Xtorm is launching a new line of products, specifically designed to make optimal use of your USB-C laptop. The ‘Connect Series’ consists of five USB-C hubs, each with a unique combination of connections. Whatever the situation, there’s a hub for you!
Designed to connect
A USB-C hub from the ‘Connect Series’ provides the perfect solution to expand your laptop
with, for example, HDMI, Ethernet, USB 3.0, USB-C or a (micro) SD card reader. The unique
design also ensures that you can still charge your laptop through USB-C while using the Hub.
Elegant and compact
The compact design, combined with the use of aluminium, ensures that the Hub is easily
portable and that it goes perfectly with the elegant look of your MacBook. An indispensable
accessory for your laptop!
Price and availability
The prices of the five Hubs in the ‘Connect Series’ vary from €35 to €75. For more
information on each of the hubs, you can visit our website. The USB-C Hubs are available
from several (online) stores and at xtorm.eu.
An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar T.D., was today joined by Peggy Johnson, Executive Vice President, Microsoft Corporation; Cathriona Hallahan, MD, Microsoft Ireland and Martin Shanahan, CEO, IDA Ireland at the official opening of the company’s new 34,000sqm campus, One Microsoft Place, in Leopardstown, Co. Dublin. The opening of the building marks an important milestone in the company’s ongoing cultural transformation. This new work space facilitates team members from different parts of the business, with a diverse range of skill sets and roles, to come together as ‘One Microsoft’ to work together on behalf of local and global customers.
Commenting at the launch event the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar TD said: “The opening of this campus is a landmark day for Microsoft, which first came to Ireland 33 years ago, and a testament to the calibre of our tech talent who have contributed so positively to Microsoft’s global growth. As a flagship multinational investor, Microsoft has strongly endorsed Ireland as an investment location for the world’s top tech firms. The Government is determined to ensure that Ireland continues to harness emerging technologies for social and economic benefit. We are aiming to be a European leader in STEM education by 2026 and our enterprise policy is based around supporting research and innovation. Ireland is now ranked 10th globally for the overall quality of its scientific research, an increase of 26 places in 13 years. With this focused and ambitious approach, I believe we can make Dublin the tech capital of Europe.”
The design and layout of the building has been based around the theme of mountains and lakes – at the centre of the atrium space is a wood carved mountain and a digital lake with an LED waterfall flowing into it. Microsoft employees are already making use of the different rooms, open spaces and relaxation areas to work together formally and informally to solve and anticipate customer challenges. People can choose to meet at the bleacher seating, can have quiet time in one of the many phone booths, or can have lunch at the beach cafe or Italian pizzeria before picking up a loaf of Microsoft bread baked daily by the in-house baker.
As part of today’s celebration, Cathriona Hallahan, MD, Microsoft Ireland, detailed the local ambition that the Irish team has set itself: “As a team, we have the opportunity – and the responsibility – to educate and inform people and organisations about the greater impact they can have if they embrace digital transformation. Importantly, we have a responsibility to equip young people in Ireland with the skills and ambition they need to imagine, create and navigate their own future.
“As part of the development of the new campus, we invested over €5m in the creation of a dedicated innovation and education hub, DreamSpace, with a supporting digital skills programme. We plan to bring 100,000 young people and their teachers to our campus over the next four years to give them an understanding of the transformational nature of technology, equip them with the digital skills they need to engage fully with technology and encourage them to use their imagination to create their own future. Working with young people, the building’s legacy will be about cementing Ireland’s position as a global digital leader, while continuing to support our customers today and tomorrow.”
Lead designers for the building were RKD Architects and Gensler. Mace and CBRE provided project management services with BAM as the lead contractor working with its key MEP partner, Jones Engineering.
Fun Building Facts
34,000sqm campus (4 floors), One Microsoft Place, in Leopardstown, Co. Dublin
2,000 employees with 71 nationalities
Height of the building atrium is equivalent to 5 Dublin Buses sitting on top of each other
The new campus has the floor space of four football pitches
Over 125,000 LED lights have been used to create the Digital Lake
All desk power leaders laid out back-to-back would wrap around St Stephen’s Green 5 times.
Total IT cabling used in the building would stretch from Dublin to Dingle (350km)
Combined height of all desks in the building is twice as high as Ireland’s tallest mountain (Carrauntoohil)
25,000 individual pieces of furniture have been collected from all four corners of the world for use in the building
265 trees planted
5 restaurants – Chefs table, Italian Quarter, Street Kitchen, Forage and Gather and Pulse salad bar
Microsoft bread maker on site
Microsoft Barista on site with two barista bars located around the building
There are obvious similarities to a military plane using stealth technology design with the Nighthawk s8000, which looks great and is solid. This has zinc-alloy housing for durability with a soft-touch no-slip base and the switch looks in place in a home / bedroom as compared to many industrial looking units.
Box Contains:
1 x Nighthawk S8000 Gaming and Streaming 8 Port Advanced Gigabit Ethernet Switch (GS808E)
AC power adapter (localised to country of sale)
Quick Installation guide
Note: The unit does not come with any network cables.
Features:
Cool-touch premium zinc-alloy housing for durability and looks and has a soft-touch no-slip base
Ideal for multi-user online/VR gaming and 4K HD video/media streaming
Low latency for utmost gaming experience
Three levels of network traffic prioritisation and QoS management for ultra-high performance
IGMP snooping support for multicast operation
Note: Most residential router supplied by your ISP will have 4 port switches while the Nighthawk s8000 is listed an 8-port switch, but you can only have 7 additional ports and one is connected to your router.
Warranty: 3-year warranty
Basic Setup:
The Netgear – Nighthawk s8000 can be plugged into your router and used to connect to your smart TV / PC etc. with no setup required. This would work the same as a dump / unmanaged switch albeit more expensive than the norm. The basic advantage of the Nighthawk S8000 would be to reduce the router load in analysing and forwarding data packets between computer networks therefore increasing the speed.
Advanced Setup:
Once you are logged into the Nighthawk S8000 Managed switch, you have the option to set priority of the ports e.g. port 3 media servers to a high priority with others to a low priority. This may be important if the unit is connected in the home / small office with a business PC / application required priority as the data will be sent first from high priority port, with the others on a lower priority. This is different to your normal unmanaged dumb switch as compared to this managed switch. The setup to achieve this higher priority is easy from the Netgear menu.
There is also an option to rate limit each port, to control how fast they are and how much allowed. You can have higher bandwidth to your preference choice / applications port / PC. If you have fibre broadband of 100Mbs, some ports could be reduced to 8Mbs especially if juniors are in the house. The port can transmit up to 1000 Mbs (giga bit connection) while the general top speeds available for residential customer is 360 Mb for the UK & Ireland.
To access the switch from a computer and discover the IP address of the switch:
The manual is short and while not complicated, getting to the IP Address could confuse some if unfamiliar with internal IP address, or range of IP addresses. It is advised to open Windows Explorer and follow a few steps or Safari browser for a Mac.
Windows Set up
Default Password – Password
Menu
Menu – Prioritisation
Menu – to test cable
Menu -Pre-sets
Terminology here may be confusing to a non-gamer, reference on Link Aggregation
Gaming:
There is an obvious advantage for gamers as connecting your PC via Wi-Fi will result in a higher latency and can cause delays in a game where speed is paramount. Priority can be set to assist for specific ports as required.
LED Lights:
The switch at the rear turns off the blinking LED. These can also be turned off via the network. Unfortunately, the front blue lights which look good in the beginning can be annoying if used in a bedroom and cannot be turned off. If these could be turned off there would be no way to know if the system was operational or not.
Is it worth it compared to a “dumb/ unmanaged” switch?
The difference between a budget switch and the Netgear – Nighthawk s8000 other than the brand and build quality would be the features to control the ports priority & speed.
Often the managed switches are used by large professionally for managed networks for advanced management features and/or reliability. You can link aggregation, 4 times faster, e.g. you can link ports 1 to 4 together to connect to work in parallel, the connecting product must have the same switches to match the ports for increased bandwidth. You can control, the prioritization of the ports. Some expensive router can do this prioritization, generally the main routers as supplied by your ISP would not have the technology. The Nighthawk s8000 managed switch is designed for gaming & streaming, reducing the workload of your router given faster response times. The Nighthawk S8000 brings low latency, traffic and port prioritisation, and Quality of Service (QoS) management in high-demanding online/VR gaming and media streaming. If speed is your thing, gaming or ease of use, then it’s worth it.
If you are looking for a good mobile phone at a bargain price eir are now selling the Nokia 5 for just €129.99 online. eir currently sell the Nokia 3 for €99 and the average price for the Nokia 5 is around 150 -160 euro and more sim free pushing it to aroundt the €200 mark, eir have knocked off €40 of their retail price which is a good steal considering the Nokia 3 price, Argos sell the Nokia 3 for €119 sim free in one colour only.
Inside
Clean and clutter-free Android Nougat with regular updates
Latest generation Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 430 processor designed for excellent battery life and improved graphics
NFC for easy sharing of your content
A MicroSD card slot with support up to 128 GB
16 GB storage for all your stuff
Outside
Seamless metal body that fits perfectly in your hand
Convenient fingerprint sensor
Bright fully-laminated and polarized 5.2” HD display with sculpted Corning® Gorilla® Glass
13 MP autofocus camera on the back, 8 MP camera on the front
Available as both single SIM and dual SIM variants
Starting today you will be able to upload your 3D scans directly to your Facebook timeline from 3D Creator and be the first of your friends to have a 3D picture on social media.
This new update means 3D Creator users can share their 3D scans directly to their Facebook friends using Facebook’s interactive 3D post format, so anyone who sees the post will be able to rotate, spin, pinch and zoom in directly from the Facebook News Feed, opening up a whole new world of possibilities for 3D sharing.
Sample video –
Not used 3D Creator yet? With the exclusive Xperia app, you can capture your world in 3D straight from your smartphone, and turn people and objects into high-resolution 3D avatars.
3D creation is no longer just for professionals – 3D Creator by Sony has made it accessible to everyone and enabled 3D scanning in a matter of seconds and sharing in an instant. For existing XZ1, XZ1 Compact and XZ Premium users who have 3D Creator, the application will be updated through Google Play.
Read more about Facebook’s newest updates to 3D posts, here.
At this year’s Intel Extreme Masters in Katowice, display specialist AOC will show off the most competitive gaming display lineup to ever attend an esports event. With over 100,000 event attendees to be expected, AOC engages with gamers and showcases their all-black, special edition curved AG352UCG6 model before Europe’s most passionate esports audience.
With season 11 underway, Katowice will once again host esports fans on February 24–25 for the IEM Expo as well as between March 2–6 for the Intel Extreme Masters tournament and its list of prestigious participants: none other than the world’s 16 best pro CS:GO teams will vie for the lion’s share of a massive 500,000 USD prize pool. Amongst them are AOC-sponsored international superteam G2 Esports, who will go into the tournament well prepared after intense weeks spent bootcamping with the lightning-fast AOC AG251FZ, boasting 240 Hertz and a 1 ms response time.
The AOC AG352UCG6 Black Edition offers 3440 x 1440 pixels resolution, 120Hz and G-Sync support
Experience excellence in gaming
Throughout the two weekends filled with esports, visitors will have the exclusive opportunity to witness the public debut of the new curved AG3562UCG6 Black Edition and its impressive 35” panel, in action at the Alsen booth (B2). This all-black special edition comes with a 120 Hz refresh rate and UWQHD (3440×1440 pixels) resolution, enabling only the most immersive game experience. Thanks to integrated G-Sync support, the AG3562UCG6 Black Edition delivers visuals in perfect harmony with NVIDIA GPUs, guaranteed to eliminate input lag and display stuttering. Useful extras such as AOC Flicker-free technology, the retractable headphone holder and AOC Shadow Control solution round out the AG352UCG6’s esports-focused and functionality-driven feature set, making AOC’s most recent addition to their AGON line one of the most appealing as well.
Perfect for those adrenaline junkies who love water sports, it can be used up to 10m under water without any additional casing and is just £119.99.
GoXtreme, the German Action Camera brand renowned for quality and value, is today pleased to announce the availability of the GoXtreme ‘Barracuda 4K’ waterproof action camera with 4K Ultra HD video. Featuring a touchscreen and waterproof to 10 metres, Barracuda 4K adds a whole new level of functionality and convenience to the GoXtreme range and is available now both online and in store from UK retailer Argos for £119.99.
The GoXtreme Barracuda 4K is ideal for those adrenaline junkies who enjoy all forms of water sports. Whether it is swimming, scuba diving, kayaking or powerboating, the GoXtreme Barracuda 4K is the perfect companion as it can be used up to 10 metres underwater without any additional plastic housing required and is light and easy to operate.
GoXtreme use only the best components when designing their action cams and the Barracuda 4K is certainly no exception. Its high efficiency chipset and high speed 16mp Panasonic sensor deliver stunning, ultra-sharp videos at settings up to 4K/25fps and photos up to 20MP resolution, while it’s 170º Ultra-wide view ensures everyone is in the frame.
Looking to get creative or artistic with photos or videos? The Barracuda 4K’s burst mode captures several photos with a single press of the shutter which, in turn, delivers multiple photos where ordinarily only one image would be recorded. The Time Lapse mode also allows for greater creativity by giving the option of capturing photos automatically at set time intervals which, when played back as a video, allows viewing as an extended time frame.
Once the photos or videos have been taken, downloading or viewing them is simple as the built-in Wi-Fi allows users to connect the Barracuda to a smartphone or tablet using the companion app. The free iOS and & Android app turns a smartphone or tablet into a live view remote and offers full control of the camera functions and settings. The files can then be downloaded directly from the camera to view or share via email or for instant posting on popular social media platforms.
GoXtreme also understand the value of giving its customers more and that‘s why every GoXtreme action camera includes a great selection of essential mounts and accessories right out of the box. The GoXtreme Barracuda 4K includes accessories for any kind of action.
The GoXtreme ‘Barracuda 4K’ ultra HD underwater action camera is available now from Argos for £119.99
If you are huge headphone/earphone fan like me and is in the market for something new check out Sudio Sweden who have some really nice products on offer,last month Sudion Sweden gave us a discount offer and we have teamed up with them again and they have kindly given our readers another 15% discount on all purchases all you need to do is enter (techbuzzireland15) at the checkout.
Check out their website HERE and dont forget to use the code techbuzzireland15 at the checkout. We will be speaking some more on their prodcuts in the coming weeks so stay tuned for more.
Check out our review of the Sudio Regent 4.1 bluetooth headphones HERE
The tablet may be geared towards kids but anyone can use it to be fair and if its anything like its smaller brother the 7 inch model it lasted my daughter over two years with only the Micro USB port worn down. It has had many drops and falls too and the fact it came with two bumpers in the package it really helps and save you looking for one which you probably wont find.
UNBOXING THE ARGOS ALBA 10 INCH 16GB TABLET
Again this tablet offers much the same with build quality and features and this time around it comes with pre-installed kids protection which is good to see. You are of course entitled to download your own or use your providers if you will but this is easy to use and set up out of the box, The tablet is robust and has many I/Os so all needs are catered for, Camera is not the best in the world but its a tablet.
We would recommend buying an SD card as the 1GB RAM will eventually slow you down,but keeping apps and games limited as any decent parent would do you will be fine, this is my second tablet with similar specs and has ran perfectly fine, other than that for the money you can’t go wrong if you want the tablet for basic use but nothing heavy, Check out the video review below and if you have any questions fire away.
1 / 14
Display:
10 inch screen.
Resolution 1280 x 800 pixels.
IPS technology.
Multi-touch screen.
LED backlit display.
Support for simultaneous display of multiple languages.
Specifications:
1.3GHz MediaTek mtk 8163 quad core processor.
1GB RAM.
Internal storage capacity 16GB.
microSD memory card slot.
Front facing camera 2MP.
Rear facing camera 2MP.
Android 7 operating system.
General features:
Built-in speaker.
Webcam.
Wi-Fi enabled.
Bluetooth – enabling you to easily and wirelessly connect with other Bluetooth enabled devices.
