Lifestyle Nov. 2013 | Page 7

4 Technology Pakistan leaves Apple iPhone 5S tech behind with Electronic Voting Machine Probably a machine Apple would have to work yet, Pakistan has developed an electronic voting machine which would use thumb impression to count a vote. Tariq Malik, chairman of National Dat a b a s e R e g i s t r a t i o n A u t h o ri t y (NADRA), reveals that the authority has managed to develop a unique machine for the electronic voting. The technology is quite similar to the newly introduced Fingerprint Impression technology in its latest version of iPhone, iPhone 5S. But this technology has taken a multidimensional investment of finances, human and technology of Apple. But the newly developed machine from the country is more significant as compared to iPhone 5S in sense that it would count millions of millions of fingerprint impressions within a span of 09 to 10 hours. “Electronic Voting Machine has been developed in collaboration with Telephone Industry of Pakistan (TIP),” Malik said. TIP is state sponsored institution producing Telephone Exchanges, Hybrids, Printed Circuit boards, Telephone sets, Communication towers, Container Shells, Telecom Batteries, Fire Alarm System, Drop wire and Energy meters as its product range. Scope of IT in Pakistan The development of the IT sector. In the years 2003-2005 the country's IT exports saw a rise of about fifty percent and amounted a total of about 48.5 million USD. The World Economic Forum, assessing the development of Information and Communication Technology in the country ranked Pakistan 102nd among 144 countries in the Global Information Technology report of 2 0 1 2 . As of 2011, Pakistan has over 20 million internet users and is ranked as one of the top countries that have registered a high growth rate in internet penetration. Overall, it has the 15th largest population of internet users in the world. In the fiscal year 2012-2013, the Government of Pakistan aims to spend Rs. 4.6 billion on information technology projects, with emphasis on egovernment, human resource and infrastructure development. "Among the Asians, Pakistanis are the smartest people in the world in Information Technology." -William Henry Bill Gates | Former Chairman and Cheif Software Architect of Microsoft. From the upcoming general elections, the machine could be used using thumb impression. The move is likely to break the prevalent trend of fake voting in various co ns ti tu encies of the country.