News

Dubai-Based Noon Has Eliminated 10% Of Its Workforce

Employees in the marketing and advertising departments were laid off.

Published

2 years ago

April 24, 2023

Nour Nasir

Noon

After an initial surge during the height of the pandemic, many tech companies are now announcing cutbacks as the global economy continues to slump. Despite a generally buoyant digital economy, many Middle Eastern companies are also beginning to feel the strain as profits decline. One of those companies, Noon, recently issued a statement announcing layoffs of around 10%.

According to founder Mohamed Alabbar, Noon recently reduced its workforce to minimize costs, noting that the marketing and advertising departments of the Middle Eastern rival to Amazon were targeted for cuts.

Also Read: Bybit Opens Global Headquarters In Dubai’s World Trade Center

“We’ve been cutting costs and reducing staff for the past year and a half,” said Alabbar.

In 2021, Noon hoped to raise $2 billion from investors to aid further expansion across the Gulf e-commerce market. In February, the company acquired fashion e-retailer Namshi in a bid to expand its digital products and services with new fashion and lifestyle brands.

News

Samsung Smart Glasses Teased For January, Software Reveal Imminent

According to Korean sources, the new wearable will launch alongside the Galaxy S25, with the accompanying software platform unveiled this December.

Published

2 days ago

December 4, 2024

Nour Nasir

samsung smart glasses teased for january software reveal imminent

Samsung appears poised to introduce its highly anticipated smart glasses in January 2025, alongside the launch of the Galaxy S25. According to sources in Korea, the company will first reveal the accompanying software platform later this month.

As per a report from Yonhap News, Samsung’s unveiling strategy for the smart glasses echoes its approach with the Galaxy Ring earlier this year. The January showcase won’t constitute a full product launch but will likely feature teaser visuals at the Galaxy S25 event. A more detailed rollout could follow in subsequent months.

Just in: Samsung is set to unveil a prototype of its augmented reality (AR) glasses, currently in development, during the Galaxy S25 Unpacked event early next year, likely in the form of videos or images.

Additionally, prior to revealing the prototype, Samsung plans to introduce…

— Jukanlosreve (@Jukanlosreve) December 3, 2024

The Galaxy Ring, for example, debuted in January via a short presentation during Samsung’s Unpacked event. The full product unveiling came later at MWC in February, and the final release followed in July. Samsung seems to be adopting a similar phased approach with its smart glasses, which are expected to hit the market in the third quarter of 2025.

A Collaborative Software Effort

Samsung’s partnership with Google has played a key role in developing the smart glasses’ software. This collaboration was first announced in February 2023, with the device set to run on an Android-based platform. In July, the companies reiterated their plans to deliver an extended reality (XR) platform by the end of the year. The software specifics for the XR device are expected to be unveiled before the end of December.

Reports suggest that the smart glasses will resemble Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses in functionality. They won’t include a display but will weigh approximately 50 grams, emphasizing a lightweight, user-friendly design.

Feature Set And Compatibility

The glasses are rumored to integrate Google’s Gemini technology, alongside features like gesture recognition and potential payment capabilities. Samsung aims to create a seamless user experience by integrating the glasses with its broader Galaxy ecosystem, starting with the Galaxy S25, slated for release on January 22.