The youth of today may find it hard to believe but there was a time when we didn't have the Apple iPhone in our lives — or any mobile phone for that matter.
Just imagine having to call someone to communicate rather than using WhatsApp, taking photos with an actual camera and watching television on, well, your TV instead of squinting at your phone in the dark. You could even have a conversation with a stranger in the lift instead of burying yourself in those gorgeous pixels.
Life, as many of us know it, changed on January 9, 2007, when Steve Jobs started talking on stage about, every once in a while, introducing a “revolutionary product that changes everything".
This time, it was not just one product, but three: a widescreen iPod with touch controls, a revolutionary mobile phone … and a breakthrough internet communicator.
After teasing the crowd by repeating the three creations over and over, he exclaimed: “This is one device.”
And there the iPhone was born, along with a new use for fingers which have since been almost glued to the increasingly responsive screens.
Yearly updates have given us bigger screens, sharper cameras and faster loading times, but what comes next? Will Apple, now under the leadership of Tim Cook, reinvent the wheel again?
We found out at its Far Out event on September 7, when the iPhone 14 made its first appearance. Reinvent the wheel? Not quite.
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus will be powered by the A15 bionic chip that was introduced with the iPhone 13 series last year.
All new iPhones also feature an emergency SOS service through satellite connectivity and a crash detection feature. That, however, is about it apart from the usual camera upgrades.
At its March 2022 event, another new phone rolled out - this time the third generation of the iPhone SE. Again, nice update, but nothing massively new.
To relive the journey of the iPhone, scroll through the gallery at the top of the page.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Dunki
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Coal Black Mornings
Brett Anderson
Little Brown Book Group
Company%20profile
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What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.
