Month: October 2020

Sony launches the Apple TV App on select smart TVs. #Sony #AppleTv #Tech

Sony Europe today announced that customers can now access the Apple TV app on select Sony smart TVs to enjoy Apple TV+, Apple TV channels, new and popular movies, and personalised and curated recommendations. The Apple TV app will begin rolling out today in Europe on Sony’s XH90 series via a software update.

The Apple TV app brings together all the ways to watch shows and movies in one place. The app features Apple TV+, Apple’s new video subscription service offering original shows, movies and documentaries from the world’s most creative storytellers, including ‘The Morning Show,’ ‘See,’ ‘Defending Jacob,’ ‘Ted Lasso,’ ‘Greyhound,’ ‘The Banker,’ ‘Boys State’ and ‘Beastie Boys Story.’ Also on the Apple TV app, customers can subscribe to Apple TV channels and watch ad-free and on demand, directly on the Apple TV app. Through Family Sharing, up to six family members can share subscriptions to Apple TV channels using their personal Apple ID and password.

Sony’s smart TVs provide users with easy access to a range of content and services. With Sony’s best-in-class family of X1 processors, TRILUMINO Display and immersive sound features, customers can experience content just as the creator intended with the Apple TV app. Sony’s smart TV users can browse the Apple TV app to buy or rent more than 100,000 movies and TV shows, including titles available in 4K HDR and with Dolby Atmos, as well as enjoy personalised and curated recommendations and access their library of movie and TV show purchases from Apple. Select Sony TVs also support AirPlay 2 and HomeKit. With AirPlay 2, customers can effortlessly play videos and other content from their iPhone, iPad or Mac directly to their smart TV. HomeKit allows customers to easily and securely control Sony’s smart TVs using the Home app or by asking Siri on their Apple devices.

Customers can subscribe to Apple TV+ on the Apple TV app on Sony’s smart TVs, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch, Mac and other platforms, including at tv.apple.com, for €4.99/£4.99 per month. For a limited time, customers who purchase a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch or Mac can enjoy one year of Apple TV+ for free.

The Apple TV app will launch on Sony’s select 2018 TV models and most 2019 and 2020 models by the end of the year.

To learn more, please visit https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/televisions/xh90-series.

Poly Introduces Speakerphones That Bring Professional-Quality Audio to Your Home (and Your Office) #Poly #Audio

Poly today unveiled the Poly Sync family, a new line of smart, USB and Bluetooth speakerphones, at Zoomtopia 2020. These Poly devices use proprietary microphone technology to track the talker, not the noise.

The Poly Sync 20, Poly Sync 40 and Poly Sync 60 are designed to enable today’s need to work from anywhere – whether that’s a remote work location at home or a conference room in the office. Poly Sync’s USB and Bluetooth connectivity options offer flexibility, while its intelligent microphones can easily detect voices throughout the room to enable crisp audio quality for both work and entertainment. For seamless voice integration, connect Poly Sync to your Siri or Google voice assistant and check even more off your to-do list without lifting a finger.

“The Poly Sync family is a new generation of smart speakerphones that are perfect for working or listening to music from anywhere,” said Christine Roberts, senior vice president and general manager of professional headsets and speakerphones for Poly. “The Sync Family redefines speakerphones going forward. This isn’t just another speaker puck – this speakerphone line is sleek, sophisticated and smart.”

Poly is the largest hardware provider for Zoom, and Poly Sync 20 is among the first to receive Zoom’s Personal USB Speakerphone certification.

“We are pleased to recognise Poly Sync 20 as one of the first speakerphone devices to receive Zoom’s Personal USB Speakerphone certification,” said Oded Gal, head of product management for Zoom. “Poly continues to trailblaze with its portfolio of Zoom certified devices and we know that the addition of Poly Sync 20 will provide outstanding value for today’s evolving workforce.”

Poly Sync 20 & Poly Sync 20+

With best-in-class audio and a three-microphone array, Poly Sync 20 and Poly Sync 20+ are ideal portable solutions for today’s hybrid work environments. A remarkable sounding three-in-one device, it’s a personal speakerphone, a portable music speaker and a smartphone charger all in one. Its compact, sleek design and carrying case make it perfect for users on the go.

Poly Sync 20+ Front Teams
Poly Sync 40 Laptop USB Situation

Advanced digital signal processing algorithms ensure both sides of the call can be heard clearly, simultaneously, and a programmable button allows users to personalise their Sync 20 with their favorite functions like music pause/play or voice assistant – all with a single touch. The Poly Sync 20+ includes a BT600 dongle for seamless Bluetooth connectivity options.

Poly Sync 40

The Sync 40 features even bigger sound than the Sync 20, with microphones that allow for greater pickup range as well as the convenient smartphone charging capabilities to support today’s hybrid work environments. IT or the user can choose to wirelessly daisy chain two units to adapt and expand the reach within varied conference room sizes. Sync 40 features a long-lasting battery with up to 20 hours of talk time and the automatic Bluetooth unpairing option allows users to quickly disconnect Bluetooth devices after a meeting.

Poly Sync 60

The Sync 60, the largest speakerphone in the Sync family, incorporates all of the spectacular features in the Sync 20 and Sync 40, but is designed for larger meeting spaces and conference rooms. With a six-microphone array and intelligent LED features, the device can automatically track voices within the meeting room and adapt to make sure the other end of the call has a great audio experience. With its two large built-in speakers, the Sync 60 easily fills the room with rich, crystal clear audio. Connect a USB video camera to the device for complete AV connectivity.

While the Sync family series offers solutions for workers in any location, they also help IT managers, who can oversee and improve workforce fleet deployment and allow remote manage of Sync devices.

Availability

  • Poly Sync 20 will be available worldwide starting in November 2020
  • Poly Sync 40 will be available worldwide starting in January 2021
  • Poly Sync 60 will be available worldwide in early 2021

Call to love electronic products longer as E-Waste hits record high. #EWaste #WEEE #Recycling #InternationalEWasteDay

Ireland’s largest recycling scheme has called on consumers to boost the lifespan of unwanted electronics by repairing them or passing them on to others.

The call to recognise the potential left in electronic products comes from WEEE Ireland as International E-Waste Day reveals that the raw material value of global e-waste in 2019 was worth approximately €50.8bn, the equivalent value of 2.9 million electric cars.

Electronic waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the world. It is estimated that a new high of 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste were generated across the planet in 2019.

E-waste is projected to reach an incredible 75 million tonnes by 2030, which is 9 kg for every person in the world. Every house has an average of 72 electrical products, 11 of which are broken or not being used anymore.

International E-Waste Day is organised by the WEEE Forum, an international association speaking for 40 not-for-profit e-waste producer compliance schemes, including WEEE Ireland whose annual conference ‘Financing the Future, the WEEE Circular Economy’ will also take place virtually today to coincide with International E-Waste Day.

“It is, essentially, about loving our electronic items for longer,” said Leo Donovan, Chief Executive of WEEE Ireland.

“Before putting an electronic item to recycling we would ask people to consider if it can be repaired or if someone else might find a use for it. Research shows that 81% of all requests for product repair results in successful fixes, extending the product life. 

“We are making the request in support of a transition towards a zero carbon more circular economy, which aims to keep our resources in circulation for longer, reducing waste and easing demand for new raw materials used to manufacture new electronic goods.

“If we really want to progress to a circular economy in Ireland, we need to look further up the waste hierarchy and that may mean including more criteria such as durability and repairability in the information provided to customers.

“Through a variety of methods we should look at keeping suitable products in use for as long as possible, either by the original user, flowing to new owners or utilising repair services.”

WEEE Ireland was the second-best performing recycling scheme in Europe in 2019, with 38,594 tonnes of waste electrical items and the equivalent of over 44 million used AA portable batteries collected.

A new national record of 10.89kg of e-waste was recycled per head of population last year by WEEE Ireland, on behalf of over 1,114 members and partners – a rise of 6.2% on 2018.

Alongside International E-waste Day, International Repair Day takes place this Saturday, October 17 to encourage people to reduce the amount of goods discarded of every year and use authorised repair engineers for quality and safe repair of home electrical equipment.

By visiting RepairMyStuff.ie consumers can access an online directory of repair professionals nationwide.

As well as discussing initiatives to encourage consumers to prolong the use of their electronics today’s WEEE Ireland conference highlights the future requirement for eco-modulation.

This is a possible future economic instrument to put the circular economy in practice by providing a financial incentive to companies to redesign products to reduce their environmental impacts.

QDOS launches a new range of accessories for iPhone 12. #iPhone12

Today QDOS, a brand leader for its ground-breaking glass screen protection and iPhone, Smartphone protection, is introducing a range of premium accessories across their main product categories QDOS I PRO:TECT and QDOS I OptiGuard™ for the new Apple iPhone 12 series.

Including brand new collections of cases and screen protection, the line-up is available to pre-order now from www.qdossound.com and will go on general sale on 16th October. The entire range has been designed to perfectly fit the new iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

New iPhone 12 collections from QDOS include:

QDOS I HYBRID

SRP: £19.99

Available for: iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12/12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max

Sleek, slim and easy to grip, the crystal-clear QDOS I HYBRID case perfectly showcases the design of the iPhone 12 while providing everyday protection. The HYBRID is made from a unique blend of highly protective materials and features air-cushioned TPU corners that can keep the iPhone safe from a drop of up to 4ft. With flexible sides (available in clear, navy or space grey) and a solid, scratch-resistant and transparent polycarbonate back, the HYBRID case is easy to get on and off. To ensure the case stays looking pristine, the HYBRID has been treated with an optimised coating to prevent discolouration.

QDOS I HYBRID NEON

SRP: £24.99

Available for: iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12/12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max

Designed to stand out, the stylish semi-transparent QDOS I HYBRID NEON case provides a fluorescent green, blue or pink tint to the iPhone 12 while keeping it protected. Built by dual injection with advanced shock-absorbent polymers, this case has a robust design providing up to 3m of military grade drop protection. Solid and seamless with flexible buttons, the HYBRID NEON case is comfortable and easy to grip. Combining fashion and functionality, it has raised bevel edges to protect the iPhone screen when placed face down, as well as precision cut-outs for full access to all ports and lenses.

QDOS I TOUCH

SRP: £24.99

Available for: iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12/12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max

Soft to the touch, the QDOS I TOUCH case for iPhone 12 is made with real liquid silicone for a silky-smooth finish that is easy to grip. Combining a shock-absorbent polycarbonate inner shell with a high-quality wipe-clean finish, the TOUCH provides everyday protection from knocks and bumps and is resistant to dust, dirt, spills and marks. The interior has been lined with soft microfibre which encases the iPhone 12 perfectly. TOUCH has also been designed with precision cut-outs, offering easy access to ports and buttons.

QDOS I OptiGuard™

SRP from £19.99

QDOS’ new generation of OptiGuard™ screen protectors, now available for the iPhone 12 series, are as tough as they come. Made from premium Japanese tempered glass with a hardness rating of 9H, they offer protection against impacts, scratches and shock, without affecting the sharpness, clarity or touch sensitivity of the screen. Antimicrobial protection kills 99.99% of bacteria on the surface of the phone while an oleophobic coating repels fingerprints and oily residue. Each screen protector comes with an original bespoke application tool that helps to remove bubbles for the perfect installation. The OptiGuard™ range, which also offers a limited lifetime warranty, includes:

  • QDOS I OptiGuard™ Glass Protect: Ultra-thin 0.3mm glass screen protection with a 9H hardness rating and ultra-clarity. Offering hassle-free installation with an easy applicator tool, the OptiGuard Glass offers perfect touch sensitivity for the iPhone 12. Available for: iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12/12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max

  • QDOS I OptiGuard™ Glass Curve Clear: Curved and designed to fit around the display of the iPhone 12, the OptiGuard Curve offers maximum edge-to-edge protection against impact and scratches. Available for: iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12/12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max

  • QDOS I OptiGuard™ Glass Curve Privacy: Shielding data from shoulder-surfers in public, the OptiGuard Glass Privacy incorporates a 180-degree privacy filter. This restricts the angle of view to the user directly facing the screen.  Available for: iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12/12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max

Tech Review – The Poly Blackwire 8225 . #Poly #Blackwire #Tech #WFH

The Poly Blackwire 8225 headphone are lightweight yet powerful with features and can be used as a pair of normal headphones too offering great sound with options to customise to your liking too via software you download onto your PC or Laptop and overall can be used in a hybrid manner for office, business or a personal capacity with music too which is really nice, lightweight as mentioned this is important and these can be used for hours on end with no sweating or head fatigue noted during my testing and I have been busy doing lots of virtual events and calls here at home and found these a good buy if you are in the market for something new as we are now in a massive move to working from home these are a pair of headphones to check out to cover all aspects at hand.

 

 

The build quality is good too and always is from Poly and they look well and of course that familiar orange cable is present with a control box offering features on the fly which is really useful. Again I must point out with such a product these can be used on your tablet of smartphone too and not only PC enabled as many of us would use our mobile to conduct our work on too these days and all you need is an adapter to use them so if you do not have one invest in one as they work really well on mobile too and it is something I do quite often rather than been stuck at my laptop all day I can move around with the headphones on me and swap rooms in the house with no hassle. Sound  quality is great overall and with ANC present it seals the deal on this headset..

 

 

The Blackwire 8225 is easy for IT to deploy and manage and is designed to drastically reduce the noise and distraction that comes with every style of workplace – from the home office to the traditional office. Three settings of advanced hybrid active noise cancelling (ANC) technology allow users to adjust to fit their work environment and seamlessly tune out distracting household noises such as vacuum cleaners, or workplace chatter from colleagues. A noise-cancelling microphone enhanced with Poly Acoustic Fence technology ensures users sound crisp and clear from wherever they work by automatically reducing distracting background noise, like nearby talkers or dogs barking, so that the only sound heard on the other end of the line is clear, premium audio of the speaker talking.

 

BUY 

 

 

 

 

Tech Review – The Poly Voyager 4245 office. #WFH #Office #Tech #Voyager4245

The Voyager 4245 wireless headset system is an office type headset which can be used on a variety of applications or Computer, Desk phone or Smartphone.  The box came in a plane brown box with limited information available. Inside the box came a variety of accessories, from earplugs, wearing style, desk mount, charging cable etc

Features

  •       Comfortable for all-day wear, it is the lightest Bluetooth® headset for contact center use, weighing in at .75 oz/21 g
  •       Wearers can collaborate on the move, with a wireless range up to 328 ft /100 m
  •       Bluetooth 5.0 with BLE technology allows for seamless and easy global wireless deployment
  •       The connection with the customer is never lost thanks to continuous battery* life with high-quality wideband audio
  •       Any distracting noise surrounding the speaker is blocked by the noise-cancelling microphone
  •       Visual and audible alerts indicate battery level
  •       Microsoft Teams certified with dedicated Teams button for instant access

 

Customise headset option

This is one of my favourite features, allowing the choice to use the headset in 3 different styles as required by the individual user.

 

Battery & charging

Continuous battery, this is achieved using a spare battery which is charged when not in use, with the battery swapped while a call is in progress, given unlimited talk time. This is my number one gripe with this product. During teams calls. The battery voice prompt will advise fully charged, medium or low. To change a battery during a team’s video call, the video would have to be turned off, the audio muted, headset removed, the battery changed and then await the Bluetooth to connect back to the phone or laptop.  This may work for internal video calls but not practical for business calls. Traditionally other brands have a USB C charger leads socket which would allow a portable charger brick or charging lead to be plugged into the headset. The option of changing the battery works but reminds me of the original mobiles that came with 2 batteries to ensure you got a day’s use.

The charger plug is an odd shape, (can be used with a 3 pin or 2 pin plug) with the lead crossing over to another plug with the potential of being damaged.

 

Audio:

The Microphone as expected from Plantronics is a noise-cancelling microphone which is of excellent quality, background noise is filtered out effectively resulting on another end of the call / video getting extraordinarily little background noise.  The headset has the usual volume up and down button but observed the max volume is lower than many other earphones used. This may be a design feature to ensure not to distract / allow other users in the office to overhear the conversation and prevent the user from shouting when the volume is turned up to a high level.

 

Overall.

The Voyager 4245 office headset has great features / compatibility in terms of the ability to use the headset in 3 different styles. I would expect to lose a lot of the accessories within 3 months.  The Multipoint Technology which allows multiple devices to be connected simultaneously is a must in any product which is expected to improve efficiency. ( If looking to purchase a new product that does not have Multipoint Technology , Techbuzz Ireland would ask you reconsider your choice for future proofing) Albeit a personal  niggle is the battery charging, swapping option which is my number one gripe on the product, minors others on the charging plug, high volume level but nothing major.

Overall, the Poly Voyager 4245, is light for all day use, excellent build, and call quality which a variety styles to allow superior call quality and use and certified by the major Collaboration & Meetings call providers.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Poly-Voyager-Bluetooth-Cancelling-Microphone-Black/dp/B08BLY4SZ2

Price: £239.53

Tech Review – The Jabra Speak 750. #Tech #JabraSpeak750 #Jabra

With working from home or smaller office environment a new trend you will need the latest and greatest at hand and the JABRA SPEAK 750 is an ideal fit for this and not only that it can be used as a personal speaker too so you are getting several use cases from one product which is great.

It is a familiar shape with a circular look with touch sensitive buttons atop and of course those cool lights that come up when turned on. Connecting to the 750 speak is simple and three ways to do so by USB, and Bluetooth and you can also connect this to your smartphone and your PC you are not tied to your laptop or home PC and can work from a phone which I tend to do but tested this in both capacities.

The build quality is also a strong point here and the in-built cable management as seen on previous models and also features DSP which stops distortion or echo however if on a phone you might want to be standing away from it rather than beside you will see in video below..

On the front you have all the commands at hand by a simple touch and access to your Microsoft teams and other controls which all work well and for calls it was excellent and on the few teams calls I tried the result the same with great clarity in the calls and people the other end could hear me no problem at all and clear at that with no lag or distortion.

On a whole this is an ideal product though some might find this expensive but if you want the latest tech there is that delivers this is an investment especially if you are working from home and of course can be used in offices to hold small gathering meetings and you can pair two of these together for a more cohesive result for all in the room though now with things the way they are that may be limited but going forward it is an ideal kit.. Also to note this is very portable and comes with a carry case so it is not restricted to just one home or office and lightweight.

Jabra sent us this product to review with no compensation or copy approval.

BUY HERE

7 Smart Office Additions You Should Be Investing In..

A smart office is a workplace that integrates modern technology to make workers’ tasks more manageable, faster, and smarter. It contains some excellent management tools that are able to improve everyone’s performance in the workplace. 

More companies today are securing the advancement of employee experience with creative ideas and concepts. To maintain this effort, companies have to ensure that they are keeping up with the progress of modern technology. Here are some office options that companies are currently investing in.

1 -Meeting Rooms, Conference Rooms, and Smart Desks

Communication is always key in an office to help it work properly and efficiently. Offices with smart desks improve many aspects of an employee’s productivity, amenity, and well being. Most high-tech systems provide the needed environment for a proper sit-stand posture. These systems monitor reserved and open desk spaces, where they can find their employees’ exact location for better communication. Employees also have their right to have their privacy mode on. Smart conference rooms can host video conferencing or employee meetings. 

2 – High-Tech Video Tracking Tools

High-tech video tracking can monitor internal theft and intensifies other security purposes. Offices use the camera technology pervasively to study office traffic and usage in different lighting, zoom features, and various angle views. Multiple screen features also help in tracking activities in many locations using a computer or a smartphone. Offices uploads files on cloud storage for future reference.

3 – Office Gamification

Most offices take the welfare of their employees into consideration by providing them with essentials such as food, a balanced workload, and leisure. Gamification has an essential role in an office for providing onboarding, sales, and various processes. Some gamification may seem dull due to a forced fun factor. However, smart managers can create intelligent tools to improve gamification with the use of modern office technology. There are gamified apps that help users keep track of their efficiency, giving employees motivation, and better self-worth at work. 

4 – Intelligent Amenities

Most office structures have built-in amenities to provide an optimal working environment for its users, but most of the time, company owners have a hard time giving everyone their desired temperature or intensity of light. With smart technology, employers are now able to control the climate inside their office, which saves energy and expenses. Intelligent climate control systems are capable of knowing the usage patterns, preferences and regulate the office temperature. It improves employee’s productivity and morale. Employees can also adjust doors, windows, and lights with their capacity to provide lighting to their area with just a tap on the control screen.

5 – Robot Vacuums

In an age where cleanliness is essential, you can never go wrong with having a robot vacuum to get the job done with ease. In fact, some advanced robot vacuums can even sterilize as they clean. They are great for cleaning hard to reach areas such as underneath chairs and tables. For office carpets, however, they may not be as effective. It is still best to have them cleaned by professionals like Emerald Carpet Cleaning to make sure that your office space is clean at all times. 

6 – Voice Control 

If you really want to take your smart office to the next level, invest in a voice control technology that can distinguish your voice and listen to your commands. Need to turn off the light? Want to call your secretary? You don’t have to stand up from your desk or press anything. With speech recognition applications, you just have to say your command, and you will have them. 

These are just some of the smart office additions that you can consider. In a rapidly changing workforce environment, innovation can lead to a more efficient future for businesses and their employees. 

7 – Storage Area Network

For employees who deal with a lot of data, investing in a storage area network or storage network is the answer. Aside from offering an extra layer of security, it also helps to store critical information and makes business operations more efficient. It eliminates physical requirements that allow admins and other personnel to access crucial data remotely without losing track of any files. With SAN storage prices becoming more affordable, it is a must-have for any office. Just make sure to choose a reliable provider when going for one.

 

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JOBY Announces the New Freehold Phone Case with Finger Loop and Multi-Accessory Mount

JOBY, creator of award-winning mounts, stands and grips designed to elevate the potential of the latest mobile and imaging devices, announces the launch of FreeHold – a protective smartphone case series with built-in finger loop and modular attachment system. With FreeHold, JOBY now provides a complete ecosystem of products for run-and-gun content creators, further solidifying itself as a leader in smartphone accessories.

Designed for mobile content creation, FreeHold empowers you to easily view and use your smartphone in new and fun ways. Capture and share the most creative images and videos.

FreeHold’s built-in stretch-elastic finger loop hugs your fingers, giving you a dependable hold while snapping pics or vlogging – so, you know your phone isn’t going anywhere! Say “bye bye” to scuff marks and broken screens. See our review soon here on techbuzz where we give real hands on reviews.