Category: News

Egypt’s population has reached 104 million after an increase of one million in 221 days, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).

Earlier in February, over seven months and 11 days, the country recorded the rate of a newborn every 19 seconds, with the population increasing by 4,525 people per day. Meanwhile, recording an average of 1,858 deaths daily.

The Egyptian Family Health Survey showed that fertility levels are high, expecting Egypt’s population to reach 165 million in 2050.

Egypt is the most populated country among the Arab countries, the third among African countries, and the fourteenth among the world countries.

The Dubai-based communities’ developer Arada has launched the Central Business District, a new commercial hub for Sharjah, with a cost of 6.3 billion dirhams ($1.71 billion) at Aljada amid a boom in Emirate’s economy.

Spread over 4.3 million square feet of prime leasable space located in 40 smart office blocks, Arada CBD can accommodate 20,000 workers, fulfilling the substantial demand for a contemporary business district in Sharjah and catering to the needs of the future workplace for companies across the UAE and beyond.

The region’s first post-pandemic business park features employee-friendly elements and landscaped ‘green spine.’

The region’s first business park to be conceptualized after the pandemic, Arada CBD, is defined by contemporary urban architecture designed to inspire staff and enhance productivity.

Flexible and wide, open floor plans enhance collaboration and benefit from floor-to-ceiling windows allowing more natural light, while each office also benefits from smart technology that is part of Aljada’s overall smart city program, which will use next-generation solutions that are linked to everything from waste and traffic management to the circular economy and smart lighting solutions.

The signature feature of Arada CBD is the ‘green spine.’ This forest park runs the length of the district, containing shaded walkways, an amphitheater, art installations, seating areas, and spaces set aside for activities and quiet reflection. All external green spaces, indoor trees, and plants are fed using recycled water from Aljada’s onsite treatment plant.

HH Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Arada, said: “Arada CBD is aligned with Sharjah’s vision to position itself as a leading business hub, attracting companies of all sizes and talents from across the UAE and beyond. The launch of Arada CBD fulfills our promise to provide a transformational urban experience where residents can work, live and play.”

Arada CBD also contains a mix of café, dining, and retail spaces, all carefully curated to serve local employees, and the district is also served by extensive parking. The Rove Aljada hotel, located within Arada CBD, offers convenient hospitality for business trips from other parts of the UAE or overseas and dining options for the local workforce.

According to Oxford Economics, the launch of Arada CBD complements the ongoing growth of the Sharjah economy, which is projected to grow at 5% annually for the medium term. One of the region’s most vibrant and diverse economies, with 96% of GDP derived from non-oil sectors, the Emirate also attracted AED808 million in foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2021.

Leasing has begun with the first phase of eight blocks to be completed in 2025

Scheduled to break ground in the first quarter of 2023, the first cluster of Arada CBD features 812,000 square feet of Grade A and Grade B leasable space spread across eight impeccably designed buildings. The cluster also includes 1,666 parking spaces, 76,000 square feet of landscaped green space, and 26,500 square feet retail space.

By the time the first cluster of Arada CBD is ready in the first half of 2025, there will already be 20,000 living within the Aljada community.

Aljada is Sharjah’s largest ever project and a transformational destination for the Emirate.

Spread over a 24 million square foot area, Aljada has numerous residential districts, extensive retail, hospitality, entertainment, sporting, educational, and healthcare components, and Arada CBD, all within a green urban master plan. So far, Arada has completed almost 1,500 homes at Aljada, with another 6,000 currently under construction.

The new iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro (Max) are now available in the Middle East markets, after 10 days from the official release date. Although Apple did not make significant changes in prices, some countries are increasing iPhone prices like never before due to global inflation hitting the world.

In this article, we’ve summed up all prices of iPhone 14 in the United Arab of Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt.

iPhone 14 prices in UAE

UAE was the first country in the Middle East to have the iPhone 14 because it has the only Apple Store in the region. As a result, UAE has the cheapest iPhone in the Middle East as it is sold by Apple UAE.

The Standard iPhone 14 Prices in the UAE

• 128 GB costs AED 3,399.00
• 256 GB costs AED 3,799.00
• 512 GB costs AED 4,649.00
• Available in 5 colors (Midnight, blue, Starlight, purple, and product red)

iPhone 14 Plus Prices in the UAE

It will be available starting October 7, 2022.

• 128 GB costs AED 3,799.00
• 256 GB costs AED 4,199.00
• 512 GB costs AED 5,049.00
• It will be available in 5 colors (Midnight, blue, Starlight, purple, and product red).

iPhone 14 Pro Prices in the UAE

• 128 GB costs AED 4,299.00
• 256 GB costs AED 4,699.00
• 512 GB costs AED 5,549.00
• 1 TB costs: AED 6,399.00
• Available in 4 colors (deep purple, gold, silver, and black).

iPhone 14 Pro Max Prices in the UAE

• 128 GB costs AED 4,699.00
• 256 GB costs AED 5,099.00
• 512 GB costs AED 5,949.00
• 1 TB costs: AED 6,799.00
• Available in 4 colors (deep purple, gold, silver, and black).

iPhone 14 prices in KSA

The iPhone 14 lineup is available in Saudi Arabia on Amazon, among other authorized resellers. Here are the iPhone 14 prices in the kingdom:

iPhone 14

• 128 GB costs SAR 3,799.00
• 256 GB costs SAR 4,299.00
• 512 GB costs SAR 5,299.00
• Available in 5 colors (Midnight, blue, Starlight, purple, and product red).

iPhone 14 Plus

Since it hasn’t been released yet, not all the colors and versions are available. However, here are the prices:

• 128 GB costs SAR 4,199.00
• 256 GB costs SAR 4,699.00
• 512 GB costs SAR 5,699.00
• Once released, it will be available in 5 colors (Midnight, blue, Starlight, purple, and product red).

iPhone 14 Pro

• 128 GB costs SAR 4,699.00
• 256 GB costs SAR 5,199.00
• 512 GB costs SAR 6,199.00
• 1 TB costs: SAR 7,199.00
• Available in 4 colors (deep purple, gold, silver, and black). 

iPhone 14 Pro Max

• 128 GB costs SAR 5,199.00
• 256 GB costs SAR 5,699.00
• 512 GB costs SAR 6,699.00
• 1 TB costs: SAR 7,699.00
• Available in 4 colors (deep purple, gold, silver, and black). 

iPhone 14 prices in Jordan

The capital Amman has many Apple Authorized Resellers, including DNA, Virgin MegaStores, e-Store, iSystem, and Smart-Buy. Jordan has had a stable price scheme over the years regarding iPhone devices. According to DNA, here are iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro (Max) prices in Jordan:

iPhone 14

• 128 GB version is only available so far, which costs JOD 799.00
• Available in 5 colors (midnight, starlight, purple, product red, and blue).

iPhone 14 Pro

• 128 GB costs JOD 999.00 
• 256 GB costs JOD 1,099.00
• 512 GB costs JOD 1,309.00
• 1 TB costs JOD 1,499.00
• Available in 4 colors (space black, silver, gold, and deep purple).

iPhone 14 Pro Max

• 128 GB is only available so far, which costs JOD 1,099.00
• Available in 4 colors (space black, silver, gold, and deep purple).

iPhone 14 Plus

It hasn’t been released yet. It will go on sale in October.

iPhone 14 prices in Egypt

iPhone 14 prices sparked a frenzy in Egypt due to unconfirmed reports about its prices hike in the country; some reports say that the iPhone 14 Pro will hit around EGP 63,000, which translates to US$3,200.

Apple Authorized Reseller in Egypt, Tradeline, refused to comment on the new price leak, as the device is still unavailable in the Egyptian market.

Instagram is developing a new optional feature to protect users from seeing and receiving nude photos in chat and Direct Messages – media reports.

The optional user controls feature is still in the early stages of development. The feature will help people shield themselves from nude photos and other unwanted messages on Instagram.

Users will be able to add nudity keywords to the “hidden words” feature, allowing users to filter direct message requests containing offensive content automatically.

In late August, the Meta-owned company said that it is testing new ways to protect users from unwanted/irrelevant content:

• Instagram is currently testing the ability to mark multiple posts in Explore as Not Interested.
• Instagram will soon start testing the ability to tell Instagram you don’t want to see suggested posts with certain words, phrases, or emojis in the caption or hashtags. Whether you’re seeing something irrelevant or moved on from something you used to like, you can use this feature to stop seeing content that’s not interesting to you.

iOS 16 has brought a new valuable “copy and delete” option when you screenshot on your iPhone; it allows you to paste the image in a message or email without saving it to your photo library, which helps you save storage on your iPhone.

The new iOS 16 “copy and delete” option can be used in regular and scrolling screenshots. It helps you keep your photo library out of repeated and useless screenshots.

So, how to take regular and scrolling screenshots on your iPhone without downloading a third-party app?

Regular screenshots using the new ‘copy and delete’ option

1. Press the side button and volume up button at the same time to grab a screenshot (you can also press one immediately after the other)
2. For 5 seconds, you can tap the screenshot thumbnail in the bottom left corner for more options – if you do nothing, it will save to the Photos app.
3. If you tap the screenshot thumbnail, you can use markup tools – tap the share button in the top right corner (square with up arrow) for quick options.
4. Tap Done in the top left corner for the handy new Copy and Delete option

Scrolling screenshot on iPhone

With this native iOS option, a scrolling screenshot or long screenshot gives you a PDF of everything on (or selection of) a document, webpage, note, or email in Apple’s apps.

1. Take a screenshot (press the side button and volume up button at the same time)
2. Tap the thumbnail in the bottom left corner before it disappears
3. Choose the Full Page option in the top right corner. The Full Page option will only appear in instances where there is more than one page worth of content on-screen
4. You can preview all the pages, use markup, and more before saving
5. You can also tap the crop icon (square-ish icon next to “Done”) to edit what part of the Full Page you’d like to save
6. Tap either Done in the top-left corner to save or the share button in the top right – you’ll get the new Copy and Delete option with these too

• Tip: For webpages, swipe down to ensure all content loads before saving the scrolling screenshot.

Third-party apps

Another option for scrolling screenshots of content inside third-party apps or more manual control (saving as PNG, etc.) is using an app like Picsew or Tailor.

Read also:

• 10 hidden settings in iOS 16 that you need to try today
• How to turn off the search button on your iPhone?
• Turn on the haptic keyboard setting on iPhone
• How to increase the delay time to unsend emails on iPhone?

With the launch of iOS 16, Apple has brought back one of the most wanted features to the iPhone, which is turning on the haptic keyboard setting, along with other new features and settings that you should try.

Most of us turn off the iPhone’s keyboard sounds, which can be irritating when typing out long messages in public. But doing this means you miss out on the helpful haptic feedback that helps with typing accuracy.

In iOS 16, Apple finally gives an option to turn on haptic keyboard feedback without keyboard clicks, which is both discreet and valuable and thus combines the best of both worlds.

Step-by-step to turn on the haptic keyboard setting

To enable “Haptic Keyboard” on your iPhone, Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Keyboard Feedback and flip the Haptic toggle green.

You can also disable keyword sound by unchecking “Sound” from inside “Keyboard Feeback.” This way, you will only get haptic while typing without typing sound.

iOS 16 has brought one wanted feature to the iPhone: turning off the home screen’s search button, along with other new features and settings that you should try.

On an iOS 15 home screen, you’ll see a little icon between the dock and the other app icons. It shows a row of dots indicating how many home screens you’ve got and which one you’re on. Once you update to iOS 16, this icon is replaced by a Search icon, duplicating the Spotlight function accessed by swiping down on the Home screen.

How to turn off the search button on the iOS 16 home screen?

Settings > Home Screen and tapping the toggle labeled Show on Home Screen under Search.

With the launch of iOS 16, Apple has brought back one of the most wanted features to the iPhone, which is the battery percentage indicator, along with other new features and settings that you should try.

Apple removed the battery percentage indicator from the iPhone’s status bar in 2017 right after launching the new iPhone generation, iPhone X, yet, they decided to bring it back with the new iOS 16 release. Still, you have to choose to turn it on manually.

Step-by-step to enable the battery percentage indicator

Go to Settings > Battery and tap the toggle labeled Battery Percentage. A number will be superimposed over the battery icon at the top of the screen–if your iPhone supports the feature.

Apple confirms iOS 16 battery percentage display is unavailable on specific iPhone models.

The new battery percentage display is unavailable on the ‌iPhone‌ XR, iPhone 11, the iPhone 12 mini, and the iPhone 13 mini. Apple provides no additional information about why these devices will miss out on the new feature.

San Francisco-based cloud communication giant Twilio will lay off 800 to 900 employees across its staff of over 7,800, approximately 11% of its headcount, to cut costs during the broader economic downturn.

In a letter to employees, Twilio CEO Jeff Lawson said the company decided to lay off staff to run more efficiently and align its investments with its priorities. He said the decision was “extremely difficult” but also “wise and necessary.”

“I take responsibility for those decisions, as well as the difficult decision to do this layoff,” Lawson wrote in a letter sent internally and published on Twilio’s blog.

“Twilio has always been a growth company. And as you know, we’re committed to being a profitable growth company. At our scale, profitability will make us stronger … We ultimately found that some investments no longer make sense and identified areas where we can be more efficient.”

Founded in 2018 by Jeff Lawson, Evan Cooke, and John Wolthuis, Twilio is a US company based in San Francisco, California, which provides programmable communication tools for making and receiving phone calls, sending and receiving text messages, and performing other communication functions using its web service APIs

Lawson said the employees impacted are in areas of the company that can operate more efficiently and where customers can “succeed without as much human intervention.”

Employees affected will receive at least 12 weeks of pay and one week for every year of service at Twilio, in addition to the value of Twilio’s next stock vest.

Lawson says Twilio’s talent acquisition team will create a list that laid-off employees can opt into, to be shared with other companies hiring and “investors who know many such companies.”

Paperwork filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission shows that the headcount reduction will cost between $70 million to $90 million, by Twilio’s estimates, with the bulk of costs being incurred during the company’s third and fourth fiscal quarters in 2022.

“Today’s layoffs are about aligning our investments more squarely with our priorities, as well as running our company more efficiently overall,” Lawson continued. “No doubt, it will be a hard few months as we change the shape of our company for the opportunity ahead.”

As CNBC notes, publicly traded, San Francisco-based Twilio has been striving for profitability in 2023. The company nearly doubled its headcount during the pandemic as the appetite for its cloud services climbed.

In 2021, Twilio acquired data security platform Ionic Security and toll-free messaging services provider Zipwhip — the latter for $850 million.

Twilio said it expects to incur between $70 million and $90 million in charges related to the restructuring plan.

Adobe acquired Figma for approximately $20 billion in cash and stock in one of the most significant digital design acquisitions. The digital design giant announced on Friday.

The news has sparked a scare among designers that Adobe would change Figma’s intuitive interface into a complex one.

Figma has become a hugely popular online user interface and user experience design tool for many. Unlike Adobe, It’s praised for its streamlined form and collaborative tools, while free access for those in education has made it a hit with students.

Figma currently tops the best UI design tools. It’s been touted as an Adobe killer for being more efficient, collaborative, and affordable.

Adobe’s subscription-based pricing is sometimes a bone of contention for users (although Adobe Creative Cloud discounts can be found).

Why did Figma sell to Adobe?

For Figma, the big bucks present a significant growth opportunity. The deal comes “with access to Adobe’s technology, expertise, and resources in the creative space,” CEO Dylan Field wrote in a Sept. 15 blog post.

“For example, we will have the opportunity to incorporate their expertise in imaging, photography, illustration, video, 3D, and font technology to the Figma platform,” he elaborated.

What will Adobe do with Figma?

For now, Adobe is “deeply committed” to keeping Figma operating autonomously, wrote Fields, who will continue to serve as CEO.

The company has no current plan to change Figma’s pricing, and the product will remain free for education. However, people are wondering for how long it will remain free.

Together, Adobe and Figma will reimagine the future of creativity and productivity, accelerate creativity on the web, advance product design, and inspire global communities of creators, designers, and developers.”

What Adobe’s acquisition of Figma means for creatives?

For Adobe, buying Figma makes sense. It dominates many areas of design, but UI has been a bit of an exception. Its own Adobe XD is playing catch up to a wide range of other tools and hasn’t managed to establish itself like other Adobe products.

Adobe says it will keep Figma going rather than eliminate a rival to Adobe AD, but Figma users are concerned for two main reasons: price and bloat.

Why creatives like Figma?

Many liked Figma’s independence and saw Adobe as a monopolistic behemoth that would want to charge them more money. Figma currently has a free starter and a professional plan that starts at $12 per month per editor – significantly less than an Adobe Creative Cloud single-app subscription. However, Figma insists that there are “currently” no plans to change its pricing and that access will remain accessible for those in education.

Creatives also liked Figma for its streamlined platform’s light footprint. They fear becoming part of Adobe will make it heavier and slower. What the change will mean for the platform isn’t yet clear. Adobe says, “The combination of Adobe’s and Figma’s communities will bring designers and developers closer together to unlock the future of collaborative design,” which is probably just the kind of corporate talk that makes users uneasy.

Figma will keep working autonomously.

Figma’s CEO and co-founder Dylan Field has provided a bit of elucidation. He wrote in a blog post that “Adobe is deeply committed to keeping Figma operating autonomously.” he’s confirmed that he’ll stay in his position after the deal. However, he’ll now report to David Wadhwani, president of Adobe’s Digital Media business.

He said he’ll work with Wadhwani to grow Figma’s business but that the Figma team will report to him and “run Figma the way we have always run Figma – continuing to do what we believe is best for our community, our culture, and our business.”

He said the partnership aimed to accelerate growth and innovation, with Figma incorporating Adobe’s “expertise in imaging, photography, illustration, video, 3D and font technology”. Figma will also “have the opportunity to reimagine what the best creative tools could look like within the Figma technology stack.”

New Figma products to come

Field hinted that there would be new products to come. However, he said the company would continue to improve Figma Design, FIGJAM, and the Figma community platform. He added: “One of the trickiest design decisions is when to make a new capability a separate tool vs. part of an existing tool. Please know that we have some fun ideas on how to address this issue.”

How did creatives react to the acquisition?

Creatives were quick to react on social media. Of course, there are many memes, and many are not exactly celebratory. Many people have dug up an old tweet Field posted in January 2021 in which he wrote, “Our goal is to be Figma, not Adobe,” while others suggest that they’ll move to rival UI design products such as Sketch.