Careem, one of the region’s leading ride-hailing services, has announced a 2-day hackathon, HaCareem, that is to take place at the end of this month in Karachi. The aim is to look for skilled candidates through an event that will help the company in breaking further boundaries and growing exponentially. HaCareem Hackathon event will attract the brightest tech experts in the country to help build the transportation industry. HaCareem Karachi is the second competition in the global series that Careem is holding. The first such event was held in Bangalore, India. The hackathon is expected to help the company exchange global ideas and compete against local competitors. The candidates interested in registering with Careem for HaCareem can do so in teams of 4 or as individuals by registering on HaCareem.com. Shortlisted candidates from Lahore and Islamabad will also be given air tickets to ensure their presence at the event in Karachi. HaCareem Karachi will be a 2-day event with 1 day for the hacking event. The event will start at 9am on Saturday, 29th April, and continue till 9am on Sunday 30th April. After that, top candidates will be shortlisted and invited for job interviews at Careem. Apart from winning the coolest prizes worth PKR 250,000, The winners and top participants from HaCareem Karachi will be offered to join Careem’s tech team in Karachi.
Facebook vows ‘we should do better’ after Cleveland murder video
Facebook today said it’ll review its reporting methods after a guy in Cleveland put up a video tutorial of himself taking pictures and eradicating an older man on Weekend. “It had been a horrific criminal offense — the one which has no put on Facebook, and moves against our plans and everything we are a symbol of,” composed VP of Global Procedures Justin Osofsky in a post . Facebook has experienced powerful backlash because the training video of the murder was on its service for more than two time before being removed. Steve Stephens, the think who published the video tutorial as well as two others related to the murder, continues to be at large. Osofsky complete the timeline of occurrences, saying the think (he didn’t identify Stephens by name) put up one training video announcing his objective to commit murder, another two minutes later of the taking, and a Facebook Live training video where he confessed to the murder. Facebook didn’t receive a statement for the first video recording, Osofsky said. A written report for the next video tutorial — which confirmed the taking — had not been received until one hour and 45 minutes after it was uploaded. Reviews for the Facebook Live video tutorial didn’t come in before five-minute broadcast possessed ended. “We handicapped the suspect’s bank account within 23 minutes of obtaining the first statement about the murder video recording, and two time after getting a written report of any sort,” Osofsky said. “But we realize we have to do better.” “But we realize we have to do better.” Facebook’s Justin Osofsky Matching to Facebook’s timeline, the video recording of the murder was published at 11:11am PDT. The first survey for the training video was received at 12:59pm PDT, and the suspect’s consideration was handicapped at 1:22pm PDT, more than two time after the filming video was published. Furthermore to quickening the reporting process, Facebook also projects to look at how it reviews flagged materials. Its review process presently relies on hundreds of folks combing over “the an incredible number of items which are reported to us weekly in more than 40 dialects.” Facebook desires to get this to process “even more quickly.” Finally, the communal network is looking at the technology it uses to examine videos, including unnatural intelligence. AI can be used to avoid videos from being distributed in their entirety, making users spread consciousness or speak out in regards to a video without publishing sensitive or visual content. “Keeping our global community safe can be an important part of your objective,” Osofsky concluded. “Our company is pleased to everyone who reported these videos and other unpleasant content to us, also to those who find themselves aiding us keep Facebook safe every day.” Reuters
Jazz Wins Two Awards at PAS 2017
Jazz shone the brightest as its initiative Jazz Rising Stars won the coveted ‘Campaign For Good’ and ‘Best in Below The Line (BTL)’ awards at Pakistan Advertisers Society (PAS) 2017. In the category, Jazz didn’t just compete with other telecom companies, but all other brands of Pakistan. The Campaign for Good win is especially valuable as the category celebrates brands and entitles which are leveraging their power to benefit Pakistan, including NGOs as well. It is a critical award for brands that are making the world a better place by using the power of their platforms for ‘good’. Talking about the win, Shahbaz Maqsood Khan, Director Marketing Jazz, said, ‘Jazz is positioned to be an instrument of positive change in the lives of our talented youth, providing them platforms and opportunities to achieve their goals and aspirations. Jazz Rising Stars is a validation of this promise by taking the passion of aspiring cricketers to international stadiums.’ In collaboration with the Lahore Qalandars, Jazz Rising Stars was an unprecedented initiative to scout, groom and showcase grass-root level cricket talent on international platforms. It grew to become the largest cricket talent hunt of the world. Spanning twenty four days and eight districts of Punjab, a record- breaking 111,300 youngsters participated in the trials. Unique talent such as the world’s only ambidextrous fast bowler Yasir Jan was discovered. From the trials, top talent was selected by cricket legends, Aqib Javed and Mudassar Nazar. Eight district teams were formed which battled it out at jam packed matches held at Qaddafi Stadium attended by dignitaries, celebrities and journalists. These youngsters’ journey did not end there. The top thirty have been taken under the wings of the National Cricket Academy, the best sixteen were flown to Australia to play against the Sydney Thunder and Sydney Sixers and best of all, the top four, Usman Qadir, Saif Badar, Mohammad Irfan and Ghulam Mudassar were part of the Lahore Qalandars squad for PSL 2017. Asif Aziz, Chief Operating Offer Jazz stated, ‘Activism is a strategic part of Jazz’s DNA and we promise to continually be a beacon of hope and opportunity for each and every citizen of Pakistan. This is the goal each Jazz employee has and it is our mission to bring positivity on a societal and national level’ Jazz Rising Stars is expected to return with an even bigger format this summer.
Zong Opens its Concept Store in Karachi
Zong today announced the opening of ‘one-of-a-kind’ concept store in Karachi. This is Zong’s 5th Concept Store, the 1st in Karachi and also the biggest to date. The Store is equipped with latest Zong products and state-of-the art gadgets & Enterprise Solutions on display. The inauguration event is being live tweeted and covered by enthusiastic and notable Bloggers and the hashtag #ZongConceptStore is trending at No.1 in Pakistan right now. The store is now open to Walk-In-Customers at Clifton, Karachi and is designed to provide customers with a better understanding of how technology can make life easier. The opportunities provided by telecommunications are currently so vast that many people are having trouble keeping up with them. This top-notch concept store will demonstrate how simply & seamlessly different aspects of technology come together to transform lives across the world. This multi-purpose store hosts: A 4G handsets zone An accessories zone An Enterprise Solutions corner with IoT solutions & Applications A 4G Gaming zone A Live video streaming kiosk; and One on one Customer Support The store was inaugurated by Zong’s Chief Financial Officer Mr. Li Wenyu, alongside company’s Chief Technical Officer Ms. Miao Qiao and other senior officials. In order to ensure the perfect customer experience. The staff at the concept store has been trained to go the extra mile in facilitating customers. The people of Karachi already enjoy Zong’s fastest 4G services spread across the city, with affordable data products, customized to suit the needs of the customers of Karachi, as is the case with the rest of the country. Zong is Pakistan’s No. 1 Data Network and leads the telecommunications category with its unmatched 4G experience in more than 250 cities. With this new concept store, Zong will further propel 4G internet penetration, living up to its vision of touching the lives of all Pakistanis with their exciting offers & customer support available through this store.
E-commerce: Battle between Flipkart and Amazon.com has started warming up
With 100 million new internet surfers every year, Amazon.com is betting big on India, but a significant new investment in homegrown rival Flipkart means the battle to dominate the fast-growing e-commerce market is defined to warm up. Flipkart released this week that top international companies including Microsoft, eBay and China’s Tencent possessed pledged assets totalling $1.4 billion, one of the greatest sums ever before lifted by an Indian start-up. The 10-year-old e-commerce company needs all the make it can reach compete with Amazon.com following the Seattle-based giant made India’s 1.25 billion inhabitants a worldwide strategic goal, earmarking $5 billion in investment money. “They have to have a large amount of profit order to struggle on the market with Amazon.com,” said Jaideep Mehta, South Asia director at the International Data Corporation. Every three a few moments, an Indian connects to the internet for the very first time, according to Yahoo. One in three Indians presently uses the internet, however the amount is forecast to swell by 300 million by 2020, due mainly to growing smartphone use. McKinsey analyst Ashish Tuteja said 70 percent of online sales in India were done over a smartphone. “It is rather much a mobile-first market,” he advised AFP. Projections for how big is the marketplace by 2020 differ wildly, which range from $50 billion to $120 billion. But all concur that it’ll be worth somewhat more than the existing $15 billion, because of an expanding middle income and swiftly growing internet use. Amazon.com only opened its doors in India in 2013, but quickly overtook local start-up Snapdeal to be the second-biggest player. E-retailers in India typically take up a “market” structure, operating as websites that hook up buyers and vendors somewhat than stocking their own products. Amazon.com marketed its services aggressively, touring markets around the united states using its “chai carts” to market the thought of e-commerce to small traders on the cup of tea. Under another effort dubbed “Feet-on-Street”, an Amazon worker would be delivered to picture their products and help them to join up online. Alibaba ambush – Flipkart, Amazon . com and Snapdeal are actually engaged in a cost war, with each Indian festival a celebration for aggressive cuts. “Sooner or later, they have to generate profits,” said Mehta — something experts say will necessitate loan consolidation of the sector. That process has recently started, with Flipkart absorbing two rival sites, Myntra and Jabong. Regarding to Indian advertising, a package for Flipkart to buy Snapdeal is next. India also symbolizes a opportunity for a rematch after Amazon.com lost out to Alibaba in China. Although presently more centered on Southeast Asia, billionaire Jack port Ma’s group has made no top secret of its affinity for India. The Chinese language giant has used a stake in Indian online repayments company Paytm and has ambitions to build up as a web sales system in its right. Reuters
Samsung’s launches Customer-Awareness Campaign through Kiosks.
Samsung Electronics is rapidly expanding and enriching its sales-network all over Pakistan. This global award-winning innovator has launched a Product-Awareness campaign, to promote Samsung’s devices and products, while strengthening the company’s relationships with its dealers, shopkeepers and consumers. On this occasion, Head of Samsung Mobile Pakistan & Afghanistan – Mr. Umar Ghuman personally visited the mobiles market at Hafeez Centre in Lahore to interact and engage with the dealers for sharing experiences and ideas. Mr. Umar Ghuman also inaugurated Samsung’s special kiosk in this big market for providing the customers with the latest information on products and devices. A cake-cutting ceremony was also held, where Mr. Umar Ghuman distributed valuable gifts and prizes among the consumers attending this event. Head of Samsung Mobile Pakistan & Afghanistan stated that: Samsung is consistently striving to strengthen our relationships with the dealers network, who provide us with a better understanding of the market and inform us about the evolving needs and preferences of our consumers. We need to maintain a swift, convenient and responsive sales network, to live up to the expectations of our customers, while providing them with revolutionary products. This way, we are delivering a world-class customer-services experience to the customers in every city and town. Such interactions with the dealers network provide a deeper insight into the local market dynamics. The retailers were delighted to meet the Samsung Mobile Head and appreciated his personal interest in closely observing the market, to better understand the changing needs of the dealers’ network. Samsung is thus enhancing its accessibility, whereby the customers can interact with the Samsung brand more easily. The company is empowering the customers to enjoy the latest in telecommunication technologies and perpetual connectivity, on-the-go. Samsung’s customer-response facilities in Pakistan are at par with the international standards, while the customers’ hassles are greatly reduced.
Qualcomm to pay BlackBerry $814.9 million to stay royalties dispute
Chipmaker Qualcomm Inc said on Thursday it was asked to refund Canada’s BlackBerry Ltd $814.9 million within an arbitration over royalties for several past sales. U.S.-posted stocks of BlackBerry were up 17.8 percent at $9.07 in heavy trading, while these were also up 17 percent at C$12.03 in Toronto. Qualcomm’s stocks were down about 2 percent at $54.20. The dispute were only available in 2016 pursuing Qualcomm’s contract to cover certain royalties put on payments created by BlackBerry under a licensing package. Qualcomm said on Thursday it generally does not buy into the decision of the arbitration -panel, but the repayment is binding rather than appealable. With BlackBerry likely to invest for progress in its software businesses, the arbitration honor will fortify the company’s balance sheet and improve the odds of acquisitions, Canaccord Genuity analyst Michael Walkley composed in an email. He increased the purchase price concentrate on to $9.50 from $8. Qualcomm is struggling a lawsuit submitted by Apple Inc, which includes accused the business of overcharging for potato chips and refusing to pay some $1 billion in promised rebates. The U.S. federal has accused Qualcomm of resorting to anticompetitive strategies to keep a monopoly over key semiconductors found in mobile phones. BlackBerry said on Wed a final prize, that may include interest and realistic lawyers’ fees, will be given after a reading on, may 30. BlackBerry, that includes a market valuation around C$5.45 billion, reported earnings of C$1.31 billion in 2016, while Qualcomm, that includes a market capitalization of $81.75 billion, reported a earnings of $23.5 billion. Sullivan & Cromwell LLP displayed BlackBerry in the proceeding. Reuters
WhatsApp will continue to work with govt. to discover a way of obstructing sexually unpleasant videos on Social media
US-based instant messaging software company WhatsApp Inc today informed the Supreme Court docket that it could cooperate and assist the -panel, which is finding ways to prevent sexually unpleasant videos on public sites. Whatsapp Inc, that was made a celebration in the problem by the apex judge, advised a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta that its users would meet up with the committee setup by the court docket to explore a complex solution to prevent such videos. “They (Whatsapp Inc) are mailing their visitors to sit down with the committee and describe everything,” mature advocate Kapil Sibal, who symbolized the US organization, said. Sibal also said the engineer and experts of Whatsapp Inc would show the committee all the specialized aspects, like the encryption technology. He advised the judge that the firm’s participants will meet up with the committee within a fortnight and the counsel showing for the people fixed Apr 27 for executing a meeting. The apex judge had on Apr 11 released notice to Whatsapp Inc seeking its response in the problem, stating the petitioner may send an in depth e-mail to them to produce a presentation, when possible through video recording conferencing, to aid the committee. The court’s order possessed come after advocate Aparna Bhat, who’s representing the petitioner, got mentioned the problem before it wanting to make WhatsApp Inc a celebration in the event. The court possessed on March 22 constituted the committee comprising associates from the Centre and internet majors to explore a complex solution to obstruct videos of intimate offences on cultural networking sites. It experienced given the nominees of Yahoo India, Microsoft India, Yahoo India, Facebook and other internet intermediaries 15 days and nights to meet and think of a solution. The Centre acquired earlier enlightened the apex judge that it could create a specialised organization to obstruct and curb showing of erotic offence videos on public networking platforms. The court docket was experiencing a letter delivered to then Key Justice of India H L Dattu by Hyderabad-based NGO Prajwala along with two rape videos in a pen drive. It had considered cognisance of its of the notice about posting of these videos and acquired asked the CBI to start a study with immediate result to apprehend the culprits. The NGO’s notice experienced also mooted the thought of maintaining a countrywide love-making offenders’ register that ought to contain information on people convicted for offences like eve-teasing, stalking, molestation and other erotic assaults. It got also advised that the Ministry of Home Affairs must have a tie-up with YouTube and WhatsApp to ensure that such unpleasant videos aren’t published and the culprits are punished. Reuters
Nasa and Amazon will stream a live discussion in 4K from the ISS on 26 April
Interestingly, Earth-bound people will share of the eminence of space through a 4K Ultra HD livestream, obligingness of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) and Amazon. The stream is principally planned for supporters at the NAB Show tradition to be held in Las Vegas on 26 April, yet customary people can likewise tune into the stream here. Nasa will likewise make the stream accessible as a recording after the occasion. Assortment reports that the stream will start at 10:30 AM PT on 26 April, which would mean 11:00 PM on 26 April in India. The stream is really a demo of Amazon’s Elemental encoding innovation and additionally the energy of Amazon Web Services (AWS) and its Content Delivery Network (CDN). Essential is a cutting edge encoding group for packing high-determination video content continuously, and NAB is a telecaster’s tradition, all things considered. Nasa is additionally naturally energized for the innovation. The capacity to stream in 4K implies that Nasa managers on the ground will have the capacity to better screen whatever it is they have to in profound space or the ISS. The stream itself will include a discussion between space traveler Dr Peggy Whitson on the ISS and AWS Elemental CEO and fellow benefactor Sam Blackman, reports Variety. There will likewise be a board talk with different architects from Nasa and Amazon and also individuals working in the field of AR, VR and broadcasting. The stream will be accessible in 4K and HD. Reuters
