SHOWTIME

The evolution of entertainment television is astonishing. Going back in time, television was first invented in 1924 where it was only in 1975 that the technology of video recorders became highly sought after. Then in 1999, the TiVo system was introduced with a hard disk to record programming onto an integrated EPG. Now in 2006, Showtime has reinvented television with “ShowBox,” the latest generation of smart technology, which offers subscribers a very different way of planning their TV viewing. The Showbox DVR provides a very intelligent and easy-to-use system. It makes it possible for viewers to record their favorite shows just by selecting which shows and films you want saved for you to watch when the time is convenient. Instead of scheduling your busy day around television programming timings, you can now program your television to meet your schedule. This is especially true when it comes to children.

SAUDI AUTO

Saudi Auto has become the first Arabic publication to get international recognition. It was globally acknowledged recently when it earned nomination for the year from the selection committee of the International Europe Award for Quality-New Millennium Award, which is given annually by the Publishing House and The Trade Leaders’ Club, founded in Madrid in 1978. The decision is based on information provided by 7,000 entrepreneur members of the Trade Leaders’ Club coming from 112 countries. On the occasion of the trophy’s 20th anniversary, the award was named Golden Europe Award for Quality-New Millennium Award, in order to reflect the exclusivity character of the acts. Saudi Auto Publisher and Editor in Chief Bakur Azher, who received the trophy at a ceremony held in Paris, said: “We’ve always endeavored to bring the thrilling world of cars closer home and this award further underlines our commitment to spread the knowledge of the automotive industry in the Arab World.”

SONY ERICSSON

Photo blogging, the newest trend online, has just become easier, thanks to the Sony Ericsson K800i, a Cyber-shot phone with a 3.2-megapixel camera and integrated blogger application. Photo blogging allows you to share your latest photos with your friends, family and the world. You can use photo blogging to keep a daily record of your life in photographic format, document the growth of your kids, or simply to get public feedback on your latest work of art. The possibilities are endless. While various Java applications have been available to allow camera phone shots to be uploaded directly to a blog, the K800i is the first to come with a built-in blogging capability. All the user has to do is select a picture and then pick the option for sending via “blog” rather than MMS (multimedia messaging) or email.

GE

GE Energy’s optimization and control business successfully completed a critical optimization and diagnostic system upgrade at the largest petrochemical plant in Kuwait, owned by Equate Petrochemical Company. The scope of the project included the design, engineering, supply and commissioning of GE Energy’s Bently Nevada 3,500 hardware with System 1 asset management software, which replaced 1,800 transmitters and the existing software at Equate’s ethylene unit. “Equate decided to restart the plant only after the System 1 software had gone live, which enabled the recording of transient start-up data from the critical machines. Equate then identified and fixed three critical issues utilizing the new system, thereby avoiding plant shutdown at a later date with a potential loss of one week,” said Abdullah Taibah, regional executive and GM, Middle East, GE Energy.

QUIKSILVER

Zahid Trec has introduced Quicksilver brand as the casual lifestyle wear for young people both male and female. In a joint effort with the International Surfing Association (ISA), it has extended support to the ISA junior program by creating a fast track for Unde-18 boys and girls to participate in the worldwide Quiksilver and Roxy ASP World Championship Tour (WCT) events being held in May in Portugal. Gold medalists in both U-18 divisions at the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship will automatically be given a spot in the trials and expression sessions at all Quiksilver and Roxy WCT events over a 12-month period. Quiksilver will pay all their expenses, including airfare and accommodation. The other division contesting at the Quiksilver ISA WJSC is the U-16 boys and their gold medalist will receive a $2,000 ASP credit from Quiksilver to be put toward membership fees, event entry fees or travel insurance to participate in junior events around the world for one year. The current U-16 ISA World Junior Champion is Australian Owen Wright (Culburra, NSW), Zahid Trec Operation Manager Nadwa Zahid said.

LONGINES

With its long and distinguished traditions, Longines has from the start built its worldwide reputation on timepieces notable as much for their intrinsic quality as for the style and timing of their launch. The Longines Master Collection is described as a perfect example of this skill. On the basis of the success of this collection since its launch in 2005, Longines has now added a number of new models in pink and yellow gold, with black dials and new sizes that have already caused a sensation on the market. These new designs are reaching world markets. Working from a sturdy, familiar stainless steel case inspired by the famous Weems’ model from the 1920s, Longines watch and design teams put together a collection of handsomely masculine wristwatches providing a broad selection of technical choices. Longines has now expanded this collection by adding models in precious metals, namely 18 carat yellow and pink gold.