Expleo Ireland, the technology partner for innovative companies, today announces that it is hosting an exclusive Business Agility event in Dublin. The event, which features speakers from a wide range of industries will explore how companies can thrive in an era of unrelenting change.
The event, which takes place in Expleo Group’s Dublin offices, is for professionals who are interested in new ways of working and implementing business agility processes to futureproof their companies and gain a competitive advantage.
The session will feature a panel of experts who come from consulting, business agility and enterprise backgrounds, giving attendees a deep understanding of the value and reality of adopting business agility practices and modern ways of working. Speakers will include Richard Goold, Partner at Moorhouse Consulting UK and David McGrath, Director of Business Agility, Expleo Ireland.
Richard Goold will present the 2019 Moorhouse ‘Barometer on Change’ report which gives insights into the challenges that organisations face when implementing change. Richard will also discuss ways in which companies can thrive when politics poses business obstacles and customer expectations are rapidly shifting.
Meanwhile, David McGrath, Expleo Ireland, will delve into key agility trends that Irish organisations can leverage to their own advantage. This will then be followed by an agility “ways of working” discussion which will deal with practical real-world experiences of team management through times of significant change.
Speaking about the event, Siobhán Smith, Marketing Manager, Expleo Ireland said: “Businesses are spending more on change initiative than in previous years. However, these initiatives frequently become redundant before they are completed because of the pace of change.
“Change is becoming hard to predict and even harder to navigate, with organisations having thoroughly mixed opinions on where to invest internally. The aim of the event is to share the capabilities we believe will allow organisations to survive and grow in the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous business landscape they face today.
Tickets to the event are free but places are limited. All interested parties should contact info@expleogroup.com to register before Friday 19th April.
Sony has announced the launch of a brand new 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc player, the UBP-X1100ES. New features includeDolby Visio HDR support, movable subtitles for viewing in Cinema Scope 2:35:1 aspect ratio and a new intuitive menu and interface. Designed to give a more immersive experience with 4K HDR playback and Dolby Atmos® 3D surround sound.
The UBP-X1100ES is optimised for custom home theatre installations with IP and RS232 connectivity for native support with key home automation suppliers. Built for optimum video and audio performance, this universal player enhances playback on non-HDR TVs with HDR to SDR conversion, grants access to the latest 4K HDR streaming services and supports playback of almost any disc or file format including Hi-Res Audio. Bravia Mode also ensures optimised viewing with Sony Bravia Displays.
The Sony L3 has dropped in for a test run and over the new few weeks we will be checking this out along with the Xperia 10 and if you have any questions as always fire away below or on our social channels.
The L3 and 10 are both now available in Ireland and today we take a first look at both devices and see whats on offer. The 5.7 inch HD+ screen with 18:9 aspect ratio is perfect for watching your favourite movies, shows and videos on the go. Tough Gorilla Glass 5 is also designed to cope with life’s little bumps and knocks. With a borderless screen, slim width and optimised weight, the sleek, unibody L3 also fits perfectly into your hand.
If taking photos is your thing, you’ll love the 13 megapixel and 2MP dual lens camera at the back. Choose your format, from square to 18:9 then get creative with Bokeh, an effect that adds an artistic blur to backgrounds. There’s a 8MP snapper at the front for selfies too.
With a high 3300mAh capacity, the Xperia L3 battery gives you power you can rely on all day long. Plus, Thanks to Xperia Adaptive Charging, the battery is monitored as it charges to ensure it’s never overworked and always at optimal health.
You get 32GB storage built in, with the option to add up to an extra 512GB using a microSD card, so you can carry around lots of movies too. A fingerprint sensor at the side provides security and the volume toggles and power key are also placed on the same side and in the perfect position.
The Sony Xperia 10 takes a new dimension with a new aspect ratio which is something new and different coming in at 21:9 this is a taller device and slimmer but it is easy to hold however I would like to see the 10 Plus which is again a taller device. Admittedly at first I did not like this but it has grown on me since I started using it.
With 70% of all Netflix films made in 21:9, you’re set up for great entertainment wherever you go. It’s also idea for using two apps at once side by side. So, you can see more, scroll less and multitask with ease. Everything sounds good too thanks to High-Resolution Audio. LDAC streaming also provides crystal clear audio when listening wirelessly.
If taking photos is your thing, you’ll love the 13 megapiixel and 5MP dual lens camera at the back – capture stunning images and get creative with artistic Bokeh effect. You can even shoot 4K video at 30fps. There’s a 8MP snapper at the front for selfies too.
With a high 2870mAh capacity, the Xperia 10’s battery gives you power you can rely on. Plus, Smart Stamina predicts how long your power will last and adapts your energy usage to keep you going for longer. You get 64Gb storage built in, with the option to add up to an extra 512GB using a microSD card, so you can carry around lots of movies too.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 chipset works with 3GB RAM and the new Android Pie to ensure everything happens fast and smooth, including streaming and downloads.
Irish startups from across the country are being encouraged to apply for Google’s Adopt a Startup Programme which this year launches in an exciting new format. The new programme will be 8 weeks duration and will focus on Priority Growth Areas, identified by the companies themselves and the Adopt a Startup team in Google, which have a significant impact on a startup’s development and success.
The Priority Growth Areas include 4 crucial stages of growth: Understanding Your Customer, Building Your Brand, Growing Globally and Scaling Your Organisation. Participants will benefit from unmatched expertise and support in topics such as Analytics and UX, pitching and networking, automation and machine learning and how best to plan for global growth.
The new programme offers startups full support though a series of exclusive lectures and workshops, 1-on-1 on-site support with a team of passionate Googlers, and unique networking opportunities at Google’s EMEA Headquarters.
Paddy Flynn, Director, Google said: “We’ve achieved a lot of success over the past five years but we are always looking at ways to improve our impact. We’ve listened to feedback from startups and have reshaped this next iteration of the programme, including reducing the number of startups from 30 to 15 for this cycle. This will allow us to deliver a more intensive programme, will focus on 4 crucial stages in a startup’s growth cycle and will give participants more direct engagement with Google experts. We hope that this focus will enable them scale more effectively and learn from each other through the programme.”
Following the 8 week programme, each startup will have the opportunity to pitch their growth plan to a panel of select judges, with some unique prizes up for grabs including €10,000 in Google Ads credit and eligibility for the Google Cloud Programme which includes $100,000 in Google Cloud Credit.
The Adopt a Startup programme was launched by Google in 2014 and has mentored over 150 companies, helping them to develop and grow. FoodCloud, UrbanVolt, Jobbio, Beats Medical and Logograb are just some of the amazing companies who have participated in the programme and have gone on to achieve significant success in their industries. The programme was created in Dublin and has become such a success that is now being implemented in dozens of other countries around the world. In the last year the Startup team at Google have also worked on bringing Irish scaleups into global Google programs and helping Irish scale ups understand how to engage with Google at a global level.
Places on the programme are now limited to 15 companies, with applications closing on 22 April. More information on Adopt A Startup and full details on how to apply can be found at https://events.withgoogle.com/adoptastartup/
Over the last while we have been testing the new ArloPro 2 homekit and security in the home inside and out is something we should all take seriously and with the availability of affordable kits like this which does not require professional installation there is no excuse not to have something as simple as this in your home or on a premises.
This is simple to set up as mentioned above and you are giving help within the app which is also great compared to others out there. For the bell you can simply swap out your existing bell which should have two wires that can be attached easily to the Arlo bell the only things need changing is the chime setting and there is a switch inside the bell to pick from depending if mechanical or chime within the app you can also change to tone which is great and this is all shown in the video below and if you get stuck along the way feel free to ask. After that it is a matter of fixing the new bell to the wall and for me my existing screws matched the Arlo bell so it was simple.
For the chime itself you just plug it in and the same applies to the base station which just has to be connected to your existing router at home all the tools and cables are in the package so there is no need to get the toolbox out unless your doorbell fitting is different to the existing one and a new small hole drilled or if you need to mount the camera externally.
The app is really easy to use be it for live feeds, or looking back on footage and image capture within the live feed itself again the app is full of tutorials to help you along the way should you run into issues, I had one issue when setting up and it was just locating the devices individually it took some time but eventually found the Bell and Chime after a few minutes but the Camera was almost instant.
The great thing with this camera too is the ability to have it inside or out and place it basically everywhere I have some examples of shots below,inside under low light and normal daytime light and of course outside and the clarity is excellent after all its 1080p. One thing though I would suggest if installing outside is put it out of reach of the scrotes that do be out there as they would just take it off the wall and also ensure your Doorbell is fixed well too as some would have great enjoyment of ripping it off the wall if not secured enough. Overall the whole package on show here synced up well and I have had no issues as yet and the delay time is minimal though your WiFi connection could play a part if there is some delay as in Ireland WiFi is patchy and some areas.
There is one thing I would only suggest looking at is the option to turn the notifications off within the app on the start page as when you are home depending what way you have set it up you will get continuous notifications which get annoying. If I had the 2/3 camera set up you might notice the same but you can disarm the system inside the app they should bring it to the home screen after login just like the Alarm signal is for example, this again would depend on your security preferences but since I have one camera I can move it at my leisure which is not too bad as I have placed a fixed screw for where I would use it but overall if you have the 2 camera set up or more you are guaranteed to be protected with high class security and most importantly footage or any criminals who enter your premises or home. The Arlo Pro2 is a higher priced model than some out there and others we have tried but its worth it.
APP SCREENSHOTS
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Features
1080p HDWatch and record crisp HD video in more detail than ever before.
Motion and Sound DetectionGet instant notifications sent to your smartphone or email.
2-Way AudioListen in and talk through the camera from your smartphone.
Night VisionTurns on automatically in low light so you can see clearly, even in the dark.
Free Cloud StorageKeep a rolling 7 days of motion and sound-triggered recordings for free.
Local Backup StorageConnect a USB drive to the base station to store captured footage.
Smart Security SirenEmbedded in the base station, the 100+ decibel smart security siren can be controlled from anywhere.
Plays Well With OthersWorks with Amazon Alexa, IFTTT, SmartThings & Stringify.
130° Viewing AngleWide-angle PIR motion sensor makes sure no movement slips through without notice.
In the video I go through the app in detail and show how this camera works with the app in several setups, Any questions feel free to ask or if you need any help if you purchase or already have one.
We all know someone or perhaps seeing someone who has had a heart attack and at a time like this every second counts to intervene. The AED is now becoming a more prominent sight around the country and I have noticed this myself of late with them being more accessible and visible and companies having them on their premises.
But just say you bump into someone going into cardiac arrest and you do not know where the nearest AED is until a First responder arrives to perform CPR? OK we do have situations when someone would know CPR but its not always the case.. This app can help and you can also help to by placing your AED on the map be it in your local hometown or community or business.
Staying Alive provides defibrillator mapping and citizen responders management. The App is available in 18 languages and maps over 120.000 defibrillators worldwide. There was talk of such an app a year or two ago here in Ireland but I have not yet seen it,this subject was recently on the radio too on knowing how to perform CPR and having some knowledge of your nearest AED. This app is crowdfunded so you can play your part and add one to the map.
Features
– AED location : locate the 10 closest AEDs near you or in a specific address, through the use of a live database that is updated each time you launch the application.
– Reporting of new AED.
You can post new defibrillators and now even edit existing ones.
– Citizen Responders network: If you are trained to CPR you can register through the App as a Citizen Responder. You can then be notified by the EMS in case of cardiac arrest near you to provide CPR. Staying Alive First Responder technology works in France, Belgium and Switzerland so far.
– The reminding of CPR gesture with video illustration of the survival chain “Call, Start CPR, Shock and wait for help”
– A practical guide on the use of Automatic External Defibrillator (AED).
– An “Emergency” mode that will help you to make the right things in the right order. The new emergency mode detects automatically the local number depending on you location.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting and business solutions organisation, has launched the official app for the 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon, with several key new features.
TCS, the Official Technology Partner for the Virgin Money London Marathon, has developed the official mobile app for the fourth year in a row. The app – downloaded by a record breaking 360,000 users last year – is the definitive one-stop shop of information on the event, including the course map, start times, results, expo info, and transportation.
This year, it’s better than ever with all the features that runners and spectators need to get the most out of the marathon experience. The most popular feature of the app is the in-built tracking systemthat now allowsspectators to track an unlimited number of runners, so they can follow all their friends, family and favourite celebrities at the same time. TCS has also made it easier than ever for runners to hit their donation goals, with a new in-app donation button. Simply search for your runner in the tracking page, click on their icon, and hit the donate button to be taken directly to their Virgin Money Giving page.
The interactive course map shows runner progress, with live updates every five kilometres so fans can get to the best viewing points throughout the race and cheer their runners. Additionally, the spectator guide includes multiple points of interest, from knowing the locations of toilets, First Aid points and water stations, to finding the best pubs along the route, key landmarks and meeting points or transportinformation.
The Virgin Money London Marathon App can be downloaded from the iOS App store and Google Play Store, by searching ‘Virgin Money London Marathon’ or ‘London Marathon’. The app is part of the #ThisRun campaign by TCS, which celebrates all runners and the multitude of reasons why they’re running the marathon, whether for a loved one, a good cause or as a personal challenge.
“TCS is committed to bringing digital innovation in everything it does. As the Official Technology Partner for the Virgin Money London Marathon, we’re delighted to strive for ever better performance and new features that will enhance the experience for this iconic race.It is a momentous day both for the participants and the great number of supporters that follow the event in London and across the globe,” said Shankar Narayanan, Country Head, TCS UK and Ireland.
Hugh Brasher, Event Director, London Marathon Events, said, “We’re proud to be leading the way and embracing technology to improve the Virgin Money London Marathon each and every year. Our new and improved Official Race App will give our participants, their supporters and spectators the best possible service and help us to say #ThanksaBillion to everyone who has supported us since the first race back in 1981.”
Find and follow your marathon heroes and donate to their cause with the official 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon App. To download the app, visit the Apple app store or Google Play.
Non-profit organisations and social enterprises are the unsung heroes making Greater Dublin a better place for all its citizens, and today Google recognised their contribution by awarding a total of €1 million in grants to 15 organisations who are making a difference and have ambitious plans to do more.
Last month, 15 organisations were selected to receive €50,000 funding for their programmes (see Editors’ Note below for full list). A panel of judges was then tasked with choosing four recipients to have their funding doubled to €100,000, with a fifth organisation selected by an online public vote. The five winners were announced at a gala event held at The Foundry in Google last night.
Huge boost for Dublin communities as 15 local charities share in €1M Google.org Impact Challenge Dublin fund Five grants of €100,000 and ten grants of €50,000 awarded to local Dublin community initiatives Pictured are winners of the “People’s Choice Award” Sile Maguire, Mark O’Doherty both from Down Syndrome Ireland with Fionnuala Meehan, Head of Google Ireland. Picture by Shane O’Neill, SON Photographic
The four organisations chosen by the panel of judges to receive €100,000 each from the Google.org Impact Challenge are:
A Lust for Life, a new, innovative platform to share creative mental health content
Citywise Education, which provides educational support to young people in underserved communities
Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, which removes barriers to accessing support for those who have experienced sexual violence
SeniorLine, a peer-to-peer IT education and drop-in facility for older people
Down Syndrome Ireland, which helps adults with Down Syndrome to secure meaningful paid employment, won the “People’s Choice Award” in a close-run online poll which saw a total of over 38,000 votes cast.
Fionnuala Meehan, Head of Google Ireland commented, “The five months since we launched the Google.org Impact Challenge Dublin have been really awe-inspiring. We received over 150 entries from all corners of the county and from every imaginable community initiative, and it was really heartening to see so much energy and enthusiasm being invested into local and grassroots projects.
“Dublin has been very good to us in the last 15 years, so we have been very mindful of supporting local projects as much as possible, and the Google.org Impact Challenge Dublin is the latest in a long line of these endeavours. We’re now looking forward to working with all of the winners and helping them use their funds in the best possible way to realise their goals.”
The Lord Mayor of Dublin Nial Ring said; “It has been wonderful to be part of the judging panel and to have the opportunity to recognise just some of the voluntary organisations and social enterprises who are contributing to our city. We had a tough time selecting the groups to receive double the funding, but the five charities named today – including one chosen by the general public – represent some of the most pressing issues and underserved communities in Ireland, covering mental health, disadvantaged community education, special needs and older people”.
The Google.org Impact Challenge Dublin judging panel included: The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Nial Ring; Senator Lynn Ruane; Mary Rose Burke; CEO of Dublin Chamber of Commerce; Bernard Brogan, Dublin GAA legend; Roisin Ingle, Journalist; Tomás Sercovich, CEO, Business in the Community; and the Head of Google Ireland, Fionnuala Meehan.
For more information visit g.co/DublinChallenge.
Huge boost for Dublin communities as 15 local charities share in €1M Google.org Impact Challenge Dublin fund Five grants of €100,000 and ten grants of €50,000 awarded to local Dublin community initiatives Pictured are winners of the “People’s Choice Award” Sile Maguire, Mark O’Doherty both from Down Syndrome Ireland with Stuart McLaughlin, Google.org Senior Regional Manager, EMEA. Picture by Shane O’Neill, SON Photographic
The fifteen organisations to receive funding from the Google.org Dublin Impact Challenge are:
Winners of €100,000 in funding:
A Lust for Life is creating a new, innovative platform to share creative mental health content
Citywise Education is providing educational support to young people in underserved communities
Down Syndrome Ireland Down Syndrome Ireland is helping adults with Down syndrome to secure meaningful paid employment
Dublin Rape Crisis Centre. The DRCC is removing barriers to accessing support for those who have experienced sexual violence
Senior Line is offering peer-to-peer IT education and drop-in facility for older people
Winners of €50,000 in funding:
An Cosán Virtual Community College. An Cosán is harnessing the power of technology to grow and innovate community education
Music Generation Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Infinite Music is a music performance programme for young people with special educational needs
Irish Females in Technology (I-FITs). I-FITs is a Tech Apprenticeship Programme for unemployed females from Dublin’s ‘Silicon Docks’ area
GiveBack.ie. GiveBack.ie is technology that empowers individuals to break the cycle of homelessness
THEATREclub. THEATREclub wants to affect a shift in Dubliners’ view of addiction using audience activist groups
Irish Youth Foundation ‘Next Step’ is supporting students in the transition from primary to secondary level school
Peter McVerry Trust Peter McVerry Trust is establishing a culinary training program for people experiencing homelessness
Dublin City Farm and Ecology Centre St. Anne’s City Farm is a sustainable farm that promotes education and multiculturalism
Teen-Turn Teen-Turn is changing how girls from underrepresented communities identify with STEM careers
Young Social Innovators YSI is empowering Ireland’s most disadvantaged youth to address local issues using robotics and STEM
Students from third level colleges around the country were awarded in the Light House Cinema for running events, developing and designing projects and creating videos, animations, radio ads and graphics for the National Transport Authority’s Smarter Travel Campus Awards 2019. The entries produced by students, promote ‘smarter’ modes of transport; particularly walking, cycling, public transport and carpooling.
“We are delighted to see students from a variety of disciplines from campuses around the country developing projects and multimedia pieces to promote, facilitate and enable sustainable transport options. We were also very impressed by the standard of the entries, as were the judges.” Anne Graham, Chief Executive Officer, National Transport Authority.
The winners in the Events & Health Management category were Luke O’Driscoll, William Horan, Christopher Asmus & Kate McMahon, University of Limerick.
Students Chris Britton, Dylan Flynn and Dara Darcy from Limerick Institute of Technology picked up the top prize for their Audio & Animation entries, and received very positive feedback from the judges, including Steven Maher from Windmill Lane. Students Ruth Barnes, Mark Bergin & Edward Hannon, also from Limerick Institute of Technology, won the best Video category.
The Graphic Design & Illustration category winners were Dion Breen & Didi Delaney, Limerick College of Further Education. Winners of the Engineering & Innovation – Technology category were Taidhg Treacy, Sean Callaghan, Caoimhe McDonnell & Katelyn Gallagher, Dublin City University and the award for the best Engineering & Innovation – Design went to Peter Healy, Vaibhav Sethi, Samarth Naresh, Luke O’Higgins & Patrick Devaney, Trinity College Dublin.
Lecturers were also awarded for bringing projects to promote smarter modes of transport into their graded coursework. Winners of the Lecturers Award 2019 were Nora Ni Fhlatharta & Roisin Crowley, Limerick Institute of Technology (Multimedia), Jenny O’Connor, Waterford Institute of Technology (Health & Event Management) & Gareth Bennett, Trinity College Dublin (Engineering).
The Smarter Travel Campus Awards are organised by the Smarter Travel Campus programme of the National Transport Authority. This was the fifth year of the awards. It was open to third level institutions in Ireland who are partners of the Smarter Travel Campus programme.
