Quad-Curved Display that Curves on All Sides is the New Concept Smartphone of Xiaomi

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By Junaid Javed

Quad-Curved Display that Curves on All Sides is the New Concept Smartphone of Xiaomi

Future vision of Xiaomi has been shown in their first quad-curved waterfall display concept phone. After the Mi Mix Alpha and its wrap-around screen from 2019, the new concept debuts what Xiaomi calls their “first 88° hyper quad-curved” display. It’s a striking unibody design with no ports or physical buttons of any kind.

Xiaomi explained in a press release that the quad-curved concept is eventually meant to bring a “just a screen” form factor to life. The extreme curvature of the glass and the plethora of technologies to replicate buttons and physical ports are manufactured based on Xiaomi’s self-developed patents.

Currently, curved screens aren’t without their flaws. A flexible display is sandwiched between two curved glass panels to produce a curved screen. But its performance takes a hit if the glass panels are not perfectly aligned. It’s doubly true for a screen that curves around all four edges. 

Other than registering unintended touches, they also distort visual elements and create artifacts. Xiaomi claims to have solved both these problems with a new ‘3D Bonding’ process.

“To attach such a piece of 88° quad-curved glass to a flexible display, an innovative screen stacking design was adopted through our breakthrough 3D bonding process,” Xiaomi explained in the press release. The curve is made and polished under high temperature and pressure, using four polishing tools and over ten polishing processes. The corners are reinforced, however.

The buttons, speakers, and all ports were removed to stretch the display around all four sides. No less than 46 alternative technologies, from the first film display acoustics to the next-gen under-display cameras and pressure-sensitive touch sensors, replace the physical interface in this Xiaomi concept.

Naturally, the concept is meant to showcase Xiaomi’s technologies since it’s not a consumer-ready phone. So far, we have only seen product renders. But according to The Verge, a real-life prototype of this phone does exist.

Health and High-Tech Top Manufacturing Trends for 2021

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By Junaid Javed

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic will continue to impact the manufacturing industry in both the short and long term, but smart businesses will continue to adapt by understanding current trends and their impacts.The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) supports North America’s manufacturers of construction and agricultural equipment to promote success and growth in the global marketplace.The organization has identified five top trends to follow in 2021 that can help businesses succeed and ultimately thrive:- Safety first.

Workplace safety and compliance with the latest guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration remain a top priority in all areas of manufacturing in 2021 and beyond.Although the ongoing distribution of vaccines is encouraging, the impact of vaccination will not be apparent in the short term, and organizations will need to continue with the workplace strategies of practicing social distancing, restricting visitors, encouraging good hygiene, and ensuring employees’ health before allowing them on the job.- Together remotely. Technology has allowed many industries to connect and collaborate from a distance in ways never before available.”The desire to equip workers with technology to stay connected and collaborate from a distance has been a trend within our industry,” says Dennis Slater, President of AEM. “As the rise of big data in manufacturing takes shape, creating and finding technologies to make an increasingly spread-out workforce as productive as possible is a top priority for companies, and especially our equipment manufacturing members.”Manufacturers who continue to provide training and resources to help employees maximize productivity remotely will retain a competitive advantage.

As a recent McKinsey & Company article states, “by digitizing processes to improve equipment management and optimize physical assets, digital collaboration tools give manufacturers ways to boost productivity while enhancing quality,” according to AEM.- Expanded Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT is an ongoing trend to watch in manufacturing, More organizations recognize and incorporate smart devices and embedded intelligence in multiple areas of the production process as a way to maintain efficiency and productivity with greater remote monitoring.- Shop local. Manufacturers who are willing and able to embrace a localized economy can benefit from smaller, more flexible factories located near current and prospective customers. Not only can certain costs be saved, and potential disruptions to supply chains reduced, but many consumers report that they value authenticity and local sourcing.- Maintenance made easier. Technology also allows manufacturers to have more detailed information about their equipment, which helps them more accurately predict potential equipment failure and plan accordingly to prevent downtime.Visit AEM.org for more details about events, resources, and membership.

 

Diabetic Patients May Be at Higher Risk for Complications from COVID

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By Junaid Javed

Both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization have identified people living with diabetes at increased risk of complications from coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 infection, also known as COVID-19.Type 2 diabetes does not cause an elevated risk of infection per se but a greater risk of complications and mortality that arise from COVID-19 infection. Cardiovascular disease, neuropathy, and organ dysfunction, including kidney and eye, all are common issues associated with Type 2 diabetes, and have been seen to be further exacerbated by COVID-19 infection.While doctors still do not have enough evidence to explain all of the ways the virus affects the body, reports from all over the world have identified connections between inflammation and blood coagulation abnormalities and dangerous outcomes from the virus.However, what many have not discussed is the possibility that quarantines, stay-at-home orders and remote working — necessary to prevent the spreading of the virus — may also present additional risk for those who already experience a sedentary lifestyle. A study by the National Institutes of Health shows that people who spend significant amounts of time not being active are subject to a 112 percent greater risk of potential complications, including Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome Coronavirus, and therefore, presents not only risks to those with Type 2 diabetes, but to those already at risk for Type 2 diabetes. Obesity is a key cause of Type 2 diabetes and one that the CDC has long been concerned about as a growing problem in the United States — even before the current pandemic — and the lifestyle changes which tend toward activities which lean toward weight gain rather than weight loss.Health experts are therefore emphasizing the importance of maintaining metabolic health by managing potential risk factors associated with the disease, all while maintaining social distancing and engaging in safe behaviors connected to preventing the spread of COVID-19.A variety of tools have become available in recent years that utilize modern technology, including app-driven diet, exercise and behavior modification plans, but the precision required in order to mitigate diabetes risk has been limited. One recently introduced system, BEATdiabetes, consists of a unique smartphone and/or tablet app comprising a digital version of a successful diabetes weight management program by the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, Mass. It provides a suite of life management tools that provide users with personalized coaching driven by a unique, AI-based digital platform that responds to the specific needs of the user.”Even in the best of times, people at risk for Type 2 diabetes must be extra vigilant in order to manage their weight, their blood pressure and other potential risk factors,” says Faz Chowdury, Ph.D., chairman and CEO of Nemaura Medical, Inc., which developed the system. “It can be a daunting task that requires constant maintenance – especially when trying to manage it alone.”In addition, the company has developed the sugarBEAT non-invasive continuous glucose monitor, that adheres to the skin (not pierces it), tracking a user’s glycemic levels throughout the day and providing valuable coaching in response. Nemaura Medical believes that regular use of the system can improve the health of people with Type 2 diabetes who need extra help managing it, prevent diabetes to those at very high risk, such as pre-diabetes, and may even reverse diabetes in some patients.While COVID-19 may pose additional risk for people with Type 2 diabetes, it is especially important to identify solutions to manage Type 2 diabetes while protecting yourself from the virus. 

DIG Police Maqsood Ahmed TI, PSP, generously hosted the 27th LADIESFUND Power Lunch at the national SSU headquarters

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Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) DIG Police Maqsood Ahmed TI, PSP, generously hosted the 27th LADIESFUND Power Lunch at the national SSU headquarters where he invited a delegation of LADIESFUND members, donors and Educate a Girl scholarship girls to be his guests to tour the facility, learn self defence, learn firearm safety and shooting and have a delicious lunch.

Each delegate was also certified by SSU. Spotted at the event were Nazli Abid, Moneeza Butt, Yasmin Dadabhoy, Halima Rauf, Wajiha Abid, Jaweria Ali and Tara Uzra Dawood.

60 plus per cent of sugarcane is grown in Punjab – By Aamer Hayyat Bhandara

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By Aamer Hayyat Bhandara

60 plus per cent of sugarcane is grown in Punjab, mainly in south Punjab. Usually, farmers do not receive adequate compensation for their sugarcane, but this year farmers received good prices for sugarcane. But the future of sugarcane farming looks bleak, due to a variety of reasons including a) The Sugar Factories Amendment Ordinance, 2020 issued by Government of Punjab in September 2020 forced sugar factories to pay farmers immediately, without any undue deductions, and at prices higher than support prices. The ordinance is lapsing next month (March 2021). b) The Government of Punjab’s Sugarcane Commissioner implemented the rules and regulations set out in the above ordinance. c) Production of sugarcane this year was low, as farmers in Sindh substituted other crops over an estimated 50% of the area previously under sugarcane. The Government calculated the production cost per maund to be PKR 190; therefore set the support price to be PKR 200. This meant that farmers had a profit margin of 5% on paper.

This would be true if the Government’s production calculations of PKR 190 were correct, and the farmers didn’t face deductions at the factory gate. But even if the calculations were accurate, a person sitting at home doing nothing would have received almost the same return by investing in Savings Certificates or Bank Term Deposits. So a farmer working 24/7 would have been served better by sitting at home. A profit margin of 12% to 17% might have been better., which would have led to Government support price of PKR 213 to PKR 222. A group of farmers suggested a support price of PKR 220 to the Government, but it was not accepted.

Stakeholders propose the following steps to keep returns to farmers high: a) Replace sugarcane by other crops like wheat, and fruits as well as vegetables. A minimum of 20-30% reduction in area under sugarcane in Punjab is proposed for next year. b) Allow setting up of mini/micro sugar mills, which produce gur or brown sugar in sugarcane growing areas. Currently, the existing law only allows sales of sugarcane to authorized sugar mills; and no processing into gur / brown sugar. c) No export of sugar and especially no subsidies to exporters. This should enable the exporters to compete on the basis of price or quality in the international markets. d) Permit free movement of all agriculture produce within the country promoting domestic commerce.

If the farmers replace sugarcane by other crops on a long term basis due to consistently low prices of sugarcane; it will create a paradigm shift in the country, mainly: a) Sugarcane was cultivated on 1.6 Million hectares last year; with a 20-30% reduction the area under cultivation will come down to around 1 million hectares. Sugarcane is a water-intensive crop; its replacement with crops which do not use much water will reduce the load on water aquifers. b) Growing other crops, even if it is fodder, will change the food security dynamics. Wither over a 3rd of children in Punjab undernourished or malnourished; availability of a variety of food items should increase nutrition. c) Textile Mills didn’t invest in better quality cotton, nor did they buy cotton on good rates for farmers, or even pay farmers on-time.

The current shortage of good quality cotton, or for that matter any cotton is the result leading to low competitiveness of the overall sector. Ill-treatment of farmers by processors of any crop will backfire over the long term. Survival of sugar mills, which ill-treat farmers will be at-risk. However, if farmers completely replace sugarcane with other crops, mainly Rice, cotton, and sunflowers, then the survival of the industry at stake.

Umsha By Uzma Babar showcases its Luxury Bridal Collection “Zeenat” at Hum Bridal Couture Week’21

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Uzma Babar debuts her latest luxury bridal collection ‘Zeenat’ at this year’s HUM Bridal Couture Week, 2021, where she is showcasing her regal designs, infusing confidence with a touch of traditional poise found in the bride of otherday.

‘Zeenat’ incorporates all the colours, rich texture and allure, creating the magic every bride wants on her special day. With hand-stitched motifs decorating a beautifully crafted design, Uzma Babar has manifested a vision, adding to it the patterns depicting all the joys of the wedding season that are cherished in Pakistan. Festivities, lights, happiness, and beauty shine through in this collection which can be seen by all in the Bridal Couture Showcase held in Lahore, on the 5th of February. 

Unveiling a sacred world of its own, Umsha’s luxury bridal collection has been tailor-made for a bride who looks forward to celebrating her wedding day, with the infused works and fabrics showcasing the enchanting journey she is embarking on.

‘Zeenat’ is a collection made to reveal all its beauty and secrets on the ramp, where the true meaning of the namesake – grace – will become more than evident as the biggest bridal fashion show of the year plays host to its much-awaited appearance!

 

Pantene HUM Bridal Couture Week begins in Lahore

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Lahore (NUT-Monitoring) The 18th edition of the country’s biggest and most sought-after bridal extravaganza, Pantene HUM Bridal Couture Week (PHBCW) unveiled its red carpet here in the City of Gardens (Lahore) recently. The huge format event is the most opulent and highest profile bridal show in Pakistan. It leads the bridal fashion industry with its creative influence and has been strategically repositioning Pakistani bridal fashion in the global fashion economy for the last ten years. The event showcases latest trends and designs in bridal couture by leading as well as emerging fashion designers of the country. It has become the most aspired presentation for Pakistan’s top designers, couture lovers, influential individuals, buyers, celebrities, socialites, and legacy brands. This year, with Pantene as its title sponsor, PHBCW will be showcasing 35 designers on the runway. Show one of the bridal extravaganza kicked off with a special hair show by Pantene where the brand unveiled their new bottle. Models sashayed down the ramp showing off their shiny, bouncy, healthy hair adding more glamour to the Pantene Bridal Couture Week with their more open hair days campaign. Film actor and brand ambassador of Pantene Maya Ali also walked the ramp. Fahad Hussayn presented an avant-garde collection of custom made woven Banarsi bridal dresses with Sao Banjara – The Couture Edit, followed by Uniworth Dress Co.’s groom collection The Luxe Edit celebrating the brands 25th Anniversary. Next, Nauman & Bhaiya debuted with their bright lehngas and cholis in hues of scarlet with their collection Gurya, followed by Alishba and Nabeel’s Sakhiyaan, an ode to the bridesmaids who bring life, joy, colour and lifelong memories to the weddings. Next in line was Naushad Imdad’s Subh e Nau (The Way Forward) inspired by Pak-western culture, using hand paint art and hand embroidery together in menswear for the first time in Pakistan followed by Haris Shakeel with his collection Ghazal which drew its inspiration from the colours of poetry. Madeeha Shoaib was next with her signature collection ‘The Enchanted Island’ inspired by marine life, encapsulating the true essence of haute couture. The day came to end with Munib Nawaz’scollection Sakal Ban which paid tribute to Ameer Khusro’s famous poem Sakal Ban. The collection reinvented the moments of love and loss from the famous poem into creations that celebrated love, joy and all things passionate. The collection presented love, joy and passion in the words of Amir Khusro. Day one of the three-day bridal extravaganza had an amazing line-up of celebrities walking for the designers – Ushna Shah closed the show for Fahad Hussayn, the father son duo Nauman Ijaz and Zaviyar Ijaz showstopped for Uniworth Dress & Co., the gorgeous Nimra Khan walked the ramp for Nauman & Bhaiya, Affan Waheed and Hira Mani graced the ramp for Alishba & Nabeel, Saboor Aly showstopped for Haris Shakeel, the debonair Salman Saeed walked the ramp for Naushad Imdad. The gorgeous Sarah Khan and Falak Shabbir added grandeur to Madeeha Shoaib’s collection and last but not least Usman Mukhtar showstopped for Munib Nawaz.Hair and makeup for the show is done by N-Pro and N-Gents. All public relations operations and media liaison is being carried out by the in-house team of HUM Network Limited in collaboration with Moiz Kazmi and his team at MK Digital PR, along with show production, direction, choreography and execution by the Special Projects &Events team at HUM Network Limited.

 

Fatima Jinnah Women University and Mishal Commit to Create Opportunities in “Learning for Empathy”

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FJWU and Mishal sign MoU to identify the gaps in knowledge ecosystem and build capacity of the students and faculty members to create opportunities pertinent to global communications

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) and Mishal Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to create a hybrid pool of resources for knowledge sharing. Through this collaboration, FJWU and Mishal committed to build capacity of students and faculty members around new technical and social skill sets with the aim to strengthen industry-academia linkages for the commercialization of research and other projects.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Saima Hamid, Vice Chancellor FJWU, said, Fatima Jinnah University is one of the few academic institutions in the country, which prides itself in being a center of excellence for women education and leadership. The University is now moving towards knowledge development, through research-based initiatives that can be commercialized. We are thriving to make our students stand out as pioneers in academic and business research. She further added that women empowerment through higher education is our primary goal.

The organizations have joined hands to provide research and analysis opportunities to students and faculty members on media and communication sciences. The purpose is to build synergies among academia, industry and government, following the Triple Helix model.

Amir Jahangir, Chief Executive Officer Mishal Pakistan, said, with this partnership we would like to create research opportunities for the students to understand the work that Mishal is undertaking on building a national initiative for Learning for Empathy. This will complement the initiative of EmpathyLab created by Mishal and AGAHI for building understanding on the challenges of tolerance, inclusivity and compassion. The concept of EmpathyLab is to create better understanding and do evidence based-research on the Sustainable Development Goals, especially the SDG 4.7.

Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) is a public sector university with a mission to achieve excellence through a conducive learning environment for collective well-being and societal transformation. FJWU has been established in the premises of the Old Presidency. It is a symbol of the commitment of the nation to women’s education. The University is funded by the Punjab Government. The Government of Punjab is very supportive of the university thereby furthering the cause of women education and empowerment.

Mishal Pakistan is Pakistan’s leading strategic communication and design company. It is also the country Partner Institute of the Future of Economic Progress System Initiative, World Economic Forum. Mishal is responsible to generate primary data on more than 100 indicators measuring Pakistan’s competitiveness. Mishal’s foremost domain of activity is behavior change communication, strategic communication with a spotlight on media and perception management, and future scenario development using methodologies and resources that service the lifestyle and social needs of individuals, their families, the communities they live in and ultimately their larger domains. Education, Entertainment and Enlightenment constitute the ultimate key to human growth and advancement. The Mishal philosophy takes its birth from this very principle, the ultimate vision being to cater for the growing need of meaningful and focused communication outreach.

Pakistan Moves Closer to Train One Million Youth with 100+ Digital Skills

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Enabling People to bring at least an additional $1 billion each year into the Pakistani economy through E-Commerce skills by 2025.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  Pakistan has a large labour force that stands among the top 10 largest labour forces in the world, and it’s growing day by day. To create adequate employment opportunities for them is a huge challenge. On the other hand, employers frequently keep saying that they are unable to find workers with appropriate skills necessary for their businesses. This obviously shows that there is a mismatch between the demand and supply of skills.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) has shown that skills development can play a major role in the alleviation of poverty, when carefully planned and implemented in the context of the available and emerging employment and income-generation opportunities. This multiplies many folds when the skills are acquired in the digital spheres. It not only widens the work opportunities but also opens up avenues for entrepreneurial ventures as well.

Extreme Commerce, Pakistan’s largest and renowned E-Commerce capacity building platform has excelled in its mission of making Pakistan a hub of entrepreneurial opportunities. Under the guidance of Sunny Ali, thousands of aspiring individuals from Pakistan have successfully initiated global e-commerce businesses.

Extreme Commerce, Pakistan’s largest e-commerce skill development and entrepreneurial platform has achieved yet another milestone with the expansion of 100+ skills training courses through the ‘Video Boot Camp (VBC)’. The Video Boot Camp includes virtual sessions and videos encompassing around 100 essential e-commerce and digital skills required to excel in the spheres of online businesses. The Video Boot Camp training program is specifically tailored to facilitate the budding entrepreneurs and businessmen and freelancers.

According to Ali, “Ecommerce has skyrocketed after the pandemic and is estimated to grow to a whopping $4.3 trillion within this year”. He further adds, “There is a huge potential for growth in ecommerce both domestic and international, and that is why we at Extreme Commerce have pledged to enable people to bring at least an additional $1 billion each year into the Pakistani economy through E-Commerce skills by 2025”.

The Video Boot Camp includes over a 100 plus income generating E-Commerce skills (income streams) which an entrepreneur needs to skyrocket their businesses. Some skills offered through the VBC include: Selling through Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) model, Virtual Assistant and FBA Freelancing, online store management of international and local E-Commerce marketplaces, bookkeeping account management services, digital and social media marketing, content writing and graphic designing, 3D designing & modelling, data science and analytics, and more.

This initiative of Extreme Commerce will be immensely fruitful in helping their trainees become leading entrepreneurs of the country. Ali, contented with his vision states, “At Extreme Commerce, we offer a multitude of digital skills that are categorized into 100+ courses/income streams under the umbrella of Video Boot Camp (VBC 2021). These skills are pivotal to reducing unemployment and enhancing the capital of our country”. Sharing his focus and goals, he adds, “Skills that actually help you succeed as an online freelancer and even in the real-life environment plus increase your income thereby, are our prime focus right now”.

Earlier, Extreme Commerce and Mishal Pakistan, the Country Partner Institute of the World Economic Forum had signed a partnership to mainstream e-commerce in Pakistan, this includes capacity building initiatives for the media and industry players, including trainings, seminars and workshops.

The government of Pakistan has estimated digital skills global industry, often referred to as online outsourcing, is expected to generate gross service revenue between $15 billion and $25 billion in 2021.

“Didn’t Expect Such an Incredible Reaction to my Song,” Anoushay Abbasi Thanks Fans for all the Love

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“This is the 1st time I had recorded a song; I didn’t expect people to love it so much or that I will even be able to sing.”

When Anoushay Abbasi took to Instagram to thank her fans for liking the song, there was refreshing honesty and humility about it. In a way, she admitted that she has surprised herself with the song.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CK3LkRjgWgk/?igshid=k30pltv8g0ot

Peer Bulavay is a beautiful duet, sung by Anoushay Abbasi and Omer Shahzad for Kashmir Beats. Thus far, it has got an incredible response from fans across social media platforms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0Kf3xtWuyM

“Hello, Asalam ala kum, I just wanted to thank you all for liking my song. This is the 1st time I had recorded a song; I didn’t expect people to love it so much or that I will even be able to sing. I read all your comments and no one had anything negative to say. Every comment was positive. I am so happy about it. Thank you so much for loving me, thank you so much for supporting me. Thank you for liking my song. I love you guys so much,” Anoushay said in the Instagram video.