Connecting everything to the internet has become the concern of many a tech geek. With fridges, kettles and shoes now relaying information back and forth, it seems only natural that our televisions should also reach out to the worldwide web.
We already have smart televisions with internet connectivity, but what do you do if your current TV set is not quite so intelligent?
The answer is M-Droid, a croissant-shaped box that connects the internet to your television. The manufacturer, MediaCom, is hoping to unleash Google’s Android mobile operating system on to normal TV sets across the Arab world.
It took about 15 minutes to set up. I don’t like to read instructions and usually get to work as soon as I open the box. It may take longer or shorter if you follow the guidelines, but having some techie flair in my fingers, I managed to get things working pretty quickly.
Through the HDMI cable, you connect the M-Droid to the television. To connect to the internet, you either use Wi-Fi if you have it, or an ethernet cable. Pretty simple. It also has USB ports enabling you to watch films or listen to music that has been stored on to USB sticks.
The actual software is very clunky, however. It is slow, so, slow and the keyboard with its weird pinball mouse is plain annoying.
It makes you question the value of being able to browse the internet on your television. Sure you can Skype your loved ones on the big screen with the additional videocam attachment and watch YouTube videos, but do you really need this to compose your emails or tweet your thoughts? If you do, then you probably live alone and have incredibly sharp eyesight to be able to read your emails on television.
The idea is fine: internet connectivity opens up a world of opportunities, but the execution isn’t great. The keyboard and mouse are technologies from the previous century.
That being said, it makes for a cheap alternative to purchasing a separate laptop or computer, or an expensive smart TV, by combining both capabilities in a normal television.
Questions and answers with Hussain Naqvi, the chief executive at MediaCom:
What are the benefits of having the internet on your TV?
We are in an age where content and applications are increasingly shifting online. As such, it is becoming an imperative that all devices have internet connectivity and the TV is no exception. By enabling internet on the TV, the user can enjoy online TV streaming, online movie viewing, social networking and Skype on the big screen. Also, the TV still has a role as a family device which complements the Skype and collective viewing experience. We also view the TV as a large learning canvas, where mothers can teach their children educational lessons in a fun and interactive way, for example lessons in alphabets, mathematics learning, memory training exercises etc.
Does this device work with all types of televisions?
Yes, this device works with all types on televisions including old CRT type, Plasma, LCD, LED and smart TVs. The device has both HDMI and AV outputs so it can connect to all these types of TVs.
How is it different or better than smart TVs?
The device comes with Android OS, which gives it access to Google Play Store, which has more than half a million applications, mostly free. Also, the MediaCom M-Droid comes with a large keyboard with track-pad enabling a very natural and convenient input method. The camera provided with the device is high quality and movable so it can be placed in an optimal position for the setting of any living room.
thamid@thenational.ae
(Afterthought: "Men don't care what's on TV. They only care what else is on TV." – Jerry Seinfeld, comedian)
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Almouneer
Started: 2017
Founders: Dr Noha Khater and Rania Kadry
Based: Egypt
Number of staff: 120
Investment: Bootstrapped, with support from Insead and Egyptian government, seed round of
$3.6 million led by Global Ventures
Manchester City transfers:
OUTS
Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy, Willy Caballero and Jesus Navas (all released)
INS
Ederson (Benfica) £34.7m, Bernardo Silva (Monaco) £43m
ON THEIR WAY OUT?
Joe Hart, Eliaquim Mangala, Samir Nasri, Wilfried Bony, Fabian Delph, Nolito and Kelechi Iheanacho
ON THEIR WAY IN?
Dani Alves (Juventus), Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)
The specs: 2018 BMW X2 and X3
Price, as tested: Dh255,150 (X2); Dh383,250 (X3)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged inline four-cylinder (X2); 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six-cylinder (X3)
Power 192hp @ 5,000rpm (X2); 355hp @ 5,500rpm (X3)
Torque: 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (X2); 500Nm @ 1,520rpm (X3)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic (X2); Eight-speed automatic (X3)
Fuel consumption, combined: 5.7L / 100km (X2); 8.3L / 100km (X3)
Profile
Company name: Marefa Digital
Based: Dubai Multi Commodities Centre
Number of employees: seven
Sector: e-learning
Funding stage: Pre-seed funding of Dh1.5m in 2017 and an initial seed round of Dh2m in 2019
Investors: Friends and family
World Test Championship table
1 India 71 per cent
2 New Zealand 70 per cent
3 Australia 69.2 per cent
4 England 64.1 per cent
5 Pakistan 43.3 per cent
6 West Indies 33.3 per cent
7 South Africa 30 per cent
8 Sri Lanka 16.7 per cent
9 Bangladesh 0
POWERWASH SIMULATOR
Developer: FuturLab
Publisher: Square Enix Collective
Console: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
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
Specs
Price, base: Dhs850,000
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 591bhp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.3L / 100km
Kanye West
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Ye’s wealth plunged after business partners, including Adidas, severed ties with him on the back of anti-Semitic remarks earlier this year.
West’s present net worth derives from cash, his music, real estate and a stake in former wife Kim Kardashian’s shapewear firm, Skims.
A QUIET PLACE
Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Joseph Quinn, Djimon Hounsou
Director: Michael Sarnoski
Rating: 4/5
Four reasons global stock markets are falling right now
There are many factors worrying investors right now and triggering a rush out of stock markets. Here are four of the biggest:
1. Rising US interest rates
The US Federal Reserve has increased interest rates three times this year in a bid to prevent its buoyant economy from overheating. They now stand at between 2 and 2.25 per cent and markets are pencilling in three more rises next year.
Kim Catechis, manager of the Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Emerging Markets Fund, says US inflation is rising and the Fed will continue to raise rates in 2019. “With inflationary pressures growing, an increasing number of corporates are guiding profitability expectations downwards for 2018 and 2019, citing the negative impact of rising costs.”
At the same time as rates are rising, central bankers in the US and Europe have been ending quantitative easing, bringing the era of cheap money to an end.
2. Stronger dollar
High US rates have driven up the value of the dollar and bond yields, and this is putting pressure on emerging market countries that took advantage of low interest rates to run up trillions in dollar-denominated debt. They have also suffered capital outflows as international investors have switched to the US, driving markets lower. Omar Negyal, portfolio manager of the JP Morgan Global Emerging Markets Income Trust, says this looks like a buying opportunity. “Despite short-term volatility we remain positive about long-term prospects and profitability for emerging markets.”
3. Global trade war
Ritu Vohora, investment director at fund manager M&G, says markets fear that US President Donald Trump’s spat with China will escalate into a full-blown global trade war, with both sides suffering. “The US economy is robust enough to absorb higher input costs now, but this may not be the case as tariffs escalate. However, with a host of factors hitting investor sentiment, this is becoming a stock picker’s market.”
4. Eurozone uncertainty
Europe faces two challenges right now in the shape of Brexit and the new populist government in eurozone member Italy.
Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, which has offices in Dubai, says the stand-off between between Rome and Brussels threatens to become much more serious. "As with Brexit, neither side appears willing to step back from the edge, threatening more trouble down the line.”
The European economy may also be slowing, Mr Beauchamp warns. “A four-year low in eurozone manufacturing confidence highlights the fact that producers see a bumpy road ahead, with US-EU trade talks remaining a major question-mark for exporters.”
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
PAKISTAN SQUAD
Pakistan - Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Haris Sohail, Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Aamer Yamin, Rumman Raees.
