Kodak used to advertise its services with the slogan "You press the button, we do the rest". And it did - do the rest - for more than a century, with effortless simplicity rivalled only by the company's more recent slow, painful fall from grace: last Thursday, Kodak crumbled into bankruptcy protection. An uncertain future awaits.
For much of its history, Kodak represented a gilt-edged opportunity for investors as it forged a near-perfect relationship with its consumers. Trademarked in 1888 by George Eastman, Kodak would prosper first with its box Brownie camera - which turned photography into the hobby of the masses - and later with a business model that encouraged users to buy both its hardware and its high-margin consumables.
It's odd then that it wasn't so much the advent of digital cameras, as the arrival of digital everything, that sealed Kodak's demise.
In fact, Kodak invented film-free cameras. Steven Sasson is credited with developing the first digital camera in the 1970s, some two decades before the mass uptake of such devices started and film began its inevitable descent into obsolescence (production of Kodachrome film ceased in 2009). That Kodak's management in effect scribbled the writing on the wall of its headquarters years before the competition, and then seemed unable to read the words they'd writ large, seems the cruelest irony of all.
Those who have picked over the bones of Kodak - and let us not forget that Chapter 11 protection allows a company a period to restructure its operations free from the attentions of chasing creditors, a time frame exploited to such positive effect by General Motors - do not suggest the company has much of a future. Analysts predict Kodak will have to dump assets and staff and its management team will have to boldly reshape its product line - and do it without the benefit of a huge war chest.
It may sound glib in comparison, but all GM had to do was build better cars than Ford, Toyota et al. For Kodak, on the other hand, it's no longer clear exactly whom its competitors are. The cameras we now use every day and on which we "share moments, share life" (as another of the company's slogans once had it) are more likely to wear brand names such as BlackBerry, Apple and Nokia, than they are Polaroid or Olympus. And the place where we "print" those memories is more likely to be Facebook than a photo-booth.
Questions of a similar nature - such as who the competition is and where the threat is coming from - also trouble the culture business.
The way we consume newspapers, books, music, film or television is changing almost daily. If you are a producer, an author or an artist, where once the internet may have appeared a powerful force for the possible - its global distribution method is unprecedented - now it must feel as if it is overrun by industrial-scale piracy and consumers who want to play but not pay.
In this digital landscape, what is the future for those who invest in the creative process? Robert Levine's book Free Ride (2011) provides close to the best assessment there is of that terrain. "The internet," he writes, "was supposed to empower creators, corporates and independents alike ... it's time to acknowledge that isn't happening."
It isn't happening because few consumers equate the word "theft" with finding, downloading and consuming the latest album, film or TV programme on some shadowy file-sharing site in the far corners of the internet.
Instead, online piracy exists in a world in which we all nod and wink at each other and say, "You're doing it, so why shouldn't I?".
That is an unsustainable model and we all know it. If culture is to prosper, we may have to accept we're approaching some kind of "Kodak moment" - if we don't change our ways, what we now take for granted may be changed for us.
More about Middle East geopolitics
Company%20Profile
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No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Company%20Profile
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What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
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'Dark Waters'
Directed by: Todd Haynes
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, William Jackson Harper
Rating: ****
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MATCH DETAILS
Chelsea 4
Jorginho (4 pen, 71 pen), Azpilicueta (63), James (74)
Ajax 4
Abraham (2 og), Promes (20). Kepa (35 og), van de Beek (55)
Thor%3A%20Love%20and%20Thunder%20
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The five pillars of Islam
Match info
Manchester United 1 (Van de Beek 80') Crystal Palace 3 (Townsend 7', Zaha pen 74' & 85')
Man of the match Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)