HUAWEI WATCH GT 3 Pro Wins EISA’s Best Smartwatch Product for 2022-2023 Award

           

Huawei Consumer Business Group (CBG) recently received an award from the Expert Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) for its latest smartwatch device, the HUAWEI WATCH GT 3 Pro. Composed of over 60 of the most respected international specialist consumer electronics magazines, websites, and journalists, EISA named the HUAWEI WATCH GT 3 Pro its ‘Best Smartwatch Product for 2022-2023’, based on the independent technical reviews of its members. Huawei has been awarded this category for the third consecutive year. The award comes in the wake of several other publication awards for the HUAWEI WATCH GT 3 Pro, which has also won prestigious industry awards from the likes of Android Headlines, Tech Advisor, and PhoneArena.

In the judges’ comments, EISA referred to the HUAWEI WATCH GT 3 Pro as ‘Huawei’s most polished and perfected smartwatch to date,’ praising its ‘classic’ and ‘luxurious design’ which comprises a ‘titanium casing, ceramic back and sapphire glass face’ as well as Huawei’s ‘crisp’ and ‘colourful AMOLED display.’ Its ‘advanced operation system’ and ‘plethora of applications and features’ were also marked out for praise, including its blood oxygen level monitoring, stress testing, water resistance, and ‘exceptional’ battery life.

The latest instalment in Huawei’s highly popular HUAWEI WATCH GT Series, the HUAWEI WATCH GT 3 Pro is a flagship smartwatch which aims to marry exquisite craftsmanship with high-end aesthetics, allowing users to take their health and fitness to the next level, or even down to completely uncharted waters thanks to its 5ATM and 30 meters diving waterproof. Sporting a premium, Neo-crystalline look in either the Titanium or Ceramic colourway options, the HUAWEI WATCH GT 3 Pro is the ultimate workout companion which further illustrates the benefits of Huawei’s Seamless AI life and 1+8+N strategy.

Featuring a more robust battery life, and a 30 percent faster charging time than the last generation, the HUAWEI WATCH GT 3 Pro also offers a host of specialist tracking features which can help users improve their daily lifestyle habits. This ranges from the device’s 100 plus workout modes and its ECG analysis to its Smart Heart Rate Monitoring and HUAWEI TruSleep 2.0 sleep tracker. In line with the Huawei Seamless AI life’s philosophy of connectivity, users can also pair the HUAWEI WATCH GT3 Pro with other smart devices, including additional Huawei products, as well as iOS and Android phones.

“All of us at Huawei are extremely honoured to receive the EISA Best Smartwatch 2022-2023 for the HUAWEI WATCH GT 3 Pro, especially since this marks the third consecutive year a Huawei device has won EISA’s esteemed smartwatch prize,” commented Kevin Ho, Chief Operating Officer of Huawei

Consumer Business Group. “Huawei has long committed to using technology to enhance and streamline our day to day lives, allowing us to achieve both our personal and professional goals in a way that empowers our sense of self. With its plethora of health and fitness tracking features, the HUAWEI WATCH GT 3 Pro is the perfect example of how Huawei’s consumer tech aims to aid us in becoming better and happier version of ourselves.”

 

Standard Chartered Pakistan delivers record half-yearly operating profit

 

Standard Chartered Bank Pakistan Limited (SCBPL) delivers record half-yearly profit before tax of PKR 22.0 billion, registering an increase of 84 percent. Performance was driven by strong income growth, as well as continued cost and risk discipline.

Overall revenue grew by 60 per cent to deliver highest ever top-line of PKR 27.4 billion, with positive contributions from all segments. Operating expenses continue to be well managed through operational efficiencies and disciplined spending with an increase of 11 per cent from the same period last year. Moreover, reversal of Covid-19 general provision, coupled with lower impairments and strong recoveries led to a net release of PKR 1.3 billion in H1’22 against a net release of PKR 0.7 billion in loan impairments in the comparative period.

With a diversified product base, the Bank is well positioned to cater for the needs of its clients. On the liabilities side, the Bank’s total deposits grew by PKR 48.0 billion (up 8%), whereas current and saving accounts increased by PKR 58.0 billion (up 10%) since the start of this year and comprise 94% of the deposit base. On the other hand, advances increased by 2% during first half of the year and the Bank continues to monitor the portfolio in the prevailing economic environment as part of its strategy to build a profitable, efficient and sustainable business.

The external environment remains challenging, however we remain fully committed to delivering a sustainable growth for our shareholders, bringing the best in class services and solutions for our clients and playing our part in the growth story of Pakistan. Standard Chartered continues to make good progress against its strategic priorities. The global network differentiates the Bank for its clients, bringing forth innovative solutions, product specialisation and structured offshore offerings. The Bank strives to maximise the contribution to State Bank’s initiatives on promoting housing finance and is consistently ranked amongst the top institutions. As of now over PKR 4.9 billion have been dispersed under Mera Pakistan Mera Ghar scheme. SCBPL has been a major contributor towards the Roshan Digital Account (RDA) initiative and has channelled remittances of over USD 367 million into Pakistan since inception and contributed USD 320 million to the investments in Naya Pakistan Certificate (NPC).

In line with the State Bank’s efforts on financial inclusion, with enhanced digital offering Standard Chartered is now able to reach more clients across the country and provide them with convenience of opening accounts as well as subscribing to products and banking services online. Overall, the Bank’s transformation journey stands well-curated, closely aligned with the Pakistan’s landscape and helping lift participation through digitization. Sustainable finance along with digital solutions for clients and their ecosystem stay as areas of keen focus for the Bank. SCBPL continues its efforts with the global initiative Futuremakers by Standard Chartered in Pakistan to tackle inequality and promote greater economic inclusion for young people in the community.

Commenting on the results, Mr. Rehan Shaikh, Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Bank (Pakistan) Limited said, “I am pleased to share our record performance for the first half of 2022, which clearly reflect strong foundations, enhanced productivity and good headway towards achieving our strategic priorities. The results give me the confidence that we have the right strategy to deliver real value to our clients, our investors and the communities where we operate. I am thankful to our clients and business partners for their ongoing trust in our capabilities and to our associates, colleagues and staff for their resilience, dedication and hard work in delivering such outstanding results. The Bank stands committed to their growth and well-being.

While we are investing heavily in our people, giving colleagues the skills they need to succeed, bringing in expertise in critical areas and evolving to a more innovative and agile operating model, we intend to drive innovation and increase our operational efficiency further. This operational leverage allows us to create capacity to invest in the many exciting and potentially transformational initiatives as the Bank’s pivot to digital continues.”

With a strong Return on Equity (ROE) of 20.2% for H1’22 and a Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of 15.3%, the Bank remains well positioned for future growth. On the back of a strong performance, the Board of Directors were pleased to announce highest ever interim cash dividend of 15% (PKR 1.50/- per share) in respect of the half year ended June 30, 2022.

Punjab Assembly Expands CBD Punjab To All Over Punjab.

  

 Lahore Central Business District Development Authority (LCBDDA) also known as Central Business District Punjab (CBD Punjab) has recently been renamed as Punjab Central Business District Development Authority (PCBDDA). The authority was formed in February 2021, by an act of parliament and was tasked to establish Pakistan’s first and most anticipated business district in the heart of Lahore. LCBDDA has achieved new horizons as its wings expand from Lahore to all over the province of Punjab. 

The authority has done many remunerative wonders and proved itself as a wealth generator for the development of Punjab. Keeping in view the track record of LCBDDA, the Punjab Cabinet has done amendments to its act and expanded the jurisdiction of the authority to all over Punjab. PCBDDA will work in various cities of Punjab like Faisalabad, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Multan and Rawalpindi & more to boost the economic activities for the development of the province. 

Chief Executive Officer of PCBDDA, Mr. Imran Amin stated that “it is all due to the trust of the business community in CBD Punjab. I would like to show my profound gratitude to the Punjab Government for expanding the authorities work scope all over Punjab and giving us an opportunity to work more aggressively for the development of the province. I assure you that the authority will keep on delivering with the same passion as it has delivered in Lahore”. 

PCBDDA will not only boost economic activities and develop new business avenues in Punjab, but it will also help the national development by creating job opportunities and raising the living standard of the people of Punjab.

realme Pakistan’s Country Director Syed Mashood Hassan Shares His Opinions on the Smartphone Industry

          

realme Pakistan’s Country Director offers insight on the string of tough months the smartphone industry has endured leaving industry players feeling downcast

 

After a long and arduous wait, the Government of Pakistan recently announced that LCs, which had previously only been open for essential goods, are now open for all goods including non-essential and luxury items. The final decision to lift the import ban entirely was made in accordance with the final requirements imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the Country. The past few months have been plagued with high levels of uncertainty and panic in the market as smartphone companies struggled to adapt to the restrictive situation. The industry has seen quite a shake up as a result.

 

Consumers in the smartphone industry are having to shift from the premium to mid-segment due to a decrease in buying power caused by the dollar deficit, rampant taxation, and inflation. Market share in the industry has also become more widely spread across the different players in the industry as consumers have started to jump ship between brands seeking better value propositions. The import ban has also led to the shutdown of smartphone and automobile assembly plants across the country, which sent ripples of unease across these industries.

 

When speaking with Syed Mashood Hassan, Country Director, realme Pakistan on the situation, he went into details regarding the perseverance of the realme team and the strategies one should adopt in turbulent times like these. realme is a Chinese smartphone brand that caters mostly to the interests of the Pakistani youth segment. Their “Dare to Leap” philosophy is reflective of youthful values such as being adventurous, taking risks, and bold, trend-setting behavior. As a result of the current political and economic conditions, realme has put its focus on sustainability in the short-term. The tech-democratizer isn’t short-sighted however. In the long term, it aims to get a larger share of the mid-range category through realme’s stellar number and C series. During our discussion, Syed Mashood Hassan had some recommendations for his peers in the smartphone industry for weathering the turbulent phase the industry is in.

 

His first recommendation was to shift towards a sustainability mindset. In the past few months, many local startups failed and some global companies withdrew or reduced their operations in Pakistan. With this in mind, focusing on sustainability is of utmost importance to eventually reach stability. Secondly, he advised his peers to focus on consolidating their existing key territories instead of expanding further into tier 3 and 4 cities. Expansion at this time is a highly risky move as it involves high levels of investment with uncertain returns.

 

His third recommendation focused on utilizing existing stock to cover demand. This would be the perfect opportunity to give an extra push to existing stock lying around and liquefy those assets. His final recommendation had to do with the retention of key employees. In difficult times companies tend to let go of whatever team members they can in order to make their operations more efficient. realme greatly values its employees as it believes they are the cornerstone to its success. Human resources are extremely valuable and if let go prematurely can take their talents to a corporation that values them more.

 

Hopeful times are just around the corner as the situation in the smartphone industry will begin to change now that the Government has lifted restrictions around imports. This is the time for players in the industry to strengthen their bases so that they can quickly prosper when conditions in the country start to improve.

Seventeen teachers from Beaconhouse complete the International Subject Leadership Certificate

             

Seventeen teachers from Beaconhouse, one of the largest private educational networks in the world educating over 315,000 students, have successfully completed the inaugural International Subject Leadership Certificate by the UK-based Professional Training Institute.

The 18-month accreditation is a modular course that allows participants to work with experienced practitioners to design exceptional lessons. It aims to develop subject leaders through the design and delivery of challenging Schemes of Work (SOW).

Teachers enrolled in the course reflected on the current context of their subject within their school curriculum, considered what makes successful subject leadership, and explored the course success criteria during the online launch meeting. They gathered evidence to help reflect upon and illustrate the impact of their work on pupils, colleagues and themselves. During the course, participants were assessed in peer-to-peer professional interviews during an online review meeting, to discuss and reflect upon the success and impact of their work.

The Professional Training Institute is a UK education charity supporting teachers at all stages of their career to develop specialist subject knowledge. It believes that all children, regardless of their background or ability, are entitled to a rich education delivered by passionate and knowledgeable teachers.

Commenting on the accomplishment, Ali Ahmed Khan, Chief Operating Officer, Beaconhouse said,“This has been a great learning experience for our hardworking teachers. At Beaconhouse, we prioritise teacher training and believe in continuous development that supports them in facilitating effective learning in the classroom. I congratulate all the Beaconhouse teachers for completing the certification and look forward to seeing them implement their learnings.”

Sana Saleem Agha, Omema Hassan and Saima Nazli are among the Beaconhouse teachers who completed the certificate.

Sana Saleem Agha said, “It was great to observe that my students felt more positive about their ability to read and have improved reading skills. They have shown great confidence in speaking too. It was observed that they raised and answered questions about the characters, settings, events, etc. from stories easily. Hence, the designed schemes of work had a significant impact on my students.”

Omema Hassan said, “I am happy to be part of this unique experience where I felt empowered to choose my own focus, design my own SOW, implement it, and plan further. Learning, unlearning and relearning has made me a reflective practitioner and a better teacher. I now keep on improving my teaching strategies.”

Saima Nazli said, “My students have developed a love for reading after the pandemic had drastically deteriorated their reading skills. Furthermore, the SOW helped to develop and regain their confidence in public speaking.”

Chris Pope, Co-Director, Professional Training Institute said, “The Professional Training Institute is delighted to congratulate these teachers on their incredible hard work and effort to complete our International Subject Leadership Course. It takes a lot of dedication to complete this course and we couldn’t be more thrilled to celebrate their incredible achievement. It is great to see that not only does this help teachers improve their confidence and skills in the classroom, but also translates to the students feeling more inspired.”

Beaconhouse and the Professional Training Institute aim to inspire teachers and school leaders to become more effective, enthusiastic, and influential. Their sustainable approach to professional development helps teachers become experts in their subjects and pass on a love of learning to their students.

 

Celebrate Free Fire's 5th Anniversary on 27 August with music, action, and new experiences!

         

●        A new track by Justin Bieber, “Beautiful Love (Free Fire)”, will premiere in Free Fire on 27 Aug.

●        Free Fire's Celebration Day offers players and fans more rewards, a Free Fire character modelled after Justin Bieber, and more.

Come join Free Fire's 5th Anniversary Celebration Day on 27 August!

Justin Bieber performs new track “Beautiful Love (Free Fire)” on Free Fire’s virtual stage for the first time

Free Fire's 5th-anniversary festivities will culminate on 27 August alongside a carnival of events in the game and beyond, including an in-game performance and a new track by Justin Bieber. The global superstar will perform, Beautiful Love (Free Fire), on Free Fire’s virtual stage for the first time. During the event, fans and players participating will also get a chance to get up close with Justin Bieber's in-game character, J.Biebs, through a series of minigames.

Get a sneak peek of what's in store this weekend!

On 30 August, “Beautiful Love (Free Fire)” - the song dedicated to the milestone year of Free Fire - will also be released globally on music streaming platforms such as Spotify, prior to the official release of the music video in September.

Celebration Day rewards and highlights on 27 August

A variety of exclusive items and rewards will also be available to players and fans on 27 August, including a character modelled after Justin Bieber. Among the collectibles co-created with Justin Bieber will be an exclusive sports car, groove emote, and more!

 

 

 

 

 

More to come in September

In the wake of the 5th Anniversary celebration, players can still look forward to new content in the pipeline. The Reunite the World special event will finally wrap up on 3 September with the Memory Capsule chapter, where players can complete the final few missions. The final chapter (Memory Capsule) will feature past Free Fire events and tokens redeemable for time-limited rewards.

 

Players can also enjoy Droid Apocalypse, a new in-game mode that will strike on 3 September, while reeling from the high of the 5th Anniversary celebration. The new game mode features a 12-player match between Humans and Droids that begins with an assigned "Droid" player, who will assume the form of a new avatar and attempt to transform the other players (Humans) into Droids. Humans, on the other end, will strive to defeat the Droids in the match to win.

Stay tuned to Free Fire’s social media channels for the very latest on its 5th anniversary celebrations, and more.

 

Download Free Fire on the Apple iOS App or Google Play store.

HUAWEI Band 6 Offers All-Day Health Monitoring for Proactive Health Management

     

With society becoming more advanced, people are paying closer attention to their health, and self-health management has become one of the most important measures for people to help prevent diseases and maintain good health. Health management refers to the comprehensive monitoring and analysis of personal health risk factors based on a scientific lifestyle, and reasonable guidance for people to actively and effectively maintain health, and to change passive treatment into active prevention. Smart wearables come with the advantage that allows people to wear them around the clock, which makes more people willing to try them to actively manage their health. With the HUAWEI Band 6, all of this is made easily possible.

All-Day SpO2 monitoring for accurate and smart health monitoring

Many users do not fully understand the concept of blood oxygen saturation. SpO2 (blood oxygen saturation) is the percentage of the combined volume of oxygen and haemoglobin in the blood to the total haemoglobin volume, that is, the concentration of blood oxygen in the blood. It is an important physiological parameter of the respiratory system and one of the important vital signs, which can reflect the body's oxygen supply status. When the SpO2 level is lower than 90%, it can be considered as low blood oxygen saturation, which is prone to symptoms such as fatigue, tiredness, rapid heartbeat, and lack of energy. It will affect the body function for a long time and requires continuous monitoring and auxiliary judgment.

Simply speaking, SpO2 level keeps track of the body’s condition through the changes in blood oxygen level, heart rate fluctuations, sleep depth, and tracking exercise data which is based on the practical consideration of users' health demands.

Huawei positions user’s health as the core of product development since day 1. In 2019, Huawei applied the SpO2 monitoring feature to wearable devices for the first time. Based on a single time SpO2 monitoring, it can help users understand their current physical condition to reduce injury or accident. Based on HUAWEI TruSeen^TM 4.0's deeply optimised hardware modules and AI power-saving algorithm, Huawei upgraded the SpO2 monitoring feature to All-Day SpO2 monitoring in 2020. As Huawei's first smart band to support All-Day SpO2 monitoring, HUAWEI Band 6 can monitor user’s health status around the clock and automatically send out alerts when the SpO2 levels are too low, helping users to take actions promptly and manage their health proactively.

HUAWEI Band 6’s FullView Display leads a new way of active and healthy lifestyle

In the smart wearable industry, Huawei is committed to technology research and innovation, continuously paying attention to consumer needs and insights to solve user’s pain points, leading the enhancement of the smart band experience, and launching generations of innovative products. Huawei recently launched the new smart band, HUAWEI Band 6, revolutionizing the smart wearable market once again.

The all-new HUAWEI Band 6 features a 1.47-inch AMOLED display to offer vivid content and a stylish design. The smart band is also extremely light, with the smart band’s body weighing just 18g. Together with the soft and skin-friendly strap, it provides users with a comfortable wearing experience. Additionally, the two-week battery life provides uninterrupted use on a single charge.

24/7 proactive health care turns passive treatment to active prevention

As we all know, our habits and lifestyle are key factors that affect our health. To develop a healthy lifestyle, we need to start from daily nutrition, workout, sleep, and consider our physical and psychological health. In the past, people often went to the hospital for diagnosis only when they felt unwell or sick, and then took medicine and adjusted their diet and rest according to the doctor's instructions. Such a passive treatment may cure the symptoms but not the root cause. If we want to change from passive treatment to active prevention, we need to rely on the real-time monitoring and suggestion from smart wearables.

As a comprehensive smart band with a friendly price tag, there are even more health features than just detailed. Aside from All-Day SpO2 monitoring, the HUAWEI Band 6 supports HUAWEI TruSeen^TM 4.0, HUAWEI TruSleep™ 2.0 scientific sleep monitoring, HUAWEI TruRelax™ pressure monitoring and other functions to offer 24/7 active health management.

For example, cardiovascular disease is the number one health threat globally. Since the early symptoms of arrhythmia are not obvious, causing patients to have lower awareness and difficult to treat actively for early screening and diagnosis. With the development of technology, smart wearables have opened up a new path for arrhythmia screening, effectively improving the pain points of traditional monitoring methods. HUAWEI Band 6 features the newly upgraded HUAWEI TruSeen™ 4.0 heart rate monitoring technology, which can continuously, quickly, and accurately provide users heart rate monitoring, helping them to take care of their heart health in real time.

In the modern society, sleep disorder affects people of different occupations and different ages. The HUAWEI Band 6, features HUAWEI TruSleep™ 2.0 to scientifically monitor sleep quality conveniently, helping users to further understand their sleep quality, locate problems, and seek help from professional medical institutions promptly.

The HUAWEI Band 6 provides 96 workout modes. Rope skipping mode is one of the newest of 96 workout modes available on the HUAWEI Band 6. Not only does it accurately monitor the reps of skipping ropes, but it also provides workout data such as the number of consecutive reps, allowing users to stay focus in controlling the rhythm and breathes to achieve better results. Together with Huawei's proprietary HUAWEI TruSport^TM professional workout algorithm, incentive system and workout features, the HUAWEI Band 6 can achieve diversified scientific workout records to offer an unrestricted fitness experience, turning anywhere to your personal gym.

Huawei has always been actively developing and researching health technologies, taking user health as the core of the development of product features, and continuously and innovatively announcing multiple generations of smart bands with scientific health features. The design of HUAWEI Band 6 incorporates elements of fashion, comfortable wearing, health management and scientific workout-tracking, offering a new form of smart bands to users. It monitors user’s daily activities and physiological conditions, improves user’s perception and control in health data, and plays a huge role in health management in restricted social and personal conditions anywhere.

 

Meta Description: Keep an eye on everyday health with the HUAWEI Band 6