SYDNEY: Facebook and Instagram started a week-long rollout of their first paid verification service on Friday, testing users’ willingness to pay for social media features that until now have been free.
Facing a drop in advertising revenues, parent company Meta is piloting a subscription in Australia and New Zealand before it appears in larger markets. The service will cost US$11.99 on the web and US$14.99 on the iOS and Android mobile platforms.
From Friday, subscribers Down Under who provide government-issued IDs can start applying for a verified badge, offering protection against impressions, direct entrance to customer support, and more visibility, according to the company.
“We’ll be gradually rolling out access to Meta Verified on Facebook and Instagram and expect to reach 100% availability within the first 7 days of the rollout,” a Meta spokesperson told AFP.
Some attempts to join Meta Verified from Sydney found the service was not available on the first day of the rollout.
If you were one to think that the future of banking and commerce was to be a purely digital one, it’s time you thought otherwise. The future is one where both seas meet; it is the union of digital and physical banking. Where physical banks are meeting the digital horizon, the same is true for the other side of the line, with the launch of debit cards like those for Sadapay, NayaPay, and now EasyPaisa, while they stay true to their digital natures with the introduction of virtual debit cards.
Features and Convenience of Use
EasyPaisa’s Visa Debit card, for one, allows the holder to make payments at over 90,000 card-accepting POS (point-of-sale) merchants dispersed around the country, while the money can be withdrawn from around 16,000 ATMs nationwide. The contactless version of the card uses NFC technology, which provides the cardholder with the ability to make payments by conveniently tapping the card on the merchant POS. Thus, QR codes and online cards are two features staying true to the digital side of the entity.
Contributing to the FinTech Landscape in Pakistan
The Virtual Debit Card is also a stepping stone to the strengthening of Fintech and, more specifically, the digital payments landscape in Pakistan. A milestone that will eventually be achieved with the burgeoning communal trust achieved by the product’s provision of security, whereby the technology in its chips deters and obstructs any copying and/or counterfeiting attempts. Doing so will hopefully boost consumer confidence and control in the practice of making digital payments, which was predominantly impeded by the client’s reservations with reference to online identity theft and fraud.
Promoting Financial Inclusivity
The box for financial inclusivity is conveniently checked with the card claiming to be the lowest-priced card in the market. This restores faith in the eventual aim of making financial literacy and participation equally accessible to all and any factions of society across the socioeconomic spectrum. The ease of creating an EasyPaisa account had already increased digital banking’s penetration among those at the lower end of the spectrum; with the Debit Card’s launch and ease of use, the effect of financial inclusivity is expected to climb up the ladder.
Here’s how you can get your card
To get your EasyPaisa Debit Card, order one from within the EasyPaisa app, or request one from the EasyPaisa helpline 3737 if you are a Telenor user, or from the number 042 111-003737 if you use any other network.
Once the card arrives, you must enter your 4-digit PIN for activation, either through the mobile app or the helpline.
According to a recent report by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is estimated to launch a foldable iPad in 2024. According to Kuo, the next iPad will not be released this year, and mass manufacturing of the new iPad Mini will start in Q1 of 2024.
These iPads will be manufactured by Anjie Technology and will contain a carbon fiber kickstand at their back.
Apple will “continue benefiting from the growing trends of foldable devices, equipped with kickstands in the future,” said Kuo. It’s likely that the kickstand Kuo mentioned will be fixed in the iPad case since foldables can easily stand without the need for a kickstand. On the other hand, the foldable iPad might not be as stable and need a kickstand at its back for support.
While the tech giant is currently undergoing a 15 per cent decline in tablet shipments, analysts believe that the announcement of the first foldable iPad will be a big break for the company.
Every year, mobile technology increasingly becomes the very core of our daily lives and the epicenter of innovation.
With these essential devices, we create and consume content that connects, inspires and entertains us. We stay immersed in the world of an epic game, even on the go. We keep up with colleagues and deadlines when we’re away from our desks. And we manage every part of our lives in one convenient place — from health and wellness habits to appointments, purchases, travel and more.
Our days revolve around these experiences, so people want devices they can depend on from brands they can trust. At the same time, global challenges like the climate crisis are making us rethink how we live. We have a responsibility to help create a better world now while working toward a more equitable and sustainable future. We believe mobile technology can be the catalyst to enrich people’s lives and help create that future we envision. And this is the reason why we do what we do in Samsung Electronics.
Setting New Performance Standards
There’s no better example of Samsung delivering on this vision than the Galaxy S series. This year, Galaxy S series has extended our innovation heritage by doubling down on our fundamentals.
That’s why our pro-grade camera system is getting smarter, offering the best photos and videos in any light among our Galaxy smartphones. Along with the hardware and software optimization, our newest chipset, born out of Samsung’s open partnership philosophy, enables the fastest and most powerful Galaxy performance. Our ecosystem connectivity is also getting easier and more seamless than ever.
At the top of the Galaxy S series is our Galaxy S Ultra. It’s the product you can trust to give you the best of the best with redefined performance and quality.
We fully merged the most beloved Galaxy Note experiences into Ultra, pioneering a smartphone with the power, performance and creative capabilities of two leading Galaxy innovations in one.
The Galaxy S Ultra has truly become the pinnacle of Samsung Mobile’s innovation, a marque that stands out against everything else, and soon we’ll show you what Ultra can do in even more device categories.
Innovation That Lasts
Performance is not just about more power. It’s also about innovation that lasts with less environmental impact.
We are committed to combatting climate change, and we are guided by our new environmental strategy that strives to make the technology we depend on more sustainable. That’s why we consider every phase of the product lifecycle with sustainability top of mind.
This means building devices that last longer with enhanced durability and reliability. This means incorporating more recycled materials into more components. This means collaborating with like-minded partners to bring people closer together and deliver positive change for people and the planet while setting new benchmarks for our industry.
Premium Experience Without Compromise
On February 1 at Unpacked, we’ll show how innovation and sustainability working together bring the ultimate premium experience.
At a time when the stakes are higher than ever, we’ve raised the bar by pushing boundaries for the mobile experience — delivering our most powerful mobile experiences you’ll continue to love for years to come.
Twitter proclaimed Sunday it would no longer allow users to promote their accounts on several rival social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram, but the site’s mercurial owner Elon seemed to backtrack on the new policy just hours later.
The sudden shift in the rules was the newest in a series of contentious changes made by Musk since he took over the company in October — upheaval that has led a growing number of users to encourage followers to view their posts on other sites.
The random billionaire even put his future as Twitter’s CEO to a vote.
“Should I step down as head of Twitter?” he tweeted, asking the site’s users to click yes or no.
“I will abide by the results of this poll,” he added, with the vote open until the early hours of Monday.
Twitter had proclaimed that the company would “no longer allow free promotion of specific social media platforms.”
“At both the Tweet level and the account level, we will remove any free promotion of banned 3rd-party social media platforms, such as linking out (i.e. using URLs) to any of the below platforms on Twitter, or providing your handle without a URL,” the company explained in a statement.
Users would thus be barred, for example, from posting “Follow me @username on Instagram,” Twitter said.
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey questioned the new policy with a one-word tweet: “Why?”
Tech experts and writers wished the $1,499 Meta Quest Pro headset could have captured mixed reality at its launch so they could have shown us what they observed during testing. Version 47 of the software, which unlocks that ability, has already started to roll out to certain users and will shortly reach the rest of them. When utilizing this software that chains your real world with a virtual one, you’ll be able to hit record, Cameron Faulkner from The Verge explains. The video below shows how grainy it appears there. It’s good that this function was added so soon after the headset’srelease.
Meta is expanding its digital literacy program, ‘WeThinkDigital’, to Gilgit-Baltistan in collaboration with Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) and the Gilgit-Baltistan Department of Education.
The program aims to equip the people who live in one of the most marginalized regions in the country with the necessary skills to become responsible digital citizens.
With the expansion of the WeThinkDigital program to the Gilgit-Baltistan subregion in Pakistan, Meta expects to train over 30,000 students and more than 10,000 women to help them think critically and share online thoughtfully.
Lt.Col. (R) Abaidullah Baig Senior Minister Industries, Labour & Commerce, Gilgit-Baltistan attended as the Chief Guest and said, “Really appreciate Meta for supporting people of Gilgit-Baltistan with a major program of this calibre and scale.”
The WeThinkDigital program was initiated in 2021 in Pakistan and it is one of Meta’s multifaceted approaches to building a safe and informed community in the country.
The program has reached 130,000 students and 3,094 teachers across 28 districts of the country providing them with a collection of accessible learning modules that help people think critically and share online thoughtfully, as well as empowering them with the skills needed to be informed and safe online.
Commenting on the development, Raja Azam Khan, Minister of Education, Gilgit-Baltistan said, “Over the last few years, our region has witnessed rapid and significant progress across diverse digital fronts.”
“As we continue to explore broader horizons for learning and development of our community, it is a pleasure to have key players like Meta assisting in our objectives to bring sustainable change across Gilgit-Baltistan,” he added.
Through its expansion in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, the program focuses on building awareness regarding cyberbullying, potential abuse over the internet, safe internet practices, safeguarding personal interests, and assisting vulnerable segments like women and children on how to navigate digital spaces.
Speaking at the launch event Yasas Vishuddhi Abeywickrama, Policy Programs Manager, South Asia at Meta said, “We care deeply about the safety of our community – and providing resources that can help people have meaningful interactions online is an important part of the work we do to help keep our community safe.”
We are grateful for the collaboration with the Gilgit-Baltistan Department of Education and hope this program will empower people in Gilgit-Baltistan with the necessary skills to become responsible digital citizens,” he added.
The initiative will see Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi as a key partner in implementing the objective.
Lahore, Pakistan, November 19, 2022 – Xiaomi today announced the launch of their new budget efficient device, the all-new Redmi A1+. The new Redmi entry-level smartphone has a paystylish design and is equipped with versatile features, aiming to provide an excellent experience at a massively affordable price..
With a 6.52’’ HD+ large display at 1600×720 resolution, the Redmi A1+ offers an immersive experience when watching videos or when gaming. For extended viewing, the device offers a dark theme and Night Light Mode, which help prevent strain on the eyes.
The Redmi A1+ is equipped with an 8MP main camera paired with an auxiliary lens¹ to enable portrait shots and a 5MP front camera. Both rear and front cameras are loaded with versatile modes including portrait, short video, and time-lapse, offering users diverse shooting options. The smartphone is also packed with a large 5,000mAh battery and 10W charging, effortlessly lasting through daily use.
In terms of performance, the Redmi A1+ is powered by MediaTek Helio A22, which ensures enough performance to run apps and supports high-resolution display, and power efficiency. Additionally, it also supports expandable storage up to 1TB, which frees up space on-device for additional data storage.²
Redmi A1+ has an impressive hardware price-to-performance ratio, it also has a notable design. Inheriting family design from Redmi Note Series, Redmi A1+ is in Black, Light Green, and Light Blue, all with a stylish flat-frame design. Accentuated by a clean, minimalistic curved back, its leather-like texture resists fingerprint smudges and marks. In addition, Redmi A1+ comes equipped with an advanced and responsive rear fingerprint sensor for quick unlocking.
Market Availability
The Redmi A1+ is now available at Mi Store, corecart and on Daraz.pk as well.
Redmi A1+
2GB+32GB: PKR 19,999/-
Device Specifications
Display
6.52’’ HD+ large display at 1600×720 resolution
Rear Camera
8MP main camera with Auxiliary Lens
Front Camera
5MP Selfie Camera
Battery
5000mAh Battery
Processor
MediaTek Helio A22
About Xiaomi Corporation
The Xiaomi Corporation was founded in April 2010 and is listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since 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 2021. The company has also established the world’s leading consumer AIoT (AI+IoT) platform, with 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.
On November 4th, META APAC celebrated community day. Recognizing communities from all walks of life for their work and impact. Out of thousands of groups 31 communities from the entire Asiatic region were invited to Singapore for an exclusive and focused conference revolving around community building in the APAC region. Umbreen Mahar (Umm e Azaan), admin of Babies & Bumps represented Pakistan during the event.
The event was centered on community leaders and their committed work and passionate community-building skills and teams from META Singapore and Product team from the META HQ, USA were also a part of the event.
It is certainly a moment of pride for us and for Pakistan to be represented amidst emerging nations and their role in the digital world.
Lahore, Pakistan, November 11, 2022 – If you’re looking to upgrade your mobile device then look no further than Pakistan’s biggest sale, Daraz 11:11. Xiaomi Pakistan’s most popular mobile devices and eco products are available at a substantial discount on Daraz giving you the best deals of the year. The sale will last till November 21, 2022, but if you are late and stock runs out, then don’t worry you’ll find that Xiaomi’s Mi Store has the same offers available.
The Redmi 10C is now available for Rs. 31,999, the 64GB Redmi 10A is now available for Rs. 24,699, the 128GB Redmi 10A is now available for Rs. 27,999 and the Redmi Note 11 is now available for a low price of Rs. 42,499.
Equipped with features that provide value to your purchase Xiaomi has gone above and beyond to deliver high-quality products at a lower price. So what are you waiting for grab your new upgrade before the time runs out.
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 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.
Adan Fatima 