VR aka Virtual Reality is going to explode this year and to date content still lacks but this will change over the coming months with many manufacturers already showing us their offerings,some cheap some not so cheap,with cardboard viewers booming onto the scene it certainly helps people get an idea of what this technology has to offer but not so immersive as Samsung VR or HTC Vive for example.
You can now explore Belfast in VR with or without an app which is nice to see,other counties in Ireland and indeed worldwide really need to consider this,this can be used a selling point just as e-commerce which again is popular with consumers.Tourism is vital to many economies and here is one way to spread the word.
Belfast Go Explore app from the App Store and Google Play Store. The app is compatible with a range of phones but recommended phones are the iPhone 5 and 6 or Samsung Galaxy S5, S6 and S7 for the best user experience. The app is viewable with or without Google Cardboard or other virtual reality viewers.
What is on offer.
Experience a 360 virtual tour around the city’s top attractions including:
Titanic Belfast – the world’s largest Titanic visitor experience.
Crumlin Road Gaol – 19th century prison which has witnessed 150 years of imprisonment, conflict and executions.
Belfast City Hall – A centrepiece on Belfast’s skyline with a fascinating history and stunning architecture.
Murals – From political themes to local heroes, these colourful wall murals are an integral part of Belfast’s modern history.
Giant’s Causeway – A magnificent and mysterious geological formation, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
St George’s Market – One of the top indoor markets in the UK and Ireland, selling a range of fresh food, quality local arts, quirky crafts and unique antiques.
Botanic Gardens – The beautiful gardens are home to Belfast’s Victorian Palm House and Tropical Ravine.
See respective stores for more details there is plenty to see and there is also a chance to win a cardboard viewer too..
Blackberry now have some offers which might interest those looking for a new device in the coming days,News of apps to leave Blackberry OS like Facebook and WhatsApp should not be something to make it a deal breaker,Apps come and go and this does not make or break an OS,plus there is always alternative apps out there,people like to change too..
In this sale there is up to 30% off selected items and 20% off the Passport devices including the Silver edition which is still one of my favourite devices today..
The Blackberry Passport is dropped by around £80 which is not too bad at all..
Should you require some accessories there is up to 30% off in this department,From cases to charging and audio there is a good range to pick from so now is the time to make an addition should you need so… Sale ends on April 12th so there is plenty of time to check out what is on offer now..
Click HERE for the accessories department and take a look…. Enjoy the Easter Break folks..
In the first of our Samsung case reviews we have the Nillkin Sparkle leather case for the Samsung Galaxy S7 which was supplied to us from Mobile Fun.
The Nillkin case has a nice feel to it offering protection all round for the Galaxy S7 BUT not giving us any extra in bulk to the device,being a 5.1 inch device it will be large for some people. The case is also very light too which is great.The case offers easy access to all important ports on the device with none covered and also the speaker is also uncovered which will not have any sound muffled as some case do cover the speaker port even be in little.
IMAGE GALLERY
Left side/ Volume toggles
Case open/Volume toggles
Bottom view
Back of case
Inside branding
Camera/Flash and heart rate sensor
App
Case fully open
Case closed smart screen
Top View
Right side/Power key
The Nillkin package
Font view standing
Front view standing
1 / 14
The case also offers good protection around the camera and flash areas due to the minor hump in this area the device would be prone to scratches if left uncovered and place on any surface,this case eliminates this as you will see in the video and images. Also something to point out is the flap which covers the screen which has a nice velvet touch to it will also keep the screen in good shape not hindering the experience or scuffing the screen. With the smart display window the case is compatible with the sleep/wake function allowing the user to see content whilst the device is closed,also you can download an app which will be present with the card in the packaging and you simply scan the QR code and enter the code given on the card,this allows some more functionality of the smart window.User can decide regardless what content matters to them to have it there at a glance without having to open the case,the device will wake up once the cover is opened too..
VIDEO REVIEW
Features of the Nillkin leather sparkle case are…
View the time and caller ID
Provides all round protection without additional bulk
Durable leather-style construction offers premium protection
Food lovers – There is lots of them and they usually like to share their food photos on Instagram to show the world what they are having for dinner and more,Yes it can be a tad annoying but this app is something food lovers will like where they can share all things food amongst others within the app. This app will basically be a community of food lovers where you can talk food all day long,you can share tips,pictures and search hashtags on food types and even play in contests.
Description
(Not)Recipes for iOS is a new way to find—and share—cooking ideas and inspiration using photos. It’s the only app to tap into the smart, spontaneous cooking really happening in people’s homes—and show how it’s done. (Spoiler alert: Most of the time, they’re not using recipes.)
GET INSPIRED
See how a community of passionate home cooks eats well every day, through real-time snapshots with quick, helpful descriptions—not just of what they cooked for dinner, but how.
SHARE YOUR COOKING
Get encouragement and feedback from a like-minded community—where everyone is there for the food (not the cats or the sunsets), and wants to see what you had for dinner.
FEATURES
• Dive deep into cooking topics you care about via hashtags like #cocktails and #breadbaking
• Scroll through a complete real-time feed, or a featured list curated by Food52’s editors
• Upload your own (Not)Recipes, with as much or as little detail as you like
• See ingredients automatically detected and displayed in mini-grocery lists
• Gussy up your photos with filters inspired by food personalities like Julia Child and Mario Batali—that make even your quickest, most dimly lit shots look great
• Comment and reply—ask cooks questions about a technique or ingredient, or offer words of encouragement or your own ideas for riffing
• Favorite (Not)Recipe ideas to cook from later
• Play along in weekly contests on inspiring themes: what to do with a boatload of zucchini, the dinner you cook when you don’t feel like cooking, not sad desk lunches
Electric vehicle are still a slow burner here in Ireland still but nonetheless people are buying them,for me range is still an issue and something that would be on peoples minds using them especially on a long trip,Electric vehicles though will continue to grow in the coming years but not as fast as other countries where they are rampant.
Thankfully there is some ways to keep an eye on things and plan ahead with some apps for our mobiles and one such app is called PlugShare which also allows users to submit feedback and tips within the app and you can also upload photos,this way people can be kept up to date with news and information about the locations and also leave tips for what surrounds the area so you can make plans whilst the car is being topped up..
PlugShare state
The largest community of EV drivers in the world, PlugShare users have contributed over 100,000 station reviews and 30,000 photos to make driving electric easier than ever before.
App features
★ Locate public charging stations for your electric vehicle.
★ View PlugScore™ station ratings, real-time availability, photos, and descriptions.
★ Check out reviews and tips from other PlugSharers.
★ Filter for chargers compatible with your electric vehicle.
★ Add new charging stations as you discover them.
★ Coordinate with others when you need to top off.
Next in our Jabra range up for testing is the Jabra Sport pace wireless headset,These are the ideal headsets to have for jogging or training and much more secure than the typical in-ear offering we are more custom too although there is plenty now coming on stream and have done so over the last few months. These also lightweight and rather comfortable to wear and do not get tangled as standard earphones would,nor do you need to worry about your headphone jack leave your device due to the wireless experience as opposed to plugging earphones into a mobile or iPod..
First check out the image gallery of the product below then head to the unboxing after.
Right side - Indicated with blue
Left side - Indicated
Micro USB port
Indicator Light
Indicator light on for connectivity purposes
Control unit,Volume/Multifuction button and mic
Microphone and Jabra branding
Fitclip
Contents
The package itself
Sports button
2 / 11
The Jabra Sports Pace come in Three colours which are Red,Blue and Yellow and weight just 22 grammes,they also charge quite quickly too and are sweat and weather resistant with an IP54 rating and also shockproof,Quick charging here will give you 60 mins life with just a 15 minute charge,Talk time is roughly 5 hours and has a standby time of 5 days.. For more product info and purchase see Jabra UK
My thoughts.
These to begin with these are not my typical choice of listening tool but over two weeks of use I came to like them and thats down to their weight and design,after a few minutes you forget they are there in fact,As far as sound goes they do the job better than some I have tried out in stores where the option to try earphones are available such as PC World for example. They are robust too which is good and can take a knock,if you drop them there is nothing to worry about,Im the kind of person that likes overheads and them being bulky and depending on the make dropping them can inflict damage with these you wont.
Pairing up to other devices is a simple task and you get a nice audible alert as you do with most of Jabra products (from what I have tried) This is something I like even though it may seem nothing to some,the Jabra sport life app however took some time to pair up with my phone for some reason but when I got it going it worked fine,you can select your activity on the app be it running.cycling or walking and then select time goals calorie burn goals or create interval training. Selecting music to listen to is plentiful you can choose from anything installed on your device and off you go it is good to see that third party app integration is present here.The sports button which is built in is also neat which begins when you activate it and it gives you a countdown to begin,the app tracks everything from GPS co-ordinates and distance and seemed to be accurate enough on my usage,Voice coaching is excellent too, The Multifunction button is handy to use although for me the buttons where too small and I found them a problem to begin with but I got shovel hands so this is not something to take in too much.
Battery life was fine but you would not get a full day,this would vary by person to be fair and it does have quick charge so that can be forgiven,professional athletes for example would need to charge daily whereas the average gym goers or joggers would be fine for a few hours. The only gripes I had was volume level,Personally I like it loud,very loud but they done the job only indoors I did see the real effect of how good the sound was,using outdoors was different and the experience was doused due to street noise etc. The distance on the cable between each side could have been a tad longer but then again I have a 19.5 inch neck so on this its down to the person more so than the product.
For the price they are good,solid,fit like a charm and look good,easy to use,set up and maintain..For this style of buds I am not custom to they impressed me which is a good thing coming from me and I wear them quite a bit now due to the fact you forge they are there after a few minutes.
Virtual pets have been a hit in the past reminding us so well of the tamagotchi days,but now we are more into mobile than before apps like this have hit mobile format and this new game for kids it might just keep them quite for a while with plenty to do within the gaming app..
With Suti you can choose your pet’s name, birthdate, and place of birth before entering into Suti’s world of games, activities, and fun! Like any other pet, baby Suti needs to be kept happy and healthy: choose from a variety of fruits, veggies, meats, and drinks to feed her.
Features of the app include.
Have fun taking care of your own virtual pet while playing these fun games:
● Flappy Suti – Avoid pipes, fly as far as you can.
● Color Challenge – Improve and challenge your color vision.
● Find the Pairs – Strengthen your memory by finding the pairs.
● Whack Till You Can – See how fast you can tap the popping pets.
● Group Them – Group the same items together as quickly as possible.
● Gatherer – Observe and gather all items needed.
● Pop Suti – Blast as many balloons as you can.
● Slide To Suti – Slide and hit others.
● Throw the Ball – Slam-dunk to get a high score.
● One Color – Tap on your pets until they all become the same color.
● Cloud Avoiding – Help Suti’s parachute jump to avoid clouds.
● Sky Diving – Fly to collect coins, but don’t hit the clouds!
Jabra have sent us over some prodcuts to check out and first up is the Jabra Soulemate Mini portable speaker which even a first looks impresses me. The packaging alone looks great and is presented well. The Soulemate Mini is smaller of the family and it still packs a punch form initial testing.more on that in full review.
The Package
Bottom,houses the 3.5 mm cable
Left side. NFC point
Front view
Right side,packaging
Back of box
Packaging Left
Contents
Right side
Packaging inside
3 / 10
The Soulemate Mini comes with NFC and Bluetooth for Wireless connectivity and sports up to 8 Hrs music playback with 90 days standby time,this is plenty for going on a daytrip..You can also connect your mobile phone or tablet to the prodcut via 3.5 cable and the result remains the same with output,with simple controls to use it will be a breeze for everyone to use and set up.
Check out the unboxing below and if there is any questions fire away.. And thanks again to Jabra whom have sent us this product.. You can see more over at Jabra UK
It is good to see apps like these appear and with the digital age now helping in health more and more it also flourishes for kids with Down Syndrome with more apps becoming available to assist in the well-being of children this new start up called Enabling Playwho was co-founded by brother and sister Will Jessop and Cara Jessop,the new app is called Millie Moreorless and is available for iPhone and iPad.
Nominet trust reports..
The game is based on pioneering scientific research in the field of Magnitude, our instinctive ability to identify whether one quantity is ‘more or less’ than another – without counting. This ability is believed by some scientists to be the foundation of all subsequent maths learning. However, research has revealed that children with Down Syndrome often experience significant developmental delays in this area. By helping players improve their magnitude sense, its creators believe their game will lay a foundation for children to learn the maths skills they will need to be independent in adult life.
Cara Jessop and Will Jessop, the co-founders of Enabling Play, say “Designing Millie Moreorless has been an incredibly rewarding experience. We believe that by allowing ourselves to be led by the young people themselves, we have created a game that is fun, engaging and inclusive. It is so important to bring players of all abilities into the mainstream. If we can help children with Down Syndrome get better at maths and lay the foundation for greater independence in adult life, then we will all benefit as a society.”
Features
– A fun environment for practising more and less
– A clear learning curve
– Easy to monitor a player’s progress
– Based on scientific research
– Designed and tested with children with Down’s Syndrome
– 5 worlds to explore
– Lots of rewards to collect along the way
– Free-play area inside Millie’s backpack
– Beautiful artwork by Nick Stoney
– Original soundtrack by Sam Swallow of the Hoosiers
Child –friendly design
– No third-party advertising
– No in-app purchases
– No social media integration
