Rock Band
Harmonix Music Systems
PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Four stars
Rock is dead, they say. It has certainly felt that way to fans of Rock Band, the series that made jamming with fake instruments an essential part of video-game culture in the 2000s. Those plastic guitars have been gathering dust since Rock Band 3 came out five years ago.
Harmonix has decided it is time to get the old band back together. Unlike most reunion tours, Rock Band 4 arrives with all of its predecessors’ energy intact. It’s the best party game around, turning your living room into a raucous nightclub.
The basics remain the same. Coloured notes stream down the screen and you press matching buttons on the guitar-shaped controller. Likewise, drummers have coloured drum pads to strike, and singers need to sing in tune to the on-screen notes. This version’s major addition to the gameplay, freestyle solos, gives you the freedom to cut loose.
Newcomers will want to invest in the US$250 (Dh918) Band-in-a-Box bundle, which includes a guitar, drum kit and microphone. Solo acts can purchase the game and a guitar for $130. Veterans of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions can just buy the software, which costs $60 for the PS4 and $80 for Xbox One, and use the instruments you already have.
If you’re a Rock Band old-timer, you’ve probably spent hundreds of dollars on downloadable songs for the previous versions of the game. The good news is that Harmonix has upgraded a huge chunk of its library – about 1,500 tunes, including classics from David Bowie, The Who and The Clash.
It’s fortunate that so many downloadable hits are available, because the 60-plus songs on the disc is a weak line-up – think Fall Out Boy, Imagine Dragons and Grouplove. However, there is room for Rock Band stalwarts such as Foo Fighters, Jack White and Queens of the Stone Age.
A few rock staples, including Rick Derringer’s Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo and Van Halen’s Panama, make their debuts. And you get a few invigorating blasts of weirdness from St Vincent and Lightning Bolt.
There’s even a nifty slice of power pop from The Warning, a trio of three Mexican sisters, none older than 17.
* Lou Kesten /
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
HOSTS
T20 WORLD CUP
2024: US and West Indies; 2026: India and Sri Lanka; 2028: Australia and New Zealand; 2030: England, Ireland and Scotland
ODI WORLD CUP
2027: South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia; 2031: India and
Bangladesh
CHAMPIONS TROPHY
2025: Pakistan; 2029: India
Results
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group 1 (PA) US$75,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Ziyadd, Richard Mullen (jockey), Jean de Roualle (trainer).
7.05pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (Turf) 1,800m
Winner: Barney Roy, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm: Meydan Cup Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,810m
Winner: Secret Advisor, Tadhg O’Shea, Charlie Appleby.
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Plata O Plomo, Carlos Lopez, Susanne Berneklint.
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
9.25pm: Al Shindagha Sprint Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
At a glance
- 20,000 new jobs for Emiratis over three years
- Dh300 million set aside to train 18,000 jobseekers in new skills
- Managerial jobs in government restricted to Emiratis
- Emiratis to get priority for 160 types of job in private sector
- Portion of VAT revenues will fund more graduate programmes
- 8,000 Emirati graduates to do 6-12 month replacements in public or private sector on a Dh10,000 monthly wage - 40 per cent of which will be paid by government
Hotel Silence
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Pushkin Press
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Profile of Foodics
Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani
Based: Riyadh
Sector: Software
Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.
HAJJAN
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
