Samsung Electronics will display CEA 4K Ultra HD logos on all 2015 UHD TVs

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., announced that all of the 2015 UHD TV models, encompassing Series 9 to Series 6 models, qualify for, and will display, the 4K Ultra HD logos developed by the U.S. Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).

The CEA logos are only eligible to be used on UHD TVs that satisfy the highest level of picture quality defined by CEA. This definition distinguishes true 4K UHD TV models from other models employing a kind of RGBW pixel structure.

Samsung will continue to work to raise awareness of the benefits of UHD TV including the CEA definition. Samsung’s UHD TV products are also currently compliant with the UHD TV definition established by Digital Europe (DE), recognized in Europe as the official definition for true UHD products. Consumers worldwide should look for these logos on packaging at retail to determine quality of the UHD TV models.

“We are always striving to give consumers the most breathtaking and immersive viewing experience possible, so we are very pleased that both Digital Europe (DE) and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) have now acknowledged the premium picture quality of Samsung UHD TVs,” said Young Lak Jung, Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “These UHD TV definitions are important, because they help to reduce confusion for consumers searching the market for a new, cutting edge 4K UHD TV. We will continue to work with our key partners, such as the CEA and DE, to ensure clear performance and purchase standards are available, as the demand for UHD TVs continues to grow.”

The UHD definitions established by CEA require that pixels, the smallest unit constituting a display, must be capable of producing the full range of colors. Certain TVs, which employ RGBW pixel configurations, do not meet the CEA requirements for UHD TVs due to the limitations on pixel colors. The white sub-pixels that are mixed among the red, green, and blue sub-pixels in RGBW panels restrict and limit the color palate a TV is capable of showing, while diluting the overall picture quality by affecting clarity, brightness and sharpness.

Additional requirements for UHD TVs based on CEA’s definitions include: over 8M active pixels, with at least 3,840 horizontally and at least 2,160 vertically; at least one HDMI input supporting 3,840 x 2,160 native content at 24p, 30p and 60p frames per second; a minimum color bit depth of 8 bits; etc.

The CEA has members more than 2,000 companies from the consumer technology industry throughout the U.S. The CEA also sponsors the world’s largest consumer electronics trade show, International CES, which hosted more than 170,000 attendees and 3,631 exhibitors in 2015.

SOLAR ENERGY FOR CELLULAR TOWERS

 With the teledensity having reached a 70 percent mark in Pakistan, cellular towers are now expanding their networks to the remotest of locations. However an unreliable grid supply and presence of Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) in off-grid areas has left the telecom companies dependent on diesel generators to fill the electricity gap.

High operating costs and carbon emissions make generators an expensive option for the telecom companies. Low capacity utilization and high transportation costs of fuel to such remote locations inflate energy costs further. Renewable energy provides a feasible alternate in all locations, especially remote ones. Solar is widely being used for this purpose in developing nations such as India and Africa. OMC Power, a renewable energy venture in India, provides renewable energy for cell towers and supplies the surplus electricity to the surrounding communities. These Micropower electricity plants allow businesses and households to power their mobile phones, lights, fans, and appliances, improving the quality of life in the community and sustaining economic growth.

Such instances if replicated in Pakistan can bring cost savings and a better standard of life for the telecom companies and the communities, respectively. Inam ur Rahman, CEO Reon Energy Limited, states “By increasing the number of Solar powered cell-sites, telecom companies can hedge against the market fuel price volatility, and reduce their long term operating costs. Back up batteries help the system provide energy during the non-sunlight hours. Diesel Generators can be completely eliminated.”

To prove the viability, Reon installed a 7 KW pilot project for a telecom site and has measured the data ever since the project was setup. The results are most encouraging with generators almost not needed any more. This model is easily replicable and any excess energy can benefit neighborhood communities. Reon Energy Limited is the renewable energy division of Dawood Hercules Group- the largest provider of energy in the private sector in Pakistan. “We understand both conventional and renewable projects better than anyone in the country”, claimed Inam.

Corporate commitments have helped driven renewable energy investments in Pakistan. As solar energy costs plummet further, it shall lay down additional opportunities for remote communities to make use of solar technologies. It  is  essential  that  the  national  policies/programmes emulate  the  current  trend  to  strengthen renewable energy investments in Pakistan.

Mobilink Introduces International Roaming Offer for Hajj Pilgrims

Mobilink has announced a convenient international roaming offer for its Postpaid Prepaid subscribers performing the holy ritual of Hajj. The offer gives hajis an opportunity to connect with their loved ones back in Pakistan by availing up to 90% discount on international roaming through Saudi Arabia’s Zain Network. To benefit from this offer, subscribers need to activate international roaming by visiting their nearest Mobilink Customer Care Centre, Franchise or simply calling 111. Mobilink Hajj Roaming offer is by default available for all customers who have roaming service activated on their number. This offer is currently available and valid till October 31st, 2015.

Speaking about the Hajj Roaming Offer, Ehtisham Rao, Director Business Services Division Mobilink said, “Mobilink understands the value of creating a strong bond with its subscriber base by continuing to offer convenient and innovative offers, which enhance service experience and make life more comfortable. This auspicious pilgrimage is nothing short of a spiritual journey for each pilgrim, and through our Hajj Roaming Offer, we have done our best to ensure this journey is shared with loved ones back home.”

Through the Hajj Roaming Offer, subscribers can receive and make calls to Pakistan and within Saudi Arabia at just PKR 0.25/sec. This offer gives Mobilink customers a chance of sharing their spiritual experience with family and friends, and is a testament to the fact that Mobilink always ensures convenience and provision of seamless services to its customers; at home and abroad.

Oppo to Launch R7 in Pakistan

Successor to the R5, it boasts an ultra slim, metallic body with super narrow bezels. R7 is also equipped with VOOC Charge feature in which 5 minutes of charging is enough to support a 2-hour long call.

The R7 has a 13-megapixel camera at the back and an 8-megapixel front camera. On the software side, it’s equipped with a Pure Image 2.0+ image processor. This will allow users to create images with resolutions up to 50-megapixels as well as letting them play around with a myriad of other features such as Super-Macro, Beautify, etc. hassle free.

The rear camera employs ISOCELL CMOS sensor technology to reduce inter-pixel crosstalk, capture more photons and to deliver finer details in both dark and lightened parts of pictures. Considering the rise of Selfie culture, the front 8-megapixel camera is matched with OPPO’s “Beautify” feature which allows users to take selfies that look great.

The OPPO R7 also is introducing an innovative camera enhancement named “Flash Shot” which will boost speed, accuracy, and stability. Flash Shot has two primary functions, “Dual-drive Hybrid Focus System” and “Anti-Shake Optimization”. The mixture of these lets the OPPO R7’s camera to have focus times as low as 0.1s as well as making it 30% faster to initiate than any other comparable smartphone in the market.

Availability and Pricing:

Oppo is planning a launch ceremony for the R7 during the second week of September. The phone is expected to cost between Rs 37,000 and Rs 40,000 with the exact price being announced at the ceremony.

It’s safe to say that Oppo is facing a make or break moment in Pakistan. We’ve previously talked about their current standing in the market and with the R7, the company is looking to reverse the downwards trend it has been seeing. To achieve that, however, they will need to price the R7 very competitively.

Micro-savings cross PKR 50 billion, PMN reports

Micro-savings crossed PKR 50 billion in second quarter of 2015 according to latest figures published in a quarterly bulletin – MicroWatch released by the Pakistan Microfinance Network (PMN) - an association of Microfinance providers in Pakistan.

Micro-savings witnessed an impressive growth of 21.26 percent as compared to Q1 of 2015. The number of savers has also increased to 13.15 million in the corresponding time period. Tameer Bank (TMFB) and Khushhali Bank (KBL) were the largest contributors in terms of value of savings, adding deposits worth of PKR 2.6 billion and PKR 2.5 billion respectively. TMFB remains the largest providers of micro-savings with a deposit base of PKR 15.88 billion and 7.77 million savers.

Micro-credit also exhibited a positive trend in the second quarter of 2015 – active borrowers grew by 5.6 percent from 3.2 million borrowers to 3.5 million borrowers, whereas, the gross loan portfolio (GLP) posted growth of 9.8 percent to close at PKR 81 billion. During the quarter, Akhuwat was the largest contributor in terms of active borrowers by financing 50,000 new clients – primarily in the agriculture and services sector. NRSP continues to remain the largest players in terms of outreach with 589 thousand active borrowers and KB is the largest players in terms of GLP with a portfolio of PKR 14.88 billion.

In terms of micro-insurance, the number of policy holders grew marginally by 2.2 percent, whereas, the total sum insured increased by 11 percent in the current quarter. The penetration rate of the sector has increased from 12.1% to 12.8% due to an increase in overall outreach. Geographically, the number of districts has increased from 96 to 98. Moreover, the total number of branches has increased by 141.

Huawei P8 Max Offers Exclusive Design, Unique Features with Long Lasting Battery

Huawei designed P8 Max after consistent brain storming at its aesthetic research center in Paris and delivered and ultimately beautiful and full metal body smart phone. P8 Max, with the large design, attractive appearance and unique features have certainly got the attention of the smart phone experts as an amazingly designed and feature rich smart phone.

Huawei P8 Max is a smart phone which carries outstanding commercial apps such as Wireless Projector, GPS, Bluetooth Printing and many more. These apps are suitable for better and convenient handling of emails and office tasks. P8 Max has been manufactured to deliver seamless performance for long hours, with the help of its head heat dissipation solution technology, which avoids the overheating of the smart phone during the use of large video games and recreational apps.

The heavy powered battery, i.e. 4360 mAh of P8 Max gives it a long lasting life and gives its users high standards of safe performance with extended use on a single charge. Even while those activities which consume the major battery power like streaming HD movies or 4G surfing, this giant battery ensures unbroken connectivity. Huawei has manufactured every feature of P8 Max to facilitate battery life, including the smart phone’s hardware with lower power dissipation and software with incorporated power saving.

PTCL Introduces ‘Limitless Packages’ for CharJi and EVO Customers

As we reported before, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) today officially announced the availability of new packages for its new and existing CharJi and EVO 9.3 customers through ‘EVO Limitless Packages’.

Through this new offer, PTCL customers can experience high-speed wireless broadband connectivity at even more affordable rates with higher data volumes. Customers can avail this offer by purchasing or upgrading to CharJi EVO or EVO Wingle 9.3 devices before 31st October 2015.

The new low-cost, high-speed packages offer a range of options starting from as low as Rs. 1,000 with 15 GB limit, while catering to heavy data users with new unlimited packages for only Rs. 2,000 per month. The discounted packages are valid for a period of 6 months from the time of purchase.

PTCL CharJi is Pakistan’s fastest wireless broadband service providing speed upto 36Mbps. The service is an extension of EVO range of services which are available in more than 250 cities nationwide.

New PTCL EVO and CharJi Packages

Note:

• *Fair Usage Policy of 300 GB applies.
• Additional usage at Rs. 0.15/MB & Rs. 100/GB on EVO 9.3 prepay & postpay respectively.
• Additional 5 GB volume bucket for Rs. 500 on CharJi EVO.
• Monthly line-rents are inclusive of all taxes

Business Rules:

• Standard device prices apply.
• Existing subscribers are allowed to switch to these packages.
• One time package conversion charges of Rs. 500 apply for existing subscribers switching to EVO 9.3 15 GB package only.
• The discounted packages are valid for purchases of CharJi EVO and EVO 9.3 made before the 31st of October, 2015.
• Monthly line-rents are inclusive of all taxes including WHT.
• Packages tariffs are valid for 6 months.
• New data limits will be applicable after six months