Latest in Business
Arabian Post
20 minutes ago
- Business
- Arabian Post
Dubai rolls out free Wi‑Fi to 43 transport hubs
Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority has now enabled free, high‑speed Wi‑Fi access at all 43 public bus and marine transport stations, marking a significant upgrade in its bid to enhance commuter convenience. The deployment, completed on 17 June 2025, is part of a strategic collaboration with telecom provider e&. Commuters across the city can access the service using smartphones, tablets, or laptops while awaiting their bus or marine rides. The initiative aligns with the UAE's broader digital transformation efforts, supporting Dubai's goal to evolve into one of the world's smartest and happiest cities. The expansion covers 21 bus stations and 22 marine transport terminals. It complements earlier phases of extending free Wi‑Fi to metro stations and public areas, reinforcing the seamless connectivity experience across Dubai's public transport network. ADVERTISEMENT According to Gulf Business, e& and RTA will closely monitor usage data and commuter feedback to identify performance issues and guide future enhancements. The two entities also intend to scale the network further, potentially extending coverage to additional transit points. The rollout supports Dubai's '360 Services Policy', designed to minimise in-person interactions by digitising transportation services and shifting to self-service models via the Dubai Now app — a measure that saw initial uptake in March of this year. Industry observers highlight that this initiative forms part of a wider suite of smart mobility enhancements. One notable example includes ARIIS, an AI-driven robotic system designed to inspect metro infrastructure during off-peak hours, which is expected to begin operations later this year. Both developments underscore RTA's emphasis on leveraging digital innovation to streamline operational efficiency and enrich commuter experience. Technical sources confirm that the coastal nature of marine stations posed additional challenges in implementing stable Wi‑Fi coverage. To address this, e& deployed advanced signal distribution systems to ensure consistent connectivity even in maritime zones, affirming the commitment to reliable service for all users. The initiative has been met with positive reactions from daily commuters. A business consultant travelling between Dubai Marina and Jebel Ali noted that being able to access work emails and navigate apps while waiting 'has changed the daily commute for the better.' Another parent praised the ability to explain travel details to children using educational content while in transit. Industry experts suggest that such lifestyle enhancements are likely to increase ridership and reinforce the city's image as a technology-advanced metropolis. RTA plans to gather usage metrics over the coming months and conduct periodic reviews with e&. The assessment will focus on network speed, coverage consistency, and user satisfaction. Successful performance could prompt expansion into other transportation modes such as trams, taxis or even ride‑hailing zones. Urban technologists view this as an incremental step toward Dubai's longer-term vision for a fully integrated smart city transport ecosystem. By integrating user feedback and data-driven monitoring, the authorities aim to maintain service quality at optimal levels. Commuters have been advised to share their experience via the Dubai Now app or RTA customer channels to support ongoing improvements.
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Business
- Yahoo
OpenAI CEO Slams Meta's $100M Hiring Tactics as 'Copycat Strategy'
June 18 - Meta (NASDAQ:META) has been offering signing bonuses as high as $100 million in an aggressive bid to recruit OpenAI staff, according to CEO Sam Altman. Speaking on the Uncapped podcast, Altman said the social media giant tried to recruit a lot of people from OpenAI but noted that none of the company's top talent had accepted the offers so far. He suggested Meta sees OpenAI as its main rival in artificial intelligence. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 5 Warning Sign with META. Altman criticized the strategy of handing out massive guaranteed compensation, saying it may hurt innovation and distract from actual progress. You're always going to where your competitor was, he said, adding that culture, not just cash, drives breakthroughs. The hiring push comes amid Meta's broader investment in AI. Last week, the company acquired a 49% stake in Scale AI for $14.3 billion, bringing founder Alexandr Wang and several team members into the fold. Wang is expected to lead a lab focused on "superintelligence," or AI that surpasses human capability. Meta has also brought in researchers from Google's DeepMind, including Jack Rae, as CEO Mark Zuckerberg continues to take a hands-on role in expanding the company's AI capabilities. Despite delays in rolling out its latest AI model, analysts note that Meta remains a central player in the open-source AI space, thanks to its Llama models. Experts say its investments may still yield long-term gains in model training and infrastructure. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data
New York Times
21 minutes ago
- Business
- New York Times
Southampton owner Dragan Solak open to investors but ‘selling the club never on my mind'
Southampton owner and chairman Dragan Solak has confirmed he has no plans to sell the club, but says he would welcome future investment from partners. Solak is the lead investor of Sport Republic, the investment firm that bought an 80 per cent stake in Southampton in 2022, and became the club's chairman in January after Henrik Kraft stepped down. Advertisement Southampton were relegated from the Premier League in April with seven games remaining. Manager Russell Martin was sacked in December and his successor, Ivan Juric, was dismissed in April after winning only one of his 14 league games in charge. Will Still, who left Ligue 1 side Lens at the end of the season, has now taken over. After some suggestions in April that Solak may look to move on from Southampton, the 60-year-old told the BBC a sale 'is not part of any plan'. 'I never had any plans of selling the club,' Solak said. 'I might invite some partners to join me when and if we (are promoted) to the Premier League because I think we will need maybe more base to invest and to be even better, but selling the club was never on my mind. 'I was thinking much more about this 10-year project of how to develop the club commercially and financially so it is more robust and less dependent on TV rights. 'My love for Southampton and respect and loyalty are just growing through all this.' Southampton finished the 2024-25 campaign with 12 points, only one above the lowest ever total in a Premier League season, set by Derby County in 2007-08. Solak pointed to the departure of Jason Wilcox, their director of football, as a factor. Wilcox became Manchester United's technical director in April 2024, and is now their director of football, but was not replaced ahead of Southampton's return to the Premier League. 'We suddenly lost a man who started building something and unfortunately we didn't replace him fast enough,' Solak said. 'We went into the challenges of the Premier League without a leading figure in our football department and that was very, very costly.' Johannes Spor was appointed in February as group technical director by Sport Republic, which also owns Turkish side Goztepe and French club Valenciennes. Southampton will discover their Championship fixtures next Thursday when the schedule is released by the English Football League. Still's side have made one signing so far this summer, bringing in Joshua Quarshie from German side Hoffenheim.
BBC News
21 minutes ago
- Business
- BBC News
Jersey Opera House gets third interim chairperson of 2025
Jersey Opera House has appointed a new interim chairperson, in the latest chapter of a story which has seen multiple resignations since the start of Robertson, a lawyer, has stepped into the position having already served as part of the board of decision comes after Cyril Whelan announced on Wednesday he was to resign having only just succeeded another outgoing interim chairperson in Opera House's Grade II listed building in St Helier reopened after five years in May following a major £13m refurbishment scheme.
BBC News
22 minutes ago
- Business
- BBC News
Minister says Victorian marine lake repairs 'uneconomical'
The future of a marine lake built to mark the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria is in doubt after the minister responsible labelled it a "diminishing requirement".Victoria Marine Lake on St Helier's waterfront was marked as needing "comprehensive work" after an inspection last year, a decade on from a £300k repair in 2014. A written question was submitted earlier this month by Deputy Inna Gardiner, who asked for details on how the pool would be maintained and kept safe in the response, Constable Andy Jehan, minister for infrastructure, said plans to improve sea defences in the area meant it would be "uneconomical to repair the marine lake". "Given the exciting plans under development for the waterfront and the need to improve shoreline management and coastal defence, it is anticipated that there will be a diminishing requirement for this feature," he well as highlighting repairs made to the lake's retaining wall in January, Constable Jehan referenced the £356,000 work done at Havre des Pas."It should be noted that there has been a considerable investment in the Havre des Pas pool wall and sluices to provide the facility for sea swimming at low tide, the function originally conceived for the marine lake."
