There is an interesting debate going between Gulf news technical writer Scott Schuey and users from Emirates Mac User Group (EMUG) about the article published by Scott on 7th june 2008 about Investing in a suitable computer system.

The users of EMUG started to discuss about that article “Gulf News answers the Question Should I buy an Apple Macintosh instead of a personal?”

Scott gave reply with another article on 14th June 2008 as “Live with it: Mac is not the greatest“.

Here goes the reply for the article by the EMUG users “Gulf News pissed with EmiratesMac”

The debate is going red hot, I am waiting for the next reply from Scott Schuey !!!

Two more Salik toll gates will be installed in Dubai - one each on Al Maktoum Bridge and between the First and the Second Interchanges on Shaikh Zayed Road. This was announced by the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

“The installation of the new toll gates comes as part of the second phase of the Salik system to regulate traffic on Dubai Roads,” said Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA. The new toll gates will start working from September 9.

Recently Dubai RTA opened the new Al Garhoud Bridge with 14 lanes 7 on each side of the road. Al Garhoud Bridge will have a capacity for 16,000 vehicles per hour. This is such a great bridge. But the sad thing was no one was using it as it was having a salik gate in front of it. Everyone was using Al Maktoum Bridge. There is big traffic congestion on this side. Once the if the put this Salik gate if people wants to goto Shaikh Zayed Road they have to pay Salik.

Lot of discussion is happening everywhere that Dubai is taxing the people. I strongly believe that they are trying to make lot of people life’s better. This toll system is there in lot of major cities in the world where they want to control the traffic flow. Dubai is not the first in this. We should be happy that they are not up to the biggest toll gate or most no of toll gates in the world is in Dubai

Flip Holding Ltd is delighted to announce the promotion of Yousef Tuqan Tuqan and Mohammad Itani as CEOs for Flip Media and Neo Digital.

Yousef Tuqan Tuqan has been promoted to CEO of Flip Media, with overall responsibility for the development and growth of the largest interactive agency in the Middle East. An industry veteran with over 11 years of regional experience, Yousef has served as Account Director at Flip Media since 2005, and has been responsible for business development and client servicing for the agency.

“Yousef has been one of our most vocal ambassadors, and has played a leading role in growing our agency into a global network of 150 dedicated Internet professionals. His passion and experience have been invaluable in maintaining our leadership position, and this promotion is a vote of confidence in his ability to lead Flip Media into its next phase of growth,” said Managing Partner Dinesh Lalvani, Flip’s cofounder.

Mohammad Itani has been promoted to CEO of Neo Digital, Flip’s sister agency and the first dedicated online media agency in the Middle East. Mohammad has served as Head of Media since 2005, and has been instrumental in the growth of the agency and its reach beyond Dubai. He has also been involved in the development of Neo Digital’s Search Engine Marketing team, which boasts 4 full-time specialists and one of the largest booking volumes in the region.

According to Flip Holdings’ Group CEO Martin Diessner, “Mohammad has shown great leadership in times of ongoing change in the industry, and has earned the respect and admiration of his clients, his team and his partners across the online media landscape. I am confident that Neo Digital can continue to maintain its position as the fastest-growing and most innovative independent online media agency in the region.”

Managing Partners Dinesh Lalvani and Martin Diessner will continue their daily involvement in the group’s operation from Dubai, with a greater focus on the development of Brand Central, the most powerful enterprise-class advertising management and serving solution in the Middle East; and Chameleon, Flip Media’s complete website content management solution.

According to Dinesh “these key promotions represent a vote of confidence in Yousef and Mohammad to continue to lead their agencies into their next stage of development. Both have been the faces of Flip Media and Neo Digital since their appointment in 2005, and we are proud to work alongside them as we continue to offer the best and most comprehensive digital marketing solutions in the region.”

Your best chance ever to own this desirable modern classic in perfect condition!

• Safe: Received Euro NCAP’s maximum 5-star rating - ideal for Dubai!
• Sexy: Black convertible top, 2-tone red & black leather interior
• Fast: 2.0 turbo engine, 205 bhp, 0-100 in 9 seconds.
• Comfortable: seats four adults (not just infants and midgets)
• Reliable: 66,500km on the clock, full service history at Gargash Motors, no major accidents
• You don’t need to pimp this ride - I already did it for you!

Clarion MAX676VD head unit:
7″ LCD Screen; Plays DVDs, MP3s, CD-R, etc.; iPod connected, with iPod touch-screen control

Alpine speakers & amplifiers:
6 6×9″ Type S speakers, 2 10″ Type S subwoofers, 2 MRP450 4-channel amplifiers

Call Yousef Tuqan on 050-6556245 for a test drive!.

du is the new integrated telecommunications service provider with a fresh approach for UAE started blocking website from yesterday. This is how the website will look when you access a blocked website.

This how etisalat blocked page looks like

From the above two templates we have to accept that du is really fresh in their approach

Flip Media dominated the Interactive category of the 2nd Dubai Lynx Awards, the leading creative advertising competition for the Middle East and North Africa, bagging 4 of the 15 awards. Flip Media’s work for Emaar’s Burj Dubai garnered a Silver, while their work for Nakheel’s Ramadan campaign, MBC2’s Movies in Motion portal and the experimental website “My City Soul” earned three bronzes, giving Flip the highest tally of any agency in the Middle East.

According to Regional Account Director Yousef Tuqan Tuqan, these awards validate Flip’s approach to their work. “We’re extremely pleased by our recognition in these awards. Flip has always placed a premium on the development of solid creative work that delivers on our client’s business objectives, and it’s great to win creative awards for sites that are commercially focused.”

Flip Media is no stranger to creative awards, having been the first Middle Eastern agency to earn the coveted Macromedia Site of The Day, as well as 35 other awards in the last few years, including four Summit International Awards and a Cannes Cyberlion.

According to Tuqan, “All our awards this year have one thing in common, which is that they were the product of a lot of teamwork and thinking with our clients. Far from being considered a ‘fifth wheel’ on our client’s agency rosters, we are now being engaged as an integral part of the communications plan, and it shows in the depth and quality of thinking behind our award-winning sites.”

Dinesh Lalvani, Group Creative Director at Flip says “we had hoped for a Gold award for some of our stronger entries, but we are honored to have had so much of our work awarded. We’re very impressed by the quality of the judges and of the other awarded entires, and are pleased to see that Interactive work is being given the attention and respect it deserves in such a prestigious festival. We have some great work in the pipeline for 2008, and we look forward to an even stronger showing in future editions of the Lynx. ”

About Flip Media
Flip Media was founded in 2002 and has offices in Dubai, Bahrain, England, India, Germany and South Africa. A wholly owned subsidiary of Flip Holding Ltd. Flip Media is the largest, independent, interactive media consultancy in the Middle East, providing award winning creative work to regional and international accounts. Flip Media also develops unique interactive media products and technologies, such as streaming broadband services, 3rd party verified and online media tracking services for advertising and media agencies in conjunction with technology partners and affiliates. Flip Media Investments Ltd. is a privately owned company registered in the British Virgin Islands (BVI)

About Dubai Lynx
Presented by Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival together with their regional partners, Motivate Publishing, the Dubai International Advertising Festival is held with the support of Dubai Media City (DMC) and in association with the UAE Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA). The 1st Dubai International Advertising Festival will bring to the Middle East and North Africa a series of high profile seminars, workshops, exhibitions and screenings aimed at giving creative inspiration, learning and networking opportunities to the advertising and allied industries in the region. The 2nd Dubai Lynx awards, which are part of the Festival, will honour creative excellence in TV/Cinema, Print, Outdoor, Radio, Direct Marketing, Media and Interactive advertising. High-profile international jurors will award the coveted Dubai Lynx trophy to establish the definitive standard for creative excellence in the MENA region.