The Technology Express Magazine | Edition: August 2022

AUGUST 2022

WEB3

The 8 most expensive

NFTs ever sold

AI & ML

Will AI enable

us to generate

real-life

graphics in the

METAVERSE?

CRYPTO &

DIGITAL ASSETS

Spending millions

on virtual items,

what’s the catch?

Dr. Jane Thomason

Founder, Global Meta Blockchain

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| Qatar - QAR 30 | Oman - OMR 3.5

| Bahrain - BD 3.5 | Kuwait - KWD 2.5

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AUGUST 2022 / 1

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Dear readers,

We are excited to present you with the August 2022 edition

of The Technology Express (TTE)!

Our goal is to provide you with key informational

stories and keep you updated regarding everything new

in the ever-growing technology world, which of course has a big

impact on our everyday lives. We have reached a point in time

where technology is growing very fast and it is becoming more

and more difficult to keep up with all the new things happening,

but don’t worry, we got you covered as we dive deep into the

pivotal and vast fields of technology with every new release. We

cover fintech, biotech, data intelligence, AI & ML, cloud computing,

cybersecurity, startups, gaming, robotics, Web3 & crypto, space

tech, and lifestyle. In addition to the latest news circulating, we

present monthly reviews and recommendations of technology

gadgets, apps, and different services.

Dr. Jane Thomason, Founder of Global Meta Blockchain is on

the cover as she shared her opinions and views on the world of

Metaverse during an exclusive interview with TTE.

Find the list of the 8 most expensive NFTs ever sold, the

environmental effects of the Metaverse and we address virtual

items and their value. We take a look at Fintech and the way that

the Metaverse has been affecting the field. We take a closer look at

Khaled Al Huraimel and his career. Cyber security columns take us

to the reasons behind the penetration of Blockchain despite its high

level of sophistication and Web3.0 allegedly being a haven for data

security.

The latest issue of TTE provides updates on the latest news in

circulation and reviews of tech gadgets, apps, services and much

more!!

With this month’s read, we see how industry leaders and

emerging developments exhibit how technology is the future of

creativity, innovation, and culture, allowing people to reshape and

expand our world across digital and tangible landscapes.

Under the wise leadership of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin

Zayed Al Nahyan, The UAE is poised to follow the steps of the

late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to establish the most

advanced technological infrastructure and integrate all elements

of technology into everyday life. HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid

Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, Vice President, Prime Minister, and

Minister of Defence once said: “Our vision for development is driven

by a deep understanding of the future needs. ‘The future does not

wait for those who hesitate and slow down. The next stage requires

us to act fast and capitalize on new opportunities”

Please recycle the magazine once you've finished reading it

www.thetechnologyexpress.com AUGUST 2022 / 3

AUGUST 2022

Contents

P17 | FITNESS, LIFESTYLE & FASHION

TECHNOLOGY

P18 | NEWS IN FOCUS

P20 | START-UPS IN FOCUS

P7 | DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

P34 | COVER STORY | Jane Thomason

Founder, Global Meta Blockchain

P8 | WEB3 | The most expensive

NFTs ever sold

P22 | SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY

P40 | FINTECH | The impacts of Web3

on Finance

P42 | FINTECH | News in Focus

WHEELS

P24 | INTERVIEW

P10 | CYBERSECURITY/NEWS

P44

P52

P68

P12 | LAUNCH EXPRESS

P14 | AI & ML

P16 | CLOUD COMPUTING

P26 | GAMING

P27 | FUNDING NEWS

P28 | BUILDING AUTOMATION

P30 | CRYPTO & DIGITAL ASSETS

P32 | EVENTS

P78


AUGUST 2022

Contents

P46 | TECH MY MONEY

P58 | CYBERCRIME

P59 | NEWS IN FOCUS | Blockchain

P60 | DATA & DATA INTELLIGENCE

P66 | ROBOTICS

P70 | ENTERPRISE IT

P50 | INVENTORS & DEVELOPERS |

Khaled Al Huraimel, Co-Founder and

Chairman of BEDU

P54 | FUTURE TECHNOLOGY

P61 | APP EXPRESS

P62 | HEALTHCARE

P63 | MARKETING TECH

P72 | MANUFACTURING

P56 | GADGET REVIEWS

P64 | SPACE TECHNOLOGY | How long

will a two-way trip to Mars take?

P73 | AVIATION

P74 | VISIONARIES IN FOCUS

P75 | EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

P76 | LATEST TECH

P80 | BIOTECH

P81 | SOFTWARE

P82 | LISTED TECH COMPANIES

P86 | BUILDING AUTOMATION

6

/ AUGUST 2022

www.thetechnologyexpress.com

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

UAE PUTS FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY & TRADE

FOR A POST-OIL FUTURE

The UAE has always been a region that is quite famous for being an oil-rich zone in the

world. History has seen how the region has found its best possible way to attain the

optimum economic stature. The UAE has always, therefore, relied on its revenue generation

through oil. However, in recent times, there has been a paradigm shift and the UAE is

preparing itself for the post-oil world.

There have been several

governmental and private

sector investments to

make the process much

smoother and give the best

possible outcome. Its pivotal aim

is to work toward decreasing the

amount of carbon emissions in the

environment and find ways that are

sustainable for the environment.

In 2014, the UAE witnessed a

spur in oil prices and this has made

them realize how vulnerable the

situation can turn into at any moment

as the global market fluctuates.

Consequently, the world has quite

sensitized itself to the growing

impacts on the environment and

hence steps have been taken to

diversify the economy for the best

output.

Oil has always been the one

constant factor of the UAE which

is generally relied on, but over

the years there has been more

inclination toward rapid digitization,

health sectors, education,

transportation, and other public

service domains. The government

found it a lucrative way to shift

from the trade of crude oil and thus

launched national funds to help

smooth out this transition for their

country.

This could be a misconception

for other nations that the UAE

is relinquishing its status as a

global energy leader by completely

prohibiting the production and export

of crude oil, as this is not happening

anytime soon. Instead, the UAE is

aiming to re-establish itself as the

renewable energy production leader

and is focusing on producing almost

44% of the energy mix by the year

2050. This will include an investment

of around $163 billion into renewable

and clean energy technology in the

upcoming decades, with solar energy

playing a crucial role in it.

Many leading nations are

currently laying eyes on the next

steps to be taken by the UAE. This

inclination would surely leave the

economic situation of the UAE

floundering and would push the other

countries to join the bandwagon

soon. As more and more countries

follow this regime, the transition will

become quite challenging.

-feature@thetechnologyexpress.com


WEB3

THE 8 MOST EXPENSIVE NFTS EVER SOLD!

The Merge | Sold for: $91.8 million |

Artist: Murat Pak

The most expensive NFT in history was

purchased in December of 2021 for a

staggering $91.8 million. The Merge was

produced by well-known digital artist Pak, whose

works have brought in more than $350 million. It

was purchased for around $92 million by 28,983

participants who contributed a total of 312,000

shares (each of which is an NFT). The Merge has

elevated Pak beyond Jeff Koon’s Rabbit from 1986,

which sold for $91 million, to become the most

valuable living artist in history.

Everydays: The First 5000 Days

Sold for: $69.3 million

Artist: Mike Winkelmann

The NFT art community truly smashed it last

year, breaking record after record. Digital

artist Mike “Beeple” Winkelmann, who gained

fame after selling a collage of 5000 images which

were created one by one every day for more than

thirteen years and titled “Everydays: The First 5000

Days” at Christie’s first-ever digital art auction.

Clock | Sold for: $52.7 million

Artist: Murat Pak

CryptoPunk #5822 | Sold for: $23.7 million

Artist: Studio Larva Labs

The third most expensive NFT ever sold stands

out from the other tokens on this list since it was

created for the benefit of a charitable organization.

The Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and Pak jointly

created a non-fungible token called “Clock” that shows a

digital counter of the number of days Assange has spent

imprisoned at London’s Belmarsh Prison.

The CryptoPunks are undoubtedly at the top of

the list of the most popular tokens, regularly

selling for record-breaking prices. Select

NFT sets have developed a cult-like following. The

concept, which Larva Labs introduced in 2017, was

influenced by the London punk scene, cyberpunk,

and electronic music pioneers like Daft Punk, it was

released around 2017.

8

/ AUGUST 2022


Alien Cryptopunk #7523 | Sold for: $11.75 million

Artist: Matt Hall and John Watkinson

HUMAN ONE | Sold for: $28.9 million

Artist: Michael Winkelmann

Due to the rarity of Alien CryptoPunks in the

cryptocurrency market, Alien CryptoPunk #7523

has risen to the sixth spot among the most

expensive NFTs ever sold. One of only nine Alien punks

produced by Larva Labs, he has unique accessories

such as an earring (2459 punks own one), a knit cap

(419 punks own one), and a medical mask (175 punks

have this). CryptoPunk #7523, also known as “Covid

Alien,” was acquired by Shalom Mackenzie, the largest

stakeholder of DraftKings.

Beeple seems to have a gift for making multimillion

NFTs, and HUMAN ONE is no exception.

In a Christie’s auction, this non-fungible token

fetched a staggering $28.9 million. The auctioneer

referred to the piece as a “triumphant follow-up

to the artist’s infamous Everydays: The First 5000

Days,” and it is simple to understand why.

CryptoPunk #4156


Artist: Studio Larva Labs

TPunk #3442


Artist: Justin Sun

Another Punk is responsible for this

being one of the highest NFT sales to

date. CryptoPunk #4156, which sold for

$10.26 million last year, is being used this time.

Disillusionment with the NFT project and Larva

Labs’ handling of it led to the sale, according to the

anonymous collector Punk #4156.

We’ve seen why alien punks are so valuable,

but the TPunks are a distinct breed that’s

also attracting interest from investors. They

are viewed as CryptoPunks in the Tron universe.

Although TPunks NFTs normally don’t sell for

much, TPunk #3442, which resembles the Joker in

particular, sold for $10.5 million at a sale last year.

Justin Sun, the co-founder of Tron and a prominent

cryptocurrency investor purchased it.


CYBER SECURITY

UAE’S EFFORTS TO ESTABLISH

ROBUST INFRASTRUCTURE FOR

METAVERSE AND WEB3 FUTURE

The UAE has taken a great leap when it comes to

technological upgrades and is aiming to give the best

experience to all users. This change has been accelerated

with the introduction of Web3 in our systems, which

constantly aims to make mundane tasks quite exciting and

is therefore on its way to making Dubai the hub for all the

latest technologies.

Dubai is slowly becoming

a major global Metaverse

hub with the launch of

MetaIncubator, which is the

first Metaverse incubator

in the Middle East and has developed

a Metaverse platform that allows

people to receive health support

virtually. Eikonikos, a Metaverse

startup in Dubai, has raised $2

million in funding. Web3 is also going

hand in hand and has become the

reason that businesses and funding

are being attracted to Dubai.

BEDU, which is Dubai’s leading

pioneer in creating a world-class

blockchain, Web3, and Metaverse,

has launched its system with a focus

on empowering and strengthening

businesses, governments, and

individuals and also educating them

with proper tools and knowledge. It

would bring in funding and expertise

from other parts of the world, which

would help in achieving the UAE’s

goal quite quickly. Hence, Dubai is

aiming to work with private sector

companies and investors as well to

create a more advanced, futuristic,

and user-friendly platform that would

capitalize on the opportunities posed

by the Metaverse. It is expected that

public spaces and city centers will

also soon become quite advanced,

which would also implement such

advanced technologies.

BEDU is aimed at covering a large

range of innovations that would

not only serve for 2022 but for the

coming several years. It includes

NFTs, Metaverse, Web3, and a vision

to build a community that would

readily support and promote the

growth of the Metaverse and Web3

infrastructure in Dubai. They also

launched a UAE NFT collection

called “From Desert to Mars” that

features the world’s most creative

and talented NFT artists. This has

attracted a lot of investors and

companies and allowed funding into

it as well.

Merging the two technologies of

the Metaverse and Web3, the Dubai

Municipality will launch an initiative

known as the One Human Reality

Talks that focuses on bringing

companies together that will pitch

in their own ideas to get futuristic

answers to common problems

and bring about new realities. The

Metaverse comprising of 5G, AI,

blockchain, and other futuristic ideas

will readily converge on the digital

experiences that users commonly

encounter and would elevate such

experiences to a whole new level.

In the last few years, the UAE has

launched NFTs and other ventures

that make the user experience of

the Metaverse a grand experience

along with collectibles and utilitybased

NFTs. The adoption of NFTs in

Dubai has also been at its peak due

to the rampant growth of Web3 and,

realizing the advantages posed by

Web3, the blockchain technologies

that run on a decentralized and peerto-peer

network are also witnessing

a great hike. Studies also reveal that

the value of the Metaverse industry

is expected to double in 2022 as

compared to $500 million in 2021.

In conclusion, the UAE’s efforts in

building a great infrastructure for

the Web3 and Metaverse industries

are all turning out to be for the best

as investors and leading global

businesses are looking at the UAE as

the optimum environment for growth

and advancement.


10

/ AUGUST 2022


NEWS

IN FOCUS

BLOCKCHAIN

CoinFlex seeks $84m loss recovery, discussing joint venture to revive fortunes

In an effort to turn around its financial situation, CoinFlex claimed it has

filed a lawsuit to collect $84 million in losses from a single client and is in

discussions to form a joint venture

with another cryptocurrency

exchange. Last month, the

cryptocurrency exchange put a halt

to withdrawals from its system when

a counterparty—later revealed to be

veteran crypto investor Roger Ver—

failed to repay $47 million from a

margin call.

Liquidators for crypto platform Three

Arrows Capital say founders are

nowhere to be found

Su Zhu and Kyle Davies are missing;

where are they? Officials tasked with

liquidating the bankrupt firm claim that

the founders of bitcoin hedge fund Three

Arrows Capital (3AC) are nowhere to be

located (via Reuters). Zhu and Davies’

locations are now unknown, according

to a court filing submitted on Friday,

and its liquidators claim they have not

received “any substantial assistance”

from the two.

UAE-based Thumbay Group to

establish the first hospital in the

Metaverse

The UAE’s Thumbay Group has

made plans to establish the

first hospital in the Metaverse.

The group will use augmented

reality and virtual reality to create

immersive remote consultations

with doctors. Prospective patients

from all over the world can review

the facilities before selecting a

health provider.

Crypto exchange OKX obtains Dubai

license

Dubai has granted OKX a

provisional virtual asset license, and

the company intends to establish

a regional center there in an effort

to draw bitcoin businesses from all

over the world. The license would

enable OKX, one of the biggest

cryptocurrency exchanges in the

world by trading volume, to give

investors in the United Arab Emirates

access to select goods and services.

Samsung announces virtual

playground Space Tycoon built inside

Roblox

In the worldwide metaverse platform

Roblox, a virtual playground called

Samsung Space Tycoon has been

launched by Samsung Electronics.

Utilizing alien figures from space and

Samsung Electronics goods, Space

Tycoon is a virtual environment

where users may create, play, and

share experiences. Its design and

functionality are inspired by the

business simulation “tycoon” genre.


LAUNCH

EXPRESS

IXPAND FLASH

DRIVE LUXE

The one drawback that iPhones

have is the fact that they have

fixed storage capacities and do

not support external storage devices

like SD cards. With the iXpand Flash

Drive Luxe, you can automatically

back up files and photos every time

you connect your drive to your phone.

This means you can free up space on

your phone without having to delete

any treasured memories or important

files. The drive has two connectors,

a lightning connector, and a USB

Type-C, allowing easy transfers to

different devices. The drive has an

accompanying app that can be used

to password protect your files.

VIVE FLOW

The VIVE Flow is the perfect device

for people who are curious

about VR but aren’t really into

gaming. The VR goggles are sleek

and lightweight, with speakers that

provide immersive spatial audio.

Comfort is key, with their active

cooling system for the eye chambers.

The goggles were ultimately

designed with wellness in mind and

have multiple features to ensure the

comfort of their users, such as blue

light filters and a library of multiple

relaxation and meditation sessions.

Currently, the goggles are compatible

with select Android models, but this

list is continuing to grow.

12

/ AUGUST 2022


LAUNCH

EXPRESS

PROTO M MINI

HOLOGRAM

DEVICE

The future that we see in movies and TV

shows is drawing even closer. Especially

with devices like the Proto M mini

hologram device, which has been dubbed “the

window into the Metaverse”. The device is a

communication and media device that has

many uses, such as displaying artwork and

NFTs, shopping, entertainment, and fitness.

The high-density multitouch holographic

display is suitable for at-home and

commercial use, with streaming capabilities

and cloud compatibility.

TOKENFRAME

NFT DISPLAY

Turn your home into a gallery with the

Tokenframe NFT Display. The display

makes your NFT collection more tangible

by casting your gallery onto bespoke wooden

frames. Your gallery is accessed by signing in

to your wallet through the app and casting your

NFTs onto the frame through Wi-Fi. You can

also control how the artwork is displayed in

terms of size and background color. All artwork

displayed has to be owned by the user, kind

of like actual pictures or artwork. The frames

have 2k and 4k display options with anti-glare

screens. Your wallet can be accessed via the

Metamask, Fortmatic, and WalletConnect

integrations on the app. The frame comes in

various sizes ranging from 10” to 55”


AI & ML

WILL AI ENABLE US TO GENERATE REAL-LIFE

GRAPHICS IN THE METAVERSE?

Haven’t we all heard about Metaverse? Regardless of whether we all know the exact

meaning of the word or not, you must be living under a rock if you haven’t heard of the term

at least once in the last few years.

It has undoubtedly been overhyped

in recent times, but it cannot be

denied that the Metaverse has

the capability to create havoc on

future generations. It is a userfriendly

and comprehensive system

that provides a better simulation

platform and aims to revolutionize

the virtual world in the best possible

ways.

The Metaverse is simply a 4D

version of our already existing

internet system that would make

you feel that you are really in one

rather than just looking at it from a

wider perspective. Companies are

making efforts towards creating

a world that would imbibe the

Metaverse and make it all seem very

real. Predictions say that by the year

2050 our world would be completely

witnessing real-life graphics in

the Metaverse, and that could be

achieved through the altercated

use of some new-age technology

such as artificial intelligence. The AI

market is predicted to grow from $94

billion in 2021 to $998 billion in 2028,

accelerating growth in all sectors.

Various modes of artificial

intelligence and machine learning

systems would indeed help in

achieving a real-life Metaverse

ecosystem. AI would help in creating

and protecting the assets of the

Metaverse, such as backgrounds,

people, and buildings, and it may

also be possible to create advanced

AI capabilities that can automate

software development processes to

create more complex assets within

the Metaverse with minimal effort.

AI beings could also be programmed

to have their own life stories and

objectives and also interact with

people in the real world. It may also

be used to create, amend, and secure

smart contracts on blockchain to

14

/ AUGUST 2022


AI & ML

allow trusted and safe transactions

without the need for a central

regulatory authority.

The virtual reality industry is

expected to grow by up to $67 billion

by the year 2028, which is now being

adopted by several tech giants such

as Facebook. Even augmented reality

would facilitate virtual assistance

with the help of artificial intelligence

and help us navigate both in the real

and virtual worlds. This is also a

massive step towards enabling the

Metaverse universe to emerge more

rapidly than ever.

On June 29, Siemens Xcelerator

and NVIDIA Omniverse announced

their partnership to enable an

industrial Metaverse and digital

models from Seimens and realtime

AI from NVIDIA that will

accelerate the use of digital twins

that can deliver improvements,

create real-time performance

data and innovative IoT solutions,

leverage actionable insights, tackle

engineering challenges, and provide

The virtual reality

industry is expected to

grow by up to $67 billion

by the year 2028, which

is now being adopted by

several tech giants such as

Facebook.

better immersive solutions. These

systems embedded in the industrial

Metaverse would offer great potential

to transform the economies and

industries by providing a virtual

space where people can have

actual interactions and collaborate

thereupon to solve some real-world

issues.

If we look at the current situation,

Metaverse does require huge

amendments in its processing

power, network performance, and

AI capabilities however it could be

used for increasing the simulation

capabilities, gaming, and also for

movie creation. At the end of this

advancement phase, we will surely

see better interfaces, characters

presented as real people, and a

blending of metaverse elements with

the real world that has the power to

drastically change how we visualize

the world today.



CLOUD COMPUTING

WILL THE METAVERSE

IGNITE A WAR BETWEEN

GENERAL AND SPECIALIZED

CLOUD SPACES?

Cloud computing and the

Metaverse are the most

pioneering technologies

that the world has been

witnessing in recent

times. They are also regarded as

the most influential and pivotal

technological revolutions that will

have the most widespread effects

on future generations. The interplay

between these technologies may

seem quite fascinating. This belief

has been fanned with the aid of

the partnerships between Meta

and Amazon on the growth of the

Metaverse and the use of the latter’s

infrastructure.

With the interlinkage among each

technology and its inevitability, we

want to recognize how intrinsic and

beneficial cloud computing may be

to the evolution and improvement

of the Metaverse. The Metaverse is

the aggregation of the interplay of

all technology and communication,

digital and augmented realities,

media, and blockchain will engage to

emerge as a unitary system.

As companies appear to scale and

go beyond geographical boundaries,

the all-inclusive Metaverse

atmosphere furthers the interplay

among other corporations. The final

results of the interoperability of those

technologies will enhance them

individually, and for this to become

a reality, they will have to function

efficiently as a unit, and cloud

computing makes this viable.

Building and keeping servers

that are able to run some highperformance

software programs is

costly. Additionally, experts who can

optimally make use of the capabilities

of those servers are highly priced

and hard to find. Therefore, only large

agencies like Microsoft, Amazon,

and Alibaba that have the requisite

elements inside their management

can offer those specialized,

especially efficient, and effective

servers on a subscription basis. The

achievement of the Metaverse hinges

on the variety and quality of the

improvements within the area, and

as a result, a provider including cloud

computing is beneficial.

Considering how massive the

Metaverse can become, it’d be

deleterious for one or some agencies

to own huge chunks of it. Smaller

corporations are effective in curbing

this type of scenario. They have found

resources so that they have enough

money, the sources, and technicians

that are essential to scale their

Metaverse-based merchandise

and improvements. Simply, they

could remotely get the right of entry

to computer systems capable of

performing the computational heavy

lifting without proudly owning them.

As a result, extra cash is freed up for

different factors in their research and

improvement programs.

Coupled with the constant

top-shelf overall performance,

agencies make sure that users

get a harmonious experience of

the Metaverse. User experience

encompasses constant high-overall

performance information computing,

server low-latency, security, ease

of use, better collaboration, and

authenticity of base information.

There isn’t an extra appropriate

dynamic of nascent technology than

the cloud-Metaverse duo. While cloud

generation brings with it a ton of

positives, the reality that a handful

of agencies provide top-rate cloud

offerings tells a story of a canine

chasing its very own tail – a small

wide variety of cloud providers

present the bulk of the offerings to be

utilized by the bulk of gamers within

the Metaverse. There are so many

elements at play and so few gamers

overall. The destiny of the cloud-

Metaverse is going to be a comical

one. Will the Metaverse alter the

manner cloud providers move about

their businesses? What adjustments

do you envisage from the sphere

of cloud computing? These are all

questions for which we will get the

answers quite soon.


16

/ AUGUST 2022


FITNESS, LIFESTYLE & FASHION TECHNOLOGY

SLEEP MONITORING APPS

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SleepScore has something for you!

SLEEPWATCH

Wondering how you’re doing on the

sleep front? Wondering where you

left off last night? Fear no more! With

SleepWatch, all your Apple Watch data

is automatically inputted so you can track your

sleep from start to finish. Our intuitive app lets

you track the length of sleep, heart rate during

sleep, and whether or not you were in light, deep,

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today!

PILLOW

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sleep? Do you find it hard to track your

sleep patterns? If so, then Pillow might

be the perfect app for you! With its simple

and easy-to-use interface, this sleep tracker app

allows you to track your sleep cycles, monitor

your snoring, and track your talking in your sleep.

Additionally, Pillow makes it easy to keep track of

your daily, average, and monthly totals, as well as

gain insights into how different lifestyle changes

affect your sleep. So download Pillow today and

start improving your quality of life!


NEWS

IN FOCUS

STARTUPS

AI & ML

Saudi NFT platform Nuqtah partners with Consensys for

Web3 startup development

Saudi Arabia’s Nuqtah, a marketplace for non-fungible

tokens (NFTs), is teaming up with New York-based

Ethereum blockchain company Consensys to support the

development of Web3-focused start-ups in the kingdom.

UAE’s SMEs making more money than pre-pandemic era,

MasterCard report

A recent survey from MasterCard revealed that small and

medium-sized businesses in the UAE are making more

money now than they were prior to the Covid-19 epidemic

era. This increase is being fueled by the use of digital

approaches and global sales prospects.

UAE establishes agreement with startup Deel to expedite

visa issuing procedures

For the purpose of accelerating the issuance of work

permits to foreign people, the UAE government is

collaborating with payroll and onboarding startup Deel.

SaaS platform Lyve acquires majority stakes in Jeebly

A software-as-a-service firm called Lyve Global, which

was established in the United Arab Emirates, bought

the majority of Jeebly, a last-mile delivery and logistics

business. The purchase is a part of Lyve’s plans for the

following two years, which include investments totaling

more than $150 million, the business said in a statement

on Tuesday. It did not, however, provide any financial

information on its agreement with Jeebly.

18

/ AUGUST 2022


Ed-Tech startup Ostaz aims to expand operations

across ME

In the aftermath of the Covid-19 outbreak, online

schooling saw an abrupt and significant surge.

Lockdowns across the world led teachers to use

technology to go on with their lessons and engage

with students and youngsters. Even if the majority of

traditional educational institutions have already reopened,

the ease and broad appeal of virtual learning have drawn

attention to brand-new potential in the industry. That is

the need which Hub71-backed educational technology

start-up Ostaz hopes to fill.

Autonomous car startup Argo AI dismisses 150

employees

As previously reported by Bloomberg and The Wall Street

Journal, Ford and Volkswagen-backed autonomous car

company Argo AI has laid off roughly 150 staff members.

The action is intended to counteract a period of fast

expansion during which the business employed more

staff than was necessary.

MOTOROLA

The first cellular mobile phone

was named Motorola. It was

introduced in 1983 and was

known as the world’s first

portable commercial handheld

cellular phone

YOUTUBE

Each month, 2.6 billion active

users are logged on to YouTube,

and the site is ranked the

second most popular social

network

MALWARE

Every day, about 350,000

viruses and malware are

produced in malicious

programs/files and unwanted

applications

ALEXA

Amazon Alexa stores your

conversations with the device

PASSWORD

In 2020, the most overused

password was “123456.” Over

2.5 million people used that

password and unsurprisingly, it

was cracked 23.5 million times

in 2020. Hackers can crack the

password in a second


STARTUPS IN FOCUS

KOALA

PICKS

Established back in the

year 2019, Koala Picks is

headquartered in Dubai,

UAE, and is a manufacturer

of healthier and more

nutritious children’s snacks. Over

time, it has gained great advantages

over other snack options, as it is

considered one of the healthier

choices as it ticks the parameters

of being gluten-free and dairyfree.

Founded by Ahmed Mobasher

and Aya Assaf, the company has

visualized a profit of 1.5 million AED

with its excellent marketing and

trading strategies.

VORTEX

BIOTECH

Vortex Biotech is a Dubaibased

startup launched in

the year 2021 that primarily

focuses on the creation,

design, and manufacturing

of high-tech gadgets and software for

the treatment of clinical waste. Other

services are quite readily available as

well. Conceptualized by Mattia Nuti,

Vortex Biotech has revolutionized

the ecosystem of biotech in the UAE

and sets a precedent for many other

jurisdictions. Within a year’s time, it

acquired the startup capital.

20

/ AUGUST 2022


PUREBORN

Founded by Hannah Curran,

PureBorn is a startup

firm based in Dubai that

aims to create, design,

and manufacture products

for infants and toddlers. Tailored

according to their needs, all of their

products are highly unique and

are not vulnerable to a child’s skin

while also being environmentally

sustainable. Although it was

launched in 2016, it was not until

late 2021 that the firm successfully

obtained startup finance.

LYVE

Founded in 2016, Lyve

enables businesses to

digitise their customer

journey from orders to

payments to end deliveries.

Lyve has operations in

20 countries and uses cloud-based

platforms and services to enable

“hundreds of millions of orders” every

month on behalf of leading brands

across the e-commerce, food and

beverage, grocery and healthcare

industries.

Its solutions empower businesses

across several verticals to manage

logistics operations, optimise fleet

schedule and tracking, provide

analytics and enhance customer

acquisition channels. It offers its

solutions to hundreds of clients

and leading brands from the

e-commerce, pharmaceutical,

telecoms, grocery, and food and

beverage industries.

Lyve was founded with a vision to

reimagine logistics as an enabler of

digital transformation and business

innovation.

The company powers the digital

economy with its logistics and

technology solutions. From big data

to multi-vertical service agents, from

instant activation to scalable capacity.


THE EFFECTS OF METAVERSE ON THE

ENVIRONMENT

The Metaverse is indeed the vision and the great next leap that our world is going to

undergo. Like evolution, it is going to bring about massive changes in the world as the

real one is slowly blending into a digitized realm very soon. This augmentation has gained

more momentum with the onset of the pandemic. Netizens have witnessed a whole new

experience when it comes to the world of the internet .

Many have shared their

experiences and have

narrated that they have

not come across any

striking difference, which

shows how seamless the two worlds

seem to be. Systems such as virtual

reality and other AI technologies are

being implemented in the field of

Metaverse to intensify its advantages.

The best features of the

Metaverse include that it would

considerably reduce the issues

with commuters; thus, there would

be less traffic, fewer accidents

on roads, fewer pollutants in the

environment and thus fewer effects

of global warming. This would enable

people to work from any part of

the world, which would save more

time and the greater expenses that

22

/ AUGUST 2022


SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY

are related to it. Overall, it would

not only help the people that are

eventually associated with or using

this technology, but would also have

a better impact on the environment

as it would help reduce the amount

of carbon footprint and improve the

quality of air. For instance, last year,

Fortnite, a highly popular computer

game, organized a virtual concert by

rapper Travis Scott that was virtually

attended by over 12 million people

from all over the world.

There cannot always be benefits

rendered from a technology, hence it

comes with a fair share of downsides

as well. The Metaverse would surely

decrease the pollution caused to the

environment. However, if there was

a rampant adoption of the Metaverse

on every device, it would have

detrimental impacts on society. This

is because operating such systems

requires a gigantic amount of energy,

which could have a significant effect

on the environment. Reports have

suggested that training a single AI

model can generate around 626,000

pounds of carbon monoxide which is

more than five times the output of an

average car.

The future would surely have

Metaverse as an integral part of it.

However, governments and private

business owners should take a step

towards creating and providing a

green and clean renewable energy

resource. Companies like Facebook

have already committed to achieving

net-zero emissions globally by 2030.

Reliance has also invested around

75,000 INR to bring about a dire

change in the next three years.


The best features of the

Metaverse include that

it would considerably

reduce the issues with

commuters; thus, there

would be less traffic,

fewer accidents on roads,

fewer pollutants in the

environment and thus

fewer effects of global

warming.


INTERVIEW

DEBBIE BOTHA,

GLOBAL CHIEF PARTNERSHIP OFFICER, WOMEN IN AI

SHAHRIN OLI MOHAMED,

HEAD OF INFORMATION & DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

(CIO) GLOBAL LNG TRADING AT SHELL

Q: What is your take on digital

transformation? What value will

it add to the community moving

forward?

Debbie: The importance of digital

transformation for me is to really

cross the analytics chasm from being

able to do retrospective business

intelligence up to autonomous and

automated machine learning and AI

models to improve your business

processes

Q: Moving to you Shahrin, what’s your

take on this topic?

Shahrin: Digital transformation has

the potential to change lives directly

or indirectly as companies use the

power of technology to get more

efficient and to get better at what

they do, and I think it will impact the

world in multiple ways.

Q: What operations do Women in AI

run in the UAE?

Debbie: Yes, so we do have an office

for women in AI in UAE and we call

them ambassadors and they are

leadership teams. The ambassador

for women in AI in the UAE is Dr.

Hoda A.Alkhzaimi and the Chief

Operating Officer is Yasmin Al

Enazi. So I work closely with them

for partnerships but I represent

global. We have a fantastic upcoming

opportunity at Gitex where we will

run several things over there as

we will be present physically. We

have been more virtual with events

and hackathons and all sorts of

gatherings for women with education

and talks but now we will go a bit

more face-to-face. We will really

start organizing. There are so many

fantastic women in AI at this event

that are not yet members. So we will

definitely make sure that we gather

all these women and have much

more representation.

Q: Very informative speech. Thank

you for it. My final question to you

is how do you see Dubai’s digital

transformation path and future

digitizing endeavors?

Debbie: Yes, the future is massive.

I would talk from an artificial

intelligence perspective. UAE as

we all know is the first nation with

a minister for AI and also the first

university for Artificial Intelligence.

I have already seen many fantastic

people graduating from Mohamed

bin Zayed University of Artificial

Intelligence | MBZUAI. There are

women and men in really influential

positions that have already gotten

masters at this university. So that

to me is fantastic. I would just like

24

/ AUGUST 2022


Digital transformation

has the potential to

change lives directly or

indirectly as companies

use the power of

technology to get more efficient and

to get better at what they do, and

I think it will impact the world in

multiple ways.

The importance of

digital transformation

for me is to really cross

the analytics chasm

from being able to do

retrospective business intelligence

up to autonomous and automated

machine learning and AI models to

improve your business processes

to add that in the UAE we as women

are really privileged. We are given

the opportunity to really thrive and

reduce that gender gap that we have

because worldwide only 25% of the

technical experts in data analytics

and AI are women. 10% of articles

and publications in this field are by

women and as we have said 50%

of women in this field drop off midcareer.I

think UAE is on the right path

to close that gap.The AI solutions that

are being built in general are very

biased and there are lots of research

about that showing that it is because

of the gender gap.UAE is on the path

to close that gap for sure. I am very

confident in that.

Q: Women represent a small

percentage in the technology field,

can you elaborate on this point and

give your opinion on how can women

have more rights and be more

represented?

Shahrin: Thank you for the question.

I think it’s an important question,

especially one that is asked by a

man because men have an important

role to play to help achieve equity

& inclusion. So how do we help

increase the representation of

women in tech? So apart from the

amazing work that people like Debbie

and her team are doing already, there

are a few things that companies can

do. So the first is, to have concrete

targets for the representation of

women in these leadership positions

from C-suite to mid-level managers

and that’s what we have done in

Shell because especially in trading,

the problem is a lot more acute

as there are not many women in

trading and in tech its slightly more

challenging, so that’s the first. The

second thing that I found immensely

useful is mentorships. So pair up

women with more senior leaders

to help them navigate their careers

because it will help them across

various instances for example to

act as a sounding board or tackle

relevant challenges for instance

building executive presence, building

their brand, how to be more credible,

confident or even just to test ideas

and get perspectives for dilemmas,

etc. So mentorship and coaching and

investing in them are very impactful.

It does not need to be expensive

as I think it can be done for free

for instance connecting folks with

networks. The third for me would be

to build a pipeline across the different

layers of the organization. We

typically see a drop-off of women at

middle management-level and there

are multiple reasons for that. One of

the reason is sometimes not being

competitive enough to get to the next

level. To overcome that, the solution

lies in providing opportunities for

growth. We also want to be mindful

about inadvertently creating positive

discrimination. We do not want to

hire someone just because they are

female or from a minority race but

we want more women and minority

folks to have the opportunities

to prepare them to be able to be

competitive for it.

Interviewer- It should be because

of their qualification and not out of

mercy.

Shahrin: Exactly. We want them

to be the best person for the role.

Person- not female or male. So

how do we do that? The answer is

by providing opportunities that they

may not have and opportunities could

be exposure to projects, it could be

international assignments, it could

be broadening assignments, it could

be training, support for development

areas and all of the above. So that’s

crucial, and the last piece is to cater

to their needs. I think we are seeing

this with the hybrid working where

we do not have an appreciation that

each person is an individual and

individuals have individual needs. One

person might appreciate taking one

month for snowboarding, another

person might appreciate working

remotely and it’s about creating

an environment and culture that is

accepting of all of that. So coming

back to the question of diversity, it

is about understanding the unique

needs of these folks and building

an environment where we are

absolutely alright with that, so for

instance, mothers who take time

off for maternity leave, how do we

ensure that they have a softer landing

back into the organization when

they come back. That could also be

normalizing things like sabbaticals.


GAMING

How will gaming continue to be a

major part of the Metaverse?

The Metaverse is multiplying, and

there is no stopping it. One of the

major reasons for this is gaming.

Gaming is one of the driving forces

behind the metaverse’s popularity,

and many different gaming platforms

are available.

● Gaming in the Metaverse is great

for everyone! Not only do new games

keep being created, but older games

are also being updated and improved.

● Gaming in the Metaverse is growing

rapidly and will be a major part of it

for years to come!

WILL GAMING CONTINUE TO

CONSIST THE MAJOR PART OF THE

METAVERSE?

For many people, the Metaverse is nothing more than a

virtual reality world that they play games in. But the reality

is much bigger than that! The Metaverse is a virtual reality/

augmented reality universe that helps you build social

connections virtually.

It can revolutionise how we interact

with each other and the world

around us. So, what’s coming next

for the Metaverse? We can only

wait and see, but read on to learn

more about this exciting development

in the meantime!

What is the Metaverse?

The world of the Metaverse is

growing by the day. Just like the

internet has transformed our lives,

the Metaverse has the potential to do

the same for gaming. There are many

potential applications for gaming in

the Metaverse, such as education and

healthcare.

● In the Metaverse, users can

experience different kinds of content

and games. This is similar to what we

currently have in the world, but there

are some features that are unique to

the Metaverse.

● By socialising and communicating

with others in the Metaverse, users

can have a more fun and engaging

experience.

● The Metaverse is a huge virtual

world that is constantly growing.

It offers a unique and immersive

experience for users.

● So, if you’re a gamer, keep an eye

on the Metaverse—it’s sure to shape

the future of gaming!

What is coming next for the

Metaverse?

Gaming is an integral part of

the Metaverse ecosystem—don’t

be surprised if it stays that way for

years to come! The Metaverse has

seen much growth in the past year,

and there’s no sign of slowing down

anytime soon. In fact, gaming is

becoming more and more complex

and immersive with each new

release.

● The Metaverse is a world that is

constantly changing and growing.

This includes new platforms for

gaming, which are being developed

all the time.

● The Metaverse is open to more

people worldwide and includes

games for all types of gamers.

It’s no secret that gaming is one

of the most popular activities on the

internet. And with good reason—

gaming is an incredibly immersive

experience that can transport you to

new and exciting worlds. So, what’s in

store for the Metaverse?

● Gaming will still be a big part of the

Metaverse for a few more years.

● There are many new and exciting

projects being developed for the

Metaverse, so be sure to keep an

eye out!

26

/ AUGUST 2022


FUNDING

NEWS

Sequoia Capital India leads $37mln

Series A round in PropTech startup

Huspy

Reportedly, Huspy, the EMEA proptech

startup, has announced a $37

million Series A funding round led

by Sequoia Capital India to build

the future of home buying across

the region. Founders Fund and

Fifth Wall made their Middle East

investment debut in this round. In

addition, Chimera Capital joined

returning investors Breyer Capital,

VentureFriends, COTU, Venture Souq,

and BY Venture Partners.

Emirates NBD Group partners with

BNY Mellon to accelerate capital

market growth

BNY Mellon, one of the biggest

financial institutions in the world,

and Emirates NBD, a top banking

organization in the MENAT (Middle

East, North Africa, and Turkey)

region, have established a strategic

partnership to boost the development

of the capital markets in the United

Arab Emirates.

UAE startup Supy raises $8m aiming

expansion

Supy, a digital start-up located in

the UAE that simplifies interactions

between restaurants and suppliers,

has secured $8 million in a fresh

round of investment as it looks to

improve its technological capabilities

and enter new markets.

Spire plans to pump $39.5m into

MENA expansion

With assistance from Bahrain

Economic Development Board, Spire,

a top GCC provider of open banking,

plans to increase its operations

in Bahrain and the MENA region

through a BD15 million ($39.5 million)

investment plan (EDB). Over the next

three years, this growth will generate

200 employments in high-value data

sciences and artificial intelligence.

UAE-based FinTech startup YAP

raises $41m aiming expansion

YAP, a digital banking app and

start-up in the UAE, has secured $41

million to grow into new markets and

improve its technological capabilities.

The funding round was led by Saudi

Arabia-based investment company

Aljazira Capital. Global investment

conglomerate Abu Dawood Group,

Saudi Arabia’s Astra Group, Dubaibased

private equity business

Audacia Capital and family offices

also participated in the funding round.

Dubai Digital Investments plans to

raise $272m through IPO

By the end of the year, a new

platform created by businessman

Faisal Belhoul plans to launch an

initial public offering (IPO) in Dubai to

invest in software firms. According

to Mr. Belhoul in an interview with

Bloomberg, Dubai Digital Investment

hopes to raise Dh1 billion ($272

million) from the offering.

Abu Dhabi’s Pure Harvest raises $181m

to fuel expansion into GCC & Asia

Abu Dhabi startup, Pure Harvest

Smart Farms raised $181 million as it

seeks to grow in the GCC and Asia. The

agricultural technology business now

has $387.1 million in total capital, ranking

it among the most well-funded start-ups

in the area.


BUILDING AUTOMATION

HOTELS SMART BUILDING

AUTOMATION

The hoteliers have surely

faced a backlash due to

the pandemic which hit the

globe, but they have been

successful in devising ways

through which they can increase their

operational efficiency and stability

in the business, and the only way to

do that is to choose automation of

the hotel industry. This will not only

reduce the operational costs that

are being incurred by the hotels but

would provide a better experience for

the guests as well.

Automation in the hotel industry

can bring more control into the hands

of the hotel owner themselves, as

the hotels can process contactless

check-in and checkout, which implies

that there is no hassle to keep up

with the management of front desk

systems. There is an installation

of smart app control systems for

lighting, blinds, AC, heating, and all

other in-stay technology that would

not only reduce the manpower

required for operation but would also

keep the energy costs at a minimum.

With regards to the guests,

the hotels are equipped with

digital service requests such as

housekeeping services, do not

disturb, laundry services, and

maintenance services, along with

automated notification systems so

that the staff is instantly notified of

28

/ AUGUST 2022


The automation industry has boomed in the Middle

East, and thus the hotel industry is not left behind in

any way. Vacker UAE is one of the foremost companies

in the building automation industry in the UAE which

provides systems for commercial, industrial, and

residential buildings.

the services that are being used by

the guests in the hotel. This hotel

automation system integrates with

the PMS systems that connect all

parties, such as owners, guests,

maintenance staff, customer service

portals, housekeeping staff, and

all other related functionaries, and

keeps them integrated into one

resource.

The automation industry has

boomed in the Middle East, and thus

the hotel industry is not left behind

in any way. Vacker UAE is one of the

foremost companies in the building

automation industry in the UAE which

provides systems for commercial,

industrial, and residential buildings.

These building management

systems implement the automation

technique which helps focus on the

right kind of systems and devices

while installing and building a

successful automation system.

Centralized control systems are built

in a way that helps in increasing

the comfort level for the guests and

also increases the efficiency of the

building systems. Connecting to

one monitor allows them to keep

track of all the occurrences from a

distant source. The hotel industry

usually implements different sets

of protocols such as BACnet, KNX,

Lonworks, Modbus, and a few others

as well, which simplifies the process

of managing an automated building

system.

Software specifically built

to develop building automation

mechanisms is distinct from other

systems providing automation

services as they are required to

focus on the aspect of customer

satisfaction. Thus, the architecture

should be done in a manner that

would help in building comfortable

spaces for the guests and also

provide solutions to it so that its

parameters are fulfilled.

It is also to be considered that

the hoteliers get the best customer

service for the automation system

installed, as that would in turn be

beneficial to the guests who are

coming into the hotels. The hotels

also have an equal responsibility to

select the best service providers that

would create, design, and install an

automation system that would be

best suited to them.



CRYPTO & DIGITAL ASSETS

SPENDING MILLIONS ON VIRTUAL

ITEMS, WHAT’S THE CATCH?

It seems like the virtual world is only getting more and more real! And with that, the

opportunities for making money are also growing daily. But is spending millions on virtual

items a good idea?

In short, it can be a wise

investment if done correctly.

However, there are quite a few

risks associated with virtual

objects, so make sure you

understand them before you jump

into the virtual world of investing.

Virtual items—what are they, where

do they come from, and how do they

become valuable?

Virtual items are big businesses, also

known as in-game assets or digital

goods. Many players have spent

millions of dollars on them over the

years, often without realizing it’s a

scam. These assets can be anything

from clothes to weapons to houses—

they’re all valuable. So, what’s the

catch?

● Virtual items in video games are

often created without the consent

or knowledge of the people

depicted in the game.

● This happens when game

developers create virtual items

and sell them to players without

the permission of the people

depicted in the game.

● When buying in-game assets,

there is always a risk of

something terrible.

● Be careful when buying in-game

assets because there is always a

chance that you’ll lose money

or have your personal information

30

/ AUGUST 2022


Virtual items have become

increasingly popular over

the past few years, with

gamers spending millions

of dollars on them.

However, there are a

variety of risks associated

with this type of spending.

stolen.

The risks associated with virtual

items

Virtual items have become

increasingly popular over the past

few years, with gamers spending

millions of dollars on them. However,

there are a variety of risks associated

with this type of spending.

● Always be aware of the potential

dangers when making a purchase.

This is especially important if you

are unfamiliar with the company

or the product.

● If you become a victim of fraud or

addiction, it can be difficult

to recover from. Be aware of

these dangers and

take precautions to avoid them.

Ultimately, it’s essential to be

aware of the risks and make the

most informed decisions possible. By

doing so, you can avoid financial ruin.

Is it safe to invest in the Metaverse?

Virtual items have become a popular

investment, but is it safe?

● Many people are looking to invest

in the Metaverse. However, this

doesn’t mean that it is without

risks.

● Some people think the Metaverse

is a safe place to invest their

money. However, this is not

always the case. There are

risks involved with investing in

the metaverse.

● It’s essential to read the

terms and conditions before

buying a virtual item. This way,

you’ll know what you’re getting

yourself into.

● Be aware of scammers who

try to take advantage of

people who don’t understand

the risks involved with virtual

items. Remember that even

though virtual items may not be

accurate, they still need attention.

Finally, always remember that

virtual items are not a guaranteed

investment—they are risky, just like

any other investment.

Is spending millions on virtual items

a good idea?

If you’re the type of person who

loves spending money on virtual

items, you’re not alone. The market

for virtual items is worth billions of

dollars. But is it a good idea? Well,

that’s a question that has been

debated for years. There are a lot of

benefits to spending money on virtual

items, but there are also risks.

● Before making any big purchase,

you should research and make

sure you understand the product.

● You should consult a financial

advisor to get the most accurate

information possible.

So, is spending millions of dollars on

virtual items worth it?

● Virtual items are becoming

increasingly popular, and people

spend millions of dollars

on them. However, the risks

associated with them are still

largely unknown.

● There is a lot of research that

needs to be done to understand

the risks involved with virtual

items. This way, people can make

more informed decisions about

whether or not to spend their

money on them.

Is it safe to invest in the

Metaverse? Is spending millions

of dollars on virtual items a good

idea? The answers are still tentative,

and readers are advised to do

their research before making any

decisions.



EVENTS

METADECRYPT WEB 3.0 SUMMIT

The event

MetaDecrypt hosted the first-ever Web

3.0 summit in Dubai on July 2nd–3rd,

2022. The summit was open to 350 people

and was aimed at connecting the world

to see the next wave of technological

advancements and shifts coming to the

World Wide Web. The audience had the

chance to hear from some of the world’s

leading experts on blockchain technology,

artificial intelligence, the future of the

internet, and more. It was an event not

worth missing out on.

The MetaDecrypt WEB 3.0 summit was an

excellent opportunity for the web industry

to come together and discuss the future

of the internet. With the help of some of

the leading minds in the web industry,

the MetaDecrypt WEB 3.0 summit was

a success. The event was packed with

great speakers and attendees, and the

MetaDecrypt team did an incredible job of

putting it together.

Over 50 speakers offered a glimpse of

the future of the internet and how it will

impact everyday lives. This event provided

talks and presentations on various topics,

from the current state of the net to the

future of data management. Attendees

left with a better understanding of how

the web works and what’s coming down

the road.

Venue: Museum of

the Future, Financial

District of Dubai, UAE

Date: July 2-3, 2022

Category: Web 3

32

/ AUGUST 2022


EVENTS

The MetaDecrypt WEB 3.0 summit was an

excellent opportunity for the web industry

to come together and discuss the future

of the internet. With the help of some of

the leading minds in the web industry,

the MetaDecrypt WEB 3.0 summit was a

success.


COVER STORY

34

/ AUGUST 2022


COVER STORY

DR. JANE THOMASON

FOUNDER, GLOBAL META BLOCKCHAIN

D

r. Jane Thomason is a successful entrepreneur having founded and built a $250 million revenue

consulting company. She is a thought leader in technological innovation, fintech, and blockchain

for social impact. Global speaker, author of many successful publications, digital thought leader,

entrepreneur, and founder with a successful track record of leadership including CEO and Chair of

leading hospitals, Senior Social Sector Specialist at Asian Development Bank, and founder of a successful

international development company. Visionary social innovator, with a focus on emerging economies.

Advocate for digital transformation to reduce inequality and vulnerability and to move to a human-centred

digital economy where we measure value based on people and the planet.

Exclusive to The Technology Express

Please start by introducing yourself

to our readers

I am an author, storyteller, and

believer in the power of technology

for social benefit. My mission is

to provide real-world information

on Blockchain, Web 3.0 Metaverse,

and associated technologies and

help people understand their social

utility and impact. I am a Thinkers

360 Top 10 Global Thought Leader

and Influencer on HealthTech,

Sustainability and Cryptocurrency,

and Top 50 in Blockchain. I am the

Chair of Kasei Holdings, a Londonlisted

blockchain and Web 3.0

investment firm. I am on the editorial

board of Journal of Metaverse and

Frontiers in Blockchain, I am an

Industry Associate: University College

London, Centre for Blockchain and

I advise multiple blockchain social

impact startups. I am the author

of “Blockchain for Global Social

Change,” Blockchainging the World”

and “Applied Ethics in a Digital World.”

For me, the most powerful thing is

that the spirit of decentralization,

democratizing access, rewarding

artists, tackling global challenges,

and creating new economies - is

shining through. Some of the

promising impact projects I have

The government of Dubai

is very progressive in

relation to incentivizing

technologists to come here

and has the ambition

to be a global leader

in digital assets and

Metaverse. They are

working on a progressive

regulatory regime and

have 3 tax-free economic

zones for the registration

of digital asset companies.

seen this year include EmerTech,

Ecosystem, GovBlocks, Genopets, and

Hiveonline, and the countless others

I have neglected to mention continue

to inspire me. Everyone can win in a

carefully constructed, decentralized

community. Keep building in the spirit

of decentralization!

Can you tell us about Global Meta

Blockchain and the goal behind

establishing it?

Global Meta Blockchain is a newly

established UAE-based consulting

firm, which provides consultancy and

education on Blockchain, Web 3.0,

and Metaverse

How do you see Dubai as a hub for

investments in virtual assets?

The government of Dubai is

very progressive in relation to

incentivizing technologists to come

here and has the ambition to be a

global leader in digital assets and

Metaverse. They are working on

a progressive regulatory regime

and have 3 tax-free economic

zones for the registration of digital

asset companies. It is a hub for

conferences and attracts the leading

global thought leaders and innovative

projects. It has a vibrant and diverse

community of tech innovators from

around the world who are striving to

create a decentralized future. It is an

incredibly exciting place to be.

What are some of the real-world

applications of DeFi, Metaverse &

NFTs?

Decentralized Finance (DeFi)

came to people’s attention in 2019, but


COVER STORY

at the time was not well understood.

In 2020, it scaled fast and increased

from $700 million at the beginning

of 2020 to $15 billion by the end of

2020, and as of June 2022, the total

value locked (TVL) reached a high of

$256 billion. DeFi offers an accessible

alternative to the current financial

system. This explains its exponential

growth in borrowing, lending,

farming, and insurance.

The current financial system

has left 1.7 billion people unbanked

and, with a simple mobile phone,

they can now access the financial

system. DeFi is democratizing access

to financial services for women,

removing the need for intermediaries.

The decentralized and pseudonymous

nature of crypto transactions means

that women will not be discriminated

against based on their gender. With

just a mobile phone, women have

the possibility of participating in the

global financial system.

My favorite NFT use case is for

climate action. NFTs are increasingly

being leveraged for climate change

with initiatives ranging from

awareness-raising to fundraising and

as an immutable record for impact

and carbon credits. SavePlanetEarth

is launching certified Carbon

Credit Smart NFTs. First Carbon

is developing NFT-Based Carbon

Credits, providing carbon credit

issuers access to the Blockchain,

enabling users to track, trade, and

burn credits so there is no double

counting. Another NFT use case,

DigitalArt4Climate, is a multistakeholder

partnership initiative that

uses blockchain technology to turn

art into digital assets, or NFTs, which

can be collected and traded, which

helps unlock potential for resource

mobilization, youth engagement, and

climate empowerment. Gameplay

can incentivize widespread positive

climate action.

The Metaverse is a combination

of DeFi, NFTs, decentralized

governance, decentralized cloud

services, and self-sovereign identity

and can enable the exchange of

36

/ AUGUST 2022


physical, economic, and content

assets. An open, decentralized

Metaverse is appealing to many, and

NFTs are providing the means for

decentralized Metaverse commerce.

Popular applications include

commerce, entertainment, and

gaming. Highstreet has products

from brands like Hershey’s, L’Oréal,

and Victoria’s Secret, which are

tokenised and sold in the Metaverse.

SPACE enables users to easily design

their own virtual spaces, like shops,

galleries, and concert venues. Many

people are snapping up virtual lands

in Decentraland.

The city of Seoul, Korea plans

to create a Metaverse for its

municipal administration. Neom, a

planned city in the Tabuk Province of

northwestern Saudi Arabia, plans to

build a Metaverse platform bridging

the real and virtual worlds. Beyond

Metaverse is creating the future

Healthcare Metaverse ecosystem.

It offers ways to improve education

and training and brings global

healthcare professionals together for

simultaneous education, training, and

collaborative medical procedures.

The potential use cases for the

Metaverse are limited only by your

imagination!

After the research you have done on

digital ethics, what do you think is the

optimum way of reaching a digital

governing system entity?

While automation and

decentralization are attractive, it is

important to consider the potential

for inadvertent or deliberate

automation of unethical conduct at

scale. Blockchain creates ethical

dilemmas for developers, investors,

consumers, and regulators at

the technology, application, and

societal levels. Blockchain, as with

all technology, is a tool and is as

beneficial and useful as the care that

is taken to make it. There remains a

need to ensure that Blockchains are

built and deployed with due concern

for ethics.

Data ethics should be a

Blockchain creates ethical

dilemmas for developers,

investors, consumers, and

regulators at the technology,

application, and societal

levels. Blockchain, as with

all technology, is a tool and

is as beneficial and useful

as the care that is taken to

make it.

consideration in every project—how

will the ethics of data, algorithms,

and practice be considered during

design? How will data be governed?

informed consent, customer

understanding, the requirement

for all data to be necessary for the

purpose for which it is collected, and

the extent of human oversight or

intervention required in the decision

process.

Where Blockchain is being

deployed as part of an organization,

it is relatively straightforward.

However, when dealing with DAOs,

where all governance is automated

and decentralized, this becomes

more complicated. The ethical

issues need to be considered during

design and built into the code and

algorithms and execution plans. This

is not impossible, but the majority of

software developers have not had

training in ethics, how to think about

ethical questions and answer them.

At this stage, there is no professional

association for software developers,

with a codified ethical standard.

COVER STORY

There is certainly scope for greater

ethical reflection and purposeful

consideration of ethics in the design

of Blockchain and DeFi applications.

There is no perfect answer, but this

should include:

● Encourage greater ethical

reflection from developers during

design.

● Connect developers more closely

to the ethical outcomes of their

decisions and algorithms.

● Encourage the community and

network to take a more active and

demanding stance on ethics.

● Encourage the community

and network to understand what

is happening behind the scenes

with governance and decisions.

How can we apply Blockchain

Technology to achieve better social

justice and social equality?

Blockchain is an enabler,

unlocking new sources of financing

and mobilizing existing industry

pledges to carbon reduction through

establishing new financing platforms.

The technology could bring visibility

to alignment with sustainability

goals by enabling countries and

stakeholders to track data and

information on infrastructure

projects. It can enhance awareness

and access by acting as a

transaction-enabling infrastructure

for new market models. Stablecoins

could significantly improve the realtime

settlement of cross-border

transactions, as an obvious example.

We are increasingly witnessing a

growth in the adoption of crypto in

emerging economies, and the 10

countries with the highest number

of users of cryptocurrency globally

include Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa,

Venezuela, Colombia, and Vietnam.

This shows it has social utility and

this trend will continue. Hiveonline

ApS community finance platform in

Sub-Saharan Africa supports the

bottom of the pyramid communities

of farmers, many of whom don’t have

access to technology or literacy, and

help all members of the community


COVER STORY

The pandemic has forced

a major rethink of the

global economy. It was a

pandemic of inequality

and brought into stark

reality the issues that we

have neglected people,

we have neglected the

planet and we have this

economic system that

drives the pursuit of

profits above all else.

to get access to finance and identity

via the community-based hub, which

doesn’t require everyone to have

a device. Now is an exciting time

to bring together everyone who’s

working on really exciting technology,

innovation, and financial innovation

and create a positive future for

financial markets and build on the

ideas of sustainability, fairness,

and equity from the ground up. The

pandemic has forced a major rethink

of the global economy. It was a

pandemic of inequality and brought

into stark reality the issues that

we have neglected people, we have

neglected the planet and we have

this economic system that drives the

pursuit of profits above all else.

What does the future hold for

Cryptocurrencies and DeFi?

In 2021, we saw the crypto market

cap continue to rise, ETF listings,

Coinbase went public, El Salvador

declared Bitcoin legal tender, the

DeFi market grew by 40 times, and

stablecoins, one of the major pillars

of DeFi, almost quadrupled in the first

half of 2021 to $112 billion. Ethereum

continues to suffer from network

congestion and rising gas fees,

as Polygon, Binance Smart Chain,

Polkadot, Cosmos, Solana, Polygon,

and Avalanche nip at its heels.

In the social impact space, we

saw the new phenomenon of “play to

earn games” providing new income

streams for people in developing

countries, a proliferation of “green”

blockchain projects, and growing

adoption in emerging markets.

What does the future hold?

● NFTs will continue to soar in

popularity in art, music, gaming,

and influencer fanbases, we will

also start to see other ways that

NFTs can be used for social

utility including in health care,

education, and rewarding

communities.

● Institutional adoption will

continue, and institutional

investors will fuel the continued

popularity of stablecoins

which are seen as less volatile.

● Going Green - there will be a

plethora of green blockchains

and tokenizing carbon offsets

and gamification to address

climate issues.

● The adoption of DeFi and NFTs

in GameFi has only just begun and

we will see incredible innovation

in this space with communityowned

economies and on-ramps

to the Metaverse.

● Metaverse - all this staying at

home and living virtually has given

a huge kick start to the Metaverse,

and we will see tremendous

innovation as people begin to

realize how the Metaverse can

be used in so many ways to

improve collaboration, education,

economic opportunities, and social

engagement.

-interview@thetechnologyexpress.com

38

/ AUGUST 2022


FINTECH

THE IMPACTS OF WEB3

ON FINANCE

Web3 has now been flourishing in every sector, and the finance industry has not been an

exception. Although the growth of Web3 is still in a nascent stage, it has not silhouetted

the prominent rise of decentralized finance, which is also known as DeFi, which is bringing

readily available solutions into the centralized financial markets. This development has not

been noticed yet, but the paradigm shift in the financial industry is not something that the

world could ignore for quite a long time.

Decentralized finance, or

DeFi, is generally known as

the radical change that is

brought to the conventional

system of dealing with

financial products, market policies,

related opportunities, blockchains,

and oracles. Apart from that, crypto

firms and institutions are hiring for

Web3-focused openings, signifying

rampant growth, and studies

have revealed that several crypto

companies have raised more than

$120 billion from investors. Corporate

bonds, blockchain-originated loans,

and private equity tokens have

also helped in this sector’s growth

in just one year. With an excellent

technological platform and a large

user base, DeFi has become the most

optimum way for blockchain in recent

times, and its value has grown from

$18.7 billion to $252.46 billion by 2021

and a hike in users from 1.1 million to

4 million in just one year.

The most significant part is

that DeFi products make the crypto

platforms accessible, which the

traditional ones cannot. Several

factors are paving the way for

its success, with the initial one

being disbelief in the conventional

banking system as it promotes

40

/ AUGUST 2022


more transparency and security

while going hand in hand with

Web3. There are a lot of different

facets to financial products, yet

DeFi has gained popularity due

to the increasing curiosity about

cryptocurrency. Moreover, DeFi

systems offer access to industry

professionals and institutions as well

as offer lenders way more returns

than conventional banking systems.

Even though most users have

found it extremely rewarding, DeFi is

surely facing some challenges when

it comes to broadening consumer

adoption. For example, DeFi’s growth

was based on its solving the issue

of the oracle, as blockchains were

restricted from accessing external

data that was required to develop

such applications. With the launch of

oracle networks such as Chainlink,

the user base has seen a hike

as they have been successful in

adopting newer blockchains such

as Avalanche, which promotes its

growth. Another shortcoming is

concerning UX, which is not feasible

for many non-crypto users. There

is a lot of obscurity concerning the

Decentralized finance, or DeFi, is generally known as

the radical change that is brought to the conventional

system of dealing with financial products, market

policies, related opportunities, blockchains, and

oracles. Apart from that, crypto firms and institutions

are hiring for Web3-focused openings, signifying

rampant growth, and studies have revealed that

several crypto companies have raised more than $120

billion from investors.

primacy of individual blockchains

and also some particular types of

transactions.

DeFi, being an important

component of Web3, is gaining

great popularity irrespective of a

few shortcomings, and thereupon is

expected to have a larger room for

improvement. Many new companies

have started integrating their work

with the opportunities that DeFi

has to offer, and it is feared that

companies that are late in adopting

it may be left out of this bandwagon

and rush because of the potential

that DeFi can bring about in the

organization.



NEWS

IN FOCUS

FINTECH

ZAND BANK

RECEIVES UAE

CENTRAL BANK

LICENCE

The UAE Central Bank

has authorized Zand,

the first digital bank in

the Emirates with plans

to serve both retail and

business customers, to operate as

Zand Bank. By successfully securing

a UAE banking licence, Zand is now

authorised and regulated to operate

as a fully independent commercial

bank, it said in a statement.

“We are thrilled that Zand has

reached another milestone and

is now a fully licensed bank … yet

another excellent example of the

UAE’s pioneering vision of having

progressive regulations that drive

FinTech innovation,” said Zand

chairman Mohamed Alabbar.

“With a UAE banking licence, we

look forward to commencing our

innovative banking services and

contributing to the UAE’s legacy

of innovation as well as economic

growth.”

The rise of FinTech companies,

an increasingly smartphone-savvy

consumer base and a sharp increase

in digital services have forced banks

worldwide to increasingly invest in

digitisation and reduce the number of

branches.

The concept of digital-only banks

is also gaining traction in the UAE due

to the rise in FinTech opportunities.

The Covid-19 pandemic, which

led to lockdowns around the world,

hastened the move into digital

services as consumers switched

to cashless payments and online

shopping.

Some traditional financial

institutions have already set up

neobanks, with lenders such as Abu

Dhabi Commercial Bank, Emirates

NBD and Mashreq unveiling digitalforward

operations through Hayyak,

Liv and Mashreq Neo, respectively.

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, the

biggest Sharia-compliant lender in

the emirate, launched a digital-only

bank called Amwali last year.

Independent digital banks are

also entering the market, including

Al Maryah Community Bank,

which secured a licence from the

Central Bank in April last year.

“We got our banking licence

on June 30 and we celebrated

by welcoming our first corporate

customers,” Zand’s co-founder and

chief executive Olivier Crespin said.

“Zand’s corporate offerings will

be made available to our customers

incrementally. We look forward to

revealing our full innovative banking

services and expanding them to key

sectors of the UAE economy.”

Some of Zand’s backers include

India’s Aditya Birla Group (Solfrid

Investments), global investment

manager Franklin Templeton, UAE’s

Al Hail Holding, Dubai-based Al

Sayyah and Sons Investments,

Abu Dhabi holding company Global

Development Group and Yusuff Ali,

chairman of the Lulu Group.

Founded in 2018, the Dubaiheadquartered

lender said it is

activating its strategic partnerships

with regional and international

companies to provide its corporate

customers with a banking

experience “underpinned by security,

transparency and convenience,

while powering up all systems

and connections for its personal

banking launch phase”. Zand offers

corporates a range of services

— from easy onboarding and fast

account opening to an automated

loan approval process — to enhance

their digital banking experience.

The lender also aims to launch

personal banking solutions later this

year and has invited users to register

their interest to be one of the first to

experience Zand.

42

/ AUGUST 2022


E& (FORMERLY ETISALAT) TURNS ITS EWALLET

INTO FINTECH PLATFORM ‘E& MONEY’

The digital payment

system eWallet from

UAE telecom e& is

evolving into a fintech

called e& money. The

e& money will be transformed

into a super-app that will offer

a variety of consumer services,

including the ability to purchase

groceries or insurance.

“Our fintech company – e&

money – demonstrates our

commitment to advancing

digital fintech solutions that

make a difference,” said Khalifa

Al Shamsi, CEO of e& life. And

“delivering an innovative endto-end

financial marketplace

that meets all of our customers’

financial needs as we push

beyond the realms of traditional

services.” The new fintech will

‘open more doors’ to digital

financial systems that will

‘serve banked, unbanked and

under-banked customers in

the UAE’. Currently, 55 percent

of total payments are made in

cash in the UAE. Fintechs will

‘break down barriers customers

face when accessing financial

services even further’.

In its eWallet, the UAE

telco had been building up

user base. The change into e&

money will mean it becomes

the fintech arm of e& life and

one of the specialist business

units of the group. With fintech,

consumers and merchants

seek an integrated financial

marketplace or mobile-centric

solution on transactions. e&

money will evolve to be a

super-app that gives access

to services such as merchant

payments, remittances, bill

payments, lending, investments,

network branded cards and

insurance services.


MERCEDES BENZ VISION EQXX

Some concepts are on the

pie-in-the-sky side and some

aren’t. The Mercedes Benz

Vision EQXX may belong in the latter

category, with at least some of its

features likely to appear on realworld

EVs in the next few years.

The car is clearly a looker, but

it’s also a highly efficient EV. An

advanced body design with a superlow

drag coefficient and advances

in powertrain technology allow it a

theoretical range of 621 miles. The

longest-range production Tesla gets

a little over 400.

And Mercedes said it will do it

without making the battery especially

large or heavy. Air channeled under

the body cools the battery, allowing

for less reliance on liquid cooling.

All that, and it has seats made out

of mushrooms and a dashboard that

stretches all the way across the car

as a single bonded screen.

44

/ AUGUST 2022


WHEELS

SPECIFICATIONS

MERCEDES-BENZ VISION EQXX IS A SUPER-EFFICIENT ELECTRIC SEDAN CONCEPT WHICH IS

DEVELOPED TOGETHER WITH MERCEDES AMG HPP TEAM.

EQXX IS EQUIPPED WITH AN 100-KWH BATTERY PACK THAT WEIGHS ONLY 450 KG, ACHIEVING

AN ENERGY DENSITY OF 400 WH/L.

VISION EQXX IS ONE OF THE MOST AERODYNAMIC VEHICLES ON EARTH, DELIVERS A DRAG

COEFFICIENT OF 0.17.

MERCEDES ALSO INCLUDES 117 SOLAR CELLS ON THE EQXX’S ROOF. THIS CAN ADD UP TO 25

KM OF RANGE ON LONG JOURNEYS IN A SINGLE DAY.

THE GERMAN CARMAKER IS CONSIDERING A PRODUCTION VERSION OF THE VISION EQXX TO GO

MASS PRODUCTION SOMETIME IN 2023.


TECH

MY

MONEY

Apple MacBook Air M2

The MacBook Air M2 (2022) is a

new laptop that Apple recently

released. It’s a successor to the

MacBook Air M1 (2021), offering many

improvements over its predecessor,

including a better design,

performance, and updated hardware.

One of the most notable changes

is that the M2 has a redesigned

keyboard that’s much more

comfortable. It also has better display

quality, gives you sharper images

and a longer battery life, and has a

sharper webcam.

Overall, the MacBook Air M2 (2022)

is an excellent choice for anyone who

wants a robust yet lightweight laptop.

It’s perfect for students, business

professionals, and others who need a

computer that can handle basic tasks

and heavier applications without

struggling.

Apple MacBook Air M2

Display: 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display

RAM: 8 GB

SSD Storage: 256 GB

Camera: 1080p FaceTime HD

Battery: up to 18 hrs battery life

Also: MagSafe charger - Touch ID

- 3.5 mm headphone jack – backlit

keyboard

PRICE starts from AED 4,999

46

/ AUGUST 2022


TECH

MY

MONEY

Logitech G502 Lightspeed

The Logitech G502 Lightspeed is a wireless

gaming mouse that feels very well-built and

comfortable. Its sensor has an extra-wide CPI

range, and the set CPI is outstandingly consistent.

Additionally, the mouse features on-the-fly DPI

adjustment so you can fine-tune its sensitivity to

your playing style.

It has excellent click latency, resulting in smooth

and responsive cursor movements. It also has a

shape and thumb rest that is better suited for a

palm grip, which makes it easier to control. It’s

compatible with both Windows and macOS so you

can use it on any device you can access. Overall,

the Logitech G502 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming

Mouse is an excellent choice for anyone who

wants a high-quality gaming mouse that they can

use anywhere and on any device.

Logitech G502 Lightspeed

PRICE AED 450


ASUS ROG

Phone 6 Pro

TECH

MY

MONEY

There is no better gaming phone

at the moment. The ROG Phone

6 Pro is very competent, from

the gorgeous screen and carefully

tuned shoulder buttons to the

side-mounted USB port, enhanced

cooling system, and excellent Kunai

3 controller attachment. ASUS’s

understanding of what makes a great

gaming device shows through in

every detail.

On the other hand, the ROG Phone

6 Pro must continue to function as

a conventional smartphone, and

ASUS hasn’t forgotten about it. The

software and camera are adequate,

and all essential smartphone

features, such as extended battery

life and outstanding call and data

performance, are available.

The ROG Phone 6 Pro, unlike other

pricey flagship phones, is not a

jack-of-all-trades. It isn’t, however,

a significant step up from the ROG

Phone 5 or ROG Phone 5S. Its size,

weight, and brilliant design must be

tolerated, yet it operates as a typical

phone. Gamers will enjoy it, but it

may not be for you if you merely

play games for fun. This is neither a

bad thing nor a criticism. The ROG

Phone 6 knows what it is, and the

vast majority of its target audience

will be delighted to own and use this

compelling gaming super phone.

ASUS ROG Phone 6 PRO

PRICE AED 6,399

Display: 6.78 inches, AMOLED, 1080 x

2448 pixels, 165Hz

OS: Android 12

Storage: 512 GB

RAM: 18 GB

Cameras: 50 MP (wide), 13 MP

(ultrawide), 5 MP (macro), 12 MP

(selfie)

Battery: 6000 mAh

48

/ AUGUST 2022


Lenovo Yoga

Slim 7 Pro

TECH

MY

MONEY

Master multitasking with the

Yoga Slim 7 Pro. This stylish

14" ultraslim laptop is packed

with power, offering the lightningfast

performance of AMD Ryzen

4000 Series Mobile Processors,

combined with stunning 2.8K visuals,

long-lasting battery life and a range

of smart features that will help you

make the most of your day.

Specs:

Processor: Up to AMD Ryzen 9

4900H Mobile Processor

Operating System: Up to Windows 10

Pro

Display:

● 14" 2.8K OLED (2880 x 1800), 16:10,

100% DCI-P3, 400 nits, 91% AAR,

243ppi, Dolby Vision®, Glass

● 14" 2.8K IPS (2880 x 1800), 16:10,

100% sRGB, 400 nits, 91% AAR,

243ppi, Dolby Vision®, Glass

● 14" 2.2K IPS (2240 x 1400), 16:10,

100% sRGB, 300 nits, 91% AAR,

189ppi, Dolby Vision®, Anti-Glare

Memory: Up to 16 GB

Storage: Up to 1TB M.2 PCIe SSD

Graphics: Up to NVIDIA® GeForce®

MX450

Color:

● Slate Grey

● Light Silver

Ports/slots:

● 2 x USB Type-C Full-Function

(USB 3.2 Gen 2, PD 3.0,

DisplayPort 1.4)

● USB Type-A (USB 3.2 Gen 1)

● Headphone / mic combo


INVENTORS & DEVELOPERS

KHALED AL HURAIMEL

CO-FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN OF BEDU

Khaled Al Huraimel is a successful businessperson who has achieved much in his career. He

is the co-founder and chairman of BEDU, one of the largest telecommunications companies

in the Middle East. He is also the Group Chief Executive Officer of Bee’ah since August

2009. He has a long and successful track record in the technology industry, having founded

multiple firms.

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/ AUGUST 2022


Khaled Al Huraimel has an

MBA from the University

of Bradford in the UK and

a Bachelor of Science in

Marketing from King Fahd

University in the Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia. Additionally, he has the

unique distinction of being among

the first participants to complete the

esteemed Dubai Leaders Programme

at the Wharton Business School

in Pennsylvania, United States of

America.

Executive of the Year (Facilities

Management, 2014), Young Leader

(World Class Cities, 2014), Solar

Pioneer (the Middle East Solar

Industry Association, 2015), and

CEO/Leadership Award (CEO Insight

Global Awards 17/2016) are just a

few accolades and awards that he

has received for his exceptional

managerial abilities.

Al Huraimel oversaw the

expansion of businesses, including

ENOC, Nakheel, and Arabian Global

Investments, before joining Bee’ah. In

addition to co-founding organizations

like DH International Consultancy,

Ambient, and Imaginalab, he serves

on the boards of numerous notable

organizations, including Wekaya,

AGI, and Alliances for Global

Sustainability.

His timely and conscientious

management helped Bee’ah

transform from a small business to

an award-winning, comprehensive

environmental management

organization that has set the

standard for sustainable living in the

United Arab Emirates.

His knowledge and fresh business

ideas have served Bee’ah well in

carrying out its master plan for

environmental sustainability and

for making Sharjah a world-class

metropolis. Al Huraimel oversees a

team of more than 6000 workers that

provide services to the region’s many

businesses and millions of citizens.

Al Huraimel inspired Bee’ah’s

circular economy approach, which

promotes resource reclamation

and profitability via cutting-edge

processing methods. He has put a

lot of effort into putting advanced

initiatives on resource recovery,

integrated waste management, and

the production of renewable energy

into action, helping the business

quickly reach landfill diversion

Al Huraimel has

an MBA from the

University of Bradford

in the UK and a

Bachelor of Science in

Marketing from King

Fahd University in

the Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia.

rates of up to 70%. He has also

promoted research possibilities with

organizations like the American

University of Sharjah, focusing on

environmental preservation. He

has also aggressively pushed the

development of educational and

awareness programs to improve the

community.

BEDU, the UAE’s Metaverse

pioneer, has officially began

operations in Dubai. The company

plans to focus on building a

Metaverse competitor to leading

online gaming platforms. Khaled Al

Huraimel, co-founder and chairman

of BEDU, discussed the company’s

plans and future during an interview

with Arab News. Khaled said

blockchain technology provides a

unique platform for increasing trust

between users and businesses. The

article discusses how BEDU aims to

build a trusted Metaverse competitor

using blockchain technology. By doing

so, they believe they can create more

efficient transactions between users

and businesses while protecting user

privacy.

He has also played a key role

in creating partnerships with both

public and private institutions

since Bee’ah is a corporation

that focuses on public-private

partnerships. Under Al Huraimel’s

direction, Bee’ah offers its services

to governmental organizations

like Abu Dhabi’s Tadweer and has

partnered strategically with Masdar

to build ground-breaking waste-toenergy

facilities. With the help of his

diplomatic abilities, Bee’ah got the

UK Export Finance’s very unusual

funding for the construction of its

famous new headquarters, which

Zaha Hadid Architects designed.

Khaled Al Huraimel is the cofounder

and chairman of BEDU,

one of the world’s leading online

university education providers. He

has a wealth of experience in online

education, having founded and led

several successful online universities

over the years. In this blog post,

we’ve shared everything you need

to know about Khaled Al Huraimel,

including his biography, online

education experience, and current

BEDU role.



WHEELS

2022 CADILLAC LYRIQ

The 2022 Cadillac Lyriq, is a

highly anticipated release as it

will set the pace for Cadillac’s

aspirations to produce exclusively

Electric vehicles. The 19.2kW home

charging unit charges up to 52

miles per hour, while 10 minutes of

charging at 190kW stations will get

you 77 miles. The car comes in four

models, with the base range being

around $60,000 and the top-of-therange

starting at $90,000. In terms

of luxury cars, the price is a steal,

especially considering the technology

offered. There is a new direction in

terms of the look of the car, whilst

maintaining the original design

signature akin to the Cadillac Brand.

The interior has a 33-inch diagonal

LED display from the driver’s side to

the centre console, and the first-ever

laser-etched pattern through wood

over metal trim from an automaker.

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/ AUGUST 2022


WHEELS

SPECIFICATIONS

MODEL: LYRIQ PLATINUM

PRICE: $90,000

DIMENSIONS: 499.6 CM X 220.7 CM X 162.3 CM (WHEELBASE: 309.4 CM)

ENGINE TYPE: 100.4 KWH ELECTRIC 340HP

TORQUE: 324.53LB-FT

TRANSMISSION: SINGLE-SPEED AUTOMATIC

0-60: APPROX. 4 S

ENERGY USED: 300 MILES PER CHARGE

DRIVETRAIN: RWD


FUTURE TECHNOLOGY

SPACEX ATTEMPTS TO

SEND HUMANS TO MARS:

A CLOSER LOOK

This should come as no surprise that SpaceX, a company that designs,

manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft that was founded

by Elon Musk is working on bringing humans to Mars soon.

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/ AUGUST 2022


In December 2021, Musk stated that

SpaceX would reach Mars by the year

2026 and, after being familiar with all

the conditions, their company would be

able to take humans to the Red Planet in

a much more sustainable manner.

Initially, in 2017, Musk outlined a

plan that stated that by the end

of 2022, SpaceX would send two

cargo ships and two crewed

ships to Mars. With the Biden

administration in place, it is being

reaffirmed by NASA that SpaceX

will begin sending humans to Mars

by 2030 based on the technologies

that they have already proved to be

working in their favor.

In December 2021, Musk stated

that SpaceX would reach Mars by the

year 2026 and, after being familiar

with all the conditions, their company

would be able to take humans to

the Red Planet in a much more

sustainable manner. This is also

because they plan on launching a

Starship rocket that would accelerate

their pathway to achieving their

goal. Their inherent plan is to send

astronauts along with cargo as

well to Mars with reusable rockets

that are currently in the process of

development in Texas, the United

States. A single launch would be

capable of taking the ship to space,

which can carry more than 100

tonnes into space at once.

With respect to the current status

of the test flight of SpaceX Mar’s

rocket prototype, it has already

shown great results as the ship has

returned to the ground. As of now,

there have been almost five attempts,

out of which there were explosions in

only one attempt, and all the others

turned out to be quite successful.

Experts believe that Mars is

soon going to become the hub

for permanent human settlement

considering all the viable conditions

it poses for mankind. Space policy

experts from Arizona State University

told Business Insider that Elon Musk

plans to step on Mars by 2029 with

or without assistance from NASA.

The plan that is being formulated

by SpaceX will support the idea of

the colonization of Mars, which will

convert it into a multi-planetary

planet and therefore also involves

terraforming it as well. With time,

it will be quite evident how the

ideas formulated through the latest

technologies take a grand step.



GADGET

REVIEWS

NOMVDIC X300

The NOMVDIC X300 is an artfullydesigned

Smart Portable Speaker

& Projector for spectacular

adventures on the go. From sound to

space, unlock your imagination to create

versatile experiences effortlessly. The

NOMVDIC X300 is a unique 2-in-1 smart

portable speaker and projector that

allows you to enjoy immersive visuals

and crisp audio from virtually anywhere.

The design, sound quality, and portability

of the X300 are all elements that stand

out to offer a great user experience.

TINY PUMP 2X

The Tiny Pump 2X makes it insanely

easy to pump up your tires, floaties,

paddleboards, or air mattresses,

and it’s small enough to fit in any pocket

or backpack. it’s just 1.8 x 1.7 x 2.3 inches,

sized to fit in the palm of your hand and

weighing just 96 grams. However, thanks

to its 4 kPA pressure, you get airflow of

180 liters per minute—more than enough

to inflate most things in a hurry.

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/ AUGUST 2022


GADGET

REVIEWS

CHOVERY CL.2:

WINDOW CLEANER

ROBOT

Are you fed up with manual cleaning?

Well, your days of struggling are

over! Introducing CHOVERY CL.2,

a cutting-edge robot that can clean your

entire window in just three minutes! Not

only is this machine incredibly efficient,

but it also has an onboard battery that

guarantees continuous operation during an

outage. Whether you’re a busy professional

or a stay-at-home mom, this is the perfect

solution for keeping your home spick and

span. Don’t wait any longer-order your

CHOVERY CL.2 for only $264.17 today!

EZVIZ C6 2K +

SMART HOME

CAMERA

A

camera small in size, but big on

functionality. With on-camera

AI, the C6 2K + identifies humans

and pets in an instant, and detects

abnormal sounds to add an extra layer

of protection. Its impressive video

and audio quality delivers leading

performance. Enhance your home and

be there for your loved ones with the joy

and confidence that the C6 offers.


CYBERCRIME

DESPITE THE SOPHISTICATION BEHIND IT,

BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY IS STILL BEING

PENETRATED, WHAT ARE THE REASONS?

If we are familiar with bitcoin or even have come across this term, then we must already know

that blockchain is the core underlying technology. This has helped transform our current world in

different ways. However, it has also been targeted as a “disruptive” technology that is suspected to

impact a lot of different sectors, such as banking.

It was originally developed to

support the bitcoin industry, but

it has surely gone beyond that

realm and found its usage in

various other ledger operations.

This indeed has a lot of advantageous

points, but there are some factors

as well which may break the whole

system. Blockchain is an opensource

technology and thus any

single corporation can influence

its design and implementation.

Blockchain can also support other

applications that need ledger-like

operations and work on various

platforms.

The operations of the system

are also conducted in an automated

manner through software. Upon

completion of a transaction, the

miners can compete to add it to the

ledger to receive the commission

and benefit from it. This means that

private companies are usually not

required to handle such tasks and

they can thus be done independently.

The entire operational system also

happens in real-time, so there is

no lag in any way and the miners

can validate the transaction as

soon as it is done and receive their

compensation. So it would not

generally impact the miners when

they go offline as others present

online could validate that same

transaction.

Knowing the fact that blockchain

has had an immense impact on our

world from a technological point of

view, regulators and entities from all

over the world are keeping a close

vigil on it. Some believe that it is

too early to regulate the blockchain

industry, whereas some believe that,

as it has great potential to grow,

the blockchain industry should be

controlled at its nascent stage.


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/ AUGUST 2022


NEWS

IN FOCUS

CYBER

AI SECURITY & ML

Jeweler pays $7.5m ransom in Bitcoin

According to a London lawsuit, a Russian hacking gang

demanded $7.5 million in Bitcoin from a luxury British

jewelry company called Graff Diamonds Corp. after the

group’s high-profile clients’ data was exposed.

Web3 Blockchain projects lost more than $2b to cyber

crime

In the first half of this year, blockchain initiatives related

to Web3.0 suffered losses of more than $2 billion due to

hackers and attacks, according to a recent analysis.

Apple launches

Lockdown Mode to

protect at-risk users

All of the company’s

iPhones, iPads, and Macs

will support Lockdown

Mode starting in the fall

with the release of the

newest operating system.

The option restricts calls

from unidentified users

and inhibits certain

functions. It follows the

spyware infection of

Apple devices used by

journalists, lawmakers,

and activists.


DATA & DATA INTELLIGENCE

“WEB3.0:

A HAVEN

FOR DATA

SECURITY?!

With people going beyond

their usual ideas, we are now

confronted with technologies

such as blockchains and other

widespread technological

aspects that are aimed at

creating a greater impact on

future generations. We were

already exposed to and well

acquainted with Web1.0 and

Web2.0, but now Web3.0 has also

modified the way we look at it.

Web1.0 paved the way

for more of a brickand-mortar

mindset,

which provided a

decentralized platform

with very limited engagement. On

the other hand, Web 2.0 brought

some serious changes and came to

be known as the ‘social web’ as it

rose due to the widespread usage

of e-mail, social media, and user

groups. Web3.0 has been around

since the early 2000s and was known

as the ‘semantic web’. In general

terms, it was described as the web

that analyses data and allows agents

to interact with people. With the

dominance of crypto and blockchain

enthusiasts, it is usually used to

describe a decentralized web with

the use of artificial intelligence.

The success of Web3.0 has

been due to the fact that it has

been capable of solving a variety

of security challenges that have

been posed by different systems.

Transactions on the blockchain are

completely immutable, which means

that they cannot be altered and are

also publicly accessible. Users still

access the front end by signing

transactions using their private keys,

which are thereupon connected to

nodes that help in preserving the

user control and privacy of data.

In Web1.0 and 2.0, the crucial

aspect was its response. However,

in Web3.0, the security should

be extremely strong as the

transactions are immutable and

the system is required to verify

them at the very first instance. It

should be well versed with the

technical addressing system, the

vulnerabilities with regards to

the attacks, and smart contract

management among many others. As

the systems are more decentralized,

it is difficult to ascertain who owns

the problems, and there comes

various decentralized autonomous

organizations that collaborate to

negate any rising security issues.

There are several apps and

services that do not employ the

best security systems for their

users as they fail to authenticate the

API responses. This provides that

when the user’s data is retrieved,

there is no reliability of complete

authentication and that the data has

not been tampered with in any way.

It also furthermore helps in easier

user-controlled key management as

there is high risk and complexities

involved in managing the private

keys that direct the users to choose

hosted wallets. Web3.0, in such

circumstances, prevents the users’

ability to take undue advantage of

the data and provides better usability

and protections for non-custodial

situations.

As the development of proper

infrastructure for crypto and

blockchain is still in a nascent stage

in different jurisdictions, the focus

should shift more to defining the

architecture that solely satisfies

the demands of the modern web,

optimum cloud costs, and tackling

the growing number of applications.

These combined approaches would

help build a decentralized version

of Web3.0 that concentrates on the

modern aspects such as blockchains

and also build higher and better

security systems that would only

solve the problems with data leaks

that still persist to date.


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/ AUGUST 2022


APP EXPRESS

CAPCUT

Tired of not being able to capture the perfect

moment? With CapCut, cinematography has never

been so easy. This free and simple-to-use video

editing app lets you create cinematic videos with a few

taps. With its intuitive design, you’ll be able to edit your

videos with ease. Add music, sound effects, and titles

to make your videos stand out from the rest. With just a

few taps, you can transform your videos into works of

art that will amaze your friends and family. CapCut is the

perfect tool for capturing genuine moments and turning

them into lasting memories. So what are you waiting

for? Download today and start making memories that

will last a lifetime!

ENCRYPTO

Cybercrime is on the rise, and with it, the need

for reliable encryption software. Encrypto is

one of the most reliable encryption software

application programs that has been developed on

the market in recent years. It is primarily being

used by people in order to keep their confidential

information private from the prying eyes of hackers

and intelligence gathering agencies. It uses strong

cryptographic algorithms to ensure that your data

is kept safe from anyone who might try to access it,

no matter how powerful it might be. Order now and

protect your data at all costs!

BOOST

From the comfort of your couch, you can dive

into the fascinating and ever-growing world

of Reddit. With Boost, you’ll be able to get

the best of the best when it comes to Reddit on

your mobile device. The intuitive design makes it

simple and easy to navigate, while the fast loading

times ensure you’ll be reading the latest posts in

no time. Whether you’re looking for information on

current events or just want to vent about your day,

Boost has got you covered!

NOTESNOOK

Notesnook is a simple-to-use, cross-platform

private note-taking application and organizer.

It’s completely free to download and install on

all of your devices. Easily sync notes between your

PC, iPad, and smartphone. Taking notes is a simple

and straightforward procedure using Notesnook.

as though you were opening an actual notepad and

jotting down notes. With Notesnook, you can focus on

getting your ideas down without any distractions-it’s

the perfect tool for staying organized and productive.

So what are you waiting for? Start taking notes today!


HEALTHCARE

PROS AND CONS OF THE DIGITAL ERA ON OUR HEALTH

As we move towards a digital life, it’s important to be aware of the possible good and bad

consequences. We’ll look at how our minds process information in a digital world and

discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the digital era on our health.

Finally, we’ll suggest ways to

manage stress in a digital

world and give you some

ideas for healthy digital

habits. Ready to start living

a healthier, more comfortable digital

life? Let’s go!

How to maintain a healthy balance in

our digital lives?

The digital age has done wonders

for our social media platforms,

internet access, and productivity.

However, it has also come with some

negative consequences—like a lack

of physical activity and increased

stress levels.

To maintain a healthy balance

in our digital lives, we must spend

more time outdoors in nature and

limit screen time to at least one hour

before bedtime. Additionally, we must

be mindful of how much time we

spend online and on our phones.

Take regular breaks throughout

the day to restore and recharge—

even if that means taking a break

from technology.

How does our mind process

information in the digital age?

In the Digital Era, there’s never

been a greater need for mental

health. Our constant bombardment

of information affects how our brains

function, leading to problems like

ADHD and anxiety.

These problems can have serious

health consequences, including

problems with concentration,

memory, and stress levels. We must

take care of our mental health in

the digital age. By creating a healthy

digital habit and making time for

ourselves, we can manage our

mental health and live a happy and

healthy life.

The advantages of digital life

Improved access to information:

In the past, we had to travel to

libraries and other sources of

information to learn new things. With

the help of internet resources, we

can now learn anything we want from

anywhere in the world.

More opportunities for

communication and connection: With

so many people living apart, we must

have ways for our communication

channels to be open 24 hours a day.

The digital age has made

this possible by allowing us to

communicate through social media

platforms like Facebook and Twitter,

as well as email and text messages.

The negative effects of digital life on

our health

The digital age has revolutionized

our lives in innumerable ways. It has

allowed us to connect with people

worldwide and access information

at the touch of a button. However,

it has also come with several

disadvantages for our health.

For example, our phones and

computers emit electromagnetic

fields that can negatively affect

our brains and cognitive ability.

Additionally, we’re constantly using

screens, which can be damaging to

our eyes and overall vision.

We’re also prone to addiction to

technology or lack of sleep due to

smartphone use. In short, the digital

age is a double-edged sword—it’s

great for our social media following,

but it’s not so great for our health in

the long run. While the digital world

offers many advantages, such as

staying connected with family and

friends, some disadvantages should

not be ignored. By maintaining a

healthy balance in your digital life,

you can enjoy all the benefits while

avoiding any health risks.


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/ AUGUST 2022


THE METAVERSE: A MARKETING

OPPORTUNITY NOT TO BE MISSED

Online marketing has always been a thing. But with the global pandemic, there has been

a strict paradigm shift in every aspect towards digitization, therefore, marketing has been

no exception. With the advent of the metaverse, it has grown to become one of the biggest

platforms. Various industries, in recent times, have been taking advantage of all the

plausible potential that the new technology has to offer.

Companies and brands

have soon come to

the realization that

the capability that the

metaverse comes with

can result in the most prospective

ventures. Multiple reasons are now

making companies resort to aligning

towards the metaverse. Initially, it

is comparatively new and promotes

faster connections, which thereby

helps the business thrive in the most

difficult situations.

The primary reason, which the

experts have deduced, is that the

market usually aims at targeting the

younger age groups and grabbing

their attention. They usually have

the urge to always be up to date not

only with the products they use but

also with the technologies that come

with them. The companies are using

this trap as a way to actually make

greater profits as they are able to

successfully get the attention of a

particular generation.

From gaming platforms to

apparel, companies have largely

been inclined towards using the

metaverse as a way to advertise

and market their products. Recently,

Vans, the skateboarding brand has

launched a virtual skatepark in

Roblox that allows the players to

try new tricks and thereupon earn

points which could be later redeemed

MARKETING TECH

in a virtual store to customize their

own avatars. This is basically a way

to engage the target audience and

always keep the funds rolling within

the company apart from the profits

that they already make through its

usage among players. Vans has

reportedly seen almost 48 million

visitors at their virtual park already

which was only possible through

the application of metaverse. Gucci

has also adopted a similar approach

recently and has been successful

in attracting and engaging a much

larger audience base.

Without even diving deep into

the realm of the metaverse, the

companies are engaging in it either

by creating an in-house team or

by hiring an agency that would

help them connect and guide them

through the process. Whichever way

the companies adopt, their only aim

is to gain greater engagement and

make better profits through better

marketing strategies.



SPACE TECHNOLOGY

How long will a

two-way trip to

Mars take?

How long will a two-way trip to

Mars take?

If you’re one of those people

who has always wanted to travel to

Mars, now is the time to make your

dream a reality. Although the trip

might seem daunting at first, there

are a few things you can do to make

the journey a little bit easier. We will

be discussing the current state of

space exploration and whether or not

SpaceX is currently the most capable

space company when it comes to

reaching Mars. So, stay tuned!

Traveling On One of The Fastest

Spacecraft Towards Mars

NASA’s New Horizons, one of

the fastest spacecraft ever created,

traveled at a speed of roughly 36,000

mph (58,000 kph). You would reach

Mars in 162 days and 3,888 hours if

you could use such a spacecraft and

travel in the direction of the planet. In

289 days and 6,944 hours, you could

get to the Red Planet from here. Yet

things improve even more since,

in just 39 days (942 hours), such a

spacecraft would reach Mars at its

closest approach to Earth.

How Long Did It Take Other

Spacecraft to Reach Mars?

When it comes to space

exploration, shorter trips are

necessary if we want humans

to explore other planets in our

galaxy. For example, using current

technology, a two-way trip to Mars

would take over a year and a half.

This is due to the many challenges

that space travel still poses, such

as rocket failure. Nevertheless,

recent missions to Mars have shown

us much about the planet and its

environment. So, space travel

remains an exploration frontier, with

many more discoveries yet to be

made!

How Long Will It Take SpaceX to

Get to Mars?

The journey to Mars is sure to be

tough. But with the help of innovative

ideas from SpaceX founder, Elon

Musk, the company is confident

they can make it happen on time.

According to Musk, the trip will take

around 128 to 333 days and requires

a lot of technology and engineering.

However, with his help, the company

plans to send people to Mars in

2024. If everything goes according

to plan, anyone could one day be

able to visit our neighboring planet!

SpaceX is one of the most promising

space companies out there, and its

efforts to get people to Mars are

commendable. Keep an eye out for

their progress as it’s sure to be

inspiring!

It takes between 128 and 333

days to travel from Earth to Mars.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said that his

Interplanetary Transport System

(ITS) would get to Mars in just 80

days, so the company already has

some ideas for the Red Planet. While

SpaceX thinks the trip to Mars might

be completed in less than a month,

NASA isn’t backing down from it.

Using photon-based propulsion

technology rather than fuel to

propel a spacecraft, according to

the American corporation, they may

outperform SpaceX’s time.


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/ AUGUST 2022


APR 22 I I 45

ROBOTICS

BEST GEAR TO DIVE

INTO METAVERSE

Metaverse is essentially a whole new and upcoming segment in the digital world that

nowadays is seen to exist with the real world. Given this statement, it is quite important to

choose a device that would help us give the most seamless and effortless experience so

that it could be enjoyed in the best possible way.

It is truly an intimidating task

however it should be noted that

the sphere of the Metaverse

is constantly developing and

expanding as well. So we would

encounter a lot of different systems

that would promise to help us but

there are a few key understanding

that one must have as they intend

to narrow down their search with

respect to a decent Metaverse gear.

There are a wide variety of options

that are available with regards to

gadgets related to the universe of

the Metaverse. But truly all one

genuinely requires is a screen, which

could be either a smartphone or a

computer device, an input device, and

a powerful processor system. With

these pieces of equipment, the realm

of Metaverse could be accessed.

However, it should be noted that

smartphones and computers are not

designed or developed to produce

a stable Metaverse experience as

they fail to render an immersive

experience. Therefore it is always

advised that a dedicated augmented

reality or virtual reality tool must

be used to take out the best ever

experience from the system.

Sony PlayStation VR2 combines

the power of VR technology with

the PlayStation and it has proved to

work effortlessly in console gaming.

It consists of high level of immersive

and responsive technologies that

amplify the whole gaming experience.

The HP Reverb G2 is also one of

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/ AUGUST 2022


The Microsoft HoloLens is considered

to be one of the best innovations in the

world of mixed reality. It can detect

objects through its sensory devices and

is one of the best Metaverse devices for

augmented reality.

the Metaverse devices in a Windows

mixed reality fraternity that aims to

provide the best appearing graphics

and serves to be immensely userfriendly.

The Google Glass Edition 2 also

has an XR1 processor which is

designed to provide for inventive and

strong processing.

The Microsoft HoloLens is

considered to be one of the best

innovations in the world of mixed

reality. It can detect objects through

its sensory devices and is one of

the best Metaverse devices for

augmented reality.

These virtual reality goggles and

dedicated augmented reality gears

indeed help in bringing the Metaverse

right into the field of vision and let

one fully immersed in the existence

of both these worlds. Input devices

do surely provide the ability to

interact with the digital world in the

most efficient manner which will

negate all the differences between

both scenarios.

In this sphere, Facebook’s

contribution has been quite

commendable since its inception.

They have had a strong presence

from the very beginning and as time

progresses, the company is also

devising modernized plans that

would bring the digitized systems

to the doorstep of the common

man. Several other companies are

going beyond the ordinary and are

recreating gadgets ranging from

fashion to sports gear as well. This

convergence will keep growing with

time and the market will surely be

inundated with gears having the best

potential.



WHEELS

2022 JAGUAR XF

The 2022 Jaguar XF comes in

with a subtle facelift, largely

remaining the same as its

predecessor in 2021 with small

changes being made to the interior,

such as climate control functions

being updated to dials with selfcontained

temperature settings. The

centre console has been redesigned

and offers wireless device charging.

Some features exclusive to the SE

model are:

● Illuminated metal treadplates

● Electronically adjustable

steering column

● Premium cabin lightning

● Bright metal Pedals

68

/ AUGUST 2022


WHEELS

SPECIFICATIONS

MODEL: XF P300 R-DYNAMIC SE

PRICE: $52,150


ENGINE TYPE: 2.0 I4 296HP

ASPIRATION: TC

TORQUE: 295LB-FT @ 1500 - 5500RPM

TRANSMISSION: 8SPEED AUTOMATIC

0-60: 5.8S

FUEL ECONOMY: APPROX. 25 MPG

(COMBINED)

DRIVETRAIN: AWD


ENTERPRISE IT

DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE

PREDICTIONS DEFINING THE

NEXT DECADE

The Metaverse is slowly emerging as the most advanced and prominent technological

system which many businesses are taking advantage of these days, and so learning ways

to efficiently run them is coming to all businesses as they find it highly beneficial to conduct

their day-to-day businesses.

70

/ AUGUST 2022


ENTERPRISE IT

The concept of enterprise

Metaverse is still in a

nascent stage and has

not gained enough

popularity such that it

has found relevance in

every business enterprise.

It is still at a stage where

it has to undergo a lot of

developments.

These futuristic solutions

have enabled the business

to run smoothly and

decrease the hassles of

managing a business.

These days, Metaverse is being

implemented in the public domain

as well, and several well-known

brands such as Coca-Cola, Gucci,

Balenciaga, and Warner Bros have

teamed up with Metaverse projects

such as Roblox and Fortnite, which

has opened up new paths and

opportunities for better marketing,

research, public demand, and

revenue generation.

Apart from larger enterprises, as

such, small or medium enterprises

are also aligning themselves towards

the adoption of modern technologies

to transform their businesses

and take them to a greater height.

According to specific needs and

requirements, the companies

can design, develop, and install

Metaverse which would be most

suitable to their business model and

would also help in opening up ways

for increased opportunities within the

business.

A very similar approach is

taken by the concept of enterprise

Metaverse, which promotes the

growth of business opportunities

within an enterprise and also

enables the usage of digital tools and

services. Tailored possibilities can be

sought, such as driving engagement,

building great networking, developing

leadership opportunities, training

and educating employees, and

connecting to the global audience,

among many more. For instance,

Decentraland is a virtual real estate

Metaverse platform that is used

generally for buying and selling land,

and on the other hand, IMVU offers

social networking and shopping

opportunities. Roblox is a very

popular platform that allows you to

build your own virtual theme world,

which is similar to the one done by

Nike as it created its sports-themed

land known as Nickel. Fashion

houses and IT organizations have

also seen the rampant adoption

of a Metaverse in their systems,

which has just boosted their overall

performance.

The concept of enterprise

Metaverse is still in a nascent stage

and has not gained enough popularity

such that it has found relevance in

every business enterprise. It is still

at a stage where it has to undergo

a lot of developments. However,

experts do believe that the Metaverse

will enhance the internet trend of

user experience and customize it

according to their personalization. It

is also expected that the Metaverse

will be the next turning point of the

internet globally, and infinite options

will be opened up for consumers.

That will mark the beginning of the

Metaverse era in business hubs and

enterprises, as that will be capable of

shifting the consumer’s dynamics to a

whole new level.

Metaverse in enterprises could

be used for marketing, event

management and sponsorships, and

gamification as well, which helps

in improving customer loyalty and

employee retention as well. It could

be used in diverse fields such as the

learning, training, and entertainment

industries as well. Implementation

of a Metaverse in enterprises

aims at providing mega futuristic

opportunities that would in turn

promote the blockchain, NFT, and

crypto industries as well. .



MANUFACTURING

WILL THE METAVERSE LEAD TO SHORTENING THE

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT CYCLE?

This futuristic concept

of METAVERSE has

started to touch all our

lives, irrespective of

whether one has a great

understanding or not. Similar to

the advantageous impacts that

Industry 4.0 has on the future of

manufacturing and engineering,

the Metaverse is flourishing on the

internet where it will help in creating

a virtual world that resembles the

real one. All the newly launched

technologies are taking immense

help from the METAVERSE as it is

seen as a way to immix reality with

the virtual world while producing a

great level of productivity as well.

The Metaverse has already found

great relevance in the process

of operation, transformation, and

other aspects of businesses and

has accelerated the way of digital

transformation for such companies.

In such situations, the production and

manufacturing of products are not

left behind, and their collaboration

with METAVERSE technology has

enabled the creation of products that

help in shortening the lifestyle of the

product.

Advanced products can be

designed, created, and produced in

the virtual world and are thereupon

tested as well, before being properly

understood and being sure of the fact

that they would run successfully in

the real world. This surely has helped

the producers or manufacturers to

create products in very less time

with better efficiency and productivity

paving the way for rapid turnaround

times for the manufacturers.

The process of manufacturing

has shifted more towards inclining

on supply chain management, and

a metaverse-driven ecosystem

would help in decentralizing the

whole system and creating better

relationships between the business

owners and suppliers. The rapid

production process design would

leverage the whole manufacturing

system and identify the areas that

require performance. This would

ensure faster production of goods

that are required at the time being.

This will help increase the number

of product designs, giving more

diversity and options, and would

also not have a deadly impact on the

cost incurred. This would also pave

the way for a more collaborative

approach. Therefore, manufacturers

have sought a way that would not

shorten the product’s lifecycle but

would in turn lengthen it as they are

highly curated and designed in an

optimum setup.

We are witnessing a

transformation in every sector, and

supply chain management should

not be left out of the bandwagon

as reaching out and taking the help

of advanced technologies has only

paved the way for the best results

that could be rendered. This will

highly influence the manufacturing

systems and take a turn for

the good.


72

/ AUGUST 2022


AVIATION

VIRTUAL TOURISM VS. REAL TOURISM:

THE REALITY OF THE INDUSTRY

For many travelers, virtual

tourism has become their

go-to option. But is this the

reality of the industry? Or

is virtual reality starting to

overtake real travel?

What is Virtual Tourism?

There’s a new kind of tourism

on the rise—virtual tourism. As

the name suggests, it offers an

immersive experience unlike

anything else. Some potential

benefits of virtual tourism include

cost savings, increased safety,

and more flexibility for travelers.

However, there are also some risks

associated with virtual trips. For

example, virtual tourism can be risky

for people with mental health issues

as it can lead to feelings of isolation

and despair.

What is Real Tourism?

Real tourism, on the other hand,

usually refers to trips people take in

their lifetimes. This type of tourism

often strengthens relationships

between countries and helps

economies grow. For example, when

a tourist visits Paris for the first

time, it increases spending by French

tourists throughout France. Cities like

Rome and Barcelona rely heavily on

real tourism for their economy - it’s

estimated that up to 80% of their

income comes from hosting tourists

from all over the world! Despite its

benefits, real tourism can also be

expensive. Not to mention, it can be

difficult to find affordable flights and

accommodations when traveling to

certain countries. So, while virtual

tourism is definitely on the rise, it’s

not replacing real travel anytime

soon.

Which is winning the battle of virtual

vs. real tourism?

It’s a close race, but virtual

tourism is slowly starting to overtake

real travel. A study by Skift found

that in 2021, the number of travelers

who used VR or AR increased by

20%. This is likely attributable to

the fact that virtual tourism offers

several benefits that are difficult to

replicate in real life. For example, VR

can create an incredibly immersive

experience. Additionally, VR

technology provides a sense of safety

for travelers. This can also lead to

more flexible travel plans—especially

important for millennials who often

have busy schedules!

The Reality of Virtual Tourism

Virtual tourism has many

benefits, one of which is the ability

to experience places at any time of

day or night. For some travelers, this

is an excellent alternative to real

tourism, which can be expensive and

time-consuming. Additionally, virtual

tourism is a great way to experience

cultures that you wouldn’t be able to

visit in person. With projected growth

rates reaching 20%, virtual tourism is

one of the fastest-growing industries.

While there are some downsides

(like missing out on the real thing),

overall, virtual tourism is an excellent

option for travelers looking for an

alternative route.

The Reality of Real Tourism

There’s a lot of debate

surrounding the reality of virtual

tourism versus real tourism. But

at the end of the day, it’s up to you

to choose which suits you. For real

tourism, this means supporting local

businesses and communities. Not

to mention, real tourism is more

authentic and personal than virtual

tourism. Virtual tourism often relies

on simulations or games to provide

a realistic experience. While this may

be great for some, it’s not always

what people want or need. Virtual

tourism is becoming increasingly

popular but is not the only option.

Virtual tourism has been growing

since people can see the world

without leaving their comfortable

homes. While virtual tourism has

its benefits, such as the ability to

experience destinations without

leaving your home country, it cannot

compare to the reality of real

tourism. What is better? Is it virtual

tourism or real tourism? It’s up to you

to decide!



VISIONARIES IN FOCUS

Faisal Belhoul, Vice-Chairman of

the Dubai Chamber of Commerce &

Industry

In alignment with Dubai’s ambition

to achieve the status of a major

technology hub, the Dubai Digital

Investment Co. aims to raise around 1

billion dirhams from an IPO listing and

they have been granted permission

to launch a greenfield investment

company that focuses on technology

primarily. Along with this, he also

plans on investing in regional and

global technological opportunities.

Belhoul genuinely believes that the

greenfield listing will enable retail and

private investors to build exposure in

the technological sector.

Idriss Al Rifai, Founder, Fetchr

Fetchr has been one of the

leading enterprises and has

strived to quite rapidly reach the

status of a technology unicorn

valued at $1 billion. Reports had

stated that Fetchr became one

of the best funded start-ups as

it has already been successful

in raising over $52 million

with four funding rounds. It is

revolutionising and drastically

aiding in the transformation of

redefining the delivery services

and logistical chains sector.

Arman Salah, Founder, Pisiq

This Dubai based startup

inaugurated in the year 2016 is

typically a research and development

group that has its main focus on

fostering prospective talents and

startups that assists to improve the

quality of people’s lives. It works

primarily in the sector of artificial

intelligence, consulting, information

technology, internet and product

research. With almost 3 funding

rounds since its inception, it has

successfully raised over a $1 billion.

It has around 5 investors and has

witnessed a hiking growth since

attaining the status of a unicorn.

Zeeshan Ali Khan, Co-Founder,

Emerging Markets Property Group

Emerging Markets Property Group

has acquired the status of a unicorn

in April 2020 since it received a

valuation of over $1 billion. Since then

this company has been successful

in keeping a track record of success

every year. With over 6,000 people

ranging from 16 countries, it is

considered a melting pot of cultures

that are brought together to create

the best classified experience in the

world. The OLX Group has become

the largest and the sole shareholder

of EPMG, owing to 39% of the

company and the new investment. It

was after OLX led with the existing

shareholders raised a $50 million

round that EMPG had achieved the

status of a unicorn.

Andres Arenas, Founder, Kitopi

Paving the way towards being

the world’s leading and most

attractive cloud kitchen platform,

this Dubai-based cloud kitchen has

raised its Series C funding round 2

led by Softbank’s Vision Fund of $415

million. With the initiation of their

cloud kitchens, they have successfully

doubled the order volume and

expanded their subscription-based

meal plans. Kitopi achieved the status

of a unicorn in the month of July 2021

with a valuation of over $1 billion and

has also seen an overall business

growth of 300% since 2020. Their

cloud kitchen model has also been

rendering profit margins of over 20%.

This company has implemented a

strategic data powered product that is

aimed to satiate hunger.

Thomas Flohr, Chairman, Vista

Global

Vista Global has revolutionised

to become one of the leaders in

private aviation industry in Dubai

and is estimated to have a worth of

almost $1 trillion. Vista Jet and XO

offer a subscription model that is

aimed at transforming the benefits

of sharing economy. Also between

the years, 2020 and 2024, it is

expected to grow at a CAGR of over

55% and is supported by the new

entries in the market as only 10% of

people will be able to afford to fly

private. It has gained the stature of

a sole alternative to jet ownership

as the group of this platform only

holds approximately 2% of the

market share.

74

/ AUGUST 2022


EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

THE EVOLUTION THAT THE

METAVERSE IS CAPABLE OF

BRINGING TO EDUCATION

With schools being shut

due to the pandemic,

students from all age

groups had to shift to

an online or hybrid

learning mode. This has allowed

schools and other learning centers to

adopt unique systems to improve the

quality of learning. As a result, to take

the experience of virtual education to

the next level, Metaverse has been

quite successful in incorporating

technologies that would help us

provide more advanced and creative

solutions.

Metaverse is an innovation that

has recently developed and helped

civilization achieve a more efficient

and ambitious lifestyle. The education

sector has also been no exception.

There are various unique systems

that are being adopted recently, such

as video conferencing software.

Very different from the usual

understanding of video conferencing,

Metaverse will allow the students

and the teaching staff to be present

in a virtual space, which would be

referred to as the classroom, but in

reality, they will be able to join the

classes from their respective homes.

Numerous schools and

universities are considering online

worlds such as ‘Second Life’ and

block-building games like Minecraft

as a medium for virtual learning

with the onset of the pandemic.

Online lectures would offer the same

advantages. However, the catch is

that these virtual reality simulations

would enable the students to practice

medical, architectural, or any other

relevant skills that may be difficult

to train in real life. This will help both

the students and the teaching staff

to indulge in a more cyber-physical

experience where the virtual world

will seamlessly intertwine with the

real world.

All of these systems are typically

in the experimental stage right

now, and this whole system needs

to be formulated in a real way for

its speedy implementation. This

is usually what the situation with

Metaverse is in all other sectors.

With proper application, this system

genuinely has the potential to

provide advanced learning programs

and strong academic settings in

schools and universities. We shall

be prepared to be a part of the

future of learning, which is capable

of a concrete transformation of the

education regime.



LATEST TECH

SD-WAN TECHNOLOGIES

What is it?

The SD-WAN, also known as

the Software-Defined Wide Area

Network solution is the latest

technology that the world is now

about to visualize. This has been in

demand since last year itself but has

been growing in prominence this

year. It successfully addresses the

current challenges in the industry

and helps in reducing operational

costs and increasing resource usage.

How does it work?

SD-WAN has proven to be

quite beneficial to businesses that

implement a variety of innovative

ideas and help fulfill all the demands

that have been stimulated by the

onset of the pandemic. It delivers

routing, threat protection, efficient

offloading of expensive circuits, and

SD-WAN has proven to

be quite beneficial to

businesses that implement

a variety of innovative

ideas and help fulfill all

the demands that have

been stimulated by the

onset of the pandemic.

efficient WAN network management

through a simplified system. SASE,

also known as Secure Access

Service Edge, merges with the

features of SD-WAN to provide better

security, which can be provided

through a single service and network

system.

What is its impact?

This has paved the way for

more advanced and stringent cyber

security systems for all businesses

to provide better security systems

and protection. The SD-WAN ensures

a better application experience,

optimized cloud connectivity, and

a simplified management system

throughout.


76

/ AUGUST 2022


LATEST TECH

5G REVOLUTION

What Is It?

For the emerging companies, 4G

technology is quite an old school

as the forward-looking businesses

are focusing more on shifting to 5G

cellular technologies. It accurately

provided a superior leap in terms

of connectivity, reliability, network

speed, and efficiency. It is proven

to provide around 100x faster

connectivity systems as compared to

the present system of 4G.

How does it work?

5G networks have a dense and

distributed access architecture that

helps locate the data processing so

the users are able to process their

information efficiently in no time. It is

designed to support a heterogeneous

The 5G technology may

be still in its nascent

stage but has successfully

provided the upper hand

to its users. 5G is rapidly

becoming a fundamental

factor for companies in

their steady growth in this

ecosystem using the most

innovative technologies.

network combining licensed and

unlicensed wireless networks and

thus add to the bandwidth available

to users. 5G also enhances the digital

experience of users through machine

learning-enabled automation.

What is its impact?

With the onset of 2022, several

companies may feel left behind

without the implementation of

the ultra-reliable 5G connectivity

systems. The 5G technology may

be still in its nascent stage but has

successfully provided the upper hand

to its users. 5G is rapidly becoming

a fundamental factor for companies

in their steady growth in this

ecosystem using the most innovative

technologies.



WHEELS

2022 FORD

BRONCO RAPTOR

You can’t help but sense the

presence of adventure when it

comes to the 2020 Ford Bronco

Raptor. Designed and adapted to

power through many challenging

terrains, it is a great companion

when your thrill-seeking nature

awakens. The interior has all the

standard fittings for its time, with

marine-grade vinyl, heated front

seats as well as the capability

to add a built-in voice-activated

touchscreen navigation system.

The exterior is reinforced with an

exoskeleton and has a modular front

bumper as well as removable doors

and tops.

78

/ AUGUST 2022


WHEELS

SPECIFICATIONS

MODEL: BRONCO RAPTOR

PRICE: $68,500


ENGINE TYPE: 3.0 V6 400HP

ASPIRATION: TWIN TC

TORQUE: 430LB-FT @ 3400RPM

TRANSMISSION: 10 SPEED AUTOMATIC

0-60: APPROX. 5.9

FUEL ECONOMY: 17 MPG

(COMBINED)

DRIVETRAIN: 4WD/AWD


BIOTECH

DECENTRALISED TRIALS

What are Decentralised Trials?

Decentralised trials are one

of the ingenious ways of adopting

technology in the realms of

healthcare. It is a process of reducing

the participation of patients in visiting

checkup centres, clinics, or trial sites.

Rather, it introduces and brings to life

the kinds of technologies that would

accomplish its tasks, like wearable

digital devices, patient apps,

smartphones, etc. Such alternatives

bridge the gap between the patient

and the doctor by enabling them

to collect the data (virtually) while

ensuring steady communication

between the two. For instance,

Decentralized Trials incorporate

the use of telemedicine and mobile

healthcare providers, which allows

the medical professionals to study

the patient while interacting with

them.

Decentralized Trials somehow

reduce the financial burden and

provide real-time data in less time.

It monitors the patient and even

streamlines the admission process

for them.

Sometimes, examining a patient

might (not limited to) require frequent

visits to the sites for collecting the

data, whereas decentralised trials

try to reduce their costs and help

patients get better medication more

efficiently.

Virtualization of Decentralized Trial

Decentralized trials have

embarked on a journey to make

clinical trials more efficient and

faster for patients and doctors. In

addition, it has transcended the

traditional paradigm and involved the

use of digital technology in increasing

the proportion of trial activities on

patients. In light of this, Covid-19 has

witnessed a surge in the adoption

of such trials and catalysed this

technology, which has been done

remotely or in patients’ homes.

As far as the healthcare system

is concerned, this technology has

been the biggest boon, especially

during the pandemic, when physical

distancing was introduced and visits

to trial sites were reduced by 80 per

cent. On the contrary, it also noted

how The number of monthly trials

started to decline 50 percent from

January 2020 to April 2020, and 60

percent of investigators reported a

significant reduction in trial activities

in May 2020.

Besides this, even after

witnessing disruption, medics

quickly preserved the idea of such

technology and began to adopt virtual

faculties like patient monitoring,

videoconferencing, etc.

Fact: In one survey, up to 98 per

cent of patients reported satisfaction

with telemedicine. In another study,

72 percent of physicians reported

similar or better experiences with

remote engagement compared with

in-person visits.

Benefits of decentralised trials

With the onset of COVID 19,

decentralised trials have come to

the spotlight and moved beyond the

traditional trials. Hence, let us closely

look at its benefits

Real-time communication with

patients: unquestionably, effective

communication is indeed a need

of the hour, especially between

doctors and patients. Hence, medics

adopt DCTs with ePRO (electronic

patient reporting outcome) to ensure

smooth communication between

the participants. Such technology

is adopted to convey or report any

issue or symptom, to minimise the

degree of missed data points. For

instance, telemedicine is yet another

effective way, in which individuals can

look at their study personnel at their

convenience.

Enriching Data Diversity:

Decentralised trials have a way to

surpass geographical boundaries

and study patients from different

backgrounds, ranging from ethnic

minorities to those living in

remote regions. Regardless of the

boundaries, the aim is to support

clinical trial participation and collect

the patient’s data to help them with

the required results and medical

examination.

Improved Patient Recruitment:

Decentralised trials have a way to

improve the recruitment as well

as the retention of participants.

Undeniably, successful retention is

the ability to keep the patients (in

study) intact, engaged, and motivated

until its completion. The problems

of the patients have to be carefully

addressed and dealt with. If there is

an increase in the problem, then it

might lead to frequent visits to the

trial sites. Also, the trial must adopt

digital technology while preserving

strict standards for patient safety.


80

/ AUGUST 2022


SOFTWARE

IOS 16: THE NEW FEATURES YOU NEED TO KNOW

Before the operating

system’s formal release

in the fall, users may

try out its new features

with Apple’s iOS 16 public

beta, which is currently accessible.

Communication, personalization, and

privacy are the main focuses of iOS

16, which includes enhancements to

your iPhone’s lock screen, Messages

app, and Wallet, to name a few.

With the much-rumored iPhone

14, iOS 16 is anticipated to be widely

launched. iOS 16 was initially unveiled

at the company’s annual WWDC

keynote.

Message updates

The primary feature of iOS 16 is

the ability to edit sent messages.

So, if a mistake is discovered after

a message has been sent, it may be

corrected later.

Unread messages and threads

may also be flagged. This is helpful if

you want to ensure you respond to a

statement later but don’t have time to

do so immediately.

Change the lock screen

The iPhone’s lock screen has seen

the most significant improvements in

iOS 16.

You may play around with different

looks. Each design modifies the lock

screen’s wording and the background

image’s color filter to ensure

everything blends seamlessly.

Additionally, you may alter the

fonts used for the time and date

and add lock screen widgets like

a calendar, activity rings, and a

temperature gauge.

Apple’s Real-Time Activity and

Notifications

Because warnings may

sometimes obscure the lock

screen image, this version pushes

notifications to the display’s bottom.

This has a prettier appearance and

enables one-handed use of your

iPhone.

In iOS 16, a different notificationrelated

problem is also resolved.

You could sometimes get many

notifications from a single app, like

football scores. Live Activities helps

to make it simple to stay up to date

with events happening in real-time

from your lock screen rather than

having a string of interruptions.

Private Access Tokens may be used

to get around CAPTCHAs

On the internet, CAPTCHA has

long been seen as a necessary evil.

In iOS 16, Apple plans to use Private

Access Tokens to take the place of

these uncomfortable transactions.

Websites that accept the token

will log you in and verify that you

are a person without forcing you

to play any of the typical CAPTCHA

games, according to a video on the

Apple website demonstrating Private

Access Tokens.

Wallet and Apple Pay Later

Your Wallet app will access ID

cards from other states and improve

security and privacy features. The

Wallet app will show your ID and that

you are older than 21 instead of your

exact birthdate.

Apple Pay will enable more

payment methods and include a new

function called Apple Pay Later. This

feature is similar to Klarna in that it

lets you split the cost of an Apple Pay

transaction into four equal payments

over six weeks without incurring

interest or other fees.

In Visual Lookup, images are moved

about and touched

In iOS 15, Visual Look Up analyses

your photos and can identify objects

like pets, plants, and landmarks. With

iOS 16, this is enhanced to the next

level. When you tap a photo’s subject,

like the dog in the picture above, you

may take it out of the frame and add

it to services like Messages. Touch

and hold the backdrop of a photo to

remove it from the image.

We now have SharePlay in messages

Integrating SharePlay with the

Messages app was one of Apple’s

better decisions with this product.

Now, you can start SharePlay while

chatting with a friend via Messages

and share a Disney Plus movie.

Updates have been made to the focus

mode and focus filters

Multiple updates have been made

to focus mode. The first rule pertains

to lock screen appearances and

widget focus behaviors.

Apple has added focus filters to

the iPhone’s application focus mode.

For instance, depending on the focus

mode, you may choose which tabs

are shown in Safari.



LISTED TECH COMPANIES

Amazon Prime Day Pushed Web Sales Up 8.5% to

$11.9 Billion

Amazon sold more than

300 million items over

two days, more than any

previous Prime Day. Bestselling

items included diapers,

beauty products, and Apple watches,

according to Amazon.

Inflation-weary shoppers

predominantly stocked up on

household items. The Adobe estimate

measures total online spending

across multiple retailers based on

data from transactions involving

more than 100 million products.

The average Amazon order during

the event was $55.26, up 16.8% from

The average Amazon

order during the event

was $55.26, up 16.8%

from Prime Day in 2021.

Spending on Amazon

was expected to reach

$7.76 billion in the US

and $12.5 billion globally

over the two-day event.

Prime Day in 2021. Spending on

Amazon was expected to reach $7.76

billion in the US and $12.5 billion

globally over the two-day event.

Amazon launched Prime Day

in 2015 to attract new subscribers

who pay $139 a year for shipping

discounts, video streaming, and other

perks. The event helps Amazon lock

in shoppers before the holidays and

deepens its relationship with existing

customers by offering them deals on

Amazon gadgets.


82

/ AUGUST 2022



Netflix partners with Microsoft for a

cheaper plan supported by ads

Tesla moves to push

lawsuit over mass layoffs

out of court

To provide users with a less

expensive membership option

that includes advertisements,

Netflix has partnered with

Microsoft. The company claims the

new service will be an “addition” to its

existing monthly subscriptions, free

of ads.

How much the business intends

to charge customers for this new

service is still a secret. Netflix is

trying to renegotiate its deals with

significant entertainment firms to

show advertisements as part of its

service. In April, Netflix saw $50bn

wiped off its market value after the

company disclosed a surprise fall

in subscribers – the first drop since

October 2011.

The company, which had gained

millions of subscribers during COVID

lockdowns, said it had lost 700,000

subscribers from closing its service

in Russia.


Tesla has asked a U.S. court

to dismiss a lawsuit claiming

the electric car maker

violated federal law by laying

off hundreds of workers without

advance notice.

The lawsuit, filed in June by two

former Tesla employees, accuses

the company of violating the law

by abruptly laying off more than

500 workers at its Sparks, Nevada,

Gigafactory as part of a nationwide

purge of its workforce.

Tesla says the terminated

workers signed valid agreements to

pursue employment-related legal

disputes in arbitration.

Plaintiffs moved to stop Tesla

from allegedly asking workers to

sign severance agreements waiving

their ability to sue the company in

exchange for one or two weeks’ pay.

Plaintiffs seek class-action status

for all former Tesla employees laid

off in May or June without notice.




Alphabet’s Wing Develops Fleet of New Drones for

More Efficient Package Delivery

Alphabet’s Wing subsidiary

has developed a fleet of new

drone prototypes designed

to deliver packages more

efficiently. One looks more like a

small plane used by hobbyists, and

the other has a fat belly for additional

cargo space.

The prototypes are based on the

Hummingbird, which the company

says can carry about 2 pounds

(0.9 kilograms) and has made

hundreds of thousands of deliveries

in the Dallas suburbs, Virginia,

Australia, and Finland. They use

many components, such as motors

Prototypes are based on

the Hummingbird, which

the company says can

carry about 2 pounds (0.9

kilograms) and has made

hundreds of thousands

of deliveries in the Dallas

suburbs, Virginia,

Australia, and Finland.

and guidance systems, and follow

similar designs. The company is also

considering building a prototype to

allow flights farther than the current

6-mile range.

Currently, drone deliveries in

the US are being tested with strict

safety limits imposed by the Federal

Aviation Administration. Routine

deliveries are still years away as the

industry waits for the agency to draft

safety regulations for such

deliveries.


84

/ AUGUST 2022


BUILDING AUTOMATION

Johnson Controls

cements its status

as the pioneer of

building automation

with ‘OpenBlue’

OpenBlue is a complete

suite of connected solutions

and services that combine

the Company’s 135 years

of building expertise with

cutting-edge technology. This

open digital platform, when

integrated with Johnson

Controls core building

systems and enhanced by

Fortune 100 technology

partners, will make shared

spaces safer, more agile and

more sustainable.

The Blueprint of the Future

In our new world we must

transform in every way. Johnson

Controls is transforming how

spaces and places are perceived

and enjoyed. Applying data from

both inside buildings and beyond,

customers can now manage

operations systemically. Introducing

the blueprint of the future: OpenBlue

is a dynamic new space from

Johnson Controls. This is how

buildings come alive.

OpenBlue Overview

OpenBlue is a complete suite of

connected solutions that delivers

impactful sustainability, new

healthy occupant experiences, and

respectful safety and security that

combines the company’s 135 years of

building expertise with cutting-edge

technology.

It also features a suite of tailored,

AI-powered service solutions such

as remote diagnostics, predictive

maintenance, compliance monitoring,

advanced risk assessments, and

more.

OpenBlue serves many different

industries: workplaces, hospitals,

schools, campuses, stadiums,

enterprises, and more. OpenBlue

creates value for customers, from

helping patients heal faster to

ensuring students re-enter schools

with better peace of mind, and

from fans experiencing stadiums

in a new personalized way to

laboratories making major scientific

breakthroughs.

OpenBlue Healthy Buildings

Your Blueprint for Creating a Safe,

Productive, Efficient and Sustainable

Future

Three Pillars Support Your

Success

At the heart of Johnson Controls’

vision for a healthy world is a healthy

building. OpenBlue Healthy Buildings

supports dynamic smart facilities

with connected solutions for healthy

people, healthy places, and a healthy

planet. This unique combination of

industry-leading technology and

game-changing solutions drives your

business goals, building on all three

pillars for maximum impact. See

rapid ROI as you improve operating

efficiency, boost productivity, increase

revenue opportunities, and enhance

sustainability.

Rapid ROI with Comprehensive

Solutions

Transform your spaces into living,

breathing, intelligent places that

respond to changing environments

and occupant needs. OpenBlue

Healthy Buildings delivers the

market’s most comprehensive

suite of solutions, plus the expert

guidance to help you set priorities

and determine next steps. See how

Johnson Controls helps you reduce

building costs, increase productivity

and enhance revenue opportunities

while delivering on your “green

promise.” Explore solutions for

healthy people, healthy places, and

healthy planet.


86

/ AUGUST 2022


The Technology Express Magazine | Edition: August 2022

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