Huawei P8 Max Offers Enhanced Creative & Unique Photography

P8 max’s mega screen enables consumers to create and enjoy the freedom of creative art. The Huawei P8 max offers consumers with the best instrument for superb creative photography and filming through  light painting function and video filming function that reduce later editing. It also has a face-enhancing, Selfie, piano, and lapse modes for photo-capturing.

 The Huawei P8 max utilizes a blend of front and rear cameras. The rear processing chip, mini SP, with optical vibration reduction. Rear camera provides better night view photo-capturing. The RGBW sensors enable pixel size, which reduces the noises of the picture to minimum, while maintaining processing ability of picture definition and details. The Huawei P8 max’s optical vibration reduction technology minimizes the aperture time 2-3 grades, which ensures brighter and clearer pictures in the same condition. Additionally, the dual-tone flash effectively brings back true color and creates vivid pictures in dark and dim lights.

Unlike light painting functions on ordinary phones, the P8 max provides real time preview display of a picture. The P8 max has an optical vibration reduction function on the rear camera which helps to create stunningly perfect still pictures, without a tripod. The unique director mode of the P8 max enables consumers to shoot and share, vivid and outstanding quality videos. The users of P8 max can also make a blockbuster film, with no need to edit anymore, by lining a filming group with two other phones and switching different views. 

Samsung Electronics Demonstrates Sub-titling Format at IFA and IBC that Delivers Accessibility Fit for the Internet Age

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is demonstrating for the first time a new subtitling format – HbbTV 2.0 – which at long last will bring accessibility for the deaf and hard-of-hearing to live streaming and on-demand content. The technology will be shown at IFA 2015 in Berlin, Germany, as part of the Hbb4All Pilot-A project, in collaboration with IRT and RBB, which aim to improve the delivery of a wide range of accessibility services. 

Across Europe, broadcasters have the challenge of providing subtitles in a format that works on multiple platforms, so that they can help individuals who are deaf and hard-of-hearing, or simply do not have sufficient language skills to comprehend the content without text support – whether it is in the original or a foreign language.

While sub-titling technologies for traditional broadcast platforms are well established, today’s challenge is to provide subtitles that meet the specific needs of the users in terms of channel, platform and their consumption requirements. To provide accessibility services that are easy-to-use, are of a high quality and work on all platforms offered by on-demand and IP television, broadcasters need a well-conceived production and distribution strategy that allows them to exchange subtitles and re-purpose them automatically.

“Samsung is delighted to demonstrate its on-going commitment to supporting accessibility features in its TVs,” said Mi Young Yoo, Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “In order to support the work of the Hbb4All project and to be ready for this demonstration, Samsung has accelerated its implementation for EBU-TT-D based subtitles, and we are really grateful for the support provided to us by IRT, RBB and all other Hbb4All partners.”

HbbTV 2.0 adds support for EBU-TT-D as a subtitle format (TTML) for broadband content. On-demand content can be linked with out-of-band EBU-TT-D documents and content based on MPEG-DASH can have embedded EBU-TT-D subtitles. This in turn makes it possible to generate subtitles for live streaming via the Internet.*

The HbbTV terminals currently available in the market do not support subtitles for broadband content natively. However, these terminals provide sufficient information on the playback position for on-demand content directly to applications, so subtitles can be added in the application. This provides the flexibility needed to offer users customized subtitles, such as larger font sizes.

Samsung’s demonstration of the HbbTV 2.0 format is the first element of the Pilot-A project as proposed by the Hbb4All project. Demonstrations of HbbTV 2.0 will be available at IFA in Berlin in the ARD Digital Hall at the IRT and RBB booths, as well as at IBC, Amsterdam from Sept. 7-15, 2015 at the IRT booth.

*Source: Hbb4All website www.hbb4all.eu/home/hbb4allpilots/multiplatform-subtitle-services/

Achieve Maximum Creativity with Huawei P8 max Smart phone

Huawei has build P8 max on the beauty of the P8 design and it features a larger 6.8-inch screen, longer battery life, and the unique camera with light tracing for any environment. It also inherits the elegant ID design and extraordinary light painting capabilities of the P series smart phones. Together, these features deliver more fun to consumers through Huawei’s new large screen smart phone, P8 Max.

Huawei P8 Max with its dynamic design will provide a pleasant experience for consumers. The innovative features of Huawei such as power saving technology and power consumption management technology ensure an outstanding battery life of P8 Max. With this battery, consumers can watch local video on the phone for over 15 consecutive hours.

The 5 MP front and 13 MP rear cameras of Huawei P8 max are a real treat for Huawei users. The rear camera of P8 Max is equipped with optical vibration reduction mini SP and dual-tone flash to bring out the true color in night photos. Additionally, the light painting and video filming modes provide users with more creative instruments to create art at their fingertips.

The Huawei P8 max adopts the first simplified single cut 4G antenna technology in the world to guarantee strong signal reception with the compact smart phone body. At the same time, P8 max supports Dual SIM Dual and a maximum download speed within the 4G environment of 300Mbps. 

Bigger Display and Superior Performance by Huawei P8 Max

The Huawei P8 max carries a high definition screen that is the largest in-cell HD screen in the world. The incredible design of P8 max enables it to be slimmer, with a better feel and it is easier to carry. The P8 max supports landscape mode, which enables consumers to view and read on the phone while color enhancement technology enables a better visual experience.

The large screen P8 max is equipped with superb features and it is undoubtedly the best suited smart phone for your long-time recreational needs, enabling over 10hours of video viewing of local files with Huawei’s power saving and power consumption management technology.

With a mega beautiful exterior and Huawei P8 max houses a turbo-powered next-generation Kirin 935 Octa-core 64-bit processor, it is the most powerful processor that a Huawei smart phone carries till date. Huawei’s P8 Max runs at 2.2 GHz and with dual-card 4G-LTE support, users will be able to stream, create and share pictures and videos etc at such incredible speeds which they have never experienced before.

LAMUDI LAUNCHES IN UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

 Rising investment, population growth and increased tourism are forecast to drive demand in the United Arab Emirates real estate market in the coming years.

To cater to this growing demand, global property portal, Lamudi, today announced its launch in the UAE. The move means Lamudi is now available in four countries across the Middle East: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Qatar.

Lamudi’s launch in the Emirate comes as the UAE’s property sector reaches a critical junction, with the market stabilizing after years of high growth. Figures released this week by the Dubai Land Department show investment in the city’s real estate market is soaring, with the total sum of investment exceeding AED53 billion (US$831 million) in the first half of 2015.

Industry experts are predicting a real estate boom across Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries over the coming years, driven by high population growth, an influx of foreign workers and increased tourism in the region. A report released by Alpen Capital this week revealed that the population of GCC states is growing at an annual rate of 5.2 percent and is expected to hit 57 million by 2018.

Lamudi.pk’s Country Director, Saad Arshed said: “Lamudi is launching in the UAE at a crucial time for real estate in the region, as the Emirate’s property market is reaching a stage of maturity.

During this time, we expect to see an increasing number of house-hunters switch online to search for property. This is even truer given the average age of property-seekers in the UAE, with the bulk being under 35. People in this younger age bracket are often early adopters of technology and more likely to start their property search online.”

In Dubai, residential prices and rents stalled in the first two quarters of 2015, with real estate consultancy firm Knight Frank predicting prices could soften by up to 10 percent this year. Over the long term, many commentators have attributed this to signs that property market growth has reached a more sustainable level.

According to Dubai Land Department figures, about 19,848 investors from 142 countries invested in the city’s real estate sector during the first half of 2014. While UAE nationals top the list with AED 11.5 billion (US$3.13 billion) worth of Dubai property market transactions, Indians, Britons and Pakistanis remain the top foreign investors.

“Dubai’s property market continues to attract high interest from buyers from all over the world, which shows the confidence investors have in the sector’s future. Lamudi, as a global property portal operating in more than 30 countries, is in the perfect position to cater to this demand from international buyers,” Arshed said.

Huawei P8 lite beats Samsung Sales in Pakistan, according to GFK

Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung (GFK), a German based market research Institute, confirmed through a recent study of market trend in Pakistan that Huawei P8 Lite secured superior sales in comparison to its competitor, Samsung, in the month of July.

Huawei has launched its P8 Lite this year, and according to the market research conducted by GFK, Huawei P8 Lite sales touched the slot of nearly 41%. However the same study also indicated that Samsung’s product Galaxy A3 remained restricted to 39% during the period. Also the sales of SAMSUNG Galaxy A3 are facing a declining trend in the face of stable sales percentage of Huawei P8 Lite.

Director marketing Huawei devices in Pakistan, Mr. Fanhong Bruce, said that, “We are extremely delighted with the strong response that we have received from our customers in Pakistan. We assure that Huawei would continue to provide them with excellent devices and services in the coming times as well”.

The year 2015 has proven extremely fortunate for Huawei. The smart phone sales and customer’s response to Huawei devices has been incredible. It is worth mentioning here that Huawei P8 Lite is a recent launch in Pakistan that attracted consumers in the market due its amazingly marvelous features and classic style.

APBF National Board Elects Dr. Inam Ullah Haq as new President Islamabad Board

Recently National Board of All Pakistan Business Forum (APBF) has conducted its meeting, headed by the Chairman APBF - Mr. Khalid Rafiq, while President APBF Ibrahim Quraishi was the Co-chairman of this meeting. All the members Unanimously elected Dr. Inam Ullah Haq as the new President of Islamabad Board. The session was intended to evaluate overall performance of APBF Islamabad Board and its office bearers. Thorough appraisal during the session resulted in a unanimous decision by the members to terminate the tenure of Mr. Imran Shauqat, EX President Islamabad Board for not meeting the goals and objectives of APBF.

Hence National Board declared officially that: “Mr. Imran Shauqat is no longer associated with APBF, and he should not be considered President, representative or member of APBF.  

Mr. Naeem Murtaza will hold his office position and will carry on as Secretary General of Islamabad Board. The board was happy to see his performance and the approach for making APBF a success.

Mr. Ibrahim Qureshi, President APBF, welcomed Dr. Inam Ullah Haq as a new President of Islamabad Board. Mr. Qureshi also said that: “Dr. Inam Ullah Haq is a valuable addition to the association”. Mr. Qureshi also expressed his trust in the leadership qualities of Dr. Inam Ullah Haq to provide a robust growth to the APBF Islamabad Chapter.

The National Board meeting saw enthusiastic participation from all board members, representing high-profiled enterprises, associations and institutions, belonging to numerous industrial sectors, from all over Pakistan. The members pledged to enrich the performance of APBF with fresh initiatives, leading to social development, economic prosperity and financial inclusion, by building fresh collaborations with resourceful enterprises.

The All Pakistan Business Forum (APBF) is a vibrant business association which promotes and protects the interests of the business community and industry. It also suggests and advises the Government sector, regarding policy formulation, regulatory realignments and implementation in the commercial and industrial sectors of the economy. APBF has been consistently playing a positive role in elevation of standards and facilitation of business activity in Pakistan.

SBP to give indicative targets to banks Government urged to address issues of the SME Sector in Pakistan

Prominent practitioners and stakeholders of the SME sector in Pakistan have urged the government to address issues pertaining to the serious decline of the SME sector in Pakistan, considering its bleak performance in the current fiscal year. The concerns were raised at the 9^TH Pakistan SME Forum 2015 organized today by SHAMROCK Conferences International at the PC Hotel, Lahore. This year’s theme was “Fostering SME Access to Finance & Innovative Technologies”.

Dr. Saeed Ahmad, Deputy Director, State Bank of Pakistan while addressing the inaugural session said, “The central bank is considering giving indicative targets to the banks, review their performance against the targets after a certain period, and may consider formulation of regulation to impose mandatory targets if it does not receive favorable results.”

In his opening remarks, Mr. Menin Rodrigues, Convener & Chairman, SHAMROCK Conferences International opined “The intervention of the ministries of industries, commerce, agriculture and finance, in revitalizing the SME sector through prudent steps is necessary; in as much the support of the State Bank of Pakistan, SMEDA and the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan for a sustained and collaborative effort to uplift the SME sector.” A comprehensive countrywide registration of SMEs is of vital importance, he added.   

In the first session on “Encouraging Lending by Commercial Banks and Financial Institutions” which was chaired by Mr. Samar Hasnain, Executive Director, SBP, the chairman emphasized that the SBP was playing a decisive and collaborative role in addressing the challenges in the SME sector, and given the significance of SMEs and their contribution to the economy, stressed stakeholders to think positively to promote SME Finance. Conclusive presentations were made in this session by Mr. Khurrum Hussain, Group Head Retail, Bank Al-Falah; Mr. Junaid Momund, Head of Business Development, SME Bank Limited and Mr. Ali Mohammad Khan, Head of SME, Askari Bank Limited.

The second session on “Empowering Entrepreneurs to take the Next Big Steps” was chaired by Mr. Sajid Naqvi, Secretary-General, UNISAME who highlighted the urgent need for government and regulatory bodies to take prompt notice of the long-standing issues of the sector, which he said was preventing entrepreneurs and the micro-small outfits in moving forward. He said economies of scale, technology deployment and lack of training at all levels were critical elements. The success story of Dr. Shaheena Asif, Co-Chairperson, Lahore Medical College & CEO, Surgimed Hospital was truly inspirational; whereas the presentations by Mr. Javed Iqbal, Operations Officer SME & Value Chain Solutions, IFC Pakistan and Dr. Shehla Javed Malik, Founder President, Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry, conveyed strong recommendations on promoting SME to its full potential.

Mr. Mohammad Alamgir Choudhry, CEO, SMEDA while addressing the Panel Discussion on “Why is the SME Sector not making an Impact, what are the impediments?” said, the apex body of small and medium enterprises goes the extra mile to be a helpful facilitator to SMEs who approach them for assistance. He stressed amalgamation of scattered activities under one umbrella so that issues can be managed and result achieved. The panelists who deliberated in the discussion included, Mr. Zulfikar Qazilbash, Consultant, Aga Khan Foundation and Mr. Rehmatullah Javed, Chairman, National Committee on SMEs, FPPCI who gave a comprehensive and true picture of the state of the SME sector in Pakistan.  

Samsung Receives Largest Number of Awards At IDEA 2015 Eight Awards Include One Gold, Three Silver And Four Bronze

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., today received the largest number of  awards at the International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) 2015, one of the world’s most prestigious design competitions. The eight awards include one gold award, three silver awards and four bronze awards.

Founded in 1980 and organized by the Industrial Designers Society of America, IDEA is one of the most influential design competitions recognizing creative and innovative designs.

Samsung’s award winners for this year encompass various categories ranging from home appliances to mobile phone accessories, such as the virtual reality headset - the Gear VR. Other winners include a dishwasher with a new water spraying mechanism, and the LED Flip Wallet. All of these products showcase an innovative aspect of Samsung’s business.

This year, the following items won gold award:

·         NX mini – A mirrorless camera with exchangeable lenses. It is 22.5mm thick and weighs 158g. By reinterpreting the essence of traditional cameras via a contemporary perspective, the NX mini shows a simple, classic design that is timeless.

This year, the following items won silver awards:

·         WaterWall Dishwasher – A dishwasher that features an effective spray bar that achieves corner to corner coverage of dishes inside in a way that rotary bars cannot. By introducing Flextray, a removable rubber pad where silverware and cooking utensils can be laid out flat and easily washed. The rubber pad can then be easily removed to move all of the silverware after the wash.

·         LED Flip Wallet – The world’s first smartphone cover that displays information and messages from a smartphone with its LED display.

·         Digital Appliance Design Philosophy Framework – A sentimental and relatable story that can be understood by anyone via familiar media, such as videos and books. It is used to promote the design direction of Samsung home appliances.

Also, the following four products received bronze awards

·         Gear VR – A virtual reality (VR) wearable device coupled with Samsung’s latest smartphone can be easily controlled by a touch pad. The ergonomic design allow users to enjoy the device comfortably anytime, anywhere.

·         Wireless Audio – 360 portable – A wireless audio that delivers sound in all directions consistently thanks to its streamlined shape that also seamlessly blends with its surroundings.

·         Personal Cooler – A portable personal cooler that is easy to move thanks to its handle. It does not require an outdoor unit to operate.

·         Hotblast™ Microwave oven – The black frontal glass with a slim bezel, wide door and flushed handle make a luxurious exterior

In addition, 31 other Samsung products made it to the finalist. For instance, the beautifully designed Samsung curved SUHD TV (S9W) with a 21:9 aspect ratio has turned the TV into a work of art. Like a sculpture in a gallery, the screen of the Samsung S9W rests upon a finely crafted metal cube with its exquisite form on full display. Meanwhile , the Samsung printer UX (Smart UX Center) allows users to manage documents easily based on the features of a mobile operating system. Further, the Design Samsung webpage introduces Samsung’s values and culture based on its design philosophy.

                                   

 “Samsung will continue its effort to deliver innovative design that enhances lives, by paying close attention to our users and getting inspiration from our observations.” said Boo-Keun Yoon, CEO and President of Corporate Design Center at Samsung Electronics.

Making Energy Affordable for All

Energy is a fundamental need for not only the economic development of a country but also for meeting the basic human needs. Several institutions in Pakistan such as educational and healthcare facilities stand at the boons of energy to meet their everyday operational needs. Solar energy can hence play a pivotal role to provide for such underprivileged communities, especially in the rural areas.

In the last decade, several private sector entities have emerged that have taken up charges to facilitate development in such distant communities. One such example is that of the solar system installed at the Help NGO’s Maternity Hospital in Surjani Town, Karachi. This solar power solution lights all the labor rooms along with providing basic electricity to the facility. The technical expertise for the solution was provided by Reon Energy Limited. Reon Energy Limited is the renewable energy division of Dawood Hercules Limited - the single largest private sector energy provider in Pakistan.

“Solar solutions are effective for a variety of clients; especially for those in the far-flung, off-grid areas and backup batteries help overcome the system’s downtime in absence of sunlight. This rooftop installation was completed within a short time-span of 20 days. Solar energy has greatly facilitated the treatment process at the hospital,” stated Sana Rizwan, Design Manager, Reon Energy Limited.

Pakistan has ample sun energy that makes it ideal to utilize solar power technologies. From powering tube wells on farmlands to academic institutions, solar is an affordable source of energy. For extensive dissemination of such energy resources, it is essential that private and public entities together make efforts at the lowest socio-economic levels that have felt its’ extreme impacts. Further with sustenance from developmental and financial organizations, the process of energy infrastructure development can be accelerated and with necessary support can further be integrated into the national policies and programmes

LAMUDI LAUNCHES NEW DEVELOPMENTS SECTION Pakistan’s best real estate website unveils new developments section to simplify house-hunting

Lamudi.pk has launched a ‘new developments’ section on its website, which lists the projects of developers and builders on board with the property portal.

The tab for this section is located on the main page of the website, which redirects users to a separate landing page. This page has all the details regarding new developments for sale from all over Pakistan.

Click on any developer’s project on that page and you will be redirected to a new dedicated section with all the details about that development, ranging from its price, property features, facilities, location and available units etc.

Lamudi.pk’s, Country Director, Saad Arshed, said: “The launch of this section puts the users and developers at the center of our product. Users are greeted with this new tab on our main homepage, which makes it easier for them to find their dream developmental project online.

At the same time, developers and builders have the opportunity to market their upcoming projects through this dedicated section, which has more space to advertise properties and features high quality photos, detailed project information and other relevant information of developers and builders.”

Lamudi recently hosted a builder’s conference in Karachi at the Movenpick Hotel, where it briefed the developers about this newly launched section on the website. This was followed by a thorough Q&A session with the developer’s, who were eager to market their projects via this medium.

Lamudi is a global real estate portal focusing exclusively on the emerging markets. The website is currently available in 34 countries in these regions. The new development section has been rolled out for majority of the countries in Asia, the Middle East and Africa and Latin America.

Huawei’s Feature Rich Middle High-end Smart phone-P8 Lite

Huawei, a leading telecom company has recently launched incredibly unique smartphones. These smart phones range from low-end to high-end and all these smart phones possess state of the art features and striking designs. Unveiledin recent past, flagship smart phone, P8 was launched in Pakistan which is a super efficient and feature loaded high-end smartphoneand is available nationwide on the Huawei authorized mobile shops.

Huawei P8 Lite is a smaller version of P8 and this smart phone is a feature rich gadget with latest, unique and amazing apps. This smart phone possesses latest EMUI 3.1 and Android 5.0 OS, the processor installed is the highly efficient HiSilicon Kirin, 620 CPU, 1.2 GHz Octa-Core which certifies the remarkable performance of this gadget. Its 4G/LTE (CAT4) enabled which delivers super-fast internet browsingmaking this phone ideal for internet geeks, who constantly remain plastered to their laptops and now they can stay connected likewise even when on the road. These extraordinary internal features of P8 Lite make it suitable for gamers also, because with high quality CPU and 4G, gaming would be a smooth and fun filled experience.

Huawei has also exhibited its technological expertise while devising the camera of P8 Lite, giving it 13 MP rearcam with LED Flash and 5 MP front camera and along with a wide range of superb camera features are attached which will make HD photography and video making easier. The photographs taken can adjusted, filters can be applied, beautification option, low light photography and Panoramic effects, all this is available with P8 Lite’s camera. Huawei has taken care of the battery life as well by putting in 2200 mAh battery with Super Power Saving Technology.

Huawei is making progress in the field of innovation, technology, mobile manufacturing etc. with leaps and bounds and setting new trends and success bench marks for the competitor companies. 

Huawei’s P8 Max Big Has Just Got Bigger

 Mobile phone market is one of the most innovative battle of the titans, with Huawei’s P8 max big has just got bigger; Huawei has always been innovative with trend setting with product. Recent add ons such as RGBW camera directors mode and light painting which is the bench mark for the company’s flagship product P8, These fabulous features found a new home under P8 max, 6.8 Inch Phablet that redefines the cross between a smartphone and tablet. 6.8 mm device has its sleek curves and bindings which makes this a phenomenal design with the 6.8 inch display this ideal for gaming browsing and on those long haul flights watching movies.

May be the P8 max is not for everyone but the target audience is the one who like their screen bigger with Powerful Kirin Quad-core 2.2 GHz Cortex-A53 & quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 processor and 3 GB of Ram. So before criticize it’s too big understand this it is supposed to be big. The camera on the device is pretty sharp with the world’s first RGBW technology that gives a whole new approach towards pictures and light painting photography. Huawei’s emotion UI looks pretty sharp with lollipop version 5.0.2. Battery is another strong hold for P8 max 4360 mAh Li-Po battery that gives you around 2.23 days on normal usage and 1.4 on heavy usage.

To sum it all up P8 max is a brilliant device that targets a very unique set of customers and fulfills their desire to use big and powerful gadgets.

Striking Smart phones of 2015Taking Huawei to another Level

Year 2015 has proved to be extremely fortunate for the swiftly developing ICT solutions providing company, Huawei. Over the past few years, Huawei has achieved a strong position in the international market with the help of its incredibly innovative smart phones, tablets and other smart devices. The rich research involved in the manufacturing of Huawei smart devices is extensive and involves experts’ stationed in 16 R&D departments established across the world.

In 2015, the sales growth of Huawei has increased tremendously. This year Huawei has attained the highest sales target in comparison to the last five years. According to the forecasts announced by the officials at Huawei CBG, a sales mark of USD 20 billion would be achieved in 2015 whereas this figure was USD 16 billion, in 2014.

“The speed with which Huawei is progressing, it can undoubtedly said that the future market would belong to us. The major reason being our strong relation with our customers, we do not only deliver a supreme quality product but we also keep an effective after sales relation with them.’ said Mr. Fanhong Bruce, Director Device Marketing of Huawei.

Huawei has achieved tremendous success and a great contribution in this success has been made by the striking smart phones released this year. These smart phones are from the Mate series, Honor series and the amazingly popular P8 from the P series. Huawei’s high-end smart phone P8 sold 1Million units in first two months following its launch.

Huawei has followed its consumer-centered approach to achieve remarkable success in the market. The pioneering and innovative ideas incubated at the R&D departments of Huawei have made its smart phones fully equipped with modern and futuristic features.

With the quality products consistently being delivered from Huawei, one can certainly hope for a future, where people would be living in “a better connected world”.

Pakistan’s best real estate website hosts a meet and greet session with bloggers in Karachi

Lamudi.pk (http://www.lamudi.pk/) organized a bloggers meet up in Karachi on 20th August, 2015 at Neco’s Cafe. It was a general meet and greet session of the bloggers with Lamudi’s Country Director, Saad Arshed.

The main aim of the event was to brief the bloggers about Lamudi’s phenomenal success over its two years of operations in Pakistan and introduce them to its Google inspired work culture. Saad gave a presentation to the bloggers about Lamudi’s achievements and its happy productive work environment.

The accomplishments included Lamudi’s launch of Android and iOS apps in June 2014, which have been downloaded over 535,000 times since. Other milestones achieved, included its launch of a property magazine, conducting real estate empowerment programs and lastly the launch of its new developments section on the website.

Saad also shed light on Lamudi’s employee-centric work culture, which according to him is the ingredient behind Lamudi’s growth and makes it different from more traditional work places. Lamudi has a flat management structure, where all employees from the CEO to the sales, marketing, finance, human resources and customer services departments sit together in an open-plan office.

Other perks of working at Lamudi include being entitled to unlimited snacks, access to TV while working, monthly entertainment dinners and lots more.

This presentation was followed by a networking session where bloggers could ask Saad anything about the property portal, its journey from a startup to a full grown business and the future of tech industry in Pakistan. The hashtag for the meet up was #asklamudi.

It ended with a scrumptious a la carte dinner and a photo session of the bloggers with the Lamudi team. Overall, it was a fun-filled evening and was thoroughly enjoyed by the bloggers and Lamudi team alike.

APBF and Nigerian Embassy sign MOU for trade promotion

During a ceremony held recently, the Embassy of Nigeria in Pakistan entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ‘All Pakistan Business Forum’ (APBF), aimed at the establishment and promotion of trade-links through mutual collaboration in the areas of common interests. The Nigerian Ambassador to Pakistan - His Excellency Mr. Dauda Danlavi and the APBF President -Mr. Ibrahim Qureshi signed the MOU.

According to this MOU, APBF and Nigerian Embassy have reached an understanding to cooperate in key developmental areas like; promotion of mutual Trade links, facilitation of closer understanding between the Business Community of Nigeria and Pakistan, facilitation of B2B meetings and visits of Business delegates, Development of Women Entrepreneurs in Nigeria and Pakistan, promotion of Cultural Exchange programs, increasing Educational Ties and working in collaboration for Social Development. The signing ceremony was attended by high-profiled members of the business community, media personnel, political figures, government officials and Academia as well.

On this event, President APBF - Mr. Ibrahim Qureshi expressed his gratitude to the Nigerian Ambassador and acknowledged the valuable collaboration of Nigeria in a wide range of programs including; Trade, health, education, public diplomacy, culture, gender equity, and development in Pakistan. Mr. Ibrahim Qureshi reiterated that; “APBF will continue to put its best efforts in establishing and promoting the most favorable business environment in Pakistan, and will identify and engage resourceful organizations and vital entrepreneurs to create and seize new opportunities for mutual development and growth.”

The Nigerian Ambassador to Pakistan, his Excellency Dauda Danlavi, while addressing the ceremony, thanked the APBF President - Mr. Ibrahim Qureshi for supporting in his vision for mutual development of both countries. The Nigerian Ambassador also highlighted great opportunities for Pakistan Businesses to Invest in Nigeria. He admired the dynamic role of APBF - a business association comprising of more than 2000 enterprising members, towards creating an enabling environment for businesses to perform well and invest confidently in Pakistan. He also appreciated APBF for supporting the diplomatic community in Pakistan, which is engaged in various efforts to strengthen international trade and harmony.

PMN and Ziauddin University ink MoU to establish academic linkages

The Pakistan Microfinance Network and Ziauddin University have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, initiating the PMN Academic Linkages Program at the prestigious university. In the MoU, PMN agrees to share microfinance data and opportunities with Ziauddin University students, where they will be informed of projects, internships and job vacancies at all PMN member organizations. ZU will reciprocate by informing PMN of applicants for jobs and projects and allow microfinance material to be displayed and distributed on the campus.

The MoU was signed by Syed Mohsin Ahmed, CEO of PMN and Muhammad Yousaf, Registrar of ZU, marking the beginning of a collaborative relationship between the two organizations. The Academic Linkages Initiative by PMN is part of the Network’s capacity building objective. Since its inception, capacity building has been one of the Network’s primary concerns, taking into account both the training and non-training needs of its members. Building academic linkages will allow PMN to draw quality human resource and build knowledge platforms through contributions from both the practitioner and academic realms.

The two organizations will also encourage an exchange of dialogue and information by facilitating research forums and participating at lectures and conferences arranged by others. ZU will coordinate with PMN in inviting guest speakers on microfinance related subjects to the campus. PMN collaborates with practitioners to collate and compile discourse on microfinance, adaptable across business programs in the country. Inserting a body of knowledge at the level of the academic institution will translate into a healthier turn out of interns, employees, researchers and instructors for the industry in the future while increasing options for the students and faculty.

PMN is an association of 50 retail microfinance providers (MFPs) and represent over 99% of the microfinance market in Pakistan. It is positioned to engage with and facilitate the stakeholders in the industry and focuses on serving as an information hub, promoting an enabling environment and building capacity of stakeholders. 

The Ziauddin University, Karachi, was given the Charter as Ziauddin University vide 'The Ziauddin University' (Amendment ACT 2003) on December 13th, 2005. It initially started growing in the field of medical sciences but as time went by the university proved itself to be one of the most diverse institutions. ZU is currently offering degrees in Medicine, Pharmacy, Bio-Medical Engineering, Allied Health Sciences, Media and Communications, Physical Therapy, Nursing, Dentistry and Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences. The University plans to introduce programmes in Audiology, Law, Business Administration and Fine Arts in near future to become a full-fledged institution that educates the youth of Pakistan and promotes the vision of Sir Dr. Ziauddin Ahmad.

Huawei Media Pad T 1 7.0 & Q Tab-Q800- A Thorough Comparison

The age of fast paced technological modernization and innovation is upon us and it most certainly requires the technology producing companies to bring to the customers, consistently, such smart devices which would bring the ultimate tech experience within their access in an economical packaging. In this regard it can be said verily that Huawei is playing the major role of satisfying the diversified needs of the technology seekers through exclusively affordable smart products.

Along with the ever growing and flourishing field of smart phones, the likeness of customers for Tabs is also experiencing a constant rise, especially for those Tabs which also serve as phone, thereby phablets, which are beautifully designed and aptly equipped with latest apps and features. Huawei, Media Pad T 1 7.0, recently launched in the Pakistan market has taken the sales of Huawei phablets to the next level and has given the users an ultimate fun-filled experience in an extremely affordable price.

Given the price range, this Huawei phablet has proved to be an excellent 3G supported smart device competent to give tough competition to the local Q mobile phablet, Q800. Below is given the detailed comparison of these smart devices.   

Structure & Design:

Huawei Media Pad has an attractive Aluminum Metallic Unibody housing, which gives phablet and exclusively amazing façade. With most of the companies launching their devices with either patterned or generic designs, this phablet of Huawei gives a fresh feel to the eye because of its excellently fine exterior. Whereas the design of QTab is quite generic, smooth back with camera at the top with flashlight. Both these phablets are round edged; carry their power on/off and volume keys on the right side, the rear camera on the upper left corner and the speakers on the bottom. If, one is to give points on the appearance, then surely Media Pad would take the lead because change is the basic factor of growth and particularly when one is bound in a specific price range than a pleasant looking, freshly designed device appeals the most to the customers.                            

Display Screen:

Talking about the display, Huawei’s Media Pad T1 7.0 possesses a 7inches large 169 PPI screen whereas the QTab has 7.86 inches, 163PPI screen. The 7 inch display screen of the media pad, although slightly smaller in comparison to the QTab, is more aptly manufactured o give detailed images, pictures and movie viewing experience. The finely crafted design enables the Media Pad to exhibit a more enhanced viewing experience, because the screen looks bigger to the eye facilitated the modern TOD technology.

The Capacitive soft keys (Home, Back and Menu) are placed in the bottom of the full touch screens of these phablets. Huawei Media Pad carries its latest EMUI 3.0, which makes the management system of this smart phablet extremely smooth and easily comprehensible.

OS & Processor:

The brain of the smart devices i.e. the processor plays the major role in delivering an excellent performance. Here, Media Pad has been loaded with 1.2 GHz Quad core processor and the latest Android 4.4 KitKat operation system whereas the QTab carries 1.3GHZ Dual core processor the Android 4.2 Jelly bean operating system.

It is quite evident from the aforementioned specs that the performance of the Media pad would be certainly more smooth and efficient than the QTab because of the Quad core processor and latest Android KitKat operating system. Huawei has undoubtedly manufactured an utterly amazing phablet for those tech seekers, who like to remain within their budget but they wouldn’t want to miss the modern technology features.

Storage:

Now let’s discuss storage capacity of both these phablets, they carry 1GB RAM and 8GB ROM, memory extendable up to 32GB.

This certainly shows that both the companies have keen importance to the fact that the storage capacity matters a lot when it comes to such devices, which are excessively used in daily lives. As through the term, phablet, it is quite evident that these smart devices have been manufactured to serve the purpose of both, a tablet and a phone and this would definitely require large storage area, so that no necessary data is ever lost, may it be pictures, videos or official files etc.

Camera:

The camera quality is also another important feature of smart phones and tablets and it is that factor which changes the device preferences of certain customers. Huawei’s Media Pad T1 7.0 and QTab both carry a 2MP front camera but the rear camera of QTab is 5MP with LED and that of Media Pad is only 2MP.

Although, one might not take into notice this feature that much because of the other attractive features of Media Pad, as photography is not the primary function of a Phablet but still here, Media Pad has surely lost some points to the QTab because of the rear camera quality and also because of the LED feature with the cam.

Battery:

Talking about the life force of a smart device, the battery capacity has got a pivotal position for the smooth functioning of a device. The power house of Huawei Media Pad is all loaded with 4100 mAh power whereas the QTab is loaded with quite less 3000 mAh battery power. Now this surely is a big difference, because repeated charging can be a bit annoying during a work loaded day. With the super power battery of Media Pad along the efficient Smart Power Consumption control technology, the Huawei Phablet, is surely going to last longer and deliver seamless extraordinary user experience.

Pricing:

Well, last but not at all the least the pricing of these phablets is quite close with Media Pad available for Rs. 14,699/- and the Q mobile’s QTab Q800 for Rs. 14, 500/-. Both these phablets have been quite reasonably priced considering the general market condition with regards to the sales of the phablets. Both these devices are 3G supporting and Dual SIM but if you are to pick one of these two then surely the choice would be Huawei’s Media Pad T1 7.0 because of its exclusively attractive design, super efficient processor and operating system and heavy powered battery.

TALEEMI JIDDAT KI TALAASH – A COMPETITION FOR INNOVATIVE TEACHERS IN PAKISTAN

Teach For Pakistan and Ilm Ideas introduced ‘Taleemi Jiddat Ki Talaash’ (TJKT) throughout Pakistan in 2015, which was a first of its kind education related competition that aimed to identify the best in-class, teacher-led low/no-cost innovations from schools across the country. The contest received an enthusiastic response from all stakeholders within the education sector and almost 1200 teachers sent in their applications between 27 January and 27 February 2015.

Shortlisted innovations were put through a rigorous on-site validation process before the best 20 entries were carefully selected by the Steering Committee that comprised leading educationists and researchers. Winning candidates and schools received cash prizes and book supplies, and their innovative teaching methodologies have been compiled into a guidebook more than 8000 copies of which are being distributed to teachers across Pakistan as a free resource. It is also available online at http://iteachforpakistan.org/tfp/taleemi-jiddat-ki-talaash/  for downloading at no cost. A series of supporting mini-documentaries for select innovations are also available for viewing on the website.

To celebrate the successful completion this unique exercise, Teach For Pakistan and Ilm Ideas are holding a showcasing and launch event of the guidebook at the Pearl Continental Hotel Karachi on August 18, 2015 from 9AM to 2PM, to which all the winning candidates have been invited. Also in attendance will be leading educational experts, officials from the Ministry of Education, prominent members of civil society, representatives of NGOs, UNDP, and leading school systems.

In addition, mini video documentaries of the innovations which have been painstakingly prepared will be shown at the showcasing event and which will be also be available for viewing on the TJKT website. The event will be covered live on radio and there will be a TV show to highlight and share the knowledge gathered over the course of the competition.

Ilm Ideas is a four year, DFID funded, £11 million program to award grants nationwide for increasing access to quality education in Pakistan for children in Classes 1 – 10. Ilm Ideas sought to increase public demand for greater transparency and accountability and promoted innovative solutions to improve Pakistan’s schools.

EISA’s Best Consumer Smartphone Award secured by Huawei

 Huawei has won the “European Consumer Smart phone” award for the third time in a row, for its latest flagship smart phone, Huawei P8, previously Huawei had won this award for Ascend P7. P8 is the recent prodigy of Huawei which has established itself in the market because of its prolific ancestry based upon elegance and perfection of the P Series. EISA has acknowledged the tremendously enhanced quality of the camera performance and the high-end amazingly attractive craftsmanship, which has given P8 a commendably enriched and sophisticated appearance.

EISA, European Imaging and Sound Association, is a globally known and unique association, which deeply analyses the latest products such as Mobile Devices, Electronics, and Home Theatre Audio etc. At EISA, the expert team of 50 special interest magazines, from 22 European countries Awards the best manufactured products after thorough assessments. The Awards are independently given and the winners are solely decided after fair and meticulous assessment. EISA has been giving awards from the past 33 years, through a process of fair analysis and the results are very well based and internationally acknowledged.

Huawei’s Ascend P7 also received this award last year and now P8 has successfully managed to grasp it again because of its enhanced and improved camera performance and exclusively modernized craftsmanship. This practically economical high-end smart phone, P8 possesses an extremely elegant appearance with highly efficient internal features, the Octa-core Kirin 930 processor, 3GB RAM/16GB or 64GB ROM, a heavy loaded 2680mAh battery, super quality 8MP Selfie and 13 MP rear camera with optical image stabilization and many other exclusive and exuberant feature.  If one is comparing on the basis of price to performance ratio, then surely Huawei’s ultra cool P8 outshines the rest.