Technophile: Feature sets to upgrade the lowly wristwatch



MBW-200 Bluetooth Wrist Watch

How it looks While it still has a loyal following, the trusty wristwatch is increasingly looked upon as an anachronism in the digital age, a one-trick pony in a multi-trick universe - just something else we have to put in the plastic tray at airport security. But the wireless-enabled-yet-still-elegant MBW-200 is one of a tiny collection of timepieces that aims to bridge the technology gap.

The time and … ? The Bluetooth-enabled MBW-200 can display caller ID information when your smartphone rings and allows you to reject or mute calls without having to frantically search through your purse or pockets. It also alerts you to incoming text messages. Its rechargeable battery can last up to four days.

Who it's for Busy travellers or executives who get a lot of calls and texts during business meetings, but are too polite to do anything about them other than quickly glance at their wrists. However, keep in mind the band itself is not of the best quality.

Dh260

Sony Ericsson LiveView

How it looks The Sony Ericsson LiveView comes with different attachments that allow it to be worn as a (rather large) watch with a Velcro band, or clipped to your belt or purse strap like a 1990s pager.

The time and … ? The LiveView works in tandem with your smartphone as a sort of early warning system. It can be programmed to display Twitter and Facebook notifications, text messages, incoming calls and calendar event reminders.

Who it's for Works best with Android users. However, if you're waiting on a life-changing telephone call, don't trust it to work 100 per cent of the time because the Bluetooth connectivity can be rather random at times.

Dh280

iWatchz Q Series

How it looks The iWatchz, which comes in five colours, isn't a watch so much as a watch-like holder for your sixth-generation iPod Nano, which now comes with several watchface interfaces preloaded from Apple. Any such iPod Nano slides and snaps quickly and easily into place and the housing keeps all the device's buttons within reach of your index finger.

The time and … ? Using the iWatchz strap, you can select any of 18 watchface "wallpapers" in your Nano's preference settings. Of course, once you turn your Nano into a watch, you then have a timepiece that can display photos, play music and tune into FM radio.

Who it's for Loyal Apple customers who like to keep an eye on the time and their tunes at the same time. It's perfect for joggers, of course - just make sure you have enough length in your earbud cord to match your stride.

Dh120

If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest

Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.

Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.

Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.

Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.

Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.

Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia

World Cup final

Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region


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