Mutaher Khan, Rest of World, Pakistan’s startup boom has triggered a “war for talent”, 7 June 2022 "Flush with venture funding, tech companies are offering staggering salaries and perks, while recruiters struggle to hang on to candidates eager for the best deals."

Arab News, Mobily, Telecom Egypt to build the first submarine cable connecting Saudi Arabia to Egypt, 31 May 2022 "Etihad Etisalat Co., known as Mobily, has signed an initial agreement with Telecom Egypt to build the first submarine cable system to directly connect Saudi Arabia ...

Discussion from IS supporters on tech group is highlighted by JihadoScope:

Islamic State supporters debate authenticity of message that pro ISIS tech group AFAQ/EHF (Electronic Horizons Foundation) is shuttering. A source of recent controversy after its server was hacked in March, AFAQ ...

This thread on drones and their application relates to many conflict zones:

Interesting thread on drones https://t.co/iRMGEGEX6E

— Gary Bunt (@garybunt) May ...

Mark Williams Thomas & Nazir Afzal, Fear or Favour, 8, Technology, Crime and Policing

Here's an interesting podcast on technology and crime, which is relevant to some areas of my research. I've put the Spotify link in here, but it is available on ...

Michael Liedtke, AP, What will Silicon Valley learn from Holmes’ conviction?

The trial of Elizabeth Holmes (CEO of Theranos) is an important case on Silicon ...

Eileen Guo, Technology Review, The code must go on: An Afghan coding bootcamp becomes a lifeline under Taliban rule, 30 Dec 2021

"In such dire circumstances, a coding bootcamp—a remnant of a brief period of techno-optimism in Afghanistan—may seem ...

Arab News, World’s largest computer chip enters Mideast to push AI adoption further " ... this chip, roughly 9 inches on each side, promises more than just entertainment and a world title — it is meant to push artificial intelligence computing to levels the world has not seen ...

Mae Anderson, AP, Outage highlights how vital Facebook has become worldwide "In rebel-held Syria, where the telecommunication infrastructure has been disrupted by war, residents and emergency workers rely mostly on internet communication."

Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, Federal trial begins for ex-DePaul student accused of writing computer code to help spread ISIS propaganda, 4 Oct 2021

"Beginning in 2019, ...

A selection of articles on tech and hajj/umrah:

Asharq Al-Awsat, Smart Cards, ‘Green Holy Sites’ Initiative, Robots Serving Pilgrims during Hajj 2021

"As the pilgrims flocked to Makkah, they were ...

The National, Where do Eid Al Adha sacrifices go? Inside one of the world's largest charity efforts

"The number of sacrifices has fallen significantly in the last two years from a recent peak ...

Nice story, rather niche. I still have boxes of cassettes (somewhere). I still think it was a great format. I rather miss the Sony Walkman! C30-C60-C90 Go...

The National, Meet Abdullah ...

Wired, French Spyware Executives Are Indicted for Aiding Torture ,

"EARLIER THIS WEEK, French authorities indicted four former executives of the surveillance firm Nexa Technologies, formerly called Amesys, for complicity in torture and war crimes. ...

It's a bit of a geek zone in Mecca, with some choice new tech on display, as highlighted in these posts from Haramain Sharifain:

Nano-ihram technology. #Islam https://t.co/hSYfhMpGbJ

— ...

Melisa Vazquez, How Communication Technologies Remold the Religion/Human Rights Divide Online Synergies for a Global Democratic Space, CALUMET – intercultural law and humanities review ISSN 2465-0145 (on-line) ISSUE 12(2021)

(links to PDF)

Abstract extract: "Understanding ...

Derek Gatopoulos, Costas Kantouris, Associated Press/PBS, In post-pandemic Europe, migrants will face digital fortress

"AI-powered lie detectors and virtual border-guard interview bots have been piloted, as well as efforts to integrate ...

Some interesting opinions on robots and Islam from a few years' ago. This has some legalistic interpretative implications, so I was curious to hear the opinions in relation to robotics. It'll be useful to explore this further. I've posted it here as a placeholder. Links go through to YouTube clips.

"Can ...

Asharq al-Awsat, Saudi Arabia Prepares for Ramadan, 2021 Haj Season Planning

“The technological programs have contributed to facilitate the performance of rituals in a professional and orderly manner, as well as to follow ...

Sparsh Ahuja, Wired, Muslim scholars are working to reconcile Islam and AI

This represents some interesting challenges in relation to technology and religious authority. I'd be interested in supervising a PhD on this. There's lots of potential ...

""This yardstick in Islam is ...

Seth J. Frantzman, Newsweek, Opinion, Middle East Drone Wars Are Now Here. Are We Ready? |

"The U.S. could also be considering deployment to the Gulf of Iron Dome batteries acquired from Israel. Among the threats these batteries defend ...

Tamara Kneese, Slate, Future Tense, How a Dead Professor Is Teaching a University Art History Class

"The fact that the dead can literally replace living faculty members is a perfect ...

Pervez Hoodbhoy, Dawn, Muslims and technology

"Technology for religious rituals is also becoming popular. For example, you may buy a small gadget called the SalatCard which uses proximity sensors to count the number of rakats performed during prayers. Also available ...