Microsoft slashed its fourth-quarter profitability and earnings projections on June 2, becoming the latest U.S. corporation to notify of the impact of a stronger dollar.
An aggressive Federal Reserve and increased geopolitical tensions have driven the dollar up 14 per cent against a basket of currencies in the last year, forcing companies like Coca-Cola Co and Procter & Gamble to lower their expectations for the rest of the year.
A stronger dollar generally consumes the earnings of multinational corporations that have extensive global operations and convert foreign currencies into dollars. Microsoft has lowered its sales forecast for all three segments, which include Windows products, cloud services, and personal computing.
Corporate hedging activity has increased as more businesses seek to protect their revenues from the impact of market volatility in the face of rising inflation. It’s indeed common for businesses to preserve themself from unusual currency transitions, however, the intensity comes after years of low forex fluctuation when market volatility had little impact on income.
Revenue for the quarter is expected to be between $51.94 billion and $52.74 billion, down from a previous range of $52.40 billion to $53.20 billion. Microsoft reduced its profit forecast from $2.28 to $2.35 per share to between $2.24 and $2.32 per share.
Considering Refinitiv data, analysts expect earnings per share of $2.33 on revenue of $52.87 billion. In April, the company forecasted double-digit revenue growth for the next fiscal year, owing to increased demand for its office software and cloud services as economies reopen and businesses shift to a hybrid model that allows employees to work from both the office and from home.
Apple, the Cupertino-based tech giant, will not release an iPhone 14 Mini, as per multiple scoops and insiders, and will instead correct it with a bigger screen model of the iPhone 14 range.
The reason for this reversal is most probably due to Apple’s inability to sell sufficient iPhone minis to warrant its continued existence, as multiple sources report that iPhone 13 Mini is performing terribly in the international market.
Sales of the 5.4-inch iPhone 13 mini accounted for only 3 per cent of overall iPhone sales in Q1 of 2022 in the United States (US). The other iPhone 13 versions, on the other hand, were far more popular, with the biggest share of US sales in previous years.
In the first quarter of this year, the iPhone 13 variants accounted for 71 per cent of total iPhone sales in the US, with the regular iPhone 13 accounting for 38 per cent of all sales. The iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max were less popular this quarter, but they still outperformed the iPhone 13 Mini by a significant margin.
Apple is expected to introduce an ‘iPhone 14 Max,” which will incorporate a large 6.7-inch screen, identical to the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The smartphone, on the other hand, will be less expensive than the iPhone 14 Pro Max and even the iPhone 14 Pro.
With a new subscription-based service, Apple is planning to launch a new method to buy iPhones as well as other Apple gear. Which will allow apple customers to pay a monthly subscription fee and receive an iPhone of their choice, as well as free upgrades when new products are released.
This plan will differ from Apple’s and carriers’ current installment programmes, as it will be a pre-decided or custom monthly fee plan rather than the cost of the phone divided by 12, 24, and 36 months of installments.
All applications including Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, iCloud+, Apple News+, and Apple Fitness+ will all be included in the iPhone subscription service, which will be linked to users’ existing Apple ID accounts.
It may also offer bundle free Apple Care and even Apple One services, such as Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, iCloud+, Apple News+, and Apple Fitness+.
The new subscription service may start by the end of this year with iPhones and eventually expand to the rest of Apple’s gadgets including iPads, Apple Watch, and the MacBook.
Subscription-based selling of phones is not entirely new as Google already operates its Pixel Pass program in the US which lets customers choose between the Google Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro offered with Google’s own first-party services at very affordable monthly charges.
Starting at PKR 34,999/-, Redmi Note 11 series once again makes flagship-level specs more accessible, raising industry standard with four all-new devices
Lahore, Pakistan, February 11th 2022 – Xiaomi announced the Redmi Note 11 series for Pakistani markets, pushing forward the legacy of the Redmi Note series with two all-new devices: Redmi Note 11 Pro, and Redmi Note 11. Rising to the challenge to bring even stronger specs and features, Redmi Note 11 series again brings powerful upgrades to its camera system, charging speed, display, and SoC—making flagship-level smartphone performance more accessible than before. Also announced today, the brand-new Xiaomi Smart Air Purifier 4 series.
Flagship-level camera setup to deliver outstanding photography
Raising up the flagship camera experience, Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G, and Redmi Note 11 once again feature 108 & 50MP primary sensors respectively, allowing you to capture and share moments of your life in high resolution and true-to-life details. Utilizing the Samsung HM2 sensor with a large 1/1.52″ sensor size, the main camera leverages 9-in-1 pixel binning technology as well as dual native ISO to deliver incredible images with higher dynamic range and color performance, with excellent results even in dim light. The 8MP ultra-wide angle camera extends your perspective with a 118-degree viewing angle, and the 2MP macro camera captures fine details from up close. Additionally, the depth camera on Redmi Note 11 Pro, and Redmi Note 11 allows you to create a natural bokeh effect for your portrait shots. The front of Redmi Note 11 Pro features a 16MP front camera that can capture clear, natural-looking selfies.
FHD+ AMOLED DotDisplay with up to 120Hz refresh rate & trendy flat-edge body
Boasting a high refresh rate up to 120Hz and a touch sampling rate up to 360Hz, Redmi Note 11 series enhances your screen experience with smoother animations and lag-free transitions, while also registering more precise finger touches. With a screen size of 6.67-inch and 6.43-inch, the series is equipped with a FHD+ AMOLED DotDisplay featuring DCI-P3 wide color gamut, provides more vibrant colors and details, while also reaching as much as 1200 nits to ensure the screen’s clarity even in bright daylight.
The beautiful display is packed into a trendy flat-edge body design. Plus, with dual super linear speakers located at the top and bottom of the phone, Redmi Note 11 series offers a complete entertainment experience with immersive stereo sound for gaming or watching videos.
Speedy and powerful performance at all fonts
Redmi Note 11 Pro rises to the challenge with an advanced octa-core MediaTek Helio G96 processor and up to 8GB of RAM. Redmi Note 11 is equipped with a Snapdragon® 680 processor built using flagship-level 6nm process to deliver superior performance while conserving power. Additionally, all Redmi Note 11 series devices equip you with a 5,000mAh large-capacity battery. Alongside this exceptional battery capacity is Xiaomi flagship-level 67W fast charging in Redmi Note 11 Pro, which take as little as 15 minutes to fill 50% of battery*. Redmi Note 11 features 33W Pro fast charging, allowing you to charge to100% in around an hour.
Brand-Ambassador & Team 11
Xiaomi onboarded the nation’s heartthrob actor Ahad Raza Mir to become the face for the brand. Responsible for raising engagement and creating awareness for the brand, while also heading Team 11 which is a pool of handpicked top notch influencers in the country. Picked across categories, names like Dananeer, Saheefa Jabbar, Shamoon Ismail etc come up for they along with others are an active part of this year’s awareness campaign.
Market availability:
Redmi Note 11 comes in two variants – 4GB+128GB and 6GB+128GB and are available at top distributor partners such as Phonezo, Airlink, Smartlink etc. For those looking to purchase these online, we’ve news for you too as these are also available on MiStore and Daraz.
Redmi Note 11
4GB+128GB: PKR 34,999/-
6GB+128GB: PKR 37,999/-
Redmi Note 11 Quick Specs:
Redmi Note 11
Display
90Hz 6.43” FHD+ AMOLED DotDisplay
Rear Camera
50MP main camera 8MP ultra-wide camera 2MP macro camera 2MP depth camera
Front Camera
13MP in-display front camera
Dimension & Weight
159.87mm x 73.87mm x 8.09mm 179g
Processor
Snapdragon® 680
Charging
5,000mAh (typ) battery Supports 33W wired Pro fast charging
Variant
4GB+128GB, 6GB+128GB
Available Colour
Graphite Gray, Twilight Blue, Star Blue
Breathe clean, breathe healthy: Xiaomi Smart Air Purifier 4 Series
Celebrating over 16 million shipments worldwide, Xiaomi upgraded its widely-acclaimed Xiaomi Smart Air Purifier Series with new variants – Xiaomi Smart Air Purifier 4 Pro, 4, and 4 Lite. The brand-new series promises Xiaomi Fans a healthier, cleaner, and reduced-allergen indoor air environment year-round, with options for different home spaces and family needs.
The top variant, Xiaomi Smart Air Purifier 4 Pro, features a 3-in-1 filtration system that combines electrostatic charge and mechanical filtration technologies to trap 99.97% of air pollutants as small as 0.3 microns. So whether its pet dander, cotton fiber, or other pollutants, Xiaomi Smart Air Purifier 4 Pro will have you covered.
To ensure maximized filtration efficiency, the Pro model newly integrates both PM2.5 and PM10 sensors to precisely detect inhalable particles of different sizes. An ionizer has been added to help capture floating pollutants.
On top of powerful filtering performance, Xiaomi Smart Air Purifier 4 Pro also offers a largely enhanced user experience. its sleek design and low-noise running mode at night make sure it blends perfectly into users’ modern homes and life. A crystal-clear OLED touch display allows for quick viewing of AQI, temperature, and humidity statistics at a glance, and quick adjustments in just a few taps. Users can also remotely control the device using Xiaomi Home App, effortlessly scheduling purification routines and behavior, setting up automation with other IoT devices, viewing filter usage status, and more. Voice commands are also supported with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
About Xiaomi Corporation
Xiaomi Corporation was founded in April 2010 and listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on July 9, 2018 (1810.HK). Xiaomi is a consumer electronics and smart manufacturing company with smartphones and smart hardware connected by an IoT platform at its core.
Embracing our vision of “Make friends with users and be the coolest company in the users’ hearts”, Xiaomi continuously pursues innovations, high-quality user experience and operational efficiency. The company relentlessly builds amazing products with honest prices to let everyone in the world enjoy a better life through innovative technology.
Xiaomi is one of the world’s leading smartphone companies. The company’s market share in terms of smartphone shipments ranked no. 3 globally in the third quarter of 2021. The company has also established the world’s leading consumer AIoT (AI+IoT) platform, more than 400 million smart devices connected to its platform as of September 30, 2021, excluding smartphones and laptops. Xiaomi products are present in more than 100 countries and regions around the world. In August 2021, the company made the Fortune Global 500 list for the third time, ranking 338th, up 84 places compared to 2020.
Xiaomi is a constituent of the Hang Seng Index, Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, Hang Seng TECH Index and Hang Seng China 50 Index.
A man named Zain Yaqub came up with a hilarious yet much-needed plan, by hiring a man named Ian as his ‘secretary’ to answer all the messages on the family WhatsApp group on his behalf, as per Times Now News.
His family soon came to know about this and decided to play along. Even a video was shared on TikTok by Zain’s brother, showed the chats where Ian answered.
“Sorry this is Ian, I will relay this message to Zain and get back to you when he responds,” was the secretary’s standard message to the family. Upon this, the father asked him to send Zain his love.
The video went viral on TikTok, where Zain’s father confirmed that he has met Ian over a Zoom call as well. A user actually suggested, “Start inviting the secretary to family events instead of Zain.”
Who likes such groups where thousands of good morning messages and memes keep coming in? This is a great solution for a desi household.
The Indus Valley Capital has announced the launch of a dedicated programme for returning Pakistani, known as Wapistani, at 021Disrupt 2020, an online conference by Nest I/O.
This announcement was made by Aatif Awan, the Founder & Managing Partner at the Indus Valley Capital.
Indus Valley Capital is an early stage venture capital fund investing in Pakistani startups. This fund has a well-established network that is deployed to help early stage startups build products that can be scaled to hundreds of millions.
Awan explained that the Wapistani programme aims to make the move to Pakistan easier for Pakistanis who are returning to the country.
Indus Valley Capital plans to bring back 200 Wapistanis within the next 2 years through this programme.
Wapistani will help returning Pakistani in three main areas:
1- Career: This program will help returning Pakistanis in making the right career decisions through personalized intros and connections with top startups looking for senior or specialized talent.
2- Concierge: There will be dedicated resources to help returning Pakistanis with important life choices related to housing, children’s schooling and medical care.
3- Community: This programme will build a network of Wapistanis, who are moving back to the country at the same time.
Federal Minister of Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, announced a special programme of animation and video games certification to encourage young people to be part of the multi-billion dollar gaming industry.
اگر آپ کو پڑھنے سےدلچسپی نہیں اور فون پر ویڈیو گیمز سےرغبت ہے تو تیاری رکھیں @MinistryofST ویڈیو گیمز پروگرامنگ کا خصوصی پروگرام لارہی ہے تا کہ ہم 90 ارب ڈالر کی اس انڈسٹری کاحصہ بن سکیں، Animation اور ویڈیو گیمز سرٹیفیکیشن پروگرام نوجوانوں کیلئے Game ہی نہیں Game Changer ہوں گے
The minister said that they are looking to make people a part of the $900 million programming industry. He said that this new programme is especially targeted at those uninterested in studying and looking into video game development instead. According to him, the certification program should prove to be a “game-changer” for many. The tweet does not reveal any details, but since the Minister talks about Smartphone games, we can expect the program to lean more towards phone apps and games.
The new initiative will be providing animation and video games certification programmes to young people in order to boost the local gaming industry.
Google is using its huge Android Operating System (OS) to create a worldwide earthquake alert system. This will create the world’s biggest earthquake detection network.
If you sign up for the new initiative, your Android phone will become a mini-seismometer using the built-in accelerometer, and the system will eventually warn people of earthquakes.
Google is working with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to send alerts to Android users in California. This new earthquake detection system is based upon the existing alert system that uses signals from 700 different seismometers.
“The public infrastructure to detect and alert everyone about an earthquake is costly to build and deploy. We saw an opportunity to use Android to provide people with timely, helpful earthquake information when they search, as well as a few seconds warning to get themselves and their loved ones to safety.”
Marc Stogaitis, the Software Engineer at Android
Google will gradually roll out earthquake alerts to more states in the US and then to other countries around the world. Since every smartphone has an accelerometer, they can detect signals that can indicate an imminent earthquake.
Once a phone detects an earthquake, it will send location data to Google to point out where the earthquake took place. Google will then use data from numerous devices to determine the epicentre of the earthquake. Google hopes to make its earthquake data more accurate and will eventually release it for Google Search as well when people look up earthquakes.
The update for earthquake detection will be rolled out using Google Mobile Services (GMS), meaning that a full OS update will not be required. It also means that phones without GMS such as Huawei phones will not receive the feature.
Students from Jamia Bait-ul-Salam, Talagang, have qualified for the final round of TEKNOFEST 2020 that will be held in Istanbul, Turkey from September 22 to 27.
According to reports, Blatu, the Bait-ul-Salam team has topped the category of Technology for Humanity-Social Innovation with 87 points out 100.
Turkish Ministry of Industry and Technology and the Turkish Technology Team Foundation (T3) organize the TEKNOFEST Aerospace and Technology Festival every year in a bid to make Turkey a technology producing society.
Many students from different institutions participate in TEKNOFEST to showcase their abilities in more than a dozen different categories.
The Lahore University of Management and Sciences (LUMS) has sent internet devices to those students who are studying at the university on need-based scholarship.
Wardah Noor, a student of LUMS shared the news, which went viral on social media.
Noor shared: “LUMS sent internet devices with free data of (75GB/ month) to the students on full financial aid.”
She shared that she was concerned about the internet package given that she doesn’t have a job and her father’s pension is Rs 25,000.
I was particularly concerned about internet package when I came back home as I don’t have any job rn and my father’s pension is 25k. With this amount, we cannot really afford an internet connection worth unlimited data. (2)
This initiative is being appreciated because the university — LUMS — has identified a major issue and took action without any requests from deserving students. People are also urging the administration of other universities to learn from this initiative and facilitate their students.
We even didn’t put forward this request. I’d have requested them otherwise considering the situation we all are in. They recognised the issue and worked on it before anyone pointed it out. I appreciate this and I absolutely loved this initiative (3)
Great move by LUMS to send internet devices with data to students on scholarship. Other universities should learn from this & perhaps @hecpkofficial can have universities implement this https://t.co/FIV8xtFxtw
This is a fantastic gesture by @LifeAtLUMS ! So many students from underserved regions are suffering because of lack of funds or connectivity and are falling behind in online classes! This will be of great help https://t.co/89jNEXO4gV
This development has come when a large number of students across the country were protesting against online classes due to internet connectivity issues.
Many students from far-flung and remote areas like Gilgit Baltistan (GB), Kashmir, Sindh and Balochistan have been protesting because they do not have an internet connection. In some cases, students have to travel more than 25 kilometres to take online classes.
Picture 1: Students from Balochistan climbing a mountain to get signals for attending a class
Picture 2: Students in Quetta being arrested for demanding termination of online classes and provision of internet
Furthermore, more than 60 students were arrested by police in Quetta for a peaceful demonstration against internet connectivity issue. Later on, they were released on the same day.
BREAKING Dozens of students arrested in Quetta for protesting against online classes & demanding internet for all. Police used brutal force against protesters. Muzammil, Convenor SAC says police is going to book students for violating section 144 at City & Cantt stations. pic.twitter.com/YywciDGRC1
