Visitors try out mobile devices to read books during Frankfurt Book Fair in western Germany. Daniel Roland / AFP
Visitors try out mobile devices to read books during Frankfurt Book Fair in western Germany. Daniel Roland / AFP

Print bounces back



There are so many reasons to read a book, but one of the best is to “switch off” from modern life and enjoy a few peaceful moments of old-world technology. A printed book never runs out of power or needs a Wi-Fi connection and is unlikely to break if you drop it. Can an e-book ever offer such quiet and simple pleasure?

As The National reported, "screen fatigue" is believed to be the key reason why sales of consumer e-books in Britain plunged 17 per cent last year. Meanwhile, sales of physical books increased by 8 per cent in the same period. In this part of the world, more than 300,000 people visited the 27th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which concluded last Tuesday, reflecting the enduring popularity of physical books. It was also obvious that the local publishing industry is flourishing as never before.

E-books certainly have their place – who wants to pack several paperbacks in your suitcase when you fly off on holiday? – but books are winning back audience share and rightly so.

Test

Director: S Sashikanth

Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan

Star rating: 2/5

Profile

Company: Justmop.com

Date started: December 2015

Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan

Sector: Technology and home services

Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai

Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month

Funding:  The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups. 

Youth YouTuber Programme

The programme will be presented over two weeks and will cover the following topics:

- Learning, scripting, storytelling and basic shots

- Master on-camera presence and advanced script writing

- Beating the algorithm and reaching your core audience

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.

LA LIGA FIXTURES

Friday Valladolid v Osasuna (Kick-off midnight UAE)

Saturday Valencia v Athletic Bilbao (5pm), Getafe v Sevilla (7.15pm), Huesca v Alaves (9.30pm), Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid (midnight)

Sunday Real Sociedad v Eibar (5pm), Real Betis v Villarreal (7.15pm), Elche v Granada (9.30pm), Barcelona v Levante (midnight)

Monday Celta Vigo v Cadiz (midnight)

If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).

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