July, 2017 - techbuzzireland.com

Snapcats and Insta-pooches are creating a pet spending surge. #Pets #SocialMedia

Sales of premium grooming products at Argos have risen by a whopping 163% in ONE YEAR

Instagram or what I like to call it is the “Post what you eat for dinner” app is no longer famed for just posting selfies or food pictures and the same can be said for other social networks including Snapchat,Facebook and Twitter we are now seeing more photos of our pets and the trends in this study back it up. One thing for sure is I am glad to see the food pictures decrease somewhat and would rather see peoples pets.

Pet owners seeking Instagram fame for their cats and dogs are responsible for a rise in sales of animal grooming products and accessories, according to leading Irish retailer Argos.In fact, sales of premium grooming products at Argos have risen by a whopping 163 per cent, compared to the same period last year.

Owners are now splurging on top-of-the-range hair clippers and luxury water fountains for their precious animals. The Wahl Super Groom Premium Rechargeable Pet Clipper, priced at €149.99, is currently Argos’s best-selling premium pet grooming product. Now I have a beard trimmer and it would not cost that much so it shows we do love our pets splashing out…

Meanwhile, pet accessories have risen by 13 per cent, suggesting that pet owners are investing in props to make their furry-themed posts even more shareable. Whilst dogs ‘lead’ the way on total accessories spend, cat accessories have seen the biggest growth in sales at 19 per cent over the last twelve months.

It also appears Insta-addicts are letting sleeping dogs lie, with sales of dog beds rising by 18 per cent for those all-important cute napping posts.

This rise in sales has been associated with the increasing trend of ‘pet-working’, where social media channels are created by owners on behalf of their pets. On Instagram, the hashtag #dogsofinstagram has attracted over 70 million posts, whilst #catsofinstagram boasts over 60 million.

Animals on social media now attract larger followings than some celebrities, with pets such as Boo the Pomeranian attracting over 16 million followers on Facebook. And over on Instagram, Doug the Pug and Grumpy Cat command over two million followers each.

This trend has also extended to celebrities – with stars’ pets attracting their own cult following. Karl Largerfield’s cat, Choupette, has over 100,000 followers on Instagram and Mark Zuckerberg’s Hungarian sheepdog, Beast, has scored a huge 2.6 million likes on its Facebook fan page. Stars who regularly post about their pets include Nick Grimshaw, Millie Macintosh, Professor Green, Caroline Flack and Lewis Hamilton.

Emma Carter, pet care buyer at Argos, said:

“Whilst Ireland has always been a nation of pet lovers, the rise of social media has really taken our obsession to another level. This is reflected in the huge increase we’ve seen in pet product purchases over the last twelve months alone.

“It’s great to see so many people documenting the antics of their beloved pets and sharing these moments on their social channels. With pets now dominating newer social networks such as Snapchat, the ‘pet-working’ trend isn’t slowing down any time soon.”

Review – Cococolor Stylus -Ditch the markers and crayons. #kids #tech #cococolor.

As a parent like many others out there we are all aware kids love to colour and its part of their curriculum, All well and good at school and so on but when at home there is alway the one same thing that’s left after they grab their colouring books or paper.. MARKERS AND PENS EVERYWHERE.

Also these are space takers and with kids owning more than just the one set there could be up to around 200 individual markers/crayons lying about the house or one in every press,drawer or down the back of the couch,they do be everywhere..

Given we are now in a digital era kids are now introduced to technology at an earlier age and certainly nothing I had when I was a child and its showing more and more now with schools and colleges using tablets for example and moving away from your typical paperback. This is how we are and we are slowly facing a paperless society depending on whatever the case maybe, For example we can now get all our bills online and print should we need them. Other industries are now gearing up to a paperless society and using tablets or specially designed handhelds to do the same job but without the hassle of keeping files and so on. This is the way forward and that’s it in a nutshell.

The cococolor stylus is the first of its kind aimed at kids,but adults can also use it and they can also learn and adapt to the tablet or mobile landscape and perhaps even learn something if they have not moved away from their dumbphones and so on it’s a great tool and simple to use offering 48 colors in one piece.

The pen/stylus comes in a simple pack and its easy to get going and set up.. You firstly need to remove the safety tab which I will show in video too. After that you select your tablet or mobile phone.. I would suggest a tablet which is bigger and better, 7 inch tablet would do anything bigger is better again depending on your personal situation and what you might have. You will then download two apps which are free and begin the process. The apps are on both Android and iOS linked below..

APPS DOWNLOADS

COCOCOLOR VOYAGES – ANDROID – IOS

COCOCOLOR DOODLE – ANDRIOD – IOS

Once the apps are downloaded its a simple process throughout involving little input, Simple taps on the tablet with finger or indeed the stylus itself and changing the colours and it could not be simpler. It would be a learning curve for some or for parents who have not given technology a chance yet,there is lots out there and there is nothing wrong with it, it also gives you time with your kids or grandkids and so on and you can enjoy valuable time together using a new product which erases the mess that kids tend to leave behind afterwards. I think its a great idea and going forward it makes sense today to have such a product on the market as we are now in a digital era which includes schools I am sure they would love such a prodcut which is cost effective and just think of the hundreds of markers and crayons they would not have to clean up afterwards..

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us..

BUY HERE

The Cons – The only cons I can think of is just adoption, We all like the touch and feel of real things but from looking at the digital age we are in now and going forward and more content embedded into the app would be great but as its new we can understand the stage they are at.

The Pros – No mess, Less space taken up, Cost, Kids getting dirty hands,face and clothes,Kids scribbling on walls and furniture, No paper waste or usage ( I know this from experience) or colouring books lying around, No searching for missing crayons or markers.

Review – BLUE LOLA High Fidelity Headphones. #tech #reviews #headphones

I am a huge headphone fan and love trying them out no matter the size or look and these headphones are no exception,They are not a typical standard look but have one of the best builds of headphones I have seen albeit they are on the heavy side.

Check out the unboxing first below before we go into some more detail…

The packaging and presentation

Well if you have seen the video its top-notch simple.. From the outer packing to the inside and how it’s presented when you take off the top sleeve its great and the headphones are sat up looking at you just saying “Grab Me”

Now these are wired and the long argument over which sounds better is still a thing, Personally I prefer a wired connection but have gotten over the fact Bluetooth is the preferred option these days but which sounds better, Sadly that test is not available here with these are pure cable end of story which is by no means any harm.

The build quality

You will find it hard to get better at this price.. They are solid and made with metal and you can feel the weight which is a small trade-off to pay they are virtually indestructible with the hinges following suit. Hinges are a common thing to go on most headphones,rest assured this will not happen here in fact they are that strong I pinched myself when testing them out with my finger catching under one and it hurt so be careful on how you hold them.

The cups are sealed your ears completely covered so no outside noise to contend with and little sound leakage depending on volume.They are VERY VERY COMFORTABLE from the cups to the headband which sits on the underside When you put these on they have a unique way of clasping onto your head but not locking and you can feel the sponges settle nicely to your desired fit.

They look different to the norm with an industrial build quality and feel you can feel you are picking up a real pair of headphones here you can feel the metal and no plastic apart from the edges on the backside of the cups. There is some movement here in other areas as regarding fitting to comfort. The arms extend up and down but there is no bilateral movement here apart from the little leeway on the cups themselves but you really don’t need it they are that deep with cushioning.Finally we have seen a new way for adjustment rather than the typical slider mechanism we usually see..

The headphone has a rubber outer seal which seals in the sound and keeps leakage to a minimum. Given I love headphones I am no self-proclaimed audiophile but dam these sound good and are loud but no super loud like I am used to but it’s probably for the best to save my hearing. All aspects in music were reproduced perfectly fine with highs and lows and they the same applies to taking phone calls and some gaming if you want to use them for that but they are probably a bit on the heavy side for long-term use, this would depend on the individual I guess..

The distinctive Blue logo on each cup lets you know you are picking up quality here each time and people will see that and for those who have not heard of these, Myself included until now will be impressed even though they are a wired headset. They are tough,solid give you an immersive experience and look pretty unique..

They are expensive but in fairness to whats out there today they are well on par when it comes to sound but excel in quality end of story. Really looking forward to testing their next model soon if these are good the rest can only get better.

Specs

Type and size: 50mm, fiber-reinforced dynamic driver
Impedance: 42 ohms
Frequency response: 15Hz-20kHz
Enclosure details: Sealed enclosure with tuned damping materials

HEADPHONE SPECS

Weight: 397 g (14 oz)
Outer dimensions (closed): 21cm x 14cm x 12cm; 8.27” x 5.51” x 4.72
Outer dimensions (open): 18cm x 29cm x 12cm; 7.09” x 11.42” x 4.72”

INCLUDED ACCESSORIES

Soft case with cable storage pocket
1.2-meter audio cable with Apple iPhone/iPad controls and microphone
3 meter audio cable.

Buy HERE

How mobile robots will transform material handling and logistics industries. #Robots #Logistics

Mobile robotics in material handling and logistics will become a $75bn market by 2027. It will then more than double by 2038. Thesestaggering headline figures mask turbulent transformative change underneath: some technologies will rise and transform the fortunes of industries, fuelling growth rates far outpacing recent trends, whilst others will face with decay and obsolescence. We are at the beginning of the beginning of a transformative change, and the time to plan is now.Im am in this industry over 20 yrs and have seen change and have seen some of whats to come,there is a huge shift on the way and changes.

( Dr Khasha Ghaffarzadeh, Research Director, IDTechEx) has sent us this Research report Mobile Robots & Drones in Material Handling & Logistics 2017-2037 focuses on all aspects of mobile robotics in material handling and logistics. In particular, we consider the following: automated guided vehicles and carts (AGVs and AGCs); autonomous mobile vehicles and carts/units; mobile picking robots; last mile delivery ground robots (droids) and drones; and autonomous trucks and light delivery vans (level 4 and level 5 automation).

These figures show a short-term as well as a long-term view of the market evolution. Each colour refers to a different technology, demonstrating how the market composition will completely change in the coming years and how technology improvement (rise of autonomous mobile robots) will bring significant new revenue into the industries considered. We are at the beginning of the beginning of a transformative change, and the time to plan is now. This figure includes automated guided vehicles and carts (AGVs and AGCs); autonomous mobile vehicles and carts/units; mobile picking robots; last mile delivery ground robots (droids) and drones; and autonomous trucks and light delivery vans (level 4 and level 5). Note that the headline figure quoted above is at the level of complete autonomous vehicle. We also provide forecasts at the automation-only level where appropriate (e.g., autonomous trucks).
Read more at: http://www.idtechex.com/research/reports/mobile-robots-and-drones-in-material-handling-and-logistics-2017-2037-000548.asp

IDTechEx provide technology roadmaps and twenty-year market forecasts, in unit numbers and revenue, for all the technologies outlined above (11 forecast lines). IDTechEx built a twenty-year model because their technology roadmap suggests that these changes will take place over long timescales. They further provide investment/trend analysis and company interviews/profiles/reviews.

Nokia – Pre-Order the #Nokia3 and #Nokia3310 on Meteor Mobile and save.

We know all know that the latest handsets from Nokia will be soon on Irish soil and there is still plenty of love for the Nokia 3310. The devices are set to launch next week with an August 3 delivery date if ordered online, You can buy in-store from August 2nd.

Meteor have these two deals no for those who prefer to shop online or simply cant make it to a store and it can save you €10.

The Nokia 3 – See deal

The Nokia 3310 2017 – See deal

55% of young people plan to ditch TV licence – Pure Telecom survey reveals. #TV

The survey found that 55% of young TV licence holders (aged 30 and under) are planning to, or considering, stopping payment of their licence solely due to an increase in viewing online content. On average, 43% of licence holders are thinking about ditching their TV licence for the same reason.The survey found that the average person spends 6 hours and 36 minutes streaming content each week, rising to 8 hours 47 minutes for people aged 30 and under. I for one outside this bracket will be and I think its time some changes where made here like RTE going subscription falling in line with current trends giving people the option to subscribe rather than how it is now which is enforced.

The new online survey from Irish telecoms and broadband provider, Pure Telecom, has revealed that 55% of Irish TV licence holders aged 30 and under are planning to, or considering, ceasing payment of their TV licence due to an increase in consumption of online content and streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. The research*, carried out by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom, surveyed 1,001 online adults across Ireland in July 2017.

Pure Telecom survey finds 55% of TV licence holders aged 30 and under are planning to, or considering, stopping payment of their licence due to increased viewing of online content
17% of same age group have already stopped paying a TV licence fee
On average, consumers watch 6 hours 36 minutes of streamed or internet-reliant content each week, rising to 8 hours 47 minutes for 30 and under age group
People living in Donegal are the highest consumers of online content, while consumers from Cavan watch the least
62% of Irish adults opposed to extension of TV licence to cover online media consumption

The survey highlights how traditional TV viewing habits are changing, as increasing numbers are choosing to go solely online to watch TV and on-demand content. Currently, any household with a TV set is required to pay the €160 licence fee, however the charge does not apply to those who view all their video content via laptops, tablets or smartphones.

Pure Telecom’s research found that in total, 43% of Irish TV licence holders are planning to, or considering, ditching their TV licence solely due to an increase in online viewing. The research found that one-in-10 Irish adults have already stopped paying the TV licence, rising to 17% in the 30 and under age group.

The survey also found that the average consumer spends 6 hours 36 minutes watching streamed or online content each week. This trend is even more pronounced with younger audiences, with those aged 30 and under consuming 8 hours 47 minutes of online video per week. The research found that people living in Donegal are the heaviest consumers of streamed and online content, watching 10 hours 18 minutes each week. That is followed by those living in Meath (9 hours 13 minutes) and Galway (7 hours 53 minutes). Those living in Cavan spend the least time on streaming sites, watching only 3 hours 12 minutes per week.

Commenting on the findings, Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: “The quality of content produced for online platforms has been steadily rising to the point where it is now at least on par with – and in many cases it outshines – what is offered on traditional television channels. People also now take for granted the convenience of on-demand viewing and the ability to watch content on-the-go. Coupled with very high quality content now available online, it is natural that consumers are questioning the need to continue to pay for a TV licence.

The results come as no surprise to us at Pure Telecom and solidify our commitment to providing the lower cost, fast and reliable home broadband service that is essential to delivering high quality viewing experiences for our customers. As people become increasingly reliant on internet-driven content, we are ensuring we will be there to provide the best service for everyone’s broadband needs.”

Earlier in the year the Department of Communications considered an extension of the TV licence fee, which would apply to owners of computers, laptops and large tablets – a suggestion that has since been scrapped. The survey highlighted that there is little appetite for the charge amongst Irish adults, with 62% opposed to its introduction.

#RiskIQ Reveals Digital Footprint Snapshot – On-demand, Cost-Effective External Asset Intelligence Report

RiskIQ’s new digital footprint snapshot which provides organisations with an automated, on-demand intelligence report of their internet-facing digital assets. Snapshot reports offer a quick, easy, and cost-effective way to discover and understand the diverse, distributed, and dynamic set of digital assets connected to an organisation outside the firewall.This is a really cool addition to the RiskIQ armoury..

RiskIQ, the leader in digital threat management, today unveiled RiskIQ Digital Footprint Snapshot, which provides organisations with an automated, on-demand intelligence report of their internet-facing digital assets. Snapshot reports offer a quick, easy, and cost-effective way to discover and understand the diverse, distributed, and dynamic set of digital assets connected to an organisation outside the firewall. Enterprises can incorporate this digital footprint intelligence as part of their integrated risk management program aimed to reduce their attack surface and protect their business.

For a no-cost preview, organisations can log into RiskIQ Community Edition. Here, companies can access RiskIQ’s entry-level products, such as Digital Footprint, and view a free high-level snapshot. Users simply log in with their corporate email address to obtain an immediate glimpse into their external asset map and inventory.

According to Forrester Research, digital footprints are incredibly vast and chaotic. “A firm’s digital footprints encompass every touch point, mention and affiliation that links to the company. Given the large number of social networks, mobile apps, and websites where this activity can occur, the number of associated corporate accounts, sites, apps, and ads can easily rise into the thousands for large organisations. When you account for the unowned but associated digital elements – including those owned by affiliated third parties, associated with current and former employees, and created fraudulently– manual tracking becomes untenable.”¹

As organisations embrace digital channels to enhance products, promote business, and extend customer and employee engagement, their digital presence and attack surface grows. This attack surface is comprised of known, unknown, unsanctioned, poorly maintained, and lost internet-facing assets that may contain vulnerabilities susceptible to attack by external threat actors. Given mounting breach, reputation, and privacy compliance risks, security teams must have the ability to map, inventory, and monitor business-relevant assets outside the firewall. Digital Footprint Snapshot offers a convenient and economical starting point to understand an organisation’s digital footprint and facilitate means to improve its security posture.

“RiskIQ Digital Footprint allows organisations to more effectively discover, map, and monitor their internet-facing digital assets that may be susceptible to exploitation or compromise. Now with the release of Snapshot, enterprises can obtain an on-demand report to account for often hidden and vulnerable digital assets, and use this report data to enrich their integrated risk management program,” said Steve Ginty, senior product manager at RiskIQ.

RiskIQ Digital Footprint Snapshot allows any enterprise to readily discover and inventory external web assets and infrastructure across diverse domains, IPs, hosting providers, service providers, and affiliates that are connected to an organisation. Snapshot leverages RiskIQ’s continuous internet reconnaissance, vast internet data sets, and advanced analytics to deliver an interactive Snapshot report comprised of a filterable graph and inventory details of connected, internet-facing assets.

Threat defenders, such as those who manage vulnerability assessment and penetration testing programs, can interact with visual aids and insights to uncover and account for external assets and pinpoint potential security and compliance exposures that require attention.

The online Snapshot report advantages are:

On-demand – Extensive, active internet reconnaissance capabilities allow RiskIQ to package cost-effective, point-in-time external asset intelligence reports for all organisations
Automated – Automatically generates a list of external assets that are connected to an organisation, derived from keystone, owned assets and RiskIQ’s observed internet data sets and advanced algorithms
Extensive – Drill down into assets and see details like IP address, hosts, ownership information, and server type, as well as components and frameworks running on the asset
Actionable – Online report can be shared internally and allows for external asset data export via CSV into popular vulnerability, GRC, and asset management solutions

Availability and Migration Path

RiskIQ Digital Footprint Snapshot is available today. Through RiskIQ Digital Footprint Community Edition, users can readily see a preliminary external asset map and inventory at no charge. RiskIQ Digital Footprint Snapshot, point-in-time digital footprint intelligence, can be purchased as a single, one-off report starting at $6,250 or a set of four scheduled, quarterly reports starting at $20,000. Users can upgrade to RiskIQ Digital Footprint Premium Edition to gain a full, curated inventory that is continuously updated and actively detailed to identify new assets and possible component vulnerabilities (CVEs). RiskIQ Digital Footprint Enterprise Edition offers active monitoring of selected assets to alert on changes to assets or indications of component compromise, such as phishing or malware.

Get a demonstration of RiskIQ Digital Footprint and RiskIQ Digital Footprint Snapshot at Black Hat USA 2017 booth #1454 and at SANSFIRE 2017.

You can now order the #Nokia3 and #Nokia5 and #Nokia3310 to your home in Ireland. #Nokia

The Nokia 3 is set to launch next month on August 2nd but other than this the news is quite slow coming from any provered on any of the upcoming Nokia Devices which reminds me of old times and true to form no doubt we see Iphones shoved down our throats anytime we walk into a phone store the same applies to Samsung phones too and when HTC have a new device its also a formula we see but no pressed like above..

On a recent spin to two Argos stores having ordered personal goods i did some checking as the online store is not as forthcoming as their internal terminals which allow people to order and prepay for goods to their home or to collect instore rather than wait in the queue which is normally lenghty, We all hate them its quick and efficient from my experience.

On their terminals the Nokia 3310, Nokia 3 and Nokia 5 are now present and you can order the devices to your home but not collect instore, This means they are for now not holding any stock but most likely come from the UK for now and will be delivered seperatly. You can keep an eye on their store or of course keep up with us for the latest news on Nokia devices in Ireland. As it stands the devices will start hitting phone stores from August 2nd with the Nokia 3.

Video Review – Nokia 6 Low Profile Wallet case from @TerrapinCases #Nokia6 #Nokia

This case for our brand new Nokia 6 is the second case in from the guys at Terrapin Accessories

This case offers some more than the basic TPU GEL case as its a wallet styled case,not something I prefer but nonetheless its nice and many folk like these cases especially because they can house credit cards and so on but you must kepp in mind random phone snatchers here, I always advise this. This case also offers the option to fold the case so you can leave your device on a surface without removing it to cosume media which is something I like here. Check out the image galelry below and then the video and see it in action..