The last time I wore glasses with a camera built into them, it was Google Glass. The idea, hype, and eventual demise of Google Glass was spurred on by privacy concerns, lack of true augmented reality capabilities, and just how plain goofy the gadget made users look. Snap, the company formerly called Snapchat, is looking to create its own path of wearable cameras with Spectacles. The $129 […]
How do big data people go about making end-of-year reviews and predictions? Using data is the obvious answer, but there’s a few issues with that approach: there is no synthesis in data alone — you have to find the story behind data, pick an angle and seek meaning. In addition, that approach does not account for subtle hints, industry knowledge, and big ideas. To paraphrase Carl Sagan, […]
The Turkish Army and police won, but victory brought an Aleppo-like landscape. Two dozen acres of the old city have been cleared of the rubble so far, leaving a featureless circular gash on aerial maps. The damage is mostly invisible from street level though, because alleyways leading up to the most devastated areas have been walled up where they intersect with streets that have reopened for business. […]
The power of a good interview to shed light on the personalities and themes driving the news agenda was demonstrated clearly in the year of tumult that has been 2016. As geopolitical shocks spread, a roll call of politicians, business leaders, celebrities and cultural figures sat down with the Financial Times to share their thoughts. In the UK, Theresa May revealed some insights into her brisk management […]
Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat is trying to explain what he loves most about superhero movies. He talks excitedly about the cape and the mask. The importance of a hero’s “normal” life. “When Superman doesn’t work, it’s because there’s not enough Clark Kent,” he says. And then there’s the romance. “There’s always a good one at their heart – and Clark Kent/Lois Lane is certainly the only […]
It is strange to think that the original plan for La La Land involved Miles Teller and Emma Watson in the lead roles, because this love letter to Hollywood and the golden age of the musical seems tailor-made for Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, its eventual stars. She is fresh off Broadway hit Cabaret, while he spent his early years singing and songwriting. This is their third […]
It’s that time of the year again when all manner of weird, wacky and wonderful gifts appear in the UAE’s malls to temp Christmas shoppers. From remote control cars, to pine scented candles and fur covered flip-flops, there’s something for young and old, shy and bold this season. Flick through our slideshow to see more. newslide Bags of fun Kids familiar with The Gruffalo character will relish […]
Submitted by Jayant Bhandari via Acting-Man.com, India’s Currency Ban – Part VI India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, announced on 8th November 2016 that Rs 500 (~$7.50) and Rs 1,000 (~$15) banknotes would no longer be legal tender. Linked are Part-I, Part-II, Part-III, Part-IV, and Part-V, which provide updates on the demonetization saga and how Modi is acting as a catalyst to hasten the rapid degradation of […]
In 1600, actor William Kemp was challenged to morris dance his way from London to Norwich. He accepted the bet and completed his journey – a distance of about 100 miles – in nine days (spread out over a few weeks). So was born the phrase “nine-day wonder”, to describe someone or something that suddenly gains fame, only to quickly fade from the spotlight. Fame no longer […]
DUBAI // Bollywood took its turn on the red carpet at the Dubai International Film Festival on Thursday night, with the world premiere of Aditya Chopra’s Befikre. Stars Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kappor were both in attendance on the red carpet, and it was perhaps Kapoor who gave us the greatest insight into why the film should premiere in the UAE: “It’s international. There are all people […]
Good morning. Regrets laced with irony Glenn Beck is sorry. He really is. He swears. He’s sort of like Miss Otis in Cole Porter’s oft-recorded 1934 “Miss Otis Regrets” (I’ll take Bette Midler’s version). She “woke up and found that her dream of love was gone, madam.” And, them, “from under her velvet gown, she drew a gun and shot her lover down, madam.” In this case, […]
The Lifetime Achievement Award handed to Samuel L Jackson during the opening ceremony of this year’s Dubai International Film Festival on Wednesday honours an improbably prolific 40-year career during which the actor has become as ubiquitous as popcorn. Above all else, moviemaking is a business, and on Jackson’s website, you can find a startling fact to explain the true meaning of the citation: “In recognition of his […]
In a glass cube inside a MK2 cinema near France’s national library in Paris, viewers can choose between HTC Vive, Playstation VR and Oculus Rift headsets, or they can go for “full body immersive” simulators The first wave of virtual reality cinemas, heralding what their creators claim will be an entertainment revolution, rolls out across the world this month. The first screening room in France opened Wednesday […]
Almost a third of smartwatches and fitness trackers, 29 and 30 percent respectively, are abandoned by their owners, according to a new study by analyst firm Gartner. More than 9,500 consumers from Australia, the United Kingdom, and United States, were surveyed between June to August about their attitudes towards wearables as well as their purchasing behaviours around smartwatches, fitness trackers, and virtual reality glasses. Those who abandoned […]
GAME TIME: On Sylwia, left, skirt, about Dh5,310; top, about Dh4,990, both from Salvatore Ferragamo. Necklace, Dh2,870, Loewe. On Barbara, right, dress, Dh17,220; cardigan, Dh16,360, both from Chanel GO BANANAS: Dress, Dh14,200; bag, Dh9,250, both from Louis Vuitton POWER PLAY: Top, price on request; skirt, Dh2,215, both from Sportmax. Bag, Dh5,315, Miu Miu FIELD DAY: Dress, about Dh2,975, Victoria Beckham. Bag, Dh6,500, Gucci. Boots, about Dh4,290, Stuart […]
newslide Want to make the most of your day at the new Bollywood Parks Dubai but not sure how? The new park, which is off Sheikh Zayed Road near Legoland Dubai has five zones packed with attractions – Bollywood Boulevard, Rustic Ravine, Royal Plaza, Mumbai Chowk and Bollywood Film Studios – plus restaurants and food carts. The choice can appear overwhelming. We have a handy guide to […]
Sennheiser’s new MB 660 UC wireless headset is a serious piece of kit in many respects. A chunky headset with large ear cups and a solid, no-nonsense headband, it’s designed to take a few knocks — both in the office and at home. When it needs to travel, the MB 660 UC sits in a tough, zippable carry case. The package will consume a fair amount of […]
Google refreshed its Daydream View VR device with two new colors, crimson and snow, expanding the number within the virtual reality headset range to three variants. When the device was unveiled last October, it only had the Slate coloring. New Colors, Same VR Technology The new colored headsets will not come with different or improved hardware specifications. Both variants are similar to the standard version under the […]
Spending more time in the great outdoors early in life offers some form of protection against visual problems later in adulthood. Findings of a new study have revealed that additional exposure to sunlight can help ward off nearsightedness later in life. For the new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association – Opthalmology, Katie Williams, from King’s College London, and colleagues involved 371 individuals with […]
The notion of machine-powered facial recognition is one that predates today’s actual technology for it by many years, thanks to robot POV shots from sci-fi films such as The Terminator and Robocop. But while many advances have been made, facial recognition software is far from infallible, as researchers from Carnegie Mellon University recently found. Here are the details from a report in Quartz: Researchers showed they could […]
She is one of the biggest pop stars in the world, but Rihanna still likes to mingle. Rumours swirled throughout the F1 VIP Lounge – an invite-only party space behind the du Arena – that RiRi would be paying a visit to unwind after her race-day performance on Sunday. The lounge had already had its share of celebrities. Paris Hilton strolled around with a helper as she […]
Mariah Idrissi was shopping at the Westfield London mall when she was stopped in her tracks by a stranger who asked to take her photo. Decked out in a tracksuit, a turban-style hijab and without any make-up on, she found herself being scouted by fashion label H&M. Sceptical at first as to why a western company might want a covered Muslim woman to model for them, Idrissi […]
While the world may have been gripped by race-day dramas on the track, for many more casual UAE motorsports fans Sunday’s prime attraction was a live appearance by pop superstar Rihanna at du Arena as part of the Yasalam after-race concert series. There could be far more fitting acts to take this coveted closing night slot – previously filled by music legends including Prince, The Who and […]
Updated Nov. 25, 2016 8:52 p.m. ET The most valuable U.S. financial-technology startup is extending its lead. Stripe Inc., whose software is used by businesses to accept and track digital payments, will be valued at $9.2 billion in a new funding round that is being completed, the company said. That valuation, which includes roughly $150 million in new cash being raised, nearly doubles the privately held company’s […]
