Tag Archives: careers
Samsung to launch ‘curved display smartphone’
Samsung to launch ‘curved display smartphone’ (AFP) / 25 September 2013 Samsung said on Wednesday it would unveil a smartphone with a curved display in October — a technological innovation aimed at maintaining its lead in a lucrative but increasingly saturated market. Curved displays are at a nascent stage in display technology which is shifting towards flexible panels that are bendable or can even be rolled or folded. “We will introduce a smartphone with a curved display in October,” Samsung mobile business head of strategic marketing D.J. Lee told reporters. He declined to give more details. Samsung — the world’s top maker of smartphones and TVs — unveiled prototype products with a flexible screen in January. But it still faces a major challenge in making other handset components — such as batteries — that can bend with the rest of the unit. Curved displays are already commercially available in large-screen televisions offered by companies including Samsung and LG. The displays are supposed to offer a more immersive viewing experience but are significantly more expensive than standard screens. In another attempt to break new ground, Samsung unveiled earlier this month a smartwatch called Galaxy Gear, which can take photos and videos, make or take phone calls, or check e-mails. Wearable computing, including Google’s smart glasses, is considered the next frontier in consumer electronics following smartphones. The watch received some scathing reviews, along with complaints that it only worked in conjunction with Samsung’s latest oversized smartphone, the Galaxy Note III. The Gear and the Galaxy Note III will hit stores in some 140 nations by the end of October, and Samsung executives said they were confident the critics could be won over. “We received so much criticism when we first unveiled the Galaxy Note series…but it has created a whole new market segment for oversized smartphones,” said Lee Young-Hee, executive vice president of Samsung’s mobile unit. D.J. Lee said the watch would be made connectable with other Samsung devices such as the flagship Galaxy S3 and S4 smartphones by the end of December. Continue reading
Suicide attack on Pakistani church kills 56 people
Suicide bombers kill more than 60 at Pakistan church (AFP) / 22 September 2013 A double suicide bombing killed more than 60 people at a church service in northwest Pakistan on Sunday, officials said, believed to be the deadliest attack on Christians in the troubled country. The two bombers struck at the end of a service at All Saints Church in Peshawar, the main town of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Doctor Mohammad Iqbal of Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital said that 61 people had been killed and 120 wounded. Fellow doctor Sher Ali confirmed the numbers. Sahibzada Anees , one of Peshawar’s most senior officials, told reporters the bombers struck when the service had just ended. “Most of the wounded are in critical condition,” Anees said. “We are in an area which is a target of terrorism and within that area there was a special security arrangement for the church. We are in a rescue phase and once it is over we will investigate what went wrong.” Former minister for inter-faith harmony Paul Bhatti and provincial lawmaker Fredrich Azeem Ghauri both said the attack was the deadliest ever targeting Christians in Pakistan. School teacher Nazir Khan , 50, said the service had just ended and at least 400 worshippers were greeting each other when there was a big explosion. “A huge blast threw me on the floor and as soon as I regained my senses, a second blast took place and I saw wounded people everywhere,” Khan tosaid. Grieving relatives blocked the main Grand Trunk road highway with bodies of the victims to protest against the killings, an AFP reporter said. Provincial lawmaker Ghauri said there were about 200,000 Christians in the province, of whom 70,000 lived in Peshawar. “Now after this attack Christians across Pakistan will fear for their lives,” he warned. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the bombings. “Terrorists have no religion and targeting innocent people is against the teachings of Islam and all religions,” he said in a statement. Sharif said such “cruel acts of terrorism reflect the brutality and inhumane mindset of the terrorists”. Continue reading
An ‘illegal’ basejump in Dubai
Australian Chris “Douggs” McDougall — who describes himself as a professional base jumper and adventure sports enthusiast on his Facebook page — holds several basejumping and skydiving records, and has previously performed in Dubai. The video, posted on YouTube and McDougall’s Facebook page about a week ago, has attracted almost 10,000 views. It is described as episode 10 of McDougall’s ‘Base Dreams 2013’ series. The video shows McDougall and a female companion in an apartment, just before 6.30am, dressed in jumping gear, prior to high-voltage footage of the pair jumping off the roof balcony. “Half past six in the morning and we’re gonna jump off our penthouse suite. Pretty cool,” McDougall says with a laugh, at the start of the video. The final scene of the video shows not more than 15 minutes has elapsed between leaving and re-entering the apartment. An industry source said the jump was illegal as McDougall did not have permission from any authority in Dubai. There were specific places designated for such jumps, but it was necessary for those wanting to jump from other buildings to get permission from both the building owner and police, the source said. He discouraged anyone else from following suit. Dubai Police CID Investigation Section Director Ahmad Al Marri said police were unaware of the jump. It is not clear from which building McDougall jumped, though other media reported it was 30 storeys. McDougall told news website 7 Days he did not believe the manoeuvre was “technically illegal” since he was staying in the building. However, various commentators have referenced the illegality of the act, including Vivek Raigaga who said: “this was illegal wasn’t it hahaha”. amanda@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
