Mazen Al-Angary's Official Blog
Mazen
This user hasn't shared any biographical information
Posts by Mazen
Mazen’s Fitness & Health App List
Sep 4th
A friend of mine asked me about health & fitness apps I use on my iPhone, and since I am going to get a new iPod touch, I thought I share the list of those apps with all of you.
Sure, there are some apps I like and use when I go to the gym. Some of them are for weight lifting to keep logs and some are for my cardio, while others are to track my food and caloric consumption.
Mazen’s Favorite Fitness & Health App List:
1- All-In-Fitness: This app also offers video instructions, which could be very helpful.
2- SIMGYM: You can sync with the SimGym website to monitor your progress, you can also load workouts from the site.
3- ITGO: (I use the Japanese Tabata workout system now) and this app helps a lot especially if you need something to switch your music playlist depending on your workout intensity.
4- lolo: haven’t tried this one yet, but it looks promising, so will write a post after I try it out.
5- Lose it: This app has been there for some time, and it simply works if you use it daily, amazing when you really want to lose weight. Oh and it is free.
Now you see why I need an iPod touch for the gym, in the past I use my nano with a GymBoss timer combo, but I want to use one device to do both jobs and log my info at the same time, instead of carrying a paper and pen as well. (there is a GymBoss app on the app store, but I didn’t like the UI).
Another downside to the GymBoss+iPod nano is that when you do Tabata, you shift from High Speed Intensity to Low Intensity, and if the music doesn’t shift according to your intensity, you tend to lose your focus.
So now that Ramadan is almost over, it is time to gear up and get ready to shed the weight you gained during this month.
كواديكال تعلن عن سيبويه
Sep 2nd
Quadical: Sibawayh Iftar Event 2010 from Quadical on Vimeo.
أقامت شركة كواديكال (Quadical) حفلاً خاصاً دعت فيه جَمع رفيع من الكتاب والمثقفين ورجال الأعمال للتعريف بنشاطات الشركة وفروعها، وقد إجتمع الحفل الكريم في صالة خاصة في تياترو لاونج بمدينة جدة.
رحب الرئيس التنفيذي السيد عبدالعزيز حمزة بالحضور وأعطى نبذة عن الشركة خلال مأدبة الإفطار الرمضانية، حيث شرح مجالات عمل الشركة مثل قسم كيفنتس (Qevents) والمختص بتنظيم الفعاليات التقنية المتطورة، وتحدث السيد عبدالعزيز عن قسم تراي آب المختص بتطوير البرامج الإلكترونية للأجهزة المحمولة وآلية عمل القسمين.
كما قدم السيد مازن العنقري رئيس قسم سيبويه للكتب الإلكترونية العربية عرضاً شرح فيه الفكرة خلف دار سيبويه للنشر الإلكتروني ومستقبل الكتب في العالم العربي.
ومن بين أهداف سيبويه الرئيسية تقديم حلول مبسطه للكُتاب والقراء العرب، من بينها سهولة تحضير وتحويل الكتب الورقية إلي إلكترونية وإمكانية إرسال رابط إلكتروني للكتاب ونشره بين القراء. وكذلك إمكانية التسوق على مدار الساعة ومن أي مكان، حيث أن النُسخ ستكون متوفرة في أي زمان ومكان على موقع سيبويه الإلكتروني.
من بين مميزات سيبويه إيجاد سبيل يُمكن القراء والكُتاب من التواصل على الموقع، مما يزيد من الترابط ويساعد على زيادة المبيعات. كما أن سيبويه أعلنت عن تقديم تسعيرة مدروسة تمكن القراء من الحصول على الكتب بأسعار معقولة بالمقارنه مع الكتب المطبوعة.
كما تطرق السيد مازن العنقري لنقطة حماية الحقوق الفكرية وصرح بأن “سيبويه شريك الكاتب في النجاح مما يحتم علينا الحفاظ على جميع الحقوق الفكرية لكتابنا، ومنع سرقتها حتى بملاحقة كل من يحاول سرقة تلك الحقوق قضائياً، وذلك لترسيخ أسس جديدة في العالم العربي”.
يعتبر هذا الحفل الثاني من نوعه في شهر رمضان المبارك، حيث قامت شركة كواديكال بتنظيم حفل إفطار رمضان لمستخدمي الماك بجدة في بداية الشهر. حيث إجتمع الكثير من مستخدمي الماك على وجبة الإفطار في مطعم كاسبر أند جامبينيز، وخلال الحفل قدمت شركة كواديكال نبذة عن نشاطاتها، كما تخلل الحفل توزيع العديد من الجوائز المقدمة من معرض ماك إت مثل أجهزة آيبود والواح التصميم من واكوم وسماعات وكروت آيتونز
لمزيد من المعلومات يمكنكم زيارة موقع كواديكال.
حفل إفطار كواديكال لمستخدمي الماك
Aug 22nd
أقامت شركة كواديكال حفل إفطار لمستخدمي الماك بجدة وذلك في مطعم كاسبر آند جامبينيز حيث تم إعطاء نبذة للحضور عن عمل الشركة وأقسامها التقنية وتم توزيع هدايا على الحضور مقدمة من محل ماكيت بجدة لمنتجات أپل.
Quadical First Mac iFtar
Aug 15th
Quadical High-Tech Events, or what is known now as Qevents is starting its very first Mac iFtar Gathering, Iftar (Ramadan breakfast) is a traditional way of socializing in the Arab countries. This where Quadical got the idea of inviting Mac users for a very special iFtar gathering, where they can talk and discuss any Apple or Mac related issue.
So if you’re a Mac user, who lives in Jeddah or plans to visit by Tuesday 17th, July. You can use this link to register your attendance since seats are limited.
Wishing you all a Happy Blissful Ramadan.
You Scratched My Mac!
Aug 11th
Personally I have issues with people holding or even touching my Apple gadgets including my iPhone, iPod, iPad, and Mac.
The other day I got this email from a Mac user in Dubai, UAE who faced the wall of Apple resellers’ bureaucracy , I can relate to her frustration. What these resellers can’t fathom is that Mac users are very passionate about their gear, and such issues will never be resolved till resellers get that simple point one day.
So here is the email I got, I thought of sharing it without editing anything including the names of the stores (Saraf DG is Sharaf DG, but who give a F*** really!).
==========================
Dear Mazen
I do appreciate, here is the full version:
August 1: @9pm my husband bought MacBook Pro from Saraf DG [Ibn Batutta Mall Dubai]
August 2: my birthday, open present BUT i don’t open notebook [mistake]
August 3: all my friends left and i have time to break SEAL for first time since i got it. I discover a tiny scratch on the key board panel [paranoia sets in: i'm anal about scratches and too many hands handling a product: that is just me] and some “handling” marks. Nevertheless, it did not feel new! Please note: i did not open any other sealed parts [charger and cable]. I phone Saraf to speak with manager but are told to bring it in the next morning.
August 4: after another phone call to speak with manager, i get in my car and go to the store. I show him the tiny scratch, after which he take photo and assure me he will send it off to service centre for replacement and that they will get back to me on Sunday [August 8].
August 5: the more i think about it the more angry i get. I send email to ABM and Saraf DG service centre, complaining. ABM did not even acknowledge my mail and Saraf DG, well .. they’ll get back to me [they never did].
August 9: get in my car, no effort from Saraf whatsoever. Speak to a different manager. He assures me that they are waiting for a reply from Apple US and will do exchange as soon as they get the reply! We wait another hour, in which time they [Apple US] reply and say: the scratch is tiny, i must have done it and that they will not exchange. I’m devastated. Although they have a 7day exchange / refund policy: i took to long! Because the seal was not broken: i caused the scratch [how will one prove that a seal is broken if they don't even believe you with a scratch]. I left very angry. When i got home i decided to mail Apple myself and express my disappointment. So i mailed the manager to forward Apple’s reply. He could not supply me with US contact person, so the reply never came from the US. And they only send my URGENT request on Thursday EVENING [8:22pm]!
So i’m not the proud owner of a MacBook Pro but of a MacScratch .. This is my Apple story in short. Thank you again for your support! I’m going to switch it on for the first time since i got it .. wish me luck!
Kind regards
Riana B R.
Camera+: Editing Photos on iPhone 4
Jul 28th
By now you all know that there are a ton of photo editing an manipulation app available for iOS devices. One of those apps is Camera+ a $1.99 great iPhone app that I got way back when I had my iPhone 3GS, and thought that I would never need to use it when iPhone 4 comes out, was I so wrong.
Using Camera+ on any iPhone including the new one is simply a pleasure, since you can edit and retouch your images using the apps light box feature. Both images included in this post have been edited using the app to get that HDR effect, on the above image, and a vintage effect on the one bellow. You can get Camera+ from iTunes store by clicking on this Link.
eSkyGuide: Travel Info at Your Fingertips
Jul 28th
While preparing for my vacation, I was introduced to a new app on the iPhone called eSkyGuide.
The whole purpose of the application is very straight forward, it lets you navigate changes and track all your air travel plans. Using your current location it would locate nearby airports, giving you updated flight schedules, since you can lookup availabilities and flight options for the next 7 days.
eSkyGuide gives you a 7 day weather forecast for airports that are listed in your itinerary.
The app truly shines when it provides you with contact information for airlines, hotels, car rentals, and travel agencies at your destination with numbers that you can tap to place a call right from your iPhone.
During my vacation to Europe, I tested how the app operated and functioned, to find it quite useful when it comes to providing me with needed information right at my finger tips.
eSkyGuide is available on the app store and sells for $4.99, Personally I think that the price is steep for what the app has to offer, where I find that a $1.99 price tag would be the sweet spot. Yet this is one of those apps that I will always keep in my iPhone’s Travel folder to find what I want when I need it.
Jeddah @ 50ᴼ Celsius (122 Fahrenheit)
Jun 21st
Today Jeddah, Saudi Arabia reached a high temperature of 50ᴼ Celsius (122 Fahrenheit). Can’t imagine how July and August will be like, Especially August.
So try to stay cool and hydrated. And please remember to drink lots and lots of water…. Go now, and grab a glass of it.
iPad Cake
Jun 18th
NOTE: If you’re excepting a tech related blog post then the answer is, No.
Today the 18th of June is my Birthday, and my lovely wife decided to throw me a special surprise birthday.
We geeks know that it is very hard to get us anything, especially when it’s a gadget. So while planning for a couple of days, and conspiring with my mother about the matter, I ended up getting this beautiful iPad cake.
I would like to thank the two angels in my life for such a great surprise.
PS. If you find this post fluffy, read the note on the top. The answer is still No!
Quadical Special iPad Event @ Dar Al Hikma
May 29th
On the 31st of May, 2010. Quadical will present a special iPad event at Dar Al Hikma college, where speakers will cover topics on how to use the iPad as a lifestyle device, as a photographers power tool, and as a graphics designer’s canvas.
The event will start at 1p.m. and will end at 2:30 p.m. offering the audience a chance to ask questions and interact with the main speakers.
During the event Quadical will offer a 15% discount coupons to buy cool gadgets from itechia, plus a chance to win a Free iPad courtesy of itechai and Quadical.
Twitter
Plurk
Facebook
LinkedIn
Flickr
Amazon Wishlist