By some metrics, we are drowning in data. A 2019 World Economic Forum report estimated that by next year 463 exabytes of data – a single exabyte is equivalent to 1 billion gigabytes – will be created every day.
To put that figure into context, the entirety of global mobile data traffic was expected to reach 130 exabytes every month by the end of last year.
These are big and baffling numbers by any measure – and if we are creating vast volumes of data every day, why is it that digital record keeping might be at risk or at least on the edge?
A 2024 academic study of more than 7 million works published in digital scholarly journals found that more than a quarter of that large sample size were “seemingly unpreserved” or lost.
The report’s author, Martin Paul Eve, concluded that digital preservation was fragile and that warnings issued nearly 20 years ago calling for urgent action to preserve archival material had been relatively unheeded.
The great irony of the information age: the more data we produce, the less we properly preserve
This is what has been described by some as the great irony of the information age: more data is being produced than ever before, but those records may well be less accessible than ever before. The more we produce, the less we properly preserve.
The issue is compounded by the fractured nature of our digital world.
Post-pandemic hybrid working takes place on an expanding array of platforms. A 2023 Forbes study found that the average office worker spent half their working week communicating on digital platforms. An average hour of an office worker’s life might be spent hopping between a Zoom or Teams call, answering queries on Slack or email, and checking other platforms on their smartphone, such as WhatsApp.
A working life essentially exists in a series of digital silos, and every day a segment of that data is lost, damaged or becomes hard to retrieve. Our lives outside work could easily be characterised in a similar manner, albeit with a single silo (smartphone) housing a constellation of smaller repositories of digital information (apps). They have exposure to similar risks.
It is for others to make a judgment on what effect that may be having on people and society, although you don’t have to search with any intensity at all to find multiple takes online on how smartphones have ruined this or that part of contemporary living or experience. It could be countered that it’s not ruination but change or progress that has taken place – and that’s where we go back to data production and preservation.
In many households, spring marks the regular ritual of decluttering. Traditionally, that process involves sifting through piles of paper and belongings and working out what has outlived its purpose or usefulness.
It is often a reminder that we acquire objects and paperwork easily, but we find it hard to dispose of them. The process of restructuring and ordering provides a form of catharsis to some in spring cleaning. So, too, the discovery of long-forgotten objects and the decisions over whether to archive or dispose of them.
In years gone by, that process might have involved reviewing handwritten letters kept for reasons of sentiment or significance. Now, much of that correspondence may be on WhatsApp – and maybe set to disappear, be deleted or be rendered “seemingly unpreserved” – or any of those other digital tools we use to navigate life.
The same WEF data that produced the daily exabytes insight also estimated that about 300 billion emails are sent every day – often instantly deleted by the stressed, information-overwhelmed recipient. Just as we produce more data every day, so we live under near constant threat of information loss.
One answer that’s been offered to mitigate that risk is to take data offline. The National previously reported on a James Bond-style solution to this problem that offered people the chance to cold-store their data in a secure remote location that billed itself as a global memory vault.
The site for their repository was a decommissioned coal mine within the Arctic Circle – close to polar bears, but far from prying eyes. One of the company’s executives told me at the time of a large data drop into the mine in 2020 that the archive sparked complex discussions among its customers about what to preserve in the heap of information that accumulates each day.
And so it should – preservation is one side of the coin, curation is the other.
Where once we may have kept family photographs in a drawer or family albums, now we have ceded some of our ownership rights over to the platforms where we posted them. The photo albums on our phones and in digital storage are, in all likelihood, an eclectic mix of pictures to be proud of, screenshots that should have been discarded but are stored and images that have a currency in the moment they were taken but have no long-term value.
That, perhaps, is the other irony of the data-soaked world of today. So much of it is available, but not necessarily in a form that is easily curated. We may have lost what we should be preserving, we may have saved what we should have lost.
Spring cleaning may become a perma-task for all the seasons of the digital world.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The years Ramadan fell in May
Suggested picnic spots
Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
BABYLON
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
The biog
Marital status: Separated with two young daughters
Education: Master's degree from American Univeristy of Cairo
Favourite book: That Is How They Defeat Despair by Salwa Aladian
Favourite Motto: Their happiness is your happiness
Goal: For Nefsy to become his legacy long after he is gon
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
Australia squads
ODI: Tim Paine (capt), Aaron Finch (vice-capt), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye.
T20: Aaron Finch (capt), Alex Carey (vice-capt), Ashton Agar, Travis Head, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Andrew Tye, Jack Wildermuth.
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Indoor Cricket World Cup Dubai 2017
Venue Insportz, Dubai; Admission Free
Day 1 fixtures (Saturday)
Men 1.45pm, Malaysia v Australia (Court 1); Singapore v India (Court 2); UAE v New Zealand (Court 3); South Africa v Sri Lanka (Court 4)
Women Noon, New Zealand v South Africa (Court 3); England v UAE (Court 4); 5.15pm, Australia v UAE (Court 3); England v New Zealand (Court 4)
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
