From the seven-star Burj Al Arab hotel to the world's tallest building, residents in the UAE are accustomed to a luxury lifestyle. Now, there is a swank social networking app to complement that thirst for exclusivity.
Clubhouse, which burst on to the scene last year, is an invitation-only audio platform created for the world's creme de la creme.
Akin to a live podcast, the invitation-only element sets this app apart from the rest. Simply put, if your name is not down you’re not coming in.
Similar to a virtual members-only club, users lucky enough to be on the app can tune in to conversation rooms and listen to chats on almost anything, from entrepreneurship, books and the latest innovations in technology.
Elon Musk recently launched a discussion on the platform that garnered huge interest from thousands of listeners.
And the billionaire tech entrepreneur is already planning his next conversation – a sit-down with Vladimir Putin.
This week, he tagged the Kremlin's official account to ask if the Russian president would like to join him in a conversation on the audio app. Now that would be worth a listen.
How do I get an invitation?
It is an iOS-only app, so first things first; no iPhone, no invite.
If you are part of the Apple brigade, then from here on in it is all about who you know.
An existing Clubhouse user has to send an invitation from their app giving you access to it. At first, users have only two invites available on their account, so you have to hope you are at the top of someone's list.
The invitation link usually comes in the form of a text message direct to your phone. Once that lands in your inbox, you’ll be prodded to set up an account.
_____________________
35 must-have apps in UAE
_____________________
The process is pretty simple. They send a five-digit code to your mobile, you put that in, add your real name and then create your handle.
Sign-up is not instant though. Your details are sent off into a virtual abyss and you receive an alert to say they have reserved your chosen username and will get back to you on the status of your account.
If they confirm all is well, you’re in and officially a Clubhouse member.
What happens after I sign up?
Much like Spotify and iTunes, you will be asked to select your topics of interest.
Whether it is sport, music, business or health, the more boxes you tick, the more content you will have access to – or in this case, the more conversation rooms you can enter.
The conversation room is like an online conference call, live and in motion. Depending on who launched the chat, there could be one person talking or several. Most will be listening in and unable to participate.
When the conversation is over, the chat room is closed. Nothing is recorded on the app so if you are keen to listen in on a talk, you best log in to the live discussion because once it ends, it disappears.
Depending on what topics you select, the app will also recommend individuals for you to follow or join.
Do you have to use a VPN to access Clubhouse in the UAE?
No. One of The National staffers was lucky enough to receive an invitation to Clubhouse. She was able to access the sign-up phase without using a VPN.
The use of VPNs in the Emirates is not in itself against the law, but accessing certain content and websites from the country can be.
For now, the app can be used as normal, but for those who do use a VPN to log in to Clubhouse, using a free service may be less secure and more susceptible to hacking, potentially increasing a user’s risk.
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.
Black Panther
Dir: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o
Five stars
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
It’ll be summer in the city as car show tries to move with the times
If 2008 was the year that rocked Detroit, 2019 will be when Motor City gives its annual car extravaganza a revamp that aims to move with the times.
A major change is that this week's North American International Auto Show will be the last to be held in January, after which the event will switch to June.
The new date, organisers said, will allow exhibitors to move vehicles and activities outside the Cobo Center's halls and into other city venues, unencumbered by cold January weather, exemplified this week by snow and ice.
In a market in which trends can easily be outpaced beyond one event, the need to do so was probably exacerbated by the decision of Germany's big three carmakers – BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi – to skip the auto show this year.
The show has long allowed car enthusiasts to sit behind the wheel of the latest models at the start of the calendar year but a more fluid car market in an online world has made sales less seasonal.
Similarly, everyday technology seems to be catching up on those whose job it is to get behind microphones and try and tempt the visiting public into making a purchase.
Although sparkly announcers clasp iPads and outline the technical gadgetry hidden beneath bonnets, people's obsession with their own smartphones often appeared to offer a more tempting distraction.
“It's maddening,” said one such worker at Nissan's stand.
The absence of some pizzazz, as well as top marques, was also noted by patrons.
“It looks like there are a few less cars this year,” one annual attendee said of this year's exhibitors.
“I can't help but think it's easier to stay at home than to brave the snow and come here.”
Bridgerton%20season%20three%20-%20part%20one
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVarious%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nicola%20Coughlan%2C%20Luke%20Newton%2C%20Jonathan%20Bailey%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Rain Management
Year started: 2017
Based: Bahrain
Employees: 100-120
Amount raised: $2.5m from BitMex Ventures and Blockwater. Another $6m raised from MEVP, Coinbase, Vision Ventures, CMT, Jimco and DIFC Fintech Fund
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Alaan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Parthi%20Duraisamy%20and%20Karun%20Kurien%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%247%20million%20raised%20in%20total%20%E2%80%94%20%242.5%20million%20in%20a%20seed%20round%20and%20%244.5%20million%20in%20a%20pre-series%20A%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Personalities on the Plate: The Lives and Minds of Animals We Eat
Barbara J King, University of Chicago Press
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
