Ensure Your Privacy Online

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3G enabled smartphones, Android-based devices, anti-tracking security software, Apps, block cookies, blogging websites, Clean-Up, cyber crimes, digital keystrokes, geo-tagging, Ghostery, internet privacy, Mac, Nizar Diamond Ali, NoScript, online registrations, privacy settings, Social Media, spam, stealth downloads, Tor, web trackers, WhiteHat Aviator, windows

With the increasing availability of low-cost, 3G enabled smartphones – that provide people easy access to apps, social media, blogging websites and faster downloads – in Pakistan, internet privacy has never been a more pressing concern.

Remember, your digital keystrokes – including the confidential data you enter for online registrations and transactions – can easily become public, and expose you to spam and cyber crimes in the process.

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Floodwater Management

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Amena Nadeem, asphalt, concrete, dams, deforestation, diversion channels, drainage systems, flood defences, floodwater management, global climate change, Rooftop gardens, Rotterdam, Rotterdam Museum Park, storm water

Due to global climate change and rapid urban growth, Pakistan is hit by catastrophic floods every year, causing millions of people to suffer massive losses, be they physical, emotional or financial.

Floodwater management must therefore become part of the overall sustainable master planning of urban and rural areas, and several solutions can be employed to minimise the damage caused by floods.

Get Yourself A Selfie Stick

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Academy Awards, Bradley Cooper, carbon fibre, Ellen DeGeneres, focus control, group welfies, handheld-monopods, Hollywood, impromptu photograph, remote shutter control, selfie fever, Selfie stick, selfies, shutter control app, smartphones, Syed Wajeeh-ul-Hassan Naqvi, timer delay, wireless automatic selfie

Selfies have become all the rage since Ellen DeGeneres rounded up 10 of Hollywood’s biggest stars for an ‘impromptu’ photograph – taken by Bradley Cooper at this year’s Academy Awards – creating the most re-tweeted and shared selfie of all time.

If you are among the millions who have succumbed to selfie fever, then you should acquire a selfie stick, which are easily available at online stores across Pakistan. 

Buy A Bakra Online!

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age, bank transfers, bulls, butcher, Buy A Bakra Online, cash-on-delivery, classified ads, colour, cows, credit cards, debit cards, delivering animals, Eid-ul-Azha, gender, goats, livestock markets, online, payments, pictures, price, sacrificial animal, selling livestock, sheep, size, slaughtering services, Syed Wajeeh-ul-Hassan Naqvi, videos, weight

If you are still looking for a sacrificial animal for Eid-ul-Azha, consider purchasing one online. Doing so will save you time and ensure that you do not have to visit crowded livestock markets.

Livestock can be purchased online in two ways: websites that contain classified ads placed by individuals who are selling livestock, or websites which deal exclusively in livestock. The latter is a better option, as these websites are considered to be more reliable as the sacrificial animals available on it are managed by the company running the website.

Why Should You Take On The Ice Bucket Challenge

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ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), ALS Association, Asifa Bhutto, Bakhtawar Bhutto, Dr Summaiya Syed-Tariq, genetic abnormalities, IBC, Ice Bucket Challenge (IBC), Motor Neurone Disease Association, neurodegenerative disease, Neuroscientists, Social Media, Teepu Siddique, YouTube

Should you dump a bucket of ice cold water on your head or donate $100 to a worthy cause?

These are the two options you may choose from if you are nominated for the ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) Ice Bucket Challenge (IBC) on social media.

Raising A ‘Smart’ Generation

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communication skills, conceptual abilities, digital activities, Dr Samia Babar, dyslexic children, educational technology, eye-hand coordination, language development, learning difficulties, learning-based software devices, letter recognition, manual dexterity, motor skills, online graphic organisers, phonetic skills, problem-solving skills, smart generation, speech recognition software, tablets, text to speech, The American Academy of Paediatrics, virtual animation, virtual field trip, virtual laboratories

Research conducted by the Office of Educational Technology in Washington, DC over the course of the last three years has revealed that the use of learning-based software (which can be accessed on computers and devices such as tablets) among children aged between one and eight results in several benefits.
They include:

Improved motor skills. Pressing keys and handling a mouse helps develop motor skills and eye-hand coordination among children, which are essential for most physical activities ranging from sports to driving. Furthermore, using levers and switches and witnessing the outcome of their ‘actions’, sparks curiosity and instils confidence among children when rewarded with flashing lights and animated characters.

Is Social Media Driving Your Mood?

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browsing news feeds cause depression, digitally spread feelings, Dr Waqar Saeed, effect of social media on moods, James Fowler, moods and emotions viral online, negative tweets, positive tweets, Social media and moods, social media influences how people feel, Socialbakers.com

Although we may not catch colds from friends on the Internet, a study conducted between 2009 and 2014 at the University of California has concluded that moods and emotions most definitely do go viral online. Furthermore, according to Socialbakers.com, as of January 2014, Pakistan has 12.8 million monthly active users on social media, with over 60% of them falling in the 18 to 24 age bracket. Given these statistics, it is vital that parents, teachers and counsellors understand how feelings spread digitally.

Self-Healing Cars

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appointment, Audi, automobile industry, Bluetooth stereo systems, car, car interiors, carbohydrate, chitosan, climate-control, commercial applications, crabs, cruise control devices, crustaceans, Detroit, humidity, ingenious inventions, lobsters, mainstream automobile production, Michigan, Mississippi, nano technology, pollutants, satellite navigation, scratches, self-cleaning, self-healing, sunlight, technology, temperature, University of Mississippi

You are late for an appointment and park in the first available spot that you can find, only to return to find scratches on your car.

Sound familiar?

Many of us have wondered that if the automobile industry can come up with ingenious inventions for car interiors such as Bluetooth stereo systems, climate control, satellite navigation and cruise control devices, then why not something for the exterior as well?

Well, the wait might not have to be much longer. Teams of scientists working in different parts of the world ranging from Michigan to Mississippi are working on ‘self-healing’ or ‘self-cleaning’ paints.

While scientists in Detroit have developed a paint which uses natural light to break down pollutants that attach themselves to your car’s paint to keep it clean, the University of Mississippi team is using chitosan – a complex carbohydrate which is found in the exoskeletons of crustaceans such as crabs and lobsters. When sunlight falls on it, it causes the scratched (damaged) chips of the paint to come together to ‘heal’ the scar. This process does not depend on the humidity or temperature, and only requires direct sunlight; the time required for the ‘healing’ to take effect is an estimated 30 minutes.

Solar-Powered Appliances

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chargers, fan, LED lights, mini air-conditioners, mist fan, portable, radio, refrigerators, solar bank, solar powered, Solar-Powered Appliances, Solar-powered LED lights, Two-in-one solar unit

Summer and load shedding usually go   hand-in-hand. Therefore, this is the ideal time to buy solar-powered appliances that can be charged when placed under the sunlight, and used while a power outage is taking place.

Solar-powered LED lights are handy; they can be used anywhere and function for up to 12 hours at a time after being fully charged. Charging time: Two to three hours; price range: Rs 2,500-6,000.

Two-in-one solar units consist of a 12 to 15 inch fan and a built-in AM/FM radio, and can keep you cool and entertained for up to four hours. Charging time: Three hours; price range: Rs 3,500-5,500.

Maintaining Your Generator And UPS

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air-blower, alternator, battery, battery life, battery sensor, corroded, corrosion, electric motor, electric wires, engine oil, generator, lead-acid, mercury, oil filter, power outages, power terminals, recalibrated, rust spots, serviced, storage battery, storage capacity, Syed Wajeeh-ul-Hassan Naqvi, technician, UPS, water-based battery, wet cloth

With the mercury rising, power outages are expected to be a frequent occurrence. If you have a generator or UPS, then it is time to have it serviced by a technician, as the chances are that it will be used frequently in the forthcoming months.

However, while having a generator or UPS serviced is important, it is equally essential to maintain it regularly to ensure trouble-free use.