Technology Surrounds Us

Rare Vehicle seen on Lahore roads - Toyota Wish

2011-12-31T17:18:00.001+05:00

See the full gallery on Posterous

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My Image Capturing device

2011-08-07T14:26:00.001+05:00

See the full gallery on Posterous

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My car work in progress

2011-08-07T13:01:00.001+05:00

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Firefox unhappy with AVG Safe Search

2010-12-19T21:02:00.003+05:00

Just few days ago a very strange problem occurred with my Firefox. Enter key is not working in its address bar. Default behavior is that whatever you enter is searched from in your default search engine, but now nothing happens, and you have to press go to button. Then I just checked list of installation I have done in FF and found that AVG Safe Search (FF extension) is creating the issue, I disabled that and Enter Key is working fine in address bar.

So you can also try this if you are facing similar issue.

Happy Surfing !

Similar issue has been reported on Mozilla Site as well.
http://support.mozilla.com/mai/questions/767132
http://support.mozilla.com/bs/questions/763978

How to link javadoc in eclipse

2010-12-14T13:08:00.000+05:00

How to link javadoc in eclipse

Here comes a little handy tip for today.

As Java developers have to work with many third party APIs and they frequently refer to their javadocs while doing their development. It comes very handy if you can refer to javadoc right from the IDE. So here you go if you want to do in eclipse.

Cheers Happy Development!

Make Calls from Gmail

2010-08-26T23:48:00.000+05:00

I am surprised when I opened my Gmail inbox today. What I see is a calling service service offered by Gmail!

This is what Google told us about

You can now place calls to landline and mobile phones from within Gmail. Just dial any phone number and you’ll be connected. Calls to the U.S. and Canada are free in 2010. International calls are billed at our insanely low rates.

You have to download a voice plug in for using this service

Google voice interface simple and sleek and it got lot of features

Google voice service is currently offered in US only. They have plan of expanding this to additional countries

Some handy features while using Google Docs

2010-08-18T21:06:00.001+05:00

I am very big fan of Google Docs like products which allow you to mange your stuff online so you can seamlessly work on them while at home, office or any where there is internet. Let me share you with some new and my favorite features of the product

Draggable rows and columns in document tables
Change row heights and column width in tables using sliders
Format painter in spreadsheets
You can now apply formatting or conditional formatting rules you've used on one set of cells to another separate set of cells using the Paint Format tool
Optical character recognition (OCR)
You can now upload and convert PDF or image files to text
Formula highlighting
Cell references and the corresponding cells are now highlighted to make it easier to keep track of your formulas

And what you can expect in future releases of the product, some of them to keep an eye on

New version of Google documents
A totally re-built version of Google documents that adds a lot of new features and makes editing much snappier. The new version has chat, character-by-character real time co-editing, and makes imports and exports much better
Re-size images
After you insert an image into a document, click on the image to bring up controls that let you scale the image's size in any direction
Upload any file
Google will be rolling out the ability to upload, store, and share any file in Google Docs. Your files will be stored in their original format and down-loadable from anywhere. Uploading files to the cloud allows them to be safely stored and accessible at all times
Bulk upload
Upload multiple files quickly to your Docs list
Equation editor
Insert and edit mathematical equations and symbols in documents
DOCX Import
You can now import Word 2007 files (.docx) into Google Docs
List View and Mobile View Improvements
Now you can see your spreadsheets with all their formatting in List View and on your mobile device, this includes background/foreground colors, borders and text formatting!

Happy online collaboration !

Google Notebook Ended

2010-08-15T13:08:00.001+05:00

Google Notebook - is a free online application offered that allows users to save and organize clips of information while conducting research online.
The development of this service I have used some year earlier (2 Jun 2007 - This is what my last note on Google Notebook tell me). has been stopped. There is no new user signup but the good news is existing user can still use it.
It has been a handy gadget while doing online surfing, but Google thinks that it is now part of good old days and they have to offer some new and enhanced products. This is what is listed as alternate to Google Notebook (-)

SearchWiki - We recently launched a feature on Search that will let you re-rank, comment, and personalize your search results. This is useful when you've found some results on Google Search that were really perfect for your query.
Google Docs - If you're trying to jot down some quick notes, or create a document that you can share with others,
Tasks in Gmail - For a lightweight way to generate a todo list or keep track of things, we recently launched.
Google Bookmarks - For a tool that can help you remember web pages that you liked and access them easily, You can even add labels to your bookmarks to better organize and revisit them.

Opera competing in web landscape

2010-02-09T17:50:00.001+05:00

Opera has always been innovative in terms of features but i don't know why it does not well stands in terms of user base :(

See some unique features of Opera 10.10

Opera Unite [Use applications to share content with others in a quick and easy way.]
Opera Unite is a new technology platform allowing you to share content directly with friends, without having to upload anything to a Web site. You can stream music, show photo galleries, share files and folders, or even host your own Web pages directly from your browser.

Opera Link [Synchronize your Speed Dial, bookmarks, notes and other useful data.]
Opera Link™ is a free service that enables data sharing between all your computers and devices. It can synchronize your bookmarks, Speed Dial entries, notes and other useful browser information, so they are available to you wherever you go.
The first time you use Opera Link, Opera synchronizes your browser data to an online server. Any change you make in your browser is also reflected on this server. When you log into Opera Link with a second Opera Browser, all browser data from the online storage is merged with the browser data already in the new browser. If you delete a bookmark in the second Opera browser, this bookmark will also automatically be deleted on the online server and all copies of Opera which are logged in to this Opera Link account.

Opera Turbo [Boost your speed with our powerful servers to compress Web pages, so you get them faster.]
Opera Turbo is a server-side optimization and compression technology that speeds up data transfer and reduces the amount of data that needs to be downloaded in order to view the page by up to 80%. Among other means, the compression is achieved by image down-sampling therefore some level of distortion in graphics may occur.

Visual tabs
Drag the handle underneath the tabs to reveal thumbnails of your open Web pages.

Customizable Speed Dial
Get easy access to your favorite sites every time you open a new tab. Choose the layout and the background you prefer.

Viewing Long Source Files - Eclipse

2010-01-22T12:42:00.006+05:00

I just noticed a very handy option of eclipse / my eclipse which helps to view selected area of code e.g class, method,
block and even statement.
This can help to increase your focus while you are working in long source code files

Watch below screen shot to see the difference.

I bet you will be more comfortable with you devlopment work after using this !

Organize your time while at work

2010-01-20T18:05:00.009+05:00

Organize your time while at work that is what we all need ;)

LeechBlock is a simple productivity tool designed to block those time-wasting sites that can suck the life out of your working day. (You know: the ones that rhyme with 'Blue Cube', 'Pie Face', 'Space Hook', 'Hash Pot', 'Sticky Media', and the like.) All you need to do is specify which sites to block and when to block them.

You can specify up to six sets of sites to block, with different times and days for each set. You can block sites within fixed time periods (e.g., between 9am and 5pm), after a time limit (e.g., 10 minutes in every hour), or with a combination of time periods and time limit (e.g., 10 minutes in every hour between 9am and 5pm). You can also set a password for access to the extension options, just to slow you down in moments of weakness!

Source: LeechBlock

Organize your time while at work (Chrome)

2010-01-20T17:48:00.012+05:00

Organize your time you spend while at work I found another plug-in which is for Google Chrome

You sit down at the computer, and you swear you'll be productive. Next thing you know, it's twelve hours later. You've checked your email, updated your Facebook status, browsed the trending topics on Twitter, read your RSS feeds, looked up your favorite band on Wikipedia, vanity googled yourself, cyber-stalked your ex, looked at all your high-school crushes' Facebook photos, and lost a week's pay playing online poker. What you haven't done is WORK. The fact is, it's very hard to stay focused on work or school when you have all the world's information, news, music, and *cough*porn*cough* at your fingertips. Sometimes self-control is in short supply, and you need a little help keeping on track. StayFocusd is a productivity extension for Google Chrome that helps you stay focused on work by restricting the amount of time you can spend browsing time-wasting websites. Once your alloted time for the day has been used up, the sites you have blocked will be inaccessible for the rest of the day.

Source: StayFocusd

Firefox 3.6 Release Candidate

2010-01-18T23:42:00.000+05:00

Firefox 3.6 Release Candidate is out

Firefox 3.6 Release Candidate 2 is the latest development milestone of the next version of the Firefox web browser. As a release candidate, this is considered to be stable and safe to use for daily web browsing, and represents the features and content that will be in the final product release.

Firefox 3.6 Release Candidate is built on Mozilla's Gecko 1.9.2 web rendering platform, which has been under development for several months and contains many improvements for web developers, Add-on developers and users. This version is also faster and more responsive than previous versions, and has been optimized to run on small device operating systems such as Maemo.

Happy surfing !
Source: Firefox 3.6 RC

PS: Firefox is turning 5! Join the celebration.

Infoxon Redesigned

2010-01-11T15:24:00.003+05:00

ATTN: Readers of the Blog,
I have recently updated the theme of the blog, this look pretty clean and cool to me :) .
Kindly vote in the poll section on comment in this post for you valueable feedback.

Thanks and Regards
Infoxon

Application Server vs Web Server

2010-01-08T23:39:00.008+05:00

Recently I have faced a question in an interview about difference between application server and web server.
While in interview I have some what explained the difference by intuition but was not very clear about the answer
on theoretical grounds. My answer was

Web Server makes subset of Application Server as it server only web application while application server can serve web and other type of applications

Later I searched web on this topic and found similar explanations.

Q. What is the difference between an application server and a Web server?

A. Taking a big step back, a Web server serves pages for viewing in a Web browser, while an application server provides methods that client applications can call. A little more precisely, you can say that:

The Web server
A Web server exclusively handles HTTP requests, whereas an application server serves business logic to application programs through any number of protocols. A Web server handles the HTTP protocol. Understand that a Web server's delegation model is fairly simple. When a request comes into the Web server, the Web server simply passes the request to the program best able to handle it. The Web server doesn't provide any functionality beyond simply providing an environment in which the server-side program can execute and pass back the generated responses. The server-side program usually provides for itself such functions as transaction processing, database connectivity, and messaging.

The application server
As for the application server, according to our definition, an application server exposes business logic to client applications through various protocols, possibly including HTTP. In most cases, the server exposes this business logic through a component API, such as the EJB (Enterprise JavaBean) component model found on J2EE (Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition) application servers. Moreover, the application server manages its own resources. Such gate-keeping duties include security, transaction processing, resource pooling, and messaging.

One more interesting thing which has reduced the difference lines between web and application server

Recently, XML Web services have blurred the line between application servers and Web servers. By passing an XML payload to a Web server, the Web server can now process the data and respond much as application servers have in the past.

Hope you have well understood the concept. So keep watching for more interview teasers

Some of the contents of this post are taken from Java World

Aisamul Haq beaten Federer in Basel Open Doubles Match

2009-11-07T13:10:00.005+05:00

Source: Dawn.com

James Cerretani (R) and Pakistan's Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi returns the ball to Switzerland's Roger Federer and Marco Chiudinelli during their doubles match at the Swiss Indoors ATP tennis tournament in Basel.—Reuters

KARACHI: Pakistan’s tennis ace Aisamul Haq Qureshi and his doubles partner James Cerritani brushed aside tennis great and world number one, Roger Federer and his Swiss compatriot Marco Chiudinelli in straight sets at the Basel Open on Tuesday.

Qureshi was at his serve-and-volleying best in the round-of-32 match as he and Cerritani cruised to victory against Federer and Chidudinelli 6-4, 6-3 to book their place in the quarter-finals of the $2.6 million ATP tournament.

Playing in Federer’s hometown, Qureshi and his partner were in control of the match from the first game and although Federer and Chiudinelli produced moments of brilliance, the grit and powerful serve-and-volley game of Qureshi and Cerritani saw them through to the end.

The Pak-Americanpair will now play tournament first-seeds Daniel Nestor (Canada) and Nenad Zimonjic (Serbia) in the quarter-finals.

Source: BBC Urdu

فیڈرر کو اعصام نے ہرا دیا

راجر فیڈرر نے اپنا سنگلز میچ جیت لیا تاہم ڈبلز مقابلہ ہار گئے

سوئس اِنڈور ٹینس ٹورنامنٹ کے ڈبلز میں پاکستان کے کھلاڑی اعصام الحق اور ان کے امریکی پارٹنر جیمز سیریتانی نے عالمی نمبر ون کھلاڑئ راجر فیڈرر کو ہرا دیا ہے۔ اس میچ میں فیڈرر کے پارٹنر مارکو کیودینیلی تھے۔

سوئٹزرلینڈ کے شہر بازل میں کھیلے جانے والے اس ٹورنامنٹ کے پہلے مرحلے میں اعصام الحق اور مارتینیلی نے فیڈرر اور کیودینیلی کو چھ چار اور چھ تین سے ہرا دیا۔

اس کے علاوہ سنگلز مقابلوں میں عالمی درجہ بندی پر تیسرے نمبر پر سربیا کے کھلاڑی نوواک ڈیوکووِچ نےجرمنی کے آندریئاس بیک کو شکست دے دی۔ فیڈرر بدھ کو اٹلی کے کھلاڑی آندریئاس سیپی کے خلاف میچ کھیلیں گے۔

Hills have Eyes 3

2009-11-05T22:52:00.003+05:00

Another well known Wes Craven film that was remade was The Hills Have Eyes (1977),
which was remade by Fox Atomic back in 2006. Three years later, there is new talk of a third film in the franchise
and Craven knows exactly where he wants to take it...

“There's discussion about a possible Hills 3 and we’ll take it in a totally different direction,” while also explaining that the film will not go straight-to-disc, “I'm not interested in doing straight-to-video. If it can't make it in theaters then…"

He continues talking about his ideas for a third film in the franchise that focuses on a mutant civilization living on through the ages after being radiated by atomic tests in the nearby desert.

"There are a lot of good movies still in that concept," he explains, "you know The Outsiders and I’d like to flip it actually and have them integrated a little into our society and run into prejudice or something…because they have this ability to survive anything, maybe be recruited by the society that’s about to throw them out.”

Source: Bloody-Disgusting

Further links on Hills Have Eyes 3
MovieWeb
ShockTillYouDrop

Posterous working like a charm

2009-11-02T00:28:00.001+05:00

I was very delightful to use posterous, its has provided ease of posting and mangement multiple accounts, blogs, social net etc, which i was looking for. See in image how can I am using single point of access and posting of multiple locations like wordpress, blogger, twitter, facebook.

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Google Chrome Logo from Microsoft Windows Logo

2009-11-01T23:25:00.001+05:00

Google Chrome Logo from Microsoft Windows Logo

Posted via email from infoxon's posterous

easy paisa

2009-10-26T23:35:00.010+06:00

Convenience, Anytime & Anywhere

Welcome to the world of convenience!! easypaisa, the largest branchless banking service in Pakistan offers the most convenient access to Financial Services for all Pakistanis! Whether you’re a mobile phone user or not, easypaisa offers services that would forever change the way you perform your financial transactions. Join the easypaisa revolution, leave all the tensions and difficulties behind and take more control over your life!

Bill Payment
easypaisa bill payment service brings you a hassle free yet secure solution to pay your Electricity, Gas and Telephone (PTCL) bills. Now you can easily pay your utility bills from your nearest easypaisa shop, Telenor franchise, Telenor Sales & Service Center or Tameer Bank branch. For further info visit their Product and Services Page

easypaisa Shop
An interactive map to locate nearest retailer in your area:

easypaisa Info Services
easypaisa info service allows all Telenor subscribers to get information on the Utility Bill Amount and the nearest easypaisa outlets for utility bill payment. Info Services details

Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA)

2009-10-25T20:07:00.004+06:00

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has developed a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) information system to address associated risks on security and to ensure subscription regulations in cellular sector.

The objective of the project is to provide a consumer-based facility to mobile subscribers in Pakistan by which they would be able to find out the total number of SIM(s) registered against their respective CNIC number with each mobile operator.

For further information visit PTA SIM

100 Things Your Kids May Never Know About

2009-07-26T21:30:00.002+06:00

100 Things Your Kids May Never Know About

There are some things in this world that will never be forgotten, this week’s 40th anniversary of the moon landing for one. But Moore’s Law and our ever-increasing quest for simpler, smaller, faster and better widgets and thingamabobs will always ensure that some of the technology we grew up with will not be passed down the line to the next generation of geeks.

That is, of course, unless we tell them all about the good old days of modems and typewriters, slide rules and encyclopedias …

Audio-Visual Entertainment

Inserting a VHS tape into a VCR to watch a movie or to record something.
Super-8 movies and cine film of all kinds.
Playing music on an audio tape using a personal stereo. See what happens when you give a Walkman to today’s teenager.
The number of TV channels being a single digit. I remember it being a massive event when Britain got its fourth channel.
Standard-definition, CRT TVs filling up half your living room.
Rotary dial televisions with no remote control. You know, the ones where the kids were the remote control.
High-speed dubbing.
8-track cartridges.
Vinyl records. Even today’s DJs are going laptop or CD.
Betamax tapes.
MiniDisc.
Laserdisc: the LP of DVD.
Scanning the radio dial and hearing static between stations. (Digital tuners + HD radio b0rk this concept.)
Shortwave radio.
3-D movies meaning red-and-green glasses.
Watching TV when the networks say you should. Tivo and Sky+ are slowing killing this one.
That there was a time before ‘reality TV.’

Computers and Videogaming

Wires. OK, so they’re not gone yet, but it won’t be long
The scream of a modem connecting.
The buzz of a dot-matrix printer
5- and 3-inch floppies, Zip Discs and countless other forms of data storage.
Using jumpers to set IRQs.
DOS.
Terminals accessing the mainframe.
Screens being just green (or orange) on black.
Tweaking the volume setting on your tape deck to get a computer game to load, and waiting ages for it to actually do it.
Daisy chaining your SCSI devices and making sure they’ve all got a different ID.
Counting in kilobytes.
Wondering if you can afford to buy a RAM upgrade.
Blowing the dust out of a NES cartridge in the hopes that it’ll load this time.
Turning a PlayStation on its end to try and get a game to load.
Joysticks.
Having to delete something to make room on your hard drive.
Booting your computer off of a floppy disk.
Recording a song in a studio.

The Internet

NCSA Mosaic.
Finding out information from an encyclopedia.
Using a road atlas to get from A to B.
Doing bank business only when the bank is open.
Shopping only during the day, Monday to Saturday.
Phone books and Yellow Pages.
Newspapers and magazines made from dead trees.
Actually being able to get a domain name consisting of real words.
Filling out an order form by hand, putting it in an envelope and posting it.
Not knowing exactly what all of your friends are doing and thinking at every moment.
Carrying on a correspondence with real letters, especially the handwritten kind.
Archie searches.
Gopher searches.
Concatenating and UUDecoding binaries from Usenet.
Privacy.
The fact that words generally don’t have num8er5 in them.
Correct spelling of phrases, rather than TLAs.
Waiting several minutes (or even hours!) to download something.
The time before botnets/security vulnerabilities due to always-on and always-connected PCs
The time before PC networks.
When Spam was just a meat product — or even a Monty Python sketch.

Gadgets

Typewriters.
Putting film in your camera: 35mm may have some li fe still, but what about APS or disk?
Sending that film away to be processed.
Having physical prints of photographs come back to you.
CB radios.
Getting lost. With GPS coming to more and more phones, your location is only a click away.
Rotary-dial telephones.
Answering machines.
Using a stick to point at information on a wallchart
Pay phones.
Phones with actual bells in them.
Fax machines.
Vacuum cleaners with bags in them.

Everything Else

Taking turns picking a radio station, or selecting a tape, for everyone to listen to during a long drive.
Remembering someone’s phone number.
Not knowing who was calling you on the phone.
Actually going down to a Blockbuster store to rent a movie.
Toys actually being suitable for the under-3s.
LEGO just being square blocks of various sizes, with the odd wheel, window or door.
Waiting for the television-network premiere to watch a movie after its run at the theater.
Relying on the 5-minute sport segment on the nightly news for baseball highlights.
Neat handwriting.
The days before the nanny state.
Starbuck being a man.
Han shoots first.
“Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father.” But they’ve already seen episode III, so it’s no big surprise.
Kentucky Fried Chicken, as opposed to KFC.
Trig tables and log tables.
“Don’t know what a slide rule is for …”
Finding books in a card catalog at the library.
Swimming pools with diving boards.
Hershey bars in silver wrappers.
Sliding the paper outer wrapper off a Kit-Kat, placing it on the palm of your hand and clapping to make it bang loudly. Then sliding your finger down the silver foil to break off the first finger
A Marathon bar (what a Snickers used to be called in Britain).
Having to manually unlock a car door.
Writing a check.
Looking out the window during a long drive.
Roller skates, as opposed to blades.
Cash.
Libraries as a place to get books rather than a place to use the internet.
Spending your entire allowance at the arcade in the mall.
Omni Magazine
A physical dictionary — either for spelling or definitions.
When a ‘geek’ and a ‘nerd’ were one and the same.

Original Article by Nathan Barry @ WIRED

Fujifilm soon to release a 3D digital camera

2009-07-13T23:18:00.004+06:00

Fujifilm is taking digital photography to the next level with the promise of a 3D digital camera model. The FinePix Real 3D System, set to ship in September, will come equipped with two lenses, "s paced about the same distance apart as human eyes, which allow for the taking of simultaneous photos of the same scene from different angles.” But being the first in a potential long line of 3D cameras, it will not be cheap as it comes with a price tag of $600.

More importantly, it’s going to be viewing the 3D photos that will be the real trick. Fujifilm is proposing a number of options, including a 3D digital picture frame with an eight-inch LCD screen as well as 3D prints that will be around $5 a pop. Naturally, Fujifilm will be opening their own 3D picture printing service.

Are you interested in buying a 3D camera?

[Photo via Time]

Proud to be a Pakistani

2009-05-31T20:26:00.010+06:00

PROUD TO BE A PAKISTANI
We are so used to of hearing bad things about Pakistan, but there are few good things about Pakistan as well...

Pakistan is the most connected country in South Asia, with the highest tele-density
Pakistan's communications costs are lower than any other country in the region
Pakistan has the world's largest Biometric database (NADRA); this system (not the data) is now being provided to allied countries
Pakistan has the world's largest WiMAX network
Pakistan has one of the world's most aggressive Fibre-to-the- Home (FTTH) rollouts
Pakistan has one of the highest rates of cellular connectivity growth in the world (According to PTA 2007's report the rate of growth in Pakistan's mobile sector is fourth highest in the world)
Pakistan was the winner of the 2007 GSM industry association award
The US is importing UAVs designed and built in Pakistan to protect America's borders
With WLL (CDMA), WiMAX, GSM and FTTH, Pakistan is pretty much leading the pack in terms of diversity and breadth of connectivity
According to Gartner, Pakistan is a "first category" offshoring location; this ranking has grown by leaps and bounds
Pakistani companies won several awards at Asia's APICTA startup/innovation conference and were considered the most "interesting" and cutting edge in Asia
The world's youngest Microsoft Certified Professional is a Pakistani and so is the world's youngest Cisco CCNA professional
Pakistani students excelled in MIT's global software talent competition
Citations of Pakistani scientific publications are rising sharply
Over two dozen Pakistani scientists are working on the Large Hadron Collider; the grandest experiment in the history of Physics

DON'T YOU THINK ? ...........This is the sort of message that we should be searching for, obviously to spread among the majority of the despondent living in this great Country of ours who love talking about our short comings ONLY.

PAKISTAN ZINDABAD!!!
REQUEST - SPREAD THIS MESSAGE AMONGST YOUR FRIENDS AND SPECIALLY HEARTSICK PAKISTANI FRIEDNS.

Special Thanks to Saqib Agha (me_and_magnum@yahoo.com)

Javascript Experiments with Internet Browsers

2009-05-31T01:59:00.004+06:00

A very cool site with lot of browser experiments

Chrome Experiments : Not your mother's JavaScript

We think JavaScript is awesome. We also think browsers are awesome. Indeed, when we talk about them, we say they are the cat's meow – which is an American expression meaning AWESOME.

In light of these deeply held beliefs, we created this site to showcase cool experiments for both JavaScript and web browsers.

These experiments were created by designers and programmers from around the world using the latest open standards, including HTML5, Canvas, SVG, and more. Their work is making the web faster, more fun, and more open – the same spirit in which we built Google Chrome.

Naturally, if you've made something fun and fast with JavaScript, please send it in. We can't post everything, but we'd love to see it.

Thanks for visiting, and happy experimenting. [Text from ...]

Firefox customization got a new feel

2009-05-06T22:38:00.011+06:00

Firefox has renovated and give new feel to its customization

You spend more time online than on the road, but you probably think more about avoiding traffic than enjoying the best of the Web.

So, why not customize your Firefox for the things you really love to do? Take your browser from simple to spectacular.

Firefox add-ons are little extras that allow you to add a personal touch to your browser. Select your favorites from the categories below to accessorize your Web!

Customization is organized in following cool top-notch Categories!

Finder and Seeker
"I want to make finding information on the Web simpler and more relevant to me."

StumbleUpon

Interclue

Minimap Sidebar

Social Butterfly
"I love social networks! I keep track of friends and family, share photos, organize events, and am always looking for ways to stay connected."

LinkedIn Companion for Firefox

Yoono - Socialize Your Browser

Facebook Toolbar

TwitterFox

Shareaholic for Firefox

Shutterbug
"I love to view and share pictures and videos online."

Fast Video Download

Fotofox

Cooliris

Digital Pack Rat
"I want a hassle-free way to keep track of my favorite sites, bookmarks, blogs and, well, everything!"

Xmarks (formerly Foxmarks)

Delicious Bookmarks

ThumbStrips

Fast Dial

Rock Star
"Music and the Web go together like rock stars and leather -- I love to listen while I surf, work, email or research online."

FoxyTunes

allmusic.com Search Toolbar and Popup Menu

Fire.fm

Decorator
"I decorate my room, my office, even myself! So why not decorate my browser?"

Noia 2.0 (eXtreme)

Walnut for Firefox

ColorfulTabs

PitchDark for Fx

Tinseltown

NASA Night Launch

Foxkeh Theme

Gradient iCool

Shopaholic
"I love to shop online and am always looking for ways to take advantage of great online deals."

RetailMeNot

eBay Sidebar for Firefox

Yapta

PriceAdvance

News Junkie
"I want to know what’s happening in the world as it happens. And the weather helps me plan my week -- temperature, please!"

Forecastfox™

Wizz RSS News Reader

Morning Coffee

Read It Later

Executive Assistant
"I need a better way to make lists and organize myself (no more sticky notes!)."

ReminderFox

Glue

Sxipper

News From Mozilla

Social Bookmarking Sites Ranking May 2009

2009-05-02T18:51:00.023+06:00

Recently I have posted my recent blog links on some of the bookmarking sites to incerase traffic on my blog. But there are so many sites of such type in worldwide web landscape that you have to shortlist them in terms of

User base
Number of visitors
Site ranking
Chances of clicks to a URL (which depends on above)

I found ranking of some bokmarking sites based on above parameters and it has helped me to targte most effective of them. So here you go

Here are the 20 Largest Social Bookmarking Sites ranked by a combination of Inbound Links, Alexa Rank, and U.S. traffic data from Compete and Quantcast. Although no traffic metrics are completely accurate we do believe the data below to be useful for gauging relative audience size.

1 | digg.com
383,598,000 - Inbound Links 33,433,760 - Compete Monthly Visitors 11,400,000 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors 183 - Alexa Ranking

2 | Yahoo! Buzz
6,031,000 - Inbound Links NA - Compete Monthly Visitors 3,600,000 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors NA - Alexa Ranking

3 | StumbleUpon.com
234,000,000 - Inbound Links 4,418,609 - Compete Monthly Visitors 1,100,000 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors 362 - Alexa Ranking

4 | reddit.com
161,685,000 - Inbound Links 4,908,990 - Compete Monthly Visitors 1,300,000 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors 441 - Alexa Ranking

5 | Technorati.com
175,287,000 - Inbound Links 3,309,174 - Compete Monthly Visitors 2,000,000 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors 662 - Alexa Ranking

6 | del.icio.us
427,665,000 - Inbound Links 1,623,083 - Compete Monthly Visitors 317,000 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors 2,476 - Alexa Ranking

7 | kaboodle.com
2,600,000 - Inbound Links 3,941,212 - Compete Monthly Visitors 2,500,000 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors 1,694 - Alexa Ranking

8 | mixx.com
16,005,000 - Inbound Links 879,108 - Compete Monthly Visitors 2,200,000 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors 645 - Alexa Ranking

9 | Propeller.com
5,725,000 - Inbound Links 1,164,549 - Compete Monthly Visitors 624,000 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors 1,801 - Alexa Ranking

10 | newsvine.com
71,708,775 - Inbound Links 1,142,779 - Compete Monthly Visitors 1,300,000 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors 5,545 - Alexa Ranking

11 | Fark.com
36,162,723 - Inbound Links 652,762 - Compete Monthly Visitors 1,300,000 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors 4,119 - Alexa Ranking

12 | Slashdot.org
37,566,035 - Inbound Links 862,416 - Compete Monthly Visitors 404,000 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors 970 - Alexa Ranking

13 | twine.com
343,090 - Inbound Links 1,062,304 - Compete Monthly Visitors 188,000 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors 19,592 - Alexa Ranking

14 | clipmarks.com
461,141 - Inbound Links 379,354 - Compete Monthly Visitors 507,000 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors 6,330 - Alexa Ranking

15 | dzone.com
3,867,009 - Inbound Links 281,098 - Compete Monthly Visitors 208,000 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors 7,002 - Alexa Ranking

16 | faves.com
1,437,453 - Inbound Links 159,051 - Compete Monthly Visitors 244,000 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors 6,198 - Alexa Ranking

17 | blinklist.com
51,912,576 - Inbound Links 86,650 - Compete Monthly Visitors 44,000 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors 10,985 - Alexa Ranking

18 | diigo.com
8,933,453 - Inbound Links 146,144 - Compete Monthly Visitors 30,000 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors 7,569 - Alexa Ranking

19 | simpy.com
25,805,730 - Inbound Links 54,581 - Compete Monthly Visitors 39,600 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors 19,964 - Alexa Ranking

20 | BlogMarks.net
21,776,453 - Inbound Links 40,967 - Compete Monthly Visitors 10,500 - Quantcast Monthly Visitors 29,744 - Alexa Ranking

Some Useful Twitter Tools

2009-04-27T22:06:00.015+06:00

In this post I will discuss some useful application for using twitter in an embedded fashion. Link to these sites are given at end of each description. Special Thanks to Delimit Design

Just Tweet It
Twitter Patterns
Twitturly
Twitterrific
LessFriends
Twitter Mail
Twitter Feed
Snitter
TweetDeck
twhirl
EasyTweets
TwitterKeys
StrawPollNow
Quotably
Hashtags
Twemes
TweetBeep
TwitBin
Power Twitter
Yoono
Twitzer
TwitterFox
TwitKit
TwittyTunes

Twitter is one unique web service which is facilitating different people to connect with each other. People can check out what their loved ones are doing at any particular moment in time, and it also helps you to find new friends which have common interests, habits, likes, dislikes, etc. People made many Twitter tools that contains many innovative and thrilling ways to ass-on to the Twitter microbloggin experience . This makes your time on Twitter a pure joy, as these help people identify with others. This article will focus on explaining the cool tools that litterally & awesomely extend features offered by Twitter.

Just Tweet It

Just Tweet it offers you a wonderful opportunity to add your name, profile and other miscellaneous information about yourself. The profile created is added to a Twitter Directory which enables millions of people to view it, and make friends with others. Whether you are looking for people with similar occupation, religion, nationality, habits and interests, origin, or any thing that comes to your mind, you will not be disappointed. Link

Twitter Patterns

Colors and designs play an important role in catching the eye of the beholder. Just as we like to decorate our homes and business places, Twitter; our digital home, allows us to decorate and customize the way we view Twitter. There are many colorful and stylish patterns which have been made available to Twitter users. We can even upload images of our own home, as backgrounds. Link

Twitturly

Another recent addition to the Twitter add-ons is Twitturly, a service similar to Digg. Millions of people add their url links to Twitter and these links are grouped on the basis of popularity. Then these links are promoted on Twitturly, so that people find it even easier to find the links of their interests. If you want to make your blog known to millions of people then simply add your links to Twitter, and start using Twitturly. The links will be displayed and your blog will get absolutely free and instant promotion without spending a single penny. Link

Twitterrific

Twitterrific is another feature on Twitter that allows the users to read and write posts about their interests, activities and anything about themselves. Twitterrific is extremely popular as people of different views and occupations indulge in discussions and debates about burning questions. Its clear and easy-to-use interface allows users to publish post without any taking any extra pains. It also takes the least space on your system, which makes it more popular. Link

LessFriends

This feature allows you to check if your contacts and friends on Twitter are also following you. By making full use of it, you can check what your friends are up to and you can remain up to date with their plans. Link

Twitter Mail

As soon as you register with Twitter by entering your personal data, Twitter provides you the service of a free e-mail account. You can send and receive private messages and stay in contact with your friends. Link

Twitter Feed

With Twitter Feed, Twitter allows you the opportunity to promote your personal blog automatically to millions of users of Twitter. This feature all on its own publishes your latest blog posts and entries on your Twitter account. Link

Snitter

Snitter is an application developed on AIR-Adobe platform and is perfectly compatible with both Windows and Mac OSX. It allows you to publish a short message up to 140 words in which you can state what you are currently doing. It contains many unique features such as auto-update to your Twitter list, clears and refreshes tweet lists; receive syntax messages with a chirp and many more. Link

TweetDeck

Further services provided by Twitter include TweetDeck which has been introduced to facilitate users of Twitter in the efficient viewing of all their Twitter information and feeds in a single application. The primary reason for this application was that the information on different Twitter add-ons tends to become bulky and haphazard. So, with TweetDeck, all of it is now easily available under one cyber application. Link

twhirl

In order to further enhance the experience of its users Twitter also introduced Twhirl, which is another application which integrates the information of Twitter users from various Internet social websites. This application makes its users utilize the services of Twitpic, Seeismic, FriendFeed, etc., all with this unique application. Link

EasyTweets

Twitter has also provided its users with the service of keeping track of multiple blogs with the help of EasyTweets. If you are running several blogs then this application helps you to instantly switch between Twitter accounts and also repy to posts. Link

TwitterKeys

TwitterKeys is an ancillary service provided by Twitter which helps its users to infuse life into their posts by using emoticons. It provides the users to express their feelings by choosing from a wide range of symbols and signs. Link

StrawPollNow

Now you can create your very own polls regarding any topics of your interest. StrawPollNow is the coolest and distinctive way of knowing what people feel about certain things. Link

Quotably

Quotably helps Twitter users to find out things in posts made by others, which helps in quoting the right thing at the right time. It facilitates discussion between twitter users to a great extent. Link

Hashtags

We often need to search a specific topic, but fail to find relevant information, to eradicate this problem Twitter offers Hashtags which make it easier for us to search a specific topic in Twitter. Link

Twemes

Twemes enables us to find out the most talked about tweets or messages throughout Twitter. It includes only those tweets which begin with hashtags “#”. Link

TweetBeep

Tweetbeep is an amazing feature provided by Twitter, which lets you know whenever someone else tweets about you or about your blog. It provides hourly alerts whenever a stranger or a friend of yours mentions your name in his posts and conversation. Link

TwitBin

Are you a FireFox user? If yes, then you will truly love Twitbin which is an extension for Firefox. It enables you to instantly send and receive messages from your Twitter friends from within your web browser. Link

Power Twitter

Power Twitter is another useful plug-in for FireFox, as it greatly enables you to use embedded images from sites like Flickr and videos from Youtube within messages. Mapping and following of links is also quite easy with Power Twitter, but the list of its features goes on and on. Link

Yoono

This feature has made the impossible possible, as it enables you to interact and share stuff with your friends who use multiple networks like FaceBook, Twitter, MySpace, iMeem, Flickr and many others. Link

Twitzer

Twitzer is another brilliant FireFox plug-in that allows you to write long messages on Twitter. It also safeguards your system as it resolves Tinyurls to rela links so that you stay away from unsafe links. Link

TwitterFox

TwitterFox enables FireFox users to check if their Twitter friends are online or not by showing a small icon on task bar. You can even change your own status through a small text bar. Link

TwitKit

TwitKit is a FireFox sidebar that enables you to view multiple Twitter lists at a time. It is a six-paneled tab that allows you to view replies from friends, list of friends and their recent tweets, your user timelines and you account stats. Link

TwittyTunes

You can listen to your favorite songs; add your favorite sites, movies and books through TwittyTunes. Link

Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems

2009-04-20T19:12:00.024+06:00

Oracle has acquired Sun Microsystems ...

From Sun side
Sun and Oracle today announced a definitive agreement for Oracle to acquire Sun for $9.50 per share in cash. The Sun Board of Directors has unanimously approved the transaction. It is anticipated to close this summer.

From Oracle side
On April 20, 2009, Oracle announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Sun Microsystems (Sun). The proposed transaction is subject to Sun stockholder approval, certain regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Until the deal closes, each company will continue to operate independently, and it is business as usual.

The acquisition combines best-in-class enterprise software and mission-critical computing systems. Oracle plans to engineer and deliver an integrated system—applications to disk—where all the pieces fit and work together so customers do not have to do it themselves. Customers benefit as their system integration costs go down while system performance, reliability and security go up.

Press Release Quotes
"The acquisition of Sun transforms the IT industry, combining best-in-class enterprise software and mission-critical computing systems. Oracle will be the only company that can engineer an integrated system applications to disk where all the pieces fit and work together so customers do not have to do it themselves. Our customers benefit as their systems integration costs go down while system performance, reliability and security go up."

Larry Ellison
CEO

Oracle
"Oracle and Sun have been industry pioneers and close partners for more than 20 years. This combination is a natural evolution of our relationship and will be an industry-defining event."

Scott McNealy
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chairman of Sun Federal, Inc.

Sun Microsystems
"This is a fantastic day for Sun's customers, developers and partners across the globe, joining forces with the global leader in enterprise software to drive innovation and value across every aspect of the technology marketplace. From the Java platform touching nearly every business system on earth, powering billions of consumers on mobile handsets and consumer electronics, to the convergence of storage, networking and computing driven by the Solaris operating system and Sun's SPARC and x64 systems. Together with Oracle, we'll drive the innovation pipeline to create compelling value to our customer base and the marketplace."

Jonathan Schwartz
CEO and President
Sun Microsystems

Oracle complete list of acquisition at Acquisition

LUMS Pakistan outscore Berkeley,Oxford and Yale at WorldMUN 2009

2009-04-15T18:58:00.008+06:00

WorldMUN 2009

Harvard World Model United Nations (WorldMUN) is the most diverse college-level Model UN conference and the largest outside of North America. Every year 1,650 college students from over 42 countries attend WorldMUN in a different location around the world; past locations include Beijing, China, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The conference lasts one week in late March and combines committee sessions during the day with nightly social events. The week provides delegates with an amazing way to experience the host country and to learn with students from around the world.

Vision of WorldMUN Link

07 April, 2009

The Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) team won the “Outstanding Delegation” Award at the Harvard World Model United Nations Conference held from March 22 – 27, 2009 in the Hague, capital of Netherlands. The team comprised of 8 undergraduate students from LUMS sitting in the simulation of various United Nations committees.

The conference was attended by 2200 students from over 150 prestigious universities worldwide including Oxford, London School of Economics, Yale and UC Berkley among others.

Of these, only two delegations were awarded the “Outstanding Delegation” awards on their performance ratio and LUMS, with 6 individual “Outstanding Diplomacy” awards out of 8, was one of them, the other being MUN Society Belgium.

The award marks the fourth continuous victory of the LUMS team at the Harvard WorldMUN Conferences which are organized by Harvard University and held in a different country every year.. The LUMS team bagged the coveted “Outstanding Delegation” Awards in Beijing (2006), Geneva (2007) and Puebla, Mexico (2008) in the previous years, bringing Pakistan to the forefront of the largest and most prestigious student gatherings in the world, year after year.

Another LUMS team comprising of 13 students performed exceptionally at the Model UN Turkey Conference held in Izmir, Turkey from March 9 – 13, 2009 and attended by over 500 students from across the world. Ten out of thirteen students won “Outstanding Diplomacy” Awards and thus securing the only “Outstanding Delegation” Award of that conference. It is noteworthy to mention here that the funds for these trips are raised entirely by the students of the LUMS Model UN Society themselves through organizing the prestigious annual All Pakistan Model United Nations Conference at LUMS which is the largest student gathering in South Asia.

WorldMUN Awards Policy WorldMUN is an experience based on diplomacy, compromise, knowledge, learning and friendship. It is a unique opportunity for university students from around the world to meet each other and discuss issues of international scope and importance. And so, in the spirit of discouraging competitiveness and encouraging cooperation, the individuals that best capture the ‘WorldMUN spirit’ in each committee will be given Diplomacy Awards. These will be the only individual awards granted and the guidelines for giving the awards will be the same as in years past.

Two Outstanding Delegation Awards will be awarded to the two delegations who have best exemplified the ‘WorldMUN spirit’ throughout the week of the conference.

The following are some of the criteria that are used in evaluating delegates:

Knowledge and representation of the nation’s interests and policies, and of the committee topics;
Timely submission of quality position papers;
Ability to work with other delegates;
Ability to persuade other delegates about the feasibility of a certain solution;
Ability to develop pragmatic and acceptable solutions to the issues; Skill and effectiveness in caucusing, amendment and resolution writing, and debate;
Ability to work effectively with other delegates.

First Flight in History

2009-04-09T18:20:00.007+05:00

Negative shows Orville Wright at the controls of the machine, lying prone on the lower wing with hips in the cradle which operated the wing-warping mechanism. Wilbur Wright running alongside to balance the machine, has just released his hold on the forward upright of the right wing. The starting rail, the wing-rest, a coil box, and other items needed for flight preparation are visible behind the machine.

Negotiation Strategies in a Downturn

2009-04-08T17:58:00.004+05:00

IDEACAST

Negotiation Strategies in a Downturn

Managers need to consider revised ways to negotiate during challenging economic times. To ensure every deal delivers its promised value, we should 1) consult broadly to make sure all key constituents are involved; 2) make risk management a joint activity; 3) not demand over-commitment from our counterparts in the negotiation.

Register for this Harvard Business IdeaCast, and you’ll also receive two Harvard Business Review articles full of valuable information about operating successfully in an uncertain economy: Five Missteps to Avoid in Volatile Times, and How to Think About Pricing in a Downturn.

HR joke

2009-04-03T16:07:00.004+05:00

HR = HIGH RISK

After 2 years of selfless service, a man realized that he has not been promoted, no transfer, no salary increase no commendation and that the Company is not doing any thing about it. So he decided to walk up to his HR Manager one morning and after exchanging greetings, he told his HR Manager his observation. The boss looked at him, laughed and asked him to sit down saying;

My friend, you have not worked here for even one day.
The man was surprised to hear this, but the manager went on to explain.
Manager:- How many days are there in a year?
Man:- 365 days and some times 366
Manager:- how many hours make up a day?
Man:- 24 hours
Manager:- How long do you work in a day?
Man:- 8am to 4pm. I.e. 8 hours a day.
Manager:- So, what fraction of the day do you work in hours?
Man:- (He did some arithmetic and said 8/24 hours I.e . 1/3(one third)
Manager:- That is nice of you! What is one-third of 366 days?
Man:- 122 (1/3x366 = 122 in days)
Manager:- Do you come to work on weekends?
Man:- No sir
Manager:- How many days are there in a year that are weekends?
Man:- 52 Saturdays and 52 Sundays equals to 104 days
Manager:- Thanks for that. If you remove 104 days from 122 days, how many days do you now have?
Man:- 18 days.
Manager:- OK! I do give you 2 weeks sick leave every year. Now remove that14 days from the 18 days left. How many days do you have remaining?
Man:- 4 days

Manager:- Do you work on New Year day?
Man:- No sir!
Manager:- Do you come to work on workers day?
Man:- No sir!
Manager:- So how many days are left?
Man:- 2 days sir!
Manager:- Do you come to work on the (National holiday )?
Man:- No sir!

Manager:- So how many days are left?
Man:- 1 day sir!
Manager:- Do you work on Christmas day?
Man:- No sir!
Manager:- So how many days are left?
Man:- None sir!
Manager:- So, what are you claiming?
Man:- I have understood, Sir. I did not realise that I was stealing Company money all these days.
Moral - NEVER GO TO HR FOR HELP!!!
HR=HIGH RISK

Explore You Memory

2009-03-31T18:53:00.007+05:00

Stretch your memory with fun challenges designed by experts. Your answers will help University of Edinburgh experimental psychologists with their research.

Most people will not be able to get everything right. People with normal memories can have low scores.

Click here to start the test

Want to improve your memory read How to Improve Your Memory on BBC

Original Page: Explore You Memory

Windows 7 upgrade plans leaked

2009-02-12T18:58:00.002+05:00

MICROSOFT INTENDS to minimise the number of potential new customers delaying their computer purchasing decisions because of the impending launch of Windows 7, by offering what some commentators are assuming will be free upgrades from Vista.

A leaked draft document which was distributed to OEMs, and sneakily acquired by Techarp, gives details of what is currently being called the 'Windows 7 Upgrade Program'.

The programme is firmly aimed at consumers and includes no support for multiple upgrades for enterprise. Companies will be asked to use the volume licensing programme, details of which will be released at a later date.

The biggest kick in the teeth, however, will be for anyone who decided not to stump up the extra cash for one of Microsft's top-tier operating systems.

Anyone cheap enough to go for Vista Home Basic, Vista Starter Edition or XP will be left out in the cold when Windows 7 rolls into town.

The only viable upgrade paths are:

Vista Home Premium to Windows 7 Home Premium
Vista Business to Windows 7 Professional and
Vista Ultimate to Windows 7 Ultimate

There are no details of costings, either to OEMs or end users, and Microsoft is leaving it up to individual partners to decide how to provide qualifying customers with details of possible upgrades.

Source

Year in Review: Java development in 2009

2009-02-12T18:45:00.005+05:00

We won't see a new Java SE platform release in 2009, but stop your grumbling: the Java ecosystem is still evolving in interesting new directions. Andrew Glover welcomes in the new year with a look at the forces most likely to shape change, challenge the status quo, and redefine Java technology in the year ahead.

Prediction is the art of making an educated guess about what the future may hold. When it comes to a technology like the Java platform, the "educated" aspect comes from studying the past and identifying the patterns that run deeper than mere fad. So far, JavaWorld's Year in Review series has looked closely at events and trends that defined Java in 2008 -- the language, the platform, and supporting tools. In this last article in the series I'll look forward, to what we can expect from Java technology, and the Java industry, in 2009.

Complete article at Java World

All contents copyright 1995-2009 Java World, Inc. http://www.javaworld.com

Internet Ten Years back

2008-10-31T15:22:00.003+06:00

Most of us probably got our Internet connection somewhere 10 years back. It was also around that time we seen the sudden boom on Internet, thanks to Marc Andreessen and Netscape Communicator. Now that we are almost at the end of 2008, we thought it’s pretty interesting to look back at how some of the trend setters and the most trafficked websites were like 10 years back.

Amazon

Clear-cut navigation is very important for any e-commerce site and we believe Amazon handles this pretty well. The site has not been changing over the pass decade in terms of the amount of content they put forward on the first page. The most obvious change over the pass ten years in Amazon is perhaps swapping the horizontal tab navigation to a left sidebar drop down and bringing their search box to the top.

Amazon 1998

Amazon 2008

Apple

We always like how folks at Apple design their website. They’ve always been the trend setter and their designed inspired a lot of the Web 2.0 design out there. That said, have you seen how their website looks like 10 years ago?

Apple 1998

Apple 2008

Google

Google was still in beta ten years ago. These guys believed in simplicity and there’s no exception whether it’s 1998 or 2008.

Google 1998

Google 2008

Hotmail

Most of us start playing with e-mailing on a free account when we were introduced to the Internet, and when it comes to free email Hotmail is amongst the hottest. Here’s how the web interface looks like before Microsoft decided to turn call it the Windows Live Hotmail.

Hotmail 1998

Hotmail 2008

Microsoft

Microsoft had done tremendous changes to their web frontend over the pass ten years. The old one lacks of graphics and the current definetely has a very strong corporate look.

Microsoft 1998

Microsoft 2008

PCWorld

Ten years ago, PCWorld was using a 3-column display. You can imagine the site to be really congested, considering the fact that most of us (if you already started surfing) were still on monitor resolution 800×600 and below. But over the pass decade, the site has been much more better. Content arrangement is neat, well-organized and the red header with white background definetely make the entire display looks clean.

PCWorld 1998

PCWorld 2008

Sun Microsystems

Sun Microsystems in 1998 totally recalled us how a typical Geocities and Tripod free template were like.

Sun Microsystems 1998

Sun Microsystems 2008

Time

Time maintained their 3-column display over the pass ten years. Only difference is, they’ve managed to make it way cleaner and neater, even though contents on the website is like 5x more.

Time 1998

Time 2008

Wired Magazine

Wired ten years ago was too text-based and we think the left navigation looks odd with titles in red background and listings in light green. It’s hard to imagine the website to be what they are now, because it totally rocks.

Wired 1998

Wired 2008

Yahoo!

Comparing to what we’ve seen ten years ago and now, Yahoo had undergone quite a significant change in terms of their business model and that totally reflects their web front end. The search-engine based company used to be very ’search engine focused’ but it’s looks more like a information portal now.

Yahoo 1998

Yahoo 2008

All text and images are courtesy of HONGKIAT.COM

For original article see Websites We Visit: How They Look Like 10 Years Ago

Free Internet for All in Pakistan !!!

2008-10-30T12:46:00.002+06:00

PTCL proudly presents Free Internet facility for its landline valued customers.
All PTCL landline subscribers can now experience the best dial up speeds with unlimited internet usage during night hours from 10:00pm to 07:00am. Furthermore subscribers can also avail up to 100 hours of free dialup internet on monthly basis from 0:700 am to 10:00pm every day.

Key Highlights:

Free Unlimited Dialup Internet for entire subscriber base of PTCL landline.
Available on all billing categories.

Offer/ Package Details:

Free unlimited dialup internet will be available from 10pm to 7am in the morning every day.
For day time users (7am to 10pm) PTCL is offering up to 100 free hours on monthly basis to entire subscriber base.
Customers exceeding 100 hours in a month (during day time from 7am to 10pm) will be charged as per existing tariff of Rs. 6/Hour.

Activation Procedure:

Pre activated on all PTCL numbers. Customers need to dial 131 77777 with username and password "ptcl".

Other information:

Available all over Pakistan.
Package will be applicable for all existing subscribers of phone n net unlimited package.
All Value plus will be converted to basic plus and value plus will be eliminated w.e.f. November 01, 2008. Value Plus charges for October shall be Rs 40 (instead of Rs 75) to give benefit of free internet to PTCL valued customers.
Maximum session log duration is 2hours which may be reduced after careful monitoring of system.

http://www.ptcl.com.pk/contentp.php?NID=188

Hide Data in a Secret Text File Compartment

2008-10-27T17:36:00.003+06:00

Ever since Windows 2000, the NTFS file system in Windows has supported Alternate Data Streams, which allow you to store data "behind" a filename with the use of a stream name. It's not detectable while browsing the file system, or anywhere within Windows… you can only access it with the "secret key" which is really just the name of the stream.

You can think of these extra streams as secret compartments within the file, that can only be accessed if you know the "secret code", which in this case is just the name of the stream.

This isn't a completely secure way to hide data as we'll illustrate below, but it's a fun trick to know about in a pinch.

Note: This only works on a drive formatted with NTFS.

Hiding Data in a Secret Compartment

In order to use this feature, you'll have to open a command prompt and use the following syntax:

Quote:

notepad SomeFile.txt:SecretWordHere.txt

You can use anything after the colon as a secret word, the key is that there can't be any spaces between the first filename and the colon.

If you didn't specify .txt on the end, Notepad will automatically add it, and ask if you want to create a new file, even if SomeFile.txt already existed, because SecretSquirrel!.txt doesn't already exist.

Now you can enter in whatever data you want here and save the file:

When you look at the file, it will still be the exact same size as before:

You can even open up the file by double-clicking on it, and add whatever data you want to make the file look normal:

You can use the command line again to add a second hidden "compartment" with a different name:

You can add whatever other information to this file that you'd like:

None of these hidden files will affect the other, or change the main file. Just remember you have to use the command line to access the hidden data.

Note: Once you create a hidden stream, that stream isn't exactly part of the file… you can't copy your file to another location and access the streams over there.

Conclusion

This isn't a secure way to hide data… for that you should use TrueCrypt. It's just one of those things that can be fun to use and might come in handy here or there.
Learning is fun, isn't it?

All credit goes to : HowToGeek

Complete Imran Series Collection

2008-09-30T15:21:00.003+06:00

Complete Imran Series Collection available at

http://www.esnips.com/web/ImranSeriesNovels

From http://www.esnips.com
Courtesy: x-2

In the memory of those blank pages

2008-09-26T15:17:00.002+06:00

In former times printed manuals had some blank pages, usually with the remark “this page intentionally left blank”. In most cases there had been technical reasons for that. Today almost all blank pages disappeared and if some still exist here and there, they present flatterly comments like “for your notes” instead of the real truth: This page intentionally left blank!

Nowadays the “This Page Intentionally Left Blank”-Project (TPILB-Project) tries to introduce these blank pages to the Web again. One reason is to keep alive the remembrance of these famous historical blank pages. But it is the primary reason to offer internet wanderers a place of quietness and simplicity on the overcrowded World Wide Web—a blank page for relaxing the restless mind.

Check it

http://www.this-page-intentionally-left-blank.org/
http://www.blank.org

Where is the common sense of Rehman Malik?

2008-09-24T15:37:00.004+06:00

Check this
http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/pakistan/story/2008/09/080922_marriat_3rd_day_rza.shtml

and then this one
http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/pakistan/story/2008/09/080922_hashwani_statement.shtml

An Interesting Research About Reading

2008-08-04T15:57:00.002+06:00

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer
in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht
the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl
mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the
huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a
wlohe.

:)

25 Web Sites to Watch

2008-08-04T15:52:00.002+06:00

What's tomorrow's YouTube? The Web's next breakout hit may be one of these innovative, useful, and fun new sites.

Popfly
Yahoo Pipes
BuzzDash
Wayfaring
CircleUp
Pageflakes
Spock

Check all that on
www.pcworld.com/article/132787/25_web_sites_to_watch.html

Help Desk Stories

2008-08-04T15:47:00.002+06:00

A user called the Canon help desk with a problem with her printer. The tech asked her if she was "running it under Windows." The woman responded, "No, my desk is next to the door. But that's a good point. The man sitting in the cubicle next to me is under a window, and his is working fine."

Tech Support: "OK Bob, let's press the control and escape keys at the same time. That brings up a task list in the middle of the screen. Now type the letter 'P' to bring up the Program Manager."
Customer: "I don't have a 'P'."
Tech Support: "On your keyboard, Bob."
Customer: "What do you mean?"
Tech Support: "'P' on your keyboard, Bob."
Customer: "I'm not going to do that!"

Overheard in a computer shop:
Customer: "I'd like a mouse mat, please."
Salesperson: "Certainly sir, we've got a large variety."
Customer: "But will they be compatible with my computer?"

I once received a fax with a note on the bottom to fax the document Back to the sender when I was finished with it, because he needed to keep it.

Customer in computer shop: "Can you copy the Internet onto this disk for me?"
Customer: "So that'll get me connected to the Internet, right?"
Tech Support: "Yeah."
Customer: "And that's the latest version of the Internet, right?"
Tech Support: "Uhh...uh...uh...yeah."

Tech Support: "All right...now double-click on the File Manager icon."
Customer: "That's why I hate this Windows - because of the icons - I'm a Protestant, and I don't believe in icons."
Tech Support: "Well, that's just an industry term sir. I don't believe it was meant to-"
Customer: "I don't care about any 'Industry Terms'. I don't believe in icons."
Tech Support: "Well...why don't you click on the 'little picture' of A filing cabinet...is 'little picture' OK?"
Customer: [click]

Customer: "My computer crashed!"
Tech Support: "It crashed?"
Customer: "Yeah, it won't let me play my game."
Tech Support: "All right, hit Control-Alt-Delete to reboot."
Customer: "No, it didn't crash-it crashed."
Tech Support: "Huh?"
Customer: F****** it [click]

Customer: [calls back] ... its just crashed my game. That's what I said before. I crashed my spaceship and now it doesn't work."
Tech Support: "Click on 'File,' then 'New Game.'"
Customer: [pause] "Wow! How'd you learn how to do that?"

Got a call from a woman said that her laser printer was having problems: the bottom half of her printed sheets were coming out blurry. It seemed strange that the printer was smearing only the bottom half. I walked her through the basics, then went over and printed out a test sheet. It printed fine. I asked her to print a sheet, so she sent a job to the printer. As the paper started coming out, she yanked it out and showed it to me. I told her to wait until the paper came out on its own.
Problem solved.

I had been doing Tech Support for Hewlett-Packard's DeskJet division for about a month when I had a customer call with a problem that I just couldn't solve. She could not print yellow. All the other colors would print fine, which truly baffled me because the only true colors are cyan, magenta, and yellow. For instance, green is a combination of cyan and yellow, but green printed fine. Every color of the rainbow printed fine except for yellow.
I had the customer change ink cartridges. I had the customer delete and reinstall the drivers. Nothing worked. I asked my co-workers for help; they offered no new ideas. After over two hours of troubleshooting, I was about to tell the customer to send the printer in to us for repair when she asked quietly, "Should I try printing on a piece of white paper instead of this yellow paper?"

And another user was all confused about why the cursor always moved in the opposite direction from the movement of the mouse. She also complained that the buttons were difficult to depress. She was very embarrassed when we asked her to rotate the mouse so the tail pointed away from her.

Customer: "Hello? I'm trying to dial in. I installed the software okay, and it dialed fine. I could hear that. Then I could hear the two computers connecting. But then the sound all stopped, so I picked up the phone to see if they were still connected, and I got the message, 'No carrier,' on my screen. What's wrong?"

An unfailingly polite lady called to ask for help with a Windows installation that had gone terribly wrong.
Customer: "I brought my Windows disks from work to install them on my home computer." Training stresses that we are "not the Software Police," so I let the little act of piracy slide.
Tech Support: "Umm-hmm. What happened?"
Customer: "As I put each disk in it turns out they weren't initialized."
Tech Support: "Do you remember the message exactly, ma'am?"
Customer: (proudly) "I wrote it down. 'This is not a Macintosh disk. Would you like to initialize it?'"
Tech Support: "Er, what happened next?"
Customer: "After they were initialized, all the disks appeared to be blank. And now I brought them back to work, and I can't read them in the A: drive; the PC wants to format them. And this is our only set of Windows disks for the whole office. Did I do something wrong?

My friend was on duty in the main lab on a quiet afternoon. He noticed a young woman sitting in front of one of the workstations with her arms crossed across her chest, staring at the screen.
After about 15 minutes he noticed that she was still in the same position, only now she was impatiently tapping her foot.
He asked if she needed help and she replied "It's about time! I pressed the F1 button over twenty minutes ago!"

One of our PC support techs was helping a woman that could not retrieve a copy of a file she had saved to a floppy disk. After trying a couple of things over the phone, the tech suggested that she make a couple of copies of the disk and send one to him to see if he could read it. Later that day via internal mail he received a perfect photocopy of a floppy disk.

Microsoft Surface going spherical?

2008-07-29T14:34:00.001+06:00

While we've yet to see the rollout of Microsoft's Surface, rumor has it that other versions have at least made it to the prototype stage. According to ZDNET's sources, Microsoft has a "spherical Surface prototype" bouncing around the Redmond campus. What's intriguing is how they managed to stuff a rear projection unit and IR cameras into a ball. Presumably, we're talking about a different touch-sensitive technology to that used in the table-top surface. You know, assuming the rumor is true.

source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/06/microsoft-surface-going-spherical/

Pakistani Organization Complaint Dept

2008-07-28T16:57:00.002+06:00

Pakistani Organization Complaint Dept

Top 10 Concepts That Every Software Engineer Should Know

2008-07-28T16:33:00.003+06:00

A good article to read for IT professional

Interfaces
Conventions and Templates
Layering
Algorithmic Complexity
Hashing
Caching
Concurrency
Cloud Computing
Security
Relational Databases

10. Relational Databases

Relational Databases have recently been getting a bad name because they cannot scale well to support massive web services. Yet this was one of the most fundamental achievements in computing that has carried us for two decades and will remain for a long time. Relational databases are excellent for order management systems, corporate databases and P&L data.

At the core of the relational database is the concept of representing information in records. Each record is added to a table, which defines the type of information. The database offers a way to search the records using a query language, nowadays SQL. The database offers a way to correlate information from multiple tables.

The technique of data normalization is about correct ways of partitioning the data among tables to minimize data redundancy and maximize the speed of retrieval.

9. Security

With the rise of hacking and data sensitivity, the security is paramount. Security is a broad topic that includes authentication, authorization, and information transmission.

Authentication is about verifying user identity. A typical website prompts for a password. The authentication typically happens over SSL (secure socket layer), a way to transmit encrypted information over HTTP. Authorization is about permissions and is important in corporate systems, particularly those that define workflows. The recently developed OAuth protocol helps web services to enable users to open access to their private information. This is how Flickr permits access to individual photos or data sets.

Another security area is network protection. This concerns operating systems, configuration and monitoring to thwart hackers. Not only network is vulnerable, any piece of software is. Firefox browser, marketed as the most secure, has to patch the code continuously. To write secure code for your system requires understanding specifics and potential problems.

8. Cloud Computing

In our recent post Reaching For The Sky Through Compute Clouds we talked about how commodity cloud computing is changing the way we deliver large-scale web applications. Massively parallel, cheap cloud computing reduces both costs and time to market.

Cloud computing grew out of parallel computing, a concept that many problems can be solved faster by running the computations in parallel.

After parallel algorithms came grid computing, which ran parallel computations on idle desktops. One of the first examples was SETI@home project out of Berkley, which used spare CPU cycles to crunch data coming from space. Grid computing is widely adopted by financial companies, which run massive risk calculations. The concept of under-utilized resources, together with the rise of J2EE platform, gave rise to the precursor of cloud computing: application server virtualization. The idea was to run applications on demand and change what is available depending on the time of day and user activity.

Today's most vivid example of cloud computing is Amazon Web Services, a package available via API. Amazon's offering includes a cloud service (EC2), a database for storing and serving large media files (S3), an indexing service (SimpleDB), and the Queue service (SQS). These first blocks already empower an unprecedented way of doing large-scale computing, and surely the best is yet to come.

7. Concurrency

Concurrency is one topic engineers notoriously get wrong, and understandibly so, because the brain does juggle many things at a time and in schools linear thinking is emphasized. Yet concurrency is important in any modern system.

Concurrency is about parallelism, but inside the application. Most modern languages have an in-built concept of concurrency; in Java, it's implemented using Threads.

A classic concurrency example is the producer/consumer, where the producer generates data or tasks, and places it for worker threads to consume and execute. The complexity in concurrency programming stems from the fact Threads often needs to operate on the common data. Each Thread has its own sequence of execution, but accesses common data. One of the most sophisticated concurrency libraries has been developed by Doug Lea and is now part of core Java.

6. Caching

No modern web system runs without a cache, which is an in-memory store that holds a subset of information typically stored in the database. The need for cache comes from the fact that generating results based on the database is costly. For example, if you have a website that lists books that were popular last week, you'd want to compute this information once and place it into cache. User requests fetch data from the cache instead of hitting the database and regenerating the same information.

Caching comes with a cost. Only some subsets of information can be stored in memory. The most common data pruning strategy is to evict items that are least recently used (LRU). The prunning needs to be efficient, not to slow down the application.

A lot of modern web applications, including Facebook, rely on a distributed caching system called Memcached, developed by Brad Firzpatrick when working on LiveJournal. The idea was to create a caching system that utilises spare memory capacity on the network. Today, there are Memcached libraries for many popular languages, including Java and PHP.

5. Hashing

The idea behind hashing is fast access to data. If the data is stored sequentially, the time to find the item is proportional to the size of the list. For each element, a hash function calculates a number, which is used as an index into the table. Given a good hash function that uniformly spreads data along the table, the look-up time is constant. Perfecting hashing is difficult and to deal with that hashtable implementations support collision resolution.

Beyond the basic storage of data, hashes are also important in distributed systems. The so-called uniform hash is used to evenly allocate data among computers in a cloud database. A flavor of this technique is part of Google's indexing service; each URL is hashed to particular computer. Memcached similarly uses a hash function.

Hash functions can be complex and sophisticated, but modern libraries have good defaults. The important thing is how hashes work and how to tune them for maximum performance benefit.

4. Algorithmic Complexity

There are just a handful of things engineers must know about algorithmic complexity. First is big O notation. If something takes O(n) it's linear in the size of data. O(n^2) is quadratic. Using this notation, you should know that search through a list is O(n) and binary search (through a sorted list) is log(n). And sorting of n items would take n*log(n) time.

Your code should (almost) never have multiple nested loops (a loop inside a loop inside a loop). Most of the code written today should use Hashtables, simple lists and singly nested loops.

Due to abundance of excellent libraries, we are not as focused on efficiency these days. That's fine, as tuning can happen later on, after you get the design right.

Elegant algorithms and performance is something you shouldn't ignore. Writing compact and readable code helps ensure your algorithms are clean and simple.

3. Layering

Layering is probably the simplest way to discuss software architecture. It first got serious attention when John Lakos published his book about Large-scale C++ systems. Lakos argued that software consists of layers. The book introduced the concept of layering. The method is this. For each software component, count the number of other components it relies on. That is the metric of how complex the component is.

Lakos contended a good software follows the shape of a pyramid; i.e., there's a progressive increase in the cummulative complexity of each component, but not in the immediate complexity. Put differently, a good software system consists of small, reusable building blocks, each carrying its own responsibility. In a good system, no cyclic dependencies between components are present and the whole system is a stack of layers of functionality, forming a pyramid.

Lakos's work was a precursor to many developments in software engineering, most notably Refactoring. The idea behind refactoring is continuously sculpting the software to ensure it'is structurally sound and flexible. Another major contribution was by Dr Robert Martin from Object Mentor, who wrote about dependecies and acyclic architectures

Among tools that help engineers deal with system architecture are Structure 101 developed by Headway software, and SA4J developed by my former company, Information Laboratory, and now available from IBM.

2. Conventions and Templates

Naming conventions and basic templates are the most overlooked software patterns, yet probably the most powerful.

Naming conventions enable software automation. For example, Java Beans framework is based on a simple naming convention for getters and setters. And canonical URLs in del.icio.us: http://del.icio.us/tag/software take the user to the page that has all items tagged software.

Many social software utilise naming conventions in a similar way. For example, if your user name is johnsmith then likely your avatar is johnsmith.jpg and your rss feed is johnsmith.xml.

Naming conventions are also used in testing, for example JUnit automatically recognizes all the methods in the class that start with prefix test.

The templates are not C++ or Java language constructs. We're talking about template files that contain variables and then allow binding of objects, resolution, and rendering the result for the client.

Cold Fusion was one of the first to popularize templates for web applications. Java followed with JSPs, and recently Apache developed handy general purpose templating for Java called Velocity. PHP can be used as its own templating engine because it supports eval function (be careful with security). For XML programming it is standard to use XSL language to do templates.

From generation of HTML pages to sending standardized support emails, templates are an essential helper in any modern software system.

1. Interfaces

The most important concept in software is interface. Any good software is a model of a real (or imaginary) system. Understanding how to model the problem in terms of correct and simple interfaces is crucial. Lots of systems suffer from the extremes: clumped, lengthy code with little abstractions, or an overly designed system with unnecessary complexity and unused code.

Among the many books, Agile Programming by Dr Robert Martin stands out because of focus on modeling correct interfaces.

In modeling, there are ways you can iterate towards the right solution. Firstly, never add methods that might be useful in the future. Be minimalist, get away with as little as possible. Secondly, don't be afraid to recognize today that what you did yesterday wasn't right. Be willing to change things. Thirdly, be patient and enjoy the process. Ultimately you will arrive at a system that feels right. Until then, keep iterating and don't settle.

Conclusion

Modern software engineering is sophisticated and powerful, with decades of experience, millions of lines of supporting code and unprecidented access to cloud computing. Today, just a couple of smart people can create software that previously required the efforts of dozens of people. But a good craftsman still needs to know what tools to use, when and why.

In this post we discussed concepts that are indispensible for software engineers. And now tell us please what you would add to this list. Share with us what concepts you find indispensible in your daily software engineering journeys.

Image credit: cbtplanet.com

Source: ReadWriteWeb

Cool Game

2008-07-28T16:31:00.001+06:00

Check this cool game

http://www.greetingsyard.com/game1.php

Moving Rocks of Death Valley

2008-07-28T15:27:00.000+06:00

Many people don’t care much for rocks, and I don’t blame them, there aren’t many things out there more boring than rocks, but these ones are pretty special and people travel great distances just to take photos of them. These rocks move around the valley for great distances without any animal or human intervention and in the early 1900s people believes this phenomenon had something to do with the magnetic field of the place, a theory contradicted by modern science. The most logical explanation for the unusual movement of the stones are the powerful winds blowing through the canyons, but that hasn’t been proven either.

The moving stones of Racetrack Playa have never been caught on tape or seen live by anyone, which adds to their mystery and many are convinced paranormal forces are at work here. The strange trails of some rocks makes me think about that too actually…

Below are some of the images

Dubai Tallest Buildings

2008-07-28T15:02:00.003+06:00

This is taken from world's tallest building "Burj Dubai" @ 2,620 ft / 801m

Persons working on the upper most Girders can see the "ROTATION OF EARTH"

Why Americans Should Never Be Allowed To Travel

2008-07-28T14:27:00.003+06:00

The following are actual stories provided by travel agents:

I had someone ask for an aisle seats so that his or her hair wouldn't get messed up by being near the
window.

A client called in inquiring about a package to Hawaii. After going over all the cost info, she asked, "Would it be cheaper to fly to California and then take the train to Hawaii?"

I got a call from a woman who wanted to go to Capetown. I started to explain the length of the flight and the passport information when she interrupted me with "I'm not trying to make you look stupid, but Capetown is in Massachusetts. "Without trying to make her look like the stupid one, I calmly explained, "Capecod is in Massachusetts, Capetown is in Africa." Her response ... click.

A man called, furious about a Florida package we did. I asked what was wrong with the vacation in Orlando. He said he was expecting an ocean-view room. I tried to explain that is not possible, since Orlando is in the middle of the state. He replied, "Don't lie to me. I looked on the map and Florida is a very thin state."

I got a call from a man who asked, "Is it possible to see England from Canada?" I said, "No." He said "But they look so close on the map."

Another man called and asked if he could rent a car in Dallas. When I pulled up the reservation, I noticed he had a 1-hour lay over in Dallas. When I asked him why he wanted to rent a car, he said, "I heard Dallas was a big airport, and I need a car to drive between the gates to save time."

A nice lady just called. She needed to know how it was possible that her flight from Detroit left at 8:20am and got into Chicago at 8:33am. I tried to explain that Michigan was an hour ahead of llinois, but she could not understand the concept of time zones. Finally I told her the plane went very fast, and she bought that!

A woman called and asked, "Do airlines put your physical description on your bag so they know who's luggage belongs to who?" I said, "No, why do you ask?" She replied, "Well, when I checked in with the airline, they put a tag on my luggage that said FAT, and I'm overweight, is there any connection?" After putting her on hold for a minute while I "looked into it" (I was actually laughing) I came back and explained the city code for Fresno is FAT, and that the airline was just putting a destination tag on her luggage.

I just got off the phone with a man who asked, "How do I know which plane to get on?" I asked him what exactly he meant, which he replied, "I was told my flight number is 823, but none of these darn planes have numbers on them."

A woman called and said, "I need to fly to Pepsi-cola on one of those computer planes." I asked if she meant to fly to Pensacola on a commuter plane. She said, "Yeah, whatever."

A businessman called and had a question about the documents he needed in order to fly to China. After a lengthy discussion about passports, I reminded him he needed a visa. "Oh no I don't, I've been to China many times and never had to have one of those." I double checked and sure enough, his stay required a visa. When I told him this he said, "Look, I've been to China four times and every time they have accepted my American Express."

A woman called to make reservations, "I want to go from Chicago to Hippopotamus, New York" The agent was at a loss for words. Finally, the agent: "Are you sure that's the name of the town?" "Yes, what flights do you have?" replied the customer. After some searching, the agent came back with, "I'm sorry, ma'am, I've looked up every airport code in the country and can't find a Hippopotamus anywhere." The customer retorted, "Oh don't be silly. Everyone knows where it is. Check your map!" The agent scoured a map of the state of New York and finally offered, "You don't mean Buffalo, do you?" "That's it! I knew it was a big animal!"

Free English movies collection on Blogger

2008-07-21T12:09:00.006+06:00

Movies Collection on the web check this, its all free

http://rmvbusters.blogspot.com/
http://movie-desire-2-watch.blogspot.com/
http://ueirf.blogspot.com/ ==> Moved to http://rmvbusters.blogspot.com/
http://english-movies-hindi-dubbed.blogspot.com/
http://download-rmvb-movies-k.blogspot.com/

Pakistan Fashion Portals

2008-07-17T15:00:00.006+06:00

FnkAsia www.fnkasia.com
Deepak Perwani www.deepakperwani.com
HSY Studio www.hsystudio.com
Aijazz www.aijazz.com
Karma www.atelierkarma.com

Source: Spider Magazine July 2008 Issue

Huge Imran Series Collection

2008-07-16T13:24:00.002+06:00

I am a big fan of Imran Series and want to share some Imran series books available on web. You can also share links if you have some

http://www.esnips.com/web/NovelsOfIbneSafi
http://www.esnips.com/web/neelovesStuff
http://www.esnips.com/web/Shami-ELibrary---Urdu-Novel
http://www.esnips.com/web/shaulahai-IbneSafi
http://www.esnips.com/web/Ibne-Safi--Mazher-Kaleem
http://www.esnips.com/web/princeofdhamp85-Dhamp
http://www.esnips.com/web/37-Novels
http://www.esnips.com/web/dhamp
http://www.esnips.com/web/ImranSeriesNovels

Beautiful Pakistan

2006-10-26T17:28:00.004+05:00

This site is dedicated to Pictures of Pakistan. Feel free to browse through our huge collection of images collected from all around this magical land.

If you think you have a beautiful picture of this land that you want to share then please feel free to Register and start uploading your pictures.

As a member you can Rate Images, Make your own Gallery of your Favorite Images, Give Comments, Upload Photos and see Hi-Res Images. Best of all, its all FREE!

[text adapted from beautifulpakistan.com]

Visit the site at http://beautifulpakistan.com

What Is Web 2.0

2006-06-03T22:53:00.001+05:00

[Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software]

by Tim O'Reilly
09/30/2005

The bursting of the dot-com bubble in the fall of 2001 marked a turning point for the web. Many people concluded that the web was overhyped, when in fact bubbles and consequent shakeouts appear to be a common feature of all technological revolutions. Shakeouts typically mark the point at which an ascendant technology is ready to take its place at center stage. The pretenders are given the bum's rush, the real success stories show their strength, and there begins to be an understanding of what separates one from the other.

The concept of "Web 2.0" began with a conference brainstorming session between O'Reilly and MediaLive International. Dale Dougherty, web pioneer and O'Reilly VP, noted that far from having "crashed", the web was more important than ever, with exciting new applications and sites popping up with surprising regularity. What's more, the companies that had survived the collapse seemed to have some things in common. Could it be that the dot-com collapse marked some kind of turning point for the web, such that a call to action such as "Web 2.0" might make sense? We agreed that it did, and so the Web 2.0 Conference was born.

In the year and a half since, the term "Web 2.0" has clearly taken hold, with more than 9.5 million citations in Google. But there's still a huge amount of disagreement about just what Web 2.0 means, with some people decrying it as a meaningless marketing buzzword, and others accepting it as the new conventional wisdom.

This article is an attempt to clarify just what we mean by Web 2.0.

In our initial brainstorming, we formulated our sense of Web 2.0 by example:

Web 1.0		Web 2.0
DoubleClick	-->	Google AdSense
Ofoto	-->	Flickr
Akamai	-->	BitTorrent
mp3.com	-->	Napster
Britannica Online	-->	Wikipedia
personal websites	-->	blogging
evite	-->	upcoming.org and EVDB
domain name speculation	-->	search engine optimization
page views	-->	cost per click
screen scraping	-->	web services
publishing	-->	participation
content management systems	-->	wikis
directories (taxonomy)	-->	tagging ("folksonomy")
stickiness	-->	syndication

The list went on and on. But what was it that made us identify one application or approach as "Web 1.0" and another as "Web 2.0"? (The question is particularly urgent because the Web 2.0 meme has become so widespread that companies are now pasting it on as a marketing buzzword, with no real understanding of just what it means. The question is particularly difficult because many of those buzzword-addicted startups are definitely not Web 2.0, while some of the applications we identified as Web 2.0, like Napster and BitTorrent, are not even properly web applications!) We began trying to tease out the principles that are demonstrated in one way or another by the success stories of web 1.0 and by the most interesting of the new applications.

For further reading please follow the original link of the article
http://oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html

Pakistan Developers Conference 2006

2006-05-29T22:05:00.001+05:00

Pakistan Developer Conference 2006 is the event that provides a comprehensive technical overview as well as more insight on the latest (both recently released and upcoming) Microsoft development and platform technologies. During Pakistan Developer Conference 2006, there will be sessions that would demonstrate the latest features that were introduced in Visual Studio 2005, SQL Server 2005, BizTalk Server 2006, Windows Vista and how all these technologies can be used to build reliable, secure, high performance applications that can connect people, information, processes and systems together. More than 2000 technology professionals from across Pakistan are expected to join this event and get the opportunity to meet and interact with top technology experts in the industry and Microsoft team for the duration of the event.

Dell deal bolsters Google search

2006-05-26T23:27:00.001+05:00

Google has taken a major step towards challenging the dominance of Microsoft by signing a deal with Dell.

The agreement means millions of Dell computers will leave the factories with Google software already installed on them. The software includes several personal computer applications, a Google toolbar and a co-branded homepage. This could pose a serious challenge to the hold Microsoft has enjoyed on 90% of the world's computers.

The Seattle software giant has enjoyed a significant advantage over rivals, with computers automatically defaulting to Microsoft products.

In practice, most people stay with the default programs and search technology that comes with their machine.

The article was originally posted at BBC News
For further reading http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5019416.stm

Did Nostradamus Predict the 9/11 Attacks?

2006-04-03T13:53:00.000+05:00

[From David Emery,Your Guide to Urban Legends and Folklore.]

'In the City of God there will be a great thunder'

Nostradamus, the French astrologer born in 1503, published his barely scrutable collection of prophecies, "The Centuries," in 1555. Each four-line verse (or "quatrain") purported to foretell world events far into the future, and ever since Nostradamus' time devotees have claimed his work accurately predicted wars, natural disasters and the rise and fall of empires.

With all due respect to true believers, Nostradamus couched his "prophetic" verses in such obscure language that the words can be, and have been, interpreted to mean virtually anything. Inevitably, ponderous tracts will be written in the coming months and years extracting "proof" from the works of Nostradamus that he foresaw the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks of September 11, 2001 — such exegeses-in-hindsight have appeared in the wake of every modern catastrophe — but, thanks to Internet hoaxers, we needn't wait months or years for the he-told-you-sos to begin. "Spooky" quatrains purportedly describing the events of 9/11 with amazing specificity were already circulating within hours of the first jetliner crash — completely bogus quatrains, as it turned out. It wasn't a question of whether or not they accurately predicted anything; Nostradamus simply didn't write them.

The first foretold "a great thunder" in "the City of God":

"In the City of God there will be a great thunder, Two brothers torn apart by Chaos, while the fortress endures, the great leader will succumb", The third big war will begin when the big city is burning"

- Nostradamus 1654

If the article interest you then follow the link to read it upto its full length.

http://urbanlegends.about.com/cs/historical/a/nostradamus.htm

Isn't it semantic?

2006-03-24T20:44:00.002+05:00

[With the major www2006 conference just around the corner, BCS managing editor Brian Runciman interviews the inventor of the Web Sir Tim Berners-Lee.]

Looking back on 15 years or so of development of the Web is there anything you would do differently given the chance?

I would have skipped on the double slash - there's no need for it. Also I would have put the domain name in the reverse order - in order of size so, for example, the BCS address would read: http:/uk.org.bcs/members. The last two terms of this example could both be servers if necessary.

What subsequent Web developments by others have impressed you most?

The Google algorithm was a significant development. I don't want to name too many, but in general I like the fact that I've had thank you emails from people whose lives have been saved by information on a medical website or who have found the love of their life on a dating website, which is great. The important thing is the diversity available.

If there was one 'quick win' that could improve any aspect of the Web right now (other than the semantic approach, more of which later) what would it be?

Something that looks easy - browser security. Most browsers have certificates set up and secure connections, but the browser view only shows a padlock - it doesn't tell you who owns the certificate.

Just having the browser tell you this makes perfect sense - it's a little thing but 'duh'. We have a working group now at W3C looking at that kind of thing because it's got a lot to do with user interactions with systems.

What are the biggest issues the Web needs to face now and in the near future?

There are three main areas. Firstly, security - phishing is mostly done via email, but it involves HTML so W3C will address this issue.

Secondly, the Mobile Web Initiative is important - information must be made seamlessly available on any device. And finally, Web services, where re-engineering and enterprise software are key issues.

How does the ICANN ownership issue affect the Web?

The Domain Name Server (DNS) is the Achilles heel of the Web. The important thing is that it's managed responsibly. I don't think we've gained anything from the .biz or .info domains - only that a few companies have benefited financially.

The challenge at the moment is to manage this in an open way - not too much bureaucracy, not subject to political or commercial pressures. The US should demonstrate that it is prepared to share control with the world in general. It must be politically clean and efficient, but there's no simple solution.

I saw your interview with Mark Lawson this year - he seemed to be trying to lay the blame for the negative aspects of Web content at your door - how do you feel about the media's approach to the Web?

That was atypical. People actually emailed to apologize on his behalf, but I think he was just trying to make the interview more interesting. In any case, we shouldn’t build a technology to colour, or grey out, what people say.

The media in general is balanced, although there are a lot of issues to be addressed that the media rightly pick up on. For example intellectual property is an important legal and cultural issue. Society as a whole has complex issues to face here: private ownership versus open source and so on.

Will software patents have a negative effect on the development of the Web?

There are major issues here. Eolas, a spin-off from the University of California, claimed ownership of a unique combination of embedding objects into a Web page so that it happens automatically through use of compiled code. This is an example of a random patent of a combination of existing technologies.

The claim was based on that fact that it's done by compiled code, but any good software engineer will tell you that a compiler and an interpreter are interchangeable. Programming is always about reassembling existing stuff - novel ideas are rare. Even with the development of the Web hypertext was already there and so on.

A bright idea is OK, but getting people to adopt common standards is impeded by patents. At W3C we have a working group that had to stop work on a project for 18 months (a lot in Web years!) to answer a patent issue. This affected the livelihood of people in companies that were doing really good work.

Often, the cases we've seen involving patents on Web technologies have been spurious at best. There are many cases in which a patent's novelty is extremely unclear, but the legal costs of discussing it would be prohibitive.

Patents are often used by large companies who can afford the legal fees, or some one-man-bands who have nothing to lose and hoping for a pay-off from a larger company. They are often defensive against other patents. Because of this W3C now has a patent policy.

To be fair most larger companies have now had a serious change of understanding and see that for the market to grow Web infrastructure must be royalty free.

BCS is pursuing professionalism in IT - what are your thoughts on this?

When it comes to professionalism as a general topic there are important things to talk about and it makes sense to talk about being professional in IT. This may be a biased point of view, but standards are vital so that IT professionals can provide systems that last.

Customers need to be given control of their own data - not being tied into a certain manufacturer so that when there are problems they are always obliged to go back to them. IT professionals have a responsibility to understand the use of standards and the importance of making Web applications that work with any kind of device.

They need to take the view that data is a precious thing and will last longer than the systems themselves.

Another important area of professionalism is accessibility awareness. Everyone should be accommodated, especially when around 20 per cent of the population have special requirements.

In fact, Microsoft said recently that nearly 50 per cent of people need to make some sort of adjustment to their system to interact with it. Having turned 50, I'm very aware of receiving email with very small fonts - people don't want to use their spectacles to look at a Web page!

Project failure is a big subject in the UK and you’ve been involved in a massive ongoing IT project - what have you learned from it that could benefit our members?

This is a huge area - an answer would fill several books. But I think IT projects are about supporting social systems - about communications between people and machines. They tend to fail due to cultural issues.

For example, moving control of data from someone with 20 years experience of working with it to someone else can lead to problems, as a company you lose with this approach. The original idea of the Web was about supporting the way people already work socially, but this doesn't happen with a lot of IT projects.

The view we are taking with the Semantic Web is interesting here. In the past scientists have been trained to do things top down. In the business world projects are often the boss's vision made flesh.

Even software engineering is about taking an idea and breaking it into smaller pieces to work on - but the software project is itself part of something larger. To make this better we need Web-like approaches - I'm not talking about HTML here but, rather, an interconnected approach.

The Semantic Web approach can be visualized as rigid platelets of information loosely sown together at the edges - rich in local knowledge, but capable of linking to things in the outside world. That approach would benefit the social aspects of projects.

Ian Horrocks spoke to the BCS on ontologies, the application of which would clearly see a true Semantic Web, but how can we apply these principles to the billions of existing Web pages?

Don't. Web pages are designed for people. For the Semantic Web we need to look at existing databases and the data in them.

To make this information useful semantically requires a sequence of events: 1. Do a model of what's in the database - which would give you an ontology you could work out on the back of an envelope; 2. Find out who else uses those terms and cherry pick them for your ontology; 3. Write a schema (perhaps with OWL (the Web ontology language); 4. Write down how your database connects to those things.

Using this information you can set up a Web server that runs resource description framework (RDF). A larger database could support queries.
To make all this really useful it's important that products have URIs (Uniform Resource Identifiers) - for example, products@RDF#hairdryers - so invoices, shipping notes, product specifications and so on can use it.

These would all be virtual RDF files - the server would generate them on the fly and it would all be available on the Semantic Web. Then an individual could compare products directly by their specifications, weight and delivery charges, price and so on, in a way that HTML won't allow.

In your book you mention the aim of making the Web operate more like the human brain in making unusual and richer connections between data - doesn't the Web perform that function better in a way now because of the tangential returns you get from searches?

Wouldn't the ontological approach make the Web less like the human brain?Well, the Semantic Web is about data. The Web of human ideas is served by the hypertext Web but the Semantic Web helps with machine analysis. Take the current concerns over bird flu. Is it only around agricultural areas?

There should be an RDF schema combining latitude and longitude data with time - that would be useful at the very least for historical tracking. But we could also combine that with socio-economic data from the World Bank - land use and so on.

This could co-relate bird flu information and export it to a spreadsheet and lead to serious analysis. So, where HTML provides information in a way easy for humans to read, the semantic Web will enable much better analysis of it.

Brian Eno gave a speech a few years ago on generative music - he said that he likes the economy of it, that just from a few simple rules complex and fascinating things can arise. How good an analogy for the rise of the Web from a relatively simple approach - hypertext and links - is this?

This is where Web engineering, physics, Web science and philosophical engineering meet. Physics was actually called experimental philosophy at Oxford.

The Web is now philosophical engineering. Physics and the Web are both about the relationship between the small and the large.

In physics, to take the behaviour of gases as an example, you visualize them as billiard balls, model the rules they follow and then transpose that to a larger scale to account for the effects of temperature and pressure - so physicists analyze systems. Web scientists, however, can create the systems.

So we could say we want the Web to reflect a vision of the world where everything is done democratically, where we have an informed electorate and accountable officials. To do that we get computers to talk with each other in such a way as to promote that ideal.

GUIs a are big influence on an individual's Web experiences - what improvements do you think we need there because, with the best will in the world, a beginner still cannot go online and work a browser/editor intuitively?

There is always work to do on interfaces. I've been playing with Ajax technologies to explore that space because it can be a lot better. I like to use a really big screen - lots of pixels.

Even when I do things on paper I like to use an A0 sized piece of paper and felt tipped pens (Sir Tim shows me notes from a recent meeting - huge piece of paper, lots of colours). The internet is a technology to help you get hold of a lot of data, so you should be able to see it.

At the moment a lot of company knowledge is held on spreadsheets and Powerpoint slides, because companies need to see summaries. But the data has lost its semantics, so it's not usable.

For the Web people make extensive use of the favourites menu or the history, but there's still a long way to go in collaborative data. Blogs are editable in a limited way, HTML is too complex, but at least blogs allow people to be a little creative.

Why is a Web year 2.6 months?

It's about the pace of change.

It seems a very specific figure!

It's random precision. Compared even to the development of the phone or TV, the Web developed very quickly.

I think it is now coming to the end of its adolescence, maturing after a phase of testing its boundaries. Even phishing and spam have been part of its education.
In the past you’d have restrictions, like finding books saying that you needed to design Websites that fit an 800 x 600 pixel screen. Now that people understand standards and business more they know there's always another browser round the corner and the view of Web and its technology is maturing accordingly.

What do you hope WWW2006 will achieve?

In a lot of ways Web development is at a multi-way crossroads. There are a huge number of developments that are potentially world changing and there's a lot of excitement.

The conference will bring everyone together and get a handle on which are important and where we should be focusing our energy in the next five years.

I recently had a meeting at the BCS, with academics bearded and otherwise, to discuss the future of what we call Web science (the science and engineering of Web-based things that have a bottom up Web-like structure).

Every few weeks it seems a new phenomenon breaks across the Web - blogs, wikis, opinion networks, new forms of syndication, new genres of information and so on.

Standards like CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), the document object model and so on are surfacing as things that some people call Web 2.0 - but really it's a use of existing technology.

Mash-ups are called Web 2.0, but they are data integrations - taking a piece of display technology like a map application and doing a handcrafted data integration. I've yet to see a mash-up that uses semantic Web data and crafts it - the fact that everyone has their own mash-up tells the story.

What I've always wanted to do is take an arbitrary thing, a data file, and if it's got something that can be mapped, drop it into a map and see what occurs without programming.

We've seen the development of Web technologies but, in the demos we've seen, people are using semantic technology for a specific application - for life sciences or a geo-spatial project. But at the conference I think we'll see the emergence of data as a Web.

Going back to the idea of anything I would change, I remember Dan Connolly - who really understood SGML - asking me if HTML was SGML. I really wanted the SGML people on board so I said yes.

I should have said no - and we would have developed XML a lot sooner. This all happened at the beginning of the Web, in a pub in Edinburgh. This May there'll be discussions in pubs in Edinburgh again, where we can talk about what we’ll need to change now - it'll be a blast.

Sir Tim Berners-Lee, a Distinguished Chartered member of BCS, is the director of the World Wide Web Consortium, senior researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, and professor of computer science at Southampton ECS.>

Further Reading

W3C: http://www.w3.org/
RDF: http://www.w3.org/RDF/
W3C Patent Policy: http://www.w3.org/2004/pp/
W3C Mobile Web Initiative: http://www.w3.org/Mobile/
WWW2006 conference: http://www2006.org/

Weaving the Web by Tim Berners-Lee with Mark Fischetti, (Harper San Francisco). 1997.

Sir Tim Berners-Lee's blog is at http://dig.csail.mit.edu/breadcrumbs/blog/4

Web timeline
(in regular years, please multiply by 2.6 for Web years)

1930s Vannevar Bush conceives the 'memex' - a machine to store his communications that could be consulted with great speed. He inspired:
1960s Douglas Englebart, whose team came up with the concept of hypertext, and Ted Nelson, who invented the word and published the concept.
1980 Tim Berners-Lee writes the Enquire programme - to help researchers at CERN update and share information
1989 Tim Berners-Lee writes the first proposal at CERN for a system that combines hypertext functionality with Internet foundations
1990 Tim Berners-Lee writes WorldWideWeb, the first Web browser and editor, along with the first versions of Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
1991 First Website appears athttp://info.cern.ch/ (now defunct)
1993 CERN announce that the Web is free for anyone to use
1994 W3C founded2004 Tim Berners-Lee is knighted for services to the global development of the internet

[This article first appeared in March 2006 ITNOW]

Sacred Detinations Website

2006-03-24T00:15:00.003+05:00

Sacred Destinations is a free online travel guide that focuses on the sacred sites and religious places of the world.

This site currently profiles more than 1,000 sacred sites in 31 countries and provides many additional related articles, such as glossaries, biographies, histories, maps, photo galleries, and visitor guides to major cities.

Information on Sacred Destinations is based on a variety of reliable sources, including guidebooks, textbooks, online sources, and my own travel experiences.

Visit it at http://www.sacred-destinations.com

A comparison of Linux and Windows

2006-03-23T22:01:00.001+05:00

LINUX vs. WINDOWS

TOPICS: Flavors, Graphical User Interface, Text Mode Interface, Cost, Getting the Operating System, Running from CD, Application Software, Obtaining Application Software, Application Software Installation, Viruses and Spyware, Users and Passwords, Bugs, Is It Soup Yet?, He's Dead Jim, Software Restrictions, Supported Hardware Devices, Hardware the OS Runs On, Clustering, Multiple Users, Networking, Hard Disk Partitions, Swap Files, File Systems, File Hierarchy, Hidden Files, Case, Modems, Scripting, Printer Drivers, Help, User Data, Shutting Down, Choosing Linux vs. Windows, Related Links

Flavors: (revised Jan.2004) Both Windows and Linux come in many flavors. All the flavors of Windows come from Microsoft, the various distributions of Linux come from different companies (i.e. Linspire, Red Hat, SuSE, Ubuntu, Mandriva, Knoppix, Slackware, Lycoris). Windows has two main lines: "Win9x", which consists of Windows 95, 98, 98SE and Me, and "NT class" which consists of Windows NT, 2000 and XP. Windows actually started, in the old days, with version 3.x which pre-dated Windows 95 by a few years.

The flavors of Linux are referred to as distributions (often shortened to "distros"). All the Linux distributions released around the same time frame will use the same kernel (the guts of the Operating System). They differ in the add-on software provided, GUI, install process, price, documentation and technical support. Both Linux and Windows come in desktop and server editions.

There may be too many distributions of Linux, it's possible that this is hurting Linux in the marketplace. It could be that the lack of a Linux distro from a major computer company is also hurting it in the marketplace. Perhaps this will change with Novell's purchase of SuSE. IBM is a big Linux backer but does not have their own branded distribution.

Linux is customizable in a way that Windows is not. There are many special purpose versions of Linux above and beyond the full blown distributions described above. For example, NASLite is a version of Linux that runs off a single floppy disk and converts an old computer into a file server. This ultra small edition of Linux is capable of networking, file sharing and being a web server.

[Articles coutesy of Michael Horowitz].

The article is too long to repeat it. If it is of your interest then go to its original location for further reading.

http://www.michaelhorowitz.com/Linux.vs.Windows.html

If the above URL does not works then go to its home location.

http://www.michaelhorowitz.com

Richest Families in Pakistan

2006-03-20T16:08:00.001+05:00

1. The Nishat Group Mian Muhammad Mansha Yaha is the captain of this splendid ship having around 30 companies on board. Mansha, who owns the Muslim Commercial Bank as well, is now setting up a billion rupee ($ 17 m) paper sack project too. He is one of the richest Pakistanis around. Nishat Group was country’s 15th richest family in 1970, 6th in 1990 and Number 1 in 1997. Mansha is on the board of nearly 50 companies. Chinioti by clan, Mansha is married to Yousaf Saigol’s daughter. He is deemed to have made investments in many bourses, currency and metal exchanges both within and outside Pakistan. He has had his share of luck on many occasions in life and has recently been awarded Pakistan’s highest civil award by President Musharraf. He could have bought the United Bank too, but then who doesn’t have adversaries. Nishat Group comprises of textiles, cement, leasing, insurance and management companies. If Mansha was bitten by Bhutto’s nationalization stint of 1970, his friends think he was compensated by Nawaz Sharif’s denationalization programme to a very good effect. There is no stopping Mansha and he is still on the move!

2. The Jang Group This huge media empire was founded by late Mir Khalil-ur-Rehman some six decades ago. Today, around 10 top newspapers and the multi-billion rupee GEO TV project are being run by Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman, Mir Khalil’s brainy son, who has a lot of projects pertaining to real estate under his belt too. Though he can be very modest, Shakeel is known to have taken country’s Prime Ministers head-on. His tussle with Nawaz Sharif in 1999 spoke volumes of his unmatched influence in all domestic and international quarters which matter Shakeel is one of Asia’s most well known media barons, whose newspapers have served to be the breeding nurseries for country’s top journalists. He invests massively in stocks business regularly. His elder brother Mir Javed ur Rehman and tender son Mir Ibrahim also assist him in business. Such magnificent has been his influence that at times, a few governments have opted to take a few of his employees as ministers. The Group, as most politicians agree, has been instrumental in both toppling and building governments in Pakistan for decades now. Limelight is the product that he sells but doesn’t like tasting the fruits of his own garden.

3. The Hashoo Group Led by the vintage Saddaruddin Haswani, the Hashoo Group is more known for its dominance in Pakistan’s hotel industry, though the people who know a bit more about the Hashwanis are of their strength in real estate business too. Hashwanis are involved in trading of cotton grain and steel and till the nationalization of cotton export in 1974, they were widely being dubbed as the Cotton Kings of Pakistan. Today, this group has excelled in export of rice, wheat, cotton and barley. It owns textile units, besides having invested billions in mines, minerals. hotels, insurance, batteries, tobacco, residential properties, construction, engineering and information technology. In 1984, Hashwani defeated the Lakhanis in the bid for Premier Tobacco but was arrested along with his brother Akbar in 1986 for allegedly evading customs duty on cigarettes. Sadarduddin’s brother Akbar and the children of another late brother Hassan Ali Hashwani together manage around 45 companies. Akbar runs the second Hashwani Group. He is one of the most well-known magnates in Pakistan who is a regular invitee at the Diplomatic Enclave. The list of local and international bigwigs known personally to Hashwani is unending.

4. The Packages Group The seed of this huge empire was sown by Syed Maratib All, a renowned supplier for British Army and the Indian Railways before partition. The group launched a joint venture with Lever Brothers soon after 1947, but massive production of Pakistan Tobacco Company later reportedly made Syed Maratib All and sons install a packaging Unit by the names of Packages. Two of Maratib’s sons-Syed Amjad All and Syed Babar Au have remained Pakistan’s finance Ministers and two of his well-known grand-children-Syeda Abida Hussain and Syed Fakhar Imam-are political stalwarts who need no recognition. Late Syed Amjad Ali was Pakistan’s first Ambassador to the United Nations, while Syed Babar Ali is the force behind the establishment of the LUMS. The group owns Nestle Pakistan too which is being run by Syed Yawar Ali. Syed Babar Ali has also served as Chairman National Fertilizer Corporation during the Bhutto regime too and has been the Chairman of Hoeist Pakistan, Lever Brothers and Siemen. The group also acquired a good number of Coca Cola plants in Pakistan. Its famous brands include Nestle Milk Pak, Treet, Mitchells and Tri Pack Films. It has stakes in the textile, dairy, agriculture and rice Sectors too. The groups Contributions towards the cause of an independent Pakistan are unprecedented.

5. The House of Habib Legend has it that the Goddess of Wealth has been in love with the seasoned Habibs more than anybody else in Pakistan. Most pundits believe that Habibs own at least 100 companies throughout the world, but these content mega-tycoons never boast off, something which has made it uphill for most to predict about their financial standing. This industrial group was founded by Seth Habib Mitha, born in 1878 to Esmail Ali-a factory owner in Bombay. The financial strength of the Habibs can be gauged from the fact that Muhammad Ali Habib was gave a cheque of Rs 80 million to Quaid-e-Azam in 1948 at a time when Pakistan government was penniless owing to delay in transfer of Pakistan’s share of Rs. 750 million by the Reserve Bank of India. They had offices in Europe in 1912. They incorporated the Habib Bank in 1941. They own the Habib Bank A.G Zurich, Bank Al-Habib, Indus Motors assembling Corolla cars and many dozens of units in sectors such as jute, paper sack, minerals, steel, tiles, synthetics sugar, glass, construction, concrete, farm autos, banking, oil, computers, music, paper, packages, leasing and capital management. Habibs today are headed by Rafiq Habib and Rashid Habib in two distinct groups. What makes them extremely influential players of all times is the fact that for dozens of top businessmen today, Habib were a myth once.

6. The Saigols Saigols originally hail from Jehlum. The pioneer of the Saigol dynasty in 1890 was Amin Saigol who established a shoe shop that eventually transformed into Kohinoor Rubber Works. And then times saw them shining literally like the Kohinoor until their progress was by Nationalization in which they lost two-thirds of their wealth. Saigols got trifurcated in 1976 and 15 descendents of Amin Saigols tour sons got a share. The name of the Saigols has been used in this part of the world as similes describing quantum of wealth. Yousaf Saigol, along with his brothers Sayeed Saigol, Bashir Saigol and Gul Saigol then nourished an excellent crop. In 1948, Saigols established the Kohinoor Textile Mills with a cost of Rs 8 million and this group happens to be the first to open an LC with the State Bank of Pakistan. They bought the United Bank in 1959 and then witnessed five of their units getting nationalized. They lived in Saudi Arabia during the Bhutto regime. Today, cousins Tariq and Nasim are holding the family’s fort together and have risen to unprecedented heights in individual capacities. NAB did haunt Nasim but Tariq spent more lime either accepting or refusing prized slots everywhere. Tariq is the one of the finest business brains around.

7. Nawa-E-Waqt Group The Nizamis may not be Rockefellers or the Sheikh Muhammad, but arc the custodians of a highly influential media empire. Since media is now beginning to be classified as very serious business, Clout or this group’s head Majid Nizami and that of his nephew Arif Nizami in nearly every sphere or the Pakistani society is being Widely acknowledged. The impact this group has managed create on Pakistan’s political scenario since 1947 is unprecedented too. The group runs two esteemed dailies-the Nawai-e-Waqt (Urdu) and The Nation (English). Besides publishing a few other monthlies and weeklies. They too are serious custoniers for an electronic media channel. Hailing from Sangla Hill, a youth Hameed Nizami (late) went out taking a paper that was badly needed by the Muslims of India during the Pakistan Movement. Hameed was a renowned student leader in the sub-continent who only gained proximity with the Quaid-c-Azam because of his distinct and selfless for an independent Pakistan. Though Hameed died very young in 1962, he gave Majid Nizami a rich legacy to take care of. The youngest Nizami, Khalil, died some years ago and was also part of this illustrious group. Out of Hameed Nizami’s three sons-Shoaib, Arif and flr.Tahir’only Arif has followed in his father’s footsteps and is the sitting President 0f All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS). Nizamis are a 60-year old entity too.

8. The Saif Group Is owned and operated by the sons of famous NWFP lady politician Begum Kalsum Saifullah. Her eldest son Javid Saifullah heads Ibis very powerful business group. Javid obtained his Master degree in Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh, USA in 1973, followed by diversified experience of over 30 years in textiles, telecommunication, cement and Information Technology. He also remained the Chairman of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) for two years and NWFP for seven years. He has also been the member Task Force IT & Telecommunication Advisory Board, Ministry of Science and Technology, Member of Task Force (Liberalization & Privatization of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited), Ministry of Science & Technology)Javed Saifullah Khan is looking after the group businesses for the past 20 years. Saifullahs are in power always, in one form or the other. Javaid’s brothers Anwar Saifullah, Khan (Former Federal Minister), Salim Saifullah Khan king-maker in NWFP polities) and Osman Saifullah (another APTMA& wizard) have very close family ties with a lot of key politicians in the country, besides being related directly or indirectly through marriages to the families of a few leading and famous Army Generals who ruled Pakistan.

9. The Crescent Group The history of this group dates back to 1910 when Shams Din of Chiniot and his four sons came into business with a tannery at Amritsar. This family was allotted 125 acres in Faisalabad in lieu of their left-over property in India. These brothers’ Muhammad Antis, Muhammad Bashir, Fazal Karim and Muhammad Shafi-then ruse up to become country’s largest textile exporters. They had initially set up the Mohammad Amin-Muhammad Bashir Limited for export of cotton and import of various products. Having more than two dozen concerns in its fold, Crescent is majestic force to reckon with. This empire serves as the best example of cohesion among cousins, uncles and nephews. Altaf Saleem of this group has enjoyed the slot of Chairman Privatisation Commission during the Musharraf regime, but has not been accused of any bungling during despite having served on a Prized slot. The group today owns numerous textile, steel, sugar, modaraba, food, leasing, knitwear, software, power, chemical, banking and investment units. They are one of the richest people in the country for the last 40 odd years. This Chinioti Sheikh family has lived up with quite a wonderful reputation, bearing an excellent record with its creditors throughout its bu.siness history. Men running Crescent do not have to make contacts, for the privilege comes to them naturally.

10. The Monnoo Group The Monnoo dynasty was founded by two brothers-Dust Muhammad and Nazir Hussain in 19405 at Calcutta. The first unit owned by the Monnoos was the Olympia Rubber Works. And then time saw the Monnoos setting up sonic 20 textile mills in succession. Former President Shahzada Alam Monnoo is the man behind the strength of this group-known more for its achievements in the textile sector. Munnoos have been a symbol of wealth during the last 65 years or so. Shahzada’s brothers, .Jahengir and Kaiser are assisting him in business, while silting APTMA Central Chairman Waqar Monnoo also hails from this magnificent group. In East Pakistan, Monnoos had also left a few power, feed, textile and agriculture-related units some nine in all. Their elder Munir Monnoo, after leaving East Pakistan, had set up looms at Faisalabad. Shahzada Alum Monnoo, perhaps the well-dressed man in the country along with Saddar-ud-Din Hashwani, is no alien for any ruler. The Monnoos are Chiniotis too. Shahzada Alum Monnoo, after some break, is again active in the politics of Lahore Chamber while Jahengir Monnoo is siding with Waqar Monnoo in latter’s vicious battle of ego with Messrs Tariq Saigol and Mian Mansha. They star in business politics of and on, but seem to have Inst the taste of ii somehow. Perhaps had enough of salutes!

11. The Dewan Group Dewan Yousaf Farooqui. The mentor of this group has been the Sindh Minister for Local Bodies. Industries, Labour, Transport, Mines & Minerals. Holding of so many portfolios by a single man bears ample testimony to the fact that the Dewans keep a leg sticking in polities too. The Dewan Mushtaq Group is one of the Pakistan’s largest industrial conglomerates in sectors like polyester acrylic fiber, manufacturing and automotives. Six of their companies are listed at the Karachi & stock Exchange and one at the Luxembourg bourse. Dewan Farooqui Motors assembles around 10,000 cars annually under technical license agreement with Hyundai and Kia Motors of Korea The Dewan Salman Fiber is the pride of this empire as it ranks 11th in the world in total production capacity. The group owns three textile units, a motorcycle manufacturing concern and the largest sugar unit in the country. Dewans also have business interests in India. They possess dozens of millions of shares of Saudi Cement and Pak land Cement. They finance some 40 medical dispensaries and over a dozen schools, apart from funding roads/drinking water and Bio-energy infrastructures. Dewans arc on their way building a $ 1O million SME Resources with IFC investment of $ 3 million. The Dewans enjoy massive influence in the engineering sector.

12. The Lakson Group The Lakhanis are currently having a hard lime at the hands of NAB. Sultan Lakhani and his three brothers run this prestigious group and the chain of McDonald’s restaurants in Pakistan. NAB has alleged the Lakhanis of having created phoney companies through worthless directors and raised massive loans from various banks and financial institutions. Sultan is currently abroad after having served a jail term with younger sibling Amin, though the latter was released much earlier. NAB had reportedly demanded Rs 7 billion from Lakhanis, but later agreed they pay only Rs 1.5 billion over a 10-year period. Lakhanis, like their arch-rivals Hashwanis, are the most well-known of all Ismaeli tycoons. Their stakes range from media, tobacco, paper, chemicals and surgical equipment to cotton, packaging, insurance, detergents and other house-hold items, many of which are joint ventures with leading international conglomerates. Though Lakhanis are in turbulent waters currently, the success that greeted them during the last 25 years especially has been tremendous. They have rifts with large business empires despite being known fur their genteel nature. Whether it is any government in Sindh or at the Federal level, Lakhanis have had trusted friends everywhere, though the present era has proved a painful exception.

13. The Sapphire Group Headed by a veteran industrialist Mian Abdullah, this splendid empire owns 11 yarn spinning plants (producing 60,000 tonnes of yarn annually), 3 woven plants of greige fabric ( producing 50 million metres annually), one yarn dyeing plant (capacity 5 tonnes per day), one knitting unit (10 tonnes per day), one knitted fabric dyeing plant (10 tonnes per day), one woven fabric dyeing and finishing plant (1.2 million metres per month) and three power plants having the capability to produce 40 MW of energy. Sapphire forms synergies with off-shore garments companies. The group markets its products in biggest brand names in Asia, Europe, Australia and North America. Sapphire started with one spinning mill in 1969 and employs over 10,000 people and has an annual turnover of $ 219 million. Mian Abdullah’s repute can be gauged from the fact during the October 2003 minis at APTMA, more than 1000 textile millers bad tendered their resignations against incumbent Chief Waqar Monnoo to him. Dozens of leading tycoons had proposed his name to head APTMA in case of an interim setup. Having an influence among textile millers is no easy job but Mian Abdullah stands privileged in this context He is often seen part of the entourages of key business leaders to foreign countries and provides input to fellow colleagues whenever requested.

14. The Dawood Group Was ranked Pakistan’s biggest group in 1970, 3rd in 1990 and 15th in 1997 like all. Nationalization and the East Pakistan tragedy trampled all over the Dawoods too. Today, the original Dawood Group stands split in three factions. The owners of this empire refrained from opening any unit for a good part of some 20 odd years. This group was founded by Ahmed Dawood, but later the dynasty found itself divided among the three Dawood brothers-Ahmad Sadiq and Suleman, The key players in this group led lives in exile during the Bhutto regime. Former Federal Minister fur Commerce and Trade Razzak Dawood, the son of the late Suleman Dawned runs the Descon Engineering and a few other units dealing in manufacturing refrigerators and other consumer products. Hussain Dawuod, sun of Ahmed Dawood, has already rendered meritorious philanthropic services in the field of education by supporting brilliant and needy students. Hussain runs Dawood Hercules, some modaraba companies and a few textile units. The Sadiq Dawned Group owns a few leasing, modaraba and insurance concerns too, apart from the Dawood Yamaha. Sadiq Dawood’s decision to become an MNA in 1951 and Treasurer Pakistan Muslim League during Ayub’s rule certainly benefited the Dawoods.

15. The Best Way Group Sir Anwar Pervaiz is the Chairman of Bestway Group which started off as a specialist Asian food store in West London in 1962. More retail units followed and by the early l970’s the group had opened ten general food stores. He may easily be dubbed the richest Pakistani. The Bestway Group moved into the wholesale business in 1976 when its first Bestway cash and carry warehouse was established in London. Rapid expansion in wholesaling followed during the 1980’s and 1990’s, and to date, the Bestway Group comprises of about 30. The Bestway Group moved into the cement business in 1995 when it decided to set up cement manufacturing plant in Pakistan at a cost of $120 million. In 2002, the Bestway Group acquired a 25.5% stake in United Bank Limited. Today, the Bestway Group has a diversified portfolio, with interests in cash & carry wholesale, property investments, retail outlets, milling of rice, lentils and pulses, cement production and more recently into banking. The group’s total sales amounted to in excess of £ 1 billion for the year ended 30th June 2002. The group provides direct employment to over 2300 people.

16. The Haroon Family Headed by Yusuf Haroon, 9l, the former Sindh Chief Minister and Governor West Pakistan, this family owns The Herald Group of publications which includes the Daily Dawn, Monthly Herald, Aurora and Spider magazines. When he rose to Karachi’s Mayorship, Yousaf was the youngest Mayor in sub-continent’s history. This prominent scion of the Memon clan had remained a strong believer that General Zia-ul-Haq bad launched systematic discrimination against the Karachi businessmen that made the Memons fly outside Pakistan with their money. Yosaf’s younger brother Mabmood A.Haroon has also remained Sindh’s Governor, besides having served as ADC to Quaid-Azam at the age of 17. The Haroons; wealthiest in the country once, are prominent media barons of today who enjoy unmatched influence in country’s political and business arena. Sir Abdullah Haroon, father of Yousaf and Mahmood, bad died in 1942, but sot before he had devoted his residence for the cause of Pakistan. Handling both business and politics at the same time never seemed tough job for the disciplined sons of Sir Abdullah Haroon. Yousaf Haroon also served a country’s High Commissioner to Australia. The great grandfathers of the Haroons had migrated to Karachi some 150 years ago where they made fortunes in clothing and sugar trades.

17. The Yunus Brothers The Chairman of this group is Abdul Razzak Tabba. This group owns one of the largest warehouses (textile products) in Pakistan. The concerns falling under the ambit of the Younus Brothers are Fazal Textiles, Gadoon Textiles, Lucky Cement, Lucky Energy, Lucky Power-Tech, Lucky Textiles, Younus Textiles, Security Electric Power Company and Younus Brothers etc. Razzak Tabba is an active player in the politics of the prestigious All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) too, apart from assuming a king-maker’s role in the political arena of the FPCCI. Tabba came to more limelight last year when he hosted very heavily attended dinners in honour of the textile magnates from all across the country, while siding with Messrs Tariq Saigol and Mian Mansha in their battle against the APTMA Chief Waqar Monnno. He is quite a philanthropist too and has initiated various welfare projects for his Memon community in Karachi and Sindh. He frequently stars in the community welfare programmes held under the auspices of the Asia Tabba Foundation, World Memon Foundation and the Kathiawar Cooperative Housing society etc Tabba is a man who likes to keep away from camera and despite all his influence and riches-something which has made him earn tots of respect.

18. Gul Ahmad/Al-Karam Group Gut Ahmad is one of the most vibrant Memon business houses in the country that was founded by Haji Mohammad Pakolawala, but is now split between Gul Ahmad and Al-Karam Group of Industries. While Gul Ahmad is headed by Bashir Al Muhammad, the Al-Karam faction is controlled by Umar Haji Karim. In 1953, Gul Ahmad was incorporated as a private limited company with a capital of Rs eight million. Gul Ahmad is presently a composite unit with an installed capacity of 88,000 spindles, 108 air-jet looms and 297 conventional looms. The group has been a pioneer in the field of power generation as well. Gul Ahmad’s directors have held top positions in various textile bodies, export committees, besides having assisted government of Pakistan in few major talks with EU and US. The group is set to launch the Excel Insurance Company shortly as required licenses/documentation stands done. Al-Karam, on (be other hand, is one of the largest textile concerns in Pakistan producing superior quality yarn, apart from having Amna Industries, Orient Textiles, Imran Crown Cork, Gul Agencies, Dabheji Salt Works and Pakistan Synthetics in its wallet. It owns a dairy-related establishment too by the name of Pakistan Dairy Products Limited. During Moeen Qureshi’s tenure, Alt Muhammad was appointed Vice Chairman of Export Promotion Bureau.

19. The Bawany Group Bawany dynasty was founded by two Bawany brothers, Ahmad Karim Ebrahim Bawany and Abdul Latif Ibrahim Bawany born in 1882 and 1890 respectively at Jetpur, Kathiawar, who had migrated to Burma towards end the end of 19th century and set up Ahmad Violin Hosiery Works in Rangoon. In 1947, they migrated to Pakistan. It was perhaps in memory of the Hosiery Mills at Rangoon that a company with the same name was incorporated in Karachi and is doing a flourishing business. The name Bawany has its origin in the name of an elder of the family, who was known for his honesty and hard work in home-town Jetpur. They were the first among the Memons to open a purchase office in Japan and nre currently active in textiles, jute, sugar, particle board, Oxygen, leather, garments, tanneries and cables Bawanis are known to have maite night investment decisions at the right time and their contemperaine still acknowledge them for his quality. Bawanis are known to have made right investments us the right time-something their contemporaries acknowledge.

20. The Servis Group Shahid Hussain is the Chairman of this massive foot-wear giant whicb now is neck-deep in textile business too. Shahid has replaced Ch Ahmad Saeed (sitting PIA Chairman (as the Servis boss. Both Chaudhary Ahmed Saeed and President General Musharraf happen to be old friends from their Forman Christian College days. Ch. Ahmad Saeed’s younger brother Chaudhary Ahmed Multhtar is a well-known Pakistan Peoples Party leader who has been the Federal Commerce Minister of Pakistan during one of the two tenures of two-time ex-Premier Benazir Bhutto. Ch. Ahmad Saeed’s son Arif Saeed is Chairman APTMA Punjab and is siding with his Central Chief Waqar Munnoo against a huge number of textile gurus. The Servis Group operates in sectors like shoes, tyres, cotton yarn, leather, syringes and retailing. The political constituency of these politicians-cum-businessmen also happens in be the feud-ridden Gujrat district of Punjab where Ahmed Mukhtar sometimes emerges triumphant against President Pakistan Muslim League Ch Shujaat Hussain, and at times loses the support of voters for a National Assembly seat. It is this proximity with various regimes that the Servis Group bus been rated so highly. And then, even if alleged for a white-collard crime, these Servis guys remain relatively comfortable-courtesy their clout as a political-cum-business family.

21. The Tata Family Do not confuse the Tatas in Pakistan with their name-sake market leaders in India. Having migrated from Nepal Mehboob Elahi started with a tannery in Bangladesh much before 1971 but his five Sons Mehboob lqbal ‘Tata ( Chairman Jinnah Hospital Lahore). Riaz Tata (President FPCCI) Anwar Tata (Former Chairman APTMA), Khalid Tata and ljaz Tate together built 15 odd units, ably supported by the third generation scions like Shahid, Masud and Hasan Tata. Tatas are in textile spinning, weaving, denim, woven, knitwear, leather and energy business. Having annual turnover in excess of Rs 1.5 billion, this Chinioti family too traces its presence in business as early as 200 years from now. Bound in a cohesive bond, each of the Tatas heads a separate unit. The sitting Federation President Riaz Tata heads the Naveena Exports Division and despite having faced some tough times at the top slot in the apex body. Pakistan’s key business leader is holding his throne tightly, though there have been occasions when he (Riaz Tata) seriously thought in terms of vacating office due to business pre-occupation. But the mammoth number of colleagues and friends around him barred him from doing so. The vintage Tatas overall lead unassuming life styles. They love to remain in low key but prove their worth when times demand.

22. The Alam Group This establishment comprising three leather and two textile units is led by former President Karachi Chamber Shahzada Alam, elder brother of sitting Vice President FPCCI and Senior Vice chairman Pak-USA Business Council Arshad Alam. Messrs Leather Connections, a joint venture with a UK conglomerate, is one of those units managed by this group which happens to be Pakistan’s largest exporter of value-added leather products. While Leather Connections is looked after by Arshad Alam’s son Khurshid Alam, the textile arm of this group is supervised by Faraz Alam son of Shafiq Alam, the youngest Alam brother. The family has also made huge investments in real estate and stocks, within and outside Pakistan. While the younger creed looks after business, the elder Alams give time to their passion of playing ring leaders in the politics of the FPCCI and other business chambers. The group also runs an import/export entity by the name of Continental Traders, besides having recently set sails for investment in media too. Shahzada Alam gained more recognition when he went out airing strong resentment against the involvement of business institutions in country’s politics. The Alams are an eminent Chinioti family in business for the last 150 odd years, known more for dominance in leather sector. COMPASS is the name of the philanthropic school for retarded and disabled children which the Alams operate in Gulberg Lahore sans any external assistance.

23. The Guard Group The 87-year old Malik Shafi, decorated with Pakistan’s highest civil award, still looks after numerous business entities with complete vigour. Eldest of his four sons is the former LCCI/FPCCI President lftikhar Malik who is also the sitting Chairman of Pak-US Business Council. The Guard Group deals in automotive parts, filters, brake fluids and other vital accessories of motor vehicles. The group has enjoyed monopoly in this business since 1959, when the government servant turned magnate Malik Shaft decided to enter business. Guard Rice, one of the largest exporters of this community around the world, is being run by Shafis youngest son Shahzad Matte who is also holding the slot of Lahore Chamber’s Vice President. The’ other two Maliks-Waqar and Shahbaz control the technical sides of their family business, apart from keeping an eye on this group’s real estate & agricultural land holdings. Maliks are an Arain Punjabi family that also runs a few free hospitals and dispensaries. Malik lftikhar however, is keener with his hobby to be in limelight all the time and is perhaps Pakistan’s most photographed tycoon. While people refrain from coming under camera when they grow in stature, Malik loves operating a Lahore-Islamabad shuttle service to sit next to anyone who is ruling. But then he delivers when needed

24. The Ejaz Group This establishment owns country’s largest knitwear-cum-dyeing facility at Lahore. More than half a dozen textile units of Ejaz Group are being run by yet another chinioti scion Mian Gohar Ejaz, son of late Senator Sheikh Ejaz. Gohar held the reins of this group very much during his college days when Sheikh Ejaz left for his heavenly abode after protracted illness that lasted months. Gohar is now a noted policy maker at both Federal and Provincial Textile Boards. He is one of the Boards of Governors at the Punjab institute of Cardiology Lahore. People started paying a heed to his leadership abilities in 1997, when he took on the APTMA grey-heads convincingly during the 1997 annual polls and narrowly lost to his opponent in fight for the top slot. Gohar then had led a rebellion comprising promising youth from renowned textile families. Against the hegemony of stalwarts including the likes of Messrs Tariq Saigol, Mansha and Jahengir Elahi etc. His younger brother Mian Faisal Ejaz is the son-in-law of Shahzada Alam Monnoo. He is yet another investor in mutual funds and real estate, though relies more on his obsession i.e the textiles and his passion which is value-addition in this sector. The services Gohar has rendered for creating awareness with reference to value-addition are certainly quite meritrions.

25. The Tabani Family The Tabanis are also deemed as one of the biggest groups associated with manufacturing, trade, export and import business. They are one of the few Pakistani industrialists holding massive stakes in Central Asian Republics. They own Pakistan’s first private airline-Aero Asia. Yaqoob Tabani is this group’s chairman. The fields of Tabanis’ businesses include counter trade and barter transactions, textiles, fashion garments, leather, tourism, automobiles, shipping, power generation, oil and gas, metals, chemicals, fertilizers, cigarettes, cement and medicines. Tabanis have wings stretched everywhere. You name a business field and Tabanis are there. But despite all the clout it enjoys at the top levels, the family opts to remain modest. Ashraf Tabani, an elder Tabani, has served Sindh’s Governor, Provincial Minister of Finance, Industries, Excise and Taxation between 1981 and 1984. He was appointed Honorary Administrator of the FPCCI during the 1971-1973 periods soon after Bhutto’s Nationalization. Ashraf Tabani has also served as Chairman Employers Federation Pakistan, President Silk and Rayon Mills Association and former Chairman of Industrial Development Bank of Pakistan’s Board of Directors. They are a leading Memon family, also engaged in funding various public welfare schemes. Though scandals can confront any industrial establishment of this size, Tabanis have been fairly lucky in evading them.

26. The Tapal Group Is headed by Aftab Tapal. The group’s success in tea business has astounded many. The journey of Tapal’s remarkable success is the combined harvest of three generations of this family. In 1947, Tapal started out as a family concern under the supervision of Adam Ali Tapal. Faced with tough competition from very well known tea brands in the market, the Tapals dispelled the common impression that their capital base would soon be eroded. The company grew under Faizullah Tapal, whose son Aftab today brings a lot of innovation and marketing vision to make Tapal a household name. After having lived abroad, Aftab rushed hack home with flourishing ideas and introduced new concepts in the commodity that was first sold at Thomas Garway’s Coffee House in London in 1657. Equipped with latest state-of-the art blending and tea-mixing paraphernalia. Tapal is today Pakistan largest tea company as its consumption runs into millions of cups every month, according to an estimate by this company’s marketing division. In December 1997, Tapal Tea became the first Pakistani of its kind to have attained the ISO-9001 certification. Tapals are also known to have stakes in power generation business. But their tea makes the Tapals known to all. The group claims nearly 1.4 million cups of tea in Pakistan are made of Tapal every hour.

27. The Atlas Group This group was founded by Yousaf Sherazi, a former Income Tax official and journalist in 1962 with a capital of Rs 03 million only. The first company set by the Atlas Group was Sherazi Investments (Pvt) Limited and since then, there is no looking back. The East Pakistan tragedy, however, nearly crippled Sherazi but he never lost hope and went out forming numerous joint ventures with leading Japanese concerns like Honda. Atlas-Honda today is a name to reckon with in country’s engineering sector and associated with this just one name are hundreds of vendors. He holds stakes in insurance, financial services, information technology, leasing, warehouses, office equipment, motor cars and motorcycle-assembling units, besides running a renowned firm that manufactures batteries. Sherazi owns the Atlas Investment Bank too. The Federal Budget 2004-05 is perhaps the only budget in country’s history that has hit the very influential car manufacturers on the head, otherwise people like Yousaf Sherazi have always managed to dictate terms where it matters. The Atlas Group owns no less than seven companies quoted on the stock exchanges of Pakistan. The group’s assets are believed to have touched the Rs 15 billion mark and so have the sales.

28. The Abid Group Is run by Sheikh Abid Hussain alias Seth Abid. He is one of the most resourceful developers/builders in the country owning vast stretches of land in major cities. On this land worth many billion of rupees, Seth has constructed residential schemes under the brand name of “Green Fort.” Seth came into this business after decades of notoriety as being one of the spearheads in cross-border smuggling. While many remember Seth for his allegedly illegal trading stints, a lot of informed circles still say with conviction that he, along with Dr.Qadeer and former Premier Bhutto, was the brain behind the success of Pakistan’s nuclear programme. About three dozen of Seth’s very close relatives, friends and nephews are members of country’s bourses and for many years now, the Seth Abid group assumes the role of king-makers during the annual polls of these stock exchanges. He is a leading investor in stocks, metals and currency but what gives him immense pleasure is his philanthropic institution Hamza Foundation that he sponsors for the welfare of deaf and dumb children. Pakistan has not had a single ruler, politician, bureaucrat or Army General who doesn’t know the Seth who is more of a myth for most. The Seth, throughout his life, has avoided publicity-a fact known to most journalists.

29. The Sheikhani Family They are one of the most reputed land developers in the country. The Sheikhani, although not a very big industrial establishment by any means, are led by Abu Bakar Sheikhani. The Sheikhanis are famous for their construction and land development-related errands. Abu Bakar is deemed to be one of the largest investors in real estate trade at Gwadar Port. He has all the right connections that are required to be in such business. Despite being well known to the national political circles, the man in street knew more of him during March/April 1991 when he surfaced as the single largest contributor to then Premier Nawaz Sharif’s Debt Retirement Fund with a donation of Rs 450 million. Today, his adversaries dub him a land mafia man, alleging him for selling his Gwadar land at only $ 4000 per acre only to senior Army officials while the same was being sold at $ 2,50,000 per acre to ordinary investors. But that is the way Sheikhani runs his vast land/construction empire. Accusations don’t disturb Sheikhani, who according to many large developers is a man who has managed to create tremendous impression in land business. The rumours of his landing in any Pakistani City for land acquisition purposes, helps the price of real estate surge unprecedently overnight.

30. The Dadabhoy Group Abdul Ghani Dadabhoy was the founder of Dadabhoy group, starting in trade and branching off into the construction business. The group has a big share of cement market in Southern Pakistan. Memons by clan, Dadabhoys are closely related to the Bawanies. Abdul Ghani Dadabhoy had five sons and two daughters, namely Noor Mohammad Dadabhoy, Mohammad Farooq Dadabhoy, Mohammad Hussain Dadabhoy, Abdullah Hussain Dada Bhoy and Ghulam Mohammad Dadabhoy. Daughters are Mrs Mehrunisa Jaffer and Mrs Zaibunisa Tanveer. This Group has massive investments in cement, energy, construction, leasing, polyester, banking and insurance etc. Dadabhoys are seasoned campaigners and perhaps do not like being brought into any sort of reckoning like the Habibs. Despite being a formidable business entity, this family is deemed to be extremely reluctant throughout its history, when it comes to flashing headlines, but mind you these unassuming Dadabhoys are still news-worthy. Any good day, you might hear them doing something new. Stock pundits know a lot more about their past stints at the country’s bourses.

31. The Bahria Town (Pvt) Limited Malik Riaz Hussain heads the massive project which is currently developing state-of-the-art schemes in Lahore and Rawalpindi/Islamabad. Though Malik Riaz may not be having a very renowned name in business circles, fact has it that the value of his land-holdings both within & outside Pakistan amounts dozens of billions of rupees. Emerging out of the blue, this developer has reportedly developed tremendous connections where it matters in Pakistan-One of the few reasons why his constructed projects get completed in time without hindrance. Whether he has gifted bungalows free of cost of country’s bigwigs or offered them at highly concessional rates, the reality on the ground is that Malik has managed to mesmerize most through his generous wallet. Possessing no convincing financial background, Malik Riaz is known to have been benefited immensely-courtesy patronage of former Pakistan Navy chief admiral retired Mansoor ul Haq. Others say both Malik and the admiral had stuck a $ 200,000 deal but the man behind the Bahria Town is least moved and irrespective of who is in power; he continues to build house after house-swelling his wealth. And then he is happy being a sponsor for many-welfare parties held under patronage of the ruling elite.

32. Adamjee Group The seed of the formidable Adamjee Empire was sown by Haji DAwood in 1896 by establishing a commodity trading company. His son Sir Adeamjee, Haji Dawood went out building a match factory, second largest of its kind then, in 1923 at Rangoon (Burma). By 1947 Adamjee Group wan the biggest exporter of jute from Calcutta. During Bhutto’s nationalization, they lost the Muslim Commercial Bank & stakes in the Mohammadi Steamship Company, leaving then with only Adamjee sugar Mills and Adamjee Cotton Mills, Karachi. Toda, they own the KSB pumps, besides having poured money in paper flooring, diesel engineering, construction centre, garments, general trading, insurance and chemicals etc. one of the biggest names in 1970’s, the Adamjee some-how failed to keep hold on Pakistan’s largest insurance companies. The Adamjee Insurance Company is one of them, which still has around 70% of country’s total insurance business & is the most internationally reputed and accepted Pakistani company of its kind.

33. Jahangir Siddiqui& Co This firm has floated ABAMCO which is perhaps the largest mutual fund in Pakistan’s capital market arena. The firm offers full financial services in the securities industry. ABAMCO is a joit venture among major Pakistani and foreign institutions including International Financial Corporation (IFC) headquartered in Washington. Muslim Commercial Bank, Saudi Pak Commercial Bank & Messrs AMVESCAP, which is a British company created through the merger of the AIM Management Group with and into a subsidiary of INVESCO which is one of the largest asset managers on the globe having assets worth approximately $ 348 billion under its direct management. While the Munawwar Aslam Siddiqui is the Chairman of this apex capital market operator, Najam Ali sits in the Chairman’s office of the Jahengir Siddiqui and company. The Pakistan Credit Rating Agency (PCRA) has awarded heartening long and short term ratings to this concern. ABAMCO was incorporated in 1995. ABAMCO is the first asset management company in the private sector in the country. MCB, with a deposit base in excess of Rs 182 billion & operating with a network of 257 on-line branches too has played a major role in ABAMCO’s success.

34. THE Din Group The group is headed by S.M.Muneer, former president of FPCCI and that of the Karachi Gymkhana. He is vice chairman of Muslim Commercial Bank too.Muneer’s din Group is engaged in textiles and leather business mainly, though this Chinoti family has also made massive investments in real estates and stock business too.Muneer has been active in few political tenures too, as the former two-time prime minister Benazir Bhutto had appointed him Minister of state along with Mian Habibullah, another Chinoti who has headed the FPCCI too. Though people still remember Habibullah as having served as Chairman Export Promotion Bureau during Benazir Bhutto’s regime, they tend to forget that time had come when Muneer also shared EPB’s Fairs and Exhibition Division with him.Muneer’s son SM.Tanveer is a key figure at APTMA Punjab Zone. He is a busy bee in business politics. Despite hectic life schedule, he still manages to take time out and play an active role at prime business bodies in one way or the other.muneer has a visible instinct to be district-a passion that has helped him rise to all heights. At Din Textiles, the entrepreneurs have strived to produce nearly 1000 shades by mixing dyed cotton.

35. The Adil Group Mian Adil Mehmood, who is married to Mian Mansha’s niece, is in textiles business mainly, but what has actually helped him climb the ladder of fame and respect, have been his untiring efforts to resolve the problems of bank defaulters under Governor State Bank of Pakistan, in collaboration with country’s Development Financial Institutions (DFIs) all of which has resulted in revival of sick induxtries. Both defaulters & banks appear indebted to Adil as he has visibly save one party from a possible action & other from spending millions of rupees on lenghthy litigation. Along with Mian Usman, Adil was appointed member Governor SBP, s Dispute Resolution Committee on Defaulted Loans in 2001 and since then he has been flying between Lahore & Karachi to provide respite to some 700 defaulters meaning thereby that he has been catalyst in helping banks recover billions of rupees from their stuck up credits. Adil is also senior Vice Chairman APTMA Punjab zone. By vitue of the honorary slots he holds, this Chinoti magnate has been one of the most sought after businessman in the country of late, despite him chanting the merit slogan. Like most of his contemporaries, he too has excelled in philanthropic services. Free eye-treatment is what his charity specialises in.

36. Chenab Group Mian Muhammad Latif supervises this group along with his brother Mian Ashfaque- a legislator in the National Assembly of Pakistan. Founded in 1975, Chenab Limited set up its first fashion outlet “Chen One.” Chen One has seven outlets throughout Pakistan. After establishing its retail chain stores in various cities of Saudi Arabia, the group is now planning to establish its new retail chains in Bahrain, UA.E, Qatar, Kuwait and Central Asian Republics. While Chenab Group is an eight-time Export Trophy winner, its Chief Mian Latif has won the ‘Businessman of the Year award on four different occasions from various business bodies. Chenab is principally engaged in manufacture and distribution of clothing, furniture goods, including non-iron suit, quilt cover and curtains etc. Chenab processes 50 million square metres fabric weaving and 75 million square metres fabric dyeing every year and has established a global sales network spanning across five continents. Chenab is licensed to the Swedish Texcote Technology in the manufacturing and sale of textile materials, garments and textile house-hold goods. In August 2003, the Chenab Group signed a Rs 900 million loan facility with the National Bank of Pakistan. The group’s textile products have been awarded the Oekotex 100 accreditation.

37. Sitara Group Started its activity with textile weaving as early as 1956, under brothers Haji Abdul Ghafoor and Haji Bashir Ahmed. It is now its textile cloth finishing and processing, textile spinning, chlor-alkali sector and in power generation. The units owned by this establishment include Sitara Chemicals, Sitara Chemicals (Textile Division 1) and Sitara Chemicals (Textile Division 11), Sitara Textiles, Sitara Energy and Yasir Spinning. The charities being managed under the aegis of Sitara group are Aziz Fatima Hospital, Ghafoor Bashir Children Hospital and Aziz Fatima Girls School. Sitara’s name with the industrial City of Faisalabad is synonymous. They are the decades-old veterans in business, who have excelled in leaps and bounds. At their units, the owners of Sitara use technology imported from Japan, UK and Germany and are export leaders in bedding and fabric collection to South America, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Europe. Their textile divisions together operate at strength of 33,984 spindles. The Sitara (group, to a common man, is more famous for its lawn brands like Sitara Sapna and Mughal-e-Azam. The men at helm of affairs in Sitara hardly believe in setting up dozens of units, of which they are otherwise very much capable of.

38. The Colony Group Mian Muhammad lsmaeel Sheikh, who laid the foundation stone of this group, set up his first factory in 1898, first flour mill in 1908, taking Colony Group’s total tally to 14 ginning factories and 4 flour mills by 1947. The group suffered heavily during Zulfiqar Bhutto’s nationalization and it was left only with a few textile mills, flour mills and ginning factories. Though Sheikh Ismaeel’s heirs could not manage to take Colony’s name to the top, they have had an excellent time. But despite their share of hard luck, Colony Group’s owners that still run some jute, textile and financial companies. Colony Textile Mills was the first unit of its kind to go into operation in independent Pakistan. Ismaeel Sheikh’s sons Aziz, Naseer, Farooq and Mughis have also been active in politics. They once owned equities in newspaper and a few of them even went out contesting elections in 1970. These Colony people, many thought, could have scaled far more greater heights, because the kind of start they had in business falls in the lap of very lucky people only.

39. Arif Habib Securities This company is owned by Chairman Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) Arif Habib. It is one of the largest brokerage operations on the bourse. One of its subsidiaries-Arif Habib Investment Management Limited-specialises in mutual funds. By 2001, this concern was listed on all the three stock exchanges. Since its inception, Arif Habib Securities has been one of the best-performing and most profitable brokerage houses in the country, helping its net profit jump to Rs 751.9 million by almost 200%. At the same time, the overall capital base of this firm had almost doubled to Rs 1415.1 million till 2003. Recently, Arif went out slating the imposition of 0.1 per cent Capital Value Tax on turnover and managed to get it slashed through negotiations with the government. Operating with numerous high-worth clients, Arif Habib has won it all through the reputation and connections he has managed to build since 1989. Arif’s success is also attributed to the generous per centage of cash dividend and bonus issues that he believes in announcing regularly. The company’s assets had surged from Rs 73.54 million in 1997-98 to Rs 2178.95 million by 2002-03, while earning per share had soared from 3.72 to 12532 during the same corresponding period.

40. Kassim Dada Kassim Dada, hails from a 19th Century Memon business family known to have possessed the vision of international trade when most of their contemporaries were rather naïve on this count. This family had offices in Burma, South Africa and countries of the Far-East long before 1940. Dadas, have held decisive positions at the Karachi Stock Exchange and own shares of various Pakistani and foreign monopolies without creating any hype. Kassim Dada’s family is known to have held major local equity in multinationals like Glaxo SmithKline, Brook Bond and Berger Paints, besides being the sponsoring directors of Messrs Hyderabad Electronics, Automotive Battery Limited and Interfund Bank etc. Kassim Dada is one of the few Pakistani Tycoons who used to fly on private planes from Karachi to hit cement plants in Hyderabad. It was this family which had hired Mahatama Gandhi as a solicitor in 1890 to contest a business case in South Africa. Dada, was once a symbol of wealth.

Thanks to Hussain Hyder Ali Khowaja hhalik@yahoo.com for this useful information

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2006-03-18T20:15:00.001+05:00

Hello this is my first post . Remained being passive for a long period, i am trying to activate this blog with new efforts.