Paint The Town With Your Own Portrait at #GalaxyFlipTown @SamsungMobileSA #GalaxyZFlip5

Hi Guys, 

Joburgers have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience exhilarating light painting artistry with graffiti artist and illustrator, Shaun Oakley, popularly known as That Damn Vandal at Galaxy Fliptown, The Zone in Rosebank, on 26 – 27 August 2023.

Since its launch last week, Joburgers have been coming in their numbers to join the flipside at Galaxy Fliptown, a unique pop-up zone where they express themselves like never before with the new foldable phone sensation from Samsung, the Galaxy Z Flip5. Galaxy Fliptown, which offers free entry and is open until 30 August 2023, gives consumers an awesome platform to play, create unique shareable content, explore digital fashion, and win fantastic prizes with Samsung (Terms and Conditions apply).

Limited to only this weekend, That Damn Vandal will be at Galaxy Fliptown to use his magical artistic hand and light painting to help you create awesome, unique content that you can capture with the Galaxy Z Flip5 and share with your friends and followers. With this new Samsung flip phone, you can shoot in new fresh angles as you take your selfie game to the next level and instantaneously lift your coolness to galactic heights.

Few things could be cooler than a signature light painting portrait that shows your lightest side. But you have to be there to see it for yourself and seize the rare opportunity of being a Fliptown resident. You do not want to miss out on a chance to enjoy this experience with one of Mzansi’s most creative street artists, and the Z Flip5 flex mode, with no need for a tripod.

Don’t forget, there will be plenty more still to enjoy when you join the flipside and unfold a new world of self-expression and customisation. From a unique product experience, getting styled up by make-up artists that will interpret your Fliptown look with Y2K designs and colours, and lots more including a Y2K ice-cream doughnut station sprinkled with awesome taste bud-tingling toppings to sweeten the entire experience.

“We are excited about this collaboration with That Damn Vandal as it presents our consumers with another fresh take on life on the fun flipside. Fashion, art and the new Z Flip5 go hand in hand and what better way to express and enjoy your individuality than with those three combined. Come and unleash your uniqueness at Fliptown and experience awesome art with the expressive and pocketable new flip smartphone,” said Kgomotso Mosiane, Marketing Lead for Mobile eXperience at Samsung South Africa.

Aum Namah Shivay!

Till next time...Aashish
Thanks! Cheers!!!
https://linktr.ee/thelifesway

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Take a Step with Samsung towards a Sustainable Future Together @SamsungSA

Hi Guys, 

South Africans are encouraged to take Small Actions for a Better Planet in their daily lives

Samsung is envisioning a world where technology can exist together with people to preserve this planet for future generations. It is for this reason that Samsung is encouraging South African consumers to join its mission of “Everyday Sustainability” - by taking small actions together for a better planet in their daily lives.

Samsung knows that alone, it cannot achieve its sustainability goals without people taking an active role in the process. The company is therefore inspiring customer participation so that they can also play an equal part in this important journey towards a sustainable future. Samsung is striving to create inclusive and social innovations that empower everyone to build a better tomorrow, together.

Accordingly, Samsung is empowering everyone to make small and subtle changes in daily life as these can actually have a huge impact as a whole on the environment. These small changes come together to make everyone’s lives more sustainable – that is Samsung’s story of sustainable life.

In the last few years – companies and consumers at large - faced several challenges that included both the COVID-pandemic, most importantly, the acceleration of the climate crisis that is now threatening the sustainable future of humanity. These challenges served as a stark reminder that everyone needs to put in extra effort into securing a ‘sustainable future’.

Consumers nowadays also want to do their part and live more sustainably, but they do not think that a climate-friendly lifestyle is easy. About 85 per cent of consumers worldwide see a gap between their current lifestyle and how sustainable they would like to be1. Samsung also knows that drastic changes cannot happen overnight however, it is committed to enabling more sustainable lifestyles for its consumers by continuously creating premium technology that lasts with more power and less environmental impact.

To take a step towards a better future together, Samsung is advocating for consumers to make small yet meaningful changes every day. This is what Samsung calls: “Everyday Sustainability”. The company believes that Earth Day - the globally recognised day commemorated in April annually is an opportune time for everyone to protect the planet and demonstrate support for the environment. This year, Samsung is building on its environmental strategy - its Planet-First philosophy – a goal towards “Everyday Sustainability”. This environmental strategy is a comprehensive plan for Samsung to join global efforts to tackle climate change.

The current environmental challenges together with the upcoming commemoration of Global Earth Day have prompted Samsung to strengthen its governance even further and ensure that ‘sustainability’ continues to be a top priority in all its business operations. It is for these reasons that South African consumers are requested to follow suit and join Samsung on its mission towards a sustainable future.

Samsung believes that in order to overcome these challenges, everyone including consumers’ needs to commit to minimising the current environmental impact and aggressively move towards both sustainable business and lifestyle practices. To achieve these ambitious goals, Samsung is bringing local consumers four new ways to live sustainably, in particular, focusing on Recycled Materials, Eco-Packaging, Energy Efficiency and Recycling or Upcycling. As part of this environmental strategy for 2023, Samsung’s brand product lifecycle journey is focusing on:

1. Sourcing which includes Recycled Materials - in an effort to expand the use of eco-conscious materials. Samsung is expanding the application of recycled plastic across a range of product categories. Also, Samsung MX Business is aiming to achieve its own sustainability goals — by incorporating recycled materials in all mobile products, eliminating plastics in packaging, achieving zero standby power consumption for smartphone chargers and zero waste to landfill by 2025.

2. Production includes Renewable Energy & Chemical Management – this is an expansion of renewable energy that is factored into the manufacturing process. On chemical management – Samsung is developing alternatives for chemical substances and also striving to minimise the negative impacts of hazardous substances that may enter its products, as well as chemicals used in the front lines of manufacturing on the health of customers and employees.

3. Distribution now includes Eco-Packaging efforts & Logistical Optimisation – this process involves the constant application of eco-conscious materials to packaging. Samsung is replacing plastic and vinyl materials with paper and recycled materials to reduce the environmental impact of its product packaging. Also, Samsung is now reducing the volume and weight of packaging to mitigate Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the transportation and shipping process.

4. Energy Efficiency, Durability and Repair & Re-use in Product Usage – Samsung is reducing indirect GHG emissions through products in high energy and is now improving product performance. Samsung’s commitment to sustainability as demonstrated by its environmental strategy - was recently recognised when it received two 2023 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year Awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

5. Recycling and Upcycling as well as Collection – this is where recyclables are separated by material for recycling. Through its latest Galaxy S23 Series, Samsung is now able to deliver a high-performance device that meets the highest quality standards while also using more recycled materials than any other Galaxy smartphone to date. The latest Galaxy S23 Series has used more recycled plastics and newly incorporated pre-consumer recycled aluminium and glass.

In particular, Samsung’s “Everyday Sustainability” vision is focusing on creating sustainable products for local consumers and how these can be designed to benefit the environment. Samsung has embraced the responsibility of ensuring that the future of this planet is healthy and secure. It has thus committed itself to incorporating sustainability into everything it does – from product design to development. Samsung is determined to continue championing responsible innovation in the future to ensure that it leaves a better planet for generations to come.

As part of its commitment, Samsung is continuing to make a concerted effort to not only achieve enterprise-wide net zero carbon emissions but to also use more renewable energy, invest in and research new technologies to develop energy-efficient products as well as increase water reuse and develop carbon capture technology.

The technology giant’s “Everyday Sustainability” vision is now being entrenched in every aspect of its organisation. Samsung firmly believes that it's competitiveness and sustainable growth go hand-in-hand with harnessing its technological solutions to preserve the environment and contribute to building a better world.

Social justice and Samsung’s brand initiatives are deliberately focused on innovation and sustainability without any compromise. Samsung believes that it is everyone's responsibility to take care of the environment to make this planet a wonderful place to live in – that is why the company is advocating for all South African consumers to do their part and together - Re-Imagine A Better Planet!

Samsung proudly supports Busan’s bid for the World Expo 2030.

1 [Source: 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer, Special Report: Trust and Climate Change]

2 Samsung’s five (5) key categories include: (Sourcing, Production, Distribution, Using, and Recycling – the pillars included above form part of these key categories.

Aum Namah Shivay!

Till next time...Aashish
Thanks! Cheers!!!
https://linktr.ee/thelifesway

Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for historical tech, new gadgets, stationery, product reviews
and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay Link to all social media platforms - https://t.co/gUHjo8DQ7h
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Taking Great Photos - It All Comes Down to Knowing Your Camera and Your Subject #shotonnokia

Hi Guys, 

90% of people who have ever taken a photo have not used a camera. Those photos were taken on a phone.¹ Whatever phone you have and whatever you like to snap, there are a few fundamentals that can help improve almost any shot. Alright, let’s jump in.

1. Clean your lens

Photos looking a little milky? This is the biggest problem we see with smartphone cameras. Because the lens is so small, it’s very easy for it to get dirty while you’re using your phone for other things. You spend the whole day holding your phone, so make sure you wipe away those smeary marks before you start snapping. Remember to clean the front camera, too.

2. Focusing

Focus makes the photo. Try not to just point and shoot, but take time to make sure that the main subject of your photo is in focus. Most Nokia smartphones have touch focusing. Just touch the most important part of the image on the display and the camera will adjust focus to make sure it looks nice and sharp.

3. Apply the rule of thirds

This is a simple concept that helps you compose your landscape-orientation images. It’s based on the idea that dividing an image into nine equal parts to form a three-by-three grid creates visual interest. You should aim to place the main subject of your photo – like a tree line or a group of faces – in the intersections or along the lines. The left or right third of the image usually yields the best results.

4. Consider the flash and use night mode

Using the flash on your phone can sometimes result in too much noise and not great photos. With increasing performance in low light conditions, turning off the flash could improve your nighttime photos. Shooting at a concert in dark conditions? The flash is not going to reach the stage, only the people in front of you. At a zoo shooting through glass? You will have a bad photo and you could scare the animals.

When you are shooting in daylight and the subject is in shadow, that’s the time to use a flash – it can give some great portrait results. But in low-light conditions, like in the evening, try using Night Mode instead. A lot of people don’t use it, but it’s a simple and powerful feature.

5. Steady your shot

Smartphone cameras are sensitive to movement. Even a slight shake can leave a smartphone photo looking blurry. So, we want to minimise camera shake as much as possible. A tripod will stop this. The good news is that you can buy small, cheap tripods specifically for smartphones from most online vendors.

If you don’t want to buy a tripod, then using a wall, a friend’s shoulder, or even your other arm will help reduce camera shake. Keeping the shot steady is especially important in low-light conditions when the longer exposure times are that much longer.

6. Try using HDR Mode

Ever tried to take a photo of the sky, only for the scenery below to become lost to shadow? Or tried to focus on a dimly lit subject and notice that the sky becomes overexposed? That’s where “High Dynamic Range” comes in.

HDR mode brings out the darkest and lightest parts of your picture and creates a better balance of colours overall. The only downside is that, in HDR Mode, photos take a little longer to process, so avoid using HDR mode on fast-moving subjects or when you can’t keep your phone steady. But in general, it’s great when there’s a big difference between the darkest and lightest parts of your photo.

7. Learn your camera features

Learn what your phone does, and when to use them. You’ll want to turn on HDR for most phones for day-to-day photography. Use night modes for shooting in dim interiors, or outdoors after the sun has set. Portrait mode blurs the background behind your subject and is sometimes called the Bokeh Effect. Panorama mode when you are taking landscape photos so you can see everything around you.

It’s also worth understanding aspect ratios. Common aspect ratios include Full, 16:9, 4:3 and 1:1. Professional photographers use 4:3 for photos because it works well for computer monitors and for 8x6-inch prints. 16:9 is used for video because it works great for TVs and the 1920 x 1080 resolution.

8. Set your resolution high

The higher the resolution of your photo, the better quality it is. When taking images, try to go as close as possible to the subject rather than zoom in when you take a shot. Using digital zoom will reduce the image quality, so avoid it if possible. Whereas, if you get up close, you always have the option of cropping the image later.

9. Shoot your videos in landscape

Vertical video only works if the audience is on a phone, like in Instagram Stories, for instance. It does not work on TVs and screens though, because they are wider than they are long – in other words, they have a landscape orientation.

If you are shooting a video of something amazing that you might want to share on the big screen, or even YouTube, you should always rotate your phone to landscape so that you can fill the frame with your awesome footage.

10. Always know where the light source is

When taking a photo, it is vital to know the light is coming from. Smartphone cameras can only take in a limited amount of light. A lot of light can overwhelm the sensor and can also throw off its exposure. You should always ensure that the light falls directly on the subject. So, when taking pictures indoors, make sure the subject is facing the light source. The light source should not come from behind them, otherwise, the subject will be underexposed.

Show us your photos!

Have a Nokia smartphone and feel inspired to try out some of these tips? We want to see what you’ve got! Head to Instagram and share with us the best photos you’ve taken lately using #shotonnokia. And don’t forget to tell us which Nokia phone you shot your photos on!

¹ Source: https://www.eksposure.com/mobile-photography

Aum Namah Shivay!

Till next time...Aashish
Thanks! Cheers!!!
https://linktr.ee/thelifesway

Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for historical tech, new gadgets, stationery, product reviews
and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay Link to all social media platforms - https://t.co/gUHjo8DQ7h
Your Lifestyle and Technology Blog for the Last 10.5 Years!

New Year Resolutions - Week 28 Achievements & Failures in 2023 #TheLifesWay

Hi Guys,

Week 28 was something for which we had to wait for 12 years as it was a snowfall day in Johannesburg, South Africa. The social media was full of Joburg Snow videos, reels, shorts and images. 

1. Snowfall - Last I saw snowfall was in London in 2011 and I was also told that in 2012 it happened in Johannesburg last. But this year on 10-Jul-2023, we saw the snowfall live in Johannesburg, South Africa again. It was a fun-filled day for everyone who took selfies and videos in the sea of white snow. The weather took a drastic turn in the last few days as it was super cold this weekend. 

2. Entertainment - I did watch the third part of Carry On Jatta 3 and it was hilarious. Gippy and the team did make a wonderful film once again in the series. This time the whole setting was in London and Sonam Bajwa was introduced as the main lead actress. I also watched Zara Hatke Zara Bachke starting Vicky Kaushal and Sara Ali Khan and totally fell in love with the Tere Vaaste song and the dance steps. I totally fell in love with both movies. 

I also watched The Test Case web series starring Nimrat Kaur, Atul Kulkarni, Anup Soni, and Juhi Chawla which was now available on YouTube. I wanted to watch the same for so long but didn't have access to the streaming platform it was launched on. It's a one-time watch. 

3. Launch Event - I was invited to the Logitech Silent Mouse South Africa launch event which was really an amazing experience as we got to play and exercise with Bungee Workout. They also gave me the best goodies bag ever and I totally loved the new mouse and keyboard set which doesn't produce any sound when you type as well. I also went to Mandela Day with Southern Sun and got a volunteer t-shirt from them. Many thanks for calling me to the filling of food in the fight against hunger campaign for around 67 minutes. 

4. Car Service - I made the biggest mistake of my life by taking my car to the Car Service City in Benmore. Neither they are good nor they are cheap. The level of service is also not great as compared to getting to the Honda Showroom and Service Centre on William Nicole. I will never recommend anyone going to any of the Car Service City as my another friends also told me later that he was not satisfied with their service. I was going to Honda but then returned and gave my car to these guys. My biggest mistake for sure. 

5. YouTube Shorts - I am not a regular on the platform but trying hard this month. Since the month of May when I was posting 5 videos per day this month, I am going to do around 1-3 per day. Let's see how much benefit it will bring. I am sure this month I will reach the threshold of USD 100 to get paid in the next month for sure. Let's keep working on the videos. 

I am not getting time to create a lot of long-form videos but I have to find time to do so on a daily basis. I need to do it and I will find some motivation to do so and work on all the ideas I have for the long-form videos which are nowhere on the YouTube platform. Keep watching as your views are my only blessings!

Aum Namah Shivay!

Till next time...Aashish
Thanks! Cheers!!!
https://linktr.ee/thelifesway

Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for historical tech, new gadgets, stationery, product reviews
and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay Link to all social media platforms - https://t.co/gUHjo8DQ7h
Your Lifestyle and Technology Blog for the Last 10.5 Years!

New Year Resolutions - Week 27 Achievements & Failures in 2023 #TheLifesWay

Hi Guys,

It's my birthday month in Week 29 and I want to see what can I get on my birthday this time as I want to buy certain items and will check them out to buy myself. I have started thinking of getting rid of all my stuff by giving it to people who will enjoy the same. This time my family and friends in India are going for a good ride as I will give away all the stuff to them in December 2023. 

1. Campaigns - I totally loved Fry's campaign that I did with theSalt influencer platform. My wife created a nice dish using the product that I bought from Checkers Hyper in Sandton City. I also did another Twitter campaign with the Humanz app and awaiting payment now which will take another 2 months to reach me. 

2. Events - I attended the Huawei Eco-Connect 2023 and got some nice goodies by virtue of attending the same. Some of the goodies I missed getting also but overall it was a great event. I was also called to the Tecno Mobile office in South Africa to collect the goodies bag and I totally loved the same too. 

3. Thank You - I started once again from the 2000 mark and reached 5000 and again the counter got reset to zero. It's really irritating but it also tells that you should only focus on the arigato habit rather than counting the same. 

4. Religious - I saw the Sant Nirankari Mission's current spiritual head Mata Sudiksha as she visited Johannesburg for the first time. There was a nice prayer programme to commemorate her blessings to visit the country. There was a lady with her that sang so well that immediately I knew she is a trained singer and came to know that she is Manya Narang. She is the singer behind the Pathaan's antagonist theme music i.e. whenever John Abraham comes on the screen there is a piece of music running in the background whose vocals are provided by Manya. All the very best to her in her future endeavours! 

5. Travel - I still am not over the images from Victoria Falls and have totally fallen in love with Zambia. This is really something and you should definitely visit the same. Check some of the images and videos I have shared on my socials. I love to travel and then I want to create a lot of content later depending on the time I have at hand. 

There is another week left between this week and my upcoming birthday on 22nd July. I have always thought that my life has been the Life of Pi as I was born on 22/7 which is 3.14 which represents Pi in mathematics. This number is never totally divisible and can go to infinite and so are my struggles that go on and on. I have always lived fighting the same and will continue to do so in future as well. 

Aum Namah Shivay!

Till next time...Aashish
Thanks! Cheers!!!
https://linktr.ee/thelifesway

Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for historical tech, new gadgets, stationery, product reviews
and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay Link to all social media platforms - https://t.co/gUHjo8DQ7h
Your Lifestyle and Technology Blog for the Last 10.5 Years!