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Dubai Media City Launches MUSIC_ON Series to Amplify the UAE’s Growing Music Scene

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Dubai Media City has launched a new Instagram Live series called MUSIC_ON that brings together experts in music for an insightful and educational conversation about the opportunities and drawbacks present in the UAE’s evolving music scene. The inaugural session brought together Freek, a UAE-based Somalian rapper, director and record producer, and Mark Hill, a media lawyer specialised in media and entertainment, intellectual property and technology.

Freek is considered a pioneer in the GCC & Arab underground music scene, boasting a prolific work rate and a discography of catchy hits such as ‘Wala Kilmaʼ “Aslan ‘adi” and “Mush Fathi”; he was also selected to compose a feature song in a recent Adidas marketing campaign for Egyptian Liverpool striker, Mohamed Salah. He opened for famed Hip Hop artists Future and Gucci Mane, during the 2019 Yasalam F1 After-Race Concert and has had the opportunity to tour in the United Kingdom.

Mark Hill has been based in Dubai since 1999, and is regarded as one of the leading IP, Media and Technology lawyers in the region. Hill stands on the board of various companies from the sectors in which he operates including key industry organisations such as the Middle East International Live Events Association (ILEA) and as board advisor to the UAE’s Production Forum. He has received multiple awards from industry and legal publications, including being the first recipient of the Digital Studio Service to the Industry award for his contributions to the production, broadcast and film industries in the region

The inaugural MUSIC_ON session was rich with information, lasting almost two hours, and included subjects such as artists coping with the impact of COVID-19, resumption of live music events, the protection of intellectual property and the gaps present within the region’s music infrastructure.

Speaking from the lens of an artist being affected by the impact of COVID-19, Freek said: “An artist’s best pleasure is performing in front of others, it’s difficult to flourish without that aspect. However, opportunities have arisen in entertainment and specifically in music since the COVID-19 pandemic began. As an artist, I find that I have more breathing space to proactively think about creative and collaborative opportunities.”

Mark Hill added, “One of the positives that I have witnessed come out of the COVID-19 pandemic, from a creative aspect, is the increase in community-building. People have been forced to pause their routine, which has resulted in increased collaboration between artists and creatives within the community. That, in turn, should result in the community growing and evolving at a faster rate than before.”

On the importance of artists educating themselves about their rights, Freek said, “I have realised that when it comes to understanding the legal aspect of music, there is a long way for artists to go. Many of my peers struggle to maximise the financial benefit of the music tracks and compilations that they release. I believe the region is still at an early stage when it comes to educating itself and leveraging upon the legal side of music, but talking to entertainment lawyers such as you [Mark Hill], is a step in the right direction.”

In response to that, Hill said, “It is important for regional artists and creatives to preserve and capitalise on their intellectual property, and this currently requires artists to consider individual contracts, especially when licensing out their music to brands or campaigns. The best advice I can give artists is to talk to an entertainment lawyer to help them understand what is possible, what isn’t and ultimately what is recommended. For instance, when it comes to licensing out music for campaigns and figuring out how much a fair price is, it is important for artists to ask themselves three questions: What purpose is the music serving, where will the campaign be aired and what the duration of the campaign is.”

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Huawei to Launch Next-Generation Foldable Smartphone at Dubai Launch Event

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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.

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The Browser Company Unveils Dia, Its AI-Powered Browser

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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.

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Google Maps Integrates Waze Incident Reports for Enhanced Navigation

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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.

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