From left, Mark Hoffman, Sidak Yntiso, Ty Karaba, Ben Higgins, Mohammed Omar and Abdelrazak al Sherif discuss their business idea in a workshop on entrepreneurship at the NYU campus in Abu Dhabi. Callaghan Walsh for The National
From left, Mark Hoffman, Sidak Yntiso, Ty Karaba, Ben Higgins, Mohammed Omar and Abdelrazak al Sherif discuss their business idea in a workshop on entrepreneurship at the NYU campus in Abu Dhabi. CallShow more

Gadgets of the future pitched



ABU DHABI // Imagine sipping on a cappuccino at a cafe when suddenly you meet someone from another country. You are intrigued by the other person - his life, experiences, interests. But language is proving to be a barrier. What if you could just whip out your phone, type in your message and have it translated into one universal language - pictures?

That was the idea of the young innovators Sidak Yntiso and Mark Hoffman, students at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD): to design an application that translates words and phrases from a variety of languages into a series of images.

"Sometimes you walk into a coffee shop and you see people struggling to communicate with each other, each one using broken English, broken Chinese, et cetera," Mr Hoffman said. "This application would break down the message into basic components and translate them into pictures, a language everyone can understand."

Mr Hoffman, from the US, and Mr Yntiso, from Ethiopia, were pitching their idea, which they called "Babble," to a panel of academic and professional mentors during the NYUAD Catalyst Start-up event yesterday.

Iphone applications, hi-tech pens and virtual reality beauty salons were just a few of many unique ideas pitched during the entrepreneurship competition. However, only five were chosen, and Babble was one of them.

Each team had to present a business plan, and the members of the winning team each received a $100 (Dh367) gift card.

Catalyst was developed by and for students. Its aim was to support young entrepreneurs who want to develop their own business.

Ty Karaba, one of Catalyst's four founding members and a freshman at the university, said the idea for their not-for-profit business came up while on a plane to Shanghai.

"We want to help students gain real experience in business matters and focus on youth in the UAE," Mr Karaba said, adding that students who join also have access to the vast NYU resources.

Another one of the five selected ideas was "Penspire," a concept founded by students Mohammed Omar and Abdelrazak al Sherif.

Penspire works when two students' pens are connected wirelessly. When one student starts writing, a small light on the other student's pen turns green. The pens also monitors stress through pressure points on the writing utensils.

The inventors transformed their idea into a reality using a live prototype in an audience demonstration. When Mr Omar held his pen tightly, the light on Mr al Sherif's pen turned red.

"This uses the concept of 'subconscious inspiration' that when one student knows that the other is working, he will also be inspired to work," Mr Omar said. "The product can even be used by teachers and instructors in the future to monitor classroom activity."

The pair hope to expand their idea to phone applications, where users can be notified when their friends are putting pen to paper. They are also currently seeking approval from the US patent office, and hope to make their innovation the next hot gadget on campus.

Mr Omar and Mr al Sherif came up with the idea when they were asked to create a device that communicates emotion as part of their Design and Innovation course, a foundation course for all engineering students at the university.

Ramesh Jagannathan, the course instructor, said the class comprises two components: lecture and lab.

"The lecture component provides students with the tangible basic skills they need for innovation, and the lab component brings in ex-staff from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to teach students how to implement their ideas in the lab."

While entrepreneurship is about taking risks, it is not about making decisions blindly, said Owen Davis, managing director of NYC Seed, an early stage venture capital firm based in New York City.

"There are many factors that must be considered, including the competitive landscape, the need for the product [or service], the market - these are all things people need to be careful about," he said. "It's about taking educated risks."

The classroom full of risk-takers at yesterday's event were up for the challenge.

Sunil Kumar, the dean of engineering at NYU, said there is a huge potential for business ventures in the UAE.

"If you look at what is available in the West, for example, there are many concepts that could be brought and adapted to suit the local market," he said.

One clear gap, he said, is the need for online services in different languages.

"The computer space is highly English-centric," he said. "There is a huge market out there for people who don't speak the language."

Mr Davis said the economic downturn presents a great opportunity.

"There are many niche markets that large companies are not fulfilling that smaller companies can undertake," he said. "It's always a good time to start up a business."

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 325bhp

Torque: 450Nm

Price: Dh359,000

On sale: now 

'Cheb%20Khaled'
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THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick

Hometown: Cologne, Germany

Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)

Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes

Favourite hobby: Football

Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk

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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company%20profile
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Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

While you're here
Quick pearls of wisdom

Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.” 

Married Malala

Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.

The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.

Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.

Essentials

The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours 
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.

The specs

Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder

Transmission: 7-speed auto

0-100kmh 2.3 seconds

0-200kmh 5.5 seconds

0-300kmh 11.6 seconds

Power: 1500hp

Torque: 1600Nm

Price: Dh13,400,000

On sale: now

The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

NEW%20PRICING%20SCHEME%20FOR%20APPLE%20MUSIC%2C%20TV%2B%20AND%20ONE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Day 5, Dubai Test: At a glance

Moment of the day Given the problems Sri Lanka have had in recent times, it was apt the winning catch was taken by Dinesh Chandimal. He is one of seven different captains Sri Lanka have had in just the past two years. He leads in understated fashion, but by example. His century in the first innings of this series set the shock win in motion.

Stat of the day This was the ninth Test Pakistan have lost in their past 11 matches, a run that started when they lost the final match of their three-Test series against West Indies in Sharjah last year. They have not drawn a match in almost two years and 19 matches, since they were held by England at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi in 2015.

The verdict Mickey Arthur basically acknowledged he had erred by basing Pakistan’s gameplan around three seam bowlers and asking for pitches with plenty of grass in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Why would Pakistan want to change the method that has treated them so well on these grounds in the past 10 years? It is unlikely Misbah-ul-Haq would have made the same mistake.

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

'Ashkal'
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE SPECS

Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)

Power: 141bhp 

Torque: 250Nm 

Price: Dh64,500

On sale: Now

Jawab Iteiqal
Director: Mohamed Sammy
Starring: Mohamed Ramadan, Ayad Nasaar, Mohamed Adel and Sabry Fawaz
2 stars

The specs: 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor

Price, base / as tested Dh220,000 / Dh320,000

Engine 3.5L V6

Transmission 10-speed automatic

Power 421hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque 678Nm @ 3,750rpm

Fuel economy, combined 14.1L / 100km

Dubai World Cup Carnival card

6.30pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) US$100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (Turf) 1,000m

7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m

8.15pm: Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m

8.50pm: Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m

9.25pm: Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m

The National selections

6.30pm: Final Song

7.05pm: Pocket Dynamo

7.40pm: Dubai Icon

8.15pm: Dubai Legacy

8.50pm: Drafted

9.25pm: Lucius Tiberius

Five famous companies founded by teens

There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:

  1. Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate. 
  2. Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc. 
  3. Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway. 
  4. Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
  5. Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

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