NEWS FROM THE UAE
SOURCE : THE NATIONAL
New phone for children is equipped with GPS
ABU DHABI - OCT 22: Parents will be able to track their children with a new mobile phone for youngsters that allows them to call easily for help in emergencies.
The device, launched by Etisalat yesterday at the Gitex Exhibition, comes with GPS and four programmable buttons so children can contact their parents in case of emergency, said Khalifa al Shamsi, senior vice president of consumer marketing at the telecoms provider.
The phone can also alert parents via SMS when a child leaves certain areas – for example home, school or playground – that have been programmed into the device.
Parents are able to control access to the phone via a password-protected website and remotely by SMS. Children will not be able to make social calls unless their parents have added the number to the phone.
“It is a good idea in terms of safety and convenience,” said Laura Fulton, a mother and former teacher.
“There are people who use mobile phones to victimise kids and this is a good way to stop that.
“It is a great idea to have a functional phone with limited use. However teenagers may feel that they are not being trusted.”
Reports of sales overseas indicate that safety is the primary reason that parents buy these phones, which have been available in North America and Europe for about five years but are new to the UAE.
Etisalat plans to make the phone available by the end of the year.
Race to the top – of the Burj Dubai
DUBAI - OCT 22: A popular US television show is to feature some of Dubai’s major landmarks and attractions.
This Sunday’s episode of The Amazing Race, a leading prime time reality series in America, will see pairs of contestants embark on “adventure challenges” at several of the emirate’s main attractions.
Tasks include a race up the soon-to-open Burj Dubai, the tallest building in the world, and a turn on the slopes at Ski Dubai. “From the desert to the snow. Crazy,” as two Amazing Race competitors, nicknamed “Flight Time” and “Big Easy”, put it.
Other featured venues include Dubai Mall, the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, the Dubai Autodrome and Madinat Jumeirah.
This is the second time The Amazing Race has been shot in Dubai. In a 2004 episode, contestants visited the Burj al Arab and Wild Wadi. The series has won eight Emmy awards and is in its 15th season.
It sees a variety of couples, from married partners to friends to siblings, compete for a US$1 million (Dh3.67m) prize.
They visit landmarks around the world to take part in various challenges and find clues to the next location. Couples are eliminated until the winning pair emerges.
The show is just the latest to use the UAE as a backdrop. Hollywood has also come calling. For example, major segments of Syriana, a film starring George Clooney, were shot in the UAE, as were many scenes in the Jamie Foxx vehicle The Kingdom.
However, not every request from film chiefs gets the thumbs-up. Earlier this year, UAE officials denied producers permission to shoot scenes for the upcoming movie Sex and the City 2 in Dubai, reportedly because the script was deemed inappropriate for the Emirates.