Saturday, December 31, 2005
[Via Textually org.]
Saudi telecom stops text vote for Arab Star Academy
A cell phone operator in Saudi Arabia has cut off text message voting for TV show Star Academy because of a religious fatwa, reports CBC.
The show brings together 16 young Arabs in a shared house to attend sports, singing, music and dance classes. Religious scholars have condemned the show as "culturally inappropriate." That led to the ban on text message voting by Saudi cell phone operator Mobily this week. Saudi Telecommunications Co., the largest mobile firm in the conservative kingdom, had already blocked voting.
"The decision was taken last night because of a fatwa (religious decree) issued last year, since the program is culturally inappropriate," Mobily spokesman Humoud Alghodaini said. "It shows men and women living in one house, sometimes semi-naked and in inappropriate situations," he added.
"We will definitely lose money, but how much, I don't know," Alghodaini said. "If we don't (stop messaging) it would backfire on us and affect our brand."
Some music fans say they managed in the past to vote for show contestants on the internet, bypassing the government server which controls access.
# posted by Unknown : Saturday, December 31, 2005
| |
| إريكسون تنشئ شبكة للهاتف النقال في ليبيا |
وقعت شركة "إريكسون" للهاتف النقال عقدا مع الحكومة الليبية بقيمة 58 مليون يورو تقوم بموجبه الشركة السويدية بإنشاء شبكة للهاتف النقال من الجيل الثالث في ليبيا. وينص العقد الذي وقعه مدير الهيئة العامة للمعلومات والتوثيق والاتصالات محمد القذافي، النجل الأكبر للزعيم الليبي معمر القذافي، مع رئيس شركة إريكسون كارل هنريك بيرج، على أن تورد الشركة السويدية شبكة للهاتف المحمول تشمل مقسمات الجيل الثالث بسعة تصل إلى مليونين ونصف المليون خط. وبموجب العقد، ستقوم إريكسون بتقديم الدعم الفني والصيانة والتدريب لليبيين وإنشاء شبكة تعمل بنظام GSM تتسع لمليون مشترك وتغطي أكثر من 21 مدينة. وأكد محمد القذافي أن قطاع الاتصالات يسعى من خلال تنفيذ شبكات النقال في البلاد للوصول إلى رقم المليون هاتف في ليبيا, وصولا إلى نسبة هاتف نقال لكل مواطن ليبي. وأكد أن شركة البريد التي كانت مكبلة بديون، وصلت في مرحلة من المراحل إلى مليار وربع المليار دينار قد تم تسويتها بالكامل وأن الشركة حققت وفرة مالية كبيرة سيتم استغلالها في تطوير قطاع الاتصالات في ليبيا. وكانت شركة ليبيانا للهاتف النقال وقعت الخميس الماضي عقدا مع شركة "هواوي" الصينية لتوسيع شبكتها إلى مليون مشترك جديد بكلفة إجمالية قدرها أربعون مليون دولار أميركي، على أن ينتهي تنفيذها خلال ثلاث سنوات. |
# posted by Unknown : Saturday, December 31, 2005
Friday, December 30, 2005
Cat.: Saudi Arabia, Islam, Religion, Music Saudi mobile phone company Mobily has barred users from text message voting in the pan-Arab version of Star Academy, after an earlier religious edict deemed the show immoral. The program is carried by the Lebanese channel LBC and was very popular in its first two seasons. [Source: Reuters]
Business decision based on funny Fatwa (religious decree), branding the reality show-Star Academy- immoral. Well, I don’t like the show myself, and I said that before, but that does not mean that I agree to zone it into the “Haram” list. After the infamous fatwa last year, the winner of the show; who happened to be a Saudi, was detained by the Saudi religious authorities for causing an “indecent scene.”
From my experience in the telecom market in this part of the world, I can confidently claim that Mobily press release has nothing to do with religion and it is just playing a cleaver marketing game. Keeping in mind that Mobily was newly launched at Saudi Arabia, and will do anything to eat part of the Saudi telecom market share.
On the other hand, such fatwa is so meaningless and aimless, that it seems to be directed to a particular show but not the other. Why? Just because it is reality show? Under their terms, does Superstar qualify as not Haram? What about the 100’s music and chat-TV channels? Are they Halal?
This is where I noticed that the Saudi mobile companies are playing on using religion and Islam in their marketing ads, directly and indirectly. I wonder how many noticed the brainless religious ads of Saudi Telecom (Mobily competitor) during the month of Ramadan. While they had good intentions, but the ads were always negative. I think they had the chosen the worst marketing companies to come with these TV ads
It seems that Mobily understood the game of commissioning the religious game in their marketing campaign, but in more clever way than Saudi Telecom did. After all, as I said before, there are 100’s of music and chat-TV channels as well other reality shows, which I personally see more fundamentally destructive to our youth and culture than a talent reality show like Star Academy. And none of these are banned, and the customers of both of the Saudi mobile companies have full access to these channels and shows!
via sabah blog
# posted by Unknown : Friday, December 30, 2005
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
New era heralded for mobile TV |
|  Coronation Street is one of the shows available to UK triallists | TV on mobiles is being touted as the next big thing, with supporters predicting it will offer a new genre of programmes. While some have expressed doubts about whether people will want to watch TV on their mobiles, handset giant Nokia and leading independent TV producer Endemol are convinced it will be a winner. Initial signs, both say, are that mobile TV will be a huge hit with consumers, a big money-spinner for content providers and mobile operators as well as a means of transforming TV as it currently exists. The next 12 months looks set to be the year mobile TV takes off. While the buzz around it is similar to the hype for 3G services, there is much greater optimism that TV will live up to its promise. Endemol is an old-hand at offering services to mobile firms as TV via 3G networks is already well established. It has been pleased with results so far. It sold six million Big Brother minutes since the show went on offer to mobile users in the UK, Italy and Australia. Mobile quiz For its part, Nokia is busy testing next-generation mobile TV technology at locations around the world and initial feedback from the trials is that consumers are receptive to the idea of small-screen video. TV, unlike mobile web browsing, is an easy concept to sell to consumers, says Mark Selby, Nokia's vice president of multimedia sales. His optimism is backed up by analysts. Technology consultancy Strategy Analytics predicts that mobile firms will have about 50 million users of mobile TV by 2009, generating an estimated £3.5bn in revenue. Content that feeds off existing shows or offer extra behind-the-scene video is likely to be widely available initially but eventually there will be bespoke made-for-mobile shows. "I can imagine an interactive quiz show just for mobile phones," said Peter Cowley, Endemol's head of interactive. The company is concentrating its mobile effort on quizzes, comedy and reality shows. Sport is also going to be a huge area for mobile technology and operators are keen for services to be rolled out in time for next year's football World Cup in Germany. Alongside these more traditional areas, there will also be a whole new genre of made-for-mobile content, and glimpses of what will be possible are already in evidence. Time and money Operator 3 has already begun experimenting with user-generated content, offering subscribers of its 3G TV service the chance to upload their own shows and profit from them, albeit in a very small way with each download of a show earning the maker just one pence. In Italy the firm is also offering full soap operas via mobile. Endemol's UK chairman Peter Bazalgette sees exciting times ahead. "This year is the first in a career of 27 years in television that I've been able to entertain people anywhere. A new era for those in the content business is starting," he said.  Orange launched its mobile TV service in May | He identified two issues that would be crucial to solve if the brave new world of mobile TV is to get off to a good start - time and money. "The duration of 3G usage is a maximum of three minutes and we have to increase that. Also people downloading video need to know what they are paying for and that it is offered at a fair price," he said. TV "snacking" seems to be most popular at the moment. Orange, which launched its 3G mobile TV service in May, found that 36% watching its service during lunch and other breaks. Some 18% watched TV while travelling to and from work, 12% while queuing or waiting for friends and 10% watched it at home. The idea of paying for content has been questioned by some but indications from trials which Nokia has been involved in suggest that people will be prepared to put their hands in their wallets. Following a trial in Helsinki, 41% said they would be willing to purchase mobile TV services. Half thought that a monthly payment of around £7 was a reasonable pricing model. Questions about money are not limited to consumers though and rows over media rights have dominated discussions about how to roll out mobile TV services. Cut-price viewing Broadcasters such as Channel 4 have argued that they should have the right to show programmes for free, regardless of whether it is available via traditional TV sets, the internet or mobile. The BBC plans to make TV programmes available for free on the internet for up to seven days after they are broadcast  Nokia plans to launch a DVB-H-enabled handset | But independent producers such as Endemol are looking for ways to make money out of new services. One solution said Mr Bazalgette could lie in advertising. "You could provide content at a cut price for those who agree to take ads as well," he suggested. The other issue dominating the future of mobile TV is which technology will dominate. DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting - Handheld) technology looks like being the favourite, set to overshadow current TV services rolling out on 3G networks. Nokia, in common with other handset manufacturers, has been involved in trials of the technology around the world this year. In the UK, Nokia in partnership with network provider O2 and broadcast firm Arqiva, has been monitoring 400 triallists in the Oxford area since October, both in terms of consumer behaviour and how the technology performs. Triallists have the choice of 16 channels, including BBC channels, ITV, Channel 4 and Five which they can watch on the Nokia 7710 widescreen multimedia smartphone. Nokia is due to release its first DVB-H enabled handset, the N92, in mid-2006 and this has been designed to look and feel like a portable TV. "It was the first design where we said 'let's not start with a phone'", said Richard Sharp, Nokia's vice president of multimedia. Official results from the Oxford trial are not due until the New Year but a few issues have been raised already. The first is over how long it takes to switch channels - around four to five seconds - and the other is about updates to the TV service guide. DVB-H, which has been adopted by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) as the standard for mobile TV services in Europe, works by beaming a signal to a digital TV receiver, attached to phones. Unlike TV streaming via 3G, DVB-H does not eat up bandwidth and is a whole lot cheaper to roll out nationwide, about a tenth of what was spent on the GSM network, according to Mr Sharp. "3G has capacity limitations and if two or three people in one place are receiving a TV picture, you can't make a phone call," explained Mr Sharp. "The key thing with DVB-H is that it isn't a two-way thing. It is broadcast one way so as many people in one space as want it can receive it," he said. "It is not a case of moving from 3G to DVB-H. The two are complementary and will co-exist because 3G is an important two-way technology," said Mr Sharp. |
# posted by Unknown : Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Thursday, December 22, 2005
& 
Two Super Cool new tools to mention this Monday AM; the first,
Yahoo's new RSS to SMS application. If you're a mobile media addict like I am this won't require any explanation and you won't need my warning that an unlimited data plan is highly recommended if you want to use this tool, but for the rest of us, here's the deal:
# posted by Unknown : Thursday, December 22, 2005
Google is starting to pay more and more attention to the mobile space. Over the past few days they launched Gmail for mobile, which is essentially a slimmed down (bare bones, actually) version of their popular mail application designed specifically for mobile devices with small screen and limited processing capability.
Go to Google's Mobile Page and you can enter your phone number and they'll text you the link.
# posted by Unknown : Thursday, December 22, 2005
 Gameloft has made games for Nokia's N-Gage |
Its mobile gaming subsidiary, Gameloft, has sold almost as many games as Ubisoft, said boss Yves Guillemot.
The French maker of titles such as Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell and King Kong is competing with other game giants for a slice of the mobile pie.
Mobile gaming is expected to explode, with analysts predicting that 220 million people will be playing games on mobile phones by 2009.
Small independent companies such as I-Play and In-Fusio, rather than the big publishers, have so far dominated the mobile gaming market.
But this is changing as the big games powerhouses start to push into mobile gaming.
New gamers
Ubisoft has Gameloft; and earlier this month, EA snapped up mobile games firm Jamdat for $680m (£390m).
Although EA makes some mobile titles, the deal boosted its presence in what is becoming a growing part of the gaming market.
 |  In a sense, our brands are now known and played by people all over the world  |
The big games makers see mobile gaming as a way to attract more people into its more serious gaming titles on consoles.
Casual gamers include a large proportion of women, and the games industry is keen to tap into that potential market too.
"I really believe the mobile business is going to extend our business a lot in the future," Mr Guillemot told the BBC News website. "They will bring a lot more people to games."
"It took me a while to consider that it was a great business. But now what I see is that Gameloft almost sells as many games as we do."
At just a few dollars, the price of a mobile game is a fraction of its console equivalent, so revenue is far lower.
But Mr Guillemot said low prices meant Gameloft was able to reach gamers in developing nations.
"They are creating games that are accessible, more the arcade style that we had in the past," he said.
"They can take more risk in terms of design as games are not as expensive and the distribution is broad.
"In a sense, our brands are now known and played by people all over the world."
Retro gaming
Ubisoft games like the Tom Clancy Splinter Cell titles have done well, but not all console games translate well to the small screen.
Instead arcade games such as Tetris and Space Invaders routinely top the charts. Other classic games do well, such as pool and card games, as they are seen as appealing to casual gamers.
"Ubisoft's success with Gameloft and EA's recent purchase of Jamdat reinforces the credibility of what is already an incredibly exciting industry," said I-Play acting CEO David Gosen.
"On a more cautious note, however, traditional video games players and media companies alike trying to enter this space, should not underestimate the complexity in building and delivering quality games.
"Success in the video games business does not equal success in mobile."
# posted by Unknown : Thursday, December 22, 2005
| الشباب السويدي ينتقد الإعلانات ذات الإيحاءات الجنسية |
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 | | نسبة كبيرة من الإعلانات تعتمد على التسويق النسوي (الفرنسية) | كشف استطلاع حديث للرأي عن استياء الشباب السويدي -خاصة الفتيات- من الإعلانات التجارية التي تحاول تسويق منتجات معينة معتمدة في ذلك على الإغراء الجنسي. وشملت الدراسة التي أجراها طالبان في السنة النهائية بكلية ستوكهولم للاقتصاد 700 شاب تتراوح أعمارهم بين 15 و18 عاما في ستوكهولم الكبرى. وطلب الاستطلاع من الشباب دراسة ستة إعلانات ترويجية للمشروبات الغازية والعطور مقسمة إلى ثلاثة مستويات هي عامل "الجنس المرتفع" وعامل "الخلو من الجنس" والاعتماد على صورة المنتج نفسه. وأظهر الاستطلاع أن رد فعل المجموعة بشكل عام سلبي إزاء الإعلانات التي اعتمدت على الجنس، ولم يستحسن الشباب العلامات التجارية التي تسوق باستخدام الإغراء الجنسي، كما أن هناك عزوفا عن شراء المنتجات التي تحمل هذه العلامات التجارية. وقالت كارولين بيرجستون وهي إحدى منظمات الاستطلاع "لم نلمس فارقا كبيرا بين إعلانات العطور والمشروبات الغازية، ظننا أن الشباب ربما يتقبل الجنس في إعلانات العطور ولكن الأمر لم يكن كذلك". ووصل الاستطلاع إلى نتيجة مفادها أن النتائج يمكن تطبيقها على إعلانات باقي المنتجات. |
# posted by Unknown : Thursday, December 22, 2005
Amazingly, Time Magazine have chosen the image that Adam Stacey took of his experience on the london underground during the attack here in London on the 7th of July 2005 as one of the best images from 2005….
I published the image on adams behalf you see
here for the first time, and through
Creative Commons licensing, the image went around the world in minutes, becoming an iconic image relating to the event.
I firmly believe that this photo would never have had the impact it *needed* to have had it not been protected by
Creative Commons licensing, nor would it have been able to reach so many people so quickly and effectively had old media structures such as AP/Gamma etc been allowed to sell it to media outlets.
What this means for so called “citizen journalism” I don’t know, but it’s an important example, and one which will hopefully show the efficacy of
Creative Commons licensing as a real world alternative to the inherent restrictions ordinary copyright emplaces.
There is one thing I am really concerned about though; see on the image it says “Adam Stacey/Gamma” as the attributed source? What the hell is Gamma even doing there!? I’m contacting both Time and
Gamma at the moment to see what is going on, if it turns out that
Gamma took the fact that it was licensed under CC including commercial use (to allow for papers to print the image etc), I am going to be incredibly angry, as I’m sure will the folks at
Creative Commons.
# posted by Unknown : Thursday, December 22, 2005
Monday, December 19, 2005
For those on the move, Dubai eGovernment has introduced a new channel of communication: Mobile Portal. It will allow users to access information and carry out transactions instantly via handheld mobile devices such as your mobile phones and PDAs.
Dubai eGovernment is the first in the Middle East to launch such a portal.
To use these eServices, simply log on to dubai.ae using your mobile browser and select the service you wish to use.
Once, you're online, you can access vital information on traffic, health, business, flights, entertainment, property and finance. You can even get information on your traffic fines, get financial quotes or obtain information on visas.A list of services presently available is given below. Please note that more services will be added later.
The services are mainly divided into five categories:
Traffic Service
Traffic Fines and Inquiry
Islamic Services
Prayer Times
Financial Services
Mobile Quotes from Dubai Financial Market
Currency Converter
Travel Booking
Book a Flight from Emirates Airlines
Flight Arrivals
Flight Departures
Hotel Search in Dubai
Entertainment
Movie Guide
Sama Dubai Weekly TV Schedule
Dubai Information
Visa Information
List of Embassies and Consulates
Search for Products in Dubai Malls
Sales and Promotions in Dubai
To use these eServices, simply log on to http://mobile.dubai.ae using your mobile browser and select the service you wish to use.
Our content partner in this project is
Cyber Gear
# posted by Unknown : Monday, December 19, 2005
Saturday, December 17, 2005
اشترك الآلاف في خدمة جديدة للرسائل النصية التي تمحي نفسها تلقائيا، الأحد في بريطانيا، حسبما قالت الشركة المسؤولة عن الخدمة الجديدة.
وتسمح الخدمة التجارية بأن تمحو الرسائل الحساسة نفسها بعد 40 ثانية من قراءتها.
وقد قامت شركة بريطانية تدعى ستيليام، بتطوير الخدمة الجديدة لتهدئة المخاوف من الرسائل التي يخشى مرسلوها من إمكان استخدامها ضدهم لاحقا.
وقالت الشركة إنها وجدت اهتماما بخدمتها الجديدة من جانب شركات، فضلا عن وزارة الدفاع، وبعض المشاهير. "المهمة المستحيلة"
وشبهت شركة ستيليام نظامها الجديد بنظام الرسائل الصوتية ذاتية التدمير التي ظهرت في مسلسلات المهمة المستحيلة Mission Impossible التي كانت تعرض تلفزيونيا خلال السبعينات.
وقالت كارول بارنم، المديرة التنفيذية لشركة ستيليام بريطانيا "التقنية وراء رسائل النص الخفي مستمدة من التقنية العسكرية، وعلى ذلك فإن هناك ما يبرر مقارنتها بمسلسل المهمة المستحيلة".
وتابعت "إمكانية إرسال رسائل ذاتية التدمير تحمل فوائد ضخمة للأشخاص من مختلف دروب الحياة، من المستخدمين العاديين للمحمول، إلى المشاهير وأصحاب الأعمال".
يذكر أن من القضايا التي حظيت بتغطية إعلامية في بريطانيا مؤخرا والمتعلقة بالرسائل النصية، ما تكشف من رسائل أرسلها لاعب كرة القدم الإنجليزي الشهير ديفيد بيكهام لمساعدته الخاصة ريبيكا لووز.
وتتكلف الخدمة الجديدة 50 بنسا للرسالة الواحدة، ويلزم على المستخدمين طلب عشر رسائل على الأقل.
ويتعين على الراغبين في الاشتراك في الخدمة تسجيل أنفسهم وإنزال برنامج صغير على هواتفهم المحمولة.
وما إن يتم إرسال رسالة، إلا ويحصل المتلقي على إخطار بوجود نص يحمل اسم المرسِل فضلا عن وصلة تقود للرسالة.
وتختفي الرسالة تلقائيا بعد فتحها بـ40 ثانية.
ورغم أن الرسائل تختفي من الهاتف المرسلة إليه، إلا أنه لا يمكن تجنب رصد المعلومات بالكامل.
فلأسباب قانونية، يتم الاحتفاظ بمجموعة من الرسائل القديمة لدى جهاز كمبيوتر مركزي (سيرفر) بحيث يمكن استرجاعها ولا تخضع للمستخدم. با
# posted by Unknown : Saturday, December 17, 2005
Friday, December 16, 2005
Mobile phone and the media in the Arab world
Naguib Sawiris - Naguib Sawiris is the Chairman and CEO of Orascom, the leading telecom firm in North Africa, as well as a board member of the Arab Thought Foundation. Sawiris will talk about the impact of technology on media.
# posted by Unknown : Friday, December 16, 2005
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
TEXT messages inciting race riots have been circulated in Queensland, Victoria and Western Australa, police said today.
The messages were used to incite mob violence against people of Middle Eastern appearance at Sydney's Cronulla beach on Sunday in retaliation for an attack on surf lifesavers.
Queensland police said yesterday that mobile phone text messages calling for people to start "cracking skulls" had surfaced on the Gold Coast.
New South Wales Police said today that similar messages had also been reported in Victoria.
"We're not at the point of bringing police in from other states but if that's required, if that's a tactic that we need to rely on, then that's something I will discuss with the commissioner and then we will go forward from there," Deputy Commissioner Andrew Scipione said on ABC radio.
"I think (Victoria and Queensland) are now starting to see the same messages, or similar messages, to those that we were seeing prior to last Sunday."
# posted by Unknown : Wednesday, December 14, 2005
SMS hatred spreads to WA
TEXT messages similar to those that fuelled racial violence in Sydney's south have surfaced in Western Australia, police say.
Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan today confirmed two text messages had turned up in WA this morning.
However, he said he had no details on the content of the messages.
"They are not linked to any activities in Western Australia at this stage," Commissioner O'Callaghan said.
Text messages used to incite mob violence against people of Middle Eastern appearance in Cronulla on the weekend surfaced in Queensland and Victoria this week.
Queensland police said yesterday the mobile phone text message had called for people to start "cracking skulls".
New South Wales police said today similar messages had also been reported in Victoria.
Mr O'Callaghan said he did not expect the violence in NSW to spread to WA.
"I do make the point that the violence that we have seen occur in New South Wales is the result of pressure building up over time as a result of a specific social issue that is not evident in Western Australia," he said.
"I am not concerned that the particular issue in New South Wales will spread to WA."
He said WA had a comprehensive contingency plan in place should there be an outbreak of violence.
# posted by Unknown : Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
[Via Jankari]
It would be very nice to translate this material into Arabic and adapt it to our Arab communicative patterns.
# posted by Unknown : Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Monday, December 12, 2005
1.
Bull, M. (2006). Sound moves: iPod culture and urban experience.Routledge. Cooper, G., Green, N., & Harper, R. (eds) (2005). The mobile society: Technology and social action. London: Berg Publishers 2.
Andriessen, J. H. E., & Vartiainen, M. (eds.) (2005). Mobile virtual work: A new paradigm? Springer. 3.
Harper, R., Palen, L., & Taylor, A. (eds.) (2005). The inside text: Social, cultural and design perspectives on SMS. Springer. 4.
Glotz, P., Bertschi, S., & Locke, C.(eds.) (2005). Thumb culture: The meaning of mobile phones for society. Bielefeld: Transcript Verlag. 5.
Ling, R., & Pedersen, P. E. (eds.) (2005). Mobile communications: Re-negotiation of the social sphere. Surrey, UK: Springer. 6.
Ito, M., Okabe, D., & Matsuda, M. (eds.) (2005). Personal, portable, pedestrian: Mobile phones in Japanese life. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press 7.
Hamill, L., & Lasen, A. (eds.) (2005). Mobile World: Past, Present and Future. Springer-Verlag. 8.
Nyiri, K. (ed.) (2005). A sense of place: The global and the local in mobile communication. Vienna: Passagen Verlag.
# posted by Unknown : Monday, December 12, 2005
وانتشرت رسائل قصيرة بين الهواتف داعية الى الرد على الهجوم
وانتشرت رسائل قصيرة بين الهواتف داعية الى الرد على الهجوم. وبدأ العنف لما تجمع الآلاف من الشباب على شاطئ كرونولا وهم ينشدون "كفى من اللبنانيين". عنف مضاد
وقد هاجمت جماعات من الشباب السكارى كل من يرونه عربي المظهر. وافادت تقارير صحفية بان امرأة مسلمة تعرضت لاقتلاع حجابها.
# posted by Unknown : Monday, December 12, 2005
نبذة عن البوابة العربية للأخبار التقنية:تعتبر البوابة العربية للأخبار التقنية، التي تتخذ من مدينة دبي للأعلام مقراً لها، المصدر الإخباري الأول والوحيد في العالم الذي يقدم آخر الأخبار والمستجدات على الساحة التقنية العالمية. ويأتي هذا الموقع ليمثل المرحلة الأولى مما سيكون أضخم بوابة تقنية عربية في العالم على الإطلاق. ويضم الموقع عدداً من المحاور الإخبارية التي تعنى بأخبار الشركات والمستخدمين الأفراد، ومن أبرزها: أخبار الشركات وعالم الكمبيوتر وأخبار الإنترنت والكاميرات الرقمية والهواتف المحمولة والأمن الإلكتروني وبرامج وتطبيقات وأجهزة متنوعة، كما سيتم إضافة محاور جديدة أخرى في الفترة القادمة. ويقف وراء هذا الجهد الكبير مجموعة من المتخصصين العرب الذين ينتشرون في مختلف دول العالم ويشكلون شبكة إخبارية توفر تغطية شاملة لأبرز الأخبار والأحدث التقنية في العالم وتقديمها للمستخدم العربي
# posted by Unknown : Monday, December 12, 2005
Thursday, December 08, 2005
During the last two weeks Islam Abdel-Hamid, 28, an accountant who also runs a small business of his own, has devoted the great majority of his time to the "cause" in which he believes. As "media coordinator" for the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) in Mina El-Basal in Alexandria, Abdel-Hamid is among the thousands of volunteers who contributed to the group's astonishing success in the parliamentary elections.
The MB has so far won 76 -- ie 24.6 per cent -- of the 308 seats contested in the first and second rounds. It is a figure few would have credited when the three-stage elections began on 9 November.
In last week's second round of elections, which included Alexandria, Abdel-Hamid volunteered to be Al-Ahram Weekly 's guide not only in Mina El-Basal but also in areas outside his his constituency like Dekheila and El-Raml.
"Want to see voters who aren't legally registered in this constituency but were brought in nonetheless to vote NDP?" he asked us. "They're going upstairs now."
Abdel-Hamid was right. Dozens of Bedouin women from Al-Ameriya, 51 kms from Alexandria, were climbing the stairs in the Mafrouza School polling station to vote. Asked who they were voting for most of the women told the Weekly they didn't know the name of the candidate and pointed to the crescent and camel -- the NDP symbols printed on their voting cards.
Asked what prompted her to vote for someone she did not know an elderly woman smiled in response.
Were they paid to vote NDP?
"Don't say anything," her companion hissed.
Minutes later we were speeding off to El-Dekheila constituency after Abdel-Hamid was notified of the security siege imposed on the area where a popular MB figure, Tawakol Masoud, was running against the leading NDP member Abdel-Meneim Ragheb Deif- Allah.
Tareek El-Bahr Street, leading to El-Dekheila -- Egypt's most populous constituency -- was blocked by a police truck. Dozens of police cars and armoured vehicles were lined up across the road leading to the polling station. Thugs had just attacked the voting station and according to witnesses the security forces didn't interfere. Masoud and his supporters were present, talking to the people in the area and to media representatives. There was no sign of Deif-Allah or his supporters.
In all the constituencies where the MB was running -- in Alexandria and elsewhere -- the group's candidates and leaders could be easily accessed, in stark contrast with the NDP.
Mobile phone on one ear and briefcase in hand, Abdel-Hamid made sure the world media witnessed the MB's experience in Alexandria's elections.
"Yes habibi, send the video to Al-Arabyia... Jazeera are already there filming...do you have a charger? Damn."
It was his second mobile that day and judging by the number of phone calls made in one hour his bill at the end of the month is going to be huge. It is not something Abdel-Hamid -- who joined the MB at the age of 10 -- worries about.
"I pay for this out of my own pocket because as a believer and as a Muslim I am doing this for a cause. Each and everyone one of us in the Muslim Brotherhood has a role and each person tries to do what they're doing to the best of their ability. This has always been Islam's message," he said.
Even after we left Alexandria Abdel-Hamid and at least three other MB members were continuously updating us by phone with developments and minute-by-minute accounts as the vote progressed.
According to Essam El-Erian, a prominent MB figure, the group's army of volunteers included 25,000 "men, women and children who, like Abdel-Hamid, are moved by ideological commitment. They knocked on the doors of registered voters urging them to vote MB, produced election songs, set up dozens of Web sites -- after their overwhelming victory in El-Minya the MB sent out mass emails urging recipients to send feedback on what they expect of their elected MPs -- and canvassed the opinions of voters to better understand why people were or were not voting for them.
And they
protected the ballots.
Journalists have reason to be grateful for their efficiency. The MB's main Web site, Ikhwan Online, provides election information round the clock. According to its Editor-in- Chief Abdel-Gelil El-Sharnoubi the site is continuously updated by a team of 45 journalists who are paid nominal fees "when they would cost 20 times as much if they wrote the same content elsewhere."
The group's powerful media committee has proved itself adept at finding ways to deliver its message: SMSs, emails, faxes and newsletters have all been employed. And in many instances they have provided photo and video documentation of violence and the role of the security forces in the elections.
But the election hasn't been the free and fair vote promised by the government, certainly not according to local and international monitors, judges and leading Muslim and Coptic intellectuals (
see statement). The widespread violence has claimed the lives of two people, injured dozens and terrified many more. In some cases judges supervising the poll have been assaulted, and the courts have already annulled results in several constituencies following claims that the returns had been falsified in Damanhour, Dokki, Nasr City and elsewhere.
The month-long campaign conducted by the state-run media against the MB, and the recent arrests of MB members -- 731 so far -- appear to have backfired and the outfit is still progressing. According to Mohamed Habib, the MB's deputy supreme guide, they expect to win 24 to 25 seats in the third and final stage of elections today.
"I think we're going to end up with around 100 seats in parliament, perhaps more," he told the Weekly.
Habib believes three factors have contributed to the group's success -- preparation, planning and reliance on "highly qualified and competent" MB activists "who have the ability to act in times of crisis," communicating with voters, guiding them to polling stations, protecting the ballots and closely monitoring the count.
"We make a point of being present when that is happening," Habib said.
He also attributes the group's success to the "desire of the electorate for change" despite "thuggery and attempts to demonise the MB".
As the election draws to a close the success of Egypt's "outlawed" group has provoked a debate that shows no sign of ending soon. For the time being it is mostly focused on how they won so many seats.
Ibrahim Eissa, editor-in-chief of the independent weekly Al-Destour, tried to offer an answer on the paper's front page last week. When faced with the NDP or MB, any citizen "in their right mind would have chosen the MB without hesitation".
Under the title "The lesson is over NDP", Eissa's widely-read column argued that the MB had not nominated "corrupt candidates, bank robbers, those who steal the daily bread of the people or state security investigation officers who torture citizens. They did not nominate drug dealers, people who have sold Egypt's wealth or robbed its public sector, nor slaves to the president, hypocrites, those who normalise with Israel or work with USAID… Citizens vote MB because the competition is the NDP."
# posted by Unknown : Thursday, December 08, 2005
الاربعاء 7 ديسمبر 2005م، 06 ذو القعدة 1426 هـ
نقلوا وقائع الانتخابات عبر الفاكس والبريد الالكتروني ورسائل الموبايل25 ألفا في جيش إعلامي "إخواني" كسر "حصار" الحكومة المصرية
صورة بريد ألكتروني أرسلها أحد المتطوعين لأحداث الانتخابات
دبي - العربية.نت
أبرزت الانتخابات البرلمانية المصرية وجود جيش إعلامي جرار للإخوان المسلمين يتابع كل صغيرة وكبيرة في الدوائر الانتخابية، ويبلغ عدد هؤلاء وفقا للدكتور عصام العريان القيادي في الجماعة 25 ألف متطوع – رجالا ونساء وأطفالايطرقون أبواب الناخبين المسجلين، ويدعونهم لانتخاب مرشحي الجماعة، ويؤلفون الأناشيد الانتخابية، ويؤسسون العديد من مواقع الإنترنت.
ويحمل الكثير منهم أجهزة الكمبيوتر الشخصية "اللاب توب" وكذلك يتصلون بالصحفيين ووكالات الأنباء عبر أجهزة المحمول، يبلغونهم أولا بأول عن الحصار الذي تفرضه قوات الأمن على دوائر النفوذ الإخواني لمنع الناخبين من الوصول إلى صناديق الانتخابات والذي ظهر بقوة خلال الجولة الثالثة والأخيرة ولا سيما في مرحلة الاعادة التي جرت الأربعاء 7/12/2005.
تخطوا الحواجز الأمنية والعراقيل
وفي تحقيق صحفي مميز بعنوان "دروس للتعلم" نشرته الزميلة الصحفية أميرة هويدي في جريدة "الأهرام ويكلي" الحكومية التي تصدر باللغة الانجليزية، تناولت وسائل الإعلام المختلفة للإخوان التي استطاعت الوصول للناخبين وتخطي الحواجز الأمنية والعراقيل التي وُضعت أمام الإخوان خلال الفترة الماضية.
يتحدث التحقيق عن محاسب يدعى إسلام عبد الحميد يعمل منسقا إعلاميا لجماعة الإخوان المسلمين في دائرة مينا البصل بالإسكندرية، وهو واحد من آلاف المتطوعين الذين ساهموا في تحقيق هذا النجاح المبهر للإخوان في الانتخابات التشريعية.
بدويات غير مقيدات في الجداول الانتخابية
إسلام قاد الصحفيين إلى حيث تقوم آلاف من البدويات من منطقة العامرية القريبة من الاسكندرية غير مقيدات في القوائم الانتخابية بالتصويت لصالح الحزب الوطني الديمقراطي بعد شراء أصواتهن.
تجمعت هؤلاء البدويات في إحدى اللجان الانتخابية من أجل التصويت، ولما سألتهن الزميلة أميرة هويدي عن هوية المرشح الذي سينتخبنه كان ردهن أنهن لا يعرفن المرشح الذي سوف ينتخبنه.. ولكنهن أشرن إلى رمزي الهلال والجمل، وهما الرمزان اللذان يمثلان مرشحي الحزب الوطني في هذه الدائرة.
ولما سألتهن الصحفية أميرة هويدي عن سبب مجيئهن إلى التصويت رغم عدم معرفتهن بأي مرشح، لم ترد أي منهن ولكن إحداهن قالت للأخريات: "لا تقلن شيئًا". وتساءلت كاتبة التحقيق: هل اشترى الحزب الوطني أصواتهن بالفعل؟
"بعد ذلك بدقائق كنا نسرع خارجين من الدخيلة بعد أن وصلت أنباء إلى إسلام عبد الحميد- المنسق الإعلامي للإخوان في هذه المنطقة- عن الحصار المفروض على المنطقة التي يتنافس فيها مرشح الجماعة و مرشح الحزب الوطني الحاكم".
طريق البحر المؤدي إلى دائرة الدخيلة بالاسكندرية التي تعتبر واحدة من أكبر الدوائر الانتخابية من حيث عدد السكان كان مسدودًا بقوات الأمن، حيث اصطفت عشرات من سيارات الشرطة والعربات المدرعة لتغلق الطريق المؤدي إلى لجان الاقتراع، وقبلها بقليل كان البلطجية قد هاجموا اللجان الانتخابية، ووفقًا لشهود العيان فإن الأمن لم يتدخل.
كان توكل مسعود مرشح الإخوان في المنطقة هو وأنصاره يتحدثون إلى المواطنين وممثلي وسائل الإعلام، و لم يكن هناك أي وجود لمرشح الوطني ولا مؤيديه.
الإعلام يصل بسهولة لمرشحي الإخوان
في كل الدوائر الانتخابية، كان من الممكن للصحفيين الوصول إلى مرشحي الإخوان وأنصارهم والحديث معهم، فيما كان مرشحو الحزب الوطني على العكس من ذلك تمامًا.
وباستخدام الهاتف المحمول والكمبيوتر المحمول، تأكد إسلام عبد الحميد من أن ممثلي وسائل الإعلام العالمية قد شاهدوا كيف يتم التعامل مع مرشحي الإخوان المسلمين في الانتخابات، وقال في إحدى مكالماته: " تأكد من أنك أرسلته إلى العربية والجزيرة".
إسلام سيدفع من جيبه الخاص تكلفة مكالمات هاتفه المحمول التي ستكون بالطبع مرتفعة للغاية، وهو لا يرى ذلك مقلقا "لأنه كإخواني يشعر بأنه يفعل ذلك من أجل قضية ويؤدي دوره وأن هذه هي تعاليم الاسلام".
بعد أن غادرت أميرة هويدي وزملاؤها الصحفيون الاسكندرية، استمر إسلام عبد الحميد وثلاثة من أعضاء الإخوان المسلمين في الاتصال بهم هاتفيًا لإبلاغهم بكافة التطورات دقيقة بدقيقة بعد بدء عمليات الفرز.
وبعد نجاحهم الكاسح في المنيا، أرسل الإخوان رسائلَ إليكترونية يطلبون فيها من مستقبلي هذه الرسائل أن يوضحوا لهم ماذا يتوقعون من النواب المنتخبين، كما طلبوا إرسال الأسباب التي دعت كل إنسان للتصويت لهم أو عدم التصويت لهم، كما أنهم (الإخوان) دافعوا عن صناديق الاقتراع.
ويتحدث التحقيق عن الدور الذي لعبه موقع الاخوان على الانترنت والمعلومات التي كان يقدمها على مدار الساعة عن كل ما يجري في الدوائر الانتخابية.
ويقول رئيس تحرير الموقع عبدالجليل الشرنوبي للزميلة أميرة هويدي إن فريق عمل الموقع يتكون من 45 صحفيا يتقاضون رواتب ثابتة تساوي 20% من الرواتب التي كان يمكن ان يتقاضوها لو عملوا في أماكن صحفية أخرى.
وسائل الآلة الإعلامية الإخوانية
وتعتمد الآلة الإعلامية القوية للجماعة على العديد من الوسائل ومن بينها: الرسائل القصيرة ورسائل البريد الإليكتروني والفاكسات وكذلك الأخبار.
استخدموا أيضًا بث الصور وأفلام الفيديو التي توضح العنف المستخدم ضد الجماعة ودور وسائل الأمن في الانتخابات.
ويرى د. محمد حبيب نائب المرشد العام للجماعة أن 3 عوامل قد ساهمت في نجاح الجماعة وهي: الإعداد والتخطيط والاعتماد على "أفراد من الجماعة مؤهلين تأهيلاً عاليًا، ولديهم روح المنافسة، وقادرين على العمل في أوقات الأزمات، ويستطيعون التواصل مع الناخبين وإرشادهم إلى لجان الاقتراع وحماية الصناديق الانتخابية ومراقبة عمليات الفرز عن قُرب".
# posted by Unknown : Thursday, December 08, 2005
By Hasna Al-Qarani
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat- Modern technology has once again facilitated the breaking of taboos in Saudi Arabia thanks to Bluetooth the short range wireless technology that is now available on most mobile phones. Saudi's youth can confidently exchange messages between the sexes free from the familiar prying eyes of family in particular and society in general and without using the phone's network service
Nasreen Hamd, a young Saudi woman praises Bluetooth technology saying, "After searching for another device that shares this service, you can send photos, or messages that express an interest in friendships, relationships or simply for entertainment! Personally, I use it to have fun at university."
As much as the service has attracted supporters, so too has it provoked much criticism in such a conservative society.
Sanaa Abdel Rahman, says, "It enables young men and women to become friends in social settings despite physical barriers, for example at restaurants," Sanaa admits that, "this form of modern technology is considered a violation of our social conventions." "However," she adds, "the same way in which society became accustomed to the idea of meeting a potential spouse over the internet, with caution of course, society may also get used to this new service. For now, only certain religious and social teachings are required."
Many youngsters are in favor of Bluetooth as it is practical and allows them to establish friendly relationships with members of the opposite sex, occasionally resulting in marriage.
Another Saudi woman who spoke to Asharq al-Awsat on condition on anonymity explained, "Modern telecommunications systems such as mobile phones have broken social taboos. We are only now beginning to enjoy such features that allow us more freedom. At the same time however, this form of advanced technology has deprived us of the concept of traditional romance."
Bluetooth has disgruntled many Saudis such as Layla Al-Majid who believes, "that modern technology will cause a transgression in social norms and traditions as it has facilitated the establishing of friendly ties between members of the opposite sex." Similarly dissatisfied with this technology, Fadwa Al-Jahni expresses her frustration with "ridiculous messages and scandalous pictures" that she receives causing her to turn her mobile phone off.
The question of technology's facilitating of such freedom between men and women will continue to be the topic of heated discussions amongst older and younger generations of the conservative society of Saudi Arabia. The rapid and incessant development of technology awaits no body and no society for that matter. Saudi Arabia is now experiencing the complicated combination of traditional society and modern technology.
# posted by Unknown : Thursday, December 08, 2005
Monday, December 05, 2005
MTC-Vodafone (Bahrain), the kingdom’s innovative
mobile operator, and BBC World, the BBC’s international English-language news and information channel, have signed an agreement to make BBC World available full-time to mobile customers through MTC-Vodafone Live TV service.
With this new Channel on board, MTC-Vodafone (Bahrain)'s customers will be able to see BBC World’s output on their
mobile phones at any time. The service will be introduced imminently by MTC-Vodafone (Bahrain), and it is expected to define the standards for future mobile, Internet and multimedia services in the Middle East.
"We are very pleased with the results achieved since the launch of our unique and innovative Live TV in July 2004. We envisage that in the near future more people will be watching the news via their mobile phones than at home in front of their TV set. We are committed to provide our customers with a wide choice of channels to match their needs and requirements while they are on the move," explained Dr. Marwan Alahmadi, Chief Operating Officer at MTC-Vodafone (Bahrain).
"The MTC-Vodafone (Bahrain) agreement with BBC World marks another step on the road of true mobile and multimedia convergence. Our aim is to redefine the
wireless future to further open up the endless services available to customers via their mobile phone. This new service is just one of many that our customers can look forward to,” he added.
Simon Cottle, BBC World’s Distribution and Business Development Director for the Middle East, said: "BBC World is already the key international television broadcaster for the Arab world, where it has very strong distribution figures and reaches an audience of affluent decision-makers. This agreement is important because it ensures that BBC World will be available as a trusted and respected source of news for these mobile subscribers in Bahrain wherever they are and whenever they want it.”
MTC-Vodafone (Bahrain) introduced Live TV to Mobile in July 2004, as part of its ‘World of WoW’, the Middle East’s most innovative infotainment services. Customers have the option of watching live TV broadcasts on to their mobiles. Customers can enjoy this service on Symbian mobile handsets such as the Sony Ericsson P800/P900 , Nokia 6600, Nokia 7650, Nokia 3650,
Nokia 7610, Siemens SX1 and many others to come.
In order to be able to use this service, customers only need to download the Media Centre application onto their handsets; this simple application is available, with NO extra charge, on the MTC-Vodafone (Bahrain) Web site and at any of the MTC-Vodafone (Bahrain) experience stores across the Kingdom: Exhibition Road, Manama, the arrivals lounge at Bahrain International Airport; Budaiya, Isa Town, Hamad Town, Arad, Rifaa , the University of Bahrain (Sakhir campus) and SEEF MALL shop.
To find out more about the MTC-Vodafone products and services, mobile users can browse the Internet and log onto:
www.mtc-vodafone.com.bh or call MTC-Vodafone’s customer care on 107 for more details.
# posted by Unknown : Monday, December 05, 2005
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Swedish telecoms supplier Ericsson and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) are conducting the world's first live trial of interactive mobile TV. The trial demonstrates a way of using mobile TV which allows mobile phone users to vote, chat and communicate with a television presenter while watching a TV show simultaneously on their handsets.
Together, Ericsson and NRK launched a downloadable client for the existing interactive TV format Svisj. Using the format, viewers can, for example, vote for which music video is to be played next by the touch of a button and also chat with each other or the host of the programme.
The interactive mobile TV application is an end-to-end solution based on existing technology which enables mobile phone users to watch streamed TV programmes live and also interact with the show.
# posted by Unknown : Sunday, December 04, 2005
Saturday, December 03, 2005
The mobile telephone offers all users the same basic – yet profound – power
to connect with others almost anytime, anywhere. Yet as the wireless network
extends to every corner of the globe, distinct regional and national conventions of
mobile communication are emerging. Individual users and small organizations play
a major role in the development of these conventions. Over time, the choices they
make about how to use mobiles to solve their most pressing problems become
common practice.
# posted by Unknown : Saturday, December 03, 2005
حادثة غريبة، ربما هي الأولى من نوعها، سجلتها إمارة رأس الخيمة في دولة الامارات العربية، حيث نجا طفل من انفجار هاتف نقال "موبايل" كان موضوعا تحت وسادته. والغريب في الأمر أن جهاز "الموبايل" لم يكن مستخدما لحظة انفجاره، الذي تسبب في أضرار مادية فحسب.ووقع الانفجار الذي ما زالت أسبابه مجهولة، ليلا بحسب صحيفة "البيان" الاماراتية السبت 3-12-2005. واستيقظ سكان المنزل جميعهم مذعورين على صوت الانفجار ليسرعوا بالهرب إلى الخارج. ويقول سامر سمير أحد أفراد الأسرة وهو صاحب الهاتف إن شقيقه نجا من الحادث بأعجوبة. ويضيف "الهاجس الذي راودنا هو وقوع زلزال أو انفجار اسطوانة الغاز أو سخان الماء وغير ذلك". واللافت أن الدوي المزعج ليس هو الضرر الوحيد للموبايل المنفجر، فقد أسفر عن حريق وإن كان محدودا، لكنه خلَّف أضراراً في الأثاث.
# posted by Unknown : Saturday, December 03, 2005
Friday, December 02, 2005
Vodafone's receiver magazine is a neutral space where pioneer thinkers challenge you to discuss exciting, future-oriented aspects of communications technologies. Started four years ago as a platform for exchange about how innovations in this sector affect societies worldwide, receiver is now established as one of the industry's key idea generators.
Mobile services are constantly breaching new boundaries, and will have an enormous impact on the logistics of life – both in terms of productivity and social networking. But the one most important basic feature will always be the ability to dynamically connect everybody with everybody else. So the question is: What do we want to bring together, exchange or take with us, and how can we do this when we're out in the field? This time around, receiver levels a look at applicability issues – how can we work, learn, cooperate and know better using mobiles?
# posted by Unknown : Friday, December 02, 2005
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