Dubai
Latest
Abu Dhabi Media Company to launch UAE's first HD channel next month
Although broadcast HD may not hit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) until 2009, the nation's very first high-def channel is reportedly on track for a September launch. Yeah, as in next month. The Abu Dhabi Media Company (ADMC) is planning to launch an undisclosed HD station within weeks, and word has it that ADMC could begin "filming local football matches in the format from September." It all starts with one...[Via AMEInfo]
Dubai begins shift to digital cinemas, ready for 3D goofiness
Reports have already shown that the hunger for HD in the Middle East is rising, and apparently so is the hunger for digital cinema. The Middle East's very first digital cinemas have opened in the desert playground this week, with two screens showing digital versions of the latest Mummy film at Grand Cinema's Grand Festival complex in Dubai Festival City. If plans pan out, Grand Cinema expects to have all of its screens converted to digital within two years, and yes, the third-dimension was mentioned. According to Gulf Films' Jean Ramia (pictured), digital really is "the future of cinema," and now that it's becoming more pervasive, we can expect to see "a lot more 3D films being produced." Goggles up!
Panasonic's DMP-BD30 Blu-ray player lands in Middle East
Panasonic's fairly well-regarded DMP-BD30 Blu-ray player has been available here in America for months on end, but it's just now getting shipped en masse to the Middle East. Reportedly, the launch marks Panny's first foray into the Middle East's Blu-ray market, but with the DMP-BD50 just waiting to globetrot, we have all ideas it won't be the outfit's last. No word on pricing just yet.
aloft bringing luxurious hotel to Abu Dhabi
Nah, it won't be open for guests before this year's GITEX conference kicks off just down the way in Dubai, but Starwood Hotels & Resorts is moving forward with plans to erect its first aloft hotel in the anxious-for-HD Middle East. If you'll recall, two such venues are slated to open their doors in India just two short years from now, but the one pictured above should be completed in Q4 of 2009. Aside from being right in the heart of the Capital Center, every last guest room will include WiFi and an entertainment center packed with a flat-panel HDTV and a selection of ports in order to link up gear that patrons may have on hand. Of course, it still won't hold a candle to the mighty Burj Al Arab, but it'll keep HD junkies from going into withdrawals while out on business / vacation, for sure.
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]
Sony sells "substantial" stake to Dubai investment firm
Stringer-san, Hirai-San, everyone at Sony, say hello to your new part owners: Dubai International Capital, run by UAE Prime Minister and ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. According to the Journal the investment is for a stake under 5% of the total company since there were no legally-required Japanese security filings to indicate otherwise. No real idea how much this chunk of Sony went for, but whatever it cost we're sure it was only a drop in the bucket for a dude with enough money to make Billy G. and Carlos Slim scoot over a seat at dinner. BTW, Sheikh RRAM (can we call you that?), do us a solid and get Sony to resurrect Aibo and QRIO, cool? Much love. [Warning: subscription req'd for read link]
Dubai Burj al-Taqa skyscraper to generate all its own energy
A skyscraper in Dubai is being designed so that it generates all of its energy through renewable means such as wind turbines and solar panels. On top of the tower will be a 200 foot turbine that harnesses the power of the wind, and an array of solar panels on the roof and a series of islands that stretches over 161,459 square feet. The tower will also feature a massive solar shield to protect it from the sun, and vacuum glazed glass that will reduce the amount of heat absorbed from the extreme temperatures (up to 50 degrees C / 122 degrees F), presumably meaning less reliance on traditional air conditioning. Talking of air conditioning, the main system for cooling the air inside the tower uses a convection system which pulls in cold air at the ground level, and sucks it up out of the top of the tower. The air conditioning will use seawater, and underground cooling units lower the temperature inside to 18 degrees C / 64.4 degrees F. This building may be a technological beacon for environmentally friendly skyscrapers, but as a commenter on metaefficient points out, new building designs don't do much to solve the inefficiency of older buildings in cities. Although that doesn't mean we can't imagine what it'd be like to work and live in a sea of glass and metal without feeling slightly bad about it.[Via Metaefficient]
Dubai's new luxury tower to resemble an iPod
As if the Burj Al-Arab (and Time Residences) in Dubai wasn't unique enough, Omniyat Properties is getting set to construct a 23-story luxury tower inspired by none other than Apple's iPod. Slated to be built in Business Bay, the "iPad residential tower" is scheduled to house more than 200 units, and was "designed by Hong Kong-based architects James Law Cybertecture International." The high-rise will sit atop a "docking station angled at six degrees," which should have iPod fanboys flying over in droves just to snap pictures. While no preliminary sketches have surfaced quite yet, we'll be sure to keep an eye out for future development (ahem) of the world's largest iPod, and you can go ahead and pencil in "sometime in 2009" as your "must-take" vacation.
Dubai's Time Residences tower: world's largest gadget?
We've seen lots of ridiculous claims in our day, but this time we're not sure which is more absurd, that someone thinks that Dubai needs another ridiculous high-rise building, or that the Time Residences tower is going to be a solar-powered 360-degree rotating version. Yes, all that solar power (the UAE gets a lot of sun over there on the Tropic of Cancer) could be used to power individual units instead -- but instead, all that energy will be used to power the ginormous motors needed to turn this building a full rotation over the course of a week. Tav Singh, the director of Dubai Property Ring, the local branch of UK Property Group which is funding the project, said that the company plans on building similar structures in every time zone around the world. Regardless of which room in the Time Residences you decide to set up shop in, it's bound to be significantly more overpriced than your Manhattan studio.[Via Gear Factor]
Neo intros diminutive 808i handset for Middle East / Europe
There's no shortage of wee sized mobiles out there to test the longevity of our poor eyes, but the "UK- and Dubai-based" startup, dubbed Neo, is adding yet another option to the mix. While we admire the shiny Photoshop job seen above, the company has reportedly assured us all that the miniscule 808i will see the light of day in "March 2007." Admittedly, the specs aren't too far-fetched (unlike some yet-to-be-produced handsets out there), as it touts tri-band compatibility, a color LCD, Bluetooth, 1.3-megapixel camera, MP3 / MP4 playback, 128MB of flash memory, and a microSD slot. At a glance, the nifty bar atop the mobile bears resemblance to some of Sony Ericsson's offerings, but the 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.3-centimeter enclosure and 90-gram weight sure stands out. If all goes "as planned," the 808i should hit the Middle East just a few months into 2007, with Europe getting it soon after.[Via RegHardware]
Efonica VoIP service supports dial-up too
Fusion Telecommunications of Dubai has just entered the already crowded VoIP market with a beta version of its SIP-powered Efonica service. Registered users can chat amongst one another for free using standard telephones connected to an analog phone adapter or dial POTS lines on the cheap, with calls to the US from other countries costing under two cents a minute. What sets Efonica apart from some of the other services out there is its claimed ability to work even on dial-up connections -- still a rarity these days -- allowing people in areas with low broadband penetration to get in on all the fun offered by Internet telephony. Although the basic version of the service is free, calls to landlines or cellphones and voicemail functionality require signing up for the Efonica Plus option, which will avaiable at the end of the public beta test in about two months.[Via Personal Tech Pipeline]
