taking a long
time to send.
writer is the editor and founder of
digital photography school
February 2010 | More | 45
{GadGets}

46 | More | February 2010

February 2010 | More | 47
{GadGets}

48 | More | February 2010 www.apnatime.com

 {GadGets}

ixus 210
n Canon’s compact digital cameras are synonymous with
premium build quality, powerful performance and chic styling.
This season’s new products, IXUS 130/105/210 and PowerShot
SX210 IS are set to raise the bar with new and enhanced fea-
tures to improve picture quality and creative expression.
All the models are equipped with the DIGIC 4 image processor that offers much faster image processing and improved noise re-
duction at high ISO sensitivities, and lens-shift type image stabilization for sharp image quality. With the exception of the IXUS 105,
all new models can record 14.1 megapixel stills and HD movies (1280 x 720 at 30 fps) and feature Servo AF/AE that tracks a moving
subject, maintaining optimum focus and exposure.
New scene and shooting modes have also been added to improve functionality and image quality, and all models in the new range
also support the SDXC memory card, facilitating fast data transfer and capacity of up to 2TB.

www.apnatime.com February 2010 | More | 49

{GadGets}
ixus 130: Most compact
Available in four attractive colours which
are also applied to the lens extension, the
IXUS 130 is the lightest and slimmest of
IXUS yet, measuring only 17.8mm in
width and weighing a scant 133g with
batteries. Yet within this svelte subtly
curved case is a 4x zoom lens with 35mm
equivalent focal range of 28-112mm.
Smart Auto mode has been enhanced in
the latest models, where the camera can
detect and analyse subject and scene in-
formation to derive the most suitable
shooting mode for the best results.
New scene modes include Fish-eye effect
where photos simulate the effect of a fish-
eye lens while retaining the rectangular
aspect of the image without the circular
fish-eye distortion, and the Miniature Ef-
fect which gradually blurs the peripheral
area of an image to increase emphasis of
the subject to make it stand out.
There is also a Low Light mode where ISO
speed can be raised to 6400 to manage
difficult shooting conditions.
Another new feature is the Smart Shutter:
beyond pressing the shutter or activating
the shutter timer, the shutter can now be
set to trigger with the detection of a face,
a smile or even via a wink!
50 | More | February 2010
ixus 210: the largest
screen, with touch af
The sleekness of the IXUS 210 is accentu-
ated by its 3.5-inch LCD screen – the
largest among the new models. The
screen covers the entire back of the IXUS
210. A touch-sensitive widescreen (16:9),
offers intuitive camera operation without
the need for many buttons, including
Touch AF, where users can select objects
and faces by simply touching them on the
LCD. The IXUS 210 then automatically
tracks these selected elements and main-
tains optimum focus and exposure.
The IXUS 210 also offers higher image res-
olution, with a 14.1 megapixel CCD sensor
coupled with a 5x zoom lens with 35mm
equivalent focal range from an ultra-wide
24mm, to telephoto 120mm.
The IXUS 210 also features the new Fish-
eye Effect, Miniature Effect and Low Light
scene modes and Smart Shutter.
ixus 105: performance
with value
For users who prize value and perform-
ance, the IXUS 105 offers these in a pre-
mium build, with five attractive colour
models to choose from. The IXUS 105 fea-
tures the DIGIC 4 processor with increased
image resolution 12.1 megapixels, and a
4x optical zoom (35mm equivalent of 28-
112mm) with wide-angle. LCD screen has
also been increased to 2.7 inches. The
IXUS 105 also features the new Low Light
scene mode.
powershot sx210 is: peak
performance
The PowerShot SX210 IS’s calling card is
formidable performance in a compact,
stylish camera. The PowerShot SX210 IS
features a 14.1 megapixel CCD sensor, and
a 14x zoom lens, offering an exceptionally
broad focal range between 28-392mm
(35mm equivalent).
Unique to the PowerShot SX210 IS, is its
ability to record HD movies with stereo
audio. Smart auto which automatically
detects 18 different scenes and optical
zoom are also available during movie
recording.
In place of the former’s 4:3 screen, the
PowerShot SX210 IS also features a 3-inch
16:9 wide screen LCD. Fish-eye Effect,
Miniature Effect and Low Light scene
modes are also new features in this
model, along with Smart Shutter.
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 { saddads | cover story}

www.apnatime.com February 2010 | More | 51

{cover story | saddads
}

52 | More | February 2010 www.apnatime.com