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LONDON — Scientists who analysed countless chemicals in spider venom say they have identified seven compounds that block a key step in the body’s ability to pass pain signals to the brain.

In research they said could one day lead to a new class of potent painkillers, the scientists focused on 206 species of spider and searched for molecules in the venom that block nerve activity, particular via so-called “Nav1.7 channels”.

Experts estimate that as many as one in five people worldwide suffer from chronic pain and existing pain treatments often fail to give sufficient or long-term relief. Pain’s economic burden is also huge, with chronic pain estimated to cost $600 billion a year in the United States alone.

People sense pain in a part of their body when nerves from the affected area send signals to the brain through what is called the pain pathway, and it is this pathway scientists seek to disrupt when searching for potential new pain medicines.

“A compound that blocks Nav1.7 channels is of particular interest,” said Glenn King, who led the study at Australia’s University of Queensland.

Genetic mutation

He said previous research has found indifference to pain among people who lack Nav1.7 channels due to a naturally-occurring genetic mutation, so blocking these channels has the potential to turn off pain in people with normal pathways.

Part of the search for new painkilling drugs has focused on the world’s 45,000 species of spiders, many of which kill their prey with venoms that contain hundreds and even thousands of protein molecules, some of which block nerve activity.

“A conservative estimate indicates that there are nine million spider-venom peptides, and only 0.01 per cent of this vast pharmacological landscape has been explored so far,” said Julie Kaae Klint, who worked with King on the study.

The researchers, whose work was published on Thursday in the British Journal of Pharmacology, built a system that could rapidly analyse spider venom compounds. They screened venoms from 206 species and found that 40 per cent contained at least one compound that blocked human Nav1.7 channels.

Of the seven promising compounds they identified, they said one was particularly potent and also had a chemical structure that suggested it would have the kind of chemical, thermal and biological stability needed for making a drug.

“Untapping this natural source of new medicines brings a distinct hope of accelerating the development of a new class of painkillers,” said Klint.

LONDON/FRANKFURT — To observers of the secretive Swiss watch industry, its quiet, seemingly passive response to Apple Inc.’s plan to attack their centuries-old business could be mistaken for submission before an overwhelming adversary.

But luxury and fashion groups Richemont, LVMH, Swatch Group and Guess Inc. have been busy in the past year tinkering with smartwatches of their own, while aiming to preserve their products’ more timeless appeal.

When Apple Watch was first announced last September, some experts dismissed such devices as appealing to a different class of customer — those who prize technology over prestige.

Now analysts and industry executives are starting to think that maybe the Apple Watch juggernaut will stoke sales of luxury timepieces among younger consumers used to telling the time with their phones, rather than on their wrists.

“Apple has the potential to make the watch cool again,” said CCS Insight mobile analyst Ben Wood, a confessed wearable gadget freak. “I think the Swiss watch industry are going to be absolutely delighted.”

Swatch — which has dabbled with smartwatch experiments for more than a decade and already makes components for fitness band wearable devices, has told Swiss newspapers it is gearing up to offer smartwatches of its own in the next few months.

“Apple is not the only company which is about to toss a smartwatch on the market,” Nick Hayek, chief executive of Swatch, the world’s largest watchmaking group, told SonntagsBlick in January. “This is not a threat but a huge opportunity for us and the Swiss watch industry.”

On Monday, Apple revealed that its lineup of watches will go on sale in April. The entry-level Apple Watch Sport will start at $349, the standard version at $549 and the high-end “Edition” watch at $10,000.

The upcoming Swatch Smartwatch will include a chip that allows users to make contactless payments with a swipe of the wrist. It will use long-lasting batteries and work with both Apple and Google-based phones, according to news reports.

While the Apple Watch has drawn rave reviews for many of its features, its limited battery life of no more than 18 hours before re-charging is considered a big drawback.

Luxury of time

The threat of the smartwatch may also be limited due to its short shelf life as a hi-tech, frequently upgraded product.

An iPhone tends to lose half its value within the first year after it is introduced, while Rolex’s flagship Submariner model has risen in value, analysts at Berenberg Bank noted in a recent report.

Montblanc, owned by Richemont, announced in January the launch of the TimeWalker Urban Speed e-strap watch, which combines a traditional mechanical watch with an interchangeable strap containing a Bluetooth connected device.

That offers “the best of both worlds”, according to Berenberg’s luxury goods analyst, Bassel Choughari. He said this is less risky than the strategy of LVMH’s Tag Heuer, which has partnered with an as-yet-undisclosed US tech company to produce a watch outside Switzerland.

“It creates a bit of a grey area between Swiss-made and probably made-in-China products, so that could be a bit difficult to manage over time,” Choughari said of the danger to brands.

Guess Inc. has also announced plans to launch a smartwatch line called Guess Connect later this year.

The new models, which come in sporty and jewel-encrusted versions, will link wirelessly to a user’s nearby Apple or Google Android smartphone. Guess says these will be compatible with thousands of existing mobile phone apps and can be controlled from the watch using voice activated commands.

Fossil Group, another US-based fashion group, has toyed with smartwatches since 2003. A year ago, it said it would produce a smartwatch based on Google’s Android Wear software, and in September, it said it had partnered with chipmaker Intel Corp.

It too early to know whether the Apple Watch, whose price tags run as high as $17,000 for its yellow or rose gold models, will steal share from the Swiss industry, which sells about 30 million watches a year.

The threat that Apple will cannibalise existing watch demand is most acute for Swatch, analysts say, because it has the highest proportion of products selling for a few hundred dollars, instead of several thousands as high-end names do.

If Apple sells 20 million watches in the first year, as some analysts estimate, and all of those purchases divert buyers from other watch brands, Swatch could suffer a 6 per cent hit to annual revenue, according to a calculation by Barclays analysts.

Watch connoisseur Steve Baktidy says he is interested in the Apple Watch but only as a tech gadget to play with. But he also welcomed efforts by luxury makers to introduce more tech features of their own.

“Absolutely I’ll buy one [from Apple] but it’s not going to replace my everyday watch,” said Baktidy, owner of two auto body repair shops in New York and two dozen watches by luxury brands including Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Breitling and Omega.

AMMAN — A concert featuring classical Indian music was held at the King Hussein Cultural Centre on Tuesday evening for Jordanians to enjoy and get acquainted with India’s cultural heritage.

Varsha Agrawal, who played an ancient musical string instrument called the Santoor, accompanied by her veteran teacher Lalit Mahant on the Tabla, and performer Asit Goswami on the sitar, also an Indian stringed instrument, performed several musical pieces.

Briefing the audience about the performance, India’s Ambassador to Jordan Anil Trigunayat explained that the santoor is one of the earliest stringed instruments of India that originally came from Kashmir. 

Led by Agrawal the Indian musicians performed for one-and-a-half hour non-stop, playing at various tempos to draw the audience’s attention, especially as the musicians were diligently playing their tunes.

Through colourful musical compositions, the tempo was seamlessly increased, making the beats louder and faster, evoking different triumphant feelings and emotions of love, happiness and enthusiasm. 

At the concluding part of the recital, Mahant and his disciple played sawaal-javaab (question-answer) through which the audience felt a real lively conversation or challenge was taking place, especially between Agrawal on her santoor, and her teacher, now 67, on his tabla, in harmony, accompanied by the sweet tunes of the sitar.

While sitting down, as is the case in most performances of classical Indian music, performers tended to move their head, chest and shoulders, as if they were dancing to musical chants.

At the opening and at the closing of the concert, a Jordanian percussionist band, named “Drum Jam” performed, providing the audience with the chance to also enjoy oriental beats at the event. 

Band leader Basher Khries said: “Today we chose to play Indian, oriental and soft Asia colourful compositions to meet various tastes.”

Eight young Jordanian musicians, including two ladies, played a variety of percussion instruments, spreading a joyful atmosphere at the event, which was inaugurated by Amman Mayor Aqel Biltaji, who lit the traditional Indian lamp.

In an interview with The Jordan Times before the concert, Agrawal, an artiste of Sufyana Gharana (school of music), said she started learning music at the age of five and music, especially playing the santoor, became the most important thing for her.

“Santoor music is everything to me. The melodies produced through santoor can be cure for insomnia. They give peace of mind. Also, they evoke feelings of romance, love, peace and tranquility,” Agrawal said. 

“It has a soothing effect,” she added.

The concert, part of several Indian cultural activities to be held in Jordan this year to mark 65 of relations between Jordan and India, was attended by scores of Jordanians, several representatives of diplomatic missions and the Indian community in the country.

Rupa Gupta, a young lady whose father is Indian and mother is Jordanian, said she liked the concert, saying it represented “an opportunity for cultural exchange”.

Also, Nabil Al Sharif, a former minister of information, who attended the concert, commended the performance of the Indian troupe. 

“You can’t help but have a great deal of respect for the talents of the musicians,” he said.

Agreeing with him, Manal Abu Eisha said the concert brought a different type of music for Jordanians to enjoy, noting that the performance was really difficult as performers have to keep moving their fingers and handle many strings on their musical instruments.

At the beginning of the event, Trigunayat highlighted Drum Jam’s participation in the World Percussion Festival that was held in New Delhi in November 2014. 

According to Khreis, eight countries took part and Jordan was the only Arab country. 

“It was really a good and enriching experience for us. It was an experience that benefited us plenty. Being there with bands from different places allowed us to learn a lot about percussion instruments and beats,” Khreis noted. 

The event was hosted by the Indian embassy in Amman, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and Greater Amman Municipality.

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple aims to have its smart watch on wrists in China, the US and beyond in April, and ignite its first new gadget category since the debut of the iPad.

The Apple Watch will be available in nine countries from April 24, at a starting price of $349. A limited edition gold Apple Watch will be available with a price topping $10,000.

"Apple Watch begins a new chapter in the way we relate to technology," said chief executive Tim Cook, who starred at an Apple Watch media event in San Francisco on Monday.

Cook said "the most personal device we have ever created" can display a variety of displays ranging from a classic watch face to an animated Mickey Mouse.

Connecting wirelessly to a user's iPhone, the watch is designed as a wrist device for messaging, calls and a cornucopia of apps, especially those geared toward health or fitness.

Users can send a reAl time display of their heartbeat to another Apple Watch to "let someone know you are thinking about them".

"I hope someone sends me one of those," quipped Cook.

Float all boats

Apple enters a market that has a number of players, ranging from South Korean giants Samsung and LG, to Japan's Sony and startups such as Pebble.

But analysts expect Apple to invigorate the market by integrating the watch with the iPhone and its mighty software ecosystem.

"Apple will outsell all the rest of them combined in 2015," said Forrester analyst James McQuivey.

"But in so doing, Apple will bring very valuable attention to the market, essentially releasing a rising tide that will float all their boats."

Apple Watch offers a range of communication apps and can be used as a sort of wrist-radio from the Dick Tracy comics.

"With the built in speaker and microphone, you can receive calls on your watch. I have been wanting to do this since I was five years old," Cook said.

Pay from the wrist

The watch is integrated with Apple Pay's mobile wallet and can be used to view pictures, monitor news and connect to social media.

Apple said that the ranks of businesses accepting Apple Pay is booming, and that it recently sold its 700 millionth iPhone.

"Now it's on your wrist, not in your pocket or your pocketbook," Cook said.

Apple demonstrated using the watch to find out lyrics to songs being heard, remotely opening home doors and displaying barcodes that act as airline boarding passes.

But a key focus was health and fitness applications.

The watch has an accelerometre, a heart rate sensor and sensors for "a comprehensive picture of your all-day activity and workouts".

It will prompt a user to get up and walk if sedentary too long.

All-day battery

Cook boasted that the device will have "all-day battery life" — or some 18 hours.

Entry price will be $349 in the United States, with the price climbing through three style categories, the top being the luxury gold model.

Initially, it will be available in Australia, Britain, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan and the United States. Pre-orders will be taken from April 10.

Moor Insights and Strategy founder Patrick Moorhead, who attended the event, said "the secret weapon here is the ability to message each other by tapping on the watch, I think people, particularly kids, are going to go nuts over that".

"Apple has a big chance of success, and what that is going to do is set the bar for the [smartwatch] experience," he added.

Jan Dawson at Jackdaw Research said he expects Apple to sell around 20 million of the devices this year, which will "catalyze the overall smartwatch market and help other vendors even as Apple comes to enjoy levels of market share it hasn't had since the iPod".

Game of Thrones

At the event, Apple unveiled a new Macbook laptop computer that weighs less than one kilogramme (two pounds).

The new MacBook starting at $1,299 is 0.5 inches (13.1 millimetres) at its thickest point, and its features include all-day battery life, a high-resolution 12-inch (30-centimetre) edge-to-edge screen and greatly-enhanced keyboard and trackpad.

Apple also announced that it cut the price of its Apple TV set-top box to $69 and that the service will next month handle the exclusive launch of an HBO Now streaming movie service.

Known for shows like "Game of Thrones" and "Boardwalk Empire", HBO enters the streaming-only video market dominated by Netflix as part of a partnership with the California tech giant.

The service called HBO Now will cost $14.99 per month and launch in April.

BARCELONA — Using your smartphone to make payments in shops or public transport should become more widespread this year, but its supremacy will depend on how successful retailers are in enticing people to keep their cards or cash in their pockets.

The stakes are high for phone manufacturers and operators, not to mention banks, as the success of contactless systems where consumers sweep their smartphone over a reader could shake up the lucrative retail payments market.

But the chief executive of Ingenico, a leading manufacturer of payment card terminals as well as new contactless systems, doesn’t see people as ready to give up their debit cards just yet.

“Smartphones will be a small part of the market but the main payment mechanism will remain the traditional [card] terminal which will continue to see growth,” said Philippe Lazare, whose company manufactures more than one in three payment terminals in use worldwide.

That view didn’t stop Ingenico from announcing this past week at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona a contactless payments system compatible with Apple Pay.

Apple of retailer’s eye?

Apple’s adoption last year of NFC, or the near field communication standard, was a major step towards this becoming the dominant technology.

Google has had a similar service, Google Wallet, available for a couple years.

NFC allows smartphones or other devices to communicate with one another within a distance of several centimetres.

This means consumers can quickly sweep their phones over readers rather than having to pull out a card, insert it into a terminal and wait to punch in a code.

“It was a decisive step towards the creation of an ecosystem but that may not be sufficient as several solutions are available,” said Anne Bouverot, head of the GSMA trade association for mobile operators that organises the Barcelona event.

She said that it is also important to get people accustomed to using their phones for making payments by using them elsewhere, such as with public transportation systems that have adopted contactless technology like in London or Paris.

In launching Apple Pay, the US tech giant was again demonstrating its longstanding role as a trendsetter, rather than responding to consumer demand. It has yet to be rolled out anywhere except in the United States.

But Apple’s initiative has pushed its competitors to also move forward.

All high-end smartphones are now coming equipped with NFC. Some are coming with added security features, like the new Samsung Galaxy S6 unveiled at Barcelona that has a fingerprint scanner.

Google last month bought Softcard, a rival to its Google Wallet co-founded by US mobile operators AT&T, T-Mobile USA and Verizon in 2011.

And Samsung recently acquired LoopPay, whose technology links up with the magnetic strip readers in existing payment terminals instead of NFC.

This system transmits card details via secure magnetic signals to the reader when held up against it.

It has the advantage over the Apple and Google systems of being immediately compatible with more than 30 million payment terminals in use in the United States.

Cash still king

US banks are watching nervously as the emergence of contactless payment systems comes just as they are investing to upgrade payment cards and terminals from magnetic strips to chip cards.

US banks lost out in the Internet payments market to Paypal, which announced during the Mobile World Congress that it was getting into the contactless payments game with the purchase of Paydiant.

This US company works with merchants to develop loyalty and incentive programmes as part of mobile payment systems to help them boost sales.

Many experts see retailers offering discounts and promotions tailored to each client as an important element in encouraging consumers to make the switch to contactless payments with their smartphones.

Not everyone is expecting a boom in the use of smartphones for making payments.

“For several years now an explosion of that of kind of payment has been expected but one should not forget that 85 per cent of all the transactions in the world are still made via cash,” said MasterCard’s chief executive, Ajay Banga.

He expects adoption of contactless payment systems to instead grow steadily over several years.

AMMAN — A society without a past has no future, thinks Kelvin Bown, an Englishman based in Amman, who undertakes the task of restoring historical photos of Jordanian and Middle Eastern sites.

His artistic mission is to restore old images of historical sites and everyday life, showing what Jordan, Palestine, Egypt and Iraq looked like in early 20th century.

“In terms of the artistic renovation of old images,” Bown states, “it could show that ways of forgotten life are significant parts of what we are and what modern Middle East is but also to demonstrate that modern ways don’t necessarily mean the better ones.”

Bown believes in the harmonious mixture between progress and traditional values.

“If we lose our understanding of inherent ways of life which have been part of living harmoniously with each other and the region for a long time, especially when viewed in the context of sustainable living… and preparation for the coming time where humanity will no longer depend on petrol and non-renewable resources,” Bown says “we will face an unsolvable puzzle for our survival.”

Photos he snatched away from obscurity and oblivion which he gathers from various archival sources shed light on aspects of life almost forgotten in the contemporary Middle East. 

Bown is an ecologically aware person who stresses that rational use of natural richness and locally grown natural medicine with protection of agricultural lands and water resources can benefit Jordanians both materially and spiritually. 

“Jordan could set a wonderful example to other nations simply by encouraging shared transportation, rather than overuse petrol,” stresses Bown. 

His newest exhibition at Zara Gallery, which continues until March 31, is titled “Both Sides of the River” and explores historical ties between East and West banks during the first decades of the last century. 

By presenting series of restored photos depicting scenes from towns and villages on both sides of the River Jordan, he illuminates the simplicity and beauty of the Middle East which went away decades ago. 

Religious co-existence in the Middle East — where one can see old mosques and churches standing side by side — is another aspect of his work.

In the time of chaos, conflicts and rising religious extremism Bown’s photos show another aspect of life in the region through a peaceful coexistence of various faiths and denominations. 

Cultures, religions and ethnic groups merged together, learned from each other and blended into what is known as the Middle Eastern melting pot. 

The spiritual roots of the Middle East are the same, according to Bown, and his role is to preserve and affirm them by retrieving old and damaged photos.

“I feel honoured and privileged to present the historical treasures of various Middle Eastern cultures and religious traditions to the public, and emphasise their unity and sourcing from the same root,” concludes Bown.

SAN FRANCISCO — Video game makers are being lured into virtual worlds in the hope players will dive in behind.

Virtual reality head gear makers including Sony and Facebook-owned Oculus were at a Game Developers Conference here this week to tout the promise of putting players so deeply into game worlds that they seem real.

“Virtual reality headset makers are looking for great games that help show off the power of the hardware,” said Scott Steinberg, chief of video game consulting firm TechSavvy Global.

“At the end of the day, it comes back to what the play experience looks like; how fun the game is, and whether it makes a meaningful case for people to want to buy the system, especially in the case of VR which has come and gone many times before.”

Virtual reality has been heralded in decades past as the next-big-thing in gaming, but those behind hardware this time around believe the technology is getting good enough to deliver on the promise.

Sony on Wednesday unveiled a new-generation prototype of “Morpheus” virtual reality head gear and said a version for consumers is on track for release in the first half of next year.

The Japanese consumer electronics titan did not disclose how much it planned to charge for the virtual reality (VR) system synced to work with its popular PlayStation 4 video game consoles.

“With the technical specs achieved on the new prototype, we are one step closer to realising our vision for making amazing VR experiences on PS4, and ultimately to deliver a real sense of presence to players,” said Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida.

Valve and Taiwan-based smartphone maker HTC announced this week that they are working together on Vive virtual reality head gear to be released by the end of this year.

Oculus chief technology officer John Carmack told a packed room of developers at GDC that the company is working with South Korean consumer electronics colossus Samsung on a next-generation Gear VR device likely to be released late this year.

Bigger than gaming

Carmack was convinced that a big chunk of the global population will want to dive into virtual reality, and that once there they will wind up playing games.

“I think that virtual reality is bigger than gaming,” Carmack said. “I honestly do see a world with a billion people using virtual reality headsets.”

He said that while the VR headset of his dreams, which lets users go mobile without wires, is years away but that meaningful advances were being made in making gear ergonomic and imagery comfortably smooth.

Mistimed VR imagery has been known to make people nauseous, especially if they move their heads around too much.

“There is no denying there is a real issue here,” Carmack said.

“I am kind of surprised that we don’t have more people-vomiting-with-Gear-VR YouTube videos out by now, because I am sure it has happened someplace and someone must have caught it on video.”

Morpheus improvements touted by Sony included speedier rendering of imagery to eliminate flicker or blur.

Carmack advised game makers to begin crafting VR titles, no matter which head gear they target.

“VR certainly promises to offer some new angles and perspectives on gaming, but whether it translates into major sales or major interest in the mainstream has yet to be determined,” Steinberg said.

Mind-controlled play

Startup MindMaze used GDC to debut MindLeap headset technology that incorporates virtual and augmented realities as well as sensors for thought-powered play.

MindMaze has used the technology to help stroke victims recover function and amputees get rid of phantom pain, and is now targeting gaming.

“The one journey that all the VR goggle manufactures are taking is how do you get your body in this space,” said MindMaze founder and chief Tej Tadi.

“What you emote, what you feel, how you move will be integrated and replicated in VR so you really believe you are in the virtual world.”

International Game Developers Association executive director, Kate Edwards, said that virtual reality gear being touted at GDC was compelling, but that she and other industry veterans have been pitched the wonders of VR in decades past.

“It is really compelling, but it is ultimately going to come down to content,” Edwards said.

For game studios being counted on to create those great titles, VR remains an unknown quantity.

“There is a lot of experimentation and very little certainty regarding what is coming to market,” said Steel Crate Games co-founder Ben Kane, who was showing off a VR bomb-defusing party game called “Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes.”

“VR will probably really hit its stride outside of games. It has the potential to be huge in telepresence, real estate, and virtual tourism.”

NEW YORK — There was a time you could count on phones getting larger each year. Samsung’s runaway success with the big-screen smartphone even spurred Apple to release a supersized model last fall. But if phones get any bigger will they be too hard to use?

That’s the worry of some smartphone makers, and the reason why many of the new models this year didn’t grow. LG even shrank the G Flex 2 to a 5.5-inch screen, as measured diagonally, compared with 6 inches before.

So, how much does size matter?

Just the right size

“The size of the phone really is at the sweet spot,” said Drew Bamford, corporate vice president of HTC Creative Labs, which studies how consumers use phones. Bamford said a larger phone would be too cumbersome to use with one hand.

That was also the thinking at Samsung, which has long promoted its phones as “the next big thing”.

Hong Yeo, a senior designer at Samsung, said those who really need a larger screen could turn to other models, such as the 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 4. For the S6, 5.1 inches was “the perfect size for what we want to do,” he said.

IDC analyst Ramon Llamas said the ideal display size tends to be 4.5 inches to 5.5 inches these days.

“Screens have grown faster than hands,” said Rick Osterloh, Motorola’s president.

The company’s new Moto E phone is just slightly larger — with a display measuring 4.5 inches, compared with 4.3 inches for last year’s model. Samsung’s Galaxy S6 stays at 5.1 inches, while the new HTC One remains at 5 inches.

Changing competition

It might not be a coincidence that Android phone makers are playing down phone size just as Apple has caught up by making its iPhones bigger, a move that eliminated a key advantage Android phones had long enjoyed.

Now, Android phone makers are looking at other ways to persuade consumers to upgrade. For the Flex, it’s a curved screen, along with self-repairing capabilities when the back gets scratched. Camera improvements are touted in the new Samsung and HTC phones. The new Samsung S6 phones also have better screen resolution even as the size remains the same.

Fickle consumers

Consumers do like larger displays as they rely increasingly on mobile devices for entertainment and information. The larger screens also make typing easier. Preferences for larger phones can be seen in the high demand for both the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, which made Apple the world’s top smartphone maker in the final three months of 2014, according to Gartner.

But consumers want something comfortable to hold. Ramchan Woo, a vice president and head of mobile product planning at LG Electronics Inc., said the 6-inch display of the original G Flex was both a chief compliment and a chief complaint.

That said, what’s acceptable “has been in flux to some degree for the past few years”, Bamford said. A few years ago, the “sweet spot” was closer to 4 inches. Now, it’s at about 5 inches. He said that as people see what they can do with larger screens, they are willing to put up with more.

Shoneel Kolhatkar, senior director of US product marketing at Samsung, said that while the company believes the phone’s size is right for now, he will “never say it will never increase”.

There are some regional variations, too. Bamford said Asian markets tend to accept bigger phones, possibly because people there are more likely to carry bags, rather than use pockets to carry phones.

More than 

the screen size

One trick to giving consumers a larger display without decreasing comfort: Shrink the phone’s frame so that the overall size isn’t bigger. But the frame is already minimal, and doing more poses an engineering challenge — and could make phones more expensive.

“The key innovation that we’re driving toward is more screen as a percentage of the surface area,” Osterloh said. “We just try to make it more and more screen.”

An old hand at practical and compact multi-purpose vehicles with quite a few tricks up the sleeve, Fiat’s latest effort into the segment capitalises on the unflinching popularity of its retro-chic 500 city car and the ever-growing trend for SUV-like vehicles.

Effectively replacing the face-lifted Fiat Multipla, in terms of styling cues and its position as a derivative of the 500 range, the 500L Trekking harks back to Fiat’s historic 1955-69 600 Multipla micro-MPV, rather than the more recent, hugely and innovatively practical but controversially styled 1998-2004 Multipla.

Larger and more practical than a family hatchback, the 500L Trekking offers fashionable SUV-flavoured design with MPV space efficiency and versatility.

Upbeat design

Practical, spacious, economic, comfortable and well-kitted, the 500L Trekking compact MPV is designed to reflect the cheeky and cheerful Fiat 500 hatchback, with similar retro bug-eyed headlamps chrome detailing, but features a higher ride height, more aggressive SUV-like design cues.

Improving on the basic 500L’s practical and manoeuvrable compact, tall and narrow design, the Trekking version’s prominent wheel arches, stylish 17-inch alloy wheels, SUV-like bumper and lower black cladding lend it a broader and chunkier road presence, and more versatile ability for mild off-road driving.

In a landscape of diversifying niches, the 500L Trekking is a stylised compact urban MPV/SUV crossover competing with cars like the Kia Soul and Peugeot 2008.

With its rounded lights and bodywork the 500L Trekking has a more “friendly” approach to design rather than more commonly “aggressive” contemporary designs, and is offered with a wide range of colours and personalisation options.

Available with choices including side graphics, Italian badge and upbeat colours such as the pictured model’s pastel yellow paint, blacked out pillars and a seemingly floating white roof combination, the 500L Trekking is similarly cheery, lively, user-friendly and stylish inside, with intuitive buttons and instrumentation, upright dashboard, thick sporty steering wheel and airy, bright and spacious ambiance, especially when combined with panoramic roof option.

Compact and comfortable

Powered by a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with Fiat’s MultiAir electro-hydraulic multi-valve actuation system, the 500L Trekking features enhanced power, fuel efficiency and refinement.

The most powerful version available for Middle East markets, the 1.4 turbo is prodigious for its size, with 160BHP produced at 5500rpm, which allows for 9.3-second 0-100km/h acceleration and a 200km/h top speed. Developing 184lb/ft torque throughout a wide 2500-4000rpm mid-range range, the 500L Trekking delivered decent on-the-move responsiveness and flexibility, for comfortable overtaking ability.

The 500L trekking drives its front wheels through a dual-clutch six-speed automatic gearbox which lines up odd and even gears on separate clutches for swift and smooth shifting.

Driven on a short and winding track at the Fiat group’s Balocco proving ground, just north of Turin, 500L Trekking is a smooth and refined ride. It is well-insulated from noise, harshness and vibrations, and plenty of supple comfort dialled into its MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension, despite somewhat low profile 225/45R17 tyres.

High riding with high seating position and generous glasshouse the 500L Trekking offers excellent road visibility and commanding position for its segment. A tall and comfortably set-up car with some body lean through corners, the 500L Trekking is nevertheless reassuring on fast sweeping bends and faithful to cornering lines.

All-round ability

More surprising was the 500L Trekking’s willingness to be hustled at a brisk pace. With quick, light and direct steering, the Trekking’s turns-in tidy for a tall car, and with its compact size was more agile and responsive in sudden lane changes expected, as evident when pursuing a nimbler, quicker and more agile Fiat Abarth 595 Turismo hot hatch at Balocco.

Though it wears SUV-like cosmetics like black cladding and skid plate-like panel the 500L Trekking lacks four-wheel drive, locking differentials or low gears for serious off-road driving. However, its 13mm ride height rise over regular 500L models, compact wheelbase, all-season tyres and with engine above driven front wheels, it should easily tackle dusty and pocked dirt roads and other mild off-pavement tasks. 

A practical, comfortable family car, the 500L Trekking features a range of safety systems and equipment starting with electronic traction and stability control systems, and ABS and electronic brake-force distribution to provide controlled and level braking. Standard as well are six airbags, automatic, fog and cornering lights, and Isofix child seat latches.

Depending on market, the 500L Trekking can also be optionally equipped with City Brake semi-autonomous driver assist system that stops the car automatically at up to 30km/h an imminent collision is detected. In European markets, the 500L earns a maximum five-star EuroNCAP safety rating.

Generous versatility 

Bright and airy with multi-pane wraparound windscreen and glasshouse, the 500L feels particularly, the 500L Trekking is comfortable and utilitarian with generous headroom, easy cabin access and plenty of room for five passengers. A generous, uniform and versatile load area allows of utilitarian cargo carrying capacity, which can be configured from a 412 litres minimum to a 1480 litres maximum volume.

Split folding and sliding rear seats allow one to manage passenger and load space, while foldable front passenger seat, folding seat-back trays, big tailgate and height-adjustable load platforms add versatility. A practical car with a place for everything, the 500L features optional cargo organiser, luggage nets, clothes hook, roof rails and pet partition. 

Well equipped with mod-cons and safety kit, the 500L Trekking’s long standard and optional spec list includes automatic climate control, standard electric windows and remote central locking. 

Optional kit includes fragrance diffuser, velvet mats, sun blind, Beats audio system are a user-friendly and intuitive Uconnect infotainment system with SD/USB media hub, voice command, Bluetooth streaming and hands-free mobile connectivity, with either standard 5-inch or optional 6.5-inch touchscreen. And for a distinctly Italian touch, the 500L can be equipped with an on-board Lavazza Italian espresso machine. Optional equipment also includes bicycle, ski, snowboard, surfboard and kayak racks for sporty practicality and even a make-up organiser for lady drivers.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 1.4-litre, cast iron/aluminium, turbocharged transverse 4 cylinders

Bore x stroke: 72 x 84mm

Compression ratio: 9.8:1

Valve-train: 16-valve, SOHC

Gearbox: 6-speed twin-clutch auto, front-wheel drive

Gear ratios: 1st 4.154:1; 2nd 2.269:1; 3rd 1.435:1; 4th 0.978:1; 5th 0.755:1; 6th 0.622:1

Reverse/final drive: 4:1/4.118:1

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 160 (162) [119] @ 5,500rpm

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 184 (250) @ 2,500-4,000rpm

0-97km/h: 9.3 seconds

Top speed: 200km/h

Red limit: 6,500rpm

Fuel capacity: 50 litres

Length: 4,270mm

Width: 1,800mm

Height: 1,679mm

Wheelbase: 2,612mm

Track, F/R: 1,522/1,519mm

Headroom, F/R: 1,034/983mm

Legroom, F/R: 1,015/931mm

Shoulder room, F/R: 1,456/1,388mm

Hip room, F/R: 1,394/1,256mm

Cargo volume, min/max: 412-/1,480 litres

Weight: approximately 1,300kg

Suspension, F/R: MacPherson struts/torsion beam, anti-roll bars

Steering: Electric assistance, rack & pinion

Turning circle: 10.7 metres

Lock-to-lock: 3-turns

Brakes: Ventilated discs, 305 x 28mm/discs, 264 x 10mm

Tyres: 225/45R17

PARIS — UN recommendations to curb sugar intake may face an uphill battle for acceptance, experts say — confronted by an ingrained human yearning for sweetness.

Sugar is laden with energy, which we are genetically geared to want — a craving the food industry has cultivated to keep consumers coming back for more, they point out.

On Wednesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reiterated its advice that added sugar should comprise less than 10 per cent of daily calorie intake, but said consumers should ideally strive for half that amount.

Experts question the attainability of these goals given that sugar is added to everything these days from tomato-based sauces and bread to charcuterie.

“There is a collusion between manufacturers and consumers,” said Jean-Michel Lecerf, head of nutrition at the Pasteur Institute in Lille, northern France — pointing to a “shared responsibility” for the sharp rise in added sugar in food.

“Manufacturers like to sell their products and consumers like the taste of sugar.”

The UN guidelines apply to so-called “free sugars” added to food and drink by the manufacturer, cook or consumer and naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates.

These are said to have contributed to a global rise in obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other health problems.

Food manufacturers will be hard-pressed to find a cheaper, easier and more popular flavour-booster, say the experts. Not only does sugar provide a quick energy boost, it is also a natural mood-lifter.

‘Miracle ingredient’

“We want it because we get pleasure from it,” said Lecerf. “It has a psychotropic effect when you have the blues.”

Michael Moss, awarded a Pulitzer prize for his book: “Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us”, calls sugar the “miracle ingredient for the food companies”.

“They use it to save money. When you’re making a tomato sauce, instead of using naturally red, sweet tomatoes, you can buy cheap, green tomatoes and add sugar to make up for the natural flavour,” he said.

The food industry has developed a “bliss point” measure for the ideal sugar content — not too little and not too much, said Moss, to make sure consumers are always left wanting more.

One of the biggest problems for consumers, he added, was the hidden sugar in savoury products like bread and processed meat.

“What it does is create the expected wish that everything you eat is sweet.”

The UN advice does not cover sugar in fresh fruit or vegetables.

According to Nita Forouhi, a nutritional epidemiology researcher at the University of Cambridge, sugar-sweetened beverages may be the “low-hanging fruit” for achieving the UN’s objective.

The 10 per cent goal amounts to about 50 grammes or 12 teaspoons of sugar for an adult consuming 2,000 calories per day.

The average can of soda packs up to 10 teaspoons, so switching to water or a non-sweetened beverage will swiftly cut sugar intake.

The tougher 5 per cent ideal, aimed at reducing tooth decay, will be “much harder to meet”, said Tom Sanders, a professor emeritus on nutrition at King’s College London.

“It would involve not eating cakes, biscuits, confectionary and all sugar-sweetened beverages, including fruit juice,” he told Britain’s Science Media Centre.

Tailored approach

Sugar consumption patterns vary hugely between countries.

It accounts for about 7 or 8 per cent of the adult daily calorie intake in Norway and Hungary, for example, but in Spain and Britain, it is more than double that. 

On average, South America consumes two-and-a-half times the WHO’s 10 per cent recommendation, and sub-Saharan Africans less than the 50 gramme goal.

“Today’s food environments exploit people’s biological, psychological, social and economic vulnerabilities, making it easier for them to eat unhealthy foods,” said a paper in The Lancet last month. 

“Regulatory actions from governments and increased efforts from industry and civil society will be necessary to break these vicious cycles.”

In the global fight against obesity, more than 50 countries now require nutritional labelling on pre-packaged foods, and hard-hit Mexico has imposed a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages.

The UN’s guidelines are non-binding.

The International Council of Beverages Associations (ICBA), said Wednesday the WHO’s 5 per cent goal was unscientific.

But, it undertook “... to help consumers to achieve calorie balance through smaller portion sizes, no- and low-calorie beverages and transparent, fact-based nutrition information.”