Dubai's police chief yesterday unveiled a new mobile-phone application that allows people to call up the emergency services at the touch of a button.
Lt Gen Dahi Khalfan Tamim revealed the new system during a lecture at the Dubai Police Officers Club. The SOS (Save Our Souls) smartphone application sends a distress signal to the Dubai police command-and-control centre in the case of an emergency.
Developed by Dubai police, the app has been tested and will soon roll out for public use, Lt Gen Tamim said yesterday.
The app, currently available only for Android phones, allows members of the public in trouble or facing danger to have a direct link to the command-and-control room.
Lt Gen Tamim said the app has a large button at the centre of the screen that, when pressed, informs police of your details and GPS location, eliminating the need for voice interaction.
He also said that the application can be used with smartphones and house alarms by any member of the public, including senior citizens.
"We tested it out and it is a success," he said. "Now senior citizens, people with special needs or people in critical situations can immediately inform the command centre during any emergency."
Lt Gen Tamim said that the software programme had been developed to serve the needs of citizens inside or outside the city.
"It works for people out at sea, or in the desert - we even took it to remote areas and it is now in use there," he said.
A device for the home that serves the same purpose has also been developed with senior citizens in mind, the police chief said. It will be paid for and will soon be made available from Dubai police general headquarters.
During a lecture on leadership skills yesterday, Lt Gen Tamim pressed the app button and received a call back from the command centre in less than two minutes. The centre will call back in cases of an emergency, but will also attend the scene.
[ amustafa@thenational.ae ]
The Woman King
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Stars: Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, Lashana Lynch, John Boyega
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Haltia.ai
Started: 2023
Co-founders: Arto Bendiken and Talal Thabet
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: AI
Number of employees: 41
Funding: About $1.7 million
Investors: Self, family and friends
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
Director: Francis Lawrence
Stars: Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage, Viola Davis, Tom Blyth
Rating: 3/5
England World Cup squad
Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
SPECS
Mini John Cooper Works Clubman and Mini John Cooper Works Countryman
Engine: two-litre 4-cylinder turbo
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Confirmed bouts (more to be added)
Cory Sandhagen v Umar Nurmagomedov
Nick Diaz v Vicente Luque
Michael Chiesa v Tony Ferguson
Deiveson Figueiredo v Marlon Vera
Mackenzie Dern v Loopy Godinez
Tickets for the August 3 Fight Night, held in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, went on sale earlier this month, through www.etihadarena.ae and www.ticketmaster.ae.
AIDA RETURNS
Director: Carol Mansour
Starring: Aida Abboud, Carol Mansour
Rating: 3.5./5
Moving Out 2
Developer: SMG Studio
Publisher: Team17
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, PC and Xbox One
Rating: 4/5
'Hocus Pocus 2'
Director: Anne Fletcher
Stars: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Power: 272hp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 331Nm from 5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.7L/100km
On sale: now
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
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Transmission: CVT auto
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Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
ICC Awards for 2021+
MEN
Cricketer of the Year+– Shaheen Afridi+(Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year+– Mohammad Rizwan+(Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year+– Babar Azam+(Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year+– Joe Root+(England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year+– Smriti Mandhana+(India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year+– Lizelle Lee+(South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year+– Tammy Beaumont+(England)
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
What is cystic fibrosis?
- Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that affects the lungs, pancreas and other organs.
- It causes the production of thick, sticky mucus that can clog the airways and lead to severe respiratory and digestive problems.
- Patients with the condition are prone to lung infections and often suffer from chronic coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.
- Life expectancy for sufferers of cystic fibrosis is now around 50 years.
SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder
Power: 101hp
Torque: 135Nm
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Price: From Dh79,900
On sale: Now
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Getting there and where to stay
Fly with Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi to New York’s JFK. There's 11 flights a week and economy fares start at around Dh5,000.
Stay at The Mark Hotel on the city’s Upper East Side. Overnight stays start from $1395 per night.
Visit NYC Go, the official destination resource for New York City for all the latest events, activites and openings.