Apple dethrones Coca Cola in best global brands ranking

Interbrand's latest ranking saw US giant Apple jump to the top of the table in its 2013 Best Global Brands ranking. Fellow US company Google secured second place, while Coca Cola, which had led the field for 13 consecutive years, had to put up with third position.

Apple was quoted as having had a market value of $6.6 billion (4.9 billion euros) back in the year 2000, adding it was now roughly 15 times as valuable at $98.3 billion.
Interbrand noted that Apple was able to shoot to the top because of its consumer-friendly products, its innovation drive and splendid product design. It said the company had sold 72 million Macs and a record number of iPhones and iPads.

German brands runners-up
'It happens once in a while that a company manages to change our lives significantly, not only with its product, but also with its general approach to business operations and its public appearance,' Interbrand Global CEO Jez Frampton said in a statement.
The total brand value of all 100 listed firms in the ranking amounted to $1.5 trillion, Interbrand stated. The group of the nine German firms represented in the ranking also logged considerable increases in value, with Volkswagen and Porsche booking the biggest annual gains at 20 percent and 26 percent respectively .
Nonetheless, US firms continued to be the uncontested winners of the Best Global Brands competition this year, with almost half of the 100 firms coming from the United States. Germany took second place, with the total value of its nine listed firms amounting to $128.53 billion, marking a 12.7-percent jump over last year's results.

Bad News.. Toshiba to cut thousands of jobs at foreign TV plants

Japan's Toshiba reported Monday it would shut down or find an investor for two of its three wholly-owned overseas television production facilities in the next six months, adding some 2,000 jobs would have to go as a result.
The company had already stopped domestic production of TV sets and said it was aiming to integrate its manufacturing units in China, Indonesia and Poland by the end of March 2014. No details were given as to which facility would survive, but the Nikkei business daily speculated the Indonesian factory might stay because of its high production efficiency.
Company spokesman Atsushi Ido said the overseas move would allow the firm to boost the outsourced elements of its television production from the current 40 percent to 70 percent by the end of the next fiscal year.
Turning the corner?
Toshiba said it would also try and relocate 1,000 workers in Japan itself within the group as a result of the structural reform in the visual products business, including liquid crystal display TVs and Blu-ray players and recorders.
'Toshiba will focus more on emerging markets including Asia, the Middle East and Africa where growth in demand is expected,' the company said in a statement.
The Tokyo-based firm has been struggling with poor sales of TV sets and sluggish demand for PCs amid growing popularity of smartphones and tablets.

Airbus secures orders from two Chinese airlines

On the sidelines of a Beijing aviation show, Airbus announced Wednesday it had secured major orders from two new Chinese carriers which were planning to start operations soon.
The European plane maker said Qingdao Airlines requested 23 planes, while Zhejiang Loong Airlines ordered 20.
Both airlines' orders included a large proportion of A320neos (pictured) which Airbus designed with fuel efficiency and emission reductions in mind.
Booming sector
The purchases are still subject to approval from Chinese authorities.
'We welcome Qingdao Airlines as a new member of the big Airbus family,' Chief Operating Officer for Customers, John Leahy, said in a statement.
'And the commitment from Zhejiang Loong Airlines is also another vote of confidence for our popular A320 family.'
Airbus has a factory in China that assembles A320 series planes.
Boom in Asian air traffic
The announcement about the new orders came a day after Airbus predicted the Asia Pacific would overtake Europe and North America in air traffic by 2032.
It said overall growth in the sector would expand by 4.7 percent annually, with the world needing another 29,000 new commercial planes over the next two decades.
Passenger trips in China reached 320 million in 2012, up 9 percent from a year earlier.
hg/ipj (AFP, Reuters)

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4 features you didnot know exist in iOS 7 but probably should

Apple added a lot of big features in iOS 7, along with some important lesser-known ones. These are some of the ones you should know about.

It's been nearly a week since Apple releasediOS 7 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touchowners. The update, which included several new features and a completely revamped interface, marked the biggest face-lift the mobile operating system has seen since its debut in 2007.

Features such as the new Command Center,revamped Camera app, added gestures, andredesigned Notification Center have seen a large amount of press. You may not have been aware, however, that Apple also added more, smaller changes to the operating system.

Here are a few important features you should know about in iOS 7:

Added security
You don't need the fingerprint scanner in the iPhone 5S to have a secure device. It's recommend that iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch users utilize Apple's Passcode feature. This can be enabled by going to Settings, followed by General, and selecting Passcode Lock.

From this window you can lock your device with a password or PIN, in addition to enabling certain actions, such as using Siri or replying to a text message, while the device is locked. There are a number of options available to you when you set up the Passcode feature; for example, you can set the device to lock immediately after the screen is shut off, or delay the feature from going into effect for up to 4 hours.

(Credit: Screenshot by Dan Graziano/CNET)

You also have the ability to program your device to automatically erase all of your personal information after someone attempts (and fails) to unlock your phone. This feature can be found at the bottom of the Passcode Lock settings under the "Erase Data" option.

Improved Siri
We already told you about some of Siri's new abilities, including pulling information from places like Wikipedia and Twitter, controlling system settings, and the ability to change Siri's gender, but that's not all Apple's voice assistant can do. Siri can also help you listen to a voice mail or be used to return a missed phone call. To do this, simply open Siri with a long press on the home button and ask your request.

Apple Maps
The release of Apple Maps isn't something Apple would want to relive. The widely panned app was buggy and inaccurate, among other complaints, when it launched last year as part of iOS 6. With Google Maps gaining popularity across iOS, Apple has continued to improve its in-house mapping service.

A small change you will notice in Apple Maps for iOS 7 is a new Night Mode that is automatically enabled after the sun sets. The feature, which is present in the turn-by-turn navigation window, displays a darker gray background in place of the traditional bright white.

Mail
Along with support for new gestures, Apple's Mail app received a small and greatly appreciated new feature in iOS 7. A common complaint among iPhone and iPad users revolved around notifications that could quickly build up and become an eyesore. A simple change by Apple has all but resolved this issue, though.

(Credit: Screenshot by Dan Graziano/CNET)

All e-mails inside of the Mail app can now be flagged, or marked as read or unread in a few simple steps. To do this, click on the "Edit" button at the top right-hand side of the screen, followed by the "Mark All" option in the lower left-hand corner. A popup window will then appear that will give you the option to either Flag e-mails or mark them all as Read or Unread.

Be sure to check out this guide for everything you need to know about iOS 7.

IMF loan will cost Pakistan 1.2 million jobs: Asad Umar.

LAHORE: 

The fresh loan agreement between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will result in the dismissal of 1.2 million people from their jobs, further rupee devaluation, and increasing inflation, unemployment and create a mess overall for the economy of Pakistan, said Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar.

These are not my personal opinions, I am saying all this as it is written in IMF’s letter of intent of the loan agreement, which reflects the picture of Pakistan’s economy after the release of the fresh loan, said Umar while talking with the Lahore Economic Journalists Association.

The IMF’s technical analysis reveals that the Pakistani rupee is overvalued by 6%, and needs more depreciation for reforms, so in actuality they told the government that rupee devaluation was necessary for the agreement, said Umar. In addition it told the State Bank of Pakistan to purchase some million dollars  as they were aware that once SBP started purchasing dollars, the rupee would collapse as the Pakistan foreign exchange market hardly has any depth, he said.

But we were told by the government that Pakistan will further receive loan installments from other banks which would add around $10 billion in our reserves at the end of the year. We are unable to understand that if $10 billion will add in our reserves then why must the SBP purchase dollars, he asked.

The IMF document, he further said, stated that the growth rate without reforms will be 3%, while the government in the budget report says that growth rate would be around 3.4%, and after the above mentioned reforms, the IMF documents said that growth rate would further drop to 2.5% which would lead to the unemployment of 1.2 million people, Umar said. Even a fall of one rupee against dollar costs Rs70 billion to the economy, and the rupee has devalued by up to Rs7, he added.

“On one side, unemployment and inflation is increasing and the rupee is devaluing due to the government’s policy while on the other our stock market is making new highs but only billionaires are benefiting from it and minting money. Both things are connected,” said Umar.

This is the most crucial moment for the economy of Pakistan and we, as an opposition party have the responsibility to tell the public what actually is happening “, he said.

Talking about privatisation, Umar said that privatization may not produce fruitful results every time, sometimes privatisation works and sometimes it fails.

We are not against privatisation of corporations but the government must understand that this is not only an economical  issue, it is a political issue too, so they should discuss such things in parliament before to prepare  final draft, so the opposition may give some suggestions, he added.

We want to play a positive role for the economic revival of the country, Umar said.

Debutante and fashion’s usual stars shine

KARACHI: Maheen Khan

Maheen Khan’s feminine berets might make their way into your wardrobe in all their blooming glory, but teamed with printed ‘monumental’ jumpsuits and pants, they tread precariously on the fashion tightrope. Her otherwise chic, casual look that boasts enough colours to brighten a dull, autumn day has enough appeal to drag us to Gulabo this season. The cropped pants and kurtis with standout markhor prints are statement pieces that gracefully fuse culture with high street fashion and resound elegance. And if you want to inject a pop of colour into your look, just lace up with the ultra-hip sneakers.

Shamaeel Ansari

With fall leaf prints on clothes and spring flowers in hair, Shamaeel Ansari’s opening outfits displayed warm oranges reminiscent of autumnal leaves, appliquéd on cream silk and lace outfits. Cybil and Neha’s hair bloomed with white flowers of spring that raised expectations. What followed were soft, flowy, tunics knotted and tasselled to perfection, and paired with soft, baggy lowers. One-shoulder, peak-a-boo sleeves, tassels and lace appliqué were some of the main features of Shamaeel’s collection — elegant and certainly high on craftsmanship.

Deepak Perwani

Deepak Perwani’s Frieda Khalo from Kharadar to Defence collection fused monochrome with floral prints — a delicate balance that paid off. His opening look donned by Iraj was a hit — a bright yellow, printed shirt paired to perfection with monochrome turn-over pants embroidered with a bright, bold border. The black knee-length skirt with traditional pink and white threadwork, coupled with a Victorian-inspired black, chiffon top with delicate lace detail was praiseworthy in all its sheer beauty.

Sometimes the simplest looks make the strongest statements, and this was definitely the case with Deepak’s collection. His short, mullet dress with soft folds and a striped jumpsuit with floral detail, oozed sophistication. But unfortunately, the sophistication was gunned down by the red and white flowers that adorned Neha’s hair. Too much and too little can be dangerous when it comes to styling — designers please take note!

Ayesha Ibrahim

Sheer catastrophe is what we’re labelling Ayesha’s night gown-like collection. Each look was dotted with confusion; the white shorts, if you can call them that, seemed more like cropped men’s Bermudas and cut off at a very unflattering length. The chiffon dresses with silk brocades and sequinned embroidery were a far cry from the elegance exuded by Deepak’s dresses and the colour blocking had a lot to be desired — black and turquoise clearly being an unpleasant match.

Ahmed Bham

A nice suit can make any man look dapper and sophisticated, but we can’t pay that compliment to Ahmed Bham’s latest collection. Either the models had pumped up some iron just before the show or the coats were intentionally too fitted from the chest. The sharp and clean cuts were funked up by an unusual colour palette. Although the overall collection was not very tasteful, the bow ties were redeeming and the black suit with thin stripes was borderline classy.

Umaima Mustafa

Umaima Mustafa’s debut collection for the Pakistan Expo on the second day of the Trade Development Authority Pakistan’s (TDAP)fashion segment displayed an array of outfits that embodied both, day and night wear. She used a softer colour palette of nudes, beiges, whites and dull golds, adding edge with black at times. Her nude sequenced and quilted blazer worn over a lace top and baggy shorts was bang on trend and effortlessly chic. Her design with dull-gold, chiffon palazzos and a black and gold cropped top was a winner. The quilted back which also collared the front of the shimmery crop top made this the best outfit of her collection. Crinkle chiffon palazzos, white cotton front-open long tops clinched at the waist with gold chains and appliquéd mummies gave her collection an Egyptian goddess sophistication, complete with Egyptian gold bands worn on the forehead. The feminine cuts and intricate designs were definitely impressive for a first-timer. Unfortunately, her maxi dresses were a disappointment. The white silk dress with a slit on the side could be taken for a night gown and the black chiffon maxi dress with gold wings on the back was far from angelic and definitely not innocent.

Fahad Hussayn

Metallic Mohawks, tie-and-dye pants, leather corsets and leather-bound shins spell fashion disaster. Fahad clearly missed the mark with his Palatial Kitsch collection. Although nude and silver make for an interesting combination, the outlandish collection was inspired by an array of fabric and cuts that made for a clumsy collection that fell flat on the fashion front. The over-the-top headgear — a signature Fahad Hussayn addition to his ramp collections — didn’t do any wonders either.

Huma Adnan for FnkAsia

Huma Adnan’s Merchant of Spice collection lived up to its name with belly dancer waist chains and metallic medals pinned to fabric. By keeping her outfits minimalist with single coloured kurtis and printed tights with appliquéd calves, Huma tried to stay safe but the collection made no impact. Beyond the metal show, which was interesting, the fabric was too stiff and thick, taking away the femininity from the long, kaftan-like silhouettes.