KARACHI: Enthusiasts gathered in Karachi  to create a new record for the most number of people singing a national anthem simultaneously – and they succeeded.

5,857 people gathered at a stadium in Khadda market area of Karachi and beat the previous record of 5,248, achieved by students, staff, faculty and alumni of MSU-IIT (Philippines) who sang ‘Lupang Hinirang’ Philippines’ National Anthem, at the MSU-IIT gymnasium, in Iligan, Philippines, on 1 September 2009.

The record breaking attempt was organised online using Facebook and Twitter and even included a last minute tweet frenzy as the record-attempt faced failure of falling short 147 people.
In the end, the required number of people gathered at the spot and as the clock struck 12, everyone started singing the national anthem “Pak sar zameen” to mark Pakistan’s 64th independence day and make a new world record.

Source : http://tribune.com.pk

In the current economic climate, finding a job is no easy feat. Most people settle for the first job they find in order to gain stability. Instead of changing multiple jobs and treating them as stepping stones, it is important to find opportunities to move up the corporate ladder. Here are a few tips to help you make your way up, and never look back.

Learn to be a Leader:

You do not need to be the boss in order to lead. Learn to take initiative at work, and always be approachable. Co-workers will ask for your help if they know that you are a friendly person. This will allow you to enhance your skills and give you the space to develop. Maintaining a positive attitude helps in motivating and inspiring the people you work with. By helping other teams and departments, you will become an asset within the organization.

Expand Your Knowledge and Skills

Knowing more is always better than knowing less. Regardless of where you work, in order to succeed you need to have an up to date knowledge of all areas critical within your organization. Learn everything you can about the responsibilities of the job you aspire to get in your workplace. You can do this by watching others, or attending relevant trainings. When you have successfully learnt the ins and outs of procedures and resources, you will be an overall better candidate for the job whenever there is an opening.

Become a Team Player

Teamwork is essential in every organization and allows you to build your reputation. Learning to be a team player opens up new opportunities for you as people start to recognize that you are willing to help them and work on their team. Success at the workplace also depends on your ability to cooperate with co-workers. Employees enhance the overall productivity and add to the success of businesses by working together.

Ask for More Responsibilities

You are more likely to succeed at the workplace by asking for more responsibilities than by asking for a promotion. By asking for more responsibilities you not only show your interest towards the business but also increase your value within the organization. Increasing responsibilities will give you an idea of what is expected of you. Furthermore, it allows you to enhance your potential and understand what you are working towards to prepare you for the future.

Ignore Workplace Politics

Every organization has internal politics. However, to move forward you must ignore all negativity and focus on succeeding. Do not engage in unpleasant conversation about anyone or think of alternate ways to the top. The amount of time and negative energy it takes to plot your way to the top could be better spent generating ideas on how to improve your performance. If you always work hard and deliver the results beyond what is expected, you will be well respected and will soon be moving upwards.

Work Hard

In order to move up the corporate ladder, you should always be willing to work hard. You should know what you are working towards and be able to make sacrifices to reach that goal. Keep setting optimistic but attainable goals that will drive you to surpass your own expectations. No matter how well connected you are, hard work is always essential to reach and maintain your position at the top. People are more likely to get promoted and sustain their position if they have worked hard to earn it.

Be Loyal and Committed to your Organization

In order to achieve success, high levels of commitment and loyalty to the organization are essential. Employees who are so dedicated to their work that they believe by committing themselves they are playing an active role in the success of the organization, are assets to the company. Their performance and productivity levels are consistently high which allows them to stand out from the rest. Employee loyalty results in positive financial outcomes for the business, hence giving them an edge in order to succeed. By being loyal to your organization and demonstrating this at work, you automatically increase your chances of advancing in the workplace. If you display a loyalty towards your boss, he will be more likely to take you up the corporate ladder with him as he is able to count on you.

Maintain A Professional Attitude

A professional attitude consists of various qualities. By displaying your reliability, you become an asset to your company. You should always dress professionally and neatly as this reflects on your personality. If you treat others with respect and act professional, you earn the respect of your co-workers and show others that you are there to work and not get involved in unnecessary office gossip. By detaching yourself from such office dynamics, you are creating an example for others to follow, as well as increasing productivity at work. You must maintain punctuality and never be afraid to ask if unsure of anything. This suggests your willingness to learn, as opposed to your lack of knowledge. Finally, don’t whine about problems. When a problematic situation arises, try to come up with a few solutions before going to your boss. This indicates your ability to solve problems and handle difficult situations when in a higher position.

Be Resourceful

Always voice any ideas you have which you feel may have a positive impact on the company. You do not need to have resources to be resourceful – make your voice heard, so everyone is aware that you have an opinion. In some situations, people are so confined in what they think that your solution may be the perfect one. Think outside the box of how you could help your company solve a problem and you will already be a step closer to getting a promotion. Remember, one of the best ways to thrive and to stand out is by doing your own thing, and opposing popular opinion.

Keep Networking

Networking is a fundamental part of developing a name for yourself and constantly growing in your professional career. In order to further your career, you must be prepared to tactically associate yourself to individuals in high positions. Never miss a corporate event, and maintain a positive attitude as these are noticed by everyone. These events are a chance for you to shine and demonstrate your strengths and abilities. Another advantage of networking is that you will learn much more about the company by speaking to people in other areas of the organization, hence expanding your skill sets.

Sure, you want a new phone right now, but carriers and manufacturers have promised some truly spectacular, knock-your-socks-off phones coming to U.S. shelves between now and June. With 4G right around the corner and mobile hardware and software getting better and better, you should take a look at what’s coming down the pike in the next couple of months before you buy.

The first three weeks of the year have seen more than a dozen announcements from top U.S. carriers, and we’re sure to see more at the Mobile World Congress trade show in mid-February. Whether you’re with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, or Verizon Wireless, there’s something exciting on the horizon.

It wasn’t easy keeping it to just 10, but we’ve come up with this list of the most exciting phones that you’ll be able to buy in the coming months. To check out pictures of these handsets,

Sony Ericsson’s big comeback could come from this Android 2.3 “Gingerbread” phone with a razor-sharp screen, spectacular camera, and the ability to be manipulated by your TV’s remote control. While the company told us it wants to sell this phone here in the U.S, we’ve put it in last place on this list because Sony Ericsson has a lousy track record of getting its phones picked up by U.S. carriers. If it does appear, the Xperia Arc will most likely show up on AT&T

Also notable: Sony Ericsson is expected to debut a “PlayStation phone” next month, though we don’t know whether that’s ever coming to the U.S. We should know more when MWC commences on Feb. 13.

9. HTC 7 Pro (Sprint)

Windows Phone 7 will debut on Sprint very, very soon with this big, sliding-QWERTY-keyboard model. Like many other Windows Phone 7 devices, the 7 Pro has a 1GHz processor and a 5-megapixel camera. The form factor is the selling point here, with a tilting screen that makes it look like a little laptop.

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8. LG Revolution (Verizon Wireless)
Verizon debuted four new LTE, Android-based phones at CES this year. The LG Revolution’s key features include 1080p HD video capture and the ability to organize your Android apps into folders, preventing your app tray from getting much too long.

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7. Samsung Galaxy S 4G (T-Mobile)

T-Mobile’s Editors’ Choice-winning Samsung Vibrant is getting a faster cousin on February 13 with the introduction of the Galaxy S 4G, which T-Mobile pre-announced on January 20. We don’t know much about the new generation Galaxy S, although we’re hoping T-Mobile’s phone is the same as the dual-core Galaxy S lineup that Samsung is promising.

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6. Samsung Infuse 4G (AT&T)

Super-thin, with a super-huge, Super AMOLED Plus screen, the Samsung Infuse will give you a truly cinematic Android experience. The 4.5-inch display carries the same 800-by-480 resolution as most other smart phones, but Samsung says Super AMOLED Plus will improve its colors. The Infuse will be one of the first phones to run on AT&T’s fast HSPA+ network.

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5. HTC Thunderbolt (Verizon Wireless)

HTC is beloved for giving a bit more style and finish to its Android phones than some other manufacturers, and the 4G HTC Thunderbolt comes with the company’s award-winning Sense UI overlay. It also has an 8-megapixel camera and an HD video recorder, which may make this an excellent 4G phone for YouTube devotees.

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4. T-Mobile Sidekick 4G

The T-Mobile Sidekick is a cult device with an intensely faithful following. After Sidekick-maker Danger was bought by Microsoft, fans thought they’d never see a new model. T-Mobile recently said the Sidekick is coming back as a 4G HSPA+ Android phone, but didn’t give many details. This image seems to hint that it will eschew a swiveling screen for a slider design.

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3. Motorola Droid Bionic (Verizon Wireless)

The dual-core, NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor in the Motorola Droid Bionic means this 4G LTE phone will be up to twice as fast as other top smartphones. I’ve seen the Tegra difference when playing games, and it means sharper backgrounds, better shadows, and more enemies to fight. The Droid Bionic may very well be Verizon’s power leader when it launches.

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2. Motorola Atrix (AT&T)

The most interesting phone I saw at CES and the one I’m personally waiting most anxiously for, the Motorola Atrix is an Android phone that turns into a Linux-powered, desktop or laptop PC when it’s popped into the appropriate dock. Could this replace a tablet, a netbook, or a home media center? I really want to find out.

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1. Apple iPhone 5

Sorry folks, we couldn’t ignore the next-gen Jesus phone. Nobody knows anything reliable about the upcoming iPhone, although noisy blog speculation is already in full force. We don’t know if it will be called iPhone 5, iPhone 4G, or something else. But we’re pretty sure it’s coming in June or July—iPhones always do. Surely Apple will have plenty of surprises for us, and it’s likely that a new iPhone will come with industry-leading features. The real question is, with a Verizon iPhone 4 coming in early February—can you wait that long?

A good news for 3D cinema screen lovers resonates around city Lahore as the Cinestar in Township has acquired its first ever 3D cinema.

Lahore city’s first 3D cinema is just inaugurated yesterday. A red carpet event was held by owners Ali Chaudhry and Faraz Chaudhry to showcase Hollywood film, Avatar. They said that a large amount of money has been served to bring this 3D latest technology for which the entire cinema has to be renovated as well.

The organisers said they had spent a large amount of money to get the latest technology. A 3D cinema, they said, cost 10 times an ordinary cinema and the entire cinema had to be renovated in order for the 3D technology to be installed. They also hoped to add three more screens and IMAX technology to their cinema house. “We want to revive the cinema. Our focus is youth who embrace new technologies,” said Ali Chaudhry. He said that they had special discounts for students.

By Asad Farooq

KARACHI: Several government secondary schools of Karachi have included a controversial book containing sensitive content on the theme of sexual health in their curricula for class sixth to Matric.

The book called “Zindagi guzarne ke maharaton per mubni taaleem” (Life Skill Based Education – LSBE) is a supplementary besides the syllabus approved by the Sindh Text Book Board (STBB).

Father of a girl, studying in class 7th, pointed out several lines in the book which can be regarded as utterly controversial.

In the fourth paragraph of chapter 12, page no 56, students have been instructed to use ‘secure procedure’ during sexual intercourse with their partners, to avoid inheriting diseases such as Aids or Hepatitis.

The next point in the paragraph instructs, ‘During sex with an affected person or someone you don’t know, a condom should be used’. It may be mentioned here that the book is being taught to the students of class sixth to Matric.

The father who requested anonymity asked emotionally, “Is this what we send our daughters to learn from school?” The objectionable content is not only present in chapter 12 but also in chapter 8 page no 37, chapter10 page no 44, chapter 11 page no 48, he said adding that a picture of marriage ceremony in the book is portraying a court marriage instead of traditional, while in chapter 16, page no 70 strange behaviour of an uncle with her niece has been discussed.

The father further said such type of information was not necessary to be taught at the level of class sixth, seventh or eighth, adding, “Who told the government to add this content in the curricula of such level?”

The book was published under the project with same title “Life Skill Based Education” (LSBE) programme. The programme is being run by the World Population Foundation (WPF) under the aegis of the European Union (EU), besides local governmental and non-governmental organisations. WPF is an international organisation while its major donors include the EU, World Bank, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Kingdom of Netherlands etc. It may be mentioned here that before the introduction of book, a three-day training was organised for the selected teachers at a local hotel who were also paid a stipend of Rs 300 per day.

Daily Times has learnt that the supporters of LSBE programme bestowed Rs 20,000 to the schools where this book was being taught.

Interesting occurrences surfaced at the launching of book when a few teachers excused the relevant authorities from teaching the book after reading the content. Several principals and even a high profile education officer in Karachi termed the content of the book very controversial. Despite severe criticism over the book in the inner circles of education department, the book was introduced in several schools of the metropolis due to reason unknown.

When contacted District Education Officer Shabbir Ahmed Jokhio initially expressed ignorance about any such book. He said only the curriculum of the STBB was being taught in the public schools. However, he later remembered that the book was being taught in 16 schools of the metropolis, out of which 10 are of girls and six are of boys.

Replying to a question, he said that there was no role of the education department in the content generation of book. The WPF self-managed to write and publish the book and it was the only responsible entity for the controversial content present in the book. It may also be mentioned here that a disclaimer by EU, is published on the first page of book, which states that the content of said publication is the sole responsibility of the WPF.

Commenting on behalf of his department, Jokhio said that the content is quite contrary to the local values and should be modified. He hoped that the objectionable content will be eliminated from the book in the next year. He also informed that the book was being taught as a result of an agreement between the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) and WPF, which was signed between the two sides during the tenure of the former CDGK Head Syed Mustafa Kamal.

It is pertinent to mention here that the WPF Country Representative Qadir Baig concludes in his vote of thanks published in the book, that the content of book was composed with the help of WFP’s previous books. This leaves an impression the LSBE or its succeeding books may have been taught in Western countries.

Source : http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C04%5C11%5Cstory_11-4-2011_pg7_20

Microsoft Windows 8

Leaked copy of Microsoft’s newest (upcoming) OS – Windows 8. Please note this is not even in beta stage – it’s Milestone 1 (M1) build 7850. It’s just for trying out and testing – don’t use it as your main OS!

Windows 8 refers to the next version of Microsoft Windows after Windows 7. Scheduled for release around 2012. At the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Microsoft announced that it would be including support for system-on-a-chip (SoC) and mobile ARM processors in its next version of the Windows operating system, which is expected to be called Windows 8.

India will lose the worldcup semifinal 2011

Samsung Proxima Concept from Johan Loekito
This stylish concept isn’t so simple as it looks at the first glance. This is LED wristwatch and phone at the same time. It was created by industrial designer from California  As it was noticed in description of device it is a collaborative project with Samsung Design America created in fall 2009. The slogan of this project – you’ll never lose your phone again. Open the post and you’ll know how it works.

This stylish concept isn’t so simple as it looks at the first glance. This is LED wristwatch and phone at the same time. It was created by industrial designer from California Johan Loekito. As it was noticed in description of device it is a collaborative project with Samsung Design America created in fall 2009. The slogan of this project – you’ll never lose your phone again. Open the post and you’ll know how it works.

Proximity sensor detects the presence of the detachable unit. Never lose your phone again.

Emits a warning tone when user moves away from detached unit. Press button to ‘call’ the detached unit.

Allows user to locate contacts using the proximity sensor.

Detachable unit features a color e-paper display and a dual OLED display.

Detached screen. Calling mode.