If you have missed it the Xperia Ear is a new earbud if you will that was recently launched and its now up for pre-order and due to dispatch sometime in November.. Take note though this is not a PAIR of earbuds but just ONE which is set to rival the likes of the Apples air-pods or the Jabra Sports Elite both of which come in pairs.. Xperia Ear which is a personal assistant you can send and receive messages, check your schedule, search, navigate, and more. All without picking up your phone which is handy to say the least.
However the price might not favour some coming in at €199 but if you are a Sony fan you can claw back €50 if you intend to purchase a new smartphone.. The offer ends on November 13th so if it is something you had in mind and want a new phone later on head over and check out the offer HERE
Black Duck, a global leader in automated solutions for securing and managing open source software, today announced the formation of its Belfast-based Open Source Security Research Group during an event at Invest Northern Ireland’s headquarters in Belfast.
Black Duck worked closely with Invest NI on the initiative, and Black Duck said it expects to add almost 60 jobs in Northern Ireland over the next four years.
COSRI is based at Black Duck’s Massachusetts headquarters. The Northern Ireland group will play a major role in COSRI’s research work by analyzing open source security issues and attack patterns, and by providing customers with actionable information on vulnerabilities, corrective actions to reduce risk and strategies for effective, secure use of open source.
Black Duck CEO Lou Shipley attended the event and said “Since creating COSRI earlier this year, we have been increasing our strategic investments in open source security research and innovation worldwide. Northern Ireland has the depth of security research talent to meet many of our needs in the near term and in the future.
“Invest NI very quickly proved to us that Northern Ireland had both the high-quality tech professionals to meet our open source security research needs and an impressive array of cybersecurity-focused businesses that will continue to attract more attractive candidates to the region. Invest NI’s guidance and support played a vital role in making this engagement happen. They will be a key strategic ally as we scale our research activities, grow our business and support Black Duck customers in the UK and Europe,” said Shipley.
Simon Hamilton, Northern Ireland’s Minister for the Economy, praised Black Duck’s investment and said “Our local software industry is fueled by a pool of high-quality software engineers working in a range of leading technology disciplines. In recent years Northern Ireland has made significant investments in cybersecurity research and in growing computer science student numbers at both Queen’s and Ulster universities. We also have a growing cluster of world-class companies involved in cybersecurity, making Northern Ireland a very attractive location for projects of this type.”
Use of open source software is ubiquitous worldwide and it is an essential component in application development today, often comprising 50 percent of the code in an application. The rapid growth in open source usage has created significant security and management challenges.
Shipley noted that open source use will continue to grow because of its economic, productivity and innovation benefits. “Our intent is to support that growth by helping organizations use more open source more securely.”
This Europe Code Week, Microsoft aims to help more of Ireland’s young people explore computer science and hone their digital skills
Microsoft is encouraging more European students to get engaged in computer science and boost their coding skills this week. Students and teachers will be joining in a series of events taking place across 14 European countries as part of Europe Code Week 2016.
Pictured at the event were Sam (8), Charis (10), Molly (6) and Jack (12) Howell all from Dunleer Co Louth. Photo Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography
Digital skills are essential for anyone to thrive in our digital economy and for Europe to realize its Digital Single Market vision. In Europe, 90 percent of jobs will require some level of digital skills by 2020. Including computer science education into the curriculum in every European country is one clear path towards closing the digital skills gap. Helping more young people to learn the basics of coding and get inspired by the possibilities of computer science at a young age will help to instil the computational-thinking and problem-solving skills that are critical for today’s digital environment.
Progress is underway. 19 European countries have integrated computer programming and coding in their curriculum or plan to do so in the near future[1]. However, there is still a significant need for computer science to remain on top of the education policy agenda to make digital literacy and skills fundamental components of education at all levels. Education reform must happen faster to ensure the current generation doesn’t get left behind.
“Computer science is now a building block for all modern jobs and should be an essential part of foundational learning in the classroom,” said Cathriona Hallahan, Managing Director, Microsoft Ireland. “Although we are making great strides when it comes to sparking interest in subjects like coding, we mustn’t lose sight of the other tangible ways we can help young people to think in a more digital way. Europe Code Week reminds us that, by opening up more opportunities and teaching coding and computer science both inside and outside of the classroom, we can continue to nurture greater interest and engagement across the region.”
The courier industry is a cut throat business today and with a myriad of well established options available across the land and having worked in the industry for some 20 years myself it is not going to change anytime soon and with the huge increase in eCommerce over the last few years there is now a strain showing and pressure mounting on companies with Christmas and Brexit online sales already are increasing now and it will be interesting to see how companies will cope with the huge volume expected this Xmas season…Once was what was inherently a B2B (Business to Business) industry its changed and now has now evolved into a B2C (Business to Customer) business too thanks to the eCommerce boom. Also you have the other known service C2C (Customer to Customer) Envoy have entered the market perhaps just at the right time here to avail of the pickings available in the industry but they do have a partnership with known carriers called GLS whom have multiple hubs across the country like its competitors Nightline,Fastway and DPD etc.. The company offers similar services to what it is on offer by others..The standard service offers two-day delivery if you book before 4pm..
Envoy are an Irish company dedicated to creating a premium delivery service accessible to SMEs and consumers. They offer the first real alternative to the the post office for parcels, packages and registered post, with some key advantages.Anyone with access to a computer or a smartphone can use our simple site to arrange to have a parcel collected from any location in Ireland and delivered to anywhere in Europe.
How it works..
Choose the weight of parcel you want delivered.
Enter collection and delivery locations.
Confirm your order and enter your payment details (one time only!)
Standard service offers two-day delivery. If you book before 4pm (and usually after), the driver will arrive with a pre-printed label to collect your parcel the following working day, with delivery the day after that. For your peace of mind, all of our deliveries are signed for.
Envoy deliver to 35 countries around Europe, offering great rates such as €20 (+ VAT) to send up to 20kg to the UK.
Delivery is a key component of online selling, whether through Adverts.ie, eBay or any custom platform. With Envoy you have access to a low-cost, door-to-door delivery service with transparent pricing and reliable two-day turnaround. You also get that all-important signature as proof of delivery. For those returning goods bought online, within Ireland, the UK or anywhere in Europe, we can take the hassle out of the process. Envoy will collect the item you want returned and deliver it to any Returns Department or store in Europe.
We also have a business solution, called Envoy Enterprise. If you send a lot of parcels or if you need next day delivery, our bespoke solution allows you to book deliveries, print custom labels and have your parcels collected that day. Simply pay for your labels as you book them. Similarly, our Registered Post solution collects and delivers your registered items. We’re cheaper than the Post Office that you no longer have to visit.
Conor also tells is what’s on the roadmap . .
An app is one of the enhancements we’re currently working on! You can still book via smartphone in the interim.
Also on the roadmap are other features to make our service even better:
* Parcelshops for pick-up and drop-off. * Collection/delivery from anywhere in Europe. * API integration.
Driving when on your phone is silly and yet we all see hundreds of people on their phones still today even after laws have come in to try discourage us from picking up the phone or checking it whilst behind the wheel. Of course we can use the native flight mode built in or just switch the phone off when we are driving but in todays world lots of us are afraid we will miss something or else just sending text,checking social and emails whilst we are sat in our car..Even when sitting in traffic we should not be doing it but with the traffic problems we have its easily tempting to pick up our mobile phones to take a peek or reply to a message and so on. This new app aims to change that..
Drive Safe creator Andrew Irwin, a 23-year-old student of Computing in Software Development in Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, believes the app could make an immediate difference in changing driver behaviour.
Drive Safe can detect when you’re driving using Auto Start and put your phone on silent so you wont be distracted by your phone ringing while driving, and Auto replies via text message to incoming calls & “sms” text messages.The app uses your mobile phones accelerometer…
“Simply the goal is to save lives. With one tap Drive Safe could help prevent fatalities and serious car accidents attributed to mobile phone usage while driving,” he said.
“I’ve always strived to keep the app as simple as possible, so that anyone of any technical ability or age can use the app first time, with ease. I have also tried to keep as much language out of the app as possible, as Drive Safe is a global app, used all around the world.”
NOTE – Auto replies may only work using the standard default sms messaging app, Auto replies may not work with Facebook messenger or hangouts etc, Drive Safe may not work on all smart phones
Drive Safe Features
Emergency Mode:
After 3 incoming calls from the same caller, the app will switch off.
You can now create your own custom message for auto reply
you can choose not to reply to calls, or not to reply to texts.
Switch Drive Safe on/off using the Big button in the app.
When the button is red Drive Safe is off.
when the button is green Drive Safe is on.
Drive Safe can also be switched on using Auto Start.
Consolidating people in with the same interests can be a task for some but with many social apps out there today there is many means and ways to keep in check with the likes of social media and so and in particular LinkedIn would be a good example of making connections with those who suit your area of interest. This new app though is aimed at Freelance and from being a past movie extras member myself at times communications where lost be it via email or text or again a number being lost.That was some years ago though but thing have changed since and now with the likes of social media and apps things have got much easier….
The app allows productions to create calls to fill positions for their respective projects, and for potential crew to indicate their availability, experience, and skillset on their profiles.
Individual users can check out the latest calls that match their skills nearby, and can receive push notifications once a new call has been created in their area. Producers can quickly search through all the available freelancers based on their skills.
However this comes with a subscription service which is not really an issue. Its €20 for basic users and pro users will have to foot a charge of €100.. For that though you get more, you can view complete profiles and work history of prospective freelancers.
Features
Freelance Film & TV Ireland brings together all freelancers in the industry at the
push of a button.
Productions can create calls to fill positions for their respective
projects and potential crew can indicate their availability, experience and skill set
on their profiles.
Want to keep an eye on those calories ?? Maybe not now but after the Xmas you will when we all take a dash for the gym then a month later quit…. LOL..
This new app might be of some assistance which can also let you scan barcodes to get food contents and take photos and log the information,it essentially logs your intake like calories and so on. This is in Beta right now but it is something you might want to check out if you feel like you need to watch your weight or check what your intake is like.. The app is in a neural stage if you will gathering intelligence and a user database and sure who does not like taking photos of food and posting them to Instagram this will certainly for you guys and you can monitor what you eat at the same time… We will give it a go for a bit and see how it works anyway..
You simply select a meal,snap a photo,confirm your food,it can pick up more than one foodtype in a single photo,enter the info ,select size and then confirm….There is two versions of the app which is FREE and premium available which obviously gets you more features… You can download on Android, iOS, Nook, Kindle, and the Web.See how it all works HERE
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Google have just launched a new VR-ish app which uses your devices gyroscope, As is we cant take 360 degree videos on our mobile phones to date but it will happen someday. This app is effectively VR and photos mashed up as they put it themselves.. To use the app you just wave your device in the air,tap the screen and repeat and so on you will pick it up petty quick,Probably not an app I will use much just yet but hey it is a cool concept..
Sprayscape is a quick hack using the phone’s gyroscope to take pictures on the inside of a 360-degree sphere. Just point your phone and tap the screen to spray faces, places, or anything else onto your canvas. Like what you’ve captured? Share your creations via a link and your friends can jump into your scapes and have a look around using their phones or even Google Cardboard.
Sprayscape maps the camera feed on a 360 degree sphere, using the Cardboard SDK to handle gyroscope data and the NatCam Unity plugin for precise camera control.
When you launch the app on your device it reminds you of Snapchat but you can share link easily via the app onto Facebook or email and you must be signed in with a Google Account.. Get it below from the store if you fancy trying it out… Or see Android Experiments for more
From realms all across Skylands, the greatest young warriors, Spyro, Eruptor, Stealth Elf, Jet-Vac and Pop Fizz, are trained at Skylanders Academy to protect the universe from evil-doers. Skylanders Academy, based on the video game franchise from Activision Blizzard available on Netflix from 28 October.
Based on Activision Blizzard’s record-breaking video game franchise, the show follows the heroic adventures of Spyro, Eruptor, Stealth Elf, Jet-Vac and Pop Fizz as they travel the vast Skylands universe, protecting it from evil-doers.
As darkness begins to threaten the balance of peace in the Skylands, Master Eon is forced to assemble a ragtag group of heroes to protect the universe from evil-doers Kaos and the Doom Raiders. Using their unique blend of personalities and elemental-based super powers, Spyro and his fellow Skylanders are called upon to set aside egos as they come together to maintain harmony and balance in the land. Jam-packed with humour, heart and memorable moments, Skylanders Academy promises to keep viewers on the edge of their seats with epic action for kids of all ages.
Led by showrunner Eric Rogers (Dodgeball), the series features the voices of Justin Long (Ask Me Anything) as Spyro; Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical) as Stealth Elf; Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad) as Eruptor; and Norm MacDonald (Saturday Night Live) as Glumshanks. Additional voice talent includes Susan Sarandon, Daniel Wu, Parker Posey, James Hetfield, Catherine O’Hara, Chris Diamantopoulos, Bobcat Goldthwait, Diamond Minecart and Harland Williams, among others.
Netflix members worldwide will be able to join in the adventure and humour of learning the “Skylander way” starting this Autumn. Season 1 launches exclusively on Netflix October 28, with Season 2 landing in late 2017.