ISUZU D-MAX
A Hollywood-style production of the latest television commercial for ISUZU D-MAX brought traffic to a standstill in Jeddah recently. Camera cranes replaced cars on Tahlia Street. Spotlights took over from streetlights. And the words, “Action” and “Cut” were heard above the roar of engines. For 2 straight days the residents of Jeddah witnessed the making of a big budget ISUZU D-MAX television commercial. And judging from the curiosity and excitement on their faces, it was obvious they enjoyed being part of it. Every choreographed turn the DMAX took drew loud cheers and deafening horns from the crowd that gathered to watch the action. The first day of the shoot took the production crew to the blazing sands of the Saudi desert. And on day two, Tahlia Street traffic, the busiest in Jeddah, was stopped for full five minutes and that too, during rush hour to accommodate the shooting of a scene. As with every big budget television commercial (or for that matter any commercial), the planning was meticulous, extensive and exhaustive. According to the General Manager in charge of ISUZU Motors, Tatsuya Kazama, shooting this commercial locally was not only a creative challenge but also a new chapter for the ISUZU D-MAX.
JSIC
The Tide Jeddah Science Innovation Club’s (JSIC) summer program included innovative scientific forums, interactive training sessions and case study workshops attended by 450 male and female students from 10 to 18 years of age under the supervision of university professors and other senior academicians. Held for the fifth year in succession, the JSCI summer program is dedicated to developing the scientific abilities of talented individuals. This year the students were challenged to come up with innovative ideas and creative solutions for topical issues such as natural geographical changes in the Kingdom, environmental pollution and the problem of traffic congestion in Jeddah. “We are very pleased with the results achieved by our young students, who showed highly original thinking and creativity in their approach to the goals that were set for them,” said Ahmed Al-Khahlani, Tide brand manager at Modern Industries Company. Organized in cooperation with Jeddah schools summer clubs, the club’s summer program lasted four weeks. All the students received certificates of participation accredited by the scientific activities department of the Public Administration for Education in the Makkah-Jeddah region. “What we seek to achieve through the summer program is to discover the inherent talents of our young students and determine their orientation toward specific fields of science,” said Saleh Alghamdi, manager of the Tide Jeddah Science Innovation Club.
MOTOROLA
Motorola, Inc. has announced enhancements to its on demand portfolio that leverage adaptive media management (AMM). AMM is a technology framework that creates a flexible, cost-effective platform for the delivery of on demand services including video on demand (VOD), time-shifted television and on demand advertising. The platform enables Motorola’s video service provider (VSP) customers to adapt rapidly to changing content usage patterns while optimizing storage, streaming and network costs. Subscribers will benefit from increased content choice and greater service reliability. On demand content libraries are rapidly expanding as VSPs seek to gain competitive advantage by offering consumers greater choice in VOD content and time-shifted TV experiences. At the same time, increased customer choice means that viewership is more widely distributed and traditional concurrency rules no longer apply. Rather than a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to managing and storing content, Motorola’s AMM proactively and reactively manages the placement of content within the network and identifies and assigns the most effective streaming and storage technology (DRAM, Flash, Disk and network attached storage (NAS) / storage area networks (SAN)). “By making it easy for our customers to grow and manage their on demand content, we are accelerating the delivery of personalized media experiences for consumers,” said Buddy Snow, senior director, on demand video for Motorola’s Home and Networks Mobility business.
DUBAI EGOVERNMENT
Dubai eGovernment has signed an agreement with Zayed University to collaborate in providing gainful career development opportunities for university students in the field of information technology. The newly sealed partnership is part of Dubai eGovernment’s program to help consolidate the UAE’s position as the top performer among Middle East countries in the information and communication technology (ICT) readiness index. In the Global Information Technology Report (GITR), a joint study conducted by the World Economic Forum and INSEAD, the UAE has figured within the top 30 countries in the ICT index, ahead of its neighbors in the region. Dubai eGovernment’s partnership with Zayed University and various educational institutions seeks to further drive the UAE’s ICT readiness ratings by enhancing the IT competency of students through various internship programs, research projects and other related activities that develop IT skills and proficiency. “Our partnership with Zayed University serves as an important step toward realizing this vision as we look forward to jointly create innovative ways to promote the welfare of the students,” said Salem Al-Shair, eServices Director, Dubai eGovernment. Dr. Sulaiman Al-Jassem, VP, Zayed University, said: “This collaboration with Dubai eGovernment opens exciting opportunities for the students to improve their IT proficiency through practical work experience within a professional and dynamic IT environment.”
LG
LG Electronics (LG), a major player in the global flat panel display market, has launched “the only TV with the built-in Qur’an.” This plasma TV allows viewers to read the Qur’an, search and bookmark passages and listen to the holy book. It also includes LG’s ‘Time Machine’ DVR technology for recording and playing back TV shows. “The built-in Qur’an TV provides a new and rewarding way to experience the holy book during the most sacred time of the year,” said S.C. Choi, director of PDP Asia & MEA. “As a brand that respects Muslims, LG is committed to ensuring that we offer solutions that meet local needs, and the built-in Qur’an TV comes as part of this effort.” The TV includes a multilingual interface for navigating and reading on screen. At the top of the screen is a status bar that displays the name of the verse, verse numbers and the time of day. In addition to its special features for Ramadan, this TV also includes LG’s technology, which allows viewers to pause and rewind live TV shows, and record shows for later viewing. The built in 160 GB hard drive is large enough to store 40 football matches or 30 full-length movies. “In the spirit of supporting and showing solidarity with our Muslim brothers and sisters, we will continuously offer specialized services for them,” said Simon Lee, HM, LG Saudi Arabia. The new TV is available in 42 and 50 inch sizes across the MEA region.
CHRISTIE’S
Christie’s and TDIC will stage a historic international exhibition in Abu Dhabi, with the support of Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al-Nahyan, chairman, Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage. This exhibition is a vital component of Christie’s global exhibition program, which tours selected masterpieces to international locations such as London, New York, Hong Kong and Moscow. It will be the first of its kind held in the Middle East. The event, which will take place from Oct. 26-27 at the Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi, will feature major international sales highlights and masterpieces loaned from private collectors and will be held in association with TDIC, the name behind the planned cultural district of Saadiyat Island, and sponsored by Credit Suisse.
