How to use it.
Once you enter the desired URL and click Browse History button, you are presented with a page that displays available screenshots over the course of years. It also displays the no. of screenshots that the Wayback Machine has saved time to time. Then you can select and view any available screenshot. In addition to just browsing how the website looked in past, you can also use it effectively if you are buying a running website or used domain name. Wayback Machine by Internet Archive also supports different APIs that can be used to retrieve desired information.

Check out Wayback Machine

How these Websites looked 5 years ago?

Below we have shared web page screenshots that display how these famous websites looked like 5 years ago.

Google

Google homepage has not changed much in terms of design. They still have the same looking homepage with fewer controls but better graphics and functionality.

Yahoo

Today Yahoo looks much different from that of 5 years ago. Just from a simple page with different links, they have moved to a crowded website homepage with links to services, top stories, weather reports and of course a search bar.

Amazon

Even 5 years ago Amazo looked pretty good. No doubt clear navigation is a must for E-Commerce websites. With the passage of time they have introduced better navigation using related images instead of simple text links.

Apple

Apple website has not much changed over the time. The homepage provides clear navigation for all of the Apple products. You can browse any product for detailed information, check sitemap or simply land on contact page.

Ebay

Same like Amazon, Ebay also has modified their homepage with on going web trends. They have replaced the simple text links with related images and short description.

These were the screenshots that showed how these websites looked 5 years ago. You can also use the Wayback Machine to check how your favorite websites looked in the past. No doubt Internet Archive is doing a great job to save the history of internet that is freely available for anyone to explore.

Khurram Zahid

The post Want to see how a website looked 5 years ago? appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

Every other website you visit now be it social media, news, application and etc. ask you to sign up and give out personal details before you can use it after a certain point. However doing this randomly and not keeping track of your online activities can be really problematic. One such way you can be in trouble is when websites fall victim to hackers, with that all your personal details are also compromised if registered on that website. Hence it is advised to delete your account from website and platform which you no longer use or seems to have weak security measures in place.

Tip: Never use same password on different accounts, if only one website is compromised, the hacker then has the key to your accounts and other websites which can be very painful to recover.

Deleting your accounts on multiple websites can be a tedious task to figure out how and where you can do this. Guess what, we have found a simpler and easier way to do this through Account killer. This sites has aggregated the procedure and process to close down accounts from different websites like Skype, MSN messenger, linkedin, dropbox, itunes and over 100 other sites, hence made the whole process very simple.

Click here to delete your account online

Account killer, lists websites in different categories popular, blacklist, whitelist and also in alphabetical order. This website is a great asset as it also list the websites that makes it difficult to delete and remove your personal information. For such websites, they try to find a way round to request for account removal or have a general tip that can be very useful.

Moreover, they also have a tool that can be simply installed in your browser or iphone which you can use to check whether you can delete an account if you register. So next time when you register for a service you aren’t sure you’ll use, make sure to visit account killer to check

Sibtain Jiwani

smartchoice.pk

The post Easy way to delete your data from hundreds of website appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

Will 3G end the market for Conventional Broadband Service Providers in Pakistan?

In a word, NO!

Based on current infrastructure, Pakistan is some ways off in even launching proper 3G service, let alone 4G.  The market for trial 3G services is not even a month old and only offered in limited geographical zones within the popular urban centers of Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

The average smart phone user is still figuring out, on how to use, the limited 3G trial services currently available.  It was less than 2 weeks ago that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authorities formally awarded 3G licenses to the successful bidders of last month’s 3G and 4G auction.

The nature of 3G technology is such that it will be quite some time before it makes older technologies like DSL, Wimax and Cable irrelevant. In his 2012 article for PCMag, Sasha Sagan presents the technological elements of  the Wimax vs 3G and LTE debate.  While the article focuses primarily on mobile phone networks, the implication is clear.  Customers will always opt for higher bandwidth that is consistent. Towards that end, they will ultimately opt for 3G and 4G.

However, based on infrastructural, product and pricing constraints, Pakistan is still a long way off from this switchover.  In a recent report for Express Tribune, Farooq Baloch presents some of the infrastructural challenges that have to be met before 3G and 4G service is even widely and properly available. Some of the comments for this article are equally instructive including this exercpt from the optimistic commentator Garam Aaanday:

“………In a Nutshell 3G+4G Deployment requires less than 1 year to be implemented throughout Pakistan.”

Until then, it will be difficult to see the real effects of the switch over from DSL and Wimax to 3G and LTE.  Nonetheless, even after successful implementation of 3G and LTE networks, the Pakistani internet user is not likely to completely discard older technologies.

This study by Delta Partners highlights that the latest technology might not always be the most optimal for every user. The usage patterns, as highlighted in this study, are actually quite paradoxical and show that it is rural users who will benefit more from 3G and LTE networks as opposed to existing urban users in higher population densities.  Urban users who still be better served by continuing with their DSL and Wimax service providers.

In a country like Pakistan, it is difficult to see Wimax, DSL and cable becoming obsolete in the near future. Aside from infrastructural concerns, it makes more sense to view the newer 3G and LTE services as complimentary products to the existing Wimax, DSL and Cable services currently being offered.

One must not forget that these existing services represent those companies that have survived intense competition.  These companies also include the semi-private PTCL – a national behemoth that provides multiple products and whose existing infrastructure is unbeatable in the short run.

Similarly, even if it is premature to talk of pricing, one can safely argue that the successful bidders for 3G and LTE services need to recoup their auction bid.

(At this point, and for the purposes of this article, it is pointless to highlight the alleged problematic nature of the auction where the successful bidders will simply be adjusting their existing receivables with the PTA).

With Data usage packages being quoted at Rs.20/Mb (Zong) and comprehensive bandwidth packages likely to cost multiple times the existing bandwidth packages, the 3G and LTE customer is already looking at a hefty increase in their internet costs.  Furthermore, the market for such services is also restricted by the smart phone owner market in a developing country like Pakistan. Segment the 3G and LTE market further and this niche market shrinks even further as the price range for smart phones supporting LTE makes such a service affordable to only a select few. This is likely to make pricing even more uncompetitive compared to existing technologies.

There is no doubt that video steaming and video calling appear very enticing but how large is this market segment in Pakistan?

With increasing censorship and the prevailing ban on YouTube, the compelling attraction to switch to 3G and LTE reduces further. In the long run, DSL, Wimax and cable may well go the way of the dial up internet connection. However, studies show that that is a slow and gradual switch over even in developed economies.  In a country like Pakistan, the introduction of 3G and LTE will simply serve as an incentive to the World calls and Qubees to further improve both their service and their pricing.  The Pakistani customer can finally be introduced to a technology that has been enjoyed by its Indian and Afghan neighbors for nearly a decade.  For an upbeat conclusion, that is not a bad place to be as a consumer.

Image courtesy www.jehzlau-concepts.com

Khurram Zahid

The post Will 3G end the market for Conventional Broadband Service Providers in Pakistan? appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.