This week on the Backerjack Podcast, Ross Rubin and I sit down for a talk about quite a few things, including a lot of projects with four-letter names: Time (well, it is the Pebble Time, but bear with me…), Keys, Podo, Fogo. There’s also a quick chat about Sesame and Reserve Strap. What are all of these crowdfunded projects?
- The Sesame lock is an easy-to-install way to retrofit an existing deadbolt lock and replace your keys with your iPhone
- Keys, a MIDI keyboard with LED-illuminated keys, gesture control, and even the ability to magnetically attach to other Keys. The keyboard will have support on over 150 apps at launch
- Podo, a colorful and Bluetooth-connected way to replace the dreaded selfie stick
- And Fogo, the outdoors enthusiast’s go-to gadget with a configurable LED flashlight, GPS, walkie-talkie and apps
Apple is reportedly revving up plans to build not one, but two Apple Stores in the United Arab Emirates after it received a government exemption to an ownership law that required at least 51% local ownership of any facility built outside of so-called “free zones”.
The company was apparently refusing to build retail facilities in the region until it was able to receive the exemption, which will give the company full ownership of its stores. The stores will be the first in the Middle East, and are located in a small but important market region. The initial store is earmarked for Dubai this year, with a second store planned for Abu Dhabi in the future.
There are about 17 million cellular subscribers in the area, but 61 percent of them use smartphones. Apple’s iPhone 5s was the most popular phone in the fourth quarter of 2014. The wealth in some parts of the UAE, coupled with an influx of foreign tourists and expats, should make it a lucrative market for Apple.
