Beirut, Lebanon



This story is big in Lebanon and is being talked about on Arabic websites throughout the world. Here is the story. Al-Akhbar was the first media to reveal the story. His name has been suppressed in Arab media but New TV yesterday revealed his name: Prince Salman Bin Faysal bin Muhammad bin `Abdul-`Aziz. He was drinking hard last Saturday in downtown Beirut and parked his car in a marked "no parking" spot. A passing traffic cop passed on his motorcycle and proceed to give the Prince a ticket. The Prince emerges with his entourage, very drunk, and proceeded to insult the cop and the Lebanese people and saying that "we bought this downtown area". A group of young Lebanese (25 or so) gathered and were offended at the sight: so they proceeded to beat the shit out of the Saudi prince. The Lebanese Internal Security Forces (Hariri-run) were dispatched to the scene and arrested the cop--kid you not. The prince was hospitalized and the cop was forced by his bosses to go and offer an apology to the Prince. Yesterday, the Lebanese police arrested the 25 Lebanese. This is not it: the Hariri parliamentary bloc met and said: "In the last period, cases and practices that violate the rules and laws have been repeated against Arab and foreign tourists, the last one of which happened in downtown Beirut where an attack was perpetrated against an Arab citizen." I kid you not. This last passage was a verbatim translation of the official weekly statement by the Hariri Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc. (source-- Angry Arab)


tags: saudi, prince, ksa, police, assault, beat, beaten, apology, kingdom of saudi arabia, illegal, insult, lebanon, downtown, beirut, video, youtube, drunk, alcohol, scandal, new tv, parking, policeman, officer, angry arab, mustaqbal, hariri, isf, internal security force, al-akhbar, salman bin faysal bin mohammad bun abdul aziz al saud

Lebanon is finally entering the knowledge age, with its recent Internet price reductions and upcoming massive infrastructure upgrades.
Just in time, as Beirut's only coworking space opens its doors in Hamra, the building just before the Central Bank, with the fastest Internet connection you can walk into.

“Work it harder, make it better.” –Daft Punk

Coworking is a style of work which involves a shared working environment, sometimes an office, yet independent activity. Unlike in a typical office environment, those coworking are usually not employed by the same organization. Typically it is attractive to work-at-home professionals, independent contractors, or people who travel frequently who end up working in relative isolation.

Coworking in Beirut is now possible! For just 14 USD a day, you can co-work in Lebanon's state-of-the-art internet startup accelerator, Seeqnce, alongside entrepreneurs, professionals, students, and freelancers. Seeqnce's State-of-the-Art facilities are open 6 days a week for coworking. Featuring the fastest internet connection you can walk into, writable walls and desks, a zen lounge, and a full kitchen.

Seeqnce is ideally located in Hamra, at the heart of Beirut, and just 10 minutes walking distance from the American University of Beirut, downtown Beirut, and the famous Beirut corniche.

Apply now to cowork at Seeqnce: https://www.facebook.com/Seeqnce?sk=app_153791278050386


tags: beirut, lebanon, hamra, central bank, banque du liban, aub, lau, haigazian, student, professional, freelancer, coworking, hackerspace, seeqnce, startup accelerator, lounge, internet, facebook, application, cowork

Cinemoz is one of the Middle East’s very first on-demand online video service. With an obvious comparison to Hulu, the service is set to officially launch by the end of summer.

Founded by 27 year old Lebanese-French Karim Safieddine, Cinemoz started out as a concept jotted down on a post-it-note. The service launched having secured the necessary funding with the help of Seeqnce, a Top 10 Startup Accelerator in the MENA.

With a private beta coming at the end of the summer, Cinemoz will be offering Arab films, TV series and documentaries, with a social networking twist, allowing you to share and rate what you’re watching on your social networks.

Interestingly enough, as Cinemoz is to be offered throughout the Arab world, the site will be tailored to suit each country it is offered in – so a GCC audience won’t necessarily be seeing exactly the same content as their Lebanese and Egyptian counterparts, for example. --TheNextWeb



tags: cinemoz, hulu, middle east, arab world, arabic, content, movie, film, series, premium, freemium, advertising, thenextweb, trailer, video, teaser, youtube, team, karim safieddine, samer karam, maroun najm, fadi bizri, zeina tabbara, remoz control, brightcove, beirut, lebanon

Ogero finally falls in line with the Laws of the Republic of Lebanon.

http://www.lbci.com.lb/NewsDetails.aspx?ID=5097

3G is go!

DSL+ is go!

2nd Floor is reclaimed!


read this for the backstory:

http://www.bloggingbeirut.com/archives/1767-ISF-stages-coup-on-the-Ministry-of-Telecom-on-behalf-of-Ogero.html



tags: telecom minister, nicolas sehnaoui, lebanon, beirut, lebanese, government, ogero, ministry of telecom, adlieh, abdelmenhem youssef, 3g, dsl, infrastructure, internet, mobile, law, legal, beirut

two weeks ago we reported the existence of an 'unknown' third mobile network (Ogero Mobile) operating in Lebanon:

http://www.bloggingbeirut.com/archives/1764-LBN-OGERO-Mobile-41505-Conspiracy-Theory.html



when the Ministry of Telecommunications went to investigate this unlicensed, unreported, and 'illegal' mobile network (Ogero Mobile), this is what happened:







The Daily Star: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2011/May-26/Police-prevents-Nahhas-from-entering-sealed-off-room.ashx

BEIRUT: Caretaker Telecoms Minister Charbel Nahhas accused Thursday a branch of the Internal Security Forces of unlawfully preventing him access to facilities linked to the Telecoms Ministry.

Describing the act as a “coup,” Nahhas said some 400 heavily-equipped members from the ISF’s Information Branch have also banned employees from entering the second level of the building attached to the ministry in Adliyeh, east of Beirut.

Nahhas said rooms on the second floor, which contained communications equipment donated to Lebanon, were sealed off since Friday.

“This a coup by the Information Branch,” Nahhas told a news conference at the ministry shortly after the incident which was aired live on a local television station.

“Under the law, this act is considered a mutiny,” Nahhas said, laying the blame on ISF chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi.

He said Rifi had taken a unilateral decision to deny access to ministry employees, adding that caretaker Interior Minister Ziad Baroud had no knowledge of the decision.

Nahhas, a member of Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement, also said he was waiting for the withdrawal of the police unit after they had been ordered by Baroud to do so.


Naharnet: http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/7030-security-forces-prevent-nahhas-and-technical-team-from-dismantling-ogero-station

Security forces prevented on Thursday caretaker Telecommunications Minister Charbel Nahhas, several directors at the ministry, and a technical team from entering one of the ministry’s buildings at the Adlieh area.

Sources told Naharnet, that the minister and the technical team headed to the building in order to dismantle a mobile phone station belonging to Ogero Telecom.

The station, which was operating under a trial period, was presented as a gift from the Chinese government to Ogero a few months ago.

Ogero Telecom General Director Abdul Monem Youssef had previously informed Nahhas that he has no right to dismantle the station and transfer it to the MTC mobile phone operating company.

Any modification to the donation agreement between Ogero and the Chinese government would require approval by Cabinet, he added.

The telecommunications minister disregarded this fact and insisted on dismantling the station, he said.

Nahhas headed to the building at Adlieh Thursday morning where he was confronted by the security forces who informed him that he may enter the station, but without the technical team, Youssef clarified.

The minister later held a press conference recounting the morning’s developments, describing the practices at the ministry as a “coup”, led by the Internal Security Forces.

He urged the army leadership to suppress the ISF coup, saying that the Intelligence Bureau is refusing to implement caretaker Interior Minister Ziad Baroud’s order to pull security forces out of the ministry building.


Now Lebanon: http://nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=274928

Telecommunications Minister Charbel Nahhas said Thursday that Internal Security Forces (ISF) Information Branch personnel have occupied a building owned by the Telecommunications Ministry in the Adliyeh area of Beirut and are mounting a “coup” against the state’s authority.

In a press conference broadcast on OTV, Nahhas said that ISF personnel had taken over the second floor of the building and prevented his ministry’s technical teams from performing routine maintenance work.

Interior Minister Ziad Baroud was not aware of the situation and, once notified by the telecommunications minister, issued an order requiring the personnel to leave the building, Nahhas said.

He said that he visited the building on Thursday morning and encountered “400 armed personnel, military and civilian, with their weapons ready” when he tried to go up to the second floor.

He stated that these units have not left the building and are therefore rebelling against the state, accusing the ISF Directorate-General of defying the Interior Ministry’s orders.


tags: Lebanon, telecom, Ministry of Telecommunications, Ogero, MoT, Nahas, minister, Youssef, Lebanese, politics, video, youtube, image, instagram, Ogero Mobile, coup, ISF, Internal Security Force, force, Interior Ministry, Baroud, Rifi, Naharnet, Daily Star, Now Lebanon, OTV, illegal, armed, hostile, takeover, #FlipTheSwitch, #Ontornet, Flip The Switch

What do Digital ITS, Moursel, eCAMM, ePublicities, and Right Services have in common? They're all spammers -for- hire!

These companies have been sending me over 100 spam emails a day. I never subscribed or registered for their services.

Blacklist them on your servers. File them as Spam. Block their IPs (see below). Let's take them down once and for all.

If nothing else, perhaps this will discourage the many legitimate companies that are using these services to stop paying to dollar for spam-folder bound emails.

Moursel Lebanon http://www.mourselmailer.com/

MourselMailer.com is an EMail service launched in 2009 by Ourjouwan.com SARL

Moursel
Lebanon, Beirut
t - 961 1 870 123
e - info@moursel.com

Digital ITS http://www.digitalits.com/

Lebanon, Santa Maria Plaza Center, 3rd floor,
Hadath - Lebanon
Tel / Fax: +961 5 464323
Email: info@digitalits.com

eCAMM http://www.ecammnet.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi


ePublicities http://epublicities.com/


Right Services http://www.therightmail.com/index.php

Powered by Right Mail a division of Right Service ® for digital marketing
International Main Road | Louaize Center | Near Pharmacy Bennani | Louaize Baabda, LEBANON
Tel / fax : +961 5 922353 | P.O.Box : 45-120


------------------------- a few IPs to blacklist - list incomplete, please contribute ----------------------

64.120.152.5
64.120.152.6
64.120.152.7
64.120.152.8
64.120.152.9
64.191.102.5
64.191.102.6
64.191.102.7
64.191.102.8
64.191.102.9
64.191.12.165
64.191.12.166
64.191.12.167
64.191.12.168
64.191.12.169
64.191.81.149
64.191.81.150
64.191.81.151
64.191.81.152
64.191.81.153
66.197.156.149
66.197.156.150
66.197.156.151
66.197.156.152
66.197.156.153
66.197.156.154
66.197.156.155
66.197.156.156
66.197.156.157
66.197.156.158
66.197.163.5
66.197.163.6
66.197.163.7
66.197.163.8
66.197.163.9
66.197.196.37
66.197.196.38
66.197.196.39
66.197.196.40
66.197.196.41
66.197.204.213
66.197.204.214
66.197.204.215
66.197.204.216
66.197.204.217
85.234.144.111
96.9.136.82
96.9.136.83
96.9.136.84
96.9.136.85
96.9.136.86
96.9.136.87
96.9.136.89

------------------------------------------------


tags: Lebanon, spam, spammer, eCAMM, Lebanese, email, Digital ITS, Right Service, Right Mail, ePublicities, blacklist, RBL, e-mail, Moursel

Disclaimer: The notes below are provided as is from the meeting, without fact checking. These notes reflect - verbatim - the answers to the questions asked during the meeting.

• Meeting 1

• Ministry of Telecommunications

• May 12 2011

• Vision: make Lebanon the Arab World’s internet hub, building an internet ‘surplus’ (not deficit, as currently is the case), which will be sold to the Arab World

• Current Projects:
o IMEWE (done, pending signature of Ogero to launch)
o National fiber backbone, connecting major cities (in progress, started 2 months ago)
o 3G – 4G
 HSPA+ covering Lebanon
 LTE covering Beirut
 Huawei – MTC Touch
 Ericsson - Alfa
 Contracts acquired in open bidding process at half original cost of (35M USD vs 75M USD)
o International fiber links
 JADI (Jeddah, Amman, Damascus, Istanbul)
 Cadmous
 Tartous
o Local fiber
1. FTTx: made a call for requests by large institutions who need fiber now for at least 100 Mbps, only received 12 applicants!
2. FTTh: 2012

• Pricing:
o New pricing matrix has been drafted, awaiting government formation and Council of Ministers to implement
o Pricing matrix aims to reduce prices by at least 40%
o E1 pricing should come close to 600 USD
o Pricing reductions are always slowed down by the Ministry of Finance (as is currently the case, and was the case during the pricing reductions on the cellular services a couple of years ago)
o Ministry of Finance is not willing to reduce prices due to fear of loss of income that is being used to finance the public debt.
o FYI: Telecom revenues finance over 40% of the public debt

• Services:
o Planning Triply Play via new infrastructure

• Speed:
o Aiming to raise the average internet speed to 10 Mbps by end of 2011

• Privatization:
o Privatization is not in the best interest of the government, as it needs the telecom sector to continue financing its public debt.

• Law 431:
o The law is outdated, and needs to be revised, for example voice is separated from data, which is the reason behind most of the VOIP crackdown we’ve witnessed in the past few years
o The law has never been implemented fully, and thus is problematic in that it is being used by the Shura Council to selectively pass or block specific decisions

• TRA:
o Previous TRA head was at odds with MoT
o Current TRA head is working together with MoT
o TRA self-financing target not met, MoT still finances TRA

• Ogero:
o Is the execution ‘arm’ of the MoT, and thus without the cooperation of Ogero, many projects cannot be executed, including turning on the IMEWE
o Many projects, services, installations, and activities are on hold due to stalemate between Ogero and MoT
o Ogero Head is appointed by the Council of Ministers

• LBN OGERO Mobile 41505
o 2G network built with donated Huawei equipment in 2008/2009
o Operating without a license, purpose and activities unknown to MoT

• People to Talk to:
o Mr. Tony Hanna
o Dr. Chebaro
o Mr. Imad Abi Rashed

• IMEWE: yes, flipping the switch will result in immediate increase in quality of service, even if there is no government to reduce prices (need for Council of Ministers)

• MoT financing: Ministry of Finance has limited financing of MoT projects, and thus MoT is self-financing most of its new projects, seeing as it is a cashflow positive ministry

Priority Next Steps:
 Increase awareness about open call for FTTx requests for large entities needing over 100 Mbps
 Increase awareness about MoT activities, projects, vision, and mission

LBN OGERO Mobile 41505 - now that's a conspiracy theory if there ever were one




tags: ogero, mtc touch, alfa, zain, orascom, lebanon, beirut, lebanese, mobile, cell, 3G, 4G, mic1, mic2, conspiracy, photo, image, proof, network, ogero mobile

I will be scheduling meetings with:

Mr. Antoine Boustani (MoT)
Mr. Mahmoud Haidar (MoT)
Mr. Kamal Bou Farhat (MoT)
Dr. Imad Abi Rached (Ogero)
Dr. Imad Hoballah (TRA)

Regarding the prices from the MOT-Ogero to the ISPs which currently are at 2,700 USD per E1 per Month or 1,350 USD per Mbps per Month, this should be resolved by a Decree from the MOT and the Ministry of Finance; It is really a Lebanese Government initiative; You cannot blame one person or one party.

Regarding the connectivity from Lebanon to the outside, we have the cables:

1- CADMOS: 40 Gbps currently from Lebanon to Cyprus (ON)
2- IMEWE: 120 Gbps from Lebanon to France (OFF)
3- Berytar to Syria (?)
4- Terrestrial to Syria and Syria is connected to JADI and to RCN (?)

Also, the MOT has contracted recently for:
1- Fiber project of 4,000 KM of Fiber inside Lebanon to CET and Alcatel-Lucent;
2- DWDM contract to Ericsson to light up that fiber;
3- 3G contract of Alfa Mobile to Ericsson;
4- 3G contract of MTC Touch to Huawei;
5- Ongoing tender for FTTH;

The RFS date of the 3G is for July 2011; so we are technically as good as the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar but we need 20% efforts to light up all these capacities and provide them to the end user at good rates.

Post all your questions here.

from: Flip The Switch Group: http://on.fb.me/FlipTheSwitchGroup

tags: Communicate Magazine, Lebanon, Levant, Beirut, Blogging Beirut, Internet, Fast Lebanon, Flip The Switch, Ontornet

NOTE: we are not affiliated or related to these videos or their creators in any way

tags: anonymous, lebanon, beirut, #fastlebanon, fast lebanon, internet, lebanese, cedarcom, mobi, youtube, video, clip

(updated with a screenshot of personal threats to members of the Flip The Switch Group - see end of post after jump)

(our commenting system is broken, so many comments oftentimes don't show [no your comment was not deleted] - to see the latest comments, just check the middle sidebar for "Recent Comments")

(updated with more screenshots at bottom of post - new developments and personal attacks)

It all started with the Flip The Switch campaign, calling for a demonstration to turn on the IMEWE dark fiber cable that would immediate boost Lebanon's internet access by 200x.

Alongside this campaign, two other campaigns flourished:

#Ontornet & #FastLebanon

#Ontornet is run by respected, neutral people in the Twitterverse. Their objectives are: research, share, create awareness, build momentum, trigger mass reactions to build pressure to implement fast internet & monitor

#FastLebanon on the other hand has proven to be very sinister, here's my story with them:

Upon creating the #FlipTheSwitch campaign, I was approached by #FastLebanon repeatedly to join their cause. They insisted that I join their ranks, and support their 20,000+ strong Facebook community. Naturally, I was skeptical, as #FastLebanon was spending thousands of dollars on their campaign, participating in high profile conferences like ArabNet, and would not divulge their sources of funding, or the identity of their leaders, even after repeated requests for more information. Something just felt wrong, so I chose to hold off on working with them, even though I "Like"d their Facebook page.

Shortly thereafter, I began receiving Facebook messages from them insisting that I join their ranks, and that they knew my friends, etc. I did not respond, as I found them to be too aggressive for my taste, particularly the referencing of friends and whatnot. (screenshot below)



Within a couple of days I received a threatening message from them in BOLD letters: "You didn't REPLY back" to which naturally I did not respond, that's just rude!

And that's when things got really ugly... on Sunday, considered quiet family day Lebanese, at 5:02 PM I received a phone call from an unknown number... continued after the jump...

Continue reading "Fast Lebanon Campaign Practicing Coercion and Suppression (UPDATED)"

Assets:

http://on.fb.me/FlipTheSwitchGroup facebook group: for planning

http://on.fb.me/FlipTheSwitchPage facebook page: for visibility (search engine indexable)

http://on.fb.me/FlipTheSwitchEvent facebook event: the event itself

Hashtag: #fliptheswitch

We are calling for a Mass Demonstration (day, time, location TBD).

1. In light of the fact that Lebanon HAS the capacity to increase its Internet capacity by 100x with the flip of a switch. http://imewecable.com/
...
2. In light of the fact that this increased Internet capacity has been paid for and has been available since 2009. http://imewecable.com/

3. In light of the fact that political bickering is the ONLY reason this fast Internet switch has not been flipped.

4. In light of the fact that this constant and continuous political bickering has pushed Lebanon to the bottom of the 'connected' countries list.

5. In light of the fact that slow Internet services have made us regionally uncompetitive, falling significantly behind both Syria & Jordan.

6. In light of the fact that slow Internet has negatively impacted economic growth and limited diversification away from banking, tourism & real-estate.

5. In light of the fact that slow Internet services and high costs are in the Top 5 most talked about topics in Lebanon.

6. In light of the fact that all previous - non-demonstration - efforts, including petitions & lobbying have failed.

We are calling for a Mass Demonstration ... day, time, and location to be announced!

We own the fiber, our tax dollars have paid for it, why not demonstrate to get access to it?

Telecom Law 431 / 2002 - Law 431, or the Telecommunications Law as it is often referred to, was issued in 2002 to provide the framework for governing the organization of the telecommunications services sector and to set the rules for its transfer to the private sector.

UPDATE: after a thorough investigation on all levels, including MOT, TRA, Ogero et al, here are our findings:

CONFIRMED: Originally, under X-Ministry of Telecom (MOT), the X-MOT mandated Ogero to negotiate and sign on the participation in the IMEWE cable (there are multiple partners along the path of the fiber cable), providing Ogero with X millions of dollars to exercise for this purpose

CONFIRMED: Ogero complied with the X-MOT's request and negotiated and signed accordingly, then executed as per its mandate the installation of the IMEWE cable

CONFIRMED: The IMEWE cable is in place and all the necessary equipment is installed and has been paid for by the X-MOT through Ogero

CONFIRMED: As the MOT changed hands, a problem arose. Previously, the X-MOT & Ogero were all of the same camp. This facilitated the participation in the IMEWE cable, and is considered the reason why the cable lands in Tripoli rather than Beirut

CONFIRMED: However, now that Ogero and the Y-MOT are of different camps, the Y-MOT has decided that Ogero - which is mandated as per the partially implemented Law 431 to only operate the infrastructure - should not be responsible for negotiating the contract for the Tier 1 bandwidth that would 'LIGHT UP' the dark fiber IMEWE

CONFIRMED: The Y-MOT believes that Ogero had already gone beyond its mandate when it accepted to negotiate Lebanon's participation in the IMEWE cable

CONFIRMED: The signature on the IMEWE cable reads Ogero, not MOT

CONFIRMED: So the Y-MOT decided that it will negotiate the Tier 1 bandwidth, and upon signing the contract submit it to Ogero for execution and operation, as per Ogero's mandate in Law 431

CONFIRMED: However, Ogero has so far been adamant that it should retain its position as administrator (negotiator and signatory), rather than become relegated to just operations

FACT: Ogero is fully financed by the Lebanese government through the MOT

PARTIALLY-CONFIRMED: Since Ogero was the original signatory on the IMEWE cable, and because in effect it will be operating the cable, it has so far successfully blocked the Y-MOT from buying Tier 1 bandwidth to #FlipTheSwitch and 'LIGHT UP' the dark fiber – This is PROBLEMATIC as it begs the question: How can Ogero block the Y-MOT?

NOT-CONFIRMED: The contract for Tier 1 bandwith HAS been negotiated (by the Y-MOT) but not signed or fulfilled due to the stalemate between Ogero and the Y-MOT

NOT-CONFIRMED: The (recently in the news) Y-MOT's decision to stop financing Ogero is directly linked to the stalemate between Ogero and the Y-MOT over the IMEWE and other telecom upgrades / changes

SUMMARY: Ogero & the Y-MOT are at a stalemate over who will negotiate the Tier 1 bandwidth contract

FACT: Law 431 is the one law that rules them all. It has not yet been fully implemented.

#FlipTheSwitch is a campaign focused only on lighting up Lebanon's (currently dark) IMEWE fiber optic cable. Turning the IMEWE on would increase Lebanon's Internet capacity by 200x overnight. This is a direct action campaign with one and only one purpose, #FlipTheSwitch. This campaign does not concern itself with how it is done, or who does it, be it public sector or private sector, as long as it is done.

#Ontornet is a movement that aims to increase awareness about the state of the Internet in Lebanon, the reasons behind this state, and to hold those responsible for its current state accountable for their words and actions

#FastLebanon is a campaign funded by the private industry

Telecom Law 431 / 2002 - Law 431, or the Telecommunications Law as it is often referred to, was issued in 2002 to provide the framework for governing the organization of the telecommunications services sector and to set the rules for its transfer to the private sector.

OntorNet just released this cool video:




Flip The Switch Group just crossed 1100 members, and over 4000 invitees to the planning session for the upcoming demonstration!

A draft Mission Statement has been crowdsourced, and the discussions in the group have provided all members with great insight on the issues at hand, and the need to demonstrate for actionable items in the short term, while we lobby for the implementation of Law 431 in the long term.


previous post on #FlipTheSwitch campaign can be found here: >>> click


tags: lebanon, internet, imewe, fiber, submarine, cable, dark fiber, flip the switch, #fliptheswitch, beirut, lebanese, ogero, mot, tra, #ontornet, video, clip, youtube, Facebook, group, demonstration, protest, planning

of the hundreds of products labeled "Made in Lebanon" this is one of the few that is globally competitive...

Sarab, the interactive web comic, is an original Web 2.0 Startup that allows the reader (yes that's YOU) to decide what Sarab (the hero) does next.

In short, You Vote, We Draw!

So what are you waiting for, click on the link below to begin your journey in Thalamus, the world of Sarab.



tags: Sarab, web comic, bd, comic, manga, anime, Lebanese, Lebanon, Made in Lebanon, illustration, interactive, Thalamus, Web 2.0, startup, Seeqnce

I really can't tell the loud convoys apart...



tags: #unitelb, Lebanon, secular, sectarian, politics, government, political, convoy, loud, music, revolution, Lebanese, downtown, Beirut

Now this is a campaign I can support :)

On the occasion of EARTH HOUR, and for the 3rd consecutive year, Radio One has Shut down its transmitters for one whole hour, on Saturday March 26, from 20:30, till 21:30.



tags: Lebanon, radio, Radio One, Lebanese, Earth Hour, environment, support

PROPERTY OF BloggingBeirut.com

video taken in Batroun, North of Beirut, Lebanon, at the Old Phoeniciaon Wall which dates back to 2000 BC
taken on January 13, 2007

-finkployd- all rights reserved to Bloggingbeirut.com

PROPERTY OF BloggingBeirut.com

video taken in Batroun, North of Beirut, Lebanon, at the Old Phoeniciaon Wall which dates back to 2000 BC
taken on January 13, 2007

-finkployd- all rights reserved to Bloggingbeirut.com

Twitter Hashtag: #FlipTheSwitch

Perhaps we're the first to call for it, but surely not the first to think about it...

We are calling for a Mass Demonstration on April 17 at 10 AM at the root of the SOLUTION, at the IMEWE Internet Cable Trunk in Tripoli, North Lebanon.

1. In light of the fact that Lebanon HAS the capacity to increase its Internet capacity by 100x with the flip of a switch. (link)

2. In light of the fact that this increased Internet capacity has been paid for and has been available since 2009. (link)

3. In light of the fact that political bickering is the ONLY reason this fast Internet switch has not been flipped.

4. In light of the fact that this constant and continuous political bickering has pushed Lebanon to the bottom of the 'connected' countries list.



5. In light of the fact that slow Internet services have made us regionally uncompetitive, falling significantly behind both Syria & Jordan.

6. In light of the fact that slow Internet has negatively impacted economic growth and limited diversification away from banking, tourism & real-estate.

5. In light of the fact that slow Internet services and high costs are in the Top 5 most talked about topics in Lebanon.

6. In light of the fact that all previous - non-demonstration - efforts, including petitions & lobbying have failed.

We are calling for a Mass Demonstration on April 17 at 10 AM at the root of the SOLUTION, at the IMEWE Internet Cable Trunk in Tripoli, North Lebanon, where Lebanon IS connected to the rest of the world at 100x the current Internet capacity.

We own the fiber, our tax dollars have paid for it, why not demonstrate to get access to it?

Twitter Hashtag: #FlipTheSwitch



tags: twitter, IMEWE, Lebanon, Beirut, Tripoli, Internet, speed, download, upload, cable, fiber, demonstration, revolution, Lebanese, capacity, connection, #fliptheswitch, fliptheswitch, flip the switch

This just popped up on Twitter:



Perhaps someone should ticket him?

Or, just give him one of these.


tags: Lebanon, Beirut, Sin El Fil, Horsh Tabet, Habtoor, police, car, vehicle, Lebanese, highway, road, street, double parked, illegal, corruption, law, ticket, traffic, backed up, chaos, government, parking, park, blocking

a little effort goes a long way, we've convinced the Grow My Business competition to waive their 100 USD application fee! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? apply apply apply (Steve Ballmer style)

http://www.growmybusiness.me/grow.html


The Competition

Grow My Business is a joint initiative between Beirut Traders Association, MIT Enterprise Forum – Pan Arab Region and Bank Audi. Its primary objective is to encourage owners of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to add value to the economy by taking their businesses to the next level and, ultimately, creating more jobs and income generation. It provides Lebanese SMEs and start-ups with the proper platform to upgrade their business through expansion, merger, acquisition, export, or introducing a new line of product/services.


Continue reading "Grow My Business Competition Fee Waived!"

tags: Lebanon, mountain, Beit Mery, Brummana, snow, Sannine, ski, pine forest, snoubar, canyon, blue sky, sunny day, photo, image, picture, Mount Lebanon

ReBlog: I ♥ #Jan25 Stickers Campaign just launched on Jan25.tv, see below.

Support the popular uprising in Egypt, print & post I ♥ #Jan25 stickers in your city.

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Download the PDF (designed for A4 paper) (click image below for PDF)


• Print it in color on sticker paper, cut (3 per A4)


• Post up in high profile public places in your city


• Take a picture of the sticker-in-place


• Tweet it on Twitter (hashtag #Jan25) OR just email it to us [admin -at- jan25 (dot) tv] and we'll publish it through social and mainstream media channels for global visibility
  
  

This campaign style spread support for Beirut during the 2006 Israeli war on Lebanon via I ♥ Beirut stickers. The stickers appeared in over 5 continents, 30 cities, dozens of mainstream media mentions, to an audience in the millions.

click here to see I ♥ Beirut Campaign photos


tags: Egypt, Cairo, Suez, Alexandria, January 25, #jan25, #sidibouzid, #tunisia, popular uprising, revolt, revolution, Mubarak, president, I Love Beirut, I Heart beirut, social media, mainstream media, sticker, campaign, support

to all community leaders in the blog, twitter, facebook worlds of Lebanon, please register and attend this to help shape Lebanese government policy on ICT (this is a focus group for social media leaders)

You are cordially invited to attend a special focus group meeting on "Internet and Connectivity Issues in Lebanon".

As our country is going through a transition and forming a new government, the time is opportune to discuss these issues with government representatives.

As bloggers, twitterati, facebookers, and interested stakeholders, we can together perhaps shape tomorrow's policy decisions by sharing our views and having an open and frank discussion with my guest speaker, Mrs. Salam Yamout.

Mrs. Yamout is the National ICT Strategy Coordinator at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. I would appreciate, if you could send me ahead of time and in bullet points format, the issues that you like to discuss so I can organize the meeting and manage the scarce time we have.

Register here: http://policymakingsm.eventbrite.com/

http://blog.seeqnce.com/post/2937840162/policymaking-internet-connectivity-issues-in-lebanon

tags: lebanon, ict, government, council of minister, salam yamout, seeqnce, focus group, social media, policymaking, policy, lebanese, beirut

Beirut, 06 Jan 11, 16:52 - Original Source Naharnet

Over 300 young men and women answered the calls of Save Beirut Heritage and braved the rain Wednesday night to join hands with Gemmayzeh locals to pay a last homage to their beloved 'Café Gemmayzeh', better known as Glass Café.
The youth movement Save Beirut Heritage started the ceremony with a speech expressing their anger and sadness over the disappearance of the historic Lebanese landmark. The speech was then followed by a short movie by Sarah Gharzeddine.

It was a symbolic funeral, a safe space where Lebanese citizens, café regulars and its long-time employees decried the loss of a space that holds within its walls so much of their common history.

Then followed a musical concert where the youth, through their music, also expressed regret over the loss of their city's heritage.

Save Beirut Heritage stressed: "We are all to blame for the loss of our cultural heritage."


Continue reading "Goodbye Glass Café - Naharnet"

No-shave November? Why shave December? Sherif will grow his beards up until December 24. He is doing this to gather gifts and donations to make this Christmas worth while for many children at the Home of Hope, a Lebanese orphanage.

You can help:
1) donate gifts or donations by calling 03/082338.
2) grow your beard and get donations! To participate, call 03/082338.

What's next?

On Christmas Day, Sherif will color their beards white and go to the orphanage to distribute the gifts.

Merry Christmas!

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=152688834775074

tags: Lebanon, Lebanese, Sherif Maktabi, Christmas, Xmas, Beirut, orphans, orphanage, Santa Claus, beard, shave, white, photo, pic, image, donate, gift, present, giving, give, December, Facebook, event, activity

http://williamchoukeir.posterous.com/

raising the curtains and revealing all my private notes

behind a password I have more than 100 personal notes, thoughts, and ideas.

a while back I asked myself: 'what am I doing keeping all these notes to myself?'

the only answer I could think of is this: 'society hones us to keep our lives private so we can feel secure.' but is it true? what I feel is that the more private my life is, the more afraid I am.

and so I'm raising the curtains and revealing all my past and future 'private' notes with you.

the date is 14 December, 2010.
that's next Tuesday.

you don't have to remember the date, just follow this posterous and you'll automatically get everything by email (or RSS).

please share with everyone you know so they could all benefit, and together make this a more open world.

yours, will

twitter: @williamchoukeir

P.S: sneak peak of coming topics:

how do you create a culture of spirituality with minimal effort?
how is a mountain a problem? ...sometimes.
do business cards really work? or do they actually sabotage connecting?
how stardom & influence can be a good thing?
how food compensates for undone projects?
how we ran animals to death + how that's related to laziness?
how being too careful in your communication is a bad thing?
how lack of self-esteem is like standing in the face of a stampede?
why spend $6000 on a TED conference when you can watch it online for free?
how do you unleash the creative beast without using your brains? and how do you do that when brainstorming collectively? 2 vital rules.
'no-problem' is strong because you remove the problem out of the problem.
iPhone 4 sales page dissected.
how did apple get real fans to help her take iPhone viral?
Why do people enjoy watching others suffer?
how religions are the same as Apple, Nike, and the like?
how and why do we cause our own bodies to get sick?
how to stop pretending and filtering?
instead of saying I can’t, say I won’t.
how miracles lie in the comfort zone?
Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake

http://williamchoukeir.posterous.com/


tags: William Choukeir, Lebanon, Lebanese, blog, privacy, personal, notes

and the storm persists....



tags: Faraya, Kfardebian, Lebanon, mountain, snow, storm, pic, picture, photo, image

Cedars



Faraya



tags: Lebanon, snow, Faraya, Kfardebian, Cedars, 2010, picture, photo, image, mountain, webcam, Mediterranean, Levant, Liban

Today Johnny Walker named Bernard Khoury a Giant...

I attended the event, which was awash with blue and gold label walkers, suits and skirts, and of course The Yellow Monkey.

A successfully executed event by any measure, but most notably, and predictably, the star of the show was Bernard Khoury... actually, it wasn't Bernard or his creations, surreal as they may be, but rather his spirit. Rarely do I see men make non-self-congratulatory statements during their moments of fame. He said little about walker and walking, choosing to focus more on the role of architecture in life, in shaping lifestyles, and the quality of life. He warned his audience that the lack of planning, oversight, respect (cultural, environmental, etc), and plain simple common sense is going to be the end of Lebanon as we know it.

So perhaps Bernard Khoury is a Giant, at least I'd like to believe that his spirit is, as we need a Giant spirit to take on the [mindless architects] of this country before we lose ourselves amidst grey boxes.

truly inspirational Bernard Khoury 'story' videos here: http://www.KeepWalkingLebanon.com









tags: Bernard Khoury, Johnny Walker, Giants, Keep Walking, Lebanon, Beirut, architecture, Lebanese, BO18, B018, photo, image, picture, event

On Saturday November 27th 2010, Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) Lebanon 2010 came to a grand finale with the biggest entrepreneurship party to ever take place in Lebanon, the GEW Small Wins & Ecosystem Party, aka GEW Party, hosted by Seeqnce.

An Entrepreneurship Community is born. Roughly 200 entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders, professionals, designers, developers, hackers, and artists, men and women equally, came down on Karaj, the Arts and Technology Lab turned GEW Party Arena, to mingle and chat free of any formalities: no speeches, no suits, no ties, no walls plastered with sponsors’ logos. Good food and drinks aplenty, thanks to our generous sponsors Element^N / Apstrata, Dewars, Almaza, Kefraya, and Red Bull, ensured a chill environment devoid of obstacles to communication.

To further mix things up, instead of industry leaders & investors making oratory speeches, young entrepreneurs took to a make-shift pedestal to tell their ‘Small Wins (and Failures) Stories’:


Continue reading "a Community is Born in the Throes of a Party (reblog)"

The Institute for War and Peace would like to invite you to apply to a Grant Competition for Investigative Reporting.

IWPR is offering grants for young journalists interested in investigative stories on local governance, transparency and municipal politics in Lebanon to encourage local and national media to dig deeper and to hold local politicians accountable.

IWPR wants to give a group of you the chance to work on an investigate story of your choice.

To qualify for the grant, please submit the story idea you want to pursue along with a research outline and a brief CV summarizing your background.

Please send your submission to:

grant [at] no2at3al7ourouf [dot] com

iwpr.beirut [at] gmail [dot] com

for more about the project, kindly visit www.no2at3al7ourouf.com

The Institute for War and Peace Reporting
01- 387 557
www.iwpr.net

Register NOW (it's free!) http://GEWparty.eventbrite.com

What?
On November 27 2010, 9 PM at Karaj (Arts & Technology Lab) in Mar Mikhael Gemmayze, we will all come together informally - no suits and ties - for Global Entrepreneurship Week Lebanon's final curtain call, the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) Small Wins & Ecosystem Party.

Why?
The purpose of this party - not that parties ever needed purposes - is to celebrate our spectacularly successful Collaboration & Partnership - the coming together of an Entrepreneurship Ecosystem.

How?
Reintroducing ourselves without the formalities, without hierarchies, without labels or titles, and surely without the suits in which we uphold all these social norms, in other words turning the fledgling bonds of Partnership into strong bonds of Friendship that last and accelerate the growth of the Ecosystem.

Who?
Invited are all of the following:

- Entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs, with a special invite going out to all those who attended / will attend GEW events, including this past weekend's Startup Battle and all events listed on this agenda: http://www.gewlebanon.org/calendar/

- NGOs / NPOs that support the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem

- Investors, VCs, and Fund Managers

- Seasoned Entrepreneurs and businessmen

- GEW Partners, of course!

- All individuals and organizations that support, engage, facilitate, empower, (splice in another adjective here) the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem

When?
Saturday November 27 2010 at 9 PM

Where?
Karaj [Arts & Technology Lab] in Mar Mikhael, Beirut, Lebanon ( http://www.karajbeirut.org/ )

Program
This event is mostly ad hoc focused on good tunes, drinks, grub, mingling, chitchat, and having a 'jolly good time', but will include informal activities such as Open Mic sessions for 30 second Small Wins stories.

Hosted by Seeqnce [http://www.Seeqnce.com]
Seeqnce is a Startup Catalyst for the Arab World
Seeqnce manages an enhanced ecosystem of entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, advisors, consultants, and partners, in which it applies culturally-adapted best practices of seed-stage enablers like Y Combinator, Founder Institute, and Plug & Play, to kickstart and accelerate Arab World web startups from inception through execution to deployment, launch, funding, & growth.

GEW Lebanon 2010 Partners
AMIDEAST, AUB, Riyada, Berytech, Cedrus Ventures, Hibr, Lebanon Executive, Push magazine, AllWorld Network, MEVP, University of Balamand, LAU, MIT Arab Business Plan Competition, Bader, Potential, CISCO, Yallastartup!, LLWB, DevineMedia.me, YAWE, RootSpace, SMEXbeirut, Beyond Reform & Development, & Seeqnce.

REGISTRATION (it's a free)
Register Now! to secure your Ecosystem Pass to the GEW Small Wins & Ecosystem Party. Due to the limitations of the space, the Ecosystem Party has a registrations cap, so hurry up and register before it's too late!

link to register: http://GEWparty.eventbrite.com

It's an iPhone, iPod, iPad application that costs 6.99 USD, is listed in the official Apple marketplace, sanctioned and verified by Apple.

It's an iPhone, iPod, iPad application by Double U SAL [aka DoubleU S.A.L] (a company operating in Lebanon) using a confidential / 'secure' / private government (Lebanon) database.

It's an iPhone, iPod, iPad application that gives the user access to all the personal / private information of any mobile number owner or registered vehicle owner in Lebanon, including:

First Name
Father's Name
Last Name
Marital Status
Full Home Address
Financial Debt Status
Fixed Landine Numbers
Spouse's Name
and lot's more

According to Dr. Toni Issa, Lawyer and President of the IT Committee for the Beirut Bar Association, the release of these databases to a third party (by the Interior Ministry) is against the law. Furthermore, copying or stealing databases is a direct violation of the Lebanese Penal Code. The only people who can legally solicit this information are the police or judicial authorities. Any kind of usage of this information is strictly illegal. Moreover, the use of the information violates intellectual property and consumer protection laws.

Apple is reaping quite a profit from this application, at 30% margin, they don't seem to mind that this application breaks so many local and international laws. It's easy to turn a blind eye to rape when you're being paid off handsomely.

As for Double U SAL, these applications are based off of illegally acquired government (Interior Ministry) databases. The fact that a company, registered in Lebanon, can publish an application in the open (public Apple iTunes App Store), make a handsome profit off of it, get mentioned in local newspapers, and still be operating freely, goes to show you the absurd level of corruption in the government of Lebanon.

The applications:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lebanon-directory/id389756749?mt=8

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lebanon-cars-directory/id394077287?mt=8


This blog post is a call out to all privacy advocates in Lebanon and around the world.

Please repost this message on all your blogs, your newspapers, your magazines, your forums, tell your mothers, your grandmothers, your brothers, your fathers, let your politicians, your mayors, your lawyers know.

We cannot sit idly by while our private information is sold on the open market, with the approval of Apple and the indifference of the Lebanese Government.

More information about the company, Double U SAL:

Ziad Salameh
DoubleU S.A.L
81St. George Bld. - Maarad Str.
Nejmeh Square ,
Beirut, Downtown, Beirut 00961
Lebanon

(961) 198-8883

Domain Name: UUAPPS.COM
Created on: 04-Mar-10

Double U SAL is also known as DoubleU S.A.L


UPDATE 1

To all iPhone, iPad, iPod users, please report these applications to Apple, using the following process:

1. Load the App Store

2. Search for "Lebanon Directory"

3. Select any of the following apps:

> Lebanon Directory
> Lebanon Cars Directory

4. Click on the "Report a Problem" link in the top right corner

5. Select either:

> This application is offensive
> My concern is not listed here

6. Enter your Comments, something along the lines of "This application uses a stolen database of confidential personal records from the Interior Ministry of Lebanon. The use of the database outside of the Ministry is illegal. The possession of this data by a non-government agency is illegal."

7. Click the blue Report button in the top right corner


UPDATE 2

A tip came in about the source of the data on these apps. It seems all the data resides on this website:

http://www.mulhak.com

The website appears to be "unused" / "offline"

However, if you use this query:

http://mulhak.com/phonebook.aspx?number=03######

you can see the results for any phone number in Lebanon.

This query can be executed by anyone, at no cost, and without any authentication!

The database of all of Lebanon's phone and car records, including all of your personal information is available unsecured for the whole web to harvest!

The owner of Mulhak.com is:

DoubleU
Nader Tfaili
81St. George Bld. - Maarad Str. Nejmeh Square
Beirut, Downtown 961
LB
Phone: +1.9611999199
Created on..............: 2009-05-04


UPDATE 3

Seems the guys at Mulhak have noticed the buzz around their illegal activities, and have proceeded to shut down their service.


UPDATE 4

Just received a tip-off on a Facebook App that makes use of the same illegal phone number database [stolen from the Interior Ministry of Lebanon]. The name of the app is LebTell, and can be found at this link:

http://apps.facebook.com/lebtell/

To report this illegal app to Facebook:

1. Please click on the above link, scroll to the bottom and click on the lower left hand corner link that says "Report/Contact this Application"

2. If you are not logged in you will be asked to log into Facebook

3. Click on "Report Lebtel if you believe it has violated the Facebook Terms", and then click Continue

4. Select "Data / Privacy Violation" in the Violation box

5. In the Summary: Write something along the lines of "this application uses illegally data"

6. In the "Description & Steps to Reproduce", write something like: this application makes use of the confidential / private database of the Interior Ministry of Lebanon of the people of Lebanon. This database is not for public use, and is an internal database compiled by the Government of Lebanon. The database consists of all phone number owners in Lebanon, mobile and fixed lines, and includes full home addresses and details about the owners that are confidential. This application is in clear violation of Lebanese and International IP and Privacy laws.

7. in the "Violation URL" enter "http://apps.facebook.com/lebtell/"

8. Click on "I understand and agree that the information I am submitting may be used by Facebook to investigate or otherwise act upon a potential violation of policy, including but not limited to passing this information and any uploaded files to the developer of the reported application. I also affirm that I have verified this information to the best of my knowledge and am not intentionally submitting false information."

DO NOT CLICK ON THE "I would like a copy of this report to be sent to the developer of the application."

9. Click on "Report Application"


UPDATE 5

Another iTunes App Store app tip came in:

"Lebanon Directory+" from MT2 / Libancall, it's worse than DoubleU

http://itunes.apple.com/ae/app/lebanon-directory/id399776921?mt=8

It allows people to do the same as DoubleU + allows you even to type a name and get the phone number.

Yet another to report to Apple.


UPDATE 6

The creater of LebTel (the aforementioned Facebook App) has apologized, and assured us that the LebTel is no longer functional (not returning results).


UPDATE 7

The spotlight is back on Apple. Just got a tip that this is the second e-mail person X received from Apple, but no action is taken - just empty words. Is Apple turning a blind eye to illegal iTunes App Store apps to avoid losing its 30% margin? Is Apple complicit in the invasion of privacy of every person in The Republic of Lebanon? After all the 'raison d'etre' of corporations is to increase profits...

Hello,

My name is Jim from iTunes and I will be glad to assist you.

I understand that you want us to remove some applications from the iTunes Store as the are violating people's privacy.

I'm currently waiting to hear back from the department that is taking a look at this issue, so the second I have more information about this I'll contact you immediately.

Thank you so much for all of your continued patience!

Sincerely,

Jim

iTunes Store Senior Advisor

UPDATE 8

LebTel (the aforementioned Facebook App) is back online and up to no good - what's up Rony Fadel, why the backtracking on your apology and promise? @ronyfadel


UPDATE 9

Commerce du Levant picks up on this story with:

Nom, adresse, téléphone.... des milliers de données personnelles commercialisées sur le web libanais


UPDATE 10

L'Orient le Jour picks up on this story with:

Économie - Nom, adresse, téléphone...l


UPDATE 11

Things are not well at 1 Infinite Loop [Apple HQ]. I've just received the follow-up to our reader's correspondence with Apple on the illegal iPhone app report. Apple has now officially crossed the line as they can no longer play the "we did not know" wildcard with this response. What surprises me most is the statement "None of the Apps violate any of Apple's policies.", which begs the question, if a confidential database, stolen from the Government of Lebanon, being peddled on the Apple iTunes App Store for profit is not a violation of any of Apple's policies, what kind of immoral and evil corporation is Apple?

From: iTunes Store
Date: Monday, November 8, 2010
Subject: Re: App Store and iBooks; Follow-up:
To:

Dear HAL,

None of the Apps violate any of Apple's policies. You can contact the
developer(s) of those Applications as Apple is the third party in this
case.

If you find that there is an application on the App Store that is
infringing your rights, or violating people's privacy, please contact
our legal team at to work with them on
this matter.

Please send them a link (or links) to the content as it appears in the
App Store. You can send links by control-clicking (right-click on a
PC) on the App Title in the iTunes Store and choosing, "Copy Link"
from the pop-up menu. You can then paste the URL link to the disputed
app directly into the body of the email. In addition to the links,
please provide the following items:

- A representation, under penalty of perjury, that you are or that you
represent the authorized rights holder of the rights infringed by the
app
- A description of the rights infringed, and by which aspect of the app
- Your contact information

Your concerns will be forwarded to the developer so that they may
respond appropriately.

Best regards.

Sincerely,

Jim
iTunes Store Senior Advisor
http://www.apple.com/support/itunes/ww/

I work Sun-Wed 7AM-6PM PST. California

tags: DoubleU S.A.L, Double U SAL, Lebanon, Lebanese, Apple, iPhone, iPad, iPod, iTunes, App Store, App, application, Car Plate Directory, Mobile Directory, Lebanon Directory, illegal, privacy, data, database, Ministry of Interior, Interior Ministry, corruption, Ziad Salameh, uuapps, mulhak, Nader Tfaili, LebTell, LebTel, Rony Fadel, @ronyfadel

Blogging Beirut sets Lebanon / Levant records:

Most visited / popular Blog in Lebanon / Levant

over 80 million hits

over 20 million pageviews

over 4 million unique IPs

over 5 terabytes of data served


Oldest continuously active Blog in Lebanon / Levant

February 2005 to Present Day = 5.5 years, that's like 50 in Internet years


Highest number of blog posts / comments in Lebanon / Levant

1440 blog posts

over 5000 comments


Thank you all for making this possible :)


stats after the jump



Continue reading "Blogging Beirut sets Lebanon / Levant blog record with 80 million hits"

Here's a comprehensive review / assessment of the newly launched Librarie Antoine e-commerce portal - by Fadi Bizri

It's a well made website. There's a lot of information, but I don't feel lost and quickly understand what each part of the site does.

The shopping cart on the top right is clear and standard, so felt comfortable with it. I wasn't able to remove items from my wishlist though.

One comment I would make is that the Antoine logo on the left attracts too much attention, and it makes the central panel feel smaller and cramped even though it's already more than 900px wide.

The synopsis of certain books is also too small. Also, if I am on a page other than the home page, and I move the mouse to the top left to click on AntoineOnline so that I return home, the "books" and "dvd" dropdowns always show and that can be annoying.

Also, some book and DVD images are badly shrunk, and so look grainy or unclear.

Good use of social media. Every entry has Facebook like and a Tweet button, without them being overwhelming.

Finally, I would put the "Most Popular Review" box higher because it's interesting to read.

All in all though, a good website.

Yes, we are 10 years behind Amazon, but this is where they started, so it's a good place to start: Antoine Online you have our support :)



Continue reading "Amazon meet Antoine Online"

GeekFest Beirut is tomorrow! It’s at Plum bar in Monot – Beirut (put these coordinates 33.891597,35.507448 on http://maps.google.com), we gather at 7:30pm and the event starts at 8pm sharp. Oh and there is are 2 parkings facing it, which is great!

We have quite a list of speakers, but don’t worry, they’re gonna be very short (some for only 2 minutes), they’re diverse and for sure you will find really interesting info there and hopefully learn something new about the technology or the stuff that are happening nowadays.

- Sarah Karam – GoNabit & e-commerce

- Cyril – Antoine Online : web development / online purchasing

- Wisam Badine and Avo Sarafian – Eastline Marketing: Augmented Reality Marketing

- Lynn Bizri - Night collective: photography

- Gino Raidy - AUB Bloggers convention: blogging

- Octavia Nasr – Bridges Media Consulting: Social Media

- Naeema Zarif – Yalla Startup Weekend

- Shankaboot – Web series

- Samer Karam - Announcing new project to be live blogged

Just make sure you stick around till the end of the talks ’cause our nice speakers are giving away really cool gifts, and then the music will be ON again and we will continue our evening having fun! There is plenty of booz*!

http://www.geekfestbeirut.com

Call for submissions for the first facade projection project in Lebanon and the Middle East.
The event is a non-profit, non-commercial urban art installation and will be showcased for 6 days during the xmas and new year period in Martyrs' square.

See this teaser for more info: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsDdQvQf6K0

Continue reading "Call for submissions - Urban Facade Animotion"

Mark your calendars and REGISTER NOW!

Startup Weekend arrives to the Arab World on the weekend of November 12th 2010. Register Now for a 25$ discount (see below for details):

Register at:

http://yallastartupweekend2010.eventbrite.com/


Register before September 30th to get the 25$ discount.

A separate 20% discount will be made available for the first 10 who send an e-mail to startupweekend@seeqnce.com


Countries included (but not limited to): Lebanon, Syria & Jordan
Cost: No more than 100 USD for Professionals & 50 USD for Students (discounts and early bird specials available)
* When: November 12-14


Startup Weekend Lebanon is organized by YallaStartup!

Seeqnce supports Startup Weekend as a Community Partner.


What is Startup Weekend?

Startup Weekend recruits a highly motivated group of developers, business managers, startup enthusiasts, marketing gurus, graphic artists and more to a 54 hour event that builds communities, companies and projects. It is an amazing opportunity to connect with other passionate and skilled individuals, and perhaps even find a co-founder or two to transform your idea into reality.

Startup Weeked doesn’t have to teach entrepreneurship in a boring classroom setting, we model it in a fun, interactive, and results driven way. As a result, we have become one of the leading catalysts for startup creation, co-founder dating, and entrepreneurship education in startup ecosystems around the world.

There is currently representation in over 100 cities in over 25 countries for Startup Weekend, and being a resource strapped, bootstrapping startup ourselves, we’ve had to stop counting there. Up to may 2010, we have helped educate over 15,000 entrepreneurs at over 115 events, and launched over 560 new startup ventures. In 2010, we will have at least 60 events around the world, and our goal is 100 for 2011.



Continue reading "Startup Weekend comes to Lebanon!"