Month: May 2020

Review – The Nokia WiFi Beacon Trio. #Nokia #Beacon #Mesh #WiFi

Nokia is a brand people are well familiar with and that is mobiles to most but they play a huge role around the world when it comes to mobile networks and communications and are also playing huge role in the 5G area but they are also powering in house communications for office and home and have several products on the market right now to enhance your connectivity experience which is welcome. I own some 250 nokia devices myself and this is my first time to try out their solutions to connectivity at home.

The Nokia Beacon WiFi trio comes in a well presented box giving you all you need including plugs to get you set up very quickly it will take around ten minutes to set up and get going you get three towers in the box and one is connected to your existing router and the other two can be placed where you might find them best suited, For me I am a new build and find even bluetooth products an issue here due to the materials used in the house and this is a welcome addition, I have tested other repeaters and extenders before and they have all boosted my experience in some form or in some areas of the house. The app that comes along with this is also good and easy to follow and will help you set up the whole system from scratch.

Due to the lockdown at present whilst testing our speeds where slow most of the time and this was done by the provider to give a balanced approach for all customers to have some kind of connection to the web this not only applied to my broadband but my phone and we did have a blackout over the last few weeks which did not bode well with the public but this is how things work and it happneds to all networks from time to time be it from over capacity or a fault, I am no expert when it comes to such or WiFi solutions but I know it has boosted performance in the house between upstairs and downstairs from where I work and I will be leaving out all the technical jargon to simplify how it works.

The Beacon Trio is a mesh system and many have asked me about MESH and what it is which is simply a home system that can give better stability and speed in your house with multiple nodes placed in your home which for people with bigger houses would be a better solution by connecting to the nearest one based on your location in the house,Just like the Nokia set up one connects to your main router then you place the rest where it suits best.

Once set up you are good to go

Speed test samples below, Testing with several devices connected during this pandemic showed a constant better speed with the Nokia Beacon VS Virgin especially upstairs in my house which suits me perfectly and for the kids in the house. Even with more connected including tv and other peripherals the speed was better in general  but somewhat slower than when I actually got the kit at first but having said that you do not get the advertised speeds you pay for but overall the connection is better and stable for all devices which in short and with the bandwith being used now on the network it still gave better results.

 

VIRGIN WIFI UPSTAIRS
VIRGIN WIFI DOWNSTAIRS
NOKIA UPSTAIRS
NOKIA DOWNSTAIRS

I will come back to this again later on to get more results and speed tests for comparsion when we are in more normal times rather than now due to the virus to get more results,I did have some initial screenshots of tests but lost them after changing devices an not backing up.. Silly me, But they where better and still even with these speeds overall the stability is enhanced greatly and no buffering compared to using the standard set up and as noted upstairs in particular showed great results which has been a problem for me the last while when working in my little studio as I work both downstairs and upstairs during the day and of late with people around all day it is required for some quite space on calls and so on.

The App

1 / 7

The design of the towers are nice but rather big and on par with our existing router which we plug this into it does not replace your current router in case you are wondering like any other offering similar you are still paying the same money to your current provider, The design is slender but on the bigger side and I would like to see a direct plug in option to a socket from Nokia rather than having towers but having said that it is no huge deal. The benefits here outweigh anything else especially with a large home like we have now and this covers up to  420 square meters which ha sproven to kill blackspots in my house which is great.  For the security concious we have 64 bit and 128 bit WEP and WPA support that includes WPA-PSK and WPA

I have my router set to 2.4 and 5Ghz but the Nokia beacon picks the best channel and beacon for you to connect to within the property all done without you knowing what is going on in the background but if you look on the app you can get information as to what is connected to what beacon which is cool. Overall this is an ideal piece of kit to have in the house especially if you have lots of tech which many homes now have today espeically with IoT and other connected devices like smart lights and virtual assistants and with most houses today we have more mobile phones at hand and this is a solution to stop congestion in the house and enjoy 4K streaming and more with no buffering it is easy to set up too and not too expensive. One thing for sure and I have said before Nokia is in a league of its own when it comes to communcations and they offer much more than many people know about which is mobile phones.

BUY

Skullcandy launch the Push Ultra, Indy Evo,Indy Fuel and Sesh Evo True Wireless. #Skullcandy #TrueWireless

Skullcandy Inc., the original lifestyle audio brand, continues to dominate the true wireless earbud category with the launch of four feature-rich True Wireless earbuds –  Push Ultra, Indy Evo, Indy Fuel and Sesh Evo. Each of the new releases are jam-packed with enhanced features including high-quality audio, extended battery life and Tile™ finding technology, guaranteeing your music is never left behind.

 

“The launch of our newest True Wireless earbuds were designed to take this rapidly growing category to the next level,” said Jason Hodell, CEO of Skullcandy. “This expansion takes our best selling products and enhances them based on the feedback we’ve received from customers including improvements in battery life, connectivity, comfort and fit.   We have also added new technology features like wireless charging, solo bud use and Tile™ technology to truly offer an experience unlike any other on the market.”

 

Push Ultra is Skullcandy’s brand new listening experience within its growing Adventure Audio category – the ultimate companion for any adventure or workout. The earbud features a moldable ear hook for an ultra-secure customized fit, with a convenient Stay-Aware earbud design. Housed in a thoughtfully designed protective wireless charging case, Push Ultra is loaded with up to 40 hours of listening time (6 hours in each earbud and an additional 34 hours in the charging case).  The buds are IP67 sweatproof, waterproof and dustproof, Tile™ enabled and have full controls on each bud that allow for solo bud use.

 

“Tile’s technology helps people manage life’s everyday disruptions,” said CJ Prober, CEO of Tile. “Disappearing headphones can be inconvenient and expensive, but by expanding our partnership with Skullcandy to make their latest true wireless lineup findable, users can feel free and confident that their favourite pair of earbuds will be ready when they need them. Once activated, Tile helps users ring their earbuds, see their location on a map or employ Tile’s global network to find them.”

 

Indy gets upgraded to Indy Evo and Indy Fuel, the newest evolution of the family. Now with extended battery life, improved connectivity, enhanced fit, and Skullcandy app compatibility, this generation is even more feature-rich. Audio quality enhancements, including titanium-coated drivers and expertly crafted EQ and ambient-listening modes, deliver a premium listening experience.

 

In addition to expanding the most popular True Wireless earbud franchise, Skullcandy is also expanding its entry-level True Wireless offering with Sesh Evo. Sesh Evo makes it easier than ever to jump into True Wireless with easy setup, simple controls, and IP55-rated durability.

 

Additional details on the new features found in Skullcandy’s latest slate of True Wireless earbuds include:

 

  • PUSH ULTRA – For a zero boundary, max performance listening experience, look no further than Push Ultra. The sweat, water, and dustproof earbud that can stand up to the sweatiest endeavours and be submerged in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes.  With rapid-charging capability of 2 hours of charge in 10 minutes, Push Ultra is available for £119.99 in True Black, Electric Yellow and Bleached Blue.

 

  • INDY EVO – True freedom gets amplified with Indy Evo, the earbud that lets you take music everywhere, going totally wireless without overpriced earbuds that you’re afraid to use, lose, or both. With up to 30 hours of battery life, Indy Evo comes in Pure Mint, Chill Gray, Deep Red, and True Black and is available for £89.99.

 

  • INDY FUEL – Indy Fuel takes truly wireless to another level. On top of all the features of Indy Evo like the enhanced fit, size and call, track, and volume control, Indy Fuel also comes with a wireless charging case. Get true freedom with effortless charging, Indy Fuel is available for £109.99 in True Black.

 

  • SESH EVO – Go truly wireless and get longer listening with Sesh Evo. With improved connectivity and acoustics, and a full suite of media controls, Sesh Evo packs all the essentials into a small form factor. These earbuds have up to 24 hours of battery life, come in Bleached Blue, Pure Mint, Deep Red and True Black and are available for £59.99.

Sound BlasterX G6: Complete the Console Gaming Experience,now with with GameVoice Mix for PS4. #Gaming #PS4

Creative Technology has boosted the console gaming experience yet again. With a new firmware update adding GameVoice Mix to the Sound BlasterX G6 features set, users can now expect an even better performance with quality audio, seamless controls and enjoy game-chat balancing alongside pristine audio for unparalleled console gaming.

Since its launch back in 2018, the Sound BlasterX G6 has been well-received by tech reviewers, winning prominent awards such as the CES 2019 Innovation Awards Honoree in ‘Gaming’.

Powered by audiophile-grade components (including a 130 dB DNR, 32-bit / 384 kHz DAC) and the award-winning Xamp discrete headphone bi-amplifier, driven by the fabled Sound Blaster surround sound virtualization technology, and packaged in a sleek yet handy form factor, it has established itself as a mainstay on many gamers’ ‘must-have’ accessories lists.

 

With GameVoice Mix, the Sound BlasterX G6 is a console gamer’s dream.

With game-chat balance being an increasingly popular feature especially for console gamers, the Sound BlasterX G6 has been boosted with GameVoice Mix, elevating the gaming experience at no extra charge. Users can seamlessly adjust both the voice chat volume and gaming audio with a simple turn of the control knob, without having to exit the game – so that they can focus on the gameplay itself.

Pricing and Availability – Sound BlasterX G6 is priced at GBP129.99 and is available at Creative.com. For more information, visit creative.com/G6

Review – The Crucial X8 1TB Portable SSD. #Tech #Storage #Crucial

The Crucial X8 1TB Portable SSD is a  solid-state drive (SSD)  which is a new generation of a storage device. SSDs replace traditional mechanical hard disks by using flash-based memory, which gives significantly faster speed and reliability.  This unit is solid which as per the manufactures has been tested with a 7.5-foot drop and tested against extreme temperatures, shock, vibration.

Speed:

The Portable SSD is fast with read speeds up to 1050MB/s, this would mean load files up to 1.8x faster than most portable SSDs, 7.5x faster than portable hard drives, and 100x faster than USB flash drives.

The Brand:

Crucial has been around for over 40 years involved in memory and storage, I have used many of their RAM options over the last 20 years which have worked seamlessly.

 

Warranty:

The unit comes with a 3-year warranty.

 

Overall.

The unit as expected from the SSD is fast, with the cable supplied works with most USB-C and USB-A devices.  This worked with an android phone easily and with speed, and transferred to a Laptop without any issues, ( This is Compatible with a wide range of devices. with Windows, Mac, iPad Pro, Chromebook, Android, Linux, PS4, and Xbox. ) The Build quality is solid and small enough to fit in a pocket if required.  The speed is great to suit most gamers, and elegant enough to be used in an office. Encryption software is available as required. This is a Storage device from a trusted brand, small, fast and great compatible to give an excellent experience. Well recommended. 

 

Available: : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crucial-CT1000X8SSD9-Portable-USB-C-Black/dp/B07YD5TK4F

Price: £160.79

Impact of Internet of Things on Mobile App Development. #Apps #IoT #MobileDev

We’re at the edge of a big integration between mobile devices and the IoT. And this integration will have a huge effect on mobile app development. Although it can feel less difficult to brush that part of development below the rug, it’s not hard to discover a connection among mobile apps and the future of IoT. Technically, your telephone and smartwatch already are devices that belong to this connected network.

Mobile app improvement becomes a whole lot more worried while you need software that controls or makes use of reviews from multiple connected devices. Mobile apps can be used to set thermostats, view protection cameras, and begin cars remotely. Many organizations have developed devices that mechanically order supplies. IoT’s popularity continues growing every year, bringing the current wide variety of linked devices to greater than 20 billion. Unsurprisingly, this parent is anticipated to pinnacle 50 billion with the aid of 2020.

For optimizing the system of designing and developing the mobile applications to be perfectly like-minded with those smart devices, the mobile app builders have to inculcate a distinct wondering and method to the whole technique while additionally making several considerations right at the outset, as described underneath:

Connectivity 

Developers must remember and recognize how their application goes to connect with the internet as well as the item itself. This type of utility desires to get integrated with a gateway and this requires the builders to undertake a brand new method and technique of wondering to accomplish this with fulfillment.

New stop factors

To be well suited to this era, mobile applications need to paintings and connect seamlessly with future technology, cease-customers, and analytics. It needs to be understood that this shall require lots of greater cohesive paintings. So, interfacing with the new language and the communique protocol has to.

Niche development

On a unified IoT platform, IoT improvement has a tremendous capability to come to be a gap market for a maximum of the developers. So, at the same time as IoT is turning into extra common, it’s higher for the developers to acquaint themselves right away with as a minimum one absolute skillset for accomplishing IoT improvement.

 

Open supply development

As IoT software improvement is currently going on extra within the open supply space, the open supply groups of builders are all inclusively collaborating and collaborating on resolving and handing over understanding for the new use instances. With IoT turning into greater inclusive these days, more and more packages are and may be available for almost any developer to code and increase IoT based cell applications.

Subsequently, we all ought to recognize the reality that the Internet of Things (IoT) isn’t only a complete breakthrough in mobile app development but it’s far prepared to revolutionize the arena of generation and bring a big paradigm shift inside the process roles with the aid of taking the human attempt out of the equation with excessive degree of automation Andover-simplification of our lives. That is the cause why IoT based cell app development deserves essential recognition and attention from the mobile app developers and the agencies alike.

CWSI launches free mobile app to help Irish businesses return to work safely. #CWSI #Business

CWSI, Ireland’s most experienced enterprise mobility specialists, today announces the launch of a freely available mobile app for businesses, to help employees return-to-work safely according to Government protocols. The Safety Instructions app, which is available in multiple languages, including English and Irish, is free to download on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

CWSI developed the app in conjunction with its partner, Netherlands-based enterprise mobility experts BLAUD, with the aim of helping Irish and UK organisations manage the safe return of workers to sites and offices as the economy opens up in phases, following the temporary closure of most businesses due to COVID-19.

The app was built on the insight that a safe and continued return to work requires strong communication and a shared collaborative approach between employers and workers. The user-friendly app was designed to help organisations easily communicate and explain workplace controls to comply with infection prevention measures to all relevant workers, contractors and visitors to the site or office.

Through the app, employers can easily and dynamically distribute safety information and protocols including detailed instructions on social distancing, site floorplans, evacuation procedures and emergency contact details. Data related to Government guidelines on COVID-19 – such as advice on hand hygiene and instructions on what to do if a worker develops signs and symptoms of COVID-19 on-site – can be updated quickly and easily as the latest advice and instructions change.

Visitors to a workplace can access site-specific information via a unique QR code or via a map search feature. The app is available in multiple languages, including English, Irish, Flemish, French and Dutch.

Ronan Murphy, CEO, CWSI, said: “As the economy slowly begins the return to office and site-based working, health and safety protocols and procedures will be critical to ensuring a safe environment for employees and reducing risk for employers. At CWSI, we believe mobile technologies, such as the Safety Instructions application, can play a key role in helping organisations communicate safety measures clearly to staff to mitigate the chances of future outbreaks in the workplace.

Ronan Murphy, CEO and Co-Founder, CWSI

 

“Our freely available app is a great example of how technology can provide employees with immediate, up-to-date information, helping to remove uncertainty around the return to work and alleviate the administrative burden on over-stretched HR and health and safety resources. With the right measures and the tools to communicate these in place, the economy as a whole can return to normal both quicker and more safely.”

 Get on Android     Get on IOS

The Safety Instructions app is available to download on the Google Play or Apple App Store or through the CWSI website (cwsisecurity.com/solution/mobile-workforce-solutions/safety-app)

MyCHI App for Staff – How Children’s Health Ireland are Supporting Staff through Coronavirus #CHI #Thrive

Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) is responsible for the delivery of acute paediatric services for children, provided in the three Dublin children’s hospital locations at Crumlin, Temple Street and Tallaght and a paediatric outpatient and urgent care centre based on the campus at Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown.

With over 4,000 people working in CHI across five locations, most are not desk-based; communication and sharing information has therefore been a challenge. The development of the new organisation, bringing three hospitals together into one on 1 January 2019 and the opening of CHI at Connolly in July 2019 also increased the need to communicate better and to engage teams through these organisational and cultural changes.

To meet the challenges, Trevor Murphy, Director of Human Resources started to look at ways in which staff and management in individual hospitals and the change programme could more effectively communicate and share information with each other.

The need for effective communication and information sharing reached a critical point with the spread of COVID-19 bringing new challenges to CHI to communicate in a timely and pervasive means with their staff. Trevor evaluated several options before deciding to proceed with Thrive. Within three weeks, CHI were up and running, using Thrive’s communication platform and app, which has be branded ‘MyCHI’, with ongoing assistance from the Thrive team.

Commenting on the new app for staff MyCHI, Trevor Murphy, Director of Human Resources said; “A massive and sincere thanks to all the Thrive team for ‘the can do’ attitude in assisting us in launching our employee app MyCHI. It is hugely welcomed by all as a great support for communicating key and important updates, information and supports for our staff at this very difficult time.

The initial feedback from staff has been overwhelmingly positive and we are excited to roll it out to our staff across all our sites, in particularly those who are working remotely due to the current guidelines on physical and social distancing

With our programme for change in preparation for our move to the new children’s hospital and the current health crisis we are facing, there has never been a more important time for us to ensure our colleagues are connected, sharing and receiving important information and feel fully supported and recognised.

Team Thrive are delighted to help and welcome CHI as a new client and we look forward to working with their team to ensure their employee communications app is engaging and reaching all team members in these challenging times.”

James Scott CEO, Co-Founder of Thrive said; “During this time of uncertainty, effective communication is vital. We are so happy that the Thrive platform and app are genuinely helping people and organisations during this challenging time. We have made adjustments to our contracts and pricing in order to be as flexible as possible to help as many organisations as we can and are delighted to have CHI join our client base.”

Riot Games – New Tactical Shooter – VALORANT launching on 2nd June #Valorant #Gaming

Riot Games today announced their highly anticipated, character-based tactical shooter video game, VALORANT, will launch for free on June 2, 2020 across the majority of regions worldwide. In the days leading up to June 2, the game’s massively popular closed beta will come to an end on May 28, enabling the team at Riot to reset player accounts, patch new content, and prepare for the beginning of VALORANT’s worldwide launch. Once officially live, fans of the competitive 5v5 tac shooter will start fresh, progressing from the same starting line as they compete with players around the world.

“Our goal has always been to bring VALORANT to as much of the world as soon as possible, so we’re hyped to be able to do so on June 2,” said Anna Donlon, Executive Producer of VALORANT at Riot Games. “The team looks forward to starting our decades-long commitment to servicing the global VALORANT community. This is just the beginning of our journey together.” 

Reinforcing its level of commitment to players, the VALORANT team will deliver new game content, a new game mode, a new agent, and a new map at launch. To meet rising player demand, Riot has also prioritized additional new game server deployments on their short-term roadmap in order to lower latency for VALORANT players; these new server locations include Atlanta, Dallas, London, Madrid, and Warsaw. Earlier, Riot Games demonstrated its commitment to the global community by successfully prioritizing the rollout of VALORANT’s Closed Beta to regions around the world, despite unexpected global deployment challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information about VALORANT, check out www.PlayVALORANT.com.

Review – The Edifier TWS NB with ANC. #Edifier #TrueWireless

Edifier are a well known brand which I like and have been testing their products some years now and will stand by them and having said that my reviews are not in anyway biased and will state the good and the bad where applicable. Edifier have a couple of true wireless earbuds on the market which some I still need to test but the one thing with the brand is they are consistent and solid with their products and their speakers are something to take note of too which reminds me I must see what they have on offer in that department.

Their new true wireless though are a mixed bag and that is not meant in a bad way, I like earbuds that look different than the trend and I like the trend too and these buck that trend slightly and are bigger,more prominent looking too and stick out more than some which is fine as I have said before, I do not care what earbuds or headphones look like once they deliver on sound and if looks come into it even better I like to have what is trending and what is different too and this is when people ask me when out and about what am I testing now.

So when it comes to sound well they deliver an expected from edifier they have their sound signature again and these are loud with bass, when it comes to the usual rather than go on about attributes they delivered accross the board and once again they are earbuds I can easily pick up on a daily basis to use and reccommend given they have a larger profile than others out there, if you are using these for Netflix and You Tube and so on you will enjoy the experience with good direction volume and no lag latency to be seen the same applies to music and phone calls which where clear both ends.

You have an ambient sound option too which allows you hear the surroundings which is great for those out walking or cycling and so on and after that you can avail of the ANC mode which when indoors I suggest you use and immerse yourself in great sound..

These lack in some features when it comes to controls but you can forgive it,there is one button on each side but you have limited controls here yet the push button is a nice idea and works perfectly all the time You can also use the edifier connect app to change between the ambient and noise cancellation and to play and pause tracks with a user manual inside the app but thats pretty much it. You have no option to change the volume on the buds but again this is common, you can play and pause skip and reverse tracks though and manage calls with the one button on the buds.

Overall what is most important for me is  how they sound and they have delivered a good product with a good build quality again,I feel some might find these too big a profile but they look different which is something I prefer personally but that is my opinion…

Features

  • Advanced ANC Technology. Industry-leading Feed-Forward Active Noise Cancellation technology from AMS that offers you true freedom from background noise with enhanced audio quality.
  • Superior Sound Quality. Φ13mm large graphene diaphragm delivers a much deeper and punchy bass with the rich details of sound reserved, which makes TWS NB be distinguished from others.
  • Up to 33-Hour of Playback. Enjoy up to 5-hour ANC playback and 15 hours with the charging case, thanks to Qualcomm’s ultra-low-power architecture. With ANC off, you can enjoy 33-hour playtime.
  • Bluetooth 5.0 with Qualcomm CVC and aptX Technology: Enjoy fast transmission and clear calls within 10m(33ft), thanks to Bluetooth 5.0 with Qualcomm aptX audio and Laser Direct Structuring antenna.
  • Ambient Sound Mode: ANC technology gets you fully immersed in the music, while ambient sound mode keeps you informed from the outside world. (Note: Control it by the button or “Edifier Connect” app)

BUY HERE