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Author: News Desk

  • PS5 goes portable: Sony introduces PlayStation Portal for on-the-go gaming

    PS5 goes portable: Sony introduces PlayStation Portal for on-the-go gaming

    Sony is set to introduce a new addition to its gaming lineup later this year with the official launch of the portable PlayStation device, the PlayStation Portal remote player.

    This handheld gadget is designed to enable seamless streaming of PS5 games over Wi-Fi, boasting an impressive eight-inch LCD screen that supports a crystal-clear 1080p resolution at a smooth 60 frames per second. For eager gamers, the PlayStation Portal is anticipated to hit the market later this year, accompanied by a price tag of $199.99.

    Hideaki Nishino, the senior vice president of platform experience at Sony Interactive Entertainment, elaborated on the innovative features of the PlayStation Portal. He emphasised that the device will facilitate a remote connection to the PS5 through Wi-Fi, granting players the convenience of swiftly transitioning between gaming on their PS5 and the PlayStation Portal.

    With compatibility to play supported games installed on the PS5 console and the utilisation of the DualSense controller, the PlayStation Portal promises an immersive gaming experience beyond traditional boundaries.

    Drawing design inspiration from Sony’s acclaimed PS5 DualSense controllers, the PlayStation Portal showcases prominent controllers on both sides. These controllers boast adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, ensuring that the gameplay experience mirrors the sensation of using a dedicated DualSense controller.

    Beyond gaming, the PlayStation Portal extends its capabilities to media playback, offering a dedicated section on the homescreen that mirrors content from the PS5. However, it’s important to note that local execution of applications is not supported, making a Wi-Fi connection a prerequisite for usage.

    Regrettably, the PlayStation Portal lacks Bluetooth functionality, which means that wireless headphones and Sony’s Pulse 3D headset cannot be paired with it. Instead, Sony has introduced the proprietary PlayStation Link wireless technology, designed to provide low-latency, lossless audio transmission. In response to this, Sony is also launching a range of wireless headsets and earbuds that are compatible with PlayStation Link technology.

    Although these can be used with a PS5 through a USB adapter, there are indications that future PS5 models, potentially including a rumoured “Slim” version, could seamlessly integrate the PlayStation Link standard. Notably, third-party manufacturers will also have the opportunity to incorporate the PlayStation Link standard into their products. As a nod to versatility, the PlayStation Portal features a 3.5mm headphone jack to accommodate wired audio preferences.

    Intriguingly, details regarding the battery size of the PlayStation Portal remain unconfirmed. This leaves us eagerly anticipating the announcement of its battery life, which is projected to be in the ballpark of the DualSense controller’s runtime—approximately seven to nine hours, according to sources.

    The PlayStation Portal, previously codenamed Project Q, was unveiled under its official name in May. Although a specific release date remains undisclosed, the device is rumoured to make its market debut in November. As the anticipation builds, the PlayStation community can look forward to the upcoming launch of the PlayStation Portal, available at a competitive price of $199.99.

  • Jubh hum sub ko pyaar hua tha: the KKKG scene we’ll never forget

    If we ask y’all when did your love affair with the superstar Shah Rukh Khan begin, we’d get a lot of different responses but mostly it is the cult classic ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum’ that struck the hearts of fans. It is remembered as one of Karan Johar’s most iconic rom-com’s of all time, and the pairing of SRK with Kajol to be one that can outshine all the Hollywood romcoms ever created.

    But looking back at the song from the film ‘Shava Shava’ a scene continues to find its way back on Twitter once again, when Rahul dreams up Anjali dancing at his father’s party and then re-calls how he fell in love with her at first sight. You know which scene we’re talking about, and yes it completely set the bar for how superior the SRK-Kajol chemistry is.

    No matter how many rom-coms Bollywood will keep churning out, the beauty and simplicity of this heartfelt confession within 25 seconds will never ever be matched by any Bollywood films. Once more Twitter users began falling back in love with the film.

  • PM Kakar highlights the positive aspect of Pakistanis going abroad for ‘better opportunities’

    PM Kakar highlights the positive aspect of Pakistanis going abroad for ‘better opportunities’

    The issue of emigration from Pakistan has gained significant traction as more than 450,000 Pakistanis have departed the country in pursuit of improved job prospects overseas during the first half of 2023. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar addressed this pressing concern, emphasising the dual nature of this trend as both a challenge and an opportunity for the nation.

    Speaking to an audience at the University of Harvard’s interactive session in Islamabad, Prime Minister Kakar acknowledged the historic pattern of individuals leaving Pakistan in search of better livelihoods abroad. He highlighted the positive contributions that these expatriates make to the country through remittances, underscoring the integral role they play in supporting their families and contributing to Pakistan’s economy.

    Amid discussions about Pakistan’s desire for a constructive long-term partnership with the United States, the premier also turned the spotlight on the phenomenon of emigration. He stressed that the exodus of individuals seeking better opportunities was a recurrent trend and not exclusive to the present time. Prime Minister Kakar further asserted that the pursuit of a better life beyond national borders was a valid aspiration, echoing the sentiment that the success of these individuals, whether at home or abroad, was of paramount importance.

    Prime Minister Kakar’s address touched upon the challenges posed by high expenditures and limited resources in Pakistan. In this context, he emphasised that democracy served as a cornerstone of the nation’s strength and resilience. He commended the Pakistani populace for their ability to navigate crises with determination.

    The premier’s discourse extended to the issue of unemployment, which he identified as a concern shared by individuals both within the country and those who have sought opportunities abroad. However, Prime Minister Kakar also shed light on the positive aspects of this migration trend.

    “This is not only a challenge but also an opportunity, as these individuals bring benefits to the country through remittances,” Kakar said.

    “It is not wrong for them to go to other countries in search of better opportunities,” he said, adding that when individuals return to Pakistan, they bring not only financial assets but also valuable professional skills, enriching the country’s human capital.

    While the emigration trend remains a matter of significance, Prime Minister Kakar drew attention to the historical context. In the past, the country has witnessed varying levels of emigration, with the highest numbers recorded in 2015 and 2016. He underlined that this movement was a testament to individuals’ quest for better prospects and should be understood in that light.

  • ‘Ya Allah Reham’: Mohib Mirza, celebrities react to recent electricity bill hike

    ‘Ya Allah Reham’: Mohib Mirza, celebrities react to recent electricity bill hike

    Social media users and public figures expressed outrage over the weekend at the hike in electricity bills. The exorbitant sums led to protests across the country with citizens burning their bills. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakaar has responded to the outrage by tweeting that an emergency meeting would be called at the Prime Minister’s residence on Sunday to address the sudden hike.

    READ MORE: PM calls emergency meeting as public outcry grows over high electricity bills

    Celebrities have also decried inflation and how it impacts an ordinary citizen’s life.

    Actor Sami Khan shared a tweet by a journalist who shared a video of a man protesting against the price hike, and in the caption he wrote:

    ‘Ya Allah Reham farma.”

    Mohib Mirza addressed the situation with his own hilarious but rather dark twist:
    “Thank god we have not gone on the moon, otherwise the fuel adjustments for the rocket would have been taken from our bills!”

    Actress Mariyam Nafees shared a screenshot of a request of an imam, asking him to pray that inflation goes away, so a family could afford to eat. In the caption, she had requested all her followers to be thankful for having food to eat and a place to stay, because such things are luxuries for others.

  • JI announces protest against inflated electricity bills

    JI announces protest against inflated electricity bills

    The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) announced on Saturday that it would stage a protest against the exorbitant electricity bills.

    Addressing a seminar in Lahore, JI Ameer Sirajul Haq lashed out at political opponents and the caretaker government, saying, “The caretaker government is following the footsteps of the previous governments in terms of taking wrong decisions for the sake of the country.”

    “The power bills have increased three times within one month. People have been compelled to commit suicide due to the ballooning inflation. The electricity bill of at least Rs50,000 has been sent to every house,” said Mr Haq.

    He made it clear that the JI would stage a protest outside of the power distribution companies.

    Earlier, interim Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce that that he has summoned an emergency meeting over the price of electricity and consumers’ inflated bills, adding that he will hold consultations to provide maximum relief to power consumers.

    The prime minister has directed the Ministry of Energy and power distributions companies to present him with a detailed briefing over the issue.

  • 93% of married individuals in Pakistan are happy; new survey

    93% of married individuals in Pakistan are happy; new survey

    Gallup & Gilani Pakistan has published a new survey that indicates that 93% of married individuals in Pakistan are “satisfied with the level of dignity and respect they receive from their spouses”.

    The aim of the study was to gauge marital contentment, providing insights into the dynamics of marital relationships across the country.

    The sample of the study included married adult men and women from urban and rural areas of all four provinces of Pakistan. Gallup and Gilani approached 929 respondents from July 7th to July 16th, 2023 through telephonic surveys (CATI).

    The survey carries a confidence level of 95% with an estimated error margin of approximately ± 2-3 percent.

    The primary question asked was, “Considering your married life, please tell me to what extent are you satisfied with your spouse regarding ‘Treating with dignity and respect’?”

    As per the report, here are the response:


    Completely satisfied: 76%

    Somewhat satisfied: 17%

    Somewhat dissatisfied: 5%

    Completely dissatisfied: 1%

    Gave no response: 1%

  • PPP hints at legal action if elections are delayed

    Reiterating their call for general elections within 90 days, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has reinforced on Friday that it agreed to endorse the digital census results at the Council of Common Interests (CCI) only after receiving assurances that the action wouldn’t hinder the timely conduct of elections. The move, however, is now being exploited as a pretext to delay the polls. 

    Hinting at the possibility of pursuing “legal course” to uphold their principled stance, PPP leader Nayyar Bukhari said that if the party’s attempt to convince the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to meet the constitutionally mandated 90-day deadline, during the meeting scheduled for August 29, remains unsuccessful, the next central executive committee meeting in Lahore in September would unveil their final strategy.

    Speaking at a press conference alongside fellow party members at Bilawal House after the CEC meeting, PPP leaders adopted a more assertive tone in response to the ECP’s recent announcement. The ECP stated that the process of revising the delimitation of national and provincial assembly constituencies would conclude by December 14, extending beyond the constitutionally set deadline for conducting general elections.

    Sindh’s former chief minister Murad Ali Shah said that his party does not want elections to be postponed due to new delimitations. “Our aim is that the elections should be held on time. This census does not require fresh delimitations,” he added. 

    The digital census, he said, was controversial, adding that the Constitution does not say to conduct fresh delimitations after the census.

  • Poliovirus in Afghanistan poses a threat to Pakistan

    The International Health Regulations’ Emergency Committee has expressed concern over the increasing number of polio cases in Afghanistan which also pose a threat to Pakistan because of constant travel between the two countries.

    The Polio Emergency Committee issued a statement on Friday stating that there is still a risk of poliovirus spreading worldwide considering the “cross-border spread into Pakistan” from the eastern Afghan border.

    According to the committee, five new wild poliovirus cases were reported in Nangarhar province of Afghanistan. There were 32 positive environmental samples this year so far in the eastern region except for one site in Kandahar in the southern region and one from Balkh in the north.

    During the committee meeting summoned by the director general of World Health Organisation on August 16, it was stated that one new case of wild poliovirus was reported in Pakistan since May, total cases being two in 2023. Both the cases were reported from Bannu district.

    According to the committee statement, there have been 15 environmental surveillance positive samples in 2023. And while action plan in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has resulted in 160,000 more children being vaccinated, it remain a challenge nonetheless due to “political instability, insecurity in some areas, with front line workers requiring police patrols to accompany them, and vaccination boycotts where communities make demands for other services in exchange for allowing polio vaccination”.

  • Intel set to unveil 14th-Gen Core ‘Raptor Lake Refresh’ CPUs: What’s new?

    Intel set to unveil 14th-Gen Core ‘Raptor Lake Refresh’ CPUs: What’s new?

    Intel is gearing up for a significant announcement this year regarding its 14th-generation Core processors, the ‘Raptor Lake Refresh’ series. This follows the footsteps of last year’s Raptor Lake lineup. Over the past few months, several leaks have illuminated key details about these upcoming processors.

    The most recent information comes directly from MSI, a prominent Taiwanese motherboard manufacturer. Their leaked details confirm crucial aspects, including the names and core configurations of multiple chips within the forthcoming next-gen family.

    The source of this leaked information is an unlisted video posted by MSI on YouTube (via @DarkmontTech). Though the video has been made private since then, it initially revealed key insights about Intel’s upcoming CPU lineup.

    According to the video, the Raptor Lake Refresh series will utilise the Intel 7 (10nm) process node and offer support for higher DDR5 frequencies. Notably, these next-gen chips are projected to exhibit a mere 3 per cent increase in performance compared to their predecessors. For instance, the i7-14700K is anticipated to deliver an average performance improvement of up to 17 per cent in multi-threaded applications over the i7-13700K.

    This performance enhancement in the 14700K model can be attributed to the inclusion of four additional efficient cores in the new chip’s design. Reports suggest that this chip will sport 8 performance cores and 12 efficient cores, deviating from the 8P+8E configuration seen in the 13700K.

    On the other hand, the i5-14600K and the i9-14900K are expected to maintain the same core counts as their predecessors. The former is likely to continue with the 6P+8E configuration of the i5-13600K, while the latter is rumoured to retain 8 performance cores and 16 efficient cores, mirroring the i9-13900K.

    Earlier leaks have indicated that the new processors will adhere to the architectural framework of the Raptor Lake lineup. This means they will feature the same configuration of Raptor Cove P-Cores and Gracemont E-Cores as their predecessors. The manufacturing process will be based on the 10nm++ node, and at least one of the higher-tier chips is anticipated to achieve frequencies exceeding 6 GHz.

    However, this enhanced performance may come at the expense of higher power consumption, with top-tier Raptor Lake Refresh chips potentially reaching a TDP exceeding 300W. Fortunately, these chips will maintain compatibility with existing LGA 1700 and 1800 motherboards, enabling users to seamlessly upgrade their processors without necessitating an entire system overhaul.

  • PM calls emergency meeting as public outcry grows over high electricity bills

    PM calls emergency meeting as public outcry grows over high electricity bills

    On Saturday, people residing in various areas of the country openly expressed their deep sense of despair and frustration due to the shockingly high electricity bills they had received.

    Some individuals even went so far as to issue veiled threats of organising protests and, in more extreme cases, initiating a campaign of civil disobedience. These actions were contingent on the condition that the additional taxes included in the bills were not waived.

    The intensity of these emotionally charged reactions prompted the caretaker Prime Minister, Anwaar ul Haq Kakar, to swiftly convene an emergency meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence. This urgent gathering is scheduled to take place on the subsequent day, Sunday.

    Clarifying the purpose of the meeting, the premier stated, “In the meeting, a briefing will be taken from the ministry of power and distribution companies, and consultations will be held regarding giving maximum relief to consumers regarding electricity bills.”

     Protests took place in several cities including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, Gujranwala, Narowal, Kasur, Attock, Sargodha, Peshawar, Haripur, and numerous other cities across the nation. Numerous videos were shared on social media, depicting individuals burning their electricity bills and chanting slogans against power companies.