A Striking Hybrid Smart Band for Smart Living, Huawei Talkband B2

Talkband B2 has been recently launched by Huawei for those who prefer to have carefree, smart living. This wrist born band has multiple ways of serving the users, it can be your Fitness tracker, Bluetooth device, Sleep Monitor, Camera Remote, Smartphone Tracker etc.

Design:

The design of Talkband B2 has been improved quite a lot in both looks and usefulness, as compared to its predecessor B1. Its Premium Design makes it comfortable and easy to wear on daily basis and the elegant fascia makes it undoubtedly eye-catching as well. Talkband B2 is offered in three versions i.e. Gold (with fine leather strap), Black and Silver (with Rubber strap), the straps are also available in different sizes.

Display and Control:

This device is single button control with very efficient 0.73 inch Touch screen, which exhibits clear figures. The technology bearing part of this Talkband is detachable quite smoothly by pressing two buttons, on the either sides. This Talkband is compatible with Android 4.0 above and IOS 7 and above. The screen shows velar visible notifications and figures; a plus feature is that the screen becomes totally invisible when not in use, making this Band look extra cool, more like a stylish accessory.

B2 as a Bluetooth Device:

This Talkband can be used as Bluetooth device by removing the rectangular part, attaching a rubber part to it, available with the band and adjusting it in your ear. Although this Bluetooth feature would make one feel that he has been taken in time but Huawei has also launched Talkband N1, which offers calling with help of headphones. The rubbery part which helps in making Talkband a Bluetooth device, is not so easy to attach back again, which means that you might lose it easily, so be careful!

B2 as your Fitness Tracker:

 Huawei has efficiently applied its manufacturing expertise in making this Talkband water and dust proof, which you can wear it even when sweating due to heavy exercises. As this Band also serves as the best “FITNESS TRACKER”, there are built in 6 AXIS SENSORS, which detects what type of exercise is being done and helps by counting your steps, distance covered and calories burned etc. It can also help as your Sleep Monitor, when hit your bed you just keep this band on and this device while remain while you sleep and will precisely measure the quality and length of your sleep patterns.

B2 as your Phone Locator:

This Talkband can also help you to locate your smartphone, in case you forget where you have put it. Your Talkband has an incredible Phone finding feature which notifies your phone to ring, in such situation, so that you can locate it.

Simple UI and Camera Remote:

The User Interface of Talkband B2 is very easy to comprehend, it presents all the data as circles on the touch screen which continue to fill up as the days go by and can be further broken down into days and months. This device has another catchy feature which makes it more desirable, you can use this Talkband for the purpose of capturing pictures through your smart phone’s camera, with which you have synced this Talkband. You can capture great Selfies, Groufies and Long Exposure Shots which require your camera to be perfectly still.

Battery Life:

The Battery of Talkband is of 95 mAh, which charges with the help of a built-in micro USB, in almost one and a half hour. The Stand by time of Talkband B2, if Bluetooth is not used, is 12 days and with normal usage its 5 days with 6 Hours On calls.

Huawei has devised this Talkband to help make its user’s daily routine smart and full of ease and comfort. You can attach this band with your smart phones, which have EMUI 2.3 above, and receive your notifications e.g. alarms, reminders etc on it. You can also unlock your Talkband by simply dragging it near the smart phone and tapping the power button (feature currently available with P8 and P8 Max only).

Huawei’s outstanding entry-level smartphone, to be launched Pakistan

Along with making a mega performance in the High-end market with the spectacular Huawei P8, this Chinese technology leader is also making strong marks in the low-end market by introducing such smartphone which excellently provides all the features of a high budgeted phone but surprisingly on a very economical price.

Huawei Y3 is that smart phone which will soon be brought in the Pakistan mobile market with the promise that it would set new top sale records. This smart phone runs on Android KitKat 4.4 OS, 1.3 GHz Quad-core processor with 512MB RAM and memory of 4GB ROM (extendable to 32GB with microSD). Huawei’s latest EMUI 3.0 Lite proficient management system is built-in this Y3, which provides beautiful and simplified Interface, Timeline Management and user-friendly design.

The camera of Y3 is also an attraction for the buyers, 5MP rear and 2MP front camera with Dual Flash light and many added features like low light management and ultra fast shutter speed i.e. 1.2s makes this smartphone best suitable for taking selfies, capturing memorable moments and video calling. The battery power of Y3 is 1730 mAh backed with Ultra power saving technology which enables long hour’s functionality with unnecessary need to recharge. Huawei Y3 is 3G enabled and Dual SIM smartphone and the connectivity features Y3 presents are Wifi, Wifi Hotspot, Wi-Fi direct, Bluetooth v4.0 LE, GPS/AGPS.

Key Specifications:

·                          1.2GHz quad-core processor

·                          512MB of RAM

·                          4-inch display

·                          4GB of storage, expandable via microSD

·                          5-megapixel rear camera with flash

·                          2-megapixel front camera

·                          Dual SIM, dual standby

·                          3G

·                          Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS

·                          Android 4.4 KitKat, EMUI Lite

·                          1730mAh battery

APBF condemns the new 0.6% tax on banking instruments worth over Rs.50, 000

The All Pakistan Business Forum (APBF) is a vibrant business association which promotes and protects the interests of the business community and industry. Responding to the Senate’s recent decision to impose a new 0.6 percent withholding tax on all banking instruments, valued at over Rs.50,000; the President of APBF – Mr. Ibrahim Qureshi has criticized this new tax as an unnecessary burden, which will be very detrimental for the already weak business and trade activity in the country. It would surely hike up inflation by increasing the operational costs of business communities and the small industry, who are already suffering great hurdles.

Recently, the Senate’s Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue has supported the imposition of 0.6 percent with-holding tax on all banking instruments valued at over Rs.50,000, for non-filers of returns. The committee discussed the federal budget 2015-16 and agreed to impose a 0.3% tax on all banking transactions for tax filers and 0.6% for non-filers over Rs.50,000 per transaction. Besides cash withdrawals, these tax rates would be applicable on demand draft, pay orders, SDRs, CDRs, STDR, call deposit receipt and RTCs.

Commenting on the new tax, the President of APBF said; “Although, the APBF fully supports the government’s efforts to expand the tax net and inspires its thousands of members to pay taxes and file their returns, however the business community has serious concerns against such indirect taxation, which is certainly not advisable for low-income economies like ours, where the common citizens are financially over-burdened. Imposition of such indirect taxes in Pakistan will severely discourage financial activities through banks and regulated institutions. The common man will be inclined towards avoiding this tax, by using the unregulated and illegal financial channels. This will result in big revenue losses for the government.

It is more advisable to create healthier revenue streams for the government, by formulating more direct taxation, to specifically target big tax-evaders, wealthy segments and high-profiteering enterprises with annual incomes exceeding Rs.50 million. The government should also consider reducing the GST on electricity to nurture small industries and businesses.

Mr. Ibrahim Qureshi demanded the federal government to refrain from imposing this withholding tax and work towards providing relief to the industry and ultimately to the common man. Statistics show that only 791,000 individuals filed their tax returns in FY14, out of a population of 180 million people in Pakistan. This shows a really dismal picture, however it does not mean that the government can flog the poor man to pay for the rich man’s offenses. The government on one hand proclaims to be aware of the poor man’s plight and pledges to make every effort to control inflation, but on the other hand it is imposing such harsh new levies. Several trade associations and the business community are contemplating a protest strike on 7^th July, 2015, against such unfair taxation.

Huawei soon going to launch Y5, a super powered Smartphone

Huawei has introduced its new handset in Pakistan, Huawei Y5 which is soon going to be available on local Mobile shops as well. This smart phone feature runs on Android 4.4 KitKat OS and powered by a 1.2 GHz Quad-core processor with Speadtrum SC7731chipset. It is a dual SIM Android phone and has a 4.5 inch WVGA Capacitive touch screen display. It comes with 8 mega pixel rear camera with LED flash and 2MP front facing camera for selfies and video chats. It possesses 8GB of internal storage which extends up to 32GB MicroSD card slot and 1GB RAM.

Huawei y5 powered by 1730 mAh Li-Ion battery which is supported by super power saving technology and increases battery life up to 30%. This Smartphone includes connectivity options which are 3G HSPA+ Connectivity, Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi, GPS, Dual SIM and FM Radio support.

Key Specifications:

·                          1.3GHz quad-core processor

·                          1GB of RAM+8GB ROM

·                          4.5-inch display

·                          8GB of storage, expandable via MicroSD

·                          8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash

·                          2-megapixel front camera

·                          Dual SIM, dual standby

·                          3G

·                          WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS

·                          Android 4.4 KitKat, EMUI 3.0 Lite

·                          1730mAh battery

Huawei introduces a smartphone that shoots long exposures and a fitness tracker that converts into a headset

is hard to make an Android smartphone that stands out from the crowd, but Huawei takes a stab at it with the P8 which has innovative camera features. The camera is a 13-megapixel model with built-in optical image stabilization. The sensor is a four-color RGBW (red, green, blue, white) sensor which is claimed to provide better low-light performance and produce better pictures with high contrast scenes. One of the more interesting features of the camera is a light painting mode (which is essentially a slow shutter speed mode) that allows you to record, for instance, light trails from moving cars.

This mode requires that you lock down the phone to a tripod so that your hand movements won't introduce unintended blur in the shot. Other notable features of the P8 include the company’s own Hisilicon Kirin 930 64-bit octa-core processor running at 2.0GHz with 3GB RAM and dual LTE SIM slots.

One of the standout features of the P8 is that it has a very thin bezel on the left and right sides of the 5.2in (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) screen, making it a little smaller in size than its competition.  Huawei has also included some unusual gesture controls not found in other Android smart phones – for example, double-tapping the screen with your knuckle will take a screenshot while drawing a circle will capture part of the screen.

For the more budget conscious, there’s the P8 Lite, which as the name suggests, is the more affordable version of the P8. The P8 Lite has a slightly smaller screen (5.0in) with a lower resolution of 1,280 x720 pixels. It also runs on a less powerful processor – Kirin 620 1.2GHz 64-bit octa-core – but supports the faster CAT4 LTE network.

The rear camera on the P8 Lite is a 13-megapixel model but with a regular RGB sensor instead of the RGBW of the P8 but has a relatively bright f/2.0 aperture for better low-light capture. The front-facing camera is 5 megapixels. Finally, Huawei also announced the availability of the TalkBand B2 Classic and TalkBand B2 Elite, which are essentially fitness trackers that you wear on your wrist.

However, unclip either device from your wristband and it will turn into a Bluetooth headset. The difference between the TalkBand B2 Classic and Elite is that the Classic comes in silver or black with matching rubber strap, while the Elite is finished in a gold color with a leather strap. The Huawei P8 will be available in mystic champagne and titanium grey colors. All models are available at Huawei authorized stores.

IS LOAD-SHEDDING SHAPING FUTURE HOUSING NEEDS?

Pakistani house-hunters have made sustainable housing features a priority, when it comes to buying or renting houses.

These sustainable features have become a necessity due to the persistent 13-15 hours of load-shedding that Pakistanis currently face. As majority of the electricity production is via non-renewable energy resources, this situation is expected to deteriorate further.

Developers and builders are well aware of the changing housing needs and have started incorporating these features. One example of an ongoing remarkable sustainable development in Pakistan is that of DHA City Karachi (DCK) that is envisioned as a self-contained sustainable city.

DCK project will also feature natural drains to collect rain water into a lake for recycling and reuse for plantation and drought resistant native plants. Adding on, the project is said to have include wind, solar and biomass energy along with energy efficient LED lights.

Saad Arshed, Country Director of Lamudi Pakistan, said: “Pakistan is shifting towards use of renewable energy resources and it is heartening to see that nearly half (49.5 percent) of the current residential houses listings on Lamudi.pk’s website include eco-friendly features and elements of sustainable design.

House-hunters these days have become increasingly discerning and green building is the future of Pakistan.”

With the recent heat wave which claimed thousands of lives and the worsening energy shortages, it is only a matter of time that each and every household in Pakistan will include sustainable features, Arshed said.

www.lamudi.pk

Huawei P8 and Samsung Galaxy S6-A Detailed Comparison

Huawei has launched its new P8 smart phone, which carries a very classy and elegant design and its specifications are capable enough to stand up to any competitor flagship device available in the Market.

The most prominent flagship smartphone available in the market right now is Samsung Galaxy S6 and Huawei has most certainly posed a challenge to Samsung with P8 in many aspects. Both the brands have aimed towards providing improved looks and camera but still there are certain differences between the two that will make you move from one to the other. Here is a comparison between the specs of these smart phones:

Design:

Huawei has designed P8 keeping in focus the current design trends, featuring a sleek uni-body design and Samsung has given S6 a metal frame with a glass back. Both devices are very attractive and give very premium feel. Samsung has designed S6 as such that the option of removable battery and expendable storage has been removed whereas P8 keeps a microSD slot, allowing users to increase the smart phone’s capacity if need be.

Display:

Both smart phones, S6 and P8, provide bigger than 5 inch screen display with S6 featuring 5.1 inches and P8, 5.2 inches screen. But if we consider the screen resolution than Samsung has equipped S6 with 1440x2560 pixel resolution and Huawei’s P8 has 1080x1920 pixels resolution. Keeping in consideration the cost of Huawei P8 in comparison of S6, you won’t feel that about Huawei not adding more pixels to its screen although S6’s screen does look great.

Processor:

Now let’s have a look at the processor, both technology giants have resorted to using their own software instead of taking it from Qualcomm. S6 and P8, both use arm-based 8 core processor though the technical basis and clock timings are slightly different.

Samsung’s Exynos 7 processor offers eight cores and a processing speed of up to 2.1 GHz whereas Huawei’s P8 has its Kirin 930 SoC, also clocking it around 2 GHz.

Storage:

These technology giants have taken a different approach with regard to the storage capacity these gadgets, S6 and P8 would provide. Samsung’s S6 provides 32 GB, 64GB or 128GB while P8 has 16GB or 64GB of storage but obviously the buyers of P8 can expand the P8’s storage up to 128GB by using MicroSD card, a facility which is not available in S6 although it should have been added in S6 as 16GB for a high-end smart phone is not enough. The RAM of these devices is 3GB which is aptly capable of efficiently handling day to day tasks with any hurdles.

Camera:

Upgrading the camera of a smartphone is most certainly one way of making your users believe that the latest device is more advanced and improved. The main cameras of S6 and P8 are same as their predecessor’s camera i.e. 16MP of S6 and 13MP of P8 but the up-gradation that has been made in the features attached to these cameras is worth noticing. Features such as optical image stabilization and efficient working in low light (feature of P8) are certainly effective and are seen in many smart phones now days. The camera of Huawei P8 has additional qualities like professional features equipped in it, gives it an edge over Samsung.

The front facing camera of P8 is 8MP and S6 is 5MP, so obviously Huawei is going to be more popular among those who are selfies lovers and are consistent users of video chatting.

Pricing:

When it comes to the costs, Huawei P8 is lot cheaper than S6, which is not a surprise, as Huawei has a belief that it should work on and build a stronger brand before putting its more expensive devices on sale. So, it is more likely that Huawei sales would go higher among budget conscious class although this can be also possible that people would go for Samsung S6.