Pakistan wants website filtering system

Islamabad, Mar 16: Pakistan is looking at having a website filtering system, a move that has come in for criticism from bloggers.
 Information Communication Technology Research and Development Fund has called for proposals to install a national level website filtering system, reported Dawn.
 An expert said the system will help the government block websites systematically, similar to the internet censoring methods adopted by the Chinese.
 The authorities want the blocking system should be able to handle a block list of up to 50 million URLs (website addresses) with a processing delay of not more than one millisecond.
 Wahajus Siraj, national convener for the Internet Service Providing Companies, said: "Blocking pornographic websites and blasphemous content is a good move and we appreciate it. Even the installation of a filtering system is fair but what guarantee do we have that this filter will not be used by the government to block websites of media houses, political parties and bloggers in the future?"
 "This is an attempt by the government to pressure people's right to information. People know what is good and bad for them when using the internet and don't need regulation," Pervez Hoodbhoy, a professor, was quoted as saying.
 He added: "This is against the freedom of expression."
 Asfham Mushtaq, a political blogger, said: "After the installation of this national level filter, political blogging websites that are critical of the government or any critical international research think-tank that publishes reports against the government or its polices will be under threat of being blocked. This will affect our access to varieties of opinions and information." (IANS) 

Rainy Mood - Sound of Happiness

Close your eyes, and listen to the sound. I am sure you will enjoy it. It's a break for you in your daily activities.

New dimensions to social networking in Pakistan

PESHAWAR: As novel as it sounds, Mardan’s 18-year-old Shahzad has developed a social networking portal that does not require an internet connection – “Smile SMS”.

The SMS-based social networking service enables users to gather local and international information on their phones, free of cost, without using the internet.

IT-savvy Shahzad has been into developing programmes and websites ever since he was in grade six. This hobby transformed into passion and helped him achieve a lot at a very young age.

Smile SMS – the first of its kind service launched in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – operates similar to Facebook, however, the only difference is that an internet connection is required for Facebook, while Smile SMS can be used without it.

“This service helps you update your status, let your friends comment on it and make new friends,” said Shahzad. “In K-P, not a lot of people have access to the internet, so I thought of developing a unique programme for them.”

Shahzad said he has done the first network test of the service and currently it can afford up to one million people. “We are planning on expanding and updating the service too.”

Sajjad Khan, one of the users of the service said that in his village, hundreds of students don’t have internet access to use this service. “This is the first time that such a service has been launched in K-P. It is benefitting a lot of people, said Khan.

Shahzad also said that the people of K-P can also make a name for themselves in the field of IT, only if the government encourages them.

Social Networking Redefined: Mardan Boy Develops SMS-Based Portal

This country is not of talent and resources and this is what we in the eyes of our young talented minds who have just started to come up with more innovative ideas every now and then. Earlier we read about Malala Yousafzai and Arfa Karim and now this 18 year old teenager, Shahzad Khan from Mardan is making us say Woww. This came to my knowledge just a moment ago when express tribune reported that a local boy has created a facebook like social network that runs on mobile phones through SMS, called SMileSMS

Since it is SMS based, therefore, it does not require any internet connection. Just like facebook, you can update your status, let your friends know about it who can also comment on that.

At the moment, the test network that Shahzad had created can accommodate 1 million users to share their information on it. But, with the help of government support and cooperation from cellular operators, this application can be enhanced to let more than 110 million subscribers of Pakistan to communicate through it.

If provided enough support, this could really boost our local application development market.

Shahzad is a University of Peshawar graduate and runs a small setup for its application development. He has this hobby of creating different small programs since grade 6.

How SmileSMS Works

To Create an ID on sMiLe sms CHAT (space) ID
Eg: CHAT Faisal
To Add Someone as Friend sms ADD (space) ID
To Update Status sms STATUS (space) Msg
To Comment on Someone Status sms Status Code (space) Comments
Eg: c1 Hi its nice
Status Codes are somewhat like Cxxx

Just to Get someone Public Updates sms LISTEN (space) ID
To send Public Updates sms STATUSP (space) Message
Send All messages on 03318190484/3 (Which will be Free of Cost)

5 Photoshop face retouching tutorials

Do you want to get rid of some skin problems in your photo? You can easily remove wrinkles, black or red spots, hard skin effects etc. after learning these tutorials.



1. Face Enhancement

2. Removing Skin Spots

3. Quick Face Retouching

4.  DeAging 

5. Superb Skin Air Brush Technique