Telecom:

8- SingTel - Warid Telecom - A Rosy Deal

10- Wateen Providing Data Solution to BoP
11- Blanket Wireless Coverage in Entire AJK
14- China Corrupting the Handset Market
15- Shifting The Balance
28- INDIA Eyeing for 2nd Position in Telecom
31- India: The Handset Super-Power
63- Smartphones Become PC
66- The iPhone Hype
67- Surgical Look at iPhone

Technology:
12
Mobilink- Energizing Arts & Crafts
19- Broadcasting Pioneers
20- Past & Future of Display
24- Refurbished TV Hallmark of Trade
73-
75-
Latest Electronic Products
Hot Technologies for 2007
15
Cover Story:
46- Terror Unidentified
14

IT: Shifting The Balance

27- Domain Business: Invest for the Best
30- Is Google’s Data Grinder Dangerous? 24
32- The Bumpy Road of MP4

Event: China Corrupting

9- Fun at Top with Telenor the Handset Market
12- Mobilink- Energizing Arts & Crafts
26- HTC Hits Pakistan with Mobile Zone
76
Informative:
Refurbished TV Hallmark of Trade
50- Coming Mobiles
52- Current Mobiles
57- Mobile Reviews
64- MOTOMING - Time to Impress
65- Samsung Unveils
68- Hot Laptops
71- Digital Cameras
76-
78-
Games
Samsung Embeds 4GB Storage
65
Briefs:
34- World in Focus 68
80- National
84- International
26
Press Release:
88- UBL Selects ZRG for Latest Hot Laptops
Contact Center Technology
HTC Hits Pakistan
with Mobile Zone Samsung Unveils
4
 he country is experiencing a bad wave of terrorism. The issue is

T severe and measures are being taken to combat this menace. But
there are certain elements which must be taken care of immediately,
undocumented mobile phone connections is one of the element which
has become the bone of contention for the cellular operators and the
security agencies. Out of 60 Million connections, millions of SIMs are unregistered,
courtesy operators and NADRA people, who are unable to streamline a central
data availability.

As earlier, Government recently has directed all the concerned organization to

implement the fool proof registration process.

Besides SIMs, the other important unit of communication is also in hot waters.
Chinese handsets are bringing the copy of genuine mobile handsets, this activity,
again, show the weaknesses on government part which ultimately shakes the con-
fidence of investor.

Another step ahead in Telecom is the Universal Service Fund (USF). This fund
will be supposedly utilized for the availability of Telecom and IT services in the far
flung areas of Pakistan and the funds will be backed by all the mobile operators.

Recently one of the mobile operators has renewed the license paying US $ 291
Million for next 15 years. The group also purchased the remaining 10% share.

We openly admit that currently Pakistan has attracted a lot of investment from
the foreign companies and they are still willing to invest more.

The regulator is not supposed to keep eye on investment only; it is also the
responsibility to maintain a free and clean environment for the investor and ulti-
mate consumer. Confidence of players and ultimate consumer is very important for
a country to maintain the pace of growth. Reaching the top is hard; it is even hard-
er to maintain that position.
Our policy makers will have to think over it. „

Zubair Ahmed Kasuri Editor-in-Chief Published by Good News PR Network

Mudassar Jehangir Chief Executive & Group Editor Printed by Akkaz Printers, Lahore
Lahore Office: Telephone:+92-42-7221006 - 7222275
Aamir Attaa Editor Fax: +92-42-7321920

Islamabad Office: Phone: + 92-51-4854463-4854464,

Usman Yaqoob Marketing Executive (Lhr.) Fax:+ 92-51-4854464
M Farooq Malik Marketing Executive (Lhr.) Karachi Office: Phone: +92-21-2275215, Fax: +92-21-2275216
E-mail: flare.mag@gmail.com
M. Naeem Mughal Designer Price: 250/-
Azhar Javed Production Manager Registration No: PCPB/105 (Vol. 3 Issue: 10)

6

PTCL Affairs
AFTER deregulation of the telecom sector, which paved the way for
many new players in this field, the threat to the PTCL's many years of
monopoly was always there. But the way the PTCL top management has
responded to this threat even after privatization is regrettable.
They had enough time to proactively respond to this challenge of
deregulated environment, but sorry to say that they even couldn't react to
those challenges that should have been sensed quite earlier. This poor
anticipation has led to some serious setbacks as follows:
a. Loss in revenues and reduction in net profits of the company.
b. Dissatisfaction of common and corporate customers in terms of quality
of service.
c. Highly de-motivated and demoralized human resource due to unprofes-
sional HR policies.
d. Poor working environment.
e. Departure of talent from the company due to lack of career growth
opportunities.
f. Uncertainty about company's future.
g. And so on there is a list of serious blunders and one of them is hiring a
bulk of contractual employees on very lucrative salaries which were far
above their experience and qualifications, while there were many talented
and deserving employees in the regular workforce which needed to be
identified and compensated accordingly.
This one bad HR policy has forced many to leave the company at a
very alarming rate and many more are ready to take off due to immense
frustration and disappointment. This whole situation is not less than a
nightmare for any company in the corporate world, and needs immediate
attention from relevant quarters if they want to exist in this highly competi-
tive world at some respectable place.
Otherwise we are going to witness the collapse of this organization
which had ruled the telecom sector in Pakistan for years.
M. Owais Nabeel, Gojra
Deadly Computer Game
The latest edition of video games is play station 512. This game is
about a live civil war with the usual hurdles of containers and deflated
trucks on the main road to force the people to abandon their cars and
become sitting ducks.
There are a number of overpasses to seat the target shooters and an
AWACs helicopter for overhead intelligence. This game also has satellite-
assisted remote controls for easy operation from overseas.
This deadly game is strictly reserved for users in the Middle East and
South Asia.
RAFI ADAMJEE, Karachi
Ka'aba Photographs
Large Islamic banks, travel agencies, cell-phone companies are por-
traying Ka'aba photographs in their advertisements in newspapers.
What happens to a newspaper within 24 hours is known to all. The
less written the better it is; is there any sanctity of these places or every-
thing is business now?
Please stop portraying pictures of holy places in newspapers at all.
TAUFIQ FEROZ, Islamabad
Online Voters' List
I was provided a form to register my name in the voters' list, which I
had done. Several other persons came to my house from time to time for
completing the form and I advised them that I have already submitted my
name.
I do not know whether my name is included in the list. I have neither
the time nor spirit to visit a display centre.
Is it not possible that the voters' list is displayed on a website so that
people are able to check their names and if need be, make corrections or
register online.
A.G. HABIB, Karachi
Send us your letters at flare.mag@gmail.com or at our postal addresses. Flare reserves the right to edit letters for clarity and space.
Politics on YouTube
I am an avid watcher of Pakistani videos available on the popular
video sharing website YouTube. Over the last month, there has been a
surge in video clips of Pakistani political interviews, talk shows, and ral-
lies. There are many clips that either mock or glorify political figures
such as President Musharraf, Imran Khan and Altaf Hussain.
The comments posted in response to these videos are filled with
ethnic slurs, abuses, and irrational language; it is unbecoming of a
sensible nation. People siding with all political schools depict absolute
bigotry in responding to each other. It is sad that most of them actually
belong to whatever can be called the educated class of Pakistan. Far
from using an international domain like the Internet for showing
Pakistan in a positive light, they cannot even engage in a healthy
debate.
And then we feel picked on when the world calls us intolerant and
backwards.
SAMEER AHSAN, USA
Wind Energy Required
The potential of the coasts of Karachi and Thatta (Mirpur Sakro) is
massive in terms of wind power. It is 2007 and the Alternative Energy
Development Board launched a programme to install 2000MW through
almost 20 companies and the implementation is yet to be done. If the
cost of power is 12-15 cents per kva for the next 20 years, then surely
this will be very cheap and affordable for Pakistan in the next three
years.
Pakistan should offer wind power companies a higher rate now and
since there is no import of fuel in the picture, wind is forever free and
the rate will be constant. So let us offer the interested companies a
higher rate and let them install 10,000 MW of capacity in next three to
four years.
This will meet our present shortfall of 5,000MW and our expected
demand in five years. This will also put Pakistan on the international
map of environmental-friendly power producers, and a self-reliant
power producer, which is the way of the future in all semi- and fully-
developed countries around the world.
Another thing which also needs to be considered is that all the land
given to the wind power producers along the coast of Thatta is prime
land for palm oil production. This should be retained by another inde-
pendent government company for planting a full-scale plantation of
palm oil trees. Pakistan spends billions of dollars every year on import
of edible palm oil. This needs to be balanced with enhancement of
domestic production.
The model best suited for Pakistan is of Malaysia, where the gov-
ernment has taken direct interest to invest in the land and plantation
costs, and the remainder of the process and distribution is done by the
private companies.
Z. H. Effendi, Karachi
Duty on Import of Monitors
This is with reference to the news that the Central Board of
Revenue has imposed a 25% duty on import of monitors. According to
the CBR the rationale behind this measure is to protect the television
industry, because new and used monitors were being converted into
televisions via television tuner devices (costing just Rs750 to Rs1000).
I have the following questions for the CBR in response to the
above-mentioned measures:
a) Why do CBR sympathies lie only with the television industry?
b) Was imposing a 25% duty on monitors the only solution to protect
the television industry?
c) Couldn't the CBR ban import of television tuner devices? Or impose
100% duty on the same?
d) Will a 25% duty bring the cost of monitors parallel to televisions?
e) Does the CBR know that this measure will only affect those who
want to import monitors through proper channels and declare accurate
cost and freight values?
f) Isn't this step going to encourage parallel importers? (Those who are
already misleading the CBR by declaring misguided prices of the prod-
uct now will declare even less than before. This may be as low as less
than 10% of the actual cost, resulting in savings up to 90% of importa-
tion cost/duty.)
g) Has the CBR devised any strategy to check the same model of
monitor being imported by different importers at various prices?
h) How is the CBR going to control under-invoicing?
ANILA INAYAT, Karachi
7
 Telecom Flare Report
As SingTel and Warid Telecom enter into a deal, Pakistan
remains on the radar screens of analysts and investors
linked to markets within the country and abroad thus
unwrapping the significant boost to Pakistan's telecom
ingapore Telecommunications Limited
S (SingTel) and Warid Telecom (private)
Limited entered into a definitive
agreement subsequent to which
SingTel will acquire a 30 per cent
equity stake in Warid Telecom for an estimated
$758 million valuing the company at an enter-
prise value of US$2.9 billion In just two years
from its commercial launch in 2005, Warid
Telecom has reached nearly 9.7 million in
reported subscriber numbers, representing an
estimated market share of 16.6%, and making it
the third largest mobile operator in Pakistan, as
of April 2007.
With a large population in excess of 160 mil-
lion growing at over 2 per cent per annum, and
a young median age of 20 years, Pakistan rep-
resents the sixth largest population base in the
world. Fuelled by foreign direct investment, its
economy has seen strong growth over the past
few years. With a current low mobile penetra-
As per agreement, complete
administrative control will remain with Warid, how-
ever, Singtel will have 2 member representation in
company's board of directors. Moreover, company
name or any other brand name will remain
unchanged
tion rate of 36 per cent, and a strong regulatory
regime, the Pakistani cellular market is one of
the most attractive in the world and has recently
attracted sustained interest from international
telecom operators.
As per agreement, complete administrative
control will remain with Warid's management.
However, Singtel will have 2 member represen-
tation in company's board of directors.
Moreover, company name or any other brand
name will remain unchanged.
8 Warid Telecom is part of the Abu Dhabi
Group, led by HH Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al
Nahayan, a senior member of the Emirate of
Abu Dhabi's ruling family.
The agreement was signed by Shaikh
Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Chairman of
Abu Dhabi Group, and Chua Sock Koong, CEO
of SingTel, at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu
Dhabi.
HH Sheikh Nahayan commented the part-
nership with SingTel as a new milestone in the
development of the company. He said that
Warid customers, employees and shareholders
stand to reap the benefits of this partnership as
we work together to execute our long-term
growth strategy. We look forward to the opportu-
nities that this partnership will bring to Warid
Telecom and to the broader telecom sector in
Pakistan.
In SingTel's home market of 4.5 million peo-
ple, mobile penetration has reached more than
100 percent, forcing the company to expand
abroad in search of growth and higher returns.
Singapore's biggest listed company has spent
US$11.05 billion in recent years buying opera-
tors in high-growth Asian nations and in the big-
ger Australian market.
This latest investment in Warid Telecom will
further strengthen SingTel's position as the
leading force in the Asia Pacific mobile market.
Including Warid Telecom, SingTel, together with
its associated companies, will have a major
presence in eight regional cellular markets with
a total of more than 130 million subscribers.
SingTel's Group Chief Executive Officer, Ms.
Chua Sock Koong, said: "SingTel has made
substantial investments in markets with high
growth potential in South Asia, such as India
and Bangladesh. Warid Telecom in Pakistan is
a natural fit. It is also an attractive business
with strong brand recognition. The management
of Warid Telecom has established an impressive
operational track record, turning EBITDA-posi-
tive in only 17 months after its commercial
launch. We see strong upside in terms of the
company's performance and look forward to its
continued contribution towards the development
of mobile communications in Pakistan."
Mr. Bashir Tahir, Chief Executive Officer of
Warid Telecom International added expressed
that SingTel has a reputation for making tele-
com investments where they can add value
strategically, and where they work with manage-
ment to help grow businesses. With SingTel's
technological and commercial expertise, Warid
Telecom will be well positioned to take on the
challenges of the next phase of its develop-
ment. He said that Warid see SingTel sharing
with its international experience and knowledge
in different aspects of operating a telecommuni-
cations business. Through this partnership, Mr.
Bashir Tahir hopes to achieve synergies in the
areas of procurement, marketing, international
roaming, network planning and product devel-
opment which will ultimately benefit customers.
Goldman Sachs advised Warid Telecom and
HSBC advised SingTel. Cleary Gottlieb Steen &
Hamilton and Allen & Gledhill acted as legal
advisers to Warid Telecom and SingTel respec-
tively. Completion of the purchase is conditional
upon the fulfilment of certain conditions prece-
dent.
The deal is welcomed in Pakistan, where
last financial year saw a record rise in activity
by foreign investors, heading to invest directly
as well as in Pakistani equities. For now, the
conclusion has to be that Pakistan remains on
the radar screens of analysts and investors
linked to markets within the country and
abroad. „

Sponsored by Telenor at the highest polo ground of the world and
enjoyed by more than 10,000 local and international visitors, the Shandur
festival featured a nail-biting traditional polo tournament between the
arch rivals; Chitral successfully defended its title by
defeating Gilgit by 3-2 Goals
elenor Pakistan sponsored the most
T exciting polo tournament of the
region - 'The annual Shandur Polo
Festival 2007'. Telenor Pakistan had
reached an agreement with Orchard
(Organization for Resource Conservation
Habitat and Rural Development), the appointed
event managers by Ministry of Tourism,
Government of Pakistan. Arranged at the high-
est polo ground of the world and enjoyed by
more than 10,000 local and international visi-
tors, the festival witnessed a traditional polo
tournament between the teams of Gilgit &
Chitral from 7th- 9th July, 2007.
This year, the festival had some added
attractions which were : tampooq bazi, individ-
ual scoring competitions on horses, musical
chairs on horses, donkey polo, paragliding
show, camp fire, trout fishing at the nearby
streams and lakes, handicraft exhibition and a
festival of folk dances, cultural shows and fasci-
nating music of Northern Pakistan.
This year, the festival had some
added attractions which were;
tampooq bazi, individual scoring
competitions on horses, musical
chairs on horses, donkey polo,
paragliding show, camp fire,
trout fishing at the nearby
streams and lakes and much
more
Winning Chitral team captain received the
trophy from Federal Minister for Industries
Jahangir Khan Tareen and Federal Minister for
Tourism Dr. G.G. Jamal after a final match
between Chitral and Gilgit polo teams. Chitral
polo team successfully defended its title by
defeating Gilgit team by 3-2 goals.
Telenor Pakistan, which not only sponsored
Flare Report Event
the most exciting polo
tournament of the
region, also is funding
the construction of an
amphitheater at Shandur
Plains.
Besides, Tourism
Ministry and Pakistan
Tourism Development
Corporation had also
made elaborate arrange-
ments for the festival.
The word Polo is derived
by Balti language which
means "ball".
In 2005, President
General Pervez
Musharraf took keen
interest in the Shandur
festival and instructed Winning Chitral team’s captain receives the trophy from Federal Minister for
the PTDC to hold an Industries Jahangir Khan Tareen and Federal Minister for Tourism Dr. G.G.
Jamal after a final match between Chitral and Gilgit polo teams.
event that would meet
international standard.
Ministry of Tourism and PTDC are
organising this mega event in collabo-
ration with Orchard, an event man-
agement company that specialises in
holding this sporting moot.
The event offers an insight into the
lifestyle of the natives, their culture
and indigenous customs.
Elaborating on the significance of
the festival, Prince of Chitral Siraj-ul-
Mulk, who is also the Chairman of the
Joint Chitral & Gilgit Polo
Associations & Vice Chairman
Orchard, said, "The three day polo A view of league polo match between Chitral (red shirts) and Gilgit
(green shirts) during the Shandur Polo Festival
tournament, organized by Gilgit and
Chitral polo clubs, local administration and Chitral. Supporters of both sides travel long
and Telenor Pakistan, played on top of Shandur distances from the remote parts, to watch the
Pass, around 3,700 meters above sea level. It thrilling game. The event offers a fascinating
is a place unique and exotic in itself, surround- insight into the lifestyle of the people of this
ed by some of the most spectacular mountain region. Their culture and indigenous customs
scenery in the world. The event marks the are a delight to observe for the visitors." „
annual rivalry between the polo teams of Gilgit 9
 Telecom Flare Report

Wateen will provide with its most innovative, end to end

communication solutions to the Bank of Punjab, basing on its
high-tech and modern WiMAX and Optic Fiber Network
ateen Telecom, the largest pri- and expressed his hopes affiliated with would provide its data network services through

W vate sector complete commu-

nication and media solution
provider,signed an agreement
with Bank of Punjab to pro-
vide its data network services through its high-
tech and modern WiMAX and Optic Fiber net-
works. Wateen's services will make the Bank of
Wateen's innovative technology. He rated the
Wateen's high-tech
solutions as ideal
and first of its kind
in the country.
He averred that
initially under the
its high-tech and modern WiMAX and optic fibre

Punjab's Head Office "a central communication new IT system, the

hub" for all its 124 branches and regional offices bank's office would
in the country. be connected with
Wateen will be providing end-to-end commu- its 124 branches in
nication solutions to the Bank of Punjab. the country, and
Pervez Shahid, CEO Wateen Telecom later it would be
Group, and Bank of Punjab’s President Hamesh expanded to the
Khan signed the agreement in the presence of rest of its branches,
senior officials of both Wateen and the BoP. On 271 in total. He
the occasion, Hamesh Khan said that it was an hoped that the part-
honour to sign the agreement with Wateen, nership between the
which was the most innovative company in two would grow and
Pakistan, and was introducing the technology strengthen with the
for the first time in the country. passage of time. Mr. Pervaiz Shahid CEO Wateen Telecom Group & Member Abu Dhabi Group and
Mr. Hamesh Khan President Bank of Punjab during the agreement signing ceremony
Mr. Pervaiz Shahid, appreciated this oppor- Pervez Shahid
tunity to work with one of the country's rapidly praised the BoP in
general and
Hamesh Khan in
Wateen Telecom is rolling out particular for taking
its WiMAX to become the first the bank to new
heights. He said
example in the world with 100 that Bank of Punjab
percent WiMAX coverage in the was the first institu-
tion of the Punjab
country government to sign
an agreement with
Wateen for the
growing banks and to provide them complete adoption of new
communication solution. He expressed that this technology.
mutual understanding between these two com- Wateen Telecom
panies will surly open new vistas to further was providing state-
growth. He said that Wateen Telecom is rolling of-the-art wireless
Mr. Pervaiz Shahid joining hands with Mr. Hamesh Khan for the agreement
out its 4G WiMAX services throughout the WiMAX technology
country to become the first example in the world nation-wide. Providing end-to-end communica- networks to make the bank's head office 'a
with 100 percent WiMAX coverage in the coun- tion solutions for corporate sector, Wateen has communication hub' for all its 124 branches and
try. recently joined hands with the country's leading regional offices in the country. „
10 Mr. Hamesh Khan welcomed the agreement and progressive bank, The Bank of Punjab. It

pecial Communications Organization
S (SCO) has totally revived the telecom-
munication operational network in all
earthquake-hit areas of Azad Jammu
and Kashmir in addition to the instal-
lation of 25 new digital telephone exchanges in
various parts of the liberated territory.
New digital telephone exchanges are
installed at the cost of Rs. 1 billion and the facil-
ity has further been extended to remote and far-
flung areas to provide direct telecom access
from AJK to rest of the world through the most
modern telecom network.
Special Communication
Organization (SCO) is providing all
modern telecommunication facili-
ties including fixed line, mobile,
WLL and DSL internet at much
reduced rates to its subscribers in
Northern Areas and AJK
The population of entire Azad Kashmir would
have the opportunity to enjoy wireless local loop
(WLL) and mobile S.Com telephone facility by
the end of this year. All 48 telephone
exchanges, eleven major and remaining small
Flare Report
exchanges in worst quake-hit areas including
Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot and Bagh districts
have been restored and they are functioning
properly.
Sources pointed out that since the building
codes for the construction of quake-proof build-
ings have been approved, the existing tents and
shelters covering the telephone exchanges in
quake-hit areas were being replaced by the
proper quake-proof buildings under a broad-
based phased program.
Construction work for establishment of latest
telephone exchanges in quake hit
Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Bagh districts and in
top-mountainous areas has been stepped up for
shifting the exchanges in the new buildings.
Optic fiber cable network was totally
smashed during earthquake of October 2005, a
new network of the optic fiber in quake-hit areas
including in the top mountainous Neelam and
Leepa vallies was being spread. These two top
vallies were being linked with rest of the world
through most expensive satellite system.
Work is also in progress steadily to lay the
digital telecom network in Keil and Leepa valley
in Muzaffarabad on priority basis. Special atten-
tion is also being paid to provide the latest tele-
com facilities in far flung areas including the
toughest mountainous areas of Rashian in
Leepa valley.
Telecom
A very latest digital telephone exchange in
Malote town of Bagh district has started func-
tioning. Similarly, another big exchange has
been set up in Baloch town and it would be
ready for formal functioning very soon.
SCO is concentrating to provide latest digital
telecom facilities across AJK especially in
remote areas like Mirpura, Joora and Kundal
Shahi and far flung areas of the quake-stricken
Athmuqam district.
An extensive fiber optic cable network has
been spread in most parts of AJK from Mirpur to
Muzaffarabad district via Kotli and other areas
falling in the way aimed at to provide quality
telecom facilities to the masses.
Special Communication Organisation (SCO)
is providing all modern telecommunication facili-
ties including fixed line, mobile, WLL and DSL
internet at much reduced rates to its sub-
scribers in Northern Areas and AJK.
As per DG SCO Maj. Gen. Shahid Maqbool,
roll out of optical fiber cable network is about to
complete, after which entire AJK and NAs
telecommunication will be 100% digitalized.
Private companies have also started provid-
ing communication in these areas, but are
restricted to big towns and cities. Maj. Gen
Shahid Maqbool underlined that with SCO pres-
ent dedicated work force they will accomplish
these added challenging tasks successfully. „
11
 Social Flare Report
he establishment of many corporate
T entities in the last few years has led
to a rise in support of social and
environmental development; where
private organizations are aggres-
sively giving back to the communities they oper-
ate in. Companies have taken initiatives to pro-
tect and enhance their neighborhoods and com-
munities, and initiated a pro-environment drive.
This is not only a concerted effort to enhance
the surroundings but also an effort to work
towards the welfare of the people and strength-
en their quality and style of life.
Established in 1994, Mobilink has been
actively working in different community pro-
grams and since then has taken a lead in
this effort. Today, Mobilink stands as a
major contributor in the social development
sector and as one of the largest and the
most successful cellular entity in Pakistan.
Mobilink is engaged in several pro-
grams designed to promote art, culture,
and environment while assisting nonprofit
organizations in areas of education,
health, and community service. The com-
pany supported humanitarian and disaster
relief efforts during the earthquake and
recently in the flood-ridden areas of
Pakistan by providing assistance and
establishing relief networks in the affected
areas.
Mobilink's craftsmen Village
will facilitate various artisans
from remote parts of Pakistan
and allow them to work there
and sell there product to
visiting tourist and locals
The latest project in line is participation in
CDA's, Capital Development Authority (Saidpur
village) project. Mobilink has taken over, the
building of a craftsmen Village, which will facili-
tate various artisans from remote parts of
Pakistan and allow them to work there and sell
there product to visiting tourist and locals. This
'craftsmen's village' will also allow regional
artists to display and produce arts and crafts of
12
their distinct ethnic cultures.
The establishment of many corporate
entities in the last few years has led to a rise
in support of social and environmental
development; where private organizations
are aggressively giving back to the
communities they operate in; 'Mobilink
Craftsmen’s Village' is another example of
Mobilink's efforts towards promotion of art
and culture
By salvaging, the dying arts and crafts of
different regions through collaboration with
the Capital Development Authority,
Mobilink will provide an opportunity for
local people and visiting tourists to catch a
glimpse of the diverse skills and talents of
Pakistan under one roof.
Along with building shops for the arti-
sans, a teashop is also, being constructed
for the local people and the craftsmen, pro-
viding them the opportunity to have a
healthy interaction. The project commenced
in February 2007 and will come to its com-
pletion by end of July 2007.
With a strong CSR policy and focused
community investment, the company hopes
to transform communities and assist local
artisans in realizing their true potential and
provide them new opportunities. Through
this platform, it hopes to increase there busi-
ness and earning prospects.
Moreover, Mobilink has, invested in the
environmental uplift of major cities of Pakistan,
ties at these bus shelters that contribute to the
Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi. One of the
projects in Islamabad was launched for the
welfare of the commuters and pedestrians.
uplift of existing flower shops, which were pre-
Canopies have, also been installed at main
squares of the city to assist the traffic police offi-
viously make shift stalls without any proper
cers, while making their work environment more
structure to facilitate business. These shops
comfortable.
were reconstructed with a rustic appearance,
By working intimately with the community,
integrating well with the natural environment.
Mobilink will generate a positive social and eco-
Flower markets in Karachi and Lahore Cantt,
nomic change and create the right environment
along the lines of the one in Islamabad have
of progress for the people of Pakistan. The
already, been constructed.
company has acquired the image of a socially
Mobilink has also taken similar initiatives, in
conscious entity with a strong commitment for
intercity neighborhoods, by uplifting existing bus
the uplift of its people, willfully responding to the
shelters on the main thoroughfares of Karachi.
needs and demands whenever required. „
The company has provided drinking water facili-
 Telecom
sian countries are known for low
A cost solutions especially China,
India and Pakistan. Apart from this
we are also known for producing
the pirated and illegitimate items
for any brand and product world over. The issue market. Thomson, Bird, Viva etc are among
of pirated software, movies and games is not an those brands. Despite of lower prices offered by the local market have started to copy the high
old one for which the tremendous efforts made
by original brand owners and authori-
ties could create no positive impact
on its flow, rather it increased with the
passage of time making difficult the
survival of legitimate product.
The ratio of this activity is high in
Pakistan courtesy Chinese support in
terms of technology and resources.
Chinese mobile phones have
stormed the market recently
creating an alarming situation
for the famous mobile manufac-
turers.
Mobile phones import grew
by 27.57 percent in the first
eleven months of the current
financial year 2006-07 indicates
tremendous growth in the coun-
try's cellular phone industry.
Pakistan imported mobile
phones worth $0.80 million dur-
ing July - May period of the cur-
rent fiscal year as compared to
imports worth $0.62 million dur-
ing the same period last year,
according to statistics. The
mobile industry is flourishing
due to intense competition in
the market. However, the lead-
ing brands are under tough
competition due to Chinese imi-
tation mobile phones that are
copying expensive leading
mobile phone brands, market
operators said.
Being a price conscious
market, majority of cell phone
users prefer to buy low end
phones ranging from Rs. 2,500
to Rs. 10,000 depending upon
pocket size of buyer whereas
desire to enjoy the look and
feel of high end phones is
always there no matter which
income class the buyer belongs
14 to.
Mudassar Jehangir
Chinese manufacturers are
producing copies of high
end and demanding
phones of Nokia, Sony
Ericsson, Samsung etc and
even recently launched
iPhone, with same shape,
style and more or less same
features at a very cheap
price; the market share of
these copied handset in
Pakistan has climbed up at
10 % and is a real threat for
branded handset
manufacturers
According to a survey, more than 85% of its to retailers and whole sellers, soon they were
handsets sold belong to lower and middle
range. In order to cash this market, attempts
have been made by various vendors to supply
Chinese based cheap handsets in Pakistani
knocked out of the market due to the quality
and after sales services offered by famous
brands.
Coming back to gain the market share
again, importers of the Chinese handsets from
these brands and larger commissions and cred- end and demanding phones of Nokia, Sony
Ericsson, Samsung etc and even
recently launched iPhone. These hand-
sets are manufactured and copied in
China with the same shape, style with
more or less same features at a very
cheap price, even the name and logo of
original handset is copied with a very
slight variation in an attempt to avoid
the legal attack from the original manu-
facturers. Nokia N95
original is available in
market at Rs. 45,000
whereas the copy of
same model is being
sold in the range of
Rs. 4,500 to Rs.
12,000 depending
upon the quality. The
copy was available in
the market well
before the original
had been launched.
Recently launched
Apple iPhone has not
come to Pakistan yet;
Apple has said it will
ship iPhone world-
wide not before
2008, after its launch
in USA it is available
for $500 & $600,
depending on its
memory options, but
its copy is being sold
in Lahore for Rs.
12,500. With in a
very short span these
copied handsets
have gained around
10% market share
and it is growing with
each passing day.
Retailers and
whole sellers of origi-
Duplicate of Nokia N73 with 2MP camera Duplicate of Sony Ericsson W880i
nal and patent
brands are also sell-
 Telecom

consignments of Chinese mobiles on the hue

Chinese duplicate of Motorola MOTOMING
ing the copied brands as the margin is more in
the latter. Buyers from the lower income groups
are taking more interest in these Chinese mod-
els as it satisfy their needs of holding a high
end phone at very cheap price. Besides, the
sales network of copied phones is more active
in the areas other than cities where the user is
not educated to see a difference between origi-
nal and copied.
Though the prices of handsets are cheap
and a 2 months warranty is available as well
but they lack features which are available in the
original handset.
Recently authorities have confiscated few
Nokia N95 original is available and cry of dealers of genuine handsets. "The
in market at Rs. 45,000 where- consignment will be given clearance after few
days after conducting some under hand dealing
as the copy of same model is and then it will be available again in the market"
being sold in the range of told by a Mobile whole seller at Hafeez Center
Lahore. According to a survey, 98 % of the
Rs. 4,500 to Rs. 12,000 copied handsets business is being conducted in
Hall Road, Lahore. Few days back government
depending upon the has imposed duty on genuine handsets where-
quality. Whereas copy of as the manufacturers are already the victims of
grey and copied handsets which is creating
iPhone is available for just Rs. heavy artificial competition for them.
12,500 against the original Government and leading brands should
come forward in order to combat this menace
price in International market so there could be legitimate products for the
end users and healthy competition among the
of $ 600 players. „

A worker checks the computers at Hungarian oil and gas group MOL's main Duna (Danube) refinery in
An Iranian clergyman checks the CD of Iranian computer game named as "Special Operation 85" dur-
Szazhalombatta, 20km (12 miles) south of Budapest. Hungarian oil firm MOL spurned what it said was
ing its unveiling ceremony in Tehran. Iran launched a computer game with a strong political message
a hostile approach from Austrian rival OMV and on Monday presented new financial targets which it
that mixes the standoff over its nuclear programme, the mystery of missing Iranian diplomats in
said proved it was on track for growth.
Lebanon and its hatred of Israel.

Plying on Provincial Capital City’s roads these days is a 1200CC 4-cylinder 13 ft in length 5-seater
motorbike with 100 litre petrol capacity, claimed to be the world’s biggest bike by its designer-manufac- Google co-founder and CEO Sergey Brin checks out the new Canon Mark III camera belonging to one 15
turer Haji Javed Iqbal of Gujranwala. of the photographers covering the annual Allen and Co.'s media conference, in Sun Valley, Idaho.
 Telecom

obile market in Pakistan is tak- copying the design and features of others n't resolved its issues of decision making. It is

M ing sharp turns. Leadership

role is being transferred from
one hand to another. It is no
longer a market that will only
depend upon the price but after sales services
is becoming more important element to make
an impression. Currently, 0.8 million market a
mobile phones, rather, they have created their
own market. Through these models, LG has
taken the share from Samsung and Sony
Ericsson. Samsung C130, C140 and Sony
Ericsson K310 and K510 have been their suc-
proven after observing their history that a pio-
neer not necessarily occupies the top. Market
always respects the high volumes and competi-
tive prices along with innovation and close mon-
itoring on consumer's demand, whereas, the
opposite is
observed in case of
month largely rely on lower end handsets to Motorola. They
shift the equilibrium. Nokia earns 90 percent of have been hitting
the revenue from the lower end handsets in the market with
Pakistani market. Same goes right with other same RIZR and
manufacturers with a little proportionate change. RAZR technology
After Nokia changed its distribution setup in for quite some
the recent past, there is a sharp change in the time. Justifying its
market share of distributors. MZ, which used to position, Sarim Alvi,
posses over 50% of the market share, came country head mar-
down to 30% as this change took away the keting for Motorola
lower end handsets from them to other distribu- Pakistan says,
tors. "Motorola maintains
New Allied Electronics, the distributors for a strategic balance
LG handsets, came up to almost 10% currently in all markets by
from 4% with the help of LG KG 200, 270 and introducing its prod-
300 a lower end category whereas on the other uct lines through a
These figures are calculated on the basis of retailers response and demand in market sustained business
plan. Pakistan is a
Handsets market is a phenomenal mar-
ket, growing in
number game, but trend every respect and
Motorola is deci-
is changing as customer sively positioned to
be a market leader."
services and innovation The statistics
show a different
and research is more story. To a question
why the Motorola is
important to focus on not paying attention
to Pakistani Market,
rather than old costumed He says "Motorola
phones are freely
tools to grab the market available throughout
Pakistan making a
and customer's attention These figures are calculated on the basis of retailers response and demand in market positive impact on
consumers of all
cess stories. Innovation is required on their strata in all parts of the country. Certainly
hand it has to fight heavily for middle and high ends as their penetration has started to shake Pakistan is amongst the growing markets where
end phones where the Nokia, Sony Ericsson demanding some thing new or rather some new Motorola's focus is on the rise."
and Samsung are already offering hi tech gadg- strategy to secure the previous positions in the This handsets market is a number game.
ets. Market analysts say that, New Allied market. But trend is changing as customer services and
Electronics is using tools like heavy incentives Motorola is again in dark, it has maintained innovation and research is more important to
and credits for dealers and huge advertisement the same status quo for last couple of months. focus on rather than old costumed tools to grab
16 budget. But over all LG has done well by stop Since its change in global management, it has- the market and customer's attention. „
 Technology Special Report

Television was not invented by a single inventor, instead many people

working together and alone over the years, contributed to the evolution
of television. Let's have a look at the timeline of Television revolution
from wild idea to becoming reality
1831 1906 - First Mechanical Television System
Joseph Henry's and Michael Faraday's work Lee de Forest invents the Audion vacuum
with electromagnetism jumpstarts the era of tube that proved essential to electronics. The
electronic communication. Audion was the first tube with the ability to
1862 First Still Image Transferred amplify signals.
Abbe Giovanna Caselli invents his Boris Rosing combines Nipkow's disk and a
Pantelegraph and becomes the first person to cathode ray tube and builds the first working
transmit a still image over wires. mechanical TV system.
1873 1924/25 First Moving Silhouette Images
Scientists May and Smith experiment with American Charles Jenkins and John Baird
selenium and light, this reveals the possibilty for from Scotland, each demonstrate the mechani-
inventors to transform images into electronic cal transmissions of images over wire circuits.
signals. John Baird becomes the first person to
1880 transmit moving silhouette images using a
Inventors Alexander Graham Bell and mechanical system based on Nipkow's disk.
Thomas Edison theorize about telephone Charles Jenkin built his Radiovisor and 1931
devices that transmit image as well as sound. and sold it as a kit for consumers to put togeth-
Bell's Photophone used light to transmit er. Vladimir Zworkin patents a color television
sound and he wanted to advance his device for system.
image sending. 1926 30 Lines of Resolution
John Baird operates a television system with
30 lines of resolution system running at 5

development of a television system were pur-

1900 And We Called It Television
At the World's Fair in Paris, the first
International Congress of Electricity was held.
That was where Russian Constantin Perskyi
made the first known use of the word
"Television."
Soon after 1900, the momentum shifted from
ideas and discussions to physical development
18
of television systems. Two major paths in the
sued by inventors.
„ Inventors attempted to build mechanical tele-
vision systems based on Paul Nipkow's rotating
disks or
Inventors attempted to build electronic television
systems based on the cathode ray tube devel-
oped independently in 1907 by English inventor
A.A. Campbell-Swinton and Russian scientist
Boris Rosing.
„ American Charles Jenkins and Scotsman
John Baird followed the mechanical model while frames per second.
„ Philo Farnsworth, working independently in April 9th 1927
San Francisco, and Russian emigrant Vladimir Bell Telephone and the U.S. Department of
Zworkin, working for Westinghouse and later Commerce conduct the first long distance use
RCA, advanced the electronic model. of television that took place between
„ Electronic television systems eventual Washington D.C. and New York City on April
replaced mechanical systems. 9th. Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover

commented, "Today we have, in a sense, the
transmission of sight for the first time in the
world's history. Human genius has now
destroyed the impediment of distance in a new
respect, and in a manner hitherto unknown."
Philo Farnsworth, files for a patent on the
first complete electronic television system,
which he called the Image Dissector.
1928
The Federal Radio Commission issues the
first television station license (W3XK) to Charles
Jenkins.
1929
Vladimir Zworkin demonstrates the first prac-
tical electronic system for both the transmission
and reception of images using his new kine-
scope tube.
John Baird opens the first TV studio, howev-
er, the image quality was poor.
1930
Charles Jenkins broadcasts the first TV com-
mercial. The BBC begins regular TV transmis-
sions.
1933
Iowa State University (W9XK) starts broad-
casting twice weekly television programs in
cooperation with radio station WSUI.
1936
About 200 hundred television sets are in use
world-wide.
The introduction of coaxial cable, which is a
pure copper or copper-coated wire surrounded
by insulation and an aluminum covering, these
cables were and are used to transmit television,
telephone, and data signals.
1937
CBS begins its TV development. The BBC
begins high definition broadcasts in London.
1940
Peter Goldmark invents a 343 lines of reso-
lution color television system.
1941
The FCC releases the NTSC standard for
black and white TV.
1948
Cable television is introduced in
Pennsylvania as a means of bringing television
to rural areas.
A patent was granted to Louis W. Parker for
a low-cost television receiver. One million
homes in the United States have television sets.
1950
The FCC approves the first color television
standard which is replaced by a second in
1953.
1956
Robert Adler invents the first practical
remote control called the Zenith Space
Commander. It was preceded by wired remotes
and units that failed in sunlight.
1969
July 20, first TV transmission from the moon
and 600 million people watch.
The breakthrough for LCD TV came in
through Fergason, an associate director at Kent
State University Liquid Crystal Institute.
Fergason discovered the twisted nematic field
effect. This allows for the proto-LCD TV dis-
plays of Heilmeier's team to become LCD TV
technology of today.
1971
LCD TV was first presented to the public by
Fergason's team in 1971
1982
High Definition Television (HDTV) was devel-
oped by the Japanese Broadcast Corporation
and its first demonstration was made public.
1989
"Webcasting" was first publicly described
and presented by Brian Raila of GTE
Laboratories at InterTainment held in New York
Technology
City, USA. Raila recognized that a viewer/listen-
er need not download the entirety of a program
to view/listen to a portion thereof, so long as the
receiving device ("client computer") could, over
time, receive and present data more rapidly
than the user could digest same. Raila used the
term "buffered media" to describe this concept.
1996
A billion TV sets world-wide.
Present & Future of Television
The 1990s brought about a revolution in digi-
tal television, which converts analog signals into
a digital code (1s and 0s) and provides a clear-
er image that is less prone to distortion.
Since the late 1980s, the FCC has been
aggressively advocating the transition to digital
television, largely because digital systems use
less of the available bandwidth, thereby creat-
ing more bandwidth for cellular phones. Based
on technical standards adopted in 1996, the
FCC ruled that all public television stations must
be digital by May 2003.
Television is greatly replaced with alternate
devices after the emergence and revolution of
computers and internet. Not only this, the
mobile phone innovation has provided the con-
sumer with greater options of viewing video
steaming on their mobile screens. We have
seen a great enhancement in the way we watch
television. With IPTV, video on demand, web-
cast, mobile TV, the future of television is not
simple to predict. Somehow, keeping an eye on
the current advancement taking place, one can
guess the TV programmes could be watched by
some circuit fitted in our specs or may be in our
optical veins. „

A young visitor watches a computer game at an international animation, cartoon

Rosa Simingalam, left, with her friend Jennifer Chang, buys an iPhones at an
Apple store in Tysons Corner, Va. After six months of hype, thousands of people
Friday got their hands on the iPhone, the new cell phone that Apple Inc. is
banking on to become its third core business next to its moneymaking iPod
players and Macintosh computers.
and game fair in Shanghai, China. The communist government encourages Web
use for business and education, but authorities are worried it gives children
access to violent games, sexually explicit material and gambling Web sites.
China has the world's second-largest population of Internet users, with 137 mil-
lion people online, and is on track to surpass the United States as the largest
online population in two years. 19
 Technology Special Report
t seems as if changes in technology
I appear, they appear all at once. For
many years, nothing can be changing
and then suddenly, everything changes.
That is the way it seems to be
happening with television technology. For
many years television stayed pretty much
the same other than the programming.
Now, within short span of time, we are
undergoing the changeover of television
technology and formats to high definition
television and the introduction of interac-
tive television of all sorts. In this article it
is tried to cover the technological shift
that took place in Television industry.
Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)
For as long as 75 years, the vast
majority of televisions have been built
around the same technology. In a CRT
television, a gun fires a beam of elec-
trons (negatively-charged particles) inside a
large glass tube. The electrons excite phosphor
atoms along the wide end of the tube (the
screen), which causes the phosphor atoms to
light up. The television image is produced by
lighting up different areas of the phos-
phor coating with different colors at dif-
ferent intensities.
Cathode ray tubes produce crisp,
vibrant images, but they do have a
serious drawback: They are bulky. In
order to increase the screen width in a
CRT set, you also have to increase
the length of the tube (to give the
scanning electron gun room to reach
all parts of the screen). Consequently,
any big-screen CRT television is going
to weigh a ton and take up a sizable
chunk of a room. To solve this problem
Large Screen Television technology
started attracting the market. The tech-
nology developed rapidly in the late 1990's and
2000's, and currently the most popular tech-
nologies are liquid crystal display (LCD), plasma
display, and projection television. These tech-
20
nologies are quickly displacing cathode ray
tubes (CRT) in the televi-
sion space.
Plasma TV
A plasma display panel (PDP) is a type of
flat panel display now commonly used for large
TV displays (typically above 37"). Many tiny
cells located between two panels of glass hold
an inert mixture of noble gases (neon and
xenon). The gas in the cells is electrically turned
into plasma which then excites phosphors to
emit light. It is often used in the home environ-
ment and is becoming increasingly popular in
modern cultures.
Plasma screens concept has been around
since its inception in July of 1964 at the
University of Illinois, USA. The first dis-
plays were nothing more than points of
light created in laboratory experiments.
The technology was developed and
improved, and by the late 60's, it had
become advanced enough to allow the
scientists to construct geometric shapes.
Today the progression in high speed digi-
tal processing, materials, and advanced
manufacturing technology has made full
color, bright plasma displays possible.
Today, we're in the midst of a digital
video revolution, thanks to HDTV, DTV,
DVD-Video, digital satellite broadcasts and
computer video. Plasma display technolo-
gy is one way to fully enjoy the dramatical-
ly improved image quality of all these digital
video sources.
Plasma Display Advantages
„ Slim profile
„ Lighter and less bulky than projection televi-
sions
„ Easier to manufacture and cheaper
at large screen sizes than LCD's
„ Can achieve a true black because
pixel can be completely turned off, result-
ing in better contrast, detail, and natural-
ness
„ Better viewing angles than those of
LCD's but this is quickly becoming a non-
issue
Disadvantages
„ Significantly more expensive than
projection televisions
„ Susceptible to burn-in: Burn-in refers
to the television displaying a permanent
ghost-like image due to constant, pro-
longed display of the image. Light-emitting
phosphors lose their luminosity over time and
when frequently used, the low-luminosity areas
become permanently visible.
„ Phosphors lose luminosity over time, result-

ing in gradual decline of image quality
„ Generally have lower resolutions than
LCD's: plasma displays were able to achieve
the 1080-progressive, high-definition resolution
but it required a 50-inch screen size. LCD's
were able to achieve this with a 37-inch screen.
„ Susceptible to reflection glare in bright
rooms.
Plasma screens run a lot hotter than LCD or
projection, because of the need to heat the gas
into plasma. For this reason, plasmas cannot
generally be mounted over fireplaces or similar
hot areas.
Liquid Crystal Display Television
(LCD TV) is television that uses LCD tech-
nology for its visual output. The technology
used is generally TFT. In the early 2000s, LCD
flat-panels captured a large part of the comput-
er monitor market from traditional CRTs.
Continuing advances in LCD TV technology
enable it to compete against Plasma flat panels
and rear-projection televisions (DLP, LCD, and
LCoS) for large-screen HDTV.
Early LCD television had drawbacks relative
to traditional visual display technologies. It dis-
played fast-moving action with "ghosting" and
could be viewed best only when looking directly
at the screen or from a slight angle. These
problems have largely been overcome in recent
years, and LCD televisions, along with plasma
displays, have taken over the dominant market
position worldwide from cathode ray displays.
The LCD design has the additional advantage
of being more efficient in the use of electricity
than the CRT design.
For a long time it was
widely believed that LCD
technology was suited only to
smaller sized flat-panel televi-
sions, and could not compete
with plasma technology at
sizes of 40" or larger. At the
time, plasma held the edge in
cost and performance. This
belief has been undermined
by the announcements of sev-
enth-generation panels by
major manufacturers such as
Samsung, Sony, LG-Philips
LCD, Westinghouse Digital,
and Sharp Corporation:
In October 2004, 40" to
45" televisions were widely
available, and Sharp had
announced the successful
manufacture of a 65" panel.
In March 2005, Samsung
announced an 82" LCD panel.
In August 2006, LG. Philips
Consumer Electronics
announced a 100" LCD televi-
sion
In January 2007, Sharp
displayed a 108" LCD panel
branded under the AQUOS
brand name at CES in Las
Vegas.
Manufacturers have
announced plans to invest bil-
lions of dollars in LCD produc-
tion over the next few years,
with televisions expected to
be a key market.
Improvements in LCD
technology have narrowed the
technological gap with plas-
mas. The lower weight, falling
prices, higher available
resolution which is cru-
cial for HDTV, and
lower electrical power
consumption of LCDs
make them competitive
against plasma dis-
plays in the television
set market. As of late
2006, analysts note
that LCDs are overtak-
ing plasmas, particular-
ly in the important 40"
and above segment
where plasma had
Technology
enjoyed strong dominance a couple of years
before. LCD screens produce very little glare
from other light sources, as opposed to shiny
plasma screens.
LCD Advantages
„ Slim profile
„ Lighter and less bulky than projection televi-
sions
„ Generally have higher resolutions than plas-
ma displays: plasma displays were able to
achieve the 1080-progressive, high-definition
resolution but it required a 50-inch screen size.
LCD's were able to achieve this with a 37-inch
screen.
„ Is not susceptible to burn-in: Burn-in refers
to the television displaying a permanent ghost-
like image due to constant, prolonged display of
the image. Light-emitting phosphors lose their
luminosity over time and when frequently used,
the low-luminosity areas become permanently
visible.
„ Does not suffer from glare
in bright rooms
„ Can be mounted on walls
Disadvantages
„ Poor black level: Some light
passes through even when liq-
uid crystals completely untwist,
so the best black color that can
be achieved is a very dark
gray, resulting in worse contrast
ratios and detail in the image.
„ Generally have smaller
viewing angles but this is
improving due to advanced
technologies like MVA and PVA
„ More difficult, and therefore
more expensive, to make
LCD's with large screen sizes:
LCD's rely heavily on thin-film
transistors, which are often defective, resulting
in a defective pixel. The number of defective
pixels at which the LCD is determined to be
unusable varies. LCD's currently have a rejec-
tion rate of about 50% but this is improving. A
larger screen size requires more transistors,
which increases the chances of yielding a
defective LCD. This contributes heavily to a
large LCD costing significantly more than its
plasma counterpart of equivalent size.
Technology advancements are slowly easing
this problem.
„ Typically have slower response times,
which can cause ghosting and blurring during
the display of fast-moving images.
Laser TV
While the majority of us are enjoying (or
dreaming of) brand new HDTV LCD or plasma
displays to go along with our next-generation
machines, a small group of companies are on
the cusp of finalizing a technology that will
21
 Technology
make even the newest TV sets of today seem
absolutely dim.
At the end of 2006 Australian company
Arasor and US Company Novalux demonstrat-
ed the world's first Laser Television. Arasor has
partnered with Novalux and TV manufacturer
Mitsubishi to create this new technology. Arasor
is behind much of laser TV's hype.
The mere incorporation of lasers in any
product was cool enough, but the real benefits
of putting laser technology into TVs could mean
half the production cost, double the color range,
and a three-quarters less power consumption
when compared to the LCD and plasma TVs of
today
The stake holders of Laser TV say "If you
look at any screen today, the color content is
roughly about 30-35 per cent of what the eye
Display
Specifications
The following are important factors for evaluat-
ing television displays:
Display Size:
This refers to the diagonal length of the display.
Display resolution:
This refers to the number of pixels in each
dimension on a display. In general a higher res-
olution will yield a clearer, sharper image.
Dot pitch:
This measures the size of an individual pixel,
which includes the length of the subpixels and
distances between subpixels. It can be meas-
ured as the horizontal or diagonal length of a
pixel. A smaller dot pitch generally results in
sharper images because there are more pixels
in a given area. In the case of CRT based dis-
plays, pixels are not equivalent to the phospor
dots, as they are to the pixel triads in LCD dis-
plays.
Response Time:
This is the time it takes for the display to
respond to a given input. For an LCD display it
is defined as the total time it takes for a pixel to
transition from black to white, and then back to
black. A display with slow response times dis-
playing moving pictures may result in blurring
and distortion. Displays with fast response
times can make better transitions in displaying
22
moving objects without unwanted image arti-
can see," But for the very first time
with a Laser TV we'll be able to see
90 per cent of what the eye can see.
All of a sudden what you see is a
lifelike image on display.
Laser TV takes DLP projection to
a level that's capable of surpassing
that of plasma. As a result of its pro-
jection roots, Laser TVs will likely be
slightly thicker than LCD and plas-
ma.
Four major TV manufacturers -
Fujitsu, Pioneer, Samsung and
Philips - have said they have no
immediate plans to incorporate laser
TV into their product lines, having
already made significant invest-
ments in plasma and LCD.
Mitsubishi has announced that
they are working on the first Laser
projection TV. Instead of white-light
mercury lamps, a Laser TV uses a
red, blue and green laser to gener-
ate images. The advantages are bright and
deep images on large, thin, lightweight screens.
According to plans company will be showing off
its large-screen laser TVs at the next Consumer
Electronic Show (CES).
Advantages
One major claim of laser advocates is the
ability to produce undiluted, perfect colors
allowing precise hue mixing. With the color
enhancement capable with lasers, up to 90% of
the visible spectrum can be displayed. Other
improvements that laser advocates claim are
bulbs that will never blow out, and increased
efficiency by using two-thirds less power than
traditional rear projection televisions.
Historically, however, lasers have been too
bulky and expensive for widespread adoption.
facts.
Brightness:
This is the amount of light emitted from the dis-
play. It is sometimes synonymous with the term
"luminance", which is defined as the amount of
light emitted in a given area and is measured in
SI units as candela per square meter.
Contrast ratio:
This is defined as the ratio of the luminance of
the brightest color to the luminance of the dark-
est color on the display. High contrast ratios are
desirable but the method of measurement
varies greatly. It can be measured with the dis-
play isolated from its environment or with the
lighting of the room being accounted for. Static
contrast ratio is measured on a static image at
some instant in time. Dynamic contrast ratio is
measured on the image over a period of time.
Manufacturers can market either static or
dynamic contrast ratio depending on which one
The laser technology advocates claim that
the technology will allow displays with a richer,
more vibrant color palette than the conventional
plasma, LCD or CRT displays.
They also claim the displays will:
„ be half the weight and cost of Plasma or
LCD displays
„ require around 25% of the power required
by Plasma or LCD displays
„ be very thin like Plasma and LCD displays
are today
„ have a very wide color gamut
„ have a 50,000 hour life
Disadvantages
Together with the advantages of laser
sources, there are reports that also describe
some of the current shortcomings of laser dis-
plays, such as the following:
„ Cost. Although a laser system can eliminate
several components such as the color wheel
and filters, the laser devices themselves are
currently expensive. As manufacturing process-
es improve, however, this may be alleviated.
„ Safety. The high power emitted by the
coherent laser sources is inherently dangerous
to human vision. Proponents claim that integrat-
ing the devices with the needed diffusion filters
removes this risk.
„ Speckle. Due to the narrowband coherent
light source, speckle will be an issue at the dis-
play. This has also been a problem in laser
lighting displays and has been solved through
modulation of the light source thus widening the
bandwidth and reducing the possibility for
coherent interference. Proponents claim that
this issue can be minimized by the use of diffus-
ing elements and multiple sources. These, how-
ever, may impact displayed resolution and sys-
tem cost. „
is higher.
Aspect Ratio:
This is the ratio of the dis-
play width to the display
height. The aspect ratio of a
traditional television is 4:3,
but there is an increasing
trend towards the 16:9 ratio
typically used by large-
screen, high-definition tele-
visions.
Viewing Angle:
This is the maximum angle
at which the display can be
viewed with acceptable
quality. The angle is meas-
ured from one direction to the opposite direction
of the display, such that the maximum viewing
angle is 180 degrees. Outside of this angle the
viewer will see a distorted version of the image
being displayed. The definition of what is
acceptable quality for the image can be different
among manufacturers and display types. Many
manufacturers define this as the point at which
the luminance is half of the maximum lumi-
nance. Some manufacturers define it based on
contrast ratio and look at the angle at which a
certain contrast ratio is realized.
Color Reproduction:
This is the range of colors that the display can
accurately represent. „
 Technology
Used TV frames are being painted
esides various electronic products
B including computers, laptops,
mobile phones, Television industry
in Pakistan is another victim of
refurbished and illegal sets for last
couple of years. It all happens during the night
when couple of groups from the northern areas
reach the local traders and supply the electron-
ics goods especially television which are smug-
gled and refurbished. Since there is no record
of those televisions therefore the custom duty
and the tax is out of question. These sets are
then sold to innocent customers at regular price
hence earning high profit margins.
Hall road in Lahore is known to be the hub
for such illegal practice. It is so much organized
that the manufacturers and authorities are
unable to catch the culprits.
Manufacturers lose revenue which could
have been collected from the sale of legitimate
product. Same happens to other entities where
government loses the tax and customer the
confidence and warranty.
Used picture tubes are being sold on
http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/refurbished_tv.html. These are then
used by vendors to make refurbished TVs
Another day light forgery is assembling of
low cost TV sets. Here different components of
televisions are collected through various means
and then they are assembled to make it one
unit in various hidden labs situated in Lahore
and Karachi. After assembling, Tags of branded
24
manufacturers are placed on them to make it
Special Report
Used Tubes are being fixed for the refurbished TV sets
look like a branded and genuine
TV. The main component, Tube, is
either obtained from any interna-
tional vendor through web or it is
purchased from local used comput-
er monitor supplier. The monitors
become useless if there is slight
damage to its cathode tube. To Refurbished TV sets are ready and packed for sale
avoid a complete loss the importer
These shopkeepers have even put their own
of monitor sells this lot to a local TV assembler.
brand names on that TV. Mostly the TV sets are
Normally the price is Rs. 1200 for 17" tube.
copied with the title of Sony, Samsung and LG.
After putting together other parts necessary to
According to a survey 40 % of the televisions
make the TV it is sold with the brand name of
sold belong to this category. Majority of cus-
LG, Samsung, Sony etc. for Rs. 3,500 to 5,000
tomer who become fool are from those side
against the genuine TV of same size which is
areas where education and awareness is near
available in the range of Rs. 7,000 to 10,000.
to zero level.
Certainly it is the heaven for poor who can not
Despite of various raids and legal actions,
afford to buy the expensive branded TV. But
the business is still going on vigorously with
they are unaware of the fact that the good is
each passing day causing tremendous damage
without warranty and hazardous to their eye
to foreign investor, government and the ultimate
sight since there is no standard and quality
buyer. „
assurance being taken care of.
 Launch Flare Report
With the brand launch, HTC and Mobile Zone unveiled three devices P4350, P3350, and
P3400 that have been introduced in Pakistan. These ground-breaking devices showcase the
latest in mobile convergence for both consumer and enterprise audiences and epitomize
HTC's commitment to developing innovative, appealing and category-defining form factors
and applications
TC, the world's leading provider of
H Microsoft® Windows Mobile®
devices, launched its brand in
Pakistan through a ceremony held
at a local hotel. Mobile Zone, the
largest mobile phone company in Pakistan, is
the distribution & service partner of HTC in
Pakistan. The partnership was also announced
in the launch ceremony.
The ceremony was held at a local hotel and
was attended by top management of Mobile
Zone and HTC, along with prominent personali-
ties of the corporate world and renowned social-
ists.
Founded in 1997, HTC is well-known in the
industry as the company behind many of the
most popular operator-branded devices in the
market. HTC is one of the fastest-growing com-
Chairman Mobile Zone, Mr. Haneef Moosa, and Director Marketing Mobile Zone,
Mr. Waqar ul Hassan, with Fakhr e Alam at the launching ceremony of HTC
HTC Mobile
A Complete Life
Partner
The top honcho of the $ 2.3 billion Taiwan-
based HTC Corp, Peter Chou, uses simple
gadgets. He wakes up at about 6 every morn-
ing. And guess who wakes him up? Not his wife
but his HTC Touch smart phone. Unfortunately,
the device can't help Mr Chou, CEO of HTC
Corp, make his morning cup of tea.
The new HTC Touch is the lifeline of Mr
Chou. "The first thing I do after opening my
eyes every morning is to find out about the
weather on my palmtop." It helps him get ade-
quately dressed. He never remains in one conti-
nent for long - Mr. Chou was just back from a
business tour spanning three continents within
last five days when ET met him in New Delhi.
After normal chores, the agenda of the day is
26
panies in the mobile sector and has achieved
remarkable recognition over the past couple of
years. Business Week ranked HTC as number
3 among the top 100 global IT companies in
2006. Since launching its own brand 12 months
ago globally, the company has introduced more
than a dozen HTC-branded products across the
world.
Speaking to the Media, Mr. Shabeeh Haider,
Manager Sales & Marketing HTC said "We
have a rich heritage of innovations and aim for
our products to continue being the devices of
choice on the Microsoft Windows Mobile plat-
form in Pakistan. We are bringing to the market
a portfolio of products that is impressive as
much for its hardware innovation as for its wide
range of features and functionality -- from busi-
ness-friendly PDAs for heavy email users to
more compact multimedia
smartphones for first-time
users". Shabeeh Haider, Manager Sales & Marketing,
HTC, briefing the media about HTC products
"Partnership with HTC is a
part of Mobile Zone's pursuit to Zone and HTC are committed to play this role".
bring highly innovative and qual- In a very short time, MZ has become the
ity products to Pakistan" said largest mobile phone company of Pakistan with
Mr. Waqar ul Hassan, Director more than 60% of market share.
Marketing, Mobile Zone. He fur- With the brand launch, HTC and Mobile
ther added "as life gets faster Zone also unveiled three devices (P4350,
and people run for time, PDAs P3350, and P3400) that have been introduced
and data-focused devices are in Pakistan. These ground-breaking devices
going to play a major role in the showcase the latest in mobile convergence for
mobile industry of Pakistan in both consumer and enterprise audiences and
coming days. Consumers just epitomize HTC's commitment to developing
need to be given more aware- innovative, appealing and category-defining
ness of how these devices can form factors and applications.
improve their lives and Mobile
served hot to him, again on his HTC Touch. His
secretary mails the line up of the day's meet-
fan of it.
A 1985 batch
ings and deals to close. electronic engi-
In the car, the lightweight (112 gm) HTC neering graduate
Touch acts his computer too - he never carries from National
a laptop. He prefers answering all mails via his
smartphone. And between meetings Mr. Chou
Taiwan Ocean
University, Mr.
relaxes with Beatles and Indian classical music Chou estab-
stored on his phone. lished HTC in
The USP of the smartphone is that the 1997. Since then
phone works equally well with fingertips. HTC HTC has
Touch can differentiate between the touch of a become the
finger versus a stylus. The device works in world's largest
GSM/GPRS/EDGE in tri-band of 900, 1800, designer and
1900 MHz. Thus, roaming for him is never a provider of
problem. Windows Mobile
Apart from his phone, Mr. Chou likes to PDA Phones
operate on his regular desktop at office. And and smart-
after finishing work he unwinds with a state-of- phones. Let's
the art digital music system at home. Again, see whether Mr
Beatles, English classical and Indian instrumen- Chou can coax
tal classic music are his favorites, which he has his son into buying a HTC Touch smart phone
downloaded on the digital system. He's not rather than the Apple iPhone. „
hooked on to the iPod, though his son is a big

The biggest question for the smart investors is what will be the best investment in
the next ten years? During last ten years it was oil, metals, Telecom and real
estate. There is no reason to believe that the history will repeat for these four
again but domain business has arrived as a big rival for them
T has brought another booming factor for
I business and this time it is domain buy-
ing and selling. This is a good answer
for the smart investors who were looking
for best investment deals. In last ten
years it was Oil, Metals, Telecom and Real
Estate. There is no reason to believe that the
history will repeat for these four again.
However, domain business has arrived as a big
rival for them.
Buying domain names for cheap and then
flipping the same to an interested buyer is pick-
ing up heat. Investors are making hundreds of
thousands of dollars by buying and then selling
domain names.
Investors in countries like India, USA and
Australia are cashing the domain business. In
developing countries like Pakistan and India it is
a new investment game.
The domain names are trading at their high-
est premium. The same domain name that trad-
ed for $10,000 in year 2000 has recently
changed hands for $65,000. The expectation is
that sector specific domain names will soon
trade for millions of dollars.
In Australia multimillion-dollar sales of
domains such as Diamond.com and Vodka.com
take the headlines. Similarly Marc Ostrofsky
sold the Business.com domain and turned his
US $150,000 investment into a $7.5 million
sale.
Just two years ago, in domain trading, only
18 or 19 companies had more than 10,000
domains; but now it is estimated that 50 compa-
nies have portfolios of more than that size.
Last year saw the total number of top-level
domain registrations reach 120,000,000,
according to VeriSign, an increase of 32 per
cent for the year. And the big portfolios are get-
ting bigger.
With the advertising boom on internet espe-
cially by Google and Yahoo, one factor driving
this buying spree is the effectiveness of cost-
per-click contextual advertising. Before 2003,
parked domains relied on generally less-lucra-
tive banner ads. Today's parked pages serve up
sponsored links related to the domain name
which, when clicked, earn revenue for the
domain owner. There's a whole industry that
has arisen from the monetization of these
domain names through the application of con-
Azhar Javed
tent on these pages. According to VeriSign, 23
per cent of all .com and .net domains - almost
15 million sites - consist entirely of a single
parked page.
One might think a website with no real con-
tent would not attract visitors, but domain spec-
ulators are attuned to the notion of direct navi-
gation or "natural search", where an internet
user types a URL directly into their browser
address bar assuming they will find related con-
tent. They just want to surf the net for research.
For example, a fishing enthusiast might go
directly to a likely domain name such as
Queenslandcharters.com. If the page has noth-
ing but a set of advertiser links to related con-
tent, there's a good chance for a click-through.
The pay-off is small change for each click but
direct navigation added up to $US800 million in
In Australia multi-million-dollar
sales of domains such as
Diamond.com and Vodka.com
take the headlines
2006 and could reach $1.1 billion in year 2007
Another factor encouraging buyers is
improvements in the aftermarket buying and
selling process. Popular exchanges such as
Fabulousdomains.com, GreatDomains.com and
Sedo.com list thousands of domains available
for sale. Domain name auctions are also a pop-
ular method of selling off inventory.
Finally, the automated tools of the trade
have improved dramatically. Five years ago
Dark Blue Sea created a market intelligence
engine designed to find domain-name opportu-
nities based on factors including the frequency
of a search phrase in search engines, and bids
by search engine advertisers for those terms.
The capacity to mine and manage millions of
domain names has been used in some cases
for dubious business practices that, like regis-
tered trademark domain squatting of old, have
tainted the efforts of an industry that has
already seen its share of scandalous practices.
One of these is "domain tasting" or "catch-
and-release", a practice where the buyer takes
advantage of a five-day grace period designed
to allow a domain registrant to get a refund if an
IT
error (such as a typo in their submission) has
been made. Some domain name buyers have
leveraged this loophole to purchase millions of
domains, monitor their traffic for five days, and
then return all but the best few for a full refund.
Some have gone further with a practice known
as "kiting". They leverage the same five-day
grace period, but perpetually release and renew
within the five-day window, essentially owning
the domains at no cost. For the most part, reg-
istries such as VeriSign have worked with regis-
trars to modify their terms and conditions to put
an end to kiting.
New entrants to the domain business are
finding many ways to make a profit. Natural lan-
guage tools have picked clean all the best
opportunities, but others are more optimistic
about their odds for portfolio building.
The top domain sales in 2006 (all $US):
1. Diamond.com, $7.5 million - Online diamond
and jewellery retailer Ice.com bought the
domain from Odimo Inc.
2. Vodka.com, $3 million - Bought by Roustam
Tariko, the billionaire entrepreneur behind
Russia's biggest vodka maker Russian
Standard Co.
3. Cameras.com, $1.5 million - Sold in a live
domain auction to Sig Solares of Parked.com.
4. NAV.no, $717,978 - The Norwegian govern-
ment bought this domain for its work and wel-
fare administration website.
5. On.com, $635,000 - Moniker/Domain
Systems sold the domain, which redirects to a
personals site.
Domain names can be appraised. Typical
good domain names like idoctor.com,
italent.com, or iattorney.com are appraised
above $400,000. Some domain names are trad-
ed as high as $750,000.
There are new classes of investor who buys
domain names for cheap and flips the same to
new business starting websites and looking for
good domain names for a massive premium.
Now it is a big challenge for Pakistani IT and
Telecom experts and the Government to pursue
the business way to earn more through this
opportunity which will really pave the way for
the progress and prosperity of the country and
in a time when India is reluctant to provide its IT
engineers and experts to western world,
Pakistan can cash the domain buzz. „ 27
 Telecom Khawar Shahzad
Two years ago, telecom users in India had hit 100
million, but now the telephone subscriber base has
crossed the 200 million mark. Going by current
trend, India is now set to overtake Russia to place
itself at 3rd position, and toppling America's 2nd
position in next two years
oom in the telephony market has
B been fueled by a price war among
mobile operators and mobile phone
vendors in India, which has resulted
in pushing down tariffs. Most mobile
phone vendors have introduced low-cost mod-
els for the Indian market.
India emerged as one of the world's fastest-
growing telecom markets in 2006. The country
has already crossed the 200-million-mark.
Going by current trend, India is now set to over-
take Russia with third largest mobile sub-
scribers base in the world and toppling
America's 2nd position, is just another 20
months away.
The GSM has more than half of this sub-
scriber base - that is 115.3 million. Economic
Survey of India predicts that the country will
have 650 million telephone connections, includ-
ing 66 million wired and 584 million wireless by
2012.
The penetration of wireless technologies
remained high in urban areas as compared to
rural regions, where approximately two-thirds of
the Indian population resides. As of December
2006, the urban tele-density had grown to more
than 40 percent, as compared to rural penetra-
tion of more than 2 percent.
The data issued by the Cellular Operators
Association of India shows that the all-India
GSM (global systems for mobile communica-
tions) subscriber base has added 4.9 million in
February to touch 115.3 million, as per latest
data available.
According to TV Ramachandran, director
general COAI, the GSM industry was primarily
responsible for powering the overall growth of
telecom sector and is a key contributor in the
200 million mile stone reached by the telecom
sector as a whole. In his opinion the growth was
achieved as a result of industry efforts coupled
with forward looking government policies.
At the end of December 2006, India had
149.50 million wireless phones and 40.43 mil-
lion fixed-line phones. This number grew to
28
196.71 million by January 2007. The 200-million
mark translates into a tele-density of about 18
phones per 100 people. This excellent progress
shows the strong spirit of cooperation and com-
mitment that's been building for the last three
years between government and industry.
According to analysts, going by the current
trend, India is poised to have the second largest
mobile subscriber base before the close of
2008, displacing US, which will cross the 250
million mark before December. According to
present ranking, China (450 million) has the
largest number of mobile subscribers, followed
The Economic Survey of the gov-
ernment of India predicts that
the country will have 650 million
telephone connections, includ-
ing 66 million wired and 584
million wireless by 2012
by US (235 million), Russia (154 million) and
India (148 million). This is set to change.
While Bharti Airtel continues to be the indus-
try leader with 35.4 million users and a 30.74%
of the GSM market share, the gap between the
second and the third players is marginal. The
state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) as
the second biggest GSM player has 25.4 million
subscribers (22.07% share), and the third
largest GSM player Hutchison Essar has 25.3
million users (21.98%).
MTNL's GSM subscriber base in Delhi and
Mumbai touched 2.578 million, while Spice
Telecom has also over 2.5 million subscribers.
Aircel's user base in February stood at 5.094
million, followed by Reliance Telecom's 4.11 mil-
lion subscribers.
Category C circles in the country witnessed
the highest rate of growth at 6.8 per cent, with
Himachal Pradesh recording the highest at 10.3
per cent, followed by Assam at 9.3 per cent.
The `B circles ranked second at 4.9 per
cent, with Haryana recording the highest growth
at 6.9 per cent, followed by West Bengal &
Andaman & Nicobar at 6.8 per cent. Category A
circles also witnessed a growth of 3.8 per cent,
with Andhra Pradesh recording the highest
growth of 4.3 per cent, followed by Maharashtra
at 4.1 per cent. The metro subscribers grew by
3.3 per cent over the previous month, with
Kolkata (4.6 per cent) recording the highest
growth.
Meanwhile, according to the
latest Economic Survey, the
Indian telecom sector proposes
to connect 650 million sub-
scribers over the next five years,
which is more than triple of its
current size.
The number of Internet sub-
scribers grew at 25 per cent,
while broadband users grew
from 0.18 million to 1.32 million
in 2005-06. The number of
broad-band and Internet sub-
scribers in India is expected to
reach 20 million and 40 million respectively by
2010.
The Survey has sought the provision of 200
million rural telephony connections to boost
rural tele-density and on-demand broadband
connectivity. „
 IT Flare Report

hat does Google want? every query we type in.

W Having successfully become

our personal librarian, Google
now wants to be our personal
oracle. It wants to learn all
about us, know us better than we know our-
selves, to transform itself from a search engine
into a psychoanalyst's couch or a priest's con-
fessional. Eric Schmidt, Google chief executive
thinks that "The goal is to enable Google users
to be able to ask the question such as 'What
shall I do tomorrow?' And 'What job shall I
take?' "
Schmidt's goal is not inconsiderable: By
2012, he wants Google to be able to tell all of
us what we want. This technology, what Google
co-founder Larry Page calls the "perfect search
engine," might not only replace our shrinks but
also all those marketing professionals whose
livelihoods are based on predicting - or guess-
ing - consumer desires.
Schmidt acknowledges that Google is still far
from this goal. "We cannot even answer the
most basic questions because we don't know
enough about you. That is the most important
aspect of Google's expansion."
So where is Google expanding? How is it
planning to know more about us? Many - if not
most - users don't read the user agreement and
thus aren't aware that Google already stores
The next stage is a per-
sonalized Web service
called iGoogle. Schmidt,
who perhaps not coinciden-
tally sits on the board of
Apple, regards its success
as the key to knowing us
better than we know our-
selves. The real question, of
course, is whether what Google wants is what
we want too. Do we really want Google digest-
ing so much intimate data about us? Do we
want iGoogle to reveal our most secret desires
and most repressed fears?
Still, if iGoogle turns out to be half as wise
about each of us as Schmidt predicts, then this
artificial intelligence will challenge traditional pri-
vacy rights as well as provide us with an excuse
to deny responsibility for our own actions. What
happens, for example, when the government
demands access to our iGoogle records? And
will we be able to sue iGoogle if it advises us to
make an unwise career decision?
Schmidt like us to imagine Google as a pub-
lic service, thereby affirming the company's "do
no evil" philosophy. Schmidt's iGoogle vision of
the future is not altruistic, and his company is
not a nonprofit group dedicated to the realiza-
tion of human self-understanding.
Worth more than $150 billion on the public
market, Google is by far the dominant Internet
advertising outlet, it reaches about 70% of the
global Internet audience. Just in the first quarter
of 2007, Google's revenue from its online prop-
erties was up 76% from the previous year.
Personal data are Google's most valuable cur-
rency, its crown jewels. The more Google
knows our desires, the more targeted advertis-
ing it can serve up to us and the more revenue
it can extract from these advertisers.
What does Google really want? Google
wants to dominate. Its proposed $3.1-billion
acquisition of DoubleClick threatens to make
the company utterly dominant in the online
advertising business. The $1.65-billion acquisi-
tion of YouTube last year made it by far the
dominant player in the online video market.
And, with a personalized service like iGoogle,
the company is seeking to become the algorith-
mic monopolist of our online behavior. „

ony Corp. will launch a cheaper, slim- At the E3 game industry exposi-

S mer version of its PlayStation Portable

handheld game player in an effort to
better compete with Nintendo Co.
Ltd.'s hot-selling DS. Japanese elec-
tronics maker Sony will launch the new PSP in
Japan on September 20, however its worldwide
launch is undisclosed yet.
Both Sony and Nintendo released their
handheld gear, the PSP and DS, respectively,
late in 2004. But sales of the PSP, which can
play movies, music and games, have recently
been outshone by the DS.
The new PSP will sell for about Rs. 10,000
($162), 5 percent less than the current model,
which has been sold for 170 dollars. It com-
pares with 137 dollars for Nintendo's DS Lite,
the lighter version of the DS.
"The PSP is heading into its second growth
stage," Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE)
Corporate Executive Masatsuka Saeki told.
SCE is Sony's video game unit.
Nintendo sold 23.6 million DS units in the
year ended March 31, outpacing PSP ship-
ments of 8.4 million, as its games such as
"Nintendogs" pet training title proved a success
and expanded gaming beyond young men to
women and the elderly.
The DS has two screens, opens like a book
and allows gamers to control play with a stylus,
30
instead of manipulating a keypad.
tion in the United States recently,
SCE Chief Executive Kazuo Hirai
said it would launch the new PSP
model in September, but no specific
launch timing or price for the
Japanese market were available.
The game unit also said on
Tuesday it would launch the latest
version of its popular in-house rac-
ing game "Gran Turismo" in
October.
"Gran Turismo 5" is one of the
most eagerly awaited titles for the
PlayStation 3 game console, and its
launch ahead of the critical year-end
shopping season is expected to help
breathe life into slow PS3 sales.
The PS3, which made its debut
in November, was outsold by
Nintendo's Wii console by over
three to one in the first half of 2007.
Its high price and scarcity of
strong software titles have often
been cited as reasons for the slug-
gish start.
The basic version of the PS3
sells for Rs. 25,000 (410 dollars),
which is twice as much as Wii's Kazuo Hirai, President, Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), displays the
price tag of Rs. 12,000. „ new model of the company's portable video game console PlayStation
Portable (PSP), equipped with a digital TV tuner
 Flare Report Telecom

part from being the world's fastest in Chennai in January 2006 and produced a imported today. For local handset manufacturing

A growing telecom market, India is

also emerging as a handset super-
power as more manufacturers set
up base in the country. India is
expected to register a handset production of
over 51 million units this year to record the high-
est growth in the Asia-Pacific region, technology
research firm Gartner has predicted.
India produced nearly 31 million mobile
phones in 2006 worth about $5 billion. This rep-
resented the largest contribution to overall elec-
tronics production revenue and to the total avail-
able market for semiconductors. For 2007, it
has forecast that handset production will
increase by 68% in units and 65% in value
terms. "Looking ahead, we expect production
volumes to reach nearly 95 million units and to
register a compound annual growth rate
(CAGR) of 25% between 2006 and 2011," the
report said.
"We are starting from a small base and in
the next five years, we will see high growth.
Over six million users are being added every
month and there is a captive local market for
mobile manufacturers," Gartner Group principal
research analyst Ganesh Ramamoorthy, who
authored the study.
Low mobile penetration and favorable gov-
ernment policies are driving mobile phone origi-
nal equipment manufacturers to set up manu-
facturing facilities in India. Nokia started its unit
record 25 million handsets in the first year of
operation. The vendor is also exporting mobiles
from India to Sri Lanka. Motorola and electron-
ics manufacturing service vendors (EMS) like
Foxconn and Flextronics have also set up
plants in India.
Gartner said though the world's top five
to continue to grow, you need to have local
component manufacturing," he said.
Another key challenge will be to keep hand-
set prices low, as Indian consumers are very
price sensitive. This will be achievable by gain-
ing access to low-cost, feature-rich and local-
specific chip designs, as well as a strong distri-
handset makers will retain a major share of pro- bution network. Key stakeholders in the mobile
duction volume, it expects local phone industry value chain can provide
manufacturers to capture up this, so local manufacturers must look
to a fifth of India's overall to form alliances and partnerships with
mobile phone production vol- them in order to succeed, it said. „
ume by the end of 2011. "We
believe that growing demand
for low-cost and ultra-low-
cost mobile phones and the
need for EMS vendors to
reduce their revenue expo-
sure to Nokia, Motorola and
Sony Ericsson, for whom
they are now manufacturing
in India, will contribute to the
growth of local-brand mobile
phones in the Indian market,"
said the report.
However, Mr
Ramamoorthy had a
word of caution.
"Most of the
compo-
nents are

harti Airtel, which is slated to have about 70,000 telecom tow-

B ers by March 2008, will collaborate with its principle equip-

ment vendors, Ericsson and Nokia-Siemens, for a nation-
wide project to reduce the energy consumption of the towers.
The project is aimed at bringing down its operating cost.
"We have already constituted a joint task force with Nokia Siemens
Networks. This team will carry out a series of pilots to increase the ener-
gy efficiency ratio of the network equipment supplied by Nokia Siemens.
We will soon set up a similar task force with Ericsson too for the same
purpose. As our networks becomes larger, energy efficiency is an impor-
tant factor," said Bharti Airtel CEO Manoj Kohli.
Bharti has outsourced its entire network expansion and management
to Ericsson in 15 telecom circles and to Nokia-Siemens in the other eight
circles. The contract also involves, and design, planning, supply, installa-
tion, commissioning and upgrading of the Airtel network.
According to Mr Kohli, apart from improving the efficiency of the net-
work equipment, the pilots with both Ericsson and Nokia Siemens would
involve alternate energy sources such as wind power, solar energy and
bio-fuels to power these base stations. "We expect to make considerable
savings once these projects reach maturity, but, it is too early to quantify
this," Mr Kohli added.
Ericsson and Idea Cellular have already begun pilots in India to run
base stations using alternate energy sources, especially in rural areas
that lack electricity connections or have an inadequate power supply.
The Swedish equipment major is working with the global GSM
Association to create an ecosystem in India, which consists of mobile
services operators, local farmers to grow the crops to be used for make
bio fuel and local entrepreneurs who will generate the bio fuel for the
telecom towers using the converter technology which it will supply. The
company has identified non-edible plant-based fuels such as cotton
seeds and jatropha for the project. Ericsson is also looking at powering
base stations using cow dung. „
31
 IT Shahid Zahid

The Motion Picture-4 (MP-4), also

he open standard defines the con-
known as Motion Picture Experts
Group (MPEG-4) is an extensive set
of definitions and standards for the
representation of compressed multi-
media content. It is most commonly
used to store digital audio and digi-
tal video streams but can also be
used to store other data such as sub-
titles and still images
The first and most important endorsement of royalties for a decoder implementation and an

T cepts of scenes and objects, where

objects are components of a scene
and represent a single media ele-
ment, for example, an object can be
a video clip, an audio clip, an image, etc.
Objects can be laid out in a predefined manner
in terms of time and space in order to create a
scene. The standard defines:
„ File format for storing multimedia scenes
and objects.
„ Scene hierarchy description as well as bina-
ry representation of objects lay out in a scene in
terms of time and space.
„ Coded representation of objects.
MPEG-4 was designed in order to enable a
number of applications, targeted at a variety of
rendering devices, such as the TV, Set-Top Box
(STB), PC, Mobile phone and Personal Digital
Assistant (PDA). As devices vary substantially
in capabilities due to price constraints and dif-
ferent target applications, there was a need to
define profiles of MPEG-4 that represent differ-
ent subsets and capabilities of the overall
MPEG-4 standard. As a first step, the following
profiles categories were defined:
„ Visual Profiles: Visual profiles define differ-
ent subsets of visual (mainly video) compres-
sion tools. The simple profiles include only rela-
tively basic compression tools and are, there-
fore, less efficient. This results in a lower quali-
ty-to-bit-rate ratio. They require limited process-
ing resources for playback and encoding, so
they are ideal for small, low-price devices such
as mobile phones.
„ Audio Profiles: Audio profiles define different
subsets of audio compression tools. The simple
profiles in this category are ideal for voice com-
pression, while the more advanced ones are
designed for efficient compression of high-quali-
ty music.
„ Scene Graph Profiles: Scene graph profiles
define limitations on the supported complexity of
scenes. The simple profiles in this category
allow, for example, only one visual object and
one audio object in a scene - for example, a
video clip with an audio sound track. The more
advanced profiles support scenes with a com-
plex hierarchy of objects, including 3D synthetic
objects.
Industry Acceptance
So far, the industry has adopted in practice
only a small portion of the standards specified
by the MPEG. In general, MPEG-4 is mostly
referred to as a low-bit-rate low complexity
audio/video format. This is due to the adoption
32
of a subset of its visual and audio profiles.
MPEG-4 technologies took place in the mobile
Internet domain with European
Telecommunications Standard Institute-3rd
Generation Partnership Project's (ETSI-3GPP's)
selection of MPEG-4 Simple Visual Profile and
Advanced Audio Codec (AAC), the selected
music codec for MPEG-4 by ISO-MPEG as
optional compression technologies for standard
compliant 3G handsets and services.
To complement the acceptance of MPEG-4
Simple Visual Profile as an optional compres-
sion technology, leading technology vendors
were fast enough to react by introducing com-
mercially available mature products based on
MPEG-4 technology.
It is important to mention that major con-
cepts and technologies included in the ISO-
MPEG specifications of MPEG-4 currently are
not making any inroads into the market.
Educating the market on the
patent licensing program and
getting into an acceptable com-
promise between all industry
leaders should be a common
goal when MPEG-4 is going
through a fairly bumpy road on
its way to become a de-facto
industry standard
MPEG systems profiles (description of
scenes and objects into a rich interactive multi-
media experience) are not accepted so far by
any industry standardization organization or
forum. Furthermore, it seems unlikely that
MPEG-4 systems will ever reach mass-market
deployment.
In order to complement the successful adop-
tion in the mobile industry, Apple, Cisco, IBM,
Kasena, Philips and Sun founded the Internet
Streaming Media Alliance to define an open
standard streaming media format optimized for
broadband wired networks based on MPEG-4.
Intellectual Property Licensing
MPEG-4 patent owners have created a
patent pool and delegated the role of defining
and implementing a single licensing program to
an organization called Motion Picture Expert
Group-Licensing Authority (MPDG-LA). In 2002,
MPEG-LA published the first draft of the license
agreement. The license agreement included
encoder implementation targeted at vendors of
consumer devices. So far, it is a rather standard
licensing program.
However, MPEG-LA introduced usage-based
fees targeted at content providers and service
operators. The usage-based fees basically
require content providers and service operators
to pay royalties per subscriber that receives and
pays for MPEG-4 content. The licensing terms
introduced by MPEG-LA received a lot of heat
from the industry. Above all, uncertainties with
respect to usage fees (basically, who is required
to pay and exactly how much and what kind of
services entail royalty payments) cause great
concerns in the industry.
In parallel with the work of MPEG on the
definition of MPEG-4, the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) started to work
on the definition of a video compression stan-
dard, called H.263, based on the same patent
portfolio as MPEG-4. H.263 was accepted by
3GPP as a mandatory video compression tech-
nology for 3G-standard compliant handsets and
services (while MPEG-4 was accepted by 3GPP
only as optional).
Even though H.263 is based on an almost
identical patent portfolio as MPEG-4, MPEG-LA
did not yet publish a patent licensing program
for H.263. The outcome is that H.263 is per-
ceived as 'Free' of royalties and is gaining
momentum at the expense of MPEG-4. It is
important to note that H.263 is not free, and it is
expected that a similar patent licensing program
will also be published for his standard.
Conclusion
MPEG-4 is going through a fairly bumpy
road on its way to become a de-facto industry
standard. Educating the market on the patent
licensing program and getting into an accept-
able compromise between all industry leaders
should be a common goal. However, the picture
looks promising. MPEG-4 is gaining market
share in the mobile domain. This time the ITU
and MPEG joined forces in order to define the
next generation of MPEG-4 called MPEG-4 AVC
or Advanced Video Codec (formerly called
H.264).
With support from electronics manufacturers
and with an extended technology portfolio
(MPEG-4 AVC), MPEG-4 is well positioned to
conquer further territories and become a viable
successor to MPEG-2 as the next-generation
open standard and de-facto standard technolo-
gy for streaming media services. „
 World in Focus

Now, Online Tools for School Students

ndian school children use a laptop to browse a new self

I assessment and diagnostic internet site tool. Over 2.7 million

students have acknowledged the benefit of self assessment
process. 24X7guru.com, the tool combines Unified Council's
education content and BodhTree's online diagnostic and
assessment engine. The portal allows students to take tests at their
own convenience, and they can evaluate their learning proficiency by
answering questions about the subjects they study in school. The
portal then scores those answers and demonstrates their strengths
and weaknesses.
It also offers the flexibility to pause - in case of power failure etc -
and complete the tests later besides tracking their performance and
serving them with a fresh batch of questions each successive time
depending upon their level of comprehension.A student can take as
many as 45 tests per year by paying Rs 3 to Rs 5 per day depending
on the class. „

EU Fines Spanish Telecom Group EUR 151m

uropean Union Competition Commissioner Neelie

E Kroes addresses a news conference at the European

Commission headquarters in Brussels. EU antitrust
regulators slapped a 151.9-million-euro fine on
Spanish operator Telefonica in a crackdown on
uncompetitive practices in Europe's communications market. EU
Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said she was imposing
the fine, worth 206 million dollars, because Telefonica had stifled
competition in the broadband Internet market.
The fine is the biggest ever slapped on a telecoms operator in
Europe and the second biggest the Commission has imposed for
abusing market strength after a hitting Microsoft with a penalty of
nearly half a billion euros in 2004.
Describing the ruling as "inexplicable," Telefonica said that it
would challenge the decision with an appeal before an EU court.
Europe's top antitrust watchdog accused Telefonica of "a very
serious abuse of its dominant position" by squeezing margins of
rival broadband access providers for over five years in the way it
set wholesale and retail prices. „

Airtel, Nokia Siemens in $900 mn Deal

resident and CEO of India's Bharti Airtel Manoj Kohli (L) and CEO of Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) Simon Beresford Wylie (R) shake

P hands prior to signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in New Delhi. Bharti Airtel and Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) signed the
MOU for a 900 million USD expansion contract
across Airtel's mobile, fixed and intelligent network
platforms. As a part of the investment, NSN will set
up a telecom equipment plant in the country. Construction of
the high-end wireless network equipment facility in Tamil
Nadu will begin later in 2007 and commercial production is
set to start in 2008.
Under the multi-platform network contract, Nokia Siemens
Networks will expand Airtel's GSM network in eight existing
circles; long distance and international long distance network
with 1.8 million Next Generation Network (NGN) ports and its
international calling card prepaid service capacity by 4.5 mil-
lion news users.
The GSM and NGN expansions are planned over two
years and the international calling cards expansion over three
years.
The two year GSM expansion will cover the eight existing
circles of Mumbai, Maharashtra & Goa, Gujarat, Madhya
Pradesh & Chattisgarh, Bihar & Jharkhand, Orissa, Kolkata
and West Bengal where Nokia Siemens Networks already
provides equipment and Managed Services. The expansion
will enable Airtel to rapidly expand its geographical footprint in
34 rural India and increase its overall network capacity. „
 World in Focus

Takeoff a Difficult Trick

for History's Biggest Bird
his handout illustration received with courtesy of Proceedings of the

T National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), shows Argentavis magnificens, the

world's largest known flying bird with a wingspan of 7 meters, about the
size of a Cessna 152 aircraft, soaring across the Miocene skies of the
Argentinean Pampas six million years ago.
Scientists have found that the bird, which weighed 150 pounds, was capable of
flight, but just barely. Argentavis, which lived in South America six million years ago,
was not able to take off or stay aloft just by flapping its wings.
Once the bird touched down, it got back into the air by launching "from a high point
in the foothills," or by taking a running start down a 10-degree slope with just enough
headwind to push it upwards.
When Argentavis got in the air, though, it could ride thermals in vast cross-country
circles, just as condors and vultures do today.
The researchers added that the Argentavis probably represented the upper limit of
possible avian flight, and added an element of historical truth to folk tales of giant
fliers.„

Tata Consultancy Services Q1

net up 36 pct to 12.03 bln rupees
ata Consultancy Services Ltd. (TCS) Chief

T Executive Officer S. Ramadorai (R) announces

the company's first quarterly results, as Head of
Global Sales and operations, N. Chandrasekaran
looks on, in Mumbai, India.
Tata Consultancy Services Ltd reported a consolidated
net profit of 12.03 bln rupees in the quarter to end-June, up
36.3 pct from 8.82 bln a year ago. India's largest software
exporter reported consolidated net sales of 53.64 bln rupees
in the first quarter compared with 42.25 bln a year ago.
On a stand-alone basis, TCS posted a net profit of 10.74
bln rupees for the first quarter compared with 7.96 bln
rupees in the same quarter last year. The consulting and
services company said its stand-alone net sales for the first
quarter stood at 43.36 bln rupees compared with 34.32 bln a
year ago.
Chief Financial Officer S Mahalingam said, 'Though our
margins were impacted by the drastic rupee appreciation as
well as planned wage increases during the quarter, we have
been successful in mitigating these factors through produc-
tivity increases, cost management as well as hedging gains. This has helped sustain margins at the net level despite a challenging external environ-
ment.' He said the margins coming into the new year remain stronger compared to a year ago. „

In China, Online Gamers Raking in the Cash

or a law student, Zhao Mengyuan has a peculiar way of making money -- slaying dragons, killing orcs and saving princesses in distress. It

F
utations.
all takes place in cyberspace, where earning credits for online gamers who are too busy to do it themselves has become a handy source
of extra income for the 21-year-old -- and a full-time job for thousands of other Chinese. "China has too large a population and too limited
space for entertainment, that's why computer games are so popular," he says. When he earns extra credits and online commodities, such
as online gold and magic potions, he often sells them to
other players so they can take a shortcut to virtually enhanced rep-

"The buyers pay real cash for virtual gold. They have proper
jobs but not enough time for games," he said, adding that some-
times the rewards are quite lucrative. "In just five hours playing
one time. I made 2,000 yuan (260 US dollars)."
Players of various games worldwide who do not have time or
patience to advance to higher levels or acquire virtual items often
outsource the uninteresting parts of game play to so-called "gold-
farming factories".
China, with its cheap labour and low operational costs, has
become a hub of such gold farms that export the online credits to
South Korea, the United States and other developed nations.
The government imposed a rule in April requiring all games
operating in China to install a so-called "indulgence prevention"
programme. The online harness means anyone aged fewer than
18 can earn no more credits after they have played for more than
35
five hours. „
 World in Focus

Shuttle Atlantis Returns to Home

S space shuttle Atlantis ended its cross-

U country flight atop a jumbo jet touching

down in Florida 11 days after returning
from a construction mission to the
International Space Station. The shuttle
landed at California's Edwards Air Force Base on June
22 due to bad weather at its home in Florida, a diver-
sion that costs an extra $US 2 million. It took three
days, and three stops for refueling, to fly it back piggy-
back-style on a specially modified Boeing 747 to the
Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral. NASA
workers will now begin preparing the spaceship for its
next flight in December, when it is due to ferry
Europe's Columbus research laboratory module to the
space station. NASA has two more shuttle flights
before then. Shuttle Endeavor is due to lift off on
August 7 with a new segment for the station's frame,
and shuttle Discovery is targeted for launch in
October, with a connecting node for the European and
later the Japanese laboratories.
NASA needs to finish building the space station, a $US100 billion project of 16 nations, before the shuttles are retired in 2010. The US space
agency has 12 construction missions pending and two re-supply flights. More than 60 per cent of the planned construction work on the station, which
hovers about 354 km above Earth, has already been carried out. „

'Angel investors' Bank on Space Tourism

his artist's rendering provided by shows the com-

T pany's sub-orbital vehicle concept, the Xerus.

Just a few years ago, the idea of bankrolling star-
ry-eyed ventures to fly ordinary people into space
was laughed off as science fiction. Now some
investors are betting on space tourism as the next big thing.
The infant industry got a boost last month when a Boston-
area investment group backed a private rocket company
developing a spaceship that will take off and land like an air-
plane. The deal between Boston Harbor Angels and XCOR
Aerospace, thought to be the first investment by a group of
so-called angel investors in a commercial launch company,
raised hopes that others will follow.
So far, the field is crowded with do-it-yourself tycoons -
who are spending their own fortunes in ventures that promise
to give civilians their astronaut wings and the chance to float
in zero gravity. The smaller players lacking billionaire backing
often turn to the rich for capital. These angel investors often
are retirees or wealthy executives searching for hot opportu-
nities. They fill the gap between seed money from "friends,
family and fools" and conservative venture capitalists who
don't usually invest until companies are further along. „

ProView VO35
Introduced
visitor to Yokohama-based company 3D Incorporated booth glues to

A a Rockwell Collins' head mounted display ProView VO35 as he

watches 3D images using the SmartGlass 35 system offered by the
Japanese company The US$18,700 system is combined with the
Japanese company's 3D computer graphic viewer software "REMO,"
the next-generation graphics rendering engine, Colchester, VT.-based Polhemus's
interactive motion sensor Minuteman and Cedar Rapids, IA-based Rockwell
Collins' ProView VO35. The ProView VO35 features full-color SVGA performance
in a package that is both compact and versatile. The ProView VO35 HMD incorpo-
rates Rockwell Collins' proprietary technology to achieve unparalleled colour per-
formance and high contrast ratio. The optical modules are mounted on the same
ergonomically designed headband systems used on all ProView HMDs. „
36
 World in Focus

Integration of Google Earth with National

Geographic
sing National Geographic images from Darfur (in Sudan) as

U an example, a Google Earth employee demonstrates Google

Earth Outreach, a new computer program designed to help
nonprofit organizations illustrate and advocate for their global
work during the rollout of the new tool at a news conference
at Google Earth's offices in New York. By zooming in on satellite images
users can see direct evidence of destroyed villages and hear from sur-
vivors through videos, maps, and photos assembled by the U.S. Holocaust
Memorial Museum and other groups.
Google has made a major addition to their database layers with
National Geographic Information about Africa. As you zoom over Africa
you will see the yellow National Geographic logos appear over different
regions. If you click on these symbols you will see a photo, title, brief
description, and a link to a National Geographic excerpt or entire story.
These marks are geo-referenced to what the article was written about of
course.
You will find photos of herds of animals, dunes, remote primitive vil-
lages, hippos, and much more. According to an article at Google's Blog there are 500 of National Geographics Mike Fay's database of 92,000 flyover
images. We can only hope he will add to this very cool collection of images.
Finally, there are also links to multimedia presentations (videos and flash) showing the "sights and sounds" of Africa in various locations. This is a
very significant update to the GE database that shows the amazing power of this interface for showing geo-referenced information for both visual and
intellectual significance. „

Imagine Cup 2007

icrosoft Chairman Bill Gates(C) tries out Team

M Brazil's 2007 Imagine Cup project, as Microsoft

Chief Research and Strategy Officer Craig
Mundie(2nd-L) looks on at Microsoft headquarters
in Redmond, Washington. More than 100,000 stu-
dents from 100 countries created software programs. This year's
Imagine Cup theme is "Imagine a world where technology enables
a better education for all." Microsoft has announced 15 finalists out
of which the top three teams will take home a total of $15,000 in
cash prizes. All of the finalists are expected to travel to Seoul,
South Korea to participate in the finals from August 5-11, 2007.
Teams were provided with an eBox 2300, the competition's stan-
dard hardware platform, and Windows CE 6.0. The Ebox is essen-
tially a compact, minimally configured "embedded PC" that pro-
vides the embedded computing platform on which Windows CE
and the project's application software runs. In the project descrip-
tions below, the term "PC" generally refers to the Ebox. „

TOYOTA Lexus Cultivates Elite Work Force

Toyota Motor Corp. employee works on a lexus

A engine at the Japanese automaker's flagship produc-

tion line for luxury Lexus models in Tahara central
Japan. Toyota Motor Corp. says that its "master
craftsmen" at the Tahara plant, the 2,700 veteran
workers whose eyes are sharp enough to catch minuscule errors
even robots and computers miss, are the secret behind its vaunted
quality. At the factory, west of Tokyo, which makes LS, GS and IS
Lexus models, cameras zipping around on robotic arms take more
than 1,000 images of each car to check digitally for imperfections.
Then corners and curves are examined by the human eye for more
fine-tuning.
Anyone who enters the room where the engines are built is hit
with a blast of air to make sure not a speck of dust gets into the
parts during production. A diagram for the ideal female worker,
hanging on the plant's wall, called for neat attire, including no
heavy makeup. Big signs hung from the ceiling with bold letters
proclaiming: "Good products; good thoughts."
Except for the Lexus RX produced in Canada, all Lexus models
are made in Japan, which the company says still offers the best in
manufacturing, although worries are growing about quality control
amid a surge in recalls.
Lexus consistently ranks high in consumer satisfaction surveys
and was second overall after Porsche in this year's annual J.D. Power and Associates initial quality rankings, which measures satisfaction after three
37
months of ownership. „
 World in Focus

Indonesia to Hit 100 mn Mobile Users

sales promotion worker walks past a mobile phone

A advertising poster at the Indonesia's Cellular Show in

Jakarta. Indonesia's mobile phone sector has grown
quickly in recent years. But with among the highest
tariffs in the world, analysts say the pace is not as fast
as it should be. Analysts and industry experts predict the number
of mobile phone users in the world's fourth most populous nation
will expand rapidly in coming years, driven by aggressive promo-
tions and strong demand for communications. The total number of
subscribers is expected to top 100 million by 2010, but with among
the highest tariffs in the world, experts say the pace is not as fast
as it should be.
Despite strong growth in recent years, the penetration rate is
still low at around 25 percent compared to 80 percent in Malaysia
and 60 percent in Thailand. However, a cellular company operating
in Indonesia has launched an aggressive marketing campaign
recently and introduced low phone tariffs as it seeks to meet its tar-
get of more than doubling customers to 3.6 million by the end of
this year. „

Reliance Communications buys U.S.

Ethernet Provider
ipes' Chief Executive Officer (CEO) John

Y Scanlon (L) speaks as Reliance

Communications' Chairman Anil Ambani
watches during a news conference in Mumbai.
Reliance Communications, the second-biggest
mobile phone provider after Bharti Airtel, said that it was
buying Yipes Holdings, based in San Francisco, for $300
million cash, the latest in a wave of acquisitions by Indian
companies outside of their country.
Yipes, a provider of managed ethernet and application
delivery services offers an opportunity to tap into a fast-
growing market, the chairman of Reliance, Anil Ambani,
said. "Yipes will accelerate Reliance's entry into the $90 bil-
lion global market for enterprise and institutional data serv-
ices," he said.
The ethernet market alone is valued at $10 billion,
Ambani said. He said this market was expected to expand at a compounded annual rate of 30 percent to more than $25 billion by 2010.
Reliance Communications bought Yipes from a group of investors that included JPMorgan and the venture capital firms Norwest Venture Partners,
Sprout Group and Crosslink Capital. The acquisition is the latest in a pattern of nondomestic deals by Indian companies targeting new markets and
trying to access the latest technology. Indian mergers involving companies in countries outside of India stand at $15.1 billion involving 99 deals, not
including the Yipes deal, according to Dealogic. That compares with $5.8 billion from 85 deals in the same period last year, and $21.7 billion from 167
deals in all of 2006. Deals this year include Hindalco Industries' purchase of Novelis of Canada in February, and several purchases by drug makers
like Ranbaxy Laboratories and Dr. Reddy's Laboratories.
The biggest foreign takeover by an Indian company, Tata Steel's acquisition of the Corus Group for $12 billion, is counted in the 2006 figures
because it was announced in October 2006, although the deal was not completed until 2007.
Shares in Reliance Communications hit a record high of 577.40 rupees Monday before closing up 19.35 rupees, or 3.5 percent, at 574.05 rupees,
or $14.23.
Yipes will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Communication's undersea cable unit, Flag Telecom, which it bought in 2003 for about
$209 million. Reliance plans to expand Yipes's coverage to 30 cities in the United States from 14, and would also take the coverage to Asia, Europe,
Africa and the Middle East. "Even if we take a conservative 5 percent of the overall global market, it will be a high-margin business over the next few
years," Ambani said. „

China Telecom Market

hinese telecom workers install new cabling for fixed line telephones during an

C upgrade to the cities telephone network in Shanghai. The Chinese Ministry of

Information Industry recently announced that China now has 829 million phone users
with 461 million of them using mobile phones and 368 million were fixed-line phone
users. In 2006 China produced a total of 450 million mobile phones, of which 350 mil-
lion were exported. China's telecom IT market will reach $6.1 billion by 2011 with telecom-related
IT construction to achieve a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.3 percent between 2006
and 2011, according to a report released by market research and analysis firm IDC. „

38
 World in Focus

Russian Rocket launches

DirecTV Satellite into Orbit
Russian rocket sent a telecommunication satellite owned by U.S.-based DirecTV Group

A into orbit - the latest successful launch for Russia and its efforts to garner a larger share
of the lucrative international market for space launches. The DirecTV-10 satellite blasted
off atop a Proton-M rocket from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Once opera-
tional, the satellite will broadcast high-definition television signals to the United States.
The 5,900-kilogram satellite was largest ever launched into space aboard a Proton-M rocket. Russia
has been aggressively trying to expand its presence in the international market for commercial and
government satellite and space-industry launches, though its efforts have seen several high-profile
failures.
Just in one month, a Russian military satellite, a private U.S.-built spacecraft and a German sur-
veillance satellite were all successfully sent into orbit aboard Russian rockets. In addition to launch
facilities at Baikonur and at Plestesk, Russia is working with the European Space Agency to expand
a launch pad in French Guiana and increase the payloads Russian rockets will be able to carry.
DirecTV, based in El Segundo, California, is currently controlled by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. „

Miniature Robots Play

Nano-Soccer
hat do you expect when the robot is six times

W smaller than an amoeba and weighs no more than

a few hundred nanograms? Robots of all sizes
have descended on the campus of Georgia Tech
for the RoboCup, an international contest that pits
robotic creations against one another in a range of technical chal-
lenges. But perhaps the most intriguing event was Nano Cup, a com-
petition hailed by organizers as the world's first nanoscale soccer
game. Held by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, its
organizers hope to show the potential for building tiny devices that
can be used in manufacturing, biotechnology and other industries.
They also hope to develop manufacturing standards for the untapped
field.
"If you take an ant and leave it on its own, it can't do much. But
many ants can do incredible things," said Michael Gaitan, the leader
of the agency's microrobots project. "We think the same way with
microrobots. We'll have to see where it takes us. For now, it's soc-
cer."
The team has great hopes for the invention, which they developed
over the past six months, and has already applied for patents. The
team one day hopes to be able to send their robots into a human's
bloodstream to treat cancer, cell defects or for other medical uses. „

DNA Testing to Uncover Mysteries

NA testing will be used in a unique scientific project to

D solve a more than thousand-year mystery over the

noble occupants of Dark Age graves in Prague castle,
a team of Czech specialists announced. DNA tests on
remains from 19 bodies, thought to belong to the
Czech noble Premyslid family, considered the founders of the
Bohemian kingdom who ruled the country for 400 years, will be
used to determine who is who. In parallel, 50-70 tests will be carried
out on remains from ordinary graves found around the ancient cas-
tle site. "This is a unique project in the scale of what is being done.
Nothing this big has ever been attempted in the world before," DNA
forensic expert Daniel Vanek, who worked for three years on identi-
fying genocide victims in Bosnia and will use techniques finetuned
from then, said.
His team of specialists have had to prove the worth of their DNA
testing, which makes use of new cleaning techniques allowing small
amounts of very old human material to be used, on 3 000-year-old
remains from the Bronze Age. One of the major mysteries which
should be solved is whether one skeleton, nicknamed "the warrior"
because he was buried with his sword and battle equipment, is a
member of the Czech royal house.
The DNA testing will be used to check the dynastic history of the Premyslids, founded by Borivoj the First, for which the first historical record dates
from 872. It will also, for example, be used to confirm whether what is believed to Borivoj's burial place is really that. "At the moment we are not sure,"
explained archaeologist Jan Frolik. The project involving a 15-strong multi-disciplinary team of scientists and archaeologists is expected to last three-
39
four years with the first results from tests likely next year. „
 World in Focus

Earthquake, Weather Information Part of

Honda's Car Navigation System
onda's car navigation system already maps the quickest route to a destina-

H tion, avoiding traffic jams. Now, drivers will get information about earth-
quakes and warnings of heavy rainfall ahead on roads. "We believe infor-
mation services are an important part of a car's quality," executive Manabu
Nishimae said. The service is free, but drivers pay mobile phone bills for
relaying data. Data transmission cards for a set monthly fee of US$8 are available for fre-
quent users. About 530,000 drivers use the current navigation service in Japan, or about
40 percent of Honda owners. With the latest upgrade, e-mail warnings will be sent to a
pre-assigned address when car with the system is in an area of a strong earthquake -
handy in a quake-prone nation. If heavy rain is forecast on a planned route, icons of
exclamation marks pop up on the monitor.
Japan's No. 2 automaker also upgraded its map system so updates take just a few
minutes to download. Up to now, disks with map data had to be changed. Tokyo-based
Honda said it found a way to compress data so that portions of a map, such as new
roads, get relayed piecemeal. On average, driving time is cut by 20 percent, according to
Honda. One of the features of Honda's system is that it collects information from individ-
ual Honda cars on the road. For example, in the new earthquake notification service, the
system will be able to show which roads have been shut down.
This kind of detailed information could even tell drivers exactly which lane of a free-
way is congested, said General Manager Takeshi Imai. "Honda's telematics is already
moving toward the next stage," he said. „

EU Ban on Indonesian
Airlines in Force
LL 51 Indonesian airlines were officially banned from flying

A to the European Union a week after EU safety experts

declared they were unsafe, the European Commission con-
firmed. The ban, which includes national flag carrier Garuda,
comes after a series of crashes in the Asian archipelago and
follows the failure of Indonesian authorities to give adequate safety assur-
ances, according to EU officials. Although no Indonesian airlines fly regu-
larly to and from the EU, the ban could have a big impact on passengers
traveling in South-East Asia as the European summer holiday period gets
underway.
Under European rules, passengers must be informed if an airline is on
the list of banned carriers and can demand reimbursement or an alterna-
tive carrier for tickets bought in Europe for flights that do not enter EU
skies.
The EU started its safety ban list in March 2006 after a string of dead-
ly accidents that highlighted the fragmented approach to air safety in the
then 25-nation bloc. It has since been updated four times.
The Picture shows President of International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO), Roberto Kobeg Gonzalez (L) and Director of
Technigue Garuda Indonesia Sunarto Kuntjoro, who paid a visit to Garuda Maintenance Facility in Jakarta. „

Video Gaming World Cup Hits Paris

he World Cup of computer gaming has brought some 700 players from

T 51 countries to Paris for an intense weekend of virtual combat, a sign

of the growth of the "electronic sports" industry. The players, selected
from 500,000 candidates, will compete for a pool of 180,000 US dol-
lars in prize money at the Electronic Sports World Cup grand final, put
on by the Games-Services company. It was taking place at a convention hall in
Paris. Gamers arrived with their own keyboards and computer mice -- as important
as "a tennis player's racket," according to one organizer. The computers them-
selves are provided to ensure fairness. They were facing off in games including
Counter-Strike, Pro Evolution Soccer 6 and Quake IV.
The popularity of video gaming has led to the development of professional
players, particularly in South Korea where some earn up to two million US dollars
per year, said Matthieu Dallon, Games-Services president. "In Korea and in the
United States there are television channels 100-percent dedicated to electronic
sports," he said.
Svanevik Sondre, a Norwegian player who goes by the name "Real," has spon-
sorship contracts with Sennheiser, Razer and Qpad -- all big names in the industry. His team is among the favorites to win the Counter-Strike compe-
tition. "We try to practise four hours a day, four days a week, and we intensify before the competition," he said. "I get a salary every month. I cannot
tell exactly how much but enough to live, more than a thousand euros." Besides the gamers, between 40,000 and 50,000 people were expected to
40
attend the competition to watch, participate in tournaments and get a look at new gaming products. „
 World in Focus

Sensex Touches Historic Height of 15000

enchmark index of Bombay Stock Exchange touches

B 15,000-point mark, the historical all-time-high at 1320

hrs today (July 6, 2007). Strong inflows from FIIs,
robust economic growth and impressive corporate
earnings have been the major driver behind most of the
thousand-point milestones in the recent past, including the latest
one to breach the 15,000 level. Sensex moved from 14000 to
15000 points in 146 days. Experts see this as a steady rise. Capital
Goods, Oil and Gas, Metal and Bank indices gained the most dur-
ing the journey from 14k-15k. When Sensex first crossed 1,000
points level in 1990, good monsoon and excellent corporate results
were cited as the major driver. The index touched 2,000 on
January 3, 1992, riding on the liberal economic policy initiatives
undertaken by the then finance minister and current Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh.
The next milestone of 5,000 points came on October 8, 1999,
when the BJP-led coalition won majority at the Centre. The 10,000
milestone was reached on February 6, 2006 on strong buying sup-
port from FIIs as well as domestic funds and retail investors. The
11,000 level was achieved next month on March 21 on robust FII
inflows and the government's proposal to move toward fuller capital account convertibility.
In terms of trading sessions taken to cover each 1,000points, the Sensex took 143 days of trading from 14k to 15k, 26 days from 13k to 14k, 132
days from 12k to 13k, 19 days from 11k to 12k, 33 days for 10k to 11k, 48 days from 9k to 10k, 54 days from 8k to 9k, 55 days from 7k to 8k, and as
many as 1,124 sessions for 6k to 7k. „

Google Buys Postini In $625 Mil Deal

oogle is beefing up security to take a bite out of the online

G business services market. The Web's No.1 search company

said that it will pay $625 million in cash to acquire Postini,
which sells security software for companies' e-mail, instant
messaging and other Web-based communications. The pur-
chase is expected to close by the end of September. Google GOOG exec-
utives say the deal will help it move further into business services such as
e-mail, instant messaging, online calendar services and online productivity
software. With Postini's security, companies might think more seriously
about Google as a business service provider, says Rebecca Wettemann,
vice president of research for market tracker Nucleus Research.
Google says more than 100,000 businesses use its applications servic-
es and more than 1,000 small businesses are signing up daily.
The deal shows that Google is targeting large businesses looking for
online security services. With Postini, Google will now compete with other
Web security service rivals including Symantec, McAfee and Websense.
But Google's latest acquisition won't come without challenges. The
company makes nearly all of its money from selling text-based ads posted
alongside search results.
"One of the challenges for Google is to manage a free, ad-driven business model, which it built around the majority of its corporate offerings to
date, and Postini's paid model," he wrote. Though small, Postini appears to be growing fast. The San Carlos, Calif., company serves more than
35,000 customers. Squali expects its sales to jump 40% this year to around $90 million. „

Current Indian Mobile

Growth Sustainable
n Indian laborer adjusts a light on an overhead hoarding of a mobile phone com-

A pany in Mumbai. With increased connectivity, one in five Indians now has access
to a phone in the nation of 1.1 billion people. A steep decline in the cost of owning
a cellular handset and a connection has led to a surge in the use of mobile
phones. Cellular subscribers increased almost 73 percent to touch 157 million,
making up for a 3.3 percent decline in the number of fixed-line users to less than 50 million. In
the last financial year, India added more mobile-phone users per month than China, with an
average 5.5 million cellular lines being sold every month.
The current growth rate in mobile subscribers is sustainable with the main driver coming
from rural connections.
"We are working on the assumption that the current mobile growth is sustainable," chair-
man of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), said Nripendra Mishra.
India's mobile subscriber base is growing by 6-7 million users per month. He said that many
of the private telecom operators were looking at rural areas and that was where the real tele-
com explosion would take place.
"If we need to reach the target of 500 million subscribers, this is the rate at which we have
to grow and we have to reach the rural section of the country," he added. „

41
 World in Focus

Boeing Dreamliner Unveiled

oeing Corporation unveiled its latest offering - the

B Boeing 787 Dreamliner - billed as the most economical

and fuel efficient jet. Boeing is promoting the jet as a
super-efficient airplane with new passenger-pleasing
features and several airlines around the world have
placed orders and firm commitments for the aircraft. Boeing claims
its latest offering would use 20 per cent less fuel than any other
plane of its size. It would carry 210-250 passengers on routes of
up to 8,500 nautical miles. The mid-sized wide-body passenger air-
liner is scheduled to enter service in 2008 and is being rolled out
from Boeing's Everett facility. Boeing has already received 642
orders from 46 customers. The first delivery would be to All Nippon
Airways in May 2008. The company said that between 2008 and
2009, 112 planes would be delivered.
The first flight test of the new plane is scheduled for between
August and September this year. "We have no intention of delay in
service. We don't anticipate big surprises," says Mike Bair, Vice-President and General Manager of the 787 Programme.
General Electric and Rolls-Royce would develop engines for the new airplane.
It is expected that advances in engine technology would contribute as much as eight per cent to the increased efficiency of the new airplane, rep-
resenting a nearly two-generation jump in technology, according to the company's website. „

Dell Introduces Vostro

Brand for Small Businesses
resident of Dell, Asia Pacific South (APACS) Paul Henri Ferrand (C), Vice

P President and General Manager Dell India Rajan Anandan (L) and Vice
President Marketing Dell Vivek Mohindra pose with Dell's new range of
computers in New Delhi. Dell Inc. is eyeing small firms as it looks to
expand in the fast-growing Indian computer market and is working out a
sales strategy for the country. "Almost a million small businesses will buy their first
PC in the next 12 months and we want every single one of them to be Dell," Rajan
Anandan, vice president for Dell in India, said at the launch of its new Vostro range.
Vostro desktops will sell from 22,900 rupees ($570) and notebooks from 31,900
rupees ($790). Dell, the world's second largest computer maker; and is exploring
various sales models in India. Currently purchases are only available by telephone or
on the Internet.
In June, Dell broke from its 23-year-old global practice of direct sales to cus-
tomers and started selling low-priced PCs at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in North America.
"India is different as it does not have huge retailers yet ... It does not have Wal-Mart
... We have to think what type of retail model can work," said Paul-Henri Ferrand,
who heads Dell's operations in Asia-Pacific, excluding Japan, China and South
Korea.
Asked whether Dell will come up with its own branded showrooms, Ferrand said:
"Depending on the country and economics, we have to consider what are the right
options for India. "We are considering all options and will come up with a right cock-
tail of channel choices." Ferrand said Dell would soon start selling personal comput-
ers at Asian retail chains and stores.
Although Dell in May said it plans to cut about 10 percent of its global workforce, Ferrand said it would significantly increase its sales and market-
ing headcount in India. It currently employs more than 13,000 people here across three business segments -- call centre operations, research and
development activities, and computer and server sales. Ferrand said Dell's manufacturing plant on the outskirts of Chennai in southern India would
produce its first desktop computer aimed at Indian markets in the next few weeks. „

Iran Launches English TV Channel

n employee of PRESS TV, Iran's 24-hour English language satellite

A news channel, works in the newsroom at its Tehran headquarters.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inaugurated an English-lan-
guage satellite television channel to counter what Iran claims is the
West's influence in covering news. "Press TV should broadcast the
truth to the world," said Ahmadinejad in a ceremony marking the inauguration. "This
network should be a podium for freedom seekers and Muslims of the world."
Mohammad Sarafraz, deputy head of Iran's broadcasting company in charge of for-
eign channels, said more than three million people, one-half of them from the United
States, have visited Press TV's website over the last six months.
Sarafraz said the 24-hour channel would broadcast news every half-hour. He
said the channel also plans to broadcast documentaries on U.S. soldiers who quit
the military. The website of the channel said the goal of Press TV is to ``break the
global media stranglehold of western outlets" and ``show the other side of the story"
in the Middle East.
The channel belongs to Iran's state broadcasting company, the only authorized body in the country to have radio and television channels.
The English-speaking network has 30 correspondents around the world, including Washington and New York City and the Gaza Strip in Palestine.
42 Press TV said it would be broadcast on several satellites including Hot Bird and Arab Sat. It was not immediately known if any U.S.-based satellite
channels plan to show the station. PRESS TV officials have said the channel would seek to take on established players like CNN and BBC World. „
 World in Focus

China's First Wholly-Made Airplane on View

prototype of China's new home-developed regional jet,

A the ARJ-21, was unveiled at a show in Shanghai. The

real-size model jet, whose appearance and interior seat,
window and rack arrangements are virtually identical to
the real aircraft, will impress visitors, said Wang Wenbin,
president of Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Factory (SAMF). The pro-
totype of the ARJ-21 -- meaning "advanced regional jet for the 21st
century", was displayed at the Second Shanghai International
Aerospace Technology and Equipment Exhibition to be held from July
5 to 7. China began developing the regional jet in 2002. Final assem-
bly of the aircraft began on March 30 in Shanghai and the first 90-
seater plane is expected to roll out of the workshop at the end of the
year.
The ARJ-21's maiden flight is scheduled for March 2008 and mass
production of the aircraft will begin in 2009, according to China Aviation
Industry Corporation I (AVIC I), developer of the jet.
Chinese experts said the ARJ-21 has given China a late but power-
ful presence in its own commercial aviation market, which up until now has been dominated by foreign aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing and
Airbus. The project is also seen as preparation for China's jumbo plane project, an undertaking shelved for about 30 years before being recently dust-
ed off. Chinese experts say they need two decades to produce the Chinese jumbo. „

China Launches Satellite Despite

Restrictions
Chinese Long March 3B rocket on July 5 successfully orbit-

A ed ChinaSatcom's Chinasat 6B telecommunications satel-

lite, the fourth satellite built for Chinese satellite-fleet opera-
tors by Thales Alenia Space - the sole Western satellite
builder that has developed a product line designed to avoid
U.S. satellite component export restrictions. Building satellites devoid of
U.S. components permits the spacecraft to be launched on a Chinese
launch vehicle. Current U.S. government policy effectively bars U.S.
satellite components from being exported to China. Officials from Thales
Alenia Space confirmed that Chinasat 6B was healthy in orbit following
the launch from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest
China's Sichuan Province. The spacecraft, a Spacebus 4000 C2 satellite
frame, weighed 4,500 kilograms at launch and carries 38 C-band
transponders. ChinaSatcom intends to operate it from 115.5 degrees
east longitude to provide up to 300 television programs in China and elsewhere in East Asia.
Thales Alenia Space has been cultivating the Chinese satellite market for more than 20 years. The company, under its former name Alcatel Alenia
Space, built components for the Chinasat 1 satellite before moving toward completed products. The company is the prime contractor for the Sinosat 1,
Apstar 6 and Chinasat 9 satellites, in addition to Chinasat 6B. „

Satellite Images Suggest

New Tunnels Near Iranian
Nuclear Plant
ommercial satellite imagery shows Iran is building a new tunnel complex inside a

C mountain near a major nuclear site - a possible attempt to protect sensitive uranium
enrichment activity from aerial attack. The pictures taken on June 11 were obtained
from DigitalGlobe, a commercial satellite imagery firm, by the Institute for Science
and International Security, whose president is David Albright, a physicist and former
United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq. "The construction activity is taking place in the closest
mountainous area to the Natanz site, strongly suggesting that the site is affiliated with Natanz,"
said a written analysis by Mr. Albright and a colleague, Paul Brannan.
The Natanz complex, in the central part of the country, is Iran's most ambitious nuclear plant,
and the one that has caused the most outside concern. Uranium is being enriched there in defi-
ance of United Nations Security Council demands for Iran to halt the process and two sets of limit-
ed sanctions.
Enrichment can produce nuclear energy, which Iran insists is its purpose in developing a
nuclear program. But it can also produce fuel for nuclear weapons, which the United States and
some other nations say is Iran's goal. Tunnel entrances are not visible in the satellite photos, but
two roads under construction can clearly be seen going up the mountain, with one appearing to
43
lead into a tunnel facility. „
 Pictorial

Warid Telecom and Bank of Punjab reached a strategic alliance, whereby BoP PTA Chairman, Maj. Gen. (Retd) Shahzada Alam Malik speaks during the workshop on Telecom
account holders will be able to get Warid post-paid connection with special privileges. Regulatory Environment Assessment and Teleuse at the Bottom of the Pyramid held at a local
Hamid Farooq, CEO, Warid Telecom is signing the deal wirh Hasesh Khan, President hotel.
Bank of Punjab.

Managing Director, Texas Emerging Technology Fund, Mark Ellison addresses

during Networking Session organized by Pakistan Software Export Board.

Federal Minister for Information Technology Awais Khan Leghari presents shield to winner at the inau-
gural session of a conference organized by the Microsoft.

Vice President TERADATA Herman Wimmer talks to media men during a press
conference.

Flood afectees of Qambar are receiving the relief goods provided by a local cellular company.

I A lady capturing the moments during a seminar on Discrimination Against the

Public Relation Officer of Pearl Continental (PC) Alia Tariq shares light moment with children Women organized by CEDAW.
44
during a ceremony in connection to World Father Day at the Hotel.
 Cover Story Zubair Ahmed Kasuri

Despite of regulator's strict

directions, franchisees are
still fully involved with
illegal business by offering
free SIMs to subscribers
without collecting the basic
46
required data

fter a period in which the country
A slowly transitioned from a state-
owned monopoly, to a compara-
tively deregulated competitive
structure, Pakistan's telecom sec-
tor had finally begun moving and looked set for
an era of phenomenal growth. Privatization in
the telecom sector sparked these new invest-
ments, which led to the creation of new compa-
nies like Warid Telecom, Telenor Pakistan and
expansion of existing firms. This telecom growth
attracted huge foreign investment towards
Pakistan. According to the PTA, the mobile sec-
tor contributes 54.1 percent of total Foreign
Direct Investment (FDI) inflows.
General Pervez Musharraf,
President of Pakistan
Mobile Phone penetration has climbed up at
39.19 % with total subscriber base of almost 61
million, and still there is plenty of room for fur-
ther expansion. A study commissioned reveled
that mobile communications industry con-
tributed a total of Rs 312.5 billion to the econo-
my in year 2006, representing almost 5 percent
of total GDP, an increase of over 500 percent of
the total contribution of Rs 45 billion in 2003.
This entire scenario has created immense
competition amongst the cellular operating com-
panies in Pakistan; resultantly the operators
started using almost every possible technique
to increase their users' base. During the
process of snatching customers, cellular com-
panies started ignoring the some very basic
parameters of selling Subscriber Identification
Modules (SIMs).
Some three years back, when there were
only two cellular companies in Pakistan, the
For the adoption of
proper procedure while
giving new connections or
issuing SIMs to the
customers, PTA has
directed that acquiring the
copy of the CNIC of the
customer endorsing the
issued mobile telephone
number on the said CNIC
copy would be ensured at
the sale point
Cover Story
price of SIMs ranged from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. by these un-registered SIMs.
5,000. Back then cellular companies used to
operate maintaining the standards by asking
customers to fill application forms, verified their
addresses and took copies of their National
Identity Cards (NICs). However, it is accus-
tomed on operator's part now that this very
important process is being ignored and not car-
It has become very hard to track down any
number even the security agencies are helpless
since the operator is not paying attention to this
very basic need.
As part of an ongoing struggle against global
terrorism threats, laws are passed world over
and mechanism is introduced to register each
ried out in most parts of the country; leaving mobile connection with details of the subscriber.
behind an open opportunity for anyone to get a The amount and depth of details vary from
SIM card for mere Rs. 100 without providing country to country. This verification and data
any personal information for operator's records. entering process is fully carried out before the
The basic reason for this ignorance is that SIM card is handed over to the customer.
companies are in severe competitiondue to For already in use unregistered mobile con-
heavy price war and increased operating cost nections, authorities in countries like Singapore,
Shaukat Aziz, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao
Prime Minister of Pakistan Federal Minister for Interior
that they are ready to sell the connections not Australia, Switzerland and so many others had
taking into account the after effects. Few of the given a deadline for completion of registration
operators have even directed their sales staff process of all SIM card holders, after which the
and franchised network for selling SIMs without mobile connections went inactive. Resultantly, it
getting into details. Franchisees are given was made sure that each mobile connection is
heavy targets otherwise their commissions are registered, and in case a customer has multiple
not released. In this regard, the distributor nor- SIM cards, they are justified. There, obtaining a
mally make available the SIMs on "general prepaid SIM/connection is very easy and a
stores", "pan shops", "PCOs" and even on road same day process but the owner of the
side mobie shops. The commuters are shown a connection is maintained through
list of numbers available and then the SIM is a very strong central
handed over with only Rs. 100. This way, a par- national iden-
ticular sale person, sells around 200 SIMs in a tity
day. These guys can be easily seen on Vans
with the posters of mobile compa-
nies on it. All the compa-
nies are doing this
practice, CM-Paktel
has recently has even
introduced the road
side umbrella shops,
where the company's
sale person offers any
kind of number with-
out any hassle.
Commuters find it
lucrative to get the
desired number with-
out providing any pes-
onal detail or NIC.
The after effects of
this activity is social
disorder, increasing
ratio of criminal activi-
ty. People are offend-
ed with fictitious calls,
when they complain it
to the operator or
police, the only
answer is, "number is
not registered". It is
heaven for criminals,
recent law and order situa-
tion in the country is in full swing due to the
easy and un-identified communication provided
47
 Cover Story
number. In most of the countries, it is enforcement agencies. The number of
Social Insurance Number, National cases registered against these SIMs is
Security Number and in Pakistan it is increasing.
National Identity Number NIC. Despite
of a huge spending on NADRA, we are Sakhi Sarwar, a stage drama producer
unable to make use of it, the private had received phone calls on his mobile
sector is still helpless to verify any cus- phone. He was threatened and asked to
tomer through this including mobile collect Rs. 10 million from his collegue
companies, banks etc. artists otherwise there life would be in
The same operators are very vigilant danger. Sakhi did not take any action
when issuing a postpaid connection. against the caller. Few days later, uniden-
The question is, why it is more impor- tified people attacked stage artist Saima
tant to maintain the records in case of Khan and wounded her critically, and fled
postpaid and for prepaid, where all the away from the scene. She was shifted to
seriousness goes. Perhaps, the compa- Jinnah Hospital for treatment, after couple
nys value the number of customer with- of minutes the same anonymous caller
out bothering to know, who the cus- called her and threatened her of dire con-
tomer is. sequences. She then took leave of the
Pakistan Telecommunication hospital and got admitted to another hos-
Authority (PTA) had directed all the cel- pital where nobody knew her.
lular mobile operators to ensure they Meanwhile, film, TV and stage actress
adopt proper procedure before issuing Megha appealed the Punjab Government
new mobile connections to the cus- to provide her security as she was also
tomers. It had also asked the cellular receiving life threats from some un-identi-
mobile operators to sell their new con- fied number through text messages.
nections only through authorized fran- Megha said that she received text
chisees who would in turn ensure that messages when she was performing in a
outlets/sale points within their opera- stage play in Faisalabad. SMS which she
tional areas also adhere to the laid received read, "Megha, it is a warning for
down procedure. you to leave for Lahore immediately and
The directions came subsequent to don't come to Faisalabad again for any
a meeting held with the representatives drama, otherwise, you will be treated like
of the Cellular Mobile Operators Saima Khan". The SMS further said, "We
(CMTOs) at PTA Headquarters in had also advised Saima Khan to quit
Islamabad. Chairing the meeting, drama but she did not act upon our
Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication advice. Think over the matter, you have
Authority, Major General (Retd) time up to 11:00 PM Saturday night. I will
Shahzada Alam Malik had directed all not call you before killing you". She left
Faisalabad immediately and moved to
The attention paid to this issue by the regulator is very Lahore.
This series did not stop here, when a majori-
positive, hence, the task of digitizing the data of every ty of theatre industry started receiving life
threatening calls from money extortion mafia.
SIM card of country is quite tough. PTA, cellular service Due to these life threats Nida Chaudhry has quit
performing on the stage. The sequences of
providers, franchisees, retailers along with the mobile threatening calls are still continuing and the

users of the country, collectively will have to play their artistes are performing under pressure and fear
with heavy security around them.
role to solve this issue This is one of those thousands of instances
where criminals use their cell phones for inter
and intra communication.
Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).
the CMTOs to ensure that antecedents of the Recently Government has issued strict
He gave the CMTOs three months time period
customers are properly documented at the sale orders to mobile phone companies to streamline
to finish the verification process for which the
points before issuing new mobile connections. the process. Any number found with out NIC will
starting date was July 1, 2007. Chairman PTA
For the adoption of proper procedure while be disconnected. Companies are further told to
made it clear that any operator not seriously
giving new connections or issuing SIMs to the give directions to their respective sales network
pursuing these directions might be give show-
customers PTA has directed that acquiring the to follow the procedures. If anyone(shopkeeper)
cause notice by the Authority. The matter, he
copy of the Computerized National Identity Card found guilty of not obtaining the proper docu-
said, was of national importance and PTA was
(CNIC) of the customer endorsing the issued mentation to sell the connection will be dealt
ready to join hands with the industry to initiate
mobile telephone number on the said CNIC seriously according to law.
media campaign educating subscribers and
copy would be ensured at the sale point. The Since Pakistan is following the developed
general public at large in that regard. In this
customer wishing to purchase a SIM would also countries in telecom sector, therefore following
regard PTA published advertisements in news-
be required to fill the Customer Agreement the standards is also very important only adopt-
papers, perusing customers to ensure that their
Form that has been made simple for the con- ing the latest technology is not enough.
mobile connections are registered.
venience of the general public. Under these The issue of unregistered SIM is very seri-
Up till now there has not been an education-
directives, the franchisees would also be ous. The attention paid to this issue by the reg-
al advertisement for the masses nor the sale of
required to ensure that their sale points display ulator is very positive, hence, the task of digitiz-
SIMs on road side has stopped.
the proof of their registration/authorization from ing the data of every SIM card of country is
Not in the distant past, the Senate Standing
respective operator(s) at their premises for the quite tough. Pakistan Telecommunication
Committee on Interior was informed that various
benefit of the customers. Authority, cellular service providers, franchisees,
mobile phone companies operating in the coun-
PTA had categorically made it clear to all the retailers along with the mobile users of the
try had issued 1.5 million unregistered SIMs.
franchisees that this policy would be implement- country, collectively will have to play their role to
Out of these, 15,000 SIM cards of two different
ed immediately and strict action would be taken solve this issue. However the government and
mobile companies were issued to one person
against those found in violation. Regulator the industry policy makers have to find some
without any verification.
warned that any franchisee not found imple- way out to resolve the registration of SIMs. We
There is no data available officially, which
menting these directions and instructions would have seen plenty of deadlines given by mobile
could determine the number of unregistered
be liable to strict action, including cancellation operators in order to register the mobile con-
SIM cards throughout the country. However, the
of franchise. nections, but it seems like a more comprehen-
proportion of these subscribers is high. Out of
With regard to the verification of the left over sive and aggressive countrywide campaign is
60 million subscribers, millions are subscribers
cases of antecedents of the already issued required to achieve the desired results. „
are believed to be unknow.
SIMs, Chairman PTA urged the CMTOs to co-
48 These SIMs are major hurdle for the law
ordinate the verification process with National
 Informative
Samsung E950
Size
Dimensions 98 x 46 x 15 mm
Display
Type TFT, 256K colors, Size240 x 320 pixels, 2 inches
Touch-panel input (1.2 inches, 65K colors OLED display)
Ringtones
Type Polyphonic, MP3
Memory
Card slot microSD (TransFlash), 70 MB internal memory
Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, EDGE Yes, Bluetooth
Yes, v2.0 with A2DP, USB Yes, v2.0
Features
Camera 3 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, video, flash, Java MIDP 2.0, T9, FM
radio, MP3/AAC+/WMA player, TV out, Organizer, To do List, Image
editor (Scalado), Voice memo,
Samsung's newest offering is a 3 megapixel slider-phone. The
Samsung E950 takes the baton from its popular predecessor Samsung
E900 slider, and boosts the built-in camera to 3 megapixels while slim-
ming down to 15.5mm (1mm thinner). E950 slider gets a touch-sensi-
tive d-pad (with a dedicated Yahoo search button), GSM radio,
320×240 screen with 262K colors, microSD slot, and 80MB of internal
memory.
Samsung F200
Size
Dimensions 89.5 x 32.6 x 19.8 mm, Weight 76 g
Display
Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 128 x 220 pixels, 1.46 inches
Ringtones
Type Polyphonic, MP3, 3D sound
Memory
Phonebook Yes, Call records 30 dialed, 30 received, 30
missed calls Card slot, microSD (TransFlash), 5 MB embed-
ded memory
Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, Bluetooth
Yes, v2.0, USB Yes, v2.0
Features
MP3/AAC/AAC+/e-AAC+/WMA player, FM radio, Video player
Flight mode, Organizer, Calculator, Voice memo
The SGH-F200's display is an unusual 128 x 220 pixel
panel in 262,000 colors. Internal memory is just 5MB, but the
standard sales package includes a 512MB microSD card,
Of course, this looks like an MP3 player because it is an MP3
player, or to be more precise the Samsung F200 is an MP3 /
AAC / AAC+ / WMA player with an FM radio thrown in for
good measure. It also supports various Digital Rights
Management (DRM) formats. The F200 also supports a music
library and music setup wizard application.
Sony Ericsson K850
Size
Dimensions 102 x 48 x 17 mm, Weight 118 g
Display
Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2.2 inches
Ringtones
Type Polyphonic (72 channels), MP3
Memory
Card slot Memory Stick Micro (M2)/microSD , 512 MB card included
40 MB internal memory
Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, HSCSD Yes, EDGE
Yes, 3G HSDPA, 3.6 Mbps (K850i only), Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP,
Infrared port No, USB Yes, v2.0
Features
Camera, 5 MP, 2592?1944 pixels, autofocus, video(QVGA@30fps), xenon
flash and 3LED video light; auto lens cover, secondary videocall camera,
Java MIDP 2.0, FM radio with RDS, MP3/AAC/MPEG4 player, Motion sen-
sor (with UI auto-rotate), TrackID music recognition
T9, Image viewer, Picture editor/blogging, Organiser, Built-in handsfree,
Voice memo/dial
Battery
Stand-by Up to 400h, Talk time Up to 9h
Sony Ericsson K850 comes with a mind-blowing 5 megapixel autofo-
cus camera with a real xenon flash, a dedicated shutter button, and the
ability to record video in QVGA resolution at 30 fps. Users would be
pleased to know this handset not only takes pretty pictures (still won't beat
a dedicated digital camera though) but is a capable communications tool
with quad-band GSM/EDGE/HSDPA support, MP3 playback, 40MB of inter-
nal memory, and support for both M2 and microSD cards.
50
Samsung F210
Size
Dimensions 87.7 x 30.9 x 20.4 mm
Display
Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 128 x 220 pixels, 1.46 inches
Ringtones
Type Polyphonic, MP3, 3D sound
Memory
Card slot microSD (TransFlash), 1 GB embedded memory
Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0
USB Yes, v2.0
Features
Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video, MP3/AAC/AAC+/e-AAC+/WMA
player, Video player, Flight mode, Organizer, Calculator, Voice memo
As you can probably tell, Samsung also make MP3 players - and the
SGH-F210 draws on this experience. When closed you would be hard
pushed to tell that it's a phone at all. The F210's slim form factor (just 88 x
31 x 20mm) and the unusual 128 x 220 pixel display make the handset look
very much like a compact media player.
F210 comes with a much more conventional (although very slim) number
pad, plus a microSD slot in addition to the 1GB of internal memory in the
phone. Most people won't need to upgrade the F210's memory, but if nec-
essary it can support a 2GB microSD card which should be plenty.
Models of Japan's mobile carrier NTT DoCoMo show off its new handsets of "704i" series
during a press conference in Tokyo. The Japanese largest mobile operator will put the
eight new products on demestic market from this month until October.
Sony Ericsson W960
Size
Dimensions 109 x 55 x 16 mm, Weight 119 g
Display
Type TFT touchscreen, 256K colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2.6 inches
Handwriting recognition
Ringtones
Type Polyphonic (40 channels), MP3, AAC
Memory
8 GB internal memory
Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, 3G Yes, 384 kbps
WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11b, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP, USB Yes, v2.0
Features
OS Symbian OS v9.1, UIQ 3.0, Camera 3 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, aut-
ofocus, video(VGA), flash; secondary VGA videocall camera
Java MIDP 2.0, FM radio with RDS, Walkman Touch player
TrackID music recognition, T9, Image viewer, Picture/document editor
Organiser, Voice memo, Built-in handsfree
Battery
Stand-by Up to 370h, Talk time Up to 9h
Sony Ericsson's W960 is about to assume its rightful place at the
top of the heap, featuring 8GB of internal memory (more than enough
to store approximately 8,000 songs), 3G and WiFi connectivity, and a
3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus. Sony Ericsson will use UIQ 3
on Symbian as the operating system of choice, and aims to marry the
functionalities of a cellphone, digital camera, and MP3 player into a
single device. Each purchase comes with a stereo Bluetooth headset
already inside.
 Informative

Sony Ericsson K530 Sony Ericsson W910

Size Size
Dimensions 102 x 46 x 14 mm, Weight 92 g Dimensions 99 x 50 x 12.5 mm, Weight 86 g
Display Display
Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2 inches Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2.4 inches
Ringtones Ringtones
Type Polyphonic (40 channels), MP3 Type Polyphonic (72 channels), MP3, AAC
Memory Memory
Card slot Memory Stick Micro (M2), 16 MB shared memory Card slot Memory Stick Micro (M2), 40 MB internal memory
Data Data
GPRS Yes, HSCSD Yes, 3G Yes, 384 kbps, Bluetooth Yes, GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, EDGE Yes, 3G HSDPA, 3.6
v2.0 with A2DP, USB Yes Mbps (W910i only), Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP, USB Yes, v2.0
Features Features
Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video; secondary videocall Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video(QVGA@15fps); secondary video-
camera, Java MIDP 2.0, MP3/AAC/MPEG4 player call camera, Java MIDP 2.0, FM radio with RDS Walkman 3.0 player,
FM radio, TrackID music recognition, T9, Picture blogging TrackID music recognition, T9, Image viewer, Picture editor, Organiser,
Picture editor, Organiser, Voice memo Voice memo, Built-in handsfree
Battery Battery
Stand-by Up to 395h, Talk time Up to 9h Stand-by Up to 400h, Talk time Up to 9h

The K530 raises the bar a bit with a 1.3-megapixel cam-
era and a screen that offers more colors but is the same size
as the K310. It raises the ante for onboard memory to 28MB
and adds Bluetooth 2.0 and is capable of nine hours of talk
time in 359 hours on standby.
W910 flies the Walkman banner high by offering great sound from its
speakers. Features of the W910 include a 2.4" 262k color QVGA display,
a shake control system that uses motion control when accessing audio
tracks, a Memory Stick Micro card slot, and support for
GSM/EDGE/HSDPA network bands.

Sony Ericsson Z250

Size
Dimensions 85 x 47 x 19.5 mm, Weight 90 g
Display
Type CSTN, 65K colors, Size 128 x 160 pixels, 1.8 inches, Icon display
Ringtones
Type Polyphonic
Memory
10 MB internal memory
Data
GPRS Yes, Infrared port Yes, USB Yes,
Features
Camera VGA, 640x480 pixels, Java MIDP 2.0, T9, Image viewer
Picture editor, Organiser, Voice memo, Built-in handsfree
Battery
Stand-by Up to 300h, Talk time Up to 7h

Sony Ericsson has announced the Z250 cellphone that will be mar-
keted as an entry level cellphone. This tri-band GSM cellphone offers up
to 7 hours' worth of talk time and will be available in 2 flavors - You can
pick one up when the Z250 is released in Q3 this year.

A customer looks at mobile phones at a shop of SK telecom Co. in Seoul. SK Telecom Co.,
South Korea's top mobile operator, officially denied media report that it was preparing to bid
for Sprint Nextel Corp. the No. 3 U.S. wireless firm.

Sony Ericsson K220

Size
Dimensions 103 x 46 x 16.7 mm, Weight 82 g
Display
Sony Ericsson Z320
Type CSTN, 65K colors, Size 128 x 128 pixels, Wallpapers, screensavers
Ringtones Size
Type Polyphonic (32 channels), Customization, Download Vibration Yes Dimensions 87 x 47 x 20 mm, Weight 90 g
Memory Display
Phonebook 300 entries, Call records 20 received, dialed and missed calls Type CSTN, 65K colors, Size 128 x 128 pixels, 1.8 inches, Icon display
Card slot No, 2 MB internal memory, Ringtones
Data Type Polyphonic, MP3, AAC
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, HSCSD Yes, EDGE No, Memory
3G No, WLAN No, Bluetooth No, Infrared port Yes, USB Yes, 12 MB internal memory
Features Data
Messaging SMS, MMS, Browser WAP 1.2.1, Games Yes, Colors Frost GPRS Yes, Infrared port Yes, USB Yes,
White, Ocean Blue, Camera VGA, 640x480 pixels, video(QCIF), FM radio Features
with RDS, Slide show, Full screen viewer, T9, Stopwatch, Timer Built-in Camera 1.3 MP, 1280 x 1024 pixels, video, Java MIDP 2.0, T9, Image
handsfree viewer, Picture editor, Organiser, Voice memo, Built-in handsfree
Battery Battery
Standard battery, Li-Po 900 mAh (BST-37), Stand-by Up to 300h, Talk time Stand-by Up to 300h, Talk time Up to 7h
Up to 8h
Z320 being yet another clamshell handset. The Z320 stand out in a
K220 is an easy-to-use camera phone with a single icon display, but sea of mediocre designs. What you get inside includes a 1.3 megapixel
with the advantage of an integrated FM radio with RDS. Perfect for those camera, a 1.8" display, 12MB of internal memory, and a WAP browser.
quieter moments, the Sony Ericsson K220 can store up to 10 pre-set sta- The Sony Ericsson Z320 will see action in retail stores worldwide this Q3,
tions so there is no need to hunt around when it's time to change chan- and will come in either Crimson Red or Atlantic Blue colors.
nels.

51
 Informative

Nokia 2626
Rs. 4,200
Size
Dimensions 104 x 43 x 18 mm,71cc, Motorola C168
Weight 91 g
Display
Rs. 3,100
Type CSTN, 65K colors, Size 128 x 128 pix- Size
els, 27 x 27 mm Dimensions 104.4 x 46 x 14 mm, 63 cc, Weight 77 g
Ringtones Display
Type Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3 Type CSTN, 4096 colors, Size 128 x 128 pixels
Memory Ringtones
2 MB user memory Type Polyphonic (32 channels)
Data Memory
GPRS Class 6 (3+1/2+2 slots), 24 - 36 kbps 640 KB shared memory, 250 SMS messages
Features Data
FM radio, Java MIDP 2.0, T9, Calendar GPRS Class 8 (4+1 slots), 32 - 40 kbps
Calculator, Currency converter, Voice memo Features
Built-in handsfree FM stereo radio, iTap, Calendar, Currency converter
Battery Calculator, Stopwatch
Stand-by Up to 300h, Talk time Up to 3h Battery
Stand-by Up to 340h, Talk time Up to 9h 30min
The Nokia 2626 is a simple phone, but it
features a speakerphone system. Additionally Featuring a color display and packed with the
it has special features of currency converter, best of the basics for everyday communication, this
WAP browser, FM radio, email client, audio slim mobile really delivers. Excellent battery life, a
and multimedia messaging and lots more. sleek design and FM stereo radio for your listening
pleasure via a headset accessory, the Motorola C168
Design: 7.1 is the perfect phone to meet all your needs.
Features: 7.5
Performance: 7.6 Design: 7.5
Features: 7.3
Performance: 7.3

A Taiwan model displays the world lightest notebook, Japan-made Fujitsu "Lifebook
U1010", during a press conference in Taipei. The 610-gram lifebook including 0.3mm in-
thin LCD monitor and 180 degrees rotatable screen will be available in Taiwan from
August.

Samsung C300
Rs. 3,900 TREND T 300
Size
Dimensions 92 x 44 x 18.8 mm, Weight 94 g
Display Size
Type CSTN, 65K colors, Size 128 x 160 pixels 240 * 320 QVGA 2.4' LCD, 98g weight
Ringtones Display
Type Polyphonic (16 channels) 3.2 Mega Pixels camera, Auto Focus (AF)
Memory Ring tones
2 MB internal memory Type polyphonic 64 Polyphonic chord ring
Data tones, MP3 music playback, built in various
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps equalizers, support various playback mode
Features MP4 support
Camera No, Java MIDP 2.0, T9, Organizer, MIDI and MP3 music support
Built-in handsfree Memory
Battery T-Flash card, 256 MB T-Flash Card Free
Stand-by Up to 325h, Talk time Up to 7h 87 MB user free internal memory
Data
Slide it up in one smooth movement to up Java, FM radio with recording option
your style. Be confident, stylish and simplify Bluetooth, WAP 2.0, T.V Out, Loudspeaker
your life with user friendly features and a large USB Support
clear screen. Available in black and sweet Features
pink, affordability never looked so good. SMS, picture editor, hands free, PC Syn,
Email, TV output lines
Design: 8.1 Battery
Features: 7.8 Talk time 2-3 hours, Standby time 90-130
Performance: 7.8 hours

52

Above prices are subject to change as per market

 Informative

Samsung E200 Rs. 8,000 LG KG200 Rs. 5,900

Size Size
Dimensions 108 x 45 x 9.9 mm, Weight 90 g Dimensions 100 x 46 x 15 mm, Weight 89 g
Display Display
Type TFT, 65K colors, Size 176 x 220 pixels Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 128 x 160 pixels
Ringtones Ringtones
Type Polyphonic (40 channels) Type Polyphonic (64 channels)
Memory Memory
Card slot, microSD (TransFlash), 30 MB internal Card slot microSD (TransFlash), buy memory
memory 60 MB shared memory
Data Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps GPRS Class 8 (4+1 slots), 32 - 40 kbps, USB Yes
EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 Features
with A2DP, USB Yes, v2.0 Camera 1.3 MP, 1280 x 1024 pixels, video
Features Java MIDP 2.0, MP3 player, FM radio, T9
Camera 1.3 MP, 1280 x 1024 pixels, video, Java Organiser, Voice memo
MIDP 2.0, Stereo FM radio, T9, Organiser, To Do Battery
list, Built-in handsfree, Voice memo Stand-by Up to 250h, Talk time Up to 3h

Samsung is slimming not only it's high end LG KG 200 is a multimedia middle-class
Ultra Edition phones. Other, more affordable hand- model, which came to replace LG C2500. First of
sets get on a diet too. Samsung E200 is 9.9 mm all it is targeted at youth and is equipped with 64-
thin GSM phone with GPRS/Edge and Bluetooth tones polyphony, integrated 1.3 MP camera and
connectivity, 1,3 megapixel camera, FM radio and MP3 player, Bluetooth module and FM-radio with
microSD memory card slot. recording capability.
A great phone to have fun with
Design: 7.8 Design: 7.7
Features: 7.6 Features: 7.7
Performance: 7.8 Performance: 7.8

Models of Canada's Research In Motion show off its smartphone "BlackBerry 8707h" during a
press conference in Tokyo. The Canadian company and Japan's mobile carrier NTT DoCoMo
released the Japanese-language smartphone and software for corporate customer market.

Nokia 3110 Classic

Rs. 9,200
Size
Dimensions 108.5 x 45.7 x 15.6 mm, 72 cc
Sony Ericsson K320 Weight 87 g
Rs. 5,600 Display
Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 128 x 160 pixels
5-way navigation key
Size Ringtones
Dimensions 101 x 44 x 18 mm, Weight 82 g Type Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3, AAC
Display Memory
Type UBC, 65K colors, Size 128 x 160 pixels, Card slot microSD (TransFlash), 9 MB internal
28 x 34 mm memory
Ringtones Data
Type Polyphonic (40 channels), MP3, AAC GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
Memory HSCSD Yes, EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps
15 MB internal memory Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 Infrared port Yes, USB
Data Yes, v2.0 miniUSB
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps Features
HSCSD Yes, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0, Infrared port Camera 1.3 MP, 1280 x 1024 pixels,
Yes, USB Yes video(QCIF), Push to talk, Java MIDP 2.0
Features MP3/MP4/AAC/AAC+/H.264/WMA media play-
Camera VGA, 640x480 pixels, video(QCIF) er, FM stereo radio, T9, Calendar, Calculator
Java MIDP 2.0 MP3/AAC/MPEG4 player Built-in handsfree, Voice memo, Voice com-
T9, Image viewer, Picture editor, Organiser mand
Voice memo, Built-in handsfree, Battery
Exchangeable Style-Up covers Stand-by Up to 370h, Talk time Up to 4h
Battery
Stand-by Up to 360h, Talk time Up to 7h With the Nokia 3110 Classic, consumers
can listen to their favorite music at any time
This slim camera phone is the ideal com- thanks to flight mode. A convenient USB port
panion for business on the move with push and Bluetooth support also makes it quick and
email, and PC sync for contacts, calendar and easy to transfer songs, images or calendar
tasks; Send a text or picture message, read events directly from a PC to the phone. With
and write email on the move, access the its bright 2.2-inch color display, consumers can
Internet, and get RSS feeds for news as it easily view and control call functions while the
happens. separate input device provides controls over
volume adjustment and accepting or ending
Design: 7.5 calls.
Features: 7.6
Performance: 7.6 Design: 7.8
Features: 7.7
Performance: 7.8

53

Above prices are subject to change as per market

 Informative

Nokia 5300 Rs. 11,100 Sony Ericsson W300i Rs. 8,600

Size
Dimensions 92.4 x 48.2 x 20.7 mm, 85 cc, Weight 106 g
Display
Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 31 x 42 mm
Ringtones
Type Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3
Memory
Card slot microSD (TransFlash), hotswap, 5 MB internal
memory
Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, HSCSD Yes
EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP
Infrared port Yes, USB Yes, miniUSB
Features
Camera 1.3 MP, 1280 x 1024 pixels, video(QCIF), Java MIDP
2.0, Stereo FM radio, MP3/SpMidi/AAC/AAC+ player
T9, Reminders, Stopwatch, Built-in handsfree, Voice
memo/commands
Battery
Stand-by Up to 223h, Talk time Up to 3h 10 min
This GSM phone has a sporty slider design and a focus
on music, with dedicated external music keys, stereo
Bluetooth, and a memory card slot supporting up to 2 GB of
memory. Other key features include a QVGA display, speak-
erphone, a megapixel camera, EDGE data, and Flash Lite.
Design: 7.9
Features: 7.8
Performance: 7.8
Size
Dimensions 90 x 47 x 24 mm, Weight 94 g
Display
Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 128 x 160 pixels
Second external mono display (101 x 80 pixels)
Ringtones
Type Polyphonic (40 channels), MP3, AAC
Memory
Card slot Memory Stick Micro (M2), 256 MB card included
20 MB shared memory
Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, HSCSD Yes
EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps, Bluetooth Yes, Infrared port Yes
USB Yes, v2.0
Features
Camera VGA, 640x480 pixels (interpolated to 1.3 MP),
video(QCIF), Java MIDP 2.0, Media player, T9, FM radio with
RDS, Image viewer, Picture editor, Organiser, RSS reader
Built-in handsfree, Voice memo, Exchangeable Style-Up cov-
ers
Battery
Stand-by Up to 400h, Talk time Up to 9h
W300i adds a memory card slot and EDGE high-speed
data. The W300 version also adds Walkman music player
and styling. Other key features include Bluetooth, camera,
internal antenna, and speakerphone. Software features
include support for Flash Lite and SVG Tiny.
Design: 8.1
Features: 8.0
Performance: 8.1

Vertu's President Alberto Torres displays Cobra mobile phones during a news conference in Mumbai. Luxury
mobile phone group Vertu's commitment to manufacturing in Britain stands out as many older British luxury
goods firms shift their production to cheaper factories in Eastern Europe and the Far East.

Motorola SLVR L7e Samsung X820

Rs. 8,000 Rs. 10,300
Size Size
Dimensions 113 x 49 x 11.5 mm, 59 cc, Weight 96 g Dimensions 113 x 50 x 6.9 mm, Weight 66 g
Display Display
Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 176 x 220 pixels, 9 lines, Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 220 x 176 pixels, 35
30 x 37 mm x 28 mm
Ringtones Ringtones
Type Polyphonic, MP3 Type Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3
Memory Memory
Card slot microSD (TransFlash), buy memory 80 MB shared memory, 3.7 MB for messages
20 MB internal user memory Data
Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps,
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps EDGE
EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with Class 10, 236.8 kbps, Bluetooth Yes, USB Yes
A2DP, USB Yes, miniUSB Features
Features Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video(CIF), Java
Camera 1.3 MP, 1280 x 1024 pixels, video (QCIF) MIDP 2.0, MP3/AAC/AAC+ player, T9, Organiser,
Push to talk, Java MIDP 2.0, MP3/AAC/AAC+/MPEG4 Document viewer, TV-output, Built-in handsfree,
player, T9, Calendar, Built-in handsfree, Voice memo Voice memo
Battery Battery
Stand-by Up to 350h, Talk time Up to 6h 40 min Stand-by Up to 210h, Talk time Up to 2h 30 min

This update to the SLVR L7 steps up to faster This wafer-thin GSM phone is one of the
EDGE data, a megapixel camera, and stereo thinnest in the world. Advanced features include a
Bluetooth. Carryover features of this ultra-slim GSM 2 megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, and EDGE
bar phone include a memory card slot, MP3 player, data.
and video capture.
Design: 8.2
Design: 7.9 Features: 7.9
Features: 7.8 Performance: 7.8
Performance: 7.8

54

Above prices are subject to change as per market


Nokia 6288
Rs. 17,100
Size
Dimensions 100 x 46 x 21 mm, Weight 115 g
Display
Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 35 x 45
mm, 4-way navy key, Downloadable screensavers,
Ringtones
Type Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3
Memory
Card slot miniSD, 512 MB card included, hotswap, buy
memory, 6 MB internal memory
Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, HSCSD
Yes, EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps, 3G Yes, 384 kbps
Bluetooth Yes, v2.0, Infrared port Yes, USB Yes, v2.0,
Pop-Port
Features
Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, VGA video, flash;
secondary video call VGA camera, Push to Talk
Java MIDP 2.0, Stereo FM radio (visual radio)
MP3/AAC/M4A/eAAC+ player, T9, Organiser
SyncML, Voice dial/memo, Built-in handsfree
Battery
Stand-by Up to 250h, Talk time Up to 4h 30 min
A 3G slider phone that adds high-quality video
playing capabilities to its mix of features, with real-time
video sharing and video ringtones, the Nokia 6288 is
designed to take full advantage of the benefits of 3G
technology. The compact slider is bundled with a 512
MB memory card making it ideal for watching favorite
video clips on its bright QVGA, 262K-color display (320
x 240 px). Outfitted with a 2.0-megapixel and a VGA
camera, the Nokia 6288 makes it easy to share videos
and participate in two-way video calls.
Design: 8.1
Features: 8.1
Performance: 8.2
Samsung unveils a special 18-carat gold-plated mobile phone. Samsung is
yet to set a price or decide a launch date for the device, dubbed the P318
Sony Ericsson K800
Rs. 20,500
Size
Dimensions 105 x 47 x 22 mm, Weight 115 g
Display
Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2.0
inch, 30 x 40 mm
Ringtones
Type Polyphonic (72 channels), MP3
Memory
Card slot Memory Stick Micro (M2), 64 MB internal
memory
Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
HSCSD Yes, 3G Yes, 384 kbps, Bluetooth
Yes, v2.0 with A2DP, Infrared port Yes, USB
Yes, v2.0
Features
Camera 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, autofocus,
video(QCIF), xenon flash; secondary video call
VGA camera, Java MIDP 2.0, RDS FM radio
MP3/AAC/MPEG4 player, TrackID music recogni-
tion, T9, Image viewer, Picture editor, Picture blog-
ging, Organiser, Built-in handsfree, Voice
memo/dial
Battery
Stand-by Up to 350h, Talk time Up to 7h
The Sony Ericsson K800 Cyber-Shot digital
camera phone is a small and sophisticated fea-
ture-packed 3G phone. Integrating a 3.2-megapix-
el camera with autofocus, image and video stabi-
lizer and built-in Xenon flash, the K800 is ready for
any moment, anytime. BestPic technology lets
users capture several images in quick succession
with one press of the camera key. Pick the best.
Delete the rest. A camera stabilizer function com-
pensates any small movements of the hand when
taking a picture and shooting video. When users
have taken a photo, they can share it straight
away using Bluetooth, multimedia messaging or
blog it.
Design: 8.0
Features: 8.1
Performance: 8.0
Above prices are subject to change as per market
Informative
Samsung F300
Rs. 21,200
Size
Dimensions 103.5 x 44 x 9.4 mm, Weight 77 g
Display
Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 176 x 220 pixels, 33 x 42
mm, Second TFT display, 65K colors, 176 x 65 pixels
Ringtones
Type Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3
Memory
Card slot microSD (TransFlash), buy memory, 128 MB
internal memory
Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, EDGE
Class 10, 236.8 kbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP
USB Yes, v2.0
Features
Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video (QVGA)
Stereo FM radio, MP3/AAC/AAC+/WMA player, T9
Organizer, Voice memo, Built-in handsfree
Battery
Stand-by Up to 155h, Talk time Up to 2h 30 min
Ultra Music is a complete music player with
superb sound quality and innovative design. The Ultra
Music is equipped with a digital power amp, which
offers a dedicated music user interface that makes it
easy to navigate through song lists. Additionally, it has
a stereo FM radio and a Quick PC Sync, allowing users
to create a music library and customized play lists. In
addition to dedicated music features, the Ultra Music
has all the extra features consumers have come to
expect, including a 2.0-megapixel camera, extended
battery life and Bluetooth technology.
Design: 8.1
Features: 8.1
Performance: 8.2
Nokia N73 Rs. 21,700
Size
Dimensions 110 x 49 x 19 mm, Weight 116 g
Display
Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 36 x 48
mm, Downloadable themes, Light sensor
Ringtones
Type Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3, Customization
Download, Vibration Yes, 3D sound stereo speakers
Memory
Phonebook Yes, Call records Yes, Card slot miniSD,
hot swap, buy memory, 42 MB shared memory
Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps,
HSCSD
Yes, EDGE Class 11, 236.8 kbps, 3G Yes, 384 kbps
WLAN No, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0, Infrared port Yes,
USB Yes, v2.0, Pop-Port
Features
OS Symbian OS 9.1, S60 3rd edition, Messaging
SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging, Browser
WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, Games Yes + Java
downloadable, order now Colors Silver
Grey/Deep Plum, Frost White/Metallic Red, Black
(Music Edition), Camera
3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, Carl Zeiss optics,
autofocus, video(CIF), flash; secondary VGA
video call camera
Java MIDP 2.0, Push to talk, Video calling and
download
MP3/AAC/MPEG4 player, T9, Stereo FM
radio, Voice command/dial, PIM including cal-
endar, to-do list and printing, Document view-
er, Photo/video editor, Integrated handsfree
Battery
Stand-by Up to 350h, Talk time Up to 6h
The Nokia N73 offers a multimedia
computer in a compact and savvy exterior
with photography features and integrated
stereo speakers with 3D sound. In addition
to a large 2.4-inch display, the N73
includes a 3.2-megapixel camera with
Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus and support
for Internet communities like Flickr. Music
fans can tap into the N73's integrated
digital music player with playlists and
equalizer or tune into the FM radio. N73
has all the diversity of a powerful multi-
media computer enabled with the S60
3rd Edition Software on Symbian OS.
Design: 8.1
Features: 8.3
Performance: 8.2 55
 Informative

Sony Ericsson W880i

Nokia N91 (Music Edition)
Rs. 23,700
Size
Dimensions 113.1 x 55.2 x 22 mm, Weight 164 g
Display
Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 176 x 208 pixels, 35 x
41 mm
Ringtones
3.5 mm audio output jack
Memory
4GB/8GB microdrive for music, MMS, ringtones,
images, video, applications
Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, EDGE
Class 10, 236.8 kbps, 3G Yes, 384 kbps, WLAN
Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth Yes, v1.2 (A2DP - 8 GB
version only), USB Yes, v2.0, miniUSB
Features
OS Symbian OS v9.1, Series 60 UI 3rd Edition,
Camera, 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video, Java MIDP
2.0, MP3/AAC player, Stereo FM Radio, T9, Voice
command/memo, PIM including calendar, to-do list
Built-in handsfree
Battery
Stand-by Up to 190h, Talk time Up to 4h
With room for up to 3000 songs on the 4 GB
hard disk, the Nokia N91 delivers a premier music
experience. The N91 also contains the latest multi-
media and smartphone technologies, including a 2-
megapixel camera, email support, a full web browser
and video sharing. With multiple connectivity options,
such as WCDMA, WLAN and Bluetooth, the Nokia
N91 allows users to find and enjoy music when and
where you want.
Design: 8.1
Features: 8.3
Performance: 8.2
Rs. 21,200
Size
Dimensions 103 x 46.5 x 9.5 mm, Weight 71 g
Display
Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 1.8
inches
Ringtones
Type Polyphonic, MP3
Memory
Card slot Memory Stick Micro (M2), 1 GB card includ-
ed, 16 MB internal memory
Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
HSCSD Yes, 3G Yes, 384 kbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0
with A2DP, USB Yes, v2.0
Features
Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video(QCIF); sec-
ondary VGA videocall camera, Java MIDP 2.0
Walkman player 2.0, TrackID music recognition
T9, Image viewer, Picture editor, Picture blogging
Organiser, Built-in handsfree, Voice memo/dial
Battery
Stand-by Up to 425h, Talk time Up to 6h 30 min
At just 9.4 mm thin, the W880i is the slimmest
Sony Ericsson phone yet and combines the full
Walkman phone experience with a device that fits
easily into a pocket. The 1 GB Memory Stick Micro
(M2) provided in-box gives users room to store up to
900 full length tracks, whilst the host of innovative
music applications (such as Walkman Player 2.0 and
Disc2Phone) make it easy to get music onto their
phone and search through play lists. With Bluetooth
Audio Streaming, music can be enjoyed wirelessly on
a Stereo Bluetooth Headset. And a 2.0-megapixel
camera is integrated with high-speed UMTS support
for picture blogging.
Design: 8.0
Features: 7.7
Performance: 7.8

An Egyptian Christian uses his mobile phone to take a photograph of Pope Shenouda
III, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Patriarch of Alexandria and the See of
St. Mark, during a ceremony held at the al-Abbasiya church in Cairo.

Samsung U600 Rs. 19,200

Size
Dimensions 103.5 x 49.3 x 10.9 mm, Weight 81 g
Display LG KE970 Shine
Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 34
x 44 mm Rs. 18,700
Ringtones
Type Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3
Memory Size
60 MB embedded memory Dimensions 99.8 x 50.6 x 13.8 mm, Weight 119 g
Data Display
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps Type TFT, 256K colors, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2.2
EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 inches, Mirror effect screen, full metal body
with A2DP, USB Yes, v2.0 Ringtones
Features Type Polyphonic (40 channels), MP3
Camera 3.2 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, autofocus, Memory
video, flash, Java MIDP 2.0, Card slot microSD (TransFlash), 50 MB internal
MP3/AAC/eACC/WMA player memory, 300 text messages
FM radio, T9, Yahoo search, Organizer Data
Business card recognition, Document viewer GPRS Yes, EDGE Yes, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with
(Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF), Voice memo A2DP, USB Yes
Built-in handsfree Features
Battery Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, autofocus,
Stand-by Up to 250h, Talk time Up to 3h 30 min video(QCIF), flash, Java MIDP 2.0,
MP3/AAC++/3GP/MPEG4 player, T9, Organiser
Inspired by the shine and shimmer of the Voice memo, Document viewer (.ppt, .doc, .pdf,
crown jewels, Samsung's Ultra Edition 10.9 .xls, .txt)
(U600) offers elegance and modern style, coming Battery
in a choice of colors which includes sapphire blue, Stand-by Up to 280h, Talk time Up to 3h
garnet red, platinum metal and copper gold cas-
ing. The design of U600 includes an interface for LG's KE970 sports a TFT-LCD display, 2.0-
sophistication and usability. It also comes megapixel camera, brushed aluminum accents,
equipped with a 3.2-megapixel camera encased 1GB of built-in memory, music player, and a host
in an ultra slim profile and boasting a 2.22-inch of multimedia features.
wide TFT LCD widescreen. For the feature watch- The KE970 is one of most obvious examples of
ers, Samsung's Ultra Edition 12.1 (U700) offers a the triumph of design over usability that I've seen
HSDPA 3.6 Mbps data transfer speed, video in a long while. It looks stunning, but is simply too
telephony functionality and auto focus in a slim difficult to use
12.1 mm case.
Design: 8.3
Design: 8.4 Features: 7.8
Features: 8.1 Performance: 7.9
Performance: 8.2
56

Above prices are subject to change as per market

 On paper the Sony Ericsson K850i looks like a winner - this latest Cyber-
shot branded handset now has a 5 megapixel camera and boasts HSDPA 3.5G
data plus tri-band UMTS support, plus a host of other goodies.
The Sony Ericsson K850i's camera comes with auto-focus, flash, multi-shot
capabilities, an image stabilizer and various photo tweaking applications. The
display is a 240x320 pixel panel in 262,000 colors; furthermore the K850i has a
multimedia player, radio, expandable memory (using Memory Stick Micro
cards), stereo Bluetooth, a web browser, email client and RSS news reader.
The K850i is being pitched as a business phone as well as a consumer
handset - it supports Microsoft ActiveSync to enable email and PIM functions to
be synchronized with an Exchange server. Tri-band 3G supports with HSDPA
means that the K850i can be used on pretty much any WCDMA 3G network
worldwide, although oddly it is only a tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900 MHz device
and not a quad-band one.
The Sony Ericsson K850i measures 102 x 48 x 17mm and weighs 118
grams. The battery life is not known at the time of going to press. There are two
color variants: "Velvet Blue" and "Luminous Green", although this coloring
extends pretty much only as far as the controller pad and some piping down the
side of the phone. The phone is slated for release some time during Q4 2007.
Really the Sony Ericsson K850i should be considered an evolutionary step
up from the excellent K800 and K810i phones. It's a little disappointing to see
that Sony Ericsson couldn't come up with a competitor to the Nokia N95 with
their first 5 megapixel device, but we suspect that it won't be long until they do.

The Nokia E90 Communicator is the latest in a long line of communicator devices. Nokia
E90 also adds a GPS receiver and integrated navigation application, a 3.2 megapixel camera,
FM radio and a significantly improved screen and 3G network support. Nokia E90 also supports
WiFi support and has a full QWERTY keyboard
At a hefty 210 grams, Nokia have done a remarkable job with size though; Inside the E90 is
a display with an impressive 800x352 pixels resolution in 16 million colors. The external display
is now 240x320 pixels (up from 128x128), and pretty much all of the E90's functions can be
controlled from the front cover. The 800 pixel wide display is ideal for no-compromise web
access, although it doesn't have touchscreen support.
Email support includes standard SMTP/POP3 protocols, various push email options, instant
messaging and it even comes with a text-to-speech reader. More
controversially, the Nokia E90 includes a 3.2 megapixel camera with
autofocus and flash. As with previous models, the Nokia E90's soft-
ware capabilities are impressive. It includes a document editor
called Quickoffice, can view Microsoft Office documents, work with
Zip files and PDFs and there's a comprehensive set of Personal
Information Management tools. Because this is an S60 device, more
applications can be added, although most will need to be adapted
for the E90's display.
Another important feature is the Nokia E90 Communicator's
inbuilt GPS function. This allows for more than just basic location-based services, as Nokia are
going to make it's "Nokia Maps" application available. Although this seems to be a free SatNav
(satellite navigation) package, it's worth remembering that a lot of the value added features
require a network connection which might incur data costs.
On top of all the other features, the Nokia E90 Communicator is also a multimedia phone,
with support for MP3 and AAC audio plus video clips. There's even an FM radio. Data and
media clips can be stored on microSD cards with a maximum capacity of 2GB.
In conclusion, the Nokia E90 Communicator is possibly the most features packed handset
we've even seen with surprisingly few compromises. It's big for a phone, but tiny for a GPS
enabled multimedia computer.
 Informative

There's very little to say about the design of the LG KE850. It's rather mini-
malist and simple - it would be easy to "bling" a handset like this up, but the
fact that LG and PRADA have come out with something ultra-simple to look at
is refreshing.
At its heart, the LG KE850 PRADA is a tri-band GSM phone with GPRS and
EDGE, there's a large 240x400 pixel touch-sensitive display that can playback
widescreen video clips, Bluetooth 2.0, microSD expandable memory, and the
KE850 has an FM radio and a two megapixel camera. We measure the display
as being 3.2 inches diagonally, a little smaller than the iPhone's 3.5 inches.
It's worth dwelling on the camera for a while - it uses a Schneider
Kreuznach lens to ensure high-quality optics.
On top of the hardware specs, the LG KE850 PRADA comes with a compre-
hensive set of software, there's a multimedia player capable of playing MP3,
AAC, WMA and RealAudio sound files, plus MPEG4, H.263 and H.264 video.
The KE850 has a web browser with Adobe/Macromedia Flash support, a docu-
ment viewer (supporting text, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat file
types), plus an email client and messaging applications. We understand that
the KE850 PRADA's interface continues the sleek, understated look through-
out.
Amazingly, all these features fit in a handset weighing just 85 grams and
KE850 measures 99 x 54 x 12mm.
It's clear that LG have done more with the KE850 than just tag a PRADA
label on an existing phone. Although it's not the first touch-screen only phone,
the KE850 is different from just about everything on the market. The big advan-
tage that the PRADA phone has is that it will be available to most of the world.

It looks like just another "Walkman" brand slider, but the Sony
Ericsson W910i manages to pack an awful lot of features into a relatively
tiny package.
Weighing just 86 grams, the W910i is actually a 3G UMTS device
with HSDPA (3.5G) support, a 320x240 pixel resolution screen, expand-
able memory, an FM radio, 2 megapixel camera (plus a video calling
camera) and Bluetooth. This makes the W910i one of the lightest 3G
phones on the market.
Despite the somewhat conservative styling, the W910i is very much a
"next generation" music phone from Sony Ericsson. The old Disc2Phone
software has been upgraded to a full set of media manager applications,
including the PlayNow data and file manager, and the W910i also sup-
ports a feature called "SenseMe" that plays tracks according to your
mood. W910i has some clever software to help categorize your tracks,
plus a motion-sensitive "Shake" control to randomly select a song that
matches your selection criteria. The W910i also supports stereo
Bluetooth playback.
The motion sensor can also be used in game-play, and games can be
played in either a landscape or portrait orientation. It isn't quite a "PSP
Phone", but it comes fairly close.
It's easy to forget that the Sony Ericsson W910i is actually a phone -
and underneath this is a quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
device with GPRS and EDGE data, plus UMTS 2100 MHz with HSDPA.
Physically the W910i measures 100 x 50 x 13mm. The battery life is not
known.
Sony Ericsson says that the W910i should be available during Q4
2007 in "Hearty Red" and "Noble Black" color combinations.

58
 Informative

The Samsung F210 is an upgraded version of the

Samsung X830 phone announced last year, and it shares the
X830's unusual format. It is also closely related to the some-
what more basic Samsung F200.
As you can probably tell, Samsung also make MP3 players
- and the SGH-F210 draws on this experience. When closed
you would be hard pushed to tell that it's a phone at all. The
F210's slim form factor (just 88 x 31 x 20mm) and the unusual
128 x 220 pixel display make the handset look very much like
a compact media player.
Although this is closely based on the X830, and shares a
similar rotator mechanism, the F210 comes with a much more
conventional (although very slim) number pad, plus a microSD
slot in addition to the 1GB of internal memory in the phone.
Most people won't need to upgrade the F210's memory, but if
necessary it can support a 2GB microSD card which should
be plenty.
The SGH-F210 supports various media formats including
MP3, AAC, eAAC+ and WMA formats plus various types of
DRM. The Samsung F210 doesn't have an FM radio, but on
the other hand it has a 2 megapixel digital camera. Bluetooth
is also supported, presumably with stereo audio connections.
Underneath all the multimedia stuff, this is a tri-band GSM
900/1800/1900 MHz handset with GPRS data, Java and a
WAP browser. Samsung haven't specified how much the F210
weighs, but it is probably less than 80 grams. No pricing or
availability information available yet.

The Samsung E950 is a slim sliding handset with a 3

megapixel camera, 80MB of internal memory and a QVGA
(240x320 pixel resolution) TFT display in 262,000 colours.
The E950 is just 15.2mm thick.
Broadly speaking, the SGH-E950 can be considered to be
an upgrade to the Samsung E900. From this we can assume
that the E950 also has microSD expandable memory, tri-band
GSM with GPRS and EDGE, Bluetooth, a web browser, email
client and multimedia player. The E900 also has a TV output,
so there's a good chance that the SGH-E950 will too.
Although at first glance the Samsung E950 looks like many
other Samsung sliders, a close inspection of the keypad
reveals that it is a touch-sensitive pad with a shortcut key for
Yahoo! (the first time we have seen this). From the limited
press photography available, it's hard to see how sleek the
Samsung E950 is in practice. No exact launch date of the
Samsung E950 is available at present. Indications are that the
handset will cost around Rs. 25,000 at launch.

59
 Informative

LG Muziq, a new music phone that offers a quickly and easily experi-
ence music on the go. The Muziq comes with over-the-air song down-
loads, a 4 GB microSD memory card slot and a built-in FM transmitter
allowing customers to listen to their tunes wirelessly through any FM
radio within 10 feet.
The LG Muziq offers multitasking capability that allows users to play
music in background mode while also using the phone for text messag-
ing or playing games. It also features advanced stereo Bluetooth and a
dedicated music button and camera button for quick operation.

LG Muziq gives users the power to quickly and simply transfer, or

"sideload," unprotected songs from a PC to the handset via a USB cable.
Provided on CD-ROM, Music Manager allows songs to be managed on a
PC through an intuitive interface. The box also contains a 64 MB
microSD memory card and a USB cable.

The LG Muziq is the first device to offer a microSD card slot capable
of managing 4 GB of memory - or up to 4,000 songs. Additional features
include a 1.3-megapixel camera/camcorder with flash, PictBridge support
for printing pictures directly to supported printers and Wireless Backup to
quickly restore contact information if the phone is lost or stolen.

The Muziq measures 3.80" x 1.94" x 0.61" and weighs 3.14 ounces.

The Sony Ericsson W610i Walkman phone is all about the

detail, whether this is detail in design that builds on the look of
earlier Walkman phones or the detailed combination of mobile
music with a credible digital camera. The W610i stores up to 470
full-length music tracks on the 512 MB Memory Stick Micro (M2)
provided, and offers the inventive TrackID music recognition
application; a feature that lets the user record a clip of an
unknown music track onto their phone and immediately receive a
notification of the track name, artist and album. Add to this a 2.0-
megapixel camera with auto-focus and the W610i is a credible
fusion of phone, music player and digital camera.

Manage music on the Walkman music player including play,

rewind, fast forward, equalize, shuffle tracks and create playlists -
just like in any other digital music player
Transfer tracks straight from a music CD by draging and drop-
ing
Record a few seconds of a song and use TrackID to send the
music for recognition
Integrated 2.0-megapixel camera with flash, zoom, auto-focus
and video recording capabilities
Use Picture Blogging by taking or choosing a photo, adding a
little text and publishing it for friends and family to enjoy
Instant email via Push Email sent directly to the phone as soon
as it arrives, just like on a home computer.

60
 The HTC P4350 is a stylish, quad-band PDA Phone that will keep you
connected almost anywhere on the globe through Bluetooth®, GPRS, or Wi-
Fi®.
HTC are on familiar territory with the HTC P4350 (codenamed the HTC
Herald), a familiar looking Windows PDA-style phone with a spring-loaded
slide out QWERTY keyboard.
With instant email notification and synchronized Outlook® email, con-
tacts, and calendar, it's perfect for doing business on the move. Not only
that, Pocket MSN® connects you to your Hotmail® and instant messaging
wherever you are. Manage and edit all your Word, Excel® and PowerPoint®
documents, with the full auto-sliding keypad making life really easy. And if
you just want to relax, enjoy your music and video through the PlaysForSure
feature of Windows Media® Player, enhanced with Stereo Bluetooth® wire-
less sound quality.
It's a quad-band GSM device with GPRS and EDGE. There's a 2
megapixel camera, WiFI, microSD memory card expansion and stereo
Bluetooth.
The P4350 has the same landscape/portrait mode for the 2.8" 240x320
pixel display, and as you would expect this is a touch sensitive panel. The
software is Windows Mobile 5.0, so it means the usual suite of Office com-
patibility, Outlook, Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player.
It's a pretty typical device when it comes to weight - the HTC P4350
comes in at 168 grams. At 109x59x19mm the P4350 is fairly typical com-
pared to modern devices of its type. Push email support is provided through
Microsoft's "Direct Push" technology, and there's also IM support and a host
of other goodies.

For multimedia on the move the HTC P3350 has it all. A powerful mobile
device that gives you all the PDA features you need - but so much more.
The HTC P3350 comes alive with entertainment. The HTC Media Hub is
a gem for multimedia, allowing you to play or manage your music or videos
tracks, clip and create ringtones, and then store them on the 256MB internal
memory or an optional microSDTM card. You can listen to FM radio and
music with stereo Bluetooth® output and enhance the sound with the graph-
ic equaliser. Add compatible Bluetooth® stereo headsets and remote control
accessories from HTC and you have an all-round audio performer.
You'll love the rich Internet, messaging and multimedia experience even
more with the 2.8" LCD touch screen, which is perfect for viewing images
you take with the 2.0 megapixel camera in portrait or landscape mode.
The HTC P3350 is also the business for managing your Microsoft® Office
documents with Microsoft® Windows Mobile® 5.0, including direct push
capability to notify you instantly of emails. With such a great range of con-
nectivity options you can browse the web with Pocket MSN® or chat using
MSN® Messenger nearly anywhere.
All this in a compact, stylish phone. Encore!
Highlights
Manage music and video effortlessly with HTC's Media Hub plus built in
FM radio.
Get connected with Wi-Fi® with stereo Bluetooth® 2.0 for a complete
wireless audio experience.
Be more productive with Microsoft® Windows Mobile® 5.0 Pocket PC
phone with Direct Push email.
Manage your Microsoft® Office documents on the go and surf online
with Pocket MSN®.
Images come to life on the 2.8" TFT LCD touch screen with landscape
and portrait modes.

61
 Flare Report Telecom

Smart-phones can now enjoy plus

size screens and keyboards thanks
to a new gadget from Palm. The
big new device Palm Foleo, which
is boasting a 10-inch widescreen
display and a full-size keyboard,
is intended to be used in conjunc-
tion with your smartphone
uilding on its vision that the future of with third-party developers to support as many the Foleo mobile companion.

B personal computing is mobile com-

puting, Palm Foleo, is first smart-
phone companion product from
Palm, Inc. The Foleo mobile com-
panion has a large screen and full-size key-
board with which to view and edit email and
office documents residing on a smartphone.
smartphones as possible.

Primary Capabilities and Attributes of the

Foleo Mobile Companion
„ One-button access to full-screen email
„ Instant on, instant off
„ Rapid access to various applications
Drawing on Palm's world-class usability and
responsiveness, the Foleo mobile companion
gives Palm OS and Windows Mobile based
smartphone customers more power and flexibili-
ty while retaining the most-loved features of the
Treo smartphone. For example, customers open
the Foleo, press a button, and it turns on
Edits made on Foleo automatically are reflected „ 10-inch screen and full-size keyboard instantly. There is never a delay or boot-up
on its paired smartphone and vice versa. Foleo „ Web search and browsing via Bluetooth or time. A dedicated button provides access to
and its paired smartphone stay synchronized Wi-Fi email. All work is saved, so there is no need to
throughout the day or at the touch of a button. „ Editors for Word, Excel and PowerPoint, plus close applications or take actions in order to
This powerful combination is for productivity- a PDF viewer save files. When the Foleo is turned on again, it
minded business people who want a more com- „ Compact, stylish design that fits on an airline resumes where the user left off.
plete mobile solution tray table It is easy to view the web through built-in
for email, attachments „ Lightweight at 2.5 Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios, using the Opera
and access to the pounds browser. By using Bluetooth, a Treo smart-
web. „ Fast, simple and phone acts as a wireless modem for the Foleo.
The Foleo mobile intuitive navigation Alternatively, customers can use the Foleo
companion turns on „ 5-hour battery life mobile companion's built-in Wi-Fi for fast web
and off instantly and „ Linux OS for easy browsing anywhere Wi-Fi is available.
features fast naviga- application develop- The Foleo mobile companion also supports
tion, a compact and ment the most popular types of attachments. As on
elegant design, and a The Foleo mobile the Treo smartphone, the mobile companion
battery that lasts up to companion's hardware uses a version of Documents To Go, which is
5 hours of use. Its design features ele- customized by DataViz. People can create and
applications include gantly clean lines and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint compatible
email, full-screen web forgoes excessive documents. The Foleo also includes a Palm-
browser, and editors or latches and connec-
viewers for common tors. An innovative
business documents scroll wheel, clever
such as Word, Excel, forward and back but-
PowerPoint and PDF tons, and a convenient
files. The Foleo stays track point enable
synchronized via easy navigation with-
Bluetooth(R) wireless out requiring the user's
technology and uses hands leave the full-
the smartphone's radio size keyboard.
or the Foleo's built-in By building the
Wi-Fi radio for general Foleo on an open
Internet connectivity. Linux-based software
Foleo mobile com- platform, Palm hopes developed PDF reader.
panions work with to replicate earlier suc- Mobile professionals will find that just as
Palm's Treo smartphones (Palm OS and cess with developers by drawing a large com- their smartphones are ideal for use while on the
Windows Mobile versions). However, Palm munity to create new applications that will move, the Foleo mobile companion is a perfect
believes that most smartphones based on extend the mobile companion's capabilities. fit for use while commuting by mass transit, in
Windows Mobile should work with little or no Palm already has partnered with DataViz and meetings or on business trips. The mobile com-
modification. Smartphones based on operating Opera Software, demonstrating the ease with panion's size is ideal for working from an air-
systems from Research in Motion, Apple, and which exciting technology and applications can plane seat, and its instant on/off capability
Symbian likely can be supported with a modest be ported to the Foleo mobile companion. Palm makes it easy to comply with flight restrictions
software effort. The Foleo's synchronization also will produce tools to allow smartphone on electronics. „
63
architecture is open, and Palm expects to work manufacturers to make devices compatible with
 Informative

Svelte, full-featured handset puts

multimedia, entertainment and pro-
ductivity tools within reach for
Pakistan's mobile consumers
otorola has launched the mobile experiences. The handset features a

M MOTOMING in Pakistan. The

new handset is a powerful
smartphone designed to pro-
vide rich mobile entertainment
and connectivity features to Pakistan's mobile
community. Based on the Linux® operating sys-
tem, MOTOMING ensures maximum productivi-
large 2.4 inch 240×320 pixel touch-screen,
handwriting recognition, business card reader
and a fully featured calendar to make recording
appointments easy. It also includes a push-
email feature, Microsoft Exchange® synching
and built-in QR Code software for easy organi-
zation.
ty and multimedia value for users. Utilizing the EDGE technology, the MOTOM-
The success of the MOTOMING stems from ING is a communications and entertainment
its exceptional design and rich feature-set. Its powerhouse. Users can sync their music collec-
clamshell form bears
an innovative clear flip-
cover and an antenna-
free profile allowing
users to view mes-
sages and personal
data without needing to
lift the cover. The hand-
set combines a sophis-
ticated look and feel
with business features
and a high-resolution
two mega pixel camera,
designed to appeal to
users who appreciate
style and functionality.
"This handset is a
magnificent tool for
people who want to
enjoy a great mobile
experience while stay-
ing connected." said
Sarim Alvi, Director
Sales and Marketing,
Mobile Devices,
Motorola. "We believe

Motorola launched MOTOMING in Pakistan, the "play while closed" capability. Other features
include a 2 megapixel camera, a business card

new handset is a powerful smartphone

reader, document viewer, Bluetooth, Kodak
Easyshare Gallery compatibility, and a high per-
formance personal information manager.
designed to provide rich mobile entertainment The Motorola MOTOMING is the company's
first mobile device with a dual-language "talk-
and connectivity features to Pakistan's mobile ing" dictionary. Users can enter a word in a
native language; the on-board handwriting

community. Based on the Linux® operating recognition allows the text to be entered natu-
rally by writing directly on the large 1.5" x 2"

system, MOTOMING ensures maximum produc- screen. The word is then "spoken" aloud by the
device in a foreign language. Simultaneously,

tivity and multimedia value for users

in providing the most innovative mobile hand-
sets at affordable price points to mobile con-
sumers in Pakistan."
64 MOTOMING combines the Linux® operating
system with Java technology for delivering rich
tions with RealPlayer and download music from
your favorite online stores. It also features an
integrated media player with multiple audio file
support, FM radio, Bluetooth stereo technology,
2GB of option microSD memory, and the unique
the definition of the word is displayed on-screen
in the native language. Alternatively, when a for-
eign word is entered the MOTOMING will pro-
nounce the word in that language and display
the definition in the user's native language.
The MOTOMING is currently available in
Black Colour in Pakistan.
 Informative

New Ultra Edition II lineup in a

class of its own in terms of
performance, design and features

amsung Electronics once again rede- conscious consumers and multimedia

S fined the mobile handset market with

the launch of Ultra Edition II series.
Making its debut in the Middle East
and Africa, the Ultra Edition II series
was launched at the Park Hyatt in Dubai. The
new series builds on the outstanding success of
Samsung's Ultra Edition range, which was
enthusiasts."
Exclusive to the Ultra Edition II
range, Samsung's Optimized Power
Usage Solution (OPUS) sets these
handsets apart by increasing talk time by
10%, power saving by 30% and battery
capacity by 10%. Samsung's Smart
Samsung
Ultra Edition
10.9 (U600)

launched in July 2006, and like its preceding Surface Mounting Technology (SSMT),
series, it embodies the best, and most which was initially developed for the Ultra
advanced technology, revolutionary designs, Edition range, has also been an intrinsic
and critical business and consumer- related design element for the Ultra Edition II hand-
multimedia functions. The result is four of the sets, reducing the number of required compo-
slimmest, most powerful and best looking hand- nents, interference and noise made while ensur-
sets in each form factor. ing that quality does not get sacrificed for good
The Ultra Edition II portfolio launched by looks.
Samsung in the Middle East and Africa consists Samsung's Ultra Edition II range also
of the unique and sleekly designed Ultra Edition addresses the needs of a growing segment of
10.9 (U600) and the Ultra Edition 12.1 (U700). consumers that expects mobile and music to
Both stylish sliders have a jewel inspired casing come hand in hand. Each handset combines
that adds glamour and a touch of royalty to the extensive music player capabilities with super
handsets. In addition, each device boasts of sound quality and is equipped with a digital
advanced features such as 3.2 mega-pixel cam- power amp developed by Bang and Olufsen. All
eras, high-speed web connectivity, as well as devices also feature a dedicated music inter-
extensive multimedia and audio capabilities. face to make navigation and listening easier
Proving that Samsung is truly in touch with with Quick PC Sync software installed to make
changing consumer trends, each handset also the creation and selection of playlists as easy
incorporates innovative design elements such as possible.
as external multimedia navigation keys for ease
of use. Ultra Edition 10.9 (U600) and
Commenting on the launch of the new Ultra Ultra Edition 12.1 (U700) -
Series, Mr. Chiwon Suh, President of Samsung Stylish Sliders
Electronics, Middle East and Africa Operations, Inspired by the shine and
said: "With the Ultra Edition II we have raised shimmer of the crown jewels,
Samsung's Ultra Edition
Ultra Edition 10.9 (U600) Specifications 10.9 (U600) exudes
elegance and modern
style, coming in a
choice of colors which
includes sapphire blue,
garnet red, platinum
metal and copper gold
casing. The clever
design of Samsung's
Ultra Edition 10.9
(U600) includes a
unique and stylish
interface for the ulti-
mate sophistication
and usability. It also
comes equipped with
a 3.2 megapixel cam-
era encased in an ultra
slim profile and boast-
ing a 2.22" wide TFT
LCD widescreen. For
the feature watchers,
the bar even further in terms of digital intelli- Samsung's Ultra Edition 12.1
gence. We have built on the foundations of the (U700) offers a HSDPA 3.6
earlier series and delivered a range that is even Mbps data transfer speed,
more striking in terms of appearance and exclu- video telephony functionality
sive feel. The ultra slim design of the range is and auto focus in a slim
combined with an unprecedented array of fea- 12.1mm case.
Samsung Ultra Edition 12.1 (U700) 65
tures that will attract business users, fashion-
 Telecom Flare Report

Talk about hype. In the last six

months, Apple's iPhone has been the
subject of 11,000 print articles, and it
turns up about 69 million hits on
Google. Customers are camping out
in front of Apple stores; all of this
before a single consumer has even
touched this gadget

s it turns out, much of the hype photo attachments.

A and some of the criticisms are jus-

tified. The iPhone is revolutionary;
it's flawed. It's substance; it's style.
It does things no phone has ever
done before; it lacks features found even on the
most basic phones. The Apple iPhone provides
its user with the ultimate mobile device, which
include high quality features & stunning design
concept. The iPhone is a mobile phone, a highly
useable widescreen iPod with touch screen
controls and an Internet communications
device, all rolled into one portable device mak-
ing it an outstanding smart-phone.
The casing is small and lightweight which
measures 115mm x 61mm x 11.6mm and
weighs 135 grams. The phone comes with a
huge multi touch color screen which acts as a
brilliant display as well as the users input
method. The screen measures 3.5 Inches &
provides a screen resolution of 320 x 480 pixels
on a brilliantly colored screen. The iPhone
comes with a new Mac OS X based user inter-
face which is based on the large multi touch
color display.
The iPhone is available in two memory
options of 4 Gbyte version and 8 Gbyte memory
versions. The smart-phone comes with a fitted
battery which provides the user with up to 16
hours worth of music playback and approxi-
mately 5 hours of talk time which includes call
time, video time and Internet browsing time.
The user will enjoy the quick and easy input
method when typing messages as the iPhone
will display a touch QWERTY keyboard on the
3.5 Inch screen which is a predictive keyboard
and automatically corrects typing errors. The
user can create text messages, multimedia
messages and emails using the touch key-
board. The email client supports POP3 and
IMAP based email service which include
Microsoft Exchange, AOL Mail, Apple Mac Mail,
Google Email and ISP email services. The user
66
can enjoy a real email experience on the Apple
iPhone which can include graphics, images and
The built in music player comes with touch
screen music controls which allow the user to
play, pause, rewind and fast forward their
choice of music. The beautiful Apple iPhone has
a built in camera and video feature which allows
the user to capture still photographic images
and moving video footage easily with their
portable device. The advanced photo manage-
ment application provides the user with every-
thing they need to gain the perfect finish to
each and every photo. The smart-phone allows
the user to watch their favorite TV shows and
movies which makes the iPhone the perfect
companion when the user has some leisure
time.
The user can enjoy a real mobile Internet
experience on their phone which allows the
user to view all Internet sites the way they were
designed to be viewed. The user can access
the Safari Internet browser which comes with a
zoom facility which is activated by the user sim-
ply tapping the multi touch screen. The Safari
Internet browser comes with a built in Google
and Yahoo, Internet search functions. The user
can search the Internet on their mobile phone
where ever they are, but using either Edge or
WiFi. The user can connect to compatible
devices using Bluetooth® wireless technology,
WiFi and USB connectivity. The Apple iPhone
smartphone comes with built in technology
which provides the user with a fast and efficient
portable device.
The user can view their iPhone in either por-
trait or landscape mode and the intelligent built
in technology will automatically change the
viewing screen to suit the user's requirements.
The iPhone automatically knows when the user
lifts the phone to their ear to use and will switch
off the display to save the battery and prevent
any touch controls being selected in error. The
Apple iPhones comes with a Google map appli-
cation which allows the user to view maps and
satellite images on their phone. „
Key Features
4 Gbyte & 8 Gbyte Memory
EDGE & WiFi Technology
Safari HTML Web Browser with Zoom
OS X Based Operating System
3.5 Inch Multi Touch Colour Screen
(320 x 480 Pixels)
2 Megapixel Digital Camera with
Camera Settings
Music Player with Touch Screen Search
Bottom Line: It's the best portable
media player ever. It's possibly the
most fun we've ever had with a hand-
held device. It browses the Web like a
champ. Yet as a voice phone and a
messaging device, it's a loser. The
iPhone is full of contradictions.
Pros: Fun new interface for navigating
multimedia. Huge screen looks amaz-
ing, terrific Web browser, syncs well
with PCs and Macs, YouTube function
is great, functions flow seamlessly into
each other, built-in speaker for voice
calling and music.
Cons: Poor business e-mail and PIM
connectivity. Bad audio quality on
phone calls. Tons of "GSM buzz" on
nearby speakers. Virtual keyboard hard
to type on. No phone functionality with
iPod speaker docks. No FM radio.

he information is
T more than just aca-
demic. Apple keeps
a tight grip on infor-
mation about parts
suppliers so 'tear downs' of its products are
closely watched by investors keen to figure out
how to place their bets. In the past, word that a
particular part was being used in Apple's popu-
lar iPod music players has sent that company's
shares higher.
iSuppli worked to catalog the phone's guts
for a report estimating the cost of every compo-
nent, crucial for figuring how much it cost Apple
to make each iPhone.
Apple is offering the phone in international
market in two versions costing $500 and $600
depending on memory capacity, but the high
price and limited availability wasn't enough to
stop some people from giving into curiosity.
iSuppli reported that a tear-down analysis of
Telecom
It took Apple more than six
months to build the iPhone but
curious gadget fanatics took only
minutes to tear one apart. Within
hours of the first iPhones going on
sale, enthusiasts scrambled to be
the first to discover what makes
the devices tick, posting photos
and videos of disassembled
phones on the Internet
showing two guys banging away at an iPhone
with a hammer and nail had garnered 56,000
views and was the 13th most-watched clip on
the iPhone showed its bill of materials and man-
the site, prompting some extremely angry com-
ufacturing costs totaled $265.83. That means
ments. Watching the clip, it is difficult to see
Apple would generate a margin of more than 55
what was learned from the destruction.
percent for every 8 gigabyte iPhone it sold for
Ifixit.com, an Apple parts and repair guide
$599.
Some dissected the phones with the clinical
site, conducted one of the most sophisticated
skill of a surgeon while others resorted to brute
dismantling, posting dozens of high-quality pho-
force, enraging those swept up in the hype and
tos alongside technical commentary. The opera-
tion of iPhone is shown in the pictures.
Tear-down analysis of the Their efforts yielded a few nuggets of infor-
iPhone showed its bill of
mation. The iPhone boasts a main processor
and memory chips from Samsung Electronics
materials and manufacturing Co. Ltd., an audio-processing chip from Britain's
Wolfson Microelectronics Plc and a Wi-fi wire-
costs totaled $265.83, less chip from Marvell Technology Group Ltd.
generating a margin of more Opening the iPhone was the easy part. For
many, the real prize is hacking the phone to get
than 55% for every 8 gigabyte it to do things Apple never intended, such as
iPhone which is sold for $599
run on networks other than that of AT&T Inc.,
the exclusive U.S. service provider.
Some programmers also want to find a way
winning praise from those gleefully resisting it.
to run their own programs directly on the
In 2 days of its launch a video on YouTube
phone's operating system rather than being lim-
ited to programs run through the Web browser.
iPhone is expected to be shipped in India by
early 2008. However the earlier response
shown by iPhone dealers and distributors in
India is not that impressive, due to its high
price. Similarly the tech device may not receive
a warm greeting in Pakistan too. With less than
1 percent target market, iPhone may hit some
businessmen, but this gadget is not for a mar-
ket like Pakistan. „
67
 Informative

Sony Vaio VGN N-250E Rs.76,000/-

Specifications:
Processor Type Centrino Core 2 Duo Processor T2250
RAM 1GB DDR II
Hard Drive 120 GB
Display 15.4 " TFT active matrix
Built-in Devices Stereo speakers, wireless LAN aerial
Graphic Accelerator Intel GMA 950 128MB
Optical Drive DVD±RW (+R double layer) / DVD-RAM
Wired and Wireless Communication Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG, Ethernet, Fast
Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE
Operating System 802.11g,
Windows Vista Home

Specifications:
Rs.46,000/- HP NX6310
Processor Type Intel Core 2 Duo T5600 / 1.83 GHz
RAM 1GB DDR II
Hard Drive 80 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 5400 rpm
Display 15" TFT active matrix
Built-in Devices Stereo speakers, wireless LAN aerial, Bluetooth aerial
Graphic Accelerator Intel GMA 950 128MB
Optical Drive DVD±RW (+R double layer) / DVD-RAM
Wired and Wireless Communication Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG, Ethernet, Fast Ethernet,
IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11g, Bluetooth 2.0
EDR
Operating System Windows Vista

Specifications: HP DV6395 Rs.96,000/-

Processor Type 2 GHz Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor
T7200 with Intel® Centrino® Duo Mobile
Technology Level 2 cache 4 MB
RAM 2048 MB (2 x 1024 MB)
Hard Drive 160GB 5400 rpm
Display 15.4" WXGA High Definition Bright View
Widescreen Display
Multimedia HP Pavilion webcam with stereo integrated
microphones
Graphic Accelerator NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 7400 256 MB of
TurboCache™ video Memory including 128
MB dedicated video memory
Optical Drive Light scribe Super Multi DVD Writer (+/-R
+/-RW) with Double Layer support
Wired and Wireless Intel® Pro/Wireless 2200 802.11b/g
Communication Integrated Wireless LAN, Ethernet
10/100BT integrated network interface,
Bluetooth® wireless networking
Operating System Xp Vista Home
Fax/Modem High speed 56K modem

Compaq Presario C56TU Rs.42,000/-

Specifications:

Processor Type Intel Celeron 1.86 Ghz

RAM 512MB DDR2 SD RAM
Hard Drive 80 GB
Display 15.4 high defination bright view wide screen display
Multimedia PCMCI Card slot
Graphic Accelerator Intel Graphic media ACcelator 950 256MB
Optical Drive Combo Drive
Wired and Wireless Communication Wireless Lan 802.11 D/G
Operating System DOS
Battery 6 Cell Lithium Battery
68
 Informative

HP Pavilian DV-6243CL Rs.62,000/-

Specifications:
Processor Type 1.60 GHz Intel® Pentium® Dual Core processor T2060
RAM 1GB
Hard Drive 120GB
Display 15.4" WXGA High-Definition BrightView Widescreen
Multimedia HP Imprint Finish & HP Pavilion WebCam with
Integrated Microphone Sound Altec Lansing
Graphic Accelerator Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 256MB
Optical Drive Super Multi 8X DVD±R/RW with Double Layer
Wired and Wireless Communication 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector),
802.11b/g WLAN
Dimensions 14.05" (L) X 10.12" (W) X 1" (MIN H)/1.69" (MAX H)

Dell Inspiron 6400 Rs.73,000/-

Specifications:
Processor Type Intel Core Duo 2 GHz
RAM 1GB
Hard Drive 100 GB
Display 15.4 inch WSXGA
Multimedia Integrated 0.3Mp Webcam & Stereo Speakers
Graphic Accelerator Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 256MB
Optical Drive DVD-RW
Wired and Wireless 10/100 LAN, 802.11b, 802.11g, Bluetooth
Communication
Operating System Windows XP Professional
Dimensions 356 x 265.5 x 38.7 mm

Specifications:
Rs.44,500/- Asus A-3AC
Processor Type Intel Pentium M 730 1.73 GHz
Processor Speed 1.73 GHz
RAM 512MB - DDR II SDRAM - 533 MHz
Hard Drive 60 GB
Display 15" TFT active matrix
Graphic Accelerator Intel GMA 900
Optical Drive DVD/CD-RW Combo
Wired and Wireless ommunication Network adapter - Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE
802.11g
Operating System Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Card Reader 4 in 1

Acer Aspire 5613

Rs.47,500/- Processor Type Intel Pentium Dual Core Processor (1.73Ghz)
T2080, Intel processor supporting Enhanced
Intel SpeedStep Technology
RAM 1GB DDR II memory, Maximum upto 2Gb
Hard Drive 160GB HDD, 5400 Rpm
Display 15.4" CrystalBright WXGA color TFT LCD
16.7M colours, with Integrated ObriCam
Integrated 0.3Mp Webcam & Stereo
Multimedia
Speakers
Graphic Accelerator Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950, Shared
Memory
Optical Drive Multifunction SuperDrive, Capable of reading
and writing CDs and DVDs

69
 Informative

7.1 Megapixel CCD (versus 6.0 on the SD700

3.8X optical zoom lens, equivalent to 28 - 105 mm (versus
4X, 35 - 140 mm)
Uses new DIGIC III image processor (instead of DIGIC II)
promises superior photo quality, battery life, and performance
New Face Detection technology
Higher resolution LCD
ISO now goes as high as 1600 (versus 800)
Movie recording file size limit now 4GB (versus 1GB)
12% improvement in battery life
Supports SDHC memory cards

The 8.1 effective Megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-T100 camera

NP-BG1 rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Battery charger
Wrist strap
USB + A/V cable
CD-ROM featuring Picture Motion Browser and drivers
32 page basic manual (printed) plus full manual (on CD-ROM)

10.2 effective Megapixel CCD

A much larger and sharper 2.5" LCD display
Now uses Secure Digital and SDHC memory cards
Faster performance in all areas
New autofocus sensor offers better performance and more focus points (11 vs. 5)
Support for wireless flashes
Improved battery life; new battery meter menu option shows vital stats
New Image Retouch menu offers D-Lighting, redeye removal, cropping, image
overlay, and other features that have been on Nikon's Coolpix cameras for years
Refined menu system
USB 2.0 High Speed support

10.1 effective Megapixel APS-H size CMOS sensor; 1.3x focal length conversion
ISO range of 50 to 6400, with Canon calling the latter "highly usable"
Live view on a 3.0" LCD display; image can be enlarged 5X or 10X, just like on
Olympus and Panasonic's live view cameras
Dual DIGIC III image processors allow for shooting at a whopping 10 frames/second,
for up to 30 RAW or 110 JPEG images
Ultrasonic dust removal system (just like on the Rebel XTi)
Upgraded shutter can handle 300,000 cycles
Full manual controls (obviously) and 57 custom functions
45-point autofocus system
New sRAW format produces smaller files with less resolution; don't worry, regular RAW
is still there
Camera can be controlled remotely from a Mac or PC using USB or Wi-Fi. Apparently
the live view works too.
CompactFlash and SD/SDHC memory card slots
Improved software package includes Digital Photo Professional 3.0 and EOS Utility 2.0
Optional Wi-Fi via WFT-E2A adapter
71
Uses new lithium-ion battery; 2200 shots per charge

The Latest in Motion-Sensitive Cell Phones, High-Definition Recorders, and
Camcorders are knocking to enter the world market. These innovations will
help consumers to see the world in a different way with variety of choices
lectronic companies introduce inno-
E vations to keep there consumers
glued to them. This, on one hand,
provides consumers with a variety
of choices; and on the other hand, it
creates a healthy competition among the com-
panies.
It is the first decent chance in Japan to see
some upcoming hot new electronics products,
such as NTT DoCoMo's motion-sensitive cell
phones. Digital video - both consumer-generat-
ed and recorded from the TV - continues to be
a big theme, and something that many of
Japan's consumer electronics companies are
now pushing heavily in the hope that the con-
sumers will embrace it.
Motion-Sensitive Cell Phones
Mix the Nintendo Wii and a cell phone, and
what do you get? Something like NTT
DoCoMo's new line of motion-sensitive cell
phones. In a boxing game, users can throw
punches or duck, and the phone's camera picks
up their movements. In another game the user
can tilt the phone in different directions to guide
an on-screen ball through a maze.
Meet the HDR-CX7, Sony's smallest high-
definition camcorder to date. The camera
records 1080i high-definition video directly to a
Memory Stick Pro Duo card. Until now, the com-
pany's camcorders have relied on MiniDV tape,
DVD discs, or hard drives to store video; in the
new model the memory card slot and associat-
ed electronics take up less space, resulting in a
smaller, lighter camera.
The new design doesn't come without disad-
vantages, however. Memory cards are quite
expensive, and users will be able to store only
about 30 minutes of video on a 4GB card in the
camera's highest quality mode.
Other features include a 10X optical zoom
lens and a 2.7-inch wide-screen, touch-sensitive
LCD. The CX7 weighs about a pound and
measures 2.7 by 2.6 by 5 inches.
Sharp HDTV Recorder
As consumers continue to snap up high-defini-
tion TVs, Sharp continues to push out HD-capa-
ble hard-disk recorders. The latest, the DV-
Flare Report Technology
Electronic companies introduce
innovations to keep their
consumers glued to them. This,
on one hand, provides
SGH-i400
consumers with a variety of
choices; on the other hand, it
creates a healthy competition
among the companies
AVC52, combines a DVD drive and VHS deck
with a 250GB hard-disk recorder. The machine
will copy old VHS tapes onto DVD, so you can
finally dump another relic of the 20th century.
Since this device doesn't support either disc
format, you'll have to keep content on the hard
disk (and thus lose some recording space) or
transfer it to DVD at standard definition and lose
the high-definition picture.
Toshiba Expandable Hard-Disk Recorder TV
n't look like a traditional all-buttons-and-switch-
Set
es smart phone--but the user can load it up with
Toshiba's new H3000 series of flat-screen LCD
applications and make it just as powerful. A full
televisions go one better than typical hard-disk
Web browser comes preinstalled, and the
video recorders by offering the user room to
device also has Bluetooth, a 2-megapixel cam-
expand the storage space. Usually you're stuck
era, and stereo speakers. The GSM (Global
with the drive that ships with the TV (or
System for Mobile Communications) triband
recorder), but the H3000 sets each sport an
phone has a
2.3-inch dis-
play.
Sony VAIO
Type-G With
Flash
Sony is adding
a flash disk to
the options
available for its
lightweight
VAIO Type-G
laptop.
Customers will
see the price
of a Type G
jump by $540
when they
choose a
32GB flash
drive over a
40GB hard
drive. What's
eSATA (external Serial ATA) connector on the
the benefit? The flash disk is quieter and uses
back for plugging in an external drive.
less power--both good things for laptops--and it
Samsung Symbian
makes the Type G even lighter, too. The
machine already holds the crown as the lightest
Samsung's Smart Phone
12-inch-class laptop on the market at 2 pounds,
The latest Symbian OS-based smart phone
and the flash-disk options shave 1.3 ounces off
from South Korea's Samsung Electronics, the
that. „
SGH-i400, will hit market in next month. It does-
73

iring managers are seeking candi-
H dates with experience in these
areas. Enterprise IT and Telecom
managers also will be looking to
get their staff trained in Project
Management with strong analytical & logical
reasoning skills. In a survey about 80% busi-
ness experts from Telecom and IT sector
revealed that project management is a key tool
to success, because organization's reputation
including IT and Telecom vendors, contractors
and subcontractors are largely influenced by
their ability to deliver projects meeting business
requirements on time and on budget.
Project management as a management dis-
cipline underpins much economic activity. In
industries as diverse as pharmaceuticals, soft-
The heads of management departments in universities and
institutes should think about all these aspects of market
requirement. But unfortunately the graduates from our
institutes not only lack in basic requirements of the industry
but also very confusing about the profession selection. The
graduates should realize the facts and equip themselves with
all the tools to get respectable job in the market
ware / IT, Telecom and aerospace, projects
drive business. And in the public sector, it is
effective project management that translates
politicians' promises of new roads, schools and
hospitals into gleaming new constructions that
improve everyday life.
Successful management also needs suc-
cessful and effective communication. The pur-
pose of communication is to get message
across to others clearly and unambiguously. By
successfully getting our message across, we
can convey our thoughts and ideas effectively.
When not successful, the thoughts and ideas
that we send do not necessarily reflect our own,
Faiza Hameed
Project Management Communication Skills
Strong Analytical Skills Vendor Management
Research found that Telecom and IT
companies are looking for professionals
with strong Project Management, Logical
Reasoning, Communication and Analytical
skills along with traditional education.
The graduates equipped with these skills
are highly preferred in market for job
causing a communications breakdown and cre-
ating roadblocks that stand in the way of our
goals - both personally and professionally. In a
recent survey of recruiters from companies with
more than 50,000 employees, communication
skills were cited as the single more important
decisive factor in choosing managers. The sur-
vey, conducted by the University of Pittsburgh's
Katz Business School, points out that communi-
cation skills, including written and oral presenta-
tions, as well as an ability to work with others,
are the main factor contributing to job success.
The survey also found that interpersonal
skills, long seen as a "soft" skill, will also be in
high demand this year. Research found that
75% of IT decision-makers described 'communi-
cations skills' as very important to their hiring
decisions in 2007," the report reads. "Teamwork
was a close second, with 69% rating it as very
important."
Other interpersonal skills also ranked high
among survey respondents. Specifically, 50%
indicated systematic problem solving as impor-
tant; 48% said planning, prioritizing and goal
setting mattered; and 41% want candidates with
decision-making skills.
Another management area is vendor man-
agement and sourcing management, will also
gain ground in enterprise training budgets.
According to research, many Telecom operators
around the world already have centralized ven-
Technology
dor management functions to manage 28% of
work that is performed by outsourcers and con-
tractors. The need for training in such disci-
plines will increase this year.
Vendor Relationship Management, is the
reciprocal of Customer Relationship
Management. With VRM, the customer controls
his or her relationship with vendors rather than
vice versa. The purpose of VRM is to provide
the customer with ways of bearing some of rela-
tionship burden which has in the past been
borne entirely by the vendor. In so doing, VRM
intends to improve markets by equiping cus-
tomers to lead as well as to follow.
The demand for training in vendor and
sourcing management is palpable, with 56% of
IT leaders planning to train their staff this year
to better manage
third-party rela-
tionships, negoti-
ate contracts,
assess vendor
risk and monitor
service-level
agreements.
The success
of a project is
also based on
deep analysis of
each and every
aspect of that
project including
finance, product
limitations,
human resource,
require technical
skills, supply
chain management etc. All this skills require
great analytical skills. Therefore, a good manag-
er must also be a good analyzer as well.
The heads of management departments in
universities and institutes should think about all
these aspects of market requirement. But unfor-
tunately the graduates from our institutes not
only lack in basic requirements of the industry
but also very confusing about the profession
selection. The graduates should realize the
facts and equipped themselves with all the tools
to get respectable job in the market. „
75
 Informative
layStation 3 got another
P "temporary exclusive" title,
this time from SEGA,
when their traditional
Virtua Fighter series
unleashed in next-gen format.
Having already debuted in Japan at
the arcades last year, Virtua Fighter
5 has gone gold for the PS3. Unless
you're paranoid enough to think that
they're holding it back on purpose -
something that has never, ever been
attested in the history of gaming
(*cough* not since the last Zelda
game came out on the GameCube
one month ago).
SEGA's announcement confirms
that Virtua Fighter 5 will be released
on the PlayStation 3 as intended, in
the US, on February 20. Prior to this,
the last release in the series dates
back to August 2003, when Virtua
Fighter 4: Evolution ironically marked
the end of the series' evolution, for
the following three and a half years.
The new VF5 was developed by
SEGA's internal studio AM2, and
promises to deliver fast-paced,
adrenaline-pumping action as players
76 head into battle, taking on a host of
popular characters. The game will intro-
duce two new dynamic characters - El
Blaze and Eileen - complete with new
fighting techniques and from completely
different backgrounds. Players will be
able to modify their characters by select-
ing from four base costumes and then
decorate them by attaching a wide range
of unlockable and earnable items.
Players will not only achieve victory by
defeating highly-skilled opponents, but
also by competing for prizes and earning
in-game money allowing them to buy
many items at an in-game shop. Further
building upon the depth of the series,
players will now be able to move around
their opponent using an "Offensive Move"
technique, adding a new strategic ele-
ment to their battles. End quote...
Amazing as it may sound, despite the
console's place of birth - and thus inher-
ent affinity to fighting games - we have
yet to witness a true invasion of butt-kick-
ing, limbs-breaking, head-banging,
chicks-screaming fighting games on the
PlayStation 3. After all, Fight Night Round
3 can hardly be considered a representa-
tive of the genre, but that's about all there
is right now on the PS3. „
 Informative
Publisher: Namco
Platform: PS2

WHAT'S THE CONCEPT ?

If you fancy compressing a myriad of different race worlds onto
your PSP, to be delivered unto you in sparkling resolution, then you'll
want to be getting a piece of the Ridge Racing action. There are dif-
ferent race modes to choose from for variety, be it a one-off race for
kicks or a full on tournament in the world tour mode. As opposed to
most racing games, your progress is not made in vain as you can
save your race and pick up where you left off, so that getting through
each series doesn't have to happen in one stretch.
WHAT'S LIKE ?
Claim victory in each series and you unlock new cars and are put
through to new tracks that you can also race through in other modes.
While there isn't very much variation in terms of how the different
tracks are laid out, the real dynamic of this game is in bleeding the
gas while playing different modes. Enter a time attack mode and you'll
be racing against the clock.

WORTH PLAYING ?
Choose your foes wisely and you'll work up a sweat while
racing against three other local players through PSP's wireless
capacities. Apart from intricate graphics that'll really lure you into
the ridge racing world, you get to be your own DJ. There's a
selection of different playlists that should add to your pace, with
a choice from old Ridge Racer favorites as well as all-new mate-
rial mostly of an electronic nature, appropriate to the revving
gameplay. „

Publisher: KOEI
Platform: PS3

WHAT'S THE CONCEPT?

Thrust into the latter years of the 23rd Century, in
Fatal Inertia you'll be racing against everything the future
has to offer in terms of technology. Jump into demolition
derbies in a new age where wheels have already
become a thing of the past and manipulate the pull of
gravity to your advantage in a funky sport called inertia.
The heart of the challenge is in striking at the middle
ground between speediness and hostile combat in virtu-
ally simulated environments that ooze with reality.

WHAT'S LIKE ?
As you are armed with a wide array of weapons,
each one has its own unique ability in how it functions.
What makes this game special as opposed to most futuristic
games is that the weapons are really governed by the laws
of physics, adding more dense realism to the way things
work. More so, each weapon has a variety of uses so it's a
question of trial and error until you're the master of racing
disaster.

WORTH PLAYING ?
Apart from graphics so stunning you'll forget it's just a
game, Inertia is as much about combat as it is about strate-
gic racing. Riding the hottest, wheel-less vehicles, you'll be
armed with whacky weapons that perform according to the
nature of cause and effect. Definitely one of the more flatter-
ing games bearing the finest fruit of next generation gaming
on the PS3. „
77
 Informative

Samsung Embeds 4GB Storage for 3G Phones

amsung Electronics has squeezed 4GB of storage into a type of NAND flash.

S mobile phone chip set that the manufacturer believes could

eliminate the need for external memory card slots. Samsung's
new moviMCP is a multi-chip package carrying an embedded
(moviNAND) memory solution, which provides a simple-to-
design memory package that satisfies the high-speed data transmission
needs of mobile phones, while fully supporting the communication fea-
tures within the handset.
The new moviMCP
stacks several memory
functions vertically to
enable a small foot-
print. Its high density
eliminates the need for
having to also provide
The new moviMCP combines a 4GB embedded memory card, which an external expansion
consists of two 16Gb (gigabit) NAND flash chips and a controller, togeth- slot.
er with a 1Gb mobile DRAM chip to support the processor and a 2Gb The 3G mobile
NAND flash chip for general handset operations. This provides a total phone market - which
memory capacity of 35Gbs. is the main target for
Samsung's use of an eMMC interface, the MultiMediaCard Samsung's new
Association (MMCA) standard for embedded memory, resolves the moviMCP - is expected
design complexity inherent in the functional differences of the various to reach 392 million units in 2007 and show an approximately 40 percent
types of NAND flash, by integrating an embedded controller, into the compounded annual growth rate from 2007 through 2010. „
moviMCP. This removes the need to develop interface software for each

Sony Ericsson HGE-100

ony Ericsson HGE-100 is different from most accessories. At course, you'll need a

S first glance, the HGE-100 looks like a standard wired stereo

headset, but what sets this particular device apart is that it has
a built-in GPS receiver. The HGE-100 works alongside one of a
number of Sony Ericsson phones to provide a satellite naviga-
tion system (using voice or visual prompting) plus a sports tracker appli-
cation that measures distance traveled, speed and calories used. A more
basic but equally useful function is the HGE-100's media control buttons,
compatible phone and
presumably some sort
of application to make
it all work properly.
The Sony Ericsson
HGE-100 is compatible
with the following
so it can be used to control the handset's music player. handsets: K530i,
It's a neat all-in-one device, and one advantage of it being wired K550i, K550im, K800i,
rather than wireless is that it draws power from the phone itself. That K810i, K850i, S500i,
means that the HGE-100 can be tucked in a pocket or bag until you need T250i, T650i, W580i,
it - without having to worry about its battery. There's a standard 9mm jack W610i, W660i, W710i,
connector too which gives some flexibility with headphones. W850i, W880i, W910i,
Because it weighs just 52 grams, the HGE-100 looks like an interest- Z530i, Z550i, Z610i,
ing way to have satellite navigation capabilities with you all the time. Of Z710i and Z750. „

Nokia Speakerphone HF-300

aving a conversation in and out of the car is about as sim- it for use in the car. You can talk freely too - the speakerphone has illumi-

H ple as talking to yourself, thanks to Nokia's first speaker-

phone, the stylish Nokia Speakerphone HF-300. This
detachable Bluetooth speakerphone hosts a powerful
speaker and microphone. Its audio quality is enhanced
even more with Digital Signal Processing (DSP), cancelling out excess
noises and echoes. No need to concern yourself with the power button -
this clever device knows when to turn off (auto power off) after you stop
talking. The Nokia Speakerphone HF-300 offers a number of elements
that enable easy communications, in and out of the car. It is operated
with battery power, so you're not confined to using it with a power outlet.
The speakerphone comes with a sun-visor clip, so you can easily position
nated keys for easy use, without all the fuss of blinking lights. For those
extended conversations, take this lightweight (80g) speakerphone out-
side, into your home or office, and mount it to a surface with its rubber
feet. You can enjoy up to 20 hours of talk time!
The speakerphone will automatically turn off after five minutes after
the connection to the mobile device has been severed. When the battery
runs low, the LED battery indicator will light up to alert you.
Available globally, the Nokia Speakerphone HF-300 is compatible with
a wide range of Nokia mobile devices supporting Bluetooth Specification
1.1 and higher and Handfree Profile 1.0 and higher. It is expected to be
available in the third quarter of 2007. „

AMD Unleashes New Graphic Processors

MD has announced the image quality at an unbelievable price point.

A arrival of the ATI Radeon™

HD 2600 and ATI Radeon™
HD 2400 series, the mid-
range and entry-level graph-
ics processors in the ATI Radeon™ HD
2000 series. These next-generation
graphics processing units (GPU) bring
The ATI Radeon HD 2600 and ATI Radeon
HD 2400 series deliver remarkable gaming
performance and maximize the HD visual
effects within Windows Vista® and DirectX®
10. The powerful second-generation unified
shader architecture introduces the era of
immersive HD gaming, delivering an ideal
premium support for Windows Vista® balance of high performance, advanced visu-
with feature-rich DirectX® 10 graphics1, al effects and breathtaking realism for both
and built-in multimedia functions for an the casual and avid gamer. Gamers wanting
immersive HD video experience on the more horsepower will discover that both
PC. Ranging from USD $89-$149 (SEP) series feature native ATI CrossFire™ technol-
for the ATI Radeon HD 2600 series and ogy, allowing for a wider variety of multi-GPU
USD $50-$85 (SEP) for the ATI Radeon configurations. „
HD 2400 series2, the new graphics solu-
78 tions deliver compelling performance and
 Joke
He once entered a lion's Tech Support: "Did you get a pop-up menu?"
cage. Customer: "No."
Wife: He probably got a lot of Tech Support: "Ok. Right click again. Do you
applause when he got out. see a pop-up menu?"
Sardar: I didn't say he got Customer "No."
out. Tech Support:: "Ok, sir. Can you tell me what
---------------------------------------- you have done up until this point?"
Bhola calls the Help Desk to Customer: "Sure, you told me to write 'click'
complain that there's some- and I wrote 'click'."
thing wrong with his pass- ---------------------------------------------------------------
word. No, it's not the usual Customer:: "Do I need a computer to use your
caps-lock problem. software?"
"The problem is that whenev- Tech Support:: ?!%#$
er I type the password, it just ---------------------------------------------------------------
shows stars," he says. One liner joke: Customer: "How do I print my
Complicated Name "Those asterisks are to pro- voicemail?"
An Indian guy named "Anantharaman tect you," the Help Desk technician explains, ---------------------------------------------------------------
Subbaraman" arrived at the New York airport "so if someone were standing behind you, they How to find a lost wife?
and ended up waiting for his visa for about 2 wouldn't be able to read your password." A man approaced a very beautiful woman in a
hours for the authorities to call his name. "Yeah," he says, "but they show up even when large super market and said.
He got fed up and went to them and asked there is no one standing behind me." "You know I have lost my wife here in the
why they haven't called his name yet. --------------------------------------------------------------- supermarket. Can you please talk to me for a
They said that they have been calling him for Common question between beggar and soft- couple of minutes"
the last 2 hours as ware engineer "but hows that going to help ?" asked the
"Anotherman Superman" A railway station beggar meets another beg- woman
--------------------------------------------------------------- gar. Well replied the man " because every time I
Call for Inzi A software engineer meets another software talk to a beautiful woman, my wife appears out
Phone Call for Inzi: engineer. of no where "
Pakistan Team Manager : "Hello"(over Phone) Both of them ask the same question to each "U love someone
Wife :"Can I talk to Inzi, this is his wife." other. U marry someone else.
Pakistan Team Manager:"Sorry, he is just What is the question? The one u marry becomes ur wife or husband.
going to bat" * And the one u loved becomes the password of
Wife:"No Problem Manager, I will Hold on" "So, which platform are you working on?" Ur mail id"
--------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------
Brave Father Tech Support: "I need you to right-click on the
Sardar: My dad was an extremely brave man. Open Desktop."
Customer "Ok."

79
 National

No Change in SIM Activation Tax Disappoints Industry

Telecom sector of the country has shown a halfhearted response to the federal budget 2007-08. Mobile
phone operators were hoping a reduction or total elimination of tax on mobile phone connections or SIM
card activation. The industry and the GSMA had demonstrated through statistical analysis based facts that
reduction or elimination of the activation tax on mobile phone connections would benefit the national excheq-
uer and the less privileged people of Pakistan.
The tax was reduced by 50 percent in the budget 2004-05, which the industry claims stimulated the sub-
scriptions that grew from 5 million to 12.8 million in one year. Revenue collected by the government from the
industry increased from Rs 11.5 billion to Rs 21.9 billion in the same period.
This forced the PTA to again recommend the government to further reduce activation tax from Rs. 1000
to Rs. 500. Its recommendation was accepted and incorporated in the budget 2005-06. According to the
PTA, the mobile sector contributes 54.1 percent of total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows.
Numerous academic studies have shown that access to a mobile phone makes people and businesses more productive, benefiting the economy
and ultimately government tax revenues. A study commissioned by GSMA and conducted by Deloitte revels that mobile communications industry con-
tributed a total of Rs. 312.5 billion to the economy in 2006, representing almost 5 percent of total GDP, an increase of over 500 percent of the total
contribution of Rs. 45 billion in 2003. The mobile sector has created over 210,000 direct jobs to date. The analysis suggests that a 10 percent
increase in mobile penetration can increase the annual growth rate of Pakistan's GDP by 1.2 percentage points. „

Mobilink's License Renewed for $291m

Pakistan's telecom sector has attracted another $291 million as Mobilink reaches a deal with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to renew
its license for the next 15 years. Company was engaged in finalizing the terms and conditions with the authorities, has finally been awarded renewed
license by the PTA after an initial installment of the license fee.
Mobilink's license was due to expire in July 2007 and the company's management had been holding talks with the PTA for the last couple of
months to renew it for the next 15 years. With the renewal of the license, Mobilink has become the second cellular company, which got its license
renewed for the second time. Before that, Instaphone renewed its license in 2005 for $291 million.
Mobilink the cellular arm of Egypt's Orascom Telecom has made long-term plans to invest in the country's high-tech services and infrastructure.
The company has strengthened its position in the country, boasting of the largest subscriber base with continuously increasing area of coverage.
The PTA data suggest by May 2007 the Mobilink has 25.79 million subscribers out of a total 60.90 million mobile users across the country. Huge
injection of money by the cellular companies through license renewal has lifted the hopes of authorities, who expect the telecom sector would attract
more than a billion dollars this fiscal. „

Telenor Becomes No. 5 in top

100 IT Companies
As per Telenor's press release the group has jumped to the no. 5 spot on
BusinessWeek's 2007 global ranking of the top 100 performers in the information
technology industry. Telenor beat out other well-known players such as Apple (no.
6), AT&T (no. 7) and Microsoft (no. 9). It also outdid other major players such as
BT Group (no. 13), Nokia (no. 17), and Google (no. 19).
Commenting on incident, Tore Johnsen. President and CEO Telenor Pakistan
said that last year, BusinessWeek ranked Telenor as no. 25 on the same list. So
Telenor's moving to 5th position in the 2007 survey of global information technolo-
gy companies is a strong indicator of the company's business success and tech-
nological innovation. In the local market Telenor Pakistan is leading on many
fronts as well - Telenor is the fastest growing network in Pakistan with the widest
GPRS/EDGE coverage of any other local operator
"BusinessWeek reports that one theme common across all the companies on
the 2007 Information Technology 100 list is 'reinvention'. For sure, we at Telenor
Pakistan are constantly innovating for the customer, with the customer -- some-
thing for which we are considered as leaders in the industry," said Tore.
The group of companies was ranked on four criteria: return on equity, share-
holder return and revenue growth (which were given equal weight), and total rev-
enues (which was weighted). Eventually, the top 100 companies were re-ranked
on overall performance. „

CM Punjab Appreciates
Norwegian Role in Development
Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Senator Babar Khan Ghauri
performing the computerized balloting of plots for 5,000 KPT workers.

Punjab Chief Minister, Ch. Pervaiz Elahi has said that relations
between Pakistan and Norway in education, health, culture, tele-
com and other sectors are based on sound foundations. He was
of Telecom Sector
talking to out-going Norwegian Ambassador to Pakistan Janis Bjorn who called on him at Chief Minister's Secretariat.
Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi said that local and foreign investment is increasing in the country due to economic policies of
President General Pervez Musharraf. He said that Norway is playing an important role in telecom sector in Pakistan.
He said that besides Norway, UAE, Singapore, China and other countries are also making heavy investment in tele-
com sector due to which communication system is improving and telephone, mobile, internet and cable facilities are
becoming available to the citizens.
He said that there is a wide scope of foreign investment in telecom, power and other sectors in Pakistan. Cooperation
of Norway for the education and training of prisoners will be welcomed so that the self-respect of women prisoners and
juvenile offenders could be restored and they could be made useful citizen of the society. „
80 Ch. Pervaiz Elahi
Chief Minister of the Punjab
 National

BTRC commends Telenor Pakistan's Achievements

Telenor Pakistan played host to a delegation from the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC). The delegation was
headed by Chairman BTRC Maj. Gen. (R) Manzur Alam. Following extensive meetings with Telenor Pakistan officials, the Chairman said: "Visiting
Telenor Pakistan's Technical Headquarters was very valuable, and we commend the great achievements of the company in a short span of two years.
We wish Telenor Pakistan the very best in future and hope that they will continue to play an active role in further developing the telecom market in
Pakistan."
EVP Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Irfan Wahab Khan commenting on the success of the visit said: "Telenor is one of the leading mobile com-
munications players in Pakistan; it also has the largest presence of any operator in Bangladesh. We are honored to have had the pleasure of meeting
Maj. Gen. (R) Manzur Alam's and his team. The visit will help immensely in learning from each other's practices and experience."
He added: "The delegation was very keen to learn about the Telenor Pakistan-led MNP initiative. We were very excited to share our experience,
which has been very positive. We also shared with the delegation the fact that we met our rollout obligations within two years and that we are industry
leaders in offering innovative products and services to customers."
Telenor Pakistan officials shared with the delegation the benefits of having an end-to-end LDI backbone and international gateway activity to pro-
vide quality of service to the end user. The delegation was also briefed on Telenor Pakistan's participation at a number of forums and in conferences
on promoting investment in Pakistan. These include Pakistan Malaysia Business Forum and Investment Conference in London. The Telenor Group
was also the platinum sponsor of the recently-concluded World Islamic Economic Forum in Malaysia.
Telenor Pakistan officials who met the delegation included EVP Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Irfan Wahab Khan, Chief Marketing Officer
Sigvart Voss Eriksen, Director Sales and Distribution Jahanzeb Taj, and LDI Business Development Manager Affan H. Khan. „

PSEB Holds Networking

Director International Marketing, ZTE, Lee Ming addresses at "2007
value Added Service Forum" organized by ZTE Anyservice.
Session with US Delegates
Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) held a networking session with Mark
Ellison, Managing Director, Texas Emerging Technology Fund and with Faisal
Amin, President Texas Trade Council (TTC) and US Honorary Investment
Consular, in Islamabad.
The purpose of the event was to identify opportunities for investments, techni-
cal partnerships, international business development and collaborative research
with Pakistani companies and educational institutions. Federal Secretary for
Information Technology, Farrakh Qayyum, was the Chief Guest. The event was
attended by various businessmen and leading IT professionals.
PSEB signed MoU with TTC during the event. The MoU aims to promote trade
in the area of Information Technology between Pakistan and Texas, establish

Orascom Telecom buys

mutually beneficial educational and industry finance programs, and to carry out
matchmaking activities. TTC helps Texas-based business organizations to expand
into foreign markets and assists in recruiting foreign companies and investors.

11% of Mobilink for

PSEB also signed MoU with Ecommerce Gateway Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd., organiz-
er of ITCN Asia. ITCN Asia has been the largest IT, Telecom & Media trade show
in the region for the last seven years. PSEB also announced that it will be organiz-

US$290 million
ing a high-level CEO Forum in this biggest IT event on August 10, 2007.
Consultations between Ellison and the Pakistan IT Industry were held to facili-
tate foreign investment and funding into Pakistan's Information Technology indus-
try. The 500 million dollar Texas Emerging Technology Fund is a program
Orascom Telecom Holdings has confirmed it has purchased designed to grow the economy in the long run by expediting the development of
an 11.3% indirect stake in its Pakistani GSM operation, new technologies and creating jobs in technology fields. „
Pakistan Telecommunications Company (Mobilink), for
USD290 million from
Saif Telecom.
The company now
owns 100 percent of the
cellular company
through direct stakes
held by its wholly owned subsidiaries. Orascom said it will fund
Cooperation Between UET-
the acquisition with proceeds from the US$750 million senior
notes issuance that closed in February. „ Huawei to Promote Telecom
Governor Punjab, Lt. Gen. (R) Khalid Maqbool said that co-
operation between University of Engineering and Technology
Research
(UET) and Huawei Technologies, China will help strengthen and promote research in telecom sector in
Pakistan. Briefly speaking on the occasion of signing of Memorandum of Understanding ceremony between
UET and Huawei Technologies China he said that Huawei will provide state of the art wireless, mobile and
telecommunication equipment worth 5.2 million dollar to UET within two months for research and training of
graduates.
He said establishment of research centre at UET with the support of China reflects the goodwill gesture
and presence of Chinese multinational companies in Pakistan will cement existing bilateral relations between
the two countries. He said Pakistan always attached great importance to China and will continue to seek their
co-operation and understanding in all sectors in the days to come.
He said "we will fully encourage Chinese close co-operation in other areas especially establishment
research centers in other campus of the UET and private sector in Pakistan".
VC UET, Lt. Gen. (R) Muhammad Akram Khan speaking on the occasion said that today's ceremony is a follow of an earlier MOU with same com-
pany. He said under existing MOU Huawei supplied GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) equipment worth 3 million dollar to UET.
Chief Executive, Huawei Technologies, Yi Xiang, the company serves 31 of the top 50 telecom operators and one billion users worldwide. He said
half of its total employees are fully engaged in research and development. He said telecom sector in Pakistan is growing very fast that is also creating
job opportunities for the Pakistan youth. Later, MOU was singed between the UET and Huawei Technologies at Governor House. „ 81
 National

SITRONICS will deliver Wateen FORIS

NG Billing and Customer Care Products
JSC SITRONICS has signed a US$ 7 million agreement with Wateen Telecom to provide SITRONICS' flagship product, FORIS NG Billing and
Customer Care, in Pakistan. Within the framework of the contract, SITRONICS will provide its integrated FORIS NG Billing and Customer Care prod-
uct, along with a number of network management solution products, enabling Wateen Telecom to expand its offerings in the local market. The project
includes a 3-year managed services operation.
Mr. Igor Hulak, President of SITRONICS Telecommunication Solutions, commented that The Middle Eastern and Asian telecommunications mar-
kets are two of the most rapidly growing in the world, prompting local operators to continuously enhance their network reach, quality and efficiency.
We are confident that Wateen Telecom will benefit from SITRONICS's expertise in the field of OSS/BSS integration, especially in the billing and cus-
tomer care domain, by having a product which will allow the Company to cater for its billing, CRM and management reporting needs. Recognizing the
high potential and ever-increasing requirements of the local market, SITRONICS has established strong partnerships with major regional service
providers and recently opened its subsidiary in Lahore.
Tariq Malik, Chief Executive Officer of Wateen Telecom, said on the occasion that Wateen Telecom is building one of the most innovative, high per-
forming and high availability IP-based communication networks in the country and abroad, offering IP-based quad-play (voice, video, data and mobili-
ty) services to business and residential customers. He added that Wateen's choice of SITRONICS as partner in local and international projects was
based on its expertise in providing complete integration and operational services, as well as on its experience in the deployment of large scale com-
plex projects in the region. „

PTCL Reduces Bandwidth Tariff

In order to facilitate & support the Government's policy for the proliferation of
information technology throughout the country, PTCL has reduced its IP bandwidth
tariffs that will directly benefit the Internet service providers (ISPs), data network
operators (DNOPs) and the Call centre industry in Pakistan.
The rates for IP bandwidth have been slashed from the existing level of US$
1,600 per E1 per month to US$ 1,000 per E1 per month in Karachi (a reduction of
37%). The new rate for cities & locations other than Karachi has been set at US$
1,200 per E1 per month (a reduction of 25%).
Along with the drop in IP bandwidth charges, the copper loop charge for DSL
service providers has also been reduced from the current level of Rs. 217 per
month to Rs. 150 per month (a reduction of 30%). The reduced charges are appli-
cable from 1st of July 2007.
These new rates will help lower the cost of ICT services and enable the provi-
sion of more affordable solutions for not only consumers but also stimulate the
growth of industries such as Call centers and IT solution providers. This initiative Federal Minister for Information Technology Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari pres-
ents shield to winner at the inaugural session of a conference organized by the
will also go a long way in realizing the President and Prime Minister's vision of a Microsoft.
connected Pakistan and in bolstering the Ministry of Information Technology's
(MoIT) initiative for bringing the benefits of IT to the population at large. With these The national Internet
reductions, the IP bandwidth rates in Pakistan are among the most competitive communication sector
compared to other countries in the region. „ of Pakistan is growing
at 40 percent, said

Pakistan's Internet Sector speakers during the Cisco Systems

Incorporation's 10 years celebration of Net
Academy in Pakistan. The celebration had

Growing at 40% 300 educationists representing Cisco

academies from all over Pakistan.
Pakistan' telecom boom has created
around 300,000 jobs in the ICT sector. However this has also created a huge demand for professional and
capable ICT workforce that can expertly meet the new age requirements of these positions. To fill the short-
age of skills, creative public private partnerships need to be implemented immediately. Majority of the participants were women in education compris-
ing of principals, vice principals and teachers, administrators, as well as students of various schools and colleges. The Cisco Networking Academy

Wateen Completes Country Wide

Programme, established in 1997, teaches students networking
and other information technology-related skills, preparing them
for jobs as well as for higher education in engineering, computer

Fiber Optic Network

science and related fields. Since its launch, the programme has
grown to more than 11,000 academies in more than 150 coun-
tries with a curriculum taught in 11 different languages. „
Wateen Telecom has successfully completed the roll out of longest fiber optic
cable in the country. 5000 kilometer long fiber optic cable, which connects more
than 72 cities, is divided into five major segments.
First segment connects Karachi with Peshawar; while the second interlinks
Islamabad with Lahore, ultimately on this longest cable completes its ring with
bridging a data link between Islamabad and Karachi while covering numerous
cities.
Wateen's spokesman has told that its
long haul fiber optic cable will revolution-
ize the IT and telecom sector of the coun-
try. He further said that fiber optic net-
work will greatly enhance the technologi-
cal advancements in the telecom sector.
Wateen is the first private company in Pakistan which has completed its country
wide fiber optic ring, which meets international standards, in a very short span of
time.
After completion of country long fiber optic cable, fast speed internet rates,
telephone and mobile call rates will further decrease to a great extent. „ A child playing cyber games on computer during "World Cyber Games 2007
82
Final" held at Expo Centre in Karachi.
 National

Court Notice to Huawei Technologies Pakistan

Balochistan Environmental Protection (BEP) Tribunal has issued show-cause notice to a Huawei Technologies Pakistan as to why penalty should
not be imposed for having not obtained Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) under Section 12 of Environmental Protection Act, 1997 lay-
ing fiber optic cable project in the provincial capital.
The order came when the Director Fiber Optic Pakistan Telecommunication informed the court that a Chinese company awarded contract was
responsible under the terms and clauses of the respective Environmental Law to obtain "no objection certificate" and other requirements whatsoever
applicable under the law.
The Tribunal headed by Balochistan High Court Judge, Justice Mehta Kailash Nath Kohli was hearing a complaint filed by Deputy Director
Environmental Protection Agency Balochistan, Muhammad Tahir Durrani in the Tribunal submitting that concerned senior officials of Pakistan
Telecommunication did not obtain EIAR prior to operation of the laying fiber optic cable project.
The complainant stated that the project was carrying with no proper planning as people in Chiltan Town are suffering and facing great difficulties
due to damage of roads and streets, besides asthma and ENT related diseases are cropping up in the area. He prayed to the Tribunal to order the
PTCL authorities to carry out the project as per provision of Environmental Protection Act, 1997. „

NetSol Chief appointed as

Australia's Honorary Consul
Chairman NetSol Technologies Ltd Pakistan,
a multinational provider of enterprise software,
Salim Ghauri, has been appointed first Australian
Honorary Consul to the province of Punjab.
According to a spokesperson of Netsol,
Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan Zorica
McCarthy, acting on behalf of Australia's Minister
for Foreign Affairs, extended recognition of a new
Honorary Consul for the province of Punjab,
Pakistan.
Ghauri was bestowed the role of first
Honorary Consul for the province of Punjab in
Ziauddin Nizam Country Manager speaks during the launching of digital Quran at Scotch
Pakistan at a ceremony attended by Ms. McCarthy.
Corner Upper Mall.
Pakistan has been declared one of the top emerging countries in the

Mobile Phones to have 3

region according to Australia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ghauri in his
role as exequatur will have the aim of enhancing business relations
between the two nations, to promote cross investment, trade and com-

Digit Code Soon

merce opportunities, and address any challenges that may be faced by
companies and investors doing business in Pakistan.
Speaking at recognition ceremony, Ms. McCarthy stated, 'The appoint-
ment of the first honorary-consul in Lahore is representative of the rising
economic and cultural interests between Australia and Pakistan'.
She said that Lahore is home to many Pakistani Australians and as the
capital of the Punjab province it is an important center of intellectual as
well as cultural discourse and is pivotal to the economic development of
Pakistan. Lahore's importance as a commercial center increasingly fea-
tures the high tech arena, where bilateral business opportunities continue
to grow and Australia's strengths are recognized by local leaders. „
Mobile phones in Pakistan will soon have three digit dialing code
along with eight digits number to accommodate rapidly increasing num-
ber of users. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had floated a
proposal to accommodate the rapidly growing number of users.
Which was endorsed by all the stakeholders, and now the authority
is finalizing modalities to implement the plan. The regulator believes that
the present numbering would hardly meet the user demands for some
years and the authority is in the process of reviewing National
Numbering Plan.

ITCN Exposition from August 9

Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) invites Expressions of Interest
from IT companies registered with PSEB to participate in three days "7th
annual ITCN Asia Intel Exhibition and Conference" to be held from August
9 at Karachi Expo Centre.
The event is being organized by E-commerce Gateway Pakistan (Pvt)
Ltd in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Privatization and Investment
and Federal Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications.
PSEB plans to construct a customized pavilion in seventh ITCN Asia
Intel exhibition for the registered IT companies containing all facilities such
as meeting and storage areas for each company. „
The existing numbering system has capacity to accommodate 8 mil-
lion users under one code. The new system would enhance the capacity
to 100 million, thus it would provide more space to the cellular compa-
nies under single code.
The PTA had started consulting the industry for early implementation
of the plan because the telecommunication services have to be provid-
ed to 95 percent of the population under universal service obligation.
The existing capacity is not sufficient to meet the target.
Pakistan needs to provide telecom services to 90 percent of the pop-
ulation by 2015. The regulator also expects manifold growth in the tele-
com sector and the existing numbering plan would become short of
capacity in a couple of years. The numbering plan needs to be revised
to accommodate the expected growth. „

Cut Down in Internet Rates by ISPs

In response of substantial decrement in internet bandwidth tariff by
PTCL, ISPs of Pakistan have lowered consumer rates by 25 percent.
Sources told that 18 months old internet rates dispute between PTCL
and ISPs has seen an end; resultantly more than three million internet
users of Pakistan will be benefited with low internet rates.
On contacting the ISPAK, the spokesmen, Mr. Wahaj us Siraj told that
this deed of PTCL administration of lowering internet rates is a boost to
positive and competitive trend in Pakistani market. He urged that PTCL
administration will further lessen the monthly fee of Rs. 150 on every DSL
line, in future, which will ultimately benefit the end user.
With the decrease in the internet rates by PTCL, internet service
providers will be able to get 2 MB connection of 1200 dollars instead of
1600 dollars. Internet companies have also declared a 25 percent cut A youngster talking on cell phone to his family while on his way to home after handing 83
down in their packages. „ over to his guardians at Sports Complex.
 International

Nokia-Siemens to Cut 2,290 Jobs in Germany

Nokia Siemens Networks, the Finnish-German telecom networks manufacturer, said it would cut 2,290
jobs in Germany as part of a restructuring plan. In May, the group had announced plans to slash 9,000 jobs
internationally by the end of 2010, about 15 percent of its workforce. At the time, the company had said it
aimed to cut 2,800-2,900 jobs in Germany out of a workforce in the country that numbers 13,000.
Management and staff reached agreement this week after intense negotiations, the group said in a
statement. "Both parties view this agreement as a success and decided to continue the negotiations about
details of the implementation next week," the statement said.
Nokia Siemens is the world's third-largest telecoms equipment manufacturer behind Sweden's Ericsson
and French-US group Alcatel-Lucent.
The telecom equipment industry has been consolidated in recent years following a number of giant international mergers, including the marriage of
Alcatel of France and US-based Lucent last year and the Nokia-Siemens tie-up. „

European Mobile Users Poised to

Benefit from Roaming Caps
European business travelers and holidaymakers can look forward to lower rates on mobile phone calls
while abroad in the EU once new price caps go into effect across the bloc. After the new regulations on
roaming rates went effective on June 30, operators will have one month to make new offers to customers
at below EU-set price caps on calls between EU countries.
Under the rules, operators cannot charge EU subscribers making cross-border calls within the 27-nation bloc more than 49 euro cents (66 US
cents) a minute in the first year of application while receiving a call could cost no more than 24 cents. The ceiling for roaming services, which
excludes value added tax, would then drop again in the second year, falling to 46 and 22 cents and then 43 and 19 cents in the third year.
Operators will have one month to activate the new Eurotariff for customers who actively seek to benefit from the new rate, which means that a
well-informed mobile phone user could benefit as early as this August. Also under the new rules, when a customer enters another EU country the sub-
scriber will receive a text message saying what rate their operator applies there.
The impact of the new Eurotariff will vary widely among the European Union's 27 member states because rates differ greatly from one country to
another, which was the main reason the caps were deemed necessary. The Eurotariff will at first only cover voice calls, although the European
Commission is considering extending it to text messages and data transfers. It could also be extended soon to non-EU countries Iceland,
Liechtenstein and Norway. „

EU Agrees to Share
Banking Data with US
EU diplomats agreed a deal setting conditions for US authorities to
access personal information from the interbank transfer service SWIFT
for use in anti-terror investigations. Under the deal, data would be kept
for five years and the US could only use it for counter-terrorism purpos-
es. EU ministers will ratify the agreement tomorrow, diplomats said.
SWIFT, or Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial
Telecommunication, based near Brussels, admitted last year that it pro-
vided US authorities with a 'limited' amount of data in the wake of the
September 11 attacks in 2001 but insisted it did its utmost to protect pri-
vacy. Under EU data protection rules, information on money transfers
can be used only for banking purposes, and not for other uses, such as
investigating terrorism financing. „

Saudi Telecom to Acquire

25 % Stake in Malaysia's Google Earth & Maps Director John Hanke smiles as he speaks with Jane Goodall from
London via video teleconference from Google Earth's offices in New York, during the rollout
of Google Earth Outreach, a new program designed to help nonprofit organizations use the

Maxis computer search tool to illustrate and advocate for their work.

State-owned Saudi Telecom will acquire a strategic 25 percent stake in

Malaysia's Maxis Communications in a deal worth 3.05 billion dollars. Saudi Telecom president Saud Al Daweesh said the investment "will enable us
to achieve our stated objective of 10 percent of our revenue to be generated from external sources by 2010."
On completion of the agreement, Saudi Telecom will have a 25 percent effective interest in Maxis and a 51 percent direct stake in PT Natrindo
Telepon Seluler (NTS), Maxis' subsidiary in Indonesia, Bernama said. Saudi Telecom said its stake in Maxis would allow the Malaysian operator to
negotiate more favorable terms with vendors and service providers and help create value for Binariang, which owns Maxis, and its shareholders.
Binariang chairman Raja Arshad Raja Uda said the alliance would benefit Maxis. Binariang, a privately-owned company controlled by billionaire
Ananda Krishnan, recently completed a buyout for Maxis in a deal worth about 12 billion dollars. „

TATA plans to earn

Tata Teleservices (TTSL) has short listed nine tower companies to sell or lease out its
roughly 6,000 telecom towers across India. The move will help the operator monetize assets
valued at around Rs. 12,000 crore and the money will be pumped into TTSL's telecom services

from Mobile Towers

business. The short listed firms include Quipo Telecom Infrastructure, Israel's Tower Vision, Q
Investments-funded Xcel Telecom, GTL Infrastructure and USA's Crown Castle, sources told
ET. The companies have submitted their bids in response to a request for proposal (RFP) float-
ed by TTSL recently. The RFP is for sale/lease of existing towers. It also includes the roll-out of 3,000 new towers in the current financial year. The
new towers will be on build-operate-lease basis and the companies will be allowed to offer these sites to other operators. TTSL has, for long, been
84 evaluating the means to monetize its towers. The options were to set up a separate company, selling the stake to strategic investors and the
sale/lease of towers to tower companies. It has now zeroed in on sale and lease back model. „
 International

Indonesia Appoints France`s

Thales to Build New Satellite
Indonesia's Indosat has appointed Thales Alenia Space France (TASF) to
build and launch its latest telecommunications satellite, Palapa D. In a state-
ment, the company said the satellite will be launched in 2009 and have a
service life of 15 years. It will replace its existing Palapa-C2 satellite which is
set to end its service life in 2011.
Indosat president Johnny Swandi Sjam was quoted as saying in the state-
ment that the satellite will be provided to TV broadcasters, VSAT providers
and other corporate customers. Indosat will also use the new satellite as a
backbone to support other services, such as cellular, fixed voice telecommuni- Jonathan Bachelor, right, of Superior, Colo., makes his first iPhone call to Michael
cations and fixed data services. Newman, left, just after Bachelor was one of the first to purchase the new computer
The new satellite will have a larger capacity than its predecessor, with device at the Apple store in Boulder, Colo.
coverage extending to Indonesia, other Asian countries, the Middle East and
Australia. Indosat is 41.9 percent owned by Singapore's ST Telemedia.
Indonesia, an archipelagic nation heavily dependent on satellites for its
telecommunications, has in the past mostly had its satellites built in the United
Greece to Sell Stake in
States. „
Telecoms Giant OTE
Bell Canada to be bought by The Greek government has begun the process of selling a stake
of up to 10.7 percent in Greece's main phone operator OTE.

pension fund
Up to 52 million common shares currently listed on the Athens
Stock Exchange are to be sold, OTE said in a statement. The Greek
government has a 38.7-percent stake in the telecoms giant, and in
January selected Merrill Lynch International as exclusive advisor for
Canadian telecoms giant BCE (Bell
the sale.
Canada) announced that it was being
It had previously sought a strategic partner in OTE's manage-
purchased by an investor group led by
ment among foreign telecoms groups but results "(were) not encour-
Teachers Private Capital for 48.5 billion
aging until now," Greek Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis said
US. The all-cash transaction, which
last month. OTE in 2006 November reported a net profit of 574.6
includes 16.9 billion Canadian dollars of debt, preferred equity and minority
million euros after a loss of 216.8 million euros in 2005. „
interests, was unanimously accepted by BCE's board of directors, which

Now Feel the 3D Images

urged shareholders accept the deal, BCE said in its announcement of the
deal.
"The transaction delivers to our shareholders the economic benefit of the
work done to focus on our core business and to strengthen Bell with a new A Japanese firm unveiled a sys-
cost structure and new competitive capabilities," said BCE chief executive and tem that enables you to feel "the
president Michael Sabia. shape and softness" of three-dimen-
"All members of the investor group have outstanding track records in build- sional images using a sensor-loaded
ing strong and resilient enterprises and they share our commitment to cus- glove. The "tangible 3D" system cre-
tomers, our employees and the communities we serve," Sabia said. ates graphics that seem to burst out
The buyers are a Canadian group led by Teachers Private Capital, which is of a screen and has a glove that
the private investment arm of the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan. Also in the allows users to "feel" them, according
group are Providence Equity Partners and Madison Dearborn Partners. to NTT Comware, the software devel-
The group will buy all outstanding common BCE shares not already owned opment unit of telecom giant Nippon Telegraph and Telephone.
by Teachers for 42.75 Canadian dollars apiece. According to a BCE state- Without any need for awkward 3D glasses, users could feel a
ment, the price represents a 40 percent premium over the average trading far-away object as if it were right in front of them, NTT said at a vir-
price of BCE common shares in the first quarter of 2007. „ tual reality exhibition. The developer was exploring commercial
applications which could include video phones, said engineer Shiro
Ozawa.

Indian Telecom Revenues hit "You would be able to take the hand, or gently pat the head, of
your beloved grandchild who lives away from you," he said. If a per-
son linked to the system moves in another place, his or her three-

USD 27 bn dimensional image also moves in real-time. The user would feel as if
they were being pulled along if the image moves while grasping your
hand.
India's telecom industry sales exceed- The dead could also be "resurrected" by the system and muse-
ed one trillion rupees (24.76 billion dol- um visitors could "touch" precious exhibits sealed in showcases, the
lars) for the first time in the last business firm said. „
year on the back of an increasing sub-
scriber base. Sales reached 1.07 trillion
rupees in the year ended March, a 22 percent increase from a year earlier.
Mobile-phone company revenues grew 56 percent to 561.8 billion rupees
while fixed-line sales declined 11 percent. The number of cellular and fixed-
line users rose 46 percent to 206 million in a country that has become one of
the world's fastest growing telecom markets as economic growth accelerates,
reaching 9.4 percent last year.
With increased connectivity, one in five Indians now has access to a
phone. Cellular subscribers increased almost 73 percent to touch 157 million,
making up for a 3.3 percent decline in the number of fixed-line users to less
than 50 million.
A steep decline in the cost of owning a cellular handset and a connection
has led to a surge in the use of mobile phones in the nation of 1.1 billion peo-
ple. In the last financial year, India added more mobile-phone users per month
Chairman Microsoft India, Ravi Venkatesan, right, with Senior Vice President,
than China. An average 5.5 million cellular lines were sold every month. Emerging Segments Market, Microsoft, Orlando Ayala, left, poses at the launch of
State-owned Bharat Sanchar remained the top service provider, posting Microsoft IQ PC and MSN IQ beta education portal in New Delhi, India. The PC will
revenue of 401.35 billion rupees in the year to March, followed by Bharti be built on AMD hardware in partnership with Zenith and software will include a vari-
ety of applications to enhance the knowledge of children studying from the ages of 85
Airtel, Reliance Communications, Hutch and Videsh Sanchar. „
three till eighteen.
 International

Apple to Limit European launch of iPhone

Apple will restrict the European launch of its multi-purpose iPhone to only Britain, France and Germany this year before a roll-out across Europe
and Asia in 2008. O2, the British unit of Spanish telecommunications group Telefonica, is set to be the first European mobile phone operator to reach
a deal with Apple, which launched its innovative iPhone in the United States.
O2 is close to securing a deal to be the sole network partner for the iPhone in Britain. The company told that it has "not signed a deal with Apple,"
while Apple declined to comment. T-Mobile, the mobile arm of German telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom, has meanwhile beaten British
rival Vodafone in the battle to win the marketing rights for Apple's iPhone in Germany. O2 has the most customers in Britain, T-Mobile has top spot in
Germany and Orange leads in France. European iPhone will operate on slower 2.5 generation mobile networks, not the 3G infrastructure of compa-
nies such as Vodafone. „

Blackberry Coming to China

Research in Motion has obtained permission from Beijing to sell its popular Blackberry mobile email device in mainland China, the world's biggest
cell phone market. The Canadian firm had been trying since 1999 to get approval for its handsets from the Chinese Ministry of Information Industry.
The iconic Blackberry 8700g handsets would go on sale in China at the end of August for about 700 US dollars each. The company had already
received 5,000 advance orders. In recent years, RIM has launched in other key markets such as Japan, India, Singapore and South Korea, but China,
with some 500 million cell phone users, had remained a holdout.
RIM had registered its Blackberry trademark in China in 1999, a few months after launching in North America. In 2002, the Waterloo, Ontario-
based firm signaled its intention to enter the Chinese market and partnered with a Chinese carrier, China Mobile, two years later, but then hit regulato-
ry gridlock. Intense lobbying by Canadian officials finally helped to clear the roadblock. „

Google Buys Internet Telephone

Firm Grand Central
Google has bought GrandCentral Communications, a fledgling Internet firm that gives
people telephone numbers that essentially follow them where ever they go. Google did
not disclose how much it paid for the Silicon Valley start-up but said the technology will
give users of the popular Internet firm's services another way to communicate.
"We think GrandCentral's technology fits well into Google's efforts to provide services
that enhance the collaborative exchange of information between our users," product man-
ager Wesley Chan said in a posting on Google's website.GrandCentral users get "one
number for life" that they can route to home telephones, office lines or mobile devices as
they wish by using the Internet.
"You get one phone number that you can set to ring all, some, or none of your
phones, based on who's calling," Chan wrote, "This way, your phone number is tied to
you, and not your location or job." Telephone messages can be listened to from any
phone or online and forwarded to any number, according to GrandCentral. GrandCentral
was founded in late 2005 by Craig Walker and Vincent Paquet, who worked together run-
ning Internet telephony firm Dialpad Communications, which was bought by Google rival
Yahoo in June of that year. GrandCentral software is in a beta test phase and details of
what Google planned to do with it were unavailable. „

Emirates Telecom to Bid

'Fiercely' in Qatar A woman clad in Buddhist nun outfit checks her mobile phone during a
break at a "Buddhist Nun for a Day" experience at Ryugenji temple in
Emirates Telecom-munications Corporation (Etisalat) intends to Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto.
"compete fiercely" for Qatar's second mobile phone licence. Etisalat
was one of 12 Arab and Western operators competing for a licence
that will end the last Arab telecom monopoly, Qatar's telecom regulator
said. "Etisalat will fiercely compete for the bidding, especially because of the attractiveness of the Qatari market, which is one of the strongest and
most dynamic economies in the region," Etisalat chairman Mohamed Hassan Omran said in a statement. The Abu Dhabi-based firm's competitors for
the licence include Kuwait's Mobile Tele-communications Company, as well as AT&T, Vodafone and Verizon Communications. The licence should be
awarded by October. The company, which has spent more than $6.5bn during the last three years expanding outside the UAE, has been willing to
pay a premium to enter new markets. Qtel has a monopoly on mobile and fixed-line telephone services in Qatar now. „

Afghan GSM Phone Network Gets WB Assistance

The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), a member of the World Bank Group, said it is
supporting the rollout of the Afghanistan's third GSM phone network. The guarantee, totaling US$76.5 mil-
lion in coverage, will protect the investment against the noncommercial risks of transfer restriction, and
expropriation.
The investor, the MTN Group of South Africa, will install, operate, and maintain a GSM network via its
Afghan subsidiary, Areeba Afghanistan. Areeba expects to attract more than 1.7 million subscribers in the
country by 2020, starting with the six major cities: Herat, Jalalabad, Kabul, Kandahar, Kunduz, and Mazar
El Sharif.
"Foreign direct investment can have a strong, positive impact on rebuilding conflict-affected countries,
bringing much-needed private capital and jobs, developing local skills, and stimulating spin-off industries,"
says MIGA's Executive Vice President, Yukiko Omura. "Since Afghanistan became a member of MIGA in
2003, MIGA's risk mitigation tools have been playing an important role in securing investments that have a
positive development impact in the country. The investments we support also send a signal to others that it
86 is safe to do business with the appropriate mitigation of risks." „
 Press Releases
UBL Selects ZRG for Latest Contact Center Technology
BL, one of the most dynamic among the large banks of the
U country, and also the winner of the coveted Asiamoney
Award for the 'Best Domestic Bank' in Pakistan 2007 has
signed an agreement with ZRG for the installation of state-
of-the-art contact center technology solution by ZRG. The
project is aimed at providing high quality services to the UBL customers
as well as enhancing the capabilities of the contact center so that the
Bank could launch and support a wide range of innovative services and
capabilities for the customers.
UBL, being a customer-centric organization, wants to give its clients a
premium customer service experience. The idea is to offer a wide range
of innovative services and capabilities for the customers and incorporate
advanced documentation, quality assurance and quality control features.
To get the most reliable solution, UBL conducted a market research
and analysis and used a qualification matrix that included criteria such as
the number of installations, cost-effectiveness, and ease of integration
and the previous track record of the solution providers. UBL specified its
preference of having a one-window solution that enables the technology
provider to take the full responsibility of delivering success and results.
Upon review and analysis, UBL learnt that ZRG Contact Center
Solution is based on internationally-accepted open industry standards
technology and is widely installed throughout the banking sector. Due to
these plus points the contract for setting up the contact center for UBL
was thus awarded to ZRG.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Baqar Muzaffar, CIO, UBL said "UBL
decided to equip its contact center with flexible and scalable technology
that can support the various world class services it plans to introduce.
Ericsson And UN Partner to Provide Wireless Emergency
Response Capabilities for Humanitarian Operations
ricsson announced it has extended its cooperation with the
E United Nations to aid and improve emergency response by
leveraging technological progress in telecommunications.
Ericsson will provide a complete mobile telecommunications
solution that can be rapidly deployed to selected humanitari-
an operations and that will be installed, operated and maintained by
Ericsson employees.
For the past seven years, Ericsson has contributed equipment and
expertise to enhance the United Nations' capacity during relief operations,
partnering with their Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA) in order to coordinate support to multiple humanitarian organiza-
tions. The partnership has evolved since it was formed in 2000, today pri-
marily focusing on rapid deployment of telecommunications services to
areas hit by disaster, and on continuously improving these based on les-
sons learned from previous deployments.
Today, Ericsson is uniquely positioned to provide some of the indus-
try's most integrated and advanced information and communications
technology to humanitarian organizations working in cooperation with
OCHA.
Ericsson introduced Wireless LAN in Disaster and Emergency
Response (WIDER), on behalf of OCHA to provide wireless hotspots and
telecommunications between different relief agencies at the disaster site
and to Internet via satellite. WIDER was first installed and utilized in the
aftermath of the severe earthquake in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan. This natu-
ral disaster killed more than 70,000 people and left millions homeless in
October 2005.
In Pakistan, Ericsson employees installed WIDER, which provided
relief personnel with wireless network connectivity to an intranet that was
French Ambassador Attends the Opening
Ceremony of a School Reconstruction Project
by French NGO Premiere Urgence in AJK
rench Ambassador to Pakistan Régis de Belenet participated
F as the Chief Guest to the opening ceremony of a school
reconstruction project carried out by the French NGO
Première Urgence (PU) in AJK, with the financial support of
the French Government. The Acting President of AJK, Shah
Ghulam Qadir, accompanied him as the guest of honour. On the way to
the village of Buttmang, the French Ambassador made a courtesy call on
AJK's Prime Minister, Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, who thanked France
for its support after the earthquake. He stated the current needs in AJK
88
The integration
with the core
banking system
and other data-
bases will be
much faster. By
having an inte-
grated end-to-
end solution,
the Bank will be
able to get
holistic view of
call center activ-
ities and staff
performance as
well as have
complete docu-
mentation available for review and reporting"
Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Ayub Butt, CEO, ZRG International
said that "Customer satisfaction can be increased by providing prompt
services and by giving personalized attention to the customer. This can
be done by making integrated customer related information easily acces-
sible for the customer service department. By using the latest flexible call
handling tools, a company can ensure high quality and personalized serv-
ices. ZRG is playing an important role in enhancing customer service
standards by offering highly flexible next generation contact center tools
to enable companies to take customer services to the next level." „
maintained and updated for information transfer both within the relief
organizations' own networks and among personnel. The relief camp was
then linked via OCHA's VSAT system to provide common access to inter-
national voice and Internet connectivity; The Ericsson Response system
and support provided all relief workers access to a common network,
enabling them to share the same local information. In light of this suc-
cess, OCHA has asked Ericsson to make WIDER available for future
emergencies.
"Communications systems are often disrupted by disasters. Yet they
are essential for humanitarian service providers to share information on
priority needs and response plans efficiently. Since 2000, Ericsson has
been a reliable partner of the UN, providing emergency telecommunica-
tions services pro bono in the most difficult environments. In particular,
Ericsson helps us to achieve our mission of humanitarian coordination by
helping to connect aid workers and organizations with one another," com-
mented John Holmes, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for
Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.
"Ericsson Response embodies our corporate values," said Carl-Henric
Svanberg, Ericsson President and Chief Executive Officer. "Whenever
and wherever we can, we will use our technology and solutions to sup-
port those in need. This cooperation is unique and in line with our long-
term commitment and partnership with the United Nations."
Ericsson has also donated a global system for mobile communications
(GSM) to OCHA. The UN Peacekeeping Operation in Bunia, Democratic
Republic of Congo is currently connected to this system. The system
complements the fixed network, radio and satellite connections currently
used in humanitarian missions and is installed in Brindisi, Italy, the hub
for satellite telecommunications connecting all UN missions. „
were mostly
infrastructures
and education
facilities.
The remark-
able project of
PU, as the
Ambassador
termed it, pro-

vides 80 classrooms for 61 schools, in 40 isolated villages of the Union
Councils of Machiara, Serli Sacha and Heer Kotli in AJK.
The community of Buttmang graced the unusual visitors with a warm wel-
come in spite of the pre-monsoon rain pouring down that day. The com-
munity leaders, along with the teachers and children thanked the French
NGO Première Urgence and the French Government for their assistance
in those times of dire needs.
The French Ambassador praised the work done by PU and added that he
realized being there, what a challenging and amazing project it was. He
EU Eases Restrictions on PIA
IA has been notified by the Air Safety Committee of the
P European Union that the restriction imposed by them on a
segment of the Airline's fleet is expected to be partially lifted.
It will be recalled that the restriction was imposed by EU on
March 6, 2007, which disallowed PIA from operating its Boeing
747's and Airbus 310's (a fleet of 20 aircraft) to European destinations.
The relaxation announced will enable PIA to operate eleven designated
Boeing 747's and Airbus 310's aircraft into Europe. The remaining fleet
of similar aircraft will be reviewed in September / October timeframe,
when full removal of the restriction will be considered.
The Chairman of PIA, Mr. Zaffar A. Khan commenting on the decision,
said he was pleased with the progress the Airline had made to overcome
Soneri Bank Upgrades Latest Contact
Center Technology by ZRG
oneri Bank has recently expanded its Contact Center opera-
S tions in the newly build state-of-the-art contact center premises
along with its core banking system and services with the help of
contact center solution by ZRG, nation's most preferred CTI and
Call Center technology provider. Soneri Bank offers a wide
array of financial service through a network of 72 branches spread all
over the country. The Bank has been supporting its banking products and
services with the help of self-service Phone Banking IVR technology by
ZRG since year 1995.
As the management and users of Soneri Bank were completely satis-
fied with the previous performance and service quality of ZRG as a
knowledgeable technology partner, the Bank decided to award the con-
tact center expansion contract to ZRG. At the same time, Soneri Bank
also selected the latest Call Review and Scoring or CRS software for the
contact center quality assurance department.
The Contact Center upgrade includes capacity expansion to cater
more customers simultaneously and functionality expansion to provide
additional value added services to the clients. The system will be integrat-
ed with multiple backend data sources that will bring together customer
information from different backend hosts and present full view of cus-
tomer in a single screen. The CRS software by ZRG will allow the bank to
monitor and evaluate contact center agents' performance. This auto-eval-
uation will result in substantial improvement of agent's performance and
productivity with greater output for the bank.
During the signing session, Mr. Safar Ali K. Lakhani, President of
Fraud on Visa cards in Asia Pacific at Historical low
r. Rupert Keeley, Visa International Asia Pacific
M President and Chief Executive Officer has stressed that
"while fraud levels in the Asia Pacific are at an all-time
low, it is incumbent on all players in the payment indus-
try to continue to focus on protecting cardholders' data".
He was addressing more than 250 delegates from member financial insti-
tutions, merchants, law enforcement agencies and vendors at the annual
Visa Asia Pacific Risk Management Conference in Singapore.
Keely told that there was no room for complacency as the payment
business was always going to remain attractive to the criminally-minded.
Since 2001, Visa has been working with the industry to roll out secure
EMV chip technology across the region. EMV chip cards, also known as
'smart cards', feature microchip technology which provides greater securi-
ty for cardholders and merchants.
Peter Maher, Visa International's executive vice president and general
manager for Risk Management, Asia Pacific added, "The success of
Visa's EMV chip program can be seen in the lower rates of counterfeit
fraud across Asia Pacific. However as industry players get to grips with
Press Releases
paid tribute to the dedication of PU staff and to the courage of Buttmang's
community, stating that they managed to join their hands to build those
schools, therefore creating a trustful relationship amongst them.
The school of this village, like in almost all the other ones PU assists,
was destroyed by the earthquake in October 2005. Before the interven-
tion of PU, whose moto is "to be where no other NGO is", the children
had to attend classes in the open or at the best under a worn out tent.
The different programmes (shelter, water and sanitation, education) PU is
implementing are benefiting to 35 000 people across AJK. „
the concerns of EU. He added that the past 4 months was a dark chap-
ter in the history of the Airline. He said the airline had addressed the
concerns of EU with diligence and speed. A detailed recovery action plan
had been developed and substantially implemented. EU's Air Safety
Commission have carefully monitored PIA's corrective actions and the
easing of the restriction reflects their satisfaction of the progress being
made.
The Chairman went on the say that, as a consequence of the work
done, he feels the Airline has strengthened the safety and reliability of its
fleet. Whilst appreciating the efforts of the PIA team he added, that there
is no room for complacency. He said the airline must continue to focus
on Safety and Reliability as the highest priority in its operation. „
Soneri Bank
stated,
"Enhancement
of Call Centre
supports our
expansion plan
and plays a piv-
otal role in
growth of our
business. The bank is committed to invest in re-engineering, enhance-
ment, technology infrastructure and capacity building for providing the
best quality of service to our customers"
Afterwards, Mr. Ayub Butt, CEO of ZRG International stated "In
Pakistan's competitive business setup, the customer has become the
decision maker in choosing a service provider. There are already signs
that customers have become increasingly conscious about the access
and quality of service they receive once they become a customer of any
organization". He said "At ZRG International we believe in increasing cus-
tomer value through open standards based solutions that are scalable,
robust, and flexible. The days of proprietary and closed architecture
based technology are history because the traditional technology had too
many limitations and offered only partial functionality. The mix-and-match
component based solution involving multiple vendors create more prob-
lems for a business than solving issues." „
counterfeit fraud, we
need to remain vigi-
lant against the new
ways in which
fraudsters are seek-
ing to operate."
"This need is
particularly pressing
for online transac-
tions where vol-
umes continue to
grow as consumers
become more com-
fortable with online
purchases. Our
challenge is to
make people feel as secure paying in the virtual world as they do in the
physical world," Maher added.
89
 Press Releases
Visa has developed programs that help merchants and payment
processors improve their data security measures. The Payment Card
Industry Data Security Standards (PCIDSS), which maintains the security
and confidentiality of sensitive cardholder account and transaction data,
is a requirement for all entities that process, transmit or store Visa card-
holder account and transaction data.
To ensure the security of online transactions, Visa has implemented
'Verified by Visa', an authentication service in which registered cardhold-
ers are required to identify themselves through passwords during the
online checkout process. Sophisticated encryption technology is used to
shield sensitive cardholder information from unauthorized viewers. As at
the end of March 2007, some 66 million Visa cardholders and 83,000
merchants were enrolled in the Verified by Visa program in Asia Pacific .
Additionally, Visa works closely with industry partners and law enforce-
ment agencies to minimize the risk of cardholders falling prey to scams
such as "phishing" and "spoofing", in which emails and fake websites are
used to trick consumers into submitting personal, financial or password
data.
The two-day Visa Asia Pacific Risk Management Conference will
include best practice case studies from Korean Exchange Bank, HSBC,
ICICI Bank and the Queensland Police Force (Australia) on activities they
have undertaken to tackle fraud resulting from non face-to-face transac-
tions. The conference will also focus on market case studies from China
and India, as well as provide insight into improving data security stan-
dards. „

HEC Uses Oracle's PeopleSoft Campus Solutions

aced with ever increasing and complex demands, Higher hensive, adaptable solutions to meet the needs of small institutions as

F Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) recently signed an

agreement with Oracle partner, Techlogix, to implement
Oracle's PeopleSoft Campus Solutions at its affiliated universi-
ties. Initially, six out of the 74 public sector universities funded
by HEC will implement PeopleSoft Campus Solutions.
It is a new and challenging era for education. Higher education institu-
tions face increased global competition to attract and retain students.
Students today expect easier, more convenient, personalized access to
information and self-service transactions with their chosen education
institution. Oracle's PeopleSoft Campus Solution, which is used by over
700 education and research institutions around the world, offers Higher
Education Commission of Pakistan with one of the most advanced stu-
dent information systems available globally - providing a complete solu-
tion for managing all aspects of a student's life at the university.
"As Pakistan makes its foray into the information economy, there is a
growing need for a skilled workforce that is able to meet the demands of
this burgeoning economy. The implementation of the PeopleSoft Campus
Solution will help our universities streamline their processes, enhance
administrative efficiency and ease the universities' interaction with exist-
ing and prospective students making education processes more produc-
tive," said Dr. Sohail Naqvi, executive director for Higher Education
Commission.
"Oracle offers software technology and applications that help world
class educational institutions meet and adapt to the changing needs and
demands of all their constituents-students, teachers, parents, faculty,
staff, graduates and alumni, governance bodies, and the extended com-
munity of supporters and stakeholders. Oracle delivers the most compre-
well as large, multi-location school districts and university systems," said
Samina Rizwan, regional director for Oracle's South Asia Growth
Economies region.
"Pakistan's economic uplift depends most upon one singular factor -
capacity building and skills development in human resources. That HEC
is boldly undertaking measures to fulfill this national aspiration is hearten-
ing for us as citizens of Pakistan, and Oracle and Techlogix are honoured
to partner with HEC in this mission," Ms Rizwan added.
Spearheading the development of a knowledge-based economy in
Pakistan, HEC's implementation PeopleSoft Campus Solutions is yet
another step toward electronic based administration. As funding issues
require universities to do more with less, a university is always in need of
a solution that streamlines processes, enhances efficiency and boosts
productivity in a cost-effective manner. PeopleSoft Campus Solutions is a
step in that direction.
In 2006, Oracle contributed more than US$ 2 billion to education
worldwide, through its various education initiatives. The reliability of its
education centric applications can be gauged by the fact that the 10 best
academic universities worldwide as well as the top 10 research universi-
ties run Oracle applications. „

Dewan Mushtaq Group - Working for Prosperous Nation

r. Dewan Muhammad Yousaf Farooqui, Group Managing

M Director, Dewan Mushtaq Group, addressed a press

conference held in a local hotel to highlight the Group's
past, present endeavors and the very bright future. He
underscored the Group's unwavering commitment
towards the growth and prosperity of the country. He also stressed the
importance of the sincere contribution of the private sector enterprises in
the growth and prosperity of the local economy.
The Dewan Mushtaq Group, one of the largest industrial and trading
conglomerates in Pakistan has successful business history of more than
90 years. It has diversified business interests covering synthetic fibers,
automobiles, cement, textiles, sugar, fertilizer, information technology,
packaging, oil and gas exploration, retailing and commodity trading. Its
operations are recognized as in producing quality products for different
markets. The corporate philosophy of the group lays stress on straight
forward business dealings, spirit of social services and human respect
and work as worship. Mr. Dewan Muhammad Yousaf Farooqui, Group Managing Director, Dewan Mushtaq Group,
Besides its sincere efforts and commitment towards contributing to the during a press conference
progress and prosperity of the nation, Dewan Mushtaq Group always
strives to stand ahead of the others in social services projects and pro- Dewan Mushtaq Group has not only set up schools, mosques and
vides unmatched support to the government in improving the well being hospitals in their respective plants but also in many far flung rural areas,
of the masses. especially in interior Sindh. These facilities are an endeavor by Dewan
Dewan Mushtaq Group is also involved in a large number of philan- Mustaq Group to make a difference in the lives of the people of the coun-
thropic activities. A wide range of medical facilities have been established try.
in many urban and rural areas which are equipped with latest medical Over the past fifty years, Dewan Mustaq Group has ventured into
equipment and expertise. The Dewan Farooque Medical Complex, a 400 major projects that have not only helped in establishing the group as one
bed medical facility donated to Sindh Institute of Urology Treatment is of the most successful business houses in Pakistan but also contributed
one of the major social service projects by the Group. towards the prosperity of our country. „
90