Gigaset will launch a touchscreen home phone in the UAE this month. Courtesy Gigaset Communications
Gigaset will launch a touchscreen home phone in the UAE this month. Courtesy Gigaset Communications

Morning fridge, how are you today?



For an example of how prevalent touchscreens have become, it is worth a click - or tap - on the YouTube hit titled "A magazine is an iPad that does not work."

The video, which has been viewed more than 3.5 million times, shows a baby prodding a magazine, seemingly frustrated that its printed pages do not move like they would on a tablet. Multi-touch gestures, popularised by Apple devices, are apparently so intuitive that they are second nature even to a one-year-old child.

While mobile phones and tablets may have brought the touchscreen to the masses, more and more devices are now incorporating such technology. These include touchscreen dining tables, high-tech watches and even home appliances.

Samsung makes a fridge with a 8-inch touchscreen, which supports apps to display pictures, access recipes or get the latest weather.

Gigaset, the German phone manufacturer, recently announced in Dubai the launch of a touchscreen home phone. The Dh699 (US$190) handset, due for launch in the UAE this month, has full touch operation, an 8.1cm screen, and some of the features you would expect of a smartphone, such as an address book and Bluetooth. Consumers accustomed to the iPhone-style interface want the same experience at home, says Hassan Palandonken, the regional vice president of sales at Gigaset Communications.

Mr Palandonken says the phone is the first of a series of touchscreen devices Gigaset is producing.

"Home automation, home security will be the next series we will look at," he says.

Future devices are likely to support applications such as those available on Google's Android store, he adds.

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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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Best movie: Avatar

Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy

Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

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Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
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Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
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