UAE: The World’s Smartphone Leader
The United Arab Emirates leads the world in smartphone penetration, with 74% of mobile subscribers carrying one of the natty little devils in their pockets.
ALEXANDER MCNABB: The United Arab Emirates leads the world in smartphone penetration, with 74% of mobile subscribers carrying one of the natty little devils in their pockets.
‘A Step Backwards?’ Bahrain Set to Curb VoIP Services
STEVE ROYSTON: The reason for the crackdown is predictably ‘security’. The impact on much-needed inward investment may, however, be profound.
Porn: ‘Not So Popular’ In Middle East. Really?
CROSSROADS ARABIA: In a recently published report Al Arabiya seems to have missed a rather significant point about internet access in the region
UAE To Block ‘Hate Movie’: The Right Approach?
ALEXANDER MCNABB: Internet users in the UAE will not be able to see ‘The Innocence of Muslims’ and see for themselves what a foul work it is.
iPhone 5 Official Video
VIDEO: The official video for the iPhone 5 reveals a phone that looks much the same. Did we want something completely new?
Censored: Jordan Extinguishes Internet Freedom
ALEXANDER MCNABB: The vote was carried by 69 attending parliamentarians, with a significant number walking out in protest.
Mobile Phones: Who Controls What?
VIDEO: Al Jazeera’s Rob Reynolds reports from Los Angeles on what it is about clever phones that gets so many people, so excited.
Etisalat Threat: Register, or Lose Your Number
ALEXANDER MCNABB: If you don’t register your SIM card, you’re going to have your line cancelled. It’s part of the slightly obtuse campaign, ‘My number, my identity’.
SIMply Mad: Queue Up for A Telecom Farce
ALEXANDER MC NABB: Time to ready yourself for another pointless exercise in waste-of-time bureaucracy – SIM card re-registering. Great.
Internet ‘Disaster’: A Return to Morocco’s Old Ways
REDA YAMANI, THE VIEW FROM FEZ: If ever you need a demonstration of abuse of monopoly power look to Maroc Telecom
‘Having Fun With Evi’: And Jealous No More
ALEXANDER MCNABB: You’ve had to listen to how much fun your i-Phone dabbing friends have with Siri. Now it’s your turn.
Applause For the UAE’s Telecoms Regulator
ALEXANDER MCNABB: Elephants may still not be flying, but the TRA can actually be responsive. No, don’t laugh – it’s true… and here’s proof.
Protecting Arabic In Digital Communications
CROSSROADS ARABIA: No language—not even ‘dead’ languages like Latin—are immune to change. Latin is constantly developing to deal with new technology and social developments.
Etisalat Plans – Mickey Mouse, but less Friendly
ALEXANDER MCNABB: My plan? What plan? It was called ‘Mubashir’ because nobody knew what 3G was (“I don’t understand what 3G is!” “No problem, take this! It’s called Mubashir!” “What is it?” “3G”).
The Future’s Coming, Please Tell the UAE’s Telcos
ALEXANDER MCNABB – Technology has allowed us to speak to each other in ways unimaginable five years ago. The telco operators in the Middle East, however, don’t appear to have caught on yet.
The Biggest Bonus of them all, & How to Spend it
JAMES MULLAN: The journalist was inspired. After he left I turned to the client to congratulate him on conducting such a wonderful interview. He was grim faced. ‘You know what this means, James? Slavery. There will be no place where you can escape work, no time when you will not be expected to work. It’ll be hell on earth for most people.’ Within two years the guru had retired from the IT business and embarked on a successful career as a rock musician.
Telcos & Disintermediation: Slow Motion Car Crash
Telcos are staring looming disintermediation in the face and don’t have the faintest clue what to do about it.
VOIP imminence claim rings hollow
According to UAE based Arabic newspaper Al Ittihad, UAE’s telecom service providers Etisalat and du will launch Voice Over Internet Protocol services by the end of 2010.
Google Voice, Censorship, Media Idiocy
There has been a great deal of concern and speculation this week regarding a possible move against Google by the UAE’s telecom regulator, the TRA. Much of this concern has been triggered by appalling journalism…
Die Telco! Die! Facebook rings in a new order
Facebook has tossed its hat into the mobile handset ring according to TechCrunch today, joining Apple and Google, a trio five years ago you would have never have associated with the phone business.
