Radwanska moves into China Open final

Pennetta was at the peak of her power after staging a surprising turnaround to world numberone Caroline Wozniacki in the quarterfinal on Friday. But.....Read More

Flavia Pennetta reaches final in China Open Tennis

BEIJING: Top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki was knocked out of the China Open quarterfinals by Flavia Pennetta of Italy 3-6, 6-0, 7-6 (2) on Friday. Read More

Nokia E7 hands on review – Part-I

Nokia E-series smart phones are targeted at the corporate users or business executives who want to take their work with them wherever they go. There could not be a worst timing for introduction of a Symbian based high end Smartphone. Nokia have outsourced its Symbian OS development & maintenance & signed an agreement with Microsoft hence WP7S is knocking on the door. Nokia enthusiasts are gearing up for the first ever WP7S Smartphone by Nokia and even the most hardcore fans have not been impressed by the combination of Touch Screen & Symbian OS.

In this plethora of factors going against Nokia, it has launched its latest Symbian based touch screen phone, Nokia E7. Recently I got hold of the device to use and review it. The first part of the review will give an overview of E7 and covers general look, feel, build and hardware features present in the phone.

Full review can be read at Telecompk.net, where the review was originally published

No Al-Tahrir for Pakistan

The yawning gap between the elite and the disempowered, job-less and oppressed Egyptians has finally forced the downtrodden to caste all their fears aside and change their destiny. The Egyptians are following footsteps of Tunisians who successfully ousted president Zain El Abidin Ben Ali who had ruled the country for more than two decades with an iron fist. It all started on December 17 last year, when an unemployed post-graduate, Muhammad Al Bouazizi burnt himself in fire after being disallowed to set up a vegetable stall. This fire did not consume Al Bouazizi alone, it took the core of the corrupt politicians and the so-called ruling elite was eventually consumed in this fire as a country of ten million people stood united to hunt and kill anyone related with Zain El Abdin’s regime in a French revolution style. Zain El Abidin, the promoter of western interest in his own country was denied asylum every where he tried until Saudi Arabia opened its gates for him as he rushed out of Tunisia to save his life.

Overthrow of a dictator through mostly peaceful protests is a rare incident in human history, let alone the Middle East which has been marked by autocratic rulers whether in the form of Kings or Presidents. In the current scenario, where news of importance spreads like wildfire, this incident of unprecedented nature has excited Muslims all over the world as the Tahrir Square has been truly converted to Liberation Square and jumped straight into our living rooms through a magic box called TV. Even when all communication media were blocked, Egyptians used social networks and showed their strength as the trending topic on twitter became #altahrir. This peaceful revolution has stirred hidden anger and energized millions of Muslims across the globe, but the Muslims of the Middle East feel they are already part of the revolution as unrest in Algeria, Jordan & especially Yemen has been seen. King Abdullah of Jordan moved quickly to dissolve the government and appoint a new prime minister, whereas Yemen’s premier ensured he will not be running for elections again. Unrest across the Middle East was, in a way confirming US Vice President’s comment “a lot…going on across…from Tunisia to all the way to Pakistan”.

But, is it really coming to the land of four seasons … Pakistan?? Yes, this revolution is being termed as Jasmine revolution… & incidentally Jasmine is our national flower. Yes, the people of Pakistan have utmost sympathy with Tunisians and Egyptians and some want to be like them and see a revolution knocking the door. A discontent among general public is also quite obvious here as rulers, whether elected or military seem to bow down & follow every direction of their western counterparts, serving their interest like they have no relation with Pakistan. People are fed up of corruption and being treated as cattle in their very own country, they can understand that now apart from drones, any person trying to do an American version of 007 can kill a couple of youngsters and his colleagues can run over another biker and show a get-out-of-jai-free card and fly away safely … Educated but unemployed citizens are committing suicides on daily basis but there is none in the ruling class who has time to spare a thought to the deceased…. but even then … can this revolution some how find its way from Egypt, bypass Saudi Arabia, Iran and trickle down to Pakistan … or can it seep down the Arabian gulf to change the lives of Pakistanis forever ..??

I don’t know who, but some analysts are talking about the Islamic connection between Tunisia, Egypt & Pakistan, trying to make us believe that a similar uprising is soon to be started in Pakistan, the Egyptians are not calling for an Islamic revolution, and they are fighting for their basic rights, food, shelter and jobs, not religion! Even then, we all hope for a revolution, but what will you change? You have a Government which you elected in a general election, if you chose to oust it, what next? A new election or another dictator seizing power? A dictator will pile more misery and a new election will see the current parliament juggle their roles, some of these will be the ruling coalition and others will be neutral or the so-called opposition, but the overall constitution of the elected representatives will remain the same.

Pakistan has never been part of the Middle East, an Islamic revolution in neighboring Iran could not stir even a mini revolution here, a revolution in a country like Egypt or Tunisia is no closer to us than Iran’s dramatic episode. Protestors in Egypt and Tunisia had one common goal, they are driven by a single ideology, to drive out the tyrant rulers and seek a fresh start to change the system from inside out. In Pakistan, the biggest problem faced by us is that we are not united, we are not a nation, we are divided into Punjabi, Sindhi, Baloch, Pathan & then sub-divided into Deo-bandi, Barelvi, Shia, Sunni, Wahabi … etcetera, we have not ever demonstrated our unity except in the 1965 war and we cannot change our destiny till we forget our differences and demonstrate the fact that we are, in fact, united.

So, no Jasmine revolution & domino effect for Pakistan….

Pagara threatens to quit government

KARACHI: PML-F chief Pir Pagara has threatened to quit the government if ministries in Sindh were taken from his party, Geo News reported. Read More

President for implementation of SC verdict on Karachi

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday expressed satisfaction that all agencies concerned of the government were cognizant of the need to implement the verdict of Supreme Court about the law and order situation in Karachi and that some measures were already taken.... Read More 

Life, the wrapper and the happiness within ..

Read this article by Javed Chaudhry, an awesome piece, must read.

Flood Watch!

Various parts of the country are receiving torrential monsoon rains that may trigger flooding particularly in southern Pakistan. Displaced communities from the 2010 floods still in the process of recuperating are faced with yet another environmental challenge. Heavy rainfall and resulting flooding lead to many problems including economics, political instability, food, health etc. Country’s productive croplands are currently being overrun by flood water. Moreover with population displacement, abnormal overcrowding and lack of access to health care and disease control activities, the health risks can increase manifold. Children are particularly vulnerable in these circumstances.

Following are some of the important safety tips for you to remember in case of a flood.

Preparing for floods

1. Provide river and rainfall readings to responsible authorities.
2. Establish early warning procedures. 
3. Create and operate a Local Flood Warning System to identify areas vulnerable to flooding.  
4. Have an evacuation plan in place before flooding occurs.  
5. If advised to evacuate, do so immediately! It is best you move to higher ground before the     water on escape routs becomes too deep.
6. Store drinking water in containers.
7. Keep stock of food that requires little cooking. 
8. Keep first-aid supplies and prescription medicines on hand.
9. Contact your local emergency management agency to stay abreast of the latest information.

Safety Tips

1. You should move important things to the roof of your house.
2. Stay away from flood water. It may be contaminated (contain dangerous substances).
3. Do not walk through moving water. It can knock you off your feet. If you must walk through water, walk where the water is not moving. Use a stick to test the ground in front of you.
4. Stay away from power lines that are on the ground. You could be electrocuted.
5. Always keep your battery-powered radio with you so you know what is happening.

Family Safety Plan during an Emergency

There are certain things that should be kept in mind while making a Safety Plan.

You should talk to your family about:

1. Where to meet away from your home in case of a disaster (like a neighbor’s house or the corner of the street); 
2. Where to meet outside your neighborhood if you must evacuate. You should pick a friend or relative’s house; 
3. Where to call to "check in" if you become separated from your family during a disaster. You should memorize the phone number of a favorite aunt or family member who lives in another area. You would call there to report where you are so your family can find you. 

Microsoft Public Cloud Event in Qatar

Microsoft Qatar organized a good event in Doha at The West Bay Hotel on Public Cloud. Corporate Vice President Microsoft Office Division Product Management Group Kirk Königsbauer was the keynote speaker of the session.


He shared the some really cool features of Cloud. He update the audience that the trial version will be launched very soon, and then by next year, it will be available commercially.


It seems like that Office 365 release will especially support SME organizations, by providing Microsoft best class services at very nominal cost.


He then invite Yasir Khokar, the Business Team Lead of Microsoft Gulf to demonstrate it. It was good to meet Yasir after almost 5-6 years. We worked together in Nawras Oman project.


Well there is no doubt that cloud will not only reshape the services, technology but careers too. Yes, it will give a new turn to developers, network professionals careers. Let see and hope for the best.

Energy wise!

Global warming is a big problem please do your little bit to cut back and change the world.

• Do not leave appliances on standby

Use the "on/off" function on the machine itself. A TV set that's switched on for 3 hours a day and in standby mode during the remaining 21 hours uses about 40% of its energy in standby mode.

• Move your fridge and freezer

Placing them next to the cooker or boiler consumes much more energy than if they were standing on their own.  

• Cover your pots while cooking

Doing so can save a lot of the energy needed for preparing the dish. Even better are pressure cookers and steamers: they can save around 70%!

• Use the washing machine only when they are full

If you need to use it when it is half full, then use the half-load or economy setting. There is also no need to set the temperatures high. Nowadays detergents are so efficient that they get your clothes clean at low temperatures.

• Use less hot water

It takes a lot of energy to heat water. You can use less hot water by installing a low flow showerhead and washing your clothes in cold or warm water instead of hot.

• Be sure you’re recycling at home

You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates.

• Choose products 

Choose productsthat come with little packaging and buy refills when you can

You will also cut down on waste production and energy use... another help against global warming.

• Reuse your shopping bag

When shopping, it saves energy and waste to use a reusable bag instead of accepting a disposable one in each shop. Waste not only discharges CO2 and methane into the atmosphere, it can also pollute the air, groundwater and soil.

• Plant a tree

A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Trees are important because they provide shade and protection from the sun.  Not only that they also provide a home to wild birds and animals.