STANDARD CHARTERED DUBAI MARATHON 2014 - FRIDAY 24 JANUARY 2014

HOW TO REGISTER

Registration for the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon is available ONLINE ONLY.

42.195km Marathon

18 yrs and over
 – Start Time – 7:00 am.
Fee: 120 USD

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10km Road Race

15 yrs and over – Start Time – 7:15 am.
Fee: 60 USD

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3km Fun Run    

Open to all
 – Start Time – 11:00 am.
Fee: 15 USD

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Rules and Regulations

The following rules and regulations apply to all entrants.

1. The official entry form must be completed fully by each intending participant. Completion of the entry form and payment of the entry fee represents acceptance of these terms and conditions.
2. The Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon is organised in accordance with the rules and regulations of the IAAF and AIMS and all participants agree to abide by these rules and regulations and comply with all reasonable directions and decisions made by the officials and representatives of the IAAF and AIMS.
3. Whilst every reasonable precaution will be taken by the organisers to ensure the participants safety. Participants run at their own risk and the organisers shall not be liable for any loss and/or damage whether personal or otherwise and howsoever arising. All participants accept responsibility for travel and medical insurance and for payment and/or reimbursement of any medical/surgical expenses incurred.
4. There is an official six hour finish time limit for the Marathon with police and medical support. Any remaining participants after this time are requested to run on the footpaths.
5. In accordance with the rules and regulations of the IAAF and AIMS, a runner must retire from the race immediately if requested to do so by any member of the official medical staff.
6. No pets or any form of wheeled transport is permitted on the route.. eg. in-line skates, roller blades, bicycles etc.
7. There will be no refund or transfer of participation for those participants who do not take part or if the event is cancelled for whatever the reason.
8. The organiser reserves the right to limit and refuse any entries.

Please click Here to register

Dubai – Expatriate residents will have to pay a fee of Dh500 for Health card

Dubai UAE - Expatriate residents will have to pay a fee of Dh500 for issuing and renewing their health cards that will enable them to receive medical treatment at government hospitals and facilities across the UAE.

The decision provides for levying Dh500 for issuing and renewing health cards for expats of all ages. It will come into force on September 30, the Ministry of Health announced today. Earlier, the health card issuance or renewal fee was Dh300.

source Gulfnews.com

BlackBerry Never Had a Chance: Mobile Innovation Is Over

The BlackBerry is all but dead.
On Monday, the Canadian smartphone maker told the world it will finally take itself private, which barely registers as news. The most surprising thing is that the company held on so long.
Most people will tell you that, through a mix of corporate dysfunction and sheer lack of inspiration, BlackBerry failed to hold its own in the smartphone wars of the last half-decade. And so, the voices proclaim, the one-time giant was crushed under the feet of new, more innovative competitors  – the quintessential Silicon Valley tale of creative destruction. It’s the kind of thing that happens all the time, and that looks set to continue in the smartphone arena: The current masters will become tomorrow’s also-rans, and a new upstart will rise to displace the incumbents.
But in the smartphone game, that won’t happen. Even a hypothetically better-run BlackBerry never stood a chance against Apple. Once Apple introduced the iPhone, the paradigm was set — there wasn’t anything especially new the Blackberry could do. Sure, it could have tried to outrace Apple early on to a better version of the same idea, but no one was going to out-Jobs Steve Jobs. (Google only managed to compete by open-sourcing a new operating system — a business model rather than a technological innovation that wasn’t really an option for a hardware maker like BlackBerry.)

As BlackBerry disappears from view, something much larger than the demise of one company is under way in the mobile market. The end of BlackBerry isn’t just about the end of BlackBerry. This could be the end of any radical innovation in mobile, period. Even Apple has run its course: Where else can it go?

• By Marcus Wohlsen

Read More Here

Iphone 5s

Apple has finally revealed the iPhone 5S, its long-awaited successor to the iPhone 5, alongside the colorful plastic iPhone 5c at an official launch event in San Francisco.
The new handset will be available in a choice of "space grey", "silver" or "gold" colours, retaining the same glass and aluminium body from the iPhone 5 except with some aluminium edging that gives it that little extra bit of bling.

The only new physical addition to the iPhone 5S is the TouchID ring built into the home button. This silver ring acts as a fingerprint reader for enhanced security. It can read in any orientation and scans below the epidermal skin layers. To avoid scratches, the home button is now made from sapphire crystal.

Read More Here

US, France say support growing for Syria strikes

The United States and France claimed growing international support for military strikes to punish the Syrian regime for an alleged chemical attack, after EU nations called for a "strong response".

Both Washington and Paris said Saturday that more countries were getting behind the need for military action after European Union nations condemned "the cynical use of chemical weapons".

US Secretary of State John Kerry said the number of countries ready to take military action was now in the "double digits", after holding talks in Lithuania with EU foreign ministers.

Following the meeting, the EU ministers issued a call for action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

The EU did not explicitly back military action, but Kerry said he was "encouraged" by the "very powerful statement" made by the bloc.

There were "a number of countries, in the double digits, who are prepared to take military action," he said.

"We have more countries prepared to take military action than we actually could use in the kind of military action being contemplated."

The US accuses the Assad regime of gassing more than 1,400 people to death in an August 21 attack outside Damascus.

In his weekly address, President Barack Obama warned of the dangers of turning "a blind eye" to chemical attacks.

"I call on members of Congress, from both parties, to come together and stand up for the kind of world we want to live in," Obama said. The president has just returned from a G20 summit in Saint Petersburg that deadlocked over the Syria crisis.

Obama has asked for Congress to authorise strikes on Syria. The legislature reconvenes Monday and the president is set to address the nation Tuesday about the US response.

Kerry said Obama had made no decision about whether to wait for the release of a UN investigation into the August attack before taking action.

By

Nicolas Revise, Michael Mainville

Read the full story and More Here at YahooNews

19th Dubai Shopping Festival to start on January 2,2014

Dubai: An exciting shopping season beckons in Dubai as the month-long 19th Dubai Shopping Festival will get under way on January 2. The Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), has announced the dates come in the wake of a hugely successful ‘Summer is Dubai’ campaign, which promotes Dubai as the summer destination of choice for families in the UAE and from around the world. Organised by DFRE, the three-month-long drive, which ends on September 7, brought together a number of enormously popular events for Dubai’s annual summer season. These included the ever-popular Dubai Summer Surprises festival, which ended on July 7, Ramadan in Dubai, which showcased a number of cultural activities reflecting the importance of the month, Eid in Dubai, which united local communities and people from different cultures in celebration of Eid Al Fitr, and Modhesh World, the largest indoor family edutainment destination in the Middle East. DSF 2014, which will also kick-off Dubai’s events calendar in the new year, will once again make the emirate a key attraction for visitors from around the world with 32 days of non-stop celebrations featuring entertainment, shopping and incredible prizes on offer.

read more at Gulfnews.com

Diablo® III: Reaper of Souls™ Revealed

"Death, at last, shall spread its wings over all…" A presence more sinister than any demon hangs over Sanctuary…. It watched from the shadows as a hero of nephalem lineage struck down Diablo, the Prime Evil, and trapped the demon lord within the Black Soulstone. It waited in silence as the mortal armies of Sanctuary crushed the leaderless remnants of the Burning Hells and scattered them into the stinging winds of Kehjistan. Now, as hope springs anew, its long vigil has ended. Shrouded in mystery and imbued with a power as ancient as the universe itself, it comes to the war-torn world of Sanctuary. It cannot be stopped. There is no escape. In its wake, only death will remain.

 More Info Here

Philippines tourist arrivals lag behind ASEAN neighbors

MANILA - The Philippines remains the least favorite tourist destination compared to its peers in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in 2012, data from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) show. The UNWTO data show that despite the “More Fun in the Philippines” campaign, the country’s total tourist arrivals only reached 4.27 million in 2012, the lowest when compared to other Asean members. The UNWTO said that in Asean, foreign tourist arrivals were the highest in Malaysia with 25.03 million in 2012, followed by Thailand, with 22.35 million; Indonesia, 8.04 million; and Vietnam, 6.85 million. “Southeast Asia posted the highest growth among Asian subregions, with 9 percent more arrivals, largely due to continued strong intraregional demand. In absolute terms, growth was led by Thailand with a 16-percent increase in tourists over 2011. Cambodia [+24 percent] and Vietnam [+14 percent] also posted strong double-digit growth last year. Myanmar saw the highest relative growth with a surge of 52 percent,” the UNWTO said.

 Read More Here at ABSCBN News 
 by Cai U. Ordinario, BusinessMirror

etoro.com

eToro – Social Investing

THE ILLUSIONISTS in DUBAI this August 2013

Ramadan 2013

How to Clone Lion and Mountain Lion with Carbo Copy Cloner

I'm planning to upgrade my macbook pro hard drive but don't know what to start to save my data. while searching in youtube I found this video, short but useful.

Self-service petrol station to be open in Dubai

Dubai: Ten fuel stations in the Emirates Petroleum Product Company (Eppco) network will introduce fuel self-service from midnight to 6am from July 4. 

The self-service fuel dispensing system is being introduced at stations located along Al Wasl Road, Oud Metha Road, Shaikh Zayed Road coming from Abu Dhabi, Mankhool Road, Al Nahda Road, Nadd Al Hammar and Al Qusais, which have relatively low footfall during night hours. The initiative is part of Eppco’s strategy to introduce advanced and automated refuelling facilities and to familiarise the public with the self-service concept, which is being planned to be introduced across other Eppco stations in the network in due course. An Eppco spokesperson said: “The new system will make fuel dispensing facilities in our stations on par with globally accepted practices. We will continue to assist customers, where needed, in using the facility until they are confident of refuelling themselves. By introducing the facility during night hours, there will be minimal inconvenience for our customers.”

Source: GulfNews.com

Planes trailer

300: Rise of an Empire official Trailer

Tips for Packing and Traveling Lite

How-to Pack and Travel Lite

In this day and age of traveling cephalalgia, there are a few packing tactics to employ. To cut out an extra thirty to forty minutes at the arriving airport, start with packing small luggage. Since carry-ons can not exceed a linear dimension of 45 inches, you can escape the fiasco of the baggage terminal by simply packing and traveling light. To learn how to pack all your needs into one suitcase, read more.

Use the following pithy packing tips to make your travel light:

Make a list. Compose a pack list. Be sure to coordinate shirts and blouses with bottoms. To maximize your traveling wardrobe fashion savoir faire, stick with solids and versatile basics. Rule-out any clothes that do not match other items.

Roll ‘em up please. The best way to fit all your clothes is by rolling pants and shirts. First fold each item in half. Then simply roll. To try to maintain any creases, start on the bulkiest end of the article of clothing.

Gear up. How to make an awe-inspiring impression out of a basic or mundane outfit? For the most glam appeal, accessorize with a vibrant tie (for him) or a florid scarf (for her). Multihued accessories can liven up just about any attire.

Minimize bulk. After you check for space, edit outfits – ruthlessly. Try to pack microfibers with wrinkle and stain free comfort. With most of your attire, stay in the same color scheme – in case you have to layer up for warmth.

Employ shoe smarts. For men, any leather rubber-soled shoes can make the day and night transition, easy. For woman, a pair of flip-flops, strappy sandals and comfy wedges can serve all casual – chic dressing needs.

Put under garments on the top. To reduce the embarrassment of under garments becoming the side show attraction of the open luggage scan, place all panties in a plastic bag free of any clippers, lighters or other questionable paraphernalia. For expedient security review, place the transparent bag on top of your other items so security can access the bag without ruining your efficient packing method.

Lose Extra Baggage. Leave the heavy travel guide at home. Duplicate important resources to keep your luggage free of extra pounds. Since most hotels and resorts provide irons and blow-dryers --leave yours at home for light travel.

Leave restricted items at home. If you want to make it through security extra fast, avoid any firearms, weapons, box-cutters, scissors, razors, lighters and any other item that may be used in a terrorist situation.

About the Author

Freelance writer, Holly Bentz is the owner of a media boutique,www.fruitionMedia.net. From subliminal e-sales letters, informative articles to powerfully persuasive web content, Bentz takes pride in providing awe-inspiring copy.

Written by: Holly Bentz

115th Philippine Independence Day

Image from Google

Free Unlimited National Calls from Etisalat

ABU DHABI: Etisalat on Saturday announced that from July 1, eLife and standalone landline subscribers will enjoy free national calls across the UAE to landline telephones in addition to the free local calls that they already enjoy.

The telecom major also launched the region’s first High Definition (HD) voice for eLife landlines. By July, Etisalat will release a lineup of HD telephones to support this new innovation.

“UAE residents can enjoy free-of-charge calls with advanced HD quality when they call any landline number. This new service will be available to all customers for calls made from their home to any other landline telephone within the UAE,” said Rashid Al Abbar, Vice President, Home Services, Etisalat.

All eLife customers will automatically avail the free national calls and the HD voice quality without any change in monthly rental charges.

The charge for standalone landline customers, who are not elife subscribers, will be revised to Dh39 per month. More details about the new eLife bundle are available on the eLife page on the Etisalat website.

Source GulfNews.Com

Guinness World Record's Largest Cereal Breakfast

Dubai:Today, 26 April 2013, Filcom Dubai made history! UAE is the new title-holder of the Guinness World Record's Largest Cereal Breakfast Attendance, Longest Breakfast Table and Biggest Cereal Box.
Total number of participants have reached 1,354 in which 1,200 belongs to the Filipino Community in Dubai and the Northern Emirates. Again, our deepest gratitude to all attendees! Proud to be PINOY!!!!!!!!

Windows 8.1 will bring back a Start Button, not the Start Menu

Microsoft might be willing to make one major UX concession in Windows 8.1 — bringing back the Start Button — but it’s not going to take a full step back. The Start Menu won’t be a part of the first major update to Windows 8. The Windows 8.1 Start Button will instead take you to the Start Screen, which makes sense. Microsoft isn’t going to back down from its position that the Start Screen is a better way for 99% of
Windows users to quickly access their top apps. But why not bring back the Start Menu if you’re going to revive the Start button? Because it had already been pushed to the edge of relevance by the Windows 7 task bar. It offered users a faster, more convenient way to find favorite games and programs. Pinning them to the task bar makes more sense than scrolling through a menu in an era when everyone has become accustomed to organizing app icons on smartphone and tablet home screens.

One-click convenience is the name of the game, and task bar pinning provides that. And really, the Start Screen is a lot like a gigantic task bar — with added benefits like the option to expand and shrink tiles to give them more or less prominence and HUD-style Live Tile updates. read more here

Windows XP will be discontinued

Support for Windows XP is ending on April 2014 according to Microsoft click here for more details.
If your computer still running Windows XP after the support end you won't be able to get updates for it.

FNC rejects full foreign ownership of companies

Abu Dhabi: Overwhelming opposition by the Federal National Council to full foreign ownership of companies yielded an immediate response with the Government scrapping the proposal.

Members of the House unanimously rejected a clause in the draft companies law which would have allowed foreigners to fully own certain companies after a decision of the Cabinet.

They said the move would endanger the UAE’s national security, citing the country’s population’s structure in which “Emiratis account for less than 10 per cent”.

“If the move had been passed citizens would have left nothing to own and our parliament with its weak powers would not be able to change such a law,’ said Dr Abdul Rahim Al Shaheen, a representative from Ras Al Khaimah.

Source GulfNews.com

Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon 2013

The Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon takes to the streets of the emirate for the fourteenth time on Friday (Jan 25).

An elite field of world-class runners will join forces with enthusiastic amateurs as more than 2,500 set off in the marathon itself at 7am – closely followed by the competitors in the associated 10km Road Race and 3km Fun Run.

In all, around 20,000 runners are expected at the start line on Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard in the shadow of Burj Khalifa in Downtown Dubai for an event held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai and under the aegis of the Dubai Sports Council.

To View the Route Map Please Click Here.....

UAE Public Holidays 2013

UAE’s public holidays in 2013:

Occasion	Date	Day	Duration (No. of days)
New Year’s Day	January 1	Tuesday	1
Prophet Mohammed’s Birthday (PBUH)	January 24	Thursday	1
Israa & Miaraj Night*	June 6	Thursday	1
Beginning of Ramadan	July 9	Tuesday	0
Eid Al Fitr*	August 8/9/10	Thu/Fri/Sat	3
Arafat (Haj) Day*	October 14	Mon	1
Eid Al Adha*	October 15	Tue/Wed/Thur	3
Hijri New Year’s Day*	November 5	Tue	1
UAE National Day	December 2/3	Mon/Tue	2
*Islamic holiday exact dates are subject to moon sighting and may differ from the date given