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‘Silver Sable’ & ‘Black Cat’: Two Forthcoming Spin-Offs from the ‘Spider-Man’ Universe

By
AFP
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Sony has plans to gain greater traction in the superhero universe. Following the release of “Venom” next October, the studio is considering two further films featuring two more characters from the Spider-Man franchise, Silver Sable and Black Cat.

In the runup to the release of the much-awaited film about Spider-Man’s arch-enemy, “Venom,” with Tom Hardy and Michelle Williams, Sony is already evaluating further Spider-Man universe projects. In June, previously announced plans for a single film that would feature Silver Sable, a war criminal-hunting mercenary and Black Cat, a catsuited burglar, were scrapped. Instead the studio intends to give each of the characters a standalone movie.

Female figures in the world of superheroes

“We believe Black Cat is enough of her own character with a great backstory and a canon of material to draw from to justify her own film”, said Sanford Panitch, president of Columbia Pictures. Whether Gina Prince-Bythewood (“The Secret Life of Bees”) will stay on as director is unclear, but it is likely that she will continue to be associated with the project as a producer. Sony has stated that the project will be helmed by a woman director.

Sony is also preparing a film dedicated to Silk a.k.a. Cindy Moon, an American-Korean superheroine. As Panitch pointed out, “Spider-Man connects to a lot of the characters. There are villains, heroes, and antiheroes, and a lot are female characters, many of whom are bona fide, fully dimensionalized, and utterly unique.”

Sony looks to the future

In the wake of Disney’s purchase of Fox, which owns the rights to the “Avengers” and “X-Men” franchises, Sony is the only studio other than Disney to retain rights to characters in the Marvel Universe, an advantage which it intends to build upon with the development of several franchises.

The first of these is “Venom,” starring Tom Hardy in the title role, which is due for release in the United States on October 5. Jared Leto will also join the Marvel Universe in another Sony film, “Morbius,” to be directed by Daniel Espinosa.

In 2017, Sony collaborated with Marvel Studios on “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” with Marvel acting as a producer. Thereafter Spider-Man appeared in “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Captain America: Civil War”.

Sony is thus not opposed to allowing its characters appear in Disney movies if those owned by Disney can cameo in Sony productions — a further feature of Sony’s strategy for long-term gains in the superhero universe.

Lamborghini Teases Aventador SVJ, Ferrari Hints at New Model

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AFP
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Lamborghini has released a new teaser for its flagship hypercar, while Ferrari’s website reveals an image of what might be a brand-new as-yet unnamed model.

As teaser images go, the latest one issued by Lamborghini, of its next flagship hypercar doesn’t reveal much. It’s probably designed to keep anticipation as high as possible, ahead of the car finally being unveiled later in August.

The new Aventador Superveloce Jota, or SVJ for short, will debut later this month at Monterey Car Week. In the meantime, all this latest image tells us is the car is likely to be finished in a fairly loud shade of green.

We’ve already seen some official spy shots of the car covered in its camouflage, and it’s no surprise that Lamborghini is keen to show the car off going through its paces at the Nurburgring. The Aventador SVJ recently claimed the production car record for the famed German circuit with a time of 6:44.97s, which eclipsed the previous record of the Porsche 911 GT2 RS by two seconds.

Compared to the regular Aventador, the SVJ benefits from a complete aerodynamic overhaul and performance-related enhancements, which give the SVJ an even more aggressive look. The car has a deeper front wing, wider side skirts and motorsport-style single centre nuts on the wheels, and it also features Lamborghini’s ALA 2.0 active aerodynamics system.

Lamborghini isn’t the only car manufacturer teasing us this week. Ferrari has also posted a teaser image of a potential new model. The image appeared on an owners-only area of Ferrari’s website, and shows a sketch of an unnamed car covered by the strapline ‘Icona Ferrari.’

The date on the teaser image is September 17, the date of Ferrari’s Capital Markets Day when new CEO Louis Camilleri is set to unveil the company strategy for the next five years. It’s been suggested the image’s file name, ‘Ferrari F176’ could be the codename of a new model, possibly a limited-edition model based on the 812 Superfast, but there’s no official word on that from Ferrari yet.La

California Blazes Threatens Populated Areas

By
AFP
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Authorities battling massive wildfires in large swathes of California issued mandatory evacuation orders and health warnings Friday over the worsening air quality as the flames grew ever closer to populated areas.

After almost a month of wildfires, the National Weather Service warned that satellite images showed “widespread smoke” drifting from the fires into western and central Canada before heading back south in the US Northern Plains.

The Kaibab National Forest service in neighboring Arizona warned that “wildfires across the West are creating regional haze.”

But it was northern California where most air quality alerts were being issued, with warnings of “unhealthy conditions” for vulnerable groups such as the very young and old.

The Mendocino Complex, made of two separate blazes, has been declared the most destructive fire in the state’s history.

Its largest blaze, the Ranch Fire, was only 53 percent contained compared to 87 percent for its twin River Fire.

Further north, the Carr Fire was declared 51 percent under control, after scorching 180,000 acres (73,000 hectares) of land and claiming the lives of three firefighters and five civilians, making it California’s third deadliest fire ever.

More than 14,000 firefighters, including reinforcements from as far away as Australia and New Zealand, have fanned out across the state to stop the multitude of infernos.

Some inmates even assisted in the effort. The Miramonte jail camp made a fire line to stop the advancing Holy Fire from consuming homes in the area.

“Oh man, it’s hard, but we make it look easy,” said one of the inmates, Michael Henson. “Man, you know, we (are) just trying to get the job done. You know, us firefighters help protect the community.”

– Erratic court appearance –

The man accused of deliberately starting the latest fast-moving blaze faces life in prison if convicted of arson and other charges.

Forrest Gordon Clark, 51, stands accused of starting the Holy Fire, which in four days has burned more than 18,000 acres of Cleveland National Forest 60 miles (100 kilometers) north of San Diego. It is still spreading.

Prosecutors say Clark started the fire, which is only five percent contained, with the intention of causing damage to others and burning a forest. The blaze has razed a dozen properties so far.

He has also been charged with threatening neighbors — one of whom lost his cabin in the fire — and resisting arrest. He faces sentences ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment.

During his initial court appearance, Clark flipped his dark, waist-length hair, spat and paced back and forth behind the chain-link fence of the court cell.

“That’s a lie,” Clark interrupted the judge while charges were read. His lawyers had to intervene repeatedly to ask him to keep quiet.

At first, Clark would not show his face, his lawyers saying he feared reprisals against his family.

His lawyers asked to postpone the preliminary hearings by a week so that they could study the government’s evidence.

“May I pay for that immediately? Can I post bail? I can handle a million (dollars) right now, easily,” Clark added, but the judge refused his request.

He had refused to leave his jail cell on Thursday.

Mike Milligan, the local volunteer fire chief who owns a cabin near Clark’s, told The Orange County Register that Clark had long-running feuds with neighbors in the area.

Milligan said that Clark had recently sent him an email warning, “this place will burn.”

The head of the Orange County team fighting the Holy Fire said the blaze had started near Clark’s cabin in Jim Canyon.

Before his arrest, Clark told a reporter he had nothing to with the fire.

“I was asleep. I had two earplugs in,” he told the reporter. “I woke up and my stuff was all on fire,” he said. He also claimed he had been threatened by the MS-13 gang.

– Mass evacuations –

The blaze has already forced the evacuation of 7,400 homes and more than 21,000 people. Many schools have been forced to close, and more evacuation orders were being issued.

InciWeb, the interagency incident information management system offering updates on more than a dozen fires in the tinder-dry west of the country, said that “steep inaccessible terrain will continue to allow the fire to spread into new areas.”

High temperatures were expected to worsen conditions and “increase the likelihood of extreme fire behavior as well as heat illness issues for the firefighters and the public,” it said.

The forest service said: “We continue to actively engage, but cannot get ahead of the fire.”

California Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency for Orange and Riverside counties, where the fire is concentrated.

New Netflix Series ‘Insatiable’ Faces Fat-Shaming Accusations

By
AFP
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Netflix’s new series “Insatiable,” hitting screens Friday, was touted by the streaming service as a dark comedy meant to spark debate on society’s ills.

Instead, critics have slammed it as fat-shaming, homophobic and denigrating to transgender people.

The offbeat show follows the story of overweight teen Patty, who is mocked and bullied incessantly until she has an accident that requires her jaw be wired shut — which causes her to shed significant weight.

With her new svelte figure, she vows to seek revenge on all those who attacked her, notably by participating in beauty contests.

The trailer prompted fierce backlash from critics accusing the show of body-shaming.

It perpetuates “not only the toxicity of diet culture, but the objectification of women’s bodies,” read a petition launched last month.

With the show’s release on Friday, the petition — which calls for the series’ cancellation — had more than 229,400 signatures.

Some people also skewered the show for the way it portrayed homosexuality, including apparently making light of Patty’s best friend Nonnie for her repressed desire.

In another scene, a young girl who accidentally releases a nude photo of herself says she initially “figured everyone would think I’m a slut.”

“Now they think I’m a lesbian and that’s way worse,” she says.

And in another scene, Patty and a transgender woman compare being fat to being transgender, saying they both aspire to change their bodies.

“At the very least, it will be a conversation starter,” said Alyssa Milano, who stars in the show.

“People bring with them their own emotional history and that’s what makes art amazing and TV entertaining. I’m completely aware that it’s not a show for everybody but we’re really proud of what we did.”

Netflix’s vice president of original series, Cindy Holland, said the series explores issues “satirically, in a very over-the-top way.”

Lauren Gussis, who created the show, called it “a cautionary tale about how damaging it can be to believe the outsides are more important — to judge without going deeper.”

“Please give the show a chance,” she said.

Ford Unveils New Affordable SUV

By
AFP
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Ford continues to struggle to achieve the sales numbers it had hoped for in China. But the Blue Oval has come up with a plan to introduce as many as 50 new models in the People’s Republic between now and 2025. One of the first will be the new affordable Ford Territory crossover.

The strategy seems entirely sensible, as it seems the world can’t get enough of crossover vehicles right now. This may be the car that really gets the ball rolling for Ford in China again.

The model in question will be called the Territory — not to be confused with the SUV of the same name for the Australian market, which is a rear-wheel drive based on the Ford Falcon. The name alone marks it as a new kind of Ford SUV since its name doesn’t begin with an ‘E’.

Strictly aimed at the Chinese market, this midsize model has been developed in conjunction with Ford’s Chinese partner JMC. Though details are scarce at the moment, it has been revealed there will be three different engines available: a conventional petrol unit, a Miller-cycle-style engine with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system attached, and a plug-in hybrid.

While JMC consulted with Ford on what sells best in China, the design, engineering and testing of the new Territory were said to be all Ford-led. The vehicle will be manufactured in China at one of JMC’s factories.

In fact, the Chinese company may have had more to do with the development than Ford is currently revealing. That’s because Car News China says the Territory appears almost identical to an SUV already on sale in China called the S330, which is manufactured by a brand called Yusheng, owned by none other than JMC.

But that model comes equipped with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine that develops 163 horsepower, so it looks as though the engines for the new model will be contributed by Ford.

The Territory will go on sale in China in early 2019. There isn’t much chance of it finding its way to the US or Europe though, as it’s unlikely to pass the stringent safety and emissions standards of those markets without considerable redevelopment and at considerable cost.

Samsung Hopes For Sales Boost With Galaxy Note 9

By
AFP
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South Korean electronics giant Samsung unveiled the new Galaxy Note 9 smartphone Thursday, its latest effort to address flagging sales of the high-functioning gadgets.

Boosting the power and the price, Samsung hopes to win back customers in the competitive market. The consistent leader in the global smartphone market, the company nonetheless suffered a 22 percent drop in mobile technology sales in the second quarter.

The company blamed the drop in part to disappointing demand for the Galaxy S9, but it also has been pressured by growth in Chinese competitor Huawei.

At a glitzy the launch event in Brooklyn, Samsung unveiled a suite of high tech products, including a smart speaker and watch, and then showed off the new Galaxy Note 9, which will be available for purchase on August 24.

The phone contains a series of improvements but was described by analysts as having no radical new innovations. The latest model boosts memory capacity and allows customers to play video games such as the popular Fortnite.

Customers will have the option of 128 or 512 gigabytes of memory, and also can insert a micro card to boost capacity beyond a terabyte, a record for a smartphone.

Samsung also enhanced the gadget’s batteries so it can now be used for an entire day without needing to be recharged — a common headache for cell phone users.

Other improvements include tweaks to the device’s “S Pen” feature, which can be used as a remote control for taking pictures or selfies using Bluetooth technology.

And the new model has enough capacity for video games. Samsung has set up a promotion with the popular Fortnite game that lets users download a special mobile version.

According to some trade media sources, the Galaxy Note 9 version with 512 gigabytes will be the most expensive smartphone geared towards the general public.

– Pricey, not radically new –

The price for that model will be $1,1250 in the United States, while the 128-gigabyte version will go for $1,000. Apple’s iPhone X in a 256-gigabyte version sells for about $1,150.

Global smartphone sales fell 1.8 percent in the second quarter to 342 million amid market saturation and rising prices, according to tech-industry trackers International Data Corporation.

Avi Greengart, the analyst at GlobalData, described the upgrades in the latest Samsung as “iterative,” adding “there is nothing radically new here.”

“It’s a really expensive phone and for people who are looking for a premium Android phone, they may well find it quite appealing,” he said. “But it isn’t likely to get people to consider the Note for the very first time.”

By contrast, Apple’s more dramatic overhaul of the iPhone X design and user interface showed there is a “large group of people who are willing to spend whatever it takes” to upgrade, Greengart said.

Samsung also introduced the Galaxy Watch and the Galaxy Home speaker device, a first for the South Korean company in a market that already contains Amazon’s Echo and Alphabet’s Google Home program.

The company also announced a partnership with streaming music service Spotify to allow “streamless listening” across all Samsung devices, including phones, tablets and smart TVs, as well as the Galaxy Home.

The smart speaker may have a better shot outside the United States, said Patrick Moorhead, an analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy.

“In the US, Alexa is very entrenched and so is Google Assistant, so it might be

NASA is All Set to Launch of First Spacecraft to ‘Touch Sun’

By
AFP
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NASA counted down Friday to the launch of a $1.5 billion spacecraft that aims to plunge into the Sun’s sizzling atmosphere and become humanity’s first mission to explore a star.

The car-sized Parker Solar Probe is scheduled to blast off on a Delta IV Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida early Saturday.

The 65-minute launch window opens at 3:33 am (0733 GMT), and the weather forecast is 70 percent favorable for takeoff, NASA said.

The probe’s main goal is to unveil the secrets of the corona, the unusual atmosphere around Sun.

Not only is the corona about 300 times hotter than the Sun’s surface, it also hurls powerful plasma and energetic particles that can unleash geomagnetic space storms and disrupt Earth’s power grid.

“The Parker Solar Probe will help us do a much better job of predicting when a disturbance in the solar wind could hit Earth,” said Justin Kasper, one of the project scientists and a professor at the University of Michigan.

– ‘Full of mysteries’ –

The probe is protected by an ultra-powerful heat shield that is just 4.5 inches thick (11.43 centimeters).

The shield should enable the spacecraft to survive its close shave with the center of our solar system, coming within 3.83 million miles (6.16 million kilometers) of the Sun’s surface.

The heat shield is built to withstand radiation equivalent up to about 500 times the Sun’s radiation here on Earth.

Even in a region where temperatures can reach more than a million degrees Fahrenheit, the sunlight is expected to heat the shield to just around 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,371 degrees Celsius).

Scorching, yes? But if all works as planned, the inside of the spacecraft should stay a cooler 85 F (29 C).

The goal for the Parker Solar Probe is to make 24 passes through the corona during its seven-year mission.

“The sun is full of mysteries,” said Nicky Fox, project scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab.

“We are ready. We have the perfect payload. We know the questions we want to answer.”

– 91-year-old namesake –

The tools on board will measure the expanding corona and continually flowing atmosphere known as the solar wind, which solar physicist Eugene Parker first described back in 1958.

Parker, now 91, recalled that at first, some people did not believe in his theory.

But then, the launch of NASA’s Mariner 2 spacecraft in 1962 — becoming the first robotic spacecraft to make a successful planetary encounter — proved them wrong.

“It was just a matter of sitting out the deniers for four years until the Venus Mariner 2 spacecraft showed that, by golly, there was a solar wind,” Parker said earlier this week.

He added that he is “impressed” by the Parker Solar Probe, calling it “a very complex machine.”

Scientists have wanted to build a spacecraft like this for more than 60 years, but only in recent years did the heat shield technology advance enough to be capable of protecting sensitive instruments, according to Fox.

Tools on board will measure high energy particles associated with flares and coronal mass ejections, as well as the changing magnetic field around the Sun.

“We will also be listening for plasma waves that we know flow around when particles move,” Fox added.

“And last but not least, we have a white light imager that is taking images of the atmosphere right in front of the Sun.”

When it nears the Sun, the probe will travel rapidly enough to go from New York to Tokyo in one minute — some 430,000 miles (700,000 kilometers) per hour, making it the fastest human-made object.

Here’s How You Can Get Paid to Stalk Someone on Social Media

By
Anusha Sachwani
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Now you can get paid to stalk people on social media! Well, not legitimate stalking, that is still illegal.

However, your future employer and job might just be able to let you do that. Andy Bartram, has launched his own investigation agency to funnel out all the fake profiles and trolls so as to keep normal singletons safe.

The developer’s tool is dedicated towards vetting out fake profiles for those who use Tinder and Bumble type dating applications. Active social media users can use the pre-date search service of a nominal fee of £20.

Android 9 Pie: Top 5 Features that Make it Standout!

“I have done those kinds of searches as an intelligence analyst and while I was watching Catfish on MTV I thought it could potentially be a good idea to do something similar here.

Anybody could do it, but in the same way if you need your boiler fixed, you would get a professional in because of safety.

I have spent a number of years as a criminal intelligence analyst and I have had police training.

That gives me the power to interrogate web pages to get results back.” – Andy Bartram

He being a father, said he was confident in his stalking skills which he learnt from the police and can be used to do good.

“Although I set it up as a vetting thing for dating it could also be used for other purposes. Online dating is such a massive industry these days.

I have got lots of friends who use it quite a lot and there are numerous different apps people use.

It is all swipe right and swipe left.” He added.

Want to get paid for stalking? Hop in on the bandwagon and join a similar cause!

Stay tuned to Brandsynario for more news and updates.

Cyber-Security Firm Discovers HUGE Flaw in WhatsApp!

Here’s How You Will be Able to Try On Makeup via Facebook

By
AFP
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L’Oréal is teaming up with Facebook to bring augmented reality makeup experiences to the masses.

The global cosmetics giant is joining forces with the social media platform via ModiFace, the AR company that it acquired earlier this year.

Modiface will offer Facebook users the chance to virtually try on a range of makeup products from some of L’Oréal’s best-known brands, including Maybelline, L’Oréal Paris, NYX Professional Makeup, Lancôme, Giorgio Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, Urban Decay, and Shu Uemura. The project will kick off at the end of this month with an NYX experience.

“We are at that magical moment when technologies have matured enough and consumer appetite for using them is growing everywhere,” said Lubomira Rochet, L’Oréal Chief Digital Officer, in a statement. “We are very excited about that new step in our long-term partnership with Facebook.”

“By bringing AR into the mainstream L’Oréal and Modiface are reshaping the beauty experience and we’re thrilled to see this brought to life on Facebook,” added Will Platt-Higgins, VP of Global Account Partnerships at Facebook.

Augmented reality and virtual reality technologies have becoming a major focus within the beauty industry over the past year, with brands such as Tarte, Charlotte Tilbury and Lancôme just some of the brands to have explored offering customers various immersive virtual experiences or online tutorials.

Supreme Court Breaks Silence Over Tax Reduction of Locally-Assembled Vehicles

By
uzair alavi
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A news was going viral on social media stating that the Supreme Court has directed the Ministry of Finance and Federal Board of Revenue to reduce the incumbent taxes on locally assembled motor vehicles, to up to 25% from an estimated 33% which constitute sales, customs, and income tax.

According to the latest update by the Express Tribune, the news was false and Supreme Court did not pass any such order.

Earlier this year in May, a Campaign Against Monopoly of Big Three (CAMBT) picked up steam on consumers rallying to boycott three car manufacturers. The campaign took a few matters to the court as well.

The campaigners alleged that the locally manufactured cars were of poor quality, were unsafe and highly priced. They argued that the three car manufacturing giants (Suzuki, Honda, and Toyota) maintained a monopoly in the industry through the government protection.

The campaigners also garnered support among the consumers across Pakistan who have themselves been making similar complaints.

However, no action has been taken against the matter!

Stay tuned to Brandsynario for more updates.

 

Sindh Government Bans Cattle Markets in Karachi

By
Web Desk
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The Sindh government on Thursday imposed a ban on establishment of cattle markets or mandis within the jurisdiction of Karachi.

Only the cattle markets at Super Highway, Malir 15, Aso Goth, Landhi, Rice Godown, Moach Goth, are permitted in the city, besides ones in the vicinity of Clifton and Karachi Cantonment Board.

The government has imposed the ban in the exercise of powers conferred under Section 144 (b) Cr. PC.

The state also imposed a ban on establishment of cattle market sale/purchase of sacrificial animals except in the cattle market specified/ notified by the Home Department on the recommendation of respective Commissioners/Deputy Commissioners with immediate effect till 12th Zilhajj, 1439 Hijri.

The Station House Officers (SHOs) of concerned Police stations have been authorized to register complaints under Section 188 PPC in writing for the violation of Section 144 Cr. PC against the violators.

Contributed by: Uzair Alavi

 

 

 

Shahid Afridi Donates a Whopping Amount to Edhi Foundation!

By
Anusha Sachwani
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Shahid Afridi or Boom Boom Afridi knows how to make a home in people’s hearts. Whether it be the on-field or off-field, Afridi never fails to make us head over heels.

Recently, he announced that his foundation, Shahid Afridi Foundation (SAF), will donate Rs. 5 million in the memory of his idol Abdul Sattar Edhi. He further added that Faysal Edhi contributed Rs. 2.5 million for SAF.

“To RECOGNIZE my idol and legendary philanthropist #Edhi sahab, safoundation announces rs. 5 million to edhi trust at #pcbawards, as a token oF APPRECIATION FOR HIS exemplary work. also, thank you faysal edhi for your contribution of rs. 2.5 million to saf. together we all are #hopenotout #safcares”

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) held its annual award show and charity gala on 8th August.

The men in green took full advantage of the extravaganza to look suited, booted, and dapper!

The ceremony started yesterday on Wednesday, 8th August at 9pm as PCB Chairman Najam Sethi warmly welcomed all those present, including cricket stars, prominent figures, and others.

PCB Awards 2018 Annual Show: Winners List & Highlights [Watch Video]

Zaid Ali’s Wife Shuts Down Reham Khan & Maheen Taseer in an Angry Post

By
Ghazala Sulaiman
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There is an intense twitter war going on between Reham Khan, Zaid Ali T and Maheen Taseer! And it is showing no signs of ending any time soon.

And now Zaid Ali’s wife, Yumna Zaidi too has joined the feud, making the battle all the more fierce.

I decide my vibe 💃🏻

A post shared by Yumnah Shahid (@yumnahalit) on

Here’s all that happened!

We all know that Reham Khan is clearly not happy with the rise of Naya Pakistan and she is making sure the whole world knows it! While Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) is celebrating their victory in General Elections 2018, Imran Khan’s ex-wife Reham seems determined to expose the politician.

Of course, social media is bound to believe that Reham Khan is being the typical mean ex who is on a mission to ruin Imran Khan.

Witnessing Reham’s dedication to achieving her goal, the Pakistani-Canadian Youtube sensation Zaid Ali tweeted a message for IK’s ex-wife.

ZaidAliT

Savage that he is, Zaid Ali roasted her like a boss!

Reham Khan replied with equal force to shut him up!

Heating the matter, even more, Zaid Ali hit back at Reham with a fiery tweet!

Things took an interesting turn when Maheen Taseer joined the drama and schooled Zaid Ali for shaming women.

While the Pakistani-Candian Youtuber remained silent on the matter, is was Yumna Ali who took matters in her own hand and defended her husband.

Things are getting pretty heavy now. Let’s see if Maheen or Reham will respond to Yumna.

Stay tuned to Brandsynario for more updates.

 

Xiaomi Brings Flagship Mi 8 and Mi Band 3 to Pakistan

By
Web Desk
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Further cementing its commitment to introduce more amazing products at honest pricing in Pakistan, Global technology leader Xiaomi brings its flagship Mi 8 and Mi Band 3, an all-around upgrade on Xiaomi’s wildly popular fitness tracker in Pakistan, along with its incredibly accessible Redmi 6 and Redmi 6A.  

Mi 8: Xiaomi 8th Anniversary Flagship

Driven by its bold innovative culture, Xiaomi has rolled out a number of groundbreaking technologies making their world debut in its latest flagship smartphone series.

Mi 8 is the first smartphone in the world to adopt dual-frequency GPS, supporting both L1 and L5 bands, resulting in much more accurate navigation.

Mi 8 is a perfect unification of aesthetics, ergonomics, and quality. It features a four-sided curved glass back panel, aviation-grade aluminum frame, and a 2.5D glass screen. It sports a 6.21-inch FHD+ Samsung AMOLED full-screen display with an 18.7:9 aspect ratio and 86.68% screen-to-body ratio.

Powered by Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 845 platform with Artificial Intelligence Engine (AIE) and Adreno 630 graphics, Mi 8 is able to achieve an impressive AnTuTu score exceeding 300,000.

Mi 8 elevates the exceptional photography experience Xiaomi delivered with Mi MIX 2S, blowing the competition out of the water thanks to professional tuning from Xiaomi’s camera lab. With a 12MP dual AI camera, Mi 8 received a 105 photo score from the respected camera benchmark organization DxOMark — becoming the fourth best smartphone camera in the world. On the front, Mi 8 sports a 20MP camera that uses pixel binning technology to combine information from four pixels to create one large 1.8µm pixel for clearer photos in low light.

With new software features including the AI-enabled Studio Lighting function, portraits now look like they were shot in a professional studio setting. In addition, Xiaomi’s AI Beautify 5.0 delivers a number of facial retouching effects for amazing portraits.

Mi 8 also features face unlocking with an infrared camera paired with a dedicated infrared illuminator.

Mi 8 will be available in black at an amazing price of Rs. 64,999.

Xiaomi makes great strides with Mi Band 3

It’s been two years since one of our best-selling products, Mi Band 2, entered the smart fitness band market. Since its launch, our Mi Band 2 has ranked among the top three wearable devices in the world with more than 15.7 million units sold in 2017, according to a report from IDC.

With a large OLED touchscreen display in addition to a physical button for easy control, Mi Band 3 is an all-around upgrade on Xiaomi’s wildly popular fitness tracker, complete with a more comfortable and secure wristband, along with a 20-day battery life and 50-meter water resistance.

Mi Band 3 will be available in black color at a price of Rs. 3,999.

Smartphone with SoC based on 12nm process

Redmi 6 sports the latest MediaTek Helio P22 SoC. Its octa-core CPU is built on 12nm process and consumes about 48% less power than comparable 28nm chipsets. The CPU also features ARM’s big. LITTLE architecture that automatically switches between performance and power-efficient cores depending on tasks, so as to achieve balanced performance and power consumption.

Redmi 6 has a 5.45-inch 18:9 display with a screen-to-body ratio of 80.5%. Its polycarbonate back panel has a brushed metal surface and is symmetrically curved and gently tapered toward the edges so it feels great in the hand.

Redmi 6 has a 12MP + 5MP dual camera setup. The main sensor has 1.25µm large pixels—the largest among popular smartphones in this price range. Larger pixels take in more light than smaller ones, a huge advantage for improving photo quality and reducing noise, especially in low-light conditions. It also uses phase-detection autofocus to improve focusing speed so users won’t miss capturing important moments. The 5MP front camera of Redmi 6 is supported by Xiaomi’s AI Portrait mode, which renders a realistic bokeh effect with a single lens.

Redmi 6A adopts the same body and screen as Redmi 6. It sports the MediaTek Helio A22 SoC that is also built on the 12nm process. Redmi 6A’s 3000mAh battery allows the phone to stay in standby mode for up to 19 days. Redmi 6A has a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera—both capable of using Xiaomi’s AI Portrait mode. MIUI has also been optimized for Redmi 6A, reducing system apps’ memory usage by nearly 30%.

Redmi 6 comes with two variants: 3+32GB for Rs. 19,999 and 4+64GB for 24,999. Redmi 6A is priced at Rs. 14,999 for 2+16 GB and Rs. 16,999 for 2+32 GB.

 

 

Reham Khan Leaks Cryptic Messages from Imran Khan’s Stolen Blackberry

By
Ghazala Sulaiman
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It is no secret that Reham Khan is at a full-fledged war with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf Chairman and ex-husband, Imran Khan.

The couple parted ways in 2015 after being married for 10 months. It is reported that Reham took away Kaptaan’s personal Blackberry while leaving Bani Gala.

The device’s had IK’s private information and various conversations with party members. Seemingly, Reham Khan kept the Blackberry safe and copied all the data to keep the information safe.

Last month, Reham tweeted that she will soon be releasing private chats from the mobile phone.

Staying true to her warning, she has leaked a screenshot of a text message between Imran Khan and an unknown user.

And without revealing too much, she left it upon her followers to guess the details!

A guessing game has kickstarted on social and people are curious to know who is the unknown user!

Some people put two and two together and discovered the Caller ID belonged to a woman named Maryam.

Ofcourse from all the ‘Maryams’, the unknown user could not have been Maryam Nawaz.

However, social media Sherlocks finally solved the mystery that the woman was Maryam Wattoo.

For those who are unaware, Maryam Watoo is the sister of Bushra Manika, Imran Khan’s current wife.

According to rumors, Imran Khan was linked in gossip columns to Maryam Riaz Wattoo who used to live in Dubai.

Later, Ms. Wattoo clarified that the story of their wedding was false and disturbing to her family.

To all the replies on her cryptic tweet , Reham simply tweeted:

While Reham has rolled out the messages on Twitter, they still prove nothing and has left social media in utter confusion.

Stay tuned to Brandsynario for more updates.

Atif Aslam Breaks Silence Over Independence Day Parade Controversy

By
Ghazala Sulaiman
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UPDATE: Over the past few days, a debate is in full swing on social media over Atif Aslam’s singing a Bollywood song at an Independence Day parade in New York.

Fans of the singing sensation appear divided on the controversy. However, Aslam has now broken the silence and has reply will leave you in awe.

Taking to Instagram, the crooner replied to all his haters with the message of love and peace!

Simply love my haters 😘

Bayshak Allah izat denay aur rakhnay wala hai

He also lauded his loyal admirers who believed in him and supported him amidst all the backlash!

Sabz jhanda meri pehchan hai or mere fans jantay hain k mein iska ehtaram kerna achi tarah janta hun Mje bohat khushi aur fakhar hai k meray fans fake propaganda Ka jawab dena achi tarah Jantay hain .. I hope NAYE PAKISTAN main un sab logon ko izat dena jaan jayen gae jino ne PAKISTAN ka naam poori duniya mein roshan kia hai

Atif Aslam’s inspirational reply to all the hatred speaks volumes of his patriotism and devotion to his Pakistan.

More power to our favorite singer!

 

Atif Aslam seems to have landed himself in hot water for singing a Bollywood song at an Independence Day parade in New York.

Reportedly, the artist crooned his tune ‘Tera Hona Laga Hoon’ from Indian flick ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’, irking many Pakistani citizens.

However, a video leaked from the parade shows fans going crazy when Atif sang ‘O Saathi’ from Baaghi 2.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRaABp2CHbE

Moreover, various sensationalist news reports claim that Atif Aslam declined to raise Pakistani flag at the parade and refused to chant ‘Pakistani Zindabad’ at the ceremony.

However, how much truth there is in the controversial tale is still not known!

Shafqat Amanat Ali took to Twitter and defended Atif with full force!

Meanwhile, Punjabi singer Abrar Ul Haq told ARY News that Atif should be careful in future to avoid backlash.

He should be forgiven for the inadvertent mistake, but it was rather insensitive to sing an Indian song at such an occasion.

But Renowned music composer, singer and actor Nadeem Jafferi shamed Atif Aslam for singing Indian songs at the parade.

It was inappropriate for Atif to sing any other song on any such occasion particularly from a country with which Pakistan has a contentious relationship.

Atif has released a large number of songs in India as compared to Pakistan, so either Pakistani artists should either be stopped from going to India or otherwise it not a serious issue.

 Loyal Fans of the singer are coming out in hordes to support him!

An attendee of the parade revealed what really happened and how Pakistanis, Indians, and Bengali went wild when Atif took over the stage!

Well, these unseen clips from the parade certainly prove that Atif Aslam rocked his gig and the crowd couldn’t get enough of him.

What do you think about this controversy? Let us know in the comments below.

 

Numaish Underpass Karachi: Traffic Diversion Plan Issued!

By
uzair alavi
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The always-busy MA Jinnah Road in Karachi will remain closed from August 8th (today) onwards.

The reason being the construction taking place of an underground facility and common corridor by KIDCL.

Nadia Hussain Loses Her Cool Over Video of Suffocating Baby in PIA Plane!

The Greenline underpass has been a nightmare for the residence of Gurumandir and Numaish.

The entire locality has been dug up for the past 9 months or so and no proper diversions have been constructed by the responsible authorities.

The underpass is being constructed for the federal government-funded Greenline bus rapid transit (BRT) project and it should have been completed by now.

Lack of coordination, ill-planning and red tape on part of the Sindh government have been a major blockage in the completion of the project.

Why is it important?

Numaish is one of the most important places in Karachi, it connects other parts of the city with the central bus district area and Saddar.

It is also a major route for all religious processions that take place in the city and major hospitals such as Civil, Taj Medical and the Sindh Institute of Urology can also be reached by passing the intersection.

Stay tuned to Brandsynario for more news and updates.

Contributed by: Uzair Alavi

Armeena Khan Criticized Former London Mayor Over Controversial Comment

Tri-Angels Electronics Brings Latest Hisense Laser TV Technology to Pakistan

By
Web Desk
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The emerging LED TV manufactures of Pakistan, Tri-Angels Electronics launched the latest and top of the line LED and Laser Televisions by China’s number 1 TV brand, Hisense in Pakistan with a colorful ceremony held in Karachi.

The 39-year-old brand Hisense form the past 14 years has been leading the charts in China being the No.1 TV brand and No.4 brand in the world has now launched in Pakistan through their exclusive distributing partners Tri-Angel Electronics, and have also established Hisense manufacturing plant in Karachi, Pakistan and started the production of LED TVs.

Hisense who have already bought Toshiba brand will start selling under their umbrella from March 2019 through its subsidies and distributors around the world, and Tri-Angles Electronics will be the distributor in Pakistan.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tri-Angels Electronics, Mr. Imran Ghani talking about company’s vision said, “Tri-Angels electronics with this collaboration with Hisense will leveraging its world-leading production and technology-development capabilities. Tri-Angels offers high-quality products and services based on highly advanced technologies that benefit people and companies alike. We will continue to focus on further improving our technical capabilities as a manufacturer of LED TV and on tackling fresh challenges towards advanced “New Eyes for Industry” that assure a sense of excitement and trust to our customers.”

The Vice Consul of China to Karachi, Ms. Li Xiaomeng, along with the Consular Attache of China to Karachi, Mr. Qin, were also present on the occasion.

Hisense currently has three overseas production bases, seven overseas R&D Centers, and 18 overseas companies and now with the partnership with Pakistani manufacturers, their network, production, and sell would increase. Their top products include Hisense 100 inch 4K Ultra HD Smart Laser TV with optimal brightness, Hisense U9 ULED TV, Hisense U7 ULED TV, and many more.

Hisense has not only emerged as the top TV brand but it has also been manufacturing one of the best smartphones in the world. Currently, the available models in Pakistan include H11 prime, H11 prime elite, and H12 premium.

The Karachi-based Tri-Angel Electronics (Private) Limited which was recently established has now grown into a corporate family of 200 members. The branch network is spread over five cities while the nationwide network of around 350 dealers spread over urban, rural and metropolitan areas of Pakistan. Providing after Sales Service support through five company-owned Service Centers and 17 contractual workshops spread all around Pakistan.

Swede Dreams: Ikea Makes Big Promises with First Indian Store

By
AFP
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Ikea’s boss promised Wednesday to meet the “needs, frustrations and dreams” of local consumers with the Swedish firm’s first Indian store, its second attempt to break into a vast but difficult market.

“We bring an inspiring, affordable and convenient home furnishing offer,” Jesper Brodin said a day before the grand opening of the furniture giant’s vast store on the outskirts of the southern city of Hyderabad.

“We promise to give great quality at affordable prices and try to expand quickly and reach other parts of the country with multiple stores,” Brodin told a news conference.

Ikea, whose founder Ingvar Kamprad died in January, is present in 49 countries. But its previous attempt in 2006 at reaching India’s burgeoning middle class fell foul of local regulations.

This time around, Ikea expects to attract seven million visitors per year to its 13-acre (5.3 hectare) Hyderabad site, the first of 25 outlets it hopes to open across the country of 1.25 billion by 2025.

But Brodin admitted having to give Ikea’s business model a local twist of Indian spice to try to attract a vast middle class not used to a company which expects them to assemble products themselves.

The differences between Hyderabad and the furniture giant’s 400-odd outlets elsewhere start in the 1,000-seater restaurant, its biggest worldwide and according to Ikea “possibly India’s largest”.

Instead of beef or pork, the company’s signature meatballs — almost as famous as its “Billy” bookshelves — will be either chicken or vegetarian. Local favourite biryani is also on the menu for 99 rupees ($1.44).

A plate of eight vegetarian meatballs will cost 129 rupees.

– Coconut mattresses –

“We have changed quite a lot for India. We have two ranges. One is the Swedish unique range and one is the local range,” Ikea food manager Henrik Osterstrom told AFP.

“Food is part of the total experience. It’s a big store and you need to have some energy boost halfway through. So we have sold everything here at different parts of the day,” Osterstrom added.

Alongside standard Ikea furniture, on offer are “locally relevant products” such as masala boxes, Indian frying pans called tawas, rice cake makers and mattresses with a coconut-fibre centre.

There are also more than 1,000 products under 200 rupees to satisfy consumers whom John Achillea, Ikea Hyderabad store manager, says have “big aspirations for their homes and small wallets”.

A major hurdle for Ikea’s DIY model, successful elsewhere, is abundant cheap labour and ubiquitous family-run shops whose staff visit customers’ homes and assemble furniture.

Ikea has therefore teamed up with UrbanClap, an online platform that helps connect handymen with consumers, and the firm also met 1,000 families to try to understand their needs.

The Swedish company is investing $1.5 billion in India as it bets big on luring a rising middle class away from local furniture makers.

After Hyderabad, Ikea plans to open outlets in the financial capital Mumbai next year, followed by stores in Bangalore and New Delhi as it seeks to grab a share of India’s estimated $40 billion home goods market.

But analysts warn that profits won’t come quickly or easily.

“Ikea will have to focus on staff training, the right mix of branding and reaching out to more customers in smaller cities and towns. Profitability will take time,” Satish Meena, of research firm Forrester, told AFP.

14th August Independence 2018 Shopping Deals & Discounts

By
Ghazala Sulaiman
-

Who doesn’t like shopping, that too on discounted rates? With 14th August just a few days away, various Azadi deals are being offered by fashion brands and retailers to celebrate the national festival.

After all its been 71 years since independence and this calls for a massive shopping spree! A few of the offers have already kick-started while others will open on 14th.

Check them all out below.

Leisure Club

Diners

Kayseria

Nimsay

Threads & Motifs

Gul Ahmed Ideas

So Kamal

Eden Robe

Sana Safinaz

Charcoal

Royal Tag

Al Karam

Almirah

J.

Bonanza Satrangi

Stay tuned to Brandsynario for more updates!

 

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