Elon Musk’s Starlink registered with SECP, confirms state minister

ISLAMABAD: Elon Musk’s satellite broadband company, Starlink, has been registered with the Security Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja confirmed to Geo.tv on Monday. “[Following the approval] the space board authority is looking into various technical aspects and we have communicated [about this] to Starlink,” she said. Furthermore, the IT minister said, a regulatory regime was being worked out so that all low earth orbit (LEO) satellite companies including Starlink “is open to all international companies”. The development came two days after…

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Blue Origin’s New Glenn to make first orbital launch

CAPE CANAVERAL: Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is set to launch its first ever orbital rocket next week, seeking to mark a pivotal moment in the commercial space race currently dominated by SpaceX owned by Elon Musk. The rocket, named New Glenn, is scheduled for liftoff as soon as Wednesday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 1am (0500 GMT), with a backup window on Friday, as per a Federal Aviation Administration advisory. While Blue Origin has not officially confirmed the launch date, excitement has been building since a…

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Internet degradation ‘resolved’ with temporary bandwidth: PTA

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said on Saturday that the degradation of internet services across the country has been resolved through the incorporation of a temporary bandwidth into the system. An ad hoc bandwidth was arranged and added in the system to address the issue of degradation of Internet services due to fault in AAE1 submarine cable on January 2, 2025. “Now there is no degradation of Internet services across the country,” the PTA said. The statement read that the PTA is actively overseeing the restoration efforts for the AAE-1…

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WhatsApp to release new update for chat animations

Meta-owned WhatsApp is working on a feature to manage autoplay animated images which will be available for users in a future release. By permitting users to disable animations for emojis, stickers and avatars directly from the app settings, the new feature aims to provide users with greater control over their chat experience, reported WABetaInfo. The app is exploring the implementation of a new feature which allows users to manage certain animations in their chats and groups. This new feature offers even more control over which message should animate than the previous…

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Apple to pay $95 million to settle Siri privacy lawsuit

Apple has agreed to pay $95 million in cash to settle a proposed class action lawsuit claiming that its voice-activated Siri assistant violated users’ privacy. A preliminary settlement was filed on Tuesday night in the Oakland, California federal court, and requires approval by US District Judge Jeffrey White. Mobile device owners complained that Apple routinely recorded their private conversations after they activated Siri unintentionally, and disclosed these conversations to third parties such as advertisers. Voice assistants typically react when people use “hot words” such as “Hey, Siri.” Two plaintiffs said…

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WUTHERING WAVES VERSION 2.0 LAUNCHES TODAY, DEBUTS ON PLAYSTATION 5

GUANGZHOU, CHINA – JANUARY 2, 2025 – Kuro Games announced that its award-winning, open-world, action RPG Wuthering Waves is now available on PlayStation 5. Sharing data with PC and mobile devices, The PS5 version will provide a seamless gaming experience across all your devices. The console version will include content from the game’s previous updates, plus its most massive update yet, Version 2.0.  Launching simultaneously on PC, mobile, and PS5, Version 2.0 invites players to experience the all-new continent of Rinascita, a nation of independent city-states. In this version, Wuthering Waves introduces a main story Shortcut…

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Internet disruption likely in Pakistan as submarine cable develops fault

A submarine cable AAE-1 near Qatar has developed fault that may impact internet and broadband user experience across the country, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said on Thursday. In a statement for general public information, the PTA said that a fault has been reported in the submarine cable AAE-1 near Qatar — one of the seven international undersea cables connecting Pakistan for international internet traffic. — Instagram/@ptaofficialpk “The concerned teams are working to fix the fault. The PTA is monitoring the situation and will keep updating telecom users accordingly,” the statement…

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Major space launches set to make headlines in 2025

As 2025 begins, a thrilling array of space missions awaits humanity, making the new year a landmark year for space explorations. Over the next 12 months, the spotlight will be on several ambitious projects. January and February will see lunar landing attempts. The highly anticipated launch of SpaceX’s Starship megarocket, and the collection of samples from a near-Earth asteroid, among other ventures. Let’s delve into some of the most exciting and awe-inspiring space missions slated for this year. Seen from the International Space Station (ISS), the moon appears partially lit…

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These phones will no longer have WhatsApp in 2025

Android devices running the KitKat operating system (OS) or older versions will no longer support Meta’s platform, WhatsApp, starting January 1, 2025, according to a report by IOL. Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, stated that this decision is aimed at enhancing security and app functionality. WhatsApp’s evolving innovations—such as encryption updates, multi-device support, advanced video calling features, and AI functionalities—require modern hardware and software to function effectively. Older devices are unable to support these new features and struggle to protect user data as technology advances. Without regular software and security updates,…

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Senator Rehman’s office spurns ‘troll campaign’ supported by Trump aide

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Sherry Rehman’s office has rejected the allegations, backed by US President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee Richard Grenell, of misusing US funds received by the Jinnah Institute (JI). The controversy arose after the tweet by Grenell, who claimed Rehman had been “exposed” for receiving funds from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). —Screengrab/X The former US diplomat on X (formerly Twitter) backed the allegations that Rehman received nearly half a million dollars from the NED, saying: “What a waste of US taxpayer money. Sherry has been exposed.”…

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