Right to repair is back in the news because Apple is opposing a Nebraska bill that would require electronics companies like Apple to produce repair manuals and sell replacement parts. Apple only got involved because the bill—one of eight nationwide, according to Motherboard—threatens its software licenses. We saw a similar battle between farmers and John Deere, which asserted that ownership of John Deere equipment “does […]
I’m an innovation evangelist with SAP. Each year, I present at about 50 conferences around the world, talking to business and IT audiences about the impact of the latest technologies. I’ve been doing this for a long time, but I’ve recently noticed a change. When I talk about topics such as analytics and big data, audiences are clearly looking for lessons learned that they can apply to […]
Despite suggestions to the contrary, the demand for luxury products and services was continuously rising in the UAE in 2016, albeit at a slower pace. This proves that there is a growth of wealthy and ultra-rich consumers; key potential customers of the luxury segment, which is a contributing factor in the growth of the luxury market. Not only that but demand for luxury is steadily increasing here […]
ABU DHABI // The deadline has been extended for artistic submissions in a campaign to honour the country’s martyrs. Entries for the Proud Expressions initiative can now be submitted until Sunday, organisers said. The campaign is a joint initiative of the Martyrs’ Families’ Affairs Office, part of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court, and the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority. “We have been thrilled by the […]
22 Feb 2017, Doha, Qatar The Commercial Bank (P.S.Q.C.) (“the Bank”), its subsidiaries and associates (“Group”) announced today its financial results for the full year ended 31 December 2016. The Group reported a net profit of QAR 501.4 million as compared to QAR 1,434 million for the same period in 2015, a decrease of 65%. The Bank reported a net profit of QAR 683 million (2015- QAR […]
Google recently launched Android Wear 2.0, an operating system for its smart watches. The entire OS has been refined and revamped. To help with the launch of the new OS, Google and LG collaborated and came up with two Android Wear devices: The $250 LG Watch Style and $350 LG Watch Sport. The approach is similar to the Nexus program, where Google would work with a phone […]
Verizon has announced that it will buy Yahoo’s core business after all, but at a $350 million discount since the internet company had two massive cyberattacks. The Verizon-Yahoo deal has been in the cards for a good while now and the companies have been negotiating the terms of the agreement. After two massive Yahoo data breaches came to light last year, however, the deal was not that […]
Social media influencers admitted on Sunday their success and survival depends on them remaining transparent with their audience. Speaking at ITP Media Group’s ‘Influencer Marketing Summit’, the first event of its kind in the UAE, Joelle Mardinian, who has more than 5 million followers on social media, said she remains honest with her audience at all times otherwise it’s a “recipe for disaster”. “I don’t hide anything […]
Qualcomm is stepping up its Internet of things game with support for Android Things OS, integration with Amazon Web Services and two systems-on-chips that aggregate a bevy of standards. special feature Louisville and the Future of the Smart City Louisville, Kentucky is building a unique bridge between the smart city and the smart home. Here’s what communities and citizens can learn about the benefits of the onrushing […]
There is no sign that the ongoing rumble among carriers are winding down. Verizon underscored this after it announced a new cheaper prepaid plan bundled with its own data bucket, making it simpler for prepaid customers to avail of the Big Red’s services. New Verizon Prepaid Plan The new Verizon prepaid plan costs $40 and comes with 2 GB data cap. This has increased the company’s prepaid offerings […]
Good news, JRPG fans! The latest installment for the popular Ys series is coming to the United States. Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is coming stateside on fall 2017. If you want your JRPG fix but Final Fantasy VII Remake feels like eons away, then Ys VIII can give you relief. NIS America will bring this long-running JRPG franchise, which has its own respectable fanbase. Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is the eighth […]
Partnership will allow partner-drivers to connect with on-demand medical professionals United Arab Emirates, 20 February 2017 Uber, the smartphone app-based technology company, has announced a partnership with Altibbi, an online medical mobile application, to connect Uber partner-drivers with on-demand doctors. The application allows partner-drivers to connect with a selection of certified doctors, and get round-the-clock affordable medical consultations over the phone. This gives partner-drivers access to safe […]
Some of the world’s biggest sovereign wealth funds are increasingly striking their own private equity deals rather than relying on external fund managers, in a drive to cut costs and gain more control. With some $6.5 trillion in assets, sovereign investors already account for 19 percent of capital committed to private equity, according to data from research firm Preqin. But mega-funds such as the Abu Dhabi Investment […]
In this age of highly realistic computer games and increasingly popular social networks, social exclusion in virtual worlds is becoming more and more socially significant, as is demonstrated by the growing number of “cyber mobbing” cases. However, up until now, very little research has been carried out into the impact of social exclusion in the digital world upon real-life social behavior, and hardly any that addresses the […]
20 February 2017 Dubai – The Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the Federal Electricity and Water Authority (FEWA) signed an agreement to adopt the e-Dirham system to enable FEWA to receive service fees electronically. The agreement aims to enhance FEWA’s efforts to facilitate the collection process for its clients which will increase customer satisfaction and strengthen its institutional work. The agreement was signed by HE Younis Haji Al […]
Newly appointed New South Wales Minister for Finance, Services and Property Victor Dominello has said he plans to bring his data-driven expertise to his new portfolio, rewarding government agencies with an “innovation bonus” if they move away from a silo-ridden approach to IT and service delivery. Speaking at the Gartner 2017 APAC Data & Analytics Summit in Sydney on Monday, Dominello said he had his eye on […]
ITP Media Group is hosting the UAE’s first Influencer Marketing Summit this morning at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Dubai Marina, chaired by the BBC broadcaster Andrew Neil. The event will see high profile social media stars such as Joelle Mardinian giving the first keynote speech, while also examining how influencers and brands can work together, and issues of transparency and legislation. (Refresh the page for updates) […]
New Zealand’s High Court has ruled that Kim Dotcom, the internet entrepreneur accused of masterminding one of the largest copyright infringements in history, and three accomplices can be extradited to face trial in the US. The judgment is a victory for the US department of Justice, which has fought a near five-year legal battle to have the 43-year-old German stand trial on copyright infringement and money laundering charges […]
Taj El Khayat to bolster development in key markets, with security and cloud to the fore 19 February 2017 Dubai, United Arab Emirates – F5 Networks (NASDAQ: FFIV) has appointed Taj El Khayat as its new director for the Gulf, Levant & North Africa region. Reporting directly to Diego Arrabal, Middle East and Africa VP, F5 Networks, El Khayat will lead a team comprising of salespeople, channel […]
Yesterday´s Future is Today´s Reality. In the area of Business applications, cloud seems to be all over the place. But it has many facets which all have its right to exist, though it´s a fatal misunderstanding to see cloud simply as an alternative technical deployment option. From the new millennium SaaS models that have been adopted, initially with huge appetite in dedicated Line of Business areas. We […]
While the year continues to be dominated by headlines touting the universal appeal of Alexa, there’s another gives a glimpse of what the big next step in human-computer interaction will be: eye tracking. The concept of measuring and responding to human eye motion isn’t new, but the past year saw a rising interest in the technology. There have been a slew of acquisitions of eye tracking startups by large […]
Society faces enormous challenges in constructing high-quality, future-oriented built environments. Construction sites today look much like the building sites did at the beginning of the 20th century. Current research on digital fabrication in architecture indicates that the development and integration of innovative digital technologies within architectural and construction processes could transform the building industry — on the verge of a building industry 4.0. Digital technologies in architecture […]
19 February 2017 Manama – (The 13th Annual Middle East Insurance Forum (MEIF 2017), being held in partnership with the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), is set to commence on 20 February 2017 in the Kingdom of Bahrain with the expected participation of more than 400 high level attendees to explore “Current Challenges and their Implications on the Regional Insurance Industry – The Road Ahead”, the theme of this year’s event. A […]
By Jon Herskovitz | AUSTIN, Texas AUSTIN, Texas A state lawmaker filed a resolution this week urging people to think before they text and stop using an emoji of the Chilean flag, which resembles the Lone Star State flag, as a symbol of Texas pride. State Representative Tom Oliverson described the resolution as a light-hearted but serious civics lesson for the social media age. More than a […]
