I write with regard to Nick March's op-ed My BlackBerry has reached the end of the road (March 31): Thank you for the article. I'm another BB KeyTwo user resigned to an iPhone. Looked at the "Titan" and others from the same company, with the physical keyboard, but the reviews spoke truths that I am not technologically capable of dealing with. I weep.
Lugh Davey, via email
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When I read this opinion piece on BlackBerry, I could not help but respond from my own KeyTwo. I have experienced similar feedback but I stubbornly hold onto my device.
I keep thinking that when, now more likely if, a manufacturer brings out a new model, that it will take the world by storm, but I fear not. I am attempting to find someone to breathe some new life into it by replacing the battery, again.
I am sorry to hear of your resignation, and that even if a new one emerges like a Phoenix from the ashes, you will have moved on. A devotee of a truly remarkable device that fell inelegantly from grace!
Lynn Stuart, via email
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I am relieved to find out there is someone else who was still using BlackBerry until now. Actually, I got several people to go back to BlackBerry when they realised they were still about, although very difficult to obtain).
The article is certainly spot on. It describes what most of us BlackBerry fanatics must have endured: constant explaining they still do exist, and justifying that we were not dinosaurs, and that they function well, and have far superior abilities than any Android, let alone Apple, etc.
With me it was the battery that made me switch to Samsung. The rest was still working very well.
Still, I miss the ease and versatility of my KeyOne daily. Most of us still don't understand why BlackBerry just gave up on their handsets.
Thanks for the bit of nostalgia.
Rik Heymans, Flanders, Belgium
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I have a BlackBerry and am using it right now. I have used a Samsung phone for work and it was just fine.
It is a shame what happened to BlackBerry in the consumer phone market. They had many firsts. I live in Kitchener and those BlackBerry buildings are still standing in Waterloo. I will watch the movie, and have my fingers crossed that they will remake the phone.
Thank you for the article.
Susanne Kish, Ontario, Canada
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I really enjoyed this piece. My BlackBerry is still going strong and does not yet type on its own. My brother-in-law had his battery replaced so got around that problem. My battery life is definitely waning but there could be hope.
I want to question your assertion about the hub services no longer working. While I experienced a problem a while back, I managed to get the BlackBerry hub back up again and it's working perfectly.
I was reminded when writing this that if you hit capital b twice it writes out BlackBerry. Oh, I am going to be so sad to give up this keyboard.
Karen Blake, Ontario, Canada
Company%20profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Spare
Profile
Company name: Spare
Started: March 2018
Co-founders: Dalal Alrayes and Saurabh Shah
Based: UAE
Sector: FinTech
Investment: Own savings. Going for first round of fund-raising in March 2019
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Get Out
Director: Jordan Peele
Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford
Four stars
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
Founder: Ayman Badawi
Date started: Test product September 2016, paid launch January 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software
Size: Seven employees
Funding: $170,000 in angel investment
Funders: friends
The chef's advice
Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.
“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”
Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.
The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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
SPECS
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Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
The five pillars of Islam
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
Cricket World Cup League Two
Teams
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Namibia beat Oman by 52 runs
UAE beat Namibia by eight wickets
Fixtures
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Oman
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
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