Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[UAE plans enterprise-class messaging ban for individuals and small companies?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/17/uae-plans-enterprise-class-messaging-ban-for-individuals-and-sma/http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/17/uae-plans-enterprise-class-messaging-ban-for-individuals-and-sma/http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/17/uae-plans-enterprise-class-messaging-ban-for-individuals-and-sma/#comments Seems the United Arab Emirates wasn't satisfied with the spying agreements that RIM put in place -- now, the government's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority will reportedly restrict BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) services to companies with more than twenty BlackBerry accounts each. Interestingly, the TRA itself denies that any services will be halted to individuals or small firms, even as RIM itself claims that such a ban will indeed take effect, though RIM also claims that it "would be an industrywide policy applying equally to all enterprise solution providers," happily suggesting that competitors would also be affected. The ban is apparently scheduled for May 1st, so there won't be long to wait -- at the very least, we'll see who's telling the truth two weeks from today.

UAE plans enterprise-class messaging ban for individuals and small companies? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 17 Apr 2011 23:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>banBESBlackBerry Enterprise ServerBlackberryEnterpriseServerblockmessagingmonitormonitoringRIMsecuritysnoopsnoopingspyspyingTelecommunications Regulatory AuthorityTelecommunicationsRegulatoryAuthorityUAEunited arab emiratesUnitedArabEmiratesSun, 17 Apr 2011 23:54:00 EST<![CDATA[UAE says BlackBerry is now compliant with regulations, free to rock on]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/08/uae-says-blackberry-is-now-compliant-with-regulations-free-to-r/http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/08/uae-says-blackberry-is-now-compliant-with-regulations-free-to-r/http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/08/uae-says-blackberry-is-now-compliant-with-regulations-free-to-r/#comments The latest thrilling installment in BlackBerry's Middle East saga has turned out not to be so thrilling after all. Having set an October 11 deadline for RIM to comply with its "telecommunications regulatory framework," the United Arab Emirates is today reporting that the BlackBerry maker has managed to make the necessary changes with plenty of time to spare. Consequently, there'll be no state-ordained curtailing of email, web, or BBM services within the UAE, which mirrors similar agreements that BlackBerry has managed to finagle with India and Saudi Arabia. Of course, the grand purpose of the UAE's ultimatum was for RIM to allow the state access to encrypted messaging communications, and while the current announcement is pointedly missing details on what's been done to appease the Abu Dhabi decision makers, we can't imagine them giving up the fight without RIM making some type of concession. And the shady, undisclosed concessions happen to be our least favorite kind.

UAE says BlackBerry is now compliant with regulations, free to rock on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 03:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bbmblackberryblackberry messengerBlackberryMessengercompliancecompliantdatadata accessdata securityDataAccessDataSecuritydeadlinedisputeemailgovernmentmessagingmiddle eastMiddleEastnational securityNationalSecurityprivacyresolutionrimsecuritysnoopsnoopingstatetelecommunicationsuaeunited arab emiratesUnitedArabEmiratesFri, 08 Oct 2010 03:53:00 EST<![CDATA[iPhone 4 hits UAE and Qatar, but without FaceTime installed]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/26/iphone-4-hits-uae-and-qatar-but-without-facetime-installed/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/26/iphone-4-hits-uae-and-qatar-but-without-facetime-installed/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/26/iphone-4-hits-uae-and-qatar-but-without-facetime-installed/#comments The iPhone 4 launched this weekend in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, but buyers wound up with a surprise -- their handset's front-facing cameras couldn't do FaceTime. The National reports that the video chat feature is missing from phones sold at UAE carriers Etisalat and du, as well as those from Vodafone Qatar. Carriers are blaming Apple for the missing feature, and spokespersons from both Etisalat and Vodafone say they're speaking to Cupertino about reinstating FaceTime post-haste; It was reportedly advertised on Middle Eastern versions of Apple's iPhone website until around September 20th, when all references to FaceTime were removed. TUAW reports that some UAE denizens have actually tested FaceTime on phones bought abroad and found it working just fine, but that the functionality disappears after installing the local version of the iOS 4.1 update.

RIM's Mike Lazaridis famously warned that countries threatening to ban the BlackBerry might thumb their nose at other forms of internet transmission too, but if's far too early to tell if Apple was pressured into removing FaceTime or chose to for another reason entirely. It's worth noting that both the UAE and Egypt (also missing FaceTime website ads) have banned certain VoIP services in the past.

[Thanks, Mohammed]

iPhone 4 hits UAE and Qatar, but without FaceTime installed originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Sep 2010 13:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AppleApple iPhone 4AppleIphone4disabledFaceTimeiPhoneiPhone 4Iphone4missing featuresMissingFeaturesQatarUAEunited arab emiratesUnitedArabEmiratesvideo chatVideoChatvoipSun, 26 Sep 2010 13:24:00 EST<![CDATA[RIM's Lazaridis: if goverments can't deal with the internet, 'they should shut it off']]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/04/rims-lazaridis-if-goverments-cant-deal-with-the-internet-th/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/04/rims-lazaridis-if-goverments-cant-deal-with-the-internet-th/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/04/rims-lazaridis-if-goverments-cant-deal-with-the-internet-th/#comments RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis has made some pretty bold statements in the past, but he may just have topped himself in responding to the recent issue of countries banning or threatening to ban BlackBerrys -- to which you can now add Indonesia to the list. Speaking with The Wall Street Journal in what's described as a "fiery" interview, Lazaridis said that "this is about the Internet," and that "everything on the Internet is encrypted. This not a BlackBerry-only issue," before adding that if "they can't deal with the Internet, they should shut it off." But that's not all. Lazaridis further went on to saying that "we're going to continue to work with them to make sure they understand the reality of the Internet," noting that "a lot of these people don't have Ph.Ds, and they don't have a degree in computer science." Despite those statements, however, Lazaridis seems confident that the situation will get sorted out, saying that it "will get resolved if there is a chance for rational discussion."

RIM's Lazaridis: if goverments can't deal with the internet, 'they should shut it off' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 22:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>banblackberryblackberry banBlackberryBanindonesialazaridismike lazaridisMikeLazaridisrimsaudi arabiaSaudiArabiauaeunited arab emiratesUnitedArabEmiratesWed, 04 Aug 2010 22:39:00 EST<![CDATA[BlackBerry email, web and messaging to be banned in UAE due to 'security concerns']]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/01/blackberry-email-web-and-messaging-banned-in-uae-due-to-securi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/01/blackberry-email-web-and-messaging-banned-in-uae-due-to-securi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/01/blackberry-email-web-and-messaging-banned-in-uae-due-to-securi/#comments Looks like those regulators over in the Middle East don't mess about. Following this week's revelation that the United Arab Emirates' telco overseers weren't happy with being unable to monitor how people were using their BlackBerrys, today we're hearing what their solution to the problem will be: an outright ban. Internet access, email and instant messaging on RIM devices will be blocked in the UAE starting this October -- provided, of course, that the Canadian phone maker doesn't do something in the meantime to appease the authorities. Saudi Arabia is similarly peeved with the BBM service, which it intends to shut down later this month. And just in case you were wondering why all this drama is taking place, the BBC cites a Saudi Telecom board member as admitting it's designed to pressure RIM into releasing users' communication data "when needed." Charming.

BlackBerry email, web and messaging to be banned in UAE due to 'security concerns' originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Aug 2010 10:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>banbannedbbmblackberryblockbreaking newsBreakingNewsdatadata securityDataSecurityemailencryptioninternetmessagingrimsaudi arabiasaudi telecomSaudiArabiaSaudiTelecomsecuritysnoopsnoopinguaeunited arab emiratesUnitedArabEmirateswebSun, 01 Aug 2010 10:41:00 EST<![CDATA[India's desire to snoop on BlackBerry users continues unabated, UAE wants in on the act]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/26/indias-desire-to-snoop-on-blackberry-users-continues-unabated/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/26/indias-desire-to-snoop-on-blackberry-users-continues-unabated/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/26/indias-desire-to-snoop-on-blackberry-users-continues-unabated/#comments
Governments have traditionally had a "love-hate" relationship with technology: they love using it to keep tabs on you and your cronies, but they hate the idea that you could be using it to protect your privacy. One clear example of this is the whole back'n'forth that's been playing out between RIM and the nation of India over the last couple years. Remember way back in '08 when the country demanded that the company give it access (one way or another) to encrypted BlackBerry Messenger traffic and email? Well, it looks like nothing's been resolved after all: just last week the Indian telecommunications ministry gave RIM until the end of the month to provide said access, otherwise it could ban BBM altogether -- much as it tried to do two years ago. Meanwhile, in the UAE, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority has issued a statement claiming that "[c]ertain BlackBerry applications allow people to misuse the service, causing serious social, judicial and national security repercussions." We're not certain if things will go quite so far in Abu Dhabi as they seem to be in New Delhi, but the government assured everyone that it will find "a solution that safeguards our consumers and operates within the boundaries of UAE law."

India's desire to snoop on BlackBerry users continues unabated, UAE wants in on the act originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bbmbig brotherBigBrotherblackberryBlackBerry MessengerBlackberryMessengerblackbery networkBlackberyNetworkencryptionindiarimsurveillanceuaeunited arab emiratesUnitedArabEmiratesMon, 26 Jul 2010 13:47:00 EST<![CDATA[UAE on track for HDTV broadcast in 2009]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/11/uae-on-track-for-hdtv-broadcast-in-2009/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/11/uae-on-track-for-hdtv-broadcast-in-2009/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/11/uae-on-track-for-hdtv-broadcast-in-2009/#commentsUAE
In case you haven't heard, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is on a spending spree fueled by its goal to become the country with the bestest of everything. Naturally, that claim includes broadcast HDTV, right? Well, as we've seen in the U.S., there's more to getting HD off the ground than the infrastructure. Lots of channels with little content does not a happy HD populace make, and those are exactly the growing pains that UAE is experiencing. The country has spent some $5-billion on HD infrastructure that has been ready to roll for some 2.5-years, but it's been a, um, desert in terms of content. The market rollout with respect to HD-media is reversed from the situation we had in the U.S. -- the UAE is seeing HDM spark HD broadcast -- but it's still all about content. Our advice is to rely on early adopters until content reaches critical mass, and then the market will catch on. And trust us -- it's worth the wait.

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UAE on track for HDTV broadcast in 2009 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blu rayblu-raybluraybroadcasthdotauaeunited arab emiratesUnitedArabEmiratesMon, 11 Aug 2008 19:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Dubai's Time Residences tower: world's largest gadget?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/19/dubais-time-residences-tower-worlds-largest-gadget/http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/19/dubais-time-residences-tower-worlds-largest-gadget/http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/19/dubais-time-residences-tower-worlds-largest-gadget/#commentsWe've seen lots of ridiculous claims in our day, but this time we're not sure which is more absurd, that someone thinks that Dubai needs another ridiculous high-rise building, or that the Time Residences tower is going to be a solar-powered 360-degree rotating version. Yes, all that solar power (the UAE gets a lot of sun over there on the Tropic of Cancer) could be used to power individual units instead -- but instead, all that energy will be used to power the ginormous motors needed to turn this building a full rotation over the course of a week. Tav Singh, the director of Dubai Property Ring, the local branch of UK Property Group which is funding the project, said that the company plans on building similar structures in every time zone around the world. Regardless of which room in the Time Residences you decide to set up shop in, it's bound to be significantly more overpriced than your Manhattan studio.

[Via Gear Factor]

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Dubai's Time Residences tower: world's largest gadget? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Dec 2006 21:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dubairotatingsolarsolar-powertav singhTavSinghuaeuk property groupUkPropertyGroupunited arab emiratesUnitedArabEmiratesTue, 19 Dec 2006 21:27:00 EST