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                        <title>The Express Tribune</title>
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			<title>Miss Philippines crowned Miss Universe 2015 after live TV mixup</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/1013655/miss-philippines-crowned-miss-universe-2015-after-live-tv-mixup</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/1013655/miss-philippines-crowned-miss-universe-2015-after-live-tv-mixup#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 21 Dec 15 06:45:35 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Entertainment Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Life &amp; Style]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=1013655</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Miss Colombia had already been crowned Miss Universe when Steve Harvey realised his mistake]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Possibly any pageant contestant's worst nightmare -- to be crowned and then told she has been wrongly crowned.

The incident was nothing short of cringe-worthy for the 2015 Miss Universe pageant contestant Miss Colombia, Ariadna Gutierrez, when host Steve Harvey misread the pageant winners' name and accidentally announced Ariadna as the winner.

Miss Pakistan USA on a mission to change image of Pakistani women

The outgoing Miss Universe, Paulina Vega, had already placed the crown on Ariadna Gutierrez Arévalo's head when Steve realised his mistake.
https://twitter.com/sunriseon7/status/678776132787826688

Taking sole responsibility for the blunder, Steve turned to the camera and showed the card with the rightful winner's name. "Listen folks... this is exactly what's on the card," Harvey said. "I will take responsibility for this. It was on the card."

https://twitter.com/smilingjoce/status/678831361893883904

Runner-up Miss Philippines, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, was visibly shocked and confused at the turn of events:
https://twitter.com/MissUniverse/status/678772543507959808

https://twitter.com/MissUniverse/status/678776827679105024
https://twitter.com/MissUniverse/status/678818298654363648
https://twitter.com/oliviaculpo/status/678786383045988352

After being crowned, Pia mentioned that the crowning was 'nontraditional' and laughed it off.
https://twitter.com/MissUniverse/status/678806442959175681

Miss Philippines also seemed to be in good spirits after the incident.
https://twitter.com/MissUniverse/status/678800378176008192

Arab-American woman aspires to be Miss California 2016

Steve took to Twitter to apologize for his mistake:
https://twitter.com/QueenBekificent/status/678782397794521088
https://twitter.com/IAmSteveHarvey/status/678784871922290688
https://twitter.com/IAmSteveHarvey/status/678785560270491648

#MissUniverse2015 fast hit Twitter's top trending list:
https://twitter.com/shelbyb365/status/678818356116348928
https://twitter.com/shannonleetweed/status/678819059807334401
https://twitter.com/dulcecandy/status/678817268772397057
https://twitter.com/AleczaL/status/678817870936174592
https://twitter.com/erikvaldez/status/678818310511718402
https://twitter.com/ChimaSimone/status/678818047868559360
https://twitter.com/SincerelyxJaz/status/678816103552778240
https://twitter.com/vitaminsbystacy/status/678818362592391168
https://twitter.com/JoshMankiewicz/status/678818147273605121

And soon people started joking about the matter:
https://twitter.com/Kelly_Reyescxx/status/678816584920522752
https://twitter.com/FactsLaughable/status/678818448655450113
https://twitter.com/BP_2Vicious/status/678817942964834304
https://twitter.com/Quintaine/status/678817401480196096
https://twitter.com/injuredvocals/status/678817633051918336
https://twitter.com/alyssa_watts/status/678817566786097152
https://twitter.com/BromanceManila/status/678818122233548800
https://twitter.com/FaqihMohamed/status/678816488057253888
https://twitter.com/TheWeeklyDiary/status/678816233790148609]]>
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			<title>Steve Jobs seen as brilliant and brutal in Gibney documentary</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/947148/steve-jobs-seen-as-brilliant-and-brutal-in-gibney-documentary</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/947148/steve-jobs-seen-as-brilliant-and-brutal-in-gibney-documentary#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 15 10:40:17 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Life &amp; Style]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=947148</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[A portrait of Steve Jobs is placed on the Federation Tower skyscraper in Moscow’s new business district]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Four years after his death, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs still fascinates the public, with two major new films this fall analyzing his life and career.

For award-winning documentary maker Alex Gibney, it is also time for re-assessing the hard-driving perfectionist who revolutionized the way people communicate but whose treatment of friends, family and co-workers was sometimes rife with contradiction.

Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine breaks no new ground factually. But it contrasts the man who once aspired to be a Buddhist monk with the businessman who initially denied paternity of his first child and presided over a company that paid Chinese iPhone makers a pittance and pared back its philanthropic programs while reaping billions in profits.

"He had the focus of a monk, but none of the empathy," Gibney comments in the film, whose tagline is "Bold. Brilliant. Brutal."

The documentary, arriving in U.S. movie theaters on Sept. 4, uses archival footage of Jobs as well as interviews with journalists, some former friends and ex-Apple employees. Both Apple and Jobs' widow Laurene declined to co-operate.

Gibney says he didn't set out to vilify Jobs, whose death of pancreatic cancer in 2011 was mourned worldwide with an intensity usually afforded a rock star.

"The imperative for me to make this film was why so many people who didn't know Steve Jobs were weeping when he left," he said.

Apple, he added, has a cult aspect that fascinates him.

"There is a passion for the person and the products that is so deep that any criticism can't be tolerated. Why should that be? Is it not possible that we can discuss how pitifully paid are the workers in China... even as we may admire some of the technological aspects of the Apple product?

"There seems to be a need to deify that stuff in a way that brooks all criticism, and that does verge sometimes on the religious," Gibney said.

Gibney says there is one question he would have liked to ask Jobs, given the chance.

"He kept talking about values, the values of Apple. I would have asked Steve Jobs, 'what are your values?' Please express your values. That is what I would have liked to hear from him in an honest and straightforward way."

Another film about Jobs, the feature movie "Steve Jobs" starring Michael Fassbender as the late Apple CEO, is due for release in October.]]>
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			<title>Will this Land of the Pure ever get a Steve Jobs?</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/269746/will-this-land-of-the-pure-ever-get-a-steve-jobs</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/269746/will-this-land-of-the-pure-ever-get-a-steve-jobs#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 08 Oct 11 17:45:21 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[seema.raza.bokhari]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=269746</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Jobs did what he did for his genius but also the fact that he was in a country that rewards individuality, creativity.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple has passed away. Though immortalised in his creative legacy, he met the ultimate destiny that awaits all mortals. But not everyone blazes a trail such that Steve has left behind. His iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad have revolutionised and changed the way we think about technology. His products not only make him a household name but have created a cult following in Apple admirers.

Even bigger than his creations, was the man himself. He shall continue to inspire all those who hunger for innovation and creativity. What do we learn from the mental prowess of this man? What lessons can be learned from the path he chose to take? What does he bequeath to us in terms of his vision and the means to achieve it? His speech to the graduating class of 2005 at Stanford University reveals the real man behind the so-called ‘exacting and fearsome leader’ at Apple.

Steve narrated three stories from his life. In the first, he called “connecting the dots”, where he talked about his life-changing decision to drop out of college and how he whimsically took a calligraphy course that seemed useless then but later, when he designed his first Macintosh to make it the first ever computer with “beautiful typography”, he could see the value in it. “You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever,” he said, and “this approach has made all the difference in my life”.

His second story was about “love and loss”; how he and his friend Woz (Steve Wozniack) started Apple in his parents’ garage and how within 10 years, Apple grew into a $2 billion venture. At the 20, he co-founded Apple and at 30 he was ousted from it. In Steve’s words, “the heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again”. He then created NeXT and acquired Pixar, the film animation company. Apple finally bought NeXT and Steve was home again after a long hiatus. Pixar’s new technology induced Apple’s virtual rebirth and Steve admits that this would never have happened had he not been fired from Apple. His message is simple but hard to assimilate. “Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.”

His third story was about “death”. He would say: “Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.” Steve narrated how he was diagnosed with cancer and how he confronted death. His advice is both poignant and stark “Your time is limited … don’t let the noise of others opinions drown out your own inner voice.” For Steve, who asked himself every day, “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”, death must have been a seamless transition into a bigger reality.

While we laud Steve’s inventiveness, we know that he did what he did, not only for his undisputed genius but also for the undeniable fact that he was in a country acclaimed for rewarding individuality and creativity; where a college dropout could realise his dream, conceived in a garage, through hard work and ingenuity alone. Will our creators and thinkers ever get this mental liberation? Will we ever grow up unconstrained by predetermined ideas and ideologies? Will there ever be a Steve Jobs in this Land of the Pure?

Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>iSad, iWeep, for a world without Steve</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/269724/isad-iweep-for-a-world-without-steve</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/269724/isad-iweep-for-a-world-without-steve#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 08 Oct 11 15:32:31 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[hani.taha]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Life &amp; Style]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=269724</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[What impact will Jobs’ passing have on Pakistan.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Veteran musician Shahi Hasan of Vital Signs instantly changed his BlackBerry messenger profile status to ‘ispeechless’ when he heard the shattering news that Apple’s visionary founding father Steve Jobs had passed away.  “Jobs was the Newton and Boyles of our times,” says Hasan. “I was a huge Jobs fan and follower, and used many of his products that have gained an edge. He made geeks look cool.” 


People all around the world especially those in the social media, went into a feverish frenzy and began tweeting, Facebooking and uploading graphics, photographs, images and cartoons (photographer Amean J uploaded one of a black Apple who’s bite was Job’s side profile) after they heard the news of Jobs’ death. Many also criticised the fervour over Jobs demise as a foreign construct, claiming that millions die everyday in terrorist attacks.

Not to sound callous, but Jobs was an icon who revolutionised the way the modern world and its structures operate. From social networking to the creative arts, Jobs influence and the impact it had was truly phenomenal, the effect of which can be seen with how his products led to digitisation of music.

Galaxy Computer shop manager Saqib Iqbal states that Jobs introduced Apple in 1999 and in 11 years had managed to increase its market by 500 per cent. The transition to Apple occurred when OS operating system allowed for virus-free computing and after that, there was no going back to Windows.

On the other hand, Malik Nabeel, who is product specialist at Bismallah (a shop that deals in mobile phones), says that a range of Apple products available in Pakistan are popular amongst students who are both educated and technologically apt. “The general public usually has never been able to afford such products but they have been popular amongst students who have the knowledge,” says Nabeel.

Musician Shallum Xavier seconds Nabeel’s viewpoint and labels Apple products as being elitist and unaffordable, pointing out that most studios in the country still use desktop computers despite their notoriety of crashing. However, he admits that “Apple completely changed the way music works. It had emphasis on great sound and detail — just concentrate on creativity, and the machines would do the rest.” Music composer Ahsan Bari states that, “All modern day recordings world over and even in Pakistan have shifted to Apple products and the MacBook Pro in specific.”

Hasan also recalls how the pop band Vital Signs signed up with iTunes. “It was pure genius to be able to create something to counter piracy, and make music as cheap as one dollar per song so that people automatically start utilising the iTunes service,” says Hasan.

Director Zeeshan Pervaiz also  hails Apple, saying that, “As of now, I am speaking to you on an iPhone with my MacBook pro in my lap.” For Pervaiz, listening to MP3 led him towards Apple and ever since he has been hooked. “Apple has changed my whole style and manner of working,” he says. “While initially Apple products were all about style, their unwavering stability is now making it come through even in the Pakistani market.”

And it’s not just the music industry, blogging at fashion shows and real time reporting at fashion weeks world over took on a new dimension with the iPad. On the local front, one can observe fashion journalists like Aamna Haider Isani and Andaleeb Rana,  clicking away with their iPhone and iPad, tweeting images with witty captions.“Aesthetically, Apple products are smart and I feel I became a better journalist when I began working on my Macbook and became an effective social networker when I got my iPhone,” states Isani.  One can’t help but wonder would social networking be as big a business or real time reporting and blogging be as critical as it is to digital journalism had Apple not been there and will Jobs’ passing hinder what could have been?

(With additional reporting by Sher Khan)

Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Steve Jobs (1955-2011)</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/268178/steve-jobs-1955-2011</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/268178/steve-jobs-1955-2011#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 06 Oct 11 16:07:33 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[editorial]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=268178</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[While addressing Stanford University’s graduating class of 2005, Jobs said: “Stay hungry, stay foolish.”]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[His death came too soon, but he lived a life complete. Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, an innovative genius, died on Wednesday at the age of 56, leaving the world just a little poorer for his absence. His loss is being mourned by the technology industry, as well as the millions of users and fans of his products the world over. Jobs’ significance to the world of computers and consumer technology as we know it today cannot be underestimated. When he founded Apple in 1977, he was the first person to think of computers as something an ordinary person might be able to use, leading the team that designed the first mouse-based computing experience that has since become standard. After a 12-year hiatus from Apple, Jobs returned in 1997 to lead the charge that eventually led the company to completely revolutionise the world of technology, changing the way the world listens to music (the iPod), what we can do with our phones (the iPhone) and most recently, how we interact with digital content (the iPad). Yet for all the impact that Jobs had on the world of technology, we cannot help but think that he was the product of a uniquely American upbringing, having been raised in a liberal society that allows its young people to be free and question authority — any authority.

That remarkable freedom of thought, nurtured in a democratic political culture and an entrepreneurial economic one, is what has made so many of its people bold thinkers, and enabled them to change the way the rest of us view the world. How else, for instance, would one explain a man who was neither an engineer nor a programmer become the founder and visionary leader of the world’s most valuable technology company? In Pakistan, we would probably have kept asking Jobs for relevant degrees and qualifications (or worse, his connections). America let him be free. That rebellious spirit reflects an ethos found in whatever Jobs did in his life. While addressing Stanford University’s graduating class of 2005, he said: “Stay hungry, stay foolish.” We will miss you, Steve.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Twitter alert: A vigil for Steve Jobs...in Karachi?</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/268156/twitter-alert-a-vigil-for-steve-jobs-in-karachi</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/268156/twitter-alert-a-vigil-for-steve-jobs-in-karachi#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 06 Oct 11 13:10:00 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Ema Anis]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=268156</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[It seems Karachiites do not want to stay behind in mourning the demise of co-founder of Apple.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The world woke up today to hear of the sad demise of Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple – a company that revolutionized world technology. As the whole world mourned the death of an icon, Karachiites were not far behind either.

A vigil, originated with the setup of the hash tag #SteveJobsKHIVigil on Twitter, is to be supposedly held in Karachi at BawanyTech to commemorate the loss of Jobs.

Here’s what local twitterati had to say about the vigil:

kaalakawaa

This vigil firmly establishes Karachi as Pakistan's most liberal and globally connected city. No feudal shackles here. #SteveJobsKHIVigil

faheemj

#SteveJobsKHIVigil is very real, its happening

abbassjaffer

By the way whose having this vigil because the owner of Bawanytech doesn't know about it, just confirmed... #SteveJobsKHIVigil

shakirhusain

no but Okra is said to be catering the event. RT @talhawynne: Any news of chana pulao at #SteveJobsKHIVigil yet?

adilraza

"@kaalakawaa But seriously this idea is nuts #SteveJobsKHIVigil " &amp; kind of an invitation for mobile snatchers add #leave-ur-iPhones-at-home

anthonypermal

Suggestion to those holding vigil for #SteveJobs in #Pakistan: instead of buying the next iPhone, donate it to the flood victims

umairjav

This Steo Jobs vigil business has really brightened up my afternoon. Much thanks to all concerned.

mirza9

I don't know what to retweet. There is too much hilarity from this candle light vigil for Steve Jobs.

sharmeenochinoy

If govt of #Sindh can dedicated a life size poster 2 Michael Jackson- Then a candle light vigil 4 Steve Jobs in #Karachi seems JUST FINE!

zed_nuthouse

#SteveJobsKHIVigil - Lets give Steve Sitara - e - Imtiaz too?

Ziyad_F

I'm still waiting for someone to say this is a (very) late April Fools' Day prank. It might just have been a silly rumour #SteveJobsKHIVigil]]>
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			<title>Apple co-founder Steve Jobs dead at 56</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/268046/apple-co-founder-steve-jobs-dead-at-56</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/268046/apple-co-founder-steve-jobs-dead-at-56#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 06 Oct 11 00:05:17 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=268046</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Jobs' death was announced by Apple in a statement late on Wednesday.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Apple Inc co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs, counted among the greatest American CEOs of his generation, died on Wednesday at the age of 56, after a years-long and highly public battle with cancer and other health issues.

Jobs' death was announced by Apple in a statement late on Wednesday. The Apple.com homepage featured a black-and-white picture of him with the words "Steve Jobs, 1955-2011."

The Silicon Valley icon who gave the world the iPod and the iPhone had resigned as CEO of the world's largest technology corporation in August, handing the reins to current chief executive Tim Cook.

A survivor of a rare form of pancreatic cancer, he was deemed the heart and soul of a company that rivals Exxon Mobil as the most valuable in America.

"Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve," Apple said in a statement announcing Jobs' passing.

"His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts."

Job's health had been a controversial topic for years. His battle with cancer had been a deep concern to Apple fans, investors and the company's board alike. In past years, even board members have confided to friends their concern that Jobs, in his quest for privacy, wasn't being forthcoming enough with directors about the true condition of his health.

Now, despite investor confidence in Cook, who has stood in for his boss during three leaves of absence, there remain concerns about whether the company would stay a creative force to be reckoned with beyond the next year or so without its founder and visionary at the helm.

The news triggered an immediate outpouring of sympathy. Among others, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said he will miss Jobs "immensely".

APPLE, NEXT, IPHONE

A college dropout, Buddhist and son of adoptive parents, Jobs started Apple Computer with friend Steve Wozniak in the late 1970s. The company soon introduced the Apple 1 computer.

But it was the Apple II that became a huge success and gave Apple its position as a critical player in the then-nascent PC industry, culminating in a 1980 IPO that made Jobs a multimillionaire.

Despite the subsequent success of the Mac, Jobs' relationship with top management and the board soured. The company removed most of his powers and then in 1985 he was fired.

Apple's fortunes waned after that. However, its purchase of NeXT -- the computer company Jobs founded after leaving Apple -- in 1997 brought him back into the fold. Later that year, he became interim CEO and in 2000, the company dropped "interim" from his title.

Along the way Jobs also had managed to revolutionize computer animation with his other company, Pixar, but it was the iPhone in 2007 that capped his legacy in the annals of modern technology history.

Two years before the gadget that forever transformed the way people around the world access and use the Internet, Jobs talked about how a sense of his mortality was a major driver behind that vision.

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life," Jobs said during a Stanford commencement ceremony in 2005.

"Because almost everything -- all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure -- these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important."

"Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."]]>
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			<title>Apple reveals iPhone 4S much to fans disdain</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/267270/apple-reveals-iphone-4s-much-to-fans-disdain</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/267270/apple-reveals-iphone-4s-much-to-fans-disdain#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 04 Oct 11 22:27:42 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=267270</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Apple's shares slipped four per cent as the anticipated launch for a new device disappointed fans and investors.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Much to the disappointment of millions of iPhone fans, Apple deferred from a much anticipated announcement about the iPhone 5, to unveil the launch of an upgraded iPhone 4S with the iOS 4 in California on Tuesday.

Apple's new chief executive Tim Cook, who replaced ailing founder Steve Jobs in August, presided over the launch of the iPhone 4S at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California.

The iPhone 4S features a speedier processor, a built-in "personal assistant" that responds to voice commands and a more powerful camera, but it was not the revamped next-generation iPhone 5 smartphone many Apple fans had hoped for.

Apple's stock price slid more than four per cent at one point as it became clear the company was not going to wow the world with its latest product but recovered ground to end the trading day down 0.56 percent at $372.50.

"This new iPhone 4S announcement was a real yawner," independent technology analyst Jeff Kagan said.

"This iPhone is really not much different than the current iPhone," Kagan said, wondering whether Apple's product-launching magic departed with Jobs. "So un-Apple like."

The iPhone 4S will be available in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Britain on October 14 with pre-orders commencing a week earlier.

The iPhone 4S will be rolled out by the end of October in 22 additional countries including Austria, Italy, Singapore, Spain, and Switzerland.

In the United States, iPhone 4S prices will start at $199 for a 16 gigabyte model and top out at $399 for a model with 64GB of memory.

Cloud computing comes to iPhone

Apple also announced the October 12 launch of long-promised iCloud, which lets people store music, pictures, videos and other digital files online and access the content across Apple computers and mobile devices.

"IPhone 4S plus iOS 5 plus iCloud is a breakthrough combination that makes the iPhone 4S the best iPhone ever," said Apple senior vice president of worldwide marketing Philip Schiller.

"While our competitors try to imitate iPhone with a checklist of features, only iPhone can deliver these breakthrough innovations that work seamlessly together," he said.

Introducing the iAssistant

The 4S will introduce a "Siri intelligent assistant" designed to understand context so people can speak naturally when asking it questions.

For example, spoken queries of "Will I need an umbrella this weekend?" and "What is the traffic like around here?" will prompt online searches for local weather forecasts or roadway conditions, according to Apple.

Siri helps make calls, send text messages or email, schedule meetings and reminders, make notes, find local businesses, and get directions. Siri will even perform mathematical calculations if asked.

"Apple's new Siri assistant, unique to the new 4GS, is a powerful harbinger of the future use of mobile devices,' said Forrester Research analyst Charles Golvin "Not just the power of voice but, more importantly, the ability to contextualise a statement or request."

Revamped features and pricing for older models

The iPhone 4S predecessor will be available for $99 while earlier generation iPhone 3GS models will be free with telecom carrier contracts, an Apple first.

A slick new version of the iOS mobile operating system was shown off at the press event in an intimate theater at Apple's Silicon Valley campus.

Apple also added new features and pricing to its iPod Touch and iPod Nano devices in the latest improvements to a line kicked off with the introduction of the first iPod in the same Apple "Town Hall" in 2001.

The iPod Touch will be available for $199, and iPod Nano prices will start at $129.

"IPod has revolutionised the way we listen to music and with over 320 million sold is the world's most popular music player," Schiller said.

He boasted that the touch model that is essentially an iPhone without the mobile phone service was the best selling iPod ever.

Cook appeared relaxed and confident as he filled the shoes of legendary pitchman Jobs, who underwent an operation for pancreatic cancer in 2004 and a liver transplant in 2009.

Jobs, 56, did not make an appearance at Tuesday's event. He remains with Apple as chairman of the board of directors.

For an unexplained reason, Apple's website went down briefly in the wake of the press event, for a short time displaying "Access Denied" messages to people trying to reach online pages.]]>
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			<title>The Future of Tablet computing</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/245586/the-future-of-tablet-computing</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/245586/the-future-of-tablet-computing#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 12 Sep 11 11:23:19 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[fareed.ali]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=245586</guid>
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				<![CDATA[A record 19.7m Tablets were shipped worldwide in 2010. The future looks bright for manufacturers of these devices.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Remember the good old days when a bulky machine called a PC was something meant only for geeks. The 8086, 286, 386, 486 and the Pentium revolutionized the world of computing, but only for a short period of time. 

Then came in the laptops, notebooks or mobile computing which took technology a step ahead. It's fair to say laptops have come a long way since the early 1990s, LCD displays have been replaced with sleek HD screens and the once plus-size machines are now zero sized models. If laptops have evolved so much in that space of time, where can they go from here; especially in this so-called post-PC era where tablets PCs are all set to take over computing world?

One important element of the laptop design has stayed persistent during the past 20 years, the conventional flip lid, protecting the screen and providing a sturdy base for a the keyboard it's the back-bone of any laptop. But with the emergence of the tablet market, advances in technology and changing materials this could be about to change.

The rise of tablet PCs means laptops must adapt, while tablets and laptops are both suited to particular environments, each could learn from one another. While the clam-shell laptop is tried and tested it does have its drawbacks and limitations, in the future it is very likely that we will see new types of laptops moving away from the clam-shell design. Dual screen and sliding laptops have already made an appearance these early concepts will undoubtedly see many iterations in the coming years, which could see them grab back some of market share tablet PCs have recently taken.

Power, the Achilles heel of laptops, we've all been there desperately trying to complete a task before the life in your laptop drains away. Wouldn't it be amazing if laptops could hold their charge for days on end, unfortunately that's not going to happen anytime soon. However smarter technologies such as inductive charging could soon put AC adaptors into retirement. For this to happen charging pads will need to be widely adopted, just imagine sitting on the train using your laptop while it charges via the surface you're using.

The last two years have seen growth and rapid expansion of the Tablet PC market. A record 19.7 million of these devices were shipped worldwide in 2010. The future looks bright in any case for the manufacturers of these devices. Critics of both are quick to dismiss this trend and hype are quick to point out that these devices offer nothing new to the consumer. So what is the future of Tablet PCs on the market?

A tablet is not a smartphone or a personal computer. Most of these devices do not have video cameras as the smartphone and cannot make calls. It also lacks the devices which came with a PC, mouse and keyboard are associated. However, you may want plug-in devices such as accessories, if necessary. The screen may be larger than a smartphone, but it is smaller than a PC. Basically, the main outlets for appliances slate ultra slim elegant touch screen, wireless Internet access and ingenious applications.

Other features of computers, such as Notepad, games, music and videos can be easily achieved with other gadgets. It is difficult to identify the unique aspects of Tablet PCs that are not available to other high-tech tools. However, these devices are in fashion among consumers. What is driving the demand for equipment tablet? Analysts say the ease of obtaining the content is the most important factor that stimulates the sale of Slate PC. The majority of users are consumers of shale content. Listen to people who are interested in movies, reading online magazines, books, newspapers, music and exchange tips on social media. The makers of the pills on specific niche, which consists of a large number of adolescents, young adults and working class people. Most of these people find it easier to access their favorite content with the tablet PC.

On the other side of the divide are the creators of content. They are individuals who need software like word processing, spreadsheets, databases and working with slides. These people cannot see the need for Tablet PCs that do not meet these functions effectively.

It has enormous growth of the PC market slate in the last two years. Although coverage in the media industry, contributed to their popularity, design and applications are important selling points for Tablet PCs. However, there are many features that you cannot do with Tablet PCs. In such cases, your old laptop or PC will prove to be useful to finish the job.

Let's take a look back in time on technology that made tablet PCs possible.

Light pens

A light pen is a means of input to a computer that relies on a light sensitive device that is capable of detecting positions on a CRT based display. This technology was not used with portable devices, but is a predecessor to later technology.

Passive Digitizers

Screens such as that found on the original PalmPilot utilizes resistive input screen and a simple plastic pen. This same type of digitizer is found on some lower cost Tablet PCs. This type of input is very limited and does not allow the user to rest their hand on the screen without interfering with the input.

Active Digitizers

Active digitizers such as that developed by WACOM are a more advanced form of pen input that is very common in many modern Tablet PCs. Motion Computing also provides a means for pen based input that is notably used by Dell based Tablet PCs.

Touch and Multi-touch

The two main types of touch interfaces are resistive and capacitive touch. Capacitive touch has become popular mainly as a result of the iPhone. Resistive touch is considered an older type of technology that requires pressure to be applied to the screen. Capacitive screens are capable of detecting touch based input in a more user friendly method. An additional benefit is the ability to track multiple points. Current technology on Tablet PCs is limited to two points and commonly referred to as duo-touch.

What is a Tablet

Newton

The Newton was a personal digital assistant consumer electronic device introduced in 1989. The Newton was capable of handwriting recognition which is a core component of Tablet PCs.

Modbook

While most Tablet's run a Microsoft operating system, drivers and software are available to use the same hardware with a Linux Operating System. Additionally, the Axiotron: modbook is a modified Macintosh that supports pen based input.

Palm

The PalmPilot, a personal digital assistant, was a pocket sized device that was able to organize information. Early models relied on a specified area of the screen for writing in a Graffiti input zone. This form of writing used a modified character set that made recognition of characters easier. The touch sensitive screens relied on the input of a plastic stylus.

Microsoft

The term Tablet PC typically refers to the product released by Microsoft in 2001. The "Windows XP Tablet PC Edition" of the Microsoft operating system was the first natively pen enabled version of Windows. Windows Vista added pen support to the entire line of operating systems, not typing it down to a special version. Windows 7 went further building in support for touch and multi touch into the operating system.

Evolution of Technology

Going a little back in time on January 27, 2010, Apple CEO Steve Jobs' introduced a thin, always-on tablet device that would let people browse the Web, read books, send email, watch movies, and play games. It was also no surprise that the 1.5-pound iPad resembled an iPhone, right down to the single black button nestled below the bright 10-inch screen. But there was more to it that what met the eye. In addition to the lean-back sorts of activities one expects from a tablet, there was a surprising pitch for the iPad as a lean-forward device, one that runs a revamped version of Apple's iWork productivity apps. In many ways, Jobs claimed, the iPad would be better than pricier laptops and desktops as a tool for high-end word processing and spreadsheets. If anyone missed the point, Apple's design guru Jonathan gushed in a promotional video that the iPad wasn't just a cool new way to gobble up media - it was blazing a path to the future of computing.

Even though the iPad looks like an iPhone built for the supersize inhabitants of Pandora, its ambitions are as much about shrinking our laptops as about stretching our smartphones. Yes, the iPad is designed for reading, gaming, and media consumption. But it also represents an ambitious rethinking of how we use computers. No more files and folders, physical keyboards and mouses. Instead, the iPad offers a streamlined yet powerful intuitive experience that's psychically in tune with our mobile, attention-challenged, super-connected new century. Instant-on power. Lightning-fast multitouch response. Native applications downloaded from a single source that simplifies purchases, organizes updates, and ensures security.

Apple has even developed a custom chip, the A4, that both powers the machine and helps extend its battery life to 10 hours. But don't call it a netbook, a category Steve Jobs went out of his way to trash as a crummy compromise. The iPad is the first embodiment of an entirely new category, one that Jobs hopes will write the obituary for the computing paradigm that Apple itself helped develop. If Jobs has his way, before long we may be using our laptops primarily as base stations for syncing our iPads.

The fact is, the way we use computers is outmoded. The graphical user interface that's still part of our daily existence was forged in the 1960s and '70s, even before IBM got into the PC business. Most of the software we use today has its origins in the pre-Internet era, when storage was at a premium, machines ran thousands of times slower, and applications were sold in shrink-wrapped boxes for hundreds of dollars. With the iPad, Apple is making its play to become the center of a post-PC era. But to succeed, it will have to beat out the other familiar powerhouses that are working to define and dominate the future.

There's a lot to love about Apple's vision. As we start to establish the conventions made possible by advanced multitouch, we'll perform ever more complicated tasks by rolling, tapping, and drumming our fingers on screens, like pianists tickling the ivories. The iTunes App Store model gives us a safe and easy means to get powerful programs at low prices. Rigidly enforced standards of aesthetics will ensure that the iPad remains an easy-to-navigate no-clutter zone. And since we're obligated to link our credit cards to Apple, micropayments are built in, providing traditional media companies with at least a hope of avoiding the poorhouse.

But there's also a lot to worry about. It's a pain to lug around an external keyboard, which many people will require if they're serious about banging out documents. Apple's system is closed in a way that the Mac (and even Windows) OS never was - all apps are cleared through Cupertino, and developers and publishers are a step removed from their users, who make transactions through the App Store.

That Apple-centric vision assures a nasty fight ahead. In particular, the iPad represents a head-butt to another bold new model for computing: Google's Chrome OS.

In some ways, Chrome is even more radical than the iPad. Spawn of a pure Internet company, it is itself pure Internet. While Apple wants to move computing to a curated environment where everything adheres to a carefully honed interface, Google believes that the operating system should be nearly invisible. Good-bye to files, client apps, and onboard storage - Chrome OS channels users directly into the cloud, with the confidence that the Web will soon provide everything from native-quality applications to printer drivers. Google hopes that a wave of Chrome-powered netbooks set for release this fall will hasten that day, and its designers are already sketching out the next generation of Chrome OS devices, including touchscreen tablets.

Google vice president Sundar Pichai contends that having an iTunes-like app store is unnecessary, because desktop software is just about dead. "In the past 10 years, we've seen almost no new major native applications," he says, ticking off the few exceptions: Skype, iTunes, Google Desktop, and the Firefox and Chrome browsers. "We are betting on the fact that all the user will need are advanced Web apps." (Pichai acknowledges that the Web can't currently handle powerful games but says that new technologies like Native Client and HTML5 will fix that problem.)

Though critics of Google worry about the company's power, Chrome OS is an open source system, and the Web apps Google encourages will, unlike Apple's, be available on any device or browser.

Apple won't talk on the record about Google's browser-centric approach, but Jobs did address the notion when I interviewed him about interfaces several years ago. "While we love the Web and we're going to have the best Web browser in the world, we do not want to make our UI look like a Web page," he said. "We think that's wrong." Clearly, he still thinks so. Apple favors the pristine orderliness of autocracy to the messy freedom of an open system.

While Google and Apple are each positioning themselves as pioneers of the next paradigm, Microsoft - the company that dominates the current one - has a more iterative approach. It's taking an evolutionary path that integrates the seismic changes in the digital world into its flagship products, without any jarring leaps. Three years back, Microsoft introduced Surface, a technology that lets people use their fingers and objects to interact with table-sized displays.

Incremental change, however, can ultimately mean no change. A decade ago, Microsoft came up with its own vision of a tablet computer. But the company tried to have it both ways: a new category of device that ran an old style of software - specifically, a modified version of Windows. The Tablet PC, introduced in 2002, was a flop. Meanwhile, advances from Microsoft's labs can approach bar mitzvah age before finding their way into products. Surface is the most exciting product out of Redmond in years, but the company has been shockingly timid in pushing it into the marketplace. Almost three years after it was announced, Surface is still a novelty in a few hotel lobbies and retail stores. Apple all but announced that the iPad could damage its own desktop and laptop business, but Microsoft never seems to put all its weight behind groundbreaking products - especially if success may come at the expense of its Windows and Office cash cows.

The miniaturization technology has come a long way.  From heavy, bulky computer gadgets, we have come to an age where everything has become handy.  The people of the new generation would take a glance back to see how the Tablet PC developed.  From super slow desktops to laptops, notebooks, netbooks to very handy and slim Tablet computers.

The flatness of this gadget seems to somehow suggest that there are certain patterns and trends in which a Tablet computer manufacturing company is pressured to ride on.  The super slim, ultra thin feature of the gadget from the ideas of Apple has descended all the way to the Far East like Compaq.  This industry is not yet totally dominating the computer market.  And although companies like Samsung and Apple are doing great in certain models in terms of sales and distribution, this doesn't mean that their products are the most visible in countries like the third world, which seem to always get the last hand in accessing cutting edge gadgets.

It is pretty clear now that in the near future, these companies will be expanding, and will absolutely need to strengthen their base or center of gravity if they want to have the edge in the tough competition. With Apple and Samsung smoothly on course, things can shift abruptly; nobody knows what's going to happen.  The only thing certain is that this industry would still be existing for a number of decades unless there's a new brilliant idea that would replace it.

Why Apple is still ahead of the pack

When Steve Jobs took to the stage in San Francisco last January to announce the iPad he presented the world with a device he called "magical". Apple fans were enraptured but the sceptics dismissed the new tablet computer as merely 'a big iPod touch'.

On the face of it, that's what the iPad is but to truly understand what makes it 'magical' you need to get your hands on one. It responds so perfectly to the touch that it really feels like you are moving objects around with your fingers. It's seamless; at no point do you sense the computer that sits underneath, drawing pixels in response to your touch. That's the real genius of the iPad - the way it feels - and it's clear from looking at some of the weaker tablet competitors that such responsiveness is no mean feat.

And this time around are many competitors. The iPad quickly surpassed expectations and by the end of the year Apple had sold almost 15 million iPads worldwide. It's no surprise that the competition wanted to get in on the act.

A year on from the launch of the iPad there are tablet computers everywhere. Toshiba, Asus and even Next - yes, the clothes people - have jumped into the tablet market.

The problem for the competition is that Apple is about to deliver a new iPad while many of them are on their first version. The new one is likely to be slimmer, lighter and faster than its predecessor and come with a camera too, for videoconferencing.

The new iPad will certainly raise the bar, perhaps only a little, but it will be a higher bar nonetheless. Carolina Milanesi, of analysts Gartner, said that Apple still leads the tablet market. "The experience that you get is a different experience," she said.

She added that the new iPad "will put more pressure on competitors".

What does the future hold? 

As we know, tablet may be the most datable theme recently. Lots of people believe that it may possibly replace pc. Even though tablet pc is really a super star who acquired much concern and expectations from people, it's just a little to show off before smart phones, since which have higher acceptance.

Currently, the newest smart phone has also used dual-core processor, so its configuration is without a doubt excellent as a tablet pc. Part of the customers believes that the improvement of tablet personal computers won't impact the samrtphones since the samrtphones are a lot more portable and would likely attract a lot more customers.

But, other people believe that tablet personal computers are the most crucial device for most customers. All the functions of a smart phone, except for communication, may be realized by a tablet pc. Consequently, a thin common smart phone with a tablet pc will be a good choice. 65% of consumers stated that they will no longer need any computing product excluding tablet personal computers. Even 37% customers believe that tablet pc has replaced samrtphones.

Therefore, what's the future of tablet personal computers?

Due to the essential distinction in portability and operation methods, we believe that tablet pc won't be a transitory device just like netbook computers. However, it'll grow to an equally essential product as notebook computers. But the problem is that just a few suppliers would likely make money from it and many suppliers definitely will exit the market. And from now, the actual winner is only Apple.

Even though the competition of tablet personal computers would likely let's recall the past times of competitions between Netbook computer and MP3, this time is quite distinctive from the prior. Because MP3 and Netbook computers mainly depends on their hardware and there will be no value-added services after the selling of hardware. While the essential of a tablet pc is actually that make the hardware slimmer and slimmer and more and more software. Remarkable user experience and abundant applications will require high technology and strong integration ability of industrial chain, which couldn't be imitated effortlessly by others.

From tablet Pc's to Ultrabooks

Laptops are a vast and complex category, and as such, there are subcategories (i.e. ultraportables, netbooks, desktop replacement) that the tech industry creates to differentiate the small from the large, thin from the fat, and weak from the powerful. It's like putting a plant or animal in its proper taxonomic rank.

Processor giant Intel has decided to rearrange the laptop landscape, so to speak. It has come up with a new category it calls "Ultrabooks," which it feels will be the most dominant type of laptop in the coming years. So the obvious question is: What is an Ultrabook?

First, let's be clear: Ultrabooks aren't a new breed of mutant laptops. Rather, they're part of an evolving category of incredibly thin and battery-efficient laptops that use low-voltage processors. For a while, they were categorized as "CULV" (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) laptops before Intel realized how terrible the name was from a marketing standpoint. Even the slicker ones, like the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (Thunderbolt) and Samsung Series 9, which were technically members of the CULV family, are now being considered part of the Ultrabook category. But are they Ultrabooks? According to Intel's Ultrabook tech specifications, not really.

What Makes an Ultrabook?

Intel has outlined what the Ultrabook specs are on its blog. The company says that the spec is still evolving, and it will carry out that evolution in phases. Some of the stricter guidelines include a low-voltage Intel Core processor, a frame no thicker than 21mm (0.83 inches), at least five hours of battery like, and lightning-fast boot times. The fast boot times will rely on an Intel technology called "Rapid Start," which makes use of flash storage embedded in the laptop's motherboard. It's an odd piece to this puzzle since Rapid Start has yet to ship in any laptops, so technically there aren't any Ultrabooks out there. The first Ultrabook that will purportedly ship with Rapid Start is the Asus UX21, which is slated for a September 2011 release.

Affordability

Affordable pricing is sort of an unspoken guideline and critical to the category's longevity. Intel would like prices for Ultrabooks to come in well below the $1,000 mark, which makes you wonder how the Apple Air 13-inch ($1,299) and Series 9 ($1,799) could be considered as such. The Asus UX21, the first official Ultrabook, is expected to ship for $999. Integrated batteries are also preferred by Intel since they don't elevate the laptop from the bottom or bulge from its back. And obviously, an optical drive is frowned upon because it promotes thickness.

Touch Screens Needed

Intel also expects touch screens to be an integral part of the Ultrabook spec, with all eyes on Windows 8 and how Microsoft's forthcoming operating system will drive this segment. Touch screens are perceived as a much later addition to the Ultrabook spec, since Windows 8 isn't expected to launch until later next year. By including touch, though, Intel is essentially anticipating that its Ultrabooks will be tablets as well, which might dilute the category.

Thunderbolt-That is the Question

Thunderbolt, a technology that can be found in Apple desktops and laptops, could be an Ultrabook spec in phase two or three of its roadmap, if Intel has its way. It's a high-speed transfer technology that's roughly 22 times the speed of USB 2.0 and can drive external displays as a mini-Displayport. Unfortunately, Thunderbolt is also in the early stages, and the lack of third-party Thunderbolt devices speaks to that sentiment.

Will Ultrabooks Last? 

The big question now is whether the term Ultrabooks will stick and play out in the way that netbooks and tablets revolutionized their respective categories. One thing you can count on is that Intel will not make the same mistake as it did with the CULV segment. Intel announced a $300 million dollar Ultrabook fund intended to help companies achieve this vision. The Ultrabook spec isn't merely a list of hardware requirements that Intel hopes its partners will follow. It's keen on delivering a great user experience as well, which is why the company has put together an army of anthropologists, experimental psychologists, and a Project-Runway-like design team to make all of this come to fruition. And with the amount of effort poured into this category, the CULV section might just be renamed to Ultrabooks.

Published in @Internet Magazine, September 2011]]>
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			<title>The world still thinks Americans are "coolest": Poll</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/248727/the-world-still-thinks-americans-are-coolest-poll</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/248727/the-world-still-thinks-americans-are-coolest-poll#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 09 Sep 11 09:35:30 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[American are the dudes who &quot;invented&quot; cool, who embody it in many fields -- from music to movies, TV to technology.]]>
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				<![CDATA[They may be witnessing their global superpower influence decline in the face of challenges from other emerging players on the world stage, but Americans have been voted the world's "coolest nationality" in an international poll.

Social networking site Badoo.com asked 30,000 people across 15 countries to name the coolest nationality and also found that the Spanish were considered the coolest Europeans, Brazilians the coolest Latin Americans and Belgians the globe's least cool nationality.

"We hear a lot in the media about anti-Americanism," says Lloyd Price, Badoo's Director of Marketing. "But we sometimes forget how many people across the world consider Americans seriously cool."

Of course, not all Americans are cool far from it. Some like Snoop Dogg, Lady Gaga, Samuel L. Jackson, Johnny Depp and Quentin Tarantino are way cooler than others.

Americans, however, are the dudes who invented cool and who still embody it in many fields from music to movies and TV to technology.

"America," says Price, "boasts the world's coolest leader, Obama; the coolest rappers, Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg; and the coolest man in technology, Steve Jobs of Apple, the man who even made geeks cool."

Brazilians are ranked the second coolest nationality in the Badoo poll and the coolest Latin Americans, ahead of Mexicans and Argentinians. The Spanish, in third place, are the coolest Europeans.

The French are voted cooler than the British, and Canadians cooler than the Belgians. This may come as a relief for Canadians, who are sometimes viewed as chronically uncool.

Or, as Michael Ignatieff, the Canadian politician, once put it: "Paris, Texas stands as a metaphor for broken dreams; Paris, Saskatchewan just sounds ridiculous."

THE 10 COOLEST NATIONALITIES FIVE LEAST COOLEST

1. Americans 1. Belgians

2. Brazilians 2. Poles

3. Spanish 3. Turks

4. Italians 4. Canadians

5. French 5. Germans

6. British

7. Dutch

8. Mexicans

9. Argentinians

10. Russians]]>
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			<title>Apple: Supporting cast steps into limelight</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/240771/apple-supporting-cast-steps-into-limelight</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/240771/apple-supporting-cast-steps-into-limelight#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Aug 11 12:42:31 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=240771</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[As Steve Jobs leaves the stage at Apple Inc, four of his top understudies are coming into the limelight.]]>
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				<![CDATA[As Steve Jobs leaves the stage at Apple Inc, four of his top understudies are coming into the limelight. Jobs has long been a larger than life figure inside and outside the company he co-founded, even though for years he was surrounded by superb talent who deserve at least some credit for runaway successes such as the iPad, iPhone and iPod. Enter newly minted CEO Tim Cook, design genius Jonathan Ive, mobile software guru Scott Forstall and product marketing maestro Phil Schiller. The quartet have stayed in the wings for years, operating in relative anonymity. But within the tightly knit Silicon Valley community, they have built formidable reputations in their fields. With Jobs’ departure, they now have an opportunity to take centre stage, former Apple executives and experts said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 28th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Steve Jobs resigns as CEO, named chairman</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/239188/steve-jobs-resigns-as-ceo-names-chairman</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/239188/steve-jobs-resigns-as-ceo-names-chairman#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 24 Aug 11 22:56:15 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=239188</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Jobs was on medical leave for an undisclosed condition since January 17, announces heir apparent Tim Cook as CEO.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Silicon Valley legend Steve Jobs on Wednesday resigned as chief executive of Apple Inc in a stunning move that ended his 14-year reign at the technology giant he co-founded in a garage.

Apple shares dived as much as 7 percent in after-hours trade after the pancreatic cancer survivor and industry icon, who has been on medical leave for an undisclosed condition since Jan. 17, announced he will be replaced by COO and longtime heir apparent Tim Cook.

Analysts do not expect Jobs' resignation -- which had long been foreseen -- to derail the company's fabled product-launch roadmap, including possibly a new iPhone in September and a third iteration of the iPad tablet in 2012.

"I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come," he said in a brief letter announcing his resignation.

The 55-year-old CEO had briefly emerged from his medical leave in March to unveil the latest version of the iPad and later to attend a dinner hosted by President Barack Obama for technology leaders in Silicon Valley.

Jobs' often-gaunt appearance has sparked questions about his health and his ability to continue at Apple.

"I will say to investors: don't panic and remain calm, it's the right thing to do. Steve will be chairman and Cook is CEO," said BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis.

Apple shares slid to $357.40 in extended trading after a brief halt. They had gained 0.7 percent to close at $376.18 on the Nasdaq.

Analysts again expressed confidence in the Apple bench, headed by longtime company No. 2 and supply-chain maven Cook.

"Investors are very comfortable with Tim Cook even though Jobs has been a driver of innovation and clearly an Apple success. Tim has shown Apple can still outperform extremely well when he's been acting as CEO," said Cross Research analyst Shannon Cross.

"I don't know if it's a health issue. I don't know if it is a shock. Most likely it was going to happen at some point. Why today versus another day? I don't know."]]>
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			<title>Retailers adrift as buyers shop in cyberspace</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/221555/retailers-adrift-as-buyers-shop-in-cyberspace</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/221555/retailers-adrift-as-buyers-shop-in-cyberspace#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 01 Aug 11 06:39:03 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[afp]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=221555</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Online shopping is costing thousands of jobs.]]>
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				<![CDATA[She wouldn’t call it an addiction, but Australian Emily Spencer has an online shopping habit and auction house eBay was her “gateway drug”.


Spencer, 27, made her first big online purchase in 2004 - spending Aus$140 on two bicycles “in varying states of decay” for her partner to do up. It was a revelation how good it felt to score a bargain.

“eBay was my online equivalent of a gateway drug,” said the Sydney graphic designer, who now shops almost exclusively on the Internet, even bulk-ordering rice crackers.

“I loathe shopping in the real world, particularly clothes shopping. I don’t have to worry about evading pesky shop assistants when I shop online.”

In the past two months, Spencer has spent Aus$640 ($690) online, more than the average Australian spends over the internet in a year, buying a printer, sunglasses, a water bottle, shoes, headphones and a shoulder bag.

For Australia’s embattled retail sector it’s a worrying trend: online shopping surged 13 per cent in 2010 to Aus$13.6 billion and almost half the sales went to offshore vendors, as buyers took advantage of the local dollar’s meteoric rise against the greenback.

Though still a small share of national retail sales - about 5.5 per cent - online trade is booming, according to a study published this week by PricewaterhouseCoopers which estimates sales will reach Aus$21.7 billion by 2015.

“In the last couple of years since the global financial crisis, frugality’s been the new black and people are looking for value,” said study author Stuart Harker.

Leaps in technology were the main driver of online sales, with more than 50 per `cent of Australians owning a smartphone and one-third shopping via a mobile or tablet device “anywhere at any time and buying anything they want”, he said.

Cyber advances had also meant more secure payment systems and streamlined supply chains which meant products would arrive from top markets the US, Britain and Asia within a week, giving consumers unprecedented confidence.

Australia’s largest department store Myer estimates Australians make online purchases worth up to Aus$24 billion annually, and it hopes to tap the lucrative market with the launch of its own foreign website, operating out of Hong Kong, later this year.

But the downside is the Internet boom is hitting “bricks and mortar” stores, with growth in Australian retail spending dropping to levels last seen during the global downturn and no real consumption growth in the past three years.

Top-end department store David Jones rattled the market in July with a drastic profit downgrade, warning of a major slump in sales, and central bank governor Glenn Stevens has cautioned the days of rampant consumption are over.

At least 10 major retail chains have been placed in receivership in the past two years and others, forced to slash prices, have closed stores, while the National Retail Association estimates online shopping has cost 2,000 jobs.

With consumer sentiment sagging 8.3 per cent in July and high inflation raising the prospect of an interest rate hike, cautious Australians are now saving about 11 percent of their income.

“They’re not buying more televisions, they’re buying other things,” said senior ANZ economist Julie Toth, pointing to entertainment, health and travel.

Spencer said it was “only a matter of time” before the old ways of shopping were a novelty and online purchases were king, with an infinitely wider range, lower costs and the convenience and comfort of never having to leave the house.

“What I could spend half a day or more looking for in shops I could find in less than 10 minutes online,” she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 1st, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Mr know it all</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/213786/mr-know-it-all-8</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/213786/mr-know-it-all-8#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 24 Jul 11 09:18:40 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=213786</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Tell your friends you’re suffering from some severe ailment that’s transferable through specks of saliva in your food.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Q. Dear Mr Know It All

My husband knows nothing about computers. Despite this, he claims he knows it all. The last time I had an issue with my laptop, he insisted on messing around with it, and I lost half my files. This time, I’m having another problem with my laptop, and I know as soon as I mention it he’ll demand that he fix it. I don’t want to say no because he gets terribly offended when I suggest that he isn’t the reincarnation of Steve Jobs. How can I rid him of his Mr-Fix-A-Lot fixation without hurting his feelings?

Clueless

A. First of all, please take the thing you said about Steve Jobs back. The guy may be a genius, but he’s a bigger douche bag (I’m not the only one who thinks so … there’s a Facebook group dedicated to his douche-baggery!) and comparing your husband—the man who loves you enough want to fix your things for you—to him is just plain wrong and might even require a bit of repentance! Now, coming back to the point in conversation, you have to remember that almost every man is guilty of a little misunderstood crime called ‘trying to impress women.’ When we’re dating, we tend to overspend; when we’re married, we offer to fix things for you. It may sound silly, but it’s our small way of showing you we’ll protect you and make things alright … since you don’t appreciate that, may I suggest something as erratic as NOT going to your husband with every little problem you have? Surely a 21st century strong, independent woman like yourself knows the directions to the repair shop?

Remember though, you may succeed in taking the man out of the DIY, but you can never take the DIY out of the man. So have a heart, be a good wife, and keep finding broken things around the house to feed your man’s appetite for fixing them … just like the cavewoman whose husband went on to make the wheel when he was actually just trying to fix her food processor!

Q. Dear Mr Know It All

We’re a group of three happily married girlfriends who like to get together and dine out once a week to just keep in touch, relax and catch up on each other’s lives, something we would never have the time to do otherwise. My problem is this:  both my friends subconsciously pick food off my plate when we’re eating and it drives me absolutely crazy! I think it’s very rude, especially when they order salads and then eat half my food too. How can I tell them to lay off without sounding condescending?

Territorial

A. Let me reemphasise one of life’s most important rules: thou shalt not, nor let others, creep around your neighbour’s plate for it is rude, unhygienic and unforgivably primitive!

You should tell your friends you’re suffering from some sort of a severe ailment that’s transferable through the specks of saliva in your food. That should keep them forks away … If for some sadistic reason it doesn’t, however, than I’m afraid you’ll have to get over your fear of sounding snobby and lay the issue on them! I happen to know a lot of people who suffer from the wild fork disorder, but all my close friends now know better than to dig into my plate because I’ve told them I might love them enough to drive them to the hospital after beating them up for touching my plate, for instance, but I’m still not crazy about tasting their saliva. It’s as simple as that! Besides, you never know when you might have to dine with the Queen. You gotta prepare!

Q. Dear Mr Know It All

I ran away with my guy at the beginning of this month. I came back to my folks within 10 days because I was feeling guilty about what I’d done. My parents consider my guy and his family really bad because he lives in Kashmir. He even sent a proposal for me after this incident. My dad told me that it was all up to me, that it was my decision. But the problem is that if I say yes to him, my dad will totally cut me off from my family after I marry him. If I say no, my life will be empty internally. So I just stayed quiet. My sisters have seen him and consider him a loving and caring guy but they can’t help me out. I am confused. Don’t know what to do…

On the fence

A. I’m trying really hard to see what I would have done in a situation like this, but I can’t. You know why? Because running away from home is a stupid, stupid thing to do and it isn’t even remotely romantic in the real world which, believe it or not, doesn’t bear any similarities whatsoever to what you and I grew up watching in Indian movies in the 90s.

You’re lucky your parents have taken you back in despite their stubbornness, and believe me you couldn’t thank them enough for doing so. Call it holier-than-thouism if you must, but our society is light-years away from fully letting kids make their own day-to-day decisions, let alone elope and then expect a warm round of heartfelt blessings from the family.

By running away instead of facing the challenge, you’ve both literally shredded to pieces all the respect your parents might have had for you. Salvaging that confidence will be hard work, but like I always say, there’s nothing in the world that can’t be done if there’s a clear mind and an open discussion involved!

First of all you’ll have to stop feeling sorry for yourself. To have loved someone so passionately and then having to watch that very love slip out of your hands must feel awful, but just like the most excruciating of physical pains, emotional pain fades out with time. Remember that. Along with the fact that this is not going to kill you or make your life empty. That’s just the depression talking, which you yourself will have to overcome if you want to stir this tragedy into the right direction.

Have you considered asking your parents what it is about being a Kashmiri that is so “bad” to begin with? Does he have a training-camp inspired beard that they don’t like? Does he not have a proper job? Or is there a khala ka beta in the picture somewhere who they’ve taken a fancy to instead? What are they so worried about? Involve your sisters in the picture and make them sing songs (not literally, obviously) about the guy’s loving and caring nature. Siblings don’t get to sit and enjoy the drama without playing a part in these sticky situations … What I’m saying is, if this guy’s really that important to you, I think it’s time for you to get over your qualms about losing the family and have a serious three-way discussion with your parents. Talk, talk and talk. Answer these and a hundred other questions that they might have before expecting them to open up to the possibility of letting you two be.

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, July 24th,  2011.]]>
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			<title>Pixar’s silver jubilee</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/201707/pixar%e2%80%99s-silver-jubilee</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/201707/pixar%e2%80%99s-silver-jubilee#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 03 Jul 11 16:55:12 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[afp]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=201707</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The philosophy and strategy behind the animation pioneer’s massive success.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pixar, a pioneer of computer animation that has made a dozen profitable feature films which has become one of the most successful studios on the planet, is celebrating its 25th birthday.


Created in the early 1980s as George Lucas’s computer graphics division, the company took off after it was purchased by Apple founder, Steve Jobs, in 1986 and was christened “Pixar.” That year, heroes of Pixar’s first film Luxo Jr - the hopping desk lamp and ball - lit the way toward a new generation of features entirely composed of computer graphics.

“The combination of changing technology and artistic creation gave something that had never been done before,” said Ed Catmull, president of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. “The movie-telling was an extension of creative technology.”

He compares the company’s emergence to the advent of Disney, which showed  the potential of cartoons to the previous generation and ended up purchasing Pixar in 2006. “It’s like the early days of Disney, when filmmaking was brand new and animation was brand new, it was a technical revolution,” said Catmull.

In 1995, Pixar scored big with Toy Story - the first feature-length film composed entirely of computer-generated graphics. The animated feature, tracing the adventures of a toy cowboy and a spaceman, dazzled viewers and critics alike, bringing in more than $350 million worldwide.

“Toy Story was the first Computer Graphics film where the audience was no longer aware that they were watching computer-generated images, they just wanted to know what happens to Woody and Buzz Lightyear,” said Tom Sito, a former Disney and Dreamworks animator.

He added that Pixar adopted a system of building a top-quality technical engineering division and a top quality creative team, and kept their duties separate. The strategy paid off, as Pixar cranked out a string of hits, including two more Toy Story installments, Monsters, Inc, Finding Nemo, Cars, Ratatouille, Wall-E, and Up. The movies have raked in some $6.5 billion and 26 Academy awards, taking their place alongside Disney’s library of classic family films.

Meanwhile, Catmull said Pixar’s success is less a matter of perfection and more of relentless self-criticism. “We had some projects in which we realised that they were not working, so we threw away what we got and restarted.”  He further added that they also had failures which never got released.

“Sometimes people confuse the goal of making a film with making a great film,” he said adding that the goal is not just to make a film but to make a film that actually connects with people.

List of Pixar’s greatest hits

Toy Story (1995)

A Bug’s Life (1998)

Toy Story 2 (1999)

Monsters, Inc (2001)

Finding Nemo (2003)

The Incredibles (2004)

Cars (2006)

Ratatouille (2007)

Wall-E (2008)

Up (2009)

Toy Story 3 (2010)

Cars 2 (2011)

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Kick-starting the great engine : Could Silicon Valley be ‘Made in Pakistan’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/164691/kick-starting-the-great-engine-could-silicon-valley-be-%e2%80%98made-in-pakistan%e2%80%99</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/164691/kick-starting-the-great-engine-could-silicon-valley-be-%e2%80%98made-in-pakistan%e2%80%99#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 08 May 11 20:08:38 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[muhammad.shafqat]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=164691</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Instead of jumping onto an overambitious mode we  need to capitalise on our existing strengths.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Palo Alto is a rustic California county, once commonly known as the Valley of Heart’s Delight for its apricots and apples, was transformed by a pipe dream of single visionary Leland Stanford into the birth-place of cutting edge technologies. Silicon valley now makes up the world’s 8th largest economy in the world, home to some of the most valuable companies like Apple, Microsoft, HP, Intel and more. It has been the benchmark for countries when it comes to cluster development for IT, manufacturing and idea creation. Its success has led to the creating of nearly two dozen valleys across the globe from Cambridge to Bangalore. Physics of cluster-development has become the new  and pivotal science in economic policy-making. Though a fascinating venture and high-return investment the mere seeding of clusters and their germination requires a delicate balance of ingredients, blended in natural local recipes, the right environment and an enterprising cook.


Then the million-dollar question arises: could a country like Pakistan having a strategic location, abundant human and natural resources and a sizable diaspora conceive a ‘home-grown’ Silicon Valley? The answer might be ‘yes’ and ‘no’, depending on many factors. We might not have the right set of skilled workforce for high-tech clusters to emulate Bangalore, but that’s the point, others recipes don’t work when it comes to cluster development.

A change of strategy is in order. Instead of jumping onto an overambitious mode we  need to capitalise on our existing strengths. Pakistan has already built pseudo-clusters all across its spine from IT and services in Karachi, automotive manufacturing at Port Qasim, agri-textile in Faisalabad, education in Lahore, sports and surgical equipment in Sialkot, small engineering in Gujranwala, heavy industries at Wah and even light weapons manufacturing at Landikotal. These are scattered strengths, each brewing with enormous potential this is where the focus should lie. These places already have the desired skill sets, resources and environment to foster respective strengths. So the next step is the relationship between industry and university research. A single resourceful and vibrant university is enough to trigger the whole transmutation process in its larger locality; the existence of Silicon Valley is because of the knowledge spill-over by the students and researchers of Stanford University. Pakistan possesses such institutions in business, engineering and applied sciences that if properly  networked could produce a potent mix. What’s needed in each of them is a visionary like Frederick Terman, who transformed Stanford from an unknown county college into a world-class centre of thinking and excellence. This process takes decades but it can be fast-forwarded if the right person or persons take the first step to inspire and lead.

An American sophomore dreams of becoming the next Steve Jobs. And we need similar local personalities that our youth can aspire to.

Then comes the question of environment; yes there are problems and it’s not perfect for new businesses but again’ the world isn’t perfect either. Japan has all the technology but no natural resources, Australia has immense natural resources but no manpower, Iran has all the natural resources and manpower but no finance! And here it goes like; we are in the state of war and it’s not sane to open new ventures? We have enormous resources in water, minerals and human, they have none. We have strategic location and trade linkages with neighbours, they exist in total isolation. Thus Pakistan is still a blessed and resourceful land; it’s just that we’ve developed a national habit of complaining and feeling sorry for ourselves.

Even if the Planning Commission comes up with the best home-grown recipe, it boils down to master chef and we haven’t done well in that department. And the reason for that is undue bureaucratic intrusions. This does not encourage competition or growth and has to stop, for us to take our first step forward.

The writer is a policy consultant at the Planning Commission of Pakistan, devising the Innovation Strategy for New Growth Framework

Published in The Express Tribune, May 9th, 2011.

&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Icandy</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/157833/icandy</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/157833/icandy#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 03 May 11 12:40:10 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[shahzad.raza]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=157833</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[All genuine customers queue up outside the stores many, many hours before the official opening hour.]]>
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				<![CDATA[It is a cold and windy morning. Roy arrives at the Apple Store at 5:00 am, hoping against hope that he’ll be the first person in the queue. But more than 25 iPad fanatics already standing patiently in line vanquish his dreams as soon as he turns onto Washington DC’s Wisconsin Avenue, where the city’s Apple store is located. Later, he learns that the first person in the queue arrived at 1 o’clock in the morning.

Of course, such fanaticism is hardly unusual when it come to Apple products. But it is another thing to witness the amazing dedication of Apple consumers firsthand.

Roy is not the only person who waited in line for over five hours that day, only to hear that the coveted second-generation iPads had been sold out to the people ahead of him. This happened because Apple stores, according to policy, sell a maximum of two iPads per customer.

This is probably part of a larger, and very fascinating, scheme to handle Apple-hungry fans. When you’re standing in line for hours and hours, you get to observe the minutiae of the behaviour of store employees and Apple fanatics — and this is how it goes.

All genuine or sham customers (more on this breed later) queue up outside the stores many, many hours before the official opening hour, usually 9:00 am.  At 7:30 am, a couple of sales reps appear to announce the specific models they have in stock and will sell that day. At 8:30 am they make their second appearance — this time with a pack of coupons.

Now, these coupons are a whole story unto themselves. In a scene that conjures up visions of Soviet–era food rationing, Apple reps start distributing the coupons starting from the first person in the queue while the rest wait and look on with pounding hearts. The sales reps do not demand any money or identification in exchange for the coupons. Anyone in the queue can get two coupons upon his/her turn.

“If you’re among the first 25 people in the queue, you have a good chance of getting one [iPad]. But you probably won’t get the model you want,” comments Roy, once again counting the number of people ahead of him.

Gossip is the preferred way to pass time in the queue, and rumours about who will get what are rife. Chris, another iPad fan, has a different but rather superficial formula to gauge his prospects. He believes anyone in the “safe zone” — a 20-metre red-brick walkway near the Apple Store — will get the iPad.

The queue comprises people of every age. A woman in her late fifties rocks back and forth patiently, she wants the iPad for her daughter. But she’s way back in the queue, and I doubt she’ll get her hands on it. Senior citizens do not enjoy any special privileges outside Apple stores, it seems.

As for me, I arrived at the store at around 5:00 am and got the 23rd place. By the time Apple sales reps start distributing coupons, I have more than 60 people waiting behind me.

It’s a long and monotonous wait on a chilly DC morning. The icy wind freezes the tips of our noses and earlobes. Everyone is wrapped up in multiple layers of clothing. Some people have laptops and smart phones to play with. Some are reading books. A few have brought their own folding chairs. A guy covering himself with a brown blanket is taking a nap. A bunch of Chinese guys who are standing way ahead in the queue look excited, and seem to be carrying out their own spy mission. One of them is assigned to move around and bring the rest of the group members latest updates from the queue. Indifferent of what is going on outside, a security guard inside the store is playing with his own cell phone.

Sometime soon after the sun comes up, I notice that a puffy-faced man with a big nose is among the first five customers in the queue. “Bloody hell, here he is again,” says a young man standing near me, referring to the man with the big nose. “I don’t like him. He was in the front yesterday too. He’s a scalper.”

The young man then proceeded to tell me the story of how he had failed to procure an iPad the previous day. According to him, the couple of black (African-American for the politically correct) guys standing somewhere at the 10th spot were homeless people. Each of them would get two coupons and sell them to latecomers at a high price. “That (puffy-faced) man and his girlfriend got four coupons yesterday and sold, like, at least three. He was asking for $100 for each coupon,” the young man reveals.

Earning $300 in five hours seems pretty decent. Who knew how many times the puffy-faced man would try his luck again? And he was certainly not the only sham customer creating that tiny short-term black market: There are two kinds of sham customers — scalpers and those who just keep your place. The scalpers buy the product to sell later at inflated prices. The homeless people who wait in line just sell the coupons to latecomers.

At 7:00 am several customers leave the queue, and I think they were disheartened or had lost the energy to wait. I was wrong — turns out they just wanted coffee from the Starbucks down the road which had just opened its doors. But before leaving, they made sure to install someone to guard their spots in their absence.

Nearly one month after its launch, the gap between the demand for and supply of the iPad-2 is getting slimmer. The magic tablet was launched in America on March 11. The scenes outside Apple stores then were reminiscent of those in April 2010 when the first generation iPad hit the market.

March 11 was an interesting day in the West Coast city of San Francisco. Apple CEO Steve Jobs made his first public appearance after two months to unveil the tablet — Jobs had stepped away from Apple in January to take an indefinite medical leave. “We’ve been working on this product for a while, and I didn’t want to miss it,” Jobs said at the outset of his speech.

Interestingly, Apple retained the prices of 2010’s iPad. The Wi-Fi versions start at $499 for a 16 GB model and climb to $699 for a 64 GB configuration, while the 3G iPads are priced from $629 to $829. The new iPad is slimmer, lighter, faster and brighter than its older brother. It includes a new dual-core processor and a pair of cameras.

The first iPad, which went on sale a year ago, sold 500,000 units in the first week and crossed the 1 million unit mark in 28 days. Nearly 15 million iPads were sold in nine months in 2010, two or three times as many as analysts had predicted. Analysts expect the company to sell 30 million or more this year, generating close to $20 billion in sales, even as other companies launch their own devices. Steve Jobs said the company was “working hard to build enough iPads for everyone” as the company struggled to meet US demand. Despite Jobs’ assurance, the first month after the launch happens to be nightmarish for customers.

Coming back to that little store in DC — it is now 7:30 am and is just about time for Apple’s sales rep to come out to give a quick update about the availability of iPad-2 models. Early birds will certainly get the model of their choice. Latecomers will either strike deals with scalpers or go back home empty handed. Finally, dressed in official blue t-shirts and khaki trousers, the sales representatives appears and announces they have iPads of five different specifications out of a total of nine. They will now finally come out with coupons at 8:30 am.

By this time, the guy behind me was busy assuring himself that he’d get one. He wanted a 32 GB iPad. Right in front of the Apple store a street sign read ‘Prospect-3200’. “I am not a superstitious person, but look at the street’s name. Prospect 3200,” he jokes.

Finally, the wait ends. At 8:30 am the sales reps appear again. All eyes are fixed on that pack of coupons. The reps distribute the coupons within 20 minutes, and true to Roy’s predictions, a man standing at 26th place is the last one to receive a coupon. The puffy-faced man gets two coupons, his girlfriend gets two coupons and the two homeless people get two coupons each. As it turns out, the guy behind me doesn’t have great prospects. When his turn comes, only 16 GB iPads are available. But he quickly takes the coupon anyway, saying even 16 GB is enough memory for him.

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, May 1st, 2011]]>
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			<title>Why I want an iPad 2</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/134468/why-i-want-an-ipad-2</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/134468/why-i-want-an-ipad-2#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 23 Mar 11 09:29:38 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[mohammad.khanani]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=134468</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Lets Face it: Apple products are in style. Having the iPad 2 is much cooler then having the Xoom.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Numerous new tablets are set to launch in the next few weeks alongside the iPad 2 and many are confident these will outsell the iPad 2. This is a common notion but this time, as with most of their devices, Apple has a few tricks up their sleeves:

It’s apple

Face it. There are millions of (rich) people who are die hard Apple fans and nothing can change their mind. These fans will flock to Apple stores in millions to pick up the iPad 2 on launch day. The only justification they need to buy a device is the Apple logo and thus better specs aren’t going to make them change their mind.

It’s simple and gets the job done

Most users of tablets just want the tablet to get the work done. They have no desire to customise the device. They want it for music, movies, internet browsing and basic work options and the iPad does these best. When you can get everything you need without going through any hassle then why look any other way ?

It’s not far behind

People have a common complaint that the iPad 2 isn’t as powerful as the competition. There are only a few devices that are more powerful than the iPad 2 and they won’t be coming out till the summer. The Xoom, Tab 10 and Flyer only have better cameras. The Processors are equally powerful, and resolutions are the same. Only the Flyer has a higher pixel density screen as the screen is smaller in size. The iPad 2 does lack a micro SD slot but if you need memory buy the 64 GB version as no other tablet allows you to have more memory than that even with a memory card installed (32GB built-in 32GB card).

Its where the apps are

People say the Android has sooo many apps. But those apps are for smartphones. Android currently has less than 100 Tablet Optimized apps while Apple has more then 10000. So if you want apps or games there is no option better then the iPad.

It’s cheap

You don’t get to say this often but the iPad is cheap compared to its competition. The iPad starts at $500 while the Xoom starts at $600 though the $600 edition won’t be available till the summer. For now, you can only get the $800 edition. And most other tablets will also be in the $700-$900 price range. So if you are on a tight budget and want a high end tablet, you don’t have any other choice.

It has accessories

You get more than 100,000 different cases for the iPhone. If you want a case of any sports team, band or country you’ll find it for an Apple product. People who enjoy modding the looks of their device will surely buy the iPad 2.

The software works

This is a very temporary reason but can prove to be very crucial. Android’s Honeycomb software is very buggy and many users are frustrated. Honeycomb is getting a lot of bad press and people are staying away from it. So until Google fixes its software, the iPad 2 is the choice for people who don’t want a buggy device.

It’s fashionable

Lets Face it: Apple products are in style. Having the iPad 2 is much cooler then having the Xoom. This will affect many people’s choices; primarily female users. Just ask yourself, what’s cooler, having an iPhone 4 or an HTC (High-Tech Corporation) Desire HD ?

It’s tried and tested

Android tablets have still not been tested properly and the Galaxy Tab, the only high-end Android tablet available for more than a month, has had mixed reviews. So anyone who is not fond of risks and wants a safe bet would much rather go for the iPad which has been around for a year and has been loved by millions.

Steve jobs unveiled it

When Steve Jobs went on medical leave many thought that his career with Apple was finally over and that he would not return. Many even thought that with Steve Jobs gone, Apple would lose that touch of innovation that has always been their key to success. But this old, sick, unhealthy man did not forget his fans and Apple loyalists and showed up at the iPad 2 launch and unveiled the device himself. This not only inspired many people to pre-order the iPad 2 but also affirmed that the iPad 2 was blessed by Steve Jobs, the man who has changed technology forever. Also with Steve Jobs’s days numbered, many feel this is one of the last great devices that will come from Apple and Apple fans wont miss the opportunity to own it.

While Apple may see a fall in its current market share, no other single tablet will be able to rake up mire sales than the iPad 2 even if they use a Samsung style strategy of releasing their tablet on virtually every network in the world.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Spare change</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/134464/spare-change</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/134464/spare-change#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 23 Mar 11 09:24:49 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ayesha.siddiqi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=134464</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[I have a very clear recollection of the moment I became aware of the ‘wrongness’ of begging.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Most prejudices, such as those against skin  colour, class, or profession, are formed slowly over a period of time. You can rarely remember when you began to form certain prejudices, and for this reason many prejudices are perceived by their holder to be perfectly logical. Many would argue that the immorality of begging is clear and unquestionable, and our contempt for those who beg lies on a firm foundation of reason.

I have a very clear recollection of the moment I became aware of the ‘wrongness’ of begging. My grandmother and I were in the backseat of our car when we stopped at a traffic light and an old woman tapped at the window, asking for money. In her arms she held a sleeping infant. My grandmother turned sharply towards her: “Why don’t you work for money?” she said. “Come home with me now and I’ll give you a job and a salary.” The woman smiled a helpless, apologetic smile.

The realisation that this woman did not want to work hit me like a thunderbolt. She wanted our money for free, I thought in shock. The idea that my grandmother was bluffing skimmed my mind briefly — after all, she already had servants and even if she didn’t she wouldn’t pick someone up from the streets like this. Still, despite having no knowledge of the beggar woman’s past or her personal situation, I declared her in my mind to be lazy and stupid. Over the years I honed and polished my arguments. Giving to beggars would perpetuate the culture of begging, and encourage those criminals that maimed young children and sent them to the streets. The money would end up being spent on drugs, and would only discourage the beggars further from finding ‘real work’. By withholding my money from them, I was asserting my opinions and helping society. Also, one could not ignore the sheer inconvenience of it. Men and women walking on the streets making nuisances of themselves: entreating and beseeching; displaying festering sores and broken limbs; carrying thirsty and heat-exhausted babies. No, I would have no part in encouraging this.

With ideas like these in mind, we can dismiss the people who come rapping on our car windows, and feel a very definite thrill of morality. If we were to examine our ideas, they would crumble like dust.

The most prevalent of the feel-good myths is the one about making a statement by refusing money to beggars: if nobody gave them money they would be forced to find other means of income. However, it is ludicrous to imagine that money withheld from begging hands is a step towards the fight against homelessness and unemployment. It is the same logic as that of the inverse gesture: feeling a flush of virtue from giving a hungry man a loaf of bread and believing that in so doing you are fighting famine. The truth is that our petty and occasional donations to beggars do not sustain begging culture. It is poverty that sustains begging culture. Until our nation is lifted out of poverty, there will be people who will beg for money. Our actions actually serve to aggravate rather than remedy the situation because, by confusing the symptoms for the disease, we are missing the real aim: to reconstruct society in a way as to eliminate poverty.

It is also said that beggars do not work, but one should think over this a few minutes. Braving the city streets on one’s feet all day in the pursuit of money could be considered harder work than, for example, adding up figures on an Excel spreadsheet in an air-conditioned office cubicle. George Orwell, in his wonderful short essay on this topic, describes begging as, “a trade like any other; quite useless, of course — but then many reputable trades are quite useless.” Orwell believes that the only thing that society respects when it comes to work is profitability and our reason for despising beggars is the fact that they don’t earn sufficient money.

It is certainly true that when one talks of a ‘successful man’, he is usually one who makes a great deal of money. Yet, respectability is associated with profitability only to a certain degree. The starving poet, for example, may be accorded a great deal of respect by society. Also, in the case of our attitudes towards the Pakistani woman, there is a kind of snobbery associated with the unemployed. Many people don’t like the idea of their wives and daughters not working. There must be more to our disgust of the begging profession than what Orwell proposes.

We tell ourselves that beggars are a drain on society. But it is strange really, to imagine their meager earnings ‘draining’ our wealth, especially since a small minority of the population — industrialists, landowners and politicians — are, in reality, benefactors of a large proportion of total money earned in Pakistan. Much of their money is spent abroad or sealed in bank accounts, and could therefore be described more accurately as a drain.

Then there are the ordinary working men and women, upon whom both the exorbitantly wealthy and the street beggars are dependent. Working hard for our daily bread, the idea of a person demanding money from us for no services rendered is offensive to our sense of self. Robert Louis Stevenson in his essay, ‘An Apology for Idlers’ sums it up like this,

“It is a sore thing to have laboured along and scaled the arduous hilltops, and when all is done, find humanity indifferent to your achievement. Hence, physicists condemn the unphysical … literary people despise the unlettered; and people of all pursuits combine to disparage those who have none.”

It is not rare to question our jobs, to wonder whether we really are happy and it becomes necessary to tell ourselves that what we are doing has worth and meaning, that there is an ultimate cause that we are striving towards. It helps to have a society that reinforces and reflects our worth back onto us. So perhaps, as Stevenson hints, those that beg for money are, in their very action, demeaning the employed. By ignoring the tapping on that window, we may be trying to ignore other tappings in deeper and darker places.

It is human instinct to classify things into good and bad, hero and villain. Certain people — prostitutes, thieves, and beggars — are ‘bad’: undeserving of our respect or compassion. We remove ourselves from these people and dehumanise those that we villianise. “When one has consorted with them, and found that they are ordinary human beings,” Orwell says of beggars, “one cannot help being struck by the curious attitude that society takes towards them.”

Before deciding to cast stones, it is imperative to question the distinctions that we make all too readily. In other words, we must look in the mirror. There is an old Buddhist proverb that tells us, “If you throw a stick to a dog he will run after it unthinkingly. If you throw it to a lion, he will turn around to see where it came from.” In the times we live, of intolerance, value judgments and of a pervasive and growing selfishness, it is important to sit still for a moment and stop chasing sticks.

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, March 20th, 2011.

&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Apple's Jobs puts on lively iPad 2 show</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/126830/apples-jobs-puts-on-lively-ipad-2-show</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/126830/apples-jobs-puts-on-lively-ipad-2-show#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 03 Mar 11 07:05:08 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=126830</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Steve Jobs takes centerstage to show off iPad 2 which is twice as fast as iPad, thinner and ships this month.]]>
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				<![CDATA[A thin but energetic Steve Jobs made a surprise return to the spotlight on Wednesday, taking the stage to unveil Apple Inc's new iPad and drawing a standing ovation.

The Silicon Valley legend has been out on medical leave since late January and his reappearance, in trademark turtleneck and jeans, bolstered Apple shares and reassured investors and fans worried about his health.

Defying speculation in some tabloid reports that he was seriously ailing, Jobs took swipes at rivals and mocked competing tablet computers. Striding back and forth across the stage at the Yerba Buena Center, Jobs spoke passionately about the iPad 2's features as No. 2 and heir apparent Tim Cook looked on.

The $499 device is thinner than the iPhone 4, twice as fast as the last tablet, camera-equipped, and ships March 11 in the United States and March 25 in 26 more countries. The surprisingly fast roll-out highlights the fierce competition in the tablet market.

"We've been working on this product for a while and I just didn't want to miss today," Jobs told a packed auditorium in San Francisco with his characteristic flair and energy.

A relaxed-looking Jobs lingered near the theater stage for more than 20 minutes after the show wrapped up, chatting amiably with acquaintances and Apple employees.

In the run-up to the event, there had been almost as much speculation about whether Jobs would appear as there was about the device itself.

Jobs, who has been treated for a rare form of pancreatic cancer, remains on medical leave for an undisclosed condition. An Apple spokesman referred questions about his medical leave back to Jobs' statement in January that he planned to remain involved in major strategic decisions for the company.

His appearance on Wednesday comes at a critical moment. Apple is launching the next generation of its ground-breaking tablet computer just as its main adversaries are releasing their first such devices.

"Steve Jobs is the most important asset for Apple without a doubt and that's why investors are so curious about whether he will remain and continue to have an impact," said Robert Lutts, chief investment officer at Cabot Money Management.

"The stock went up after his appearance but not as much as it normally would if Apple had a fully healthy CEO."

iPad 2 arrives next week

The iPad 2 goes on sale at AT&amp;T Inc and Verizon Wireless, and at $499 is about $100 cheaper than Motorola Mobility's Xoom. Its shares slid 4 per cent.

Avian Securities analyst Matthew Thornton said Motorola investors were concerned by both its earlier-than-expected release and its still-aggressive pricing.

"The hardware is as good as anything on the market, the price is still very aggressive, and the software just buries the competition," said Gartner analyst Van Baker. "They're still the guys to beat by a large margin."

"This does serious damage to the competitors in the market. Xoom now looks like an extraordinarily expensive tablet, and the HP tablet looks under-featured."

Apple sold nearly 15 million iPads in nine months of 2010, two or three times as many as analysts had predicted. The company is expected to sell 30 million or more this year, which would generate close to $20 billion in sales.

That is despite a growing cast of competitors like Motorola, Research in Motion and Hewlett-Packard Co.

Shares of Cupertino, California-based Apple were up 1.2 per cent at $353.44 on Nasdaq late Wednesday afternoon.

"It's pretty positive. It's definitely a sign that he's in good enough health," said Vijay Rakesh at Sterne Agee.

Tablets are seen as a must-have device for consumers and many businesses over the next few years. Analysts expect the market to surge to more than 50 million units this year, and 200 million units by 2015.

As in the smartphone market, Apple's chief rival is expected to be Google Inc's Android platform, which is free to license and is being used on a number of tablets.

The iPad, along with the iPhone, is expected to fuel Apple's growth over the next several years. The two product lines already make up more than half the company's revenue.

Apple's products tend to be priced at a premium to its rivals, but the iPad has been priced aggressively low versus the competition, both to dominate the market and because the company can leverage its own retail network and pre-bought manufacturing capacity.

That has pinched the company's margins, a problem Apple seems happy to live with if the tablet can deliver such startling growth.

A longer-term problem might be the question of who might replace Jobs were he to step down -- Cook is the favorite for the top job and has been running Apple in his boss's absence.

But for now, concerns that Jobs might have to exit -- stirred by sensationalist and unsubstantiated tabloid reports -- appear to be allayed by Wednesday's proceedings.

"Investors know his illness is pretty serious, but it's comforting to know that while he's in his supposed leave of absence, he's still involved," said Capital Advisors Growth Fund co-manager Channing Smith. "The new product looks good and the key is they continue to innovate, which is what we want to watch rather than looking at Steve Jobs."

Apple shares rose 0.8 per cent to close at $352.12 on Nasdaq. It held steady in after-hours trade.]]>
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			<title>10 things I hate about the internet</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/113164/10-things-i-hate-about-the-internet</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/113164/10-things-i-hate-about-the-internet#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 09 Feb 11 10:15:51 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[nadir.hassan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=113164</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Try and write something satirical. Then sit back and wait for everyone to take you literally.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[1.  Steve Jobs. Think of the most preening know-it-all you have ever encountered. Say, Pervez Musharraf. Now imagine if he was always right.

2. The constant reminder of my immaturity. As a pimply 14-year-old, you probably thought your lovelorn poetry deserved a wider audience. As a college freshman, you fancied yourself an astute political analyst. Congratulations, your ramblings are only a Google search (probably to be conducted by a prospective employer) away.

3. Fan boys and early adopters. Before the advent of the internet, it used to be easy to ignore those who claimed to love bands before they hit it big. No matter how hard you try, Linux scolds are impossible to tune out.

4. Online commenters. If people who write on the internet are the pond scum of humanity, those who leave comments on their posts are the algae.

5. The death of irony. Try and write something satirical. Then sit back and wait for everyone to take you literally. Irony has now been replaced by sarcasm. And as Neil Patrick Harris one said, “Sarcasm, how original.”

6.  Buffering. The internet is supposed to be all about instant gratification. Why, then, do I have to wait four hours for songs to load on YouTube? I want to spend my entire workday pretending I’m doing something other than listening to Bruce Springsteen, not just half.

7. Websites that use Flash. When I go to a restaurant’s website, I want to see an address, a menu and a phone number for reservations. Making me wait five minutes while a rabbit in a top hat dances across the screen isn’t going to help your business.

8. It’s yet another way to measure your self-worth. There is nothing worse than having fewer followers than anyone else on Twitter. Actually, there is: having fewer friends than everyone on Facebook.

9. The rise of inane lists like this one. The average internet-user has the attention span of a gnat. Information has to be bite-sized, numbered and not too taxing on the miniscule brain.

10. Justin Bieber. The internet made this alleged human famous. There is something seriously wrong with a 16-year-old whose voice hasn’t yet broken.

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, February 6th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Tablet face-off: Galaxy Tab vs iPad</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/97388/tablet-face-off-galaxy-tab-vs-ipad</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/97388/tablet-face-off-galaxy-tab-vs-ipad#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 06 Jan 11 11:35:31 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[omair.zeeshan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=97388</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Thinking of buying a tablet? The Express Tribune reviews the two most popular tablets available in the local market.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Screen real estate: The Galaxy Tab is much smaller than the iPad with a seven inch 16:9 aspect widescreen. The iPad has a 9.7 inch 4:3 standard aspect ratio. The galaxy tab’s screen is almost as long as the iPad’s screen but it is almost half as wide. You need two hands to hold the iPad while you can hold the Tab with one hand. The screen size consideration is a very subjective matter, but it worth noting that movies generally are in 16:9 widescreen format. Steve Jobs contends that the iPad screen is better for newspapers and websites; we cannot support the claim, however, you should try to read a newspaper or a website on both screens. Conclusion: Subjective.

Screen quality: Though the Galaxy Tab’s LCD screen is very good and has almost the same resolution as the iPad’s screen, Apple’s LPS screen is much more vibrant and has better colour representations; deeper blacks and better contrast. The touch screen on both devices is equally good. Pinch to zoom works perfectly on both and text resizing is no trouble on either tablet. Conclusion: Apple wins by a little because the screen is prettier.

Connectivity: The iPad’s only means of connectivity other than Wifi is 3G, a type of connection not available in Pakistan. This should not make much of a difference if you plan to use this within the confines of areas with Wifi hotspots all around. Go out of Wifi range and the iPad is limited to just the things that you preloaded on it. The galaxy Tab is also a phone. It has space for a SIM inside. This means that other than Wifi, it also has rudimentary connectivity in the form of EDGE. Though this is no big deal, you will always be connected to the internet and can make searches and look at your news feeds whenever you want. Conclusion: Galaxy Tab wins out by doubling as a phone.

Hard drive space and price: The Galaxy Tab sold with Mobilink comes with eight gigabytes of internal memory for Rs59,000 but it can be expanded with a Micro SD card which goes up to 32 gigabytes. You can also get 16gb versions of the Galaxy Tab in the market worth around Rs72,000. SD card memory is comparatively cheap and you can get 8gb in the market for almost Rs2,000. The cheapest iPad (we are considering Wifi only) is priced at around Rs49,000 and comes with 16gb of onboard memory. This makes it cheaper than the Tab with half the memory. The 32gb version sells for Rs65,000 and the 64gb version sells for Rs75,000. Conclusion: Surprisingly, the iPad is cheaper than the Galaxy Tab. Given that the iPad is just as versatile in terms of memory, Apple wins.

Conclusion: Apple’s device is twice as heavy. The Galaxy Tab is an awkward bulge in your pocket but it does fit into your jeans pocket. Both are excellent devices, however, since the Galaxy Tab is being offered by Mobilink, there is a slight chance that there might be after sales service and guarantees. Nothing of the sort exists for the iPad. The best advice would be to pick both products in your hands and try their onscreen keyboards and the form factors to see which one suits you best.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2nd, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Universities to promote entrepreneurship</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/86439/universities-to-promote-entrepreneurship</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/86439/universities-to-promote-entrepreneurship#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 06 Dec 10 06:05:47 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[peer.muhammad]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=86439</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Sponsored incubation centres will promote employment generating initiatives.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[To promote the employment-generating practice of self-entrepreneurship, incubation centres will be established in public sector universities. This will be done by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in collaboration with Competitive Support Fund (CSF).

In this regard, a three-day training workshop will be held in Islamabad from Monday, which will be attended by faculty members of as many as 22 universities from across the country. “Comsats Institute of Information and Technology and National University of Science and Technology (Nust) will also be partners in this workshop,” said an official in HEC.

The workshop will be conducted by three international resource persons.

Two of them, Dr Steven C Price and Dr Ron Duggins, are scientists and experienced educationists.

They also have expertise in the field of small business development, innovation and entrepreneurship. Working mainly in the area of incubation and Technology Park establishment, development and management training, they will be supported by Mr Yang, an International Attorney-Advisor on Commercial Law Development programme.

The universities have been selected after considering their progress in Research and Development, availability of business and management departments, and linkages with the industries.

A committee, represented by all the concerned stakeholders will select the interested companies after scrutinising their eligibility criteria.

The selection committee comprises Vice Chancellors of the selected universities, representatives from CSF, HEC and the concerned faculty members. In the first phase, three universities will be selected for establishing incubation centres.

HEC and CSF will equally bear the business cost of the centres. The 50 per cent share of the HEC will further be divided with the ratio of 3:2 between the HEC and selected universities.

The HEC official said that initially, 22 public sector universities from all the provinces have been indentified and one representative would attend the workshop.

Noshaba Owais, HEC Deputy Director Project said that the idea was an effort towards a knowledge-based economy, which would be fully supported through research and HR development programs of HEC.

She said that HEC, with the help of available expertise, was bringing university experts closer to industries for knowledge transfer. “It will pave the way to bring innovation in Pakistani industrial production and ensure its competitiveness in the global market,” she maintained.

She was of the view that the move will surely encourage youth to come forward and instead of searching for jobs, establish their own businesses and be the job providers.

“The business incubation idea is an economic tool designed to accelerate the growth and success of entrepreneurial companies through any array of business support resources and services,” she said.

The first incubation centre has already been established at the University of Agriculture of Faisalabad, where 16 companies with university faculty/researchers and industrial partners have been inducted to pilot their projects

Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2010.]]>
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			<title>An Apple too far</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/73813/an-apple-too-far</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/73813/an-apple-too-far#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 08 Nov 10 04:20:22 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[omair.zeeshan]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Even reputable news organisations take an Apple a day.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Most people are incredibly biased when it comes to Apple. I have always chalked it up to personal preferences and never gave it much thought until a very reputable news organisation published a story headlined “Apple increases tablet share to 95 per cent as Android slips” just a few days back.

How can Android ‘slip’ if there are hardly any tablets in the market so far? Most first-tier PC vendors are unlikely to start shipping their tablets until the first quarter of next year, according to a report by the DigiTimes.

You do not have to take my word for it. The article goes on to contradict itself while quoting the Strategy Analytics (a global research and consulting firm) report it is based on.

“Android’s market share will rise in the fourth quarter as devices using Google’s platform enter the market,” it reads.

The only two tablets – the Galaxy Tab and the Streak – that might have offered the iPad have some resistance have either not seen a global launch or are running severely antiquated versions of the Android, making a comparison with the iPad unjust.

Not to doubt that Apple’s tablets have taken over 95 per cent of the market. In fact, it was inevitable, since this is the product that made netbooks obsolete and showed that the tablet form factor is viable.

However, with mobile phones the story is slightly different. In the second quarter of 2010, the Android operating system (OS) easily overtook Apple’s iOS worldwide and RIM’s OS (Blackberry) in the US, according to a report released by Gartner.

Observers believe it was mainly because there were so many phones running it – an estimated 80 mobile phone models are running different versions of the Android.

When Apple came out with the iPad, it had AT&amp;T backing it. They were sold at different outlets along with sims that allowed 3G connectivity. Currently first tier PC vendors, like HP and Lenovo, do not have such carrier contracts in place.

They will first need to negotiate with carriers because a tablet without 3G connectivity is generally useless, unless one is talking about markets like Pakistan where 3G is still not available. But the reason this article does not generally deal with Pakistan is because it is still too small a market to have a significant impact on global tablet trends.

Then there is also the problem of how they will distribute their products to customers who wish to buy them but without a carrier. They will need contracts with large retailers like BestBuy, Amazon and Ebay in order to ensure that their products are accessible to consumers. So the delay makes sense because Google has stated that the current versions of Android have not been optimised for tablets yet.

Although, timing is of the essence because Apple’s iPad may entrench itself in the market, it also gives time to PC makers to see what consumers really want from their tablets and cater to them accordingly.

But that still does not change the fact that there will always be people who will choose to sensationalise selected numbers in order to make Apple look good. And even if Android tablets do start taking over, they will revert to their older rationalisation of Apple catering to quality, not quantity.

Which was what Steve Jobs did when he said: “Microsoft won. The OS wars are over.” But he did not actually mean that he had lost, Jobs just went on to talk about BMW that catered to only five per cent of the world’s car market.

So it was Steve’s vision to cede quantity and stun the world with quality and innovation. And so far, few would deny that he has done that.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8th, 2010.]]>
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			<title>PlayStation jumps on Android bandwagon</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/70552/playstation-jumps-on-android-bandwagon</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/70552/playstation-jumps-on-android-bandwagon#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 01 Nov 10 05:12:47 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[omair.zeeshan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=70552</guid>
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				<![CDATA[Sony Ericsson working to bring Sony’s gaming line-up to mobile phones.]]>
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				<![CDATA[It’s a recipe for success. The PlayStation has many games that people have never played because they did not purchase the console. Ericsson makes mobile phones and is trying to break into the Android market. Meanwhile, enterprising software makers have already built emulators that allow PlayStation one games to run on the Android.

It was only a matter of time before they came out with a PlayStation phone: Engadget.com broke the news and showed pictures of the phone as proof.

Earlier, Sony and Ericsson had filed a patent application for a gaming phone in 2007. And all of us, even in Pakistan, have all been at the receiving end of Ericsson’s phone lines based on Sony brands like the Walkman and the Cyber-shot.

But my android could already play station!

Here is the interesting part. It is already possible to play the original PlayStation’s games on your Android phone via an emulator – a programme that, simply put, makes the game think your phone is a PlayStation.

The is emulator called ‘PSX4droid’ and is far from perfect but bears testament to the ability of an Android phone to run PlayStation games.

It also established that the platform could be successful because even with its less-than-satisfactory performance, it was downloaded more than 10,000 times. And at $5.99, the makers must have made quite a profit on it.

Nintendo’s portable gaming platform was just better than Sony’s

Sales of the Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) have been suffering against the Nintendo DS.

According to recent figures, only 62 million units of the PSP have been sold compared with the 125.13 million units of the Nintendo DS.

Given that the Nintendo has come out with three iterations in order to sell more unit, it did manage to entice customers to buy them as well, establishing itself as the stronger gaming platform.

Then the iPhone came along and sold millions and when Steve Jobs said “let there be games,” games were produced. And they sold really well, making tons in profits for the developers which prompted larger companies like Electronic Arts to jump on the bandwagon and start developing for the iPhone as well.

The bottom line

The fact is that Nintendo’s DS and the iPhone have been selling incredibly well, while the PSP has not.

Laurent Benadiba, CEO of French software developer Smack Down Productions gave an interview to GamesIndustry.biz.

“The other day we were with a publisher and trying to figure out a business model for a PSP game,” she said, “... we couldn’t work out how we could break even. Because there are so few sales on the PSP in Europe now, you have to make a huge title on a small budget just to break even.” What this meant was that that Sony needed a platform that sold more and was accessible to more consumers: this is where the new project comes in.

Obviously, game design companies will choose the stronger platform when deciding to make games because the amount of profit that they earn is dependent on how many people actually buy their games.

The company (Sony) may be betting on the phone to be able to reach more people. Since giving people an Android phone along with the PlayStation platform does seem like enough incentive to shift.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2010.]]>
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			<title>iPad down, iPhone up</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/64613/ipad-down-iphone-up</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/64613/ipad-down-iphone-up#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 19 Oct 10 10:14:07 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Supply and production bottlenecks keep iPads from store shelves while demand for iPhone outstrips supply.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Apple Inc CEO Steve Jobs went on the offensive on Monday after a rare disappointment in sales by the iPad maker sent its shares tumbling, but even his biting words failed to reverse market sentiment. 

Jobs, who has not addressed investors on an earnings call for some time, lashed out at competitors Google Inc and Research in Motion and dismissed the upcoming range of smaller tablets made by Apple's rivals.

"The current crop of 7-inch tablets are going to be DOA, dead on arrival," Jobs told analysts on the conference call.

"Their manufacturers will learn the painful lesson that their tablets are too small and increase the size next year."

Supply and production bottlenecks kept iPads, which have a 9.7-inch touch screen, from store shelves and buyers waiting weeks sometimes for their gadget.

Although the 4.19 million iPads sold in the fiscal fourth quarter fell short of Wall Street's target of around 5 million, analysts said sales should ramp up in the holiday quarter as Apple resolves supply hitches.

Gross margins fell short of target as iPads, whose profit margin is lower than for iPhones, made up a larger proportion of Apple's sales. Investors had expected more from a company that had smashed Wall Street's targets in each of the past eight quarters. Gross margins in the fiscal fourth quarter came to 36.9 percent, below Wall Street's average forecast of 38.2 percent.

iPhone sales skyrocket

There was no disappointment in iPhone sales, however. Apple sold 14.1 million of the smartphones, a gain of 91 percent and better than Wall Street had expected. The company said demand is still outstripping supply.

Apple on Monday reported record quarterly revenue led by blockbuster sales of its latest generation iPhone and took shots at rivals Google and Research In Motion.

The California-based company said that its net profit in the quarter ending September 25 soared 70 percent to $4.31 billion on unprecedented sales of Macintosh computers, iPhones and iPads.

"We are blown away to report over 20 billion dollars in revenue and over four billion in after-tax earnings - both all-time records for Apple," said Apple chief executive Steve Jobs.

Apple reported record revenue of 20.34 billion dollars in the fourth quarter of its fiscal year, up from 12.21 billion dollars a year ago. Apple said it sold 3.89 million Macintosh computers during the quarter, up 27 percent from a year ago, 14.1 million iPhones, up 91 percent from a year ago, and 4.19 million iPads, up from 3.3 million the previous quarter.

Apple said it sold 9.05 million iPods during the quarter, down 11 percent from a year ago.

Jobs said during an earnings call that iPhone "handily" outsold BlackBerry and that he didn't see the handsets made by Canada-based Research In Motion catching up any time soon.

He then took aim at Google and its Android software for mobile phones. Jobs downplayed claims that approximately 200,000 Android mobile devices are activated daily, saying that daily activations for Apple gadgets averaged 275,000 in the past 30 days.

"We are confident our approach will triumph over Google's fragmented approach," Jobs said.

While Android touts being "open" software that handset makers can craft into devices as they wish, Apple's "closed" approach lets it control quality from the hardware to the software.

"The closed approach enables Apple to make products they believe create the best customer experience," said NPD analyst Ross Rubin.

"The success they are having in the market validates that many customers believe that is true."

Jobs contended that the array of smartphone makers putting custom spins on Android software will be "a mess" for users and application makers.]]>
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			<title>The Smartphone, an introduction</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/60920/the-smartphone-an-introduction</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/60920/the-smartphone-an-introduction#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 11 Oct 10 05:23:18 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[omair.zeeshan]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Smartphones and tablets may replace desktops and laptops sooner than you might have thought.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Smartphones and tablets are the new big thing. How big, you ask? Well, they may replace desktops and laptops sooner than you might have thought.

Everyone expected that the hardware of the phone would be important. They were wrong and it turned out to be the least significant aspect. The user experience was really all about the operating system (OS) – the programme that runs on your phone allowing you to interact with it.

The OS turned out to be the heart and soul of what would define how people perceive their phones; similar to how Apple’s OS is what actually differentiates Macintoshes from other computers running Microsoft’s Windows.

The hardware on these phones was not such a big deal. Intel and other large microprocessor developers had done it all before. The concepts were well understood and the phone makers just had to add some ideas in order to make them work.

The Smartphone was proven to be commercially viable by Apple’s iPhone. Since then, everyone jumped on the bandwagon, making you feel a twinge of guilt for Steve Jobs.

The iPhone’s touch screen was a big deal for a year or so before competitors were able to come out with touch screens phones that worked just as well. The other internals, including the processor, were even easier to duplicate.

What really made the iPhone an attractive prospect was its software. To say that it broke barriers is an understatement. The interface did not just work, it felt right. Pinching to zoom, dragging and dropping, scrolling – all of these ‘gestures’ seemed like second nature.

And that was just half of it. The sales of the phone were brisk. Programmers’ interests were piqued by the option to develop software applications for the phone and make money from their sales. Furthermore, the applications were cheap and new versions came out relatively quickly.

The phone needed to be hacked to use pirated applications, which voided its warranty, making the use of pirated applications a very unattractive option for most users.

Until recently, phones only had software that their manufacturers deemed necessary for users. And what they deemed necessary was very basic. The new way of letting programmers earn money for their applications was a much better idea as it allowed not only for more creativity, but also innovation.

A particular developer even managed to use the phone’s motion sensor to turn the device into a pedometer via an application.

According to reports, today Apple’s ‘app’ store has more than 225,000 applications and about five billion downloads. Indeed, we have come a long way since the time when all major cell phone manufacturers had a monopoly of sorts on the applications that were available to users.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11th, 2010.]]>
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			<title>The wrong question</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/27595/the-wrong-question</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/27595/the-wrong-question#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 13 Jul 10 19:38:21 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[george.fulton]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=27595</guid>
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				<![CDATA[Ok here’s a pop quiz question to get your grey matter working. What do the Queen, Bill Gates and eminent Pakistan journalist and former editor of The News Ghazi Salahuddin all have in common? Answer: Neither one of them have a degree. Nor, for that matter, did Steven Spielberg, Abraham Lincoln, Steve Jobs, John Major or Harry S Truman.

We can go back further in history. Moses, Jesus and the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) did not have a tertiary education. It’s debatable whether they were even literate. But that does not stop many millions in this world from following their teachings and actions. These are people to admire, respect and follow, yet today they wouldn’t get a seat in the Balochistan provincial assembly. Conversely, the likes of George W Bush, alleged credit card thief Shumaila Rana and our very own chief minister of Balochistan, Nawab Aslam Raisani, all supposedly have degrees. Yet would you want any one of them representing you?

Raisani recently rebuked reporters saying "A degree is a degree! Whether fake or genuine, it's a degree! It makes no difference!” Ok Mr Raisani, please allow me to perform open heart surgery on you whenever you are ill. I’ve always wanted to be a doctor. Doesn’t really matter that I’m not qualified, does it? A doctor is a doctor, qualified or otherwise, nah? Despite apparently having an MA degree in political science, pro-cheating Raisani has clearly proven ill-suited to run a ghusalkhana let alone the largest province of this great country.

President Musharraf’s rule requiring politicians to have a degree was always misguided, even if honourable in theory. The impetus for its introduction was to raise standards in parliament but that didn’t disguise the fact it was undemocratic, elitist and ill-advised. In a country where barely half the population is literate, the degree law turned us from a democracy into an oligarchy overnight. As if having a degree automatically qualifies you for high office? Between Abdul Sattar Edhi (no degree) and Senator Sardar Israrullah Zehri – he of ‘burying women alive is part of our tradition’ infamy (who purportedly has a degree although it’s highly suspect) – who in your educated opinion has the welfare of the people at heart?

But as a nation we always ask the wrong questions — whether of our parliamentarians or prospective sons-in-law. Do they come from a ‘good’ family? Good often being a highly subjective term. Are they rich? Do they have a high-quality education and a good career? Are they influential? They could beat up our daughter on her wedding night for all we care as long as he has a job in a bank or a multinational.

If I ever have the opportunity to grill a potential son-in-law, I would want to find out about his character and his values, not his bank balance. Is he an honest, decent man? Will he treat my daughter with love, care and respect? Will he make her happy? These are surely questions worth asking of our leaders too? Instead of looking at their educational qualifications we should look at their character and moral fibre. Will they look after us? Will they treat us with care and deference? Are they honest, decent men?

Unsurprisingly, this parliament of cheats rescinded the degree requirement in April 2008 not out of any genuine desire for meritocracy but to save their own skins. Perhaps a new law should take its place, a law which doesn’t bar entry to those without privilege, family ties or money. Maybe this law could instead demand an independent audit of all our parliamentarians’ assets and their tax returns from the start of their adult lives. Anyone who fails to pay their taxes or who is deemed to have knowingly, grossly and fraudulently ripped of the state will be barred from political office. However, you don’t need a degree to know that such a law will never be passed and for now we can start by asking the right questions of those we choose to elect.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2010.]]>
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			<title>Are smart phones a threat to telecoms?</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/25667/are-smart-phones-a-threat-to-telecoms</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/25667/are-smart-phones-a-threat-to-telecoms#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 04 Jul 10 19:13:51 +0500</pubDate>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=25667</guid>
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				<![CDATA[Telecoms control the centre field in the mobile telephony realm but they have been losing ground to smart phones.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Telecoms control the centre field in the mobile telephony realm but they have been losing ground to a new generation of Internet-enabled smart phones. Telecoms have millions of subscribers in their reach, who pay recurring monthly fees. Phone manufactures, such as Nokia on the other hand, only book one-time revenues from their phone sales and then they often play by the rules of telecoms to gain access to their subscribers.

Current State of Affairs

As part of the deal with phone manufacturers, telecoms often demand control of what applications come bundled with the phone. They may feature their own services for news updates, ringtone downloads and the like, and have their logo constantly displayed on the front screen. This is all designed to control the user’s experience and build a ‘walled garden’ within which consumers can do what they want yet discourage them from going beyond these walls.

When Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone he grudgingly signed on a five-year exclusivity contract with US telecom AT&amp;T to be able to get access to over 50 million mobile subscribers under AT&amp;T. Other terms of the deal remained undisclosed but Steve Jobs made no secret about his resentment for telecoms and vowed to shake up their iron-clad grip on the mobile phone experience.

Paradigm Shift

Experts say instant messaging services provided by BlackBerry allow unlimited messaging across the globe and will ultimately cannibalise SMS. While telecoms are okay with this since they charge a premium for BlackBerry plans, the iPhone and android phones don’t require any special phone plan and instant messaging is completely free on those as well. Telecoms don’t earn a dime from it. Internet browsing through these phones also makes it easy to access news, ringtones and wallpapers, while applications like Skype for mobile phones allow free voice calls and threaten the core business of telecoms.

While land-lines were once threatened by mobile telephony, the latter is now threatened by Internet-enabled smart phones. In fact, the wifi capabilities of these phones circumvents telecoms altogether. A wireless connection at home or at the office allows users to chat with friends, browse the Internet or share pictures free of charge, directly from the phone. In response telecoms are now shifting to providing Internet services to homes directly through data plans on the phone. The biggest threat to telecoms from smart phones is that they may be reduced to nothing more than mere Internet Service Providers.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5th, 2010.]]>
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			<title>Apple unveils iPhone 4 to fend off Google</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/19700/apple-unveils-iphone-4-to-fend-off-google</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/19700/apple-unveils-iphone-4-to-fend-off-google#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 08 Jun 10 08:42:53 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Apple Inc unveiled a new iPhone on Monday that goes on sale in scores of countries this year, preparing its fastest-ever global roll-out to try and stay a step ahead of rivals like Google Inc in a red-hot smartphone market. 

CEO Steve Jobs showed off a redesigned $199 "iPhone 4" that is a quarter slimmer than the current handset. The device boasts a higher quality screen and better battery life, video chat via Wi-Fi, and a gyroscope sensor for improved gaming.

A slim but energetic Jobs told a media and industry audience at Apple's annual developers' conference in San Francisco that the latest phone will be available June 24 in five countries, expanding to 18 by July and 88 by September in the quickest-ever international roll-out for an iPhone.

That signaled how serious Apple is about gaining traction abroad, where iPhone penetration is still relatively small. Despite the iPad's success in its first two months on the market -- more than 2 million sold in 60 days -- the iPhone remains Apple's main growth line, and the international market is key.

Some analysts estimate more than two-thirds of iPhone sales are now coming from overseas. "It's really just a huge market unit opportunity abroad for the iPhone," Broadpoint Amtech analyst Brian Marshall said. But many of the innovations on the iPhone 4 had been expected, and industry watchers say it is becoming more difficult to stand out in a crowded field.

Google's Android operating system -- used by many brands from Motorola Inc and HTC Corp to Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Dell Inc -- poses the biggest threat, analysts say. The iPhone's global share surged to more than 15 percent in the first quarter, making it No. 3 in smartphones.

Phones based on Android ranked No. 4 with close to 10 percent of the market, a huge increase from the previous year and gaining, Gartner data shows. "There was nothing earth-shattering about what we saw or heard today," said CCS insight analyst John Jackson. "All of that said, you can't think it will be anything other than a phenomenal success."

Hudson Square Research analyst Daniel Ernst called the new device "more evolutionary than revolutionary." "It doesn't completely change the paradigm for the iPhone," he said.

GOLD STANDARD 

Still, Jobs argued the fourth-generation iPhone -- which for the first time sports the same A4 processor that powers the iPad -- marks the biggest technological leap since the first model debuted and set the standard. "This is beyond a doubt the most precise thing and one of the most beautiful things we've ever made," Jobs said.

Apple's CEO displayed all of his famed skills as a pitchman, mixing wry wit with an obvious passion for Apple's products. He even joked about the iPhone prototype that fell into the hands of Gizmodo, which spilled many of its secrets. Although the iPhone remains Apple's main growth driver, the iPad has stolen some of its thunder. With the early success of the tablet computer, Apple's stock has gained around 20 percent this year, overtaking Microsoft Corp to become the world's most valuable technology company.

Apple's shares fell 2 percent to close at $250.94 on the Nasdaq. Google shares fell 2.7 percent, while Research in Motion Ltd dropped 5.2 percent. Rodman &amp; Renshaw analyst Ashok Kumar noted that investors are likely waiting for Apple to expand its iPhone distribution to U.S. carriers beyond AT&amp;T before getting excited.

"The next big event is going to be Verizon. It's a guessing game whether it will be late 2010 or early 2011," he said. For now, the new device should be more profitable, given price and hardware specifications, Marshall said. "I feel like we're going to see gross margins expand here on the iPhone," he said.

The iPhone -- introduced in 2007 with the touchscreen, on-demand application template now adopted by its rivals -- remains the gold standard in the fast-growing smartphone market. Apple sold a record 8.75 million iPhones in its latest quarter, accounting for 40 percent of its revenue. With margins estimated at 60 percent, it is Apple's prime growth driver, helping margins climb to a record 41.7 percent in the most recent quarter from 34 percent in fiscal 2007.

Only last year, Research in Motion Ltd was seen as Apple's top rival. While the company's BlackBerry remains the smartphone of choice for many corporations that need fast email, Apple has made strides in that market. Analysts said the latest iPhone incorporates new security features obviously targeted at business customers.

Apple's prime target remains the consumer. But there, new competitors are designing high-powered handsets based on Google's Android software, offering fast, web-surfing and video-enabled phones with access to thousands of apps. Interpret analyst Michael Gartenberg said that the newest iPhone will manage to exert pressure on Google and rival handset-makers.

"It's much more complete, much more adept in terms of the polish and delivery and it's going to force the other competitors to up their game," he said.

Earlier, iPhone maker Foxconn International Holdings said it will seek higher prices from its clients to help offset wage hikes at a plant in southern China that has been hit by a series of suicides. Meeting shareholders in Hong Kong for the first time since the deaths, executives at Foxconn, owned by Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry, said the company hoped to reach a consensus with customers this month.

Hon Hai, the world's biggest contract electronics maker with a client list that includes Apple Inc, Dell Inc and Hewlett-Packard Co, has been wrestling with the fallout from 10 suicides in the last five months at Foxconn. The suicides and controversy come amid growing labour unrest southern China, in the world's top manufacturing region, where millions of migrant workers from the country's poor hinterlands churn out goods for top global companies.]]>
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			<title>Apple versus Microsoft</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/19298/apple-versus-microsoft</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/19298/apple-versus-microsoft#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 07 Jun 10 05:17:55 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Steve Jobs, returned to Apple in 1997 after being ousted by the board in 1985 in the midst of a power struggle. Upon his return he unleashed strategic forays that left the entire market baffled—from PC makers to mobile phone companies and operators.

When Microsoft was starting off, Bill Gates’ focus was primarily on growth and his philosophy was to let everyone do what they were best at. HP, Compaq, Dell and other PC makers focused on the hardware. Companies like NVidia and Logitech focused on the graphics card and peripheral devices. PC repair shops cropped up at every street corner. Everyone who had anything to do with the PC industry was a winner, except for Apple.

Apple was a lot more close-fisted. It wanted to apply the approach of car makers to computers and control the entire experience from the controversial one-button mouse to the monitors, cabling and even the retail stores. Consequently, the machines were a lot more costly to produce and had to be sent to Apple headquarters for repairs. Other than Apple, only those who made software running on Apple computers were able to profit. And these people were few and far in between because it was far more profitable to make software for Microsoft Windows.

Apple almost went bankrupt but in one of the most ironic turn of events, Microsoft invested $150 million in Apple in 1997 to give the company some breathing room.

In October 2001, just before Christmas season, Apple introduced the iPod which would be its saving grace. It embodied Apple’s central design philosophy of simplicity and provided enough cash for Steve Jobs to start expanding the company. Apple has nearly 300 self-owned retail stores around the globe with hundreds of other authorized resellers. The iTunes music store has become the largest music store in the world surpassing even Walmart. The iPhone is so easy to use that majority of the mobile traffic on the Internet comes from an iPhone.

The timing could not have been better for Apple. Microsoft slipped by 2 years in shipping Windows Vista, which was still too bleak. The Operating System itself is saturated to that point that people see no reason to upgrade from Windows XP which is “good enough”. The primary use of the PC has become Internet surfing and even there Microsoft has long neglected Internet Explorer while Apple has made big leaps in the browser market, providing some key components for even Google’s Chrome browser.

The iPod evolved into the iPhone and recently into the iPad. Small incremental updates and flawless product design allowed Apple to inch its way into new product lines threatening Blackberry, Nokia, Microsoft, Sony and many other established companies who are still quite puzzled as to how it all happened. Technology truly is disruptive.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 7th, 2010.]]>
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			<title>Apple sells two million iPads</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/17803/apple-sells-two-million-ipads</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/17803/apple-sells-two-million-ipads#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 01 Jun 10 07:04:17 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[afp]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Apple, now the largest US technology company by value, said  on Monday it had sold two million of its iPad tablet computers, outdoing even the iconic iPhone on its launch. 

Apple said it had sold 1.4 million iPads since it went on sale exclusively in the United States on April 3. On Friday, the iPad a flat, 10-inch (25-centimetre) black tablet computer that Apple claims will revolutionise the industry went on sale in Australia, Japan, Canada alongside Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland.

Demand in the United States was so strong that the company pushed back the global roll-out. Apple head Steve Jobs said in a statement that clients all over the world were now able to experience the iPad and seemed to like it as much as the company itself.

Apple was very grateful for their patience and was now doing everything in its power to make sure there were enough iPads for everyone, Jobs added. The iPad goes on sale in nine additional countries in July, including Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

Last week, Apple dethroned software giant Microsoft as the largest US technology company in terms of market value.]]>
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			<title>Identity crisis</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/16667/identity-crisis-2</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/16667/identity-crisis-2#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 29 May 10 20:55:29 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[batool.zehra]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Date Night is a movie perfectly packaged for suburban married couples, a demographic that is represented by the two lead characters in the film — grown-ups with too many chores and too little time, for whom watching the standard two-and-a-half hour fare is a serious commitment. Clocking in at a manageable 90 minutes, it delivers the right dose of humour, thrills, pragmatic romance and wry moralising before sending you on your way to deal with the next round of errands. In fact, it resembles perfectly the obligatory date night that Phil and Claire Foster (played by Steve Carrell and Tina Fey) have every week: predictable, pleasant, convenient. Just enough to rejuvenate you without seriously upsetting your workday.

TV veterans Steve Carrell and Tina Fey bring their combined comedy chops to the big screen and, to lay to rest the trepidation of their legions of fans, they acquit themselves well. Date Night comes amidst a lot of expectations, but it succeeds because it sets itself modest targets. Phil and Claire Foster are a nice, loving couple whose demanding jobs and children don’t leave them with much time for each other. So their marriage has gotten a little too routine, their romance a little too stale. From the opening sequence, which shows the slumbering parents awakened by their toddler’s well-projected dive onto their bed, the movie strikes comic gold with its spoofs of dutiful parenting. Carrell and Fey, both married parents in real life, are well-matched as a somewhat boring New Jersey couple — she’s a real estate agent, he’s a tax consultant. When their best friends get ready for divorce because they’re little more than “excellent roommates”, the Fosters become anxious about their own humdrum relationship.

Instead of settling for the routine potato skin and salmon at their local steakhouse, the Fosters take their night out to a whole new level when they spontaneously decide to dine at a hip new restaurant in Manhattan. Miffed at being blown off by the snooty maitre d, they steal the reservation of a no-show couple, the Tripplehorns, who happen to be involved with mobster boss, Joe Miletto, played by Mafia staple Ray Liotta. When Miletto sends his henchmen to get a flash drive with incriminating evidence, the Fosters plunge into an unexpectedly exciting date night.

What follows is a standard mistaken-identity comedy with the Fosters searching for the real Tripplehorns to vindicate themselves and bring the criminals to justice. Helping them track down the Tripplehorns is Detective Arroyo (Taraji P Henson ) and Holbrooke Grant (Mark Wahlberg), a government security analyst and former client of Claire. This is a traditional screwball comedy with smart, sassy Tina Fey openly salivating over Mark Wahlberg’s shirtless security analyst while her henpecked husband sports a look of bemusement.

As these no-nonsense grown-ups try to navigate madcap situations there are many moments of genuine laugh out loud comedy and others of inexcusable cheese. Before the chases and the missed leads become monotonous, the movie has the good sense to wind down and the sentimental ending gives positive affirmation to the tedium of getting your kids into their pyjamas.

Published in the Express Tribune, May 30th, 2010.]]>
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			<title>Apple sells one million iPads in a month</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/10827/apple-sells-one-million-ipads-in-a-month</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/10827/apple-sells-one-million-ipads-in-a-month#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 04 May 10 16:51:13 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[afp]]>
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				<![CDATA[Apple said Monday it sold one million of its freshly launched iPad tablet computers in just 28 days, half the time it took for the company to sell the same number of iPhones. 

The millionth iPad was sold on Friday, the Cupertino, California-based firm said.

"One million iPads in 28 days - that's less than half of the 74 days it took to achieve this milestone with (the) iPhone," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in a statement. "Demand continues to exceed supply and we're working hard to get this magical product into the hands of even more customers."

The level of demand in the United States alone, where the iPad launched on April 3, forced Apple to announce it would delay the tablet's international release by a month, until late May.

A second version of the iPad, featuring both Wi-Fi and 3G cellular connectivity, went on sale in the United States on Friday.

Apple also said users had already downloaded 12 million iPad applications and 1.5 million electronic books.]]>
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