Month: September 2017

TERMINALFOUR – Irish web content management company releases 2017 ‘Global Higher Education Survey’

TERMINALFOUR, the digital marketing and web content management platform for higher education, today announced the results of its 2017 ‘Global Higher Education Survey’. The results highlight significant concerns among higher education institutions about student recruitment targets due to proposed visa/travel restrictions.

In a survey of 391 higher education professionals from 333 unique higher education institutions, 56% stated that travel restrictions will directly impact their institution’s ability to meet recruitment targets.

The survey was carried out among web, marketing, recruitment and leadership professionals in higher education across the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia and South Africa.

The survey also found that 37% of higher education professionals have high levels of job insecurity. When asked to rate their personal job security in the context of Government policy, student recruitment challenges and internal restructuring, just 28% of respondents stated that they feel highly secure in their current role.

Regarding how travel restrictions are likely to impact institutions, 11% of respondents stated that international students account for more than one-fifth of total recruitment numbers. A further 19% of those surveyed said that these students accounted for more than one-tenth of total student recruitment.

Piero Tintori, CEO and Founder, TERMINALFOUR, said: “There’s no doubting that Brexit and the election of President Trump has caused some rumblings in student recruitment teams across the globe. 56% said visa and travel restrictions would impact recruitment targets.  Let that sink in. More than half of the participants think travel restrictions will effectively cost them millions in lost revenue.”

The survey sought to understand the current situation relating to vacant seats in universities and colleges and to investigate whether recruitment teams are hitting their targets. 42% of respondents (working in web, marketing or recruitment roles) were not sure of the situation regarding vacant seats in their institution. 20% surveyed stated they never have vacant seats; 12% have less than 2% vacant seats; 10% less than 5% vacant seats and 7% stated their institution averages above 11+% vacant seats every year.

Piero Tintori, CEO and Founder, TERMINALFOUR

Commenting on these results, Tintori said, “The results of this survey serve to illustrate the ever-present challenge of filling seats. The statistics reveal a mixed bag when it comes to vacant seats.  What really causes alarm bells for me is the lack of awareness shown by many respondents when it comes to the percentage of vacant seats in their institutions, with many unable to even guess at the answer. 

“This drives home the point that there’s a big disconnect between the organisational goals of the institution and the online goals.  One informs the other; it’s unconscionable that these figures aren’t understood across an institution”, he continued.  

The survey also attempted to reveal web priorities for marketing and digital teams in universities and colleges.   A new question for the 2017 survey was the level of adoption or incorporation of web based personalisation on higher education websites.  The results were surprisingly low. 79% of respondents said they did not incorporate website personalisation on their institution’s website; only 14% stated that they did but this figure included 6% that only had location based personalisation.

61% stated that web accessibility improvements were a top 3 website priority in 2017.  62% of this figure stated that ‘Legal & Policy’ forces were behind its prioritisation followed by social factors at 25%.

Piero Tintori commented: “We’re seeing lots of cases where higher education institutions, particularly in the US, are getting into real legal trouble by not meeting basic accessibility standards. As a result, digital transformation initiatives are sometimes being driven by or accelerated by the threat of litigation, with institutions now releasing funding to make sure their websites meet these standards to avoid stark financial penalties.”

“The other side of the debate is that accessibility opens the door to opportunity. 285 million people in the world are visually impaired, between 1% and 9% of the population have movement related disorders, and 15% of the US population has a learning related disability. These are potential and prospective students and a failure to address their needs is a failure to tap their potential to join your institution.”

SEE FULL SURVEY

Strike while the iron is hot with Funky Iron. #StartUp #Home #FunkyIron

The Funky Iron is an electric steam iron, with a catchy design that is supposed to make ironing fun again. Lets be honest lads we dont like ironing do we? Can this change your mindset…..
The founder Joe and Sadie Sillett want to address the bigger question: Can we revive this traditional houseman skill – can we possibly even make ironing sexy? Will the ‘funky‘ look motivate millennials to pick up the old-fashioned skill and learn how to iron themselves? And will husbands finally help out their wives? After all, ironing CAN be fun!

After its highly successful first round of funding in March 2017, The Funky Iron Company has launched its Round 2 Funding campaign on Europe’s leading crowdfunding platform Seedrs opening its doors to both new and existing investors. The Round 1 Funding overfunded to 138%.
For its Round 2 Funding, the company is seeking £150,000 and founders Sadie & Joe Sillett say…

“Our Eureka moment came when realising that, of all the main household goods in the market, the iron was a product crying out to be re-designed and the category challenged with style and colour,“ say the founders Joe & Sadie Sillett. “So far it has been a great journey, we are looking forward to welcoming new investors on board.”

The Funky Iron Company is planning to launch its debut range in February 2018 and is currently talking to both online and traditional retail partners. It will also sell direct to the public via its own website www.thefunkyironcompany.com

Review – Foobot Air Quality Monitor. #Air #Asthma #Humidity #Pollutants

Foobot air Quality monitor This Foobot air Quality monitor was designed with the intention of a father helping his child with asthma. This was achieved by making people aware of and take control of their air quality. The unit comes in standard packing with the usual option to download an app. The charger supplied is a standard USB charger with is great if travelling about. We take for granted Air quality, we expect air quality is monitor 24/7 automatically by some government department.

This is done via the Air Quality Index for Health. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index for Health (AQIH) is a number from one to 10 that tells you what the air quality currently isin your region and whether this might affect the health of you or your child. A reading of 10 means the air quality is very poor and a reading of one to three inclusive means that the air quality is good. The AQIH is calculated every hour. You can see the current readings on the AQIH map.

UNBOXING FOOBOT

We may /may not be aware Good air helps you Stay Healthy like organic food is better for you than junk food is. Good air contributes to Better Sleep, Remediate Mould by controlling your level of humidity all year long and avoid unhealthy black mould development.

On the opposite, dry air can lead to dry skin, sinuses congestion, and itchy eyes. Further, in low humidity certain viruses like flu survive longer, increasing your risk of contracting an infection. Foobot helps you find the ideal level of relative humidity depending on your individual circumstances.

Features
• Realtime air quality reading on the device with classy LED lights
• Tracks harmful indoor pollutants: VOCs, PM2.5, and CO2 (derived from VOC),
Temperature, Humidity
• Automate good air within your smart home: Foobot can trigger other devices when
pollution level rises
• Works with Nest, Ecobee, Amazon Echo, IFTTT and more
• Made for iOS (8 or later) and Android (4 or later) – Compatible with WiFi 2.4GHz
• One of the rare home air quality meter showing all your data over time, since day 1
• Multi-room monitoring
• Actionable tips to improve your indoor air quality

Foobot air Quality monitor takes control of your devices to provide your home with fresh air,
24/7 automatically. This can be monitored in your home .

Particulate matter, aka PM (also known as particle pollution,) are very little particles within dust, fly ash, dust mites, aerosols, or fumes, that are not filtered by our bodies and can penetrate the alveoli, in the deepest part of the lungs. Over time it creates asthma, lung cancer, cardiovascular disease etc. WHO recommends not to be exposed to an average concentration higher than 50 μg/m3 over 24h for PM10 and smaller. Foobot’s optical sensor detects particles in the air from 0.003 to 2.5μg

FOOBOT APP GALLERY AND USES

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Volatile organic compounds are toxic chemicals that can be dangerous even at low concentrations and have short & long-term adverse health effects. Formaldehyde has been proven as carcinogenic. They’re present in nature, produced by plants, animals, and moulds. A major source of man-made VOCs are paints and coatings, glues in furniture, sprays etc. Measured in part per billion, WHO advises a maximum VOC level of 300ppb, which is displayed in our app.

Humidity, or the amount of water vapor in the air, is an important health variable that is easy to overlook… yet very easy to remedy. With too much humidity, black mould may emerge with a toxic mist of bacteria and fungus in its wake. On the opposite, dry air can lead to dry skin, sinuses congestion, and itchy eyes. Further, in low humidity certain viruses like flu survive longer, increasing your risk of contracting an infection. Foobot helps you find the ideal level of relative humidity depending on your individual circumstances

You may think temperature has nothing to do with air quality, but it’s quite common to see a correlation between temperature and say, VOC levels, which makes sense since VOCs tend to evaporate more with a higher temperature and humidity. The temperature sensor is also useful to set up smart home automation with other devices.

Childhood asthma has been a big issue in the US for the past decade. According to the National Institute of Health, more than 6 million children have asthma, and it’s the third cause of hospitalization. Where does asthma come from?

Your home is surrounded by tiny micro threats, but do you see them? They are many tips to avoid them in your home and get better air for your children.

Here are five ways to help your kids fight against their disease

1) Natural Cleaning Products
2) Houseplants
3) Superfoods
4) Monitor your air

You may think temperature has nothing to do with air quality, but it’s quite common to see a correlation between temperature and say, VOC levels, which makes sense since VOCs tend to evaporate more with a higher temperature and humidity.

The temperature sensor is also useful to set up smart home automation with other devices. 5 ways to help kids prevent asthma Childhood asthma has been a big issue in the US for the past decade. According to the National Institute of Health, more than 6 million children have asthma, and it’s the third cause of hospitalization. Where does asthma come from? Your home is surrounded by tiny micro threats, but do you see them?

They are many tips to avoid them in your home and get better air for your children. Here are five ways to help your kids fight against their disease. 1) Natural Cleaning Products 2) Houseplants 3) Superfoods 4) Monitor your air It’s easy to change everyday habits but it’s more difficult to know when to take action. Indoor pollution is an invisible enemy: without tools, you can’t protect your children from asthma. Having a device such as Foobot can help you understand your home pollution and see if your actions are improving your air quality. 5) Better ventilation The World Health Organization estimates that 80 percent of people living in cities are exposed to bad levels of pollution. Opening a window is the easiest solution but not the safest. Poor ventilation can have consequences on the health of all your family.

A proper ventilation system prevents your home from confined air. The next step? Getting a flux of air that automatically adapts according to indoor air pollution levels. And FYI, that’s made possible using one of the new generation of connected thermostats such as Ecobee or Nest, associated with a Foobot. With this equipment, you don’t need to worry about your air being renewed enough, it’s all taken care of automatically.

The next step? Getting a flux of air that automatically adapts according to indoor air pollution levels. And FYI, that’s made possible using one of thenew generation of connected thermostats such as Ecobee or Nest, associated with a Foobot. With this equipment, you don’t need to worry about your air being renewed enough, it’s all taken care of automatically.

Usage: LED lights which gives indication of air quality in real time. Calibration is done automatically during the first six days after the set up.When dinner was cooked with a change in air quality the Foobot turned orange, and looking at the app, it can be being seen the change in the air quality within the home.

Opening the window was an option. Sometimes it’s not the best idea to open the window to refresh your home with fresh air when living in larger cities, the Foobot air Quality monitors trends and spikes in Air quality. Foobot can switch on a smart ventilation system or an air purifier whenever the pollution level rises too much. This allows air automagically cleaned, only when needed. Users who set it can spend 53% less time in polluted air, and this potentially adds years to one’s life.

 

 

This product is not a budget product, but when it comes to your health, should this product be used as described and monitored, this can have huge health benefits far more than financial rewards. Further information available from https://foobot.io/ support@foobot.iohttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Foobot-Air-Quality-Monitor-Formaldehyde/dp/B018LK52RQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8Price: £161.54

First look and unboxing. @houseofmarley positive vibration 2 wireless headphones

Another day and a new set of cans arrive and there is many more on the way. Today we check out the House Of Marley Bluetooth Positive Vibration 2 headphones which are of course wireless. Off the bat the presentation is good and the headphones look and feel good made with Aluminium and some wood thrown in for goods looks. We will unbox today and review in the coming week or so and if there is any questions in the interim feel free to ask below or on social media You know where to find us..

Features and specs.

50mm dynamic driver
Wireless 3-button controls
Noise isolating In-Line Microphone
Comfortable + Foldable on-ear design
Single sided tangle-free braided cable
Integrated FSC Wood, Aluminum and REWIND fabric

 

 

Big drivers, soft ear cushions, precision sound, Positive Vibration 2  is a tangle-free instant classic and lifestyle essential. It’s available in a range of vibrant colors and cool styles. Featuring a 50mm dynamic driver with aluminum ear cups, the sleek design and accessible price point make it the ideal wired companion.

BUY HERE  

First look and unboxing -The NGS VOX 700 USB gaming/VoIP headphones #Gaming #Headphones

Another set of headphones have dropped in via our new partners MemoryC.com which is the VOX 700 USB headphones. This is a wired headset and can be used for PC/Laptop calls,gaming and of course personal use if you have some tunes on your device. This is a well priced product and seem solid on  first look so today we check them out unboxing them and running over the headset itself then we will have our full review in the coming week or so. Any questions in the meantime feel free to ask below or on social.. See our social links on top right…

Key Features

  • NGS USB GamingVoIP stereo headphones black/red
  • Ideal headset to use for gaming, VoIP software, and any other interactive audio application.
  • Noise cancelling and amplification technology, filtering out unwanted background noises
  • Built-in microphone with a 4 buttons volume controller
  • 5 years manufacturer warranty
  • Frequency response: 20Hz-20 KHz – Impedance: 32 Ohms

NGS USB gaming stereo headphones, black and red. The NGS VOX 700 is the ideal headset to use for gaming, but also with all VoIP (Voice-Over-IP) application like Skype, and any other interactive audio application.

Outstanding sound quality with a frequency response of 20Hz-20 KHz and a 32 Ohms impedance. The NGS VOX700 features noise cancelling and amplification technology, filtering out unwanted background noises.

Powered via USB port and Built-in microphone with a 4 button volume controller including volume up and down, mute and mute microphone.

Whether you’re an Office user or Hard Core Gamer, these headphones are a must-have to make your gaming experience more enjoyable than ever.

BUY HERE 

Reviewed – Sonoff – White and color ambiance smart bulb. #Sonoff #Bulbs #Smart #Home

This is a bulb review! Not the most exciting gadget or new technology in a bulb, or is it! This is one product I won’t be keeping, why? Already every visitor that has looked at this bulb has said WOW I want it. Someone will just take it or I will perhaps give it to one, Visitors have looked how simple to use,setup and the savingas compared to a standard bulb.

(Reduce energy use up to 80%) The dimmable option was also a hit. Overview  – Sonoff B1 is white and colourambiance dimmable LED bulb with E27 screw base. The dimming led lamp can be dimmed or brighten via iOS/Android App. With the App, users can select White, then the light will become white ambiance, they can set colourtemperaturefrom cold to warm and change the brightness from 1%-100%.If they select colour,they can change colour spectrum of the RGB bulbs to favourite atmosphere.

UNBOXING

 

There are four available scenes for the dimming LED bulb: rest, reading, party and casual. The Sonoff B1 E27 colourLED bulb is compatible with Amazon Alexa (Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Tap). Users can ask Alexa to dim or brighten, or adjust the coloursof the led light bulb.

I did not have the E27 screw baseon my lighting, but picked up a BNC to E27 screw base adapter easily and cheaply.

Product description Dimmable brightness Works with google Nest ,see more below.

•Works with amazon Alexa (amazon echo and amazon dot)

•Works with google home

•Chip:esp8285

•Lamp Base: E27

•Rated Power: 6W

•Typical Lumen Output: 600lm

•Beam Angle: 120 Degree typical

•Colour Temperature: 2800K-6500K & RGB full colour

•Dimmable: Yes (via app/Amazon Echo/Google Home)

•Wireless Standard: WiFi 2.4GHz

•Rated Input Voltage: 90-260V AC 50/60Hz

•Stand-by (Light off) power: 0.5W Max•Operating Humidity: 5%-90% RH

•Operating Temperature: 0ºC~ 40ºC (32°F ~ 104°F )

•Storage Temperature: -20ºC~ 80ºC (-4°F ~ 176°F )

User guide link: http://ewelink.coolkit.cc/?p=837

User guide link: http://ewelink.coolkit.cc/?p=837

Bulb size：62mm*115mm.Package includes: •1 X Sonoff B1 Wifi RGB LED LampNoHubRequired–Connect the bulb directly to your Wi-Fi at home Manage Remotely–Control your lights from anywhere with your tablet or smartphone the free eWeLinkapp (iOS,Android)

Colour Changing  Hue–Fine-tune colours for every occasion and adjust brightness as well as light appearance from softwhite(2800k) todaylight(6500k)

VoiceControl–Pair to Amazon Alexa and to enable voice control

CircadianMode– Dynamically adjust light intensity and temperature to mimic natural light patterns

SaveEnergy– Reduce energy use up to 80% without brightness or quality loss compared to a 60W incandescent bulb

THE APP IN PHOTOS AND USES

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Compatibility–Compatible with Amazon Alexa,Google Home App -Set up via the appEWelink is straight forward download the app &follow the instructions. The initial setup mustbe closeto the Wifi router initially. Once set up this can be moved accordinglyaround the house. This can also be linked to the Sonoff Touch, Luxury Wall Touch Switch, using this capacitance touch as an alternative to your smartphone.

This is a product which ties in with Smarthomes and I would expect to see more product like this in the future. Certainly,comingup to Christmas as a different type of present, this could be an option.

BUY FROM SONOFF DIRECT 

MAGIX releases Their First Free Video Editor. #Video #Editing #Free

Fastcut is the first free video software program from MAGIX. The program creates perfectly edited videos from camera and smartphone recordings in no time at all and with no prior experience in editing.

The first free video software program from MAGIX is now available! Fastcut can be downloaded for free. Please see http://www.magix.com/gb/fastcut/
The program creates perfectly edited videos from camera and smartphone recordings in a matter of clicks.

✔ Automatic video editing in seconds
Fastcut lives up to its name and is easy to use, intuitive and above all, fast. Select footage, choose a soundtrack, click “Create video” and the program will create a finished video in seconds.
✔ A massive selection of music
The creative core of Fastcut is made up of an impressive collection of soundtracks, which includes free songs from a wide range of different genres. The in-app Store contains over 150 additional soundtracks for users to customize and further expand the selection already available in Fastcut.

“At MAGIX, it was important to us that even users without any experience in video editing could create impressive videos with high-quality results. That’s why we made Fastcut – it’s so easy to use and intuitive. And now, we’ve made it free too! Fastcut now can be used by anyone to create entertaining videos with music in no time at all”, says Sven Kardelke, Chief Product Officer at MAGIX.

 

#Navmii AI Dashcam is a free Dashcam app with driver alerts and assistance. #motoring #AI

Built to improve driver safety and speed awareness, it introduces the technology available in high-spec cars to all vehicle models. In addition to being a fully functioning video recorder, Navmii’s is the first free app with Advanced Driver Assistance Software (ADAS) that:

 

  • Provides potential collision alerts
  • Reads speed limit road signs –  reminding drivers to the speed limit of each road they travel on

Navmii AI Dashcam not only records a car journey, securely storing it on a smartphone, it will alert users of potential hazards such as collision warnings when a driver approaches other cars too quickly. The app also uses artificial intelligence (AI) to ‘read’ road side speed signs and alert the driver if they are travelling too fast.

 

Users can choose the length of recordings and set a limit on how much memory the Dashcam will use on a phone or SD card.  All recordings can be permanently saved to ensure drivers have a high-quality record of any incidents or crashes.

Peter Atalla, CEO of Navmii, comments: “Driver assistance products are increasingly being built in to cars, but we have incorporated them into a free app that makes it simpler and cheaper for drivers to remain safe and record their journeys.”

 

“Navmii AI Dashcam offers users a completely free experience without advertisements. Our app offers the functionality of a high end dashcam usually costing several hundred pounds, demonstrating our continued commitment to offering free apps to drivers that help them travel safely,” notes Atalla.

Features 

 

  • Advanced Driver Assistance Systems built into free Dashcam app
  • Available for Google Play with iOS version coming soon
  • Record and keep your journey on your mobile phone
  • Collision warnings and speed alerts all in a free app

 

Career Zoo West highlights opportunities for highly-skilled professionals. #CZWest

Highly-skilled professionals from across the Western Region flocked to Career Zoo West at the Galway Racecourse this weekend, seeking opportunities in tech, biotech, finance and other professional services.

The event showcased the career opportunities on offer from 40 leading multinational and Irish employers, including STEM-sector leaders, professional and financial services, and biotech companies. Participating companies were hiring for a variety of highly-skilled roles across tech, pharma, medtech, finance, marketing, HR and sales.

 

The sponsors of Career Zoo West were: Ericsson, Pramerica, Medtronic, Cisco and FRS Recruitment, with the event’s line-up also including recruiters and speakers from: Abbott, Abbvie, BD Research Centre Ireland, BioMarin, BioNua, BNP Paribas, Cisco, Ericsson, Fintrax, FRS, Grifols, Innopharma Labs, the Institute of Project Management, the Irish Medtech Association, JFC, Medtronic, Merit, NIBRT, Ocuco, PPD, Pramerica, SAP, Sidero, SL Controls and Wayfair, amongst others.

 

Further information is available at www.careerzoo.ie.