Author: finkployd

LiveTweeting | Real-Time Crowdsourced Translation

Live Tweeting is a real-time interactive web application for multi-language live coverage, based on the popular micro blogging service twitter.

A group of live tweeters will be covering the event in its Native Language, for example English, and at the same time multi-lingual tweeters will crowdsource translation of the coverage to a second language, for example Arabic. All that will be presented in real-time on LiveTweeting.com.

You can participate by rating both the coverage and translation tweets with stars right on LiveTweeting.com

Anyone can watch and rate; just point your browser to LiveTweeting.com!

Live Tweeting was launched on Dec 9th 2009, just in time to cover Le Web 2009 in English and crowd sourced Arabic! Le Web’s theme for 2009 just happens to be “The Real-Time Web”!

Le Web 2009’s Middle East highlights:

– Speaker: Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah
– Panel: The Middle East Panel

Live Tweeting is a transnational crowdsourced effort. Samer Karam (Beirut, Lebanon) invented the concept as a solution to his impending problem of live tweeting – from Le Web 2009 – in English to a predominantly Arabic speaking audience in the Middle East. Immediately thereafter, Samer Karam stumbled into Beshr Kayali (Damascus, Syria) on Twitter – the brother of a Twitter friend – who offered to co-develop the concept in-time for Le Web. Over Skype and Twitter, and with the help of infamous designer and illustrator Maya Zankoul (Beirut, Lebanon), Live Tweeting was pulled together successfully within the span of one week.

Live Tweeting is the first web application to implement crowdsourced real-time translation. We believe this to be the future of live grassroots multi-language journalism.

Special thanks to:

* Maroun Najm, Omar Christidis, Habib Haddad, Emile Cubeisy, Elie El Khoury, The Meedan Team

tags: live tweeting, le web, real-time, twitter, crowdsource, translation, english, arabic,

facing Martyrs Square, Virgin, Le Grey, & White a bulldozer is clearing ancient ruins to make way for yet another building…

UPDATE: a senior archeologist has confirmed that this land is being developed, but ample time will be given for a thorough archeological dig to excavate and document all potential artifacts before clearing the way for the foundations of the new building

tags: downtown, beirut, lebanon, real estate, building, bulldozer, heavy machinery, solidere

MWM-Week-44.pdf
LWM-Week-44.pdf

MWM-Week-46.pdf
LWM-Week-46.pdf

MWM-Week-45.pdf
LWM-Week-45.pdf

tags: economic, report, economy, lebanon, finance, financial, pdf, lebanese, bank, beirut, middle east, north africa

Episode 5

Flying Kebab is an independent internet video series featuring Nando, a photographer who passes one year searching for his inheritance in Lebanon.

Lebanese to Israel: Hands off our hummus!

By ZEINA KARAM, Associated Press Writer Zeina Karam, Associated Press Writer
Sat Oct 24, 4:25 pm ET

BEIRUT – Lebanese chefs prepared a massive plate of hummus weighing over two
tons Saturday that broke a world record organizers said was previously held
by Israel — a bid to reaffirm proprietorship over the popular Middle Eastern
dip.
“Come and fight for your bite, you know you’re right!” was the slogan for
the event — part of a simmering war over regional cuisine between Lebanon
and Israel, which have had tense political relations for decades.
Lebanese businessmen accuse Israel of stealing a host of traditional Middle
Eastern dishes, particularly hummus, and marketing them worldwide as
Israeli.
“Lebanon is trying to win a battle against Israel by registering this new
Guinness World Record and telling the whole world that hummus is a Lebanese
product, its part of our traditions,” said Fady Jreissati, vice president of
operations at International Fairs and Promotions group, the event’s
organizer.
Hummus — made from mashed chickpeas, sesame paste, olive oil, lemon juice,
salt and garlic — has been eaten in the Middle East for centuries. Its exact
origin is unknown, though it’s generally seen as an Arab dish.

Continue reading “Hummus is Lebanese not Israeli”