One can no longer utilize the old BlackBerry phone abandoned at the bottom of one’s drawer.

On 4^th January 2022, Blackberry stated that the firm would stop running sustenance for its classic devices running BlackBerry 10, 7.1 OS and earlier. This translates that all of its older plans not functioning on Android software will not be able to utilize data, send SMS, access the internet or make calls (even to emergency numbers).

Whilst most mobile users have moved on from BlackBerry – the most recent version of its OS released in 2013 – the decision to suspend backing for its phones epitomises the end of what was once considered cutting-edge technology.

The firm initially declared the news in September 2020 as a fraction of its efforts to concentrate on providing security software and services to enterprises and governments across the world within the banner of BlackBerry Limited.

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry (BB) has been habitually out of the mobile business since 2016, but over the years it sustained to authorise its brand to mobile producers, inclusive of TCL and more lately OnwardMobility, a Texas-based security start-up, for a 5G BB device functioning on Android software.

BB’s old school cell phones with physical keyboards from the late 1990s and early 2000s were once so widespread, people nicknamed them ‘CrackBerries.’ The keyboard fascinated professionals who wanted the flexibility of working outside the office with some of the tools they operated on a desktop computer.

The devices became a status symbol and fit for people on Wall Street. At its peak in 2012, the mobile manufacturer had over 80 million active users.

The firm saw its birth in 1996 as ‘Research in Motion’ (RIM), with what it called two-way pagers. Eventually, BB mobiles expanded support for email, applications, web browsing, and BBM, an encrypted text messaging portal that preceded WhatsApp and lasted long after the firm was bested by its rivals.

However, Apple’s touchscreen revolution with the iPhone in 2007 made BlackBerry’s contributions appear lacking. It tried touch screens and slide-out keyboard models, with merely any success. It developed a few phones with no physical keyboard, but those were devoid of BB’s principal differentiator: its tangible keyboard.

The firm ultimately abandoned its software, accepting Android and layering its security software on top.

Upon the first glimpse, the Mercedes Benz Vision EQXX concept does not yelp Mercedes Benz. For instance, its proportions resemble the Porsche, and the obvious absenteeism of a three-pointed star wearing the lattice does not assist in making it more familiar.

Mercedes Benz’s Vision EQXX

However, only Mercedes Benz’s R&D department has the technological and financial capacity to fabricate something like this. Having yoked the know-how from its Formula 1 and Formula-E team engineers, the Vision EQXX concept is, in theory, the globe’s most competent luxury electric vehicle. Fundamentally, one can drive the car from Berlin to Paris (1,056.7 kilometres) on a sole charge. As for the two-dimensional brand logo and the lattice-free front façade, Mercedes Benz says that they were striving to portray the face of its future electric vehicle design linguistic.

So, how did Mercedes Benz go around achieving this? By varying its battery chemistry. Merc decided that adjoining a bigger battery isn’t the most effective solution. They felt it was counterproductive.

A bigger battery enhances the weight, which, in turn, inhibits performance and devours most of the additional power to overcome hindrances brought about by its added weight. To solve this challenge, Merc has strived to make the battery more energy-efficient. The battery, which is no more than 100kWh, is close to three folds more effective, indicated Adam Allsop, Mercedes-AMG High-Performance Powertrains director. Additionally, it is 30% lighter and 50% smaller than the one etched into the EQS.

The brand managed to improve the car’s efficiency by inhibiting the weight of the car and giving it a Cd 0.175 drag coefficient, making it the prevalent title holder of the slickest Mercedes ever. The range is also enhanced by the prevalence of 117 solar cells mounted on the car’s roof.

However, according to Mercedes Benz, the solar cells can only add around 25km to the comprehensive range, on a single day, under idyllic weather conditions. Mercedes Benz hasn’t revealed any specifications on just how they managed to augment battery chemistry, suffice to mention that it utilizes enhanced silicon content and parcels more energy per anode.

The chassis is fabricated out of lightweight material by Merc’s F1 team. Whilst the powertrain technology transmission from Merc’s F1 cars remains a fiddly proposition, given that it is still a petrol-powered hybrid motor, the brand is utilizing good use for the lightweight material utilized in their Constructors’ title-winning F1 cars. The significance to the car’s claimed efficiency figures, however, is still battery productivity. According to Merc, 95% of the battery’s energy makes its way to the wheels.

Within there is plenty of energy-consuming technology, not the slightest of which is a 47.5-inch touchscreen interface with 8k resolution that extends across the width of the dashboard. This is a Mercedes, after all, and cutting-edge technology is the foremost order of business, both within and without.

The screen also gets a 3D navigation display and an advanced voice assistant system that learns your behaviour over time. Not threatening at all. The navigation system will allow for a ‘seamless zoom function’ from satellite view down to 10 metres overhead the surface level.

Despite the car being a purely conceptual model at present, Mercedes, which managed to fabricate the foremost prototype in a shocking 18-month time period, stated that the technology utilized here will form the foundation for all their imminent electric vehicle technology.

This makes complete sense given that the future of car brands will be recognised, marginally, by how effectively they can influence their battery technology. However, Mercedes Benz stated that its efficiency figures are grounded in reality and are based on real-life traffic simulations. Like several legacy brands, Merc is going all-in when it comes to investing in electrical technology.

To come out on the topmost tier, not only will it have to channel colossal investments into its electronic vehicle programme (USD 47 billion will go towards Mercedes Benz’s electrification strategies by the next decade), it will have to utilize associated technology, aerodynamic design and battery density in a rigorous and tactical effort to make the best electric vehicles possible.

Abu Dhabi-based business enterprise Alpha Dhabi Holding has taken over a 25.24% stakeholding in Al Qudra Holding PJSC, as a faction of its USD 2.17 billion strategic investment blueprint throughout several sectors in the UAE.

Alpha Dhabi Holding takes over Al Qudra Holding Stake

In a statement on the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange, Hamad Salem Mohamed Al-Ameri, Managing Director and CEO of Alpha Dhabi Holding, stated that Al Qudra’s business policy is a seamless fit for Alpha Dhabi Holding and that the take-over will enhance a substantial shareholder worth as they strived to invest in carefully specific industries with sustainable growth potential.

Al Qudra Holding is an Abu Dhabi-based private joint-stock firm that capitalizes in the real estate sector.

In December 2021, Alpha Dhabi declared plans to capitalize up to AED 8 billion sectors, inclusive of hospitality, real estate, petrochemicals, and healthcare. On 3^rd January 2021, the group enhanced its shareholding volume in Abu Dhabi developer Aldar Properties to 29.8% after the acquisition of an additional 17%.

Last month, Al Qudra Holding finished the take-over of Tamouh Investments LLC from IHC with the deliberation of obligatory alterable bonds worth AED 2.244 billion (USD 0.61 billion), which would be rehabilitated into the dispended share capital of Al Qudra.

About Alpha Dhabi Holding

A multifaceted business enterprise that transformed into platforms of progress, potential, and prosperity, Alpha Dhabi Holding is striving to emerge as a market leader in all its business enterprises, steered by its leadership with insight for scaling businesses to growth and glory by utilizing technology and innovation.

Denmark’s government wants to inhibit fossil fuels in domestic air transport by the end of this decade in its most recent drive to achieve its climate goals.

Denmark to utilize green fuels by 2025

The Nordic nation, which recently planned to enhance investments in the green hydrogen sector, wants the foremost domestic flights to utilize green fuel no later than in 2025, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated in their annual address on the new year’s foremost day.

Frederiksen stated in a televised discourse that to travel is to live and hence human beings fly. However, parallelly, it affects our climate. The Prime Minister stated that they strived to make flying green.

Frederiksen accredited that the scientific resolutions weren’t yet in place and that accomplishing the target would be challenging.

It is the most recent declaration in a cavern of policies established to assist the government to accomplish one of the globe’s most ambitious climate goals. By 2030, Denmark strives to inhibit carbon emissions by 70% in comparison with the levels of 1990. In her speech, Frederiksen also vowed a more rationalized tax on emissions for businesses to guarantee that the highest emitters pay the biggest taxes.

Riyad REIT, the fund of Saudi Arabia’s Riyad Capital, stated that it has invested USD 62 million in an American Logistics portfolio comprising of 5 logistic properties.

The Riyad REIT Investment

The properties, which are comprehensively leased with a prejudiced average tenure of 15.5 years, are newly developed, fabricated-to-suit logistics comprising more than 4.5 million square feet across the Southeast United States, the investment banking wing of Riyad Bank stated in a statement on Tadawul on Monday.

The investment is estimated to produce an average annual yield of 7.5% to Riyad REIT over a 4-year investment tenure.

The fund is a padlocked Shariah-compliant real estate investment traded fund. It purchases, maintains, possesses, and develops a portfolio of income-generating real estate assets.

The investment is a fraction of the fund’s capital surge procedure by generating new shares and has been financed comprehensively via the available shariah-compliant short-tenure debt facility for Riyad REIT, it added. The conveniences will be reimbursed after the capitalization procedure is finished.

Saudi British Bank (SABB) has sold its complete stake in Wataniya Insurance Company to Private Wealth Investment Holding Company for SAR 80 million (USD 21.3 million).

The contract was authenticated on December 22, 2021. The sale encompasses 4 million ordinary shares, representing 20% of Wataniya’s share capital, the bank stated in a filing on 23^rd December 2021 (Thursday).

The earnings of the transaction will be utilized by the bank for all-purpose corporate endeavours and do not entail any distinct conditions, SABB stated.

The Saudi British Bank, which first introduced the sale in July 2021, does not assume the transaction to result in a material impact on the bank or its operations.

About Saudi British Bank

SABB hints its heritage in Saudi Arabia to almost 70 years ago, during which time it has been a dynamic partner aiding the Kingdom’s economic maturity and social development. A subordinate of the HSBC Group, SSAB is one of the pioneering corporate and institutional international banks in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with a top-notch retail banking and wealth management scheme. SSAB is also a pioneering player in foreign exchange, trade finance, equity & debt wholesale banking, and advisory.

SABB lawfully began activities on 1^st July 1978 when it acquired the operations of The British Bank of the Middle East in Saudi Arabia.

Aramco Trading Company (ATC) stated on 22^nd December 2021 that it has authenticated a contract with Australian vendor, United Petroleum, for potential long-tenure petroleum stock, product storage, and extra business prospects.

Aramco Trading Company retails contract to United Petroleum

Australia, which is already the biggest fuel importer in the APAC region, is a significant target market for fuel exporters as its domestic purifying capacity has receded over several years.

The firms authenticated a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU), within which Aramco Trading Company strives to explore refined fuel sales to United Petroleum to adhere to the fast-maturing demand in Australia.

President and CEO of ATC, Ibrahim Al Buainain, indicated in a statement that through the MOU, the firm strived to progress the colossal opportunity for growth in United Petroleum’s logistics networks through the Australian geography and elsewhere.

The firms brainstormed to reconnoitre product storage and logistics partnership, whilst also evaluating regions of potential cooperation both within and outside the energy division, ATC stated.

Both the firms did not reveal the volumes and tenure of fuel supplies being discoursed under the contract.

Numerous applications and websites, inclusive of those that were of the streaming service – Hulu, office messaging application – Slack, and Epic Games, were up and functioning after witnessing a brief power outage at one of Amazon Inc.’s data servers on the United States of America East Coast.

Amazon Inc. Restores Cloud Services

Amazon Web Services (AWS) stated that the peril had been fixed and the service was functioning normally.

The firm earlier stated that the outage had impaired its portal that provided computing capacity to the cloud network that was operated by its unit, AWS.

Office messaging application – Slack had stated that it was witnessing problems with message editing, file uploads, and other services.

A huge outage in the same area in early December brought down streaming portals Disney+ and Netflix, trading application Robinhood alongside the firm’s e-commerce portal.