AFP An array of Apple services including the App Store and Apple TV were knocked offline for several hours due to an unexplained technical glitch. An official Apple status webpage confirmed the outage, which appeared recently. However the issue was resolved in California, Apple’s online shops and game center were back in operation, but its iCloud online data storage …

  Relaxnews The developers announced that the Sequel chatbot platform has launched out of beta. The bot’s advantage over other competitors is that it promises customisable personae. These days, content creators can engage with their users on a large scale with the help of chatbots —computer programmes engineered to simulate conversation, typically over the internet. Sequel has become the first …

  Tribune news service Microsoft is lending a hand to a dozen companies working to spread affordable Internet access to underserved communities around the world. The initiative is related to Seattle-based Microsoft’s commitment, announced earlier this year, to donate US$1 billion in services over three years primarily to nonprofits. As part of that effort, Microsoft said it would seed projects …

  AFP Dior staged a catwalk show of its “Cruise collection” at the majestic Blenheim Palace in the Oxfordshire countryside, in a lavish event reflecting the growing importance of between-seasons collections. The fashion event at the 18th century stately home, the birthplace of Britain’s wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill, was a nod to the past for the French design house, …

  DUBAI / Emirates Business The Sharjah Ladies Club (SLC) concluded the third edition of its annual Ebriez Fashion Exhibition on Friday. Themed ‘Shop for Charity,’ the show enabled women to shop for stylish accessories before Ramadan and showcased the talents of designers. It also fulfilled an important charity function, with a portion of its proceeds going to The Big …

  Relaxnews The UK might not be the first country that springs to mind alongside the words “cruise” and “resort,” but Anglomania is turning out to be a key pre-spring 2017 trend among the major fashion houses. Both Christian Dior and Gucci chose English locations for their resort 2017 shows this week — with the later taking over London’s Westminster …

  Relaxnews As the 2017 resort collections come thick and fast, a major trend for florals is blooming on the runways. Christian Dior set the tone, with the French house’s English-inspired show replete with country florals in the form of draped tea dresses and sheer blouses covered in springtime patterns, mixed in among all the pictorial jacquards, rich velvets and …

  Relaxnews Armarium, the app which launched in beta back in April 2016, has now gone live for all users, it has been reported by WWD. The app enables users to rent luxury fashion items, with collections limited to pieces from the current and previous seasons. This sets Armarium apart from other startups offering fashion-to-rent, as their garments and accessories …

  RITIKA SHARMA / Emirates Business Gemalto, the global leader in digital security, with annual revenues of €3.1 billion in 2015 and operations in over 180 countries, is playing an important role in empowering the digital scene in the UAE. Bringing trust and security to an increasingly connected world, Gemalto solutions are ingrained in various day-to-day transactions in the UAE, …

  Our Correspondent / EMIRATES BUSINESS Movenpick Hotels & Resorts, an international upscale hotel management company with over 16,000 staff members, is represented in 24 countries with 83 hotels, resorts and Nile cruisers currently in operation. Around 20 properties are planned or under construction, including those in Chiang Mai (Thailand), Bali (Indonesia) and Marrakech (Morocco). Focussing on expanding within core …