Telenor Velocity partners with Deaftawk to integrate use of sign language

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Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir) Committed to its purpose of connecting people to what matters most , Telenor Pakistan has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Velocity’s 7th cohort startup, Deaf Tawk, a video-call app that connects people with sign language interpreters to those who need to understand or communicate with differently-abled individuals. The MoU ceremony was held at Telenor Pakistan headquarters 345 in the presence management and representatives of two organisations and alumni of Telenor Pakistan’s Open Mind Training Program.

Telenor Pakistan has been at the forefront to introduce new interventions to enhance diversity and inclusion at workplace and this partnership is another step in that direction. Through the Deaf Tawk app, individuals who wish to understand or communicate in sign language will be connected to sign language interpreters via video call. Together, Telenor Pakistan and Deaf Tawk have set off on a journey to enhance workplace inclusion for the upcoming cohorts of Open Mind Trainees and to provide sign-language assistance at various company events and forums.   

Present on the occasion, Areej Khan, Vice President Digital, Telenor Pakistan commented, “There are over 22 million differently-abled people in Pakistan and for the country to prosper, it is imperative to make use of their skills and abilities, and it is our responsibility to provide platforms and interventions that make it possible. We are proud to partner with Deaf Tawk in an effort to continue our commitment towards creating an inclusive workplace culture and enabling affective communication between differently-abled individuals and our workforce.”

“We’re really excited to have partnered with Telenor Pakistan as this would enable us to reinvigorate our shared vision of empowering the deaf community and supporting them in bridging the communication gap through the latest technologies,” said Ali Shabbar, CEO Deaf Tawk.

The MOU signing ceremony between Telenor Pakistan and Deaf Tawk was held on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD). This day is recognized internationally as an occasion to promote the rights and needs of people with disabilities and as an opportunity to improve inclusion in all aspects of socio-economic and cultural life. This partnership is a testament to the three hard-working founders of Deaf Tawk, who not only overcame the obstacles in their paths but created a life-changing solution for millions across Pakistan.

OPPO launches We Are Ofans – Highlighting Aspiring and Empowered Young Individuals

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) OPPO Pakistan launches the OFans Stories. This is a celebration of determined young individuals from Pakistan who have a vision for a brighter future. The brand released four inspiring videos of OPPO users. These stories feature a diverse range of aspiring individuals, united by their trust in OPPO’s unparalleled quality & reliability as well as their loyalty to OPPO’s top-notch technology. 

OPPO – one of the global leaders in tech, enjoys a very strong brand loyalty in Pakistan due to its cutting-edge and innovative technology. Another factor that makes OPPO a trusted smartphone brand in Pakistan is the affordability and mass reach of their products across the country. 

The brand has been in Pakistan for 7 years and has launched many campaigns that highlighted different and diverse stories from across the country. In the past, OPPO has empowered content creators to showcase the unseen beauty of Pakistan in areas like Kalash. The global technology and innovation brand believes in supporting storytellers from different walks of life and has continuously celebrated the country’s emerging talent and untapped potential.  

OPPO has always believed in encouraging talent and the company has a strong and loyal customer base in Pakistan because of their high-quality products and years of innovation and experience in creating the most cutting-edge smartphones for their consumers. 

Most recently, OPPO highlighted four diverse individuals by sharing their stories with the world, whose lives were changed with the help of their OPPO smartphone.  

Each OFan was empowered, inspired and motivated to succeed in their journey by OPPO’s reliability, ease-of-use and futuristic technology. Their stories represent the brand’s spirit of trust and resilience.  

The first OFan story is told by Sara, a young beauty influencer, a mother and a wife. With a passion for makeup, Sara decided to pursue her talent professionally. However, with a family comes responsibility and so it became a struggle. It was only when Sara got an OPPO Reno phone, she realized that shooting high quality videos didn’t require a hard-to-use handy cam nor a time-consuming editing tool. She was able to record high quality videos, edit them directly on the phone and upload them at ease and speed. OPPO gave Sara the freedom to focus on her content without having to worry about quality all the while saving enough time to spend with her family.  

The second OFan story featured Farman, a hardworking Pharma student who often found himself sacrificing leisure to focus on his studies. Soon after Farman purchased his first OPPO phone he realised he can concentrate on studies and find ways to enjoy himself simultaneously. His OPPO A-Series device made it easy for him to study on-the-go by managing all his study material in one small gadget. The smartphone also became the perfect companion for when Farman wanted to cut back and relax with an immersive gaming session.  

Perhaps one of the most exhilarating stories is the one of young filmmaker Hundal who is following his dream of storytelling but was often struggling to manage expensive filming equipment. With OPPO, Hundal discovered that one doesn’t need high budget equipment such as a professional camera and lights to create extraordinary stories. His OPPO F-Series smartphone gave him top-notch camera results, convenience to carry it anywhere and the resilience of a strong built that could survive all kinds of shooting conditions.  

The fourth OFan story was of a young teacher, Iqra who wanted to dedicate her career to the underprivileged students. However, Iqra saw great difficulty in the shift to remote classes during the pandemic. Then she bought the Reno Series smartphone which made it possible for her to give her class from anywhere at any time with clear quality and a seamless performance. 

The OFans stories come as a great reminder about the many emerging talents in Pakistan and how OPPO has always been at the forefront of empowering its users. The brand is trusted by millions of users who are loyal to the OPPO products’ unparalleled technology, innovation and reliability. 

 

Healthy Smiles organization launches it’s Harm Reduction initiatives in Pakistan

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Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Healthy Smiles, a locally registered & owned organization working on public health system initiatives, recently launched their website, www.healthy-smiles.org, at a recently held event in a private hotel in Karachi. The launch was attended by prominent members of the local and federal governments, foreign delegates, advocates, public health specialists, healthcare professionals and media personnel.

After numerous campaigns on Oral Cancer Awareness and the deleterious effects of Tobacco use, Healthy Smiles is a breath of fresh air, focusing on public health strategies by decreasing the tobacco-related health burden in Pakistan through new initiatives related to Harm reduction & Smoking Cessation.

The Healthy Smiles spokesperson said that consistent and concerted efforts are required to create a nation-wide narrative towards healthy behaviors through mobilization of civil and civic frameworks. All stakeholders, generally, are actively participating in creating 360 degree public health systems to benefit the general public and constant monitoring & evaluation can help us in identifying effective strategies for a significant impact.

Various attendees lauded the efforts of this organization in bringing about an initiative that will positively impact the lives of the general public. 

Zong Volunteers support SOS Village Sialkot

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Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir) In continuation of its efforts to accelerate digitalization in Pakistan and reduce the digital divide in the country’s education sector, Zong 4G, Pakistan’s premier cellular and digital services provider, has now joined hands with SOS Village in Sialkot to train young minds on digital education and earning opportunities. Under this initiative, Zong volunteers visited the orphanage to educate children on digital learning and freelancing so that they are prepared to embrace a bright future ahead and maximize the untapped potential of the digital world. The initiative also aligns well with the company’s motto of ‘Let’s Get Digital.

Moreover, to help the children cope with the cold weather, Zong gifted warm clothing and stationary as well as, indoor games, school necessities to support the educational endeavors of the SOS Village Sialkot’s children. “Pakistan is undergoing a swift digital transformation that is led by Zong being the country’s digitalization frontrunner. This makes it imperative for our youth, girls and boys alike, to become digitally- savvy and equipped with the right skills to enhance their employability in these competitive times. We hope that these young and talented students of SOS Village will not only prove to be fast learners but will also gain financial independence to stand on their own feet.” shared Zong’s official spokesperson.

Besides being a leading connectivity partner for Pakistanis, Zong 4G also leads corporate social responsibility and support to SOS Village is a testament to that commitment. Previously, the company also extended support to Dur-e-Yateem Welfare Trust Orphanage, Bint-e-Fatima Old Home in Karachi, and more in the recent past. Zong’s proactive Covid-19 response has also been highly effective and helpful for Pakistanis.

Webinar stresses to engage private sector to ensure skilled workforce

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Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir) Acknowledging the significant role of private sector in the country’s sustainable economic development, experts at a webinar have emphasized on the importance of private sector’s inclusion in the TVET sector to ensure productive as well as skilled workforce. The webinar was organized by the TVET Sector Support Programme (SSP) titled “Private Sector Engagement: A Way-forward to Decent Economic Opportunities for Skilled Graduates and a Sustainable TVET Eco-System” in Islamabad. The TVET SSP has been commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and is being implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in close collaboration with the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), provincial Technical Education and Vocational Training Authorities (TEVTAs) and other private sector organizations. Purpose of the webinar was to aware masses on the private sector’s participation in technical and vocational education & training (TVET) as an essential for the success of technical and vocational education and training as well as labour market growth.

Omair Abubaker, Private Sector Engagement Expert and National Coordinator, GIZ-Pakistan, moderated the webinar. He discussed about the importance of Public-Private Partnership in TVET sector and technical and vocational trainings for creating opportunities for youth of Pakistan with the panelists. The speakers highlighted how collaboration of public & private sectors in TVET from designing of curriculum to TVET delivery and workplace-based trainings is indispensable to create economic opportunities for trainees, TVET graduates and to create sustainable socio-economic environment.

Giving expert opinion in the webinar, Chief People Officer, KIA Lucky Motors Corporation, Ashaar Saeed, said that the SSP’s engagement of private sector is the need of the time for ensuring the country’s sustainable development and achieving sustainable eco-system. He also said the TVET SSP is committed to empower youth of the country, however, it can’t be achieved until industry is involved in the programme and share its role for development. While speaking about the empowerment that could be attained through skills enhancement, Arshia Ahmed Saqib remarked that seeing rapid entrance of youth in labour market and not getting jobs was very stressful, however, TVET emerged as a turnaround for youth. “When private industry engages with the TVET SSP, this enhances and creates the best career opportunities for the youth,” she asserted.

In her remarks, Head of TVET SSP, GIZ-Pakistan, Iris Cordelia Rotzoll, said inclusion of private sector in TVET is a way forward for decent employment opportunities. “When private sector stakeholders participate in decision-making processes related to TVET sector management, it paves the way for sustainable demand-driven TVET system for economic prosperity of the country,” she argued.

The speakers were of the consensus view that TVET SSP is reshaping the future of our youth by including industry and enhancing work-place based training opportunities for youth to learn on-the-job trainings and compete in labour market. During the webinar, it was also deliberated how public sector bodies should work in close collaboration with the private sector organizations for the widespread and success of technical and vocational education and training. This engagement with TVET decision making and implementing bodies will generate human capital.

Haleeb Foods joined hands with CARE Foundation for Universal Children’s Day

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Haleeb Foods Limited, the pioneer dairy and beverages processor in Pakistan has partnered with CARE Foundation for Universal Children’s Day with an aim to support the education of underprivileged children. This partnership is an enhancement to HFL’s corporate social responsibility agenda. CARE Foundation has been doing remarkable work in educating thousands of underprivileged children and nurturing our future generations. To be an active part of this initiative, Haleeb Foods has donated to equip the science lab.

Sharing his view on this collaboration, CEO, Haleeb Foods – Mr. Syed Mazher Iqbal said: “At Haleeb Foods’ we strongly believe in working towards a better tomorrow and for this reason we have collaborated with CARE Foundation to help provide better education to the young minds who are our nation’s future.”

HFL, being a responsible corporate entity, has always shown strong dedication towards the well-being and betterment of society and this alliance is yet another embodiment of it. The company has joined hands with many renowned organizations in the past to support the local community and giveback, especially during these challenging times.  

TECNO brings massive discounts with the Camon 18 series launch

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)

TECNO’s ambassadors for the Camon 18 series, Ahmed Ali Akbar and Sehar Khan announced a special discount offer of PKR 1000 for all fans on TECNO’s official social media page. All models including Camon 18 Premier, Camon 18P, and Camon 18t will be available for purchase at reduced rates for December only.

After much hype, the phones are available in both online and offline markets. Customers can get special discounts when they buy online from Daraz, PriceOye, and Cube Online. On buying Camon 18 Premier you get PKR 1000 off + Gimbal & TWS for FREE. Whereas, Camon 18P and Camon 18t are available with a PKR 1000 Discount online.

CEO TECNO Mobile Pakistan, Kelvin Zeng said,

“Keeping in view the hype the Camon 18 series received, we have announced these special discounts. We aim to bring the best for our consumers so with this new Camon 18 Premier we enable users to capture the steadiest videos along with 60x Zoom clearest pictures for faraway objects. TECNO appreciates the love this new series is receiving and we look forward to many more successful campaigns here in Pakistan”.

The discount offers are available for only the month of December with limited stock only. So do not waste any more time and grab your latest devices at PKR 1000 off!

Infinix NOTE 11 Pro is now available to pre order on Daraz

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Infinix NOTE 11 Pro is now available to pre order on Daraz, first phone to feature MediaTek Helio G96 and 120Hz under 32k!

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Infinix, the highest selling smartphone brand has now opened pre-orders for latest Infinix NOTE 11 Pro on Daraz.pk at a special-pre-order discounted price.  Equipped with new MediaTek Helio G96 for ground-breaking performance and 6.95” 120 Hz Ultra fluid FHD+ Infinity display, Infinix NOTE 11 Pro is set to deliver exceptional speed and performance altogether. Infinix NOTE 11 Pro is now available to pre-order on Daraz.pk at discounted pre-order price of Rs 31,999 for a limited time only.

Latest MediaTek Helio G96 chipset incorporates two cores Cortex-A76 and Cortex-A55 which work in tandem to harness next-level intelligence, power packed gaming and reliable functionality even while multi-tasking. Apart from the chipset, Infinix NOTE 11 Pro features a massive 6.95’’ ultra-fluid FHD+ Infinity display along with 120 Hz refresh rate which delivers an unprecedented level of smoothness for all kinds of usage. It is available to pre-order in three on trend and unique colors namely: Mithril Grey, Haze Green, and Mist Blue.

Infinix NOTE 11 Pro comes with an extended RAM feature through which RAM can be extended up to 11GB for storage and improvement in speed. In addition to this, Infinix NOTE 11 Pro features a 64 MP ultra-night main camera with f/1.7 aperture and a 13MP tele-camera with 30x digital zoom option for capturing the finest details in all pictures. Moreover, the 16MP selfie camera is night-vision enabled with a dual flash in order to capture vivid and bright selfies even in low lightning conditions.

The smartphone is powered by a massive battery of 5000mAh and a 33W charger which can easily be used for more than a single day by one time charge. Infinix NOTE 11 Pro is available to pre-order on daraz.pk at a discounted pre-order price of Rs 31,999 for a limited time only starting from 3rd Dec till 7th Dec.

Microsoft Teams for SMBs

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Microsoft has announced the first ever stand-alone offering of Microsoft Teams, specifically designed for small-midsize businesses (SMBs), called Teams Essentials.

Teams Essentials will enable SMBs to serve their customers to grow business and gain competitive advantages in a couple key ways:

Easily host longer, professional meetings with colleagues, customers, and partners and take productivity to the next level with tools like calendar integration, group chat, and extended meeting limits up to 30 hours and 300 attendees at once.

Stay organized and save time by connecting existing tools in one place with powerful collaboration capabilities and an increased 10GB of cloud storage.

Link for more information: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2021/12/01/new-microsoft-teams-essentials-is-built-for-small-businesses/

A music video shot entirely on a phone? Xiaomi 11 T series making cinemagic

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As our progression into the ever-dynamic digital era continues, technological advances continue leaving one awestruck, alongside the film and music industry which is fervently being revolutionised. With macro lens and state-of-the-art tech that is coupled with advanced AI, creative freedom is enjoyed unlike anything ever experienced before.

Tech giant, Xiaomi, recently launched its Xiaomi 11 T series which packed overall upgrades and amazing changes in the camera. Xiaomi took its marketing to a whole new level, by shooting a music video exclusively on this mobile device. Sounds too good to be true, right? I bet. However, with the 108MP wide-angle camera, 8K recording and other amazing features in your pocket, every moment captured is purely cinemagic.

The entire music video is shot in Skardu, using the new Xiaomi 11 T Pro with its new cinemagic features. A week-long retreat with Mooroo, Yashma Gill, By Rooj, Hemayal Attique, Art by Wasif and many other top influencers and content creators. Everyone tested the devices first hand, explored the features in the scenic place around them.

The music video is shot over multiple locations in Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan; from the man-made Manthoka Waterfall all the way to the picturesque cold Sarfaranga Desert. The storyline revolves around friends coming together, having a good time, and living in the present by celebrating life’s most captivating moments. The heart-warming lyrics and soft instrumentals play against the absolutely stunning visuals of Skardu to set a tranquil tone. From exploring the woods, laughing by the campfire, and expressing love for companionship, Xiamoni brings to light the magic of technology driving a language spoken by us all – music.