Tech & Telecoms - Gulf Insider

9 months ago

AI-Powered Scanners Speed Up UAE-Oman Border Crossings

UAE to Oman border crossings will be speed up, following the introduction of AI-powered scanners at Abu Dhabi Customs centres. In line with its strategic plan and key priorities, the General Administration of Abu Dhabi Customs has completed a project to provide its land customs centres in Al Ain city in the UAE with advanced inspection devices supported by artificial intelligence systems and rapid non-stop scanning technology. The new devices will enhance the movement of UAE tourist vehicles, buses, and trucks in accordance with the highest standards of health, radiation safety, and compliance with international standards and specifications. UAE introduces AI-powered scanners in Al Ain The project includes equipping Khatm Al Shiklah and Mezyad customs centres in the UAE with seven state-of-the-art X-ray scanning devices. The devices are among the most advanced in the world. Abu Dhabi Customs will also build two central control and operation rooms for the inspection devices, equipped with the most advanced technologies. The project of equipping customs centres with inspection devices is considered one of the strategic projects of Abu Dhabi Customs. The project aims to develop inspection capabilities and processes and speed up passage at customs ports. The new inspection devices rely on the technology of rapid non-stop […]

9 months ago

iPhones Can Transform Into Soothing White Noise Machines With This Little-Known Feature

The calming sound of the ocean or a steady rainfall can be easily accessed on Apple iPhones with a white noise feature that some users initially never knew existed. For interested iPhone owners, they can go to settings, then accessibly and then audio/visual before finally clicking on background sounds, Apple instructs. From there, users can choose from six options: balanced noise, bright noise, dark noise, ocean, rain or stream while also adjusting the volume. The background sound can also play while an iPhone user watches a video or plays music on their phone, Apple Support explains. If iPhone users want a quicker way to reach those soothing sounds, it can set up a shortcut by clicking accessibility in settings and accessibility shortcut where background sound is an option. Then the user can triple-click the home button or side button to start playing the background noise. The existence of the feature seems to have caught a number of iPhone owners off guard. “Just found out iPhone has a built in white noise setting? No one told me that,” one person wrote on X last month. A third social media user said: “tiktok just taught me that my iphone has a built in […]

9 months ago

Smartphone Manufacturers Still Want To Make Foldables a Thing

Every large smartphone maker except Apple is betting that “foldable” phones will help revive a lacklustre mobile market, despite the devices still largely failing to attract mainstream consumers. Foldables, which have a screen that opens like a book or compact mirror, barely exceed a 1 percent market share of all smartphones sold globally, almost five years after they were first introduced. But Samsung has doubled down on the product, investing heavily in marketing this year. In July, the Korean group released its 5G Galaxy Z series. The world’s largest smartphone manufacturer points to estimates from Counterpoint Research that foldable devices may surpass a third of all smartphones costing more than $600 by 2027. “We will continue to position our foldables as a key engine for our flagship growth with the clear differentiation, experience, and flexibility these devices have to offer,” said Samsung. Other handset makers, such as Motorola, China’s Huawei and its spin-off Honour, are also pinning their hopes on the product helping to revive a market that suffered its worst year for more than a decade. “This is the year people [in the industry] really dived in,” said Ben Wood, an analyst at CCS Insight. “Everybody now is betting […]

9 months ago

I Ditched My Android for an iPhone 15 for a Week – And Apple Has Some Work To Do

Although I’ve tested iPhones for review—most recently with my iPhone 15 Plus review and iPhone 15 Pro review—outside of reviewing, my personal usage predominantly takes place on Android phones and has done so for years. I like the flexibility and customizability of the platform and the ability to address shortcomings or personalise with third-party apps and tools in a way that simply doesn’t exist on the iPhone. Its interoperability with a wider array of devices / OSes, be it iPhones, iPads, Macs, Windows PCs, or other Android phones and tablets, is unquestionably superior too. Even Android’s file management offers greater control and versatility (don’t @ me). That said, I’m often curious about what it would be like to live on the other side of this divide more wholeheartedly. Can I fully embrace Apple’s smartphone of the moment or will I miss the Android way of things too much? What barriers might I run into and, conversely, which aspects of the iPhone and iOS experience might I prefer? Jumping from Google’s latest and greatest Pixel 8 Pro to the most modest member of Apple’s best iPhones of 2023 might seem like a step-down. But as first impressions go, the iPhone 15 […]

1 year ago

US: Excessive Social Media Use Is No. 1 Concern for Parents as Kids Head Back to School: New Poll

An increasing number of parents have expressed concern over their children’s digital habits as their kids return to the classroom, findings from a new poll show. Two-thirds of parents surveyed say overall screen time, followed by social media overuse and internet safety, are major concerns, according to the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health. “Children are using digital devices and social media at younger ages, and parents may struggle with how to appropriately monitor use to prevent negative impacts on safety, self-esteem, social connections, and habits that may interfere with sleep and other areas of health,” said Mott Poll co-director and Mott pediatrician Dr. Susan Woolford in a news release. Harmful Effects of Social Media Findings from the poll, based on a nationally representative sample of over 2,000 respondents, also reveal that 50 percent of parents are concerned about mental health problems such as depression, suicide, stress, and anxiety associated with excessive screen use. Social media platforms include Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook. Findings from a 2019 study published in JAMA Psychiatry showed preteens and teens who spent more than three hours per day on social media had a 60 percent higher risk of developing mental health problems. Separate […]

1 year ago

Mercedes, BMW Sever Russian Dealers From Diagnostic Software

Under pressure of the western sanction regime, Mercedes-Benz has cut Russian dealers off from its software, severely impacting their ability to diagnose and service vehicles. BMW has implemented its own restrictions. “Dealers have been disconnected from the manufacturer’s online software systems,” distributor Mercedes-Benz Russia told Izvestia. “Due to the withdrawal of Mercedes-Benz AG from the Russian market, the joint-stock company Mercedes-Benz Russia does not have any additional opportunities to check and carry out other service measures set for Mercedes-Benz cars by the manufacturer.” “In some cases, the lack of access to online systems will increase repair times,” the company said, as mechanics will have to rely on their “accumulated experience and knowledge.” In addition to thwarting maintenance and repairs, the software cut-off will also leave Russian drivers unable to update programming on their vehicles. On his program, Russian TV host Vladimir Solovyov lashed out at the Germany company. “Mercedes-Benz informed dealers that all cars would be withdrawn from the service,” he said, according to a translation circulating online. “What does it mean? They sold it and it’s now dangerous? Where’s the class action lawsuit against Mercedes asking it to buy back the cars it sold in Russia? Driving these cars is now potentially dangerous.” Escalating the rhetoric, he implored the Russian government to “protect […]

2 years ago

Beyon Money: Teamwork makes the dream work!

A great team can either make or break a company. Teamwork at the workplace is essential to maximize the output and yield better productivity out of everyone involved. It is crucial to spark and maintain a continuous flow of motivation, enthusiasm, and encouragement within the team members throughout the process. Roberto Mancone, CEO of Beyon Money, shared an impressive and inspiring story with us recently that highlighted the power of great teamwork. The team’s management of the incident reflected the leadership quality and strong team spirit at the up and coming company. The team at Beyon Money has created a range of WhatsApp groups, each relating to a department or service – one of these, is related to handling issues faced within the app. The Incident One Friday night at around 11:45 pm, one of the employees noticed that there was a minor malfunction on the app. The team has in place a continuous process of testing of the app, monitoring any potential issues that some clients may face from time to time. The Response As soon as the first WhatsApp alert message was sent, everybody jumped in the group chat in a coordinated manner: one member started testing, another […]

2 years ago

Beyon Money: Leading Bahrain’s Fintech Revolution

Gulf Insider interviews Roberto Mancone, CEO and Executive Board Member at Beyon Money. Beyon Money is a newly launched super-app which intends to become a one-stop shop for its users, offering a marketplace with a wide range of financial products and services in one app. Roberto Mancone shares the purpose behind Beyon Money, its characteristics, their future plans, and predictions for the financial industry. What is the purpose of Beyon Money? Beyon money wants to fulfil two particular needs of clients who approach financial services—the element of choice and the speed of action. We want to make sure that our services will fulfill all the financial needs of all types of users, whether Gen Z, Gen Y, blue-collar, or white-collar. I call it the Netflix approach. When you use it, you will have a wide selection of genres and categories and you will find what matches your requirement. This is exactly what we want to achieve with our app; we want to provide you with that element of choice. The element of speed which we want to provide is one which offers the most convenience. For example, you download the app, upload one selfie, one ID, load a virtual card, and […]

2 years ago

Secure, Transparent, and Simple: Beyon Connect

Gulf Insider interviews Beyon Connect CEO, Christian Rasmussen. Beyon Connect is focused on delivering new technologies with great innovation potential, Software-as-a-Service platforms, and advanced IT solutions in the MENA region. Under the Beyon Connect umbrella, two new products were recently launched: One Box and One ID. One Box is an innovative digital postbox solution designed to enable national secure communication between the public sector, private businesses, and residents of Bahrain in one secure, convenient, and trusted digital space. OneID is a highly secure single e-ID which will be made available as a mobile application. It allows onboarding of Bahrain residents through an advanced e-KYC process supporting passport and national ID cards with facial recognition and liveness check. The new products are being developed to respond to the needs of the public and private sectors, addressing challenges that are becoming more commonplace in the changing digitized economy. What is the drive and purpose behind Beyon Connect? Our mission is to create better and more inclusive digital societies for individuals and businesses in the MENA region. To do so, we offer digital seamless communication solutions, in which transparency, security, and efficiency are key elements. We found that a number of society-created infrastructures […]

3 years ago

Batelco signs MOU with American University of Bahrain

Batelco signed an MoU with the American University of Bahrain (AUBH), the Kingdom’s first American-style University, to jointly launch academic and extracurricular initiatives, which aim at enriching the students learning experience and prepare them for their future. The signing ceremony took place at the AUBH campus in Riffa in the presence of a number of officials, and the MoU was signed by Shaikh Bader bin Rashid Al Khalifa, General Manager, Corporate Communications and CSR at Batelco, and Mr. William D. Hurt, Chief Operating Officer at AUBH. As part of the agreement, the AUBH student body will have the opportunity to take part in summer and semester-long internships at Batelco, and join executive experience programmes, giving them a chance to work on some of Batelco’s current projects. Students will also be able to volunteer for and help organise projects that fall under Batelco’s CSR programmes. The two institutions also plan to create initiatives to benefit the community and intend to hold panel discussions on topics of interest, as well as movie screenings on subjects like technology, and events that range from cultural and artistic to seasonal and athletic.

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AI-Powered Scanners Speed Up UAE-Oman Border Crossings

iPhones Can Transform Into Soothing White Noise Machines With This Little-Known Feature

Smartphone Manufacturers Still Want To Make Foldables a Thing

I Ditched My Android for an iPhone 15 for a Week – And Apple Has Some Work To Do

US: Excessive Social Media Use Is No. 1 Concern for Parents as Kids Head Back to School: New Poll

Mercedes, BMW Sever Russian Dealers From Diagnostic Software

Beyon Money: Teamwork makes the dream work!

Beyon Money: Leading Bahrain’s Fintech Revolution

Secure, Transparent, and Simple: Beyon Connect

Batelco signs MOU with American University of Bahrain

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