Month: March 2020

Working from home securely: Coronavirus contingency planning guide. #Coronavirus #COVID-19 #CWSI

The outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Ireland is posing a new challenge for businesses, namely, how do companies quickly mobilise a remote working solution to enable employees to work productively from home? Several companies have already asked their employees to work from home for short periods, and with further cases expected in Ireland, it Is likely that more companies will be forced to close their offices at times.

However, not all organisations are prepared for such a measure and many are now currently scrambling to quickly put a remote working solution in place. In the rush to do so, many may compromise on security and expose themselves to huge risks.

As companies flock to potentially unsecure work environments, hackers and cyber-criminals will see this as an opportune time to ramp up their level of attacks. Advanced methods like SMS phishing and login-screen phishing can target remote working devices and grant attackers access to company information.

Paul Conaty, Principal Consultant, CWSI, commented: “While organisations have been, to varying degrees, incorporating more flexible elements into the workplace, the outbreak of the coronavirus has pushed remote working into centre stage. The challenge for employers is to implement not only a productive work from home solution, but also a secure one. While mitigating against the risk of the coronavirus, organisations may be unwittingly exposing themselves to a host of very different kinds of viruses.

 

“Personal devices used to access company data often lack the levels of security that are in place on work devices behind the company firewall. Cyber-criminals will see the current situation as a huge opportunity to gain entry to company systems and it’s vital businesses review the security of their remote working environment before being forced to roll it out across the organisation.”

 

With this five-step contingency planning guide, organisations can quickly implement actionable steps to help secure their work from home policy.

  1. Map out your current remote working setup

Take stock of your infrastructure and map out every device that is used to connect to your network. Do employees use company or personal devices? What verification systems do you have in place. Get an overview of where you currently are before planning the next steps.

  1. Bolster security and monitoring of your environment

Many software licences and IT infrastructures that enable remote working come with security and monitoring measures as standard. Review your set-up and make sure these are enabled and kept up-to-date. Multifactor authentication for example ensures that the right individuals have access to the right resources at the right time and for the right reasons.

  1. Communicate your remote working policy to workers

Hold information sessions, send remote working guides via email and give updates on policy changes to all staff. Users should be fully aware of their rights and responsibilities and are more likely to accept privacy compromises or other measures if the reasons for these requirements are clearly communicated beforehand.

  1. Test the environment to ensure employees can work properly

Once a remote working solution is in place, carry out tests as soon as possible to ensure employees can carry out their work. If devices are locked down too severely, employees will seek free unsecure cloud services to bypass these lockdowns. Shadow IT is a huge security risk facing organisation so make sure your approved remote working solution works well.

  1. Support users and monitor systems on an ongoing basis

It’s inevitable there will be some issues when rolling out a working from home policy, so ensure your IT support team is available and equipped to help resolve problems. Monitor the network to remain vigilant against threats and learn more about how to improve remote performance. Proactively support your employees and keep your sensitive data secure and protected at all times.

For more detailed information, visit: https://cwsisecurity.com/resource/how-to-work-from-home-covid-19-coronavirus-contingency-planning-guide/

Review – The Plantronics Voyager 6200 UC headphones. #Tech #Plantronics

If you need a new pair of neckband headphones these are something to look at right away.. Having used these for some time now they passed my expectations in all aspects delivering on quality and how they sound,these are loud.

With a solid build a rubberised texture these will last and they also have easy to use functions and several buttons placed on them in a convenient manner and work quite well. Featuring all the needs you would come to expect such as call control, Play,Pause Skip and reverse tracks and volume control these are ideal for those on the go and you also have your voice assistant at hand should you require it.

Call quality is top notch for those who would use these in an office environment but these really do shine when it comes to music and more. On my usual testing on You Tube and Netflix these really did really threw me off guard when it came to the sound. These pack a punch and are loud and that is how I like it, Good bass and direction, great on highs lows and mids and overall a superb experience to be had and no lag latency when it comes to streaming and so on. These are at the higher end when it comes to price but they are worth it. Check the video review out for more.

Features.

BUY 

 

 

Disney+ coming to Amazon Fire TV and Fire Tablets in Ireland March 24th #Disney+ #Amazon #FireTV

Disney+, the new streaming service from the Walt Disney Company, will be available on Amazon devices in Ireland including Fire TV streaming devices and compatible Fire Tablets on March 24th.

Disney+ offers fans of all ages a new way to experience the unparalleled content from the company’s iconic entertainment brands, including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, as well as exclusive original programming including feature-length films, series, documentaries, and short-form content made exclusively for the service such as The Mandalorian, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and The World According to Jeff Goldblum.

On Fire TV, finding the Disney+ app and content is easy with Alexa; customers can use their included Alexa Voice Remote, paired Echo device. Disney+ content will be included in Fire TV’s universal search feature making it easy to find and discover content with your voice. When the app becomes available customers will be able to say things like:

  • “Alexa, find Disney+”
  • “Alexa, open Disney+”
  • “Alexa, play [name of show]”
  •  “Alexa, find Star Wars movies.”

Fire Tablet customers can download movies, TV series or shorts, and watch whenever they want. Customers can also pause a show on their Fire TV and resume watching on their Fire Tablet, so they can enjoy Disney+ on the go, wherever they are.

Fire TV and Fire Tablet customers can sign up for a seven-day free trial directly on their Amazon device starting March 24th, after which they will be charged £5.99/€6.99 a month or £59.99/€69.99 for an annual subscription. If a customer signed up for Disney+ on another device, they can simply log into their account.

Experts in automation and connected factories gather in Galway – Ibec Medtech and Engineering #MedTech #Ibec

Ibec Medtech and Engineering, the Ibec group which represents the sectors, is today holding its Manufacturing the Future Conference in Galway, where experts in the fields of automation, connected factories and the Internet of Things shall gather. The conference takes place against the backdrop of the publication of the group’s report ‘The race to embrace digital manufacturing: Lessons from Ireland’s journey’ (see attached). The report revealed that six in ten business leaders intend to invest in connected factories and the Internet of Things and more than two thirds of those surveyed are already implementing automation.

Irish Medtech Association Senior Executive Adrienne McDonnell said, “All around the world smart technologies are changing the way people live and work. Similarly, the rapid evolution of production, information and operating technology is slowly transforming manufacturing. Making strategic choices about digitalisation of manufacturing will differentiate Irish operations and overall global competitiveness.

This conference will support leaders to make better decisions on areas like advanced technologies, sustainability and leaner and greener manufacturing. Along with benchmarking, best practice sharing is key for businesses to effectively embrace advanced manufacturing. We’re excited to have experts from world-class businesses like DePuy Synthes, Boston Scientific and Siemens sharing their insights today.

“Smart factories are transforming manufacturing and four out of five member companies surveyed said that automation of manufacturing was critical to their success. While eight out of ten expect digitalisation to lead to increased resource efficiency, one of the greatest barriers to advanced manufacturing is integrating new technologies according to half of respondents. One of the keys to tackling this challenge is employee engagement and upskilling with seven in ten manufacturing leaders saying that further training of employees is critical.

  “We would like to thank our sponsors for their support, Platinum Sponsors Siemens and Boston Scientific; Gold Sponsor, Stryker; Silver Sponsors, Accenture,Caragh Precision, DePuy Synthes, Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Irish Manufacturing Research, Irish Medtech Skillnet, and LBS Partners”.

For more information on ‘Manufacturing the Future Conference’ please visitwww.manufacturingthefuture.ie

 

Confirmed speakers include:

  • Padhraic McGinn, Senior Operations Director Europe, Nypro Healthcare
  • Adrienne McDonnell, Irish Medtech Association Senior Executive
  • Dr David Moloney, Principal Engineer and CTO,IntelMovidius
  • Joe Portley, Vice President of Global Engineering Services at Wright Medical
  • Martin McVicar, CEO, Combi-lift
  • Colm Jordan, Recycling Communications and Government Relations Global Manager, Indorama Ventures
  • Prof Richard Keegan, Adjunct Professor, Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin
  • Orlaith Lawler, Site Director, Beckman Coulter Clare
  • Vivian Farrell, CEO, Modular Automation
  • Peter Docker, Co-Founder WhyNot Unlimited
  • Cathal O’Reilly, Senior Director – Enterprise Excellence, Teleflex Incorporated

Review – The Ludos ULTRA earphones. #Tech #Ludos #earphones

The Ludos Ultra earphones are their next product after the Clamor that comes with much improvement in looks style and sound too and at a price that is super affordable if you are in the market for a new pair of earphones, These are a simple plug and play with an inline control that offers call control, Volume and play and pause and that is it. Keeping it simple as you do with most wired headphones there is a market out there for them still and the headphone jack is not done yet by any means.

These have got magnetic ends too so they will not dance all over the place when not in use and you can also avail of the carry bag included in the nice case they come in which is a nice presentation for the price,there is no pairing or any of that malarkey going on here either you just pop them in your headphone jack if you have one and if not they work perfectly fine with an adaptor too.

Sound is where it matters though and these really sound good with a bright crisp clean punchy performance with a perfect balance across the board, They do have an element of bass however nothing overlaps with sound nothing stands out over the other with all genres of music and good highs lows and mids and separation like I said these are a simple plug and play with better materials this time around and give decent passive isolation too when plugged in the the sponge memory foam similar to comply foam tips so this overall gives a good feel and sound to your music experience.

You often see earphones in local euro shops and petrol stations now costing up to 20 euros and more and you may skip them as they are total rubbish it is a safe bet to check these out rather than take a risk on a shoddy pair you will find in the mentioned outlets above they are a common scene along with true wireless and generally trash.

BUY – LUDOS ULTRA Earphones: ★US: https://amzn.to/2VuCMX4 ★UK: https://amzn.to/2wwij9T ★DE: https://amzn.to/2vVMRBV

 

 

First look and detailed walk through of the emporia smart 3 mini. #emporia #tech #emporiasmart3mini

With a saturated market today in mobile we have never had a better choice when it comes to picking up a smartphone at any price-point. All this is well and good but when it comes to smartphones for the older generation we have problems. The older generation like things simple and with the majority of today’s phones they are convoluted in my opinion leaving it a difficult task for the older generation to find their way through the menus and so on..

 

Doro would be a brand most people are familiar with and recently Nokia have released some devices that aim to either detox the overuse of phones or give older people a chance to get familiar with feature phones emporia does this too and is dedicated to give these people an option in many form factors but with ease of use.

I feel that more and more of the older generation want to get into the connected world though as mentioned above the typical smartphone is just to complicated for them and one look at one and they put it down this is where this company differs and will offer people to migrate to a smartphone with ease and there is several levels to pick from which then enables the user to move up a gear or two once they become familiar and simplicity is a key factor here for that to serve its purpose. Today we take a first look and walk through the UI on this device and its features and we will be testing it out over the coming weeks so feel free to show your family or friends this new entrant to the Irish market and if you have any questions feel free to ask as always and we will gladly answer.

BUY HERE

Over 225 million eSIM Enabled Smartphones to be Delivered in 2020, boosted by Samsung’s S20 Devices.

eSIM smartphone growth continues its upward trajectory, and 2020 will prove another positive year as Samsung becomes the latest OEM to boost the eSIM market.  The recent launch of the Samsung S20 range of devices with eSIM support will propel global shipments of eSIM enabled smartphones to over 225 million in 2020, according to global tech market advisory firm, ABI Research.

Ever since Apple first announced eSIM support in its XR and S range of devices in 2018, all eyes were firmly placed on Samsung as the next OEM to support eSIM in its flagship devices. “It was always a case of when, rather than if, Samsung would support eSIM. 2020 marks a defining year and another milestone for the eSIM market. Having the largest smartphone OEM onboard, shipping over 200 million devices annually is a significant market step. Industry experts will now be closely monitoring Samsung and how it might start expanding eSIM support to other device ranges, including its Note and A ranges,” explains Phil Sealy, Digital Security Research Director at ABI Research.

There is no question that 2020 eSIM smartphone shipments will hit over the 225 million mark, and ABI Research remains extremely optimistic about eSIM growth. Based on a continuation of eSIM support from Apple, Google, and Samsung, plus the eSIM expansion by Samsung into other device ranges and several other OEMs launching flagship eSIM enabled devices, expect a minimum of 500 million eSIM capable smartphones to ship globally in 2024.

image credit samsung.com

 

“Despite the optimism and Samsung’s inclusion of eSIM technology in its S20 range of devices, there remains much work to be done across the entire value chain, Sealy points out. From a smartphone OEM perspective, Apple, Google, Samsung, and Motorola are the only vendors with eSIM capable smartphone devices. Further, although eSIM readiness from an operator perspective continues to improve, there is no operator to date exclusively supporting eSIM. At the same time, many operators are not yet eSIM ready.

The cellular market is fast approaching a new tipping point as it relates to consumer subscriptions and data consumption. Cellular speed and bandwidth remain important cellular aspects. Still, as data-centric consumption continues to rise and cellular connectivity enablement increases on more consumer device types (laptops, tablets, smartwatches etc.), emphasis will shift from data-centric billing toward device bundles.

Sealy concludes, “The cellular connectivity market and how data is consumed will transform consumer subscriptions models. Device OEMs such as Samsung have an integral role to play in facilitating this transformation. OEMs want to provide flexibility to their consumer device users and create further brand stickiness by enabling a cellular-connected “family” of products and cross-device mirrored experiences, using eSIM as the enabling technology. Alongside this is an understanding that subscription offerings are evolving (voice packages to data and soon toward device bundles), the latter of which will require Remote Subscription Management (RSM) to share a profile over multiple device types.”

These findings are from ABI Research’s eSIM in the Consumer and M2M Markets market data report. This report is part of the company’s Digital Security research service, which includes research, data, and ABI Insights. Market Data spreadsheets are composed of deep data, market share analysis, and highly segmented, service-specific forecasts to provide detailed insight where opportunities lie.

New IDTechEx Research Reports Identify Technologies for the Future of Healthcare. #Health #IDTechEx

IDTechEx, market intelligence and events company focusing on emerging technologies, publish research reports that identify top future technologies in healthcare. With demographic changes such as the aging of the population, IDTechEx forecasts there to be strong growth in technologies that help healthcare providers manage the growing burden on the healthcare system while maintaining high quality care.

 

Wearable medical devices offer continuous health monitoring and provide deeper insight into a patient’s health status than non-wearable medical devices which only provide snapshots at fixed times. In IDTechEx’s new report, “Cardiovascular Disease 2020 – 2030”, wearables such as smart clothing and electronic skin patches are covered extensively. These soft and conformal devices provide medical-grade continuous health monitoring for cardiovascular disease patients. These comfortable devices provide monitoring over longer periods of time than traditional devices, allowing doctors to catch events that would previously have been missed. Overall, IDTechEx has forecast that the market for wearable medical devices (across all applications) to reach $19.7 billion by 2024.

 

 

Consumer electronics broadens health monitoring. While monitoring in consumer electronics has previously focused on fitness applications, companies are now entering the healthcare space. Devices such as smartwatches now broaden the access of continuous monitoring to a much larger audience. Consumers buy these devices for their primary function but benefit from background screening of hard-to-detect diseases such as atrial fibrillation and sleep apnea. In certain applications, the improvements of smartphone and tablet cameras means that a separate device is not even needed.

 

Technology development brings molecular diagnostics to the point-of-care. As evidenced by the COVID-19 outbreak that is currently ongoing around the world, there is a strong need for point-of-care diagnostics in the management of infectious disease outbreaks. Healthcare providers need to act quickly, but that is hampered when the testing takes multiple hours at a centralized facility. IDTechEx forecasts the market for point-of-care biomedical diagnostics to reach $43 billion by 2029. We have identified molecular diagnostics as the fastest growing segment, and our latest report “Molecular Diagnostics 2020-2030” forecasts the market (including but not limited to point-of-care) to reach $20 billion by 2030.

 

In addition to our market research reports, IDTechEx also hosts events on emerging technologies. For more information on wearables and sensors for point-of-care diagnostics and continuous monitoring, please refer to upcoming IDTechEx conference and table-top exhibition, Healthcare Sensor Innovations USA 2020, 17 – 18 March 2020 in San Jose

 

IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research, Consultancy and Event products, helping you profit from emerging technologies. For more information on IDTechEx Research and Consultancy contact research@IDTechEx.com or visit www.IDTechEx.com.

This Week on Stadia. Get Serious… #Stadia #Gaming

The Serious Sam Collection launches today on Stadia. If you’ve never experienced the unique Serious take on the first-person shooter genre, you’re in for an absolute treat. Forget about taking cover or employing carefully-synergized squad-based teamwork… Serious Sam is all about speed, aggression, lightning-quick reactions, and blowing things up with very big guns. You’ll face truly vast swarms of bizarre enemies, absolutely colossal bosses, and huge stages crammed with secrets, traps, and monsters.

The Serious Sam Collection includes three classic Serious Sam games in one package:

  • Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter
  • Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter
  • Serious Sam 3: BFE

Buy the Serious Sam Collection in the Stadia store today for $29.99 USD.

Learn more about the deranged minds behind Serious Sam and what makes it such an enduring classic in this recent dev diary with Chief Creative Officer Davor Hunski.

See more