Month: February 2015

BlackBerry 10 OS 10.3.1 rolling out right now. by @jimboireland #Blackberry #SoftwareUpdate

Blackberry 10 OS 10.3.1 is now rolling out for current users of their smartphones,since yesterday we have joined this group and we can confirm we have the update here too..

The update adds quite many new features and from the press release below all will be explained.

Press Release 

Waterloo, ON – BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB), a global leader in mobile communications, announced that BlackBerry® 10 OS version 10.3.1 will begin rolling out globally today for in-market BlackBerry 10 devices, including the BlackBerry® Passport, Z30, Z3, Z10, Q10, and Q5, as well as the Porsche Design P’9983 and P’9982 smartphones from BlackBerry®.

Once downloaded, users will gain access to incredible new enhancements, including BlackBerry® Blend, BlackBerry® Assistant, battery boosting technology, plus improvements to the BlackBerry® Hub, calendar, camera, multimedia and more. This latest version also introduces dual app stores, offering access to hundreds of thousands of apps through the BlackBerry® World® storefront and the Amazon Appstore.

 

PicsArt_1424377910033

 

BlackBerry 10 OS 10.3.1 offers a fresh look that incorporates updated icons and an instant action bar so that each user’s most commonly accessed functions are in the center of their screen. With this operating system update, users gain access to powerful features, including:

  • BlackBerry Blend – BlackBerry Blend brings messaging and content that is on your BlackBerry smartphone to your computer and tablet. Get instant message notifications, read and respond to your work and personal email, BBM™ and text messages, and access your documents, calendar, contacts and media in real time on whatever device you are on, powered by your BlackBerry. BlackBerry Blend works across multiple operating systems including Mac, Windows®, iOS and Android™.*
  • Dual app storefronts, offering hundreds of thousands of apps:
  • BlackBerry World – BlackBerry World showcases essential business and productivity apps for professionals looking to drive efficient communications and collaboration.
  • Amazon Appstore – The Amazon Appstore is the place to download popular Android apps and games including favorites like Candy Crush Saga, Pinterest, Kindle and Cut the Rope 2.
  • BlackBerry Assistant – The BlackBerry Assistant is BlackBerry’s first digital assistant and can be used with voice and text commands to help users manage work and personal email, contacts, calendar and other native BlackBerry 10 applications. It’s the only smartphone assistant on the market today that can access both personal and work content in your work perimeter. BlackBerry Assistant intelligently determines how to respond to you based on how you interact with it – if you type, it responds silently, if you speak, it speaks back and if you activate over Bluetooth, it speaks back with additional context because it assumes you might not have access to the screen.
  • BlackBerry Hub with Instant Actions – The one place to manage all your conversations – email, texts, BBM, phone calls, social media and more – just got better. The new instant actions feature allows you to quickly organize and action your inbox without having to go into each individual message or calendar invite. Toggle the read status and file, flag or delete an email message with a single tap. When you’re composing an email, you can now transfer the conversation to a voice call, SMS or meeting invite.
Right side view.
  • Time Saving Keyboard Shortcuts – Keyboard shortcuts are back for BlackBerry 10 smartphones with a physical QWERTY keyboard including the BlackBerry Q5, Q10, Passport and the Porsche Design P’9983 smartphone from BlackBerry. As you once could on your beloved BlackBerry® Bold and as you can on the recently launched BlackBerry® Classic, you can now make use of nearly every letter in the physical keyboard and give it an action like Speed Dial for a contact, or use them to launch your most-used apps. For example, from the Hub press “T” to get to the top of your inbox or “B” to get to the bottom to make short work of getting through your messages.
  • More Battery Power – You can now boost your battery life by up to 15 percent by customizing your Power Saving Profile. Quickly select the applications and functions you would like to restrict or remain active to conserve power.
  • New Camera Functions – The upgraded camera software automatically recommends modes and settings, including HDR when sharp contrast is detected and an enhanced Time Shift mode when faces are detected. Now you have the option to store your Time Shift captures and edit them into the perfect photo whenever you want. Get the whole picture by capturing a panorama. Our new camera also brings your most common modes and actions to the forefront – you’ll never need to switch between your camera and video recorder again. You can even record video and take pictures at the same time.
  • More Ways to Edit, Create, Sort and Listen to Media – Enjoy your media the way it was meant to sound, with 17 preset equalizer options for both music and video. With 10.3.1, you now have the ability to “Favorite” songs, photos or videos so they are always at your fingertips. With the new slow motion video edit feature and built in Story Maker, it’s never been easier to master your media and share it with the world.
  • A Calendar that Works for You – The new Meeting Mode option will automatically set your phone to quiet mode for the duration of your meeting, and then turn notifications back on when it’s over. Plus, a new weekly agenda view allows you to see your events and tasks for the selected week or month.
  • BBM® Meetings – BBM Meetings offers business users a new way to work smarter and be more productive from any Android, iPhone, BlackBerry 10 smartphone or Windows PC or Mac.** It combines a mobile-optimized user experience that allows on-the-go professionals to schedule, host and participate in meetings anywhere you have an internet connection. All at a fraction of the cost of other leading collaboration solutions.

Source

Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter now available to buy in Ireland. #Microsoft #Wireless by @jimboireland

Microsoft have made the Wireless display adapter available for people to buy in Ireland along with other select markets,its a similar idea to the HD-10 which we have been using since last December but this might suit others more so than the HD-10.

 

 

Whether you’re playing a movie for movie night or sharing photos from your last trip, the Wireless Display Adapter makes it easy to share. Just plug in the adapter, pair your devices, and you’re ready to send all of your multimedia content from your phone, tablet or laptop to the big screen—all wirelessly.

This adapter takes the pain out of sharing during meetings. Everyone on your team can quickly share their content without ever having to pass around an HDMI cord. Need to work on something else while you project? No problem, just extend your screen and you can get other stuff done while you share.

Miracast is a wireless technology that supports 1080p video quality and 5.1 surround sound streaming between mobile devices and large displays. There’s no restriction to what you can share with Miracast as long as all devices are Miracast-enabled, and this adapter works with both Windows and Android.

If this does not suit check out the HD-10 which we use and find it very efficient and flawless our review can be seen here

If you want to buy the adapter its going to cost €69.99 and you can buy it on the Microsoft Store –  Direct link.

 

TechBuzzIreland talks to new Start-up Cloop by @Tiwaash #Startup #Cloop #CloopBand

Today we bring to you a new startup which is working on to keep your cables well organized with their simple yet very effective product. Confused?? We spoke to Erin, Head Marketing Team from Cloop ™ today,  a project by two brothers from Milan, who took time thinking and developing a product which would keep you organized while you travel or do your daily exercise taking care of the cables for you. The word Cloop stands for neat, small, tangle-free and that’s what this new product is going to do. Read on to find what is it exactly that I’m talking about.

Who are you guys?

Cloop ™ was founded by two brothers, engineers who reside in Milan, Italy. Their backgrounds are in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering with Business Administration and Masters in Product Design.

How  did  Cloop  Band  come  up?

Started the Cloop project as a creative solution for a common daily problem they faced while traveling frequently for their current job positions, these brothers were struck with the idea of Cloop Band.

What  is  Cloop  Band?

Cloop is a new ideal cable management solution for earbuds, cell phone chargers and USB cables. Cloop  is a cable companion band that helps keep your cables untangled while in transport and use.

What  are  the  capabilies  of  Cloop  Band?

It features an elastic silicone band, along with two strong Neodymium magnets in the ends that provide a quick  locking and release mechanism. Additionally, Cloop features a cable passage to keep it in place and readily available to use at your convenience.

Who  is  the  team  Cloop?

Engineers and product design specialists. Marketing team led by Erin Corral-Holmes from Kickstartup.

What are the future  plans  &  product  line?

Cloop is planning to create a bigger band for bigger and and bulkier cables. Also, a sleek metallic base for desktop use. We will be looking to target the product on specific niche markets and applications, that can benefit from the Cloop operative benefits, such as in hospitals for telemetry and alike cords.

Who are the Partners?

Kickstartup

When can we expect the Cloop Band prototype and the availability for the masses?

We have multiple prototype versions available.  We create in the U.S. our own molds using 3D printing. We also have done multiple prototype versions from the factories in China to perfect the product and ensure good quality. Cloop will be available on KICKSTARTER in April 2015.

What is the expected pricing for the Cloop Band?

We are targeting to launch in Kickstarter with two packages of three and five bands and three different colors: red, white and black.  We are planning to offer the package of 3 bands for $15 including shipping and the package of 5 bands for $20 including shipping.

How  is  Cloop Band  different  from  other  substutes  in  market?

Current available substitutes are that disposable cable ties as taught by the current state of art created at least  three  new problems:

  1. a problem of waste;
  2. a problem of being impractical; and
  3. a problem of being too simple such that there is a loss in functionality.

Cloop Band material, specification and dimension:

  • 1 x Syntactic rubber band of dimension: 2.13×0.22×0.14″
  • 2 x Neomedium magnets of dimension: 0.31×0.11″
  • Total weight 0.42 onces

Patent  Pending- Product design points (engineering perspective):

  1. Cloop minimizes waste because its reusable
  2. Cloop won’t slide off
  3. Optimal simplicity without compromising function
  4. Cloop is stretchable
  5. Two terminal magnetic ends that are covered in silicone. This protects the magnets from the environment and your accessories from damage(being scratched etc).
  6. Also, protecting the magnets with a soft silicone cover, does not diminish the magnetic closure strength.

What will the base of the Cloop Band do for the consumer?

  • Cloop’s base can be attached to the wall, or desk
  • Cloop’s base has a sleek design that looks great in plain view, on your desk, counter or sidetable
  • Cloop’s base keeps cables out of the way
  • Unkempt cables can be a safety hazard
  • The Cloop base holds your cables securely
  • The Cloop base is both attractive and fully functional

Whats  special  about  Cloop  design?

  • Silicone material provides flexibility and stability
  • Neodymium magnets make Cloop easy to snap shut, and easy to open
  • Cloop provides a snug fit, that will not allow cords or cables to slide
  • Roll the cable into the bundle and close Cloop
  • Durable design makes Cloop reusable
  • Cloop’s versatility means it can handle a wide variety of small to medium sized cables and accessories
  • There are other solutions out there for cable management, but there isn’t anything like Cloop as far as design and quality
  • Cloop is built for quality, and provides the simplicity you’re looking for.
  • Cloop can either be used stationary, or for portability
  • Magnetic ends are encased in silicone to protect them from the environment
  • Magnets are strong enough to securely hold your cables and cords in place, and the clasp will not “open” when storing or on the move.

We are very impressed with the Band by Cloop called the Cloop Band and would definitely love it taking care of wire chaos on our desks at office and we wish the while team all the best for the future. If you want to get alert of when Cloop launches on Kickstarter, you can sign up here and Cloop will email you when they are live or follow them on Twitter.

Let us know what do you think of this simple yet very handy good looking product in the comments below or tweet us using #techbuzzireland.

Stay tuned for more tech buzz.

The Trócaire Box App is available on Android and iOS. by @jimboireland #Charity #Trócaire #Lent

As we all know Lent is upon us and its a time of giving up something be it little or small anything helps,now we can keep help out  Trócaire even more and much easier with a new app which is Available on Android and iOS which is a great idea..

Keep your Trócaire Box in your pocket and collect donations on the go with the Trócaire Box app powered by JustGiving. Trócaire works in partnership with communities in the developing world to support their efforts to improve their lives, meet their basic needs and ensure their human dignity.

Description

• Keep your fundraising on track and check how much you’ve raised whenever you like.
• Share your box easily via text, email, Facebook or Twitter so you can get donations from anywhere in the world.
• Donations have a higher average online so you’ll raise more money for Trócaire.
• The money you collect goes directly to Trócaire so they can start using it straight away to do their amazing work.
• Design your own individual box so it’s totally unique to you.
• Earn badges to share on social media when you reach your fundraising milestones.

 

 

 

Download the App

For more information on how you can help Trócaire please look at their website HERE

Sony announces Google Glass rival. #SmartEyeglass Dev Edition,Ships in March. by @jimboireland

Sony is now offering a rival to Google Glass which didn’t last very long and its going to ship in March,its also much cheaper than Google’s attempt too which will set you back around £600,it will also be available in the UK and Germany and you can pre-order now if you like.

They sport a 3MP camera,light sensor,compass and gyroscope plus and accelerometer, and in my opinion look rather silly compared to Google Glass but thats just my opinion,however i would not say no to trying them out.they will later be available to other countries around the world.

 

Binocular display with super-thin lenses and high transparency
SmartEyeglass Developer Edition SED-E1 includes unique holographic waveguide technology, which enables super-thin 3.0 mm augmented reality (AR) lenses with high transparency of 85% and excellent brightness, without any half mirrors that may obstruct the user’s vision. Furthermore, the monochrome display ensures low energy consumption and high luminance (up to 1,000 cd/m2). This enables a binocular display, where text and information is clearly visible under a wide range of lighting conditions.

Sensors in SmartEyeglass and the connected smartphone enable unique use cases
SmartEyeglass Developer Edition SED-E1 is equipped with a wide range of sensor technologies, including a CMOS image sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, electronic compass, brightness sensor, and microphone. SmartEyeglass utilises these features, together with GPS location information obtained from the connected smartphone, to provide the user with information that is tailored for the user’s current task or scenario. Applications will run as normal Android apps on a connected smartphone. SmartEyeglass communicates wirelessly with the smartphone over Bluetooth and wireless LAN.

Source

 

 

 

The best low cost tablet is now even better! Buy an HP Stream 7 and do more! By @VicenteA_George #HP #Microsoft #Windows

When it comes to low prices and great quality is hard argue with Microsoft, and now they’re offering the HP Stream 7 Signature Tablet for the low price of 79$ in the US or £75 in the UK with lots of goodies to look for.

The Stream 7 Signature Edition is a great tablet for the price, it comes with a 7 inch screen (800 x 1280), a quad-core Intel Atom Z3735G processor with 1Gb of ram, a 32GB of internal storage with SD card slot, a 2mp back camera and 3mp front camera and 3000mAh battery.

Xbox SmartGlass
Great battery for Stream Videos and Play

What makes this a real bargain is the fact that you not only recieve the tablet, you’ll also get a free Office 365 one year subscription (which normally cost around 70$), 1TB of OneDrive storage and 60 min. of free Skype calls per month.

And what’s more! If you buy it from the US online Windows Store you’ll also get a $25 Windows Store gift card.

This deal is only available if you order the HP Stream 7 through the online Store.

If you’re in the States you can order yours HERE.
And for the UK residents you can order HERE.

Do you have one or planning to have? Let us know in the comments section bellow ot Tweet us using #techbuzzireland

Stay tuned for more Tech news!

Vertu has a new device its only $21,900. Signature Touch with Jet Red Gold by @jimboireland #Vertu

We have featured Vertu a few times before and each time the price seems to go up,this time is no different and basically all it says is “I AM RICH” and i can show it off or a fashion statement whichever term suits,for me personally if i was this wealthy i still would not fork out on such a device,having said that it does look nice on the outside.

 

Signature Touch Pure Jet Red Gold has solid red gold features including the volume control keys, power/lock key and pillow support. With Grade 5 titanium sides, coated in black PVD and a black PVD-coated Grade 5 titanium back plate. It’s wrapped in highly refined ‘fine-mill’ calf leather, sourced from the Alpine region of Europe and crafted by one of the area’s oldest tanneries. As a result, each Vertu is individual and may differ slightly to what you see here.

With the Vertu Range you do get an array of extras though which would be expected for the price you pay for such a device,You get Concierge – 24-hour worldwide assistance, recommendations and priority bookings. Tailored privileges  and Certainty.

 

Specs

 

Operating system
Android™ 4.4 (KitKat)
Hardware characteristics
  • Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 801 2.3GHz Quad-core processor
  • 4.7” 1080p, brilliant, high contrast display at 473dpi, protected by sapphire crystal
  • 13 MP main camera with autofocus and twin LED flash
  • 2.1MP Skype™ compliant front camera
  • 64GB of internal memory
  • Stereo High-fidelity 13mm x 18mm loudspeakers with Dolby® Digital Plus surround sound decoding support
  • A-GPS + Compass
  • Gyro and accelerometer for orientation and game play
  • Qi Compatible Wireless Charging

Connectivity
  • Quadband GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
  • WCDMA Bands I, II, IV, V, VIII
  • DC-HSPA+ Release 8, Cat24, 42Mb/s Downlink, Cat6 5.76Mb/s Uplink
  • LTE Bands² 1-5,7,8,17,20 & 25
  • LTE FDD² Cat4,150Mb/s Downlink, 50Mb/s Uplink
  • Dual-band WLAN 802.11 a,b,g,n,ac incl. WAPI for PRC
  • MicroAB USB system connector with USB On-The-Go support
  • 3.5mm audio socket
  • Bluetooth® v4.0 + LE
  • CSR aptX® high quality encoded audio support
  • NFC including support for embedded and SIM based secure elements
  • WiFi hotspot (tethering & portable hotspot)

If you have this amount to splash around on this device head over to Vertu and check out all the details,other than that call your bank manager.

Say hello to Z – Charge . There is no wrong side of the bed. by @jimboireland #Charging #ZCharge

At night people generally put their devices on charge be it a tablet or mobile and if you are a multi device user like myself for example this could lead to issues like fighting over chargers or not enough space,this would vary by household even though i’ve many chargers and sockets there is never enough and at times there can be clutter on my bedside locker which is annoying.

A clever solution has been created by Product designer Paula O’Connor who received a first class honours degree in Design Interior & Furniture from the Dublin Institute of Technology in 2013. She was awarded the Outstanding Furniture Design Student Award within her year.  The product is called “Z- Charge” which was funded by a KickStarter campaign which was successful with 720 backers.

 

Z – Charge offers the complete solution to having devices all over the place plus it offers multi charging points within the pouch which charges all tablets,phones and e readers so everything is tucked away safely and charging too also offering protection for your device and free from accidental knocks..

 

Devices can be grabbed quickly or stored away easily, through opening access along the top and side of pouch. They are safely secured with a Velcro closure.

 

 

Colour Choices  Z-charge will come in the top 3 colours shown below.  There also will be the possibility of offering further colours,you can let them know which one you prefer in the comments section. If you’d like it in a colour that does not appear you can also let them know that too. You can see more of the colours in the update here.

 

The product i feel is quite neat and tidy and non invasive of your space,it gives you more space and it gives you peace of mind that its in a safe place and that its also charging and the bonus is that especially for couples etc this happens both sides of the bed so everyone is happy,having seen how many backers its got you can see that its quite a unique idea and has a very high interest and i feel this will do well.

Information on the Z-Charge.

Luke Brennan runs MyVolts. Following on from a career as a datacoms engineer at Ericsson, he has worked for a dozen years in online retail.  As far as his mom knows, he has a store on the internet, which keeps things nice and simple.

MyVolts Support Team

The MyVolts team have been shipping online orders worldwide for more than ten years.  A combination of problem-solving skills and experience makes certain they always deliver. Support is available from MyVolts through English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Polish.

If you want to pre -register for the product and find out more info, you can do so HERE and the product will have an end of March 2015 release date.

Thanks once again to Paula for answering our queries today..

 

Shazam for birdwatcher fans now available #Chiropmatic App. by @jimboireland. #Birds #Apps #iOS

There is plenty of apps for music lovers to detect music such as SoundHound,Spotsearch and Shazam,but what about birdwatchers who are interested in knowing what’s in their locale or out on an excursion?

Chirpomatic is a new British-made app that automatically identifies birds by their song (often referred to as ‘Shazam for birdsong’). It is available in the Apple App Store now, ready for the start of the peak birdsong season.This initial release is just the beginning for Chirpomatic. The first version will identify 60 sounds from parks and gardens in Britain and Ireland. This number will increase rapidly as the app is expanded to cover other habitats.

 

The app is being created by iSpiny, specialists in nature apps and developers of the
very popular Chirp! birdsong app. Initially for iPhones and iPads, an Android version
will follow.
Chirpomatic has been over a year in development and employs the latest cuttingedge
techniques in machine learning.
Dr Hilary Wilson from iSpiny explains, “Developing an effective automatic identifier
for bird sounds is a huge technical challenge. Human hearing is marvellous and
can pick out a bird from in amongst other sounds even if it’s a distance away, but a
microphone records everything. On top of that, birds have a very varied repertoire
of songs and calls. Recognising which bird is singing is like using speech
recognition to pick out voices in a crowd!”
The iSpiny team’s experience as naturalists and in making apps has led them to
include a couple of innovative features, not found in any other bird app:

Bird-safe mode
Some nature reserves ban the use of mobile devices on their sites
because recorded songs can disturb birds. Chirpomatic solves this
problem. When ‘Bird-safe Mode’ is switched on, the user holds the phone to their ear (as though on the phone) in order to hear the sounds. This means that the app can be used silently and safely in all situations.

• Wind detection
The mildest breeze over a microphone is enough to create a loud roar on
the recording that masks all other sounds. To make sure this doesn’t
happen, Chirpomatic uses a wind detector feature developed by scientists
at Salford University. When wind is detected, the app flashes a warning so
that you can shelter the phone.
Chirpomatic is a fun way to connect with the natural world, whether out on a
country walk or in the back garden. The app is self-contained and works without a
network connection, so it can be used wherever you are.
However, as well as being fun and engaging people with nature, the app has a
more serious side. Recordings can be uploaded and will be available to zoologists,
ecologists and conservationists monitoring changes in the numbers and distribution
of species.

 

Chirpomatic has been over a year in development and employs the most up-to-date, cutting-edge advances in machine learning. Dr Hilary Lind from iSpiny explains the challenges: “Developing an effective automatic identifier for bird sounds is not easy. Birds have a very varied repertoire of songs and calls and recognising which bird is singing is like using speech recognition to pick out voices in a crowd. On top of that, we knew that the app had to be self-contained, so squeezing all the technology into an app was another huge hurdle that we had to overcome”.

The App is  £1.99 and available on iPhone and iPad with and Android version to follow.

Source –  Hilary Wilson at iSpiny