The HTC One M8's screen comes in at 5 inches. Courtesy HTC
The HTC One M8's screen comes in at 5 inches. Courtesy HTC

Big-screen smartphones are big deal, but then there is iPhone



Ignorance is bliss I've always thought. Nothing proved this more than when I recently tried out a smartphone with a big screen.
I have used an iPhone since early 2010. First the iPhone 4 and now the iPhone 5s, which is longer and slimmer than its predecessor. I was happily enjoying the innovation.
Then the nice people at HTC not only flew me to Turin to watch a big football match but also insisted I try out their new HTC One M8.
It is around 20mm longer and 12mm wider than the iPhone, giving it a larger screen presence which at first glance did not seem to be a big deal. But after using the HTC for a couple of weeks there was a light bulb moment - what I really, really want in life is a phone with a massive screen.
It is just better, simply. However, you can't always have what you want because realities kick in.
The HTC is a very good phone at the point of use, maybe a bit better than the iPhone overall and miles better if you factor in the screen size. Yet the HTC is literally a conundrum on the back end.
I couldn't even begin to work out how to transfer pictures or other media to my backup drive. Using the software reminded me of how I was all fingers and thumbs with computers in the early 1990s.
I don't like to feel stupid even if I like being ignorant of many things.
In contrast iTunes is intuitively easy. I am a genius thanks to Apple and they let me remain a delightful ignoramus.
But I have spoiled that now.
I know about the wonder of a big screen but I'm trapped in my gilded cage. The solution is to settle in for the long haul and wait for Apple to catch on.
malrawi@thenational.ae

Poacher
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The biog

Name: Greg Heinricks

From: Alberta, western Canada

Record fish: 56kg sailfish

Member of: International Game Fish Association

Company: Arabian Divers and Sportfishing Charters

NO OTHER LAND

Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal

Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

Electric scooters: some rules to remember
  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo

Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm

Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km

Price: from Dh285,000

On sale: from January 2022 

Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital

The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
  • not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
  • be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
  • have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
  • undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
  • A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

On sale: Available for preorder now

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The%20Genius%20of%20Their%20Age
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'Cheb%20Khaled'
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Results
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