An Uber smartphone app displays a road map at a taxi rank in London. The company probably had a worse year than most in 2017.Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
An Uber smartphone app displays a road map at a taxi rank in London. The company probably had a worse year than most in 2017.Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
An Uber smartphone app displays a road map at a taxi rank in London. The company probably had a worse year than most in 2017.Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
An Uber smartphone app displays a road map at a taxi rank in London. The company probably had a worse year than most in 2017.Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Technology year in review: How hubris doesn't always pay


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In many ways, the demise of Juicero in September was a microcosm of everything that was wrong with technology in 2017.

Doug Evans, a veteran juice bar proprietor, started the San Francisco-based company four years ago with the lofty goal of changing how people make and consume healthy beverages.

His Wi-Fi-connected Juicero was similar to the Keurig coffee-pod machine, except it used high-tech gears to press packets of fruits and vegetables into juice.

The company attracted more than US$132 million in funding from the likes of Google Ventures and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, for a valuation of about $500m. Its employee count grew to more than 230.

But then the problems hit. Juicero’s first machine, released last year, cost a hefty $699 – nearly 10 times that of a basic Keurig. Worse still, a Bloomberg report in the spring showed that simply squeezing its packets by hand rendered the costly machine redundant.

The company promised cheaper devices, but the damage to its reputation was done. After no luck finding an acquirer, Juicero shut down on September 1.

The train wreck is easy to explain in retrospect. A flush-with-money Silicon Valley start-up pushing an expensive product with little evidence that anyone actually wanted or needed it – was any other outcome but failure ever realistic?

This hubristic philosophy of creating something without questioning whether it should be done in the first place, the blueprint for so many recently successful technology companies, seemed to have reached its limits in 2017.

After several decades of runaway growth and the excesses it inspired, tech companies finally butted up against a reckoning that is sure to gain momentum in 2018.

As Juicero showed, companies and entrepreneurs in the hardware space are now facing increased scepticism.

The cosmetics maker L’Oréal and Nokia’s Withings unit learned that hard lesson when they introduced the Kerastase Hair Coach at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show back in January. The $200 Wi-Fi connected hair brush was roundly mocked in the press and on social media. Not surprisingly, its planned mid-year launch still hasn’t happened.

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Read more:

What is Uber? We are getting closer to an answer

Chinese Uber-rival Didi Chuxing  gets $4 billion in new funding 

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The Hair Coach wasn’t the only dubiously useful device in 2017, but the parade of supposedly “smart” products that marked recent years is now finally – and mercifully – slowing to a trickle.

The reckoning is likely to be harsher for online services. Facebook and Google in particular attracted unprecedented scrutiny from governments and regulators in 2017 in the wake of the US election and last year’s Brexit vote.

In both cases, the tech platforms were accused of exacerbating political divisions through the spread of “fake news”, which will surely go down as one of the terms that defined the year.

Worse still, the companies’ plights deepened as it emerged that they may have sold ads to Russian propagandists during the 2016 US presidential election.

And, as if things weren’t bad enough for Facebook, the company is closing out the year dealing with the revelation that it allowed US employers to show ads to people in specific age categories. Many observers say this type of age discrimination is illegal.

Facebook and Google are heading into 2018 facing multiple inquiries in multiple countries into their core business practices. With both platforms acting and sounding very much like news organisations, it is all but inevitable that regulators will soon begin treating them as such, with all the rules and reporting requirements that will entail.

If Juicero was the microcosm of everything wrong with the tech industry, then Uber was the macrocosm. It’s hard to imagine any company having a worse year than the ride-sharing juggernaut – er, make that taxi firm – just had.

Uber is indeed a taxi company, according to a ruling last week by the European Court of Justice. Despite its insistence to the contrary, Uber will now be subject to the same rules and regulations as any taxi provider in Europe, which raises the inevitable question – why bother?

If Uber is forced to follow the rules and submit to the various costs that regulations entail, its service may no longer be considerably cheaper for consumers to use than regular taxis. How that’s going to square with the huge losses the company is already reportedly incurring is anyone’s guess.

There isn’t enough space here to list all of Uber’s problems in 2017 – a user boycott, sexual harassment allegations, accusations of intellectual property theft, the ousting of several senior leaders among them – but it’s safe the say that its future has never looked so shaky.

With a valuation of $70 billion and an estimated 40 million monthly users, it’s possible that Uber is too big to fail – but it’s also not inconceivable that it could follow Juicero’s fate.

As the epitome of Silicon Valley brashness – its move-fast-and-break-things mantra – Uber could well be made an example of in 2018.

Governments around the world may well demonstrate that there’s a price to pay for just doing or making something without stopping to consider whether it should be done in the first place.

THE%C2%A0SPECS
%3Cp%3EEngine%3A%204-cylinder%202.5-litre%20%2F%202-litre%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20188hp%20%2F%20248hp%0D%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20244Nm%20%2F%20370Nm%0D%3Cbr%3ETransmission%3A%207-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20now%0D%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh110%2C000%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Brief scoreline:

Wales 1

James 5'

Slovakia 0

Man of the Match: Dan James (Wales)

RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile

Started: 2016

Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel 

Based: Ramallah, Palestine

Sector: Technology, Security

# of staff: 13

Investment: $745,000

Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors

Credits

Produced by: Colour Yellow Productions and Eros Now
Director: Mudassar Aziz
Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jassi Gill, Piyush Mishra, Diana Penty, Aparshakti Khurrana
Star rating: 2.5/5

Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate 

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

THE BIO:

Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.

Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.

Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.

Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.

THE SIXTH SENSE

Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Rating: 5/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
HER%20FIRST%20PALESTINIAN
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Saeed%20Teebi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20256%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublisher%3A%C2%A0House%20of%20Anansi%20Press%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
If you go

The Flights

Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Johannesburg from Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively. Economy return tickets cost from Dh2,650, including taxes.

The trip

Worldwide Motorhoming Holidays (worldwidemotorhomingholidays.co.uk) operates fly-drive motorhome holidays in eight destinations, including South Africa. Its 14-day Kruger and the Battlefields itinerary starts from Dh17,500, including campgrounds, excursions, unit hire and flights. Bobo Campers has a range of RVs for hire, including the 4-berth Discoverer 4 from Dh600 per day.

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Meydan race card

6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh125,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,200m​​​​​​​
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m​​​​​​​
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh170,000 (D) 1,900m​​​​​​​
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m​​​​​​​
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 (D)1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK 

Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV

Normal People

Sally Rooney, Faber & Faber
 

While you're here
The lowdown

Bohemian Rhapsody

Director: Bryan Singer

Starring: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee

Rating: 3/5

MATCH INFO

South Africa 66 (Tries: De Allende, Nkosi, Reinach (3), Gelant, Steyn, Brits, Willemse; Cons: Jantjies 8) 

Canada 7 (Tries: Heaton; Cons: Nelson)

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

What is a calorie?

A food calorie, or kilocalorie, is a measure of nutritional energy generated from what is consumed.

One calorie, is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1°C.

A kilocalorie represents a 1,000 true calories of energy.

Energy density figures are often quoted as calories per serving, with one gram of fat in food containing nine calories, and a gram of protein or carbohydrate providing about four.

Alcohol contains about seven calories a gram. 

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

ANATOMY%20OF%20A%20FALL
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJustine%20Triet%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESandra%20Huller%2C%20Swann%20Arlaud%2C%20Milo%20Machado-Graner%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues

Company Profile:

Name: The Protein Bakeshop

Date of start: 2013

Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani

Based: Dubai

Size, number of employees: 12

Funding/investors:  $400,000 (2018) 

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Votes

Total votes: 1.8 million

Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes

Abdullah Abdullah: 720,841 votes 

Profile box

Founders: Michele Ferrario, Nino Ulsamer and Freddy Lim
Started: established in 2016 and launched in July 2017
Based: Singapore, with offices in the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand
Sector: FinTech, wealth management
Initial investment: $500,000 in seed round 1 in 2016; $2.2m in seed round 2 in 2017; $5m in series A round in 2018; $12m in series B round in 2019; $16m in series C round in 2020 and $25m in series D round in 2021
Current staff: more than 160 employees
Stage: series D 
Investors: EightRoads Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Sequoia Capital India

Prop idols

Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.

Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)

An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.

----

Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)

Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.

----

Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)

Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESam%20Ottewill-Soulsby%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPrinceton%20University%20Press%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E392%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJuly%2011%3C%2Fp%3E%0A