News
Panasonic Launches its Urban Audio Series in the Region
Panasonic has announced three models, the SC-UA7, SC-UA3 and SC-UX100 in a new range of ‘Urban Audio’ products. These products feature hi-fi features including Bluetooth streaming and powerful speakers to achieve room filling sound.
The flagship model in the range is the Urban Audio SC-UA7, which is a stand-alone, vertical speaker system with a hefty 1700 watts of sound pressure. Created to match urban living spaces, it features a hexagonal design which incorporates two 160mm bass drivers, four 80mm midrange drivers and four 60mm tweeters. The two bass drivers are bass reflex loaded by four ports, and the bass is boosted by Panasonic’s ‘Airquake’ circuit. The SC-UA7 positions four 6-cm tweeters and four 8-cm midrange woofers in the front, left, and right sides to achieve a full 180º of Room-Filling Expansive Sound.
The SC-UA7 also offers simple operation and a range of playback options. Bluetooth functionality means you can stream music too, from your mobile device, and Panasonic has a free ‘Max Juke’ app that allows to compile playlists and remotely adjust volume and equalization settings, as well as play and pause music selections. There are two USB ports for music playback, as well as enough internal memory to store around 1,000 songs.
SC-UA7 is also perfect for parties or dark spaces with its stylish exterior features, such as a mirror-finish top panel with a lighting touch sensor buttons, and the centre of the main body has a blue illumination. By plugging in a microphone, the user can also enjoy home Karaoke with 6 functions, including Echo and Key Control.
Two other models made available in the series include SC-UA3 and SC-UX100. In addition to the 300-W output power, their newly designed speaker achieves perfect bass with plenty of punch and well-balanced sound overall. The speaker units use a 13-cm woofer and 5-cm tweeter that are optimized for 2-way speaker design and are designed in a horn shape to preserve the wide directional sound characteristics. The entire unit is unified in black and highlighted with the hairline, matte, and gloss textures to achieve a simple but luxurious design. The main unit also features blue illumination.
Users can also stream wirelessly using Bluetooth or play their CD collection. Their smart equalizer matches the music to the sound, so you hear your favourite tracks as they’re meant to be heard. With Panasonic’s original MAX Juke App, users can request songs during Mix Play to add even more fun to parties.
“The Urban Audio series is clutter free and matches the urban home designs, because of its elegant looks. The series combines its unique design with phenomenal power and performance, to reimagine how you experience music,’’ said Satoshi Ishihara, General Manager, Audio Video Panasonic Marketing Middle East and Africa (PMMAF). The Urban Audio series is available across Panasonic stores in UAE, KSA, Kuwait and other GCC countries.
Gadgets
Huawei to Launch Next-Generation Foldable Smartphone at Dubai Launch Event
Huawei is set to host a highly anticipated launch event in Dubai this December, where the company will unveil several innovative products that promise to redefine the tech landscape. The event marks a pivotal moment for the brand, unveiling groundbreaking products like the HUAWEI Mate X6, HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 4, and HUAWEI nova 13 Series. The new products will set new benchmarks for design, functionality, and user experience in the mobile and audio markets.
As Huawei continues solidifying its position as a leader in the tech industry, this launch will underscore the company’s expanding influence in international markets. Huawei’s latest flagship foldable, the HUAWEI Mate X6, will be unveiled during the Dubai launch. The phone is expected to redefine the future of foldable smartphone technology. It is among the company’s most advanced foldables to date. The Mate X6 is expected to take mobile photography to new heights, building on Huawei’s legacy of pioneering smartphone cameras of the Mate Series.
Besides the Mate X6, Huawei will unveil its next-generation audio products, including the HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 4. These earbuds will be the first to feature HUAWEI SOUND, offering an immersive audio experience. They will also include AI-driven noise reduction technology, designed to isolate the wearer’s voice during calls while eliminating environmental noise. This feature significantly enhances call quality, particularly in noisy environments.
Consumers can also look forward to the launch of the HUAWEI nova 13 series, a new midrange smartphone that brings a unique interweaving design and an array of exciting features. The nova 13 series offers significant upgrades over its predecessors, including enhanced camera capabilities, a performance boost, and more. The new HUAWEI MatePad 11.5 will also deliver a paper-like experience, perfect for light office productivity, efficient learning, and everyday tasks.
The Dubai event, scheduled for the 12th of December, will mark the global unveiling of Huawei’s several innovative products. The MEA market is one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic regions for technology, and Huawei is committed to strengthening its regional presence. By continuing to introduce groundbreaking products, Huawei is positioning itself to shape the future of mobile technology while reinforcing its role as a global tech powerhouse.
News
The Browser Company Unveils Dia, Its AI-Powered Browser
The Browser Company, known for its Arc Browser available on desktop and mobile, has unveiled its upcoming web browser called Dia, which focuses heavily on AI tools. Having previously launched Arc on Mac and Windows, and Arc Search on iOS and Android, the company is now working on a new product aimed at a broader audience.
Scheduled for an early 2025 release, Dia promises to bring a host of innovative features. The company recently launched a new website showcasing a video about Dia and listing various open roles within the company. The website states, “AI won’t exist as an app. Or a button. We believe it’ll be an entirely new environment — built on top of a web browser.” This vision for an integrated AI environment is a key component of Dia’s development.
In a video presentation, CEO Josh Miller demonstrated some of Dia’s early prototypes. One tool operates at the insertion cursor, aiding users in writing the next sentence or retrieving facts from the internet about topics such as the original iPhone’s launch and specifications. Additionally, the tool can fetch Amazon links opened in the browser to include in emails with basic descriptions.
Another feature allows users to type commands into the address bar to perform various actions, such as fetching documents, sending emails through the preferred email client, and scheduling meetings using natural language prompts. While some of these features may seem similar to existing browser-based writing and calendar tools, the true uniqueness and usefulness of Dia will only be known upon its release.
A more ambitious demo showcased Dia’s ability to perform actions on the user’s behalf, such as adding items from an email to an Amazon cart. In the demo, Dia browses Amazon, finds the specified items, and adds them to the cart autonomously. Another example demonstrated Dia’s capability to email participants listed in a Notion table for a video shoot. The Browser Company is not alone in envisioning an AI assistant capable of understanding interfaces and executing tasks. Many startups have showcased similar concepts and demos of AI models and tools designed to control users’ screens.
In a recent video, Miller hinted at developing new products for a wider audience while assuring current users that Arc’s design and functionality would remain largely unchanged. He acknowledged that although Arc has a dedicated and growing user base, its complexity might not appeal to everyone. The challenge for the company will be to create a browser with AI features that work seamlessly and potentially generate revenue.
Apps
Google Maps Integrates Waze Incident Reports for Enhanced Navigation
Google Maps has started to display Waze incident reports during navigation, allowing users to contribute by confirming road conditions via prompts. This integration follows Google’s July announcement that both apps would share more data, including Waze-sourced road closures, construction updates, speed cameras, and police presence information.
Over the holiday weekend, a Reddit user shared a screenshot of a prompt indicating “Police reported ahead” based on Waze driver reports, as reported by 9to5Google and Android Authority. Users can update these reports to reflect current conditions, similar to other incident notifications in Google Maps.
This is the first confirmed sighting of the feature in action, but more reports are expected. Despite merging the teams behind Maps and Waze, Group Project Manager Can Comertoglu told The Verge that the apps will continue to operate separately. Waze’s 500,000-plus contributors prefer some features of Waze over Google Maps, and vice versa.
This new feature enhances Google Maps’ functionality by leveraging Waze’s real-time incident reporting, providing users with more comprehensive and up-to-date information on their routes.