Samsung Introduces World’s Largest Capacity (15.36TB) SSD for Enterprise Storage Systems

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, announced today that it is now shipping the industry’s largest solid state drive (SSD) – the “PM1633a,” a 15.36 terabyte (TB) drive.

First revealed at the 2015 Flash Memory Summit in August, the 15.36TB SSD is based on a 12Gb/s Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) interface, for use in enterprise storage systems. Because the PM1633a comes in a 2.5-inch form factor, enterprise storage managers can fit twice as many of the drives in a standard 19-inch, 2U rack, compared to an equivalent 3.5-inch storage drive.

“To satisfy an increasing market need for ultra-high-capacity SAS SSDs from leading enterprise storage system manufacturers, we are directing our best efforts toward meeting our customers' SSD requests,” said Jung-bae Lee, Senior Vice President, Memory Product Planning and Application Engineering Team, Samsung Electronics. “We will continue to lead the industry with next-generation SSDs, using our advanced 3D V-NAND memory technology, in order to accelerate the growth of the premium memory market while delivering greater performance and efficiency to our customers.”

The unprecedented 15.36TB of data storage on a single SSD is enabled by combining 512 of Samsung’s 256Gb V-NAND memory chips. The 256Gb dies are stacked in 16 layers to form a single 512GB package, with a total of 32 NAND flash packages in the 15.36TB drive. Utilizing Samsung’s 3^rd generation, 256-gigabit (Gb) V-NAND technology which stacks cell-arrays in 48 layers, the PM1633a line-up provides significant performance and reliability upgrades from its predecessor, the PM1633, which used Samsung’s 2^nd generation, 32-layer, 128Gb V-NAND memory.

Samsung’s new PM1633a SSD provides the opportunity for significant improvements in the efficiency of IT system investments through its high storage capacity and exceptional performance. These performance gains stem from Samsung’s latest vertical NAND (V-NAND) flash technology, as well as the company’s proprietary controller and firmware technology.

The PM1633a SSD sports random read and write speeds of up to 200,000 and 32,000 IOPS respectively, and delivers sequential read and write speeds of up to 1,200MB/s. The random read IOPS performance is approximately 1,000 times that of SAS-type hard disks, while the sequential read and write speeds are over twice those of a typical SATA SSD. Inside the new SSD lie Samsung’s advanced controller units that support the 12Gb/s SAS interface, along with a total of 16GB of DRAM. Samsung also uses specially designed firmware that can access large amounts of high-density NAND flash concurrently.

The 15.36TB PM1633a drive supports 1 DWPD (drive writes per day), which means 15.36TB of data can be written every day on this single drive without failure, a level of reliability that will improve cost of ownership for enterprise storage systems. This drive can write from two to ten times as much data as typical SATA SSDs based on planar MLC and TLC NAND flash technologies.  

Further, the drive boasts a highly dependable metadata protection mechanism in addition to featuring a data protection and restoration software tool in case of a momentary blackout, which make enterprise systems more stable and manageable.

Starting with the 15.36TB density, Samsung will provide a wide range of capacity options in its PM1633a SSD line-up– 7.68TB, 3.84TB, 1.92TB, 960-gigabyte (GB) and 480GB later this year. With more choices in storage capacity, Samsung is reinforcing the competitiveness in its SAS SSD line-up. The Samsung PM1633a SSD line-up is expected to rapidly become the overwhelming favorite over hard disks for enterprise storage systems.

ETIHAD AIRWAYS ANNOUNCES BUSINESS CLASS SALE WITH GREAT SAVINGS OF UP TO 50 PER CENT

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, is offering savings of up to 50 per cent on its award-winning Business Class service, giving guests a fantastic opportunity to enjoy the airline’s premium experience to exciting destinations around the world.

The five-day offer, running until April 11, is available from a wide range of markets – UAE, Australia, Bahrain, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Kuwait, Mainland China, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Switzerland, United States and the United Kingdom.

With dates of travel between April 25 and December 12, guests can take advantage of these fabulous fares to plan business trips or a holiday of a lifetime. Members of Etihad Guest, the airline’s frequent flyer programme, are able to earn Etihad Guest Miles on the promotional fares.

Having recently been named Airline of the Year by the prestigious aviation magazine Air Transport World and securing the coveted title of World’s Leading Airline for the 7^th consecutive year at the World Travel Awards, Etihad Airways has become an airline of choice for travellers globally.

From Pakistan, Etihad Airways operates scheduled flights from Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore to the airline’s Abu Dhabi hub with connections as little as two hours to destinations worldwide.

Ahmed Zahoor, Etihad Airways General Manager Pakistan, said: “This is a great time to book that special trip. We hope that the incredible savings being offered will encourage travellers from Pakistan who are yet to experience our innovative Business Class service to see the world from a new perspective – one that only the luxury of the world’s leading airline can deliver.”

Business Class guests on all Etihad Airways flights enjoy a premium award-winning experience. Inflight, dedicated Food and Beverage Managers, handpicked from some of the world’s best hospitality establishments, oversee an extensive ‘dine anytime’ a la carte and snack menu. In addition, guests have the comfort of guaranteed fully flat beds with direct aisle access on Etihad Airways’ wide-body aircraft.

On the ground, guests have access to airport lounges at more than 40 locations worldwide. The Premium Lounge at Abu Dhabi International Airport features a Six Senses Spa and Style and Shave by Etihad, both offering a range of complimentary treatments.

Travellers to the United States have the additional benefit of clearing US Immigration and Customs during their transit at the unique US Pre-Clearance facility at Abu Dhabi International Airport. This ensures they arrive in the United States as domestic passengers and so avoid immigration formalities on arrival.

All fares are bookable at etihad.com, Etihad Airways’ local offices or through a local travel agent.

Return fares from Pakistan

From	To	Business Class return (PKR)
Lahore	New York	188,150
Karachi	London	213,480
Karachi	New York	258,190
Karachi	Los Angeles	196,240
Karachi	Abu Dhabi	74,800
Islamabad	Washington	261,900
Islamabad	Manchester	226,460
Islamabad	Abu Dhabi	101,810

*Terms and conditions apply. The discount percentage may vary by destination and is up to 50% off our non-promotional fares, subject to availability. Discounted fares are inclusive of taxes and surcharges, exclude service fees, and are valid for booking until 11 April 2016. Flight and day restrictions apply. For full list of destinations and detailed terms & conditions, visit etihad.com.

Famous Pakistani Celebs at Huawei P9 Launch Event Raises Excitement & Fun

On 6^th April in London, the launch of Huawei P9 will seize the attention of Huawei brand lovers and the media. The high profile Pakistani celebs, renowned across the borders and media persons from Pakistan are going to witness the launch of Huawei P9 in London. Among these celebrities and VIPs of showbiz industry big names to join the event are; Wiqar Ali Khan, Alizah Fatima Raza and Sidra Iqbal. This has created a wave of excitement among the fans as well as the Huawei brand lovers.

These celebs have already reached London to be a part of the Huawei P9 unveil and launch event. Throughout their journey to the destination they have shared moments of high excitement and fun with the fans and social media followers. Especially, Mr. Wiqar Ali Khan’s video message at his social media account gone viral and seen by a large number of active social media fan and followers. In this video message Mr. Waqar Ali Khan has been showing his curiosity and heights of excitement to witness the Huawei P9 event and to experience the all new flagship device by the technology master, Huawei.

Wiqar Ali Khan is the renowned personality across the globe. He has been working with and as high-profile model and host at national and international level. He has also been selected as a brand ambassador and host for different international brands and launch events respectively. For instance, he has been working alongside Hugh Jackman at the launch event of the Audi A8 as a co-host back in 2014. In 2015 he was a regional brand ambassador for Coca Cola in South Asia. He has also worked in Hollywood and known as one of the most successful Pakistan base artist. Overall, he is an actor (Jalebee), model, host, filmmaker, creative writer, fashion designer and many more like these. But the recently revealed thing is that he is a Huawei brand lover. Hence he is on his mark to enjoy the glorious and a glamorous launch of Huawei P9 at London.

Similarly Aliza is part of a famous Pakistani fashion magazine “Papperazi” and she also has a great fan following at the social media due to her unmatched professional approach and creative style. She also has been updating her accounts while moving to London for the Huawei P9 launch event. Sidra iqbal is an internationally acclaimed broadcast journalist, development activist and a popular youth icon from Pakistan. She presently hosts the primetime Current Affairs show “Dialogue Tonight with Sidra Iqbal” on Aaj News.

All of these above mentioned celebrities and Pakistani artist really admire Huawei the way it has revolutionized the smart phone technology. They are among the great fans of Huawei brand.  Huawei has been progressively heading towards its target to become the world No. 1 technology brand, especially when it comes to smart phones. Huawei P9 leaks have confirmed that the leading technology giant has worked out astonishing features and specifications and bridged the future ultramodern innovation with contemporary world.

The leaks about the expected specs have been supported with any affirmative gesture by the technology giant. Nevertheless, the big news is that Huawei has already sent out media invitations for an event where the Huawei P9 media launch also confirmed by the Huawei officials. The invitations are for 6^th April, 2016 and the event will be in London.

Huawei P9 teaser images revealed by the company show hashtag “#OO”. That probably depicts a dual camera feature of the new flagship smart device. Moreover, a Chinese online portal “MyDrivers” have also posted a few images while claiming them for Huawei P9. The photos cleared that Huawei P9 has a wonderful and perfectly placed dual camera at the rear side of the smart phone. Also a dual flash could be seen in the said images alongside the dual camera. The photos revealed by this website show the Huawei President uses the Smartphone.

Besides the dual camera feature and a dual flash light, Huawei P9 has a fingerprint scanner just below the camera. The fingerprint scanner has been improved Huawei with respect to efficiency and accuracy. Just like the best fingerprint security experience provided in recently introduced Huawei Mate 8 and Honor 5X, it is strongly expected that the technology master will go on with the tradition to offer the best quality feature. And the P9 fingerprint scanner will be even ameliorated.

The images also indicate something below the flash, but this has not yet been described and the Huawei brand followers will soon know all the specifications at the launch event in London. Another teaser image of Huawei was there, showing the flagship device of Huawei to be captured underwater with a dolphin and a swimmer. This has sent an impression that may be Huawei is going to offer a waterproof smart phone to its customers. Again, it can only be confirmed in the London media launch of P9.

It is pertinent to note that Huawei P9 has been reported to come with almost four different versions and the leaked images are exciting the curiosity about this as well.

Wiqar Ali Khan shared his excitement for Huawei P9 launch event in a video massage at his Instagram account. The link of that video is shared below.

https://we.tl/8RIA0xL2Pv 

EcoStar launches 65 inch LED TV with highly advanced features

EcoStar is a global brand of electronics that reflects technological excellence. It is the leading producer of LED Televisions with world-class quality and cutting-edge features. EcoStar has recently launched a large 65 inch LED TV (CX-65U565) with fascinating picture-quality and highly advanced features at an affordable price of Rs. 115,000 only. In Pakistan, DWP Group is the official distributor of Ecostar, that ensures nationwide availability of its products, along with prompt after-sales support, through an extensive network of outlets in all major cities.

The salient features of this Regular LED television also include; Full HD  1920 x 1080 Resolution, USB Playability of Videos, Audio and Images. It has HDMI x 2 Ports, PC Input Audio & Video, an ‘A’ Grade Panel, Real Color engine for enhanced Color Reproduction, Nature View Engine for Natural Color Reproduction, a Digital Comb Filter for improved RF/Cable Signal, Digital Noise Reduction feature, Energy Saving mode (1 W Standby), 140W Power Wattage, 199 Channels Program Memory, Composite Video In & Out, Component In, Auto Power Off and a 178 Degree Wide Viewing angle.

Other feature-rich LED TV models produced by EcoStar include; the ‘4K UHD Smart LED TV’ - (VERO), the ‘3D Smart LED TV’, the ‘Smart LED TV’ and the standard ‘LED TV’. EcoStar products have won several international awards, as many consumer surveys prove that each of these products is the best in its own category, offering a wide range of exciting features and spectacular picture quality. The prices of EcoStar LED Televisions are also very competitive, so the consumers get the greatest ‘Value-for-Money’ whenever they purchase these durable televisions. For more details and product specifications, please visit www.ecostar.com.pk

DWP Group is a leading provider of consumer electronics and technology products, enriched with unmatched services and solutions. It has accumulated great expertise in marketing globally-acclaimed, highly reliable products with cutting-edge technologies created by the world’s best companies and experts.

EcoStar advises the buyers to actually measure the LED screen before purchasing any Television, whereby the consumers are assured that EcoStar never compromises on the screen-size or display-quality in any of its TV models. Recently, EcoStar has also launched an awareness campaign for consumers, to let them know about the malpractices in the LED TV market. It highlights the deceptive screen-sizes being sold by several generic brands of LED Televisions, as many generic brands of LED TVs do not measure up to the claimed screen-sizes. The campaign shows that many generic TVs claiming to be 40 inches in size, are actually 1 to 2 inches smaller. This deceptive practice is more common in 40 inch, 43”, 50” and 60 inch LED televisions.

Samsung and de GRISOGONO Make Baselworld Tick to Luxury Smart Time

Today, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. announced their latest fashion collaboration with the renowned and glamorous jewelry and watchmaker, de GRISOGONO. The two iconic brands have come together to co-create the Samsung Gear S2 by de GRISOGONO - a limited-edition jewelry watch designed and sculpted in gold and precious jewels, boasting Samsung’s innovative Gear S2 technology.

The partnership between de GRISOGONO and Samsung goes far beyond mere co-branding and extends into authentic co-creation and design. Both brands combined their vision and unique aesthetic to co-create a limited-edition smartwatch that brings fashion and function together, while allowing you to express your personal style.

 “The combination of style and substance is inherent in every Samsung device,” said Younghee Lee, Executive Vice President of Global Marketing, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “This dynamic partnership builds on this heritage by merging Samsung’s barrier breaking technology with de GRISOGONO’s signature style to create a smartwatch as unique as the wearer.”

“de GRISOGONO has always been associated with daring products and a visionary approach to High Jewellery and watches,” said Fawaz Gruosi Founder and Creative Director, de GRISOGONO. “Designing a connected watch with Samsung has been an incredible experience for both brands. Samsung brought to the table the best and most intuitive technology, while de Grisogono brought its glamorous design and craftsmanship expertise. The resulting Samsung Gear S2 by de Grisogono clearly embodies all of our boldness in watch design and our jewellery savoir-faire, while maintaining all of Samsung’s technological capabilities and intuitive usage. This watch will take an honourable place alongside de GRISOGONO’s Meccanico, Otturatore and Occhio, as another of our brand’s revolutionary approaches to displaying time.”

The Samsung Gear S2 by de GRISOGONO channels inspiration from traditional jewelry and watchmaking, evoking the distinctive de GRISOGONO design heritage. The smartwatch is transformed into smart fashion with rose gold, over 100 black and white diamonds and a bracelet studded with de GRISOGONO’s signature galuchat. The diamond-set gold bezel turns freely around the dial, allowing consumers to access the Gear S2’s library of applications and features, including notifications, activity logs.

Dedicated to perfection, innovation and imagination, de GRISOGONO has spent the last 20 years creating a characteristic and distinguished style expressed through collections that have made a lasting impression on the watch and jewelry industry. The designer’s signature look blends glamour and artistry, and brings his bold vision to life. Both Samsung and de GRISOGONO share a barrier-breaking vision and cherish craftsmanship along with the beauty of design, thereby fueling the co-creation of the Samsung Gear S2 by de GRISOGONO and a partnership that further unites fashion and technology. 

The Samsung Gear S2 by de GRISOGONO will be debuted at Baselworld 2016. This limited-edition smartwatch will be available for purchase starting this summer through both Samsung and de GRISOGONO’s retail channels.

Record Sales of Huawei GR3 Took Competitors With Surprise

Recently launched in Pakistan, Huawei GR3 has successfully recorded tremendous sales across the country. Huawei GR3 is the best mid smart phone designed with superior touch of high technological innovations and esthetic taste. Right after its launch, Huawei GR3 endorsed by the large consumer market of Pakistan. Even the sales records undermined the expectations of Huawei itself. It is pertinent to note that Huawei has introduced this amazing smart device at the time it had already swayed the market with the most superior quality flagship smart phone, Huawei Mate 8 and the most elegant and the most desired Honor 5X.  Also, other brands, for instance Samsung, are experiencing tough market scenario, even for its signature smart phone. But, Huawei has predicted the growth well in the current year and also Huawei has successfully transformed its goals into achievements so far.

Huawei has designed GR3 into a unibodied structure, prepared by the aircraft graded aluminum alloy. Metallic luster leaves a smooth and simple feel of beauty and exquisite craftiness. Although Huawei will offer GR3 in three colors, possibly Silver, Gray and Gold, but the most attractive of these will be the silver colored Huawei GR3. Silver color has a grace and a metallic body suit this combination more instead of Gold or Gray. Nevertheless, the choice of Huawei brand lovers will be superior and they will get all the three colors in the market.

Huawei GR3 is a next step towards compact and slim smart phones. It has the thickness of only 7.6mm. It is also lined from the edges and the corners are rounded giving it a perfectly exquisite look from each angle. The Huawei GR3 body reflects the impression of streamlined design and it is incorporated with keeping finest tastes of esthetics in consideration. It weighs only 135g that is so light and delightful for the technology lovers, no doubt. Huawei has, also, improvised 63µm ceramic sand blasting technology, and coupled it with two step atomization, high-light trimming, to make such an incredible product. Overall, Huawei has designed all new GR3 with such a finest touch that cannot be described in words, but it needs the users to hold the ultra modern product of high technological innovation and feel it by heart.

This amazing smart phone is available at the comparatively best price of Rs.25,499 that is further added with 6 GB free internet for 6 months with Ufone. Those who has not yet purchased their GR3 must go for it at their earliest. Because it’s a best deal in the market!

Solar technology a phenomenal response to Pakistan’s power crisis

The Government envisions overcoming the severe energy crisis through application of renewable energy especially solar energy technologies. The Government in accordance with the Federal Policy for Development of Renewable Energy 2006(Revised in 2009) Framework and various other general, fiscal and financial incentives has initiated work to foster renewable energy generation.

Pakistan with high solar irradiation, especially in southern Punjab, makes solar technology a phenomenal response to the power crisis that currently ranges between 3000-5000 MW. Solar with its shorter set up time, modular design, and ease of integration with the existing infrastructure can be utilized to generate energy. Inam ur Rahman, CEO, Reon Energy Limited stated “Prices for solar PV systems have declined markedly in recent years. With increasing viability of solar, and greater regulatory support such as wheeling for renewable energy producers, mandatory purchase of power from IPPs, net metering offers enormous opportunities for private sector companies. Financial options if extensively available can further smoothen the process of transfer to solar technologies.” Reon Energy Limited is a part of Dawood Hercules Corporation Limited, the largest private sector energy provider in Pakistan. Reon with its quality products and service solutions has provided solutions for manufacturing companies, telecom towers, health care facilities, and academic institutions across Pakistan.  Reon has recently received its certification for ISO 14001: EMS making it one of the pioneering companies to implement health and safety standards in Pakistan.

Intervention at regulatory level from the government along with significant support from financial institutions can be a way forward for Pakistan’s energy industry. Further private sector companies must maintain product standards, Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) policies, and effective teams to make this process fruitful for the business community.