Month: May 2004

  • A Palestinian Home: Optimistic design in a context of misery.

    A full scale Israeli assault on Gaza was (still is) underway and Palestinians were (still are) getting killed by the dozen. In the West Bank, the Israeli apartheid wall is being built. All of this is happening less than 100 kilometers away from Amman. These images assault us everyday on the front page of the…

  • Tearing down the wall (of soap)

    The dinner event held last week by the Palestinian delegation to the Dead Sea World Economic Forum (WEF), was a chance to showcase Palestinian heritage and culture, as well as contemporary Palestinian and Jordanian contemporary creativity. The Palestinian Cultural Experience, as the event was called, weaved together the work of numerous artists and technicians: design,…

  • Is Jordan missing the e-commerce train?

    INTERNET | Jordanian retailers should take a serious look at developing e-commerce sites, Ahmad Humeid advises. The last three years have felt as if the internet scene has gone dead in Jordan. Initially, the internet bubble of the late 90’s was felt in Jordan and we gave the Arab world popular internet companies like Maktoob.com…

  • Don’t just wear Armani. Live Armani!

    Brand extension to the maximum. That’s marketing speak for taking a brand name from its original domain or product category to another one in the hope that a successful brand’s aura works the same magic on anything it gets associated with it. Take Armani, for example. Not only can you wrap yourself in the man’s…

  • Will cheaper ADSL prices spur on Jordan’s online business?

    There’s finally some good news to report from Jordan’s internet scene: the reduction of ADSL prices and the introduction of more choice. Wanadoo, Jordan Telecom’s ISP arm has announced a 50% reduction in ADSL connection fees for its 512k lines and the introduction of an affordable ADSL “Light” services at 128k and a “super-sized” 1024k…

  • Amman’s tin skyline

    They’re everywhere and they’re getting bigger. Amman’s billboards are out of control and the trend shows no sign of abating. What is noticeable is the amount of empty billboards we see these days. These are either un-rented or newly constructed billboards. The backside of these billboards is often an un-intended, mostly ugly, by-product. As these…

  • Keep your dates with iCal

    Computer based calendars are not exactly something new. Software that helps you keep your appointments and create to-do lists has been around for a long while and today there’s almost no computer without a calendar: Every Microsoft Outlook user can use that software’s calendar. Most mobile phones these days have calendars that can be used…

  • A GarageBand without a garage

    In days bygone, if you were an aspiring rock star who decided to form a band, you first needed a garage. Where else would you put your band members and their loud instruments? Sound proofing that garage was always a good idea, unless you wanted the neighbors knocking on your family’s door to tell your…