There's a new app making waves on social media.
Part podcast, part group chat, part radio, Clubhouse is an audio-based social media platform that allows people to chat in theme rooms that disappear once the conversation is over.
Anyone on the platform can start a room. The room's hosts lead and moderate the conversation, while participants can either listen quietly or raise their hands to interject.
The app is currently invite-only, meaning you need a member to set you up, and is only available on iOS. The company is getting ready to release its Android application and hire more staff to open it up to a global audience.
Launched in March 2020 in Silicon Valley by entrepreneur Paul Davison and former Google engineer Rohan Seth, Clubhouse is already valued at $1 billion.
Most of its growth, and value, came in the past two months when celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Drake and even Tesla CEO Elon Musk joined the platform, causing it to grow from a few thousand users to six million.
Why is it so popular?
Clubhouse is taking advantage of FOMO (fear of missing out).
Those who haven't yet been invited, or do not possess an iPhone, wonder what it is like and join an exponentially-growing waiting list. Early users, enjoying the beta version of the app, know that if they are not online when an interesting conversation happens, they miss it. So they set reminders and turn on notifications to make sure they don't miss their favourite hosts.
Furthermore, the Covid-19 pandemic has deeply changed the way we spend our free time.
Bored and confined into our homes, we find ourselves spending more and more time on the internet and in particular, on social media.
It is not a coincidence that 2020 was the most lucrative year in history for tech companies: Facebook grew by 33 per cent, Apple recorded an 81 per cent increase in profits, Amazon's revenues surged by 77 per cent.
Zoom grew by 396 per cent in 2020, with 300 million people using the platform daily. On Zoom, people worldwide reinvented the concept of social entertainment: from cooking classes, to book clubs, marriages, and game nights, we all spent hours on the platform, trying to staying connected with our friends and families.
Social media giants soon incorporated video-chat features in their app and tested new products to meet their users' new needs of sociality. Facebook introduced 'Messenger Rooms', a video chat service that can host up to 50 people at a time. Whatsapp has increased the maximum number of people who can take part in a video call at the same time from 4 to 8. Instagram launched 'Cowatching' a new feature that allows people to browse Instagram feeds together with their friends over video chat. Twitch introduced 'Squad Streams' allowing four creators to go live and stream together in one window.
In this crowded environment, Clubhouse has thrived, climbing app stores' rankings by filling the void left by conferences. On the app, users get the chance to interact, learn from and discuss with influential people in their niches, as they would normally do in person.
Finally, Clubhouse offers for the first time in decades, a direct confrontation between individuals deprived of the esthetical and visual aspects.
Mean comments, trolls and ads have no place on the app which is, for now, a safe haven where users are free to meet and share opinions.
Will it be a success or a failure? Too early to say. We will have to wait and listen.
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
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
Where to Find Me by Alba Arikha
Alma Books
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
England ODI squad
Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
AGUERO'S PREMIER LEAGUE RECORD
Apps: 186
Goals: 127
Assists: 31
Wins: 117
Losses: 33
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers 5-39 Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV
How to turn your property into a holiday home
- Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
- Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
- Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
- Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
- Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
