Tesco Mobile Ireland Prepay 15 customers who hold a Tesco Clubcard can now avail of a Double Data allowance of 30GB every time they top up by €15.
The Double Data deal is only available to Tesco Clubcard members giving them even greater value at no extra cost. To date, the Prepay 15 plan allows customers to keep their €15 credit while getting unlimited any network calls and 15GB data, all for 28 days. With this new benefit, Prepay 15 customers who register their Clubcard to their Tesco Mobile account will receive double data (30GB) each time they top up.
This is a great value deal for those who may have needed to top up within a month to get more data affording them time to scroll or stream their favourite shows while on the go.
Tesco Mobile Ireland customers can also earn double Clubcard points every time they pay their monthly bill or top-up their prepay phone when they register their Clubcard to their Tesco Mobile account. T&C’s apply.
Having first launched in Ireland in 2009, Tesco Mobile is the country’s largest virtual network operator with over 400,000 customers. Switching to Tesco Mobile is easy, with prepay phones in 110 Tesco stores and 34 Tesco Mobile phone shops nationwide with a dedicated Tesco Mobile expert on hand to help give detailed assistance. Customers can also sign-up online at tescomobile.ie.
Customers looking to upgrade their smartphone can look no further than Tesco Mobile with smartphones starting from as little as €39.99. Tesco Mobile stocks Samsung, Apple, Huawei, Nokia, Alcatel, TCL and Doro phones.
Customers who do not hold a Tesco Clubcard can sign up via Tesco.ie
Subsequently they can link their Clubcard to their Tesco Mobile account via the Tesco Mobile app or at My.TescoMobile.ie.
Sony has announced the start of pre-orders for its newest MASTER Series A9 4K HDR OLED television in Europe. The A9 combines Sony’s high-end innovations in the fields of picture processing and sound for a striking, robust audio-visual amalgam encased in compact 48” to fit even the smallest living room.
Picture Processor X1™ Ultimate is at the heart of the A9’s prowess – it
precisely analyses image data to bring out the intense contrast of OLED with pure blacks, peak brightness and truly realistic pictures. The TV also features Pixel Contrast Booster, which enhances colour and contrast in bright areas so you can enjoy scenes full of lifelike shades and hues, more depth, fine texture and the pure black contrast that only OLED can deliver. Also, the A9 incorporates Sony’s own X-Motion Clarity™ technology, ensuring that even fast action stays smooth and clear. Moving images are precisely controlled to minimise blur so that pictures remain true with less loss in brightness during high speed scenes.
The A9 TV maintains Sony’s legacy of delivering a truly immersive audio-visual experience with the use of Acoustic Surface Audio, which turns the TV screen into a speaker. Two innovative actuators behind the screen vibrate discreetly to create sound, so what you hear comes from the place in the scene where the action is happening – dialogue from characters, engine noise from a car. This ties-in with Sony’s super-slim one slate design where screen meets the edge of the TV, immersing you in the picture without distraction. A powerful subwoofer is subtly integrated into the rear of the TV to create more dynamic, bass-heavy sound – ideal for action movies and music.
The new A9 TV continues to deliver the creator’s intent with Netflix Calibrated Mode. This mode was specially developed to enjoy Netflix originals and reproduce the same picture quality on a TV as on a studio evaluation master. With Netflix Calibrated Mode, the creator’s vision and intent is faithfully preserved. Further, the A9 is an IMAX® Enhanced™ product, ready to meet high-quality colour, contrast, clarity and sound, allowing to enjoy a fully immersive at-home entertainment experience that takes full advantage of IMAX Enhanced content.
Sony’s MASTER Series A9 4K HDR OLED TV features Ambient Optimization, a new technology that optimises picture and sound quality in any customer environment. It will automatically adjust the picture brightness to the ambient light in the room, boosting the brightness in bright rooms and reducing in dark rooms for the perfect view. It even detects objects in the room, such as curtains and furniture that can absorb or reflect sound, fine-tuning the acoustics so your sound isn’t compromised.
The A9 features Android TV™ with the Google Assistant, Google Play Store and Chromecast built-in, which offers users easy access to content, services and devices via its extensive platform. Sony’s original user interface menus and voice controls are also enhanced for better daily use. With the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa enabled devices, you may cast and control videos from YouTube with Google Home or change the channel or volume with Amazon Alexa enabled devices. Apple® AirPlay® 2 users can stream movies, music, games and photos to their television right from their iPhone®, iPad® or Mac®. The Apple HomeKit™ technology provides an easy, secure way for users to control their television from their iPhone®, iPad® or Mac®.
Pricing and availability
Sony MASTER Series A9 4K HDR OLED TV is available for pre-order now in the UK and Ireland for £1799 and €2149.
Sony MASTER Series A9 4K HDR OLED TV: Key features
Small and central aluminium stand provides users with flexibility in smaller spaces
Offers best-in-class picture quality in a smaller size
Includes Sony’s premium OLED TV features, including Picture Processor X1™ Ultimate, Pixel Contrast Booster and Acoustic Surface Audio™
X-Motion Clarity for OLED: This revolutionary, highly-acclaimed best-in-class technology from Sony will now be available for OLED, refining action on the screen in real time to make it brighter, clearer and more fluid than ever before for an unparalleled sports viewing experience
New Ambient Optimization optimises picture and sound quality in any customer environment. It will automatically adjust the picture brightness to the ambient light in the room, boosting the brightness in bright rooms and reducing in dark rooms for the perfect view
TRILUMINOS™ Display reproduces the subtle nuances of colour, light and gradation from video lens to living room
Dolby Vision™ and Dolby Atmos™ compatible
Works with Smart Speakers, including Google Home and Amazon Alexa enabled devices
Easy connectivity to most devices, including Apple® AirPlay® 2, HomeKit™
Quick access to an array of content and services with Android TV
Netflix Calibrated Mode ensures cinematic fidelity for the viewing experience on Netflix. Developed by Sony picture quality engineers in collaboration with Netflix colour scientists, Netflix Calibrated Mode delivers picture quality approaching that of a master monitor used for standard reference in motion picture production studios.
An IMAX® Enhanced™ product, ready to meet high-quality colour, contrast, clarity and sound. Take comfort in knowing you’ll be enjoying a fully immersive at-home entertainment experience on this TV that takes full advantage of IMAX Enhanced content.
Custom Mode, along with Sony’s other calibrated viewing modes, provides various viewing options to suit customers’ tastes while faithfully preserving the creator’s intent
With more pubs, restaurants, gyms and shops re-opening, and leaders suggesting people return to the office, maintaining good ventilation is important in helping us all get back to a more normal way of life.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), good ventilation in the workplace can help reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus, so firms should focus on improving general ventilation.
The HSE advises increasing the supply of fresh air by opening windows and doors (unless fire doors) or through mechanical systems. This will make people feel safer and give them reassurance to return to the workplace.
Open windows alone might not be enough to improve ventilation sufficiently. Using a good quality fan moves the fresh air around, providing there is good ventilation in the area they are being used.
Having fans by windows and on desks will help to ensure that all of the air in the room keeps moving and no-one ends up being trapped in a pocket of still air and the environment becomes safer for everyone.
Independent tests have showed that the MeacoFan 1056 moves more air and moves that air further than other fans on the market and does so at a lower noise level. This is why it is more than suitable for safe air circulation in these uncertain times as we all look to get back to some kind of normal.
Meaco has developed a family of five quiet fans that deliver superior air circulation performance. By using DC technology this results in low noise levels, low running costs, and a longer product lifespan. Four of its five fans have already achieved the prestigious Quiet Mark accreditation in recognition of low noise levels.
The top of the range MeacoFan 1056 and its pedestal version are award winning super-quiet energy-efficient fans. Multi-directional operation means air bounces off walls and ceilings, keeping the air moving and everyone in a room cooler. Described as ‘whisper quiet’ at 20dB, it is ideal for bedroom and general home and office use, helping to keep cool through the night, and reduce stuffiness on hot days. With twelve fan speeds it is capable of cooling the largest of rooms, perfect for the return to work or for use in the home.
The smaller MeacoFan 650 and MeacoFan360 are ideal for home and office use, where space is limited. They are small enough to be placed on window ledges. The newest addition to the family is the MeacoFan 260c, Meaco’s first battery powered, rechargeable, “go anywhere” fan. See our review HERE
To obtain the most out of a fan and improve ventilation, Chris Michael, MD of Meaco advises that “it is best to open two windows, and place a MeacoFan so that it is blowing the air out of one of the windows. This sucks the stale air out of the room, while fresh air is drawn in from the other window resulting in a significant improvement in air quality in a very short time and ensuring fresh air is circulated quickly around the room.”
The sun is shining, the temperature is rising, Summer is finally here, and you can’t wait to get outside and enjoy it! Whether it’s a barbecue in the garden, chilling out by the lakeside or meeting friends in the park, Sharp can provide the backing track for your Summer fun with its new PS-919 and PS-929 portable party speakers.
After what seems an age, the gradual relaxing of social distancing rules is cause to celebrate with our nearest and dearest and we can’t wait to experience that real party feeling again. Dance the night away with Sharp’s brand-new party speakers: PS-919 and PS-929! These high power, portable speakers both feature flashing DISCO lights and if you are lucky enough to have two, they can be paired together for True Wireless Stereo sound that makes for a next-level party!
The PS-919’s compact size and IPX-5 water resistance make it ideal for outdoor parties. It allows effortless music streaming via Bluetooth from a smartphone or tablet and can be used with other devices via the aux-in connection; you can even playback stored music through the USB port (which will also charge your phone). Thanks to the handy screw thread on the base, the speaker can be mounted on a tripod and with the latest lithium battery tech built-in playback is up to 14 hours – you won’t miss a beat.
When you want to throw the loudest party on the street, go for the PS-929. A max total output of 180 watts plus a SUPER-BASS function combine to deliver a truly thumping sound. Using the True Wireless Stereo function, you can pair two PS-929s together for an immersive stereo sound-stage which is more than twice the fun! For the complete party-solution the PS-929 includes a Microphone so you can sing-along or make that special announcement that everyone needs to hear…
Stacked with features, the PS-929 has 10 equaliser pre-sets to let you fine-tune the sound to your liking. Bluetooth, inputs for a second microphone or guitar, aux-in and USB (with charging functionality) provide maximum connectivity. The built-in battery offers great portability and when the juice runs low simply plug it in to the mains to keep the tunes playing and recharge – the PS-929 will definitely be the soul of your successful party!
The PS-919 and PS-929 party speakers are available for a recommended retail price of 149,00 € and 159,00 € respectively. Reviews coming soon on techbuzz..
Earlier this month it was revealed that the Nokia 5.3 was going to drop into Harvey Norman, Powercity and Tesco Mobile, Tesco mobile now have the 5310 2020 version in their handset portfolio too and the 5.3 costs €199.99 and the 5310 costs €39.99.
The AI-powered quad-camera helps capture the perfect shot no matter where you are, even in dim light, thanks to Night mode. Wide-angle and macro lenses help you capture close-ups, or wide, scenic shots. And with its large 6.55” screen, the Nokia 5.3 helps make the most out of streaming your favourite shows and playing games all day long. The Nokia 5.3 has a durable yet stunning, Nordic-inspired design, comes with Android 10 and gives fans faster access to Google Assistant via the dedicated button.
Re imagining the original Nokia 5310 Xpress Music, the Nokia 5310 brings with it an MP3 player and FM radio, combined with powerful, dual front-facing speakers letting you carry your favourite tunes with you on the go. The Nokia 5310 remixes classic design with a slick new feel and battery that’s built to last, keeping you connected day after day.
New UK-based retailerLost Universe launches online with a vast collection of pop-culture gifts, gadgets, apparel and collectables, amid increased popularity of licensed products, placing the UK as the second largest market worldwide, according to the 2019 Global Licensing Survey.
Lost Universe aims to be the ultimate destination for licensed merchandise and on-trend pop culture items, including first-to-market products and exclusive gifts, gadgets, accessories and collectables.
The new brand is aimed at an audience of pop-culture fans and enthusiasts, as well as more widely at those interested in buying unique gifts, with plans to offer one of the largest collections of licensed merchandise, pop-culture and entertainment items – over 5,000 products are available for launch from the top franchises and brands.
The highly-anticipated online collection includes licensed products from leading franchises like Disney, Universal Pictures, Marvel, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones or Jurassic Park, as well as from brands such as Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, Netflix, Ubisoft and more.
The online product range includes:
A quirky selection of apparel and accessoriesfrom T-shirts, sweatshirts and cosplay items, to bags, wallets, keyrings and jewellery.
Official pop-culture collectablesincluding action figures, pop vinyls, statues, figurines and limited edition coins from cult TV shows, films, gaming and comic books.
Home decorand soft furnishings such as cushions, prints and posters, bedding and throws, as well as bookends and office accessories.
The latest gaming tech and accessories, such as retro game consoles, gaming chairs, and merch from fan-favourites Fortnite, Super Mario, Minecraft, or Warhammer 40,000.
A diverse range of giftsranging from stationery, mugs, notebooks, to water bottles and advent calendars among many others.
The new brand will offer an inclusive environment for pop-culture fans, by creating “Lost Universe Club” – a community led initiative where users can share ideas, interact and benefit from “money can’t buy” experiences, such as exclusive access to industry events, talks, and exclusive products, special competitions and offers.
“We couldn’t be more excited to launch what we hope to be an immersive ‘geekdom’ of cult and trending pop-culture merchandise, and offer the best experience possible to an inclusive community of fans and pop-culture enthusiasts. The team at Lost Universe live and breathe pop-culture and are dedicated to sourcing the most coveted products for our audience. Lost Universe will offer an exciting online experience, where pop-culture fans will be able to find everything they’re after and be the first to know about their favourite film, TV, gaming, comic book or anime merch”, says Fred Prego, Director of Marketing and E-Commerce.
Lost Universe is actively growing its online product range and exploring future plans to open a dedicated pop-up shop in a selected UK location.
Apricorn, the leading manufacturer of software-free, 256-bit AES XTS hardware-encrypted USB 3.2 storage devices, has launched the Aegis Secure Key 3NXC – the first device of its kind to have a built-in USB-C connector. This makes it the only hardware-encrypted USB that is compatible with the next generation of laptops, smartphones, tablets and hubs, without the need for a separate A-to-C adapter.
The Aegis 3NXC is the most versatile hardware-encrypted USB on the market: it is compatible with PCs and Macs, as well as any operating system, including Windows®, Mac®, Linux, Android and Symbian. This provides an effective way of safeguarding data across today’s remote workforces, where employees are using a diverse range of business and personal devices to carry out their work. The device automatically encrypts all information as the user uploads it, with military-grade AES XTS hardware encryption.
Jon Fielding, Apricorn’s managing director EMEA, says: “Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, remote and mobile working was on the rise, along with the associated risks to data. As the global workforce shifted from office to home practically overnight, the demand for our encrypted secure keys skyrocketed, as did the demand for our A-to-C adapters. We accelerated the release of the Aegis Secure Key 3NXC to provide an efficient way of ensuring that employees using MacBooks, iPads and Android devices can securely store and move sensitive data, wherever and however they’re working.”
The Aegis Secure Key 3NXC completes the Secure Key 3NX family, which Apricorn updates constantly to address evolving security threats and business needs. The 3NXC was created in response to a market that’s moving towards smaller and thinner laptops and tablets that can’t accommodate a USB-A port.
Particularly suitable for highly regulated sectors such as defence, finance, government, manufacturing and healthcare, the Aegis Secure Key 3NXC allows businesses to support safe and productive remote working on a large scale, ensuring that all workers follow information security best practice and comply with regulations such as GDPR.
Ultra-compact in size, the Secure Key 3NXC line is priced to allow affordable data protection across an expanding global remote workforce, while delivering all the advanced security features found in the Aegis family of secure drives. By offering a range of six storage capacities from 4GB to 128GB, the device allows IT to closely align deployments with the storage needs of each individual employee, reducing overall cost. Prices range from £48 to £145.
Jon Fielding continues:
The security and operational advantages of the Aegis Secure Key 3NXC include:
No software – so there’s nothing to keylog or to hack.
OS agnostic – the device is completely cross platform compatible.
Onboard keypad – all authentication takes place within the device itself.
All data, passwords and encryption keys are 256-bit encrypted at rest.
No host computer is involved in setup, authentication or encryption.
Forced enrollment – no default PINs ensures that data is not put at risk by employees who fail to change a factory set PIN before deployment.
IP-68 validation against water and dust damage.
Separate administrator and user access.
Read-only options that can be enforced by the administrator or set by the user if allowed by policy.
Highly configurable with policy such as time out values, Data recovery PINs, and programmable PIN lengths.
Brute force PIN attack protection.
Ability to automatically configure multiple devices remotely using Apricorn’s Aegis Configurator tool.
The 3NX family offers one unique feature that is not available on any other hardware encrypted device: the ability to toggle between Fixed Disk and Removable Media (US Pat. No 10,338,840). FIPS 140-2 Level 3 validation is expected shortly.
Pure Telecom, Ireland’s high-speed broadband and telecoms provider, today announces that it is entering the triple-play market through a partnership with TV service provider, Netgem. To mark the partnership, which represents Netgem’s largest distribution partnership in Ireland so far, Pure Telecom is revealing insights from a national survey of 1,000 Irish adults, conducted in July 2020. It found that the majority of the Irish population is now paying for a video streaming service, with the average adult spending €18.91 per month on streaming services.
Pure Telecom will tap into this lucrative market by giving Irish viewers access to Netgem’s range of live and on-demand content through broadband and TV bundles starting at €43. Subscribers will be able to access live TV from Saorview channels, along with 20 additional channels. They will also have access to streaming services from providers including YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, All4 and Plex, as well as ad-free kids’ TV provider Hopster. The service is integrated with Alexa voice control.
Pure Telecom’s research found that some 81% of Irish adults are currently paying for at least one streaming service. And, it found that the COVID-19 lockdown caused 34% of Irish adults to increase the amount they spend on streaming channels.
The survey revealed that the average Irish adult spends 13 hours, 35 minutes watching streaming channels each week. That figure increases to 15 hours 28 minutes per week for Millennials and 14 hours, 25 minutes for Gen Z.
According to the survey, residents in Carlow watch the most streamed content at 19 hours, 23 minutes per week. That is followed by Louth (18 hours, 12 minutes) and Wicklow (17 hours, 26 minutes). Offaly and Sligo residents, meanwhile, clock up the least amount of time watching streaming channels at 9 hours, 23 minutes per week. That is followed by Monaghan (10 hours, 30 minutes) and Kildare (11 hours, 54 minutes).
Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom
“At Pure Telecom, top-quality customer service along with extremely competitive prices have always been our priority. We are delighted to be partnering with Netgem to provide a genuine alternative for Irish viewers seeking both broadband and TV.”
Sylvain Thevenot, Chief Commercial & Customer Officer, Netgem, said: “Pure Telecom is a really strong local player in an Irish broadband market that is heating up rapidly. We are delighted to be working with them to reach new audiences in Ireland and showcase how quickly and easily ISPs can launch compelling TV services via Netgem with a low overall investment.”
Increasing network stability, lowering electricity costs, and contributing to climate protection is the vision that Audi and the Hager Group are pursuing. The incorporation of the electric car into the domestic grid is at the core of an innovative research project on bidirectional charging. This offers major advantages in combination with a photovoltaic system in particular. Excess PV electricity can be stored temporarily and output as needed.
Audi has committed to the objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement and is working on making its vehicle fleet CO2-neutral by 2050. In order to achieve this aim, the premium brand is pursuing a broad electric offensive that involves launching around 20 fully electric models by 2025. And not only that: The electric car is to evolve into part of an increasingly broad mobility offer and become an element of the sustainable energy transition.
In the first half of 2020, renewable energies contributed more than 50 percent to the German electricity mix for the first time. However, the increasing percentage is also accompanied by a basic dilemma of wind and solar power: The generation of electricity is not always constant. On sunny days and phases with strong winds, there is often a lack of capacity to store the generated energy that the grid cannot use.
As the number of registered electric cars increases, the number of mobile energy storage units also rises. This offers great potential, provided that the storage capacity can be used intelligently. This is why Audi and the Hager Group joined hands and developed a research and solution approach that creates financial incentives and offers greater security of supply: bidirectional charging. “Electric mobility is bringing the automotive industry and the energy sector closer together. The battery of an Audi e-tron could supply a single-family home with energy for around one week independently. Looking ahead, we want to make this potential accessible and make the electric car part of the energy transition as an energy storage device on four wheels,” says Martin Dehm, technical project manager for bidirectional charging at Audi.
The electric car as a flexible energy storage unit
The idea is as simple as it is genius: The high-voltage battery of the electric car is not only charged via the wall box at home but can also supply energy back to the house as a decentralised storage medium. If the customer has a photovoltaic system, the electric car serves as a temporary storage medium for the domestically generated eco-electricity. When the sun is no longer shining, the vehicle can supply the stored electricity back to the house. Bidirectional charging at home – also known as Vehicle to Home (V2H) – has great potential to reduce the home owner’s electricity costs and increase network stability.
As a further expansion stage in combination with a home storage unit, it is possible to achieve near complete energy independence and increased security of supply in the event of a blackout. “Using the battery of electric vehicles to contribute to climate protection while lowering electricity costs at the same time is a vision that we have found fascinating since the very beginning. And we have found an ideal partner in Audi,” explains Ulrich Reiner, project manager at Hager Group.
Near-series technology in use
What sounds simple in theory requires a high level of technical intelligence and coordinated interaction between different technical components in terms of infrastructure and in the vehicle in practice. An Audi e-tron with near-series charging technology was used in the research project. In the test grid, the fully electric Audi model operated with a DC wall box, which enables a charging capacity of up to 12 kW, and a flexibly extendable home storage unit with a capacity of 9 kWh. While it could provide additional flexibility in possible series production, it is not a necessary requirement for bidirectional charging. Thanks to the DC voltage level in the overall grid, the connection between the PV system and the vehicle does not require an inverter and is thus a particularly efficient solution.
Charging with PV electricity saves money
Bidirectional charging focuses mainly on use cases where home owners use their own photovoltaic system to benefit from cost-optimised charging with their domestically generated electricity. The electric car stores the excess electricity from the PV system that is not used by appliances in the house. If the customer has variable rates, the electric car can supply the entire house in phases where electricity prices are high.
At night or during non-productive times of the rate, the car then uses inexpensive electricity to charge up to the desired target SOC (state of charge). Bidirectional charging also provides a security of supply that extends beyond pure cost optimisation: In the event of a blackout, the system can supply the house with energy via the high-performance HV battery or it can even operate a building without a grid connection independently in what is known as stand-alone operation.
Everyday usability in the focus of the developers
The developers made everyday usability a top priority. “Maintaining mobility is at the centre of our attention. Customers therefore don’t need to restrict themselves in order to make bidirectional charging suitable for everyday use,” Dehm describes the focus of the development. “The intelligent charging management manages the optimum use of the battery, thereby maximizing the cost-effectiveness of the overall system. The system is very easy for customers to use – all they have to do is plug in the car, and the rest happens automatically.”
The joint research project with the Hager Group has proven two essential things: Customers who have their own PV system can design their mobility to be optimised in terms of cost and CO2 consumption while taking some of the burden off the grid at the same time. As a positive side effect, customers who own an electric car from Audi can make an important contribution to the success of the energy transition. The intelligent use of the HV battery in the vehicle also opens up possibilities to use an existing resource that was previously used for mobility purposes alone in a sustainable way.
