SAUDI ARABIA. Saudi Arabia approved the National Transformation Plan (NTP) on Tuesday June 7, 2016, as part of Saudi Vision 2030 and goal to reduce reliance on oil. The NTP aims to boost non-oil revenue to 530 billion riyals (US$141 billion) by 2020 through more than 500 initiatives including the implementation of new taxes and increasing government fees and taxes on “harmful products”. Minister of State Mr. […]
UAE. A new generation of young, highly motivated and mostly well-educated men and women is ready to take over leadership of their family businesses, according to Deloitte’s latest report conducted across the Europe, Middle East and Africa region entitled “Next-generation family businesses Evolution, keeping family values alive.” They are resolute and ready to face the challenges ahead in order to maintain the family character of the business […]
UAE. Boardrooms’ awareness of cyber risks has been recently growing in Europe, Middle East and Africa, with cyber security ranking far up on the agendas of non-executive directors in the region, according to Deloitte’s recent report entitled “EMEA 360 Boardroom Survey: Agenda priorities across the region.” The report reveals that innovation is also gaining ground with 60% of respondents ranking it as a very important issue. These […]
INTERNATIONAL. The use of wearables in the workplace is being stalled by a lack of trust as people worry that their employer may use the data against them and not for their benefit, according to new PwC research. Despite an estimated 3 million people in the UK buying a wearable device in 2015 – a 118% increase from the previous year – PwC’s research shows that employees […]
What’s being called a sophisticated but possibly futile cyberattack on GoToMyPC, a British remote PC access provider, has caused its parent company to reset the passwords of all its clients. GoToMyPC is owned by Citrix, the American software company that provides server, application and desktop virtualization, networking and other services. Citrix bought GoToMyPC from ExpertCity in 2004. The attackers apparently used login names and passwords found in […]
It may seem like the number of hacking attempts increases every year, but the number of attacks originating from within the borders of at least one country have declined in the past year, according to a new study by network security firm FireEye. In its “Red Line Drawn: China Recalculates Its Use of Cyber Espionage,” report, FireEye said that the number of hacks coming from the Chinese […]
Protesters from the Anonymous India group of hackers wear Guy Fawkes masks as they protest against laws they say gives the government control over censorship of internet usage in Mumbai, June 9, 2012. Reuters/Vivek Prakash SAN FRANCISCO/ TORONTO At least a dozen countries are considering or have enacted laws restricting online speech, a trend that is alarming policymakers and others who see the internet as a valuable […]
A new enterprise offering introduced by Oracle today is designed to enable independent software vendors (ISVs) to transition their businesses to the cloud, the company said. The new platform, called the Oracle Cloud Platform Ready for Independent Software Vendors, will allow ISVs to quickly register and publish their Oracle Cloud-compatible applications on the Oracle Cloud Marketplace, allowing them to fast-track new business opportunities in the cloud. Oracle’s […]
Google has already brought its Fiber high-speed Internet service to six cities across the U.S., but it may soon add Dallas, the home turf of AT&T, to its list of deployment targets. In a blog post earlier today, Google announced that is “exploring the possibility” of rolling out its Fiber service in Dallas. AT&T, which is headquartered in Dallas, is already offering its high-speed GigaPower Internet service […]
The logo of Intel is seen during the annual Computex computer exhibition in Taipei, Taiwan June 1, 2016. Reuters/Tyrone Siu Apple Inc’s next iPhone will use modems chips from Intel Corp, replacing those made by Qualcomm Inc in some versions of the new smartphone, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Intel’s modem chips will be in iPhones used on AT&T Inc’s U.S. network and some […]
Global IP traffic is expected to triple over the next five years, as a result of more than 1 billion new Internet users coming online before 2020, according to Cisco. As many as 10 billion new devices may join the Internet in that time, bringing the total number of connected devices up to 26.3 billion from the 16.3 billion that were connected in 2015. The study is […]
New research explains why so many biological networks, including the human brain (a network of neurons), exhibit a hierarchical structure, and will improve attempts to create artificial intelligence. The study demonstrates this by showing that the evolution of hierarchy — a simple system of ranking — in biological networks may arise because of the costs associated with network connections. (via WSJ Blogs)
SAUDI ARABIA. According to a new report by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the digital age has ushered in a number of trends that have transformed the media consumption habits of each Saudi generation profoundly – and vastly differently. In parallel, with information and connectivity available at everyone’s fingertips – anywhere, anytime – the Kingdom’s traditional media landscape has, in recent years, been disrupted. The findings presented […]
KABUL, Afghanistan — An American journalist for NPR was killed on Sunday afternoon along with his Afghan translator in a Taliban ambush in southern Afghanistan, the Afghan military confirmed. NPR also confirmed their deaths on Sunday. The victims were identified as David Gilkey, a photographer and videographer who was part of a four-person NPR team embedded with Afghan Special Forces in Helmand Province, and his translator, Zabihullah […]
INTERNATIONAL. As companies move to catch up with the digital future, they are taking a close look at what kind of executive they need to lead the way. In a new report, “The Right CDO for Your Company’s Future”, Strategy&, PwC’s strategy consulting business, defines five Chief Digital Officer (CDO) “archetypes” – descriptions of typical roles CDOs might play within an organisation. The Five Archetypes of a […]
UAE. According to a new report, PwC Middle East’s ‘Care Anywhere: Moving health and wellness out of the hospital into the hands of the consumer’, technology is providing the opportunity for new ways of accessing and delivering healthcare. In a society that is living longer, with Governments facing the growing burden of long-term chronic disease and increasing costs of treatment, innovation and technology could be the catalyst […]
1. What is Ramadan? Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic (Hijri) calendar. It is the most holy month in the calendar for Muslims as it is believed the Quran was revealed to Prophet Mohammed during Ramadan. During this month, Muslims do not consume any food or liquid between fajr and maghrib prayers (at dawn and sunset), not even water. You can check the exact prayer […]
Online abuse, harassment and trolling have proven to be stubborn problems for many social networking sites, but Periscope believes users might find help through a jury of their peers. The Twitter-owned video-streaming app announced yesterday that it was introducing a new and “community-led” tool to let users report comments they find spammy or abusive. Following such reports, a random group of viewers will be asked to vote […]
A Bitcoin (virtual currency) paper wallet with QR codes and a coin are seen in an illustration picture taken at La Maison du Bitcoin in Paris, France, May 27, 2015. Reuters/Benoit Tessier/File Photo LONDON The price of the web-based digital currency bitcoin soared to its highest in almost two years on Tuesday, rising to more than $500 per unit, as worries about a further weakening of the […]
JERUSALEM — In a politically fractious country troubled by monumental security challenges, Israel’s military has long served as an equalizer and unifier, a “people’s army” that, at least in the eyes of the Jewish majority, reflected the general interest. But the Israeli people, and with them the government, have shifted to the right amid an upsurge of Palestinian stabbings and other attacks. Now the military finds itself […]
SAN FRANCISCO Billionaire media owner Pierre Omidyar is backing news and entertainment web site Gawker Media in its lawsuit against wrestler Hulk Hogan, adding a new twist to a case pitting technology money against press freedom. Omidyar, owner of The Intercept publisher First Look Media, is asking other media outlets to file legal briefs in support of Gawker, First Look said in a statement on […]
The latest acquisition by Intel could give it a big leg up in the race to develop Internet of Things (IoT) and autonomous driving technology. The chipmaker signed an agreement yesterday to acquire computer vision software company Itseez Inc. The 11-year-old San Francisco-based firm will become part of Intel’s IoT Group (IOTG). “Intel is focused on delivering end-to-end IoT solutions addressing devices, wired and wireless networks and […]
MUMBAI India’s biggest conglomerate Tata Group launched an ecommerce venture on Friday, as it seeks to cash in on rising purchasing power in a market dominated by deep-pocketed international retailers and startups backed by global tech investors. The group said it developed its Tata Cliq website over a year and a half at a cost of “several hundred million dollars” to be a marketplace for inhouse and […]
The SWIFT logo is pictured in this photo illustration taken April 26, 2016. Reuters/Carlo Allegri/Illustration/File Photo DHAKA Bangladesh police are reviewing a nearly forgotten 2013 cyber heist at the nation’s largest commercial bank for connections to February’s $81 million heist at the country’s central bank, a senior law enforcement official said on Wednesday. The unsolved theft of $250,000 at Sonali Bank involved fraudulent transfer requests sent over […]
