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Facebook suspended Israeli PM's campaign chatbot for hate speech
Facebook has suspended a chatbot linked to the official account of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after it posted a message that said Israel's Arab politicians "want to destroy us all." It appears that the chatbot -- operated under the name of a campaign volunteer -- was trying to generate support for Mr Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party ahead of next Tuesday's election.
iOS 7 is making life more difficult for blind Arabic speakers
When it comes to accessibility options, Apple's iPhone has traditionally done a rather good job of being as all-inclusive as possible. For blind Arab iPhone owners, iOS 7 changed that, and now they are begging Apple to change it back. For the visually impaired, the iPhone's (and iPad's) VoiceOver feature is a godsend. Using gesture controls, blind users can navigate their devices the same as anyone else, relying on a built-in voice to tell them exactly what they are doing. It's a system that has worked well for many iOS generations now, but with the upgrade to iOS 7, something happened to the familiar "Majed" voice that Arabic speakers were used to: it disappeared. In its place is "Tariq," a different -- and by many accounts, inferior -- voice that appears to be not only a lower quality, but also quite buggy. The new Arabic VoiceOver option frequently adds random syllables to words, making it difficult to comprehend, and also has a nasty habit of leaving spaces out between words. Mohammed AlWahhabi (his blog, in Arabic, here), an Arab iPhone user that originally pointed out this glaring problem to me noted that, at times, the voice assistant will speak an entire sentence as though it were one long word, with no pauses whatsoever. Then there's the issue of the "Enhanced Quality" option that iOS offers for the various languages VoiceOver covers. The vast majority of the high-quality language options take up more than 250 MB (all the way up to 340 MB for German) of on-device storage, producing extremely clear dialogue. Toggling this option for Arabic takes up less than 60 MB. After listening to a handful of sentences, it is apparent that the voice, even in its highest quality, isn't close to ideal. No amount of tweaking to the VoiceOver speed or quality options seems to help much, and users desperate for their iPhones to return to normal have even taken to YouTube to voice their displeasure with Tariq. "We hope that you find suitable solution either by improving the current voice [Tariq] or by retrieving the former voice [Majed]," reads part of a lengthy plea on the video site, listing names and offering testimonials on how broken the new VoiceOver option seems to be. AlWahhabi told me that after contacting Apple multiple times for a solution, he was told that if enough individuals take issue with the change, it may be addressed. I am neither blind, nor do I speak Arabic, but this seems to be an issue that deserves to be corrected sooner rather than later, as I can't imagine how frustrating it would be to have a device become practically unusable thanks to a software update.
Hitachi's DZ-BD7HSW hybrid Blu-ray camcorder comes to UAE
Remember that hybrid Blu-ray camcorder Hitachi busted out late last summer? Lo and behold, that very unit has become the first of its kind to grace the markets in the United Arab Emirates. The flagship DZ-BD7HSW incorporates a 30GB hard drive along with BD recording capabilities to log hours upon hours of 1,920 x 1,080 footage of your stay in the Burj Al Arab, and for folks not keen on editing, it offers up a one-touch transfer function to get your HDD-stored material straight to Blu-ray Disc. Unfortunately, a price for the UAE isn't mentioned, but that's about all the reason you need to hop on over for a week and see for yourself, right?
Consumer demand for HD content on the rise in Middle East
It's no surprise to hear of consumer demand swaying decisions in America in regard to HD content, but it seems as if the cries for more high-def are making their way east. According to the Dubai World Trade Centre, "discerning consumers in the region are driving broadcasters to expedite their shift towards high definition transmission and upgrade their existing facilities at a faster pace." The 2007 industry report by the Satellite Industry Association also "indicated a huge upswing in consumer demand for more high definition (HD) content." As it stands, broadcasters in the Middle East are just starting to employ HD technology, but given the rate at which areas such as Dubai adopt newfangled technology, we wouldn't be surprised to see guests at the Burj Al Arab enjoying a hundred or so HD options in the not-too-distant future.[Image courtesy of Volja]
Report: Banned games still available in Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates might have just gotten the Xbox 360, but the country's government doesn't want people playing some of the more violent games out there. That's OK, though -- the citizens of the country seem to have no trouble getting hold of the banned games, according to a recent report. Gulf News reveals that UAE retailers routinely sell games like Grand Theft Auto under the table for 170 to 180 dirham (about $45 - $50) despite an official ban from the country's censorship department. "Smaller stores tend to buy games from wholesalers without getting official approval, or import it directly, many of which would be sold under the table." said Lalit Vase, Regional Manager at Take Two Regional Distributor Red Entertainment and Distribution in an interview with Gulf News. Even if the local UAE stores don't have it, it's usually possible to get around the law with Internet ordering.It begs the question: If video game bans aren't effective in relatively closed states like the UAE, how effective would similar bans be in more liberal societies?
Games from an Islamic perspective
Games that lionize the American military and/or feature generic Arab "bad guys" are nothing new to American audiences. But most Westerners probably aren't familiar with a new wave of games that feature subtle and overt propaganda from an Islamic perspective. In the latest issue of Computer Gaming World, Ed Halter analyzes the state of the games targeted at the Islamic market, weaving their history in with the recent history of Islamic extremism.According to the article, the Arab gaming market is still relatively unsophisticated, though some of the games can evoke genuinely moving experiences. Still, we have to wonder if these warring fantasies that demonize the current enemy of the moment from both sides are really doing anyone any good. Can't we all just get along?
