Tag Archives | application

Taxi Booking Apps Now Cost Less Than Regular Taxis in Lebanon

By Rami on May 3, 2017 in Transportation

It’s been a while since I last used a ride hailing app around Beirut, and when I recently booked a Careem last Saturday it caught my attention that they currently charge 6,000L.L for rides within Beirut which is less than the standard fare you pay for other regular Taxis (10,000L.L / ride). I later checked UBER and noticed that they are charging a similar low fare as well.

I know the price difference doesn’t matter much with people who rarely use taxi cabs to commute, but those who do it frequently will definitely save some good money using mobile apps. My wife for example take cabs 3 to 4 times a week and I already convinced her to use Careem since it is my favorite booking app locally.

Talking about Careem, they recently announced integration with Google Maps, so you can see the estimated time of arrival as well as a fare estimate when you search for some location on Google Maps which can be quite useful. To try it out you can simply choosing the ride-hailing icon when searching for directions, then clicking “Open App” to launch Careem and book your ride.

I know the use of apps is to some associated with paying premium prices, but in the case of taxi booking apps it is not, so give it a try.

Photo via Flickr

“I am Alive” for politicians now available for download

By Rami on February 13, 2014 in Lebanon

iamalive iamalive1

You’re definitely aware of “I am Alive” app which helps Lebanese people let their loved ones know they’re safe by sending a tweet saying “I am still alive! #Lebanon #Latestbombing” through a single tap every time there’s an explosion.

Just two days ago, Sandra Hassan and Myra El Mir, the developers of this satiric app, released the VIP version of it intended for politicians to help them automatically issue condemnation statements when a bombing occurs!

Overwhelmed by the number of bombings in Lebanon? Can’t keep up with the demands to issue statements to the public?
Now you can easily tweet your reactions to yet another bombing in Lebanon.

No need to bother your communication crew with trying to come up with a new reaction to the security related events, heck you can just fire them all. This app does it all for you!

The responses provided for you have been designed by our team of highly specialized political analysts who have scourged over the stream of condemnations that have already been issued and synthesized the most effective and up to date reaction statements just for you.

It’s a fast and reliable tool. And what’s more; you can tag one of your friends in your tweet!

And if there’s a statement you think should be added to the repertoire, we’re waiting to hear from you. Just tweet at us @lebvip

I am Alive VIP is available for download on Google Play.

touch now allows in-app payments

By Rami on July 5, 2013 in Lebanon

Touch Logo_managed by Zain

Late last month, touch enabled in-app payments that allow users to purchase items or upgrades from inside the apps they are using for a fee that either gets added to the monthly bill for postpaid lines, or deducted from the available balance for prepaid customers, and therefore no credit cards are used in the process.

I believe this is definitely great news to people who have no credit cards or simply prefer not to use them online, as well as developers who can now monetize their ideas by gaining access to a huge customer base.

The first application to adopt this service was Anghami by the way, which offers unlimited access to millions of songs for $5/month. So if you are an Anghami user, you can now upgrade your account and the subscription fee will be added to your bill.

If you’re a developer and interested in using the in-app payment, then you should probably know that touch currently keeps 30% of your revenue for themselves in exchange for using the service. For any additional information, you may contact them through their website.

touch cloud

By Rami on March 28, 2013 in Lebanon

I know I should have posted about this before, but anyway, if you develop mobile applications, then make sure to check the touch cloud, and read what is it all about in this post by Tech-Ticker.

Moreover, check PitchFest, an event organized by AltCity in collaboration with touch and Appstrata, which allows developers to present their mobile apps (or apps ideas) to a panel of judges for a chance to win $5,000 and technical support from touch cloud and Appstrata for your app to start working. The deadline to apply is tomorrow March 29th.

Following the Pope’s visit to Lebanon

By Rami on September 14, 2012 in Lebanon

You can of course follow the Pope in Lebanon on all Lebanese TV station during his 3 days visit here, but when you’re on the move you can download this iPhone application called “LB PAPAL Visit” developed by Born Interactive to get the latest news.

Pope Benedict XVI is due to visit Lebanon for the first time ever during his 7 year pontificate.

On the occasion of His apostolic Visit to Lebanon, lbpapalvisit was created! It is an app that provides you with an inside look into the historic visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Lebanon on the 14th, 15th and the 16th of September 2012.

This app is a must-have if you wish to receive an updated schedule of the Papal visit, as well as news updates and notifications regarding his visit sent directly to your phone.
lbpapalvisit also allows you to:
– Gain access to Pope Benedict XVI’s biography
– Read the latest news regarding the Papal visit
– Browse through the picture gallery
– Read the memorable speeches

The visit’s program is also available here.

As for the road that will be closed during these 3 days, you can download this Internal Security Forces communiqué in relation with closed roads, or simply check Abir’s post about that matter.

“Ma2too3a!” – Stay updated on road blocks

By Rami on August 6, 2012 in Lebanon

Now that road blocking with burning tires is becoming more like a habit for some of us here in Lebanon, someone came up with a new iPhone application called “Ma2too3a!” to let people update each other on any kind of road blocks, protests, or armed combats happening around the country.

You may download “Ma2too3a!” from the App Store, but don’t take it for granted since everyone can post updates to the app and it’s possible that you would see some fake events on it.

MTV Lebanon releases an iOS application

By Rami on June 2, 2011 in Lebanon

Via Beirut Spring

mtv is the only Lebanese TV station that really understands the internet. As a Lebanese expat abroad, I am very grateful for their online news bulletins and how all their video content is logically organized.

Now they have an iOS app. Great for when stuck in traffic…

I haven’t tried it yet, but the screenshots show that the interface looks nice and appealing. Now wait for all other TV stations to follow. LBC, New TV, OTV, AlManar… but definitely not Tele Liban!

Update:
On a second thought, I think it’ll be entertaining to see if the Apple App Store will approve a similar application for AlManar TV by Hezbollah!

iPhone app to keep track of electricity cut-offs in Beirut

By Rami on May 2, 2011 in Lebanon

I guess I’m lucky to have a good memory and almost always remember the electricity cut-off schedule in my area of Beirut, but I know a lot of people who keep on forgetting it and can definitely make use of this new iPhone application by Mustafa Baalbaki.

Only those living in Beirut would appreciate “Beirut Electricity” because they daily suffer forgetting when electricity is off.

You need to know that electricity in Beirut city (capital of Lebanon) is off everyday for three hours, and each day these three hours are withdrawn backwards. For example, if the power today is off from 3:00 PM till 6:00 PM, so tomorrow it will be off from 12:00 PM till 3:00 PM and so forth until reaching 06:00 AM to 09:00 AM, and then it switches back to be off from 03:00 PM to 06:00 PM. It’s weird and this App is here to solve the calculation problem for you.

When you first launch the App, you need to configure it by specifying the day and time cut range, and based on your input you can find when the electricity will be off at your location any time and on any day.

The application works on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad but requires iOS 4.0 or later, and you can of course get it via the iTunes store.

I don’t have an idea about the schedule of areas outside Beirut, but if they also follow a certain system then we’ll probably see some similar releases soon, or maybe an upgrade of the current application.

Via Bilal Houri.

Lebanese recipes now on App Store

By Rami on December 17, 2010 in Lebanon

This definitely doesn’t replace our favorite Lebanese cuisine blogs, but it’s cool to see our traditional recipes available on an iPhone application!

Use this app and bring the delicious taste and richness of the Lebanese cuisine to your home – enjoy 100 of the finest Lebanese recipes and experience the flavor of the Orient. The huge variety of dishes includes among others traditional salads, starters, meat, chicken, fish and vegetarian dishes as well as famous desserts. It will allow you to prepare typical Lebanese menus and surprise your family and friends. All recipes are decorated with high quality pictures to give you an upfront idea of what you are about to cook.

You can find more info about the application here.

Via Beirut Spring